The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-02-05 00:00:00

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1881.

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Beaconsfield had opposed everyone of Mr. Glad-
stone's great budgets, and all the measures which
had been passed for the benefit of the people of
this country. The House of Lords had been the
real obstructives f legislation and in doing nothing
and the Tories in the House of Commons had helped
the.n to do it—(laug ,ter). Peer i.frer peer in the
Upper House might be pointed to who had opposed
the general tendency of political thought in this
country. We could not expect to preserve the
freedom of this country until the people were
politically educated, and political ignorance was a
matter of devotion to the Tory party—(applause).
He went on the attribute to a large extent to Tory
statesmen the wars in which this country had been
involved. He said the House of Lords • had most
persistently preserved the most merciless penal
code in the world, and the amelioration of criminal
law would never have been brought a.bout if the
House of Peers could have presented it. He also
condemned their action in domestic egislation, urging
that the House of Lords.did not work well except
in the interest of the enemies of political progress ;
it therefore required the attention of the people in
order to have the ht-reditary system of representa-
tion abolished, and a more just representation sub-
stituted in its placc—(applause). All tie evils,
however, did not come from the House of Lords.
A Reform Bill was required in both Houges In
the Commons a Bill for the redistribution of seats
was required, and the representation of the people
must be made more just before Tory obstruction
could be more effectually dealt with—(applause).
Mr, S, Addison moved, "That this meeting,
while regretting the necessity for the introduction
into Parliament of except'onal legislation to prote t
peison and property in Ireland, at the same time
desires to express its confidence in the policy of
her Majesty's ministers, believing that the Land
Bill to be introduced by them will be a thorough
remedy for the Irish grievance arising out of the
existing Land Laws; and that the Chairman be
requested to transmit this resolution to the Prime
Minister "—(applause).
Mr. H, Carder seconded the resolution, which
was carried, and a vote of thanks to the,Chairman
for presiding closed the meeting.

LIEEBOAT SERVICES DURING THE RECENT STORMS.—
During the recent storms the services of the
Lifeboats of the National Lifeboat Institution
appear to have been unexatnpled for bravery,
exposure and determination. The following is a
list of the rescued shipwrecked crews on those
disastrous occasions :—French Ketch Manse de Ciel
4; Dutch Steamer Ingerid, 7; Spanish Brigantine
Rosseta, 8; Ship Indian Chief, of Liverpool, 12 ;
Barque Hertha, of Christiansund, rendered assist-
ance ; Brigantine Hassel, of Hagouesund, 8 ;
Schooner Minnie Coles, of Southampton, saved
vessel and crew ; Brig Visitor, of Whitby, 6; Screw
Steamer Trafalgar, of London, 23; Barque North
Wales, of London, 21 ; Schooner Rosa Josephs, 5 ;
Smack Pishguard Lass, of Abersoch, 3 ; Schooner
Miss Beck, of Carnarven, 5 ;Fishing Boats Magdalen
and Star of Peace, 12; two fishing boats of Berwick-
on-Tweed, saved boats and 9 ; Fishing Coble
Lirely, of Redcar, 2 ; several Fishing Cobles,
rendered assistance ; Sloop Ruby, of Goole, assisted
to save vessel and 3 ; Schooner Annie Marie, of
Krag,roe, Norway, 3 ; Brig Matilda, of Gothenburg
rendered assistance ; and Brig Gyda, of Swensdall,
9.—Total, 343 lives, besides 4 vessels. At some
of these rescues the boats' crews were out con-
secutively, in raging seas and intense cold, twenty
and thirty hours at a time, and sometimes a few
hours after reaching the shore the Lifeboatmen
have proceeded out again and again in reply to the
signals of distress from the endangered ships.