The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-03-03 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

The HOUSE or LORDS iirfor half an
ruary 24th, and transacted some formal busin,
THE PROCEDURE RULES.
In the HorsE OF COMMONS, Mr. W. H. Smith moved
that precedence be given to the debate on the proposed
New Rules of Procedure whenever they may be set down
by the Government among the orders of the day.
Objection was taken to this that it would constitute
an infringement of the rights of private members.
Mr. Gladstone, whilst doubting the wisdom of the
Ministerial proposals, intimated that he and .his
friends intended to offer no serious opposition to their
Mr. Smith's motion was eventually agreed to,
amendment by Mr. Bradlaugh to except Wednesd
from its operation being negatived by 249 to 150.
first of the new rules, dealing with the days and hours
of the sittincs of the House, was then brought forward,
and in the course of the discussion it was intimated
that the Government would not persevere with
suggested rdjournment from eight to nine every
evening fcr dinner. It was also announced
that a joint committee of the two Houses
would be appointed to consider the
of ! dealing with private bill legislation. Mr.
Labouchere moved an amendment in favour of having
a short day sitting on Fridays instead of, as at present,
on Wednesdays. This was rejected by 167 votes to 105.
An. amendment to the effect that the House should
meet at 3.30 p.m. instead of at three, as proposed in
the, new rules, was rejected by 214 to 100, but the
Government agreed to substitute midnight for 12.30 as
the hour for stopping opposed business. With these
and some minor modifications the first rule was
agreed to. .

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INDIAN CIVIL SERVICE.—TRE LAW OF DISTRESS.
In the HOUSE OF LORDS, on February 27th, Viscount
Cross stated, in answer to the Earl of Kimberley, that
the report of the Royal Commission on the Civil Service
in India had been received, and would be laid on the
table before the end of the week. The Law of Distress

Amendment Bill was passed through committee with

amendments.

GOVERNMENT AND THE DELAGOA RAILWAY.
The Earl of Rosebery, in asking whether her Majesty's
Government contemplated taking any action in respect
to the Delagoa Bay Railway, pointed out that this rail-
way, which had access to almost the only port on an enor-
mous coastline in South Africa, was in danger of fall-
ing into unfriendly, if not hostile, hands, and that this
might be the means of differential and hostile rates
being levied upon our commerce.
The Earl of Onslow replied that the attention of the
Government had been very seriously directed to the
question of this railway, both as an inlet for trade with
the South African Republic, and also as a competitor
to the trade of the Cape and Natal. It had been sug-
gested that her Majesty's Government should acquire
the territory now bblonging to Portugal, but as Portugal
was not disposed to part with her colony that sugges-
tion need not be discussed. Another proposal was that
her Majesty's Government should acquire the railway,
but he could not conceive any ground upon which
the British taxpayer should be asked not only to
acquire but to control and work a railway which did
not run either from, to, or through British territory.
If ;the matter were of importance to anyone it was
to the Cape and Natal, and proposals for the purchase
of the railway were now under the consideration of the
Cape Government. As to British commerce, there was
a treaty in existence with the Government of the
Transvaal which secured to goods from England an
equal footing with those from any other country. A
conference had been recently held between the Orange
Free State and the colonies of Cape and Natal, and his
own belief was that it would tend towards a better
arrangement for the working of the railways of South
Africa. If a satisfactory arrangement could be made
in that respect, he did not fear that the Delagoa Bay
Railway would be of that importance that some people
supposed.
Their lordships rose at ten minutes after five o'clock.

THE NEW PROCEDURE RULE.—THE ADDRESS.
In the HOUSE OF COMMONS, which met for the first
;ime under the new Procedure Rule at three o'clock,
Lord A. Hill, Comptroller of the Household, brought
lown the reply of her Majesty to the Address, in
inswer to the Speech from the Throne, and also
I2er Majesty's reply to the Address, praying
or the appointment of a Royal Commission to inquire
and report upon alleged irregularities by the Metro-
politan Board of Works.
WOOLWICTI ARSENAL.
Mr. Hanbuty gave notice that on going into Com-
mittee of Supply he would call attention to the report
on the reception of large quantities of defective stores
at Woolwich Arsenal, and move to reduce the salaries
of certain officials.
ROYAL GRANTS. -
In reply to Mr. E. Robertson, who asked whether the
Government adhered to the undertaking given in 1885
not to propose any new grants to members of the Royal
family until the whole subject had been considered by
a committee of the House, Mr. IV. H. Smith declined
to accept the hon. member's view of what was stated in
1885; but in any case he was not prepared to give such
'prt undertaking as was asked for with reference to what
he believed to be a remote contingency.
THE DARDANELLES.

Sir J. Fergussoni-niormed Mr. Bryce that thert was
no foundation for the statement in the Temps news-
paper that her Majesty's Government had procured or
asked the Turkish Government for the cession of a port
or island in the Dardanelles.

CIVIL SERVICE ESTIMATES.
The House having gone into Committee of Supply,
the consideration of the Civil Service Supplementary
Estimates was proceeded with. Complaint was made
upon the first vote by Lord R. Churchill of the illusory
and confused manner in which the Estimates were
framed and presented; and the Chancellor of the
Exchequer denied that the Treasury had been guilty of
any negligence in the matter, and stated that measures
were being taken to secure greater control over the ex-
penditure.
On the supplementary vote for county-court officers,
Lc. (Ireland), Mr. Shaw-Lefevre animadverted upon
the administration of the Crimes Act by the resident
magistrates and a discussion ensued, which was pro-
tracted by the Irish members until a quarter to twelve,
when the vote was carried on a division by 195 to 124.
A supplementary vote for the National Gallery vas then
agreed to. and at midnight the Chairman reported pro-
gress, and the House resumed.
EMPLOYER'S LIABILITY A.
Mr. Matthews brought in a bill, which was read a
first time, to amend the law relating to the liability of
employers for injuries to their workmen.
IRISH SUNDAY CLOSING.

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On tle motion of Mr. A. Balfour it was resolved to
appoint a committee to inquire into the operation of
the Sunday Closing Acts “reland).
The House adjourned at-a quarter-past 12.
NEW PEER. •
In the Housn or Lem:is on February 28 Baron
Knutsford (Sir H. T. Holland) was introduced with the
usual formalities, and took the oath and subscribed the
roll of Parliament on his elevation to the peerage.
BILLS ADVANCED.
The County Courts Consolidation and the Mortmain
and Charitable Uses Bill were read a second time.
" SWEATING " IN EAST LONDON.
The Early of Dunraven called attention to the
report of the labour correspondent of the Board of
Trade on the swe,ating " system at the East-end"
of London, and pointed out that the workers:
in certain trades were reduced by this system.
to a condition of white slavery. Not only did the!
sweater exact long hours and pay small wages,'
but the work was done under conditions which were ini
the highest degree filthy and insanitary. The strongesti
man or woman was killed out in the course of eight ori,
nine years, and the vacancies thus created in the ranks'
of British workers were filled up by foreign immi4
grants. What was wanted was not further legislation;
but that th 6 -exiSting law should be made-more 'effective
by a reform of the Executive, and that the penalties
for infraction of the Factory and Workshops Acts
should be so increased that it would no longer pay the
sweater to employ-slaves. The noble earl concluded by
moving the appointment of a Select Committee to in-
quire into the sweating system in the East-end.
The Archbishop of Canterbury observed that there
were classes - below ,that of the well-to-do working
people, who were sunk in abject misery, and it was
only right that a systematic inquiry should be made
into their real condition, with a view to the application
of a remedy.
The Earl of Onslow reminded their lordships thik 1
inspectors under the Factory Acts had no power fp
visit workshops in which only grown men and women
h'ere'employed, and it was rather to the action of the
local authorities under the Public Health Acts that '
'they must look for whatever remedies could be applied
to the sweating system. He should deprecate any
application of the Factory Acts to the ease of grown
men, but on the part of. the Government he did not
oppose the motion, limited as it was in its terms.
The motion was then agreed to, and their lordships
rose at half-past six.
GRAND JUNCTION WATER BILL THROWN OUT.
In the HOUSE OF COMMONS, the Grand Junction
Water Bill was opposed by Mr. Dixon-Hartland, on the
ground that it proposed to intercept the water from
some of the tributaries of the Thames, and after ebn-
siderable discussion the second reading was negatived
and the bill thrown out by 188 to 104.
NEW MEMBERS.
Mr. E. Brodie Hoare took the oath and his seat for
Hampstead, and Mr. H. W. Fitzwilliam, who was
loudly cheered from the Conservative and Liberal
Unionist benches, for the Doncaster Division of the
West Riding.
TUB SUGAR BOUNTIES MISSION.
Mr. W. H. Smith informed Mr. Biggar that the
recent visit of Baron H. de Worms to Paris, Brusiels,
Berlin, and The Hague in connection with the up-
pression of sugar bounties was undertaken purelyi out
of zeal for the public service, and would involve no
'U charge upon the public.
TIIE SERVICES.
d Replying to Mr. J. Ellis, the First Lord of the Tre4ury
said it was intended by the Government to propose!. the
appointment of three committees, to which would be
referred the estimates for the army, navy, and Pbstal
‘.3 ,and Revenue Departments. It was also intended to
1, concur in Mr. H. Fowler's proposal to appoint a pom-
mittee to consider the form in which the estimates
should be framed and presented to the House.
TUE PROCEDURE RULES.
The consideration of the new Rules of Proeddure
having been resumed, Mr. Smith moved the proposed
rule reducing from 200 to 100 the majority neceOsary
to make the closure effective.
To this Mr. Chaplin objected that the existing rule
was sufficiently drastic, and that the tendency f the
proposed alteration was in the direction of closure by a
bare majority, which would be used as a mere party-
weapon. Lord R. Churchill also deprecated the pro-
posal, believing that the Government would have;-acted
more wisely had they waited to see the effect Iwhich
would be produced by the salutary change made In the
hours of sitting, and by the assurances that had been
given that obstruction would not be countenanCed by
the leaders of both sections of the Opposition', Mr,
W. H. Smith, however, insisted that a reduction of the
closure majority wAs alNiolutely Decossavy to oo;;Ille +:11
bosiiwag of the evitry to be -trenteeted, dir NV;
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