The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-05-21 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

In the HOUSE OF LORDS, May 16, Lord De La Warr gave
zotice that on Friday next he would call attention to the
state of affairs in the Regency of Tunis. and ask what steps
Her Majesty's Government intended to take in consequence
of the French invasion of that country, and of the breach of
international and treaty obligations to which the Bey was
Induced to be a party. The noble earl then asked the Secre-
tary for Foreign Affairs whether the French General, with
large escort and a strong force, had proceeded to the
immediate vicinity of Tunis and demanded an audience of
the Bey, who was induced, after much pressure, to sign a
treaty with France.
Lord Granville said that the treaty recently concluded
between the Bey and France would be communicated to Her
Majesty's Government after it was laid before the French
Chambers, and it would be included in the papers relating
to Tunis which he proposed to lay on the table.
-

Lord Rosebery asked the Secretary for Foreign Affairs
Whether any intimation had been received by the Govern-
ment of a massacre of the Jewish population in parts of
Southern Russia.

Lord Granville, in reply, read a communication from our
Chargé d'Affaires at St. Petersburg,. in which it was stated
that serious riots had occurred in certain provinces of
Southern Russia, that great violence had been used towards
the Jews, and tqat troops had been despatched to put down
those disturbances.

Lord Huntly, answering Lord Stanley of Alderley, said
that no trichinm had been discovered in hams import, to
this country from America. Neither had any oleo
or butterine containing the grease of disease',
pigs Mad the
fat of diseased horses been found amon, the importations
from the United States. The Goverrejt thought that the
existing Orders in Council were a:leQuato ror preventing the
iniportation of diseased food.

Lord Galloway mov,' an address to the Crown to recon-
sider the proposal to. substitute novel territorial titles for
the present r:c'erical and other distinctions in Regiments
Of the Lir_e an& militia.
, -ad Morley defended the proposed change. Lord Bury
(Believed the object could have been gained without adopt
tog the territorial system.
- - - -

After some observations from Lord Northbrook, Lord
Airey, and Lord Chelmsford, the Motion was withdrawn,
and several Bills having been advanced a stage, their lord-
ahips adjourned at twenty minutes to nine o'clock.
In the buss OF COMMONS, "Question time" extended
over considerably more than two hours, and it was seven
o'clock when the adjourned debate was reached. There
were 35 questions on the paper, and many more were put
Without notice.

A question from Mr. Healy relating to the pulling down
4bt a placard at Enniscorthy by the police led to a lively
!scene between Mr. Forster and the Irish members. Mr.
O'Donnell Added to this question another, whether the
Iplacard had not been torn down because it referred to the
Chief Secretary as "Buckshot Forster."
Mr. Forster, amid much cheering, said a Minister was no
!more bound to answer insulting questions than any other
fuember.

Mr. Healey moved the adjournment of the debate and
remarked that these outrages were the only means the people
had of protesting against the present rule of Ireland, and
they would be ten times more numerous.

Mr. Alderman Lawrence rose to order, and the Speaker
said he deplored the language both of Mr. Healy and Mr.
O'Donnell, and regretted the frequent resorts to the incon-
venient practice of moving the adjournment of the House.
Mr. Forster and the Attorney-General said the placard had
been torn down on the authority of the common law because
it excited to illegal interferenc with lawful acts.
Mr. Parnell, Mr. Sullivan, and Mr. A. O'Connor also
*Doke, and Sir R. Knightly recommended that the power
et moving the adjournment should be placed under regula-
tion.
Mr. Summers asked the Under-Secretary of '-aate for the
Colonies whether he was in a position to upoh the table
of the House copies of papers rating to the Ashantee
" Scare" at the Gold Coast, and. to include in those papers a
Copy of the instructions lgiCier which Sir Samuel Rowe is
acting.

Mr. Grant Dul, in reply, said : I will read the latest news
from the Ge,id Coast with r6spect to what the hon. member
de orit,;,-,as "the Ashantee scare." It was recared yester-
my. Sir Samuel Rowe telegraphs :

Ashs.ntee Prince delivered his message 29th April. King
•eg.s for peace; kneels before Her Majesty. Offers 2,000
ttinces of gold, not as payment of expenses, but as sign of
nuicerity—sniall part only here, more believed to be on the
Ira,. Replied that I should answer after due consideration.
rrogress most satisfactory."
Ills looks as if we might soon be able to say that matters had
returned to their normal state. When we are able to do so
?nth perfeet confidence, I shall lay papers on the table,
Likeitidine the Governor's instructions.
kr. Macdonald asked the Financial Secretary to the Trea-
tury whether it was true, as stated in the public journals,
that the fees paid to the Dean and Chapter of Westminster
Abbey for permission to erect a monument therein to the
late Earl ,of Beaconsfield would amount to about £400; and
U so, whether those fees would be the private emolument
of the Dean and of the members of the Chapter, or for what
Purpose.

Lord F. Cavendish, in reply, said: I am obliged to my hon.
Intend for asking me this question, and thus enabling me to
remove an entirely erroneous misconception upon the sub-
Ject. In answer to an inquiry which I have made into the
Statement quoted by my hon. friend, I have been informed
that there are no fees whatever paid to the Dean and
Chapter for monuments erected at the public expense. Any
tees for private monuments are expended entirely on the
MaPport of the fabric, and no portion whatever goes to the
Ari Tate emolument of the Dean or of any member of the
Chapter.
Mr. Macdonald gave notice that on Thursday he would
..„aat the noble lord if he would lay on the table a return
Vying an account of all memorials, tablets, busts, statues,
wc., which had been erected in Westminster Abbey since
00; with a statement of the charge made in each case,
distinguishing the eases in which the charge had been paid
bY the country ; and whether the noble lord was aware that
en the recent erection of a statue or bust to Sir Rowland
X, ill, which cost £2OO, a charge of £2Ol is. was made, as fees,
n 7 the Dean and Chapter.
‘,.._11r. Donaldson-Hudson asked the Secretary of State for
ar whether Her Majesty's Government would accord to
volunteer Battalion Surgeons, after twelve years' service, the
tank and title of surgeon-major, as in the case of Militia
uattalion surgeons • and whether they would give them,
'under the Memorandum showing the principal changes in
4111:1Y organization, &c., intended to take effect from the Ist
,
July. 1881, the same privileges upon retirement, after
furossfteen years' service, as to the other officers of the auxiliary
Sir. Childers said: In reply to the hon. member I have to
state
•that Volunteer surgeons will be on the same footing as
ihtia surgeons not on the departmental list—that is to
tay, they will, after 20 years' service, receive a step of
t °notary rank, or on retirement if duly recommended for it.
:olunteer surgeons will, after 15 years' service, be entitled
'0 retain their rank. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. W. Fowler asked the Under-Secretary of State for the
Z▪ ulunies what further information, if any, had been received
27 the Government as to the present state of the negotia-
uuns between the Cape Government tad the Basutos.
Alr- Grant-Duff : The news from Basutoland is conflicting
out here is the latest telegram, received on Saturday even-
ing from Sir Hercules Robinson :—" 14th.—General Clarke
telegraphs on 12th :--` Have fairly reliable information that
332-B.r_ utos were to have held large meeting yesterday (11th) at
~..'etßea's, to consider terms of Governor's award. Lerothodi
-L. a another inclined to accept, many others very doubtful."
M▪ r. M. Guest having asked whether the Government in-
nded to recognize the treaty between Tunis and France,
2fr C. Dilke said the papers would be produced in a few
'laYa, and suggested that the discussion should be postponed
then.
Mr. Guest, however, declined to follow this course, and
11,!0ved the adjournment of the House. Amid cheers from
the Opposition and increasing manifestations of impatience
a_i'
• behind him, he proceeded to condemn the conduct of
r• o
French Government as contrary to its assurances, and
'masted that the British Government, which had been hood-
and led into a trap, should protest against this
'4h-handed proceeding. In Tunis, he pointed out, there
• ere 10,000 British subjects, 15,000 Italian subjects, and only
,000 French subjects, and he asserted that all the Powers
'tat concurred in the Firman of 1871, which recognized the
tazerainty of the Porte over Tunis, except France, which,
muwever, up to 1863, had taken the same view.

, Mr. Gladstone earnestly appealed to the House whether
ttiatice, policy, and even decency, as well as courtesy to an
tntimabe ally, did not require that this discussion should not
continued in the absence of authentic information. The
litZerainty of the Porte had long been a controversial
tauter, and it did not appear that we recognised it in the
clise of Algiers when we bombarded it without the leave of
he Porte. Moreover, it was impossible that the House
ecr,. uld form any judgment on the conduct of the British
vernment until the papers were produced, a large portion
'2l which, he added, would relate not only to the time of the
'Present, but the late Government.
ftply to Mr. Bourke, Sir H. Wolff, and Mr. Otway,
?ix C. Dilke said the papers would contain a copy of the
Lreaty, despatches relating to the financial control, and the
4°rarnunications with the Italian Government, and Mr.
Quest then withdrew his motion.

. Lea asked the Vice-President of the Council whether
litere was any justification for the alarm which existed as to
the importation into this country of cattle from Ireland
Itileged to be diseased, and which was acting so prejudicially
te the interests of the farmers and graziers; and whether any
cer_itagious disease existed among the cattle in Ireland.

Mundella said there was no foot-and-mouth disease in
zreland, but there was a residuum of pleuro-pneumonia,
though much less than existed in this country. He could
only wish that English cattle were in as good a sanitary con-
dition as Irish cattle were in at present.
_ln answer to Sir M. Hicks-Beach, Mr. Gladstone said
°uairs in the Transvaal, and especially in regard to the
'measures arising out of the surrender of Potchefstroom,
Were still in too incomplete a state for him to be able to fix
a day for the vote of censure.
In reply to Mr. W. H. Smith, Mr. Trevelyan said some
Ilrne ago they had received information which induced them
to issue a caution to the commanders of squadrons, but
to did not attribute any importance to the statement that
tile loss of the Doterel was due to a Fenian conspiracy.
The adjourned debate on the Irish Land Bill was resumed
OY Mr. Gladstone. The right hon. gentleman addressed tile
"Ouse for an hour-and-a-half in a powerful and remarkable
Speech, in which he replied to arguments, questions, and
objections raised in course of the debate, indicating broadly
the lines within which any possible alteration of the bill
Must be confined, canvassing, the policy of the Opposition
and of the Home Rule members in respect of a measure to
Which he declared the Government attached its fortunes.
Mr. Fitzpatrick continued the debate, and was succeeded
.b 1 Colonel Colthurst, Mr. Rodwell, Dr, Kinnear, Sir. J
Al.e/Cenna, Col. Stanley, and Mr. T. O'Connor.
Tke debate was adjourned on the motion of Mr. Chaplin,
sUld some other business having been disposed of, the House
adiourned at twenty minutes past two.

In the HOUSR OF LORDS, May 17, Lord Camoys took the
lath and his seat.
Lord Sidmouth, on notice of a question to the First
Tiord of the Admiralty, called the attention of their lord-
alliPs to the subject of pensions for the widows of seamen
and Marines. He said it was eighteen years since the matter
Was first mooted, and that in the interim two memorials
had been presented to the Admiralty praying that depart-
tent to take it into consideration. It was ten years
ce it was first brought before the House. He thought
the men of the Royal Navy not unnaturally felt that, in
‘t,_esPect of provision for those whom they left after them,
'Limy were not cared for as well as soldiers and Civil ser-
"ants. When accidents involving loss of life happened to
Vessels of the Royal Navy, appeals had to be made to
the public for the widows of those who had lost their
Lives ; and experienc:, showed that the subscriptions in
such cases were diminishing in amount. The noble
Viscount referred, as he had done on a former occasion, to
stoppages from the men and savings accruing to the
Admiralty from money allowances in lieu of provisions as
items on which the seamen had a claim towards the pension
and he inquired of the First Lord how the Admiralty
Inquiry into the question was now progressing.
Lord Northbrook assured the Bouse that the Admiralty
I_s'ali sensible of the importance of the question, which was
being carefully inquired into by a committee, whose report
would be laid on the table. He thought it was discredit-
thle to the service that aid to the widows of seamen killed
accident depended to some extent on appeals to the
Dablic ; but he reminded the House that a year's pay was
ten by the Admiralty to those widows, and that sons and
lighters of such seamen were reared out of the Greenwich
--`°sPital Funds. He expressed his opinion that Parliament
Ought to view with jealousy any proposal to increase the ex-
Plises of the non-effective portion of the Navy but he in-
nxfated, at the same time, that there were certain balances
rich might be set apart towards creating a fund for excep-
tan7al pensions while in ordinary cases provision for their
dieS ought to be made by the seamen themselves.
On the motion of Lord Fowls, a return was ordered show-
Lug the date at which compulsory retirement would have
applied to officers who since 1813 have received the thanks
of Parliament by name. ,
.Some Bills having been advanced a stage, their lordships
aajourned at six o'clock.

In the Rowse ov Common, in reply to a question from
Mr* EfealY, Mr. W. E. Forster said he: could only repeat
what he had previously stated, that the Irish Government
had given orders that the prisoners detained under the Pro-