The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-05-29 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

THE DECEASED WIFE'S SISTER BILL.
In the HOUSE OF LORDS, May 24, the Duke of St.
Albans moved the second reading of the bill legalising
marriage with a deceased wife's sister. The principle of
the measure, he observed, had been assented to by tho
House of Commons seven times; and in their lord-
ships' House the bill was read a seconktirue in 1883,
though it was rejected at a later stage in an unusual
manner. _ _ _

The Duke of Argyll, who moved the rejection of the
bill, cited the Hebrew and Roman Codes as furnishing
authority for maintaining the existing prohibition,
which, he maintained, constituted no greater inter-
ference with personal liberty than any other restriction
contained in our marriage laws.
Lord Bramwell supported, the bill, and characterised
the existing law as cruel, nafschievous, and without the
least justification.
The Archbishop of Canterbury contended that the
passing of the bill would create a breach in the family.
which was the basis of all civilised society. Marriages
such as the bill would legalise were, moreover, without
precedent in the Christian Church.
On a division the bill was thrown out by 149 to 127.
Several bills were subsequently advanced a stage, and
-Their lordships rose at 20 minutes to 8 o'clock.

GRANTS FOR SECRET SERVICE.
In the HO:SE OLP COMMONS, Mr. H. Fowler informed
Mr. A. Grey that a sum of £lO,OOO was granted out of
the Consolidated Fund annually to the Political Secre-
tary to the Treasury, under the authority of Act of
Parliament, for secret service. The expenditure of
this money was not subjected to the scrutiny of the
Comptroller and Auditor General, nor were the objects
to which it was applied within the cognisance of the
Financial Secretary to the Treasury. The subject of
secret service money had been before the Committee on
Public Accounts, and also before the late and present
Governments, and a Treasury Mioute had beem passed
setting forth the terms in which the Political Secretary
should in future be required to certify as to the proper
expenditure of the grant, and the amount of unex-
pended balance. Replying to Mr. Brodrick, who asked
whether any unexpended balance had ever been sur-
rendered, Mr. Fowler said the Financial Secretary was
in a hopeless state of ignorance on the subject. Mr. M.
Henry gave notice that on the first opportunity he
should move a resolution declaring it to be an abuse
that any money raised by taxation should be expended
by the Government of the day for election purposes.
PARTY.-THE PRESSURE ON MEMBERS.
Mr. Richard having directed the Prime Minister's
attention to the statement made by Lord Hartington
on Saturday as to the pressure which was being put on
members by the party associations to induce them to
vote for the second reading of the Government of It e-
land Bill, for which purpose the debate was to be in-
definitely prolonged, and also to the letter of -ir
R. N. Fowler as to the tactics which were being
pursued by the Government to prolong the debate, and
having asked whether the right hon. gentleman was pre-
pared to urge upon the supporters of the bill to waivz
their right of speaking,
Mr_ Gladstone said he had requested the Secretary
to the Treasury to make inquiries with regard to those
who desired to take part in the debate, and was waiting
for the result of those inquiries when he saw the state-
ment attributed to the noble lord, and also to the re-
markable letter of Sir R. N. Fowler, which was neither
courteous nor good-natured. The result was to make
it impossible for him to bring any influence which he
might possess to bear upon gentlemen who were placed
under such a stigma. In the existing circumstances he
could not do more than express his earnest hope that
hon. members who were in sympathy with the Govern-
ment would do nothing to give any colour to the charge
which had been made.
The Marquis of Hartington, observing that Mr
Richard had not given him notice of his question,
declined to admit the accuracy of the quotation from
his speech, or that he had connected the pressure
placed by local associations upon members and the pro..
)ongation of the debate in a manner of which the Prime
Minister had reason to complain.

SUPPLY.-THE SECRET SERVICE FUND.
The House having gone into Committee of Supply on
the vote on account of £2,286,400 for civil services, Mr.
Rylands moved to omit the item of £5OOO for secret
Bervi3e money, on the ground that a suspicion was
entertained that the grant of £lO,OOO annually made
out of the Consolidated Fund to the political Secre-
tary of the Treasury for secret services were not pro-
perly applied, and that• the certificate of the Comp-
troller and Auditor-C eneral as to the proper expenditure
of the money and the surrender of the unexpected
balance to the Treasury should be required. In the
course of an animated discussion which followed, and
which turned chiefly upon the allegation that the grant
was applied to election purposes, the Chancellor
of the Exchequer contending that the House must
either refuse to grant sacret service money or must
entrust it absolutely to the discretion of the Minister
by whom it was administered. Mr Labouchere de-
manded some information as to whether the grant in
question was or was not devoted to party purposes.
Responding to a challenge from Lord R. Churchill, Mr.
Gladstone declared that, as Chancellor of the Exchequer
and First Lord of the Treasury, he had never had the
administration of any secret service money. In the
vast machinery of the Government of a country like
this, there always would be certain purposes for which
it *as proper to provide secret service money; but
while declining to give any negative expression of
opinion as to the application of the funds, he was not
sure that the change made in the Treasury Minute with
regard to its expenditure, for which the Eote 'was in-
Oebted to the late Government, ought not too furthego
He promised to look into tile whole question of thb
secret service fund on the earliest predicable oppor-
tunity.
Sir M. Hicks Beach gathered that the right hon.
gentleman did not view with favour the appropriation
of part of this money for election purposes; and hoped
+hat in his general consideration of the matter he
would not let that opinion, which prevailed very gene.
rally in the House, escape his notice.
Mr. Rylands expressed himself satisfied with the
assurance of the Prime Minister, and offered to with-
draw his motion; but Mr. T. P. O'Connor objected, and
declaring that the discussion had been raised for the
purpose of damaging the Government, described the
whole business as "cant and humbug."
On a division being taken, Mr. Rylands'a motion was
negatived by 319 to 44.
BUSINESS DELAY. -

A protracted discussion, ranging over a variety of
topics, was carried on, chiefly by the Parnellite mem•
hers, until after midnight, when Mr. Brodrick moved to
report progress, and inquiring whether the prolongation
of the debate had been brought about with the con-
nivance of the Government, asked how they intended
to secure the passine of the Arms Bill before the lapsing
of the existing Act.
Mr. John Morley repudiated this imputation, and
charged the Opposition with having caused the delay in
proceeding with the Arms Bill.
Sir M. Hicks Beach insisted that the delay in pro-
ceeding with the Arms Bill was entirely due to the
neglect of the Government, and after some further
conversation the motion was withdrawn.

THE DURHAM SUNDAY CLOSING HILL.
In the HOUSE OF LORDS, May 25, the Bishop of
Durham moved the third reading of the Durham Sun-
day Olosing Bill, which was opposed by the Earl of
Wemyss on the ground that it was an unwarrantable
interference with individual liberty, and, as had been
the case with Wales, would lead to evasion of the law
and lowering of the tone of public morality.
Lord Norton believed the bill to be a mistake, but
supported the third reading, in deference to a popular
wish in the county of Durham.
The Marquis of Salisbury observed that there was
considerable doubt as to the desire of the people to
have the bill, and that the passing of such a measure
could be justified only by a preponderance of public
opinion.
Earl Granville, in reply, said he was convinced that
the case made out by the promoters of the measure was
unanswerable.
On a division, the third reading was negatived by 95
to 70 and the bill thrown out. The lordships rose at
five minutes to seven o'clock.
THE MAHARAJAH DHULEEP SINGH,
In the HOUSE OF COMMONS, Mr. E. S. Howard in-
formed Mr. Hanbury that it was true that the Maha-
rajah Dhuleep Singh had been arrested at Aden.
Arrangements had been made for his residence at a
place in Southern India designated by the Viceroy, but
the issue by him of an inflammatory address to the Sikh
nation, added to certain other declarations of a some-
what menacing character, rendered it necessary in the
opinion of the Government of India to put in force the
special powers possessed by the Governor-General in
Council as soon as the Maharajah came within their
, jurisdiction at Aden.