The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-01-11 00:00:00

SIR C. DIM AT DERBY.

On Tuesday night Sir Charles Dilke, M.P., was an-
nounced to deliver an address at Derby, on land tenure
reform, which, owing to a strong manrfestation of pub-
lic opinion, he was unable to deliver last year. Mr.
Joseph Arch, founder and president of the National
Agricultural Labourers' Union, was also announced to
address the meeting. As soon as the doors of the Tem-
perance Hall were opened a large and eager crowd
rushed into the hall, and long before the time announced
for the commencement of the proceedings, every por-
tion of the vast edifice was crowded to excuse. At an
early period Big', of opposition were manifested, and
Rule Britannia" and other national and loyal airs
were sung with much vigour from stentorian lungs.
Presently • movement towards the platform was appa-
rent, and a general free fight for its possession ourred,
in the course of which sticks and blu.Leons we! very
freely used on both sides. Warned by their experi-
ence of last year, the Dilkites had hired kindred
spirits to oppose any one who might attempt to disturb
the proceedings, and to this fact, no doubt they owed
their ultimate success. Several of the disturbers
having been ejected, there was a temporary lull
in the storm, during which Sir Charles Dilke,
Mr. Joseph Arch, and Mr. J. C. Cox, a young
county magistrate of advanced opinion', took up a
position on the plat f.,11311. Mr. Cox having been voted to
the chair, Mr. Joseph Arch and Mr. Russell (another
lea ler of the agricultural labourers' movement) addreas e I
the meeting, amid continued interruptions, with
respect to the wretchedness of the condition of the
class to which they belonged. Sir Charles Mike also
made a speech, in which he supported the programme
of the Lind Tenure Reform Association, as opposed to
the extreme views of Mr. Bereeford Hope on the one
hand and the Land and Labour League on the other.
He also advocated the giving tui of lands by colleges
and corporations to the State, which he proposed should
receive the rents of labourers placed on land as tenants
for long periods. His allusions to Mr. Ayrton's con-
duct with respect to use of the parks hr the purposes of
public meeting were also very heartily received, and the
name of that gentle ni an, together with that of the Bishop
of Glocester, was received with hisses,h. otings, and other
manifestations of displeasure. His address was neces-
saridy cut short Icy the excited state 14 the meeting,
for there were ssiteral fearful encounters between the
roughs on either side, and many of the windows of the
hall were broken with ni ssiles thrown from without.
Can cone pepper was also liberally thrown from the
galleries. Resolutions in favour of the principle of the
assmistion, and condemnatory of the existing land
laws were passed by the meeting, which, weeded by
physical force of all objectors, was thereby rendered
most unanimous. At the close of the meeting hearty
cheers were given for Sir Charles and Lady Dilke, by
whom be was accompanied, and a band of roughs
armed with sticks escorted them to one of the leading
hotels of the town.