The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-07-11 00:00:00

sirar!gfrs

entitled as in, hen icoutie of itobt-et, the scomd NUL of
the marriage referred to in the charter, under the
limitation " th, eldest damddcr, or heir female, to be
procreated between them successively without divi-
sion.--In answer to their loirdohips. Counsel stated
that it was not proposed to prove the extinction of the
ism' of the dattAters of the tint takers. but their con-
tention was, that the succession having passed to a
male heir the title would go to the heir female of that
male heir before it reverted to the first takers.--It wan
then suggested by their Lordships that after calling
4.ortain witnesses, detest rsse, whom it might be Moon-
venient or expensive to recall, the consideration of this
question should he adjourned, which was done accord.
Further documentary evidence wilS now pro-
duced, which was ordered to be printed. It ryas under-
stood that at the next sitting on this claim Mr.
Pearson, Q.C., would sum up the evidence., and that
decision would be arrived at before the close of the
session.

MR. ARCH AND THE AGRICULTURAL
LABOURERS.
On Monday niOit Mr. .1 ill Arch addressed a
large meeting in N ictoria-park, and invoked the sym-
pathy and aid of the London East-end population for
the agricultural labourers locked iiut in the Eastern
counties. The "chair,' so calltsl, was taken by Captain
Maim.
The Chairman declared that the I,dsinrers had

just the same right to COUlbille as the farmers and he
asked what the British public would think those
labourers who refused to work for a farmer who be-
longed to a Chamber of Agriculture or to the Farmers'
Union. No one would tolerate such men or keep
them in countenance, and yet, he said, the farmers
were acting in the manner which all men would re-
probate, for they were combining to prevent men from
doing what they did themselves, He urged that it was
necessary that surqmrt should be given now, so as to
tide the men over the most difficult time, and then
went on to say that the social wrong which now
existed in the country was owing to our landed
system ; and for this the Conservatives and the
.* Moderate Liberals" were responsible, inammeh as
they presented a dead wall" against the amebora
tiou of the labourers' condition.
A resolution was then moved by Mr. Potts, seconded
by Mr. Loud, to the effect that the meeting viewed
with extreme regret the despotic conduct of the farmers
of the Eastern Counties in depriving some thousands
of their labourers of the means of obtaining their liveli•
hood, and expressed the warmest sympathy with the
struggles of the labourers, whose exemplary conduct
emitled them to the most earliest support.
Mr. Arch then stepped forward to support the rem.
lotion, and this he did in an earnest speech, which was
listened to throughout with the closest attention. He
was cheered at all the points he made, especially
when lie alluded to the question of the common lands
and their enclosure. In the commencement of his
speech he spoke of this time as being a turning-point
in the struggle, and, therefore, all the aid which
could be given should be forthcoming. He resented
the idea of the character of himself which had
been placed before the public that of a man
who desired to set class against class ; lint he said
lie was ready to take the responsibility of speaking
the truth to his class and of telling them that too
long had 600,000 agricultural labourers submitted to
the present degradation of their class The combine
tion of other industries had opened the eyes of the
agricultural labourers, and they had combined, not to
destroy the interests of their employers, but to protect
their own rights. As to this root ement being broken
down by the introduction of Canadian a. American
labour, this idea he pronounced to be a "bogus bui
bear ;" anti be then dealt with the point as to farm
labourers desiring to see the country lose the harvest.
This, he said, had been charged against them, but
the fact was they had offered their services, which
had been refused unless they gave up their "tickets,"
The labourers, however, he said, lonia great cheer-
ing, would never give up the tokens 14 their free-
dom, for so they re.ganled the " Union ticket." The
speaker referred to Lord Walsingham's advice to the
farmers to give higher wages to the non .Unionist
labourers, so as to break up the Union, and asked if
his lordship wished his tenants to break a rule of
political economy or to show that they had not told
the truth. They had declared, the speaker said,
that they were giving the utmost the men were
worth, and if they eve more they placed themselves
in the dilemma of giving more for the labour than
it was worth, or they showed that they had not given
enough before. Then he dealt with the Marquis of
Bristol's letter to The Times as to the "sacred trust"
in all Act of Parliament granting the enclosure of
commons, and said this sacred trust so created by
one Act could be taken back by another, and an
Act of Parliament which confiscated the land one way
could confiscate it another. lie expressed himself as
thankful that there was now a combination of the
loom and the spindle with the hand which guided the
plough. and he told the workers in towns that if the
labourers had their rights this land would produce food
for 60,000,000. instead of for 32,000,000, anti that the
people would have food 30 or 10 per cent. cheaperthan
it is.