The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-01-31 00:00:00

MR. LOWE'S ADDRESS.

Mr. Lowe has sent the following addrese to the
Chairman of his Committee at the London University :
"Alter live bury and eveutful years of public life. I solicit
again the high honour of being returned to Parliament as
tho representative of the University of London.
Those year. have been spent by mo In giving inch aid
as Oly official position enabled and allowed me to off.,rd
towards the accomplishment of the objects; to which in 1863
I Teetered to direct attention. The task which we undertook
tin n has, with a single exception, boon completely fulfilled.
That single faihre is mode lets important by the fact that the
Cr iversity of London is here ready and aisle to terform the
duties which were destined for a similar insiltution In
ireland.
'•••• • - • •

" I especially luv:te attention to the complete redemption
of the pledges of 1868, not only because we look back upon
It with no unreasonable pride, but became it affords to you
and to the country • mond guarantee that, if In poured with
• renewal of confidence, we shall redeem our new pledges
with the tame fidelity, and presumably with the came
tIWCII.II.
" "

"We have been able to carry the country tid-ough the
mils of a great Elropean war without rfb-ncling either
party, without canpromising the dignity of E igland, and
without any tr jury to her allies. llad Government been lu
other and more energetic bands, we might have found
ourselves carrying on active hostilities against France,
in order to avert the possilbitty of a French invasion of the
guaranteed Siam provinces of Prusala.
" We have, we trust and believe, establiehed per-
manent relatl meet friendship and good will between En glad
and the Vatted States of Amesica, and have given a powerful
impulse to the cause of peace by showing that great notions
may, without dishousinr, submit their dispuics to impartial
tribunals instead of to the blind and bloody artiltram, rat a
war
The Welt African war was not of our own seeking. Tie
King of Ashantoe treachersiusly attacked our forte, without
warning and without provocation and left tel CO choice but
basely to fly or firmly to resist. We have neither the wish
nor the power I, avoid discussion on this subject.
it Mr. Disraeli tails us that the Couvreatlve party has
always favoured the reuddelon of the income tax. That he
should hays, disLked It from the very first is quite natural,
for it was the means of b ir ging about that free trade which
he so bitterly opposed. it is only to be regretted that the
groat is crease of expeneiture whtch we have learnt frcm
Icing experience to c adder as inseparable from the advent
to power of a Tern Nitelsiry, has prevented the party from
inimser giving nit,ci or even utterance to there sec elationr.
Never having ineulecil, solar as I know, in the balmy of a
conelderable eurplus of lets own, Mr. Disraeli Is perfectly
nowide to an inmAinary appropriation of the aceumulations
of others.
- -

When Mr Disraeli objects that there has always been a
difference I.etwten the town and country franchise, be
surely forgets that he himself has introduced the houseirild
franchise lute c ninth., and so made the distlucti, n one
b.twteu a £lO anal simple household franchise; and that he
has, by the same ineasuro of lenT, made the PreeWnut of
rcducing the farmer to the latter.

Mr..plaraeil tells us that he does not think that the con-
dition of the United Kingdom Is improved by innerstilt and
ha rrrrr Mg legidatiou. lulls means Wat it Is I att. cot to high.
late at all, nod, if you dot. ghlate, to tote care to often too
one. Compare the sts,e cf England with her state forty
yea-s ego. To what down owe toe change? ro law. which
harassed the owners of boroughs, the c arunt corporations,
the protec'ed trades and industries, and the Unlverrities—lis
short, all persons sod institutions which held privileges ad-
verse to the general welfare.
-'The man who prefers custom to law announces a prin-
ciple which wouli stereotype every abuse, and substitute the
blind guesses of barbarism for the clear and well-gonsidered
conclusions et civilised age.
"1 have little fear that the gradustre of a University which
Is itself the product of harassing legislation, and which has
had to light so hard a Cattle agairat obstruction, custom, and
prejudice ; or that the people of England, who feel every
day what wise and liberal legislation has done for theku, will
give en y sanction to them heart and sluggish principles.
"The night comes upon all, but we will not draw the
cortain while h. is yet dAy.—l runlebi, Sir, your obliged and
falWful servant, 'ROaEST LAVE."