The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-03-20 00:00:00

and the way in which that disaffection
was dealt with by the Ottoman authorities
attracted much attenti( n in this country.
Mean while the Ottoman Bank had announced
that infutnre the holders of Turkish securities
must exrect only half the interest they had
hitherto received, and this led to a consider-
able depreciation in the value of Ottoman
bonds. In December, 18/6, a conference of
the various European Powers assembled at
Constantinople; but practically nothing was
done. When Parliament met in 1877, events
were rapidly hastening to a crisis. The
Emperor of Russia had publicly declared at
Moscow that if the other Powers declined to
put pressure upon Turkey to secure a reform
in the government of her subject races, he
would do so himself, and he was as good as
his word. In April, 1877, began the move-
ment of the Czar's armies upon the Porte,
both in Europe and Asia, which was to
result in a war that for misery and devasta-
tlon has neverbeen surpassed in Europe since
the days of the Visigoths. In June the
Danube was crossed, and in the autumn
there was a series of sanguinary conflicts at
Plevna, which the military genius of Osman
Pasha had speedily converted from an open
town into a strong fortress. Plevna sur-
rendered in December, and t o war was then
practically at an end. The Russians moved
up their armies to the very gates of Con-
stantinople ; and this action was met by a
counterstroke in which the British fleet en-
tered the Sea of Marmora, and actually
anchored within sight of the Turkish capital.
It was a time of great excitement in this
country, but fortunately war between Eng-
land and Russia was averted. A Congress
assembled in the German capital, and the
Treaty of Berlin was the result. But as the
waves continue to roll after the storm which
caused theta has ceased, so the echoes of the
strife which encompassed that great question
of the East are heard to this day. For
nearly fi-e sessions that question has been
prominent in Parliament; and as an absorb-
ing attention to foreign affairs can never be
concurrent with any considerable amount of
domestic legislature, it follows that while the
last Parliament devoted itself to home politics,
that now about to expire has found the
greater part of its time occupied in discuss-
ing momentous interests affecting the foreign
relations of our wide spreading empire.
There can be no doubt that the announce-
ment of the forthcoming dissolition has
been received with general satisfaction
throughout the country. Even if the allotted
span of this Parliament had not been fast
drawing to a close, the time had obviously
come for a new legislature to be called into
existence in order to deal with the new issues
now rapidly rising into, prominence. There
is no immediate prospect that the Eastern
Question will be speedily revived in a way to
demand the direct interference of England ;
and the effect of having a Parliament fresh
from contact with the constitt:encies will be
that the new Eimislature, fully representa-
tive of the national feeling, will be enabled
to give it vigorous effect when the knights,
citizens, and burgesses again meet at West-
minster.