The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-04-23 00:00:00

THE IRISH QUESTION.

IMPORTANT OPINIONS.
-.lord R. Churchill, accompanied by Lady Churchill,
has attended Birmingham for the purpose of taking
part in a Conservative demonstration. Prior to the
great gathering his lordship atterded a dinner given
to Mr. Rowlands, one of the founders of the Midland
Conservative Club, who was presented with a portrait
of himself and a valuable clock. The meeting
took place in the Town Hall, which was crowded,
and Lord Randolph was recdved with enthusiasm.
His lordship said the greatest .monument of the
Jubilee of the Queen which could be imagined was a
pacific settlement of the Irish difficulty, which blocked
the way to all legislation.
Mr. Chamberlain received a number of addresses
at Ayr from.local politicial associations. In his reply
he expressed his regret that the discussions about
Ireland were allowed to delay attention to the
grievances of fishermen, miners, and others. He ex-
pected that the people would shortly demand that
the irreconcileable foes of Great Britain should be
ordered to stand aside. The policy of the Liberal
party was now dictated by the interests of the
enemies of this country, end that was why the reunion
of the party had not been accomplished. He urged
organisation in order to replace the old machinery of
party which the Liberal Unionists had lost.
An important letter has been received by a corre-
spondent from Sir G. Travelyan, pointing out that in
administering the Crimes Act of 1882 Lord Spencer
and those who served under him drew a deep and clear
line between politics and 'crime. While they sought
to punish moonlighters, murderers, and criminals,
they left politicians alone. The present Crimes Bill
would place it in the power of an administraton to
treat Irish politicians as common criminals, and it was
inconceivable how Liberal members could vote for
such a measure. He objected in the strongest terms
to such a power being :placed in the hands of the
Government.
A demonstration of the loyalists of Belfast and
district has been held in the Ulster Hall, under the
auspices of the Ulster Loyalist Anti-Repeal Union.
The Earl of Ranfurly presided,'and said they were
not assembled for the purpose of furthering the aims
of any Government or bill, except so far as related to
the maintenance of the legislative Union between
Great Britain and Ireland. It could not be too often
repEated to their kinsmen in England and Scotland
that in thia country there were two Irelands. One
was law-abiding, industrious, patriotic,!proud to' form
an integral part of the United Kingdom, while the
other led by wicked and unscrupulous agitators, sought
the humiliation of England by the dismemberment of
the Empire. Exceptional legislation no doubt gave
an erroneous impression to those living at a distance;
but he might say that honest men in England and
Scotland would feel the effect of the , Crimes Act
as little as honest men in Ireland were likely to do.
(Applause.)

Mr. Caine endeavoured to address a meeting of his
constituents at Barrow. He was, however, from the
first continually interrupted, and for nearly an hour
he ineffectually attempted to obtain a hearing. Even-
tually a number of constables were called in, the gas
lowered, and the hall cleared.
Mr. Chamberlain, speaking at Edinburgh, said
that Dissentient Liberals were forced to the conclu-
sion that Mr. Gladstone preferred an alliance with
the Parnellites to reunion with his former colleagues
and followers. The Dissentient Liberals therefore
had no alternative but to fight the quarrel out. He
had no doubt that the Union would be maintained,
but he deeply regretted that the Liberal party should
be wrecked and shattered to preserve it. It would
be a sad and tragic conclusion if the last act of Mr.
Gladstone should be the destruction of the party.

Lord Hartington and Mr. Goschen arrived at
Edinburgh on Saturday, where they attended a
meeting, and subsequently a banquet given in honour
of the latter gentleman. The meeting was held in
the afternoon, at the Queen-street Hall, when an
address was presented to the noble marquis by
Unionist friends. His lordship replied, and was for-
lowed by Mr. Goschen. The banquet took place at
night, in the Music Hall, when a large company sat
down under the presidency of the Lord Provost of•
the city. The toast of the evening was the health of
Mr. Goschen, to which the right hon. gentleman
responded. Lord Hartington spoke to the toast
"The Liberal Unionist Cause." The reception ac-
corded to his lordship and to Mr. Goschen was of the
most enthusiastic character. _ _

Mr. Chamberlain, in continuation of his tour
through the north of Scotland, arrived at Inverness
on Saturday from Edinburgh. He delivered a short
spei,ch en route at Bingussie, and on reaching the
end of his day's journey he was at once conveyed to
the dining-hall of the Station Hotel and presented
with an address of welcome. In his reply, after re-
ferring to the fact that on the occasion of his former
visit to Inverness he had received the freedom of the
Royal burgh, Mr. Chamberlain spoke on the cause of
the disunion of the Liberal party.
Sir William Harcourt addressed his constituents at
Derby on Saturday, there being an open air gathering
on Chester Green, attended by several thousand
persons. After referring to Mr. Chamberlain's posi-
tion in regard to the Liberal party, Sir William pro-
ceeded to criticise the Crimes Bill, and to explain the
change of opinion which had come over Mr. Glad-
stone and his colleagues upon the Irish question.
Lord Brabourne, speaking at a Conservative meet-
ing on Saturday evening .at Peckham, said that the
grievance of tenants against landlords was not really
at the root of the Irish question, but what was aimed
at was the separation of Ireland from England,
Mr. Chamberlain, speaking at a Crofters' Con-
ference at Dingwall on Monday, said he hoped the
time was not far distant when Parliament might deal
with their grievances; but he thought there was little
chance of it until the differences on the Irish question
were settled. The right hon. gentleman was subse-
quently invested with the freedom of the burgh.

At a Loyalist soiree held in Dublin on Tuesday
evening to celebrate the anniversary of Lord
Beacons6eld's death, the following letter was read
from the Marquis of Salisbury:—
' Dear Sir,—l am glad to hear of the meeting
which you intend to hold in support of the bill which
the Government have introduced for reinforcing the
criminal law in Ireland. It is very desirable that in
those places where they can do so without danger the
loyal portion of the Irish population should express
their opinion with reference to the proposed legisla-
tion, for it is on their behalf to a great extent that
the Government are acting. In part, no doubt, the
policy of the Government is based on purely imperial
consideration, but it is also to no small extent dictated
by their sense of the primary duty of protecting from
pillage and oppression that section of the people who
for generations past have been warmly attached to
the British Constitution, and who have run great
risk on account of that attachment.

"Yours faithfully,
"G. Thompson, Esq. 1' SALISBURY."

Mr. Gladstone delivered an important address ch. I
Tuesday at the Eighty Club in London on the Irish I
Question and the action of the Liberal Unionists. The
ex-Premier, in responding to the toast of his health,
said that the time had arrived when they should
.take
stock of their position. Throughout a long and painful
controversy, Lord Hartington had set an excellent
example of personal regard and kindness towards his
old friends; but in consequence of an episode in last
night's debate he must become the critic of the noble
lord. The noble marquis had raised the question
whether the members of that party had been :asso-
ciated with men connected with crime. He himself
had often criticised the conduct of the Irish party, but
he had never charged any of them with crime. Lord
Spencer, whose character ever forbade him to con-
temple ti any object but the good of his country and
the fulfilment of his duty, had acquitted those
gentlemen of the charge which Lord Harting'con,
he . thought unfortunately, had been led to
revive. He accepted that sentiment in all its fulness.
(Cheers.) When he considered that Lord Hartington
referred to the opportunities given him by official know-
ledge he thought his lordship referred also to another
source, and seemed to find his firmest and most solid
foundation in the comments and statements of the
Times. (Laughter.) He was speaking to gentlemen
who had some experience of life, and he would ask
them was it fair to launch outrages and charges of
that kind, and then to tell the men who were the
object of them "You have got your remedy by giving
me a conclusive demonstration of the untruth of the
charges ?" (Cheers.) !he burden of proof lay with
those who made the charges. (Loud cheers.) Unless
charges were made which, while able to bear the test
of investigation there was a rational probability of
being proved, those who made them were wanton
caluminators and should be shunned as pests of
society. (Loud cheers.) He felt that Lord Harting-
ton in his own person was the last man alive to
countenance such a practice as that of asking for a
conclusive demonstration of the untruth of charges
made. (Hear, hear.) Having briefly referred to the
Crimes Bill and the course pursued by the Tory
party in reference to coercion, Mr. Gladstone
touched upon the dissensions that had arisen
in the Liberal party. Of course, h 3 said, such
a dispute as had occurred in the ranks of their
party was calculated to bring to the surface and
develop all the bad humours of those engaged in the
strife. But he still Lad hope, as he always had. Even
when things went wrong he tried to make the best of
them. Mr. Chamberlain—(murmurs)—bad stated
that certain negotiations for reunion had been brought
to a close, because he (Mr. Gladstone) was not pre-
pared to agree to certain proposals. Well, he con-
sidered it his duty to disbelieve such a statement, or
rather that it had been made by Mr. Chamberlain,
becaus ) there was not a word of truth in it. (Hear,
bear, and laughter.) The great object of the Liberal
dissentients was not to be reconciled to the Liberal
party, but to keep the Liberal party out of !Aloe.
(Hear, hear.) The position, however, of the Liberal
party was clear—it was to remain fast and immovable
upon the one great question, and to cultivate agree-
ment upon those questions upon which they were all
agreed. He held out the hope, as he was justified by
his declarations in Parliament and elsewhere that the
party might be reunited. He hoped as long as there
was hope, and he could not have believed that he
should have lived to have seen three score of
Liberal members, many of them more ad-
vanced in their views than some of the gentlemen
he was then addressing, walking into the lobby in sup,