The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-07-03 00:00:00

COUNTY BOARDS (IRELAND) BILL.

In the Housi OF CommoNs, June 30, Mr. Butt, in moving
the second reading of this Bill, explained that its object was
to transfer to elected boards the management of a very
large amount of local taxation, which was now by a most
anomalous arrangement vested in grand juries at assizes.
Expenditure to the amount of £1,200,000 a year was, he said,
levied without any popular control whatever.
Mr. Bruen moved the rejection of the Bill, the ground of
his objection to the measure being that there was no neces-
sity for transferring to representative councils the assessment
powers now exercised by grand juries. It would be easy to
give a more thorough repreLentation to cesspayers at the
presentment sessions.

Captain Nolan, who had himself introduced a similar mea-
sure, supported the general principle of the BilL
The discussion was continued by Mr. S. Moore, who ob-
jected to the Bill as a whole, and believed that the grand jury
system had been found to work beneficially for a great
many years, and that such a measure as this was unnecessary.
After remarks from several other hon. members,
Sir M. Hicks-Beach pointed out that the management of
county taxation was no more vested in the ratepayers of Eng-
land than it was in Ireland. The cesspayers in Ireland were
represented in a way unknown in England at the presentment
sessions, and it must be borne in mind that the grand jury
exercised rather a controlling power than an initiating power
In reference to taxation. He condemned the present Bill,
believing that if it were carried into operation it would be
infinitely worse than any evil which now existed. At the
same time he agreed that the representation of the cess-
payers on the presentment sessions was not sufficiently real,
and he hoped to bring in a Bill next session to remedy the

- •
After a brief reply from Mr. Butt, and some observations
from Mr. Law, Mr. Mitchell Henry, and Mr. A. Moore, the
House divided :—For the second reading, 125; against, 182;
majority, 57.
The other business was disposed of and the House ad-
journed.

The SULTAN of ZANZIBAR at the ROYAL
GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.
An extra meeting of the Royal Geographical
Society was held on Monday night in the theatre of
London University, Burlington-gardens, when his
Highness the Sultan. of Zanzibar, who is an honorary
member of the society, was present for the first time
(the following report of which is from the Daily
News) :

The meeting was unusually well attended, almost
every seat in the theatre being occupied by ladies and
gentlemen. Sir Henry Rawlinson, the president, oc-
cupied the chair, and the company included Lord
Houghton, Sir George Bowen (Governor of Victoria),
Admiral Collinson the Japanese Minister, Sir Ruther-
ford Alcock, Dr. **. B. Carpenter, Mr. John Forrest,
Captain Burton, Mr. Bates, and the following envoys
of the Emperor of Morocco, who were attended by
Professor Amenney, of King's College, viz., Seyyid
Abdallah, Fenish Chief of Artillery, Hejee Abdur
Rahman, Commandant of Tangiers ; and Seyyid
Abdal Salam el Arish, A.D.C. to the Emperor.

The President, having announced that the Seyyid
would not arrive until nine o'clock, called upon Mr.
John Forrest to read a paper entitled "A journey
across the western interior of Australia. The paper
gave an account of an exploration made by the writer
from Champion Bay, on the west coast to the over-
land telegraphic line between Adelaide and Port
Darwin. Sir George Bowen, Mr. Leeke, and other
gentlemen addressed the meeting subsequently upon
the subject of the paper.

Shortly after nine o'clock the arrival of the Seyyid
was announced, and Sir Henry Rawlinson met his
Highness at the entrance. On his entering the theatre
the whole company rose, and greeted the Sultan very
warmly; his Highness returning the compliment by
waving his hand. He also favoured the envoys of
Morocco with a similar salute, which was returned in
like manner. The party were seated in chairs ar-
ranged semi-circularly facing the President. The
Sultan was attended by his usual suite, and accom-
panied by Dr. Badger, Dr. Kirk, and Mr. Clement

The President, addressing the assemblage, said that
his Highness the Seyyid of Zanzibar had been an
honoured guest in England everywhere up to the pre-
sent moment, but there was no place where he would
be more welcome than at the Royal Geographical
Society. (Cheers.) He had been an honorary corres-
ponding member for some years, and on all occasions
where opportunity occurred had conferred upon them
essential services in the matter of geographical
research. It was through his assistanoe that they
were enabled to send out the relief expedition in
search of Livingstone, and he would only further
remind them that the friendship of the Sultan
with England was not one of yesterday. His
family had always behaved with the most unswerving
loyalty to the British Government, and he had joined
most heartily in facilitating all the measures which they
had thought proper to introduce for the suppression of
the slave trade. On all those grounds he thought the
Seyyid Burghash deserved well of the country, and
especially of that society, of which he was an honorary
corresponding member. (Cheers.)
General Rigby, who was called upon by the Presi-
dent, gave a brief account of the resources of the
country, and the extent to which trade had been
carried under the auspices of the Sultan.

Dr. Badger then read the Sultan's reply, remarking
at the commencement that his Highness wished the
ladies to be put first in addressing the assemblage.
His reply therefore commenced thus—" Ladies, Mr.
President, my lords, and gentlemen —Our gratifica-
tion overflows at meeting this honourable assembly,
and we thank you heartily for the generous welcome
which you have given us, and which we ventured to
anticipate from your famed courtesy. We have heard
wonderful accounts of the proceedings of this Royal
Society in all parts of the world, but we have also
ourselves seen and known much and learned more
from our beloved friend John Kirk of its ex-
plorations of Eastern and Central Africa, espe-
cially through those distinguished and indomi-
table explorers Burton, Speke, Grant, Living-
stone, Stanley, and Cameron' who braved many and
great dangers in order to make known to the world
what was before unknown respecting the land of the
great lakes, and who have given us correct information
of those parts which, albeit reckoned under our rule,
we knew little of, except by untrustworthy report.
There can be no doubt that these researches will lead
the way to many advantages, and will result in the
eventual civilization of these large distrioli, and the
extension of commerce, to the benefit of all con.
oerned. In our little way we have endeavoured to
forward their researches in the midst of great diffi-
culties which have not always been appreciated.
All that we could now say is that we have done what
we could, and that by the aid of God, in the first
place, and next through emulation of what we have
seen in this country, stimulated thereto also by what
we see before us this evening, and particularly because
we have been honoured by having been made a mem-
ber of this Rovai Society, we shall do our best, God
helping us, to further its useful objects. Several
Arabian poets have dilated on the advantages of
travel, and since our arrival in England we have been
convinced of the truth of their statements. This
society, by making generally known the peculiarities
and productions of different countries, together with
the habits and customs of their inhabitants, must con-
tribute largely to the instruction; the pleasure, and the
benefit of mankind at large. We desire once more to
reciprocate your kindly greeting, and to express
towards you all whatsoever goodwill and happiness
you have expressed for us."
The reading of the address was followed by frequent
cheers, and at the conclusion Dr. Badger said he had
been requested by his Highness to state how gratified
he was by the applause of the company. This an-
nouneement was the signal for renewed applause,
which was continued for some time.

Dr. Kirk, who was loudly cheered, said that perhaps
the meeting would be anxious to know the latest
accounts of those who were now engaged in investigat-
ing the country, but as yet he was sorry to say that
they had no positive information of a late date and
they could only suppose that Cameron and Stanley
were advancing safely. Stanley had reached Ugogo,
and was going on to the northern lakes, while Cameron
had got back again from the western shore of Lake
Tanganyika, and was going to pursue the explorations
made by Livingstone in Manquema Land.
The Sultan then expressed, through Dr. Badger, his
acknowledgements to the Society, and said that he
wished to consider England and his dominion in Africa
as one and the same country.

His Highness then left, amid vociferous cheers from
the audience.
Dr. Carpenter's paper, which he then read, was en-
titled "Summary of recent observations on ocean
temperatures, made in her Majesty's ship, Challenger,
and United States ship Tutcarora ; with their bearing
on the doctrine of a general oceanic circulation sustained
by difference of temperature." The introduction stated
that the reports on deep sea temperature sent homefrom
Sydney and Hong Kong by the Otalknger, for which Dr.
Carpenter was indebted to the kindness of the Hydro-
grapher to the Admiralty, afforded additional data of
much interest in their bearing on the doctrine of a general
oceanic circulation, which he had been permitted on two
previous occasions to bring before the society. He
had been further enabled to acquaint himself with
the results of the temperature observations recently
taken in the North Pacific by the Tuscarora. Of
these results, obtained in an entirely new field of
inquiry, some being in complete and obvious accord-
ance with the doctrine afforded a further confirma-
tion of it, whilst others appeared at first incon-
sistent with . it. He proposed therefore to pre-
sent a summary of the whole series, and then to
inquire whether the apparently antagonistic facts
were not capable of being explained in a manner
quite consistent with the doctrine which the
others supported. The correctness of the rationale he
offered would probably be tested by the more complete
inquiries then being carried on by the Challenger in
the North Pacific, and by the extension of its researches
to the South Pacific. The paper then proceeded to
give an elaborate statement of the results obtained
and the deductions drawn therefrom.
The usual compliments to the President brought
the meeting to a close.
zw--,