The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-01-08 00:00:00

Eke ,Stourbribge Obserber.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1887.
_
NATIONAL FINANCE.

Ws are passing through a political crisis
which was, mot so many days back, so acute
that it did not appear at all unlikely that
the outcome would be a Government ship-
wreck, with a general election and a torrent
of party excitement to follow in quick Rue-
cession. Even now that a modus vivrsdi
has been discovered by the Premier, whereby
the political tempest will be at least tem-
porarily stilled, the well-informed are not
accounting the situation at all a secure one.
TLe ex-Chancellor of the Exchequer has
broken away from the main body of the
Ministerialists, upon ostensibly at any rate
the question of finance. He is for economy
of a sweeping character, and because his
colleagues in charge of the Army and Navy
were insisting upon the necessity of a liberal
and even special supply of the sinews of
war, rather than consent to what he con-
siders unjustifiable expenditure, Lord Ran-
dolph Churchill, with characteristic boldness,
put down the national purse, and left its
eoetrol to other hands. Finance, then, is
put forth as the reason for the agitation
felt in political circles as the New Yerti took
up the place of the old. It is interesting,
th, refore, to examine the recently published
Tre sary Minute, which heals the impress
of the hand and brain of the statesman who
is now quitting office, and causing, by hie
withd,awal from cemplete concert with these
who have acted with him hitherto, such scn.
sational Ministerial changes. However
widely one may differ from Lord Randolph
Churchill as to the amount requisite to Fe
devoted by Britain to land and sea defence
now flat hil over the Continent the cry of
the war-wolf is being reified, it is not diffi-
cult to agree with him that leakages and
waste in expenditure th:ough departmental
laxity and miernanaeament ought to be
rigorously guarded against. If,. G. J.
Goo.chen, who has found himself able to
essay to labour jointly in the task of governs
ment with statesmen hitherto not -usually
*loving with him in matters political, is, if
nothing else, an expert in-- mosey maters.
This is his fast Chancellorship of the Ex-
chequer, but for many years he has been re-
garded as a man specially qualified by life-
long associations with finance, ethical and
practiosl, to make a model manipulator of
the eationel revenue. Doubtless, but for the
fact that, this notwithstanding, his intimate
connection with the capitalist-Commercial
cleet, and hi i pronounced views upon
currency, have wads some politicians fight a
little shy of him, Mr. Goschen would long
ago have posed as the central figure in the
House of Commons on a Budget night. To
him, howeeer, the chance hes now come, and
ere long, unless the nuforeeen should happen,
he will have to unfold a plan ot dealing with
the country's income and expenditure for
the year. The event will be looked forward
to with an uncommon interest, because of
the nevr Chancellor's peculier position in
the financial world. It will not be an await-
ing for the display of the schemes of a daring
and unconventional young Minister, whose
originality and disregard of old custom have
often made his utterances as striking as they
have been surprising; it will be an eager
eariosity to learn how a past master of com-
mercial arithmetic, a profound scholar in
international finance, will essay to raise and
spend the monies needed for the nation's
maintenance. Mr. Goschen's practicality
will lead him, we make 110 doubt, to approve
of hi predecessor's efforts to infuse life and
spirit into the dry bones of departmental
officialism, to awaken the "old fossils" of
tke Treasury into a zealous and active
efficiency. Chancellors may plan, and bring
ability and brains to the discharge of the
arduous duties of their post; but however
brilliant their expedients, however happy
their ideas, however untiring their energy,
all will yet be futile and unavailing unless
the Treasury permanent staff yield a loyal
and intelligent support. If an official, no
matter how seemingly indispensable be may
be, muffles himself in a snug security, aud
allows the work of his deplrtment to drift
along after the fashion of ita long recognised
wont, instead of stirring to a4sist his Par-
liamentary chief to find the material for a
brilliant and sound Budget, then that official
should be deposed as a public servant un-
worthy of his trust. We hold that Lord
Randolph Churchill's Treasury
eiaied et obtainin*a smooth and economical
enrking of the nesional fireaneial maehines
brnsaing away the accumulated cobwebs
abuse, bad old CTIAOIII, and flertuntiatal
ed tape—is a service t the which
be recognised by men of !•;very lhade oi:
ilitical belief. It is as
-.Airless, and will mark its author's brief
_satire of the Chancellormi,ip as far other
iin barren. Eoonomy, in its best sense or:
aciency at the lowest cost, cannot he too
-'ettly contended for. fieppily the reventn,
.• arna are showing such a szeatly and a- 1:d.
...erease that the new Caenceilor will have a
auliarly favourable opport unity of evincing
.1
financial skill, provided al Nays that
rope be spared from the horrors of an
. .irnational conflict which England could
Jc but take a part in And, military pro-
' etors anti the alarmists to the contrary
• i.withstaraiing, we are not inclined to look
. yard to a dark and doubtful future.

"V 3. Henry Ward Beeoser. w.f.) of the celebisted
9 cite, says :—'• I have need A Iteock's Porous Plasters
.2. yeses for myself and family and, as far as able. for
.dany sufferers who come te as for sisistance, and
.. found then a 'eosin* relief for mut of the acmes
„ rain which flesh is heir to. I have used Alleock'n
. 4.4 Plasters ter all kinds of lameness and acute pain,
, • hy frequent esparimants. fini th.t they can control
• cases cot neticied in your direr:l4ra. Brookba
2;), I*A." $e sale aL proctre AJlodek's I talk.
Mae.

oiUfILNT NE ',V •••
f.'HAT --truutious offorts arn to b mal im,
Ervf.rl;atdiy, 8.1,, a "rogn.'-t-.. collf:Tenze, to
retulite It% Joa _!i,4 0•a:11 icriftitt and his

followers %vita ta.)so .O t,iO Reit:rill party
who have held unswervingly to the had of
Mr. tvladstone, will be a mitter which in-
terests Liberal partisans eager to re;.rniii
their lost political ascendancy more thla
all others; but the attention of everybod,.
who mixes in public matters will be in some:,
measure turned to the meeting aanounced
as arranged between Mr. John Morley, Sir
George Trevelyan, Lord Herschell, Sir
William Harcourt, and Mr. Chamberlain.
The outcome of the conclave, if an under-
standing be arrived at, may be a great
clringe in the political situation, taken as it
could not but be, in connection with Lord
Rlndolph Churchill's withdrawal from com-
plete concord with Ministers. The Glad-
stonian main body, supported by Mr. Joseph
Chamberlain's adherents, and flanked up by
the Nationalist vote, would form a very for-
midable danger to the Government and
Liberal-Unionist alliance upon the occasion
of the first crucial vote iu the Commons,
especially if Ministers could not count upon
the loyal assistance of the ex-Chancellor of
the Exchequer and those who will act with
him. It is understood that Lord Randolph
will not, under present conditions, array
himself against the Premier ; but his relin-
quishment of office produces an element of
uncertainty as to the action of himself arid
those whom he will carry with him, which
cannot but be embarrassing to Lord Salis-
bury. The Irish Nationalists are exultant
at the outlook, and predict an early dissolu-
tion, with an appeal to the country., which
would, they prophesy, reinstate Air. Glad-
stone. Liberals of a calmly calcalating
nature are not professing to hold such san-
guine expectations, nor are Gin.servatives
prepared for so complete and sudden a
collapse, but no one will be surprised if the
political ells's assumes vaster proportions
before very long.

PARLIAMENT has been, as was anticipated
when Lord Randolph Churchill's resignation
startled the political world, further prc-
rogued. The Premier obtains a fortnight
longer to complete the rearrangement of his
support; but it is to he feared that the re-
assembly will take place under conditions
which will afford little prospect of despatch
in public business. Political blood has been
so heated of late that all the sections of Par-
liament will be militantly disposed, and in-
tent upon securing party advantage, so that
te prJ2ress of legislation will suffer serious
retardment. One day Brita n will weary of
the eternal conflict of political cliques, and
cry aloud for a partiless and patriotic Par-
I iarneo t.

THE year in which the jubilee of her
Maksty's gracious reign occurs will be
marked by many ceremonials—for the air
full of celebration projects, emanating from
end to end of the Queen's vast dominions—
but the issue of a new mintage of money and
. new postage stamps will not. be the least
remarkable events of the time. The
counterfeit presentments of the sovereign
imprinted upon the stamps and embossed
upon the currency which will henceforth be
in use are more faithful as portraits than
what have hitherto done duty, but the heads
are still somewhat ant of date, her Majesty
not being represented as having arrived at
that lionotyable fullness of years which she
has actually reached. The new "Queen's
head," however, is artistically excellent, and
some of the stamp designs are very effective
in their striking bi-colour contrasts. English
philatelists will henceforth be able to feel a
pardonable pride in the reflection that no
nation has a handsomer atampage than their
own country, and numismatists will, in time
to 'come, prize the British mintage of the
Victorian jubiiLa year not a little.

ME. STEVENS has finished his big bicycle
ride of almost 12,000 miles, covering placcs
gei- graphically most remote. He has had
his fill of "hairbreadth 'scapes," and
epecia.lly found John Chinaman a tough
(ustomer to deal with. The Celestials did
not look a all favourably upon the adven-
turous Englishman who shot through their
quaint towns and villages on his swift steed
of steel. Bis passage along the narrow
ways of China was eventually regarded with
such hostility that he discreetly withdrew.
In the current issue of one of the literary
periodicals, that accomplished Chinaman,
the Marquis Tseng, who recently left London
Las an interesting essay on his native empire,
its sleep and its awakening, in which he
points to a bright future for the vast state
with which he is dealing, a future full of
prosperity born of broadened intellectuality
and freer communion with the Western
world. The intrepid English bicyclist dA
not discover in China any prevalence in
practice of that liberality of sentiment and
catholicity of spirit of which the diplomatic
marquis writes so pleasingly in theory.
131 t let us hope that the genial gentleman
who left the Court of St. James's a little
while back has read aright the signs of the
times in China.

THE CAMPAIGN IN BURMAH.
Al OMB EY, Wcdnesday.

Captain Golightly, with a detachment of
mounted infantry, has surprised the camp of
the Chif Ottnma, a leading dacoit, killing
and wounding many of the enemy and
capturing a quantity of arms. Colonel
Lockhart's brigade at Yemethen is doing
excellent work in breaking up the dacoit
gangs and disarming the natives.
MANDALAY, Wedneeday.

The report of the stirren,ier cf lila Oo to
Mr. Colgahonn iP tinfounj. d. A column
ander the comimad of Maio'. Doechen will
start on Sunday next, via Latnaino and
ll:tithing, to co-operate -'with the anhy
Mines column at Mo2:ouk, in order to estab-
liih.posts, th disarm villagers, and to protect
the caravans arriving from Theebaw and
Tswaba,w.

THE RE POIZ,TED BUSSO-GERMAN
ALLIANCE.

CO NIP L k;TING. ST AT l'..:Si -...NT S.

Sr. PETERSBURG, Wednesday.

It :s po,,itively declared iu well-informed
; that the statements published in
,reign newspapers concerning a Russo-
_;ernian afliance are as unfounded- as the
previous I.eports of the proposed alliance
betweeu tlussia and ,France.

INTERNATIONAL SKATING
CONTESTS.

ROTTERDAM, Thursday.

The interithtional skating contests which
wore to hare been held at Slikkerveer, near
this city, to-morrow and on Saturday, havo
been postponed owing to the thaw until
T nesday and Wednesday next.

FURNISH ON NORMAN it STACEY'R HIRE.
PURCHASE SYSTEM. DEPOSIT not necesiary
Ifoonomical and strictly private, without thA objection-
able formalities of cl<-31.:rii sad other.,. 1,2, or $ yeani
Sixty genuine wholt,e&n g tiroai i•kt!L
pod. from. Wiite for p
opesisi smagements for coau:ry.QLtic, 1, Queen
iltireis Ores, latioo, ZA