The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-04-09 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

In the ilonsE OF Mims, April 4, Lord Stratheden and
Campbell postponed till Thursday next his calling attention
to the recent correspondence on Turkey. Re did so
because of the absence o the Secretary for Foreign
Affairs.
The Local Courts of Bankruptcy (Ireland) Bill was read a
third time and passed.
Their lordships adjourned at twenty minutes past five
o'clock.

In the RousE or CoMaioNS, the Budget drew a large
9.udience, both of members and strangers, and all the
galleries were densely filled. "Question lime" was pro-
longed until close upon half•past five o'clatk, and between
forty and fifty interrogatories were addressed to the Trea-
sury bench, though the majority were only of limited in-
terest.

Mr. Gladstone, answering Mr. Bourke, said he could
hold out little hope of being able to mare a statement
with respect to the Greek frontier befctre the Easter
recess.

Sir C. Dilke, answering Mr. M'Coan and Mr. Arnold, said
the Ambassadors had agreed upon a frontier line, which
was not identical with the Turkish proposals.

In answer to questions from Mi. Bourke and Lord G.
Hamilton, Sir C. Dilke said that all the Information confirm-
ing his statement that General Skobelei? had been recalled,
which the Government was in a position to lay before the
House, was contained in Lord Dufferin's aspatches, just
Published, and he did not think that the delay in producing
them was at all unusual.
Lord Hartington stated, in reply to Mr. Onslow, that it
Was the intention of the Goverment, after Easter, to pro-
pose a vote of thanks in both Houses, not only to General
•ftoberts, but to the officers and men engaged in the Afghan
Campaign since the renewal of operations after the Treaty of
Gandamuk.

Mr. Healy, in the absence of Mr. T. D. Sullivan, asked the
Postmaster-General whether all the Postmasters of Great
Britain and Ireland were authorized by the warrant of the
Home Secretary to open letters which they supposed to be
01a suspicious character; whether they were only directed
to forward them to certain designated offices; and, in the
latter case, whether he would name the offices so desig-
nated, and inform the House what class of officials were
authorized to read the letters so forwarded.

Mr. Fawcett; In reply to the question of the hon. member
I have to state that no such authority as that to which
he refers is given by the warrant of the Secretary of State
either to postmasters in Great Britain or Ireland, or to any
Particular class of officials, to open letters which they gip-
pose to be of a suspicious character. This being the case
it will be obvious that the circumstances referred to in the
second and third paragraphs of the question of the hon.
member do not exist. I may add that in the event of the
Postmaster-General being directed by a warrant from a
Secretary of State to open, detain, or delay letters, he
makes such arrangements as he may tbdnk best to give effect
to the warrant. (Hear, hear.)

Lord F. Cavendish, replying to Mr. Monk, said that 816 of
the 176,602 Suez Canal shares purchased by her Majesty's
Government had been drawn and paid oft at par. The
amount of the redemption money had been applied
in the purchase of £16,971 195. 10d. Three per Cent.
Consols. The stock thus purchased from time to time
was held by the Commissioners for the Reduction of
the National Debt in trust for the Suez Canal Com-
Pany until 1904, when it would become the complete
Property of her Majesty's Government. Meanwhile the
tlividends on the stock were paid to the Suez Canal
Company. On the occasion of each drawing her Majesty's
Government received from the company a certificate entitling
them to receive a number of "actions de jouissance " cor-
responding with the number of drawn shares. Until 1904 the
amount represe-Aing the dividend on these "actions de
jouissauce " was received by the Suez Canal Company.
THE BUDGET.