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

MR. GLADSTONE'S JOURNEY TO
SCOTLAND. _ _ .

r. Gladstone lett Kirig'S. MIS Station, London, at ten
o'clock on Tuesday morning. He was accompanied by Mn.
Gladstone an* Lord and Lady Itosebery. An enormous
crowd assembled at the station, who loudly cheered the
party ; and, in reply te repeated calls, Mr. Gladstone made a
few remarks:—

"I know very well," he said, "that this expression
of feeling on your part is no mere personal sentiment.
(Cries of 'Yes.') I know that you are the exponents
ef a great public canse—(beers)—and thAt you sym-
pathize with the object I have in view in leaving
London this day. (Cheers.) lam going to gain
a victory. I expect to be supported with a zeal
such gs to make Scotland a pattern to the whole of
the rest of the United Kingdom. (Cheers.) .1 can tell
you freely that, although human knowledge is
liable to errors of judgment, particularly in regard to
election matters, I have no doubt that I shall attain
the object I have in view in going to Scotland.
(Cheers.) I tell you more: I mean not only to secure
the seat for Midlothian, but my object goes co far as
to sweep out of their seats a great many other men
who now represent constituencies in Parliament—
(cheers), and to consign them to that retirement for
which they are more fitted, and of which I hope they
will make good use, and by reflection and study
render themselves more entitled than they are at pre- I
sent to serve their country. (Cheers.) I beseech
every one of you to exert yourselves, each in your
own way, to assist me in accomplishing this object,
and to show that London can do its duty as well as
Scotland." (Cheers.)
The first stoppage of the train was at Grantham, where a
crowd of about 2,040 persons assembled, headed by the Mayor
of the town and the two Liberal candidates, Mr. J. W.
Mellor, Q C., and Mr. RoundelL The Mayor, on behalf of
the Liberal Association, presented the ex-Premier with an
address. Mr. Gladstone, who spoke from the window of a
saloon carriage, in reply said :

Mr. Mayor and Gentlemen of the town of Grant-
ham,—l rejoice to have an opportunity within the
compass of about four minutes—l must hardly say
five—to say one word to you upon the great contest
in which we are all engaged—one word upon the cause
and one word upon the candidates. It must be a
short word, gentlemen; but although a short word,
may be and it will be a very hearty word. (Cheers.)
I rejoice to hear of the spirit of enthusiasm that pre-
vails among you, and that that spirit qf enthusiasm
Is not confined to one dam of the community, but is
alike found among those who are termed middle class
and among the working men of Grantham. (Cheers.)
Gentlemen, you and they have reason far thinking
the matter is a serious one. (Hear.) You have now
had six years of experience of the working of the pre-
sent Administration and what is called a Tory Govern-
ment. What have you known as its results; what, is
the case as to the business and industry of the country,
what is the case as to the taxation of the country? Do
you find that it has beeu beneficial to you (cries of
"No ") in your condition of citizens? Still less, I think,
will you find that it has been beneficial as regards gene-
rally either the strength or honour of the Empire.
With regard to your taxation, I must entreat you to
look, anal& loak with care, to what the dying Perlis,
meat is rine about. I strove reyself last night in the
House of Commons to explain, and explained in
some degree, the nature of the tax which is now
being imposed upon the personal property of this
country, and which will tell with extreme severity upon
the middle classes of this country. I will not say it is pos-
sible to give you hare—lcannot give you— anymore than
a general indication of the importance of the tax; but I
will tell the farmer, I will tell the tradesman this—
that whereas when the farmer dies the son who suc-
ceeds him pays at least five times as much now as the
son of the landlord who succeeds him, the Government
are net content with that I they are going to make the
son of the farmer succeeang his father pay six or seven
or eight times as much as the son of the landlord.
(Hisses, and cries of "Shame,") That is the nature
ef the Bill which is now passing through Parliament,
and which it was vain for U 3 to attempt to oppose, but
which I call upon you to examine. The same thing
is substantially the case with regard to the tradesmen
and shopkeepers in towns; and I must say a measure
more unjust in itself, or more improper in the manner
in which it is now being pressed through a Parliament
which cannot consider it, I have never known. We
also challenge the justice of the policy of the present
Government abroad. We challenge the prudence of
their policy abroad. We say it is not strengthening but
weakening the country. It is not elevating its char-
acter; it tends to lower and debase its character;
and as Englishmen, as Liberals, as patriots, we resist

it out and out --.
Mr. Gladstone concluded his speech by recoirsmendleg the
Liberal candidate* to the notice of the electors. The train
then started for York, which was reached at two o'clock,
and where there was a stoppage of twenty minutes. The
right hon. gentleman was received by the Lora Mayor of
York aed many of the leading citizens and conduoted to the
atation Hotel, where he met the two Liberal candidates, Mr.
Leaman, jun. (son of the present member), and Mr. Craig.
Outside the hotel a crowd of between six and seven thou-
sand persons had assembled, and Mr. Gladstone ad-
dressed them from a window, and urged the electors
to return the two Liberals who were in the field. He
eontended that the money of the country had been
waited in melees wars, and is acquiring new territoeies such
as Cryprus and the TransVaal The Psaliament in its dying
days was trying to pass a Corrupt Practices Bill which
legalised the conveyanoe of voters to the poll in vehicles
provided by the candidates. This he regarded as an Act
for the promotion of corrupt practices.
Newcastle was reached at five o'clock. The platform was
packed by a mixed company, but there was a preponder-
ance in favour cf Mr. Gladstone's *views. The Mayor greeted
the right hon. gentleman, and expressed a hope that he
would be successful in the coming fight. Mr. Gladstone
replied in a brief speech, and urged the electors to adhere
to the old traditions of Newcastle and return two Liberals.
The train arrived at Berwick station at a quarter past six.
On the platform he was met by Sir D. C. Marjoribanks,
M.P. and the Hon. H. Strutt, the Liberal candidates for
Berwick, and the members of the Liberal Committee. In
front of the platform was a concourse of 4,000 or 5,000 people,
who, on Mr. Gladstone coming to the front, received him
;
with loud and prolonged cheers.

Mr. Gladstone, in reply, said the Government had
aggravated and prolonged the distress; had got the
finances of the country into such a confusion as he had
never known, and had violated the law and treaties for
arbitrary purposes. The time ha a now come (he said)
when a very grave question arose as to who was to be
responsilde for all these things. He thought that
neither at home nor abroad would they be satisfied. It
lay on the Parliament, on those members of the majority
who were now coming before them along with the
members of the minority, whether the same course
of proceedings was to continue for the next six or seven
years. (Cries of " Never ; wb'll have you.") The
depression in the country, he did not hesitate to say,
had been greatly prolonged by the action of the
Government. (Cheer.:-.) The taxation of the ccuntry
had been greatly increased ("Shame"), and the
finances of the country were in a state of the most
unsatiefaetory he had ever known. ("Shame.") The
burdens of the country had been east over upon
future years, and those who lived through the next
Parliament would have to pay for the debt con-
tracted by the present Government. (" Shame.'') After
reminding the assembly that his father was once mem-
ber for Berwick, Mr. Gladstone said that Sir D. C.
Majoribanks, one of the candidates, was a friend of
his, was a gentleman of large experience., was well
qualified in every respect to do servke to the con-
stituency and hon-.ur to his country. (Cheers.) He
trusted that in Berwick they would not pursue a
sectional action, but that the Liberals would all be
united for the common cause, become they wanted a
long pull, a strong pull, and a pull altogether to free
the country from the present miechievous Govern-
ment. (Cheers.)
As the right hon. gentleman proceeded again to the saloon
carriage he was greeted with loud cheers, which were con-
tinued until the train had passed out of the station.
When the train arrived at the Waverley station, Edin-
burgh, a large crowd had assembled on the station platform,
and as the train drew up Mr. Gladstone was enthustastically
cheered. He was received by several members of the
executive committee of the Midlothian Liberal Association.
Mr. and Mrs Gladstone then proceeded to an open
baronehe which was in waiting, and immediately drove off,
amid loud cheers. Lord and Lady Itosebery left the station
in another carriage. The party proceeded at once to Dal-
meny.