The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-06-05 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

In the HOUSE OF LORDS, May 31, Lord Norton called at-
l•pition to the present introduction of secondary instruc-
on in the Publicly-aided elementary schools, and moved a
erlution to the effect that the subject required considera-
sn, and that the code of regulations of the Committee of
council on Education be referred to a Select Committee for
revisioli and simplification.
.I.the Duke of Richmond and Gordon defended the action
fa he late Government in extending the subjects taught in
ehli!raentary schools, and contended that it would be a great
rake, when the children had acquired a knowledge of
111 "three It's," which they frequently did by the time they
ILal reached eleven or twelve years of age, to keep them going
°ver and over the same ground until they were fourteen.
For this reason the nob/e Duke opposed the appointment of
a CoMmittee.
thLord Sherbrooke 'pointed out that the principle on which
I ; grairitB,Were, ni,ade was the thorough teaching of read-
°nut' wr-ti--„", and arithmetic, and that this had been carried
}„re until last -oar, when English Literature, Mathematics,
Geen,rich,' LGerrAan, Mechanics, Animal Physiology, Physical
Ile WO, Botany, and Domestic Economy were added.
argued .lot see the advantage of. these. additions, and
that Parliament was not justified in Keeping children
leo 4001 until they had mastered all these advanced sub-
.*.
d
41Lor -.berdare, after a long experience of the progress of
among the children of the working classes, con-
iz7.ued that as the standards had been raised those children
• srure,d in reading, writing, and arithmetic.
Ferteecue condemned the present system as a "hot-
Wlint.• nue, which was not good for the working people, sad
tended to sap the independence of the middle classes.
Lord
ti %neer was of opinion that whilst it
on of •
on tge-
eldidre g.iNie an ilitterllalennot
intended
ne
t ntuecnded to give
theta
seconedwaryorkenditiccatione,s'or trench upon the ground
by the secondary schools. It was impossible to
;Fonthae the education of the children of the British workman
(0) the "three It's," and if they were to be put in a position
ee„."4114 Pete with foreign workmen it was necessary to add
iruPortant subjects.
aAitt Motion was withdrawn and their Lordships adjourned
-.ten minutes to eight o'clock.
the ROUSE OF COMMONS, Sir W. Harcourt, answering
7i1..!. Brand, made a lengthy explanation of the views of the
, Zusvernment as to the question of supplying the metropolis
"tb. water.
I.2(tr• Whalley asked the Under-Secretary for the' Colonies
n.s-gether Cetywayo, the late King of the Zulus, was still c0n-
...-"ed 48 a State prisoner in the Cape Colony; and, if that
-ere
how long Government intended to confine him, and
course they intended to pursue towards him.
tel'';• Grant-Duff, in reply, said: Cetywayo was by the latest
tlf:graPhic accounts—those of May 19 still in the charge of
scitalicil:l,_tarY authorities at Cape Town, in the buildingde-
vrhi 4?1 the despatch of the 15th of September, 1879,
_ eu will be found at page 267 of the correspondence pre-
rtited to be
in February last. We are expecting
!jun report in answer to a telegram sent by the Secretary
fo
State r the Colonies on May 15, in which he directed
Witt I,C4atYwaYo should be given all the liberty consistent
now' 48 Position and allowed to see his friends. A Bill is
ullif,efore the Cape Parliament authorizing his detention
j2-,ectll authorities, and I should hope that the result
"ben th".°_,Make his position a much more. agreeable one.
receive-„Vuscussion on that Bill has terminated w e shall
13tate -,,s'nzther report. I may add that the Secretary of
über.ty -Tclous that
.Cetywayo should have all possible
Witbao """,, consideration compatible with his detention
211 e Inuits of the Cape Colony."
Erebv.,"Wer to Sir S. Northcote, Mr. Gladstone fixed the
13fliryers' Liability Bill for the first and the Savings Bank
Itter„,the second business on Thursday.
the „„u,orst gave notice that if Mr. P. Taylor did not bring
e.".Ject forward he would take an early opportunity of
re-13'4 attention to the position of the Government with
lir to the question of flogging in the Army and Navy.
te• Onslow having asked Sir Wilfrid Lawson whether he
arsevered in his intention to move for the recall of Sir
ajtle Prere, and, if so, what were the terms of his motion,
when cleestion it would come on Sir Wilfrid desired that the
might be repeated in a few days.
iji• O'Donnell gave notice that he will ask the Prime
f,.''inister whether he intends to bring in a Bill to alter the
of allegiance, and whether he will relieve the Sove-
'%4 by a corresponding alteration in the Coronation Oath.
8 elThe Ifouse went into Committee of Supply on the Civil
l,:Lice Estimates. In this task it was engaged for several
• , the principal item which occupied attention being
))„,. for the Office of the ehief Secretary for Ireland in
irclin London, and the subordinate departments. During
dis'eussion the measures adopted for the promotion of
_ceuef works in Ireland were criticised by some of the Irish.
Vyrubers, who concurred in opinion that, unless reprodec-
aan_Terin works on ss a large scale were speedily commenced great
At wcbuld
be experienced by the people. -
in veoved tha n be
the House resumed, and Sir W. Barttelot
t nsist the Select Committee on Mr. Bradlaugh's case
SOr of 2
7 members, andthat Sir H. Giffard, Mr. Otway,
i..Sehaw, and Lord Elcho be the four additional members.
whs nlargernent, he contended, was necessary to give the
conunittee that representative character which was neces-
aarY to satisfy the public on a question of this kind.
discussion ensued, in which Mr. Gladstone, Sir S.
:Ilrthcote, Sir H. D.Wolff, Sir It. Knightley,Mr. H. Richard,
i Mr. Newdegate took part, when the House divided,
ZLI, the result that Sir W. Barttelot's motion was negatived
.Y 267 to 148.
other business was disposed of, and the House
""JoUrned at a quarter to one.

- the ROUSE OF LORDS, June 1, when Lord Cairns moved
Second reading of his Settled Land Bill,
Ivlll6 Lord Chancellor announced that, though he in no
ittaY receded from the favourable opinion expressed by him
ohtilla last Parliament as to this and the other Bill of his
12i
-'s and learned friend relating to the powers of owners
11)eaty. settled lands, yet, as during the next recess Her Ma-
..,
Government intended to consider deliberately and
pcitetallY the various branches of the law relating to real
cllertY, with only a part of which those measures would
they thought it right to reserve to themselves the freest
o.ction ,--
respect of these Bills in the House of Commons,
ti i.'",le,Putting no obstacle in the way of their passing through
aer Lordship's House.
After some observations from Lord Cairns and Lord Bath,
the )3111 as read a second time, as were Lord Cairns's other.
tills— •
pVlz.,_ the Limitation of Actions Bill, the Conveyancing itLaw of Prop
replying to
and the Solicitors' Remuneration
Spencer
to Lord Leitrim, announced that
ra,AO
51 °:° ern,,eathrough
t intended to bring in and forward rough
t!!!,
intended
as possible a Bill to forestall the
annualgrantlor Irish piers and harbours, which for the last
an average of £5,000 a year, by a grant
Inet°,
a grant from Canada for the same
The
• Mike Of 3
Initiation on th farlborough warmly approved this deter-
Their lordship 3 e Part of the Government.
In the 11,,,, adiourned at five minutes to six o'clock.
that on +l.--"13 OP COMMONS, Sir G. Campbell gave notice
vrotad- s-ue second e ding of the Irish Franchise Bill, he
satisfa4sove that therboarough franchise of Ireland cannot be
ZePres orily dealt with unless by taking away the excessive
Drovki7ntation of petty towns and villages with a view to
Parta ng kr the more adequate representation of other
of the United Kingdom.
ln answer to Mr. Warton Mr. Gladstone said there was no
Intention to rep 11
Act o yeal Wh '
itegUlation . or partially the Public Worship
lir. It /
faft., Y ands called attention in a lengthy speech to the
.g _ mft.rB Of C
.vrUs. and moved an address to the Queen pray-
.'_ Mr a repeal of certain ordinances, and that certain re-
ht be expedited.
Mr lor
,* .B. Samuelson having seconded the motion,
teStr C. bilks expressed a general belief that harmony
`"
i.. 2reen the governors and governed had greatly increased
riPrus of late, and paid a compliment to the tact and
ZalPer of the present Governor, Sir R. Biddulph. Further im-
tnYouients, he anticipated, would occur when the adminis-
Zotioo of the island had been transferred from the Foreign
03 the Colonial Office. As to the ordinances, the Govern-
Pressed
tient retained the same opinion which they had ex-
... _
1. oppositio Their n. eir predecessors had directed the
I'Vet.rdinance relating to arbitrary exile to be abolished for all
notes, and the present Government were inquiring
Nher it could not be done away with altogether. With
ard to the forced labour and sale of land ordinances, they
no directed them to be abolished. Steps had been taken
by the late Government for the improvement of the adminis-
tration of justice, which would be followed up, and the tithe
question 'would be inquired into. on the whole he hoped
that in retaining the island we should convert it into a bright
sDot in the East, and a model of efficient administration.
"Sir H. WOlff, Mr. Labouchere, Mr. Jacob Bright, and Mr.
._& Balfour ~Balfo took part in the debate , and Mr. Gladstone haying
Latllliated that we could not recede from the arrangement
WitifTurkey in reference to Cyprus, Sir S. Is'orthcote ex-
his approval of the statement made on behalf of the
Government. The motion was then withdrawn.
On the motion of Mr. Ritchie, Mr. Gladstone offering no
aPPosition, the Select Committee on the Sugar Duties was
re-aPPointed. •
On the motion for the appointment of a Select COmmittee
?n Merchant Shipping, an animated discussion arose bear-
On the principle on which select committees are to be
Pointed hereafter. The list of 23 members proposed con-
:tated of 12 supportors of the Government, nine members of
"ge OPposition, and two members of the third party.
a lir. A. Balfour having moved the adjournment of the
menate,
Atr. e„Gl adstone, in opposing the motion, contended that
ifZtalttees shoald be to some extent a reproduction of the
skZ they
that, according to reason and long usage,
of 'be constituted with some regard to the distribution
Delitieal
4, 7 Power in the House.
1.41,,,er
some further discussion in which Sir S. Northcote,
Pai.,.,`-a„arnberlain, Sir W Barttelot, Mr. Courtney, Mr.
ist6,i'l, and other hon. *members took part,, la Glad-
that lad
inittee niggested that as it was urgenttaa t tifif
be q°lllol get to work
, the question of principle should
tien, w'rled until the next committee came up for nornina-
%domed ich must happen very soon. suggestion was
This
negat. , and after the motion. for. adjournment had been
Dreceelvdeedd by 120 to 28, the nomination of the committee was
gorae....with and completed.
etWire
and the Britl ,
wh aeassion also took place mi Mr. Monk's cong6
7., ich was eventually rejected by 97 to 72,
11°118e ad•enlaining business having been disposed of, the
, JoUrned.

M. DE LESSEPS ON THE PROPOSED
PANAMA CANAL.
M. Ferdinand de Lesseps arrived at Liverpool last
Sattrday with his youngest daughter and secretary,
and was the guest of •the Mayor, Alderman Bernard
Rall, -at Dud ow-house, Wavertree.
On Monday M. de Lesseps met a large number of
influential merchants and others in the Council
Chamber at the Town-hall, to lay before them the
results'of his exploration of the Isthmus of Panama.
11le Mayor presided.
M. de Lesseps who was received with much ap-
Plause, spoke in French, his remarks being translated
as he proceeded by Mr. F. G. Prange. M. de Lesseps
fxplamed the construction of the canal which would
De 46 miles in length against 110 miles as compared
With the Suez Canal. From an engineering point
of view he maintained that there were no difficulties
Arhich could not easily be overcome, and he calcu-
ed that the great undertaking would be completed
la.six years with 8,000 men employed and the neces-
-Bary machinery, Nvhich would take a year or a year
alalf to make. A contract had been made with
reliable and capable men for 500,000,000 f. for its con-
struction, with certain clauses with regard to partici-
1/51ti°n, and with certain reductions to be made if the
' WWork turned out to be not so expensive as was esti-
ated. He proposed to place at the disposal of the
~Yitish public shares to the number of 166,000, but he
not care whether these were taken or not, as he
%lid' get plenty of funds, and was not asking for
• .
.:I(l4°TleY, but offering it. He denied that the American
overnmeiit or private individuals generally offered
anY oPpoaition to the scheme.—Tuesday's Times.

01.de Lesseps was entertained at a banquet at
ere2Pansea on Monday night, when most of the leading
reants of Cardiff, 'Newport, and Swansea were
sent. Alluding to the Panama Canal scheme, M.
to-s"Ps said that 8,000 workmen would be sufficient
'l'.lletruct the canal, which could be completed in
Years, at a Cost of 512' 000,000 francs. The yearly
71Penses would be 45,000000 francs, while the annual
interest would amount to 90,000,000 francs.

. The Standard says
_Le the effect that current at Berlin
pril2ctehaßtisamar report is
being
annoyed at the
fieustance Nri th 'which his w ecclesiastical measure con-
x noes to meet in the Diet nehas once more tendered his
lerlifnation Another report' ear= it to be his intention
et, er to dissolve the Diet.* eare, should thstt_NoPolgtia!
r lected
PilicA uillhest quarters, to beg to be relieved or his

THE HEIGHT OF RECRUITS.

A general order has recently been published show-
ing the height, age, and chest measurement required
to qualify a man for a recruit in the several branches
of the Regular Army and Militia (says the Echo). A
man is eligible to enlist into the Cavalry from 18 to
25 years of age, in the Heavy Cavalry (that is to say,
in the Household Brigade, 4th and sth Dragoon
Guards and lit and 2nd Dragoons) his height must be
from 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 11 inches.; in Medium
Cavalry (Dragoons, Dragoon Guards, and Lancers)
from 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 9 inches; and in Light
Cavalry (Hussars) from 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8
inches.

In the Royal Artillery, artificers and tailors may be
enlisted as early as 17 years of age, and drivers not
till they have reached 19 years; gunners follow the
same limits of age as the Cavalry.

_
Any height above 5 feet 6 inches will qualify a man
as a gunner, provided he measures 35 inches or more
round the chest.

Artificers are taken at 5 feet 5 inches, and drivers
must not be less than 5 feet 4, or more than 5 feet 6.

The Royal Engineers follow the same conditions as
the Artillery.
The Foot Guards take no man under 5 feet 8 in
height; while the Line despise nothing over 5 feet 5,
the Rifle regiments not admitting any man taller than
5 feet 7 inclies.

The requirements of the Army Service Corps and
Army Hospital Corps vary from 5 feet 4 to 5 feet 6,
the minimum chest measurement being in all cases 34
inches if under 5 feet 10 inches, and 35 inches if above
that height.
- - -

- - • For the Militia the standard of height is 5 feet
6 inches for Artillery, 5 feet 5 inches for Engineers,
and 5 feet 4 inches for Infantry.

Men are allowed to enlist in the Militia up to 35
years of age; in the Regular Army 25 years is the
limit, except in the Army Hospital Corps, where re-
cruits are accepted up to the age of 28.