The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-02-05 00:00:00

WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE.

Lord Denman moved the second reading of the
Women's Suffrage Bill, but objection being raised by
the Marquis of Salisbury to the initiation in that
House of legislation affecting the constitution of the
other House, the motion was negatived without a
division.

Their lordships rose at twenty•flve minutes to six
o'clock.

NEW WRIT.

In the HOUSE or Oommoris,- Mr. Akers-Douglas
moved the issue of a new writ for the election of a
member for St. George's, Hanover-square, in the room
of Lord Algernon Percy, resigned. Sir W. Lawson
opposed the motion, and moved the adjournment of
the debate, on the ground that the constituency had
had no information that there was likely to be a
vacancy until that morning. On a division the motion
for adjournment was negatived by 173 to 93, and a
new writ was thereupon ordered to be issued.

COAL AND WINE DUES.

In reply to Mr. Buxton, Mr. W. H. Smith stated that
it was the intention of the Government to adhere to the
decision announced by the ex-Ohancellor of the Ex-
chequer in regard to the renewal of the coal and wino
dues. Sir James Fergusson informed Mr. Labouchere
that it was wit true that a despatch was sent to Vienna
by her Majesty's Government offering the support of
England to Austria, in the event of a war between that
Power and Russia.
THE DEBATE ON THE ADDRESS.
MR. BRADLAUGH.

The adjourned debate on the Address was resumed
by Mr. Bradlaugh, who commented upon the various
sulojects dealt with in the Speech from the Throne, and
asked whether the Government meant to pursue a
peaceful or warlike policy, and whether it was true that
an agreement had been entered into by which the cost
of the Suakim garrison was to be borne by the English
taxpayers. With regard to Ireland he contended that
the Land League was the creation rather than the
cause, of such evictions as those which had recently
shocked the country, and he doubted whether the
Government had any real desire to introduce any
measure of local self-government for that country.

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL.-IMPORTANT SPEECH.

Lord Randolph Churchill declined to discuss the
foreign policy of the Government as to which the House
was as yet without authoritative information, but he
remarked that he had read with satisfaction and entire
approval the instructions which had been given to Sir
William White. If the spirit of those instructions
animated the conduct of her Majesty's Government in
relation to the East of Europe he believed they would
be able materially to assist in the settlement of the
Balkan difficulty. With regard to Ireland, he held that
during this past winter the landlords, with very few
exceptions, ha-I ucted a generous and humane part.
The great and hopeful feature in the present condition
of Ireland was that the country was practically free
from crime, and if Sir M. Hicks Beach's second
administration of Ireland should happily continue 'for
some time longer it would, he believed, turn out to be
More successful and creditable even than was his first
administration. The Plan of Campaign was hopelessly
illegal and hopelessly immoral, and if the judgment of
the law could not be adequately enforced the Govern-
ment would at once receive from Parliament a measure
for expediting legal procedure in that country. I mme-
diately after that action the Plan of Campaign and
the campaigners would disappear into either volun-
tary or compulsory retirement. As to the ques.
tion of the Union, he regarded its repeal as absolutely
hopeless. He warned the Government not to place
too much reliance on precarious Parliamentary
alliances, frankly admitting that he had regarded the
Liberal Unionists as a trieful kind of crutch, which at
no distant date the Tory party would be strong enough
to do without. To the Tory party alone he looked for
the maintenance of the Union, but unless they identi-
fied the cause of the Union in the minds of the English
people with good government, creditable administra-
tion, and wise and progressive legislation, that cause
would be lost. Adverting to the "Round Table
Conference," and the speech of Mr. Chamberlain,
he advised that right hon. gentleman to bear in
mind that no scheme of local self-government which
could lead to the creation of anything in the nature of
, an Irish Parliament would commend itself to the Tory
party. Having expressed gratification that the reform
of 'Procedure was to be taken up without delay, and
that a programme of legislation was put forward
which bore a strong family resemblance to the prom
gramme of the Dartford speech, he dwelt at some
length upon the necessity of retr,nchment in the
public expenditure, and suggested that the Army and
Navy Estimates should be referred to examiwation by
a strong committee of the House. He denied that he
resigned office upon the question of the fortification of
the coaling stations, and challenged the new Chancellor
of the Exchequer to test the popularity of an
abnormally high expenditure by proposing to raise it by
taxation. In the course of the subsequent discussion
Lord E. Hamilton asserted that no measures which
could be passed would be of permanent benefit to
Ireland unless the National League were suppressed,
and that the most effectual way of destroying the
power of the League was by converting the occupiers
into the owners of their holdings.