The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-07-03 00:00:00

THE PRINCE OF WALES ON THE

GORDON BOYS' HOMES

A contribution towards the funds of the Gordon
Boys' Home having been made by the officers and
men of the Royal Bucks Yeomanry when out for per-
manent duty, the following letter has been sent by
desire of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales
to' Colonel the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos,
G.C.S.I. : "My dear Duke of Buckingham,—lt has
been brought to the notice of the Prince of Wales
that at the recent training of the Royal Bucks
Yeomanry a subscription list was opened, and warmly
responded to by the whole regiment, in aid of the
funds of the Gordon Boys' Home. The Prince of
Wales desires me to tell you with what sincere plea-
sure he has heard of this spontaneous act on the
part of the Royal Bucks Yeomanry, and how earnestly
his Royal Highness hopes that the erample set by
your regiment limy be followed by other cavalry and
infantry regiments of the regular and auxiliary
torces.—Believe me, my dear Duke of Buckingham,
vary truly yours, D. M. Probyn.—To his Grace the
Dvkf of Buckingham and Chandos. G.C.5.1."

e sce ..• .

THE
PROROGATION OF PARLIAMENT.

THE QUEEN'S SPEECH.

In the House of Lords last Friday the first (and
only) session, which assembled on Tuesday, the 12th
of January last, of the 11th Parliament of her
Majesty the Queen, and the 23rd Parliament of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, was
by Royal permission prorogued.
The Lord Chancellor (Lord Herschell) entered the
House at half-past five o'clock, accompanied by the
other Lords Commissioners, being preceded by the
Mace and Purse_ Bearers. Prayers were said by the
Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol at the sitting of the
House for judicial business earlier in the day. The
peers present were about 50, and amongst them were
the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, Earl Spencer,
Lord Kensington, Viscount Barrington, the Marquis
of Bristol, Lord Denman, Lord Lamington, Lord
Monk-Bretton, Earl Ducie, the Earl of Longford, the
Earl of Galloway, Viscount Enfield, Lord Balfour,
Earl Sydney, the Earl of Milltown, Lord Stratheden
and Campbell, and Lord Crewe.
On the benches on the Opposition side of the
House there were about 40 ladies seated, they having
obtained tickets of admission from the Lord Great
Chamberlain's (Lord Aveland's) office.
The Strangers' Gallery, usually reserved for gentle-
men, was on this occasion well filled with ladies and
gentlemen, who had obtained tickets of admission
from the same office.

The Royal Commissioners, attired in peers' robes,
scarlet and ermine, with bars to mark their degree in
the peerage, were the Lord Chancellor, the Earl of
Kenrnare (Lord Chamberlain), the Earl of Elgin
(Captain of the Yeoman of the Guard), Lord M,mson,
and Lord Sudeley, there being always five Commis-
sioners upon the occasion of the prorogation and the
opening of Parliament.
Their lordships having taken their seats upon a
bench in front of the Throne, which, with the chairs
right and left of it, was uncovered, the Lord Chan-
cellor directed the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod
(Admiral the Hon. Sir James R. Drummond, G.C.8.)
to summons the House of Commons to hear the
Royal Commission read,
After the lapse of about 10 minutes, the Right
Hon. the Speaker (Mr. A. W. Peel), carrying in his
hand the Appropriation Act, which he handed to the
Clerk of Parliaments (Mr. Henry John L. Graham),
attended by the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod
on his right hand, the Sergeant at Arms of the House
of Commons (Mr. H. D. Erskine) on his left, the
Chaplain to the House of Commons (the Hon. Rev.
Francis Byng), and a number of members of the
House of Commons, amongst whom were Mr. H. H.
Fowler, Mr. Ramsay, Colonel Walrond, Sir John
Kennaway, Mr. Raikes, Mr. D. Plunket, Sir Julian
Goldsrnid, Sir John Mowbray, Mr. C. Flower, Mr.
Marjoribanks, and Mr. Arnold Morley appeared at
the bar.

The Commissions were, after the usual obeisances,
read at the table by the Hon. Slingsby Bethell, the
Reading Clerk; Mr. H. J. L. Graham, Clerk of Par-
liaments, and Mr. Ralph Disraeli being in their
places.
The Royal Assent was then, with the usual forms
and ceremonies, given to the following bills which had
been passed by both Houses :—The Appropriation,
British North America, West India Encumbered
Estates, Guardianship of Infants, Bankruptcy of Agri -
cultural Labourers Wages, Crofters' Holdings (Scot-
land), Patriotic Fund, Idiots, Oxford University
Estates, International Copyright, Contagious Diseases
Animals, The Incumbents of Benefices Loans Exten-
sion, Patents, Riot Damages, Salmon and Fresh-water
Fisheries, Coal Mines, Customs Amendment, Revising
Barristers, Revising Barristers Ireland, Metropolitan
Board of Works, Money, Public Works Loans, Laud
Tax Commissioners' Names, Medical, Peterhead, Har-
bour Refuge, Removal of Terms Scotland, Poor Law
Loans, Married Women in case of Desertion, Sea
Fishing Boats Scotland, Extraordinary Tithe Redemp-
tion, Shop Hours Regulation, Intoxicating Liquors
Sale to Children, Parliamentary Elections Returning
Officers Act 1875 Amendment, Returning Officers
Scotland, Labourers Ireland, Post Office Sites, West-
minster Abbey, and numerous Local Government,
Provisional Orders, Railway, Imprcvement, Water-
works, Docks, Corporation, Tramways, and private
bills, making in the aggregate the large number of
107. After which the Lord Chancellor read her
Majesty's gracious Speech, which was in the follow-
ing words
"My LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,

'1 have determined to release you from your high
duties before the full accomplishment of the regular
work of the session, in order ta ascertain the sen e of
my people upon the important proposal to establish a
legislative body in Ireland for the management of
Irish as distinguished from Imperial affairs.
"With this view, it is my intention immediately to
dissolve the present Parliament.
"I continue happily to maintain the most friendly
relations with all foreign Powers.
"I have the satisfaction of acquainting you that the
warlike operations of Servia against Butgaria were,
after a time, brought to a close through the wise
counsels of the Powers and the forbearance of the
Sultan: as also that after a period of anxiety the adop-
tion of pacific counsels in Greec3, and the disarma-
ment now ir4 progress under the orders of its Govern-
ment, have removed a serious danger to the peace of
the East of Europe.
"The state of affairs in Egypt has improved, and I
have been enabled materially to reduce my force in
that country, and to bring it within the southern
limits of Egypt proper.
"I have concluded an arrangement with the
Government of Spain which, if it should be adopted
by the Cortes, will, I trust, increase our commercial
intercourse with that country, and will also encourage
the importation of colonial wines.
"I have felt a lively pleasure in promoting the
Exhibition of the Products, Manufactures, and Arts
of my Colonial and Indian Dominions, which is now
being held in this metropolis. I feel that this enter-
prise, and the cordial interest in it which is exhibited
by the people, at once proves the sympathy which
unites the several portions of the Empire, and
powerfully tend to confirm and promote that
sympathy.

GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS,—
• "I thank, you for the liberal supplies which you
have provided in order to meet the exigencies of the
public service, until a new Parliament shall have an
opportunity to complete the amounts necessary for the
full service cf the year.
"Div LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,—

"It is with great satisfaction that I have given my
assent to the bill for amending the laws affecting the
crofters of the Highlands, to the bill for effecting
important reforms in connection with the medical pro-
fession, and to the bill for amending the law relating
to the custody and guardianship of children.
"I have given my consent to a bill making such
changes in the law of international copyright as are
necessary to enable this country to enter the Inter-
national Copyright Union contemplated by the con-
vention about to be signed at Berne. In this bill the
opportunity has been taken of conferring on Colonial
and Indian authors the benefit of copyright, valid and
uniform in every part of my dominions.
"Finally, it is my earnest prayer that the Parlia-
ment about to be elected may be so guided as to pro-
mote the peace, happiness, and contentment of my
people, and the strength and union of the Empire."
At the conclusion of the delivery of the Speech the
Lord Chancellor said: By virtue of the commission
and in the name of her Majesty, and in obedience to
her Majesty's commands, we have to declare that
Parliament be prorogued to Thursday, the 15th of
July next, and that it is prorogued accordingly.
The Speaker of the House of Commons, attended
by the officials of the House of Commons as before-
mentioned and the members of the House of Com-
mons, then, with the usual obeisances, withdrew from
tho bar of the House, and the Lords Commissioners
left the House, and the short session of the early
part of 1886 came shortly after six o'clock to an end.
The House of Commons assembled at a quarter-
past five o'clock, for the purpose of formal proroga-
tion. The Speaker took the chair at a quarter of an
hour later.

At that time there were 43 members present, the
Government being represented by Mr. H. H. Fowler,
Mr. Marjoribanks, and Mr. Arnold Morley; while
on the front Opposition Bench were Mr. Plunket,
Mr. Hubbard, Sir Henry Fletcher, Colonel Walrond,
and Mr. Sidney Herbert.
At half-past five Admiral Sir James Drummond,
Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, was announced.
In customary form he requested the immediate
attendance of the Speaker and the members of the
House of Commons in the House of Lords to hear
the Royal Commission read notifying her Majesty's
assent to acts agreed to by both Houses. Thereupon
the Speaker, preceded by the Sergeant-at-Arms.
carrying the maoe, and accompanied by all the
members present, crossed the lobby, corridors, and
central hall, and went to the Upper House.
The Speaker was absent for about half an hour.
Upon his return, taking up his position at the table, in
the place usually occupied by the Clerk of the House,
he said: It may be convenient to hon. gentlemen if,
in accordance with ancient custom, I read a copy of
her Majesty's gracious Speech.
Having read the Speech, the right hon. gentleman
shook hapdswith the members present, who filed past
him for the purpose.
The ceremony came to an end at 10 minutes past six
o'clock.

English ale is said to be ahead of the American
article, but the American parlour-car porter has
never been equalled on the other side.
Photographer (to red-headed youth) : I would sug-
gest a light background for you, sir, as your hair is so
brilliant that on a dark background you'd be apt to
take with a halo.
A dentist who has received a compensation which
he regards as insufficient, ironically asks his client if
he intended the fee for his servant. "No, monsieur,"
replied the other, "it is for both of you."
A sentimental writer says "a baby is a link which i
binds its mother to heaven:" Pretty often it s a
link which binds her to the house when she is
." almost dying" to go out making calls or to do a little
shopping.
Husband (desperately): "Life has no longer any
charms for me. I'll kill myself. I'll take poison."
Wife (calmly): "Well, if you do take poison, my
dear, get thelkind that's advertised, don't die in the
house."

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