The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-05-09 00:00:00

THE " VIRGINIUS " AFFAIR.

On the 21st of April the Army aml Navy Club of
New York gave a reception to Sir Lambton Loraine,
commander of her Majesty's ship Niobe, in recognition
of his conduct in stopping the slaughter of the
Virginius crew and passengers at Santiago de Cuba.
The reception was a very brilliant affair, and the occa-
sion of gathering together a most distinguished com-
pany of naval and army officers. The walls were
decked with American and English flags.
On his arrival at the club Sir Lambton Loraine was
received by General Handcoek, the president, while
the band played " Hail to the Chief." General Hand-
cock, in welcoming him. said—" Captain Sir Lambton
Loraine, your distinguished services in the cause of
humanity, and your manly and generous interference
in behalf of unprotected citizens of a country not your
own, on a recent occasion, in the harbour of Santiago
de Cuba, while you were in command of her Britannic
Majesty's sloop of war Nieto', has won for you the
love of a grateful people, and I may add that the name
of Loraine will not cease to be cherished as a househeld
word by all Americans so long as noble deeds shall con-
tinue to receive the plaudits of mankind. In harmony
with the sentiments I have thus freely expressed, and
in consonance with one of the cardinal purposes (if its
organisation—the entertainment of officers of distinc-
tion of our own and foreign governments - the Army
and Navy Club has tendered to you this reception. You
have gracefully accepted the same, and it remains to
me to introduce you to its members and the invited
guests.
Sir Lambton Loraine replied as follows : " I find
myself in a very embarrassing situation, standing as
I now do in the heart id the greatest city of America,
receiving the congratulations and hospitalities of some
of the best and of some id the most gallant of American
citizens. For the very generous manner in which you ,
have spoken of my l umble services I have hardly a
word in which appropriately to express the senti-
ments of gratitude and sincere feeling I experience
towards your peeple, and I shall never forget the
kind manner in which they have been pleased to appre-
ciate the services I have rendered. I cannot indulge in
what is generally known, I think, as' soft sawder.' I am
not fond of talking about `blood and water' and
'American cousins,' and all that. I think we are a
people that understand one another, and so it is
I perfectly unnecessary for me to dilate on the subject.
' I am sure, sir, that it will always be one of the very
best memories engraven on my mind, the very
hospitable reception I have met with in this country.
I thank you all for this honour you have been pleased
to confer upon me, and through me upon the whole
British navy—for this very generous mark of the
esteem of the American people."
Sir Lambton, having been introduced to the members
and guests, was then entertained at a sumptuous re-
past. Letters of apology were received from Presi-
dent Grant, General Sherman, General Sheridan, the
Secretary of War, Chief Justice Waite, and other
prominent members of the Government, in which,
while regretting their liability to be present at the
reception, they took occasion to send words of con-
' gratulation and greeting to Captain Loraine.

Nil.iatiliof the Legislature. Th, y wait ri wind rate-
payers that the further quest' of snrrendeling to local
authorities locally collected imperial taxes. shirk was
specially reserved by the elrancellor of the Exchequer to a
future occasion, is inseparably connected with a re-arrange-
ment of areas and reconstruction of existing authorities. All
such proposals as have been made for the employment of
license duties for road maintenance or other local purposes,
and the whole question of general highway legislation, are
necessarily suspended and postponed till some agreement be
arrived at on the complex administrative problems to which
your committee deem it their duty now to direct the serious
attention of the council. _ .

The motion for the adoption of the report was
seconded by Mr. Caldecott, and carried.

THE FINANCIAL PROPOSALS OF THE GOVERNMENT.
Lord Hampton moved "That this council views
with satisfaction the financial proposals of the Govern-
ment upon the question of local taxation, believing
that such proposals will prove to be an introduction to
still further measures to be brought before Parliament
next session for the complete and satisfactory revision
of local taxation and administration." He said they
had good cause to complain of the very unsatisfactory
manner in which for a great number of years the Go-
vernment of the day, who had promised to give to
the counties one-fourth of the expenses of the police,
had never fulfilled that promise. The offer of the
Government was one-fourth, and he believed the real !
amount had never been more than one-fifth. 'j'
Government of the present day had announced that
they were willing to increase the allowance heretofore
given, and to make it one-half. His object in rising
was to suggest that it might be well for some gentle-
man in the House of Commons just to test what were
the intentions of the Government, and whether they
were really to receive one-half, or else a diminished
ratio in the same proportion which was given in pre-
vious years. He thought this would be a very good
moment for calling the attention of the Government
to the fact that the promise held out had never been
fulfilled. fhe noble lord concluded by proposing the
resolution.
Mr. Bromley (Lincolnshire) seconded the motion,
and remarked that it niust be a source of satisfaction
to this chamber, after the endeavours it had made in
favour of the reform of local taxation, that they
should have been recognised at last. They had not in
this session of Parliament, as in previous sessions,
been put off with mere promises, but at last they had
a commencement of action. Ile expressed a hope that
this was but a commencement of a complete and
satisfactory settlement of the Question both of local
rating and local administration.
After a few remarks from Mr. Corrance and Mr.
Bedded the resolution was carried with eight dissen-
tients.