The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-03-16 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

In the Homo of I,rds, March 11, Earl Cowper moved that
the tee veers (whom names had previously been giVcll).
should be appointed a select coinnOttee to join the select
committee appointed by the House of Commons to inquire
Into the Tramway bills before Parritment this session.
The motion was agreed to.
On the motion of the Eon of Morley, the Poor Law Loan
Bill was read a second time.

The Bank of Ireland Cherter Amendment Bill paned
through committee with amendments...

Th; Earl of L milord asked if her Majesty's Govennnent
Intended to propose any measure or reducing Ike number of
Poor-law Unions in Ireland?

The Earl of Dutteriu replied that at present the Govern-
ment hat no intention kd bringing in a measure for the put-
pea e indi :rated by the noble earl.
. . . •

Their 1ordahl1;. then adjourned.

In the House of Commons, Lriril 11. Lennox gave notice
that on the 22nd March, on going into Committee ..f Supply,
he would call attention to the report of the Royal
Mon appointed to Imitate into the eirctuustancea attending
the lose of the .14gcera.
Mr. Mundella ae notice that on an early day after Easter
he would ask leave to introduce a bill reducing the hours
of ,shour '4 young persons and women employed in fac-
(orbs.

00, ',lade/ell, reply Inn to Mr. Gourley, said that provision
was made in the Estimates this year for a camp of instrue,
II in upon the same scale as that of last year. Various places
*lad been examined, but no cJncluslon had yet been come
to as to what particular place should be selected for the
reposed camp.

sir. Forster, in reply to Mr. Dent, said that Dr. Williams,
of the Veterinary Department of the Privy Council, hail
been sent to Vienna to represent this country at the Inter-
national Conference, to be held under the presidency of the
Minister of Agriculture, in order to come to an understand-
ing upon an uniform course of action for preventing the
spread of the cattle plague.
- -

Mr. Knatclibull.llagessen, In reply to Mr. Maeda, said the
Government had no official information as to utterances
which, it was said, it had been thought desirable to suppress
of a member of the Government of Canada with regard to
the connection between the mother ceuntry and the colony,
other than that contained in newspaper reports. There was
no truth in the statement that there was a secret understand-
ing on that subject between the I.:imminent of this country
and that of Canada.

Mr. Bruce, replying to Mr. Hind° Palmer, declined to
enter into any engaimment to introduce any measure to
alter Factory Acts by shortening the hours of labour for
women and children.
The House then went into Committee of Supply. and ,the
adjourned debate on the Mat vote of 113,649 mew and Mr.
Flo‘rns' amendment to reduce it by 20,00. i men, was then
resumed.

--Atii,Ta long discussion, the HOMO divided, and Mr.
Holm.' amendment was negatived by 234 to C 3.
Mr. Monts next moved a second amendment, that the mote
be reduced by 10,000 men. This was defeated by 216 to 07,
and the vote was then agreed to, as was also the vote of
£5,234,000 for the pay and allowances of the men, after a
motion to strike out £15,736, the cost of Army agencies, had
been negatived by 87 to 43.
The other orders were disposed of and the flouse ad-
learned.

In the House of Lords, March Li, the Deans and Canons
Resignation Bill was read a first time.
On the motion to real the Public Parks (Ireland) Bill a
third time, the Earl of Dufferin proposed to add a clause
to give power to the gevernieg body of airy town to sell
superfluous laud
The Earl of Stanhope asked that the clause might he
limited to .Ira by public &tuition.
I,rd Redesdale supported this view.
An alteration to this effect was made in the clause, and the
bill as amended was read a third time, and passed.
The Poor-Law Loans Bill passed through committee.
The Duke of Somerset moved for a select committee to In-
quire into the present state of the harbour and fortifications
of Alderney—a committee which he said the Government
had cousiented to give.
The motion was agreed to, and their lordships adjourned.
In the House of Commons, Col. Beresford gave notice that
on the eth April he would call attention to the unfair and
ruinous competition to which the feat makers are exposed
by the employment of convict labour mid of steam machinery
In prisons, and move for a select committee to inquire into
the subject.
Sir T Sinclair gave notice that on an early day he would
move a resolution in favour of the Immediate repeal of the
taxes upon tea, coffee, sugar, and other necessaries of life.
Mr. Grant Deft, replying to Major Arbuthnot, said that
the delay in appointing a successor to Sir George Jameson,
late Auditor of Indian Accounts, had arisen in consequence
of certain doubts with regard to the best method of earning
Into effect the provisions 4 the statute under which that
officer was appointed. These doubts were now at an end,
end he hoped the appointment would be filled up in a few
days.
Sir John Hay gave notice that on an early day after Easter
be would call nttention to the correspondence between the
Public Works Loan Commissioners, the Treasury, and the
Board of Trade, and move a resolution.
Sir D. Wedderbern called attention to the difficulty of o-b-
-tuning opportunities for discussing Scotch measures and
moved for a Select Committee. The obstacles under the
present system he classed under four heads—the absence
from the Cabinet and the house of Lords of any Minister
specially charged with Scotch affairs, the want of an effi-
cient machinery for extending to Scotlen.l the benefits f
United Kingdom legislation, the possibility of Scotch
members being outvoted by lieglisli and Irish mem-
bers, and the impossibility of giving sufficient time to the
details of Scotch Bills. Among other useful measures rn
Which Scotlend had set her heart, and the passing of which
ha.' been prevented by the present system, he enumerated
education, Game Laws, road reform, feudal tenures, arid
bppothec, Curl the chief remedy he suggested was the re-
ference of the details of hills to Grand Committees after their
principle had been accepted by the House.
Sir R. Andruther, in seconding the motion, also dilated
on the eliffieulties experienced by the Home secretary and
the Lord Advocate in pushing forward Scotch measures. He
also was in favour of Grand Committees, but thought they
should not consist exclusively of English, Scotch, or Irish
member., and Insisted on the appubitment of a Minister
for Scotland with a seat in the Cabinet.
Mr. Pint proposed that Ireland should be Included in the
inquiry, which he believed to be as me ;II neglected as Scot-
land, and supported Ids proposal by elaborate etatistica as to
recent Irish legislation, He recommended the reference of
Irish Bills to Grand Committees of Irish members, and con-
troverted the common delusion that these committees would
become bear gardens or would lead to Hume Rule.
Mr. Serjeant Sherlock seconded the amendment; but Mr.
Vance thouelit the present system more efficient hi ordivary
Sessions, when the Government did not overload the House
with business.
Sir E. Cokbrook, who confine] himself entirely to the
case of Scotland, also stood by the present system, and was
strongly opposed to the creation of a Minister for scotlanii,
an office which would be a niere einecure. But the sug-
gestion of Grand Committees deserved consideration.
Mr. Glidstone admitted that the difficulty of transacting
all the business that came before the ft-ruse was growing
annually, and he feared that public opinion was not yet
sufficiently ripe for the immediate adoption of any of the
remedies suggested. The great point was to increase the
divisible fund of time, and until this was dime what
Was gained by one set of subjects was taken from another. Mr.
Gladstone pointed out that England had a grievance as
Well as Scotland and Ireland, and he enumerated a string
of English arrears, such as the Licensing System, Local
Taxation, Metropolitan Government, Courts of Judica-
ture, Chancery Funds, which were waiting for settlement.
But he strongly deprecated any change which would tend
to separate the interests of the three countriee, or which
would hand over the business of rote country 1.11 the repre-
sentatives of that country exclusively. Whatever change,
however was made must be considered as a whole, and he
objected therefore to an inquiry confined to the case of one
kingdom.
Mr. SPLaren was opposed to Grand Committees, and ad-
vocated a Minister for Scotland.
Lord St. Lawrence expressed his disappointment at the
Prime Minister's speech; and Mr. Macfie was speaking,
When the House was counted out at a quarter-past 8 o'clock.

In the Mouse of Comm ons, March 13, Mr. 1111.agan, in
moving the second reading of the Fires Bill, said that it was
based upon the recommendations of the Select Committee
of 'ISO, appointcd to inquire into existing legislative pro-
visions for the protection of life from tire, and as to the
means to be adopted for preventing the frequent recur-
rence of firs.. The principle causes of these fires
were the faulty construction and alteration of build-
ings In London and elsewhere, carelessness, mid the
',aches

lumfer mat,

fusees.

recommendation of the committee was that there
should be an investigation into all fires. There were
1,946 fires in London in 1370, as compared with 53S in
1040, being an increase greatly disproportionate to the
Increase of houses and population. In other large
cities and towns the number of fires had increased in
about the same ratio, a very large number being wil-
fully and criminally caused. The committee came to
the conclusion that there should be a judicial investi-
gation into every fire. It was shown that when such an
Inquiry took place in the city of London the number of fires
decreased by one-fourth. The bill provided that upon the
affidavit of the chief constable of the district, or of private
Individuals, the coroner should conduct an investigation into
the cause oft lire, with poser to prosecute. In the event of
the coroner's failing to discharge his duty, the 111. e Secre•
tar, was enipowereil to appoint an assessor to act in his
stead. No money was to be paid by insurance companies
whilst an inquiry was pending.
Mr. Agar-Ellis seconded the motion.

Mr. Turner and Mr. D. Dalrymple also supported the bill.
Mr. 8. Read, no one of the members of the committee of
1867. said it was not creditable to the House that five years
should have elapsed before the House attempted to put the
recommendation of the committee into force. He thought
that matches which ignited elsewhere than on the box ought
to be taxed, and that the investigation by the coroner would
greatly reduce the number of fires. With the exception of
the proposal to place the cost upon the county rates, he
agreed with the whole of the bill.

Mr. Kinnaird assured the House that there was a strong
fo.hhlpg iii the country In favour of this measure.

Mr. Beach objected to the Inechinety of the hill, and to
the Increase of local rates which It would Involve. If pub-
lic prosecutors were appointed, he thought they would more
properly discharge the duties of investigation.
•• •

. .
Mr. Stnefle supported the 1,111, and suggested that a
pentOty should be imposed upon tuuni,ipal authorities who
btiled to provide their distii,ts with tire engines.

-„ - -
Mr. Bruce, on the part of the Government, supported the
bill, and said he only hoped that the Wednesday sitttngs of the
House would he always occupied with such useful legis-
lation. lie criticised some of the provisions of the bill, and
said that although the prosecution of offenders under this
bill was a nationel duty, ytt there was a great deal to he gala
In favour of requiring insurance companit a to contribute a
great portion of the cost.

Be. Brewer thought the corAter was sot a sufficiently
strong tribunal for the duty proposed to he placed upon
him.

The 101 l was then reads second time.

Mr. Barnett, in the absence of Mr. S. Cave, moved the
second reading of the Albert and European Assurance (In-
quiry, Bill, suggesting that the discussion should be taken
on going into committee.
After a short discussion, the bill was read a second time.
Mr. Salt moved the second reading of the Public Worship
Facilities Bill, the object of which was to enable the bishops
to grant licences to clergymen to perform public worship ac-
cording to the service if the Church of England in parishes
having more than 2,00) inhabitants, arid in suitable
places in hamlets with more than twenty inhabitants,
situated upwards of two miles from the parish church.
It also proposed to enable clergymen to officiate in
chapels attached to private residences. The hon, gentle-
man explained that in each of these eates care war
taken to prevent any interference with the vested and
recognised rights of existing incumbents, anil added
that the main intention of the bill was to give greater
elasticity and freedom to the parochial system of the
Church, without drab ing in the slightest degree to in-
terfere with or injure the present Church Establishment.
Mr. B. lope moved as an amendment that the bill be read
• second time that day six months, which was seconded by •
Mr. Monk.
After a discussion, in which several hon. members took
tivs liouse divided—For the second reading, 122 ;
taLart It, 93; majority, 29. The bill was then reads second
Mr. Maguire moved the second reading of the Justices'
Clerks (Salaries; Bill, the object of which was to provide
that justices' clerks shall In future be paid by salary Instead
of by foes, as heretofore, the cost to be borne by the county,
which wculd receve the fors, and Sir U. S. lbbetson
seconded the motion.
Mr M. It. Beach moved that the bill be read a second time
that day six months; and the discussion was continued until
a quarter to six, when, in accordance with the rules of the
House it ceased.
The other orders were then disposed of, and:the House
adjourned.