The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-05-09 00:00:00

k e totirkribze 0125ertier.

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 18G8.

TUE SESSION.

The present Government took office and has I
carried on the public business in a minority, and
an event which might have taken place at any I
time, which the Ministry might have regarded
as a rod always held in iertlire I!! over theme, has
occurred. The discussion on so large a consti-
tutional question as the Irish Church, which at
once ranged the two political parties in order of
battle, having ended in a decided defeat of the
Oovernment—a defeat of 113 legi; than G 5 votes
—it became necessary, as Mr. Disraeli at tted at
the time, for that Government to consider its
position. This important vote, for which the
respeoive parties had severally gathered their
strength, had indeed " a!tered the relations be-
tween her Majesty's Government and the
House," and the statement of the di vision at
which Ministers had arrived was noxiously
looked for.

:Wed —we w

On 'Monday night Mr. Pi zrae._ pr.
put it briefly—that ha had paid a vi-it t her could si 211, should be presented as soon after his
Majesty, and sng test d that she should dissolve L miship's return as possible. The construction
the Parliament, and take the opinion of the of the address was confided to two or three gen-
country on the conduct of the Ministry and the tlemen who it was hoped would be able to per.
great question at issue ; but at the same time lie form that, I may almost say, " labour of love,"
offered the alternative of the resignation of without it being necessary for Kin, Cophetua 11.
Ministers. The Queen demanded a little time of Oblswinford to remind them 'that harmony
for consideration, and then said it was not her was spelt with an " h," or that they should try
pleasure that Ministers should resign, hut that to " 'eat" their conservatories. And as the gen-
she considered it advisable that Parliament flown before referred to had vproubed many
should be dissolved as soon as the state of pub- years ago from honest English matrons, and not
lie business wonld permit. front those unpleasant places with which King
We will not enter on the niceties of the con- Cophetna 11. seemed so well acquainted, he
stitutional question, how far and how often a would not perhaps put to them that very perti-
Government has it right to appeal to the coon- nent enquiry of "Who was your grandmother 2"
try, but we must express our conviction that After the address had been drawn up I made a
under all the circumstances the course which rough copy of it, and here was the first difficulty
Ministers have proposed, and to which the Op. in the matter, as my rough writing was nearly
position has consented, is on the whole the best as unintelligible as our worthy Rector's best. In
that could have been adopted. this juncture our neignbour Mr. Hope, stepped
As in many other political crises, there have forward, and he has not only successfully deci-
been three courses which might have been pm, phered my hieroglyphics, but with excellent
sued. Ministers might have resigned; they judgment and good taste has embodied the ad-
might have immediately appealed to the coun- dress in the most convenient form for his Lord-
try ; or they might have accepted their defeat ship's library table ; and to so greet an admirer
and insisted on their right to appeal, merely of beauty as the latter it will not be less accept.
postponing the dissolution to a " more conveni- able for having so fair and attractive a face.
ent season." The last course has been decided This meeting this evening must be considered in
an, and we think decided on judiciously. The no way antagonistic, but rather supplementary
resignation of Ministers would have impeded to that spontaneous ebuliVon of kindly and
, . .

own nave impede.
the progress of public business at a critical time
Ii the session, and would have thrust Mr. Olud-
roue and his party in a position which they
have perhaps a right to expect when the new
constituencies get nit working, but which it is
not desirable he should now occupy. It is far
better that Ministers and Opposition should
maintain their respective positions till the busi-
ness of the session is completed, and that then
an appeal should be made to the country. To
have dissolved Parliament now would have been
to appeal to condemned constituencies. We
have heard a good deal lately about a moribund
Parliament, but we must remember that the
same classic word might he applied with equal
force to the constitnencies. They have been re-
modelled, expanded, and re•organised, but all
this change is so touch dormant power which,
under the Reform Act which has created it,
could not well have been brought into action had
the appeal been immediate; but arrangements
can now be made by which we shall have a dis-
solution in the autumn, and yet the appeal be
made to the new constituencies. For many
considerations, on which we need not insist, this
c Anse of action will beidecidediy the best for
Governuo nt, Parliament, and the country.
Meanwhile the position of Ministers is a diffi-
cult and delicate one. Tlnty are a ministry on
sufferance, and are in a decided minority. Were
the Lib r d party to be at once firm and cutup-
niitic in their action, they could doubtless render
the tenure of office of the present Minist is al-
most impossible; but we believe it will be for
the interest of the country if the Liberals do
not take advantage of their strength, but if thy
will act with dignity and generosity in forward-
ing the necessary work of the session prepara-
tory to the general election, when all political
parties will have a clear start under modified
circumstances. There has already been con-
siderable delay in the accomplishment of parlia-
mentary business. The resignation of Lord
Derby and the consequent ministerial interreg-
HIM, and the protracted debates on the Irish
Church, no immediate legislation being contem-
plated, and many other circumstances, have con-
spired to delay legislative work; and it is now
especially desirable that business should be
pushed forward. tinder any circumstances, par-
liamentary work will be lightened as much as
possible; several bills will be abandoned, and
"Lice massacre of the innocents' will commence
earlier than usual. But there is nevertheless a
great deal of necessary work before the House.
The Budget has yet to be embodied into Acts of
Parliament, or, at least, to be moulded and rati-
fied by the money-voting section of the Legisla-
ture ; the Irish and Scotch Reform Bills, involv-
ing the irritating question of the re-distribution
of seats, have to be passed, and this cannot be
done without a good deal of discussion ; and the
work of the Boundary Commission has to be
consolidated and moulded into legislation. And
besides all this, there is the ordinary work of
every session, which may be somewhat reduced,
but cannot be altogether ignored. It would be
well, therefore, for the country at large if for a
time party spirit were to become a little less
pronounced, and if Conservatives and Liberals
were to unite in forwarding the work which still
has to be thaw. We do not repudiate the spirit
of party, and we believe, as Mr. Disraeli ever
said, that England does not love coalitions ; but
after this decisive victory and this accepted de-
feat, it will be well for party spirit to be subordi-
nated for a time to public business. Ere bug
we shall have the spirit again aroused at a time
and under eircutustanees when the country, as
well as our leading politicians, ran pronounce
opinion in an unmistakeable manner.

neighbourly feeling and good-will, which greeted
Lord Lyttelton on his arrival, and paradoxical
as it may sound that welcome, although of the
greatest possible effect, may be said to have been
of "Noun effect. The echo of that sponta-
neous ebullition of feeling to which I have re-
ferred, has scarce yet died away, and I hope I
shall strike a chord in perfect unison and har-
mony with it, in reading the following address:
" Magley, Mayll6B.
'My Lord—We, the undersigned inhabitants of Hag-
lay, rejoicing in the prosperous termination of your
voyage to and from the Antipodes, desire to offer to your
Lordship our sincere oongratulations on your safe return,
and a hearty welcome to your native land.
"The great personal interest which your Lordship
takes in all those who have the privilege to live within
the sphere of your immediate influence, has caused your
absence to ho deeply felt.
" We have, however, been consoled by the thought that
our brethren in New Zealand have had the opportunity
of becoming acquainted with an worthy a representstive
of the time-honoured British Peerage, such an accom-
plished scholar, and truly Christian gentleman.
" Our earnest prayers have accompanied you in your
distant journey, ILnd we have now the hope toot Provi-
dence will be pleased to prolong your valnable life, that
you may continue to exercises beneficial influence on all
around yen."
Colonel Barrows said he felt much pleasure in
moving the adoption of the address congratula-
ting Lord Lyttelton on his return from New
Zealand ; which was seconded by Mr. H. K.
Harrison, and carried unanimously.
The Chairman then presented the address,
which was arranged in an elegant morocco case
in the shape of a book, to his Lordship.
Lord Lyttelton, on rising to reply, was received
with loud cheers. Ile said that the lapse of
time appeared to be differently felt and appreci-
ated by different people. He believed there were
some to whom the five months that had elapsed
since he was last in that place seemed a long
time. He must confess that for himself it was
the reverse. It felt to him a very short time
indeed—almost only a very few days—since he
was last ia that place, speaking to them of his
intention to visit the colony of New Zealand,
and to acknowledge their great kindness and
their good wishes ou that occasion, as he had
now to acknowledge their equally kind, or still
greater kindness on his return—(applause).
Notwithstanding the hint given by one of the
speakers, he would not be 'tempted into giving
auy description of his travels and voyages, be-
cause he should be sorry not to do what he
could in bringing the subject before his friends
and acquaintances in that part of the country;
and he thought there ought to be some little in-
terest and entertainment in such a long voyage,
and in the sight of the new countries he haul
seen. He would not therefore anticipate what
he hoped to write better than he could speak,
and afterwards read in that place, and perhaps
one or two others—(cheers). His remarks
ought rather, he thought, to be confined to his
return home, and his presence there amongst
them, than to what he had done and seen else-
where. And if it were possible for him, or for
the wit of man after thirty years of such expe-
rience as he had had in that country, to vary or
to increase the expression of gratitude he felt
towards the people and that place, and far and
wide of that neighbourhood, or if he could ex-
press it better than he had expressed it countless
times, they might be sure that on that occasion
he would do so with as much alacrity as he was
capable of —(cheers). But though he would net
dwell upon the details of the voyage and visit,
yet he was anxious to tell them how completely
the expedition had answered its purpose—
(elieere). He remembered saying to them be-
fore leaving that he was undertaking the voyage
in fufllinent of an acient promise that he would
visit the colony, with the foundation of which he
was intimately concerned; and he believed that
it had given the people a eonsiderablo degree of
pleasure to see himself and the friend by whom
he was accompanied, towards whom they were
tinder great obligations. He (Lord Lyttelton)
had now arrived at an age at which he could not
look fur much intellectual enlargement or bone.

hiPOITANT TO MOTHRIIII.—Mrs, Winslow's Roothing
Syrup, for children teething, is perfectly harmless. It
producee natural, quiet sleep, by relieving the child from
pain, ant the little cherub awakes an " bright as a but-
ton." It cures wind, colic, and regulatee the bowels,
gives rest to the mother, and health to the child. It has
been thirty years in use in America, and in now sold in
this country by all tee principal medicine dealers at Is
14 per Buttle,—Seeailactiatiaent WI another eulamn.