The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-10-17 00:00:00

TILE COSt-EIVATIVE CANDIDATES AT OLD

HILL AND HOWLEY.

Ou Wed aesday last, Messrs. Smith Child and Meynel
Ingram, the two Conservative candidates for West Staf-
fordshire, addressed a large and respectable audience.
among whom we noti,ed Messrs. F. W. G. Barra, A. 11.
Barrs, U. A. Best, W, liassano, B. Robinson Rev. T. H.
Gregg, P. Prim, W. H. Eberhardt, Joseph Penn, W.
Turner, J. Guest, W. Darby, T. Lewellyn, A. Mills, J.
Taylor, C. burgess, .1. Hughes, W. Green, H. Hawks-
wood, .1. Darby, T. Cannot', J. Bissell, H. Chavasse, J
P. Haines, I. Barker, ir , ko.
Mr. A. It. Barrs, of Haden Hill, was voted It the chair,
who, on rising, was loudly cheered. He said he was not
in the a Aof making long speeches, but it was neces-
sary for him to nay a few words. He meant to say some-
thing on this occasion as he had a few reasons for doing
so. The first was a religious reason. The Opposition
was desirous of disestablishing the church in Ireland ;
he would ask them not to support them in doing so, for
that church was the only church that preached the truth
to the wild Irishmen—(applause)—and made them wise
en salvation. He would ask them what good the Whigs
e• re di!? You may say, they got us the Reform Bill.
Weii, they might have it so if they liked, but if they did
so, it was because somebody else was in power, and they
wanted to get in themselves—(cheers). Did they give it
as the last twenty years? No. He was a Radical him-
sel'y but his brother and he thought it best to give their
as p rt to the present government—(cheere). The To.
ries tuid done a great deal for the working men. They
had •iven them the Reform Bill and abolished the
el. go . rates, and he would now ask those present to
key, alem in power, for the Liberals wanted to get into
power to put the money into their own pockets. Mr.
Disraeli, who was once a working man, like youaselves,
had now risen to be Prime Minister; but he was called
" a cat." Well, he thought that a very appropriate name,
for there was such a lot of vermin in the House of Com-
mons that it required scat to catch them, and Benjamin
Disraeli was the cat that would catch the rat that eat the
malt, that lay in the house—(cheers).
The Chairman then called upon one of the candidates
to address them.
Mr. bleynell.lngram rose, and said that when Mr.
Smith Child represented the Northern Division of Staf-
fordshire, he forwarded the interests of the constituents
in every way, and would again if they were sent to Par-
liament. The first thing was the Irish Chursh. He was
, decidedly opposed to Mr. Gladstone's resslutions to dis.
I establish the Irish Church —(loud cheers). It would

produce most serious consequences, and would be an act
of spoliation and plunder. Every one knew that the
parishes were scattered over a very large area, and the
working class of Ireland were generally so poor that they
would be unable to support a church of their own, and
if they could prove as they could that they had a right to
the money itwould be most unjust and impolitic to take
it away. He then read extracts from the letters of Sir
G. Grey and Sir J. GreMain, who were two great Liberal
statesmen, and yet who thought the disestabliahment of
the Irish Church would be a cruel and an unjust act.
The Irish Church had stood fir centurhs as the church
of God against the errors of Roman Catholicism, and if
that Church was swept away, Roman Catholicism would