Weekly News. — 1891-03-12 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

COMMODS. (Laughter.) lie thought members of Parliament should be paid £250 a year, then they would have a more intelligent House, who a ould rave the country large sums of money in the end. (Applause.) In making his visits about Christchurch, he had heard that certain persons had been trying to induce the voters, when the day of election came to refrain from voting, Cr to vote for their side, but he warned such individuals that there was a Corrupt Practices Act, by which they made themselves liable to be sent for six or twelve months to the "queen's Hotel "—daughter)--and would have a frugal repast, consisting of skilly and such things, all the time. (Laughter.) If men were SO lost to a sense of what was right, they must be taught a severe lesson. (Applause.) Mr. Davies next reviewed the present position of the country, and the condition of the working men. He criticised the adverse vote of the Hotiee of Commons on the question of "One man one vote." Mr. (.l. H. Bond, he said, had let the cat out of the bag. At the Conservative meeting on Tuesday he sent a letter apologising for his absence, on the gromele that he would be serving his cause better by remaining in Parliament to vote against the mowing of what would be such a fatal matter, especially to the 'iorough of Christchurch, whose very exietence was at stake. (Laughter.) Of course, that was easily understood. Ile meant that its existence as a Conservative borough was at stake if each man had a vote. (Applause.) If they could get a people's Parliament, they would soon be able to do something to make the people's livas better, to bring comfort to their homes, and obtain for them a share in the land. (Applause.) Mr. King alluded to difficulties he had to overcome in his candidature for the New Forest Division. The ownership vote in the borough of Christchurch was one of the greatest. His district too was :10 times the size of that of Mr. Davies. He had to tight also against foul means as well as fair. The other day he applied for the use of aschoolroont, built not by private subscriptions, but very largely by a tax on the country. He can told by the pardon that unfortunately, under the trust deed, he was unable to let the place for a Liberal meeting. But only a few days before he bad allowed the Conservative candidate to speak there. (Laughter, and hear, hear.) Referring to the Conservative meeting held at Christchurch on the previous day, Mr. King said that it had been discovered that he and Mr. Davies came from Hampstead, and it aam treated as a joke. An old cock— (laughter)—got up and cried "Cock-a-doodle-do"—(laughter) —and told them that the were only young chickens just gut of the incubator. (Laughter.) It might be that the young chickens would have the best of it in the end (Applause.) When they thought they had got the Tories at close quarters, and tackled them, they found one eaid one thing and another something different. The other night Mr. Sturt said he thought a Board of Arbitration would he the best thing to decide disputes betweee employer and employed. Immediately after Mr. Scott Montague got up and said he didn't think ea—(applause)—but that it would be better for the employers to kindly share their profits with the working elan, and for the working man to help the employer to bear the losses. (Lauirhter.) Then there was a difference of opinion on Allotments. Mr. Sturt thought the Act was perfect, but other Tories wanted to reform it altogether. (Hear, hear.) On the question of Home Rule, Mr. Chamberlain said it was dead. But Colonel Waring came Mona and said it was not dead at all, and told them that if it was passed, the next day he would be found lying out in the fields, sword in hand, weltering in his own blood. thole difficultiee and of the temptations of the Tories and the (Laughter, and a voice: "Was it suicide h") In spite of all Primrose ladies, he and Mr. Davies tel come there to fight and to win. (Applause.) Mr. Davies proposed "The Mayor and Corporation of Christehurch," and referred to the age of the Corporation, and the good qualities of the present Mayor. (Applause). The Mayor (Mr. Ben-M i iter), n responding, made reference to the extremely healthly character of Christchurch from the returns of the last year, and humorously alluded to the troubles their young adjoining borough of Bournemouth had met with in adopting a suitable motto. lie thought Chrietchurch might claim the words "beauty and health" equally with Bournemouth. (Applause.)