The Warwickshire Herald. — 1885-09-03 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

LORD HARTINGTON IN LANCASHIRE.  The Marquis of Hartington delivered an important speech on Saturday evening at Waterfoot on the occasion of the reopening of the Liberal Club in that price. The marquis said that in consequence of the Franchise and Redistribution Bills there was now a reasonable certainty that in future Parliaments would adequately represent the feelings and aspirations of the great majority of the people. He considered that the rejection by Parliament of the financial proposals of the late Government was a sufficient warrant for their resignation. They could not coneistently with their duty accept that rejection, and be a party to the proposal of other measures which were not in their (minion just, honourable, or wise. He denied Sir Michael Hicks-Beach's assertion that they had committed political suicide, but be was free to confess that there were other reasons besides the rejection of their financial proposal which made the fall of the late Government more or less probable, either at the time it took place or within some short period. The first duty of a Government was to secure the efficient administration of the affairs of the country ; and this for some time peat they had not been able to secure in so complete and so satisfactory a manner as they could desire owing to persistent and bitter opposition from the Conservative party and the party led by Mr. Parnell. Nothing was easier than for an Opposition determined to embarrass the Government to do so. A certain amount of inquisitiveness, not much tempered by discretion, a great deal of ignorance, accompanied by unlimited assurance, is good deal of fluency, some obstinacy, a total disregard of the wishes and the will of the majority, coupled with an equal disregard of the true interests of the nation form a sufficient stock-in-trade for the purpose. If it was not in their power under these circumstances to give to tha country an efficient administration, how was it possible for a Conssrvative Government in a minority to conduct the affairs of the country. It had only been made possiPle by the forbearance of the present Opposition. That state of things could not, however, last indefinitely. With regard to Conservative criticisms on the Egyptian policy of the Liberal Government his lordship contended that in spite of any failures that bad taken place they stood to-day in a position of greater security both as to their Indian and colonial possessions, by the policy they had steadilyadhered to, than if they had adopts d the policy which appeared to be recommended by their opponents of annexation or a protectorate. If they were approaching a satisfactory solution of their difficulties with Reaeia, it was only because the present Government were pursuing precisely the same policy as their predecessors—a policy which they lost no opportunity of denouncing when they were in Opposition as a "base tt..d cowardly surrender." As to the domestic policy of the pr t sent Government, it was impossible to ascertain what it was. It appeared to be Lord Randolph Churchill's opinion that 2,000,000 voters have been added to the constituencies for the purpose of convincing themselves that our laws and institutions are perfect, and require no Treform and no new legislation. Take, however, the land question. Was there any class that was satisfied with the nresent position of that question? He did not believe in the efficacy or t' e advantage of any of the recent proposals for arbitrarily cod forcibly redistributing the land, and he protested against their being accepted as articles of the Liberal faith until they had been much more fully discu-sed than they had been yet. He believed that the first to suffer from any rash, unguarded, or unsound interference with the rights of property would be the labouring classes themselves, and he denied before such experiments were made to see tried to the fullest extent the remedies which had long been wiveoated by land reformers. Another subject demandem attention was local government, and if the next Parliament could deal satisfactorily with Pe two great questlbns of land and local government reforms, it would deserve well of the country. He considered that the action of the Government in regard to Ireland was a blow at political morality, but he could not believe that any Government would consent to retain office by yielding to the terms on which alone Mr. Parnell stated his alliance was to be obtained. Mr. Parnell's action might result in a series of short Governments and in some uncertainty and change of policy, but the time would inevitably come when means would be found by which a practically united Parliament and country would impose a decided veto upon proposals which, if carried out, would prove fatal to the integrity of the Empire and the prosperity of its people.  The British ship Cilurnum, bound from the Tyne to San Francisco, has been abandoned on fire. The crew, with the exception of one man drowned, was saved, and landed at Pernambuco.  Henry Cogill, of Hull, has been convicted of cruelty to 14 fowls and ducks by tying their legs together and carrying them head downwards. The defendant who said it was the fashion to carry them so, was tined 16s.  During a meeting of the Clonmel Board of Guar. diens? Mr. James O'Donnell, a guardian, whilst ad. dressing the chairman, suddenly fell forward, and when picke4 up was dead. He was a much esteemed gentleman, and the board abruptly closed the business. The point of Dom, the highest summit (4,554 metres, that is 14,941 ft.) of Michabel,in the canton of Vallais, has been ascended for the first time by an Englishman, named Carter, accompanied by the two guides Taugwalder and Umseng. This extremely dangerous ascent has never been accomplished before. The daring party afterwards returned to Rands without accident.