Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

7 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

- 1m Janbat1 (Jomspnittt.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

1m Janbat1 (Jomspnittt. ( We d6Sm.it right to state that we do not at all times identify 'ASSrtvfts with our correspondent's opiniona.) There has been no debate of great importance in Parliament since the introduction of the navy esti- mates, if we except the debate on the defences of Ca- nada, on Monday night, in which, as a matter of course, Mr. Cardwell, Mr. Disraeli, and Mr. Bright, had their Bay. A number of little subjects, introduced by members-who seldom have the opportunity of address- ing the House on large matters, have occupied the attention of the Commons for the past two or three days. One of these small subjects, worth mentioning, is the enlargement of the Government offices in Downing-street. Some little discussion took place I when the measure was introduced by Mr. Cowper, which showed how little some new members understood of the forms of the House. The Hon. Mr. Lygon, a young member who has been more than once talked down by Mr. Gladstone, took exception to the mode in which the bill was brought in. Lord Palmerston, however, to'whose knowledge of the forms of the House every member must defer, soon explained to Mr. Lygon in what manner certain bills differ from others, and that the mode adopted by Mr. Cowper was the correct one for the purpose. The young member rashly asked 1 the Speaker to give an opinion upon the bill,—rather a singular request when it is considered that the bill was only just introduced, and had not even been read a first time. These Government offices, by-the-bye, certainly require some improvement, for Downing- street juat now looks in a most dilapidated and seedy state. Mr. Williams, whose zeal in the cause of economic Government has frequently brought upon him the ridicule of quasi comic periodicals, is about to retire from the representation of Lambeth. That the mantle of the late Joseph Hume descended on Mr. Williams I do not believe, but at all events he has been exceed- ingly useful and painstaking in endeavouring to reduce public expenditure. His constituency do not, I believe, altogether approve of this zeal when carried too far, but now that the veteran member is about to retire, they will certainly find some little difficulty in getting as good a man to fill his place. I hear that Mr. Alderman J. C. Lawrence, brother of the ex-Lord Mayor, will issue an address as a Liberal candidate, and the Conservatives talk of starting one to oppose him. Mr. Lawrence owns a great deal of property in Lambeth, and is very likely to be returned. I hear a rumour to the effect, that in the event of Lord Amberly getting into Parliament, he will intro- duce a Reform Bill—not thi3 session, perhaps, but, if not this session, next. What truth there may be in the report, I will not pretend to determine but if it be true, it will curiously verify the lines which Moore, some 45 years ago, wrote to Lord John Eussell:— "Like the bows of that laurel, by Delphi's decree, Set apart for tbe Fane and its service divine, So the branches that spring from the old Russell tres Are by Liberty claimed for the use of her shrine." Always supposing, of course, that the goddess of liberty is presumed to identify herself with parliamen. tary reform. A proposition is being mooted here to have a grand international peace celebration — a kind of Anglo- French demonstration to rejoice over the 50 years international peace which England and France have enjoyed with each other. Whether the proposal will come to anything remains to be seen; but there certainly is no reason why we should not have such a commemoration. Peace hath its victories as well as war," and the blessings of peace between England and France are incalculable. We used to call the French our natural enemies, but now, with Anglo-French treaties, an Emperor who is heartily in favour of continued peace, and two peoples who have so much inter-communication, we might well call them our natural friends. From letters I have received, I think it highly probable that such a demonstration would find favour in Paris, and Paris, they say, is France. I am glad, by the way, that since the Duke of Wellington's death we have had no more Waterloo celebrations. We may look with ever so much pride upon assemblies of veteran warriors at such gorgeous banquets as those which every 18th of June used to be held at Apsley House, but they could really do no good and, doubtless, they produced some ill-feeling on the part of our Gallic neighbours. For my own part I should like to see the Metropolitan Board of Works change the name of Waterloo Bridge and Waterloo Place—but that parbaps is Utopian. But at all events why not have a peace commemoration like that which is talked of? It would promote good feel- ing, especially if there were to be excursions organised between France and England, and simultaneous banquets and rejoicings. Some of the market gardeners in the suburbs of London are memorialising the Home Secretary to induce him to procure such an alteration in the Public Houses Closing Act as may enable the men who bring fruit and vegetables to market to procure refreshments at public houses during the prohibited hours—from one to four in the morning; but I do not see how any such favouritism can be granted. It may be rather hard upon men who come into London so early, especially during winter, not to be able to have the shelter that public houses afford, and such refreshments as the people absurdly called "licenced victuallers" usually supply; but the benefits which the Act has con- ferred in the metropolis are too great thus to be tampered with. Every enactment produces hard- ships somewhere, but Parliament can but study the general good. Since the night-houses have been closed our streets have been quieter, there has been less drunkenness, and scenes of profligacy are less fre- quent. Could not the market gardeners and their men form a club ? If the Carlton or the Reform members can have their wine or their bottled beer between one and four in the morning, why cannot the gardeners have their club room for the refreshment of body as well as mind ? I see that last year there were no less than 999 cases where tradesmen in London were convicted of giving false weight or measure to their customers. It seems & pity that the inspectors could not make up the thousand, for there must be many cases of fraud which only require looking after. It seems to me that these convictions are practically valueless. The publica- tion of the name and address of the offending trades- men is the only thing they fear; and it so happens that, either by "arrangement" with the reporter, or from his negligence, or from the indisposition of the editors to give long lists of petty tradesmen, these names are not published. As to the small fines that are levied, the tradesmen merely look upon them as small expenses—it is a disbursement of petty cash," and they are compensated for this over and over again by increased profits arising from dishonest trading. As it is the poor who suffer, however, from tbii dis- honesty, I think that very severe penalties ought to be inflicted in such cases. It is very hard that the poor washerwoman, who pays at the rate of 303. a ton for coals, should have 21b. short out of her half-hun- dred weight, or that the labouring man should only have 5Alb. of potatoes when he pays for 6ib. And yet this sort of thing is being carried on, all day and every day, all over the metropolis. The middle classes can protect themselves by their weighing-machines (though they seldom do so, in consequence of the innumerable "rows" that they produce wi.h the tradesmen), but the poor have a right to the protection of rigid laws rigidly enforced. The workman's train on the Metropolitan exten- aion of the London Chatham and Dover Rail- way has already become a great boon to mechanics, &c., employed in London and Ilvirg within reach of this circuitous branch. For one shil- ling a week, a workman can be carried several miles a day to and from his work and his home. It would be well if other lines were to adopt the same plan. Every day something of the kind be- comes more imperatively called for than ever. Our poorer classes of houses are in several neighbourhoods, rapidly disappearing, to make way for large commercial establishments, railways, &c. The new courts of police, for instance, will displace some hundreds of poor dwellings, and no provision is made for their re- placement elsewhere, or for better buildings. I am surprised that some of the railway companies do not build workmen's villages on their lines, or at all events, a few large blocks of dwellings, each adapted for several working families, with arrangements for cheap fares, as in the case just mentioned. It would pay the companies, and be a great boon to the working classes. It ia rumoured that Mr. Brirdey Richards, the popular composer of the national song God Bless the Prince of Wales," is to be knighted. Mr. Richards has certainly done much towards popularising a taste for music, as having both composed and arranged many melodies which are now familiar as household words; but it is very probable that had be never written the song just alluded to, even the honour of his knighthood would not have been public. Perhaps, after all, it may turn out as much without foundation as was the canard which prematurely conferred on Mr. Tennyson the honour of baronetcy.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

itisttHmttnU5fiMipct.

AMERICAN "SENSATIONS."

A RIBBON OATH.

SALE of the WINES and SPIRITS…

IEPITOME OF NEW £ .