HOUSE OF LORDS, Tuesday, 17th December, 1878. HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE GRAND into an embrace. Her admirable selfrestraint guarded her through the crises of this terrible complaint in safety. She remembered and observed the injunctions of her physicians. But it became her lot to break to her son, quite a youth, the death of his youngest sister, to whom he was devotedly attached. The boy was so overcome with misery that the agitated mother to console him DUCHESS OF HESSE (PRINCESS ALICE). clasped him in her arms-and thus re ADDRESS OF CONDOLENCE. ceived the kiss of death. My Lords, I hardly know an incident more pathetic. It is one by which poets might be inspired, and in which the artist in every class, whether in picture, in statue, or in gem, might find a fitting subject of commemoration. My Lords, we will not dwell at this moment on the sufferings of the husband whom she has left behind and of the children who were so devoted to her; but our immediate duty is to offer our condolence to one whose happiness and whose sorrows always excite and command the loyalty and affectionate respect of this House. Upon Her Majesty a great grief has fallen which none but the Queen can so completely and acutely feel. Seventeen years ago Her Majesty experienced the crushing sorrow of her life, and then she was particularly sustained by the Daughter whom she has now lost, who assisted her by her labours, and aided her by her presence and counsel. Her Majesty now feels that the cup of sorrow was not then exhausted. No language can express the consolation we wish to extend to our Sovereign in her sorrow-such suffering is too fresh to allow of solace; but, however exalted, there are none but must be sustained by the consciousness that they possess the sympathy of a nation. My Lords, with these feelings I beg to propose for your Lordships' acceptance the following Motion : THE EARL OF BEACONSFIELD: My Lords, when last I had the honour of addressing your Lordships it was in the warm controversy of public life. I little thought then that before we dispersed I should have again to appeal to your Lordships. The subject to which I have to refer on this occasion is one on which there will be unanimity-but, alas, it is the unanimity of sorrow. My Lords, you are too well aware that a great calamity has fallen on the Royal Family of this realm. A Princess, who loved us though she left us, and who always revisited her Fatherland with delight one of those women the brightness of whose being adorns society and inspires the circle in which she lives-has been removed from this world, to the anguish of her family, her friends, and her subjects. The Princess Alice-for I will venture to call her by that name, though she wore a Crown-afforded one of the most striking instances that I can remember of richness of culture and rare intelligence combined with the most pure and refined domestic sentiments. You, my Lords, who knew her life well, can recall those agonizing hours when she attended the dying bed of her illustrious Father, who had directed her studies and formed her tastes. You can recall, too, the moment at which she attended her Royal Brother at a time when the hopes of England seemed to depend on his life, and now you can remember too well how, when the whole of her own family were stricken by a malignant disease, she had been to them the angel in the house till at last her own vital power perhaps exhausted, she has herself fallen. My Lords, there is something wonderfully piteous in the "To assure Her Majesty that this House will immediate cause of her death. The phy-ever feel the warmest interest in whatever and to declare the ardent wishes of this House concerns Her Majesty's domestic relations; for the happiness of Her Majesty and of her family." sicians who permitted her to watch over her suffering family enjoined her under no circumstances whatever to be tempted "That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, to express the deep concern of this House at the great loss which Her Majesty has sustained by the death of Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess of Hesse, Princess Alice of Great Britain and Ireland, second daughter of Her Majesty the Queen, and to condole with Her Majesty on this melancholy occasion. At EARL GRANVILLE: My Lords, I feel your Lordships will expect, and indeed wish, me to join in the declaration which the noble Earl has made with so much feeling of the heartfelt loyalty and deep sorrow with which we all desire to approach our gracious Sovereign on the occasion of this Address. My Lords, the accidents of a political career gave me some opportunity of observing the domestic life of the Royal Family during the course of eleven years. the beginning of that period Princess Alice was a singularly attractive child of seven years old. I doubt whether any childhood or youth was ever more joyous and bright, or ever gave a livelier promise of that which was afterwards so amply fulfilled. At the end of that time I had the honour of proposing an Address in this House on Her Royal Highness's marriage—a marriage which seemed founded upon all the best securities for wedded happiness. The child had grown into womanhood with all those personal, moral, and mental qualities which the noble Earl has so well described. The principal characteristics of the married life of the Grand Duchess appear to have been-first, absolute devotion to her husband and children; next, a course not merely of benevolence, but of unceasing thoughtful beneficence to all depending upon her; and, lastly, a remarkable talent for acquiring the sympathy and attracting the regard of some of the most gifted of the intellectual country which she had adopted, and to whose interests she was devoted without ever breaking a link in the chain of memories and associations which bound her to the country of her birth. The noble Earl has already alluded to the singular coincidence of three dates which will never pass from the pages of English history. My Lords, I trust that neither the writer nor your Lordships will think it indiscreet if, instead of trusting to my own language to impress your feelings as to the loss which has on this last 14th of December befallen the Royal Families of England and Darmstadt, I read to you a few words extracted from a letter written on the day of the sad tragedy by a brother passionately devoted to his sister, and who left England last night to pay the last sad tribute of affection and respect to her beloved POOR LAW-METROPOLITAN UNIONS -OAKUM PICKING BY FEMALE PAUPERS.-QUESTION. MR. COLE asked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether he is aware that in the Poplar and other Metropolitan Unions a rule has been adopted and acted upon that every female adult pauper, not suffering under temporary or permanent infirmity of body, who shall be relieved in the workhouse, in return for such relief shall, as a task, pick four pounds of unbeaten oakum per day; and, if so, whether he approves of such rule, or whether some other and less severe work could not be substituted? MR. SCLATER-BOOTH, in reply, said, the rule in question was sanctioned able to bear the strain." the Guardians had exercised their own and charitable efforts abound. There is no discretion in putting it in force. He wish for Government aid. Manchester is quite saw no reason for disputing the exercise of that discretion in the present instance. In the neighbourhood of Poplar, oakum picking was pursued by women and children as a regular industry. CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY-THE I am quite sure that everyone who has it in his power to relieve distress will very willingly do so. MR. MUNDELLA asked, if there was any statement from the authorities in the coal and iron districts-Sheffield, for instance? MR. ASSHETON CROSS: I have not had time to inquire into the state of the coal and iron districts since Notice was given of the Question. The only put on the Paper last night. MR. J. G. HUBBARD asked the Secretary of State for the Home Depart-right hon. Gentleman's Question was ment, Whether he can correct or corroborate the report that we are almost face to face with such a crisis of distress as this generation has never known; a distress affecting even the Metropolis, but operating with greater intensity in the cotton, coal, and iron districts? MR. ASSHETON CROSS answered in the negative. Afterwards, MR. HANBURY TRACY asked the President of the Local Government sary MR. ASSHETON CROSS: I presume my right hon. Friend's Question refers to distress among the poor inhabitants of the localities he has mentioned, and Board, If, in the present state of severe not to any commercial distress? [Mr. J. distress in some parts of the country, he G. HUBBARD: Yes.] Everyone-and no will consider whether it may be necesone more than myself and the Government, and, in fact, this House-sympa-ordinarily governing the administration in any cases to modify the rules thizes with the poor inhabitants of all of poor relief, in order to tide over the the great centres of industry in their emergency? present distress; but from all the inMR. SCLATER-BOOTH, in reply, quiries I have been able to make I think said, that no evidence had as yet been the statement contained in the Question brought to his notice of such severe of my right hon. Friend, is a conside-distress as to require exceptional mearable exaggeration and does not agree sures. On the contrary, he found that with the true facts of the case. There- in 20 of the largest Lancashire Unions, fore, I hope that, at all events, no un- the increase of paupers in the first week necessary alarm will be excited as to the of December was 13,482. In 15 of the state of distress that undoubtedly exists. West Riding Unions it was 3,063; in I have here a letter which I have re- the whole of Durham, 196; in seven ceived from a highly respected gen- Unions in Staffordshire, 1,141; in South tleman, the Chairman of the Board of Wales, 727; in the Metropolis, 52. Supervision at Edinburgh. He saysWithout wishing to depreciate the distress which undoubtedly prevailed, he might illustrate these figures by a comparison with a period of severe pressure on the rates. In Manchester there were at the end of November, 1862 (the period of the cotton famine), 39,023 paupers; there were now 6,243. He would add that the General Regulations of the Local Government Board, contained numerous exceptional provisions to enable Boards of Guardians to deal with extraordinary emergencies. These provisions had quite recently stood the test of severe distress in the South Wales iron and coal districts. "So far as I am able at present to judge, I am not apprehensive that the distress will be beyond the ordinary means of relief." The Mayor of Liverpool telegraphs "There is considerable distress here, and in this respect we anticipate a severe winter; but it is not likely to be greater than we have experienced before with a depressed state of trade in the cotton districts." Another telegram, from the Mayor of "There is scarcity of work and consequent distress, beyond doubt increased by severity of weather; but local sympathy is actively aroused THE SLAVE TRADE-ZANZIBAR. QUESTION. MR. WHITWELL asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether any information has reached the Foreign Office regarding a renewal of the Slave Trade from Central Africa through Zanzibar; and, whether any measures can be taken or are in contemplation to check this traffic at its source in the interior of Africa? MR. BOURKE, in reply, said, a despatch had been received from Dr. Kirk in November last, stating that a caravan of 300 slaves was said to have reached that the proposed loan would be guaranteed by Her Majesty's Government. No such engagement or guarantee would be entertained by Her Majesty's Government without the previous approval of Parliament. THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN-INDIAN FINANCE-BOMBAY.-QUESTION. MR. MUNDELLA asked the Under Secretary of State for India, If it is telegram true, as stated in the "Times" of yesterday, dated Calcutta, December 15th, that, having regard to the cost of the war in Afghanistan, the Bombay Government have issued an order directing the coast of Zanzibar. These slaves were conducted, not as usual by Arabs, but by Natives of the interior. One of the "that, in view of the immediate importance of Governors of the Sultan behaved very avoiding or deferring expenditure where it is well, and refused to allow the slaves or possible till next year, no new works are to be commenced, and all allotments provided for any part of the caravan to enter the them are cancelled; all works in progress are villages on the coast. They were taken to be suspended, except in cases of urgent into the interior, and placed under the necessity; nor are any repairs to be effected protection of the Abdallah. When the beyond such as are absolutely essential, repairs Sultan heard of the circumstances he reduced to a minimum. No further purchases of that description having, moreover, to be sent for the Governor, and they have of tools or plant are to be made, and all applibeen detained by the Sultan ever since. cations for grants for public works are to be The Government had no means of stop-retained until such time as the state of the finances will permit;" ping the traffic at its source, which was a long way in the interior of Africa. All they could do was to do their best to make it unremunerative by stopping it at the coast. TURKEY-RUMOURED GUARANTEED LOAN.-QUESTION. and, if it is true, will he lay such Order upon the Table of the House? MR. E. STANHOPE: We have no information on the subject beyond that contained in the telegram in The Times. I think it most probable that the Government of Bombay is taking steps to restrict expenditure as much as reasonably be done. The hon. Member assumes that it is done with regard to the war in Afghanistan; but I find no such statement in the telegram. can TURKEY-COMMERCIAL TREATIES. QUESTION. MR. H. SAMUELSON, asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether any communications have passed from Sir H. Layard to Her Majesty's Government containing references to a proposed guarantee of a Loan of a considerable amount to be raised by the Turkish Government; and, if so whether he will lay them, or any part of them, upon MR. WHITWELL asked the Under the Table of the House? Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHE-Whether any and what Commercial QUER, in reply, said, a letter re- Treaties are in progress by which lating to a proposed guarantee of a loan of a considerable amount, to be raised by the Turkish Government, had been received from Sir Henry Austen Layard by the Foreign Office and the Treasury. He had not had time fully to examine it, but he might observe, that as far as Sir Henry Austen Layard was concerned, he stated that he British productions and manufactures will be admitted on satisfactory terms into the states made independent, or newly constituted, in what was recently European Turkey; and, whether the eight per cent Import Duty said to be charged on goods imported into Cyprus will be charged on British goods? MR. BOURKE, in reply, said, that no AFGHANISTAN-NORTH-WEST FRON- tiated with the States to which the Ques- | place before the Commander in Chief, tion of the hon. Gentleman related with a request that His Royal Highness unless Roumania were referred to. A might make of it any use he might Treaty with that country was, as he had think fit. The message was communipreviously stated, in process of nego- cated to His Royal Highness; but as he tiation. The commercial relations with did not take part in the debate in the the other States were regulated by the House of Lords, he handed the MemoBerlin Treaty, and those with Servia randum to the Prime Minister. He were prescribed by a clause in that understood that Lord Napier was Treaty. As regarded Cyprus, things anxious, as a Peer of Parliament, that remained as they were. his views should not be misrepresented; but he wished to add that no telegram asking him to express them had been sent to him on the part of the Government, and that his telegram was not to be considered in any way as a reply to one from them. As regarded the opinions of military men on the question of the rectification of Frontier, he had to state that the Government, as a Government, were not in possession of any such opinions at the present moment; but, of course, in the exercise of his office, he was in communication with various military authorities on all questions of military interest. He did not, however, deem it to be consistent with his duty to lay such communications, which were necessarily of a private and confidential character, on the Table of the House; but, at the same time, he should not use in debate any memorandum which was not of a public QUESTION. MR. LEITH asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether, with reference to the use which has been made by the Government of the opinion, by telegram, of Lord Napier of Magdala in favour of the alteration and rectification of the north-west frontier of India, the Government have obtained any other opinions of military men on the subject, either in favour or against the alteration; and, if so, whether the Government will lay those opinions upon the Table of the House; and, whether they will also lay upon the Table the telegram sent by the Government to Lord Napier, and to which his telegram was a reply? COLONEL STANLEY, in reply, said, the hon. Gentleman would, perhaps, allow him to answer the Question, although, as he had become aware that it was to be put only within the last hour, he was afraid he had not been able to acquaint himself so fully with the matter to which it related as he otherwise would have been. The last part of the Question, he might add, showed that some misapprehension existed in the mind of the hon. Gentleman on the subject. He (Colonel Stanley) had been informed by General Dillon, who was now Assistant Military Secretary at the War Office, and who formerly served on the Staff of Lord Napier, that the latter had telegraphed to him to say that he was most anxious to be present at the discussion on the Afghan Question in the House of Lords; but, not being able at the last moment to make arrangements for the purpose so as to be in time, Lord Napier sent to General Dillon by telegraph a Memorandum, which he desired him to nature. PARLIAMENT QUESTIONS-STAND- COLONEL BERESFORD, who had given Notice to ask the Chairman of the Metropolitan Board of Works, Whether his attention has been directed to the reports in the newspapers of the 13th July and the 3rd of August, of a case wherein a complaint was made against the London Street Tramways Company by a private resident to enforce penalties for having failed to keep in good condition and repair, and so as not to be a danger or annoyance to the ordinary traffic, the rails of their tramways and the substructure on which the same rested, in the Hampstead and Kentish Town Roads, and in High Street, Camden Town, and in which the fact of the non-repair was admitted, but the magistrate decided that the Act of Parliament referred to gave no remedy to a private inhabitant but to the Metropolitan Board of Works, who |