3 FEBRUARY 1894, Page 2

On Monday, Mr. Chamberlain addressed a large meeting in the

Town Hall, Stourbridge. Though the earlier part of his speech was broken into by a number of noisy and irrelevant interrup- tions, he contrived to deal some very telling blows. Sir William Harcourt, like his "great prototype," Bombastes Farioso, hung up his 'Bills, and challenged the human race to displace them,. but it was clear, nevertheless, that he knew himself to be beaten. The Government were afraid to appeal to the people. The attempt to get up an agitation against the Lords was a failure. "I have been," said Mr. Chamberlain, "in an agita- tion against the House of Lords myself, but it was a very different thing from this paltry fiasco. Why, the utmost they were able to do was to send out a circular signed by Mr. Sehnadhorst." They had not dared to hold a single public meeting to denounce the House of Lords. In regard to the- Employers' Liability Bill, Mr. Chamberlain was very firm. The Government in effect say, "Whatever offer you may get. from your employers, however much better it may be than the Bill, you shall have the Bill, the whole Bill, and nothing but the Bill. You shall not be allowed to make better terms for yourselves than the Government may offer you." That was monstrously unjust and illiberal. Mr. Chamberlain ended by expressing the utmost confidence as to the result of the next. General Election.