The Express. — London, England, 1847-03-25 00:00:00

ascribe its operation on a large proportion of labourer, who were " unsettled," as also or those who were settled. As se instance he should first men' ion the town of Reading. The lower districts of Reeding hae, 'seen seven ly visited with freer during the last year, whit's called attention to the i 'teey condition of the labouring population. Whilst ;Wog inquiries upon the subject, he learned that some a t he worst-conaitioned Otiose were occupied by agri cultural lahowrers, many of whore, it appeared, walked so,. seven, • and even eight miles, in wet and snow, fur, to and free m their places of work, after twelve hours work Si the farm. Why, it might be asked, were sericulture' la bourers in these fever nests of a town ? The answer was, that they were driven in there by the pulling down of cot tie, to avoid parochial settlements and contributions to • their maintenance in the event of destitution. Why, then, should there be this displacement, so injurious to the la bourer and so u nprofitable to the farmer ? The answer was, it was brought shout by the law of parochial settlement. Thee were between one sad two hundred agricultural la thers?' living in the borough of Reading. The following extract from some information he had received from a re lieving-officer at Reading, was illustrative of the operation of this state of thing,. After speaking of the injuries done to the ( mes s ea well as the labourers, by the un stens and displacement of them, the extract said: 'One of the farmers to whom I have been speak ing, told me a fam concerning a labourer whom he ploys, that during the week he found that his earnings Tees 2e. less th in the other labourers, from the reamer that he had ab rut two-aud-a-half or thee: , mile, to trove I to h:a work; but as the mm was a rood a lbourer, he kept him on his employ, the man not being enabl d to get a coitus , . near. Another feet illustrative of the present unjust state of noires was the fOlowing:—A man belonging to Maple-Durham lived in Heading, walking about four miles per day t o his work, the some hack, frequently fretting wet, took fever, continued ill name time, assistee by the Reading union in hie illness; Teem ered, and could have returned to hi, former employmert of 10s. per week, bat found be was incapable of walking the distance : the consequ en ce was, he teak work that only enabled him to per week. In Bedfold,hire ninny cases to the point had occurred. A man. named John Freeman (says Mr. Wing, clerk of the Bedford union), stated that in haytime he had b een o bliged to leave home at 2 o'clock in the morn ing. a nd had not returned till 10 o'clock in the evening, and that when he had reached his place of work in the mom. frig he filt as muck fatigued as be ought to have done in the evening. A man so circumstanced was obliged to fare harder w ith respect to food and clothing than if living in his village : he was subjected to logs of comfort, separated from his wife and children, excepting in the night, and of MUM prevented from taking his meals with them, this losing the comforts to be derived from association with his family. The system also tended to destroy all sympathy be twee the employer and employee and al identity of interests. Even in Lincolnshire, where agriculture is of a high order, and the wages of the labourer ceesequently not of the lowest, .similar displacements htd been made, to the preju dice of the farmer as well as the laborer, and, as will be OM, of the owner himself. Near Gain borough, Lincoln, and Louth, the labourers walked even termer distances than near Reading. He woe informe I or inatenoes where they walked as far as six miles, that is, twelve miles daily, to and from their places of work. The whole of this mileage, paid partly by the farmer and partly by the labourer, and in part, eventually, by the owner himself, might be set down to the law of parochial settlement. The census returns showed mkultiaral labourers within the precincts of boroughs, whin they ought not to be, or if any, in far smaller num ben. From the like cause the evil of overcrowding wan going on is the ill-conditioned villages of open parches. The effect of these displacements appeared to be to reduce the efficiency and the value of the best conditioned labourers, thole who were free from the parochial influences and habits to the level of the parish labourer. The effect of the law of parochial settlem, nt was to beget a servile aid inferior e inditioned labour,,. Before, how ever, he adverted to remedies, he wished to censult the meet * as to its view of the correctness of his impression as to the continue" operation of the law of parochial settlement on the conditioe of what is called the " settled" parish la boater. It was admitted and made manifest in extensive evidence given before a committee of the House of Lords by poetical farmers, that when an agricultural labsurer applied for work, the first question put to him was not what had been his experience, what he could do, but to what parish he belonged. If he did not belong to the parish of the occupier, the reply was usually an ex pression of regret tnat he could only einpl re the labourer of his own parish. Hence wages were inevitable re dated. Waecs rose in places out of tho direct influence of the law of parochial settlement, sad where the employer and the employed were both free In free districts, and with high cultivation by free and skilled lakeur, he could adduce instances of skilled agricul tural labourers paid as highly as artizens; theic was no rea son peculiar to agriculture why skilled labour should not be as productive to the employer, as much in demand, and the average profits of capital as high, if the agricultural labour market were as free. The first step to this freedom would be the abolition of the law of parochial settlement. Th agricultural considerations of having labourers near their work, would have their due effect. Improved healthy cot tages would be bailt for their residence+ in or near the tarm ; the single labourers might then again be taken in numbers into the farm steading, to he at hamd and ready for their work. The agricultural labourer would no tenger be un settled, but become settled in the best sense—s the 1 natu rally. The enterprising labourer would find, by the exten• non of the area of chargeahility, that he was no longer in subjection to tl•e farmers of the one pariah. And the tenant farmer would he told by the measure, that in the choice of hands and operations he was as free es the manufacturer. He (Mr. Chadwick) had been three days under examination before the commits e of the Reuse of Commons, and he had not fully developed the considerations involved in this important subjset. He had not yet developed the large practical errors which had arisen from economists and members of the legislature confounding under the terra "an interest," the two widely distinct elements—on interest in employing labourers to avoid a burthen, and an interest in employing theta for the sake of a proCt on their labour. Under free labour, the pro duce was greatly increased; under high cultivation, there was more labour employed. They had been told, and many rhad frightened themselves with the notion, • hat they t n o s compete with the cheap Inver of the c rattier nt. The high-priced free labour of England was, in respect to its T•iio dnetion, as cheap or cheaper than any in the world. r. Chadwick concluded by asking whether the meeting agreed with the propositions submitted in respect to the operation of the law of parochial settlement on verges and agricultural economy, ale' concurred in its abolition. Mr. BAN EN said that at the last committee meeting he had treated the question in the same light as Mr. Cr oulwick. Since that occasion he had had opportunities of intro doting the question amongst farmers of his own locality, and, tether to his surprise, he had found that there appeared to be rather an objection to the measure, rind he thought it arose in this way—that farmers perhaps did not look so far forward, in reference to the result of an alteration in slaw of thisnatare, as they slight to do ; that they looked mere par bealarly to in immediate operation upon their particular interest For himself, he believed, that if the law of settle ment could by any means be simplified or got rid of benefi t:hilly, it would be a very wise thing to have an enactment for that purpose ; but he could not understand how this new state of things was to be adapted to the habits of the people. After a few words from Mr. Eagle and Mr. Bennett, Mr. Se ew moved " That parochial settlements should be abnlithed, and that the system of arrangement by which relief to the poor is administered he extended to the utmost predicable limits."—Mr. FORD HAM seconded the resolution. Mr. J. A. GoRDOS regretted that the resolution combined two things. Upon the question "that the settlement be extended," they might perhaps all agree ; upon the question "than it be extended as far as possible," they might pethaps differ. Though he was in favour of the settlement being extended, yet he could not say that it should be extended as far as possible, Mr. Snow paid r If the gentlemen who seconded the reso lution had no objection, be would yield te the suggestion. His great object was to come to a decision upon the pith and marrow of the question ; and, if it KM felt by the meeting that this resolution was clogged by the second point, he would confine it to the question " that parochial settlement should be abolished." After could:table discussion, Mr. Shaw'e resolution being put, there was a large majority in its favour; and it was therefore adopted, with the addition of clauses. After a vote of thanks to Mr. Chadwick, the meeting separated. THE GOVERNMENT EDUCATION SCHEME.— On Monday evening a public meeting was held at Esher-street Chapel, Lambeth, to consider the operation of the propped government plan for grants and inspections of schools, and its nafeir and partial operation on the interests of the dissenters. Jtioialt Concha., Esq., was called to the chair, and the meet mg, which was numerously and respectably attended, was addressed by Mr. Griffin, barrister-at-law, the Rev. T. Runt, Mr. Richard!, Rev. J. Mirams, &c., in support of bur resolutions condemning the inquisitorial nature of the Insane, and the extraordinary amount of patronage it would put into the hands of the executive and the clergy, in- Tviftlig the payment of 88,000 persons, at a cast of about two millions sterling per annum. It was contended that the aPportioruncet of public m o n e y on a principle and conditions which, while agreeable to the views of the clergy of the eata blished church, were highly obnoxious to those of the dia. !enters, and who would be conscientiously compelled to forego its advantages, was mat unfair and unjust in its operation, and should be zealously opposed without delay by every con *Mahone' means. A petition, founded on these views, was ukanimously adopted, and numerously signed at the conclu sion of the meeting. THP. IRISH POOR-LAW.—MEETING IN SUPPORT OF The GovntxmENT MEASURIL—On Tuesday evening a very numerous meeting of the ratepayers and others, resident at Poplar and Blackwell, assembled at the Town-hall, for the PurPols of petitioning the legislature to provide an efficient Poor-4w for Ireland.—Mr. Carter, in proposing the first re solit)on, observed that if there was a time for goy, rnment !areqiiire the support of the people of this country in carry ing a measure it was at the present period, in their efforts to give Ireland a mound and efficient poor-law. No one could deplore the awful calamity that had recently visited that un fortunate land more than he did, end it was a source of ~....1 1,! ch consolation to him to see the great efforts that bad T7c , made in this country to mitieve the sufferints of thn wk. *lmlay afraid that some atiiageti7 meatus was adopted, such aa contemplated by the govern ment, which would make the landlords support their own Peer , ,datrese would still prevail and continue to act as a severe mut on the resources of this country. They knew, by thf uunnit of rat es i n t h e i r own per i s h , t h e ex t en t to whic h L s Trish distress h a d affected them ; and, therefore , they e f .ouli see the great neceraity of demanding that a pro- C i s iEtent of relief should be adopted in Ireland. Ireland m tam like England ; it had no ameesed or income I taxes, and yet their poor were left to famish. Give them a proper poor-law, however ; OA • them equal laws; and he would not fear the consequences. lie concluded by moving the following " That this meeting participate deeply in the sympathy felt and manifested by the whole British listen for the awful condition of their perishing fellow-sub jects in Ireland, and recognise cordially the obli,t,ation of extending, in the present extremity, prompt and literal &askance to the famishing population of that unhappy couotry," Mr. Kemp, the vestry clerk, read the following petition, which it was agreed upon to present to the Itgia lature: To the Honourable Member. of the Commons House of Parliarn. mt. The hurnb:e mutton of the churchwarden., °veneers, Inhabitanta, and occupiers of the pan -b of All Saints, Ponlar Sheweth : That lour petitioner, have heard with the utmost alarm and dismay of the Ihightful suffering by famine of their fellow-subjects in Ireland; and your petitioners, with parent:Mk alarm, deem it pro hatt:c tow infliction of Providence will not immediately put away. That while your petitioners most cheerfully concur in the attestance the government hare found it rightto give for the immediate wants of the sufferers, they consider prompt measures should be taken by the legislature for providing an em lent poor-law for Iretind, whereby that country shook maintain its own poor, and the other parts of the en t ire be relieved from the burden of excessive taxation. That your petitioners are In conetont course of pressure for relief to the dish poor (who seek work in the docks and shipping of this parish), at a great annuel addition to the purr's rates. Your petitioner. consider It m Mee of imperative right that all fixed property in each portion of the respire should equally contribute to the support of its own ! Year pennonsrs therefore humbly pray your honourable Iheuae forthwith to puss such poor-laws for Ireland as will provide for the maintemune of the poor In that part of the United Kingdom. The thanks of the meeting having been voted to the chair, the assemblage broke up. THE FAMINE IN IRELAND.—A public meeting was held last evening at the City Lecture Theatre, Milton-drect, of the society entitled "The Finsbury Society for relieving the calamitous distress of the people of Ireland." In the absence of T. S. Buncombe, Esq., M.P., who, it was an nounced was to have taken the chair, but who was " unavoid ably prevented by illness," the lien, James Jauch, a Swiss Roman Catholic priest, presided. The chairman obu reed, that it was a curious coincidence that the meeting should take place on the day appointed for the general fast ; and he reminded the meeting of the list which pair Ireland was forted to observe. He beggi d also to remind them that it was in that place, and under his presidentship, that the first public meeting on behalf of the Irish poor had taken place.— Sir. O'Cavanah moved the first resolution, in waich the meeting pledged itself to subscribe to the utmost of its means for:the purpose of ameliorating the sufferings of the Irish prop' Mr. O'Cavanah, when he remembered the 20 millions that were expended in bringing about the emanci pat'on of slaves, thought it niggardly on the part of government to hesitate to grant 10 or 20 millions for Ire 1-nil. He thought Lord George Bentinck's suggestion (the 14 millions bill) ought to have been acted upon. Mr. Clarice, in seconding the resolution, compared what the Enelish government had done for Ireland with what had beet done by the Unit oil States of America. He deprecated the large amounts' "wasted" in paying officers under the Board of tY , rke. He said that 110 persons were employed at 21. per diem to distribute soup tothe poor.—Mr.Duane moved :he second resolution, the purport of which was to thank the many philanthropic Engliahmen who bad eon a'ibuted to render Is lief to the Irish. Mr. Duane thought that, in ad dition to the petition presented to parliament, praying that the Irish paupers should be obliged to remain at home, there should be one presented, praying that the wealth , : landlords might he (bilged to return to Ireland. The chair. man, in puttilig the resolution to the meeting, thought that England would be a splendid nation, if it had " the pure religion" (meaning thereby the Roman Catholic), and " better newspapers," and not such things as the " filthy Times." The third resolution resolved that the society should nit rest with the present meeting, but should con tinue its labours, holding periodical meetings for the fur therance of its object. The fourth resolution was, that the Rev. James Jauch should be requested to accept the pre sidency of the society. The remaining resolutions, all of which were carried unanimously, consisted of votes of thanks to the United States of America, to the chairman, and to the proprietors of the theatre. - - RAGGED Settoots.—On Tuesday night, the annual general meeting of the supporters of the Ragged School, in Vine-street, Red Lion..nuare, was held in the hall of the workhouse, Gray's-inn-lane, J. Neck, Esq., in the chair. The secretary read a report of the past year's pro. c,edings, and the present state of the school. It stated that the school was founded in February, 184.5, without any oh jests of a sectarian nature, and fur the purpose of imparting moral and spiritual education to what might bo called a de graded class of the community. Since the last meeting, the comfort of the scholars and teachers had been considerably ' increased by the enlargement of the school-room. During the past year the attendance of the children had been good. and, in the majority of cases, regular, averaging 9.5; and it was a subject worthy of remark, that the conduct and he haviour of the children had much improved. It was oheerved that the attendance was greater in winter than in summer. Several of the poorest and most deserving children , had been provided with food and clothing, and, in many a'see, sent to respectable situations. Reports received of 1 1 their conduct were moat satisfactory. The year's receipts 'for the ripport of the school, including a gnat of 81. from the R 'aged School Union, amounted to only 20!., and the expenses made a sum greater by IL 12-. The committee, therefore, appealed for increased support. On the motion of the flee. Dr. Hohy, seconded by the Rev. J. Branch, the report was adopted. Addresses, in support of the school., were delivered by a deputation from the Ragged School Union, after which the meeting separated. THE NEW HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.—The an nouncement made by Lord Morpeth, in the House of Com mons last week, to the effect that the new House ot Lords would he ready for the reception of the peers immediately after the Easter recess, has neturally excited considerable interest no to the present state of that portion of this great ' national edifice, and the works have accordingly been visited, during the last few days. hy a great number of the nobility an i gentry. The admision of visitors, as announced by Lord Morpeth, closed on Saturday, in order to afford the artiste and mechanics employed an opportunity of pursuing their lahsurs without interruption, the constant influx of strangers having been found exceedingly de rimental to the progress of the work. Without attempting any detailed notice of the magnificent Interior now presented by the House of Lords, a few words descriptive of its general effect may is interesting to those of our readers who have not been fortunate enough to have an opportunity of inspecting the same. The general impression, on the spectator entering the boo e, is grand in the extreme : the noble proportions ot the apartment, the elaborately carved panels, and the bril liant colouring which meets the eye on every side, contribute to produce a coup d'eil at once striking and beautiful. The ceiling is divided into a series of square compartments, the ground-work being elaborately coloured in blue and red, and the cross-beams forming the square, richly gilt. The western end of the house is occupied by the throne, which is already nearly complete. It is a most elaborate and tasteful design, of the Gothic order, consisting of a grand centre and two wings—the latter to he respectively appro priated to the Prince Consort and the Prince of Wales. At the first glance, it presents a perfect blaze of gold, but, on a more minute inspection, the exquisite colouring here and there thrown into the design, softens its tone, and produces an admirable result. In the canopy over the centre of the throne are niches, intended for the reception of statuettes of the patron saints of the three kingdoms, and on the wall imme.lietely above appears Mr. Dyee's fresco painting of the riaptism of King R. thelbert. It is well known that Mr. Barry's original design for the House of Peers included nix arched compartments, three at either end, to be filled up by (resew.. This arrangement will ultimately , be carried out, but at present Mr. Dyce is the only artist who has completed his subject. Another important and interesting historical feature in the decoration of the house, is the introduction of statues, about half the size of life, of all those barons who were instrumental in exacting " Magna Charts" from John. Pedestals, each surmounted by an elegant canopy, are placed at stated intervals on either aide the house, immediately above the peeresses' gallery, the name of each baron being beautifully emblazoned in colours. The strangers' gallery faces the throne, and is immediately above the peers' en trance. The reporters' gallery is immediately beneath the strangers' gallery. Both these galleries are exceedingly capa cious, and admirably adapted for their respective purooses. There are three rows of seats up each side of the house, one raised Awe another. On the panelling. round the house are painted the armorial bearings of all the noblemen who have held the office of Lord Chancellor, from the earliest date of that office, in the reign of Edwa rd 111., up to the present time, the list dosing with the arms of the present Lord Chancellor, Lord Cottenham. The floor of the house will be covered with a carpet of very chute design, the colour being dark blue, with gold spots. The house is entered by a pair of solid bras* gates of the most exquisite design and manu facture. The house is nearly twice as large as the present House of Peers, and considerably larger than the new House of Commons will be when completed. The Conde de Monte molin, attended by a numerous au;te, visited the house on Saturday. The Conde was received and conducted over the works by the architect, Mr. Barry, to whom he expressed his unqualified admiration of the whole building. Among the nobility who have honoured Mr. Barry with visits during the last few days, are the Doke and Duchess of St. Albans, the Marquis and Marchioness of Aylesbury, the Marquis of Lans downe, the Countess of Jersey, and Lady C. Villiers, Viscount Maidstone, Lord and Lady Colchester, Sre. Although the general outline of the new palace has long been familiar to the great hulk of the population, probably but few are ac quainted with the precise arrangements of the building—the locale occupied by the House of Lords, House of Commons, &c. In a word, then, the House of Lords may be described a. situate on the northern side of the building, about 200 yards east of the Victoria Tower. On state occasions, her Msjesty will alight under this arch, and pass up the grand staircase into the gallery, hereafter to be devoted to the re ception of sculpture and other works of art. From this gallery the Victoria Hall is entered, the latter opening immediately into the House of Lords i by doorways on either side of the throne. The Long Gallery s in an unfinished state, and it will probably be many months befor e it is completed. MODEL LODGING HOUSES.—The new model lodg ing house, in Heorge.atreet, St. Giles's, of the Snei, ty for the Improvement of the Labouriog Classes, is nearly completed, and will shortly be opened. It will accommodate one hun dred labouring men, each of whom will have a separate sleeping place, with the use of alarge living room, a kitchen, store-room, was hing-room, and every necessary convenience The sum to be charged will be fourpenee per night, less in some instances ; the rate now charged in common lodging h o uses in St. Gilos• 's, and other low localities, for has trurdee together ir. miserable and enveotaated rue..ns. cost of the building (independent ot the site a gratina which was purchase foe 1,27014, amount to about 5,5001., of which little more than 3,0001. has as yet been raised by subscription. Amongst the principal subscribers are his Royal Highness Priam Albert, 1001., and the Corporation of London, 300/. ECONOMICAL GROG ON THE PLAN OP MONSIEUR SOTilet , ECONOMICAL Sours.—Take a pint of billing water, and put into it a thin slice of lemon. Add to this a few grains of nutmeg. and three lumps of whits sugar. Pour out Into wine-glasses, stir up with silver spoon, and drink warm. The cost is so follows : teaser ins Them lumps of sugar Nutmeg ......- Slice of luso. ti The above quantity will suffice for at frosts doyen people. The flavour is something quite novel, and, besides having the recommendation of exa ssi.e cheapness, is found to be very refreshing, and, providing it is taken in moderation, exceedingly heathy. It is just the thing to take before singing a convivial song, or alter proposing a friend's health. A person may take six tumblers of it with the greatest com fort, without feeling any of those boisterous effects or ner vous headaches the following morning, which result from drinking grog made of gin, whisky, rum, or brandy. It is strongly recommended for the use of families.--Punch. THE BOOKSELLERS AND THE POST-OFFICE DIREC TORT.-81r, —The trade are watching with much anxiety your strenuous and well-directed efforts on the subject of the " Peg-office Directory." Judging from the several para. graphs which have recently appeared in your columns, the means by which this hook is got up are very objectionable. Certainly the arrangements so to the sale are most unfair; not a copy is allowed to pass to the trade until the postman cannot sell any more. In my immediate neighbourhood, many hundreds, perhaps thousands of copies, are sold en tirely by the postmen; thus, while booksellers have to pay rest, assessed taxes, income-tax, &c., they are supplanted in the sale of the very book for which the demand,. perhaps more steady and regular than for any other, and all tile profit, which in the aggregate must be very large, goes to the pockets of a paid servant of the government, who has none of these demand, to meet. The excuse, it appears, made fur the continuance of the system is, that it is near miry to have a work which may be relied upon for the de livery of letters. The trade cannot, of course, compete in accuracy or is price with a book got up by means of the compulsory employment of hundreds of public servants ; and compiled by means of men "obliged to take their torn at the work, twenty-eight each day," unrequited. But let the publicotion be abandoned by the Post-ofti,e, and it will be seen that the trade will soon make proper arrangements for the production of &Directory of London, not at all inferior to this much boasted volume.—A BOOYSELLIIL The ACCIDENT TO CAPTAIN Vv SE, M.F.—We have much pleasure in stating that Captain Vyse, who met with a serious accident while riding with Baron Rothschild's hounds on Thursday last, is steadily recovering, and that all clanger is pest —Standard. FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE CAMDEN STATION.—A fatal accident took place on Tisesday afternoon at the Camden station of the London and N6Pth Western Railway, on the premises in the occupation of Messrs. Pickford, the railway carriers. For some months put, a number of workmen in the employ of Messrs. Piper and Co., builders, of Bishop.- gate, have been engaged so erecting additional warehouses for Messrs. Pickford, the basement of whirh is supp,rted by arches, forming a capacious stabling. On Tuesday afternoon the men, chiefly carpenters, were employed in finishing the stables, when suddenly four of the arches gave way, burying the men who were at work, In the ruins. As soon as the consternation crested by the occurrence had subsided, a large number of men employed at the station set to work to re move the ruhbish, and a frightful scene presented itself. Four of the unfortunate men were so deeply buried that a con siderable time elapsed before they could be extricated. They were at once conveyed on shutters to University College Hospital, where they were promptly attended to by Mr. Alfred Williams, the house surgeon, and subsequently by Dr. Liston. One of them died in about half an hour after admission. The cause of the accident is accounted for by the breaking of a tension rod, consequent, it i.. supposed, on the insecurity of the brickwork, occasioned by its being built during the late frost. THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 25, 1847. the value would ke 11,360,4751. 7tem, with reamed to the empior mod which the cultivates of the plant gave, and which was a moot toprtantconsideradoe. It had been already shows that, independently of windup, MR sere of analog gave employment, /or • year, to nineteen persons, in manufacturing it into pecket-bandkerchkfe ; and, If winners were added, there would be an addition of forte-Pine women, snaking altogether exty-thrs, persons; but tame 1, ople might think that an taaggrratN statement; thendore et it be aupponed lb.t terser, of dm won it by squat to the employment and suppor: of one family for the year, then the result would be, ouppoemg MU,' the one sixteenth of the lambi of Ireland to re in flax -there would be 841,5 I 8 families so supported : mad, taking each family at the usual menage of Ore, the number of austained would be 4,407,594—eqnal to about ont.tudi of the whole popuation of Ireland. Let diem con sider In bow email a degree the manufacture of tin had hitherto ealninerd ; and then let them took at the means and capabilities of Ireland- the immense water-power which was wasted ; but he hoped that there would be a ...benne that would indoor the men of Ireland to look to the water-power; fur if they did, the remunerative prices of Las would be greatly incresek (liar, hear, and cheer,.) It will be observed, that the amount tobe produced on the estimate of Mr. Crawford, would be more than the pre sent consumption of the British islands. But I have au thority from French and Belgian spinners to state that the trade m those countries would largely import our flan if we had a surplus to offer, since it is much superior to the Russian they now consume for the Fabrication of particular Tame And the quantity of Hawed and oilcakes made from it, the import of foreign countries, which are now consumed by the eattle-feeders of 3reat Britain, could then be all had at home, it being fully equal to the produce of the number of acres which the shove estimate of tee would occupy. From returns made by the booed of Trade to the society it appears that we imported in 1814: 79,424 tons Las at Sid Value £3,971,200 619,947 quarter. fiat seed at 21.5. 1,389,131 85,690 tam oil cakes at 71.10.. £6,003,506 A vast RUM to pay every year for the products of a plant, whore culture could be so adv intageouely conducted in Ire land, and with such benefit to her population. Among the many cornets of Ireland's miserable condition, the want of manufactures has often been numbered. Toils is, of course, speaking on the general question, and in com parison with the striking features of English manufaesuring industry. The linen trade is the single bright point presented in this view of the 'water, serving more forcibly to show the advantages of a steady productive employment. Sixty-two large fsetories, with 7,860 horse power, and 13,600 aperatives, are Continually employed in spinning yarn, while large quan tities are also purchased from the Eng li sh and Scotch spin ners ; 70,000,000 yards of linen, on an average, are enormity exported; the trade employs • capital of upwards of five millions sterling ; and the entire number of individuals, directly and indirectly supported by it in all its brunches, cannot be estimated at lea than 500,000, and is probably _ _ _ This manufacture has now attained such a degree of per fection, that, in neutral markets, the Irish linens command the almost exclusive sale, having struggled against the pro duce of the German and French looms until they have gained the upperhand in almost all cases. Even in the finest fabrics, damask and cambric, the proe' has been sur prising, the consumption of the latter having increased 160 fold in 17 years. In 1829, for every 1,000 dozens of French cambric sold in the English market, 100 pieces of Irish were sold ; in 1816, for every 1,000 pieces of French, there were 16,000 pieces of Irish sold. Seeing their inability to com pete with us in the open market, foreigners have imposed heavy duties on our linens and Linea yarns in their awn countries, and by this short-sighted policy are cramping the consumption and injuring the consumers, endeavouring to force a manufacture in which they cannot advantageously en greit as must be the changes which the general adoption of the principles of free trade would produce, none would tell more beneficially to this country than the unshackled admission everywhere of our linen minufactures, their supe riority and cheapness ensuring them a monopoly is the ma jority of cases. Should continental governments be induced by the example of England to relax their duties., our linen trade would increase immensely. And the move made by our own country in the admission of foreign agricultural products into a free competition with our own will have this important result—that it will lead all farmers to inquire, for what kinds of culture ore our soil and our climate best adapted ? No premium existing on the production of any particular crop. this point at once becomes all-important. It has been sac rtained, by 'analysis, that the quantity of nitrogen (muscle-forming substance) in grain produced in the southern and middle parts of Europe, and in the United States of America, is greater per cent. than in that grain u,der the most favourable areumetances in this country. Our humid atmosphere, again, highly favours the growth of grasses and herbage, of root., of flax, and hemp. Countries with a spare population are most fitted for the production of grain, since it takes the least labour. Where a large labouring population exists, the cal tun of roots and of fibrous plants In the most profitable, as it affords them a productive employment. Nature, then, at once points out that it would be more fitting for Ireland to turn her attention to the branches of culture before named in connexion with the rearing and fattening of cattle, and not to lay the stress on grain that at present is done by the small farmers, . . . . Many of the difficulties urged against the extended culture of flax have been smoothed away by the experience lately acquired. Thus, in place of befog an exhausting crop, it is now ascertained, by analysis, that the valuable fibre which forma an article of clothing to so lame a nuent-er of the human race, is almost exclusively supplied by the atmos phere, and that by returning the refuse parts of the stem to the soil, the farmer at once possesses the means of renovating it. The production of food, some say, is much preferable to any other culture; but here, again, we find, - that the seed of the flax plant affords a large quantity of the moot valuable and nutritive food for cattle, serving to build up their frames, and adding to the supply of manure. When the government, and politicians of all parties,—in fact, every thinking man, is labouring to devise means to turn to good amount the present awful crisis in the state of Ireland, by planting the seeds of her future peace and pros perity, deeply and securely, that they may spring out of the rains of her tamer laitosapfta.adition, I tiitras the extende d culture of flax, to connexion with the condition end pros pects of her linen manufacture, deserves serious attention from those in power. In many ways the importance of the subji et has been alluded to. bir R. Kane, in his " Indus trial Resources of Ireland," the " 7 ernes Commissioner, in his able letters, the " Peorlaw Commission Reports," all speak to the benefit which Ulster has derived from this branch of industry, and to the important effects which its ' extension would Module If the growth of flax be fully developed, a foundation will beat once laid for the extension of the linen trade, Ireland's ancient, manufacture. Of our four great textile manufac tures, silk, cotton, wool, and linen, the latter is the only one where the raw material could be all produced at home with equal benefit to the manulacturer and the producer. Although, in the foregoing remark., I have chiefly kept Ireltind in view, I am of opinion that the cultivation of this plant in England and Scotland would also be attended with great advantages—lucrative to the farmer, a great assistance in feeding his stock, and likely to reduce the poor rates by the employment it would afford to women and children. As observed by a member during the late debate In the House of Commons, it is more by a series of small measures, I directed to the development of the internal resources of the I I country, that the foundation of Ireland's future peace and prosperity can be laid, than by any one or t s o great and isce lated measures. The evil lien too deep, and has too nume rous roots, for one or two to be sufficient: and while moral improvement is projected, physical should have its full share of attention. The mince, the fisheries, the reclamation of waste lands, &c., &c., are among the most important sub jects to which the attention of government should be di rected; but none has greater claims or involves more import ant consequences than the extension of flax cultivation. Belfast. LINVN. IRELAND. DUBLIN, MARCW 23 . The Freeman's Journal of this morning contains letters from twelve counties: Mayo, Meath, King's and Queen's counties, Cavan, :Monaghan, Wexford, Lengford, Tipperary, Limerick, Kildare, Waterford— to which I may add Armagh—in all which the ac counts are pacific. The informants generally appear to have been Roman Catholic clergymen, and if there had existed any disposition to turbulence their fears would not have been suppressed. The sensation is considerable, and all look to the promised relief, which cannot be a fforded one hour too soon. In Cork, fever and mortality have had a return, after a short respite. The number of deaths in the workhouse, for the week ending on Monday, was 171, while the number of patients, in and out of hospital, was 2,292. Exclusive of the union workhouse mor tality, 101 paupers had been interred in the New Cemetery, between the 14th and 21st. As might have been expected, the other classes are beginning to suffer. The Cork Exami,lrr names several respectable citi zens who have died in the plst week. The President of the Royal Iris h A gri cultural Society, his Grace of Leinster, has seta example to the landed proprietors of Ireland, w • they should not be slow to follow. He has intimated to his poorer tenantry his readiness to supply them with corn seeds sufficient to enable them to cultivate their lands at a reasonable price, to be repaid at a time to be arranged between the parties. Hie grace's phrase ! is " heresf er." The noble duke also pledges him self to abate one whole gale's rent to any one of his tenants who shall sow a competent portion of his holding under green crops, such as turnips, parsnips, cabbages, and beans. This is a most generous pro ' posal, and will ensure the raising of an abundance of green crops on his grace's large estates. He will also supply the tenantry seeds for this descrip tion of crops without The Marquis of Downshire has been presented with an address from the agricultural labourers on the Dowashire estates, thanking him for the constant employment he has afforded them in this season of destitution, by which they have been enabled to maintain themselves and their families without having recourse to relief committees or soup kitchens. The emigration from Arma gh is described by the local journals as " immense. The classes proceeding' to the colonies being the ablebodied, intelligent, and energetic farming class, all of whom take property considerable, in reference to their station, with them. The Rev. Mr. Molony, a Roman Catholic clergy man in the west of Clare, enumerates in a letter to the Clare Journal the names of fifteen individuals of various ages, who had, within a few days, died of starvation in the parish of Kilmurry Ibrickane. Inquests had been held on the bodies. In Armagh, one of the most prosperous of the northern counties, the local paper contains accounts of two deaths by starvation; and 1,000 persons present themselves daily for relief at the soup kitchens. The Dublin Corn Exchange continues to be very badly supplied, notwithstanding the recent arrivals of corn and flour at our quays in large quantities. The manifest object of this is to maintain prices; but though on fine samples this was done to-day, yet, on every sort of grain, flour, and meal not of first quality, there was a reduction of 6d.per barrel on the quotations of last Friday. I was assured to-day by a gentleman connected with one of our banks, that the speculators were beginning to feel alarm, and that I should not feel surprised if, in a space of three weeks, I saw a fall in prices to a very serious extent. RETCSAL TO wont ON FARMIL—The government officer of inspection over the Relief Works at Killarney has felt it necessary to threaten with dismissal all those employed on the public works in that di:triet, who shall refuse farm labour when offered, and the cheek clerks who shall refuse instantly to remove any man who shall be required by a farmer to also to be dismissed. It would seem from this that at Ki!larney, at least, some men preferred the public works to private, but inaependent labour. SCOTLAND. EDINBURGH MARCH 22. Scotland has at last furnished one defender of the Lord Advocate's Registration and Marriage Bills, and he is a minister of the Established Church. At a meeting of the presbytery of Paisley, where the measure was strongly denounced, the Rev. Patrick Brewster said. "That there was a very great necessity for the introduc tion of legislative enactment on the subject of these bills, affecting as they did the lives and property of the people. In drawing up such bills, we need not now expect that as much respect will be paid to vested rights as heretofore ; and, while he highly respected pariah schoolmasters as a clam, he thought they had not, in very many cases. time to discharge the duties of registrars under the new act, and he was not therefore prepared to condemn the bill as unjust in principle. The marriage bill provides that manage may be solemnised by parish ministers, by dissenting ministers of all denominations, according to the forms attended to by the Society of Friends, and per sons of the Jewish religion, and also by the parish registrar. Persons, therefore, who wish to solemnise marriage in a re ligious manner, have the fullest opportunity by the bill to do so, while on the other hand it was perfectly proper that individuals who did not recognize the truth of Christianity should have the opportunity of attending to a legal form of contracting marriage. He did net see that the bill led to the conclusion that there was nothing sacred in marriage. It leaves every person at liberty to contract marriage in the form they think best, and be thought the provisions of the bill would lead very many to prefer being married by a mi nister. He sympathised with the promoters of these bills, as they had to legislate for a whole community, and to dis pose of questions in which vested rights were involved. Mr. Brewster's remarks bad no effect—the presby tery petitioned against both measures ; and, as every presbytery of the Established Church will do the same, and as steps are further being taken to induce every parochial kirk-session to follow the example, the machinery, if properly worked, may produce, in round numbers, a thousand petitions. The different town councils and other burghs' bodies will pro bably give the bills their support ; they seem sunk in apathy; but poasibly the unusual spectacle of schoolmaster agitation will arouse them. Should there be any difficulty with the measures in the House of Lords, a return of the various offices held by parish schoolmasters would settle the question so far as they are concerned. One of these functionaries, who lives not far from Edinburgh, is elder, precentor, session- I clerk, poor-law inspector, clerk to tie road trustees, and collector of mad assessment. Perhaps, after all, the poor man's aggregato income, including fees, free house, and garden, is not large, but let him serve the state by educating the children of the pariah ; and, doing that well, he must, under the new regime, aug ment his temporalities. The town council of Paisley has petitioned for a national system of poor-law assessment, and the fol lowing are the statistics brought forward in support of the claim for alteration :—ln 1826, their assess ment was 1,6011.; in 1846, 3,233/. In 1845-6, there were 7,622 shops and warehouses; but of these there were 5,623 at and below 51. of rental, leaving about 5,000 housholders untaxed. It was calculated that if a rental rate were levied over the whole country, it would amount to Is. per pound ; and if restricted to Scotland, 31. Allusion was also made to the posi tion of country proprietors who derived benefit from the vicinage of their property to towns, and yet were under no obligation to give corresponding support to the poor in such localities. The shipping trade is exceedingly brisk in Glas gow.* About forty vowels are taking in goods and passengers fur fefefgr. Nato, and the fsrri rats are un precedently numerous. The increase in the price of whisky has led to—or, more correctly, has aggravated—its adulteration. In Glasgow the Excise has seized between 3,000 and 4,000 gallons as being below standard ; but more deleterious mixtures than mere dilution are suspected. A girl named Elizabeth Yates has been sentenced to thigh, by the High Court of Justiciary, for the murder of her illegitimate child, a male infant of some eleven months of age. The jury unanimously recom mended her to mercy. Although pleading "Not Guilty" at her trial, the prisoner made a contrary declaration on being first apprehended. ' From that document it appeared that she was 24 years of age, • native of IA ith, and unmarried. On the 12th of March, 1846, s.e was delivered of • male child, whose father was a man of the name of Maeintyre, who only allowed her the sum of ls. lid. per week for three weeks. He denied that he was the father of the child, which she supported by the produce of her own labour; but, in consequence of the wnrk getting slack at the pottery where she was employed, she was turned off. Oa Friday, January 28, she proceeded to Black burn, for the purpose of inducing Macintyre to support the child, where she arrived next day, but he refused to give her anything, and denied that the child was him, telling her never to came back to him again. She left Blackburn on Tuesday, and proceeded towards Edinburgh. She arrived at Her miston about the gloaming, : where she went down to the side of the canal, and, stripp ing the child of its clothes, put him into the canal, and held him under the water till the breath was out. He did not struggle long, so he was too weak. She then lifted him out to sec if he was dead, and then put him in again, taking the clothes away, and throw ing them into a plantation. The declaration then pro ceeded to Fay that the devil was busy with her at the time, and from Macintyre denying her, and refusing to give any thing in support of the child, she thought it was well to put l it out of the world, COMMISSION SIONID BY THE LORD LIEUTENANT OF LANARK. —W. Jolly, Gent., to be lituteaaut of Royal Laaorkahire Militia. Mouta.—Wick, Caithaem, has this week been thrown into a state of great excitement, by the commission of one of these diabolical crimes which ate fortu nately of extremely rare occurrence in this comity, and, indeed, in the north of Scotland. Isabella Gunn, an old woman, apparently about 60 years of an, living in Achow of Swiney, in the parish of Lutheran, has been made the victim of a mostlatrettous, yet evidently deliberate, murder. Her residence is at the end of the free school of Anew, situated about 200 yards from any other dwelling. On the mornings of Sabbath, a school is taught, and it is customary on that, as on other mornings, for some of the children togs to her room for fuel to kindle the school fire. Accordingly, en the morning of Sabbath lest, one of the scholars went fur that purpose, and was surprised to find no reply given to the customary salutation. Another of his schoolmates speedily followed, and discovered the body of the unfortunate =a I tare lying under • quantity of straw. whin had been mind over her. She was dead! The alarm war immediately raised, and forthwith a number of the neighbours assembled They found that the crime of murder bad been that morr lag committed upon the lonely woman, and judged that it could not have been of very late occurrence, as the bogy was yet warm. The foul deed had evidently been com mitted by means of strangling, as • piece of rope was found round the neck of the deceased. There were marks of violence on other parts of the face, one in particular on the chin, where, to all appearance, au iron instau ment hat been applied. On one of the hands there was also a blue mark. Several small sums of money, amounting in all to upwards of two pounds, were found on different parts of the deceased's person, and lying between the body and the chest. A considerable time aeo, a forcible attempt was made to break into the house of the unfortunate woman, who has of late been living very retired, !main refused to domicile with any other individual. Is the district, she was reputed to have been worth a little money; but, as she was of very penurious habits, and, to all outward appearance, in pinny, abe was admitted lately upon the poor's roll. It is said that, since the attempt was made to rob her, she gene rally slept throughout the day, and sat up during the night. A young man has been apprehended and lodged In gaol, under suspicion of being connected with the murder.—John o'Groat Journal. FLAX CULTURE IN IRELAND. SIR,—In a late number of your publication, I observe some remarks approving of the objects and labours of the Royal Society for the Promotion and Improvement of the Growth of Flax in Ireland. As lam much interested in the proceedings of that body, and conceive that, at the resent time especially, it is calculated to he of much lot nefit to Ireland, I take the liberty of laying before you a brief statement of the position of flax culture in relation to the Irish linen manufacture ; and of the important results. to the arriculture and trade of the country, which would follow the full der. lopment of the society's plan.. The manufactures of the United Kingdom consume from 90,000 to 110,000 tons of flax per annum. Of this quantity Russia supplies between four and five eighths, Prussia an eighth; Holland, Belgium, and France, a sixteenth; Egypt, Sicily, Oecmany, and Denmark, a fractional part; and Ireland about two eighths, or rather more. Thu is a proximate calculation, the proportions frequently varying considcrably. Of all the foreign countries from which we derive our supply, Holland and Belgium are the only ones whose climate is absolutely suited to the production of flax, and the climate of Ireland is found generally superior to all. The flax plant requires a temperate climate, with a regular supply of genial moisture, to fully mature a delicate and elastic fibre. In hot countries, or such as Russia, where the summer is very dry, the plant never produces • fine fibre, but the yield of seed is abundant. In consequence of the growing appreciation of the quail ties of Irish flax, and the opinion of experienced foreigners that a more careful eystem of management in its growth and preparation would render it equal to the best and supe r;or to the great bulk of tho foreign import, the satiety was formed in Ilelfast in 11141. It aimed at introducing the modes of culture practised in Holland and Belgium, and thus improving the quality of the crop ; and also at increas ing the production in Ireland up to the amount required by the entire linen trade, and thus economising the sums an nually paid to foreigners for this material. Being exten sively serpoeted by the Isacline loaded pmmieters ia the north of Ireland, and by the different branches of the linen trade, it was enabled to carry out its plans with vigour. By the location of Belgian instruetirs in the Irish flax grow ing distrieta, and by sending intelligent young farmers to Belgium, to acquire a knowledge of the system of manage ment there practised, who, on their return, were also located through the country, much knowledge was disseminated, and • great impulse given to flax culture. The result, in the four succeeding years, will be easily seen by the following returns of the qeantity grown, which were carefully ascer tained and published by the society : In 1841 1842 1843 1844 Besides the fibre, the society recommended attention to be paid to the saving of the seed, which, though • most valuable food for cattle, was allowed by the farmers to go to waste in the steep-pools. Its recommendations were followed by a great number, and it was calculated that the entire value of both flax and seed realised in the last-mentioned year amounted to two millions sterling--an increase, from 1841, of 14,400 tons of flax, and 775,0001. The quality sees im proved. according to the opinions of competent judges, about 101. per ton, by the improvements of management, and the introduction of superior machinery for separating the fibre from the stem. The province of Ulster was then the limit of the flax industry of Ireland. There was the scat of the linen mann ' facture, established by the Huguenota, and carried on as a kind of rural manufacture up to the great changes caused by the adaptation of machinery to the process of spinning, which introduced the factory system. That the superiority of Ulster over the rest of Ireland is in a great measure to be attributed to the linen trade, has been often acknew lodged. Widely spread through all the agricultural die tricts, its profile disseminated through the various slaws of flax-growers, seetchers, hocklers, spinners, reeler., weavers, bleachers, and linen merchants, each class affording • means of livelihood to many others subordinate, and dependent on it, this trade formed a constant source of employment and of profit to the people. The posseniion of land being but of minor importanee, since the profits of the weaver and his family enabled him to live independent of the proceeds of his farm, • habit of self-reliance and self-dependence was naturally acquired. Unlike his poorer fellow, in the south, he never sunk to the abject, serf-like condition, while his physical and moral condition were infinitely supe rior. In this rural maanfacturc, the supply of the raw material was naturally obtained in its immediate locality, and often the flax was grown, spun, and woven by the same persons, in their double capacity of farmers and weavers, the females in winter finding a lucrative employment in spinning the yarn. But when mill-spinning was introduced and eupeneded handwork, the great increase of the trade consequent on the cheaper production of linens, caused the spinners to look further for a proportion of their raw mate rial, and much was imported from foreign countries. Add to this, that the English and Scotch bought extensively in the Irish market for the supply of their mills, and, esti mating the good qualities of Irish flax, they increased their consumption, until some substituted it entirely for the foreign article. Encouraged by the success of its operations in the north of Ireland, and seeing the large demand existing for Irish flax, the society was Induced to extend its operations south want ond westward. It was evident that great benefit would be conferred by this course on the population of those districts, from the vast amount of em ployment that the plant would afford in its cul tine, and the preparation of its fibre for the spinner. And this employment would be the more valuable, since a large proportion required the women and children, who in many parts of Ireland are totally without occupation. The in structors of the society were therefore sent to every part of the south and west, where the landed proprietors evinced • desire to avail themselves of their services. The results were very satisfactory, as the soils of the new districts proved pe cutiarly suitable to the plant; and as an instance of the rapidity with which its culture was introduced, where there were active and energetic landlords to co-operate, I may mention that, an one estate in Mayo, where in 1844 no flax was grown, in 1816, 110 tons were brought to market, value upwards of £5,000. It appears from the society's report for 1846, that their operations were extended over twenty-six counties, twentvone being beyond the limits of Ulster. At the annual meeting in Belfast, November, 1846, Mr. W. Sharman Crawford, M.P., in moving the adoption of that report, made the following remarks, which will at once show the extreme importance, as a means of wealth to the country, and of employment to the people, of this most important of Ireland's industrial resources: It might be desirable now to consider what the resources of the country would admit of, and to take a review of the peodnetima of flax which might be created from the lands of Ireland, properly managed, on a rotation system. In the report of the comsaimitmen for the re turn of the population, they bond, that the portion of the Lands of Ireland, St fur the purposes of agriculture, exclusive of all other de scription., amounted to 13,481,300 acres. Instead of one-eighth, which It bsd been 'hewn was perfectly cansietent with good farmine, let them suppose that only one-sixteenth were appro priated to Sax, they should have 1141,518 servo; six cwt., or ab one-third of a tun, was considered a rale average produce bv the acre that would give ne Yes than 232,453 ices; sod, at 431. per ten, PROVINCIAL. LANCARIIIRE. FALL OF A VIADECT ON THII LIVERPOOL AMD BORT Rsit.way.—On Tuesday twenty-one arches of the Liverpool viaduct of the Liverpool and Bury Railway fell to the ground one after the other in rapid succession, with a tronendous crash, the noise of which resembled the quick discharge of as many small pieces of artillery, and was heard for more than a mile off, along the north shore. The site of this die I estrous destruction of property extends from the Boundary road to about half-way between that and Rake-lase; sad the arches, the Eie northernmost of which were s, fir completed as t allow of the centeriugs being withdrawn a few days ago—the others having been completed EMIIC tb me months since—were built entirely of brick, and had been in course of eoissteoe•Mn since last sprin,„ It is • the 6rst &reit which fell gn aot yet known how it was that .ores arch save way, but it iscertain that each buttress afterwards, iacapt hie of sustaining the weight of the arch reared upon it when that on the other side of it bad fallen, was forced outwards immediately, the entire derruetion of the whole long com pleted in about the space of a minute or a mi.itits and a half from the fall of the first. This arch sas the lOth from the Somdary-road, and the third from the estrum north end. Symptoms of its defectiveness were, it is said, first mani fested en Saturday last ; but whether proceeding from any sinking in the foundation of either buttress, or from defec tise workmanship or materials in the arch itself, was not known. It is stated that it was condemned, and that swans were about to betaken to shore it up and secure the buttresses, in order that it might be rebuilt. It is possible that this work would have been so far performed on Tuesday, as to have prevented the accident, had it not been for a very ►eavy fall of rain which commenced about eleven o'clock, a.m., ~nd continued until nearly two o'clock, driving all the men away from their work. This was so far forts na'e, that no person whatever has sustained the least personal injury, though the logs of property cannot be less than 5,0001. or 6,0001. The span of the arch which first gave way was, we are informed, above 3.5 feet—that of the ot . hcra was 50. The buttresses were each about 35 feet to the spring of the arches, and the masonry in them was probably one yard in th'ektiess. THE ANTI-STATE CHURCH AS.OrIATION hail a public meeting, on Monday evening, at Manchester, for the pur pose of electing delegates to the approaching conference to he held in London. The principal speakers were, Mr. P. Thomson, chairman; Mr. George Hadfield, solicitor; Mr. Archibald Prentice, Mr. Falvey, the Rev. Mr. Morris, end the Rev, Mr. Stephen. Two gentlemen not present., but who had consented to act, were appointed delegates, namely, Alderman Kershaw, and Mr. James \ Vette, of the firm of Watts and Co., merchants, Fountam-street. Mr. Prentice suggested that the must effectual way of promulguting their principles would be, not by appealing to the feat of the state church, but by appealing to Ito communicants, an the League did to the farmers, and asking them what they had to gain by the present system, and what they had to lose by doing justice ? He would answer for it that " Pigott'e Di rectory" would settle the whole question, fee by that book it would be seen that there were only 39 clurohee in Manchester, and 102 placesof worship belonging to the volun taries, whilst of the 39 churches that belonged to the esta blishment, thirty-two were built by voluntary contribution, four by the aid of parliamentary grants, and only one church, among 400,000 inhabitants, had been built and endowed by the state. And not only was there but one church enjoying the tithes of that rich living, but the world was looking on at a quarrel amongst the communicants of that one church, as to whether its clergy could be compelled to reside and perform the duties for which they were paid. lie would ask, bad the Episcopalians much to leaf. from the loss of such state assistance so they had in Manchester A LARGE CHAPEL Is being built by the Indeps odenta, in Cavendish-square, Chorlten-upon-Mealock, Ma,choiter, for the congregation of Dr. Halley, which, it is estimated, will cost nearly 21,0001. The land has eon 6,0001.; the contract for the budding has been let at 10,0001., it is estimated that the schools in connezion with it will cost 3,0001., and 2,0001. is added to the total estimate for contingencies. Dr. Halley's congregation at present meet in the chapel in Mosley-street, in which Dr. APAR formerly priseched, hut, owing to the increased trade in the town, nearly ill the re sidents in that and the adjoining streets have had to move to the outskirts of the borough, and such is the increased value of property in the locality of the old chapel, that the land and building together, costing originally a compara tively small sum, have now been sold for 11,0001., for busi ness purpose. The funds raised towards the new erections (including the money obtained for the old chapel) amounts to nearly 16,000/., and nearly 1,000!. more was subscribed at a tea-party last week. YORKSHIRE. DEFEAT OP TH3 01;07;N '' OP THE GO ERNMENT PLAN OF EDUCATION.—The friends of the government scheme of education held a meeting in Wakefield, last week, it which many of its opponents attended, and, AM e n tumul tuous assembly, the proceedings were adjourned site die, with the understanding that a public discunion of the sub ject should take place on a future day. In pursuance of this resolution, the chief constable of Wakefield, Mr. John Mittman. called a public meeting in the large roma of the Corn Exchange-buildings, at six o'clock, on Monday evening last, and the excitement which the subject caused was immense. Placards were issued by the supporters and op ponents of the measure, and the utmost exertions used by the latter to obtain a majority at the assembly. 'fbe choir was taken at six o'clock, by the constable; and upon the platform were notice 1 the Rev. 8. Sharp, the wiser ; the Rev. W. Tait, W. 11. Leathern, Esq ; Georg.) Sanders, E-q.; Rev. T. B. Parkinson, and most of the gentry and clergy of the town and neighbourhood. Artor.gst the opponents of the mtasure were the Rt y. T. B. Macdonald, Dr. Monroe, Mr. G. W. Harrison, and others.—Mr. W. H. Leathern moved, and Mr. George Sanders second, d the first resolution "That the principle of parrainentary grants in aid of voluntary efforts for promoting education - has been recognised and acted upon from the year 18.13 down to the present time."—The resolution was received with the most enthusiastic cheering, mingled with hissing, hooting, whistling, groans, and other marks of divn potation. There could not have been less than five thountad persons present, the body of the hall being filled by the working classes, and upon the platform and in the nee piliries were many respectably dressed females. Dr. Iltnroe rose for the purpose of submitting a counter reeolu- Coo, but the uproar at this moment was so great that be was quite inaudible even to the reperters, who sat immediately underneath. There was a simultaneous rush made towards the platform, the reporters' tali, were upset, the barricade in front was broken down, the cries of the females added to the excitement, and the screaming of ttaisc woe weir far,xti down or pr. wise- agaiest tt c f.,inspontry erection was most dreadtul. The platform next began to give way, and this, with the timely decision of the chairman, who dissolved the meeting, most probably prevented the sacrifice of life and a general combat, so extitt d were both parties. The friends of the measure, akin ugh they unquestionably possessed a large majority in the meeting, patticulsrly amongst the operative., persuaded mono( them to withdraw, and a collision was thus prevented. Dr. Monroe himself found 'heifer from the platform in an sale room, occupied by the education party, with no other injury than the loss of has hat ; and, in the confusion, the whole of the clergy and gentry made their so escap that the dix seating party were left in possession of th e, e platform aid room. They, at length, adjourned to the nisrket-piece, and many harangues were delivered until ten o'clock, when the excitement somewhat abated. Many paries were slightly injured during the riot, but no one seriously hurt. The supporters of the measure intend to hold another meeting, at which they will probably be ertibled to address their friends without interruption. The great majority of the working chines in this town and neighbourhood is undoubtedly in favour of the government plan, and that mejority has con siderably incensed since the esplahations given by the Marquis o' Lansdowne and Mr. Kaye Shuttleworth, and since the minutes of the privy council on education have become properly understood.—.llanchester Guardian. TEE SURVEYING OrPICERS OP THE GOVERNMENT, appointed to hold a preliminary inquiry on the Gas Bill pro moted by the comaussioners of Birkenhead (like their official predecessors on the Water Bill), have presented • report against the measure. The reporta of the surveying officers have just been presented to parliament. We give their con cluding recommendations. With regard to the Water Bill, Messrs. Goldfinch and Rennie close their statement with the following remarks: It apprits, moreover, not improbable that the criabli.l.ment of the additional works which form the argument for it bill would mum • serious increase of the rates to be charged for some time to come. For these emma,, and thinking that it will not he considered desirable to discourage Uut species of private enterpri/e which led to the establishment of these works when they were greatly needed. we remmetfully suggest that no sufficient cam has been )et made oat tothstify the compulaory sale of this company's property; or, what appears to us to be equivalent, the es ablishment of competing warts by the Birkenhead ocesmoisiosers. As to the Gee bill, Messrs. Elliirn and Lowe thus chose their summary of the use submitted to their judgment The eemmissioneni are not in a peeitlon 4idvaneoolly to borrow I more money at present, even with a great proopmtive advantogr. for the purpoee of re-purchasing the nghts they have sold to Mr. Jack ie% valuable and greatly increased in worth as they are, ear to take hom the hand, of the oceniesty their peanut nabs, even with their contingent advantages. Under these circumstances, the% we are dearly &opinion that the emusiesionere are seteatitted *abrogate the contract which they themselves entered into with Mr. 'wham DISEASE IN BIRKENMEAD.—Mr. Thompson, the reliev ing officer fur Birkenhead, applied, on Monday, at the Pollee-court there for advice under the following cir cumstances :—lle said, in many places the poor were huddled together in small apartments in such numbers as induced disease, and mentioned one case where eleven perms were living in one cellar ill of typhus fever. Disease was now so prevalent among the poor, that acme provision should be made for them. There was no place to which he could send the destitute fora night's lodging except to some house kept bye poor person, and probably fever might be raging there; nor was there any institutioa in Birkenhead to which he could send a person attacked with disease. Mr. Harden said the subject was not one for magisterial interference, bat ought, strictly speaking, to be attended to by the Health Committee. If, however, Mr. Thompson would 'select a house, which should be detached, and would draw up a state ment showing the coat of maintaining it and of affording me diml assistance, he had no doeht funds might be realised sufficient to support such an establishment F t 1 .1.1. BOILER EXPLORION AT BURRADON COLLIEET.— On Saturday morning a fatal accident occurred at the above colliery, by the bunting of one of the boilers used in work lere slle d. e ierrg i ncoellie f ryt h eispal i Wa btyedwahlisocshutt hree ax mites north m of Newoutle, and belongs to Lord Rae. nsworth and partners. The engine attached to the pit is of 90.1iorse power, and r three boilers of large dimensions and of an ova an used tu work it; but on the morning of the dent only r. two were in operation. A few minutes pre us to the ~ occurrence, the engineman, on examining the , found the water more than a foot above the worEng mark, hut as the steam was low he gave directions tinbaketoker Robert Thompson, to raise the fires ; soon atqt . irhisii the boiler suddenly bunt with a tremendousooe kocar rying away part of the engine-house and ch . • licillbag three persons, and injuring, more or leas, of 4te workmen at the shaft. The boiler was torn int o plow, and parts of it were blown a considerable distance ea adjoining held. On examining the place the stoker was found almost buried in the ruins, dreadfully scalded and a cruised, and suite dead; a female named Proctor, wife of one of the miners, who was at the place getting water, was tying a few yards from him. The other sufferer wu a boy, about eleven years of age, named Gordon, employed at the