The Express. — London, England, 1849-12-14 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING. DECEMBER 14, 1849. Dear Sir, —My speculations as to attending your m. sting ere suddenly cut short by a cold I have caught, which, were there no other reason, necessitates my staying at hums on this occasion. You may believe me, it is no want of good will to your sesociatiun, which I con icier to be, of all neces sary aseociatione for agitating the community on public ques tions, by far the mat necessary and legitimate. In all times, is all places. the duty of having the people instructed— . Worsted' by the best wisdom which human effort can pro enre—is a sacred and primary one for every commonwealth of Men, not to be neglected but at the peril of all parties, and with sure end fearful penalties sooner or later. In England, as all thinking men too well discern, this duty bas been shamefully neglected from of old down to these days ; and to neglect it lenger seems to me (such are the signs of the times) Ile defying the Omnipotent Power to levy the penalty nil Ili! The ' penalty, air, can be ' levied,' and it is ter rible and manifold. May God avert ! The special circum stances of your associaiion are not well known to me, nor have I minutely studied what the details of your plan are ; bat I know enough to wish you with my whole heart, per il...finance, courage, discretion—good speed. Fur it seems to me every borest demand for education is of the nature of a twain?, disto be taken as the set o' mod citizens in this fine; and I must say the wont plan of education I ever heard deliberately propounded for England, or know to be is actiea in any civilised country, would to me appear a very high improvement upon no plan at all, or the ' leave aloes plan, which is ours hitherto. Persevere end prosper —I remain, dear sir, yours very sincerely, "T. CARVELL Samuel Lucas,'Esq , President, &c." The CHAIRMAN said—Gentlemen, many of you are so doubt aware that a conference of the trends of education a cla the plan of the Lancashire School Araociatien, was held this morning in the Mechanics' Institution, for the purpose et giving and receiving information of a practical nature as to the best means of promoting it. There wen present at the meeting, waich was num-rouely attended, gentlemen of great talents and influence from different pars of the kingdom, 1 , whose valuable remarks and whose el: quince we listened to with delight ; and tome are also other distinguished gentle- I men wto were not there, but whom you will have the plea sure of hearing te is evening, and from that gratification I' shall not long detain you by any prolonged observation of my own. I call upon the working end middle dares, for whose especial benefit the plan has been devised, to join the association—to work heart and hand with us in the attainment of the object, and in demanding from the government legislative enactment", without which it cannot be carried our ; and it they do so, we shall not long see deferred that which MOW' object—acomprehen.ive system of secular national education. The Right Hon. THOMAS MILNER GIBSON, M.P., than addressed the meeting. He bad been invited by the chairman to express to the assembly the opirions which he entertained upon the subject then under discussion ;• subject which he appro ehed with great diffidence in the presence of many by whom he was surroansled, who, by ex-if:Tient* end long acquaiatance with the important question of edam lion, were so much better qualified to dirauss the scheme which the Lancashire Public School Association had ia view. He should be sorry to approach the quo-' tion in any feeling of antagonism to any other bodies who I were engaged in the erne duty of spreading education amongst the people. (Hear ear, sod cheers) lb thought those who first made a n t c road into the ignonme of this country by the establishment of Sunday scholia had cone great service to education, and the whole country mum ander deep obligations to them for their efforts. (Chem.) ' He should be sorry to discourage or disparage in any way educational plans conscientiously undertaken by any of his fellow•countrymen—(chars); but he thought wee at liberty to say, that the efforts now being made were OM inadequate to grapple with the evils which they prams/ to remedy—(hear. hear); and that although we were told the religious societies and congregations were, by their musk& lion and means, spre a ding knowledge , ' both secular sail religious, amongst the people, nevertheless we had this humiliating fact before us which could not be got rid that in &lied, with all its wealth, power, s plendour, sad refinement, nearly one-half of the popu lation, men and I women, Were unable to write ; that nearly one woman out of every two who went to sign in the marriage register was un able to affix her signature, and that nearly out of every three mos in this kingdom one was unable to writs kis name. If it were true also that the ignorance of writing was aotespa sell most generally with an ignorance of reading, was it not a lamentable position of affairs that so iarge a proportion of the community should be unable even to read, not even that Bible which had been pressed f mired almost in the chaise lee of a tsek book, thong h he (the speaker) thought it ought Mbe kept wee peculiarly as a book of religious teaching— (Min, Mar it not a lamentable fact that , with all this dart— all this apparatus exercising its influence am sonny, so large a proportion of our community dead be thus Ignorant ? He found, from the returns laid before the country by the Registrar-Oeneral, that there was alp sheet one per one. less during 41 years of women who seed met write than there were before ; and rannethirig men than one per cent. lees of men, alio unable to write their names, daring the same period ; so that, by this rake, Wens going es upon the per cent. system, it wasimperible, if there was any troth in figures or statistical Monk to get rid of the appalling fact that at would eke centeniM ~emM 11 the present system, to teach the whole population the elements of education —reading and writing. And=at . crime. Since the ocmmencement of the present century the population had not doubled, but had crime decreased, or bad 1 increased, taking into consideration the Mersa. of the population ? Why the commitments for the meet serious - offenes in England and Wake, sines Ike commingle meat of the present century, had initYllased though the population had not doubled. (Reer, hear. Was not this a humiliating teat; and were we to hit from publicly stating these faces, and recognising their twee. Moe, from any feline that it was humiliating that um* ▪ state et** settee should be publicly known ? He mid no ; sad the more we thought upon than appalling MAO the mere we treasured them up in our sleds. the SIN kW permit we should feel this educational menumeen le be. Mess, hear.) No doubt great efforts had be amok tokens mime ; bat in his opinion they had been made at the wrong end. Ye nta a hanging was tried, and &variety of seven punishme for minor offences; recently, undoubtedly, • better eastern had been obtained—a system of reformer' prison discipline ; but we had never at the epee which was now submitted, beginning at the right ged, and tryiog to prevent crime by elevating the end intellectual character of the people. (Loud applause.) What expenditure had taken place in improving our prisons —what philosophical discussions upon the best mode of reforming the hardened criminal—what lengthened distrd sitionsas to the best means of getting rid of the criminal population—but what cold indifference did we find in may quarters when we raised that most important question of how crime could be prevented br beginning at the rig t end, h and educating the people, making them sensible of their duties as citizens and Bolin's! (Cheers.) The facts which he bad stated must convince all that the existing , apparatus for education in the United Kingdom was Taira insufficient to remedy the orals that wen complained of ; and when it was argued that it would be better to leave education entirely to voluntary effort, he must say that he deemed such a view of the (oration not well suited to the district in which he then stood. And why not ? Why, tbe state, or the country through parliament, had already Interferd, by making an education of some kind or other the necessary condition for children to earn their bread in the foctories. We had a law upon our statute book which said that it was unlawful for any person engaged in the manufacture of wool, cotton, silk, or file, to employ any child of a certain age who did not pedals a certain ticket, showing that he had attended school for six days every week, And could there be any stronger compulsion upon thee who had to live by labour than to say, "Yoram:ell not earn your bread unless you attend schools? " He was at a loos to conceive that there could be. But had they who made employment contingent upon school attendance taken steps, on any comprehensive plan, to provide good schools which the children were to attend ? lie knew himself clergy men in the church—and if he had their permission he could quote them—who were in favour of the principle of educatioa which was supported by the Lancsibire Public School Association. (Loud applause.) It could not be denied. Weer, that the church, as a corporation—as a great body in the country no doubt at one time was stun to education altogether. The principle upon which they went seined to be this, " Better that the people should not use educated ; bat, if they are to be educated, it is better that we should do it than anybody else." The opponents of the system talked sail people wen to be brought into the schools for the purpose of hearing revealed religionliaaran sou i an 4 mations underrated, Nothing of fie intended was to adept the ally preetkel method, situated es we won at the present time, with all the diversity of isligfees opinions wake meld be hand to Impart to the people the ratbneats of knowledge ' • sad these mesas by which they might be afterwards Maimed in religion and all other pulsate. (Chem.) It was his Ana be lief, that the inetruseed maa was a far better disciple for the Wainer, than the sea whose imamate had nem been teethed, either by the St why 0011001 or gay other arrange ment. (Hear, hear.) He would ask any of the manatees in the Starlet of Yucatan, who are acquainted well with the habits sad the character of the population that sur noodled than, it they did not find the moat ready attention to their ministration amongst thews who bad received some education, however imperfect; and he considered that the adherents of the secular screen should sever be charged with any deliberate attempt to intater• with the religious feelings of any portion of the community when they were advocating • plan which in their consciences they believed would not only benefit religious objects, but which would also raise in the moral and inte llectual seals all elms s In this great country. (" Hear, hear," and cheers.) With regard to the question of the necessity of mixing the religious and secular education upon all ocessioes, he must say that his own experience did not teed him to believe that many of those who opposed the Lancashire plan, upon the ground of its being purely secular, were sincere in their advocacy of an exclusively mixed system of education. Why, what was the course taken is some of our leading edit eational establishments, where penises of what w. re called the higher closes—or rather he would call them the classes of more independent means—derived their education and their koowledee ? What was the course taken in the ani anities of the Lad? lie could speak from experience that in the University of Cambridge there was nothing which could be called religioueinstruction. 'fin whole aura of reli gious instruction, was, to a great extent, of a voluntary cha racter on the part of the people ; and he very will recollected that is so ease, unless he intended to enter the church as a profession, was a student required to attend the divinity I. c urse. And more than this, though, pester, be was telling secrete that ought not to be told—(laughter)—on such coca ' siona,he well remembered, there were certain young gentle. mem who were going into the church. who used to attend Om divinity lecture by proxy. In conclusion, he would say ismestentiously that they might ask me co-operatlen of the clergy of all denominations in the promotion of the scheme he was supporting. (Hear, hear.) It appeared to him that consistently with the sacred functions which they had to discharge, there were none but what might support the plan without any deviation from duty, or departure from conscientious feeling. The religious sentiment—that mighty agent is human affairs—he was persuaded, when the plan was well understood , would come to its aid—(mar, hear); and he hoped that at no remote period the world would no longer witness that melancholy evidence of human selfish ness which existed now in the United Kingdom, namely, the co-existence of great wealth, of great power, of great refine ment, of great progress in material civilisatien, with a cold neglect of the moral and intellectual welfare of the milliuns upon whose enduring industry and patient sacrifice all our greatness was based. (Loud applause.) W. J. FOX., Esq. M.P., WB4 next introduced to the meeting, and said—Mir. Chairman, I cannot find myself on this platform, sad again face to face with one of ynur mmni flOlMManatetergatberings, without the recurrence of recol lections and associations which it would not have been per tinent on the present occasion that I Mould dwell at length upon, but which I trust I shall be excused the ad verting to, beause their recurrence to my own mind is natural and unavoidable. And I think they cannot be altogether absent from your minds. (Hear, hear.) When I last met you here, it was in the proeeution of • treat, continuous, arduous, and at length triumphent strug gle. (Hoar, hear.) 1 meet you nor in • struggle not less great, less arduous, nor, I trust, in its results less successful. (Hear, hear.) We gathered then to claim food for perish ing bodies; we gather now to claim a lair supply of food for perishing and starving minds. (Cheers.) We met together then to struggle with the igno rance and prejudices and sinister interests that pre vented the enjoyment of • great Imola right. So is it now ; for what but ignorance and pr. juilice, and if not these, what but sinister influence can interpose between the great ease of the people and that intellectual culture which alone can render • pooch' great, happy, and glorious ? (Cheers) We mumbled then to endeavour to avert crime and falai de misery. The material alleviation is in some measure accomplished—but we meet now for the greater purpose of averting crime arising not only from ohs , ' liell distress, but from intellectual an d 'coral peceersity. We meet now to keep oft a greater ea amity than even • starving people; and that is a demoralised imam. (Hear, hear.) We asserted then the great common right of human nature —the right of man to obtain the food needful Lit him in the cheapest end best en meet. We meet now to assert the still greater and still more precious right of human asters to find that aliment without which humanity cannot attain its full miturity. And just as there ere those who never reached the full development of their physical faculties for want of the nesessary physical supplies, so the human mind reaches the full development of the moral and religious being which it was intended by the Creator to become; and ignorance and l ob*, and the suffering wt ich attends upon both, prevent him from appearing that image of God which is DM gnat and ' Wad/ions destiny. (Hear, hear, and sheen.) May the some enemy and perseverance which distinguished and ' ounobled Manchester in that arduous conflict be put forth in the present cause. I approve of ibis plan, because it is comprehensive, because it includes all sects and de nominations of religion, and all classes of society. It is i n tended alike for rich and poor , intended to provide i thorough education, that those of different ranks , in the social scale shall cheerfully send their children to rap , its c ommon benellie. It does not educate according t o a I prescribed plan of government ; it aims at making neither I slaves to political power, nor advocates to religious creeds, hut to make men well informed. (Cheers.) And this is what we should do, educate man as man not as a rich man, nit as a poor man, not as • man of this or that future occupa tion in life—(hear, hear) ; but educate him an as to develop hie powers and faculties, those great and heaven given powers that ore latent in all men, only needing the fostering care of intellectual culture for their development. I approve of this plan, became it is at once local and national. The powers it requires, the officers it employs, are all appointed by fair and free eh. ction. In pc • sing onward.. from the plan drawn up for this county of Lancaster to some remarks on the general need of education, 1 must, at the hazard of repeating facts f .miliar to many, advert to the two greet divisions of that work. We require educational reform and s:tension, both as to the quitanty and as to the quality. (Hear, hear.) We require it as to the quantity, for what is the condition of the masses incur country ? It 1 Ins been in some measure described by my leo will bear • • few o more observations as to the matter of fact. There are, it has been estimated by very accurate calculations, three quarters of • million-750,000 children in the country, in the teachable age, between 5 and 11, who attend no school whatever, of any kind or deserip tien—(bear, hear)—but are utterly and totally disregarded. fad M we take the comparative standard of the proportion el Walden in eleseatury schools to the entire population, liat ' runs thus: In Scotland, part cf Holland, and ,W s ' a, ` proportion of scholars to the entire poodle. des k 1 is 8 ; in Denmark and Norway it rises to 1 is 7 ; in Feiseland, Oversaw', and most of the Swiss cantons, 1 in 8 ; in 111Lasseehussetts, lin 8 also ; in Saxony, 1 in 5 ; in the well educated province of Borne, 1 in 4 ; while in Eog• land the most sanguine of all the calculations, that of Mr. Baines, only estimates it at 1 in 84 ; and the more common reckoning is lin 13. (lieu, hear.) If we tote particular bealities, we Soil in the district of Vauxhall, Liverpool, the a day scbooli is 1 in 11) ; in Bleckfriers, Sal -111 7 1 11736. (Hem, hear.) In the diocese of Chester, 1 ale; in Sheffield, 1 in 11; in Manchester, 1 in 144 ; in Mlailmex, 1 in 191. Is this a state of things to be endured ? lake the United States of America, and ascertain there IllarMile unable to read and mite in proportion to the . In Massachusetts it is lin 186 ;in New 1 in 310 ; in Vermont, 1 in 473; in Connecticut, asSeklaC; lllthla 11n ut in England 1 man in 3, 1 women is 2, are 22"t0 sign their name with marks when they are mar (a..,, hoar.) Now, suppose tbis great maim of imm anent eselthe suffering which must always attend ignorance here any Miter form than it does, how would ympathies be alai firth ! The British people are a sympathising people • filly look abroad en the world, especially in religious matters, and are ready te exercise the most earnest and honourable zeal for religions ob jects. They fail for the grovelling idolatry of Ike Ilindoo—for the barbarism of tee Louth Sea lasseree—they feel for the sufferings, and they secured the =Pion, of the enslaved negroes—they feel even for of ignorance, who are led by it into via and alme,and for these they have basted charitable institutions; but they have never yet felt as a nation, anu as becomes • sivilhea and Christian people, for the ignorance which is at the aura of that crime and suffering, and which it should be their fast object to remove. (Cheers.) But, strongly as I feel on the limitation of the quantity of education, I feel yet more stronoly sato its imperfect quality. (Hear, beer.) We are content to call drilling and cramming educable. , (Hear, hear.) We are content to make children parrots 's* I stead a reasoning, thinking, and intellectual beings. (Chan.) In the legislative measures which have been adverted to, Sir Jams Graham's Factory Education Act, there was only a requirement that the child should have bees at school, and no inquiry into the result, that being the me emestial thing on which our attention should be *zed. The Rev. Dr. Vaughan, in his excellent work ea public school', has shown, with a patient minuteness and a careful induction which defy contradiction, that even the figures of his opponent in the controverse, in their true interpretation, prove that more than thirty ia every hundred of our entire population are without any apparent means of learning to read, and that not less than forty in every hundred are unable to write. Should an intelligent and generous nation suffer such an evil to exist ? Why, a schoolmaster must, like a poet, be born such—must be finned by nature—have that peculiar temperament which enables him to enter into the mind of a child, and lead it onward to the strength and attainments of his own mind ; he must become • child with children, and be enabled to see their difficulties, or how con he tell how to smooth their path ? It is not your learned man that is the beet schoolmaster .. he is very often a meet inefficient one. It is more often to men of lea extended acquirements ~ that the necessary qualifications are given, and we should make ' much of such men wherever we can find them. (Loud cheers.) You regard your physician as a member of aliberal profession; why, the business of a schoolmaster is to heal the intellectual and moral diseases of youthful minds. You regard your clergymen, your minister, your priest, with equal consideration, while the schoolmaster stands at the entrance of the temple and prepares the young Neophytes to enter it in ',Antal advantage to themselves, and fur the ben:- fit of their souls. As you will not allow men to practise medicine without duo requirements, be so churches have their standard which they require to attained before a preacher is allowed to enter the pulpit. m A s s in ariost occupations a test is applied to amertatn a A s *Nee, 1 midi ad* ends a tat to the schoolmaster. I gemild allow hide of that latompetene• and quackesy now so dila Y the emnid. Look you. men with Rabin la *sir own Wen, sad he power to emenniunieete it it they have— ,ter)—iedt_yelea thy raise 'sheds, and fora large tak e mail/ erdeem by athertisieg that they only take ;LT fleggi el gent? men. (Cheers) ) And I know of ems sear who raised a very large and floor, Ming mined at k a rtea in the neighbourhood , of the aieleggifille by a saccemion of (dumpsites dinners to Wade M r pares» (Cowin and laughter.) We »outdate, all this. (Hsu, hear.) We should be sure of the right ens, and then we should treat them accord. iagly. (Hear, hear.) They should like their place in society as amoebas of a liberal peeksion ; of ors which deserves to be at die bead of the Mega parikwiens, lodged by its 'mita. We should leek dism as hoidens el dissmot, and entitled to rank with • ; we shoal leek upon then es pre• panes for the religiose end moral estate, end thew fore entitled to stand aide by side with downs& (Hear.) Yon have been told by yew able logneerfilli the of the »ernes of crime—a feudal einnitigraties in these times—but I would direst year attest tion to one circumstance in that iseresee, which shows that what we call education at present is inefficacious as a barrier to crime. I say that instruction as now administered over a large extent of this country—it may not be so in your semis, bet I know it is in too many schools—is of no avail for the pre mhos of criminality; for what say the returns? They show a large increase of crime ; and where has it increased ? Not in the well-taught, in that class crime has diminished, nor miraculously diminished ; not in the totally untaught, for in that class, too, with all their disadvantages and priva tions, to them, honour be it said, crime has diminished; the increase of crime is in the class between these two, in the imperfectly educated class. (Hear, hear.) Aod does not this speak, as with a trumpet voice, to call upon us univer sally for the improvement of the instruction which is now rendered, as well as its extension. It is an imperative ne cessity that we should not be content with the endowed use of inefficacious means. But let me not be understood as casting the alienist reflection oa Sunday-schools or their teadi en : in their sphere and for their purposes they may do, and I believe actually do, accomplish a large amount of good, but say that they are not efficient as a means of instraction inset* a way, to such an amount, or with such consequences as throw up an impassable barrier to the increase of crime. Now there were some culotte facts brought out at a recent temperance meeting held in the metropolis. (Hear, hear.) Mr. &Riad*, late of Yoh, made these statements on lue own experience. As I observed, it was a temperance meet ing, end he thereto» spoke for other purposes, but the felts are equally applicable to those we have in view. Ha said, about two years ago be virited a poor boy in one of the largest gaols is Yorkshire. There were fourteen convicts, including him, and he round in conversation that thirteen of these primers had each beau Sunday-school pupils. (Hear, hear.) Lut week he addressed litters to the governors of a hundred prisons in England, Wales, and Sccvland, and requested to be informed how many prisoners had been Suuday-uhool pupils. From the return he had received it ap- ' peered that the number of prisoners in the gaols from which he otr.ained them was 5,09 G, and of them '2,920 had been Sunday-scbool scholars. He had obtained similar statements from the matrons of a number of penitentiaries and houses of refuge up to the '27th November, 1849. The result 422 inmates, of whom 512 had been Sundayschoel scholars, and 16 teachers. (Hoar, hear.) It »lees very much from the mishits so ably commented upon by your hon. member— it arum from the disregard of the enmity of blending secular instruction with that which is of a theological cha racter. The mind requires a certain expansion and lemon- regiment for the reception of religion, and secular education neti•t give that. I am propel»), nosubstitutiou of the secular' for the sacred; the principle I lay down is this, that the slued cannot grow to its full dimensions, nor exercise its proper power, unless there be a due proportion of that stimulation of the faculties which is caused by . secular instruction. The difference in re ligion between the taught and the untaught man, is, that the same trait which is bright and beautiful in the on', becomes obscured, hanh, narrow, repubive, ann self-satisractory in the other. (Cheers.) Take two such men, with the same amount of rt ligious feeling, so far as we can judge, and you will then find, on an examination of their intellectual faculties, that the amount of their acquirements make a mat observable and important difference between them. And this difference I believe to be the cause why there is so much Sunday school and other religious teaching which fails to produce the anticipated result of diminution of crime. The hon. gentleman sat down amidst prolonged and en. thusiastic cheering. Lc. Warns and Mr. T. Salmi afterwards addressed the meeting, which lasted three hours. BRISTOL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The annul meeting of the Bristol Agricultural Society was held on Wednesday afternoon. The show of live stock, whisk was held in the large cattle market, Teeple-made, was not so good as on many former years. The exhibition of sheep and pigs was much more scantily supplied than usual, as was likewise the show of fat stock. Among the breeding stock there were some animals of con siderable merit, but they were mostly from the stock of Mr. Stratton, an eminent breeder in Smithfield, who, in. deed, carrie d o ff a large portion of the premiums o ff ered. The meeting for the dispatch of business wee held in the tarn room of the Canhenearket Hotel, W. MIL= Esq., ALP., and President of the Society, occupying the ch air. The PRESIDENT, in opening the business, having ex pressed his regret that he could not congratulate the society on the character of its show, drew attention to some very fine roots of mangold wand and turnips which were on the table, and adverted to the importance of encouraging the growth of root crops—root culture being in his judgment at the basis of all good farming. It was generally held now that root crops could be grown even on clay la n ds. and what they had to look to was how they could grow them in the best possible way and at the least possible coot. (Rear, hear.) It wan admitted on all hands that there was nothing so good as farmyard manure, but then the difficulty experienced on large farms was to get sufficient of it (Hear) This led them to see whether by the admi of some artificial manure with it they could not make their farmyard dung go further, and at the same time improve their root crops ? (Hear.) 'His attention had long been turned to the subject, having been_ particularly directed to it by some experiments tried by Mr. Pussy in Berkshire, the particulars of which were reported in the 6th ?clone of the proceedings of the Royal Agricultural Society for 1846. (Hear.) This was • matter of great importance to ferment, for if they could, by using some cheap and accessible artificial manure, make a much less quantity of farm-yard dung sufficient, they would do great good. If, instead of dressing with 20 or 24 loads of farm-yard dung per sere for root crops, they could reduce that quantity to 13 loads, they would enable the farmer to spread his farm-yard manure all round his farm. Mr. Miles then proceeded to give the results of Mr. Pose ' s well-known experiments, with which your agricultural toners must, from their frequent publication, have become long since familiar; and which tended to show that by using bones, rags, or guano, the requisite quantity of farm-yard manure was greatly reduced, while by the admixture of 3 cwt. of guano with 13 toed of dung, a crop of 36 tons per acre was pro duced, as against 281 tons produced with 26 loads of good dung. Guano was portable and accessible, and even at its highest price, 101. per too, it would be found worthy the attetrion et farmers. His (Mr. Miles's) own funt was situated high and required coneiderable manure, and not having suffi cient dung he Ind adopted Mr.Pusey'sphin,and had manured with 13 tons of dung and 3 cwt. of guano ; his ground was clay, shallow, and on mountain limestone. He had found great benefit from the manure, having produced 28 tons per acre of orange globe mangold wore' upon an average over 16 acres. _(Cheers.) Ile had also tried an experiment with turnips. He got 20 bushels of bones mixed with about double the quantity of ashes, and over this he poured two or three times the contents of a manure tank. This was turned over two or three times, the bones heated, and decomposition went on. Of this ho used a g ood dressing, say 60 bushels an acre. His tarn,. were put in rather late, end same up as moat turnips in this county did this year, at twice, but his crop was very fine. Another experiment he had tried was with what was called Joptha oilealte, which on obtained from • manufacture by Messrs. Virger anti Co., of Bristol, and could he readily obtained at IL 3s. per ton crushed, and 31. whole. He had some wheat Waking very bed only in the spring, and he tried it, aa a top dressing, against guano, which latter he put on at 3 cwt. par acre, using twelve or fourteen beahels per acre of the oil cake. As he subsequently found that a former tenant had petted • part of the field, using guano upon it, he could not look upon the expe riment as being perfectly satisfactory, but he had no hesitati ni in saying that the Joptha oil-cake woul t prove an exceedingly valuable ' auxiliary to huebendry. It was his intention to try it next' year upon a different plan, with his spring wheat, sowing it on the ground, and ploughing it in. Tne quantity which, as far as experiments had gone, it had been found ne en eery to employ, was 5 cwt. per acre fur roots, and 71 net, as a dressing for wheat. (Cheers.) The report of the committee, which was next read by the hnn. secretary, Mr. Marmont, speke of the funds as has kg fallen o ff , and urged the members to exert themselves to procure new labia:bets. After an award of a sweepstakes fir mangold wet:el and turnips had been mode to Mr. J. Ntblett, of Felton Farm, Mr. MONTAGU GORE rose to propne the re-election of the President, and in so doing highly eulogised Mr. Miles's devotion to the agricultural interests. At all times, ae,d under all cir.umetancs, he (Mr. Gore) wished to ere societies like that Lorin, but more especially at the present moment when a severe struggle was being made by the agriculturists to keep . if possible their heads above ground, and meet their foreign rivals in the market. It was only by • cordial union of landlord, tenant, and labourer, that they could hope to get through their difficul ties. (Hear.) A great deal had been said as to what rents should be under the present circums'ances. lie considered it imposeible that they could lay down any stated canon rule for rents; but landlords and farmers should look to the ptices of the day, and see how far they were remunencive, and it the tenant could not pay, the landlord should make what abate ment the exigencieaof the time required. (Cheers.) This would be better than training rules from which they must depart if times grew worse. Mr. Gore went on to argue that landlord, tient, and labourer should sail in the tame boat, participat ing in the same fortune, and after advising that steps should be taken for improviser the dwelling of the labourer, he con cluded by proposing Mr. Miles's re-election, which was car ried rum. con. The other officers were also re-elected, and the award of miums made by the judges. In the evening the members and friends of the exiety dined together at the White Von Hotel. W. Miles, Esq., M.P., presided ; and J. klarmont, Esq., took the vice chair. Various toasts were drunk, and at the close of the dinner a sweepstakes entered into for a show of fat stern next year. • 111). tennis. BIRMINGHAM AND MIDLAND COUNTIES CATTLE AND POI:LINT SHOW.— Birmingham, Dec. 13. The dinner to celebrate this show took plus at the Town-hall this evening, the Earl of Aylisford in the chair. The com pany consisted of about five hundred. Amongst the more distinguished persons present were the Earl Talbot, Lord fietherton, Lord I.ewisham, M.P., Bir F. Lumley, But., the Hon. E R. Lyttelton, M.P., the lion. F. Gough, Mr. Spooner, M.P., Mr. Muntz, M.P., Mr. Newdegate, M.P., &c. As little more than the preliminary toasts had been disposed of at the time it became necessary to despatch my parcel, 1 reserve my report until to-morrow. You will see tram the names above recorded that there are some curiously tt conflicting elements' present, and perhaps more than ordinary interest nosy attach to their speeches. His Royal Highness Prince Albert has sent a donatlo a of 501. to the tunas of this exhibition ; and today the Duchess of Suther land end a very distinguished party visited the show pavi lion. Up to this evening about 10,0110 persons have attended the exhibition. GENERAL ANNUITY ENDOWMENT ASSOCIATION. — The twentieth annual meeting of this association was held yesterday at the London Tavern ; Mr. Parkin in the chair. The report stated that sixty members, holding a hundred and thirty-five annuities, bad joined the society during the ear; that the amount of capital on the 30th of September , 1849, was 236.2151.0 . . 9d., being an increase during the year 'of 9,8571. lie. 10d., independent of the sum of 11,8311. 18s. 94., which had been paid to the respective annuitants. The payments of there members who had die nostittued their premiums daring the year, added to the gam which had accrued in fernier years, amounted to the sun of 25,4951. 4s. 11d., which was carried to the credit of tM amendation in the amount of capital. The directors had boss Informed of the death of nine claimants holding four lerm annuities, and of the marriage of three clai mants holding five annuities, ell on the civil fund. Thirty-seven members holding sixty-three annuities on the elan fund, and three members holding ales annuities on ibis sanitary and nautical fund, had died during the year. Jn Inference to the desire expressed by the members at the last Meeting, the directors regretted that they had not succeeded In obtaining a house suitable for a change of residence. From the financial statement it appeared that the total civil lurid I was 228,0551. 17s. Bd., and the total naval and military fund 18,1511. 3s. Id. The following was the number of members admitted : civil fund, 3,112; nautical and military, 217 ; number of annuities on the civil fund, 6,112 ; nautical and °military, 314. Amount invested within the year, 21,4161. 12e. Ild.; annuities paid, 11,8311. 18s. 9d. Balance in the treasurer" hands, 3391. 17s. 4d. The report was unanimously adopted. The four retiring auditors were re elected, and 1001. fixed as the amount of payment for their services. INQUEST ON THE BODY OP MR. LOUIS SHADWPLL. —Yesterday, Mr. W. Carter inthannened a jury at the Red Lion Tavern, Hammersmith -bridge, to inquire into the cir curnatances attending the death of Mr. L. H. Shadwell, aged 38, a barrister, and second son of Sir Lancelot Shad wed, Vice-Chancellor of ,England. The cumin and jury having viewed the body and impeded the Iceality where deceased met his death, examined several witnesses, who deposed to the facts recapitulated in the Express of yesterday. The following evidence was alio taken Mason, a labourer, living near the Crab-tree, at Hammersmith, proved that on Sunday night, about a verter to eleven o'clock, he heard cries from the other tide of the river, and a person repeat " Oh Lord, oh Gad," many times, and groan : the party also said, " George, George, a light." It was a weak voice, and witness thought it a female. By the advice of Mr. Bullen, thelandlord of the Crab-tree, they went to Hammersmith -bridge, and got a boat and a lantern, but by the time they had reached the spot where the crisis prodeeded from, more than het an hour had elspaed. They searched the towing-path and banks, and in the latter cVs. covered the imprint of naked feet from a distance of 20 or 30 yards and back. These marks were 70 or 80 yards from where the body was found. There was no sign of any vcent The e They called aloud, but got no answer. The tide was nearly at its height, but not over the towing path. W. Morris, a labourer, produced the deceased's cap, which had beta found near the Putney steam-b hich oat pier on Monday a f ter noon, as also one of his - shoes, w he had picked up off the College of Civil Engineers. Mr. Sullen, the landlord of the Crab-tree, hero ,bserve d d that he heard some one cry distinctly " Help, help," an " George, George," and a paddling in the water. Had he had a boat he was convinced he could have saved the party. —Mr. Alfred Shadwell said he could not conceive that his brother was the victim of violence, as no money had been flacon frem him, and believed, with the rest of the family, that the melancholy event was purely accidental. The jury were unanimously of opinion that Mr. Louis Shadwell was accidentally drowned or suffocated, and returned a verdict accordingly, COUNTY•RATE EXPENDITURE. MANCHESTER, Dag. 13. The meeting of deputatioris from boards of guardians in Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire, upon county rates and expenditure, held at Newton this aiternoun, was well attended. This meeting was for the purpose of receiving and considering a report of the com mittee appointed at the meting held on the 23rd July last, and to decide upon the course to be taken in the ensuing session of parliament to effect the object of this movement —that is, the establishment of county financial boards and administrative biards, consisting of brsards of guardians and magistrates acting jointly. The chair was taken by Mr. ToWNLIY Pkimsa, a magistrate of the eonnty. to opening the proceedings the chairman corgritul t d the meeting that they were catkin some progress ; at each of their meetings the number of deputations had increased, ►nd he was happy to see that this was by far the largest meeting yet hew. Mr. ROBERTS, who ofci►ted as honorary secretary, then read **report from the committee appointed at the last meeting : The committee are happy to state that although they have not devoted the interval since their appointment to active agitation, yet they have been enabled to keep the subject of county expenditure before the public, and to secure from all parts of the kingdom assurances of support in their next s r plication is parliament for an amendment in the &denims tratien of county funds. Their first step was to correspond, through their secretary, with boards of guardians, io order to elicit from those bodies expressions of opinion on the several points mooted at the first and second Newton meetings. the result of this correspondinee has been the receipt of numerous communications from boards of guardians throughout Eogtand and \Vales, all at which, with only two exceptions, are of an encouraging character. In nearly every instance the writers concur in the proposition adopted at the Newton meeting on the 23rd July last, "That the continued pressure of local taxation , and eartictlarly the in creasing nature of county expenditure, which now forms one of the most important items o f loca l' finance, and in the management of welch the ratepayers have not any voice, renders it a duty on the part of the ratepayers throughout England and Wales, to take some decided steps in order to obtain from the legidature the early establishment of county financial eni administrative boards of a _representative eh Meter." As an illustration of the general tone and tenor of these communications, the committee would submit the following extract from a series of resolutions adopted in October last by the guardians of the Blything union, Suffolk, the Right lion. the Earl of Stratbruke, lord lieutenant of the county, in the chair : 1. That this board is of opinion that the county rates as at present raised and admioisterd are unequally assessed on the ratepayers, and bear very heavily on the agricelturel interest, and that it has now become more than ever important that the present mode of levying the tax and the expenditure of the funds, should be efficiently controlled with a new to its reduction: 2. That the county funds would be more economically managed if the representative system were adopted in the thrmation of bords, having the power to raise and expend e county rata a , which would place the management of such rates in the hands of a greater number of men of business, and lead to a speedy reduction in their moat. 3. Toes in the opinion of this board such comity board should consist of two members, to be elated by . each board of guardians in the county, one member (not being a justice of the pace) to be chosen by the representative guardians, and one to be chosen by and from the ex.odlcio guardians in each poor law union. From the Ro.herham union (the Right Hon. Earl Fitz. will's= in the chair), the Stymph union (the Right Hon Lord Moatyn in the chair), from many others presided over by gentlemen of high station and influence, equally emphatic answers have been received; and it may deo be added that many boards of guardians, from whom no recent answers have come to hand, petitioned during the last session of parliament in tumour of the bill then introduced for the establishment of County Financial Boards. Thus encouraged in their labours, the committee gladly determined upon again submitting the important subject of county expenditure to the attention of the legislature. They accord.ngly placed themselves last month in commu nication with several members of parliament friendly to the movement, to whom it appeared advisable that a com mittee for considering and reporting upon the best mode of placing the admisiistration of county funds upon an im proved basis, should be moved for early in the ensuing ses sion of parliament. The Right Hon. T. M. Gibson having kindly undertaken to move for such committee—to the appointment of which no opposition can be apprehended — it only remains for the supporters of the movement at this meeting aseembled, to offer to the right hon. gentleman the smurances of their earnest support. Mr. ROBERTS also read letters from William Brown, Esq., M.P. James Pilkington, Esq., M.P., and Colonel Lindsey, regretting that they could not be present, but expressing views favourable to the objects of the meeting. He said there were now deputations present from Burnley, Rochdale, Salford, Chorlton, Saddlewerth, L igh, Preston, Barton, Liverpool, Oldham, Bury, Duesbury, Ashton, Fylde. Chorley, Urinston, and Salford. Mr. THONIPSON, of Wray, moved the lint resolution, which approved of the report presented by the committee, and contained an expression of thanks to Mr. Milner Gibson fier his kindness in having copneented to take charge of a bill fa the next semi to accomlish the oect. of the m Mr. JOHN BLAC on ILBURNE seconded the motion, w eet hic ing. h was unanimously adopted. GIBSON briefly acknowledged the compliment, and dated that he should have great pleasure in taking charge of their bill, provided no more influential member could be in amid to do so. A vote of thanks to the other members present, for their presence on the Nation, called up Mr. Wilson Patten, Mr. James Heywood, Mr. Alex. Henry, Mr. Joseph Brotherton, Mr. Chaal, and Mr. Tnieknessa, all of whom declared themselves favourable to the principle of the proposed Measure. The preceedings late.' till within a few moments of the time when our express left. GOAT DS EDUCATIONAL MEETING, FREE- T HALL, MANCHESTE R MANCHESTER. Dzo. 13. L e gogisiro Public School AnweintioB hold • sw i g hot Wit in favour of its objects. in the Free- Sell, • few lease Meer the close of the conference in Witi o disaim• lostitetien,be reported in the Daily News of *gel, sedithee numring from 6.000 to 6,000 persoos, o g N os perthentsf the building best adapted for hearing the ..okees were w wowded tha t the earlier speaker' were ins by the esefwisa arising oat of struggles among tfrceltsd ei re amthieg them. At a later period a female gilled thaw the heat and mews width resulted from the go ats et the hall where she had obtained a plow. In s it el etelern, therefore, es well se is other tweets, the w eb( was • met succeeful see for shoving the lively melee taken is the quietism la this Ale.. nines of the weestry. tu . Aar wee takes b e y 13111. T , Esq., M.P. for or serithera division of Lasewhire. Among the teestlemen orma dl i g is te, es the platform, were the Eight Hoe. Thome Gibe's, M.P. W. J. Fox Eel M.P. , mos gimme . (Edin(Edin bu rgh ), Samuel Lew:. Req., Than', B.alry, Esq., George Wilson, Ls' q , the Rev. W. iii.Kae row, Nth moot of tlui Remitter's from various parts of t ies country who had attended the conference of the Met ins. Linen apologising for inability to attend were read. ea &wr them the following fro haw Ewart, and These Caelyle, Esq. A letter ho rend frem Lord Solguad regretting he could not be weient. " Elstend Lodge, Godaleung, Surrey, Dee. 1. *Deer Sir,—ln consequence of extreme susceptibility of Mil, Weeded with considerable pale, I fear I must forego Me Weser of attending the meeting on the 12:11. I am only w i t moveo leg from an attack, and wish to avoid its renewal. perceive that you are e" well supplied with 'apportion at the wedsg that the absence of one will be unimportant. Bat 1 sin Y en to declare the strong conviction which b its Ion: tertained, that • system of education, ear & aged by means of local committee', and sustain d by local ate, would be the best means of combining the friends of educe . ion, and giving to education itself a national and pa:- mum character.- 1 sm, dear sir. your faithful servant, " Wm. BRAILT. E.pinesse, Esq." " Chelsea, 3rd December, 1849. BRIGHTON AND ITS PAVILION. (From the Deily Nita.) The good people of Brighton, having reprinted, for their more deliberate perusal and more general con sideration the observations which recently appeared in the Daily News on their ecclesiastical affairs, the compliment thus paid to this journal induces us to turn our attention to some of their more mundane con cerns. Not, howe ter, to promote irritation ; bat, it possible, to compose strife. As at Athens, and amongst the Gentiles, so at Brighton; "evil c mtmunicattons corrupt good man ners" The Vicar having levied on the town a mino rity church rate, the parish officers appear resolved to follow his bad example, and to faros on the town a minority purchase. The principle in either case is identical; it consists in those having some little authority substituting their determination for that of the public. And this sub stitution is rather more ofieusive and intolerable when practised by the officers titan when resorted to by the vicar of a parish; for, whilst the latter is responsible to Heaven knows who, the former are the represents. tierce of the rate-payers; and tor churchwardens and oteraeers to fly in tee faces of their constituents is enough to disturb the equanimity of a saint, much more to rouse the wrath of parish patriots and vestry orators. But to the facts of the case without further preface. There is, all the world knows, in the very heart of Brighton, a great, ugly, indescribable, nondescript building called the Pavilion; which is at once a mo nument of the vices and detestable taste of the Fourth GEORGE, and of the good sense and correct artistic feeling of the First Vic-rotate. Around it has grown the modern town of Brighton ; which has sprung from a village containing 3,000 inhabitants in 1794 to a great city of pleasure containing 80,000 souls in 1849. Modern Brighton is, then, a place of royal origin ; and, in the plenitude of his self-complacency, its regal founder ima gined that without royalty it would sink into the insignificance from which he had rescued it. So he lett his private palace of ugliness there, and its plea taut grounds, to the crown he did not adorn. In the kindness of his generous heart, his royal successor adopted this opinion; accepted the gift, and fulfilled the obligation of occasional residence which it in volved. Not even her fondness for our national element, or her consideration for all clas ses o f her I subjects, could, however, reconcile our presert most gracious Sovereign to residence, however occasional, in such a royal dog-kennel. So, taking advantage of, and turning to account, the rude curiosity ar.d intru sive interest which, not perhaps unnaturally, in the commencement of a reign which has revived loyalty, sod saved monarchy in this country, but still not the less inconveniently impeded royal walks, and ob structed royal drives at Brighton, Queen 'ICTORIA made her bow to the Pavilion, and handed her royal uncle's devise over to the unsafe keeping of the Woods and Forests; and they, thrifty souls, have since spent a small fortune on an empty house. The retreat of royalty from Brighton exploded the Georgian theory that its prosperity was founded on royalty ; it proved that Nature had in reality at tracted royalty, and was quite sufficient to maintain and extend prosperity ; for sincethe QUEER bought and found at Osborne the enjoyments, the comforts, the advantages, and the privacy, which the Pavilion could not furnish, the population of Brighton has in creased by fully 20,000 souls ; and Brighton ceased to be royal, only to become mote popular. There, however, royalty having left it, stood the unsightly, unoccupied, but though tenantless, the still costly Pavilion. Year after year its repairs, its maintenarce, its gardens, figured off in those sad realities of national life—the estimates. Session after session Mr. Huss complained of the folly, the stu pidity, the wickedness of throwing good money after bad money on such a kaleidoscope collection of lath and plaster; until, at last, even those hardened spendthrifts, the Chancellors of the Exchequer, be came ashamed of the useless, profitless extravagance. But what to do with it puzzled the Woods and Forests. Sell it, exclaimed the great economist of the House of Commons. The thought fell on the idea-less Woods and Forests like a mighty discovery, and forthwith they whipped through parliament a bill to vend the Pavilion, wholesale or retail. 'rho very hair stood on end on the heads of such of the surviv ing Georgian courtiers as were uncovered with wigs! Yes; the Pavilion was for sale! Great fact! But who on earth would buy the ricketty place? True, the Pavilion itself was worth something as old materials ; but few are the dealers in rubbish at Brighton. True, it and the gardens occupied a con siderable space of land: bat who was going to enter on a great building speculation in a town already overbuilt, and in a quarter whence the sea was in visible ? No one. Though for sale, the Pavilion re mained unsold. At last, in an unlucky hour of the past summer, some of the tradesmen of Brighton who act as town commi, sien re either got or Lad put into their heads, the notion that the town should buy the palatial abo mination and regal enormity. The Woods and Forests, anxious to shuffle it off their hands, en couraged the idea; it was ventilated ; strange to say the fully took; town commissioners' meetings and vestry meetings were held ; the vicar patronised the scheme; the town clerk rubbed his hands with glee ; the vestry clerk smiled ; the lawyers chuckled ; the orators spouted; and the objectors were pooh poohed. Tne piece could be had cheap, it would only cost the town 53,0001. ; and out of that sum the Woods and Forests, generous creatures, would "pay for the stamps." Joint committees of town com missioner' and vestrymen were formed ; in the com mittee the astute and highly franchised commis sioners juggled the unsuspicious but more popular vestrymen; the contract for purchase was signed; notice of a bill to authorise the purchase was given, and all was going on smoothly, when people began to inquire how tic Pavilion was to be paid for, and, when paid for, what was to be done with it—points, oddly enough, overlooked in the first burst of the affair. Now, the more people considered these points the more doubtful they became, and the less advanta geous did the purchase appear. 53,0001. is in itteif a l large BUM for a town to raise which is already 140,0001. in debt, which, on a rental of 200,0001., I pays 15,800/. a year for poor rates, and nearly 30,0001. in the shape of town rates, coal duties, and market I tolls, and which is about to expend 100,0001. on sa nitary improvements. But, great a sum as 53,0001. is, that is the mere purchase money of the Pavilion ; it paid, and the seizin had of the tumbling down place, it will, of course, require thousands to turn it to account. How much no one knows; for no one apparently can, or, at all events, will, tell what is proposed to be done with the Pavilion when bought. Every man may have his scheme of appropriation ; but if so, they are all kept in profound secrecy. More, far more, is known of cabinet consultations, than plans for the Pavilion. It has, of course, to be a Palace foe the Million that all the advocates of the purchase protest ; but how their majesties, the people, are to inhabit and feast in it is not disclosed. The certainty of its large original cost; the uncer- tainty of its probable larger future cost; doubt as to its application; apprehension that an unpopular town clique mean to get it into their own hands; the weight of 45,000/. a year present taxes, and of 140,000/. present debt ; the approaching cost of the Health of Towne Act, and the folly of a town plunging into a commercial speculation—all these considerations have lately produced a great revulsion of feeling in Brighton as to the purchase, and many who, some months ago, were eager to buy, are now anxious to have nothing to do with the Pavilion. So last week a requisition signed by Mr. CONINGHAM and 160 of the meat respectable of the townspeople was pre- seated to the parish officers to call a parish meeting to reconsider the question. But those functionaries have refused to comply with this requisition, and ap pear resolved to nail the town down to a minority purchase, just as the vicar nailed it to a minority church rate. Hence, at present, confusion is worse co nfounded at Brig hton,i and a town meeting is called, without the aid of the parish officers, for Monday next. Now, in this state of things it is to be observed, that the question of the purchase of the Pavilion is entirely one for a majority of the ratepayers to decide. And at present the shape it takes is, whether the rate payers will sanction the promotion of a bill to enable them to enter into a contract to purchase the Pavilion ? This is peculiarly a matter far popular consideration and decision. And for any parisu officers to insist on promoting a bill to fix such a purchase on the town is sheer impertinence, and—something worse. RAILWAY MEETING. MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD, AND LINCOLN SHIRE. On Wednesday afternoon, at the Town Hall, Sheffield, a meeting of shareholders in this undertaking was held in mammon of an advertisement worded thus:— "At a rreliminary meeting of certain of the shareholders, held at the Royal Hotel, Maniffiester, on the 2Stk day of November last, a ressolutios, of which the following is a copy, was passed:—' That In the opinion of this meeting the pre sent position of the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway Company requires the adoption of measures for effecting a thorough and unrestricted inquiry into the strain and management thereof.' Those shareholders who approve e o r requested u a vv e s e d t e d e a d: eet des i rous ay next, to moos : o he r; t a t h t th tfi dk e e y f T e r o o e w f l nei re s olution, e D ece mb e r,i i n et• ice', are Sheffield, iti t three three o'clock in the afternoon precisely." The notice was signed by seven shareholders. Mr. W. P. BRADSHAW, of Barton, was called to the chair. He stated the object of the meeting, and then read extracts from several letters from shareholders not present. One writer said, that being very much disgusted with the present state of the mansgement, he should be happy to assist in removing the present directors. Ile considered Hudson's lines prooperous compared with this.—The next letter was from Mr. Woodliead, of Old Hall, Muttram. He strongly condemned the present management along the whole hoe, and expressed approval of the int, utions of the committee appointed at the alsnelocster meeting. He was o?posed to the intended application to parliament by the directors for powers to raise 600,0001. by preference snares instead of exercising their borrowilar powers, because it would d:preMate the value of the existing stock of all sorts, and would render the non-preference stock for ever worth less. He would rather the railway and dock works should bo stopped than that should happen. Mr. CHARLES MORTON, of Wakefield, then moved the following resolution, which was one of those agreed to at the Manchester meeting—" That in the opinion of this meet ing the Disastrous position of the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway Company imperatively requires that a thorough and unrestricted invorieation should be forthwith made into the finances, affairs, anal past and present policy, and into the management thereof:* • Mr. HOYLAND, druggist, Sheffield, seconded the motion. • Mr. WILES, of Sheffield, expressed an opinion that the public would be ready to take up the 500,01.101. preference stock at 6 percent. it the shareholders would not. (No, no.) The question was, whether it was desirable to finish the docks. Every one thought that indispensable at any rate. (A Voice : Nay, not by the iuoing et preference scares.") Mr. BENJAMIN SKIDMORE, of Sheffieli, cold he had come with an extensive knowledge of the affairs of the corm pony ; and he was prepared to say that for some time they hut not been =caged in a proper and tradesmanlike man ner. There ought to be a committee appointed, composed of shareholders residing at Sheffield and at Manchester, to. investigate thoroughly and make known the real state ot af fairs. A more inefficient body than the late committee of investigation he never knew. Their report contained nothing new. He had a very strong impression that the present di rectors ought to be removed. (Loud applause.) Mr. MORTON contended that aoo,ouol. could not be raised on the terms Mr. Wiles had named. The CHAIRMAN then put the motion to the meeting, and it was adopted. Mr. J. GREEN then proposed " That the unexpected proposition of the directors to apply for an act to enable them to create new stock to the amount of 600,0001., in the next session of parliament, when by the present acts they are pusissedot borrowing mowers still unexhausted, is. in the opinion of this meeting, inexpedient, and should not be fur ther prosecuted until ttae investiaatan referred to in the foregoing emulation shall have been made." The more thoroughly they investigated the more astonished they would be, and would find that they had placed greatly too much confidence in the management. Spin:nog of the great depreciation of the debentures, he said that a gentleman Morena him last Saturday that de bentures to the amount of 1001. were not now worth more than Mss. It had been said that the directors did cot intend to give more than 6 per cent. interest for the Foposed new prettrecce stock ; but unless they would give i Per . Cent. Awes no use going to parliament. If they had power , Ito raise 500,0001., exclusive of borrowing powers, with • guarantee o. 71 per in order to cent. it was evident tha t l ame other money 7 1 per cent. would not suffice. Mr. WITHERS seconded the motion, and it was carried unanimously. Mr. G. ROBERTS, of Sheffield, prcposcd that blesses. Woodhead, of blottram Old Hall ; Samuel Lees, ci Man chester ; Charles Morton, of Waketiold ; W. I'. 13; whitlow, of Barton ; H. Cadman, of Sheiii Id ; Charles Comer, of folanchestor ; Harrison Blair, d Manchester; John, Green, J. 11. N 1 inder, and John Spencer, of Sheffield; and William Wilkinson, of Reified, with power to add to their number, be appointed a committee for taking such steps as they may deem requisite for carrying into team the moth- Mom of this meeting. Mr. MILNER, of Leek, seconded the proposition, which was adeptcd nem. con. Mr. HARRISON BLAIR Mated that three days after the recent meeting of shareholders at Manchester a circular was issued by the secretary to the company, to the o fleet th e : the directors', feeling it desirable to canter with the principal shareholders on the present and future management, re quested the 'reties to whom the circular was addressed to attend • meeting at the Queen's Hotel, Manchester, on Saturday, the 15th inst. He thought it advisable that they should have the express instructions of the shareholder.; to attend the meetiog in question, with invitations or without. Re therefore legged to propose a motion to that edict Mr. GEO. DAWSON seconded the motion, but it was not put to the meeting. Mr. BLAIR then said the committee would probably appoint a deputation of two or three ut thair body to attend the meet rig, and that they would select those who would not be obtrotious to the directors, because their object would be to open a free discussion. Mr. W. WILKINSON, of East Rctford, said be had come to tho meeting deputed by an intlueutisl hotly of shareholders, including Mr. Fisher, the mayor, all of whom were decidedly of opinion that under the present manage. ment they wore nut likely to get a dividend. After muse further rennaks Mr. Wilkinson moved that a shilling per 1001. on the amount of shares held by each proprietor should be contributed towards the committee's exienses. The proposition was seconded by Mr. EYRE, of Chester field, and unanimous y adopted. A YOU of thanks having been passed to the Chairman the meeting separated. DIRECT MANCHESTER, LEEDS, AND YORK.—The petition for winding up this company's 'flair, before the Master in Chancery, Brougham, is from Mr. 11. Dawson, of Curaan street, May-fair, barrister, and states that it was stinted in September, 1545, with a proposed capital of bOO,OOO/, in 43,000 shares of 201 each, many of which were allotted, but the deposits not b-ing paid, liabilities for preliminary ex penses were incurred by the provisional committee, of whom petitioner was one, and who are liable for a liquidation of the same, unless the 'Wettest are called upon, under the Joint Stock Companies' Winding:up Act, to a pro rata con tribution for their discharge. An official manager has to be appointed for this purpose. YORK, NEWCASTLE, AND BERWICK.—The new directors have adopted the principle of public competition in tilling up the appsintmenta on the line. They intimate their in tention to receive applications fur three general managers— one for the passenger traffic, at 5001. per annum ; a second, for the mineral traffic, at 1031. ; and a third, for the mer chandise, at 4001., each manager's salary to be increased pare plasm with the company's profits. CALEDONIAN AND DUMBAILTONSIIIRE. — This line has been lined for six years to a firm of contractors. The amount required to complete the line ia 200,0001. MALTON AND DRIFFIELD.—A final call of 51 per share, making 201. on the whole, has been made on the company's stock. The directors, in calling up the remaining portion of the capital, state that they are actit.g on the defensive, in order to avoid a system which has come to their knowledge, as prevailing to a great extent in several companies, of pe malady' shareholder making fictitious transfers of their shares to irresponsible parties, to the injury of bona ~ ids holders. Sinrwitrels.—On Friday morning a 'large ship, said to be from Moulmein, having a local pilot on board, was off the Cornish ccast, near Polp:era. When the captain at tempted is hears her in stays, after making the hod, the head-yards locked, and both anchors Were let go; but she drifted ashore at ten o'clock, and was expected to go to pieces. She had, including men of colour. twenty-five hands, one or two of whom were drowned. She was laden with teak timber, and is reported to have been bound to Plymouth for cr.ers. She was the property of the master and his uncle ' and the captain's wife, who was on Vard, landed ssfely from the ship. About the time of the above wreck the smack Caroline, of eighty tons, Captain Jabez Petherick, belonging to Messrs. Freeman, of Plymouth, laden with stone from Alderney, was driven ashore on the Reunite, in Whit:end Bay, near Lose Island. Her deck and topsides were brcken up, and her boat, with part of a bottle of wine in it, and the painter severed, was picked up near Looe, but there were no tidings of the crew, consisting of three or four men, who are supposed to have been lost.— Liverpool Courier. DANGEROUS CONDITION OF THE WALL OF THE Naw STATION OF THE LANCASHIRE AND EORILSHIRE AND EAST LANCASHIRE RAILWATS.—On Wednesday morning it was discovered that the weight of the immense wall of the new railway station. which runs parallel to and bounds Key street on one side, had sprang some of the arches by which the line is carried our the streets in that neighbourhood, and the c risequence was that fractures in the wall hub be came visible, and furs for its safety were entertained. The narrowness of Key-street, and the towering height of the wall, would have rendered its toptling a matter of serious moment, fur not only would the thoroughfare oe altogether impeded for days and days, but the damage might be very serious both to life and property at the opposite side of the street; hence, as might naturally be expected, a good deal of excitement and dreal prevailed iu the locality, and crowds were grouped about viewing the huge mass of masonry that iO/111i the outward wall of the 'tailor, busily speculating as to the probability of its fall. That the danger was im m inent may be gathered from the fact that prompt measures were taken by the rail way withorilies to have the arches and employedpy sup ported. A grcat number of men were during the afternoon in placing lirge pieces of balk timber, cut ti a pro per length, as centres under the raver,: arches, and as but tresses to the wall, where fractures had become visible, and where it was likely to ba affected by the springing of the archer. Its present safety is thus secured; but whether the slight cracks that have appeared will neceuitate the demoli tion and re-erection of the wall and atchee, we cannot pretend to say.—Lirerpool Ts acs. a ,Id d il . .Tro lOW ° Ciaga°ll -rag sat wi- Eckwith. tattoo' . 1 weds "- nowt it hil 11. 3MS list V W idM