The Press. — London, England, 1853-07-30 00:00:00

JULY 30, 1853. THE CABMEN'S STRIKE. Losnos on Wednesday morning awoke and found itself eabless. The strike, often threatened by drivers and proprietors since they came under the harsh provisions of the new act, was carried into effect on that day ; and the metropolis, from centre to circumference, has ever since suffered from an absolute destitution of this class of conveyances. At the railway stations and steam-packet wharfs the in convenience was heavily felt, especially on the first day, when the public and the companies were taken by surprise. Since then various contrivances have been adopted to supply the deficiency. 'Private vehicles and flies have appeared in more than ordinary numbers. Indeed, in many instances, some of the old cabs had been cleaned up, the num hers erased, and thus became converted into private carriages. Several of these vehicles were to be seen slowly traversing the principal thoroughfares, evi dently with expectation that the public would avail themselves of their services—in which proceeding they have been much facilitated by the permission which, under present circumstances, they have ob tained from the Inland Revenue Commissioners to ply for hire without licences, and the promise that they will not be prosecuted for an infraction of the law, an action for which can only be instituted by the law officers themselves. An additional number of metropolitan policemen are kept on duty at all the railway stations, in order to protect the luggage of the passengers from being transferred to the custody of improper persons, several of whom are prowling about with the hope of profiting by the confusion and disorder sometimes apparent in the arrival and departure of the trains. In the meantime the Legislature appear inclined somewhat to relax the rigour of the new bill, as will be seen by our report of the proceedings in Par- liament. The proprietors, however, demand much ampler concessions, and still hold out for their " whole bill," its set forth in the following list of resolutions pro posed at a general meeting held on Wednesday, at the National Hall, in Holborn : For any distance within and not exceeding two milers, the fare to be one shilling. Sixpence to be paid for every mile or fraction of a mile after the first two miles (as at present). For any distance beyond four miles from the General Post office, or other central part, one shilling per mile to be paid (at present sixpence). When two or more persons are inside, any luggage which cannot be put inside to pay twopence per package (lo present .e than two persons must ride to render the payment compulsory). When more than two persons shall be carried, sixpence to be paid for the distance, for each additional passenger (at present Inc extra sixpence is paid, whether the excess of passenger's he one or more). In eases of dispute about distance'', a book or list 'signed by he police commissioner to be held conclusive, except either party shall require the distance to be measured. Drivers not to hi' held responsible for " neglecting" to de liver a number ticket to passengers, but only for " refusing" to do so (both words eland in the act at present). That II power of appeal against decisions of magistrates and commissioners of police be allowed. A deputation to whom these resolutions were en trusted waited on Mr. Fitzroy, and discussed the various points successively, obtaining promises of certain relaxations, which were accordingly included in the clauses carried on Thursday evening in the House of Commons, but on others a decided negative was given. This result being reported to another meeting held yesterday, the cab-owners determined not to surrender, and the controversy is meanwhile entrusted to a committee whose word of command must be given before the strike will be terminated. Subscriptions are also raised to carry on the war, a most important point, as it is only by such means that the men will be enabled to hold out. As it is, they are said to possess funds enough to maintain the blockade until Monday next. The omnibus proprietors threatened to join in the combination of the cabmen, but have not yet carried their menace into execution, as these vehicles have been running through their accustomed routes, and more than ordinarily well filled with passengers. On Thursday, however, a meeting of the metropolitan omnibus owners was held at the Cmnbourne Hotel, in St. Martin's-lane, when they adopted a petition to the House of Commons, praying for the right of ap peal against any magisterial decision under the new act, which allows one magistrate to send a driver to prison for a month without any appeal from such conviction. They have also convened, for Monday next, a general meeting of all persons engaged in the omnibus trade, to take their opinion as to the "ne • cessity" of withdrawing all the omnibuses from the public streets, "until a pledge be given that the said cruel, oppressive, and unconstitutional power shall be modified by granting a fair hearing, and the right of appeal." Legal opinions have been given in Parliament and at police offices that by this interregnum of work the cabmen have forfeited their licences. Mr. Alderman Wilson. at the Guildhall, has put the case thus "As he understood it, a cab licence was like a public house licence—upon payment of a sum of money a oivi lege was granted which no one could exercise except upon certain conditions—the publican, that he should keep his THE PRESS. house open for public accommodation, under prescribed regulations, and if he did not conform to the rule laid down or give the accommodation required he forfeited his licence ; so the cabdriver held his licence upon certain condit• that he did not overcharge, and that he treated the public with civility, and for any breach of those rules it was at the discretion of the magistrate to fine or im prison him, or suspend the licence, and the commissioner of police had the power to take the licence away entirely. This had been done already in many instances, and it was his opinion that the present combination came under the head of misbehaviour, and that the licences should be suspended, if not withdrawn entirely." Some doubtful points in the new act have been settled by magisterial decision during the week, and the public ought to know it has been ruled that a cabman is entitled to add together all the odd minutes lost in successive " waitings," and to charge for every quarter of an hour which is made up in the aggregate. Also it appears decided that when hired by time the full 2s. may be charged for every broken part of an hour, however small. Thus for an " airing" of sixty-one minutes the passenger will have to pay 4s. The " strike" epidemic appears to be spreading in various quarters. The bricklayers employed at the new Houses of Parliament struck on Tuesday, and the labo►irers were forced to follow their example. In Hull a demand for increased pay by the police force has resulted in the resignation of about thirty men, anti the refusal to do duty by many more. Nearly 2,000 waterside labourers in Southwark have also struck work, to the great inconvenience of the merchants and whartingers. WAR-OFFICE, 29, (From Last Night's Gazette.) 13th Regiment of l.►ragoone—Cornet William Leyland Fie!den, from the 2nd I►ragoons, to be Cornet, vice I►avis, promoted, July 29. 'bid Regiment of Foot—Lieutenant Francis Lionel Oc tavins Atty to he Captain, by purchase, vice Chute, who retires; Ensign William Webber Martin to be Lioutemmt, by purchase, vice Atty; Charles Squid, tient., to be Eu sign, by purchase vice Martin, July 29. - - • - . . . and Foot—Ensign Henry G. C. lturningham to be Lieu tenant, by purchase, vice Augustus Et'want Ellice, mho retires; l'alltot Ashley Cox, Gent., to be Ensign, by pur• cease. vice !turningham, July 99. _ _ 1 ith Foot—Lieutenant Edwin Grove Helyar ham been permitted to retire from the service by the male 14 his com mission; Lieutenant Edward D'Heillimer Fainlough, from the illth Foot, to be Lieutenant, vivo Wilson, who ex clumges ; George Bridges, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, July 211 - - 17th Foot—Anthony Powell Traherne, Gent., to be Em sign, by purchase, vice Castle, who retires, July :29. 20th Fait—Lieuteuant Valens Tonnochy to he Adju tant, vice Colvill, promoted; Ensign Frank Browne to be Lieutenant, without purchase, July 29. :tsth Foot—Alexander John Cntickshank Warrand, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Cockburn, who re tires, .l my 47th Foot—Captain William Sankey, fmm the let West India Regiment, to be Captain, vice Lloyd, who exchanges, July 29. - - 6:lth Foot—William Little, Gent., to be Ensign, by pur chase, vice Priestly, promoted, July •411. 70th Foot—Liententuat Falconer Wilson, from the I 4th Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice Fairtlough, who exchanges, July 2!/. 97th Foot—Lieutenant I lenry licorge Woods to be Ad jutant, vice Vicars, who resigins the Adjutancy only, July 29. Ist West India Regiment—Captain Jesse Lloyd, frutn the 47th Foot, to be Captain, vice Sankey, who exchanges, July 29. 2ml West India Regiment—Edward Percival Vaughan, Gent., to be Ensiim, by purchase, vice Streattield, whose appointment is cancelled, July 29. lloserro. STAFF.—William Stewart, M.D., to be As- MiMtallt tillrgeoll to the Forces, vice Deakins, deceased ; %Main Mackenzie Skues, to be Assistant-Surgeon to the Forces, vice Roc, promoted to the tiold Coast Corps, July 29. BIM% ET.—eaptain James ihnalas Gregorie Tulloch, nioott halfpoty, Kith Fot, serving with lss•al rank of Major ( Military Superintendent of Pensioners in North America), to have the locial rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in North America,' uly 'V; Captain James John Graham, on half. pay, Unattached, Staff I 'nicer of Pensioner% at London, Canada West, to be Major in the Army, Nov. U, NAIL OFFICE (IF GRI)NANCE. Jt7i.v 27. Ro}•al Regiment or Artille►y—Lientenant•l'ol o uel Thos. Grantham to he Colonel, vice Ih►niey, deceased; Br e vet Lieutenant• Colonel Charles Herrick Burnaby to be Lieu. tenant•Colouel, vice Grantham; Second Captain Hubert Corcym Homer to be Captain, vice Burnaby; First Lieu tenant Hugh Bent to be Second Captain, v►ce Romer; Second Lieutenant Robert William Gregory Leonard to be First Lieutenant, vice Bent, July 22. 'ommission by the Queen. 4th Regiment of West Riding Militia—William Pollard, EST, to be Adjutant, April 5. Commission by the Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire. 4th Regiment of West Riding Militia—Adjutant William Pollard to be C'aptain, July 20. EXTRAORDINARY RACES AND LIVING ANOMALIES IN LONDON. (From a Correspondent.) SHOWNIEN no longer bring from afar apes and other strange beasts as a marvel and a wonder, but catch the wild man himself, and contrive to make coin out of the very colour of his skin, the configuration of Ins skull, or the exaggers t' of his features. London► is at the present time full of these strange varieties of the human race brought over by speculative travellers. The Zulu Caffres have their kraal in the St. George's Gallery ; the Earthmen make their burrow, fur aught 1 know, in the ccUars of 71, Regent street ; and the Aztecs crouch like ancient \lexica► idols on the carpet at the liauovcr•square Rooms. The party of t7affres chiefly owe the interest they excite to our late warfare with their race, which they have manag►d to pro tract so long and to maintain so boldly. The public are naturally curious to see specimens of a people who have put our twat sentient upon their mettle, and more than once conic off evenhanded with them. The party consists of thirteen—eleven men, and a woman and child, funning as wild and savage•loking a group when excited as ever dapped upon the canvas of a showman at Bartholomew fair. The ('ann•, however, in his ordinary mood, seems mild and docile enough : the nose is more aquiline, and the facial angle is many reinoven from that of the negr►, although, in this particular, then• exists considerable differ enee among the wen themselven ; several of them being evidently of a mixed breed, with a strong flavour of genuine Uncle Tom in them. It is by the face, and ',Teeter depth of colour only, however, that any adulteration in the race is perceptible. They are all exceedingly well made, having none of the protrusion of the tin calcis, or high insertion of the heads of the m u scles funning the calf, which mark the genuine nigger race. The chief incidents in Caftiv life are acted by thew people so energetically and truthfully that the spectator has before him a series of living picture. of the manners and customs of a savage nation. Thus he is moved with a certain horrible suspense whilst the grotesquelysttired witch•finder is smelling out from his fellows the aorcerer who Net br►ught sickness into► the tribe, and whose puninliment will be immediate death. By-the-bye, as OW of the Clans% is in in St. George's Hospital, I trust the wadi-tinder won't smell o ut Dr. Wilson, its senior physician. Again, the marriage dance affords an instance of the very accurate " titre " which most savage raves seem to possess, the moat grotesque attitudes anti rapid movements being executed by the entire number with an exactness which seemingly only n►a:hinery emild product'. A tight is als► represented between two tribes, with a savage vigour which is quite startling. The steady, noiseless, tigerlike stealing on of the watchful scouts, and then the horrible yelling and act' of the closed continuants, pictures to you only tor► str►ngly the nature of savage warfare. I was not a little amused to find myself, together with ■ mob of ladies, after the per fontiance, in what may be exiled the green-roo►m of the establishment—a large empty apartment, wherein civili tuition and barbarism for the nonce rub shoulders ; anti it was not a little curious to see fair maids of Tybun►ia and Belgravia walking about su unconeernedly among rattles in their full dress, patting their backs and smoothing their skins as calmly as though they were only eaxwork at Madame 'rimmed's. Really the ladies are growing dread• fully inquisitive ; and 1 would advise them, with these people at least, not to put too pointblank quest . 3, for they have not the happy art of using Innguage to disguise their thoughts ; apropea of which advice 1 will tell a little circumstance which occurred in my own presence. A lady of a certain age, observing nue of these dusky children ' noticing herself and young friend, and gabbling something laughingly to one of his fellows, eagerly asked the interpreter what he 11144 saying. The savage, on being interrogated, deliberately tipped some snuff from a cayenne pepper spoon into his nostril, and translated him speech from I 'mere tongue:—" I would give four cows for the young woman, and three for the old fine." The impression left of the I'mfilr•s is certainly not unfavourable to them, and the young afire woman and child are grest objeets of attraction to all. The pa•rso►n who brought them over evidentbydes•s not intend to produce incr. lion by aflOrding them too many of the comforts of civi lised life. " What is that row of dog•kennels for I asked, pointing to a low kind of dresser which runs round the walls, with mall openings herr and there. •• That, sir, is when• they sleep," was the reply ; nevertheless, they all were in excellent condition, and in no hurry to get back to Wide as are• the differences in the genus man, we question if a much greater contrast could be afforded than between the Aztec and the CoftVe. In the one we see the representative of an aggressive barbarism, in the