The Express. — London, England, 1850-01-31 00:00:00

earn thee di cup 'HEM— am rookrbed e for 11130, et lb, ma ... R .62111 „ u Pam „ Sok Moo, radios Taal The oporation of do Rusin siokiai food, for rodoolog the amoont of the orooral Woo aro dim fa tbo Sallowlog taiga : t omit roa SISIMOrroo orrosanrasii sawn or wt 6 ma MOT. ANDSNNW= MST ASP 1110180 nvs Pia raver. LOY& tor p MI6 reaalrloS, lon dr balms tram larmor paw. with dr orproollomo wtb eaplial rodomod. sad wita moo Mara woo mime plum as tiko dola alas war apart imelao6 oallai kr Ivy the oroirrro— Odd t00k0."....--- 141468 op. so / NAM 1.111,1111 47 0 " 1,434,101 SokMow . .16.119,767 414 „ 1,024.730 s4lB } , W Oisoodsellebratlig - a. disionimat sadelehaapertnt. liseemosissi r ail tor LSO OM mien &ln, Isr 9 ere. or ISSAS law fiefts. Wig Inda Warw kilowlag moult+ treastened to a sew* 41919999 — OW mar 1,073,409 Se 1711,N17 Doak asap. roads,. 11,743,339 31 ~ 109,431 Total 13134,347 TAPTTAL raft ILITIZITINO TWO MIS FITZ PIZ taws. LOAN. this mental we • formed la ISIS is the ibilewisi mason (al : be. ham temelnies flan 1.37 ; (3) 1 pee else. for dSehareing the all* sadperpetualtmoms Sues the capital redeemed; assouatlair the 010191tre to edger ronbLe Paid fr.rn tbi. fee capital el Meta drawn by let Winer ITAIVAT Balers tel6lo, silver swab; ?Mal 161,313 ATITAL TOO TIDIOI2IIIIO 111 Z 1111 TITS TIM CINT. LO%T. To!. capital was formed is the same mum es shown in the third 3 per nest. tom. sad amounted is all to Silver roubles Paid hem this ems fensipital dbUku draws by lut— Saver rouble. admen to len, same tribes 41.79) 4,3.1,3 Total 1.2,113 TR VIDAR= AND WIRT CAPITAL. rats caps el VA famed frost the rem alien were ordered to be burnt In 1812 and 1291, and gram bullion remised aa the loon of 1822 is London, and onseista of Gad roubks, 9,821,014 sal sop. at stsn,ole Starr 1,083,971 781 „ 311.862 Bank ' Dog „e, rouble' 3,313,010 19 „ 233,000 Total Z1,020,693 The anneal general meeting of the proprietors of the National Life Assurance Association wan held to-day at their offices in King William-street, when the report of the directors, t'getber with the ao counts, was reoriv•d az.cl adopted; the reduction on the rate of premiums on lives that had been insured for five years and upwards was at the rate of 37 per cent. From Antwerp we learn that there is every pro bability of the obnoxious " octroi" system (or inland town dues on products and merchandise) being shortly abolished in deference to the general wish of the country. The Min's:er of the Interior hes himself announced the wah of the government that the present system of town dues shouli be done away with as soon as means are devised by which its ab 'Mien can be effected without materially curtailing the financial resources of the mnnicipali ties. The Precurseqr points to this announcement or the minister as • significant proof that the prevent government, though opposed to the imposition of • high rats of duty on corn,is nevertheless very far from wishing, as charged b y its opponents, to eacri fioe the interests of the egricultural clan to that of the traders and manufacturers. au SLIN sr Cent *web ft per Cent Reek Rank Stack 974 2Mi Hir are Coot City Deb. of 1U Oa. 2d. . .... 76 Pairlatte laorrtaet Company ... ..........(IN. paid 71 4 City al Midis' steam -pockat Os= (Pi. t dd. Sid Min Company of Ire! d (7L paid 61 11161 load at. Wertern sad loyal Caw d Cit. Swam sad wecera 14dL Mo. 117.= d 300/. par li pa. Della aad Drortteda Otan loathers and W0aam.—.....—........................ 274 i SIMIAN Grid AND 6TOCSII ABROAD. Airman. Jan. 26.—Active Debt, Twoend-a-Half per Crab., 351 331 nreney; Ditto, Three per Chow, 63 toil*, 641 nymey; Date, Fear per Coate., 431 bills. 33 money: Abort Sind, Three. andth-Halt per Cents., 471 Ins, 67 money; ta.t In 'is Loan, Four per Cents.. 611 hills 64 ropey; Ranitio Fi - e per Centr., Hope and Cu., 1034 talls„ earecr; Ditto Four per Cents., bitteahtz, 141 Has, 64 noon; Spassish, nue pa Cents., 13 hill, 121 money; Dino. Three per Ceets.„ !abut. - :91 291 money • Austrian, Its, per Cents., SF Unique% 611 hills, Si bogey. In inland fonds the Foes per Cents. ware rather we steady to.day. In oortinental stock there was very little insbution. The Pernetut Loan was las in favour than for coon thr • pen; diewast, 21 per cent Happen. J. 94.—Ilarnhurg Three-meta-Half par Cutts., 47 hals, 114 bow; Hanoverian Fin per Caste, Ir 6 hills, 1031 ro nee; libieles The per Cars., 1064 bilis, 106 wen ; Luba* Loan. 1130 . loar.analth-Tlsif psi 971 hills, 971 money ; Rumba English LenkllllB hills, 11131neason; ditto, 1430, Four-aut.:6llW per data., 111 1 UM. 9 11 mart'; Fon per Cent. H.e burg Certif., 11* bile, 99 . money ; Hope sat Ca, lird and 4th seise. $4 men; Fee per Cents, eitieglitn and Cs, 611 Ma. 64 roes y: Tam pa Coats. 700 bills; Ditto. in 1004. Shoo, 711 Win; Dittee me clre Craw: 94 bills, lir ish. Hyp.„Pewr per Ow*, 93 MIL; Four per Mt. 991 bills, 931 moor! ; 9p.alah Flee per On6h, 111 lolls, Mayan ; Ditto, Three per awe. 111 MIX wenren ; sins Biz per tests, 1031 bilis. liadaas* ca Loadacc. 13.303; DUD; throe maths, 13% Boaszxsuu.s.—Haab. &rid., 934 bills; Berths Hauls., 764 1414,74 taareey; Cologne blinders, 94) bill, $4 wag ; Mod& bar, Blttealonset. 621 C 2 noon : Alrcaa Hk4, 91 Wle• Glue 'tad', 21 bl'.le; tnerthbaren, 4 , 1 bills; Hamb. Berg. Prissily lit per Cents., lei moan; Berlin Hebb. Polarity Four and a Half per Ceuta, 991 tills; 16:•0, red Emls.ita, 971 hills ; Colmar Minden, Foor-and.a.lialt per Cents., 100 bills, 100 mosey; Ditto, Fin tee Crib , In I money • Meeklenbarg Priority. Fooraanda-liall per Ceara, 100; bills, Ulu mmey. THIS DAY. Our o•Cwes. The following are the present quotations of the English sal taco' seeurit:es mann ruxtos. Shia Pipet, sest r , 13 pee et-Con. Ace.. 96i i 8 Per Ct. Sot AL,. 9rl 1 35 p.m CUL WI j 3 par C t.t1ea.A844.. tr. , 9.6 , 6444 801.1114. IP 454. 60111 LION PUN Pa Spit Ct. Austrian Bond, 1 per Cl.Opmela Mt, 18 19 et per CL ads. lloado.PJ 91 Or 114444144 Mk_ , 44 6 X P. CMS, 6 1 zr Ct. Not.. UK IR 1 8 per U. Imam Wt., PPP 4 9.2 Cl. Previa M.. 711 i Pitt. dew, PI P Portuattese Cutt!., Xi 7i I prr Ct. Howtor Ayr... V 5 6 4r Ct. itta.... Mc. 1 , !1 11 Mao Mita Wt.. 140 2 Dim tirtmtsh 111,. 18j 121 Ditto CANAL Dot alt.., v 3 ter Ct. svuush Ms . 314 7 Columbia Zotandur Mx. 41i t .. 1, I.Duet red 1k14.. Pc, Cl. Dial4ll 11.14., 72 4 I , lw. Putire Pd. ,3 4 94 trzr Ct. Dutch Bat. 651 j 2 par Ct. Viatauela Ptht. 4 psr Ct. Dutch Cala, 144 81 Vamasueli Itsferrel 114,.. 1314 Our simnel City intelligence will be given in a later edition. SMITHFIELD HAY-MARKEL-THIS DAY. hiewrs. Cooper ead Davis report trade very heavy. The following are tM quotation: Prime Meadow Hay, 66i. to 24. ; inferior ditto, 601. to 631. ; 50.. to 60s. ; Clover, 60e. to 801. ; Straw, 21,. to 255. CITY OF I.riNlYiN GENERAL PIIMPION SOCIETY. —A special g , neul =eeriest of the life subscribe= to this iasti'ution was held yesterday at the London Tavern, for the surpass of tale,ne into consideration the present condi tion of ti's funded property belonging to the Wee ty. Wm. 1•0•111. E q to.k t chair at 03d o'clock. The secretary, Mr. George Menu, opened the proceedings by stating that the &lest of the me-.i-g wu to cons,lidate the permanent fend belonging to the society, and transfer the whole of the stock into one account to be placed in the hands of four trusties to be rianard by the snbscriben. It appuared from the steretaty's Ida...mint that the society possessed eto:k to the amount of 7,3391. l3i. 6d., which consisted of a permanent fund of 6,7031. 17e, an available fund of 63:1. 61., and a girded fund arising from a beguile: of the W D. Broadbent, Esq.. amounting to 631. 10e. 63. The permanent fund we; invested in several separate fund', and in various different names,; in one trust three oat e but of •he trustees were dead; and in the olsev trove oar cr two or more were either dead or unable to an. In addition to the above-mentioned objects, it was alto nticessary to direct a positive transfer to be =ads from those separate trusts. litsolutioes to the fatowire effect were then proposed and unanimously carried, vile., that with a view to consoli date the Ferman. at fun =longing to the society, the whole of the stock invested in that respect be transferred into one account, and that such secount be stock is the theme-and-a quarter per cent. annuities; that Mr. Ambrose Born, Mr. IS. Ilind Cabbill, Mr. Luke J. Hansard, and Mr. Heuer Hayward I 40 Wu immolated to set is the place of his de ceased father, Mr. John Pearson Heyward), being severally life onbicsiblei to no ieritation, be appointed trustees of the society's plunancat toad, and that the various sums form ing eh 4 fund and row in the hinds of several uparate trus tees, be transferred to their account. Tie usual vote of thanks to the shabsesa was thee passed, and the wereting esperatei. [. ct] —Tux HumAtt HAIR.—Of the sulierees teeepnmd. constaatly announced ter promnt ins the Errhb or teprodoetion of the La .an hair, :me .a none, a very limited peri.al Itusi s emeer hs k e Z,,, oik. 77: reputation unpins lel4 - 4, I. rill as the inereass in public estimates. The unprecedented einem of this dim vow% tithe, in preserving the hair is its origins! Arendt and besaty,ar restorin e it time lout, M unmerselly beams and apemelaterl ; end mesette4 by tecimoniele most NIL tirmandme, and wrtigedbythe ingtime authorities It h a Abided the minim t h e af ai S .. sot ealp se raw& oar eon amen, bet thus the whole of Preen ileeti Mt. wee imd &Dreg. it admirably tor the lir ef Arm avu ef the rat lender age, and is genetantly employed wok pewee la ale smeary of royal' y, amt 1M hoagies of the nelgety aid allserentry. •,;* Beware of ladtatiosse. The may psalm his tbe words 0 Ito wieraff oa the wreney. [Advertilem nt.] —The Item AID BREAM A mud est d Meth tea mere eeeersek Isperece., while their prioneefue Yef Ye ulteret betrertreei M easy Individual, bob as remeds penal YAM by ebe paper mention ea ef 1,4, at d the was alellecat efr vv. and mg besea. Armee toe various eared 11.1 tba perms laribeit °dont., or es reeds umetealbee is he esesidletr of triabrlliebepr, Pearl purifyleDg. ▪ Petrelgthld ttre i ts S he ht - pined id Ilk It will be dead allikeerei Weer sod easiretreee. is eel insert sr pidrl•lik• white ners Or dr memeilled roan: semen opine reet la bee MI6 Ors* le the logo* mew tire gem dr. sad rye. sad true de ehmeedle Yews, she wrereares trod NO to the We*. Mae PAW pm We. datier.—Te proem etre pour tram trend the new rad erblreme, lfree. "A. lbeetreed red Ir. 111‘ ere seetreved Ake mp, art leb etr Gelb kid by &meal &mire THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY ght Corns.. 0171 . 0011t0 mum The West Wilt NON £.d. Beredwhe. Mavisash, Ni,ONS 11014111114 N I Orleme. wed Mahe, wed useludiog lbw kr Madan. IN. Jess6lioNiesregui, New armada, cm, bed Peru. will be Radom} we the isoesiwg .1 lbb. 2. ' The male ter Mader's, the Brunk sad Beane Ayreforill M wade up ow the imolai el Feb. 4. The omee lor Wm* irk', sad Gibriater win be mode op ea Feb. 7. re. nails WI Marseilles, to the Meditreessess, Onion, loons. Heag-Hoog, Is., will be made up es the amiss et Feb. 7. mil kw B ritish North AMISH* mud MO the Oohed era be Nude up ea the meatus olFeb. I. The wails Is, Gibraltar, Mahe, Greve% the balsa Wands, Rapt, Callow. tad* sad via ilowleamotes, will be made up ea tmorals; of Feb. M. ILION WATIII AT LONDON DIMON. To 1144—I1arsiwg. 41. No. Allen.., 4 4No. T.MAeel—tent/, Ott. 40. Arm.. 414 I. LONDON, THURSDAY; JANUARY SI. Tan pet Frment of the protectionists, and espe cially of their journals, has been that paucity of work, lowness of wages, and increased poor rates, were the inevitable consequences of free trade. Not contest with prophesying this lustily, they dual to assert that all their pro pheci es in this respect were verified. The Morning se, above all, was so load and so unblushing in its assertions, that we took the pains to collect some information on the subject both from manufacturing and agricultural district!. Our correspondent at Manchester very ably and fully answered our queries, in an interesting latter which appeared in Monday's Erma& And wa could complete the evidence, even foe the moat be nighted of agricultural districts. We have no doubt, however, that the parliamentary speeches of to-day will con tain an ample esposl, which will set the matter quite at rest. We cannot, however, allow the testiassay which has reached us from the manufacturing districts to pass without especial notice. Oar correspondest states that be has visited 30 of the largest mantes tories at Manchester, and that in no single ease has be found wages in any degree reduced since the aura law was repealed. On the contrary, the rata of wages had been maintained at more than the average of the best years, although the now Factory Act di minished from 69 to 6S the number of hours per week during which the operative was employed. " Ewen if we desired to reduce wages," mid one of the manufacturers whom our correspondent visited, " we should not dare attempt it ; we should have a strike immediately." Such is the demand for labour, that the Manchester operatives indeed are looking not for any decrease in the rate of wages, but rather for an advance. " They are ready at this moment to seize on any pretext to advance themselves." " I scarcely dare speak," said one manufacturer, " I scarcely dare speak to my weavers now about a d.-- election for spoiled work : if such a thing is only hinted, except in a very gross case, the answer comes as fairly and independently as can be conceived, leave the mill first—there is plenty of work now P" llsre is the obvious operation of supply and de mand upon the rate of wages without any reference whatever to the prices borne by the first necessaries of li'e. Trade is good, large orders are given for manufactures, consequeatly there is a demand for labour to produce these manufacturer. And when hands are thus in full employ and a good workman is regarded u something of a treasure, it is not to be supposed that the rate of wages will be very likely to undergo a diminution. At Manchester, says our correspondent, " not only are the operatives fully employed, and have cheaper food, but they are more comfortably 'Ousted than they ever were; they assume a more independent attitude, are more card for and respect. d by em ployers, more temperate, and more intent on self improvement than mil;-hands of past generations." With such facts before u., what becomes of the pro tectionist fallacy that "low prices mean low wages" —that repeal of the corn laws cnly was required that the artificer might be made to labour at starvation prices ? The prosperity our correspondent points to is not eonfioed to Manchester. We unhesitatingly aver that it is general among the labouring classes. We de clare, and not without good meanktf information, that at no corresponding period of any former year within public recollection were the poor throughout the kingdom so well off as they are in this present January, 1850. In every branch of industry work le abundant, and wages are proportioned to the abundance of employment, whilst, at the same time, the low price of the first necessaries of life affords the lab-neer =opportunity of obtaining comforts that were unknown to him before. There is scarcely a district in England in which the poor rates at this present' time are not lower than they were at the com spond iog period of last year. This is the case in same of the mat purely egricuitural counties. It is the case in the largest unions in North Essex and in Bucking inghamsbire, the very seats of protection. Returns which are now or which will speedtly be in the pos session of the Poor Law Commissiouers, will prove these facts most remarkity. How are the protec tionists to meet them? How in the face of such striking evidence are they to establish the truth of their old position that "low prices means low wages ?" It con Sheffield we have accounts of the most re markable prosperity: Wages Li the cutlery trenches have a strong upward ten dines; and for the ordicsry common work, of which the grealaet quantity is required, and which employs the greatest number at Itss, prima are already higher than they were at this period last year. In some branches of the table knife trade the advanee is from 10 to 20 per cant., and in some eases 'yea more. In the better kind, of table knives the workmen ere expecting an adv.nce in their wages, and the employers are expecting to pay it. All are well employed In the razor trade, which has lose been depreiseed, and prires forted vary low, there has been a change for the better, and that which could be procured lest year for Is. 41 must now be paid ls. 9eL fer. Men who had left this trade and sought employment elsewhere are now returning to it with every prospect of full employment. The spring knife trod. (pen and pocket knives) has suffered more than any other in this town, the workmen having been the worst remunerated and the moat overeteckedwith numbers. A very gratifying change is now taking plat ; good workmen are alre ad y obtaining better wages and fuller employment : indeed, so plentiful are orders, that cos saanniacturer is offering an advance of 101., to be repaid by instalments, to any workmen that will engage to serve him for a short period of years. This has not been the case in this trade for msny years. Sheffield only a few years ago was a mass of pauperism. Here is a picture of its condition at the present time. Nottingham, early 1-st year, was in a dreadful state from the pressure upon its rates : we are told now that it is in a most prosperous condition, and that at the neighbouring town of Derby the only difficulty is to get men to work more than three or four days a week. At the protectionist meeting in the agricultural town of Bedford, the feeling of the people of that county was very clearly expressed upon this subject. The straw plait trade is largely carritd on in Bedfordshire. Never was it known to be so flourishing as at the ient time. Every agricultural labourer's wife and family may be employed in plaiting ; and the agricul tural labourer* do not want their earnings in this or any town taken from them, so they nut the squirearchy of the county to the rout, despite the high sheriff and his avowed determination only to hear one side. Indeed, it would be ditncult to have a better proof of the feeling of the labouring elutes as to their own position than the scenes which take place at these protection meetings. We are told of squires being on the platform and of farmers with horsewhips throng i the county balls. But where are the agricultural taboatsea P On no one recision have we been told of agricultural labourers come to represent their grie vances. The squires have been unable even to get up a demonstration of " frose-out gardeners." It is clear their own workpeople are not with them. And as for those of the labouring classes who are inde pendent of their control, it is equally clear that they are all opposed to them. Ir there be one thing which put experience has proved to be mare indispensable to the good manage ment of railways than another, it is, not blind confi dence by shareholders in director., htd confidence by directors in shareholders. If directors will con tinue, by the superior advantages of their position, to steal marches on their constituencies; if, set oostoot with the exercise of the executive functions sod the great patronage consigned to them, they will endea vour to control the representative and deliberative privileges of their shareholders ; if they will insist on having, on one pretence or other, boards really selected by themselves, and sot fairly sad freely glum by their proprie tors; if they will, by redone mum sal patrattien, videos this genera ineettlegm of their ompasko to " railwayatfuen cannot be preporlycon dusted ; for, seder an a system, therols ilia reason shisseurity !Departsa a niV i tess of pupate in the policy of railway test, ability, sad clergy may prevail at the delibentions d direeton so := 4e ; : c ut shareholders ennui be expected to gaps is gentlemen who place none in them. Of this serious defect in railway policy, the mu of the Brighton Company, held on Tosiy, exhibited a notable example. Of the Board of Direction of that company Mr. SAMUEL LAING is chairman. This xen times is, by profession, a barrister-at-law. Now prolieluey in legal studies in itself affords, it will be obvious, but small recommendations for efficient rail way management ; for with the latter, legal know ledge has as much connexion as with squaring the cir cle or discovering Sir JOHN FRANKLIN, and it tends to the cultivation of faculties and of a frame of mind ill suited to the conduct of mercantile weaves. But Mr. LAING, at an early period, resigned his prof... sion for a subordinate situation at the Board of Trade. In that situation he was called on to report on the various railway schemes of the memora ble year 1845. His report, were distinguished by very considerable ability, by great clearness of view and expression, and by much special pleading. Their recommendations were, however, very gene rally disregarded or overruled by pirkament. In 1848, when the railway mania roes to its height, Mr. Lanco quitted the Board of Trade, and joined (what now no lon ger exists), the " Railway Bar." Here, again, Mr. LAING had considerable 1140008111 particu larly in consultations. But, as Mr. lingo left the Board of Trade, so did railways leave the " bir," which had so generally and disinterestedly devoted itself to their interests; and on a vacancy recurring in the chair of the Brighton Railway Board, by Mr. ORE n reLL's passionate retreat, Mr. LAING war selected by the remaining directors es a colleague, and was by them placed in the deserted and unenvied chair. Undoubtedly Mr. LAING had previously some experience of railway policy, of railway law, and parliamentary practice ; bat of railway management tie had never had a single hour's acquaintance, before he assumed the control of the Brighton Company. His election was consequently a great, and, perhaps, considering that nearly 10 millions of money was at stake, a rash experiment. Still, it was an experi m.nt that the then directors Lad the legal power to make, and that public meetings of the company did not object to. Moreover, his colleagues at the board showed their confidence in his capacity by re egning to him the Fireater part of their pecuniary allowance. Mr. LAINO is therefore now chairman of the Brighton board, and is learning his businesses such, at a high salary given him, not by the shareholders, but by the rest of the board. And that Mr. LAING is much too able a man to fail in his educational career as a railway chairman, is proved by the augmented value of the Brighton stcck since Le presided over it. But as it is useful to mark the progress and his'ory of railway management, so also is a knowledge of these particulars of the steps by which Mr. LAING nu be come Chairman of the Brighton Bleed, needful to the proper comprehension or what took place at the Brighton meeting on Tuesday, and of the objections to which the principal occurrence is obnoxious. Thu', then, it appears that Mr. LUNG was not originally chosen a airector by the Brigh'on 'there holders, but that he was elected by the Brighton di rectors to reacu t them from a position of great diffi cul,y, and that ho has teen partially successful. Mr. LAING has, consequently, great power over his colleagues. But he is not, by temperament or dispo sition, a man who tepees much confidence or faith in his fel low-creatures. His philoeophy is of a saturnine character, and his habits of thought and life are not generous or sympathetic. He is a man, u we have said, of considerable ability and of considerable energy •, but he is impatient of control, and likes to have things all his own way. Not having been originally chneen by the shareholders, he does not ap pear to have mach regard for them. Well. during the last half year, two vacsncies by death occurred at the Brighton b oard ; but, as that board consisted of the average strength, there was not any absolute or imperative necessity to fill (nem up before the general meeting. The company's :effigies would not have been in any way damnified by leav ing the choice of the two new directors entirely to the shareholders whet, they met. It is true that the 8 Viet., c. 16, s. 89, gives directors power to supply eirli vacancies; but the power given is perms-lye only; they " may "do so "if they think prop-r," but there is no obligation to fill up vacancies. Toe power was obviously meant to provide against difficulties, but not to substitute directorial choice for shareholders' election, where avoidable : for the directors ea chosen become incorporated into the board without the consent of the proprietary ; and their continuance therein is immediately made a . question of confidence in the general management. Thus the priv:leges of shareholders is the choice of directors are, by this skilful operation of boards, filched from them. Now this is exactly what Mr. LAING and the Brighton Board appear to have done. Tney first, unnecessarily, though legally, filled up the vacan cies that occurred by electing two gentle men—one of whom. it is stated, was not previously a shareholder—as directors ; and then proceeded to treat their continuance, or ra' . her the continuance of one of them (for the name of the other has not even yet been brought before the proprietary) as a question of confidence, to be dealt with only by i a railway Inaehle or revolution. Threatened with an oppositim, and not daring to put the °impiety to the expense of a canvass and of proxies, they subscribe a CALVIN/I aed proxy fund amougst themselves, and beat up for support amongst the shareholders as if the outgoing directors were all candidates for admission into the Philanthropic Institution or into St. Ante's Schools, or were engaged in a hot contest for the beadledom of the parish of Sydenham. And by these unworthy means the board obtain the votes of one million out of pee, n millions of stock—an amount, unfortunately, quite sufficient for the purpose. Of the respective merits of the candidates for the direction on this occasion we know nothing. But we are strongly of opinion that the course pursued by the Brighton board, first, in unnecessarily electing two directors, and in then canvassing for the con firmation by the proprietary of their choice, is totally destructive of the representative principle on which these corporations have been founded, is eaten :ated to beget suspicion as to the motives of the directors, and is a state of things which requires legislative correction. At all events it is not a course that men of high and delicate honour pursue, and it is quite inconsistent with the assertion of the claims of shareholders which Mr. LAING made at the recent meeting of the railway delegates. For Mr. LAING to deny that the board did canvass and issue proxies on this occasion was an unworthy quibble ; and for him to regard the result of the con teat into which he plunged, as expressive of the Brighton shareholders, is opposed to the first princi ples of arithmetic. Railway boards have not, it cannot be too fre quently repeated, anything to do with the choice of directors; for boards to interfere therein is a piece of unjustifiable interference with their constituents' rights; for them to canvass on such a subject is inde cent fur them to succeed in their canvass is no triumph. This spirit of cliquerie, this system of directorial dictation, this practice of boards choosing director., must be destroyed, if it be not abandoned, before railway management can be greatly improved. Though Mr. OLYN, Mr. DENISON, and Mr. RUSSELL are not so liberal in language and in professions on the audit questi.n as Mr. LAINO, they would disdain to follow the bad example he has set them on the question of directors. BRVEISILS, JAN. 29.-POSTAL CONVENTION M t/rum GUILT HARLIN AND BILIMUII.—The I/mutant' Belye et this day publishes the text ..f the posad efonveution ooncluded between his Mskety the King of tha Belgians and her M►jesty the Geer* of Great Brimin and Ireland. TA. ratilicationi were exehanged on the 17th. TIDE Or TUFADAT.—The high tide which on Tueeday canned so much damage along the banks of the Thames, produced limit., disutrou results on a lug' portion of the eastern coact. TO Medway, like the Thames, was much swollen—the water overflowed AO butts, and sedated a large space of country. At Ipswich, it waa the highest tide that had been experienced fu many yeas. At Lynn, the tide rose to an alarming height, and the whole of the newer portion of the town near the river wu inundated. Beaten experienced a similar S. ding, end a s p r i, us d ame of is reported. The Humber had its share of the It rase ts 29 feet 7 inches by the Humber dock germ, end before high water the lower part of Hull woe inundated. Steelier aunts of the disastrous effects of the tide have been received from Emily other plum on this part 1 of the oust 1:41-, JANUARY 31, 1850. FRANCE. PARIS. Wassusur. 5.30 P.M. The law regulating the Matins of workers and =lien in regard to weaving, was again peeped through a stags In the Loginlnn Assembly Jester The enmities on the budget received a com munication on Tuesday from the Miniver of Public, Works of the treaty concluded between the Govern ment and the &atom of the Bt. Edema and Lymis Railroad. This treaty authorises the com ma/ to construct a double line of rails firom Lyons to Onion, parallel to the Lyons and Avignon line. The majority of the committee declared themselves favourable to tte treaty. There is no other news. The announces ent I made yesterday of the re gain made to France on the subject of Switzer!and, is confirmed by the Opinion Puitique and the Ordre. The latter journal gives itself up to considerations on this subject, and mention in connection with it the arrival of Count Strogonoff, the new Run= plenipo tentiary. The Orde says : The news of an ultimatum having been signified to Swit zerland by the continental powers, relative to the taking of energetic measures against the mencoavres of the refugees, was yesterday the sullen:tot much eon venation in the Assem bly. It is said that the intended abettor of a Russian ambas ■sdor to Paris, to conoterbaleneethe infinenee of the English ambassador, it connected with this qaestion. If these rumours ars confirmed, and if the Swim cantons, of which some are teamed of weakness, and others @amputated of a kind of com plicity with foreign radicals, who dream the overthrow of Europe, refuse to pay attention to the demands which have been or are &boat to be addressed to them, the French go vernment will find itself placed with regard to Switzerland almost in the same situation as was with regard to the re• public of Mania' at the time when the armies of Naples and of Austria threatened to march on Rome; the difference being that the present 'ignition would be more serious, as in this are the question of protecting a catholic interest, com mon to the different powers, who might he divided on the subject of political interest, cannot be involved. If the ez petion, although founded on the most powerfulLcomaidera. tines, was attended with immense inconveniences, which are even yet telt, we may judge of the embarrassments and the danger which may arise from tho new 4:implication its European affairs. Never had OUT r,overniseat greater need of prudence and of firmness. We hope that it will pass thron,uh the trials which are preparing (.4 it with glory to itself and to us. Count Strogonoff is related to a powerful Russian family, and has resided in Paris. He is to keep open house, according to instructions. The Debate says:—" It is positively stated that the minister of justice will, this t.ay or to-morrow, make a demand to the Legislative Assembly, relative to filling up the vacancies caused by the condemnation by the High Court of Justice at Versailles of certain representatives, bosh those who took their trials and those in default. Tnis demand cmld not be presented until certain formalities, prescribed by the law of Da cember, 1849, had btea gone through. It will be necessary to convoke the electoral colleges in 15 de partments to replace the 29 members who hive lost their seats. It is calculated tint the elections may take place about the 10th of March." No such communication es that mentioned by the Mbals has taken place to-day in the Assembly. The subject under debate was the stud of St. Cloud. M. o,u du Roslan, first secretary of embassy, and M. Albert de Ihlmas, attaché of the mission at Buenos Ayres, left Paris last evening for Brest, where they are to embark fur South America, with instructions for Admiral Lepredour and M. Devoize, the French consul-general at Monte Vtdeo. BOURSE. PARIS, JAN. 30. For For AOCALIV. , Money. , Opening , ilightvt. Loriest. (Among. —— 8 pee Cants. 37 85 38 0 Se 0 S 7 45 37 90 3 per Cents. 95 20 93 20 93 53 95 10 93 IS ! do. New Loma.. „ or r• N „ n 8 per Cents. I. Is n 4 per Gana 1 ITU ” ~ ~ Esobange on London : 90 day s, 25 40 ; 9041435, 4 274 (money). ..r..., 1840 3, IOU Do. 48 Da. 58 ' ..... ... . „ Bank Shares Piedmont 3 per Coats 97 0 „ But: w.—St. Germain, 415; Tensing* (richt bank), 203 75; Ter' sailks (left bank), 170; tineons, SNP; Rouen and lime, 255 75 Pari • and Rouen, 557 50; Avignon and 31aneillcs, 215 ; Strasbourg and Bale, 115 ; Centre (Vierson), 310 ; Orleans and Boman:, 415 ; North, 011 75; Parkland Sfra•bnurg, 360; Tours and Nantes, 57450; Montereau and Troyes, 112 50; °rand Connie, 600. MADRID, JAN. 24.—Three per Cents., 271 account. Your per Ceuta., 121 paper. Five per Cents., 111 paper. Coupons, 71 raper ; Bank or at. Ferdinand, al. tattange on London, 30.33. Irpe Court. WINDSOR, JAN. 30. The Queen and his Royal Highness the Prince Albert took their usual early morning walk. The royal family took walking and pony exercise in the Slopes and Windsor Perk. PRIVY COUNCIL. Her Majesty held a Privy Council at 2 o'clock. It was attendee by his Royal Highness the Prince Albert; the Marquis of Lansdowne, Lora President; the Earl of Minto, Lord Privy Seel; Lord John Royal, First Lord of the Treasury; Sir George Grey, Secretary of State for the 1100313 Department; Viscount Pabnenton, Secretary of State for For. ign Affairs; Earl Grey. Secretary of State for the Co lonies ; Sir Charles Wood, Chancellor of the Exchequer ; Sir John Hnbhouse, Presidenr of the Board of Control; Lard Campbell, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster; the Right Hon. Henry Lahouchere, President of the Board of Trade ; tie Earl of Carlisle, First Commissioner of the Woo ts and Forests ; the Right Hon. Fez Mauls, Secretary at War ; the Marquis of Breadalbane, Lord Coamberlain ; and the Doke of Norfolk, Muter of the Horse. Lord John amen had an audience of the Queen previous to the council. The Marquis of Lanedowtin bad also an audience of her Majesty. At the Privy Council an election was ordered for two Scotch Peers, in the room of the Earl of Airlie and Lord Colville, of Culross, deceased.—The Queen's Spa eh, on opening the &melons of Parliament, was arranged andagreed ueon.—The Hon. William Bathurst was the Clerk of the Council in Waiting.—Mr. Justice Taltourd was presented to the Queen, at au audience, by the Right Hon. Sir George Grey, her Majesty's principal Secretary of State for the Home Depart ment, kissed hands upon his appointment, and had the honour of Knighthood conferred upon him by her Majesty. —The Right Hon. Sir David Dundee, Judge Advocate- General, had an audience of the Queen, and submitted to her Majesty the proceedings of some courts martial.—Her Majesty was attended by Lard Comoro, Lord in Waiting, and Major-General Sir Frederic Stovia, Groom in Waiting. —After the council, luncheon was aerated to the miListers and officers of state in attendance. Shortly after three o'clock, Lord John Russell, the Mar quis of Lansdowne, Earl Grey, the Earl of Carlisle, the Earl of Minto, the Marqui. 01 Breads'belie, Viscount Palmerton, Lord Campbell, Sir George Grey, Sir Jetta Hobhouse, the CM-m*llm of the Exchequer, Mr. Lsbauchere, Mr. Fox Menlo, and the Hon. W. Bathurst, took their departure, returning to town by a epeeist train on the Great Western Railway. The Duke of Norfolk, the Right Hon. Sir Datil Dundee, and Sir Thomas Telfourd also left the Castle. The Duchess of Sutherland and Lady C. Leveeon Gower are expected to arrive at the Castle this evening. The royal dinner party this evening will include her Royal Highness the Duehen of Lent, Lady Fanny Howard, Baroness de Botch, the Duchess of Sutherland, Ludy C. Lemon Gower, and Sir George Cooper. The Queen's private band will attend after dinner. A Sub-Committee of the Commission for the Exhi bition cf that met yesterday, at the of of the Board of Trade. There were present Earl Granville, Mr. Jones Loyd, and Mr T. F. Gibson. The Marquis of Lansdowne, as Lord President of the Council. entertained a distinguished party of peers last evening, at a full-dress dinner, at Lansdowne House. Lord John Russell, First Lord of the Treasury, gave a lull dress dinner yerterday evening, at his officul residuum in Downing street, to the following party: The ! Right Hon. the Speaker of the House of Commons, the lion. Charles P. Villiers, the Mover, and Sir James Duke, Rut. the Seconder of the Address in the House of Com mons; Viscount Palmerston, Viscount Ebrington, Lord John Hay, Lord Marcus Hill, Lord Allred Paget, Lord Clarence IPapet, Sir George Grey, the Chancellor of the Suhequer. Sir John Hobbouse, Sir Francis Baring, Sir William &entrain., Sir David Dundee, the Right Hon. W. G. Hirer, the Right Hon. Fox Mauls, the Right Hon Henry Lahoucnere, the Right Hon. R. Lelor Shell, the Right Hon. W. Srbright Lamellas, the Attorney- General. the Solialtor.Oeneral, the Lard Advocate of Scot land, the Solicitor-General for Scotland, the Rom J. Elliott, the Hon. William Cowper, the Hon. Col. Amos, the Hon. Cul. Robert Boyle, Admiral Ludas, Admiral Berkeley, Mr. R. Suomi, Mr. G. Curnewall L:mia, Mr. Benjamin Haw e, Mr. Gibson Craig, Mr. R. M. Bellew, Mr. H. Rii h, Mr. H. Tedfaell, Mr. James Wilson, Mr. J. Parker, Mr. M. T. Dailies. and Mr. R. W. Grey. Her Majesty's speech, delivered this day (by royal com mission) on opening the session of parliament, we. read by Lord John Russell to the assembled guests. Lady John Russell had an assembly last evening at her residence in Chestnut-plus. RETIZINIENT OP LORD DERMAL—It is said that Lord Denman, yielding to the representations of Lo• 1 Br 'ages= (who arrived from Puis on Monday). bee at length determined to retire from the bench. His ineeessor, according to present arrangements, is to be Lard Campbell. TUE BOARD OP ADKIRALTIN—Lora John Hay is about to retire from the kinalralty, u d Captain Houston Stewart, IL.N , Comptrotler Gourd of the flout gnaw, will succeed him —Morning Parr. WINDOW AND BRICIE DUTIES. Oa Tuesday but a meagre= deputatioa, repro sentlag Tuitions philanthropic, architectural, and sani tary saciatiss of the metropolis, waited by appoiet mut 06 the Board of Health, and was received by Lord Ashley, Mr. Edwin Chadwick, and Dr. South wood Smith. Lord ASHLEY in the chair. Lieut.-Colonel SYKES explained the object of the deputation. It was to obtain an official expression of opinion on the part of the board respecting certain impediments to the construction of healthful habita tions, connected with our fiscal burdens, which had been langcomplained of by all persons who had been engaged in the philanthropic endeavour to improve the dwellings of the working clues., or who had been professionally employed in works of construc tion. The board, it was hoped, would use its media tion with government, and he bad then every con fidence that the evils to which he alluded would be speedily removed. Mr. N. B. WARD s'ated, that during the thirty years that he had followed the profession of a surgeon in the parish of St. George's-in-the-East, the defec tive constructitin of the habitations of the working classes, in respect to light and ventilation, had been continually forced anon his attention, and finding that the evil was one to be greatly traced to the window duties, he had come to bear his testimony to their injurious operation. Dr. SW HERLAND, one of the medical inspectors of the board present, confirmed the statements of Mr. Ward. Ophthalmia waii, perhaps, the only exception to a fact now familiar to medical practitioners,—that reoovery from disease might be hastened by simply removing a patient from a darkened room to one with abundance of light. Mr. C. GATLIFF, secretary to the society f - r im proving the dwellings of the working classes, said that the annual expenses connected with an adequate supply of light, air, and water to the buildings they had erected, were such as greatly to impede, and almost to paralyse the operations of the society. They were now paying upon their institution in St. Pancras the sum of 1821.185. in window duties. This was • charge of 1 per cent. per annum upon the original outlay ; and a fourth of this sum arose out of the tux upon the windows of their waterclosets ; their being one watereloret to every separate finite of three rooms throughout the building. Mr. W. E. HICKSON observed that the revenue produced by the window duty, at the date of the last completed return (April 5, 1848), was 1,733,9191. Whether the Chancellor of the Exchequer could spare this large amount from the public treasury, and whe ther the real property of the country should be relieved to this extent were financial questions wholly distinct from the objet of the present deputation. If there were to be a choice of taxation, he was of opinion that the abolition of the excise duties would better promote trade and industry than the entire exemptiou of hone property from fiscal burdens; but if houses were to cintinue to be taxed, it way surely possible to tax th-m in such a mutter that the system of eves meat adopted should not operate as a direct premium for the encouragement of dirt, darkness, and deka ive ventilation. There were two obiec•ions to the window duties : one was inequality of asseaament, which made them oppressive—but this was the minor evil. The more serious objection to them was their prohibitory character is respect to light and air; felt not in the houses of the rich, where the tax was paid, bat in the houses of small trades men (the lodging house landlords of the poor) where the tax is now almost universally evaded. He could net believe that Sir Charles Wood would incur the respensibilty cf allowing each a baneful system to remain in ope ration another session ; but as they might pos sibly be told by him that he wee rut a sani tary commissioner, and that, having his attention solely occupied will ways and means, he had no knowledge of metiers concerted witrt health and sick ness. The prest nt deputation had applied to the B estd of Health, principally with the hope that all the facts connected with this case might by the board be offiaslly placed before the gevernment. Mr. GODWIN, • practical architect, extensively connected by e'rcumstances with the building profes sion, begged permission to add a word upon the mis chievous operation of another duty seriously interfer ing with w orks efeenstruction,—the excise duty t.pon bricks. Although the duty levied WAS but ss. 10d. per 1,000, the effect of the duty and the re strictions connected with it was to double the price to the public. Since the criginal imposition of this duty, the pies ri . brickwork had risen from 71. 103. per rod to 12/., while the value of all oilier materials used iti buldirg had de clined. The duty was levied as soon as the bricks were stacked, and before they were burnt. the manufacturer, therefore, had to ply upon all that were spoiled in the burning, and this so raised the price of the best bricks, as to create a market f bricks of the most infamous quality—fragile, porous, utterly incapable of reins iog damp and wet, and cer tain to crumble to powder within a few years. A majority of the houses now in proc as of erection in the suburbs of the metropolis were being built of bricks of this description. A further effect of the duty was to increase disproportionately the cost of hollow bricks, so useful in promoting the dryaees of walls; and it was a general discouragement to all improvements in the form in which this material was at present employed. Lord ASHLEY, seeing Mr. Lindley present, in quired what was the effect in Hamburg of the ab *trice of these or similar restrictions, in reference to the extensive works of construction upen which he was there employed ? Mr. LINDLEY said that, with regard to bricks, he was enabled to purchase for 153. per 1,000 bricks of a similar quality, but of somewhat smeller size, to those for which he should be charg. d 35.. per 1,000 in this country. Bricks were, in fail, so cheap in Hamburg that a coneiderable export trade was car ried on in them with all parts of the world, including our own colonies. Vessels in the Elb •. instead of dredging for gravel as in the Theme, took out bricks as ballast. With regard to the absence of window duties in Germany, the difference was visible at a glance. No one there would be csntent with a single window to a room where a greater number could be obtained. It would be considered living in a hole. The entire facade of some of the houses be:ween Hamburg and Vienna might be described as being of glass. Mr. CHADWICK would suggest that this object might possibly be accomplished by a commutation of both the window and brick d,:tiss into a moderate house tax, of course avoiding the objection of moque assessment, which rendered the original house tax unpopular, and caused it to be aboli•hed. Although as a financial question such a propositioa wa not one for the consideration of the Board of IL alth, it might be submitted by the de putilion on a future occasion to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Lord ASHLEY said that as sub , rdinate depart ment of govt rement, the Board of Health had, as the deputation must be aware, no power of interference with the measures which her Majesty's minis ters might deem it necessary to support from considerations of revenue. With regard, however, to the sanitary evils to which the depot ttion had al luded, there could be no doubt whatever on the sub ject. Tney were all of one opinion. if a strong ex pression of that opinion on the part of the board would serve the object, it should certainly be given. " But," said his lordship," it will be fit you, as repre senting the public, to follow up the 'Went, n . Ton have made telt, day. You have been hitting the right nail on the head, you must now drive it home; and I can only further say, that I trust the ntmo.t success will attend your exertioas." After a few words from Colonel SYKES, thanking his lordship for the courtesy with which they had been received, and the highly satisfectJry result of the interview, the deputation withdrew. EXPENSES OP VORONEIU3' INQUE.PS.—It appears from all official ratan! that baterossa the 13:h of Auaust last and the 3rd of October, Mr. Pickier, corons r for the western d vision of bliddl.sez. held inquisitions upon 153 deed !mate., the fees upon which were 2041., and miles., and disbursements 2361. 13s. 3d. ; and betweon the CI: of oe ' tuber and the 31st ot December, 246 inquisitior a, the eo.t attehdino which was 732 i. 16.. 34.: total inquosts, 399 ; cost, 9691. I la, 64. Between the 18th of Aogv.st andthe 6th of October Mr. Baker held 173 inquiestso na, the upraise attending which ware 5651. 164.7 d.; an 4, between the 9th of October and the 31st of December :128 inquisitions, tks expenses upon which were 7301. 14x. 6.1.: total inquests, 401 ; cost, 1,2961. 10.. Id. From the Ist of August to the 31st Decomber Mr. Bedford, the coroner for W. stminater, held 138 inquests, the eosts upon which were 3911. 4s. Bd. and between the lit of July rad the 31st ot December Mr. Riggs, the coroner for the Duchy of Lancaster, held 13 in quests, the coats upon which wee* 521 13s. 2d. General total ;—ingussts, 919 i expenses, 2,71'21.195. 6d. PARLIAMENTARY AND FINANCIAL REFORM, GREAT MEETING AT HE FREE-TRADE HALL, MANCHESTER. A brief description of this meeting, ore of th e and mat infinentlal ever held In th e F ree -trade largest oa was given in the Pope's. yesterday. Mr. GEORGE WILSON, woo presided, roe tt open , h t , proceedings precisely at half past seven e' c l ec k , and mad; They were assembled an this occasion as members and f r i end , of the Financial and Parliamentary Reform Association, 11, the purpose of soaking the co-operation of the meeting , 4 favour of a scheme for the enfranchising the people, to a cer. tain extent, through freehold qualifications; to repeat their at surances col confidence in the members ter Mane inter; arq.., have a few lot words with their old friends the prote et i l j, fists, in order that they Welt be warned that, howev er amusing their operatior• had been during the bet three or four months, it was only right to inform them t ez . pastel, and mildly, yet fi rmly, th a t the first rens a attempt, on their part, to disturb the existing ceder of thin: e Of endanger the permanency of fro- trade, would involve them in consequences which, es wise men, til t , ought properly to conrider. (Cheers.) By finateiel reOgi was meant a thorough and searching inveatigat on o t ,, every description of the expenditure of the country ; sod farther, a determination to co-operate with ev ery s i m il ar w i itty n the kingdom. for the purpose cf procuring th e reduction of such expenditure, acurding to the pl propes,g in Mr. Cobden's huffiest, of ten millions ravine He would at once repudiate the idea (if loch coo, for a moment be entertained) that their roetety hd ever contemplated making this movemeet art,tf.in g 1 44 as a means to an end. If any gentlem an t ,,,, zt held an opinion that, by the mode of entriusehfaernent they advocated, they intended to prevent the pro;er and foil enfraochiseutent of the people —or even to propose it es 4 substitute for ether—be might at once believe them they stated that they washed their hands emir, ly or task motive : the idea was fallacious. Their ahem: contereol nut the borough voters in the "lightest dente. They titre proposing to deal with one hundred and fifty rain. mg t . Inn of parliament fur England and Wale', w. o xd. Wb blocks of granite, opposing all kinds of reform in the House of Commons. The scheme appeared to Lim (.le. %lett) to be the most practicable plan for obtaining a ch. or, in the representation as far as the county voters were c,I ter- ; it was • more practieabli plan than any that hal yet hot, submitted to the luhlic. Their (view's, when they took their seat, in the house, mould, be had no doubt, meie run. lutions in favour of arbitration and pew, vote by h:!..t, equafintion of taxation, and the extension of the franchis which reso:utions would no doubt be lost, Mr. fin tt.: would, he believed, prop le a measure on behalf of that oar: of the British popu:ation, the redress of whose wrong. is had before so warmly advocated; that measure, too, w• no doubt be lost. Mr. Cobden would prep.).* anetht r mit sure on behalf e f that vast colonial populltie o acknowledged the sceptre of Victoria; he had no do.ht :hit, too, would be lost. They might not tarry one Rice:. o i oi., h during the nex session of parliament; but eta th able men who led the frecotrade straggle succe-50.1.!, art who were in advance of eye ry statesman in the li . goe Commons by seven years—(Cheers)—woul make i.r..,!r0, under every debate, although not registered to .eery sion. Every debate and every divi.ion would b: hut 0 , further indication—another advance in the history or progress. Tre Hauge of Commons was not eh. t.hool great principles untelly issued ; but they she uld f td ral that, with el. its defects, it was not s o h., tuft t, • y sealed up against ell light from without, as that the s and penevering Worts of the people would at some in the future, effectually reform it. Mr. ARCHIBALD PRENTICE move: the first only resolution, which wee as t dthers :7 "That this its. sting, thankful to :h• borourh for their past services in the cause of parbarmnttry financial reform, entrdta them, in the ensuing continue to give their votes for the redueli sa tts ; expenditure ro at least the standard of ; _nd : Hume 's motion for the extension of the suff,...e to all t , holders; the re•dis•r:bution ot seats, tridatil and vote by ballot." He said the , bsinc followed by Mr. Cobden, and 7 t Bright, he would veasult both the pleasure of the rcer. and his ,own also, by not el • laying th , in the IS r. listening to those IW3 gentlemen. Trey bat ht.< 7. • csptains in one grand struggle to obtain food for and let them irti.t that they would be quite as sate, • .. their present struitale for good aid ehe ip gorert.mtet. JAMES KERSHAW, Esq , seconded n, - tion, and it was carriel a I but unanimously, one a s• • amongst ten thousand persons Lolding up Li, hAcd, conch lauehter. RICHARD COBDEN, Esq., M.P., then came re amnia great cheering, which was again and eon, re% the vast audience rising, and wwving hats and .•.r. and after claming the indulgence of the mertit.z goatee el a hoarseness of vein. 'Pito • nieelog is called in behalf of the of jests of the l• 'ary and Ficiancial farm Association; it is c.. . 41 noun of the assembling of parliament; our obpr. : it for granted, iu beteg here to.nignt, is that the ',tile of M.nehester may be heard, with a few last writs, ; to the assembling of the legislature. Now, gentlem• will be known to you that our attention In pariitm. • be, in the first place, directed to the question of 1 and protectien, lot us, if you please, begin by ende ,v to ascertain how we stand in that question. (" II ar cheers.) Why, I humbly apprehend that it woulu be possible we could es ter the arena of the Mei e Co under circumstances more favourable for the v.:ldie the principles that have been fleet enunciated (rota ti and crowned with the triumphs of the men active struggle in this place. I say it would be IneFseibl, to m. et, under eireumstanets mire =heisted to vi by facts and experience, the truth and souralues, principles. (Lo.d cheers) I have lately had oec extend my travels into districts of the country wh. prise nearly every part of cur national industry. visited the iron district, the woollen district, tt district, the tLx distiict. I have been in Bucklue amonest the lice and straw plat, and char met have had an opporuei•y of inquiring something state of the industry of oar mines, and of hest the best soured the state of the shipping in n and I say, locking to all these great interests, it th , or failure of the principles we have hire a..opteal tested by the condition of these great national we go to parliament with a triumphant ease in um (Cheers.) Bat, is it not a little singular, that, wb have travelled, I have been close upon the traces gathering of men who are rushing t gather in the the snow and :rust—thus airing to you a iniarante sincerity and earuestness with which they go ; I ha' of men assembling, in all parts of the country whet, been, to pass resolutions, declaring that, not merely ture, but all the great interests of the c ,- ,untry—te their phrase—are suffering injury and are nasteuine (Lauchter.) Is it not a very singular and anoint Sat things, that ycu should have men so 'gement o going on in this cou ,,, ry, that they should be meetin claim to the world that the condition of its people 1, opposite of what I believe we shall Hod to he the reterenee to the real indexes of the condition el great national interests ? (Load cheers.) And ail ‘Vny, e a I have proctimed elsewhere, and will pr. the Rouse of Commons, it is because the late:: in this country have been accastomed, from ti memorial, to regard themselves as the emir importance in the country, and they cannot suffer being persuaded that every part of the country is with them. (Great laughter and chem.) Now, anybody to point out a time when the leaded i:.• t' country, as it ie called. was contented, and when of the community was not suffering from distress ~. (" Rear, " and cheers.) It is a m.itur of Maxus accessible to us all—whenever you have had gee in any of the manufacturing districts, an increase ism, mills stopping, mines abandoned, experts an diminishing—when you have had the revenue when you have had every symptom of notional cuff. national decline, then, as a rule, you have had th interest in tnts country always contented; an,l, on nary, just as your coudition thrived, thruagh the price of food—why, then, you have always I landed interest declaring you were going to • this were the first time we had been peseing this ordeal, there would be Saute eznee not understanding it; but it is net the lint third, or fourth time that you have bad a provisions, and contentment in the manWacturiug with discontent among the tended interest. Thar. are hut repeating what they did be'ore, and al proves to demonstration that the state of the pier country has never yet been pro.pereus exc. lit • landed interest nave been discontented and sea change. (Cheers.) And what is the change they L waited ? Why, it has been a high price of which your well bail is not compatible. hear.) In all ag.s of the world, in all past time it was wanted to have a curse it Hinted up en munity, why, then, a blight was invoked trot upon their harvests. And shall it be told the country, we are to continue to lire hale.uelii rule where, by human uniedetion, and no: by JO the whole community shall be put uron a short of food, merely that a very small fraction of that nity may thrive upon their distress? (Cheers indignant that this question should have been reel , Nuw one oldie arguments which our friends the pre are p trading at this moment is this: "Why , I' the corn laws were repealed, we would get as gas we did beton." Well, I don't know that evir I anything about rents ; but this I did my. and say land will be permanently of more value in Engielol trade than over it would with protection. A, (Cheers.) Why, because pretiction—that is, tee we.uld be destroyed by the commerce of this e• Without your commerce the land would be of very at all. (Loud cheers.) But my friends, the In landlords tell us, " Now, you say we must reduce e I always said there was a great deal more to . 1 )1 clueing rents ; and if I was a landlord, I 'tour I 'l fore I came to a reduction of me money rent, I h 4 pointed out myself that yon have in this Cuar' margin in the improvement of the soil before reduction of your rents,—in the reduction of 1 , —(cheers)—in the clearing away of your hedge' hedgerow timber; for with all our bast cultural improvement, the face of this co , sena much more the anieet of a state of ea t France, or a great part of Germany, in couseellint i t w rm ild, w irregis hia l a a re r a he m dg er e e , r h o a w r e b , ou a r nd for th; to be removed, in order that a greater amount food may be produced by the neople. (:he ro.) I say it you do not zdaort to mama itarr4vocuu, ,m iC e S , ttr; "er old es ter the arena of the Hon e c: Co .- stances more favourable for the veille •-. that have been hest enunciated from V .. • wilt the triumph, of the men ereagad r. is place. I say it would be ineposnble 7 .1 rr ateulated to via L•r e .- i: d • iee c un h ral e : e 'i n ainh ) 7 l mru l2a trh v e e lately had o cat_ 'vela into districts of the country ah.ca Leery Fart of cur national industry. I iron district, the woollen district, the c lax diettict. I have been in iluckiaeh,n... •7 lice and straw pia t, and chair rusk , r.. opportuail of inquiring sometking • 2 edustry of oar mines, and of lateen./ tees the state of the shipping ted.,2.—i eking to all these great interests, it tie the principles we have here aeopted h : condition of these great national lenient with • triumphant ease in our etc.: at, is it not a little singular, that, when r : I, I have been close upon the traces o: men who are rushing t gather in the In. , ' I :rust—thus airing to you a guarantee ..! earuestness with which they go ; I hat: • blieg, in all parts of the country where I Les resolutions, declaring that, not merely seer_. :ho great interests of the country—tor tt. • •are suffering injury and are easteeing 1 C. Is it not a very singular and enaint: • t ycu should have men so ',moved of et cou , .try, that they should be mettind t that the condition of its people is the s• , y hat I believe we shall Had to he the (A, .. • the real indexes of the condition VI 1.. - 7 I interests ? (Land cheers.) And wi y ee pructoimed elsewhere, and will pt.—. t•n • , Commons, it le because the lateliie try have been aecastunied, from live o regard themselves as the orly e 1... a the country, and they cannot suffer a 2 tied that every part of the country i. 'Li! : (Great laughter and cl.eels.) Now, 1 dm , oint out a time when the landed i:.' t : t is called, was contented, and when the : unity was not suffering from distrew a... 2 . . el cheers.) It is a mottcr of his:oty—A us all — whenever you have had great 2 manufacturing districts, an inereaie spiting, mines abandoned, experts tied tar . r, —when you have had the revenue vc had every symptom of national stiff. te ;int, then, as a rule, you have had the . as country always contented; and, on 112 7.• I your coudition thrived, throegh the en•••••:'. ,7 el—why, then, you have always had rest declaring you were going to rte: , ,he first time we had been p.s.ing there would be saute exceve :ending it; but it is net the lirst, s ••-: nth time that you Suave bad a lew ; 2 • nd contentment In the menu:lecturing rat among the landed interest. Teener.: •' Ling what they did bc'ere, and all • ' monstration that the state of the p, • :' yet been pro.pereue except al. , est nave been discontented and lexioal 7 • eers.) And what is the change they Shy, it has been a high price of Led e e well being is not compatible. all tog.s of the world, in all past " led to have a Curse it dieted tom any cx - .. y, then, a blight was invoked from h• harvests. And shall it be told that. In s are to continue to lire hale.udi) une.t .. a by human maied•ction, and no: by di viec ,ommuni.y shall be put uron a short or." •*:. rely that a very small fraction of that e , ..2: 7 •: . thrive upon their distress? 'Cheers 1 I tat this question should have been revs," izi the arguments which our friends the prole:te• g at this moment is thus: " Why, fon .4 2:,; es were repealed, we would get as red re." Well, I don't ks'w that eve r out rents ; but this I did say. and say.•":;;, permanently of more value inEngienn!",", h ,. over it would with protection. An_ Why, because reacti o n—that is, T ettnl ••:r: ,estroyed by the commerce of this 7. 11. '•: . , Ir commerce the land would be of very suit cheers.) But my friends. the pro:oc% um, " Now, you say we must reduce out . n_ id there was a great deal more to .10 n a , •:;,,,. ; and if I was a landlord, I w ail I do to a reduction of my money rent. I have t myself that you have in this ovan'r the improvement of the soil before yea rams If your rents,—in the reductids of Yon" —in the clearing sway of your hedite - nr,,,,,,. timber; for with all our b etst . t more the sweet of a state of ;t en et " ot the a great part of Germany, in colne r 'l l mprovement, the face of this or [tiler hedge rows, and thu scatte id naaae:_ h are a mere harbour for pate , and n l amount (Fray wed, in order that a greater anion e produced by the yeople. (Cheered I do not resort to tame Sutures:eau:an. ta Culuutl. this :u.