The Press. — London, England, 1856-03-01 00:00:00

T NNNRIIIIINIIENINENIENNNNNNINNNINNNINIIENNIIIINNNNNEINNNNINNINRININEININIENEEFRIFIIIENNNIRU 202 THE PRESS. tolitiral. THE QUESTION OF JEWISH DISABILITIES was brought forward before a meeting of the city of London electors, held at the Loudon Tavern on Wednesday, Mr. H. J. Prescott in the chair, to hear the report read relative to the representation of London, as affected by the civil disabilities of the Jews. The report recorded the number of petitions presented at different towns for the abolition of the oath of abjuration, and cited the various acts of the Legislature recognising the policy upon which the electors of London have acted in their return of Baron Rothschild, and concluded with an appeal to the electors either to give way at once, or to per severe in their course, by a solemn affirmation of the justice of the cause they had adopted. The report was received and adopted with one dissentient voice. Mr. Prescott then moved that a committee should be appointed, and that the duty of that committee should be to watch the progress of the bill for the repeal of the oath of abjuration —to prepare an aidress to the public, expository of the views enun ciated in the report, and to take such other steps in furtherance of the objects of the report as they may consider to be desirable. That it should be further resolved that the meeting be desired to take that op portunity to renew the repeated declaration of the Liberal electors of London, that they will not relax their efforts, to which they were pledged by the return of Baron Rothschild, until the full and final woomplishment •f Jewish emancipation. Mr. Whiteside seconded the motion, which was agreed to. Baron Lionel Rothschild, M.P., in returning thanks, said that, so long as it pleased the electors of London to call on him to represent them, he would not fail to join in the efforts of his fellow-citizens to maintain the rights of the electors to vindicate the privileges of the House of Commons, and to achieve the crowning act of religions freedom which it was the chief object of his return to Parliament to realise. He begged to return his cordial thanks to his fellow-citizens for the confidence which they ware pleased to repose in him. THE BOARD Or TRADE AND THE LIVERPOOL LOCAL MARINE BOARD have lately had a serious misunder standing, which has resulted in the resignation of the Liverpool Board. The overbearing behaviour of the BJard of Trade is alleged by the Liverpool Mail as the cause of this step on the part of the Marine Board. Considerable hindrance to the business of the wort has ensued. SIR GEORGE GREY'S POLICE BlLL.—Special meet ings of the various town councils have been held during the week to consider the provisions of the bill. The Oxford Town Council, out of thirty voters, carried, by a majority of twenty-two, a motion for a petition to the House, that the measure was entirely subversive of the principle of local self-government. —The Colchester Town Council, on Monday, met and unanimously agreed to a petition, pointing out thor. should the bill become law it would "entail very nvavy additional expenses upon the several boroughs by an unnecessary addition to the police force, which would be very insufficiently compensated for by the Government paying only a fourth part of the expense of such force."—At the Norwich Town Council, after an animated debate, a petition against the bill was decided on by a majority of twenty-eight to eight. —At Exeter, the Town Council unanimously ad )pled a petition against the bill, and the Mayor convened a public meeting for Monday next to con Bider the measure.—Public meetings were held in Manchester and Salford on Wednesday evening to oppose the bill—The Worcester Town Council bas also agreed to petition the House of Comm ons against the bill. Vttropolitan. LAW AMENDMENT SOCIETY. THE annual general meeting of this society was held on Saturday—Lord Brougham in the chair. Tbere was a full attendance of members, including Lord Denman, Lord Stanley, M.P., Sir J. l'akington, ➢I.P., Mr. Ewart, M.P., Sir Stafford Northcote, M.P., Viscount Ebrington, M.P., the Lord Mayor, Mr. Napier, M.P., Sir Fitzroy Kelly, M.P., Lord Baouosam, after some preliminary remarks, called upon Lord Stanley to move the first resolution. Lora STANLEY said the resolution was, that in the opinion of the meeting the attention of the friends or law reform should at the present time be directed to certain subjects:— of opinion amongst the most eminent minds in the legal profession. Next came the assimilation of the commercial law of the thee° countries, England, Ireland, and Scotland, and the amendment of the laws relating to women, to which attention had been called more in a popular than a pro fessional manner, and in which no deficiency of interest bad been found. Then came the amendment of the law relating to criminal breaches of trust, and the improve- ment of legal education; and lastly, the establishment of a system of legal statistics. Something in the nature of an authorised report of legal judgments—something that could be referred to, if not with complete, at least with approximate accuracy—was most desirable and necessary, and he believed it would not bo difficult to have them supplied. (Hear, bear.) After some remarks from Sir E. Perry and Mr. Napier in favour of the appointment of a Minister of Justice, Sir J. PAIINGTON called the attention of the meet • ing to the amendment of the criminal law. It was now very generally admitted that infant criminals should not be dealt with on the same principle as adult criminals. It was said in the House of Commons that this principle was being tried as an experiment, but be ventured to say that the time for experiment was past- The law on the subject of juvenile offenders was extremely deficient. Too much was left in this country to private charity and benevo lence. Sir S. Northcote and Mr. Adderley called the at tention of the meeting to the state of law as it affected women, and to the religious difficulty of passing a general measure on reformatories. The CaLtaxAN said be thought that the difference of opinion on the subject of reformatories was more verbal than real, and that Sir John Fat ' .ust. air John Pakington only viewed the subject from an advanced point. The same difference between private benevolence and Government aid affected the more general question of education as it did the question of reformatories. He trusted that some system, combining the two principles, might be discovered. A meeting was also held on Tuesday, under the presidency of Lord Brougham, to hear the report of their committee upon the Partnership Bill. The report recommended certain additions and altera- tins in the clauses, which gave rise to an animated discussion between Mr. Slaney, M.P., Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Hill, and others. The report was ultimately adopted. A discussion then arose upon the joint stock company subject, and was adjourned at a late hour. Tax LORD MAYOR gave a grand banquet on Wed nesday evening in honour of Mr. Buchanan, the American Minister, previous to his departure from this country. Unfortunately, Mr. Buchanan in the early part of the week received a special invitation to dine with her Majesty the same evening, and hence was compelled to absent himself from the City ban quet. The leading American merchants, members representing the commercial constituencies, and a distinguished party of ladies and gentlemen, were present. The Lord Mayor, in prefacing the toast of " The Canada Club," spoke of the rapid growth and development of the United States, of their reciprocal interests with England, of the necessity of perfect friendship between the two countries, and of his desire that Mr. Buchanan in returning to America should bear with him the assurance that nothing consistent with the national honour should be left undone to insure a settlement of the differences between the two countries without recourse to war. The Earl of Elgin, in returning thanks for " The Lords," briefly pointed out the success of the principle of self government in Canada. In the absence of the representatives of Manchester, Mr. Cobden replied to the toast of " Prosperity to its trade." Pointing out the unity of interest between the two countries, he said he believed that no rational man in England encouraged the exhibition of a spirit of menace or hostility towards America. No doubt America had her faults, but she owed, and must ever owe, her distinguishing characteristics to this country : _ _ _ SATURDAY, ...........,..__ Amongst others they had certainly derived from us their aggressive instinct. He once met an American lady in Italy to whom he remarked how strange it was that her country, with its millions of acres of waste land, was not contented, but was constantly craving after the lands of its neighbours. " Well," she said, " the habit is certainly • bad one ; but we came honestly by the propensity, for we inherit it from you." (Laughter). THE EXPEDIENCY OF REMOVING NEWGATE was reported on at the Court of Aldermen, held on Tuesday. The report of the committee entered into the matter at great length, and stated that, from the insufficient number of the cells and the peculiar structure of the building, a satisfactory classification or perfect supervision of the prisoners was impossible. Groups of men were now compelled to be locked up together for many hours without the presence of an officer, whereby they were free to arrange plans for escape. In conclusion, the report submits two plans for consideration —one, proposing structural alterations by which 120 separate cells will be given at a costa 10,0001., enabling the governor to establish some degree of separation and supervision; and the second, proposing the entire demolition ot the courts and of the gaol, and the reconstruction of the courts and such a portion of the gaol as might suffice for the custody of the prisoners during tri a l, the prison at Holloway at the same ume being s o far enlarged as to receive the prisoners now kept at Newgate. The cost of this plan would amount to 78,000/. The report was adopted, and referred back to the committee to act as they thought fit. THE STATE OF ST. PANCRAS WORKHOUSE was brought before the parish authorities on Tuesday in a report by Dr. Jones, forwarded by the Poor law Board. Anything more disgusting or disgraceful in such an institution can scarcely be conceived. The report states that the offensive smells in the wards were so intolerable as to be a prevalent cause of disease and death. The air in some wards contained 2.75 per cent. of carbonic acid, and in others 2 per cent. and 1.84. The wards were literally crammed with inmates, without regard to decency or order, and fifteen persons were nightly st u ff e d i nto a cellar to sleep. The arrangements for out-door relief were most defective. The poor, from want of room, were kept from morning till seven at night waiting out side in the wet and cold. The report concludes with a strong recommendation for the immediate inter- Amongst the list of subjects so recommended to the notice of the members, the following were the most im portant :—Finit, the appotntment of a Minister ofJUSUCe— an officer whose functions, he believed, at the present time would be extremely valuable. (Hear.) Next, the amendment of the criminal law, and the appointment of a public prosecutor. Then the consolidation of the Statute Law. Next came the reform of the ecclesiastical courts : a questiontwhich for the last twenty years had been agitated, and on which he believed there was a general noncurrent.. ferenceof the Government, and observes : Immediate steps should also be taken to prevent the crowded state of the house by removing the schools. The arrangements by which the casual women are mixed with those waiting for admission into the workhouse, in the n• ceiving ward, is most likely to introduce and keep up au outbreak oflow lever. These wards should be immediately separated. It is very desirable that an entirely new build. iug should be made for an infirmary, where the access of foul air would be prevented. The cellars for out•door relief are described as the worst pieta the workhouse. It is fortunate that death has not taken place among the poor in them—that disease and death have come out of them is certain, and although everything has been done that can be done, no word is more suited to them than horrible. The suggestions of the report have been adopted by the authorities. THE REGISTRAR•GENERAL'S returns for the past week show a very satis.actory state of the public health. The deaths last week amounted to 1,062, against the average of 1,320 ; while the births amounted w I,Bls, against an average of 1,554. THE GREAT RAILWAY COMPETITION between the Great Northern, the London and North-Western, the Midland, and the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln. shire Railway Companies, has terminated, and the low fares between London and various places on the two north routes, which have been in operation on the Great Northern line since the Ist ult., and on the Midland and London and North-Western about a week previous to that date, will be discontinued this day, March Ist. THE PRESENTATION OF THE FREEDOM OF THE CITY YO Admiral Sir Edmund Lyons was unanimously agreed upon on Thursday at the Court of Common Council. LIGHT PENNIES, according to a correspondent of the Morning Herald, are now issued by the Mint. " I happened," says Denarius, "to weigh • George W. penny against a new Victoria one of 1655, and found a difference in weight of no less than 5 dwts. 15 gr. : Victoria weighing only 12 dwts. 1 gr. against 17 dwts. 10 gr. of old George." The difference of thirty per cent., Denarius calculates, enables the Mint to save Bs. 7 on every pound's worth of pence coined ; and then he very naturally asks where goes this money saved ? A MISER died at Holton this week, (from self starvation, leaving property and money to the amount of 9001., found in the house, with Bank receipts tor 1751. more. He bequeathed the principal portion of this hoarding to the bookbinders' almshouses. Sato and Volta. ADJOURNED INQUEST orr MR. SADLEIR, M.P. ON Monday, at eleven o'clock, the adjourned inquest of Tuesday week was resumed before Mr. Wakley, at the Hampstead Workhouse. Great interest was excited, as it was known that the letters written by Mr. Sadleir on the night preceding his deatl► would be read in evidence. After a preliminary explanation by Mr. Manning on behalf of the family, in which be stated that. they bad every wish for a full and corn plete inquiry into all the circumstances, Mr. Norris, solicitor, 2, Bedford -low, repeated his evidence given on the previous occasion, and proposed to band in an attested copy of the original letter received by him from Mr. Sadleir, with the view of avoiding the pubi lication of certain names mentioned. The coroner having privately read and compared the original and copied documents, Mr. Norris read the following letter : Saturday Night. I can not live—l have rained too many-1 could not live and see their agony—l have committed diabolical crimes unknown to any human being. They will now appear, bringing my family and others to distresrcaus►ng to all shame and grief that they should have ever known me.