The Press. — London, England, 1856-11-01 00:00:00

1040 Resolutions approving the report, admitting the willingness of the corporation to effect any necessary reforms, and appointing a committee to carry out such views, were proposed and unanimously carried. THE CITY COMMISSION OF SEWERS COMMITTEE upon the gasworks nuisance presented their report at a court held on Tuesday. The committee, upon the advice of the City solicitor, recommend that the question be laid before the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, to take such steps in the matter as they may think fit, it being open to doubt whether the Sewers Commission have the power to burden their rates with the costs of nuisance indictments. The report was adopted. THE AUETRALIAN STEAM CLIPPER COMPANY gave an entertainment on Monday on board their new vessel the Istamboul, in the Victoria Docks. The Lord Mayor and Sheriffs, Sir S. M. Peto, and about 25U gentlemen and ladies, were present. Mr. J. B. Gooch, in returning thanks for the company, gave a few details relative to the comparative cost both at first and in the working between the auxiliary screw vessels and the full power steamers : One of the full power steamships would cost on the average about 65,0 101.: for the same sum two ships like the Istamboul could be built. The steamer would be of 460-horse power. The two auxiliary screw ships would carry engines equal to 160-horse power. The registered tonnage of the steamer would be 1,900 tons, the tonnage of the two ships would he 2,1461 tons, but the capacity of the steamer for cargo would be only 430 tons, while the two auxiliary screw vessels would have capacity for 2,810 tons. With regard to passengers, the steamer would carry about as many as the both ships. The quantity of coals consumed would he in the one case 1,930 tons, and in the other 300 tons, and, the price of coals being about 21. a ton on the average, the big snip would cost 3,0 10/. for the voyage, while the two smaller vessels would cost for coals only about 6001., while the value of the freight on the cargo would be, in the large vessel 1,3301., and in the two small ones 8,4001. The sailing expenses and insurance would be about the same. There would thus be a gain on the two vessels as compared with the large steamer of 7,0301. in freight, and a saving of 3,3001. in coals, making a total gain of 10,330/. for each passage. He believed their ships would make four passages in the year, viz., two each way, which would give them an advantage of 41,4001. upon the same capital as compared with the full-power steamers. The passage, it is stated, will be made in sixty days. The htambota sails on the 10th for Melbourne. THE QUESTION OF LIABILITY FOR SEWER RATES is about to be settled by the Metropolitan Board of Works, which met on Monday to hear cases arising in connection with the enforcement. of rates and the collection of improvement rateQ. A lady named Wood, resident at, Ryle, in the Isle of Wight, was summoned before the board for the recovery of 9L 55., being arrears of sewer rate for the district of Fulham and Hammersmith, in respect of rector;al tithes, Hammersmith. The payment of the rate was refused by defendant, on the ground that the property was not of a character that could be be nefited by the sewerage ; and that, therefore, she was not justly liable. The board declined to admit the objection, and made an order of distress against defendant for payment of the money. Mrs. Wood is determined to defend herself legally to the furthest extent. THE NOTTING HILL ROBBERS appear to have taken Brompton somewhat under their care lately. A cor respondent to a contemporary this week asks whether they have deserted Notting-hill for Brompton, details as follows : The other evening two ladle!—one young and lovely, the other not so young and not so lovely —were, report says, knocked down and robbed, close to the Boltons, in Brumpton. Their purses and watches were taken from them ; and, as a matter of course, Z 2.5 was not to be found. How cwll he be, when he we a good geogra phical mile distant, listening to the dulcet tones of some fair area nymph? An evening or two after this occurenee a gentleman was maltreated in like manner in the vicinity of those new roads called Albert-road and Cromwell road, connecting Brompton and Kensington. He was so severely hurt that he did not recover his senses fur some time ; his watch he has n , ,t yet recovered. A DEAD 13')DY was found on Tuesday in the Thames. Letters discovered in the pocket lead to the identification of the body. The deceased was Mr. Wilson, a respectable merchant of Dundee, but shortly arrived in London. He is supposed to have been drowned by accident, a large sum of money and his watch and papers being found in his pockets. THE MARYLEBONE LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC IN STITUTION was opened on Monday evening for the winter session. Mr. Jacob Bell invited the members and their friends to a conversazione at his residence in Lan gh am-pl ace. THE FORMATION OF ♦ NEW STREET THROUGH SOUTHWARK was discussed on Tuesday at a crowded public meeting of the inhabitants of the parish of Christchurch. On the motion of Mr. Blake, seconded by Mr. Apsley Pellatt, M.P., it was resolved " that, owing to the vast increase of street traffic on the south side of the River Thames, at!ributlible to the various railway termini in the locality, it is highly desirable that a new and suitable street should be opened across this parish, connecting the existing main thoroughfares leading to the several bridges THE PRESS. over the river, and that such street be commenced without delay." Several gentlemen having addressed tho meeting, it was further resolved that it would be the best means of carrying out the object of the first resolution by commencing a street in Blackfriars road as nearly as possible opposite Stamford street, and terminating near the termini of the Brighton and Dover Railways at London-bridge. THE ST. PANCRAS RATEPAYERS held a meeting on Wednesday to consider the recent enormous expen• diture for the maintainance of the poor and other local purposes. It appears that the newly elected vestry had proposed to increase the expenditure some 6,500/. per annum, that they were now 11,5001. in debt, and that they were still carrying out a most ill-judged and pernicious system of jobbery in the management and expenditure of the rates. Various resolutions in support of the Ratepayers' Association— formed to check an injudicious expenditure of the rates—and reprobating the conduct of the present vestry, were proposed and unanimously passed before the meeting separated. THE SURREY GARDENS COMPANY held a meeting on Wednesday to consider the half-yearly report. The suggestions of a freer exit from the hall, lately made by the coroner in connection with the recent accident, were considered, and it was determined to make the steps more square at the small ends, but not to alter the means of egress. PADDINGTON-GREEN appears to be a favorite resort of the " garotteers." "A. C. C.," in a letter to a contemporary, gives the following account of an agreeable adventure which befell him the other evening : One evening last week I happened to be returning home between eleven and twelve o'clock, and I had to cross Paddington-green in order to get to my residence in St. John's wood. I hail net got further than the middle of the green when four men attacked me, kept my arms tight behind, plastered my mouth, and gave me a blow which made me quite insensible for the time. They took my watch and chain and a considerable sum of money. I could not recognise their appearance nor dress. No one unfortunately was passing the green at the time, and even a person outside the green would not observe anything very startling in four or five people together—they (lid it so quietly, and in two minutes. Before they left me they gave me a severe blow in the stomach, which prevented me from calling out. Su they got away in safety. THE FIRST SECTION OF THE CRYSTAL PALACE WEST-END LINE OF RAILROAD WAS formally op2ned on Thursday. The section extends from the Palace by Norwood and Streatham to Wandsworth common. The remaining section, from Wandsworth to Bat tersea-park Bridge, it is anticipated, will be finished by July next. THE Tut:Tagil MISSIONS AID SOCIETY held a meeting at Exeter-hall on Thursday evening. The object of the society is not to originate any new mission, hut to raise funds in aid of existing evange lical missions in the Turkish empire. The more immediate and special purpose of the meeting was to take leave of the Rev. Dr. Hamlin, for twenty years a missionary to the Armenians, on his return to Constantinople. Among the gentlemen on the platform were—The Hon. A. Kinnnird, Colonel Sir Henry Rawlinson, K.C.8., the Rev. Dr. Cyrus Hamlin, missionary for Constantinople, the Hon. and Rev. Baptist Noet, the Rev. Dr. Bliwkwood, LL.D., chaplain from Scutari, &c. Various resolu tions in accordance with the object of the meeting were proposed and carried. THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL'S RETURNS show TO increase over the present low rate of mortality : 060 deaths and 1,716 births were registered last week. Vrabintial. VISCOUNT GALWAY, M.P., at the last annual meet ing of the Worksop Labourers' Friend Society, in re plying to the toast of "The County Members," made a few remarks upon agricultural statistics and other political questions : He was opposed to these statistics being taken, as many of them must be aware, because he could not see that they would be of any good. His objections to the measure were founded on these views. It a farmer were asked to state what land he had in cultivation it might be done at once ; the return night easily be made on the tax-paper—so much land in barley, so much in wheat, and so much in oats. There could be no objection to that; but it was proposed to empower the Poor-Law Board to appoint valuers to say what the worth of the crop was. Now, he would appeal to any one to say whether that would be a else piece of machinery. It was so flagrant a job that he made up his mind to vote against it. It was thrown in the teeth of him and his friends that they were opposed to all statistics. That was not so ; but he did not believe these would be of any use. Besides, there was the expense of collecting them. Supposing it cost 30,0tX11., would the information be worth the money? He should vote against the proposal again, unless it was a simple re turn such as he had described. He had the clause of the bill by him in which it was proposed to give the Poor-Law Board power to appoint valuers to fix the value of the crops; and any one who knew the real facts knew that such a thing was impossible. SATURDAY, At the next session many important questions must come before Parliament : There would be the great question of education. He did not consider this a party question. The leaders of the party to which he belonged were divided in opinion on this question. Mr. Henley was in favour of voluntary educa tion Ito which opinion he himself inclined), while Sir John Pakington was for making it a moreLcornpulsory matter. But, whatever their opinions might be, they had only one object in view—to provide for the better educa tion of the people ; and there could be no doubt it would be advisable for them to be prepared to give votes on the question, not from any party principle, but from what they thought to be the good of their country. He felt that he could not in his conscience give way to what was called secular education without religion. He might offend per sons by saying so ; but lie could not see his way to voting for any scheme of education in which religious instruction was not comprised. Connected with education was the question of juvenile reformatories and the lefot niation of criminals : It was a national question, and most important to the well-being of the whole community. He thought it a matter that ought not to be entirely left to private benevolence. Large sums had been collected by sub scription in many counties for the establishment ofjuvenile reformatories ; but he thought the nation was bound, as a nation, to defray some of the expense of endeavouring to perfect a system by which these unfortunate young crea tures might be preserved from ultimate ruin. There was a great difficulty about sending old offenders away to penal settlements. Though some persons thought the ticket-of-leave system beneficial, he believed these liberated convicts were at the root of half the thefts and robberies in England at this moment. He was ready to listen to any statistics on this subject, but they could not take up a newspaper without finding the mischievous doings of the ticket-of-leave men recorded. It was evident that this must be so. The liberated convict cannot get employment. The moment that it is learned that he is a ticket-of•leave man he is discarded. He cannot starve, and he takes to his old trade as a matter of necessity. He was afraid the system would prove a failure. He should be glad to be wrong, but that was his opinion. The Hon. W. E. DUNCOMBE, the colleague of Viscount Galway in the representation of East Ret ford, in the course of some remarks in answer to the above toast, referred to the improved condition of agriculture, and the general prosperity of the agri cultural interest. The farmers of England ought to be grateful for this ; and he thought they could show their gratitude in no better way than by endeavouring to raise the condition of the labouting classes : The labouring classes were the bone and sinew of the country. Let them try to raise the condition of the labouring classes, and teach them that they were not mere machines, to do the work of a farm, but creatures respon• slide for the moral and social duties of life. These were words which by some might be considered claptrap; but he believed that, come what may, amid their prosperity and amid all their pleasures, that which would give them the greatest satisfaction was the thought that they had benefited their fellow•creatures. THE BRADFORD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE have lately forwarded a memorial to her Majesty's Minister at Brussels, calling attention to the late revision of the Belgian tariff, by which British worsted goods are virtually subjected to an ad valorem duty of twenty•nine per cent., while the French goods are admitted at twelve per cent. This error has arisen from a false calculation of the relative value of goods in the grey and goods dyed and finished, the French merinoes only coming up to the value assumed by the tariff:— The calculation of the value is based (says the memo- rial) upon the assumption that goods in the grey are worth 1,500 f. per 100 kilos, and that the same goods, when dyed. are worth 2,500 f., showing a difference of 661 per cent. of the value for dyeing and finishing. The affidavits show that the highest average price paid for dyeing goods, such as are exported into Belgium, amounts to 2s. 4d., and the average value of each piece being, according to the affidavit, 11 7s. 6d., the dyeing and finishing amount only to shout el per cent. of the actual value of the piece, instead of 661 per cent. An average drawn from the affidavits shows that a piece of worsted goods weighs about fifth., or 3 kilos, and consequently a piece of dyed and finished goods, calculated at 300 f. per 100 kilos, would have to pay ff., whereas the same piece in the grey, at 150 f., would be admitted on pay ment of 41f., thus creating a new protection to the dyer of 215 per cent., which would be altogether at variance with the principle upon which the tables have been constructed. Your memorialists, therefore, earnestly and respectfully request your lordship to lay these facts before the Belgian Government in order that the tariff about to be revised may be at, framed as to carry out the intentions of that Govern ment, and that no error which would create a greater duty than 12 per cent, ad valorem on the goods referred to in this memorial be permitted to remain in the tables sub mitted to the Belgian Legislature. A PRUSSIAN COLLIER blew up at Cardiff on Monday morning. She was lying in the West Bute Dock. The crew on Saturday night had closed the hatches. About half past five on Monday morr.ing the coal trimmers were coming to work on board her. One of the crew brought a lighted candle into the hold, when in an instant the confined carburetted hydro-