The Press. — London, England, 1857-05-02 00:00:00

430 mont, and Mr. Truelly, with power to add to their number. _ _ THE MAY MEETINGS have already commenced. The Church of England Scripture Readers' Associa tion held its thirteenth annual meeting on Wednes day, at the Hanover•square Rooma. The Bishop of London, who presided, explained the objects of this excellent institution.— The object of the Scripture Readers' Society was to assist the parochial clergy, and he was sure that those of that body present who had had the largest amount of prac tical experience would he the most ready to acknowledge that the Scripture readers provided by the society were indeed great hell s to them. Any of those visionary no• tions of which they formerly heard, that the clergy were to meet with vigorous and dangerous rivals and antagonists in lay Scripture readers and schoolmasters, seemed to him altogether out of place in these days. They hoped by means of this society, if there were somewhat of spiritual deadening in the parochial system, to be able to restore it, and to infuse more life into it; and he was quite sure that every clergyman who was thoroughly earnest in his work would find the truly pious and active Scripture reader, and the well-educated and etficientlytrained schoolmaster, invaluable helps. The days had long since gone by when the clergy could command the assistance of the laity by any factitious dignity attaching to themselves or their office. The clergy could only command the respect and affection of the laity by devoting themselves heart and soul to the high office their Lord and Master had committed to them; and he believed that every parochial clergyman who was really devoted to the great cause in which he was en• gaged would gladly avail himself of the assistance the society offered and acknowledge the advantage he derived from it. The report of the committee showed that 122 grants hal been made by the association to 88 districts, and that 50 applications now on the society's list were not to be complied with, owing to want of funds.— The CHURCH OF ENGLAND METROPOLITAN TRAINING INSTITUTION has held its eighth annual meeting, and exhibited a most satisfactory progress. Since the last meeting 33 students have completed their edu• cation and been appointed to schools, making alto gether 161 young men who have been trained in the college. The average number of students during the year has been 66. At the opening of the college after the Christmas vacation the 70 rooms were all occupied. The funds of the society exhibit a balance of 1401. 3s. 7d. excess of income over expenditure. THE CAUSES OF FIRES IN LONDON, FROM THE YEAR 1853 To 1856, INCLUSIVE, was the subject discussed by Mr. Fothergill at the meeting of the Institute of Actuaries, held on Tuesday at the rooms in St. James's•square. The objects of the paper appeared to be to show the desirability of deciding upon some more accurate principle of estimating the amount of risk in private houses, public buildings, and buildings devoted to trading purposes, with a view to the adoption of a more equitable scale of charges by the insurance offices. It stated that while the total yearly averages of fires in London had advanced during the last eight years by about forty per cent., the number where the destruction had been complete remained almost the same. The number considerably damaged had also increased just in proportion to the total increase : Of fires caused by candles, curtains, or gas, those at bagnios showed 75.3 per cent.; at drnpers, 61.4 ; at lodging•houses, 52.7; at private houses, 47.9 ; at blacking makers, 40 ; while in twenty-two trades out of ninety-six enumerated there had not been any fires traced to these causes, though in the case of founders there had been as many as sixty-one fires. It was clear that the mode of fixing the lights, the dressing of shop windows, and the setting of stoves or furnaces, deserved consideration in estimating risk. Amongst the causes included, but which were of rare occurrence, some were curious, as sewing and reading in bed (of which there ha'l been twenty-six cases in the twenty-four years), hunting bugs, thawing water•pipes, frying fish, bursting of spirit bottles, suicide by charcoal, warming beds, sealing letters, &c. The number of unknown causes did not exceed, for any trade, thirty per cent. of the risks considered least hazardous by the insurance offices and rated accordingly : Churches and chapels showed the largest, and a very considerable per tentage of total destruction as compared with the number of tires, viz., 8.8, which was higher than amongst carpenters, japanners, lamp-black makers, musical-instrument makers, varnish makers, and many other extremely dangerous businesses. In this class of property sixty per cent. of the total damage was occa sioned by flues, furnaces, and stoves. Amongst the trades which had furnished no instance of total destruction were, strange to say, colour makers, illicit distillers, lucifer-match makers, and o th ers , w hi c h were cons i dere d extremely hazardous. There has been only six fires amongst printer's-ink makers, where either total destruc tion or considerable damage had ensued. Thirty•four fires in theatres showed no medium between entire destruction and slight damage. Froap these data he argued that there were difficulties (owing totleticient information) in arriving at a correct estimate of fire risks, so as to apportion the scale of charges to different classes of buildings and build ings devoted to different purposes, which did not exist in the crie of life risks, where healthy lives of the same age might generally be taken at the same rate without injustice Wither to the office or the assured. iTHE PRESS. GRATTAN'S STATUE is now in St. Stephen's-hall, and will be raised upon the pedestal set apart for it, next to that of Chatham, and directly opposite to that of Fox. THE ANNUAL MASONIC FESTIVAL was held at the Freemasons'-hall on Wednesday, when the Earl of Zetland, for the eighteenth time, was installed as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England. Upwards of 300 of the most distinguished members of the lodge were present. THE NINE WATER COMPANIES OF LONDON fail to supply 11,1 with pure water. A recent microscopical examination by Dr. Hassall has resulted in the dis covery in the waters supplied by each company of considerable numbers of living animal and vegetable productions. The waters most tainted with organic matter were cloudy and opalescent, whereas those which contained a smaller quantity of such produc tions were clear and bright. It follows that the metropolis is still supplied with comparatively impure water—that is to say, with water tainted with numbers of living vegetable and animal productions which are not present in the purer waters of the Plumstead, Woolwich, and Charlton Company. A very excellent test, Dr. Hassall tells us, is the colour test, for if the water, viewed in bulk, present any de cided tinge or discolouration, it is generally impure. THE REGISTRAR•GENERAL'S RETURNS for the week show a steady mortality of 1,005. The births amount to 1,788. Vrobinciai. THE MANCHESTER EXHIBITION. THE arrangements for the opening of the Exhibition on Tuesday next are now in so forward a state that the programme of the ceremonial has been definitely settled. His Royal Highness Prince Albert will leave the Euston square station of the London and North-Western Railway about seven o'clock on Tuesday morning, and will travel by special train. His Royal Highness is expected to arrive at Man chester a little before twelve o'clock, and will be met at the London-road station by Mr. James Watt, the mayor, and conducted to Abney-hall, the magnificent residence of the chief magistrate. The Prince, accompanied by his suite, and escorted by a squadron of dragoons, will leave Abney-park at one o'clock. On arriving within the building, Lord Overstone, the President of the General Council of the Exhibition, the chairman and members of the executive com mittee, Mr. J. C. Deane, the general commissioner, and Lieut.• Colonel Hamilton, the secretary, will receive his Royal Highness, and conduct him to the state reception room. The Prince will also be met by the Mayor of Manchester in his robes of office, accompanied by such members of the corporation as may be present, who will present an address of con gratulation at a dais near the grand entrance. His Royal Highness, having replied, will be conducted up the central hall to the dais prepared for his recep tion in the transept. Lord Overstone, the chairman, and the members of the executive committee, will form a procession and accompany his Royal Highness. As the cortege moves up the middle avenue of the central hall, the orchestra, conducted by Mr. Charles Halle, will perform the National Anthem. Upon the conclusion, an address from the executive committee will be presented, and a copy of the catalogue will be handed to his Royal Highness. The orchestra will then perform " The heavens are telling," after which the Lord Bishop of Manchester will offer up a prayer invoking a blessing on the undertaking. At the termination of the prayer, the orchestra will perform the Hundredth Psalm. The procession will then be marshalled round the different galleries. His Royal Highness will then declare the Exhibition open, and after a tour of inspection his Royal Highness will retire. In consequence of the death of the Duchess of Gloucester the executive committee forwarded en address of condolence to his Royal Highness Prince Albert the same day. In the course of the afternoon a message was received from Colonel Phipps, stating that he was commanded to inform the executive committee that, in consequence of the national im portance of the occasion, the preparations made, and the disappointment to the public if the Art-Treasures Exhibition were not opened on the sth, his Royal Highness would be present as arranged ; but that, in every other respect, the royal visit to Manchester was to be considered strictly private. THE PRINCES OF OUDE. THE ParscEs OF OUDE have been received at Liverpool with tnatked distinction. They have visited the Art-Treasures Exhibition, the Docks, and other public work., and were present at the conver sazione held on the 22nd ult. in honour of the inau- pration of the new wive of the reel-park Museum, SATURDAY, Salford. Major Bird, who attended the Princes, addressed the company at some length, pointing out the staunch friendship and alliance the Kings of Oude, in periods of peril to our supremacy in India, had yet maintained towards the English Go vernment : But let them contrast with this staunchness and the munificence displayed by the Kings of Oude the treatment they had received. It was melancholy to see the change that had taken place, their country taken from them, and they themselves in this country seeking protection from the British Government. The mode of taking their country from them was a very remarkable act. Thirty•five thousand men were collected by telegraph on the frontier, 14,000 men were marched to within seven miles of the city of Lucknow, the capital, and then the King was called upon to sign a certain document and to abdicate, and, in the event of his refusing, it was threatened that his country would be taken from him. Thus, the King who, in times of emergency, had assisted the East India Com pany with men and horses, and to whom the Company now owed 2,640,000/., this faithful ally was deprived of his kingdom, and was now a suppliant to the 13ritish Govern. men - t. He said, through his accredited agent and himself ( Major Bird), "We have always been friendly to the British Government, and we wish to continue friendly still. We do not appeal to other nations for justice, but we appeal to the British Government, and to the British nation, against an act committed by British officers. We do not wish to appeal hostilely, but we wish a clear and impartial bearing of our case upon its merits, and if we prove that our country has been taken from us in violation of treaties, and contrary to the principles of justice and honesty, we ask for redress ; but if the contrary is the case, then we will bow cheerfully to the verdict of the British nation." Their Highnesses, on the 27th, were entertained by the Mayor at the Town•hall, on which occasion Major Bird, briefly alluding to the political nature of the Princes' visit to ithis country, claiming for their case "a free, fair, and impartial inquiry," passed on to the subject of the resources of India, and asked, whether the East India Company had encouraged their development? : Has the Government of the East India Company, as it has advanced in territorial extent, filled the countries it has acquired with the rudiments of that civilisation which would improve the condition of the inhabitants, while it would also aid in developing the resources of the country? I fear they have not. I find the province of Bengal worse governed than any other portion of India. Within two hundred miles of Calcutta, the capital of British India, find the Santhals, the Goondes, and the Bheells, a set of miserable tribes, living in a state of barbarism, not one step in advance of what they were two hundred years ago. These poor creatures, in the pursuit of their wrezched agriculture, scratch the ground here and there. They live together in a migratory manner, in holes and huts, until, by the undue pressure of taxation upon them, and oppressed by the debts they had in consequence been forced to contract, they were driven into insuriection, for the punishment of which they were deprived of their lands and their independence. In surveying the progress of the East India Company's Government, we find that wherever there has been a comparatively paying or flourishing kins, , - domordistrict, that Government has always found an excuse for appropriating such kingdom or district to themselves, either by lapse of heirs, or through the intervention of that friendly feeling towards the inhabitants as induces their newly acquired friends to remove their original rulers, and take upon themselves the responsibility of the government, as well as the benefits accruing from the province. The Princes' visit the North before returning to London. THE EXPLORATION OF THE LUNDHILL PIT pro gresses satisfactorily, but slowly, owing to the vast falls of roof which impede the work. Nine bodies have been recovered. The subscriptions in aid of the families of the sufferers already exceed 9,0001. A COPY OF LAWRENCE'S PORTR UT OF THE LATE SIR ROBERT PEEL has been placed in the Town hall, Tamworth. The Mayor gave an entertainment on the occasion of the presentation of the picture last week by the present baronet. Sir Robert Peel, who was present, addressed the company at some length upon—" his terrible experience of his tragic ship wreck !" TIIE BROTIIERTON MEMORIAL, it has been deter mined, shall consist of a monument over his tomb in the Salford cemetry, at New Barn, and of a bronzo statue in the Peel park, Salford. The commission for the statue has been given to Mr. Matthew Noble, and its cost will be 1,000 guineas. The pedestal will be of granite. SHAKESPEARE'S BIRTHDAY (April 2:1) was kept lase week with great honour, both at Birmingham and Stratford. Dinners, of course, celebrated the event. At Stratford upon-Avon, Mr. Wise delivered a lec ture on the beauties of Shakespeare, and a meeting of the Shakespearian Club was held later in the day. The report presented to this body contained some interesting facts respecting the measures which are being adopted to preserve the Shakesperian property. it also stated that the committee wish it to be under stood that the voluntary contributions from visitors to the birthplace are more than ever required for the purpose of defraying the current expenses attendant upon showing it to the public free of charge. At the dinner which took place in the Town-hall in the