The Press. — London, England, 1857-01-17 00:00:00

56 V elit It al. MR. KINGLAKE AT NEWPORT. Ma. A. W. KINGLAKE, the author of "liothen," in his address last week to the electors of Newport, after arguing for the extension of the franchise, the ballot, the abolition of church rates, a national system of secular education, &c., referred to the question of State patronage, and said that the high offices of this country are unduly distributed among persons of particular families, and belonging to a particular class in society, without due regard to their qualifications for holding them ; and that the result of this, as shown in the conduct of the late war, was that the Ministers were positively unable, with their united abilities, to feed an army of a few thousand men, encamped at a distance of eight miles only from a seaport occupied by their own ships. What was the cause of this evil ? The cause is that the Ministers and persons high in office are selected from too small a number. If any of you, in conducting your business, were to make to your selves a law that you could only take persons whose names began with the letter A, or persons in a particular street or passage, how would your business go on ? Yet this is the kind of restriction which is practically going on in the selection of men chosen to fill the high offices of the State. If you will bear with me, I will go for a few moments into this important question. As you know, all the high officers of State are taken either from the House of Peers or the House of Commons. The House of Peers consists of, I believe, 346 men, and the House of Cora mons consists of 658 ; so that, in round numbers, you have 1,003 people from whom the Ministers of State have to be selected. Vet.) , well. Now, of the 346 peers almost all, except our right rev. friends the bishops, and two or three law lords, are selected by the mere accident of birth. There remains, then, the House of Commons from which to find the selected talent of the country. Now, I am going to venture upon telling you a home truth—an un palateable truth. I do say that the constituencies have been wanting in their duty with regard to the selection of those whom they send to the House of Commons, and I do say that it is from this failure of duty on the part of the constituencies that there has been so much difficulty in finding men to fill the high offices of State. Why, really, gentlemen, we must confess, even though it may be an un palateable thing to know, that the sprinkling of able men which you have in the House of Commons, although it is selected by the people, is not very much greater than the sprinkling of abler men in the House of Lords, where the only test is the mere accident of birth. I have told you one cause leading to the inadequacy of public men. I think there is another. I think there is an undue laxity in the members of the House of Commons. The dnty of a member of the House of Commons is of a double character. One of his duties, and that is the one which, perhaps, you are most accustomed to consider, is that of making laws, ar refusing to make laws, and taking part in legislative discussion. But another and most important duty of every member of the House of Commons is that of watching the formation of the successive Governments who are from time to time selected. Ido any that in the performance of that duty the House of Commons has been too lax. There exists the practice of asking men to give what is called confidence to the Government, and the effect of that is that a Government, though not consisting of men sufficiently able to govern—a Govern ment which would not bear criticism when jou came to inquire whether one man or another is fit for the office he holds—is enabled to secure a space of toleration, because there is a feeling that there will be an inconvenience in a change of Government. That is the threat always held out to induce men to avoid a vote rendering necessary a change of 'Government. Many men have * great dread of a change of Government. If they change so frequently, it is said the time will come when England will be without a Government. Now, what they really mean when they say that is, that England will be without. a Government selected from she accustomed class; and when the day comes; that England is to be without a Government of that kind, it will be a fortunate day, and not a day of danger; for, depend upon it, you can never have good government or economy at home, you can never have that foresight and management which will bring success in war, until you withdraw this exclusive rikht of government front a few families, and seek for ability, combined with high charac ter, wherever you can find it—from all ranks, from ull classes, and from all conditions of men. LORD ADOLPHUS VANE TEMPEST. M.P.. on Monday at South Shields, addressed a number of the electors of that division in the Lion Assembly•rooms, South Shields. His lordship, after adverting to his absence in the Crimea, proceeded to speak upon several sub jt eta at present claiming public attention. He was in favour of increased education among the masses. He di-agreed with the present ticket-of leave system. He was in favour of a moderate Reform Bill, and reduction of the income tax. With respect to church rates and local dues on shipping, he promised to give Cie subject his careful attention. A BALLOT MEETING AT WOOLWICH Was held on Wednesday evening at the Ratepayers'.hall, opposite the Dockyard-gates. Many hundreds of artisans employed at the Royal Arsenal and Dockyard were present, the large majority of whom were voters for •the borough. Mr. -Holland (a draughtsman of the dockyard) urged upon the electors to support no candidate opposed to the ballot. In Woolwich they had about one hundred societies, in which the ballot THE PRESS. was the mode of voting, and although the rich adopted the ballot to protect themselves against each other at their clubs, yet they denied such protection to the poor and industrious elector. General Cod rington had avowed himself as an opponent, not only to the ballot, but to any extension of the franchise, and therefore if the present Ministry brought in a new Reform Bill the general was bound to oppose it. Was such a man fit to represent the masses of work ing men at Woolwich ? lie concluded by proposing a resolution, pledging the meeting not to support any candidate who would not vote for the ballot and an extension of the suffrage. The motion was car ried by acclamation. Deputy-Commissary General Darling at some length eulogised the character of General Codrington, whom the speaker had served under at the Crimea; but he avowed that his opinion was opposed to that of the general on the question of the ballot. Addresses in favour of reform and pro gress were delivered by Messrs. Keegan, Iliseley, Sloman, and others, and a resolution was unani mously carried, to the effect that General Codrington, being opposed to these principles, was unfit to repre sent the borough. Mttropolitun. A GREAT MEETING OF THE UNEMPLOYED WORKMEN of the building trades was held at Smithfield on Monday. Upwards of 10,000 persons were computed to be present. The meeting was called by the com mittee of the unemployed members of the building trade, for the purpose of taking into consideration the present distressing position of that body, there being upwards of 25,000 at present unemployed in London alone. Mr. OSBORNE said the meeting was called for the purpose of enabling the committee, which had been appointed to submit certain resolutions to the meeting. It would be in the power of any person to move amendments, but he must protest against any agents of Mr. Bronterre O'Brien or other persons turning the meeting to political purposes. The meeting bad been convened under the auspices of the Lord Mayor, and was purely social. Mr. Hum' PIERCE, the chairman, then rose and addressed the meeting at some length. He said it would be needless for him to go into the facts and circumstances connected with the depressed state of the building trade : At the present time there were upwards of 15,000 per ions connected with the building trade in London unem ployed. Ile should like to know how this depression bad been brought about. It was all very well for the Govern ment to state and to blazon abroad to foreign nations the glorious prosperity of this country, but let it look at home and see the number of unemployed artisans, before they entered into costly wars, for what they called the indepeit. deuce and welfare of the people—whom he (the chairman) hail no doubt were much better off than the workmen of this country. He was one of the ♦ictims of supply and demand, which modern political economists pretended was the solo cause of the present deficiency of labour. From that he demurred. For, while he saw around him the splendid pageantries of accumulated wealth, revelling in all the abmidancies that a bountiful nature could supply; while ne saw the English Government fitting out its ambassadors and consuls in the most magnificent style, imposing on the world the splendid spectacle of a people without poverty—while such things were blazoned forth to the world, they were required by the calls of their own necessities, and by the principles of their own national dignity, to challenge the display of so flinch grandeur, anti, at any rate, to reveal their own sufferings as the dark side of the picture. At the present time there were upwards of 25,000 men in the building trade alone willing to work, but unable to obtain employment—men who were doomed in the present state of society to an isolated starvation, and educated with a fuse dignity and an unfair knowledge of their position in society. They dreaded the exposure of applying to the poor law for that relief which was their undoubted right. These things demanded their most vital attention ; and whilst they heard of different schemes for their benefit, let them not forget the real cause, nor be deceived by the quackery which applied the ointment to the superficial sore, without salving the malady that occasioned the gangrenous wound front which they were suffering. Out of the population at present in London n quarter of a million workmen were unemployed. That was a grievous state of things. The suggestion was that they should apply rn maxAe to the various unions for relief. They must remember that the poor law was a national right. Let them ask what could be granted, like men of common sense, fur what they required, and not waste their time and labour in discussing the utopias of vain men or the political crotchets of professional agitators. Hitherto, Englishmen appeared to ha actuated by false pride, for when out of work they seemed to think it a degradation to apply for relief at the union; but they should remember that the poor law was a national institution, anti that the relief it gavo was their own. They should enforce that right, when necessity compelled it, and then such a pres sure would be brought to bear upon the ratepayers that the Government would be obliged to retrench some of its use less expenditure, and apply the saving to the construction of useful public works. It was neither politic nor dignified for the Government to go pa►ading the wealth and luxury of the country! before the eyes of foreign nations, when so Many of her people were on the point of starvation ; and SATURDAY, he was, therefore, sure that if they would only unite in obtaining the objects stated in the resolutions they would succeed. Let them apply to the several unions for relief en maw, and the Government would soon do something for them. Mr. W. J. M'HEATH moved the first resiolution, as follows : That the unemployed workmen here assembled being fit objects for relief under the poor law, should forthwith apply, in masses, at their various parishes and demand such casual support, while out of work, as they are by law entitled to ; and in the meantime the executive council shall draw up a petition in the name, and on behalf, of the unemployed, praying her most gracious Majesty the Queen to call the attention of the Government to the ne• cessity of employing the surplus labour population upon the waste land of the country ; granting them also the loan of a portion of the surplus revenue for draining and tilling the same, to the end that their present impending ruin may be prevented, and corn produced in sufficient abund• ance to meet the wants of all. The mover, in a long and eloquent speech, endea voured to prove the absolute necessity of adopting the resolution. Mr. HANDLEY seconded the motion, which was carried with acclamation. Mr. OSBORNE proposed the next resolution : That the Government open an extensive system of emigration for all those who, be►ng unable to procure em ployment, do not wish to be put upon the land, but prefer to leave their native country, thereby to add to the wealth of the colonies, and he enabled to better their own condi tion at the same t►me. For some time past he had been in the habit, when • ever he had an opportunity of speaking, of saying that emigration must be the means of finding an opening for the surplus population. He did not mean to say there was a surplus population, but at present thousands of persons were out of work, and even if they got relief now, the question was whether next year they would not be in the same position. They wanted an outlet for the great masses of the people, in addition to the employment which could be bad by the cultivation of the waste lands. Nothing could be better than emigration. The resolution, having been seconded, was carried nem. con. Other resolutions of a formal nature were pnssed, and the meeting, considering its immense number, conducted itself in the most orderly manner, and bhortly after was adjourned till Monday next. The report which appeared in some of the evening popers, to the effect that a resolution was carried suggesting " the abolition of the duties upon all articles of consumption," is incorrect; no such mo tion was proposed. A HOUSE IN DORSET -STREET, SPITALFIELDS, fell is on Sunday afternoon, burying two children of a poor man, one McStory, and who, although speedily ex tricated, died shortly afterwards from the injuries they had received. Upwards of thirty persons usually inhabited the house, but most fortunately all the other families were out for the day, or the conse quences might have been very disastrous. THE COLLEGE OF PEEcErrons on Saturday last held their half-yearly meeting of members at the offices in Queen-square, Dr. Humphreys, of Chel. tenham, president of the council, in the chair. Dr. Humphreys, on taking the chair, delivered the usual address. The secretary read the report for the half year, which stated that the objects of the institution were being in every respect progressively oorked out. The balance-sheet showed liabilities to the amount of 32:1/. Bs. 4d., and avets to the amount of 2081. 155., being a balance against the college of 1161. 13s. Rd. THE ANTI.. POOH-LAW-BOARD LEAGUE held a public meeting on Monday evening at the Marylebone Court-house for the purpose of " protesting against the unconstitutional and irresponsible power" of the Poor-Law Board, and to adopt measures for effecting (through the medium of Parliament) a thorough re formation of the law governing the Poor Law Board. Communications were read from Sir B. Hall, M.l'., Sir James Duke, M.P., Sir R. Brooke Pechell, M.P., Apsley Pellatt, Esq., M.P., Sir John Shelley, M.P., and other members of Parliament, expressive of their opinions in favour of the objects of the League ; and also a long letter from Viscount Ebrington in defence of the Poor Law Board. Mr. D'lffanger moved the adoption of a petition to Parliament embodying several resolutions against the power exercised by the Poor-Law Board. He said that the I'oor-Law Board was a species of inquisition and centralisation such as wa, adopted in France ; but even there it was beginning to be repudiated. The motion was carried. THE COMMITTEE OF THE STOCK EXCHANGE have unanimously passed the following resolution, the ob. aervance of which may go far towards preventing further frauds of the class in which Redpath was so extensively engaged. The facilities hitherto given to clerks and other employes to speculate on the Stock Exchange was remarked last week by one of the sitting magistrates. The resolution is as follows : The committee particularly caution members of the Stock &Osage against transacting speculative business fur