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

MAY 2, 1857. For the month. For three months. 1855 £6.736.271 .... X 17,311,192 1856 1857 Including the " unenunierated" articles, the aggre gate exports stand thus : For the month. For three months. 1855 £7,311,3')5 £18,808,517 1856 1857 The increase over the corresponding month of 1856 appears to be 1,007,7781., or about ten per cent., and over that of 1855; 3,145,0431., or forty-three per cent. Taking the figures for the three months an increase appears of 3,678,3001., or fourteen per cent. over the corresponding quarter of last year, and an increase of 10,018,076/., or fifty-three per cent. over that of 1855. _ _ _ Mr. E. W. WATKtN, M.P. for Yarmouth, addressed the electors on Wednesday at a great open-air meet ing. Mr. Watkin did not appear to anticipate any great measure of Reform being brought forward by 'Government in this session : So far as I am concerned (observed the hon. speaker) —knowing the difficulties which Lord Palmerston may have to contend with—l am not prepared to urge him too far, on one condition, and that condition is, that he de. elates, while Parliament meets this year, with what horse he intends to win. We were returned to Parliament to give a general support to Lord Palmerston, provided Lord Palmerston thinks IA to pass wise and liberal measures. Mr. Watkin then at some length entered upon the question of an extended suffrage, advocating, in rather vague terms, the right of voting for " a large number of the honest, industrious, and intelligent mien of this country," and " a greater equality in the number of representatives returned by constituencies •so enlarged." With respect to taxation, Mr. Watkin •declared himself against placing taxation upon that growing commerce which is the foundation of Eng land's greatness : I believe a wise, salutary, and bold change in the system of taxation in this country would be a measure of which any statesmen might well feel proud, and that the respon sibility of it ought to be undertaken by the statesman who commands a large majority. The hon. gentleman then briefly alluded to the 'desire of himself and Mr. M'Cullagh to carry out administrative reforms, and concluded his address nvith a sketch of Lord Palmerston's position . Lord Palmerston, ladies and gentlemen, is now a Minister upon his trial. With the cares and power of .office there comes also the responsibility, and, great as is Lord Palmerston's popularity now, his unpopularity would be equally great twelve months hence if that glorious ma . jority with which he is supported is not used as it ought .to be—steadily, and bona fide on the side of the people. If Lord Palmerston improves the opportunity wisely, boldly, and well, his name will be added to that list of England's patriots whose memory the people bless as that .of benefactors, and who adorn and illumine the page of England's history. But if, on the other hand, Lord Pal niersum forgets where he gained the power which has made him an triumphant a Minister, his name will be added to that long list of splendid failures of men who could not take advantage of the great opportunities given to them for action, and who sank powerless under the responsibility, and unequal to the task imposed upon them by the circumstances in which they were placed. THE DECL xIiED VALUE of articles of British produce exported in the month of March was 10,450,0001., as contrasted with 0,448,0001. in the same month last year, and with 7,311,000/. in that of 1855. The increase is, therefore, about one million over last year, and more than three millions over the previous one: For the first quarter of 1857 the value of our manufactures exported was 28,827,0001., as compared with 25,140,000/. in the first quarter of 1830, and with 18,808,0001. in that of 1855. tirogolitan. METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENTS AND THE THAMES EMBANKMENT. Mn. FRANCIS BENNOCU, on Wednesday evening, read at a meeting of the Society of Arts, Adelphi, a paper on this subject. Mr. Bennoch confined his remarks to sue!' improvements in the public thoroughfares as would give increased facilities for the trade of the metropolis. Observing that the best of modern im provements were those which approached the nearest to the plan of Sir Christopher Wren for rebuilding the City after the great fire, Mr. Benuoch propounded his own scheme, which embraced the removal of Temple Bar and Middle-row ; and the establish ment of three great routes, east and west; the con tinuation of Cheapside north of Paternoster-row, over Farringdon-street by a viaduct bearing slightly to the south of Lincoln's inn Fields, and so on to meet the improvements in the west, on a line with Piccadilly ; a northern line through New Oxford street, a part of Holborn, diverging at the top of the hill, and by a viaduct crossing Victoria -street to Smithfield, passing in front of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, through Bartholomew's C10.,e, across Aldersgate-street on the level, and so in a line with and into London-wall, joining the Pavement for THE PRESS. Hoxton traffic, Bishopsgate-street for Hackney or Shoreditch traffic, and proceeding down to the river side by way of Houndsditch, the Minories, Tower hill, and then crossing the river by steam ferries, such as those common in America ; half a dozen or more vehicles, and 500 to 1,000 pedestrians crossing at once ; the existing toll-bridges to be free ; the Hungerford fitted for carriage traffic ; and new bridges thrown over the river at the Temple and St. Paul's ; but, after all, the most important point was the embankment of the Thames from Westminster to St. Paul's. The plan proposed combines a promenade, a carriage-way, and a railway, and he was of opinion that the entire work might be executed without costing the metropolis or the country a farthing. The rove• nue from the railway and the frontage obtained from the river would not only compensate all persons having claims, but pay a handsome dividend to the projectors. The proposed embankment commences at Wegtminster-bridge and terminates at the pro posed St. Paul's-bridge. A railway starts from the Post-office, being in continuation of the Fleet Valley railway from King's cross ; it follows the road on the embankment along the river, enters a tunnel at Whitehall, and proceeds westwards to Richmond and Brentford. The gardens of Whitehall and the Temple are to be enlarged, while new gardens are to appear in front of Somerset-house. Every street coming down to the river is to be improved, and a greater amount of wharf accommodation secured than now exists. The railway starting from the Post-office has a branch uniting it with the South. Western on the one hand, while on the other it is connected with the South-Eastern. He thought this entire scheme for Thames embankment, railway junction, and a high level bridge at St. Paul's, could be completed in five years. On the lowest level, facing the river, it is proposed to place the wharfs and other matters connected with trade; on a higher level, but receding considerab'y, is a promenade for pedestrians ; next comes the space over which, on iron columns, the railway is to be laid down ; next comes the roadway for carriages, forty feet wide, and then another footway or promenade in front of the houses that may be erected; the entire width for toot-passengers, carriage-way, and railway, being 100 feet. Another line might run along the side of the new road, from St. Paul's to the Elephant and Castle, and, branching off to the left, give railway convenience to the immense omnibus population of Camberwell, Kennington, Brixton, Clapham, and Streatham, uniting with the Crystal Palace Railway to the West-end. It is further proposed to unite the Thames Embankment Railway with the Blackwall Railway. A discussion ensued, in which Dr. Letheby, Messrs. John Ware, Edwin Chadwick, C. 8., and Hayward, and the chairman, took part. THE L.tw AMENDMENT SOCIETY held their first meeting, since the dissolution of Parliament, on Monday. Mr. Headlam, M.P., in the chair. The procoedings were opened by the Secretary, who read a lengthened address of the council to the society on its resuming its fourteenth session. The first topic touched upon was the question of the appoint ment of a Minister of Justice. The council con• gratulated the society on the adoption of Mr. Napier's motion ih the House of Commons, and on the pledge given by the Government to carry out the wish thus expressed by the Legislature. The re port then adverted to the difficulties attending the organisation of a department of justice, and more especially as to the question in whose hands the supreme direction of such a department was to be vested. It had been proposed that the Minister of Justice should ue an independent officer of State, having a seat in the Cabinet and the House of Commons, but to that it was objected that the existence of such an officer would not be compatible with the political influence of the Lord Chancellor, who was at present the representative of law in the Cabinet. Whatever weight attached to that objection seemed to apply to another proposition, of making the Home Secretary the Minister of Justice, with the additional evil of still further burdening a de partment which was at present supposed to be fully occupied. Both those plans seemed to be founded on the popular feeling, to which it was hardly pos sible to attach too much importance, that proper security for vigilance and activity of such a de partment was only to be obtained by its direct re sponsibility to the House of Commons. The council adhered to the opinion they expressed some years ago, that a board of justice should be established on the same footing as the Board of Trade. That the Lord Chancellor should be president, and that there should be in addition a vice-president, with a seat in the House of Commons, and a permanent non.parliamentary secretary, with a competent officer and staff. The report then adverted to tllO question of the transfer of land, commercial law, judicial statistics, divorce, and testamentary jurisdiation, Sir George Grey's bils for increasing the term of penal servitude, and for facilitating the establishment of reformatory schools. On the motion of Sir Erskine 429 Perry, M.P. seconded by Mr. Power, the report was adopted, and it having been announced that Mr. Webster would, on Monday evening next, read a paper on the Corrupt Practices at Elections Pre vention Bill, the meeting separated. . THE REV. R. MAountE has been once more elected minister of St. James's, Clerkenwell. The rev. gentleman's induction may now be expected imme diately. M. DE LESSEPS, at a recent dinner at Goldsmith's hall, at which were present Mr. Gladstone, the Bishop of London, General Williams, Sir Roderick Murchison, the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, and Air. Ellice, in reply to his health as the projector of the Suez Canal, slimmed up, in concise terms, the present situation of the enterprise, which had passed through the period of doubt as to the material pos sibility of its execution This part of the question bad been completely set at rest by the report of the International Scientific Commis• sion and that of the Academy of Sciences of France, lately presented by M. Charles Dupin. As regarded its financial success, he had received numerous and solid proofs from all sides that they should not experience any want of confidence on the part of capitalists. The pro- ject had aroused the sympathies of all nations, and, as far as he had hitherto experienced, he could safely say the British people had not shown less interest than any other. The voice of the press, and other manifestations, public and private, had shown nim that the canalieation of the Isthmus of Suez would find in Great Britain the most efficient support, as she became convinced that by thus shortening the route to the Indies her power and pro sperity would he increased in the ratio of her superiority over all other nations in shipping, industry, and capital. THE HON. AND REV. J. T. PELHAM, who will shortly be consecrated Bishop of Norwich, has appointed the Rev. J. J. S. Purowne, Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, one of his examining chaplains. This appointment is reported to have given much satisfaction to the Evangelical party in the diocese. THE TURKISH MISSIONS AID SOCIETY held its annual meeting on Tuesday at Wilis's•rooms. The general report was satisfactory, a balance of 652/. 13s. lid. remaining on hand. Amongst those who addressed the meeting was General Sir W. F. Williams, who bore testimony to the good services of the American missionaries : The American missionaries printed the Scriptures the Turkish language; they educated a number of youths who had spread themselves through the Sultan's domi nions, and he hoped the seed which they had sown would produce an abundant harvest. He had assisted the Ame rican missionaries in their labours, which were of a very important kind; they worked with zeal and energy, and the clergy were ably assisted by physicians. Also in Persia, on the borders of Lake Oroomia, was assembled the remnant of the Nestorian Church, who were the objects of their especial care. There he found the printer at work, and before he left the entire Scriptures had been reprinted. That was only a portion of their work. These missionaries had established a school, and he thought they had as many as 100 pupils when he was amonkst them. These pupils would spread through the country,and become instruments in diffusing a knowledge of the Gospel. The object of this society, it may be stated, is not to originate any new mission, but to raise fund; in aid of existing evangelical missions in the Turkish em pire. It is, however, competent to the committee to make grants to individuals labouring in that field, provided that such labourers be under some recog nised and responsible supervision. THE TOLL REFORMERS held a meeting on Wed nesday at the Craven Hotel. Mr. Ingram, M.P., presided. The secretary of the association having read the yearly report, which stated that the Toll Commission received 00,000/. for which they never publicly accounted, Mr. Ingram explained that the object of the society was to obtain the abolition of tolls within a radius of six miles of Charing-cross He trusted that the present meeting was the beginning of an agitation which would result in the abolition of the toll system throughout the country. In France there were no toll bars, nor were there any iu America, Sweden, Nor nay, the Isle of Man, or Dublin. Va - rious resolutions were proposed and adopted, and liberal subscriptions announced. THE WESTMINSTER BONDHOLDERS held a meeting on Wednesday, and carried a resolution, proposed by Mr. Beaumont, appointing an independent committee of bondholders, for the purpose of watching the bid to be brought before Parliament, and opposing it as far as was deemed necessary for the protection of the rights and interests of the bondholders, and that the committee should be instructed to co-operate with the Commissioners, the parishes, and the repre sentatives of her Majesty's Woods and Forests, with the view of obtaining such modifications of the bill as would render it advantageous to the bondholders; that the committee should endeavour to obtain an Act of Parliament which would vest in a body of the bondholders, under the name of the Westminster Improvement Commission, or some other name, such powers as would enable tliem ' subject to the control of the general body of shareholders, to dispose of the property for the advantage of all. The following gentlemen were appointed on the committee :—Mr. W, Bennison, Captain Hunter, Mr. J. A. Banker, Mr. Smith, gr. liaiwell, gr. Andrews, Mr. Beau-