The Press. — London, England, 1856-12-13 00:00:00

1184 Court an ps4ion. The Queen and the Royal Family remain at Osborne. His Royal Highness Prince Frederick William of Prussia took leave of her Majesty on Wednesday and started for Paris. The Court returns to Windsor next week. Viscount Palmerston, accompanied by her lady ship, lett Cambridge-house on Saturday afternoon to visit the Duke and Duchess of Bedford at Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire. The Premier returned to town on Tuesday. The Earl and Countess of Derby and Lady Emma Stanley left town on Wednesday for Knowsley-park, Lancashire, for the Christmas. Lord Stanley, M.P., has arrived in St. James's square, from Lancashire. Lady Mary Wood left the Admiralty yesterday for Hickleton-hall, Yorkshire. The Right Hon. Sir Charles Wood will join his family at Hickleton in a few days. politltal. CABINET COUNCILS were held on Tuesday and Fri day, at the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury, in Downing-street. The Ministers present were Viscount Palmerston, the Lord Chancellor, Earl Granville, Sir George Grey, the Earl of Claren don, Mr. Secretary Labouchere, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Charles Wood, the Right Hon. R. Vernon Smith, the Right Hon. M. T. Baines, and the Duke of Argyll. A ROYAL COMMISSION will shortly be issued, ap pointing Lord Broughton, the Dean of St. Paul's, Mr. R. Ford, Mr. Faraday, Mr. Cockerel!, R.A., and Mr. G. Richmond, to inquire into and determine the site of the new National Gallery, and to report on the desirableness of combining with it the Fine Art and Archaeological collections of the British Museum. THE GOVERNMENT have at length resolved to lit out an expedition to ascend the Niger. The success attendant upon Dr. Baikie's attempt has led to this happy decision. THE REDUCTION OF THE INCOME TAX was dis cussed at a great meeting held at Brighton on Monday evening. The Mayor presided, and Sir George Pechell, Bart., M.P., was present. Various addresses were delivered upon the injustice of direct tazation, and the following resolutions were ulti mately agreed to:— That the present enormous charge of Hid. in the pound levied on incomes is, from the mode of its assessment, most oppressive and unjust; and as the understanding at the time of passing the acts of Parliament by which the tax was increased was, that they were to continue in force for one y ear after the termination of the war, and no longer, the meeting is of opinion that those acts of Parliament ought to be repealed from and after the bth of April next. That the present system of levying the income tax, by taxing permanent and precarious incomes alike, is mani• featly unjust, and leads to a general and systematic evasion ; that the despotic and inquisitorial mode of assessment is repugnant to the feelings of Englishmen, and has been submitted to, from time to time, under the impression that the tax was only for a temporary purpose ; and that this meeting hereby pledges itself to use every legitimate means to obtain a more equitable adjustment of the tax, or a total repeal of it upon trades and professions. That the practice of allowing a poundage to the officers employed in assessing and collecting the income tax upon the amount assessed or collected, renders them liable to discharge impartiality in the disregard of their duties, and paralyses their usefulness, by engendering a suspicion of their integrity. The last resolution was to the effect that a petition embodying the foregoing resolutions be prepared for signature, and requesting the members of the bo rough to support the same in Parliament. Similar meetings have been held at Reading and Plymouth during the week, and resolutions for the entire abo lition of the tax have been proposed and unani mously carried. At Reading, Mr. F. Pigott, M.P., and Mr. H. Keating, M.P., stated their determination to support the petition agreed upon, and any measure fur the entire repeal of the tax. A crowded meeting was also held in Southwark on Thursday, fcr the purpose of considering the question, and various re solutions were passed with the view of obtaining a reduction of the tax to 7d. in the pound, or its entire abolition. Mr. Pellatt, M.l'., supported the reso lution-. MR. W. WILLIAMS, M.P. for Lambeth, met and addressed his constituents on Wednesday evening. The hon. member at great length, and with as much tediousness, reviewed the work of last session. In conclusion, he alluded to the concentration and iso lation in large camps of the army, hinted darkly at continental despotisms, and declared that no less than 1,600,0001. had been spent in two years for hutting and hariacks. Mr. Williams objected to her Majesty the Queen visiting the ramp at Aldershott. It was expensive, and suspiciously novel THE PRESS. A splendid pavilion had been erected for the Queen in the midst of that great camp at Aldershott, and her Ma. jesty had remained there with her Court for days and nights, entertaining the officers at dinner, and inspecting the soldiers on parade. A few weeks ago he saw an Recount in the public newspapers of her Majesty having gone down to the pavilion, and having witnessed in the camp a theatrical performance, the players being officers of the different regiments. This he thought was a novel course to be pursued by a Sovereign of England. Mr. Williams then expressed his solemn opinion that the excuse for saddling the country with a large army on the plea of efficiency was idle—that was an old excuse. When the late war broke out the army was totally inefficient, except with regard to the dis. ciplinc and bravery of the soldiers, who saved the honour and credit of the country when the officers alone were incapable of discharging their duties. And he was convinced that if this country should be unfortunate enough to be involved in war within five years from this time the army, as tar as the officers were concerned, would be found just as unprepared for war as it was at this moment, and its whole management would fall into incompetent aristocratic hands. Mr. Williams then sketched the financial year : He found, from official returns, that the revenue for the year ending the 30th of September last was 71,300,000 f. Now, the expenditure for the last year of peace, 1853, was 54,400,1001., which was considerably more than the average of the preceding twenty years, and if the Government would not expend more during the next year, 1837, than they did in 1853 they would have at least a balance of 15,930,001)1, so that they would be able to dispense with the 13d. income tax, which produced 15,940,0001., and still have a balance of 10,0001. to spare. THE SHEFFIELD TOWN COUNCIL on Wednesday came to the conclusion that they "viewed with con siderable alarm " the prospect that Russia might retain possession of Bolgrad, and, iu a formal reso lution, rdopted an address to the Queen expressing these views, and praying that her Majesty would insist upon the enforcement of the treaty of Paris iu all its integrity. IttraDolit au. THE BISHOP OF LONDON attended a meeting on Monday of the Islington Church Extension Society, held for the purpose of considering the propriety of building ten new churches in Islington. The Bishop of London delivered an address upon the occasion, and, while recognising the wisdom of leaving the general question of church extension at rest for the present, maintained its necessity in the parish of Islington : It is (said the right rev, prelate) because the people have been first brought, as it were, from the hedges and the highways to listen to the preaching of the Gospel, and because so much progress has been made, that we are anxious to consummate the work we have begun by build ing churches for which the congregations are already waiting. I think, therefore, we are, in the heat sense of the word, acting in the spirit of the age. We are guided by those who know the pulse of public feeling—we have got the congregation first, and wo now wish to build the church for them to enter. Under these circumstances, I think we are fully justified in launching our scheme ; and we have not only the approval of Bishop Illonifield to the movement, but also the evidence of the clergy of the dis trict as to the satisfactory results on the population of the means already adopted to meet the spiritual destitution of the parish Let it not be said that this is an effort merely to raise stone churches. It is an effort to preach the living Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is our desire to win men to think of their souls, and, having done that, we desire to have a regular church: and we hope, when the present generation will have passed away, these ten churches will remain as a memorial of our good inten- tions, and of our zeal in the service of religion, although we know how little we can do compared with that which is expected sna commanded of us by our Heavenly Judge. Upon the question of endowment or voluntary sub • scription the Bishop observed : I quite admit that there is a great deal in what is said about the necessity of endowments, and no one doubts that they are very good things—(laughter)—and though we cannot do very well without them, the Church of England never has been and never will be afraid to depend upon the sympathy which it commands among the middle and lower classes. We feel certain that they will respond to the call, and that no man will be allowed to labour for f.:hrist's sake without the means of maintaining himself and his family. We are not, of course, advocates of the voluntary avatem—that would be absurd ; hut we say we are quite willing to allow as much of it in our system as would allow of Churchmen paying for their seats in the church a sufficient sum to support their minister. The parish of Islington contains church accommoda tion for only about 36,000 in a population of 115,000. A DEPI'rATION FROM GRAVESEND, headed by Sir Culling Eardley, and consisting of the mayor and aldermen of the town, waited on Saturday upon the Purposes Committee of the Court of Aldermen, at Guildhall, to call the attention of the court to the nature of the proposed new drainage scheme. Sir Culling Eardley entered at some length into the details of the plan with the view of showing its in• SATURDAY, sufficiency, and requested that lectures by eminent engineers upon the subject might be permitted to be given in the Guildhall:— He would venture to suggest that a committee might be formed, either a committee of the Court of Aldermen pro hac vice, or a spontaneous committee of citizens of London, to watch the question, and in particular to give facilities for putting before the public tho various plans proposed. Could there be a better employment of the in fluence of the Court of Aldermen, and of the locality of the Guildhall, where they were now met, than to allow the use of the latter on certain days, to any respectable engineers to lecture on their respective plans? Mr. Alderman Wire, the chairman of the committee, stated that the City, as conservators of the Thames, were interested to see that in any plan for the purifi cation of the Thames the health and comfort of the inhabitants on its banks were duly provided for, and that no obstruction be caused to the navigation ; that the subject would receive the attention of the com mittee, and a communication would be made to the deputation thereon. THE MINOR CANONRY OF ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL, vacant by the death of the Rev. E. G. Beckwith, M.A., has been conftrred by the Dean and Chapter upon the Rev. B. Morgan Cowie, M.A., of St. John's College, Cambridge. The rev. gentleman was the senior wrangler of his year (1839), and afterwards became Principal of the Civil Engineers' College at Putney. He holds at the present time the Gresham Professorship of Mathematics in the city of London, and was from 1853 to 1855 Hulsean Lecturer at Cambridge. THE SOUTHWARK DEPUTATION of objectors to the proposed new street had an interview with Sir Ben jamin Hall on Tuesday, to recommend, instea l of the plan proposed by the Metropolitan Board of Works, one which would begin by removing the Town-hall and other houses, to widen the Borough High street, then go across to the Black friars-road, thence to the Waterloo•road Rail way-station, over the vacant ground on the north side of that station, into York road. This line, they said, would cost 57,000!. less than that proposed by the Metropolitan Board, though its entire length would be nearly double that of the latter. Sir B. Hall, in reply, said he had heard from many gentle men connected with the Borough that they con sidered the plan of the Metropolitan Board a very good one, and if any of the inhabitants were dissatis fied with it they should oppose it before the parlia mentary committee. THE DANGER of sitting "right into" the fire on a cold day was exemplified last week in the case of an elderly maiden lady, a Miss Hog, living in Highbury place, Islington. Miss Hog, on Thursday week, the morning being bitterly cold, was seated with her feet on the fender before a large fire, holding her dress to it for greater warmth. The housekeeper said she really believed she was on fire ; but the lady strongly protested against this. In a moment or two Miss Hog's dress burst into flames. The housekeeper and another servant happily got them under, but Miss Hog, though n o t much b urn t, was s o shaken that she died on the following morning. THE SMITHFIELD CLUB CATTLE SHOW is acknow ledged to have been one of the best exhibitions for some years past. The gold medal for the finest ox was won by Mr. Heath, of Ludham-hall, near Nor wich. His Grace the Duke of Richmond carried off the prize this year for sonthdowns, beating his com petitor, Mr. Rigden, of Hove. His Ro.al Highness Prince Albert has not been fortunate this year with either his cattle or pigs. Lord Walsingham has come into the field as a competitor for soutlidowns, though winning only second honours. The arrange ments of the club were excellent, and the annual dinner took place on Wednesday. His Grace the Duke of Richmond presided, and, in congratulating the society upon its sound financial condition, stated that the cluo was so prosperous and well supported, it was under consideration, by extending the classes for prizes, to increase the premiums from 850/. to 1,200/. a year. This resolution has since been adopted, and distinct prizes will in future be offered for Norfolk and Suffolk, polled animals, Sussex cattle, long-horned Leicesters, and other classes of sheep and pigs. THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL'S RETITRNS FOR THE WEEK show an increase of deaths. From 1,158 they rose last week to 1.318. The births for the same period amounted to 1,521). Vrobintinl. TILE PORTSMOUTH TOWN COUNCIL has resolved to give a public banquet to the American officers now bringing over the Resolute, Arcti3 discovery-ship, upon their arri:al at Spithead. The Resolute, it will bo remembered, went out under the command of Captain Henry Kellett, C. 8., in company with the Assistance, Captain Sir E. Belcher, C. 8., in 1832. The story of the abandonment of the Resolute and other ships by Sir E. Belcher—the unpleasant coo• troversy that ensued as to the ueoessity of this aot--