The Express.
London, England, 1852-04-22 00:00:00

THE PROPOSED

3

A public meeting of the inhabitants of Mer7lebone
was held last everagg at the Literary Institution, }Awards- I
street. Po " to adopt such measures as might
he deemed In reference to the proposed bill."I
Thee was steer etteeranse.
Mr. J. WPLISIAIII,M P , was unanimously called
to send& le sail be had listened with much attention
to the ergemests Was Sinn on both sides of this question,
mad he meld set Stek that a militia was at all nesiewary.
=wee.) The ineggies of the country ought not to be
away is Seinen. We wanted fewer soldiers and
mems instead of goon, and more of that sterling indepen-
deregewiralt bad made England the mistress of the seas.
He hoped that by the aid of such men as Lord 1). Stuart
and Sir B. Hall now present, they would be able to defeat
the Militia Bill. If the people would but make their voices
heard, neither whigs nor tories could succeed in forcing
seek • measure on the country. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. JAMES BELL moved : " That this meeting is of
opinion that the enrolment of the militia would be oppres-
sive and injurious, especially to the industrious claws, a
heavy tax upon the parochial rates ; that the advantage
derivable from such force would not be commensurate with
the evils inseparable from the system ; and that the sum of
nearly 16 millions sterling now annually expended in main•
Shrine the national defences ought to be more than suffi-
cient if proper economy were observed." An invasion, he
observed, was less likely now than ever.' The President of
France had enough to do to keep his own place, and it was
not likely he would quarrel with the most powerful nation
in the world for some unexplained reason. Besides, we had
the assurance of ministers that our foreign relations were
never of a more friendly character. (Hear.) Lord Derby had
talked of stemming the democratic influent:* ; and perhaps
the proposed militia was for this purpose.
Mr. P. EDWARDS, in seconding the resolution, said
that no necessity whatever had been shown for the
measure; its introduction, therefore, was moat inop-
portune. Four or five years ago the government
had sought to re•establish the militia, but they
had been prevented by the agitation out of doors.
The CHAIRMAN was about to put the resolution, when
Mr. KEYSER, who spoke from the body of the meeting,
said he had an amendment to propose. Ito had been on
the Continent, and had seen something of the horrors of
invasion. Ile would ask them sincerely, was there no
danger ? (teed cries of " No, uo," amidst which the gen-
tleman sat down without proposing his amendment.)
The CHAIRMAN, in putting the resolution, said he
believed Mr. Keyser would have been alone had he pro-
posed an amendment.
The resolution was then put and carried amidst loud
cheering, the only dissentient being, apparently, Mr.
Keyser.
Mr. JOSEPH said he had no doubt the government
would defer to a proper expression of feeling on this point,
as they had on one of much more importance—that of pro-
tection. (Cheers.) He moved the adoption of a petition to
the House of Commons, to be forwarded for presentation to
the borough members.
The Rev. Dr. BURNS seconded the resolution. Ile op-
posed the measure, both on religious grounds, and because
it would increase taxation. The government would do
much better to set to work and discover some means of re-
ducing taxes. He was an advocate for untaxed soap, and
for untaxed literature. (Loud cheers.) In spite of all the
letters to the papers—amongst which he had regretted to
see one from a clergyman urging the formation of rifle
clubs—the excitement was dying out. (Hear, hear.) It
been only got up as a ahem, to divert the attention of the
people from their real grievances, especially from the in-
adequacy of Lord J. Russell's Reform Bill. (Cheers.)
Sir B. HALL, M.P., was loudly cheered on rising. He
said it was most gratifying to him to be asked to take charge
of this resolution, moved and seconded as it had been by
two gentlemen who had proposed and seconded him as a
candidate. (Cheers.) This was a proof that he had not
forfeited their confidence. (Cheers.) But were they to
have this militia bill or not ? Thu ministry were evidently
made of squeezable materials. They bad been squeezed on
two questions last night; the first referred to a bishop, and
1:26 were squeezed with difficulty. On the second his
colleague bad succeeded in squeezing out of them
mom Interns. (Cheers.) There was a report that they
gralint to withdraw this bill. (Loud cheers.) In bre
opiates it was • bill test ought not to pass; and if the
memilmencies of the empire followed the example of Mary-
lelese—the richest constituency of the empire—it would
met pew (Cheers.) Such a measures being neither
amour nor desirable, the public must seek to pre-
vent its passing by giving expression to their opinions;
and if their representatives did not act upon them, let them
be replaced by others. (Hear, hear.) lie had voted
against the proposition in the first instance, without waiting
be any expression of public opinion ; and he was convinced
his eemetituents would respect him the more foe having
dosage. (Cheers.) The hon. gentleman ridiculed the pro-
ladling for giving votes to militiamen; and said he
wee thankful they had not proposed to make them voters
for boroughs. (Laughter.) The government, who had
sawasd this, would no doubt oppose Mr. Locke King's
peels es Tuesday next, for giving the 101. franehiso is
nragnen If they did so, it would be the grossest incon-
tinency. He trusted this militia bill would be defeated,
end Ise should spare no pains to ensure that end. (Hear,
dear.) He would watch it as closely as possible ; and he
knew his noble colleague would do the same.
Lord DUDLEY STUART, M.P., was most enthusiasti-
cally received. He observed that the great question was,
whether there was any danger of invasion? If not, we
might safely go on as we had done for many years. (Hear.)
He did not believe that Louis Napoleon had say intention
of invading us; nor could he believe that the French people
submitted to their present so-catled republican government
from any thingbut the force of bayonets. (Cheers.) That
being so, all the bayonets the President could command
would be required at home. Besides we were not without
defence. Alate Lord of the Admiralty had said we had
steamers enough to cover the coast from the North Foreland
to the Channel Islands; and our wooden walls were our
best defence. (Cheers.) We had, besides, the preventive
force, the dockyard battalions, and the police. The cut-
lasses' of the latter force might be employed much more
justly against a foreign enemy than in cutting down their
peaceable fellow-countrymen. (Hear, bear.) He had re-
cently seen an honest engineer, with his arm in a sling,
who had been cut down by the police, his head laid open,
and his arm broken, and then dragged to the police station
covered with blood, where he was not allowed to see a
u till the following day. (" Shame.") Next day he
retarrh: son, who was taken at the same time, were honour-
ably acquitted by the magistrates ; but the poor man could
get no redeem for his broken arm, and he had petitioned
the House of Commons. (Hear, hear) Ile should
give to this petition all the support in his power, by voting
against the bill. (Cheers.)
Mr. MALLALIEU, who described himself as an old
inilitia•man, briefly spoke against the measure.
Mr. JACOB BELL, M.P., said there had been a very
denim
serouledspreesdo o o
all in hisf
popiniwoenr ntosionpspeouetheit.M He thought it
i
litia Bill, end
as objectionable that nothing would induce him to sup-
port it.
A Mr. BOYES, who said he was a believer in " the
di
.rinciples," and one of the few men who would be
to volunteer into the militia, an announcement
w was received with shouts of laughter, said he wished
he RIM an amendment, declaring that it was desirable in
the present confusion of continental affairs to support
the Militia Bill.
Bone one having seconded the amendment,
A female rose, an the body of the meeting, and created
much amusement by a streaming denunciation of the
militia.
Only two hands were raised in favour of the amend-
ment. The original motion was then put and carried with
loud
berugchereeengedilliel closed with a vote of thanks to the
members end to the chairman.

PRESERVATION OP THE CRYSTAL ALACE.—Last
evening a public meeting wu held in the British School
Hume, Cowper-street, City-road, l'eter Hay, Esq., in the
stair, for the purpose of taking into consideration the pre-
servation of the Crystal Palace as a place of instruction and
amisselisent for the people' and also of adopting a petition
to parliament to that effent, The meeting wu very ably
and eloquently addressed by Messrs. Soper, Pullen, and
ethers. The resolutions were unanimously adopted, and
the petition numerously 'signed. —A meeting of the inha-
bitants of Finsbury was held at the Music Hall, Store-
street, on Tuesday evening, to consider the best steps to be
taken to prevent the destruction of the Crystal Pekoe.
Mr. William Daniels, Q.C., oocupied the chair, and revolu-
tions and a petition to parliament in favour of the
maintenance of the glass structure were adopted.
—At the first meeting of the Hackney Guardians since
the election, after the usual business bad been dis-
posed of, Mr. Matson moved the adoption of the foi-
-1 [owing [petition to parliament, which was seconded by
Mr. Clark, and carried unanimously, with the excep-
tion of one:—"To the Honourable the Commons of
Great Britain and Ireland in Parliament Assembled:
The petition of the Guardians of the Hackney Union,
in the County of Middlesex sheweth—That your petitioners
have heard, with regret, that it is the intention of
her Majesty's Commissioners of Woods and Works to
take down and remove the building called the Crystal
Palate, now standing in Hyde-park. Your petitioners en-
treat that your honourable house will prevent such des-
tructionvery great anti removal
to the , considerinthat such an act would
be a lONI Commmunity, and believing that
the building is well adapted for a winter garden, and may
be made usallal and instructive to all classes, and the mean,
amongst oases, of withdrawing from workhouses and
PSO, allunling rational amusement to the people
ask malls. And your petitioners, &o. Signed
by albs Beard, Joins BOOTH, Chairman."
INOWI Wltionv. —Yesterday, at the Sessiona-
l. ma, Si the following persons were convicted
01' abut , and measures :—Theinu Mansell, of
lie venfil, Camberwell, fruiterer, 215., fur three
weights swim the purchaser. Henry Merritt, of Pomo-
rep-Mass.. Old Kent-road, chandler, 361. and 6e. costs,
seven vow
road, 10s., a w
grocer, living
weight:s,J—
-road, 41,
yer, Old
offence.
chandler,

seven weights wrong. James Cattan, Manor-street, Kent-
road, 10s., a weight very wrong.
t• Chambers' green-
grocer, living in the same ..,...
~ ~ i .' deficient
weight.'John Oatobee, . • . •i • I. Kent-
road, 41., sixteen weights •,., ...•
........„....„ ~,z,s,,LL: .. Den.
yer, Old Kent-road, o • '" --• .jul.;„,-1L,74 Milar
Att
offence. Win. Joseph C kr.4.0„;;;," 1.,,,.' '•• urch,
chandler, lis.' Matthew 4lb. t', • 1,
...XII. . ' hing
uvolo
machine against the • ~,,,, t,_-,.,4, ,1 :41 pper
Oround-street, Chrisbe • , Msia. • L.,... •.„,' • that
this was too serious a c •• ba %—.7,'• tt pay
20s. and es. eats. Danis Mole, I . • • l'" 1-street,
chandler, 205., nine weighb r; , ' . t the
purchaser. James Uwin, J - . *..r: .•• . b, 40.,
a weight wrong.