The Express.
London, England, 1855-09-14 00:00:00

!REMOLD LAND AND BUILDING SOCIETIES

ASSOCIATION.

Lut evening a numerously-attended adjourned
meeting of the truce's, direetove, secretaries, and members
of freehold lend and building wittier' wee held at Radley's
Hotel, Bridge-street, Blecktrian, to consider the necessary
steps to be taken to watch the proceedings in Parliament in
reference to these societies, and to disease, from time to
time, any important questions effecting the general interests
of their members. Mr. thous Sieger wee called to the
ehsir, and the societies represented were as follows. The
National Freehold Lead Society, the Conservative Lead
Society, the St. Panties Freehold Land Society, the Lam-
beth Freehold Land sad Building Sadist,. the Southwark
Freehold Load and Building Society, the Finsbury Free-
hold Load Society, the Church of Ragland Freehold Land
Society, the liarylebone Freehold Land Society, the City
of London and Counties Freehold Land Society, the Per-
petual Land and Investment Sooiety, the Gresham Freehold
Land Society, the Metropolitan end General Freehold Lead
Society, the Suburban Villa and Village Association, the
London Assurance Freehold Land Society, the Temperance
Laud Society, and the representatives of various building

societies is ind shout thi mehropolis. The chief businris
of the meeting consisted in the appoistment of es executive
committee and officers toframe a scheme for the fluor* con-
duct of the association, Mr. Soholeaeld, M.P., to be soli-
cited to become president; sad s subscription having been
entered into for general purposes, the meeting broke up.

DESECRATION OF THE DEAD IN ST. MAR-
TINS CEMETERY, CAMDEN-TOWN.

Last night a meeting was held in the school-room,
adjoining St. Stephen's Church, in eonsequenee ef certain
building operations which are going on in the cemetery of
St. Martin's is-Mtwlields.

churchwarden of the district, said that
the meeting had been callei to pretest against one of the
suet indecent outrages which had ever been committed
spinet society. From what had eeeurred within the tut 48
hours, there was usdoubted evidence that the parties con•
urged had disturbed the remains of many persons, whose
remains had been interred, some ae relent as the late visita-
tion of cholera sad indeed, if they proceeded much farther,
there wee no doubt that they would come upon the very
cholera pit itself. Oa applying to the Under Secretary of
State, he bad recommended en application to a magistrate.
Mr. Hoorsz stated that, in company with several
of the inhabitants, be bad that day attended
before Mr. Terwhitt, at the Clerkenwell police court.
The worthy magistrate hesitated for the present granting a
summons against the parties, but he had no doubt, from the
representations which had been made, that it was as in-
dictable offenee. He felt that the conduct of thou who
were indecently exposing the remains of the dead wu
highly reprehensible, sod ealcalated to provoke a breach of
the piece. He would recommend proceeding by indictment.
Mr. Hooper further stated that be had that day seen
no less than thirteen skulls exposed to public view.
There were also several coffins rutty demolished, and dis-
closing the remain! within. He had appealed to the Board '
ef Health and to the Under. Secretary of State, who recent.
(seeded an appeal to the local pollee magistrate. He subs'.
quently had an interview with aloof the eburchwardens, Mr.
Yates, who expressed his surprise at what had been stated.
It was, he said, the lint he had beard of it. It was highly
discretitable on the part of the authorities of St. Martin's,
for the sake of a paltry gala, to endanger the health of
the locality and to outrage the feelings of the public. Mr.
Hooper concluded by roposing, "That the chairman be
reqoested to communicate the opinion of this meeting to the
parish authorities of St. Martin's ia.tbe Fields, and that a
memorial be pretested to the Secretary of State for the
Home Department, explaining the euetunstanins, and
praying his interference."
Mr. W. KIN°, barrister•at-law, emended the motion ;
which was supported by Major Coin.
In reply to the Chairman,
Dr. BIRMINGHAM said that there could be nothing more
serious to the neighbourhood than the opening of the pit is
which a mass of hasten remains had been deposited, whits
the cholera was raging in 1832. It teemed that the autho-
rities of St. Martin's felt warranted in eommitting this
outrage on public decency, because the bulk of the bodies
they sought to remove were those of paupers. He felt, how-
ever, that the grave of the poor man was es entitled to as
much consideration as that of the prince. The workmen
were, it appeared,iust upon the cholera pit, and were that
opened. th• emsequenees would be fatal in the antrum.
Mr. TAILOR had met the churchwardens in the ground,
and had ezpottalated with them. They mid the hones and
coffins mast have been placed there accidentally. He
pointed out to them the bodies protruding from one
Bide of the easavated spot. One satire body had been dis-
interred, and had been lying about the yard for two days.
(Shame.) Some of the bodies were not more than three feet
from the surface. _ _ _ .

Mr. Pons said that the pound was twelve feet khtlier
than it was some jean ego, and so many bodin were
interred clan to the ins tallier, that Amin was obliged to
be made to carry off the decompoeed anneal matter.
Mr. Clark, the Rev. Mr. Foote, the Rev. Mr. Cecil, Mr.
Qesife, and other gentlemen present having spoken i• terms
of smug indignation,
The resolution wee unanimously adopted, sad a vote of
theakegives to the chairmaa end to Mr. Hooper for bring.
tag the sa►ject before the public.