The Express.
London, England, 1864-11-02 00:00:00

TO TOT EDITOR Or TH! EXPRMS.

Sta,—There is a alight inaccuracy going the
rind of 00 press, which please give me leave to correct.
The Presidential elastics does sot take place on any certain
date, but on a specie! day, by act of Coogreue—viz., the
fret Tuesday after the second Monday in every fourth year,
which this year follies the Bth Matted, sad will, I true*,
at this important crisie, result i• the reelection of Mr.

Liacolo.—l am, he.. B. W.
Vatted Status flasitiu7 Commission (Easlielt buacb►,
21, Dasksperotaieli, &W., Loodea, Noa. L

A RIBCEL—Host,--" Fish is very expensive
just sow I eso tall yos. This lama) oost ms Two-sod-six
pews speed: Guest (so business of his)—" Ala, it's spry
think .ft take smother sightless pesn'orth

Two entertainments were given in London last
Monday evening identical in character and similar I
in scope. Nut theatrical, yet so far approaching'
the theatrical that most of the people present were
consummate actors ; not exclusively musical,
though "music provided" was one of the attrao-
tious of the night ; and not charitable in the com-
mon acceptation of that word, although "giving a
helping hand in the hour of need" was prominently
printed on the tickets of admission—these reunions
were really what they professed to be, "friendly
meetings" for the benefit of certain persons who
were named. Partaking equally of the character
of the concert-room, the dancing hall, the harmonic
meeting, and the social club—regularly presided
over by a chairman, whose hammer was as elite-
tual iu maintaining order as it iuvariably is in
places of more fashionable resort—enlivened by
buffo dancing such as is popular in modern bur-
lesques, cheered by gems of harmony such as make
a reputation iu West-end music-halls, and irra-
diated by sparks of the racy, albeit peculiar, jargon
which passes for wit when placed in the mouths of
"soiled doves" or people of fashion, the stray
visitor bad presented to him a very concentration of
excellence in a limited area and in a marvellously
short time. Multum in parry might be written
over the entrance to these balls of pleasure ; for
small, cramped, and cabined as they are, they not
only combine the special attrastious enumerated
but possess works of art and musical instruments,
trays of pickled fish, French lithographs, crutches,
beggars' wallets, over and above the benches and'
tables round which are seated some forty or fifty
as arrant knaves as ever stole a handkerchief or
picked a lock. Such, at least, was our experience
on Monday night; the time being ten p.m.—the
place, George-yard, Whitechapel—the visitors, the
chief police inspector of lodging-houses, one of hia I
sergeants, and ourselves ; and the occasion one
of the friendly meetings—or, as they are
invariably called, "friendly leads'—already
mentioned. Turning out of the White-
chapel-road, where the noisy cheap saloons,
penny gaffs, flaring sit:idiom and full-fla-
voured food vendors are in the full swing of their
busy trades, darkness and gloom are your first im-
pressions of the court or yard up which you walk.
There are no shops—at least none open—the ground
floor windows seem to be half barricaded, while
those on the second floor are rapidly opened at the
sound of strange footfalls to allow carefully
shrouded beads to peer curiously out. The occa-
sional offshoots from the main yard emit a half
stably half pigstye aroma—a really agreeable con-
trast to the other flavours which are assailing your
nose—and the rough, ill kempt figures which start
out of the darkness, emerging apparently from the
wall or jumping up at your feet, come forward me-
nacingly until your companions are recognised,
when the premeditated push-felonious changes into
a servile bow, aud frowns give way to au affectation
of delighted welcome, to obsequious offers of pilot-
age, and to general simulation of ecstasy that you
should have been pleased to honour this frood, honest
neighbourhood with your presence on Chia particu-
lar evening. " Kindness, air, nothing but being at
um* kind and firm would have euabled me
to deal with such people as thews," remarks Mr.
Chief Inspector, who is in plain clothes, aud, though
his hair is iron grey, is erect as a dart, and looks as
if his thirty-one years' service sat but lightly on his
head. Mr. Sergeant is also in plain clothes, and
throughout our tour acts as amid courier by walk-
ing some eight or ten yards ahead, and by preceding
us into one or two of the holiest least trammelled
by conventionality in their reception of strangers.
Soon the sound of revelry by night warns us that
we are in the immediate vicinity of the " friendly
lead," and after a short negotiation by our ambas-
sador, the sergeant, we emerge from the dark sha-
dow of au empty cart, leave some stables or out-
buildings in our rear, push through a small swing
door and a crowded bar, and are standing in a
little low-roofed squalid room, where everything is
wretched and dirty and mean, where there is driuk-
lug sod singing and dauciog, and whispered talk ;
where the character of the visitors is not doubtful,
and where the presume of Mr. Chief Inspector and
Mr. Sergeant appears to operate as a funereal pall.
Benefit cards are being sold iu the room, which, in
addition to being low, is some fifteen feet lung by
ten broad ; and as their vendor—a tall weird, hag-
gard woman, something :ike what Meg Merrilies
might have been if relegated to Whitechapel
and deprived of mountain air—handed them
about the duty of purchasing was insisted on by a
man of singularly unprepossessing appearance and
manifest insobriety. Here is the end and object
of the Friendly Lead. It is (see card) for the benefit
of J. G., who has been laid up ill for some
time, and unable to work; and J. G. himself is soon
afterwards produced and handed round for inspeo-
tiou, as if he were a winter strawberry, a swan
with two necks, or some other natural curiosity.
He is a pale-faced man, in working dress, who is
said to have recently left a well-known hospital,
and his appearance is quoted with a rather unplea-
sant amount of imprecating energy from the gen-

tleman in the corner, in corroboration of the state-
ment made. The benefit-taker looks ill, of that
there is no sort of doubt, but pallor occasionally
arises from confinement iu prison, and it may be
that the " hospital" is more widely known as the
House of Correction, or the County Gaol. These
friendly meetings are as • rule got up on behalf of
gentlemen "in trouble." The people before us
are many of them thieves, or the daily and hourly
companions of thieves ; the yard we are iu is posi-
tively unsafe for strangers without an escort ; the
rude woodcut of two clasped hands on the card
we purchase, and the "give a helping" quotation,
is identical with that on the ticket of the second
meeting, whereat uo plea of illness is advanced, and
it is not perhaps very uncharitable to conclude that
in the case before us the gaol fever is
the principal malady at work. Pickled whelks and
small portions of cold fish lie on the table, but
meet with few customers—the semi-indeoent French
lithographs on the walla peering through their fly-
spotted glass and tarnished frames, look as if they
had been purchased of some bagnio-keeper upon
whom the pariah authorities had rudely pounced ;
the chairman's hammer is as idle as the crutch of
the profesaional beggar which we see reared against
the wall ; and the whole pleasure of the evening is
being obviously marred by the wet-blanket in-
fluences certain new comers appear to have brought
with them. As we are seated next the inebriated
endorser of the merits of the invalid Mr. G., we
venture to hope that our presence may not inter,
rupt the proceedings. " Genelman yenta to see yer
dance, Jew," was the free translation our wishes
immediately received. Whereupon a little merry-
faced man, in a snit of corduroy, stood up, and on
the space which half the hearthrug might have
occupied had that superfluity been present, executed
a double shuffle with considerable agility, and with
not more vulgarity than is essential to the spirited
rendering of that popular dance. To him alter a
few minutes enters Miss Merrilies, and the whole of
the hearthrug space being occupied, these twain cut,
and shuffle, and stamp, to the intense delight of the
toper on our left, who snaps his fingers, and laughs
and add:eases vacancy with " Bless yet !" and
comports himself generally like a man habitually
spoilt by his company, and who is not going to
behave decently out of a weak and mistaken de-
ference to strangers. Suddenly and quietly Mr.
Chief Inspector remarks that he's seen toper's
face before, that toper was formerly in "the force,"
and that toper retired from a particular division
just thirteen years and a half ago. " I don't often
forget a face," adds Mr. Chief Inspector pleasantly,
" and I can't help thinking you're the man I mean.''
The humorist addressed was sober on the instant.
Flash merriment, drunken bravado, and boasting
patronage all left him ; and we had "sir," and "1
jiueil the force in 183—, and left in 18—. and I'm
a now, sir, and would you like to see my place 1"
All this occulted in a few minutes, and the colloquy
was too low toned to reach the rest of the room, but
the incident gave a sort of dramatic dclatto ourdepar-
tare, for our now humbled friend became profuse
iu thanks (for nothing) and painstaking in civility,
and Miss Merrilies and the lady and gentlemen cut-
purses around rose as we went out, and tried hard
to look as if our visit had been welcome. Mr. Chief
Inspector made light of the coincidence, but it may
be safely cited as a remarkable illustration of the
powers of memory and trained observation.
Despite the alteration wrought by time, despite
dirt and filth, dishevelled hair, bushy untrimmed
chin beard, rough untidy clothes, and rowdy bear-
ing, the practised eye singled out the policeman
of thirteen years ago, and quoted his name, his late
division, and place of duty, as calmly as if he bad
left, say Scotland-yard, she morning before.
Friendly Lead No. 2, held at a tavern in Fashion-
street, Spitalfields, on the first, instead of the
ground floor, is for the benefit of two gentlemen
instead of one, has music and singing as at the'
former place, and differs mainly in not appealing
ad misericordiam on the plea of illness. There
is a alight touch of playfulness about
the card sold here ; and "Chairman, Shovels ;
Deputy, Hookey," is given, instead of real
names, as in George-yard. "Fur the benefit of
J. B— and Andy It— who needs (sic) your kind
assistance," is the extent of the information given,
and it is understood that the needs arise from one
of the ordinary vicissitudes to which gentlemen of
predatory proclivities are occasionally reduced.
Before ascending the narrow little staircase we pass
a small billiard or bagatelle-room, where a dozen
youths are indulging iu the amenities of petty
gambling. Not nice looking gentlemen by any
means. Peculiar in their notions of costume,
eccentric in their demeanour, and with au appa-
rently unanimous aversion to hirsute adornment.
Upstairs the respected but allegorical " Shovels"
is represented by a young man of twenty, who
wields the gavel of authority as if sated with power,
and anxious to share his responsibilities with his
courtiers around. The place is quieter, and the
society a trifle less heterogeneous than at George-
yen:. The pictures on the walls are not so
meretricious, and have amongst them one or two of
those curious old masters which occasionally find
their way into the lignite of these enlightened !oven
of art who deal in, or have relations with, bills of
exchange. There was • sham Turner, which seemed
to have the words sixty per cent. written in its
murky sunset, as surely as fear, dislike, and suspi-
cion were written in the restless eyes and
tidgetty bearing of the people amongst
whom we sat. The young woman who vended
the ticket, was almost certainly the wife or mistress
of the disconsolate J. 8., or the stranded Andy R.,
and her keen interest in the business, and her
marked gratitude fur a trifling donation, was the
one redeeming feature we saw. Any sum contri-
buted, whether copper or silver—and it should be
remarked that the price of each of these benefit
cards is just what the buyer thinks fit to give—was
at once deposited on the treasures'; tray, in front
of the eminent Shovels, who languidly beats time to
the sentimental ditty of a young man seated behind
the door. This vocalist has a scarred cheek, •
wavering mouth, and an eye which rests upon the
ceiling or the floor, but never upon the strangers or
his friends. His ditty is of love and constaucy,and
hopes and fears, and disappointment and sorrow, and
is apparently listened to inure as • matter of duty
than from the delight it gives. There is she ortho-
dox thrill at the word "heart," and the orthodox
quaver, and the orthodox applause ; but the shadow
of the strange presence has its usual gloomy effect,
and we leave, as the hammer of Shovels descends
upon the table, and the voice of Hookey, his deputy,
calls upon "the next geneluian to oblige." We
saw no dancing here, and heard no raillery, but the
anxious, pretty face of the young woman, and the
somewhat languid but genuine sympathy of the
subscribing men and lads around, made one specu-
late on the amount of good inherent iu things evil, ,
and mentally ask whether J. B. and Andy R.
having fallen upon evil times, could have fairly
counted on more faithful friendship in the outer
and less larcenous world.

HILTRIMMTITION or SOTTB DCRII•m. —At s
'meeting of the liberal electors of South Durham at Stockton,
on Friday evening, a vote of confidence in Mr. H. Passe, the
present liberal member, wee passed • and the principles ad-
vocated in the recent address of Captain Beaumont (liberal
candidate) were approved of.
THE RILIMESKNTATION or LISKEARD.—The Royal
Cornwall Owen( states that a meeting of influential liberal
electors of Lisiteard has been held, and adds :—"The nolo-
' noel conduct of the present member was severely crammed,
and the general opinion was that Mr. Osborne is not a fit
and proper person to represent a liberal constituency. His
iodiffereeee to local interests was also commented upon, and
we believe that a gentleman belonging to our own county
will be invited townie forward as a candidate, in opposition
to Mr. Osborne, when the proper time arrives."
Notice has been issued from the General Post-
office to the effect that, in addition to the made mentioned
in a recent notice, there will for the present be • mail to
Jersey and Guernsey, vita Sesthamptos, leaving Leedom ear
Taaraday mating.

On Monday evening about 150 gentlemen dined
together at the Queee's Hotel, Manchester, under the
auspices of the Committee of the Warehousemen and Clerks'
Orphan Schools.
Lord STasLET, who presided, in proposing a toast, saki—
Though I am the last to wrb to discourage private Leestry
or muuificeuce, still I do not think that it would be very de-
sirable that, ass emend rule, there should be an expectation
created that wherever children were left orphans or desti-
tute, the employer should, as a matter of course be booed
to take care of them. I will tell you why I think ibat would
not be a good general rule. We all know the& men in that
Wm of ifs can only provide for their families by pinching,
by self .denial, by refusing themselves many little luxuries and
comforts. I think it would not be • wise thing—l think
it would be a premium on imprudence—if you were to put
it into men's heads to argue in this way—" Why should I
pinch myself, and be se careful to;mske provision for my
family? if I live they will take care of them.
selves ; if I die I may look upon it as a matter of
course that my employer will take care of them ; there-
fore anything I may lay by is riving his pocket,
and not mine." (Hear, hear.) If you were to establish
that se a general principle, the effect would be to create a
very general feeling of dependence and imnrudence, which
two words mean the slime among that class. I put that
alternative, therefore, out of the question. It seems to me,
then, that you are inevitably thrown beck on the resources
of mine institution such as that we are now promoting.
(Applause) Ido not think it is open to the objection that
applies more or less to simple chanty, the erupts giving of
alma, because the !sedum ides of the institution is the cont.
rearm of the priomple of interwar with the priaciphs of
(Heat.) It is perfectly true that the Delp which
is given is not absolutely and strictly limited to the chil-
dren of subscribers ; but it is equally the tact, that in all
CAMS where the merits are equal, children of subscribers
will have the preference. %t hat virtually the institution
my. to persons in that position is, if you will help your.
selves we will help you—(applause)—if you will snake •
certain Karroo for your families in the event of your
death, and being unable to provide for them, we wall put
something down ; we will for every shilling you put down
pat down another shilling, and so we will help you, and
emourage others to make • similar provisioo. I San eon-
oeive it possible that men may say, • Why, in such a case,
are you to give soy help at all? Every man can mid ought
to insure his life, and no man has a right to marry
unless he can make it reasonably certain that he can
provide for the children whom he brings into the world."
My answer is that that is a thing very easy to say, but
sot equally easy to enforce. Of course there is truth in it;
1 do Dot deny that there is • certain practical logical
truth is it ; and I freely admit that if all men were
perfectly wise and perfectly prudent there might probably
be no need of such an institution as that we
are now supporting. Bat that is not precisely the state of
things in the world in which we live. Men are not machines.
They are not merely reasoning beings ; they have passions
sod feelings, sod if you are to condemn every man who mar-
ries upon small mesas or doubtful expectations, and if you
are to look into the biography of notable men in this coun-
try, you will hod that you are censuriug many of those who
have subtequently beld the highest portions, and does the
most mimeo& service to the state. (Applause.) And Ist this
also be remembered, and in this premium I merely touch
upon it, that if in one senses family is • burden, is another
seam it is a stimulus to elefeloo and • moral restraint.
(Hear hear.) Take Um case, we all know it, of the army.
`.Soldiers,. as • rule, °moot marry ; moving about as our
army does from country to country, it is hardly possible
that they should. Here I won't say more ; hut we all know
what the result of that is; we all know that soldiers are
not worse than other man, but if is some impede they
appear to be worse, his because they have not what moat
other meu have--the comforts of a borne. (Hear, hear.)
I Houk, therefore, that you would be straining too far a
sound economical rule, if you were—wherever a man
marries upon uncertain prospects, fails in his expectations,
cannot make provision for his f toady, dies unexpectedly,
and leaves lb/ratan:illy in distress—to say that you will
punish, not him, for he is beyond the reach of punish-
ment, but them, by consigning them to total rain.
(Hear, hear.) Further than that I should say an institu-
tion of this kind is no real encouragement to imprudeoce.
We cannot help, or pretend to help, all who want assist-
ance; we can help comparatively only • selected few.
We require, I suppose, in every case evidence of charm,
ter ; we require in • great majority, of cases to know
that some contributions have been made by the father ; and
if, on the one hand, we make it somewhat rimier for a man
to provide fur • future family by giving him these means of
i assisted insurance, on the other hand we lead many men to
make provision for a family which they have, which provi.
sion without such enigmas) they would not think of making.
I think you may fairly set oos against the other. I have
only one word more to say as to the principle of the matter.
In cases of this kind experience is worth • great deal more
then theory, and we know that there is hardly &trade, pro-
(mem). or occupation is England which Lim not thought it
expedient to make some provision of this kind for its mem-
hen. 1 am speaking of Loudon only, because it is the
place I know beet. Literary men, artists, news.
paper men, and railway servants have done it; so have
farmers, groom, gardeners, and licensed victuallers; and
I believe there are many wore of which I know nothing.
Schools founded on the principle of this are being founded
every year. and those that have been founded are regu-
larly and steadily supported. Of course 1 don't say that
is as absolute proof that we are right in the principles we
have adopted; but Ido say that when • large number of
porous in different occupations, unconnected with one
another, all of them 'sweated in the result, adopt the same
mew to accomplish themes* ead, that is strong prima fore
evidence at least that there is a general agronomic as to
the manner in which that want ought to be supplied.
(Hear, hear.) Ido not carry it further, but it seems to
me that that argument is sound as far as it goes. Speaking
in this company, I need say nothing as to the
usion of awes, as to the duties the rich owe
to the poor, or as to the expediency of obtaining,
as far as you can, the support and the good feeling of those
who work with you. Everybody knows that gratitude and
goodwill are not things which ese be bought with money,
but so far as money can help to bey them that is about the
best investment of his capital which eves a Manchester mot/
mm make. (Hear, hear, and laughter.)
His Loanair, responding: to the toast of his health,
said—l wish I had words to express to you how heartily
and sincerely I thank you for the reception you have given
me to-night. I am sot vain enough to ripper* that it is
wholly or mainly due to any wants of mine. But I know
the kindness of the reception which you have always given
to my father when public duty has brought him amongst
you—(applause)—and I have felt ell my life, as a public
man, that • great pert of any position to which I
may have made my way wee owing to that which he
had previously attained. But I thank you for the wel-
come you have given nos • I thank you partly because
there is no testimony of good Imbue which could reach
me from any other part of the emery for which I should
feel halt so grateful as for that which I receive from the
iiibahrsets of that county in which 1 was born, and is
which I bops to live sod die. (Cheers.) Partly also,
though I won't say • word touching on politics here I do
' feel that what Lancashire thinks toolay,Eselacid thinks to-
morrow—(applause)—and therefore the expression of knoll,'
feeling in this district towards one who, whether be wiring
it or no, is a public man, touches me more smarty theta it
could in any other part of the country. (Applause). I have
said that I won't address to you one word bearing on politics.
and I wou't; but I will just say the, because I think it has
nothing whatever to do with politics in • party sense—
that I hays often differed from the majority of parlia-
manrary in this respect—l always me them looking
out for sourc''.
thing which gives them an opportunity for •
right. (Laughter.) That is not the view that I take
of most public questions. I always wish to see how far
it in possible to bring sensiblesod moderate men to an agree.
meet, and if you causer do that why then of course fi,or it
out. (" Hear, tier," Isuehter.) But Ido believe that
upon • very large proportion of questions that are brought
before parliament, if you can bring men of Waimea, mode-
rate sensible niece, into one room they will come to a sub-
amoral agreement as to what ought to he done. (Hear,
hear.) There is only one word further which I wish to say.
It is • common pops: er idea that every man who goal into
public life is engaged in an looses/tat scramble for the poe-
sessiooof executive power. So far as I ma see, that is
mistake ; certainly, so far as I am cooceroed, it is ea otter
mistake (Hear, hear.) I hold that a nian's Waimea is
to help to carry on the business of the country to the
beet of his power, and he may do that almost equally well
whether be is • member of the national legislature or of
the national executive. The difference to my 'Mud be-
tween a mere politician and anyone who is worthy of the
name of • statesman, le this, that the use is thinking what
the couctry will do for him, and the other is thinking
what he can do for the country. (Applause.) I Leg to
thank you for the kindness of the reception you have given
me, and I hope that, feeling tumid as closely connected
with Manchester as anyone in this room, we shall meet
Publicly and privately on many future occasions.(Sp-
grams.)
Some other toasts followed.

REPRESENTATION OP NORTH NOTTINGHAM.
sninz.—The followieg letter has bees received by Mr.
B. Birkin, from the Right Hon. J. B. Deeicei,
Speaker of the House of Gnomons :—" Ossiogton, Newark,
Oct. 29, 1864-14 dear Sir,—l have received your letter,
informing me that some of my 000stituents are disturbed
by a report that it is my inteotion to give up myeeset at
the sod of the present partial:peal, and sot to offer
myself for malectiot. I freely give you the permission
you ask, to roatradict this report. If good health should
be coatioued to me it is my purpose certainly sobs to
offer my services to the electors of North Notts, sad I
trust I shall Sod that I have sot forfeited their coolhionos.
—Believe me, yours sincerely, J. Syntex DLEMON.—It.
I Birkin, Esq."

The annual soiree of the Huddersfield Church
Institute was held on Monday night in the Philosophical.
hall, and the expectatioe that the Archbishop of York and
the Bishop of Ripon would be present drew together a large
and fashionable audience. The Bishop of Alive presided.
The Aecerustior of Yogi said he did not think that a great
institution like that, set up in one of the great centres of
industry, should take too confined and restricted • view of
what reading might safely be put into the hands of its
members, and if for no other reason, for this above ell,
that there war at the present day such • spirit of inquiry and
improvement, that if en institution like ibis attempted to
shut out from any of its Imitimatechanthls that spirit of in-
s airy, then the institution would cease to corer all the ground,
and beside it some secular inetitutioe would be sure to grow
up. (Hem, hear.) In order better to understand what
useful reading was, he thought be might venture to look at
what was useless reading. And he supposed if iostitutions
of this kind were not to guide and supply the want, every
working men would be likely to fall ia, no doubt, with the
newspaper fur one thing, and also, for mother, with those
stimulating alteratives which went now by the somewhat
barbarous term of " sensational stories." These sense-
tioual stories were tales which aimed at thin effect simply,
of exciting in the mind some deep feeling of over-wrought
interest by the means of some terrible passion or crime.
They west to persuade people that in almost every one
of the well-ordered houses of their neighborue there was
• skeleton shut up in some cupboard, that their comfort-
able and easy-looking neighbour had in his breast a
secret sissy which he was always going about Myth( tome-
r:eel, that there was eomethieg about • real will regis-
tered in Doctors' Commons and • false will that at some
proper moment would tumble out of some broken bureau,
and bring about the denouement which the author wished
to achieve. (Laughter.) This wee the sort of food sup.
plied in every kind of publication, from the peony story up
to much larger and more important works. Fur those who
hail co particular object in what they read no doubt thee,
have a great attraction. lie would show them what was one
cause of that attraction. In the first place they professed to
give a deeper insight into our social system—of course it WY
much deeper than any body by his own observation could
possibly discover. (Laughter.) They taught them not to
trust to appearances—that there was behind a great world
of crin.e, wickedness, and misery to which they (tee authors)
alone possessed the key. Now, it was this claim to superior
truth that gave them their first attraction ; they satisfied
certain kind of spirit of inquiry. He would show them pre-
meetly that in point of truth they entirely faded ; because,
supposing that these histories of great crime had some
foundation, they would be at linat • very one-sided
kind of human nature. There was • much larger chapter
of homely sympathies, of pious mothers training little
children, of secret prayers offend up to Clod in the silence
of night for those children, of hints and helps to duty strewn
in the paths of these children continually—all this was alto-
gether lost sight of and left out of the sccounr, because it was
not sufficiently stimulating in its nature, and they were left
to believe that the world—bad, no doubt, it was—was a mere
welter of crime, misery, and confusion ; and that the histo-
rian could find nothing else to record. This style of reading
was thoroughly false and dangerous for another reason—
on account of what he would call its fatalism. Aiwa) s they
would observe in this kind of fiction some great passion was
supposed to take possession of a man ; it was love, or jedousy.
or what not, and it was enough to state that the man was
stricken b this passion to be sure that his destruction was
settled beforehand by the writerof the fiction, and that there
wag no possibility of escape. If he wee not greatly mistaken.
this tone bad strongly re-acted upothocietyitaelf, and in some
of the great crimes perpetrated he seemed to see the intim-
eoce of this kind of feeling. There sprang up io the wind of
an ill-regulated young man some great trial from one of these
great passions, and he bad been told, or had learnt in those
his models, that it could not possibly be escaped from,
and be gave himself up to it, and ended his career by •
crime which in reality was more tomb!' than the writer
of the fiction had ventured to COI:106We. And it was also
false because of its associating crime with a certain greed
strength. It was some great and strong or beautiful person
who was the hero or heroine of all those tales of horror.
Something had passed which in itself was horrible,
but which they were expected not to abhor be-
cause it was associated with qualities they were apt
to admire. Could they suppose anything mare dan-
gerous to the young arid to the weak and half-formed than
the contemplation of this kind of creation of the writer!
It was entirely false. Some of them had read that day the
conclusith of one of those tragedies in the conviction of a
most miserable man for • most atrocious murder. But
there he thought there was indeed a moral, for iu the first
place detection has followed upon guilt, and in the second
place they had bad laid before them the weakness and the
cootemptible folly and misery of such a crime as that of
which they had read the history. It would be found lova-
riablv, be might say, that crime was the offspsiug of •
broken nature, not of a nature in its strength. (Hear,
hear.) He had shown them, and be had taken some pains
to ground himself in the facts, what was the exciting
literature whirl was thrust into the bands of the hum-
bler members of the social body. Depend upon it it did
the utmost amount of harm. Let them gather from
this what was the better meth of study they might premise.
He would vesture on • small touch of philosophy.
Bishop Butler told them that the vs nipathies upon which
the wetter of fiction works were given by the Almighty
Creator for practical ends sod objects. "the first time,"
he said, "we witness • calamity or hear of one we are
strongly moved, and the proper result of that strong emotion
is that we should do something to succour end help the
suffering that moves us. It is in the nature of things that
the next repetition of that kind of spectacle will move us
WIC and the next less still, until at last the users emotion
will almost disappear ; but if we have used it rightly, a,
the emotion disappears the habit of doing the thing that the
emotion was to prompt will have grown up in its stead." So,
the emotions were gives us for a practical mid, and, apart
from any other bad result whatever, he was sure that the
working constantly upon people's emotions without
giving them the opportunity to put in practice
what the emotion suggested was itself • great evil,
because it wore out the muss in the finer part. aid he was,
so to speak, jaded, and palled, and unfit to do the thing
which he was intended by his Maker to do. (Applause.)

ROYAL SCHOOL OP NAVAL ARCHITECTURE
AtiD MARINE NNGINEERINO.

Yesterday Cilia inatitution was formally opened
at the South Kensiagtos Maseam. At 3 o'clock • suulber
of officers sod pattern's emended with the science of
easel architecture asseuiblett is the Theatre of the Museum.

Dr. WOOLLZT, director of the Educational Department
of the Royal Navy. introduced Mr. Charles Merrifield,
F.H.8., the principal of the school, statiog that the
opening of the institutios was an importont event in Vl*
history both of the navy sod the mercantile marine. He
had know. Mr. Merrifield for many years as a duo inguislied
mathematician, and that gesitlemaa had two or throe years
ago. and before this school was contemplated, turned his atten-
tion to the subject of bevel architecture. and was in every
respect well qualified to perform the ditties of its principaL
Mr. Merrifield then proceeded to deliver an inaugural ad•
dress.

Woo!Air moved a vote of theeks to gr. Merr•6eld
for the mildews which he Lad delivered. sod took oecasioo
state that not osly the theory but the practice of aural
architecture would be illustrated ia the schooL
The proosoditigs thou elated.

THE Oorrox MANCTACTI7RING DISTRICTS.—The
Bekaa hoard of guardians have had the question of union
rating under &mission. at the request of the Pourilaw
Board, and have decided against it by • majority of one,
the voting 17 to 16. The return published by the chief
coostatile at Bolton at the close of September showed that
3,836 were working short time, sod that 3,043 were out
of work. Ia October, however, the number on short time
is increased to 8,770, and those out of work to 5,061.
There was also so Moms* last week of 311 in the outuber
cm the books of the relief committee. Toe board of guardians
last week relieved 4,307 persons, the previous week being
4,161 ; being as ineresee on the week of 146.
On Monday aftaraoos an open air meetiug of
ueemployed factory operatives was held at Old-
ham, to take Into 000sideratioc the present condition
of factory workers in Lancashire. It was computed that
there were about 4.000 persons present. The chair W 49
occupied by Mr. Kinder Smith. who condeniont the
Central Committee of Manchester fur not distributing
the money entrusted to their care in • more liberal
manner than they hail done.—Mr. John Matthews, of
Manchester, prepaid the first noolutina—" That, in asp-
sequence of the wide-spread diattees that prevails in the
iotton districts by the cootiouatios a the war in Americe,
this meeting is desirous that her Majesty's government
should brig their ieflueoce to bear, together with
the governments of France and other Lurnpean
Power., in stopping the awful destruction of life and
y that is now going on in that unhappy country."
property that
Coop seconded the resolution, which was them
agreed to.—Mr. Mortimer Grimshaw then moved • rewilu-
tieo to the effect that her Majesty's government be memo-
rialised to bring about an immediate and total repeal of the
duties on oottoo yarn sod cotton goods imported lute
British lodis ; and that the borough sod county members
be requested to aooompany a deputation appointed to
as:7t such memorial to Lord Pannonia'. He coc-
A the policy of Sir Charles Wood io India, eon-
tending that it had had the effect of decreasing the to ports
of colic" yarn to that ensetry aso•balf, and of cotton
goods nearly one-half. He quoted Numerous Spires in
support of this statement, sod contended that Lord Stanley
ought to be put into the place now occupied by Sir
Charles Weed. The resolution was eecouded, and unasi-
nosily adopted.