The Press.
London, England, 1857-05-30 00:00:00

530

titttion 3nttilignut.

READING.-Mr. Keating, Q.C., the member for
this borough, who has received the appointment of
Solicitor-General, as successor to the Right Hon. J.
Stuart Wortley, will probably be re-elected without

opposition.
LEEDS.—Mr. W. E. Forster, of Burley, has issued
an address, dated from the Reform Club, offering him-
self as a candidate for Leeds in the room of the late
Mr. Hall. Mr. John Remington Mills, the defeated
Liberal candidate at the late election, has also issued
an address. In all probability Mr. Beckett will
represent the Coasetvative interest.
FALMOUTH AND "TENRYN.—Mr. T. G. Baring was
re-elected on Wednesday without opposition upon
his acceptance of office under Government as Junior
Lord of the Admiralty. _

eARMARTHENSHIRE.—it is not probable that Mr.
Lloyd Davies will be put forward for this county.

glttravalitan.

THE GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY held their anniver-
sary meeting on Monday, when the report of the
council was read and adopted, and the society's gold
medals awarded to Colonel A. S. Waugh, Surveyor•
General of India, for his valuable geodetical opera-
tions in that country ; and to Mr. A. C. Gregory, for
his extensive and important explorations in Western
and Northern Australia. The President prefaced
the latter presentation with a brief description of Mr.
Gregory's expeditions and their results, observing
that it may now be fairly inferred that nearly all the
central portion of the vast continent of Australia is
an uninhabitable desert, probably the dried-up bottom
of a sea ; and that hence all interchange between our
different colonies in that region must take place
either along what may be termed the coast ranges, or
by sea. The united journeys performed by Mr.
Gregory (he added) extended over 6,450 miles, and
while they bad determined many hitherto unknown
points of latitude and longitude, they had also clearly
defined the character of that fine basin of North
Australia which might at no distant day become a
British colony. The President next delivered an
address on the progress of geographical research
during the past year. Commencing with an eloquent
and feeling tribute to the memory of the two deceased
ex•presidents of the society, Admiral Beeches and the
Earl of Ellesmere, he proceeded to pass in rapid
review the labours of geographical inquirers in all
parts of the world. In the course of a very length-
ene I and interesting discourse Sir Roderick succes-
sively descanted upon M. Kleghorn's theory of the
wear and tear of our coasts, the projected trans-
atlantic telegraph, the discoveries of Dr. Livingston and
Dr. Barth in Africa, the proposed final Arctic search,
and various cognate topics, winding up his address
with a reference to the growing utility and acknow-
ledged importance of that society, and to the inade•
quacy of its present accommodation to its steadily
increasing numbers.
A NEW EDUCATIONAL MOVEMENT, over which his
Royal Highness Prince Albert has consented to pre-
side, will be inaugurated in London on the 22nd of
June, and will be supported by the Marquis of
Lansdowne, Earl Granville, Lord Lyttelton, Lord
Stanley, M.P., the Right Hon. W. Cowper, M.P., Sir
J. K. Shuttleworth, Sir T. Phillips, the Deans of
Westminster and Salisbury, Archdeacon Sinclair, Mr.
Edward Baines, and other gentlemen well known for
their exertions in the cause of education. The first
m•eting will take place at Willis's-rooms on Monday,
June 22. It will be presided over by l'rince Albert,
and the question which will be submitted for con-
sideration is, " The early age at which children of
the working classes are taken from school." On the
following day (Tuesday, June 23) the conference
will be divided into four sections—l. To inquire into
the fact, causes, and results of the alleged early
removal of children from school. 2. To institute
slimier inquiries in respect to the education of
foreign countries. 3. To consider the expedients
which have been proposed for keeping the children
of the working classes longer at school; and 4. To
inquire into the merits of such other expedients as
shall be proposed for the consideration of the con-
ference, and particularly those known as half time
schemes. The reports of these sections will be laid
before a final meeting on Wednesday, June 21, over
which Prince Albert will again preside.
THE ADJOURNED INQUEST in the case of the Tot-
tenham court-road houses was resumed on Tuesday.
Mr. Taylor, the builder, atates it as his opinion that
the cause of the accident arose from the holes being
cut in Mr. Hunter's wall, which was old and in a
weak state. The inquiry was again adjourned, and
resumed yesterday.
THE ANNUAL MEETINGS of the Royal Naval School
at New cross, and the Asylum of St. Ann's Society,
have been held this week. The reports of both of
these excellent institutions were highly satisfactory.

THE PRESS.

THE PROPOSED TOLL FOR NEW BATTERSEA-
BRIDGE will meet with great resistance. A public
meeting has been held in the ueighblurhood, and
another is to be called in St. Martin's-hall. The
point contended for is that, as the bridge was being
built out of the public money, and the public conse-
quently would pay first for its erection, it would be
highly improper to tax them again for its usefulness
in enabling them to get to a park constructed pur-
posely for their recreation and enjoyment.

THE ADJOURNED TRANSPORTATION AND PRISON
DISCIPLINE MEETING WdS held at the Mansion-
howie on Tuesday, the Lord Mayor presiding. The
leading feature of the meeting was the reply
of Mr. Pearson to previous speakers. As soon
as Mr. Lemaitre, Mr. W. K. Ball, and Sir J. Tapered
had concluded their addresses, Mr. C. Pearson rose
to reply, sketching the details and estimates inci-
dent to his scheme as submitted to the committee of
the House of Commons six or seven years ago. He
computed that the total cost of erecting by free
labour a prison for 1,000 prisoners, according to his
system, including land purchase, buildings, and
inclosing wall, would not exceed 80,00 W., or 80/. per
prisoner :

The cost of Pentonville Prison was 1701. per prisoner;
that of Reading Gaol, 2001. per prisoner ; Millbauk, 51'21.
per prisoner; and York Prison even as high as 1,20111. per
prisoner. Colonel Jebb, Inspector General of Prisons,
had admitted the accuracy of this calculation, while Colonel
Chesterton, who had been governor of Colduath•tields
Prison for twenty-five years, also bore strong testimony to
the inertia of the scheme. Moreover, one of the first eon
tractors of the day was prepared on his own responsibility
to buy the lard, construct the wall and building, and also
to manage the prison, subject to Government
on condition that he received 61. per annum for each of
the prisoners in additicn to the profits accruing from their
labour.

Mr. Pearson estimated the annual charge of food
and clothing for 1,000 at 0,5501., while a further sum
of 4,0001. would provide for the salaries of 101
officers to watch over them. The earnings of 1,000
prisoners would average about 16,0001. per annum.
Htving dilated upon the salutary influence of labour
sentences in making convicts the voluntary instru-
ments of their own maintenance, reformation, and
release, and avowed his belief that our various colo-
nies would actually compete with each other for a
class of emigrants who had undergone such an or-
deal, Mr. Pearson concludetl by moving a resolution
affirming that the Secretary of State for the Home
Department should be empowered to substitute in
certain cases a proportionate number of hours of
work instead of fixed periods of imprisonment and
transportation. This and other propositions em-
bodying Mr. Pearson's views were unanimously
adopted, and a committee appointed to take mea-
sures for subjecting them to the test of experiment.

A DEPUTATION from the Board of Guardians of
the West London Union waited on the Lord Mayor
on Wednesday to confer on the subject of practically
carrying out the provision of a central receptacle or
ward for the casual poor of London. The Lord
Mayor promised his hearty support to the proposi-
tion.

THE COLBERN COPYRIGHT SALE was concluded on
Tuesday, when the valuable copyrights of 1, "The
Crescent and the Cross "; 2, " Evelyn's Diary and
Correspondence"; 3, " Pepys's Diary "; 4, " Miss
Strickland's Lives of the Queens of England''; 5,6,
and '7, Sir Bernard Burke's Genealogical and
Heraldic Dictionaries, were sold respectively,--1, 420
guineas for copyright and 58/. 10s. for the stock
(Hurst and Blackett) ; 2, 1101. for copyright and
3501. for stock (Bohn); 3, 310/. for copyright and 5101.
for stock (Bohn) ; 4, to Mr. Kent, 6,9001. for copy-
right and 227/. ss. for stock; 5,6, and 7, to Mr.
Forster, at 4,900/. for copyright and 5001. for stock.
1 hese few copyrights realised about 14,0001.

THE EXHIBITION OF DESIGNS FOR THE NEW
PUBLIC OFFICES will be closed on Saturday, June 6,
according to a notice affixed to the entrance of
Westminster-ball. The models for the monument
proposed to be erected to the memory of the late
Duke of Wellington in St. Paul's will be received cn
or before Monday next, the Ist of June, from artists
residing within the United Kingdom, and on or
before the 25th of June from other artists. West
minster-hull will be open to the public for the exhi-
bition of these models early in July, and those
designs for public offices which shall have been
selected by the judges to receive the premiums will
be exhibited at the same time.

THE CHARITY CHILDREN OF LONDON assembled on
Thursday, according to annual custom, at. St. Paul's,
and attended service in the cathedral. The children
of each school went in procession through the
metropolis, with the incumbent of the parish and
the churchwardens at their bead, and on arriving at
St. Paul's took their places on raised seats on the
floor beneath the dome. Full choral service was
performed, and the sermon was preached by the
Bishop of London. The Lord Mayor and corpora-
tion were present, and the ceremony was graced by
the presence of the Duchess of Sutherland.

SATURDAY,

THE NEWSVENDERS' BENEVOLENT AND PROVIDENT
INSTITUTION held their annual meeting on Wednes.
day evening, at the Freemasons"ravern. The
report was adopted, and the company adjourned to a
very elegant supper, presided over by ➢lr. John
Walter, M.P. The chairman, in proposing the
toast of the evening, "Success to the Newsvenders'
Benevolent and Provident Institution," said that
without the aid of newsvenders in distributing the
results of the printing machine the trade of the
newspaper proprietor would be of little worth. If
one class of society was properly called licensed
victuallers, the newsmen might be designated the
unlicensed victuallers of human knowledge. He
assured them he felt it a great honour to be present
that evening, to be thus enabled to testily his
feelings in favour of the institution. The health of
the chairman and a variety of other toasts followed.
The subscription list amounted to upwards of 1001.
THE PUBLIC HEALTH continues in a very satis-
factory state. The deaths of last week—in all 948
were less by 160 than would have occurred at the
average rate. The births amounted to 1,633.