The Press.
London, England, 1856-02-23 00:00:00

tort aitb lastion.

Her Majesty held the first levee of the season on
Wednesday afternoon, at St. James's Palace. Her
Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert
arrived from Bnckinghan Palace at two o'clock,
attended by the Ladies and Gentlemen in Waiting,
and escorted by a detachment of the Royal Horse
Guardi.

Count Bjdrnstjerna and the Marquis of Ailesbury
had audiences of her Majesty in the royal closet,
previous to the levee.
Her Majesty and the Prince afterwards entered
the Throne-room, attended by the Court and great
officers of State.
His Royal Highneks the Duke of Cambridge and
his Serene Highness Prince Edward of Saxe-Vveimar
were present at the levee.
The Foreign Ambassadors and Ministers were
introduced, and the usual presentations in the diplo-
matic circle took place.
The levee was very fully attended, and the presen-
tations of naval and military officers very numerous.
Her Majesty returned to Buckingham Palace at
the conclusion of the levee.

Her Majesty and the Prince visited Woolwich
Arsenal on Tuesday morning, to inspect the Russian
trophies. The Queen also paid a visit to the invalids
and wounded of the Royal Artillery corps.
Her Majesty during the week visited Mr. Burford's
panorama of the Capture of Sebastopol.

His Grace the Duke of Richmond has left Brighton,
and purposes to stay flr a short period with nis
militia regiment at Aldershott.

The Earl of Derby had a parliamentary dinner, on
Wtdnesday evening, at his residence in St. James's-
square. The following members of the House of
Commons were present—Lord Charles P. Clinton,
Lord laas, the Right Hon. Sir John Pakington, the

THE PRESS.

Right Hon. J. Napier, Sir John Duckworth, Major-
General Hall, Captain Gladstone, Messrs. G. A.
Hamilton, G. Bentinck, Mowbray, Cumming Bruce,
Whiteside, Fitzgerald, Peacocke, B. Coles, Floyer,
Hale, Macartney, Cairns, Lloyd Davies, Cobbold,
Burroughes, Sc.
The Right Hon. B. Disraeli and Mrs. Disraeli
entertained at dinner, on Wednesday evening, at
their residence, Grosvenor-gate, the Ambassador of
France and the Countess de Persigny. There were
present to meet their Excellencies the Marquis and
Marchioness of Salisbury, the Earl of Eglinton and
Miss CockerA, the Earl and Countess of Hardwicke
and Lady Elizabeth Yorke, the Earl of Lonsdale,
Lord John Manners, Baron Rothschild, M.P., and
Miss de Rothschild, Lord Dufferin, Sir James Fer-
gusson, M.P., and Mr. Charles Greville.
Lady Mary Wood had her first reception on Wed•
nesday evening. The 'attendance was very full. The
principal members of the corps diplomatique were
present.
His Excellency the Belgian Minister and Madame
Van De Weyer bad a dinner and reception on Thurs-
day evening.
The Countess of Craven had a tltZ dansant on
Thursday evening. Their Royal Highnesses the
Duchess and the Princess Mary of Cambridge
honoured her ladyship with their presence.
The Countess de Persigny has issued cards for a
grand ball at the French Embassy on Tuesday next.

Valittral.

MR. LOWE'S SHIPPING BILL.

AT A SPECIAL COURT OF THE COMMON COUNCIL of
the London Corporation, held on Tuesday, the re-
port of the consolidated committee upon the Local
Dues on Shipping Bill was read. The report, which
set forth the various clauses of the bill, stated that
the abolition of such dues as proposed should be
protested against in the strongest manner by the
court, as a principle fraught with danger to all pro-
perty, and a petition to that effect be presented to
Parliament. Mr. Wood, chairman of the com-
mittee, moved that the report be adopted. Deputy
Lott seconded the measure. If the bill were not
vigorously opposed confiscation of private property,
without compensation by the Government, would be
legalised, and the doom of the Corporation of
London would be certain. Mr. Valiance trusted the
corporation would unite in a determined opposition
to Mr. Lowe's bill. If the bill were allowed to pass,
it would lead to a commonism inconsistent with any
rights of property. It was absurd to assume that
because the value of a property had increased, the
title by which it was held was weakened. Deputy
Dakin and Sir Henry Muggeridge gave a modified
support to the motion. Mr. Howe spoke strongly
in favour of the bill, and, after some further remarks,
the original motion was carried, and a petition to
Parliament agreed upon.

At NEWCASTLE a public meeting to petition Par-
liament against the bill was held on Monday. The
Mayor, Mr. It. P. Philipson, stated the case for the
corporation in a speech which was warmly applauded.
his chief argument against the bill was that it pro
posed to take from the town, without compensation,
dues which it held under old prescription, confirmed
by different charters granted by the sovereign, and
which it held by as good a title as that of any
property in the kingdom. He concluded by moving
that a petition be presented to the House of Com-
mons against the bill. With one exception the
resolution was carried unanimously, and a petition,
moved by Alderman Blackwell, and seconded by Mr.
William Dunn, solicitor, was also adopted. The
petition is to he forwarded to the members for the
borough for presentation, with a request that they
oppose the bill by every means in their power. The
members for Northumberland and Durham, and for
the boroughs within the same, are to be invited to
join in the opposition.

At LIVERPOOL a meeting of the shipowners was
held on Thursday, and resolutions against the bill
unanimously agreed upon. The great public meeting
will take place next week.
A PUBLIC meeting in favour of this bill was held in
the Town-hall at Manchester on Thursday, the
Mayor presiding. The meeting was addressed at
great length by Mr. Heeling, Mayor of Salford ; Mr.
Bayley, President of the Manchester Chamber of
Commerce, and several gentlemen connected with
the town. The point contended was, that it was un•
constitutional for the Liverpool Corporation to tax the
country to any extent—that such an arbitrary taxa-
tion was vexatious and unjust, and should be abo-
lished. A petition, calling attention to these points,
and praying the House to sanction Mr. Lowe's bill,
by which the first recommendati'.ns of the Shipping
Dues Commission will be carried into effect, was
then drawn up, and the proceedings terminated.
Influential meetings have also been held at North
and South Shields, Sunderland, Durham, Gateshead,
and Tynemouth,•in support of the bill, and deputa-
tions with those views will be sent to London.

SATURDAY,

SIR G. GREY'S POLICE BILL.

A GREAT PUBLIC MEETING of mayors and municipal
authorities took place on Wednesday, at Herbert's
Hotel, Westminster, to oppose the late bill introduced
by Sir G. Grey for the better regulation of the police
in counties and boroughs. Mure than one hundred
gentlemen were present, including, as well 114 the
mayors, aldermen, town councillors, and magistrates
of boroughs, several members of Parliament, amongst
whom were Lord Henry Lennox, Mr. Roebuck, Sir
Joshua Walmsley, Mr. Raikes Currie, Mr. P.
Crossley, Mr. Ingham, Mr. C. Forster, Mr. Bass,
Mr. J. A. Smith, M. J. B. Smith, Colonel Smyth, Mt.
Wells, Sir George Goodman, Mr. H. Wickham, and
others.

The Lord Mayor of York, who presided, explained
the objects of the meeting :
They were not met to consider the arguments for and
against the bill, of which a large proportion of the rnuni•
cipalities had already expressed their disapprobation, but
rather to devise the best means of effectually opposing it.
When he first saw the bill, he confessed the bonus of one-
fourth the expenditure on police to be granted from the
public puree did appear to him to be acceptable ; but, on
subsequently perusing the bill, and reflecting upon it, he
found it betrayed the old mischievous tendency to centrali-
sation, which had been already denounced, in former in-
stances, as most dangerous and unconstitutional.
He then reviewed the objectionable clauses of the
bill, and expressed his apprehension that, if it were
carried into execution, the police would become the
mere creature and tool of the Government of the
day, with all the evils of a standing army, added to
the facilities of police access and police espionage :
He apprehended it was in reality the old battle which
the people in the provinces had now to fight over agair.
The issue now was, whether the people of the cities anti
boroughs throughout the kingdom were to have all power
and control within their several localities taken from them
and centralised in the Ministry of the day, or whether
they were to retain their characteristic and time hallowed
municipal government? The Secretary of State was only
asking for a handle to his axe, and if they conceded this
measure the downfall of their local and municipal in-
fluence and independence would speedily follow. He
trusted they would one and all unite in opposing this ob-
noxious bill, and that in doing so the counties would stand
by the boroughs and the boroughs by the counties.
Mr. Alderman Leeman reminded the meeting of
what occurred in 1853.4, upon Lord Palmerston
attempting to introduce a Police Bill. The present
measure was based upon the same objectionable
principles of centralisation as was the bill of that
year. It was the virtual repeal of the Municipal
Corporation Act, under which, during twenty years,
our provincial middle classes had risen in influence
and intelligence.
The Mayor of Birmingham proposed the first
resolution :

That this meeting objects strongly to the apparent ten-
dency of legislation towards centralisation, as subversive
of that principle of local self•government which is so con-
genial to the spirit of this free nation, and which expe•
iience has shown to have materially contributed to advance
the prosperity and promote the liberties of the country.
The Mayor of Southampton seconded the reso-
lution.

Colonel Smyth, M.P., expressed his corjial agree-
ment with the objects of the meeting.
Mr. Forster, M.P., thought if the case were
strongly represented to Sir George Grey, the Home
Secretary might be induced to withdraw the ob-
noxious clauses.

Mr. Bass, M.P., objected to the bill, but would not
prejudge the question of a general improvement of
the police force.
Mr. Roebuck, M.P., was not opposed to any im-
provement, but was this bill an improvement?—
The hon. member for Walsall, too, had suggested their
speaking to the Secretary of State, and listening to what he
might have to say. Now, he (Mr. Roebuck) would go to the
Secretary of State with the determination to listen to
nothing which he might have to say. He was quite slue
that nothing which Sir George Grey could say would alter
the character of this bill He would have the bill turned
out of the house with every possible ignominy. Some
gentleman had spoken of the candour and good intentions
of Sir George Grey. Now, he ( Mr. Roebuck ) had no
faith in either. Looking at it generally, he believed it was
for the benefit of the whole people that they should be
accustomed to the government of their own affairs, it was
a part of their political education, and any diminution of
it was pro Panto a diminution of their character for intent.
gence and morality. As he had great faith in his country-
men, as he had faith in the municipalities of this kingdom,
as lie had great faith in freedom, he should oppose the bill.
The Mayors of Sheffield, Worcester, Brighton, and
Stratford-upon-Avon, having spoken, Lord H. Len-
nox, M.P., as representative of a small and ancient
borough, begged, on its behalf; to express his entire
.
concurrence in all that had been said in opposition
to the measure, which he hoped that powerful meet-
ing would succeed in defeating entirely. He be-
lieved the small boroughs would feel the tneasure, if
it passed, even more acutely than the large boroughs.
The resolution was then carried unanimously, other
resolutions protesting against the character of the
bill were also carried, and the proceedings shortly
terminated.

-


FEBRUARY 23, 1856.

On Thursday the Lord Mayor of YORK, heading a
numerous and influential deputation, waited upon
Sir George Grey to express the feeling of the
meeting of Wednesday, against the proposed New
Police Bill. The deputation having reached the
Borne-office, were admitted to an interview with the
Secretary of State. The Lord Mayor of York, on
handing Sir George Grey copies of the resolutions
agreed to on Wednesday, in forcible terms explained
the reasons of the objections felt to the bill. It
was an inroad on the principles of self-government,
and an unconstitutional and dangerous interference
of the Home-office with the local authorities :

The deputations therefore, most earnestly requested Sir
George Grey and the Government to withdraw this bill in
tote. They would rather that he and the Government
would openly take away their municipal charters ; they
would rather that they openly repealed their municipal
acts than indirectly destroyed their local independence,
and left them merely a magni nominis umbra.

Sir George Grey was much obliged to the deputation
for furnishing him with an expression of their
opinion. He thought the proper place to discuss
the principles of the bill was the House of Commons.
He could not withdraw the bill, and should therefore
leave it to the house to decide. In reply to a ques-
tion Sir G. Grey said the vote would not be taken on
lVednesday next. The deputation then shortly with-
drew, and proceeding to Herbert's Hotel, convened a
meeting, and passed resolutions to use every effort to
oppose and throw out the bill.
The bill has also been discussed at the Lincoln
and Bradford Town Councils, and at influential meet-
ings in every part of the country. Resoltuions con-
demning the measure have been on almost every
occasion unanimously passed, and deputations ap-
pointed to proceed to London.