The Express.
London, England, 1864-05-26 00:00:00

DROGHEDA.

DROGHEDA. TUESDAY.
To-day the foundation stone of a People's Hall
and of a cotton spurning mill and weaving factory were laid
here, amidst great rejoicings. Both these underuicin.,-s
have been oommeaced under the auspices of Mr. lienjaion
Whitworth, of Manchester, who ham generously coati wok.'
the sum of 4.0001. towards the erection of the former.
The mill sod factory are also being built by him ; and as
there is great want of remunerative employment in the
town, the joyfulness of the people to-day is easily accoooted
for. From au early boor the town began to wear a holiday
appearance; flags, banners, and evergreens ware profusely
=dalong the house fronts in most of the streste. The
es evil genius spoken of by Moors, named for this
day to bay, deserted his place, for protestant and catholic,
liberal and conservative, forgot their particular opinions,
end vied with each other in paying homage to a man who,
nee unmindful of his native town, had bestowed such
Bolds gifts upon them. The weather wee ipleedid. The
shipping wee pily dressed with bunting, sad from time to
time during the day sent forth load peals of cannonading.
At 12 o'clock the Mayor, aldermen, and common
council Wooded in the Thokes, formed into procession,
and, preceded by the mane, sword-bearer and the other
corporate officials, walked to the site of the contemplated
Town-hall. The corporation was followed by a procession
of the mime trades, who bore aloft their alibis banners.
The wocession having arrived at the site of the Tows or
Peo*'s Hall, his worship read an address to Mr. Whit-
worth, thanking him for the noble sad generous gift which
he had bestowed upon the people of Drogheda, arid at-
pressing in their name the deep sense of the obliptione
which they one and all ware placed !leder. As address
was duo read from the working onit's committee couched in
the name tense of laudation sad thanks.

Mr. Warrworm, after receiving the saran,
good friends, I bate oily dose what I felt to be my date,
and if the benefits which I anticipate to flow to you from
to-day's proosodinp shall be realised, I will feel myself
more than compensated for any little amount of trouble
and anarinos which I have been ailed upon to make. I
bops that am we are intellectually improved our material
property will be increased, and that the face of thinp in
our good old town will be changed for the better. Mr.
Whitworth then alluded 'to the meappreheision which
some of his friends at Manchester entertained regarding
the tendency which the people have to "strikes," and mid
that from his knowledge of the people he had not the re-
molest fear of any such thing being allowed to operate in-
juriously upon his prospects. He cerelndad by dews-
eating the sad remits of pasty eoelbees, eel hoping for
bettor feelings.
The Mayor then headed to Mr. Whitworth the silver
trowel with which the atone was laid, immedistoly after
which the proemial' reformed, and proceeded to the pros
chosen for the erection of the cotton mill and weaving fac-
tory, a mile and a half from the town. Having eimpleted
the ceremony, the prooessioo returned into town.
At seven o'clock, there was a grand banger in tbe
Mayoralty Rome ; the Mayor (Yr. John Chaelwich) pre-
lade&

WEATHER REPORT.-(THIS DAT.)

TaCTUDAT.

MAT 26, I LIE.