The Express.
London, England, 1863-12-16 00:00:00

THE STREET STALL MOVEMENT IN

WE~TNIP3TER

Last evening a numerously attended meeting was
held in the Temperance-hall, Broadway, Westminster, to
receive the report of the deputation that lately waited in
this matter on Sir George Grey, the Rome Secretary. Mr.
Collins, of Abingdon-street, occupied the chair, and enteral!
oonsiderable length into a review of the movement. It
bad been progressing for some moot* and was now so to
speak in its last stage. If they had not achieved success
they deserved it. Sir J. Shelley iotrodneed the deputation
to Sir G. Grey, whose reply to the representations of the
deputation was something like this, " Well, gentlemen, the
law is dead spinet these obetruetious in the public high-
way. That is certain. If you can show that the stalls are
not an obstruction I cannot see any objection to them, but
if, oo the contrary, they are, 1 cannot advise their re-
instalment." The report from Sir B. Mayne informed him
that only forty persons had berm ejected from their
stalls, that nineteen out of that number bad been provided
with space elsewhere, where no obstruction was caused, and
that the remnining twenty.one were perambulating about
with trucks and barrows. Now he (the chairasanl must
contradict all this. It was not a fair statemeot of the facts
and figures of the came. The Home Secretary had addressed
the following letter to Sir J. Shelley on the subject :
" Home-offica, Dec. 5,1863.—Dear Sir J. Shelley,—After
seeing the deputation which you introduced, I received a
full report from Sir B. Mayne as to the stalls in Broadway.
The reasons for enforcing the laws by the removal of the
stalls are so strong that I fear I should not he justified in
interfering with the course that has been taken. It ap-
pears that repeated complaints have bee. made of olatnio-
tions on the foot and carriage ways.—Yours truly, G. GREY.
—Sir J. V. Shelley, M. P." It was a very hard and mimes.
bus thing in his (the chairman's) opinion that the polies
should he called as to interfere with the industry and live-
lihood of the poor, and be at the same time occupied is
assisting to break the law, es was the ease
in the recent prize fight. The total aunt received
in aid of the movement had been .15/. 17s , and expended
271. Ss. rid., leaving s balance of 111. Se. Gal., which it was
now proposed should be distributed among the aged and de-
serving poor stall-keepers. Resolutions were then passed
to the effect that the reply of Sir G. Grey to the deputation,
wherein he makes known that his decision, refusing to inter-
fere, as the result of the full report of Sir ht. Ms) ne, is un-
just. untrue, and unsatisfactory, Sir B. Mayne having taken
every opportunity to niierepreseot the facts of the case, and
being, moreover, the official whose acts were appealed
against ; that the cordial awake of the meeting are due to
the committee sod the public pews for theirmalonsadvocacy
of the claire, of the poor, whose malls have been so unscru-
lonely dealt with by the police authorities ; and that the
mestieg is of opiiiion that the despotic power wielded
by the peewit chief rommissioser of police is detrimental to
the interests of the public ; that the police should be under
•unieipel coated ; and that it is desirable that petitions
esabodylag these vim be presented to the imperial par-