The Express.
London, England, 1849-01-19 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL.

MEETING OF THE FINANCIAL REFORM
ASSOCIATION.
On Wednesday the monthly meeting of the Finan-
cial Reform Association was held at Liverpool. There wee
a numerous attendance, this being the last meeting of the
association previous to the assembling of parliament. Mr.
It Shell was called to the chair ; and the Secretary having
read a report, which exhibited the large amount of sympathy
the objects of the emaciation had met in various parts of the
kingdom,
Mr. BRODRIBB ssid—ln the year 1846 an association
was formed in Liverpool for the reduction of the duty on
tea, zed in furtherance of this object two public me. tinge
were held. The first of these meetings took place on the 25th
Nev., 1846. The result was the adoption of a me.
urinal to the governmeat, to be presented by a
deputation representing the inhabitants of this town.
The interview took pl,ce by appointment on he sth of
Dec tuber, the government being represented by the Prime
Minister, Lard John Rumen, and Sir C. Wood, the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer. This deputation from the inhabi-
tants was accompanied by deputations /leo from the am-
cimion for the reduction of the duty on tea, from the
Liverpool East India and China associatioc, from the Liver-
pool shipowners' mociatien, from the Liverpool West India
emaciation, from the Manchester commercial asseciation,'
iron the inheeitants of beds, from the manufacturers of Nor-
wen, from the merchants and 'manufacturers of Blackbisra,
from the Glasgow Best India emaciation, from the Glasgow
Town Council, from the Glasgow Merchant,' House, from the
Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce. and from the Dublin
Camber of Commerce. A deputation more fully representing
tho commercial interests involved, or one more important,
never, perhaps, waited on any government. The interview
lastodiapwerdeof an hour, in the the mires of which the subj.'s&
was urged upon her Majesty's government in all its bearla
This deputation was succeeded in the course of a few days by
another from the London Bast Italia and China Association.
We may, therefore, fairly conclude that if the deliberate and
matured opinions of any mercantile body were ever conveyed
to a government, it was on that occasion, and we should na-
turally expect that their wi,hes would hays been complied
with, or that some iteuperable objection to them would
have been stated, followed up and supported by send and
convincing reasons. But what was the issue ? The govern-
ment's reply was—" The question is, how will it affect the re-
venue ?" The financial statement of the country was made
in parliament a few weeks after by the same ministers, and
not one word was said on the subject, not one passing allu-
sion made to the interview. To say the least of it, this was
discouraging.. Still the association had hope they placed
some faith in the good desires of the ministry; they gave
them credit for their willingness if possible to give relief to
trade sad manufactures and destitution, by fiscal changes
so recommended. They thought, possibly, that the go.
moment were cot fully convinced of the truth or the im-
portance, or the practicability of all their statements and sug-
gestions. They therefore, sought, through their representa-
tive in parliament, the appointment of a select committee
to take the whole subject into consideration. This coma
mime was granted, of which Lord Bandon was the chair-
man. The result was a report presented to the Mouse of
Commons on the 12th July, 1847,' confirming every repro.
se ntation the deputation bad made, and recommending the
adoption of the very course it had urged upon the govern-
ment. Animated and encouraged thus, the association re-
sumed active operations to bring the subject so strengthened
and recommended again under the notice of the cabinet,
prier to the financial arrangements for the year 1848 49
being decided upon. This occasioned the second public
meeting, which took place on the 14th January, 1848, under
the presidency of the late mayor. Its result was the ap
poi ntment of molter deputation to wait on the government,
with another memorial, fortified, as they conceived themselves
now to be, by the report of the select committee of the
House of Commons. This second interview took place in the
early part of February, on which occasion Lord John Russell
was the oaly member of her Majesty's government present.
The deputation were accompanied by the members for the
borough, Sir Thomas Birch and Mr. Cardwell, the latter or
whom opened the proceedings by a very clever and
in telling
speech, which the ism gentleman celled his lordship s
attention to all the strong facts established by the evidence
on which the reoomations of the report were founded.
But that of which I would particularly remind ou is the
earnest tone in which the government were ads on
that occasion, especially by our president, Mr. Robertson
Gladstone, so unusual I believe at intirviews of this
kind, but justified in this instance by the urgent neces-
sity of the case. His lordship must be aware of this het,
and the total inattention subeequestly paid to it by the
government cannot be construed into anything else than as
either a rebuke for that earnestness, which may have been
considered Satiated and ill-placed, or as a wanton and heed-
less, and therefore inexcusable, disregard of the important
matters brought under his notice. His lordship's reply, in
substance, was again, that it resolved itself into a question of
revenue. A similar answer was subsequently given in the
House of Commas by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, In
hie reply to Mr. Cardwell's epeech,calluigthe attention of
house to the report. He said that in almost every position
the non. gentlemen laid down, he (the Chancellor of the
Exchequer) entirely and perfectly and altogether concurred.
But he said the same moments would apply to wine, to to.
bane, and to all articles on which a high duty bad been im-
posed ; and he was afraid that a necessity for additional taxa.
tion would arise, and, somewhere or other, would be entailed
up in him.Thusthe question wee disposed of by the government,
but not so by the deputation. They thought and reflected on
the reasons assigned by the government, three in number,
and very simple. The first was, that the revenue could not
afford it. And why not they asked themselves, seeing
that it amounts to upwards of fifty-eight millions a year,
and that during the last thirteen years you have not
scrupled to nevem the expenditure year by year, till
now it is nearly eleven millions more than it was in
1835. The second was that the lame arguments for reduc-
tion will apply to all other articles of coosuniption heavily
taxed And why not so apply them ? they again ask them-
selves, seeing that such heavy imposts interfere ruinously
with the employment, and consequently with the pleysiml
necessities and social condition of the people. The thud rem
son was, en alleged fear of a necessity for increased taxation.
This the deputation treated as a mere excuse. No such con-
siderate fear was ever evinced in laying on a million or
two, to be spent on the war establishments. Of this they
had good proof very shortly liter, by the Chancellor of the
Exchequer g to inOrollie the income tax by some
two or three-
miillions or more, to be splint in war. or in Pre-
paration for fear of war, although he did not propose to rs-
duce one single tax in return. 15mon a arms of argument
appeared to them to place the revenue supreme, to make it
the first consideration of the government, to which the wel-
fare of the people was to be altogether subordinate. The
deputation thought, on the ecatrary, that the welfare of
the people ought to be the first consideration of every wise
and good government—the wary object for which govern-
ment itself was instituted, awd to miry out which was the
first and greatest use of weenie. They therefore came to
the conclusion, that there must be something radically
wrong and vicious in • sYs tem which inverted such an order
0. things, which turned fat into an instrument of the peo-
ple's oppression which 'was originally intended as the mesas
to carry cut east INV, their liberty, their comforte, and their
happiness.

FIRST LORD OP THE ADMIRALTY AND THE LY
coma Tax.—the Hants Guardian says : " Numberless
rumours yr, re afloat during the pending negotiations between
Lord John Russell and other members of the government,
as to the Callse of the delay in the appointment of the First
Lord of the Admiralty. Some said that L,rd John was
coquetting with Sir J. Graham ; some that be was deter-
mined to have Lord Minter again ; and others whispered all
sorts of things, reasonable and unreasonable, as best suited
their fancies. We understand, however, that the chief
salsa of postponing the appointment lay in Sir F. T. Baring
himself, and arose from his determination not to 'incept office
Übe were compelled to support the income tax. We believe
this to be the truth, and feel happy to learn that the right
hon. gentleman had so bigh a regard for his character for
consistency, and that he would forego the sweets of patron-
age and office rather than sacrifice principle for them. The
question is to b-, we hear, as far as air Francis is concerned,
an open one."
ronsmourn EtacrloN.—On Tuesday a numerous
wenn; of the friends of the Right Hon. Sir F. T. Baring,
was held at Portsea. J. Hoskin*, Esq., was called to t.i.e
chair, and said that the interests of the borough had been
',presented fearlessly and lode' endently by tte right hon.
baronet, who agoin asked their votes, and he felt assured
that he would so con•inue ti represent them. He left the
mattes in the hands of the meetine. A number of resolutions
were carried favourable to Sir F. T. Baring, and district
committees were formed, and other matters arranged.—Lord
G. Lennox suggested, tic although there was r o probability
of a contest, yet it would be well to wait upon the electors,
-s iu the event of a contest at a future tine, they might with
some show of justice complain of neglect when their votes
were not required.
STAFFORDSHIRE.

REPE
SENTATION OF SOUTH STAFFORD.—It Wha
currently reportrd yesterday that the H..n. John Talbot,
Q.C., the parliamentary barrister, and brother of the present
earl, is to be brought forward to supply ti it vacancy iu the
repftsentatior. o: this ceuaty.

Patacaas's—An opera, called " Marie; ci, the
Foundling of the Lake," wee produced at the above
theatre, last evening. It is an adaptation to the English
stage of one of the best pieces of Herold, a French composer
of distinguished genius, whore untinatly death at an early ago
cut short a career which promised to be of extraordinary
brilliancy. lie had, however, produced several dramatic
works of a high order. particularly bis well-known
Zampa„" and the opera now brought upon the English
stage. Were the English public to judge of his merits by
last evening's performance of the English version of
" Maria," they would estimate them at a very low rate ; for
the piece was so imperfectly got up, and so poorly pr 'formed,
that It was barely tolerated by the audience. Vhen the
curtain fell at the close, the silence of the house
was broken only by a few hisses, and the usual appearance
of the performers before the curtails. In these circumstances
we may dispense with any account of the opera and of its
performance, beyond saying that the two principal charm,
ten, the heroine and the lover, were exceedingly well sus-
tained by Miss Poole and Mr. Allen, who were several times
greatly applauded, and that the intrinsic beauties of the
music were frrquently apparent, no withstanding the inca-
pacity of the outer performers, the slovenly nhorus-singing,
and the false intonation of the orchestra. The truth is that
the musical resources of this theatre are at present quite
inadequate to the production of an owe of magnitude or
importance.

lEbt Drama.
MARYLIBONE.--A new play by Mrs. Mowed, en-
titled, " Armand ,• or, the Peer and the Peuent," was pro-
duced here yesterday evening, and announced for repetition
every evening until further notice with the apparently una-
nimous sanction of a crowded audience. We have no dispo-
sition to contest this decision : we have seen worse plays—
and better. The plot of " Armand" is none of the most
osiginal in the world: indeed, considering the infinite mul-
tiplicity of the dramas acted and unacted, it were rather
difficult for a playwright to discover any very decided novelty
for dramatic adaptation. The heroine, Blanche, is the
daughter of the Duke de Richelieu, by the daugher of the
Duke d'Antine, but the Duke de Richelieu as the
only person in the secret: Blanche, supposing that
she is a poor orphan, owing everything to the
benevolence of Dame Babette, a village gossip,
and the Duke d'Atsline being wholly ignorant of his daugh-
ter's having borne • child to the Duke de Richelieu, know
ing only that the duke, some 20 years before, had carried off
that daughter, and supposing that, as in most other cases, the
brilliant libertine had simply seduced her, and then left his
victim to die in obscurity. She is dead, indeed, having died
in girl's birth to Blanche, bat she died the wedded wife of
Richelieu. It is the ignorance of this fact on the part of the
Duke et Alain., upon which the story turns ; for the duke,
having ascertained the fict that Blanche is Richelint's
daughter, has detern into' to revenge in her person the in-
jury he Imagines to have been done to his own
child. He accordingly contrive* to throw the girl
in the way of Louis X V., who at once falls desperate) y in
love with her, and resolves to obtain possession of her,
wholly regardless of the vows subsisting between the sup-
posed peasant girl and the artisan, Armand, who, a found-
ling, had been twenty years since adopted by the village in
which he sow lives honoured for his virtues. Richelieu,
in order to save his daughter from the king, administers a
sleeping draught, which, on the very day when she has
been chosen Queen of the May, amigos her apparently to
the armed dealt. When her supposed corpse is exhibited,
by rather a strong effect, upon the stage, in rural state—
the king and the artisan, the royal and the peasant
lovers, meet, and, in the purification of that moment, Louis
forgets his put jealousy of Armand, and gives him a com-
mission in the army about to open the campaign of Fontenoy.
Meanwhile, Blanche, awakening from her slumber, and, in-
formed by Richelieu of his paternal claims to her obedience,
complies with his injunction to retire to a convent ; and so
the first portion, as it were, of the play ends. When the
curtain next rise., five years are supposed to have elapsed ;
Richelieu. is at Paris, his favour with the king perilled by
the riving influence with royalty of Armand, now
a successful captain of the king's armies, end
on two occasions the saviour of the king's life,
but still within his heart the same Armand who, in the
obscurity of her village, won the love of the supposed peasant
girl Blanche. Armand himself arrives, the messenger of a
new victory, gained chiefly by his shill and valour; the
king, as an acknowledgment of his services, offers him the
hand of Mademoiselle de Mohan, but Armand, true to her
he believes dead, rejects the alliance, and eo incurs the dig
pleasure of his despotic master. Blanche herself comes to
Paris, a fugitive, by the secret agency of D'Ainine, front the
convent in which her father had placed her. Inchelteu seeks
to induce her return by a story of her lover's falsehood. She
seeks the protection of the king. still facilitated by D'Antine.
At length the latter learns his relationship to the girl whom
he bas been seeking to destroy, and he, Richelieu and
Armand, combine to save the girl. They effect this object,
and Blanche is united, by the king's own hand, to the ob-
ject of her enduring love. The language of the piece is not
without merit, though there pervades thronghout the whole
that tendency to exaggerate which chansterises Americus I
composition. Then is requisite as careful a revisits ef the text,
in point of style, as we believe there las been in
point of expediency ;—• vast deal of republican matter—
more suitable for other intimates than these—having
been expunged. Quite enough of it remains for all
ordinary purposes here. Mr. Davenport, the imper-
sonator of the hero, is a man with good stuff in him,
but he needs discipline to modify some of the sharp points,
which, however effective elsewhere, rasp somewhat sharply
our insular idiosyncrasies. Mrs. Yowatt, the authoress of
the piece, was its heroine, and pleyed her part well.
We weuld recommend her, however, as well as Mr. Daven-
port, to study somewhat closely, and for much the same
reason, though it is rather difficult now-a-data to point out
whom any histrionic artist is to study. Mr. J. Johnsume
was effective enough u the Duke de Richelunt, end he was
well supported by Mr. 0. Cooke, a comedian of much and
original humour, and by Kiel Villan, always a careful and
pleasing actress. The @pessary wee extremely good, end the
play well put upon the stage.