The Express.
London, England, 1846-11-06 00:00:00

The marriage of I,tr, llegh Horatio Seymour, only Seymour son of
the
, E-Col. 11. 11. Lad Charlotte ,
sla ;To Licuof the Marquisand yof Chnlmondeley with Miss
daughter...if Lieut.-Gen. Roht. Ellice, wu
p~a~d El ee,
11 dnuslay last in the presence of a numerous
t.:.o;1. Hon. and Rev J. Grey officiated at
the ceremony.
•• -
ri A ONAL ANTi-POOlt LAW PROVIDENT
--- II AND BENEVOLENT UNION.
yesterdav a public meeting was held at the London
r coed by pubic advertisement), "of gentlemen
ToesiaTe:ssiTf'n'—elcttering the eindition of the well-disposed mein.
bare of the working-caws;" in other words, to take into
ogaid-eration the proposition suggested by Mr. Benjamin
-- -a C tbbell tPi: his constituents at'St. Albans, with
"7ence to the improvemen. t of the more', social, and
er
onl coudAt the hour of the induatrial portaon of the
coiity.appointed the la ge hall was
well an'gle'd, and. the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor
took the chair amidst general plaudits.—His lordship was
ended by
by Mr. B. B. Cabbell, M.P.; Mr. Ewurt, M.P. ; Mr.
I • Mr Charles Cochrane, the chairman of
the ePojOrillaalualu3r's( buardian Society ; Mr. 1). W. Wire; the
g" Mr. Harris; the Rev. Mr. Kemble ; Mr. Alexander
6";gbeil ; with Mr. Stevens aud Mr. Northhouse, the hone-
tary secretaries.
The LORI/MAYOR commenced the proceedings of the day.
lordship. observed that the meeting had tarn convened
a most important matter—that of the condition of the
poor of this great kingdom; and not, as the leading nf the
bills which had been put forth announced, to establish au
Anii.poor Law Union. Ile took the chair (end was proud
to do so) with a view t • the object he hat at first stated ;
engird hefur t had
he obiastitution jected to ththeye titlweree whimet ch had beenro as-
to promote,
.and it would be found front the resolutions about to be pro-
posed
n,
ant thawit
ththe
the titlobject in would
view,not be
nd consequently uld
be altered by the resolutions to be a
proposed by the speakers
who would follow him. (Cheers.) The advertisement by
which the meeting had been convened having been read by
Mr Wire.
Mr. B. B. CARRSLL, M.P., was called upon by the Lord
Mayor to state to the fleeting the propuition upon which
an exprcasHou of public opinion in the metropolis was sought
en this occasion to lie obtained. The hon. member fur St.
Albans was most cordially tool enthusiastically greeted by
the stumble. Ile commenced by stating that they were to-
day met together for the purpose of considering the best
male of encouraging the industrial claws of the commu-
nity in habits of temperance, frugality, and economy, with
a view to elevate their condition and the better to enable
then to administer to the wants and necessities of their fami-
lies. At a meeting held a short time since in St. Albans,
the plan he proposed hail met with the unqualified approba-
li tint of his constitueata t is hum he had stated, as he now
repeated, that he would only consent to go to parliament on
the one principle of laing unfettered and unpledged. On that
principle he loud been returned, but still lie had felt it to be
his date to make known to his constituents his views on the
particular subject which had congregated the present meet-
ing, because he W. 14 of opinion that it was conducive to the
put& interest fair a representative to hold conference or
communication with his constituent+, inasmuch as by their
support on a given sae jest, its success would be rendered
more complete and certain. (Hear, hear.) The plan which
be had pr pounded on the occasion to which he referred,
and whit lead recaived unqualified and unanimous
sanction, had since been much misrepresented, and it
was dialcuit to sliaentangle the cause from that misrepre-
sentation. It arose from the title " Anti-Poor Law Union."
Ile had no wish to adhere to that name, but would ee happy
to adopt any other in which the meeting would acquiesce.
lie missed his proposition to be considered as entirely and
wholly separate from the existing poor laws, except so for
as that the adoption of his plan would tend to keep the
poorer classes from that condition which made them claim-
ants fur relief under thi se laws. Objection to his proposition
had been taken as to the time at which it had been brought
forward. His answer to that °hi action was afffirded by facts.
Her Majesty, in the speech front the throne with which the
late session of parliament commenced, declared, " It is my
most contest prayer, that with the blessing of Divine Provi-
dence on your councils you may be enabled to promote
friendly feelings between different classes of my subjects,
provide additional security far the continuance of peace and
to maintain contentment and happiness at home, by incrcoa•
ing the comforts and bettering the condition of the great
body of my people." Parliament bad met and separated
without doing anything on this particular point (hear, hear),
and he (Mr. Calibtill) could not but congratulate the Lord
Mayor upon having conic forward, with the sanction of his
high position and authority., to take a step in the direction
pointed out by his sovereign. (Applause.) But not only
had the Lord Motor the sancti-n of his monarch for
position to-day, but also that of the church. He (Mr.
Cabbell) held in his It sod the conclusion of a prayer pre-
pared in obedience to the recent orders in council by the
head et that church. It was in these words, "We pray
thee to open our hearts to the influence of thy good spirit to
show compassion and mercy each man to his neighbour, and
by beating the burdens one of another, oe may obtain thy
favour." (Applause.) He, therefore, repeated that the
Lord Mayor by the sanction of his presence this day was
fully carryinir out the intentions of his sovereign and the
church. Ileiond this lie could adduce the support
to the proposition of the Bishop of Norwich, who
in his letter, " hailed with satisfaction the attempt
thus made to ameliorate the condition of the poorer
classes," and stated his readiness fully to support the views
of the institution, " provide:l he could persuade himself it
would not be made the medium of clamour attainst existing
laws, but that it would he bonrsfide in the hands of judicious
men, who would have no other object than that of promot-
ing the welfare of the people." (Loud applause.) The
bon. member now read letters expri ssing adhesion to the
cause from the Rev. J. C. Proby, rector of St. Mary, Win-
chester, the Rev. Dr. Stevens, the Rev. Christopher Abbot,
of Castle Ileditigham, Essex, the Rev. Cecil Wray,
Incumbent of St. Martin's, Liverpool, and from Mr. Charles
Pearson, the City Solicitor. Out of the letters which bad
been received from the clergy of all denominations, only 28
negatived the proposal he (Mr. Cabbell) had put forth ; and
of these 2-3 had done so under the erroneous impression, and
mistaken notion, that it was intended to abolish all poor laws.
He begged, however, to reply that the object of the insti-
titution was altogether to keep clear of the Poor-laws.
(Applause.) The object was to afford an opportunity to the
poor, who were disposed to assist themselves, and without
the aid of any eleemosynary gift, to enable them
to do so and become happy in the bosom of their families
and respectable members of society. (Applause.) It could
not but be cause of deep lamentation that in a country
where wealth abounded and increased in its abundance,
poverty and pauperism also increased in the same ratio.
This had been eloquently pointed out in one of his recent
addresses to the el ray of his diocese, by the Bishop of Salis-
bury, whose adherence to the cause he confidently antici-
pated. In former times bolts and bars were unnecessary fur
the protection of a man's property and per. on, but in these
days incendiarism and chartism had arisen from increased
wealth on the one hand, and corresponding depression on the
other. (Hear, hear.) In former days the farmer or em-
ployer associated with the labourers, and set an example in
his own person of en industrious and honest life. To restore
this happy state of things, was the object of the proposed
union. It was sought through its instrumentality to bring
the Kit and the poor together, and by the aid of the one to
ameliorate the condition of the other class. It was admitted
that poverty in this country had increased with increase of
wealth, and hence we contended that a remedy must be
applied to such an evil. The objects of this institution were
to afford the industrious classes the threefold advantage of
nenefit societies, of building societies, and of life insurance
ssociations. It was proposed that to all these they should
have access at a small scale of contribution, while the ex-
reuses of working the scheme should be defrayed out of the
contributions of the opulent and wealthy of their fellow-sub-
j acts. (Hear, hear.) With this view the title of the insti-
lotion would be changed from that of the " National Anti-
Porn Law Union " into the " National Provident and Be-
L'volent Union." (Hear, hear.) It was not his wish to
make any observation, upon the existing Poor-laws, but he
could not help pointing out theantagoeusm of principlewhich
opened the prison doers to the fraudulent debtor and clued
teem upon the unfortunate but unblamable pauper. Such
an atagenistie principle was not creditable to the character,
h. [lour, or dignity of this country. (Hear, hear.) Agair.,
at the same moment that palaces were being erected
for criminals, prisons in the shape of union workhouses
were the only receptacles open fur those reduced to
distress by poverty, but untainted by crime. (Applause.)
He contended that, be the law as affecting the poor what it
might, an union like that now proposeu would have the
effect of inducing a more lenient, kind, charitable, and
christian administration of it. Such an union would take
out of the operation of the Poor-law the deserving, well-
meaning, and industrious of the community, and would
only leave under its operation the dissolute and degraded
section, which perhaps merited some degree of severity of
treatment. Therefore, instead of an impediment, the Plan
Propounded would, he submitted, work well for the ad.
ministration of a poor-law, which must still remain upon
the statute book in one shape or another, He wished to
avoid any allusion to the existing law, but be must remark
that it exhibited a great want of sagacity on the part of the
statesmen by whom it was enacted, when, by its operation,
they threw contempt upon the domestic circle, and the cradle
in which the child learned filial devotion. Was it, he asked,
either wise or prudent to throw discredit upon the domestic
hearth,—to sever the ties between man and wife, and
by the separation of them in the unions, to set at
nought the sacred declaration pronounced at the marriage
altar, " those whom God has joined together, let not man
put asunder." (Hear, hear.) Human laws had, however,
done so, and had destroyed that happy state of things
described by one of the nation's poets :

The seanona lbws
As ceaselera round a jarring world they roll,
Milli find them happy, and consenting Spring
rihell,4 her own nay garland on their heads ;
Till evening comes at last serene and mild ;
Whnn after the long vernal day of life,
Enamoured more as more remembrance swells

With many a proof of remanded bye,
Together down they sink in said sleep,
Together freed, them gentle mediate fly
To scenes where love and bliss Immortal reign.
(Cheers). The object of the institution was to embody
three classes of heads. As to the friendly societies, it was
sought to unite them and put them on a more secure basis ;
the building society would improve the condition of the
working man who contributed, and would eventually give
him a house of his own ; and lastly, the insurance branch
would present an inducement to the industrious artisan to
provide fur those he might leave behind him. (Rear, hear.)
The cast of working the whole three branches, he repeated,
was proposed to be defrayed out of the benevolent fund to
be contributed by the wealthier classes, and the manage-
ment of the whole system, when completed, would be left in
the hands of the working classes, under prescribed rules and
regulatiobs. The hon. member concluded a lengthy address