The Express.
London, England, 1849-05-10 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUEST.—YEs rtRDAY.

FATAL AFFRAY ON THE EASTERN COUNTIES RAIL-
WAY.—Before Mr. Baker, at the Linden H.plat, on th.
body °flames Cater, aged S 5 years, who was &Send whin
dia from injuries he received in an affray with a nun,
named David Archer, who stands charted at Worship street
Police Court, with having canted the death of the deceased.
George Gower, a porter at the Shoreditch statists of the
Eastern Counties Railway, stated that the deceased and
' Archer were plate layers on the sem lino, and, on Thanday
wising lest, a quarrel took place between them. At
length the deemed threw down his shovel and made
an attempt to strike Anther with his fists, but
tined to do se. Atelier returned the blow, sad
struck the deceased on the breast, and he stumbled back-
wards and fell heavily upon the rails. A surgeon was
sent for, and the dimmed was subsequently removed to the
hospital.—Mr. Edwards, house surgeon, said the deceased
had received a fracture of the base of the skull, about three
inches in length, from the effects of which he died on Mon-
day last. Several witnesses were examined, but they were
unable to state that the deeeued fall from the force of the
blow.—The Coroner Paid it armed be advisable to give
Archer the benefit of the doubt. Verdiet, " Accidental
death."

FINANCIAL AND
lAMENTARY REFORM.
SOUTHWARK. _ _ _

A meeting of the Pmencial and Parliamentary
Reform Association, embracing the several perishes of Sr.
Saviour's. Christchurch, and Sc. George, in the Borough of
Southwark. was held on Tuesday evening at the Three
Tuns, in the High-street. Thos. Bailey, Esq., the recto's
churchwareen of B'. Saviour's, was moved tar the chair, who
briefly stated the objects of the meeting, and expressed his
entire concurrence in the principles embodied in the resolu-
tions of the central weiery, of which Sir J. Wslmsley, M.P.,
is the president. After some considerable discussion, and an
'Ashanti speech from Mr. John Thymic., the. following
resolution was unanimously adopted:
" Test Luke Embletoni Esq. be chairmen; Thomas
Cailey, Em, treasurer; and Mr. '&illiam Howard honorary
secretary. That all persons subscribing ls. and upwards
ter annum be members of the association. And that the
gentlemen now present be a committee, with power to add
to their number."
It war also resolved that a public meeting should be held
in the Town-hall at an early day ; that the hon. secretary
be requested to get up a requisition to the high-bailiff, Wit.
liam Pritchard, But , from the s:veral associations in the
Borough; and that a sub-committee, consisting of Messrs.
Apo's, Pellat, John Thwairs, Thomas Walker, Thomas Bai-
ley, Thomas Satterley, W. H. Mathews, and the hon. were-
tam be invited and requests' to suprrietend such public
muting.
After en eloquent speech from William Linwood, Esq.,
who attended as a deputation from the central association,
and several valuable remarks from Messrs. Marton, Satter-
ley, Mansell, Reath, Lane, it..., the meeting adjourned.

MEETING AT BRISTOL.
A numerous and respectable meeting of citizans wan
held at Bristol, on Monday night, in the Mtge public room,
Broadmsad, far the purpose of hearing tram W. Brags on
exposition of the views of the Liverpool Financial Refotru
Assiseision. The chair wititaken at 7 o'clock, by, GEORGE
TUOMMI, E'q , one of the town cosamllers for the ward of
at. Mary Itaeliff.
- - -

- - -
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the business, said—Those
who had read the public newspaper must be aware that in
the north of England two associations had been formed
with the salutary object of promoting a reform in the finan-
cial arrangements of this country. The one was established
at Liverpool and the other at Manchester, and gentlemen
might augur favourably of the ultimate effect of those an :el-
ation', whoa they remembered that that great movement
which ended in the repeal of the rank:tire corn laws, also
originated in the north of England. (Chien.) They would
that night hear an addren from a gentleman who repre-
sented the Liverpool Association, and who had come down
fer the purpose of ascertaining whether there was a feeling
alive in the west of England similar to that which so widely
prevailed in the north—(chi en) ; and whether there existed
a desire among the population for a reduction of the present
excessive and unnecessary amount of taxation.
Mr. BEGGS that came forward, and was received with
morel applause. He said he had been invited by the
council of the Liverpool Financial Reform Association to
spend a short time in visiting the west of England and ex-
plaining the views and objects of that association, in order to
ascertain how far the public mind was prepared and ripe for
assisting it in the carrying out of more extended eperatiens.
He believed that the present time was, above all times, one
most appropriate for carrying out a searching inquiry into
the financial condition of the country. (Cheers.) The in-
dustrious classes in the north of England, as he doubted not
was the ease In other parts of the empire, were fast sinking
from the state of honest independence, which they once en-
joyed, to one of dependence:upen government sapient or the
provision afforded by the hand of private charity. As a
proof of this he might refer to the report of the poor-law com-
missioners, which showed that one in nine of the popula-
tion livid upon charity; and which also disclosed the
alarming fact that the poor rate had, from 1714
to 1846, increased from about two millions to over
seven millions. (Hear.) He might also refer them to the
Bankrupt List, the Insolvent Lees, and to other public do-
moments, as mob of the depressed condition of the commer-
cial, manatee:Meier, and trading elsoes. He would not be
understood es seeking to charge this state of things entirely
upon the government, nor did he assert that any government,
however prudent, could maintain in prosperity a people who
were prone to indulge in reckless and insane speculations,
and who were borne down by the pressure of their own
vicious habits, as well as by the measurn of their rulers. ,
(Hear, hear.) Still, however, it could not be denied that
the example of wasteful and extravagant expenditure
of the government in excessive salaries, large pen•
done, and prodigious armaments, perniciously affected every
branch of industry. (Cheer.) The speaker then referred ,
with much ability to the recent occurrences abroad, and to
the present condition of the continent of Europe—he ex-
plored his conviction that financial difficulties and the
peones d the public burthens were at the root of most of
the disturbances which had arisen, and bad contributed to
the changes which had taken place, and be argued from
this that it would be wise, and prudent, and patriotic, to
examine whether any similar financial evils existed in Great
Britaia. (Hear) What had entailed the heaviest burthena
upon this country ? The wan in which we had engaged.
And what had been the results The objects for
which we had levied war, and for which we had drained
our gold, and had poured oat our blood like water,
had been entirely lost. (Chews.) We fought Menton • Dour-
bon'monarch to France, and to depose a Napoleon, and yet a
Napoleon was now the Chietruler of that nation, while the
Bourbon dynasty seemed to lee for ever overthrown. (Hear.)
We fought to impose a catholic monarch in Spain end to re-
Store the Pepe to Rome, but what was now the state of
things? (Hear.) England sought to force catholicism on
every country of Europe, and yet at the same time she op-
Ireland because Ireland was catholic too. (Hear.)
The true cease of discuss in a national, as
it was often in a social point of view, was
living too . fast and spending more money than we
could affird in the payment of salaries and pensions, and the
maintenance of expensive foreign posenions. (Cheers.) All
manner of charges had been urged against the association.
(Hear.) It had been charged with seeking tb over-
throw the church and to destroy the religion of the
country. Now it venerated religion, but it dud
no see the justice of paying 1,600,0001. a year to
1,600 dignitaries of the chuh, while it divided a leui sum
among 10 000 clergymen who did all the work. (Cheers.)
It loved aid venerated the Queen, but it did not think that I
the barbarous appendages of monuchin in by-gone ages was
essential to of Queen Victoria. (Cheers. It
I believed thatthe security
the chief protection of the monarch lay in the
hearts and affections of the people, and it believed, too, that
the cutting off of a something trom the civil list, so far from
impairing its stability, would give additional security to the
throne. (Cheers.) Mr. Beggs then went on to jusify agi-
tation as a means of promoting the attainment of a good
object, and analysed tte Homes of Lords and Commons, in
order to show that, as 702 membere of the imperial
legislature were connected with the army and navy,
and therefore interested In the maintenance of the pre-
sent costly war establishment, it became necessary
that
there should he some pre-sure from without. (Hear.) He
then referred to Mr. Cobden's too ion, and reminded the
meeting that the national debt of this country hod increased
from 1.800,0001 in the time of Charlesupwards of
700,000,0001. at the present time. Ho contended that the
proposition of the bon. member for the West Riding was not
only perfectly reasonable—(cheers)—but that it ought to be
carried and might he safely adopted. The speaker then re-
ferred to portions of the public expenditure, which might,
he conceived, he saved, and concluded an able and eloquent
address by appealing to the men of Bristol to lend their aid
to the Financial Reform AVSOMItiAI. (Cheers.)
The adders was warmly applauded, and seemed to peo-
duce a considerable effect on the meeting.