The Express.
London, England, 1846-12-16 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 16, 1846.

PENNY LABELS FOR PARCELS.—A parcels post is
about to be established in the metropolis, on Mr. Rowland
Hill's plan. Labels are to be issued at a penny each, to
prepay 'meets weighing eighteen ounces. Three deli. eries
per day are promised.
THE WEATHER. The thermometer yesterday
having stood 13 deg. below freezing point, with the wind
S.W., about noon a slight fall of snow took place, and the
mercury afterwards rose to 28, or 4 deg. of frost. In the
afternoon a brisk cutting wind from the N.N W.
sprung up, and last evening the sky was cloudless, and
the mercury had receded to 26 degrees at eight o'c'ock.
The ice had become strong enough for skating. During
the day the different perks were crowded with skaters and
spectators of the manly amusement. The unprecedented
severity of the weather is likely to be disastrous to thousands
whose subsistence is dependent on the river. Already the
Thames exhihits vast floating masses of ice, and a fall of
snow, renewed
by frost, will, in the opinion of experienced
watermen, render the navigation of the river above bridge
impossible. Yesterday, numbers of men were employed in
clearing away the drift ice that had collected round the
various steam-boat piers. Much damage was done to the
floats of the paddle-wheels above bridge, by collision with
the ice. The I'utney boat was obliged to lay up in the
afternoon, not being able to paw through Putney-bridge.
Above this structure the river is one field of ice. The fisher-
men at Lambeth, Wandsworth, and all up the river, are in
despair at the loss of their occupation.
TIM TEN Hoults' BlLL—This year there is a
deficient harvest. France and Germany both import food,
and therefore cannot import the usual quantity of cotton
twist and cotton cloth. In England, and parucularly in
Ireland, the agricultural claws have camparatively little to
give for manufactures ; in the latter country they are fed by
the state, and thus the home demand, as well as the foreign
demand for manufactures, is slack. Hence we have short
time in some districts, and even examples of mills wholly
stopped. In the course of nature there will arrive, by and
by, a fruitful year, and a large surplus of agriculteral pro-
ducts will he ready to be exchanged for manufactures. There
will be :in increased demand for cotton twist and cotton cloth.
The hands and the mills that are now stopped might then
gladly, for a short season at least, work 12 or 15 hours.
Are they to be limited to work 10 hours ? The act of par-
liament that would prohibit them, under such circumstances,
from satisfying the wants of the agricultural classes here and
abroad, would be an art to prohibit our manufacturing
classes from sharing the abundance with which the Almighty
will have blessed the earth. Law-makers have done many
foolish and wicked things, but we cannot imagine that they
will again be so foolish as to pass such a law, even though it
be demanded by the facety operatives themselves.—Eco-
nomist.
A FAMILY OF LEFERS.—When at day-break we
put out to sea, we were startled by hearing voices in a creek
not far from that in which we had slept; and on rounding a
rocky point of the island, saw the speakers—and a mei:tilde-Ay
sight it was. There sat, drenched and shivering on the hare
shore of this desolate islet, seven human beings in every
stage of virulent leprosy. Three were far gone in the die-
ease, a woman and two men, apparently old. The men had
lost their sight, and one was speechless ; and all had lost the
use of their extremities, which, indeed, appeared to have
been eaten away. Two others had not lost the use of their
hands; but their toes were gone, and they could scarcely
walk. A fine young man and a well-grown rather handsome
girl remained, and at a distance appeared unharmed : but on
nearer approach, the bandages on one foot of the female and
over one eye of the youth told that the plague-spot was upon
them too. Their tale was a short one. They were a family
of lepers, Greeks, from the island of S y me, who wandered from
port to port in their boat, fishing and collecting alms. In the
storm of the day hero, c, they hail been driven ashore in this
little bay, and their boat lay much damaged on the beach.
They had no means of lighting a fire, and no provisions. We
gave them a light, and as uch food as we could spare, which
we placed on a rock, to be taken away by the yotmeer and
least afflicted of the party, adding, what they seemed to
prize even more than food, a quantity of tobacco. Pro rising
to inform their conntrymen and others at Rhodes respecting
their misfortunes, and to procure for them assistance if pos-
sible, we sailed away from this sad interview with the vic-
tims of one of the most hideout and incurable afflictions of
humanity, with many blessings from the poor lepers, and
thankful for having been the means, through the accident of
a storm in which we had nearly perishel ourselves, of re-
Ilcving, and possibly saving from a lingering death, these
miserable people. Eventually we had the pleasure of hear-
ing in Rhodes that they were enabled to get their boat once
more afloat, and to leave the desert reek on which they had
been cast —Travels in Lyric.
FIRE AT BERMONDSEY.—Last night, shortly after
eleven o'clock, a fire broke out in the extensive range of pre-
mises belonging to Mr. Olney, fellmonger, Upper Russell-
street, Bermondsey. An ins•ant alarm was raised, and
information sent to the engine stations. In the course of a
few minutes the parish engine, with several belonging to the
London brigade, arrived, followed by those of the West of
England and county offices. There being plenty of water
on the premises, the firemen were enabled to discharge
copious streams of water upon the flames, which arrested
their further progress. The drying stove, three floors high,
was nearly burnt out, the wool-loit adjoining severely da-
maged by fire, and the stock by water. The cause of the fire
was not ascertained.
INQUESTS, YESTERDAY.—DEATH OF A SAILOR.—
By Mr. W. Carter, an adjourned inquest, at the Swan
Tavern, Battersea-bridge, upon the body of a man unknown,
who was found drowned on 'I hursday morning. The body
had been in the water some time. Two witnesses spoke
the body as that of Robert Pepper, a boatswain. He was
last seen alive about two months since, when he joined the
Pestanjee Bomanjee, which was lying off Woolwich with a
large number of mule convicts, to Sydney. Pepper had
asked the captain to let him go on shore, but the captain
refused; and witnesses believed him to be on his voyage
to Sydney. Neither of the witnesses, however, would swear
that the deceased was the person, a'though the dress corres-
ponded ; and there were many similar marks of personal
identity. Verdict, " That the deceased was found drowned
in the Thames • that be had no marks of violence as to cause
death ; hut who'heio, orhy what means he came into the water,
we, the jury, have not sufficient evidence to determine."---
DEATII FROM JUMPING ON A TRAIN IN MOTION.—By
Mr. G. I. Mills, at the De Burgh Arms Tavern, opposite the
West Drayton station of the G Western Railway. on the
body of Thomas Webber. Decexised was head euard of one
of the night luggage trains, called the short luggage train.
1 On the night of the Tuesday previous the deceased left the
Paddington terminus with the train, to which two engines
were attached, shortly after 11 o'clock, and reached the
West Drayton station soon after midnight, when the train
was stopped, and deceased got down. Having settled what-
ever business he had to transact, he returned to the train and
gave the usual signal for starting, but delayed getting up
until the train bad got about a hundred yards on its
journey. The deceased then laid hold of the handle of one
of the trucks, with the intention of mounting it, but the force
with which the train was at that time going instantly
pulled the handle out of his hand, and he immediately fell,
tke wheels of the succeeding trucks passing over him,
almost completely amputating his right arm, tearing also
the scalp from off the right side of his head, and other-
wise most seriously injuring him. He survived for
sixteen hours. Ver act, " Accidental death."--DESTR
FROM DRUNKENNESS AND A FALL.—By Mr. G. I.
Mills (adjourned from Thursday), at the sign of the Hamp-
shire Hog, King-street, Hammersmith, on the body of Mr.
Nicholas Cormick, aged 48. Deceased was a gentleman of
independent property, residing in one of the Ravenscourt
Cottages, and had taken a leading part in parochial and
other matters. On Friday, the 7th inst., the deceased left
home in the morning to go to town, and he was returning
home on the outside of a cab, after having drank freely,
when he fell off, and pitched on his head on the road. When
picked up, he was found to be insensible, and bleeding pro-
fusely from a wound in his head. He was conveyed to St.
George's Hospital, which be left the next morning, and
drank very freely before he returned home in the evening.
On Sunday he was seized with erysipelas in his head, of
which he died on the Monday. Verdict, "That the deceased
did from erysipelas, the result of an accidental fall from a
cab, he being at the time in a state of intoxication."—
DEATH lir SCALDINO.—By Mr. Bedford, at No. 23, Bolton.
street, Piccadilly, the residence of Mr. T. B. Stevens, so-
licitor, on the body of Thomas Saville Stevens, aged four
years. Between 7 and 8 o'clock on Saturday evening, de-
ceased and his elder sister were with the nurse in the
nursery, when the footboy brought in a toilet can of hot
water, which he placed on the floor, near a table, in the
centre of the room. Shortly afterwards the nurse was
clearing the table, when the deceased said he would help
her. He had just passed behind her, when she heard hint
fall and scream, and, on looking round, she saw the un-
fortunate child lying on the floor enveloped in steam, and
the can of hot water upset. She picked him up imme-
diately, and finding he was severely scalded, a messenger
was d pesatched for a surgeon. He liegered in great agony
until 2 o'clock on Monday morning, when lie expired.

Verdict: "Died from scalds accidentally refselred."----
Deavn YltOM VALLING DOWN STAIRB.—By Mr. W. Payne,
at St. Geossre's Workhouse, Mint-street, Southwark, as to
the death of Joseph Bodelor, aged 22 seam, a bricklayer.
Deceased and several companions were drinking on
Sunday at a public-house, and got mach iutoxicaterl.
On his return home he fell down stairs, and struck his
head against the street door. Before a surgeon came
life was extinct. Verdict: " Accidental death."--
DEATH MOM WANT.—By Mr. W. Payne, at St. George's
Workhouse, Mint-street, Southwark, on the body of Jehn
Tracey, aged sizty-tour. The body was little more than a
few bones. The feet appeared saddened with wet ani mud,
as if deceased had for many weeks been compelled to tramp
about the streets without shoes. His clothing consisted of a
few filthy rags. Cornelius O'Brien of 5, 'Vine-yard, Mint,
said the deceased first came to lodge at his house on Thurs-
day nigh', but be did not see him until Friday night. lie
then came very ragged and dist:cooed to the door and they
admitted him as he had no money and was very old and
feeble. When he got into the room be shook and trembled
very much, and appeared as if he would get into the fire.
A woman was making gruel by the fire, and the deceased
begged of her to give him a drop. She did so; and he
drank it scalding hot, but trembled so violently all the while
that the basin dropped. Witness said so him " Why old
man, you are dying:" when he replied, " Oh no, I shall be
all right." He then led him up-stairs to his bed. The fol-
lowing day between 11 and 12 o'clock witness's wife told him
that the old man was not up. He went up stairs and
supposing the man was dying sent for a doctor, but before
he arrived the old man espired.—By the Coroner . Ile told
me that he was a native of Kildare, and was never married.
I said to him, why did you not apply for relief ? when he re-
plied, I went there hut they pushed me away from the door,
and I fell from weakness. He further said, that it was at
St. George's Workhouse, and that it was on the Thursday
when he applied. He never had any food after the gruel
until he died. A woman said she saw him pushed down.—
Mr. W. Bendel, surgeon, said deceased was very much sunken
utid emaciated, but he could not tell the cause of death with•
out making a post-mortem examination.—Mr. Robinson, the
master of the workhouse, said that it was not improbable
the deceased had been pushed down by other parties waiting
for relief, hut he was positive none of the officers had done
it.—Messrs. Carelake and Lockhart, the relieving-officers, and
William Burton, the door-keeper, all swore positively that if
such a circumstance as the deceased being pushed down had
occurred they must have known it. They never saw him on
Thursday. 'Verdict, " Natural death, accelerated by want."

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, Dec. 14.
Several members of the Royal Agricultural Society, after
the meeting on Saturday, agreed to meet to-day, to
consider the formation of a rotective body, to watch the
course of future legislation. Mr. O'Connell, after the Re-
peal assembly to-day, proceeded to tho meeting, but what
the result of this primary movement was I was unable
to ascertain at poet-hour. The Mail of this evening is quite
violent on the subject.
The split between the Repeal sections is not likely to
receive an amicable solution. Each day the hopes of
union wax fainter and fainter, and very shortly
the two parties will stand in as violent antagonism as
in any period of the brief history of the secession.
Mr. O'Connell tendered the cup of conciliation, hut the
Young Ireland party saw, or affected to gee," poison " at the
bottom. Their suspicion was at once excited, and the right
hand was not offered with the same apparent cordiality that
it had been extended. The resolution adopted at the Nation
office as to the terms on which the party would enter into
the conference, hare not satisfied Mr. O'Connell. He con-
ceives that the main question for the commissioners is to
ascertain the legality of any admixture of physical with the
moral force principle into the constitution of the Repeal
Association. The Young Ireland party are unwilling
to admit that question into the deed of submission.
They repudiate physical force, except in the one
extreme case, and to submit their opinions to an
award on the grounds proposed by Mr. O'Connell would
be a quasi admission of guilt. So far the prospects
of harmony are as far removed as ever. There is not
agreement on any one point. Let the law be, in the first
place, ascertained, says Mr. O'Connell, as the rule of our
actions, but, until then, no question of terms can arise. No,
say Young Irelanders, the law is too clear for doubt, but there
are more pressing and vital matters which we would submit
to the conference, bat which it is sought to evade. I in-
formed you, in the beginning of last week, that a clergyman
went down to Cahermoyle to soften the stubbornness of the
member for Limerick. That gentleman was the Rev. Dr.
Miley, author of " Rome, Paean and Papal." He has re-
turned re infecta. So far as the provincial journals
are to be considered the index of public opinion, the desire
of reconciliation is universal.
A number of noblemen and gentlemen are to wait, by ap-
pnintment, this day on the Lord-Lieutenant, for the purpose
of obtaining government aid for Irish railways. Several
meetings were held last week, at which much valuable prac-
tical information was obtained. There was nl second opinion
as to the impracticability of obtaining loans from baronies,
restricted as they were by the hard conditions of the Board
of Works. It was also unanimously agreed that the present
system of promoting unprodective works, at such a vast
sacrifice of the public money, was fraught with consequences
ruinous to the country, and demoralizing to the object of
relief. In the dearth of works of a reproductive character,
sufficient to employ the distressed population, the aid re-
quired is worthy the serious attention both of the govern-
ment and the couutr'.
The Galway Vindicator objects to the selection of Round-
stone by the government, as a curing station for fish, instead
of Clidagh, which forms the only fishing community. from
Galway round to Donegal, and reckons a population of
2,000, exclusively addicted to the fisheries. Clitlagh is about
fifteen miles down the hay of Galway, and with the aid of a
pi, r for the resort of the Galway and Connemara fishermen
would be an excellent curing argil fishing station.
A boat laden with Indian corn, 2.50 sacks, arrived at Car-
rick-on-Suit a few days since, and so great was the demand
that the first sacks were ground in a mill and a portiun
consumed as food before the last sacks of tne stock were de-
livered into store.
The Commissioners for the Tramore Embankment have
marked out the boundaries which embrace a circuit of thir-
teen miles. This will be public work of grest local utility.
If destitution be great and employmeet necessary in Gal-
way, provisions to relieve the one and afford the other, have
been made on a sufficiently liberal scale. At the last pre-
sentment sessions on Friday, a total sum of 29,7371. was pre-
sented for, which will flitted very extensor employment
The government inspector attended, and promised to carry
out promptly the intentions of the meeting. The Andro-
mache arrived on the same day frem Kerry with a cargo of
Indian corn, and was towed into harbour by the Blazer
steamer.
A DANISH SAVANT.—M. Maorsac, of Copenhagen, is to be
entertained at dinner to-day by the Royal Irish Academy,
at which the Chief Secretary. is expteted to attend. M.
Moorsac has been commissioned by his government to
examine the Irish collection of antiquities, for the purpose of
Illustrating the ancient history of the earlier racesof Wnstern
Europe. M. Moorsac read an interesting paper to :he
Academy, giving an account of the origin and formation of
the Museum of Antiquities at Copenhagen, and promises a
second instituting a comparison between the antiquities of
the Irish and Danish collections.
DETERMINATION REsP ECTINO REPRODUCTIVE WORKS.
—The Evening Mail of this evening publishes the follow-
ing extract of a letter from Mullingar :—" The county sur-
veyor has received a printed circular, directing that no more
public works are to be begun, and those that are in execu-
tion to be finished as soon as possible; all, in future, is to he
drainage and eubsoiling. The paper ale) contains Instruc-
tions how they are to be executed, de."
REPEAL ASSOCIATION.—Ims DAY.
The usual weekly meeting of the Repea! Association was
held to-day in Conciliation Hall. N.V. Maher, Esq., M.P.,
was called to the chair. The hall was very much crowded.
Some subscriptions, having been handed in, a letter was
read from Mr. Doheny, apologising for the term "a lie,"
which he had applied at a recent Young Ireland meeting, to
some statement made by Mr. O'Connell.
With respect to the condition of the country. Mr. O'Con-
nell said that he deeply regretted to be obliged to announce
that the state of the country was ten-fold worse than it was
that day week. (Hear, bear, hear.) The frost had set in,
and cold andhunger were doing their work ; in fact, starvation I
was stalking through the land. In Connaught, there were
no less than forty-seven deaths from starvation withiu the
week ; Cot merely reports of deaths, but forty-seven cases in
which coroners' juries returned verdicts of deaths from star-
vation. (Rear, hear.) This was a horrible state of things;
anti he hoped that it would soon be put an end to. The
landlords had come forward to give relief, at least to some
extent ; hut the merchant clews, he regretted to eay, were
holding back. (Hear.) He (Mr. O'Connell) had seen no
meeting of these men ; however, he soon hoped to hear of
one. In an hour or so, he (Mr. O'Connell) should be obliged
to attend a meeting of landlords. who were endeavouring to
do what they could to relieve the poor. He might indeed
say, that the landlord classes were doing their duty with
very few exceptions.
Mr. O'CoNNEte rose to make his statement for the day.
It had reference to the reconciliation amongst the two sec-
tions of Repealers, dto that alone. He stated that he
(lid not regret the proposition for a conference, though he
thought he had not been met in a proper spirit. Still, he had
always acted on the principle that the true magic in politics was
to be always in the right, and the next best course to place
one's enemies in the wrong. He thought he bad 'lone
that by the course he had taken. Mr. O'Connell then
adverted to the question of " the forces," insisting that that
was of vital importance to be discussed. That, with any
thought of physical force, the association would be an illegal
body ; that he thought it stood the members therefore upon
their lives to prevent the entrance of the Young Irelanders
until that should be decided by the legal gentlemen named
upon the conference. If their decision upon the question o
law should be against him he would submit; if it was with
him, then those gentlemen who had seceded should abandon
their principle before they could return. Mr. O'Connell
then, in order to impress upon the public mind more forcibly
the efforts ho had made to reconcile Mr. Smith O'Brien, pro-
ceeded to read a letter from the Rev. J. Miley, D.D., a
Roman Catholic clergyman of this city, and who acted as
Mr. O'Connell's messenger of peace on the occasion, in
which the rev. gentleman gave au account of his mission, and
the result. Vance ocument is very long, but the following
are those passg which throw most light on the negotia-
tion, and the views of Mr. Smith O'Brien:
I stated that you were most ready and even anzions tor such a con-
ference, and that I had come upon your part to make such a proposfil
to the hon. gentleman. still mate strongly to enforce my proposal of
Ow conference, and to authenticate it, I communifuted to Mr. O'Bnen
your autograph letter to me upon the subject To the proposal thus
made. I regret to say, that the hon. gentleman did not assent ; he
declined it, and added that, the better to put Inc in possession of ilia
mode of adjusting the differences, he would read for toe a sketch
of certain propositicaui he had drawn up for that purpose. Ile then

read the prepostOrwe el wbieb I bine takes a seta. as I have doer
with more to the ether iseakag palate ef the oesverwation. In the
radioed Awe peepaeliewatre esswesell twat soricably and freely
together as te their eat rho • Red I am detshiwt we aid so, Wawa
that leerseviatiel lee satisflod my mind exaglaally la ell la the
twommilemen emerrnat, Le entertains the etresseet awl dearest
aaadiiwAGMsshesge dmelvmWiaawMtheflmdaottheAreoda-
aet; thethmildsoeraprrsonal knowledge, and
mints eamebrilew et the eableet. be dew for accounts to be most
carreetoust awfweeelbehhe • and that It was this knowledge, m-
elody, idiele nabbit so 'anxious for their publication, in order
tint the new& d doubt might be elated, to give to the association
thesiendeps add* men awns to It from a particular in which
it bed bun Om* sieespeesabd„ from which it bad nothing to
dwell, bet a Meet *el to gots by publicity. The propositions re-
copied the widest d your being solo treneurer tor the
Roped Panda With tempest to what is called the "staff"
of Conelliatice HA the honourable gentleman, while sug-
aesgn allwatices, admitted that this staff. could
be in no instants reduced, but was, m constituted at present,
indispensable to the ellitient working of the repeal machinery. With
rearms to these peepositions, however, I should have remarked
that. whew Itte hearoutable gentleman commenced to read them, I
who sappedei i &skis that the object of my embassy was to pro.
pose the eselheeseek and tint I had no authority, nor did I
oselidet sataer et d wispekst to enter Into the merits of the de-
bated q. a& Alter the reading of the drat proposition, which
regnired the complete restoration of the seceding members by a re-
, iodation to originate in Conciliation hall, without any discoed= or
conference whatever, relative to the great legal point of the two
forces, 1 observed, that not only from your public declarations, but
from what I had heard from you repeatedly in private, I was cm.
• rioted that the main difficulty was levoived in that very point which
was made so slight of—that to evade it or slur it over, was out of the
j question, and that, without the conference adjusted it, could not be.

from Lord As ley, declining to become a candidate at the
next dissolution or vacancy for this city.
wanwleKsßlitE.
DELAYS ON THE LONDON AND NORTH-WESTREN,--Onr
Birmingham correspondent, writing lut night, says:—" The
train which leaves London at 15 m. past 6 a in., did not
reach Birmingham this morning until 20 minutes past 12,
being exactly one hour and a half beyond its usual time :
the detention was caused in a great measure by the slippery
state of the rails, but of late this train has frequently arrived
much past its time.
earrsnemerrooomon

THE REPRESENTATION 0;111.2 EASTERN DIVISION.—
STOURBRIDOE, TVESDAY.—The arrangements adverted to
in my communication from Worcester, which appeared in
the Express yesterday, with reference to the representa•
tion of this county, and the circumstances connected with
Mr. Foley's retirement from the contest, have received con-
firmation by the publication of the following address from
the hon. gentleman, which is dated " Prestwood," near this
town, and was issued last evening:
To no INDIEHOMIINT FRECHOLDW AST OTHI.II EI.C.CTOW, OF THE
EASTIEN Drrrion or tree Courryx or WORCV,TRIL—"GeTHICIDCH:
I have found a strong desire existing that the peace of the county
should not be disturbed for the short time that can now intervene pre-
vious to a general election. I have also received a request from
the supporters of my gallant opponent, Captain Itushout, that I
should withdraw from the present contest ; stating, at a reason for
wishing me to do so, that his address was first Issued: and the,
also informed me of the probability that another vacancy would
soon occur for the same division of the county, and pledging
themselves that if I complied with their request by now retiring tram
the contest, that they would neither oppose nor sanction any opposition
to me at the next election. I should ill repay the good feeling
expressed towards me, and for which I shall ever remain most
grateful, if I did not sonde to the wishes and advice ve generally
expreeed to me. I venture to hope that in thus stating to you
my intentions of now retiring Irons the present contest that you
will approve et my motives and conduct in doing so. On the
gist vacancy that occurs un•ler any ciretuwitanees, I shall again
offer tnyaelf as a candidate for the honour of being one of your
representatives in parliament, and solicit it renewal of the very hind
and flattering support now offered tne. I regret that time has not
permitted me to pay the proper respect I had intended to the electors,
by a personal canvass of the whole of the division. 1 have hitherto
only 'load interviews and written communicati •ns with many permits
in various places, but lest toy motives in now retiring should be miss
interpreted, I feel bound to state, that the result of the interviews I
have had, and the communications I have received, have been most
gratifying to Inc. and of such a nature as to leave no doubt of sueoess
if I had proceeded with the contest.—l am, Ire., J. 11. It. FOLKT.
One result of the interference of Lord Ward (through his
agent) with the election, must, it is said, be that at a general
election his lordship's nominee will be opposed in the
borough of Dudley, and that with a good prospect of
MOMS.

REPRESENTATION OR EXETER.—Mr. Lock, the civil en•
gineer, who recently purchased a large estate at Honitsn,
near Exeter, intends, it is slid, offering himself as a candi-
date fer the city of Exeter at the next general election.
SUSSEX.
THE DIRECTORS AND GUARDIANS OP THE POOR OP
BRIGHTON ENTERTAINED CAPT. PACHELL, One of the
members for the borough at a public dinner on Monday last,
as a mark of their esteem, and in acknowledgment of hi-
unwearied exertions in baffling the poor•law commisaionerp
in their endeavours to place Brighton (which is now go-
verned by a local act) under the operation of the new poor-
law. Mr. Lambert, the chairman of the board, presided,
and the vice-chair was filled by the High Constable. About
180 gentlemen were present.
ESSEX.
A REQUISITON is stated to he in course of signature at
Colchester, inviting Mr. D. W. Harvey to become a candi-
date at the next general election. This step is said to have
been taken after a careful scrutiny of the register by that
gentleman and his friends.
LIFE IN A WORKHOLSE.—AII inmate of the Dunmow
Union, named J. Hatfield, belonging to the parish of Ed-
ited, was recently committed to Chelmsford gaol under the
following novel circumstances :—Deerniug the allowance of
food insufficient, he wetted a piece of clay, and caused it to
adhere to the under part of the weight scale in which the
paupers' food was weighed ; it was some time before it was
found out, and when the discovery was made, a nice calculation
was gone into by the union authorities, who made it appear
that the rate-payers had been deprived of 411bs. of cheese, and
8f loaves of bead ; moreover the " skilly " had been made
better than usual, and the pea-soup m'rc savoury by the extra
infusion of pepper. This, says the Essex Het ald, was an
enormity not to be tolerated, but there was a difficulty in dis-
covering the offending party. At length the difficulty was
got over by the suggestions of an old pensioner employed in
the establishment. This cunning Isaac recommended that
the whole of the inmates should be put on short commons
in the way of food until they would tell who did it. This
ruse had the desired effect, and greatly did the old warrior
chuckle at the success of hi• scheme, and poor Hatfield w,di
soon under the escort of the police on his way to Chelmsford,
to expiate his offence on the treadmill.

LITERATURE.
The Progress of the Nation, ete. By G. R. PORTER, Egg.
A new edition. London: John Murray, 1847.
The reputation of this work is so fairly established
that we may dispense with pronouncing any opinion
on its general plan. The characteristic feature of this
new edition is the singular felicity and conscientious
industry with which the author has interwoven into
its texture all the new information, all the results
modifying abstract opinions, which have accumulated
since the appearance of the first, without deranging
the distribution and arrangement of the whole work.
In its broad outline and arrangement the work is the
same as before; in all its details we find minute but
important ehanrs introduced to make it a faithful
mirror of advanced and advancing society ; and yet
the book has an artistical unity within itself: there
is nothing of patchwork about it.
As a historical monument the former edition will
always retain its value. It is a record of Great
Britain's actual form and pressure at the time of its
publication. But its value as a statistical work of re-
ference to guide the judgment of men of action was
rapidly ebbing from it. This new edition was impe-
ratively called for, and another will soon be
wanted. Mr. Porter justly remarks:
A book which professes to mark the prvigress of this United King-
dom, is which all the elements of improvement are working with
incessant and increasing energy, requires to he from time to time
brought under revision, in order to the proper fulfilment of the
object which it an professes. It has been raid, that one work
which should faithfully record the onward Koreas of }instant, must
partake of the nature of a periodical, an real are the changes which
there occur, and no rapidly are they found to succeed each other.
So rapidly, indeed, do they succeed each other,
that during the twelve months occupied in the re-
vision of his book, the relative positions of restricted
and free trade as the reality and the theory, have
been so completely inverted, as to make Mr. l'orter
feel it incumbent upon him to account for the appear-
ance of certain episodical arguments in favour of the
latter, which may now appear uncalled for, though
they were not when the pages passed through the press.
the portions of the work which have most of no-
velty are those devoted to an analysis of the results of
the last census, and to that greatest novelty in prac-
tical economies—our railway system. One of the
most satisfactory parts of the book is that which is
devoted to an exposition of the real character and
working of our poor-law system. Mr. Porter forms
his opinion of it not from morbid sentimental appre-
hensions, but from careful investigation of results.
He thus makes many hug-bears disappear. For ex-
ample, we are often told that the refusal of any relief,
except upon condition that the recipients enter
the workhouse, has produced great suffering.
From Mr. Porter's analysis of the official returns,
it appears that in 1844,0 f 1,249,682 paupers returned,
1,054,462 received out-door, and only 195,220 in-door
relief. Perhaps the general review of the legal pro-
vision for the poor in other European countries (to
Zitmore correctly, its non-existence in most of
must be still more conducive to a just apprecia-
tion of the value of our poor-law. Every book has its
weak side ; and if we must, as fair critics, indicate
Mr. Porter's weak points as well as his strong, we
may note his colonial statistics, his theorising anent
emigration, and his remarks upon transportation as
a penal system, as the least satisfactory passages in
his work. The proposal to establish penal set-
tlements in the interior of Canada and New Bruns-
wick is scarcely of the same unquestionable character
as the rest of Mr. l'orter'e book.
Take it, however, for all in all, " The Progress of
the Nation" is an invaluable manual for the British
merchant, legislator, and for every one who takes part
or interest in public business. It is for our internal
social constitution, what Mr. Porter's colleague, Mr.
NPGregor's tariffs are for our external relations, the
nature of the subject admitting, too, the valuable
-lity of compression.

011' sit.
ENOLTSII PIANISTS. RECENT COMPOSITIONS
OF MR. F. JRWSON AND MR. LINDSAY SLOPER.—It
is
observed by John Cramer, in the Preface to his inestimable
" Studio per it Pianoforte," that "it is not unreasonable to
suppose that our hereditary acquaintance with, a* d the fre-
quent performances of, Handel's works have in this country
offered an effectual resistance to the evil influence of the
florid and vitiated style of the modem Italian school, which
has been so unfortunately and perniciously diffused over the
whole continent ; for nowhere are Handel's works so well
understood and so well performed as in England." This re-
mark, though expressed in general terms, has an especial re-
ference to the subject which the author is treating—the coin-
' position and performance of pianoforte music. Since
the time when this preface was written (some ten or a dozen
, years ago), the evil influence which Mr. Cramer speaks of
I has certainly gained strength, in vocal as well as instru-
mental music, and particularly in music for the pianoforte.
Iwhich, being the most fashionable of instruments, is pecu-
, Early susceptible of the influences of fashion. Bo*. the prat-
' ciple of resistance to the florid and vitiated style now so pre-
valent is still, we believe, stronger in this country than in
any other, excepting, perhaps, the classical regions of
Northern Germany. We think, with Mr. Cramer, that it
may be ascribed to the grand, simple, and severe kind of
music which has so long been familiar to the British public.
But we also think, in so far as the pianoforte is concerned, that
it arises from the excellent school of that instrument which
1 has long existed among us, and of which Cramer himself