The Express.
London, England, 1849-05-01 00:00:00

FINANCIAL AND PARLIAMENTARY
REFORM.

WEST HACKNEY DISTRICT ASSOCIATION.

Yesterday evening a meeting took plane at the
Mitre Tavern, De Beauvoir-town, fir the rupees of forming
a branch association for the district of De Beauvoir-town
and Dahton, to cooperate with the Metropolitan Financial
and Parliamentary Reform association. JOHN MATSON,
Eq., in the chair.
CEAllnen addressed the meeting in explanation of
the origin and progress of the Metropolitan Associatioa,lot
which Sir Joshua Walsealey is president, and stated the
objects which that bo!ly has is view.
On the motion of Mr. Unease, seconded by Mr. GRANT,
It wee thee resolved " That a branch association be imtituteil,
to be called the De Beauvoir-town and Daiston Financial anci
Parliamentary Reform Association, for obtaining an equal
apportionment of taxation, and a reform of the House of
Cominees.7

sotim item, district chairman, and secretary basing boa
appointeinated.d, and several members enrolled, the proomedings
term

THE RIGHT HON. THOMAS WYSE AND FAMILY.
the Hoe. Mre. Knox, &a, were amongst the very mammas
passengers who left London for Antwerp on Sunday last by
the steamer Princess Vkteria, Capt. JOIALIMIL
THE BRITISH MUSEUM closed yesterday afternoon,
for the parpaea of cleansing, dtc., and will be reopenedthe pablio on Wednesday, the 9th inst. From that period to
the let of September next, the Mitten= will close at 7, in-
stead of 4, p.m.

RAILWAYS AND THE POSY-OFFICE. It may be
morally made known to all travellers by railway, that is
conformity with orders just issued by the Post-eflice authori-
ties, po•t.o®ee letter boxes are now established at every
"first elms " railway station In the kingdom.

THE ALLEGED EMBEZZLEME
NEARLY £6,000 AT LEEDS.

Yesterday Mr. Peter Mann, the chief clerk of the
Leeds Water Works Company, underwent a further erunt,
nation before the magistrates, assembled at the court-hoes
in Leeds, on a charge of having embezzled sundry sass of
money received by him from the company's water rents col-
lectors on behalf of the company, to the extent of nearly
5,0001. The former examination had been adjourned to
enable the witness, Mr. Bywater, accountant, to state what
specific sums, if any, had been received by the prisoner, and
net accounted for and paid over to the bankers on account of
1 the treasurer.

Mr. Bywater being further examined said, that since the
last examisatien he had gone further into the accounts of the
company as kept by the prisoner, and it appeared that dat-
ing the year 1847 he had rewired various SUM. amounting
to 7.9171. 4.. 94., and had paid into the bank 6,6041. 124.84.,
making a deficiency of 1,31'21. 12e Id. ; that during the year
1848 he had received 9,0811. le. 94., and had paid
6,0311. 44. 94., making a deficiency of 3,0501.75. ; and that
daring the three months of 1849, ending on the 31st March,
he bad received 2,2311. 64. 104 , and had paid
1,9351. 131. Id , leaving a balance of 295/. 13e. 9d. ;the
total of the deficiencies being 4,6581. 12s. 10d. His had gone
through the particulars of the reieipts and payments as ap-
plicable to the several rent cash-boots. The result shows
the same amount of deficiency. In arriving at this result,
he had checked over 80,000 items. He heeded in a statement
of the deficiencies upon each rental. The rentals in each
book had been compared with the prism's'', receipts and
payments, and the deficiencies arias from the prisoner not
haring paid over to the treasurer the several amounts shown
by thou books to have been received by him. All
the receipts by hint are entered *correctly in the
rent eash boek, and also in the aollectot% books. The rent
cash-books were kept by the prisoner from the oollector's cash
books. The rent eashleoeks show all the some that ban
been received by him correctly, but the general csah.book
does not. The general cash-account, which purports to have
been balanced to 31st December, 1847, does not show all the
cash received by him that apppears tohave been received by
him according to the rent ash.books. The cash rent-hooks
do net appear to have been laid before the mullion either of
the company or of the town council at the audit of the ac-
counts to the 31st December, 1847, but previously they ap-
peared to have been partially submitted to them. The general
cash-book appears to have been shown to them. Witness had
examined all the books collected,with the several water rents
from 28th February, 1846, down to 31st March, 1849, and
also the general cash book for the same period. There were
no deficiencies in the account of moneys received by the
prisoner during the years 1846 and 1846, nor to 28th Feb-
ruary, 1847, as shown by the general cub books, except
some trifling amounts, which base since been corrected.
Witness did not find that he had received any money by
cheque from the bank which be had not applied to the pur-
poses for which those chi eines were drawn. On crow-
examination, the witness said he found that the accountajo
February. 1846, bad been audited on behalf of the muggy
by Mr. Brantley and Mr. Maude, directors; and en behalf of
the town council, by Mr. Rooke and Mr. Flint, borough audi-
tors. The accounts to 28'h February, 1847, were audited by
Mr. Brumley and Mr. Maude on the part of the company,
and by Ald. Bateson, Mr. Rooke, and Mr. Flint on behalf
of the council. At that audit four of the rent cash-books do
not appear to have been before the auditor,. Those four
books were in consecutive order in point of date ; they are
the second to the fifth in point of date of the eight books in
use during that year. Some of them commence in previous
years, but they contain entries of arrears received during the
year ended Feb. 28, 1847. There is no deficiency charged
up to that time. The accounts for the ten months,
to Dec. 31,1847, appear to have been audited by Mr. Maclea
and Mr. Maude, directors, on behalf of the company; end by
Mr. Bateson, Mr. Rooks, and Mr. Flint, the borough audi-
tors. The entries of payments in the general cash book
by the prisoner of payments made to the bank appear to have
been made on account of a particular rental, but embrace
several items. In book 1., there was a sum of 2/. 16s. sd.
paid to the prisoner, consisting of nine items; two of the
items were received on the fish April, 1847, and the other
seven items on the 29th Much, 1849. He could undertake
to say that the two sums received in 1847 had not been paid
to the bank. If two sums of equal amount had been received
by the prisoner, and only one of them paid into the bank, he
could say from the books in respect of which account the pay-
ment had been made, as the payments were entered as made
in respect ot a particular rental. Many cottager' pay the same
amount of rental, and if a certain amount of the rents received
from them were paid te the prisoner, and be only paid half
of the amount to the bank, the witness could say what were
the rents in respect of which the payments were made, and
which were withheld. The general soh-book does not shew
the receipts in the several rent cash-books, but there is an
entry on the credit side of the rent cash books of the pay-
ments made to the bank —Hr. Samuel Myers said ;he was •
corn dealer and collector of taxes. He had known the pri-
soner 16 or 20 years last past. He had been in partnership
with the prisoner in the corn trade from 1837,
and had continued his partner till this charge
was made against him. The prisoner has supplktd
eApital to carry on the concern. The books will
show to what extent. The prisoner has kept the accounts
himself. With the capital supplied by him corn and other
grain has been purchased. He has also purchased grain on
his own account. At the time this charge was made the pri
goner's iaterest in the stock and debts was about 3,0001.
Witness was employed by the company to collie their
water rents, but he had been so employed by the primer.
He began to be so employed in 1847, and continued about a
year and a half. He was allowed per cent. for what he
collected. He paid the moneys se collected to the prisoner,
bat they had never yet had a right settling about it. He
could not speak to whether any of thou moneys so collected
were hid out in corn. There are books, with dates, contain-
ing all the sums he collected and paid to the prisoner. He
sometimes paid him money that he had cofiected at the
company's depot, and at ether times at witness's o n house,
when he has called to ask for it for wages. Altogether he
had collected the sum of 1,5551. 164. Ild. He had paid the
prisoner a larger sum than that.
Other witnesses having been adduced the further matnlna-
tien aajouthed until Thursday next, for the prods►
Lion of the statements required of Mr. Bywater.

IRELAND.

Drum, APRIL 30.

There is a goad deal of disappointment here in
some quarters abort the ministerial measure for the
sale of encumbered estates. The most important part
of Sir R. Peel's plan—that which proposed to enable
government to bay—is left out. It is asked still,
where are the buyers to some from ? There is a vast
deal of propetty now in the market with excellent
titles, and ne one bids, swept what is very much
under the value. The bill, it is said, may work, but
it will take a long time to get into operation. Alto-
Ch:the plan is by no moans so well thought of as
trobect Peel's proposal.
With respeot to Lord Brougham's severe remarks
lon the Irish Lord Chancellor, in the case of Arch-
bold o.the Commissioners of Bequests," the Freeman's

Aadi

lama asks year erratic, ex.Chanoeltor to remeaslpr
the reversals in the cares of "Durham v. Wbartaa"
(3 Clarke and Fen); "Joy v. Birch" (4•h ibid);
"Scott v. Jones" (iiid) ; Calvin v. Campion (ibid)
and "Calvin v. Hartwell" (6th 04/4—being a few of
Lord Brcmghaar's judgments reversed upon appeal.
Bir Ctarlee O'Donnell has pubished a Meg letter,
In which be &Mee the °bargee of gross inconsistency
brought against him by the protestant carats of
Goatee' with reference to Sir Charles's conduct dozing
the *Teats of last autumn, cad his resent offer to sub-
mit* for the Pope's relief.

Tux Sun PIISONWIS—Tat WETS 01P ioS.—
We We lime jest beard that the 10dt of May is find fee goo
log the ergeseat la the Hoses of Lords bs support of dr
rat °fame sued eat as behalf of dr. William Ifridi
dldea. His tow-1- the esessioa wain flie norm
Idly Q C., sad Ilr. Napier, Q.C. lk Chinn O'Legb•
iia will webs* le sorra to argils the as 111 fife pet
sr Mr. 11.11seee. N. writ of wee has been buena tbs
ass of Idr:..3lmher. or of Mr. O'Dersbee. =
;put
dot t all
7, he vellums Ml22—imailbs bought to Leis, peenot et
el strotest. bee that eentehieswe -:atoms. They
sere Ilioneeil Wawa rafts the &rad ef
IMIt aread—Seettkly Avow f Begurdag.