The Express.
London, England, 1847-09-28 00:00:00

Cbe Court.

the irhoi. of Kwantung province. How, then, can pro-
w I
-.se bleb has been pessemed for a myriad of years, and Is
dsgsgrestest importance, be ill at once given away like
• which
would he ust like destroy:ls' g
sal whole; at which benevolent and honjest men would look
heaven and beat their breasts. But there are some
IP ta who cunningly pretend that they have
aw"han th barbarians,and
„4",,e d their property by else Were Ore
"7-le
this property as a kind of retribution, with the irs-
IP",.UP f • •some advantage by it, and thereby cause
*lmmo, gaining
bears raise Tv mad calamity ; au thus a fortunate spot will
be2ruincd. *Still we trust to the superiority of our govern-
s's, and hope that the penetration of our mandarins will
unstable the, very heavens, and that they will have
'efficient ability to preserve peace and tranquillity
Chinese as well as English. blereorr, these
to
srearians have come over • very extensiec ocean
for the sake of trade, and have no; the least cause for
boipg_eliscontented, or thus trftter to gain an advantage over
• BM if we ;Ito country do not adopt measures of
detente, tern iron fortifications cannot be depended on;
and if Me, the natives, do not remove all the obstacles, a
brass wall may he
scone beaten down. Therefore the various
jealous have joined together, and hereby make
known their stipulations. If any bricklayers
works or to
for the sake of gain, engage in (for
emeigrien9, their Well,' will for a certainty be cut in pieces.
This very day all the cities and villages to the south have
formed themselves into trained bands, joyfully to have
the struggle; and as our government are compassionate to
those who come from afar, when they hear of itthey will ask.
Who darts oa account of these foreigners to assemble els.
maw of the people to protect their property, families,
which intention n as firmly engravers u if it were or. brass or
atone, and of which we respectfully give previous notice.
Our intention is to provide security for all. The militia of
young men now terming is to protce; us from any evils
caused by foreign countries. Al in this district who are
above 18 years of age must now come forward ;ereby swear and, if they
do not, we shall born down their ',oases, and h
never to allow any one to withelr aw. We now give
general
notice, that if there era any '.orkmen at Canton, Fuhshan,
Se-nan, Shih-lung, and oth, r places, they mast immediately
return to protect their far ,ilies. If they fail to do so, repent
s:lea will be of no avail.
This Placard alarms .d the proprietor of the land to be let
to the Ea2lish, an', they thought it right to appease the so-
' Mreign people IY,f the following apology :
" Our ance-,cer established the firm of Tung-wan as Ming
merchants, and the property he realised (besides what he
left to Na Ag.itung) he bestowed upon several establishments
for their management. The territory of Shih-wei-tang was
left to support the expenditure of the ancestral temple of
five nrauches of the family, and, for the maintenance of the
widows and orphans, it was lett to Lung-king-la. Now, in
the fourth moon M. the present year, we received orders from
the goveruineut to deliver up this place, and to hand over
our title-Bleeds for ex,min Alen, and we should be paid the
original price. This command we could not disobey. When
these orders arrived, the widows and orphans of the live
bunches were in great distress and perturbation, but they
cenuidered that this property was originally acquired by a
Bong merchant, and therefore it is a gift of providence. If
we do not give it up, we cannot escape the punishment of
the mandarins, and, on the other baud, if we receive the
value of it, we shall arouse the indignation of the villeg-rs.
Having well pondered over the matter, we resolved to give
it up to the mandarins for the'z use, without remuneration,
so that they (the vitlagers) could not sty we had clandes-
tinely sold the property. The documents aro clear and ex-
plicit on this subject, and no deceit has been practised, ae.d
we invite on alt to conic and investigate it. Wo have heard
that this has given rise to resolutions being passed to seize
upon the whale of the rent of our relation', and to prevent
the same being pail. We shall then be without support, and
have nothieg to depend upon to gain a livelihood ; and thus
misery will be entailed upon the whole of our family through
Shih-wei-tang. now could kenevolent and consid, rate
people be prevailed on to do this? We have also heard it is
rumoured time in a few days those people will assemble all
the males and female of the villages, and lead them on to
destroy our ancestral temple. There are elm a great many
claimants against our family, but as yet we do not know
whether three things are true. If this is the case we fear
that some vagabonds will take advantage of this opportunity
to inflict great mischief, for which we may not be able to get
redrew ; told therefore make this anr.ouncement as an ex-
planition of the molter, and most humbly beseech that the
ease may be looked into, and shall bo very happy if our fault
be forgiven."
It is to be hoped that, despite the prejudices of the popu-
lace, the required establishmeut may be made at Shih-wei-
tang. The Chinese authorities appear to have been doing
all in their pewee to fulfil this part of the Pottinger treaty.
The lower orders of Chinese seldom allow en oppor-
tunity to pass without showing their hatred o our
nation by some kind of violence. In June some
French officers belonging to the Victorieuse and Moire ven-
tured into the city of Canton to visit the silk manufacto-
ries, were mistaken for Englishmen, and insulted by the
people. Reparation was dcmcnded by Commandant La-
Tient, and immediately granted by the Viceroy, Ki-Yng.
The above vessels were about to sail for the coast of Corea
and the north of China. The object of their voyage was to
demand a reply to the letter written last year by Admiral
Ckille on the subject of the cruel persecutions exercised
against the mlmionaries and the Christians. They will
afterwards proceed to Chosen, and from thence to Shanghai,
where the French flag has not been seen for fear years.

Her Majesty and Prince Albert walked in the plea-
sure-grounds of Osborne on Sunday.—Sir James Clark has
left Osborne.—The Duchess of Kent, Prince Ernest of Lei•
ninsren, Lord John Russell, Lady Anna Maria DaMIKIII, and
Bir George Coupes remain at Osborne, on a visit to her
Majesty.

SUPPRESSION OF THE SLAVE TRADE.
(Continued from Brturday'• Express.)
• •

The Duchess of Gloucester arrived in town yester-
dq morning from her reridence in Richmond-park, and paid
a visit to the Queen Dowager and the Duchem Ida of Saxe
Weimar, at Marlborough-haute.

The Duke of Cambridge visited the Queen Dowager
yelterday.
The Duke of Saxe Meiningen, the Duchess Ida of
Saxe Weimar, Prince Gustavus, and the Princesses of Saxe
Weimar, attended by the Earl of Denbigh, rode out on
horseback in the parks )riterday.

Viscount Palmerist& left town yesterday, for his
seat, Broadhads, Rants.

Lord Harley and unite arrived in London on Sun-
day morning by the General Steam Navigation Company's
mail steam-ship Giraffe, from Rotterdam, after a favourable
Passage•

THE REGISTRATIONS.

CITY OF LONDON.—FINES INFLICTED ON OVER-
ennae.—At the sitting of the court, Mr. M'Christie pro.
ceeded to state the grounds upon which he should proceed
in the imposition of fines upon overseers for neglect of duty,
end the amount to he imposed in several cases which had
cones under consideration. In the parish of St. Betolph
Without, Thomas Barnwell, of No. 1, Golden Lion-court,
Alderegate-street, had claimed to have his name inserted on
the register. He had occupied the premises for some years,
had paid 181. a year as rent, and had resided durirg the
whole time within seven miles of Guildhall. The rates had
been compounded for, and were duly paid by the landlord.
A rate made on the let was published on the 11th of Octo-
ber, 1846. The next rate was made on the 7th. and pub-
lished on the 16th of January, 1817. Another rate was pub-
lished on the 18th of April, and another on the 11th of July,
in the present year. Before a rate could be said to exist it
must be published. A rate took its date, therefore, from the
day on which it was published, and one rate existed until the
publishing of another. Occupiers of premises of the clear yearly
value of 101. were entitled to be registered, provided they
had occupied Ter twelve months previous to the last day of
July, and provided they. were rated to the relief of the poor
in respect of thou premises for the preceding twelve months,
and the rates due up to April last were paid. By the 30th
section of the Reform Act all occupiers might claim to be
rated to the relief of the poor, whether the 'landlord were or
were not liable in respect of the premises. The overseers
were required to put the name of such occupier upon the
rate for the time being; and in case the overseers neglected
or refused so to do, such occupier was nevertheless, for the
purposes of the act, to be deemed to have been rated from
the period at which he claimed. By the 13th sect. 6 Vic.,
c. 18, overseers were required, amongst other things, to make
out an alphabetical of all persona entitled to vote "in
respect of the occupation of premises of the clear yearly value
of 101., situate wholly or in part within their pariah,' sod
the same language was reiterated in the precept
met to them by the secondaries. The 6th of Victoria, c. 18,
was to be taken as part of the Reform Act. Several other
acts had been quoted by Mr. Smith, to show that overseers
were strictly enjoined to place every occupier of premises in
their respective parishes upou the rate-books. The law was
beyond all doubt, and overseers were required to comply
with its requisitions as the condition of having their rates
allowed by the magietrates. Mr. Barnwell having been
under the necessity of claiming last year in respect of the
same premises for which he now claimed, the revising
barrister placed his name on the register, but, for some un-
explained cause, the overseers subsequently removed itel
Having ascertained the fact of the omission, he claimed on
the 7th of January last ; and the October rate having con-
tinued until the 16th of January, his name ought
to have been inserted. The overseers bad merely
placed his name on the three subsequent rates;
and, but for the discretion vested in the revising barrister,
the vote must have been lost. When once a name had been
placed on the register nothing is the act could justify the
overseers in expunging it, without reascnable cause, from
any subsequent list of voters. In this case the overseers bad
been guilty of two offences—one in having removed the
claimant's name from the October rate, thereby furnishing
themselves with a pretence for omitting it from the present
list of voters; the other, in not having placed the name upon
the rate existing on the 7th of July, when the claim to he
rated was made. By the 51st section of the get the fine for
a wilful omission or neglect of duty was not to exceed 51., nor
to be less than 20a In this parish the list of voters was
very heavy; and it had been stated that for years past
the conduct of the overseers with respect to it ball
been most irregular and vexatious. Last year Mr.
Arnold bad animadverted upon their conduct in very
strong terms ; and, in consequence of their neglectful and
improper behaviour. had refused to allow the expenses in.
curred by them in the preparation of the lists. If he (Mr.
M'Christie) could believe that a second animadversion would
produce a salutary effect he would be contented to give them
another trim]. ; but he entertained no hope of improvement
as the result of what might be said. All the duties of the
overseers connected with the registration were left to an
officer called the vestry clerk, of whom the court could take
no cognisance, or to some subordinate overseer or collector
of rates, and few of the overseers ever took the trouble to
attend the revising barrister's court. In; the case imme-
diately under consideration, the charge of the duties of the
overseers was left to a Mr. Pesten, their vestry clerk, a gen-
tleman far advanced in life, evidently in an infirm Mate of
health, and totally unable to perform the weighty duties of
this extensive parish. In the glimmering i xpectation that
what be should do would have a beneficial elect, he would
not go to the full extent of his powers as regarded the impo-
sition of fines. The act gave the revising barrister power to
fine for separate breaches of duty; but he should only flue
the overseers of the parish on that occasion in the sum of 31.
for not having complied with the requisition of the act in re-
ference to the several claimants. The cue of George Gee, of
No. 6, Maidenhead-court, was similar to that of Mr. Barn-
well ' • as were also the cues of Thos. Lucas, of 113, Alders-
gate.street, and Robert Meikle, of 145, Aldersgate-street. In
each case ne should inflict a line of 31. Frederick Ruther-
ford, of 68, Barbican, was oar the register last year
in respect of premises which he had occupied for five
This year his name had been removed from
Craitedeohook; and from the list of voters without any
reamenable cause being assigned. A claim to he again
rated was served by another party on his behalf. That
party was taken by Mr. Piper to tho vestry; and be
MY informed by the assembled vestry that Mr. Rutherford's
wee and the names of all other parties on whose behalf he
ad abo served claims to he rated, should be put on the then,
next, and on all subsequent rates. Relying on that state-
ment, Mr. Rutherford made no further claim to be rated, but
he brought before the court his claim to be re inserted on
the register. It turned out that Mr. Rubterford's name had
been inserted by the overseers upon the then subsequently
made rate, but that they had again omitted it, in
violation of the assurance given by the vestry, from
the next rate, and in consequence of this omission
he had been disfranchised. As this case was a very
aggravated one, he would tine the overseers in the sum
of 4/. Thomas Eastnor's case was similar, except that his
name was not on the register of last year. Fine 41.—1 n the
case of William Mason, of 109, Aldersgate-street the same
fine most be inflicted.—ln the parish of St. Andrew Under-
shaft, J. G. Anthony occupied a counting-house in the
East India Chambers, for which he paid 451. a year rent.
His name was on all the rates, which had been duly paid,
but he was not returned by the overseers as occupier in the
list of persons entitled to vote. His title was clear. Fine 21.
The learned gentleman then inflicted fines of the same amount
in nine other cases within the same parish. In the parish of
St. George, Botolph-lane, George Clark, of 29, Pudding.
lane, had been objected to on the ground of his not having
been rated. In this case there were two rates. The party
claimed to be rated; and the overseen neglected to put him
on ,the then existing rate, but included him in the rate
made subsequently and in present year's list of voters.
In this instance he should inflict the mitigated penalty of
11.—Josiah Merrill, of 29, Pudding-lane, was objected to on
the same ground as the preceding party. He was not rated
for the premises he occupied, but through the negligence of
the overseers be was rated for another house which he did
not occupy, and which was not in the parish. By this
means he had lost his franchise. He should inflict a
fine of 3/. In the parish of St. James, Duke's-
place, Isaac Isaacs, of No. 1, Sugar Baker's-yard,
was wrongfully omitted from the list of voters. The
court fined the overseers in this case 21. In the same parish
there were two similar cases in which the same fine was in-
flicted. Lon Price was rated on the three rates made sub-
sequent tongs claim to be rated. The overseers had not put
hint on the rate existing at the time when his claim was
made, but they hail put him upon their list of voters. His
title was clear, his name was retained, and the overseers
were fined in this case in the sum of 11.
The revision during yesterday presented few features of
any interest. In the parish of St. Mary-at-bill there were
four cases in which occupiers of premises, whose title was
unquestionable, bad been omitted by the overseers under the
erroneous supposition that they were lodgers. The re-
vising barrister inflicted a fine of 21. in each case.
Mr. Oxley was objected to on the ground of misileserip.
lion. The objection was held to be invalid solely because the
notice had been served at the place where be resided instead
of being served on the premises for which he was rated.
Tho following was the result of the day's revision hberal
claims allowed, 7, disallowed, 24; conservative : allowed, 1,
disallowed, 6; Mural objections sustained, 26; failed, 18;
conservative : sustained; 72 ; failed, 30; objections by both
parties, sustained, 28; failed, 1.

It is impossible, perhaps, to give an exact estimate of I
the sums of In :ney which have been expended by this country
in the attempt to suppress the slave-trade. It is highly pro-
bable, however, that twenty millions of pounds sterling have
been devoted, first and last, to this branch of the puhlie
service. There is not only the direct expense incurred by
the cruisers which have been employed on the coasts of
Africa, the West Indies, and Brazil, but that which has been
paid to foreign powers to secure their co-operatien, the
expenditure in and for Sierra Leone, the Gold Coast
and Fernando Po, bounties paid to captors of slavers, salaries
to the mixed commissions, pensions, &c., &e., &c.
According to the latest estimate, the charge for the suppres-
sion of the slave-trade is stated as follows: Ves-
sels employed in the west Coast of Africa, 291,6011. :
and for vessels not exclusively employed on that coast,
414,05 v.; total, 706,1-541., exclusive of the sums paid to
captors, mixed commission courts, &c. Probably the amount
actually expended is more than a million of pounds sterling
per annum. S 4 vast an expenditure on ineffective efforts to
suppress this hateful traffic, clearly shows the impolicy of
the measures hitherto adopted to secure that ead.
But to this expenditure must be added the loss of life sus-
tained by the cruisers on the pestilential shores of Africa,
from which the dangerous and the destructive character of
the service to British officers and camen becomes appa-
rent. By returns made in 1841, it appears that, during
the preceding eleven years, the number of deaths on
the West African station amounted to eight hun-
dred and forty, of whom eighteen were killed in
action with slavers. The numher wounded is not given,
nor the amount of invalids sent home during the period, but
they must have been considerable. The number of cruisers
employed varie4 from year to year from seven to nineteen,
and complement of men from 710 to 1.536. The deaths, &c.,
which took place on board of vessels employed in the same
service in the West Indies, Brazil, &e., aro not given. A
more perfect return for 1845 has, however, been laid before
parliament, from which it appears that the number of ships
of war of all classes employed for the suppression of the slave-
trade was fifty-six, mounting 886 guns, and manned by
9,289 men. the mortality and casualties are stated as Col-
lows :—Number of deaths of officers and men in vessels em-
ployed on the West Coast of Africa, 166; and in those Lot
exclusively employed on that coast, 93—total, 259; offi-
cers and men invalided, 271 ; making a
.grand total
Of 630. Such a waste of life and health In a service
ethic!), it must be allowed, has failed in its object,
is greatly to be deplored. But when it is found
associated with other evils of a more aggravated
character—that, in point of fact, it increases, rather than
diminishes, the horrors of the traffic—it may. be hoped that
the government will pause before it sanctions the con-
tinuance of the system, or recommends further grunts of the
public money for its support.
The frightful misery and death to which the armed sup-
pression of the slave-trade gives rise on board the slavers, ie
most afflicting, S nee the traffic has been declared contra-
band. it is an undoubted fact that the vessels employed in
the transport of slaves from Africa to Cobs and Brasil, have
been constructed rather for swift sailing than for stowage,
and yet that on board of them incredible numbers of 'laves
are usually packed. The history of human suffering and
crime presents no picture so truly heart-rending and re-
volting as that which is frequently witnessed on board the
slavers. In the list of captures furnished by Commodore
Jones for 1844-5, we find a felucca of ten tons loaded with
forty slaves, another of eighty-one tons with 312 slaves, a
schooner of ninety-four tons with 444 slave@ a brigan-
tine of sixty-seven tons with 43.5 slaves, and another of
one hundred and thirty tons with 685 slaves, besides their
crews and stores! Of course the most frightful misery,
disease, and death, result from this over-crowding ; and the
wretched victims who survive the perils of their voyage, arc
usually ,n so diseased and emaciated a state as might justly
fill with indignation and sorrow the hearts of all not hardened
by participation in this atrocious trade. Even in those eases
in which the cruisers have been successful for a time, in
driving the slavers from particular parts of the coast, the
slaves accumulated in the barracoons for shipment have suf-
fered " much disease and mortality from the crowded state
of those places' and a scarcity of food," as may be seen from
the last official report of the commissioners at Sierra Leone.
The committee would add that there arc good grounds for
believing that, in some of these cues, the slaves are delibe-
rately butchered to avoid the cost of their maintenance, and
the trouble of securing them.
It is then incontrovertible that the coercive principle as
applied to the suppression of the slave-trade has failed, that
it costs this country an immense amount of treasure—that
it wastes the health and lives of British seamen—that it
aggravates tho horrors, without sensibly mitigating the ex-
tent, of the traffic—and that some ether means must be
found, if ever this scourge of the human race be removed.

Souvn Essix.—On Friday last Sir Walter Rid-
dell held his court at the Swan Inn, Stratford, for the pur-
pose of revising the lists of voters for the Stratford polling
district. Mr. Rawlings appeared for the liberals, and Mr.
Clifton on behalf of the conservatives. The liberals took 42
objections, 22 of which were sustained, 13 failed, and 7 warn
withdrawn. The conservatives made 15 objections, 14 of
which were sustained, and 1 failed.—On Saturday the re-
vising barrister held his court at the Cock Inn, Epping.
PORTSMOUTH, MONDAY.—Prince Albert arrived Mr. Rawlings attended as before, and Mr. lesson and Mr.
from Osborne this afternoon, at a quarter to four o'clock, and London for the conservatives. The liberals took 71 objec-
landed at portsca-pier, where he was received by a guard of tions, 56 of which were sustained, 3
.withdrawn, an 15
honour and the heads of the departments. His royal high. were
Bathe conservative n
comes
took 27
of ob
anjecti olons
s, oral
onl
to the fory 3 of whichm
nets entered a carriage and proceeded to the piece of ground eained, iequence j
granted by the Ordnance, and on which a new hospital is to of the notices being taken by Mr. Rawlings, and which the
be built for this town and vicinity, the fleet stone of which revising barrister held to be fatal.—The number of objec-
the prince had consented to place. The stone was laid by lions made by the liberals in the Romford, Stratford, and
his royal highness with all the formalities usual, and very Epping districts amounted altogether to 152,103 being ant.
soon after his royal highness departed in his carriage, fol- taiaed. The total number by the conserv•tives,62, of which
lowed by a long string of 'vehicles of every description. 31 were sustained, being a gain in them districts of 72 to the
Thousands of rreoes were present on this occasion. liberals.

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 28, 1847.

COLLECTIONS FOR THE NATIONAL SOCIETY UNDER
THE Queen's Lerrza.—By the returns of collections under
the Queen's letter in aid of the National Society for promot-
ing the Education of the Poor oa the principles of the Esta-
blished Church, it appears that the total amount contributed
by the diocese of London is 33,8531. 12s. 3d.
CITY OF LONDON GENERAL PENSION SOCIETY.—
The annul meeting of this society was held yesterday at
the London Tavern, Mr. Rolls in the chair. A letter was
read from Mr. Richardson, the secretary, resigning his office.
The report was then read by Mr. Smith. Amongst other
things, it appeared that there are now in the receipt of pen-
sions from the society 6 males and 2 females above 90 years
of age; 9 males and 11 females above 80; 7 males and 5
females above 70; 11 melee and 9 females above 60; and 4
males under 60, totally incapacitated. The report also stated
that the contributions during the past year sore greater
than they had been for 13 years previously. Several of the
pensioners had died during the past year, leaving 32 men
and 27 women now in receipt of pension, Irma ...me
society. The report having el'aidea to '.fit wish
of the directors to increase the amount of tho
pensions (which at present arc 31s. to the men and 225. to
the women), concluded by seating that the receipts during
the past year had been 2,1111. its ' and the disbursements
1e401., leaving a balance in ;,and of 4711. It appeared, how-
ever, that out of the ram of 9001. contributed at the last
festival (which took place about four months since) 300/. re-
mained unpaid. Various alterations in tho relies of the
society having been made, Mr. L. J. Hanurd was appointed
treasurer, and Mr. G. Hayward secretary, pro tem. ; and
some other routine business having been transacted, the
meeting separated.
CATHOLIC DEMONSTRATION IN FAVOUR OF POPE
Pit-rt.—Last night a densely-crowded meeting of the catholic
inhabitants of the borough of Marylebone was held at the
Literary Institution, Edwards-street, Porten-square, for the
purpose of expressing their sympathy wise Pope Pius IX.,
and to protest against the °egressions of the Austrian
government on the Roman states. Shortly before eight
o'clock the chair was taken by the Right Rev. Dr. Morris,
Bishop of Troy, who addressed the mei ties in a speech of
considerable length, and supported the claims of Pope Pius
on the confidence and admiration of the catholic community.
The right rev. prelate eulogised the career of the sovereign
pontiff, end called upon the meeting to 'seri se, in language
which could not be misunderstood, their feeling, with regard
to the iniquitous, tyrannic, end unjust attack which had
been made by the Austrian power on the rights and privileges
of Rome. His profession did not allow him to be warlike,
or to advocate war principles; but there wcro exceptions to
the general rule, and if he were called upon to go forward,
he was prepared to meet the Pope, and to leave nothing un-
done that he could do towards de eating the aggressive policy
of these who were endeavouring to trample him under foot.
—The Rev. Mr. Macneil proposed, and Mr. O'eleemay se-
conded, the first resolution, which declared, that whilst they,
as eatholies, acknowledge their unbounded spiritual alle-
giance to his Holiness Pope Pius IX., who so ably filled the
papal chair, they at the name time proclaimed their COH•
fidence and admiration of his wisdom as a temporal ruler
and sincere protector of religious and political liberty
end indepentlence.—The Reverend Mr. O'Neal and
Mr. Ward, formerly of Oxford, were the mover and
seconder of the next resolution " That the efforts now
being made by the Austrian powers on the dominions of his
holiness to check the p-ogress of national liberty, promoted
by Pope Pius IX., and the occupation of the town of Fer-
rara by Austrian troops, merited their unmitigated con-
demnation and hostility."—The Rev. Mr. leers proposed,
and Mr. F. Lucas seconded, the adoption of a resolution,
declaring the necessity for entering iuto a subscription to aid
the Pope in the further progress of reform, and to afford him
the means of defence against his aggressors. The Rev. Mr.
Reardon and Thomas Barnwell, Eese were appointed
treasurers. It was also agreed that an address of sympathy,
founded on the resolutions, should be presented to the Savo
reign Pontiff. The fourth resolution, laudatory of the con-
duct of the King of Sardinia &nil l'rince Leopold, Duke of
Tuscany, in volunteering their assistance to second the
Pope's exertions, was moved oy 'l'. P. Healey, Eeq., and
seconded by Bernard Duffy, Esq. All the resolutiotut passed
unanimousy. A vote of thanks having been awarded to the
chairman, the meeting separated.
JUVENILE ASYLUMS.—Sir,—In your paper of the
10th inst., you state—" It is with sincere pleasure that we
learn the subject of juvenile asylums is at present under the
consideration of the Middlesex Justices, and that two of their
number have submitted to a committee distinct proposals for
establishing them." Allow me to lay that I heartily follow
you in expressing my sincere pleasure that such a scheme
has been seriously thought of. I do trust that you will
steadily keep the subject before the public, for tiro social con-
dition of the country would be greatly benefited by such a
measure as that propounded by Mr. liotch, one of the two
justices in question, whose views you have so ably seconded.
I desire to bring under your notice a numerous class of un-
fortunates whose case I think ought to be included in the
measure. It is very well known that there is a lamentable
number of young men whose prodigal conduct at the
first
outset in tile is not only a source of great grief to their
parents and relatives, but to society at large ; and
that although the great majority of these young men in
their sober moments ere anxious to separate them-
pelves from their evil haunts and companion', and
for that purpose would then agree with their relatives
to betake themselve to other places, yet having no place to
which they could go. they no sooner leave their parent's roof
again than they break through all their good resolutions and
become even worse than before; and this conduct being often
repeated, actually brings the sons of respectable parents to
disgrace and to crime. Now in Mr. Hatch's proposed act of
parliament he contemplates an asylum to be celled the
Child's Home. and in the fourth clause he enumerates the
classes of children intended for it. They are—children
driven from their homes by the had conduct of parents ;
children neglected by their parents • children who are
orphans and neg'ected by their parents;
children who
are bastards, and children who are orphan., and
for whom no one does provide ; children who from their own
misconduct have no protection or provision found them ;
children who are idle and dissolute, and whose parents or
friends cannot control their bad conduct; children who are
destitute of proper food, clothing or education, owing to the
poverty of their parents or friends, but whose parents or '
friends do not apply for or receive pariehrelief ; children who
are destitute for want of employment, and children of the class
who become juvenile offenders generally. In this enumi ration
it is evident that the " children who from their own misconduct
have no protection or provision found them, and the children
who are idle and dissolute, and whose parents or friends con-
not control their bad conduct," comp very near the descrip-
tion of persons I have in view. The addition, I think, that
should be made to the proposed act of parliament, is to give
a power to parents or other friends to place their young men
under safe keeping in an asylum to be built for the purpose.
At present no law can reach the cam of the young men in '
question until they commit a breach of the peace or crime it-
self. This is a great want; for parents generally would be
glad of a power to restrain their prodigal sone, and of
a recognised place where they could be kept at a
moderate board. Indeed, so convinced am lof the utility of
such a law that I doubt not parents would consider it a great
boon to have the power of separating their sons from society
only with their own consent, which I feel confident these
young men would willingly give on the occasions above re.
tarred tn. It may be asked are the people to be taxed for
the support of asylums to support such characters? I
answer, why not, seeing the evil I wish to avert by these
asylums, if not chocked, actually brings its vic'ims to crime?
Bat I don't wish these asylums to be built or upheld
by government. All I desire is, that parents shall have the
power to restrain their eons when necessary in safe pincer,
and this being recognised by law, proper asylums would aeon
be established by private enterprise,—Scores.—Sept 24.
MR. H. BIRNIE'S LECTURES ON SLIAHSPEARE.—
Yesterday evening this gentleman gave' at the Hanover-
square Rooms, the second of his series of lectures, analytical
and critical, on certain plays of Shakapcare. The play
selected was the " Merchant of Venice,"—which Mr. Bimie
prefaced with a dissertation on the evils engendered in the
heart of man by the influence of the external world as exem-
plified in had and unequal laws and harsh conventionalities,
to which he added a description of the character of the JeWiii,
nation and its almost boundless influence on human affairs.
He then went through the play, interspersing critical dis-
quisitions with recitations of the most interesting portions of
the text. There is a vein of originality running through his
remarks and criticisms, which, accompanied by an evident
knowledge of his author, and conveyed with great command
of language, earnestly delivered, render Mr. Birnie an
agreeable lecturer, and we sincerely trust he may become a
popular one.
PROFESSIONAL VICTIMS TO FEVER.—Sir,—I WY
struck with the pertinency of your expressions of sympathy
on behalf of medical men, contained in your number of the
23rd inst., in which you have given the names of five gentle-
men who have fallen iii the prime of life within the space of
seven days ; adding, that you could enumerate a long list of
those who have died within the last six months in the towns
and cities of England. In pert proof of this assertion. I
send you the particulars of an instance appositely bearing
upon the whole of your remarks : There are three or four
private lodging-houses in this town for the accommodation
of travellers of the lowest class. Case' of fever are fre-
quently occuring. To a case in one of these receptacles Mr.
David Goodsell was called up in the night to attend. • On
his entering the room, where 16 persons, men, women, and
children were lying, he was almost suffocated. Ile caught
the fever, went home, communicated it to his sister and one
of his children ; after 17 days' illness he died on the 30th
,
ult. aged 31, leaving a widow and three children destitute,
fir had mortgaged his little property lately to enable him
to walk the hospitals and qoalify as a surgeon. The public
demanded his services; it has had them, and his life too;
but his widow and children have lost them : their wants
must remain unrelieved, for there is no provision for such.
These pest-houses Dated continue to endanger the lives of
others, for there is ne law at present to suppress them.—
Hustentex.—Gravesend, Sept. 25.
BILLS OF EXCHANGE FROM IND7A.—At a special
meeting of the Liverpool East India and China Association,
held on the 22nd of September, Mr. Cheeks Turner is the
chair, it was unanimously resolved—" That in the opinion
of this association the term of tea months' date, at which
hills of exchange are usually drawn from Calcutta upon
England, is unnecessarily long for the legitimate purposes
of commerce, and gives encouragement to undue specula-
tion and accommodation; that a bill drawn from Cal-
cutta upon England at six months' sight would, in the
opinion of this association, afford ample facilities to the mer-
chants connected with India for carrying on their business;
that whilst this association would not wish to throw any di-
fficulties in the way of such fair accommodation as may be
necessary to the carrying on a distant trade like that with
India, they are of opinion that ten months' credit upon a
bill of exchange fa not requisite for this purpose ; that it is
attendid with very great risk, by giving an undue extension
to credit, the disastrous effects et which the mercantile world
is now experiencing ; and for the foregoing reasons, and also
considering it absolutely necessary to the safety of all parties
Mau:Med with India, this summation most strongly urge