The Express.
London, England, 1853-10-22 00:00:00

THE PROPOSED REMOVAL OF TEMPLE-BAR.

Yesterday a meeting of the inhabitants of Fleet-
street, Ludgate hill, and the neighbourhood, was held
at Anderton's Hotel, for the purpose of adopting •
memorial to the corporation in favour of the retention of
Temple-bar. Sir J. DUKI, M.P., the alderman of the
ward, presided. Among those present were—Lord D.
Stuart, Deputies Bedford and ()Shard, Mr. it. B. Seeley,
Kr. l'reedy, Mr. Attenborougb, Mr. Thearle (the hen.
secretary), Mr. Lies, Mr. Butler, Mr. Ciemow, Mr. Dole-
more, Mr. Barnard, Mr. Williams, Mr. For, Mr. Dunham,
Mr. Pedler, Mr. Quelch.
After a few introductory remarks from the Chairmen,
Mr. PUEEDY, common councilman, moved a resolution
declaring that the meeting viewed with repugnance the pro-
posal to remove the ancient landmark and barrier between
the cities of London end Westminster; and that it regarded
the rrineipal reason assigned (or such removal as entirely
delusive, believing that the mere removal of Temple-bar,
without the adoption of any other improveraents, would
conduct to no desirable end whatever.

Mr. Nnvreolt seconded the resolution. lie bad Heed, he
said, close to the bar for three or four years, and had seldom
seen a stoppage, the reason of this being, that when omni-
buses and other vehicles reached Chancery-lane, only two
attempted to proceed togeth.r. (Hear, beer.) If the Bar
was pulled down, there would be only abut three feet
more breadth, and that would surely be of no benefit as re-
garded the traffic. The only thing which would afford any
real increase of accommodation vv.* the widening of Fleet-
street from St. Dunstan's Church.

Mr. Com denied that Temple-bar was venerable from its
antiquity ; it had existed only aboat 130 years. As to the
argument that it ought to stand because it wee built by Sir
Christopher Wren, that great architect had a sufficient
monument in St. Paul's. The question was, whether or
not it were an obstruction to the traffic of the metropolis;
and if any gentleman would only place himself at the
bottom of Chancervlene for half-an-beur ha would need
no further proof that it was. (Expreasions of dissent.) He
fully admitted that it was desirable that there should still
be • landmark between London and Westminster,
but it was possible to provide for that by means
of a gate, so as at the same time to give an inctease of 8 or
9 feet of roadway. (No, no.) He had gone into the mea-
surement accurately, having obtained his materials from
the office of the City architect. At present there was a
clear roadway of 18 ft. 7 ia., and • footway of 5 ft. 7 in.
Under • plan which he had prepared there would be • road-
way of 28 h. 9 in., which would afford sufficient space for
a third line of carriages. He then exhibited his plan to
the meeting, substituting for the present structure an iron

gateway.
Mr. SILLIT and Mr. LANOILUI both supported the re-
solution. . . . .

The resolution was carried unanimously.
Lord D. STI:AIIT said he had been invited to attend the
meeting by the chairman, in the character of a liveryman.
(Cheers.) He entirely differed from those who considered
Temple.bar en ugly structure—(bear, hear)—and regard-
ing it, as be did, as an interesting historical monument, be
thought nothing bat great practical utility could justify
its removal.
Mr. PIMA& moved a resolution, declaring that while the
meeting would regret to oppose itself to any substantial im-
provement in the western entrance into the City of Loaders,
it mast deprecate any, mere plan of demolition, and en-
treating the corporation to ask the counsel of the best
judges of street architecture, as to how this chief approach
to the City might be rendered what it ought to be.
The motion, after being seconded by Mr. Wiimems, was
agreed to.
Oa the motion of Mr. COXFURT, it was resolved that a
memorial reciting the foregoing resolutions should be pre-
pared for presentation to the Common Council.
The proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the
chairman.

CHIMER RATE CONTEST AT ROTHERHAM.—The
church rate question, which for years has long been a
source of strife and ill-feeling amongst the inhabitants of
Rotherham, is in a fair way of being finally settled. Being
defeated in vestry, the churchwardens demanded a poll,
when there were onlyl 502 votes in favour of the rate, whilat
there were 1,003 agaloat it. 0 I the result of the poll being
officially =nouns, , the leaders of the opposition, disclaim-
ing all factions motives, offered to raise by voluntary sub-
scription the sum of 601., being one•half of the estimated
cost of ropeiring the church fabric, Angina the bell on the
week days, and lighting and attending to the church clock.
The offer was accepted, and on Wednesday a communica-
tion was forwarded by the churchwardens to Mr. O. Hay-
wood, on behalf of the pro-ratists, stating that, on the sum
of 501. being paid into the bank to their account, the parish
clock would be put in motion, and the bell sang as usual.
In lees than a week after the announcement that the rate

was lost, the churchmen set to work in earnest. On Sun-
day lest it was announced from the pulpit by the vicar,
that the sum of 2601. was required for the better warming
of the church. On Wednesday morning, 2401. of this sum
was subscribed, and many members of the congregation re-
mained to be wetted upon The subscriptionis expected to
be considerably in emotes of the sum required, and the sur-
plus will be devoted to other improvements in the interior
of the edifice.

QUARANTINE ON THE SPANISH COAST.—The fol-
lowing notice relative to the absurd system of quarantine
on the Spanish coast was issued at Gibraltar on the 13th
inst. :—" Secretary's-ogles, Gibraltar, Oet. 13.—The Board
of Health of this city met this day, in consequence of the
receipt of a letter from the Governor of Cadiz, addressed to
his Excellency Lieutenant-Oeneral Sir H. Gardiner, relative
to the steam-packet Iberia having been refused admittance
there, in eunrequanco of the port of Southampton having
been reported foul; the board decided there was no founda-
tion for this report, the Iberia having brought a clean bill
of health from Southampton, confirmatory of the port not
being even suspected, and later intelligence has been
received that good health is still enjoyed there The board
do not think it necessary to alter the present quarantine."
CHARGE OF EMBEZZLEMENT.—Yesterday morning
a respectable looking man, named William Hickman, was
charged at the Salford police court with embezzling various
sums of money, amounting to 1,0171. The prisoner hae
been employed as collector for MOM. E. Joule and Co.,
brewers, and a list was produced of 73 public and henhouse
keepers from whom he had received money, amounting in
the aggregate to 1,0171, without accounting for it to his
employers. The only can proved was one in which ha had
received 41. Se. from the landlord of the Wheatsheaf, on
the 13th July, and not pa4l it over. His own receipt was
produced. The cam was adjourned, that some of the best
of the other charge, might he selected from the long list for
prosecution. Tree prisoner declined to give any explanation.
It was stated that he had been in receipt of 11. per
week and 71 per cent. on the amount collected, as salary,
besides which his wife had property that brought them to
1701. per annum.

TILE EASTERN QUESTIO.V.

DEPUTATION TO THE EARL OF CLARENDON.

Yesterday a deputation appointed by the recent
Finsbury meeting waited upon the Earl of Clarendon, for
the purpose of presentiog to his lordship the addrers which
tad been agreed is at that meeting. The deputation was
introduced by Mr. Thomas Duseombe, M.P. fur the
borough, and consisted cf Mr. R. Moore, Mr. Collet, Mr.
Shun, Mr. J. Homey, and several other gentlemen con-
nected will the borough. The Right Hon. the Lord
Mayor had been invited to attend, but his lordship kiting
unable from the pressure of public busineu, replied to the
invitation in the following letter :
" Mansion•house, 21st Oct., 157.3.
" Dear Sir,—l am much obliged by your insitvti..ci to
attend the deputation to Lord Clarendon on the subject of
the Runlets aggression. As my official duties will deprive
me of the opportunity of accompanying you, I beg to say
that I heartily concur in the strung opinion exureskil by
the public of the perfidious demand made upon Turkey by
the Czar of Russia, and of the untruthful representations
by which it was attem:ited to be supported ; and I Lope
you may succeed in impressing upon.. the mind cf the
foreign minister that courage awl firmness are as necessary
as prudence in the defence of truth and justice.
" I am, dear sir, yours faithfully,
Moore, Esq." "Taos. CHALLIS.

Mr. Dunconsz, in introducing the deputation, said that
a meeting having been held of the inhabitants of the
borough of Finsbury, for the purifose of considering the
present position of the Russo-Turkish question, certain
resolutions were passed at that meeting condemning the
practice of secrecy in diplomacy, not applying particularly
to the present administration, but condemning the practice
generally as calculated to keep the people of this country in
ignorance as regarded their foreign relations. The other
resolutions referred to the mi‘understandine at present
existing between Russia nod Turkey, and the meeting
pledged itself, in terms not to be misunderstood, to give to
her Majesty's government every support, morel as well as
material, which might bt necessary to resist the encroach-
ments
,of Russia, and to preserve the integrity of the
Ottoman empire. These sentiments were embodied in en
adores, which, with his lordship's permission, would be
read by Mr. Collet.
Mr. Cuaarr then read the address:

The Earl of CLAIIINDON—There is one portion of your
address in which I am sore you wilt not expect me to con-
cur, and that is the passage in which it is alleged that the
character of this country fur fair dealing has been damaged,
and is in danger of being lost. Now, that assertion, in as
far as this government is concerned, I am prepared alto-
gether to deny. You will not expect me at this moment to
enter into any details as to the pclicy of the government ;
but when the time comes fur so doing, I trust that the
people of England wit consider that the government have
done their duty, that they have flinched from no obligation,
and that the national honour has remained untarnished in
their hands. With respect to the other matter to which
Mr. Buncombe has alluded—the mysterious veil which is
thrown over the diplomacy of this country-1 can
assure you that, personally, no one more sin-
cerely than myself regretted that a sense of pub-
lic duty alone obliged the government to withhold
explanations on this question, which has so bag and so
greatly agitated and 'lend the public mind. There is no
one who more fully than myself recognises the entire right
of the people of this country to be clearly informed of all
the acts of the servants of tae Crowe, and minutely to
scrutinise those acts when they have come to their know-
ledge. This has always been the practice as regards domes-
tic affairs, but in foreign affairs, you will adroit that there
is necessarily a different practice. In that case, not only
our own affairs, but those of foreign nations are concereeil ;
and having had personally a good deal of experience in
such matters, not only in this country, but abroad, I can
enure you that,diffleult as negotiations sometimes are now,
carried on in the ordinary way, they would become abso.
lately impossible, if at midi progressive stage they
were to be brought before the public, and to be-
come the subject of public discussion—of open and
free discussion, as in the case of our domestic
affairs. Therefore it is not from the slightest wish to
favour mystery, that the proceedings not only of this, bat
of all governments, are withheld from the public while in
au incomplete state, but it is from the danger of defeating
our own objects, from a sense of what is due to the public
interest, that not only this, but all governments, and all
parliaments have sanctioned the practice—have declined
the production of papers till the negotiations to which
they referred had been brought to a conclusion. When the
affairs are concluded, them the public have aright, through
parliament or otherwise, of having the documents submit-
ted to them, and of approving or condemning the conduct
of the government. Now, with respect to the question more
immediately at issue, I have no hesitation in telling you that
a peaceful solution of this question has been the object of
her Majesty's government. It would be highly criminal
if the government sought any other solution. Those who
knew what are the calamities of war do not rush lightly
into it, and it is our object, if possible, to guard ournives,
but more especially Turkey, from these calamities. But,
on the other hand, I consider that there is one calamity
greater than war, and that is national dishonour, a price at
which I can assure you peace will not be preserved by her
Majesty's government. (" Hear, hear," and cheers.) As
I said at first, I will not enter at any length into the details
of the policy we are pursuing, but content myself with say-
ing that we are so fully alive to the British and European
importance of maintaining the Ottoman empire that the
deputation may rest enured that there is not the slightest
intention on the part of her Majesty's government of
abandoning Turkey. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. DUNCOSIBE observed that the passage in the address
to which his lordship had taken exception referred not par-
ticularly to the present government but to the general prate
tin of British governmenn of late years.
The Earl of CLARENDON—I took it as referring to the
present government.
Mr. Omar said that the address refrained from judging
the conduct of the present government. They only expres-
sed a fear lest the good faith of England might be damaged.
They knew it was a moot point throughout Europe, whe-
ther the ships in Besika Bay had been sent to support the
Sultan against Russia or against his own subjects, and
what the meeting complained of was that they were not in
possession of the real facts of the case, as they felt that such
a state of doubt was calculated to damage the character of
England.
After some further conversation,

The deputation withdrew, having first warmly thanked
his lordship for the urbanity and attention with whi:h
they bad been received.