The Express.
London, England, 1848-06-01 00:00:00

being unitise/114h, which might he removed by the substitu.
lion of the title "Secretary of State fur Justice." (Hear, I
hear.) It was a disgrace to this country that no such depart-
ment existed. The administration of English jostle, ex;
tended over the whole globe, but to a.lntinistered in many
cues, with all its delays, its vexations, and expellee, it was
not English justice but English injustice. (Hear.) Let
this society continue their exertions until they succeeded in
getting such a department established, and they would then
be in reality as well as in name, a Law Amendment Society.
Mr.-Coaamiegioner Fells seconded the resolution, which
he said invoked all the others, and A having passed,
Kr. 3/. Q.C., moved
net the pormsh elated the criminal law, more especially that part
Mk Ida! TIMM te Ismirry punishment/. was bighlldekell•e•
The plinCiPill of sioseavy punish eau should be deterring, '
and the feeling of Sir 8. Hominy, and other criminal law
reformers, was, that to make it no you must by depriving the
punishment of all that was revolting to the feelings, and pre-
venting the public sympathy being with the mimeo .1, ensure
conviction. Though they bad approached this result
nearer than they formerly did, they were very far
from hiving obtained it. When forgery was punished by
death the number of convictions as compared witn the of-
fence, was as 1 to 165 ; the proportion now was 1 ie 100. He
believed experience showed that in such establishments as
that which the Duke of Richmond was then engaged in pro
moting, of every 100 juvenile criminals sent to them 64 were
permanently reformed—the expense being 3,0001. for ev, ry
100 boys. If those boys were committed two or three times
to prison, and then, as they would be in all probability—for
prisons did not reform them—transported, the coat to the
country would not be leas than 1001. each. And th.s rx.
pens* would be incurred—fur what ? Not to reform the
crimiaal—but to throw mast unjustly on our eoloni.ts that
pest we most wisely sent from our own shon e. He was not,
however, for making any great choegee in the criminal law,
until they were agreed as to the principles on which they
should proceed. The resolution was accorded by Mr. Ewan,
and carried ; as was mother proposed by Mr. Ewart, M P ,
expressing the annum nu of the .report in regard to legal
education.
Lord Mosicaote moved the thanks of the meeting to
their noble and learned president, not so much for his con-
duct in the chair that day, as for his earnest and c n.
sistent, and practically useful curse through life, and he
hoped he might long remain before them car an ex ample of
what one man could do. (Cheers.) With regard to the
law, IS to the conveyance of property, he would state a fact
which had come before him in the committee of the House
of Lords, on colonisation, over which he presided. He bad
been speaking to a witness of the importance of tacilitating
the rise of the labourer in the colonies to the condition of the
small landholder; and the reply was: " The law of England
prevents that ; you have forced your laws as to toe con-
veyance of real property on u., and the expense of making
the conveyance under those laws is so much beyond the cost
of the land in the case of ante' nurchascs, that individuals
I who would otherwise buy land, and raise therowlves to tile
; condition of the middle classes are prevented." (lie., hear.)
t He (Lord Monteagle) *as convinced that such a law of con-
. veyance was not the best means of cementing the uuion
between our colonies and the either country.
Earl FORTESCVE seconded the motion, which was carried
with acclamation.
Lord BROVOHAY, in acknowleilgi..g the compliment, said
the fact just mentioned by his noble friend. w h most ins.
portent and atriking, as showing the mischievous character
of that gross, expensive, and riskful system of conveyancing
with which this country was now afflicted.
The meeting then separated.

GENERAL DOMESTIC SERVANTS' BENEVO-
LENT INSTITUTION.
The annual meeting of the members and friends of
this institution was held yesterday, in the Queen's Concert
R. rom, Ilenovar-square, when there were about 1,20 t/ persons
present.
The chair was taken by the Earl of HARROWIIY, in the
absence Lord Robert Brae• nor, who had been expected
to preside. His lord-hip explained the objects of the society,
and ob . d that it was remarkable that within a very
short period there had been no such institution in existence.
There was no doubt that alums/ the earTer and ma-
turer portions of their lives domestic servants ere placed
in a portion which rendered them familiar with ell the coin
forts and many of the luxuries of life ; end the decline of their
days was not only marked by the loss of those comforts and
luxuries, but frequently of even the necessaries of exlsience.
The irotitutien was not one in the nature of an insurance
office, to provide an annuity in after years for those who
chose to pay a certain POW at pre eta ; those who subscribed
to the society must do so from higher motives than the ex-
pectation of personal advantage, for the annuities given
would depend much on the funds of the institution
and the nature of the cases brought und, r their
notice. As a proof of the estimation in which the acicty
was held, and its consequent success, he need only mention
the fact that they had at present the sum of 2,0001 invested
in the Three per Cents.; and he hoped that its successful com-
mencement would encourage its friends to provide for its
prosperous centinuance.
The Rev. T. BEAN then read the report of the commit-
tee. It commenced by congratulating the eubseribers upon
the prosperity of the society since the last meeting, which
was evinced by the amount of the reserved fund
which had been established, and the increased list of
subscribers. There were 1,157,000 domestic servant in the
kingdom, of whom 900,000 were females ; and the com-
mittee urged upon them the necessity of exercising pro•
videocs and forethought, and the diligent performance of
the duties which they were called upon to fulfill. The com-
mutes looked forward to next year with much anxiety, tor
at its close the period would .rrive when an election of pen-
- slum-Ts would take place; but they trusted that their friends
would enable them to eh ct every deserving applicant upon
their bounty. They urged particular attention to the third
clause in their rules, which empowered the committee to
grant temporary relief in cases of urgent distress.
After much consideration they had determined upon ex-
tending the period of relieving members to 50 years of age,
on a graduated scale of subscriptions, according to the con-
tingencies of the case. There were now 2,176 members of
the institution. The receipts since the year 1846 had
amounted to 2,2311. 14s. 10d.; and the disbursements to
1,8311. 16s, 11d. They had been enabled during the last
year to invest 1,0001. in stock, which made the amount held
by the society 2,0001.
The Rev. H. HOWARD moved the adoption of the
report.
Mr. M. GORE seconded the resolution.
The resolution having been agreed to unanimeusly, the
Earl of Harrowby vacated the chair, having other business.
His place was filled by Lord It. GROSVENOR, who had just
arrived. His lordship regretted that he had not been pre-
sent at the commencement of the proceedings. He had
been compelled to attend an electioa committee in the
house of Commons, from which he was only released in con-
sequence of a peculiar event which had taken place, and
which probably could only have taken place on an Irish
committee, namely, that the counsel struck for wages—
(laughter) ; and it wu owing to that peculiarly Hinernian
circumstance that he had the advantage of being present.
Mr. EWART, M.P., moved a resolution to the effect, that
the meeting, remembering the success which had attended
the society since its formation, desired to impress on all
classes the necessity of united exertions in making
known the objects of the institution, and of inducing ser-
vants generally to become members.
Toe Rev. Mr. GIFFORD seconded the resolution, which
was also adopted unanimously.
Several other gentlemen subsequently addressed the meet-
ing in support of similar principles, and the proceedings
;mutated, after a complimentary vote to the chairman.

THE CASE OF MR. MITCHEL-MEETING

OF CONFEDERATES.
The threatened disturbances on Clerkenwell-green
and various parts of the metropolis last night created mach
excitement. A threat having been made at several of the
chartist and confederate clubs that they would, if any inter-
ruption were offered to their meeting, burn London in a few
hours, the commissioners of police sent notices to all persons
in the ,'istricts of the several meetings, requesting them to
keep the gas turned off at the mains.
. From an early hour in the dsy the government officials at
the War office, Scotland-yard, &c., were engaged in adopt-
ing every precautionary measure for suppressing any out-
break that might occur.
'fhe parish church of Clerkenwell was filled with foot
soldiers and policemen. The Sessions-house else contained
nearly 1,000 policemen and 800 Chelsea pensioners under
arms. A large number of private houses on the green were
filed with special constables, who in the course of the day
had been called out.
At half-past seven o'i lock, at which time not fewer than
5,000 persons were present, two troops of horse-guards made
thi it app stance on the green, near which they took up
their quarters. The MO.) gave them three cheers as they
passed, some greeting them with various ironical epithets.
Shortly after eight o'clock a person mounted a lamp-poet,
and commenced addressing the people, who flocked 'around
him. He said he came there expecting that there would be
a demonstration, and he felt greatly disappointed that those
who were to lead them on to victory should not up to that
time have made their appearance. He implored them to
keep order, for he was quite assured that their meetings
might be turned to glorious account before the night was
cut. (Cheers and cries of " Pike', pikes !" "To arms, to
arms:") They hail been most brutally treated the other
evening by the police. He trusted that none of them would
unnecessarily interfere with the police, but if the police
annoyed them he trusted that they would at once defend
themselves like men. The police were a useful body in pre-
serving the public peace ; and he hoped that all his friends
would provide themselves with some sort of arms, so that
they might resist the police it they attacked them without
cause, " I," said the speaker, " have done my duty, and
have provided myself with a proper instrument of defence.'
All those who were not provided with arms should imme-
diately join a chartist or confederate club, and they would
be no longer defenceless. (Cheers.)--One or two other per.
sons addressed the meeting, but their orations chiefly con-
sisted of recommendations to cheer for Mr. Mitchel—tor re-
peal of the union—and, also, exhorting them to join him in
shouting, "Down with the police!" "Three cheers for
the soldiers," " Three cheers for a republic," " Down with
the monarchy," and " No Queen I"
At nine o'clock the police, under the command of Mtn
Le Nis, took posseasion of the green, and drove the mob into
the adjoining streets.
Up to 11 o'clock several conflicts took place between the
puffy. and the people, du-ing which many heads were bat-
tered. On Saffron-hill several of the rioters took possession
of a house and commmenced pelting the police with sttnes
and broken bottles. After a desperate resistance the police
succeeded in apprehending several of them, who were con-
veyed to the station-house. Many of the police were seri-
ously wounded. One it feared dangerously so.
Shortly before 11 o'clock a report was spread that the
majority of the persons who had been dispersed hem the