The Express.
London, England, 1847-10-20 00:00:00

COURT OF ALDERMEN.

Yesterday a court was held for the despatch of
business.

WHITECROSS BTKEET PRISON.—The Sheriffs presented
the following report of the state of the debtors' prison in
Whitecruss-street Middlesex, 115 males, 4 females; Prison
of Ludgate, 5 ; Poultry Compter, 12 ; Giltspar Compter,
10 ; total 146. The Governor respectfully reports to the
worshipful the Court of Aldermen that be has " carried into
effect the classification and regulations recommended by the
Secretary of State, and confirmed by your worshipful court
on the 29th ult." Already 13 belong to the " Remanded

Ward," sad when posnitetents are made by the " City of
London small Debt...bet," an Increase may be looked
for. The average deli; numbers for the lut quer.
ter do not show an im...Thue, although the annual
number committed in the year ending September 29,
gives an excess of no leas than 443 on the two preceding
ones. The prisoners have been generally healthy during the
past quarter, and their conduct has been vary quiet and
orderly.—Thotnaa Burdon, Governor.
OLD CITY R !CORDS. —The Lord Mayor laid before the
court a letter which he had received from Mr. Goodman, the
chief clerk at the Mansion-house, stating that he had
examined the contents of several large boxes of books in the
cellar of the Mansion-house, and found the books con-
tained the minutes of the various mayoralties (with rome
exceptions) from 1686. The following are 'erne extract,
from them, the reading of which caused much Isuchter •
1688. August fah—Ordered by his lordship that baligent oilicers
bearing the Queen's letter patent have the sole right of raffling
tottering sad other, games at the ensuing Bartholomew and Smithfield
fairs.

12th-Ordered that certain buildings In course of erection In the
city be stayed forthwith for irregularity In construction.
13th —The matter marked between Clark and Ward by his lordship
was remitted to judgment with the order that defendant do toy
costa of suit in twenty-four days, and to gin security far debt, or to

inioths In course dimsdm In Smithfield for ensuing
Yr ordered to be inagell lis lordship's orders.
dept.rmaid* bil.--libeeral perms amemielel lesions fur meeting at a
me la Neer-lane.

Mk—Richard Levett ordered to enter into recoontleances in 401.
t appear Manzi quarter mono., for employing foreigners to work or
porters in the City, to the prejudlce of the ticket portent.
20th.—Francis Lkirleigh permitted by his lordship to erect a stage
In Smithfield Pound, and there act as a mountebank, he and his ver-
sants doing nothing to the disturbanoe of kW Majesty'. peace.
20th.-John Knight, a member of the JoynersComsany, having re-
fused to net as steward of the company on ensuing Lord Mayor's day,
ordered to pay • flnecif 51.
23rd —Cole r. Newbold: 100. and costs of action awarded to plain-
tiff according to custom of London, tenoning plaintiff • whore.
25th.—Thomsa Johnson, Esq., and Richard Oawthorr., merchant,
lately returned in pursuance of his Majesty's pardon, rendered them-
selves to the Lord Mayor for the henent of such pardon.
Oct. 3th.—Wm. Fawley had license granted under his Lordship's
hand and mayordtv and for driving a hackoey much in this coy.
22nd.—Edmund tramoobary, wine porter to the king's wines, Laid
U. for refusing to take the ofSce of collector for the poor of the pariah
of St. Mary, Mounthesd.
Now. Dith.—John Knight committed to Bridewell for setting up and
lighting a great number of candles in his house to affront the govern-
merit (on the sth November).
Dee. 3rd.—Ahnibum Mindy committed to seraions for coffering a
candle tn be lightei and fixed on the top of his house on the sth of
November.
. . .

1365.7Ssainel Vale, fined 51. fur burying his wife in linen clothes
instead of woollen.

I 6 7.—Bail of attachment. Bail described as citizen,
but one raided at Battersea.
. . .

iiiiiii.ai;sintiano7;ttaihment; one of the bail described a. of
St. Saviour's-deck, Southwark, beta eitisen of London.—(Note.) The
practice in 'IOW to require howeholders in the City.
16.8, Feb. 9 —Sir John Chapman, the Lord Mayor, commits to
Newlyste Sir Robert Wright, for that being one of the judges of the
Court of King's Bauch, he had endeavoured the subversion of the
eatablished government, by altering of the power to dispense with
thelaws.

I.• I, blurb 15.—Brame Crosby, the lord Mayor, commits the men.
wager of the Howe of Onamons for executing a warrant in the City,
without being nicked by the Lord Mayor. (The entry in the
minute book was struck through in ink, by order or the House of
Commons.)
The Lord Mayor said that as his year of office had nearly
expired, he could not, perhaps, take a better opportunity
than the present court afforded, to bear testimony to the in-
valuable services of Mr. Goodman—to his knowledge, real

and integrity, and his distinguished abilities. (lieir,ltear.)
It was imposaible to speak too highly of that most skilful
and indefatigable officer..—Alderman Farebrother, Sir Peter
Laurie, Alderman Musgrove, and Alderman Sidney, spoke
in similar terms of the conduct and character of Mr. Good-
man. The paper ordered to be entered on the journals.
THE BLOWINO.UP or WRECKS IN THE THAMES.—A
sum of money not exceeding 4661. was voted to the disposal
of Captain Fisher, the principal harbour-master, in the
useful duty of blowing-up vessels wrecked in the Thames,
and forming dangerous obstruction to the navigation. The
principal harbour master, upon whom the responsibility of
removing all impediments of the kind devolves, has already
cleared away a number of wrecks by explosion, which is
found to be the most economical as well as the most effica-
cious mode of operation.
NUISANCE AT THE WEST LONDON UNlON.—Alderman
Challis brought up the following report :
In obedience to an order of this court of the 29th of September last,
' to examine the report of the commissioner of police, with :he report
of the inspectors of the division, upon the petition Of the Inhabitants
of West Smithfield relative to the nuisance they tee exposed to from
1 the congregation of vagrant nod disorderly persons applying for ad-
mission lnto the workhouse of the West London Cuero, and to re-
port our opinion thereon, we, whose names are hereunto .uteeribed,
your committee foe general purposes, do certify that we proceeded to
consider the whole subject, and were attended be D. W. Harvey, Esq.,
the commissioner of the City of London police, a 1,0 wash. and upon the
said reports and petition. That we were also attended by Ale-srs. Boyle
Turner, Strugnell, Shank, J. Pratten, and other prtition•vs, who were
heard at considerable length, and represented the great and serious
nut-once they are cenunually exposed to in consequence of the
improper and dingu•ting conduct and behaviour of numerous persons
cr, both sexes thronging the immediate neighbourhood or, and apply-
ing for admission into, the said workhouse. That we also heard Mr.
I Miller, the relieving officer of the establishment, and, after an
attentive conaiderution of all the circumstances, we recommend this
honourable court to &red the commissioner of police to Kurt le tor
the constant attendance, both by day and night, of two additional
police officers in that neighbourhood, to endeavour to remedy the
evils complained of; and having communicated our opinion to the
commissioner, be expressed his readinem to comply therewith, sad
to present a report to this honourable court, at the expiration of a
month, as to the effect produced in consequence of such additional
attendance. At the name time your committee feel that the beard of
guardians hare not provided adequate socommodation on their pre.
mina for the numerous parties applying for mfroimion tom the same.

Alderman Sidney said it was impossible that he could be
induced to believe that the want of accommodation for the
poor wretched applicants for shelter was not the origin of
the evil so strongly complained of. There were but two
miserable rooms into which, when they were crammed almsst
to suffocati••n, there were from forty to seventy more appli-
cations nightly for admission. How could order be expected,
or decency, or anything but what was revolting ? It was
stated that many of the applicants were thieves of the lowest
de,cription. lie regretted if such happened to be the case ;
but the law commanded that even thieves should be shel-
tered, and certainly the casual poor at the West London
Union were infinitely wore treated as to room than were the
most abandoned criminals—A copy of the report was then
ordered to be sent to the board of guardians of the West
London Union.—Adjourned.

TREASURY WARRANT.—POSTAGE.—Last night's 1,
Gazette contains a warrant directing certain reductions and
alterations in the rates of postage between this country and
its colonies, establishing a loceiqpst at Hong-Kong, &c. It
is ordered that on every letter nßa exceeding half an ounce
in weight, transmitted by packet between the islands or
Martinique and Guadeloupe, and also between those Wends
and British North America and the West Indies (not for-
warded through the United Kingdom), three shall be
charged a uniform rate of fourpence. A loco rate of one
penny is also ordered en all letters transmitted through the
post between any two places in the island of Hong-lieng, in
the Chinese sea. Progressive rates to be charged on such
letters as exceed the above-named weight. The local rate-
already fixed for letters passing between the various British
dependencies east of the Red Sea, the Cape of Good Hope,
the Mauritius, the Philippines, the Moluccas, Australia, and
New Zealand (namely, one shilling per half ounce), are not
to be charged in addition upon letters transmit ted between
the United Kingdom and the above places.—Newspaper
conveyed between the United Kingdom and the above de-
pendencies to be charged in future a uniform rate of Id.
each, in addition to any rate of transit postage payable in
respect of such newspaper, so far as the same shall be for-
warded by land through Egypt or any other foreign country.
—Newspapers conveyed by poet to any British colony in the
Mediterranean and China, and the Philippines, are to be
charged a uniform rate of 2d. sea postage, irrespective of
any land postage to which they may be subjected.—
Pamphlets and publications priated in the United King-
dom to be transmitted thence to the above-named
places at a penny per ounce, up to silt.* i oun-
ces, which is the limit.—Rates on letters addressed
to officers, warrant and nonorommiasioned officers,
and seamen and privates in her Majesty's service in India
and in the East India Company's service are to remain as
before; but in the case of letters directed to officers in the
United Kingdom, who may have removed from the place to
which they are addressed to any place beyond was, the ad-
ditional postage is to be charged to the place of destination.
All ship-masters or others belonging to private yeseela shall
give up on demand every sealed letter they have to the poet-
master at Hong-Kong or other port at which they may be
demanded, under a penalty in default, of sf. for each letter
concealed. The warrant to come into operation on the lit
of January, 1846.
COURT Or SEWERS, QUILDTW.L.—ANTI-SANI-
TART MOVEMENT IN THE ClTl.—Yesterday, at the meet-
ing of the Court of Sewers, the chairman (Mr. Deputy Pea-
cock) was informed there was a deputation in attendance
from the inhabitants of Raquet-court, Fleet-street, who had
a memorial to present against a proposed sewer. It ace
that the oommusioners, being anxious to carry out gearvcad-
rious sanitary regulations which have been laid down for the
improvement and health of the inhabitants of the City, gave
notice to the inhabitants of Raquet-court that they forthwith
intended to construct a sewer through the above place, and
to connect it with the main one in Fleet-street. This an-
nouncement gave anything but satisfaction to the persona
resident therein, and they at once had a meeting, when they
unanimously agreed to petition against the proposed alleged
improvement. A memorial was accordingly presented, and
rigncd by every inhabitant in the coon. The memorial
having been read, some of the members of the court who
represent the ward of Farringdon Without said they had
been requested to support the prayer of the petition.—One
of the members of the deputation said that he had
held property for upwards of 40 years in ltsquet-court. the
greater portion of which period he had lived there, and there-
fore from his own experience ho could assure the court that
no sewer was required; that the inhabitants of the place
enjoyed as good health as any of their neighbours, and the I
proposed improvement would be a nuisance instead of a
benefit —A discussion of some length ensued, some of the
members of the court maintaining that small sewers would
prove a nuisance, as it would be impossible for a sufficient
body of water to flow through to carry away the deposit, and
then effluvia would arise, which in the end would, become
insupportable ; while the advocates of the government system
of sewerage and drainage held that the health of the place
must be improved, although some of the inhabitants had
during a long period enjoyed such excellent health. As the
subject was deemed of great importance, the question was
adjourned. The court gave orders to remove the wood'
pavement in Fore-street, and re-lay it with stone, so that the
only wood pavement that will remain will be Stephen
Carey's, which it has been proved will last for the full period
it was laid down for—lo years.
THE POOR IN ST. PANCRAl3.—Yesterday a very
fully attended meeting of the directors of the poor of St.
Pancras took place in the new vestry-room adjoining the
workhouse, King's-road, Camden•town, for the purpose of
receiving the report of the committee appointed with refer-

--.--
ence to the workhouse diet.o7, and the propriety ofpreeer,
tog the sale of food in the It °TkheUke• and other opium
connected with the relief of the 12^0e•—hle• E. J E. Wood
having been called to thechair, Mr. Phorelawarden Howard,
brought up the report, which stated a.: the committee 44
made such alterations in the dietary of the workhouse put
they considered it ample for the inmates withogt Me utrtt
duction of any other food, and they therefore ream
that the sale of any kind of food amongst the innate, of the workhouse should be abolished, and that the introdectiosod uncooked food by the friends of the poor should be proh,.
bited. To the report the alterations in the dieter,
a were
pended, which consisted in en augmentation the Intieiek
bread to the inmates to the extent of 12 ounces per week
an increase of 12 ounces of potatoes per week, and i
,e,
consisting of 16 ounces of Irish stew per week, to the 6,7
class paupers, and the oth.ra in proportion on the ti;
hand, there are very considerable deductions from tta poi
sent diet in the articles of beer, porridge, soup, and then,.. Mr. Howarth, in moving the adoption of this report, 4,4
the new dietary had been submitted to the melte',
officers, who entirely approved of it, and the most beneficial
results might be anticipated from the abolition of the ,e,,,,us
larity of cooking at all hours of the day•—Mr, bouglu hart.
ing' seconded the motion,Dr. Bermingham complaintd that
even now the dietary was most inefficient, and unequal to
the dietary issued by the poor law commisaienem Re
found .-•7 a diet table he held in his hand, that ettit,t a,
diet of St. Fences., consisted of only 140 ounces of solid food
per we -k, the union diet table gave 173 ounces of said food
per week. Dr. Bermingham also referred to the sth report
of the commissioners of the new model prison at l'entoartfie
. . , .. •

which,-iteeaid,siaored that each prisoner retained 202-oe
of solid food per week ; ar.d thus even the common ;elm
was treated better with regard to food than the i111911!Pi
of
St. Pancras workhouse. lie complained that • large quit.
tity of en article of such nutriment as that of cheese had
been withdrawn by the new dietary ; and he contended that
the board ought to allow at least an increase in the article of
bread to 11b. per day, and potatoes to 31be. per week. Ho was
about to move an amendment to this t ffect, when Hr. Howarth
agreed to alter his motion, and move that the report he
re-
ceived and printed with a view to further discussion. He lathe
move time said that the new dietary increased the solid focd
from 140 to 168 ounces per week. The motion was ulti-
mately adopted.—Mr. Churchwarden Howarth called the
attention of the board to that portion with respect to the
recent defeat in the vestry, in the report recommending a,
enlargement of the workhouse. There were now unwed,
of 1,000 persons in the house, being 400 more than could be
accommodated ; and he contended that it was the duty of
those gentlemen who were the advocates of wholesale and
indiscriminate out-door relief to come there and carry oat
their principle. He would move that the fallowing entice
of motion be printed for the neat meeting: "That the
vestrymen and ratepayers of this parish have a right to er.
pect that the members of this beard who voted at the late
vestry meeting against the proposition for enlarging the
workhouse should take immediate and effectual steps foe re-
lieving the workhouse from one-fourth of the present
mates, and for establishing such a system of out-door rebel
in this parish as will in future prevent a greater is of
paupers into the workhouse than it is calculated properly to
accommodate."—Mr. Dougl es seconded the resolution,
after a stormy discussion, was adopted.—The board, hanog
disposed of some further business of on upimpurtant ess-
racter, separated.

SOLAR PHENOMENA.—At present two very large
groups of solar spots are risible at the centre of the sun'red,..%
How TO MAKE. A Foltrt'ler..—On Friday Mr. IV,
Crawihay, the most powerful of " the iron kings" of the
principality, gave a sumptuous entertainment to the inhe-
bitants of Merthyr and Domino, at the Bush lloteLlderthve
Upon his health being drunk, Mr. Crawshay gave the fol.
lowing graphic account of the rise and progress of his family
as ironmasters, and of the gradual progress of the iron
trade of South Wales. He said, " I ask not for pubiie life,
I
those I see before me, and of the men whom I employ. to
know that I enjoy their good will is my greatest gratification.
God grant that my sons at 60 yams of age may receive the
same compliment from your successors. My connexion with
this place is so well understood that little remains for
me to tell you ; but, if I do describe to you the fins
part of my grandfather's life, I trust you will receive it is
the way in which I intend it. I mean that it should be
heard, not by setting suns in the world, but by rising sus:
and think not, gentlemen, that I am proud or make a boat
of my origin; although I tell these things, and stn in one
sense proud of them, yet I do not boast of them. My
grandfather was the son of a respectable farmer at Nor.
manton, in the county of York. At the age of fifteen
father and sou differed, my grandfather could not agree
with his father—the reasons are unknown to me—sad
my grandfather, an enterprising boy, left Normenton for
London, and rode his own pony up. When he got to Lon
don, which in those days was an arduous tank of tome 15 or
20 days' tr ieelling, he found himself as destitute of friend,
as he poasibly could he. He sold his pony for 1.51., tad
during the time that the proceeds of the pony kept him he
found employment in an iron warehouse, kept by Mr. Bit.
klewith. fie hired himself for three years for 151., the price
of his pony. His occupation was to clean the counting.
house, to put the desks in order for his muter and the clerks
and to do anything else that he was told to do. By industry,
integrity, and perseverance, he gained his master's favour,
and in the course of a few months be was considered de-
cidedly better than the boy who had been there before him.
He was termed' the Yorkshire boy;' and the Yorkshire boy,
aenti,mr., progressed in his muter's favour by hie activity,
integrity, and perseverance. lie had a very amiable tad
good muter, and at the end of a very short period, before he
bad been two years in his place, he stood high in his
muter's confidence. The trade in which he was engaged
was only • cast-iron warehouse, and his master assigned
to him, the Yorkshire boy, the privilege of selling flat-
irons, the things with which our thins and clothes are flat-
tened. The washerwomen of London were sharp folks, sad
when they bought one flat-iron they stole two. Mr. Meth-
with thought the best person to cope with them would be a
person working for his own interest, and a Yorkshireman at
the same time. My grandfather sold those articles, sad
that was the first matter of trading that ever he embarked in
in his life. By honesty and perseverance he continued to
grow in his master's favour, who, being an indolent man, in
• few years retired, and left my grandfather in pessessioa of
the cast-iron business in London. That busimse was cu
sled on on the very site where I now spend my days, in Tort.
yard, London. 't arioua vicimitudes in trade took place in
the course of time. Mr grandfather left his Mourn
London and came down here, and my father, who ear
tied it on, supplied him with money almost as far Is
he spent it here, but not quite so fast ; and it I
there I epend my time, engaged in selling the prodwo
of this country, and you know to what an extent the Ira
produce of this country Lae risen up. My gnindfather
established the ironwork, at Merthyr and Cyfartha, bat my
father was not left the whole of the Cyfartha establishment,
—he was only left 3.Bths of it, but by purchase ha obtained
the whole of it, and, by his benevolence, I have suoseeded
ft. During my time the concern has not diminished, sad I
pray God it never may dimiaish ; and I hope the Mere
generation will see that by industry, integrity, and perw*
ranee, wealth arid rank in life in the profession they Ins
chosen are attainable by everybody. Who started with hulk[
prolpects than my grandfather ? No man in this room is N
poor but that he t= command 1.51. I have told you this before;
and I am proud of it. Depend on it, that any young mauve,
is industrious, honest, snot persevering, will be respected is
any class of life he may move in ; and do you think, gentle-
men, that there is • man in England prouder than I us st
this moment? What is all the world to me unless they know
me, and you all know Inc, and you would not be here to-
night unless you thought me entitled to yourgoodwill!"
FORCED ALMS.—Sir,—The impoltcy of attempting
to give • forced direction to the charity of a liberal peot
could not, I should imagine. have bean more strikingly
played than it was throughout England on Sunday last
upon the occasion of the ill-advised second edneen's Lena
for the Irish ; which was read "by command" on that
day. Upon the occasion of the first letter, a fee monde
back, for this object, the people of the parish of All :slate,
Poplar, subscribed most liberally the sum of one birthed
and twenty guineas! On Sunday last, M. was all that sw
collected under the second letter for the same object ; what.
(as though to show that the trifling nature of this collection
did not arise fromany lack of charitable feeling) an equalsum
was di posited by the congregation in the alma-boxes for the
relief of their own plinth poor which are pissed near the
church doors. It is sincerely to he hoped that other
" Queen's Letters," as they are called, bear exclusively
lastump oe.no memberscteaarint.
ut
the
p:onf
churchwt hh which
auf
nor Church of
at.no
object
jet England,yw unpopulart
madei s m a
oy
se,
sad •
very unjustifiable.—A POPLAR MAN.
FIRE IN ST. JAMES'o.—Yesterday afternoon a re-
port was raised in the neighbourhood that the St. Jaws"
Theatre was on fire. In the course of a few minutes seven'
hundred persons had congregated round the premises, when
smoke in dense bodies was to he seen inning from the celll7
running immediately under the theatre and the St. Juices
Bauer. Engines were immediately called into operation
and several tons of water were thrown into that part of the
building from which the smoke was issuing, bat without
Psibrmdrigadinutocei,agitthhaeennywseemnfftecfto
exact seat of the ire, which was nearly 300 feet from the
spot the firemen at first imagined it to be. By await*
additional lengths of hose the fire was at length exit'
r enabled,tMhafterfiStaples,m psroo ofetdn;oeessfuo'br el
and
em, at
on by
dPtuohmue tP *int
:e
guiahed. Neither the theatre nor bazaar have eustained the
slightest injury. Mr. Braidwood, in his official report,
returns the damage as follows r—" Fire in the Bazaar build-
ings, St. James's-street and King-street, occupier Mrs. Sarah
Croxford, used as wine-cellars. Cause, spark from a candle.
Contents and building insured in the Alliance. About one
load of straw burnt in the cellars. Stock damaged by hat
and water, and several equities of glass broken."

INQUESTS, YESTE;DAT. isHE LATE HIGHWAY
ROBRIRT AND LLLISORD MORDEl.—Before Mr. Bedford,
at the Grosvenor Arms, Kensington-place, Arne-street,
Westminster, relative to the death of Mr. john Bell-
chambers, aged 67, who it was alleged died from on
attack made upon him in the public streets. Some Par-
ticulars of this case have already appeared in our jour-
nal.—Mr. H. F. Holt, surgeon, of No. 30, Abingdea.
street, was the only witness examined. He said that be
attended the deceased from Monday week until his death,
on Sunday last. Deceased hardly recovered his senses the
whole time. The injuries he had received were &jagged
wound on the right temple, apparently inflicted with tow
bloat weapon, and about an inch long; • graze on the
right cheek, u if from a fall ; and a small cat order
the left eye. Bath the eves were blackened A
a most singular manner all round the orbits. Witness bad
since made apart mortem examination, and found the caul
of death to be fracture of the skull. The wounds could not
have been inflicted by one blow, there must have bent
' several.—The Coroner asked Inspector Taylor whether my
persons were in custody charged with the deceased's death.
and whether the police were in search of evidence.—Tbo
Inspector replied that two men named hrliity and DO

were in custody, mad that he had hopes of getting fi,.ther
Information.—The Conner then said that the ends of
tics micbt be defeated if they proceeded with the inquest
while inquiries were still pending, and adjourned the
court until Monday, the Ist of next month.—
SUICIDE Piton Ovln-ITUDT—Before Mr. W. Baker, at the
Monmouth Arms. Singleton-et., Hoxton, on the body of Wm:
Sawlineoe, aged 17 years, who committed suicide by swallow-
ing bitter oil of almonds. Deceased was a lawyer's clerk, and
resided with his panne at No. 44, Singleton-street. He
had been for some considerable time studying chemical
works, and other philosophical matters. He was in the habit
of locking himself up in his room, for the purpoe of pre-
venting his friends molesting him. He had made several
experiments, but in consequence of the frequent loud reports
an t explosionv, his father threatened to destroy all his
books. He was discharged from his situation on Saturday,
the 9th last., in consequence of his inattention to business,
sad he was frequently remonstrated with by his employer,
Mr. Wyatt, &solicitor, in Chancery-lane. H is mind al ways ap-
peared to be occupied with his studies ; and he seldom ad-
dressed any person except in monosy)lables. He had latterly
append very chi erful ; and on Saturday last he retired to
rest as usual with his younger brother. About one o'clock
on the following morning his brother was alarmed by his at.
tempting to jamp out of bed. The deceased then fell hack
on the bed and groaned very heavily. Mr. Young, a surgeon,
was sent (or, who attended immediately, and found the de-
ceased quite dead. Ile smelt strongly of prussic acid, and
the surgeon discovered two small phials in the bedclothes,
and one also on the table, which had contained bitter oil of
almonds. The jury returned s verdict of "Temporary in-
sanity."

TILE MONETARY PRESSURE.
A LETTER TO LORI) JOHN RUSSELL FROM E. B.
cAVLEY, k:sg., M.P.
. _

that the present system may be changed without resoi :ieff to
I unlimited issues ; and that the convertibility of paper nai..‘eY
s,' be attained without those great fluctuations and cit. •
rasigeMenta from which coalmen, hes so frequently suffered.
At the same time 1 entertibs the hope, if correct in principle,
and no lurking fallacy itatiOectad by myself be concealed
beneath my suggestion, that they may either with or with-
out modification be worsed into a practical shape by those
more conversant with details than myself ; and that the im.
perfections incident to them may be overlooked in the sincere
spirit in which they are made.
The main evils to be surmounted in our present system
are. 1. The appreciatson of the currency, which is at least
equally to be deprecated with its depreciation, since the in-
dustrious classes, which suffer from the former, can far less
easily contend against it than the monied class, when they
suffer from the latter. 2. Violent **ciliation' in the amount
of currency, which are productive of corresponding changes
in the value of all property, of violation of all contracts, and
also of an impossibility to calculate mercantile profit or loss.
3. The incapacity of the Bank, whenever COOfilenol is
shaken, to sustain the immense superstructure of credit,
which then falls back upon it for support.
Absolute convertibility the act of 1444 does not pretend
to secure. For virtual convertibility I expect to provide as
ample security as the present system, with a more adequate
provision against the depreciation of money. The following
ts an outline of what I should propose.
PLAN VOL THII AMENDMENT OP Till /ANIL CHASM!,
_
ACT OP 1844.
.

The Bank to be empowered to issue 25,000,0001. of notes
whenever it has 10,000,0001. of gold in its vaults. Its notes
to diminish in proportion to the decrease of its bullion,
and to increase in proportion to the increase of its bullion.
15.000,0001, of notes (instead of 14,000,000!., as at present)
to be issued on parliamentary security.
But whenever the notes of the Bank with the public (in
consequence of a drain of bullion) fell below 20,000,0001.,
the Bank should be empowered to issue on securities an
additional amount of notes, guaranteed by parliament, not
exceeding 10,000,0001. in the whole, any portion of which
might AO of the value of 11. and 21. to supply the place of
gold. Provision to be made for the withdrawal of these
additional metes es the bullion flowed back. And the Bank
(to prevent the exercise of this power at sty other time than
that of commercial pressure) should be charged by the
government at thereto, of 5 per cent. per annum for the pri-
vilege of issuing these additional notes, i. e. for as many as
it deemed necessary to issue. The very knowledge alone
that the Bank possessed this power would restore confidence;
whereas the tightening of the screw has been carried so far
as to impede even the progress of the export trade, the in-
crease of which was the bullioniste' sheet anchor for over-
coming difficulties like the present.
Bank notes to be convertible, at the option of the Bank,
into silver, at the old standard price of ss. 2,1., or into gold
at 17s. 101 d., as at present, whenever the exchange was
at par, or inifavour of England, at Paris, Hamburg, Am-
sterdam, New York, St. Petersburg, or, indeed, any of
the principal cities of the world.
But when he exchange was asrainst England in any
of those cities, then:the Bank should be empowered to tender,
in exchange for its notes, gold at the same rate for which
it was current in any of those cities, according to the last
post; in other words, the Bank should be empowered to
charge the price to which, in any of those cities, gold had
risen.
Thus would the inducement be withdrawn or diminished
for abstracting gold from the Bark in exchange for im-
ported articles; thus would our free import laws be rendered
less impracticable, for thus would a bounty be incidentally
afforded on the expert of our manufactures in the place of
bullion; whilst the ultimate effect would probably be that
when once, in the course of trade, the bullion returned
(if our Ide laws ever permit the exchanges to be restored
as het etefore for any length of time in our favour), it would
remain and accumulate in the Bank coffers for purposes of
bond fide convertibility: so as to render almost inoperative
the power before provided, in case of emergency, for an ad-
ditioaal issue. At the same time, to prevent the depreciation
of money, the Bank, unless permitted by three specified
functionaries of the government, should be prohibited from
issuing any more notes upon bullion, when its treasure had
accumulated to 20,000,000!.
The country banks should remain on much the same foot-
ing ea at present, with perhaps some slight alteration in the
margin of their circulation. to be proportioned to the increased
demands of commerce. And it might be open for considera-
tion, although not material to this plan, whether a part of
their circulation, in order to economise the use of gold, might
not be in notes of 1/. and 21. Panics, it is now teen, de not
occur less in England than in Scotland and Ireland, where
IL notes exist.

Dear Lord John,—To use en expression of your own,
t, ma are paying dew for the failure of an erroneous theory,"
and it is surely time that government should interpose or
parliament meet. The exemplary patience of the suffering
classes—sufferer+ from faults of the legislature rather than
their own—deserves some better return than • reckless
reliance on a pedantic dogma. A fearful responsibility
would, indeed, swell any minister who awn permit the
work of destruction to go on unchecked in its desolating
course; nor is it conceivable bow any man can place such
confidence in any mere human conclusion as to stake it
against the welfare of a whole community.
That you are deeply intent on devising some method of
relief, it is impossible to doubt ; for, to omit other instances,
on the Factory and Irish l'oor Law bills, you showed a
steadfast determination to act in defiance of any abstract
principle that violated the laws of humanity. And my only
plea in addressing you is the conviction that your inde-
pendent mind will now adopt a similar course; and that to
relieve distress will be your benevolent desire, paramount to
all foregone conclusions; while I feel that the hunstolf at may
trust to be absolved from the charge of presumption who, in
a for and earnest spirit. ventures to suggest any means fur
removing an emergency like the present.
But to cure the dim'se we mu.t ascertain its cause. To
you,who rememher the 117,000,0;'0L raised without difficulty
by taxes and loans, for urcreproductive purposes, in the labt
years of the war, from 18,000,000 of people—and the'
last loan of that loaning war contracted at • rate of
4/. Ils. Id. per cent.—it. would be an insult to attribute the
existing commercial prostration to 36,000,0001. of railway
cal!, per annum, for re-productive works, from' 3,000,000 of
people who have been philosophically emancipating them-
selves, year by year, from the shackles of an obsolete com-
mercial code, which was °Nearly° trough to produce pros-
perity contrary to rule—however grievous the burden of those
mils may be, under the depreciation of their property, to in-
dividual shareholders, and however unwise it wan, in pur-
mance of the non-interference and unlimited competition
principles, not to distribute the employment of labour on the
railways over a greater surface of years.
The scarcity of last year, now succeeded by a bountiful
harvest, will scarcely be found a more satisfactory solution of
the difficulty, unless we may suppose. as in the case eta
starring man, that the too rapid exhibition of food has over-
pawered the body politic.
Neither can the misconduct of the directors of the Bank
—the last apology of the bullionista—afford the clue. A
little more or a little less discretion on the part of the admi-
nistrators of a law (the virtue of which was to consist in
this, that it would selfact, and would prevent the " tremen-
dous sacrifice of the mercantile and other interests") will
scarcely account for the gigantic trade of England being
brought to a standstill. As an epitaph on the tomb of our
commercial greatness, the hardiest disciple of that school
would be ashamed to inscribe., " Died of the Bank-screw
being turned three week. too late!"
But in the law, which the Bank administers so amply,
may be found the explanation of our commercial disasters;
and so clear to the common reason of mankind has it now
become that a pragmatical law of the state must yield to
the higher law of the safety of the people, that, in order to
shorten my observations, I propose to forego any detailed '
criticism of the Bank Charter Act of 1811 (which has failed
in, I think, everyone of its avowed objects), with a view of
at once proceeding to offer some suggestions for the im-
provement of that law. And my principal inducements in
so doing are,—l. That its opponents have been charged
with blaming that measure without producing • better; 2.
To meet the objection—almoat too frivolous, except ac the
bugbear of a parliamentary debate—that there is no alter-
native between tke present system and one of unlimited
paper issues. .
I am further stimulated in the undertaking by the belief
that since you attributed Co much misery to what you con-
sidered the 30 per cent. appreciation of the currency from
the act of 1810, you will not, especially since you were not
the author of the act of 1311, have shut your eyes to the
effect of a 25 per cent. direct appreciation of the currency
during the last year, from a reduction, if I remember
rightly, of 7,000,0001. in the issues of the Bank of England,
and of 4,000,0001. in the issues of the Irish, Scotch, and
English country bank*, intensely aggravated as the pressure
from this cause has been, under the suspension of all con-
fidence, by the hoarding of • great part of the remainder of
the circulation. _ . .

As an eloquent writer (Mr. Alison) has well said, a nation
with 5000,000,0004 of capital, and 200,000,0001. of realised
annual income, is brought to the verge of insolvency by an
export of 7,000,000/. of its bullion ! Can this be a necessary
consequence of some mysterious law of nature? " Whether
or no, are we, with folded arms, calmly to await the reflux
of that bullion on w hick, according to the pre-ent system,
restored confidence and renewed prosperity cutirely depend ;
unable so we are to foretell whether its return will be a
year, two years, or three years hence ;" leaving our manu-
factures and commerce, meanwhile, to stagger on as they
may ?
'lhe mischief has consisted, not in a want of capital, but
in a want of the means to transfer the capital from hand to
band. Under the suspension of confidence, bills of exchange
have ceased to perform their usual functions u currency, at
a time when the circulating medium was reduced one-fourth,
which has enhanced still more its value. Money, appre-
ciated thus perhaps really 50 per cent., has caused the
general fall in the prices of stocks, shares, and commodi-
ties ; and, with it, the general distress, and a violation of all
contracts. .

No commercial pressure of consequence, no general diffi-
culty in obtaining payment of railway calls was experienced,
until the Bank, from its bullion ebbing fast for cora, found
its reserve of notes so low that, to meet the deficiency bills in
April, it was obliged to go on the Stock Exchange and bor-
row money. This sympton of weakness on the pert of the
Bank it was, together with the then unheard-of step of its
refuel to discount on any terms, that produced that panic
which, with only a slight temporary abatement in the sum-
mer, continues unmitigated to this day. But in praise
of the act of 1844, during the last session, the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer declared that trade never
was so sound and unspeculative. The failures, then,
to the terrific extent of some 20,000,0001. in one
month, can scarcely be attributed to mercantile misma-
nagement, but only to the shock given to all credit through
the stringent operation of the law; to rescue themselves
from the annihilating thrill= of which it is matter of
amazement that the productive classes in a body have not,
before this, reserted to both measures and language which
it would be difficult to resist and impossible to misunderstand.
Credit is somewhere described as suspicion asleep; but it
la now so wide awake that it cannot be rocked to slumber
again as heretofore, when it reposed secure on the supposed
inexhaustible power of the Bank, in a time of extremity, to
uphold it. The act of 1844 during its first ordeal has shorn
the Bank of its ancient prestige, and exposed It to the public
view as a mere private establishment, with a capital of
4,000,0001. (its rest) to carry on its business. The many ►un-
dreds of millions of credit circulating yearly in this country
require a somewhat broader base than this to rest upon.
That broader base must be provided by parliament, or our
commerce will sink. _ _

I. the worst over, and Consols at 80? A chancellor of the
exchequer's assertion cannot now be taken for that. Even
if it were over, you must at least be prepared with some
measure to amend the present law; for, besides that com-
merce cannot bear the frequent repetition of shocks
like this, credit cannot materially revive without an evident
Increase to the power of the Bank, which cannot take place
without either a change in the system or • return of its
bullion. This, with a law lately passed to encourage the
import of any other commodity rather than gold, must be a
slow process, and probably a distant event. Ere its arrival
the stoppage of nulls, the murmurings of wageless work-
men, with commerce reduced to a state of liquidation,
will probably compel the interference of parliament ; if the
necessities of the exchequer have not already given timely
warning to the government of what is about to happen. For
he would be more than • bold, he would be an audacious
minister, who, in a crisis like the present, attempted to prop
up a pernicious theory and to replenish the treasury by an
Increase of taxation, when the surrender of that theory
Might at once restore confidence and bring relief.
'The dimmer, then, being monetary, monetary must be the
means of cure, and the act of 1844 must be repealed and an
entirely new system substituted in its place, or that act be
taken as the groundwork of the amendment desired. Be-
lieving that sufficient and permanent relief can be afforded
by a modification of that act, I incline to the latter plan as
most in unison with the previous course of legislation on the
subject; although I can eisily imagine the possibility of a
more perfect system. The alteration I would suggest could
equally well be carried out by commissioners as by theßank.
I am too old, however, not to know, as a mere matter of
tactics, the disadvantage to which any one is subject who
proposes a plan—the criticisms, the hypereriticisms, the ridi•
cute, and the pulling to pieces to which " the cherished bant-
ling" is exposed. I fancy, too, there is already evidence ofs
melancholy triumph in store for disbelievers in the virtue of
unrestricted imports combined with our restricted currency,
if they would silently await the painful development. But
to the triumph, as to the ridicule, I am equally callous, if
the thousandth part of • grain of advantage may acerueto
the industry of the country from any chance suggestions of
mine, which are offered in no spirit of infallibility, not eves
as a complete plan, but principally with I view of showing

At the Scotch and Irish banks Bank of England note,
should become a legal tender in exchange for their own
notes, in the Same manner as at preseat at the country
banks of England. This would at once restore nearly
4,000,0001. of gold to the coffers of the Bank. Under the
present system we have a nominal adhesion to a fixed stan-
dard and • real alternating depreciation and appreciation,
and unsteadiness of the currency—than which a greater
curse cannot be inflicted on any community. Under the system
I have proposed you would have occasionally • very slight
nominal depreciation of the note, with • real steadiness
and fixity in the value of money—a resell as desirable as
the correctness and uniformity of weights and measures.
The obvious objections which, at starting, will probably
be taken to the above plan. are twofold: —first, that silver
at ss. 2d. the oz. does no; square in price with gold at
31. 17s. 101 d. Thie is true; but neither did it under the old
standard. And as Lord Liverpool's Act, which in 1816
changed the standard to gold alone, passed aa a matter of no
moment to the debtor, who thus lost five per cent. advan-
tage in redeeming his debt; so neither will it be necessary
to consider it a matter of moment to the creditor that we
should recur to the old law; whereas, during the last
spring, in confirmation of the general reasoning, it was
made conspicuous that the possession of the power, by the
Bank, to issue equally on silver and gold would have
been of material advantage in mitigating the effects of panic.
The second objection will probably be,—that if the bank-
note be not always convertible into silver at ss. 2d. per oz.,
or into gold at 31. 17s. 101 d., it will, strictly speaking,
to the extent of the unfavourable exchange, be for the
time being depreciated in value. This is perfectly true;
but it would only be depreciated fur the period that the
exchanges were against us ; hitherto • period under a
metallic standard, and in a great exporting country never
of very long duration. And a person then coming to
demand bullion would do it, not from a motive of dis-
crediting the note, but instigated by a mercantile desire
to traffic in the circulating medium; an object which
parliament need be at no great pains to gratify ; important
as it is that the circulating medium should remain steady,
and, as far as possible, stationary. Supposing for a mo-
ment that wheat, at say 50s. the quarter, were the standard
of value, and it had become notorious that the notes issued
on wheat were never discredited, and never brought to ex-
change for wheat, except by corn merchants in periods of
famine; would it be reasonable, after long experience of
such a result, for the Bank to be compelled:to continue sell-
ing wheat at 50s. during a famine, merely that corn mer-
chants might make inordinate profits. Would it not be more
reasonable to say, " the average prim of wheat having been
found to be about 505., whenever it is at or below that price
we will give a quarter of it in exchange for a definite amount
of notes, and this will satisfy you that, on an average, our
notes are convertible into substantial property. But if
the: only time you chorea to come for ',hest in exchange
for notes be when corn is at • famine price—when it
is not to satisfy the principle of convertibility that
you come, but to speculate in corn, at a famine price alone
shall you have the corn, and receive so much lets during the
famine for your note, in proportion as the price of wheat is
above 50." la the same manner and on the same principle
it is only reasonable that we should deal with a standard
composed of the precious metals ; for how can we expect an
equable currency, founded on them, when we offer a pre-
mium on their export ?
But, to meet the objection in part, it might be advo-
cated that as you propose to give a small per tentage lees
(since the exchanges ary more) for the note than
31. 17s. 161 d. the ounce of gold, in proportion as the ex-
change is against us; so, also, you should propose to give
so much more than 31.17 x. 101 d. the ounce for the note, is
proportion as the exchange is in our favour. The principle
of this would be perfectly correct, and, in any other case
than that of currency, would at once apply. We cannot,
however, stand in the beaten way, and choose absolute
I good ; neither is it always prudent or practicable to adopt
the entirety of what, on the surface, appears an indis-
putable general principle. The inconvenience arising from
the fluctuating value of the note, if it oscillated both above
and below the standard price, would be far from being com-
pensated for, in this cue, by a pedantic observance of a cor-
rect theory. Some price for the inestimable advantage of an
equable and comparatively unoscillating medium of exchange
Ino reasonable man would grudge to pay. Some admixture
of imperfection in all human contrivances we must expect ;
and, of two evils, the only alternative generally left us is to
choose the least.
It would be enough, to satisfy the principle of convertibi-
lity, that for ten months in the year, probably, on an ave-
rage, a man could exchange his note for gold at the standard
price. If he neglected that opportunity, it would not be
unfair that it should be at his own lose. It is not necessary
(it is, indeed, better, bye slight violation of a first principle,
to prevent it) to encourage a trade and a traffic in the cur-
rency of a country. It is better that the bank note should
occasionally be from 2 to 6 per cent. below par in value, but,
on the average, convertible at the standard price, than that
bills of exchange should vary in their discount between 3 and
20 percent. ; than that Exchequer-billsshould fall toadiscount
of 355. ; than that articles of commerce, and stacks, and
shares should be periodically subjected to hundreds of mil-
lions of depreciation in value. lay better surely than this
would it be, that an utensil (the Act of 1819) which has re-
quired vamping and soldering already seven times to make
it hold water, but which, in spite of the most praiseworthy
efforts en the part of the tinker, still leaks and wastes as
much as ever, should be consigned to the final receptacle of
all dilapidated pots and pans ; and that courage should at last
be mustered to supply its place with a new one.
With the highest respect, believe me, deer Lord John,
yours truly, E. 8. CAYLZY.
Wydale, Oct. 16, 1847.—The Lord John Russell, &c.,

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 20, 1847.

~„ ewer wee retuned hem that mai Pram the ormws.e
wenn. the people et the Yiwint, partisalarly the Med
yeelid :now. heitswer, woe dr met ta...i= Me AM Min'
ABM
very
72:aihgtida:.., emit ael=rale drop awe hdegalest three
feet .bore water;
~,„;nithilaw oar eselnia Memel f rehmt to ro-
w?. m the ayde. A yejgcto was dram set and
be,
lay a wee.
My at the pre mien eiveadve or !b append at the *lndust of
the °amain and crew.
NAIRN.—A new breaks meter has bet :t built at the port of
Nairn. The erection is of * and and stone, end juts out sea-
ward for 1,200 feet, with a akrht angle at its outer end. It
cost 3,0001., and has been proc:untlee of the !fewest benefit
to the Skip*. interests Nam The port has a northern
exposure, end before the erection 0.. e the breakwater, vessels
lying in the bey, or at the mouth of the river, were subject
to great peril in north and north-cut No other winds
raise a see, and the new pier affords a coml. lite shelter from
the storms formerly dreaded.
FOlleR OF THE SEA DURING THURSDAY'S GALE,—The
force of the waves at the Bell Rock during the late gale fives%
the south-east, as indicated by the marine dynamometer
(records of which ere daily registered), was 2,8741b5., or up-
wards of 14 ton per superficial foot, being the greatest result
obtained since October, 1844, when a nearly sander force was
indicated.