The Express.
London, England, 1849-05-15 00:00:00

the present system, very anortaltma. In some caste it
is vested in the corpoiation of the town ; in other
instances in a body of trustees ; sometimes in
pasture-masters appoitted by the freemen Mam-
mies.; bat not unfreqneutly in some attorney,
who makes up an annual bill spinet the fieemen,
or pays himself by inflicting anthem callous teen rate
fines. SJ for as information has b. en obtained
respectiog these lands, it has teen found
sthat the
det.i's of management very exc.( edingly—that very
often the lanes are absolutely misapplied or wasted,
whilst in other clues they are producing large
revenue—thee. in !amen,instanoes they bare been a
fertile source of litigatio is others they hare been
whilst the
used as • medium of pellucid corruptioo,
instances are not few In wlich they
havenhae entailed on
the towns to which they ought to
benefit very seri.ns costs and charges by reason of
disputes which lave arisen with respect to them.
To give some eximples :—At Berwick-upon-Treed
there are public lands of the value cf no less than
6,0001. a year, but although this town, taking
into account its population, may be oonsiderd one of
the but endowed in ell the kingdom, yet, when the
corporation was visited some years ago by the
municipal commissioner', they foatd it in debt
not less than 500001., and the freemen C 312110-
quently subjected to extremely heavy payments. At
Bath, on the other hand, theta has been
good -management. The freemen possess a tract of
rand called Bath Common, which they let ate rent of
600. a year, dividing the proceeds amongst those who
would be entitled to the nee of the property if it were
held as paaturage. At Coventry the fee emee's lands
form almost a belt around the town ; and, in addition
to general pasturage, they have a set of lands, called
"Lsmmas Leeds," over which certain landowners
have the right of pasture one six months and the
freemen the remaining half of the year. Attempts
have been made at various times to put those lands
nuder wholesom 3 regulatio h
n c
s, but the object has bees
defeated by parties keepingcows and harm
for hire, much to the annoyenca of those
foe whose use these lands were really meant. To p
from Coven' re to Doncaster. In that town there are
lands which. might really be made valuable, bat
which at present are impoverished in consequence oil
the conflicting in'erests of parties who, seat Coventry,
enjoy diffe-ent privileges over the land at difkreet
periods of the year. Great Grimsby presents a mi-
me case. There is a large tract of land there celled
the East Marsh, no less than 30 acres of which were
requited the other day for the purposes of the
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway.
For this land, which the company, under their b 11,
was empowered to purchase, no less a 111111 than 17,0001.
was paid. But although there was a right to pur-
chase by the company, the disposal of the purchase
money by the freemen was another question. As the
law now stand', great difficul'y presents itself as tssl
the title to these lends; and at the present moment,
we believe, there is a bill pending in par iament to
empower the freemen of Great Grimsby to invest the
money and apply the interest, such measure hay*
been necessary in consequence of the absence of some
general legal provision for the este. At Beverly', seem
years ago, great contests arose respecting the riOts of
the freemen in these 'arts, and an act of parlamt
was obliged to be obtained, which was not mewed
without dgficulty, and which was for a ling time a
source of dissension and ex,iense to the various par-
ties in the town. At York, where the freemen's land'
are of great value, the same difficulties have more re-
cently arisen ; but there it has, up to the present time,
been found impossible to reconcile the different in-
terests, and no private act that has been proposed has
proved entirely acceptable. Such is the state of
tkings with regard to these lands in various quarters
of the country •, and we think every one will agree
with us as to the importance of reeoneiling, if pos-
sible, the various conflicting interests, and putting an
end to the existing system of jobbing and above.
The measure which Lord Ceausut has proposed
eats out by providing for the yearly registration by
the town cleat of all parties claiming to be entitled to
the use of freemen's lands, their claims to be received
and determined by that officer; lists to be posted for
public itseectiun ; and an appeal being given from
the town clerk to the Court of Quarter Sessions. The
bill then provides that on the requisition of one-tenth
of the entire number of regis'ered freemen, the mayor
of the borough shall call a meeting of them for the
appointment of land wardens and managers of the r ro-
party, 12 line wardens to be appointed in each case,
subject to re-election on the first Monday in March an-
nually. At these yearly meetings it is also provided that
the freemen may make, alter, and repeal bye-laws eon-
cerning the fencing, draining, management, and im-
provement of the lands, provided that such br-lawa
shall not interfere with general or private rights, or
be repugnant to the laws of the realm, and that dne
public announcement be made respecting them. The
bill next provides that all moneys received in respect
of these land', whether in the shape of head moneys
or otherwise, shall be paid to the borough treasurer,
and carried to a fund called "The Freemen's Fund,"
the account of which is to be open to every freeman's
inspection. The next clause (13) authorises the land
wardens to contract for the sale or exchange of the free •
men's commonable and other rights over land, where
such sale or exchange is expedient with a view to the ex-
tension, improvement, or general advantage of the
borough, and is beneficial to the freemen; and it
enables them to make purchases of other land with
the proceeds, and to oontract for the granting of
lasses; all such sales, exchanges, purchases, or lessee
to be, however, subject to confirmation by twothirds
of the freemen, by the council of the borough, and
by the Lords Commissioners of her Majesty's Trea-
sury. Another clause provides for the investment of
the moneysreceived from salet,&c. ; and the application
of the interest for the benefit of the freemen in such way
as they may themselves direct. This is the only clause
of the bill which appears to us to require further con-
sideration, inasmuch as wo think it very probable
that great doubts may arise as to the proper applica-
tion of these moneys, and that litigation may be the
consequence, unless specific modes of appropriation
are set out. There are three clauses providing for
the due carrying out of the intentions of the bill, and
there is one in which we are glad to observe that the
rights of freemen's widows are reserved to them.
The general eff.ct of thhs measure will be (1), to
invest the freemen of the different towns with the
management of the property intended for their owe
use, and (2) to extend to the whole b-dy advantages
which are now too frequently limited to a few. In
giving details respecting some of these lands, we
have adverted to certain of the abuses to which they
are at present subject. A system of management by
the freemen themselves will put, we hope, an effec-
tual check upon those abuses; and at the SINN time
the bill seems to us to place all the rseesisties that is
required upon • the power of elimillens whisk
certainly ought to be exercised very ' I
and only (as the bill provides) whoa:llM
jest to be attained is obvioedy for the advan-
tage of the town as well as of the freemen. Upon
the whole, we cannot but wish well to this ge-
neral public act. It will preclude the necessity of
applying to parliament over and over again for pri-
vate hills, as in the Grimsby, Beverley, and York
cases, and avoid the enormous expenses thereby en-
tailed on the estate or on the townspeople. We are
glad of the opportunity of explaining the measure, and
commenting on its various Manses; and if the free-
men of the different localities who are interested in it
take our view of its previsions, we think they would
do well to petition pedimeset in its favour, and in-
strtiot their represeatatives le give it their support.

ADULT Dial AND Duiti INSTITIITION.—A 11140A-
hag was held yeaSeriley in the beard-room of this expellent
elariq, SI, Red laineeillare, Biesasbery. From the sixth
annual meet it appeared that the esperintendente of the
newest depsitmoils lave had essedes le speak in • wry en-
°meow valaras se Ile **peeress of Ile pupil is learning
the Views train embed ea ei the instiesties. There are
at pima twenty lanistee, end it hes been hand advisable,
darft the past year, to etymae the older workmen from
the youths ; the brew are therefore supplied with leather
sad easth, which they seesfecture at their homes, sad
brie. the ankle after completion te lie institution.
whilst the youths work In the institution, dos es emit
es pantile preserving the instates best ea wthrsaa at.
saesa from whine'. A few ot the eider Imitates nand
wholly rappeet thieessives by their Meer, surd Iherellire
reeds tempiesey wed boa the hob ordwriway. llt
were or lel led sal dual pumas Moaned's'
rend "st" loth deer by Odes Ikea=
agagai.l2".l Va. MIS resew arra sedelswee is the
earthen aladdre Ws vele the edged lamb arideeq:.-
srty Wid le e Mi. It we elided eat slaw lbe _
the roycotoaree of ihe Omen bed le the myths y
qualified le wipperttimmelhin by their thea /shear sad itt-
dy, while sow ha brim waved la lbe dew The
=iamha shade% however, were hearth auseareee I
bs arreallthe wad eatheemia, owls. to the treat of
euttl a bye wee gem' by the mesa, eat the se-
el dr berathiest 11101111 i 119 edegwete la attest to
Willa ea reyarolle et the clarify.

GERMANY.

PRUSBI A.—Our correspondentßEßLlN. writes ss
M follow
11 s
AT .
The despotic humiur of the government is looking
daily more serious, and pregnant with more dismal
results. Their Stoats-Anzeiger last night proclaimed
the ociroyment of a law, which places the whole of
Prussia in the bands of the military force. To give
an ides of the reach of this ordinance, it sufffess to
quote a single arfcle.
The highest military authority in a district is em-
powered on his own respcntibility, not only to declare
that district in a state of rage, but to suspend
all the main liberties of the subject, such as inviolali-
lity of domicile, freedom of the rem, right of assembly
and so forth. Therefore, while this decree has the
virtue of law, difference between Prussia and Turkey
is purely geographical; for, politically, no Turkish
Paella has amore extensive privilege than is here as-
signed to the chief moustache of a Prussian district.
As this decree occupies some two or three columns
of the official paper, I send you merely the main pre-
visions.
Its object is to regulate the conditions under which
a state of siege may be declared, to determine the
crimes which fall under the exceptional jurisdictiom
established thereby, and the mode of procedure is
trying snob offence s.
In case of sedition the state of siege may be de-
clared in war as well as in peace. This declaration
is made by the government, but may be made in our-
tain cases relative to single districts by the military
commander on the proposal of the civil governor.
But if there is perk-alum in more, the military aft-
minder may do it by himself. If the military cosa-
mender of a district thinks to suspend the per.
srmal guarantees or main liberties of the subject, be
may do so simply with the obligation of publishirg
the same at the suns time with the state of siege.
In case the military governor sboull think proper
to suspend that article of the constitution which pro-
vides that every lefringer of the law is to be tried by
his proper court, then in cries of high treason, mur-
der, subornation of the soldiery. plunder, &c., the
criminal is to be tried by a court-martial, ooesis'ing
of three military and two civil judger, the first to be
appointed by the military governor, and the latter by
the chief of the civil court oLthe district. The trial
is to be public and era' (which would be some
abatement of the rigour if it were not slways in the
power of the authorities to render the right inupory
by bayonets).
Against the sentence of the military jur'g s there is
ao appeal • only the sentences of death are to be sub-
mitted to the military commander. All sentences are
executed 24 hours after confirmation, and sentence
of death by shooting.
BAVARIA.—bIUNIaI, MAT 9. Measures have
been taken, plainly showing that the court is pre-
pared for extreme measure'. The ministerial crisis
still continues. On the 7th, a feast was held in
honour of Kossuth. An address, in favour of the
destitution and against any. 'Bianco with Russia on,
the pert of a Oerman sovereign, has been voted. On
the 10th, a second meeting. for the same purpose was 11
to take place. The Bavarian Chamber of Deputies,ll
that was to meet in a few days, will hardly be able to
complete its numbers, since probable neither the
deputies of the Palatinate nor of Franc:inia will
attend.
WORMS, MAT 11.—Ludwigshafen was taken in the
night by the insurrectionary national guard of
Worms, Osthof, and Foinkenthal, under the com-
mand of Colonel Bleokner; the troops, who wen
quartered there to the number of 100, and 400 men
sent from Spire to recap ure it, made common muss,
with the insurgents, and swore fealty to the constitn-
don. They were all sent off to Neustadr, where the'
army of the people is collecting. Reinforcements
arrive from all quarters.
The report that the fortress of Landau wit., on the
evening of the 9th instant, in the hands of the people,
and that a meeting in the garrison had occasioned its
surrender, is now officially declared to be untrue.
NASSAU.—WIESBADEN, MAT 9.—The military
and armed force of Nassau are placed at the disposal
of the Central Government. All the authorities, civil
and military, have taken the oath of allegiance to the
-otitution.