The Express.
London, England, 1851-05-08 00:00:00

NATIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL ASSOCIATION.

Yesterday evening a general meeting of the
Diesels anti sup porters of this iewociation took place at the
Ring's Iliad, Poultry. There were present : Mr. Cob-
den, AL I'. ; Mr. llenni. M.l'. ; Mr. S. Crawford, M.l'. ;
Dir. W. Williams, M.P. ; Mr. Tindall Gerrie, Mr. E.
Dwaine, Mr. Jame. Dell, file. J. Mellor, Mr. W. Ferguson,
Dlr. Edmund Stone, Mr. Gregory Isomer, Mr. W. LIU*,
Dir. T. K. Pritelvail, Mr. W. llargreavcs, Mr. L. Lucas,
Dlr. J. Ashurst, Mr. Slack, Mr. 11. Kennedy, Mr. Pillans,
Mt. Coarthauld, Mr. W. A. Wilkinson, Mr. W. E. Hick-
am,llllr. J. Dillon, Mr. F. ()Woad, Me.
On the motion of Mr. W. 11.tutinearma, mewled by
Mr. Jostreitst, Mr. SA Al I.: F.L Leeas, an. of the founders of
the aesi wiat ion in Lancashire, was called on to preside.
Mr. J. S. SMITH, the secretary, read letters from Mr
Ihten , M.l'. ; Mr. Seholtheld, M.P.; Mr. J. W. Fox,
M.l'. ; Mr. I :each, M.l'. ; Mr. Swart, M.P. ; and Mr.
E. Wail. M.l'., approving the principles of the reauciatiaa,
and nal...twig the ir inability to attend the meeting ; taw
the Union:lig letter from Mr. Thomas Carlyle:
•• Chelsea, May 7. 1851.
.1/ear Sir,—l unfortunately cannot attend your meet-
ing this evening, but will take the offered opportunity of
testifying. if it should be judged of any moment, that I do
sang, tiler approve of your enterprise, consider it to be over
of the most pressingly needful in our day, and with my
whole heart wish it ripeedy and complete surcess. 1 Gnirk
if ever there was a cauee worth pleading before the public
from platioruis, yours falls under that description, in the
present state of matters among us. To myself it sorrow-
fully ....ins, and has lung seemed, one of the most siugular,
and I will add disgraceful, Eras under the pun, that, in a
email.) .ii rich iu all human means as England—and rich,
too, in heroic ancestor., and noble remembrances, anti ad-
rionitions towanis whatever is highest—the MANI of the
population should remain, at this day, not only ill-educated
according to the current inaudicient notions sad standard,
but net educates' at all; left to live and to time, generation
after g, nerati is, as if there hail no knowledge vver conic
into the world, and the ' art of thinking,' nay the very art
of reading and spelling, had not yet been invented! What
is the nwaunig of ehuseh, what is the meaning of state, or
of mciety at all, if this is to be the practice of it? ' With.
1 ' out education,' says Luther, ' men are as !wars and wolves.'
Is it not the clearest duty, prescribed by nature herself,
Under silent, but real and awful penalties, on governing
persons in every society, to see that the people, so far as
poosible, an taught ; that wherever a citizen is born,
some rilAtlCe he offend him of becoming' a man,' and not
' a tear or wolf.' mil more mire be had that the intellect
Meech citizen, which is the sacred lamp of heaven, and
fn the truest sense ) God's own ' revelation' to him, be not
loft smothered under dark ignoranees, sensuulities, and
sordid nlstructinus, but made to shine for him, and guide I
his nil,. toward. a geed goal. this is tor ever the duty of
governor. and renews of authority in human societies. This
duty, mice neglected rind forgotten on their part, it is
too fatilly ei rtain all other duties will gradually become
ineposible Inc them, and prove nugatory and imaginary as i
performed by them. In our present male of nimiagernent
inlinglauil, when the so called governors hove neither he-
wer our will to attempt this lung neglected and inverse 1
' needful enterprise of getting the people taught, it
' the duty of every goal citizen to come forward
.in him lies that it be n.sstleetisl no longer.
sanction of your meeting and agitation ; what,-
meetings and agitations may want proper sanction,
'war to me to have it. Hands to the work, then ;
sot till by such methods as you have something
's got dune in this moat pressing of public. e 411,11.
:. us, and upon all Englishmen, if England can-
,in these fifties of the nineteenth century, so
mit all her children the four-and-twenty letters.
e, 1 remain. yours very faithfully, T. C .
i S. Smith, Esq., Sec., &c. &c.'
IiAIItMAN opened the proceedings by detailing
end peewees of the association, as first developed
in 1817. Ile said their lecturers were travel-
et ter the country, and were meeting with a very fa-
r reception, and especially in the large towns in the
England, where there was hardly an exception to
;ion prepared in favour of their principles nut being
almost without any dissentients. A committee had
end towards the latter end of last year in London,
bring the question before the public of the me-
now they had called a meeting in the very
city of Loudon, in order to cow...trate that
in lac our of the principles of the association which
acattered about throughout its different districts.
t Lore the public, it was important they should
hail a good ease. Well, then, what were the facts
etc of public education in this country ? Why,
. of our adult nude married population were
sign the register of their own marriages ; and 49
"the females were also unable to sign. There
avenile vagrants in London without a know.
nour to hour of how they were to get a meal;
was one inl9l of the population under instruction
-e whereas the numbers Were 1 in 4 in New
who had come to the Great Exhibition
. see a beautiful display in our shops,
perhaps, they never witnessed in the world, but
go into our back stereo, among our poorest po-
and would not any German, Swiss, ur Dutchman
v horrified at the sight they would see, coming,
from countries where hardly anybody did not
• read and write? Some said the Americans
-sr at v' " thition ; but be wished they
their educational system with
Old have made everything of
and pale before its glorious
the voluntary system was ed-
it was retrograding. The Man.
showed that in that town, with a
1831, only 20,000 children were
schools; and in 1949, with all
A going on in the interval, the
to 300,000, the number of chi'.
TOW to 21,5d1 . In Cambridgeshire,
Mad Foreign School Society proved that

sr, hear). They had met that evening
d committee in London for carry-
ti the susociation ; and tile caeca-
anxious to have the names of in-

fluential and enlightened gentlemen who were favourable to
their views, to sanction them in bringing their proceeding.
before the public, lle had no doubt of the ultimate sue-
Ce-s of their movement; being consinced that the reason
why they had not a national system of secular education in
this country was because those, who were in favour of it
did not know their own strength. (Cheers.)
Mr. SLACK then addressed the meeting in advocacy of
the principles of the association, and was followed by
Mr. DEANE, of Shoreditch, who gave it u the, result of
his own experience that the voluntary system was inade-
quate for the necessities of popular education, and that a
state system, similar to the scheme of the National Public
School Association was the only plan that could efficiently
meet the wants of the country.

The CHAIRMAN, in reply to a question from a gentle-
man in the body of the meeting, said the commissioners
mentioned in the plan of the association would have no
other power but to enforce the provisions of an Act of Par-
liament, and would have no functions to discharge as a ern-
authority.
Mr. S. CRAWI-'oltll, M.P., said he had attended to
give his support and countenance to the great principle of
educating the people. No good order amongst the people
could be expected unless their information was improved.
(Hear, hear.) here had been a national system in opvia-
, lion in Ireland for some years past, and it had worked in a
most effectual and useful manner. Its principle was, that
while secular education of all kinds was freely given, no
child was compelled to receive religions instruction which
its parents did not approve. Half an hour before and after
the secular education, the scriptures were read; so that
theme who chose to absent themselves might do so. he re was
no compulsion ; nor had there been any restraint exercised
by the parents. (Hear, hear.) Toe consequence was
religious instruction had been much more generally im-
parted than it could have been on the compulsory system.
llott a million of children, two years ago, were educating
on this system, by which great good was done. (Hear,
hear.) Ile was molt desirous to see this system extended
to England, subject to local direction and supported by local
taxation. He should promote this object iu every way in
hispower, in or out of parliament, feeling that an uneducated
people could never be a moral or a well-conducted people.
(Cheers.) Ile wished to tee England not behind the other
states of Europe in this respect. But no people could benefit
by education unless all political disabilities and obstructions
were removed from the working classes.
Mr. HENRY, M.P. (the chairman of the association)
laid before the meeting au account of the system of public
education practised in the state of New England, and ex-
pressed his desire to see that system copied ter the people
of this country, because it was perfectly free from secta-
rianism.

Mr. DILLON, of the firm of Morrison, Dillon, and Co.,
City, objected to a system of state colucatiou that was com-
pulsory, but said he believed that great advantage would be
derived by the community if the means of education were
cheaply, and under an eulightened system, afforded to the
Pc*Nil.e. r CODDEN, M.P., was loudly cheered on rising. Ile
observed that the objections of the dissenting body were first
directed to the measures propounded in parliament; but
within the last few years, many of the must euuuent and in-
duoutial dia-etoters had taken up • position entirely new
and wholly inconsistent with the course they had taken in
11431. They now said, We will have no provision by the
state, through local taxation sod under local man-
agement, or by any other means, for the education
of the people; we will have voluntaryism in edu-
cation as in religion." They contended that voluntary,
education was successful for its objects. They did not
say that education was perfect, or that it might not be bet•
ter ; but they said that upon the whole it had been progres-
sive and satisfactory, and promised to complete the object for
which they were contending. Nothing surprised him more'
thou that argument from such a source ; for any one who
mixed with the great mass of the people, and looked at the
subject d6passi ~,, ately, must conic to the conclusion that
there was a most la:nentable and disgraceful lack of educa-
tion in this country. (Hear, hear.) Without going into
statistics, let them take the first peasant, man or boy, they
met, and ask him to tell the months of the year, or to name
tae next parish but one to where he lived, or whether
Vrance was in Germany or in America, or whether London
or the next market town was in the east or west—(laughter)
—and his answer would satisfy them tar better than any
statistics as to the state of education in this country. (Hear.)
Voluntaryism, in the sense that was meant, was not doing
auy thing at all for the mass of the people. If it meaut
anything. it was that the people would of their own accord
educate themselves. (Hear, hear.) For, the objection
against the association was, that they were going to pau-
perise the people by giving them education out of compul-
sory rates, while the objectors themselves were raising sub-
scriptions among their more affluent members to give elee-
mosynary education to the people. (Hear, hear.) Thus
they were not relying on the voluntary principle, but at-
tempting to do by charity that which never had bees, and
never would be done by such m: ens ; and they refused to
have it done in the far more legitimate mode, and one far
less trailing to pauperise the people—educatheg them out of
• laud raised by the subscription of the whole people.
(Hear, hear.) that was this soluirtiryism, and where was
it to be found ? It was intangible. Great educational des-
titution existed in certain districts; benevolent men in
those distrie ts we re doing their very utmost to icon-sly
the evil ; while probably the more affluent, who owed
their fortune or income to the labour of the industrious
people around them, were doing something. (Hear, hear.)
Where was the voluutaryisui of that ? The benevolent
man with small means was doing what he could, but he
looked with despair on his efforts, finding then. so ivade-
quate. (Rear, hear.) This was still more fatal to the
principle of voluntaryism in the rural districts. In the
majority of emirs the large owners of property were absen-
tees. Perhaps in • Devonshire pariah, of 4,000 acres, the
owner of 2,000 lived at London, or Cheltenham, or l'otris.
Another 1,000 acres were probably owned by 1601314: corpo-
ration in London, or Oxford, or Cambridge ; and oat of the ,
whsle, perhaps, not 500 acres wee, owned by persons in the
parish. Who, then, was responsible for the education of
the people in those rural districts? (Hear, hear.) The
clergyman, probably, used his own personal efforts, and
contributed more than he could well afford ; he took on
himself the responsibility of educating the people in his own
parish ; and if he applied by letter to the large proprietors,
200 or 300 miles off, he perhaps got 51. or 10/. from them,
and they thought they were contributing liberally to educa-
tion. (Hear, hear.) It was owing to this that in the rural
parishes education was in a far worse condition thou in the
large towns, bad as that was. (Hear, hear.) The volun-
tary priuriple was intangible ; he could not lay hold of it ;
he did not know where it existed; and therefore he had no
faith in it. But we ha 1 never trusted entirely to volun-
taryism. For many years there had been annual votes in
parliament for public education; the parochial system in
Scotland had existed fur centuries; and the system esta-
blished in Ireland, defective as it was, was doing some-
thing. Altogether 400,0001. or 500,0001. of the public
money was annually devoted in the three kingdoms to
educational purposes. Those who stood up for the prin-
ciple of voluntaryism should be prepared to oppose that
grant in parliament, but no uuc had ever thine so, and if
he did, would scarcely find • seconder. (Hear.) But the
money voted for education in Ireland was not judiciously or
equally applied. It all went through religious organisa-
tions to its object, and was very largely absorbed by
one religious party. (Hear, hear.) That was a subject of
complaint with the dovecuting body. Let them help to re-
medy it. And it was with the view of remedying it that
the National Public School Society had brought forward
their plan. (Hear, hear.) If they attempted to include the
teaching of religion, they involved themselves in ditlicul-
collie's, owiug to the conscientious scruples of a large body
of the community who would object to the public money
being voted for any purpose in which religion
was united. (Hear, hear.) That being the case,
and being firmly convinced that education would continue
to be supported by the public money, and that it e as for
the interest of the community that it should be extended,
he was heartily, and ho believed irrevocali:e, committed to
the principle of that ass nciation—that of severing religious
from secular education, of separating the functions of the
divine from those of the schoolmaster, leaving the two to
carry out their duties wholly apart, and not undertaking in
any degree the are of the religious instruction of the
people. (Hear, hear.) Then they were met with the ob-
jection that they were an infidel association. There had
never been anything really practical or good prupoutded
in this country which had not been met with the same cry.

Seventy or eighty years ago, when some benevolent gentle-
men met together to found the Royal Humane Society,
they were assailed with the cry of infidelity, for it was said
they were attempting to revive the dead. (Cheers and
laughter.) Taking the revenues of the church of England
and the voluntary contributions of dissenters, Homan
catholic+, and others, eight millions sterling a year was
paid willingly and cheerfully for religious instruction. This
society did not propose to abstract a shilling from that fund.
(Hear, hear.) We paid for religious instruction half as
much again as the cost of our civil government, apart from
the military establishments and tne interest of the national
debt; and w uld any of the recipients of that vast fund
come and ask them to raise soother fund, in order that
schoolmasters might be found to teach religion. (Hear)
They neglected their duty if they did not do that which
they were so amply paid fur doing. (Hear, hear.) If they
took upon themselves in addition the duty of teaching secu-
lar education, how had they fulfilled that duty, when 30
per cent. of men and 49 per cent. of women could only
make a cross when they had to sign their names on their
marriage ? (Hear.) If they mid they had been paid for
secular instruction, they certainly ought to he looked after.
If it were said that the voluntary system of education had
answered in this country lie would appeal to facts. Com-
paring this country with any other Protestant country the
mass of the people of these islands were the most ignorant
of any Protestant community on the face of the earth,
whether compared with the United States, Prussia, Holland,
the Swim protastanteasitons, Sweden Norway, or Denmark.
jla Jim yawed Io paws, sad soboly amid easy, *at Yr
mass of the working people of this country were the least
educated of any protestant community on the face of the
earth. (Hear, hear.) In all those other countries there
were educational establishments provided by the state; and
he therefore appealed to expenence to refute the state-
', meats of oppuuents in this matter. They said volun-
taryism had becu successful; he said that other states had
nut left education to voluntaryism, and they hail a more
educated people than ours. If it was said people could do
these matters better for themselves, where was it to end ?
It might as well be said that people could watch, sewer,
and light a town without the intervention of an act of par-
liament. (Hear, hear.) There doubtless was a time, before
gas-lights or oil-lamps were known in the metropolis, when
the privileged few were preceded home at night by ser-
vants bearing flambeaus, aud when the streets were all
darkness and mud to those who had not that advantage ;
and there might still be seen at the west-end interesting
vestiges of that happy time in the inverted, trumpet-shaped
iron instruments appended to the railings of some large
houses in the squires; which were used fur thrusting the
flambeaus into, iii order to extinguish them. (Hear, hear,
and laughter.) Hail anybody in that early time proposed
an act of parliament compelling all the inhabitants of the
different wards or parishes to pay a rate fur lighting the
streets, the very s me argument might have been used as
was now used by the oliticomeonomical opponents of
education. (Hear, hear.) The man well off in life
would have said, I ,rave got my flambeau-bearer,
and a machine ready contrived to extinguish the light ; be-
sides, I intend to put an oil lamp over my own door, why
should I be obliged to pay for lights for other people ?"
(Great laughter.) The same arguments were used against
national education. People said they intended sending their
children to a private school, they should never make use of
the voluntary schools, and why should they be compelled to
pay for the education of other people? l'recirely fur the
same reason why they were taxed to pay fur lights for other
people—because it was better for the whole community,
and for these indisiduutu iu particular, though they did not
know it, that everbody should he in light rather than in
darkness. (Cheers.) The same, arguments might be used
as for paving and seweriag town., and fir appointing
watchmen ; for schoolmasters were a sort of intellectual
watchmen; they kept our houses safe by night too, for
there was no better security than a well educated people.
(Cheers.) What did them voluntaries, who would leave
government nothing to do, think of the Post-office, a
government monopoly, and one in violation of every
rule of political economy ? All governments, despotic or
constitutional, had laid hold of the Post-office, and claimed
the right of transmitting letters, and would allow no rival
establishments. Why was this? Because it was found
that letters were more safely transmitted by giving up this
power into the hands of the government, than would be
the case if every man was left to be his own pat-
man. (Hear, hear.) Ile would have nothing to du
with a centralised system of education; he hated
and abominated that. Wherever there was an ahem
to remedy government took occasion to engraft a commis-
eion upon the country. We could not be buried—could not
take care of our health—could not relieve the poor, but
there must be a commission sitting in London, paralysing
local effort, and doing their best to snake us childri;n by
trying to nurse us as children. (Hear, bear.)
Some people at the present day appeared so im-
bued with the principle of centralisation that had
they lived in the time of our SUOMI ancestors, and
Alfred had made one of them his prime minister, we should
never have hail parishes or counties at all in the country,
but everything would have been administered fruin tbe
central bureau. (Cheers.) But what (lid their opponents
propose to do ? With the hest intentions on the part of
few men, the efforts they made were so small they were like
a drop in the ocean compared with the great exigency in
the matter of education. lie should feel that lie was
bringing a heavy responsibility on his education were he to
oppose education, in whaler r way it might be attempted
to be carried out, so long 03 it did not violate the religious
scruples of any man. No one could say that in giving
secular instruction they violated religious scruples; he hail
never heard anyone affirm that of himself, though
they said the religions convictions of other people would be
violated. It was like those rcrsons who had never seen a
ghost themselves, but knees come into who had. (Laughter.)
Who would say that to teach children reading, writing,
geography, arithmetic, and the natural sciences ; to teach
them how to take care of their health, and that drunkennes
would make them miserable and bring them to poverty ;
who would say that a tax to teach c.iildrea these things
would be a violation of religious principles or on infringe-
ment ef the rights of conscience ? On the contrary, gentle-
men in the north of England who argued as if this was a
violation of their conscience, subscribed to mechanics
institutions where all religious instruction was sys-
tematically and formally excluded. (Hear, hear.) We
had happily passed the time when anybody dared to
tell us that the people ought to be kept in ignorance, that
they 'night by kept in subjection. If they thought to they
dared out to say se,. Still he was opposed tunny legislative pro-
vision
against admitting the Bible ; and the probability was
that in 'Jq parishes out of every IdO in the kingdom, the local
commissioners would sanction the use of the Bible, which
they would have full power to do where it was nut the
means of excluding any. (Hear.) In the large tows,
where there were Boman catholies nail Jews, souse other
means must be adopted, and no doubt this could easily be
dune. In conclusion, he must warn them of the dangers
to which the country was exposed, and of the mine of
mischief which, though they seetneil ignorant of it, lay at
their feet. Persons who were in the habit of disparaging
foreign countries hail looked with contempt at the political
miseries and disasters which had been taking place
during. the last few years in Germany France, and ether
countries of the continent. But he feared that they would
find, if by any accident in this country the machine
of government should be thrown off its hinges, and we
should be left for a year without a government—ii; in a
word, we were situated as they had been, we should have
far worse scenes enacted here than anything which had
been witnessed either in Germany and France. (Loud
cheers.) There was a vast deal to do ; but he doubted
not they would co-operate with the men of the north in
a matter which so nearly cut:menial the vital interests of
the country. (Cheers.) For Lis own part he should be
happy to assist them as much as lay iii hie power, whe-
ther in his place in parliament or elsewhere. (Cheers.)
They had put their shoulders together in many a strugglo
but in none that was more for the welfare and properit:
of the country. (Loud cheers.)
• -

Mr. W. WILLIAMS, 31.1'., rejoiced, not only at the
success of the associatiou, but at its having been maugu-
rated in Manchester. That city possessed more wealth and
moral energy than any other place in the country, and he
therefore looked upon the locality iu which the a.....xiation
had its birth, as a good omen of success. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. TRAVERS asked whether the ultimate object of the
as.,ocirtion was to cause the compulsory education of
children ?

The CHAIRMAN answered that the association merely
contemp,ated the establishment of schools, suppwted by
local rates, and it had no ulterior view,. When, however,
the schools should have been estahliched it would be for the
public to decide whether the attendance of the children
should he made compulsory. (Cheers.)
Mr. IIICKSON briefly defended the Economist, which
he mid had inserted a reply from himself.
The CHAIRMAN offered a few concluding remarks,
and a vete of thanks having been passed to the chairman,
the meeting broke up, at a little after ten o'clock.

FLAX Is ESSEX.—The abundant showers of the
last few days have been very propitious to the progress of
the young flax crop now in the ground, fanners in all direc-
tions in this neighbourhood having made a beginning in this
article. la a few days it is expected that numbers of children,
from ten year. old and upwards, will be required for weed-
ing, which is likely to continue for some considerable length
of time, as the principal growers in this neighbourhood in-
tend to continue sowing until the 7th of May. It is the
custom in flax-growing countries for a buyer to come round,
when the crop is still green in the field, and buy the crop
1" on the foot," so that by hay-time the fanner has a pros-
pect of the retain of the value of the straw, the principal
crop, whilst the seed may be always consumed on his pre.
miles for feeding cattle, if the market should not prove
favourable in this respect. It is in contemplation to pre-
pare machinery in this district for partially preparing the
fibre, thus materially lowering the expense of transmitting
to the manufacturing districts, and enabling the farmer to
retain the article in his granary or loft until it is di.posed
at —Chelmsford Chrowiclo.

Yesterday afternoon the But India Docks were
the scene of a farewell entertainment given to a body of
colonists belonging to this association, who are about to sail
for the new settlement of Canterbury, in New Zealand.
The principle of the association being somewhat different to
that of similar institutions, for the colonists are not only to
be all churchmen, but are to be selected from all the ranks
into which English society is at present divided, it would be
difficult to describe the feast by any one word. For the
gentlemen and ladies there was an elegant repast provided
by Messrs. Bathe and Breach, of the London Tavern, and
called • " breakfast ;" but in the same room (one of the
sheds on the quay, handsomely decorated for the
occasion) there was furnished • substantial meal of
roast beef and plum pudding, which was termed
a " dinner." Before the hour appointed for this compound
" symposium " (two o'clock), the company took the oppor-
tnnity of going over the ships chartered by the association,
which lay in the dock. They were ornamented with a pro-
fusion of the flags " of all nations," and the interesting ce-
remony of " christening" was performed upon one of them
by Lady Lyttelton, who conferred upon it the name of the
Canterbury.
Two of the ships are to sail this day, two on the 28th,
and the remaining two on the Bth of June.

ERELANax

DUBLIN, MAT 7.

The Freeman's Journal says:
We have heard it rumoured that a meeting is to take
place this day (and by a suspicious enough coincidence, at
the same hour as is appointed for the assembly of the com-
mittee for the anti-centralisation banquet to the Lord
Mayor), at the house of a well-known city baronet of the
old ascendancy party, to pitch upon, or rather ratify, the
choice of a candidate for the representation of the city on
the protestant interest.
The gentleman alluded to in this paragraph is, I
believe, Mr. George, Q.C., a person but little known
in the political world, but whose principles are those
of the extreme class of Irish conservatives.

The inquest on the body of Mr. Samuel Coulter,
who was murdered near Crossmaglin, was resumed I
and concluded yesterday. The following was the
verdict :
We find that tho deceased, Samuel Coulter, came by his
death early in the morning of the 3rd inst., at about the
hour of 2 o'clock, in consequence of severe fractures of the
skull, inflicted by some person or persona unknown, on tho
road leading front Dundalk to Crueunaglin, ue the morning
of Friday the 2nd of May inst.
So far only has 'light been yet let in upon this
horrible affair; nor is it likely, as in the ease of Mr.
Mauleverer, another noonday murder on the high
road, that much more will ever be known about it.
There is but too much reason to fear that the case is

only another of the results of the landlord and
tenant system, the unfortunate deceased having, in
his capacity of agent, been called upon to put the
ejectment law but too extensively in force.

IKET SECOND SPRING MEETING.
ENTRIES FOR THURSDAY.

HANDICtI. PL 4ef F. of 501. ; A.F.—King of Oude, 4 yrs,
Bst 71b ; Abdallah, 4 yrs, Bst 71b ; Napauk, 3 yes, 6.4 101 b.
SWEEPSTAIR4 of 14) *ms each ; first half of Ab.M. ; the
winner to be sold for 80 SOTS.—Turtle, 3 yes; Julia, 3 yrs;
b f by Bay Middli•ton, out of 2 yes; Dolland,2 yrs ;
ch f by Slane, out of Pelerine, 2 yes.

LATEST BETTING.
[By Electric Telegraph.]
TWO-YEAR-OLD STAKES.
to 2 opt Prance I sto 1 unit Malibran eolt
4to I Mouitan Lam 6 to 1 llaitoe colt
THE GREAT MATCH.
stolon 7lic Hying Dutchman
6OMERSETSII 11t E STAKES.
7 to 4 mist The Ran
DERRY.
4to apt Sir I. Tlanley's Teddinglon
Sto Mr. Halforah The frame Manner
7 to Lord Entleld'e lirrnan3r:
20 to Mr. fibulas's Thereat (t to 1007.)
20 to Sir .1. Hanley's The Ban (taken freely)
23 to Inni I.:Kiloton'. Bonnie Dundee
28 to Rearmincler
bu to Glealmwk

BRITIsft AND FOREIGN BIBLE SoClF:TT.—Yester-
day the annual meeting of this society took place at Exeter
Hall, Lord Ashley in the chair, supported by the Marquis
of Cholmondeley, the Earl of Ilarrowbv, the Bishop of
Cashel, Sir It. 11. Inglis, Sir T. I). Aid:slid, Mr. l'lumntre,
M P., &r. In opening the business, the chairman said that
as president of the society, he felt the deepest interest in
the operations of the association, and he only hoped that he
might occupy his present position with the same zeal and
energy which had characterised the conduct of his prede-
cessor. The post which he filled was at all times one of
honour, hut at the present moment it assumed an unusual
amount of dignity and importance, inasmuch us they were
then called upon to exert themselves to the full extent of
their ability, in order to resist the encroachments of their
ancient and implacable enemy, by promoting the free cir-
culation of the holy scriptures. It was not owing to any
want of inclination, but to the absence of power,
that the pontifical bible had not been more ex-
tensively circulated by the Italian priesthood. The
protestant% of England must not disregard the
warning they hod lately received, but must strenuously
unite in opposing the insolent attack which had been
made upon them by their crafty and subtle enemy. The
report which was read by the Secretary showed that the
operations of the Society extended over the western, north-
ern, central, and southern portions of Europe, Russia, the
Caucasian, and border countries, Persia, India, China, l'o-
lynesia, Africa, and America, and the scriptures had been
translated into the vernaculars of these parts of the world.
The issues from the Society during the past year, including
those from the depository at home of 788,073, and
those from the depositories abroad, amounting to
1,137,017, made a total of 21,217,667 since the
commencement of the society ilk 1801. The entire
receipts for the year ending March 31, 1851, amounted
to 103,3301. 2s. 144., being an increase over the
preceding year of 11,6961. its. Id. The receipts applicable
to the geueral purposes of the society amounted to
33,7951. 7s. 10d., including 33,8%!. Os. led. free contribu-
tions from auxiliary societies. The amount received for
bibles and testaments was 41,5311. Ils. led. The expendi-
ture during the past year amounted to 10:1,1431. 10e. 10d ,
being 6,2941. Bs. lOd. over that of the preceding year, and
the society was under engagements to the extent of
61,6321. 2s. The Marquis of Chohnondeley moved, and Sir
R. 11. Inglis seconded, the adoption of the report, which
was carried unanimously. Various resolutions were then
passed, and the meeting separated.
TILE C.ISE OF POISONING BY P.tRENTS AT MAN-
CIiLSTEIL—The adjourned inquest respecting the death of
Mary Hardy, alias Waddington, was held by Mr. Iterfurd,
the borough coroner, at the Manchester Royal Infirmary,
on Tuesday last. The particulars of the case appeared
in the Express of Tuesday week. It will suffice to
repeat here that the deceased was 16 years of age,
all illegitimate child, and lived with her mother Ann Wad-
dington and her stepfather James Waddington, a lamp-
lighter. After her death, which took place suddenly on the
21th ult., it was ascertained that she had taken a largo
quantity of arsenic, that she had had no medical assist-
ance, while very contradictory statements as to the nature
and duration of her illness were made by her parents. The
deceased was also in • burial club, from which 7!.
was received on the day of her death. James and Ann
Waddington, the parents of deceased, were at present
in custody. A number of witnesses were examined
in addition to those previously produced, and the
coroner went through the whole of the evidence,
pointing out how contradictory the prisoners' statements
were within themselves, as wen as the great extent to
which they were contradicted hy the witnesses. It would
he for the jury to consider whether the evidence as to the
treatment of the girl, taken together with some of the
expressions said to have been used by the prisoners, WAS
such as to show that they felt a desire to rid themselves of
' the burden of her support. It was a remarkable thing that
before death there was an admission that it was believed
the deceased had taken arsenic, while from the time that
Dr. Brown was called in there was no reference to it, until
it had been ascertained that death had resulted from arse-
nic. The jury, after • consultation of half an hour, re-
turned.' verdict of " Wilful murder" against both pri-
soners. The prisoners were immediately committed to take
their trial at the next Liverpool assizes.
LONDON AND SOLITII WESTERN RAILWAY.—
Traffic for the week ending May 4: Passengers,
8,3031. ss. W.; goods, 2,2111. lls. lid. Total, 10,6141.
17s. 4d.

SMITHFIELD HAY MARKET.—THIS DAY.
Mem,. Cooper and Davis report • very heavy trade,
at the following quotations:—Prime Meadow Hay, 73e.
to 83s. ; inferior ditto, 58.. to 65.. ; Rowen, &Ds. to 70s. ;
Clover, old, 735. to 90s. ; sound, 70s. to SOL ; Straw, 26e. to
32..

BOROUGH MARKET.—THIS DAY.
Messrs rattenden and Smith report that the demand for
all line-coloured Hops continues to increase, and prices to
advance, particularly for new Sussex, which are very
scarce, owrng to the extensive demand for them, on amount
of their quality being considered superior to many put
years. The late cold weather has greatly retarded the
growth of the co • crop, and the land being in a wet
unkind state, the probability is the crop cannot be a heavy
COL

Dour our a ill to attempt this lung
lively needful enterprise of getting
Lin beca • the duty of every ktocul ci
and do shlat in him lie. that it be
a 'his is the mmetion ut your meeting
r ins clings and agitations nine
appear to MU to have it. fluids
-drest not till by such methods as
• • mil is got dune in this most preen
' •s• upon us, and upon all English
• at Lot, in these fifties of the ni
ash as teach all her children the lot
Ls haste, I remain, yours very faith
vim S. Smith. Esq., Sec.. lie. dia
AMMAN opened the pro
Origin and progress of the 11.1401:iAt
a andiester to 181 i. Ile said their
all user the country, and were m
reception, and especially in
• of England, when: there was I
lotion prepared in favour of the
almost without any dissentieu
forund towards the fatter end of
• er to bring the question before
's, and now they had called a
• of the city of London, in °rile
in futon., of the principles of
• • • scattered about throughout
, •• 'ug before the public, it was
they had a good case. Well, tin
1 the ut.ite of public education in
di • cent. of our adult male ma
to sign the register of their o
lint. of the females were also
31.1,000 Juvenile vagrants in La
f• rom hour to hour of how tin
re was one in 18) of the popub
• ellele: ; whereas the number,'
. Foreigners who had come to
• • • n might see a beautiful
as, perhaps, they never witnes
•• go into our back streets,
• • and would not any Germs
• ly horrified ut the sight th
• did, from countries where I
' to read and write ? Son
- MX& show at the Exhibition
t over • model of their e,
)—which would hat
ona anwegst as lade and pa
- guar parsons said the vol'
bat Iss believed it was Tel
• • • Society showed th
at 100,000 in 1534, cad;
inalreetion in day schools;
of voluntaryism going o
having increased to 300,1
only rose to 21,54:
11l British and Foreign Soh