The Express.
London, England, 1851-02-07 00:00:00

commutation of this tax. They would have it scratched
out of the statute-book.

Kr. GEORGE, churchwarden of St. Ann's, said he re-
presented • large pariah Westminster in whichi this tax
bore on them with great inequality. The were 21 houses
in St Ann's-court, each rated in that parish at vat. • year,
and 14 houses in Soho-square each rated at 1171., and both
these properties paid the same amount of window tax.
There were three houses in St. Ann's-court which were
rated at GU, which paid ISt. Is. 2d. for window tax, and
two other houses in the perish which were rated at 3461.
which paid fur window tax 141. 2s. 10d.

Mr. ROGERS, of dircs's,u7gca the cruelty of this
taz on the poor, instancing one house in Fletcher's-court,
in which, to save the tax, windows were closed, and five
out of six of one (Limn', living in the house died of cholera.
Alter a few words from Mr. TAYLOR, who represented
St. Andrew's, Holborn, there were loud cries for Mr.
lltuicombe.

Mr. T. DUNCOMIIE, M.P., stepped forward and said
be was not aware that it was necessary he should say any
thing on this occ.ision ; but he was glad that the Chancellor
of the Etcheqtnr had had an opportunity of hearing the
sentiments of their constituents. As to stopping the sup-
plies, he held out no threat. It was not possible fur three
or four members out of more than 600 to do so, and he did
not think it advi‘able to hold out such threats. Ile
knew that his right bon. friend could not say what course
he should take, but he hoped he would give them a distant
hint that this tax was defunct.

Mr. WALLEY, M.P., said he hoped the Chancellor of
the Exchequer would clearly understand what the feeling
was out of doors by the feeling manifested in this room, and
he would also see what had been the condition of those un-
fortunate members who were prevented by indisposition
from attending in their places in the House of Commons
last session, and voting for the repeal of this tax. He could
tell the right hon. baronet this—that if this tax was not
repealed the metropolitan members must be repealed. (A
laugh.) His hou. colleague unfortunately laboured under
indisposition which presented him from attending the
meetings. He (Mr. Wakley) had had the good fortune to
attend tome of them, and had received a good dressing—ca
laugh)—and he could assure him that in reference to this
tax, it was not admitted at all that a man had a right to be ill.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER here rose,
and with some difficulty obtained a hearing, the cries for
Mr. Wyld being so loud and so general. \% hen silence was
in some degree restored, he said the cabinet was sitting, and
it was requisite that he should attend it. He had listened,
he hoped, with great attention to the gentlemen who re-
presented the metropolitan districts, but he thought that it
was really occupying time unnmessarily to hear the mem-
bers, as they could express their sentiments in the House of
Commons.

Sir B. HALL, M.P., raid until his name was called he
had no intention to speak, and he would now suggest to the
deputation that as they had now said all that could be said',
on the subject the greatest satisfaction would follow if his
right hon. friend would be kind enough to give them some
intimation of the course he intended to take, if he could
con-intently do so. (Renewed cries of " Mr. Wyld.")
Mr. WILD, M.P., remarked that the Chancellor of the
Exchequer had assumed this to be merely a metropolitan
movement ; but it was a movement which had extended
over the whole of the country, and in the borough which he
represented this tax was felt to he most oppres‘ise. There
was at this moment an organisation going on which, it' this
tax were not repealed, would cause great inconvenience to
government, and impede its operations. (Cries of •' Moles-
worth.")
SirW.MOLESWORTII was understood to say he would
rather nut take up time by going into the matter now. His
coustituents were extremely anxious for the repeal of the
tax, and if the Chancellor of the Exchequer could repeal it
he should vote for its repeal.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, of
course it was perfectly impossible for him then to
state the course he should take, and it would be highly
inconvenient for him to give the slightest intimation of what'.
he intended to do. It was a subject that had been brought
before him in various ways. Mr. Nieholay, the chairman
of the committee, had been in communication with him,
and, of course, his most serious attention hail been directed
to the subject. It was not for him to say any snore. (A
voice : Oh," and cries of " Order.") If his friend there
was impatient, he must remember that it was perfectly in-
consistent with the duty of the Chancellor of the Exchequer
to give the slightest intimation beforehand of the course he
intended to take. Ile hail Olin notice this week of making
what was called the financial statement at an earlier day
than had ever been known. Ile should make it to-morrow
week, and therefore any impatience there might be would
not have to be long tried. His determination would then
he known. The gentleman opposite to him (Mr. Nelson)
had made a very eloqueat sla•ech to-day, and had put into
his (Sir C. Wood's) mouth words which he could only say he
did not remember to have used. He was glad to see so large
a deputation, and he heal now only to express his thanks for
the tune and temper in which the business had been con-
ducted.
The deputation then withdrew.

SUSPECTED MURDER OF A WIFE BY HER

HUSBAND, AT TODMORDEN.

Our York correspondent says :—Grent excitement
was caused iu York ou the morning of Tuesday last by u
rumour being spread abroad that a gentlemaidy-looking
man had been apprehended by the police on a charge of
having murdered his wife, at Todmorden, by administering
poison to her.
The report was verified at noon, by the prisoner being
taken down to the Guildhall, where, before the Lord Mayor
and T. W. Wilson, Esq., he was charged, by the name of
John Cooper, wall having, on the 2nd of January last,
murdered his wife, Jane Cooper, by the means above stated.
Little or nothing, however, transpired there, for the ac-
cused had been brought up only for the purpose of Mr. '
Chalk, the superintendent of the York police, asking for a
remand until Thursday, which was granted ; the prisoner,
who asserted his entire ignorance of the crime imputed to
him, having-a request also of his complied with, viz., that
he iu the meantime might be allowed to consult with a
professional adviser.
It in stated that Cooper was formerly bead assistant at
Lincoln Grammar School, and that since then he has re-
sided at Stanfield-hall, near Todmorden, which is on the
Yorkshire side of the border between that county and
Lancashire, where he conducted a boarding-school for
young gentlemen. He is about 30 years of age, and
married a Miss Ripley, of Tockwith, near York. Ilis
own parents reside at Kirk Hanunerton, near this city.
lh has been married about four years, and has two ctn.'.
ren—one about six weeks old, and the other about two
years. In the latter part of December last his wife gave
birth to their second child, and she died on the 2nd of
January last.
The remains of the deceased were brought to Bilton to
be buried among her relatives, and Cooper had remained in
this neighbourhood since.
Some three or four days ago, suspicion arose that Mrs.
Cooper's death had been caused by foul means, and thin
suspicion resulted in an application being made to the
comfier, J. Wood, Esq., of this city, who un Tuesday last
opened an inquiry at Raton, which stands adjourned until
Monday next. The result of the inquiry, as far as it went
on Tuesday, was, that the coroner issued his warrant for
the exhumation of the body of the deceased, with a view
to in analysis of the contents of the stomach.
With respect to the apprehension of the husband, we find
that police-sergeant Heap, from 'Todmorden, came to York
on Sunday last, it being supposed that Cooper would arrive
on business on the following day. The superintendent of
the York police was consequently communicated with, and
he having taken steps to search fur the accused, it was
found that he bad arrived at York, and that he had taken
opine residence at the Black Swan Hotel, in Coney-street,
wiuro he had represented himself as a clergyman wishing
to obtain a marriage license. On Monday evening Cooper
attended one of the Wesleyan chapels in this city, and,
hasingbeen followed about from place to plate by an officer
in undress, be was finally apprehended between ten and
cloven o'clock at night on a warrant issued by the Lord
Mayor.
As in all such cases, a motive for alleged murder has been
'eight for ; and the one assigned is that the accused has
been on very intimate terms with the daughter of a Wes-
leyan minister at Alfonl, in Lincolnshire, to whom he was
=doss to bo allied.

Tax SAILORS' STRIKE.—On Tuesday evening last
the seamen held a meeting at the Victoria Rooms, Hull,
which was numerously attended, for the purpose of sending
a deputation to the north to concert the best measures to be
taken to obtain a retiree' of the grievances of the Mercantile
Marine Act of 18.50, and to discuss other measures. Mr.
Thos. Holmes was called to the chair, and, referritftr to the
Food effect which had attended the lest strike in Hull while
at lasted, exhorted those present to carry out entirely what
they had well begun. Captain H. Oliver remarked that
there could be but one opinion entertained as to the ne-
cessity of sending a deputation to secure a right under-
standing between the seamen of the various ports. It
was very desirable that no illegal or violent measures
should be adopted by the men during their present
agitation, for when heretofore this had been the case it had
always tended to defeat the legitimate objects sought for.
He concluded by moving the following resolution : •As it
is desirable that a perfect understanding should exist be-
tween the master mariners and seamen of the eastern and
nortaern ports of Great Britain as to the best method to be
pursued to obtain redress of the grievances of the Mercantile
Marine Act of 18.50, and to prevent any illegal or violent
messares being resorted to—which desirable objects are not
like', to be effected simply by the public press • it is there-
fore desirable that a deputation be sent to the northern ports
to confer with the seamen there on the subjects now at
issut."—Mr. W. H. Christie, after denouncing the navi-
gation laws, went on to state that the system of register
tickets wan a complete failure, for he or any other seaman
could now buy one at any time for a couple of shillings, so
that :he tickets were no protection at all to the shipowner or
bench to the seaman. He expressed his opinion that if the
present laws stood, there would be more desertion from
Britih ships at the North American ports during the pre-
sent year than there bad been for the previous twenty
years • and concluded by seconding the re Solution, which
was adopted.—A letter was read by Mr. Christie, from the
seamen of Shields, which stated that they were in a fair
wayto gain their objects, and that they bad the good wishes
of at the shipowners. It was next resolved that candidates
be firthwith nominated, two of whom be elected by the
committee, and sent to the northern porta without delav,
for the Purposes mentioned in the tirst resolution. In reply
to Captain Budd, who seemed to repudiate a strike for
wages, Mr. Christie and others endeavoured to convey the
impression that there was really, as far as the men were
concerned, no steam." The proceedings, which were
conducted throughout with the greatest decorum, then ter-
minated.—Basfern Counties Herold.