The Express.
London, England, 1849-12-19 00:00:00

THE 1, XPRESS. WEDNESDAY EVENING. DECEMBER 19, 1849.

jaL anSH STEIL
AM AND THE BISHOP OF
EX

reeeedings is the ere have great similarity to
iggeseeet issue of trial by battle, and the value of the
vow will b-: equal to those obtained by strength of
gra sad tiell in trace. The. two partee• s choose twe
fi• oaths ants to tight their (muse, while they stand
lookers on, and no one tut the supons
diat the right cause will have any more ad-
Tamp vote. hat which it derives from the jirowess
yig ad The bishops hang back waning to
of
ggar what to believe, from the decision uf lay judges,
opal the dialectic squabbles of three or four
igy pleaders. The true doctrine of the church is
,t piesent concealed from the eyes of archbishop,
pricst, and deacon, and all true sons of the
church slat pine in a state of incomplete erase-
gay until tomseevow, or the day atter to-morrow,
lees, fur the &Mame for three -hundred years, the
ems doctrine of the Church of England is to be pro-
milord. In the meantime, although p.ople do not
how what to believe, they cannot help wishing to
balm one thine or the other, and as their wishes
Jr a certain result cannot but influence their specula.
tires ss to how that result is to be obtained, they
sae irreverential calculation as to the motives
weigh may be supposed to act upon the judges. 'Tie
high church party ground their hopes upon the r.
irral unwillingness of judges to reverts the decision
af a brother, while the low church party cannot help
wing that the relationship of Lord LANGDALE tothe
gad of the evangelical clerey, and the cunnexioa of
Lcr.l CAMPBELL with the Scotch presby'erians, may
have a favourable influence upon the verdict.
Our leaders are doubtless aware that the ulterior
object of the proceedings in this cam is to discover
whether regeneration by baptism is or is not a dee-
trine of the church cf England. It will also possibly
occur to them, that the doctrinal or devotional for-
malt of the church must be in a remarkably con-
fined state, when a pious and learned clergyman, who
has been eighteen years a fellow of a college and forty
yews a minister of the church, is threatened with the
Woof a liviog to which he has bees placated, because
his cannot fled this dextrine in the said formulae. It
seems, to say the least of it, extraordinary that
a doctrine of such importance thet the non-
reception of it by a clergyman should be con-
sidered a ground of exclusion from a bone-
flee, should not appear upon the surface of the
fxsulls in such plain terms as not to be mistaken.
comic, however, it is that Mr. GORHAM has never
yet discovered it. Upon that clergyman's_presenta-
tioe in the year 1847 to the living of Bramford
Speke, in the Bethel ofEIETER:6 diocese, the bishop,
whVashtaitdute Itilitm to theoflr oli°vlitog 3111118t1111b itu obtuseness, appear,rerused
to i
after examination, that Mr. GORHAM believed in the
dogma in question. Nothing of the kind appeared
as the result of the examination, and the bishop per-
sisted in the refusal. On proceedings being com-
menced against him in the Ecclesiastical Court, the
bishop met them by a petition, which he supported
by a printed book, containing the questions and
answers in Mr. GORHAM'S examination. On this
evidence Sir H. FUST pronounced a verdict in favour
of the bishop. An appeal from that verdict is the
occasion of the present proceedings.
Mr. GORUAM and his counsel do not deny that it is
possible to deduce the doctrine of regeneration by
baptism from the baptismal service, but they argue
that to make such deduction valid, it is necessary
.to
show that it does not contradict the formal mows,
tion of doctrine contained in the Articles. 'The
Arida, they assert. are the code of doctrine, the
Prayer-book the code of devotion of the English
church. Any doctrinal deduction, therefore, from
the devotional offices must depend for its validity
upon its accordance with the formal teachlng of the
Articles. Now upon a rigid examination of
the Articles, considering first their literal and
grammatical sense ; secondly, their accordance
with other formularies of the church,. thirdly,
the known theologic-1 opinions of those who
cempled the articles, it is proved that they
contradict the view held by the assertore of baptismal
regeneration. It will be sufficient for us to quote one
only of the numerous teguments brought forward by
Mr. GORHAM and his counsel. Toe articles, in deal-
ing geeerwily with the Sacraments, lay down with sr
vete pre. Won that not right administration, but wor-
thy reception, is essential to the Sacraments becom-
ing ettec.ual signs of grace. Now, says Mr.
Goaneft :
Oar church bolls, and I hold, that no spiritual *ram to
Named by baptism, except to worthy recipisots, and as
bleats are by arum unworthy recipients, beteg " hone a
Is the abildne of wrath," they cannot receive say benefit
has barisis, except there should have bees a prevenient
ea et pace.
The doctrines are either contradictory, or Mr.
Goanew is right. It is not our boldness to decide
!pen the correctaess of the doctrine as expounded oy
Mr. GoaiteM. It is enough for us to set before our
readers an outlaw of the case, and to draw the atten-
tion of the friends of the church to the scandal
brought alma the church by thesupineness of its autho-
rities. Nt by do the ecclesiastical dignitaries allow
the holiest matters to be desecrate,: by being dragged
through the defilement of public quarrels and law-
court squabbles ? Why.do they sit still and do no-
thing towards reducing into some order the mass of
dogmas and formula' which have descended to them
as an heir-loom, but which are proving every
day to be a store of weapons from which hot-
headed brawlers of either party may arm
themselves for tight ? Have not the friends of the
church a right to demand of the hierarchy that their
ceremonies shall not be made a public laughing-stock,
as in the case of the Hampden consecration, that
their worship. shall not be an unfixed rite liable
to be twisted Into all sorts of shapes, at the will of
individual clergymen; that their formularii a shall
not teach two opposite sets of doctrines, as in the cue
of baptismal regeneration;
_that what is heresy in one
diocese rhea not be orthodoxy in another, as in the
cue of Canterbury and Exeter ? Surely these things
ere not too much to ask of a church which claims so
much from its lay members. It is something too
much that the church of England should be the only
church in the world without a fixed discipline and
doctrine.
In the mean time, will the verdict obtained in the
Ooethem case du anything towards fixing the doc-
trine 111 the Archbishop of CANTERBURY, who is
known to entertain a horror of the doctrine of bap-
tismal regeneration, as stated by the Bishop of
EXETER—the Archbishop, whose first act, upon being
made primate, was to give preferment to Mr. GoODE,
who had been the most strenuous opposer of the doe-
trine—will he, it Sir H. Pest's judgment is cos-
firmed, bow to the decision, and avow his belief hi
what he now considers popish and heretical ?
seems to us that h- must either act thus or consent to
hold the supreme office in a church against one of the
chief doctrines of which he hamade an energetic
protest. A third course is possible, bat these are not
the days in which we can consider it probable—abd--
cation of an office he can no longer conscit casual,'
hold. Either contingency would be prejudicial to
the church ; and we leave it to the friends of the
church to consider what they owe to a hierarchy
whose negligence has brought it to a condition in
which every step must be prejudicial.

FIZEBOLD LAND MOVIJIZIST---On Monday even-
ly' a public' impedes was held in the Town-hall, Hemel
Hempstead, in connexion with the Mtrts and Beds Fr.ehold
Land Society. The ball was well filled. Charles Stevens,
presided. Mr. lames Taylor, of the Birmingham
society, spoke for nearly one hour and a half, and was inter-
rupted only by hearty plaudits. At the close of the meeting
several parties were enrolled, and early on Tuesday morning
many applications were made for rules, &c.
A CALIFORNIAN ADVENSUREft.—A Mr. John
Ents, of 1 otnes, left Teignmouth about two yeah ago, in
the vigour of twenty-lour years of age, to see aundland. It did
nommer-
dal clerk's 'lingua* in St. John's, Newfo
not suit him, and he got into the United States. Kis De-
vonshire friends have I ,st eight of him ever since, till now,
when s letter arrives dated from the Gold Region of Ante-
nee, Aqui: 22, in which he states that he arrive there
d
last July, and to six weeks he was the poesemor of sin or
"Ten pounds weight of geld (worth 300 i ; be and his
partner, working in the sands of the river, coold
in collect
three or four ounces daily, which, as gold is w -
lave 4 countries about 31. 17e. 6d. per ounce, emus eminent-
lyre labour; but then it must be remembered that food,
and lodging, are enormously dear there;
huts or no cola is used, and one pays in a shop
with gold dast--eo that " down with the dust," is to longer
a figurative szpregsion. Yr. Evans has also commenced
otarchieg in the "diggings" in the mountains, bat had not
at the dome of his letter, 3et picked up any solid lumps of gold
there. o.her ;smolt@ have got lens solid messes
r ink
didwie Some weighing lebe. Mr. Evans fearaeled
the It thy Koantains, and took two horses with him. lie
111/6 he means to return to England when he has amassed
alty thousaad dollars.

STORMY PROTECTION MEETING AT
LINCOLN.
TRIUMPH OF FREE-TRADE PRINCIPLES.
On Monday an important protectionist meeting was
held at Lincoln. The Exchange was completely fillet by an
anxious auditory. On the platform we noticed, in com-
pany with many of the most distinguished agriculturists of
the county, C. Sibtkorp, M.P., R. A. Christopher, Esq.,
M.P.,131r H. Cholmeley, Id P., Sir J. Nelthorpe the Hon.
Sir H. Dislike,an Sir Charles Anderson, Bast!, Chalks I
Chaplin, ~ banks Stanhope, Esq , Maier /Oboe, A.
to mhead, sq., J G. 8 Smith, Foci , the Worshipful the
Mayor, R. Whitten, lisq , the etc-mayor, Robert Swan,
Bui , J. G. Stevenson, Reg , lion. A. L. Melville, Thomas
Geuther*, Req., te.
The MAYOR Whig been voted into the chair,
Mr. CIARISTOPHER came forward and afar alluding tle
Illaiarlml d•Pralliesa of agriculture ineeneequesesel lbw
alluded
to the bee-trade rosembelneem, mine. be
said, were quietly enjoying the beemilta if metal
dos from tan to thirty per cent. (Shame.) What is the pre-
ant condition of this country without it but that of deep
depression and wide-spread dimatialection. (Hear, hear )
la Donetehire the labourers were subsisting on a mieerable
pittance of Bs. per week—(shame)—cad crime in that county
and increased so fearfully, that in one year the committals
had inenand from 300 to 1,300. And yet this was the law
that wee to make the paw man rich, and his labour well re-
quited, end to effect a great increase of the general pros-
perity. Now he pointed to the Irish members, who, by
means of some secret juggle, were induced to withhold
nearly entirely their support from the agricultural interest
in the great struggle. What sus the 'rendition of that ten
happy emantry ? Ulster a pauper wanes, and the quays of
Cut thronged with emigrants ante a hungry munition. Bet
they also began to retrieve, by returning as the represents-
lift of one ot their cities a gentleman who will give the
country petty his support in their just end legitimate efforts.
(Hear, hear.) The farmers had been told that they were
only placed in the same position se the 'manufacturer ;
he dewed that assertion ; mum of the snamulleturers were
protected, whilst the farmers bad no peotestiou. (Shame.)
He found by reference to the present tariff that the mans-
facturen enjoyed a protective duty on some articles es high
as 30 per Dent. How, in the spirit of fAirAcO, could these
same individuals refuse to the farmers that which they were
enjoying themselves (Hear ) No one who sees the pre-
' sent high method of cultivation could say that the produe-
, lion of cern was not a manufacture involving a very large
amount of the capital and skit of the country. Then why
was sot the farmer, the manufacturer of emu, as fairly en-
titled to protection as the Manchester or Birmingham menu-
beturer ? (Cheers.) After entering into some details of
the tariff, the hon. gentleman went on to ray that when the
inners complained of the evils Welded by free twig the
' bee traders retorted upon them by saying that five trade as
poe had not bad a fair trial. But how much longer he (Mr!
Christopher) would eel', was the present system to
go on ? How long did it take to give fres
trade a fair trial ? They had tried free trade
under all circumstances, coo it was found wanting.
In his opinion protection to every branch of British industry
was the only safe, cure, and effcctnal remedy for the evi
under which the population of this country suffered. (Hear
and applause.) Atter thanking he meeting for the patience
with which they had heard his remarks, the hon. member
prof teed the following resolution:
" That this meeting is of opinion tbat the introduction of
free trade, without reciprocity, is the eau,. of the deep-
rooted distress pervading all the productive clams of the
community ; and that a return to protection is the only
mode of er countering hostile tariffs, and satisfyingthe public
creditor."
it. WHITTON, Esq., the ex-mayor of Lincoln, in a brief
speech, seconded the resolution.
Mr. JOHN NORTON role and was received by a com-
plete howl from the farmers, which continued for a con-
siderable time. Mr. Chaplin endeavoured several times to
quell the disturbance by waving his hand, cad attempt-
ing to speak, but not one word could be heard owing to
the eueratioas showered en Mr. Norton by the assembly,
at length,. lilr. W. Bellatti jumped on the ;rei.ortere' table,
and exclaimed, "Silence, bar Mr. Chaplin; he ia the @deo
off fair-plsy. And when you have heard him listen to
Mt. or. Norton. (Cheers ) Let us hear both sides. lint it
any attempt is made to put down Mr. Norton, the protec-
tioeist gentlemen may pull nut their night-caps sa soon as
'they please— (laughtert—bnt I know your line of conduct
too well to ruppose that you would permifair hearing tot a violation of
iltbe
universal right of public meeting—a a."
I (Rear, hear ) Silence beiug at length obtained, Pie.
Id -non sea 1 there IA not a man on this plat:oral who hes a
deeper interest in the real well being of the tenant farmers
and labourers of Lincolnshire than he who addresses you.
(Hear, hear, and "We (I n't believe it.") Before I en-
deavour to show you in what your best and really jurt
protection is to be found, I must beg to give
you a few local facts in answer to the rhapsody
spoken by the landlords to-day. They would wish us ant'
the rest of the world to believe that this fertile Lincoln-
Übe of ours waa becoming, through the magic wandSo it
of
free trade, a huge wilderaera of rauperism—(a
soon will")—that her respected tradesmen we re sinking into
the depths of bankruptcy. (They will be in
W tee
won't list
he soon
ar
.)
Lets* answer them with a few facts. (
'am.) You naturally conclude, after the dolorous tales told,
that the union workhouse is overflowing, and that peeper-
tom extemaively peevails. Well, what is the actual state o•
thins. now ? There were within the walls of the union
work
in December, 1844, 258 paupers, of which ooly S
were abhrbodied; in 1849, there were only 257, of which
13 were able-bodied. (Derision from the platform.) I
wrote to the relieving officer of the north district to inquire
the number out of employ. His answer wit, "I am happy
to say that there are not so many as in the quarter ending
December, 1818; at d that the labourers, in many parishes,
are receiving the same wages as laat year, 12s. per week.
(Criss of 'lt's false," and prolonged interruption.)
The answer to say inquiriu in the torah dis•
triet was—" That no application for relief bad been
made
by able-bodied labourer'."Now, I trust,
after this, we shall have a nearer approach to truth,
when protectionist orator% choose to enlighten you on the
labourers' condition. ('
Hear," and cheers.) A good deal
has been said of the condition of the tradesmen. lam ready
to admit a few branch's of business in this city ars feeling
a depression from the low price of sericulture' produce—
(cries of " All, ail")—hut the greatest amount ot injury to
business has been caused by railway specula•ion. Scsreele a
family but what has been sofftil• g from this mania, which
compelled them to use the utmost economy in ton the pl heir expen-
at-
fire. The am gentlemea from the country
form re
who can bear testimony to the tact. But what would
have been the consequence if we had not been blessed with
assume and abundance 1 The suffering and depression
would have been much Maimed, and the country plunged
into all the horrors of anarchy. The free trade policy has
been the true conservative one, and the only salvation of the
country.
[Here an attack was made by some of the more excited of
the farmers present upon Mr. Norton ; the tables, at which
about a doses represeioatives of the pros were seated, w
ere
quickly overturned and broken. Papers, pens d
pencils and hats, flew about in all directi n
os ; arg
large body
of men rushed to the rescue, and a genet el melVe ensued, in
which Mr. Norton was roughly handlei, even by some of
the parties on the platform, who were apparently most
anxious that that gentleman should be ejected, but he firmly
maintained his ground, a few of the city police having come
to his assistance. At last, at the earnest entreaty of the
chairman, silence was restored.]
Mr. Norton re-commenced, but such a deafening clamour
ensued that it was almost impossible that a word could be
beard. At length, • all lull having supervened, Mr. Nur-
MU attempted again to address the meeting. Ile MIA under.
stood to sioy—l now come to the question that has called us to-
gether this day. You have met for the purpose of taking
steps to get back protection—in plainer wordy, you want
an net of parliameut that shall compel the people of Eng.
land to give you a higher price for the "
food you" prodr.uce
than you could obtain without it. (Cheers and bea)
Upon what grounds do you claim to have your produce
Isms d by legislation lls it that you have a larger
1 ORIORRA of taxation I vied on you as a edam than other per
time of the British public ? (.. Yee, we have ") If this
could be shown (which I think cannot), then you are en-
titled to have that undue soars removed. (Hear.) Nay, I
go further, and say you have a right to demand the total
abolition of the few remaining duties on tore ign manu-
factures. (Cheers.) But you have no right to IA for a
law that shall iiieresse the value of that in which you deal at
the expense of thus who consume. tCheers, and " what
I ere we to
ifo ) I will say nothing of the injust'ee of such
I • measure ou could obtain it, which you will.
(Groans, Mous, applauu, and uprose). I will at once
endeavour to preys that if you did, it would fail to give
you say permanent advantage. There is nothing like taking
experience as our guide in these mottos. The history of
the lest thirty years, during which you had the complete
monopoly of the Leine trade, will prove my position, it any
I reheat, can be placed on the statement ot you
rr so-cs
then
llet
friends, both in and out of parliament. [Mr. on
gase a rapid sketch of the history of the corn laws. showiest
that the ferment have hitherto been instruments in the
heads of the landlords to increase their rent roll. They have,
is bet, made their tenants their tar gatherers.] (Shame.)
ffiest—lie continued—make an stock on rent. There is a
large margin for reduction, without injury to landlords. I
hum may of you will say, " if farms an to be let, a host
el applicants are ready to take them." This bas been the
ease, but it is ceasing, and will continue to tease—them will
be too many in the market. If, gentlemen, you will only
chow a proper union and determination your landlords ean-
not stand &trainee you. No: they are powerless withent
re; as they know that succesoors equal to yourselves in
shill or capital cannot be found. ("Now he tries to flatter
us, down with him.") Depend upon it, a right spirit is
every village and hamlet would soon bring dews I
wasmust also demand more rights mod privi- I
must not be fettered by the hos; of re-
striallass width now hamper you. And you must
have a more secure interest in the Puprovements you
make. Get leases where you can. Get rid of the game lnd aws.
Seek M have more control over your local taxation, ajoin
the financial reformers in reducioe the euraysgent aspen-'
dims of government, Also, mike an effort to get rid of
your friend Sir Robert Peel's currency laws,. which I firmly
believe are deeply injuring you and other indusui ius clam s.
Let your watchwords be—lower rents, pewee bee-
dom and security for your skid and capi'al—and never
Vinod that sellrliabie is your best and sure st protection.
My friends, I am to king forwerd with intense interest for
the day when the benign effects of free commerce will he
lolly developed. When the ship shall come from n
and go to
every land, laden with God's Ili:wings. Whe
houses shall be abolished, and when all shall freely exchange
the products of their labour. The period will then have
arrived when every bunion of industry period
will
and the
earth be filled with plenty_and contentment. (Tussultuous
uproar and cheering.) Mf. Norton concluded by proposing
the following as eadawat t

" That the levying of • tax on the: importation of eon for
the purpose of giving a higher price to the producer at
, home, is unjust to the consumer. That experience has
' shown that the tenant tereve and labourer has not been
I benefited by the late monopoly of the home market. That
the best eta only just protection is to by obtains d by there
dactieu of rents, by the farmers bestir g at commend a midi-
' that amount of capital for the proper cultivation of their
farms; by obtaining • more secure interest in their outlay
for improvements; by getting rid of the host of restrictions
which now injure them, and by obtei.ing • great reduction
of the foal awl general tax •tion of the country."
Mr. NEWTON seconded the rmelution.
Tim ameadmeat wee then put by the chair, but the ori-
ginal motion was earrio4 by a Mete majority.
Sir MONTAGU CliOL dE1.4111 moved—
" That real property ought not to bear more than its fair
proportion of the tams of the country, whereas the owners
and campien of real properly are exclusively subject to the
payment of taxes antourvieg to twelve millions for objects of
• general and national character, which ought to be charged
on the entire income of the country."
A. BOUCHBILETT, Esq., in secondiag the resolution,
said that be thous's% ii. the spirit ce justice, all must acres
with the resolution which lad just been prepaid, but.
as the whole question had been so ably treated, it would
not be necessary foe him to offer any farther remarks
upon it.
Daring the delivery of the speech the excitement in the
body of the hall was intense, and it was with the tamest
difficulty that the speaker made himself beard. At the
conclusion he was alternately cheered and biased, and. in the
midst of she tumult
Mr. SEELEY asked what benefit did the tenant farmers
upset to derive frees tranoferring the hardens of the lauded
interest to their own shoulders. (Hem.) It was • monstrcus
sad a miserable spectacle for the landed interest, with the
most unblushing effrontery, to come there to attempt to
throw their burdens upon the industry of the country.
(Applause.) It any men, or body of men, had • right to
complain of free trade legislation, the firm of Keyworthsand
Seeley had that right; they bad been severe sufferers by the
importation J foreign finer. Ile never had had two worse
years than the two lest—(t voice, " You deserve a many
I more ")—but did he come there tt whining" for proteetien,
las the tamers and landlords had done ? No, he reduced his
expenditure, alto so met the pressure of the times. Dot if he
mere to ask, and to obtain, protection for himself, who was
to protect his men, fur that is what he understood
Iby a just and equal protettion ; he gave them the
same wages now as when fi Am was 3.. 4d. per stone. (Bear,
hear.) If all classes were entitled under the system of just
and equal protection to a modicum of protectiou, bow could
the cotton and the woollen manufacturers be protected, or
the coal owner ? Those climes could not be protected ; and,
therefore, to talk of just and equal protection was an absur-
dity. (.. Hem," and groans) After a few more ob•
'Nervations of • similar tendency, Mr. Seeley concluded by
aiming an amendment negativing the resolution proposed
by the preceding speaker.
The amendment was then put. hut was not carried.
The lion. A. L. MELVILLE then proceeded to move
the next re solution, and rammed, that however much they
taiget differ on some subject*, they would all agree on one,
and that was—Let Lincoln flourish. (Loud cheers from
ml present.) But, be would ask, does Lincoln &tank ?
lie met a tradesman last Friday who said that he had
been in besieges thirty yeas, and never knew things to be
so bed as at the present time. What is tae reason of tali,
Lincolnshire is not a =mut .cturing county, but depeaderit
mainly upon agriculture, corn, beet, and mutton being the
ewer produce. Now, if we grow more corn in this county
than we want, and export a million of quarters, and there is
la tal in the value of 10, per quarter, dues not the decree's
amount to 500,0001? And Lincolimiiire must consequently 1
buffer to that extent. (Laid cheers.) Atter some wittier
remarks he observed—We have to start in • race with all
other countries of the world, let us se* how the jockeys are',
weighted. We have a heavy natioaal debt; our horses
carry twelve stones, while theirs carry only cleat. lie then
proposed the following reeolutioa
"That import duties, varying from 5 to 30 per cent., are I
at present levied on the manufactured articles of foreign
nations, while their • ,ricultaral produce is admitted duty 1
free into the markets of the united kingdom. Therefore, in
order to place the British agriculturist in a fair patties,
import duties should be levied upon foreign agricultural
produce."
Mr. SKIPWORSII seconded the resolution, but was un-
able to address the m-eting in consequence of tee tumult 1
which existed in the body of the roam. After several
ineffectual attempts to make himself audible, he was
compelled to tit down, and a tremendous confusion sae.
coed d. The farmers °effaced most lonely, " Tam
them out !" and their opponents were not slow in ramm-
ing, with most stentorian lunge, their defiance. At
length the farmers made • united and determined Effort
to expel them from the emus ; and, from the suedemes•
of their attack, nearly succeeded, but the opposing party
h.vine rallied inemselves, the tamers were in their tura
driven back, and the scene or several minutes was one of
iudeseribable remission and uproar, blows being freely given
sad exchanged. Mr. Seeley and Mn. Norton endeavoured
to resters order; and alter something like silence had been

obtained—
Colonel SIBTHORP roe, bud was received with loud
sheers. The gallant colonel, who was evidently in a very
feeble state of healtu, obterved that he had ellen stood
before them, and had asked and received their
iadnl-
deuce. (Conn.) He hrd been very ill, and unable for
ail months to occupy Ilia place in the British House ul
Commons, and he should net have been amonpt them
en the pee ,eat occatuuo, had it not been for a deep seals
of the duty which he owed to them and to the county.
He thanked the gentleman who was once his voile rgue
in the Homo of Commons (Mr. Seeley), who had wished
that ltd hie might long be spared, to enable him to meet
him spin in • contest for the representation of the city.
He begged to thank Mr. Seeley ; and if it should be the
will of • kind and nem liceut providence that his hte
should be spared, he would again meet that gentleman and
beat him. (Loud cheers.) The resolution he proposed was
" Protection to B• ' h lodustry." (Loud cheers, groans,
and uproar.) He was • landlord, and he trusted not a bal
one—(no, no)—but had he thought that meeting was to pro.
tot estimators only, he 'wend nut have attended it ; but be
and they were for protection, not to one branch only, brt to
every branch of British industry. (Loud cheering.) He
was for the farmer, the commercial man, the manufacturer,
and the tradesman. HA position as a public man hail ale aye
been independent—he would ask no favour, he would re-
ceive no favour—but would give his undivided support to any
ministry which would advance the true interests of the
country. (Loud and repeated applause ) He observed that
be did not wish them to judge him by his words merely, but
by his works, and concluded by moving a resolution to
tne following effect ;
" That • requisition be forwarded to the high sheriff, re-
questing him to convene a meeting of the noblemen, gentle•
wen, farmers merchants, and others of the county of
Lincoln, to take into consideration the depressed state of the
agricultural and other trenches of native industry."
CHARLES CHAPLIN, Erq , of Blankney, briefly se-
conded the resolution, and it was carried.
A vote of thanks to the mayor presiding was passed, and
the meeting was dissolved.
Three cheers were given for the mayor—three cheer' for
Charles Seeley and free trade were heartily r•soonded to, and
the large assemblage quietly dispersed.

THE EXPLOSION OF FIREWORKS IN
BERMONDSEY.

The adjourned inquest upon the bodies of the four
persons who lest their lives in consequence of an explosion of
fireworks in a dwellinthonse occupied by a person named
Berlin, was held yesterday afternoon at the Slag John's
Head, Abbey-street, Bermondsey, before Mr. Carter. The
inquest was adjourned from the 6th of November last, in
order to enable the penal& injured by the explosion to re-
cover, and be present to give evidence.
Charles Bailin, sea of Wm. Berlin. was called aei
examined. He appeared to have suffered great injuries ea 1
the head and bands. He said—l am 19 years of age seat
'maul. My father's name is William Berlin ; I lived
with him en the 12th of October last, at 4, Breeladellets
Bermondsey New-road, and on the events; of that
day I was eager* rolling caws for a desalptioa otamerialle
celled blue ligties, which an sold to children at Id. sad AK
sea. These were ether persons in the room, aad to the
heat se my resellestien they were all rolling easel. I deal I
think my hitter wee there. The ezposiin took place at
kaltpert eleven as near as I can say, and there were then
la the ram my father and mother, my brother William,
1 sad G=l Barlow. I believe there was a quaatity of dre-
I works made up in parcels of a gross each. All I can
remember that my mother asked me to give her a chair in
',der to sit down to sapper. We had then cleared away
everything. I don't know whether anything was knocked
down, but a cracker went off. I have no distinct recollec-
tion whether, in the ant of giving the chair, something fell
but a cracker fired off, and a number of others followed. I
made my escape in the first instance without injury; Init I
returned to the house to f. tch out' my brother. I believe
that the fire was occasioned by striking the lamp as 1 lifted
up the chair.
The boy Liner, who was examined on the last occasion,
said, in addition to his former evidence, that he was upstairs
at the time of the accident, but from the position of the table
when he left the room he thought the handing of a ahair
across the table might knock the lamp and ignite some sul-
phur and lampblack which was on the table.
Mn. Baba, who had also just left the hal, said she
asked her sou for a chair, and as he was be it over the
table something fell, and immediately afte a cracker
went off, and others followed. Her husband had followed
the bathos' of making fireworks for many years, bat he had
been out of employment for a considerable time, and, being
in great deduces, they had to work early and late. They
had a manufactory in the Westminster-road, but a simple
thing like blue high's and crackers they made at home. When I
the accident happened they were Dapping the fireworks, i s.,
putting on the touchpaper with a little damp powder.
The Coroner said it now became the duty of the jury to
consider whether any pesos was liable for the consequences
of the explosion. The Recorder of London had already held
that a person was decidedly answerable for the death of a
party, occasioned by an explosion of fireworks illegally ma-
nufactured. It was entirely, however, a matter for their
decision. Should they think any onus attached to the
father they would return their verdict against him, but
if they were of opinion that the occurrence was purely of
an accidental nature he would not be liable for the Goan►
quences of it.
The jury then deliberated for some time with closed doors,
and on the public being admitted,
The Coroner directed that Mr. Hullo, the father, should
be brought in, and on his entering the room said that the
jury had found a verdict of " Accidental death," but had
thought it right to append the following to it :—" We, the
jury, cannot separate without expressing our regret that suf.
ficient steps are not taken by the police authorities to pre-
vent the manufacturing and selling of fireworks, whereby
lives and property are greatly endangered."