The Express.
London, England, 1851-06-04 00:00:00

the picture. -
Had the torics been wise in their generation, a
party which had achieved such a triumph abroad
might have long maintained their ascendancy in the
national councils. But success had made them in-
solent and left them dull; and their aim seemed to
have been to disgust every party iu the state. Their
enduring contempt of the commercial classes, their
denial of the franchise, even to Leeds; their mode of
regreseing popular Wing and agitation, borrowed
from the worst times of past centuries, soon filled
the measure of disgust. Nothing so depopularised
them as the spy system, and the gutting up of con-
spiracies by the activity of government agents and
informers.
The great claim that Mr. Baines had to the grati-
tude of his countrymen was the courage and acute-
ness with which he undertook and carried through
the complete exposure of this system. In his
double character of commercial citizen and provincial
editor, the truest information was obtained by hint,
and ho had the means of disseminating it in a journal,
the long-established character of which for truth
logic, and an absence of exaggeration, gave the ut-
most publicity and weight to all it uttered. Whilst
the Ldinburyh Review was sapping the foundations
of the bulwarks of toryiam amongst the upper
and highly-educated classes, journals such as
the Leeds Mercury, by a quicker medics
wratwii, were exciting the same feelings in
the middle class ; Henry Hunt and compeers being
no leas busy and successful in a lower grade of so-
ciety. And as if no class could be unstirred by dis-
content. there appeared a writer of a peculiar turn,
with the habits, language, and ideas that enabled
hint to address and command the working agricultu-
rist and the lower shopkeeper. The power of
Cobbett was immense, and had it been wisely,
rationally, or consistently directed, it might have
told greutly for the chugs to which it was addressed.
But Cubbetes blindness was equal to his rigour, and
the blow of his flail fell almost impartially upon
the foes and friends of the popular cause. Neverthe-
less, he increased the mass of popular discontent,
and flung his share into that cauldron which nearly
boiled over in 1832, and would have done so, had not
the landowners submitted to the sacrifice of some
portion of their indefensible privileges and unwisely-
used power.
Mr. Baines gives the history of this movement,
chronicles the different steps of its progress,
and the first result of its success was the election for
Yorkshire and for Leeds. We cannot well under-
stand the anger, directed against Mr. Macaulay, for
haring first accepted the representation of Leeds,
and for then having quitted it for useful and active
office beyond sea. Surely what a liberal town
should most rejoice and delight in, would be
to rear and display a series of politicians
all acquisitions to the experience and business talent
of the nation. On Mr. Macaulay's vacation of his
seat Mr. Baines was elected member for his native
town, his letters and records being henceforth re-
plete with that parliamentary and political informa-
tion which is gathered at the centre of affairs, not at
the extremities. Mr. Baines remained in parliament
till the whigs were ousted in 1541, when, to all
appearances. a tory reaction had set in, which he felt
that it required youth to combat and to face. Political
reactions, however, which used to run in the same cur-
rent for seven, eight, or ten years, are now of much
shorter duration. And it is evident, that when
tones do grasp. office, it must be either to lose sight
of their principles, or to abandon power within a
very brief period.
The latter portion of the volume is devoted to the
resistance offered by the elder and younger Baines
to the several schemes of government educa-
tion. In this we by no means agree with
the veteran liberal of Leeds, or with his
son. The peculiarity of the Baines, indeed, was
that, of all questions, they took an exclusively middle-
class view; and, in most cases, it was the nght one.
In questions, however, which affect religion and edu-
cation, it is necessary to think of all classes, and how
best they arc to be provided for. Voluntaryism in
both does admirably for the middle clas-es,
or for countries like America, where there
is none other but a midale class. But, to
give up the poor, to leave the agricultural and
peasant population, for example, to voluntaryism,
either in religion or in education, is to abandon them
either to the dictation of their lar.dlords or to their
own ignorance and supineness. The state alone is
tneir natural protector, or the state locally repre-
sented by local bodies. This, however, would lead
us into a profound, and, for the present, a needless
disquisition. Suffice it to put in the protest, that
whilst giving the full tribute of respect and admi-
ration to Mr. Baines as a politician, we differ from his
views on these last points.
To us, however, Mr. Baines appears more eminent
and valuable as the journalist than as the acting po-
litician. It is impossible to estimate too highly the
influence and importance of the provincial press.
The provincial press is much more closely in contact
than the metrwolitan with the classes it represents.
Provincial newspapers are in general middle-class
organs, which metropolitan organs are not exclusively.
A gentleman, therefore, who lives half a century
amongst his fellow townsmen, invests his capital in
a newspaper, and acts as the political echo, as well
as guide of opinion—such men, and they are to be
found in most of our provincial towns—are amongst
the most important personages in the country, and,
we need not add, amongst the most respected.

AYLESBURY ELECTION PETITIONS.—Yesterday the so Si.
Duke of Buckingham woe examined before the committee st.
relative to the petition ted a short time since to the 10
House of Commons referred for inquiry to this coin- 13
mittee, by one Thomas Bradford, of Aylesbury, saddler,
praying that an inquiry might be instituted, on the ground et. I
of alleged bribery, intimidation, and corruption, into the elec. It
tion of Mr. Bethel' to serve for the borough, and calling on to
the house to return Mr. Fermod, the unsuccessful candidate. SO
The petition also alleged that Mr. Calvert, who had been t;
unseated by a select committee on the ground of treating,
became an agent and partisan of Mr. Bethel), together with 10
Acton Tindal, A. Benson, G. Defraine, and others, with so
the individual known as the Man in the Moon &Ms Crouch, Si.l
and that the agency of these parties was employed in oh-
tainiug Mr. Bcthell's return. These persons have ni
been examined at the various sittings of the com-
mittee, which have been conducted with closed doors.
The petition praying for an inquiry was subsequently
withdrawn by Mr. J. Strutt, solicitor, of Buckingham-street,
Strand, who states he received instructions to prepare and L. 351
present it from one Thomas Hughes Bradford, but that the ;
said Thomas Hughes Bradford did not attend to sign the se
petition on the last day allowed fur its presentation, and se
that Mr. Cunningham, Mr. Strutt's partner, signed it in the at.
name of Thomas Hughes Bradford, and then presented it to SO
the house. After the petition had been presented, Mr.
Strutt received a message from the Duke of Buckingham, 5
requesting to see him immediately, when the duke in-
formed him that the said Bradford had been to him at the Ia
Carlton Club in a state of drink, and wished to know if he 10
had been sent by Strutt, who answered in the negative, /0
and denied that he ever offered Bradford any reward to 12.1
sign the petition in question, and it is this that forms the rs
subject of the committee's inquiry. 25
SMITHFIELD MARKET REMOVAL COMMITTEE. —The at.
committee met again yesterday, and proceeded to take fur-
ther evidence from the butcher interest in favour of the
continuance of Smithfield ;at the conclusion of which Mr. 16
Scijeant Wrangliani and Mr. James, Q.C., who was yes- Eel
terday retained in support of the government bill, objected '1
to counsel for the other side going into evidence in favour I
of the improved plan proposed by the corporation of the Sol!
City of London, on the ground that the bill for that per I
pose, and of which the plan in question formed the chief "'•
part, had been thrown out in the house, and was not before
the committee. The room was cleared for deliberation, and le
the hon. Chairman having gone to ask leave, it being 4
o'clock, to sit during the sitting of the house, returned I Ili
with an intimation that as there was "no house," they so
must adopt the alternative of adjourning to 12 o'clock

day. is
to-
Iat:NPOWDIR STORSS. LIVERPOOL.—Yesterday the com-
mittee on this bill, for repealing so much of 12 Geo. 111. 13
relating to the making. keeping, and carriage of gunpowder
as exempts therefrom the gunpowder stores and magazines s:
at Liseard, in the parish of Wallasey, on the side of the in
Mersey opposite Liverpool, mot for the first time. The bill
wets forth that the said magazines and storehouses are ex- Ili
tremely dangerous to the inhabitants, to the town and
docks of Liverpool, and the shipping. It is proposed that !,
the magazines shall be discontinued after one year, and •"'
prior to the expiration of that period not more than so
400,000115. of gunpowder shall be stored therein, under a
penalty of 7001., and subject to the regulations prescribed by to
the Ordnance.

_—..ernlZAD DOCKS.—We understand that ar- "
ranpments have been entered into by the trustees of the al
Ducks of Birkenhead and the Dock Warehouse Company
to co-operate for carrying on the outer works of the docks el
on the plans of Mr. Abernethy, C.E., and that a bill for ID
the purpose is now before parliament. We congratulate :5
the promoters of Birkenhead on the important prospect
these arrangements foreshadow that a deep-water entrance SO
suited to the exigencies of the times will be obtained
speedily.—Liverpool Albion.
ROCIIF.STER CATREDRAL.—The Maidstone journal sii
of the 20th ult., reproduced an old decimation of the Dean It.'
and Chater of Rochester, to the effect the. they removed 1,1.1
Mr. Whiston "not merely on account of his having made 't
charges against them, which need nut have been an offence, el
and might even have been a duty, but for holding up to el
public scorn and contempt their ministrations in the cathe-
dral." Now we are not likely to be suspected of any par- 611
tiality fur, nor of any close and occult communication with .„1°
the cathedral precinct, and therefore we shall not be "
6
deterred by any fear of the imputation of flattery
from expressing the opinion that this declaration begins 12
to assume an appearance, more truthlul and life-like el
than some other reptescntations of the chapter. For to
if one may judge by the remarkable indisposition which ~,81*
the dean and canons have lately shown for cathedral ''''
duties, it really would seem as if they were conscious
that somehow or other, their ministrations were re- le
garded with little respect, and that in tact they were them- I U.
selves exemplifying a saying of one of their own body, that, il.
"by not acting up to the spirit of the doctrines we profess, :
we make others distrust our belief in them." Be this as it g
may, their " hopes of their owe usefulne,s " must, if not et.
"destroyed," be at any rate much impaired, fur it is a fact , II
that one of the canons has not been in Rochester for three I
years, while the recent ministrations of the dean and other sa
canons may be summed up as follows,.—l. The dean
preached in December live times, in January twice, in Fe- g
bruary three times, in March twice, or twelve times alto-
gether, besides which he attended cathedral service four IS
times from December 1 to April 1. 2. Dr. Griffith preached , ~
in November four times, in December three times, in : ;
January twice, in February three tinier, and in ,
March twice, or twelve times altogeher. 3. Dr. Irving i 17
preached twice in December, and nut since. 4. The , U
archdeacon preached three times in April, and twice
in May, five times altogether. Surely then there is good ,
reason for thinking that the dean and canons must be con-' '
scions that their ministrations are neither so useful nor so'
respected, as they might be, especially when we reflect that
judging by past years, the amount divided amongst them
for the labours aforesaid must have been abaut 5,000/. ; and
this suspicion is strikingly corroborated by what took place
in the cathedral on Sunday week. There was a canon
there, who in the morning read a portion of the commu-
nion service, in a very audible and clear voice, as if he ,
would show how well he might have preached, an t then
returned to his stall, somewhat fatigued perhaps by the
walk. There was also a ini .or canon there, a much older
man than the prebendary, and with a voice so feeble that
he could hardly articulate some of his words. Moreover, be Is
a vicar of a parish 016,000 inlienitants, and it WAS sacrament
Sunday ot his ownchurch. Notwithstanding he was called
upon to preach the Cathedral sermon, elide the canon, with
CAO/. a year, sat at his else in his stall. But this is not all.
There was service at the Cathedral in the afternoon, and a
sernrin to be preached, and though the prcb,:ndary mud
have seen the labour, and might have felt for the pun and,
difficulty under which the minor c loon evidently had suf.
fered in the morning, still 11;2111 did he sit in his stall while I
the minor canon, at 301. a peer, again preached a sermon, as
good in matter as it was painful in delivery. With such
facts as these, there really seems good reason for thinking
that the Chapter have hit upon a most happy device for
counteracting the public scorn and contempt, to which they
I say Mr. Whist a has held up their ministrationa, by adopt-
Vll3Olll, JOSE 2.—Five per Cent. Mistalliquce, 911-18 ; i iug a system, the further extension of which will soon anal-
Four-end-a-Half per Cents., 84 1-18; Bask Sham, 1,224 ; hi ate their duties altogether, and leave nothing " for even
lischsage ea Loados, 12.11. ' Putsch to emit a sorry squeak upon."

Return of the number of Bibles and Testaments I
printed by the Queen's printer, from the Ist day ofJanuary,
to the 31st day of December, 1830, inclusive ; and the
amount of drawback of paper duty rec:•ived in the same
period: similar return for the Utuversity of Oxford: and,
similar return for the University of Cambridge, for Bibles ,
and Testaments; with a return of drawback of paper duty •
received
same .by• the printers of that University, during the
By thepmieo Queen's printer : Bibles, 1,137,500; Testaments,
762,000; drawback ou the same, 7,7231. Bs. 10:d.
At the University Press, Oxford, 1848: Bibles, 261,300 ;
Testaments, 262,000 ; drawback, 2,299/. 14s. 111 d. - 49: .
Bibles, 308,500; Testaments, 253,600; drawback, 2,596 W.
61(1.-50: Bibles, 305,750; Testaments, 235,000; draw•
back, 2,7431. 18*.
At the Cambridge University Press, 1848, Bibles, 76.530;
testaments, 94,000.-19, Bibles, 31,000 ; Testaments, 73.000.
—5O, Bibles, 31,000; Testaments, 33,000. Total, bibles,
138,000 ; Testaments, 201,000.
Drawback of duty on paper, claimed every .year, from
Ist January, 1838, to 31st Dec.,1830: 1838, 1,6041. 15s. dd. ;
do., 19-1,8731. 10s. 10d., 40-3,4971. 16e. 7d.; 41-
1,7281. 7s. 7d. • 42 500/. 4s. bd. ; 43--6981. 9e. ;
44
1,•2001. Oa. 21. ; 46-4971. 12+. 10d.; 46-1,491/. 4.. Bd. ;
47-1,1171. 1 ls.4d. ; 48-1,2081.141.10 d. ; 49-6901.18,. tid ;
50-6251.85. Id.