The Express.
London, England, 1853-11-18 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER FREEHOLD LAND SOCIETY.

Last evening a public meeting of the Westminster
Freehold Land Society was held at Laldwell's Roams, Dean-
street, :robe. Mr. J. George, churchwarden of St. Ann's,
ice the chair. Tha Chairman opened the proceedings of the
evening by a reference to the merits of the Westminster
Freehold Lsud Society, which, he said, by this time were
pretty well understood. There was one thing which tended
greatly to advance the progress of these societies, which was
that they were always open to every possible inquiry, and
the more the Society was inquired into the more would
the wothiiir classes and the public see the benefit derivable
from it. ir rice its formation it had received in subscription
from shaieholdets the sum of 22,1871. 125., and, according
to the last report tlery were now in possession of no fewer
than eight estates—namely, East Moulsey (West Surrey),
Riegate. and Long Ditton, both is Rut Serrey, Helmedele,
Kent Town. :K.:hurn, and Brixton. The amount of the
subscription for this year was 6,6771. 7s. est., and at the
present time they had added to the elective franchise of the
country 112 voters, persons who had received their votes
by small weekly subscriptions of about eighteenpence, and
had already obtained possession of the qualifications on
on account of their paid up shares. The auvantages of this
society might be understood when it is stated that some
of the allotments which bad cost only 301., bad been sold
again for GGI ,on account of the desired privilege of being
early put in remotion of a plot of freehold land, and this
too on a 30/. share. As a means of saving money it was far
before savings banks, where a man could only get
three per cent. for his money, besides • limita-
tion being placed as to the amount of capital to be held.
Persons taking shares, sad not desiring an allotment, could
easily realise from 10 to 12 pet Dent., without any risk or
trouble whatever. They could not benefit themselves more
than by joining • society of this description. Some of the
allotments in this society had been obtained as low as 201. or
261. For the small sum of eighteenpence a week a member
might be put into possession of an allotment so far as to be
receiving rent from the property, and by the end of six or
seven years it was very likely that if he had not got full goo-
'mission of his allotment, he would at the least be receiving
a rent equivalent to his subscription until the share was
paid up. The secret of it was that land was purchased
, at the wholesale price, and retailed so to the members.
Sewerage, road-making, and, in fact, everything was done
, by contract, even to the legal conveyance of the property.
Why, the mere investigation into the title of a small estate
; bad cost nearly 30/., while in this society a man's allot-
; ment was conveyed to him for a few shillings.
, Mr. Houderr, the secretary, adverted to the political
influence of land societies. Having referred the meeting to
the last annual report, a great number of questions were
put relative to the management of the society, all of which
were meat satisfactorily answered.
A vote of thanks was unanimously awarded to the chair-
man, and the meeting separated