The Express.
London, England, 1851-06-10 00:00:00

TO TER EDITOR OF THE rxruvis.

MR. EDITOR,—In reference to the meeting of the
National Society, you say that you " deemed your-
self somewhat scurvily treated by what you were in-
duced to consider the lay and the liberal church
party."
I am not aware that any member of that party so
conducted himself, us that you should have come to
any such conclusion. It would be extremely un-
grateful in that parry, if, either collectively or
through any individual member; it did not on all
I occasions express its sense of the great %alai, of
your services, not only in this immediate matter of
the National Society, but in the tar more important
contest which has commenced within the chinch
itself, and on the issue of which depends its utility
and permanence.
That Lord Robert Grosvenor should have dis-
claimed any participation in the sentiments which
you had expressed, or in the objects which you had
proposed, is, I conceive, no proof that you had not
with you the sympathies of the liberal laity and
clergy.
His refusal to move the resolution so happily con-
fided to Sir John Pakington, and on grounds so very
trivial, is, I fear, sufficient indication of the category
in which Lord Robert Grosvenor desires himself to
be included.

Possibly you will allow ale to add a few more re-
marks.

Mr. Denison, in a letter which he has communi-
cated to more than one of your contemporaries, alter
admitting that his opponents have obtained a vic-
tory, adds, " What that victory amounts to is an-
other thing, and I should be glad to see an attempt
made to state it."

No man has less right to question the importance
of the victory than Mr. Denison.
He has taught us to test it by his own efforts to
avert the defeat. Want of generosity and discour-
tesy are his common temper, but he scarcely could
have carried these to the length he did on Wednes-
day, in the midst of the remonstrances of the episco-
pal bench and of the efforts of his opponents, to con-
ciliate him, if he had not felt that he was contending
for the very existence of the principle, which he had
unfortunately prevailed upon the society in former
year* to adopt.
The victory, then, amounts to this is the ex-
punging from the records of the society the resolu-
tion which so insolently defied the government, and
went to exclude the laity front control over or inter-
meddling with the parochial schools of England.
I grant that the majority might not have been so
decided if the bearing and temper of Mr. Denison
had not disgusted some of those who might have
been unwilling, under other circumstances, to oppose
him.

But write as these gentlemen may, and cudgel
their brains for theories infinite, wit!: the defeat
should be accounted actually as gain, it is neverthe-
less the plain and naked fact that the division was
taken on the terms of Mr. Denison's resolution ; that
is, whether the policy of the two former years was to
be upheld or rescinded.
Atter Mr. Denison, foolishly calculating on his
supposed majority, had reiterates' his determination
not to withdraw his resolution, Sir 'themes Acland
took care in a few forcible terms to make the meet-
ing understand that the decision was to be taken upon
Mr. Denison's policy, whether it was to be supported
or impugned.
But the victory. is greater than simply the diseom-
fiture of Mr. lknison, and the condemnation of his
opinions and policy.
The committee will have learnt a lesson, which
they will not soon forget.
They will not have seen the rallying of the laity
to the meeting on Wednesday—they will not have
witnessed the temper in which every allusion to the
attempt of exclusion of the laity from the manage-
ment of the church schools was received—they can-
not haveheard the sincerest, heartiest, and most ex-
ulting cheer which it has ever been my lot to hear,
bursting from the lips and hearts of those who that
day won their victory—without feeling that there is
a public to whom some consideration is due, without
resolving that, in future, some names should ho
offered for choice as committee-men in whom the
pablic may have some confidence.
Let the members of the committee be warned that
_

the victors are only resting on their arms. if they
have not resolved to be wi.e in time, and just to the
public and the public "abhorrence of priestcraft and
of the offensive principles adopted at preceding
meetings," the next struggle will be with the com-
mittee.
A national society slusU not be left in hands of men
who either do not know or else•do not care what the
nation has a right to expect, and does expect from it.
The committee must be warned that it is but upon
its trial, and that those who watch it have a whole
people, and not a failing and imbecile faction, to liuk
them.—Yours, obediently, G. E.

Tina TRUCK SYSTEM IN SOUTII WALES.—In enESE-
quence of the alleged revival of the truck system at Aber-
dare, Treforest, and elsewhere, two of them in connexion
with the works of the Messrs. Fothergill, at which some two
thousand or more bands are employed, a committee wad
recently formed for the protection of the rights of the u ork-
people, and proceedings wero taken under the truck laws
against the Messrs. Fothergill, which ended in a conviction
before Mr. Bruce, magistrate of the Merthyr and Aberdare
district, of Mr. Rowland Fothergill in a penalty of 51.,
which he refuses to pay. In consequence of this refusal
further informations have been Mid, and on Monday nights
numerous public meeting was held at the Odd Fellows'
Mall, Treforest, for the purpose of Agreeing to resolutions
condemnatory of the recent establishment of a truck shop
in the neighbourhood. The room was densely crowded and the
meeting was attended by Mr. Owen, the solicitor employed
by the committee, who upon his entrance was warmly
received. The chair was taken by Mr. Lewis Thomas, who,
in introducing the business, observed that they had hoped
that Treforest would not have been invaded by the debasing
system, and that no employer would have degraded himself
and enslaved his workmen by compelling them to spend
their hard earnings in a truck shop.—Mr. Bussell briefly
proposed a resolution which condemned the truck system
and the establishment of a truck shop at Treforest.—Mr.
Williams having in a few remarks seconded the resolution,
several gentlemen then addressed the meeting, which was
an exceedingly stormy ono The chairman proceeded to
put the resolution to the mating, but the persons present
either would not or could not understand him, and he was
met with cries in English and Welsh of " Pothergill for
ever," No, no," No monopoly," de. It was difficult
to ascertain what was the real fate of the resolution, but
the chairmen declared that it was negatived. Mr. Law-
rence said (as nearly as could be heard) that Mr. Fothergill
would heap within the law and pay in money, and a person
whose name was not stated, said the committee were deter-
' mined tole on with the agitation till the system was put
dews. The meeting, alter voting thanks to the chairman
and the page pram, broke up at a late hone.
Obatterton paingl off on Friday night
fax Lerd Nam's bglr with ed. Fotourt *Phut.