The Express.
London, England, 1851-01-25 00:00:00

TRAVELLING CLUES.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE EXRIBITIOE EXPRESS.

Sir,—The many improvements which have been
made in the rules of travelling clubs since the foundation of
the first, deserve public notioe. These improvements are
Important, inasmuch as they aro for the most part adapta-
tions of old roles to the unprecedented requirements of the
Exhibition time.lThe earlier clubs, formed in the enthusiasm
of the moment, are barely calculated to give to the labouring
classes all the advantages they might enjoy durirg their Ex-
hibition vhit to London. The time was ill-considered ; the
possible lodging accommodation was only in rare instances
taken into consideration ; :he probable rise in the price, both
of board and bed, was not duly weighed; in short many
travelling clubs were stored by zealous men, who forgot
the general public in their earnest regard for their own
immediate neighbours. There con be no doubt es to the
practicability of providing remedies for then inevitable
defleienties ; but it is well to warn in time. We may record
one instates of an important travelling club, established
without calculation, but with a blind zeal, the spirit of which
is commendable, and the effect of which may be not %Mous to
all parties concerted. Al "Excursion Saba)" for Dublin has
just been formed, under the presidency of the Lad
Mayor of Dablin, tha rules et which lie before us. The
club coneists of "honorary" and " bozo fi:iary " measlier'
—the honorary members being voluntary snow inns, who
wish to assist the society, ant " beneficiary " members,
those for whose secommodstim the club is form: I. The
error of giving to a voluntary i.ssociation of worlsiog moo the
colour of a charitable institution has been too of:en proved
to need any argument on the subject. Tani c.ub dedtra
that each member must pay a weekly sum of two shillings
and rixpenco, commencing on the nest Mondey ir. JAW/MY ;
yet fr,m the last rmagraph is the prospectus we learn the
surprising intelligence that the a:wines of transit pot
steamer and railway have net yet been sacatained; but that
when these matters are " fully and au hentically " known, a
meeting of the usembenwiil be called. This Li, it must be
declared at once, a clumsy and unsatilfastay method of
' proceeding. The working man is called upon to deposit
two shillings and animate weekly (a large sum for him)
, without knowing whether or no: ad..subscription will suffice
I to carry him to London and back. Now it is obvious that
the working man can only afford a ennui sum, and that it
the utmost beton afford will not suffice for his j.,urney, he
should net be deluded into a contrary belief. The precau-
tions recently adopted by the tzeinaive committee of Leeds,
and which will be submitted to the members of the local clubs
today, are steps in the right direction, promising the prompt
adoption, from a central and responsible authority, of all
rules that may be needful t. meet the possible exigencies o
the year. The following is the Leeds plan:
" The Leeds district comprises the avail townships and

villaii;inWs;eighbcurhood in which the woollen m.:eufac-
facture is carried on. A committee of five, mud tr.aeurer, to
he chosen by the executive committee of the Leeds district.
The committee to appoint a eiraetery or secretaries. The
secretary to pot himself in communication with the railway
con:Tani. e; with the registration.oflice for lodgings opened
by the loyal Commissioners, and ciao with any other
"genii= catabliihed in L onion for the purpose of re-
gistering or engaging ',Aging' for the working classes. The
information on railway transit, and the terms 01 lodging-
housikeepers, thereby obtained, to be recorded by the secre-
tary in • clear manner, so thit the clubs in connewim with
the agency may have ready =fess to it, and that the same
may also be comecunictsted from time to time to the clubs, as
eircumstances may ri quire. The committee to take immure'
for the tonnation of additional clubs, and to give all the ae-
=stance in its power towards their prop r organmation,toongtt
without In tiny way interfering with their Mc null manage.
mint end affairs. The tffice to be own from tea to (oar,
and one or two ev:ninge during the with. Conditions on
which the committee will extend the adeautaites of the
mercy to the clubs:-1. Each club to signify In writing its
desire to accept the snsietanoe of the commute*. 2. Li order
to cover the expenses of the agency, each club to pay oae
pain, per member on its first 041111,C:1011 with the commit-
tee, and on the completion of the arrangements with the
railway companies to pay a Muter sum per member, not
exceeding threepence per member io all. 3. To avoid can-
fusion and difficulty in the management, all communication'
with tte clubs to be through the chairman and secretary of
each. No other members .1 the clubs to have access to the
office of the agency. 4. All nigutiations betwixt use clubs
and the railway companies to be combo oil by th, c mishit*
t through whom the tickets shall be transmitted to the chair!
man of the respective clubs. 6. Negotiauons with lodging-
boom keepers to be conducted either through the agency or
directly betwixt the dabs and those parties, as the dabs
may detsrmine ; the agency, in the latter case, simply sup-
I plying the information at its command."
A SUBSCRIBER.

On Monday last, a travellieg club was formed at London-
derry under tee auspices of the Mayor of the Town ; the
weekly subscription fixed upon was 24.0 d.
Oa Tuesday evening lut. a crowded public meeting was
held in the New Roll, Leicester, to receive information
relative to the arrangements or the railway 0011111111111ilf, and
the provision for the accommodation of visitors to the Cheat
Exhibition in Londm. Mr. T. Cue.k, who is the suh,rised
agent of the Midland Railway for the district, gave a descrip-
tion of the Mechanics Rome and other bent,ings provided
for working men, and said that the Midland Ruiner would
run cheap trains—at a penny a mils the double journey,
making the faze from Leitiester and back 8.. G.A. Re clime-
lated that a working man could go, raters, and board and
lodge in London for lour or six days, at 30r. or 21., and ho
would add 104. for eight es lag, &o
The Marlborough Travelling Club intend giving a ball
on Tuesday, the 20th inst. This society was one or the first
—if not the first—in the kingdom, it bring now nearly 12
months since its formation. The travelling club of Har-
low, including Sawbridgeworth, held a meeting on Friday,
in the course of which it wall stated that 420 members had
been enro led. On 'Tuesday last the Stooehouse Trave Ling
Club held a meeting for the purpose of urging their fellow-
toe rumen to enrol themselves.
The Bacon Travelling Club reports that it has sixty
members.
A Cub has been formed at New Swindon, as at mo,t other
towns in the country, to enable the members to •isit the
forthcoming Exhibiu 4n, but the manner in which this is
corned on is doubtless different from any other. It is thus
Twenty persons subscribed 10s. each fur the purpose of
• in., a thud, wi. h which a quantity of household provisions
• were purchased at the wholesale pric., and retailed out to
the shareholders at the ordinary selling or shop price. By
these means, although the plan has been but a short time in
• operation, the 101. has been increased to 161. So highly
s has the plan been spoken of that we should nut be eurpriejl
e if a less sum than the first deposit of 101. will clear all
expenses attending each shareholder's visiting and fully
inspecting the great Exhibition.— IViltshire Inckpendent.

LONDON PLACES OF AMUSEMENT.