The Express.
London, England, 1851-12-31 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 31, 1851.

Mr. POTTS mowed the following resolution: "That this
meeting is fulls convinced that neither the execative coun-
cil nor the member. of the Amalgamated Society of Engl.
necis, &e.. contemplate a strike on the Ist of Januaiy,lBs2 ;
and that the assertions put forward to that effect arc en-
tirely untrue." As regarded the main question, he said all
that the m..n required was, that they shout 1 be allowed to
go to their work on Thursday next at the proper time,
land leave ut the end of the day's work.
Mr. WM. BROWN, in seconding the resolution, denied
that it was the intention to strike on the Ist of January.
There sever was a falser statement (Hear, hear.) They
knew too well the evils of a strike to resort hastily to such
a measure. (Hear, hear.) But they would do that which
the justice of the CAC demanded of them, and they hoped
that their employers would see the reasonableness of their
demands, and accede to their just proposal. (Hear, hear.)
The resolution was put and carried unanimously.
Mr. NEWTON said that the public would now see how
the matter stood—that they put forward a reasonable and
moderate case ; and if it was met in a similar spirit by tit....
employers, the matter could be amicably arranged by nego-
tietion. (Hear, hear.) He spoke the wishes of all parties
there. They were ready to meet the employers honourably
and moderately. (Hear, hear.) The public had heard a
great deal of their society of 12,000 men. Ile begged to
give them some information on the subject. Their present
society was an amalgamation of different societies, some of
which had been in existence for half a century, and its
objects were of a charitable and providential character. In
the years 1848 and 9—those yean of severe distress—
when they numbered hut 7,000, thee gave the unem-
ployed members no lees than 347,0001. (Rear.) Every man
who could not get employment, received 2204. a year—
(chc•en)—and whilst this was doing there were men work.
lug overtime. (Cheers.) He knew the case of a railway
company where the manager was told by the directors that
he must get rid of some of the men, or reduce the wages.
Will, the manager, like a sensible man, explained
the matter to the men, and they resolved to
accept of diminished wages, and to keep all the
hands till better times came round (Hear, hear.)
Again, when meu got sick they received 20!. If they re-
toned an accident, which incapacitated them for future
week, they got Via to set them up in some little business
' —(hmar, hear)—and if they were aMicted with paralysis or
say similar calamity they got 50!. for the same purpose
(Hear, hear.) Now he thought that this society did no.
small benefit by keeping a number of men from the poor
rates in years of great distress, and di. 'buting amongst
them 38,0001. Each man got Bs. a week, and though that
sum was small to he sure, it was more than the larger outer
I society allowed to these who became a burden on the poor
rates, (Hear.) 'Thou it should be recollected that these
12,000 men represented some 40,000 or 80,000 individuals,
I and that it was no small benefit to prevent them from being
f throws upon the charity of others. (hear, hear.)
The SECRETARY proposed a vote of thanks to the
" Press," which was passed with acclamation.
A vote of thanks to the chairman ended the proceedings.

IRELAND.

DUTILIN. Dec. 30.

The Rev. Richard Macdonnell, D.D., has been
appointed to the situation of Provost of Trinity Col-
lege, Dublin.
The contemplated aggregate meeting of the poor-
law guardians of Clare has become a subject of gene-
ral interest throughout that county. The following
notice of motion given by Mr. John O'Brien, one of
the local magistrates, and an ex (ffieiu guardian of
the Corofin union, is remarkable, as showing the
fuclings which arc beginning to prevail among his
class with reference to the landlord and tenant ques-
t tion. His notice is as follows: _ .

.
That while we entirely concur in the expediency of the
meeting of the poor-law guardians of the county to petition
the legislature tor a thorough reform of the poor-laws of
Ireland, we earnc-dly suggest that such should be accompa-
nied by a corresponding petition for a simultaneous amend-
ment in the laws of landlord and tenant, now so long, and,
far the interests of the country, so prejudicially postponed.
The Clore Journal, a tory and landlord paper,
tells the cx officio guardians that they will beat pro-
vide for their interests as landlords by the adoption
of the principle of the above resolution.
The Derry Standard says, a meeting was convened
by tho Mayor, and held in Corporation-hall on
Wednesday last, to express the general feeling of
horror and abhorrence at the late atrocious murder of

our townsman, Thomas Bateson, Esq., and to convey
to his relations the deep sympathy:which was felt for
their melancholy bereavement. The Mayor presided,',
and among those who took part in the proceedings
were the Lord Bishop of Derry, Sir Robert A. Fer-
guson, M.P., Rev. Dr. Denham, &c. The sum of
1,0001. was fixed on by the meeting as a reward for
the discovery of the murderers, and names were put
down for subscriptions to the amount of 3,000/. It
was stated that 4,000/. had been subscribed in Mona-
ghan, a great portion of it by farmers.

ties of the law. It was highly important for the public to
he satisfied that children, and all other inmates of a work-
house, were properly protected, and kindly treated by those
under whose guardianship and instruction they were placed,
and taking all the circumstances of the case into considera-
tion, he (the magistrate) felt himself bound to inflict a
ipenalty for the assault. Ile then conviete 1 defendant in
the sum of 404. and costs, or a month's imprisonment, and
hoped that what had transpired would operate as a warning,
and teach him to regulate better his temper in future.
The fine was immediately paid.
John Stapleton Smith," gentleman," was charged under
the following circumstances :
At 1 o'clock that morning defendant went into the house
of Mr. Croak, the Easton Arms, Melton-street, Easton-
square, being at the time without a coat, and forced his
way into the bar parlour. lie was ejected by the landlord,
by whom he was collared, and in swinging round with the
view of extricating himself he broke two panes of glass.
He was then given into custody, as he refused to give his
address or to make compensation for the mischief which he
had done. He was much the worse for liquor.
The magistrate fined hint Ss. for being drunk, and
ordered him to pay 4s. for the damage.
The following cams have been received as donations to
the poor box of the court:—The Mercers' Company, 10!. ;
from W., the first half of a 51. note ; and from W., 21.
LAMBETH.
James Spanateirk, Charles Mallen, Tlonsas Brooks, anti
Elizabeth Spansteick were finally examined on a charge of
breaking into a warehouse belonging to Mr. Terry, cheese-
monger, 01 No. 12, St. George's-place, Walworth-road, and
stealing therefrom 88IM. of scaling-wax, and 2001bs. of
twine, his property. It will be recollected that on Tuesday,
the 23rd instant, the prisoners were taken into custody at
the house of Spanswlck, No. 16, Thomas-street, Locksfirlde,
and on reaching the place the sealing-wax and twine were
found as well as two centre-bits, a great variety of padlocks
and skeleton keys, a " jemmy," a dark lanthorn, which
had evidently been recently used, and a life preserver. The
warehouse of the prosecutor which had been broken into,
adjoins the back premises of the prisoner Mallen, and from
the appearances on the wall and the fact of a piece of seal-
ing-wax being found in his garden, it was quite evident
that the persons committing the robbery must have
come from and returned by his (Mallen's) premises. On the
last examination Mr. Terry accounted fur the property pro-
duced by saying he hail purchased it from Mr. \a dal, a
clerk in the Post-office, whose perquisite it was, but Mr.
Elliott having considerable doubts whether such a quantity
of property could have been appropriated as a perquisite,
directed the officer engaged in the case to make the neces-
sary inquiries on the subject at the General Post-office. '
Yesterday Moss, 330 I', said that ho had called at the
General Post-office, ic;reeably to his worship's req est, and
was informed by two of the principals, Mr. Peacock and
another gentleman, that the waste card and waste sealing
wax were the perquisites of Mr. Wild, the storekeeper ; but,
on exhibiting the cord disposed of by that person, they ad-
mitted that such cord should not be amongst the waste, and
directed that Peak, the officer, should attend the inquiry
that day, with Mr. Wild, who had disposed of the property.
They were both then present.
• Peak, the officer, who spoke very lightly of the: matter,
and seemed the advocate of Wild, said that the waste wax
and twine had been the perquisite of Mr. Wild, who was
. the storekeeper. Since the office had been opened large
quantities of both articles were used, and necessarily there
was is corresponding quantity of waste. The twine produced
was so knotted together, that it was more than it was worth
t to unravel it, and the pieces of wax so short, as to be totally
unfit for use.

Mr. Elliott said—Don't tell me that the greater portion
of that twine is not tit for use. I say it L., lend afi, for the
wax being in short piece., it appears to me that it had been
broken on purpose to make waste of it. The practice of
giving such property as perquisites is, in my opinion, a
very bad one, an it frequently leads to dishonenty, and he
sooner it is discontinued the better.

Peak, on seeing tha hanks of excellent twine produced by
the officer Moss, said that the authorities at the P.".t.oltlac
considered it an "oversight" on the part of Mr. Wild put-
ting such amongst the waste, but he was present to answer
for himself.

Mr. Wild, the person alluded to, here rose and said that
for some years such articles had been his perquisites. Ile
also complained of the statement which had gone forth as
calculated to do him serious injury, fur it was described
that 81)1110 of the sticks of stalirv-wax had been in. rely
lighted at one cod, to give them the appearance of having
been used, while of all the wax that had been produced, nut
a single stick woo two inches in length.
Mr. Elliott did not see that this male the slightest differ-
ence in the case, for on examining the pieces of wax it
would be found that a vast quantity of them were broken
short off, and therefore led to the belief that they had b..en
broken, as he had before stated, for the purpose of making
waste.

Mr. Terry, the prosecutor. after identtfying the property,
which he said he had purchased from Mr. Wild on the 16E11
inst., so his, complained alio of the report of the last exa-
mination as calculated to do him serious injury in his busi-
ness. Though a cheesernonger, he said his principal busi-
ness was a contractor for and a dealer in government stores,
and being at present a contractor to supply the General
Post-othee with some articles, he took the property pro-
duced from Mr. Wild merely to serve that person. In
reply to a question from the magistrate, the witness ad-
mitted that the quantity of was alone which he purchased
from Mr. Wild was two hundred weight and a half in the
year, and for this he allowed him 21d., the contract price
to the Post-office being double that sum.
Mr. Elliott again denounced the practice of giving
perquisites, particularly in public offices, and committed
the t►lee male prisoners to take their Mel. The female
prisoner he discharged.