The Express.
London, England, 1851-11-29 00:00:00

NATIONAL FREEHOLD LAND SOCIETY.

The second annual general meeting of the National
Freehold Land Society was held last night at the Louden
Tavern, Sir J. Wai.maisx, president of the asso-
ciation, in the chair. There was ave y numerous muster
of members on the occasion.

Mr. WHIT f INGII.OI, the secretary, read the report
awl statement of accounts.
The report, which was of a very satisfactory character,
stated that there remained on hand some lots which had
been offered to members entitled to choose, and which on
the Ist of January neat would be offered to members who
were desirous of taking them, though not yet entitled. That
branch 4,1 the society's business which constituted the
ordinary business of a building society had been
much developed during the past year. Throughout
the last registration, but one claim to be registered
on a lot procured through the society MAs dis-
' allowed on the merits, and that by mistake. The drawing
of shares would in future take place every Saturday at 11
o'clock insteadmf monthly, as heretofore. Oi 230,000/.
stated to have been received during the past year by free-
hold land societies, this society received 90,137/., and out of
15,000 new members, this society Mit: 41 4,231, and out
of 25,000 new shares, 9,831 were issued by it. The nen
balance up to the end of last year was 3,077/. 135., out
of which a dividend of 3/. Bs. Id. per cent. wou:d be placid
to the credit of such members as had not received their
shares, and the balance would be carried to the reserve
fund.

The CHAIRMAN, in rising to move the adoption of the
report, said though personally labouring in connection with
another great rause for the enfranchixment by legisla-
tive enactment of the great mass of the wealth-producing
classes, he was not on that account the less happy to
find himself identified with the interests of thc
Free-
hold Land Society. (Cheers.) And most heartily did
he congratulate the members of this association on the
rapid progress nod high prosperity of their utfairs, a.
indicated in the report which had just been read. That
the society had advanced to so prosperous u condition was
a proof of the soundness of the principles on whirls it
was founded, and of the intrinsic excellence of the objects
it had in view. He thought they would all agree that
without those features it would have tailed to carry with
it the confidence and support of prudential and rctlec-
: tire men. The result, so far, had exceeded their most rian-
guine expectations. and it was not fortitude that they now
needed to sustain them under difficulties, but wisdom to
• guide them in the midst of their success. There might bi
those who deemed it an inconsistency iu the person who
might be labouring for the abolition of u property
qualification and for the attainment of a freehold vote.
To him, at least, the two movements appeared per-
fectly in harmony, as tending to the same great cud.
The artisan was now shown that if the franchise was not
made easy of attainment, it was at least made pne,tical, and
if the government would not allow him a vote as a tax-payer
he could win it for himself by associated efforts. Those
efibrts were resulting in the introduction of a sturdy and
incorruptible body of men to the franchise, and could not fail
to haven most important hearing on the future representa-
tion of the counties. All might aid in the good work.
Fathers might counsel their sons, each man might stimulate
and encourage his neighbour, and, that mighty engine the
press carrying their peaceful plans to every corner of the
empire, they might fairly and reasonably hope fur the time
when the toiling millions of this country might stand erect
as free men, and each Min might be able to place his Mot
upon a moil of earth, the rightful purchase of his honour-
able toil.

Mr. COBDEN, M I'., wished to dispel certain misrepre•
sentations which prevailed with reference to this movement.
One of their critics had expressed a wish to tt see the interior
of a freehold land society." (Laughter.) Ile could tell
that individual there was one to be seen which would pro-
bably inspire hisconfidence. Ile meant the Church of England
Provident Freehold Land Sucicty,one of the trustees of which
was the Rev. Thos. P. Dale' Residentiary Rouse, St. Paul's.
Every objection that could be urged to this society might be
with equal propriety urged against hundreds of benevolent
building societies throughout the country. All those attacks
on the freehold land societies were just a repetition of those
that had been made against every movement which hod for
its object to give to a body of industriouSpeople importuiti-
ties of indulging in that which was once thought to be a
luxury only to he enjoyed by their superiors. Again, those
critics had said that this movement was t.guing to make
land the common attribute of the community.' Ito dared
say they expected next that the people wanted to be shout•
ing partridge*, hares, and phe;usants. It was also said that
a poor man would only get into debt on a bit of land.
Well, if he did that, he would only be following the
example of his betters ; and if that was to be made the
reason why people should nut possess land, they would wnut
an encumbered estates court in this country next year,
which would dispossess half the landowners of their acres,
and a great deal more. The hon. gentleman concluded
amidst loud cheers by seconding the adoption of the report.
Mr. HOLDER said that he did not wish to move the
rejection of the report, but he would move as an amend-
ment, that for the future the report set forth the outlay in
the purchase of estates, the oxpenso of management, the
repayments under each estate, and that Rhy balance-sheet of
the allotments be submitted to the metaben without
delay.
Mr. RUSSELL, the solicitor of the society, said it
would be illegal to set forth these things in the report.

After some mli,cussion on the aubjuct, the CHAU/VAN
put the amendment, fur which but n few hands were held
up. The niution fur the adoption of time report was then
put and carried unanimously.

The CHAIRMAN then proposed that the ten retiring
directors be re-appointed, which was also carried after some
objections had been urged against the mode of appointing
the directors in a body, and without givin4 the members an
opportunity of deciding on the merits of each, and an inti-
mation from Mr. Cobden that the objection would be consi-
dered.

Mr. Cullenford and Mr. Howard were re-elected auditors;
after which a vote of thanks was passed to the chairman
and directors, and the meeting then separated.

DISASTROUS COLLISION ON THE SOUTH

COAST RAILWAY.

A collision, attended by very melancholy circum-
stances, took place on the London, Brighton, and South
Coast Railway, at about a quarter past 10 o'clock on Thurs-
day night at a place named Ford, two miles from the town
of Arundel. At the Ford station the above line of railway
crosses the river Arun by means of a wwalen bridge, which,
for the convenience of vessels passing up and down the
river, is constructed so as to open in the centre. In order
to make it as light as possible, only a single line of rails is
laid down, signalmen mid pointonen being properly sta-
tioned to prevent accident.

Ou Thursday night the 7 p.m. down train from London,
leaving Brighton at 9.30, having called at 10.4 at the
Arundel station, was proceeding ;towards the Ford visa
duct, it appearing that the signal was up in-
dicating that another train was passing over the
single line of rails, and which signal would seem
to have been observed by the engine driver of the
down train, but who, supposing the other train would be
off in time, did not stop his own. The consequence was,
that he came into violent collision with the up luggage
train before the whole of it had. got off the bridge, only the
engine, tender, and two trucks having done so. Tho shock
of the collision, as described by a passenger in the down
train, was of the most frightful character; goods trucks
and their contents were in many instances wholly destroyed,
and in others partially, as were also the passenger train
carriages. The guard's van of the latter was overturned
and crushed to atoms, the guard himself, named Burgess,
escaping, extraordinary to say, without the least injury.
The down train had but few passengers in it, and of these,
although nearly all of them were more or less bruised, none
were seriously wounded. The persons in charge of the
goods train also escaped unhurt, but the stoker of the
down train, named Martin, was so dangerously wounded
that there is no hope of his recovery. his injuries are
chThey iefl about the head.
1 engine-driver of the down train, John Pemberton,
I I from whose subsequent conduct there is reason to believe
that the accident was attributable to his negligence of the
signals, is also not expected to live. He entirely escaped in-
jury from the collision, but after it he made two desperate
attempts on his life. In the line instance, he attempted
directly after the collision to cut his throat, but was pre-
! vented by Burgess, the guard of his train. Pemberton.
Ihowever, succeeded in an wounding himself that no hope is
entertained of his surviving. BUM'S, then put him in
charge of a person on the spot, but from this person Pem-
berton soon made his escape, and again attempted to de-
stroy his life by pbinging into the river Arun. Burgess,
who had been assiduously attending to the wants of the
unfortunate stoker Mart= and the wounded passengers,