The Express.
London, England, 1848-02-07 00:00:00

SUPPLY OF GAS INNIAHYLESONE.

The parochial committee of St. 31arylehone having
passed a resolution that the whole of the committee, con-
sisting of about SOO rote payers, he requested to form a de-
putation, to urge the vestry to confirm the report ot the gas
committee giving the Western Gas-light Compaay per-
mission to lay their mains in the parish, a tattling of the
vestry tuoi place oa Saturday, at the Cot.rt-house, iu Mary-
lebone lace, for the purpose of considering the question,which
seemed to recite gnat interest, as there was an unusually
large attendance of vestrymen. while numbers of rate-
payers were dirappointed in obtaining admission to the
gallery, which was densely crowded at au early hour,
The rector, the Rev. Dr. Spry, was in the chair, and
amongst the veetryten n were Mr. flume, ; Sir J.
laPTaggart, M.l'. ; Mr. Plowden, M.P. ; Mr. J. Williams,
M.P. ; Lord Montfort ; Sir J. liamOnen, Bart.; Sir W.
Stirling, Bart- • J. R. Todd, Esq. • H. Tharkeray, Km. ; P.
Laurie, E-q. ;J. F. Stanford, Esti., ate. Sir B. Ball, Dart,
M.l'., and Lord D. Stuart, M.P., were also present. A.
letter bevies been read from the soli; itor of the Western
Gas Company, coetradicting some statements which had
been made at a former meeting of the vestry respecting the
finances of that company, the deputation referred to were
called in, when
Mr. GARNETT (as chairman) addressed the vestry, and
forcibly urer, el what he termed the right of the race-p len to
he freed from the monopoly the Imperial Gas Company,
by admittinz the Western Gas Company into competition
with it. fn .eed, the advantages of competition had already
been greatly des( loped, for the Imp. rod Comp ,ny,siuce the
starting of the other, had reduced the price ot their gas from
7.. to Ga. per thouaattl feet ; and as even at this reduer .1 rate
they could still afford to pay their shareholders 6 per cent.
per annum, and a bonus of 3 p'T cent., without infrtnging on
their reeerved fund of 200,0001., it was evident that
they had hitherto been mulcting the gas consumers
of Marylehune.
Mr. Beacon (another member of the deputation)
alluded to the opposition given to the Western Gas Company
by gent!, men connected with the manufacture of candles ;
but he was nut surprised at it, for if that company were in
operation nine tenths of the parishi men would burn gas
instead of candles, because then they could get a clean and
wholesome article at a cheap rate.
Mr. FRAMPTON (al.° of the deputation) defended the
West rn Company from the charges that had been made
against it. Ile denied that it was a babble company, and in
refutation pointed to its works at Kensall-green, erected at a
cost of 40,000/.
The deputation having concluded, the large body of rate-
payers woo had attended were, on the motion of Mr. Sores,
permitted to remain during the die usaion in tho board-
room, the condition being that they were to take no part in
the proceedings.
Mr. G. DANIELL rose to move that the minute adopting
the report of the gas committee be nut confirmed. His first
around of el jection was that the Western Company was not
in a condition to lay down their mains all over the pariah,
and that if they were allowed to come in and take any par-
ticular district it was not fair competition. (Hear, and oh).
Be denied that any company could light such a parish as
Marylebone with one gasometer. The Imperial Company
had laid their mains in less than four months, but the
Western Company could not specify any time for doing so.
He believed that their proposal to supply the parish with
gas manufactured from cannel coal was a delusion. (Hear,
hear, and no.) Again, the report gave power to this
company to light with same cquivalt nt for gas. The term
" equivalent " might moan anything or nothing. lie had
been told that it meant naphtha. Now naphtha had been tried
on the Southampton estate, in the adjoining parish of St.
Pancras, and was found au great a failure that the inhabi-
tant' refused to pay their rates if it was continued. After
deprecating the policy of the vestry in dealing with a com-
pany not incorporated by set of parliament, Mr. Daniell
called upon them not to suffer themselves to be diet sted to,
but to act for the benefit of the great body of rate-payers by
rejection this report.
Mr. PLOW nEN, M.P., seconded the motion.
Mr. Soucy supported the confirmation of the report.
Mr. SreveNe and Mr. STANFORD said, they would vote
agaiust the report.
Mr. Hesse, M.P., said that, having had much to do with
the question of gas io discharging hi. parliamentary duties,
he thought himself qualified to give an opinion on the sub-
ject, which wae certainly one of areal publtc importance.
(Hear, Is ar.) It was pretty well known that he was the
friend of free teed. end for competition generally, and,
therefore, they had a right to expect he would be so in the
article of gun (Hear.) As chairman of the committee on
private bills, he found that in gas, as well as hi other eons.
modities, there was a vast difr Fence in the charges of various
parts of the country. In some pl Los communities were
Used 25 per cent., fu others 10 and 12 per cent. more than
they ought to be, whilst others obtained it as low as
per thousand feet, at the same time enabling the manufac-
turers to derive a fair profit. Knowing this, therefore, when
he first heard of the Western Gas Co., he was meet anxious
for their AUCCe.t, and star d that when the proper time came
they should have his earnest co-operation. He need not tell
the vestry the tight Le had to prevent the amalgamation and
the monopoly ot the water companies, and he was equally
opposed to the monopoly of gas companies. The question
was, were the Western Company, at the present moment, in
a position to fulfil the contract they had undertaken ? The
day had gone by when bubbles could be aupporhd—not that
he meant to imp'y, for one moment, that such was the case
with the Western Gas Company. He, on the contrary,
lauded them for coming forward ,• but when they found the
opinion of the parish so nearly balanced as it appeared to be,
he would put it to them whether it would not be wise to wait
until they were in a better position. He would ask the
vestry not to dismiss the Western Company entirely, but to
non-confirm the report.
Mr. P. LAURIE concurred in the su2gestion of the hon.
member, as prudent, in the absence of evidence as to the
capabilities of the company, or as to the numoer of shares
sold.
Mr. Casa observed that 8,000 shares had been sold, and
91. paid on them, and there were, in his opinion, no such
difficulties as some gentlemen seemed to think, to prevent
the company from doing tall they undertook to do.
Mr. J. Wauswa, M.P., said that, as one of the largest
gas consumers in Marylebone, he was of course desirous to
see competition, in order to obtain a supply at as cheap a
rate as possible. (Hear, hear.) A friend of free trade in
the most extended sense, he was an opponent of monopoly
in gas, and that being the case, he WAS prepared to give the
Western Company his most cordial support, but as he did
not think they were yet in a position to carry out the works,
he should s_capport the non-confirmation of the report.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS (late M.P. far Coventry) concurred in
all that bad fallen from Mr. Hume, and urged the Western
Company to withdraw for the present.

Mr. WEAKLY did not think the Western Company was
being fairly dealt with by those gentlemen who withheld
their support on the ground that they were unable to per-
form their contract, because if they failed to do so the vestry
had its remedy in the power it possessed of enforcing penal-
ties. (Hear.)
Alter a few other remarks from various speakers * di-
vision took place, and the numbers being equal (4d on each
side) the chairman gave his casting vote in favour of the
non-confirmation of tie report, at the same time observing,
that he considered it the duty of a chairman, when he found
the parties equally balanced, so to vote as to give an oppor-
tunity of reoonaid.,ring the question. The pro.eedings then
terminated.

THE NAVIGATION LAWS.—On Saturday morning, a
deputation of the General Shipowners' Society went up to
the Admiralty to state their views respecting the anticipated
repeal of these laws.—ln the evening, a meeting was held
at the Eastern Institution, Commercial-road, to consider how
• determined resistance to the repeal of the navigation laws
should be exhibited; Lieut. Smith, R.N., in the chair. He
said that the repeal would bring 290,000 English sailors and
their families to beggary. There were 150,000 English
already in the American navy, and the vat would soon be
driven away. The following resolutions were passed:—
" That this meeting perceives with surprise and indignation
the attempts now making to repeal the navigation laws, for
the avowed purpose of substituting foreign for British sea-
men, and reducing them to a level with the worst paid and
worst fed men in the world." Captain Bourchett Seconded
the resolution. He was a sailor he had served as a cabin
boy, and stood upon the quarter-deck, aid he knew that it
was impossible, considering the burthens the British ship-
owner and seamen bad to bear, by direct or indirect taxa-
tion, to compete with the foreigner. The effect of any alte-
ration in the navigation laws would be to drive the ship-
owner to a foreign port to build, and to employ his seamen.
It was said that foreigners could not compete in the coal
trade ; but give them the privilege, and see how soon they
will avail themselves of it. If we are to have equality, let
us begin at the root, and not at the branches.
" That the captains of all vessels now in the river (that
those who are ready for sea be requested to delay) do lend
their boats and union jacks to their crews in order to pass up
the river in procession. by boats (having been refused per-
mission by the Lord Mayor to pass through the City of Lon-
don) to convey the seamen's memorial to her Majesty."
The procession will form at Id o'clock on Wednesday, at the
Shad well entrance to the London Docks, and the boats
having union jacks at the stern, the men wearing blue
jackets and white trowsers, with a blue ribbon, inscribed the
" navigation laws" round their hate, will, accompanied by
steamers with bands of music, proceed in procession up the
river to Westininster.bridge, where they will land, and
making a detour of the principal thoroughfares at the West-
end, present the memorial to Lord John Russell, at White-
hall.

THE MIRFIELD MURDERO.—The following corre-
spondence respecting the respite of MtCabe, addrersed to
Mr. Jackson, of York, the attorney for the prisoner, by his
counsel, Mr. R. Matthews, and by Mr. Phillips, of the
Rome-ollice, explains the dreamt/meta under which the re-
pries e was grained
Brick-court, Temple, London, Dec. 31, ISM—Dear Sie, i beg to
thank you for your communication, received tbia morning, enclosing
Reid's statement. You have already learned that M'Cabe is repels I
The- is all that coukl be expected in the first instance ; but I have good 1
reason for believing (though I hare no *wearily to so eu) that the
reprieve will ultimately hr followed by an entire pardon. I had a
e.ennownication from Mr. Justice Patterson, In which he states that he
tepee wl an acquittal, and woe ainapprinted by the verdict, and that
lie believes M'Cabe to be innoceM. be reds is a private communion.
tion to me, you will oblge me by not making It public for the me-
i...M.-I.M, Re., K. AI All 11.1,...-:2lt, D. Jackson. Esq.
The following is the official communication, from which it
will he ran that the learned judge now views M'eabe as a
participator:—
Whitehall, lot February, lola. —Sir —I am dicest.l by Secretary
Sir George Grey to acknowledge the receipt of your latter of the 27tla
nit, respecting the ease of hi icharl M'Cabe, who was convicted at the
winter UP,l,ttlf boleti n for the county of York is December last, of
murder, and eentenced to And I an to acquaint you that,
rinse the trial, the ease of M'Cabe has been frequently under the eon-
sideration of the judge before whom the prisoner was tried, and he is
of opinion that NUCebe ma- a participator in the crime, to a certain
extent, and has reoommeneled that his sentence -hold be emomuted
to transportation fur life tool that Sir (lenge Grey boo thereupon
recommendisl the prisoner to her Mitkaity for the grant of a pardon
twin that condition.-1 am, Sir, Sze., G. M. rIIII,I2,.—DAVIIII Jock
son, E-q., NO. I, tiodrimioate, York.
The second communication from Mr. Matthews throws
some light upon the proceedings in reference to M'Cabe
since the trial. It will he seen that a point has been made
of the basket as spoken of by the girl Hallos, who, it will he
remembered, stated she now the prisoners with their baskets
on their arms under the apple-tree. The following is a copy:
1, brick.court, Temple, :d Feb., 'sta.—Reg. r. MT:Met—Dear Sir •
I have been to the llousesiftlee, and have alto had amnia,. long in-
terview with Mr. Justice l'atteion upon this new. It appears that
some further inquiries have been tuade-1 believe by the magi•tralcs
In Yorkshire, and sent to the 11MI:1,0MM —MC etr,ct of which is
un-
fxroursb'eto Weabe ; and though the judge is still of opinion that
the verdict is wrong, and ought to have been on the other side, net,
as there it a verdict of guilty, he feels difficulty in saying, taking the
fresh information to lai• correct, that she may not hare had name
participation in the transaction, though no.. in the actual perpetra-
tion of the munfers; and hence he finds it a difficult matter to sustain
Ida former requirement that 31•Calie should have a free pinion. This
it Tomei-fly the thing I have all along been tearing, that something
would be raked up, which, if true at all, ought whore been discovered
before and produeed at the trial, and which we can have no 01,-atIS of
rebutting. Whether such lamina.. Li-ye been made with a vie R, to
elicit the real truth or to omtitui the verdict. I. not for Mc to say;
but I understand that one part of the sew evidence in that, upon
examination, the basket which is now in the poeseevicat of Mr.
Ingham, the magistrate, ran he curried on the si in. I sin very scep-
tical upon that point, and must see it myself before I can believe that
it could, in the ordinary no or and way, or peihaps in any wow,
when Clb d with pots, cups, and mrtlem vessel.' be so handled. The
nawanaper you kindly forwarded is now in the hand. of Mr. Ju-tice
l'atteson. I fear the result will be that M'Cabe slog, leave the
country, poor fellow. I say, pane fellow, tor I still believe hint quite
clear of this offence. If anything else tran.pire. I will let you know.
—I am, Ise., O. MATTIIFW, —IL in J.tcloun, Esq. —P.S. M.Cabe's
life is safe, there IT no fear upon that ground.
PRESSURE OF TUE ADVERTISEMENT DUTY ON
THE WORKING CLASSES.—We perceive that a portion of
the daily press has at last declared itself against the adver-
tisement duty levied on newspap:rs, and we do think that if
governnit nt can consent to its entire or partial abititien they
will confer a greats r boron on the industrious classes then
men in a high sphere are likely to be aware of. We speak
on this occasion more especially for gardeners who are out of
place, and who are in a manner compelled by the necessity
of their position to lay out tht it mon' y on advertisements.
Unices they make it known to the public that they are reek-
ing for situations. they have little chance of procuring them,
and no possible way is open to them except by way of silver •
tinement. It is a tax they mutt pay—or starve. To the
rich the sum of eighteen-pence, which is the amount levied
bygovemmentupon each advertisement, may appear too small
a matter to beef importance to the payer. De atinitais non
carat les; and this duty may seem to rank among the
minima. But it is not so ; it is quite the r. verse. Eighteen-
pence is three-quartets of a day's labour by a gardener out of
l place, r Ten if he is so fortunate as to procure temporary em-
I ployment ; and it is no trilling matter to be obliged to work
hard for nine hours and a halt iii order to earn the right of
saying—" I, Thomas Borneo, am thirty years old, have an
excellent character, can the best references, and desire
to find employment as a gardener." For permission to utter
in public these two dozen words it is neceiteary to pay
eighteen-pence, or three farthings per word. In addition to
which, another eighteen-pence is paid fur the printing, paper,
and public Alen expenses attending the advertisement: so
that to reality one-fourth of a week's wages is absorb_ d by it.
Let it Only be remembered that many gardeners arc obliged to
advertise week after wet le, over and ore r again. bt•fore they can
attract attention, and the sums levied upon them by the state
will be seen to he an intolerable hue-then. Nor is the tax less
worthyof condemnation, if we !egad the proportion which
it bears to the other costs attending it. et nt. per cent is
the government charge far short celverti.erneuts, a rate
which, although &miller to financiers, is, we be Ilene and trust,
unparalleled among taxes directly levied upon the indus-
trious cinema. A gardener who earn. 12s. a-week is taxed to
the extent of one-eighth of his income if he ventures to nay
in public that he wants • place; if he does not say an he
must be contented, in a great majority ul case*' to remain
a labourer, be his merits what they navy. Such imposts no
state necessity can justify NO long as earplug wealth exists
elsewhere, and we confidently believe that it is only re-
quired to point them out in order to secure their total aboli-
tion.—Gardeners'

it.%ILWAY ACCOUNT,.— Sir,—l have born a sub-
scriber and well-wisher to your )ournnl from the first day of
its existence, and I always notice with regret any articles
which I think relculated to Iml,-de its progress onward in
public estimation. It is with this feeling I have read the
as title, in this day's paper, upon " Railwaes and their Ao.
counts ;" and, a'thiugh I take a view of the subject differ-
ent from the opinions there stated, I venture to hope you
will not refuse to insert the present letter for the purpose of
assisting to develop the truth upon a matter of such import-
ance, on whichever side the truth may.range. Your prin-
cipal point, which I ex,ract, runs thus The annu it ad-
ditions so that part of the capital on which a dividend is
made are apportioned, as 11111/11001 to capital, upon a prin-
ciple perfectly clear and sound—the outlay required to com-
plete a given line fur the purposes it was founded to serve,
and the enlargement of its permanent means of accommoda-
tion for an increasing business, whether in improved works,
new stations, or a larger working establishment.
• • • When the line is completed, as far as the
original contributions will go, it it found that a further
outlay will be needed to accommodate the business
thoroughly, and render it more productive, • • •
the object of the shareholders being simply to take care
that the rate of profit from the extended business shall
be such as to reward them fur the enlarged capital out-
lay. • • • It is precisely analogous to that of
the merchant who finds a gnawing business deserve and de-
mand further supplies of capital to enable him to carry it on
with spirit; of the manufacturer who has to increase his
buildings or add to his machinery, in oruer to meet the mul-
tiplied orders of his customers. Now this mode of argu-
ment, treating assumed grounds as real, and drawing cora-
-1 elusions from them as if they were so, reminds me of the
state of bewilderment int which certain scientific men were
i once thrown by • problem which they had vainly endea-
voured to solve, and to which the whole learned body in
question were challenged to ri ply. " How is it," so ran the
problem. " that when a pail has been filled with water
a plate may be gently sunk in it without spill-
, ing any ?" Many and profound were the solutions, most
I overpowering the arguments upon which those solutions
were founded; still, nevertheless, a dissatisfied feeling
seemed to linger among the disputants, tempting them to
lay hold of every opportunity of endeavouring to convince
themselves and others, by a repetition of their favourite ar-
guments. tinder the influence of this feeling a celebrated
Scotch professor was seized while on a visit, hurried to the
arena, and the question triumphantly administered. " Gen-
tlemen," said our Scotch friend, " I doot the fact." The
charge made against directors of railway companies is, not
that they have been continually increasing their capital to
meet increased business, but that they have year alter year
been stnktag funds upon lines long completed, that great
portions of outlays have been such as should unques-