The Express.
London, England, 1853-04-13 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, APRIL )3.

profit of full 5 per cent. It is agreeable to see the array
of names of men of title and distinction who met at a
convivial table to forward such a work. It is a sign
of the times more pregnant with meaning than many
a showy political contest.

Ir a merchant or trader hired a collecting clerk to
gather debts, and the clerk received all the money,
and then out of the sum total set up for himself
houses, and assistants and servants, paying away
for the purpose 5,622,2571. sterling before
he handed over a shilling to his employer,
what would that employer say ? Either
the merchant would insist upon receiving
the full amount of his own property,—paying back
what was agreed on fur the cost of collection,—or
his neighbours would say ho was idiotic, and his
relatious might even sae out a commission de lunatico.
Either the clerk must be honest on demand, or the
matter would at once fall within the jurisdiction of
' the Old Bailey. The owner of private property has
the right of deciding how the ptocceds of that
property. shall be spent, and accordirg to the
constitutional theory of the English govern-
ment JOHN BOLL is supposed to enjoy, in
ielerence to his public income of some fifty millions
a year, the same salutary power which Ilitows,
JONES, and ROBINSON invariably exercise over their
smaller revenues. According to the writers on con-
stitutional law no money arising from taxation can
be spent in England without the supervision and
centre' of Parliament, but every-day experience and
Parliamentary documents demonstrate that in
1851, six millions of the public money " never
reached the Exchequer ' • of which amount
5,622,2571. was deducted from the gross rezeipte
of the taxes by the various Ittivenue Departments—
and expended by the said departments for tho pay-
ment of their officers and for other purposes." In short,
JOHN Bei.t. has a chief collecting clerk, who never
pays into the good gentleman's bunker what he takes
from the people until he has first helped himself to
the round sum of nearly six millions for pay-
ment of himself and his officers. It is
almost needless to repeat, that the only legal,
proper and business-like mode in all such cases is for
a gatherer of money to pay it all to the account of
the owner of the cash, receiving in due and proper
time a cheque for the cost agreed upon for the la-
bour of collection. Yet honest, regular, and proper
as this mode will on all other hands be admitted to
be, successive Governments have denied the proposi-
tion. For generations the opposite system has
been permitted to continue, and Minister after Mi-
nister in the House of Commons has ignored the
shameful breach of constitutional law, and snubbed
those honest and independent Liberals who have
called for reformation. So distasteful was the subject
to House of Commons sensibility, that none but men
of strong will and great firmness of purpose ven-
tured to moot the topic at all, and year by year the
only recompense they had was the sense of having
done their duty to the Country amongst whose repre-
ntatives they were. Yet in all these cases the
truth of the old proverb, usogna est reritas, &T., is
vindizated at last. For how many years, was
Vii.uutts's Motion " looked on in the'
House of Commons as a Quixotic bore ; in
how many successive Parliaments was it jolted
about, and postponed, sod " dropped through "
and snubbed in all possible Parliamentary ways.
Yet now we see VILLIMS'S motion resolved into law
and Ministerial programmes and policy based on its
Free-trade principle. So with the motion of the in-
defatigable Mr. WILLIAM WILLIAMS, on the payment
! of all taxes into the Exchequer. Again and again
has he had it " on the paper." Sometimes he has
been counted oat—sometimes has had a somewhat

Though we cannot admit Lord SHAFTESBURY'd
proposal of a legal compulsion to provide abodes for
all lodgers turned out of their dwellings by metropo-
litan improvement, it becomes more evident, from
month to month, that what cannot be done by law
will be done as a matter of social expediency, and
most . probably of commercial profit. Times
and circumstances have changed remarkably sinoe

improvement iu the dwellings of the working classes !
was first taken in hand; but, unless we are much
mistaken, there are still greater changes impending,
which will compel yet more striking improvements.
As far as we know, the first clear practical
design to improve the character and condition
of the working man by improving his abode
was HOWARD'S—before he began visitin/ pri-
sons. On And about his estate in Bedfordshire, the
labourers were living in mud huts, under rotting
thatch. He could not bear to see this; and he
chose good ground, and built good cottages, and put
people into them, whom he expected to make goad
by the process. It is true he was ill rewarded. His
charity was bestowed, in this and other particular
ways, so as to tempt the people in one direction, as
much as it retrieved them in another; but
all great reforms have their admixture of error
and infirmity at the outset ; and that outset
is what remains for posterity to be grateful 14,when
the error is discovered and expiated. Howaito be-
gan to improve the dwellings of the labouring class
iu his rural district ; sod at the end of nearly a cen-
tury, we are finding out how to accomplish his aim
on a large scale, without the drawback of his natural
mistakes. Haifa century atter him, Dr. FERRIAR
addressed the operatives on the state of their health,
and the advice he gave discloses something of the
condition of the people's dwellings. He warned them
against pollution from slaughter-houses; against
damp ethers and unaired Bleeping-places. And
now, at the end of another halt-century, we have
a PRINCE CONSORT exhibiting model cottages,
and presiding over the opening of model
lodging houses, and announcing the inte-
rest felt by the SOVEREIGN in the enterprise
of improving the dwellings of the working men and
women of the kingdom ; and, what is yet more im-
portant, we are finding that the enterprise is not,
like HOWARD'S, mischievous in one direction while
beneficial in another; but good for everybody, be-
cause it is economically sound, as well as socially just
and kind.

This is the bright side of the matter. The dark
one is very dark. It may be that in How AHD'S time
the labourers' cottages were as bad as env we have
now; and we believe it really was so; but in the
towns there was hardly anything to compare with
the horrors of our crowded cellars cud garrets at this
day. Though the poverty may not have increased,
the numbers have, and far beyond the increase of
house accommodation ; so that the scenery of
our low lodging-houses is ghastly and horrible
beyond everything conceived of by the HO WARDS
and. the FERRIARS who began the reform. They
could hardly have seen what we may see now—beds
in a crowded room, with a corpse in one and a young
mother and infant in another, with swearing men
using the foot of the bed for a card-table. They
could hardly have imagined (for it was before
Ilowaau visited prisons) how vermin may multiply
in such places, how infants may pine in an atmo-
sphere which the pet canary of some novice cannot
survive for a single night, or how closely sleeper*
may be packed under the inducement of paying
threepence instead of fourpence for their shelter.
We have had abundance of warning about the condi-
tions of health, as well as morals and
manners. We have. known that in certain
airless localities, in all parts of the world,'
cretinism springs up as surely as the appropriate
vegetation. We have known of it, not only in the
close Swiss valleys, but in Pennsylvania, where the
residents on ono side of a hill near Pittsburg sank
into such a state of cretinism as to abandon the place
degrees; and all who turned the shoulder of the
kill began at once to recover. We had plenty of
evidence of this; yet we allowed cretinism and kin-
dred diseases to be bred in the cellars of Liverpool
till a very recent time. We know that on the breezy
Alps, where health dwells, if anywhere, the herds-
men become scrofulous, with few exceptiors, from
the time that they begin to sleep in their close
chalets, where, if there are windows, they will
not open; and men, beasts, dung, arid sour milk
are shut up together for eight hours in the
twenty-four. We know how the case is the
same with the French shepherds on the Vosges
and the slopes of the Pyrenees—carrying about
with them, as they do, their huts which have no
window but only a door that is always kept shut.
We know how the case is the same in St. Kilda,
where eight out of ten infants die before they are
twelve days old, and where those who can continue to
breathe the air of a St. Kilda hut have a great struggle
to go through to reach manhood. Yet, knowing
these things, we have still, in tho neighbourhood of
almost every one of us, places as bad as chalet or
Wand hut, and much more crowded. Instead of the
manure being on the floor, as in St. Kilda, it is under
the floor, through whale cracks the vapour steams
up ; and there, side by side, or huddled together
whichever way a foot of room can be found, are
human beings bedded on filthy straw ;—how much
less cleanly than the beasts among the fern in the
thicket ! how much more brutish than the
cattle in their stall, and the hounds in their
kennel ! It was this state of things which led to the
legislation of 18Z1, in regard to lodging-houses—pro-
viding for the supervision and control of existing
lodging-houses, and permitting the erection of new
ones, or the adaptation of old ones to new wants, in
parishes or boroughs containing not lees than 10,000
inhabitants. We observe that Lord SHAFTESBURY,
in a letter to the newspapers, declares himself beset
by anonymous correspondents who petition for new
legislation on the subject of lodging-houses, feeling
the pressing need, and being unaware of what has
been already done. This is a good sign.

encouraging, but generally what to other men
would have been *very discouraging modicum of sup-
port. Still, on he went until last year, in a moment
of unguarded candour, Mr. DISILIELI said something
which made men think he might some day accom-
plish the reform which Mr. WILLIAMS'S motion Lad
so often shown the need of. Since then a twelvemonth
has gone by,—another Budget, from another Chancel-
lor of the Exchequer, is impending, and, true to his
self.imposed duty, the honourable member for Lam-
beth last night once more had his motion on the
paper and the House of Commons by the button.
The motion ran as follows :
That it appears, by a return ordcred by this Home in the
present session, thet an enormous amount of the public
massy is actually intercepted on its way from the people's
pockets to the Treasury, and expend( d without the sanction
and control of this House, and in violation of the oonstitu-
tiond principle, that an taxes shall he imposed upon the
people, or the product thereof expended, without the autho-
rity of their representatives in parliament. That the said
return shows, that "the amount intercepted and expended
in the year 1851, which never reached the Exchequer, was
6,072,1517. 9e. 9d., of which amount 5,622,2671. was
deducted from the gross receipts of the taxes by the
various rename departments, and expended by the
said depasumats fee the payment of their officers,
sad other wpm% without the supervision and control
et Pastimmmat ; That, for the security of the public monies,
and ammo keeping of the public accounts, it is indispeor.
abbe that*, whole of the pubic income should, without
any detiveiliew whatever, be paid into her Majesty's Exche-
quer, sail that ao portion of it should be is ued therefrom,
on any pins we pretence, without the sanction of Parliamenti
as it was Tessumsaded by the Commission, which consisted
of Miamian of this House, appointed by the Crown in the
year 111131.
In hie speech supporting the view thus expressed
Mr. WILLIAMS pointed out the real importance of
the subject,when—to the great surprise of many who
listened, and to the certain satisfaction of all Re-
formere—Mr. Otmairrome made the Ministerial an.
nouncement " that the duty he had to discharge
on the present occasion—both as regarded himself
and u regarded the Government—was an extremely
simple one. As regarded himself, many years ago
he expressed an opinion that the charges connected
with the collection of the revenue ought to be
brought under the control of Parliament. As re-
spected the Government, since he had been in office
he had thought it right to inquire into the practica-
bility of effecting a great change in this matter, be-
cause he was aware that an abstract opinion as to the
necessity of a change was of little avail; and it had
been the subject of consideration with him and his
colleagues. They were of opinion that effect ought to
be given to this principle, and they should not desist
from their endeavours until they had arranged the
measures which would be necessary for carrying it
into effect." ...." Everything that properly belonged
to the collection of the public income most unques-
tionably ought to be brought before the control of
parliament, and they should never attain a right
system till those terms were clearly fulfilled."....
" His view was, that bringing this expenditure under
the control of parliament, would very greatly
strengthen the hands of the heads of those depart-
ments, and would lead to a great deal of retrench-
ment"

Corer OF ALDERMlDC—Yesterday a court was
held, which. was numerously attended. A number of
gentlemen were admitted se brokers. Mr. Thomas Pillow
and Mr. John Dudin were elected members of the Court of
Assistants of the Watermen and Lightcrinen's Company
instead of Mr. James Ligon and Mr. Thomas Hill, re-
signed. A discuujost of some length took place upon the
report for the appointment of governor and chaplain of the
prison at Holloway, and it was sent back for farther consi-
deration upon the motion of Alderman Wilson. It was
ordered that the names and addresses of all persons apply-
ing to the court to be admitted as brokers of this City be
put up in some conspicuous place in the Guildhall one week
prior to the date of the holding of the court at which such
application is intended to be made.

BETHLEHEM HOSPITAL.—The house committee of
Bethlehem, at a recent meeting, resolved that in conse-
quence of the appointment of a resident physician it was
not necessary to continue the Ake of visiting physician,
but that instead of holding that office Dr. Monro should be
elected consulting physician to the hospital, receiving the
usual remuneration wiz called in.

To this confession of Ministerial views and in-
tentions Mr. GLADSTONE appended certain remarks
on hereditary pensions, and on some other points,
to which we beg to hike objection ; but still the
point remains, that the Taxes are all to come under
Parliamentary control. Mr. DisitAxii might per-
haps have done this—Mr. GLADSTONE is about to do
it. The Derbyite his lost the laurel the Peelite is
likely to pluck—and wear.
This is a great triumph in its way for the Member
who has been the pioneer of the reform, and whose
motion induced the announcement. It will be no

METROPOLITAN SEWERS COMMISSION.—Yesterday
morning a general court of commissioners was held at the
branch office, Alie street, Goodman's•flelds. The following
rates were ordered to be advertised :—Ranelagh district—a
rate of 6d. in tke pound would produce 24,5001., and the
present cash credit of the district was 7,3801., giving a total
of 31,*-.801. Against this amount there were—present lia-
bilities 4,3121., works in course of construction 20,9,531.,
general works 7,0001., showing a total of 32,2631. ; contin-
gent works were also required. Richmond district—a rate
of tkl. la the pound would produce 1,0501. ; and against this
sum was—cash overdrawn 8761., works to be executed.
9751., liabilities existing 6551., showing a total required of
1,6301., besidesminor works. Finsbury district—a rato of
6d. in the pound would produce 24,0001., and the sum avail-
able, with the present cash credit and uncollected rates,
would be 27,5301. ; avaintt this there were present liabili-
ties 5,2161., end works required 2'2,7731, and showing a
total of 28,0191. The court having made the necessary
orders proceeded to hear summonses and appeals, hone of
which presented any feature of public interest. Adjourned.

leas gratifying to the country. We now see Mr.
WILLLUVI in a fair way for the consummation of a
reform he has long striven for. Jois. BULL is
likely to have all his income paid honestly to his
banking credit; and when this proper reform is
accomplished, a debt of public gratitude will be
due to the man who has striven through good and
evil report to bring the reform about.

SHIPWRECK AT JEtturs.—A Dutch galliot, named
the Groninger, was wrecked off St. Ouen's, in the island of
Jersey, last week. She was bound from Dutch Guiana to
Rotterdam. The commander had not seen the sun for
three days, and mistook Guernsey for Scilly. The whole
of the crew, nine in number, perished, except the mate,
who was washed ashore before life was extinct, and who,
by the kindness and attention of the inhabitants of Jersey,
reelvered. The erew were seen from the shore clinging
to the epars of the wreck, but no ii,is.anee could Do ren-
dered them. A floc tie ciptaiii swam ashore.
This noble animal had es iiieiiti) Cu s..vu its matter,
for portions of the c tptain's clothes were hanging about its
jaws when it reached, in an exhausted condition, the land.
The inhabitants lichavcd kindly to the brave and devoted
creature, and it soon recovered.

IT is with a hopeful confidence that we record, this
day, the proceedings of another society, formed ex-
pressly to promote the improvemmt of the dwellings
of the working classes. Acting upon tree economienl
principles they have laid, in the must expensive part
of London, the first stone of buildings calculated for
the accommodation of 64 families, or full 300 souls,

and propose upon the requisite outlay to nail,* a

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 13, 1853.