The Express.
London, England, 1851-08-05 00:00:00

MEETING OF TEETOTALLERS AT

EXETER HALL.

A great meeting of teetotallers was held last night
in the large room, Exeter Hall. for the purpose of giving a
hearty welcome to the teetotallers who might he present
from various parts. It had been announced that a select com-
pany of the celebruted Welsh choristers would sing some of
their popular nu Indies. Shortly after the doors were
opened, the hall and platform were crowded in every part.
Among the company on the platform were the following:—
Mr J. S. Buckingham, Mr. Geo. Cruikshank, the ;Rev.
W. W. Robinson, Mr. Archibald Livingston, of Gurbals ;
Mr. Elihu Burritt, Mr. Henry W. Cudge, of Cornwall ;
Mr. J. Eivesey, of Piston; Mr. George Johnstone, of
Edinburgh; Mr. I'. Sinclair, of Edinburgh; the Rev.
Amos Dresser, of the United States; Mr. John Cassell, the
Rev. R. Fahruham, Mr. King, of Liverpool; Mr. Evan
Lloyd, of York, Dr. Oxley, Mr. John Anderson, of Edin-
burgh, &c. Lawrence Heywortli, Eisq., M.P., was in the
chair. A Wel.h melody having teen sung,
The CHAIRMAN having addressed the meeting.
Mr. GREEN, the secretary, read an address from the
committee appointed to conduct the teetotal demonstrations
during the Exhibition, to the teetotalers assembled in the
metropolis. The following are extracts front it :
" While you have indulged a laudable curiosity, and are
anxious to behold the wonderful demonstration of liainan
skill and industry now made in the Crystal Pulace, we re-
joice to find that you love nut lost sight of your distinctive
character as teetotalers, nor of the obligations which devolve
upon you to avow mid to recommend your principles, and
to enter your protest against customs unit practices by
which men are injured and God is dishonoured. •• • *
You are aware, as we are, of the powerful auxiliaries by
which the drinking system is upheld. There is the delu-
sion under which so many are led to believe that the use of
intoxicating beverages is essential to health, and strength,
411.11 bodily vigour ; the appetite created by the first taste of
these drinks, growing stronger by indulgence till it be-
comes insatiable; the custom of using strong drinks at ordi-
nary meals, us signs of hospitality, as rewards for labour, us
incentives to extraordinary exertions, as alleviating the dis-
tress of sorrowful occasions, or u increasing the pleasure of
festive meetings, as indispensable at births, at christenings,
at marriages, mud at funerals—in making bargains or trans-
acting mercantile affairs—at the founding of a theatre, a
hospital, or a christian temple—at the inauguration of a
parish beadle, a railway director, a colonial governor or a
minister of ' pure religion and undefiled.' lou have seen,
with us, how these 1.0011.11 and inconsistent practices beget
and perpetuate the drinking customs of a country ; and
you have seen, ton, how delusion, appetite, and custom are
maintained and strengthened by the example of the more
influential portion of the community ; and by the facilities
presented by the ntanunicturers and vendors of these de-
structive drinks. Further, beloved brethren, you have seen
aith us how idle are all attempts to check the progress, or
to destroy the power of this fearful foe, by anything
short of entire abstinence from that which occasions the
mischief. You have long ago abandoned all hope
of preventing or 'curing drunkenueos, by allowing
a moderate use of intoxicating drink. • * •
• • • We congratulate you, brethren, that you have
resolved, with us, to abandon, totally and for ever, the
drinks which, though they are the euntnion beverages of the
multitude, and though on occasions they 'give their colour
in the cup,' and ' more themselves aright,' yet ' at the last
bite like a serpent, and sting like an adder.' • • • From
America we have received, from time to time, intelligence
which has cheered our hearts and strengthened our hands.
Throughout the United States, and in British Canada, we
have been given to understand that there is a growing
feeling in favour of total abstinence; that in almost every
state there has been a strong expression of feeling iu refer-
ems: to the licensing system ; sod that that system, together li
with the traffic in intoxicating drinks, has been solemnly
denounced by many large bodies as immoral, and as highly
subversive of the welfare of the community. We have'
been assured, further, that in some parts prohibitory sta-
tutes have been passed, and drinking places broken up as
nuisances; that in others Sunday liquor traffic is made a
criminal offence ; while in other places the authorities have
forbidden all sales to be drunk on the premises. We rejoice
to hear, also, that in some large ships of war ninety men
in a hundred refuse the accustomed rations of grog; that
merchant ship., whalers, and coasters, nearly all sail on
temperance principles ; and that, as the result, few ship-
wreese happen, disorder is unknown, and a million dollars
are deposited in the Seamen's Savings Bank in New York.
The accounts continually received from other parts of the
globe' are equally encouraging. • • a In our own be-
loved country the principle of total abstinence is gaining
ground. The fashion of using intoxicating drinks upon all
occasions is by no means so prevalent us in former years.
Several of the drinking customs, especially those of the
upper classes. arc wholly abolished. The teetotal practice
is adopted by many individuals, so that ou public occasions
the decanter moves slowly and hefts ily along, and few are
reproached, or even bantered, on account of their absti-
nence. Hundreds are now ready to acknowledge that absti-
nence may be practised without serious injury, if not with
considerable benefit. • • • The connexion between
the success of the temperance movement and that of
other important movements—political, benevolent, and
religious—is now beginning to be clearly understood; and
hence the originator. and promoters of those other move-
musts hid us God speed!' while not a few of them
have joined our ranks from motives of policy, as well as
for the sake of their own individual bcnefit. • • •
If our object be great and momentous, have we not, also,
abundant encouragements to aim at its accomplishment:
Four of the At this choristers then sang, in the native
language of the principality, a song composed by the choir,
to the great delight of the audience.
Mr. HUDSON, of Bristol, considered that meeting a fine 1
specimen of what the I reekly Dispatch denominated "teetotal
foolery." (" Hear" and cheers.) The editor of that paper
would have some difficulty in getting together amongst his
readers such a east and magnificent assembly. As the secre-
tary to the conference hold in connexion with those proceed- ,
ings, lie had to express the sense entertained of the kindly
and fraternal feelings which had been already enunciated.
There was no language sufficient to express the depth of
his own fedings on that occasion. If these gatherings were
productive of no other good effect, they might well inspire
hope for the future. The parliamentary inquiry instituted by
the chairman was the foundation of future progress. Let !
them all dedicate themselves to the effort to bring about as
speedily as possible "the good time coming." (Cheers.)
Dr. LEES, of Leeds, said the temperance qbeation
was a social and political, a religious and a dietetic clues-
than; it was the most important question of universal edu-
cation that could be brought before the human mind.
Medical men, political teachers, eminent statesmen, and
persons who professed to teach the people philosophy, had
' insisted again and again that temperance was one thing and
total abstinence another. If these parties only understood
the history of the doctrine of temperance, they would not
argue as they did. The great founder of logic, Aristotle,
defined temperance in his day exactly as teetotaller did
now. Ile said that temperance was proper self-govern-
ment; the right control of the natural faculties of the
mind, and the right use of things essential to health. Ilene,
then, arose the question, were intoxicating drinks essential
to health? Ilad they any distinct evidence that such
drinks could be legitimately employed as beverages
by the human race (" Hear, hear," and cheers.) Another
great moralist of antiquity, Plutarch, declared that tempt-
ranee was the right control of all our actions, modelatiou in
those which were in themselves good, and a total abandon-
ment of those which were foolish and unnatural. lie ap-
pealed to the shades of these writers, he appealed to that
audience, whether facts .hewed the use of tt ese beverages
to be consistent with the longest possible duration of
human lice. (Rear, hear.) Temperance was an affair of

the soul, not a matter of weight and measure ; and the right
use of all things virtually included total abstinence from
things which were bad, unfit, or unnecessary. (Ilear ,hcar.)
Mr. T. WHITTAKER next addressed the meeting, and
in doing so informed the audience that on the platform was
the first man who signed the teetotal pledge,—Mr. King.
(Immense cheering was elicited by this statement, and Mr.
King came in front of the platform, and exhibited himself
to the assembly, amid a shout of " God save the King."
His teetotal Majesty was • hale-looking gentleman, in the :
autumnal period of life.)
A collection was then made; and it was announced that
the teetotallers would assemble in Hyde Park early on the
following morning, and that, by favour of the Royal com-
missioners the Exhibition would be thrown open to them
at half-past nine. There were several other amusements
cennec.ed with the ensuing teetotal festivities. In con-
nexion with the notice of the meeting at the Surrey Zoo-
logical Gardens on Wednesday, the assembly received with
rapture the announcement that all the animals in that cele-
brated resort were teetotallers!

Mr. JOHN ANDREWS, of Leeds, called upon the
workmen of England to do all that lay in their power
to abolish the use of strong drinks in their own immediate
spheres.
JAMES SILK BUCKINGHAM, Esq., came forward
amidst loud cheers, and tendered his acknowledgments for
such ft reception. Ile had spoken so often on the subject,
not only in this kingdom, but in other parts of the world,
that he had nothing new to say, but he could testify that
no change had taken place in hie sentiments or practice,
and his experience was so strongly in favour of the practice
which he had adopted, that nothing would induce him to
change it. If teetotalism was, as it had been charged to
be, a movement of one idea, he was quite willing to adopt
it, for its object was to make men happy. The object of
temperance was to keep the body in a proper and healthy
'Lite, and could anything be more laudahh• than that, and
state ? He would wish the power of licensing !public-
houses to be placed, as in America, in the hands
of the municipality, where, when the people adopted
temperance principles, they would prevent the licensing of
houses fur the sale of intoxicating liquors. Many t.,wns in
America had no licensed houses, and in Plymouth,
where the Pilgrim Fathers first landed, there was not
one licensed house, and the consequence wax there was not
one prisoner in its gaol, not one beggar in the town, and
not one child of upwards of four years old but what could
read. The Royal Commissioners had granted permission
fur the teetotallers to enter the Exhibition to-morrow morn-
ing (this day) half-an-hour before the usual time, which
would not be granted to publicans and drunkards. There
was a great difficulty in getting the richer classes to adopt
the principles of teetotalism, tur they would not read the
small tract, and they had therefore prepared a neat little
volume for distribution, and the Royal Commissioners have
allowed the clerks of the Exhibition to address a copy to
each exhibitor, and he hoped that the aced thus sown
would spring up into fruit. The speaker then sat down
amidst great cheers.
Mr. PETER SINCLAIR, of Edinburgh—His position
at home was an humble one, but he was emboldened to
stand forth in behalf of the millions of the little ones of the
land; lie did so heartily, from the firm cone:clip,' that pre-
vention is better than cure; his province at home was
among the young of his native town ; without disparaging
the adult movement, he urged the necessity of teaching the
young the way in which they should go. It was a common
thing in Scotland to find the Bible on one side of the table,
and the whiskey bottle on the other, the effects of the hitter
frustrated the design of the former, and was the cause of
the wretchedness of Scotland.

Other speakers having addressed the meeting,
Mr. ELIIIU BUItIIITT regretted that he was unable
from fatigue to make a long speech ; lie had been a teeto-
taller for more than 20 years, and urged the necessity of en-
tire pencverance in the good cause.
Mr. PREUBLE moved a vote of thanks to the chairman,
which was seconded by Mr. Gut mists, who in the course
of his speech alluded to the essential service whirls the
Daily News had always rendered to the teetotal cause.
The chairman neat acknowledged the vote of thanks, and
the meeting separatvil during the singing of the national
anthem in the Welsh language, by the Welsh choristers,
146 in number.

TEMPERANCE CONVENTION.—A Conference of the
Temperance Reformers took place at the literary Institu-
tion, Alder:gate-street, on Thursday and Friday. A large
number of delegates were present front various parts of Eng-
land, Scotland, and America. Samuel Donley, Esq., of
Gloucester, was chosen president, and discharged the duties
of oilier with much Ability. The first day's sitting was
devoted to the hearing of reports on the present condition
and future prospects of the temperance movement. These
reports seemed to inspire courage and confidence as to the
ultimate success of the objects contemplated by the conven-
tion. During the day animated addresses were delivered
by the chairman, by Mr. Alderman Beaumont (Bradford),
J. S. Buckingham, Esq., Dr. Pettit (America), Joseph
Sturge, Esq. (Birmingham), Rev. W. M.Kerrow (Man-
chester), and other well-known advocates. The Conference
at its re-assembling on Friday proceeded to hear pipers
from Mr. Thomas Beggs, John Dunlop, Esq., ltev. Dr.
Burns, Dr. Mudge and the Rev. W. Forster of Kentish
Town. A series of founded upon these proposi-
tions led to n spirited discussion. Thanks were voted to the
chairman and to the committee for conducting the "'Tem-
perance Demonstration," which were suitably acknow-
. .

lodged. The greaten unanimity of feeling prevailed
throughout the entire proceedingx.

ACCIDENTS FROM MACIIINERY.—A question of
some importance to factory workers, and one which has not
before been raised, has just been decided by the magistrates
of Leeds. Mr. W. Hill, se flax spinner, had been summoned,
on the information of Mr. Baker, sub-inspector of factories,
for having, after notice to fence off certain machinery in his
mill required to he fenced otf, neglected to do so, in conse-
nence of which neglect, the information alleged, Mary
Freeman, a girl 17 or 18 years of age, received a severe la-
cerated
wound on one of her hands. The accident happened
on the 16th ult. The summons was issued under the 60th
section of the 7th and Nth Victoria. chap. 15, which enacts,
" that if any person shall suffer any bodily injury in con-
sequence of the occupier of a factory having neglected to
fence any part of the machinery of which he shall Isere re-
ceived nonce from the inspector that the same was deemed
to be dangerous, the occupier of such factory shall pay a
penalty of not less than 101. and not more than 100/." The
facts proved were that the notice, which was a general one,
applicable to all flax machinery in the mill, was giros by the
inspector on the 11th of February last, but the particular
machine at which the accident occurred was not then on the
premises, and was not brought into the mill until the 22nd
of March ; and the question for decision was, whether the
notice was valid under the 13rd -t diem of the act, as applied
to a machine not existing in the mill at the time it was
given. The magistrates held that the notice must be one
founded on the inspector's own observation of the existing
machinery ia the mill, and that it was never meant by the
legislature in passing the act of parliament, that machinery
brought into a mill at some future time should be covered
by a general notice previously given. They therefore
demis,ed the summons, but in doing so Mr. J. 11.
Shaw said, the case was one in which the occupier of
the mill was clearly bound, probably by law, but cer-
tainly in point of morality, to take care that such corn-
peasation as money could make should be made to the
unfortunate girl for the injury she nail suffered, which
might, to sonic extent, render her a cripple for life.
The unfortunate people who were subject to accidents of
this kinewere not left without any redress, although the
matter might nut be within the net of parliament. The
Secretary of State, upon the report of the sub-inspector,
might order an action to be brought to recover compensa-
tion; but the magistrates trusted that the feeling of Mr.
Hill would induce him to do that justice to the girl which
would render an application to the Secretary of State wholly
unnecessary. Mr. Hill said he had already ordered his
foreman to pay the girl's wages, and her case, under the
treatment of the surgeons at the Leeds General Infirmary,
had taken a favourable turn.

BRITANNIA BRIDGE.—TITE 110N,:TER HOTEL.—
The works for the erection of the Monster Hotel, in con-
nexion with the Britannia Bridge, are to be suspended for
the present, the shareholders of the line being, it is said, in-
di-posed to sanction the expenditure of so large a sum of
money in connexion with the railway. Messrs. Holmes
have contracted for the erection at a cost of 120,000 f. The
pleasure grounds, however, are to be proceeded with.
SINGCLAR AND FATAL. AectnENT.—An inquest
was held on the 2Sth ult at the Churchill Arms Inn,
Finstock, near Charlbury, on view of the body of
Maria Low, the wile of Thomas Low, aged forty-three
years. Deceased, for the last two years, has lived
apart from her husband with a man named Philip Akers;
and on Sunday last came by her death under the following
circumstances :—Akers, about a quarter past three o'clock
on Sunday morning, loaded his gun, and left it in the corner
of the house with the cap on the nipple. About one o'clock
deceased, with Akers and sue or two more, sat el,wn to din-
ner. Alter they had dune, deceased began sweeping the
house ; and when she came to the corner where the gun was
placed she requested Akers to take it to pieces fur fear of an
accident ; he accordingly did so, and she took the stock and
barrel from him and threw them into the oven. The gun
went otf immediately, and unfortunately shot her in the
higher part of the abdomen. It was supposed that the cip
must have hit against the bricks. She staggered for a few
moments, and tried to speak, but could not, and fell on the
chair and died. The whole charge of shots lodged in her
body. If the gun had missed the deceased, there is no
doubt that it would have killed one of the others, as they
were sitting in a straight line behind her. The jury
returned a verdict of " Accidental death."—Orford
Journal.

ALARMING FIRE AT MANCIIEoTEIL—On Sunday
evening tome of the most valuable warehouse property in
Manchester narrowly escaped destruction. About five o'clock
smoke was discovered issuing from the top rooms of the
warehouse of Messrs. henry Bannerman and Sons, George-
street, and notice having been conveyed to Mr. Thos. hose,
superintendent of the fire brigade, two engines were quickly
gut into play, and, after an hour's vigorous exertion, the
times were reduced, with a loss only of 3,0001. to 4,000/.
Messrs. Bannerman are general Manchester merchants, and
their stuck includes woollen, silk, and cotton goods of the
most costly description, so that, had the fire got much
a-head when discovered, the loss would have been immense,
as the warehouses of Messrs. Wright and Lee, Messrs. Pot-
ter and Norris, and others, would have probably shared the
same fate. The stock of Messrs. Bannerman is insured in
17 different offices, to the extent of 120,000/., and the entire
property placed in jeopardy is perhaps worth little less than
400,000/. The cause of the fire is supposed to have been
spontaneous combustion—a quantity of tailors' measuring-
tapes, made of cotton well saturated with linseed oil, deli-
vered from the manufactory on .Ssiturday night, being the
first things apparently on fire. These had been placed in
the top story, and had been smouldering and burning some
hours, it is supposed, before the smoke issuing from the
premises attracted attention.