The Express.
London, England, 1848-04-27 00:00:00

EXPRESS, THURSDAY

BlItTll9 AND DEATIIS IY LONDON .—The number
of births registered in the metropolitan districts during the
week endii:g April 22 was 1,208, of which 691 Isere males
and GOI !males. This number exceeds that of the preceding
week by 59. The number of deaths during the same
time was 991, of which 472 were males arid 4
30 females.
Thus the births this week exceed the deaths b 7. The
latter, however, exceed the weekly average for the last five
springs by 48, but are Its' than the deaths of the preeeding
week by rid. The maeorolngiral report states that thyme of
ean
temperature of the week exceeded the mean temperatur 2 6
the coreesionding week, on an %vane of 25 years, by ,
degrees.

;Moiled.
ORPTIAN WORKING SCHOOL.—A general court of
th g
e overnor' o this charitale institution was hela ester-
day at the Hallf of Commerceb, to receive toe half-yearyly re.
port of the committee on the state of the charity, and the
auditors' reportelect pfficers r thear ensuing, to
make certain alterations in the rules, and to erect by ballot
25 children into the schools ; viz., 17 buys and 8 girls The
report April 1817 was 131, since when 50 hadchildren been elected, 33 hsd
left the institution, and one had died, leaving the present
number at 1.52, which, by the election of that day, woul
increased to 177. The late French revolution having obliged
the managers of the British Orphan Asylum in Paris to close
that establishment for want of funds, this instaution had
been applied to by Lord Ashley, on the part of the commit-
tee for tiding British refugees from France, to take charge
for three morths of a portion of the 2.5 orphan children thus
thrown on British sympathy ; and in compliance with that
r quest, the committee bad at once given shelter to six of
them, who were now cnjnying the benefits of the insti-
tution. This. however, would not operate as any
restriction on the number to be admttud at the'
present or future elections. The number of candidates for
election was 92. The total expense of the new building at 1,
Haverstock-Mil was 19,5101. 12s. 10.1., of which
10.0611. 3s. 61. had been raised by special appeals to the
governors and subscribers. To defray the balance of
9,4461. 93. 4d., the committee had horn compelled to sell out
stock to that amount. This deficiency in the funds it was
necessary for the interests of the institution to make good.
In furtherance of that object a weunder the nd fanc
py
atrofair wculd
at he be
held in alay, at Willis's Rooms, nage r
Majesty, the Duchess of Kent, the Duchete of Glouctater,
and the Duchess of Cambridge. During the last year the
institution had suetained a severe loss in the death of its
president, li. Weymouth, Esq., to whose family a vote i
on
condolence was recommended. The report alsa recom.
mended J. It. Mills, Esq., the treasurer, as Mr. Weymouth's
successor ; Mr. T. M Coombes as the Ueasurer; and that
S. Al. Peto, Esq., M.P. ; and S. Gurney, Esq„ be added to
1 the list of vice.presidents. As showing the progress of the
'charity is public estimation, it was stated that 450 new
names had during the last year been added to the list of
governors and subscribers. There was a bill for incorporating
the institution now before parliament, which had already
been read twice in the Hous thatairds, and which the com-
mittee expected would pas; w difficulty. The report was
unanimously adopted, and ordered to be printed and circulated.
Resolutions were also passed for carrying out the s
ballotcommittee,
for the electionof the 25 children—the number admitted each
half year—took place.
IRON, HARDWARE, AND METAL TRADES' PENSION
SOCIF.M—The annual festival took place last evening at
the London Tavern, Bishopsgate•strect, when about 150
gentlemen sat down to dinner, the Lord Mayor presiding.
The usual preliminary toasts were drunk with due honours,
after which the toast of the Vfetllll4 was proposed by the
chairman. In so doing he passed a high eulogium upon the
benevolent objects of the institution, which are to grant
permanent relief to the deserving and necessitous mdows, embers
by
of the above trades, and to their wi
pension or otherwise. lie observed with satisfac-
tion upon the fact that the subscriptions to the
last year, had in amount trebled those
society during
of the year preceding. Tne health of the chairman having
been drunk, Mr. H. L. Taylor proposed a similar compli-
ment to the sheriffs, which was respoaided to by Mr. Sheriff
Hill. The report stated that the recome of the society
during the past year amounted to 1,0101. lls. 62. in dona-
tions and subscriptions. The funded property of
oath society
bad been •increased within the past ybaddition of ;950t 1. Three per Cent. Consols, pur-
chased at the cosof 8151. 9s. 3d. ; and of 1. Three per
Cents. Reduced, purchased at a cast of 2541. 3 700 s. lid. ; which,
with the 1,a091. Three per Cent. Consols previouslypurchased,
made a total of '2,7501. The pensioners in receipt of the
bounty of the society during the previous year were only
four in number, the payments to whom amounted to
401. 19s. The election in November last increased the num-
ber to nine, and the amounts to which they were entitled
would increase the item in the present year to nearly 1401.,
irrespective of what may be required in
receipts consequenuriog the
ce of the
intended election in May next. The d
evening amounted in donations to 2851., and in annual sub-
scriptions to 751. Is. 6d.
THE MODEL MAGISTRATE.—He is a barrister with
a subdued practice, and but little known beyond the usher of
his court. Ile soon learns, however, that the scales of justice
have two sides—one for the rich, one for the poor. The ba-
lance, as he holds it, is rarely equal " for . For thethe other there is
one there is a
tine, " which is immediately paid ;
toe House of Correction, with har labour. The nentleman
is invited to aseat on the benched the pauper is kindly in-
formed that "he had better mind what he is about."
lie knows the intrinsic value of every aasault, and has fixed
a market price for every limb. An eye costs very little
more than a case oi
ls— runkenness. A broken head he
puts down at a coup of sovereigns, or a donation to
the poor-box. Ile is sorry to see young gentlemen,
„who have been dining out, forget themselves so, and will
only line them five shillings this time. He is sure he has
seen every applewoman before. He will have no trading on
the kerbstones. lle has great faith in the words of the po-
lice, and calls them by their real names. He has a just
hatred of a cabman,only to be equalled by his profound aver-
sion for an omnibusconuctor. lie sees a poacher in every
smock-frock. All beggars he sentences to the mill. He ad-
dresses a pickpocket as " Sir," and is sarcastic upon boys,
calling them ' young gentlemen." He delights in summon-
ing overseers and beadles, and enjoys a good collision with
the workhouse. lie regrets exceedingly to commit a noble-
man. lie has a private room for a lady shoplifter, and is
glad to inform her that she " leaves this court with her
character impugned," though the matter has been
coinpromised wit quite un
hiu his hearing. lie has the most
sublime contempt for the opinions of the press. lie
does not care what they say of him, though he does inveigh
sometimes rather strongly against them. He does not lie
his law to be questioned, but of the two evils prefers a lawyer
to a barrister. He jokes sometimes, and the whole court,
excepting the poor prisoner, at whoseexpense the lugubrious
joke is cut, laughs tremendously. The model magistrate ar-
rives at the police-office at ten, but does not mind keeping
the court waiting. lie leaves as soon as he can, though he
is not very partial to visits at his own residence. But what
he likes least arc remonstrances from the Home-office, for,
strangely enough, a magistrate has been dismissed before
now. This may have some little influence in keeping the
race of model magistrates rather restricted. May it sooe,
it is most pitiful to hear of a renteistege
bcOemmicomettizngtinhictm'self instea4 of others.—Punch,

REPRESENTATION AND TAXATION. Sir, -- There
are two things which the people of England demand : com-
plete and equal representation, and a reduction of eapen-
diture. Toe first ia not only art advantage in itself, but
must be regarded is the means whereby all other reforms
will be effected. When the people are fully and efficiently
represented, class legislation will cease to be fashionable ; the
good of the great bony of the nation will alone be consulted,
and the interest of minute, inconsiderable, and profitless
sections will no longer be tho only thing considered by par
Bement. At present the House of C immons does not repre-
sent the people. With one or two honourable exceptions, it
represents the peer.. If this should be thought a rhetorical
figure of hyperbole and exaggeration, behold a few arithme-
tical figures to make the matter clear. The population of
the empire is nearly 30.000,000 in round numbers, but the
electoral franchise is enjoyed by only 1,000,000, while the
male adults are about 6000.000 in the whole. Vine the
subject in another light. In England 1 man in 7 has a vote ;
in Scotland, 1 in 11 ; and in Ireland, 1 in 17. Again, a
majority of the Commons is returned by one-fifth of the
electors, or, in other words, 200,000 persons, notoriously under
aristocratic influence, elect a majority. Take as an illustra-
and
tion 25 paltry ooroughs, with about 130,000 population
9,000 elector+, which return 50 membere while 15 of the
largest cities and constituencies in Great Britain, with More
than 3,000,000 population and 150,000 elector., only return
32 members. Then there are 64 eldest sons of peers, 35
younger sons of peers, 45 brothers of peers, and, in all, more
than 200 members relived to the peers, to say nothing of
these who ;are under the influence of the aristocracy, and
who, with u few exceptions, are neither more nor less than
all the members of the Lower House. But aristocratic in-
fluence is not only seen in the constitution of the House of
Commons, but in its acts. Witness the divisions ou the
income tax. Yet the incomes of the industri.ius
classes are taxed in comparison of the proheperty
di vi of
the idle classes. as 7 to 1. Witness also t
sions on the gagging bill. "Taxation without represen•
tation is tyranny." But the unrepresented classes pay the
bulk of the taxes. Take the male working classes at 5,000,000,
which is below the mark; take their average wages at 130.
per week ; this in the whole is 09,000,0001. Tuke the taxes
on the nec..aries they conntme at 4s. in the pound (which
is under rather than over the truth), and it presents a total
of 600,000/. a week, or 31,200,0001. a year. So that it is
plain t working claws, who are not represented, pay the
bulk ohs te taxes, which in the whole are about 57,0000001.
pelannum. And yet the House of Commons was founded, unff
exists at this day, on the principle " that taxation without
representation is tyranny.' But the absolutists say. "On,
the lower orders are nut enlightened enough for the suffrage."
I have a double answer for this: First, I say 7ou ve with-
held education from them, and you have no nght ate ke ad-
vantage of your own wrong ; give them the franchise, and
they will get eduertim fur themselves, and soon become as
rational and enlightened as you could wish. But, what is
more to the purpose and more immediately desirable, they
will not col), become enlightened, but their burdens will be
lightened, and you will be compelled to bear your just pro-
portion, shish you have contrived to ehift to their shoulders;
and, in the ith it place, I say it is a libel on the people to pre-
tend they are ignorant, and besotted, and demoralised, as
not to know right !rum wrong. I maintain that the indus-
trious intelligent operative, who frequents a mechanics' in •
stitute, and reads all the best newspapers and periodicals of
the day, while drinking his heavily-taxed tea, or c.ff, c, or
beer, or spirits, or smoking his exorbitantly.taxed tobacco,
not only boa a right to a vote, but is a more fit and proper
person to exercise it, and more knowing, and enlightened,
and better educated, than the majority of those who enjoy
the suffrage. Why, numbers of enti re constituencies have e
no free will, their votes being the property of some (ig) nobl

ELECTORAL REFORM.—TILE PROVINCIAL
PRESS.
We continue our selections from the comments of
the provincial press on the attempt which is being made to
unite earnest and sincere reformers for further improvements
in government. Our object is to let the
timemetropolis knprovowin cial how
the provincial pulse beats, and to let
communities know how far their views are in accordance, and
wherein they differ. So many men select their newspap, r
with a view to find their own opinions reflected in it, or con-
firmed by it, that each journal may be taken as a tolerably
fair exponent of the political sentiment, andfro general views
of its subscribers. By quoting indiferi ntly m pape
all principles we shall not only obtain a pretty. correct notion
of the themes which engross public attention, hut also
pretty close
in
to the views respecting them
which pre dominate in the reading public.
The Lincolnshire Times expresses itself to the following
effect:
The grand principles of reform are to be immediately acted upon-
The attsntion of parliament its about to be ealied to the eentimente
now publicly expressed by u large portion of the middle claws, and
which will be received es cheering in..icaliorie of an awakened feel.
ing in the considerate anti rititctive, who, although ae iippi,sed to
revolution as to the bursting Birth of • mighty to endangering
• life, are firmly attached to reform, as to a progreviee stream that
' both feds anti nourish life. The iddle chet+cs who view the
points of the cherter ases Utopian owl i mmpracticable, are sensitively
alive o a orter duration of parliamenta, to the suffrage being
eCi•eittellsiresh with taxation, to the el ections being by ballot ;
and that by seeming these points, a reduction of expert-
, dilute, equality of Msation, and a general advance of re-
' form principtes would neces-arily follow. • • • • • We do
nut augur much from mere league. and mere party combinations
let principles be the beets, and thin
the architect, plenty of work-
men wilt be found; justice will be firmly established in her seat ;
wrongs will be redeemed ; and internal peace immovably estublished.
If by co-mete:Mon these effects are to result, we hope the feeling will
go forth throughout the length owl breadth of the nation. Tlits Le
' the time for union. The chartist demonstration faded, not from its
1, threatened violence, but from the firmness of the middle clatters.
And now th a they have achieved so lough, by adopting a firm, con-
' sistent, proctual course, they will be, what they ever ought to be, the
' meet intelligent, the most influential, the largett, and the most iin.
portant party.
Blanchester toryism, speaking through the Courier of that
town, opineth that some concession must inevitably be made
to the movement, and, " hoping against hope," looks for a
• retrograde movement towards protection as a consequence :
Perhaps in the niitLst of the prevent political thetractions of Europe
`his ceenturtly prove a not unfortunste thing fee the interests of
country that a kind of modified radicalism has taken posseaston of
' Men-es. llume and Company, who, to give them their due, are re-
spectable politicians, and, from their stake in society, responsible
men. Herein lien a security foe the internal peace and 'safety of the
country. Tin " movement" of the new oppOotion
They" removed the
hopes of the chartish% f ather off thm ever. Moeement "
hag stepped in with comparatively moderate demands, which
will be strongly urged in patliament, and in some degree,
probably, supported b) :the middle classic, whose sympathies the
chartists never could have. The effect of these demands will pro-
bably be the daneeeeion of a number of additional representatives to
large towns and thickly-Peopled diatacht—the popnlatitm of which
has doubled since IN32—taken from constituriddeencies a
con..emned for
bribery and corruption, with poisibly a few d ; further effect
will be, Increased vigilance and care in the public expenditur,
Be,, ere
the
suppression of useless but extensive offices, and co forth.
long, pat liament will be cashed upon 10 do something else, not very
palatable to Mr. Cobden and the free-trade members of ache
eee
new radial opposition. It is manifestly members
o tr
trade in corn, If not also in n long lid of other com-
modities formerly testa, can he suezvesfully maintained
funded
in
the face of the heavy taxation to which the
debt and the large and indispoundfie nasal and military establish-
ments of this country make the people liable. We say tin- mele-
pendently of these other considerations which must arise in the inter-
national view of the question with reference to the .11V in which we
may be called upon to ,but Feu hostile tariffs. Talation of sonic
kind we must submit W.
but nheeitatingly say that direct taxa-
tion will never be submitted to. The storm rshed throughout the
country—anti especially in the commercial circles—by the proposal to
in
and perpetuate the income tax, le an irmeistible proof of this.
Anil the only eventual alternative will be to return to the system of
taxing foreign coin and over foreign commodities. We will at pre-
sent can no morn than chie, that the seeds ot mortality are thus sown
in the new radical ion at the hour of its birth. lin this point
we may very safely relitUre tO be prophetic.
As might have been anticipated, the Vail; organ in Man-
chester is mere alarmed at the prospect of renewed advance.
The luckless Manchester Guardion cavils at the parties who
have been among the first to make the move : protests its
willingness to go a certain length towards extending the suf-
frage, and vows that it ardently desires a better distribution
of representation ; but wishes ail such changes to be put by till
a " proper time," and, in the meantime, " looks to govern-
ment and the legislature" to "detest the present move-
ment."
Though not disposed to condemn the forthcoming scheme of an
extemion of the suffrage before seeing it, we candidly confess that
the selection which its promoters have made of a leader and parlia-
mentary organ, d es not fill us with any eepecial preporseseion in its
favour. The choice of the author of a piece of mischief to repair its
effeete to certainly not prortheing; and if any man umong the liberal
party is to blame for an undue preponderance of the landlord interest
in the House of Commons that man is Mr. Hume. • • •
• • • To such a scheme of household suffrage,
then, we shall offer an uncompromising opposition ; but
as we stated hot sr eck, we arc quite prepar.l to support, at a proper
time n.coneiderable modification of the representottve system of the
country We see no reason whatever why the parliamentary franchise
ahoold net, like the municipal franchise, be extended to every rate-
payer, who, by haring duly paid his taxes, national and local, has
fully disil.rgot the obligations of citizenship. such a change would
not only remove an invidious dintinction, lost would also add very
considerably to the number of voters, particularly in the emaller
to where the constituency is now the mad limited; and although
wens, do not far one moment pretend that it wold not involve some
anomalies, still it would place the franchise on au much more intelli-
gible ana defensible baste than that upon which it now rests.
But if the House of Commons, as now constituted, does not
sufficiently express the spirit ot reform and amelioration which per-
vade* the pcmge, it O not so mush the suffrage as the distribution
of representatton which in at fault. The large and populous borough
constituencies already return a great majurit) of decided liberals; anti
if the right of returning members were more fairly disuibuted among
the towns, according to their population and importance, we believe
there would
he to be any practical ground for complaining of the
operation of the Chanties. clause. But although such are our opui,
and we have thought it right to exprem them, now that the question I
has been raised, we cannot admit that the present Ls a stritable time
for pressing (.sward important constitutional changes. These are
best considered in periods of commercial tranquillity, when the public
mind does not come disturbed by
wide.spread physical distress to the '
discuseion of questions in themselves sufficiently exciting; and
when Icon mischief will result from the temporary check to con-
fidence which, under the most (avowable etrcumstances, semen.
ramie-6 the agitation of political changee. Any tit retomi
which this movement might achieve would come too late to mitigate
the present distre,s : while, if 1: errescrin in, it will effectually. pre-
vent the adjustment of the navigation laws, and the pf any
other practical measures of amelioration which the ministryassing may pro-
• • • For the defeat of the present movement we must
lookpOsek to the government and the legislature. As it took its rise in the
dissasfaction inspired by the financial policy of the ministry, so it
ti
can onlv t suppresecsl by an energetic determination to make the best
use of the remumder of the parliamentary session for the carrying out
of practical financial and administrative reforms.
It is passing strange that the Guardian, after deprecating
the discussion of financial reforms at present, should end by
exhorting ministers to set about them immediately.
------=------_—_______

OATHS OF MENIBERS OF FARLIA)IENTire
. ,
Report of the select committee appointed "to inqu
whether the oaths required to be taken at the table by
members of this house have been duly taken by Benjamin
Hawes, Esq., and to report their opinion thereupon."
The statates which require the members of the house to
be sworn at the table are the 30 Charles 11. sess. 2, and the
13 and 14 Will. M. cap. G. They enact, " That no person
',hat now is or hereafter shall be a member of the Rouse of
1 Cammons shall vote or sit there durimi any debate in the
said House et Commons after the Speater is chosen, until
such member shall take the oaths and subscribe the Fame i"

---
CRUELTY IX A 110SPITAL.-A mae of great hardship has
occurred in the county of Cork, at liilmore. A lad, named
Timothy Shanahan, had been for a considerable time con-
fined in the fever hospital there. Ile became convalescent
and the attendant physician directed heshouldbedischarged.
The lad was, however, without covering of any kind, and he
remained iu the hospital in bed, for he was still weak. The
that
direction to discharge him was given on Friday ; on
day and the next he had his rations ; on the Sunday and
Monday ke had none. This was by order of the nurse-
tender. The doctor having been told on Tuesday that he
had no rations for two days, was very angry, and
ordered food to be instantly given him. On the next
day and that succeeding, the nurse-tender again stopped
the rations, and on Thursday put the lad out of the hospital,
having first stripped him of the hospital shirt, so that save
an old tattered cloak he had no garment. He endeavoured
to make his way home, but sank and died that evening on
the way. The coroner's jury have properly found that
Shanahan died of this woman's neglect.
A Mr. Longlield, of Cork county, is said to have evicted
73 families, comprising 379 individual, within a few
months.

SCOTLAND.
EDINBUR4II, APRIL
The liberal press is still dissatisfied with the Lord
Advocate's Entail Bill. Here is the opinion of the
Aberdeen Herald •
In our first notice of the Lord Advocate's Entail Bill, wit
expressed our disapprobation of that part of his measure
which went to tie on us one system of entails for another.
We declared our conviction that the feeling of Scotland was
against entails in any shape or degree, and we hope that the
Lord Advocate will be made to see this. Indeed, so
thoroughly arc we, after the most mature consideration of
his bill, and especially after the perusal of some remake on
it in the number of Tart's Magazine for the present month,
evidently written by sonic one familiar with the subject, and
P. of eidarged and statesmanlike views, convinced of
this, that we would rather see the present system continued,
than this bill of the Lord Advocate's become t
ae few
e law
of the laud. There would be a hope that
years' longer continuance of the present iniquitous and
injurious entail laws, would make them so intolerable, that
the whole thing, root and branch, would be thrown down
at once. The sole effects of the Lord Advocate's measure is
to benefit a few of the more closely tied up entailed land-
lords, and to throw an immense deal of business hereafter
into the hands of lawyers. In fact if this bill pass, in a
quarter of a century a great part of tho landed property of I
Scotland will be under the management of the Court of Sea- '
eion, and the transfer of laud will be as dillieult, sod even
impossible, as is the case with the " encumbered estates" of
Ireland, the legislating for which is now the most
difficult which the government of this country has
before it. We observe that the town council of
Edinburgh have agreed unanimously to petition
against the entail laws. If our town council
should wish to show their desire for progressive end cell do-
able reform by doing the same, we trust that they
wi demand that entails in any form be in future prohibited in
Scotland. The Lord Advocate's bill is not even the " in-
stalment" which Sir David Baird and some other of the
opponents to the entail laws unheedingly declared it to he.
The country must check him in this attempt to benefit
merely landlords for a time and Edinburgh lawyers for ever.
We said before, and we say it sgain, that acute lawyers are
never great legislators. Andrew ltutherfurd, with allcon-
his
great legal talents, cannot grasp a great principle, nor,
sequently, found on ft a statesmanlike measure. If be will
only hut be done with his mischievous peddling, some one
hereafter will earn the gratitude of the country by making
short work with entails.