The Express.
London, England, 1865-05-01 00:00:00

DEATH OF MR. W. WILLIAMS, M.P.

This gentleman, who long represented the '
borough of Lambeth in parliament, died at his roams in
Parksquare, Itegeut's-park, on the afternoon of Friday,
after • lingering illnesa. He wee in the 77th year of his
age. He sat for Coventry from January, 1835, until the
general election in 1847, and was fist returned for Lam-
beth in July, 1850. Mr. Williams was • merchant, but
bad retired from business before turning his attentioo to poll-
tics. He was at one time a member of the Court of
Com-
mon Council. He was accustomed to all himself •
radical reformer, and was • politician of the class
of the late Mr. Joseph Hume, whose mantle he
may be said to have assumed. As a member of the
House of Commons he devoted himself with cloned per-
severance and much industry to the somewhat thankless
task of retrenchment in the public expenditure, thus taking
up the pert which Mr. Hams had made peculiarly hie own
during a long public career, but not with equal success. He
seldom or never lost an opportunity of denouncing what he
was accustomed to call ' the inquisitorial income tax,"
and whenever the Estimates, which he made his peculiar
study, were under discussion, he wee always to be found at
his post, canvassing and criticising what he regarded as ob-
noxious portions of them, but hardly ever taking anything
by his motion. The work, however, to which he applied
himself with exemplary patience, though often barren of
immediate good, may not hive been altogether fruitless, if
it tended in any degree, as it may have done, to restrain the
extravagance of government. It was, at all events, under.
taken in the public interest, and being, perhaps, the part
which Mr. Williams wee better able to play than any other
in such an assembly, it is entitled to respectful mention
now that he is gone. Altogether be bad at upwards of a
quarter of • century in the House of Commons, and had
announced his intention to retire at the close of the present
parliament.—Times.

THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN.—On
Saturday a public meeting was held at Bt. Janus's-hall, for
the purpose of expressing the feeling of indignation with
which they heard of the aseusination of Freakleet Linoole,
and of offering through Mr. Adams, the United States
Minister, their coadoleoce with the widow and family of the
deceased and the people of the United Sates. The large
hall was filled in every part. The balustrade of the
galleries was draped with black cloth bordered with white,
the letter "L " being inserted in that portion which faced
the platform. In the furthest portion of the hall were
three flags with the stars and stripes. These sad decorstions
were supplied gratuitously by Mr. Garstie, of Wel-
beck-street. The chair wan taken by Mr. W.
Evans, president of the Loud= Emancipation Society.
Amongst the gentlemen present on the platform were Mr.
Crum Ewing, M.P. ; Mr. P. A. Taylor, ILP.; Mr. W. E.
Forster, M.P.; Mr. G. Hadfield, M.P.; Mr. °reds% M.P.;
Mr. T. B. Potter. M.P.; Mr. Caird, M.P.; Mr. E. Baines,
M.P.; Mr. .1. White, M.P.; Mr. B. A. Latham, M.P.;
Mr. J. Staeafebl, M.P.; Mr. Gurney, M.P. for Falmouth ;
Hon. A. Kinnard, Y.P. ; Hon. Mr. Stanley (son of Lord
Stanley of Alderley); Professor Fawcett, Mr. E. Bales, Dr,
Hodgkin, Judge Winter (of Georgia), Mr. Cyrus H. Field,
Dr. Cleveland (Connecticut, U.S.), Dr. Bliss, Colooel Hoe,
Rev. It. Everest, Mr. Edward Dion, sad others.
Mr. Chasm, the secretary, reed a letter from Sir Charles
Lyell, regretting his inability to attend, and stated that he
had received letters to a similar effect from Lord Houghton,
Mr. Bagley, ILP., Mr. Goethe°, M.P., Mr. Buxton, M.P.,
and others. The meeting was addressed by Mr. W. E.
Forster, M.P., Mr. Peter Taylor, M.P., Mr. Latham, M.P.,
Mr. T. B. Potter, M.P., Mr. Baxter, M.P., the Hon.
Lynlph Stanley, Mr. H. Fawcett, Mr. Caird, M.P., Mr.
Green% M.P., Mr. Cram Ewing, M.P., the Rev. Newman
Hall, and Mr. Mason Jona, and the proceedings were of •
very enthusiastic character.
Mn.. SLIDELL AND THE ANILSEINATION OF PRESI-
DENT LIECOLN.—The Rev. Mr. Anther Gurney having in-
vited Mr. Slidell to be present at a solemn service in Paris
in memory of Mr. Lincoln, at which Southerners and
Northerners were alike to attend, the following reply was
sent to the invitationi—" Paris, April 28.—My dear Sir,—
No one could have beard with greater horror and regret
Maul the intelligence of the atrocious crimes perpetrated
at Washington. No one could repudiate with sterner indig-
uatiou the idea that the assassins had received prompting or
eacoorapatent from friends of the Considerate cause. Per-
na no two prominent persona of the Federal government
could have been selected who excited in • leas degree feel-
ings of personal hostihtyand vindictiveneri than Pnisident
Linoolo acid his Secretary of State. I am much obliged
to you for inviting me and my family to assist at the
solemn service which you propose to bold to-
morrow at your chapel, and auk' we be present simply to
manifest the feelings which I have briefly expressed, we
would not hesitate to kneel with you in prayer for the souls
of the victims. But reflection will, lam sere, satisfy you
that our presence on the melancholy caseion would be sub-
ject, to various and not unnatural misconstructions, received
on the part of some as a hypocritical display of a regret we
did not feel ; by others, as a virtual acknowledgment of the
injustice of the cause in the defense of which so many noble
martyrs have fallen, and as • tacitly Implied acquiescence
In
the course of policy pursued by Mr. Lincoln since his acces-
sion to power on the 4th of March, 186 L I will take plea-
sure, in compliance with your request, to let any Cool/ode-
rate friends whom I may see today know of the intended
ceremony.—Believe me, very sincerely, your friend sad
servant, JOHN SLIDELL"
Tag Tar DUTY.—A grocer and tea-dealer writes
to the Timm:—" The propaml of the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer to reduce the duty on tea from la. per lb. to 6d.
has taken the trade so completely by surprise that I think
we an entitled to some little counderatim. The re-
duction from la. bd. per lb. to is, was made so very
recently (only two years ago). that I believe scarcely
any one connected with the trade dreamt of any farther
reduction at present ; the consequence is that moot of
us hold heavy atoeks, anil, as the public expect the full
amount of the reduction immediately the resolution bas
passed the House of Commons, I venture to express a hope
either that some little time may be allowed us to reduce oar
stocks, a else that we may lave an allowance made to us oe
the tea we hold, for which we have, of earn, paid all the
shilling duty. Then is no difficulty in the way of the
latter arrangement, as the amiantus could easily take our
stocks the day before the proposed reduction comes into
operation. I may also urge, a a farther claim, the large
amount of duties we colleen annually for the national ex-
&aqua ; one firm of wholesale paten in London alone paid
last year • sum of half • militia for customs ditties ; and
when it Is borne in mind that the retail trader has to incur
the eedinry Masao of lessee and bad debts in collecting
three duties from the public, I think it will be allowed that
I ma set unrauceabla is asking for some consideratioa on
the pretest oceados."
SiN SALY•non. --Statistical tables publitled in
sea Salvador penis show that agrioulture aid easomeee
lean Mee within the last tar yews very randly, sad the
rine botk importation aad exports searly doubled, the
brow being 1W(.219 dela. is 1836. 1,2P.711 deb- 226.
in 1964, and the latter 910,127 dole. 42c., sod 1,676,496 dole.
424. lospinninely.