The Express.
London, England, 1849-04-04 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 4, 1849.

' elsewhere than North Worwiclubire , sad the result was,
that he * a waited upon at his own home by some agent of ,
the how gentleman's prty, who at owe oimitsed that Mr.
Newdegate did feel very uneasy en the sediest. But he
went further, he actually told him (Mr. Taylor) that i 1 he
woad leave the associatsoa he should have a geed plan as
soon as a conservative government come into Gies, and that,
in the mention, gold should be no object, bet be refused all ,
their offers; he told the agent at once that he prearrelerneke
tag at borne with his friends—the necking man—loollog his
humble aid to the good work which :they had begun, and
the result of which would be that the townies—the great
bulwarks of toryism—would fell into their hands. (Hear.)
Mr. Taylor nest adverted to the fast of hie having written to
Prince Albert, requesting his Royal Highness to patronise
then associations, the reply to which was that the P6llOll
" regretted he weld not acce.pt the Mainly on account of
his numerous engagements,: Therefore be went on to
urge the importaase of the movement as ea instranseet
whereby habits of saarg and economy would be promoted
amongst the working men; he entbated the arguments
which had been applied against it, and said that the working
men had long felt the oppremion, and would never agate,
he hoped, rest, until they had wriggled out of it. He cited
some of the financial advantage' of societies of this nature—
he was convinced (he laid), that if their efforts were well
directed, neon@ would attend this and all other associations
of a kindred spirit, and that they would contribute to the
regeneration of England. (Cheerk)
Mr. Alderson' WBSTON, of Birmingham, followed.
He also adverted to the financial advantages of the move-
ment. Lead (be said) being of limited extent, necessarily
increased in value in proportion es the trade of the country,
the population, and the wealth of the country increased.
All the lows for the improvement of the people had been
wrested from the legislature by miens of expulsive wits-
, doss. This need net be the ease If the people were fairly
• represeated ; end he hoped that by the intrust' utility of
these associations they would be able to get such a Hesse of
I Commons as would legislate for the good of the couttry at
, large. He hoped that 'hey weeldset ea eatunple, too, of the
mode of oondeetiog elections. The franehiss was a sacred
trust reposed in seta fee the besets of their fellows, end he
hoped goon to see the day when it would be so resnided. He
believed (he said) that the results arising from assomatioas such
as these would szneise a vast likaMllllll ever the future
, deeded', of England, he hoped that they would be the mesas
of putting as end to war, entertaleing as he did the belief
that Begland's wan bad gained her enemies when she
, would have had friendsOnsides greatly augmenting the
, berthas' of her people. The worthy gentleman concluded
addremby itrengly neonswendieg than anneinlions to
the c eneideration of the artisans throughout the emery.
Mr. W. B. SMITH ant addressed the meeting, and
• thereafter a vote of thinks Maw been pored to the chair-
, man, the meeting, wish& MA beis a Wstly gratifying one,
' broke up.

AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS.

MEETING IN WILTSHIRE.
A numerozirre attended meeting of the tenant
farmers of W' was held on Friday, in the market
place of Devisee, the purpose of considering the present
depressed state of the agricultural interest, end of adopting
rose measures for restoring Its peesperity. The Web sheriff,
R. P. Nisbet, Req., presided **the occasion, and expressed a
hope that every speaker would have • fair and patient leer-
ing. The result, however, far from realised the bar
✓estlesan's expectation ; for as the proem liege •4 i
mooed, it became Iretty clear that the free 1
traders were meal to the protectionists, while •
trash of idle vagabonds seemed to be in &Vendome, for se
other purpose but to get up a succession of fights, for they
✓epented the muse of each party alternately, and kept up
a magnum* yell, so as to render the voices of the speakers
almost inaudible.
Mr. 8. MILLS, amidst seine of uproar and esitesten,
during which the cudgels of the Ibevern were breught into
active play upon the heeds and ehs,Hseesfseme of their
opponents, moved the first ressistion, to the Abet :
net the darer enders mew the fusser ef the Vatted King-
dom isuissidemehtsephise el Mie reseleg"imaidy seseiseed by the
norMsm
WO MB ererreres of idireve. end the reseiturf rselh un-
em-
rem=man he te the capital age sane fa-
iabg sperms of subirtion, te faseesseximbra
Illwrin the blrearre Mare. ani ft err the Ma rail to
theirs& r the arras mem ef
Of rune he attributed dog distress to the
waking' of free trade, which Mannered% prove by eating
that the foreigner could sell wheat In this sentry 26e. per
quitter, whams; • British firmer could not produce a quarter
of wheat for less than 56s , and wetted up kis speech by
declaring that Sir It Peel had proved himself to he a politi-
cal traitor, and that Mr. Cobden would in the end tarn out
to be an ultra-republican. (Cries of " Oh, oh," sad
Gentelon.")
Mr. BETnELL, of &sill& in seconding the resolution
followed in the same strsio, and heisted that free trade had
proved es disastrous to the shopkeeper us to the firmer,
whi. h no doubt the tradsemea of Devises could testify.
(No, no.)
The HIGH SHERIFF sail when ell the resolutions had
been proposed he would put them to the vas in • collective
The rain, which continued to the close, now began to tall
in karma ; but it had little effect in thinning the
sr subduing the courage of the two parties, and
rather to increase the skirmishing.
Mr. BROWN, of Avebury, moved the second resolution.
to the effect that the malt and hop duties bore with undue
severity upon the farmer and costumer, and ought, thew
Sae, to be immediately repealed.
Mr. HALCOMB, of Poulton, seconded the resolution,
sod said there was no blinking the matter; the time bad
arrived when the rents of the farmers must come down.
(Cries of " Ah. that's it, 60/. per' cent.")
Mr. T. SMITH, of Ramabory Park, then came forward
Ito propose that • moderate import duty upon all foreign pro-
&actions was infinitely better and more Pose than the system
of taxing the productions of native Industry, sad was the
only means by which the British medusa each a ambit
with the foreigner. We were the richest sad most industrious
nation in the world, and yet &tress prevailed from
nn• end of the land to the ether. What caused this ? (A
Voice " Why, pensioning the aristmency.") How could
it be removed 1 (A Voice: " Study Cocker, sad he will tell
you.") Mr. Cobden said it was to be does by retrench-
ment. (Cries of " That's what we wont." " Now you have
rot the right end of the stick ")No such thing. Mr.
Disraeli's plan was one remedy, as far as local burdens were
concerned; but he did not think it went far enough. (Cries
of " No, no.")
A general row now took place, in the midst of which a
fierce attack was made upon a party who wore a broad-
* rimmed hat and • smock frock, which gently excited the
indignation of some of the gentlemen upon the hustings, one
of whom lustily roared out, " He's a farmer, and a respect-
able man. Is he to be humbugged and knocked about in
that way bemuse he does not agree with you in polities ?"
When order was main restored,
Mr. L. P. MATON seconded the resolution.
A petition to parliament, founded on them resolutions,
was then proposed by Mr. Williams, and seconded by Mr.
W Sainsbury, of Distortion.
A farm labourer, named COLES, then came forward and
declared that protection was nothing better than robbery,
which of course led to another disturbance. He, however,
persisted in moving as an amendment that the still remedy
for the existing distress was a thorough reform in lA, public
expenditure, the repeal of the melt and hop duties, the abo-
lition of the game laws, and the redaction of rents. (Cheers.)
Mr. SINCLAIR, a tradesman, seconded the amendment,
which was put and negatived ; after which the original re-
solutions were carried.
Mr. 8. HERBERT, M.P., then addressed the meeting at
great length, and insisted that the dktrees In the west of
England was not stir' 'stable to foreign competition, but to
a bad harvest, ter in Scotland the farmers had made their
farms answer so well, since the establishment of free trade,
that they had lately taken new lames at an inereseed rent.
(Cheers.) The corn-laws, he said, ware the malt
of the war, which had es increased the prodsce of
land, that after the war, it became necessary to
pass them law,, to keep up the prices, and con•
equally the price of lead, for the bonsai of the
landlords. (Hear.) The land, however, had welds to such
• law now, and a large reduction of rents must inevitably
take place. (Chaste.) He concluding by stating that he
should have no objection to repeal the malt au
duties lithe revenues detiv A frostthem could be obtained
in any other way, and advising the farmers to be of good
cheer, and not to take so desponding a view tithe present
deprassioe. which he acosiderd was only of a temporary
nature. (Hear.)
The meeting wee subsequently addressed hi Mr. %Citron,
M.P., Mr. Neeld, M.P., Mr. Homage, M.P., the two for-
mer of whom, although favourable to protection thought
the rents ought to be reduced, while the misfits would
also vote for the repeal of the melt mad bap dudes. if the de-
ficiency of the revenue Gould be applied In any other way.
The esestiag, which lasted di suers, terminated with a
vete of thanks to the Sheriff.

Sir R. Peel's second plantation sireec—iiii iiiversally
discussed here. The prevalent feeling is that of ad- ,
miration at its practical eloquence, and of astonish-
ment at his singular command of facts illustrating
the social oonditioa of our island. His reputation for
ability does not require to be raised, but his po-
pularity has vastly increased ; and all English poll-
ticiaas he is now undoabtetly the most popular here.
It has been well known here that he always took a
great interest in exploring that terra incognita of
literature, " Irish history." At all our .im-
portant book sales for some years past, any
rare Irish works of merit were bought in
for Sir R. Peel, and not long since one of
our literary salesmen here had in his possession a
printed catalogue of Sir Robert's Irish library—a very
respectable volume in point of size. Some of the most
critical years of his life were passed here, and it is not
surprising that his mind should revert with sympa-
thetic interest to the land in which he first held public
offic While Chief Secretary, he introduced the
police, vulgi, " Peelers." And there are not wanting
symptoms that in politics, at least, vast numbers of
Irishmen are likely before long to become " Peelers"
also.
The Press of last night highly commends the
views of Sir Robert, objecting, however, to English-
men being chosen as commissioners. There is a small

party here, whose political cry is, " Irishmen for Irish
tam."

The Mail f curse sneers at Sir It. Peel's speech,
and with some Irish humour mks, " Will Sir Robert
buy an estate himself here?'
There wu a large mewing yesterday at Kingstown
of the ratepayers of the Rathdown Union. Lord Clan-
curry in the eheir, to take into onnideration Mr.
Griffith's esitation, which seem to have caused some

Yeatszdry John M'Donnell, Esq. and Peter
Barlow, Esq. Isere re-clewed as governor and deputy
governor of the Back of Ireland.

Alltustr.

JENNY LIND AT EXETER HALL.
The concert of sacred music given last evening by
Mdlle. Lind at Enter Hell, and the prueeds of which
with her anal generosity she bee appropriated to
three charitable est iblishments c mnected with her art
—the Royal Society of Musiciacs, the Society of Female
Musicians, and the Choral Fund—excited the degree
if public interest which was to have been expected.
Every place was disposed of some days since, and
tickets were resold, we understand, at considerably
advene' d prices. I n the hall there was not a single
vacant seat, but there was no unpleasant crowding or
confusion. The Queen and Prince Albert, with their
suite, oecupied the north gallery: they remained during
the whole performance. Her Majesty, on her entrance
and deiartare, was greeted with the warmest demon-
strations of loyalty, which she repeatedly and grace-
fully acknowledged. The Duke of Wellington took
his place in the body of the halt. When he was ob-
served making his way to his seat he was greeted
with a burst of applause; and as he was going oat,
leaning on the arms of the Marchioness of Douro and
Miss Bolden Coatis, similar honours were paid him.
The performance emulated of "The Creation ;"
bat prefixed to it there were Handers coronation
anthem, " Zeck& the Priest," and his trumps`-song,
" Let the bright seraphim." It was injudicious thus
to inttoduce these two eves though one of them
was sung by Jenny Lind. Tbereis nothing very striking
about either of them, and OAT injured the effect
of the oratorio, which ought always to constitute an
entire performance. " Zadok the Priest," though 53
popular at to have become hackneyed, is much infe-
rior to Handel's other coronation anthems; and "Let
the bright seraphim" isa mere emgofdisplay, written
by Handel chiefly to show off the powers of a fa-
vourite trumpeter. George the Third, with all his
Handelian prepoesessions, said it was "a noisy,vulgar
song;" and such, we believe, is the almost universal
opinion of musicians. 'Millie. Lind sang it with great
brilliincy of voice and execution, and was well, but
somewhat timidly, accompanied on the trumpet by
Mr. Harper, jun.
" The Creation " was magnificently performed ;
better, we think, than we have ever heard it before,
either in London or at any of the prowinc:al festivals.
There were nearly 600 performers under the direction
of M. Benedict. The voices and instruments were
the best the metropolis could furnish, and the smooth-
ie'', and delicacy of the choral ringing, as well as of
the instrumental accompaniments, showed careful and
exc Dent discipline.
Mdlle. Lind sustained the whole of the soprano
part, and this specimen of her powers as an oratorio
singer even exalted our admiration of her genie, and
classic spirit as a musician. Nothing could be finer
than her adaptation of her style to the subji ct and
character of the music. She indulged in no flights of
fancy introduced no florid ornaments. She
gave the text of the composer with the utmost
simplicity, hut with exquisite grace, refinement, tenth,
and variety of t xpress on. The finest air in the
oratorio, ",On mighty pens oplfted soars the eagle,"
was an inhn'table performanoe. The melting sweet-,
ness with which she expressed the cooing of the
turtle dove was inexpressibly beautiful; and more
charming still was the warmth and tenderness that
breathed in every note of " Graceful consort." In
this beautiful duet she was admirably supported
by Mr. Whitwcrth, who rang his part of it
with very great softness and delicacy. Mr.
Whitworth's whole performanos was able and
suocesdaL In the recitatives his elocution was
deer, manly, and impressive; and his principal air,
" Rolling in foaming billows," was given in a man-
nor that we have not heard surpassed by any one.
Hi. baritone voice has much of the softness and flexi-
bility of a tenor, and blends beautifully with the
others in concerted music. Of Mr. Lookey's per-
permance of the principal tenor part in this oratorio
we have had occasion to speak on former occasions.
It is in every respect excellent, and has gained in
forts and energy. In his vigorous delivery of the
great recitative, "In splendour bri.cht is risicg now
the MO," he reminded us of Braham. A p,rtion of
the hose sobs were sung by Mr. Machin, who did
them great justice. In conclusion we have to express
our hope that this fine performance will be repeeted.
ARRIVALS FROM GERMANT.—Strauss, with his
thirty-two musicians, is expeeed to arrive in London for the
season about the end of this mouth. Schulhoff, the pianists,
also, whose pianoforte and vocal works have already given
him a eavourabspreseige among amateurs, wilt be hers on
the 16th inst.