The Express.
London, England, 1853-11-19 00:00:00

PROJECTED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND

ART FOR BIRMINGHAM.
•

BIRMINGHAM, FRIDAY.

Last night a meeting of many thousand persons
was keld in the Town-ball, the purpose being to bring pro-
minently before the public the details of a plan broached
nearly a year since for the establishment of an institute, to
consist of two chpsrtments—one a general department, the
other schools of industrial science. Under the former bead
will be embraced—let, the literary branch, comprising ge-
neral and reference libraries, reading rooms, accommoria-
atm, as far as may be practicable, for the literary societies
of the town, and lectures on subjects kindred to this
branch; 2ud, museums; 3rd, a collection of mining re-
cords; 4th, lectures on general scientific subjects; Bth, pe-
riodical meetings for the reading sod t:iscussion of original
communications, upon the plan of the sections of the
British Association; and 6th, • gallery of fine arts for the
reception of examples of painting and sculpture. The
schools are intended to give systematic instruction in che-
mistry as applied to the various manufactures and
agriculture, mechanics, metallurgy, mineralogy, and
geology, ventilation of mines, and mining, engineering,
Re. -The plan has already received the support of the
Board of Trade Department of Science and Art, and about
7,0001. has been already subscribed to carry out tf,e pro-
hat, in addition to • piece of land which the Town Council
ve presented, valued at 10,0001.
At this meeting all the principal manufacturers of the
tows and the surrounding district were present, as well as
many of the principals of the greatest of the South Staf-
fordshire ironworks, to whom an exhibition of the different
kinds of ores and iron, and models of furnaces used in
England, Ametica, and on the continent, will be of the
greatest practical advantage. Captain Tama', of the
Branch Bank of England (brother of the late Chief Ju-
an) presided, and, besides the class to whom we have re-
ferred, he was supported by Sir Edward Scott, Bart. ; fifir
Robert Peel, Bart., M.P. ; Mr. ficholebeld, M.P.; Mr.
Henry Cole, of the Government Department of Art ; the
Hon. and Rev. G. M. Yorke, the Hon. and Rev. the Chan-
cellor Law, Archdeacon Sandford, Mr. Alderman Marti-
neau, Mr. William Morgan, the Town Clerk, &c.
After some remarks from the chairman,
Sir R. PxxL addressed the meeting at great length.
The hon. baronet dwelt with considerable force upon the
progress of e silence and art; but he pointed out bow that
progress was impeded by the want of proper means to
convey systematic instruction to the mechanic and artisan.
Much as had been done by the Society of Arts, the Schools
of Design, and the Mechanics' Institutions, the state of
public education was still deplorably deficient. Look at
Holland, France, Switzerland, and above all at the United
States of America, and see how anxious they were to tun
to:account their own intellectual resources. Look at France
alone, with its Ecole Polytechaique, its Ecole des Manu-
factures, and its Ecole des Beaux Arts—all institutions
directl bearing on the intellectual condition of the indus-
trial classes; and were they to permit France and the
United States to make greater provision than themselves?
They had hitherto been the foremost in the march of
civilisation, and if they meant to maintain that posi-
tion they must unite all their efforts, as by this alone would
liliay be inaUled s. Law page wait' their competitors. (WM.)
Look at Lyons with its silks, or Genoa with its velvets, or
Brussels and Valenciennes with their law, or Massachusetts
with its shoes. Did they suppose it wee a matter of small
importance to the special industry of these places that they
should be losing ground in public estimation ? Or look at
their own manufacturing towns : Nottingham, with its
lace; Leeds, with its cloth; and Sheffield, with its cutlery.
Did they suppose that in these towns it was • small matter
for them not to maintain their own special position ? (Hear,
hear.) So it was with Birmingham. Look at the lamp
trade, the glass trade, the japanning trade, and the various
branches of hardware manufacture. They had men among
them who at present enjoyed a will-earned reputation for
improvement in the manufacture of all these things—the
Chances, the Elkingtons, the Jennens and Betteridges ; but
unless they gave to the working-classes opportunities of ac-
quiring a knowledge of mechanical science, of artistic edu-
cation, and of the application of steam power, no matter
what their present reputation was, one generation would suf-
fice to sweep it away. (Cheers.)
The meeting was subsequently addressed by Mr. fiehole-
field, M.P., the Rev. G. M. Yorke, the Rev. G. H. Gifford,
the Rev. Chancellor Law, Archdeacon Saadford, Mr. 8. H.
Blackwell, of Dudley ; Mr. Henry Cole, Mr. P. Hollins,
Mr. J. F. Winfield, and
A working man named Jonas, who said that so long ea
the artisans were kept so many hours at labour institutions
such as the one projected would be found useless—the
concert room and the gin palace would beat them all.
Resolutions were passed unanimously, thoroughly ap-
proving the plan of the institution, as well as the detail,
so far as promulgated. The proceedings were not brought
to a ohne until 11 o'clock at night.

THE CHOLERA.

(nom the Geeetal Baud of Health, Nov. 13.)

KETILOPOUL—In the Fulham union, during the
week ending Nov. 16, there have occurred 14 cases of
cholera and 6 deaths. The returns from the Divisions
D K PV of the Metropolitan Police give 6 new caws, and
3 deaths.

Otomadrou, Intaa YAILItOOTIL—There bane been
6 deaths, with 7 or 8 other oases in this village, but happily
the change of weather appears to have caused a subsidence
of the epidemic. It is to be hoped that advantage will be
talus of this circumstance to remove the nuisances which
exist Is the locality where the disease has shows itself.
boasts.—Mr. Lee states that during his inspection of
Sobam he found the course takes at Newcastle, sad other
phials in the north, et burying with fresh earth nuisances
which it would have been dangerous to remove during the
pestilence, had been almost universally adopted. The re-
nnin had been perfectly satisfactory.
LIITON.--It will be Remembered that Mr. Lee, la bis se-
count of Adelaide-terrace, the property of Mr. Henry Sib-
.

. .
ley, said that in 25 houses, containing a population of 126
souls, there had been 54 attacks of choleraic disease, of
which 15 had proved fatal—a rat* of mortality amounting
in three weeks to 119 in the thousand, and which, if conti-
nued over the town generally for the space of six months,
would destroy the whole of the inhabitants. In a subse-
quent report, Mr. Lee, after narrating a great number of
harrowing cues, concludes with the following startling
statement : I felt it my duty to estimate the Talus of this
property of Mr. Sibley's, and also of the other property
in the town, affected by the present epidemic of cholera.
took some evidence from Mr. Joseph Anstee, the relieving
officer, as to the cat to the ratepayers of the
present visitation. The expenses already incurred includ
money, groceries, meat, coals, blankets, nurses, regular,
and extra medical attendants, house of refuge, coffins,
burial fees, dkc. The prospective and permanent expenses
include the maintenance of widows and orphans, akc., left
dependent upon the parish funds. The result of these cal-
culations was that I was able to state to the local board of
health at their meeting the following startling fact :-11
every house that has been visited with this epidemic in
Luton were sold at its full value and the purchase-money
could be invested so as to produce an annual revenue, the
amount would be insufficient to pay the charges of this
attack of preventible disease. In other and more general
terms, the cholera costa more than the fee simple of the
houses in which its victims perish."
DUND6II —Nov. 15, cholera, 8 deaths ; Nov. 16, cholera,
8 deaths. Cases of diarrhcoa attended by district officers
and visitors :—Nov. 15, 191 ; Nov. 16, 189 ; total, 383.
ARBROATX.—Nov. 16. Cholera, 1.

AORICULTVRAL WAGES.—Durieg the peat week
most of the principal statutes for the hiring of farm servants
have been held in North Nottinghamshire and North Lin-
colnshire, and in every instance the servants, both male and
female, have obtained advanced wages, there being a greater
scarcity of bands for farming labour than has been known
for many years put in these districts.

i TYNEMOUTII BRIBERY COMMISSION.

-
The proceedings were resumed at the Town-hall,
,Mar.niTahyelorm'sade.hißefstrateneunotu,,ws
trasirteatso-
on Thr:rodsX•
When be found t'at dinners end
be took care to make no inquiries
eimu:c3innteridps.riaiiteisdluTrlsl:ialiseutpl:lecteyggs!i ;in!,
in the mitt". flu, ;wen no directions for them himself.
The band and flakbeakrell had refreehmente at 60 or 70
public-houses • at every Nblic-house, in fact, where a Tote
had been promised to Mr. Taylor. Could not name one
public-house out of the 260 in the town where the landlord
was not a voter, and where retreshmen'• had been ordered.
The purpose of giving suppers was to counteract the In-
fluence of Mr. Grey's friends, who gave suppers. There
was, however, but one house where auppers hed.been given
by both parties. As solicitor to the Duke of Northumber-
land, be had used no influence on behalf of Mr. Taylor.
There were 100 flags. Mr. Grey's party, however, had
double that number. It was the practice to give orders to
electors rather than to non-electors, and there would be
great complaint if any other rule were adopted. Had never
consulted the duke about the election ; and none of his
grace's tenants had received notice to quit for having voted
against his wishes.
Mr. J. Tinley, solicitor, and principal agent to Mr. Grey,
said that at the commencement of a canvass from 200 to
250 of the, electors would hang off. Mr. Taylor was a large
ship owner and a coal owner, aid that class had great in-
fluence in the borough ; but the shopkeepers in the town
generally were a very independent class of men, and mostly
vo;ed fur the liberals. Mr. Grey's election expenses were
2,5481., all of which had been paid. Every lathing of it
was paid by witness, and was received by him from either
Mr. Grey, or his sten father, Mr. J. Abel Smith, the
London banker. Witness had received the fol-
lowing remittances:—May 10, 1851, 1501. ; April
17, 1852, 2001. ; July 13, 6001. ; and afterwards
1,6;01. The balance wee in witness's hands. The
supper bills were brought in after the election, and
witness was perfectly horrified at them. As, however,
they had been contracted by the mistaken seal of some of
their supporters, they were paid. He could most emphati-
cally state that neither Mr. Grey nor himself, were co:lfni-
abut of a single farthing having been spent by his
party in bribing. He would be ashamed of
himself if he were offering a men a bribe.
He could not help believing thst Mr. Laws, the
Duke's bailiff in the borough, exercised an influence,
_ns
such, for he found that the rural voters went against Mr.
Grey. By a little management he believed the influence of
his Grace might be doubled. (& laugh.) He believed that
no foreign influence was exercised on either aide during the
election.

Mr. J. Walker Mayson, one of Mr. Taylor's agents,
handed in several canvassing books, dle., amongst which
was a document, which created considerable mammon. it
was a chart of those electors who had promised, the doubt-
ful, &c., and purported to be " the chart of the good chip
Hugh Taylor, C. W. Laws, Commander."
The commission adjourned at four o'clock.