The Express.
London, England, 1858-05-13 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 13, 1868.

I cannot say that any of these portraitures, whether of pencil
or of pen, convey a hill idea at the man. Els oonstenance
was one of Ikons which 1101•BIII Drivelled stratrgely, bat yet
significantly describes as "not a Laos, but a physiognomy."
Its character lay fez less be the hater's than in the ewer
mina. The forms, lakes ospresloiy, were unettnealve, and
even issignillosat TM proportions of the fans were far
from regular. The osupisaion was deed and colourless,
and these daces were made still more remarkable by a small
mob upon one cheek. Theo was an occasional nervous
winking of the eyelids, too, which produced an air of weak-
ness, and at times even of constraint; but there was, never-
theless, • pervading expreaske of gentleness, aimplicity, and
open-blotted candour, whkh alrrW off all those individual
defter., and whkh so portrait could adequately embody.
In thus closing Dr. Russell's life, we cannot help
exclaiming " Vanitas vanitatam." Catherine de
Medici, when told ticaliger knew twenty languages,
said, "That is twenty words for one idea. I would
rather have twenty ideas for one word." After all,
Mezzofanti has left nothing but the memory of his
name. With fewer languages he might have given
birth to more ideas; and by means of them, he, being
dead, still could speak. It would have been some-
thing had he merely made us familiar with the plan
of study which in his case seems to have bean
crowned with such success; as it is, he has died and
left no sign.

MUSIC.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOMO OF COMMONB.—WsozossoAT, MAT 12.
(Contlimed from the /rpm* of yesterday.)
POOR RATES (METROPOLIS) BILL.
Mr. AUTON h►ving moved the second reading of this
bill.
Mr. 8l 88TCOURT opposed it, and moved as an
amendment that it be read a second time that day six
months.

Air. BYNG said that although be had felt some regret In
making up his mind to oppose the bill, that regret had been
much removed by the tons of the observations of the hon.
member the the Tower Hamlets. He believed that it would
not only herein the number of the poor, but produce a great
hefty of system. It would also tend materially to alter the
value of Property. Its effete would be to produce centralisa-
tion In its worst and most dangerous form, and deprive the
people of local self-govemenest. If the hon. member had
moved for • committee, he should have been happy to sup-
port the motion ; but objecting as he did to the second read-
of the bill, he felt bound to vote against its second
reading. _._(Hear.)
Sir B. MALL also opposed the bill, which proposed to give
to the magistrates almost iodide= powers to le”' rates
throughout the metropolis. Many individuals had asked
his opted= as to the necessity of getting up meetings to
petition ndenet the mom= but he had invariably told them
they wit give themselves the trouble, for pediment
would mpg consent to pm such an absurd and preposterous
wt..,
messare.l Hear," and a Legit.)
X rt. 3 LOCKE sad We hon. hind the member for
the To bed hew thanpall with =lag ammo
bean Now, lithe bee., hails= mem= far
the thew might be ewes hew to the =Welke ;
but, kw, members who adorned the other ad. of the Neese
would recollect that they were menaced years ago, an the
ground that they me supporting claw Were= (Hear,
bear.) the repel of the corn laws was carried because they
were so menaced. Mawr succeeded also in carrying
catholic semecipadon. (Hear, hear.) But he did not wish
to allow mums to enter into the oonsiderstka of this quer
lion. The bill was sad to be wrong in principle; bat,
" principle" was a very curious thing, and what was prin-
ciple one day was not principle the next. What was prin-
ciple with the right hon. gentleman (Mr. Betcourt) was not
principle with the right hon. baronet (Sir B. Hall) • few
years ago. The hon. baronet would send the tax-gatherer
into every parish, for the purpose of carrying out me-
tropolitan improvements," but when the poor were driven
by the rich into wretched localities, there was no principle
laid down for repairing the injustice to which they
were subjected. Now, in reality, in point of principle, there
was no dithreuoebetween the two cam, and therefore the right
hon. baronet ought to support the equal iaation of the poor ram.
What would be the result of so doing? The total number of
parishes in the metropolis was 184. The number paying
under 6d. in the pound was 22, the grow rental was
1,692,3011., and the property tax value 1,689,6641. The
' number of parishes paying over 6d. and under le. was 60, the
218 rental 2,286,2891., and the property-tax value
.5171. The number paying over is. and under Is. 6d.
was 41, the grew renal 6,632,4431., sad the tax
value 5,294,6641. The somber paying over la. 6d. end under
2e. was 33. the rental 2,966,1041. and the property-tax
value 2,634, Tbe number payini between 2s. and Bs.
was 23. the gross rental 964,8781., and the property-tax
wine 854,2181. The somber paying over 3s. wee 14, the
was rental 262,5161, end the property tax value 266,9311.
If an average was Wrath there were very few adrift that
would Naar if the general =lag amid be between la. and
Is. 6d. (neer.) Dhow thousands a perms bad petitioned
In devour of the proposed alteration, and very few
whist it. Opened' of thirty public meth= bad
' decided in its favour, and it had received the
spproval of a large number of the parochial clergy.
And how had the hole which they had adduced been mat f
Simply with an averment of the sacrednew of parishes, and
the allegation that by this law them woad be • lavish ex-
penditure, and that cm mete would spend 'a great deal of
money, because it would not own out of their pocket@ ;
but it would come out of their pockets, taw-
mach as the rate would be levied on all parishes silks. Then
an adeetion was made to the magistrates striking the rate.
, What power did this bill give to the eassistrates? When
the rates of the whole year were brought before them, they
were directed to swertala whether the rates of the former
year hod been properly expended, and if they found that the
expenditure had been proper, then they were enabled to
relieve the poor parishes which were unable to maintain their
poor in aSt and proper way, sad to have the rate levied on
other parishes along with thm. An objection was made to
the magistrates being the persons to exercise this power, but
it was not many years ago since the magistrates had power
over all matters relating to the exp.:dime of the fond
Meer* poor rates. dad they had pewee le determine on
the validity of poor rates now. Surely, then, they
went tit to be trusted with the power which this
bill gave them ? If, however, they were not the
right persona to have such • power let the right
hon. gentleman fix upon another body to whom
the power should be entrusted. He called on the
right hon. gentleman end the house not to reject the appeal
which had been made to them by the thousands of persons
who had petitioned in hvour of this bill, but to consider the
question fairly and equitably ; and, at all swots, to give the
supporter* of the bill an opportunity of proving before a
committee of that hem the aUrgations that they had made.
Mr. MILLER said he should vote against the second
Beading of this bill, which violated the just principle on
which that house acted in levying tam. That principle
was, that those who were responsible for the expenditure of
a tan should at the same time have the privilege of levying
it. The Nil =tit o give to those who had not the paying of
rake the power of expending their neighbour@
money. Reference had been made to the union
of parishes for the purposes of lighting and paving, se •
nt. He thought it • landmark to be avoided.
rder that bill many parishes were now rated coneiderably
beyond the expense of lighting and paving their own pa-
rishes, and the vestry clerk of one metropolitan pariah with
a population a about 16,000 told him that that parish was
thus put to an annual additional expenditure of 1,0001. It
was said that persons lived in one parish and carried on their
Imam in another. It was true that they did so, tot though
they paid a small rate for the pariah they lived in they paid •
large OW for the parish in which they conducted their bu.i-
usw, so that the one ootteMrhalsneed the other. he should
vote against the bid, but if there was any fair mode by which
an inequality of rating could be removed, he shouldhave no
objection to adopt that mode.
Mr. T. BUNCOMBE said he came down to the house
with an inclination to support the second reading of this bill,
not with a view of committing himself to the principle of it,
bemuse he was opposed to the principle, but with • view
of having the matter Inquired into before a select committee.
But after all they had beard, and after the fair speech they
had heard from the President of the Poor-law Board, he put
It to Mr. Ayrton whether he thought anything would be
gained by referring It to a select committee
Mr. LOCKE said many of the parishes in London would
be greatly disappMted if the house did not pass this bill; but
let him remind them that a great many of the parishes of the
metropolis me opposed to it, not liking that their money
at be expended by Irresponsible persons.
Sir W. CODRINOTON said if the hoc. gentleense had
confined himself to an inquiry a great many member, would
have gone with him, as they did on • former mash=
There was one serious question that ought to be bemired
into—he raceme= case of parishes where there were goons-
meat works. He alluded particularly to Woolwich, whore
the rates pressed most heavily, the goverment oceopying •
kir portion of the land and Pa Meg no rates.
Ile AYRTON said ft was not his lineation to press his
motion to • diadem. Be bad not dealt with the Weed=
d the tight he.. geatlemen as to local menairement, but he
would deal with it on another occasion. He had brought
forward this bill for the purpose of showing that there wee
see way of dealing with that which it was said could not be
dealt with at all, He =eked to extend the area, bet the
the right hon. gentleman would not accept that issue, and
wished to take • *Make on the local distribution of local
funds. Ile would bring the subject fermi next esegion,
and be trusted that by repeated disoussica they should at
length arrive at a relation of the quake.
Mr. COLLIER suggested that the hon. gentleman
should apply his mind to the question of rating throughout
the country, so that towns might be relieved from the burden
of maintaining labourer. who worked in adjoining agrkml-
twat parishes.
The amendment and motion were then both withdraws,
and the order for the bill discharged.
PATENT LAW AMENDMENT BILL.
_ _

Mr. T. DUNCO MBE moved the aeooad reading of this
bill, the object of which he stated was toradtios the Fir on
patents. Previous to 1862 the out of a patent wee 34 U.; it
was now 1761. The object of the fess we. to pay tir a:-
pones of the Patent-oSo* ; but they produed more than
wu sufficient for that purpose, and a unpins was left which
swelled the leasral means.
flir J. SHELLEY escentled the motion.

The !SOLICITOR ABNER L meld all hla prodeersore
had toil the hews. es ardl es hinalalt that If they wished to
deal with the bee ait palate, the law °Soars of the wows
would an eased is the way. Bat the hosoursble sember
had sot ezyhinad le the hews the Wore sad dist oldie
bill ; be bed sterely sell it wee to Muss bra New
the bill oneisted et two pieta. One pert was istesdula
though it was by se menu &o ft ammonia, to proloug the
pima he pansies to pleas Is the woad what l& &wad=
was hem els swathe is twelve sans. He taunted that the
hehewre would use he • maw eatertels that proposition.
T, willt mud Is the Ina hawser &ash& a Night be
that Hon Avail benst=rai=lat lat=
time The reined there ha
small is& eilehing pan& areethient hmentiose.
At peoult
1111 hie Irst . i
sea Lp=saiths &lasi ea Ida sat a wawa
hat
pad
112 f at lie ea& et three or
maim be to preseal with b. he peid 14. was ; sad
who his patent we• ems{ ha pehl ea willtlemel 161. ;
math* altos/am 261. He apille NWlftmt dry were
to abolish the has, s isatwhft reams age, a 001.1 Nowt
would sumo to the patina near, whom b l thie we; but