The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-21 00:00:00

THE tiIIIESS, THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 21, 1867.

11..:.VETROPOLITAN IMPIturE.VENT BILL. THE 1,1 HERAT, •liiitithlLlWEW THE HOUSE
OF (AMMONS AND THE REFORM BILL.

• )I.!ic meeting of the citizens and rated inha-
:, of the City of London, convened by the Lord
•. ta compliance with a requiiition from a number of

i..dy. was hell yestenlo in the Guildhall, for the
..f considering the provisions of the Local Taxation
Ight into the House of Cummone by Mr. Ayrton
‘l, lit.•, at the instance of the Metropolitan Board
There wa a very numerous attendance, the
tally three-fourths occupied, and the LORD
sitletl.

I',,

the gentlemen on the platform were Mr.
Crawford, M.P.. Alderman Lawrence, Earl
N.l'.. and sir Geo lkiwyer, M.l'.
I opening the proceedings, said he
T., u.„. In. duty to ply with the prayer of the
oise the provisions of the bill they were
kilt unjustly with the inhabitants of the
, ~,.I,ou. It proposed to give the Mani of Works
I. s .t charge of 4.1. in the pound as an improve-
!..t•' Ton pioperty within the jurisdiction of that
!. 110. !wol,. of the City of London thought that
~c, are tits were more required within the City than in
case a .h.trict .4 the metropolis. Its streets and
were of more importance than those of the
• of 1...t01en. oiriog to the vast numbers of persons who
, a ithin the City for business, and whose time
. . on ntly of more value than perhaps that of any
• pen ties, of the inhabitants of the metropolis. (Hear,
•. Ile therefore thought the rates raised within the
he expended upon the improvements necessary
• its own boutelarime, especially as it possessed an
:ant municipality that had always shown itself to be
competent fur the supervision of such works.
hear.)
Ge M.P.. having informed the meeting
..s rouned -shoed by his colleague, Mr. Goschen,
• %pl.'', • t,4: n•ason for his_abacnce was his desire to
• ~ • is,rt 111 the debate on the Church Rate Bill, said with
• ~r4l o. th.• hill they had met to consider, that so far as
Isett able to form an opinion upon it, be thought
that they were perfectly justified in resisting.
.1. har.) The position of the Board of Works at this
somewhat peculiar. Established some years
1.. the purpose of carrying outa complete and effective
of druuuage, it had become by degrees a sort of all-
rung power of the public functions of the metropolis.
• A 01.4 becoming, as it was supposed at first it would
. small by decrees and beautifully less," it had re-
.ed the poet's idea. It began by being a small body,
: it had ever since that time beer. day by day and year
Near assuming larger proportions, and it was
a question whether that was a state of
• . a 'itch ought to continue, and for par-
, cot to consider whether the Board of Works
, .t present constituted represented the interests and feel-
. of the taxpayers. (Fleur, hear.) Certainly so far as
'ay of London was concerned it did not do so, as an
most universal feeling prevailed (that it was not justly
u. sided at the board. (Hear, hear.) But the whole
of metropolitan government was now under the
of a committee of the House of Commons,
.0, I it was not for him to say in what form or shape the
~annietolation of that committee might issue, but this
could promise, that when it did come forth he would
it Lis careful attention. He should, however, be pre-
,red to contend, in the event of parliament determining
• continua. the Board of Works as at present constituted,
I. A the City of I.onelon• considering the large and extend-
interests embraced within its limits, mien he thoroughly
.o, I adequately represented. (Hear.) One pleasing feature
in connexion with this agitation was that the City did not
ut :done in its antagonism to the Board of \Yorks; for the
inhabitants of many other districts of the metropolis had
shown their desire to resist the provisions of this bill;
and, in conclusion, he would say that the meeting might
rely also upon his giving it all the legitimate opposition in
L, power. (Hear, hear.)
rho honourable gentleman then withdrew, with Earl
Grsvenor, amidst loud cheers.
Mr. Liwtee, Common Councilman, proposed the first
resolution, as follows —" That taxation of the subject
without adequate representation is tyranny; that this
eecting is consequently of opinion that the time has ar-
med when it becomes necessary for the ratepayers of this
city, as well as those of the entire metropolis, to demand
EA no further powers of local taxation be conceded,
tither to the Metropolitan Board of Works, or to anybody
thin the inetropolis,lunless accompanied by full and direct
n i.resentation of the parties taxed." Mr.Lawley condemned
ti.e feeling in favour of centralisation which appeared to
irilnenee both sides of the House of Commons, and re-
a.ueleel the meeting that England owed much of her great-
and prosperity to the principle of local self-govern-
nat. He insisted that the ratepayers generally had no
control whatever over their representatives at the Board of
Works, who were elected in some cases by ballot, and in
al for periods of four years. The City did not re-
c. ice any adequate return for what it paid to
Ge hoard. Last year it contributed 268,559/. and
received in return the miserable sum of 87,06611 To
iila-trate the injustice under which the City laboured
be would make some comparisons with other districts,
Every vote of the member for Paddington represented a
rental of 75a,344/. ; every vote of a City member, 70(1,045/.;
and every vote of a member for Woolwich, &3,000 f. The
one was nine times the amount of the other, yet their votes
were equal. The rateable property of the City was eight-
fold that of Limehouse : ten-fold that of Holborn, Bother-
!lithe. St. Olave, or St. George's-in-the-East ; 11-fold
that of Mile-end 01.1-town, or bit. Luke, or Bethnal-green ;
!Mold that of St. Saviour; 14-fold that of Hampstead. or
Ilemiondsey, or St. (;eorge, Southwark ; 25-fold that of
Woolwich. The aggregate rateable value of the whole of
the 11 districts was 2,W40,51r2/. ; that of the City of Lon-
don, 2,Prt,..03.1/. The lesser amount of taxable property,
viz., that in the 12 distticts was represented at the board
If 12 members ; and the greater, viz., in the City, by
three inembers only. (Hear, hear.)
Alderneui LAWRENCE, Seconded the resolution, and oh-
sen•ed that the ratepayers of the City had been willing
to submit to a tax of 6cl. in the pound for their
lan improvements, but the measure was opposed by
eensel at the instance of the Board of Works, and the
committee came to the decision by 6to 4 that neither the
I' ty of London nor any other local authority ought to be
allowed to levy rates for improvements within its own
tea until Mr. Ayrton'a committee on the local govern-
tent of the metropolis had made its report. That com-
bater had already sat two sessions ; it had been re-
stritted this session, and although he was a member of
it be could see no prospect of any speedy conclusion being
erived at, (Hear, hear.) He found no fault with the
I:aril of Works itself ; no doubt the board haul done its
Isst to discharge the functions entrusted to it, but hid the
City improvements which the board had in hand been left
to the corporation far greater progress would have been
made with them. (Hear, heir.) He objected to the City
king placed in the position of a parish vestry, and he
viewed this bill as the first step in that direction. Like
his colleague who preceded him, he thought the constitu-
tion of the hoard rested upon a vicious principle, and he
should rejoice to see it amended. (Cheers.)
Mr. ALFRED WALKER, a liveryman, wished to move an
amendment, but, as he was not a City ratepayer,
The LORD MAYOR ruled that he could not do so, and the
. .

naolution wu put to the vote and carried unanimously.

Mr. MrIMUN,r1;01TITIO11 councilman, ;Imposed the second
1 ',solution, viz. :—"That the Metropolitan Board of Works
; rat feebly and inadequately represents the interests,
1 t dinp, and wishes of the inhabitants of this metropolis,
including the City of London ; and'that dna meeting is of
',pinion that the proposed ' Improvement Rate Bill 'should
he rejected, and every kindred measure postponed, until
paliarnent in its wisdom shall have conferred municipal
1 institutions upon the unentranchised districts of the
t.etropolis.” He advocated the partition of the metro-
p,d,s into municipalities to form a confederation, with the
City at their head. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Foivi.r.g seconded the resolution, which was put
hum the chair. and carried unanimously ; an was also. on
tie motion of Mr. RICMARDMON. C.C., seconded by Mr.
CUIVER, a third, viz.:—" That the proposed bill, while in-
tijedient as it regards the metropolis, is particularly ob-
r• lions to the inhabitants of this City, upon whom it
Propoles to inflict taxation, hut would withhold from their

....t.-etly elected representatives the control hitherto exer-
t.-1 over the expenditure of their rates—a power which
i‘.njoyed by every other city and town in the kingdom ;
and this meeting protests against the indignity which is
'4 re.l to this tity—the fint in the empire—by this
attetnid to deprive it of powers, beneficially exercised for
t heories, placing it in this respect in a position inferior
t, the humblest incorporated town."
Mts. H. OTTLEV propmed, and Mr. 11I'Gmmenit seconded
e••• prnimmitioll, that the spirit of the foregoing resolutions
'wad he embodied in a petition for presentation to the
11,,t.e of Commons. which was also unanimously passed.
oil the motion of Sir G. BowvEle, 11. P., seconded by
Md. nnan Anat.,: a cordial vote of thanks was given to the
10.r4 Mayor: end
Hi. L.KI.HIP having briefly returned thanks, the
treting disrolved.

Ditr.Ai.ruL RAILWAY ACCIDZNT IN RusorA.—
T e recent accident on the railway from Moscow to Wizen
v• of a terrific character. As has been stated, a carriage
..tf the rails, and, dragging several others after it,
1-• l over en embankment thirty-five feet deep. In one
carriage seven persons were killed. The
t contained a case filled with telegraphic apparatus
muse two hundred and fifty pounds, which seems
have been hurled with crushing effect on the unhappy
The bodies were so frightfully mutilated that
It. ....et. from the neighbouring villages, who hurried
tie...eene of the disaster, were for some time afraid to
1'1) tnetn. A priest rendered valuable and essential
and many of the peasants behaved well. Others,
v. er. plundered the wounded, like camp followers on a
id .4 battle, and thus, many persons who bad sustained
" ries found. on returning to consciousness, that they
: 'II^. n deprived of their watchesand purses. Much luggage,
h.,st, and the window-blinds of one of the second-
. ••• amages were torn away by a thief. The number of
amounts to nearly 100, of whom 11 are injured
• tieven passengers were killed on the spot,
date.' Amer. and one wounded man died soon after
•it". 6.4 to the hospital. The accident is attributed to
rrest rapidity of the pace. and the two stokers
mid to have been both drunk. The night of upwards
levi.dead and wounded passengers lying bleeding on the
ow il..enbed by a correspondent of the Moscow
14 ass. laning.

MEETING AT 31:11. GLADSTONE'S RESIDENCE.
• (THIS DAY.)
This afternoon, in accordance with a special
invitation, another large gathering of liberal members of
the Lower House took place at the private residence of
Mr. Gladstone, Cariton-house-terrace, the object of the
meeting being to consider what course should be pur-
sued by the liberal party in relation to the government
Reform Bill. The formal proceedings did not commence
till half-past 2. Among the members who arrived early
were the following:—Dr. Brady, Mr. John Fildes, Mr.
R. W. Crawford, Mr. Milner Gibson, Mr. Ayrton, Mr.
K Baines, Mr. Baxter, Mr. Hadfield, Mr. Roebuck,
Mr. Davey, Mr. Moffatt, Mr. J. S. Mill, Mr. T. Hankey,
Mr. I)enu,an, Mr. Ifeadlam, Mr. Padmore, Mr. Gilpin,
Mr. Otway, Mr. Bidduiph, Mr. S. Laing, Mr. Bright (who
wa4loually cheered outside), Sir J. Ogilvy, Mr. Robertson,
Mr. Torreon, Mr. White, Mr. \V. Ewart, Mr. C. P.
Villiers, Sir George Grey, Mr. Cogan, Mr. W.
Martin, Mr. P. Vanderbyl, Mr. Bergman,
Mr. B. Osborne, Mr. Stone, Mr. Hutt, Mr. Cardwell,
Mr. Layard, Mr. Fawcett, the Marquis of Hartington, Sir
J. Johnstone, Mr. Brand, Mr. Kinnaird,
About 30 or GO persons were assembled as spectators.