The Express.
London, England, 1867-02-09 00:00:00

THE GOVERNMENT INQUIRY INV/TRADER UNIONS.
—Yesterday afternoon • deputation of working men
waited on Mr. Walpole, the Home Secretary, to represent
to him the importance of having on the commission which
has been appoint.' to inquire into the working of trades
unions, representatives of working men and of the bodies
most deeply interested in the question. The deputation
was beaded by Mr. George Potter, president of the London
Working Men's Association, and comprised representa-
tives of sevend tnoles. They asked Mr. Walpole whether
it was the intention of the government to appoint any.
members of the working classes on the commission, and if
not, whether it would be competent for them to suggest
the names of one or two gentlemen who they knew had
the confidence of the working classes, and could well re-
present their interests in the course of the inquiry.
They did not, they said, object to the inquiry
about to be made, but they wished it to be
honestly and impartially conducted. They felt that as
their interests were bound up in the subject to be
investigated, it was not unreasonable on their part to
ask that the commission should be constructed on the prin-
ciple which they suggested. If they had no representatives
in a body which was to inquire into a system so deeply in-
teresting to them, the working classes might object to
it, and attach to it a suspicion that the question was not
being fairly dealt with. They courted investigation into
all their transactions, but they did not wish the subject
inquired into by a partial commission, and one calculated
to increase the prejudices which at present existed. Mr.
Walpole said the commission was already names!, and the
work-ins men could not now be put upon it, butirthe depu-
tation liked, and his colleagues did not object, he would
add to it the name of one gentleman whom they might
appoint to represent them. The
.deputation suggested
that of Mr. Frederick Harrison, hamster, and Mr. Walpole
promised that be would consult his colleagues with
reference to that gentleman being put on the commission.
He desired that the inquiry should be a fair and honest
one, and he fully appreciated the motives of the gentlemen
present. The deputation then thanked the right hon. gen-
tleman and withdrew.

WZB7?AINSTER PALACR AND TEI INTENDRD
BUILDINGS.—AdmiraI Sir Augustus Clifford, dating
from the houses of parliament, wntes to the Builder as
follows :—" We are about to erect several public build-
ings. namely, the Courts of Law, the Public Offices in
Downing-street, and the National Gallery, and to spend
large sums of money upon thew, and I think it a duty to
point out the defects in the one in which I am now re-
siding—Westminster Palace. Whatever may be the
merit of the elevation or the beauty of the public cham-
bers, which I do not deny, nothing can be worse than
the interior arrangement of the residences. The passages
and corridors are dark and gloomy; the windows in
their iron frames most inconvenient ; when shut diffi-
cult to open, and riser rrrwil ; and the upper dia-
mond panes are often blown open by the wind ; but above
all, the ventilation—there is scarcely a day or a week in
which the rooms are not full of smoke and soot, damaging
and .lestroying the public furniture and the property con-
tained in them. Instead of haring built ornamental chim-
neys, like Burghley, Cobham, or Longleet, and many other
houses in England, the smoke is attempted to be carried
along a horizontal shaft to two hideous it on turrets, one over
the peers' entrance. discreditable to those who phoned
and those who built them. I ant sure that all I have
stated would be corroborated by Lord Charles Russell, by
Sir Denis le Merchant, and all who reside in the palace.
It may be now too late to remedy these defects; but it
will be some consolation to endeavour to prevent their
being repeated."
TBs DismoP or LONDON 's FUND —YOUNG MEN'S
AW.OOIATION.—The first annual meeting of this association
took place at the London Coffee-house on Wednesday
evening ; the Very Rev, the Dean of Westminster in the
chair. There were also prevent the Revs. T. J. Rowsell,
Gordon Calthrop, J. G. Pilkington (organising secretary to
the Bishop's Fund), Mr. Robert Hanbury, M.l'., Mr.
Walfoed Greatorex (the treasurer), and the Ree. John
Rodgers (the hon. secretary to the association). The rev.
chairman opened the proceedings in a short speech, dwell-
ing principally on the great claims the Bishops Fund had
upon the laity, more especially of the metropolis. He was
followed by Mr. Rowsell, who went into many details as to
the spiritual starvation existing at the east end of London.
Mr. Pilkington also gave a short remise of what the
Bishop's Fund had done since its commencement ; he was
followed by Mr. Hanbury and Mr. Calthrop, who both
nrged the claims of the association on the young men of
London. The association has now 42 young men, repre-
senting 32 houses in the City, and the object it has in view
is to have every house of business represented and syste-
matically canvassed for subscriptions. A vote of thanks to
the Dean, who was compelled to leave early, having
another engagement ; and to Mr. Greatorex, who then pre-
sided, closed the proceedings.
Orr/ oN Eirtarra.—Lit year the duty on spirits
amounted to 10,437,168/., being an increase of 260,4871. ou
the prow:Alias year.