The Express.
London, England, 1867-09-18 00:00:00

THE CORRECTORS OF THE PRESS.

A large meeting of the London Association of
Correctors of the Press was held last night at the Salisbury
Hotel, Salisbury-square, Fleet•street, for the purpose of
setting forth the grievances under which they conceive
they at present labour. The chair was occupied by
Mr. CHARLEY DICKENS, who said that of the details of
the question at line be knew absolutely nothing. He had
consented to preside for two reasons ; first, because he
thought openness and publicity in such a case was a very
wholesome example, very much needed at this time, and
highly becoming a body of men associated with that greet
safeguard the press (Cheers.) Secondly, because he
knew, from some slight personal experience, what the
duties of correctors of the press were. How them duties
were usually discharged he could testify ; and he did testify
that they were not mechanical ; that they were not a matter
of manipulation and a trained eye, but that they required
from those who performed them much natural intelligence
and much superadded qualification, readiness of reference,
quickness of resource, an excellent memory, and a clear
understanding. (Cheers.) He moat gratefully acknow-
ledged that he had never gone through the sheets of any
book Le hail written without having had presented to him
by the correctors of the press something that he had over-
looked some slight inconsistency into which ha had fallen,
seine little lapse which he had made—in short, without
having had set down before him in black and white some
unquestionable indication that he had been closely followed
through his work by a patient and trained mind and not
merely by a skilful eye. (Cheers.) In this declaration he
had not the slightest doubt that all his brother and sister
writers would, as a plain act of justice, heartily concur.
(Cheers).
Mr. CHAI.LONER (the secretary) briefly stated that the
emaciation was not a trades union ; that it bad never be-
fore interfered with the question of wages ; and that it
did not seek to Jo so now in the ordinary way. It did not
propose to strike, but it simply wished to lay before the
employers and the public the position in which the readers
of the press really stood. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. HARPER moved :—" That, in the opinion of this
meeting, the value of the services rendered by the printer!
readers of London is not adequately recognised by their
employers." (Loud Cheers.)
This was seconded by Mr. HARRIS, and unanimously
agreed to.
Mr. DE./G moved the adoption of a memorial, of which
the following is en abstract :—" The lower purchasing
power of money of late years has been the cause
of an advance of wages in most skilled trades.
The major part of the printing trade has shared
in this advance ; but readers have been overlooked.
Heading being a mental operation, a reader's efficiency de-
pends upon his personal qualifications. A minimum
salary is cot, therefore, fixed, but an advance of ten per
cent. is requested. Overtime should be better regulated,
readers often getting a lower payment for night-work
than compositors. The more a reoler learns, the more
valuable he is to his employer ; study should, therefore,
be encouraged by liberal treatment. The recent advance
having raised the rate of the compositor, that of the
reader should be proportionately raised, so that the old
distinction should he at least maintained. Further, the
employment is unwholesome, study is expensive, and a
reader's position and (if at all educated) tastes involve a
greater outlay in the necessaries and conveniences of life
than those of other printers."
Mr. FORRE'IT, in seconding the motion, dwelt at some
length on the infamous dens which were often assigned to
readers as their closets.

The motion having been agreed to,
Mr. Pawn moved the appointment of a committee, and,
in the course of 12b4 remarks, mentioned that he had once
read a work by a distinguished author which contained
the following sentence :—" she took him for better or
wone ; but there was no better in the matter." The com-
positor, however, male the concluding words read, " but
there was no butter to the mutton." (Laughter.)
The motion was seconded by Mr. MATH; and carried.
A cordial vote of thanks was then given to Mr. Dickens,
who, in reply, said he sincerely trusted and believed that
the very calm and temperate manner in which the readers
had stated their case would result in relations of perfect
amity between the employers and the employed, and con-
sequently in the general welfare. (Cheers.)

ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.—At the fruit
and floral committee meeting, held yesterday, an unpre-
cedentedly large and splendid collection of variegated
zonal pelargoniums were brought together by all the prin-
cipal growers; the astonishing blending of colour was
remarkable, and there can be no doubt that the popularity
of this dais of plant is being rapidly developed. There
VIM also a more than ordinarily fine show of fruit exhi-
bited, and, considering the lateness of the season, the at-
tendance of visitors was considerable. Altogether it may
fairly be said that this was one of the most interesting
meetings of the year, and there can be no doubt that the
science of both horticulture and pomology are really ad-
vented by these gatherings.
THE IVIRICULTURAL-HALL. —A grand performance
of the hit ~.aA is announced to be given by the National
Choral Society to-night, at the Agricultural-hall. Madame
Ruderadortf, Miss Lucy Franklin Miss Julia Derby, Mr.
W. H. Cummings, Mr. Kerr (Sedge, Mr. W. H. Weiss,
and Mr. W. Renwick are to sing. The shorn will number
750 voices, and the band 150 instrumentalists. The ad-
mirable acoustic properties of the hall as it is at present
arranged render it, perhaps, the best place in London in
which a grand popular performance of Handers great ora-
torio could be given. The singer is easily heard in every
part of the immense building, and no shads of the Instru-
mentation is lost,

A DISASTROUS LIST TOR UNDERWRITERS. —The
following list of shipping disasters was received in Liver-
pool yesterday : —The Jane and Margaret, bound from
Sunderland to Aberdeen, has been lost elf Holy Island ;
the Graconti (spoil, bound to Buenos Ayres, has been
wrecked near Monte Video ; the Spanish barque Ysabel,
bound from Corunna to Buenos Ayres, is reported to be a
total wreck near Fernando Po ; the Antoinette, bound
from Monte Video to Falmouth, has been lost in the Rio
Grande ; the English barque Dolphin came into collision
on the 16th inst. with the French steamer, Brazil near
Marseilles, when the steamer sank. The Peninsular and
Oriental Company's steamer Surat, which struck on a rock
near Sues on the sth Sept, was towed off on the 14th and
taken back to Sues without sustaining any serious de-
wage. In order to lighten the vessel, however, 1,000 bales
cargo, destined for India and China, were thrown over-
board.

The Borsatztitung, of this evening, says that hie
Majesty will visit the courts of Darmstadt and
Stuttgart to inspect the Hessian and Wurtemburg
troops in his capacity of Commander-in-Chief of
the North German Army. The royal Princes will
visit the Queen at the Castle of Hohenzollern.

The Grand Duke of Hesse Darmstadt will meet
the King to-morrow at Guntershausen.

AUSTRIA AID HUNGARY.
VIENNA, SEPT. 17.

The New Free Press asserts that the Hungarian
and Austrian ministries have both determined to
make the acceptance of the ministerial proposals
for agreement submitted to the Auatro-Hungarian
Conference a cabinet question.
The Sultan has conferred the Order of the
Coalmine upon Baron Beust.

BARON BEIM'.
REICHENBERG, SErr. 17.

Baron Beust has arrived here and was received
by the authorities of the town. In the speech he
delivered he laid stress upon the necessity of a
reconciliation taking place between the national
parties in Bohemia.

ITALY.

FLORENCE, SErr. 17, 13vrrixo.

The Roman Junta have sent an address to Gari-
baldi, dated the ith inst., stating that a complete
insurrectionary organisation is in readiness, and re-
questing his assistance. Garibaldi, in his reply,
dated the 16th inst., urges the Junta to action, and
assures them of the co-operation of the lethal'
people.
Tho Nazimie publishes advice' from Orvieto,
dated yesterday, announcing that many young men
are daily entering the pontifical territory. Gari-
baldian uniforms and arms are being forwarded as
merchandise, and active Garibaldian enrolments
are taking place in the province of Terra Di
Lavern, where the authorities have made several
seizures of arms.

General Garibaldi arrived here this:evening from
Bologna, with the object, it is said, of conferring
with his parliamentary friends.

RUSSIA.
ST. PETERSBURG, S. 17.
The Borsenzeitutig, of to-day, says that the pre-
sence of Messrs. Charles and Ferdinand de Roths-
child in this city refers to an eventual purchase of
the Nicolav Railway. Messrs. Rothachilds are
going to Moscow and also to Livadia.

HOLLAND.
HELVOEISLI7YI4, Barr. 17.
The Queen of Holland left here at 3 p.m, to-day
for London on board the steamer De Volk.

ARRIVAL OF THE VILLE DE PARIS.
BREST, SEPT. 16.

The Transatlantic Company's steamship Ville de
Paris arrived here to-day with 109 passengers and
a full cargo.

THE WEST AFRICAN MAIL.
LIVERPOOL, Slum 17.

The West African Mail steamer Eithiope has
arrived here. Her dates are Fernando Po, August
9th ; Cameroons, 12th ; Bonny, 14th ; Lagos, 19th;
Accra, 21st ; Cape Palmas, 24th • Sierra Leone,
28th ; Teneriffe, Sept. 7th ; Madeira Sept. 9.
Trade was dull at Fernando Po, and the port un-
healthy. Cameroons was healthy, but trade was
dull. High prices were demanded for oil. At
Bonny trade was dull, the river was healthy, and
trade flat. At Lagos trade was very dull. War
was going on at Accra amongst the natives. Trade
was dull at Cape Palmas. Other news unim-
portant.