The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-07 00:00:00

THE METROPOLITAN POOR BILL.

A deputation from the St. James's Vestry waited
upon the President of the Poor-law Board, at the office,
Nnitehall, yesterda , to confer with him respecting his
bill for the ea ent in the metropolis of asylums
and dispensaries for the sick, insane, and other classes of
the poor.
Mr. HARDT said he could not promise to delay bringing
on his bill, as there were so many didiculties in the way
that if he did not being it before the house to-night hs
did not know when he should have another opportunity. He
sincerely hoped that noneof the gentlemen present would
attribute language to him he had never used. If be had
acted upon the suggestion of some, he should have super-
seded local boards altogether, but his desire had been that
the primary action should come from below, and that the
Poor-law Board should never interfere, except ou • IDA
ramet4. At present be ohm lama Islarelf •• • dud look
because be had no power to enforce what was necessary.
That power would now be given, to be used only when
absolutely necessary. With respect to minor details, he
would pay every attention to the suggestions that had been
made, as far as possible. (Cheers. )

A meeting of the London Workhouse Infirm-
aries Association was held under the presidency of
Earl Grosvenor, M.P., on Tuesday evening, at 69, Wim-
pole-street, Cavendish-square. Mr. Ernest Hart read a
communication from Mr. Gathorne Hardy, the President
of the Poor-law Board, commenting upon recommendations
from this association, and published a few weeks since in
this paper. After a discussion it was resolved that the
following recommendation be adhered to —" That the coat
of the infirmary buildings should be thrown upon the
common fund ; that Lock and cancer . patients should be
admitted into the asylums ; that the ratal qualifications
be omitted in respect to the nominees of the Poor-law
Board to the list of guardians ; and that the medical
officers of the infirmaries and dispensaries should have a
seat at the guardian board, without a vote." It was moved
by Mr. Oliphant, M.P., seconded by Mr. J. A. Shaw
Stewart, and carried "that these resolutions be embodied
in amendments to be moved in committee of the House of
Commons on the bilL" It was then moved by Mr. Julian
Goldsmid. M.P., and seconded by Lord Charles Bruce,
M.P., that Earl Grosvenor be requested to move these
'amendments. This was carried, and the noble lord under-
took to perform the duty.

RAILWAY PASSENOERS' ASSUP.ANCE

COMPANY.

The annual general meeting was held yesterday
at the offices in Cornhill ; Mr. J. CLAY, M.P., in the chair.
The report of the directors congratulates the shareholders
upon the results of the past year's business, although the
number of railway policies, renewals, and ticketa issued shows
a falling off ; and the progressive increase of the meows has
received a check. Of the general accident policies, too, a
much larger proportion than usual has not been renewed,
from the same cause. Nevertheless the income of the
company from premiums increased from 84,543!. 9s. 3d.
in 1865, to 91,6811. lls. s€l. in 1866, or at the rate of 8.44
pet cent. The amount received for interest on invest-
manta and discount on claims paid in advance was
2.4091. 6a. 2d. against 1,755/. lls. 3d. in the previous year.
The total income front all sources was 94,090!. 17s. 7d. in
1866 as against 86,299/40s. lid. in 1865. The number of
new policies against general accidents issued during the
year was 7,491, in respect of which 19,702!. Bs. Oil. was
received as premiums. The total number of
general accident policies on the books current
during the year was 3;1,957, and of railway acci-
dent policies and tickets 471,252 ; total, 505,219.
The working expenses have, from temporary causes, in-
creased to 29.81 against 29.76 per cent. in the previous
year. Including the sum brought forward the revenue
account shows after all disbursements, a balance of
45,890/. 12s. 61. From this sum the directors propose to
pay interest on the paid-up capital it the rate of 3 per
cent for the half-year ending December 31, making—with
the like amount paid for the half-year to June as interim
dividend in September last—six per cent. for the year and
a bonus of 10s. per share, one moiety to be paid in cash
and the other to be applied in augmentation of the share
capital. The residue to be retained to meet all out-
standing charges and claims on current policies. 24 claims
for fatal accidents have been paid during the year,
amounting to 14,600/. and 2,584 claims for personal
injury, amounting to 35,077!. sa. 4.1. • together, 49,6771.
ss. 441. Arrangements have been made for issuing short
term policies for one or three months to cover the risk of
accidents of all kinds during the Paris Exhibition.
The CHAIRMAN accounted fur the falling off in one de.
pirtmens of their business by reference to the crisis, the
badness of trade, the cattle plague, and other well-known
retarding circumstances, but he congratulated the meeting
on the position of the new general insurances, which had
increased by 2,200 policies since the previous year. The
number of agents had been increased by 690, the total
I number being now 4,000 ; and although the agents were so
numerous, and the premium income of the company was
91 000/ a year, the losses by defalcations did not exceed
2001. (Hear, hear.)
The usual motions adopting the report and is recom-
mendatious were put and carried, and the formal re-
elections having been carried,
. .

A PRopiuml, taking up a resolution of which an ab-
sent shareholder had given notice, moved that the 400
shares in the hands of the directors unallotted and in
trust for the benefit of the company, should be off, red to
the proprietors by tender, a minimum preiniu:ii being
fixed.

This was carried ; and a vote of thanks to the chairman
and directors, whose remuneration wus, on the motion of
Mr. Bramstone Baker, increased front 1,000/. to 1,500/. a
year, concluded the proceedings.

THE TRADES' UNION CONFERENCE. —On the mo-
tion of Mr. John Kane it was declared desirable that the
several trade councils and other associations of working
men throughout the kingdom should appoint local com-
mittees for the purpose of assisting the conference com-
mittee. The secretary then stated that the messenger had
returned from the Hume-office with the message that Mr.
Walpole would send a reply as to receiving the deputation
from the conference. The conference committee was next
empowered to operate with all other con tttt ince'
formed, and have full powers to call for such
evidence as they might deem necessary.
Mr. Kane desired that the inquiry into the alleged out.
rages at Sheffield should he kept altogether also t from
thus conference. The Sheffield inquiry would be made on
the spot, and the committee appointed by the conference
' Monad only be empowered to deal with the general in.
quiry. The inquiry at Sheffield would be attended to by •
special committee appointed for that pui piste by the
Sheffield trades. He thought it very discreditable to the go-
vernment that they had mixed up the Sheffield outrages
with a general inquiry into trades unions. Mr. Austin
(Sheffield) defended the trades unions of that town. They
were well able to take care of themselves, and be had no
doubt they would come out of the most searching inquiry
with honour. (Cheers.) It was next decided that the
deputation to wait upon Mr. Walpole should consist of 15
delegates from the more influential societies represented
at the conference. The accrete:7 read letters from
several trades in the province* regretting their in-
ability, from various causes, to send delegates. but pledging
their moral and pecuniary support. These letters repre-
sented upwards of 30,000 men. The conference then ad-
journed until this day.
RITTZSENTATION OF WORCESTER CITY. --Wog-
CESTER, WEI)NE,DAY--it was mated last week that Mr.
Sheriff Lycett had issued an address to the electors of
Worcester as a candidate for that city in the liberal in-
terest in anticipation of the retirement of Mr. Padniore,
one of the sitting members. This has led to a meeting
this week of the council of the branch of the National Re-
form League established at Worcester, at which it was
resolved to nominate Alderman T. R. Hill es the League
candidate at the next election, and the members present
at the meeting pledged themselves to support that gentle.
man. No conservative candidate has yet been actually
announced, but it is said that Mr. betick, the unsuccem-
ful citudidate at the last election, will again offer himself.

THE POPE'S HEALTH RESTORED BY Dr BARRY'S
Toon. THE REYAIXXTA AIRAIIICA.—Cure No. dlial3.—" Rona,
July 21. lend. The health of the Holy tether he eemikont, en,e,
dolly since. abandonins all other remedies, be bee lived vatirely
upon De Barry's rood, and his Holiness cannot praise this cova-
lent food too hlahly."—Cazette Au M kll.--1 Advert iornient

HEALTH RESTORED SY DU BARRY'S Fool, To THE
STOMACIE, penes, twigs, and liver, curing dyatepela indiges-
tion wristipation, diarrhoea, acidity, palpitatin. aleopleancw,
debility, wasting, cough, asthma, fevers, ronatimtion. low
cstrt,gllo47..77glitt:iiiie,se.whtle v slat rni.
So. 1.771 tg-t
Stuart de Deafen, of many years of dyspepsia ; N... GL3I.; —The
Marchioness of lirthau, of seven years' indieveriluilde Nanny from
dyspepsia. nervousness, low spirits, liver divonler. and seating
away.—flea, at la ; lib., ta. : 121 b., cos —Ds
Bain and Co., 77, Regentatruet, ; also at rortnum and
Mason'.; and at 11, Oraceehurch.strect ; 4, t lienpabk ; ICS and
150, Ozford-street. Important Caution.—lke aro of the many
unsarmiry and more than sloppy imitations to whit h. without
authority. Baron Liebig's mune is poet audariaus4 atLiclicil.—
(Adverthaunenti