The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-16 00:00:00

THZ HALT TAI.

Yesterday a deputation from the Central Anti-
Malt-tax Association waited by appointment upon the
Chancellor of the Exchequer at his official residence,
Downing-street. The deputation was headed by Lord
Curzon, M.P., Colonel North, M.P., and other gentlemen.
The attendance of reporters on the cotatioe had been for-
mally invited by the emaciation ; and up to 2 o'clock, the
hour fixed for receiving the deputation, it was understood
that the interview would be one of the usual
public character. At the last moment, however, it wee
intimated to the retiree/thistly/a of the press by the secre-
tary of the association that Kr. Disraeli objected to their
admission ; and accordingly they were not present. A
" communicated" report, however, =Lir; the columns
ofsome of our contemporaries, acoo • to which, after
the deputation had been introduced by Carson, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer was addressed b Mr. Pun.
nets, of West Kent, as chairmenof the Central Association;
Mr. Fowler, of Aylesbury ; Mr. May, of Leicester ; Mr.
Fielding, al Yorkshire; the Eev. A. Bayley; sad Mr. A.
Pell, chairman of the Central Chamber of Agriculture.
The CHANCiLLOR of the EXCHINCIII, in reply,
said he need scarcely amure the gentlemen cane. tof the
pleasure and willingness with which he bad received the
deputation. The cam bad been ably and fairly put before
him—he might indeed say in quite an artistio
manner. Hie sympathies they all knew were deeply
with the cultivators of the soil, and the labonnng
classes of the country generally. He had never con-
sented his opinion that the malt duty was a bad tax,
and he had shown that by the proposal which he made,
when Chancellor of the Exchequer in 18.52, to reduce
the amount of the tax by one half. But he must re-
mind them that when that proposal was made it was
i not received with any enthusiastic support from the agri-
culturists themselves. The opponents of that measure
told him that hie proposal was not sufficient in itself to be
appreciated by those who might have been expected to
feel the greatest amount of interest in the question, and
be was also told that the repeal of one half of the amount
of the malt tax would not meet the exigencies of the
, meet But be (the right hon. gentleman) would tell them
now, that if they had then assisted him, and the
reduction of one half of the duty had been effected,
no portion of the tax would now have remained.
The government of that day, however, did not receive
' support where they might have expected it ; but sines
then the malt duty had become a question which, no
doubt, excited a very large amount of interest and
• anxiety throughout the country. He assured the genita-
-1 men before him that all that had been said so well that
day would have the best attention of her Majeety's go-
vernment, and would be fully remembered and considered.
Lord CURZON having thanked the right boo. gentleman
for their courteous reception, the deputation then retired.

MR. NEATE, M.P., AND HIS CONSTITUENTS.

On Monday evening a meeting of the Oxford
Reform League was held in the Town-hall, Oxford; Pro.
lessor ROGERS, the president of the League, in the chair.
The following letter from Mr. Bright was reed:—,
" Dear Sir,—l write to thank you for the friendly resolu•
tion you have sent me from the late meeting of the Oxford
Reform League. I wish I could do as much to promote
the cause as those who passed it seem to suppose I can do.
One man can do little ; the people can do everything. I
think my friend Mr. Neat, is too credulous. The:doctrine
of ' waiting' has been tried and failed. There should be
no cessation of agitation till the victory is won, for the
opponent, of reform will not surrender till they can no
longer hold out against us. I hope the general expres-
sion of opinion which is now taking place will soon bring
all thoughtful men to the conclusion that what is liberal
and just to the working man is also wise and necessary for
the country. Thanking you and your friends for their
kind remembrance of tne, I am, very respectfully yours,
" JOHN BRIGHT.
" To M. A. A. Mathews, Eaq., Oxford."

Mr. Nears, M.P., in addressing the meeting, reported
that looking at the state of London, he did not think it
was consistent with the peace of the metropolis that large
out-of-door meetings should be held there. (this,' of "Non-
sense," hisses, and confusion.) He was saying nothing
which in his opinion was inconsistent with the general
liberty of the country, but there were special circumstances
which induced the government to say "Whatever meet-
hip you have you cannot hold them in the open spaces
of the metropolis." A meeting for the purpose of
discussion must be held in a small place—(cries of
" No, no ")—otherwise the human voice would not
be heard, and to talk of a meeting of lio,ooo people in
the open air was an abuse of words. It was not
a meeting, it was an assemblage for the purpose of show-
ing numbers • and he had often thought it would be de-
sirable in all large towns to provide a place suitable for
large meetings, of a plate not too large for the human
voice being heard. He contended, therefore, that the de-
monstrations which had been got up in Londoa, as well as
in different parts of the country, were got up for the
special purpose of influencing the deliberations of parlia-
ment. It was a ariteniatic and deliberate attempt to say
to the House of Commons, " If you don't go with us we
will make London so unpleasant that you can't live in
it." (" Oh, oh," hisses, and laughter.) In conclusion,
be said he would not go into detail on the ques-
tion of parliamentary reform, hut ho hoped the
working men would direct their attention to
the practical use which they might make of their power
when they had got it. He was sorry, considering the
kindness and confidence which be had received from the
citizens of Oxford, to find himself divided in opinion with
some of his friends ; but he could only ask them not to
°erne to a hasty conclusion. He was conscious of no
change of principle—he was conscious of no change of
feeling towards them ; and although he was opposed to
some of them upon this particular occasion, he asked them
to judge him in the future by what he had done in the
past. (Cheers.)
A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the pro.
ocedings.

PAROCHIAL WORK. —The Rev. C. J. Vaughan,
D.D., Vicar of Doncaster and Chaplain in Ordinary to the
Queen, has just completed a year's parochial work at Don-
caster which will bear comparison with that performed in
any other part of the country. Entering mon his duties
as vicar six years ago, Divine service was performed only in
the pariah church ; now there are four places of worship in
connexion with the established church, one of which, at a
costof I,oooguineas, was opened on Sunday het. The debt
upon this edifice is very small indeed. A sum of between
4,0004. and 5.000/. has been raised for new national
schools during the past year ; services have been held in
the Ragged School and Duke-street Church, both of which
are supported and maintained by the vicar at considerable
cost ; the new grammar school, mainly through his efforts,
has received promises of support to the extent of 5,0001. ;
and he employs 12 curates and lay-readers in constant
visits to the sick and poor. The organisation is so com-
plete that not a case of destitution or sickness occurs but
16 brought under notice and relieved, if deserving.
the local charities are supported most liberally, and every
cause that demands support is most generously aided. The
value of the living is considerably under 4410(. Tines.
MUSEUM OF PRACTICAL GEOLOoY.—By an ar-
rangement recently completed, under the direction of the
Committee of Council on Education, this building was
lighted up for the first time on Monday evening, and the
result was so far satisfactory that the judgment of that
body in ordering. that in future the museum shall be
opened two evenings in the week has been amply vin-
dicated. The process of lighting has been carried out by
Messrs. Forrest and Son, of New-streetequare, who have
accomplished the work in such a manner as to produce the
best possible effect with the most economical mean., ;
and the result is that any risk of escape of gas is
entirely obviated, there being, in point of fact, no
gas within the building, except that which immediately
supplies the burners. These burners spring from a double
" bar," canted round the area of the building, and the
are lighted through the medium of a "traveller," which
is hauled up by an ingenious device of a novel character,
so constructed as to enable the operator to complete she
task in two minutes and a half. The principle of action
appears indeed to be precisely the genie as that adopted at
the South Kensington Museum, and there can be no doubt,
from the axons which has attended it in both instances,
that those who have not the opportunity of visiting such
exhibitions in the daytime are now furnished with a moat
desirable boon,in being enabled to gratify their taste under
the influence of a light which is perhaps the best that
could be devised as a substitute for sunlight.
FATAL ACCIDENT TO A DAUGHTER OF LORD ST.
VIRCZNT WHILE SKATTNG.—On the Bth instant an acci-
dent which terminated fatally befell Caroline, second
daughter of Lord St. Vincent, while skating on a pond in
Godinershaimpirk, with other members of the family.
The young lady fell, the back of her head coming. in cos-
tact with the ice. Min St. Vincent was carried into the
mansion in an insensible state, and the medical adviser of
the family immediately sent for, who, on arrival, dis-
covered the patient had sustained a fracture of the skull.
Everything was done for the young lady that medical skill
could devise, but she expired from the injuries early the
following morning. The deceased was about 13 yams of
age.

NATIONAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF
YoCNO GIBLA.—We have been requested to acknowledge
the receipt of the following sums :—Yorkshire, tia. ; Rev.
f:!. H. R. Norman and Mrs. Norman, SJ. ; H. G. and Mrs.
Hawkins, 21. 2s. ; Mews. Pitchers, it. la ; H. Durant,
Esq., IL ; J. Dupleglie, Esq., 11. Is. ; Ales. thitterbuck,
21. 21. ; J. Hawkins, Esq., 21. 2s. ; R. S. Raiford. Req.,
?J. 2e. ; Lord De Roa, IL Is. ; S. Morley, Esq., 11. Is. ;
lieutenant R. Garrett, it. Is. ; Mrs. and Mire Dawson,
11. 6s. ; Mime York, IL—J. B. TALBOT, Secretary, 2S,INew
Broad-street, City.