The Express.
London, England, 1860-06-20 00:00:00

THE PROPOSED DEAD MEAT MARKET IN
SMITHFIELD.

Last evening a " public meeting of the meat
salesmen and butchers of the metropolis' was held at the
Farnogdon.hall, Snow-hill, "in order to defeat the attempt
made by the corporation of London to impose a toll or tax
on meat in the bill recently introduced into the House of
Commons, and which has been read a second time."
The meeting was called fur 7 o'clock, and a large number of
the inhabitants of the ward assembled in accordance with
the following circular which bad been issued by the ward
clerk : A public meeting having been advertised to be
held, to organise an opposition to the bill now in parliament
for the erection of a meat market in Smithfield, the inhabi-
tants of this ward are requested to attend to defeat the
opposition, and to support the bill, in accordance with the
resolutions passed at various meetings of the ward." The
meeting was, however, confined to meat salesmen and
butchers, and am a very large number of the leading inha.
biteuts were excluded, they withdrew indignantly, and held
• meeting in rapport of the hilL
Mr. FRANCIS HC-{LEY, J.P., presided over the butchers'
meeting, and briefly opened the proceedings by stating that
the question was of the greatest importance to the trade
and the public, as it put a toll on the food brought to
market, the inquisitorial mode of collection being even more
objectionable than the amount of the tax.
A letter was then read from Mr. Charles Pearson offer.
ing to attend, but it was decided that the meeting should
be confined to the trade.
Mr. Moline, in moving the first resolution, strongly con-
demned that portion of the bill which levied • toll on all
meat brought to the market. It was not the amount of the
toll, but the principle which it involved, that was objected
to. The toll was unjust, unnecessary, and iniquitous, sad
he therefore hoped they would unanimously peas the fol.
!awing resolution :—" That this meeting views with alarm
and dismay the hill now before parliament, by which the
corporation of London would be empowered to levy a toll
or tax on meat, and energetically protests against the win-
' ciple of taxing the food of millions for any purpose or under
any circumstances."
Mr. Vaster seconded the motion in • practical speech,
contending that the corporation were extravagant, and
wished to make the public pay for it by such jobs as that
proposed by the bill. The matter affected the public as
well as the trade, and therefore he thought they should one
and all most uncompromisingly and unflinchingly deter.
mine to oppose the passing of the bill. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Him supported the motion, believing that it was an
imposition to tax the salesman ; at the same time he
thought they should not be too harsh towards the con
poration.
Mr. Paws (Common Councilman), after some personal
explanation, proceefled to defend the conduct of the mem.
hers of the corporation with regard to this and other
matters, contending that the corporation was much more
charitable than they were generally supposed to be. He
still, however, believed that if the plan for the new market
had been put out to competition they would have a cheaper.
and better market. He begged to support the resolu-
' tion. (Cheers.)
The resolution was carried with acclamation.
Mr. BROWNE then proposed the next resolution, to the
effect that the proposed tax would be inquisitorial in its
character, partial and unjust in its operation, and wholly
unnecessary, as an ample remuneration might be raised by
rent alone, the only legitimate source of landlord's profit.
The meeting therefore pledged itself to oppose it by every
possible means. He thought the trade had a right to com-
plein of the manner in which the bill had been ustroduced„
but there was little doubt it would not pass the committee
of the house, for the preunble stated that it was proposed
to build a market bemuse there was not at present suf-
ficient accommodation, while in fact the proposed market
would not provide as much as they had in the present
market.

Mr. RUDIIII4 (Common Council) seconded the motion, sad
said the whole affair was a trick of the Markets Improve-
ment Committee upon the corporation. The butchers would
not use the market if there were a toll— (War, hear)—and
therefore it would never be successful.

The resolution blaring been agreed to, a petition to par
liament was adopted.

THE STRENGTH OF THE ARMY, &C.—The follow.
ing return of the strength of the British army, militia,
volunteers, do., on the let of the present month, wail
issued this morning :—Regular Army : Royal Horse Artil.
lery, 1,738; Household Cavalry, 1,317; Cavalry of the
' Line, 9,802 ; Royal Artillery, 14,636 ; Royal Engineer's,
2,089 ; Military Train, 1,715 ; Foot Guards, 6,253 ; Ides-
try of the Use (service companies), 30,542 ; Army Hospital
Corps, 686-68,778. Depots :Of regiments at home, 3,888;
of regiments in the colonies, 9,338 ; of regiments in India
(cavalry), 1,317 ; ditto (infantry), 17,070 ; of her Majesty's
Indian army, 1,689-33,302. Total, 102,080. Embodied
militia, 15,911 ; disembodied militia (quota, 113,801),
effective, 52,899 ; yeomanry cavalry (quota, 17,196),
electives, 15,002; enrolled pensioners (quota, 16,120),
electives, 15,000 ; Volunteer Rifle and Artillery Corps
(approximate number), 122,367.—(rand total, 323,259.
WEAPONS OF WAR.—The parliamentary papers
issued this day include " a return of the amount of public,
money advanced since 1852 to private persons for the put,
pose of enabling them to make experiments" for the im-
provement of weapons of war. The total amount advanced
for that purpose was 72,7681. 15a. 9d. Among the chief
items are the following :-3,0001. to Mr. J. Nasmyth to
test the applicability of malleable iron to large ordnance ;
10,000/. to Mr. W. C. Lancaster for oval-bored rifled
canon ; 7,219 f. Is. Id. to fiir W. Armstrong for the invention
of rifted cannon ; 3,4061. to Messrs. Bishop and Vaughan
for large gun ; 7,8101. 19e. 101. to Mr. W. Hale for war
rockets; 1,7501. to Mr. Martin for shells of a particular
description ; 11,8071. 17s. to Mr. Mallet for mortars of
large construction ; 12,748/. to Mr. J. Whitworth for
machinery for riding, boring, and turning barrels, erection
of rifle-shed or ■hooting gallery, and experiments with small
arms, for the purpose of ascertaining on what principles a
rifle barrel ought to be constructed ; and 4,2471. to the Mine
person for similar experiments with ordnance.
THE LATE CONSUL BARRAR.—Our Naples our.
respondent write on the 14th iu.t. :—" I have to record a
painful fact, the death of Louis Barber, whose name was
so intimately and so honourably associated with the Cagliari
cause. It is his great praise that he carved out his own
career. Her Britannic Majesty's vice-consul in this capital
during the celebrated visit of Mr. Gladstone, who showed
him much kindness, he became afterwards acting consul
during the lingering illness of the late consul, Captain
Osllway, R.N. In an interval of two years of much poli.
tical agitation, he performed the duties of his °Bice so as to
command the approbation of his own countrymen and his
own government, and the distinguished notice of Vista
EmmanueL On the appointment of Mr. Bonham to the
consulate of Naples in February, 1859, Mr. Barber went to
Caudia, where he was appointed her Britannic Majesty's
consul. Two months ago he returned, on leave of absence,
to visit his family, whom he had left here for their educe-
tion. He brought with him the seeds of fever, which
developed themselves elope immediately, and on Thursday
last he died, leaving a wife and family =provided for. Our
consular regulations make no provision for such a case, but
surely the British government will do itself honour by
making an exception to the rule, and the British public will
not let the family of Louis Barber remain in want of that
support which the husband and Path er can no longer give
them."

A letter from Meesina say.:—"Sicily is now en-
tirely free ; the hated Bourbon uniform is nowhere to be
seen, except at Syracuse and here, at Messina, where the
head-quarters have been established. But the most
singular part of the matter is, that the whole of
the royal troops—all, I say, from the superior officers
down to the common men—seem never to get tired of
landing to the skim the virtues of Garibaldi. They de.
clam that he is as gentle and generous and kind-hearted
after the bloodiest battle as he is courageous and terrible
whilst the conflict rages. They add that is impossible for
those who have once known him again to fight against hint,
and they end by saying, ' We certainly will never again
fight against him ; you may depend upon that.' Here every
apprehension of a conflict between the soldiers and the
people has durappenred."
THE CHANNEL FLEET AT LEITH.—The weather
yesterday being highly favourable for pleasure trips to the
fleet, steamers of various build, sine, and coalition, be.
longing to the Tay and the Tyne, as well as to ports cet
both sides of the Forth, put off at all hours during the day
from Leith and Greaten, crowded with passengers, and ran
neck-sal-neck races with each other to the great focus of
attraction, St. Margaret's Hope. A fine easterly brem%
which sprang up in the morning and continued nearly an
day, was also turned to good account by numerous
fishing-boats and .cables, which ran up the river
with well-filled sails, tarrying snore select, or at
heat small parties from Leith, Newhaven, Burntisland,
Kirkcakly, and elsewhere. Thu throng of ranters was of •
more miscellaneous character than on Saturday, and not
quite so overwhelming; and they were also, generally
speaking, distributed pretty generally over the different
vessels in the fleet. In all the ships they were not only
received with that hearty courtesy which is so marked a cha.
racteristic of the officers and crews of the British navy
when at home in their floating castles, but in most mass
the visitor' were entertained with music from the ship's
band, and in one vessel (the Mars? dancing wail continued
for a couple of hours with great spirit on the nutintleck by
the officer, and their lady visitors, and hornpipea were
danced with much skill and taste by several of the sailors.—
&aleakaa.
BERLIN WOOL FAM.—We understand that a
telegram has been received in Leeds to the effect that the
fair opened rstenhty mornmg at an advance of Itito BO
dollars on last year's prices, which is equivalent to a rise of
sd. per lb.