The Express.
London, England, 1859-12-08 00:00:00

(Stamped Id. Addition3l.) (TWOPENCE.

TBB BBIIBEIBID CLUB DIA.VitII.

The annoal dinner of the Smithfield Club took
plum yee'erday eerntog, at the Lindon CLAW-Lour., Lad-
gete.lall. lw the unavoidable absence 01 hie Orece the
Doke of Riehmood, privident of the club, the chair wee
tithes by Lord BCKNEWO. Tbere wrre about VA/ gentlemen
prevent, and among Okra e'en—Lent Poverebnen, Lard W.
tenons, Mr. itilward, Mr. W. F. Hobbs, Mr. Alderman
Mechi, Mr. O. P. Tithrwl, Mr. Branerrth Otbl e, Pretepeor
Smart-dr, Mr. Jobe, Welt, Mr. Ri.cdru, Mr. Cortez,
Mr. & Smith, Mr. lieldiew of Cestleacre, Mr. C. Stokes, &o.
After the penal loyal toasts,
...•

The CH AI max proposed " The Army and Navy," and in i•
so doing be tongiatuleted the volubly on the extension of
volunteer ride tory, which he considered an • excellent
addition to the defensive forth of the country. The nobta
lord coupled the meet with Laird William Ltlinox.
Lord W. LENNOM, in reeponding to the toast, said he ,
was no longer a member of the army, but having pooled
the greater portion of hie life in it he felt great intrreet in
all its movemaLta. There never wee a period in the history
of this country when thee. thee esois a martial fitellog in the
oommuoity in general as petalled at pedant, and be
was convinced that that feeling did not miss from
any dove lee the extenaion of the British empire,
but solely from a determinwion to resist say attempt at inva-
sion. He did not htuo elf share In the pate of the Liverpool
merchants; oar did be believe that if the Emperor Napoleon
hod any desire to pay a hostile visit to this country he would
throw aside the extreme ethttonseere of character which led
him to reply to the gentltin,o tit Liverpool. (Hear, hear.)
It was diffieult to conceive anything more *lleums. than the
letter which elicited the Emperor • answer, inappoing that
letter were sot, ex it was eeld 4i bare been, a hoax. He was
quite sure that the present 'overtire of Francs would not
we.. war 46414 this woly, mums it were for tee purpossof
saving hi. dynasty; though that would, afire all, or short-
sighted policy, so Its would probably leaf to the destruction
of his dynasty. litany pathos spoke cc If the Emperor had
already crumbed our fleet, eileoced our gunboats, sod landed
his forcee—as if our army had retreated, our ndemen had
proved ineffiskat, our artilleryman were asleep, end the
French were already in L &Ace ; but he believed that so
long as the people of this country maintained their prewent
atutude there would be no danger of threaten. (Others.)
No one ought to desire to see the preset mart al spirit
allayed; forth° beet way of preeervieg peace waste/take care
lobe prepared fir war. (Cheers.)
The CithtlXllSX then proposed "Niece's to the Smithfield
Club." It was, to said, now rather more than thirty pears
*Moe he first became a member of that club. Since that
period ha bed attended most of its meetings, be had watched
with great ietereet its progress, mad, notwithstanding the
cavils which he had hesed with regard to its proceeding., he
did not hesitate to say that the club hod conferrei great
benefit on the country. (Cheer..) It had been the means of
exiting great emulation among the breeders of cattle; it had
been inicrumentel in producing the animals which would
provide the greatest questa., of- hod for the people st the
steeliest wet. It wee established rather more than sixty
year. ago, being founded in the year 1798. The number of
members was at first very small. For many years
the show was held, as many present meet or
member,. in an inoonvealent place in G &men-street.
About 20 years ago it wee removed to Baker-street.
At that period the proprietor of the show-yard in Baker.
auger gave them 30W. a pea for holding their show there;
end he thought he might justly congratulate the tnetobtra
on the hot that in one respect at least the cleb was magus,
seeing that teethed of miss for their acoommodation they
were paid for accepting it. (Hear, bear) For some Jean
they bad received the sum be had mentioath-3001 per
annum i they sow received 7001. The nonmember. of the
society who showed livestock paid about 1161. per annum; the
implement department yielded 7401. ; the ettam.engitse•xhi.
Wore coetnbuted 601 ; they bad a dividend arising trout
government stork of 661., and the annuel subscribers paid 2351
There were 384 member.. The number it entries of new
stock this year—including pens of 3,5, and so on—was 36.5,
and they had distributed in prises for cattle 9501. and in
medals 1401. ; snaking, in round numbers, a total at 1,100!.
He dare say all present were aware that step were being
taken to secure better scoomosodatioo for the exhibition of
cattle, that being a matter of absolute necessity, and he
hoped they would terminate in a satisfactory change. Two
years hence, probably, better accommodation would be pro-
vided, both for stook and for implements—the implement de.
partment being cos °teary great importance to agricultariets.
Having made these remark'', he now proposed that they
should drink, " Success to the licaltlatield Club."
Tim toast was received with great enthusiasm.
, Mr. Toss, the vice-chairman, proposed " The health of
the Pmeidant, his (!race the Doke of Richmond," which
was enthusiastically received.

Loed W. LlNNui responded on behalf of his noble bro-
ther, and soured the company that nothing hot public duty
would have kept him from being amongst them that doy.
The various gold medal prizes were then distributed, and
the healthy of the 11110eraltel oanostitors proposed end drunk.
Hr. RIODIN, of Hors. near Brighton, in returning thanks
a the winner of the gold medal in the Southdown
said he had that year bad the good fortune to redeem kb
promise to beat the Duke of ltichencmd's specimen of South.
downs. (Cheers.) Hie gram had beaten him for three
pun in suoceesion previously, antl be hoped It wee now hie
ism to beat their noble President fur the same number of
=(Chews and laughter.) It should not be his fault if
data do so. (Cheers.)
Kr. HUDSON prepared the Vice Preirldente of the Club,
far which . . .

I;rd FSTWITAII responded, concludieg by proposing the
health of the Chemins.
Lord Bassett. returned thanks, and expressed bit opinion

that the agricultural interest was 'the pro:Lary source of the
great social prosperity of this kingdom.
The heaths of the paps, (.4 the moments. ani of Mr.
Brsodreth Gibbs, the secretary, were prove, d and duly re-
sponded to ; and the emsdng'e entertainment wee 442 I rem ed
by illo singing of toe Mama Wells, Mr. Holmes, Mr. Gtv.
Gage, and Mr. Edney.

TUB BALLOT.

Yesterday evening • en ettill convened by the
Ballot Society was Mid et the Wbbthismn Club, wit a
Maw of promoting the adoptioa of the sots by ballot. la
the absence of Mr. Berkeley, who wee suffering from bron-
chitis, the chair wee takes by Mr. J. W. Beaman, and there
ware also present Oeasral Thompson, Mr. Whitsburst, Mr.
Ndenbein tittles, Mr. Elt, Mr. George Thompson, Colonuj
French, Ee. ♦ letter apologising for &bream bat sympa-
thising with the objcots of the medium was read from Mr.
Bompell, also enclosing ■ imbectolon of ten gases'.
The 82011141 M (Mr. W. Wickham) mad the following
address :

"The Ballot Society to the Inhabitants of the Metropolis.
"After six years of agitation in the provinces, doling
which almost every parliamentary borough and many dis-
tricts of the counties have bra erited by the events of We
society, and entitle marines held, *Adresse &leered, and
tracts on the question of the ballot dietriouled, numbering
little, if any, short of a million, the Ballot Society come to
addrem the inhantenta of the metropolis. It hes often bort
salted, with the head-quarters I.: ytm.. movement in London,
why are you not MON active in the motruclist Following
the miample of the Anti-Corn Law L-agoe and consi-
deriag that, with one ereption Daly—LordJohn Russell
—all the 'metropolitan members vote fur the ballot, we
thought it beet to direct our operation& on conatitueoece
which did not return ballot members ; sad our course ie jus-
tified by the fact that there are, in the present House of
Commons, more members pledged to vote for the ballot than
in any former parliament. Ptedie opinion to not wily
bat made up m favour of the ballot, as to shown
by the tact that at every one cf the mosey and crowded public
msetings held in every part of England—from Newcastle in
the north to Ralston at the extreme town-went, main Wales
from Carnarvon In the north to Hsverfoniwer Is the south
—we have never foiled to carry resoluiions approving of the
ballot. In sow cowl og among the innanirate of :he metro-
polis we do not intend to toy Aside our provhiScial lebours.
It is intended to visit the boroughs not alpesdy visitrA,
and inform them on tie question. The extended
end "important field of the taunt'. specially needing
the ballot require* to be vetted and aroused, bet the that, is
come to armee the metropolis, simultaneously ibth the pro-
einem. If the metropolitan constituencies du not need the
ballot so much as others, yet they are net Fr...ogees to the
evils against which we seek the protection of the 'isnot; and
they are equally interested m pientring the benefits we
! expect front partial:lento which shall be tne (remand genuine
choice of the people. The bell t, we are convinced, lies at
the root of the political, financial, Tied eiminietrative reforms
sought by all ohms of reform re; end we now appeal to the
enlightened understandises of the inhaottaiste of the metro-
tolls, and to the power they always exorcise over public
opinicet, to aid us In our email= to ware for every elector
the same power of voting trimly and Indifferently as is pos.
messed by our fellow•countrytuen in the Australian colonies.
" By order of the Executive Committee (on behalf of the
Society), Wit. Wrexham, Hon. Secretary."
8u sentry the- following letter was seal from Mr.
Berkeley

Victoria-squtre, Dec. 7.
"Dear Bir,—Having been suffering under an attack of
illness affecting the vocal organs, I have retrained lo the last
moment from acquainting my nollseenee t f the Ballot So-
ciety of my inability to take the chair at the nutting an-
nounced fur this evening.

" I think it very probable that my absence may be pur-
posely miaconstrued, and that I may be awned ' shelv-
ing' myself as well as the quietism of the ballot. I hope
that Mr. Whitehund. ae vioe-chairnian of our society, will
tender for me an apology to the meeting, and express a hops
to my part that an opportunity will shortly be aff swied to me
of having the honour of personally sissuring a metropolitan
meeting that the isserset I take in endeavouring to scum
to the elector, of Greet Britain and Ireland protected votiog
I. la no way danialshed.—l dal. dear sir, yours very faith-
fully, 11111412 F. BIRICRLIY.
W. Wickham, Esq."
General Thompaoo, Mr. Wbitehurat, and Mr. George
Thompson addressed the meeting, and the pros:endings ter-
, Weaned with p vote of rheas to the chairman. The neat
meeting was announced fur the 25th of January.