The Express.
London, England, 1860-03-23 00:00:00

MEETING OP RETAIL TEA DEALERS.

Yeatorda7 morning a public meet* of retail
traders carrying on Weiner in the metropolis was held at the
Loam 21s,ern, for the purpose of taking into consideration
the roma (audition of them trade ; llr. Alderman Anions
and a letter was read from Yr. Moffat, expressing
conviction that the proposal of the Chancellor of, the
Exehequer would be highly datneging to the trade.
The CRAIMILS said there moll bs so doubt that the
bide would suffer great injury if the proposals of thechan-
oiler of the Plechequer were adopted, for while it wee pro-
mised to "Mein the tea duty d ls. Bd. per lb., the Chancel-
Ws proposed impost oil per omit would amount in many
came to as much as Bd. per chest. It was ia all respects a
most unjust Mable and obnoxious tax ; and he tnistodthat
the retail &Wars of the metropolis would put such • 'bold
face upon the matter as to indooe Mr. Glade-oils not to
prim the ?etiolation. if the right hon. gentleman should
persist in his resolution, he thought the best thing the re-
tail dealers could do Iwo"' - ' -- the
bade to somebody else
Mr. Ilarrtrer (of t
helisaisglissohation
.420 to dory resent
elh• Merneol pw
milk peculiar hardship
chant, and wholesale
pence of the various
will canape free. 1"
is. 64. pee pound is
eerier tax of 74d. '
reaps itself to use
el so soda an injury.
Yr Oooriat (of the
the resolution, which
Snowden, and Mr. r

On tee motion of L.
MIS, a committee was appoint— carry 0..
lotion, and to confer with the metropolitan members on the
subject.

GREAT WESTRRN RAILWAY.

Yesterday a special general meeting of ahem-
holders wee hold at the Paddington station, for the purples
of considering and approving certain bills BOW before parlia-
ment • the Earl of SHELBURNE in the chair.
The'CIIAIRMAN said that the notice which had been issued
stated that the realities had been called to consider and
approve of certain bills --11 in number. But as some of the
bins referred to had been dropped, it would not he necessary
for him to call attention to them on that occasion. He
therefore, merely submit I. the shareholders those
til°ls4 which they intended to deal with at the present meet-
ing. The fist was "A bill for enabling the Great Western
Railway Company to construct a railway in the parishes of
Clifton, Mayhank, and Bradford Abbas, in the county of
Dorset, in connexion with the Wilts, Somerset. and Wey-
mouth Railway ; to acquire widitional lands at Yeovil ; and
for other purposes." The bill was rendered arreamarybythe
exte.i.,ll of the South Western to Exeter, if they were to
maintain their owe traffic. He moved that the bill be ap-
proved of, and that the director+ be authorised to concur
in say alterations that might be made in it.
In slower to Nr. 011.ite,
The CHAMAN slated that the length of the line was
three quarters of a mile, and the capital 16,00&. There
was no intention of making the line a competisg one with
the Brigid and Exeter. There was no spechil negotiation
with-reps:l to this particular scheme ; bet there were nage-
tiatioas generally with respect to the junction lines between
the west and south of England. No definite result, how-
ever, had been arrived at.
In Mg/ to another SHAREHOLDER, who complained that
of t
oat
imes to the London sad North Welters Corn-
, the Great Western Company and the south-writ of
bad been prevented from access to Manchester,
which was becoming quite • nuisance,
The CHAIRMAN said thatit=was quite tin they
had no means of getting to except under a tem-
porary agreement of :oven years with theLonderi atidNorth
Western, still they were at that moMent, rannin into Min-
.
elinter under that agreement. They had no parliamentary
right into Manchester, but their bands were in nu way tied
from getting there.
The motion was then carried.
The following bills were submitted to the consideration
of the meeting and approved of : A bill to authorise the
otestnaction of a railway from the Great Western Railway
at Chippenham to thine, in Wilts; length, five miles and
a-half, capital, 35,0001.; promoted by an independent oom-
tinny. A bill for authorising the Bast Somerset Railway
Company to abandon the DlRkilif of their autherieed
rail-
way from Shepton Mallett to W ells, and to make, instead
thereof, soother railway A
from
bill for Shepkton Halle a
tt to Wfroellm
s,
and for other purposes. making rail:lw
the Great Western Railway to the town of Farlogkm. .A
bill for making a railway from Llangollen, in the comity of
Denbigh, to Corwen, in the county of Merioneth, end for
other purposes; length about 11 mills; capital, 90,000 f. •
The meeting was then siDcumed to Wednesday, 4th of
April, for the purpose of taking into consideration the other
bills mentioned in the advertisement.

MR. COBDEN AND TEI COIMARCIAL TR;Art,.
• Court of Common Council was held yeeterday, at Guild-
hall, the Lord Mayor presiding, whoa lit. W. Connell.
according to notice, submitted the following resolution
" That the freedom of thia city, inn box of the value of BO
guinear,be presented to Richard Cobden, Es 9., 3LP., in
reeignition of his long and eminent maniere in liberatisig
commerce from the *hackles which prevented the develop-
, meet of the industrial enterprise of this country, and AL*
for his voluntary and patriotic exertions in ne-
gotieting the recent treaty with Frame. " in
of the resolution the honourable member
UePrr'e' d't to the services Mr. Cobden bad rendered to the
public by the active part lie had taken in connexion with
the lint Reform Bill, the repeal of the corn laws, and re-
cently in the negotiations which bad led to the commercial
treaty with Fr ace. Mr. Alderman lucid seconded the
motion. An ameudmont was moved by Mr. Berkley to the
effect that the constant prosentetiou of the freedom of the
Clay detracts from the hominy and woefultiens of such a
proceeding, end in the preseut pimition of the corporation
wee ill-timed. This was voconded by Mr. De Jersey, but,
after some diecrosiou, ito which Mr. Cox, Mr. Deputy Fry,
Xr. Elliott, Mr. N.,rri.s, N.Y., !dr. K. N. Phillips, and
others, took part, the amendment was bet on a division by
79 to 311, sad the original re.olutiou war ultimately put
and agreed to amid loud cheers.

I;;;Citibs to retire, and leave the rotas
else. (Hear.)
of the fleni of Phillips and Co.) moved the
m : " That it is alike unjust and inexpe.
evens with the cost of its collection. and
Liri4pr coat.
on the.. dealers,tielikr
ale dealers. who benefit chiefly by the er-
ns operations and removals *under bond,
That on tea, on which the war duty of
is retained, the impost will amount to the
to Bd. per cheat, and that this meeting
se every exertion to prevent the infliction
j ."
f the firm of Ridgway and Co.) moondecl
ich was supported by Mr. Newsom, .Mx.
Dyer, and caned with one dissentient.
d Mr. Etrauoirsu, seconded by Mr. Haw-
was appointed to carry out the first moo.