The Express.
London, England, 1850-07-19 00:00:00

Zei h entros.

tItTOOTIIO NAILS
ri 4x British North Mink* aad the United
T"tar node up this eviseiy.
Or" g‘"__;..l.4 tbanotar, Malts, Ottawa, the lonian lalaatle,
India. sad Chun. via Bwathamptoe, win
Sr •
troterrow teoraini, July 20.
Is • a's
rta Marstil,, to the Meditensasse
11.! • li & be 1117".
Hm:g• Jog. e.. w made sr ea the
usfirly- •
r for Lisboa. !train, tadboa. Gibraltar will be made
rt•
imarieg JOT '27.
tars Mai* including Bermuda, Hesanaab,
I ▪ I
New Orleans, and Milico, sad eaoluding
f.. St. Juatt.,W-Nicatiorna. New Oraaada,
di., fa
• as,: be side op on the morales of August 2.
tarns, ths Braids, and Basses Arse, will
Ai Jr the e 'clung of August 4.

••,,t, RI7Y AT 14570111 MUM&
th. M
_ter
...Ipso/AWL MEM& See

Lo:,.)s, FRIDAY, JULY 10.

Ho eeiliary been wanting of the growing desire
ge !her. •of the maws of the people for a thorough
r
an
I tar a saw pit:v.lms] reform, it would have been
• the meeting which took place on Wed-
T •ujag is the county of Norfolk, a report of
Mr Pm
vamp of which snifters to-day in our
~:omaa Before adverting to the objects which
sem,d to animate the vast throrg congregated on
a Wymondlutm, we deem it advisable
sari.e our create of the character and oomposi-
••••
jr •- r nut tlrg Irma Although attended by a
der.:m...ni from the National Reform Association,
i• WM rot a meeting orig.nated by that body, but a
gs. tairc of the reformer. of the locality, got up
e: ey t..re3gh the active exertions of Mr. TILLETT,
c: Norwich. It wue, in fact, a great county meeting,
as has tot tlien place in Norfolk within the
m.,jyy 0: :sing man. Norwich and the other
ramunititt in the neighbourhood sent their contri-
bnuot by !Ix:ill trains to the assemblage ; but it
foul be ee at a glance that a very large proportion
e wee forming it cins4ted of men connected with
,altirstion of the soil. Tenant farmers were to
be seta on the platform, and farmers and farm
.0 body of the crowd, side by side with
th,• :manner. who were present from the remotest coy-
se: of tile county. E fen the rotten borough of Thetford
bad eqfetentstires there, fifty men attending
from that place with the banner of the Thetford Re-
kr.a Asexiiiiin tiring at their head. From four to
tiou.and people were present on the occasion, a
lnrce Lumber, when it is considered that fully two-
L.:Nit of tl,em paid a shilling each for admission,
std :l.t rim ,inder smaller sums. Two large marquees,
toll,- of containing 1500 people, were erected in a
' adjotting the town, and three brick fireplaces
• ii.rse large boilers built upon the spot to supply
company with tea. As soon as the first party
ixen *ethed in this respect, they rose and
r... a abut the held, until another party which
them were supplied. The whole scene
wit ,;:.y and imposing. The rut crowd,
cm,:zst whom were many ladies, and all dressed
%Air holiday attire, met the deputation at the
Wymordium Station, and accompanied it in prows-
.:h antic and banners, to the place of meeting,
Tka:c under a triumphal arch, thrown across the
t:.:.. •:t the town. As the procession moved along
...a nearly the whole way (about halt a mile)
fr •• r.ion to the field in which the tents were
U. mit-. on these circumstances simply as tending
to ,• !I.: feeling by which the meeting was ant-
was not a gathering of men drawn tor-
t. • .r.isity, or the desire to pass away an hour
ryewhich might be hanging heavily on
• '-, but • spontaneous assemblage of the re-
f. 7a a the county, some of them of old standing,
::era but the concerts of yesterday, but all ire-
tr.th the same spirit of determination, and all
thoving that they had a common object to promote,
and that they were earnest in their endeavours to

ht.itt it. -
The tea-party over, the meeting was constituted for
business. It was originally intended that all the
proceedings should be under corer; ba• the concourse
having bees much greater than wu expected, that
Intestsoa we. abandoned. From the end o. the great
marquee at which the platform was erected, the
:round rose gently far some distance back, and it
was there, on the green sward, that the meeting was
l.rmed in the open air. At six o'clock the She-
r.:‘. of Norwich took the chair; and after express-
his own sympathy with the objects of the meet-
-1. intro:nerd Sir Jo.ucit WALIIBL6T, M.P., Prest-

•c: of the \atioaai Reform Assoctatloo, and ono of

• - members of the deputation. He was followed
the other members of the deputation, and
4c.tirmea well known in the locality, 'monad
• .om .sere Sir TIIMIAS lit:evort and Mr.
Ifltitv. About half-put eight the proceedings ter-
m c.: 1, and the ineetins quietly dispersed, the
N.rw.th d. putation returning by their special than,
me Yarmouth and Thettard and other depots.-
procetding homewards oleo by railway. Whilst
;vietedings !sated not a dissenting voice was
Air' from the crowd, and when they terminated the
e...titudt dispersed as peaceably u if returning from
tt.2r r,.

`ooh being the character and conduct of the einem-
'Lige let us vett what was the tons which per-
vaded it. We first solicit the attention of the protec-
t..twe to this. The speakers dealt with free trade
ae the irreversible decision of the country, and with
Protection as an irrecoverable system. How. was
in., rece.ved by the vast araembly of mixed
.interests
to which it was addressed? Not with dissatisfaction,
to tree with sullen acquiescence, bet with universal
auks of approbation. Bat it would be erroneous to
infer that the farmers present were satisfied with
eiep:y Grits told that protection was an exploded
Linacy, and free trade a permanent reality. There
are conceasions to be made to them, on which they
nai.od, and the prospect of which, through the
axerey of a reformed parliament, they hailed with
icisfaetioo. Toe tanners are a more quick-witted
race in the county of Norfolk than they are in
that of Wile', and they we that the first
step toward, a reduction of the burdens pressing ar°
them is a reduction of the expenditure. When they
were added that those who pretended to represent
their interests in parliament began the work of
economy at the stung end, by proposing the repeal
of •arife and productive taxes, while they resisted a
eerrviveditg eurtai‘ment of the expenditure, they
received it as if it LVI not been told them for the
bat time. They Ire thoroughly alive to the fact
that tam can be no real relief from the
borders of taxation 'aril our annual expenditure is
lariftly reuced, and are now convinced that it is
hopeless b expect the latter from the House of Com-
mons as tow constituted. They feel that whilst the
Ist-payers are the gr.at interest out of doors, the tax
French., are the paramount interest in the house;
and that until this state of thisga is reversed, and
l'kt:lainent beton Pi a fair and faithful reflex of the
i restarrests "'about, the country wiU, In nerd to
l..ancial reform., e ultimo* to be, as it has hitherto
!Atli, played with. If expressions are to be taken es
ir.dic.tir.g convictions, this certainly was the 'mini-
Plonk conviction of the multitude assembled on Wed-
Leaday, at Wymoodham. It was no wonder, than-
k-re" Ka' their moat hearty and vociferous cheers were
elicited by the allusions made by the speakers to par-
liamentary reform as the cotenancy precursor of all
ether refwmui.

Oer nitre financial reformers will also do well to
take note of this. Either there is not sufficient in
szeple financiul reform, even if attainable from par-
li .IntLt an now constituted, to meet the views
ev.d s►tisfy the wants of the masses, or the
Cw.iitetiul in fast permeating all ulsamao that a
thorough reform of the House of Commons is the
accuracy condition precedent to an honest reform in
the finances of the country, were that the great and
otly desideratum. The meeting at Wymondham
were quite contested that, in the name of the Itefonn

Association, the word finanoial should merge in the
word parliamentary ; and an opinion of tide kind,
delibseately and frequently expressed by each an
eseaWage, is not witaoat its sigaitimase. If the Bean-
dal reforms,* weald net be fairly stranded, they will
do well correctly to interpret the opinions of
the country, and not to treat as of secondary interest
that to which the masses are now attaching the para-
mount importince.
It would be well also for the government to take
counsel of passing events. The Norfolk meeting will
not be an isolated one. Muse other meetings of a
similar kind are contemplated to be held at different
poists of the country. The Cesare! Association will
also be buy is other quarters. The current
is now fairly set in in one definite di-
rection, and is gathering a strength and
volume, which it will be impossible to resist. The
Cabinet has already had more than a hint of what it
had better busy itself with during the recess. By no
chicanery, by no adroit shifting of the cards, by no
paltry and partial coooessions, can the attention of the
maws be now weaned from the great object on which
they are fast fixing their hearts and resting their
hopes—each a reform of parliament u will tho-
roughly popalarise the popular branch of the legisla-
ture. And, in effecting this, they will not be satisfied
with • mere extension of the suffrage, for they are
daily becoming more and more alive to the
fact that the corner-atone of the reformed par-
Ili
liament at which they aim moat be • more
equitable apportionment of the representation.
Schedule A .must be largely extended, or the
' Scotch borough system, or something akin to it, must
be imported into England, for a plan of reform unac-
companied by come such measure will be incomplete
and illusory. In no other way can justice be done to 1
the greet industrial interest out of doors. In no other
way, indeed, can justice be done to those qualified to
vote, who cannot now vote, inasmuch as they are in-
chided within the limits of no constituency. If the
law establishes • qualification, the law should take
oars that every man who possesses himself of the
qualification should have the benefit of it. It is not
correct to state generally that the ten pounders of
the country are qualified electors. It is only
true to state that such of them as live
within certain arbitrary circles are qualified to vote.
They can only have justice done them by ranking
them with the county voters, or so extending the
borough cinstitueLoy u to include them within its
pale. For many very cogent reasons, to which it is
not now necessary to advert, the latter is the proper
course to adopt.
We accept the Norfolk meetiag as inculcating a
lesson from which no party in the state should turn
aside. It initiates a movement which will soon be
general amongst the masses, and should teach the
government that the Reform Bill is no longer a
platform on which it can 'courtly and complacently
rest, bat • point of departure in the direction of
other and more thorough reforms.

A STATE paper wu presented a day or two ago, the
contents of which will be read with interest. It
is the first report of a Commission appointed
last autumn, to inquire into the cues which were
investigated and reported upon by the Charity Com-
missions, but not certified to the AT TORREY-GENERAL."
We believe the way in which this Commission arose
was this:—The attention of the HOME SECRETARY
had been directed to certain cues in whica
there is a very gross abuse of charities.
It was not in his power to mike any orders in
these tires, nor did the law officers of the
Crown appear inclined to enter into a subject which,
if touched at all, ought, they thought, to be gone into
vigorously. Nevertheless, the HOME SECRETARY,
considering that inquiry could do no harm, whilst it
possibly might produce some useful consequences, de-
termined on issuing a commission, with a limited
authority, to investigate cases reported upon by the
old Charity Commissioners, but not certified to the
ATTORNEY-GENERAL. This Commission, which is
entirely unpaid, consists of the Earl of CHICIIESTER,
Earl DUCIE, Lords HARRY VANE and WIIARNCLIFFE,
Mr. FREDERICK PEEL and Mr. T. 11. S. SOTHERON,
Mr. BLUNT, the barrister, Mr. JAMEB HILL, and Mr.
HENRY KINGSCOTE. These Commissioners have con-
ducted their proceedings without display or ostenta-
tion, and they conclude their duties by particularising
certain charities which are peculiarly abused, and bj
" offering some suggestions as to the whole matter."
Upon the latter point the Commissioners very em-
phatically state that "the evils and abuses poiluted
out by former Commi.sions and committees of parlia-
ment are still in existence to a very wide extent, and
that no sufficient remedy has been provided for their
correction."

"There are (they say) many charities of which the income
has ►een incurably last from the want of some proper
authority to watch over and gaud the trust. Many
other, have been abused and diverted from their
peeper ohjec, becau e persons locally acquainted with
the circumstances have declined to incur the pecuniary re-
sponsibility c r odium of instituting legal proceedings. In
others, again, the trustees are unable to carry io:o full effect
the intentions of the founders, by reason of some legal diffi-
culty, Of the inadequacy of the fund' for sustaining the ex•
pence of an application to the Court of Chancery. In others,
an ancient and traditional mode of managing the trust has
acquired so strong a hold on the minds of all parties con-
cerned that it cannot be expected of trustees to undertake, on
their private judgment, any attempt to break the establxhad
usage. There is, moreover, a considerable numb. rof chari•
ties wherein the present mal-administration is wholly idol.
butable to ignorance and want of information on the part of
the trustees, who under competent advice and direction,
would be quite willing to cirrect what is irregular and
defective.,•

The Commissioners state that the powers which
have been entrusted to them would be inade-
gnats to the task of a general and searching in-
vestigation into these cases, and that it is doubt-
ful whether they ever could themselves become a
competent authority for exercising a permanent
and vigi'aut control. Although they decline,
however, to take a greater amount of respon-
sibility upon themselves, they are far from thinking
that the responsibility ought not to be created.
They think that the large revenues of charities,
amounting to a million and a quarter per annum,
and intended by the founders to secure important
benefits to the community, demand from the state
some better security than at present exists for
their due and beneficial administration. They
advise, therefore, that a public and permanent
authority should be created, charged with the
duty of supervising the administration of cha-
ritable trusts, and empowered to institute and
direct legal proceedings against them. They
recommend that trustees should be compelled
to make out for the inspection of this
board, annual accounts of receipt' and ex-
penditure, to be audited before some local atithoril,
and registered in a local office where they should be
accessible tir inspection. They further suggest, that
the costa connected with this administration of chari-
ties should be paid by a tax of one penny in the
pound upon those charities whose income amounts to
101. a year and upwards ; and they estimate that this
penny in the pound would produce an annual
income of nearly 6,0001., which would be ample for
every expease. the Commissioners express their belief
that the creation of this authority would be the
means of saving a large amount of charity property,
by putting a stop to many actual abuses, either of
neglect or misapplication, and they also think it
would be useful by advising a better administration to
trustees who are willing to be advised, and in some
instances by preventing expensive litigation.
The cams which the Commisioners report se requir-
ing immediate interference are the following :

1. The statehouse at Ewelms, Oxfordshire.
2. The Hospital of Ike Blessed Trinity, Gaildford.
3. The parish lauds at Laaivett, Cornwall.
4. The Hospital of Bt. John, at Windham, Bare:.
6. Bostt's Charity at Drypool, Yorkshire.
6. Watts's Charity at Rochester.
7. Arekbishop Holgate's Free School, York.
8. Baker's Charity at Ram
9. The poors' lands at Padatow, Cornwall.
Wi will endeavour to give an outline of these cues
seriatim :
I. The almshouse at Ewelme was founded in the
reign of HANBY VI. for 2 chaplains and 13 poor men,
one of the chaplains to be master and the other to
teach and inform children in grammar, &c. ; all to
reside. On the attainder of the founder, WILLIAM
DI LA Poui, Earl of Suffolk, the hospital fell to the
Crown. JAME, 1., by letters patent, granted the
mastership to the University of Oxford, to increase
the stipend and maintenance of the Regius Professor
of Anatomy. In 1817 the Crown sold the Lordship
of /Imams to the Earl of MACCLIIB7IIILD, who now
claims and exercises the right of patronage to the
almshouses. The premmt muter is Dr. KIDD, who is
non-resident. The grammar-master, whose namo is
not reported, is also non-resident. He performs no
duty whatever. Ho Isle the boos of rouidenoo pro.,