The Express.
London, England, 1850-02-13 00:00:00

EMPLOYMENT IN PRISONS.

Yesterday a large mteting of this society was held
at two o'clock, in the Hanoverxquare Reoms, tor the pur-
pose of calling the attention of the government to the disas-
trous comaquences which accrued to the honest and indult-
trlous neerilewouten from their b. ing subjected to an antes-
' aonable competition by the system adopted in prisons of
giving employment to criminals and introducing their menu-
lectured articles into the market, which lowered the Price,
end injured the guiltless portion of the working community.
Alderman FAXEBILOTILEa took the chair. The platform
was full, and the body of the room was crowded.
The CHAIRMAN raid some two or three years ego he
was one of a deputation which visited Sir J. Graham on the
subject of workhouse labour, at d he beleved that in conse-
quence of the measures which had been then taken by the
society, the system had been put a stop to, so far as it inter-
fered with the fruits of out door industry, And he had no
doubt that the same result would follow the elope taken by
that meeting.
Mr. NICHOLAS moved the first rosolution, to the effect
That the meeting being fully aware of the great diserivent-
ages under which the anion and needlewoman labour in
o,neequecce of the employment of prisoners is the pinkie g
up of clothee, tke. for contractors and elopxllere, end that
protection is brusght into oompetition with tree labour,
thereby reducing the prime, and renderieg it almost an int-
potsibility for the poor but honest classes to obtain • heel'.
hood for themselves and families, producing, from the want
of employment, pauperism, prostitution, and general crime,
desire earnestly to submit for the oomideration of her Ma-
jesty's government the absolute necessity of discontinuing
such employment, experience having shewa that the cessa-
tion of needlework in the wnrkhou,es and charitable institu•
lions has to a certain degree ameliorated the condition of the
sempstreeses."
The convicted criminal was well clothed end well fed to the
detriment of the untaint.,d portion of the community. A
man who worked hard for twelve or sixteen hours in the day
found it almost impoasible to support • wife and meetly,
while a man convicted of crime was supported comfortebly
in prison.
The resolution was unanimously carried, and a committee
having been appointed to wait on Sir 0. Grey to explain the
objects of the misting, the proceedings terminated.

FINANCIAL AND PARLIAMENTARY REYORM.-0a
Monday Evening last a numerous and highly-respectable/
meeting of the inhabitants of Gnat Yarmouth was held at
the Corn Exchange, in that place, fa' the purples of esta-
blishing a branch of the National and Partial:stater, and
Financial Reform Association. Mr. C. Barber was caged-to
the chair, and a orrice of resolution,, in accordance with the
requisition, were adopted. At the close of the meetirg.
members were enrolled, and upwards Gl* 120 were intend a
Ins than an hour, beeides which seven,' were compelled to
leave without tickets owing to the great Lumber ct appl:ce-
%ions to join the new branct society, which promises shortly
W bs the most powerful ever established in the town.

LAUNCHES ON THE WEAL There is, everlasi-
tee'', in Sunderland, a ship rushing out of air into weer
—re, king u our friends the penny.a liners periphresrica:ly,
if not philosophically affirm its native element." Only cm
Monday last, Rogerson and Wilkinson, and Briggs and
Candlish, and Haswell and Husby, end the veteran Laic',
ware all shoving new ships into the Wear; and it conifer's
us to know that Mr. bans's splendid bugs', the Tat ,
916 tons, classed at Lloyd's A 1, thirteen years, has found s
pore-sou in Mr. David Dunbar—who had once • crotchet
in his head (now happily expelled) that shipping was going
to the does.—Gateshead Observer.
- - - - -

BRILLIANT METZOR.-OR Monday night, about
a quarter before 11 o'clock, • brilliant meteor, according t.
all amounts intense beyond any on record is Etc d.rn time,
was tern throughout the metropolis. It resembled a rocket
is its Hight, and, on its bunting, shed • light which ilhamio
mated the whole country round. It was simultaneously ob.
served at Woolwich, Hackney, Mills end, Stepney, and va-
rious other parts in and around the metropolis. Its duration
was not mon than halt a minute.

DEFALCATION OP ANOTHER SAVINGS BANK Ac-
Trazy.—ln consequence of the late :posting of the Roth.
dale and other savings banks, the menagen of the Dartford
bank adopted means of having the books and accounts ex-
amined by an examining committee of managers and an
accountant entirely unconnected ni h the establishment.
The first meeting of the committee was and at the Bull
Ina, on Saturday, the 2nd inst., wh7n about 200 books were
produced, and as far as they were examined no snore were
detected. In the evening the secretary, Mr. Pain. cal'ing
on Jardine, the actuarT, ssw a depositor's bodi lying
there, which be opened, and found it differed nearly
1001. from the ledger. He charged himself with baring
made a mistake, when the actuary confessed that
he had committed fraud to the amount of about
1,0001. This becoming known to some of the mana-
gers, Jardine wee allowed till Monday, the 4th, to examine
hie LoAt, an which day he said he was a dolma:es to the
amount of 2,0001. A meeting of the managers was held on
Wednesday, at which the attendance of Mr. Tidd Pratt was
'weed thriattie!,7a3.snd9ithslst. Jardine
had amigned all his property to the trustee., which will pre-
saseetryedin,
invested
Min
duce about 7001. or 8001, and together with 1,0001. the
amount el his bond, will go towards the liabilities. A sub-
wail:sea:met:
committee:was chosen, consisting of Messrs. Hugh J.-inst-n
and John Tether, and the Rev. James King, to investigate
the matter, and to report the result we soon as possible. The
business of the bank is of course suspended. Jardine, with
his father, have been actuaries of this bank for upwards of 40
years, and he has hitherto carried on the first drapery hilli-
ness in the town.

ACTUAL STATE OP WORKS AT WESTMINSTER.
rALACI.—We walked from one end of the enormous hullo-
ing to the other, a few days ago, and were grieved by the cir
of desolation which everywhere prevailed. Had we known
nothing of the truth we should have fancied that the
builder had gone wrong, and that a messenger fr. in the
Court of Bankruptcy was in possession—a result, by the
way, which would very probably hive tutu brought grout,
as we shall show premolar if the buildct had been a man or
I, se substance than Mr. Grissell. To a very large portion of
the building nothing whatever has beta done for four years ;
there it stands in carcase, just as it did four years ago. The
first contract, commenced ten years since, and which was to
have been completed in throe year', is positivtly sot ;ft
wound up. In toe Commons' lobby the scaffolding us
mainly as it wa eighteen months ego, and there ere n 3
orders yet given for building it. In the Commons' library
chore bad not been a man at work for two or three years till
lot week, when three or four joiners were sent in to—tyke
down some pedestal presses which bad been put up. Our
r. ceders who understand these things will laugh when we
tell thim that the whole number of Ohmic now employed on
the building is thirty. The Hones of Commons has been
Vending still for sin months. The Oonanions' refreshment
mom, again, is exactly as it was one year and a half M.O,
and as it will be one year and a half hencepunt
moos *anklets permit it to proceed.—B • • :41,
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