The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-28 00:00:00

UPROARIOUS RIOTING AT BLACKHEATH.

- -
A public meeting
eat
held last night at the
Aie h. under the cbairroanship of
aidraa.
Sir JOHN Ltusocxß, Bart., for e'be purposeof supporting
Mr. Ohdatene's policy rupecte.wil toe Irish cobweb.
The pr eons of an organised opposition Imparted
a turbulent character to the Proseedings, and
the chairman and those of the speakers who expressed
themselves in favour of diseetnlxlstiment were
hooted and interrupted in a most unit emly manner.
Several of the bola belonging to a local se`isol who held
exclusive possession of two or three forms in the t'sody of
the hall reflected no credit on the rev. gentlemen who is
their educational and spiritual director. Following the
cue of older but not wiser indii iduals who sat next the m•
they shouted, groaned, and hissed at the expression
opinions favearable to the objects of the meeting, and by
indulging in cries of " Question," " Bosh," and " Non-
sense," when such were altogether inapplicable, evidently
intended to tire the speakers and bring the meeting to •
clove without any practical issue. The conduct of the
boys, objectionable as it was, was not marked by the
intolerance displayed by a few individuals who were
I stated to be members of the Working Men's
Constitutional Association. (Ms of them whose name we
learned is Pitman, and who has inquired some celebrity
by his appearance in several places as a representative of
that rare avis known se tbe conservative working men,
rendered himself particularly obnoxious, and but for the
forbearance enjoined by the chairman would have found
punishment for his ID Wooed not in forcible ejection. Tee hall
was crowded, numbers of ladies presen t contributing in a con-
siderable degree to that result. Several clergymen entertain-
ing opposite views on the question of the Irish church at-
tended, and evinced a rather demonstrative'interest in the
proceedings. Amongst those who supported the chairman
on the platform were Sir John Gray, M.P., Sir C. Fox,
Mr. Auguste* Mr. Baxter Langley, &c.

The CHAIRMAN in the course of his speech, after remark-
ing upon the vital nature of the subject under considera-
tion, and the necessity of devoting calm and impartial
attention to it, said he thought he was expressing the
feeling of every one present when he asserted that what-
ever differences of opinion there might be amongst them,
and no matter what their ideas as liberals and conserva-
tives might be, they had not the slightest desire to throw
a slur upon, or to impugn in any way, the clergy belong-
ing to the established church in Ireland. (Cheers.) But
he confessed that that fact alone mu, one of the strongest
argument' in favour of Mr. Gladstone'. resolutions.
(Cheers and uproar.) They were all agreed, be thought,
that no fault lay at the door of the Irish clergy, and
the majority of them, he supposed,' believed that
the truths which were taught by that clergy
in themselves were correct, and that being so,
it was clear that they should look elsewhere for the
failure of the Irish church. (Cheers, cries of "No failure,"
and interruption.) He earnestly appealed to them not
to approach the question with angry passions, but to
view it in a calm and earnest spirit. They had been told
that the question was one of protestantism, and Mr. Dis-
raeli had suggested that the cry of " No protestantism
should be raised, but he (the chairman) thought they had
leaders and schoolmasters to look to elsewhere for
advice (cheers) and if the question was to be
raised at all, certainly Mr. Disraeli was not the
man to raise it. (Cheers, groans, and interruption.)
Having referred to the irreconcilability of Mr. Disraeli's
statement in the House of Commons, that he never pro-
posed to found a Roman catholic university, or to endow
the Roman catholic church in Ireland, with the policy
announced by the Earl of Mayo at the beginning of the
sesaio", the chairman concluded amid a scene of noise and
confusion, by stating that the Irish church was to a cer-
tain extent a tyranny to the Irish people, and that, what-
ever might be the views of thou who differed from him,
truth and justice could never be opposed to one another.
The Rev. A. KING (an Irish protestant minister)
moved the first resolution as follows :—" That this meet-
ing, believing the established church of Ireland to be a
great injustice to the people of that country, rejoices that
the House of Commons has by such large majorities sup-
ported Mr. Gladstone in his efforts for the disestablish-
moot and disendowment of that church." The speaker
was interrupted in almost every sentence of his speech.
The resolution, having been seconded, was supported by
Sir J. GRAY, who said that he appeared before them as
a staunch and earnest Irish protestant, but not as an
adherent of what was known as "kiln dried political pro-
testantism." He entreared them as English protestant.
not to unite themselves with rottenness—(uproar)—and
support a system carried out by the sword andthe law, and
not the tongue of the spirit. (Cheers and confusion.) He
then prooteded to give statistics relating to the Irish
church, and notwithstanding persistent interruptions on
the part of the man Pitman and others, succeeded ill
msking a telling speech, and resumed his sent amid loud
cheers from the friends of disestablishinent.
The CHAIRMAN announced that. iu accordance with his
wish that both sides should be heard, the Rev. Mr. Faen
would move an amendment. (Load and general cheering.)
The Rev. Mr. FARM, after quietly hinting to his sup-
porters that noise and argument were different things, and
complimenting the chairman for the suavity and im-
partiality which characterised his conduct in the chair,
moved the following amendment:—" That this meet-
ing, acknowledging the duty of all Christians to use
every legitimate means for the preservation and expansion
of protestant faith in Ireland, deems it) unwise and
inexpedient to weaken in any way the position of the
establishment in Ireland."
Mr. CARPENTER sconded the amendment.

On a show of hands the resolution was ',aided by a con.
siderable majority.
The meeting broke up at a late hour.

LONDON ARSOCIATION FOR Tilt. PROTECTION OF
TRADE. —Yesterday, the annual general meeting of the mem -
ben of this association, which numbers between five and
mix thousand of the principal tradesmen of the metropolis,
took place at the Freenosous'-hall, Great Queen-street,
for the purpose of receiving a report as to its operations
for the past year. Mr. G. Poland, of Oxford-street, occu-
pied the chair. Mr. Blakeman, the secretary, read the
report, which congratulated the members that the society
had proved such a valuable protection as to become a ne-
cessity to the traders of London rtud large manufac-
turing and trading districts. The society was the most
numerous in members of any Trade Protection Society in
the kingdom, being between 5,000 and 6,000, no less than
1,085 having been elected during the past year. Claims
for payment of bad and doubtful debts were made by the
association on behalf of members during 1867, amounting
to 197,188!., and settlements of 9'2,243/. is. 341. were ob-
tained, irrespective of many thousands recovered by local
solicitors in connection with the association. The status
inquiries as to the solvency or respectability of persons
desiring to be supplied with goods on credit made through
the London offices were 14,634, being 600 in excess of those
of 1866 ; members also required the addresses of 4,176
persons who had left their neighbourhaods without paying
their accounts. In numerous instances the parties were
traced, and payment obtained of amounts owing. The
committee were in active cooperation with other trade
protection societies and chambers of commerce in framing
suggestions for parliament in reference to a new bank-
ruptcy and [other bills affecting trade and commerce.
After referring to the number of notorious swindlers which
bad been prosecuted and brought to justice by the associa-
tion the report referred to its satisfactory condition in
a pecuniary point of view. There was another surplus of
435/. 10s. realised in the past year, and the balanoe in
favour of the association, on the 31st December last was,
4,429!. Is. 9d. The report was adopted, and the meeting
addressed by Mr. Cave, Mr. Nicholsy, Mr. Filmer, and
others.

FIELD-LANE RAGGED SCHOOL, SERVANTS HOME,
AND REFUGES TOR THE HOESLEDB POOR— The twenty.
sixth annual meeting of this institution was held last
evening in the new large school room. Little Saffron-bill,
Firringdon-read, the 'Earl of Shaftesbury, the presi-
dent, in the chair. The report stated that in the infant
schools, the girla and boys' day and night schools and the
prig' industrial classes there had been 1,660 children under
free instruction during the past year, and that 90 scholars
had obtained situations. The penny bank bad 700 de-
positors' who bad subscribed 159/. 10e. 611., of which aum
87/. 198. 6d. bad been withdrawn, leaving 71/. 11s. in
hand. During the winter special relief was afforded to
upwards of 300 families, to whom were diatr buted bread,
Goals, and blankets. The sewing classes had con-
ferred greet benefits upon. the poor, 120 woman being
enabled during the winter to earn 3s. each
a week. The aggregate attendance at the ragged
schools church during the year had been 42,760 ; the
average attendance on a Sunday morning had been 900 ;
the largest attendance 1256. This congregation was en-
tirely made up of homeless men and women. The male
refuge for the homeless had taken in during the year 3,109
siemens, of whom 571 had obtained situations. The refuge
had supplied 22,137 lodgings and 96,586 loaves of bread.
The female refuge bad taken in 1,690 females, and of that
number 554 had been provided with situations. It had
supplied 10,033 lodgings and 34,000 loaves ci bread. The
servants' training home had taken charge of 105 young
women, and had sent into domestic service 89. The com-
mittee had paid off 500/. of their debt, and were about to
pay off 500/. more. There would still be a balance due to
the bankers of 20001. Over 60,000 persons had been bens-
-8121,12 the instigation during the year. The report wee
and the meeting was than addressed by the chair-
;2;M several other speakers in support of the objects
tithe charity, the peociesdings being brought to a close in
the usual way.
A MBINIINOZE AT SZA.—Captahl Manson, of the
ship Derby, which has jvaturrived in the Iferery from San
Francisco, caught at sea on the 7th of April a Med with a
card tied round its neck. The following was written on
the card, " Aldershot, from Liverpool to Calcutta, 17 S.,
27 NV., April 6." . _

[Advertinement.)--HmowAr's Pmts.—Flutter-
ing of the Heart.—This may bs s temporary Inconvenience, or
the certak• prelude to ulterior Wachtel. These patifyis g Pills
address themselves directly to the cause of palpitation, dispel
linewlenef. sod regulate all deranm•msets of the nerves and
arculetios, besides acting as general took* aed invtgorato re of
the system. The liege and therm who ere Inked to Onslinps,
Wetness. and effeetiona, will dmivepermanatt treat
from a owns Holloware Tine, which rodeos every vital se-
Mon to order.-hot ens excepting the brain sad Its many is..
aortal offsheolt Seifert eelMhNmsy be pissed upos these
assPlli family asediehais : their pvtrythg. teak. sod at Meat
peseta omaineed them to the attention of all wiperintend nithe
young and delicate.