The Express.
London, England, 1868-03-27 00:00:00

ANTI-BILLIARD PLAYERS.

Terierrr-tors financial reformers, headed by
Mr. Alderman Lusa, had the satisfaction lost night
of protesting against billiard-playing at the public
cost. The worthy alderman objected, on moral as
well as economic grounds, to providing officers of
the army with billiard-tables, and delivered him-
self, in a single sentence, of trenchant side-blows
against smoking, idling, and defective ventilation.
" Billiard-rooms were often so full of tobacco
" smoke one. could hardly see from one side to the
" other ; this created lassitude, and was harmful to
" young men," formed the burden of Mr. Loan's
song. But the House was deaf or indifferent,
as list year, and decided by • majority that
the vote should be allowed. There cannot
be a doubt that Mr. LUSICS general principle
is correct, and that the country is "no more
" bound to provide officers of the army with
" billiard-tables than with horses for fox-hunting;"
but the cost is small, and it is sometimes wise not
to push principles too far. There is much to be i
said in favour of providing harmless amusement
for men who have considerable leisure, who are
often stranded in country quarters without con-
genial society, and whose social position is con-
siderably in advance of their professional means.
And billiard-playing is not necessarily associated
with the evils against which Mr. Luse properly in-
veighs. Ladies patronise the game, and Mr. CAND-
LISH could point to many pit villages in the north
of England containing billiard tables presented by
politic coal proprietors, as an innocent recreation
for their men, and on which colliers fresh from
work may be seen making hazards and cannons
daily. We do not suppose the country will grudge
the comparatively small outlay involved in pro-
viding this amusement for officers, and we are, on
the whole, glad that Mr. Luse's conscientious ob-
jections were not shared by the House.

Tea wide-spread feeling of dissatisfaction with
the state of railway property, and the general re-
cognition of the causes of its decline, have led to
the formation of a body called " The Railway
Shareholders' National Association." The
object of its promoters, who are chiefly
men of wealth and position at Manchester, is
so to influence railway proprietors that all further
expenditure in obtaining or making competing lines
may be stopped. The promotion of friendly rela-
tions between the various companies, the arrange-
ment of disputes by arbitration, and better methods
of enabling shareholders more effectually to super-
vise the appointment of directors and control
the affairs of their respective companies are also
among the primary objects of the organisation.
At the middle of next month a conference, extend-
ing over two days, of railway shareholders, sum-
moned by the council of this Association, will take
place in the Manchester Town-hall, when papers on
subjects which are practical in their character will be
read. The proceedings on the opening day will be
under the presidency of Lord CIANDORNE, M.P.;
and on the second day the meeting will be presided
over by Mr. PLAT; M.P.

THE election at Coventry yesterday has added
anotherto the list of recent Liberalvictories. Within
the last twelve months there have been six vacan-
cies—Booth Leicestershire, Birmingham, Coventry,
Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, and Huddersfield. In
each instance the Tories were signally beaten,
and in five cases out of the six good Liberals
have replaced Tories, or, what the Birmingham Post
calls " sham Liberals." It is pleasant to
learn from the same authority that the supporters
cf Mr. CARTER, the Liberal candidate, profiting by
the lesson of the last election, studiously avoided
doing anything yesterday which, " by any process
" of torture, could be construed into treating or
" corruption."

AMENDMENTS TO MR. GLADSTONE'S RE-
SOLUTIONS ON THE IRISH CHURCH.

Mr. Weida intends to move as an amendment
to Mr. Gladatose's first reaction ea the Irish Established
Church. after the word " that," insert " while this com-
mittee *Dodders the quake of the future position of the
establialte church in Ireland should be finally decided
upon by the reformed parliament, which ought to be con-
vened at the earliest possible period after the electoral re-
vision of the year Ib6B, it now resolves that "
Kr. Ling, in the event of Mr. Gladattee's resolutions
on the Irish dwelt hang owed, will move the following re-
solution :—" That this House la of opinion, that while the
principle of disestablishing the Irish church Unloose affirmed
by this Howe, the question is too important to be settled
without an appeal to the oonstitaseies seated by the
sew Reform Acts ; and therefore that it will be the duty
of the government to amnage the course of plane business
so as to enable this appeal to be made at the earliest prac-
ticable opportunity."

This morning the text of r bill wee published,
the object of which is to relieve certain *Moen employed
in the collection and management of her Majesty's revenues
fern my legal diaability to vote at the election of mem-
ben to serve in parliament. The bill has been prepared by
Mr. Monk, Sir U. Verney, and Mr. Otweg, who simply pro-
pose to effect the shiest In view by the repel of existing
esseiewents which disfranchise revesse Alms.

BILLIARD ROOME IN Banammi.—The members
who voted last night in the minor* kw disallowing the
item of 3,0001. for billiard rooms in bensolm, were Mesas.
Allen, Arlon, Bosley, Berkeley. Oolvile, Gwen, Dillwys,
Ousels*, Olipli, ()Twills-Nugent, Hedilald, MIT* Lee,
McLaren, J. B. Mill, Otway, Potter (B.), Roberta's.
Sheridan, Sykes, Taylor, Winterhothara, Young, end Sir
John Grey. The similarity was composed warty equally al
miaistereeliet• sad members el the apposielom
THE Buzz CANAL. —The Duke of St. Alban's
writes to the Times an amount of hi. own observation
of the works is peeper is the feemation of the Ones
(haul. "It la," he nays, " confidently ..peetsd that
the meal, 'hang its whole length, will be opmed in
October of this year." Ma paw does not believe there is
• idngl• peasin ea the isthmus who ie not dimly
sonvineed that the nadertsking will eseseed. Fer his
01/1I part be wan to Part Said • seeptle wad loaves •
*se believer.

Tam Viarr— os =shims or WAIasI:OIIILLND.
Yedirdir a nienbie at tie Town OonosilpoLdittaarmil }ft;••
was
rd in the Toshiba% to take tbs . at=
towards inviting his Royal tho
to Belfast florins his otnalognitrro Ireland. lib to be
hoped that the Wince will find tints to via* ria aqua of
the North ; and, ahould he s' •w* his intention to do es,
another meetloy of the eous4 Ida be 4to make pm-
. paratioas for hie twception,—Nortikerte .