The Express.
London, England, 1868-09-18 00:00:00

WEST KENT.

Lad night, at eight o'clock, a public meeting
convened for the purpom of hearing addresses from Mr.
Angerstein and Sir dohn Lubbock Bart., the liberal can-
didates for Weet /Cent, wan held at the Avenue-hall,
Faith. It was evident from the first that the proceedings
would not be of the moat unanimous deneraption, at a
large tarty belonging to the Woolwich Charlton, and
Plunottead Conservative Asso'iation arrived at en early
period and took up a position in front of the platform.
A resolution pledging the meeting to support both can-
didates, wart met by an amendment d, clartng their views
to be revolutionary, Am, but the former was carried by a
large majority, and the meeting terminated with a vote of
thanks to the chairman.

Butioncitun.—At a meeting of liberals held at
Birkenhead last night, it was resolved to contest the repre-
entation of the borough, Capt. Sherard Osborn being the
opposing liberal candidate to Mr. Laird. Captain Osborn
will, it is expected, commence his canvass to-morrow.

- •
BURY ST. EDMUNDS.—Mr. Greene and Mr.
Hardened., who represented this borough in the parlia-
ment now expiring, have issued their addresses, seeking
re-election; and Mr. It. S. Parry, of Balham-hill, Surrey,
has come forward as a second liberal candidate, at the
invitation of a number of the electors. It is stated that
the conservatives intend bringing forward another candi-
date, and there is consequently every prospect of a severe
contest.

DUNGARVAN.—Mr. Barry, accompanied by
The O'Dc,noghue, entered Dungarvan yesterday, and
had an enthusiastic reception from an enormoua
crowd. The greatest excitement prevailed, and con-
siderable fighting took place. Many persons were
hurt. The O'Donogbue and Mr. Barry addressed the
crowd, answering Mr. Matherwis statements relative to
Mr. Barry's part in the Fenian prosecutions.
FINBIII.IIY.—Mr. Edward Kiniber has issued a
second address, in which he declares himself to be against
the abolition of university tests, voting by ballot, univer-
sal suffrage, and ritualism in the church ; and in favour
of the connexion between church and state, compulsory
education, the assimilation of the law of real to that of
personal property, transfer of debts, suppression of paid
canvassing at election, simplification of Chancery pro-
cedure, and fusion of law and equity.

HALIFA.X.—Mr. Stanafad 'and Mr. Akroyd
attended a liberal meeting at Halifax, last night,
and solicited re-election. Mr. Stansfeld said the im-
portant questions for the new parliament would be
reform, justice to Ireland, and education. As to reform,
the firat thing demanding attention would be the repeal of
the late-paying teats, which he had voted against. He
believed the object of minority representation was to
weaken the power of large constituencies, and if not re-
medied there would be a radical measure of redistri-
bution of seats. Justice to Ireland demanded the dimes-
tablishment of the Irish church, and he believed the land
question would speedily have to be dealt with. The effect
of a conservative government had been to increase the
waste of the national finance. When the new parliament
met he believed Mr. Gladstone must be brought back to
power, and be the leader of a compact and earnest ma-
jority. It would then be in his power and his duty to
effect a considerable reduction in the national expendi-
ture. In answer to questions, he declared for the 'allot,
would not say whether he would vote for disestablishment
of the English church, and said it did not matter whether
bishops were in parliament, for the imperial power was in
the people.
PONTEFRACT.—We learn by telegraph that
Mr. Childers addressed the electors of Pontefract last
night. He followed up his former speech by charging the
government with extravagance. He had been asked bow
the late government met new expenditure by correspond-
ing economy, and how the present government might
have followed their example. In 1863 63,0001. was laid
out for defensive purposes, and in 1866 484,000!. for the
=De purpose ; and yet the estimates in 1886
were considerable leas than in 1863. In font
years the late government reduced the army
gradually sixteen thousand men, and the marine in the
same proportion. The improved education of the soldier
and improvemenb in warlike appliances, as well aa the
muter efficiency of the reserves, made every man mote
valuable than before; and the stoppage of the Now Zee.
land war, and the recent changes North America, ou#t
to have enabled the present government to reduce the
army also, but instead of that the numbers were now
greater, and there had been nu reduction in the old-
matte.

80VM Liffool4fllllllE. Mr. George Hussey
Parke, has hosed an addruss seeking re-election.
lie says though a true liberal he is no radical, aud Lis
always prepared to advocate and support inch messurai as
air in loss judgment conducive to the intera.ts of consti-
tutional prici, Yr. William Earle Wolby has also
is-ail su 11r 11.

Tfir:rmen.-11r. 11. J. H. Harvey, clue of the
t•ittiog mombers for thio borough, has imujd a valedictory
robin w, in which ho ohoerveo, I lament Tory much the
dieficumbeenant of our ancient borough. I kruggled
agu,ii.t it, am you know, with all my power, and I must
think that 'Thetford has been aubjected to an unjust and
newt lizauunte4 sate.'' L. liattey See Lew,. invibed W

There appears to have been • prodigioui and
unusually favourable breeding season somewhere last
year, as the numbers which made their appeases in.tbe
neer were quite unprecedented as far as know. Though
thousands of bushels were caught, hundreds of thousands
remained. The complaint on the part of the fishermen
was, that the whiting were eating up every living thing
before them ; and certainly, from the epecimetui I saw my-
self, there was a great deal or truth in the neuron. I
had about a bushel of the fish cent up to me, and about
one flab in every ten, on the average, bad either a whits.
bait or a shrimp, or some small fish, in its month in pro-
gren of deglutition; and it was aurprising what large
bah some of them had attacked, the prey often being
half as large as the relating itself. Raving
cleared out the Thames of ad the small fry
in it as far as they could, the shoal of whitings
appears to have taken its departure for other
pastures, and to have gone south, for shortly afterwards
they made their appearance here at Southsea, and the
fishermen describe teh it numbers as something astonishing.
Here, too, they made a clearance of everything edible,
and having finished up all the available food, they went
on to Southampton Water, where we heard of their ap-
pearance by the local press I do not know where else
they went to, nor what amount of damage their inordinate
appetites produced, but I know pretty well what they
have done here. They have cleared off all the shrimps for
one thing, and all the other small fry which usually form
the food and attraction to the better fish. The conse-
quence is that there have been very few fish on the Solent,
for the reason that there has been no food for them.
Heretofore the line fishing off this place has been very
fair, and amateurs found a good deal of amusement in
the trout, bream, whiting, mackerel. bass, ace., which
were more or lees numerous on the fiats ; bat there has
been a woeful falling off this year—nothing but a mere
sprinkling of the small whiting which were left behind
from the great swarm remaining, and so thoroughly
cleared must the ground have been of food, that even
these, when caught months after the shoal left, were so
starved that they were all head, and there was hardly an
atom of flesh on their bodies. Even now they are as poor
rjohe7 can be, and, though seven or eight month, have
since I saw specimens of the shoal, they have
grown more slowly than I could have thought possible.
Our shrimps here have almost disappeared, and the fisher-
men complain bitterly. Such an extraordinary influx is
very curious, but, unhappily, we are so profoundly
ignorant of the habits, &c., of sea fish that we can only
wonder end theorise. Here was a fact, however, which,
had there been any capable body in existence to note and
follow it up, might have led to valuable discoveries
in the natural history of the fish, as the shoal
might easily bare been traced, and its migration noted.
It is gnerons to think how we go blundering about in
the dark, legislating with sublime impudence about Beth.
when the very persons who are called on to legislate coolly
tell us that, with the exception of the herring, they don't
even know where, or when aey of the other fish
'yawn. It is impossible how,iat isolated individuals can ever'
work out these questions, as it requires united action on
the part of many persons acting in concert, but in various
placer, and it requires aSo considerable resources to carry
out any trustworthy discovery of the natural history of
sea &hoe, and there is nothing to reimburse anyone for
the trouble, so that unless the government took it up, or
some large body, little or nothing can be hoped for. That
our fisheries are beginning to show the usual results of
reckless fishing there is no doubt whatever, for even the
herrings, with increased mean- of capture, which some
years ago would have very largely increased the take,
chow the smallest take we have ever known. That
the French are not so regardless of their iutveets
has been evidenced in a wore of ways. They depend on
their fisheries to man their navy; they encourage their
fisheries to that end ; they make them subservient to it ;
and it is the cheapest and best pomades :pool of prepara-
tion that can be provided. It provides the best and
hardiest sailors, sailor* with whom our system of training
and shipping ships for boys will find it hard to cope. 1 have
seen the French crews on many occasions. and I again
say that if we ever have another naval war with Franve
(and when she feels herself equal to the occasion we shall
not be lung without it) we shall find the French ships
manned with a very different sort of material from what
they were last war. Everything points to the vital neces-
sity for encouraging our fisheries to the utmost of our
power; and one of the first things in order that we should
not be groping in the dark, and perhaps doing irretriev-
able mischief by stupid legislation, is to set to work to
resolve, as fur as may be, the natural history of the best
and moat valuable fish, as the herring, the cod. the sole,
the whiting, the turbot, the pilchard, the bake, the bag,

CoritT OF COMMON CoUNCIL.—A Court of
Common Council, the first after the vacation. was held
yesterday at Guildhall; the Lord Mayor (Alderman
Allen) presiding. Mr. WGeorge moved that it be re-
ferred to the General Purposes Committee to consider the
present mode of appointing corporation governors to the
royal hospitals, and whether it would not he expedient
that in future the nomination should be made by this
court, and that the election of governors be only for a
limited period. The motion was agreed to. Mr. lot.
Lowman Taylor moved that as it is desirable that the
street on the northern aide of the Metropolitan Meat and
Poultry Market should be continued through Charter-
house-square to Alderegate-street, it be referred to the
Markets Improvement Committee to take the necessary
steps to effect this object, with power to nego-
tiate with the authorities of the Charterhouee
and the railway companies, reporting their pro-
ceedings to this court. The hon. member explained that
if the propositions be now submitted to the court were
carried out, it would have the effect of continuing the
noble street over the viaduct to Alderegate-etreet, and
would be a grand public improvement. The resolution
was carried unanimously. Upon the motion of Deputy
Fry the court agreed to a resolution that a medal should
be strut* to commemorate the visit of the Sultan of Turkey
to the City. The Law, Parliamentary, and City Courts
Committee brought up • report on the subject of %Imo'
goods. It had been referred to the committee to consider
certain petitions by persons upon whom robberies had
been perpetrated for grants of sums over and above
what had been granted to them by the court, on the
ground that rush surplus sums were the mastoids of
goods which had been stolen from them, and hail been
found iu the custody of persons convicted for the rob-
beries. The committee considered it desirable to lay a
case before the Recorder and the Common Serjeent as to
the power of the court to deal with felons' goods, and
those learned gentlemen have given it as their opinion that
felons' goods are clearly vested by the charter is the
corporation, and the usage which has prevailed for a
long course of years, of allowing the sheriffs to appro-
priate them, not baring been unbroken or uniform,
' but subject from time to time to orders of the
Court of Common Council, they are of opinion that
the sheriffs have never acquired the absolute right to such
goods. The report of the committee, however, with re-
spect to the funds now in question, confirmed by
.the
court, and afterwards acted upon, might raise a serous
doubt as to whether the corporation has not in this mass
by onlere already made. exhausted its authority over these
moneys; but, on the whole, the learned gentlemen are
inclined to think that in strict law it is still competent for
them to make • further order if they deem it expe-
dient under the circumstances. After revolving this
opinion, the committee did not think it would be the-
eirshk to proceed further in the rederenose without
additional instructions trout the court. Some dim cession
took place, and the references were ultimatelTdipharged.
The other Winer transacted was of no public mtereet.
The Pall Moll Gavits is informed that the Mar-
quis of Bute has formally joined the h uman catholis
chinch.

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