The Express.
London, England, 1868-04-01 00:00:00

REFORMERS' CROTCIIETS.

1r is always difficult to deal with a man who is
the victim of a crotchet. He will not distinguish
friends from enemies; and is apt to fall foul of those
who are inclined to act with him if they atop
short by any degrees of the length which ho is dis-
posed to go. Some days since, as our readers are
aware, a conference was held at Exeter Hall to dis-
cuss the question, whether smoking was injurious.
The chairman, the Rev. EDWARD WRITE, did his
best to promote fair play on both sides,and said,truly
enough, that nothing did more harm to a cause than
extravagant and untenable assertions. Mr. WHITE
has since addressed a letter to the Express in reply
to a leader in our columns, which almost induces us
to question whether he read the article, glace if he
had done so he would have seen that we were as
much opposed to excessive smoking as he affirms
himself to be. This by the way. Mr. Wit= we
may allow did a kindly and a bold act in taking
the chair at such a conference, and we reciprocate
his good feelings towards " the only man in Eng-
land who seems to set himself in earnest to re-
" duce our conaumption of narcotics within narrower
" bounds." Unfortunately, this solitary reformer,
Mr. THOMAS REYNOLDS, the Secretary of the Anti-
Tobacco Society, does not appreciate Mr. Wlirras
sympathy, and is wrath with him for his lukewarm-
ness in the cause. What right, he says, has Mr.
WHITE to place opium at the head and tobacco at
the tail in his category of narcotics 1 To which
we answer—the right that every man possesses of
judging for himself. But Mr. REYNOLDS is evi-
dently annoyed beyond measure that the chair-
man of such a meeting as that held at
Exeter Hall, should condemn exoeaaive smok-
ing instead of opposing smoking altogether.
Can anything be more unreasonable ? The
Chairman pledged himself to nothing except
to see fair play on both aides. Why then should
he be required to show himself conspicuously one-
sided ? Mr. REYNOLDS asserts that no one success-
fully defended the practice of smoking at this
Exeter Hall conference. Of course no one did or
could defend it so as to satisfy a gentleman who,
for 15 years, has asserted that " he who smokes
" pipes or cigars violates the laws of his nature."
There is an intemperance which is not produced
by narcotics or by citron drink, but which, never-
thelesa, does no slight evil in the world. We have
seen it before now in total abstainers, and we fear
that the secretary of the Blitiah Anti-Tobacco
Society is not wholly free from the defect.

A crams competition is being carried on in
Portsmouth and its neighbourhood for the honour
of entertaining the Volunteers who are to assemble
there for the Easter Monday Review. Not
only are there to be balls, ballad oonoerts,
and amateur Ethiopians, but the Ritualists
of ttier Church hare also issued a programme,
and agittitotoe that the services at their churches

METROroLrrxii illPiovfimENTs.—A bill has been
brought into parliament. and was published this morning,
the object of which is to further continue and appropriate
the London coal and wine duties. This bill provides that
the net proceeds clam duty of fourpence, part of the duty
of twelvepenoe on nal, calm, and cinders, to be continued
by this act shall, except when otherwise appro-
priated by act of parliament, be applied by the
corporation of the City of London, first of all
in the completion of the Holborn Valley Im-
provement and other works connected therewith; and,
secondly, in aid of such public improvements in or ad-
jacent to the city of London, as parliament may hereafter
emotion. This bill extends the time during which these
duties are to be collected until July, 1889.
CONFIRMATION Bt THE BISHOP OF LONDON.
The Bishop of London held a confirmation yesterday morn-
ing at St. James's, Piccadilly, in the of the Rov.
Prebendery Kemp*, rector ; the Rev. R H. /Mak, rector
of Bt. Clement Dimes ; the Rev. Prebendary Humpltri,
8.D., vicar of lit.Martin's-in-the•Fielde • the Rev. F. hags,
M.A. of Clare-market Mission; the Rev. F. Pigott, the
Mew. H. Waoe, sad other clergy. His lordship. Addressed
Mho who wen presented to him, and then ad-
tribe imposition of hands. The bishop has
IBM be hold a oonfirmation atilt. George's,
•••••••, en Wednceday, the 6th of May.
• • won Bine Dteseans, GILT
, • . , W.—Ole hundred
r • ty-six patients Mieved at this dispensary
• • the week ending pei
—Ate N a :Aso .14117-411 aut.. Iva., •. ,e