The Express.
London, England, 1861-01-03 00:00:00

1 l
himself
they sent
(ne him to
orepreve
T every haul
laughter, and rndviedn-
terruption.) He hoped he should nut be met by an evasio_n
i like that, but that they would tell which specific principle
• had he been false to. (A Yoke—" To reform," followed
• by cries of "Hear, bear.") They sent him to
• parliament charged with their political interests Which one
• bad he abandoned? They did not send him to parliament
like a mongrel spaniel or a lackey. (Criss of "We sent
you to be a watchdog.") (Laughter.) But • one of their
complaints was that he barked too much. (Lughku.) He
did ace torte there as the ally or nominee of particular
party but if the constituency would hold a
and public meeting
Mil
" ow him to express his sentiments,they thought
root urthr y to represent them, be should feel it a pride and
to undertake that service. On that understanding
,
he went into parliament, and he now stood before them bold
and strong in the conviction that he had dote his duty to
them—that their parliamentary good sine, tatiotroph Chu'
racter, their ®s lied honour, had not been in
the
tifit
have
dboccilzdit, saTitclhithem,giorhanypl, ashlb Lasont Ly
he had :sod them industriously, ind'eapendsutly, and
feilidtillyto the' best of the ability that God had given
his, (Mews, midst which the right hoe. pntleman
resoled Ss seat.)
Ms. BOwn moved the following resolution :—"That
this meeting, having listened to the addrest of Ms. Hum-
ana, smote that he has felt it his duty to parse 5 course
of pariianlentscry conduct driving the past session of which
it cannot bun record its disapprobation—a course whisk, in
their opium le ealeviated neither to ponnote paws or
liberty %diarist, nor the true honour of this empire. ibis
meeting desires to expos ita confidence iw her Halway's
goers/est, cad heir disappefated that, dicing the ble
sows of nadianwat, instead of ii eening the support el
Mr. Hermon, to which it was entitled, it was subjected
to repeated attacks, which this meeting smiths un-
, desesad."

Thu resolution, on being put to the vote, wee tarried
almost unanimously.
Mr. HOBSM/25 said that, sotwitb,tandiag the vale, he
hoped is be for many years the liberal representative of the
liberal constituemey of Stroud.

THE DISTRESS IN COVENTRY.
--•---

BIRMINGHAM, WiDNISDAY,
A parochial meeting was held in St. Martin's,
Birmingham, today (convened by the Rev. Dr. Miller, the
, rector), the object being to 'Himont., the movement already
commenced for the obtaining subscriptions to aid the die-
teemed ribmid weavers of Coventry. The attendance wan'
numerous. Dr. Krum presided.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, made a few
introductory remarks, and said there were two things which.
might stay the flood of charity in the town. The one was
that some persona might be inclined to throw blame on the '
Coventry people themselves ; bet if some blame might be '
laid on them, it could only be a small proportion of the
cause which had produced such dire distress. When it came
to such estate of destitution and even stervation,it did not be-
come them to inquire minutely into the cause. The ant thing
to do was to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. and endea-
vour, if possible, to prevent the breaking-up of so many
homes. They were sometimes disposed to visit somewhat
severely the improvidence of the working classes ; while
nobility, gentry, and clergy were not altogether free from
improvidence ; and if they were to be dealt with, either
by God or man, as some horn their own improvidence de-
served, hard measure would be their lot. He believed provi-
dence was ' groat advances among the working chimes ;
and instancing ham, be noticed the gratifying fact
that therein upwards a 55,M01.
had
the savings bank. With
regard to the other reason that had actuated some gentlemen
of position and influence in abstaining from this movement,
namely, that there might be distress in Birmingham if the
late severe weather should continue, Dr. Miller said he
could nut understand that two or three weeks of severe
weather could bring upon this town anything approaching
to the destitution now prevailing at Coventry ; and he was
sure the employers in Birmingham would never suffer their
workpeople to starve. Without wishing to cast any slur on
those who did not come forward he thought it poor reason.
ing, when a man was starving, to let him starve under the
idea that what would relieve him might next week be wanted
for somebody else. They should do what they could for the
urgent oases at present under hand and though the appeal
Game at an awkward time for the ministers of religion, the
cam was so urgent as to over-ride all minor considerations.
Dr. Miller then read the following extracts from a letter he
had received from the Rev. Mr. Eaaage, of Nuneaton, adding
that if gosh • letter did sea evoke a hearty response in Sir-
... ha *mid be y mistaken :
here than in
Coventry. The re ' ileottejaittrlifehost to save
us when wrecked, and ready to mink, with everything gone
but life itself. The distress has existed for twelve or
fourteen month., so that credit is gone at the shops, cloth-
ing Fawned, furniture sold, in some cases looms sacrificed to
buy bread, the lead weights taken from others and odd to
buy food, rents accumulated, clubs not paid up, and the
privileges forfeited after years of payments, blankets and
bedding sold, and this not the condition of a few improvi-
dent and idle people, but of sober industrious people, many
of these ratepayers and persons who have never till now
asked for relief . The suffering is intense, and I fear the
fruits of it will be a fearful amount of those diseases
which are induced b 7 want and cold in those unused
to such suffering. Then, too, the distress is not
imma2
most intense, it is wide spread. It affects the
shopkeepers, shoemakers, and others who depend on
the weavers wages, till some of them are as badly off
as the weavers themselves. We have really not had work
for fourteen mouths, and now the climax is reached. I
know more than two or three cases where respedable mar-
ried women have as a last effort sold their wedding rings. I
know a case of a man in his maddened feeling taking his
wife's ring to sell it, but as he approached the door of the
shop his better feelings, or rather his love, prevailed over
his hunger, and he took it back. We have been battling
with this state of things for many months. A few weeks
since we heard of a family is great need. Mn. B. sent
a person with relief. As he approached the door all was
dark within, but he heard the children crying. He opened
' the door and called • the mother answered, came down
stairs, and then told the sad tale that the children had not
bad food all day, and she was putting them to bed, hoping
that they would go to sleep, but hunger would not let them,
and their cries became more and more piteous—noire, no
candle, no food in the house. The poor mother,
half antic, wished to get bread for her little ones with
what we had sent ; yet these are honest, sober, steady
people, and good workers. I could tell many such sad tales,
for or history now is written within and without with
woe and want. May God in His mercy bless those a thou-
sand fold who help us in our present need !"
A conversation ensued which resulted in the adoption of
resolutions favourable to the system of house-to-house can.
Taming by a committee, consisting of the ministers and
councillors resident in the parch, aided by several gentle-
men who volunteered their servion. The ladies were also
requested to give at last one article of clothing, suitable
for children or adult., to be forwarded to St. Martin's
Rectory • and it was announced that receptions for cast-off
clothing Lad been:opened by Mr. Page, in Wrotteeley-street,
and by Mr. Councillor Walsh in Paradise-street, auxiliaries
from which useful results were anticipated. About lOW.
was promised in the room.

THE EXETER-HALL SERvices.—The Church of
England Sunday evening services, out of which the special
Sunday evening services at St. Paul's and Westminster
Abbey arose, will be recommenced neat Sunday evening.
The service will be conducted by the Rev. Edward Gladwm

Arnold, M.A.. of Exeter College, Oxford, rector of Staple-
ton, near Hertford ; and the services of the three follow-
ing Sunday evenings will be taken an follows :—Jantiary
13th, the Rev. Archibald Boyd, Y.A., of Trinity College,
Cambridge, incumbent of Saint James'. Church, Padding-
ton ; January 20, the Rev. Aubrey Charles Price, K A.,
of New Oxford, chaplain to the Lock Hospital
January 27, thCollege, e Rev. William Pennetather, K A., of
Trinity College, Dublin, incumbent of Christ Church,
Barnet ; Feb. 3, the Rev. etudes %amble, M.A., of Wadham
College, Oxford, rector of Bath. The chief promoters of
the services are the Earl of Shaftesburv, the Hon. Arthur
%inward, M.P., Admiral Sir Henry Hope, Dr. R. Craw.
ford, Messrs. R. Baxter, A. Haldane, and Wilbraham
Taylor.
Tux EASTIM Draa QCESTION. —The Vicar of
Whalley having issued threatening notices against parties
who declined to pay the Easter dues, considerable excite.
meet has reunited, and many persons have decided that
whatever be the consequences they will not pay the tax.
On Monday evening hat a crowded meeting took place in
Holly Mount School, Rawteratall, and the strong feeling
which was exhibited evinced a most decided determination

t:;;;; no regard to the threat which had been held out that
legal proceedings would be instituted. J. B. Whitehead,
Esq., occupied the chair, and the meeting was addressed by
the Rev. B. Macfarlane and the Rev. C. Crabtree, of Raw-
tenstall ; the Rev. C. Williams, of Aecriugton ; the Rev.
0. W. Clapham, of Haalingden ; the Rev. W. C. Manson,
of Clough Fold ; the Rev. T. Lawson, of Bacup, and other
gentlemen. The following resolutions were carried unani-
mously : " That regarding the compulsory exaction of
Easter dues as contrary to the principles of religious liberty,
and alien to the spirit of the times, this meeting considers
it desirable to form a society, to be called the Rossendale
Anti-Easter Dues Association."—" That the conditions of
membership in the Rossendale Anti-Easter Dues Association
shall be subscription to the pledge not to pay Foster dues,
and to sasiat in defraying the expenses incurred by any of
the members in resisting the compulsory exaction of this
odious tax."
A soldier named James Mearra, of the 47th Foot,
who was travelling from Manchester to Liverpool, was
found dead in the railway carriage, yesterday on the ar.
rival of the traits at Edge-hill.