The Express.
London, England, 1861-09-19 00:00:00

NATIONAL PROVIDENT INSTITUTION.

Yesterday a meeting of the members of this
institution, which was established in 1833 was held at the
London Tavern, to elect a director, in the room of Mr.
Shepherd, deceased. Five candidates went to the poll,
viz., Mr. J. Freeman, connected with the Low Moor Iron-
works, of Cannon-street, City ; Mr. IL Gammen, of Hack-
ney ; Mr. J. K. Aston ; Mr. Morley, of Friday-street ; and
Mr. Beresford, of Southwark. The office, it should be said,
does not appear to be one of much pecuniary value, but the
society has a capital, the accumulation of premiums, exceed-
ing two millions, with an annual income (deducting the last
division of 50,0001. in 1857) of 220,0301. The amount paid
for claims arising from deaths has been a million, and the
number of policies in force is 16,438. At the does of the
voting at 4 o'clock a crowded and excited meeting of
the members was held in the large room of the
tavern ; Mr. 8. H. Lucius, and the Hou. C. Lush.
ingtou, the chairman and deputrohairmaii, presiding.
The result of the poll was announced as follows :—Free-
man, 913 : Gammen, 713 ; Aston, 430 ; Morley, 357 ; Berta-
ford,l7o. This statement was received with a storm of groans
and hissea, and cries of " We won't have lum,"" Bribery,"
"No payment of voters," "We want volunteer voters, and
not paid men." A seen* of indescribable confusion fol-
lowed. lu the midst of the uproar, Mr. Freeman mounted
the table to return thanks, but be wan assailed by a fusil-
lode of hisses and groans for full 20 minutes. He admitted
that lie had induced some hundreds of the country mem-
bers to come up and vote for him and the good of the insti-
tution. (Croaus, sod cries of " Yes, at so much a head.")
Mr. Garoniau also ascended the table in an excited state,
and both gentlemen were for a considerable period gesticu-
lating violently but inaudibly to the meeting. The latter
asserted that there was an end to freedom of election in the
suciety's affairs. He had himself bad overtures of 50 votes
at le. a-head. (Tremendous noise.) The chairman end
directors strove, but fruithealy, to pacify the speakers and
restore order ; and ultimately a protest against the whole
proceedings having been handed in by acme of the members,
the meeting terminated in confusion at half-past 5 o'clock.

RI:PRESENTATION or PLYMOUTH.—The mayor of
Liverpool positively refuses to stand as a candidate in the
ocessorative interest.

Pcyttorrru.—The liberal candidate for this
borough, Mr. Walter Morriann,met the electors on Tuesday
evening, iu the Kora Hotel Aesembly.room, for the pur-
pose of stating, at length, his political stotiments.
In the course of his address he said be wan in
favour of the extension of the franchise, though
lie wadi not pledge himself to any particular bill ; he
would relieve dissenters from church rates ; he
was an advocate of the ballot, of the spread of
education, and of some alteration in the mode of rating
for the poor. He would abolish the game laws, and was
an ardent admirer of Lord Paltnerston's foreign policy. He
also avowed himself • convert to the permissive bill, a
measure which, be said, commended itself to him as a wise
development of the principle of self-goverument. At the
close of the addresn a motion was proposed to the effect
that Mr. Morrison was • fit and proper person to represent
the borough in parliament, and it was carried almost uuani-
mously.— Western Counties Herald.

A LOVER'S MisanvEnvuxn.—On Monday, at the
Blackburn police-court, Richer] Wilkinson was brought
before John Baynes and John Beaton. &qrs., on the grave
charge of being upon the premises of Thomas Bickerstaff
for au unlawful purpose. It seems that about midnight on
Sunday night Mrs. Bickerstaft was alarmed by seeing the
shadow of a man at ber bedroom window, and she aroused
her husband, who immediately got up and ran to the
window and opened it, and saw the defendant. He had
climbed up on the roof of the kitchen, which is • low
building, and thus got to the level of the bedroom window.
He asked the defendant what he wanted there and the de-
fendant replied by scampering oft' as hard as be could ; but
the complainant went after him in his shirt, and followed
him to his own door, and getting no satisfaction
from him, or those in the house where he lodged,
gave him into custody. The complainant said that
he bad since beard that the defendant was courting •
young woman who lived next door but one to him, and he
bad oome to his house by mistake ; and h., had no desire to
press the charge against him. The defendant said it was
so. " I had gone to see this young woman, and I had gotten
on to the wrong place." Mr. Baynes said they would ac-
cept his explanation, and diacbarged him on paying the ex-
penses of the witnesses.