The Express.
London, England, 1850-01-07 00:00:00

ATTEMPTED PROTECTION MEETING AT

PLYMOUTH.

On Friday a demonstration in favour of protection
was attempted to be got up at the Hall of Commerce, at the
Exchange, Plymouth, but it turned out a miserable failure.
Some persons from Plymouth, who attended the recent
county meeting at Exeter, were seized with an necontrolable
&sire to agit►te against free trade in their own town, and
tailing to enlist the cooperation of those who were wont to
be regarded as the leaders of the protection party, they got
up • requisition, and having succeeded in obtaining thirty
names, the requisitionists themselves appointed a meeting
to be held at on. o'clock on Friday. Notices were sent to
gentlemen in the neighbourhood who were thought likely
to take • part in the proceedings, or to countenance them by
their presence; and also to • great number of persons in the
town, and in Devonport and Stosehouie, and placards were
also posted en the walls, and the meeting announced by
advertisement in the newspapen ; but at one o'clock very
few even of the requisitionists bad assembled, and after
waiting until nearly two o'clock some 30 persons were pre.
sent, including some 8 or 9 gentlemen from the country in
the neighbourhood.

PROTECTIONIST MEETING AT HORSIIAM.—The first
of a series of meetings of the district associations of
the Sine: Society for the Protection of Agriculture
and Native Industry was held on Saturday at Hor-
sham. Mr. W. W. BURRELL took the chair, and among the
persons present were Sir C. Burrell, M.P., and Lord All-
ender Gordon Lento', the other member for Shoreham and
Bramber. The meeting consisted of about 1,500 persons;
sad after speeches of the usual character, embodying the
usual protection arguments against free trade, resolution
were passed unanimously, declaring the opinion of the assem-
blage to be that the present distressed condition of the agri-
cultural and shipping interest arose from the recent legion-
naire enactments with regard to free trade and the naviga-
tion laws, and a memorial was adopted, to bet resented to
the Quern by the Duke of Richmond, praying her
Majesty to divan her ministers and dissolve the parlia-
ment, in order that the sense of the country might
be taken on the present position of national affairs.
A correspondent says—" While the reporters were wait-
ing at the Three Bridges station the arrival of the last up-
train, a little convenation between the officials of the railway
revealed the secret of the largeness of the meetisg. A great
number of labourers were sent by rail to that neighbourhooi,
receiving in addition to their wages and their rail fare a
half-crown to raise their spirits to the protection standard of
' dear bread.' One of them received the guerdon, and re
maioed behind, soaking his clay,' at the inn. ' Bread,' he
observed, ' was the only thing the poor man could get ; and
God knew they didn't want the price of that raised. "

PROTECTIONIST MEETING AT LEICESTER.--A
meeting of agricu:turiste " favourable to the principle of lust
protection to every British interest," was held at the Bell
Hotel, Leicester, on Saturday. The Hon. H. W.Wilson pre-
sided, and there were present the Marquis of Granby, Lord
C. S. Manners. M P., Lord John Manners, Sir A. G. Hazel-
rigge, But., 0. Norman, Esq., C. W. Pack*, Esq., M.P.,
&c. Mr. T. Allen, of Tburosaston, the Marquis of Granby,
Mr. Kitty, Lord J. Manners, and other speakers addressed
the meeting in support of the resolutions, which were of the
usual character, and were carried unanimously. An address
to her Majesty, praying far a dissolution of parliament, was
also agreed to.

EAST-LOTHIAN PROTECTION SOCIETY—The Scotch
protectionists have at length mustered coursee to hold •
meeting—the first that nsa taken place since the repeal of
the corn laws. The meeticg took place at the George Inn,
Haddington, on Friday. Dlr. W. B. Ferrand spoke, but
the whole proceedings were very " fiat, stale, and unprofit-
able," and not very enthusiastically responded to by the
small knot of farmers who attended. Mr. Ferrand's speech
was full of abuse, and evidently pitched in too high a key in
that respect to meet with much sympathy from any of the
intelligent agriculturists of Esat-Lothian.