The Express.
London, England, 1850-03-16 00:00:00

MINES.

(From the .11".ing Jourt,a
A fair proportion of business has been transacted
during the week, and inquiries for most of our leading mines
continue unabated.
Advice' from our local =respondents, as to the general
prospects of the mires in their respective districts, are of
the same grati:ying character we have received for some time
pal.

WEEKLY SUM3IARY_OF THE PRODUCE

MARKETS.

MINCING LANII, SATCRDAT MORNING,
The transactions in the Colonial markets have again
been characterised by extreme dulness, and prices generally
still wear a downward tendency. Sugar was affected by
the decline esteZshed at the Dutch sale held at Amster-
dam on the 7th lastest% which passed off at a reduction
of I fl win, and the prices paid hero at the public sales
to-day show a fall of fully Gd. per cwt. upon last week's
quotations. Not any public sales of Coffee have bean held
during the week, and privately the transactions have been
very limited ; of native Ceylon shoot 4,000 bags have changed
hands at 535. to 365. per cwt., and at the latter price there are
to-day a few sellers. Riee is almost neglected; a parcel of
Bengal offered his been bought in rather ►bove the value.
Very little bueiless lass been dune in spice ; a small
parcel of Pimento km been offered for sole publicly, and
bought in at about 6d. per lb., only 41d. per 16. having been
bid, and 100211 few sales of black Pepper have been made pri-
vately, at a decline of fully Id. per lb. from the highest point
of the market. The Assam sale of Tog, held on the 13th,
passed e. ff very briskly, and all was sold. Privately, in Tea,
there has been very little, doing. Public sales are declared
for Tuesday next.

COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON EDUCATION.—By 4
return just presented to parlitm,nt by her Majesty's con:-
mane, of grants made to schools upon conditions not in-
volving the acceptance of management dames, it appears
that 444 schools have received grants of that descrip.ion to
the amount of 10,6611. Os. 711. already paid, and 17,2251.
conditionally duo. Th.. return does not include the numerous
class of schools which have obtain:d grants to enlarge and
furnish them with Natures, being already held in tru=t for
educational purposes at the time of applying to the Com-
mittee of Council on Education.

FREEHOLD LAND 80CD:rt.—On Thursday even-
ing a meeting was held at Gravesend, for the purpose of
explaining the principles and objects of the Westminster
Freehold Land Society. Mr. J. Ridge, tho mavor, occupied
the chair. Mr. Jonathan Duncan, Mr. G. E. Deland, Mr.
G. Hagget, and Mr. Cox attended as a deputation. Mr.
Duncan and Mr. Hagget de4vcred addresses descriptive of
the political, social, and individual benefits to be derived
from such societies, and resolutions to a similar effect having
been passed, a great number of shares were taken up, and
the proceedings terminated by some complimentary votes.
MEETING IN PRESTON ON TIIE RELAY AND SnIFT
STSTEM.—On Thursday 'Vining last a meeting of factory
operative, and others was held in the Corn Exchange,
Preston, far the purpose of taking into consideration the
critical position in which the factory population are placed
by the judges cladding that the relay and shift system is
legal. The Rev. J. 0. Parr, vicar of Preston,oceupted the
chair, and the following extensive cotton manufacturers of
the town were also present:—Messrs. John Cooper, William
Ainsworth (Secretary to 'tie Preston Spinnar,' S fcicty),
Jelut Farness, and George Smith. The chairman addrtesed
the meeting at some length, animadvertiag to the benefits
conferred, both morally and physically, upon the factory
bands by the passing of sae Ten Hours Act, and lie evils
which must resell if they allowed the intentions of that
act to be defeated. Ile stated that in Preston the
manufacturers, with only one or two exceptions, adhered to
the ten hours, and had not adopted the shift and relay
system. Under the present elate of law the masters had he
believed, the power of employing their hands all night if
they chose, and where formerly they could only run their
mills twelve hours, they ware now actually ruaniug them 13,
14, and 15 hour,. Mr. Same, Brown in moving a resoles-
, iron to the effect that another appeal to parliament was
necessary for the purpose of passing a bill enacting that the
hours of labour of women and young persons should be 10
continuous hours, the usual meal ales., excepted, urged on
the adult operative* the necesaity of obtaining a Ten Hours
Bill, so as to operate properly, and stated that while under
the present system the females were working 15 hours by
relays the adults would be obliged to work for 15 consecu-
tive hours. Mr. Pursues, in supporting the resolution, said
that as a factory master he disproved of relay system because
it took away from the female factory worker that opportunity
which they ought to possess of cultivating their minds and
damnifies habits. Two other resolutions condemnatory of
shift and relay system, and a petition to parliament for an
alteration in the law as it at present stood were then adopted.
Mr. Cooper (manufacturer), in supporting one of the resolu-
dots, stated that in 1540 the mills had only worked 10
hours on the average, and yet on that average they had con-
sumed the greatest quantity of cotton ever produced. Sense
people talked of (outgo competition, but he was not afraid
tor if they would take the imports of lost year, they
r would '• •
re find that they we cruse millioas tabors. h
' vious years. Ile had lately travelling
n oll.extre co:tiap eat,
and in Spain he had seen 600 people come out of u a
factory
which, in England, would be worked by 160. He had spoken
to several of the largest manu'acturers a Preston, and,could
1 assure the meeting that they were in favour of a ?roger tea
hours bill in preference to the relay and shift entail. A
vote of thanks was passed to the chairman, and the . • •
Inge tersdastod. ,•
•
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