The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-26 00:00:00

,--c_

with- lists and stalks ef!the odds. Rune person who
bets with the cffice-lieeper deposits his money—his
-shillin:„ half-crown, crown, or sovereign—and the office-
keeper, unless" unavoidably absent from tom," pays
his !maga after the. race. These houses, on the eve of
a great race, spring up with the fatal fecundity of
.fungi.
Within a circle cf a quarter of a mile radius from cur
own office, we enumerated. Yesterday afternoon, the fol-
.l.,;wing batting-offices:—lu the Strand,- letween--
Mary's Church and Temple-bar,- 4; in Exeter 'Change,
1; in Catherine-street, 1; in tow-street, 2; in Endell-
street, 2; iu Great Russell-street, 4; in Now Oxford-
street, 4; in Bloomsbury-street, 1; in St. Giles'e,
2; in Great Queen-street, 1; in Bong-acre, 3; in St.
Martin'ielane, 1 ; and in Unlade:iv-street, 2.
We confined our examination to these streets. At the
dinner hour yesterday, every one of these plows was
crowded, not only by sp2cimene of the low, greasy, tat-
tered, professional gambler class, but by olezka
hearing bags, sober-seeming mechanics shouldering
their tee's, shepmern errand-boy s, and tidy tradesmen.
The statistics of this sort of betting may be farther illus-
trated as follows :—A betting price-current, the Odds,
is published daily in time for post; the Racing Times
claims a circulation of 16,000 weekly, at 3d.; and the
Fenny Racing Times is Los likely to be behind it. We
are ieformed by a credible. persoe, who bier:sell keeps
oee of these, houses, thee, after the races, nine out of
tee of tom will be closed; end that vast numbers of de-

laded victims who haee already stoked and paid their
money, will fled on Friday morning, the office :neat, and
the office-keeper a " leventer " with all his receipts.
Add to all this the facilities given by telegraphic com-
cenn'citioa for " cooking" or fiasifying the odds—add
ales the very refuted alio elabo-erne calculations which
are necessary to enable even a prefessieuel " turine" to
" meke a see heels." and the eheeees egeinst the wiles/I
and mechanic, even eupposing the thing to be fairly
conducted, may be in seine degree estimated. The
police reports and the biekruptcy courts tell the
(earful sequel. Pilfering, eatbixalement, the ruin of ap-
prenticee and shop boys, domestic misery, the prieen-
van, and the hulks—these are the certain results of bet-
'kg boues. This evil is so enormous, and so largely
on the. increase, that it is absolutely necessary to call
—these are the el
attention to its extent and magnitude. It infects a class
01 society whose honesty is everybody's' concern. Do-
mestic servants, youths, shop assistants, collecting clerks
crime, aid corruption
Viewed under thiseseB
' which betting houses entrap.
amount to a moral the enize.ry, degradation,
mat-
ter to the reflection of those wealthy pee-nil:L. Va e commend this picturesque . splendourw 'the arty Day, with all its
social enjoyment, involves,
tradesmen bewitors wealthy merchants, prospe-
rousguardians of
'lltowthesetnigrroeursner—berthe;
con-
gregated on the Downs of
flPlio will this day be con-
public tn,„iit,' magistrates, and official
to put the question on its
&need great annual holiday. Epsom,L to enjoy the Lon-
ver
sooner or later, they pay for very
which are loet by their dependants e ire
of theasends
Something must be doge, by social iniloenc9en betting houses.
Legislative authority, to check this if not by
formidable and deadly
nuisance.
DAILY NEWS.—Amongst other important
done at the meeting of delegates from Mechanies , ititling
tutions at title Seeiety of Arta last week, TafuellMr.nt-i-
suggested the propriety of copies of Parliamentary
papers being given by Parlioreent to the various local
literary institutions. This suggestion, as might be sup-
posed, was very cotdialiy received, and certainly deserves
support. Several petitiens have been presented to the
Legielature on the subject, and these we published yes-
terday not only to show what has been already done,
out to point out the way which others should follow.
The Mechanics' Institute at Gateshead, the Cheltenham
Literary and Philosophical Institution, the Derby Mucha.
nice' Institution, the !Macclesfield Society for the Ac-
quirement of Useful Knowledge, the Literary and Sciene
silt Institution in Tiverton have petitioned the:llouse
of Commons to supply them with these sessional
papers and Acts of Parliament free of expense. The
Gateshead petitioners intimate their willingness
to have all each documents thrown open to the in-
spection of resident noremembers free of expense.
With respect to Acts of Parliament, it may be remarked
that one great difficulty in modern English legislation is
to devise efficient means of promulgating new laws.
Nemini licet ignorari is the maxim of the law courts when
any luckless Wight pleads ignorance of any special law;
but how is any man to acquire a knowledge of all the
multiform statutes that are aenually hatched by Parlia-
ment? It is vain to think of having these bulky and
innumerable documents proclaimed, us in simpler times,
by beat of drum at the market cross, or stuck upon the
church door; how are Englishmen to be informed of
what they aro held bound under penalties to do or ab-
stain from? The Legis:ature culpilly neglects its
duty, so long as it takes no measures to hare alt English-
men made cognisant of all laws. An important step
will be taken towards this desirable end, by adopting
measures enabling all Englishmen to read with intelli-
gence and plainly all new laws within their reach. For
this the establishment of elementary secular schools in
every district of moderate extent is one requisite, bat
not of itself sufficient. The encouragement of local free
libraries is necessary to enable men to turn to practical
account the art of reading acquired in elementary
schools. And wherever such local free libraries are
established, there ought Ac's of Parliament to be sent,
for deposit and preservation, in order that the general
public may have access to know their contents. The
nessiorial papers of Parliament are only second in import-
ance to its acts. Absurd, redundant, and often silly
though these documents be, they contain an immense
quantity of valuable information, that is nowhere else to
be found. The mass of the population—even of the more
easy and wealthy classes—have not only no means of ob-
taining access to these sources of information, but no
means of learning what they contain. To enable the public
to form a sound judgment on the great political and econo-
mical questions now at issue, it is indispensable that they
' should at least have in their power to learn what tho
sessional papers contain, and to consult them occa-
sionally. With proper precaution and judicious selec-
tion, compliance with the petitions of the institutions
above alluded to, might be made instrumental in pro-
moting the great objects of national education, find a
sufficient promiegation of the laws. Let copies of the
sessional pepers and Acts of Parliament. be transmitted,
free of expe
es°, to ovary such institution us is favour-
able situeted ter being the centre of a district, and has
taken efficient measures to establish, in connexion with
it, a local free library. These institutions would thus
be rendered accessible local public archiver, and schools
for the study of contemporary history and practical
politics. The object contemplated by these peti-
tioners is intimately connected with the movement
which
aims at inducing the Commissinners for the In-
dustrial Exhibition to redistribute the contributions to
the Exhibition guarantee fund, for the purpose of in.v.
in that fund applied in aid of the establishment of loom.
free libraries and museums. Of the fire places from
which the petitions named have
_been forwarded, four
hare contributed to this guarantee fund. The value and
utility of keel free libraries would be materially in-
creased by their being made places for the deposit.
and preservation of the sessional papers and Ants
f
Parliament for the inspection of the general peak-
and having thus been invested with ii kind
of
°et c;
character, Parliament and the Government w cial
would
ac-
quire: a right -to watch over their proceeiin
insist that the public were fairly dealtgas and
The important step recently taken b with.
of Arts enhances the practical taken by
the Society,
considerations at the present moment of these
union has been effected bet Ween th t. .An organised -
tweahundredalocal literary and 40. Beery and nearly
nOf the particular modes in whichsci6liti institutions.
to take advantage of the union the, institutes propose
serves the Athenceurn of last B°brought about (ob-
serves
of the delegates appearedSaturday) the general opi-
turers should be formed -
to be, that a corps of be-
d lectures partaking so with the view to giving courses
classes—that the mewhat of the nature of college
such books as: they •
institutions should make out lists of
changes may be effctivdish
to obtain, in order that ex-
merits made with publishers
themselves, and neengoer;
taking a large quantity ishers for a reduction of Pr
librarylof ex-
Pensive books and instruments—that a circulatingge formed—that
a moveable exhibition . should. _ .
improvements
in machinery and
of inventions sun nis
manufactures
ai
should be got toge-
ther—and that the clof men
of great attainments
"
should be sought in t 1 - blisbingclasses in circuits with
of giving the object...zee •ng greater educational scope and
power to the institutions." A spirit appears to be at
this moment awaking throughout, the country to renew
the enthusiasm felt for Mechanics' Institutions at their
first establishment; to extend and perfect their
machinery; and to stimulate all the various districts of
the country to emulation and combined action. In
short, the first faint outlines of a real university for the
people have been dimly shadowed out. Now is the
has national education really at
time for any one who
heart to bestir himself in his own locality, and according
and certainly every existing
Mechanics'
to his own Lite lights;rarY Institution should support Mr.
.
by petitioning Parliament for gra•
Tufnell's sugneati°n'
tuitous espies of Parliamentary documents.
—..--,.--,--.--

RAILWAY SHARE MARKEWS.
BRISTOL, MAY 25.
STOCK Excaolos.—We had a very quiet market to-day,-day,
and prices
had G a downward tendeaacy. The only sales
eat Western, 91—South Wales, 33 re-
portedX-
were— r LIVERPOOL; MAY 25.
siva EXCHANGE.—The share market opened heavily
this morning, but afterwards improved, and a fair amount
of basiness was done at firm prices. The transactions
were as follow :—Eastern Counties, IN—Lancashire and
Yorkshire, 7i %—London and North-Western, 1223 —Ditto,
New Quarters, 5 p.—Midland, 6754—South-Eastern and '
pover, 2054—York and North Midland, 233 i— Midland_ Great
Western, 8% dis.—Western of France, 13',1 p.
MANCHESTER, MAY 25.
Srocs EXCHANGB.—A considerable amount of business
was transacted in our share market to-day, without ma..
terial alteration in prices. The -sales were—Birkenhead,
Lancashire, and Cheshire Junction, 105'S dis.—Eastern Coun-
ties, 8 15-16—East Lancashire, 16 16-16—Lancashire and
Yorkshire, 71 y,—Ditto, Fifths, 6% dia.-15fidland, 68--..
Manchester, Sneffield, and Lincolnshire, 82—Ditto, New
Prefereace,'l3.l6 p.—South-Eastern and Dover, 20 13-16—,
London
and North-Western, 12234—North British 71,t
Great Nohern, Preference, 15-16 —East Laneashire, Fr;
ference, Quarters, 9%.
1311121INGIIAM, MAT 2r
STOCK EXCHANGE.—There was little or.) nothing done in
the share market to-day. The only sale reported wa2—
London and North-Western, 123%.

'PROPERTY FOUND IN Cani.—Yesterday a Parlia-
mentary return was issued, from which it appears that, from
the Ist September, 1850, to the Ist September, 1851, the
number of articles found in hackney
carriages (cabs), by
drivers, and deposited at the proper office, was 2,182 This
number claimed by the owners was 1,154. No account was
kept of the value of the articles found.
DRIVERS OP HACKNEY CARRIAGES. FrOrn a
return to the House of Commons (printed on Monday), i.
appears that on the Ist September last there were 6,0
drivers of hackney carriages licensed, including 1,661 propri
tors. The amount received fyr the licenses, at 52, each, wit
1,001. 155. A