The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-05 00:00:00

service,

DUBLIN, May 4.—On Tuesday morning the 11th
Hussars left their barracks for the Plimnix-park, for ex-
ercise and drill, preceded by the band of the 16th Lan-
cers, in consequence of their own band being included
amongst the ranks, wearing the same arms and accoutre-
ments as the rest of the regiment. The Glendalough,
horse-transport, 1,058 tons burthen, arrived in Kings-
town harbour yesterday, for the purpose of embarking a
portion of the 11th Hussars for the seat of war. She
sailed from Liverpool in company with four others, but
they had to put back in consequence of contrary winds.

METROPOLITAN AND GENERAL FREE-
HOLD LAND SOCIETY.

Last evening a meeting of the shareholders and friends
of the Metropolitan and General Freehold Land Society
was held at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, for the
purpose of balloting for the distribution of rights to
advances in this flourishing society.
Shortly after eight o'clock the chair was taken by George
J. Philps, Esq. -
By joining this society, a mechanic or labourer, or other
person of limited means, can, by a small weekly or monthly
contribution, become the proprietor in his own right of a
piece of freehold land, upon which a dwelling-house rnly
be erected, either to let or occupy.: To effect this object
land is purchased in large quantities by the acre, and
divided into plots of an annual value of not less than forty
shillings, and allotted to the shareholders at the wholesale
or cost price. A saving is thus effected of from thirty to
sixty pounds on each plot. In purchasing land great care
is taken to obtain, as far as possible, such as will be
immediately available for building upon. The estate
already purchased are situated at Barnes, Wimbledon,
and Reading. The cost of the conveyance to the members
is thirty shillings each, exclusive of stamps, and is added
to the price of the allotments, and will be paid for by the
allottees in their regular subscriptions. The allottees give
mortgages on the allotments to the trustees of the society
for the amount of the advances made to them. The society
advances the difference between the price of the allotments
and the contributions already paid in by the allottees, the
members paying 5 per cent interest, calculated at the end
of each year, on the balance due to the society. Members
whose rights have accrued, not wishing to choose land,
may enter their rights for sale at the price at which they are
willing to accept, in the register kept at the office, and by
inspecting such register, any member wishing to btain an
allotment, may ascertain the price at which the right can
be obtained. Members may et any time redeem their
mortgages, by paying off the advances made to them, and
a release will then be given to them by the trustees, and
their shares will be extinguished. If the allotted should
hold other shares in the society than the share or shares
on which the allotment was made, then such shares only as
he has paid up, by redeeming the mortgage, will be
extinguished, and be will continue a member of the so-
ciety for his remaining shares. Interest at the rate of
Si. Bs. 4d. is allowed on all shares until they are
allotted. A deposit account has also been opened, and
members and others may deposit small or large sums at five
per cent. interest, and the money so deposited with the
society, with the interest due thereon, may be withdrawn
upon giving seven days' notice, if under 501, and above
that sum and under 3001., fourteen days' notice. Persons
are at liberty to join at any time without paying back
subscriptions : they may also at any time either increase
or reduce the number of shares—and, in case of nece3sity,
the committee have the power to suspend their payments
without fines, or members may at any time withdraw the
whole of their subscriptions upon giving twenty-eight days'
notice of his intention to do so.
The CHAIRMAN said it gave him great pleasure in again
meeting the shareholders. They were assembled for the
purpose of balloting for the fourteenth time for 40 rights
to advances—as usual, 20 of these rights would be
taken from the rotation list, and 20 from the ballot
division, making, as he had before said, 40 rights.
The attendance that evening, if anything was wanting to
prove the fact, attested the great reliance that was placed
in the directors by the shareholders. As far as tho pur-
chase of land was concerned, it was not the intention o t the
committee, in the present state of affairs, to be too eager,
but they thought it would be the wisest and most judi-
cious course to wait until some of the excitement prevail

ing abroad had passed away. Without wishing in the
slightest degree to reflect upon ether societies, or with re-
spect to the purchases that they had made—he hoped they
would be able to dispose of the land in the way that they
expected, namely, for the benefit of their shareholders.
The estate of this society situate at Wimbledon, he was
happy to inform them, stood in the highest opinion of the
shareholders, and he had great pleasure in telling them
that contracts had been entered into to erect, at the top of
the bill on this beautiful estate, 10 semi-detached villas, of
the value of 2,0001. each. The contract had not merely
been entered into, but it had been signed and completed.
On the Barnes estate, nine pairs of villas were about to
be erected of the value of between 8001. to 9001. each. With
regard to the Reading estate, the preliminary survey had
been completed, and the surveyors were engaged in mark-
ing out the plan, and in a few weeks it would be placed in
their hands. The committee had had at their last meeting
a long debate, and he believed the result of that debate
would be that the allotments would come out at such a
price as would please everybody. As he had said before,
this was not a time to purchase land, and the directors of
the Metropolitan and General Freehold Land Society did
not intend to lay their money out at present, and he
thought the shareholders would think that they were act-
ing prudently and for the best interests of the society. Yet
it was not the intention of the directors to remain idle and
inactive, in proof of which he would mention that a gentle-
man, afew days ago, had offered them an estate within a few
minutes' walk of the Norwood station (so we understood).
The directors went and returned, but they found that one-
half the land was under water, so, as this was a society
_ _

for the purchase of land and not water, and as the water
had so increased the price of the land, the directors
determined to have nothing to do with it. The share-
holders, he felt sure, would still continue to have the ut-
most confidence in the exertions of the committee, and en
the part of the committee ho assured them that it was not
the intention of the directors to let any really eligible
estate slip through their fingers. He begged to thank
them for the attention they had given him. Before re-
suming his seat, ho would call upon Mr. W. Cocks, one of
finance committee, to address a few observations to them.
Mr. W. COCKS, in addressing the meeting, alluded to
the great excitement caused every morning by the news
from the Baltic and the Black Seas, and also alluded to
the extreme caution required by those who were the
trustees of others. The members of freehold land societies
he said, should go forth as missionaries among their friends
and indoctrinate them with the advantages to be received,
and do all their power to increase the number of sharehold-
ers in the society in which they were interested, by so
doing, they would increase the importance of the society,
and the larger it became, the better it would be for all
concerned.
Mr. JAMES WEST next addressed the meeting, and after
adverting to the difficulty respecting the purchase of land
at the present moment, said societies like the Metropolitan
and General Freehold Land Society not only distributed
land, but they also offered a secure investment for the
savings of the industrious classes a security far greater than
any afforded by Savings Banks. As a further inducement,
they hold out a far greater amount of interest, with a much
better security, for nothing could be so secure as land.
The CHAIRMAN said that it would now afford the com-
mittee great pleasure to answer the questions of any of the
gentlemen present.
A gentleman in the body of the meeting said it would
' be a source of satisfaction to him, and he doubted not to
many others, especially as their proceedings would be
laid before the public through the medium of the
press, if he would state the amount of capital possessed by
the society.
The CHAIRMAN said ho had much pleasure in answering
the question. Up to this time 3,600 shares had bans t
four estates had been purchased, and lots amounting _to
18,000 had been placed in the hands of the members. The
subscribed capital amounted to 108,000 i. If there
twoaselencot
further questions ho would call upon the meeting
scrutineers, and Messrs. Miller, Potter, and Prattr having
been appointed, the drawing commenrceL
H. White, read
At its termination, the secretary,
the
1,271, 3,585, 1,241,
the list of numbers drawn, as follows
4 1,376, 2,891, 1,270,3,583,
1,223, 1,239, 2,158,
13:308863; 1:249, 1,‘242, 1,237, 3,262,1,238,
1,264,1,263, 2,551,
1,243, 2,946, 2 740 1 387, 3,487, 1,245, 3,223, 1,236, 1,252-,
' . ' !37 1 246 2,386, 1,247 2,770 2,610,
3,325, 3,513, 3,002, 3,3 , ,
2,924'
• Thanks having been voted to the chairman the pro-
ceedings terminated.

COMMITTEE ON THE CASE OF MR. STONOR. The
select committee appointed to inquire into the circum-
stances under which Mr. Henry Stonor was appointed
to a judgeship in Melbourne, Australia, after having
been reported by the Sligo election committee to have
been guilty of bribery at the election for that borough
in 1852, was to have sat yesterday, to enter upon the
investigation ; but owing, as was understood, to the
unavoidable absence of some of the necessary witnesses,
the committee were unable to proceed, and they ad-
journed until Tuesday next.
ROBBERY OF JEWELLERY AT BIRMINGHAM.—A very
daring robbery of jewellery took place at Birmingham
on Saturday. On that day a man, having much the ap-
pearance of a foreigner, went to the establishment of
Messrs. Stockton, jewellers. He stated he wanted to
make a selection of goods for Australia ; lie did so, and
gave orders to the extent of SOOT. ; but whilst thus
engaged he contrived to make over to his own person
about three hundred pounds' worth of rings and other
valuables : the theft was discovered very soon after the
fellow had left, and information given to the police. On
inquiry at the hotel where lie had been staying, it was
ascertained that he had left town, having informed the
hoots, who accompanied him to the railway, that he
was going to London. Upon inquiry being made at the
station, however, it turned out that a person answering
the description given had taken a ticket for Manches-
ter, to which city the officers telegraphed at once. Ther
thief was there captured without delay on the arrival o
the train, he having the jewellery in his possession. Se
is now safely lodged in the gaol at Birmingbiga.