The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-10 00:00:00

ROME COUNTIES AND METROPOLITAN
FREE 110 L D LAND tßi9ablifTrYsTl

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Last night a very fully ttentiotttetieta.
the Green Man Tavern g,"aniberel ~,-te liiiii:A , tate -
hi at
men t from a dcputatio “-..f: Ihet,i±Voiita 44444 C4' of
the Home Counties and qrstrriiioWir ':. , .rA ety.
a,vintreeit'44U'e-elf" "ro h
The chair was taken ili4; Pair_Pai-taaff..,p- ii
n(itz,
~r..v
after eight o'clock. '' .11'
~L .:"...,_/:,',Z. -
The usual routine busine
The CHAIRMAN, in openingilile pickeedfits of the
evening, entered at some length into the history of free-
hold land societies, and their moraLinfluence ; and with
respect to the ownership pf land, said that not one man
in three hundred, he firmly believed, was in that posi-
tion. This simple' fact, he (the chairman) considered,
should be an inducement for all present to exert them-
selves to remedy such a defect. One society, with the
same objects in view as the Home Counties and Metro-
politan Freehold Land Society, possessed a capital of
half a million, and this large sum was mainly contributed
by working men. After a certain portion of land had
been purchased by the combined funds of the members,
the roads made, and drains laid down, it allotted
at 301. per share—land worth in many instances 501. or
601. The rotation principle having been found defective
in many instances, anew principle had been started, viz.,
the ballot system, and this system was the one worked
out in all its integrity by this society, it being considered
the fairest to all parties concerned. For a ballot right
31., and indeed 101., had been given, and the only outlay
on the part of the fortunate owner of that right had been
four or five shillings. Those who prefer paying the
fall amount of their shares in one payment may do
so, and those who may not feel so inclined stand equally
secure ; in the one case the right is immediate, in the
other the ballot must be resorted to. The National So-
ciety, the largest, whose income was 1,0001. per day, and
the Conservative, another large society, had attifined
their present position by purchasing nothing but first-
class property—teat was the system pursued by the
Home Counties. ~,Ili the Hornsey estate, consisting of
16 acres, the wholyf the plots, with the exception of
seven, had been tats - and premiums varying from 10/.
to 351. had been g., :!ose L'ertunate enough to pos-
sess a right. For ,s,. • ',le _ 0-Lts he (the chairman)
possessed, he had 1 ii uttered a premium of from 35
to 45 guineas. The society had lately purchased a very
beautiful estate situate in Wimbledon Park, overlooking
the Crystal Palace, nd a gentleman who had paid but
thirty
201. premium. As a commercial speculation the society
shillings drew a right for which he had refused
could not be equalled, and would mention in proof this
assertion—that one gentleman took 1,200 rights in a
large society, and cleared 4,0001. by disposing of them.
To those who deposit their money in a savings' bank, he
would say why place your money where you ,can only
get 21. 7s. 10d. per cent. ? when in this society, with
much better security, you can get 51. Ss. 4d. The chair-
man resumed his seat by urging upon all present the
claims to support of the Home Counties and General
Freehold Land Society, stating the greater the num-
ber of shareholders, the stronger and healthier it be-
came.

Mr. HAY MAN said he felt exceeding pleased at the
able and lucid statement made by the chairman. He
considered the most important point in societies like the
present was their moral influence. He for one would
immediately become a shareholder.
Mr. EKYELBOSCH, the chairman of the executive
committee, then rose, and in a very forcible manner
urged the claim of the society on the attention of all
present. He said the sum paid per acre for one of their
estates was 4001., but it was now worth 1,2001. per acre
and that was a low estimate. He also alluded to the
two modes adopted by the society on the Hornsey estates,
consisting of 245 lots; 205 of those lots had been
awarded by ballot, and only 40 lots had been taken by
the completed shareholder, proving at once that that
mode of attainment did not preponderate over the bal-
lot. The safety of savings banks was not quite so secure
as many supposed—and the only satisfaction the unfor-
tunate depositors had in the cave of a defaulter, was
seeing him in prkon. The friendly societies acts made
any departure from the rules laid down for the guidance
01 societies like this, a misdemeanour. He did not
know of a safer or better invcstment than that held out
by this society.
Mr. Wet.i,ti said, so satislitel was he of the stability
of the society, that the best proof lie could give was
that of becoming a shareholder immediately.
Mr. KNIGHT, said, the chairman in telling the meet-
ing of the many good things, he had omitted one, that
was, that the ballot of the society was held monthly.
The next would take place in the vicinity of Camber.
well.

The CHAIRMAN, in acknowledging a vote of thanks,
said that nearly 100 shares had been taken up that even-
ing, and such success was a strong inducement to very
shortly hold another meeting at Camberwell.
The meeting then broke up.

LORD ST. GERMANS AND THE EXHIBITION

COMMITTEE.

DUBLIN, THURSDAY MORNING.
A deputation from the (late) Exhibition Committee
waited yesterday on the Lord-Lieutenant, at the Vice-
regal Lodge, for the purpose of presenting an address,
thanking his Excellency for the encouragement and sup-
port he had given to the great national undertaking,
from its first beginnings to its final close on the last day
of October.
His Excellency gave the following reply :
" Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen,—l have listened

with pleasure to this address.
" It is very gratifying to me to be thus assured that
the encouragement and support given by me and Lady
4--st---.l m:inane to the Great Industrhri-Exkibition of
• 1853 nontributed to its success. That undertaking
.has been accomplished. Opened on the • day fixed
for its opening, and closed on the day fixed for its clos-
ing, the Exhibition has completed its appointed cpurse.
It has ceased to exist, but the effects of it will,l trust,
be lasting. It afforded instruction as well as amuse-
ment to the people, and they will not forget the lessons
which it taught.

" You refer with just pride to the conduct of your
fellow-countrymen of the humbler classes when visiting
the Exhibition. The good sense and good taste which
they displayed were, indeed, remarkable, and will, I
hope, be remembered whenever regulations are made for
the admission of strangers to view other collections of
works of art.

" You acknowledgo in becoming terms the goodness
of her Majesty and of the Prince in sending works of
art to be exhibited, and in coming to this country to
visit the Exhibition.
" You also express with great propriety the gratitude
which is due to the foreign Sovereigns who adorned
your galleries with pictures of great value. In what
you say on these points I fully concur.
" The arduous duties in which you were for so many
months engaged are now at an end. I cordially con-
gratulate you on their termination, and on the credit
which you have justly acquired by the manner in which
you discharged them.
"That the results of this great undertaking may be
as beneficial to Ireland as its munificent and patriotic
author desired is a prayer which I fervently join with
you in addressing to Almighty God."