The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-21 00:00:00

FREE TRADE FREAHOLD LAND SOCIETY.

Last evening a public meeting was held at the Port-
man Hall, Carlisle-street, Paddington, for the purpose o
receiving an explanation of the objects of this flourishing
society.

The chair was taken shortly after seven o'clock by the
Rev. James Shergoid Boone.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings of the
evening, said he had been invited, probably from his con-
nection with the parish of Paddington, to take the chair
that evening. He thought he should best discharge the
duties that devolved upon him, by taking up as small a
space of time as was possible, in order to allow those
gentlemen, whose purpose it was to give explanations
respecting the operations of the Free Trade Freehold
Land Society, an opportunity of so doing. His motive
for doing so was, that he would be followed by
gentlemen better acquainted and far better able
to speak to such a subject than he could do. In the
few observations he should feel it his duty to make, he
should confine himself mainly to the objects set forth in
the prospectus. In that document, he found that it was
proposed to give every person so disposed a freehold, and
also, it provided a secure place where he could lodge his
hard-earned savings. Now, looking to the public bene-
fits this society conferred, and although he had been
told that this society possessed advantages over many
others, he did not think he should be doing his duty if
he attempted, for one instant, to prop it up by
deprecating them. If he were asked what was the
most hopeful and distinguishing feature of the present
age, he should say, it was not the great achieve-
ments of mechanical ingenuity—not the great improve-
ments in mechanical science, but our great social im-
provement. If this society did not offer great advan-
tages—advantages applicable to all who were assembled
here that night--he should not have been present. The
possession and exercise of the franchise was an honest
and a lawful ambition in this free country, it tended
to make men better citizens, better husbands, better
fathers, and at the same time provided them with a
decent healthy habitation. No man knew better than he
did the position of the working mechanic, and he wished
to God it was better. He knew here, in Paddington,
that a married man was compelled to pay four shillings
a week for an unhealthy kitchen—it was nothing better,
because single men were considered better lodgers ; and
if the society did nothing else than to emancipate the
hard working, honest, labouring man from this wretched
state of things, it demanded their earnest and energetic
support. He (the chairman) knew well that the best
schemes had been wrecked on the rock of bad manage-
ment, but here they had a good directory, composed of
good men, and that was a grand thing in a society of
this description. He was sure that this sleeting would
excuse him, as a clergyman, from going into further de-
tail, but he felt convinced that this society would do
great good to the country, but a greater good to indi-
viduals. Having said thus much, he would call upon
Mr. Vigers, the surveyor, to explain to them plans of
the estates.

Mr. VMERS, having entered into the details of the
plan of the two attractive estates owned by the society
at Annerley and Camberwell,

Lieut.-Col. STARR on rising said, he begged leave to
read to them the resolution that had been confided to
him—it was " That freehold land societies hold out the
greatest possible inducement to the cultivation of habits
of temperance, industry, and frugality amongst the in-
dustrious classes, by enabling them to secure, by a safe
and easy method, a freehold and a home. No doubt in
rising to move the resolution he had just read, he would
be expected to address to them a few observations. He
felt it extremely difficult to do so after the judicious
remarks of the chairman—remarks that had been so
well directed to the proper point. He would be the
last man in the world to resort to sophistry, or to
artificial means to mark the onward march of the present
age, or the improvements of the nineteenth century. They
had done much to improve mankind, and, whether a
man be born a peer or a peasant, both were now appre-
ciated. It was a happy state of things to know that the
humblest artisan now could rise to the highest position
—to know that he could obtain the object of his ambi-
tion, a vote, a freehold, and a home. (Cheers.) This
was a prize to him equal to the laurels of a states-
man. Wealth and position had been gained by
men as humble as the humblest in that assemblage.
A peer with no other recommendation than his ances-
tors—a drone in the hive, on being asked his opinion of
one of the brilliant efforts of a Member of Parliament,
said it was very well for a barber's son ; but what was
that member's caustic retort ? why, that if he had been
a barber's son, he would have been a barber to-day.
(Cheers and laughter.) He (Col. Starr) dared not allow
himself to dwell on the contemplation of an English
home, referred to in the resolution, for they all knew
and appreciated it. The word home was peculiarly
English ; it was known in no other language. To the
Frenchman it was a cafe, the restaurant and the boule-
vard, and one might envy the owner of a pretty cottage
in Camberwell, when he could say, this is my own, the
fruit of my own industry ; this I can leave to my
children with a consolation, that none can take
it from them. Colonel S. then glowingly eulogised
the beauties of a well-regulated English home, and closing
his remarks with a quotation from one of the Scottish
poets, said he dare go no further, and after apologising
for detaining the meeting so long, resumed his seat amidst
loud applause.

Captain CULPEPER said it afforded him great satisfac-
tion in seconding the resolution. As a parishioner of Pad-
dington he might be known to many in that room, and
he recommended all who thought of investing money in a
savings' bank to pause and consider before doing so.
Societies like the Free Trade Freehold Land Society were
far to be preferred, they afford a safer, better, and more
solid security. There was no fear that loss would fol-
low, and they might rest assured that the money placed
with this society was as safe, if not safer, than if they
had it in their own keeping. Th.- sucoess that had at-
tended the foundation of this society was perfectly as-
tonishing, the more so, when it was remembered that
they had been but five months in existence. They had
shareholders in the far east, beyond the mountains of the
Himalayas, in France, Spain, and America, and he
should not rest satisfied till they had shareholders en-
rolled in every quarter of the globe. (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN then put the resolution, and declared
it carried.

JOHN LLOYD CLAYTON, Esq., R.N„ moved the next
resolution, " That the Free Trade Freehold Land So-
ciey, from the success which has attended it, the eligi-
bility of its purchases, and the principles on which it
is based, fully entitles it to the support of the public
generally, and of the industrious classes in particular."
Captain HOLDER very briefly begged to second the
resolution.

The CHAIRMAN then put it to the meeting, and it was
carried unanimously.
The SECRETARY (Mr. Smith) then addressed the
meeting, pointing out the advantages held forth in its
non-political
views, and dwelt very forcibly on the
great good to be derived by the working men of
England joining such societies. He informed the meet.
ing that the first ballot would take place on the 30th
inst., at the Whittington Club, and any person entering
prior to that date would stand an equal chance with
saati d
mighthe should hboeu ld feel
happy
put
to
He also
that those who first entereadnyitaue
.
happy in answering
him. _ _

Colonel STARR said, as nobody seemed disposed to
ask a question, he would do so—it was, will you not
give your thanks to the chairman ? (Cheers.)
Capt. CULPEPER had the greatest pleasure imagina-
ble in seconding the wishes a the meeting. He then
proceeded to put the question, when it was carried by
loud cheers.
The CHAIRMAN said it was extremely gratifying to him
to receive such a flattering vote of thanks. He thanked
them sincerely for their kindness.
The meeting then separated.

The failure of Messrs. Thomson, Brothers, and Sons,
calico printers at Clitheroe, for 60,0001., is believed not
to fall upon any persons whatever in London.
_ _

LAKE BATHURST AUSTRALASIAN GOLD COMPANY.—It
was resolved by the Committee of the Stock Exchange
yesterday, that the Lake Bathurst Australasian Gold
Company should be struck from the official list, the quo-
tation of the shares having originally been ordered upon
the faith of documents received from the secretary of the
company, purporting to represent that more than 40,000
of them had been issued and paid upon by the public,
the truth of which has since been openly denied by one
of the directors.

THE BANK OF FRANCE.—The fresh rise in their rate
of discount adopted on Thursday by the Bank of France
appear to have been wholly unexpected in Paris. On
this side, however, owing to the reduction of 3,000,000 i.
in their stook of bullion since October, when the last
alteration was announced, there has been constant sur-
prise at the step having been so long delayed. The
tendency of the measure will be to cause renewed re-
mittances of gold from London, but many of the advan-
tages that might have been attained from it an an earlier
period in promoting economy and checking false confi-
dence have now been lost. Some of the most influential
of the French journals even up to the present week have
congratulated the country on the assistance given by the
Bank to commerce, while an efflux of specie would
otherwise have created anxiety and pressure, but, like
similar theorists in former times in England, they have
now perhaps arrived at a better estimate of the cha-
racter of all such paniAtiVeg.