The Sun.
London, England, 1848-03-01 00:00:00

,„/

l

I'iS4MINSTER R' FORM
SOCIETY.

- The annual meeting of the above society took place
on *onday evening, at the York Hotel, Upper Welling.
to
n-street, at seven o'clock precisely, for the purpose (as
stated in the society's notice) of receiving the report of
the committee for the past year, to elect officers for the
present year, and other business. The proposed in-
crease of the income-tax was also brought under consi-
deration, but such not having been intimated in the no-
tice to members, the meeting was not so numerously at-
tended as otherwise we should have expected. The
chair was taken by Mr. Pouncey.
The SECRETARY opened the proceedings by reading
the report for the last year, which showed that the re-
sult of the registration for 1846, gave a majority of 367
to Reformers, and that the registration of 1847 gave the
Reformers a net gain of 373; and also, that the society
had not been called upon to pay costs in any case of re-
vision during those two years.
Twenty new members were elected into the society,
and the report of the committee was then received and
adopted. It congratulated the members on the great
increase of their number, and the importance which the
society had obtained in the estimation of their fellow
citizens. It was gratifying to find, that out of four gen-
tlemen recommended to the society as fitting candidates,
three had been elected Members of the present Parlia-
ment, namely, Mr. Lushington, Mr. George Thompson,
and Mr. W. P. Wood. Mr. Lushington had been
accepted by the society after fully stating his political
principles at a meeting, held at the Crown and Anchor
Tavern, on the Ist of March, 1846, when nearly 1,000
electors attended. The society deprecated the immense
expenditure, which their opponents had encouraged in
election contests, knowing that a profligate expen-
diture was inseparable from bribery—that riot and
drunkenness and general demoralization were its
certain results ; this being one of the results
which bad contributed to the production of the
Reform Act. In Westminster, in 1807, the election of
Sir Francis Burdett, through a fourteen days' poll, coat
less than 1,0001.; at all subsequent periods reformers
had been scrupulous upon this head and anxious to
preserve purity of election, but the committee deplored
that scenes of drunkenness, disgraceful to civilization,
were rife on the day of last election in Westminster, so
much so that parties officially connected with this city,
declared that during fourteen elections in Westminster
none had been equal to the last in the exhibition of
intoxication. This they attributed to the fact, that no
less than fifty-four public-houses were opened as com-
mittee-rooms for the supporters of one of the opposing
candidates. A re-action, however, was now rapidly
going on, and such practices would, it was hoped, defeat
the object sought to be obtained. The committee had
much pleasure in reporting that the state of the register
of voters was highly satisfactory.
The subject of the proposed increase of the income.
tax was then introduced.

Mr. HUGGETT (the Secretary) read letters from the
two Members for the City, declining an invitation to at-
tend; Sir De Lacy Evans in consequence of Parliamen-
tary duties, and Mr. Lushington, in consequence of an
engagement at a public meeting. He also begged to
announce that he had just received information that the
Chancellor of the Exchequer had relinquished the addi-
tional two per cent.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. LABRAM was glad to hear the statement made by
the honourable secretary, as it would supersede the ne-
cessity of discussing the subject of the income-tax that
evening. He thought, however, some notice should be
taken of the Government proposition, notwithstanding
the information received, and therefore he begged to
move the following resolution:—" That this association
deferred with much pleasure the subject of the income-
tax, in consequence of information having arrived that
the Chancellor of the Exchequer had relinquished his
intention of increasing the income-tax."
Mr. SOAVE seconded the motion.

Mr. GEESIN rose to oppose the motion. He did not
think there was anything to congratulate themselves
upon. It might appear very well to withdraw the pro-
position for an income-tax, yet there were other things
to be entered upon. There ought to be a thorough re-
vision of the taxation of the country.—(Hear, hear.)
They had too long been enduring an amount of taxation
which never ought to have burdened the working classes.
What right had the Government to go on increasing the
army, the navy, and the ordnance estimates from year to
year.—(Shame.) If they were quietly to bear these
things, no wonder the Chancellor of the Exchequer told
them that whatever the Ministers had done the repre-
sentatives of the people had forced it upon them. It
therefore became them to instruct their representatives
that they did not mean to put up with such doings any
longer.—(Hear.) Their representatives should be in-
structed to go and not only to represent themselves but
their constituents also.—(Hear, hear.) He did not think
that the discussion of the income-tax should now alto-
gether cease. He begged to move the following amend-
ment:—' That this Association be specially summoned
for Monday next, to take into consideration the nature
of the budget now before the House of Commons."
Mr. BROWNE seconded the amendment.

Mr. LABRAM explained that it was his desire to enter
further into a discussion of the subject; his resolution
merely arose out of the incidental circumstance of cer-
tain information having arrived.
The amendment was then carried.

Mr. AUSTIN had prepared a resolution which, how-
ever, he should defer until Monday evening, upon the
subject of the window-tax. He begged to observe that
the Government ought not to be allowed to go on in
the expensive course they had pursued for years past,
till they came to exceed seven millions in the course of
ten years, and this too at a time of prolound peace; and
at the present time, notwithstanding what they had al-
ready done, the Government were about to add an in-
crease to their expenditure. When he saw the suffering
around, he could hardly feel persuaded that such things
were possible. If the people wanted the window tax
repealed, and if they wished the income-tax to be ever
repealed, it must be done by making the Ministry ex-
pend less money.—(Hear, hear.) Ministers laughed in
their sleeves when they came down with their estimates
for the army, the navy, and the ordnance, for their real
intention was only to provide appointments for their
sons and relations.—(Hear, hear.)
A vote of thanks was awarded to the Chairman, and
the meeting separated.

ANOTHER BOILER EXPLOSION.— 21.IANCHESTER,
FEB. 29.—At a few minutes before eight o'clock this
morning a boiler exploded at the cotton-mill of Mr.
Richard Walker, Blue Pits, near Rochdale. The end of
the boiler was blown out, and three persons were killed
almost instantaneously. Two others were seriously in-
jured, and one of them was dying when our informant
left. The roof of the engine house was blown off, and
the building considerably damaged. The engineer and
tenter, we understand, were among the killed. This is
another proof of the necessity for competent engine-in-
spectors. Mr. Walker's mill has not long been erected,
and the probability is that the boiler was nearly new.
From a private letter received in Lewes this
morning, we learn that the late King of France had
reached the Chateau d'Eu in safety. The writer of the
letter resides in the immediate vicinity of the chateau.
This statement favours the idea that the vessels just sent
across from Newhaven may be made available for the
escape of the aged monarch from that country which
has been at once the author and the witness of his recent
calamities.—Sussex Advertiser.

MONEY-MARKET.—By advises from Hamburgh
the price of gold is 436, per mark, whieb, at
the English Mint price of 3/. 17s. 10id. per ounce for
standard gold, gives an exchange of 13.104 ; and the
exchange at Hamburgh on London at short being
13.12/, it follows that gold is 0.68 per cent. dearer in
London than in Hamburgh. According to the usual
calculation that 60 59 100 gold imperials are equivalent
in value to 100 sovereigns, the transmission of gold from
St. Petersburgh to London would establish an exchange
of 38 45-100 pence per silver rouble ; and the last
quotation at St. Petersburgh of the exchange on London
being 37i pence, it follows that the gross profit on send-
ing imperials would be about 2i per cent. To this
must be added the gain of interest on three months'
date bills, to which the above quotation refers, and
a deduction must be made of the charges of transport.
.The course of exchange at New York on London
is 1101 per cent., and the par of exchange between
England and America being 109 23-40 per cent.,
it follows that the exchange is 0.67 per cent.
in favour of England. But, the quoted exchange
at New York being for bills at 60 days' sight, the in-
terest must be added to the above difference.
GENERAL STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY —The
half-yearly general meeting of this corporation was held
yesterday, at their office, 71, Lombard-street. The
chair was taken by Mr. Wilkin. A report from the
directors and a statement of the accounts for the half-
year ending the 31st of December last were read to the
meeting. These documents represented the operations
of the company to have been attended with the most
successful results. The report: having been read, was,
after some discussion, adopted by the proprietors, when
the usual dividend and bonus were declared, and the
meeting broke up.
[ADVERTISEMENT.]—A Gentleman, Sixty years of
age, cured of a dreadful bad leg by Holloway's Ointment
and Pills.—Mr. Nicholas Page, residing at Newsbam,
had been suffering for three years with wounds on his
leg of a most awful nature, to cure which be tried a great
variety of specifics, and consulted nearly every surgeon
within twenty miles of his house, yet all failed to give
relief ; as a last resource he used Holloway's famous
Ointment and Pills, which healed his leg in a few weeks.
In gratitude for the wonderful cure effected at his ad-
vanced age, ho thus gives every .publicity to the circum-
stance, that others may derive similar benefit.—Sold by
all druggists, and at Professor Holloway s Establishment,
244, Strand, London.
KING'S COLLEGE HOSPlTAL.—Yesterday afternoon
the annual general meeting of the governors and direc-
tors of the übove charity was held at the Board-room,
Portugal-street, Lincoln's-inn, Mr. J. F. Twemlow in
the chair. The report congratulated the friends of the
institution that during the past severe season no falling
off in the income had occurred, as might have been ex-
pected, and the expenditure only exceeded the ordinary
income by 471. The number of patients admitted during
the year was 1,253, exclusive of 106 remaining in the
house on the 31st of December. The out-patients, in
the course of the same period, numbered 17,901, being a
very considerable increase over that of any previous
year. The permanent fund of the hospital had been
augmented by the munificent legacy of 1,0001. from the
late Miss Colver, of Farningham,Kent, and 50/. from
the late Mr. W. T. Praed. It was mentioned that the
charity was still in debt about 2001., and as the committee
hoped before long to announce a plan for the enlarge-
ment of the hospital, to meet the greatly increasing de-
mands upon the charity—abundant room existed for the
beneficial exercise of benevolent consideration. The
customary compliment having been voted to the chair-
`man the meeting separated.
The fleet so long wind-bound at Stromness have
at last got out to sea. Some of the vessels have been
clettWied since October labt.—John 0' Groat's Journal.