The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-19 00:00:00

PEDESTRIANISM.

SMITH, OF COLCHESTER, AND BATES, OF DAYENTRY,
20 MILES, FOR 20 Sovs.—The walking-match between
these men, who had previously. met at IVattord in a
similar competition, for a larger amount, wherein Smith,
who then gave two minutes start, was, defeated, took
place yesterday on the Banbury-road, near Daventry.
At noon the pedestrians started, on a measured mile,
containing a declivity at its starting, and of course an
acclivity to be surmounted in the return. Smith, whose
age is 36, is a wiry-looking, light man, of scarcely 5
feet 5 inches ; Bates, a fresh countrymen of 25 years,
and 6 feet 7 inches in height. For the first six miles
the men were nearly together, Smith forcing the pace,
and taking 53 minutes 4 seconds to cover that distance.
About the eighth mile Smith appeared to have been
walking too fast, and Bates passed him, amid the cheers
of the lads of Daventry. From this to the tenth mile,
which was completed in lb. 31m. 408., the men strained
every nerve in a succession of spurts, alternately chang-
ing their relative positions. Thenceforth, Smith, who ith,
seemed to gain his second wind, drew a-head of his man
who could never pull up the lost ground, and at
the fourteenth mile, on turning, was 250 yards behind;
coming down for the 15th, every chance of overtaking
his man being out, he resigned, and Smith completed
the twenty miles at his leisure. The conduct of the
men of Daventry, under the mortification of their towns-
man's losing, was most exemplary and orderly.
SAMUEL MEDCALF AND G. COOK.—This race, of 100
yards, for 10 sous. aside, between these sprint runners,
was brought to a determination yesterday, at Willesden.
'rise attendance was numerous. It was six o'clock be-
fore the men started, and for the first 80 yards they
ran well together, Medcalf with a trifling lead; at about
that distance he left his man, and ran in, after a good
struggle on the part of the loser, Cook, by a yard.
JAMES DELANEY AND C. PERKINS.—A goodly master
of spectators assembled yesterday on Wandsworth Com-
mon, to witness the trial of speed between the above
men. The distance was one hundred and fifty yards for
two pounds a side. The men showed at the scratch
shortly after four. Perkins (who has been in training
from the time the match was made) was in excellent
condition, but Delaney seemed too heavy for his slim
antagonist. They both got off together, and at
ten
yards Delaney was fully three yards in advance, which
y
distance he continued to improve, and ultimately ran in
an easy winner by five yards. Time, 18 seconds. The
betting; at starting was at 9to 4 on the winner. The
cub in which Delaney came to the ground upset as it
n ared the Common, but fortunately he received no
d. I injury.

MORRIS THE PEDESTRIAN.—On Monday last this
celebrated pedestrian performed the following feat at
Llanover—First, he walked half-a-mile, then ran hall-a-
mile, walked backwards half-a-mile, walked backwards
and forwards half-a-mile, played a violin half-a-mile,
played a tamborine half-a-mile, ran a coach-wheel half-
a-mile, trundled a hoop half-a-mile, wheeled a barrow
half-a-mile, hopped 100 yards, and then picked up 100
stones placed one yard apart, 50 with his mouth, and 50
with his hands, and brought each stone to a basket. He
completed this in eight minutes less than an hour, in the
presence of a large number of spectators, who were much
amused and surprised at the performance of this extra-
ordinary feat.—Carmarthen Journal.

EMIGRATION.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUJ
SIR,—We have been remarkably slow in appre-
ciating the importance of emigration; hut the subject
is at length fairly before us, and the principal ques-
tion now seems to be the one involving a consideration
of ways and means. "A systematic plan of coluniza-
tion" found an advocate in Lord John Russell in the
year 1845 ; such a plan would embrace arrangements
for the raising of funds, and for the distribution of
carefully selected persons among the colonist:, accord-
ing to their respective wants. We annually expend
many millions sterling in supporting the poor ; surely
a proportion of this money would be well employed
in supplying British subjects abroad with the labour
that is required to render their capital productive ; in

reducing the number of the dependent poor; in ele-
vating the able-bodied pauper from his degraded posi-
tion—transmuting, in fact, the useless, or worse than
useless member of society, into a consumer of home
manufactures, a contributor, directly and indirectly, to
the wealth of the nation.
In the year 1842 I ventured to record an opinion
in the pages of the Sydney Herald that, if emigra-
tion were systematized, the guardians of the poor in
England would be found willing to lend a helping
hand in furtherance of its objects ; and, at the same
time, I called attention to the expedient adopted by
Mr. Lawson as suggestive of other modes of relief
in periods of great scarcity of labour. This gentle-
man was at one time under the necessity of writing
to his agent to procure servants for him in England,
and it answered his purpose to do so, inasmuch as the
parties were engaged, according to his own statement,
" for three years at low wages, so that at the termi-
nation of that period the saving made up the cost of
their passage out." lii an able article published in
the Times in June last, the writer, estimating the
cost of transport at 151. per head, remarks—" of this
Si. a head would be willingly paid by many parishes
to the same number of juvenile emigrants as now
receive it on entering their apprenticeship ;" and " we
have the authority of Australian colonists now in
England for saying that, of the remaining
101. one-half would he readily, paid down
by the settler on engaging his labourer." With
respect to the other 51., the writer thinks that the
best way to raise that sum would be by "a labour-
tax in the colony, to be paid by the parties hired dur-
ing the second and third years of their colonial resi-
dence ;" this payment, in reality, " would come out
of the pocket of the hirer, i. e., out of the land." The
reason assigned, in this instance, for preferring that
this money should be collected as a tax upon labour
is, that " the Government would have a stronger hold
upon men whose ambition it was to become capitalists
and employers of labour themselves, than it could

have on those who were already settled as possessors
of land."

The feasibility of a plan of this kind might easily
and quickly be brought to the test, and, if in any
point it failed, various other appliances are at hand to
render it efficient. This, in lieu of the proposed di-
rect payment by the settler, the colonial land revenue
now again becoming productive, might be made avail-
able for a third of the cost of transport; and such an
economical application of it would prevent it from
being wasted as it was a few years ago, and at the
same time ensure a continuous supply of fresh
labourers. Associations for the promotion of emigra-
tion, the extension of which should be encouraged,
might effect, in case of need, what the parochial
authorities failed to do with respect to another pro-
portion of the expenses; and undoubtedly there are
many in this country, not reduced to a state of abso-
lute pauperism, who would gladly pay 51. or 61., by
periodical deposits, if not in one sum, to secure a pas-
sage to Australia, or whose friends or relations would
do so for them. And, in addition to all these sources
of income, a well-arranged system would be entitled
to support from the home Government, and such sup-
port, irrespective of direct pecuniary aid, could be
accorded in a variety of ways too obvious to require
particular mention.
I have alluded to the improvident expenditure, at
a recent period, of the land revenue of New South
\Vales. In explanation of this allusion I will just
observe, that although in the four years ending in
1841 a sum of 737,0001. was spent, and upwards of
40,000 free emigrants introduced into the
country, yet, according to the statements
made before the Colonial Emigration Com-
mittee by Mr. Hamilton and other gentlemen,
" not a twentieth part" of the men were found will-
ing, on disembarking, to undertake pastoral or agri-
cultural employment; and on the subject of the
" qualification of immigrants" the report states, that
the very attempt to pass off too large a proportion
of them is a disgrace to the parties engaged in it--
proofs of deception attempted, and of fraud and
forgery actually committed, by persons in the United
Kingdom connected with the occupation of sending
out emigrants under bounty-orders, have been pain-
fully frequent." Matters appear to be better ordered
in this particular than they were in 1840; but some-
thing more is essential under existing circumstances
than mere improvement in points of detail. The
great desideratum of the day is the establishment of
a comprehensive plan upon a permanent basis. We
need no conclave of " master spirits" on this occasion
—half a dozen men of business would suffice ; and is
it not the duty of the British Government to originate
such a measure ? 0. S.
London, September, 1848.

CANADIAN LAND AND RAILWAY
ASSOCIATION.
Last night the second of a series of meetings that are
being held in various parts of the metropolis, of the
above company, took place at the Surrey Educational
Institution, King's-court, Great Suffolk-street, Borough,
for the purpose of explaining the objects of the Associ-
ation, as well as the great benefits that would accrue to
those who become shareholders in the undertaking. The
chair was taken by the Rev. Mr. Geary.
The CEIAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, stated
that the Association had for its object the colonization
of British North America, and also the forming of a
railway extending from Halifax to Quebec, thus to afford
to the surplus population the means of that employment
of which they were now deprived.—(Hear, hear.) The
Rev. Chairman concluded by observing that the Com-
pany proposed the raising of a capital of two million
pounds sterling, in 51. shares, for carrying out the
project.
Mr. CAMPBELL, the secretary, next came forward, and
entered into an elaborate account of the plans of the as-
sociation, whose objects, he said, were to effect upon a
more extensive scale than had yet been suggested a
plan by " which the working classes of this country
might be placed in a situation to obtain good
employment, to invest their capital profitably, and
thereby to combine their skill and capital under
one interest. At the present time the interest of
the labouring classes was not the interest of the
capitalists, and it was desirable that the surplus hands
in the market, as society was at present constituted,
should i
be found in profitable employment, in order that
the means of subsistence should be afforded to them as
well as to the owners of property.—(Cheers.) They
were also anxious to bring the matter. fairly before the
public, to show the practicability of the scheme. Mr.
Campbell, in conclusion, proposed the following resolu-
don:—
That, in the present state of the country, there
are thousands of the working classes unemployed and
destitute of the means 01 subsistence, and unable to give
their children such a course of training as would render
them useful members of society; and therefore, this
meeting declares its conviction that a well-organized
system of colonization, uniting the labour, skill, and ca-
pital of all classes, would tend materially to remove these
gi eat social evils."
Mr. MILLS seconded the motion, which was carried.
The next resolution was as follows:—" That the plan
of the Canadian Laud and Railway Association proposed
by the working classes to be carried into effect from
their own resources, and under a company authorised
by royal charter, offers a largo field for their profitable
employment."
oeTheins
ardedsroclussteiodnthhaiminegetbinegen, also carried, sveovteedratlogtehne-
Revinerend Chairman, and the company separat ed .

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUZv.
SIR,-Our attention has just been called to a police
report, of Clerken well, in your paper of Saturday last,
which is calculated to do us much injury. As regards
ourselves, it is utterly without foundation. No oc-
currence of the kind having taken place, nor do we
know any person of the name residing in South-
ampton-row, or any other jeweller of the name. We
therefore consider it is due to us that such a pre-
judicial report should be most unqualifiedly contra-
dicted, and trust you will, by the insertion of this letter
in your next impression, afford the opportunity of
reparationourformer
doneare, by
Sir,th your e
circulation
JNO. & 0.
SIMMONDS.
3, Southampton-row, 18th Sept., 1848.

SCENE IN CLIURCII.—On Sunday week the after-
noon lecturer at a church not fur from London-bridge
preached a sermon on behzif of that somewhat anomalous
class of individuals technically called Scripture Readers.
The forcible arguments of the preacher in advocating
the claims of his pruteyi.s sent the hands of his hearers
direct to their purses, and his persuasive accents had
doubtless induced them to devise liberal things; but,
alas! instead of the churchwardens at the conclusion of
the discourse stepping forward to receive the contribu•-
tions of the congregation, " they remained," to quote
the graphic description of our informant, "in their
seats, as if they formed part of the official pew. The
reverend gentleman looked first at the wardens, then
with
the cougregation, while the cougregation looked i
equal astonishment at the clergyman andbsae
dens. At length those who intended
donations,
there vas no person to receive the
re-
turned their money to their pockets the wwar-
tribe found
u and
The wardens then
li No collection being
rneattisr,edsoidnttohethne
lveettstrtybefoerhtuhreepvpo.se of obtaining their
made, the
to clergysa,
tb roant tlasthe
wardens
charity sermon had not
collection, because the consent
the matter is about to be referred
• The Countess Dowager
o to the diocesan.
of Carnwath has left Olou,
tester-place, Portman-square, for Scotland.