The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-16 00:00:00

the purposes for which it was intended an investigation
was required. Under these circumstances he deemea his
duty to request the attendance of Mr. Roper, the Hono-
rary Secretary, in order to set an investigation on foot,
which subsequently took place, and resulted in the ap-
pointment of Mr. Shaw as sub-treasurer and
comptroller of accounts. Mr. Shaw undertook
the office, but repeatedly stated that he was
not satisfied with the information he received. A
meeting was then determined upon, which was held
on the 16th of June, at Mr. Alderman Farebrother 'e
chambers. Previously to that meeting, Mr. Cowper,
Mr. Shaw, and Mr. Jeffreys met at his (Lord Ashley's)
house, and discussed the position of affairs, and arrived
at the conclusion that nothing could put matters to
rights but the appointment of a paid secretary, who
would devote all ' his energies to the interests of the
society. Feeliri convinced that the services of a paid
officer were indispensable, and having superseded Mr.
Roper, they passed a vote of thanks to him for the zeal
and activity which he had displayed in the cause of the
society. They Were particular in confining themselves
to these expressicns, because, without impugning his
honesty or the propriety of his general conduct, they
felt he was not qilalified for the situation ; and in that
opinion they were borne out by the worthy Alderman
himself, who lamented his deficiency of education to
d'seharge the duties of secretary efficiently. Mr. Roper
had exhibited, hoWever, great zeal and activity ; he had
visited workhouses and prisons without receiving any
remuneration, arid the society thanked him for his
services. It was afterwards resolved to appoint a
deputation to wait upon the committee of the Milli-
ners' Society,- in order to consider the propriety of
'uniting the two societies, inasmuch as separately they
could not afford 'the expenses attendant upon paid
officers. A --day war, fixed for tile_ interview, and
after the subject had been discussed, the Milliners'
Society refused to unite. Such being the case,
and knowing the Distressed Needlewomen's Society
had been ill-managed, and that its affairs were getting
into a state of confusion, from which it would be ex-
tremely difficult to extricate them, he was unwilling to
bear further responsibility, and felt it his duty to tender
his resignation as vice-president, and to withdraw from
any interference in its society. He then wrote the letter
bearing date the 6th of July, which the worthy Alder-
man had already read to the meeting. On the following
day he went to the continent, and remained away 'ix
weeks; but on his return he found the letter of Alder-
man Farebrother, dated the 7th of July, viz., the very
day after he left town. His surprise was, of course, very
great, for he had supposed that, having, in conjunction
with Mr. Cowper, Mr. Shaw, and Mr. Jeffreys, tendered
his resignation, that the president would have announced
the circumstance at the- next meeting. Indeed, so cer-
tain was he that such would be the case, that he did not
think it necessary to write to him to that effect. His
surprise, therefore, was very considerable when he read
the report of Mr. Alderman Farebrother's speech, in the
Times of the 29th of October. He could not have sup-
posed that the president of a society, when performing
his functions at a meeting of that society, couli have re-
frained from announcing the withdrawal of four gen •
tlemen from its committee. Mr. Farebrother had not,
however done so, and so far from assigning the true mo-
tive for the secession, gave a reason which, as far as he
(Lord Ashley) was concerned, was a true one. He sub-
mitted that his letter of resignation ought to have been
laid before the public meeting, but it was not, and its
suppression, if other means had not been adopted to
circulate it, would have left nineteen-twentieths of the
public ignorant of the true motives which had caused
the resignation of himself and his colleagues. After
some other observations in defence of the course he had
pursued, the Noble Lord concluded by stating that his
reason for seceding was not that he objected, as alleged
by Mr. Alderman Farebrother, to act as chairman of
two societies similar in character, but that as the Dis-
tresQed Needlewomen's Society was mismanaged, and
its affairs fast merging into inextricable confusion, he con-
sidered it due to his own character,'and to the confidence
which the subscriber 3 had reposed in him, to withdraw
when he could be no longer useful.
The Hon. Mr. Cowper, Mr. Jeffreys, and Mr. Shaw,
explained their reasons for leaving the society, and gave
expression to their regret, that while on the committee
they found such unlimited power and control over the
disposal of the funds of the institution exercised by the
Honorary Secretary, Mr. Roper who, in fact, acted as
president, committee, treasurer, and everything else.
hThe y fully
ad taken,approved
alui they of
saw the n o courseeaso w
n to hri
ec
gh r
et his a Lordship
or
havings hi p
participated in it.
Mr. Alderman FAREBROTHER replied. And
After a vast deal of conversation respecting the ma-
nagement of the society, the alleged irresponsibility
of the Honorary Secretary, and the appropriation of the
funds, a vote of thanks was passed to the Chairman, on
the motion of Lord Ashley, and the meeting separat(d.