The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-24 00:00:00

EMIGRATION.

A meeting of theme Managing Committee of the
Dritish and Colonial migration Society was held on
Monday at the Mansion House, under the presidency
of the Lord Mayor. A letter was read from the
Home Secretary discouraging the proposal to issue
a royal commission on the question. A report
from the sub-committee was read recom-
mending that 200 emigrants should be sent
as soon as possible to Quebec, 100 of them being
sent from Woolwich, where many men are now
unemployed. Free passages are given to families,
but the society has never assisted single men, and
some debate was held on the question. Various
suggestions were made, but the point was
not finally decided. It was resolved to ad-
vertise that the society was ready to receive
applications from persons willing to pay part
of their passage money. Very encouraging accounts
were received from Mr. Dixon, emigration agent for
Canada, who thought there would be no difficulty in
settling in that country 20,000 farm labourers, 2,000
female servants, 0,000 female farm servants, 3,000
navvies, 4,000 mechanics, and 0,000 agricultural
labourers. It was also stated that about 3,000 emi-
grants could be placed in good positions in West
£3,000 in hand.
Australia. The society has now

EQUALISATION OF POOR RATES.
On Monday a numerous deputation had an inter-
view with the President of the Poor-law Board to
request the Government to introduce a bill for the
equalisation of the poor rate through the metropolis.
Mr. Locke, M.P., explained the purpose of the
deputation, and a memorial was presented,
which had been adopted by an aggregate meeting of
vestry district boards and boards of guardians. Mr.
Goschen said that his own opinions were in favour
of the equalisation of the poor rates, and he
thought that they were travelling in' the right
direction for the accomplishment of such an object.
Ile saw difficulties, however, in the way of equalisa-
tion if the local management were left as it was.
The question was, what control would there be by
the ratepayers over the management of the rates
when the equalisation was effected ? Ile wished to
be candid, and he thought that means must be taken
to prevent on e pari sh from being lavish at the expense of
another. If the ratepayers of London would support
the Poor-law Board in the matter, he had no doubt
that they would arrive at a satisfactory conclusion.

VELOCIPEDES.
Velocipedes in the streets of large towns are like
'dirt—matter in the wrong place. Perambulators are
not altogether pleasant to foot passengers, but velo-
cipedes are perambulators run mad; and one might
almost as well have a locomotive steam engine
careering through the streets as one of the vehicles
which are now becoming so fashionable. A few days
ago a man was driving one of them through
Clerkenwell at the rate of twelve miles an hour. lie
knocked down three persons, ran over the foot of a
third, and then tried to run away. But he was
seized by the police, and will be prosecuted by the
vestry. Intending buyers of velocipedes will do well
to defer their purchase until it is known if the prose-
cution will be maintained.

THE THAMES AT 'WAPPING.
It may be a very
grand thing to live on the banks
of the noble river Thames,
but those who reside in the
classic region of Wapping evidently cannot under-
stand the honour of dwelling- in sight of the noble
forest of masts about which poets and essayists have
been wont to prate. A meeting of the inhabi-
tants of the district was held a day or two back,
when one of the speakers stated that whenever there
was a high tide the river overflowed, entered the
houses, and but a very short time ago the whole of
the inhabitants of one street were compelled to
remove from their tenements. When the water
subs Med the Boors and furniture of the inhabitants
were coated with mud, which emitted a most dis-
gusting odour. Another speaker, the landlord
of a public-house said he had had his cellar full of
water four times in three weeks, and on the last
occsion it was full for two days. A boat was then
plying for hire along the main street. The meeting
proceeded to pass resolutions calling upon the
Government to erect an embankment. The Hercules
of the Treasury will be sure to tell the .:sr to put
his own shoulder to the wheel, v,-:1; Hse the
Thames-siders to make the embank I. y. them-
selves, for certainly the Chancellor of the Exchequer
will not help them.

PIRATING ENG RAN G

Mr. Graves, the engraver, of Pall Mall, is making
a succession of raids upon the printsellers who are
iairating his pictures. It is not surprising that he