The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-05 00:00:00

HAY MARKETS.

SMITHPIELD.—Meadow hay, £2 to £5 ; clover, £3 10s
to £6 Os Od ; and straw, £1 8s to £1 16s Od per load.
A fair demand.

CUMBERLAND.—Meadow hay, £2 53 to £•5 Os ; clover
do., £3 lOs to £5 16s ; and straw, £1 8s to £1 16s per load.
Trade dull.
WHITECHAPEL.—Meadow hay, £2 Os to £5 Os; clover,
£3 lOs to £6 Os Od ; and straw, £1 8s to £1 16s per load.
Supply tolerably g od.

FOREIGN MAIL PACKET LIST.

NATIONAL PROVIDENT INSTITUTION.

A special meeting of the members of this institu-
tion was held yesterday at the London Tavern,
Bishopsgate street—Mr. Samuel Lucas in the chair
—in obedience to the 22d rule of the institution,
and in pursuance of a requisition signed by forty
members and delivered to the secretary—to consider
and, if approved of, to pass the following resolu-
tions :

1. "That, in the opinion of this meeting, the
practice which has been adopted by certain candi-
dates for the direction of the National Provident
Institution, and notoriously at the last election, of
payment of the expenses of members voting, is most
injurious; and this meeting believes that such a
practice tends to deteriorate the character of the
board, and to lower the institution in public estima-
tion.

2. " That it is the opinion of this meeting that
any person having obtained a seat at the board by
the payment of member's expenses, in the event of
his again appealing to his fellow members for re-
election, should be strenuously opposed by every
policyholder who has the best interests of the insti-
tution at heart, unless he pledges himself to conduct
his canvass in accordance with the principle now
affirmed, of purity of election."
The notice convening the meeting and the requi-
sition having been read,
The CHAIRMAN said, that agreeably to the notice
which had been read, they were assembled to con-
sider the subject therein proposed to be discussed.
He would not detain the meeting farther than by
expreosing a hope that the matter would be argued
with calmness, and would be free from that excite-
ment which was manifested at the close of their last
special meeting ; and he would farther request that,
as in all probability many gentlemen would be dis-
posed to speak on the subject, every speaker would
be as concise as possible, and keep closely to the
points at issue.

Mr. TIIWAITES quite concurred in the observa-
tions which the chairman had made, that this
question should be discussed in a calm spirit, and
that they should endeavour rather by reasoning to
convince each other than allow any exhibition of
ill-temper to prevail. He had been requested to
move the first resolution (as given above) ; and he
need hardly say, on behalf of himself and his brother
members who had signed that requisition, that they
had done so without regard to the interests of any
individual candidate. (Cheers.) This was not a
new question ; it had been agitated at the 'last
election, and ten or twelve years ago, when he was
a member, certain resolutions were passed condem-
natory of the practice to which the resolution re-
ferred, and condemnatory also of the interference
of the directors at the election of members to the
board. The practice of paying the expenses of
members who came up to vote for candidates had
been openly avowed. They had only to ask them-
selves what must be the effect of such a practice
on the welfare of the institution ? And here, he ob-
served, he could not be under any imputation of being,
or seeking to be, a candidate for a seat at the board,
but it was clear to him the practice referred to must
of necessity tend to lower the independence and
character of the institution. In proof of this, he
would remind the meeting that, some 10 or 12 years
since, there were two nominations of gentlemen as
candidates for a seat at the board. One of these
gentlemen was unknown, though a respectable man,
but a stranger to the friends of the institution. The
election proceeded, and the retiring director, with
all the influence of the board to back him, was
ejected; and when the ballot was completed, it ap-
peared that the retiring director had 400 or 500
votes in his favour, while the stranger was elected
in his place, having 600 or 700 votes. The result
of such a system would be, if continued, that they
would exclude from the board men of high stand-
ing and independence, and they would introduce
among that body men who were brought from
obscurity. Thus they would gradually weed out
men of the highest honour, character, and intelli-
gence. Then, again, he called upon the members
to take into their consideration the baneful influ-
ence which such a system must have on the agents
in the different parts of the country. If agents in
the country acted as parliamentary agents did,
there would be a very considerable sum paid to
them. He contended that if the system of paying
the expenses of country voters at elections were
longer tolerated the board, which was now inde-
pendent of all influences, would become a mere
subservient body to the agents and others. Then,
again, there was the consideration of the careful
selection of lives, which might be less attended to
by external influences to be exercised by agents;
and they might hereafter be called upon to alter
their rates of insurance. It was said that they were
depriving country members of their privilege, but
he had thought to vote when he came up to Lon-
don to register his vote. Had faith ever been
broken with any one of the members ? Again,
it was said that if they refused to pay their
expenses they must resort to the practice of voting
by proxy. If they did so, what would be the
effect ? Why, the evil would be increased ten-
fold. (Applause.) If they turned to the case of
railways, the various loop lines and branches which
bad been unfortunately made were carried by the
majority of directors, who held the proxies of a vast
number of shareholders. (Applause.) He called
upon the members at once to put a stop to these
vicious practices, and concluded by moving the reso-
lution.

The Pillar Room being very much crowded, there
were loud cries of " Adjourn upstairs," and several
appeals having been made to the chairman, the
meeting in a few minutes rushed upstairs to the
ball-room, which hadbeen in the meantime furnished
with seats, &c.
Mr. CONNELL seconded the resolution, and reite-
rated the arguments of Mr. Thwaites, amidst great
applause.

The CHAIRMAN rose to put the question, when
Mr. BERESFORD thought the terms in which the
resolution was couched were very ambiguous.
" Payment of the expenses of members voting."
here WAS no explanation of what these expenses
What were expenses, and where was the
impurity to which this resolution was to give a
death-blow. Ile did not deny that in his own case
he had paid the bare fare of persons coming up from
the country to vote for him, but not one shilling
more. (Cries of " Oh.") If this were designated as
bribery and corruption it was mere clap-trap.
(Hisses.) Having entered into a series of personali-
ties, he stated his intention to obtain a seat at the
board.

were.

Mr. DODD next addressed the meeting. He
thought the sentiments expressed by the last
speaker strengthened the propriety of passing this
resolution.

Mr. Alderman PHILLIPS said he came there to
support this resolution,viihdi and he had heard nothing
h
in the discussiond otherwise than strengthen
his conviction that e
primarily
the resolution should
; but the m
be carried mere carrying
the resolution
t
meant nothing withoutfurther action, and
left them in the position they Were ey
safe were before. This
was really a question of the cusotnoedy inof
whichtw'o
millions of money, and the subject as
personal feelings ought to weigh.
Mr. CHAMBERS (the Common Sergeant) called
upon the secretary to read a resolution which
was
on the minutes of a meeting held on the 14th Dec.,
1849. (The Secretary read the' resolution, which
was to the effect that the meeting was of opinion
that the payment of the travelling expenses of
members for the purpose of voting for candidates
at elections was a practice fraught with danger,
and tended to deteriorate the character of the
board; and that it was inconsistent that that board
should interfere in the election of members to the
board.) Now, the difference between the resolution
proposed by Mr. Thwaites and that which had just
been read was that the former was personal in its
allusions. It was a remarkable circumstance that
two resolutions should be framed in ten years on
this subject. His opinion was in favour of both the
resolutions, tut he liked the older one because it
was impersonal. He regretted that from the force
of circumstances the one presented to this meeting
as very personal. But an unanimous opinion had
been recorded on the question, and why not leave
the matter there? He could not see that the coun-
try mew)
could be said to be on an equally _

favourable footing with those who were resident in
London. After some further remarks, the learned
gentleman proposed as an amendment, " That in
the opinion of this meeting it is desirable that some
change should be made in the mode of election for
directors and auditors, with the view e Vat an end
to the disadvantage under which m embers in the
country labour ; and that the board be requested to
form a scheme, to be submitted to the next general
meeting, for carrying out that object." He con-
tended that nothing could be so bad as that a great
society like this should be divided.
Mr. TULLY seconded the amendment.

Mr. THWAITES thought the amendment should
not be put, as this was a special meeting for a spe-
cial purpose, and ho appealed to the chairman.

The CHAIRMAN considered they were proceeding
in order, and that the amendment could be put.
Mr. HARVEY, who was the bearer of a requisition
from nearly 50 members at Colchester, said Mr.
Chambers's amendment would meet their wishes.
Mr. LEAN, of Birmingham, representing 63 re-
quisitionists, holding policies amounting in the
aggregate to £53,000, expressed a similar feeling.
Here many personalties were indulged in by
Messrs. Freeman and others,whichwere discontinued
only on an appeal made to them by the chairman,
and indeed during nearly four hours the greatest
irregularity and confusion prevailed.
Mr. SCOTT RUSSELL, after some remarks, con-
cluded by suggesting the following words :—" That
this meeting are of opinion that a change is neces-
sary in the mode by which country members give
their votes, and that it is desirable to enable them
to give their votes at less personal cost than at pre-
sent." He should indeed recommend Mr. Cham-
bers's amendment, with the alteration of a few
words.

The CHAIRMAN here announced that he was in-
structed by the solicitor to say that Mr. Chambers's
amendment could not be put. (Cheers.)
Mr. Alderman Henry Smith, of Cambridge, Mr.
Kemp, of Maidstone, Mr. Newman, of Gravesend,
as representing a large number of members in each
of these towns, advocated the adoption of Mr.
Chambers's amendment.

Mr. THWAITES replied, and the question was put;
when, with the exception of some half dozen hands,
the whole meeting voted for the resolution amidst
immense cheering.
Mr. CONNELL moved and Mr. HARTNELL se-
conded the second resolution, which was carried
with four or five dissentients,

A vote of thanks to the Chairman, which was
gracefully responded to, closed the protracted pro-
ceedings.