The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-29 00:00:00

711 E CABS OF LONDON.

A large and general meeting of the London cab
trade was held at the Agricultural Hall last even-
ing, with the avowed
_object of
,declaring war
against all of the public who travel by the railways
having termini in London. The meeting was called
in accordance with resolutions of previous meetings,
at which the " trade" arrived at the conclusion
that they had a grievance in the fact that railway
companies have established a privilege for certain
cabs to ply for hire within the stations, to the ex-
clusion of the non-privileged trade.

The " trade" struck work in the streets in the
generalplaces of hiringat an early hour in the even-
ing, and the public, who have been led to rely
upon a readiness of conveyance by cabs, had to
find other means of journeying from one to another
point of the metropolis. But the travellers by rail-
ways, the very people whom the trade sought
to inconvenience, found means of conveyance by
the privileged cabs, which generally speaking wero
to be found at their posts in readiness for the in-
coming trains.

The cab proprietors and cabmen who attended
the Agricultural Hall drove generally to the meet-
ing in overloaded cabs and carts. The men caused
no little uproar as they drove through the streets
by cheering each other and shouting loudly at any
privileged driver they met with a fare. In the hall
itself, just before the meeting commenced, the
scene was somewhat novel. There were some
6,000 or 8,000 people, and the majority were
" out.of-door" people—that is to say, the regular
" London cabby ;" the ostler and driver proprietor
classes were in strong force, with a sprinkling of
that class of the public who will always attend
demonstrations where there is anything like forcible
language to be heard. The galleries of the large
hall seemed to be pretty full, and in part of the
meeting there was considerable uproar among the
people located there, and the declaration was made,
in answer to an appeal for silence and order, that
they " could'nt hear nothing." The early part of
the meeting was somewhat lively, for processions,
organized on the latest demonstration plan, came
into the hall headed by bands of music and banners
One of the banners bare the inscription, " Justice,
and no more ; our rights and no less." The chair
was taken by Mr. Gower, whose name is well
known in connection with horse sales, and around
him, on a temporary platform erected in the hall,
were many of the largest cab proprietors. When
the music had ceased and the people had settled
down into quietness,
Mr. WELLBELOVED, a proprietor driver, moved
the first resolution, which was as follows .—" That
as the metropolitan railway companies have de-
cline] to do away with the railway privilege system
of granting to certain hackney carriage proprietors
leave for plying at the various railway stations,
but without giving any proper reasons for so doing,
we, the proprietors and drivers, hereby pledge our-
selves to make a definite stand against such an
and only beneficial
un-
just monopoly, injurious to the hackney carriage
tor the
who receive annually
useless
railway
about £12,000 for granting such privilege, and re-
toeotelhpeaupiuebs,lic,
tain in their possession about £2,000 deposit money."
He declared that the street cabs were just as good
as the other cabs, and he said they were inspected
alike by the police, who charged £6,000 a year for
the " job." He proceeded to urge that an injustice
was done to the cab trade by shutting it out of the
stations, as the men driving the cabs could not go
on stands as there were not enough stands, and if
they strayed about the streets they were summoned,
the result of which often took them to " incarcera-
tion." He dwelt upon the honesty of the " British
cabby" in withstanding all such temptations as were
held out by the fact of the police giving a mere trifle
for any valuable article found in a cab, even when
taken by the " cabby" to the station.
Mr. CASE seconded the resolution, and told the
men if they kept firmly together they would have
the victory.
The resolution was then carried amid loud
cheering. _

Mr. PEARCE proposed the second resolution, which
was as follows :—" We, the non-privileged hackney
carriage proprietors and drivers, in conjunction with
many having such railway privilege, resolve not to
enter any railway station or put on any cab-stand
near a station, for the purpose of plying for hire, on
and after Saturday, the 29th of August inst., until
the railway companies shall throw open their sta-
tions to all hackney carriages (subject only to proper
traffic regulations) ; and we pledge ourselves not
to allow any of our cabs to ply for hire before 11
o'clock in the morning, and that the night cabs be
home at 2 o'clock the following morning ; unless the
companies will accede to our request within tix
days, we further pledge ourselves to withdraw our
cabs from the streets." He urged the drivers not to
meet the night mail trains, and not to be out time
enough to take passengers to the early trains. In
point of fact, he urged that it would be advisable
not to take fares to the railway stations at all,
leaving the privileged cabs to come and fetch the
traffic.

Mr. EVANS, who was well received, seconded the
motion, which was also carried.

The proceedings came to a conclusion by votes of
thanks to the chairman and secretary.

The men on leaving the meeting were urged to go
quietly home.

NEW INDUSTRIES.—A beet sugar manufacturing
company on a large scale is being formed in London.
Another company has subscribed a large capital for the
development of the mineral oil lands in Southern Italy,
and an association is being formed for the purpose of rais-
ing oil in the province of Modena and bringing it in a
refined state to the English market.—The Grocer and Oil
Trade Review.

EXTRAORDINARY DEATH.—Yesterday informa-
tion was given of the death of Mr. John Curtis, aged 58,
who had lived at 7, Chelsea-cottages, Surbiton. It ap-
peared that the deceased gentleman had a wasp's nest in
his garden, and in order to destroy it filled a piece of lead-
piping with gunpowder. lie put one end of the piping in
the hole of the nest, and applied a fusee-match to the
other end, the consequence being that the powder ex-
ploded upwards and blew off the hand of the deceased,
mortification supervening, and, finally, death. An inquest
ill be held on Monday afternoon.

Musical. ITEMS.—MdIIe. Kellogg has left for
Paris. Wagner's "Rienzi" is to be given in Paris at the
Theatre Lyrique, under the direction of the well-known
M. Pasdeloup. A fine new organ, built by Merklin-
Schutze fur the parish church of St. Denis, Paris, has just
been consecrated there. Adeliaa Patti has sung before a
most distiuguished company at Hombourg ; her admirers
Isay she is in bettor voice than ever.—Mtoical 'Standard.