The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-11 00:00:00

WORKING MEN AND .POLITICS:,

The first general meeting of the London Working Men's
Association for the .3ar has just been held, Mr. George
Potter presiding. In opening the proceeding, the chair-
man said that it had been resolved upon by a sub-committee
that an agitation should be organised with a view to secure
the repeal of the ratepaying clause of the Reform Bill.
Working men complainedthat theybad to pay rates in addi-
tion to their rents. The section of the new Reform Bill to
which he had alluded, entailed an increase of is. or is. 6d.
a week in excess of what they formerly paid, and even
the vestries felt themselves incapable of completing
their collections. The association had also resolved on
promoting the labour registration scheme, and several
influential members of Parliament had expressed their
approval of the, movement. One of their number had
already issued an address to the eleotors of one of the
metropolitan boroughs. He did not know whether the
proposal he was about to make would meet with the ap-
proval of the society. They bad resolved that the committee
should consist altogether of working men, and that the
board of trustees should be formed of gentlemen, among
whom were Mr. M`Cullagh Torrens and other prominent
The present aspect of things was far from
encouraging. The Working Men's Association had no
sympathy with any physical force movement. The working
men of England had now sufficient power to procure a
redress of their grieVances by moral, legitimate, and con-
stitutional means. He regretted that the oligarchy of the
country were still unwilling to give up any portion of the
power of which they had the monopoly so long, and he was
sorry to have to add that great apathy existed among the
working men of England regarding the objects the asso-
ciation was seeking to advance. He believed that on the
reassembling of Parliament several members of the House
of Commons would become honorary members of the
association, and there was no doubt that they would then
receive a considerable accession to their numbers. They
would endeavour to promote the subject of education, and
the Irish Church and the Irish land question would also
engage their most earnest attention. It was a disgrace to
our civilisation that only one in forty of the people of
England could read and write. He trusted that in a shOrt
time their children would be able to obtain as good,a, secular
and rational 'education as the youth of any other country.
They would soon- put prominently before the public
the true principles of trades union societies. The oppo-
nents of trades unions should remember that these associ-
ations had superseded secret societies, and the proportion
of working men who now advocated physical force against
those who differed from them was very insignificant com-
paratively with the number which would have advised
that course of -procedure some few years ago. A resolution
was then passed condemnatory of " a proposed loyal and
anti-Fenian meeting," organised by the Metropolitan
Conservative Working Men's Association. One of the
delegates present (Mr. Gilmore) remarked that Mr. Digby
Seymour's appeal to the Irishmen in Loudon to sign an
address asserting their loyalty to the Throne was an insult
to those to whom the appeal was particularly directed,
and the resolution was altered to comprise the opinion ex-
pressed by Mr. Gilmore.

PURCHASE OF IRISH RAILWAYS.

---..---

FISHING TACKLE, ETC., AT THE PARIS

EXHIBITION.

(From Land and Water.)

Following upon the exhibitions. of fishing gear,
fish-culture, and fish-products held at Arcachon
and Boulogne, it was to be expected that the Paris
Exhibition would contain a highly interesting col-
lection of these objects, and accordingly I devoted
no little time to the search after and examination of
such things as appertain to the res piscaria et
piscaloria, with what result I will briefly state.
Piscicultural apparatus figured largely in the cata-
logue, but with the exception of a few specimens of
fish-hatching exhibited in the subterranean aqua-
rium in the French g,arden, which have .been de-
scribed by your Paris correspondent, there was
little to be seen. The liuningue establishment sent
a complete set of apparatus which seemed to puzzle
the spectators as to their application, particularly
the blow-pipes and egg-carriers. There was also a
very complete series of fresh-water fish alive in the
aquariums, but these have also ben done ample
justice to by your Paris:correspondent. But, like
your Paris correspondent, I wandered upstairs and
downstairs searching for the salt-water fish " all
alive," which were promised by the catalogue, but
with the same result. 'We could not see them for
the same reason that Mr. Toots could not see Sol
Gills, because, as Captain Cattle said; he was
" inwincible."

In the interior of the building there were several
fish-hatching apparatus, particularly those of Car-
bonnier of Paris ; but, as far as I saw, they were
but a " beggarly account of empty boxes." The
Irish Fisheries Company sent a number of models
of fish passes and ladders, but they were in a remote
and back settlement, and there was no attendant

to give any information about them. Howbeit they
obtained a medal. Perhaps their best models were

illustrations of various methods of preventing sal-
mon from approaching mill wheels, such as iron
-:wire gates, and revolving drums of wire, which
would prevent the fish ascending without stopping
the flow of water.

English flybooks. Poor Massas and his cannes ru-
bannes were not visible, but I saw many beautiful
specimens of the red and bamboo rods. Walking-
stick rods there were, and I saw an umbrella-rod,
which I have often dreamt of, but never supposed a
possible combination.
French gut is much thicker than ours, but also
much stronger than that which has been lately im-
ported into England. I fancy the Spaniards must
be playing some trick with the manufacture. I
fancy they arc taking to fishing, as I saw a collec-
tion of trout-fly, feathers, and flies sent by one Val-
gonia from Spain. j!idgiiig by the flits, the fisli
must be still very unsophisticate I there.

ENTRIES FOR THE SPRINU

HANDICAPS.

[The following appeared in our Latest Edition of yester-
day evening.]
THE CITY AND SUBURBAN II kNDICA.P.
Of 15 sous each, 10 ft, and only 5 if declared by the time
to bo named when the weights appear, with 200 sore
added. The last mile and a quarter. 141 subs. The
weights to be published in due time.

The Pr-liner, Wolsey, Cotytto, Goojerat, Captain Kidd,
Citron, Tremble, Charuwood, Lozenge, Leap Year, Slan-
derer, Fire-entor, Thu Breach, Speculum, Corinne, Silenus,
Chtiron, Lt galia, Stralbroke, Ravioli, Snowdrop, Pur-
veyor Cz tr, Bandmaster, Woath:r Milton, Gut--
nianitute, Veadone, Wane Wiae, Coaua drum, Attack- c,
Bon Nevis, Rittlehol,,er, Aggravator, Priority, Stokeley,
Manoeuvre t, llippia, Nyanza, Itassian Bear, Dt:ke of York,
Lady Civoutry, lues, Van Am!largli, Lueetta, Cautial +u,
Lord Paluterst St. R.m.in, Veda, Kui,lti
of tno Garter, Eleouora, Special, Duchess, All in the Dark,
Sour Grapes, The Shrew, Peodor, Chivalry, Grey Stock-
ing, Vortigern, Thu Curvoral, The Doan, Eastley, Con-
tempt, lunerdale, Ciernenco, A ctma, Leases, Litter,
Choral, Louis of Hesse, Westwick, War, Belzoni, The
Student, M tyflowor, The Parson, Child of the Is-
lands, Lady Rosehill, Kingsland, Honestish, Lord Lyon,
Gipsy King, Catiline, Lord of the Dales, Loga-
rithm, Lady Diana, Ceylon, Viridis, Seville, Rldbourne,
Caucasus, Aquila, Papillon, Flela colt, Franchise, Pic-nit-,
Catton, Tormentor, Melbourne, Birdseeker, Paul Jones,
Vigorous, Chelsea, Adam Bade, Fitz-Ivan, Lionel, Aber-
geldie, Ifedivivus, Ailesbury, Bessie Dixon, -Redcap, Chel-
tenham, Kiug Charming, Musician, Miss Harriette, Pirate
Chief, Cavalier, Knight Errant, Numa Pompilius, Romp-
ing Girl, Thalia, Demon, Foresight, Rabbit Trap, Proser-
pine, The Returned, Laneret, Licymnia, Vespit.sian, Clarice,
Prince Regent, Wild Moor, Skipjack, Brother to Knight of
the Crescent, Dragon, Montagnard, Nemea, Montgoubert,
and Victorieuse.*

* This filly was entered as Victorious°, with her pedi-
gree, in th,3 plate for which she ran on Saturday in the
last Houghton Meeting, but she is erroneously described
in the Book Calendar of Races Past as Victorieuse 11.
Her name has not been changed, and the figure was added
to identify her with the filly running in France as Vic-
torieuse 11. There is a•regulation in France which re-
quires that horses of the ,same name shall be distinguished
in the Bulletin Official, by a number denoting the order in
which they have received the name, but as there is no
such regulation in England, she is here properly described
as Victurieuse.