VEtrupplis.
It was arranged last week that a meeting in favour of the restoration of Poland should be held on the 1st August ; but on the appointed day the public were informed that, in consequence of the indisposition of Sir De Lacy Evans, who was to have presided, and some delay in making other arrangements, the meeting was postponed. On Wednesday, a considerable number of persons assembled in St. Martin's Hall,—the Earl of Harring- ton in the chair,—for the purpose above described. Among those present were six Members of Parliament,—Sir Robert Peel, Lord Ebrington, Captain Townsbend, Mr. Isaac Butt, Mr. Francis Mowatt, and Mr. Tile; and among the Poles Count Zamoyski, Mr. Zaba, and Lieutenant-Colonel Szulezewski. In opening the proceedings, Lord Harrington told the meeting that the restoration of Poland was not only the policy of the Liberal, but of the Conservative statesmen of Europe—Castlereagh, Hum- boldt, Metternich, Talleyrand, Palmerston, Lord John Russell. Making a reference to "that great man," Lord Palmerston, the chairman was met by "groans," but be succeeded in calling forth a storm of applause with saying that the course we ought to pursue should be to enter Bessarabia, and there raise the standard of Poland. Lord Ebrington, received with " groans," moved the first resolution, declaring that the restoration of Po- land would afford the best security for the preservation of the balance of power. Great changes have taken place in the position of England. Aus- tria declines to take any part in checking an aggression which she has con- demned. There are 200,000 Poles serving unwillingly in the armies of Russia ; an exhibition of the Polish standard would attract them from those armies; and on grounds of European and English policy, we ought to establish a Polish Legion, and "entertain the idea" of the restoration of Poland. Sir Robert Peel, seconding the resolution, warmly denounced those "false patriots" who counsel an abandonment of the war; looked to the restoration of Poland as one of the results of that war ; and, cast- ing a prophetic glance into the abyss of time, saw a Christian kingdom established on the Bosphorus—the best guarantee of permanent peace. In his opinion the alliance of Austria had been too much courted, for the experience of history proved that it was impossible to place confidence in the pacific declarations of Austria or of Prussia. • It was, therefore, necessary for this country to keep its own course ; not truckling to Austria nor toady- ing to the degraded policy of Prussia. These were, it was said, delicate topics to touch upon, but away, he said, with all such delicate forbearance ! Throughout the meeting groans had followed every mention of the name of Lord Palmerston. Towards its close, Mr. Collet, a disciple of Mr. Urquhart, and a Mr. Hart, moved an amendment, amid great uproar, to the effect that "the destruction of Polish nationality is mainly owing to the perfidious conduct of Lord Palmerston from 1831 to 1846."
"That so long as Lord Palmerston is a servant of the Crown no proposi- tion for the restoration of Poland can be anything but a delusion and a scare. That the truth of this resolution is proved by the fact that Lord Palmerston has carried on the war in such a manner as to avoid, as far as possible, in- juring Russia, while he has proposed terms of peace which would entirely destroy the independence of Turkey." The chairman suggested that the original resolution should be first put, as it only formed part of a series; Mr. Collet objected ; hence great dis- turbance; during which the Earl of Harrington left the chair. The meet- ing having been much thinned, Mr. George Thompson appeared, and putting the amendment, declared it carried—with only " six " dis- sentients.
The Administrative Reform Association held a meeting at the London Tavern on Wednesday,—Mr. Morley in the chair,—for the purpose of receiving a Report from the Committee. This was a long document describing the proceedings of the Committee, and containing a proposal for the reform of the Civil Service. It is proposed that itinerant courts of examiners should hold periodic sittings, where "any Bri- tish subject" may present himself for examination, and, if passed, may then go before a central department, composed of three persons nomi- nated by the Crown. The examination to be open and competitive ; and the appointments, as they fall vacant, to be given to the candidates "with the highest number of marks." The report also approved of the appoint- ment of Mr. Willes to a Judgeship, and Sir William Molesworth to the Colonial Office ; and urged the appointment of Mr. Rowland Hill as Postmaster-General. The Chairman moved, and Mr. Tite seconded, the adoption of the report. [Since Mr. Tite was elected Member for Bath, by the self-denying ordinance of the Association, he has ceased to be a deputy chairman.] A discordant debate followed; during which the Committee were lectured for not proposing remedies, for proposing any- thing so absurd as their civil service reform scheme, for acting as approvers- general of Government appointments, for "too little energy "—so that two members of the 'Committee were forced to confess that they had " prematurely " reported. But although nearly all the speakers—Mr. Brown M.P., Mr. Ayrton, Sergeant Gaselee, Colonel Sleigh, Mr. George Thompson—objected to something in the Report, yet, as " unanimity " was desirable, they adopted the whole while they disapproved of the ?arts. After this the meeting broke up.
The proposed Raglan memorial makes some progress. On Tuesday, a se- cond meeting was held at the house of the Duke of Richmond ; in which Sir George Brown, the Earl of Ellesmere, the Duke of Bedford, the Duke of Richmond, Lord Downes, and others, took part. It was unanimously resolved that a freehold estate shall be purchased and entailed on the descendants of Lord Raglan to commemorate his services ; and that a public subscription should be opened for that purpose. The known sub- scriptions at present amount to 51111. It is proposed to purchase the land adjoining Raglan Castle. The head-quarters of Fairfax, when he laid siege to the Castle, was on a farm included in the estate.
Wild Court, Drury Lane, long the opprobrium of that quarter, has undergone a complete transformation at the hands of the Society for Improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes. Up to November last, this notorious court sheltered about 1000 persons in its thirteen houses. These crowded dwellings and their inmates werein estate of indescribable filth, and the place was the resort of the worst and lowest characters. In November, the Society undertook to cleanse this human sty, and they have accomplished the task at a cost of 17001. The filth has been removed, the drainage made more effective, and due supplies of water insured, and the interiors of the rooms have been rearranged so as ho secure ventilation, comfort, and decency. The rooms now accommodate 83 fernlike, instead of 200, and they enjoy this superior accommodation at a little less than the old rental. On Monday, the Earl of !Shaftesbury and a number of gentlemen interested in the schemes of the Society inspected the new arrangements.
Sir John Dean Paul and Mr. Bates still remain in prison, having failed to abtain sureties.
Hannah Tribe, keeper of a beer-shop in Church Row, St. Pancras, and her young daughter' have perished in a fire which destroyed the house. Mrs. Tribe was in difficulties, having been deceived as to the amount of business attached to the house, which she had recently taken; and she was in a very desponding state on the evening preceding the fire ; but there was no evidence adduced before the Coroner to show that the fire had been wil- fully caused by her with a view to self-destruction. While the fire was raging she appeared at a window calling to a Policeman to get a ladder; he told her to jump out and he would catch her; but she declined to do this, ran to an upper floor, and soon after disappeared.
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