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The importers and dealers in tea feel aggrieved by the proposed retention of the war-duty on tea, "contrary to the act of Parliament in 1855." They met at the London Tavern on Monday ; Mr. Moffatt M.P. in the chair. Mr. Gillman proposed, and Mr. Locock seconded, a resolution, "That the meeting heard with extreme surprise of the proposition of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, by which the duty was to be continued upon tea, contrary to the pledge involved in the act of 1855, and upon the faith of which all existing contracts in that important trade had been made ; and that they accordingly protested against that breach of faith, as alike disadvantageous to the interests of the revenue, the trade, and the public." The resolution was supported by Alderman Sidney, and carried by acclamation. A committee was appointed to confer with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the subject.
The tea-merchants met again on Tuesday ; when the chairman, Mr. Moffatt, told them that he and others had seen the Chancellor of the Exchequer, but the only answer they could obtain to a statement of their case was, that "he was sorry for it, but could not help them." In a strong resolution the meeting recorded its disappointment, and resolved to petition Parliament for justice.
The Religious Liberty party dined together at the London Tavern on Wednesday. They mustered a company of thirteen Members of Parliament—Sir W. Clay, Mr. Cheetham, Mr. Barnes, Mr. Lindsay, Mr. Miall, Mr. Bell, Mr. Weguelin, Mr. Milligan, Mr. Kershaw, Mr. Heyworth, Sir James Anderson, Mr. Pollard-Urquhart, and Sir Morton Pete. Mr. J. It. Mills occupied the chair. The speeches made and toasts proposed may be expressed in the words of the first sentiment proposed from the chair—" Equal civil and political advantages to persons in every class of the community, irrespective of religious distinctions, an essential element of liberal policy."
The joint members of the Law Amendment Society and the National Reformatory Union met on Monday evening, to consider the bill for the suppression of juvenile vagrancy by the establishment of Industrial Schools, brought into Parliament last week by Sir Stafford Northcote. Lord Brougham presided; and Lord Robert Cecil, the Bishop of London, the Lord Mayor Sir Stafford Northcote, and others, took part in the proceedings. The meeting adopted the bill, with some modifications in the details.
The Ragged School Union appears to be in debt. The Committee have not appealed to the public for aid for eight years. Some 150,000 children have passed through the schools of the Union, and much good has been done. A meeting was held at the Mansionhouse on Thursday to explain the state of affairs, and appeal to the public. Lord Shaftesbury, the Lord Mayor, and others, strongly supported the appeal. At the close of the 'meeting, it was stated that 15001. had boon subscribed. The sum requfred'is 50001.
The meetings of the " unemployed " are assuming a decidedly political aspect. Mr. Ernest Jones, objecting to the course adopted by the working men at the recommendation of Pearce and M'Ileath, called a meeting to be held on Tuesday at Smithfield. Large numbers answered the call. Mr. Jones then denounced the M'Heath specifies for the relief of the unemployed—emigration, and parish relief ; and called on the meeting to say whether they had confidence either in them or in Parliament. The meeting emphatically flecided that it had not. Mr. Jones proposed two substitutes—the land, and reform of Parliament.
He avowed his belief that he was the only man in the kingdom who could, on his own invitation, call together so large a meeting as the one before him ; and he wished the Government to know, that in every manufacturing town in the kingdom he could, in proportion to its size, collect as important a one. He would, while keeping within the law, organize a union between the employed and unemployed in one town with the employed and unemployed in another ; mould them into a great army, that would act with the precision of a machine and the influence of a host ; and he would make diem shake hands over the grave of Despotism. He would call on them to rally round such an organization, demanding universal suffrage and the People's Charter. (Great cheers.) He would not again convene them, but if they wanted hum he would come to them and lend them every assistance in his power ; and he would show them what a million or two of man could achieve with a determined mind at their head.
In order to flow that he was not mixed up with "Ernest Jones and his crew of political bankrupts," Mr. M'Heath called a meeting at Agar Town ; but it was very scantily attended. From the place of meeting the men marched to the workhouse ; where they met with but little encouragement.
The funeral obsequies of Stanislans Worcell, the Polish exile, were performed on Monday, in the Highgate Cemetery. Between four and five hundred (persons were present, among them Signor Mazzini and other refugees. The remarkable incident on the occasion was the adoption of the Continental practice—not unprecedented among us—of delivering a funeral oration over the grave. The orator on this occasion was M. Ledru-Rollin. In the course of his speech he said
" The life of Sten ;glans Worrell was so simple, so prudent, so modest, so utterly devoid of all ostentation—in a word, so truly Republican—that I, who have known him twenty years only yesterday. knew the full measure of his devotedness, the whole extent of his sacrifices. While so many in these times dishonour themselves for riches and for rank—when gold is Clod and avarice virtue—when society, in its delirious whirl, makes one think of the chapter which Machiavel entitles 'Of those who have made themselves princes by their crimes '—it sufficed that Worcell should be born to show us one of the earth's truly great men. Of an ancient and noble lineage, the possessor of immense wealth, several times a millionaire, allied to princely families, he cast honours, rank, and fortune into the abyss wherein lies buried his beloved Poland. A ruler of the old world, he made himself, without pretence, a simple citizen of a new world. There is yet more; he, so tender, so good, so loving, broke, in the holy interest of his cause, the tenderest ties : comrades and children having been, by reason of their rank, protected by the hangman of his country and loaded with favours, he repudiated them as polluted by the foul contact. Be broke asunder the bonds of kindred to enter unrestrained the great family. of mankind. Honoured be this antique virtue ! (Cries of " Honneur ti /us !") This agony of soul and body he endured for seventeen years without flinching—without once falsifying his resolve. A sign a word, would have sufficed to repossess him of all; he scorned to yield. Seventeen years—glorious struggle! His pilgrimage was measured literally day by day, hour by hour, by suffering. Always calm, always serene, always self-possessed, he never ceased to smile at adversity as others smile at good fortune. Poland, mankind, you have lost in Worcell one of your noblest children ! Thrice be he honoured ! "
Mr. Allen, travelling-clerk to the Post-office, recovered 14001., in the Court of Common Pleas, on Wednesday, from the Chester and Holyhead Railway Company, as compensation for a concussion of the brain, spinal affection, and consequent disorder of certain organs, the result of a blow during a collision on the railway. The trial was remarkable for the conflicting testimony of the medical witnesses. But, said the Chief Justice, it is a proverb that doctors disagree, and experience shows that they never disagree more than when they are in a court of law.
Mrs. Mackintosh, a lady of independent means, has recovered 4501., in the Court of Common Pleas, from the London and North-Western Railway. The station-master at Aber compelled her to alight at a dangerous spot beyond the platform of the station, rather than cause the tram to be backed for eighty yards. In getting down her leg was broken. The Jury said there was "gross-negligence.'
A Jury in the Court of Queen's Bench has given a verdict for 2500/. as compensation to the widow and children of Mr. Mark Hicks, a commercial traveller' who was killed by an "accident" in November last on the Newpost and Hereford Railway.
The unfortunate shareholders and creditors of the Royal British Bank have escaped a new gulf for swallowing up money in law. Mr. Marcus sought for leave to appeal to the House of Lords against the decision in Chancery in favour of the bankruptcy of the bank. The Lords Justices of Appeal gave judgment on Wednesday : they rejected the application, but solely on the point of time—the application should have been made on the instant, not after so much way had been made in declaring dividends, selling of property, and the like, under the bankruptcy.
Mr. Harrison a gentleman living at Enfield, has been fined 108. and costa hF the Worship Street Magistrate for "unlawfully delaying one of the officers of the astern Counties Railway in the execution of his duty." When asked for his ticket at Stratford, Mr. Harrison pretended to look for it, turning out the multifarious contents of his pockets—envelopes, pieces of gun-wadding, a razor-strop, a penknife—and examining each article singly to see if that was the ticket. At length he produced a season-ticket. The train had been delayed six minutes by Mr. Harrison's conduct. The Motive was to set at defiance a new rule of the Company that a seasonticket muse be shown each time it is used : Mr. Hemmill said it was clear that the Company had a right to demand this. It was Stated that there were similar charges against other passengers ; but a legal decision having been obtained on this one, they were not pressed.
It turns out that "Widow Allsop " is not that meritorious person she pretends to be. Mr. Broughton the Marylebone Magistrate, who had received
much money for the relief of woman, very properly made inquiries into the truth of the story she told ; and on Tues&y he questioned her publicly at much length. He came to the conclusion that she is an imposter—a professional begging-letter writer, who tells different stories to different persons : he does not believe that she has had five sons killed in battle—no trace of these sons can be found ; and he does not intend—unless something more favourable to Mrs. Allsop should come to light—to give her the money sent for her use. It seems that applications for aid both to the Queen and Prince Albert, years ago, were refused because the real character of "Widow Allsop " had been discovered.
While Mr. Elliott, the Lambeth Magistrate, was finally examining Bacon, accused of murdering his children, news arrived by telegraph that arsenic had been found in the body of his mother, which had been exhumed because foul play was expected. Bacon and his wife were fully committed for trial on the former charge.
The Southwark Magistrate has sent to prison for four months John Henry Goulburn, a young medical student, for stealing medical books and a greatcoat from the house of Dr. Steadman, Union Street, Southwark. Goulbum is very well connected; his father is a magistrate at Birkenhead. He had been in Dr. Steadman's service but a short time when that gentleman had cause to discharge him ; in a day or two he absconded with the property, which he appears to have sold.
Mr. Ruggles, messenger to the Secretary of the East India Company, missed his cash-box, containing 70/. His son William, a lad of fi absented himself from home. The cash-box, from which the money had been abstracted, was returned in an envelope, addressed in William's writing. Of course it was suspected that he had stolen the box. The police arrested Henry Miller, a showman, who is believed to have passed some of the notes—he admitted that he knew young Ruggles.