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    sors of the workman , and attributed their distress to the land monopoly and the state of feudalism brought in by William the Conqueror . A Mr . Macray , a shoemaker , observed : — " There was emigration as one remedy to their present state ; but the Government would do nothing in that way unless it was to get them scuttled . ( Hear-, hear . ) If the Government wanted them to fight their battles they would pay 100 J . per man for their passage in the Himalaya , but for their own good they would not give them one . hundred pence . ( Hear , hear . ) The working classes were robbed annually of 300 , 000 , 0002 . more than they consumed , and therefore their oppressors would not mind spending 100 , 000 , 000 / .,

    if necessary , to keep them down . ( Hear , hear . ) The governing classes -would care nothing for their meetings if they said they only wanted to be fed and cared nothing for politics ; they would then feed them as they did their horses—( A Voice : 'I wish they would ' >—( laughter)—and be glad of such a bargain . " ( Bear , hear . ) The same speaker observed that " the British workman now , when out of work , was absolutely valueless . There was a time when his dead body would fetch 1 . 0 f . ; but it was not worth that now ( laughter ") , for the ' base , brutal , and bloody Whigs , ' to whom they owed nothing but their detestation , first sent them to the workhouse , and then gave their bodies to

    dissection . " The Lord Mayor has publicly denied at the Mansionhouse that he had authorized ( as bad been asserted ) the assembling of the artisans in Smithfield . He added , however , that he had no power to prevent the meetings .

    ¦ THE WAR AGAINST CHINA AND PERSIA . A . public meeting of the inhabitants of Birmingham waa held at the Music-hall , Birmingham , on Monday night , Mr . Alderman Baldwin in the chair , to take into consideration the present Persian and Chinese wars . Among those present were Mr . Joseph Sturge , Mr . W . Morgan , Mr . J . S . Wright , Mr . J . Partridge , Mr . F . Wells , the Bev . C . Vence , the Rev . A . O'Neill , Mr . C . Sturge , Mr . J . Betts , and many influential persons . Mr . W . Morgan , who moved the first resolution deprecating the recent hostilities against China , expressed an opinion that , like the last war against China , they had arisen out of a contraband trade in opium . He reviewed the

    history and general condition of China , and , after entering into various details to show the injurious effects of the traffic in opium , quoted the official correspondence from the London Gazette , and expressed an opinion that we had not a clear ground , of quarrel against the Chinese on the present occasion . All the circumstances , he said , proved that the sudden resort to arms could not be justified . The Rev . C . Vence , who seconded the resolution , observed that the proceedings of the British fleet had been hurried and precipitate , and that the conflict was as unmanly as it was unjustifiable . ( Cheers . ) This resolution , and one condemning the war against Persia , were agreed to , and petitions to both Houses of Parliament founded upon them were adopted . -

    MANCHESTER COMMERCIAL ASSOCIATION . The annual meeting of this association was held at Manchester on Monday , Mr . J . A . Turner presiding . The chairman , in commenting upon the annual report , referred to the proud position which this country held during the negotiations for the conclusion of peace last year . He believed we might look back with satisfaction to the course of trade since peace was established , for at no period in the annals of our commerce had any approach been made to the amount of business carried on . Our exports had exceeded those of any other period by 20 , 000 , 000 / ., for they amounted to the enormous sum of 116 , 000 , 000 / , and he believed that while the mercantile interests had been nourishing , the population of the

    country had been well employed , that generally contentment had prevailed , and that wo might , on the whole , consider ourselves in a very prosperous condition . But there was one cloud in the distance , and that was the probable distress we were likely to experience before long from the inadequate supply of the raw material whie gave employment to such vast numbers of the inhabitants of this district . ( Hear . ) In ton years , from 1847 to 1856 , the imports of cotton into this country had exactly doubled , for in 1847 they were 1 , 234 , 000 bales , while iu 1856 they were 2 , 467 , 000 bales ; but such had

    hands the warrants had passed was perfectly goodtherefore , they could not te shielded by any precautions they might take from the evil intentions of badl y-disposed persons . Several other speeches were delivered and resolutions were adopted , in accordance with the object of the meeting . With reference to the case Kingsford v . Merry , the Chief Baron o > f the Court of Exchequer observed on Tuesday : — " The Court of Exchequer Chamber has been supposed to have overruled my direction , at the trial . The fact was that the Court of Error did not overrule either my direction or the ruling of this Courtbut by some mistake , very much to be regretted , thd case was presented to the Court of Error on a totally erroneous statement of the facts . " Mr . Baron Martin confirmed this statement . LORD ADOLPHTTS VANE TEMPEST , M . P ., OS THE CKEttEAN ¦ WAR . Some remarks on the disastrous condition of our army before Sebastopol in the winter of 1854-5 were made by Lord Adolphus Vane Tempest , M . P ., at the Durham Athenaeum , a few evenings ago . His Lordship was with his regiment in the Crimea , and therefore spoke from experience . A large portion of his remarks had reference to the recently-published work entitled Experiences of a Staff Officer , which he criticised in no friendly spirit . " This book , he had teen told , had created a great sensation in fashionable circles ; hut , for hi 3 own part , having read it himself , he could state that he did not know a more complete exemplification of the fable of the 'daw in borrowed plumes . ' The book contained a great deal

    of most fulsome eulogy of Lord Raglan , which , thougli an evidence of gratitude , was by no means a token of discretion . The writer , Avho was no doubt comfortably provided for at head-quarters , was pleased to give the British army some advace—and that was , to make the best of everything . ... The ' Staff Officer' stated that , on visiting tie hospitals in December , Lord Raglan declared them -to be in as good order as circumstances could admit of . Good order I Did Lord Raglan call it good order when some of our men were lying ill of brain fever , without so much as a blister to be applied to their heads ; when others were suffering under the worst forms of dysentery , without proper drinks to assuage their thirst ; and when the only alleviations , to their sufferings were

    obtained from a source which , without meaning any reflection upon the parties who had promoted it , he must say England had no right to be dependent on ?—he alluded to the Times Fund . " After referring to various particulars of the unhappy state of our army , with which the public are already only too familiar , his Lordship proceeded : —" From Iris own experience , he should say the regimental system was that which stood the severest test . He saw the head-quarter system fail , the commissariat system fail , the transport system fail , and every department of the army fail , except the regimental department ; and he believed that the soldiers in the army would willingly bear their testimony to the fact that the regimental officers had done their duty from the time they went out to tbe period of their return , as they had acted up to the advice of the ' Staff Officer , '

    leather is from fifty to eighty per cent , ( many of the speakers estimated it . at even a higher figure than that ) more than it was a year ago . This is not confined to London , but i 9 general throughout the whole country . Not wishing to run the risk of losing old customers by making a corresponding increase in the price of boots and shoes , the masters during the last year have struggled on at the old prices , hoping that the rise was only temporary and exceptional ; but they have done so in many cases without deriving a farthing of profit on the whole transactions for the twelve months , and in other cases by sustaining heavy losses . The scarcity and consequent high cost of leather are chiefly attributed by the trade to the enormous consumption of tbe article during the war , when , at the same time no raw hides were imported into this country from . St . Petersburg ; to the greatly increased

    quantities of leather now being exported to the United States ; to the murrain among cattle in South America , whence we have been accustomed to derive large supplies of raw hides ; to the exportation of boots and shoes in incredibly large quantities to the Australian colonies since the gold discovery ; and to a decrease in the supply of leather which we have heretofore received from France , resulting from the extensive substitution of leather for wooden shoes among the lower classes in the French provinces . The meeting entirely repudiated the idea of anything like a combination among themselves , or the trade of which they are members , for the purpose of forcing a rise of prices on the public . Eventually , a resolution was passed by acclamation , recommending the adoption by the trade of an average advance in the price of boots and shoes in proportion to the rise in the price of leather .

    CRIMINAL RKFOBM . A meeting was held on Monday evening at the Clockhouse , Chelsea , to hear statements from several reverend gentlemen who take an interest in the cause of criminal reformation , and to raise subscriptions in aid of the reformatory on Brixton-hill . The chair was taken by the Rev . C . J . Goodhart . One of the speakers ( the Rev . J . Cohen ) gave some very interesting particulars . He said : — " It should be remembered that all criminals who applied at tie reformatory were not of the lowest class . They had recently had within their walls a young man who was the grandson of an admiral , one who was a surgeon , and one who was the son of an eminent barrister . ( Hear . ) He remembered once to have been

    particularly impressed by a sermon preached at Cambridge during his schoolboy days . He had since lived to see the son of the clergyman who had preached that sermon an applicant at the reformatory . There was another case , still more affecting , to show that the advantages of these institutions were not monopolized by the lowest class . A missionary having gone to India to preach the gospel , fell a sacrifice to the climate , and his wife followed him soon after , leaving an only child to be brought up by strangers . That child returned to England , and , having no father ' s care , no mother ' s love , soon fell into the ways of evil . After a short career , he applied to the reformatory , and he ( Mr . Cohen ) had had the happiness of being instrumental in restoring him to society .

    There were other cases of a different class , which showed how gladly these reformatories would be entered by many a repentant thief , if the state of the subscriptions permitted of their extension . He remembered hearing of a professed thief falling into conversation with a young man who was going to the bank—the object of the thief being to rob the young man of the money he carried . He asked him the direction of a certain street , when the young man , fearing nothing , said he was going that way , and would show him . As they walked , they conversed , when the young man happened to mention , as a singular

    thing , the thieves' meeting of the night befoxe , convened by Lord Ashley and the reformatory in Westminster . The moment the thiof heard there was a reformatory in Westminster , he forgot his intended theft , and immediately wont and presented himself for admission . ( Cheers . ) So respectable was his appearance , that he was taken for a gentleman coming to pay his subscription ; but he remained and waa reformed , went to America , and returned , not liking the place , and , Before emigrating again to Australia , gave five guineas as his subscription to the institution . " DOCK WARRANTS . In consequence of the decision pronounced , in the caso of Kingsford and Swinford v . Merry by the Court of Error , a meeting was held on Monday , in the London Tavern , over which Baron Rothschild presided . A considerable number of persons connected with mercantile affaire attended , including tho following : — Sir James Duke , M . F ., Mr . Weguolin ( Governor of tlie Bank of England ) , Mr . S . Gregson , M . P ., Mr . A . Hastie , M . P ., Mt . Moffatt . M . P ., Mr . J . P . Gassiott , Mr . James

    and made the best of everything , getting the men to do the sanre . " Further on , Lord Adolphus said : —" Lord Raglan was seldom seen out , and one of Iris aides-decamp happened to hear by accident that the men were having green coffee served out to them . This was reported to Lord Raglan , and Lord Raglan sent for tie Commissary-General and made a great disturbance ; bht it was quite by chance that he heard of it . ... There had been a great deal of discussion as to whether the Government at home or the authorities in tho Crimea were to blame for tlic evils to which he had alluded . His own opinion was , that a great part of tho evil was owing to tho expedition having- been sent out at so late a period without sufficient'provision in the first instance ; and at the same time he did not think that so much had been done by the authorities in the Crimea as ought to have been done . " MB . JOHN FROST AT NOTTINGHAM . Mr . Frost , the Chartist , has been making ; an onslaught on the aristocracy , and on tho system of transportation , at the Assembly Rooms , Nottingham . He said he liail converted one of the most eminent judges of Van Diemen ' s Land to the principles of tho Charter . In the colonies , it was not an uncommon thing for the convicts to murder those wlio would not submit to tho propensities of their companions . The lecturer expressed his intention of compelling tho Government to bring him before a committoo of tho House of Commons . If they refused , lie would appeal to the people of England . It was evident , he said , that there must bo a chango in our present system , ani ho believed he could point out a sure remedy for the horrible stato of things which at present exists . THE IITCOMU-TAX MOVEMENT .

    Cooke , Mr , Powles , Mr . Crawford , Mr . J . W . Hall , Mr . William Scovell , Mir . G . Scovcll , Mr . Corrio , Mr . Gasaiott , Mr . Hodgson , Mr . Travera , &c , &c . Tho Chairman called attention to tho judgment of the Court of Error , and explained that in consequence of that decision the holders of bills of lading , delivery orders , or dock warrants , having given full value for any of those documents , and having advanced money upon thorn , woro not to be considered tho legal holders or proprietors of tlio goods which thoao warrants represented , unloaa they could prove that the title of ovory person through whose

    Tho public agitation of thla important subject continues . This week , we have to chronicle meeting . ) at Hull , Haverfordwest , Preston , "Walsull , Doncaator , Norwich , Stourbridgo , Wells , and Ballymona ( Ireland ) , — all with results favourable to an energetic domand i' > at Parliament should remove tho war addition *» tax > and give to the romaining per-centoff » a fairer adjustment . Tho most important mooting of tho week , however , was at Dxotor Hall , London , Mr . Alderman Wire in the

    been the progress of the cotton trade , that , whereas at the end of 1847 the stock in Liverpool waa 451 , 000 bales , or twenty weeks' consumption , at the end of 1856 tho Btoolc was only 882 , 000 balea , or eight weeks' conaumption . Thai WR the total stock at the end of a year which gave an American crop of » , 600 , oou balea , uuu all authentic accounts pretty nearly concurred in tho anticipation that there would only be 8 , 000 , 000 bales to meet the requirements of the present year . The report having been received , and other formalities gone through the meeting broke up . ^

    ; XHK BOOT AMD SHOTS TRADH . A large meeting of master boot and shoo makers of tho metropolis , including many of tho principal members of the trade , was held on Monday night at tho Freemasons' Tavern , with the view of adopting some common course of action to accommodate their intereate to the unprecedented rise in the price of leather of late , and especially within the last six weeks . Mr . Medwiri , of Regeut ' a Quadrant , acted as chairman . It appeara that , from a variety of concurrent causes , tho price of

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    76 THI LEADER . [ No . 357 , Saturday ,

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 24, 1857, page 76, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2177/page/4/