On Wednesday, June 10th, 1846, an important meeting of the rate-payers of the city was held in the sessions court, at the Guildhall, to petition Parliament against the Poor Law Removal Act, which had been lately introduced into the House of Commons. The mayor, J. Betts, Esq., presided and opened the proceedings. Mr. S. Bignold, Mr. T. Brightwell, Mr. J. G. Johnson, Mr. E. Willett, Mr. A. A. H. Beckwith, Mr. Banks, Mr. Newbegin, Mr. Hardy, & Mr. G. Gedge, addressed the meeting in support of resolutions, and a petition was adopted against the proposed alteration in the Law of Settlement and the Poor Law Removal Bill. Mr. G. Gedge moved a resolution,— “That this meeting is decidedly of opinion that the only effectual alteration of the law of settlement, by which free scope would be given to the labour of the people, would be to abolish the present law of settlement and rating, and to substitute a general national tax on real and personal property, and that a petition founded on this resolution be presented to the House of Commons.” He showed the very injurious operation of the law then existing, and expressed his belief that a national rate, if obtained, would prove a great benefit to the city. Mr. Sheriff Colman seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously. After this meeting, two petitions were presented to Parliament, from this city, in favour of a national rate; one from the court of guardians, and one from the citizens at large. These petitions, however, had no effect, and the Poor Law Removal Bill was passed into a law. The consequence was, that about 1500 families belonging to county parishes, who had lived five years in the city, obtained a settlement in it, and most of them soon applied for relief. This greatly increased the expenditure for the relief of the poor. At the monthly meeting of the court of guardians, held on December 1st, 1846, Mr. G. Gedge moved a resolution of which he had given notice at the previous court, in respect to a national rate, and he urged the usual arguments in favour of that measure. He wished the support of the court to a petition to be presented to Parliament during the following session, for the total repeal of the mode of rating to the relief of the poor, then in operation, and the substitution of a national rate. He believed that public opinion was now fixed on this question, and that a national rate must come. A petition was adopted, _nem con._ * * * * *