The Express.
London, England, 1864-12-07 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

(THIS DAY.)

THAMES.
A HARD CASE-
.I poor man, named Wilson, a rigger, came before Mr.
- t fir the second time, thin day, to make a complaint
-e he manatee of the Wbitechapal and Stepney poor.

los applicant's wife died on Saturday last in the Los-
Z:s Hospital. Sbe had been very ill for the twelve mouths
;'ending. He applied to the relieving °Soar of Shadwell
• Stepoey Colon, where he was born, and where he
'sired all his life, and where be lived new, to bury his
o.fe. and represented that be had not the moans of defray.
t..e syringes of a funeraL lie was referred to the
r:,..itecSarel Union, in which parish his wife died,
• ,here his wife's body was lying. He went to
Iv,,t.rehapel, and was told by the relieving came that as
ti tebtaged to the pariah of St. Paul, Shadweti, that pariah
buy his wife. He went back to Sbadwell and wee
at. and directed to go back to Whitechapel. Last
t!att he attended the hoard of guardian, of she White-
',..44l Unice, and was ordered to go about hi
.1:5b11. " Bury your wits, indeed, we are not going
burr her, go away with you." That is what
uid. He had berm going backwards and forwards
`!+•-t.ea the two anions for the lad three days, and the
A hie wife was unburied. He had rewired a notice
!,•,1 the hospital authorities to remove the body. He
t!rlco iJoney to buy a coffin, and knew no one who would
bim the money.
Pdget said he had no control over the guardians or
of the two unions, and could not interfere. He bad
at his disposal to carry out the wishes of the poor
r..t ,ulcould give him no redress.
ison. who was deeply affected, left the court wiping
from his eyes.

GREENWICH.
Tam CHILD

ass r
• P Whin. • @harp, cunning, aod determined-look-
;: ..! 13 years of age, war placed in the dock before Mr.
;14 'hsrged with forcibly entering the house of his
sa b. Oak-place. Rotherhithe, and stealing 20a. in
' "'•
:..-r.troesentor. • deetiot-looking man, said he wag •
the pier of • firm at itotharbithe, at wages
f • r, oft • week. The who wag hL las' had
-t ire convicted at this amrt and
Cl '.51, recently berm dieetargei
d from Wandairortit
'••• • after being imprisooed for two smooths for
money. He had taken him home, bat after
..4 days he abeemided. Oe Thursday last he left
• " s• •mial for hi date work, leaving the house securely
tt anos.”l ; but on returning is the evening be found that
had been entered by breaking glace in • back win-
. • tiers being • wall 5 feet high surrounding the gird's.

?WWII&
THrilMar. cm if oldillill MUT.
&S.F.. to W S.W., Co m. LLW, to W.N.W.,
,trnnie, with squalls, strong to moderate,
some rain. some rain.
6W. to N. W. sod WWYWIL LW. to N.W., fresh.
back, strong, on.
settled.
S --

it —to
w.s.w..
places. fresh, Tall)
In
. to W., fresh to larlegill.
strong, rain ln places.

S.W. to N.W., strong
to moderate.

S.S.W. to W.W W.,
strong to moderate,
•tth some rain.

Northerngeotland. Wedans=lreland. ebdja-
ondea douthern= Zoe la Channel and Bag al Bladay. Engem
draatward England and Nceth Sea.

AFRICAN STEAMSHIP COMPANY.-(THIS DAY.)

The half-yearly meeting of the shareholders was
held this afternoon at the °Moss, in LeadenhalLetreet ;
Mr. T. Nohow in the chair. The report, which
stated that the balance to the credit of revenue
account was 4,7311., out of which the directors recom-
mended the payment of a dividend of Bs. per share, free of
income Sax, for the half-year, was carried. The payment of
this dividend will absorb and leave 3281. to be car-
ried forward to next half-year's account.

ROYAL SOCIETY OF RDINBCROH.—The first or-
dinary meeting of the Royal Society was held on Monday
night in the Royal Institution. The Duke of Argyll pre-
sided, and delivered the opening addrem After some in-
troductory remarks, he laid that during the years which
bad elapsed since be first had the bosour of addressing the
society from that chair, science had been enriched by an
accumulated store of feces in many branches of inquiry,
sod by not a few of those diacuatione which so often pro-
moted, quite as much se actual discovery, the advance of
knowledge. Divided sod subdivided as the aa-
tural sciences had come to be, they all toothed
each other at innumerable points ; and there were some
questions everywhere record's which lay across the
shadowy line that connected rather than separated the
physical and the metaphysical, and on which almost all the
sciences were found to have a common mid often an unex-
pected bearing. Such, for example, was the subject with
which geology. and palaeontology, and comparative anatomy,
and archeology, and the mental sciences, had all been of
late years so busy, and on which different schools of thought
ware now disputing every inch of ground. That subject
was the history of org nic life. and the question whether in
that hietory we could trace anything beyond a series of dis-
connected facto—anything in the nature of a law. His
grace then proceeded to make some observations arm this
subject in two of its most general aspect.:-1. Lpos the
idea of " Creation by Law," how we should define it. and
in what light we should regard it. 2. On the bearing
which existing theories on the 'Origia of Species " hem
upon our knowledge and conception.
Dusuiler SHIP--STRANOL CASK—The following
is an extract from a private letter from a lady at Port Elisa-
beth, gape of Geed Hope :—"Captain M. came in here
with a derelict vessel, about eight hundred sod odd loos,
called the Scindie. If you see anything of her name in the
papers, send me an account of it, I am sure she will cause
great excitement. Here it has been something woudarfuL
The Aminte, from Calcutta, left a day after the Sciodia
from the lame place ; and on the 15th of this month the
latter was abandoned fifteen miles off Recif. The Amints
fell in with her on the 16th. Captain M. sent half his
crew on board, and brought her in here. She is laden with
silk and indigo,valeed at 3r0.000/. She is quite a newabip. Her
mainmast is gooe,and part of misenmest. There must have
been a panic on board, for the deck and cabins are strewn
with ladies mid children's clothes and a great many valuables
--such es jewel-cease and two very handsome Indian shawls.
The chief part of the luggage has been taken away, so they
must have been picked up by some passing ship. It is • mad
sight tow such a floe ship in such a state. She was mottled
in every compartmest, evidently for the purpose of sinking
her. Bat is it oat striker' that the ship which was lyiegalong.
fide of her in Calcutta, and which only left a day later, I
should be the one to pick her up, and that the day after
being abandoned! I expect it will be a sewed Harbinger
one. W. we. aboard of her yesterday. and he tells es it
serum so sad to see all the things so knocked abort—private
letters lying open, most extpreite babies' chines beautifully
embroidered, bonnets and hats, dr.c., hanging on the hooks
in the cabin."—Searnee.

ATTEMPT TO DROWN • Yorso WOMAN.--•
Yesterday, at the Halifax Borough Court. Thomas Drake
was charged with attempting to drown Eliza Wilson. Pri-
soner and prosecutor both lived at Halifax. The former is
about 18 years of age, and a dyer. He appears MMus been
' on terms of intimacy with Wilson, and yesterday morning
met her and walked with her along the canal bank. Near
Caddy Field, cod while walking wader a bridge, prisoner
suddenly seised Wilson and threw her into the canal. She
was on the point of drowning, when a man named Furness
hastened to the spot, and got her oat at the water. Pri-
soner had concealed himself close by, but seeing proseentrix
rescued, be rushed forward mid jumped into the canal.
Two or three men, who had been drawn to the spot, suc-
ceeded in getting him oat again, and gave him in charge of
a policeman, who had beau seat for. Prosecatrix sof&
Meetly recovered to appear at the mart The magistrates
commended the conduct of Furness In rescuing the woman.
The prisoner was sent for trial at the swims.
EXTENSIVE FIRE AT A SRIPRCILDINO YARD,
LIVERPOOL.—At hell-past 12 o'clock this morning, a fire of
a very destructive character broke out on the premises of
Means. Potters, shipbuilder.. on the west video( asen's dock.
The fire was first discovered by one of the Custom-haute
062011, and on an alarm being given sad the gates burst
rime, it was found that the fire had obtained a gnat hold
on the workshops. The reels from the Salaams* Dab and
the fire engine from Hatton.garden, accompanied by Super-
intendent Hewitt, of the fire bri e, Sape,inteedent
• Inspector Bibby, and several other officials, and a nume-
rous body of men were quickly on the spot, and there being
a good supply of water great exertions were made to
extinguish the flames ; bat notwithstanding all their efforts
the fire rapidly extended to the workshops of Messrs. Hart
and Sionett, shipbuilder; the entire building being in a
short time • mass of flume. Large quantities of timber
and work tools weal saved by being carried sod placed
beyond the reach of the AMIS. At the time of oar going
to pas the fire was raging furiously, aid it is not expected
that any portion of the premises will be saved.—Luerpoot
Courier, at tide day.