The Express.
London, England, 1863-03-14 00:00:00

EXPLOSION AT THS HOUNSLOW POWDER
HILLS.

Shortly after midnight on Thursday an explosion
took place on Mesas. Curtis and Harvey's gunpowder works
at Hounslow, by which three mills were instantaneously de-
stroyed, producing • concussion distinctly perceptible
throughout • circle of five or six miles, many persons in
Richmond and the neighbourhood having been disturbed
by it. The premises destroyed were what are termed " in-
corporating mills," planes in which powder is received in a
partially manufactured state, when paste would perhaps
more accurately describe its condition. Placed in circular
troughs it is here subjected to the action of immense metal
rollers, which, revolving, grind the composition for certain
periods of time according to the degree of strength re-
quired.
These malls are regularly visited by skilled la-
bourers, whore duty it is to keep the composition in a suf-
ficiently moist condition to peanut accident, as if permitted
to get too dry by friction or evaporation, there is always
danger of explosioo. Accidents of this character rarely
occur in the daytime, but the exigencies of powder manu-
facture are so great at the presort time that Messrs. Cur-
tis and Harvey's mills have been working through-
out the twenty-four hours for soma mouths past. They
were doing so on Thursday night, and the men em-
ployed on the premises had not left the mills
more than a few minutes when the " blow "occurred.
Four of these incorporating mills adjoin each other on the
banks of the river Colin, and it was the most western of
these which seems to have exploded first. Two others
followed almost with the same blast, and the fourth
escaped only owing to its being rather more widely removed
than the others from the adjoining building. By a recent
act of parliament no manufacturer is allowed to work more
than 601 b. weight of powder at • tune in one of these
mills, and Mews. Curtis, to order to be within the law, do
not allow more than 601 b. to be under the roller, although
it is said to be a debateable question whether safety is in-
creased by the smallness of the bulk, owing to the greater
rapidity of evaporation. The quantitLqwder destroyed
was, therefore, under 200114., and so pawns has
suffered bodily injury. The mills wen unroofed, and
every plank used in their construction shattered; bat this
is the extent of the accident, and the works will soon be in
full operation again.

GREAT WESYRRN RAILWAY.

MEETING OF PROPRIETORS.
(Concluded from yesterday's Evros.)

After some further discumion the resolution was adopted,
ands vote of thanks was passed to the committee for their
valuable sessions_ _ _ _

Rear Admiral ODYFTS °Worded that a clause in the last
report of the directors prupeesd that • retiring pension
should be granted to Mr. Saunders, the seeretery. Mr.
Saunders had •lware received • large salmi ; and bode
moreover, been presented with • handsome donation, and
be therefore thought there wee no ground whatever for
the proposal that he should have the advantage of a re.
tiring allowance.
After 201110 obsenations from Mr. BAXTER in regard to
Mr. Saunders, whose abilities as the representative of this
company before committees of the House of Commons he
gladly extolled, • vote of thanks was passed to the chair-
man, and the besieges terminated.

PARUAMMARY COMMITTEES.

.17LLSID RITMO:T/MD CUSTOMS lOTA

The select committee of the House of Commons
appointed to esquire whether it would be practicable and ad-
vantageous to coneolidate any of the establuihmente now
goverred by the Boards of Inland Revenue and Custom'
respectively, or to unite any portion of the duties performed
by their officers, with a view to economy in the collection of
the public revenues and the simplicity of ansegement, met
yesterday.
Tho committee coedit, of the following members
Mr. If (chairman). Mr. E. P. Boum* /Ir. W. Forster,
Mr. Qurdwdl, Mr. Hankey, Sir W. Hoyt*, Mr. Bos-
omy, Mr. Laird, Mr. Liddell, Lard R. Montagu, Sir B.
Northoote, Sir R. Grogan, Mr. Charles Turner, Sir H.
Willoughby, end Mr. Bagwell.
Mr. Rowland Hill was the first witness examined. He
said, in reply to questions by the chairman—l have been
in commuaication with the Inland Revenue Board
with respect to the Natalia undertaking the sale of
stamps. Au application was made by the beard in May
last, inquiring whether the Postmaster-Osmond would
undertake the general distribution of stamps. The distri-
butiee of stamps is a very simple matter. At present the
subject is under investigation, and I cannot @peak rou-
ndest*, but I have no reason to doubt that the Post -office
could undertake the distribution of all or nearly all the
stamps that are sold. I think, in the course of two or three
weeks, I shall be able to speak with some degree of oonfi-
deco, on the subject.
Mr. Cockaboll, a merchant at Liverpool, formerly con-
mated with the Inland Re Department, stated that the
general opinion in that town was in favour of an amalgama-
tion of the different departments to which the inquiries of
the committee were directed. He considered a ocusiolida-
tion of the departments quite practicable, and from his own
kuowlege of the working of the departments, he did not See
any difficulty in the way of making such an arrangement.
The whole of the duties could be satisfactorily levied and
collected under one management.
By Sir W. Hagar—Consolidation is desirable, but pm-
tiotlly its operatics would be confined to the port It
would not have mods effect in the interior of the country.
By Sir H. Willoughby—Consolidation would give peat
facility to the operations of trade, and would be productive
of economy, bates to the amount that could be eared I am
unable to say : that restesall on matter, of detail.
The committee this alio

Tn PROPOOD PARK roe PENB2llllNo—iretterdiliy
the weekly peeking of the Metropolitan Board of Works
was held at the mike, Spring .gardens. Mr. Freeman,
pursuant to notice, moved that the following resolu-
tion of the board of the 4th of March instant, via.:
" That previous to the expiration of the Finsbury Park Act,
the 17th of August, 1863, steps be taken for obtaining so
much of the land shown upon the plan attached to the
report of the Works Committee, 1857, for the formation
of such park as is bounded on the north by Bevan Sisters-
rood, oe the art by Green-lane, on the south by dippss,y-
lane, and on the west by Blackstooelans," be re ciadd.
And in doing so, he said be thought it would be imprudent
to spend such a large sum as would be required in the for-
mation of Finsbury -park, while there were several metro-
politan improvements of more importance and more desir-
able. The impression on his mind was that at the time
when the motion was pried, which he now hoped would be
rescinded, there were not sufacient members present to give
the expresios of the board.—Mr. Deputy Harrier se-
conded the motion.—Mr. Savage said that as the mover of
the original radial, be opposed the present or. He did
pet doubt that the improvementa spoken of were very de-
sirable, but if they did not preserve open spree when they
were able, in time there would be noir. —Mr. Doulton, M.P.,
supported the motion of Mr. Freeman, and hoped they
would adjourn the subject, to see whether the parish of
Finsbury were prepared to do the part, which he thought
they ought to do, if they desired a park of this kind in their
panab.—Mr. Dlffsinger rid he hoped they would support
the Dialog, as this parks to be close to Florneey-wood. He
said he thought the original motion wos brought forward to
enhance the value d the surrounding property. He
thought that they had parks enough in the metropolis at
the present time, Min • brief discussion the motion was
pat, aid upoe • division it was lost by 4, the numbers
'nisi 15 to 19 the ori4inal resolution of the board of the
4th of Marsh will therefore rand good The routine bri-
ar baying begs transacted, the beard ad
CRYSTAL PAircra—thrz finuuriatne.dLFAlDAy,
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wagon PRIM= kr Ur Ins. imblasaMie °reap
Plower. llyrtaa Ltly law, —thww bottles is ors,
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