The Express.
London, England, 1852-05-31 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES.

RAILWAY Blua.--On Friday, in Lord Rodeo&le's
committee, the preamble of the Kiddleaburgh and Geis-
bugh Bill wu proved ; and the standing orders were de-
clared complied with in the following cues :—Manchester
and Buxton, Leven, Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln-
' shire, Railway Passengers' Assurance, Lancashire and York-
shire and Great Western ; Shrewsbury and Birmingham,
and Hereford, Ross, and Gloucester (traffic arrangements
bill).

ROYAL MAYA! TO RAILWAY BILLS.-00 Friday, the
royal assent was given to the following bills :—Bristol and
Exeter (Yeovil branch); Vale of Neath, Stockton and Dar.
lington ; Great Southern and Western ; Eastern Counties
(branch to River Nene, and Newmarket and Chesterford
and East and West India Docks) ; Norfolk Rahway ; Cork
and Bandon; York, Newcastle, and Berwick Bills; Dun-
dalk and Enniskillen; Londonderry and Coleraine and En-
niskillen Bills; York and North Midland and East and
West Yorkshire.

POSTAGE LABEL STAXPB.—On Saturday the report of
the committee on this matter was issued. It states that
they have examined numerous witnesses, and are of
opinion that the perforating of the postage stamps would
be a great convenience and advantage to the public, and
t4at it would be for the general benefit that the machine of
the patentee should be Furthered for the use of the public.
hey reemessiend that a negotiation should be opened with
r. Archer by the proper department of the government
or the rupee, mid that if he be willing to part with his
=a rt his rights as a patentee, such reasonable ma-
to he paid in the manner to be agreed upon, as
the government shall determine shall be assigned him,
either by absolute purchase or by • per eentage on the
amount of perforated stamps sold. The committee call the
attention of the house to the opinion contained in sise
port of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue, dated 27th
August, 1860, that the application of the perforating
machine would afford additional security against forgery,
inasmuch as the accurate perforation of counterfeit sheets
would be a work of great difficulty, and sheets not accu-
rately perforated would at once excite suspicion if offered
for sale. With regard to printing the postage labels much
conflicting evidence has been given as to the greater or less
security against forgery afforded by copper-plate engrav-
ing than_ by the surface printing. The committee do not
feel qualified to pronounce a decision on this techni-
cal point ; but since it is stated by all the witnesses
that considerable saving might be effected by the adoption
of surface printing, the subject appears worthy of being re-
ferred to the investigation of competent persons. Appended
to the report are the minutes of the proceedings of the
committee, from which it appear. that considerable differ-
ence of opinion prevailed in considering the adoption of
the report, which was ultimately agreed to by six to three,
out of a committee of 15. It was proposed to examine Mr.
John Greene, one of the members of the committee, but
the question—" forged postage labels having, to Mr. John
Greene 's knowledge, paned through the post without de-
tection, Mr. John Greene be examined thereon," was nega-
tived by 4to 2. The evidence, which is rather voluminous,
will be published in • few days.
Iffiernorotis WATER SUPPLY.—The following are
the new additional provisions proposed to he inserted in the
government Water Bill: 1. First commissioner of works
to appoint persons to report on the proposed new sources of
supply. 2. Before taking water from new sources notice to
be given to the first commissioner, who may appoint per-
sons to report on same. 3. First commissioner to hear and
determine ou report or complaint, and the order of first
commissioner is to be binding, if not appealed from to
Secretary of State, whose order is to be binding on the
company when laid before parliament. If the order is not
complied with, the company may be proceeded against, and
the order is not to be affected for want of form. 4. Each
company is to be bound to supply the whole district over
which its powers extend. 6. Each company is to deposit
annually • cop of their scale of rates and regulations with
the parish clerk of each parish within their district, and in
April of each year each company is to deposit at their office,
for public inspection, a copy of their assessment for the cur-
reat year.

THE SCIENCE OF CANDLE-BURNTllo.—Bofore yon
put your candle out, look at it. It has been burning some
time unsnuffed, and gives little or no light: the wick is
long, and is topped II a heavy black clot,—e, lump of on.
consumed carbon. Take the candlestick in your hand,
and move it gently from side to side; the superfluous
wick burns away, and the candle is again bright.
When you ask yourself why this is, you learn that
flame is hollow, and as it admits no oxygen, *bleb Is
necessary for combustion, the wick which it surrounds
remains nr.consumed, and diminishes the light. When
the name, by motion, leaves the wick exposed at
intervals to the oxygen of the atmosphere, it
speedily burns away. ?lota the valuable deduction from
this fact—the formation of a wick which constantly turns
outward and reaches the exterior air, and so gives us a
candle Inquiring no snuffing. There is much philosophy in
the burning of a candle. The wick you may think is in- II
tended to burn and give light ; but this is not exaetly the
fact. The wick is simply to bring the molted tallow, or oil,
if in a lamp, into that 6sely divided state in which it is
best fitted for combustion. The heat applied so "light" the
candle decomposes into its constituents the small quantity
of tallow next the wick: heat and light are produced in the
operation, and the heat so produced carries On the decom-
position.— The Builder.