The Express.
London, England, 1864-10-31 00:00:00

DEATH OP MR. JOHN LEECH.

The favourite artist, Mr. John Leech, died, we
regret to my, on Saturday evening, at 7 o'clock. Though
he suffered much, his life wee not supposed to be in IMMO-
diet. dearer. He went out to 000aolt Dr. Quell: oe Friday,
and there wee a child's party in his hones at the time of
his death. Although Mr. Leech lived to be 47 years
of see, the record of his life is abort and simple.
He wee born in London is 1817, and was educated
at the Charterboase. He left school to study medicine,
and bad made oonsiderable prowess is that direction before
he discovered what was to be his true path le life. His
tint sketch in Punch, entitled " Foreign Affairs," appeared
in the first week of August, 1841, and theamforward the his-
toryof his life is to be MID week by week in the pages of that
periodical. Hs illustrated also almanacs and novels, books
of travel end poems. He always took great mass ait Christ-
mas drew nigh, and year by year seemed to surpass himeelf
in delicacies of touch, and In the charm of his humour.
But it was through the weekly pages of Punch, far more
than through the yearly almanac, that Mr. Leech was best
known to the public. With characteristic generosity be made
unusual exertions is aid of his relatives, and his labours
were latterly mare severe then they need have been if he
had had only to think of himself and his household.
The Times observes that although Mr. Leath looked
strong, le had bees long a sufferer, and complained of
sleeplessness; his lainosant brainwork induced a peculiar
irritability with which mast persons have a tendency to jest
rather then to sympathise. "He was reach affected by
noise, and wee literally driven from his house in Brunswick.
square by street music. He hoped to get peace at Ken-
sington, especially ea heahut them out by the device of
double windows ; but he had no pesos, and in addition to
the torment of the organs he came to be afllietol at early
dawn by the hammer of some small mechanic. His friends
made light of it, and tried to Jed with him.
' You may laugh,' he would say, • bat I assure
you it will kill ma.' He was so unwell that
during this Let summer he was obliged to go thread,
end he was forbidden to indulge in his favourite exercise of
riding on horseback. He came back better in the autumn,
bat still he was strangely susceptible to noise, and only a
fortnight ego he spoke with more than his asual earnest-
ness, with something even of passionate **treaty in his
topes about the suffering which the street organs gave
him, and about the smallness of the sympathy which he
received from people who have to work their brains in a
mere routine. At last his adhering' have come to an end,
and if any of his Meads were inclined to treat them as
imaginary they will now be convinced. It is not a year
since he stood in tears by the grave of his schoolfellow
Thseksray, end now his friends will follow hiss, too, to his
long home."

THE REPORTED DISSOLUTION OF PRELIASITECT.---
Colossi Taylor, who has charge of the general elec•
toad business of the conservatives, has given the agents
of the party n the provinces the stimulus of an
alerte. Abonetes days ago he sent out circulars
bidding them prepare for a general election in No-
vember. The news spread like wildfire, and because
of its source, does ant seem to have been doubted.
One of the provincial sooservative journals in giving
it declared that it did so on " all but official" authority,
mouldering, we presume, that Lord Derby is "all but"
in office. The announcement has canoed a good deal
of trouble to the °Dusan, &tiros, who by this time
are satisfied that ft had no foundation. The journals which at
first encouraged the story now say that, if the dissolution
does not take place, it will be because Colonel Taylor's
exposure of the plot has destroyed the chalice of its atones.
If, therefore, we get through the neat month in peace
the gratitude of the country will be due to that gel:akin:as.
It would be interesting to know how Colonel Taylor was
led Into his singular error, since it is certain it
the least basis in the sale or foliations of the go-
vernment.

Lieutenant• Colonel Crawley, so famous in the
Sergeant Lilly ease, has been promoted to a fall ooloeslcy.
At a meeting of South Staffordshire colliers held
at Conley, on Saturday, it wlli agreed to end the strike,
which has been continued for sevecteen weeks. One exesteiew
was made. it was determined to keep out the 4,000 men at
Oldbury and West Bromwich till they get the ss. a d►y
which they demand, but in all other plaose work will be
resumed. The speakers at the meeting said their privatioae
had been Weems, and with deep mortification they de-
clared that it was their starving families which had fecund
them to yield. The district is quit* peaceable, and the 'sol-
diery have bee° withdrawn.

RIPRISENTATIOX or Irsvncu.—Mr. J. £.lk
Aontractor for the lotenisticsal &Albinos beans( is ens.
nesiou with Meows. Laws Bronson) wee reassely
A a conservative candidate for Ipswich, wed annomest Ide
Ablation to offer hiswelf at the ohnolutios, V easeert with
Mr. J. C. Cobbold, M.P. It app..rs that Mr. Belk has
now changed his mind, and we his candidature. 14
is understood, bewsww, that she oesservaLives will, not.
withstaeding Ale diaappaisaaseet. start • sesesd modidate
for the basset, which Sam 1847 has been rapnessted by
Mr. J. 0. Cobbold losowervatirei, and Kr. H. IA Adair
OTT or LONDON HOSPITAL 701 DMUS= or
Too CUNT, VIOTOINA•PAIL-1b numbs, et patients
rebored at MINI Annan= during LA week was 936, of
which 245 wipe now orsa