The Express.
London, England, 1863-07-08 00:00:00

PRESERVATION OP LIFE FROM FIRE.

An interesting meeting was held yesterday, at the
Maniacs-house, of the members and friends of the Royal
tociety for the Protection of Life from Fire, the obkot
being to distribute prizes to those members of the Fire
Escape Brigade and others who have most distinguished
themselves by rescuing life from fire.
The meeting took plain in the Egyptian Hall, and wee
presided over by the LORD MAYOR. The brigade were pre-
sent in large force, beaded by their bend, which played
various pieces daring the props: dings.
The SECRETARY read a report, of which the fallowing is
an abstract : _ _

"-
The report for the twelve months ending March, 1863,
records the extension of the society's arrangements by six
fresh rations during the year, making the entire number
eighty-one, extending from Kensington to Limehouse, and
from Peckham to Holloway. At every station one of the
ecciety's brigade is in attendance with the fire escape from
eight o'clock until seven in the winter, from nine until six
in the summer. The whole force now numbers 90, officered
by four inspectors. They attended 613 fires during the
year, and rescued 67 lives from burning premises, including
only in that number those whose escape was otherwise cut
off. The reward list includ-d several cases of merit beyond
the society's own ground of operations—one over in Ireland.
The following is a summary of the awards for presentation :
—Seven silver medals, two clasps to previous medals, and 29
testimonials on vellum, aooompanied by money. The ha-
lanceaheet of the year shows an amount received of 8,2781.
61., including annual subscriptions from her Majesty the
Queen, from 136 parishes, and from upwards of 16,000
individual subscribers. The payments include 7,4721. for
conductors' wages, clothing, coat of fire escapes, and calla
and assistance to fires, and 6391. for office expenses, including
rent, salaries, printing, and other management disbur.e.
=rte." The amount invested in Three per Cent. Consols is
3,4864 17e. The men entitled to the rewards were then
called up and received them at the hands of the Lord Mayor,
who in each case accompanied the gift with some appro-
priate remarks. Amongst the recipients were several metre•
politan police constables, one City police constable, and two
members of the Roscommon constabulary. One of the
brigade—Wood—who was described as the owner of the
celebrated fireman's dog (now dead), and who it was stated
on one occasion rescued three children at once by bringioit
them down one in each arm and the other in his mouth,
appeared with the society's gold and silver medals and no
end of silver clasps on his breast. This recipient was warmly
complimented by the Lord Mayor, and loudly cheered by
the ladies and gentlemen present. George Searle, workma
in the service of Mr. Reece, of St. Martin's-lane, received
the society's testimonial en vellum, and a sovereign, for ex-
tioguishing the flames round the person of a young woman
whose clothing had caught fire.
Resolutions adopting the report, mad in praise of the ob•
jects and exertions of the society, were moved and spoken to
by Deputy Lott, Rev. A. Curtains the Rev. T. Nolan, and
others, and a vote of thanks to his lordship for the use of
the hall and for presiding emieluded the busuiesa

TRAFFIC RETURNS.
RAILWAYS. 1111 n Pah- Men. Total, Total
open S. chandbie 1d431 1002
Week ending April 19. A A A Al
Rant Inman:

Disialos eo4 6.140 7.04 13,594 8.261
North-West Provinces 32s 2,08 2,332 4,i.0) 2,7 a
Week endlogJuly 1.

kelglan knew; JTulcilce . 111 i 134 155 319 313
N wok ending July 4.
Cork and Benue&
lelsegow & SouLh WISLIM 198 8,831 7,902
Week ending July 6.
- . .

Or Luittuauti. - 134 1,933 3,113 4,78 4,620
Loudon sod Madman — 1,936 tOt 2.134 2,010
North Loudon
Ostrottry sad Newtown
& Llawdloeset Newtown 60 641 636 1.077 908

HEALTH OP LONDON.-It appears from the Regia-
trar•General'sreturs that the rate of mortality in London
was nearly conetant during the month of June. In the week
that ended last Saturday the deaths were 1,187. The aver-
age weekly number at the beginning of July, corrected for
increase of population, is 1.142, and therefore in the present
return there is an excess of 45 above the estimated amount.
There were 43 deaths from small pox in the week. In June
the weekly number varied from 43 to 48. Of the 43 CUSS 4
are stated to have occurred to the vaccinated. Scarlatina
was fatal in 73 eases, sof which occurred in Limebouse.
There were 4 death. from intemperance. Six cases of in-
fanticide were recorded in the week, 3 of which were in the
subdistrict al St Mary Paddington. A girl, aged one year,
died of intiususception caused by swallowing a cherrystone;
and a boy, aged 8 years, of spaces from a cherrystone
pacted in the larynx. Last week the births of 995 boys and
942 girls, in all 1,937 children, were registered in London.
In the ten correspoading weeks of thelyeara 1853-62 the
average number (corrected) was 1,728.

CITY COURT OF 8/WEB/I.—At the weekly meeting
of the Commissioners of Sewers of the City of London held
yesterday at Guildhall, under the presidency of Mr. Deputy
De Jersey. Dr. Letheby, the medical offiour, reported on the
state of 197 houses that had been inspected during the
week, and he submitted a list of 97 places for sanitary im-
provement in various particulars. The markets and
slaughter-bosses have been duly inspected, and the officers
have condemned 1,820 lbe. of meat as unlit for human food.
It consisted of 3 sheep, 2 pigs, 14 quarters of beef, and 10
joints of meat. The mortality returns for the seek are
below the average for the season, and, excepting scarlet fever,
there is no disease of unusual prevaimos in the City.
Dr. Letbeby also preempted the weekly returns of the
quality of the gas supplied to the City, from which it ap-
pears that the average illuminating power of the City COM-
piny's gas had been equal to that of 13.78 spermfoandles of
standard quality ; the Chartered to 13.03 candles, and the
Commercial to 1329, all of which averages are above the
act of parliament standard. Theproportmos of sulphur in the
gas ranged from 19.04 grains per 100 cubic feet to 27.7., the
former being the proportion of the Great Centre! Cu, sod
the latter is the City. The daily pressures ranged from 10
to 22 tenths, the average of each company being about 12
tenths.

ROYAL ASYLUM OP ST. ANN'S SOCIETY.—The
children of this society's town school will visit Windsor to-
morrow, when • substantial dinner will be provided for
them, at the Oast]. Hotel. Many of the friends and sup-
porters of this ancient but still dependent charity will
meet the active managers on the occasion. and co-operate
with them in promoting this healthful and seasonable treat
for the children of those who once moved in • superior
station in life.

TIM DEATH RATE OP YOTING CHILDREN AN INDI-
CATOR OF TIM DRC .... lON OV RACE It cannot be to*
distinctly recopileed" says that able writer, the Medical Officer
to the Dowd of Health. " that a high Intel mortality of children
RllllO. aimed necemanly denote a high local prevalence of thine
cameo which determine a degeneration of race.- Debility. or
Imperfect nutrition, regulates, so to Speak, the rate of infantile
mortality. The debilitated child taW an easy victim to the
attacks ;if illness. The following simple and efficacious means
of removing Infantile del,lllty is thus described by T. Hunt,
Req., Surgeon to the Western Dispensary for Diseases of the
Skin In bailly.nourtshed Infanta, Dr. de Joel Light Bream
Cod Liver Oil Is Invaluable. The rapidity with which two or
three teivapoonfula daily will fatten a young child is suonishing ;
and It appears ea if there were some prospect of deliverance
for the appalling multitude of children who figure In the weekly
bills of mortality Issued from the office of the Regletrercienee
rat" Dr. do Jonglis Cod Liver Oil I. sold only In repauled
Imperial haltpints,2s. Od. ; into, es. ad.; Quarto, Os. by his sole
consignees, Amor, Harfor asd Co., 77, Strand, London;
sad by chiffidola.—(Advertisossool]

Tabu intdligenct.

EQUITY COURT.—Tony 7.
(Bofors Vios-Cbasedlor Mt J. Bloch.)
. _ CHAIFON r. COME®. _ _

Mr. Malin; Q.C., and Mr. Speed appeared for the plain-
tiff in this suit, the facts of which were shortly these. A
Mr. Thomas Alchiu died in March, 1854, having by a codicil
to his will bequeathed to his niece, him Andrews. a widow,
with six children, certain property worth about 3001. a year.
for her life, but coupled with • direction that if she should
marry again without having previously obtained the consent
of the trustees of his will her interest was to be reduced to
an annuity of 504 only for her life, and the residue of the
3001. was to go to her children. On the 25th of September,
1854, Mrs. Andrews married the defendant Coombe,.
without the knowledge of the trustees, and died
in the early part of the year 1862. The trus•
tees of the will bad, in ignorance of the fact
that Mrs. Andrews had married the defendant, paid her
till her death the full amount of the income bequeathed to
her ; but having recently discovered the circumstance of
her second marriage, instituted this suit against Mr.
Cooinbes to recover from him the property wrongfully re-
aired by him. He, however, alleged that be had indeed
concealed the marriage from the trustees and the family of
hia late wife, but he had so acted in order to avoid dif-
fereoces among them ; and that be was not himself aware
of the clause of forfeiture in the codicil till the bill in this
suit was filed against him.
Mr. Greene, Q.C., and Mr. Talfourd Salter (of the com-
mon law bar) appeared for Mrs. Coomtes' children ; Mr.
Bacon, Q.C., and Mr. Hallett for Mr. Coombe'; and Mr.
Langley for other parties.
The Vice-Chancellor, after commenting upon the evidence
in the cane, stated his conclusion to be, that Mr. Cambay
must, notwithstanding his statements to the contrary, be
taken to have been aware of the classe of forfeiture in the
codicil when he married Mrs. Andrews. There must, there-
fore, be a decree in the plaintiff's favour ; but upon the
question of costa, the Vice.Clancellor said ha would bear
Mr. Malin/ to-morrow (Wednesday) morning.