The Express.
London, England, 1863-05-28 00:00:00

ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

The first "great exhibition" d flowers for the
privet season under the auspices of this society took plies
yesterday in the International Banding et South Basing-
tos. As a matter of course the society's grounds were
thrown open for the occasion, and the communication be-
tween the gardens and the building was preserved in
inch a manner ae to enhance, in a considerable degree, the
ittractione of the promenade. One perceptible advantage
D this exhibition over many others which have preceded
t here and elsewhere, was to be found in the fact that the
wommodation afforded to the visitors gave ample space
aid verge enough for rapidly increasing numbers, without
the least danger of exposing them to the chance of being
overcrowded. From one to tire o'clock the company con-
tinued to arrive, and all the arrangement&
which had been completed for their delectation being
seen under a favouring sun, the result was
tech as must have satisfied even the misgivings of the most '
anixoualy-disposed in regard to fates which depend upon
fur weather for their swum Every charm which the
decorative art (as applied to human nature) could bestow in
rendering the living ornaments of the exhibition more con-
spicuous in their attractions than the flowers themselves
was succusfally resorted to, and the result was such as to
lead to the inevitable conclusion that each fair lady present
had resolved to have around her the brightest coke= that
could be displayed in convenient harmony. To descant
upon the varied beauties of the drosses, in rivalry with
those of the flowers, would be to repeat a story which has
already been to:, often told, even daring the present season,
Sufßoe it that the "show," whether as regarded the ex-
qui*te collection of flowers, the elegance of the costumes,
or the genial temperature of the weather, was one of the
most successful which has ever been witnessed in the
gardens of the Horticultural Society, and the patrons of
that institution may fairly be congratulated upon being
associated in so inspiriting and agreeable a gathering. Rather
than make particular allusion to any one of the exhibitors,
it is better that the admirers of these floral displays should
form their conclusions from the award of the judges, which
we subjoin, premising, however, that the azaleas aed pelar-
goniums never before shone in richer or more bountiful
luxuriance, and that among the most prominent prize.
holders were Mr. C. Turner, of Slough, and Mears. J. and
T. Feuer, of Lea-bridge-road.

- - - -
THE GENERAL POST-OFFICE DURING 1862.

This morning, the ninth annual report of the

Postmaster-G*onel, being that for the year 1862, was
Wised. A few of the facia mentioned by his lordship are
as follows :—lt seems that the whole number of public
receptacle@ for letters is now 14,776, u compared with
14,354 last year, and with little more than 4,500 before the
establiahmeat of the penny postage. Day mails are in-
awing in number ; postal communication between pro-
vincial towns is more frequent ; and an aeoeleratioe of vari-
ous mails has taken place. Travelling wet-offices, which
ire now in use on most of the railways, are found
of material service. The number of letters delivered in
England in 7,1862, was 497,000,000 being an increase of 21
per cent. on the number in 1861, and being a proportion 0124
letters to each person. ,In Ireland the letter delivered were
51,000,000, being an increase of 2 per cent., and in the pro.
portion of 9 to each person. In Scotland 57,000,000
letters were delivered, being an increase of per
cent, and a proportion of 19 to each person. Compared
with 1861, the total shows an increase of 12,000,000. In
the London district alone the number of letters is now
nearly double that which, before the adoption of the
penny postage, was delivered in the whole of the United
Kingdom, London included. There is an immense
montane, it seems, in the cumber of twisted cir-
culars which are posted. In relation to the Lambeth elec-
tion there were as many as 40,000 circular, posted in a
tingle day. Newly half a million letters pared through
the temporary pon-office in the International Exhibition.
The number of registered letters mend through the London
ofiloe has increased by 37 per cent, while there hue been a
great diminution in applications for miming letters contain-
ing coin. The regulation regarding the compulsory regis-
tration is proposed to be extended from London
to other parts of the country. The number of
aewepapera delivered last year was nearly 73,000,000, which
is about half a million more than that in the previous yes;
sad the number of book-pickets was rather mere than
14,000,000, or an bonnie of nearly 14 per cent
The old pennies of sending valentines is more extensive
than ever. There was an increase last year in the amount
of money which passed through the Money Order-office of
mote than 1,000,0001. sterling. The (moralities of the Poet
aloe Navin.' beaks have been highly satisfactory, shoat
180,000 depositors having opened seaman in them during
the year 1882. Out of the whole number which were open
at the end of 1862, wanly 2,532, only 76 had failed to ob.
Wood depositors. Since the beginning of the present
year 332 additional banks have been opened, and
the gross amount of deposits, including interest,
up to the let of January has increased to 2,952,2961. It
teems that in each division of the United Kingdom the
Pod-office banks, as might have been expected, have
obbdaid a larger proportion of email depositors than the
old beaks have been able to attract Use has been made
el the Peetelbee savings bank@ by 1,010 friendly
anisties, 642 provident and charitable societiee, and 82
penny banks. A sum amounting to more than 340,0004
bee been transferred from the old savinp banks to the
Postoffies ones by means of treader certificates.

Eight pages d the report are devoted to the subject of
foreign and oolocial pa da The total number of steamships
employed in the packet 'orrice, exclusive of tenders, ke., is
96, with an segregate of 140,000 toss, and of 36,000 horse-
power. Without counting home services, the voyages
performed by the mail packets during the year
were equal in the aggregate to more than 3,000,000
miles The most diatant point to which mail" are conveyed
by British packet is A ockland, New Zealand, about 15,000
statute miles from Southampton ; the nearest is Dalai'. 26
miles from Dever. The excess of time when the pickets
were too late was often a few hours only, sometimes only
a few minutes. Several Ignatius occurred of remarkable
puctuality is the deriver, of mail, conveyed over great dim-
Moms, seen when such punctuality was dependent on
picket' arriving at • point of junction by different routes,
sod some of these instances are given in the report.
The number of officers at the end of 1862 was 25,380,
which is nearly a hundred Ism than the number •
year ago, owing chiefly to the substitution of
reed letter-boxes foe small post-offices. The general
Math of the large body of men in the London offices has
been very good. The average mortality of the effective force
it under 1 per omit Dr. Lewis, the principal medial
Meer of the department, is of opinion that on the strong
and healthy railway travelling, if the amount be not mots.
live, and if the travellers take moderate care of them-
selves, produces little or no injurious effect ;
and he points to the sanitary statistic of last
year in confirmation of this view, the sickness and mor-
tality having been about the same among the °Bloom em-
ployed on the railways as among the other officers. Very.
few losses of late yams have occurred in the Post-office
department from defalcation. The Postmaster.
General mentions an interesting case of restitution :
" More than twenty years ago, • postmaster, who owed the
office more than 2,0001., but who had given security for only
tart of that suer, absoonded, leaving an unpaid debt of up-
•ards of 1,0001. The recovery of this debt had long been
imarded as hopeless, but • short time ago • letter was un-
erreckdly received from the motels/tees mu *ricksha( a
runittanos in payment of part of his f►ther's debt, and ex-
pressing a hope that after • time he should be able to pay
tie remainder; a hope which was soon realised, every
farthing of the debt having now been discharged, in • mea-
-1 tier most creditable to the gentleman coneerned."

THE MACL4CHLAN CASE.

This morning the papers obtained by Mr. Stirling,
ILP., with newt to this owe were Weed. They include the
trial of Mrs. Maoln:blau, at the Glasgow Criminal Court ;
the statements al vitamin taken by the presenter bad
bakes the sheriff rel►tive to the preparation of the pri-
soner's statement; notes of the statements of witnesses exa-
mined before George Toon, Esq., advocate ; witnesses who
were examined by the procurator lineal before the abseil ;
their statements, furnished to Mr. Yang, althea,* they
I were not reeransieed by him ; and, lastly, a letter frees Mr.
Young to the Horne Secretary, explaining the mum to
which the evidence given before him was taken.

During the quarter ending the 81st of Marsh last
California exported trseaure to the ;meant of 12,473,3/8
dollars, sad lasesitaadles to the amount of 3,012,157 delbus.
The lumbar volaieed at Sam Frsaciero daring that period
was T 2,074,020 fest. Ties freight value Go searebandies
which arrived at that port unmated to 275,647 dollen,
and the tonaage to 47,327 t 0...