The Express.
London, England, 1862-02-22 00:00:00

TERRIFIC EXPLOSION IN THE STAPPORD-

SHIII porrsßiss.

A serious accident occurred at the works of
140.4r5. Lawton, of notoe-park. yesterday. Four boilers
hays bend, blowier; dews ow of the furnaces, the stack.
sod part of the blast segise-house, killing the sevens.
The works an s total wreck. Ow boiler was blows 300
- treat the works.

NUMBER or STRAY SHIPS ANL/ SAILING SHIES.
—A parliamentary return issued thia !amnion states that
oe the Ist of this month, 325 steam ships were afloat, there
►ele( 414 screw sod 111 paddle ; 3ct screw and four paddle
were lteildimf. The building of 13 others has been sus•
petaled. The amber of effective nailing ships afloat
was 110.

MR. Calmar, M.P.—This bon. member, our
readers will be glad to hear, is recovering from as
inner, which has bees of a severe and alarming cha-
racter. He had been sufferiog for some weeks in Soot-
land, whither he had been called by the Ulnae of
hie friend, Sir John Maxwell. (la his way to maw
his parliamentary duties, be was much indisposed at
Raby Castle, and was delayed • day or two in York-
shire by inability to bear the exertion of travelling ;
there his nerve. received a slight further shock by a
fall. Anxious, however, to be is town as early as pos.
sible in the session, he set of hat Thursday week,
soil arrived is town almost iesensible from •
After • week of imiument danger, his Blue's has
taken a faveurahle tura. Though he still keeps his
boil and requires incessant ears, the oriels of the danger has
bees proeourreed by his medial advisers to he over. As
exaggerated report. may have obtained currency, this state-
meet, of which we can warrant the accuracy, having re-
c.ived it direct from his family, will no doubt be iodide.-
tory to the honourable gentlemaa's numerous friends in the
riding -- York fkizeffe.
ROYAL HOISICULTURAL SOCIETT.—At an ordi-
nary general meeting of this society, held yesterday In the
council room at South Kensington, upwards of AO candidates
wee elected fellows; among them we observed the Earl of
ImrhATII, Earl Fitz withers, Lord Burghley, M.P., Sir W. Rua.
sell, Bart.. Y.P., Sir T. G. Skipwitb, Bart, Madame Tao de
Weyer, Lady Tierney, &c. At the previous meetings
of Jan. 20 and Feb. 7 we understand that upwards of IMO
new fellows were added, thus making about 250 since the
commeucenneet of the year. The total number of fellows
now the books is over 3,000.
Dos•mm or enacrea.—Preferment : The Rev.
Fred:rich %%Moro Ripley, R A., has been licensed by the
Lord Bishop of Chester to the stipendiary curacy of the
parish of Lyme, Lancashire, on the nomination of the
Key. William Mclver. M.A., victor of the first mediate of
, Lynam Vacant: The perpetual curacy of St. John's
Chuich, Smallwood, in the parish of Astbury. Cheshire, by
the resignation of the Rev. Henry Arbuthnot Feilden,M.A.,
invimhent. Patron, the rector of Astbug.
itgollnEßY AS MR. SPURCInOteIt TABERNACLE.—
)12 Wednesday night last some thieves effected an entrance
into tLe Metropolitan Tabernacle by getting, it is supposed.
through one of the windows on the basement door of the
bulling. They were evidently on the premises for a con-
sidemble time. Them are hoses placed near every door fur
the purpose of the congregation depositing weekly whatever
they may reel deposed to give towards the support of Mr.
Spurgeon's Training College for young men who desire to
become otiehiterm. Several of these were broke* apse, sad
whatever seta of money was in them of course was stales.
The robbeee also broke open the secretary's drawers, and
abstracted U. 16. Fortunately, they did not get the booty
' they might have bail had they known where the property
that was in the Tabernacle was kept. It seems evideut
that they were disturbed in their depredations, as spots of
blool, as well as matches and a candle, were left near one
of the chapel windows. The thieves lit one of the gas
burners in the secretary's apartment, and left it bunging.
No des as to the discovery of the burglars has at proems
ham ascertained.

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THE LIVERPOOL CHAMBER OF COMNERCI AND
inc NEW RAILWAY BlLLS.—Yesterday a special meeting
of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce was bed foe the
purpose of considering the railway bills now before peak,
meat, is which the conipauies seek for powers to nut
steamers to soil from ports in the United Kingdom and
&brood. The toured object to the principle of railway
companies mining steamers, 00 the ground that they would
motiopoliati traffic and the goods couveyauce trails, soil Mr.
M•Fie propented a report of • committee strongly modem-
natory of soy coneamiue I. this direction to railway cote.
ponies. Mr. Robertson moved an amendment to this
report, modifying it to a recommendation to mereorslise
park:intent not to concede to any railway corneas, the
power of raining steamers, without first making full in-
quiry to secortaie if it would be detrimental to the public
interest, sad give the railway comprinies power to exercise
a monopoly. The amendment was @seceded by Mr.
and adopted.
WEIRCK IN CARNI•RTHEN BAY.—FIRRYSIBE,
FRIDAY NIGEIT.-11E1 clergymen of this piece, who Is the
boo. seeretttr7 of this brauch of the Royal National Life-
boat I ostitutiao, writes as follows relative to a vessel which
had gone no the rocks near Carmarthen Bay :—" I have just
despatched the lifeboat of the National Lifeboat Institutive
to the assistance of a achoooer which, within the last two
beers, has got among the rocks off the Worley Point,
et the mouth of the Laugharne River. the vied
blowing heavily from E.S.E. The ieformatios of
the wreck was brought to me by the second cosswelo
the lifeboat, who saw the vessel going ashore. Her sails
bed split, she had become unmanageable, and at ones got
awes the rocks, where the sea is always breaking heavily.
I believe she is the schonuer chartered by the owners or
eaderwritsre of the ship mid cargo of the Woodside, a
vreel wrecked on Pendrin Seeds about three weeks or •
month ago. ned sow laden with the wins saved from
the Woodside. Tomorrow full particulars shall be meet.
In justice to the emiswais and crew, let ine add that tie
lifeboat was despatched with eery great alacrity."
SWIIEDLVEO AT MAYLOCR.—A most heartless cane
of swindling acearred last week. It appears that Mr.
Wilma. timber minima, of Alfretoe, has lately purchased
about 70 acres of moor land, seer Darby Dale. Them was
same valuable timber on the ground, which had been cut
doers se that the land could be cleared for building
The work was let to a man known to Mr.=bet a stranger to the neighboinisocid ;be re-let it
to between 30 sad 40 is.. residing there sad in the
neighboestiosids alai hat Saturday evudas, whoa the men
shield bamboo peid. It bkeme hums bet the fellow
had received the mew fres lb. Wilms on Tricky, and
bed decommid with it. leaving the peer We wit6ut a
bribieg. There as min them with Urge families.
We are mere to my Ibat net tls least trios of the reseirs
wbersibeele bra et present hese *babe/ What makes
the cam appear mere hesrtls.slU in that belies left a nice
lit=sheet bee yews of lip et his Weer. telilly ma-
im The child. we Wm. boa Um handed
war to Ile park& autboritio to ho Won moat far tam
pamet.—Derbyareire Courier.

LONDON AHD SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY.
(THIS DAY.)
---..--

The half-yearly meeting of the proprietors Was
held at noon, at Waterloo-statioa ; Captain MANG Les bathe
chair.
The report, which had been previously published, having
been taken as read,
The CHAIRMAN, in mosisig its adoption, commerseed by
referring to the increase of capital. The Moreno In
the half-year amounted, he remarked, to 284,0001.,
now. of which was for new engines. bridges, culverts,
&a. As regarded the loan of 100,000/. during the half-year
at Si per cent., he said it wee borrowed when the Bank rata
lof discount waif. or 7 per cent. Since the transaction ea-
coned the name loan had been renewed at 4 per cent. The
dlreeton, he could Amore the meeting, paid very close
atteataon to financial questions; but they could not
always avoid a loan falling due when money was
dear. (Heard They borrowed as fur as possible when
money was cheap. In considering the increased expenditure
the proprietors should not forget the opening of the Exeter
line, which materially affected the comparison between
15110 and 19011. The company had before it ex-
cellent prospects in connexion with the Exhibition,
and might look forward to a profitable return.
If the increase of 1,000/. per week continued there would
be ample miens of keeping the permanent way in good
condition, and at the same time providing adequately for
the payment of dividends. The completion of the narrew
chair. properly
occupied
an important place io the report.
traffic between North Devon and London would thus
be secured to the company. Comparing the cost of fuel
with the mileage, there had. it appeared, been a saving
during the half-year of 2,2561. Among the new bills was
one taking power to raise 500,000 e. for steam and other
purposes at Nine Elms, and another taking power
to raise 750,11001. for the extension of the South-
Western line into Somenetshire. The directors
were unanimously of opinion that it was desirable for the
company to obtain possession of the Andover and Red-
bridge line, and that would surely not have been the awe
unless the grounds of their decision were satisfactory.
They regretted the misuodeertanding with the Great
Western Company, but they could not allow an-
other company to come to Southampton. and take from
them their own traffic. (Hear, bear.) The noble lord who
presided at the Great Western meeting on the previous day
disclaimed having made what had been termed a declaration
of war. As between nations, an invaaion of territory was a
declaration of war--1A voice, "It is war "I
—sod the same
priscipleied in the case of an invades of railway territory.
(Hear.) Lord Shelburne said the company he represented
wee only carrying out the object. of parliament. How
could that be when two committees gave decision. adverse
to the Great Western project? The London and Mouth
Western board had throughout acted in the most pacific
spirit, and the course they had recently pursued was abso-
lutely necessary for the protection of the interests of the
proprietors. The Great Western board had indeed offered
to submit the whole question to arbitration ; but, however
well that word might generally sound, he believed that In
this awe the offer was a sham. (Hear, Mani If the
South Western Company was to be robbed of its own traffic,
it mast seek traffic elsewhere. (Cheers.)
Coast Ens seconded the motion.
HKIA?ATH considered the chairman's explanation
satisfactory.
After some discussion the report was adopted.