The Express.
London, England, 1852-06-04 00:00:00

Tna ELEcratc TzLzosArn COMPANIES. —On
resuming their inquiry, yesterday, the committee called
Mr. Statham, engineer of the Gotta Percha Company,
who bore testimony to the efficiency of that company's
patented substance for protecting and perfectly insulating
telegraphic wires, both for underground and sub-marine
telegraphs. Knew of no better insulating materiel than a
cuing of gutta percha.—Mr. James Ross, corresponding
agent for .he London and American newspapers, at Liver-
pool, had dealt extensively since 1846, with the Electric
Telegraph Company, who had improved their system month
by month, and considered the present working of the sys-
tem to be generally speaking satisfactory. The charges for
long distances were cheaper than these in America, where
the delays and inaccurracies were greater than they were
here. The cypher message of Mesas. Willmar and
Smith, to which the attention of the com-
mittee, on a previous day, was drawn, was
to witness's own knowledge, having been engaged
to do it, intended to prevent the transmission of the Presi-
dent's address to certain morning papers, so that Messrs.
Wiliam and Smith might secure it first for the newspapers
they supplied. A second telegraph, in witness's opinion,
would be attended with disadvantages. It was questionable'
whether there would be enough business for more than one,
and whether reduction of rates, consequent on competition,
would not make it a losing concern. It would, however,
be an advantage in the event of accident to, or stoppage of
communication by, one telegraph to have another.
After some further evidence, the committee adjourned.

EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPB FROM DROWNING.--OR
Thursday last a little boy, about three years of age, the son
of Benjamin Davies, ostkr, of Cardigan, was playing near
Cardigan mill, when, by some accident, he fill into the mill
stream, which at this place runs with great rapidity, and
enters • subterranean peonage made under the public road-
way, and, after proceeding underground for about fifty
yards, Las into the river Meriden. When the child fell
nto the stream not the slightest hopes were entertained
But he would be saved, on account of the long under-
ground passage; but, to the amazement of every person
who saw it, he reappeared in about four minutes Boating
some distance down the river, the force of the mill
stream having carried him rapidly through the passage.
The escape of the child was considered most extraordinary.

MURDER AT ARDROATIT.—At the Arbroath Police
Court on Monday, a powerfully-built man, named John
Beattie, a Iles-dresser, was brought forward charged with
murder. The dream/tutees of the case, as detailed at
the court, are very brief On Saturday, the Arbroath
Whitsunday msrket dad, Beattie had been drinking with
some companions, and between nine and ten o'clock p.m.,
be sallied forth from a public-house. Having met in
Grimsby-street a man named George Jamie, a labourer
(the unfortunate deceased), Beanie, without the slightest
provocation, ferociously attacked and assaulted him. Jamie
Iris twice knocked down, and when down repeatedly kicked
by Benne, who, after he had committed the atrocious out-
rage, made his maps. Jamie was carried to the police
omos in a state of insensibility—be never rallied. Medical
aid was of no avail, and be died at seven o'clock on Sunday
evening, of congestion of the brain superindueed by the r-
esult, —A rbroalli Guide. _ _

THE EARL/ CLOSING MOVEMENT.-n wu tiara-
ordinsry the number of betting offices that were closed
early the zombi; after the Derby !—PsuseA.