The Express.
London, England, 1852-04-21 00:00:00

SHIPS ON THE ICE OFF THE BANKS OF

NEWFOUNDLAND.

Tho following is an extract of a letter from Capt.
Penny, giving kis opinion on the subject of the ships said to
have been seen on the is in the spring of last year :
"You ask me what I think of the two ships seen upon
the iceberg. I think they were country ships,' as we
whalers all them—formations upon an iceberg which de-
ceive even practised eyes.
" To place ships in each a position by the process of
freezing into an iceberg would require 30 to 40 pan, and
ice would have been broken up with the Western Ocean
swell before it had even reached Cape Farewell. Not a
piece of sufficient size would be found to contain even one
ship much less two. No iceberg of one-fourth of a mile
would reach such a position ; it must have been two wieces
of icebergs, and the vessel being five miles distant could not
observe the water over the detached ice.
" We have the experience of the 11 whalers wintered on
the ice ; they all broke from their icebergs long before they
reached Cape Farewell.
" I have the honour to remain,
"Yours most respectfully,
W. PENNY."

EXTENSIVE EMBEZZLEMENT.—On Monday infor-
mation was received that Mr. George Frederick Foden, the
well-known coal agent of Lancaster, had gone off, taking
with him 6001. in cult, the money of the Earl of Crawford
and lialearres. At the instance of the noble earl &warrant
for his apprehension has been placed in the hands of Super-
intendent Wright.
WESLEYAN REFORM.—Last evening a meeting of
the advocates of Wesleyan Reform took place at Exeter
Hall, Strand, for the purpose of reviewing the proceedings
and recommendations of the Conference Memorial Com-
mittee, and of the President's select laymen. Mr. G. W.
Harrison, of Wakefield, occupied the chair, and stated that
the main object of the meeting was to obtain • reform of
Methodism to its judicial and disciplinary organisation,
sine, the ministers of their connexion hiul for a long time
past been more anxious to obtain ecclesiastical power than
to spread evangelical truth. The Secretary then read •
" declaration of principles" which stated that it had been
deemed expedient, in vindication of the rights and liberties
of the people called Methodists, to prepare • document set-
ting forth their object and intentions, and expressing a
belief that the restoration of all preachers, officers, and
members who had been expelled in consequence of the
recent proceedings of the Conference, was essential to the
future peace en prosperity of the connexion.—The Rev.
William F. Griffith, one of the expelled ministers, pro-
posed, and the Rev. IW. L. Horton seconded a resolution
protesting against the claim of the President's select lay-
men to be representatives of the Methodist people, and de-
nouncing the proceedings of the Conference Memorial Com
mittee and lay convocation as an insult to the Methodist
Societies, and subversive of the true interests of Christia-
nity. The motion was agreed to, end was followed by
other resolptiona of a similar tendency, after which the
proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the chair-
man.

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ROBBERY BY A VALE:T.—lnformation has been re-
ceived by the police that the confidential valet to Colonel
Howard had absconded, stealing upwards of 1,600/. from
the colonel's residence at Brighton, chiefly in Bank of
England notes. Immediately on receipt of the intelligence
the principal officers of the detective police commenced
operations for the capture of the delinquent.