The Express.
London, England, 1864-11-16 00:00:00

kiILITAXN lA.

TMS EV7LtO. THE MoTHER'S DYING CHILD.
Lane.—Singing h 7 Slo. Albert Merle and Mille. DontL—Mrs
D..w.tr.l Paul trinil with the Italian Lyric, " Rome or
'—And CAPTAIN .tolls LUCK —Comatonae at

MGR WATER AT LONDON-TRIME.

TRT9 DkT u r, .hg, 3h. 21m ....Meth." 3h. 42m.
Jl orL wee ih. 2m....Aft.r.suoou. th. 23m.

LONDoN, WEDNESDA VE3IBER 16.

THE long inquiry into the causes of the fatal
explosion of gunpowder at Erith was yesterday
brought to a conclusion. The coroner and jury
have spared neither time nor pains to make it as
complete as possible, and although they have not
been able to pronounce a decided opinion as to
the cause of the explosion—further than that it
originated in one of the barges of Messrs. JoIIN
11.tm. and Sox, as it lay off the jetty of their
magazine—their labours have accumulated a body
of evidence concerning the public safety and the
extent to which it is menaced by the present prac-
tice of dealiug with gunpowder which has already
had the effect of drawing attention to that important
subject, and may show us how to prevent similar cata-
strophes in the future. Under the judicious advice
of the coroner the jury, in the remarks appended
to their verdict, have simply called attention to the
points on which existing legislation respecting the
guupowder trade is defective, without undertaking to
recommend specific measures for their remedy.
The one fault their enumeration of those defects
is that it is too wide. When we are told that the
quantity of gunpowder stored in any ono place or
conveyed by barge, waggon, or railway train—the
construction and situation of magazines, and their
proximity to populous districts, to river walls and
other sources of danger—the construction of barges
and other vessels for the conveyance of powder,
and the necessity of their having better distin-
guishing marks—the shipping and discharging of
powder gem: illy—the importance of government
inspection and supervision of the storing, packing,
and conveyance of gunpowder—and the penalties
relating to the infringement of all acts of parlia-
ment bearing upon the subject generally, are only
" a few of thepointa- on which immediate legisla-
tion is required, it is apparent that the jury have
only a vague notion that powder is a dangerous
substance, the manag,emeut of which requires
attention from the moment of manufacture to that
of consumption, and that the addition to their
verdict is simply a recapitulation of the circum-
stances under which a disastrous explosion may
take plac.L.. These additions are worth nothing
as indications to the legislature, and the utility
of the inquest consists solely in the evidence
it has elicited. After the explosion at Erith no
ono will doubt that great stores of gunpowder have
been allowed to be formed too near populous
towns. Thi re is no reason why this should be
any longer A, as in our island there arc
spots accessible to navigation where maga-
zines might be formed out of range of
important towns and villages. When, however,
it is said that government inspection is the re-
medy for some of the dangers attending the stor-
ing of gunpowder, it may be observed that the
wisdom of the government has not prevented the
accumulation of enormous quantities of that article
at l'urtleet, the expl sion of which would any day
blow Gravesend into the air. Again, no one who has
followed the evidence in this case can doubt the
propriety of a letter regulation of the barges by
which gunpowder is conveyed up the river. The
rules prescribed for this purpose are excellent,
but they remain a dead letter, and probably it
is to negligence in this respect that we owe the
explosion of October I. These are the two
mai❑ points t, be attended to—the suitable
location of magazines, and the conveyance of
gunpowder under proper precautions against igni-
tion. These gained we shall have a substantial
addition to public safety. But over-minute
regulation of trade is to be avoided. We cannot,
indeed, be too safe, and any legislative provi-
sion which cAti contribute to this end should be
adopted without hesitation. But if we attempt to
carry regulation too far we shall only delude our-
selves into false reliance upon securities which,
when too late, we shall find never existed but
upon paper.

CoL,To N., DAY iv BRI,T,,L.—The annual gather-
ing of . p'..lauthrophists in commemoration
of Firistol's g:. ,te t boo ,ctor, Edward Colston, was held
ou Monday. The c •iiect: ,tm made at the three societies
amounted to nearly The Grateful (neutral) Society
heeled the bet with 7.4.' the Anchor (liberal) coming
nest with titilland the Dolphin (conservative) being
row. lie. Id. The presidents were :—Mr. J. Perry, town
councillor, Anchor; Mr. J. Colthurst, town councillor,
Dolphin •, and Mr. W. Hathway. merchant. Grateful.
Additional si.enifieance was imparted to the proceedings of
the two politiyal societies this year by the presence of the
candidates s-I,2ei-s1 by the liberals and conservatives for the
seat which Mr. W. If. Gore Langton will vacate at the end
of the present parliament, Sir S. M. l'eto being among the
vests at the ‘nehor dinner, and Mr. Thomas Fremantle.
West son of oir Thoulas Fremantle, making his di.but at
the I . .

1 it.‘:7l or I,oeo I‘T VC-N ERi. —We regret to an-
neloce the d. xth ..t Hastings, yesterday, of the Right Hon.
John Henry 1./ntl %loner., who, as a resident for some
years at Farnham Hall, sod &captain in the West Suffolk
and a deputy lieutenant of the county, wee ioti-
rnutu-lv connet!tNl with this neighbourhood, and will be
remembered with sorrow by many of our readers.—Bury
P.. 1.

THE IN LANCASIIIRE.Yesterday the
Eight Hon. the Lord Mayor presided for the first time since
his mayoralty at a meeting of the Mansion-house Com-
mittee of the Lancashire Relief Fund, when several grants
were made to various districts when the distress is most
prevalent. ()wing to the approach of winter many local
relief committees have rammed their operations, and to
meet the probable emergency, the Mansion-house Committee
resolved at their last meeting held on the let No-
vember, to adjourn for • fortnight only, and for the present
to meet on the lint and third Tuesday in each month until
further notice. The total slim received was reported to be
r.. 21.1“)?.. of which upwards of half a million has been, since
the formation of the committee in Mara, 1P42, distributed
amongst 260 local relief committees in the distressed option
districts.

PILOBAJO.I.
Tilt RSDAY. OM NORM mu ;TWAY.
Eto N. and W., strong COMM. N. to W. and S.W.,
to a sale, rain strong, ailits/I,y,rainy.
mow.
W. to N. and back, Wzfrria. N.W. to AW. strong,
gali.s, with ruin. with squalls, rain at

N.S.W. to W.S.W., 13017121:11.1. As next above.
fresh to a gale, with
rant.
N E to N. W., and N.N E. to W SW.,
S. W.. strong. squally, strong to fresh,
it gale lu places, with squalls, with rata.
ram.

Cautionary Signals on Monday.
Northern=aeottand. ilintiero.,- Around. Wales, nad ad-
la
.m ilea. So uthern= MarUgh Channel ay of blow. Seaterslnetward Ingland and North 3... and n

GCNERLL TODLEBEN IN SlliFFlELDo—Yellterday,
the pliant defender of Sebastopol paid a visit to Sheffield.
His arrival had been expected for some days past, but as
the visit was strictly private no public sasouncernent was
made. He arrived at the Midland Station from Newcastle
yesterday afternoon, accompanied by his side-de-camp, at a
quarter past two, where be was received by Mr. John
Brown, Lord Wharncliffe, and Capt. Blekeley. the investor
of the Blakeley gun, who arrived in Sheffield on Monday
in anticipation of the visit of the general. Mr. Brown's
carriage was in waiting, and conveyed the party direct to
the Miss Works. Here an elegant loacheon was provided,
after partaking of which the extensive works were Tilted
and minutely inspected. List evening. at the Victoria
Hotel, the gallant officer was entertained at dinner. —Leeds
Mercury.