The Express.
London, England, 1863-12-08 00:00:00

LIFEBOAT SERVICES.—During the recent
heavy Wee some of the Boats of the NATIONAL LIFE-
BOAT INSTITUTION eared one hundred and seventy-eight
persons from different 'necks. The Committee of the Institu-
tion earnestly APPEAL to the public for ASdIdTANCZ to enable
them to meet the continued heavy demands on the InalltutiosYs
125 Lifeboat Establishments.

Conklibations ere re;;Wed by all the London and Country
Bankers lI and by the Secretary. CHAILD LEWIS, Eau., at the
Institution. 14, JohnutreeL Adaly&L

gitt •xpreos.

ltherlimisais tidwried for . The Uprose Landis Oxides
=mid boo at Yr Mb" 14, Beavalimenst. by Tiro
ila es day at pubtkailloa

ODVINT-GULDIN.

inr ITEMsok BLANCHE DE NEVUS. News. W. IL
WINS, H. Corsi, A. Cook, A. St Albyo, sod W. Harrison : Metes
L Pm.. Whs. sod Heywood.—Asd the isd Act ot SEE DIESLIET
ELOWIL -.4300d0010r, Mr. A. Maim —Cossaasses at 7.

HAYMAILIT.

1 mom sazziiiiriiiits. Wawa Howe, ran.., adC. Mathews lin C. Mathews. —THE GOLDSH numMr.
ad Mn C. Mathswa —COOL AS A =UMW. Mr. C.
Matbaws.—Ad MY HUSBAND'S GHOST. Mr. Clark.

LYCSI7X.

nue wpm, 1711011 BABY. Mr. Wlddlcomb sad
Wm C.Z.• —ln DEMONIC. a Love Story. Mem&
memo. Imo , Charles, sad Jordan; Mari
Tom Imams, and , sad Mrs. Les.

1131EANNIA.

MO ITIKOO, TH-11 CHIVET—Itr. .1. Taylor, Pad Death..
Yd Kam Plain—Aod THE .[WIBB 07 Till TIIIIPLI,
with 1111 GMAT MORT EITICT. Mr. kornokta, Mu
& Miss, and Yrs. E. Tersold.—Oaaanane• at haft-pat O.

KNI WAITS AT WIDOW DELDOD
TO D&T Mond/a lib. &So— .Afkamooo. 01.
toiSOOMOw— Mandas. Oh 10. Alkomas. OR Ohm

LONDON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8.

OF late years the position of an innkeeper has I
been very much changed. In former times, when
hotels were of a reasonable size and travelling was
more difficult, the landlord and the servants might
be expected to know most of the guest; and
even the friends and acquaintance who might ,
come to call upon them. And it was not I
unnatural that the landlord should be held
responsible for any loss which might happen to
any of the guests whilst under his roof. But I
now that hotels have been turned into barracks,
when instead of the house being filled by '
twenty families there is accommodation for
ten times that number, it is obvious that
whilst the task of the landlord in protecting the
property of his customers is rendered more diffi-
cult, the chances of the lighthanded sharper are in-
finitely multiplied. An inn may be so small that
she landlord or his wife can personally look into
every room and watch every individual WM enters
but in one of these modern monster hotels the land-
lord must give place to the manager of an invisible
company of shareholders, and even the manager
must delegate his powers to various subordi-
nates. Under such circumstances personal respon-
sibility ought to be diminished, because per-
sonal supervision is impracticable. The advantages
of • large establishment cannot be purchased by
guests without a sacrifice. If a gentleman or
lady will live in public they must submit to the
restraints which such a mode of life requires.
It is well known that until the month of July an
English innkeeper was responsible for all the pro-
perty of his guests. This was the doctrine of the
Roman law, and since the time of Lord Coat it bad
never been questioned by any English lawyer. It
was even laid down that it " was no excuse for the
" innkeeper to say that he delivered the guest
" the key of the chamber in which he lodged, and
" that the latter left the chamber door open ; the
" innkeeper ought to keep the goods and chattels of
" his guest there in safety." There can be no
doubt that this law worked considerable in-
justice. The innkeepers were made responsible
for losses which no amount of vigilance could pre-
vent. Take the case of the Dowager Lady
BLANTYRE, at the St. James's Hotel, which re
salted in an action tried before Mr. Justice BYLEN
last Saturday, and the unjust effect of the rule of
the common law is at once made obvious. It
seems that last May, Lady BLANTYRE and her
daughter Mrs. FERRAN]; with her husband, took
apartments at the St. James's HoteL This esta-
blishment was, and still is, in the hands of a com-
pany ; the resident managers were, and still
are, M. FRLNCATELLI, the celebrated chef de
CNieke, and his wife. The hotel was scarcely
finished, but on the Bth of May Lady
BLiarrm and her party took possession of their
suite of rooms, there being a door in each of them
leading from one to another. There was also, it
is to be observed, • door in each room opening into
the common passage. One bedroom was occupied
by Lady BLANTYRE. About seven o'clock on the
19th of May she dressed for dinner, and had occa-
sion to make use of her dressing-case, in
which, amongst other things, there was a diamond
brooch worth 3201., • pair of diamond buckles for
bracelets worth 611., a diamond ring worth 301.,
and other articles and money, valued alto-
gether at 6001. When she went down
to dinner the jewels were safe. She retired to
bed between eleven and twelve. She did
not lock the door, but placed a chair
against the door leading into the passage. She
rose next morning about half-past eight, went
to breakfast at ten, returned to her room at
eleven, and upon looking into her dressing-case
found all her jewels gone. The singular thing
was that the dressing-case had no appearance as
if it bad been forced open, and the key was in
Lady BLANTYRE'S pocket. Information was, of
course, given to the manager and to the police, but
nothing was ever heard of the property.
Under these circumstances, Lady BLANTYRE
brought an action against the St. James's Hotel
Company for the value of the lost jewels, and not-
withstanding the obstinate ingenuity of Mr. Bovu.L,
obtained a verdict. There is no manner of doubt
that, according to the ordinary rule of law, the
Hotel Company are responsible. The only point
made by Mr. Bova lA, was that in every room a
notice had been placed declaring that " the Corn-
" parry do not hold themselves responsible for
" property left in the Hotel, unless placed in the

" special charge of the manager." But the simple
answer to this is, that no man can by any number
of notices divest himself of • liability which
theelaw imposes upon him, and therefore the
notice was useless. On the other hand, it is
clear that innkeepers would be exposed to
infinite risk by this doctrine. It is by no
means easy to secure honest servants, but if
ladies or bankers in these enormous hotels are to
be allowed to place jewels or other property of
any value in rooms opening into a passage which
may almost be considered public, and if a hotel
company is to be held responsible for any less
which may occur, it is tolerably clear that the
carelessness of the guests will increase in an inverse
ratio t-r the dividends of the unfortunate share-
holders. In former times, as we have observed,
it was not perhaps necessary to insist
upon guests exercising more care in a hotel than
in their own houses. But things are now altered.
And, indeed, the Legislature has thought it right
to interfere. For by an Act of last session "no
" innkeepers henceforth liable to make good any
" loss to property brought to his inn (not being a
" horse or carriage) to • greater amount than 301.,
" except in two cases. The first case is where the
" innkeeper or his servant has been guilty of
" wilful neglect ; the second is where the goods
" have been deposited with the innkeeper ex-
" pressly for safe custody." The case of Lady
BLANTYRE furnishes an excellent illustration of the
hardship to which hotel-keepers were subject before
the passing of this Alit of Parliament,. As the law
now stands, Lady Btswrvaz would be obliged to
bear the loss of her jewels, although of course she
might protect herself by depositing them in the
custody of the landlcmd. This new regulation may
cause some slight inconvenience ; but it is cer-
tainly in accordance with justice, and must
have the effect of discouraging those keen-eyed
gentlemen who prowl about the corridors and
passages of hotels and chambers, especially in the
west-end of London.

We understand that Sir Rutherford Adcock, our
Minister to Japan, leaves for his post on the 28th
inst.

be Court.

WINDSOR CASTLE. Dim 7.
The Queen, attended by the Hon. Mrs. Bruce,
walked and drove Is the groan& this morning.
Primer Louise took a amigo drive.
The Crown Prises of Prue& (attended by Major Von
Schweinita) sod the Crown Princess (atiended by Comatose
Hohenthal and Count Foratenstein), went to Loudon.

The Prince of Wales arrived is lowa yesterday morning
from Frogmore, and visited the Smithfield Club Cattle
Show, 4 the Agricultural Hall, Islington. His Royal
Higbee.' afterward' went to Marlborough-house. In the
afternoon the Prince of Wales honoured with a visit the
establishment of Mr. C. Hancock. io Breton-street.

The ChasmsLke of tin Exidesquer Arrived in town yes-
terday morning from Windsor Conde.

no Julie:dal Ominnittes of the Privy Council sat Tester.
day. As appeal from Cum* "Brew v. Gogy " (pert
heard) was rammed. The lards present were Lord Law
down, Sir J. Coleridge, and Sir E. Ryan.
Despatches were received yesterday at the Colocial-offios
from the Gammon of the Noah Amylase Provinces and
Halts, and from the Lord High Commissioner of the
lonian Wands.

LYCIVIII Tawas—His Royal Highness the
Priem of Wales, accompanied by their Royal Hishameas
the Prime Royal of haggis and the Duke de Brabant,
honoured with their menpany last minim the performance
of Bel Demoftio at the Lyman Theatre.

The Duke and Duchess of Manchester, who ar-
rived in town yesterday from Pain, left in the afternooe on
a nit to the Duke sad Duchess of Sutherland, at Mies-
halt Abrossidre.

The Duke and Duchess of Argyll 142 loan town
at the ekes of the week for Inverary, N.R, for the lei
weeks pram ling the opening of parliament.
The Earl of 'Westmoreland, according to the
latest telegram, is progressing favourably, and all danger is
supposed to have now pared away.
His Excellency the Earl of Carlisle, the Lord
Lieutenant of Ireland, will lease town towards the slow of
the week for Orr Howard, Yorkshire, and will depart for
Lublin early in the ratting week.

Viscount and V isoountess Palmerston will receive
the French Ambassador, Prime do la Tour d'Auvergus, sad
a select party, at dinner to-morrow erasing, at °Ambridge
House.

We learn that the Earl of Radnor continues in
exeollent health. Hie lordship has entered his 85th year,
and resides chiefly at his seat in Berkshire, dispersing
hospitality to all claws.

Lord Wodebouse is expected to leave England
tomorrow ea his special minion to Copenhagen, as Minister
Extraordinary to the King of Denmark. The Hon, Mr.
Wodeboses, brother of his lordship, is likely to be selected
as suastery to his lordship's mission, and will leave the
Hague today to enter on his ditties.

Sir J. Lawrence, the newly-appointed Viceroy of
India, had an interview with the Right Hon. Sir Charles
Wood, at the India-office, yesterday. Later in the day, Sir
John had a long audience with the Bight Hoe. the °bee-
sailor of the Exchequer.

The Western Times states that the lady who left
her fortune to Mr.T3israeli was a Mrs. Brydges Wiliam*, of
Mount Braddon, Torquay. She was of Jewish extinction.
Etbs became soquidated with that gentleman by his answer-
ing an inquiry of banes to whether he was demanded from
a Spanish family.