The Express.
London, England, 1863-08-28 00:00:00

THE FORTHCOMING STATISTICAL CONGRESS.

The Dan t', in speaking of the International
fitatistioil Omni' which is about to west at Berlin, throws
out soma awful suggsatioas. It says:
. . .

" That body, which hu now been bin years la existence,
will bold its fifth session from the 6th to the 12th of Sep-
tember. Its four previous meetings took place at Bruise's
(1853), Paris (1855), Vienna (1657), and London (1860).
The programme of the business of the coming session has just
been published; it is from the learned and animated pen of
H. E. Engel, president of the committee charged with the
organisation of the Congress. This document presents an
abundance of the valuable information and judicious
remarks which distinguish all the labours of the director of
statistics in Prussia. The Congress of 1863 will be divided
into six sections, which will respectively discuss-1. The
organisation of statistics; 2. Real property; 3. Prices,
wages, and railway traffic; 4. The comparative mortality
of military and civil populations ; 5. Provident institu-
tions and insurance ; 6. The unity of weights and mea-
sures. It is unnecessary to dwell on the importance
of this programme. Who ran fail to see how the
solution of many important problems may be promoted
by accurate statistics relative to prices and salaries, for in-
stance, or to provident institutions! And who is not
aware of the present incompleteness of our statistics on those
points? The fifth session of the Congress will. therefore,
continue the work of its previous sessions with great ad-
vantage to both theory sad martin. It also appears des-
tined to do more, and better, by first of all transforming
the Commas itself. Hitherto it has only taken cognisance
of official statistics, or thou collected by govern-
ments. Their delegates are now endeavouring to deter-
mine is coaxal the measures to be employed for collecting,
classifying, and publishing statistical reterna,with a view to
comparing together those of different countries. This is
certainly a very useful undertaking. But statistics are
every day extending their domain. There ere menifeeta-
time of social life which do not fall directly within the
province of government, and on which It is severtheires
desirable to ponces correct data, well classified, so as to
admit of ready comparison. Railway companies, bank-
ing establishments, insurance offices, benefit societies, ho.,
publish statistics ; an intelligent development of Uses pub-
lications is no leas opportune than that of the government
publications relating to population, international trade,
finances, and other questions, of which the constituted
authorities are alone in a position to obtain and 0002611Ni-
site accurate information. Why should the International
Congress not extend its action to these non-official statistics,
when the subjects to which they relate are daily samming
greater importance?"

THE RAILWAY CATASTROPHES IN PRANCE.

The Courrier du Gard gives the following details
respeoting the accident oar the railway from Names to
Beancaire, announced by telegraph. It appears that the
engine, just before reaching a bridge over a canal, went off
the rails, and, after running on the ballast above 50 yards,
rolled down the embankment, dragging with it • luggage
van and three passenger carriages. One other carriage
with passengers and • luggage van were rued from
falling by the braking of the coupling-irons.
The engine-driver and breakemee with four tra-
vellers were killed ; twelse other poisons were more or less
injured. Five of them, including a military officer whose
leg was broken, were taken to the hospital at Beancaire ; the
remaining seven were able to continue their journey, or to
return home. Among the latter were M. Doane, rector of
the Academy of Montpellier, and his wife, who received
only some alight centurions. An inquiry has been instituted
to ascertain the cause of this unfortunate occurrence, which,
°minty to the supposition at first entertained, does not
swear to have been the result of a criminal act. Since this
&oddest, the Lyons end Mediterranean Company
have been informed by telegraph of two aecideote
osi their lines, both of which occurred oa the 24th.
The first was at La Fonillonse ; where • slow
train from St. Etienne to Paris ran into a train from St.
Etienne to Amberien, killing four penious, sad wounding
several others. The second wee at the station of Aooe, neat
Villafrancle, where a ballast train no into a passenger one
from Paris to Lyons, Jointing several persons, but none of
them fatally. The following are details conowntog the
first of thane last-named accident@ as given by the
MOsoria/ de is Loire :—'• The train which passes
through Bast Etienne at a quarter to 6 in the
evening was oonskierably behiedhand. The official', how-
ever, thought they could safely said off the train
for Asdresisux. They did no, and it stopped at La Fault-
less@ to take in water. It was almost ready to start whoa
the noise of the express coming up at full speed was heard.
The greatest alarm was at once felt, but one of the porters,
named Allard, had presence of mind to rush along and open
the doors. The moaner. jumped out as quickly u they
could, but there wee not time for all to escape, se the train
came up with great rapidity, and ran into that which was
' Needing still. All the hindmost carriages were
smashed to pieces as well as some of those
in the centre, sod four passengers were killed ;
Mine. Roder, mistreat of a nett at St. Etienne; Y. How-
-1 tier. formerly ao stout, brother of the councillor of state ;
Y. Sablieres, a velvet manufacturer ; and another pence,
name unknown. The number of wounded was fifteen, and
amoopt them were Mau. Cliaillot, who had a leg fractured ;
Mute. Veodre, • rib broken and other injuries; Mlle.
Itodet, greatly cut in the face and neck, and who would
probably have been killed, bad she not been protected by
the dead body of her mother. kr. The shock was so violent
that the locomotive became detached, and from the strong
impulsion it bad reoeived, ran to St. Gelmier, where it was
stnnetert.

WEATHER IMPORT.-(THIS DAY.)

FRIDAY, AVMS IL • A.I.

&11 1.1.1 11. 1/. 2. Q. I. &1 S.
-,---, —
Nairn aars'es a ir.z. e.rs
alma«. own; - all
Leith 129.07 51 4 3. 41.13
Shields lmes sr! a rust to
ler=l 19.60 Mr 2.1. 0.30
119.80 501 H.H.H. I.
Galway 119.010 11.1.
Wangle 'l9 45 47 L 11.6.
Queenstown l— 40 ILL 0.13
Liverpool 1963 67 SS. 1 0.00
Holyhead '19.4967 N. N.L 110
Pembroke l2elo Or W. SO 1.00
Pen LIDOS ... an MI R. W. 10
Brost WO 61 126. L 42 10
L'Orie ot Ism 801 L 111 0.08
itacterort 23.43 80, X 1 10 1.02
1
Plymouth ,29.60 01' 3 R.W. 5 10 0.12
Weymouth 29.01 021 11. W. 1 18 0.09
Portsmouth 39.4011! IS W. 612 Otl
Landes -
Dover 'te.rs -I - S.W. 6 14 1
Yankee* OW 01, 8 &W. . 4 Id 2
liellgoland 19.73 01. 2 &W. 4 20 004 0

PROBABLI
SATITIDAr. OP TWO WINS.
&& to aW. and N. W., Noant-LIT. W.S.W. to N.N. W.,
moderate to strong, fresh.
m
E.mteeaty. rly to S W., mo- WI!? MAR& W.S.W. to N., strong
dente to strong, tta- to moderate.
settled.
&& to W., fresh to SOUTH COMM. &W. to N.W. and N.E.,
strong. seam rain. freak.
S.W. to N. sad bark. ttoom.Eost. aw. to N., fresh to
moderate to strong, moderate.
some rata.

North-lart=Calthnesa to Norfolk. West= Donegal to Corr-
wall. fleuth=Chanuel and Bay Corte. Bouth-Friat=Strait or
Dover to Norfolk.
8.-Barometer corrected and reduced to Sl° at half tide level.
Each ten feet, of vertical elevation, causing about one hundredth
of ma inch DiMalmo, . and each ten degrees, above 22v, cana
log nearly three hmidredths INCIIItABE E.-Ezpookt thermo-
meter In shade. D -Diffenvace of wet bulb for evaporation and
dew point). W.-Wind, direction of ;VIC/I-two points Li?? of
magnetic). r.-Yorce 11 to 12-utimated). X.-Lttreme force
since last report. Q.-Quarter whence earwig hum (NNIL=f,
to S:=N). I. - : sky. c.-010114111 (detached :I
f -fog; 11.-hall L -lightning m.-misty ;hazy) ; •.-overcast
•,dull) r.-rain s.-snow t.-thunder. ft. gain-fall, snow y
hall imelted„ since last report. 8.-bea disturbance (1 to 9).
Z. -Calm.

The advice, from Stockholm make the aatisfac-
tory announosment that, after a long dissuardoe, led by
the Minister of State Melmeten, the deputy chairman of
the burghers, M. Muth; and Count Posse, the chairman of
the committee on taxation, who strongly supported the
proposition, it was resolved that all export duties on articles
of Swedish produce and exportation should be totally
abolished. Among the articles effected by this resolution
are several, which it is considered will, before long, be im-
ported into England, such as cattle-bones, cant and pig
iron, copper, rags, ores of metals, and many kinds of wood.

The journey of M. Lesser,/ back to Egypt
seems to have been one great glorification. When he mired
at Cherbourg, the ecieotific senoras there assembled
pounced down on him, and presented him with the first of
the three medals decreed by " the institution of the French
provinces" to him who hu " most distinguished himself by
his services and devotion to his country." At Trieste Y.
Lesseps was received by a deputation, which assured him of
"the great interest hit by Austria in the snows& of the
great undertaking of Sue; sod of her sympathy with its
promoter." The Chamber of Commerce of Syracuse, and
the Agricultural Club of Cue°. have also sent addresses,
sod the municipality of Spoleto has also expressed its
wishes for the success of this vast undertaking.

MUSIC.