The Express.
London, England, 1864-02-19 00:00:00

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES (METRIC SYSTEM).

Mr. W. B WART obtained leave to bring in a bill to ren-
der permissive the me of the metric system of weights end
measures in this country.
The bill was reads first time.
The hones then adjourned at 12 o'clock.

Socirrr Fox THE ENCONEAGININT or THE FINE
Arra —Last evening Mr. Henry Ottley, the honorary sec-
ret/6r y, deliveredu eddies before ofall meeting of members
and their friends, at the society's rooms, Goaded-street,
upon the threatened surrender of the premises of the
Natioeal Gallery to the Royal Academy, end the removal of
the former to Burlington House or elsewhere. After some
preliminary observation on the importance of the public
exhibition of the rational collection as tending to elevate
the taste of the people, and the influence it bad had is pro-
moting the culture of art, as manifested in the increased de-
mand for pictimes ma of our native schools within the
last thirty yen% he proceeded to lace the history of the
National Gallery and the various deacons which
had been come to, and pled_ges given, by
successive governments, by the Wiles of Cow.
moos, sod by commiaaioes, tending to confirm the right
of the nation to retain poison of the premises on the
eligible site now in part occupied by the National Gallery,
sod the desirableous of its seaming the occupation of the
other portion, which bad been tenaporarily conceded to the
use of the Royal Academy. He next showed how, for ab-
solute want of room in its legitimate house, large portions
of the manual collection, being those of the British
school, had been moved about from Marlborough-house to
the ' Brompton Boilers," soil some of them (the Turner
Collection) to Trafalgar-square, at great expense, such an
amount as would probably have sufficed to build an entire
and saffiaisot for all the purposes requited. In
spas of the promises of nominee govaraments,
the national collectioa was again threatened with
t. Mr. Cowper, the Chief Compere:toes of
• blio Works, late in the lest 11011ii011 of parliament
announced that goveniment bad under its consi-
deration • plan for the removal of the National
Gallery to Burlington-house, and although the matter had
been kept very quiet ever since, the fact be believed was
that that act of spoliation was still ia cootemplatioo, that
the plans for erryieg it out were matured, and only
visited some "convenient" opportunity, when the public
ware off their guard, to be carried into effect. He con-
cluded by calling upon his bearers and upon the public to
be prepared to make such vigorous representations M re-
gard to it to the government sad to the parliament as
should prevent this scheme from being realised, end effec-
tually ones and for all establish the National Gallery in
fall posseesies of the premises purchased for it by the
public moneys, with such extensions and modifications u
might be found necessary for the worthy exhibition of the
""Ifttreasures of art.
t PROPOSED RAILWAY SCREIISS 10R THE
RIITEOPOIAIL—YeseerdaT, on the reassembling of this corn-
mere, Earl Granville in the chair, engineering evidence
was taken at some !seek relative to the neeessity of extend-
tsl way cuunnaication in the metropolis and its suburbs.
Or WIGHT RAILWAY.—Tire half-yearly
routing of this company was held yesterday at George-
street, Wattinkantor. Ax. F. IL Atherley, of Hoedown, in
the chair. The report sad statement of amounts having
been takes as read, the Chairman, in moving the adoption
of the report, stated that the works were now in such a
siate that there was every probability that the lice would
be opened some time is May. The directors were making
arrangementa with the steamboat compuies to expedite the
communication between Portsmouth and Southampton and
the Isle of Wight, lied they hoped to induce the South
Western Railway Company to co-operate with them by
reaming frequese feet new from London as sow as the lee
ma openers f Valle. The report of the engineer was very
satisfactory so far as regarded the execution of the works by
the contractor. —oepteinHiush, in sesendiag the motes, said
that from kis pereaml knowledge of the moclitioa of the
works they might easily be limber in time for the °psalm
of the list ia May. 11 would he neosmary, however foe the
contractor to put on additional UM, and to show' more
esergy,ll his sagagements we to be fulfilled, mad he hoped
tea Mr. Fowler, their segioser, would press upon him the
importune of remise the line no time for the summer
traffic. If the South Western Railway eoupsested with
the directors of this railway, there was no reason why
the batik of the Ida of Wight should not be
reached within three hours and three-quarters. The
object of to directors was to make the south side
of the Isle of Wight as accessible to vetoes from
the metropolis as St. Leotards, Haatisp, Earitbouree, or
other watering pieces as the south coed, which enjoyed no
other ideates' over the Isla of Wight than that of being
mare useable to Ludo& He was revised that with
the co-operatic.. of the Loedon sad South Western Cam.
parry, and improved facilities for crossing the Solent, the
undertaking wield prove highly remueerative.—A Share-
holder complained of the delay of the contractor, and the
few men employed on the works, expressing his fears that
the promise of open* the line in May or Jiuse would not
be kept.—Captain Hese, ia reply, stated that 200 addi-
tional men wen to be put on immediately. The report
having been adopted, Osplain Heidi sad Mr. George Young,
the retiring directors, wars airoleotiod, and a vote of Moues
to the chairman sad directive terminated the proseedings.
NORTHERN AND RASTINN RAILWAY.—Tbe halt-
yearly mooting of this IMOIPSDY was held yesterday at the
office, Bishopegate Berton ; Mr. R. Patinas in the chair.
A short report read te the meeting stated the hoe wee
being satisfactorily worked, and the directors remenmead a
dividend of 11. Be. per share on the 501. gearanbsed 5 per
cent. per annum, sad of 14 10a. per share e the 601. gm.
ranteed 6 per oval. per was, WS ecru tax, payable on
the 25th inst.

NATIONAL Btjcw OF LIVERPOOL (LlmreLD).—The
first ordinary pedal meeting of the proprietors of this
bank MY he at Liverpool yesterday, Mr. Joseph Hubbard'
=Lg.. The chairman, in summarising the report of the
coegratidated the shareholders nom the messes
of the bank's operations during the Ent erste mouths of
its existence--from May to December lad—the profits upon
the average capital al T 6,0001. havinegg beer about 7 per
amt. The capital has sites helm aoeidenbiy biassed by
fresh calls and the ale at io,con new sharm at a premium
of IL, a ran of 11. having also bees paid on each of these
shares. The directors did not propose to dealers any divi-
deed at present, but to any 60,0001. to the reserve fund,
and 3,4441. to the credit of mat sad loft They expected
to enter Into their sew romans is Oookotnet about the
end of April. when, judging by the steady lemusee is the
burner et the bask, they would sees take • high posi-
tion mow Um n , Taal basks. The sad statement of
iscounM were aseaknously adop d and approved, the
direetors were riselectsd, sad Mr. Hammed Based, of Li-
verpool, and Mr. Ocotillo. ad Dahl* sereappeieted andlitore.

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