The Express.
London, England, 1864-04-13 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(Taus DAY.)
Tk• SPILIMI, took the choir shortly sitar 12 o'clock.

BsaNnerLE ELECiION.

The following members were swore at the table se the
committee to hy the merits of the petition against the
election of Mr. Lloyd for Barnstaple :—Mr. F. Goldsmid,
Mr. Humphrey, Mr. Dunlop, Mr. Herres, sod Mr. &later-
Booth.

COUNTY FRANCHISE BILL
Mr. L KING, in moving the sewed radio(' of
this bill, said that there was a singular unanimity on both
aides of tb• house in favour of an exteosioo of the musty
franchise, and if a measure, having this object in view, had
eat pared loog ago it was because the principle of the
bill was mixed up with other matters which were
sot regarded with so much favour. The principle
of the bill was sot Dew. and it was admitted by all partite.
The only Tondos, therefore, wee se to the limit of the
treat/doe. The object of the bill was to give represents.
two to interests which were not DOW represented. The 50/,
voters in counties wore intelligent men, and perfectly capable
of selecting the simian who were to represent them, hot
they bad the unhappy knack of always voting in on. way.
Then wore some who *moldered that a 501. [mochas
was too high and a 101. franchise was too low,
and that something byres° the two was the
point at which the county franchise should be fixed. Bat
the put history of the measare showed that it was hopeless
to look for say compromise of that kind. He thought a
101. Rancid*, wee the on. that should be adopted. He was
afraid the character of the bows was lowered by the conduct
of the leaden on both saes in regard to the question of
reform. (Hear.) It surely was not a fulfilment of the
pledges made to the people on this subject to chuck a bill on
that table and then abandon it. (Hear, bear.) He believed
the aware was demanded by justice. (Hear.)
Mr. A. SMITH rose to more the previous question. He
did cot think the time of the bows ought to be wasted by
the introduction sod discussion of partial measures of rin
form which had oo chance of being carried.

Yr. KNIGHTLEY opposed the measure.
Lord ENFIELD would vote for the wood reading,
but with the intention of moving in committee that the
franchise in coun►iee should be 20/., instead of 101., as pro.
posed by the bill.
Lord B. Yonraoc was speaking whim our report left.

LANCASTER ELECTION.-(THIS LAY.)

imacnuo tiLsoura.)
WATT Or TIN POLL AT OMB o'cLOca.
Feerwiek (Liberal) 641
8448dars (ooessivalive) 468

GREAT WESTERN OP CANADA.—gars DAY.)

The half-yearly meeting of this company was held
to-day at the London Tavern Mr. Alderman DAyas in the
chair. The report of the directors has been already pub-
lished.

The CHAMMAN moved the adoption of the report, sod
In doing so drew attention to the extent to which the coin.
piny bed refaced from the unfavourable stets of ex.
change with America. the 0011 i of removal, and the
defalcations of the late paymaster and cashier. Wham
the exchange* coatinued so unfavourable. the Americans
could not turn a deaf ear to the mesons which the company
had for raising its rates. The renewal would be com-
pleted in two years, and that would release a large sum
to go in the augmeatatioa of the dividend. With respect
to the paymaster, he had not as yet been made
amenable to patios. The two other matters principally
referred to in the report were more gratifying. He alluded
to the jadgmeat of the Court of Appeal in Grade in
favour of the aompaey in the suit with the Commercial
Beak ; and the other wee the improved condition of the De-
troit and Milwankie Railway. Be and Mr. Faulkner were
about to visit Canada and personally investigate the local
management of the company, and see for themselves what
reforms could be initiated.
Haan meoaded the motion.

Mr. W. Evans oonsidered the report moat uosatisfactory,
and be could not naderetand why a railway of such re.
Neuron should hewn firs.
. . . .

_-After some further dimension the report .0
the dividend declared, and the ordinary busieessadOrt:hde
company proceeded pith, whit the proceedings terminated
in the usual manner.

CHARTERED BANK UP INDIA, AUSTRALIA,
AND CHINA.-(THIS DAY.)

This afternoon the tenth ordinary meeting of
Mb company was held at the London Tavern ; W. Mac.
NAUGHTIN, Eeq., is the chair.
The report herb( bees takes as read,
The CHAECUAII stated that the affairs of the bank had
been mast stionssabL There had been a branch recently
opened in Batavia, and also one in Ifsechow.
The report wee tusulmotuly adopted, and a dividend of
10 per cant. was declared, with a hobs of 10s. per share.
The retiring directors were re-elected, and the proceed.
ings terminated with a vote of thanks to the chair.

BAN% OP BRITISH COLUMBIA.-(THIS DA Y. )

This afternoon, at the annual general meeting of
the above beak, held M the London Tavern, Mr.
T. W. L. MACKead in the chef; the report of the
directors, reormineeding a dividend as the rate of five
per mat. per annum, free of income Mx, for the halfyesr
ending Dec. 31, was agreed to.

There is a deputation from the General Assembly
of the Presbyterian °harsh now is Goodoo, summing
ministers and members of parliament with a view to as
%crease of the royal 'musty. It comosts of the Rev. Joba
Rogers, moderator, the Re►. Dr. Wilson, and the Rev.
Robert Black.

PNOTIDIAIOR FAWCIII7 AND THE ELICYOIIII Or
BRIGHTON.—The meet to Professor Fawcett has addressed
a letter to a Brightest journal, coetradining • rumour that
the professor was a isle candidate for Finsbury. "It
is perfectly Inn," the weak " that the orderer has
had more than one very flattens( feminine, but his reply
bee &buys base, ' However promising any place may be. I
must deoliee, as it is my derided intestine again to solicit
the suffrages of the Brieden abater* at the next .!cede.."'
MR. STANSFILD, M.P.—Yesterday a meeting of
gentleman of Halifax was held at the White Swan Hotel,
Halifax, for the purpose of oneeideeteg the most suitable
manner of am meymag to Yr. Ettandeld aa 'apemen of
respect. Mr. Jobe Crossley presided. A resolution, settiag
forth the ladigeation ef the meeting at the peresoutice to
which Mr. Steedeld has been receatly subjected, wee pro-
posed sad adopted. A committee was then formed to
decide epos the best way of carrying out the wishes of the
meeting.—Leedo Mercury of yeeterday.
HEALTH Or LONDON.—it appears from the return
of the Regfetrar-Geweral that in the week that ended let
Saturday the deaths in Loudon were 1,501. le the four-
teenth week of ten)can 185463 the average number wee
1,257, which nor for Moreno of popeletion become'
1,383. The present return therefore shows an exam of 118
deaths. There were 197 deaths from broocbitia, and 104
from peenownia ; the corrected averages being respectively
152 mad 102. The oldest person registered in the week was
• widow, 96 yens of age. The wife of a file-cutter. aged 42
yearn, died on the Zed inst., at 12, Plemetreenmert, Holborn,
, from "effusion as the brain, accelerated by weed of we-
rishment • sad a raw strop maker, aged 50 re, died as
the 4th tut., at 13. Dsvocaldre-street, from
" bronchitis, accelerated by want of seceseeries." A pr-
Amer died at Plemensed of " tanks ague. engorgemeet of
the lungs (2 weeks), apnea." A child of " ery theme nods-
, sew mieumoeia." Lest week the births of 1,018 boys and
995 girls. in all 2,013 &Mow wore registered in Louden
In tie tell entenspandiag weeks of the years 1854-63 the
avenge amber (oserected) was 1.956.
AWFUL EXYLOSION.—On Monday night, the 11th
inn, an explosion secured in the school-room below the
chapel used by the Free Methodist, Perk-row, Notting-
ham. Oa the above evenag • prayer meeting was being
condoned by Mr. Mather, recently a prine.figider, knows
by the Haase of the " Ramon Novice," 500 or 600 people
being premed. The proosedinp were most excited, at
time rising into freesia fanaticism. Mr. Mather en-
tranced kis audieeoe to ea extraordinary degree, and
exhibited • beautiful Bible which had that day bees
preempted to him, remarking that that was his box*.
glove sow he had throws aside the unsightly ap-
pliances of the ring. His inegregatiou were is raptures,
and the feelings of all were an the highest state of frenzy,
when suddenly a tremendous explain was beard which
shook the satire budding sad mold be felt some distance
away. lesteatly all was malesios; tbs women soreomed
and cried, the men raved and shouted in the most terrible
manuer, and the maw of people panic-stricken made •
simultaneous rush for the does and windows. Hate were
look eons were tore. and nine were ripped into shreds and
tatters. le vain we or two of the calmer spirits aides-
vowed, with voices pitched in the highest ton, to stilt the
tumult which prevailed. All reason was oedema. Woman
were pitthed through the windows, frames were broken is
all directions. and, as • the eagerness of the crowd to
escape from the place, someiron radian outside, an inch and
a half equani,were broken. Eventually the schoolroom was
cleared, the gam meter having in the meantime ben turned
off. An examination of the building was then made, and it
was discovered that a portion of the roof of the school-room
had been completely blow. down. Shortly before the •••
plosion • smell of gas was perceived, and the chapel keeper
took • lighted candle into the chapel, and placed it to •
nick in the floor, with the iatintiolt of embed oat where
H
gas escaped, whoa in a moms manysioe 000urred.
He was knocked dews insewilde, and other wrens
were severely wretched and bruised in attempting to escape.
Dr. Marsh, on h ftng of the explosion, west to the spot
and rendered all pontible netnews to the sufferers. The
Sr. brigade and engines were in immediate attendaws, but
their earner were not meth required.
Eloonfmneit ?RA is ehoica and strong, moderate
In Oak end wboitotooe to ago now advantages Wore secured
tar this tea a goorral protortatro. 11.1/ sold La pocket' by ytlXl
awe..—(Advorttammist.)