The Express.
London, England, 1863-08-25 00:00:00

howma

WIDINSDAY. 01 MB THERSDAT.
W.N.W. to 8.8. W., WORTN-LAW. S.W. to N.W., fresh,
strong to troth, with showery.
rain.
9. to W. sad N.W., Wner COMM W.S.W. to N.N.W.,
Aron, rain. strong to fresh, show-

en.
8.8. W. to N. W., strong Sorra Cosers. B.W. to N.N.W.,i
to tresh,raht Umes. to stoierste,ll2
showers
B.W. to N.W., strong Soont.Ehsh B.W. to N.W. sad N.,
to moderate, tome fresh.
ran.

North-Bait= Caithness to Norfolk. West=Donapl to Corn-
wall. Soutli=Channal and Ray Coasts. South.ffnat.Stralt of
Doter to Norfolk.

SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH COMPANY.
(THIS DAY.)

The half-yearly meeting of shareholders took
place at 1 &dock, at the Leaden T►vern ; Sir JAMS
CAILIFICRILIL is the &air.

T e report and aosennts, which had already been pub-
lished, woes taken au read,
•••• • • • •

The Camara; in moving their adoption, oongratulated
the meeting on the improved state of the company's affair&
The whole of the stock which it was determined at the last
meeting to issue bad been taken up, and the shares ware
Armor than they were previously. This issue had enabled
the board to clear off every debt, and to retain • good
balance at the banker's At the last meeting 1.2191. was
curled over to form the nucleus of • reserve fund.
There was now 4,0001. available for that purpose.
After discharging every liability they bad power to issue
' 28,000/. of additional debenture stock. In the cue of
the Ostend cable, which had been so frequently
interrupted, the distances of the breakage@ from
the shore had always been very small. The utmost
distance at which the cable had had to be fished up
for repairs was 21 miles, and be hoped that improvement'
would be made which would prevent any serious accidents
in future.

After some discussion, the report was adopted, and a di-
vidend at the rat* of 4 per cent. per annum declared.

ILLICIT Dortriadriow.—A person was fined at
Bolaley yesterday for carrying oa an illicit distillery. A
complete plant used in distillation was found on his pre.
miles, for which he had rendered himself liable to an
aggregate penalty of 4750/., bat the magistrates ad;
mulcted him in the sum of 3C3/. .

CART DRIVING ON • RAILWAY.—A NARROW
Eectee..-7'h• other day, en extraordimuy incident took
piece at the Lea Statics, on the Preston and Fleetwood
Hallway. A farmer named William Kirkham, residing
at Oatforth, was returning from Preston, along with his
mother, in • earlKirkham wee quite drunk, and on the
road he picked up another farmer, named William Noblet,
residing m Bartle, who also was the won, for liquor.
The road on which they were travelling crosses the railway
at Lea. A train had jut passed to Fleetwood when they
got to the station, and although another wee nearly des
for Preston, the stetion muter,. conceiving that there wee
' ample time for Kirkham to drive acmes the line with kis
cart, opened the gate. The station muter afterwards
went to some luggage, taking it for granted that Kirkham
would drive over the line in the usual way. Instead,
however, of doing thie, end notwithstanding the remon-
stranoe of Nobles, who made several endeavours to stop the
hone, he proceeded to drive upon the line towards Pre..
toe. He had gone some distance when the Matlock
muter heard a scream. He looked round, and
observed the party driving up the line, and lug wife (who
had come upon the platform at that moment) waived
a train approaching from the direction of Fleetwood.
Kirkham was still driving along the line, and would have
been immediately overtaken by the train had not the
station master's wits goes to the signal poet and put up
the signal, and in this way stopped the approaching en-
i gins. Whilst she wee doing this the station-muter was
endeavouring to stop the horse and cart. Kirkham was
very obstinate, and could hardly be persuaded to turn
round, notwithstanding the dangerous position he had got
into. If the station master's wife had not brought the
train to a stud at the very moment the did, there is no
doubt whatever that Kirkham, his mother, Nohlet, and the
horse and cart, would have been dished to pieces. Kirk-
: barn has just been committed to the seniors. for trial by
; the Preston county magistrates.—.Vanrkester Guardian.
1 A NEARLY FATAL MIST ARR. —A story is current
in dramatic circles in Edinburgh which should be known to
• stage managers generally. The particulars, as far as w.
I can learn, are as follow .—Friday night was the benefit of.
; Mr. Charles Rice at the Royal Princess's Theatre, Saturday
closing the brief but successful engagement of that intent-
, gent and versatile actor. One of the pieces brought foc-
i ward on the occasion was The Victims of Circumstances,
i the character of Lepoire being personated by the
trtnl-
Jiciare. It happens that Lenoir° should be poisoned,
and that the poinuotia ingredient—a powder—should be
ei :ratty mixed with Lenoire's drink ori the stage ; in other
words, in presence of the audience. This is the author's
arrangement. On Friday night there was an innovation in
the libretto, and, en it happened, r rather dangerous one.
The pl..y went on smoothly sough till the poisoning scene,
when, instead of • powder beiue used by the character
whose duty it is to poison, • liquid wasused, and that
Ikrid was laudanum, a small vial full of which was mired
with Lenoire's potations. The effect wee soon notice-
able on Mr. Rice who staggered through his part—
which fortunatefy was sho-t —under an ilicreasing
feeling of drownineen. He felt that he was the Victim of
Circumataitres in a manner he had not bargained for—he
became conscious of a mistake that was all but fatal. Of
course, when the curtain fell there was an immediate in-
quiry as to where the landaettm tense from. It was found
that it had been taken from the property-room, where
usually no laudanum is allowed, and where it never was
before. How it came there in the present cue is out known ;
and how the laudanum came to be used instead of the
powder is also • mystery. Mr. Rice recovered after the use
of mild restoratives.—Caledonian Mercury.
FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT IN FRANC& —The
(apnea train between Ceti* and Timms ran off the rails
on Sunday last, our Beam:aim Sin persons were killed
sad award won womb&