The Express.
London, England, 1855-02-16 00:00:00

DESTRUCTION OF THE STEAMER

MAURITIUS BY FIRE.

(DT ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)

(TROY TER CORRESPONDENT OP TEE DAILY NEWS)
SOUTHAMPTON, FRIDLY Moarrixe.
The General Screw Company's steamer Mattritittio
which has just arrived from the Crimea, and was in
the large graving dock repairing, caught fire at five
o'clock this morning, and has been totally destroyed.
She was above 1,800 tons burden, and cost nearly
80,0001.

THE PARIS EXHIBITION.

BIRMINGHAM, THIMID/T.
The preliminary arrangements connected with the
contributions from this town to the French National Exhi-
bition are now nearly completed, and our manufactures will
be fairly represented at Paris. Altogether there
will be about 100 exhibitors ; and althout,h a larger amount
of space was applied for than the commission at Marlbo-
rough-house were enabled to grant' the allotment of the
space allowed will be, on the whole, tolerably ample. The
manufacturers of papier mache goods require more space
than they have at present obtained, which is insuffi-
cient to display properly those elegant products.
At present there has been assigned to the exhi-
bitors from this town 2,211 square feet of counter
space; of wall space, 2,600 feet; of hangiog, 1,728
feet; and of floor space, 1,414 feet. The branches of tens
represented, and the number of exhibitors in each, are as
follows:—Paper, one; surgical instruments, one. In naval
and military arts—guns and pistols, four; percussion ceps,
two; gun wads, &c., two; swords and bayonets, one. Ice
general metal wares—buttons, nine; bellows, one; bells
and cocks, one ; chains, one ; carpenters' tools, one; ooffin
furniture, one; cast iron and hollow-ware, one; general
brawfoundry, five; needles and fish-hooks, six;
win--
iron, steel, and brass, five; saddlery, three; lamps and
brackets, four ; tin and japan ware, two; and in dies,
fancy metal works, fire-irons, gold pens, naval brass-
foundry, screws, door-bars, &0., one exhibitor each. In
the department which includes goldsmiths' work,
jewellery, end bronzes, there will be six ezbibi-
ton of electro-plated wares; one of silver and gold
electro-plated works and bronzes; one of gold chains' •
and one of gold inlaying for ornamental work, &c.
Of ornamental, bottle, window, and cut glass—there
are three exhibitors, of papier-mache, two ; of mechanical
drawings, &c., two ; of sculpture, one ; and the department
of machinery, as applied to industry, has eleven exhibitors.
Under this head come anchors, railway signals, railway
ironmongery, planing machines, screw-stocks, raining
apparatus, needle-making machinery, magneto-electrio
apparatus, and specimens of iron ores, &c.
The only important branches of our trades for which
space has not yet been sought, are metallic bedsteads sod
table-glass ; some of the mechanical trades, and polished
steel wares. Some magnificent specimens of ecclesiastical
furniture are, however, in course of preparation, and will
be exhibited by Messrs. Hardman. To-morrow a meeting
of the general committee takes place, for the purpose of
appointing an agent to represent the Birmingham exhibitors
at Earls, and for completing some other arrangements,
which have so far progressed satisfactorily. Mr. Alderman
Lucy, wko presided over the committee for arranging the
local contributions to the Exhibition of 1851, has consented
to act in a similar capacity in respect of the contributing
to Paris.

SPECIAL PRAYERS FOR THE ARMY.—Yesterday
the Bishop of Oxfo►d issued an address to his clergy, is
which he says Without yielding to any fears as to the
issue of the great snuggle in which we are engaged, we
know that our brave soldiers are suffering under the honors
of disease and war in their most aggravated forms. Such
a state of things appears to me to 'call loudly upon all of us
to turn anew to our merciful God in special rerentaace,
intercession, and prayer. Let me then beg you, on the
approaching fast of Ash Wednesday, to call upon your Socks
to join with you in such a turning to God ; and though you
cannot legally alter the appointed order of public prayer,
you may, in my judgment wisely, take advantage of the
liberty commonly allowed us, by introducing before and after
your sermon on that day some appropriate collects; such,
for example, as those contained in the Prayers for Our
Present Troubles,' which have been printed for me by Mr.
J. H. Parker."

THE GENERAL SCREW STEAM-SHIPPING COY-
PARY.—Tbe result of the ballot has been a large majority in
favour of the adoption of the accountant's report.
A CHANGE OF FORTUNE.—The Rev. Mr. Chichee-
ter, who succeeds to the vast estates of the late Lord O'Nell
(valued at 40,000 L per annum, and wholly free from in-
I cumbrances), is at present incumbent of St. Michin's, one
of the poorest parishes in Dublin, and to which he was but
recently promoted from the still poorer incumbency of St.
Michael's.

SUDDEN AND REMARKABLE DEATH :A death
occurred at Stirling on Tuesday evening, which is im•
I pressive and remarkable from the circumstances under
which it occurred. The relatives of a tradesmen named
Reid had 'mumbled to see hie remains put in the coffin—
he having died after a somewhat protracted illness on the Si.
turday previous. The melancholy duty had just been cow-
completed—the relatives of the deceased had all retired,
and the widow sat down by the fire with an infant on her
knee, when she suddenly dropped down and expired. A
famry of four children has been left.—North British
Matt.

GRAND CRESS MEETING.—For three days in the
first week in June there will be • grand meeting of chew
players at Leamington, at which Lord Lyttelton is to act sa
president. Many matches between players of celebrity and
between London and provincial clubs will come off.

THE " REASON Wirf."—Col. Sibthorp put a ques.
tion in the House of Common. last week concerning the
new Bribery and Treatment Act. He wished to knoll
whether it was illegal for a member to give away coals at
Christmas? The &ausfo►d Mercury explains the query,
when itsaya that the following was formerly the practice at
Lincoln:—" To those who gave the Colonel one vote a cer-
tain quantity of coals was given ; to those who gam a
plumper, double that quantity ; and freemen and electors
who had net voted for the Colonel, and who applied for
coals, were refund."