The Express.
London, England, 1847-09-01 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL.

-----
DINNER TO MR. SANDARI3, M.P.—On Monday a
public dinner was given to Mr. Bandar'. the newlv-olected
M.P. for Wakefield, in the large room of the Cora t'schange
buildings in that town. Upwards of 600 gentlemen sat
down. W. B. Naylor, Esq., presided.

BIHKENIIEAD A FILM POET.-Following the suc-
cessful prt':te.ent of the Stockton and Darlington
Middlesborough, the Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Chos-fs'ire
Junction Railway Company have offered to the Birkenhead
Dock Commissioners, that if the rates upon shipping be re-
duced to 6d. per ton from foreign ports, and Id. per ton on
coasters, the railway company will pay the rates upon all
vessels with cargo entering the docks, guaranteeing a
minimum revenue from the lst of Sept. to the Ist of Jan.,
1819, considerably exceeding what the commissioner have
hitherto received. This offer, if accepted, can scarcely fail
to produce great changes on both sides the water. If
it succeeds, and the railway company Sods it answer
on a small scale, we may yet see the whole of
the Birkenhead Dock works made free of charge.
Taking the immense amount of capital invested in
railways to communicate with these docks, in the dock and
warehouse company, and in other undertakings at Birken-
head, altogether amounting to eight or ten lions, a very
moderate per tentage would suffice to complete the work.
in a plain and substantial manner, and treating the expen-
diture as that incurred in making a joint station, for ships
instead of railway waggons, the oast of keeping the docks up
would fall but lightly on the collective capital. The saving
in tonnage rates on a shin of 1,000 tons, making yer,f,y
bTr;:hree7r.ei.
melrailv°67:wagtPeati annum
—no
ocothuliuseedirbeli, insignificant
rthethe:he'siir7P:a"ock;rrenitOmeOrnr-.
line one penny per ton extra on the coals shipped is found
sufficient to defray the cost of keeping up the Tees naviga-
tion. The Birkenhead Docks, now open, have about seven
acne water splice ; at the Liverpool of 25,000 tons
per acre per annum, they would accommodate 175,000 tons
of shipping ; if they get one-half of this, the experiment will
have succeeded, will be continued, and eaten ,as the rail-
way, with proper management, would secure the carriage of
seven-eighths of the goods landed and shipped. If it succeeds
at Birkenhead (says the Liverpool Times, which we quote),
why not on this aide ? Would it not pay the London and
North Western to buy the King's Dock for a station, or to
pay the rates on all ships bringing cargo to them, if the
dock trustees would not sell, and no other site could be got'
The first railway dock may be at Birkenhead; but we feel
sure that the time is Mt approaching when a dock terminus
will be considered essential to all railway companies, who
lay themeless out for goods traffic.

NORTHEMBaH/AND.
SIR R. PEEL AND THE CHAMBER OF COnnee.Ca.
—The invitation to Sir k. Peel, by the Chamber of Com-
, =aro, to a public dinner la this town, bas been declined by
the right hon. baronet solely on the inroad of tie 'bonnets
of hit visit to the north.—Neunonk Advertiser.
TYNESIDE NATURALIST'S' FIELD CLUE. The
Nesonsitk Adoertsair of yestenisy merle the meat nun-

tiles of a body of local naturalists, who, it appears, have
periodical meetings, not for the discussion of scientific points
IR a crowded room, but that the members may go together
into the country in search of specimens of Planta, shells,
birds, or other objects that may illustrate their favourite
wsuits. The third meeting of the year, says the reporter,
look place in a range of country extending from Haydon.
bridge to Wall-town and Haltwhistle ; a district described as
highly interesting to the geologist and botanist, and also to
Ike antiquary, from its possessing the most extensive remains
Roman wall now in existence. The face of the cows-
-177 mach broken by irregular kills of limestone or
; and at Walltown, find from thence towards the
liOrth, the edge of the great Whin Sill shows itself, after
having been thrown down by the great Stublick-dyke. In
OM hollows are numerous bogs or mosses, and here and there
a install lake. As might be expected many of the plants peculiar
ths math diatrictaare found here in abundance, amongst them
' sow e of our rarer British species. Several scarce species of Cant
occur, especially Carer irrigua, which was first noticed as a
British plant in this district by Mr. J. Thomp-on, then of
Crowhsll Mill, and who has added many species obst rued in
the neighbourhood alluded to, to Northumberland Flora.
Amongst them may be enumerated hicracium prenanthoides
and crepis succimfolia. The day was remarkably fine, and
just pinartjm, eaftraahasPtyleilananterw, wander, reached
retachhoemde bHyairhehillaailet
train front Carlisle. The fourth meeting was held at Prest-
wick Car, near Pontelaud, a space of flat, marshy, and
land, about two miles acmes, with a considerable
boggy
of rather shallow water communicating withothe little
river Pont by a deep ditch. Over this expanse of bog,
marsh, and water, the stumps of trees are scattered. When
the lake is low they may be men in considerable num-
bers, just showing themselves above the ',tufa,e of the
water. Two sorts of trees may be distinguished: a species
of fir, probably the common Scotch fir, as the wood when
sliced and put under the miscroecope appears to belong to
that plant. The other tree is the common birch ;in this the
bark is remaining, in many cases slmoet quite sound, whilst
the wood is soft or altogether gone. Thus furnishing us
with means of accounting for the fact, that in most of the
larger fossil plants of our coal mines we have impressions of
the bark only, the place of the wood being unusually occu-
pied by mud or sand. As might be expected, numerous
water plants are to be met with in this spot, with most of the
common north of England heath and bog plants, both cryp-
togamic and flowering. Many fresh water shells are found
in the lake and the ditches which run into it, but they do not
appear to be so numerous as they were found some years ago.
Waterbirds, as might he expected, have resorted in great
numbers to the Car, and this year they spotty. to be more
numerous than usual. Several species also have bred in
greater numbers this season than usual, and some here bred
which had not been previously noticed at the Car in the
breeding season. Several broods of the redshank :were
brought out, the water crake bred there this season, and a
ruff and reeve were seen. Amongst the other birds was
a flock of about thirty ring-dottrels, a number un-
usually large to be seen together there. The only busi-
ness transacted at the meeting was the election os
four new members, and the presentation, by Mr. J.
Hancock, of a notice of the capture of the thrush
nightingale (Sylvia Turdoides, Meyer), the largest European
warbler, near the village of Swalwell, three or four miles
west of Newcastle. The attention of Mr. I'. Robson, of
Bwalwell, a gentleman perfectly acqualated with the notes
of our different warblers, was, towards the end of last May,
attracted to a note which he did not recognise. After some
trouble he succeeded in seeing, and afterwards obtaining the
bird, which proved to be the male of the species abovenameds
Although this was the only specimen obtained, yet, from the
time of year and other circumstances, there is little doubt
that this fine warbler is a regular visitant, its peculiarly
retired habits having hitherto conmaled it from observation.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE-
ALLEGED Loss Or A STEAM-BOAT, AND EXTENSITE
SACRIFICE or LIEE.—BEIsTot, Arc. 31.—There is a ru•
mom prevalent in this city that a serious loss of life took
place yesterday evening, off Minehead, in consequence of
the bursting of the boiler of thi Glamorgan steam-packet.
Yesterday morning the vessel left Bristol with .501 persons
on board, for a cheap excursion, and, according to the
account given by some passengers who arrived by train this
afternoon, the vessel had left Minehead on its return to
Bristol, when the boiler burst, occasioning the most awful
alarm. About 60 escaped in a sailing boat to Watchet, some
of whom got to Bridgwater, and thence here; they are
tumble to tell what became of their fellow-voyagers. Two
tugs hare been sent to Minehead by the General Steam
Packet Company, the proprietors of the vessel, and it is
expected by them that to-night more correct accounts will
be received, and that the par.- . will be found all safe.

passengers e.
SUSSEX.
THE JURY WHO RAVE 60 OFTEN ASSEMBLED AT
NCTBOTAME, to ',squint into the accident on the Brighton
and South Coast Railway, by w►ich the engine-driver, W.
Gregory, lost his lifet met, yesterday, at Nutbourne. The
illness of a juryman Induced a further adjournment.
ESSEX.

ELECTION CELEBRATION.—AT COLCHESTER yes-
terday, Sir John Tyrell and Major Beresford made their
triumphal entry into the town, their committee having
made arrangements to celebrate their return for North Essex,
at the general election. A large cortege was formed at
Leaden, a mile on the London road, consisting of several
hundred horsemen, wearing blue favours, many carriages,
and a variety of other vehicles, music, banners, &e., and an
allegorical device which attracted considerable attention from
its quaint and expressive character. The dinner took place
at the Cups Hotel at 5 o'clock. Mr. Geo. Round was in the
chair. He was supported by Mr. C. F. Newdegate, M.P. ;
Sir H. G. Smyth, M.P. ; Mr. D. Waddington, M.P. ; Mr.
J. C. Cobbold, M.P. ; Sir John Tyrell, M.P. ; Major Beres-
ford, M.P. ; Mr. Boyer Smyth, Capt. Dueane, Mr. C. G.
Round. Rev.'Messra. Cox, Bcdley, Jerningham, Round, Not-
tidge, Forster, &Ivey, &c., and nearly 400 of the yeomanry
and gentry. An excellent band was in attendance. Loch
of the members made speeches of a thoroughly election cha-
racter. The festivities had not concluded when our report
left.