The Express.
London, England, 1846-10-03 00:00:00

. . ._
ministers, assured the company that they were iulluenced
by the strongest desire to render service to the community.
Nothing could exceed th•iir anxiety to ameliorate the condi-
tion of the poor, and administer to the happiness of all classes.
With truly hospitable civic chiefs, and truly considerate
ministers, all which can be done by these causes to promote
the public welfare will he performed.
STATE OF POLITICAL PARTIES.—A meeting to take
this subject into cousideration was held yesterday at one of
the rooms of the Hall of Commerce, and was fully attended.
Ebenezer Clarke, Esq., was called to the chair, and in
a few preliminary observations stated that the principal
object would be to hear an address' from Mr. Henry Vincent.
That Gentleman then addressed the meeting at considerable
length. After some general remarks on representative
government, he contended that this was of all others
the time for a reform in the representative system.
The Anti-Corn-law agitation had ceased, but it had
shown the nation the selfishness of, and had pro-
nounced a verdict against, the present system of repre-
sentation, and it required such a combination to show that
it was not by the legislature that an odious monopoly would
be removed. The success ot the Anti-Corn-law League had
caused an entire disorganisation of political parties. It had
shown the nation that it was not to be misruled by mere po-
litical factions; and no party could now exist that was not
progressive, and which did not repudiate finality. This
disorganisation of party had also led to independence of
thinking and feeling. It was in this state of things that the
friends of reform had thought it a fitting opportunity
to organise an agitation intelligible in its character and de-
sign, and peaceful and Christian in its meone. They bad
resolved to form a National Alliance for the Reform of the
House of Commons, which in its orgauisation ehouid appeal
to the middle and working cheers, which should extend the
franchise under the present system; aid that a fund should
be raised on the plan of the Anti• Corn-law League, endued'
and miseionaries be disseminated all over the country. It
would fraternise with every party which was em-
ployed on the peaceful work of reform. The movement
would extend all through the countey, and the working-men
would be roused to claim the franchise fur themselves. It
would pre.s for an efficient repreeentation, for the vote by
ballot, universal suffrage, and that the choice of the electors
should be the only qualification for members of parliament.
A working committee would be appointed, and it would be
one object of the alliance to scatter instructi.n and temper-
ance through the country. He asked the present meet-
ing to pledge themsels es to nothing ; but all he asked was to
give their plans a patient consideration. After a vote of
thanks to Mr. Vincent and the Chairman the meeting
' separated.
BATIIS AND WASII-HOUSES.—Last night a pre-
liminary meeting of the rate-payers of St. George's-iu-the-
East was held to deprecate the, putting in force in that
palish the act passed last cession fir the establishment of
ha.hs and wash-houses. With a view to promote the estab-
lishment of them, a public vestry is to be held on the Bth
instant ; but the meeting was of opinion that the attempt
would lead to great expense, much jobbing, and increased
taxation. A resolution to that effect was unanimously
adopted, and a committee appointed to oppose at every stage
the application of the act to the parish.
BOTANICAL SOCIETY. —tOTATOES.—At the meet-
' ing of this Society, held It* evening at the Society's
rooms, 0 Bedford-street, Covent•garden, E. Doubleday,
eleilk
Esq., V. i'., in the hair Jena. ommunicated a paper
"On the Pots ase." •he or suggested, First,
That a portion a sow t diseased potatoes
exclusively, one being fly avoided. Se-
cen•lly, Taa 'on o ground whit s this year yielded
diseased pit • left entirely und' rb^d ; if, however,
there app any mixture of sound potatoes, that these
be as far ssible removed. Thirdly, That a portion of
ground byown in the usual manner, with the best potatoes
that can be procured. Fourthly, That these ea.ind portions
of ground be kept The* ilettiuct, beifiuse, if the disease
be contagious, i msibly be communicayeeL from one
plot of ground-t ther, and thus the experlinint be trus-
tee i . Fifthly, That a few diseased tubers be sawn in pots.
lA, That-the results of the experiment tut faithfully
T itted to some accredited person or society, with a
ute description of the details, which shall be published,
filer that each individual interested may form an inde-

gr.odent opinion.
FIRE Ed.C.APE.S.—At a vestry meeting of St. Leon-
ard's, East Cheap, yesterday, a letter was read to the Board
of Guardians of the City of London Union, suggesting the
propriety of providing a sufficient number of fire-escapes for
the city. It was then unanimously resolved to adopt the
suggestions of the guardians, and contribute an annual sum
out of the parish funds fur the purpose of keeping tire-escapes,
with persona to attend them always ready.
NOVEL VOYAGE OF THE NASUAI: BALLOON.—It
having been found that the Nassau balloon, which had been
advertised to ascend yesterday evening, from Cremorne-
gardens, could not be inflated at the Chelsea Gas Works,
Mr. Green was under the necessity. of calling in the aid of
the Vauxhall Gas Company. The Inflation being completed,
the balloon was placed in a barge prepared tor its reception,
anti towed by the Starlight steamer up the riv. r to Cremorne-
gardet,s. The difficulty was as to how the two intervening
bridge s could be passed. The sire of the balloon rendering
it impossible to pass through the arches, and the only
practicable way of surmounting the difficulty was to let it
ascend, when it reached Vauxhall-bridge, and, holding it fast
by repel, to pull it down again into the barge when the
bridge had been crossed. The concourse of persons on the
bridge and in the • neighbourhood which as.sernblcd to see
this novel incident in aerostation was immense. After the
balloon, with tea or twelve persons in the car, had ascended
fifteen or twenty feet from the barge, it mane a sudden up-
ward move, and then descended RO close to the bridge that
the spectators were able to touch the car. The steamer and
the barge having, however, passed under the bridge, the
ropes fastened to the balloon were thrown back to the huge,
and the vast floating body, having passed over the bridge,
was safely brought down and the ear fixed in the barge,
amidst the loud plaudits of the spectators. The time occu-
'OM in all this was not much more than ten minutes. The
same process was repeated at the other bridge, and the bal-
loon reached Cremorne-gardens in safety.
STEAM NAVIG.ITION.—THE GREAT 11111 f A IN.—
Th.. reputation which you have so rapidly acquired, induces me to
address you respecting the &ricle which ap. eared in rut journal of
Sept. 2,1, headed " The Great Britain steam-ship ;. because it is to
be apprehended that statement., however incorrect, if gravely
asserted in your leading columns, will be hostile adopted by many,
peasib:y to their grievous injury, on the faith' of your being the
authortty on which thee lean. The reflections therein set forth, and
Cie caution given, are of a nature to deserve every consider.tton front
thaw who contemplate, not only an investment of their capital, but
likewise to render the Investment profitable by the conveyance of
pissefigers. They are also of a nature to merit the thani:S of the
eublie, which lets not the means of ascertaining the fitness
of the vessels which ate presented to it as the means of
transport. It therefore becomes almost the duty of the
leaders of the press to point nut, to the unthinking and unwary, the
dangers bi which thee may become exposed by the cupidity or by the '
fanaticism of ludividtials. But, as respects the use of anthracite cm',
anti its greater fitness foe steam navigition than bituminous coal, I
presume that you are not acquainted with the Piet that it is new seven
Tears since a strainer was fttte.l, on the Talraec with bailers mad fur-
naces adapted to the esifrminption of anthracite coal, on the .Xuiericm
Man ; nor that, ea nourishing were its prospect., the skeleton of a
ceirextny was soon formed for the purpose of ettert-ag a change in the
fuel used by u., through which cli Inge the public wos to be relieved
from the intolerable nuisance which the smoke and sulphurdischarged
front the funnel of a steamer never hill to indict. Comparisons,
stir to those which you have iedted, were at that time put toeward,
and a., they obtained belief, they mewed subscriptions. The vemel
started on its course of trials, lad seas unable to redeem the promises
made in its name, and foe scheme, consequently. fell through. It
was found, diarir,g'thise trials, that the ordinary English and scotch
steaming *off, produced a better result, with ,died weights, than
our inithrseite gave; whilst, on the other hand, the bo'lers and fire
bars, used for the new sestsm, were subject to a greatly inzreasel
Wear uhd tear than those Used for bittuninous coal. This arose from
the necessity of warm air to produce the combustion of anthracite
and the processanthraacite,
of roasting the air before it owed be advantageously"
admitted to the grate ban; and also front the caloric being cruised
entirely in the furnace, owing to which, it impinged, with
an inconvenient intensity., on the immediately Oro:ailment
parts Mit rapidly for its absorption by the water. The
canseqnencie was the destruction of the furnace sides and tops,
which were *non burnt through, whilst the fire liars were rapklly
fused. Mane contrivance- were devised to remedy the evil; but
hitherto, t believe, without faleccs..; and, as see base the alterna-
tive in bituminons coal, we avail ourselves of it. Nor is the great
awed of the American steam-vessels to be attributed to their fuel.
The power of the engines will not be of acted by the quantity at the
fuel, provided that fuel, whatever it, quality, is expended in such
mode, and iu such quantities, as to produce ine requlred quantity of
steam of the required pressure. TM- must be evident to you, on I
reflection; and it is evidenced by the American stertMers thStliSeireS;
for, although they have all, estaally, the reputation of exceeding
speed, nevertheless sane of thee. sin only obtain green logs for fuel,
whilst Miura have anthracite. The secret of the speed of the American
!aid. is their Comparatively shallow drab of water, their vet y reduced
sectional area of remittance, diminished in a greater degree than With
US by the far greater length of their lines of incidence, by their obtain-
ing the required displacement by great length, and by the exertion of
muck' more power than we apply to our vessels, proportionately to the
resistances to be overcome.—Amet s.
RItIE IN TILE PRICE OF BREAD.—Yesterday the
41b. loaf of wheaten bread was charged to Sd. by the cheap
bakers, and9id.by the best bakers throughout the metropolis.

NEW INFIRMARY IN Sr. GlLES'B.—Yesterday pre-
parations for the erection of an infirmary at the rear or St.
Oilea's Workhouse, commenced, the present one having
been found totally inadequate to receive the numbers of sick
who abound in this poor and crowded boys ity.
DISCOVERY OF A SKELETON .—iesterday morning
some workmen employed in the construction of a sewer in
the llampstcad-raml, near the Southampton Arms, Cam-
den-town, discovered an elm coffin, not in a very COJd state
of preservation. On opening the coffin it was i 1,11114 to con-
tain a human skeleton, theb;nes being very larze. The skull
had fallen to pieces, and, it is stated, appeared to b 3 severely
fractured. The lower jaw contained ten teeth in an excel-
lent state of preservation. The remains were removed to
St. Pancras workhouse, where they await a coroner's
inpo'st. The prevailing opinion is that th.o remains are
those of some suicide buri many Tears back in the cross-
roads. Th same workmen discovered a well, tO feet deep,
four yards from the spot.
INTERNATIONAL COPY EIGHT WITH SAXONY.—
Lam night's Gazette contains the notification of a treaty
entered into with the King of Saxony, whereby due protec-
tion has been secured within the Saxon dominions for the
authors of books, dramatic works, or musical compositions,
and the inventors, designers, or engravers of prints and ar-
ticles of sculpture, and the authors, inventors, slcsigners, or
engravers of any other works whatsoever of literature and
the fine arts, in which the laws of Great Britain and of
Saxony do now or may hereaftsr give their respective sub-
jects the privilege of copyright, and for the liwful repre-
sentatives or assigns of such authors, inventors. designers, or
enema-cr., with regard to any such works first published
within the dominions of her Majesty. The treaty to take
effect after the Ist of September.—.4.a order in council is
also published, by which, in lieu of the duties of customs now
payable upon boas, prints, and drawings, publiihed at any
plac^ within the dominions of iav'ay, there shall be payable
or.lv the {lll.-.;es of customs following..—Oa books oneinvlly
produced in the United Kingiom, and re-published at any
li
place within the dominions of Saxony, a duty of t
shed wo pounds
ten shillings per hundredweight ; on books pub or
published at at try place within the dominions of *pony, and