The Express.
London, England, 1848-05-20 00:00:00

ADMHIALIT, MAT DI.
Dave or Royal Ilarbses.—W. P. Burton, gent., to be sec. Beet.; E.
0. Pear.e, pet., to be sea lieut.; N. B. Dolby, gent, to be see
Beet; G. Le Hardy Durham, tent.. to be IN& lieut.
ADMIKA ITT, May 17.
Corps of Iti.Marinee.—Captand BreexuajorH. J.Gilleeple to be lieut.-
col.; First Lieut. and Adj.', R.Jackson to beeapt, vice Oillespie,prian.;
Fast Lialt. J. T. Aalett, to be espy ; First Lieut. and AdJut. B. Turley
to be cast ; Firm Lieut. H. D. Ersidee, to be coot. ; First Lieut. and
Adjut. W. IL Maxwell, to bas=lik First Limit. T. D. Posbeuka, to be
Cat
Firsthe C. J. H to be capt.; First. Lieut. J. P
Steen.. to Una.
Virst Lieut. C. , to be ca, ; First
Lietit P. Waiter,o Abe cept ; First Lieut. and QuSpaldingartermast.p H. Mar.
nut, to be apt; First Lieut. W. W. Lilllerap, to be apt.; • First
Lieut. and Adjut. T. B. Pleydell, to be apt. ; First Lieut. andAdjut-
S. N. Lowder, Lobe captain.
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COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.
_ _

THE iiEALTIT or Towles BlLL—Yesterday, a
special court was held, in oonscquenee of a requisition, mow:
numerously signed to the Lord Mayor, " to consider how
her Bill, now brought into the House of
Cditimons by her Majesty's government, is likely to inter-
fere with the tight of self-government inherent in all local
represntative bodies, and to take such steps therein as
in It be deemed expedient." Alter the transaction of some
routine busineen, Mr. Blake introduced the following resolu-
tions bye I,nq speech :
That, nthough the City of London, and the metropolitan boroughs
generally, one exempted from the operation of the bill introduced into
the lion. of Corrin]. by her Malady's government, Intituled, A
Bill for Promoting the Public Health,' yet this court considers iteelf
called upon to express its opinion upon a measure so deeply affecting
the well-- clog of a large portion of their fellownubjecte, being man-
tled oleo that in vindicating and supporting the rights of other local
representative bodies it best consults the maintenance and integrity
of Its own.
That this court desires to express its deep and unfeigned regret that
her Majeety's ministers, professing generally their attachment to'
liberal opinions, should have introduced into parliament • bill which
virtually deprives the people of their Just share to the adnitnintration
of masters purely Meal, pining the saute in the hands of commiadone
ern, to be appointed by and respomdble only to the crown.
That the provisions of the hill in question,. which piece an numb-
trolled, unlimited, and irreeponeible power of taxation in the bands of
such mown commissioners, are, in the opinion of thin mart, unwise,
impolille, and contrary to the spirit of the °methadon; and U un-
happily tory should receive the sanction of the legidature this court
is saisfled they would sap the foundation of the liberties of the peo-
ple, anal tend materially to Impair and to loosen the attachment of all
classes to the moat valuable institutions of the country.
That this court would rejoice to see pored into a law a well-
advised, camplebeneive, and efficient measure for improving the ad-
ministration of sanitary affairs, and desires to see carried out, from
time to lice, such Improvemi nts as the advance of science shall point
nut nail thetute with she view of promoting the health, h 1111011046, and
racial cf all dares of the community; but it In of opinion
that these most di stratas objects would be dearly purchased at the
expense of any sactilloe of the liberties of the people; and this court
depends upon the wisdom of parliament to devise such amendments
in the measure now before the Meuse of Commons as shall preside
for sanitary improvement by means consistent with the prcisenration
of the rnistinr rights of municipal, parochial, and other losal repe-
-1 mutative indite.

Mr. Wire seconded the resolution, and Mr. Ald. Lawrence
ma Mr. R. Taylor (who regarded Lord Morpeth's bill u
nothing less than "an exhibition of gross folly and
quackery") having addressed the council, the resolutions
were thee put and carried unanimously amidst cheers, and a
petition found d upon them was ordered to be presented to
the Rouse of Common.—Adjourned.

EXTENSIVE ROBBERY AT SOMERSET liOllSE.—Yes-
terday.information was received by the police that one of the
clerks in the Stamp and Tax Office, Somerst House, had
gone off, stealing between 11001. and 1,0001. worth of medi-
cine stamps and licenses, the property of her Majesty's go-
vernment. _ _

ALARMING AFFRAY WITH TILE MILITARY.—The
affray betwe-.n the gunners of the Royal Artillery and the
private% of the Royal Marines, at Woolwich, which assumed
rather a serious aspect on Wednesday evening (as noticed in
this paper, under the head of " M.litary," yestere ay), was again
renewed last night, under circumstances which, but for the
prompt inter:crence of the authorities, must have led to dims-
trona cumequences. After the affray of Wednesday evening, in
which in addition to ether casualties, • private of marines
was stabbed through the leg by a bayonet, by one of the
picket that attempted to arrest him, a court of inquiry as-
sembled patents), morning at the Royal Artillery Barracks,
to inquireinto the circumstances that led to the origin of the
affray, and to devise means to prevent its recurrence. It was
proposed by some of the officers to confine the men to bar-
racks last night, but this suggestion was overruled, the com-
mander of the garrison, Sir Thee. Dowamun, expressing •
hope that the good sense of the men would pro-
vent a recurrence of the evil. The result, how-
ever, turned out otherwise, for although the offi-
cers commanding battalions, strictly cautioned the
gunners, under dread of the severest puni-hment, from
again repeating the conduct of the previous evening, the
men wi re no sooner liberated from drill than they repair. d
to the lower parts of the town, nine out of every ten of
thorn being armed with walking stick. Their avowed ob-
ject was to prevent any of the marines from approaching
the public-house. in those low neighbourhoods, and to drive
them back to their barracks. Nearly 600 gunners assembled
in Beresford-street alone, and on the approach of every ma-
rine he was ordered to go back, and it he did not immedi-
ately comply was assaulted by the sticks of his adversaries
It is calculated that about half-past six o'clock more than
a t►ousand artillerymen, independent of marines, were as-
sembled in the different avenues leasing from the barracks
to tke lower parts of the tow iswhich they sedulously guarded
astainst the marines. On :he first intimation of • disturb-
ance, Mr. Levy, the Inspector of Police, communicated
the fact to the Brigade-Major of the Royal Ar-
tillery. At that time Bereafor 1-street, Wellington street,
and Green'. end were thronged with artillery, aU bent on
mischief ; and several marines, who attempted to pass this
cordon, were savagely assaulted. A few minutes before
seven o'clock the brigade-major galloped through the town,
and, after reaming non-commissioned officers at the corner
of every street, ordered every man to be sent back to bar
racks. This step was promptly followed up by the issue of
powerful pickets from the barracks, commanded in some in-
!donee' by lieutenants, who perambulated the whole town
and gathered the men together, entering all the public-
boasts and compelling the gunners to quit them. By this
means many hundreds of the more turbulent were &seem-
bled and marched back to barracks; but their conduct, even
when under charge of the pickets, was very turbulent. One
or two of the more turbulent made their escape from
the pickets, and darted down the by-streets, into
which no attempt was made to follow them. At
length, about half.put 8 o'clock, the town began
to assume its usually quiet aspect, though many of the in-
habitants had closed their shops at an early period of the
evening. A court of inquiry with Sir Thomas Downman as
president assembled at the commandant's office this morning
between 10 and 11 o'clock, to inquire into the origin of the
affray, and until inquiries can be instituted so as to detect
and punish the more guilty of the offenders, it is proposed to
confine all the men to barracks, and to suspend the liberty
usually granted after the 1 o'clock evening drills are com-
pleted. The inhabitants are unanimous in censuring the
conduct of the authorities in allowing the men to quit the
barracks last night, alter their conduct on the previous even-
ing. and the avowed determination of the recruits to renew
the disturbance.

THE REFORM MOVEMENT.

The letters received this week, at Newsll's•bnild-
ings, Manchester, in answer to the circular issued a few
weeks •ggoo, amount to several hundred in addition to those
previously received, and the tone pervading them generally
is the same. The following are extracts which will be read
with interest:

—.,...... .
From a mercanti's firm in Loudon: " We think our pre-
lent parliamentary representation very defective, as well as
our whole system of taxation, and the present time the most
(svourable for a movement, with a view to the correction of
both. The great majority of our present House of Commons
appear to us hut the tools of the government ; and do not
represent the opinions of the people at large. We
voted at the last election for Lord John Russell, but in-
tend never to do so again, and are much grieved to see his
endeavour at all times, with the assistance of the Times, to
run down and misrepresent Mr. Cobden, whose opinions
eventually must and will pi evail, and with whom we shall
he most happy to co-operate, in any plan you mar propose,
having this end in view."—From Colchester : " Toe time
has come f it an earnest movement in favour of improvement
in our system of parliamentary representation ; and if an
association be formed for the purpose of promoting an exten-
sion of the franchise, the vote by ballot, triennial parlia-
ments, and equal electoral districts, you may rely upon my
co-operation. I shall be satisfied if the association move for
' universal suffrage at 25 years ;' but, if it should appear un-
desirable to do so at present, I will not on that
account decline rendering all the assistance in my
power towards the attainment of the grand ' paints'
indicated in your letter. I believe many firm adhe-
rents to the association will be found in this town and dis-
trict."—From Ripon: "I am highly pleased to find the
veterans of the Auti-Cornlaw League taking the field in de
fence of the right of the industrious classes, in opposition to
an oppressive aristocracy. I am of opinion that the present
time is favourable fir such a movement, and although public
feeling is at all times of a very subdued character in Ripon,
yet I sin certain that the thinking portion of our population
is dissatisfied with the reckless extravagance of government."
—From Glasgow: "The influence of a wider constituency
upon the legislsoure cannot, in my opinion, have other than
beneficial results. Extravagant expenditure and class, or
partial legislation, would be tolerated no more, and the great
body of the people, finding at length that they are recog-
nivd members of the state, which their industry and in,-
nutty has enriched, would consider it their duty to uphold
its stability and integrity. The ballot is already introduced,
and works well in many of our ar:stocmtic clubs
and associations, and surely it is the more neces-
sary among a numerous clam of voters, many
of whom must be poor (though intelligent and virtuous),
and liable to adverse influences, which might control their
conscientious sentiments. To my thinking the formation of
fair electoral districts is a feature in your project of reform
in the highest degree worthy of your countenance and sup-
port.
In proof of its necessity I may merely state, that the
city of Glasgow with its 350,000 inhabitants, returas only
two members, while, as you are well aware, there are towns
in England with an equal share of representation which can-
not boast of 10,000 inhabitants. Trienaial parliaments, in
my opinion, would be highly beneficial ; the period is long
enough for one term of connexion between a member and
his constituents, and not too long to make him independent
of them."—From Salisbury : " I most heartily concur with
you in opinion, that nothing 4 more to be
desired, politically speaking, than the objects you
bare in view. Indeed, I see no evil to he ap-
prehend, d from universal suffrage, on the contrary, I am
sure th.it if we do not get household suffrage with the ballot,
and shorter parliaments, there will come troublesome times,
Reforms prevent revolutions. If the voice of the people is
:tot arendesi so, fatal will it be for the aristocracy. lam an
old .non, hut I shall be happy to lend my assistance as far as
iI mi. Ibt lieve the middle and labouring classes are very
favourable to thismovement."—From a Clergyman at Mars-