The Express.
London, England, 1848-01-24 00:00:00

LEAMINGTON STEEPLE CHASES.

By an express just received, we are requested to
state that the stewards have postponed these events till
Tuesday and Wednesday week, Feb. Ist and 2nd ; and that
the Warwickshire Haat Cup issnains open until this day
(Monday) week.

EMANCIPATION Of TIM Saturday a
numerously attended math* of the of Marylo-
bate pariah was ball la the Couraltemaa lane,
11. Lewis, Pay., it the Asir, to madder the yespetety of I
petitioning both houses of_ parliameit for the unqualified
emancipation of the Jews.—Mr. Juseph, M.D., meant' read
a petition praying for the unqualified emancipation of the
Jews from their disabilities, which he ssbmitted for the
adoption of his brother vestrymen. He was of opinion that
they were bound to demand the emancipation of their Jew-
ish brethren ; and that, in so doing, they spoke the senti-
went, of the 140,000 inhabitants whom they represented.
They, as well as the country generally, should remember
that Sir A. Inglis said, if the bill in favour of the Jews
did not pass before the recess, that numberless petitions
would be sent in against it. The announcement should sti-
mu'ote every friend of liberty to renewed exertions to get
rid of the Jewish disabilities, which formed the lest shred of
religious degradation that disgraced the statute book.—Mr.
11. Wilson supported the adoption of the petition. He felt
that no man should be deprived of his civil rights on account
of his conscientious feelings. To do so was cruel, unjust,
and impolitic.—Mr. Stanford objected in linsine to the in-
troduction of the subject, as the vestry might as well petition
for a constitution for New Zealand, or form themselves into
a• committee upon the "national defences," as to discuss a
petition in favour of the Jews. They had no right to do so
as representatives of the pariah. The attempt was illegal,
an absolute fraud upon the parishioners.—Major Sir James
Hamilton, Bart., believed that Jews should not be admitted
to parliament.—After a protracted discussion the petition
was adopted by an overwhelming majority, and upon the
motion of Mr. Joseph committed to Lord Dudley Stuart for
presentation to the Houseof Commons—Lord Dudley Stuart
declared his willingness to present the petition, and support
it energetically.—A numerously-signed petition front the
ratepayers, calling upon the vestry to convene a public
meeting in favour of Jewish emancipation, was read and
entered on the minutes.

DR JOHNtION'S OPINION OF A COMM D'ELIRE.—
" Perhaps," said a gentleman, talking to Dr. Johnson on
church preferments, " after all, a cove hu not the
force of a positive command, but implies only a strong re-
commendation." " Very true, sir," says Johnson, " but
such a strong recommendation as if I should throw you out
of a three.pair of stairs window, and recommend you to fall
softly to the ground."
Foua YOUTNS DROWNED.—On Saturday last an
inquest was held at Bradford, upon the bodies of four
youths, from 11 to 13 years of age, named William Smith,
Lister Dracup, John Townsley, and John Whalley, who
were drowned on Thursday afternoon in the millpond or
reservoir commonly called the " New Dam," connected with
the ancient corn-mill in Brick-lane, Bradford, in the occu-
pation of Messrs. Ellis and Priestman. It appeared that
the unfortunate youths and several other boys were amusing
themselves by sliding on the pond, when one of them had
the misfortune to fall, and most of the others, who followed
in rapid succession, fell also, and their aggregate weight
baying caused the ice to give way six of them were plunged
into the water. Two were providentially enabled to get
out, but the other four, as above stated, were drowned, their
bodies not being recovered till some hours afterwards. Ver-
dict in each case, " Accidentally drowned."

MTABa.—Up to this time no official communication
has been received as to whether fil•Cabe will be discharged
from custody or not. We (Doncaster Gas,tte) may, how-
ever, observe, that in addition to the declarations Reid has
made relative to the innocence of M'Cabe, he recently made
another statement in a letter to the Rev. Eaward O'Neil, of
Dewsbury, to the effect that no ether person whatever was
concerned in the murder.

IMPORTANT TO THE THEATRICAL PROFESSION.—
At Hull a case of considerable importance to the theatrical
profession was heard at the County
_Court on Thursday. The
plaintiff in the case was Mr. E. W. Gomersal, one of the
performers at the Theatre Royal, and the defendant wee
Mr. J. C. Pritchard, the leases of the theatre. From the
statement of the plaintiff it appeared that he was engaged to
perform in the theatre at a salary of 30e. per week. Amongst
the rules which all the company signed on making their
agreement was one which stated that any performer re-
fusing to play a character cast for him by the manager
should be fined 21s. On Monday, the 29th Nov., the
company came to Hull, and Mr. Gomersal was informed
that he would have to play the part of Robin, in " No Song,
no Supper." Mr. Gomersal refused to rlay the part, as it wu
not low comedy, for which he stated he had been engaged,
and on the following Saturday, when he went for his salary,
the sum of one guinea was deducted. It was for the reco-
very of this sum that the action was brought by the plaintiff.
—The Town-clerk, in his defence of Mr. Pritchard, coa-
-1 tended that by the rules of the company Mr. Pritchard was
I perfectly justified in deducting the fine of one guinea.—The
Judge said that he thought the plaintiff ought to have
played the part cast for him, and he gave a verdict for the
defendant —A counter action was heard on the same day,
brought by Mr. Pritchard, the lessee of the theatre, against
Mr. Gomeraal, for damages, amounting to 201. On the 11th
of December Mr. Gomersal wrote a letter to Mr. Pritchard,
stating that, unless he returned the guinea which had been
deducted from his wages as a fine, he should not play any
more. Mr. Gomersal kept his word, and although he was
announced to appear every evening, he refused to go on
the atage. Mr. Pritchard alleged that he had suffered
much inconvenience by Mr. Gomersal's breach of con-
tract in not continuing his services for a month,
and he, therefore, assessed his damages at 201. The
plaintiff stated that it was customary with him when
he wished to re-engage certain performers, and get rid
of others, to put up a notice in the green-room that ill en-
gagements would terminate within a month from that date,
and those who wished to be re-engaged could apply to the
manager. Mr. Gomersal had several times engaged himself
in this manner since his regular engagement in 1845.—His
Honour was of opinion that these were separate engage-
ments, and therefore decided that Mr. Pritchard must be
nonauited.

THE SHAKsPEARE MEMORIAL NIGHT.—At the
same court, on the same day, the case of " George Jones v.
J. C. Pritchard," was heard The plaintiff in this case was
Mr. George Jones, "chairman of the People's Central Com-
mittee of the Sbakspeare Memorial Fund," and the de-
fendant (Mr. Pritchard) the lessee of the Hull theatre.
The plaint was for the amount which Mr. Jones alleged to
be due to the committee of the Shakspeare fund, from the
proceeds of a performance in Leeds for that purpose. The
amount for which the action was brought was not stated.—
The Judge inquired of Mr. Jones what authority he had
from the committee for bringing the action.—Mr. Thomp-
son, the town.clerk, said: I have an objection that Mr.
Jones, as chairman of that committee, is not entitled to sue ;
in fact, I have four objections. The first is, that if any cause
of action exists, the committee, and not Mr. Jones, should
sue for its breach. The second is, that the alleged contract is
matins pactum—that is, a promise not founded on any con-
sideration moving the plaintiff, and so is not etpable of being
the ground of an action. My third objection is, that what-
set r Mr. Pritchard undertook to do he has fulfilled to the
lever. Lastly, that Mr Jones has received a large sum of
money from Mr. Pritchard on account of the memorial
nights that he ought to have applied to paying for the pur-
chase of Shril..i.e..re's house, but that he has not so applied
it, and, •t I' tore, so far from being entitled to claim any fur-
ther sum, Mr. Pritchard is entitled to recover back what he
has paid already, in order that he himself may apply it to
the legitim►te purpose that Mr. Jones has failed to apply it
to.—These objections were fatal, and the plaintiff was non-
suited.

A CCRIOI*B INSTANCE OF THE SAGACITY OF 1/1E
Fox occurred on Monday, in the course of a run with the
Duke of Rutland's hounds, when reynsrd, finding himself
more hardly pressed than met his views of self preservation,
jumped on the wall at Croxton Park, and after running on
the top for some distance, gently slipped down between the
wall and the ivy with which it is overgrown. The pack
cleared the wall end the fox together, and were immediately
at fault, and all the efforts of the huntsman by eve tig his
hounds round in every direction were uselr,s. The 'rick
was observed by • man who was pulung tu,rips in a field
adjoining ; but he had humanity enough to let the hounds
get clear away before he disturbed the lodger in the icy, who
will doubtless afford another day's sport.
STATISTICS OF EURO/T.4N BCD/MTS.—The efatie
tics of the budgets of Europe are curious. They are as fol-
lows: Belgium, 118,460,649 E: the population of the country
is 4,458,426, which gives 27f. 90c. per head. The budget of
France is 1,458,723,29.51.; its population 36,400,486. or per
head, 41f. 'sc. English budget, 1,421,709,9031, or 51f. 48c.
per head; Holland, 3,247,856 inhabitants, with a budget
of 141,562,7111., or 43L &4c. per head. Prussia, 16.112,949
inhabitant; expenses, 237,565,015 f. or 15f. 80c.gs. head.
Austria, 35,879,152 inhabitants; their expenses are
372,000,000, or 10f. 43c. a head. But these two coun-
tries have very large provincial budgets; but the same may
be said in a is.. degree of ail the others,