The Express.
London, England, 1846-12-26 00:00:00

termed the commi s'o c s th to he could not, without rept:-
s mting the matter to tae board, and that he was not justified
in taking any document, or copies thereof, from the work-
house without the sanction of the directors and guardians.
To this the commissioners replied, that they had nothing to
do with the position he (Mr. Thorne) held as secretary to
that hoard. They believed he did not doubt their power
to call for these documents. and that they should require him
to produce them, and hold him responsible fur their pro-
duction. After hearing the secretary's statement, and
after much discussion on the subject, the following re-
solution was adopted:—" That neither the secretary or
any other officer of that beard he permitted to forward any
book, document, or paper, or any information whatever until
the decision of the joint committee of vestrymen and guar-
dians appointed to resist the poor-law commissioners," and
eleven gentlemen were appointed on the part of the guar-
dians to join in resistance to the commissioners. It having
been announced to the board that the assistant-overseer
and the master of the workhouse had both been summoned
to attend and undergo an examination before the commis-
sioners on Thursday next, they were prohibited from produc-
ing any books or documents.
CITY IMPOSITIONS.—At a recent meeting of the
Ward of Bridge, it was stated that any person landing below
L ,radon Bridge from foreign steam-boats was obliged to pay
Is. the instant he put his foot on the shore. This imposition
was slid to have the effect of driving passengers to land at
Blackwall. All the members of the court of common coun-
cil fur the ward promised to do their best to put an end
to it.

LOSS AND RECOVERY OF 170 SOVEREIGNS.—On
Thursday, the proprietor of a public-house in the neigh-
bourhood of Drury-lane paid to the receiving-clerk of a
brewer 170 sovereigns, secured in a bag. After receiving
the money, the clerk sat for a short tune in the parlour,
placing the bag of gold at his side, but on leaving the house
he forgot to take it with him. Shortly after his departure,
a poor woman entered the parlour, when the first object that
attracted her attention was the bag, which she opened, and
on discovering its contents presented one of the sovereigns to
the barman, asking him to change it. The barman, aware
of her poverty, said that she must have robbed some one,
when she became confused, and attempted to conceal the bag
under her meagre clothing, which attracting the barman's
attention, he discovered the bag of sovereigns which he had
just paid away. While he was taking it from her, the
affrighted clerk returned, and was highly delighted at having
thus recovered the bag of money.—Globe.
A FIRE DISCOVERED BY MEANS OF A DOCI.—
The following fact occurred at the conflagration in Drury-
lane, last Saturday moraine. It was the custom of the fore-
man of Mr. Notelet on locking up the premises at eight, to
leave his dog iu the front shop of his master, and by its con-
tinued howling, the fire was found out, and the poor animal
saved. On the breaking, open of the shutters it ran directly
to the house of its master, in Bermondsey, who, hearing the
animal at his door, feared that the premises of his em-
ployer had been robbed ; and he hastened to Drury-lane,
where he found his employer's stock and premises reduced to
a heap of ruins.—Sun.
GRATUITOUS PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS.—At this holi-
day season it may be interating to visitors to the metropolis
to know that the following exhibitions may be inspected gra-
tuitously:—The British Museum, Great Russell-street The
National Gallery, Charing-cross. The Museum of the Royal
College of Surgeons, Lincoln's-Inn-fields; Monday, Wed-
nesday, and Fnday ; any qualified surgeon can write an
order for admission. The East India-house Museum, Lead-
enhall-street ,• this day (Saturday) to the public, from 11 to 3.
The Soane Museum, Lincoln', -inn.fields ; on application
for a ticket. The Society of Arts, Adelphi; any day except
Wednesday, upon application. London Missionary Museum,
Blomficld-street, Moortields; a collection of curiosities, the
results of missionary enterprise brought from all parts of toe
globe ; this day (Saturday), Tuesday, and Thursday. United
Service Museum, Middle Scotland-yard; daily, by a mem-
ber's order. Entomological Society's Museum, Old Bond-
street ; any Tuesday from 3to 8 o'clock. Miss :um of Econo-
mic Geology, Craig's Court, Charing-cross ;
CHURCH-RATE DISTRAINTS IN ST. BOTOLPH'S,
MISHOPsnATE.—The following list of distraint* in Bishops-
gate may serve as a pendant, • companion-piece for the
Guisbro' distraiuts which we published on Wednesday.
They have been printed as a hand-bill fur distribution, with
the title, " A practical comment,' by authority,' upon the
text, ' I bate robbery for a burnt offering"
From the Friends' Meeting-house, Houndsditch : 32 chairs.—Thos.
Bax, Bishopegate Without: 2 sacks flour, value 41. IN.; cash from
shop, 21. 15a; total, 71.73.—Evans and Clarke, BiOiopsgate With-
out: Cash from till, 51. 13.. fsl.—Chanes Buhowinste
Without: National Gallery, folio, half mor. ; Shaksziesare, 12 vols.,
half mor.; London Interiors, 1 vol., 4t0.; Napoleon, 2 vols., Svo. ;
Hinton's United States, 2 vo:s., 4w., Int. 13s.—John Hargrave: 30
silk umbrellas ; 12 cotton, do, 111. IGs. Pd.—Thomas Butler, !Founds-
ditch : 90 brushes, various, 31. 2s. Gd.—Peirson and Sur, Sun-street:
12 coppers, 1401te., 71. Is.
FALL INTO A SEWER.-011 Chrio•—
smith, named John Phelps, living in Vont-street, South-
wark, was returning home through the Borough Mint, with
a goose that he had provided for his Christmas dinner, being
the worse for liquor, he reeled against a pole placed to guard
an opening into the sewer, and fell in. He was extricated
with difficulty.
EARLY PROPOSAL FOR AN ENGLISH COLLEGE OF
Ala.—At a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries, held on
the 17th instant, a communication from the Rev. Joseph
Hunter was read, on the subject of a proposal for the esta-
blishment of a royal academy of art as early as the year
1617, and which was agitated till 1626. A manuscript in
the society's library (No. 103) relates to it., and three others
among the Harleian MSS. ; but the main source from
which Mr. Hunter derived his information was a MS. in his
own possession, written by Sylvanus Morgan in 1661.
James's Academe or College of Art, as it was termed, was
to have had a common seal, 2001. a year and certain privi-
leges. Papers were to be discussed; the members were to
bear an " order ;" and it was propo.ed to convert Windsor
Castle into an English Olympus! The projector, Bolton,
gave a list of eighty-four persons suggested as the first mem-
bers of the academy; in which appealed the name of 'nig°
Jones.—The Builder.
PUNCTUALITY AT FUNER.ALS.—SIR,-1 am glad to
find that you propose to make the Express, a vehicle for
conveying correct information of church matters; and believ-
ing that too much publicity cannot be given to the important
proceedings of the church, I shall be happy, if opportunity
offer, to aid your intentions. In your paper of the 23rd
inst. I observe a notice from the Nottingkant Journal,
respecting the absence of punctuality at funerals, a charge to
that effect having been made against a certain clergyman,
and retorted by him against the conductors of and atten-
dents at the solemn ceremony. The law, by custom, is, I
believe, for the parties burying to name tae day, and the
clergyman fixes the hour. Never having been too late for
any duty save once, in the course of a somewhat long I
clerical life, I may be supposed to know something
of the question at issue, and my experience of wait-
ing on such occasions led me some years back
to adopt for a rule, " to wait a quarter of an hour, and if
the corpse was not brought within that period, to exact an
additional payment, progressing to the expiration of one
hour; when the church and its yard were closed, and
burial denied for that day." My rule also embraced the
acme payment to the conductor of the funeral, by the clergy-
man, in case of his default. The general adoption of such
a rule app'ars to me to be desirable, and, if you agrece with
me, you are at liberty to publish my letter.—l am, air,
your obedient servant, Ax OLD PAILSON.—IIec. 21.
THE CHEAP PRESS, THE DEAR PRESS.
—he posi-
tion of the Liverpool press is now, we believe, more distinctly
defined and more clearly understood than when we last ad
dressed our readers. The advocates for Increasing, cad the
advocates for withholding, the facilities of knowledge, an
falling into their proper places. The pramptitude of action
which startled every one, has been succeeded by the loqua-
city of fresh convictions on the one hand, and of deeply
rooted prejudices on the other. The i.isciples of the new
school have discovered and proclaimed truths more obvious
than original ; the adherents of the old have importuned the
public with prescriptive and exploded arguments. We see
every reason to rejoice and to hope in the change that has
taken place. The present is a happy augury of the future.
Thinned as the ranks of our opponents must inevitably be-
come, we do not even now fear a comparison with them.
The cheap press of Livel, we may safely assert, is.m-
feeler to the dear press in none respect. Which of these den-
slims of the Liverpool press, the cheap or the dear, possesses the
greater energy, originality, and talent ? Which of them sup-
plies the larger amount and the greater variety of
. informa-
tion ? Which of them poldesees the more extensiv e cuctilation ?
The principal portion of an article put forth by the Liverpool
Mercury is devoted to an attempt to show how certainly
the degradation of the press would result from a reduction
in its price. This argument, by-the•bye, is echoed in the
Liverpool Times of Tuesday; and we are at some loss to
which of our contemporaries to award the palm of abeurdity.
The Mercury, however, may, perhaps, advance the superior
I claim. Our contemporary makes the scale of charges a stan-
dard of morality. The high price of a paper is a guarantee
for its possession of all the cardinal virtues ; but a low price
is unmistakeable evidence of a low character. If we wish to
preserve the elevated character of the British press, we 'nut
keep up its price; if we wish to assimilate it to American
journalism, we must cheapen it. A man is in an awkward
pos.tion *hose character Is not worth a penny ; but the most
degraded member of the press may get a character for two-
pence. We beg to ask the Mercury whether the Daily News,
or any one of his cheap Liverpool contemporaries, or any
other cheap newspaper, instrumental in creating the recent
revolution in the press, is below himself, or his high-priced
friends, in decency, or honour, or gentlemanly bearing, or
general morality ? Weekly News.
THE GAME-LAWS.—At this time, when the game
laws are undergoing so much discussion, and are likely to
occupy the attention of the legislature during the ensuing
session, perhaps you will not deem out of place a few words
abaut rabbits, which are hereabouts considered game, re-
served and strictly protected by some of our landlords. I
am a plain farmer, and write only a few simple facts as they
have occurred to myself or within my own observation.
When two or three farmers meet on a winter's evening and
enjoy a little social conversation, a question often put is,
kAilrel
themraitswghaemne,anordhatvewwe eptelmenanotsnaonuurngtsstedright
to
,
which
hold under leases which declare that all game is to I,e pre-
served for the proprietor? A sight of the act of parliament
would soon answer the question, but at present I wish
merely to detail occurrences. About eighteen months ago
rabbits bad b- come very numerous on my farm, and were
doing great injury to my crops. Let the extent of their
ravages be estimated by the following example. A field of
forty-one acres had been sown with oats. The seed sown
was twenty-nine quarters ; the produce was expected to be
at the least 180 qrs., but I reaped only 22 qrs. I thought
this loss was too much, and applied to my factor and re-
quired him either to pay me damages, or get the rabbits
destrofed, or authorise me to do so. He at once gave me
permission to kill them. With some assistance I immediately
began, and with dogs and guns killed some hundreds, when
one day my landlord. instigated by fear lest I sh
amed shoot
game, wrote, ordering me to lay aside gun.

Re a