The Express.
London, England, 1849-12-05 00:00:00

TO THI IDITOI OF THn ZTTIIIIIB.

WOODS AND FORESTS.-LAW CHARGES.

Slit,—The 26th Report of tho Woods and Forests
Commissioners has just been issued. It is dated the
314 July, and was ordered to be printed lit August,
1819, so that though it does not contain more than
100 pages, it took four months to print.
It is a singular document. It exhibits a gross in-
come of 340,2751. sa. Id., and a net income of
132,4831. 10a. 81., showing an expenditure by the
department of 207,485/. 10r. Bd.
It exhibits an income from royal forests of
29,8601. 9c. 7d., and an expenditure on their account
of 34,6821. Els. 10d.
It exhibits receipt; from royal parks of
9,8871. 13a. 2d., and out-goings on of 71,346'. 11s. 6d.
But these are Lot the points in it to which 1 desire
to draw your attention more particularly. It is the
coestant occurrence of the item of law charges on
which I wish to rivet notic For example, I find
the following :
The New-street Account—Law charges and
charges of architects and surveyor. £51,837 8 11
Metropolitan Impn•vrment Aec‘ust—Law
charges and charg-s of architects aid
surveyors
Woods, Forests, and Land Revenue Accounts
—Law charges
Extraordinary law charges "on account " 751 1 8
Capital of Land Revenue Account—Law
charges
Ine.une of Land Revenue Account Law
charges
For advances made elicitors beyond ti e
mounts of bills deli cl
Metrnpolaan Improvement Account, 3 &
4 Vie., e. 87, and 4 Viz., e. 12—Solicitor:
costs. &c.
Ditto Spitalfitlos to S iorediteh At:courts—
Law charges .. . 313 13 11
Thames Embankment Account—Law charges 1,439 410
BaCersee-park Act mist
And all this for one year. No wonder that in
another part of these accounts we fled one of the
solicitors able to lend his clients, the Commissioners of
Woods and Forests, the anm of 23,0001. !
I am, &c.,
CHANCERY LANE.

Dec. 3.

WRITST.—STORM AT SEA.—A very severe dorm
arose along the nor. h.east coast on Sunday night last, the
wind blowing strong from the B. to E S E., and the sea
running very high. a bleat continued until the afternoon of
Monday. The following vessels have been stranded and
wrecked on the Whitby sande. During the night of Sunday
the brig Victoria, of Newcastle, 11.5 tens, came on shore near
I:pgang, and the crew were saved in their own beet, but in a
very exhausted state. Towards mottling the schconer Slaters,
of Ramsgate, drove on the sands, and the crew were saved in
their own boat. On the forenoon of Monday the brig
White, of Sundalend, 203 tons, wu observed off Whitby,
in distress. The life. boat was launched and sent to rescue
the crew, who were landed safe, and the vessel left at anchor.
About 2 p.m. the vt ssel broke adrift and drove on the sands,
and has become a total wreck. The whole of the vessels were
coal laden. The Slaters has also brtlen up, and the wreck
and carge of the Vittoria were sold this (Tuesday) n *ruing.
There wer., a vase number of vessels off oaths coast, and had
the wind been more dead in land, the loss of both life and
property would inevitably have been very great.
A PROTECTIONIST MEETING was held yesterday at
Reigate, a large marquee having been err cted for the pure
pose in the market place. The chair was occupied by Mr.
Freshtield, and among the speakers were the Earl Stanhope
and Mr. 0. F. Young. The following resolutions were

agreed to :
That the agricultural, colonial, and other interests of this country
are at the present moment involved in intense suffering and difficulty,
and are fast hastening to a most fatal condition of general di-tress aud
ruin, from which no relief can be expected until the free trade policy
to which their poeition is attributable is wholly abandoned, and a sys-
tem of just protection to domestic industry against foreign competi-
tion be setetituted.
That the agricultural intend of this kingdom in its most vital in.
Meat, and the declension of agriculture will be followed by the ruin
of trade and manufactures.
That the free trade policy of this country has signally failed, and
has 'evolved operative', artisans, and industrious classes generally in
mod distress and privation.
lint lathe opinion of this meeting no hope can be entertained of
the reversal of the fatal policy ender which the country. and this
aunty in prilcular, is suffering, from the present Clouse of Com-
mons; the majority of which, this meeting is convinced, does nut
possess the easel pm, nor represent the opinions, of the grope.
That a loyal and dutiful eddies' be therefore prevented to the
Queen, praying that her blajeety will be graciously pleased to di..
wive the present portianmut, and afford to the tfrilish people the
opportualty of electing, es their own representatives, men who enter.
min sentiments in harmony with the opinions, and in union wish the
interests of the great mum of her Majesty's loyal subjects through-
out the empire, and would support an administration on
the principle of equal protection to every interest of the llritish
community.
The meta vial was then read and agreed to, and a vote of
thanks given to the chairman and Bari Stanhope ; and the
meeting separated. A sumptuous dinner was given in the
evening at the White Hart, covers being laid for about GO.
PROTECTION TO AGRICCLTCRE.- -At Theme, Oxon,
yesterday, John Houghton, EN., lately a candidate for the
Aylesbury representation, dined with • body of farmers at
the Spread Eagle Hotel. Atter dinner, ;the company was
increased by other gentlemen, who entered the room to hi ar
Mr. Houghton's sentiments about the present state of the
country. He was well received, on his health being
given from the chair, Mr. Houghton, in the course
of his speech, said it could not be denied that the
situation of linnets at this moment was anything but
Battering. Many schemes and plans badbeen breached
for their alleviation, but he had little sympathy with
them. He must be allowed to say that he did not think
it possible there could or should be a return to pretection.
They had got plenty of that policy—(a laugh), bat it was
gone never to return again, and he was not sorry to say
that he re,oiced in that tact. (Hear, hear.) Protection
had deceived himself very much, and he might say the
same concerning every farmer. Before he left the old ship
he had satisfied himself that it was not sea-worthy.
It was a farce to say that the corn law protected the farmer,
for if an acre of land was 61. more valuable under the law,
the landlord raised the rent 61. (Hear.) Now, that such
deceptive legislation was gone, the question arose—what
was to be done ? And, first of all, he would ask, why should
farmers be charged with poor rates exclusively, and the repair
of roads, and the building of lunatic 'glum* ? In an ad-
joining
county (Bucks) no less than one hundred thousand
pounds had been laid out lately in building gaols, work- I
houses, &e. D.d they suppose that those who voted that
large outlay would have done so if they had had to pay it ?
(Laughter.) They paid it not, neither in whole nor in port,
for the rates came out of the produce of the soil, out of the'
hard earnings of the farmers. He demanded for this
country full and complete free trade. Why should
sugar, coffee, and tea not come in free as well as
corn ? Why should there be any custom-house at all ?
And why should we have to support colonies which gave us
no thanks for the enormous outlay, but told us they wished
to pay their own extremes, and have done with us?
He could not help smiling, in the face of all these abuses,
when he heard an hon. member getting up in the Hose of
0111•10 if , and gravely proposing to facilitate mortgages and
Meteitip settlements as • relief, and others elsewhere
ne the removal of Smithfield market. (Loud laugh-
Mr. projects appeared to him little better,
enve that part which proposed an equalisation of the tand-
ems. To afford relief, be (Mr. H.), wonld raise • large re-
venue by equalising this tax ; and be could reduce the na-
tional burdens, and throw the maintenance of the poor, of
reads, end so forth upon the Consolidated Fund.
BROCCTION OP RENTS.—We have much pleasure
is acceding to the request of a tenant that we would record
the liberality of the Earl of Aylesford, who, at his rent
alma held last Wednesday, at the Star Inn, Maidstone, un-
selleitesd, returned 10 per cent to his tenantry, at the same
time conveying to them, through his agent, his regret at
the present position of the farming interest, and trimming •
hope that the tenantry on hie estate would still farm with
confidence. Although his lordship has ever been esteemed
as • good landlord, and one who, in letting his farms has
anted on the principle of " Live and let live," this additional
proof of his regard for the welfare of his tenants will add
another link to the chain which should always connect
landlord and tenant. On the day above mentioned the
tenants of the estate dined together at the Star Hotel, H.
Morris, Esq., agent to the Ayleaford estate, in the chair.
We have also much gratification in learning that a similar
spirit of liberality characterises the Earl of Abergavenny's
treatment of his tenantry—his lordship having, we hear, un-
solicited, determined to allow his farm tenants, at his ap-
proaching audits, 10 per cent. on their rents.--Maidstone
Journal.
MUSIC BY TELLORAPE.—We had the pleasure, the
raiser evening, of listening with astonishment to the trans
Elision of music by telegraph over the wires from Boston to
New York. We happened to be in the office, No. 5, Hano-
ver-tem/et, in this city, when there was a pause in business
operations. Mr. W. Porter, • young but skilful operator in
the Boston office asked us what tune we would have. We
replied " Yankee Doodle ;" and to our surprise he immedi-
ately complied with our request. The instrument com-
menced drumming the notes of the tune as perfectly and dis-
tinctly es • skilled drummer could have made them at the
head of a regiment, and many will be astonished to hear that
"Yankee Doodle" can travel by lightning. We then asked
we 'e Hai), Columbia," when the notes of that national air I
were distinctly beat off. We then asked for " Auld Lang
Syne 'the notes or sounds of which were also transmitted.
A friend called for " Old Dan Tacker," when Mr. Forest
also mat that tune, and, if anything, in a more per-
feet manner than the others. 110 pe ectly and distinctly
were the sounds of these tunes transmitted, that good instru-
mental performers could have had no difficulty in keeping time
with the instruments at this end of the wires. This is 111•11
of many telegraphic notelties.—Nese 1-ork Herald.