The Express.
London, England, 1846-12-02 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY

been thrown upon them.-r Mr. Morley stated that he had been
present at the iuquest, and be hesitated not to say that the
inquiry was conducted in the most partial and unfair man-
ner, and the verdict was returned by Mr. Mills and not the
jury.—Mr. Morris also reprobated the course of the deputy-
eoroner.—Mr. Coulthard; the relieving officer, was ex-
amined, and stated, amongst other things, that the average
number of persons who apply for relief is 100 to 140. It
was quite possible for a person coming here at 9 o'clock to
remain until 4 without being attended to; and a party
coming at 3 o'clock has as much chance of being attended to
as the one who comes at 9 o'clock. There is no regulation
for attending to the applicants in turn.—The following reso-
lution was subsequently adopted :
That tickets numbered consecutively be given to all persons apply-
ing for relief ea they enter the gate, and that they be celled according
to the number; and further that one relieving officer be in atten-
dance until applicants hare been served.
The board then adjourned.
GRAND JUNCTION CANAL COMPANY.--A general
meeting of proprietors of this company was held yesterday at
the Crown and Anchor Tavern, but as the press was excluded.
we can give no further account of the proceedings than that
which we derive from the printed report, from which we
extract the following :
In the account wince your committee lay this de y before the pro-
prietary, it appears that the net tonnages for the half-year ending
Nth June last, have amounted to 41,6131.35. td., being 16,5261.195. 1 IcL
less than for the corresponding six months of the preceding year.
This decrease has been caused by the reductions which it has been
necessary to make in the tonnage Mee, as also by a diminution of the
thhfare trade. The localtraffic has, however, materially in-
creased, notwithstanding a very considerable reduction of the 10-al
coal trade, and although the whole tragic on the canal within the
period of the account has decreased, as compared with the cor-
responding period in the year 1845, it has nevertheless exceeded
by 22,985 tons, the average traffic of the last seven years.
Your committee have made every effort in their power to induce
the committee of the Oxford Canal Company to be satisfied with the
reduced tolls charged by this company in oonj unction with the
Leicester Quads ; your committee, however, regret to state that the
committee of the Oxford Canal Company persevere in refusing to
join in these redactions, or to submit to arbitration what tolls should
be levied by the respective companies which are desirous to amalga-
mate for their common interests. During the last seinen of Parlia-
ment, twenty-six bills were introduced for the construction of rail-
ways which would, more or lees, have interfered with the works of
the company ; the expense either of resisting these projects, or of
getting inserted into their bills clauses neowisary for the protection of
the property of the company, has increased the extraordinary ea.
permits of the present amount by the stun of 1,1385. 16e. Id.
The report was, we understand, agreed to.
ROYAL SOCIETY AND M. LE `TERRIER.—The
anniversary meeting of the Royal Society was held at their
apartments in Somerset House on Monday last (St.
Andrew's Day), on which occasion the noble president, the
Marquis of Nortlsampton, delivered his cuatomary annual
address, passing under review the progress of science during
the past year. The Copley gold medal, which was happily
called by Sir H. Davy the ancient olive crown of the
Royal Society," was awarded to M. Le Verrier, and received
for him, at his request, by Sir J. Herschel. One of the
royal gold medals, and the Rumford gold medal, were
awarded to Professor Faraday, for his brilliant discoveries in
magnetism, published in the Philosophical tren-Setions ;
and the second royal gold medal was awarded to Prof. Owen,
for his able and elaborate paper " on the Belemnite," also
published in the Transactions. The officers and counsel for
the ensuing year were then elected, after which the Society
dined together at the Crown and Anchor, the Marquis of
Northampton presiding, supported by Sir J. Herschel' Sir
B. Brodie, Sir R. Murchison, Sir J. Ross, Prof. Owen, ace.
REPORTED SALE OF A MORNING PAPER TO THE
CATRoLICB.—So far as our information goes upon this sub-
ject (and we believe it to be as good as that of others), the
report is unmitigated fudge from beginning to end. We
believe that there is no morning paper existing in London,
at present, that has the remotest chance of falling into the
hands of the Romanists. As to the rest, the' Romanists
already have a weekly paper, arid, for aught we know, they
. might have the Church and State Gazette too; but as to
the daily papers, the conjecture of any of them falling into
the hands of a Roman Catholic proprietary is utterly absurd.

—Morning Post.
ROWLAND HILL, EsQ. —On Monday Rowland
Hill, Esq., entered upon his new appointment at the Gene-
ral Post-office, St. Martin's-le-Grand, and was congratu-
lated on the occasion by the Right Hon. the Marquis of
Clanricarde, the Postmaster-General, and Colonel Moberly,
the secretary of this e-tablishment ; also by T. S. Bun-
combe, Esq., the member for Finsbury, who paid a special
visit on the occasion.—. Morning Post.
THE CONVICT BARBEL-11M individual, who, it
will be remembered, was transported for being concerned in
the personation of legatees, and the fraudulent receipt of
legacies from the Bank,is, according to the l'atriot, about to
receive a free pardon, on coalition of not returning to
England.
SALE OF THE BOOKS, PLATE, AND WINES OF THE
LATE Sin C. Ws.rneKELL, liNT.—Yesterday, the sale of the
property of the lute Sir C. Wetherell was concluded. The
plate went at prices varying from ss. 6d. to 12s. 2d. per oz.,
and of these there were 18d lots. The following were the
prices that some of the wines fetched :—Six dozen of port,
bottled 10 years, four guineas per dozen; 23 dozen of brown
sherry, 15 years in bottle, 61s. per dozen; Constantia, in
pints, about 365. per dozen. The wine realised between
1,100/. and 1,1501. The sale of the law books and the books
of THE
literature offered nothing remarkable.
Tile PATEN TS OF THE MONTIL—To Lord Campbell
for a rapid method of transferring works and taking a moat
perfect copy of them, so that no one can tell the difference.
Communicated by Miss Agree Strickland. To Monsieur
Jullien, for extracting tin, by the medium of brass, from the
pockets of the British public. To Mr. Bunn, for a new
kind of machine for making nonsense verses, that can be
sung to any time to any number of flats. To Old Methu-
aaleh, for a new Life Pill, for curing all liseasee to a dead
certainty. To M. Leverrier, for a new telescope for seeing
right into the middle of next week. To the Trustees of the
British Museum, for applying caoutchouc to the binding of
their new catalogue, so that it shall stretch over twenty
years. To the Commissioners of the National Gallery, fur
an original plan of extracting every possible colour out of
old canvas, and for a new style of takine off the most perfect
likenesses in the cleanest manner. To Lord Morpeth, for a
new kind of soap for literary men. To the King of Bavaria,
for a new pair of scissors, for cutting out all the newspapers
of the world. To the Berkeley Brothers, for a new kind of
Gloucestershire spar, that resists the action of the press, and
is invaluable in tipping the shafts of ridicule. To Lord
Brougham, for a new sort of yarn for filling up the split
between France and Great Britain. Communicated by
Louis-Philippe. To the Dean and Chapter of Westminster
Abbey, for a new plan of altering and reducing national
monuments.—A'Becketes Almanac of the Month.
FIRE AND SUPPOSED Loss OF LlFE.—This morn-
ing, between the hours of twelve and one, a fire, by which
it is supposed one or two persons lost their lives, broke out
at 31, Chaleroft-terrace, New-cut, Lambeth, known as the
Exhibition of Nature and Art, the property of a Mr. Fee-
gusson. Whilst the proprietor of the establishment, and
one or two other parties, were sitting in the front kitchen,
they were suddenly alarmed at hearing a loud crackling
noise proceeding from the exhibition-room. Upon getting
to the top of the staircase, they found the exhibition wrapped
in one broad sheet of flame. An instant cry of fire was
raised, in order to arouse the other inmates, but the flames
made such fearful progress, that it was with the greatest dif-
ficulty that any one could escape. The persons in the lower
floor were severely singed in getting out. In the course of a
few minutes the brigade engine from Waterloo-road was at
the scene, followed immediately by the West of England
firemen and engine. Without delay, the engines were set
to work, and had an abundant supply of water. The exhi-
bition being composed principally of wax, the flames rose
with such rapidity, that before a drop of water could be dis-
charged into the place, it was burning from the floor to the roof.
By strenuous exertions on the part of the firemen, the flames
were got under by half-past one, but not until the wax-work
figures and several living serpents and monkeys were
destroyed. The cries of the latter animals, on the flames
reaching them, were of the most agonising character, and
there are grounds also to suppose that, at the least, one or
two human beings have been hurried into eternity by this
calamitous event. Mr. Ferguson assured the reporter that
he was fearful a daughter of his housekeeper had perished in
the flames, but he was quite certain that a female dwarf
named Robertson, had been burnt to death. He stated that
she was sleeping in the back room, third Hoer, and had not
the least possibility of effecting ber escape. How the fire
originated cannot be ascertained. Mr. Ferguson estimates
the loss of his exhibition at upwards of 1,0001.
INQUESTS.—RAILWAY ACCIDENT.—By Mr. W.
Payne, at Guy's Hospital, on the body of James Smith.
Deceased was working in a hole to make a " pier" for the
new line of rails near the Greenwich line, in the wish of
Horslydown, by putting in concrete, when the earth on one
side of the hole fell in. Deceased attempted to run to the
farther side, but a large piece of earth struck him on the side
and knocked him down. The deceased was a sub-contractor
for the work, and the accident was caused by striking the
centre " strut " too soon. The house-surgeon said deceased
died on Sunday from fracture of the pelvis. Verdict, "Acci-
dental death."—Also, on the body of James Payne, aged
67. Deceased was an inmate of Marlborough-house Pauper
Asylum, at Peckham, and whilst standing on the steps
painting a shed, on the 18th of November. he overbalanced
himself and fell, his right leg being broken by the fall. He
died on Monday from tetanus supervening u ..n the injury.
Verdict accordingly.—And also, on the yof Peter
Johnson, engine-driver. The case appeared in our jour-
nal on Saturday. Deceased was carried round by
the fly-wheel of the engine and jammed for some time
in the trench in which it worked. Deceased died
on Monday. Verdict, " Accidental death."—SUICIDE
FROX LONDON-MlDl:al.—By Mr. W. Payne, adjourn-
ed from the 17th ult., at the Newcastle coffee-house,
St. Mary-at-Hill, on the body of Ellen Baugh, whose ease
was fully described in this journal on the 18th ult. Since
the inquest the bargemen had stated that they saw the de-
ceased fall from the bridge. Mr. Smith, surgeon, said he
had made a post-mortem examination, and found extensive
extravasation of blood over the spine. The cause of death
was concussion to the system by falling against a hard sub-
stance, such as the buttress of the bridge. The jiffy returned
an open verdict, " That the deceased died from injury to the
spine and concussion of the system, but how produced there
was not sufficient evidence to show."—Dearn IN THE
STREET.—By Mr. Bedford, at the Barley Mow, Mount.-
street, Grosvenor-square, on the body of IL chard Thomas
Lyons, aged 32, a writing engraver. On Saturday deceased
partook, at the Duke of York, Union-street, Bond-street, of
some breed, meat, and beer, being apparently in good
health. Shortly afterwards, while reading the paper, it
suddenly dropped from his hands, and be fell forwards with
his head on the table, insensible. Rallying, he put on his
hat, and staggered into the street, when, sitting down on the
kerb stone, and asking for some water, he placed his hat under
his head, and exclaiming " Let me die," presently expired.
Death wascausedby apoplexy. Verdict, "Natural death."—
... .r_ 11141 Globe.