The Express.
London, England, 1851-10-31 00:00:00

BOROUGH MARKET.-THIS DAY.

Messrs. Pattenden and Smith report that the demand
continues good for all choice Hops. The duty is daily ex-
pected to he officially declared, and the general opinion is,
that it will fall between 129,0001. and 131,0M1.

ratCAL TivrE.S.—The following are the returns of
the local taxation of several towns, as furnished by the
authorities: —Total local rates in the pound per annum:
Lancaster, ss. lid. ; where there arc no works necessary
(and therefore no charge) for the suppl 7 of water ; ratable
value 7 per cent. before actual race rent. Hereford,
ss. 4d. ; rateable value, 20 per cent. below rack rent.
Perth, 51. 60. ; ruck rent, no reduction whatever. New-
castle, sa. 8,1. ; rack rent, no reduction whatever ; would
have been much higher but for the public spirit of the in-
habitants in expending half a million of monry in im-
Pproving and beautifying the town. Kilmarnock, is. 81.
lymouth, ss. Ild.; rateable value, 15 per cent. from rack
rent. Dunfermline, Gs.; rack rent, no reduction what-
ever. Halifax, 64. 61.; 20 per cent. from rack rent. Sunder.
land, 6e. 80. ; rateable value, 30 per cent. from rack rent.
Paisley, 6s. 9d.; rateable value, 10 per cent. from rack rent.
Macclesfield, 6s. 100. Worcester, ss. ; with several turn-
pikes, the proceeds of which keep the highways in repair;
the pavement is laid down and kept in repair by owner or
occupier of property; rateable value IS per cent. below
rack rent. Cheltenham, ss. 7d.; the police being paid
dl b
the county, except that they have to pay fur beadles to look
alter street nuisances; rateable value, 15 per cent. Mow
rack rent. Edinburgh, 7s. Ild. ; rateable value, 10 per,
cent. off rack rent. Great Yarmouth, Bs. Id.; rateable
value, 10 per cent. off rack rent. South Shields, Bs. 4d* i
rateable value, 10 per cent. off rack rent. The present letto
rates of Southampton, rateable value being a deduction of I
li 20 per cent. on the rack rent: Pour and borough rate,
3s. 41. ; paving, lighting, and sewerage, Is. 2d. ; general
district rate, 70. ; water rate, Sil.; additional rate required
to carry out proposed improvements, obtain a supply of,
water, and complete the sewerage, will be about ad. ;
total, Gs. 3d.
PROPERTY OF CONVICTED PRISONERS.—AA very
important question has arisen between the commissioners
of police, the dean and chapter of Westminster, the high
bailiff, and the Court of Quarter Sessions, relative to the
disposal of the property of prisoners convicted ut the ses-
sions now holden at Westminster. It appears that by an
old statute passed in the time of Queen Anne, the dean
and chapter of Westminster became entitled to the pro.
pert), of all convicted felons resident within the city of
Westminster, the high bailiff receiving and accounting for
it to the dean and chapter. At the present time prisoners
front various parts of the county are tried at tbc Westmin-
ster sessions as well as Westminster prisoners., and the
high bailiff claims the right to receive the pro-
perty taken from every prisoner convicted of felony
at those sessions, and the commissioners of police
have issued an order for the officers to give up tho ,
property to the high bailiff accordingly, but Mr. Serjeant
Adams is of opinion that the high bailiff is entitled to re-
C6l'o the property of Westminster prisoners only, and not
Fount), prisoners, although Mr. Smedley, the high bailiff,
is empowered by act of parliament to act as sheriff in the
City of Westmiuster. The learned serjeant thinks the com-
missioners of police issued their order hastily, and without
a full knowledge of the facts ; and iu a recent Middlesex
case, tried at Westminster, on a police-officer asking %hat
he was to do with a sum of money found on the prisoner,
the court ordered him to deliver it up to the sherif of
the county, thus disregarding the police order, and leaving
the sheriff, who receives it for the Crows, and Mr. Smed-
ley, to settle the point between dam.