The Express.
London, England, 1847-10-14 00:00:00

timing the past year 1,032 in, and 8.709 out patients had
been relieved, at • coat of 2,4251. 15e. 111 d., which make a
total number of persons of rear 130,000, who have partaken
of the benefits of the institution since its commencement in
1818. Of the patients admitted last year, 1,522 received re-
commendatory letters from governor. and subscriber,, and
9,239 were freely admitted without recommendation.
l'esTlMOSil.tt. TO TILE &WHOP OP SODOR AND MAN,
Lars VICAR or Barrensaa.—Yesterday, a magnificent
service of plate, styled the "Eden Testimonial," was pre-
meted to the Bishop of Soder and Man (more popularly
known as the Hon. W. Eden. late vicar of Battersea), at the
Retreat," the residence of Valentine Morris, Esei. The
testimonial consisted of a dinner service numbering 2, *ma,
the cost of which was .3.50 guineas.
REASSESSNIENT OF aMil DLESEK.—The appendix
to the report of the committee of jusices, laid before the
court of Middlesex magisuates, on Monday, and extracts
from which were published in our yesterday's impression,
represents the increase in the rentals of the various parishes
Lad hundreds, as compared with the returns of the paro-
chial authorities, for the year 1316, upon which the last rate
. ons made. The total increase in the Westminster
4(Ei,S6il. In the Holborn division, 3963881.
Finsbury division, 138.5121. Tower division, 174,9361.
Kensington division, 103,1721. In the hundred of
Edmonton the increase is 13,212/. ; in that of Gore,
le 6)6./. ; Elthome, 34,236/. ; Speltborne, 17,3301. ; Isle-
wOrth, 18,1401. In the extra-paroehial place* (Liacoln's-
inn, Gray's-inn, Staple-inn, Furniral'a inn, the Charter.
house, and Twyford Abbey) the total increase is 4,4281.
The whole increase upon the county rental is 1,386,8711.
The sum upon which the new rate is laid is 7,734,3301. The
rate for the last year was 31.1. in the pound, the rate for the
ensuice year is 2;(1. The latter rate will produce 2,6231.
more than the former one, on amount of the increased
amount of rental notated upon.
RAPID ACTS OF Snow mANamr.—Last week one
of the eerlesiastital showmen, known the Westmineter
Abbey Runner, gave hiegraphical, historical, and critical
particulars relative to 1,0 monuments, 4 shrines, 7 chapels,
and numerous banners, to twenty-seven persons, in the short
space of seventeen minutes and a half, and for the small
charge of sixpence ; the party included seT, r,tl foreigners,
who understood but little leighsh, and none of the language
spoken by the Runner. The Runner, on being compli-
mented on the astonishing feat which he had achieved, re-
plied, with the candour which belongs only to great minds,
that the Fame space had been gone over in fifteen minutes,
and that he was wiling to make a match to perform the
distance in a still shorter period. The runner can be hacked
spinet say showman who is a member of the E C. (Este',
belled Citureb.) The ltunner has heard a good deal
about the Twopenny Nag, of St. Paul's. If the Nag is game
for a good stratehtforward show, and no favour, the Runner
is hisnian. N.B. The Runner beats carpet., and attends
parties round the Abbey.—Punch.
BetdahlTv .t I'OST-OFFICE SERvANT.—Tuesday
evening, about 7, the Poet-atfice 'meliorators were passing
down Holborn-hill to St. Martin's-le-grand, when several
little children got into one of the omnibuses, the conductor
—who should have been at the back—hav:ug t limn a scat
with the driver. On discovering where the children were,
he got down, seizing one of the children by the arm, sod an.
ether by the leg, and dashed them separately into the road
with great violence. One poor little creature, about 7 years
old, was completely scalped, the skin of the head being torn
from the crown to the f eehearl. Ile was immediately re-
moved into the shop of Messrs. I.amplough and Ni'Dougal,
who, baring secured the artery, and arisen the skin to its
original position, had the child removed to its parents, where
it now lies in a most I recarious state. The offender hes as
far eluded the police ; but it is hoped, by the active exertions
of the detective force. and the authorities at the Post-office,
that he will be secured this evening.
QVARTERLY DIVIDENDS OF RAILWAY STOCK.—,
Sie—During the present money presence, would it be too
much to ask of the different railway companies to issue quar-
terly dividend' It would let a deal of money loose, and be
of great service at the present moment to a pinched public.
—INQUIRER.
ROBBERY OF A BENEFIT Cl.Cll.—Yesterday it was
dimovered that Edward Probed, secretary to the Silk
Hatters' Charitable Fund, held at Mr. Pellet's, the Black
Bull Inn, tipper Thames-street. had broken open the tree-
sum's boa and gene off with 1471., the reserve fund intended
for the relief of men out of employment.
ISt/VEST, YESTERDAY.—FIRE tN BLACKFRIARS.—
Before Mr. W. Payne, at the Queen's Head, Water-lane,
Blackfriste, on the body of Frances Purdy, aged GO, who
lost her life in the recent tire which occurred upon the pre-
mises belonging to Mr. Whitaker, a furniture broker, carry-
ing on business at No, 28 in that thoroughfare. The trunk
was completely burned through, and the face so disfigured I
that none of the features c old be recognised. City police.
constable No. 342 mid, that on the evening of Monday last,
shoot 7 o'clock, he smelt fire in Water-lane, and saw a strong
light in Mr. Whitaker's shop. He raised an alarm. A
number of females came out. One of them told him that
there was as old woman on the stain, and she would not
rime down. Witness then went up the stairs, and met the
old lady on the second landing. lie instantly brought her
down; and, having placed her outside the building,
E. went up stairs again to see whether any other persons
were in the house. As he was returning, he met the deceased
for the second time, and be told her she must not go up.
She replied, " I must—l must go up stairs." .tt that time
there were no signs of fire in:may part of the premises except
the shop. Ile looked through the keyhole, and saw tables
burning near the door.—Christiana Hamilton said that she
resided in No. 28, Water-lane. On Monday evening last she
wee sitting at work in her room when some of the children
mid that ally smelt something burning. In the course of a
few minutes she saw smoke coming up the staircase, and
heard an alarm in the street. and she went down with her
children, and on the stain met Miss Purdy, whom she told
to go down, as the house was on fire. She replied that she
would go up to the attics. As soon as wittiest reached
the street she saw fire burning in Mr. Whitaker's shop.—
T. Loader, head-engineer. at Farringdonxtreet Brigade sta-
tion, said that he was called to the fire. Ile found fire
coming through the fanlight over Mr. Whitaker's shop-door.
As soon as the water Came through the hose, the door was
forced, when be saw that the whole of the lower p trt of the
hoax was in flames. He worked his way through the pass-
age, but was enable to get up the stairs owing to their being
so much burned. The fire, from what witness had since
been able to see, had begun in the centre renm at the back of
the partition on the ground floor.—G. Flemming, a fire
brigade man, proved finding the body of deceseed in the third
floor front—Mr. Whitaker, who was insured in the Sun Fire
Office for 300/, said that he shut up his shop a few minutes
before seven o'clock, leaving one gas !turner alight. lie
mimed the bridge, and there heard that a tire had broken
out in a broker's. He returned, and f mod it was in his own
premises. His bed-room was filled with smoke the whole of
the afternoon, which he could not account fors—Mr. Braid-
woad, the superintendent, said that the gas bad not been
turned off, and when the pipe was melted it went through
the house and increased the violence of the fire.—Verdict:
That the deceased was burned to death, hut how the fire
originated there was no evidence to prove."—The foreman
added that great praise wasdue to the firemen and police for
their exertions on the nieht in question.

HONG-KONG.
The interesting particulars respecting this colony,
which follow, are from the evidence of Mr. Matheson, before
thecommittee on our commercial relations with China. Haying
stated that he was one of the tinn of Jardine, Matheson, and
Co., who had extensive commercial transactions with Hong-
Hong, Canton, and Shang-hai, Mr. Matheson pro,:eeded
to say ;
" Hong-Kong possesses one of the hest harbours in China.
Prior to our taking possession of it, and for some time atter,
all the native traders between Canton and the east coast
pased through the harbour, and generally anchored there.
when the tint Europeans settled at Hong-Kong, the Chi-
nese showed every disposition to frequent the place, and
there was a fair prospect of its becoming a place of consider-
able trade. The junks from the coast made up their cargoes
there, in place of going to Canton and Macao; these cargoes
generally consisted of opium, cotton shirting', a few pieces of
tamlets, and other woollens, and Straits produce; such as
pepper, betel oat, rattans, &c Our own firm was the first
that built a warehouse in the colony ; we established a re-
gular salesman in it, and in order to encourage the trade,
were mitred to bell the smallest quantity of any ar-
ticle, such as one, ten, or twenty pieces of shirt-
ingi or eamlets, and any portion of a chest of
opium, to suit the means of purchasers. Our sales in this
way averaged, during the first year, about 8,000 dollars per
month. This went on for nearly three years that is, from
the beginning of 1841 till the autumn of 1843 ; and the
amount of our sales wasprogressively on the increase. Some
months they amounted to 15,000 dollars. This was what I
eel our " retail trade ;" and in addition to it, we sold large
quantities of opium and other articles; some of our transac-
tions amounting to 10,000 dollars, 20,000 dollars, and 50,000
dollars. tip to 1843, Ilong-Kong was literally a " free port :"
there were no restrictions of any kind ; people went and
came an they chose ; and the British character stood so high
in the estimation of the natives, that many re•
spectable Chinese from Canton and Masao began
to make arrangements for moving to Hong-Kong.
One extensive trader, Chienam, built one of the largest
warehouses in the place, which is now unoccupied, and the
money expended on it, about 20,000 dollars, is in a manner
Hed the same unrestricted freedom of trade gone on,
Hong-Kong would inevitably have become a place of great
trade. It would have been in time the emporium of China.
The South Sea whalers would have resorted to it for sup-
plies, and for shipping their oil to the European and Ame-
rican markets. Native Chinese, who return to their own
country after having realised fortunes in Manilla, Java, and
other European colonies, would have settled there • and the
security to m rson and property which British laws and
mares were supposed to guarantee, would have attracted
to Hong-Kong many wealth Chinese, who, under their
own government, are ever in dread of being " squeezed " by
the government officers. In 1813, however, peace was pro-
chimed ; Hong-Kong was regularly ceded to us. A formal
government was established, great expenses were incurred,
and it became almost the exclusive study of the government
to raise as large a revenue as possible, to meet the expenses
of the place. Up to the departure of Sir If. Pottioger, no
means of raising a revenue were resorted to, except the land
sale; but the police practised various modes of defrauding
the Chinese settlers. From this time may be dated the re-
verses of (long-Kong.
By OUT treaty with China, it was stipulated that no Chinese
vessel should be allowed to anchor in the harbour of Hung-
Kong without a pass from some Chinese mandarin ; of
course no mandarin would grant a pus without a heavy fee,
and by this one act the junk trade to Hosg.Kong was in a
manne‘exteratinated. But this was further aided by other
circumson. A body of police was established, composed
of Chinas of the most abandoned charatter ; these men,
under the cloak of their office, committed all manner of atro-
cities, more especially afloat, in the harbour, where their