The Express.
London, England, 1848-04-20 00:00:00

(fOrt%

SHIPPING.

Meru AlLETlD.—llublist, 2; Waterford, l; Denagha-
dee, 1 ; French 1; Flanders, 1; Boston, &c., 1.
LONDON, April 20.—Wind this day at noon, N.N.E.,
light breeze and fine weather.
Deer" Apr 1 19.- S.W. ; S.E.—Arrived: Samuel
Boddington, Calcutta; Rockdale, Mauritius; Caroline, and
Clio, Demerara; Margaretha, Hanna, sad sailed for
Bremen. Sailed : Forfershire, Adelaide, S.A. • Royal Alice,
and Janet, Madras; Henrietta, Dominica; knabeth, St.
Johp'e, Newfoundland ; Sophie, Havana; Ann Mills, Quebec.
Arrived from the river sad sailed : Lady Valiant, and Prince
Albert, Mauritius; James M'Queen, Ltarbadoes ; Canada,
Quebec.
OFF DUNGINZPS.—Margaret Skelly, Bahia, for Stettin.
PORTSMOUTH, April 19.—S. by R. to S.S.W.—Arrived
General Hewett, Cape of Good Hone.
Cowie, April 19.—S.—Arrived: Charles Buchan, Rio
Grande ; Bride of Abydoe, Bahia; Sarah L. Bryint,
lievannah.
CAMPBRLTOWN, April 17.—The Gnat, brig, of Wexford,
from Dublin to Ayr, came into the Blind Sound yesterday,
but came off to-day, without any appare:A damage.
Yeusiourn April 19.—The Socblomsten, of and from
Christiania to 'London, which was off this port yesterday,
water-logged and disunited, having been on the Lemon
Sand, has been assisted into the roads. A keel has been sent
to lighten her. The crew left her when she went on shore,
and were afterwards put on board by a smack.

PRINCE METTERNICH. His Serene
Prince Metternich, accompanied by his princess, 1-...
Richard, and the Baron Charles Rigel, and a nnmerou.
suite. *tired at the Bleckwall Pier early this morning, by
the General Steam Navigation Company's mail steam-ship,
Rainbow, from Rotterdam.
LIBERTY AND LOYALTY.—The following address
to Lord John Russell, relative to the Chartist meeting, is re-
ceiving the signatures of all classes in the city of Oxford :
To the Right Hon. Lord John Ituseell—We, the under-
signed inhabitants of the city and borough of Oxford, are
desirous (in common with other loyal subjects* her Majesty
Queen Victoria) of conveying to your lordship our most
grateful thanks for the prompt and efficient, yet merciful steps
adopted by your lordship and the rest of her majesty's govern-
ment to prevent the confusion and tumult with which the me-
tropolis of England was recently threatened by persons calling
themselves chartists. While we express our great abhorrence
of all attempts to effect changes in the constitution and sevens.'
ment of Great Britain and Ireland by force, we are anxious I
to impress upon your lordship that we are fully sensible of
the necessity of such gradual and well-considered reforms in
various departments or the state as the intellectual implore-
ment of society and lapc of time necessarily create. And
we sincerely hope that, as speedily as possible after order
has bees restored in the dominions of our beloved queen,
your lordship will not fail to submit to parliament suck
measures as shall be conducive to the restoration in some
eases, and the continuation in others, ef happiness and pros-
perity to all-classes of her majesty's people.
THE NEW PALACE AT WESTMINSTER, AND MR.
Bakuv's PLANS.—A numerously attended meeting of
gentlemen, chiefly artists, was held last evening at the In-
stitute of the Fine Arts, in Great Marlborough-street, to
consider the propriety of adopting a petition for prcrectation
to parliament, praying that no interfere** be permitted
with Mr. Barry'. design for completing the palace at West-
minster—Mr. Illidge presided, and explained the circum-
stances which had led to the meeting being convened.
• commission had been appointed, with a Maw to
snake reductions in the expense of the new palace,
sad he believed it wile proposed to cut down the height of
the Victoria Tower, from 220 feet, as originally planned, so
1120.—Mr. Franklin then read the petition which bad been
Iprepared. The document act forth, that the work in guts-
' den was one of great national importance, and of great in-
fluence upon the arts of the country as a specimen of the
taste and talent of the age ; and the petitioners thought
that no mistaken economy of time or money should
he allowed to interfere with the genius of the archi-
tect, especially with reference to the Victoria Tower.
Mr. Franklin thought that, apart from other considerations,'
it would be a breach of faith on the part of the nation be
interfere with Mr. Barry's plan now that it had beam
accepted. It was unnecessary for him to mention how =say
modern examples of foolish economy existed in this land—
' such as Buckingham Palace, the National Gallery, and
I several other national diagnoses ; and he thought it
1 would be a matter for great regret, now that there
lwas an opportunity of making a building worthy
lof the character of the country, for it to he in-
terfered with. Another gentleman observed that the very
characteristic of Gothic architecture was height, and
'any reduction of the owe would take
more like
character
from it. At present,t the palace looked more like an Italian
1 building than Gothic one. Mr. Franklin said, with refe-
-1 rence to the period which had already elapsed in the con-
struction of the palace, that few of the great buildings on
the continent were completed in one generation. Instead of
attempting, with a few thoissanda, and in a few years, to
finish a great work, it was the practice there to carry out
some great design only so far as they could be afforded,
leaving the work of completion to other ages ; anti he would
recommend that plan for adoption in this country. The
only great work in England built out of hand was St
Paul's, and that occupied a great many years more than the
work of Mr. Barry, although it was not so large. The peti-
tion was adopted after the rejection by the meeting of some
d amendments and additions.
propose
ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF
Lira PROD Fine —A general meeting of this useful associa-
tion was held yesterday in the New Council Chamber,
Guil.thall, for the purpose of receiving the report of the com-
mite for the year, and for the distribution of medals and
rewards tot the servants and other persons who had. to the
imminent danger of their own lives, saved the lives of others.
—The Lord Mayor, who took the chair, said the society de-
, served the most warm and extended support. People were,
as regarded property, generally careful enough, but with
regard to life the danger, especially from fire was so great,
and generally so instantaneous, that any plan calculated to
diminish the danger ought to command support. By means
of fire-escapes a great diminution in the sacrifice of life bad
been effected. The re-..ort stated that three new stations
for fire-escapes had been established, so that there were now
twenty-five stations at distances varying from a half to three-
quarters of a mile apart, each supplied with a conductor, whose
duty it was to attend every fire in his district on the first
alarm. There had been since the re-establishment of the
society in 1845, 548 fires attended to, and 48 lives had been
saved by means of the fire-escapes. There was a deficiency
of funds amounting to 2001., which it was to be
hoped would be immediately supplied.--Mr. D. W.
Wire moved that the report be received. He thought,
however, that such an association should, instead of depending
upon casual bounty, be made a branch of their social
economy, and attached either to the police or to some
public establishment. tie concluded by expressing a hope
that the corporation would take up the question, and peti-
tion the legislature to bring in an act to compel parish and
other authorities to adopt means of preserving life from fire.
The report was adopted, and the Lord Mayor then proceeded
to distribute silver medals, certificates, and rewards, to various
parties who had been instrumental in rescuing human life from
destruction. Mr. L. Prettyman was presented with a silver
medal for rescuing his servant froa; fire at the hazard of his
own life. Mary Cromer (a poor girl) was presented with a
certificate and 11. for heroic conduct in bringing a child out
of a room on fire. The Lord Mayor presented rewards and
certificates to the police-constables and the servants of the
company. Silver medals were presented to George Abbott,
sen., and George Abbott, jun., for having saved the life of '
Mrs. Ryan, at Enfield.
ROYAL NAVAL SCHOOL.—The Earl of Auckland
has signified his intention of bestowing a marine cadetship
for competition amongst the pupils of this institution at
Midsummer next. In addition to this gift two naval cadet-
ships are annually placed at the disposal of the council by
the Admiralty. The Earl of Yarborough has also given
1,0001. to found a " Yarborough Scholarship " in the Naval
School.