The Express.
London, England, 1847-04-26 00:00:00

public competition, the committee of the clu' have been re-
luctantly compelled to abstain taking any further steps in
the matter, so that this precious property hide fair to bil-
-1 oome at the mercy of some chance purchaser. It
'is to be hoped, however, that something may yet be
done to purchase the house for the public.—The dinner
in the evening at the Shakspeare-hall, was attended
by many of the country gentry. T. H. Brecebridge,
I Esq.. presided; and Mr. M. Philips, M.P. for Man•
cheeter, was a guest. Unfortunately, however, the com-
mittee have been unsuccessful in their efforts to obtain the
attendance of any of the literati of the day. Amongst
those to whom invitations hail been sent, were the
venerable poet Wordsworth, who, in return, expressed
the deep interest he felt in the society, and the de-
light it would have afforded him to have been
present, but he found the journey to Stratford impossible.
Serjeant Talfourd, overwhelmed with briefs, could not spars
the time from his professional duties, to visit (w adopt his
own expressive language) " the most sacred spot in Bri-
tain ; " and Mr. W. S. Landor, a Warwickshire man,
found himself compelled, from other causes, to decline.
Notwithstanding these drawbacks, however, the affair
passed off well. Besides the tout of the evening, " The
immortal memory of William Shakspeare." The following,
among, others, were also drunk .• Wordsworth and the
British poets," " the Garrick Club," and " Sheridan Knowles
and the Drama." The whole proceedings at the festival were
characterised by much good feeling.

WANTED, A MIN DITEII. --A strung feeling has exhibited
itself in the northern division of this county to have Sir
George Grey, the Home Secretary, for one of its representa-
tives in parliament at the next election. A requisition is in
course of signature, requesting Sir George to offer himself;
it has already received the names of Sir John Swinburn,
Bart. ; Sir IValter Trevelyan, Bart. ; Sir Francis Blake,
Bart.; Mr. Bigge, Linden; Mr. Itiddell, Felton-park; Mr.
Selby, Tiiriuel.houm ; and other influential gentlemen con-
nected with that part of the county.

THE hunt Pau;iitiW.;;;;ppears to extend to all
parts of the country. The midland counties are now com-
plaining. The Nottingham Review says :—" The number
of tramps that have recently visited Mansfield his been very
considerable. One fact will give an idea of the expense to
the parish incurred thereby : en the night of Wednesday,
the loth tut., there veer forty-seven tramps (chiefly Irish)
in the union-house. On the following morning, eight of
them were taken to the lock-up for refusing to perform the
work assigned them.
REPREPENTATION OP NSWARI.—Lord John Mennen
bas announced to the electors of Newark that when a general
election arrives, he shall not solicit a renewal of the trout con-
fided to ►im in 1841. His lordship, in his farewell address,
says :—" On public grounds I would willingly solicit your
suffrage, s agates; nor is it owing to any political disagree.
ment between us that I refrain from doing so, still left from
a wish to represent any other constituency. The motive
which induces my retirement forbids me to ay more as
to its cause." Mr. John Manner. Sutton, described as a
" Peelite," has offered himself so a candidate.

THE Bt R uAY Flana.—A man, named Hewes, was ex-
amined en Wednesday, at the registrar's office at Maldon,
when evidence, which appeared to identify him as the in-
cendiary having been given, he was committed for trial.
The value of the property destroyed open the three farms is
now stated to exceed 1,2001.

DESTRUCTION or BRAM/RW[ON HALL.—This fine speci-
men of Elizabethan architecture, the seat of Mr. Austin,
Q.C., situate on a prominent eminence, near the roadside,
between Cretingham and Framlinghsm, in this county, was
found to be on fire on the morning of Thursday last. It was
built about three centuries since, and was very capacious,
having a noble frontage of upwards of 150 fret. Up to
within a few years, the mansion was tenanted by the family
of its founder, from whom Mr. Austin purchased the estate,
and it was, at the time of the accident, undergoing an elabo-
rate restoration. It appears that the hall was placed under
the care of the contractor, who, with his workmen, slept in
the building. Soon after 12 o'clock on the morning named,
a boy, an assistant of the contractor, discovered smoke issuing
from one of the sitting-rooms over the library, on the east
wing. It had been used by the contractor since he had
had the care of the building, and was the only apart-
ment in which there had been a fire for several
days. He immediately awoke Mr. Sillett, the pria-
cipal, who became so alarmed that, instead of ascertaining
the nature and extent of the fire, he leaped out of window,
and sustained some severe injuries b 7 ha fall. Two or three
workmen who slept in some attics m a distant part of the
house, being aroused, hastened to the apartment, and en-
deavoured to extinguish the flames, which were awing from
the floor within a space of two or Iree feet in front of the
hearth, let owing to the dryness of the wood, the fire spread
with such rapidity, that their efforts were unsuccessful
The elaborate carved wood ceiling of the library below next
caught, and it wema from that moment all hopes of saving
the edifice were lost. Mounted expresses were immediately
=red to Framlingham and to Ipswich for engines and
ea. Crowds from villages adjacent flocked to the
scene, and oa the arrival of the engines the spectators exerted
every nerve to master the fire, but all in vain--the interior
of the !structure seemed like one large furnace emitting a
body of flame, which lit up the country for miles round.
About half-past two the roof sal gable-end of the north
front fell in with a fearful crash, and in the space of three
hours from the discovery of the fire. Brandaston-hall was a
total ruin—only the south wall remaining. The loss cannot
be known accurately. It is said to be upwards of 20,0001.
The mansion, it is stated, was not insured.

VNIT OF PRINCII ALBERT TO Oxroan.—At a meeting
of the Reception Committee of the British Association for
the Advancement of Science at Oxford, on Thanday, it wee
announced that a :ettar had been received from the Bishop
of Oxford to the effect that his Royal Highness Prince
Albert had received the invitation which had been presented,
and fully intended to join the meeting, though, at present,
he could not specify the day on which he could attend.
OXFORD CITY ELECTION.—WiIIiam PM:O Wood, Req.,
son of the late Alderman Sir Matthew Wood, has announced
himself a candidate for this city, and has Sxed a day for
meeting the electon. His political views are described as
agreeing with those of the present member, J. H. Langston,
Esq. ; if so, it is questionable if the conservatives (a small
party now in Oxford) will bring any one out against him. It
is rumoured that an election will take plane immediately, in
consequence of the bankruptcy of Mr. Donald Maclean, M.P.
CIVIC HONOURe AT A DISCOUNT.—Mr. Matthew, an
eminent builder of Oxford, rather than take upon himself
the office of alderman of that city, to which he was elected
a fortnight ago by a large majority of the town council, bag
paid the flax—vis., 401.—into the hands of the city treasurer,
and another gentleman hu been elected in his place.

CAMBRIDGESHIRE.
ENTRAORDIVART PRICE OT Fete LAND.—Tte folowieg
lots of freehold land were sold by auction by Measn. Mum-
ford and Coseb,r, at the Ferry-boat inn, in the parish of
Smithery, on Wednesday last: Lot 1, comprising a m
or tenement, with stable, outbuildings, oithard, anderag.alre.
19p. of fen land, in Smithery, abutting upon the high road
from Ely to Downham, 5001. Lot 2. 3a. 2r. 30p. adjoining
lot 1, oleo abutting on the high rood, 2901. Lot 3. 3a. 2r.
28p. adjoining lot 2, ditto, 3001. Lot 4. 3a. 2r. 27p. lying
in Sedge Fen and adjoining Sedge Fen Drove. 2101. Lot 5.
—Common-right on Methwold and Southery-common, 701.
Total, 1,3701.

REPEESENTATIONWITLEZ:7II7:ThIII Bucks Adver-
tiser says .—" It is confidently stated that, in consequence
of his continued ill health, Capt. Hamilton does not attend
to come forward ag►in, aad that Serjeant Byte., the re-
corder of Buckingham, will offer himself u a conservative
and protectionist candidate. It is also said that the Duke
of Buckingham and our other representative, R. ft. Clayton,
Esq., are at variance, in consequence of the late adhesion of
Mr. Clayton to Sir R. Peel's free-trade policy. It is well
knows that, if the patronage at the duke be withdrawn
from Mr. Clayton, he will have no chance of continuing a
representative of this borough. We have good reason to
believe that, on the first vacancy that offers, our old repre-
sentative, Lord Nugent, will be reedy to take the field so
the liberal sad rree-trade candidate."

REPRESENTATION 07 111 w o Rr, ISLE OP WIGHT.
The Hampshire Independent of Saturday saye—" We have
it from good authority that the present appearance of the
register of voters has induced the leaders of the conservatives
of this borough to offer a compromise, and that they will
withdraw all opposition to the return of a liberal candidate
at the next election, on condition that they are allowed to
return one conservative member, expecting as a matter of
course that the same line of proceeding will be adopted by
the liberals, in order, ea it is alleged, ' to preserve the good
' feeling and peace of the town We need not say that the
propel we. most properly and indignantly spurned." •
THUNDER SToau AND THE ELECTRIC TELEGILAPN.
—On Friday afternoon, about two o'clock, a thunder storm
of short duration occurred at Southampton. The gentleman
superintendirg the electric telegraph at the South-Western
Railway ternunus, states that by the influence of the electric
fluid, passing along the wires, the alarm bell of the telegraph
was rung, a circumstance that in his experience has never
occurred before, although the masynetic needles of the
dial are generally deflected and oeraisted during thunder
storms. _ .

An !mirror was held on Friday evening upon the body
of Lieut. T. F. Henry, killed by the accident reported in the
Express of Saturday. A verdict of " accidental death •
was returned.
ELICTION very generally rumoured and
credited that the two present members for Portsmouth will
not stand for that borough at the next election. It is also
said that Mr. °melee, the burins°, will be one of tke new
candidates, in conjunction with a liberal member of the naval
profession. Sir G. Staunton, one of the present members, is
reported ea likely to stand for the county in place of a mem-
ber about to retire.
AN Arrestrr TO BRZAI INTO THR NATIONAL PROTIN.
CIAL BANN Or ENGLAND AT Cowan, Ilk of Wight, was
made on Thursday last. About two o'clock in the morning
the manager was aroused by a wise, and on throwing up
the sash of his ',fallow, he saw a man run
away, Set sounded like an iron bet.
On exa=e skate= it oppemed that an instrument
had Dec inserted to *ace them elpos. Had the bursas,
locoed CM abetters the plate - window would have been
meths, obeteele then he must been ensimered sundry iron
Le by which the safe is secured balm he got at the cash.
Theft Is at present no clue to the parties.
Tau Queer's HOUNDS have had three days' hunting in
the New Forest during the past week. The pack arrived
from London, by rail, on Monday, under the care of Lord
Granville, mister of the pack, and threw off on Tuesday at
Bolton's Bench, and on Wednesday at Allum-green, on both
which days capital sport NU enjoyed by numerous fields.
The meet on Friday was particularly brilliant, when they
threw off at Stoney Crces, with a splendid array of horsemen,