The Express.
London, England, 1847-03-19 00:00:00

WALES.

••
Tux new LAW OP SETTLIMPNT.—UpWartiIi of 340
families have already become chargeable to the parish of
Merthyr Tydfil since the alteration of the act of settlement.
Very tew families have been during the same time trans-
ferred from Merthyr to the charge of other parishes. The
evil is constantly increasing—scarcely a week panes but con-
siderable aomben of papers become " due."
PICION.II MoNvmser.—ln consequence of t►e frost the
rebuilding of the monument has been suspended for Goole
time, but the works will be recominenei d nor the weather
is more favourable. The money sub. cribed is sufficient for
the comp!. bun of the monument according to the original
design, with the exception of the four lions to ornament the
base. To meet the expense of these a further rain will be
required.

PROVINCIAL.
IBCINDIAZTEM BAS AGAIN BECOME BRIQUE/Mt in several
neighbourheods. On Saturday se'rotight, tl inhabitants
of Leighton Buzzard were thrown into a f tate of con-
sternation by two fires breaking out in differ, at and oppo-
site parte of the place. The first was di/befriend in the farm-
yard of Mr. Bushel, of the Swan Inn, North-street, which
war fortunately extinguished without effecting soy more
mischief than the destruction of a bean-rick. The other,
on the premises of Messrs. Claridge, raged furi-
ously from eight o'clock until after midnight, and
oar rimed nine ricks of beans, prate, and hay, and an
agricultural building. These tires would have destroyed a
large portion of the town, had it not been for the favourable
direction of the wind, the abundant supply of water, the ex-
cellent working of the engines, and the united efforts of the
neighbours of all ranks end rictus. The yroperty ants
insured. We regret also to state that, an ',riday ae'n-
night, a barn containing a large quantity of straw, situate
in the village of Wing, the property of Mr. Barrie.
of Wing Mill, was set on fire and totally acinsunted,
with its contents. A hayrick near was likewise in-
jured. The wind fortunately blew in an opposite direction
from the house, and other premises; and by the strenuous
exertions of the inhabitants, the flames were prevented from
ext nding further. On Monday se'nnight, moodier tiro
occurred on the premises of Mr. Fountain, Wing-bury Farm,
Wing. A bean-risk, three or four hay-ri ks, some
hovels and cow-houses, were destroyed. A now also
perished in the flames. The dwelli-g-hoase was pre-
served. A correspondent at Newport Paine' eays
I regret to have occasion to inform you that, within the
last ten days, we have had five or six incendiary f in this
neighbourhood; and on Saturday evening, about II o'clock,
we were all disturbed by aay of fire. It wee at Willem,
about a mile and a half from here, when about 80 loads of
wheat in the straw was entirely destroyed. lamat a loos
to as:merit fur this infatuation, as our labouring population
are pretty well employed, although, I fear, at wag. s toolow
for the present high price of provisions." Another fire has
occurred at &ham, and two boys, one 16, and the other
only 13 years old, have been committed for trial for burning.
a clover Mack at Culfurd. As. extensive fire took place, last
week, on the premises occupied by Mr. P. Barber, of Arley
Mn.., by which calamity no fewer than fourteen head of
cattle were destroyed. out of a stock of twenty-eight.
Thera is no doubt that the fire was wilfully occasioned, but
no clue has yet been obtained likely to lead to the appre-
hension of the culprit.

GOITINMENT liClllllEr OP. EDUCATIOL—PHDLIPP
MEETING AT W•ILEFIELD.—A public meeting of the in-
habitants of Weld field was held on Tuesday, in support of
the ministerial scheme for the extension cf education. The
chair was taken by George Sanders, Esq. The Rev. Samuel
Sharp, vicar of Wskefield, moved the first resolution :
"That this meeting considers it the duty of government to
contribute from the public funds in aid of local efforts for
the education of the people." The rev. gentleman said it
used to be a question whether it was right and expedient to
educate the people; but that question bad, he hoped, long
I ago been answered in the affirmative ; for although there
might possibly be some who thought that ignorance was the
parent of devotion and submission to proper authority, the
great body of the people of England, be believed, considered
that it was not only right but expedient to educate the people
generally. There were three methods of accomplishing this
great object: the first was by voluntary exertions ; the
second, by grants from the State; the third, by the union of
those two means. Either the education of the people must
rest entirely upon voluntary efforts, or upon grants from
government, or the government must assist them who were
dispelled to give their voluntary assistance. The voluntary
syseem had, been tried for • long time, and it had done moth
good. (Hear, hear.) Of that he could speak foam experi-
ence, as he had now been before the public for t.early half a
century. But still there was an immense mars of people in
the country that were not educated at all, end there were
more that were not sufficiently educated. The question ap-
peered to him to lie in a nut-shell. Government had @twi-
lled themselves, from the inquiries that had been made is
late year, that the voluntary system would not meet the
wants of the people, and they had come forward to ascertain
how far they could assist those voluntary effort.. And they
had done tlsis in the moat candid and fairest way potable—
in a way that enabled every man in the kingdom to accept
the proffered boon without any sacrifice of principle. After
other speakers had expressed views favourable to
the government plan, a question was raised, whether
amendments opposed to that plan could be enter-
tained by the meeting. After some discussion, Mr.
Those Rogers, one of the secretaries to the committee
that had called the meeting, explained that the meeting bad
been confined to the friends of the measure, because a meet-
ing of those opposed to it had recently been held is the West
Parade Wesleyan Chapel. But the supporters of the mea-
sure had no objection to meet its opponents in public discus-
sion. He moved—" That thin meeting do adjourn, sine die,
end that steps be taken for causing a public meeting of the
inhabitants of the borough to he convened, fur the purpose
of expressing an opinion open the ministerial plan for aiding •
in the education of the people." The resolution was carried
THZ COAL-PIT EXPLOZION NEAR BARNSLZY.-011
Tuesday the adjourned inquest was held on the unfortunate
men who perished in the Oaks pit on the 6th inst. The in-
quiry occupied the coroner and jury from seven in the morn-
ing until past seven in the evening, when it was again
adjourned.—Mr. W. P. Roberts, solicitor, of Mancheiter,
attend, don behalf of some of the sufferers, and put several
quettions to the witnesses on the subject of the state of the
pit at the time of the calamity, hie object apparently being
to discover whether or not any blame is to be attributed to
the proprietors of the colliery. On Monday last the
body of William Walton was taken out of the pit,
leaving only one of the whole number not yet discovered.
Joseph Northorpe and Joseph Littlewood, who were pre-
sent when the body of Walton was found, were examined,
and stated that Walton was working with a candle at the
time of the explosion, and that it was generally sate to
work with candles in that pit. Witness had frequently
cautioned the men, and Walton among the Teat, againet
going to the old break in the pit with a candle. The wit-
ness had himself recommended another shaft to be made,
in addition to the two, by which the pit is at present
ventilated. In reply to Mr. Merits, solicitor, who appeared
on behalf of the proprietors of the pit, Littlewood st. ted
that Walton had no business at the place where be was found.
Henry Hewitt, a collier, was in the pit at the time of the ac-
eident. He worked with a candle, and considered that the
air in the pit was good at the time. The hole he worked
in appeared safe previous to the explosion. Witness had re-
ceived instructions from Littlewood to be sore and use the
lamp on certain occasions when the air was thick. The air
was good on the day of the snidest. Witham thought the
two shafts of the pit were too near together. The next wit-
ness was Mr. Benjamin Byrom, the superintendent of Earl
Fitzwilliam's eateries, who bad been dented by the coroner
to examine the Oaks-pit. He said he had been down and
examined that part where the fire commenced. Came to the
conclusion that the fire had taken place at the old break,
from the falling in of the roof forcing the foul air upon the
candles ; but from the position in which Walton 's body
was found, he had become somewhat doubtful. Ile now
thought it quite as likely that the fire had originated
from his candle, if he had one that day. There
was a very strong current of air when he was in the
pit. Mr. Edward Wrigley, of Manchester, colliery viewer,
considered the shafts amply sufficient for the ventilation of
the workings in that pit, even including the stoppages.
Had been in this pit in January last, and the only fault he
found with it was that it had too much air. He went all
over the works with a candle, and was perfectly satisfied
with the ventilation. Believed it might be considered con-
clusive that Walton bed fired the pit with his candle. If
not he could not have been found where he was. Sir Henry
de la Bich' and Mr. Worthington Smythe, who hive been
sent down by government, have within the last few days
made a searching .personal examination and inquiry into
the matter. The event has caused the greatest consterna-
tion in the neighbourhood, and a public meeting is called
for the purpose of opening a subscription for the families of
the sufferers.
SPISSEr.
RIPIIWIZMTATIOIC OF BAST STROZZ.---Thu Brigheoll
Gazette of yesterday contains an address from Mr. C. H.
Frewen, one of the members for the eastern division of the
county, announcing the determination of that gentleman at
the next election to retire from parliament. It will be re-
membered that when he originally came forward ascandidate
for East Sussex, Mr. Frewen did so reluctently,expressing
his readiness and wish to retire, whenever a succemor of the
same principles could be found to replace him. Such a
successor has now been found in Mr. Lucia Shads ell,
a strong protectionnt.

ELICTION FOR EAST SOMERSWL—Yesterday, in CORSO-
gamma of a circular Waned by the seenneries ache Rest Be-
saweee Liberal Registration Society, a amines raft el
dogma was held at Bah, for the purposed selecting a au-
dible in the place of the late Col. Owe Lure. The
ithr wen taken S.-
Olgeein
bed already
,71“
gad uZir
'Pinney, of
lam eseceried
ded
wised them dielss,
Mk ad wpm=
civil a= Mid= Iliad
was then =whaled,,
with Cape= essisa
eleake.

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4-114 ili•nler;bcr 7.; ielle,—gr:ileiteT.
ll neemeeaded for their eboice a gentleman
lady est In parliament for the borough or
-a isnitisman of sterling liberal . • itllolll
sod banourable charader-41r. : • •
tleametaa. Sir Heavy • .
....,,,, •• .
heil the teriehitioa, Yr. "*".7. vr ..''' rit 1.
• *dem wised We ea . r ..ill '' 4/i or
espreered lie warn eihereges ' ' ;.! 4, e-,,
loos liberty. The ransintkei Lif •. ". '''''' ' "..:
dmonsly adopted, sad ea • . : 11,-,
_,.
%obeli as chairman, eppelated,p 'we
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