The Express.
London, England, 1846-11-21 00:00:00

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LEGAL MEASURES FOR COFFEE-HOUBE-REEPERS.
Yeeterday several coffee-house-keepers were summoned be-
fore a special seamen, held in the Union Workhouse, Gray's
Inn-lane, by the inspector of weights and measures, for
us• measures as pints and half-pints which wore not of the
lm4 standard. Tbe defendants severally addressed the
bench, and denied any wish or intention to defraud, and re-
futed to the bench rather for advice than judgment. Mr.
Whiaken, the chairman, said, it was the opinion of himself
and brother magistrates, they had acted in error, and no
advantage would then be taken of them, but, henceforward,
the law would be enforced. He advised them not to write up
pints or half-pints of coffee for sale, but a cup or half cup
at such and such a price, and then they would not infringe
the law. He recommended the inspector to withdraw the
summonses, which was dons.
THE BUILDINGS ACT AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY.
—That the district surveyor has nothing to do with the sta-
bility of the structure under his superintendence, so long as
he finds that the bricks are good, and the walls of the thick-
ness prescribed, we cannot admit. Unless the act provides
for the public safety, it does nothing, or, rather, worse than
nothing. If, notwithstanding the payment of heavy ficee,—
paymenta to the extent of 20,0001. in fourteen months, be it
remembered,—a man may still so form his roof as to thrust
out the front of his house, or our neighbour so construct a
wall of bats without bond, that it will fall in upon us before
it is finished, away goes all assurance of safety ; and the:ques-
tion naturally arises, what arc we pa) ing for ? It cannot be
for imposing on ourselves aanuoymg regulations; certainly
not to provide incomes for a certain number of surveyors.
If it is not for the general safety, it is fur nothing. What says
, the act Motif ? It is for " regulating the construction of build-
ings;" the surveyors appointed are to be in "possession
of due scientific and practical qualifications "—(what for, if
not to determine when work is properly or improperly done?),
' they are to sec that every external and party wall is "based
L upon solid ground, or upon other sufficient foundation ;"
that every external wall and party-wall " be built of sound
' bricks or of stone, laid in with mortar or cement in such
manner as to produce solid work," and that every chimney
breast " be of sound bricks properly bonded, and the joints
of the work filled in with good mortar or cement ; so that
it is clear district surveyors are the proper persons to com-
plain if the materials or workmanship be improper; and in
fact, if they do not do so, are neglecting the duty they have
• solemnly declared they will faithfully perform. Their real '
I office is not to raise difficulties and obstacles by a quibbling
I reading, or a capricious adherence to the letter of the act in
I every unimportant particular,—not to manufacture reasons
for obtaining fees, but to see the great purpose of the act
properly carried out, namely, to protect the public and to pro-
mote the general welfare.—The Builder.
THE WEATHER.—Sir,—For the last fear weeks
' the weather has been more favourable for agricultural opera-
' tions than I ever remember it during more than half a cen-
tury. A finer seed time was, I believe, never known, and
the youug wheats are everywhere looking beautiful, yet not
one word of this has ever appeared in any newspaper. I
have looked in rain in the agricultural reports, and the only
, observation on the subject I find is this, ' The weather eon-
' tinues very cold." This appears to me unfair; but it is of a
, piece with all newspaper reports ; anything very favourable
to the public is rarely mentioned; but if a farmer finds a few
bushels of rotten potatoes in his crop, or thinks he has not
' en many turnips as he ought to have, he writes straight to a
newspaper, and the paragraph is copied and re-echoed
through every town in the country, and is thus made to fur-
nish an excuse to the dealers to raise pricer,: nobody
ever paints the other side of the picture, the farmer always
grumbles ; no man ever heard a fanner acknowledge that
' crops were abundant; catch him, in the most beautiful wee-
: they, in a country where every field around is teeming
with the blessing* of providence, and the utmost he will ever
admit is that, " iie thinks seine of the corn crops will yield
an average." It is true, a e sometimes read in the papors:of
' some wonderfully large turnip, or marvellous cabbage, cs of
the extraordinary fertility of some particular 10d ; but care
is always taken to show that these are exerptions to the
general rule, and are, for the most part, only mentioned
either to exhibit the skill of the agriculturist, et the virtues
of some new manure. I desire, Sir, to beg your earnest
attention to this matter, which is, I think, a subject of great
interest at the ',regent time. The Daily News te-read, I be-
Here I may say everywhere in this part of the coustry : it is
read, I am sure, by many thousands who never saw a news-
paper (certainly, not a daily newspaper) before its existence,
and I, fur one, beg to thank yow for having furnished the
public with so great a hwury at a reasonable pri w, but so
, true it is, that great good cannot be done without Mute evil,
that I am most 11111j0116 that a paper which is calcalated to
wider such great advantage, should not be made the
• vehicle of mischief; and, therefore, entreat that you will
easefully weigh the authority on which reports abut the
crops are given, and that you should; abstain from publish-
. ing, on light or no authority, statement' respecting the pro-
durat of the country, which are always against the :aablie.
I have no ambition to appear in print, and you can, if you
think fit, dress up my thougl•ta in your-own language . AN
OLD' YORKBIIIIUII. AORICULTVEIST.

SORKIN° OF A SCHOSNER OFR' GRAVESEND.—
Yesterday morning, shortly after 11, a large schooner that
had arrived in the river off Gravesend, by some accident
stove a hole in hes bottom, and began instantly to sink. The
master and mate took to the boat and made for the awe,
but the schooner and her centcats sank..
Rt'ILWAYS T. COACIIES.—Those who remember the
Fen number of coaches which only ran out of the metro-
polis previously to the formation of railways, will perhaps
learn with surprise that the following is the present state of
the eoaeh communication between the metropolis and the
various towns :—Alresford, Bedford, Chatham, Dunstable,
liitshin, liontham, gettley-upon.Thames, Luton, o:bad,
Sunning-hill, and Reading have each a coach up and dean
every day oe the week, excepting Sunday. Brighton, Bury
St. Edmunds, Timm, and Wellingborough have a coach
up one day and down the neat. Windsor, Maithtene,
Dorking, and High Wycombe- have two coaches up and
down every day, 'lletown of St. Albans bas two colones
per day up, and don's, running threat to it, one travelling the
Great Nouth Road, and the other through Edgeware, titan-
more, Watford, &s. These am the sole remnants of the
admired maches of other days' eace so deservedly popular
with all .lasses. Numerous mind towns, however, on, the
great limes of road which used to communicate with the
metropcdis by means of coaches passing through, have now
established a coaches or omnibasea of their own in connexion
with railways, in Pace of that which they have lost by the
stopping of the coaches.
A LABOURRR ON FLEMISH FARM.—The following
memorial has been forwarded to Prince Albert :
To Finn Mammy. MP BOTII. iIIOPMERI, Parsee A LEY.R2, Fre.—
The humble memorial of Richard; Welding, latourer, of A rrowsmith's-
buildings, near the Gravel-pits, iiewer.- .Moat respectfully and hum-
bly sheweth : That your memorialist, aho is now in his 15th year,
an sorely &Meted with rheumatism, worked as a labourer upon
Flemish form, under the Crown,for 15 yeah and that about two years
ago, in consequence of his great age aul increasing infirmities, and
his being pod work, your royal highness was graciously pleated to
command that he should be paid se. a week, which sum be received by
the hands of Mr. Graffham, the bailiff at Flemish farm, until within
the lam id: weeks. Upon your memorialist Mar going, as usual,
for his weekly allowance, he was col I by Mr. Gran= that
was the last time he was to be paid, bemuse, as Mr. Graham
odd, the parish had made your royal highness pay your rates, and
that, therefore, the parish must now keep their own poor. Your
memorialist then went to the board of guardians of the Windsor
union, and stated his distressed condition, in comequence of having
lest your royal highness's kind and benevolent weekly allowance. The
board of guardians said that if your memorialist had not lost his pen-
sion by any bad conduct, they. would allow him three loaves of bread
and 3s. weekly. Those inquiries, as your memorialist is informed,
were mule and were satisfactory; and the allowance of three loaves
and M. weekly has ever since been made by order of the board. Your
memorialist begs respectlblly to submit to your roval bighneas that
he has an infirm wife, 68 years of age, who had the misfortune to
break her leg three years ago, and who is now almost past
work. Your memorialist, with his wife, living in a little
house consisting of two rooms, at a weekly rental of 2s. 6d., and
for which he pays poor's rates to the parish of Clewer. Before your
Royal Highness's kind and coneiderate allowance was stopped, your
memorialist managed to make shift pretty tolerably well, and to pay
his rent and taxes. Bine that period he has got behind in his rent,
and be now owes his landlord, Mr. Thomas Arrowsmith, for four
weeks. Your memorialist most humbly and respectfully begs to lay
his unfortunate ease, and the shuttles of bin aged and infirm wife and
himself, before your royal highness, humbly praying that your royal
highness would be graciously rammed to take them into your royal
highness's kind and gracious consideration. And your memorialist,
as in duty bound, will ever pray.—(signed) Rwanu, WEILTNO.—
Nov. 11, 1846.
A HINT FOR ASTLEY'S.—The directors of all the
theatres at Berlin have resolved to substitute the explosive
cotton for gunpowder, in their representations, because the
cotton makes little or no smoke, which is not only annoying
to the public, but has an injurious effect upon the voices of
the actors.
CHEAP BEER.—lfallthe taxes on beer were repealed,
the same ale now purchased for 6d. per quart would be 2d.,
and porter, now 4d. per quart, would be 1 icl.—Smee on
Repeal of the Malt Tax.
COUNTRY POST-OFFICER. Sir,—l was highly
gratifiedby reading a letter in the Erprrs, of to-day signed " P;'
I relative to provincial postmaiders. The public have no conception of
gaimmease wash of a post-ollice, nor the poor remuneration that
' ="lreceive for their almost incessant labours. The General
s continually heaping additional duties, and fresh instruc-
tion to the provincial master., but never with a proportionate in-
tegre of salary. If the least blunder occur (and Heaven knows that
will omit multitudinous duties,
ex Lion from head-quarter
it istutnutoraible to avoid them),
drreceives aster a letter ofs,
wtli costs him 2d. ; but even if he not wrong, and the mistake
rens with their own clerks, the fact is not acknowledged, except
twiny. The complainta sometimes are of the most frivolousdescrip-
tion. neworthy of men of business. The money-order department
Is moor lootetve revenue,—the duties of which are saddled upon the
palsmiten without additional salary, although it occupies the prin-
cipal portion of their time. The tyranny of the General Post-offiee
ankeities is keenly felt by all postmasters throughout the kingdom.
The office of local postmaster should be one of comfort and respecta-
bility, as it is one of responsibilitr but under present circumstanetA,
I am convinced that there are h'undreds of intelligent respectable