The Express.
London, England, 1851-08-28 00:00:00

TO TUN EDITOR OF TRY. DAILY NEWS.

SIR,—In your excellent article on this subject,
you hare omitted two facts which appear to me most im-
portant, the one a perfect reply to those who patter about
propriety, viz., that the most intelligent and the most re-
spectable of the provincial press have expressed their obli-
gations to the IMily News, and copied the articles as they
appear. The other fact iv that the majority ia the com-
mittee and the majority in the house who voted for stilling
the evidence is composed of the self-same individuals who
voted against the inquiry ; this was, however, carried
against them in a very full house, and after much debate;
if aay impropriety has been committed, it is by those parties
who have done their best to render the inquiry which the
house instituted comparatively useless, by concealing it
from the public, thus evading the wishes of the house by
indirect means; if such a practice is to be held fair,
a minister who can keep his retainers together to the very
last day of the session may by their help defeat or evade
important motions, which were carried against him by large
majorities. You are entitled to the thanks of every lover of
fair play for preventing the success of sush conduct on the
present occasion. I am, &c.,
It. W.

HOLBORN UN toN.—Venterdny, at a meeting of the
board of go 'Miens of this union, held at the board-room,
Gray's-inn-road, the accounts of the number of paupers
chargeable to the uniou showed a great decrease us com-
pered with the number of the corresponding period of last
year, the number at present being—of out-door poor re-
lieved, 1,022; in 1850, it was 1,339. Of indoor poor at
present, 665 ; in 1850 it was 617. The number of vagrants,
however, have increased, being 75 ; in 1850, 17.
BLACKFIIIARS Baipck.—The works in progress
for arresting the subsidence of this structure and rendering
it convenient for traffic, arc so far advanced that the com-
mittee have given notice that it will be re-opened for traffic
on Friday morning. Superficially no difference is discer-
nible in the present state of the road-way and that which
preceded it. The granite, however, is now laid upon a bed
of concrete, supported by a framework of timber, instead of
a mass of earth occupying the entire interval between the
arch and the road-way.
A WOMAN FOUND DEAD IN REGENT-snit:ET.—
Yesterday morning, at an early hour, the police constah'e
on duty in Itegentstrect found the dead bOdy of a woman
lying en the pavement • short distance from Vigo-street.
The corpie was removed as speedily as possible to St.
James's Workhouse, in Poland-street, where it was seen by
the medical officer, who found no marks of violence. In-
formation aas sent to Mr. Bedford, the coroner, who has
ordered a post-mortem examination. The deceased ap-
peared to have been about 50 years of age, was of sallow
complexion, attired in black satin visits and gown, and an
open willow bonnet.
A POLICEMAN KILLED BY A LUNATIC. —On
Monday last an inquest was held, by adjournment, at the
Ridley Arms, Myth, a smell sea-port town in the county of
Northumberland, berme the coroner. Stephen Reed, Esq.,
upon the body of Patrick Hartford, a police officer of that
town. Mr. William Briggs. u chi pawner residing at Water-
loo-place, has for some time past been labouring under con-
firmed monomania, but being inoffensive was suffered to
go at large without restraint. A few days ago he suddenly
became violent, and as his maid servant was taking away
the dinner tray from his bedside, he jumped up and pur-
sued her. She became alarmed, rushed out of the house,
and called upon the neighbours for assistance. At that
moment Patrick Hartford, • police officer, happened to be
passing, and be in company with two or three other men,
went into the house, and endeavoured to guict Mr. Briggs.
Shortly afterwards they all came out again, but Hartford
hung about the neighbourhood, and in • few minutes
seeing Mr. Briggs in the passage still in a very excited state,
he struck him soveral violent blows on his arm, head, and
shoulders. Mr. Briggs immediately stepped bark, picked
up his walking stick, and thrust it with great force into the
policeman's left eye. Hartford was immediately carried to
an adjoining house, where his eye was dressed, and every
attention paid to him, but he shortly afterwards died from
the effects of the wound. On a post mortem examination
being made, it was found that the brain had been pene-
trated by the stick, and was lacerated to the depth of two
inches. The Coroner, in summing up, remarked that Mr.
Briggs w.s on his own premises, was attacked violently by
a person who gave him nu explanation, and did not say he
had any warrant, and was, therefore, even if he had been
in a sound state of mind, perfectly justified in defending
himself in the manner he had done, and the consequences
having proved fatal, it was the fault of deceased and not
Mr. Briggs. The jury, after half an hour's consultation,
returned a verdict of " Homicide by misadventure." Mr.
Briggs was removed to • lunatic asylum on the d y after
the affray between him and the policeman.
THE EASTWOOD POIAOSING CASE.—The sentence
upon Sarah Barber, who was found guilty of murder at the
recent assizes held at Nottingham, before Mr. Baron Parke,
has been commuted to transportation for life. An official
communication to that effect having been received yester-
day morning, at G o'clock, she was removed from Nutting-
ham, by Mr. Halyard, governor of the jail, to Millbank
prison, there to await the further carrying out the sentence.
When informed that she was to be transported, she evinced
much emotion having entertained a hope that she should
net be suhject;d to a more severe punishment than a tempo-
fury imprisonment. The matter was kept so quiet that no
persons ameiabled to witness her departure. She was taken
to the railway station in an omnibus, her arms being I
fastened together by handcuffs.
EXTENSIVII SLIZURE OF TOBACCO IN GLASGOW.—
Oa Thursday evening last one of the most extensive sei-
zures of contraband tobacco ever made in the west of Scot-
land waseffected by Mr.T.Oardun, t ide surveyor of Glasgow.
About the beginning of this month 120 barrels of rosin
were landed from the ship Sabbathfrom Nrw York, sad
as the vessel was soon to load again, the agents, Messrs.
Fyfe and Co. deposited the casks in Mr. Brown's bonded
stores until the consignee should apply for them. This he
dist soon after, paid the freight, and removed the rosin to
a store in Janssica-street. Whilst in Mr. Brown's stores it
is stated that one of his coopers having occasion to cooper
one of the casks, had his suspicions excited, and the matter
came to the ears of both the customs and excise. The
rosin M[l3 seized, and in 102 oat of the 120 casks were
found • tin cylinder surrounded on all sides by the rosin to
a depth of three to four inches. The tin cylinders were
carefully soldered, and were filled with the finest Caven-
dish tobacco. compressed so closely as to resemble old
black oak. The quantity of tobacco in each cylinder wiil
probably be about 60 lbs. to 100 lbs , or from 6,000 to 10,000
%s in all. So daring and wholesale a venture would lead to
the inference that it was not the first time that thedidge had
been successfully tried--at all events, it is likely to be the
Briliels Mavis.