The Express.
London, England, 1848-01-15 00:00:00

DREADFUL ACCIDENT ON THE LONDON

AND SOUTH-WESTERN RAILWAY.

An accident occurred last night on this railway, by
which en engine-driver lost his lute, and several pas-
sengers have been more or less injured It appears that the
6 p.m. up-train from Southampton bad proceeded as far as
Frimley, , about a mile and a half on the Southampton side
of Woking, where, owing to some disarrangement of the
machinery of the engine, it was brought to a standstill. The
driver, David Maitland, immediately proceeded to repair
the defect, and in order to prevent accident the second guard
was sent back with a red light to stay the progress of the usual
night luggage-train from Southampton. This officer had been
gone twenty minutes, when the expected train was heard ap-
proaching, and, in order to ensure safety, another person
was sent back with a red lamp. This go rson had scarcely
cleared the passenger train, when the luggage train ran into
it with terrific force, carrying destruction on everyside.
Maitland, the engine-driver, who was just potting the
finishing stroke to the repairs of his engine—the first guard
holding his lamp to him at the time--was crushed to death
beneath it, and the brakesman and the stoker of the luggage
train were very seriously injured.
The passenger train itself suffered meat in the centre, the
carriages being more or le-a crushed and thrown off the line.
Their inmates were of course seriously mutilated and hurt,
but happily It dues not appear that any of their lives were
lost. The engines of both the trains were so much shaken
by the collision as to be quite unable to proceed, and the
trains remained stationary, until the arrival of the first being
expected at Woking, and long over-due, pilot engines were
sent out to seek it. On their arrival at Frimley- bank the
unfortunate cause of the delay was ascertained. and the
I trains having been put together as well as possible, were
brought on to Nine Elms, where they arrived shorily after
eleven o'clock, being more than two hours after their
usual time. _

The wounded parties, on their arrival at the Station, re-
ceived the kindest attention from Mr. Godson, the superin-
tendent, and Mr. Beat, ie, of the carriage department,
both of whom were in attendance, and displayed the most
anxious care in ministering to their distresses. The brakes-
man of the luggage train, who wan most serinu-ly injured
was placed on a stretcher, and conveyed to St. Thomas's
Hospital. The wounded passengers were chiefly conveyed
to the railway hotel opposite the station, where medical as-
sistance was instantly afforded them. One gentleman has
his leg broke, and two or three ladies are much hurt.
The body of Maitland, who wan one of the best drivers on
the line, remains at Frimley. He has left a wife and family.
We trust that the statement of some of the p ,s•amgers
who aver that notwithstanding the carriages were full of
wounded persona, the train was detained nstrly a quarter of
au hour at the ticket platform, is capable of explanation.

RUMOURED ACCIDENT ON TILE EASTERN COUNTIES
RAILWAY:A rumour prrveilcd last night, owing to the
non-arrival of the express train, that an accident isleurred
also on this line. This train is due at Shoreditch at
10h. 35min., but it did not arrive till 12ti. 2.5 min., thus being
nearly two hours behind time. The delay arose from a coke
waggon getting off the rails, and blocking up the line be-
tween Waterbeach and Ely. No casually occurred beyond
the delay caused whilst removing the waggon Irom off the
up line of rails.

SANITARY REFORM IN ST. NIARTIN'S PARISH.— 1
A vestry, convened by the churchwardens of the parish of
St. Martin in the Fields, in consequence of a requiition
presented to them by certain rate-payers, was held yesterday
morning, at II o'clock, to consider the subject of sanitary re-
form, and afford her Majesty's government, as the pro.
spectus said, every assistance possible. Some att. mpt had
been made to air.: this meeting an air of great consequencJ,
for a circular letter was addressed to all the metropolitan
joaruals and elsewhere by some individual, dating from
‘ No. 40, Leisester. square," informing them that " a most
important meeting" would take place at the vestry-
room of St. Martin's, at the hour signified, and request-
ing the presence of reporters. On entering the room,
however, there were uo signs of any such " important meet-
ing " as that indicated, there being is attendance six or
eight reporters, about as many parishioners, two or three
idlers, and the well-known Mr. Charles Cochrane, who, as
president of a society at " No. 40, Leicester-equare," main-
tains, it api:ears, a right to take pert in the proceedings
of the vestries of this parish.—Mr. Churchwarden Dalton,
in the absence of the Rev. Sir Henry Dukinfleld, the vicar
of St. Martin's, took the chair, and briefly opened the pro.
ceediags.—Mr. C. Cochrane then ro-e and made a long
address, which he concluded by moving a resolution to the
effect, that it was in the highest degree important to provide
by every available means for the health of the parishoners
and for the employment of the able-bodied poor, and that a
committee be appointed to carry out these objects and to give
every assistance to the government in this sanitary measure.—
This resolution having been seconded, Mr. Staunton declared
that the appointment of a commission was unnecess iry, and
would be entirely useless—Mr. Brooks moved as an amend-
ment that all the first part of the original resolution which
related to the appointment of a committee should be
omitted.—The amendment having been seconded and the
question put, Mr. Cobbett, as chairman of the board of
guardians of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, wished to hear his
I testimony as to the nuisance arising from multitudes being
drawn to receive given relief at a given spot. Not hog ago
Mr. Cochrane had published in a print he had established,
called the Poor Man's Guardian, a scurrilous attack on
the authorities of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, and yet he came
there that day and lauded them to the skies. Timis required
some explanation. He ventured to tell the gentleman that
his society was drawing paupers from all parts into that parish,
and that his proposal made there that day resolved itself into
nothing less than this, that guardians were to find paupers
that the community might use them. The measure Mr.
Cochrane would have them adopt would throw the pauper
out of the workhouse in order to throw the industrious man
out of employment.—After some further observations, Mr.
Cochrane somewhat angrily replied. He did not think the
window tax a question to be considered that day. As to the
workhouse, he begged to say that all the reforms in it had
taken place in consequence of his writiegs in the I'oor Alan's
Guardian. The new orders had been only posted up since
his letters had appeared.—Mr. Cobbett denied this, and said
that the orders referred to had been adopted some time since
in consequence of inquiries which he (Mr. Cobbett) had per-
sonally instituted in many union houses. —Mr. Cochrane then
said that the measures he proposed had been adopted in the
ward presided over by Ald. Gibbs, therefore he felt convinced
they were useful. Respecting the nuisance, as it was des-
cribed, arising from his soup-kitchen, he begged to say that
the poor came to the parish b fore his soup-kitchen was
opened.—Mr. Le Breton, the clerk to the board of guar-
dians, said that in order to put an end to a uselessly pro-
tracted discussion about nothing, he should move that this
meeting do stand adjourned until after her Majesty's go-
vernment had brought forward their measure of sanitary
reform. This amendment being put, was carried unani-
mously, not a single hand being held up for Mr. Cochrane's
original resolution. A vote of thanks was then passed to
tit:: chairman, and the meeting broke up, Mr. Cochrane ,
leaving the room apparently chagrined.
SEIZING A DEAD BODY FOR DEBT.—Yesterday a
woman waited in great distress upon Mr. Mills, the deputy
coroner for Middlesex, and begged his advice under the fol-
lowing circumstances : she said that a female re,ative of
hen had died, and her body had been seized for debt, and
when the friends had assembled that day to bury it the
keepers refused to give it up. Mr. Mills directed her to
make application to the magistrate of the district, or to leave
the body with the creditors, who would gladly get rid of it
by themselves defraying the expense of sepulture.
FIRE AT CAMBERWELL.—A few minutes before five
o'clock yesterday morning, a conflagration took place on the
premises of a coschmaker, near Southern ton-street, Camber-
well-green. When first discovered, a small quantity of water
would have arrested the progress of the flames, but no supply
could be obtained. Several engines were soon on the spot,
but as only • little water could be procured from a ditch,
barely sufficient to supply a garden-engine, the firemen's ex-
ertions were fruitless, and the whole range of workshops,
tools, stock &c. were destroyed. Nothing was known of its
origin, and the loss is estimated at between 6001. and 6001.
The property was insured in the Royal Exchange and Sun
fire-offices.
INQUEST, YESTERDAY. NIANSLAUGITTER. By
adjournment before Mr. W. Baker the coroner, at the Jolly
Anglers, Lea-bridge, Clapton, as to the death of W. Ives, a
labourer, aged 37, whose death was caused bywahbo, ow
wihtehnD:
ceived from • shovel, inflicted by J. Kemp,
Cradgington, a returned convict, has since the occurrence
been committed to the Clerkenwell sessions for assaulting
deceased. Their trial was postponed until the next sessions
in consequence of the dangerous state of the deceased. The

deceased was subsequently attacked with smallpox and died
on Monday last. Mr. B. Clarke, surgeon, made a post mar-
tens examination of the body, and discovered four of the left
ribs to be fractured, which in his opinion was the cause of
death. The deceased was at work in Cambridge-road, Beth-
nal-green, on Friday the 24th of December last, when Kemp,
Crudgingten, sad another man approached him. They all
appeared to be intoxicated, and Crudgington pushed
Kemp against him. The deceased asked why he
did it, and Crudgington instantly struck him a
violent blow on the face. The deceased raised his
shovel he hail been working with to protect himself, and
Kemp caught hold of it and endeavoured to wrench it from
him. A struggle ensued, and Kemp succeeded in obtaining
the shovel. Kemp immediately raised it and struck the
deceased a violent blow with the edge of it against his left
side. He placed his hand to his side, and complained of
great pain. Crudgington attempted to strike him again,
and Kemp cried out, " Don't strike him again." The three
men immediately decamped, and, after a desperate resist-
ance, two of them were captured and conveyed to the
station-house.—Mr. Clarke was recalled, and described the
common and ordinary symptoms and appearances, both
before and after death, by smallpox. He was of opinion that
the smallpox, irrespective of the injury from the blow, was
not of such a character as would have caused death. He was
also of opinion that the deceased was suffering frem small-
pox when he received the injury.—Mr. Bull, another sur-
geon, who assisted in the post mortem examination, said,
from the appearances he discovered he was of opinion that
the deceased died from the combined effects of the injury and
the smallpox.—The Jury returned a verdict of "Man-
slaughter against Daniel Crudgington and Joshua Kemp,"
and the coroner issued his warrant for their committal to
Newgate.

THE EXPRI•Sti, SATURDAY EVENING, JANUARY 15, 1848.

street. This was its ninth annual meeting, and Mr. J.
Barlow, of the firm of Barlow and Astons presided. Mr. T.
Taylor, the hon. sec., read the following report, which stated
amongst other things that:
Few measures of any material importance to the pecifeselon were
, introduced into parliament daring the lest session. She tankruptcy
bill. brought into the House of Leeds by the Lord Chancellor and Lord
itrougham, are the only measares requiring any particular notice.
Thee bills, after a careful ooesideratioo, your committee thought did
eat promise such a reform of the bankruptcy law as appeared likely to
be seceptable or useful to the commercial community, and they were
amonlingly refereed to a sub-committee, with a reveet that they
would communicate with the Manchester Chamber of Oomcoerce
and the Commercial Association on the subject. Tour tom-
! mhtee have great pleasure in stating that both thew bodies,
I after having been waited upon by the nth-committee, at once
I agreed to to with thin society is endeavouring to place
the law of bankruptcy and insolvency upon a eatiafactory foot-
ing. The bills were withdrawn, and have not yet been introduced
into the present parliament ; but as the necessity the a material alters-
. Oen in the law is too prewing to be long delayed, your committee beg
• to call the earnest attention of their successors In office to thin sub.
jest, and to suggest the great importance of ecnoperatien with the
commercial community, through the medium of their societies.
The amendment of the present law of mortmain bar received the
anxious consideration of your committee. Your committee having
swertained that the Secretary of State for the Home Deportment was
willing to receive suggeetions from this association for an intendment
of the law of rnortmain, and obtained an assurance from him that
such suggestions should receive his beet cooskieration, a milkmen-
mittee, conaicing of gentlemen who have paid especial attention to
that hoe, applied die inely. diligently te the object of devising &
scheme for reforming the present law and practice of snort:nein
and charitable twee, which! whilst it should not do violence to
the religious or political feelinsrs of any persons or party, would effec-
tually remove that inconvenience and inquietude of title which
are known to lawyers to spring from eke present law ; and have sent
to Sir George Grey a statement of their views, which hue been
courteously acknowledged. it the course which yaw committee
have taken on this oubject, they have justified and borne out the
credit which the meociation has &limys taken to itself, of being ready
to procure or support such sound alterations of the law es will be
practically beoe&ial to the public. Your committee, daring the put
year, have found it necessary to call the attention of the secretary of
the incorporated Law Society, and the solicitor to the stamps and
team to several parties in this town and neighbourhood net-thing
without certificate, coneldering it to be their duty not to allow may
advantage to be takes of those members of the ;oohed= who obey
the law, however unjust that law may be. You committee
have also felt called upon to oppose the renewal of a certificate In
one instance. They furnished the incorporated society with &ai-
d:trim, selling forth the grounds of their opposition, and that
society instructed counsel to oppose the application ; the party
alluded to declined going into the inquiry, and at once withdrew his
name.

CHARGE OF ROBBERY AGAINST RAILWAY CLERKS.
—Yesterday, at the Leeds Court-house, Edward Scott. 17,
and Jensen Ridudale, 19, two clerks in the employ of the
Lancashire and Yorkshire Hallway Company, at the Leeds
station, were charged before It. blarkland Esq., and 1). W.
Nell, Esq., with having robbed or defrauded their employers
of a considerable sum of money. The case wu not fully
gone into, but it appeared from the statemen s
mode to the magistrates, that some time ago,
Itidsdale, who had charge of the daily receipts,
reported to Mr. Macgregor, a superior officer of the cam-
, pony, that his cash was unaccountably diminishing; but
Mr. Macgregor suggested that possibly it might turn out to
be a mistake. The diminution however went on, and there
is now a deficiency amounting to nearly 2001. Both the
prisoners were in consequence taken into custody on Thurs-
day night, and when in custody Scott admitted that he had •
key which would open the eash.drawer, and that at sundry
times he had taken out money for his own use, amounting,
he supposed, to about 201.; but Itidsdale denied having at
any time appropriated any of the company's money to his
own use. The further heariag of the case was adjourned to
Monday next.
err•ox•rve.v.moc

IMPORTANT POST-OFFICE CASE.—The following
important case was heard at the County Court, at Rugby,
on Tuesday. For the particulars our correspoadent at Bir-
mingham
was indebted to the editor of the Journal for a slip
of the report for his own paper:—" The County Court at
Rugby was held oa Tuesday last, and a great deal of interest
was felt by a very large assemblage to hear the case of Mr.
Wratislaw, solicitor, who brought actions against the Post-
master-General for the recovery of the sum of two-pence
overcharge on a foreign newspaper, and for the recovery of
the value of another newspaper detained by the General
Postotfice. Mr. Wratislaw pleaded his own case. Mr.
Hubbard, from the firm of Messrs. Harris and Son, appeared
on the part of the Postmaster General, together with Mr.
Peacock, from that establishment. Mr. Wratislaw stated that
being connected with the kingdom of Bohemia, he was in
the habit of taking the paper called the Prager Zeitung, the
postage of which paper, when single, was 2d. that the cover
is marked abroad, when single," one Prager Zeitwag "—the
General Poet.office mark it also one, and then charge 2d.
On the 2nd of November last he received this paper, although
marked as single, charged 4d. His clerk having paid this
44., he sent it back to the poet office, and had it opened in
the presence of the postmaster, and requested to h►ve the
extra 2d. returned. This the postmaster declined, but di-
rected that the coy r should be sent to the General Post-
office, who could order him to repay the 11., and he would
then do so. By that morning's post he wrote as follows:
Sir,—The Prague paper which: was in this cover was only a
single paper, although charged double. I have submitted the paper
and coverto the post-odice here, and am directed to send the cover
to you, and you will be pleased to order the postmaster here to re-
turn to me the extra postage of 2d.-1 urn, sir, yours very obediently,
W.F. WILATI,I.IW. Husby, Nov. 2, 1547.—F0r the Secretary to the
General PCl4.offir*, Loudon. _ . _

Mr. Wratislaw stated that on the 6th of November he
received the usual printed acknowledgment from Lieutenant
Colonel Maberly ; on the 9th of November this single
Prague newspaper came with a charge of is. 2d. upon it
which he refused to pay, and directed the postmaster to
send it back by that night's post to the general post office,
Mr. Wratislaw by that morning's post writing as follows:
Sir,- -The Prague paper was this morning charged Is. Id. for post,
age, and, of course, I did not take it in. It is marked with the figure
I." drooling It ea a single paper, and I have to request that you
will be pleased to direct this sort of overcharge may sot in future be
made, and that tail paper may be returned to me, with the proper
charge of 2d. I should also be glad to have the M. overcharge in the
last paper complained of by me.- I have the honour to be, six, yours,
moot obediently, W. F. WILATISLAW.—Rugby, Nov. 9, 1817.—T0 the
Secretary of. the General Post-office.
—On the 12th November he received a second printed ac-
knowledgment, as before, and also a letter from Mr. John.
son, the deputy-seeretary to the poet-office, returning the
cover marked 2d., and requiring the paper of the 2nd of
November to be sent up. He wrote in answer that the
paper was not then in existence, and he could not therefore
comply with their request. That he had strictly followed
the directions of the Rugby postmaster, which was all the
Post-office required. Mr. Wratislaw, not ri ceiving any fur-
ther notice of his applications, went to London on the 29th
of November, to see the Postmaster-general. On going to
his office, the secretary stated that his lordship could not be
seen, but he would see to anything the same as his lordship,
Having explained the case, the secretary engaged to have
these matters looked to instantly, and that he should hear
by the first post. Having waited in vain for some notice of
this application, he had brought these actions to see if a sum
' unjustly paid under compulsion was not recoverable, and if
the Post-office could detain a newspaper at their pleasure. Mr.
Wratislaw having established his case by the testimony of his
clerk, and the several letters and papers, Mr. Hubbard put in
several acts of parliament, and also the decision in the action
against Lord Le Despencer, for the loss of a letter with '
money in it —This, Mr. Wratislaw contended, did not
apply to his case. If the money so lost had been traced to
the hands of the Postmaster-General, that action would have
been sustained. In this case he had notice before the extra
two-pence was paid over to any other person, the Rugby
postmaster admitted the receipt, and if it got into any other
hands, it wu through his lordship's default —The Judge
said the laws of England supposed there was no cause of
complaint but what the law redressed. In this case
there was an admitted wrong, and he was afraid
no redress, as he felt bouod by the case against
Lord Le 'Despencer, and must direct a nonnut, at
the same time he must say that it would have been
more creditable to the Post-office authorities to have
returned this admitted overcharge, than have put the plain-
tiff to the unnecessary expenses they had done.—Mr. Wratis-
law, in the next case, as to the newspaper, stated that he
must bow to the decision of the court, and be non-suited ; at
the same time he must complain of the gross negligence of
the General Post Office, as they had notice in sufficient time
to have looked over for the paper charged is. 2d., and to have
found out which of the clerks had played the trick of strik-
ing out the charge of 2d., and putting over it Is. 2d., and
they ought to have done so, as such things were very dis-
creditable to the Post-office, and exceedingly annoying to
individuals ; that as the Post-office had taken these legal ob-
jections, it was his determination to bring the cases before
both houses of parliament.

AND CLERICAL.

OXFORD, Jeer. 14.—1 n a congregation holden this morn-
ing, being the first day of Lent term. the following degrees
were conferred, viz.: Bachelor of Civil Law by Commuta-
tion : Robert Evens, Jesus Cull., head master of Bristol
Grammar School. Masters of Arts: Of Brasenose Coll., Mews.
Rev. G. 8. Masters; Rev. J. H. Brooks, Fellow; J. W.
Barlow, Rey. G. H. Phillips, and Rev. T. Mullah ; Rev. R.
S. Redfern, Queen's Coll.; C. T. James, Exeter; E. A.
Freeman, Fellow and Tutor of Trin. Coll. ; Rev. G. W.
Chamberlain, Wad. Coll. ; W. Merry, Women. Coll. ; Rey.
F. Sowden, St. Mary Hull; and Rev. G. 0. Lawrence, St.
Edmund Hall.—Bachelors of Arts : H. T. Salmon, Exeter
Coll. ; A. Wiehaw, Trin. Coll. ; and R. Fort, St. John's
Coll.

REOISTRAIL OP THP UNIPERBITY.—In anticipation that
Dr. Bills will be appointed to the Headship of St. Mary
Heil, in the room of Dr. Hampden, promoted to the see of
Hereford, the Rev. H. Wall, Fellow of Balliol College, and
Vice-Principal of St. Alban Hall, is a candidate for the im-
portant office of Registrar of the University, which :has
been so ably filled by Dr. Bliss for upwards of 23 years.