The Express.
London, England, 1851-10-28 00:00:00

THE ARCTIC CONDLITI'EE.

The members of this committee held a sitting at
the Admiralty, yesterday, to examine the report, of Captain
Austin and Captain Peony, and also to obtain answers
which may be put to them or to the tolker, who aecom-
pulled them in the recent searching expeditions, as to the
best plans to be adopted in the future expeditions which
were decided upon before the committee was appointed.
The following is a copy of a letter from Lady Franklin to
Mr. Grinnell. who interested himself so much in sending
out the American expedition under Captain Da Haven
"21, Bedford-place, London, 114ept. 12, Mil.
"My dear Mr. Grinnell,—l write to you in much agita-
tion and confusion of mind, which you will not Wonder at
when you hear that Captain Penny, with hi. two ships, has
returned, and announces the approaching return of Captain
Austin's squadron, after being out fm only half the period for
which they were equipped. • • •
Captain Penny's letter is to-day before the Board of Ad-
miralty, urging them in the strongest terms to il.spatch in-
stantly a powerful steamer to Wellington Channel, in
which quarter, to the north-west, he has discovered this
passage which there can be scarcely a dou!d the ships have
taken, since it is the only Naming they bare found
anywhere, and hundreds of miles of coast have been ex-
plored in the lower western direction to Cape Walker,
Bank's Land, nod Melville Island, without a trace of them.
Drift wood in considerable quantities has conic out of this
north-west channel, and also a small bit of rather fresh
English elm, which l'enny pronounces must have belonged
to our ships, and was probably thrown overboard.

" Thus the right truck of the north-west pet sage and tho
course of the missing ships are identical ; and I eau only
regret that our squadron was not told they might attempt
the making of the passage if they could, for in that due we
should hose hail no abandoning of the search till many
more struggles hail liven made to get into Behring'e Steatite.
The barrier of ice in Welliugton Channel did not break up
last year, nor had alone so this, when Penny lett ; but Ins
explorations, which extended to ISO mi...aa from the en-
trance, were made beyond it in boat sledge o ; GO miles
beyond this he saw water, with hind standing to the
north-west. I can hardly conceive how he could resist
following the open water which lie /4111 V beyond him, and
which he is convinced leads into the so.utuelitalkeil-of
Pular basin. lle is also convinced, with I/r. Kane, that
there is a better climate in these more northern latitudes,
with more natural resources of food and fuel ; some prods
of which he brings forward. Vo have every reason, then,
to hope that some of our lost friends tied countrymen may
yet be able to support life in this region, though unable to
return by the way which they came ; and the absence of
any traces of them north of Cape limes, on the cast side of
Wellington Channel, proves nothing at all against it, since
they were not likely to linger on their way to examine
shores and islands, taut would push on as Cast as possible
while the opportunity favoured them ; and the ucxt trace
to be found would probably be their second winter quarters.
In confirmation of this view, Penny tells me that there
are signs of their first winter encampment at Ileechy
Island, and of their having left it suddenly ; and that the
summer of lain, though extremely unfavourable to the
whalers, who, on account of the prevailing winds, could nut
cross over to the west side of IL/this Bay, mud leave been
quite the reverie to our navigators. You easy imagine
what a Mate of anxiety and agitation we aria in, till we learn
the decision of the Admiralty on the appeal now math, to
them. I have written a strong letter also, and I know that
Sir F. Beaufort, Captain Hamilton anal Mr. harrow, who
• are all at their psts, will allege the necessity of
prompt measures with all their powers. Should wo
tail, we must look to America alone us our re-
source. To you will belong all the virtue anal credit of
continuing the search when our countrymen fail; and to
you will belong the honour and glory of succouring the di,,-
tressed, and of settling fur ever that vexed question which
for centuries it has been the ambition of Europe, and of
England in particular, to solve. I cannot abandon my
husband and my countrymen both to their tate, rust at the
moment when the pathway to them leas been found: and,
if need be, and my coming to the United States would help
in engaging the active and energetic sympathies of your
countrymen, painful, in many respects, as this trial would
be, I would brace up my courage to the praol.
But my head is growing weak, and my health is sinking
—and then I have a beloved sister (not to mention as aged
father, who is not now in a state to hue conscious of my ab-
sence) whom it would almost break my heart to leave. lam
' sure you will tell, with all your accustomed truth, and can-
dour, and kindness, what as your view of this poiut, in case
I the Admiralty fail me.
• • • • • e •
It appears that it was Captain Austin's intention to look
into Welliugton Channel himself, and ;also into Joirtsr•s
Sound before he returned home, but as to the former,
Penny says he will find the ice impassable, so that he will bo
sure not to be able, as an eye witness, to see the opening.
Nothing, perhaps, could penetrate it in its present state but
the 400 horse power steamer, anal that cannot Ire alone this
year, though Penny says, if the steamer could be ready to
sail in three weeks or a mouth from hence, he thinks he
could still get her up to Lancaster Sound this season, or at
any rate to some convenient locality, which would en-
able him to commence early operations next spring.
I intended writing much more t' you about your own two
gallant ships, and their winter of almost unparalleled
anxiety; but, as I wish to address a few lines to Judge
Kane, I believe I must forbear, and refer you to tug note
to him, which I shall enclose mad leave open. Captain
Penny has studded the northern part of Wellington Chan-
nel with your names, and the names of our brave and gene-
rous allies in your ships. lam greatly pressed for tune,
having more writing than I can possibly get through.
Believe me, my dear 14r. Grinnell, ever mod truly and
respectfully yours, JANE

AFTER A PAUSE OP SOME DURATION, the Literary
Guild theatricals ars about to recommence. Bath and
Bristol will be the provincial towns first visited by the
amateurs.

THE METROPOLITAN OMNIBUS DRlVERS.—Yes-
terday evening a meeting was held at the Fehool-room,
Liverpool-road, Islington, preliminary to calling an aggre-
gate meeting at Exeter Hall, to consider the best mode of
improving the condition of the °mintier drivers and con-
ductors of London, and affording them some relaxation and
opportunity of attending public worship. It appeared,
from a statetaent that was made, thct there are at present
3,000 omnibuses plying on the sheets, the cost of which
had been 300,0001. Each of them hail ten horses attached,
the value of which in the gross was also 300,0001. The
harnesses were worth GO,OOOl. ; and, sundries being taken
I at 2,0001., the total of capital invested amounted to
962,0001. The number of drivers and conductors employed
was 0,000 ; of horse-keepers, 3,000 ; and " odd
men," that is persons occasionally employed, was 2,000;
making a total of 11,000 persons daily employed
in the' omnibus traffic of London. The number of persons
conveyed by each omnibus per day was calculated to be 300,
or 2,000 per week, which would give,u the total number of
persons conveyed in all the omnibuses running, no less a
number than six millions a week, and abaut three hundred
millions a year. It was urged that something ought to be.
done for the men who were in fact the active servants of
these numerous passengers, who for 1G hoot" a dry drove
between 00 and 70 miles, so as to enable them to obtain
some of the comforts of sociel and (until life. A very
strong description of the hardships arising from continuous
labour and perpetual absence from their !vanes was given
by Mr. Scully, a working man. lie also stated numersus
eases of confirmed constitutional illness in this class of men,
produced by the hardships:they went through. He urged the
utter impossibility of these men being able to make any
i provision for themselves in sickness, or for their fa-
milies after their deaths. He placed before the meet-
ing the claims of an institution which had been est.'-
: bdshed called the " 3letropolitan Omnibus Servants
Society," and expressed a hope that • school fur tha
then of omnibus conductors and drivers would be este-
blistied. The statements of Mr. Scully were corroborated
by • timekeeper of one of the City omnibuses. After
several other addresses, it was arranged that another meet-
inn should take place next week at Mr. Hamilton's school-
room, in order to make arraw;ententi for a general meeting
on the subject.