The Express.
London, England, 1847-01-07 00:00:00

Zbe court.

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WINDSOR, WEDNESDAY.—Her Majesty and Prince
Albert took their usual early walk this morning.
Her Majesty and the Prince Consort, accompanied
by the Royal Family, and attended by a small suite, will
take their departure to-morrow afternoon, immediately after
an early luncheon, for Claremont, where the Court will re-
main until within a few days of the meeting of parliament,
on the 19th inst. Her Majesty will then returu to the Castle,
and leave Windsor for Buckingham Palace on the day before
the opening of the session.

The Dean of Westminster had an interview with
Lord John Ruud' yesterday at his official residence in
Downing-street.
Sir Edward Codrington had an interview with
the Right Hon T. Milner Gibson yesterday at the office of
the Board of Trade.
Despatches were received yesterday at the Colonial
Office from the Governor of Glbraltar.
The Right lion. Edward Strutt has returned to
town.

REPRESENTATION OF IDDLESEX.—In consequence
of the farewell address of Mr. Ilyng, these freeholders of the
Liberal party who have for so long a series of years returned
their present venerable member, are getting up a requisition
to Lord Robert Grosvenor to come forward as a candidate
for the county whenever a dissolution may take place. There
can be no doubt that the high character for generosity and
charity in private life, and for talent and zeal as a public
man which Lord Robert bears, will gain him the warm sup•
port of all Mr. Byng's old and tried friends.

THE ACCIDENT ON THE NORTH-WESTERN

RAILWAY.

Yesterday an inquest was held before the coroner
for the county of Hertford, at the Bell Inn, King's Langley,
on the bodies of George Matthurs, stoker, and William
Asaup, driver, sufferers from the late collision upon the North
Western Railway. Mr. Bruyi*re, superintendent of the
London and Birmingham division of the line; Mr. Hayes, of
the firm of Parker and Hayes, solicitors; and Mr. Bedford of
the police department, attended on the part of the company,
to watch the proceedings. The first-named gentleman vo-
lunteered to make any explanations which might be near
nary for the elucidation of the questions which might arias
during the progress of the case. The jury having viewed the
bodies, the first witness called was James Owen, eosins-
driver. On Monday last. he piloted the half-past
one o'clock goods train from London to Wolverton,
and brought another train back at half-past eleven at night.
There were thirty-six carriages or trucks to the train, which
was drawn by two engines. Witness, who belonged to the
leading engine, had a stoker named William Heaver. When
they were within 200 yards of Langley station, he saw a red
signal ; the night was very foggy they had no fog signals
on, do could not use them. He opened his whistle, and then
reversed the engines. Saw three mere red lights, and one
across the road. The signals were plain enough, and
cautioned them to stop, but they were too close to do so in
time. There is a curve not far from the station, and that
morning they could not see above 200 yards off: if it had
not been foggy, they would have had ample time to stop.
Did not know whether Asaup bad let off his steam or not.
He might have been working his engine by expansion, and
in that case witness could not have beard him. His own im-
pression was, that Asaup bad not reversed his engine. Wit-
ness and the stoker jumped off upon seeing the danger
signals, and immediately afterwardsthe train came into
collision with something. Witness ran round to look for the
guard, whose station was at the tail, but could
not find him. He then went to Smith, the police-
man at the station, and asked if he had seen any one.
He said the guard had gone back to stop the other train.
There was only one policeman on duty that night ; he was
going to let the train into the siding ; he gave witness the
fog 'signals to take back and put on the metals, in order to
warn any other train against approaching. Oa his way
back for that purpose, witness overtook the guard, and told
him to take them on to Boxmoor, in order to stop the next
train.
The coroner here questioned the witness as to whether
any wiaistance was rendered to the deceased all this time
The witness said not . an hour must have clapeed before any-
thing was done to relieve them. The coroner expressed
great surprise that such should have been the case. The
witness went on to state that the parties arrived in about
twenty or twenty-five minutes after, and the train was
drawn back. Witness's engine was then discovered lying on
one side r: lit across the rails; the second had mounted the
tender of the first engine, which it had injured considerably.
The witness maw the stoker while making the examina-
tion ; he was jammed in between the reversing lever
and the fire-box of the engine ; he did not see
the driver, but was told that he was in a similar
position on the other side. The handles of the engine
seemed to indicate that it bad been going on at the
time of the collision, and had not been reversed. The train
was late on the night in question. At every station it was
alway, known when trains were due, and he bad no doubt

that at Langley the men were swore that IL goods train would
pass between twelve and one o'clock ; be must have seen it
if it had gone by. They were not going at a greater stated
than fourteen or fifteen miles an hour et the time witness
reversed the engines. When it was rat foggy they. could see
the signal in ample time to prennf, them from going into a
station when they were a qua, ter of • mile short of it.
When they passed Boxmoor ste,,tion the fire. signal was red,
the danger signal, upon seeing which he reversed the engine;
the red signal was then rio",,eved and the precautionary green
signal, which indicated that they were to go steady, wee
put on. He ace •ril..ngis proceeded, rel reinz his speed ',or,
four or it", inn., an hour until he came again to the. danger
s etal ...segley, when he reversed the engine a.. before,
lied as already stated.
13ruy'ire here observed, that if the delver of engine
Ile. 115 (Assup., the deceased), had doe., his duty, by re-
'sensing the engine at the same time as Owen, there would
have been no occasion for the present inquiry. He quoted
from the book of Signal Regulations, which enjoined the
most extreme caution on these points, particularly when
near to a station. The witness was of opinion that the
steam had been turned of, as in the other case he thought
the force of the train would have been far greater at the
time of the collision.
W. Hearer, stoker to the last witness, corroborated hi.
statement with regard to the manner in which the accident
occurred, the two statements agreeing in all essential par-
ticular. In jumping of the engine he fell upon his shoul-
der, and was insensible f several minutes.
Police constable T. Smith, 211, deposed that he was in
the service of the company, and was on duty at Langley sta-
tion. Had beet on the line four years and four months. His ,
duty, on the arrival of attain, was to turn on the right signals, I
and to see that all the doors are fastened, and the lights in
the carriages, and if not, to report the omission. On Monday
night last he expected several luggage trains; there was a
coal train of eighteen carriages due between twelve and one
o'clock; his did not know when the next train was due, they
came eo irregularly. In answer to further questions from the
Coroner, who commented severely on the existence of any
urn rtatitv with regard to the arrival of trains, the witness
added that the coal train came in about one, and stopped for
the purpose of having five carriages detached. It had not
been at the station more than three minutes, and the car-
riages were being removed into the sillier, when the colli-
sion took place as described by the other witnesses. He had
, put out the danger signals the moment the coal train came
into the station, and they were on when the collision took
place. The night was extremely foggy. He had fog signals
to use when necessary, but had not time to do so on the pre-
sent occasion, although be considant them highly requisite.
He went immediately and informed the guard of
what had PO:en place, and gave hint his red lamp,
as a signet to stop any other train which might
arrive, despatching another man, with a similar egeal,
in the opposite direction. lie then consulted with the star
lion-master as to what was best to be done, and advised him
to go himself for assistance, which he did, taking the coal-
train for the purpose, leaving the carriages on the line.
Meantime witness wejked backwards and forwards among
the ruins, until some one came to his assistance. Saw Owen,
but did not see where he came from. Heaver leapt exactly
epporite to him. He inquired of Owen where the other two
(deceased) were? He said they were somewhere among the
engines. An hour elapsed
before anything else was done,
because it was • long time before they could approach the
?vine, on account of the steam and fire. As soon as he
could, he went with his lantern to look for them. He found
them crushed among the engines in the manner described
by the other witnesses.
Police-constable Patrick Torney, 2;2, deposed, that he
was in the serrioe of the company, and belonged to the
Boxmoor station. It was very fogey en Monday night. He
remembered the coal train coming into the Boxmoor station
at 26 minutes to one, and knew that there was • special
train coming by the red signal lamps. On the train step-
ping, he attached his danger signal and went along the line
to the rear of the train with the red signal, until he heard
the anted cry " All right." The train went on at a steady
pace, and shortly after kis return to the station he heard
another coming. Before it got to the station, the driver saw
his signal and heard his whistle, and to the best of his know-
ledge slackened its pace. After the red light had been oat
eleven minutes, he removed it, and put oat the green, which
he conridered caution sufficient, and was of opinion that if
the coal train bed kept on at a proper rate, the other would
not have overtaken it. The next witness called was John
W foreman of the locomotive department of the line.
deposedlie to some facts relative to the regulations of the
company with regard to signals; he examined the men
on the line once a month as to their knowledge of the sig-
nals, and at his last examination on the 29th of December
the deceased, Aesup, had a book of regulations in his pomm-
ies. Aamp had only acted as 'driver fur tbe tart five months,
but he had undergone a tong coarse of training, and milmeee
believed him to be a fully competent man. The lever @Elbe
engine which he drove was wow placed on the ICVSIIIII,
motion, bet not entirely so—not sufficiently to stop the
engine. It was, however, impossible that Asom could hams
moved the lever, as he was found on the other side of the
engine ; neither was it probable that the stoker had done so,
as tt was not his duty to interfere at all is that department ;
it was probable that the position of the lever had been pro-
duced by the cone...mica, but could not give any certain
opinion on the subject.
Isaac Daniels, porter to the company, dewed that he
meted as guard to the coal train on the occasion in question.
He corroborated the particulars of the concussion, as before
stated.
Richard Ashby, engine-driver, deposed that be drove the
coal train, and saw the lights at the Boxmoor station, as
stated by Torney. They proceeded at a rate of about 16
miles an hour, and were not detained between the station..
This being the whole of the evidence, the Coroner said
that he thought it needless to investigate the matter further,
as, in his opinion, it had been very clearly proved that if
anybody was to blame it was the unfortunate man himself,
who had caused his own death and that of hie companion.
It was unnecessary to go into the details of the case. The
only question to consider wee, whether the deaths
were not accidental, mad whether any person at
all was to be blamed in the matter. He (the
Coroner) begged the jury to remember that the
law of deodand had been abolished, and had been anggifed
by the Accidents Compensation Act, an act which be gem&
"treed opposed to every principle of common sense end semen.
He wondered if the hon. member for Sunderland was in the
house when it was weed.
The jury then deliberated for a few minutes, and without
retiring returned a verdict of " Accidental death," 11100010.
panied with a recommendation that the company should have
more servants at the Langley station. The foreman added
that " if the lame maven had been exercised theft as at
Boxmoor, the accident would not have happened."

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING THE AMENDMENT OP
THE Law.—The above society met last evening at eight
o'clock, Lord Brougham in the chair. 11r. James Stewart,
Q.C., proceeded to read a communication which the society
had received from Mr. Boyle, United'States, advocate, rela-
tive to the law and practise of registering deeds and instru-
ments in the United States of America. The paper treated
the subject under four heads—let. What constitutes • re-
gister of the instruments in question.-2nd. The instruments
entitled to be registered.— 3rd. How they beeomesoentitled.
—4th. The legal effects of registration. With respect to the
first, it appears that the states are divided into ceswilsw,im
each of which there is a county clerk elected by the peepie,
commissioned by the executive, and qualified by oath of
office. Registration is defined to be the filing of a aid in
the offices of this officer in the county in which the property
is situated. The fees are six cents for every hundred words
transcribed into the records. Secondly, the deeds requiring
registration are all deeds or other instruments in writing
creating an interest in land for a longer term than one year.
No bargains for a longer term than one year to be valid,
except when recorded in writing, and under seals, with
one subscribing witness, or two in the Call 3 of • free-
hold. Thirdly. To entitle a deed to registration, one of the
subscribing witnesses must appearbefore somejudgeorjuatice
of a court of record, either federal or local, and make oath
that he saw the grantor subscribe the deed. This Is
technically called subscribing the instrument. Fout.
The record of • deed renders it binding to all the
and any defect in the record or authentication, is
to creditors. It is absolutely necessary that every deed
should be recorded. For aseertainipg title, it is necessary
to examine the records in the county clerk, office, or if it
ooneerna devise or inheritance, in the surrogates office, where
• perfect history of the property will be found. In making
this search some patience is necessary, but the system is so
complete that mistakes seldom occur, and even the most
intricate title, dating from the Snit settlement of the
country, eau generally be ascertained in a few hours. The
charge made by the most eminent solicitors for making out
titles, seldom exceeds fifty dollars. Rarely, reference to
counsel is necessary, but actions on title seldom occur. The
/earned gentleman having finished reading the paper, of
which the above is an ontliae,—Lord Brougham said that
the society was much indebted to Mr. Boyle for his com-
munication, and the question was, whether the time had
not Arrived, when something of • similar system should be
established in this country. The meeting adjourned at half-
past nine o'clock.
REPEAL, OF TOE WINDOW DUTIES.—MEETING OP
ISE METILOPOLITAX DlLEOATES.—Yesterday a numerous
meeting of delegates from the various metropolitan parishes
was held in the Court-house, Marylehone, for the purpose of
devising the beat means of forcing upon the etteation of
the present government, in proposing their financial schemes
in the ensuing aemion of parliament, the acceseity of carrying
out a total and immediate repeal of the window duties.—
:Mr. John Williams, of the Regent-circus, occupied the chair,
and, in addition to a large number of the vestry and influen-
tial ratepayers of Marylebone, Mews. Keith, Dentin, Ewens,
at., attended from St. James's, Westminster; Mr. Newton
Crouch and a deputation, from St. Pancras; Mr. Ashby and
• deputation, from St. Anne's, Soho. Deputations were also
present from St. Martin's in-the-Fields, St.George'e, Hanover-
"lmre, St. Mary's, Paddington, St. James's, Clerkenwell, de.
Mr. H. C. Wilma saidhe Ulged to trespass upon the meet-
ing for the purpose of proposing a resolution. It appeared
that in consequence of the approach of the ensuing session
all classes were at work endeavouring to impress upon the
minister the necessity of a repeal of those taxes which they
tonaidered pressed upon themselves; but whether it be •
repeal of the malt ton, of the duties on tax or any other tax
whatever, they must all sink into the shade as compared with
the necessity of a repeal of the obnoxious window tax. In
the first place, the window tax ought immediately to be re-
pealed on account of its great inequality and consequent in-
justice. It did not ones upon those who were the moat
capable, but upon those who were the most incapable of pay-
ing it. Secondly, in a monitory point of view, it was
the gTeatest drawback upon the health and com-
forts of the people. It was this abominable tax
that was the sole cause of the bad ventilation
of the houses in our poorer neighbourhoods, and which
Wetted those abodes of filth, miieryouid immorality existing
to various puts of the metropolis and other large towns and

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