The Express.
London, England, 1851-09-18 00:00:00

THE GREAT EXHIBITION.

The fine weather aceterday attracted a more
numerous attendance at the Crystal Palace than is usually '
the ca.e on Wednewlays. There were a great many visitors '
from Scotland and Ireland, and several schools, one of them '
with nearly 400 pupils. A stop has atlength been put by the
executive committee to the sale of season tickets, the motive
being, as we understand, to remove front the public any
Idea that the closing of the Exhibition is to be signalised
by any grand ceremonial. The repeated hints which have
been throw., wit by a contemporary on the subject, and
the coincident eagerness of the public to purchase season
tickets even at this late period, justified the inference that a
hope way prevalent that souse grand concluding ceremony
would reward the speculators in their otherwise foolish in-
vestment. The question of the great medals is
one of frequent discus.ion amongst the exhibitors.
The French make no secret of the matter, but
openly state that out of 2•'xo that have been issued, they
have obtained 3-1, of which 6 have been awarded to the
jewellery room alone. It appears that immediately alter
the Faris fifes a diem( r was given in the French metropolis
to the successful exhibitors, and the holders of great medals
publicly announced. It would appear from this that
while the British jurors have rigidly adhered to their
promise of secresy, their foreign colleagues have been
much less guarded, as it is only from some of
them that the secret could have oozed oat. The
"(nerd feeling of the exhibitors is that the names of
the medal-holders should be announced heron the close, as
sonic slight reward to them (or the trouble and expense
they have been at in sending such valuable goods to the
palace to remain as sunk capital for four months.
The police numbers yesterday were 52,757.
Cash account, Sept. 17.
Rearm tickets
At the doom
Total receipts £2,631 1 0
The following shows the temperature yesterday, u re-
tooled by Mr. Bennett's thermometers, being the mesa
see* of 100 readings :-10 o'clock, 68 ; 12 o'clock, 63 ;
2 Aleek, 67 ; 4 o'clock, 66 ; 6 o'clock, 63. Mean tempera-
ture, 63.4.

COLORLL REID'S TIIROZT OF TAR LAW OF STORMS.
—The foUowing letter bri been recently addressed by Lord
Palmerston to the various British consuls abroad, a similar
cue having been despaeshed from the Colonial-elks, re.
stunting their co-operation in obtaining information relative
to atmospheric phenomenrwronnected with storms and hur-
riencs:—" Sir,—l transmit to you copies of a letter with
its enclosures which I have received from Colonel Reid, of
the Royal Engineers, who for many years has devoted his
attention to the theory of storms, ana whose object has been
to investigate, with a view to practical use in navigation,
the laws by which storms and variable winds an governed.
In order that an investigation of this nature may be practi-
cally what, it is essential that facts connected with the at-
mospherical phenomena in question should be carefully
charred and accurately recorded over as large a portion as
possible of the surface of the globe by persons of education,
and whose scientific attainments or professional avocatioas
qualify them for making such observations. Cul. Reid has suff
restcdthat such observations could be casilyniade and recorded
by captains of ports, masters of lighthouses, harbour masters,
and others, whose professional pursuits naturally lead them
to be constant observers of atmospherical phenomena. The
inilosuzes iu Colonel Reid's letter will more fully point out
the manner in which information on the subject of storms
may be collected. I have accordingly to instruct you to use
your hest endeavour to procure such information on this
important subject, and you will transmit to me half-yearly
an abstract of the information you may have obtained, with
such remarks as may suggest themselves to you. If you
an add diagrams to show the tracks of any remarkable
storms, it would greatly add to the value of jour
As it is of importance to circulate as widely as tssrlble in-
formation as to storm tracts yes Amid era— the pub-
lication of such informatics in awl periodical
works. I am, sir, your merat c s Let besokis servant,
(Sieord) Patantorron."
Hatt?, TO TUE WIND-BOUND.— PORTfiIIOrTTI,
WEDNLIDAY.—in consequence (lithe lo=telismed Pre-
valence of easterly wind., and the know dor • large
number of homeward-ImM Tester weresgser the
Channel unable to tuba pets the Rile. swot
itstrurtion brig, Lieut. Frawleit, was by aipuel
from Spithcad this mornings and ordered into harbour to
complete provisions and premed immediately to the relief of
such vessels as may require it. The ryas. stroo-slip, Cam'
Leander Wellington, is known to have boss bads' about
the mouth of the Channel atom Friday Yak boob; oo
0,141,137 put her mails and on beard aa Irish
stunner, by which they were roue at Plyreasth.
EXTESsiVE Ronniltr IN MAT F,ua.—Yesterday
Morning, at an early hour, some thieves effected an entry
into the premises, 33, Curson-strect, May-fair, and abstracted
•Pwarla of 2004. worth of silver plate, crest a lion rampant,
Cann 50!. worth of jewellery, a carriage clocbs and • cash
but containin: about 301. From thence, making their way
1, Chapel-street, West, they effected ma entry also, Slid
mole about 1001. worth of jewellery, getting cleat away with
their booty.

BANK OF ENGLAND.

THIS DAY.

A quarterly General Court otProprietors was held
this morning, for the purpose of considering of n dividend,
and also on general business. After the reading of the
minutes,
The

acquainted tho court that the nett
profits of the half-year ending the 31st August, were
6.51,1881., being 13,3911. less than in the previous six months•
The " rest" amounted on the 30th August (the 31st being
Sunday), to 3,566,9611., which would enable the court to
declare a dividend at the rate of 3} per cent. for the half-
year t,, the 31st August, free of income tan or any other
deduction. The directors, therefore, submitted a mo-
tion to that effect for the approval of the proprietors.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. COOKE felt a little disappointed, considering the
prosperous state of the country during the past twelve
months and the bonuses declared by the joint-stock banks,
that a larger dividend was not obtained, and hoped the

constitution of the Bank of England would be made more
popular, so u to attract business.
Mr. LEVY considered there was sufficient to pay 31 for
the half-year. (Hear.)
Mr. mAuxtorr hoped they would never come to a de-
claration of per cent. dividends. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. HATHAWAY said that if 4 per cent. were paid for
the 6 months the " re..t " would only be reduced 15,0001.
below the 3,000,0001.. and moved that 4 per cent. be &dared.
(llissent.)
Mr. CL.IRII thou;ht the proprietors themselves had on
former occasions fully discussed the question, and Lid
down the strict principle that the " Red " should be main-
tained at 3,000,0001. If they invaded it f.,r 15,6001., they
might another time want to take 30,0001., and so on, with-
out restriction. (Great applause.)
Mr. HOLYMAN seconded the motion for 4 per cent. ;
but upon its being put, only himself and the mover held up
their hands in its favour. _ _

The LIOVERSON. then put the original motion for 31
per cent., remarking that the directors considered that by
recommending that amount they were strictly acting up to
the views of the proprietary, as expressed upon several
former occasions. (Ilear, hear.)
The dividend of 31 per cent. was then carried, with
scarcely a ilk,aittient voice, the warrants to he delivered and
paid on the 11th October next.
The usual thanks were voted to the governor and direc-
tors, and the court adjourned.

EXTENSIVE CONFLAGRATION AT TILE
EASTEILN COUNTIES ]RAILWAY.
Tills D.Y.

This morning, shortly after 3 o'clock, a fire, at-
tended with a vast destreetion of valuable property, broke
out in a spacious titaber-yard belonging to Mr. Robinson, a
mahogany and deal merchant, situate on either side of the
Eastern Counties Railway, and extending from North-
street into London-street, Bethnal-green. Th.: arches of
the railway, numbered respeetively 7Ci, 77, 78, 79, were
tenanted by the Lune person, and at the time of the out-
break were full of mahogany ant other timbers ; whilst
Idles of deals and pines towered high above the railway
walls. Bartlett, a police serjeant, who first perceived the
fire, raised an alarm immediately, and endeavoured
to subdue the flames, but in less than five minutes the
whole range of premises belonging to Mr. Robinson. in-
cluding a number of high piles of timber, as well as the
stores under th.: railway arches, presented nun immense
body of flame, which cumpletely encircled the railway, and
the reflection in the atmosphere waste strong that the metro-
polis was rendered almost as light as at noun-day. This caused
a general turn out of the eugines, and forthwith the 'Loyal
Society's escapes, with tae engine• of the parish, West of
England Company, and London Brigade started iu search
of the conflagration. Atter some time, the firemen reached
the spot, when they found the flame* mounting high into
the air, and the whole of the wires and posts of the electric
telegraph on that portion of the railway were destroyed ;
and so intense was the heat that the bricks kept dropping
from the crown of the arches. The firemen set to work
most vigorously. Unfortunately, however, although an
immediate supply of water was procured, it was found in-
adequate to furnish all the engiues, so that fur some time
the labours of the firemen were somewhat re-
tarded. Mr. Edinger, the inspector of the East
London Water-works, on his arrival, gave orders
Sir the mains to be opened to the distance of a quarter
of a mile, ariolky stopping up the gratings, a copious stream
el waterless serried down the different streets to the scene of
mollogssaims, and fur some hours the firemen kept pouring
ismorso of water upon the fire ; but before it could be
ex-
repNed, the whole of Mr. Robinson's property was
disstreyed, the telegraph burnskdown, and serious damage
601114: to four of the railway arches. Four or file houses,
belonging to Mr. Foulkes, iu London-street, are also szverely
flemesed, as well as the dry cooperage of Mr. Burke, No.
76 web. 1110 total loss must amount to some thousands of
winds. Mr. Robinson was insured iu the Sun Fire-office.
Kr. ltichardison, the superintendent of the coaching depart-
ment of the railway, and Mr. Ashcroft, another official, were
early on the spot, and at one time it was feared that three
of the arches were so injured by the action of the flames
that it would be impossible for any of the trains to pass
over. After a careful survey by these gentlemen, an engine
and train of empty carriages were driven over the arches.
and it was then found that they were formed of seven

rings of bricks, and ulthough two rings were partially de-
stroyed, the iron girders stretching from pier to pier
were sufficiently strong to bear any weight, conse-
quently sot the lout obstruction to the general traffic will
be occasioned am the line. now the misfurtunc occurred is
at present enveloped in mystery. Mr. Marqu.ud, the
superintendent, and Mr. Smith, an inspector of the K
division, with &powerful body of police, rendered essential
service to the Armen, by keeping an immense crowd of
people out of danger.