The Express.
London, England, 1847-10-16 00:00:00

.1;:coe;000

Io'000:

i 10 8

2,19.,000... 0 16 2

The revenue of Emitted In lisrm'insd by the residence and expendi-
ture of the nobility sal Melei proprietor. of England and Ireland.
Upon the game principle the reelase of Scotland would be greatly In-
creased if her nobility and Wel proprietors were resident upon their
estates, and her revenue eqemelid upon the institutions and govern-
ment of the kingdom. The sem ohnervations equally apply to Ire-
land. It to perhaps a better initerion to make a oomparison of the
real property in Scotland with the same in England; Inland being
left oat for want of data, arising from there being no property to foe
that country.
Real property. Average per indlyiduaL
England £62,310,000
Scotland
The above comparDann show that Scotland is nearly as rich no
Ewland, thrice no rich es Ireland, much richer than France, Frumas,
Unhand, or Denmark—is internally ss rich ea England in minvnibi,
such as silver, copper, lead, iron, and coal; she is rich In learning,
enterprise, commerce, and manufactures; has 30,000.0001. lying In the
different banal. Then how in It that, notwithstanding all thin, we
find such difficulty In rslaing money for public pummel ! The ques-
lion is easily answered. There Is an annual drain upon the country I
of rents and revenue to the amount of 9,000,0001., a sum equal to her
whole rental. These plain fact. show that, were Janice done to Scot-
land, money would be as plentiful here a. in England.
The Duke of Athol' has fallen into bad odour with
the citizens of Perth, on account of having, as alleged,
returned no answer to an application made to him,
as master of the grand lodge of Scotland, to lay the
foundation-stone of the general railway terminus of
the fair city. His grace has probably not relished
the Glentilt discussion in the Perth town council,
and may further have concluded, rather wisely, that
he could not safely calculate on making a successful
public appearance while glen-closing continues to be
so much agitated. In his absence, the masonic
honours were yesterday discharged with due punctilio
by Mr. Fox Maule.

THE Lsw or Nawararza. Su BBCRIPTION. A gentleman
in Peterhead, who received and read this (John o•Groa!
Journal) paper for three years, on the account being pre-
sented to him refused to pay, on the plea that he dal not
order the journal ; that a friend had ordered the paper to be
sent to him ; that owing to some private understanding be-
twixt themselves he considered the paper to have been

wrier
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sm. ,Irdountlyquigst
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twaszrespottiVsTawbteiforilrthbet
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reluctant)/ o,"igel Pr.') '-vs' since received the fol-
Court at release,. •r• sod ill plop " After
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lowing note from out :jest in Court at , • in the
a strong contest with your debtor and his tgr.
sheriff gate deereet metope him, on the weli-ssifert,..,
principle, that ' the reader of a paper is bound to per for 14
whether orderedifreet by him or not.' "

DOING Busimass.—A culprit from Dandee who a
Perth was tried, convicted, and sentenced to banishment last
Wednesday evening, officiated 01 the previous morning in
Dundee, as hangman's resistant at the execution of Dionne
Leith. He had 11. for hi, services, of which he gave his
counsel 21. to defend him on has trial.

DIABOLICAL Acr.—One night last week, some mischie-
vously-disposed person committed several depredations in the
neighbourhood of the Bridge of Don ; and, among others,
the old bridge being under repair, and scaffolding being for
this purpose suspended by ropes over the parapet in the usual
manner, they actually cut the ropes, leaving only a few
threads, so that if the workmen bad not in the morning die.
covered the deed, they must, on taking their places on the
scaffolding, hare been precipitated into the river and lot
their lives, or at lout rendered their escape almost miraculous.
The perpetrators hare not been discovered.

PROPINCIAL•
__ LANCASHIRE.

A MEETING OF FACTORY OPERATIVES took plate
at Oldham, on Thursday evening, in the Working Men's
Hall, fur the purpose of taking into consideration the pro-
priety of a total cessation of labour for a short time, in pre-
trireme to running the risk of • general reduction of wages.
The room was well filled. Mr. T. Wilson, a factory operative,
being called to the chair, said that about • year ago it was
well known to many present that not only • public meeting,
but • requisition, had been got up to the musters, requesting
them to work short time ; and the consequence of disregard..
ing the request they now saw in the present state of trade.
I He believed it to be for the interest of the. employers as well
as the employed to have a stoppage for • short time. He
had never wished to injure the manufacturers as a body
but., at the same time, he would support the interests of his
trade. His impresion was, that if proper steps had been
taken • year ago, • different state of things would have been
the result. Meetings were being held in all the districts to
ascertain the opinions of the operatives on the question of a
cessation from labour, and the results of these meetings
would be reported to • delegate meeting, to be held at Man.
cluster on Sunday nest.—Mr. Juttwood, secretary of the
operative spinners association, moved the first resolution, to
the following effect:

That this meeting deeply deplore the necessity of being called tn.
gether,oa the prement menace, to devise means by which their ditto.
adder are la be met, and regret that the advice tendered to the em-
ployen in 12,46, to work " short time for a seaaon," did not meet with
that general consideration from them which the stale of the cotton
and food markets at that time required.
The speaker then alluded to the results which had followed
that non-consideration—the masters at Ashton were offering
a reduction of 10 per cent., and at Moseley there was a turn-
out to rerat a reduction.—The motion having been se-
conded, Mr. J. Cheetham remarked that he did not see how
&cessation from labour would benefit the operatives. It did
not appear that the masters had pledged themselves to sup.
port the operatives in this new movement. Unless the
masters would go with them, they might be no better off at
the end of a month's cessation frost labour than they were
at present. Ile should move as an amendment that there
be no ces•ation from labour.—Mr. Wood said Mr. Cheetham
had not alluded to the subject involved in the resolution. lie
thought a ce:sation from labour was the most likely course to
keep up the regular rate of wages; while, if they submitted to
a reduction, it was hard to tell whether they would ever again
recover their position.—The first resolution having been car-
ried, Mr. J. Taylor, operative, then moved the second
resolution
That this meeting b of minion that the reductions in the wages of
the operatives, which bad been proposed in some places would not
relieve the trade from its difdeulties, but would aggravate the suffer-
' lags which slim feelingly deplore, and that nothing short of a rows-
lion of work foe a abort period will restore to the employers and em.
snored that position to width they are justly entitled.

Mr. Cheetham said he did not see how the operatives were
to exist without labour, and another operative then pro-
posed es an ameudment that they should memorialise mas.
ten for short time unly.—There were only 20 hands held up
for the amendment, and the original motion was carried by
a large ma:ority.

THE BIRKENHEAD DOCKS.—The proposition to
transfer the management of this immense trust to other
hands has scarcely been announced, and aroused public
'cranky, before we bear of it abindoned. It was only the
commencement of last week when it wu first made public
that negotiations were in progress between the Birkenhead
Dock commissioners and the Liverpool Dock committee, the
object of which was the transfer of the dock estate of the
former to the latter body, and it is now distinctly understood
that such negotiations are altogether at an end. -The Birken-
head commissioners wished the Liverpool Dock committee to
. .

assume all their liabilities, and carry out the whole of their
acts of parliament in reference to the docks, which terms the
latter refused to comply with, and hence the unsuccessful
result of the negotiations. We believe, however, that this
somewhat unexpected termination of the negotiations is not
altogether unpalatable to several of the gentlemen connected
as shareholders or otherwise with the Birkenhead Docks, who
are not the most favourably disposed towards the Liverpool
corporation becoming the future owners of the estate; and it is
very confidently stated that they rejoice at the result, and see
in it the prospect of the docks becoming the property of other
parties, who, it is stated, are anxious to purchase them. It
is very currently rumoured that certain of the large ,bond-
holders are anxious to have possession of the entire works,
and that, backed by an influential company of London mer-
chants, and assisted by the influence of a well-known power-
ful railway company in the south, it is not unlikely that this
immense estate will become their property. There is every
reason to believe the probability of this statement, for the
enormous amount of money which the bondholders have at
stake—being little less than half a million sterling—induces
the belief that they will leave no stone unturned in order to
accelerate the completion of the docks, and thus open to
themselves the prospect of a return for their capital. It is
further stated that unless some such step is adopted the works
must remain as at present standing, for the commissioners
hove not the means to proceed with them, not being able to
obtain the sum of io,ooof. owing to them by the Dock and
Warehousing Company, nor yet the loan of 50,0001. advanced
by them to the Birkenhead town commissioners. It is,
moreover, very generally believed that, independently of
these obstacles, the present constitution and temper of the
Birkenhead Dock Commissioners is anything but favourable
to united action in carrying forward the works. Unfortunate
differentia amongst themselves, of some standing, are, it is
confidently stated, growing fiercer instead of abating ; and
as certain of the great capitalists, who have hitherto played a
leading part in Birkenhead matters, are now said to be at
open warfare, albeit some of them have withdrawn for the
present from active interference.

YORKSIITE.
FIRE AT SEIIPLEY.—On 'edneeday morning last
a fire occurred on the premises elonging to Messrs. Har.
greeves, of Shipley, near Bradford, known by the name of
Pricking-mill. The watchman left the premises about half-
past six, soon after which time smoke was observed to be
issuing from the wool warehouse. Upon the door being
'opened, the room was found to he full of smoke, and the
building evidently on fire. A number of workmen being
fortunately on the spot, every exertion was made to stop the
progress of the flames, and a considerable quantity of wool
was conveyed to a place of safety. Engines were procured,
but so rapid was the progress of the hre, that before their
arrival the roof and floors of the warehouse had fallen in,
and the conflagration had extended to the room over the cot-
tage adjoining. The active exertions used at length pre-
vented the further spread of the fire, the warehouse being
completely gutted, and a large quintity of wool rendered
useless by the felling in of the roof. The stock previous to
the fire was valued at 2,7001., not more than one-third of
which is saved. The property was partly insured

STAFFORDSHIRE.

THE LATE EXPLOSION OF GAS AT WALSALL.—The
inquest on the body of the unfortunate man who lest his life
by the explosion of gaa in the church of Walsall, as described
in this paper on Wednesday, was brought to a termination
on Thursday night. From the evidence adduced, it did not
appear that there had been any culpable negligence, but cer-
t an absence of proper -notion. The person who had
been manager at the gas works for about a quarter of • cen-
tury stated, that having heard of some defect in the meter a
few days prior to the occurrence of the explosion, he went to
examine it, and found that the rust had eaten through the iron
and that the water leaked through the apertures ; he consi-
dered, however, that the pipes in the church were strong
enough for ten times the amount of pressure put upon them
further, that he bad taken the meter away to repair, and
had made the connecting joints perfectly safe.—The jury
returned • verdict of " Accidental death," with a recom-
mendation that scientific persons should be employed to
manage the gas in churches and chapels, in order to prevent
such casualties.

PRESERVATION OF FOOT:PATII,,.--The first Feneral
meeting of members of the association for reclaiming and
preserving public paths in Ipswich and its vicinity waehild
at the Mechaaics' Institution on Tuesday last. Mr. (lowing
explained that two provisional meetings had been held to
consult upon the formation of a society of this description.
The regulations of a similar society, which had existed at
Colchester for some time past, were produced ; and the Col.
cheater society having been very successful, it was thought
that for the town of Ipswich no better course could be taken
than to adopt the Colchester rules. He was happy to say,
that at least 70 gentlemen had become members of the asso-
ciation, whilst various gentlemen had promised their sup-
port in other ways. The rules were read, from which it sp
prsred that the duties of the committee would be to inquire
into all encroachments, diversion., and obstructions of paths,
either committed or contemplated, and to take such steps in
reference thereto, either by remonstrance or by legal pro-
ceedings, as a general meeting of members should think fit
to authorise.

E.OBF-C.
VALUE OF LAN D.—MOlefe. May and Son sold re-
cently at Chelmsford, Newman's Farm, Burnham, corn-
prising farm-house and out-buildings, with 108 aeres of land,
Pat 1601. per annum, 3,9801. Alto, Sharp's Farm, in Fur-
leigh and Latehingdon, including house, with 78 acres of
land, let at 751. per annum, 2,olol.—Merars. Baker and Son
offered at Chelmsford a oopyhold farm, at Great Baddow,
consisting of dwelling-house, homeatall, with Ga. 3r. 35p., in
the occupation of Mr. J. Keys, at 201. per annum. The lot
was not sold.—On Fri-day last Mr. Boadel sold the following
freehold lots, situated in ths parishes of Buttabury, Stock,
and Mountnesaing, held at 701. per annum : Elm Brook
Farm, with a newlpereeted house and buildings, and
36a. 2r. 28 p. of land, 1,8001.; Two Fields in Montnossing,
apportioned rent, 121., 3451.