The Express.
London, England, 1853-07-08 00:00:00

'ARY CO:

Yesterday a committee of the Homo of Lords,
known as " the Redesdale committee," met to consider the
passing of several important railway and other bills, but the
public and the press were excluded.
The bills passed yesterday were, we understand, as fol-
lows :—Limerick, Ennis, and Killable Railway; Yerk and
North Midland Railway (Hull aad Selby purchase shares) ;
Leeds, Bradford and Halifax Junction Railway; Bedale
land Leyburn Railway ; Roscrca and Parsoastown Junction
Railway; Whitehaven and Furness Railway; Electric Te-
legraph Company.
The bills that paned through standing orders were t
Crieff Junction Railway; Lynvi Valley Railway; Halifax
Water Works ; Paddington and Holborn-bridge ltailway ;
British Electric Telegraph Company; and Newcastle-on-
Tyne Improvement.
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY' (HENLEY LlNE).—Yet-
terday a committee, consisting of the Earl of Wicklow.
Lord Elphinstone, Lord Sondes, Lord Wynford, and Lord
Leigh, passed the preamble of this bill. The committee
sat with open doors.
WI.STMINsTER IMF ROVEMENTS.—Yesterday the com-
mittee of the House of Lords, of which the Earl of Wick-
low was chairman, passed the bill proposed for the purpon
of extending the Westminster improvements, the object
being to carry out the formation of Secondary-street, in
connexion with Victoria-street, already opened, and to
enable the Westminster Improvement Commissioners to ob-
tain possession of the workhouse and lands required for that
purpose. The commissioners, up to November, 1849, had
expended in these improvements 125,0001., but had not yet
expended the 20,0001. required for the construction of Se-
condary-street. The commissioners propose to improve the
sanitary condition of the parishes of St. Margaret and St.
John, by removing a mass of houses in various streets,
lanes, and passages, adjoining Victoria-street, and to erect
• better class of houses in their stead on building leases, the
houses to be occupied in distinct sets of apartmeute, the
apartments to be rated as separate tenements. The com-
missioners set forth that it will afford great accommodation
to the public if the approach to Victoria-street is widened
through the Broad Sanctuary, and a communication opened
from Victoria-street to Palace-yard. They also propose
that a part of Castle-lane shall bo widened and improved,
and a communication formed between Horseferry road and
Westminster Bridewell; also for Francis-street to be
widened and improved, and continued into the Vauxhall
Bridge-road and Victoria-street, with a road contiguous to
part of the walls of Westminster Bridewell. The power
for the compulsory purchase of land is limited to two years
from the passing of the act. l'ortions of Parliament-
square Gardens and of the churchyard
_ of St. Margaret are
to be laid open in continuation of Victoria-street to opposite
the new Houses of Parliament, and Secondary-street is to
be completed by July, 1855, at a cost of 50,0001.

ROCIIESTER CaIIEDRAL.—Tho Bishop has issued
a formal summons, convening the Dean and all the other
members of the church to attend a visitation of the cathe-
dral on Tuesday next, in conformity with the requirements
of the'statutes. Such a visitation has not been holden for
the last 20 years, nor more than once during the last 40.

JUNIOR UNITED SERVICE CLI:B.—A special general
meeting of this club was held on Wednesday, when it was
resolved that the clubhouse should be enlarged, for which
purpose it was voted that 40,0001. be raised by subscription
at 4 per cent., and that 200 additional members bo ad-
mitted.

REPRESENTATION OF NORTII DERBY.—Mr. Wm.
Evans, of Allestree, having accepted the Chiltern Hundreds
through increasing years and ill-health, his son, Mr. Thos.
Wm. Evans, has issued an address on free trade principles
to the electors. The high sheriff has fixed Saturday, the
16th July, for the election, at Sakewell.
THE TEA TRADE.—The Customs authorities have
issued a minute, with reference to the arrangements made
to meet the great pressure of business consequent on the
alterations of the Customs duties on tea, expressing their
approbation of the zeal and alacrity manifested by the offi-
cers of the tea department, and all others who were em-
ployed during the extraordinary pressure of business upon
the recent occasion, as through the exertions of those parties,
both early and late, far beyond the usual hours of attend-
ance, the merchants and the trade have been enabled to
avail themselves of the benefits conferred by the resole.
tions of the House of Commons at the earliest possible
period, and to an almost unprecedented extent.
FittEs.—Yesterday morning, between twelve and
one o'clock, a fire broke out on the premises in the occupa-
tion of Messrs. Hubbard and Rogers, pianoforte manufac-
turer:, 36, South Conduit-street, Bethnal Green-road.
Notwithstanding the exertions of the firemen and police,
the dames were not extinguished until the building was
completely gutted, and the roof burnt off. The fire com-
municated to Mr. W. Houghton's oil warehouse, to which
considerable damage has accrued by tire and water. About
the same time another tire was discovered raging at No. 8,
' Great Queen-street, Lincoln's inn-fields, in the occupation
of Messrs. Amen and Hawke, medical brokers; the inmates
being very much alarmed by the quantity of smoke, quickly
made their escape ; and the Crown-street brigade eng.ne
having arrived and got into play, the II imes wet': in about
an hour subdued ; but not before a large quantity of tho
stock was consumed, and the back premises of the George
Tavern much injured. The origin ot the tires has nut been
ascertained.