The Express.
London, England, 1846-11-12 00:00:00

sir itched Inglis, Mr. H. T. Hops, Mr. A. Milne,
Ilitd Mr. C. I tarry.
The Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England had
,gesend meeting 3 esterda There were present the Arch-
bithop of Canterbury, the shop of London, the Bishop of
• tha Bi.bop of Oxford, sad the Right Hon. Robhouse.
The most
ster Bev
d. D
at the r. Polding had an
ce interview with
Thev yesy, Colonial-offi,
Gre Earl of Lonadale had an interview with the
thlacellor of the Exchequer yesterday, at his official resi-
dence in Rornirut-strtet.
Mr, Mantz, M.P., had an interview with the Earl
d Clarendon yesterdey, at the office of the Board of Trade.
The Marquis of Clanricarde Have a dinner yester-
go see Din, at his residence. on Carlton-hse-terrace, to
the Cabinegt Ministers, including Lord Johnou Russell, the
310,tais of Lansdowne, Sir George Grey, Earl Grey, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer,
the Earl of Auckland, Sir
nobhouse, Viscount Morpeth.
Viscount Palmerston left town yesterday afternoon
Windsor Castle. on a visit to her Majesty.
The Earl de Grey has, since his arrival in town
bona York-hire, experienced an attack of his old complaint,
which has h. en instrumental of the delay of his leaving with
the Count.s. for Brighton.
Viscountess Palmerston received the Earl and
Countess of Tankerville, Viscount and Viscountess Jocelyn,
Lord and Lady Ashley, Mr. F. Byng, the Right Hon. J. B.
Stanley, and a select party to dinner last evening, at her
hose on Carlton-house-terrace.
Lord Willoughby de Broke is gradually recovering
boo the dangerous attack of illness his lordship has been
W
from during the last five weeks at Compton Verney,
weewtekshire. We hear that the noble lord Ras suddenly
Bilged by a stroke of apoplexy, and that up to Saturday List
Ina lordship's medical attendants were apprehensive of dan-
er. Since then, however, the noble lord has given symp-
toms mom favourable, and his ultimate recovery is now
looked forward to,
The Marquis of Anglesey has arrived in town from
Besudescrt, tue noble and gallant marquis's seat in Stafford-
shire.
• ---

—•
EXTRA GAZETTE was issued last night of
unusual hulk. It contains 123 pages, chiefly filled with
railway notices.
Satlo DaY.—On Guy Fawkes day a large number
of boys assembled round the Wellington statue, and saluted
the passers-by with "Please to remember the Guy !"
Pumh.
METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENTS.—A wardmoto of
Farringdon Without was held at the Court-house, Old
Dailey, yesterday afternoon, Sir James Duke in the chair, to
take into consideration the proposition of the Common
Council for the widening of Cannon-street.—Mr. Carpenter
mid, the proposed new street would commence at King Wil-
liam-street, opposite the statue, and run to Queen-street,
Cheapside. It was, in point of fact, a widening of Cannon-
street, which would he made sixty feet in width. This was
to be done to afford increased accommodation to the traffic
from the railway termini. He objected to it, because it only
afforded accommodation to the eastern end of Cheapside,
although it would cost from 250,0001. to .MO,OOO/. From
Queen-street tin to St. Paul's Churchyard, no additional ac-
commodation would be afforded; and the game observation
would apply to Fleet-street. it was said, that the proposed
alteratina was only part of an extensive plan of improvement,
but the money to be expended would mortgage all the reve-
nue at the command of the City for the next 25 years. The
alteration contemplated wauld be like a large skittle-
ground—it would he a great road that would l
against
the makinz of a stre;it of such questionable utility ; it was
the worst of four or five projects which had been already
before the Court of Common Council, and they ought to
have waited before they proposed so absurd and enormous
an expenditure, the more especially as there were persons of
the highest authority engaged, in conjunction with the go-
vernment, in laying out plans for the improvement of the
metropolis. The speaker then went at length into the
subject of the sanatory state of the metropolis, and the varied
improvements which were necessary in the City of London.
He concluded by moving the following resolution, which
was seconded by Mr. Clcmow, and adopted after a short

discussion
That th;. meeting h 'earned with surprise and regret that the I,
Court of Common Council hos passed a resslution for the appropria-
tion of a sum amounting to nearly goo.oont, to the making of a new
street of very questionable utility, and which will pr hahly involve
the outlay of half a million more, without affording relief for the
'vale in same parts of the most importantand crowded thoroughfares
elthe City of London.
The lowingfn resolution was then moved by Mr. Carnpkin,
seconded by Mr. Fonder, and adopted:
That bow important As:ever it may be to increase for traffic in the
City of London, dime are other and much stronger claims upon the
yawls for those sanatory regulations upon which the health, comfort,
and lives of m my Inhabitants of the City of London depend.
After a s;tort discussion it was suggested that the meeting
should be adjourned in order that the question of the sana-
tory condition of the City might be more fully considered
and at:mt.:rd. The suggestion was adopted, and the meeting
was adjourned till Wednesday next at 11 o'clock.
IMPERIAL. AND CONTINENTAL GAS ASSOCIATION.—
Yesterday, the half-yearly meeting of shareholders and pro-
prietor+ in the Imperial and Continental Gas Association,
was held at the offices of the company, 7, White Hart-court,
Lombard-street. Sir Moses Montefiore, chairman of the
board of directors, presided. The secretary read the report
of the mittee of direction, detailing the operations of the
association since the last meeting, by which it appeared that
the affairs generally were in a healthy state. The associa-
tion had expended in furtherance of the object for which it
Was estalilished, the entire amount of paid-up capital
(1x,0,000'.) authorised to he raised by their act of incorpora-
tion, and a greater 'urn might be invested with advantage.
After some discussion and suggestions by hon. proprietors as
to the most desirable mode of extending the operations of
the associufion in the various continental towns of Europe,
a divide nd of 21.25. fid. per share for the half year, payable
in January next, was declared, and the customary vote of
thanks to the chairman having been passed, the proprietary,
a large nember of whom attended, separated.
SERVANTS' BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION.—A meeting ,
in support of this institution was held last evening, at the
Assembly-room, Kentish-town. This praiseworthy inst'tu-
tion, whose object is probably known to few of oar readers,
wasestablished, in 1844, chiefly through the exertions of Mr.
W. Ashwell, of New-end, Hampstead, and other benevolent
individuals, for the purpose of building and endowing forty
almshouses, and providing a relief fund for domestic ser-
vants, who, after a life of industry and unsullied character,
might herniae candidates for general sympathy. Since the
promulgation of the plan, which has been generally approved
by both masters and servants, various meetings in support
of the object have been held ; hut, up te June last, the sub-
scriptions received had only reached 2601., out of which
about 15el. had been disbursed in the necessary expenses.
It was than resolved that the institution sh ,uld he dissolved,
and the present meeting was called for the purpose of re-
establishing it on a somewhat different footing. Unfortu-
nately, the meeting was so thin that no effective step could
be taaen ; but the promoters of the object are not without
hope that it may still be carried out.
BENEFIT SOCIETIES.—Sir,—The able remarks you
made a few flays ago on benefit aneleties, induces me to hops you may
spare a short space in your valuable journal to Investigate the preten-
sion. of a prolific stock of schemes now afloat, called " Building
Societies," to me of which I was solicited to lend my name, which
led me to examine the prospectus and its rules, that were similar to
others aim ale established,—The first discovery I Made was, that they
Were ant building societies, as they neither contemplate building nor
purchasing houses, but they are merely " Loan Societies," under a
numorace calculated to mislead. not to say adnnted for that purpose.
Subecriptincm are 10x. to be paid monthly, amounting to OE annual,
mid tbs. is called "a share," but there is no limit to the number of
shares, nether ate the shareholders confined to sex, age, or locality ;
all are welcome, and the society is declared ta wind up at
the expiration of ten years, when, as the moaned,. Maths, each share
having paid GOL, willlbe worth 1007. or 1201. The popular inducement
held out is that persons holding shares may be enabled to purchase a
house, i.e., the society will advance a certain sum, in other words, be-
come the mortgagee ; but, obviously, that offers no greater advantage
than private Individuals who advertise to lend money on mortgage.
Another advantage proclaimed is, that a subscriber may withdraw his
money when he pleat's; but onexamining that point, I found it meant
that be may sell his "share or shorts," but to whom, or at what
rice, mug depend upon the good or bad reputation the society may
hem at the time. The management is under direcors, self-elected, of
coarse, at the commencement, and consist of persons in trade, but
let of a grade that ea' be expected to work without being paid directly
or Indirectly ; also, a paid secretary, solicitor, and surveyor; the funds
of the eoeif•ty to belent on mortgage on finished or unfinished houses ;
and from the. application of the subscriptions the shares are to he
daub:est in value at the end of ten years, at least so says theprospectus,
yet cowman sense tells us that it requires fourteen years at an interest
of live per cent. to double capital ; whilst the capital in this case tato
be paid up only at the rate of ten per sent-, finishing on the day the
society is to expire. Surely these promises are enough to stamp the
character of the concerns ; and it is not too much to presume that some
et the active promoters must be interested either ass mateur or pro-
fes•-innal builders. requiring mortgagees (or somethingworse), who in
the character of directors employ their own surveyor to value the pro-
Terty they propose to mortgage. Really, sir, experience tells as such
things are hazardous in the extreme, and as a plea is raised that these
societies are formed to encourage the habit of saving in the lower and
middle classes, It will be a public benefit to contrast these mushroom
arrieties sith the Savings Ranks, where the prudent, with " govern-
ment w curie!" may deposit their monthly 10s. Cr 101., and receive it
back at any or at ail times with interest.—Yours, M. J.
EXTENSION OF TILE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH--
The Eastern Counties have, we understand, intimated their
intention of carrying out an important extension of their
electric telegraph to the Royal Exchange and Lloyd's, by
which instantaneous communication will be obtained with
Liverpool. The company's engineer is now engaged com-
pleting
the electric wires along the Eastern Counties branch
lines from Ely, Peterborough, Stamford, Syston, to Derby,
and thence to Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool.
The wires will be conducted to the Royal Exchange from
the Shoreditch station, in pipes under the streets, similar to
the gas pipes, proofing posts being erected in various parts, in
order to detect any inaccuracies that may occur in the work-
ing of the telegraph. Contemplating the extraordinary
results of the electric telegraph, it must strike the minds of
all who consider the matter that a point ought to be chosen
near the Liverpool Exchange, for the purpose of instanta-
neous communication with all parts of the kingdom. It
matters little whether the wires be placed over buildings or
in pipes under the street, but the converging point ought to
be near the Exchange. Exchange-court has been spoken of
es the point most convenient for the purpose.—Liverpool
Courier.
A Coln CffnlsTENlNG.—After another cold in-
terval, a wheezy little pew-opener afflicted with an asthma,
appropriate to the churchyard, if not to the church, sum-
tanned them to the font. Here they waited some little time
while the marriage party enrolled themselves; and mean-
while the wheezy little pew-opener—partly in consequence
ofher infirmity, and partly that the marriage party might
not foreet her—went about the building coughing like a
grampus. Presently the clerk (the only cheerful-looking
object there, and he was an undertaker) came up with
a jug of warm water, and said something, as he poured
it
~i,T.lto the font, about taking the chill off; which
of gallons boiling hot could not have done
for the occasion. Then the clergyman, an enviable