The Express.
London, England, 1848-10-19 00:00:00

brilliant military operations in British India, were disposed
of under the hammer of Messrs. Debenham and Starr. The
chief attraction was a sideboard ornament of silver, weighing
864 minors, which was presented to General Lake by the
officers who Reeved under his command during the war in
India, in 1603, and which we have already adverted to: it was
knocked down 2081. 161. An oval tea tray, of elaborate
workmanship, weighing upwards of 234 ounces, was sold for
721. 6s. ; and an antique tea kettle, chased in landscapes,
with sporting st.bjacts on a pierced stand, formed
of wreaths of Cowers, birds, and masque centres,
with lamp, weighing 6305. Bdwt., fetched 241. A caries'
military trophy, in gong-metal, in the form of a fuls, wish
appendage', which was presented to Gen. Lake, with the
title of Prince of Delhi. by Shah Auluin, Bmpern of Delhi,
was dispo est of for 121. Of the picture! Gainsbarough's
portrait of George IV., then Prince of Wales, fetched the
highest price, viz., 39guineas. Sir Godfrey Kneller's por-
trait of the first Lord Lakes mother realised no more than
five guineas. The sale of the Min, court dresses, and uni-
forms concluded this curious auction.

TIIE ALLEGED BREACR OF PROMISE CASE IS THE
BLOOMSBURY COUNTY COUILT.—In Tuesday's impression
we copied from the Sunday papers a report of a ease, said to
byre occurred in the Bloomsbury County Court, headed—
" Breech
of Promise of Marriage—Elliot eadade."—lt tarns
out that the report is a fabrication.
RAILWAY TRANSIT FOR TUE MILLION.—The
number rat pauengers who travelled by rail during the lest
half-year, 26,330,492, comprehends a raiway ride for every
woman, and child in England, Scotland, and Ire'and.
It is colculated that within the next five years there will be
upward' of 10,000 tri!es of railway open in Great Britain,
which will rise tiermanent employment, at good wages. to
upwards of 140,000 person., representing about 700,000 of
the gross population, taking fly. to a family.—Brodford
Observer,_ _ _

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TG6 NEW:IPAPER PREB9.—No clue of literature
was undergoing a greater change during the middle put of
the reign of Gomm ill. than the periodical press, which
wu especially effecte t by the revolutions in political and
moral feelings which characterised the age preceding, as well
as that which (oilseed, the bursting cut of the Fenzel revo-
lution. The newspapers which bad varied but little in sp•
pearance hem the beginning of the century to the earlier
part of George's reign, now appear with new tiffs!, and pre-
sent themselves in a much enlarged and altered form. From
an estimate given in the European Magazine for October
1791, we learn that, while in 1724 only three daily, six
weekly, and ten evening peen three times a week were
published in England, in 1,92 there were published in Lcn-
don thirteen daily, twenty evening, and nine weekly papers,
best lee seventy country papers, and fourt. en in Scotland.
Among these we re.cognue the names of the principal daily
pipers of the present day. The Morning Chronicle was
established in the year 1770, the Morning Post in 1772, and
the Morning Herald in 1780; and they were fo lowed
by the Times in 1768. They began, in accordance
with the depraved taste as well so manners of that age, with
courting popularity by detailing largely the most indelicate
private scandal, and wish coarse libels on public as well as
private characters—things for which the Po.-t enjoyed a
special celebrity. The Chronicle was from the &et the
organ of the whip; the Post was at first a violent 2,rgia of
toryism ; it subsequently became revolutionary in its prin-
ciples, and then returned to its original politics ; tho Herald
also has not been uniform in politic from its commencement.
Of seven new msgszines which were started from 1769 to
1771—the Town and Country Magazine, the Covent Garden
Magazine, the Matrimonial Magazine, the Macaroni Ma-
gazine, the Sentimental Magazine, the Westminster Maga
wic, and the Orford Magazine—two at least were ebeene
publications ; and the feeling of the time allowed the dtles
of the lit cations plat, s which illustrated them and of the
articles they contained to be advertised mont,dy in the most
respectable newspapers, in words which left no doubt of their
character. The others gave insertion to a mass of scandal
that ought to have been offensive to public morality. After
a few year', society seems to have resented the outrage ; the
newspapers became less ',Undone, and the offensive maga-
xines dissppear4.4l.—Wright's England under the House of
Hanover. . _

IRE.—ADJOINING THE PRINCESS'S THEATRE.—
Y,sterday afternoon a fire commenced in the upper &sor of
a range of shops in the joint occupation of Mr. B 'one, cabi-
net maker ; Mr. Consuming, a ; Mr. Pope, a cabinet-
maker; Mr. Waterman, a builder; Mosses. Cottam and
Hellen, the extensive ironfounders and engineers; and
Megan. Hutchinson and Brown, coach painters and builders,
No. 3, Winsley-street. The flames when first discovered,
were raging furiously in Mr. Boone's workshops, and bet
few minutes elapsed before the place was wrapped in fire,
from whence the work of destruction extended to the pre-
mises occu..ied by Mr. Cummins and Mr. Pepe. The en-
gines from Wells-street, King.strest, and other brigade sta-
tions, promptly attended, an.; no time was lost in setting
them to work; but the firemen, in spite of their utmost
exertions, were unable to confine the flames to those portions
of the premises just named, and in • very few minutes after-
wards a large store filled will ember, belonging to Mr. Water-
man also became ignited, as well as a range of workshops.
Other engines of the County, London, and West of Eng-
land establishments, arrived in rapid suceemicn, but not-
withstanding this powerful force the flames continued to
travel with equal violence, firing two of the houses in
' Castle-street hut, and ascended so high that the heat eau-
illy cracked same of the slates on the roof of the theatre.
The firemen, by conveying the hoes up the staircases and
mounting the roof of the theatre, at length got poneinion
over the destructive element, but not until the workshops of
Mr. Boone were totally destroyed, the contents consumed;
the premises of Mr. Cummins and Mr. Pope were also
burned down ; a spacious store house of Mr. Waterman as
well u his workshops, were likewise destroyed. The Wat-
ling-street engine in proceeding to the fire, met with an
aceldent, which was nearly attended with fatal cou.equencis
to Mr. Superintendent Brentwood and numerous firemen.
The driver in pulling the horses up opposite St. Clement's-
church, to avoid running into a cab, caused the horses to
fall, and the engioe immediately overturned. Fortunately
only one of the men was injured, and he not seriously.
INQUEST, YESTERDAY.—A MAN KILLED BY A
Henan.—DEATH Or RIB WIFII now Galan. By Mr.
Bedford, at the Westminster Hospital, on the body of Wm.
Lacher, aged 47, who was killed as follows: On Friday last
he was cleaning a horse belonging to Mr. Connett, of Ro-
chester-row, when the animal kiekod him in a meet dreadful
manner over the face, which rendered him quite insensible,
and he was conveyed to the Westminster Hospital. He
had every thing that was possible done for him, but the in-
flammation of the windpipe produced pneumonia, of which
he died on Saturlay, but he had the larynx opened to pre-
vent suffocation on Wednesday. His wife suff-red 60 much
from grief at his death that she herself expired on Monday.
Verdict, " Accidental death '