The Express.
London, England, 1847-03-01 00:00:00

MARYLEBONE VESTRY.

IlEsincrioN.—Shortly after the Rev. Dr. Spry
had taken the chair, Mr. Efolgkinson, a guardian, entered
the vestry-room, and begged a temporary suspension of the
business, to enable him to communicate to the board some
important information respecting the state of the poor of the
parish. He said that there were 860 men in the workhouse-
yard at that moment imploring fcr bread, without obtaining
any relief, or the prospect of it, as there was no work for
them. Unless immediate steps were taken to give them food,
he could not answer for the result. Mr. Glazier denounced
the conduct of the guardians in allowing 800 to starve, as
being outr.igeous and scandalous in the extreme.—Mr. Raw-
linson (magistrate): If there are 800 of our fellow-
creatures starving, why not adjourn this meeting instanter,
and let the guardians assemble and devise measures
to relieve them ?—Mr. Michel: Of the 22,000 lately
relieved in the workhouse, a vast majority were impostors.—
Mr. O. Daniell: It was lately resolved to abolish the labour
test, and to afford insistence to every applicant deserving
relief. If that resolution were acted upon, such a frightful
statement as had been just made would not have come be-
, fore them. Every poor person ought to obtain instant
relief. The guardians having promised to inquire into the
statement, and Mr. Skase, the surveyor, having guaranteed
to provide all the able-bodied with work, the segect was
dropped.
Hens NT'iI.PARK RAILWAY.—Sir Benjamin Hall informed
the 'every that government would not allow the railway to
run through the Regent's-park, and that it would protect
the property of that neighbourhood from being injured by it,
ea its course would be directed as far nortii as possible el the
park.

IRISH WASTE LAND IMPROVEMENT
COMPANY.

A half-yearly meeting of this company was held
on Saturday at the King's Head Tavern, Poultry. There
was a very thin attendance of shareholders, and after wait-
ing three quarters of an hour beyond the time appointed,
the Chairman (the Earl of Devon), said that although there
was not a sufficient number present to oonstit tate a legal
meeting, he saw no reason why the shareholders present
should not hear the report which had been prepared for their
information by Col. Robinson, although they could take no
measures upon it.
Col. Horst sox accordingly read the report. Early in
March last, in the apprehension of scarcity, circulars! had
been addressed to the stewards of the estates directing them
to call the tenants together, and urge them to cultivate other
crops, and not to rely on the potato, as • failure in that
crop would otherwise entail starvation upon them, No large
an amount of the seed being dimased, and it being impossi-
ble to tell the good from the bad. Instructions were also
given to the stewards to supply seeds of various descriptions
on loan, to all the tenants who would sow them properly.
He (Col. It.), visited the estates in April, and tried every pos-
sible means that the greatest anxiety could congest to persuade
the tenants to cultivate other crops rather than the potato,
but so great was the partiality of the Connaught till
for potatoes, and so accustomed were they to them as
their staple article of food, that all his exertions and labour&
had met with but limited success ; the new tenants clung to
the beaten tack, and would grow little else, while the older
ones followed the advice given them. Various works for
the improvemeat of the estates had been laid out; the farm
offices had also been erected for the convenience of the to-
tants, several of whom were industrious during the summer
months. The yearly returns had hitherto shown the in-
crease of the tenant.' crops; but in August the potato blight
spread its effect over every district. Going then on his an-
neal tour, he found the people in an apathetic state of despmrs
from which it was impossible to arouse them. Assisted by
competent persons, he examined, in the course of the two
succeeding months, upwards of 700 potato fields, and found
that nearly all the new tenants hod lost from one-fifth to the
whole of their crops, and that there was an alarming defi-
ciency of food; while those who had adopted the advice
given to them, were in good condition, and had realised
large profits. He then called on the !teemed'
to suggest some system of reclamation and cul-
tivation which, according to their practical experi-
ences, would be best adapted to their particular
class of land. A brief address to tbo tenants was printed
and circulated describing the.dangers of their situation ; and
seeds of all useful kinds were offered on liberal term, to all
who would properly cultivate their land. Early in October
the seed, were supplied to them ; a small quantity of Indian
corn was also purchased, and it was to be regretted that a
larger quantity could not be obtained, as a great amount of
distress might thereby have been prevented. While the
prices of provisions remained moderate, many of the tenants
hail laid by some small sums to pay their rents; but after-
wards it was impossible to carry out to the silt' htest extent
that salutary arrangement; and he thought that he would
not have been fulfilling the objects of the society if he had
pressed hardly on men who were in general so orderly and
industrious. At the present time the society was ir,'
employment to 200 men, besides women and children ; 44
supporting about 000. The total population of the cites'
amounted to 3,000, none of whom were in the workhouse •
the gaol; the aged and the helpless being supported by p •
vat. charity. There was every reason to expect that a
greater number of acres of well prepared land would be
brought into cultivation in the present, than in MI
preceding, year ; and that the famine, with all its
calamity, would result in advantage to the tenant..
The usual annual prizes for the encouragement of the teams?.

were distributed tut autumn, in the presence of many gui-
ldsman, who remarked with pleasure the increased number
of conpetitore and their general improvement; and prism
would also he awarded in the present year. Several applica-
tions had been received from persons desirous of becoming
tenants, but they had not been encouraged to take land until
they had capital to provide fOr their families. Treaties had
been entered into fur several additional tracts of wane land
is Ireland ; and one tract had been selected for an extension
of the company's operatiens if deemed expedient.
The report concluded with a detailed statement of the
Condition of the various districts, of which the following are
the principal features. In Ballinakil 17 new tenants had
lest their entire crops ; the remainder had lost from 25 per
cent. upwards ; and the average lows of the whole number
was 75 per cent., being in value from 360/. to 11W!. For
some months several tenants would not work in their farms,
and it required very vigorous measures and exertion to
being them to a just sense of their own situation and duties.
In Gleneaske there had been an average lose of 90 per cent.
ox the potato crop ; area it would require 1,9601. to supply
it. An effort had beta made by some tenants to ishtain con-
tinued support without continued work, but the remainder
were progressing very satisfactorily.
In Kilkerrin the crops of twenty tenants hail totally failed,
and they were wholly without fond. The remainder
of the crops varied in Ins, from eighty to ninety per
cent. Several persons having expressed a desire to know the
method of cultivation pursued fir the successful crops,
without offering any opinion u to its general efficacy, he
explained that the soil producing those crops was undmined,
mane, shallow, peaty bog, or rough peaty mountain, vary-
ing from very wet to to arty dry, with is sub-stratum of
granite thrown up with narrow lan, beds or ridges, manured
with a very thin top deeming of sea weed spread on the
amlug surface, over which was placed a layer of about an
inch of coral (nullipora pulymorphe, or nullipore, the coral
of fishermen) dredged in the adjoining hay in six fathoms
of water, free from broken shells or other extraneous matter,
and differing considerably from the ordinary shells or (viral
sands thrown up on the western coast of Ireland, planted
/ early in the sprits( with " lumpers," rattlers." an 1
r, reps". The system was the same as bad malted in ex-
tensive failures in other soils.
The report having bean read, the CHAIRIII.N, in answer
to a question from a proprietor as to whether the directors
contemplated obtaining powers from parliament t,, purchase
• Instead of renting the land, acid that they conceived such a
measure to be very beneficial, and would take the subject
itao consideration. The meeting not being competent to
tranuct any of the business which remained to be brought
fareded, adjourned offer some further conversation.

THE NORFOLK ESTUARY COMPANY.—The first
half-yearly meeting of the shareholders and directors of this
company was Neld on Saturday, at the British Hotel, Cock-
spur-street, Le.--1 George Bentinck, M.P., in the chair.
After making a statement relative to the accounts of the com-
pany, his lordship inte-med the meeting that the engineer,
Bir J. Rennie, had very liner illy consented to a reduction of
one-fourth of his account, and that their other claimants
had consented to a reduction of one-fifth in the sums due to
them, which he could not but regard as very liberal con-
duct on their part. These reductions. left 9,450/. as the
whole sum due; and his lordship stated that a all upon the
shareholders of Is. or Is. 6d. per share would be quite sufti.
find to meet all the exigencies of the osspany.
Owing to the present state of the money marker, the
directors had come to the determination not to take any
farther steps until the next half-yearly meeting, to be
bald in the month of August next, unless anything should
occur in the meantime which might render it expedient for
them to Call a special meeting. He regretted to have to an-
nounce that the corporation of Lynn had imposed some
restrictions upon this company, which restrictions they did
not at present appear disposed to remove. The noble lord
then read the report of the directors, which was very brief,
and contained no fact of importance that his lordship had not
stated in his speech. He afterwards read the statement of
accounts, by whiih it appeared that the exposers up to
February of 1847 included, among others, the following
Items: to the engineer, 8,1891. ; to the parliamentary agent,
1,329/. ; to the solicitor, 4,222/. ; and for printing, naps,
it, 514/. On the other side it appeared that the sum paid
in on deposits, &c., was 25,1501. A very protracted discus-
sion followed', chiefly from the misunderstanding of
certain points in the repsort ; several amendments and resolu-
tions were proposed, but they were eventually withdrawn,
and finally the meeting unanimously agreed to the adop-
tion of the report. After thanks had been voted to the
chairman and board of directors the meeting sepal:ital.
Da. CRONIN BAILED AT JUDGE'S CHAMBERS.—OH
Friday Dr. Denis Cronin was brought in custody, by
writ of habeas, to the Judge's Chambers. Rolls-gardens,
Chancery-lane, to make application to Mr. Baron Parke, the
sitting judge, to be allowed to put in bail for his appearance
at the next general sessions at the Central Criminal Court,
to stand his trial fur the manslaughter of Miss Sarah Ellen
Collyer, by having caused to be administered to her a
poisonous dose of prussic acid, in the bitter almond water
which he had prescribed for her. Mr. Baron Parke accepted
bail for Dr. Cronin,—the doctor himself in the sum of 804.
and his friends, Dr. Venable, and Mr. Harding, in the sum
of 401. each. Dr. Cronin was then discharged.
Amongst the measures adopted for the ex-
tirpation of banditti, was the establishment of the
guarding ririles, • species of gendarmerie, dressed upon
the French model, and who, front their stations in
towns, patrol the roads and wander about the country
in the same prying and important style observable amongst
their brethren of the cocked hat north of the Pyrenees.
Spaniards have a sneaking regard for bold robber., whom
they look upon as half-brothers of the contrabandist—Ova
popular hero of the peninsula; they have also an innate
dislike of policemen, and • still stronger one for every thing
French. They have bestowed upon the Frenchified guardias
the appellations of polizones,—• word borrowed from their
neighbours,—and of kens de Luis Felipe, sons of Louis
Philippe. " Spaniards, saith Richard Ford, " are full of
dry humour ; he might hare added, and of sharp wit.
Nothing escape' them : they are ever reedy with • sarcasm
oa public men and passing events, and when offended, es-
pecially when their pride is hurt, they become savage in
their satire. When it was attempted to force Count Tre-
plug upon Spain as a husband for the Queen, the indigna-
tion of the people burst out in innumerable jokes and cur-
rent allusions, anything but Nattering to the Neapolitan
prince. Ever7thing filthy and disgusting received his name,
In the Madrid codre-houses, when a dirty table was to be
wiped, the cry was invariably for a Trapani, instead of a
frapo, the Fp atilt word fur a dishclout or rag used for the
most unclean purposes. Since then, the Duke of Mont-
pensier has come in for his share of insulting jests. The
Madrileune got an unfounded notion that he was short-
sighted, and made the most of it. At a bull-fight where
one of the bulls showed the white feather, and ran from the
picador, " The crowd instantly exclaimed, ' Fuera el lora
Monpeaseer ! Freres Monpenseer ! Turn him out!' They
used to call every lame dog and donkey a Trap:mai; and
now every blind aninvil is sure to be christened a Mon-
penseer. '—Blaclitcovers Maginioe,
- •

ACClDENT.—Yesterday, an accident occurred in the
Camberwell-road to a rirty on a pleasure excursion to
Norwood. It consisted of bre individuals, who were pro-
ceeding in a small chaitetart. One of the wheels by some
means coming off, two young men of the party were vio-
lently thrown into the road, and much injured; a third
being caught in the seat strap was dragged along the road
some distanee, and much injured; the horse having taken
fright, and only stopping when in contact with an omnibus.
The two first mentioned individuals were severely wounded,
and one of them, having his arm broken, was conveyed to
St. Thomas's Hospital.
FlltE.—On Saturday, at No. 9, Ward's-buildings,
Woodstock-street, Paddington-street, Marylehone, by who-h
an aged female, named Mary George, loot her life. Mrs.
George, 70 years of age, occupied the second-floor front room,
the floor above being occupied by a man named Ryan, his
wife, and seven children. About a quarter-past twelve,
Ryan was awoke by a sense of suffocation, and on rising
found his room full of smoke. I hiving secured the safety of
his family, he proceeded to the deceased's apartment, which
he found in flames, rapidly extending upwards. He raised
so alarm, and the engines were speedily on the spot, and got
to play. The flames being subdtud, the deceased's apart-
ment was entered, when her body was discovered lying hud-
dled up on the floor, literally burnt to a cinder. It was I
placed in a shell and conveyed to Marylebone workhouse.
The deceased was very eccentric in her habit., and on a
table in the room, not destroyed, was found two or three
bushels of old bones, and a quantity of half-crowns and other
money, tied in an old rag.

INCIrESTS, SAITRDAY.—ALLEGED CIIILD MURDER.
—By Mr. Payne, at the Three Nuns Tavern, Aldgate, on
Mew of the body of a fine full grown newly-bons male
infant, name unknown. in. Baker, No. 1, Carter-place,
Rate Jiff, said, that on Thursday evening, about seven
o'clock. he was in' the Crescent, in the Minories, when he
taw a parcel on the sill of the Seamen's Register Office. He
Bled a policeman, who found the contents to be the de-
ceased, who was wrapped in a piece of flannel and a strip of
black cloth. The policeman teak po.session of it.
Ball, a surgeon, had made a post Markin examination
of the body, and from the state of the right lung, he was of
opinion that' the deceased had breathed. Ile had
known infanta to live hours without the lungs being
completely inflated. Verdict, " Found dead."—AL-
LEOZD CHILD MISHDER.—By Mr. W. Carter, at the
Rose, Russell street, Bermondsey, on the body of a fine
male child, which was supposed to havebeen murdered. On
Wednesday last, as a shipwright was at work on • vessel at
the Rut-lane tier, Bermondsey, he observed the body of a
child to rise np from under a floating stage attached to the
side of the ship. He got it out, and found it was the body
of a full-grown male child, quite naked, and very much de-
composed, having been in the water some time. Mr. Per-
raison, a surgeon, who had examined the body, said he
fond no external marks of violence ; the child appeared to
bare been horn about a fortnight. The longs were filled,
and the child had breathed ; they also floated in water. He
thought the child had breathed after the birth, but it was
difficult to my accurately. The jury returned a verdict that
the deceased wan found dead, but they had no sufficient
"'at" an to the cause of it.--SeDDEN DEATH.—Before
Mr. Bedford, at the King's Head, Kniehtsbridge, on the
body of Richard Owens, aged 38, private in the Royal
Rome Guards, blue. On Thursday night the deceased was
theist without leave from the Hyde-park barracks, where
Ms troop was quartered. The next morning, at 6 o'clock,
he rationed to the barracks, cleaned his horse, and went into
the riding school for the usual morning drill. After the
Creep had halted to later the ride to sit at ewe," he dis-
mounted, and was unable to ride any longer. Cornet and
itAine.master Brunt, seeing him ill, immediately sent him
to Ike barrack hospital. The regimental surgeon was in
'natant attendance, but in less than half an hour the de-
„ecmcd bade farewell to his comrades, and died. Mr.
.olliver, the surgeon, made a post marten; examination,
and found the cause of death to be bronehais. Exposure to
the cold. on the night he was absent, had probably
hutemed his death. Verdict, " Natural death."