The Express.
London, England, 1848-08-07 00:00:00

Ebt Teurt.

OSBORNE, SATURDAY.—The Duchess of Nemours
arrived at Osborne ea a visit to the Queen on Thu...jay,
and returned to Ulitrernot.t this furehoun._

The Marquis and Marchioness of Abercorn, and
Lord John Russell arrived at Osborne this afternoon to re-
main for a day or two.
SUN DAT.—Her Majesty, the Prince (attended by
the Royal Household), the Marquis and Marchiont as of
Abercorn, and Lord John Russell attended divms service at
Whippineham chm ch this forenoon. The royal dinner psrty
yest-relay included Lord John Russell, the Marquis and
Marchioness of Abarct.rn, and Sir James Clark.
On Saturday commences were nom d from the
Privy Ccuncil-office to the Cabinet Ministers and the °dicers
of State to attend a Privy Council on Frid ov next, at htr
Majesty's marine residence, (Morrie, Isle of Wight.
The Duke of Cambridge honoured the performance
at her Majesty's Theatre on Saturday evening with his
presence.

A deputation from the borough of Wakefield, con-
sisting ot hhi Worship the Mayor, Mr. Alderman Mel nell,
and the 'Dawn Clerk, had en interview with Sir U. y on
Saturday, at the II ane-otlice.
.Mr. J. Wood, chairman of the Excise, had an inter-
view with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on Satially, at
his lifficialresidence in Downing-street.
Despatches were sent off on Saturday evening front
the Colonial-office for the Governor of Gibraltar.

The Duke of Buckingham had an interview on
Saturday with Sir G. Grey.
The Duke of NVellinirioa attended the early service
yesterday, in the Chapel lt,yal, bt.
The Baroness d'Eichsthal and attendant,', Colonel
Bentinck and family, and Major Smith and family le It
London en Saturday morning by tta,: General Stea'u Navigation
Company's mad steam ship Ocean, fur Rotterdam, en route
to the Rhine.

THE END OF THE SE...MON.—Oa Saturday C'er
Speaker gave to the officers of the House of Cemirone his
customary dinner prior to the prorogation of par:iiment.
The annual white bait ministerial dinner at Greenwich—
also indiestive of the close of the session—is fixed for Sew.
day, the 19th inst., and the prorogation by the Queen in
person will take piece in the following week. The precise
dev will, doubtleas be fixed by the Privy Council to be held
at Osborne on Friday next.
PUBLIC HEALTH BILL.--Lord John Russell has
signified his intention to propose (to.i.ight) that the Con.
mons shall assent to some of the amendments ma le by the
Lords in the bill fisr promoting the public health, and that
they should dissent from others. We believe that the more
important and censiderable of the Leslie' a.uendmenta
will he agreed to by the Commons. Many of the changes
recommended by the select committee of the Lords are most
useful and important. Although in oae or two instilment
their lordships have strained perhaps • little too far the
checks upon the abuse of local authority, yet upon the whole
the select committee has discharged its duty judiciously and
prudently, and with a praiseworthy and proper regard for
the interests of the poor against the meddliegs and the mm
nopolies of local jobbers. l'arties interested in the continu-
ance of profitable abuses are making a last struggle for their
selfish power in the lions, of Commons; but we trust that
the government will be firm in maintaining the eflieiency of
a measure for which the country is so much indebted to
them, and that honourable members who represent open
conntitueucieo will pay more regard to the health and clean-
line's of the public than to the pressing solicita.iens of in-
tweed contractors and water companies having a monopoly
to preserve.— Observer.
DUBLIN ELECTION COMMITTEE, SATURDAY.
The legal arguments re specting the pipe-water rate occupied
the sitting.
ARMING TIIE POLICE.—After the usual parochial
business of the Marylebone vestry bad been dispesed of on
Saturday the vestry clerk read a letter from Lod John
Russell's private secretary, in which his lord-hip declined
receiving a deputation from the delegates of the metropolitan
parishes, who were anxious to state their objections against
the proposed inert:seed rate for the support of the police, his
locdahip suggesting that the Home Secretary was the proper
person to be communicated with on the subject.—Mr. Garnet
waved the insertion upon the minutes otitis lordship's reply,
and dec'arid that the icereeie of the police rate and the
arming of that force hod created universal diteontent
throughout the country.—The motion having becu seconded,
Sir B. Hall, Bart., M.P., assured the vestry that be bail nut
the least hope of any le monstraece being successful. The
Secretary of State hod resolved upon having the rate, and
he would enrol c: it. Last night i.e (Sir B. Hall) had given
notice for the appeintment of a committee to inquire into the
mist of the police, which be would press forward cally next
session.—Lord Dudley Stuart also tie eight that it was uncon-
ititu•ional to arm tke police with cutlasses, and said that
their staves were ,ufficienily formidable weapons for them to
carry. He was happy, however, in being enabled to state
that Sir G. Grey assured him that the arming of tho police
with cutlasses would not be continued after the present
popular excitement wasover.—After a few observations from
Mr. Broughton, the magistrate, in defence of the poliee, the
motion was put and carried, and the vestry adjourns&
THE STRIKE OF ENOINE-DRIVERS ON TUE NORTII-
WESTERN ItAILWAT.—It appears that the cause of this pro-
ceeding does not arise from any dimatisfaction on the part of
the men with the rate of wages, but rather from a suspicion
that a new classification of payment to which they have re-
cently been subjected is intended to sikct their wages indi-
rectly, and to bring them in the mutter more completely
under the control of their superintendent. Tbcy desire to
be paid on what they call the old scale of remuneration,
under which a driver had 6s. per day for six !maths alter
ho had driven his engine for six months his paywes increased
to Go. 6d per day for the uext six m nths ; to 75. for the year
bellowing ; and afterwards he had an addisional 21. per day per
annum, until his wages amounted to ea per day. A fireman,
when he was promoted to the situation of driver, had bs. per
day for the first six months ; Go. per day Sir the following half.
year ; Gs. Bd. per day fur the next twelve months ; 7s. per
day when he had been a driver for two years, and then 2d.
per day per annum until his wages reached Bs. per day. The
new scale of classification and payment is SA follower —se
Special-clan, number limited to 20 drivers, at Ba. per day; I
first-class, limited to 40, at 7s. 6d. per day ; second class,
limitedto 30, at 7s. perday third-class, limited to 30, 6s. 61
per day ; fourth class, limited to 20, at Ss. Hi. per day.
There are 20 firemen at 45. per day ; 30 at 3s. 9 i per day ;
20 at 3s, 6d. per day; 30 at 3s. 31. per day; and 20 at Ss.
Per day. Jr is stated by the authorities that the previous

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, AUGUST 7, 1848.

average of an engine-driver's wages was 11. 18. 9d., and
that the average under the classified system is 21. Is. 9a. ;
and that the average wage. of the firemen have by it been
advanced from 19s. 9d. to IL 11. The men admit that the
average payment under the classified (new) system is
higher than it was immediately before the introduction
of such penises ; but they fear that the locomotive
superintendent may. by the dismissal of men from
the "special class," for alleged neglect or misconduct
reduce the prescribed number, twenty, to ten, or five, or one;
and that he may, at his discretion, reduce the prescribed
thirty of the " first cla•a" in the like praportion. Another
objection to the classified system is that it does away, in a
great degree, with the old practice of increasing the waltzes of
the men in proportion to the periods of their respective ser-
vices, and that a driver or a fireman may remain in the I .west
clams, sad receive the lowest pee, for years. Their superin-
tendent, on the contrary, awns that the system has been de
'bled an much for the benefit of the men them elves as for tt:e
proper working of the traffic. In the meantime the autho-
rities are taking steps to procure new drivers and firemen,
while the old hands, who are err), positive in their declara-
tions that a new body of of aent men cannot poesibly be
secured, eppear to he determined to quit the railway at the
terminstsin of their fortnight's notice. They had a meeting
on Friday, which is reported in a flundsy paper, at which
several statements were made, implicating the managers of
the matte iu charges of trusting the locomotives to incompe-
tent hands. As these were made quite ez parte, we decline
publishing them, in the hope that the ..flair might he amicably
settled. In its worst aspect, it appears to be nothing more
than a misunderstanding, by no means difficult sat being
cleared up.

THE CHARTISTS. KENNINGTON COMMON.—Yen-
terclay morn. g, nt 11 o'clock, a public meeting of the
chartists and Irish confederates war held at S•ruth Lon :on
Chartist Hall, Webber-street, Blackfriarwroad, for the pur-
pose of ad:trios measures to ameliorate the conditinu of the
peoele of Eugland, and else to consider the grievances of the
Irish people.—Mr. Nutt, the chairman, after souse other
persons bad Addressed the meeting, protected against decla-
mation. Mat they required as working-men was fair and
reasonable arguments to show the government that their
policy was wrong and unjust to the people. Declematinn
against the government only induced them to whip and spur
the people re they thought proper. The A't .nary-U• n: rat
said, on the trial of Ernest Jon. a, that all the chartists did
when they assembled was to declaim against the government.
They brought forward no reasonable propositions. Nave
lie (the chairman) thought if they would only bring
forward their grievances in a (air and reasonable manner
reelrens would necesnarily follow. It WPII the duty of
the legislators, a. governors of the nation, to lint' employment
for the labeiuring popelation.—One of the nenthers, wheeler
name was nut aanouuced, said that he entirely epponed the
view tau, by many pi e-ent, viz , that education wet the
most important question for discussion. He denied this.
Ile thought the question of feeding the people was the most
cenential arguincie, incatourh as it the peep:: were in • state
of starvati n they (rennet nut be educated. i Cheers.)—At the
close of the me rtit:e it was proposed ;hat the neat question
fur discussion should be, " ',there any amelozy betwe. n the
present free race of labourers and the 'laves of ancient
Greece." A Log and stormy dircenari:m here re-urd, when
at length It was proposed that the subject neat fur direr:lesion
started be "Thu educe:ion of the people," which was
carried. The meeting dispersed quietly.—Thi re wry
'o have been anorher "grand demonstration of clutch" a
and repealer' yesterday on Kennington-commun, to
snow government the amount of force those bodies could
muster. A demonntration DIA place, but n point of both
number and character the dieplay was even inferior to the
gatherings of previous ocossions. ''his may he accountei fur
by the tuts that the chartist leaders had advised their usual
rollowere riot to attend. Jeri that the commissioners of uo:
lice had issued no notice, prohibiting the riveting, 1. r it has
been found the, the bits placarded in reicrence to the ides
gait), of the former meetings have had the effect of drawing
a crowd to the common instead of keeping it away. At
half post two o'clock, the time at which it had been no-
uonneed the meeting was to commence huaielese, there were
not above 200 persona on the croiartroix this number gradually
increasing until it became perhaps doubled, amongst
them being a few policemen in uniform, and several
in plain clothes. The majority of the persons preheat
were mere eaters, evidently nuintivested enter r in chartisin
or repeal the vender" of ginger beer, apples:and cocoa neve
still forming as mean p mien of the assemblage. There
was nothing like a meeting liar any political purprree hi
nor even n attempt Towle to h^ld one, the only difference
in the usual aspect of the common b, ing that from time to
ti .ie .1 couple of min would 'tared together talking
out then a crowd of listeners would stand around them until
their convereetion was ended. Some amusement was treated
by a juvenile chartist, well kronen by his conatent attend-
ance at all the meetings, collecting a crowd of b ye around
him, and waking up and down the common, addressing
them on the nix point) of the charter. As tea time ape
preached the crowd gradually diminished, and Keimington-
common noon annum d its usual apoeartioce.
DEMI! OF SIR J. R. COLLETON, BART.—Sir James
Itimpell Collet:en' Bart. expired on Saturday at his town
residence. The dice seed baronet was born Dec. 2'2, 1783,
and succeeded on the death of his fuller, Sir J. Nues..o Col-
leton, in Jan. 1815. He was formerly in the army, in which
he obtained the rank of lir utenant-colonel. In Dec , 1819,
he married Miss Graves, third daughter of 'Hear-Admiral
Richard Graves, by whom, who died in 1831, he had a nu-
merous family. His eldest son, Frederick NIUMML, born in
August, 1822, succeeds to the baronetcy.

THE POTATO BLlcnt—The opinion is becoming
common that the settee, deseaae in not making peepers in
Ragland. Correspondents in Hampshire, Nunn Wales
Hens, Norfolk, Berke, and Somerset, express this belief:
founding it upon the small amount of damage whi-h in many
places the inhere have sustained. "We( Gardeners'e lirmmele)
hope they are right. It is impossible to say what may or
may not he true of so aeysterious a calamity, and therefore
e can only say that our own experience is unfuvourable to
the (minima. On the contrary, we see it making progress,
and we fear that. the unripe tubers, elthou th sound at pre-
rent, may become telmed • little later. The general es mre
toms are those of 18-13 and 1816, and not at all those of
1817 ; and the weather does not reassure us. As to the late
crop, so generally described as being safe, we moat ohaerve
that its time has not yet revived; and that, while we are
writing, a report his reached us that about Roby, in
Lancashire, the :ate crop is fast following the early.
This statement has been accompanied by potatoes diseased
exect'y as in 1815. la the meanwhile, we see no object in
enntinuine the reports upon the English crops. From Ire-
land our chi. f suers tome down to the 21th of July. In
the southern diaorion the crop seems to be what it was ; in
one place the failure is cella al partial, in another eat, naive, in
a third (Kilkeuuy)decided ; in one place stopped, in another
(Inistiogue) progressing; some of the Society of Friends
think the crop in the morph in a mere satisfactory state ; in
Ceuetry (Bellybee) the failure is very considerable.
In Skiblwreen ;he plants affected with blight were (July 24)
reported to be r. covering, which agrees with Lord Oran-
more's observations in Mayo. '1 he new potatoes over all she
southern dietrict are, upon the whole, described, as being
sound and cheap. To the northward the disease is appear
iog nose and there. In Meath it has become more
general though not serious (July 23). In Dublin county,
south, it is celled partial and unimportant ; Athlone re-
ports are not so cheering (July 22); suppewed to be extend.
mg in Ileatiford (Thum, July 22); has appeared in most
fields near Cestlerea (July 23); unequivocally appeared here
wad there neer Ballearebe, hut not by any means extensively
(July 22); ditto, Swinetard (July 22); very few instances,
crop excellent, Westport (July 22); crop thought safe in the
west of Galway (Clii2en, July V); nothing of any import-
ance in leo-common (July 22). The coups ire Antrim,
Londonderry, and Doyen, not far enough advanced far an
opinion (July 23), but wane reports .dl ma; about Retlimul
lan, on the shore of Lough S silly, a few eases, but of no
importance (July 21); L.dy p ;aloes of unusual excel-
lence. Against all this we have to set the very id Inn-
ing letter from Oranard, dated August 2 which aerseue
in another column, and ',bleb, considering the sound
judgment of Mr. Goodiff, must, we fear, be talon as a just
description of the cute of things in his neighbourhood,
which is in the county of Longford. When the potatoes are
blighted, the Irish growers tat em to think it best to let them
alone; and we agree with them. If the stalks are really
dead, it is as well to remove them, as some advise • hut we
never could discover any adv antage in it. To do so can,
however, do co harm; and a man may, perhaps, diminish
his epprohendons by the practice. At all events, it any
potatoes are formed, they ere best in the ground, where, if
they do not grow, they may ripen. If they have the ten-
dency to rot, <hey will do an in spite of any known precau-
tions. In the earth they will be cooler than in any other
place, and that is a great rent to gain. Moreover, if the
earth is trampled down tall it becomee hard, they are guarded
trim the access of air." In addition to this, we learn from
Belgium that the existence of the disea at is these spoken of
everywhere : thus much is certeet, it has appeared in several
fields, especially low wed damp grounds, but we have ninon
to hope that the, fears are exaggerated, as the prices continue
very low.
FREE EVENING SCHOOLS FOR ADULTS have been
established near Salithe Id with stacte.s, heaving b en pito
niud by the majeeity et' the bithams, the deny and nubility
resident in London. These institutions have beg founded
with a view to throw open to all classes of adults who have
been debarred them those facilities for moral and intellectual
eiucation which young persons in hurablo life now enjoy.
Trans Ov KhOWLEDGE.—The average price of
advertising in country papers of a limited circulatiou is 41.6 d.
to 53. The tax upon the former sum is 331 per cent. ; and
this tax mustbe paid monthly on all advertisements, althoegh
the price of many is never pad to the proprietor of the paper ;
and many more are paid only in current accounts of twelve-
months,
and often, probably, of two to three years. The
average charge. cif advertisements In the better class of pro-
vincial journals may be Gs. to Gs. 6d.; and the tax on the
gross profits e is, therefore, 23 per cent. But the difference
between the gross produce and the cash proceeds, far bad
debts alone, cannot be less th an 5 per cent. A prudent news-
paper proprietor will not set aside a less pry centage on this '
head. The payment of the tax monthly involves some la-s
of interest; and we are certain that, in tile strictest establish-
ment,' the duty must be paid, an au average of cases, four
months previous to rectivine payment for the advertisement.
The net coot of the duty is considerably increased by these
considerations. A provincial paper, with an average of 40
advertisements in each publication, pays 31. of duty for a
charge of el. But the aleductioa for bad debts is 0e; and
the interest for the outlay of money on that day's advertising
treeseetions is Is., making thus a tax of 31. on 81. 10.., or a
duty. considerably over one-third. In this case, as in that of
all sunder taxes, the weight of the duty rest: heaviest on the
weakest. The fatality of this tax antes from its being di-
rected mainly against cheap papers. It extinguishes the
hope of cheap papera; because the penny wends se .iwit the
journal, whether its cost be 61. or 3d. The Daily News
pays the same penny for stamping that is charged on the
Trines; cut the Noes Prils for 31., and the Tones for sd.
Wo believe that the proprietors of the Daily News will
readily allow that the taxes en the grow proceeds of their