The Express.
London, England, 1848-09-27 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL.

THE TEN Horn Btu: --On Friday Mears. Clarke,
cotton spinners, Manchester, appeared to a summons before
the meg istratea, obtained by Kr. Graham, factory inspector,
charging them with having worked young persons more
than 68 hours in one week. There were ten informations.
They had exceeded the time, it appeased, by about half an
hour, according to the evidence on one side, but Intnesen
on the other swore
.positively to treat exactitude in observing
the regulations of the Factories Ac' in this particular.
Messrs. Clarke,„ at the opening of the cue stated that they
had from the find impressed upon their overseer, Mr.
Dimond, the necesaity of keeping to the regulations, and
they threw the onus upon him of the present offence (tea
they are enabled to do in such cues under a clause of the
act), and ultimately the magistrates fined Dimond upon nine
eenvictions 20s. and cone in each case.
WHEN MAGISTRATES DISAGREE. The Leigh
(county) magistrates have decided, in a ease brought before
them several weeks past, the judgment in which was post-
poned till Monday, that the 10 hour *eery art was not
meant to prevent the relay system, by counting the hours of
young people, whether at work or not, from the opening of
the mill in the mcrning. This decision was given through
Mr. T. S. Greene, the chairman, who is alao a barrister, and
is the reverse of the decision• come to by the Manchester
and other magistrates.
FIRE IN NELSON-STREET, LIVERPOOL. Yester-
day morning a fire broke out in the large timber store at-
tached to the premises of Messrs. Rigby and Wright, timber
merchants and builders, Nihon-street, and so rapid was the
progress of conflagration, that In less than two hours the en-
tire store, together with its content., containing a quantity
of valuable timber, was entirely destroyed. Soon after the
discovery of the fire, several engines were on the spot, but in
consequence of the deficiency of the supply of water in the
mains, half an hour elapsed before the engines could be
brought to play upon the flames, which raged furiously, and
fur come time threatened to communicate with the extensive
worluhep attached to the premises. Fears were also for
some time entertains 1 for the safety of Dr. Raffles' chapel,
by which the timber-yard is bounded on the north, and it
was a fortunate circumstance that the wind was in a direction
favourable t confine the flames to the south of the chapel.
Three hours after the fire commenced it was partly got under,
but not before the whole of the timber in the 'tore was de-
stroyed. The store contained some of the finest descriptions
' of timber, in logs and planks, including mahogany, rose-
wood, and cak, and tho damage done is estimated at nearly
2,0001. The premises were insured.

TIIR WALTHAM AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION
held their anniversary meeting on Monday last. The Duke
of Rutland was present, accompanied by the Marquis of
Granby and Lord Charles Manners, M.P., 13ut, on the whole,
the assemblage was smaller than usual. The show of stock
was also lees in point of quantity than in former
years; so that altogether it would esem that this,
like some other meetings of the same description,
is on the decline. The sudden death of Lord George Ben-
deck (who two years ago was present at a large dinner given
at Waltham by the protectionists of the county to the liar-
quis of Granby) was the subject of general comment, and, in
tact, was as much talked about in the show- yard as the stock.
The dinner took place in the Agriteltural-ball, and was at-
tended by somewhat more than a hundred farmers. The
preliminary toasts did not elicit any remark worthy of note,
If we except a strong recommendation by the Rev. E. Gillett,
Vicar of Waltham, who, in responding to the toast of the
"Church," urged the farmers to lend their assistance towards
the education of the children of their labourers, as well
as to the improvement of the carcasses of cattle.—
The Duke of Rutland spoke at some length of Lord George
Bentinck's death, and in reference to his character said it
was almost unexampled for energy. In his recent exertions
as a legislator, he had shown the most indomitable perseve-
rance, having regularly for some time devoted 18 out of the
24 hours of each day to making himself matter of abstruse
,alculations in matters of finance.