The Express.
London, England, 1848-01-22 00:00:00

No. 26, Little Turner-street, Commercial-road, where she
remains with very little hopes of recovery. She stated to the
police that she was just dosing off to sleep when she heard a
man in the room, and et the same instant received • stab
upon her arm. Slut was raising herself up in bed, and
distinctly,' saw Mason before her, with a knife in his
hand,
hand, and he repeated the blow. and cut her *cross the
hand. She called out murder, and her grandchild *creamed
and clung to her. She was afraid that Mason would kill her
daughter's child, and covered it with the bedclothes. Mason
continued stabbing at her till As became insensible. In-
spector Forbes, of the H division, as soon as he heard of the
occurrence, placed constables in charge of the house, and
despatched two constables in pursuit of Mason, and it is
believed it will not be many hours before he is in custody.
In the course of the day the officers ascertained that Mason
had milled it his own lodgings, 9, Felizatreet, Hackney-
road, at an early hour yesterday morning, and after cbangiag
his coat went out again. The coat he left behind him was
seized by the police: there are stains of blood upon it.
INQUESTS, YESTERDAT.—ACCIDENT ON TIIE BLACK-
L RAILWAY.—Before Mr. Baker, at the London Hoe
pitel, respecting the death of W. Rutherford, aged 37, a
guard in the employ of the Blackwell Railway company.
Oa Tuesday evening last, the deceased left the West India-
dock station, with the quarter-past seven o'clock carriage.
On reaching the Minories, the deceased passed the place
where he usually unhooked the rope, and the carriage pro.
ceeded to the end of the line. The deceased was unable to
let go the "grip" before the carriage struck the " drum," a
wheel which elude the rope, and the deceased, who was in
front of the carriage, wag knocked to the ground by the
force of the collieion. He was dragged along the grassed a
distance of 14 feet, and when picked up he was in a state of
insensibility. The carriage in front was, literally smashed,
and a portion of the iron work entered the ground, and
stopped the carriage. The deceased was removed to the
shove hospital, where it wee found that he had received is
fracture of the skull, and several other severe injuries. lie
lingered until the following Thursday, when h: expired.—
Mr. Wightmen, the superintendent of the company, said the
deceased ought to have unhooked the grip 200 yards from
the statior., and he had no doubt the occurrence was purely
accidental. The jury returned a verdict to that effect.--.-
SUICIDE. OF A Sot iciroa.—Befere Mr. C. J. Carttar, at
the Green Man, Plumstead, on the body of Mr. James Fyfe,
who committed suicide on the bank of the River Themes,
near the Practice Range of the Royal Arsenal. On Thursday
morning a labouring man, who was ;lamina along the bank
of the rarer at a spot known es " Tripoock 'frees," discovered
the body of the deceased lying on the Manor the river. By
his left hand wee a pistol leaded with powder and two bul-
lets, and in his other hand was another pistol which had been
recently discharged. The ball had passed through hie skull,
and must have caused instantaneous death. The deed had
evidently been contemplated—his body falling into the river.
In his pocket were found four bullets and a flask of gun-
pawder. Evidence was adduced to how that the deceased
was the son of a gentleman of independent property residing
at Itamegate, and had been articled to Mr. Cullen, a solicitor
resioing at Canterbury, who has chambers also at 67, High-
street, Popler. The only motive which could be assigned tv
his destroying himself was, that the deceased appeared to be
labouring under an idea that he should never succeed in hie
profession. He left home on Wednesday evening, and after
posting a parcel at the terminus of the South Eastern Rail-
way came down to Woolwich, and must have wandered
down the marshes till he reached the spot where he destroyed
himself. The jury returned a verdict of "Temporary
insanity."

THE COMPANIES OF LONDON.
No. I.—TSE Me:ROI/01T TAILORS.
Not many years have elapsed since a war of news-
paper correspondents raged in the public press as to the pro-
priety of substituting Merchant Taylors with a y for Mer-
chant Tailors with an i. Most stout and tenacious were the
advocates of the y in pressing the superior gentility of that
orthography. It was contended that there were not half a
dozen " tailors" in the entire fraternity ; but, as an astute
commentator has observed, if this he the fact, it only shows
how widely the company has deviated from the original pur-
pose of its institution.
The ancient Society of Taylors and Linen Armourers of
the City of London are ststed. by Stow to have received a
license front Edward I. as far back as 1300. Although, how-
ever, there seems to be evidence that such license did exist,
no direct record of it remains on the books of the company,
nor does it appear to have been enrolled. Their first
known charter is dated Ist Edward 111., and it
allows them, by the title above recited, to hold
their guild, with its 'serious customs, as they had been imam.
morially accustomed. This charter was confirmed by various
successive monarchs, some of whom added to the company's
privileges. In the reign of Henry VII., however, the com-
pany obtained their greatest advancement, for that monarch,
on the instigation, as Cavendish says, of Sir Wrn. Fitz-
william, one of the company, becoming a member thereof,
he, " for his greater honour," as Maitland declares, " did re-'
incorporate the same by name of the Master and Wardesel
of the Merchant Tailors of the Fratemity of St John the
Baptist." The company shortly after te ok out their present
arms which are argent, a tent royal bet, eon two parliament
robes (indicative of the original company having been manu-
facturers of pavilions and robes of state, garnistiers and har-
neesers they may have been called), with, on a chief azure, a
lion of England. Crest, a holy lamb, showing the associa-
tion of the company with St. John the Baptist, their patron
saint. Motto, " Concordia parm res cr•scunt."
In the time of Henry VIII., the Livery of the Company of
Merchant Tailors numbered 97 only; Annie con-ists of nearly
400 individuals. The fine for admios on to the company
varied at different periods. It was 51. in 1608; 131. in
1708; 36/. in 1810, and at present is abo it 851. The govern-
ment of the company consists of a master, four wardens, and
forty members on the court of assistants.
The principal power conceded to the Merchant Tailors
under the charter granted by King Henry has reference to
the trade of which the society were the representatives.
The King granted that the muter and •vardens might exer-
cise full right of survey and search within the City and
uhurbs over all persons belonging to the fraternity, or exer-
cising its mysteries, as also over nati.es, strangers, or fo
reigners, as well in the making, cutting, and working of
men's apparel, as howsoever otherwise using or exercieing
the said mysteries within the City and suburbs, with
the correction and punishment of all offenders among them in
matters of the said trade, so for as is needful for the benefit
and advantage of the King's liege people and consonant with
the law of England, and the ordinances, statutes, and
customs of the City of London. The charter further pro-
vides that no person shall use the said art or mystery unless
first admitted or authorised by the guild ; and that no right
of search shall be exercised over the traders within the City or
liberties, or their goods, or wares, except by the muter and
wardens of the company.
This " right of search" appears to have been considered one
of the most important privileges of the company, and, in the
early periods of their history,to have been very strictly enforced.
The master and wardens appear for a long course of years to
have attended at Bartholomew-fair, with the officers of the
company carrying a "silver yard," or standard measure,
with which they tested the fairness of the salesmen's
rules. Cloth at one period was the principal article
sold at Bartholomew-fair, whence the part of West
Smithfield, in which the fair was held, derives its present
name of " Cloth Fair." In 1566 we find the company to
have seized and broken the measure of one Pullen, a cloth
merchant at this fair, and to have committed him to prison
" for using an unlawful yard which was found in his shop at
time of search." But this was not the only " search " exer-
cised by the company. In the year 1663 we find a precept
issued by the Lord Mayor calling on all constables, and
other officers, to " bee ayding and assisting to the bearer
hereof, lawfully appointed by the Companie of Merchan
Taylors, London, to make search in all places within the
said Citty of London, and liberties thereof, for all persons
who are not apprentices bound to the said art within the
said Citty and liberties thereof, and freemen of the same."
There de not appear, however, to have been many persona
brought to the "condigne punishment " which the Lord
Mayor threatens to all such offenders.
The Merchant Tailors, from the period of their earliest
history, took a very high station armor ; the civic companies.
The chartering of guilds was a favouri. e part of the political
system of Edward 111., who found in these commercial asso-
mations a great counterpoise to baronial predominance. The
King set an example to his courtiers by himself becoming a
brother of one of these societies ; and the" lines armourero,"
the great importers of woollen cloth, which the King was
striving to make the Maple manufacture of England, was
the first company which boasted a sovereign among their
members in the person of the King. Richard 11. also be-
came a brother of the same company, which, during his
reign, numbered in its books no lees than 4 royal dukes, 10
earls, 10 barons, and 6 bishops.
One of the earliest mentions of the company on the civic
records relates to a dispute for precedence between the
Tailors and the Skinners, in the reign of Richard 111. The
companies agreed to try their right in the Court of King's
Bench, by which authority the matter was referred to the
Lord Mayor and aldermen. With great wisdom, these func-
tionaries decided that the companies should take precedence
alternately, unless the mayor elect was of tile company,when
his company should take precedence ; and they further de-
creed, to produce harmony and good fellowship, that the
Tailois should dine on the vigil of Corpus Christi with the
Skinners, and the Skinners on the feast of St. John the Bap-
tist with the Tailors. Even in these early days nothing
could be settled without a dinner.
In 1.503 there is record of the company having attended
the funeral procession of Elizabeth of York, queen of
Henry VII., and of their "standing in Chepe " whilst the
mournful procession passed.
The reign of Queen Elizabeth was a glorious period to the
Merchant Tailors, as indeed to most other City companies.
May games, masques, and mummeries were the order of
the day. There are records in 1370 and successive years, of
their participation in her Majesty's Mayings, and of their
furnishing 187 men, in military costume, as their proportion
towards the pageant.
In 1372 they furnished " 188 men of the mystery," 64 of
whom " were provided with coislets and pikes, 36 with
corsli to and halberds, and 58 with kalivers and morryens—all
for the chew." All these pageants, however, cost money,
and the Merchant Tailors were further relieved of some share
of their superfluous wealth by the exactions, not only of the
crown for whose use money appears frequently to have bees
lent from the rents and stock of the company, but also of the
courtiers of the period. There ate one or two curious records
in their books showing that "jobbing" is not merely a
modern vice, but that it has the unction of age as well as of
very high authority. The company owned a house in Lom-
bardstreet, leased to Sir William Harper. Lady Harper,
after her husband's death desired a renewal; and having
influence with Lord Treasurer Burleish persuaded hint to
write to the company to obtain low terms. The company
offered a new lease for 21 years at an additional rent of 101.
The lady wanted the house at less. Lord Burleigh wrote
again, and the company humbly replied, but finding the
teoant would not come to terms, and not being inclined to
sacrifice the premises, they attempted to eject her.