The Express.
London, England, 1847-12-09 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 9, 1847.

communication to India. The company offered to take his
stock off his hands and to allow him a guinea per passenger,
which, at the present time, would &Mount to 1,8001. or
2,0001. a year Lieutenant Wagborn refused this, being un-
willing to be controlled by the company superintendent at
Alexandria, and the company were o • sod to take the tran-
sit into their own hands. Corporate bodies, however had no
enmities, and the directors now proposed to subscribe 5001.
to the Waghorn testimonial. Some proprietors objecting to
this proposal, its discussion was adjourned to a future day,—
Thanks were then voted to Sir John Campbell and the board
of directors, and the meeting separated.

GREAT MORTALITY IN LONDON.—The report of
the Registrar-General, issued yesterday, displays a very
startling increase is the number of deaths in the metropolis.
The mortality during the corresponding week of the previous
five yearn averages 1,046 ; --during the week ending Dee. 4
no less than 2,454 deaths occurred—just fourteen hundred
more than tie usual number! open a closer inspection of
the return it appears that the mortality has chiefly arisen
from diseases of the organs of respiration—from bronchitis
and pneumonia. The average deaths at this season from
these maladies have been, bronchitis 39 last week
that disease destroyed M. From pneumonia, the
average mortality is 109, last week it killed 306.
The aged have suffered most *seemly from bronchitis;
the young from pneumonia. Asthma has also been
fatal to more than three times the ordinary number of
sufferers by that disease. Taking into account all diseases
of the lunge and of the organs of respiration, we find the
total deaths in the seven days to be 994, the average being
only 333. In the return of deaths from " old age," the
ordinary average of the week is 6.5; last week the number
wasl66. Disease of the heart has also been unusually fatal.
The relative health of different district, is indicated by the
following portion of the registrar's report:
Average Death.
Deaths. last wk. I
West districts :—Kerglngton ; atelaseila=
INanarer.agnare ; Westminster; St.
hada; IL Jenne.
North dtsrieni:-Bt. Marylebone; Bt. Paeans; Is-
lington ; Hackney; part etEdanantoa, vie., Hemp-
-422

Ottani districts : —St. Otis end St. George; Strand; '
Holborn; Clerkenwell ; St. Luke; East Leeriest;
West Landau; Llty of London
WI districts .-Bhoreditch , Bethaskgreen ; White.
chapel ; St. Oeorgeln-the-East; EttepneL.Popnlaar 232
South dtztrUrte : —St. Saviour; St. Glare;
my; St. George, Southwark; Newingto• • Lent:
beat; Wandsworth end aepluun; Camberwell;
itotherbithe, Greenwich; Lewlaham ...... ... . 288

Totals 1,046 2,451
The provinces appeu also to be suffering severely from the
prualsuat evil.
-- -

HOTEL AND TAVERN KEEPERS' PROVIDENT INSTI-
TUTION.—About sixty of the principal hotel and tavern
keepers of the metropolis assembled yesterday at the Piazza
Coffeehouse, Coventlarden, to assist in the celebration of
the ninth anniversary of this institution. The Lord Mayor
presided, supported by Mr. Sheriff Cubitt, M.P. The usual
loyal touts having been disposed of, the secretary read the
report, which showed that the first object of the institution,
the grantingof temporary relief, had been accomplished, the
subscriptions having amounted to the sum stipulated, namely
5,0001. The present recipients enjoyed annuities varying from
131. to 2.51. a year. The second object of the society, which was
to be carried iota effect when 6,0001. more was subscribed,
to grant permanent relief, the committee hoped wou➢d
be, by means of this meeting and the exertions of tke friends
of the institution, speedily accomplished. The present
amount of funded capital was 5,1881. ; the amount in the
hands of the treasurer, 151. ; making a total of 6,2031.

ABOLITION OF CHRISTMAS-BOARS:Lent evening,
a meeting of tradeemen was held at the Green Dragon,
Fleet-street, for the purpnee of taking into consideration the
propriety of adopting measures to secure the abolition of gi ring
Christmas-boxes.-Be►eral tradesmen addressed the meeting,
and complained of the burthen they were liable to at Christmas
of allowing gratuities, and of the ill-will which frequently
arms among the parties receiving them. Very general
complaint wee made against the Poet-office authorities, who
countenanced the solicitation of Christmas-boxes on the part
of the general and district postmen.—A resolution in con-
formity with the objects of the meeting was adopted, and a
committee appointed.

PROPOSEI/ NRW PARLIAMENTARY BOROUGH.--
Last evening a public meeting of the inhabitants of Chet-
, sea, Kensington, Hammersmith, and Fulham, was held at
I the large hail of the Swan Hotel, Walham-green, to take
into consideration what has been recently proposed for
adopting the necessary measures for constituting the above
four named parishes into a parliamentary borough.—John
Lockhart, Esq., presided, and in opening the proceedings
remarked that it was impossible for the two members fer
Middlesex adequately to represent that great count., cora-
-1 prising so many and so important local intereets, and 115,000
I souls with 11,000 voters. He contended that the repreaen- 1
tation of the country at the present time was most unfair.
He found that Buckingham sent two members to parliament
with 293 constituents, Chippenham sent two members to
parliament with 278 constituents, Harwieh seat two mem-
bers with 188 constituents. On the other hand Gateshead
sent one member with 622 constituents, Myths sent one
member with 516 constituent., Cheltenham seat =ember
with 2,108 constituents, and Huddersfield sent one member
with 1,085 constituents. Tke chairman concluded by re-
commending that no means should be left untried to lop off
from one of those small boroughs one of the existing mem-
bers, in order that the important and populous parishes of
Chelsea, Fulham, Hammersmith, and Kensington, mightbe formed into a parliamentary borough„—Mr. Mahon, bar-
rister-at-law, proposed a resolution forming an
association to
carry out the principles advocated, and pledging the meeting
to give it their almost support.—The resolution was adopted.
Several members were enrolled, and after the transaction of
some routine business the meeting separated.

MIL Lows Toe it's COLLECTION OP LIVTNO
MAMMALS, BIRDS, AND REPTILES, were exhibited at the
Horse Bazaar yesterday evening. There are; some rare spe-
cimens of animated nature among them • of which we may
partielduise a Brazilian' thick-kneed buatezd, and three
Boubare bustards, an African variety, well deserving to
be introduced into this country, from their exquisite flavour,
a new species of porcupine, the Matrix Cvvieri, a toucan;
a ring-tailed porcupine, and several pairs of budgerrliegobs,
or undulated paroqueta, moat beautiful little creatures.
There are alas some very fine specimens of the urger paro-
guet tribe, and maccaws and cockatoos without number.

-
ITIE OLD LENTEN ENTERTAINMENT: The Irish
members are beginning to abase England as badly as ever.
This really looks as if they intended making appheation for
another loan.—Pooch.

DEATH or MR. LISTON, THE SUROEON.—This die-
, tinraished medical man died on Tuesday evening, at his
renames, Clifford-street, Bond-street. The deceased was
one of the court of examiners, and a member of the council of
the Royal College of Surgeons ; he was also one of the sur-
geons and lecturer to the University College Hospital, where
he was deservedly held in high repute by the numerous
students of that institution. Mr. Liston had long been known
as one of the first eurgeoos in England ; since the death or
Bir Astley Cooper he had but one or two equals, and perhaps
no supenor in rapidity, dexterity, and general skill as as
operator. It will be remembered that his same came pro-
minently before the public in connexion with the unfortu-
nate duel between Col. Fawcett and Lieut. Munro, and
more recently with the fatal case of Mr. Beaton and Lieut.
Hawkey, at Portsmouth. Mr. Liston was the author of
some valuable works on surrui, well known and appreciated
by the profession, and was an the enjoyment of an extensive
practice when death deprived the public of his valuable ser-
vices. His demise creates a vacancy in the medical staff of
University College.

-- - -
A legacy of 23,0001. has been left to the Medical
ent of University College, London, by the late Dr.
rleoW,Eof Manchester. The Manchester Guardian of yester-
day, speaking of the will of the deceued physician, says
The personalty is stated to be under 35,0001. If to this amount
we add the value of the realty—viz., the property in Xing-
street, Manchester, which is probably worth 12,0001; that at
and near Kendal, 2501. a-year, at twenty yearn' purchase,
gives 5,0001.; his library will be worth little short of 6,0001.;
and an examination amongst his papers shows that he, too,
like the late Rev. 8. Smith, was a holder of Pennsylvanian
bonds, to the extent probably, of 1,0001. ; also of Columbian
bonds, to the amount of 25,000 dols. (nearly 5,0001.), and of
other American bonds; but taking the whole of these bonds
to be worth only 2,0001., that would give an aggregate
amount of property, real and personal, at the time of his
decease, of about, in round numbers, 60,0001. The aggre-
gate amount of the legacies and bequest' in money, is
16,8001. ; and deducting this from 35,0001., and adding
60003. for the library, it would appear to leave a residue of
about 26,0001. for the medical department of the University
College.
-•

STAMP DUTY ON NEWSPAPERS.--Sir,—On your
leading article, newspaper stamps, Dee. 2, I observe that
justice requires that the stamp duty should be as the gums
twit of paper, and that every sheet should bear its own pro-
portion of duty, and that the same duty upon a single and
i double sheet, and then half duty upon a supplementary
sheet, is a grove ant shameful injustice and oppression upon
all newspapers, except such es the present Times, but the
injustice isthe more flagrant and detestable against rival
journals starting against it. The duty upon the Times is
one halfpenny per sheet, upon other journals one penny per
sheet. The bust proposal seems to be, that the duty of all
newspapers should be reduced to one halfpenny per sheet.
Petitions to this effect should be forthwith addressed to the
House of Commons. At this crisis it may be impossible to
effect any reduction of the stamp duty on advertisements. I
have not the Stamp Aet, but l'believe even in this there is
injustice, and that the duty is charged by the number of
different subjects, and net by the number of liner. Now, if
this be the feet, a more insolent fraud upon the people, and
defiance of justice, amid hardly be perpetrated. Feeling a
strong interest in the cause of the education of the people,
and the advancement of freedom, I trouble you to read
these remarks, and I am persuaded that to the gross ignor-
ance of the state of the law, and of the premiere of the
revenue upon the people, is to be ascribed the multitude of
wretched laws and t institutions which we power,
and that nothing but a liberal press diffused amongst the
people an by any means drag these monsters to the hiht of
day. Sumnuesjus, sumeea sruurio.—J. L.—Carlisle, Dec.B.
ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH IN THE UNITED ETATEB.—
Tbe following is a table of the electric wires finished, in pro-
gress, and contemplated, as far as is known :
Finished and working 3,00
In progress
Contemplated

7,869
Ai many of these have two wires, the length of win may
be Maly estimated u exceeding 11,000 e. —New Yon%
Heisaid.