The Express.
London, England, 1846-11-20 00:00:00

port well digested message. of Reform, and to mos. rM and ,meat
measures of Innovation. My madame amempt von will afford me
constant opportunities, of wig& I shall kel it to ims a plosauroMan
a duty to avail myself, of observing sod promoting the lotereata of our
town.-1 bare the honour to be, &c., W. I. Faxasrus. —l2, Belvidere,
'Weymouth, N0v.17."
NORFOLK.

AN ANTI-MALT TAX MEETING took place at Lynn, GE
Tuesday last. A long di enesion ensued, is which the chair-
man, Mr. Cockburn, descanted upon the necessity of hating
free-trade at home, now that it was forced upon them br
and the sluices advantages to the farmer, the grazier, the
landlord, the labourer, and the consumer, by the repeal of
the malt-tax. The organ and orator of the Chartists and
teetotallers made a speech of upwards of an hour, ostensibly
to prove that the repeal of the malt-tax would lead to in-
creased druhkennera. Mr. Northhouse replied, that instead
of promoting drunkenness, it would prevent it, by inducing
innkeepers no longer to make three butts out of two by a
compound of intoxicating materials, such as coculue indices,
quassia, tobacco, and other abominations; it would induce
farmers to brew beer for their labourers which would
strengthen and not intoxicate, and labourers to brew for
themselves, and drink their beer at home instead of at beer-
shops, where crime was concocted, and their families deserted.
It would keep them away from the gin-shops, and would
enable the graziers to feed their cattle upon malted grain at
home, to compete with the cattle that may, without duty,
be fed upon malted grain abroad, and then brought into our
markets to compete with our own produce. When the
question was put, a large majority, amid great acclamations,
carried an amendment in favour of the repeal of the malt
tax, against the resolution condemnatory of intoxicating
liquors moved by the teetotallers. The meeting broke up
after four hours' hard debate, and the Norfolk Protection
Society resolved to incorporate itself and funds into the So-
ciety for the Total Repeal of the Malt Tax, as the best pro-
tectionist measure that could be gained.
OAHE PRESERVEIL—At a petty sessions for the hundred
of Forehoe. held on Tuesday last, at Wymondham, a
labouring man, named Samuel Wells, was charged before
the Hon. and Rev. Robert Wilson and the lion. and Rev.
I W. Wodehouse, with having, on the 3rd of Nov., damaged
and spoiled some sticks in a plantation at Colton, the pro-
perty of Ferdinand Ives, Esq. It appeared that the man
was labouring in a field adjoining Captain Ives's plantation,
sad a stile led from one into the other. Wells ventured over
this and picked a few scraps of dead boughs to cook himself
a herring and roast a potato. John Hardy, the keeper, ea-v
him, and the result was that he was summoned to answer
the charge. He at once acknowledged being in the planta-
tion, and said that about thirty yards in, under one of the
trees, he picked up the sticks in question, and which Hardy
now said had been laid there to harbour the game. Wells
assured the magistrates that he had no idea that he was
doing the least harm in the world, but the damage was esti-
mated at one penny, and the costs incurred, besides loss of
time, were 9s. fid.—the magistrates assuring the defendant
they had kept them down as much as pceeible, and by sen-
tencing him to pay these, they thought he had been leniently
dealt with. The poor fellow succeeded in making up the
money, and saved himself the disgrace of being sent to
prison.
THE BOARD Or HEALTH, at Norwich, is pursuing, with
much benefit, its useful course. By means of its agency,
many nuisances, most prejudicial to the health and comfort
of the poor, have already been removed—others are in the
course of removal—and not a few, with regard to which the
remonstrance of the board has been ineffectual, have, ac•
cording to the provision of the act of parliament, been
speedi
ly be dealt with as the law directs. An experiment,
so, on a small scale at first, is about to be tried fur the in-
troduction of baths and wash-houses into that city.
BERKSIIIRE
SANATORY IMPROVEMENTB.—Notice has just been given
of the intention of the Reading town-council to apply to
Parliament next session for an act embracing comprehensive
measures for improving the present, or erecting a new mar-
ket, and purchasing the present water-works for the better
supply of water, and also for better sewerage and drainage
of the town. Notices are now being affixed and served in
this and the adjoining counties, according to the standing
orders. A committee of the Town Council has now under
consideration the subject of the establishment of baths and
vashhouxes.
....

_______
SUSSEX.
AMONG THE PARLIAMENTARY NOTICES Or NEW PRO-
JECTS, there arc two for forming or improving harbours;
one at Bognor, and another a short distance westward, at
Pagham.
Perwoarn HOUSE was in imminent danger of being
destroyed by fire last week. Some of the domestics dis-
covered a quantity of smoke and a smell of fire in Miss
Wyndham 's sleeping-room; but attributing the circum-
stance to a screen havii.g been placed too near the fire, no
further notice was taken of it at that time. About 3 o'clock
in the morning Miss Wyndham awoke, and finding the room
full of smoke, called up her maid ; hut after setting the
window open, and seeing no cause of alatm, she again retired
'to rest. In the morning, the smoke continuing to increase,
with at the same time a strong smell of burning, further
search was made, when the smoke was eeen to issue up from
under the stove. Mrs. Wyndham gave directions that
water should be taken up in bucket:, and the engines be got
out. On the floor being cut away, it was found that a large
piece of timber, technically called a " girder," was on fire,
and nearly burnt through. Half an hour more, and but
little doubt a great part of the mansion would have been
d. strayed.
THE Iltnnteo FISHERT.—It is gratifying to find, at a
time when provisions are so generally dear, that there never
was a season in which the supply of fresh herrings was larger
than it has been during the last fortnight. On Thursday
last some Hastings boats landed nn Brighton beach the large
quantity of fifteen lasts (or 159,000) of beautiful full-rood
fresh herrings. So large a quantity has not been seen on there
at one time for the last twenty years. Messrs. G. and J.
Chessman, seniors, purchased the whole c f them at 151. per
last, and in the course of the day retailed nine lasts at the
1
rate of 201. per last, hut kept the remainder for salting and
drying. A finer sample of fish was perhaps never seen. Mr.
i J. Chessman selected a dozen of the finest which weighed no
lest than 711 n. The finest were sold at the rate of
18 for ls., and many were retailed at 36 for Is.
The bulk of these fish was caught off Dungeness.
The boat of Mr. G. Chessman. "the Duke of Wellington."
has earned nearly 400/. during the herring voyage. Mr.
Pocock's hoot, the " Sir Robert Peel," after earning about
2001., has been obliged to return, in consequence of the
havoek that the nets have sustained front the destructive
dog fish. Mr. Andrews's boat, which has earned about
1001., and Messrs. Shrivell and Harman's boat, which has
realised about 130/. or 1401., have been obliged to return
for the purpose of repairing their nets. The Brighton
boats are now fishing off the South Forelind. Several
French boats have purchased considerable quanti'ies of
herrings from our fishermen. At Yarmouth last week, one
vessel, the lugger Racehorse, was towed up to the quay,
with the enormous quantity of 25 lasts, and 9,500 hem
on board, which were caught off this coast in about a week.
Each last of fish contains 10,000 herrings, or 13,200 short
tale, 132 being sold for each hundred; the cargo of the
Racehorse Hserefore amounted to the prodigious number of
342,540 herrings, valued at near 4001. The same boat
brought in nearly 15 lasts about twelve days before.
THE FOLLOWING SCHEMES CONNECTED WITH THIS
Corset are projected:—ln the first place, the Brighton and
South-Eastern companies are to enlarge their joint station at
London Bridge to a great extent, and the Brighton company
are to lay down anew line of rails thence to the junction of
the London and Dover railways with the old Greenwich
line. With regard to the Direct London and Portsmouth
line, it has been arranged that the Brighton company shall
construct that portion which lies between Epezna and Dork-
ing, and participate in the remainder of the line from Dorking
to Portsmouth, which is to be constructed as far as Havant
by the South-Western company. The Direct Portamouth,
running into the Portsmouth Extension of the Brighton
and Chichester at Havant, the portion of the latter coast
lice extending from Havant to Portsmouth, is to be con-
structed by the Brighton and South-Western companies
jointly. The South-Western company are now exWnding
their line to Waterloo Bridge, and the Brighton company
are to have the advantages of a west-end terminus at I. aux-
hall, and its extension into the Borough, by means of a
branch line from near Croydon to Wandsworth. Two pro-
jects are on foot for railways to Bognor, one direct from
Chichester, the other from the Drayton station of the ex sting ,
coast line. Another project is to continue the Bonham
branch of the London line to Chichester, throwing off sub-
branches to Petworth and Midhurst. Next are have a project
of the Brighton Company for carrying the Kent line of hist
session to Maidstone, and another for running a line from
Tunbridge Wells, through East Grinstead to the Three
Bridges. And lastly we have Hallett's line, which, starting
from the Keymer Branch Railway at Landport (Lewes), is
to run to Tunbridge Wells.
KENT.
EARL ROMNEY has been elected chairman of the West
Kent Quarter Sessions, in place of J. Berens, Esq., resigned.

LITERATURE.
Life ise the IVilderness. By H. Merneax.
With so many of our countrymen's lives, and more
of their fortunes, engaged in the Hottentot bush at
the present moment, there can scarcely be a volume
more interesting than this. It is written by a keen
sportsman, and daintily garnished by a great variety
of " heads of game," taken down by the author or his
friends. Diana, indeed, as the goddess of sport,
seems the muse most successful in inspiring visitors
and describers of African life and scenery. Politi-
cians do not find there wherewithal to give us a full
meal. Missionaries somehow or another have failed
in communicating int.rest to their narratives. And
we follow Mr. Methuen or Major Harris in pursuit
of game with more unmixed pleasure than we should
follow more serious or interested travellers.
We hesitate to decide whether we should quote
the attack of the lion and the traps set in vain for him
by the wandering party, or the story of the hyenas
devouring the hind part of the ox alive. But we
prefer to either the adventure of the buffalo and
Frolic, the Hottentot. It is as follows :
Franc left m mated by the ere, and climbed the hillside, when he
apiedtramdt lard et Whims be the thorns below him, and quickly
re
demeraillo le Mlbrmel met the I mt. Usder his guidance we pro-
ceeded, taithedme te leeward, awl bead about twee buffaloes
lily es=blwasil 010 meter ;—thele balm with the
m in they bial Imo roWag, mime belt ethos yellow or
trey, miarele. ft their Imam We malted he pround. At
lest lie Ilme • way, mod ereended flaky ram, bet they dived into
am huhu, lid 1010.1101.1 the meadm, "Netts Inflow a wounded
surs&." we AY vat wise. Uwe we no trees to &Arab, except a
fee tdirldt thmedreee, 'lda len err clothes in shreds. Etsliured
elathe WI billihilie OM at dill" I ObEidat a bull. which ran towards
the mpert, bit sus outstretched, Ida eyes moving in all directions, and
has atricenaled in • richt line with tbe hoed, evidently bent au re-
settle ;--he peened within 30 yards of me, and was lost in the bush. Fro-
tic again dimmed him standing mixing porne thick bushes ; his head
lowered, 9•t a mode stirred. lie was listening ink hely. We crept