The Express.
London, England, 1847-08-16 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL.

DISATIPLAILaNCE 01ACouEcToR.—Daring the
put eight or ten days great alarm has been felt in conse-
quence of the diaappearano• of Mr. David Griffiths, govern-
ment tax-collector, and surveyor of weights and mousy's.
The receipt for thb payment of the government taxes was
held on Tuesday and Wednesday last, at the Waterloo
Hotel, but we are told Mr. Griffiths was absent. The
amount which ought to have been paid by him on that ma-
lion Is tinted to b• between SOO/. and I,OON. He was seen

on Wednesday week on the buntings in Castle street, and
since then a letter has been received from him, bearing the
poet-mark, " Anglesey," stating, that in an hoor'a time
atter be had written the letter he would have left the islend.

He as married, and has left a wife and three or four 611.
dren.—Liverpool Cotrrier.
MANCHE/IT'LL—ATTACK BY A REGIMENTAL BAND
ON its BANDMASTZIL—On Friday, as the bead of the First
Reyal Regiment was at practice in the Regent-road Barrack.
all the members of the band, with the exception of the non-
commissioned officers and one or two privates, made a simul-
taneous attack on Mr. Castaldini, the bandmaster of the re-
giment. Throwing a sheet over him, so as to prevent
his identifying any one in particular, they beat hint
with their fists severely about the head and body, though
not so as to inflict any severer injury on his person
than a sound thrashing. Of course all the offenders were
immedistelypnced in confinement. Colonel Bell instituted
an inquiry Into the cause of this outrage; and it wan alleged
to have been provoked by a long series of harsh and offensive
treatment to which the men have been subjected by the
bandmaster. This wan the more irritating to the band. as
Castaklini is a civilian, end has therefore no right to abuse
the ;sower entrusted to him, as he has nothing to do with
the discipline of the men, beyond the performance of his
duty in teaching them

REMOVAL OE CoN angements hace now
been finally concluded between Mojor Jebb, R.E., an in-
spector of prisons, on behalf of the government, and the
lion. Edwin Lurches, M.P., chairman of the West Riding
Quarter Sessions, on behalf of the west riding, for the occu-
patios of 400 cella in the newly enlarged prison, or house of
correction, for the west riding, at Wakefield; and that that
number of prisoners under sentence of transportation will
shortly be removed from the Millbank prison to Wakefield,
at the rate of 100 per week, and in batches of 25 each.
These convicts will have a separate chaplain, surgeon, and
warders, the former at a salary of 2501. a year ; the latter at
Wanes varying from 901. and 80!. to 601. per annum ; but
though those officers are nominated by government, they
must be appointed by the visiting justice,. The rent paid
by government is at the rate of 61. per cell per annum, the
burden of maintenance falling upon the government.
WORCESTERSHIRE.
TAR ACCIDENT ON THE BRISTOL AND RIR-
MMOMAX RAMWAT.—Sir,--In reference to the state-
ment made by Mr. Saunders, at the inquest held on
the body of the engine driver, who was killed on
the Bristol and Birmingham railway on Friday last,
and reported in your journal of Saturday, I hesi-
tate not to say that Mr. Saunders' denial that the
train was going at a much greater spud than slowed by the
time table, is quite contrary to the facts of the case. I woe
unfortunately one of the passengers, and previous to the
arrival of the train at the Bromagrove station had remarked
to a fellow.passenger at what an excessive speed the train
was going. The fact is that very great delay takes place at
the respective stations at which the trains stop ; and inasmuch
as the engine drivers have a certain quantity of fuel supplied
to tbem for the journey they are obliged to finish
.such Jour-
ney within a certain time, and in case they are enabled to
save any of the fuel they have a certain allowance for such
salvage. I was a passenger in the mail train from Birming-
ham to Bristol on Monday morning last, and which should
have left at 10 minute, past 11 ; instead of which we were
detained upwards of half an hour ; and upon my expostu-
lating with one of thelofficials for the delay, he rtp ied, " Oh,
you will spin along presently and make up for it ; • and so we
in fact did, for by the time bill we saved between Bruning-
ham and Bromagrove, a distance of 15 miles only, no less than
14 minutes.—J. HENRY, of London.

DEFAMATION.—PENANCE.—On Wednesday last a
defainstMn case was tried in the Bristol Consistorial Court.
It was brought by Maria Duffett against Henry Evans. •
brewer. for having, in the month of October, November, or
December last, defamed her reputation by saying she was •
young woman of improper character, and that he had com-
mitted adultery with her. There was no defence. Evidence
in support of the case had been given by four witnesses ; who
proved that while ia a public-house the defendant in exceed-
ingly grow terms declared the plaintiff to be guilty of inconti-
nence. The Chancellor proceeded to deliver judgment. After
recapitulating the evidence adduced, he said the testimony
in support of the case was unequivocal. The plaintiff had
been since married, but that did not alter the case in the
least. The law woo clear on the subject, and the case must
take the usual course. He must pronounce for the defama-
tion, with the usual sentence, which is, that the guilty party
stand in church in a white sheet. The cue was of an aggra-
vated nature, and he most condemn the defendant to pay
the whole of the costs. Suaday, the 22d inst., was fixed for
the defendant to do penance, in the plaintiff's pariah church.
Farley's Bristol Journal.
FMK:C.

EXTRAORDINARY INSECTe.—On Friday,
the whole of the coast around Southend was visited by one
of the most numsroua flights of insects on record. They
consisted of at least five species of Lady-bird, and they came
in such dense numbers, as for miles along the coast to re-
semble a swarm of bees daring hiving. The *es destroyed
countless millions of them, the grata and hedgerows, and'
every crevice that ►fforded shelter from the wind, sem
coloured with their numbers, and for many miles it wu im-
possible to walk, without crushing ■umbers beneath the
tread. The insects evidently came from the east, the wind
having veered round to that point during the night. livery
true friend of agriculture, however, hails the appearance of
these insects, as they are well known to be the destroyers of
apAides, a race of flies the most injurious to vegetation.