The Express.
London, England, 1851-01-27 00:00:00

FIRE AT THE NEW HOUSES
OF PARLIAMENT.

A fire broke out this afternoon at half-past two in
the third story of the clock-tower of the New Houses
of Parliament. At the moment of going to press
the House was enveloped in smoke, and firemen were
engaged in removing the burning fbor with hatchets.
Three engines were also on the spot.
Great excitemect exists in the neighbourhood.
Westminster-bridge was crowded with spectators, and
every street commanding a view of the burning
building was in a similar condition.
In the Ciurt of Common Pleas, Lard Chief Jastice
Jervis expressed his anxiety that the business of the
day should be concluded as early as pobsible.

Since the above was in type, we hear that at half-
past three the flames, which were found to have pro-
ceeded from some shavirr, were extinguished, the
engines are returning, and all &arm has subsided.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

THIS DAY.

ROLLS COURT.
CAMPBELL V. MIBADOWCROPT —PLEALDINO.
The Master of the Halls gave judgment in this cane,
which eras heard before him an June last. The bill was
filed by Edmund Meadowcroft and Elie obnh, hie wife, by
her neat friend, praying for the conveyanee of an estate
called the Wallesev-bill estate, near Birkenhead, to the de
feuclont, Mrs. A Peers, in fee simple, free from iccum-
brances, but upon the trusts declared by • codicil to the
will of James Meadowcroft, deceased, and under which
the plaintiff, Elisabeth Meadowcroft, was entitled to • life
interest for hay separate use. Various technical objections
were tale, n by the defendant, John Davies, to the form of the
bill, and for went of parties. His lordship now gave his de-
cision upon these objections, the whole of which he over-
ruled, and he made • decree agreeably to the prayer of the
bill, ordering the costs of the suit to be pad by the defendant,
DAViB4 and his am% nees, through whore refusal to concur
is the conveyance asked for the suit bad become naceetary.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
THIS DAY.
BOW-BTlyin.

Ate latex Row.—lJiki;o;;;;sl 19, and Mary Ann
Donovan • widow (both of them Irish), were charged with
ar aulting Ellen Homer.:
All the parties lived in St. Giles's, and on Saturday nieht
last the prosecutrix accompanied • female to Donovan's
lodeings in New-street, for the purism of making
some complaint to Donovan, respecting the ill usa.ie
of the woman's sister, who was in the service of Donovan,
The complainant waited outside the roorn.door while her
triend w. nt inside. M'Carthy was also there, and a
quarrel ensued, and Donovan struck the woman with a cur.
lie rushed out to Home r, ((Mowed by the prisoners. They
struck Homer, knocked her down upon the stairs, and
kicked her most viol, ntly. The prisoner McCarthy win.
uutshed rho light, and ealled out Ito his knits. He then
struck Homer upon the head with some ins cement, which
cut her head moat severely. The prisoners then again
kitked her until her screams brought the assistance
01 see, rat police-ensembles who found Horner upon the
ground senselent, and bleeding profusely from the wounds
ra her het 1. They removed her to the hospital, and the
prisoners were apprenendtd.
The prisoners denied kicking Homer; and McCarthy said
the woman called him by an opprobriousepithet, and he then
strutk her. He did nut cut her bead. Sae fell down stairs,
in consequence of being drunk.
The constables said the prosecutria and ber witness were
perfecly sober.
Mr. Hall fined the male prisoner the full penalty of 51.,
or two months' imprisonment; and the female he ordered
to pay 405., or 14 days' imprisonment.
Both prisoners w, re up in default.

- - - •
GRAY's IN t, HILARY TERN, 1851.—The kciarer
hes given notice (with the sanction of the beechen) that the
annual voluntary nomination in law of students for the b►r
will take piece in the hall of the society, in next Trinity term,
re., ea the bth and 6th dsys of June. The competiti in for
hollows and for the lecturer's prize (a set of the R.p of
Vesay,jtutitir), is restricted to those students who t:oin the
present term to the time of (stagnation may be attending
Mr. Lewis's lectures.

Two MEETINGS. OF AORICULTURIiiTS were held
on Saturday. One was at Leicester, awl consisted of the
memben of the Lriceeter Auxiliary Branch of the National
Association for the Protection of British Industry, and
where, among other gentlemen, were Lord Charles Moaner.,
the Hon. H. Wilson, H. (been, Esq., T. Ousel', Esq , C. F.
Frere, Eq,R. J. Hood, E,q. The other was at Pockling-
ton, where some of the agriculturists of the Hut Riding of
Yorkshire met "to take into consideration the depressed
state of the apical:land interest, and to petition both Houses
of Parliament fora redress of those grievances under which
hey are at present suffering." At this last Mr. R. Denison
was in the chair. and the speech of the evening was that of
Mr. Ferrand. The Hon. A. Duncombe, can ale.) pre
lent. The speeches and resolutions were of the usual cha-
racter.

ANOTHER STORY OF THE DETECTIVE POLICE.—
Some time since a quantity of planks and iron was placed
across the rails of the London and North Western lies neer
the Cheddington station. Fortunately, however, the mali
cious intention of the party was frustrated by • timely
dins-overy of the plot, sod the obstructions were removed
he,ore a train came up. The usual steps were tak•-n to
di.cover the perpretrators of the inhuman act but without
effect; as, however, strong suspicions were entertained that
the individuals resided in the neighbourhood and might
make soother attempt, the authorities resolved not to let
the matter pass by with impunity ; accordingly other means
were employed which eventually proved successful. Some
week, ago an itinerant vendor of matches and other small-
ware appeared in the neighbourhood of Cbeddington station,
and took up his abode at lvinghoe ; no suspicions were
attached to the new corner, and he plied his humble calling,
which he facetiously dignified with the title of "timber
en, reheat," without molestation. By degrees he elated all
the beer houses in the neighbourhood, ti-Al his acquaintance
with the class of perser a who frequented them became rather on
an extensive scale. Being of a sociable and communicative tutu
he became a general favourite at taproom carousals. In this
way matters continued for some weeks, when one morning
the tranquillity of the locality was somewhat dieurbed by
the apprehension of two men named Prior and Newns ou a
charge of having placed the obstructions mentioned above
04 the London and North Wistaria Railway with a malicious
intent. They were taken before the magistrates, and, to
their astonishment, found in the person of their accuser the
venerable " rattchnsan " transformed into a London
detective. The officer it appears had performed his part
remarkably well. Oa all suitable occasions he contrived to
introduce some topic about the railway, and during the
omthersatioas allusion was generally made to the late
attempt at Caeddington ; by great tact and perseverance,
to be found only amongst the class to which he belonged, he
managed to collect • mass of "little facts and corrobora-
tions," and having completed the chain of evidence to the
proper point, had the men named above taken into custody.
The hearing was adjourned until Monday last, when the
prisoners were again taken before the magistrates at
',alba, and committed for trial at the next Buckingham-
shire quarter sessions.—Peitrotal Timer.
BRITISH HOPS.—The revenue authorities having
received an application from the exporters of hops, re-
questing that the article may in future be packed in wooden
or tin package'', instead of painted canvas or tarpaulin, and
that hops so packed on their premises, in the presence of an
officer of the inland revenue, may not be subjected to the
went esaniisation by the outward officers of the customs
deportment, upon the shipment thereof, for the excise draw-
back ; and the authorities having also received and considered
a communication from the commissioners of inland revenue
upon the subject, and the order of the lords of the Unwary,
dated December, 1844, by which the examivation of paper
to be shipped for the Excise drawback was dispensed with,
under certain regulations; orders have been issued, that,
when hops puked In tin or wood case', under the super-
intendence of an officer of inland revenue, are intended to
be shipped for drawback, an application from the rat nhant
in writing, countersigned by the searching officer at the
station where the export vessel may be lying, be made to
the appointer of the weighers, who shall thereupon direct
a weigher to proceed to the premises of the merchant, at
the expense of the latter, for the purpose of receiving the
castorne department, unless they shall have reason to suspect
packagestfarhmoe mir nat ;20eninn officer.shotori p
disturbance
ti!:dteuo
rfebexport
withoutds
by
revenuestation;
:on. soublict ;nett rh
et
oa.
o't nayaf ttnhh
d.°
furthergaccompanying
e
the committal or intention of fraud or irregularity in the
transaction.
A MERMAID IN SCOTLAND.—In the hyperborean
village of Shieldsig, on the western shore of Scotland, a
lady appeared the other morning, whose visit is likely to
throw the sea serpent into the shade. It appears that a num-
ber of women bad risen pretty early, as their comma is, to
go for fusel to the Oascan, when the attention of one was
attracted by a number of UMW* which were hovering and
screaming near the church. On • further inspection she die.
covered • lady sitting on the rock, with a comb and glue
in her band, singing one of her madrigals in • plaintive
voice, and duly pointed her out to the others, who all main-
tain that they saw the strange apparition. The probability
is, that this mermaid was oae of the Raziay white seals,
which are known to sit frequently on rocks duties night,
utterring plaintive sounds ; but so superstitions are the
fishers here that not a single boat has put to sea since.
FATAL COLLIERY ACCIDENT.—A mooident,
attended by fatal consequences, occurred on Wednesday last,
at the Bwlelt Consols Mine, near Aberystwith. Two of the
workmen, Morgan Hughes and David Williams, were at
work in one of the levee, when the bottom sudth nly gave
way, end the unfortunate men were precipitated to a depth
down • shaft of 15 fathoms, • line quantity of the earth-
work of the aides of the level falling in upon them. An alarm
weariest', end the unhappy fellows were got oat, bee they
were both dead.—liereford 2.eees.