The Express.
London, England, 1849-07-16 00:00:00

MR. WHISHAW S TELEGRAPHS.

Oa Saturday last, an exhibition or the various ma-
chines used in this country and on the continent, for effect-
ing an instantaneous transmission of lots Iligence between
distant points, took place at the Music Hall, Store-street,
Dedfonlyquare. Mr. Whishaw was the exhibitor and illus-
trator, and explained to a numerous circle of scientific visi-
tore and others interested in the pr.wireas of the development
of mechanioal power, the mode of working of the machines
rxhihited, availing himself of the opportunity afforded him
to demonstrate the superiority of the plan of telegraphic
communication of which he is the invintor, one that at pre-
sent adopted on the railways of this country.
In the system which Mr. Whishaw propose', he endea-
vours to avoid the defects of the telegr gibs hitherto used in
this country. These defects consist in the exposure of the
wires (suspended b.tween perishable wooden posts) to snow-
storms and ightnieg, as also to the mischiefs likely to ensue
from tr..ins runaing off the rails, mid to damage from mall-
eons persons. He takes advantage of the properties of
gutta petal, which hu been found to be the most effectual
Lon-csnducting substance for coating the electric telegraph
wires as yet discovered, and he places the wires underground
at • depth of about 2 feet 6 inches. When it is
necessary to run them under streets, ha protects
them by MOMS of strong clay multitubular pipe*,
and when under railways and public roads, with
a coating of gutta perch& in eases where it is neces-
sary to protect the Cutts petal= from the injurious
aztion of water, he encloses it in a braiding of yarn, satu-
rated with tar and coated externally with marine glue. All
the instruments used its his system require only one wire,
both to give the signals and sing the bell, and hence
ecoaomy is effected. In fact, he undertakes to furnish •
telegraph on his plan, with instruments and batteries at
intervals of ten miles, for a charge of 401. a mile. whereas the
cost of laying down the present overground wires is 160/. a

DEFEAT OF A NEST OF GAMBLERS.—A sho't time
since, a yonng scion of the aristocracy, scarcely of ag -, the
nephew of an officer holding a high appointment in her Ma-
jesty's household, was entrapped into play at one of the
West-end clubs by a set of well-dressed sharpers, who, by
some means or other, had got acmes to the plecte. The re-
sult was that he was plundered of all he then pommel, and
hills of exchange, to the amount of several hundreds, were
extorted from him. These were con'idered "as good as the
Bask," from the fear of the exposure of the young gentle-
man's relatives, nirticularly his nrcle above sanded to.
Owing to a dispute among the members of the gang, as to
the divisi of the plunder, one of them discicsed to the
loser the conspiracy by which he had been defrauded. The
voung gentleman was on the eve of taking up some of the
his.. when this disclosure was made to him. lie then had
the good semi, like the profligate eon, to acknowledge his
sins and transgressions to Lis friends, who have forgiven him,
sad the transaction being proved of the basest description,
they now set the swindlers at defiance, the bills proving to
them as waste paper.—Sunday Paper.
TESTIMONIAL TO THE LATE LORD G. BENTINCK.
—On Saturday afternoon a miring of the trustees of Caven-
dish-square assembled at the Court House, Moryleboce, for
the purpose of considering the plans and proposal to erect a
statue, as a testimonial to the memory of the late Lord
George Bentinek, M.P., within the enclosure of the ulnae..
Viscount Barrington, M.P., presided. The statue is to be of
bronze, of very large dimensions, and it is understood that
the plan, as proposed by the testimonial committee, involved
the removal of the statue of the Duke of Cumberland,
erected in his honour in reference to the battle of Culled's,
which now occupies the centre of the enclosure. This was
objected to by the trustees, who ultimately passed the follow-
ing resolutions:—" That the trustees of Cavendish-square do
not approve of the site marked out on the plan, as the same
would materially interfere with the enclosure. The trustees
willingly give their consent to the erection of the statue
opening to Holles-street, in a line with the iron railing
within the gate, upon two new gates being furnished at the
expense of the committee, one on each aide of the statue,
and all dilapidations being made good by the committee."—
" That Major Beresford be requested to communicate this
decision to the committee." By this arrangement, if accepted
by the committee, the statue will occupy a commanding posi-
tion facing towards Oxford-street, and in a similar position to
the statue of Mr. Pitt, erected in Hanover square.
MURDER OF Two CHILDREN BY THEIR UNCLE
AT KNOTTINOLIT.—A most appalling murder has been
committed at Knottingley, in the West Riding of York-
shire. It appears that on Friday last Benjamin Heald, a
labourer, about 20 yeses of age, residing with his parents at
Knottingley, took two of his brother's children into the
garden to walk, and when he wanted them to come cut
they refused. He then took up a bottle, and beat out the
brains of the little boy, five years old, and then killed the
little girl, three years old, by bleating her over the head with
a stick. After he had done the deed, he went into the
house, and told his mother that he believed he had killed the
two children, for he was afraid they would come to want,
and should not like to see it. He then left home, and went
into the town—his resident* being in the outskirts—and in-
quired for a surgeon. He was soon taken into custody, but
seemed little concerned, as at four o'clock in the afternoon
he was sound asleep in bed. The fatally are particularly
steady and industrious people, and are an example to the
town. The father of the children lost his wife about six
months ago, and had, with his two children, gone to reside
with his parents. He even now (adds our correspondent)
says he eta freely forgive his brother for murdering his
children, as none of the family have been morekind and in-
dulgent to the children than the prisoner.

THE ORDNANCE ESTIMATES.

The stcond report from the select committee on
army and ot (inane*, expenditure, together with the
proceedings of the committee, was leaned on SAturday.
From it we extract the finding" of the committee on
the ot dnatcr estimates. We shall dip into this report
at intervals and make further extracts from it.
In concluding their report upon the ordnance estimates,
your committee desire to f, Bow the course taken in the
former report upon the navy, and to bring distinctly under
the notice of the Howe of Commons those principles which
wall afford the most efforiatt means of controlling the future
expenditure of this department. The whole amount to be
voted in the crdnanee estimates cannot however be brought
under a few general principles. The numbers of the ordnance
corps regulate the charge under the first vote, but do not in any
great degree influence the amount required under ether votes.
It. has been shown that a large portion of the ordnance ex-
penditure depends upon circumstances over which the ord-
nance exercises no direct control. The functions of this
department are in many cases strictly executive : it meets the
demands made upon it for the services of the army and navy;
consequently the estimates of the ordnance most tie to a great
extent g overned by decisions in those offices to which are
eine fial.al the details of our naval and military organisation.
Fur these expenses the ordnance cannot be held reeponsible,
end any reduction of the *etiolates, as far as regards this par-
tin of their whole amount, stn oely be effected by the exer-
eit• of vigilant se moray in other departments, by a more
restricted consumption of ordnance stores, and by • revision
of the regulations under which these stores are now supplied
and maintained. Your committee have called attention to
this increased consumption on tht it notice of barrack sup-
plies under Vote No. 2, and again more particularly in their
r-trearke on the manufacturing departments, unoler Votes
No 4 and 5. _

Under vote No. I.—The Ordnance Military Cape.—Your
committee recommend that the system Practised in regard
to the army should be applied to the Ordnance military
corps ; namely, that any thanes in the strength of this corps
should be officially communicated to the Master General by
the Secretary of State, and that the amount of force should
he separately brought under the notice of the House of Com-
mons in a distinct vote submitted for its approval.
Under vote No. 2.—Commissariat and Barrack Supplies.
—Your committee t eve noticed the increaw d charge to the ,
public arising from the system recently adopted by the Tres '
eury In regard to the troops is Ireland, although this does
not appear in the Ordnance estimates, and they have suit.
Rested the expediency of reverting to the mods of supplying
the troops previously in use.
Under Vote No. 3.—Ordnanceeoffice.—Your committee
have not been able to examine into the departments which
the commission of 1837 pursed to consolidate. They have
stated the causes which have prevented them from enterinz
op in the consideration of this ex' etudve field of inquiry
during the present melon They have, however, examined
int) the cnnstimtion of the Ordniume•office. They are of
opinion that the constitution of the office, the division of the
subordinate departments, and the mode of transacting busi•
near, are capable of considerable improvements, and ought to
be revised by the government; hut they have ehetained from
proposing any scheme for the future constitution of the ord-
nance, because they be I ieve that say improvement in the prac-
tical working of the office can only be effected by the executive
government, and by the co•operation of persons familiar with
the details of business now transacted by the ordnance. Tour
committee als • recommend that the warrant of 1825 should
be revised, and that the control of the treasury over all
salaries and new appointments should he rendered complete.
Vote No. 4.—Ordnance and Barrack Establishments.
Tour committee recommend that the number of artificers
end workmen in the marufacturing departments, at Wool-
wich and elsewhere, should be fixed according to the wants
of the service in time of peace, and that no addition should
be made without the wrieen sanction of the treasury. Your
committee recommend that some of the establishment. in the
smaller colonies in the West ladies end Canada should be
dispensed with ; and they are of opinion that in Canada,
with the present improved means of communication by
steam and railroads, the cooceo'ra'ion of stores at a smaller
number of stations might be sufficient for the supply of the
forte to he maintained there.

Vote No. 6.—Ordnance Stom. Your committee direct
the attente n of the house to Ve large sums expended for
these stores. The value of ordnance stores at pees nt in the
custody of the department (exclusive of barrack stores)
amounts to 6,420,0001. Your committr e cannot pretend to
regulate the quantity of any articles which should be kept in
store, but they rec ftnmend that the stores should ba made
to approximate more nearly to the wants of the service in
time of peace. The large sum• at various times expended
for the purchase of stores, which are now obs lete, prove the
expediency of maintaining a smell stock of the more durable
as well as of the perishable artic7ea. The f icilities which
this country possesses of obtaining a large supply in the event
of an emergency might, is tb, opinion of your com-
mittee, relieve the ordnance from the nee ssity of
keeping so large a stock ; and the more rapid means of con-
veyance, both by sea and land, which has enabled mercantile
establishments to reduce their stock, might in a similar man-
ner be rendered conducive to public economy. Your cons-
, mittee recommend *an inquiry into the present system of
keeping the store accounts, in reference to which they have
received some valuable evidence, a summary of which is to
be found under Vote No. 3. The items under Vote No. 6
should be further subdivided ; and it is desirable that the
amount annually required for the purchase of timber, of iron
oftlnance, and of gunpowder, should be separately stated.
Vote No. 7.—Works, Buildings, and Repairs. Your
committee ore of opinion that for the future more dirt et re
spociibilitv should be enforced in regard to new work., esp..
malty works of defence ; for this purpose they recommend
that the written order of the Secretary of State should be
obtained before any sum for a new fortification be inserted
in the estimates. The resift nsibility of the Treasury is not
hereby intended to he removed, but an additi,nel and pre-
liminary check inter duced. They recommend also that any
sum expended on unforeseen servict a, er urgent works, and
of which 'parliament has now cognizance, according to pre-
sent arrangements, should be hereafter stated in the esti-
mates of the ensuing year, and that the sanction of the Trea-
sury should be summed to this statement.
Under vote No. 8, the scientific vote, your committee
suggest the expediency of accelerating the survey of the
large towns, w►ich they are informed would facilitate those
measure aof improvement required for the health of the in-
habitants.—July 12, 1849.