The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-30 00:00:00

THE FATAL OMNIBUS ACCIDENT IN VICTORIA

STP2ET.

Mr. St. Clair Bedford, the Westminster coroner,
Feld an inquest last evening at the Westminster Hospital
respecting the death of John Dott, aged 46 years.
The deceased was the driver of a Favorite omnibus, and
on last Friday afternoon, at a quarter past 4 o'clock, he
was driving his omnibus up Victoria street. When within
a short distance of the railway terminus he turned round
in his seat for the purpose of fastening the apron strap.
The sudden movement caused him to lose his balance, and
he was thrown off the box and fell between the horses.
liefore he could be rescued one of the wheels of the omni-
bus passed over his body. He was canied to the hospital,
where he expired in two hours from rupture of the liver.
There was a suspicion that the deceased had been seised
with a fit, but there was no evidence to prove the fact.
The jury returned a verdict of " Accidental death."

Yesterday Lord Warkwortb, eon of Earl Percy,
and grandson of the Duke of Northumberland, came of
age, and, says the Leeds Mercury," the event was cele-
brated in a manner worthy of the princely munificence
which has so long distinguished the descendants of the
Percys. At Alnwick the old castle, which was restored
and beautified by the late duke at a fabulous cost, was
the scene of hospitality more akin to that of an earlier
age than to anything th►t is commonly witnesesed in these
prosaic times. More than two thousand of the retainers
of the decal horse were conveyed to Alnwick and feasted
in the castle, whilst elsewhere throughout the county all
in any way connected with the noble family were enabled
to celebrate the day in a suitable manner."

Having seen the official answer of the committee
of retiree&ll's to a request from the principal bookmakers
for a new trial in the Soiled Dove case, Admiral Rous writes
to the committee to point out the numerous errors which
he coeeeives they have committed. With respect to their re-
solution, " That a decision of the Soiled Dove case baying
been already come to by a legal quorum of the committee,
they cannot allow it to be reopened," the gallant admiral
denies that the quorum was legal—first, because it was
composed of persons some of whom had the misfortune
to possess a pecuniary interest in the case ; and secondly,
because persons voted who did not belong to the
committee.

THE FENIAN CONVICTS AND THE BIRMINGHAM
MELORTAL.—The following letter bas been DOM to US for
publication, as a proof that the Queen is very easily acces-
sible to the petitions of the people in any matter on which
they feel real earnestness. At a reform meeting held in
Buckingham-square, in this town, on Saturday evening last,
acetition praying that thelife of the Fenian convict, Burke,
might be spared, was hurredly improvised and signed, and
as hurredly sent off by post that night to the Right Hon.
Spencer H. Walpole, at Balmoral, for presentation to her
Majesty. The document was not printed on satin ; there
were no elegant borders, nor illuminated initials to it ; but
it was soiled by the unwashed hands of many of the signa-
tories, and blurred with the rein which fell while the meet-
ing was being held. There was not leisure for attending to
niceties. It has given the niemorialiste—artisans most of
them—much pleasure to receive as prompt an answer a.
could have been given to the most elaborately prepared
memorial, presented by the most powerful other Majesty •
subjects. The memorial being despatched on Saturday
night, the following reply was written on Sunday :
" Balmoral, May 26, 186 T.—Rev. Sir,—l beg to acknow-
ledge the receipt of your letter, and the memorial by which
ft was accompanied. The Queen is now out, but I will
take care that the memorial is laid before her Majesty se
soon as she returns. Meanwhile I have the satisfaction to
assure you that the prayer of your memorial is, in fact,
answered by anticipation : for the sentence passed on the
Fenian rebels has been commuted to penal servitude for
life —I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient humble
servant, S. H. WALPOLIL—The Rev. Arthur O'Neill."—
Birmingham Post.
THE HERRING Irfanzfeo.—The North Sea herring'
fishing by boats from the Tyns was commenced on Monday
night ; and on Tuesday morning 50 boats brought about
200,000 plump full-grown herring into Shields Harbour.
They were sold at North Shields by auction at from Is. lid.
to 2s. 10d. per 100, mostly to local buyers; but buyers
were expected from the month yesterday. A considerable
number of Scotch, Lowestoft, Yarmouth, and Northum-
berland boats are engaged in this fishing, as well from
Hartlepool as the Tyne. By the end of the week it is
expected that fully 100 sail of large boats will be fishing
from the Tyne alone. Three years ago the early summer
herring fishing was never followed by boats from the
north-eastern ports ; bat now a most lucrative business
with the London and large markets in the interior is
rapidly opening through the carrying out of this new
branch of maritime industry.
THE HAY CROP IN IRELAND. —We have the
satisfaction of stating that the abundance of herbage in
almost every vuiety of pasture land has already made
rapid improvement In the condition of stock. The bare-
nese of keep, even is the best farmyards, caused owners
of cattle to send them out to the grass fully a fortnight
sooner than usual ; but that has not had the slightest
effect on pastures. Every field looks beautifully
green, and, in the greet majority of cases, cattle
literally wade through the grass. In connexion with this
gratifying state of affairs, we have the prospect of one of
the most ample yields of upland hay ever produced in Ire-
land. The early meadows look exceedingly well, and
if the weather sets in line, so as to give farmers the
opportunity of " winning" and harvesting the crop,
there will be cheap and abundant fodder for the coming
' winter. Late meadows give promise of large turns-out,
and the harvest for such grass will be fully a month
earlier than usual. All this cannot fail to give still further
impetus to the rearing of farm stock ; and now that the
actual value of Ireland's horned cattle rune close up to
40 millions, the prospect of an abundant crop of hay be-
comes cgocially in9ortaat.-IVorthera Whig.
THE DRESS CIRCLE" AT PARDL—Be it known
that ladies' evening dresses are now made with beautiful
landscapes printed on the skirts. But we are led to make
this reflection. All artiste seem to agree that the human
form in its utmost simplicity, and especially the female
form, which is seen in this very Exhibition in every pos-
sible pose and of every possible material, on canvas, in
bronze, in marble, in terra ootta, in biscuit china, he. is
the very acme of all beauty. Of what use arc all those
decorations which do not tend to set it off, but only to
attract attention from it to the ornaments themselves?
A landscape hung on a wall is in its place, but hung on •
woman it is simply an impertinence, and degrades humeri
dignity in the IMMO way as the tarpaulin coat with white
letters of the walking London advertisement.. The great
enemy of costume is fashion ; and while nothing deserves
greater respect than the lay figures attired in perennial
peasant dresses, we 14,14 with little heed the inventions of
azean milliners for diving into the pockets that pay for
the ephemeral decorations of the monde and demi-monde.
Above all, the present fashion of trains and slight skirts is
an insult to all ladies who are not " carriage people," and '
far more objectionable than the much- crinolines,
which did enable a woman to walk. The next step in the
same direction, if • step it can be called in any sense,
would be the adoption of the little club feet of Mines; I
belles, by means of some operation undergone under the
influence of chloroform.—Blod wood's Magazine for May.