The Express.
London, England, 1867-10-21 00:00:00

ignibersittg Intelligence.

OXFORD, Ocr. 19.
COMMENCEMENT OF TERM.—October term gene-
rally commenced to-day, when the bustle and excitement
attendant on the coming up of the undergraduates caused
a striking contrast to the dulneu which has pervaded the
university and city for the past three months of the " long
vacation." The colleges are unusually full, and owing to
Daniel being pulled down lodging-house keepers in the
city have an unusual amount of patronage, as during the
erection of the new buildings members of that learned
society are compelled to lodge out. The election at Mag-
dalen College for demyships, when there were sixty-five
candidates for seven vacancies, has been followed by
another strong competition at Lincoln College, which ter.
minated this morning by the following representatives of
public schools having been successful :—Mr. P. Reed,
Manchester School ; Mr. R. Niven, Glasgow University ;
Mr. H. W. Green, Marlborough College. Proximi
Accesserunt.—Mr. S. T. Irwin, M'ellington College ; Mr.
E. Morgan, commoner, Lincoln College.

THE DISTURBANCES AT ST. MATTHIAs, STOKE
NimlNGTON.—Yesterday, the rioting. at Stoke Newington,
arising out of the ritualistic developments at the church of
St. Matthias, were resumed, but, happily, without any
very lamentable results. Long before the commencement
of evening service a large body of police, many of them
mounted, were stationed in Goldsmith-square and the
adjacent streets, and kept in motion the roughs as they
approached the church. But what struck more terror into
the minds of the intending rioters than anything else was
the arrival of between 40 and 50 reserved men of the A
division, who had come from London by train, and who
were marched into the schoolroom by the side of the
church, to be ready for any contingency that might arise.
The church, as usual, was densely crowded, and was
strongly garrisoned by a large number of young men from
other congregations where ritual practices prevail, and
who have promised their assistance in maintaining order
until the present troubles pass away. During the service
there were two or three attempts at interruption,
but they were without much difficulty repressed. The
sermon was preached by the Rev. C. J. Lefeyt,
M.A., the incumbent, from Ezekiel xxiv. verse 19.
At the close of the service the congregation, as they left
the church, had to face an arm of roughs, who, however,
were able to do little more than call them foul names,
being kept under by the admirable arrangements of the
police. According to the usual practice, they made their
way, after the church was clawed to Newington-green,
and surrounded the house of Mr. Emit, the churchwarden,
who in the morning was escorted home by a body of police.
No violence was offered beyond the throwing of a few
stones and patches of mud, bat loud cries were continually
raised for Mr. Brett, who had not, however, at that time
returned home. At a few minutes past nine a loud shoot
was raised that Mr. Brett was coming, and the mob pressed
forward with threatening violence, but was driven back
by the police. Meanwhile Mr. Brett, who was aorrompa-
nied by forty or fifty gentlemen, reached the step.; of his
door, and on getting to the top the gentlemen who had
escorted him waved their hats, and gave him a succession
of hearty cheers. Mr. Brett raised his hat in acknowledg-
ment of the compliment, and in another minute he was
safely indoors. This somewhat injudicious demonstration
was construed by the mob into an act of defiance, and as
they could not get at Mr. Brett, they made an attack
upon the police, pelting them with stones and mud. As
the mob was becoming excited, the mounted police deter.
mined upon vigorous measures, and having made up their
minds with regard to three or four of the ringleaders, they
made a dash for the purpose of securing them. The sud-
denness of the movement caused a general rush, and hun-
dreds of boys and men were to be seen rolling together in
the mud, Loud demands were made upon the police not
to interfere, and attempts were made to rescue the men
whom the polio* bad seized. They succeeded, however, in
retaining two of them, and these were walked off to be
locked up for the night. After this the mob seemed to
lose heart, and batch after hatch moved off, but it was
pest ten o'clock before the place was cleared. For this
extra police assistancethe churchwardens and congregation
of St. Matthias have, of course, to pay.
THE POOR-LAW BOARD AND THE VALUATION
or Priorarrf .—The Poor-law Board have issued a letter
on the subject of the proper mode of ascertaining the gross
estimated rental. The board considers that the rent
which is actually paid is the best criterion of value; but it
is not conclusive, as it may be shown that the actual
rental value is above the sum paid as the rack rent, or
that there has been a depreciation in value, which renders
the rent paid higher than that at which the premises
might be expected to let from year to year. The follow.
log is theletterof Mr. Lumley, the assistant secretaryto the
board, on the subject :—"Sir,— I am directed by the Poor-
law Board to acknowledge the receipt of your letter on the
subject of the proper mode of arriving at thegrosa estimated
rental. You ask in the first place whether in arriving at gross)
estimated rental it is right to consider that actual rent has
nothing to do with the subject ? To this the board have to
answer, that the courts have laid down in many cases that
the rent which is actually paid is the best criterion of value
(see 'The King r. Chaplin, 18. and Ad., 926), when that
as the full rack rent, though, as it was held in the ease of
`Hayward r. the Overseers of Brinokworth,' 10 L.T. (N. 8.)
608, that rent is not conclusive, as it may be shown that
the actual annual value is above the aim paid aa the rack
rent. You ask, secondly, whether it is right to consider
that gross estimated rental ought not to be less than the
actual rent that is paid for the land, except in the cases of
old houses, where it is clearly proved that from some cause
the property has been depreciated in value ? The board, re-
forcing to the definition of gross estimated rental given in
the 13th sec. of the Act 24 and 25 Via, cap. 103, find it
difficult to understand how such rental can be deemed to be
less than the rent actually paid, unless some depreciation
in thevalue can be shown to have occurred in the manner
suggested by you. It cannot be properly established that
the rent at which the premises may be expected to be
let from year to year, can, except under some peculiar circu m
stances, he less than that which is actually paid. Your
third question is, whether it is right to assess at a higher
amount than the actual rent where it is clearly proved
that the property is let below its real value ? To this the
beard think it best to' refer to the late case in the Queen's
Bench, above cited, where the court held a rate to be had
because certain properties had been valued by the assess-
ment committee upon the rents actually paid, though it
was proved that the real annual value of these lands was
above the amount paid in rent. (Signed) W. G. LUMLEY,
Aaaistantlecretary.
THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH. —After It considerable
amount of negotiation between the Atlantic Telegraph,
the Anglo-American, and the New York and Newfound-
land Companies, the bawls of an agreement has been come
to for a reduction of the present tariff of charges. The
assent of the New York and Newfoundland Company has
not yet been obtained to some of the minor details, but
the proposed reduction has received the assent of all the
parties interested. It is proposed to reduce the present
charge of 10/. to V. for a message of ten words, giving five
words not exceeding twenty-five letters for the name and
address of the sender and receiver of the message. All
extra charges for code messages are to be abolished, the
rate being the NUM) as for ordinary business. The com-
panies, however, reserve to themselves the right of de-
clining to send any particular form of code which may be
offered to them. For any word over and above ten, and
five for name and address, the charge will be 7s. fid. The
reduction is to take effect on the lat of November, and
provision is made in the agreement for a further revision
of the tariff, and return to original rates if the receipts
during the current three months do not reach a certain
specified sum.—Railionv News.

SUICIDE ON THE TREADMILL.—AD inquest was
held on Saturday at the Coldbath-fieles House of Correc-
tion on John Book, a prisoner, aged 16, who had thrown
himself off the treadmill and fractured his skull. A ver-
dict of " Suicide under temporary insanity" was returned.
GREAT NORTHERN HOSPITAL, CALEDONIAN-ROAD,
Iscrsctoy. Number of patients for the week ending
Oct. 19, 1,029, of which 237 wen sow eases.