The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-08 00:00:00

THE BRITISH MUSEUM.

This morning were issued the accounts,
mates, &c., of the British Museum. The number of per.
sons admitted to view the general collection, exclusive W
readers, in 1866, were 408,279. This is some 10,000 more
than in 1865, but less than any other year since 18.1 in.
elusive, and not half the number who visited the museum
in 1862. In the reading room the whole number of hooks re.
turned to the shelves of the various libraries was about 4,03
per day for the 29'2 days during which the room was open.
The average number of readers was 342 per day, each one of
whom seems to have consulted nearly twelve books daily.
34,161) volumes, and 31,917 separate numbers, periodical.,
A.c., were added to the library during the twelve mnks.
286 additional manuscripts, and 704 original charters hare
been added to the department of manuscripts. In the de.
partment of British Medbeval Antiquities and Ethnography
the miscellaneous acquisitions of the year are 871 in num.
ber, exclusive of the Christy, Witt, and Blazes collectiwa,
which increase the number to nearly 9,000 objects. The
parliamentary paper include., a special report on the Biwar
collection, including detailed notices of various
cameos, intaglios, hostile vases, mural paintings, gold
ornaments, bronzes, &c. There have becu added in the
year to the departments of natural history, 9671
specimens of which Professor Owen gives an interesting
account. Ths different classes of zoology have been in
creased to the extent of 98,018 specimens. There are
repots in the departments of geology, mineralogy, botany,
prints, and drawings. Very extensive additions, it seer;
have been made to the series of English portraits and tin.
caturea and prints of the English masters.

The idea of Chambers of Agriculture orginatd
in a meeting held at St. James's Ball at the beginniq
of last session, to consider cattle plague regulations. Then
are now twenty of these Chambers, with 4,500 members,
already formed in the leading agricultural counties, and
eight more are in course of formation. These Chamber;
eend deputies to a Central Chamber, which meets periodi•
tally in London to discuss with members of parliament tte
various questions affecting the agricultural interest wbici
came before the House of Common,. At the last meet•
ing it was decided to admit peers and members of parka•
meat as members, on the payment of their subscription,
at any meeting.

A labourer named George Hunt was fined s'.
last week by the magistrates of lifelksbam, in Wilts,
taking a hate without a license. A keeper saw the hare la
a trap with its legs broken, and watched it struggling c
agony for four hours when Hunt came for it and was sp
prehended. The magistrates severely censured the cruel;
of the keeper in not killing the hare and putting it out a'.
ita misery.

SOUTH AMERIVAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY.--am,
DAT.)—This morning the annual meeting of the niechto
and friends of this society was held at the London Tams
Mr. R. N. Fowler, presided, and was supported by tie
Bishop of Cork, the Hon. Arthur Kinnard, M.P., the gee.
T. Nolan, M.A., Admiral &Alvan, C. 8., and other gen:!...
n.en. The report, which was read by the Rev. W. W.
Kirby,M.A. rector of St. Dunstan-in-the-East, stated thit
the society's field of operations consisted of the contin,tt
of South America • its objects being lids-ions:l
among the Araucanian", Patagonian, Fuegians,
and ministerial among English-speaking
traders, farmers, shepherds, miners, sailors, &c. Stati,t;
had been undertaken at Panama; Callao, in I'eru ; t!,t
Concha Islands, South Pacific; Coquimbo, Lots, sri
Araucania, in Chili ; Paysander and Tray Lentos and rn.
guay ; F 1 Carmen, in Patagonia; and Keppel sic
the mission schooner, Allen Gardiner, for Terra C,l
Fuego. The report was adopted, and several addreso
were delivered in aid of the society's objects.
Fist irr FLKET-STRRET.—Between 8 and n
last night a fire broke out in the house occupied by Besot
Meek and Co., Gard makers, No. 8, Wine-office-care".
Fleet-street. It could not be ascertained whether sty
person was on the premises at the time of the ontbre...i.
which was discovered by two women, who saw the Mei'
issuing from the top part of the building. At the to..
part of the house are the premises of Messrs. Lewis as.!
bookbinders, 9, Gough-square, and such was
danger to these premises that on the arrival of t!•.,
fire-escape two female servant; were brought dos:
the ladder, and several of the apprentices who woe.:
work were cautioned to make a hasty retreat. The
gives from Farringdon-street, followed by several otter--.
accompanied by Captain Shaw, were soon on the at:
their labours were not completed till nearly half-past '
The house where the disaster originated lies beet
stroyed, together with its contents. Sonic damn,: ha
been occasioned to the top part of Messrs. Kidd and C.:.•;
premises adjoining, and the large quantity of
brought into Messrs. Lewis and Sons' workshops willows
much inconvenience to the business. We could not
whether the sufferers were insured. It is avid tl.a;
boy was knocked down and bad his leg broken by acre
escape entering Gough-square.
SHOCKIN4; AecTDENT AT A LAUNVH. --INV ErNt•,..
blowpar NWHT.—Mliilst a schooner, named the Bad,:
103 tons, and full rigged, was being launched today inc
the building-yard of Messrs. Stewart Brothers, sltipbui:der%
here, the vessel, with a large number of persons on
after going well down the slips into the water, link:,
rudely heeled over to port, until her forcyards and
touched the water, beneath which she rapidly f111.1.1.=
sight of the horrified spectators assembled on Cie 0:7.
The scene that ensued was one of wild excitcnient
tracting grief—parents weeping for their children.
children crying for their parents, who were unfortan.e..•
on beard the vessel when she sank. It is as yet de,-1?,
to say how many of the large number of pentons
the schooner have been saved. It is, indeed, greatly
feared that all may not be rescued.
SEVERE STORM IN TORKSIIIRE.—A fe3ri.
hailstorm passed over Wakefield on Monday Li.
shortly after eight o'clock. It was preceded by
larly vivid and beautiful lightning, and by run.
thunder. The downfall of boil lasted only ohm:
minutes, but was of very great violence. Hail:low'
diameter of an inch were far from uncommon, and aft:
the stone was over the ground was covered with orbs-::
size of marbles. There is scarcely a house in the toot
windows facing the west in which panes of glaso Were o•
destroyed ; and in the Weat Parade (Wesleyan) :ill
(Independent) chapels there is scarcely a single e.' • .
maining unbroken. The dial plates of the clack
tower of the parish church were also broken. A: 1,,r:
Bello Mills some thousands of panes were broken.. -
as other damage done, while nearly all the cell r•
lower part of the town were completely flooded. Th ir..
trees in the market and other gardens have
severely
THE NORTH-EASTERN RAILWAY. —The efT,.:!
the strike on this line has been so far overcome th
company yesterday bad spare hands onou4li to tun
usual escusion trains to the York races. In ...1L:t.a..1
Monday, most of the trains which had been di,.
during the strike were resumed, and are now
punctually. Every train absolutely required i,
full working, and there are hands in plenty to no
requirements of the summer traffic. Many of tl.. •
hands are in a miserable plight.
COTTON AT SEA.—There are at present
from Ilombay to Liverpool 1,4 ships, with
cotton on board ; from Rangoon there are s:-.0 bales: f•
Wurrachee there are 3,362 bales ; from Calcutta then
19 ships, with 69,609 hales ; from New Orleans they.
about 40,000 bales ; from New York there are Wed
from Nassau, 1,71r2 hales ; from; Galveston, 7.',.")
from Mobile, 18,000 hales ; from Charleston, 7,0'1 •
and from Nassau, 6.500 bales. From Madras to T.:
Thames there me 26,018 bales of cotton afloat ; from.
cotta, %ALI hales; from China, Cochin. and Tcti.,
2.8, 707 bales ; from Bombay and Kurrachee, 3,sti7 box'

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
(THIS DAY.)

EQUITY COURT.
ice-Chancellor Sir It. Malimn.)
;el I. THE In KS ect.nectt.
,a:tal in this case was the purchaser of 'hi acres of
I originally formed part of the waste of
• . f Plain Furness, in Lancashire, of which
.•,t oas the landlord. Fay the general and
,t,rt. .Leta it was provided that a portion
to be cold to pay the c•peuscs of the in-
' : ttil in question was part of the lend sold
in sub.. quently iron ore Was dis-
t the nil, and a mining lease was granted
. I .11:1Lel•ncli to Mr. Kennedy, who proceeded
.. sinking shafts. :mil teething other v.r.
• Iti
th, reupon tiled a bull, by which
. mined first, whether the plaintiff wan
-r. of the land to the centre of theearth,
, •. : tt , • the court decid,•,lag:tinst him on that
„ .. • Mt. Kennedy was entitled -.0 to work the
tose ....lista, me of the nod, which would be
• . .t Ito the propene, a small town having
i':.• tiev4ithotirltinsi. :mil the Lund having
.t.i. v valuable for building ilfifTolles-
. • stoics were argue.' separately, and upon the
• ,: •it had decided a;:tainst the plaintiff. The
. , y fully ru t.t, :111d now came on fur

.I• • y I .ener:l. Mr. shapter, and Mr. !)rice
- • ••I i'f ; Sir l'liner, Mr. Patiley, mid Mr.
; • • I. [la. of Luecleuch ; and 3lr. Chose and
•
• ' \ I Ketined
~, • nor held thot by the enclosure the lord
. • • d it,,,a All right whott ser to the surface. It
' . •• I ,••I doaan in repeated eases that the grant of
:.; lond only ;;ace authority to work
. h •,( th•• minerals as would leave a 1.0.011-

art for the surface, and that the owner
,• u - • ,s-:• might maintain an action against
A of the tubs Las for oily injury be
_• ~ : I,y the subsidence of the soil. In this
us Lint relied uison a C 11.411111 in the district
• •• author, the owner to let skull the surface
• .he ra•ruhre,l it necessary, but the
h.,,1 t 11 to establish such a cus-
s 5, a if the custom haul been established
„ w:a hound by the decision in the
, •- il:iron v. Lord Isranville," in which it was
t ,-iedoos for the owner of misier.ds so to work
• is t:. • nut face to the injury of boildings was
..•n, tint. tht.l.l.fOre, hi' :5 pa•rpettial injunction
1- • 'Me defendant front causing a subsistence of the
~• 11,- was aware that the result would
• spat tae owner of the minerals at
a:. •-f the owner of the surface ; but
- • I..•!isiscs s of the hind the essussmon interest of the
so, • I 1,1 to arrangements bete,: them. The bill would
1., i.•,, .• d coats as to the tit -t point; but a decree
,e with costs in favour of the plaintiff upon
LI, • ,•,!,,1

c:!I'ET OF QUEEN'S BENCH.

!Low (Beft;re the k,rd Chief Justice and

.I,stices. Slicc aspl