The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-19 00:00:00

HIDE MARKET.-(THIS DAY.)

LUDENHALL. —Hided; : Prices: fitilbs. to 64117a5., 244.
to 3d.; 61144. to 721b5., 3d. to 31d.; 721bei. to 801b4.,
to 3.1 d. ; 801 be. to &Wm, did. to 41; ISblbs, to 961b4., 4d.
to 41d. ; 961bs. to 1041b4., 4d. to 40. ; Horse hides, Sh.
to 10s. ; Calf skins, light, 2s. to 44. ; full, 64. hd.
lintmospsEY.--Sheepskins : Polled, GiL to 14s. ; half-
breds, 10s. to I.ls. lid ; Downs, 7s, to 9s.

BOROUGH HOP MARKET.-(THIS DAY.)

. .
Messrs. Pattenden and Smith report that daring the
week trade has continued without material alteration, the
11w ted nature of stock causing prices to rule firm.

TUE PEEL RIVER LAND COMPANY.--(THIS DAY.)
—This afternoon at the half-yearly general meeting of the
I'eel River Land and Mineral Company, which was held at
the offices, Moorgatestreet-buildings. Mr. H. Hughes in the
chair, the report of the directors was unanimously adopted,
and a dividend of 1 per cent. declared, making, with the
interim dividend declared at the last half yearly meeting,
2; per cent. per annum.

There was a reform gathering at Oldham yester-
day, to ailebrate the return of Messrs. Hibbert and Platt
as members for the borough, and a vast assembly met
in the Co-operative Hall to hear the speeches which
were delivered after tea, whilst a ball held at the Town
Hall at night lent a v►riety to the proceedings, which ap.
geared to be appreciated by a large number of persons.
According to the Fatrie it was an exaggerated
sentiment of military honour which drove Admiral
Pareja to pelf-destruction. It is stated that on learn-
ing that the Chilian corvette Esmeralda bad taken
the Spanish schooner Covadonga, he was seized
with such a fit of despair that nothing could
calm his mind. In vain did the officers of his
staff urge that the loss was insignificant, that the
Spanish vessel had but two guns, whilst the corvette had
18 ; moreover that the Covadonga had been taken by sur-
prise—nothing produced any effect. He considered himself
as a dishonoured man.

General Palmer, the military commander in
Kentucky, addressed an open air assemblage of about four
thousand coloured people at Louisville on New Year's Day,
congratulating them on the abolition of slavery through-
out the country, paying a tribute to the kindness generally
shown by the Kentuckians towards their late slaves, and
prrpheaying a happy future for the negroes, and an early
recognition of their civil rights by the white people of the
South.

-----
The Paris correspondent of the Independence
Bcfge,writiog on the l9th, say► :—" It is stated to-day that
the French government on the demand of the Holy Father
has consented to the organisation at Rome of a battalion of
a thousand men, in which will be incorporated French
officers and soldiers. This decision, if it be confirmed, seems
to be an indirect reply to the appeal of Cardinal Antonelli
demanding of the French government moral or material
guarantees, which, after the departure of our corps of
occupation, should protect temporal papacy."
On retiring from the gubernatorial chair, Governor
Andrew, of Massachusetts, has to idressed the legisl►ture at
some length, giving his views on the subject of reconstruct
Lion. He thinks the admission of the States lately in rebel-
lion should depend on the following five conditions :—Their
guaranteeing such civil rights to the coloured populatien as
shall establish their equality with the whites ; in the elec-
tive franchise laws makieg no distinctions based on race or
colour ; annulling the ordinance of secession ; disaffirming
the rebel debt ; ratifying the anti-slavery amendment.

SERIOUS FIR ES.—(TIIIS DAY.)—A fire broke out
this morning in the extrueive range of premises belonging to
the Patent Leather Cloth Company, Abbey-lane, West
Ham. The drying-room*, coosistiog of two floors
each, are about 100 feet long by 30 feet wide,
and one :0 by 30, and another building of three floors,
need as drying•colour machine-rooms, 90 or 100 feet long,
being all in a blaze, and the principal parts of the im-
mense establishment were destroyed. Several other fires
took place during the morning. ore on the Great Northern
Railway, another in Judd-street, Brunswick-square, at
which the premises were Foetal damaged.
DISTRMIYO DEATH. —On Tuesday afternoon,
a young lady, aged 18, the daughter of Mr. J. Fisher, bank
agent, Crostbweite, Keswick, being at Penritb, whither
she had travelled with some friends to visit a relative sear,
hired a cab to proceed to her destination. She was alone.
When the vehicle cern° to that part of the road where it
crosses the river Lowther at a ford, the driver endeavoured
to take the stream as usual ; but by reason of the late rains
and snow, the • was coming dows nearly a Good. When
the cab had been driven into the water partway it
became apparent that the crossing was not possible. The
cabman endeavoured to torn his vehicle back, but as the
horse came round the water was too powerful, and it swept
the vehicle over. Miss Fisher endeavoured to escape from
the cab, but was not able, and it doss not appear that the
driver was able to rescue her. Is a few minutes the water
dosed over her, and she was lark