The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-23 00:00:00

TIM EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 23, 1866.

DRAMA.

DRURY-LANE.

George Colman, the elder's, comedy of the
Jealow Wife—s piece founded is $ great measure upon
Fielding's novel of "Tom Joaes "—was revived at Drury-
lane last night with a very excellent general oast, and Mr.
Phelps and Mn.s Hermann Voisin in the characters of Mr.
and Mrs. Oakley. This comedy has always been a favourite
with tragedians—Mr. Macready and Mr. Charles Kean
often played in it—and also with large mixed audiences,
chiefly in oonsequenee of its ludicrous dramatic "situations."
The version used at Drcuy-lane is the one in three acts,
which gets rid of a tiresome Irish character, one °ratter,
and keeps the gallery for as short a period as possible from
its feast of pantomime. Mr. Phelps's dry humour and ear-
nesteess of manner are, to our thinking, always more
effective in comedy than in tragedy, and it would be difficult
to find a more charming and spirited Mrs. Oakley than Mrs.
Hermann Vezin. Mr. Barrett, Mr. Helmer., Mr. H.
Marston, Mr. E. Phelps, and Miss Rose Leclercq were of
great service to the comedy in the other principal characters,
sod the revival has every chance of proving attractive. The
pantomime at this house is one of the most popular in
London.

NAVAL AND MILITAAY.

A DNIR&LTY, JAN. 22. —A PPOINTM nfra.—Ch &plain
the Rev. It. llessham, to the Indus, vise Carwithen, whose
period of navies has expired.
Assistant Paymaster J. E. Sullivan, to the Victory, for
service in the secretary's office.
Mauler's Amistaat G. Swainson, to the Ns:clam.

WOOLWICH, JAN. 22.
In accordance with Admiralty instructions, a
large quantity of clothing, stores, bedding, &0., belonging
to the Archer, 13, screw corvette, Captain Martin. from
the West Coast of Africa, was this day removed from the
vessel and destroyed by burning near the dockyard wharf,
in consequence of the yellow fever having prevailed on
board to a fearful extent during her present term of
commission. The personal wearing apparel and other
articles belonging to two officers and eleven seamen of the
crew, which it was considered necessary to destroy, were
previously valued, and the amount will be paid to the
representatives of the deceased. The vessel has been care.
fully cleansed and fumigated in every department.
ROYAL MAsnrss.—From information received at this
grrriaoa, the force of Royal Marine Light Infantry of this
division, which left Woolwich for service in Japan in
December, 1863, is now constantly expected home. The
force is on Image on board the screw frigate Conqueror,
which arrived at the Cape on the 10th of December hat

TIIE PUBLIC DEBT OF THE UNITED STATES.

The following is a statement of the public debt
of the United States Oil the lit of January, 1866.

DEBT BEARING COIN INTIBEEIT.

Character of Issue. When Redeemable or Amount.
Payable.
Dols.
6 per cent. Bondi .. Dec. 31,1867, and July 1,1886 18.323,591 80
6 per cent. Bonds .. Jan. 1, 1874 10,000,0e0 00
6 per cent. Bonds .. Jan. 1.1871 7,022,000 00
6 per cent. Bonds .. Dec. 31, 1880, & June 30,1881 182,645,800 00
6 per et. 6.20 Bonds May 1, 1867, or May 1, 1682 614,780,500 00
6 per et 6.2.0 Bonds Nor. 1, 1860, or Nov. 1,1884 100,0(0,000 00
6 per et 6.20 Bonds Nov. 1, 1870, or Nov.l, 1885 60,590,300 00
6 per et 10401304 Mar. 1,1876, or Mar. 1, 1904 172,770,100 00
6 per cent Bonds,
Oregon War July 1,1891 1,016,600 00
Total 1,167,148,291 NO
DEBT BRAZING CURRENCY INTERMIT.
6 per cent. Bonds,
U. P. R. R. Co. .. Nov. 1,1895
6 per cent. Bonds,
C. P. R. R. Co. .. Jwa. 16,1895
to ot ... 10 days' notice after 30 days 97,257,194 50
4,5, & 6 per et Tem-
Certilica
porary Loan
In-
debtedness One year from date 60,667,000 00
1 and 2 year 6 per
cent. Notes One and two years from date 8,536,900 00
3 year Compound
Interest Notes
3 year 7-30 Treasury
Notes Three years from date .... 830,000,000 00
Total 1.179,475,235 50
MAII7IID DM NOT PRESENTED POE PATIENT.
Texas Indemnity
Bonds
3 year 7-30 Treasury
Notes 240,000 00
Bonds
Treasury Notes 110,411 64
Temporary bun,
Coin
Total 1,166,680 32
DENT BEARING NO INTEREST
U. S. Notes
Fractional Currency 26,000320 tC
Gold Certificates u
Deposit 7,288,141 00
Total 460,519,950 37

Total Debt 2,001,310,07 99
Amount to Treastuy, Coin.... 46,785,650 09
Currency 44,999,271 11— 90,728,621 80

Amount of Debt, less Cash In Treasury 9,716,581,1M 19
The foregoing is a correct statement of the public debt,
as appears from the books and treasurer's returns in the
department, on the Ist January, 1866.
HOOD Illimoca, Secretary of the Treasury.

THE LOSS OP THE LONDON.—The conviction
gains ground among the maritime population of Plymouth
that the logs of the ill-fated ship London is mainly to he
attributed to her having been over-weighted. As she lay
In the Sound it was noticed by scores of seamen that she
lay low in the water "like a collier," and although no copy
of her manifest can be procured iu the port, it is generally
believed that she had on board many hundred tons of iron
—railway iron probably—which lay as a dead weight, bring-
ing her main deck almost to the level of the water. To
her already heavy cargo 50 tons of coals, in bags, were
added while she lay in the Sound, and these were placed
round her funnel. When the ship rolled they broke
adrift, and the coals being washed down the scupper holes
interfered greatly with the working of the pumps. Had
the London been oat a month she might possibly have met
with impunity a gale similar to that in which she foun-
dered, for the daily consumption of coal, water, and stores
would have lightened her materially, and she would have
rode over instead of forcing herself through the tremendous
waves she enoountered. But as she entered the Bay of Bis-
cay the iron weighed her down with considerable fore-, and
she plunged into rather than upon the mountains of water
which came driving on. This excessive loading, with a cargo
which would have involved a tremendous strain for the tightest
and most buoyant of wooden ships, dragged down this iron-
case to a common destruction. The practice of carrying
such dangerous cargo in passenger ships is condemned
by nautical men, and legislation to prevent it is required.
The accusation made against Captain Martin that he
dad not use all possible exertions to save his crew, by
cutting away the masts and forming rafts, is manifestly
unjust. The London was fitted with telescopic iron masts
from dock to truck, and these could not be cut
away by any appliances on board. Supposing it to
have been possible for a raft to hove been constructed
upon a deck incessantly swamped by heavy seas, to have
launched and kept afloat so frail a craft and have kept
passeng-n upon her, still there was this good excuse for the
experiment not being tried--there was no wood aboard with
which a rift could have been built. Her top gear wee totally
insufficient for the purpose, her spars on deck had been
washed overboard, her spare spars were insceessible
below, and to have ripped off the deck timbers would have
rained the ship instantly to go down. How far it was
wise to place iron masts in an iron ship, and to have no mate-
rial accessible for the construction of rafts is &question bearing
on the future zither than the past. A portable, life raft, such
as has been often tested with success, would probably have
saved many lives. Captain Martin has been blamed for
putting to sea on the Gth of January, when forewarned
by the barometer of the gale of the 11th. If he were
unwise in so doing, how much more dangerous was the act
of the captain of the Union Company's Cape mail steamer
*Norseman, which left the Sound with fifty-nine passengers
on the 10th in the very teeth of the storm. It is a serious
matter for such a ship to be detained at a port such
detention would have involved in the case of the London
a loss of some 601. per day.—Western if"rning News.
FATAL ACCIDENT TO • RAILWAY GCARD.—On
Tuesday morning, the London train due in Edinburgh by
the Caledonian hoe at 12.45 was late, owing to an accident
to the guard, by which he lost his life. It is alleged that a
man in one of the carringes of the train had attempted to
take liberties with a lady who was sitting in the same com-
partment. The lady spoke to the guard, named George
Hogg, who determined to watch the man's he-
hemmer. With this view he left the guard's van,
and ascended to the roof of the carriages in the
train, purposing, it is supposed, to watch the man's
movements by means of the lamp aperture. Hogg
was never seen alive again, arid when he was mimed the
train was put back, and the body was discovered, sadly
disfigured, lying about ten yards from the line at the bridge
at West-Calder. Hogg must have been walking on the
roofs of the carriages, when the train mane up to the
bridge unperceived by him, and he was dashed against the
bridge with great tome. He bad been in the employment
of the Caledonian Company for 18 years, and was esteemed
a careful and valuable servant. He was married and had
three children, for whom, we believe, a subscription has
already been set on foot among the friends of the deceased.
THE VALCB OP PROPERTY AT THE WEST-END.—
Yesterday, at the Westminster Sessions-house, before the
High Bailiff (Mr. Scott Turner) and a special jury, a com-
pensation case, "Shanks v. the Metropolitan District
Railway," occupied the whole day. Mr. Hawkins,
and Mr. C. Pollock were for the claimants, Messrs. Shanks,
coachbuilders, Great Queen-street, and Shaftesbury-terrace,
Pimlico. Mr. Lloyd (Mr. Baxter with him) appeared for the
company. The claim was nearly 8,0001. in respect to the
premises in Shaftesbury-terrace required by the railway.
The property bad greatly increased is value; end was in-
meaning. The improvements at Westminster and the
Victoria station had added to the value. Mr. Shanks said
he could get no other premises for his West-end
bushman, and wealthy customers would not come " over the
stones." The business at Great Queen-street had been in
the family more than 70 years, and that part was no longer
the west end of the metropolis. He had been with the Mar-
quis of Westminster and his agent for two hours, trying to
find some premises belonging to his lordship for the busi-
ness, and could not. Mr. Hawkins asked 3,0001. for the
property, and two years' profits at 1,8001, a year for the
destruction of the business. Mr. Lloyd said the claim
was excessive, and called witnesses to show that 850/. was
the value of the premises. He denied that the banjoes'
would be destroyed. The jury ultimately gave a verdict for
3,8001.
An influential deputation from the north of
Ireland waited on the Lord-Lieutenant on Saturday to
solicit his influence with the government against the
changes supposed to be intended in the system of Irish
national education. Lord Wodehouse, after a lengthened
toovereation with the party in private, promised to lay
their view, before the ministry.
PASTOR OPTICS MUSEUM, SOUTH KENSINGTON.
—Number of visitors for the week ending Jao. 20, 2,141 ;
total number sines the opening of the museum free daily
(12th May, 1868), 997,161.

THE POSTMASTER•OENERAL'S REPORT.

The eleventh annual report of the Postmaster-
General to the Lord' of the Treasury has been published:
With regard to improvements of postal acormodation
during the year it appears that the increase during 1864 in
the number of receptacles for letters has been more than
proportionate to the increase in the number of inhabited
houses, sines London, which at the end of 1863 bad one
receptacle for letters to every 426 houses, bad one such
receptacle to every 416 houses at the end of 1864. A like
increase in the proportion of receptacles for letters to inha-
bited houses took place in each division of the kingdom.
During the year 1864 free deliveries were for the first time
established at 413 places (exclusive of single houses) in the
United Kingdom ; and in the same period additional free
deliveries were given to 100 planes, whilst the boundaries
of 88 other free deliveries were enlarged. In Soot and 24
additional towns were provided with a day mail to Edin-
burgh, and 14 with a day mail from Edinburgh ; and in
Ireland 10 additional towns were provided with a day mail
to and a day mail from Dublin. The increase of corre-
spondence in 1864, which increase in the gross amounted to
37,000,000 of letters, and 7,000,000 of books, papers, and
patterns, was more than proportionate to the increase of
population in the London district, and in the rest of England
and Wales, and more than proportionate to the increase in
the number of inhabited houses in all parts of the kingdom.
In the London district the proportion of letters to popu-
lation rose from 48 per head per annum in 1863, to 51 per
head per annum in 1864 ; and the proportion of letters to
inhabited houses roes from 362 per house per annum in 1863,
to 373 per house per annum in 1864. In both years the total
number of letters delivered in the London district would
have been more than sufficient to give a delivery of one letter
on every working day to each house throughout the district.
On the whole, 28,000,000 of letters, and 21,500,000 of
books, pipets, and patterns, passed between this country
and foreign countries and colonies in 1864, there being an
increase on the previous year of 2,000,000 of letters, and
2.500.006 of books, papers,and patterns. Up to the close
of 1864 no change had taken place in the proportion borne
by the foreign and colonial letters coming into the United
Kingdom to the whole number of letters delivered in the
kingdom. The foreign and colonial letters formed, as in
many previous years, about one-fiftieth part of the whole
number of letters delivered. The increase during 1864 In
the number of circulars sent through the post in letters
appears to have been considerable. In 1863 an account
was taken of 4,000,000 letters which were posted in London
end which obviously oontained circular,, and could be as-
signed to various trades and societies in proportions which
were exhibited in a table at page 28 of the tenth annual re-
port. In 1864 • similar account was taken of 4,600,000
letters posted in London, and obviously containing circulars.
In both years the number of valentines posted in the
western postal district of London was nearly one-fourth of
the whole number posted in London. The Increase in the
number of registered letters during the year was the rate
of 8i per cent. (the increase in the number of ordinary letters
being at the rate of only 5 7.10 per cent.), making the total
number of registered letters for the year about 2,130,000.
During the year 1864 only fourteen registered letters were
lost in this country, and of these two were contained in the
Macclesfield mail bag, which was stolen from the standard
of tho apparatus for exchanging bags at the Chelford Rail-
way station os the night of the Ist April, 1864. The per-
petrator of this robbery was very shortly discovered, con-
victed, and sentenced to ten years' penal servitude. The
regulations which were framed In 1861 for the compul-
sory registration of letters containing coin, if posted as
ordinary letters, have bad the effect of diminishicg very
largely the number of unregistered coin letters. A great
reduction in the number of such letters bad taken place up
to the close of 1863, and &trio* the year 1864 a further
redaction of about 30 per cent, is believed to have taken
place. The following table shows the numbers of returned
letters in 1864, and the meaner in which they were dis-
posed of :
Returned to the writers
Re-issued to corrected addresses
Returned unopened to foreign countriee 111,314
Destroyed, about 483,000
In band, about

Total number of returned letters... 3,154,089
The proportion of returned letters to the whole number of
letters rose from *44 per cent. in 1863 to '46 per cent. in
1864, but this very trifling increase was more than counter.
balanced by the fact that the proportion of returned letters
which could not be satisfactorily disposed of fell from 17
per cent. in 1863 to 15 per cent. in 1864. The proportion
of returned letters to total correspondence is, moreover,
much lower in the United Kingdom than in foreign
countries. During the year ending 31st March, 1865,
the capital sum due to all the depositors in post-office
savings banks throughout the kingdom increased at the
rate of 31 per cent. The sum due to depositors in England
arid Wales increased at the rate of 32 per cent. ; the sum
due to the depositors in Scotland increased at the rate of
18 per cent., and the sum due to the depositors in Ireland in-
creased at the rate of 17 per cent. The rate of increase
was, however, much higher in some counties of England and
Wales. Thus it was 71 per cent. in Cornwall, 57 per cent.
in Dorsetshire, 56 per cent. in Monmouthshire, 69 per cent.
in Shropshire, 50 per cent. in Ham 86 per cent. in
Leicestershire 52 per cent. in Wo and 56 per
cent. in Yorkshire. Although hugely increasing numbers of
persons nee the post-office savings bank' for a prolonged
investment of their armless, there are in the post-office
savings banks, as in the old savings banks, large numbers of
other persons who use the banks for a short time only, as
mere places of security for the money which they do not
require for immediate use. The total sum deposited up to
the 31st March, 1865, inclusive of interest, in post-office
banks, was 9,217,0001., sod of this sum 3,852,000/. or 42
per cent., had been withdrawn up to that date. The total
number of depositors who had entered up to that date was
690,912, and of these 166,572, or 24 per cent., had closed
their accounts. The labour and the cost of the post-office
banks up to the 31st March, 1865, mast be measured, as a
matter of course, not by the number of accounts remaining
open at that date, but by the whole amount of business on all
accounts opened end closed up to that date, or, in other
words, by the whole number of transactions to that date. The
cost of each transaction, i.e., of each deposit or of each
withdrawal, in post-office savings banks, continued up to
the 31st March, 1865, to be rather lam than sevenpence,
to which sum, prior to the passing of the set for the esta-
blishment of post-offios savings banks, it was estimated
that the cost of each transaction would attain. From an
examination into the wupations of about 11,000 depositors
in post-office savings batiks in all parts of the kingdom, it
appears probable that the 524,340 depositors who had
opened accounts in the post-office banks on the 31st March,
1865, may be thus elassified:—Females, male minors, and
trustees, 285,769; males of independent means, or of no
stated occupation, professional men, and their clerks or
assistants, 31,353; melee engaged in education, 5,692;
tradesmen and their male assistants, farmers, and clerks of
all kinds, except clerks to professional men, and clerks in
general offices, 53,7543; mechanics and argues, journeymen
mechanics and artisans, domestic servants, farm servants,
railway servants, policemen, labourers, pensioners, boatmen,
fishermen, and merchant seamen, 140,518; persons
employed in the revenue departments, 2,570 ;
p nous in the army or navy, 4,682; total. 524,340.
Of the whole number of depositors in post-office savings
banks nearly one-third reside within the limits of the
London postal district. Of the whole number of depositors
in the post-office banks throughout the kingdom, about 4
per cent. have balances due to them of 501. and upwards.
In London there was in each year one depositor to every
seven persons ; in the reel of England and Wales one de-
positor to every fourteen persons ; in Scotland one depositor
to every seventeen persons ; in Ireland one depositor to
every seventy persons; and in the whole of the United
Kingdom one depositor to every fifteen persona. It has
been stated oo authority that in Paris, as in Loude; there
is one savings bank depositor to every seven persons, but
that in the whole of France there is only one depo-
sitor to every 25 persons. The effective staff officers,
postmasters, clerk., sorters, stamper'', messengers,
guards, and letter carriers, in 1864, numbered 25,637 ;
while the pensioners were, 1,131 ; cost of collo,.
tioo, delivery, and management, and of money order
business for that year, was 1.408,924/. • total cost of
conveyance of mails was 1,663,311/. ; the total cost of post.
office service being 3,072.2351. The total postal revenue
for the year was 4,231,55 e/. ; which, after deducting the
cost of the service as above stated, left the net revenue for
the year, 1,159,37.34 The average net revenue of the first
five years was 509,966/. ; and of the second, 851,6651.

PRINTERS' ORPHAN ASYWM.—The second annual
meeting of this institution connected with the printing
trade wee held last night at Anderton's Hotel, Fleet-street,
Mr. Charles Reed, F.S.L. io the chair. Mr. W. Doffing-
too, the secretary, read the report, which stated that in
Jose last the code of rules for the government of the insti-
tution had been adopted at a general meeting, and about
30 of the leading master printers of London had accepted
the offices of vice-presidents, trustees, and treasurer. Since
that time the committee, all working printers, had been
occupied in working up the institution by the issuing of
reports, circulars and advertisements, calling the attention
of the trade and the public to the claims of the institution,
and had met with • response from the trade of 250/., with
auuual igtecriptions from the journeymen to the amount
of about 501. As it was upon this latter the r..ll,iitetien
must mainly depend for support, the °palmatee hoped
by the next annual meeting they would be largely
increased, and for that object trusted to receive
the assistance of the press. There was no iatention,
at least for many years to come, to expend any of the
funds in building, but the children, as elected, would be
placed in efficient private schools selected carefully at the
out of 201. per annum. The committee were now prepared
to proceed to the first election, and invited applications from
the widows or representatives of deceased members of the
Tarim= branches of the printing profession. The total in-
come of the past year had been 2821. 15e. ; the expenditure,
711. 12e. 9d.. leaving a bateau of 2111. 2a. 3d. On the
motion of Mr. Wyman, of the firm of Oox and Wyman,
seconded by Mr. Machin, the report was adopted. The
trustees, treuurer, auditors, secretary, and committee
having been re-elected, the proceedings closed with a vote
of thanks to the chairman, and to Mr. Wyman and the
other employers co-operating with the committee.
Bourn Kamuscrrow MUSEUM.—Daring the week
ending 20th January the visitors have been as follows :
On Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday, free days, open from
10 a.m. to 10 p.m., 11,480. On Wednesday, Thursday,
and Friday, students' days (admission to the public, 6d.),
open from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m., 1,164 ; total, 13,464 ; from
the opening of the Mumma, tsmois.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF COMMON PIMAS.—JAN. 22.
Sittings at NW Priam in Middlaoar.—(Balora Mr. Juotios
Brio end • Common Jury.)
CORDING V. WllO3.

This was an action to recover damages for slander.
Mr. Ribton and Mr. Will appeared for the plaintiff ; and
Mr. Bridgman and Mr. Thesiger for the defendant.
Both parties to the suit were tradesmen in business in
Newport-market, the plaintiff carrying on there the trade
of a butcher. It seemed that Mrs. Costing had said some-
thing about having seen the defendant'at Margate with •
tall lady dressed in black, and this coming to the ears of the
defendant irritated him, and canted him to visit Mn.
Cording in her shop. He then used, in reference to her,
language which was extraordinarily foul even far a market.
The words, however, were not in themselves actionable, but
the defendant alleged that he had sustained special damage
in consequence of the slander. It was stated that the dis-
turbance oostissed for twenty minutes, that a mob of 100
persons collected round the shop ; that two persons, named
Ward and Field, had discontinued to deal at the plaintiff's
shop in consignee°e of what they heard on that occasion ;
and that the busieess generally bad fallen off since.
The jury found for the plaintiff—damages, 40s.
Mr. Bridgman asked his lordship to certify to deprive the
plaintiff of his costa.
Mr. Justice Bytes declined to do so, saying that he
thought that the law ought to take its coarse.