The Express.
London, England, 1859-02-10 00:00:00

TAB DZITRUCTION OF Flu MAW( CANAL.

A correspondent writes to the Times :—" It will
probably interest many of the thou/ands of the tourist end
sporting public who easy be familiar with the Qin= Canal,
when taking this pictrueegue route to Oben sad the North
Highlands, to bear the particulars of the late disaster, which,
In less than half an hour, hoe nearly destroyed this great
week. Its loss will very much affect the rising prosperity of
this part el, the west coast, se well u the convenience of the
multitude dianthus tourists who in summer avail them-
selves of this luxurious end admirably appointed line of route
for the north. The highest elevation of the canal is at its
centre, stoat four miles from either extremity, surmounted by
a aeries of babe within • space alms than two rubes. Among
the Ws which hem in this pert is • chain of natural lochs
which serve u n smears for supplying the canal. This is'
the some of &reeler, its effect pn scurieg an appearance more
like some great estutrophe of nature than • mere engineer-
lag accident. After an unprecedented w,t meson, on the
evening of the 2nd, about 8 o'clock, one of these neervoire,
becoming overcharged, soddenly burst and precipitated iteell
into the tine beneath, which also giving way, the contents of
both bounded into a third, and, with • roar which shook tho
country for mites rimed, an avalanche of water, rocks, and
watt rolled down the mountain side, furrowing a deep
watercourse in its way, and instantly obliterating the canal
under a mountain of thousauds of tons of rocks and room.
The vast body of water, separating into two great tide
waves, rolled away to the east and west, breaking up lock-
gates like tinder; and, tunnelling vast chasms through the
backs, the waters found met over the open reentry, the one
by the town of Lochgtipbead into Loch Fyne, Ike other
ever the Cris= mosses into she western me, both strewing
the face of the comtry with mud, teems, pest, fragments of
core-sacks, uprooted bosh's, and broken timber, in • most
wonderful manner. Eves the loch for many miles oat to era
is quite turbid, end its surface speckled over with floating
Alois. Though the lees of property is at present incalcu-
lable, yet, most miraculously, there has not be, n e single life
lost, though the alarm of the people of Locligilpead may
be conceived when they hard the distant bellowing of
the torrent and rolling and grating of rocks, and then save
through the darkness of the night the moving flood all
eroune them. About half atolls of canal is buried under a
cluotio beep of Cycloid= stones, like a rugged tot beach.
In this part of Glen Citron Nature ha, comptetely re gamed
her sway ; tow-path and high-ried, and all apt ensue of
the hand of mu, have Leerily dtrapt.ared. For two miles
the caul is destroyed, the banks being cut up by chums
like railway elating* ; but the remaining pull. no, about
four miles at either sad, ate intact, though probably Injured
by the gnentity of end injer•ed into them. The pruners
upon their banks must have been great, se the waters
seed ed over their edges for their whole length, and Ardris-
pelt was probably only sued by the immediate opening of
the sluices end giving vent to the water, which must, had
the bask gives way, have swept the village into the Nee."

A dividend of 13-16 tbs of one penny in the pound
has just ban announced on the estate of Pry sad Chapman,
the bankers, who failed more than twenty years ago.
About 2,000 bales of silk and 40,0001b5. of tea
have been ravod from the cargo of the Jubilee, ashore near
Boulogne. The total shipment-, ty this vessel were 2,329
bales of silk sad 765,9001 be. of toe.

TAX CoLucrorte.—A parliamentary return issued
this morning, shows that the number of persons employed
Is collecting the Land and Amused Taxes, end Property and
Income Tax, is 44,141; in collecting the Excise, 4,077;
is collecting the Land and Assessed Taxes, Proper.), and
Income Tax, end Excise, 76; in elliming the Land and
Jusemed Tula, Property and Income Tax, Excise, and
Stamps, et the chief offices In London, Edinburgh, mil Dub-
lin, 326—making a total of 48,619. The number of persons
employed is the wilco ion of the Land end kotesead Taw,
and the Properly end leoorne Tax, comprises parochial asses-
sors and collectors, clerks tol >e l emmissioners of tares, and
tames of the Inland Revenue department. The total num-
ber of persons on the establishment of the Customs deport-
ment on the Slot day of December, 18.58, was 6,825. This
number includes all permute in the Customs department,
whether engaged In the prevention of smuggling or in the
preparation of the returns of trade, the oilloenn and clerks in
the we:shaming department, end those engaged in the per
of duties under the Merchant Shipping Act.
PENSIONS IN THE NAVY...—This morning a par.
limmatery return wee lama showing that 392 warrant
Micas us In receipt of pensions amounting annually in all to
22,0071.2 a. 10d.-3,625 seams and 3,120 marines are in re.
osipt of pensions for long service ; and 3,464 seamen, and
2,348 marines, for butte and wounds, the annual .mount of
the pennons being In all 210,5591. 13s.
_

- •
Tan PAPIR DUTY.—Lord Derby haa appointed
to-morrow (Friday) at two o'clock to receive the com-
bined deputwion• from the Newrpavir and Petiodkal Preen
Astiociens for obtaining the Repeal of the Paper Duty
of England, Ireland, end fro lead, together with de-
putatkies from the Society for Promoting the Repeal of the
Tares on Knowledge, and frnot three Birmingham manu-
facturers, who ate so largely MN:re:led in the quew

LAW IN:
(THIS

COURT OF QU
&Wags at Nial Prius after 7
Lord Campbell a

DICKSON V. TOE TART

This was an action fur Ii
Colonel Dickson, late of the T
Use Earl of Wilton, c')lvnel of
wee contained in a letter &War
Vlioount Combermere, and in
the defendant made to Mr. '
was to the effect that the flail
regimental funds.
. .

The defendant pleaded not 1

Mr. Edwin James, Mr. Ha.
for the plaintiff; and Ilia Ai
Mr. Milward, and Mr. West,

—Mr. James in opening the(
Colonel Dickson, was a soldiel
defendant, the Earl of Wiliam
Hamlets Militia regiment, wb
1855. The noble lord receives
Duke of Wellington, but until
any service=

That never et t a n

Nor the divhdoo a

More than a spinet
The complainant, however, b
daring the war. He had ale
Cape of Good Hope, had beet
years in her Mojeety'e army
Kr. Dickson wu appointed
question by the late Duke
outbreak of the war with Rum
embodied and called oat. It
green, afterwards removed to 3
In March, 1866, the plaintiff b
and being a man thoriugb
he did all be could during
the regiment efficient, at
character, and be was belt
ranks with whom he came in
regiments there was what w
which woo formed by the
and by • bonus or gift
rate of 261. for each coo
while the regiment was
no regular mess; the officer,
artillery, each paying his quot
for the regiment having been
necessary to have chin
e:,l
slider, end these were
princlial portion of theca
Shirts and Company, and
Forte expense of three artid,
are liable, but they failed to pa
The amount owing to Memel
to the regiment woe 6801. c
Wilton for that sm. Its w
end, It not being convenient
moray be gave a judge's or&
which , expired on the Bth of
that month he penned the libel,
tide of this action. The regime
sod them liabilities were those
the regiment would be re-em
and intended probably to
event, and the Earl of W
to Col. Dickson requesting
me if the creditors coo
another year. The libel was r
Earl of 'Wilton adireesed to
however, *carding to army te
the matter, and therefore It o
pivileged communication; ben
fao, Scans the Earl of Wilt
on the record, and the jury
Colonel Dickson had or had n
Wel mod. The le' ter WY c'
with a booth fide desire for inq
gentleman against whom hi
unfounded and extraordinsry
26th of May, 1868, and Wow
Combermere, and contained I
" In reference to your lords
I beg to inform your lorded'
Secretary of State for War.
Dickson's conduct rendered it
commanding the regiment, tot
"On the 13th of August,
command of Lieutenant-Co
Cremorne Gardena, to seed
tope!, at which some of the
jured, as well ss some arms
lost or damaged. On the I
Dickson received from th.
ISeon College, 791. for
to the men injured on that
arms, accoutrements, and clot
lately COM to my knowledge'
the 401. 12s. for paying the d
nearly two end a half -years hs
pa
Now the facts with regard
A "hteLet " wu given at Ci
the Wellington Collage, the per
attack by the English and the
Russians at Rebut opol. In cc
way 'signalmen, including lona
were Injured, and the meow
thought it right to pay the I
Wilton by way of compenemi,
the money, and ha diabolist
be proved by vouchers which
charge in the latter was thus
'` Col. Dickson, while In cot
di/regard of the rules, custom
vice, would not allow any
accounts. although applicsoo
made to him by she Officers o
the officers to saparats In tom
regimental funds, and prase
rely discharged."
The learned counsel led
never required to summon •
that one meeting for that par
to the third charge.
In consequence of such
sant-Colosel Dickson, I eel
posed of the major and the tv
to ['Kobe into and C 1
which it appears that betwer
olthe regiment in March,
sees in Ootobee in the Name
of the funds of the regimen
the principal Items of which
ought to have been defrayed
The explanation which
regard to that sum would Tc
July, 1858, the Earl of Wilt
Lady Catherine Egerton.
new colours, and when that I
wee gluen by the regiment at
of his lordship; and the p,
would be tail before the jury
which bad been deducted fr
knowledge of that fact the
spinet Colonel Dickson, a r
the Mutiny Act rendered 1
servitads.

[The learned counsel era
when oar repast left