The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-24 00:00:00

100 to
100 to

Northern—Amtlaial. Wmkms—beismi, Wales, and lulls-
cencles. Soutimm—EwMall Channel and Bay of Mem.
Eastern—Eastward England and North Sea.

SERIOUS ILLNESS OF DIR. W. COTTON, D.C.L.

—The late Governor of the Bank of England, Mr. William
Cotton, the " lay bishop" of the thatch (as Bishop Blom-
flelo asUbdinstis I•44ftelli its awl Wed beasts:Mrs,
is lying dangerously ill at his seat at Leytonstone, BERK.
He is 80 years of age, and is universally honoured in the
City, and by all classes.
THE RECTORY or BIRMINGRAM.—The Dean of
Carlisle, the Rev. Canon Auried and the other gentlerafn
who are the trustees of the rectory of St. Martin's Mir-
mingham, which has lately become vacant by the prefer-
ment of the Rev. Mr. Miller to the vicarage of Greenwich,
have conferred it upon the Rev, William Wilkinson, M.A.,
of 'Trinity College,Dublin,incumbent of St. Mary's chnich
Sheffield. He belongs to the evangelical party in the
church.

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AGED PILGRIMS' FRIEND SOCIETY.—The twenty-
ninth annual meeting of the friends and supporters of this
deserving charity was held last evening at the Landon
Tavern, Mr. Alderman Abbisa occupying the chair. Since
the formation of the society, in 1807, no less than 2,312
needy and aged persons have been relieved through ita
agency. 351, a larger number than at any former period,
still remain dependent upon its bounty, and of these t 6
receive monthly allowances amounting in the whole to
ten guineas per annum each, 361 half that sine, 120 4s.
per month each, and two, who live in workhouses, 2*. per
month each. During the past year 2,834/. was expended
in this way. The committee have had under notice various
suggestions of plots of land suitable for the erection of a
new asylum, but no appropriate site has yet been found,
and the matter awaits further consideration.
FIRE AND Loss OF LIFE.—The whole of this

neighbourhood (Malden) has been shocked and saddened
by a calamity which occurred at Heybridge on Friday
night, when the destruction of the Victoria Inn,
at that place, wee accompanied by the death of Mrs.
Keys, the landlady, under the most painful circumstances'.
The facts of the case are as follow :—About two o'clock
on Saturday morning Mr. Keys, who is well known
throughout these counties as an extensive horseideeler,
and who keeps the Victoria Inn, Heybridge, was arouaed
by one of the maid-servants, who told him that she
believed the house was on fire. Mr. Keys immediately
went downstairs, and finding that part of the house
really was burning, be ran out to give the alarm, there 11
no doubt leaving the doors open behind him, thus probably
giving a fresh impulse to the flames. As soon as he bad
aroused his neighbours he returned to the aid of his wife
and the other inmates of the house • but by this time the
fire, which it seems likely had been; smouldering for an
hour, aroused by the rush of air, hail broken out, and
was ragiug fiercely iu the body of the building. Mr.
Keys rushed to the foot of the staircase, but was driven
hack by the fire and smoke. He called loudly to his wife,
but no answer was returned, anal at length the flames
became so fierce that no further effort could be 'wale in
that direction to save her. Many of the neighbours
speedily carne to render assist:nee, and did their best to
save life and property, foremost among them
being the vicar of the pariah, the Rev. Thomas Wren,
who worked very bravely, the first effort of course being
directed to the rescue of those who were then within the
building. One of the maid servants jumped from the
bedroom window, and escaped with life from the flames,
but was much hurt by the fall. A ladder was then nailed
to the window, and Mr. Wien rescued the other maid
servant from the fearful fate which at one time appeared
to await her, though she was severely burnt. and rsearZtl
expected to live. Still a feeling of terrible anxiety pre-
vailed, as it was known that Mrs. Keys, the landlady,
was within the burning building. It wag known that
she bad left her room, and gone to another, and had ap-
peared at a window looking over Heybridge Creek. The
ladder was placed against this window ; anal Messrs.
Tennant and Baxter mounted it to the rescue, and had
even got hold of Mrs. Keys' hands, when the
floor joists being burnt thromili gave way, end the un-
fortunate woman fell back into the midst of the fire
which was raging below. All hope of staving her life was
now gone. The engine of the Essex Equitable fire office,
under the superintendence of Mr. Edwin May, aeon
arrived, but all endeavours to save the house or its con-
tents were useless, the building being old and of timber.
It was burnt to the ground within an hour and a half
after the fire was discovered, and nothin?, was saved
except a few barrels of beer, which were In the cellar.
As soon as possible after the fire was subdued search
was mile fur the remains of Mrs. Keys, but it appears idle
was nearly consumed, and only a small portion of her body
was discovered. It in needless to say the calamity has cast
a gloom over the village and the town of Malden, and that
the deepest sympathy is felt for Mr. Keys in his terrible
laffliction. We learn that Mr. Keys was inured in the
Norwich and Union Fire Office.—Aatorz Ifera'd.
FATAL ACCIDENT.—LEAPING FROM A RAILWAY
CARKLAGE.—An inquiry was held by Mr. Payne, coroner,
let Guy's Hospital, last evening, on the death a Thomas
Boarer, aged 19 years. Thomas Wood said that
the deceased was usher man at the Terminus
Hotel, London-bridge. Last Sunday at 25
minute' to 10, witness and the deceased were in a
third-class carriage on the South Epstein Railway at
London-bridge railway station. The sinew as in motion,
but it was going to stop, when the deased, who VIM
standing at the open doorway of the carriage, leaped on the
platform. He missed his footing, and was thrown between
the cania,ges and the platfono. Three carriages parsed
lover his head, and he was shockingly mutilated. one
removed porters had the train instantly stopped and
removed the deceased, who was then dead, to Guy's
Hospital. He was very steady and wirer. and at the
' time of his death he WAS returning from Dorking, where
he had been to see his father and mother. It was impos-
sible for the deceased to save himself when be stumbled,
because when he leaped from the carriage he was carrying
two pots of flowers under his right arm, and in the left
band he held a tin milk-can containing a live mule which
he had brought up from the country. Witness did not
know who opened the carriage door for the deceased. A
juror asked whether the unfortunate man was under the
influence of drink when he leaped from the caniage, and
he was informed that the deceased had been a teetotaller
for some months previous to his death. The jury returned
a verdict " That the deceased was accidentally killed by
leaping from a railway carriage while a train was in mo-
tion."—Surny Standard.
Sis6l.7 LILA OCCURRENCE. —On Saturday last, 3a
some workmen at Horsham were employed in pulling
down a portion of the Black Horse Inn, West-street, they
found between two partitions the skeletons o' a rat and
cat, within about a yard distance of each other. It appeared
that the cat had driven the rat to the extreme end
of the opening, and at the same time bad fixed itself so
firmly between the sides of the wall that it could neither
move backwards or forwards, and it is suppoed that they
must have remained in the position described until they
wereA actually starved to death.—Sussex Adrertiarr.
RILWAY AND OTHER BILLS IN PARLIAMENT.—
The bills in the House of Lords that were disposed of are
—The Pagliam Harbour and Holyhead Water, which were
referred, with amendments ; the Waterford, New Roes,
and Wexford Junction Railway ; Briton Ferry Gas and
Heywood Water, which were Adjourned. In C Room the
Ardmore Harbour Bill was adjourned. In P.oom D the
Roach River Fishery Bill was referred, se was also the
Hatfield Chase, Warping, and Improvement (Railway).
In the Painted Chamber the City and London-bridge Rail-
way Bill was thrown out. In the House of Commons the
Kilmarnock Water Bill was proceeded with in Group H
and adjourned. The Waveney Valley Drainage Bill, un-
opposed, was referred back. The' Metropolitan Railway
(additional powers) preamble was declared to be proved.
The Falfware, Highgate, and London Railway, and the
Great Northern Railway (Potter's Bar, Barnet, and Hen-
don) were adjourned. The London, Chatham. and Dover
Bailers (various powers) was proceeded with. The Lon-
don C , and Dover Railway (new lines, &c.) was
referred back. Moat of the other bills before the com-
mittees were Proceeded with and again adjourned.
Agents of the French government were yesterday
t at trials of the Mackay gun which took place in
present at trials of the Mackay gun which took place in
LiverpooL The details were not fully known when our
I aroel was despatched.