The Express.
London, England, 1867-06-17 00:00:00

THE REFORM' LEAGUE.

The following letter was rend at the executive
meeting of the Reform League at their weekly meeting on
Friday evening last :
Mortimer, Reading, June 11, 184;7.
To the Secretary of the Reform League. —Sir. In reply
to your circular 1 send a contribution to the funds of the
League. It is impossible to doubt that the popular move-
ment so effectively, and at the lame time so legally and
peacefully conducted by the two combined associations has
been the main instrument in turning the present holders
of power from the opponents of the limited Reform Billet
last session into the advocates of household suffrage and
something more. I say of ponwthing more, because the
lodger franchise plainly interdict. and must in the end
break up the restnctive principle of the present bill. The
plagiarist of reform may call its real authors "obsolete
incendiaries and 'pouters of stale sedition ;" but this is
only the expression, in language habitual to the servant of
an oligarchy in speaking of the people and their leaden, of
the speaker's consciousness that the measure which bears
lii. zu,tne is not his own. Agitation ought of course to cease
as soon as its object is secured. But organisation will still
be necenary to complete the victory and reap its fruits, to
defeat whatever of stratagem and subterfuge may still
lurk in a bill originally compounded of those element., to
pet the new voters on the register, to stimulate them to
the exercise of their right, and to scud up, with their aid,
• renovated, purified, and more national Howse of
Commons.

The head of the Tory government seem■, from his last
speech, to have borrowed from the genial imagination of
Ibis friend and guide the p►triotic idea of perpetuating
class government on a new basis, by decoying the working
mien, who a few months ago were being reviled &might the
vociferous cheers of the Tory party, into an alliance with
theToryoligarchyagainst the Middle and Commercial class.
But I trust that, however zealously Lord Derby may act
Ids new part, it will be found that he has once more mis-
understood the people, and that the government of which
be is destined to be the involuntary founder will not be
the government of any class or of any sinister confedera-
tion of classes, but a government of and for the whole
satiou.—l am, air, your obedient servant, _ _

GOLDWIN Sinre.

BISHOP Ham's 0111AVR. —The Rev. T. Foulkes,
elaplain of Vepery, Madras, when chaplain of Trichino-
poly, found that the pave of Bishop Heber was marked
only by four trowel lines in the chunain of the chancel
Moor, without an inscription, anii with.int even • slab to
never it. A inane was erected to the bishop's memory in
the cathedral of Calcutta, and • similar one in M►dras
Cathedral ; and • plain marble slab was placed on the
wall of the chancel of the Trichinopoly Church, stating
that he died at that station, but not where he was buried.
Mr. Forikes wishedte raise Ga. for a memorial brass to
lie placed over the grave, and he has received half the
sten. It is a sadly interesting circumstance that Bishop
Cotton sent a donation towards it from the yacht in which
be wits sailing a few days before be met with his own me-
lancholy end—one similar to that of Bishop Heber.—
Ilom,ward Moil, June 15.

Mr. Martin, the telegraph superintendent of the
Und..n and North Western Railway, in conjunction with
Kr. Varlet', Las invented a very useful instrument which,
when fixed in a signalman's box, will show the elate of
gh.. semaphore arms or lighta on a distance signal. It
eonaiats of a dial furnished with oscillating indices so that
the doalman can, at a glance, see if the signal be has
int,tied should be put on, is really on or not. As an sd-
ditional safeguard in the working of traffic it is invaluable,

APPOTting
THE HAMPSHIRE WEEK.

CRICKS?.

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, JUNE 17, 1867.

GOODWOOD STAKES.
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!., 1. 1 1:11:.:.hoolie 1 1 ••• to 1 • .i,..,.• t
1.4 1.. 1 ra.!i•hil. 1, .'• to 1 '1 ito 1,1 It! Is
V. to 1 T0x.1.1.4 le Ow Land cap
colt t tato.
23 to 1 Master Willie I 20 to 1 The arto 1111
(taken; the handicap
.1.". to I - Nils, }Tae 3. I offered,
a.. to 1 Luvi:er t,

DIULBY.
100 to OZi opt Laity Elisabeth lOW to CZ:agat Athens of
tuffered, I

iIARTI,MtoNr. (tr. AND GnOEND V. ()WATT or SI RIMY
Ilgrues .—Play In thi", another punt niu.getting match, tail
resumed on satunhy shortly below noon at the rival, the
weather being lane but dull, and .onewhat cold for June. There
st ere not a great many spectators in the morning. hut it being a
half.holirlay, after dinner there was a good company. At the
time of drawlog stumps on Friday evening the M.F.C. bad accu-
mulated lest run" In their SPCOIIII inning", Mr. Wilkinson with
In, and A. Shaw with two being the "not out." They resumes!
the kitting on satunday, Mr. Tayb.r anal Griffith being commis-
"loused to NI% I Both batsmen, re especlully Mr. WilklnAon.
hit away In fine form, and when the score had reachmi 22u. Miff
took up the bow:ing at Mr. Taylor's end ; still both kept noriag,
and another change, Mr. Nettle for Ltiff, was tried, when the
total wan 2."..i, and at length Shaw w.a caught utl hbu lay Sewell.
alter playing a capital liming" ol 10. After Ills Mr.
M Ilkiosow con d get to one to " stay " with ldm.
Grundy WA Mr. Ist Indio both fell victims to 3fortlock's
rlows. the former bring stumped awl the fatter ;
and Mr. Noble settled Wo.ttou and Mr. Richards ; but Mr. Wfl-
kbuon's wicket remained impregnable to the end anal he carrktf
out his hat for .. masterly Innings of tag, for which be was loudly
and dentrredlyelmorml on hl+4 return to the pavilion. The M.. .4'.
innings amounted to :01, which with thu Wane.; of 11.al:ain't
Surrey on the previous Innings left the formidable that for them
Go go in against of 3:9; tine they ill by gentling in as mond Jupp
and Humphrey, but :Shaw honied no well. utsl was so *My se-
conded by Mr. Grace, Wootton, not the field, that Peoting was
extremely difficult. The former clean bowled Iluntphrry, dopy,
Stephenson, anal Pooky. Jupp wu top corer with gb. and Mort •
hack, who wa caught off Wootton by Mr. Grace. 31. Griffith
wade 17 and iluniphrey 13, but the wicket" were ail toed up for
121. SO that the Marylebone Club has gained another victory over
the county of Surrey by 2115 rum. Altogether there were &NI runs
scored in this match.

KENT v. match was concluded on Satur-
day at the county ground, Gravesend. It will lie renicalben-d
that on Friday Hampshire finished their second inning. for 141.
leaving Kent S.: to get to win; this task they commented at noon
on Saturday, anti ultimately woo the inakh I.y nhie wickets.

SHOCKLAC MURDER OF A WO.VAN IN KENT.

THE it•NIPIoN .1 Nl' I:ElriftriN PAILWAK—
Ith:No/.7 vie THE Co.II.IIiTTEE flt.
11.411 UN.

T .e report of the Comumittee of li.vestigation of
the Brighton Railway Company was issued some
hours after the close of business on Saturday evening,
and, as was expected, furnishes another melancholy
chapter in the history of railway mismanagement.
The committee do not impute to the boatel any
acts of criminality, but they charge them with de-
liberate and prolonged deceit of the moat flagrant
character, and state broadly that the members of
the late board ought to be held individually and
pecuniarily responsible fur large sums of money
which have been improperly applied. The com-
mittee start with a history of the company during
the last 17 years, and, contrasting the period of
Ave years of Mr. Laing's chaiiimuiship, from 1849
to 1854, with the results arrived at during the sub-
sequent 12 years, draw conclusions strongly ap-
proving of the former, and condemning the later
policy. They say that had the policy of the last
ten years not been arrested by the force of einem-
stamms, and by the action of the committee, the
Itotal increase of capital since 1854 would have been
11,165,0001., of which upwards of 10,300,000/.
would have consisted of additional preference stock
and debentures, and a gross tragic of 1,300,0001. a
year would have been required to pay preference
charges alone. As a result of 8,000,0001. added to
the capital outlay, and 3,000,000/ to the company's
liabilities, they say that there has been a " mere
insignifiant increase in the bona fide net income,"
so that " nothing but a timely reversal of the old
policy could have saved the shareholders from
utter ruin." Of this outlay of capital 435,2141. has
been paid to the proprietors in the form of interest
on outlay on works in progress, " thus relieving
revenue and increasing dividends." Glancing next
at the e x penditure on improved terminal accommoda-
tion in the metropolis, amounting during the last ten
years to 2,300,000/. by the Brighton Company,
4,000,0001. by the South Eastern, and several
millions by the London, Chatham, and Dover, the
committee remark that, had the whole of the rail-
ways of the South Eastern district been united in
one system, " the public might have been equally
well accommodated for less than half the cost."
Next they refer to the Brighton Company's country
branches, which they set down as almost "an
entire loss, as there are few of them which even
pay their working expenses." Between the country
branches opened and those to be abandoned, " the
company must be considered to have incurredadead
loss of upwards of 3,000,000/." The next matter is a
review of the Surrey and Sussex, Chichester and
Midhurst, and West Sussex Junction Rail-
ways. Hereupon the committee recite the
evidence upon which they arrived at their
previously declared conclusion that these
schemes, represented by the old board as put
forward by "independent" parties, were really
framed by persons connected with the Brighton
Company, with a view to saddling that company
with them. They charge the board with deliberate
deceit from the very outset, and refer to the extra-
ordinarycourse taken by the directors, who, panic-
stricken at the turn affairs have taken, have trans-
ferred their shares in these concerns to nominees,
and have caused deeds of indemnity to themselves
to be drawn up and sealed with the company's
seal, contending that they acted in the whole
matter merely as agents on behalf of the Brighton
C puny. These deeds the company's solicitor
has stated are utterly worthless. The capital and
borrowing powers of these three companies " for
which the directors had secretly undertaken to be-
come liable," is 1,359,6001. ; the amount which they
led the shareholders to believe would be the limit
of their contribution was 595,0001., and the amount
actually expended is 332,0451. The committee
declare that the Brighton Company are neither
legally nor morally bound to take over these three
lines, and they express their opinion that, " by the
misrepresentation and concealment which has been
practised, there are solid legal grounds for holding
that the directors who have obtained by false repre-
sentations and suppression of the truth these large
sums of money " are " bound to repay those sums
to the Brighton Company," but whether it will be
better to appeal to litigation or adopt some com-
promise is left a moot point. The next matter
reviewed is the transaction with Mr. J. T. Mac-
kenzie, and the breach of faith committed towards
that gentleman. An agreement has been come to
between the parties, and the committee
hint an opinion that the directors are liable
to indemnify the company for any loss that may
be incurred through this " illegal and irregular
transaction." The capital and revenue accounts
are next probed. Of the 214,612/. paid as dividend
at 4 per cent. on the ordinary stock for 1866, the
committee state that " by far the greater part, if
not the whole of that sum was improperly distri-
buted," and they specifically enumerate sums
amounting to 116,652/. which ought to have been
otherwise appropriated out of revenue " before
declaring any dividend." In addition to the law
charges stated in the revenue accounts, the law and
parliamentary costs charged to capital in the last
Ave years or now outstanding represent no less
' than 237,905/. Other charges to capital account
are challenged, including 175,178/. so charged
in 1866 alone as interest upon expen-
diture on works in progress. The loan
account of the company with their bankers has
been systematically dealt with in a manner de-
signed to deceive, and the committee wind up this
' portion of their remarks with the general declara-
tion that "it will be clear to the shareholders,
from what has already been stated, that for many
years past the directors have systematically sanc-
tioned the manipulation and cooking of the ac-
counts, for the purposeof making things pleasant,'
and to fulfil what the directors must have felt to be
a necessity of their position, the payment of a di-
vidend under any circumstances, whether it bad
been honestly earned or not." Reviewing next the
present position of the company, the committee
state that 2,000,0001. of further capital is required
to liquidate the whole of the company's liabilities,
I assuming the Surrey and Sumex and other sus-
pended lines to be abandoned. Of this, one-half
requires urgently to be met, and must be provided
at once. Fortunately no difficulty is experienced
as regards the renewal of mortgage debentures.
Availing themselves of the company's unex-
hausted powers, the committee think 400,0001.
may be raised by debentures and by sale
of surplus land, and 1,600,0001. by an issue
of preference stock. Looking forward, the corn-
' mittee think the revenue ought to suffice to meet
all preference charges, and in two years they anti-
cipate a balance equal to 2f per cent. dividend on
the ordinary stock. The mode of raising the capital
required, however, has yet to be determined upon.
As likely further to help towards bringing the com-
pany's stock backto its original value, an agreement
with the South Eastern Company, the full terms
of which are given, is recommended. The com-
mittee conclude by recommending that a new
board, consisting of Sir Chas. Jackson, and
Messrs. S. Laing, M.P., Chas. Stewart, C. B.
Cardew, Ralph L Lopes, and Jonas Levy be ate
once appointed, and that Mr. Goer., whose great
services are recognised, be asked to accept the post
of auditor.

On Saturday, Mr. J. N. Dudlow, ono of the
coroners for West Kent, held on inquest at the village
public house at Trolley, which is situate a Alert distance
from the main road between Msidstoae and Sevenoaks,
sod about midway between those places, on the body of
an unknown woman which had been found in a small cop-
pice at the side of the road, and from the appearance of
the body and its surroundings it was evident that • brutal
murder had been committed, stud that it had been preceded
by outrage. It appeared that two labourers, who had
to pass the place daily to their work, had their
attention drawn about a week ago to a very offen-
sive smell, but they took no notice of it,
thinking it proceeded from some dead animal. Lest
Thursday, however, it had become so offensive that they
decided upon visiting the coppice together in the evening
to find out the origin of the smell, and at a short distance
within the coppice they found the body of a woman, appa-
rently about forty years of age, lying upon her hack, with
her legs extended, and her clothes turned up all around
her. The head and face were completely enveloped in a
shawl which was tied tightly round her throat, sad
fastened by two knots in the fleet, the ends being turned
in. The police were at once nommnnic•ted with, and on
the following day a more minute inspection of the place
was made, hut in consequence of the large number of per-
sons who had visited it, the body not having then been
removed, all traces of a struggle which one of the men
who found the body said had sppeartd to have taken place
at that particular spot, were trodden out. At the feet of
thebody were the marks of the toes of a man's boots
deeply pressed into the ground, sad those, with other
circumstances, left little doubt as to the outrage which had
preceded death. In sonic great about • dozen yards from
the body there were evident signs of • struggle, end there
*constable picked up a quantity of hair which was suppose,l
to have been pulled out of • man's whiskers by the roots.
The surgeon who was examined said that it would bete
been useless for him to have made a post martem examina-
tion of the body, as decomposition was so far advanced
that bruises or marks of violence, if there bad been any,
could not have been detected. lie supposed that
the body had been lying there for • fortnight
at the least, and his opinion was that death
was caused by suffocation. It was in the bounds of
possibility for the woman herself to have tied the shawl,
hut it was exceedingly improbable. A woman, whose
appearante corresponded with the deccesed, was seen in
the neighbourhood about three weeks before hawking
small wares, and about that time a boy found • small box
containing a few such articles in • ditch close by where
the body was found, so that the date of the occurrence
can be arrived at with some degree of certainty. The jury
returned an open verdict of " Found dead," and it is to be
hoped that the mystery surrounding this shocking affair
will soon be cleared up by the county police.

Et VLESIASTICAL QUESTIONS IN PARLIAMENT.—NO
fewer than six ecclesiastical questions stand in the order-
book of the House of Commons for consideration this week.
To-morrow night Mr. Fawcett is to move " that it is un-
desirable that the fellowships and foundation scholarships
of Trinity College, Dublin, should be exclusively appro-
priated to those who are members of the established
church." The third reading of Mr. Coleridge's University
Tests Abolition Bill, which is to be opposed, stands for the
moue evening, as dues also the committee on Mr. Mill's
West Indies Bishops and Clergy Bill. On Wednesday
Lord Amberley's Sunday Lectures Bill stands for a second
reading, and at the name sitting the Church Rate Abolition
Bill will be discussed in committee; Mr. Hubbard's Church
Rates' Regulstion Bill being also on the paper. Some other
ecclesiastical subjects have to be dealt with next week.
THE FATAL RIOTING IN WATERFORD.—WATER-
Tom), June IC —The city was in a state of riot last night.
Four of the men who landed at Dungaree° lately were
sent here from Cork. They arrived by the 8.45 p.m. train.
A guard of four mounted and twelve foot police met them,
and escorted them to Lady-lane lock-up. A large crowd
collected on the way, shouting and groaning. All the
approaches to the lock-up were tilled with an excited mob.
Head-constable Barry, who was in command of the con-
' atabulary, sent for reinforcements, and on their artival pro-
ceeded with the prisoners to the county gaol. The crowd
had meanwhile greatly increased, and it was with difficulty
way could be made. The mob stoned the police in Patrick-
street, when nearing the gaol. The police cleared • passage
to the prison doors, and got the prisoners, who had also
suffered from the stones, in safe. On returning, the police
were again stoned—brickbats, paving stones, &c., flew like
hail, cutting and wounding the men dreadfully. They were
compelled to turn and charge the mob to save their lives.
One man named Walsh, a salter, was stabbed near the
breast and killed; another, named Keenan, was severely
stabbed, and his life is despaired of ; about twenty
others were wounded. The horse police rode through the
crowd. A desperate fight took place for some minutes.
The hone police eventually cleared the streets. About 11
o'clock the city was again quiet. It is said an inquest will
be held to-morrow on Walsh. The police acted with great
forbearance. Several of the men are laid up with wounds.
They arrested one man only ; be was among the mob, and
made himself very conspicuous. The Dungarvan prisoners'
names are—Patrick Carr, alias P. F. Cane, John Care
John Donovan, alias John Warren, William Palmer, Wiwi
William Nagle. Keenan is yet alive, but is nos expected
to live till night ; he is wounded in the lungs. An inquest
will be held to-day or early to-morrow on Walsh. Keenan
has a wife and five children. Great consternation prevails.
Expressions of disloyalty were freely used last night.
Cheers were given for the Fenian* and the Irish Republic,
and groans and hisses for Great Britain. One policeman,
Constable Mercer. received very bad treatment, and is laid
up ; the others suffered from cuts on the head received
from stones.—Dubin Evening Mail.
THE TRADES rNION INQUIRY AT SHEFFIELD.—
This inquiry was resumed on Saturday. The first witness
called was Dennis Clarke, alias " Tucker," whore isemliar
characteristics woe, his forgetfulness of events which had
taken place. Witness said that after coming of age he was
employed by Mr. Wilson, and when he left the latter place
eight or nine years ago he with others (Amongst dein
Shaw) joined the union. He had been intimate with
Shaw ever id. oe. He had never been employed by the
secretary to do any kind of business for the union.
Neither Mr. Broadhead nor anyone else had employed
him. Was not aware if people watched the Inewbets to
see if they conformed to the rules of the union. He was
never set to du this that he knew of. Had been on the
box, but he was not aware how long. He had received
ed. lately for scale, but he had previously received
17s. 6d. per week; that was when be hod four chil-
dren—now he had only two. Mr. Overend—Then you
had 17s. 6d. per week fur four years for doing nothing.
He milled for work during that time, but
there was a list of unemployed for the inspection of
masters, No one is at liberty to apply for a work-
man unless his name was on the list, but he bad never
been sent to a master for employment. Had only
paid contributions when eniplojed. The men in the
union now paid sa. per week, but formerly it was 3s. 4d.
to the pound. When he was working tie emmid from
30s. to 21. per week. He was paid scale during the time
he was working for his father, his brother, and himself.
There were about eighty of them on the box.
Did not go to seek work, because he did not want any.
Witness and Joseph Martin used to go to Broad-
head's " when he was dry." He was sometimes working
and sometimes on the box. Had seen him many times
going about doing nothing. He went to America about
eight weeks ago. Witness joined the union because the
others did. He paid 51. to join, which was deducted
weekly hem his scale. Mr. Overend Why, Mr. Chance
tells me you have had about .lA/. out set the union for
which you had paid nothing. Now have you d,.ne no ser-
vice daring the time you have been on scale? Witni se—
Not one. Had never been asked to do anything for Mr.
Broadhead during that time. Broadhead had never sent
him to any master to obtain work. The remainder of this
witness's evidence tended rather to throw darkness than
light upon the subjects under investigation, and the other
evidence taken was mostly of a negative character. +lle
inquiry was adjourned till to-day.

It will be seen from this summary that the com-
mittee recognise the undoubted elements of hope
still presented by this property, and that, with the
capital account closed, and the liabilities liqui-
dated, any suspension of dividends ought to be
merely temporary. Should this financial pro-
gramme be carried out and adhered to, the
Brighton Railway property will ultimately be
placed upon a stronger foundation than it has
ever occupied yet.

Yesterday morning the Bishop of London held a
general ordination in St. Paul's Cathedral. There was a
full choral servioe, and the bishop was attended by the
Rev. Dr. Lightfoot, of Trinity College, Cambridge ; the
Rey. A. R. Campbell, M.A., rector of Aston, Yorkshire;
the Rev E. H. Fisher, LA., Fellow of Trinity College,
Cambridge; the Rev. C. W. Sandford, M.A., Senior
Censer of Christ Church, Oxford ; the Rev. R. Marti-
neau, LA., rector of St. Mildred's, Bread street ; the
Venerable Archdeacon Hale, the Rev. Canon Dale, the
Rev. Henry Venn, 8.D., secretary of the Church Mis-
sionary Society, Mr. J. B. Lee, and Mr. John Hansard.
The sermon was preached by the Bev. A. B. Campbell.