The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-03 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY 3, 1867.

hour appointed for the procession to form was 6.30, when
it was to start from the council rooms, Smith-street, but
it was near seven o'clock before it was actually set in
motion. Nearly 2W torches were provided, and there was
no lack of willing hands for the honorary office of bearing
them. There was some confusion at starting, owing to the
want it • little organisation, which perh *pa it was thought im-
possible to havecarried out under such novel circumstances.
:•isi everything seemed left to the chapter of accidents.
several contingents came from Whitworth, Smallbridge,
Littleborough, Heywood, and Milnrow, and altogether a
very large body of persons united in the procession. It was
headed by the banner of the local branch of the National
Reform Union with the motto bidding them "Be just and
fear not," whiilit their loyalty to the great champion of reform
and their fellow-townsman was shown by the additional
ineripion of "John Bright for ever!" Four bands of
music —the Corporation Drum and Fife Band of Rochdale,
the Rochdale Temperance Band, and the Milnrow and
Scuallbridge brass bands—were attached to the procession,
and played at intervals along the route. The for-
mation of the procession was irregular enough to have
driven a milary martinet out of his mind ; but
what was wanting in regularity was made up in
solidity. It extended about • quarter of • mile in length,
a minimum of six walking abreast, but with the under-
standing that as many more es possible joined the lines
wherever they could. The route was from Smith-street
through John-street, Molesworth-street, Vicar's Moss,
Drake-street, Yorkshireatroet, and Whitworth-road
to Cronkeyektaw. The blase of the waving torches, which
cast a remarkably brilliant light, was reflected on the
countenances of the bearersiand the surrounding objects
with a straw and unnatural glare, and made the whole
affair very effective as a spectacle. Viewed from an emi-
nence, the procession, undulating its way through narrow
streets, appeared like • huge fiery serpent, giving sem-
blance of reality to the fabulous monsters so familiar to us
at the pantomimic season. The streets were densely
crowded with spectators, and the procession received many
secessions on the line of route. The crowd was indeed so
great that we ere sorry to have to record • fatal accident.
As the procession was passing up Yorkshire-street, the glare
of the torches frightened a home which was harnessed to a
cwt. The hone ran away, and the cart went over a boy
of 12 years, named J. Howarth, killing him on the spot.
On the procession arriving at Cronkeyshaw, four plat-
forms were in waiting opposite Mr. Bright's residence, but
only three were used. Lech platform was the centre of an
attentive audience, and the following resolutions were car-
ried by acclamation :—" That this meeting enters its pro-
test against, and denies the charge of venality, drunken-
ness, ignorance, and indifference to reform made against
the working classes during the last session of parliament ;
and this meeting declares that no reform bill can be ac-
cepted which doe, not fully provide for the full, fair, and
free representation of the people ; nor can any representa-
tion be free which does not include the ballot." " That
this meeting has full confidence in the late government of
Earl Russell, and thanks his lordship, W. E. Gladstone,
John Bright, John S. Mill, and other earnest reformers
for the way in which they have vindicated the people's
righta."

The chairmen of the platforms were Mr. Isaac Hall, Mr.
W. Shepherd, and Mr. G. Webster. The speakers were—
Mr. T. Evans, of Manchester, Mr. Wainwright, Mr. J.
Ashworth, Mr. Tomlinson, Mr. Partlethwarte, Mr. T.
Cheethan., Mr. Mark Price, Mr. Slater, Mr. Howarth, and
others. The proceedings were brought to a conclusion
before 9 o'clock.

THE HEAVY TALL OF SNOW.

A heavy fall of snow took place yesterday morning
at Windsor, and over the adjacent land in the surrounding
eounties of Berke, Buck., Middlesex, and Surrey. At day.
break the streets of Windsor and Eton were covered
deeply with mow, while the roofs of the Castle towers and
town buildings were loaded. About 3 o'clock an easterly
wind drove the yet falling snow into ridges, which in some
of the thoroughfares were from 13 inches to 2 feet in
depth. Few persons ventured into the streets, locomo-
tion being impeded by the masses of snow on the pave-
ment and roads, while the transit of carriages was nearly
stopped. For several hours business seemed suspended,
while railway travellers experienced great inconvenience.
The Great Western line between Windsor and
Slwh,
and the South Western line were covered dee y,
the trains having much difficulty in making their
way along the rails, which with the wheels of
the engines and carriages became clogged with
snow. The engine drivers and guards of the various trains
suffered greatly from the cold and exposure to the blind-
ing snow. The down goods train which leaves Nine Elms
about five o'clock in the morning did not reach Windsor
till about ten o'clock, while the eight o'clock passenger
train from Waterloo did not arrive at Windsor tilltwenty-
five minutes past ten o'clock, having been nearly two
hours and a half in accomplishing the distance. The up-
train which left Windsor at 8.55 was about ten o'clock
reported to have been stopped near Wraysbury, about
four miles from the Windsor terminus. Between nine and
ten o'clock the down Reading goods train was stopped by
the snow in the lighain district, but after a time was ex-
tricated. On the Great Western things appeared to be a
little better, though here again the snow storm caused
some delay. Altogether, much inconvenience was occa-
sioned by this great and sudden storm, the transition,
though certainly seasonable, being under the circumstances;
far from exhilirating.

Our Brighton correspondent writes :—" The stormy ad-
vent of the new year has been felt here severely. Last
evening was fine but frosty, the thermometer registering,
soon after ten o'clock, eight degrees below freezing point.
In the early part of the evening there was every prospect
of a calm night, and a fleet of the large lugger' used in the
fishery put off for their accustomed fishing grounds. The
wind was then blowing steadily from the north (that is off
shore), and about midnight, when the vessels were on the
banks, it fell to a calm. Soon afterwards, however, the
wind suddenly chopped round to the south, and steadily
rose, bring up a heavy snowstorm. The fishermen were
forced to take in their nets, and eventually the whole fleet
were compelled to run for the shore before a hard
gale. They arrived nearly together at Brighton, on a half
tide, about four o'clock, when scarcely anyone expected them.
No preparations had been made, indeed there was hardly
anyone on the beach. The manner of landing the craft is
by beaching, and in the usual way they are run up the
beach by capstans to which horses are attached. When
the craft arrived, however, there ware hardly any horses
available, and the lugger were at the mercy of the heavy
sea which was running. The consequence was that no
leas than nine of the Naiads were wrecked. Two were so
completely knocked to pieces that by mid-day to-day they
were broken up for firewood ; four others are damaged
almost beyond repair, and several more of the craft have
lost spars, gear, itc. The disaster will be felt severely by
the fishing population of the town, and must
cause considerable distress. The wrecked lugger,
were owned by various persons, and some of the
owners are fishermen and fishmongers to whom the
lou of such vessels will be a serious matter. Numerous
accidents are reported to have occurred this morning to
men and horses in consequence of the slippery state of the
roads and pavements. The forenoon was a genial one
with a rapid thaw, but this afternoon it again snowed
heavily on a strong wind from the northward. The traffic
on the main London and South Coast lines has been
greatly delayed by the drifts of snow in the cuttings. The
9.55 a.m. train from Victoria (express) was " snowed up"
somewhere above Croydon, and did not arrive at Brighton
till a quarter past four in the afternoon. It was due at
11.20 a.m.

One of the heaviest falls of snow known for years fell
at Southampton on Tuesday night. AU the trains were
late yesterday in consequence notwithstanding shat gangs
of men were employed on the South Western line to keep
it clear.

THE PArAL CHARGE AT THE WATERFORD
ELECTION.

(From the Cork Examiner.)

On Monday, at half-past 2 o'clock, an inquest
was opened in the board-room of the workhouse,
a Dun-
,on the body of W. O'Brien, the man who came
deathtyr7Zin
in oonsequence of the injuries received at the
polling for the Waterford election, on Saturday, in Dun-
garvan. O'Brien had been one of the crowd whom the
detachment of the 12th Lancers, stationed in the town
during the election, charged on and dispersed ; and it was
on the occasion of one of these charges by the 12th Lancers
that O'Brien was knocked down and received the injuries
from which he died, as stated in the .Exorainer of yesterday.
Tbe inquest seemed to excite great interest in the town, as
from the commencement of the proceedings till they were
adjourned the room was crowded with residents from Dun-
preen and the neighbourhood, anxious to bear the proceed-
ings. Mr. Hudson, solicitor, Dungarvan, attended to
watch the proceedings, and to examine witnesses, on be-
half of relations of the deceased. Mr. Coroner eneby
presided. The first witness called was John Maley, •
labourer, who said- -On Saturday last, about one or two
o'clock, I saw the deceased eight or nine perches before
me, running up to an enclueure opposite the cooper's
store on the quay. Before ho reached it two of the
Lancers galloped past him, and as he was running to
the enclosure • third Lancer came up, and struck him
with the butt of his lance on the poll and tumbled
him. The horse of the Lancer then paused over, but I
cannot say whether he touched him or not. Three more
lancers came on, and their horse* passed over him, and
passed on. I at once ran to take up the deceased, and
while I MY doing so the same Lancer who knocked down
the deceased rode back quite close to me. I heard another
Lancer bawling out to him, but couln't tell what he said.
The Lamar who struck and knocked down the deceased
pulled op for • little, and then went awe . I then, with
the assistance of Captain Dower, took the into the
shed. Captain Fitsjames Barry, R.M., who was present,
here interposed and begged, as senior resident magis-
trate present, to make • suggestion to the coroner.
This was • very serious inquiry, and might result
in very serious consequences, and he, therefore,
thought it might be well, before it was further
pro-
oeeded with, if all parties who might be interested or
concerned in it should be represented there. He
would, therefore, suggest an adjournment of the inquiry
until communication was had with the military authori-
ties and the authorities in Dublin Castle, mrog them
aware the inquiry was proceeding. The Coroner assented
in the view of Captain Barry, and after some conversa-
tion, the inquiry was then adjourned, it being
that before it would re-assemble Captain would
have communicated with Colonel G. H. Lock , of the
12th Lancers, and with the authorities at Dublin Castle.
Dungarvan, Monday Night.—Publio feeling in Du
is, at present, very much excited by the events of Tern
last
few days. The triumph felt in the success of the po-
pular candidate at the election, and at the
proud part Dungarvan had in making his ma-
jority the very large one it was, is of course one of
the strongest causes of the excitement ; hut this is
mixed with not a little of • very different feeling in
regard to the unhappy. men and women who received
injuries more or less serious on Saturday. The number
of persons wounded, I am now informed, reaches nineteen
instead of twelve, as previously stated ; and these are ex-
clusive of the case which terminated fatally. With each
a series of mishaps to chronicle as nineteen persons
wounded and one killed, all on one side, there can be no
doubt their conduct calls at least lor investigation.
This, it is hoped will be afforded at the inquest when it is
resumed. Captain Barry to-night sent off communications
to Cork, to the officer commanding the 12th lancers,
and to Dublin Castle, as it was arranged be would, at
the inquest to-day. Captain Kiely, who was so seriously
injured, is announced to be better to-day.

A LOYAL MEETING IN ISELAND.—A meeting of
farmers and others wee held last week at Vitlentia, under
the presidency of the Knight of Kerry, and under the
auspices both of protestant and catholic clergymen of the
parish. The Knight of Kerry addressed the assembly at
some Length on the subject. for which they were met, and
expressed his great satisfaction that those who attended
there on that occasion gave evidence of those feelings of
loyalty which in times peat, and times even more critical
than the present, had characterised their fathers, and
made the loyalty and quietneu of the county of Kerry
almost proverbial. He challenged any man to point out
where the honest exertions of any person to improve their
condition was impeded by the action of government or the
laws of the land ; and after showing, to the matisfactionof
the 'meeting, the utter hopelessness of success for the
Fenian projects other than the lamentable moues with
which the leaders were filling their pockets at the expense
of their deluded followers, he &eked, even if success were
possible, what benefit could redound to the country, and
proceeded to illustrate what the probable consequences
would have been in Ireland generally by showing step by
step what must have been the pounds shillings and pence
results to themselves in Valentin if Mr. Stephens's pro-
jects had there been put in execution some thirty or
forty years ago. The first resolution was pro-
posed by the clergyman of the established church, and
seconded by a Roman catholic gentleman ; while the
second was proposed by the perish priest and seconded by
Captain Needham, agent to the Protestant and Ecclesiasti-
cal Corporation of Trinity College, Dublin :—" 1. Ite-
molved, —That this meeting, on the part of those present,
as well as of the rest of the inhabitants of Valeutia, de-
sire to record their unshaken loyalty to her most gracious
Majesty Queen Victoria. 2. Raeolved,—That this meet-
ing desires further, on the part of the inhabitant. of Va-
India, to express their determination to prevent the in-
troduction into this island of any secret or illegal societies,
and their mediates in awn of necessity to take any steps
that may be deemed advisable for the protection of per-
sons and property, more especially for the security of the
Atlantic Cable and Telegraph establishment, the intro-
docile, of which has already dour so much good to this
locality"

THE POOR-LAW BOARD AND THE CLEIZZEN-