The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-06 00:00:00

CANADA.

MONTREAL, DEC. 26.
The Merchants' Exchange in this city has been
totally destroyed by fire.

DOWNINO-STREET, JAN. 3.—The Queen has
been pleased to appoint Francis Bertrand Pinney, Esq., to
be Collector of Customs, Principal Comptroller of her
Majesty's Customs and Navigation 1A.., and Registrar of
Shipping for the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope ; •
George Wing Browning, Esq., to be Sub-Collector and
Comptroller of her Majesty's Customs and Navigation •
Laws sod Reaistrar of Shipping at Port Elizabeth ; and
Frederick William Burrower, Esq., to be Sub-Collector of
Customs. Searcher and Landing Waiter, and Comptroller
of her Majesty's Customs and Navigation Laws at Skoog •
Town, in the aforesaid colony.—Gozerfe.
RAILWAY PROGRESS IN THE EASTERN COUNTIES,
—Railways are gradually extending in Norfolk, Suffolk,
Cambridgeshire, Essex, sod Lincolnshire. Not only did the
Great Eastern_ open 48 miles of new line last year in Suffolk
and Cambndgeshire ; but in Essex the Saffron Walden line
was opened for passenger circulation a few weeks since;
whde the Toyama Hundred, and the Wivenboe and Bright-
-1 hope., which have been on hand ever so many years, are
lat last oo the verge of completion. These two latter lines
will open up two dints on the Essex coast., viz, Bright-
' lingoes and Waite' on-the-Naze. At the former
town yacht building is carried on to some extent,
and Walton-on-the-Naze is m.kiog desperate efforts
I (which may ultimately perhaps prove successful) to
become a prominent watering place. Toe Saffron
Walden of course puts that town into COM 11111DiCa•
tion with the Great Eastern at AudMy-and ; years ago the
Great Easters deemed it prudent to give Saffron Walden
a wide berth, but now the inhabitants have begged to be
admitted into the vast and ever extending railway circle,
and have carried their point, although the works ou this
I small line are somewhat heavy. In Lincolnshire, we have
to note the prosecution by the Great Northern, of the
Spalding and March line (of which the Great Eastern is to
be part owner), the Hooington and Lincoln, Id. In Suf-
folk, a commenossmot has just been made, or is on the point
of being made, with the Bury St. Edmunds and Thetford,
while Mr. W. F. Bruff has been consulted as engineer with
a view to the prosecution in the coming session of a scheme
for the establishment of a line from Haleeworth toSouth wold.
The same gantleasan (a eon of Mr. P. Sniff) ties been prepar-
ing working pleas for the Melba and Eye lid, a small
treason intended to secure for Eye what has Jost been
achieved for Saffron Walden. The Bury Bt. Edmunds and
Thetford line will, it is said, facilitate considerably the
traseit of coals from Peterborough to Harwich, and thence
to the contiaret. It will further be of service in connexion
with the Walton and Thetford line, which will be laid before
' the new parliament in the now close at hand session. I.
Norfolk also the West Norfolk Junction lid is all but
ready (wird% to Holkhatu at say tate • the Lyon and
Salton Bridge (which has been a great while on hood) hen
• bad the bead% of • visit from the government inspector,
although his report is not wholly complete or satisfactory.
The Weestam Valley Company has held a defends with
the landowners adders Maass and be dealt with, and ni-
lmama/ an early proweention of theism& Norfolk it.. have
oiled bed reeideg with a meted anthority.

M. Henri de Penes one of the most respectable
links between /a noblesse and la petite presse, and
a man whose particle "de " cannot be contested,
tells the following pleasant -story of last week's
masked ball at the Opera, in the Gazette des
Strangers :
You may believe me or not, but last Saturday there was
an "nitric's," at the Opera quite of the old sort. A very
putty lady is the owner of a mansion almost as pretty,
which she wishes to sell. Having heard that a rink fo.
retest who had been looking at it was going to the bid
losseirsti, eke went there, of coarse rigorously disguised,
knocked at the door of his box, and did her utmost to fear&
sate him. He, as • man of the world, could not fail to
see from her conversation that she MA • lady of • far dif-
fereat class from those who usually attend public masked
I
1 belle. However, as it was palpable that she was paying
coati to him, he accepted him bonne fortune, and asked her
to supper. She answered that she would be very happy to
sup with him, but that be meat come to her house. After
some hesitation he consented to this condition, and getting
with bee into • very handsome carriage, was rapidly
drives to oae of those many palaces which abound
in the new streets branching off from the upper
end .4 the Champs Elynee. The carriage entered
the courtyard, sad on the flight of steps Touting to the
frost door of the house were standing two WI footmen,
waiting for their mistress. The astonished guest pored
through a sumptuous suite of apartments, to • most coon.
fortable dioing•roore, in which coven were laid for two.
There the lady took off her mask, and dis-
played • face, the beauty of which even tran-
scended highly wrought anticipation. "Your house
is &arming," said the gentleman, "but far more
charming is the owner." "Speak not of me," she
said, " but of elle"—(a pronoun which may signify either •
lady or • house). "Who is eller "My house." " You
talk es if you wished to get rid of it." "We shall see, let
as sow sup." At supper the lady played part of the hostess
with graceful hospitality, but the: repast finished she
immediately brought the house on the tepin" " What •
pretty hand you have !" "There is • court in front and a
garden behind. I must let you see by daylight. " What
eyes ! What a complexion !" " Did you notice the two
drawing-rooms, with • trassparent glass between them !"
" What teeth! What a smile!" "There is stabling for four
horses ; and there are coach-houses for three carriages."
" When, adorable charmer, one has once seen you, it is im-
possible not to sigh for another meeting." "The
smoking-room is most commodious, and the cushions
all in Russian leather. Come with me to look
at the smoking-room." " Where would I not go
with you!" "There are four bedrooms and • drawing-
room on the second floor." " What a fortunate elm-numinous

was it my meeting with you at the Opera r "You are right ;
them oever was such a splendid opportunity. lam obliged
to leave Paris. I must sell my house; and I will take for
it the ridiadonsly low price of 14,000&; what do you say ?
Is it a bargain r At this point the visitor, though a man of
wealth and rank, and under the influence of a grande dame
whom he supped with after the Opera, showed himself •
mem of business. He said he would consult his architect,
and no coaxing could bring him to budge from that ulti-
matnm.

M. de Phne thinks the motto to be written under
the anecdote should be—Ci-git la galanterie de-
funte. . _ .

Madame Grisi has just passed through Paris on
her way to London and Edinburgh. Mario and
Madame Meric Lablache accompany her to open
the new Italian Opera House in the Sootch metro-
polis. 'Madame Grisi passed the night at her house
in the Rue des Bassin, which she has just let to
the younger prima donna, Mdlle. Patti, who takes
possession to-morrow.
Under the impression of the alarming though
vague news from Spain, the Bourse was again
depressed, and there was a further fall from the
lowest quotations of yesterday. Rents fell Sc. for
cash, and 71c. for account, closing at 681 r. 25c and
681 r. 32ie. Mobilier fell llfr. 25c., closing at
7971 r. 50c.—a very low figure.
The Daily News is seized.