The Express.
London, England, 1859-01-06 00:00:00

SERVIA.

The Swabian Mercury contains a communication
from Vienna, which eays :—" Count de Snot has
spoken very frankly to Prince Kallimaki as to the I
policy which Austria intends to follow in the affairs
of Servia. She will strictly abstain from any inter-
vention, but will insist on a fresh election for the
Prince. This is said to be the opinion of the Porte
also. As to Russia, she is said to be in favour of
immediately recognising Prince Miloseb, and opposed
to a new election."

A letter from Belgrade of tho 31st ult. states
that a deputation that morning descended the
Danube in boats decked with tugs to offer Prince
NEtorch the dignity of prince, and to request him to
return.

RUSSIA.

ST. PETERSBURG, nx.6.

By order of the Emperor, British subjects, resident
or trading in the Russian empire, are entitled to
enjoy (sont oppellis d jouir) all the immunities,
which are granted to French, Greek, Belgian, and
Dutch subjects.

THE SOUTH AMERICAN MAILS,

CRY ZLIWTRIC TELHOILAPM.)
(PllO3l OCR ORA CORIZSPONDWIT.)
SOUTHAMPTON,TurwmAT,

The Tyne has arrived with the South American
mails. She left Rio December 11th, and Lisbon the
2nd instant. Amongst her cargo is specie to the
value of about 55,0001. Amongst her passengers is
his Excellency Mr. Christie and seventeen of the
crew of the ship Meroo, which was burnt at sea.
The federal government of Parana and Buenos
Ayres are still at variance. Troops are en route
from Parana for the province of St. Ivan.
Urquiza is at Entre Rios.

The American squadron is at Monte Video.
From Lisbon we learn that it is likely that the
French Minister there will shortly be replaced by
another, on account of the affair of the Charles et
Georges.

A telegram from Corfu says:—" Mr. Gladstone
has sent bums his report, and expects instructions before the
opening of the lonian parliament. If England refugee her
consent to the union of the lonian Republic with Greer"
the representatives of the people will communicate the wink
of the nation to the powers which signed the Paris
treaty."

The court festivities (says a letter from the Prus-
eian capital) are beginniag to make Berlin quite an attractive
city, and there are few ;Awes in which the honours on such
occuions are more gracefully performed then they are there
by the Princess of I'russia. Besides the numerous rhiniono
which are constantly taking place In the royal residence,
there is a general reception every Thursday evening, ►t
which the various members of the royal family, the arioto-
every, foreign ministers, and official autberitiee, are almost
always prevent. Oa the but of theta ',ventage, among the
guests were remarked the Duke and Dachau of Mancbcoter;
and the appearance at the Prussian court of some of the
Enpliok, nobility I. regarded se en event that ray in future
be expected to add greatly vitt!, distinction and brilliancy.

A Paris letter in the Nord of Brussels says that
the body of the Emperor Napoleon I. is to be In a abort time
removes to the church of St. Denis, but that the heart is to
rental° at the Invalides.

The King of Sardinia has appointed the Marquis
Alfi. rl dm Sateen to the post of President of the Senate for
the Leaf dative Session of 1859; MM. Desambrois de Nielsen.
and Count Selopia are appointed tine-presidents.

A letter from Rome says that the health of the
Marquis of Campana is in • precarious state. Cardinal
Tom., who wan his impedes in the Ministry of Finance, and
is now direvor of the hospital of St. Michael, of which the
prison is • dependancy, has shown him great kindness. The
pi ismer'e meals are prepared In the cardinal's kitchen, and
carried to M. Campana in his cell, where the cardinal goes
ti partake of them with him. Re is frequently with the
prisoner, sad f►vours him as far as the prison discipline will
permit "in order to relieve is great • reverie after each
signs] proepsrity."
. . .

An interesting Mossolman ceremony took place at
Constantinople on the 23rd ult., being the reception by the
Sultan of some relics of Omer, consisting of a email carpet
on which that peraotiatte need to kneel to recite hie prayer.,
and one of bit head-dressea. They hove been deposited In
the marque by the side of other relics of Mahomet.
Diana roe Soiarages, a new opera, by the Duke
Ernst of Coborp-Ootha, to to he prodatted at Dresden and
Vienna. The put of Diana Is to be taken by Madams
Burde•Ney, and the ducal composer will be present at the
first representation. Freytair'e novel of Wit and Credit has
been dramatised by a Herr Wesel.

Lultl) DBAL7 .41(1) MR. 1. UWIIIOIIII2, Kr.

Knowsley, Dec. 31, 1858.
Dear Sir,—ln a correspondence which has been
published in almost all the papers of yesterday, by Ideate-
nant•Colonel Dickson (with what propriety at the protect
moment I do not stop to inquire), I find the following para-
graph in a letter from you to him No *dicer's oomounion
ta isle when to screen the neglect on the part of others that
commiraion is unscrupulously assailed by the favoured in-
h urnces of Grosvenor and Sr. James's squares." May I mit,
it by this last expression it is intruded to convey an impres-
sion that I had any pert in the transactions to which it
refers ? I hope that I- may receive front you en nr.rquivocal
negative. Indeed my only reason for asking the ques-
tion fa, that coneidanng my near relationship to Lord
Wilton, I can put no miler construction on your allusion
to the " influences of Grosvenor and St. James's Noires."
Otherwise I should have been most unsmiling to believe that
your ideas and mine of what is due from one gentlemen to
another should be so widely at varbuice, ea that you should
feel yourself justified in attributing to me gratuitously, and
without the slightest shadow of evidence, participation in
proceedings which, whether rightly or wrongly, you charm-
tense as unscrupulous." Of those proceedings, the only
information I powers ie derived from a ten minutes' conver-
sation with General Peel a few days before the date of your
letter, when he felt it to be his duty to eonununicate to me,
sa the bead of the government, the decision be had formed
and the course he had pursued in reference to a case with
regard to which I was in such entire ignorance, that I either
had never heard, or had utterly forgotten, that there wee
any question pending between Lord- Wilton and Colonel
Dickson.

1 can readily imagine that you did not intend your letter
to Colonel Dickson to be made public, but if it conveys the
impression to which I have referred, I am quite sure that
your sense of gewlemanlike feeling will lead you to make
the contr►diction so public as hes been by no act of yours the
iutput .tion itself.—l have the honour to be, dear sir, yours
faothfullv, DERBY.
T. 8. buncombe, Esq., Id.P.

Cembridge•tert*ot, Jan. I, 1859.

Dror Lord Derhv,—l 12-a-vt7-tietio;;;;; to acknowledge the

receipt of your letter of yesterday's date, and in re-ply to
your question, whether in the sentence of a letter addreseed
by me to Colonel Dickson on the 11th of last month I in-
tended to coovey an impression that you had any participa-
tion in the proothdinge to which it refers, I can unequivocslly
immure you that I did not; and I think, if you will read the
paragraph complained of in connexion with my previous re-
mark. upon the court of inquiry, you will at once acquit me
of any such intention or desire to give you pain.
When I alluded to "Grosvenor and St. James's squares,"
that I had "the prime minister" in my mind Ido nut deny,
and therefore somewhat in my opinion resembled the court of
inquiry, which, from what I hear from those who witnessed
its extraordicary proceedings, led them to suppose that its
object was more to gain the influence and favour
of those distinguished localities than to do justice
to one whose commission, I still maintain, hu
been unscrupulously assailed and unjustly withdrawn. If,
however, I have in my published letter to Colonel Dickson ex-
pressed myself ambiguously and given you pain, I much re-
gret it, and you are at perfect liberty to make public this
correepondence.
As to the propriety of the unhappy moment when the let-
ters in question have appeared in the papers, I must not be
held responsible for their publication, as I can truly thscire
you that no one more sincerely deplores the loss of your
lemented relative than I do, from whom I had through life
universally received regard and kindness.—l have the honour
to be, dear Lord Derby, faithfully yours,
T. S. DI:INCOMES.
The Right Hon. the Rarl of Derby, &c.,

Knowaley.

Knowsley, Jan. 2, 1959.
Dear Sir,—While I thank you for the friendly tone of your
explanatory letter of yesterday, and for your unequivocal
ameurance that you did not Intend to impute to me any parti-
cipation in proceedings which you so strongly condemn, I
em compelled v, nay that I cannot look upon it as entirely
eatisfactory, for you admit that in the expressions used you
had "the prime minister" in your mind, and that you meant
to convey that "the object of the court of inquiry was more
to guin the influence and favour of those distinguished
Groevenor and St. James'. agaves, "than to do
justice." Surely you cannot foil to perceive that this conveys
an impression that I had wane personal interest in the deci-
sion of a cane of which I knew nothing, and that my favour
and influence, as a minimise, were to be propitiated by taking
a purticuler course, irrespective of the demands of justice. I
feel ninfl.lent that the court of inquiry (I do not even know
how it was componed) never allowed such an idea to enter the
minds of its members, and I cannot but think that on re-

faction you will yOureelf feel. that any allusion to my
name and position, in reference to this matter,
wee gratuitous arid uncalled for. As, however, I am not
fond of referring personal questions to the newspaper*, I
shall, while thanking you for the permfaslon to make oar
correspondence public, decline to avail myself of it, and shall
leave the matter in your hands to take any step, or none at
all, a* your own sense of honour may dictate to you. lam
gratified by the terms in which you refer to Lady Wilton ;
and you are aware that I wholly acquitted you of any share
of responsibility for the timo selected for the publication of
three papers.-1 have the honour to be, dear sir, yours
faithfully. DERBY.
T. 6. Dosoombe, Req., M.P.

Cambridge-terrace, Jan. 3, 1859.
Deer Lord Derby,—As I consider, after the publication of
my letter to Colonel Daimon, and the inferences that may
possibly be drawn from it, your disclaimer of all knowledge
of the composition or providing' of the court of inquiry, en
honourable to youreelf, that it would be unjust to you, in
your position, to leave the matter in soy sort of doubt, I
will, with your leave, by return of poet, take upon myself
the publication of our entire correspondence, as in considera-
tion of Colonel Diekson's interests I could not with pro-
priety make public my own individual explanation of our
err, nal complaint.—l have the honour to Ls, dear Lord
Derby, yours faitbfully, T. S. Dt Net/ÜBE.
To the Right lion. the Earl of Derby, gc.

Kn 04.4147, Join. 4, 1859.

My dear Sir,—l cannot, of couree, obje'c't to yottr publi-
cation of our eirreepondente, it you think thud the beet mode
of removing the erroneous impression which your letter of
the 1i th appeared to me to convey. It mutt however, be
distinctly understood that in disclaiming any participation
in the course taken either by Lord Wilton or the committee
of inquiry, I do not adopt your views respecting it. nor im-
pute any impropriety to either one or the other.—laio, dear

sir, yonrot
T. S. Dancombe, Eq., M.P.

DEUNY.

REFUSAL OF A CBURCII-RATE AT WOOLTVICII.

From the re-opening of the poll at Woolwich
yesterday miming, until its close at five o'clock, the vicinity
of the Town-hall presented an excited appearance from the
huge crowd aseetubled, and the greatest interest was taken in
the proceedings. The Rev. HENRY Buowst, A.M. (rector),
officiated as chairmen, and although the supporters of the rate
gained an advantage by the plurality system of voting, it
soon became evident that the artisan classes from the Dock-
yard and Arsenal would decide the contest. Daring the first
two hon.' a smell majority waaobtained against the rate, and
this majority steadily increased until the time of the poll.
Mr. J. It. Jolly, one of the churchwardens, end a member of
the established church, was loudly cheered by the assembled
multitude on presenting hitneelt at the table and recording
his votes against the rate. At five o'clock, when the poll
finally closed, the Town-hall was densely crowded, and the
rev. chairman, amidst the most tumultuous app:auoe, an-
nounced the lolloning as the remit of the contest : For the
rite of 2d. in the pound. 591 ; against the rate, 702 ; ma-
jority against the rate, 111.
The (,hairwan immediately left the hall, and it was then
unanimonaly resolved that the chair be occupied by the Rev.
J. Carlile, LL I). (congregational minister), who, in a brief
address, comtratuleted the ratrptqere upon the victory
achieved. and mitre:aid his opinion that, titer an Wita,lon
in that town of many jeer.' duration. the que,l ion of church-
rate, had been, he hoped, finally milled.
Mr. TOPLEY propewed a vote of thanks to Mr. Church-
warden Jolly for his coneistent opposition to church.raten
notwithstandiog the difficultim of his position. It won their
duty to rally round Mr. Jolly, and take care that he wee
elected ma churchwarden ('v tie, *moiling year. (Coiterf, and
cries of " We must keep him in tam.")
Mr. Foe et, in seconding tn. motion, observed that at
least two to one of the ratepayers had polled against the rate,
and, in cenveseing the palish, the churchmen themselves
were found in numerous cases to be strongly opposed to
church-rates.
The motion was passed amidst cheers; end after a vote of
thanks to the rector, as chairman during the contest, the
meeting separated.

DEATH OF THE EARL OF ROTHES.—The death of
this nobleman took place at Edinburgh on the 2nd feet. Hi.
lordship was son of the eteven'n owl, by the third danahtes
of Colonel Henry A. Morehead. He was born at Leslie
House, Fir...hire. 183.1. and surce-ded hie father in 1811.
The sixth earl was created Duke of Rofbee, bat, dying with-
out mule mous, that title 11l CADA extinct; his eldest daughter
succeeded him in the earldom, which had been granted with
special remainder. On the dn.h of the ninth earl the title
again fell into the remain hoe, u it sloe did when the tenth
earl died. Hie foster, Lady Henrietta Anderson Morehead,
born at Leone House in 1831, oviceetsis him in the earldom.
TIIE WINTER IN DEVONSHIRE.—" Up to this too-
' meat," my. a letter from South Devon 1. almost all the
summer fl.iwara, months ego destroyed in other counties,
remain untouched by their great enemy, Jack Frost; in
fact, we have no (Trete, or next to none, this winter. Ver-
benas, geraniums, nemoribila, mignonette, heliotrope, salvias,
sad other datum., ft mars are still fresh and Powering;
while spring'. welcome Options are In flower, or will soon
make their appearance. Nartiesue, crocuses. sad snowdrop.
are to be wen is many gardens; while in the wey of fruit we
have gooseberry and bl strawberry omom, and even fruit of
the latter has been gathered lately. in the hedges the fruit of
the blackberry 111, not infrequently seen, and does beside it
may be found that most welcome of all OW wad flower—the
primrose. 1 may add that the thermometer at 11.80 a.m.
I this morning stood at 86 deg."

THE ACCIDENT AT THE POLYTECHNIC
INSTITUTION.

THE INQUEST.—(THIS DAY.)
This forenoon, Mr. Wakley, the coroner for Mid-
dlesex, opened an inquisitionat the Middlesex Hoepital upon
the body of Emma Pike, aged eight years, who died from the
effects of the injure/1 which she received through the acct. !
dent on Monday evening last. The inquiry created consider-
able interest.
A highly respectable jury of Marylebone tradesmen was
sworn and impanneled, and Mr. Stevens, builder, unani-
mously elected foreman. The jury, nineteen in number,
having viewed the body, the Coroner announced hie
intention to adjourn the inquiry after having taken
evidence as to the immediate cause of the death. The in-
quiry would divide itself into two party ; trot, the Catlin a
death; and secondly, the origin of the cause.
He proposed to take evidence as to the first, and then edjourn
to the Polytechnic to view the spot where the accident bad
occurred. There could 100 no doubt that the public mind wee
seriously agitated by these deplorable occurrences, and he
was satisfied that no amount of time or trouble would be lost
which could tend to elicit facts to allay that anxiety,
It appeared as if there was something extremely wrong
in the system of managing our public institutions, or
in the system of architecture followed in their construction;
end if this inquiry should conclusively disclose where the
error lay, it was clear that great ;mike good would
have ensued from it. He hoped, therefore, the
jury would begrudge no amount of time which the Meat-
ligation might absorb, but bestow a patient and searching
attention upon the evidence which would be brought before
them in connexion with this deplorable calamity.
It might happen that, upon examining the staircase, the
jury would think that no further inquiry would be necemery;
but in the event of their coming to an opposite conclusion he
should propose to adjourn the inquest until this day
week, at three o'clock. It remained for hies only
to state for the satisfaction of the public that he had received
an assurance from all the jury that none of them was either
directly or indirectly connected with the institution where
the accident immured, and again beepeaking their patience and
impartiality, he would at once proceed to take such evidence
as was forthcoming in relation to the cause of the death.
William l'ike, sworn and examined—l reside at 50, New.
ington-causeway. lam a hosier. The deceased child wu
my daughter. Her name was Emma Pike. She would have
been nine years of age next March. I last saw her alive on
the evening of the occurrence—last Monday night—at the
Polytechnic Institution. It was about half-past 10 o'clock,
I did not come with her to the hospital, bat I. placed her in a
cab. Att accident happened to her at the Polytechnic
about half-past 10. I was leaving the institution at the time,
having with ON three of my children and • cocain efr
theirs. The cousin was named Daniel Stroud. We had
been in the lower part of the building, witnessing
the magic lantern, which closed the evening's ente.
tainment. At the time of the accident, I sad
my children were on the lower staircase. Something fell open
us. I received a blow. We were coming up the staircase in
a little group, and remained behind to avoid presents.
When I was about six steps, I felt a violent blow
on my head. My first impulse was to turn round to ste
who had given me this blow. A crash then took place, sad
I jumped up on the landing. The others fell. I flat
got my son out. My deceased daughter wu removed
to the hospital • few minutes after the occurrence. She wee
quite well previously. I have seen the body for the end
time aims the accident this morning, and have identified it.
George William Fleetwood Bury examined—l am Naded
officer in this hospital. I received the deceased
child on her arrival here, about 11 o'clock on Monday
night. She was quite sensible. I ex smined her person.
I found an extensive laceration of both thighs, with
compound fractures. The lower third of the left thigh, sad
the upper third of the right thigh were extensively lacerated,
and had compound comminuted fractures. There weed*
extensive laceration of the left leg and compound oranntinatet
fracture of the left bone of the upper arm with lacentice,
and fracture of the collar bone on the same side, and a shed
*alp wound. I have since found a comminuted tractile
of the bones of the pelvis. The deceased lived about feu
hours. The cause of death wee the injuries which she
received. There was no hemorrage.
The Coroner did not think that they need pursue the tint
branch of the inquiry farther. They had evidence that an
accident happened—that the deceased received (Morin
! from it—and that she wee brought to the hospital,
where she shortly afterwards died. The jury would now
be goal enough to repair to the building wham
the accident took place, and having viewed the
premises they would be in • poeition to Ikea
mine whether or not there would be any necessity to adjourn
the inquiry.
The jury, who were taken in charge by the beadle, they
proceeded to the Polytechnic Institution, where they made a
minute inspection of the scene of the disaster.
The inquiry was then resumed in the board-room of the
institution, where a large number of pension had mumbled.
The Coroner, addressing the jury, said they had viewed the
place where the accident happened, and it was for them to
say whether the inquiry should be proceeded with then. at
whether there should be an adjournment, with the vise el
obtaining ammo independent proteseional testimony with re-
gard to the cause of the disaster, and especially
as to where it commenced, for it wa, nnas.
min at present where the catastrophe first began. His
own opinion was thee the interest* of the public 'veered
that the investigation should be varied on as he
as it poesibly could be, with a view to &cent
the origiu of the calamity, and if there were any party cults-
bin tor who hod octurre..—which was not to be pea
earned at that moment—to find out who that party was.
There could be no doubt that persons who undertook
to coestruct places of public amusement, and persons who
et t meted huudreds and thoutands of people to them, incurred
very great reeponsibility indeed if they did not give the pub.
lie adequate iccu.ity against meitisnt. It was a very recite
thing that in thin country the sacrifice of human life by
accident was so enormous that, as had been stated by
Dr. Farr, in the Rogistrar-Generals report, more peruse
died from occidental causes than were killed
in all our wars. This was nu astounding stain lent, but 4
woe true: and his own experience warranted him in saying
that if due precautions were taken tor the preservation
of human life, at !emit seventeen or eighteen deaths out of
twenty deaths from amidental cruses would ho pet • rated.
Now moug that that was the caw—seeing what havoc and
destruction were created menu?. Lunen beings for want of due
precaution, end ..very now and t Len from • sarenieand culpable
negligence whenever n r atiwrophe rat this kind ccourred—he
must pay. without wishing to impute blame to anybody,
that the jury could not di,cha-go their duty to the relatives
of the detwasearl child, or to the public, without endea-
vouring, by every means an their power, to discover
the real cause of the accident ; and if any person could be
proved to be culpable, on that person Mlle rest the reepon-
sibility. If the jut y wi-had to go on with
the inquiry then, without having Independent
professional testimony, and judeing merely by what they bad
ad' n, lie was prepared to motet d; but it would certainly be
against bin opinion. Rethought they ought to churn with
the view of having such testimony when they nest
met in order that they might discover by what means a
repetition of such a calamity u bad happened might be
prevented. It was itnpuible to lank at the ruins of the
staircase which they had just seen without !sting filled with
alarm at the thought of what might have been the maw
quinces rain calamity. There might have been
IMO or 4.0 people on the stairease. It was large
enough prebahly to hold 500 people, and if the
accident him happened when the greatest prePPUlte wee open
it. an it might naturally brim to ensupposed it would have done,
200 or 300 lives might have teen bet and the survivors nrcbt
have been fearfully mutilate:l. Under all the circumosem
rat the rase ho taught it desirable that a moat scrutinising
investigation should take place, and he did not thick the jury
would discharge theirduty tinker thee named some arehiteetnt
eminence uncimnorteil will, the institution, with the motion-
tie., and the shareholder-, to make en investigation, prelate a
report, and give coot coca evidence brfore them. That had
been done on many oceasions Find, be held the oflice of co-
toner, and on ssvernl with groat public advantaca end be
thought that if the inquiry were r inducted as it ought to be,
they would have the piastre' ion of gi ring the mobile adequate
security that in tioure, when intilitit.iOne of this kind
were built, or when alterations were made in them,
tare would he taken to protect that Lublin by trouts
of competent inspection. In the prsunt case lie did not
know whether or not the district surveyor received
entire of the anemones. The preps were probably
weakened by what wan done, and it war desirable that they
Amelia know whether or not there woe a compete of inspec-
tion tither bet ore or after the slteratiens were mode. The
jury would now 114 V whether they it,eirod that the inquest
aboold he adjourned till Thursday era,.
Plc. Greatevosa, solicitor, paid ho lied been inetruetet to
attend there professionally, on behalf of the directors of the
institution, and he bad to ante in 11,1 r behalf that icy
were protared to t--niter to the jury all the information 'bey
possessed and It, f nalitate the inquiry in any way that they
could.
A gentleman, who plated that be represented Mr. rei?9",
of the Crystel Palace Company, end late loam of the oly-
technic, stated that that gentleman was entities to be exa-
mined, in order that he might remove any impassion which
might nerved that he had anything ta do with the alteration
of the steiream.
The Comber inquired who was the oompier at the time 1
The gentleman said he did not know who wee the tousittrs
The Coroner observed that an far as the laSeittitiell of the
public ware enneernal they were rather in avnur of the
tneitution, which hail rendered very great aervice to the
muse of general education. It had been in a rest
measure the inventor's home—his refuge whin he acid