The Express.
London, England, 1859-07-21 00:00:00

111Duerrort Of TH3 DUTY ON 712.1
INSURANCES.

A arferentei of members of parliament and other
rather' interested is the abolition or redaction of the duty
en Ire insurances took place yesterday morning, at FeedsWs
Pilaw yard, to resider what farther nomourte dee
be shred daring this emir of parliament for the MOO'
don et that erect. The meeting was rarer by Mr. John
the banoney earetary, sad Messrs. tames and Max- ,
leid, the refiemeatary spats, of the revelation for the •
dee se redaction of the duty, whose operation@ have
been extended to moat of the large manufacturing towns in
the kingdoms, sad who have ahead bees instromeotal In oh-
rarer parer from the Tower tlamisrs, ?Marry, West-
mrsier, lifistylebine, Strainers, Leeds, Southwark, the
City of London, end Butter. Petitions are in court. of pre-
at Deraport, Plymouth, Bradford, Huddersfield,
Bristol, Manchester, Liverpool, Salford, (Nagar
Ie Yarmouth, Ipswich, sad several other places,
pre parliament to carry out the objects of the society,
which hr been formed for the purpose of obtaining the entire
or partial meal of the duty on fire insurance, and which
offers reit to public support on the basis that the time ass
now arrived whet, from the progress of public opinion, this
tax, so indorsable in principle, ezeseser in amount, and
injurious in operation, can no Imager be trifled with, but mast
be brought to s speedy and determined settlement. The in-
tention of the association is to obtain, by • simultaneous effort
of the various constituencies of the United Kingdom, the
repeal or • considerable reduction of this obnoxious tax,
pressing, as it dose in an enormous degree (200 per coat) en
the mercantile and prudential portion of the community.
They state that the amount of farm stock tainted is the
verbose oboe of this country exceeded, ta the year ISM, the
ram of 78 Wiliam sterying no duty ,• end that no
sufficient mason can be adds Prey the feet that one
portion at her Marry"! wirer &add pay earner duty
of 200 per rat., ArMs samara sidle. is altogether exempt
bra he gratis&
8/1111DAN, M.P., laving hien voted to the chair, a
convenatkr greed, In which Lard Ashley, M.P., Mr. Had-
field, 111. P., sad several oar grati participated. It
was stair by the chairman that the ewoertbn,which had
bean tired kg the purpose dobeifitag the entire abolition
of theory on firs iIIiIIrSINIS, win prepared to support his
bill for the reduction of the duty to la. as ea installment, and
the rodeo for the consideration of the meeting woe whether,
having sired to withdraw his bill, any farther steps should
be taken he the matter during the present erica of parlia-
ment. It certainly was an rimmed time to pries the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer on the sutra, whim men's minds
were filled with ideas of the roar tern, sad when experi-
ments could not be treed with respect to the revere. He
could prove beyond doubt that the reverie would be bene-
fited by the reduction which he had reposed, but stet be
did not think any advantage would be plead by priming the
question forward daring the present maim
Lord ANKLET. M.P., WAS Oi art It weld be de-
'treble to postpone any parliermery merreat mita re
next errs, when it woe the banter at the Cheactellor et
the increrra to levies the whole of our financial system
Kannato, M.P., thought the =oo2a of duty Nip
'WWI by Mr. Sheridan too high, and that • duty of dd. or
ii la dr pound oa smell insurances would have the ellset
1.1=1:: largemarts of property which had never bees
and that a oonsidersbie revenue would be db.
tied Omni a mum which had hitherto yielded nothing.
der awe further thecuaron, It was agreed that circular@
should be addressed to the agents of the different insurance
offices in the country, for the purpose of ascertaining the
amount of property at present uninsured, In consequence of
the rows objection of the owners to the OICOMBIre duty;
and It wee slim ocaidered expedient that in appeal should
be made to those perms who feel the pressure of the duty
to assist is the movement for its abolition.
On the 110601 Of Lotd ANKLET, seconded by Mr. MAX •
rlll.O, lwee revolved that the as for the Abolition
or Reduction of the Duty on Fire Issursne will support in
every possible way the bill now before the Howe of Com-
mons for a rehears al the duty on fire Insurance brought
in by Mr. H. B. theridea ,• end that arrangements be core
to obtain an appointment bens the Chancellor of the Bich.-
quer to receive • deputation from the society.
The proceedings than temalassed with the usual vote of
thanks to the chairman.
The following M the far of petition drawn up by the
association, and recommeeded by than for general adoption
throughout the country
' To the Honourable the Canner of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Iroise& in Parliament trembled,
the humble petition of the undersigned merchants, bank-
.

ere, and others of the
" fthewettn—That your petitioners corider that a duty of
three shillings per cent. par therm on fire inearanor,
amounting in most butanes' to 200 per mat. on the clump
fur risk, is oppreeeive; on the meresatile sad prudential por-
tion of the community ; and that to effects ere no premat in-
surances to many mess altogether, while, is other instance,,
inearseces are atieted only on the minimum, fathead DI the
maximum, value of the property. That the olgeot of.tite
wasemat of this country should be to asecomp every pru-
&stied act that may tell on the welfare of the people ;
bat, that the operation of this daty Weals reek-
Meaner by its enormous annual charge on the mannfactur-
' tag, malting, commercial, and other portions of the community.
That in consequence of this excessive duty, nut more than
cae•third of the insurable property of this country is pro-
tected from loss by fire. That the amount of farm stock in-
sured In the various officer; of this country exceeded, in the
year 1866, the sum of 78 millions starling, paying so duty ;
and your petitioners consider that no eadielent meson ma be
staled to juatify the fact that one portion of her liejeaty's
sublethe should pay an annual duty of 200 per cent., while
mother motion is altogether exempt from the operation of
this eaciessive and impolitic happen Your petitioners, there •
fore, Um* pray your honourable house will immediately
take weenies for the repeal or the reduction of the duty en
fire !Nontrasees, injuriourly peeing, as it does, on the mer-
cantile, commercial, and prudential portion of the tom-
manity.—And your petitioners will ever pray, fic."

THUNDBMTORMS.

The stone shish visited London on Mohday night

5e to lave been mei moue severe in '
various
rile of the coe,aesse districts having suffered
greedy from Its dalinles sod lose of life having in
one ertwo instances occurred. At Oldham, a mill coca.
Mr. D. Mills, Lower Moor, wee flooded, end
to the extant of about 2004. Irma inflected. At
n the rain and hail came down in torrent. for about
testy minutes, and the storm is said to have been the meet
severe one which hem hoppened here since 1829. The high-
way peasieg through the erne of Middleton presented the
appearance of a large river; planks sad ehildren's carriages
ware swimming down the town. The resent*, sear to
Muses. Baton's old mill, nowoccupied asa silk manufactory,
by Mr. Joseph Chadwick, was flooded, and the lower room,
occupied by the werpers, was a considerable depth in water.
The railway wee under water for a coneidersble distance, and
considerable damage has been does in the neighbourhood.
At Bury and Reesendele the stone wee very destructive,
while at Haelizgden a women was killed by the stun t° field.
The town of Mutton presented an extraordinary appearance
during the height of the storm, the inhabitants of the streets
on the lowest levels being compelled to turn out and by dint
of sweeping endeavour to keep the water out of the batman
A terrific thunderstorm also melted the Channel laud., on
Monday. The General ticapital at Jerseywem eet on tire by
lightning, and the whole of the centre of the building gutted;
nu lives were lost.
The town of Windsor was also visited yesterday afternoon
with a violent tempest, which, at first, took an euterly direc-
tion, then suddenly changed north-west ; the lightning god
thunder wire not so alarming se the heavy shower of hail-
stones, which were of a large ens. Tiles and sates were
swept from the roofs of honer, large limbs torn from the
trees, and the corn-fields appear as if a roller had putted over
them, as all the crops are beaten fist on the ground, nearly
all the glue of the houses in a westerly direction Ina been
broken. Upwards of one thousand iguana have been broken
at the infantry Bansels, and Spina Cavalry Barracks.
The Military Church of the Holy Trinity suffered severely
from this cause.
A double fatality occurred from lightning on Monday
night at Inas, near Liverl. A young female named
lisesam, the daughter of a farmer residing there, was in the
kitchen of her father's house when she was struck by the
lightning and killed. The fluid passed (non the kitchen Into
a stable adjoining, struck a bone, and Mocked down Mr.
Haulm, who was standing neer. The animal wee killed
Isamediamly, but Mr. Hassan WWI fortunately uniejured.
These are the only fatalities in the neighbourhood of Liver-
pool yet reported, though the thunderstorms, which have
frequent since Sunday, have done a good deal of densege to
homes and other property.
A thunderetorm, with rapid flashes of sheet lightning,
occurred at Birmingham yesterday (Wethseedav) afternooe,
about four o'clock. There was s cantieuse roll of thunder,
with heavy rale, foe moth than half an hour, after which to
nertlally subsided, but continued for nearly two hours.
The atmosphere wes in a very clue and heated stets.