The Express.
London, England, 1860-02-28 00:00:00

TEN MB IN 2H3 CITY.

The fire was not entirely extinguished last night at nine
o'clock, and we regret to state that the property destroyed
has been far more extensive than was at one time expected,
and to add to the misfortune the whole of the books, gold,
and motes, supposed to have been put away in a tre-proof
safe, have been destroyed. The fact is that upon an alarm
being raised, an instant order was given to put the books,
bullion, and documents of importance into the safe, but na-
fortunately the denim extended with such Impetuosity that
the men were unable to do more than save their own lives.
Am it was, two or three of theessiatants were slightly burnt
in getting upon the roof of the premises in order to reach the
adjoining homes, and ens of the sub-engineers of the bri-
gade (George Legg), being overcome by the heat of the
Are, was prostrated, and before he could make his escape was
so fearfully burnt test ha was obliged to be removed to At.
Bartholomew's Hospital, where he at present remains in a
state of great @uterine.
The Messrs. Morley and Co., on whom premise, the fire
began, will be serious losers—for more than wee at first an-
ticipated. It was only a few hours before the gas became
ignited that upwards of 2,0001. worth of goods in bales were
ueposited upon the promisee, all of which has been entirely
coornmed. The stock in trade in this house consisted prin-
cipally of silks, lace, and Scotch and Manchester goods.
&moot the surveyors to the insurances-offices roughly esti-
mate the damage at this establishment alone at from4o,ooo/.
to 50,0001., but the general impression amongst the members
of the trade is that it will be much less. These sufferers
were, however, insured, but not to the full amount.
The official report of Mr. Braidwood Pets forth the damage
done se follows :—No. 122, Wood-street, Messrs. Morley
and Co., the eremites burned down and the contents de-
stroyed. No. 119, De 134: and Brettle, damaged by breakage
and water; 'minted in the Royal Exchange and other Si.
otiose—the first, second, and third floors greatly damaged by
water, dec.; insolence not known. No. 121, Meson. Edg.
comb and Co., premises greatly damaged by water; Men.
ranee not known. No. 4, Goldsmith-street, Messrs. Frost
end Co., lace warehousemen, side front of premises damaged
by fire; insured in the County Fire office. No. 6, ditto,
Messrs. Pawley and Co., carpet manufacturers, slight
damage by water and skylights broken ; insurance unknown.
No. 8, Goldsmith-street, part of roe:doff and oontents damaged
by fire and water ; immune not known. The ground floor
of Messrs. Clayton and Co.'s premiers. roverely damaged by
water; insured to she Hand-in-Hand Fire-office. The ware-
houses of Mears Paine and Renee, goods damaged by water
t upon hasty removal ; hlllll2llOll unknown. No.
ratocirnith-strest, Messrs. Ball, Brawn and Co., sky-
lights broken and contents damaged by water ; insetranoe
unknown. No. 11, Wood-street, front scorched and con-
tent. daaagei by water. No. 10, ditto, R. Carven and Co.,
front scorched and damaged try water ; insurance unknown.
Nos. 1,2, and 3A, Woodetreet, Messrs. Blenkiron and ton,
building and contents considerably damaged by fire and roof
off; insured in the Bar, Law, and Alliance fire offices. No.
24, Nevin and Co., damaged by water and removal ; insured
in the Bun, Royal Liverpool, sad Union fire offices. Messrs.
Beim and Bpreckny, aide windows broken and contents
damaged by water; Insured in the Manchester and Unity
fire Oka. There were several other damages, but of minor
importance.

THE POLICE AND THE PUGILIST.—On Tneeday
last Superintendent Everist, the Wive and intelligent
Superintendent of the K.C.C. for the Chatham district,
received information that • prize fight between Travers,
the Black, and another men named Mace was to come off
that day within his district, and be at once took measures
to prevent it. The men, ha understood, were to arrive at
Southend, in Essex, by the railway, end at that place the
City of Bocteeter eteemer, belonging to Meters. Bomber
and Giles, was to meet them and convey them to the field
of combat, which was appointed to take place in Kent. The
vigilant superintendent, with an it epector, one sergeant, end
fire constables, proceeded in a fast sailing boat, engaged
by the eaperintendect, against wind and tide, until they gee
round Uptcn, where the wind was favourable for them, t red
they sailed on to the White Horse at the Isle of Grain, off
which place there were no fewer than forty vessels—eight
or ten of them of • large class, evidently laden with
spectators of all classes to view the approaching combat.
With the coolness of an experienced tactician, Superin-
tendent Bveriet lay on and off with his clipper till he saw
the City of Rochester appro.ching from leinthend areas
the river Medway towards the Kentish shore. She then
steamed up the river towards Smidgete Creek, having on
board the pugilists and about fifty others of equal respecta-
bility, although some of them were of a higher rank than
the others. The polios-superintendent kepthia boat hovring
about the landing-place, thinking it advisable to allow suf-
ficient time to elapse as would prevent the combatants re-
moving to any other spot in the county to carry on their
pastime. When he saw the ring had been formed, be landed
under • wall near the apt, and was not observed till he was
close to the ring. The stakes and ropes were immediately
pulled up, and the milling commenced running away in
every direction, making for the steamers and boats. Tim
tide at that time was ebbing fast, the superintendent returned
to hie boat and made chase, the others having oonsidmably
the start of him. All sail we,, however, crowded, and he
best every boat except the steamers. On coming to Folly
Point they saw the men had landed from the City of
Rochester, and at about half a mile distance the stakes were
pitched, the ring formed, and the ruffians beginning to fight
—on which the superintendent and hie men landed and pro-
ceeded to the ring, into which Everist jumped over the
ropes, when the pugilists and their seconds sprang out of the
ring and made their °soap*, whilst the spectators ran to-
wards their boats, in attempting to reach which one of them
was nearly drowned. They spin started for a more favour-
able spot, but Everist, with his clipper, wee in such hot
pursuit that they were compelled to premed to Strood„
where they landed, and proceeded to Linden by the South
Eastern Railway. They wore so much astonished at the
rapidity end success of his movements, that esesral ring-
leaders soared him, " upon their honour." that they would
not mos Into his district any more.—leetish Oa sole.
The Fivewsan'a Journal states that the catholic*
elDublin on Sunday last proved in a moot emphatic manner
their devotion to the heed of their church, there being a col-
Leotioa on that day an behalf of his holiness in all the
&writes and therein of the diweeis, the remit of which was
a total of neatly, if not over, 11,0001. This remit, it is sail,
km arm bon evened.

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LONDO2r, TUESDAY; PER. 28.

THE direct result of last week's debate, and of
Friday night's division, are beyond doubt of very
high importance. It is satisfactory to find that the
opinion of the country is so faithfully reflected in
a Howe of Commons ejected under the asepioes of a
Tory Government. The attempt to revive a pro-
tectionist cry, and combine a few special interests
and threatened monopolies, spinet a Government
scheme of liberal finance, has turned out a total
failure. The resolate endeavour to substitute a barren
and reactionary principle of Burl co in place ofone that
is prolific and progressive, that looks to the future,
arid provide' for a fresh development of the national
resources, has bren triumphantly defeated. The
completeness of the victory is a legitimate ground of
national exultation. It might have been otherwise.
The combination of party intrigue end special into_
rests hes often before now impeded and sometimes
destroyed measures of the most general utility.
It is, therefore, reassuring to the country and ha
nourable to Parliament that lilo/11 decutve
of the who. House should have again affirmed those
great principles of Free Trade and commercial pro-
gress which. daring the last fifteen years, have more
than doubled the mercantile and manufacturing ac-
tivities of the country.

But the indirect results of the debate are scarcely
leas important. The immediate question was, indeed,
a financial one; but in a commercial country like our
own, finance is necessarily connected with all the
great questions of home and foreign policy. And
when the Budget is made the subject of a great party
struggle the discussion is almost sure to bring out
the real feelings with regard to these questions
that prevail on either side of the House.
This is preeminently true of the recent debate.
The old French antipathies and .tuitrian sym-
pathies of the Tory party, their love of a high
level of expenditure, their partiality for war taxes,
and their ecaroey concealed desire for the actual
cncflict that would justify and increase them, came
out clear:y enough in the various opposition speeches
against the free-trade Budget. Bet on the great
home question of Parliamentary lti form the real
opinions of the Conservative party came out in still
stronger relief. This is, in fact, the most valuable
indirect result of the debate. It revealed
the genuine sentiments of the Tory party on the
subject of Reform, and placed them in sharp eon-
treat with those entertained on the Liberal side of
the House. Mr. I);:atteu said on Friday night
that Parliament had no oonfidenee in the Reform
p. I.cy cf tf.e DEBIN Government or of the Con-
servative party. Aid certainly, after the
debate of tut week, no one can wonder at
this distriuit. Toe proepect of Parliamentary
Reform constituted an important element
in many of the speeches made in support
of the motion, as well aa in the speech of the mover
(Mr. let ('.0.r.) himself. With these speaker.
one great argument against the Budget wee
that it only provided for the current year,
whereas it ought to have made satisfactory
provision for many years to tome. Why ? Became
a measure for amending the representation is immi-
nent, and next year we may have a reformed Parlia-
ment. True enough ; but what of that ? Where is
the force or relevancy of the argument? The force
of the argument lies altogether in the assumption
that a reformed Parliament will be unable to deal
with the national finances; that if it attempts to
discuss questions of taxation and expenditure it will
itteitab:y fall into the extreme of reckless extra-

nous or " ehsseeparing economy." Such a res.
ening involves the cool &gumption that the present
'Mem of representation is the only guarantee of
calm and solid discussion, and that legislative
wisdom in financial as well as in other
matters will perish witk the present House
of Commons. On such an hypothesis Parlia-
mentary Reform is not only tuineoeseary but mis-
chievous. If a reformed House of Commons cannot
be trusted to discus the details of a Budget, it
would manifestly be unfit for its duties, and its
creation would be nothing more nor lean than a
national calamity. If the Conservatives really
believe this, why not frankly say so? why not
oppose Parliamentary Reform altogether, instead of
paying an evasive lip-homage to it, as is the fashion
amoogst them at present? This is the straight-
forward and honourable course, and it would secure
for them as a petty far more respect than the vacil-
laths( and contradietery policy they have recently
permed. In all direct references to the question
they profess a certain desire for Parliamentary
Reform ; bat when touching upon it only inci-
dentally the mask falls off, and their real sentiments
appear. We then discover, what had all along been
suspected, that in their hearts they look upon Par-
liamentary Reform as an unmitigated evil. The
debate hes don* good service in bringing this im-
pedant fact clearly into view.
It also brought clearly out trio counter doctrine
as this question held by all genuine Reformers—the
belief that an enlargement of the franchise is not
only desirable and necessary, but that it will be a
11 vast national benefit. Those who really desire such
a measure have confidence in the patriotism and in-
telligence of the people. They believe that a
large number, especially amongst the indus-
trial classes, who are at present unrepresented
are not only entitled to the suffrage, but that their
admission within the pale of the constitution will be
an incalculable national gain. It will increase the
efficiency of Parliament by bringing it into more
direct relation with the actual wants and
wishes, the feelings and opinions of the great
body of the people. It will tend directly to
raise the character of the industrial classes
themselves, by appealing to their patriotism,
by recognising their rights, by entrusting
them with new duties, and thus directly
strengthening their feeling of responsibility,
their spirit of independence, and their sense of self-
respect. Mr. GLADSTONE represented these con-
victions in the recent debate ; and the eloquent
answer to the Reform argument unhappily adopted by
the Opposition was not the least valuable or striking
part of his masterly speech. Replying to a rene-
gade Liberal, who from the Government benches
had urged afresh the Tory objection to the Budget
that it made no provision for next year, the CHAN-
CELLOR of the EXCHEQUER boldly claimed thin ha-
tare as a special merit rather than a defect of his
scheme. He would not recognise the present rate of
expenditure as fixed and immutable, and he purposely
wished it to remain under the control of Parliament.
" Bat here," said Mr. GLADSTONE, "my honour-
" able friend came in and intimated that there is a
" peculiar danger in leaving to the Parliament of
" next year to make provision for the exi-
" genies of next year, because it is likely to be a
" Reformed Parliament ; and so, because it is likely
" to be a Reformed Parliament, you are to tie ap its
" hands, as a man who holds an estate in fee simple,
" and has got a d.sreputable son, entails and ham-
" pars it in every way he can, for fear his son will
" abuse his power. That is the spirit in which we
" are to act towards the Reformed Parliament.
"We sre to go and say to an additional pot-
" lion of the people, ' We hold you worthy to be
associated with your fellow citizens in the great
" and noble office of choosing your representatives
a ' in Parliament ; but when thou representatives
" come and take their seats in the old British
" House of Commons, they shall find the House
" ' denuded, as far as we can effect it, of some of its
" ' powers. They shall find that we have done for
" ' them something we thought dangerous to allow
." them to do for themselves.' If there is to be a
" reform of Parliament—if muses of our fellow-
" countrymen now excluded, be they great or small,
" are to be admitted to the franchise—let those who
" are returned to the new House, when they
" mumble, be heirs to every power, to every privi-
" lege, and to all the liberty of the old ; and do not
s' let as presume to lay the foundations of jealousy
—perhaps of disloyalty and disorder—by pro-
" mulgating the doctrine that in proportion to the
" larger number responsible for the election and
" conduct of Parliament, the powers of that Par-
" lament are to be limited."

These are true and noble words, and we note them
with all the greater pleasure as the speaker has not
i.ififore le huffily thrown in his lot with the genuine
reformers. We welcome them still more because
Mr. Gtansto:se speaks not simply as a member of
the House of Commons, bet as a representative of
the Government whose Bill for amending the repre-
sentation of the people is to be introduced on Thurs-
day next. When a Conservative member of the
Ministry expresses himself so decidedly in favour of
a large extension of the franchise we may fairly hope
that the forthcoming measure will not disappoint
the just expectations of the people.

THE DIVISION LArr NIGHT. Mr. Monektoa
Mlles we• supporlirl last soloing in hie propood to
add at the end of the resolution words allowiog • draw-
bock for those " Who can prove by any other process
which shall be satisfactory to the Commissioners of Inland
lieree•y that sued stock of wine ham been acquired and
the duty paid within two yon before the 10th of February,
1560," by, amongst others, Mr. Bus, Mr. C. 8. Butler, Sir
H. Cairns, Sir J. Duke, Sir C. Nspler, end Lord Stanley.
The government on the other hand received the support of
Mr. Adderley, Mr. Arum, Right Hon. Sir F. Baring, R.
W. Crawford, Right Hon. B. Disraeli, L3rd Palmy, Right
Hos. J. Healey, R. Imam, John Lleke, Lord John Men •
nen, &r John Pekington, W. Roupell,Allerman Salomon',
Sir J. V. Shelley, &c.

TER WINE Pr:rms.—At 12 o'clock last night
the Home of Commons, la committee of the whole house on
the Customs Acts, poised the reeolution of the Chancellor of
the Bachequer, which was thereupon reported to the house-
From that moment the old scale 01 duties creed, and the 1111 W
one is now in full operation. Until the Mt Jam. next, them-
fore, there will be a uniform duty of 3s. a gallon upon all
foreign wines imported into this country; and after that date
a graduated scale of duties raoging from Is. per gallon upon
winos amtaining kra than 18 degrees of proof spirit, la. 61.
lone thin 26 doyen, end 2e. It lee. than 40 degrees,
Mi. E. CRAIITORD'M MOTION ON TM
The Importune motion, that It ha an instruction to the com-
mittee on corrupt practices at elections to Impairs If the ballot
es used in Australia might sot advantageously be introduced
Cato this country, standefesThisraday evening, when we trust
the hinds of tee ballot will muster in strength to support
tha motion. The 77 absentees from the division on Mr.
Dime Anba's motion have mow an opportabity of retrieving
the defeat their stoma canned on that occasion.
NEW COLONIAL SECRETARY FOE THE GOLD COAST.
—We are led to understand that Captain C. Manly Browne
will no appoiatod Colonial Secretary for rho Gold Coast, vice
Andrew, promoted.—Civil Berries Gamete.
ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA, COVENT-GARDEN.—HVE
Royal SWUM& the Duchess of Cang.riAite her Royal
Highness the Primeees Mary, etteeded by Colonel Home
Pant., the Austrian Mislosir, Condos D'Apposyl, end the
counties fkusogartea, bonoweed the rfornauvo of the new
epee of and the palomino with Men primes loot
wenn&
Gamma L STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY.--(THIS
DAY. )—The halfq.arly general meeting of prepietors was
hold this afternoon, at the officol in Lou, ard- One; sad the
Mal dividend declared.