The Express.
London, England, 1859-03-04 00:00:00

TO THE =nos OF /HZ

flfa,—We &all feel obliged if yew will allow la
to cornet, oa one Whet impatient point, the article an the
Armstrong Oun which wee lately quoted In your colamns.
The charge and projectile, tasked of being introduced through
the slot is the breech, are now passed in through the large
breech screw. which Is formed hollow fir the purpose. This
Is a manifest Improvement, as it enables the constructor to
form both the slot and the breech piece which closes it much
smaller than they would otheewhe require to ba—We
are, Sc.,
THE EDITORS OF THE MECHANICS'
MAGAZINE.
Mechanics' Mega sine OM
166, Fleet-street, March 2.

SOCIIITI OF FRIIIIIDS OF FOXILIONERS IN
Durrazse.—The annual general court of tie members and
rtemoters of this society wee held retards, at the London
Tavern, Bishopegateratreat ; X. D. Meinertetagen in the
dusk. The report stated that the directors were obliged to
square their liberality with their menu, and the demand fog
relief much exceeded their power to afford it ; but et thalami
time bad bees ambled to render gime sesistanoe, cites
wry i ueid.qu to to the occasion, in starry ore which stood
the teat of inquiry. In 1,837 inetences during the pest yea.
old end new applicants bad reddiVel the bentfits cf the
society, and in 213 instances the mews hod been afforded to
distreuel parsons of returning f. em hence to their native
country. The customary monthly allowances hod been
continued to 73 aged whilst 81 wee the number at
those who had received annual prnaloos, in weekly pay.
nests et 6.., with the addition of 2s. Od. a werkto a few
of thou whose preetona situation in life rendered such an in.
menu desirable. Besides thee. benefits the Jubilee bounty
el 61. had bets awarded to el of tto most deserving of the
pandoeere. The plea of voting "sick allowances" had been
eslopted in 226 instances during the past 12 mouths. In the
toofeefe Amateur, at Norwood, tb era had t tees three deeds
and emu fresh admissions of inmates this year, end sob.
soriptiose were now being raised totnoble the directors to in.
mesa the eseennot dation in the baffling. 'rs• amount es.
last Mt Is pensions and allowances was 1,4724
ftra4l4., whilst the sum fronted for relief end
money wee 41631. 12a., mating a total of 2,7261. passage
The general balance account from the Ist Mar, 1868, to the
28th February, 1860, showed that the total receipts (iticladitur
rub in hand) amounted to 3,3661.6 x. 6d., sad the disburse-
ments to 3,1781. 14.. 11d., leaving a balance of 1771.115. ad.
The report wee adopted. and nine additional peaskeers
were efitted to the beseats of the society.

THE PHILANTHROPIC SOCIETY, ken-HILL—Tin
anima emend nwetiog of the governors of this society was
held yesterday at the London, avan ; Hr. W. Gladstone in
the chair. Prom tho stetsmeot of accounts for the year 1868
it smeared that the receipts to the 31st December amounted
to 11,8181. 11.. 3d., and the total expense to 10A111. 1..1d,.
&midst a bassos in hand of 1.3061. 106 Id. The resident
Chaplain, the Rev. Charles Watery. read his report to the
ammittas, from which it appeared that between Jen. Ist sad
Deo. 31st, 1868, there had been admitted tato the nocietra
farm school at Red-bin 67 boys. As worded the educes-
lima! mate of the boys, 16 opted read and writ* wen. 28
could nad and write imperfectly, and 16 could neither road
nor write. Siateen had been previou.ly committed to prima
ore one occasion, ten had been twice before incarcerated, three
had been three time a, three font times, thros six dont, and
two sine times. T wenty-two hid Dot previously been eon.
sided, and of there nine Is ad parents who were bad or aimed,
The tans of detentes in the school wag : 7 for 2 years, 29
be 3 years, 17 for 4 years, and 6 for 6 years. The anus et
which they had boa admitted wee One at 9, ono at 10.
En at 11, six st 12, tea at lit, fourteen at 14, seventeen of
IS, sad Ive over 16 Daring the same year the somber
&charged from the .aehool wee 73, of whoss 30 bad end.
grated. The romadaleg 43 wore thus amowated fa: 14
treneforred to the modal rertematory, 1 abaroaded sad act
recovared, 1 deceased, sad 27 placed oat in Ragland. The
Dumber of boys smite she care of the widely on DOI 31.
1868, wee 363. The umber of ewes of ndasoadaet whit&
had occurred emanated to 851, but of Ht. me may 222 wens
offences of a pave character. The report alluded to the la.
jamas oast with which the withdraw al of government mg
towards migration mu calc.ulated to be attthded, sad stated
that there were at went 104 boys who would he alto
ther dependent on the support which they might recd.,
from the public to eagle them to do so, whfin nothing
could possibly be *Headed with worse ceruequemo66 than
snowing them again to mingle with their old oompanione.
On the 30th of 15.1pteraber, 1868, the value of the society's
farm stook was 3,7f01. as compared with 2,5981. on the 30th
of September, 1867.
GREAT Nl:anny' HosPrrAL—A performance
will be gives at fit. IdasVn'sthall, on Twadey, tho Bth
March, in aid of the fonds of the Great Northers Hospitals
under dm pitmans of her Majesty. The applications
this lwapftel, which bat boa established for thebrnedt atlas
poor la the solghbourhood of Camden, Somers, sad Agar
towns, are monument:we that the funds of the committee have
hitherto proved eattly inadeqsate.
RIIOOIIIIII7ALB OP PIIIBONERB.—We learn from
• latter addressd to the Ham ScartOup by the gnome of
Wentlerworth Rowse of Correedra, that of 263 wale mimeses
cosunftted to that prism 77 hod been in wisest, there or
elarriwn, twin hskero, 66 bar limed, 16 sight times, sod
to Yee ties lea Mmes. Gee prisoner had positively bIIMI
prliee de dons. The female pet:one's had in may ems
toss noseamilled Awn sa sites ; cad the object of the
latter le to slam the ureic men of short terms of iniprlies•
.tent as a eamsoJantd pediment.

I