The Express.
London, England, 1850-02-18 00:00:00

FINE ARTS.

ARTI:NION ENGRANINCI-SABRINA.
This is one of Mr. Frost's most pleasing works,
and the characteristio features of his brush and
pencil have been very felicitously seized by Mr.
Lightfoot's facile graver. The sensation of rapid
flight is ably rendered, as the hic forms of the
water nymphs waft the form of Sabrina through the
limpid water. There is a shadowy dreaminess in the
slant of the figures and the depth of their chiaro-
scuro, which is highly poetic. Tne nymphs display
their "pearled wrists" rather too labonously; this
is, however, true to well-shaped natures, to which
class these undoubtedly belong. The airy draperies,
the Hower-coroneted heads of brace and blonde, have
' all the smile and sentiment of this master in
nymphery.

PUBLIC CONVEYANCES OF THE METROPOLIS: A
densely-crowned meeting of the owners and drivers of cabs
and hackney carriages, likewise the " watermen" of the
metropolitan ranks, took place on Friday night at the Tem-
persan Hall, in the Broadway, Westminster, for the pur-
pose, among others, of confleming• series of rules and rein-
latices agreed to at a former meeting, as the foundation of a
Protective Arsoeiatioa, in consequence of the information
and prosecutioas levied en masse against both drivers
and masters ; and also to hear the report of the deputation
eppointed to wait on the Commissioners of Police. Mr.
Riscombe Wollen, of Backlenbury attended u the solicitor
tc the emendation, and it appeared that that gentleman, ac-
companied by a deputation of master), consisting of Messrs.
Emmett, Hider, Jenks, Smith, and Beadle, had waited on
the authorities at Bcoriand-yard, and represented the griev-
anus they !shelved under, and the persecution they were
enduring in consequence of the " ranks" of Loodoe not be-
ing properly defiled. The Marylebone vestry, under their
local act, the 35th of Geo. 111., cap. 73, had positively inter-
dined the standing of hackney carriages or cabs on what bad
always bets considered a " rant " in Oxford-street, namely,
between Market-street and Poland-street. One cab driver
had beta recently fined by Mr. Bingham, at Marlborough-
street, =die number of other cases were pending his decision.
At the press nt time there were nearly 3,000 cabs working
In the me-trip-dig, and, en an average, there were not more
than 1,000 engaged at any one given time, which would
leave 2 000 that should be standing on the " ranks "—the
regular reoogni-ed " rusks "—which untamed room for
only 1,200, leaving 800 totally unprovided with a standing.
The deputation urged the increased and increasing size of
London, and the necessity of new " ranks," and further ex-
pressed a hope that the luiriatun would shortly place the
regulation of public conveyances, the appointment of "ranks"
or stands, Ac., under the entice control of the Metropolitan
Commissioners of Police, repealing, of course, all local acts
relating to the tame. The commissioners replied, that they
would give the subject their serious consideration : they had
already taken the opinion of the law officers of the crown,
relative to their pollen, under the 6th and 7th Victoria, for
the neutering hackney carriages; but the legal authorities
did not think that it repealed the local ants ;at least their
construction of the statute was equivocaL Sir G. Grey in-
tended last session to introduce a bill oath* subject of public
conveyances; end if the right hen. baronet still entertained
that idea, the deputation, through their solicitor, would be
informed of it. In the awes of the meeting, it was stated
that there was no lees than 800 badges " working foul," at
the present time, in London, by the lowest and moat de-
graded chanters, the detection sad punishment of whom
was one of the principal objects of the proposed association.
COLLISION ON THE CALEDONIAN RAILWAY.—
Early on Thursday morning a collision took place on the Ca-
ledonian Railway, by which one passenger was very ly
injured, and others more or lees hurt. Tee down mail train
which leaves the Citadel station shortly after 9 o'clock p.m.,
started at the usual time on Wednesday evening. Oa reach •
ing the Abingdon station the train overshot the mark and
dashed into a goods train that happened to he standing
on the north side of the station, engine foremost, on the
same lino of rails. The consequence was a tremendous
crash, the complete destruction of a second elate carriage
in the mail train, serious injury to the amines of both
train,, and an entire disruption of the rails in the
inns, dist, vicinity. But what was worse, altar the
consternation and confusion of the moment were over, it
was found that several of the passengers had narrowly
*seeped with their lives, and it was almost a miracle that
none were killed on the 'pit. Mr. Sauby, a ammonia
travel. r, representing the firm of Naha and Co., loather
merchants, London, was discovered wedged in between a
portion of a broken carriage and the horse-box next to the
engine. He was extricat-d from his painful position es
quickly as possible, when it was found that his thigh was
broken, and that he was otherwise hurt about the face and
back. Mr. Shillitieforth, railway post office clerk, was ir
verely brui ed about the face, and the engine-driver else
suet Sincd such injuries as to incseltate him from following
his employment at present. Tike cause of the collision
appears to have been as follows The 3.6 p.m. up
goods train, an unusually long one, propelled by two
eaglets, arrived at the Abingdon station a little attar its
time. The up mail trek from Edinburgh and Oisegow was
then 'vilely due, And the goods train wu shunted on to the
down line to let the other pus. Meantime the down mail
train came up, and in consequence of the slippery state of
the rails the engine-driver w. 41 unable to slacken his speed
so readily as he expected, and the consequence was that the
mail ran int., the goods train which was on the same line.
The check was tremendous. Both trains were thrown off
the line, and the nil, destroyed as already stated. Amend
clan carriage, which sore between the heavy Post-office van
and a bone-box, was literally dashed to peon. A hist 7
and blisoing snow storm prevailed at the time of the
accident, and tr.' tells were in a very slippery condition.
By t, rive o'clock the same morning the line was cleared
and properly repaired, and the regular traill3 proceeded as

Devottronv, FRB. 17th.—The HUMOR, Commander
Garden Ibibourne, and the Dart brigantine, Commander
ll'Cluue, arrived here on Wednesday night from Ports-
mouth, both b iulid for the Cape of Good Hops. The de-
fects of lives Trulo having been made good they are ready
for sea. The U odwill lichter, Pledge master, sailed with
stores for Chatham on Friday. Commodore Lord John Hay
arrived here on Friday evening, and em Saturday =pram
to went into the yard at ten o'clock, and was engaged
newly the whcese day with Rear Adm. Sir John Louis in the
office and about the yard. The flag of Sir John Louis was
this evening. The brad pennon of lord John Hey
will be hoisted on board the Agincourt, and saluted by the
guns of the Impregnable. A man belonging to Her
Mideity's ship Arabes& at Devouport was accidently killed
in the lowering of a mat on Thursday last,