The Express.
London, England, 1868-12-04 00:00:00

COM' OP COMMON 00fIN011.

A Special Court of the 008 w hon Council was
held yesterday afternoon in the Cowell Chamber, Guild-
hall ; the Low Karon presiding.
THE MIT CRIIIICIZIL
A tommuniostioe was road from Use Bishop of Lando&
requeeding the Committee to nosinate two
lay member* of the aura of Bachind, to be ass=
a oommiseion about to be issued by his lordship, under
the provisions of the set of parliament of the fard and
24th Viet., cap. 141:2. treroainni into and report upon the
espediewy of • union of the besieges' of the
Tottery of St. Olave, street, with Bt. Nicholas-id
yacellas, and the 1110114.4.1 41 04. A.. —• a lit.. .
Alderman Gibbons and Deputy Burnell having, in
accordance with the foregoing, been proposed as lay omn-
misnomers.
Mr. Menem said he wished to know whether a similer
oeseisieton was not appointed some time ago, and what
was the result.
Deputy Bunezu, replied that the former 001111Dialiell
made a report dated March 4. 1867, recommending • enica
en
certain term*. In July last the bishop made proposah
bared on the report, but in enoe of certain
requirements not having been proviled fir, they we
not acceptable to the inhabitants of the pushes which it
was proposed to unite. The bishop was then asked to
support an application to parliament with the view of
securing the object. He had given assnranote that he
would do his best in the matter ; and he (Deputy Burnell)
thought that if the inhabitants persisted in opposing any
scheme in which their requirements were not include
their wishes would ultimately be carried out. The patrons
of the living had proposed to include in the bishop's
scheme an adjoining parish. That was a matter for
grave consideration ; and he perceived that notice had
heed given of an intention to apply to parliament to carry
eat the wishes of the vestries es expressed by the Bishop
of London. The whole question lad been before the
Tan Committee. There were indications that substan-
tial benefit would accrue to the inhabitants of the dif-
ferent parishes in the city of London in exchange for the
ehurch sites.
Mr. lfzewer thought that the ward schools ought not
to be forgotten. (Hear, hear.) At the present moment
Langbourne-ward had a school up two pews of stain, and
the allotment of a small portion of the churchyard for a
*Wool would be a great advantage. Such arrangements
would be a fair contribution on the part of the ecolesiasti-
eat authorities to the permanent welfare of the City.
bfr. H. Lowman TAYLOZ observed that the bishopric
of London was then in a state of transition. He would
like to know whether they were dealing with the old
bishop or with the new one car
Sf
bear.)
The Coin= Swim= r. Chambers, .P.) said
Dr. Tait was still Bishop Leaden, and the commissioir
issued by him was din in operation.
The motion was then agreed te.
BOLDOEN VALLEY 1117110TEZILVI.

---
Hr. T. LOTOTT, chairman of the coal and corn and
finance committee, after presenting a report relating to
the subject, moved for authority to isms bonds for an
amount not exceeding 300,0001., u the same shall be re-
quired by the Improvement committee, for the purposes of
the Holborn Talley lea anent.
♦fter some conversation, in which it was explained that
the bonds were only to be issued for a year, the motion
was agreed to.

THE .112PO1IF/YETI OF OAS EXILIEDTLII.
Mr. BONTEXO, chairman of the gas committee, pre-
vented its report relating to the appointment of a gentle-
101U3 to fill the office of gas examiner for the City of
London. In this report,. after mention had been made of
the duties of the office, involving the sole responsibility
for the testing of all the gas in the City, it was stated
that the number of candidates was reduced by a sub-
committee to three—namely, Dr. Septimus Gibbons,
Mr. Fewtrell, and Mr. Keats—and that the
first-named gentleman was afterwards; selected by
a majority of the committee itself. Mr. Bontems
proceeded to intimate that he himself dissented from the
recommendation made, and stated that, there being four-
teen members of the committee present when Dr. Gibbons
was selected, eight voted for and nx against his nomina-
tion. He then entered at some length into the question
of merits, and insisted that for such an office the
highest qualifications were requisite ; while in ad-
vocating the postponement of the decision of the
court he dwelt on the fact • that the referees
appointed by the Board of Trade had decided that
there should be four testing places instead of one—a
change which he contended would necessitate a higher
salary for the performance of the duties, and tend to
bring an offer of services from more eminent men than
ttauM otherwise have been expected to come forward as
eandidatee. He concluded by moving, in pursuance of no-
tice, the following:—" That the report of the special
gas committee be referred back to the committee to con-
sider whether the increase in the number of testing places
from one to four does not render it necessary to mcrease
the amount of Palmy to be paid to the gas examiner for
the City of London ; and should the committee be of that
opinion, that they be instructed to again advertise for
candidates, and to select and submit to tide court the
names of two candidates, from which the court shall select
one."
Mr. Feicirn seconded the motion.
_ _

Yr. ItK}aosoE defended the election of Dr. Gibbons by
the committee, and moved the adoption and confirmation
of their report. He maintained that it would be oontrary
to precedent in such cases, and unjust to Dr. Gibbone, not
to tarty out the committee's recommendation.
Mr. HASTIIIDGE seconded the amendment.

A long discussion ensued, turning on the question of
the experience and merits of Dr. Gibbons, and on the
qualifications required for the office in question. On the
one band it was contended that Dr. Gibbous, as medical
officer of St. Andrew's. Holborn, and as gas examiner for
the Holborn district. as well as by his high character and
proved integrity, wee admirably qualified for the post ;
while, on the other, stress was laid un the peculiar nature
and the importance of the duties to be performed.
and the absolute necessity of taking care to
enure the best man that could be obtained. The discus-
sion was now and then rather warm and personal, and
accusations of favouritism auil unfairness were occa-
sionally exchanged.
On a division the numbers were :—For the amendment,
47 : against it. 2S. There was, therefore, a majority of
H in favour of referring the question back to t►e gas
committee.
The court adjourned about five o'clock.

THE INSTITUTION op CIVIL ENOINEERA. —At
the meeting of this society on Tuesday, the let inst., Mr.
Charles Hutton Gregory, President, in the chair, the first
ballot for the session took plane, when 31 candidates were
declared to have been duly elected, including 10 members,
via :—Mr. Charles Graham Blatchley, Saltash • Mr.
George Broadrick, District Engineer on the East Indian
Railway ; Mr. Thomas Forster Brown, Cardiff
Alexander Cato, Chief Engineer of the Coquimbo Exton-
en Railway, Chile ; Mr. John Hairy Hurt ht, late of
Chester ; Mr. John William James, Stratfo, Canada
West; Mr. Alfred Roberts, Resident Engineer on
the Great Indian Peninsula Railway ; Mr. Robert
Roberts, Engineer to the River Dee Company, Ches-
ter ; Mr. Robert Watson, Resident Engineer, Victorian
Railway'.: and Mr. George Woodbridge, Chief Resident
Engineer of the Eastern Bengal Railway; and 21 Asso.
ciates, via : Mr. Samuel Parker Bidder, Jun., Assistant
Manager of the Victoria Graving Docks Company ; Mr.
Itioltard Shaw Brundell, East Indian Railway, Allahabad;
Mr. Frederick Charles Bastion, Resident Engineer on
the Madras Railway ; Mr. Thomas Procter Campbell,
Assistant Engineer on the Jubbulpore line of the East
Indian Railway; Mr. Elliott Scarlett Currey late Resi-
dent Engineer at the Portisbead Pier;
Vieira Dantas, Rio de Janeiro; Mr. Francis Gordon Davis,
(tonnes& Lead Xining Co., Eglesias, Sardinia; Captain Wal-
ter Mardon Ducat, R.E., Executive Engineer for Recta-
mations in Bombay ; Mr. John Stinson Fanner, Kilburn; Mr.
Henry Augustus Fisher, Surveyor to the Plumstead Board of
Works; Mr. Thomas Penn Gaskell, Westminster; Mr.
George Harrison, late Government Staff Ceylon Railway;
Mr. John Thomas Holgate, late of the Rio Improvement
Works, Rio de Janeiro; Mr. Edmund Lane, District En-
gineer at the London end of the Great Western Railway ,•
llenry Christopher Digges La Touche, Lahore and
Peshawar Railway, India' Mr. Edward Antoine Sears%
Westminster, Mr. John Nidd Smith, Surveyor to the
Greenwich District Board of Works; Mr. Edwyn Joseph
Statham, Great Southern Railway, New South Wales;
Mr. Thomas Selby Tancrecl, Canterbury, New 7aaland:
Mr. Henry Andrew Vivian, Engineer and Superintendtmt
of the Couimbo Railway, Chili ; and Mr. William Web-
ster, St. Martin's-place.

TnE If elrmerrilelliitg ELECTION Blo're.—The
rxaminution of the prisonen charged with rioting and
demolishing buildings at lilaenavon and Abersychan pro-
ceed, but ,lowly, owing to the number of witnesses to he
esamined. Fourteen of the Abersychan rioters were
brought up yesterday before the Pontypool magistrates,
charged with rioting and demolishing the White Hart at
Abersychan on the 24th ult. Police-sergeant Basktun was
on duty at the place named, and saw a large mob. One
of the prisoners, Jones, wasbeing carried on a hurdle. He
was taken to the Union Inn, and from there to the White
Hart, when they commenced 'mashing the windows. The
mob got into the house, and he ) followed them,
and saw them destroying the furni ; and they made a Are
with the drawers, and piled the furniture upon it. All
the liquors were spilled or carriel away, and the house
was completely gutted. All the prisoners were ides:tided
but two, who were discharged, and the others were com-
mitted for trial at the OAWZ6II. William Morgan pleaded
guilty to a charge of larceny, and was sentenced to 14
days imprieonment. At Tredegar nine men have been
charged with rioting and demolishing houses on the 24th
nit., and have been remanded. The
.inquest on the body
a Urn. Chant, who was killed dng the riot on the
evening of the election for Newport, was resumed at
1411/left yesterday morning, before Hr. Brewer, coroner,
and a Jury of respectable trademme. When the military
charged through the streets, the deceased, who bad just
ran out of her house, received a bayoest wound, which
penetrated the heart. The inquiry was proceeding when
our parcel left.

rimirvnia soul Co., Belfast, are the largest
baldas
Mat Whaky tb• e. non Trish =ll=-
aaradby ameba' prairies fa prolamin..
IBaybiled fa seam sad far balm an ey =laden. 148861: grasiz= Dayria I-

MU OOLLIAJtY

~X~

•
IFICUA
The coroner's inquilY into
renamed this 1111011 b. at the Vistark‘ Wit • -
before the diebiet dironer, tilt B.
on".
is
it.f
as the alasrV
18=erOnell• aad Aspisell, and weal of the
At the opsoing of the proceedings the Omits natal
that agar omderrajtkarith the goveennient impeder, tt
ooeuues ;mai better of the pro-
file= bk oddpiL' • the_ MaA
stale of things at the OM or therespiodat. 114 wiadd
mot go into theestien eel anassensia, bat leave that
to a -future ty, when the manager
would again
be brought them. It was also thought desirable
that the court should rise that day at three O'clock. The
inquiry was likely be bee preasebid one, as WNW mate-
rial witnesses would not be aide to attend for some thee.
Mr. Thames tioothworth. the manager of the Hadley-
green Colliery, was then called. He produced a plan of
the working, and stated the easkatin marred in the
dip workings on the west level at a Mk after half-pad
eight o'clock in the meraingattiethye time or the Implosion
he was on hie way from stalks to the
works. Reaching the colliery he = the ventilation
ravened—the downcast acting as the avast, and the up-
east as the downeset. In Use upcast there was no injm.
They do not wind by it, agh there is a cage in reaffi-
nem. The witness thee went on to describe the readt of
explorations in the wise. The calamity occurred he
believed about Isherwood and Bessare.down brow—they
were both narrow places, "fees ends.' Isherwood was
found dead the aims day, but Beesley was not found
until Saturday, and than not at his own place. The reason
why he was not found earlier was that It was sever imp-
posed he would be in that quarter of the mfrs where his
body was discovered. Beesley was supposed to be sitting
in the level at the time. He had evidently bmeght babe:
from the place in which be was =gaged at time
to the level. He was found about 120 yards away from
the shunt, at Ingnera's brow, on the main west level. All
the deceased worked in the wed level. He did not be.
lave that any of the am who were in the dip-workings
escaped. There is a barometer at the bottom of the pat.
and e dock beside it, and the observations are taken
&Eland duly registered.
Drinnan was then called. He said—l am under-
looker, in charge of the Hindley-green pits. I live clods
to the colliery, I Wait down the pit about 6 .'cloak oa
Thureda . found in the cable the head fireman,
Joseph and asked him as to the state of the
pit. He bad been his round, be said, and all was right.
William Meadows, under iremen, was also peewit. I
went to the lower sided the eland, sad then to the
other side, and everything appeeired right. It was then
breakfast time, and I weal-and bad breakfast. The
whistle blew at balf.past eight o'clock for the
pit to start. I sent the lads out, and then
went round to the up-oast, where I stood
for a few minutes. I was suddenly knocked down, and
I could not see for dust and coal. There was a greet
wind. I prepared foe running, intendiag to leave the
pit as so as I could. I was almost smothered with
dust. I took the wed level to get to the pit shaft. When
I got there I went up at one. A man earned
Hayes, a pony tenter, came up by the mune rage .• hie!sla
been burnt by the furnace. I came to the top I
went down by the other cage. Joseph Ingram had then
commenced to send up the men who were burnt. There
were five or six cages of them. When we got down the
draught was blowing the flames of the furnace up the shaft
instead of by the regular flue. We "slacked" out the tire
as well as we could, and afterwards the water was sent
down the pit and all was right directly. The men then
began to pour in from the east workings, and we sent them
up as fast as we could. All the deceased were found that
day with one exception. I made no investigation myself
that day, but I have since passed through the whole of
the west level, including the dip workings, and I am sure
the explosion has taken place on the lower side.
By Dickenson—Highton is the fireman of the west
dip workings. He had been round; be always goes round.
I did not ask him that morning, but he said .11 was right.
Highton's body was found in the west level in the shunt.
By Mr. Peace—l have had 34 yews experience. At
this colliery I had seven firemen under me, four on the
east and three on the west side. The three on the east
were Joseph Highton, William Mod, and John Jenkins.
Each had a certain portion of to attend to, and
Highton's was the westerly dip w in which the
explosion is supposed to have occurred. mine make.
gas, and only locked safety lamps are allowed to be used.
A daily register is kept et the quantity of Mr which goes
into the workings and its distribution. The average
quantity passing into the westerly side averaged from
114.000 to 19,000 cubic feet per minute. That quantity has
been sufficient so far to clear the workings from gas.
There was passing through on the day before the explosion
19,020 feet, and throgh the dip workings 5,760 feet.
There appeared the ordinary quantity on the morning of
the explosion.
The inquiry was proceeding when our parcel was
despatched.

KALE OF THEATRICAL PROPERTY.—Testerilay •
sale of rather an extraordinary nature took place at the
auction rooms of Messrs. Debenham and Store, King.
street, Covent-garden. It consisted entirely of the ea- I
penises costumes used by the company mood at the
Lyceum Theatre during the management of Mr. Fechter,
when The Duke's Motto, King's Butterfly, Be) Demonio,
Ray Blas, Range et Noir, Corsican Brothers, The Long
Strike, Master of Ravenswood, The Roadside Inn, The
Lady of Lyons, and Hamlet, were produced. The great
room presented a very unusual appearance prior to the
commencement of the sale, as the peculiar kind of pro-
perty, tied up in bundles, hung around the place.
Here was to be seen the brilliant spangled finery of the
masquerade scene in The Corsican Brothers, there the
costumes of the Spanish grandees in Ra Bias, and is
other parts of the room were displayed costumes of
every country in the world, and those of places out of it,
as the trappings of astoroths, imps of all colours, dragons,
satyr., fairies good and bad, all contributed to make
up a very novel scene. Previous to the commencement of
the sale the property was all minutely examined by a
number of gentlemen who bud the appearance of pro-
vincial managers, and if the prices realised be the intrinsic
worth of the property, theatrical dresses, although ex-
tremely expensive to produce, realise but very little upon
being sold by public auction. The catalogue enumerated
293 lots, each lot, however, comprising a variety of
articles of attire of the most fanciful description. As a
curio-sty we append the sums some of the principal " lots"
realised. Three velvet jackets, two tunics, seven skirts,
scarf, two tabards, and two shorts brought just 6s. ; nine
velvet tunics and three velvet robes, 9s. ; a splendidly
embroidered velvet coat and three handsome nearlet and
blue velvet coats, 21. 17e. 6d.; six velvet plush
and damask cloaks, 30s. ; a padded oust, a pair
of trunks, and a dragon's suit, 20s. ; tan military
coats and six pairs of breeches, 365. ; sixteen articles
of clowns', &c., apparel, harlequin's dress, and handsome
robe, 375. ; six velvet and satin coats and tunics and three
velvet jackets, 12s. ; three chasubles, two buckram skirts,
and two dresses, 6s. ; seven scarlet plush coats, 70s. ;
thirteen black velvet and scarlet serge jackets, trimmed
' with gilt lace, tale. ; five pairs of pantaloons, nine pairs of
breeches, four pairs of trunks, 9s. ; seventeen articles
highland plaid, 6s. 6d. ; a quantity of armour and tinsel
work, as. ; gloves, ke., to match, 17e. • six blue and white
serge coats, 2fie. These were used in The Duke's Motto, as
were many of the preceding lots. The ladies' dreamt did
not realise better prices than those of the gentlemen; for
instance, four blue satin dresses, two yellow satin ditto,
and two ditto skirts brought but 7s. ; six white, pink, and
blue satin and silk frocks, 13s. ; six muslin and gilt skirts,
four ditto bodies, two satinditto, and silver tissue dress, 65.;
a brocaded piece of silk and scarlet satin dress, 44. ;
eight satin ballet coats, 218. • six satin ballet coats, ten
jackets and vests, pair of drawers, and pair of trunks,
205. ; a handsome figured satin robe, lee. , a crimson
satin and a blue silk dram, 17a. ; a lavender satin robe,
10e. ; a scarlet dress, blue satin spangled ditto, and gokl
tissue skirt, 20s. ; a black velvet dress, 20s. ; a splendid
brocaded skirt, tie. ; a white silk and a blue moire dress,
Itie. The scenery, the handsome gilt furniture, curtains,
mirrors, antique oak carvings, which have all called forth
admiration in the before-named pieces, are to be
risrse. l
el of at the ekes of the sale of the wardrobe, which
it is expected will take at least two days. There were a
number of professionals present, but the principal buyers
were a few country managers and the keepers of thea-
trical wardrobe shops.

KT. PANCRAS 4UARDIANS.—The following in-
struction has been issued to the manual officers of the in-
firmary :—" Instead of communicating with the coroner's
beadle as heretofore, to inform the clerk of an deaths in
the workhouse in which it may appear necessary to hold
inquests, end to furnish such particulars as may be re-
quire!, with a view to the clerk causing an mammary in-
quiries to be made, and to communicate with the coroner
thereon." This instruction we hold to be unconstitu-
tional and dangerous. There should be no official inter-
position to quash the communication of details of any
case of death totbe coroner which &medical man may think
necessary. The disoretica of hoc:teZ2usete lies with
the wiener. Such inquiries have of the highest
public importance in the cam of at this very work-
lions*. If the clerk had been consulted, we should pro-
bably never have had an inquiry into the famous case in
which a child was laid out for dead while still living.
and which did much to throw light upon the absurd
Z manageme
oanna. nt of the iniheary under the old regiase.—Britich
odiesl J

Pusuo Mantsu.As.—Mr. Davidson, merchant
of Ningpo, was presented en Me departure for lturopewith
a pair of Waminia-mn, ce pubis umbrellas," as a mark
arms rapes' and esteem in sold& be was hel,
in d by the
(Mare. The benner is bee great and unusual he beg
the that forefignes ea sebum it km been oonferred.—Over.
lend Aiwa KM, Oct. 2S.
The " BUlndit runes," of Nor. 8, says :—" From
118 • • ILA wtipsi---illtiottilk
ar=i. 401111. .2
limp as kressiiria =if =rat d finiting utak ela
woos. We.
eripallareak frt.
• Ver belt
I,4llllfaids, ant as irerift• /Mkt% hill 4
itlatyWrnollit.D=.
sini)