The Express.
London, England, 1868-07-13 00:00:00

.REYBNUE SERVICE EIf.FRANCHISEME.VT.

The subjoined letter to Lord Abinger has been
signed by the heads of departments in the Custom-house :
"ld Lord,—We, the undersigned, having been in-
formed that your lordship has consented to undertake the
conduct, through the House of Lords, of ' The Revenue
Officers' Disabi itiesßemoval Bill,' desire to thank you for
the interest you thus take in a measure, which impartially
viewed, can only be regarded as a measure of simple jus-
tice. Much having been stated by those who opposed the
bill in the House of Commons, to the effect that con-
siderable inconvenience would accrue to the public service
if the bill in question became law, we think it may
strengthen your lordship's hands if we, the heads of some
of the most important departments in this branch of the
public service, place you in possession of our opinion
upon the subject. From a long experience of official life,
we give it as our opinion that no inconvenience whatever
need, under proper management, result, directly or in-
directly, to tie public service from the passing of the
measure ; but that, on the contrary, it would tend very
ma • to check agitation and create a feeling of con-
fidencethroughout the service that the claims of public
servants, when just, will meet with attention and con-
sideration.—We are, my lord, your lordship's most
obedient servants,

n (Signed)
" R. A. Gomm, Surveyor- oral ;
" F. J. Hama, Solicitor of ILM. Customs ;
" H. W. Doasta, Comptroller-General ;
" EDW. Bxsztams, Inspector-General Imports and
"W. W. ATI:O2, Principal Examiner and Con-
troller of Accounts;
" S. J. Loma; Comptroller Tea and East India
Department ;
" J. Uwe, Comptroller Legal Quays ;
" T. Pamirs, Comptroller London Docks ;
" E. JONES, Comptroller St. Katharine's Docks ;
J. R. Stionuirra., Comptroller East and West
India Docks."

ROYAL COMMISSION ON PRIMARY EDUCATION.-
(IRRLAND.)—The royal commission on primary education
(Ireldodjaset on Saturday at the offices of the commission,
Thpper Backville-strea, Dublin. There were present :
e Earl of Powia, the Bishop ofy, Meath, Rev. Dr.
Wilson, Bev. B. M. Cowie, Mr. Ds.isi , Mr. Gibson, Mr.
Stokes, Professor Sullivan, and Mr. Waldron.

NATIONAL EXIIIRITION OF WORKS OF ART, AT
Lure, 1868.—Aottum of admissions:—Saturday, July 11,
6,8111 mama Womb, 742; by payment, 6,076, Total,

NA TI ON A RIFLE AS:DTI:I7I th)s.
(71118 co Y.)
The prize meeting of the National itifl.. A,,,
tion for the present year commenced this morn.,
Wimbledon-common, and there is every reason for b!!:::'
iundit
irig that it will be attended with as great an trout;
success as marked those that have preceded it.
the great bulk of the volunteers intend to taks.,4l
commence until Wednesday next, the number who t::
ioutin
t the
en
competitiont
he sounding
ng for
of th
the
Queen'srefills hens,
a
limited, but it was obeyed with great alacrity.
After breakfast there was a general parade es
volunteers who were to take part in the various e'en.,
tiona, and this year they were more numemus •
have been on any former occasion. The tint '
hitherto been limited to a very few events but tl.:: .
there were no less than ten coin petit;
mencod, besides pool targets and running •
first competition on the list was for tie.
Rifle Association bronze modal, prc.ented suss„
competition by the volunteers of the county of '.l
with 6W. added by the Middle,ex
five shots each at 200, 50n, and GOO yeds. •i• , .
was won last year by S. rgt. Knox. of the A.. 111.
A contest was also commenced for th, Toe..
National Rifle Association brenes medal,
ally by the Aationel Rifle Aseociat.on i.•
tition between the volunteers of Vie
lets, at the same ranges and the saiii,• 11,1110.
A third similar competition commenced f ti.
sitiess' bninze medal, presented annually for .
between the volunteers of the Oxford and i ,
Universities—six competitors ou each side, i
each at 200, 400, and 600 yards. This
last year by Private Roc, of Cambridge y
The next item on the programme was the •
by five representatives from any rifle club,
each, at 800 and 900 yards.
Another very interesting contest compete- ,
second series of extra prizes, consisting of a
given by Messrs. Mappin, Webb, and Co., ti „ •
given by Moms. Howell and James, a silver we
by Mr. Bennett, of Cheapeide ; two Snider bre..
rifles given by the directors of the Leiden S.:, •';
Company; a Snider long Enfield rifle given I,
don Armoury Company; a telescope given i.. m.
Burrows, of Great Malvern ; and a binoculat 0e.... ; s„
given by Mr. Steward, optician to the Nat:
Association. Five shot. each at 200 yards. „,
number of prizes there was a large body of coue.
Mr. Baas, M.P., gives his usual prize of See , ~.•.
to efficient volunteers who have never won .1 p•
Wimbledon, or at any county rifle aseicietien
Five shots each at 500 yards.
The Alexandra prize competition was C0111111.'11., •
first stage, which consists of 156 prizes of : •
value of 8254 To be shot for at the resp‘s:ti%-
of 200, 500, and 600 yards, five shots at ea. 1.. : •
prize members from the following countici _
Aberdeen, Ayr, Argyle, Bailiff, Bedford, Berk., It. k.
Cheshire, Cornwall, Cumberland,
burgh, Essex, Forfar, Glamorgan, Gloue.eter.
Jersey, Haute, Haddington, Hereford, Ilueting.l..:„
Herts. The competition will last for toveril da...
The Enfield Association cup, value :eV- to be c,)”.1: •
for by life members and members .4 the
Association who have paid their sub.. rite lens for the •
rent year. Five shots each at '2OO an.l Sts. yiels, Ti..": .
her of competitors for this prize was n..t very num -
The Duke of Cambridge's ',rim again excited
able interest, as it has to be shot for with Mom, ei
and the time occupied by each competitor is •• :
three minutes. To be shot for a 200 anit.loo vary.
object is to fire as many shots effectively as pea-ibl.- ,‘ •
a given lime. In this competition it is neee,soy •...
every shot must be loaded from a pouch. fr • ,
pocket, or from a chamber attached to the
competition will extend over several dup.
There were the usual carton and pool tar.7.-t'. I.: •
scores had not come in when this report was del.

THE TOTAL MILITARY rOLLECE.-I.111: •
41.11 LE ACCIDENT.

A most melancholy accident occurred ou•
Lower Luke in front of the lint-al Military C 011...;.•
Sandhurst, on the afternoon of Friday last, which r .'•
in the kW of two lives. Major F. R. Taylor. profess .•
military surveying, attached to the Royal Military
went, with four of his young children. aceurupituis :
their nurse and a young gentleman who was \dui' .
the major, for a row on the lake. They
been on the water some time, when one of the
girls, aged 3 years, who was paddling her hand is !..
water over the side of the boat, overbalanced hersslt
fell into the water. The gallant major instantly ph,., •
in to herrescue, but we regret to say, never came tip
alive. It is gummed that he as well as the .hill s•
fast in the rand at the bottom, as neither of them r •
the surface after the first immersion. An slams •i.,
rapidly, and assistance in abundatien was quickly e I
No drags, however, were to be obtained., there h:suz
kept at the College, or probably the deceased nil..he .
been rescued. Messages, were sent to Aldershot awl.;
ford, 8 and 12 miles distant, for drags. In th.• s, • •
time Mr. Edmund Catchpole, of York Town, wh .
drag of his own, hastened with it to the spot, and s • . •
after much exertion, succeeded in recovering 0,1,
the major, after it had been in the water one how •
twenty minutes. A stretcher had been provid—l • •
hank of the lake in readiness, and all other kit...,
pliances favourable for resuscitation, such 11.4 hot 1.4.11. k.•
brandy, an electrical machine. &c , and these re's.
were brought into instant use under the able and
supervision of Drs. Davies and Fry. The latter w• -
man worked in a way that de.serves the highest I.",
not only in Lis humane ender/sours to restore Ise.
also in Lis endeavours to recover the b-sly, 1t... .
stripped immediately on hie arrival at
scene of the calamity, and tilioneeil into the w
diving to the bottom many times; but all his eft ~••
were fruitless. Nor was hn the only one; there were •
least a dozen, all good swimmers, who continued divii,:
until they became themselves exhausted, among wk.:
may be named W. ?d`Lean, ILM.C.. An lrov Cl.irk,
some members of the College band, whose names we 1..:
to learn. A lad named Kinsnian was in the water is
two hours searching for the child, after as w,
before the body of the father was recurs:, h
The body of the child was brought to the
face at 9.29 p.m., having been at the bottom !
hours and ten minutes—life of course being
extinct—by the aid of a drag that was hastily nu is
for the purpoee by Mr. Travis, blacksmith, of York 'f art
and used by Quartermaster Sergeant Lendrim, of !!.,.
Staff College, in the same boat that received the lair
the father. The melancholy intelligence was convey,.
the widow, who had only been confined two days, by Dr.
Davies, her medical attendant. Never before was ,s
excitement known in the neighbourhood ; nearly all
inhabitants were on the banks of the lake watching toe
exertions of those engaged in the work of rescue. P,
bodies are laid side by side at the Kings Arms Hotel, I.gt
Town, awaiting a coroner's inquest.—Timer.

Hir Robert Napier was present at the semi& it
the Chapel Royal, Savoy, yesterday morning.
TSB CORPS OF CommissioNAntEs.—This
assembled at Marlborough House yesterday, by corona
of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, for nag
grand annual muster. After divine service, the coin•
headed by its band, marched into the private garden
and, the ranks being opened, his royal highness tasio
minute inspection, expresang himself much gratilid
the smart appearance of the men and the success that
resulted from the establishment of the institution. Al ts'
conclusion of the ceremony the men were marched
the Cambridge Enclosure, where the commanding offi,'
communicated to them the flattering terms in which the
Prince had mentioned their exemplar character 30
soldier-like bearing. Previous to the yinspection by 10
royal highness an unusual number of officers and
76,`"
men interested in the welfare of the army and
assembled on the parade-ground of the corps at 10 od?',l
to receive two distinguished officers who had A4l'un'
their intention of being present at the annual eery.;
Field-Marshal Sir J. Burgoyne, G.C.8., who lee; hi r
accepted the office of trustee to the Eielosneet
Fund, and General Sir Robert Napier, U.(' 13'
en old and ardent friend of the corps.
after his arrival, Sir Robert Napier, in conjaa
with Sir John Burgoyne, who on this occasion gra,,;;....
conceded his precedence, passed down the rank-
men, entering into conversation with several wir.w
rations proved their share in many. a hard fight.
men appeared thoroughly to appreciate the
paid them, the more so as it was the second ;
within the last two years on which the gallant eddy; ;•
testified his regard for them in so marked a manner.
81:1)DF.N DEATH FROM HEAT MRRI
TYDFTL.—A shocking occurrence took place
day. A young man awl woman kft one of the ; '•
tain districts called Ithymnec, near Merthyr.
latter place in the afternoon of Saturday. bat tb •
was to excer.ively hot that on reaching the bms •
young woman hail barely time to seek the da•lter:e!
public-house when she fell down and died instantly.
medical officer who promptly attended to her 11'1.1c.
suspicions amused at the first glance, and soon le;certon:
that the poor thing would shortly have been a
She was not manual, but according to her comp/vto:I
statement, was on the eve of becoming so when the
event took place.
thersc
llargendians.Cheldintertramispandioitseasn tu hnecr
there
tanr a a
tom o thingfo
converser furt
o retired
ges I
together
Rindosimee langur