The Express.
London, England, 1868-08-03 00:00:00

THE CAA TERBURY CRICKET WEEK.

The Canterbury cricket week commenced to-day
under the meet favourable auspices. The weather was
clear and beautiful, and the turn-out of spectators and
vehicles of all description much larger than has been seen
on a first day for many years past. The cricket-ground
belonging to the ftt. Lawrence Club has been very effec-
tively decorated, and flags are floating everywhere. The
bands of the cavalry depot and the East Kent Militia lent
much animation to the scene —in fact, many go for
little else but to hear the strains of these splendid
bands. Wickets were pitched about noon for the first
match, the return contest between the North and South
of the Thames. When our parcel was despatched
the teams were warming to their work, and ample
promise WM given of splendid play on both aides.
The match goes over to-morrow; on Wednesday
and Thursday the County of Kent play the Marylebone
Club, and on Friday and Saturday I Zingari contend
against the Gentlemen of Kent. The whole arrange-
ments of the committee give promise of a week's real en-
joyment to all who may be present.

We find the following in the Independance Beige
of yesterday :—" An old unmarried lady lately died in
Brussels. SU played an important part in the De Buck
affair. She was a great admirer of the Jesuits. A
relative came to the house of the deceased, in the expecta-
tion of inheriting a large sum of money, as the lady had
only inherited it herself a abort time before. Us found
nothing. Upon threatening the servant woman, however,
he found 16.000 fr. concealed in the mattress. The servant
moreover confessed that Father Franqueville, the pro-
vincial of the order and a friend of William de Boey
(another ease), retained a portion of the inheritance. A
law suit was instituted. The jugs or/osarsictiers of
Brussels sent for Father Franqueville, who, after much
hesitation, confessed that he received from the servant
12,000 fr. to say masses for the soul of the deceased. The
magistrate ordered the 12,000 fr. to be given up, and they
remain at present in his hands."
Tni AwrwnitP FLTES.—The statue of the late
King Leopold of Belgium was uncovered yesterday at
Antwerp, in the midst of great rejoicings and a vast crowd.
A speech was delivered by Baron Nottebolm. A cantata
expressly composed for the occasion by M. Alphas's
Lemaire was ow. The filing past of the Civic Guards
occupied an hour and a half. The statue, which is the
work of Gees, was covered with flowers, and was exposed
to public view amidst loud cries of " /live le roil"
STREET TRAMWAYS FOR LIVERPOOL.—The first
act of parliament authorising the construction of street
tramways on a scale sufficient to test their adaptability
for the omnibus traffic of large cities and towns received
the Royal assent on Friday last. The act empowers the
company to lay down and work a line of tramway running
from north to south of the borough of Liverpool, passing
through crowded, and in many instances narrow streets,
with a loop line in the centre of the town, enabling car-
riages using the tramway to reach the exchange. The act
now pored was the third introduced for the purpose in
three successive sessions. The two previous bills were
thrown out through the opposition of the omnibus pro-
prietors, aided by the London and North Western Rail-
way. This session the bill passed standing orders, and
after a three days fight, before the select committee of the
Commons, the preamble was declared proved, subject to
the introduction of clauses required by the corporation.
The opponents made no attempt to oppose the bill in the
Lords beyond a few standing order objections. The cor-
poration supported the project, many of the leading inha-
bitants gave evidence in favour of it.
Durant:Priori OF CROPS. The protracted
drought and the great dryness of the cereal crops has led
to some destruction of produce during the past week in
the neighbourhood of the Great Eastern and the Great
Northern Railways, sparks from passing engines, the fall
of which cannot be avoided, causing frequent fires. An-
nexed are a few instances of damage done in this manner :
Rivenhall, Essex, 71 scree of barley burnt ; estimated
loss 1361. • Mr. Potter, the owner, insured in the Sun
Office, Ar'dleigh, Essex, farm buildings of Mr. T. Bromley
destroyed, estimated lose 2,00 W.; Mr. Bromley insured in
the Essex end Suffolk Equitable office. Great Bentley,
Essex, four scree of barley burnt ; estimated lota SW.
Eadleigh, Suffolk, nine acres of barley burnt on the farm
of Mrs. Isaac Strutt. Weldon, Essex, field of barley
belonging to Messrs. Clump, destroyed to the extent of
acre. Cantley, Norfolk, 40 acres of barley destroyed on
the farm of Messrs. E. and T. Gilbert; insured in the
London and Liverpool and Globe. Middleettonnn, Norfolkk,,
about one acre of wheat entirely destroyed in a field
belonging to Mr. Bennington. Weston, Notts, two
acres of barley and some stubble consumed on the farm of
Mr. Hunt, at Weston. Many other fires have occurred
between Weston and Newark, but they have been extin-
guished without much damage. On Friday afternoon
a fire broke out in the rick-yard of Mr. Bray, at Nether-
avon, and it spread so rapidly that the whole of the ricks
were soon in flames, and the fire reached the barn and
other outbuildings, from which it extended to some neigh-
bouring cottages. A fire-engine was obtained, and it was
not until half-past 7 o'clock on Saturday morning that
the fire was completely subdued. A field of barley ignited
and the fire spread rapidly, but the precaution was taken
to cut some of the standing barley, and so prevent its ex-
tension. All the ricks—twoof wheat, three of hey, and
one of straw—were entirely destroyed, as were also the
outbuildings and four cottages. A few days ago a fire
also broke out in • field adjoining the rickyard of Mr. C.
Pothecary, at Shipton, by which • rick of straw
and two wheat ricks were totally destroyed. The damage
done was estimated at from 6001 to 600 f.