The Express.
London, England, 1868-01-25 00:00:00

.VEFROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS.

The weekly meeting of the members of this
hoard was held yesterday, at their offices in Spring-
gardens ; Sir JOHN THWAITO in the chair. The financial
statement was presented, which showed the cash balances
is the hands of the treasurer to be :147,981f. lid. Pay-
ments were ordered to be made to the amount of
103.1460/. 4•. 4d.
The salary of Mr. Pollard, chief clerk, was advanced to
9001., and it was further agreed that it should be raised
to 1,000/. at the end of the present year. Several other
solarise were increased ; but not without an objection from
Mr. lAlfallaitl.
The board then adjourned.

TI4II I.LON Tl►UL—The growing depression in
the iron trade of South Staffordshire is becoming very
marked. Yesterday no fewer than three blast furnaces,
all belongmg to ono firm, and affording employment to
'" '

perhaps .LO men and boys, were put out, near Wolver-
hampton. The furnaces were those known as the Mill-
_ . . . .

fields furnaces, and belonging to hissers. Gibbons. Ito-
duction, in the quantity of machinery kept in operation
in the inakii.g of finished and pig-iron in other parts of
South Staffordshire are also taking place. All the week
u. able-bodied men, some of them skilled ironworkers,
have been breaking atones at the Wolverhampton
Union, receiving le. per ton per day, and 1.1.
per child per week when that work was accom-
plished. 1 esterday an addition was made to the number,
amounting to 9t), and it was resolved to increase
the weekly payment per child from lid. to rid., but the
totai per f .roily not to exceed 2.. per week for childreu's

allowance. There are now, therefore, 150 able-bodied men
wio cannot find work at the iron-works, the mines, and
the other places of work in the Wolverhampton Union
alone. compelled to get a tare pittanoe for the support of
their &Indies in this way. The increase in the want of
employment, which has risen 33 per cent. during the
week, will. after the blowing amt of the furnaces above
mentioned, together with other diminutions in the work
done, be in • yet greater proportion. We learn by tele-
graph late last night, and subeoquently to the shove being
written, that Mews. Gibbons' Millfields bled furnaces and
colliery have stopped payment, with liabilities to about
40,0001. It is understood the Birmingham Bank are
creditors for 12,q101. The bailiffs entered last night.
Ansi EXALT)", JAN. 21. —The following promotions
have this day been mails : —To be engineers in her
Majesty's Get :—Mr. William Jeffrey Grant, with seniority
of Dec. 23, BC. Mr. John Richard Iforoyd, with seniority
of Dr. 30, 1567. To be first class assistant engineers in
her Majesty's fleet :—Mr. William Abel Moyne Vivian,
with seniority of Dec. 30, 1867. Mr. Charles Richard
James, with seniority of Dec. 30, 1867.
NORTH MIDDLE:4IX RUMS VOLUNTEERN.-011
Wednesday night the annual meeting of the 29th North
Middlres. Rides was bold at the headquarters of the corps.
Putt-street, Csituden.town. The proceedings were of 11
most satisfactory mid encouraging nature, end it was
stated by Lieut.-Colonel Whitehead (the) commandant),
that the force would be augmented in the course of a few
able by the addition of above 180 men. On Wednesday
night the Islington division held their anneal ball at
Middleton-hall. Many of the officer', including the
majors and members of the corps, were present in
uniform.
THE DEV.•.:.ITIoNS IN THE STRAND.—Yesterday
another sale of !mews which are to be demolished fur the
of clewing the site on which the new courts of
LutTe.:e to be erected took place on the spot by Messrs.
Eversfield and Horne, the auctioneers. The lots sold yes-
terday comprised Lower Serle's-phioe, formerly one of the
moss degraded places in London, Upper Serle's-place,
Bailey's-court, and several other courts and alleys, forming
part of that network of dilapidated buildings lying to the
north of the Strand by Temple-bar. Bad as the materials
were, they appeared to realise good prices.
THE EDUVATIoN QURsTIoN IN SCOTLAND.-011
Thursday afternoon a numerously attended meeting, pre-
sided over by the Lord Provost, and taken part in by a
number of the leading citizens, was held in Glasgow, for
the purpose of considering the question of national educe
tiom The resolutions agreed to were moved by Mr.
ihsham, M.P., Nee. G. S. Hems, Rev, 0. Buchanan, cud
ushers, and were to the effect that some united and gene-
ral
action is now called for; that the existing means of
instruction in Scotland are inadequate, and must be I
altered, enlarged, and improved, so as to bring •
good education within the reach of every child of •
suitable age : that this object may bo attained either
by exceeding the present parish school system, liberalising
its management. and incorporating with it existing deno-
minational schools, if neeerary, or by tetabliehing a new
system on a comprehensive basis, including the parish
and denominational schools, it being expressly provided
that any religious teaching or service shall be given
at • distinct hour, that any scholar may be with-
held from such teaching or service to which his or her
parents way object, and that such non-attendance shall
form no disqualification as regards the benefits and
privileges of. the school ; that the schools should
vbeeireNpiTs' in•hrartorb:dlroe:loranteasl ioalirdet,her MIIRL:""211t
proportioes by the landowners, tenants, and householders
of the district, being payers of school rates, or In some
other equitable manner, and should be placed under the
management of a antral board of education in Scotland,
to which the p.'neral control of the school system, within
limits to be defined by parliament, and the distribution of
the feuds provided by the state, should be entrusted.
Petitions in (scour of the resolutions were agreed to be
laid before both houses of parliament.
ATTLMPT TO BLOW UP CO-OPERATIVE STORER.—
A dastardly outrage occurred at Old &Word, near Not-
tingham, late on Wednesday evening, an attempt being
made with gunpowder to blow up the stores of the co-
operative society in that place. The premises of the
society comprise a sale shop, a store-room, and the resi-
dence of the manager, Mr. L. Neon. According to the
natal custom, the shutters of the store-room were closed
about dusk on Wednesday evening, but left unfastened.
About eight o'clock Mr. Bezon was carrying parcels of loaf
sugar into the shop adjoining the store-room, and was
in the set of picking up Gee which he had let fall, when •
violent explosion took place immediately beneath him.
His face and beard were singed, and his coat and shirt-
sleeve set on tire. He ran to the pump at once and ex-
tinguished the flames, hut was so stunned as to be inca-
pable of relating what bad happened. On coining to him-
self again he went into the store-room, where everything
was in great disorder. It appeared from an examination
of the piece that some miscreant had thrown a canister of
gunpowder Mucugh the pane. Pieces of glass were found
on the floor from the casement to the opposite side of the
room, end fragmental of • tin ore were afterwards found.
The damage done was iaconsidarahle, but the window in
the room and that in the sale-room were smashed, and •
heavy beam in the ceiling was cracked. The houses in
the vicinity were mush shaken, and • girl named Chawaer
who was passing was thrown down into the road. The
Polies were inisnediately communicated with. Two trumps
were 144.1:1 in the village during the day begging, sad wiles
relief was refused they were very insolent. But these
fellows were not seen late in the afternoon, and the perpe-
Union of this dastardly set are yet at large.