The Express.
London, England, 1850-02-07 00:00:00

LEICESTER.

A corrtspondent horn this town —" On Tuesday
oightand Wednesday morning the town and neighbourhood
of Llerster were visited with an cotremely high wird,
which did considerable damage. At midday cn Wednesday
the streets of Leicester were thickly strewn with fragment%
of shattered slates and chimney pots, and here an 3 there was
haw
a h which had been robbed of the larger per-
don of its roof. In other places, walls to the
extant of 60 and 100 yards in length were blown down. la
the reigibourbood a windmill, and a few hay sod screw
stacks were blown over and scattered cab ut ; some publican's
sign-boards wste forced from their proper places, end sum-
mew-houses and dilapidated dwellings were wholly or par-
tially levelled to the ground. At Lockington, one of the
windows of the church was blown in and demolished, and
several fine old trees were laid low, on the estate of J. B.
Story, Eiq., in the same neighbourhood."

BILSTON DISTRICT BANKING COSIPANT.—At a
meeting of proprietors on Tuesday, a dividend of 4 per
cent. for the half year, making 7i per cent. for the year, was
declared, and 4(41. 1 tie sd. added to the guarantee fund,
which now amounts to 7 ,35l I. 3s Bd. The retiring directors
were unanimously re-elected.—Wolverhampton Chronicle.

DUDLEY AND WEST BROMWICH BANKING COM-
PAN y.—The annual meeting of the shareholders of the above
company was held on Tuesday, at the banking-house, in
Dudley. Thome Badger, , took the chair, and, in
opening the btsinus, took occasion to elms§ the gratifica-
tion he fait on the present aspect of the aflhirs of the bank,
which he said had now attainei a position which at the com-
mencement of the concern he had scarcely ventured to
anticipate. The report of the directors was then read,
recommending this usual dividend of 7s. W. per than far the
past half-year, making 12s. 6.1. for the year.—/b4.
WOLVERHAMPTON AND STAPPORDSHIRE BANKING

ComI.ANT 18th annul meeting of the shareholders of
the above company war held on Monday last, A. Horderu,
Esq., in the chair. The report of the directors stated that
the amounts of the bank, balanced up to the 31st Dec. last,
after deducting all current expenses, Income tax, and all
ascertained bad debts, show a clear surplus profit of
9,6091. 18s. Etd., being upwards of 19 per cent. on the paid-
op 'vital. Of this sum 3,5001. were appropriated as usual'
to the payment of a half-yearly dividend of 7 per mot. en
the let dept. last, and the directors now recommend a farther
dividend of 10 per cent. (payable on the lit of Marsh nest),
making the *seal yearly dividend of 17 per cent., clear of
intone tea. The accounts then show a balance to profit
and lees of 8,7131.19 e. 6d, exclusive of the guarantee fend
of 23,0001. The report was adopted without a dissentient
voice, and the three retiring direeton were neele,trd
Is the course of the proceedings Mr. Elwell proposed that •
clause be added to the deed of settlement, limiting the
amount of advances on any entreat account to 20,0001.
without security, but the feeling of the meeting seemed
generally against It, as implying want of maiden°, Ia the
d rectors, and the motion was negatived by • LW Militnity
on a division.—Wolverhampton Chroosick.

THE CASE OF SUSPECTED POISONING IN HACKNIT
—Yesterday morning Mr. W. Baker, the coroner, tapas-
smiled a jury, at the Old Mermaid Tavern, Charehmtreet,
Ileekney, to brim into the eireavastanees attends' the
death of Richard Merritt, aged 61 years, the father of James
Merritt, who died on Thursday, the 24th alt., from the
effects ad anemic, the inquest on whom appeared in oar
journal of yesterday. The family of the decewd Jana.
Merritt were math alarmed on hearing the pa:Realm of
tke evidence obteinstd at the inquest oa the body of James
Merritt, and it immediately struck them that the deceased's
father, who died on the 30th of September last, wader some-
what similar Mreimutaneee, might possibly hove been
poisoned. The coroner, to satisfy the fussily, ordered the
ezimmation of the body, and yesterday opened the inquiry
• to his death. Joseph Cu-tis, eon-in-law to the deemed
Richard Merritt, was the only witness examined, and he
stated that the deemed had been eat of employment for some
time past, in consequence of tne infirmities of old age, and
he lived with has son (James Merritt) and his wife, who
mainly suppartcd him. About seven o'clock on the moreior
of the 30m of September last, witness was milled to the
deemed by his son, whom he found in bed exemidingly
He vomited very mush, and was slightly purged. lie fre-
quently asked for water, and complained of acute thirst and
ormaps la the het. Mr. Welch, • surgeon, attended him
bat he partially grew worse, aad died shortly alter eight
o!eloek the alms evade& The cholera was raging at the
time in the neighbourhood, and witness thought he
had died from old age. By the Coroner—Wham bad
heard Un- Merritt say that the deceased was • borates
them. The coroner said that was all the evidence he could
produce before the jury at present; and, altar some dices.
sacs, Mums. Welch, Oarrod, and VMS, wen authorised to
maim • poetleoptems examination of the body, and Dr.
Letheber was directed to analyse the sosteate of Mei stomech.