The Express.
London, England, 1861-02-27 00:00:00

HEALTH OP LONDON.

The Registrar-General's return states that the
deaths in London in the week that ceded last Saturday were
1,318, the number in the preceding week having been 1,:t28.
The average number of deaths as obtained from the returns
of corresponding weeks in ten previous years. 1851.60, and
corrected for mem,* of population, is 1,414. It will be
seen that the deaths registered last week were nearly a
hundred less than they would have been if the average rate
of mortality had ruled. The mean temperature of the air,
which in the previous week was 37.6 deg., was so high as
45.9 deg. last week. On Thursday, when an unusually
heave gale occurred, the mean temperature was 48.6 deg.
In the corresponding week of 15.1 the mean temperature of
the sir was only 26.7 deg., and the deaths then rose to Loot
Zemotic diseases in the aggregate were fatal last week in
2rti caws, whilst the corrected average of e.g.
responding weeks is 272. Seven very young children
died from small-pox ; 20 children from measles ;3d from
scarlatina ; and there were also 11 deaths from diphtheria.
Whooping-cough carried off 78 children. Ten deaths, 7 of
which were of children, were caused by syphilitic disease;
sod there were 2 from iotemperanco, besides 2 from deli-
rium tremens. The most fatal disease in the list is bron-
chitis. which was fatal in 188 cases ; the next is phthisis,
fetal in 149. The mortality of the former differs little from
the average ; that of the latter is below it. Eleven deaths
were caused by suffocation, 7 of which occurred in bed. rind
:t were by the impaction of food or other substance in the
throat. Two children were burnt by their clothes taking
fire ; two by other MOMS ; five children were fatally
scalded, among whom was a hey scalded by drinking lint water
from a teapot. The deaths of two centenarians, a widow
aged 100 years, sod w man 102 years, were recorded in
the week. It appears that both ages are well ascertained.
The former died at :4, George-street, Somers-town. She
was a native of Lincolnshire ; her husband died in 1798 ;
and she had lived for more than 60 years in London. The
latter died at 1, Newburgh-villas. Islington. His relations
were also remarkable for longevity. The wife of a shoe-
maker, seal no yams, died on the 7th inst. at 25. Nelson.
street, Bethnal-green, from " inflammation of the lungs
and want of the necessaries of life :" and a man who hail
been formerly a master tailor died at the age of 78 years on
the 16th inst. at 83, Milton-street, Cripplegate. freer
"ossification of the heart, accelerated by want of proper
nourishment." Inquests were held in both cases. Last
week the births of 1,1r15 boys and 856 girls, in all 1,891
children, were registered in London. In the ten come.
spending weeks of the years 1851.60 the average number
was 1,781.

CAPTURE OP FIFTY THIEVES IN
MANCHESTER.
--4,-..

Yesterday afternoon, a picked body of police,
acting tinder the orders of Superintendent Leary, of the it
Division, paid an unexpected visit to several well-known
haunts of thieves in Charter-street and Spier-street. The
result was the capture of 50 thieves, who were immediately
taken to the Livesepetreet Police:st•tion. The reason of
this disturbance of thieves' comfort was an attempt mule
hy three men to enter the dwelling-house of Mr. Alfred
Turner, Johnson-street, Queen's-reed, Cheetham, on the
previous night. The constable on duty in that street, about
two o'clock on the morning of Tuesday, was sitting on a
stone step in the roadway eating his supper, when he fancied
be heard some sawing going on. He crept cautiously a few
pun to a small gate which opened on to a Lawn is front of
Mr. Turner's house, and peeping through, he saw a man on
his knees working away with some instrument at the
shutter, while two other men stood by looking on.
The constable immediately sprang over the wall and
attacked the burglars ; one of them he knocked down,
but the others came to the rescue of their " brother,"
and between the three the officer received a goof
heating, his clothes were torn, and the fellows
escaped. This incident, together with the nu.
merous attempts at burglary lately, inducesl the
domiciliary visit of the constables. The seizure
was made about three o'clock. As soon as the constables
made their appearance in the neighbourhood of thief-
dom," the innumerable scouts hanging about the corners of
the streets carried the information of their approach to the
well-known haunts, and the capture was therefore compare.
tively small. The beerhouses in Charter-street and Spier-
street are like the runs in rabbit warrens, easy to enter but
difficult to thread. There are all aorta of odd-looking doors,
ricketty staircases, and projections outside window',
enabling thieves to "bolt" on intelligence of the enemy's
approach. The landlord of one beerhouse complained that
the police had taken every customer he had in the Image,
sod said it wouldn't be fair if the police dein t pay a similar
complimentary visit to some houses in Deanagate. The men
who had not been sharp enough to get off submitted very
readily to the wishes of their captors, and walked away with
them, chatting and laughing merrily until their arrival at the
police-station. They were then searched. One man, who
was very respectably attired, hail in his possession three
valuable diamonds wrapped up in a bit of dirty paper, a gold
watch bearing the name of one of the first London makers,
and 40f. in gold and notes. This " gentleman " was one of
that very important class known as thieves dealers, and had
not arrived from London many hours before he was arrested.
The property found upon the others consisted in the majo-
rity of cases of • few coppers the indispensable " Lacey.
box " and pipe, and • good strong clasp knife. Trade, not.
withstanding the number of burglaries, was decidedly bad.
"Times is 'ard, and money's scarce," one of them remarked
on the search only resulting in the finding of a half-
penny. " I've got nought, and never 'ave nought," another
maid with a leer, who had only just returned from a convict
'establishment with a ticket of leave. A third mu had
nothing on him bat what he called • "red staffed pipe,"
which evoked the laughter of his companions. News of
the apprehension was sent to the detective office and to the
various police divisions. The principal officers from each
station immediately went down to see if they could recog-
nise among the thieves any who were " wanted particu-
larly." Several gentlemen were also in attendance whom
houses had lately been entered, and who caught "sight"—
nothing more—of the burglars. The men bail been placed
four and five in a cell, and on the arrival of the detectives
and others, were brought out in front of a strong light for
inspection. Several of the thieves recognised certain of the
detectives, and nodded to them quite familiarly. The
pound of familiarity in each instance proved to be the
fact that the detective had on some previous occasion
given evidence which had transported the man. All
the men were known. Seventeen of them were returned
convicts, and were "ungainly" looking fellows, and all of
them were known to be either pickpockets, burglars, ce
garotters. One, whose flash name was ' Smasher," had lost
two fingers and the thumb of his right hand ; his left hand
was also bandaged. He earned his " soubriquet" by
the cruel manner in which on several occasions be has
treated young policemen, who have interfered with him
while in the pursuit of his nefarious practices. He was
recognised by the constable who was hardy enough to
attack the three burglars in Johnsonatreet, on Tuesday
morning u one he had seen loitering shout the neighbour-
hood of ianeen's-road, but it was not wise to detain him, as
the case against him was but slender. A youth was also
identified by the old gentleman who disturbed the bur-
glars in the house of Mr. Mothereln, at Old Trafford,
• short time since, when one was captured and the other
escaped, as very closely resembling the one who had
escaped. Of course, the youth denied it, but Superinten-
dent Leary thought there was • strang case of suspicion
against him, as be resided in a street adjacent to the
one in which the burglar who was caught lived, and both
of them appear to be about the ems age. One of the thieves
was noted for having eased a detective of his pocket
handkerchief upon one occasion. A very respectably.
dressed passable-looking young fellow was pointed out to us
as being a very clever pickpocket. He was sharp at his
trade, and lucky in escapee- from justice. One wore an
Inverness cape, the proceeds of some robbery, and he was
recognised as having given an officer " leg bail" • few nights
previously. Amongst others were some characters noted
for their pugilistic in addition to their thieving capabilities.
One was named " Black Larry," another " Punch ;" both
of them bore unmistakeable marks of "peniehment " upon
their faces. One steady-going, denture-looking, middle-
aged man was nicknamed- "The Old Horse," on ac-
count of his long servitude to thieving. Another rejoiced
in the patronym of " Toni the Divine," given him, pro-
bably, on account of his atrocious ugliness. Then them
were "faddy I Go," " YsiLir," • trummagem duo
" California Torn," and others, fellows whom crimes had
earned for them these distinctive titles amongst their com-
rades. " You know I'm not a burglar," one of them said
to Inspector Buckley, "you know my trade—l'm a stick,"
the slang title of those who aid women to rob men. After
having been looked over several times so as to enable the
officers to recognise themon future oCtilltionß, the men were
brought from the cells into the office, where the property of
each was returned to him, and be was then dismissed.—
, Moniarafer Excoriate.

METROPOLITAN RAILWAY.—(THIS DAY.)
This afternoon the half-yearly meeting of the
above railway company was held at the London Tavern.
The following is the substance of the report sub-
mitted to the meeting, and adopted :—During the
peat half-year considerable progress in the works
of the undertaking has been made. The purchase moneys
for by far the greater part of the property required fur the
railway have been determined, and a large portion of the
land is in the hands of the contractors. The agreement
has been concluded with the Corporation of London for the
purchase of their vacant land on the eastern side of
Victoria street, and the directors have made arrangements
for the sale to the Great Western mei Great Northern
Railway Companies of so much of this land as will not be
required for the Metropolitan traffic. The directors have
also concluded an arrangement with the Great Northern
Railway Company for the passage of its traffic over the line
between King's-cross and Victoria-street ; the tolls which
will become payable under this arrangement cannot fail to
produce a very considerable revenue to this company. The
directors understand that the Corporation of Leaden are
taking active measures to carry out the extensive meat and
poultry market in connection with the railway as authorised
in the last session of parliament. The directors have deemed
it advisable to introduce into parliament two bille—one has
for its chief object improvement in the means of comma•
nieation with the Great Northern Railway at King's-cross
and with the new markets of the Corporation at Smithfield.
This bill also contains enabling. but not compulsory powers,
to widen the line between King's-cross and Farringdon.
street. The other bill is to authorise an extension of the
Metropolitan system to Finsbury-pavonieut, in accordance
with the views explained at the last half-yearly meeting, and
which then received the general approval of the shareholders.
This extension, scarcely more than half a mile in length, will
be a most important adjunct to the unilertakiag, and is
very favourably resented by the (;rent Western, Great
Northern, and Loudon, Chatham, sod Dover Railway
Companies. The line has been carefully surveyed. and it is
found that from Smithfield to the corter of Moorgate-street
and Fore-street it will pass through property of an inferior
description, and at its terminus a large area of gmund can
be uncovered at comparatively enroll cost. it will, in effect,
extend the systems of the Metropolitan. the ttrentWestern,
the Great Northern, and the London, Chatham, end Dover
Companies, to a point admirable adapted for the general
passenger traffic of the City. By mains of the authorised
lines of these companies, and of the prolsesnl railway along
the Thames embankment to Westiniusterbridge, and et
other projected plans now before parliament, for the ex-
tension of the railway system of the tretropolis.a rontinuoni
railway communication, of which the extender' hue will
form the main trunk and terminus, will Ire established
between the great centres of business in the City and the
northern, southern, and western portions of the metropolis
and its suburbs.

Tax BLACKBVRN Weav rm.—There wan only a
radial resumption of work on Monday by the operatives of
Blackburn, Wittoo, Liveser, and Accrington ; and the
weaves" of Mahlon, Great liarwood, Church, and Lower
and Over Darwee still refuse the tern" of the masters. At
Blackburn, although nearly every one of the mills was pre.
pared for the operatives to begin work on Monday morning,
little more than one-half of the wt-tvelvt returned to their
looms, and the number of unemployed in Blackburn,
Wilton, and L:vesey was estimated at 9,0011. In some of the
mills now running there ate only about twodhirds
of the hands; but as they increased during the
day it is very probable that the full complement
will be at work this ( Townies.) morning. At the
mina of Mr. Ittillough and Messrs. Dickinson the
operatives commenced work at six o'clock, and left again at
eight, in consequence of some unpleasantness. The opera.
tires connected with from 20 to 30 mills are still out,
though it is thought a large minder of them will begin
work this morning. In some instances, however, the opera-
tives who from the first have protested against the roasters
terms are as firm as ever, and declare that they will only
return to their looms on the conditions they have before
submitted to their employees. A lar;,e out-door meeting of
the Over Darweu operatives was held on Monday morning.
Mr. Walkden, secretary of the Over Darwen Weevers Ass
anciation, was elected to preside, and after several addresser
a resolution was carried, with one dissentient, to the effect
that the meeting adhere to the resolution passed at a meet.
ing on the 10th inst.—dfauclicsisr Gounlian.