The Express.
London, England, 1850-08-22 00:00:00

LONDON AND BLACKWALL RAILWAY.

The following is the report which will be presented
to the meeting to be held on To sday, the 27th ir.st. :
" The statement of the revenue account for the put half=
rear, shows that the prose receipts, with the balance of
3371. 139. 41. from the previous account, amrstnt to
21,0001. 45., and that the expenditure, inclu.ive of interest
on debew urea, has been 18,7351. 145., the balance being
2,8701. 10s , which is left at tie disposal of the proprietors.
The comparative passenger traffic, during the corresponding
manths of this and last year, is as follows, v.z.:
1819. 1350.
Pamensters. Amount. Passengers. Amount.
January 136.409 £2,38114 4 140,903 £1.117 011
February
March
Ayrll
May
June

1,010,268 ,C 17,338 II 6 1,313,973 £19,147 3 11
" Upon au analysis of this traffic, it is found that there
has been an increase during the past halt-rear of 355.750
passengers, and 2,9681. in the local traffic, and a decrease of
52,043 passengers end 1,3791. in the river traffic—the total
increase being 303,707 passengen, and 1,5891 From the
Increase in the local traffic the directors are i'isposed to think
that the system of day tickets, at a reduced rate, for the
double journey, which was introduced thrmigheut the line
at the close of last year, ime had a bent tidal effect. The
directors have strongly advised the Gravesend and Woolwich
Steamboat Companies to adopt a similar system, in the belief
that it would have proved more advantageous than a reduc-
tion of the fare for the single journey. The directors are,
however, happy to observe that for the past taw week, there
has been au increase both in numbers and receipts, in the
river sr well as in the local traffic, compared with this time
last year. The receipts from wharfage are less than they
have hitherto been which is attributable partly to the
falling-
off in the river traffic, and to the reduction in the wharfage
dues, which the directors have deemed it prudent to make.
to encourage passenger traffic to the railway. The increased
number of wharfs privileged to land cattle, and the with-
drawal of the General Steam Navigation C impany's boats,
have likewise affected this source of rc venue, hoterithstand-
ing the conveniences which the Brunswick wharf affords.
As regards the expenditure, the directors have to observe
that the locomotive charges are somewhat more than during
the previous half-year, as the mileage of the trains has been
isoreased ; they also !salads the wages of the drivers for two

additional engines. The following thews the oomparnive
consumption and out of coke, and the charge for locomotive
po:i.reLito per mile run,
1849,
b ring46:l2.pebestpdor,
mile.
van
by
train.,
108,224 ; quantity of smoke consult's& 1,112 tons ; being
23,015 lbs._ per DAM. Total oast, 1.3601. 124. 74. • net peg
mile, 2.993&; total locomotive charges, 3,8571. 18e. 11d. ;
net per mile, B.llld. January to Jane, 1850, number of
tulles run by trains, 134,457 ; qaantl,y of coke consumed,
1,228 ton, being 20,45716 e. per mile. Total coot,
1,8061. 16s. 94. • cost per mile, 2,8891. ;
char[w, 4,8881. la. Id. ; cast per mile, 7.8324."
the uely other portion et the revenge account which
seems te require notice, is the miscellaneous cheers. These
expenses sr, re increased by the sum of 7971, for c^mpensa-
don for injuries sustained in coast wiener' of the accident
which occurred on the 7th of November last. Bonn of these
claims were, as usual, exorbitant, and tho director gave
then their brit sett ntion, and ware enabled, in several
instennts, to effect very consilerable reducions in them.
The bill introduced fa the present session of parliament, for
the purpose of enabling this company to offer facilities to
passengers on the Eastern Counties Railways to avail them-
valves of the City terminus of this railway, received the
Royal UV nt on the 26th of June. By the provisions of this
act the Eastern Counties Railway Company are r. quired
(within three months after notice by the company) to con-
vey by all their trains, except express or mail traits, the
carriers and paseengen of this company between the B;vr
Junction and Brentwood, or intermediate staeions. And it
Is also provided that the tarn payable by passengers Krieg
the Eastern Counties Railway, from or to the junction, shall
not exceed the redlearre rate charge.' be. viten Bnoreditck and
the station on the Nesters Counties Railways, to or from
which the passengers may be conveyed. The notice required
by the act has not yet been given, in consequence of nego-
tiations now in pregrees for a more extensive and friendly
interchange of traffic. The directors have been informed
that the East and West IndixDocks and liirmieghans Juno-
tion Railway Company have obtained the requisiteoertificate
from the commissioners of railways for the opening of the
line to Islington ; an immediate increase of traffic will there-
fore be derived trout this nouns."

THE

MANUFACTURING DISTRICTS.
BRITISH ARCH/EOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION.

SEVENTH ANNUAL CONGRESS.

LANCASTER, AWo. 21.
The members of the Assoeation, and their friends,
to the number of 60 or 60 gentlemen and ladies, left Man-
chester, ;yesterday morels,, by the L•mcashire and York-
shire Railway. on an excursion to the ruins of Whalley
Abbey (near Blackburn), end to the site of an ancient Ro-
man station at Ribchester ; aud from thence &nixed at Lan-
caster in the evening, for the purpose of hording a Mille of
meetings here, and making el titanium from heats to
the neighbourhood.
. . . . . .

A eiecial train bad been engaged for the trip to Whalley
Abbey, which lett Manchester at a few minutes after nine in
the morning, and, proceeding rid B ,Iton, Dawes, and
Blackburn, placed us on the platform at Whalley within a
few minutes' walk of the ruins of the cld abbey about 11
o'clock. The weather was extremely lavi,oratle, and the corn-
pasty was received at the entrance to the rule, and had the good
fortune to have for their cicerone, through its various parts,
Mr. 'Whittaker, a eon of the celebrati d hietotien of Whalley,
of that name—a gentleman intimately arqa.inted with all
the details of interest connected .i ft the place, and cores-
quest's, highly competent to the task. According to this
gentlemen, the whole of this once magnificent monutie
building covered a space of from live to six acres, and was
erected for a brotherhood of Cistercian,, who first settled at
Birkenhead. but wen, finding the eituatio% unhealthy, had
petitioned Henry de La-y, their patron, for a new location,
and obtain. d a grant of this beater:fa questered spot in the
12th ceatury. The building occupied early 300 years in
its erection, and appeared to Lase te.en built in the earlier
and later decorated English styles of arcuitecture. It wee
'approached on the western and • astern sides by splendid
gateway', which are perhap in a better mate of preservati tl
than almost any other parts of the abbey. It appeared
to have consisted of a quadrangle hevieg a spacious con-
ventual chapel on the east; the buildings elevated to the
use of the monks, with refectory, cloisters, and dormitories,
on the north; the abbot's retieence on the south; end a
c ten-mill belonging to the abbey (the cows.. of tee strum
for which is still existing between the building anus the river)
on the west. The roofs and upper floors of all these por-
tions of the abbey are gone, hut several of the walls remain
almost entire—especially those opering to the cloisters—
with beautiful specimens of the Ootaie arch, both in
windows and doorways, in good preservation. Some
tine elms tower 'lift in the quidrangle, and a specimen
of the wild cherry tree, unique for its height and
bul, occupies the centre. It is very lofty, with a girth
of 12 or 13 feet below the branches, between four of which
(three of them being apparently dead) a secamore plant has
averted itself, and meek' with it. levy foliage the usurpa-
tion which the ivy has establi,hed on the crumbling walls
around. Mr. Whittaker point ot cut the position of the great
conventual chapel of the abbey, to the company stood with him
on the site or its now ado-rated "Wes. covered
11 partly
with greensward, with eardrn wolke, oser beds, and
orchard trees—sled the spot where stood its high alter, the
position of erhica was determined a :ew years ago by his
tither, who dug down to the tem,s of the abbots (known
to have been buried there), aril which had not been dis-
turbed. Tt.is chapel, Mr. Whitaker ,LIPp Me from the
small remains which have been eiecovered of its intenor
carvings and fitting", to have beer. v ry magnificent, and
thinks that if excavations were made in the ear th now co ver-
log its A)°,' many interesting 1r entente and remains might
be recovered. The site of its ki chen and offices is row a
kitchen garden. A curious old stone a: aircase, which bad
been hid in the thickness of the wall at the west end of the
abbey, with concealed door-wey, and terrei..aiirg in a large
stone 'lig at the bottom, attracted much attention, but whe-
ther it was a place of punishmen• or of concealment can
only be a matter for conjecture, The grounds in immediate
connexion with the abbey were absu t 3O ecr, a in extent. The
company remained amidst the wail' of them pktu-
toque ruins, inspecting v ious portions of it with
I much care, for nearly two h urs. Toe}, afterwards
took a hasty view of Whalley Church, a building of yet more
ancient date than the abbey, and in a fine state of preserva-
tion. There arc some fire carvings in black polished oak
in some old pews near the altar, ccnasting of group, of
Nate and quaint devic.a, similar to some of the grotesque
carving iu the chapel of New College. Oxford, and other
old cool ' 'eel edifices, but nairtly conves ing some useful,
though not always very obvious moral. One of these is a
blacksmith shoeing a goose, and anothr r is a woman sit eking
at a rean's hi ad with a ladle. The chancel is a fine specimen
of the early English style of architecture, and contacts some
old screen work from the abbey. In the churchyard are
several stone crones, curiously ornamented and carved, and
of a very old date—the learned aniiouerions even composing
our present company being uneide accurately to fix the
period of their origin, though most of them inclined to that
they were Saxon structures, ands me eight or nine Mtn*
Ties old.

A drive (it carriages which had been waiting thei: arrival
in the villa.re) of ten or eleven miles—through a country
presenting some beau ilul and picturesque views, in which
were included occasional glimpses of StonyEurst College,
old rendle lull, and rieMy.wooded Isndscspes in
the vale of the silver Nibble—brought the com-
pany to the next object of the dsy's excursion.
This was the little town of Ribchester rmerly spelt Rib.-
cadre), now a place depending for support like Whalley and
all the neighbouring towns on the cotton manufacture, but
iormerly a Roman station—as its name denotes—and one of
the strongest holds which that extra-rdin ry people esta-
blished in this part of the country. It is situate on one of
the banks of the river Ribble ; end here, in anticipation of
the visit of the present company, ..ome excavations had been
made in search of the remains supposed to exist in the earth
near the river. The results of thes- explorations appeared
to have been very successful ; for nearly a sackfull of cant en-
ware, consisting of urns and pieces of urns filled with the
bones and sites of the dead, er.d other curious relics, were
spread for the inspection of the visitors. These relics in-
clude some Roman coins, portions of the caparisoning' of
berms, brown jars curiously figured, and other Articles, and
it was stated during our brie f soi:ura at Ribehester that
Mr. Fenton, of Crinible, the lord of the manor tend who, of
course, could lay claim to all these precious articles if h.
choso), had cons-rated to allow them to be given up as addi-
tional furniture for the museum of the British Arehmological
Association. _

Our next progreu was by posthorses to Longriege, a
pleasant tide of three or four miles, from whence we came
on to Preston and then to Lanai:4er, by roil—arriving in
this ancient capital of the county about a quarter to seven
o'clock in the evening.
There was a meeting in the Music Hill, at eight o'clock,
which w e well attended by the people of the town and
neighbourhood, when Mr. James Heywood, M.P., was
called to the chair and three papers were read.
J. R. PLANCIII, Esq , read an interesting and Tory
elaborate paper on " The Badges of the Lions,' of Lancaster."
Mr. 0. 8,. WRIGHT read a short paper on the " History
of Witchcraft, observing that the subj, ct had a special
interest in connexion with the county in which the mem-
bers Of this association were now assembled.
_

°sown GODWIN, Eq , followed with a paper "On the
Bat bins is Connexion with our Cutlet."

Alter a Tote of thanks to the speaken, the ranting termi-
nated soon after ten o'clock.

DEPARTURE OF JENNY LIND FOR AMERICA.--
LITIMPOOL, WIDNESDAY.—Ye.terdav, Jenny Lind was
presents d by the directors of the Soullern Hospital with •
handsome silver teakettle, in t. stimony of her kindness, in
singing on a previous visit to Liverpool in aid of the funds of
the iestitution. This morning shit took her departure for
America, in the new Units d States mail steamer, the
Atlantic, Captain West, in which a special berth bee been
fitted up Lr her with great gorgeousness. About 2,000
parsons crowded to the bandit g urge, to witness the embar-
kation. About eleven o'clock the Atlantic fired a
signal gun, end steamed slowly down the river. The report
was heated through • great pin of the town, and caused an
instant rush to the pier heads; in a few moments the places
of business were oomparativay deserted. The guns on
Ward the steamer kept up a continual salute, and contider-
able excitement prevailed. The Teasel, instead of keeping
the usual course down the middle of the river, steered along-
side of the Princes Parade, finny Lind being seen standing
en the paddle-box along with CI ptsin West. There were
hunts of loud and spontat eous cheering, which the fair
eaatatriott courteously acknowledged by the waving of a
handkerchief. The utmost enthusiessa prevailed, and the ix
scene altogaher was of the most novel and extraordinary \ •
character. Perhaps it may be Interesting to state that the fir
berths on board the Atlantic were all tsken a month ago, so otiot.•
soon as it wu announced that Jenny Lind would be a 'r*
pawner.

~~a i!