The Express.
London, England, 1850-07-01 00:00:00

PRESENTATION OF PLATE TO MR.

JUSTICE TALFUURD.

On Thursday last, a deputation from Reading
waited on Mr. Justin Talfourd, at his residence in Ruma-
'square, to present to that gentleman a silver candelabrum,
anbecribed for be a large number of the inhabitants of the
borough, of all parties. The base of the candelabrum is a
trip .11, on which stands a group of three female figures, re-
presenting Law, Justice, and Poetry, the two former modelled
from Plowman's sculpture on Lord Mansfield's monument in
Westminster Abbey, the latter from a drawing of the Greek
Antique, bearing a scroll inscribed with the word " Ion" in
Greek ckaractera. The arms of the Judge and of the borough
of Reaping were engraved on the base. Tee testimonial was
presented to the Judge in the presence of his family, in
eluding the venerable Mrs. T.honed, mother of the Judge,
and attended by *large circle of private friends.

COLLISION ON THE RIVER AND Loss OF LIVES.—
A serious accident, b 7 which two lives were lost and several
other persona placed In great jeopardy on urred on Saturday
night last on the river Thames, shout midway between the
Hangerford Suspension and Westminster Bridges, on the
Surrey side. Oa the night in question Mr. W. Hawtrey,
the eldest son of one of the members of the court of com-
mon council for Bread street Ward, and four other gentle.
men hired a rendre skiff of Mrs. Needham, the boat-builder,
at St, Paul's wheat, for the purpose of proceeding up the
!dyer. Oa arriving near Bennett's-wharf, in the Berviden -
road, they perceived a steam-host coming towards them at
a rapid pace from Hungertordi market. The persona in the
skiff cried to the captain of the steamer to " tam," or " turn
astern," but the aoeed of the larger mewl was not diminished,
and she came violently into collision with the skiff,
eawriag her instantly to fill with water, and the Ave
gentlemen, together with a lad named W. Higton, a
nephew of the owner of the blot, brooms immersed.
The steamboat was stopped immediately after the collision,
and ropes with life buoys were thrown out to those sting•
gling in the water, but, owing to the darkness of the night,
they were unable to lay bold of them, and bad It not been
for the fortunate cirtitimstenee of s men named Maekalroy,
one of Mr. Tomlinson, the boat builder's, men, palming in
his wherry, and hearing the screams, the whole sin persons
must have perished. Al It was, this man, at the risk of
I losing his lite by having his own boat pulled over, succeeded
in rescuing two of the sufferers, who were in a very ex-
hausted state. They were forthwith removed to the Swazi
Tavern, Hungerford-market, where everything was done
for them that the nature of their cue required. Two otters
were also saved—one by swimming to the shore, and the
other by clinging to one of the buoys in the MM. Mr.
Hawtrey and Mrs. Needham's nephew were, however,
both drowsed. It is supposed that when the steamer struck
the small boat they must have received serious injuries
about their persons, as they were never seen to rim after-
wards. The drags were instantly precursd, and the river
TM searched for hours during the night and also the greater
pertioe of yesterd• but up to 6 tett.nek last evening neither
of the bodies had been found. The name of the ream boat
which eaused the accident was the Dahlia, belonging I. the
London and Westatiaster Penny Company. She was on
her last passage from London-bridge to Hangerford and
Westminster. There is no doubt that the caw will be fully
investigated before the coroner.
BURNING OF A BREWERY. Shortly after one
I o'clock on Saturday an alarming and destructive fire broke
cut at the spacious brewery belonging to Mr. Raven, situate
in Bull's fields, contiguous to the sappers and miners' bar-
reeks, Woolwich. No time was lost by the authorities of
the dockyard, arsenal and an illery barracks, in despucking
the various sortie*, belonging to these establishments to the
scene, hundreds of soldiers accompanying them. Por a long
MOM, ho 'ever, they ware unable to arrest the progress of
the flames, owing to the want of a sufficient supply of water.
Pl.cesd in this difficulty, and sr sing no chance of a coati-
meow supply of water, the trireme, to st.y the further pro-
gress of the devouring element, proceeded to demolish the
adjoining buildings and outhouses. By this means the An
was confined to the brewery in which it origintred, the
whole of whnh wos burned to the ground. The extent of
property de►troyed is stated to be very considerable.