Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-12-24 00:00:00

GREAT FIRE IN WESTMINSTER,

LOSS OF FOUR LIVES, AND SERIOUS INJURY
•TO SEVERAL PERSONS.

Yesterday morning, between two and three o'clock, a
fire, involving the loss of a large amount of property,
and the lives of four human beings, took place on the •
premises of Mr. Hook, Nos. .1 and 2, Little George-
street, Great George-street, Westminster. (The houses
we're let out in offices.) The fire was discovered by a
lady named Mrs. Sarah Glyn, who was on a visit at
Mr. Sergeant Wrangham, No. 12, Great George-street,
who observed an unusual glare of light shining at
the back of the premises, and instantly raised an
alam. After some trouble the whole of tho inmates,
consisting of Mrs. Chapinalo the housekeeper, Miss
Cecilia Chapman, aged eighteen years, Mrs. Bilson,
Sarah Ann Gabb, the servant, aged sixteen years, Henry
Bilson, aged two years, Sarah Bilson, aged twelve
months, with another infant, named Frederick Bilson, •
were made sensible of their impending danger. At this
moment an agonising scene took place, Mrs. Bilston
presented herself at the first-floor window, crying pite-
ously for help, and threw out her infant, which was
caught by the constable. She then jumped out herself,
falling on the spikes with a fearful crash. A medical
gentleman`wit sent for and promptly attended to her
injuries. Mrs. Chapman, another inmate; and the child
Sarah Bilson, were coming down the stairs, when the
stairs fell. The servant, Sarah Ann Gabb, ran to the
trap door, got on the roof, and jumped nearly
twenty•feet on the back of the premises of Mr. Ser-
geant Wrangham. Miss Cecilia Chapman and Henry •
Bilson were suffocated by the heated smoke. The
Royal Fire Escape arrived from the Broadway in a
short space of time, but the building was in one mass of
flames. The fire was not extinguished until the pre-
mises were burnt out. As soon as the fire was suffi-
ciently got under, engineers Paul Girard and Fleming
went in search of the missing bodies. They first dis-
covered those of Miss Cecilia Chapman and Henry •
Bilson, burnt to cinders in their bed-rooms. The
bodies of Mrs. Chapman and her child were still under
the ruins, the firemen being unable to get at them,
although they could be seen. The cause is viiknewn.
The loss will fall on the Imperial and other offices..
•

INDIA.

By extraordinary express, in anticipation of the
Overland. Mail, we have received letters and
papers from Bombay to the 26th ult. The
following is from the Bombay Gazette of that
date :
The news from China has come almost to a deadlock;
and expectation for the time takes the place of ascer-
tained facts. The latest papers that we have received
notice the arrival of. the G7th Regiment from Calcutta,
and the 3rd Buffs were. daily expected.
The actual state of the , rebel army in Nepaul can
perhaps be better estimated by a calculation of what it'`
must be, than by our reports. The rumours are per-
fectly contradictory ; it is now stated that the Nana
intends to maintain his position—then that he intends
to retreat. One report is that he is dead; another, that
there was a consultation in his camp, and that the several
leaders agreed to unite their forces and place them under
his orders. Side by side with these reports are details of
the dispersion of the Nana's followers in all directions,
and the miserable plight to which they are reduced for
want of food and clothing. One thing is certain—that
our troops have taken the field against the rebels : the
154th Queen's have proceeded to the Goruckpoor frontier,
and one or two engagements have already taken place,
in which, as usual, the rebels retired, betaking them-
selves to jungles and oat-of-the-way places..
1-. , The Bombay Times ltas been told
A. very important, change is about to take place in 7,
the constitution of the ,Executive Council of the -
Viceroy, which is to be modelled somewhat after
the fashion of 'her 'Majesty's Cabinet. The members ,
of Council will become Secretaries of State, and, as .
such, responsible for the conduct of all matters in
their several departments. The present Secretaries
will become Under Secretaries, we presume ; and
should this important change really transpire; we
augur the happiest results therefrom. The sinecures of
the Council Board will no longer remain a standing
offence to grievance-mongers ; and, with distinct res-
ponsibilities devolving upon, each member of the
Government,' we shall have the best guarantee of efficient
departmental conduct. We are told that the new. Indian -
cabinet will stand as follows : • _ -
President and Secretary for Political .Affairs--.44er4
C. •

:waning.
Home Searetaty-;--sirOtartlP. FrPre. T' ('ST nvLi
Secretary at War—Sir James Outram.
Minister of Finanee---Right Hon. James Wilson.
The power of opinion will give India a good
government yet.. We are alSo assured that the•admia
ston of non-official members to the LegiSlatiYe Council;
has been,deeided upon. „.
,Pll 3:): : , l,t: lot

tal."; th i1.9:;1110 ' ' ---"-
910 W bliAlto77 BANKRUPTS,
and
Walton Feast; and HeilifFeast;:late of Rarl-street
Clifton-street, Finsbury, oilmen, '
Robert Daplyn,- Dias, Norfolk, grocer. •
Richard. Castle, Wantage, cattle dealer.
Isaac Thonias Perrius, Dudley, iron merchant.
. . . BANKRUPTOtEE ANNULLED.
John Winstanley, Charles-Houghton, and George Roper
Fiarteyi, comb minufaitnrers. •-. I . .
'belt;!; i , '. . . .
. : Lord Panmure, isl suffering, in Eflittburgh, from an
attack of gout unusually-eoYere; 4114 PrntraotiyL,
IL, M. S, ,Bniticuss
•R0Ya.11..---• A igtiti9a, to the
'Dovernnietit- in favour. 'of thq.sailors sentenced to ina-
,prisonment-forthe:disturbance, on board her Majesty's
iship.,PrineOss ; illoyal, .ia in.
,chautevabattkerA
,ctf..44,, city., , ..
circulation among the mer-
The memorial states .
,thati=the.vetitiowit Ate...under the conviction that the
,offewie which gate rise ,to „the 'proceedings. was net the
,result of a mittixwas or insubordinate spirit existing on.
-
'the part of the' -men.en, Previously to its commission, but
of moinentpayssligappointment at the- announcement of
the.reoall.; Pt 14 u 9r der for, leave under ,very trying cir-
sumstancefK •,- :' . . .r,,'
.„.,.,
,_...• ...
TEE CHANosr.Lea og ,TH E raX DHE4D ER: ON .I.4,}Rns.:,
TAXATIQN,.—In reply to a letter. from a Mr. John L.
'Tabberner, of Clielsea,.whe wrote,. recommending. direct
in prefereucc to indirect.. taxationg..and suggesting a
graduated property tax (increasing according to the
-.amount. oc :ft.., plias, in,cvno.), with the grant -of the
'franchise to all who were subjected to the, taxi
Gladstone Gladstone writes .„7-- • , ,• - •
Downing-street, Nov. 25, 1852.
Sir,---I had the honour yosterdiyto receive your letter dated
the M. , ~ : . . ~ . . ..... ~ , , ~, `bill i
You have set .forth your views With 01'43-mites' *sad sty • ,
but it appears to mo that the great and tritictit theatres whirl; i.
you reoommead are fitter subjects fr dbseusason among the :7
public at large, and especially the ,classes more 'competent to
sift (positions• of such a nature, tl,, for say declaration of ask .
official opinion.
I have no difficulty, indr.,,,(4- u-i' - saying that it is desirable in
a high degree, when. it.
can be effected, to conneht the poluses.-
sins of the franchip- .iri
,e th the payment of taxes, anti uge,ose .
to et.tablish. the -fight of the individual voter by reference to
some e", ,te nth., and independent stopf.are4 but I am not able to
,say 1-1"9". `.'chink the State should' itdapt-the'modes which 'T"
,
gr°lv....ae for establishing those principles ;, and. as regards
...soil changes, there is much both in your premises and -Your
conclusions on which I must crave permission, at the least, to
I
••
suspend my judgment.---I have the honour 'to be, sir, your
°Ugliest servant,
w. g. OLAPSTONN.