The Express. — 1863-08-17 (London, England)

LUNATIC ASTLIJM.--INQUEST.—(THIS DAY.)—This morning Mr. John Humphreys, coroner for Middlesex, held an inquest at the Manor Noose Tavern, Green Lance, Tottenham, respecting the death of Mn. Candice Annette Marshal!, aged 4i yeah, who was burnt to death under the following circumstances. The deceased was an inmate of Dr. Birkett's Lunatic Asylum, Northumberland House, Greet. Lanes, and she -ass suffering from a whitlow. On Wednesday evening last she got out of bed to shake something iota the fire grate, in which the light was kept for safety, and the handkerchief which wrapped up her finer became ignited. She was severely burnt, and though Dr. Allen, the medical attendant, was at once on the spot, she expired in a few hours. A verdict of "Accidental death from burns^ was returned by the jury. THE CONDEMNED CONVICTS AT MAIDSTONE,—The death warrant wan received on Friday for the execution of the two prisoners, Alfred Eldridge and Alfred Holden, the tamer convicted of the murder of Richard Steel, and the latter the murder of his own child. Thursday next is the day fixed for the execution, and there is no doubt that in the case of Eldridge the law will take its course ; bat as regards Holden petitions have been presented for a commutation of his sentence, on the ground of insanity. It appears that be has always been considered es an imbecile in his regiment, and his father died inner', and two of his nodes committed suicide. No answer has yet been re. turned to the petitions. THE POWERS or THE METROPOLITAN BOARD OF Woage.—The Metropolitan Board was formed under the act of 1851, for the ostensible and avowed purpose of giving • consolidation of all the powers into the heeds of loml bonnie. The interpretation put upon it by the Metropolitan Board has been jest the reverse, and all their exertions have been to consolidate the powers into their own hands at the expense of the local bo irds, and the carious act. and amended seta which have bee, passed sines that time have all that object in view. Very arbitrary powers ban been given them oy the Building Act—powers which properly and constitutiomilly belong to local boards. For inetazies. power is given to them of chaining the names of streets and the cumbers of the house", without eoaaulting the wishes of the inhabitants. A man may leave his house in the meriting in the full eartaiety that he was • reddest in • street el a certain name, and &hoof the number of his house, endow his return be might find both narneof street and numbered house pas, and another substitukd. This is not the way in which local affairs should be interfered with, but it is only use instance, showing the despotic ramose in which entrel hoards set towards the public, whenever they have the *ppmbratty. But what can be expected cis beard thatlievaiall its business to its paid officials, without parsers! investigation? It is of itself an anomaly. The wants of different localities are neither understood nor cared for. What. for intim" can the representative of Kensiegtea or Hanover-equer• know or are for the weak of Elboreditch and Liasehosse? —they are tautly dissimilar in every respect. The only possible remedy will be to divide the metropolis into a number of municipalities, and let sub send representativn to a general board for main drainage works eel,. which is on that ahoold of necassity he entrusted to it; all the other postmen will be better carried out by the recognised authorities ef each district—City Prem.