17 MAY 1851, Page 7

311istilluntona.

The Commissioners of Woods and Fo.,sts have decided upon widening Park Lane from Oxford Street to Grosvenor Gate, by a breadth of eight feet. The inhabitants, who have petitioned for the improvement, are required by the Commissioners to pay half the expense incurred.

The Commissioners of Woods and Forests have carried into effect the lately-announced resolution of the-Queen to give the public greater liberty of access to Kew Gardens this year. The following notice has been is- sued by the Commission, dated May 10.

"By the gracious permission of her Majesty, the Royal pleasure-grounds at Kew will be opened to the public on every day in the week, between the hours of one and six, from Monday the 12th of May to Friday the 12th of September during the present year. The access to these grounds will be in

the Kew and Richmond Road, by the Lion andl7nicom Gates,' respectively,' and, on the river aide of the grounds, by the gate adjoining to the Brentford Ferry ; the entrance-gates to the Botanic Gardens on Kew Green being open as heretofore. Communications will at the same time be opened between the Botanic Gardens and the pleasure-grounds, by .gates in the wire fence which separates the two. It is requested that visitors will abstain from carrying baskets or refreshments into the grounds ; and smoking in the Bo- tank Gardens is not permitted."

YORE. SPRING MEETING.

These races had an unparalleled interest this year, from the fact that Toltigeur and the Flying Dutchman were again backed against each other, with more than half a stone of handicap weight against the Dutchman. The competition of the best-managed Northern railway from London, Mr. Beckett Denison's Direct Northern, made the access to York a matter of economy and ease, nay comfort, never before realized. And an accessory interest was next day thrown round the proceedings by Parliamentary allusions; as the success of the Flying Dutchman at York was substi- tuted in the reporting columns of the Sari of Tuesday evening, for the defeat of Mr. Joseph Hume at Westminster, by the "No House " evasion of his great motion on the franchise.

The concourse on the race-ground at York was such as was never before seen in the North : it is said to have exceeded the great St. Leger meeting at Doncaster last year, both in numbers and rank. The horses were Lord Eglinton's "The Flying Dutchman," ridden by Marlow, and carrying 8 stone 81 pounds ; and Lord Zetland's " Voltigeur," ridden by Flatman, and carrying 8 stone. The stakes were a thousand guineas. The betting at the start was even. Voltigeur took the lead, and held it at a great pace until round the last turn ; the Dutchman then drew up, and at the gravel road had got his head level ; he was a little first half- way up the distance, and won cleverly, but not easily, by a length. The roar of cheers might have been heard for miles.

TheMarquis of Anglesea met with a perilous accident on Wednesday. He was riding down Grosvenor Street at a sharp pace ; and on arriving at the turning into Park Lane, the pole of an omnibus was driven with considerable force against his horse. The concussion caused the horse to rear up and fall back. Lord Anglesea lost his seat and was thrown • but fortunately be dis- engaged himself from the stirrups, and rose unhurt. " A circumstance the more happy," observes the reporter, " from the fact that the left leg worn by his Lordship [an artificial substitute for the leg he lost at Waterloo] is always attached to the stirrup-iron by a small chain, which the force and weight of the fall providentially broke." He rode home in a friend's car• riage, and though much shaken has not since felt any ill consequences.

A labouring man was seen at five o'clock on Thursday morning to climb over the parapet of London Bridge, as if about to drown himself. Mister, one of the London Fire Brigade men, leaped over the wall and seized the man by the wrist : other passengers ran up, and drew Mister's arm over the wall while he held the man whom he had seized, and in this position they remained some moments, calling for ropes above and for a boat below. But Mister's strength failed—he let go his hold—and the poor man whose life he had tried to save fell into the tide, sank, and was seen no more.

While a carriage containing a gentleman and a party of ladies was pro- ceeding from Dunkeld to Murthly Castle, the postillion lost his command of the horses, and they leaped over the parapet of Birnam Bridge. The postil. lion and one of the horses fell twenty-Eve feet on to some rocks in the river; the other horse remained suspended by the traces ; the carriage was safe. The postillion escaped almost unhurt. The traces of the second horse were cut, and the horse was let fall into the stream : both animals sustained some flesh wounds, but they were safely got out of the water, and walked,- Murthly. What will not French robbers attempt next?—they stole a lion from the Jardin des Plantes, Paris, last week ! The theft was not discovered till next morning; and the Police then tracked the thieves by marks of blood in the direction of the Quai. A handkerchief covered with blood, „marked CS, was found near the lion's lair. The noble beast seems to have wanted the presence of mind to scream, but still to have used his nails somewhat be- fore succumbing to his ferocious captors.