The Sun. — London, England, 1846-03-05 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS, March 4. BEQUESTS FOR PIOUS AND CHARITABLE PURPOSES BILL. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) Mr. O'CONNELL said, that with regard to the case of Caldbeck, in Ireland, which had been cited as one where undue influence was exercised, he had to state that the Rev. Dr. Meyler • had not the Smallest personal interest whatever in the legacy. The lady in question had lived for thirty years with her brother, and had, from the earliest period of her life,- declared her intention of leaving her property for charitable purposes. A contest afterwards arose, the case went into court, and when it was tried the judge held that the will Was good. After such a decision he would ask was it fair to cite that case as one of undue in fluence ?—( Hear; hear.) The Hon. Gentleman then thanked the Noble Lord for haying - brought the question before the House, and exhorted him to. persevere with it. He considered that they ought not to have ore law on the subject fur Scotland, ahother for Ireland; and a third for England, but that these laws ought to be looked into, and a sound and a ra tional Bill introduced to correct these errors. The law ought certainly not to remain as it was, and the relaxation of it ghouls' be for the purpose of faciliting the granting of bequests foveligious purposes and for acts of charity. Did they at present get too much for such purposes?-(Hear, hear.) Whatever difference of opinion might exist on religious piestions, they were all agreed on the necessity of a religious education to tnerising generation ; hence they ought to grant every reasonable facility on the subject of bequests. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said he could not allow the present discussion to pass without say ing a few words. After the most anxious consideration of the measure before the House. he could not consent to its second reading. According to it they were called on to re peal the 9th of George 11., and to substitute this new law, and the grounds :or this course were set forth to bethe report oldie Committee that had sat on the subject of bequests of the kind stated. Now he had looked through that report, and he found an error in its very beginning,where it was stated that the law of George 11. was a law of mortmain. This was not the fact. There was this distinction between a mortmain Act and the Act of George 11., that the former related to the principle of property being held by corporate bodies in perpetual succession, and the latter pro vided that certain restrictions should be placed on the making of gifts for charitable purposes. It was curious to trace the history of the struggle between the ecclesiastical body and the Legislature on this subjeet— the ecclesiastical body devising means to evade the statutes, and the Legislature devising fresh means to hinder the mis chief as it arose. One of the acts of the clergy was to take land for long terms of years, and this was provided against by the 2d of Edward 1., which made these contracts void. The clergy then adopted the plan of bringing feigned actions against the paities, and so obtaining possession. That was also provided against, but it gave rise lb an ordinary re covery which, until a very short time since, was used as a means of conveyance of property. The clergy then made that distinction which even now prevails in our laws. They distinguished between the use and the possession of land, allowing the parties to remain in possession while they received the profits them selves. The 15th of Richard 11. made the Act of Mortmain apply to the use as well as to-the possession of lands. The clergy then endeavoured to- obtain a sort of qualified profit by malting charges for various ceremonies, and these charges were payable from t he land. That was provided against by the 23d henry VIII., which provided against superstitious uses and customs,- and that Act remained in force until the 7th and Bth Win. 111., which vested in the Crown alone the powerof allowingpersons to receive land by mortmain. The Committee had inquired the object of the Act of 9th George 11. He had referred to t he Act itself; and the preamble distinctly set forth that it was to' prevent the mischief arising from persons willing away their property to be applied to charitable pur poses after their death to the detriment of their heir at law. That law provided that any deed of gift of that nature should be executed twelve months before the death of the party, and registered within six months from the date of its signature. The Legislature considered gist with reference to real pro perty, which is land, that weak and worldly-minded persons might be acted upon by a feeling of vanity to associate their names with some public or charitable foundations. They considered that they might be acted upon when their minds were enfeebled, and their bodies broken down by sickness, to part with their property. That danger did not extend with so much force to personal property, for in that case there was no local, visible, or permanent character connected with it. Upon looking over the report, he had not been able to discover anything, either in the report itself, or in the wit nesses examined, to justify any alteration of the present law. Among the witnesses examined was the Bishop of London; he was in favour of a relaxation of the provisions of the ex isting law to the Established Church, but to no other religious institution. Mr. lIODGSON and Mr. MATHEWS considered that no 'alteration was necessary iu the existing law. Mr. C. HULLER gave his most cordial support to the measure introduced by his Noble Friend. He could not see why such a number of safeguards should be thrown around landed proprietors, aril none around those of personal pro perty, when they; considered that the former were but a very small number, when compared with the latter, and he was certainly of opinion that personal property demanded more protection than landed. He con sidered the feelings of mankind were quite strong enough to protect them. Not only the good feeling of man kind in this country, but the desire of family distinction and aggrandisement operated to prevent those having large pos sessions giving too much for charitable purposes.-(llsar, hear) These feelings were quite enough for the protection of families, without having any restrictive laws, and he therefore thought no impediment whatever should be placed in the way of individuals granting property for public pur poses. Every argument of public policy should lead them to take away restrictions relating to real property which were not applied to personal property. There ought to be no dis tinction made whatever between those two kinds of property. Ile thought that nothing could be more beneficial to the Established Church than this facility for leaving property for charitable purposes. The Hon. Member for Oxford thought that the Church was sufficiently supported by the various menus of income accruing to it; but, hi his opinion. such a belief was erroneous, for he considered that it would be a better principle, if persons, instead of being compelled to subscribe to the maintenance of the Church during their lives, should at once be allowed to lay the foundation of a permaneht fund at their death. Let them look at Green • wich Hospital and several other institutions of a like nature that he could name. They would see that they were corpo rate bodies permanently founded, and not dependent at pre sent on any enforced contribution, and yet they were as well managed as any institution dependent on an income derived from a sort of tax levied on the people. He hoped the House would not postpone the consideration of the Bill, as they would have an opportunity afforded them of considering its details in Committee. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL would oppose the second rca I ing of the Bill, because he considered it impossible toti - ssimilate the laws affecting real and personal property. A direst power was proposed to be given to the testator in the Bill to lisp ;se of personal property to any amount to corporate bodies, which was incompatible with the present law, which forbade any corporate bodies holding land to any amount without special license from the Crown. He considered the proposed measure was, there fore, an infringement of the prerogatives of the C: own, and that this was, therefore, an insuper able objection to the further progress of the Bill. He, for one, would be sorry to give any encouragement, by passing such a measure, to any person to alienate the pro perty which otherwise was inalienable, and to give a power to the Church to receive such. He had very attentively con sidered all the clauses of the Bill, but he was utterly at a loss, from anything contained in the Bill, or the evidence adduced before the Cottunittee, to see anything that would fur nish the slightest grounds for the N - oble Lord to call on this House to support his measure. In conclusion, it did appear that this Bill is - no contrary to the constitution of the country and the first principles of the English law, and therefore he would best discharge hie duty by voting against the second reading. Sir JOHN HANMER was in favour of the Bill. Not withstandiog the speech of the Hon. and Learned Gentle man who bad just addressed them, which he had been much surprised at, he would vote for the second reading—not that he agreed with the Bill as it at present stood, but that it might be considered and amended in Committee. lie was sorry to differ from so high a legal authority as his - Honourable and Learned Friend (the Solicitor-Ge neral), still he (Sir John Hanmer) doubted if he could shaw any good legal authority for saying that the law of mortmaini dated from the Conquest. It had its origin at a much later period. He had a great objection to the law as it at present stood, as it was of such a character as to he continually evaded. The legal adviser of any Hon. Member could easily show him, if he had any bequest to .make, how he could evade the present la.v.—(Hear, hear.) With regard to laws affecting property, to show that a very stringent law relatirg to the transmission of real property did not operate prejudicially to a country, he (sirJ. Hanmer) might point I to Scotland, where they had an extraordinary law of entail, and yet, though the soil was poor and inferior, the land, not withstanding that law, had been brought into a most superior state of cultivation.—( Hear, hear.) The law should be altered by which pious bequests are made, as it was frightful to see the state of the churches in large towns; and this might be avoided if the law was altered. He would call the attention of the House to the state of churches in large towns, and these churches had connected with them gentle men of great talents and ability, whom they paid in many cases rather less than a menial servant. He should be glad to see all heartburnings arising from the state of churches in large towns satisfactorily sot at rest. In his opinion, the old prerogative of the Crown had little weight at the present slay, for the circumstances that had given it birth had en tirely ceased. He would only express his general concur r_.!l”e as to th e propr i ety o f go i ng i n t o C omm itt ee on t h e ' ll ' 3 3est, and he trusted that no superstition of the preroga tives of the Crown would influence the decision of the House. Mr. BANES said that, in his opinion, when a Bill of this importance was brought forward, some great abuse should be pointed out which would render enislation necessary. Had the Noble Lord.eylao brought forward b the Bill established any swuhcho had just sate, down, observations of the Right lion. Baronet towns was had, might that the state of churches in large Hawes) could only say bet. perfectly correct ; but he (Mr. the Bill did not in any way facilitate the improvenientaotf their condition. After a Com mittee on a subject of tl a ii v sim a p d ortance had been appointed, the House ought to be gern the report of that Com mittee. That report did not recommendby the introduction of this Bill, and yet the Noble Lord had a very active any scribed to the re part in that Committee, and no doubt i.eil)ea,iiticular port, which certainly did not point outt y fail ing in the preseat law, nor He owned that he did not think the old with jfeoarlouisty, with regard to mortmain was entirely That which was formerly regarded as dangero us an cccloeiastical corporation he now regarded es dangerous in a lay corporation. To a lay corporation personal or real property might now be bequeathed to any extent, and he would ask any person who knew the amount of personal property vested in lay corporations, whether he wished to see any more property placed in their hands. He did not wish to see property accumulating in the hands of either ecclesiastical or lay corpo rations, and he could not consent to go into the merits of this Bill . He believed the Bill could not be amended in Committee, and he would therefore give his vote in opposition to the further progress of the Bill. Lord EBP.INGTON wished to see some alteration made in the law of mortmain, and was anxious for that reason that the Bill should be considered in Committee. He believed that so far from too much provision being made for- public charities, that there was too little, and he would therefore wish to see the extension of the powers of bequeathing property fur charitable purposes. He would support the second reading of the Bill. Mr. COLQUIIOUN said that in Scotland any person could tell which were the entailed and which the unentailed estates by the difference of their cultivation. When he found the remedy quite as wide as the evil, an d i n f ac t p ro d uc i ng far more considerable evils, he could not help giving it his ra.ostodeeitle4s onpos i t i on. BoitTliwicK was in favour of the Bill going into Comnatten. Inhad and admitt d both by the Attorney tsn , Solicitor-General that the Hon. Gentlemen who had s e i n d e e k r e a ri tae a.,ei am ain e st eni th L. Bill, present la w requ i re d con es so, then the best course was for I ~ iV 0 THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 5, 1846. the House to go into Committee on the Bill, when those features which were beneficial might be adopted. Lord JOHN MANNERS replied to the objections that had been made to the Bill, citing several cases of hardship arising from the present state of the law in support of the reports of the Committee which had been impugned, and in reply to the Attorney and Solicitor- General. With all due respect to those high authorities, he must say, that all their arguments went but against the details of the Bill. That being so, let them allow it to go into Committee, and then these might be fully considered and altered, if it was seen necessary. If all the evils which the Hon. Gentleman shadowed out were likely to result from the passing of this Bill, how was it that the present law did not guard against them? When he saw his Hon. Friend rise, he expected to hear him say that the present law worked.most prejudicially. The Lord Advocate of Scotland had given his opinion that the law as it existed in Scotland, did not produce any of the evils so much dreaded by his Hon. Friend. He felt assured that the supporters of this Bill had made out a case for going into committee, and he felt assured. above all, that the present wants of the country were not met by its institutions. He, therefore, with all confidence, asked the House to give him the second reading, for he assured them that he would persevere in his efforts-- although he might be defeated this time—yet he would perse vere until he effected some sort of alteration in the present law, or carried his measure.—(Hear, hear.) The House then divided, when there appeared— For the second reading Against it Majority SALMON FISHERIES BILL. Sir G. GREY moved the second reading of the Salmon Fisheries Bill.—Postponed till Wednesday next, Sir C. BULLER moved the second reading of the Election Notices (Ireland) Bill. The Bill was then read a second time accordingly. The Roman Catholic Relief Bill was also read a s,econd time. Mr. GREENE brought up the .report on the Trent Works Bill. BUILDINGS ACT. Sir J. GRAHAM moved for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Act 7 and 8 Vic., c. 84, for regulating the con struction and the use of buildings in the metropods and its neighbourhood by authorising the appointment of a third official referee. Mr. HAWES said that he certainly would not give his vote for the Bill unless he received an assurance that a com prehensive measure would be introduced, extending to the whole Act. He had not conversed with any respectable builder or surveyor who did not concur with him in saying that the only effectual measure that could be adopted would be to repeal the whole Act. He would not oppose the Bill, but he did it on the distinct understanding that the mea sure would be comprehensive. Mr. H[TME expressed his concurrer.ce in the observations of Mr. Hawes. He had never known a Bill so fruitful and productive of complaints. He believed that the only way was to:repeal it, and thus free the metropolis from the pest and plague of this Act. Mr. R. HODGSON said, that he hoped the Right Hon. Baronet would consult such persons as could give him such information as would enable him to produce a Bill for the amendment of the Building Act, at a sufficiently early part of the session as to enable them to discuss the question at their leisure. Mr. T. D'EYNCOURT also expressed his disapprobation of the Bill, and complained of its inefficient working. He was glad to see that the Right Hon. Baronet was about to bring in a Bill to amend it. Mr. FOSTER thought the Bill ought to be delayed, so that parties might be consulted who were competent to give information on the subject, and a perfect Bill brought in. Mr. PARKER was not surprised at the general expression of feeling against the Bill, as he had always seen it would be a most inconvenient measure. The best course would be to repeal it altogether and bring in a new Bill. Sir JAMES GRAHAM replied to the objections that had been made against the Metropolitan Act, and said that the measure, when introduced into the House, had been fully and carefully discussed, so as to make it as efficient AS possible. He was sorry from what he had heard en both sides of the House, as well a from private sources of information that the Metropolitan Improvement Bill was con sidered so objectionable. But this was not the point at present before the House. The Bill now before them related to the appointment of another official referee, and to make some alterations in the provisions of the Act as it now stood on this subject. The Bill wa: then read a first, and ordered to be read a second time to-morrow. The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the House adjourned. RAILWAY COMMITTEES (YES FERDAY.) Sub-Committee No. 3 (Continued from our Aftornoon Edition of yesterday.) SOUTH UNION. The object of the Bill sought to be obtained by this Company is the construction of a line of railway between the Manchester and Bir mingh m Railway and the North Staffordshire Railway. The pro jected line is intended to commence at Colton, a point on the Trent Valley line, and to run to Roughly, a point on the North Staffordshire Railway, both in the county of Stafford. The length is thirty-two miles, and the estimated east is 700,0001. Messrs: Dyson and Hall arc the agents, and Mr GraTatt is the en gineer. The formal proofs were gone through, and then the Committee took a number of petitions alleging a number of non-compliances with the standing orders. Mr. VENABLES appeared for Mr. Walter Hyde, whose petition con• dined a number of allegations which were entertained. The Committee reported that the standing orders hal not been complied with as respected the crossing of a turnpike road at the eighth mile of the projected line, inasmuch as the cross section was not properly shown upon the plan, not being numbered and other wise specifletally pointed out as required by the standing order on the subject. Various other allegations of a similar character were sustained, but they were too trivial to be reported in detail. The engineer in explanation said that the plans were so badly printed as to be almost illegible, and quite unfit to enable him to reply satisfactorily to the questions of the honourable Chairman. Had the plans been better printed, many of the allegations would have fallen to the ground. Another alegation sustained was, that two miles of the propos:d lines had been omitted, a whole sheet of the plan deposited with the clerk of the peace at Stafford being absent. The CusinmaN decided that upon the general merits of the de posits on the 30th of IC veinber last they were altogether inaccu rate, and that the standing orders had not been complied with. The deposits were worse than worthless, being calculated to mis lead instead of giving information to the public. In the course of the day the Chairman made some pertinent remarks upon the mode in which witnesses gave their evidence. He complained of the loose manner In which questions were put, and the very careless way in which they were answered. Facts were gabbled over in a sin gular way, and so little respect appeared to he paid to them that It was ♦ery difficult to understand them. He trusted witnesses would for the future be examined in a better manner, so as to enable the Committee to be able to put a proper value upon their statements. The Committee took no other case, and at four o'clock adjourned until twelve o'clock on Friday next. Sub-Committee No. 5. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) MACCLESFIELD AND LICHFIELD: This case, which stood over from yesterday, was next resumed, and the accuracy of the datum point was proceeded with. It was contended that the levels, from which the datum point was taken, were incorrect, and that there was no datum point, it being described as taken from the pier of a proposed bridge, to be constructed over the contemplated line, whereas there was no pier shOwn on the maps, and that the term " pier" was improperly used, a " pier" being a building betwzen the arches of a bridge, or work projecting into a river.or sea. A model of the bridge was then produced by the engineer who took the trial sections, who proved that he could not find the part described as the " pier" from which the datum line was taken. On the part of tke promoters of the line, Mr. Lock, engineer to the line, was called, who distinctly stated that no fair engineer would have any trouble or difficulty i❑ flndin,g the pier in question, as the bridge, being a single span, the piers of coarse would be the buildings on either side, from which it sprung. On cross-examination, he admitted that the more usual ttrm was " abutment pier," when talking of the buildings next to the shore. Several other engineers were called, who gave similar testimony to the last witness, among whom was Mr. Donaldson, professor of architecture to the University College, London. Mr. Clarke was called next on behalf of the promoters of the ins, to prove the accuracy of the levels taken, but Mr. G. I'. kidder, proved from the field-book of Mr. Clarke that an error of 16 Inches existed. The agent for the Bill then solicited a postponement for the purpose of re-taking the levels, which was opposed by Mr. Burke, and the Committee ordered strangers to withdraw On our re-admission ..... The CHAIRMAN said that the Committee had decided that the standing orders had not been complied with, Inasmuch as the datum horizontal point on the line was not correctly described. Sub-Committee No. G. (Continued from our Afternoon. Edition of yesterday.) WEST LONDON IMPROVEMENT AND EXTENSION. Thl was an adjourned caio from last week, The CLUBMAN said that the Committee would be obliged to report non-compliance with the staneing orders on two points; first, on the ground that the plan which had been deposited at the Private Bill-office was not exactly the same as that which had been deposited with the clerk of the peace, and, secondly, on the ground that certain notices had not been served in due time. The standing orders were in all other respects complied with. NORTH UNION (HORW'SCH BRILNCH). The promoters of this Bill seek to construct a branch from the main line at Blackred to the town of llorwich ; length two and a quarter miles ; estimated cost, 28,7001., which is provided for by the original funds of the Company. Engineer, William Cotrithard, Esq.; Parliamentary agents, Messrs. Gregory, Faulkner, and Co. ; and the solicitors, Messrs. Woodcock, Part, and Part, Wigan. Decision postponed to enable the promoters to produce some ne cessary proof. LEEDS, YORE, AND MIDLAND JUNCTION. The object of this Bill is to shorten the means of railway commu nication between Leeds and York, now 313 miles, to 25 miles, and to accommodate in its route the towns of Tadcaster afid Aberford. The line also passes through extensive fields of coal and of agricul tural lime. The length Is 16 1 4 miles ; the estimated cost 340,0001., and the amount subscribed 260,000/. The engineers are Me ssrs.Vigmoles and Leather ; the Parliamentary agents, Messrs. Gregory and Co. ; and the solicitors, Messrs. Terry and Watson, Bradford; Mr. Cariss, Leeds ; and Mr. Modgson, York. Standing orders complied with. TUEI IVIANCHESTIIR. AND HYDE. The promoters of this Bill seek to construct a line of railway from the Manchester and Birmingham Railway, at Ardwich, to Hyde, through Gordon and Denton. The length is about sib miles, the estimated cost is 130,250/. ; the amount subscribed, 112,4001. The engineer is J. W. Back, Esq., tne Parliamentary agents, Messrs. Dorrington and Co., and the solicitors, Messrs. J. and W. Heron, 3fancbester. Standing orders complied with. The Committee then adjourned, at half-past four o'clock. LONDON AND WESTMINSTER BANKING COMPANY. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition •f yesterday.) were many Tux proposed the adoption of the report. He felt thai, there direct many present who could lay claim to greater importance and higher standing than himself, and to whom he ought, perhaps, to published, he felt give way ; but that the of the report and as ha had ventured at their lastmeeting should alter the form in which the accounts usually appeo re and i to give such a statement in the ono they had begged to thank the at he might be permitted to propose the adoption accounts which had been submitted to them. He tc?' because be fro th nr ah tl t ie tba statemde: adopted that directors,sugmtio on behalf of the proprietors, for having t apublicationfavourable o r f es result of t : la w el t r ui r a:a p i c r e s t , could not fail might use the term—would do to and ther e t: m a l t clear and simple y unfavourable impres such an " exposure"--if h more than anything to convinced that the ad a b s e u e m w ri a v e e y sted to meet tin would destroy it, Ilion which might exist in any s q tr o e i blishment. If such impression did ea r t ran statement which the directors had put he e r waB chi' statement because it showed how large a sum il expected contingencies, and how large Wear, hear.) In fact, the perspicuity of their flua l n iail in hand.— was much to their credit. - The usual dividend of et. per cent, w excee dingly satisfactory, and ,they might congratulate the directors,s and themselves on there being n o p robable chance of its diminuti on . No doubt the directors had e xercised a wise discretion in proposi ng the payment of the usual amount, instead of devoting a portion of the proceeds to the payment of a higher di vliend, bnt if they had proposed 71. per cent. instead of 6/., carrying 6,000/. instead of the sum pro_ proposed to the reserved account, he should have felt more satisfied —(II , •ar) —but as he had said, he had no doubt the directors had excellent reasons for not proposing sueh an alteration. The moan having been seconded, . . 3/r. Josriiia Maim wished to ma i d O a few ooservations before the chairman put the motion to the meeting. In the first place, ho wished to congratulate the proprietors on the splendid statement which had been submitted to them, by the directors, and which re flected great credit not only:on them, but on the managers and others. —(Hear, hear.) He had no idea of the wealth and power of the bank' until he entered into all the particulars connected with it. He happened to possess one of the first reports, and as he had tat= some trouble to compare its statements with those in that now submitted to them, and as ho thought it could not but be interesting to the meeting, in order that they might perceive the great progress which had 'marked their establishment from its commencement, he would state the re sults of his investigation. The capital in 1834, which was the first year in which any statement was published, was 182,000/., whilst In 1846 it had increased to 80.),000/. The deposits in 1834 were 180,0001. ; in 1846 they were 3,590,0001. That was a very large sum to have reached in that short time. The profits in 1834 did not ex ceed 3,540/. ; in 1846 they amour_ted to 66,3441. They had no re served fund in 1834, but in 1846 they had a reserved fend of 88,3001. —(Cheers.) He observed also that the gross or not profits made by the bank during the 12 years it had been established amounted to 496,1751., out of which the proprietors had received 407,9361. in the shape of dividends.—(Hear.) This was a startling result in so short a period, arid showed the great degree of public confidence be stowed on the bank, and the unremitting attention of the directors arid other officers to their affairs.—(Cheers.) He also observed that in 1845 they had only one branch, which was in Westminster ; they had now five, and he found by the Bankers' Almanac that in 1835 the hank had ne country agents, whereas at the present moment not less than 150 local banks and branches were connected with them.— (Cheers ) He found 'also on inquiry that whilst in 1835 only 20 clerks were required, the services of 117 were required in 1846. — (Hear, hear.) He did think that as these things showed such rapid and extraordinary progress in their undertaking that they could not fail to be interesting, arid that they would not object to hear them. But there was one thing which struck him very forcibly, whether during this rapid increase of prosperity and business, and c mse quently increased labour to the directors any additional remuneration to that originally agreed had been voted to them.—(Hear.) It did seem to him that they ought to give their attention to the subject, as - that increased labour required additional remuneration.—(Hear.) In 1834 the directors declined to receive any remuneration whatever, and in 1835 a sum of money was voted to them in consideration of their services. He would make no farther comment on the subject; but he could not help anxiously inquiring whether any addition had been made to that sum commensurate with the additional labour which the rapid increase of the business of the hank had imposed upon them ? The Chairman had stated that an increase of directors was contemplated. He was glad to see Mr. Chapman one of that body, because he had known him and his wealthy connexions for several years, arid he did not think a better selection could have been macie.—(clear, hear.) He hoped that the directors, in making any additions to their body, would select gentlemen from that body of merchants of which Mr. Chapman was a member, because he believed, that by doing so, they would add to the influence of the bank, and consequently promote its prosperity. Mr. LEVY would have no objection to receive 71. per cent., as re commended by Mr. Tite ; but, as the directors were of opinion that they ought not to pay more than 6 per cent., he should support their determination, because he bad the greatest faith in their discretion. If they had a sufficiently reserved fund let them have the additional sum which they proposed to add to it, but the di rectors were the best judges, and they were in favour of paying no more than the usual per. tentage. The subject of increasing the remuneration of the clerks in the bank ought to be lett in the hands of the directors, as he considered that the proprietors had not the opportunities of testing their respective merits as the directors. However, he could state that the department of the bank in which he principally transacted business was as well, and perhaps better, conducted, than any other bank in the kingdom.— (Hear, hear.) The directors must excuse hint if he referred to what was, in his estimation, a " sore place."—(Laughter.i Now he did not like the election of Mr. Chapman to the ' office of director. He was, no doubt, a very respectable man, and if he had been canvassed, he, perhaps, should have voted for him ; but Ire regretted (and the more so because the Chairman wa sa Liberal to the backbone)—(Laughter)—that the proprietors had not been consulted in the election of Mr. Chapman, or of any other director—(Hear, hear)—and he hoped when a vacancy again occurred in the direction that they would be ap pealed to. He did however not mean by this to detract from the merits of their directors, for he believed that a more competent body, than the one which presided over their affairs, could not be fouud—(hear, hear)—but he wished the power to be vested in the proprietors, as he disliked a " home list," and as they had elected Mr. Chapman, they might elect anyone else they pleased. A PROPRIETOR expressed his willingness to second any motion which might be submitted to the meeting embodying the sentiments enunciated by Mr. Levy. Mr. TITE rose to order. The only motion before the meeting was for the adoption of the report. Mr. LEVY declined to put his sentiments in the shape of a motion, as he considered that the suggestion ho had offered would have the desired effect. The CHAIRMAN explained that the right of electing directors was vested in themselves by the Act of Incorporation ; and that the prad- Bee of filling up vacancies, which occurred between the annual meet ings, had been continued since the establishment of the Bank. However, they were at liberty not to confirm. the report. A rotatory principle was adopted by which three of the directors went annualy out of office, and the proprietors might propose directors during the six weeks before the Istof March. There was no "home list," but they acted on a home principle for the benefit of the under taking. Mr. DONALDSON expressed his satisfaction at the way in which the accounts were made out, and congratulated himself on having been the first to recommend the adoption of the improved plan. The right of electing directors should be vested in that body, and while they had confidence in the directors there was no necessity for the proprietors to meet to fill up any vacancies which might occur. When the principle was abused, they might take steps to effect a change. A PROPRIETOR considered that they ought to meet twice instead of once a year, in order that they might have the pleasure of hearing such satisfactory information as that afforded by the director's to-day oftener. The number of directors originally intended was 24, but they never had a greater number thou 16 or 18. The present number was 13. New as the busines of the bank hat increased they ought to have an an additional number, Last year the profits amounted to 51,0001., this year to 66,3441. ; showing an increase of 15,3431. 19s.—(Hear) -whim was highls satisfactory, and showed that the directors had performed their duties in an efficient mariner. He considered that as they had in a measure superseded p - ivate banks, they ought to devote a portion of their pr fits to charitable purposes. By the visitation of Providence many disasters had occurred, such as the late fire at Quebec, the famine in Ireland, Stc., the effect of which would be materially reduced by their contri buting a small suns out of their large profits to the sufferers. Mr. LEVY—That would take away our 71. per cent. with a ven geance. Mr. BROWN said, with regard to the suggestions which had just been made, he thought that the proprietors had better follow the usual course of private bankers, which was to give money in their individual capacity. He did not find that the Union Bank or any other joint-stock bank had made any grant from their corporate funds. Then, with respeet to the matter of the directory, he thought any increase in the number of directors, the usual meetings were quite sufficient for making any alteration. He would suggest that sonic attempt should be made to get Into the clearing-house. If there was plenty within and peace without with the Bank of England, he thought it would be better to extend those peaceful relations with other banks, and he would suggest that some attempt should be ma ie to accomplish that object. The CHAIRMAN said that persevering attempts had been made to become members of the clearing-house, but all they could at present do was to knock patiently at the door until they did, as he was sure they ultimately would, obtain admission. Then with regard to the suggestion respecting charities, he did not wish it to go forth to the shareholders that their money was appropriated without their consent to purposes to which they were not strictly applicable. lie did not, however, wish it to go forth to the Christian public that the directors did not sometimes smuggle a portion of their cash for the relief of misfortune and unexpected calamity.—(Laughter and cheers.) Mr. KEMPATRAD begged to express his thanks for the manner in which the business of the bank had been conducted, and to move a vote of thanks to the directors for their conduct, and to Include in that vote the name of Mr. Chapman, who, although young in the manage ment, was eminently, entitled to the respect and good-will of the shareholders. He mute coincided in the opinion that the directory ought to be increased. lie found that there were now thirteen direc tors, among whom the sum of 2,5001. were divided. The motion having been seconded. Mr. LEVY said, that he thought it would be better that any pro posal for enlarging the directory, and fur increasing the compensa tion for the services of the gentlemen now constituting the board, should come from the board itself. He thought that they were gentlemen of too high character to bo liable to auy false supposition respecting their motives. He was sure they would not be mealy-mouthed.—(Loud laughter.) When they wanted money they had not hesitated to ask for it.—(No, no; nothing has ever emanated from the board.) — All there was a whisper—(Laughter)--and there were always Wends ready to put a whisper into circulation and give it effect.—(Cries of " No, no.") Mr. WAILIZEN objected that there were insuffleient statements of the expenses of the branch banks, and proceeded during the expression of much disapprobation, to state that he hail understood that an advance of from 1,0001. to 2,000/. had been made to the managers of the different banks, and he was not surprised at it when he saw the elegant mansions which were engaged for those branch hanks ; but he thought this altogether unnecessary when he observad the little business that was done at those branch banks. He thought that whenever a vacancy in ,the direction occurred, a special meeting ought to be convened, so that it might be filled up by the votes of the shareholders. Mr. TLTE had read of a man of ono idea, and there was an illus- tration of the fact in the present Instance. He had heard the gen tleman who had Just rat down make the same speech three times over within the last fortnight, and always with the same result, and that was, that he concluded without a seconder. And with regard to the suggestion of an alteration in the direction, so that each and all should be subjected to exclusion from office for a twelvemonth, it was Loth inconvenient, inexpedient, and illegal. From the nod of the solicitor he was convinced that such was the case. He thought that the nomination of now directors was most properly left in the hands of the directors themselves, and if the increase of the number of directors was necessary, he believed that they were the best judges of the matter. If there was to be any increase in the compensation given to them, lie for one was quite ready to give his cordial assent and support to any motion which had that ob ject.—(Cheers.) The CHAIRMAN had done his best to cleanse other bodies from the evil of self-election, and no one had a greater objection to such a plan ; but the deed of settlement bound the directors to the system, and by that mean , they retained the services of the most efficient men. The gentleman who had just sat down had displayed a total ignorance of the whole business of the bank. With respect. to the exclusion of gentlemen from office, he could assert that there was only one bank in England which followed that plan —ho meant that of Preston—and he believed that a worse clause had never been inserted in any deed than that which compelled that bank to pursue such a course. As to what had fallen from Mr. Warren concerning the indolence of the directors, he thought a sufficient reply had been given by the terms of the report, but he might further state that the directors were responsible for the conduct of the branch banks as well as for that of the principal establishment. Three directors sat every day during workin4 hours as a committee, and once — every week the whole board met to revise their proceedings, and he could assure the proprietor that if he inquired more closely he would find that, instead of the directors being a set of drones, who consumed the honey of the bees, they were very industrious people. The motion for the thanks of the shareholders to the Chairman and directors was then passed unanimously. John Esdaile, Esq., Sir John Kirkland, and John Stewart, Esq., who went out of the direction by rotation were then re-elected. Mr. WARREN then proposed that the 48th clause of the deed of set tlement,. which allowed the directors, the right of electing members of their board in the case of a temporary vacancy, should be expunged. The CHAIRMAN said that the motion would, if carried, alter the constitution of the Company, and that notice ought to have been given beforehand. Mr. IVAaars said he had inquired of the Secretary whether such fotiee was necessary or net, and had been informed Mitt it was not. After some conversation and after great opposition, at the request of the board of directors the motion was put, and with the exception of the mover and seconder, it was unanimously negatived. Thanks were then moved to Mr. Gilbert, the general manager, and to the several gentlemen who were managers of the different establishments. In seconding this proposition, a SHAREHOLDER said that as this was a day for complaints he should complain also, not of the directors or the chairman, but of the proprietary ; for if the shareholders exhibited as much zeal and energy in bringing accounts to the bank, as the directors had shown, the affairs of the Company, prosperous as they were, would be more prosperous still. The motion was passed unanimously and with much applause. Thanks were then voted to the Chairman with acclamation. Mr. P. M. STEWART begged to thank them for the very handsome compliment which they had just paid him. So long as he held a seat at that board he should always be happy to give his best services t•- wards the interest of the shareholders. _ The Hen. Gentleman concluded amidst great applause and the meeting seperated. BRISTOL and EXETER RAILWAY. BRISTOL, WEDNESDAY, HALF-PAST ONR O'CLOCK. — The half-yearly Goneral Meeting of the proprietors of this Company was held yesterday, at the White Lion, Broad-street, at one o'clock. The chair was taken by James Gibbs, Esq., chairman of the board of directors. The SECRETARY read the following report " The amount of Rent and and Share of Toll stated by the Great Western Railway Company to be due to this Com pany for the half-year ending on the 13th of December last, is as follows, viz : Fixed rent of the line from Bristol to Exeter, from the 14th of June to the 13th of De cember, 1845, at 71,9571. a year ...... £35,978 10 0 Share of toll on 305,599 pas sengers, conveyed 9,633,927 miles, at id. per mile £10,035 6 10 On merchandise, 59,174 tons 7 cwt. 3 qrs. 10 lbs., equal to one ton conveyed 2,423,766 miles, at id. per ton per mile 2,524 15 2 12,360 2 0 48,538 12 0 om ing o s ur our line during the year 1845, wereveryTThh eearrangements g n r o e s a s r lye,a for encouraging traffic by return l r tickets, and a liberal reducti on o f f ares o f passengers an d 9n carriage of goods, adopted by the lessees of the lice, have operated the more favourably upon our proportion of toll, as it has not been subject to any corresponding abatement, and does not therefore contribute to the increased ratio of work ing expenses. "After deducting the balance of income-tax, it will be seen that the last half-year's revenue does not justify any present increase of dividend; and your diectors therefore re commend to you to declare the usual dividend of 11. Bs. per share on the 15,005 whole shares free of income-tax, f or th e half-vear ending on th e 6 th of April next. " interest on the deposit of 2/. per third share, to the date of the second call (the 15th o f J anuary), will be remitted to the proprietors who stood registered for these shares at the closing of the books on the 21st of February. " Under the authority of your resolution of the 2sth of :./ August last, measures have been taken for obtaining in the present session of Parliament an Act for constructing a branch from Yeovil to Crewkerne, with a view to secure the traffic from that Fart of Somerset and Dorset. " The Bill has been read a second time. The cost of this branch will be provided fur out of the capital authorised by the Act of last session. "Agreements for the purchase of land for the branches to Cleyedon, Tiverton, and Yeovil, are in active progress, and in a short time contracts for some of the works will be adver tised. " The difficulty of procuring adequate engineering assist ance during last autumn, precluded greater promptitude in these arrangements, except at an extravagant expense, and at great risk of their being perfect. " The construction of a branch to the city of Wells has been postponed until the issue of other measure shall be as certained, which have been proposed for the supply of rail way accommodation to that district. " The Billfor the North Devon Railway, based on the ar rangements adopted and confirmed by you at your last half yearly meeting, is now before Parliament ; and it is hoped that the acknowledged importance of that undertaking, and the unusual degree of support which it has received from the landed proprietors, will secure its success. " A draft of this Bill, as well as that for the branch to Crewkerne, will be submitted to a special general meeting. "The Bill for for the Cornwall Railway is fully expected to pass into a law in the present session. The alterations re commended by the engineer, in accordance with the sug gestions of the Committee of the House of Lords, both for general improvement of the line and for facilitating the com munication between the two counties, having called for an increase of capital, your directors could not hesitate to agree to subscribe for your proportion of the new shares in that Company, and a resolution will accord , ngly be submitted to you to confirm the subscription for 1,500 half-shares, at 251. each. "The opening of the South Devon Railway is still delayed: but the directors of the Company confidently expect that a portion of the line will be available for public traffic in the early part of the summer. "The instalments paid on your 4,000 shares in that under taking, including a call of 10/, per share on the 25th of January last, amount to 1 40,0001. " The Exeter and Crediton Railway, under lease to this Company, will be opened within the present year; and there is every reason to believe that it will be beneficial to this Company. " Parliamentary authority for the lease has been given in the Act of Incorporation. The 301. per share remaining to be called for upon your 100.1. shares, being reserved for pay ing off the loan notes as they successively fall due, and a portion of these being payable on the 21st of the present month, a call has been made for 51. per share, payable on the 18th. "A resolution will be submitted to you to empower the directors to borrow on debenture the sum authorised by the Act passed in the last session for constructing branches. "Ore the subject of the rejected provisional agreement for a perpetual lease of your line to the Great Western Company at a rent charge, y6ur directors refer to their special report of the 18th of February, a copy of which has been sent to every registered proprietor. " Mr. Frederick Ricketts, for so many years chairman, and latterly deputy Chairman, of this Company, having re signed, your directors have elacted in his stead, as their col league, Mr. James Hibbert Wanklyn, of Manchester. " A very short period elapses before you have an oppor tunity of confirming the choice of the board, as, in the room of Mr. Ricketts, he is one of the four who retire by rotation. " The other three are Messrs. W. D. Wills, William Mor•• gan, and Francis Parker, who are also candidates for re election. " It was heretofore your wish to reduce the number of directors to the Parliamentary maximum of twelve; and as vacancies have occurred, by resignation or death, that object has been kept in view : but recently a desire has been expressed by many of the proprietors to restore the maximum of sixteen. _ _ " In this proposition your directors readily concur, and it remains for you, if you approve this measure, to elect three gentlemen duly qualified for the office. • "The statement of account will show you that the balance in the bankers' hands, on the 31st of December, 1845, was 1,2771. 135.. 3d. The motion for the adoption of the report was being moved when I was obliged to close my parcel. I have the best authority for saying that yesterday deputations from the joint Committees of Manchester and Bristol had a long interview with the Directors, the object being to arrive at an amicable adjustment of the several matters in dispute. The deputation submitted certain proposals to the directors, which were discussed at considerable length, but were not favourably received, and the parties sepa rated without anything definite being resolved upon. This day, at eleven o'clock, a second meeting took place, when the deputation submitted their ultimatum for the consideration of the Directors. I am informed that the greatest good feeling on both sides was manifested at this interview, but the particulars will not be known till the discussion, which will take place after my parcel leaves Bristol by the express train. SOUTH DEVON RAILWAY. The half-yearly meeting was held, by adjournment, on Tuesday, at the Royal Hotel, Plymouth. There was a very full attendance of subscribers, and considerable interest was manifested in the proceedings. The object of the meeting was to elect directors in place of those who retire by rotation, to appoint auditors, and to transact other general business of the Company. Mr. THOMAS GILL, M.P., was in the chair ; and among the directors present were Messrs. Gibbs, Millar, Fry, Coll, Hanker, St. Aubyn, Woolecombe, John Randle, Barlow, Jones, Shapland, Col. Harris, &c. Mr. Brunel, the engineer to the Company, was likewise present, as was also Mr. Samuda, the patentee of the atmos pheric system of traction. The SECRETARY having read the notice of meeting, and the resolution of adjournment passed at the pro firma meet ing, held on Saturday, The CHAIRMAN said, in commencing the few observations that he should offer upon the objects of their meeting that day, it was right that he should notice the occasion that had obliged him to postpone the meeting to that day. They were aware that individually he had very important Parliamentary duties to attend to, and he could not, consistently with those _duties, have left London in time to have been present, and knowing that there were several important matters to be brought for ward about that period, the directors, who had been similarly situated with himself; thought that the best course would be to postpone the meeting until the present time. He hoped that it had not caused inconvenience to any party; if it had it would give him pain to have been the occasion of it. He would new allude to the present financial position of the Company. The directors had made calls, as they were aware, up to the present period to the extent of 35/. upon each share, and which amounted to 700,000/. When he last had the pleasure of addressing them in November, he then had hoped that the directors would have been enabled to avoid making the last call upon the shareholders, and they had accordingly taken measures with that view by advertising for loans of money on debentures at 4 per cent. He had reason to be lieve at that time, and in which opinion he believed most present on that occasion agreed with him, that th e y wou ld have been able to obtain a sum of money quite adequat e t o i their want ;thus rendering it quite unnecessary to make an expectations. They nee d not be reminded, t e ieproprietors forthat purpose. Unfortunately other from t call hin s u t n their the proprietors forthat purpose. lTnfortunately from the stte of the money ma r k e t t h ey had been disap pointedthat for some time previous—in fact, during the whole of last summer, railway speculation had acquired a point at which it had never before attained ; in short, it had correctly been stated that railway speculation had gone mad. Money was therefore conceived to be more valuably appropriated than it could be in the way he had referred to ; and• failing, as the measure they had adopted had, it would fully explain the reason why they had made the call in November. He had the satisfaction of saying, notwithstanding the short notice of the call, it had been responded to in a manner which had served in a great measure to relieve their anxiety lest it should have proved inconvenient. It would, he be lieved, be greatly to their satisfaction to hear the rea sons which had made it necessary to make calls for money so repeatedly. The state of the works had exhibited very considerable improvement, and the expenditure had of course been proportionably large: but he had the satisfaction of saying, although the sum of 700,0.,01. had been drawn, a portion had been found neces sarythe necessary in order to make deposits with the Ac countant-General for those schemes in which the Company had embarked under the sanction of a public meeting of the shareholders, and that had taken a sum equal to 90,000/. They had done that, with a balance in hand at the close of the year, of between 20,000/. and 3 0,000/., which showed that they had spent up to this period a sum not exceeding 590,000/. He believed he might say with confidence, and in that statement all his colleagues would join, that notwith standing the largeness of the calls, and notwithstanding they had not yet been enabled to give any public evidence of the progress of the works by any demonstration of the working of the line, yet there was every reason to believe that the undertaking would be completed within the amount of the subscribed capital as described in the Act. The Chairman then entered into a variety of other statements, embracing the principal features noticed in the report. He described the nature of the reports which had been circulated to the prejudice of this line, and the animus of which was quite apparent. He hoped that the line by the ordinary locomotive mode of traction would be opened to Teignmoutb in May, and as Alertly afterwards as practicable to Newton. A variety of questions were then asked the Chairman, and satisfactorily answered ; they were principally in refer ence to the atmospheric system of traction. Mr.. C. STEPHENS, of London, made some. observations, with a view of ascertaining the probable loss to the Com pany should the system which they proposed trying prove a failure, and should the undertakings to which they had lent their support not answer the expectations of the promoters.He had every confidence in the directors, but be asked th ese , questions as a commercial man, to test the value of his pro perty and the nature of the contingencies to which it was subject. The CHAIRMAN replied that the greater part of the iron for the whole line was parc h we d and paid for, and they had contributed to the other undertakings from the certainty of their paying. • Mr. &stun), then entered into a variety of details prov ing the excellence of the atmospheric system of traction. The retiring directors ti were then re-elected, as were the auditors, and a vote of thanks having been given to the Chairman, the meeting separated. The following is the ENGINEER'S .REPORT othGentlemen,—eltoinsgrwaittuhlatging you upon the completionre a t regret that I have again to report to you upon the g e neral state of the works, without at and opening of any portion of the line, although I feel that no exertion has been wanting on my part to attain that ob ject, and that the delay has arisen from a variety of causes to which such works are always liable, and which are be yond the control, and to a great extent beyond the foresight of any engineer. " Upon that part of the line nearest to Exeter, which we had hoped to have opened last summer, the works are not what can at all be termed, in an engineering point of view, either heavy or difficult of construction, nevertheless at almost every point we have been dependent upon circum stances over which we have had no control. " Under the provisions of the Act almost every step has been subject to the jurisdiction of Government departments and private interests to adopt our works, which has involved frequent and harassing delays, and the successive stages of the work have, moreover, been always dependent upon the weather and the season, against the effect of which in postponing certain portions at one time and interrupting the supplies of materials at others it has been impossible to proceed. In the hopes which I at one time entertained of an early completion of this portion of the line I calculated upon the ordinary effects of these causes. In these hopes I have been disappointed, and having made the utmost exer tions in my power, I sould only share in your disappointment in the results. " These disappointments are, however, I trust, uow draw ing to a close, and we now may safely calculate upon opening the line to Teignmouth, and probably soon after to Newton. " These delays in the completion of the works have given rise to numerous and somewhat industrious ly circulated reports , ; ,i:... • of difficulties and serious impediments, which have no doubt added to the anxiety and disappointment of those interested in the success of our undertaking, but I am happy to say that the connexions of these reports has been almost in re verse ratio of their number. " No difficulties except those productive of delay have occurred in the slightest degree affecting the stability of the works or the ultimate successful working of the line. " It would be impossible to refer to the numerous sources of alarm which have been suggested, and therefore it is im possible to meet them in detail, but I believe you will be satisfied with my assurance, corroborated as it must be by your own frequent personal inspection of the line—that all those works between Exeter and Newton, to which the attention of the public has so frequently been drawn as ex posed to injury from the sea, have been constructed sub stantially, have resisted successfully that to which they are exposed, and are well calculated to afford a perfectly safe, convenient, and I may add agreeable road fur the public. "No part of these works have ever, during their construc tion, suffered more than ordinarily occurs to all works ex posed to the action of water, and rails are laid for nearly the whole length of that part so reported, and promises to be as good and as substantial a railway as any that have yet been constructed. • "In the employment of a new system—l refer to the at mospheric—delays will unavoidably occur, and in my desire to profit by the experience of the Croydon Rail w ay, - I have intentionally, and I think wisely, postponed some matters of detail, which has caused a considerable delay in the comple tion of this part of the machinery necessary for an opening. The success of this system upon the Croydon Railw4y has fully confirmed me in the view I entertained of its applica bility to this railway, and I deliberately repeat my opinion that I entertain no doubt whatever that you will be perfectly satisfied with the result. '• The delay which I have referred to in the fixing of the ma chinery, has induced you to consider the propriety of running passenger trains for a period with locomotives. This can be done with perfect, facility, and will not interfere with the completion of the atmospheric apparatus. "Arrangements will be immediately made for effecting this object. "Upon the rest of the works of the line to Plymouth the works are in a much more forward state than appears to be generally supposed—a considerable portion will he ready to receive the permanent way in the summer, and the whole, except at Plymouth itself, is proceeding very satisfactorily. "At Plymouth, as you are aware, we are waiting the deci sion of Parliament upon some proposed improvements on the line.—l have the honour to be, Gentlemen, your most obe dient servant, "I. K. BRUNEL." DIRECTORS' REPORT. Your directors submit to the shareholders the usual state ments of account for the half-year, ending 31st December last, which show that the receipts and disbursements to the 31st June, amounted to— _ Receipts,.£32l,o66 19 0 And for the half-year ending 31st December, 237,432 0 0 £558,493 19 0 Payments, £272.127 8 3 And for the half-year ending 31st December, 248,814 13 7 Leaving a balance of £558,498 19 0 "Of the above balance 23,8251. were in deposit with the Accountant-General, and 13,731/. 17s. 2d either in bankers' hands, or invested in securities, at the date to which the ac counts are made up. "In considering the financial position of the Company to the close of the year, it is necessary to observe that the in creasing progress of the works within the last six months has called for an enlarged scale of exrenditure. and rendered it imperative upon your directors not only to make calls upon the shareholders as rapidly as the provisions of the Act of Incorporation would admit of, but also to make the amount of their last call greater than any which had preceded it. " From a desire to avoid as far as possible any pressure upon the proprietary, your directors advertised in Novem ber last, for loans on debenture, at 4 per cent., but which however, owing to the mania for railway speculation, the evil of which was then beginning to be felt, they regret to state they were not successful in obtaining to an amount at all commensurate with their wants, and no alternative was then left but to follow the course which they reluctantly adopted. It is gratifying to state that this call was in ge neral responded to by the shareholders with th• greatest punctuality. _ " In regard to the several projects for lines in which the Company is interested, and for which Bills are now before Parliament, your directors have no further information to convey than that which was communicated in their report of the 30th August, and ii the proceedings of the special meet ing of the 11th November. With the exception of the Ash burton and South Devon Junction, and the Exeter, Topsham, and Exmouth Railways, all of them are still before the Committee of Standing Orders. " It would now be the duty of your directors to allude to the state and progress of the works upon the line, but as a detailed report has been prepared by your engineer, they be lieve that they will best consult your wishes by referring you to that document for the desired information. " Whilst they cannot but partake of the general feeling of disappointment which they regret to find is so prevalent at the delay which has occurred in opening the line between Exeter and Newton, that feeling would have been greatly increased did they not feel conscious that no want of atten tion or of exertion on their part has been instrumental in causing that delay, and that it is to be attributed to circum stances which they could neither have contemplated nor pre vented. They have the satisfaction of believing also, that however disappointing the delay may have been, it will yet, in the greater perfection and security of the works, ulti mately prove advantageous to the interests of the Company. "Your directors cannot be surprised that the attacks with which both the South Devon Railway and the atmospheric system of traction have been so perseveringly assailed, should have induced many persons to suppose the one to be very defective and insecure, and the other to have proved a total failure. But they believe that it would not be difficult to trace the exaggerated statements and perversions of fact which have constantly appeared in certain publications, to insidious attempts of parties inte rested in decrying the one and suppressing the other. Your directors would not however have deemed it necessary to bestow any notice on such mis-statements, but for the op portunity which it affords them of expressing to the share holders their undiminished confidence in the atmospheric system of traction, and of assuring them that the prejudice which has been raised against that part of the line which passes over the sea beach, is entirely destitute of truth: of this the public will themselves shortly be enabled to judge. "Confident as your directors continue to be of the succes ful working of the atmospheric system, the unforseen delays which may occur, where many of the minor but necessary de tails are still experimental, hays suggested the expediency of taking the advantage of the early summer traffic by running passenger trains with a locomotive engine on the line as far as Teignmouth. "Your directors consider that this may be done, not only inexpensively and with little or no interruption to the pro gress of the atmospheric arrangements, but with considerable advantage to the Company. " In conclusion your directors have to report that the Great Western Railway Company have appointed Mr. George Jones to be a director in the place of Mr. W. S. Jacques, deceased.' " In conformity with the 88th clause of the Act of Incor poation, the following directors retire by rotation, but are duly qualified for re-election :—Mr. Gill, Mr. Cole, Lord Courtenay, and Mr. Fox ; and it will be the duty of this meeting, under the 108th clause of the Act of Incorporation, to proceed to the election of two auditors for the ensuing year. " THOMAS GILL, Chairman." INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS. (Sir John Rennie, President, in the Chair.) The first paper read (on the 24th ult.) was a " De scription of the Dinting Vale Viaduct, on the line of the Sheffield and Manchester Railway," by A. S. Gee,' Member I. C. E. This viaduct consists of sixteen arches, five of which are of timber, and seven of of bricks. The whole of the large piers, wings, outside spandrils, and parapets are built of stone, from the quarries in the neighhiurnood. The five large arches, which are each of 125 feet span, and twenty-five feet versed sine, are built of Memel tim ber; the main ribs of these arches are composed of planking three inches thick, bent and laid longitudi- nally, and fastened together with oak trenails, and firmly stayed by means of wrought iron tie-rods• The smaller semicircular arches, situated at each end of the viaduct, are built of brick, with stone quoins. They are of fifty feet in the span and three feet in thick ness, and are built in a curve of forty chains radius, the piers being wedge shaped to suit the curve, leaving the faces parallel with each other. The entire cost of the viaduct (which was given in its various details in the paper) was stated to be 35,250/. 6s. 5d., its total length 484 yards, and its greatest height about 125. feet above the water course. It was com menced early in 1843, and was opened on the Bth of August, 1844. The average cost of construction was calculated at about 21. 14s. per superficial yard, and 6s. 9d. per cubic yard, the viaduct being eighty yards wide. The paper by Mr. G. W. Hemans, M. Inst., C.E., de scribed the system invented by Sir J. Macneill, and em ployed on the Dublin and Drogheda Railway for pre paring the transverse sleepers, and fastening the rails upon them. The sleepers are half baulks, 12 inches by 6 inches at the junction of the rails, and intermediately half tree; of larch; with the bark on, not less than $ inches by 4 inches, are placed, with the round side up yards, at an average distance of 2 feet 6 inches apart. These , sleepers are prepared for bearing the rails, by fixing twelve at a time on a sliding table, similar to that of a planing machine ; they are moved forward by steam power beneath two circular cutters, set at the given distance of the gauge apart, and re volving very rapidly, and which pass through the whole series of sleepers, cutting, at a given inclination, the seats for the rails. A slight stoppage of the table takes place as each sleeper is rut, in order to afford time for four drills to descend simultaneously, and to pierce the holes for the pins or trenails fur holding down the rails. An engine of six-horse power suffices for working two of these machines, by which one thousand sleepers can be finished complete in twenty- four hours, at an expense of about ld. each, instead of lid each, which they formerly cost by manual labour. The sleepers thus prepared are used traversely be neath rails of the bridge, from which the sides are slightly pinched inwards, in finishing, so as to form a dovetail with a joint plate with a raised rib, which is laid at each junction, and which, by using a screw pin and plate at one end, and a collar-headed pin at the other, holds the rail very fast, preventing lateral and vertical motion, but permitting longitudinal action in expansion and contraction. These rails weigh 831 b. per yard. The total cost per mile of the double line, including rails, sleepers, piers, spikes, joint chains, &c., laid complete, is stated at 3,4701. 2s. Bd., when the rails cost 71. 53. per ton. The paper by Mr. W. Vanderkiete, Assoc..lnst, C. E., described a very useful arrangement of machinery for working the diving-bell used in setting the masonry, at a depth of about eight feet below the level of ex traor dinary spring tides, in the extension of the pier at Kilrush, in the river Shannon, under the direction of Mr. T. Rhodes, the chief engineer of the Shannon Commissioners. Upon a series of piles and longi tudinal timbers, a railway was laid, upon which two travelling platforms were constructed; with winches, &c. One of them brought the stone nearly over its intended position, and lowered it into the sea ; the other then brought the diving-bill over it, and by means of a chain and purchase, the stone was lifted and placed properly in its place by the men in the bell. This work was continued through all seasons, and with the utmost regularity, and the work 80 constructed was as solid as ifbuilt on dry land. The drawings accompany ing the-paper gave all the details of the machinery. " An account of the drops used for the shipment of coals at Middlesbro' on Tees," -by G. Turnbull, Mem. Inst, C. E., was announced to be read at the meeting of Tuesday, March 3d, 1846, when the monthly ballot fur members will take place. STATE OF OUR CONVICTS IN VAN DIE:VIEN'S LAND. (From the Glasgow Examiner.) We have been favoured With the folloe - ving extracts from the letter-of a highly respectable gentleman in Van Diemen's Land, who has been eye wittness of the scenes he describes:— My protege, A-- B— has now served his proba tion, and come to town. As his eonduct during that time has been remarkably good, he has at once received a third-class ticket and is eligible for employment. I have been doing my best to interest in his favour those who are most able to serve him. Already, through the Rev. Mr. Lillie, I have got him placed amongst the convict writers at the Comptroller-General of Convict's Office. It is almost impossible to get a suit ' able situation for him just now, as the country is deluged with people similarly situated, of acknow ledged talent and abilities, who are glad to take the most mean and paltry situation in order to earn a few shillings. Under these circumstances, he has set his heart upon the situation of javelin mar. This is an em ployment under the sheriff ; the pay is very trifling, I believe, but he prefers such a situation to a better with one of the colonists, as he will be sure of passing through the various stages of indulgence more quickly by being thus paced under the eye of those who can extend these advantages to him. lie will, besides (as in private ser vice), live away from the prisoners' barrack, and when not occupied with his duties, be quite unrestricted in the employment of his time up to a certain hour of the evening—l believe seven o'clock—when all but free people must be at their places of residence, or they will be immediately picked up by the police—who are Argus• eyed here—and if they cannot produce a special pass from their employer, be consigned to the watch-house, and next morning be sent by the police mogistrate to the tread-mill. I am in great hopes that I shall be able to proem° this situation through Mr. Lillie, for him, as Mr. Burnet, the sheriff, is Mr. L.'s father-in law. You ask me if the convicts are obliged to wear their peculiar garb after they are engaged by the free population, thus marking them as belonging to the class they do, to those who might be otherwise ignorant of it. After a convict has served his probatiOn, he can wear any dress he chooses, so that in that respect he is not marked. I mean that strangers passing him in the streets would, of course, think him a gentleman if he was dressed as one ; but do not for a moment suppose from this that a convict has any better chance of being received into respectable society again merely by the change in his dress. As I have before mentioned, many prisoners have remained here after their sentence had expired, and acquired a fortune, and are now rolling in their carriages ; but for all that, there is a broad line of demarcation placed between those that have been convicts and those who have not this awful stigma upon ahem. The history, origin, and circumstances of every one who is in society here are all known ; and in select society, a gentleman could not commit a greater offence than by introducing a person who has been a prisoner. If the people at home are remarked for being reserved to strangers, what would be said of the people here who 'would scarcely talk civilly to a stranger until they knew his history. I could astonish you very much in a walk through Hobart Town, by pointing out various charac ters who have obtained an unenviable notoriety at home, whom we would meet now and then, and whom you would pass by without remarking anything unusual about them. Suppose I had the happiness of thus acting as your cicerone, I will give you an example or two :—Look at that good-looking man who is walking with a quick pace towards us ; you see he is very fashionably dressed, and has quite the air of an elegant ; and were it not that his clothes are a little faded, and the worse for wear, you would at once lay him down as an exquisite of the first water ; well, that is King, the London Post-office money -letter abstractor. . You will observe that he is accompanied by another person, a stout, grave, gentlemanlike individual, who, judging by his manners and appearance, has evidently ,moved in good society, and enjoyed the comforts Viand luxuries of this life • that is Beaumont Smi t h , t h e celebrated exchequer-bill forger, who, disdaining to com mit a trifling peccadillo, aspired to glorious celebrity as the prince of forgers, by doing business in that way to the extent of two hundred and odd thousand pounds. Going on further, we meet an old and rather shabbily , dressed man wearing a straw hat ; he is a clerk to one of our grocers, and by the pepers in his hand, we may guess that lie is going about collecting the accounts -of his employer. It' you look attentively at his face, you will at once conclude, from his grey hairs and wrinkled care-worn face, that he is a man on whom the burning ploughshare of grief and mental agony has done the • work - of years ;—that is the unfortunate and misguided Frost, the Chartist Reformer—one of the many hun dreds who might be pointed out to show the cruel and wretched system pursued towards transported criminals. I allude to the equality of punishment which is dealt to all offenders ;—no matter how various their crimes, how dissimilar their dispositions. how different the depths of moral depravity to which they have sunk, all are indiscriminately mixed together in gangs; where men who have probably lived at one time in an exemplary manner in good society, supported the various characters of husband, father, and friend, in a becoming and praiseworthy manner, tvho are possessed of great abilities and good education, but have in an evil hour (perhaps maddened by injury and insult, or driven to despair by the prospect of indi gence and want) committed an act which has rendered them amenable to the laws of their country. Men such as these are herded together with the systematic burglar and robber, the pickpocket, the habit and re pute thief—wretches who have been guilty of every crime under heaVen, who from their infancy have been reared and educated in every shape and form of vice, whose language is obscene and blasphemous in the extreme—all are worked, fed, and lodged indiscrimi nately together. We are told that the object of punish ment is the reformation of the criminal, and are im pelled to give our cordial approbation to the benevo lence of such a principle; but how such an enlightened principle can be connected with the working :out of the present probation system of convict discipline I am at a loss to conceive. It is not the description of punish ment that I would altogether find fault with, although that, is to a certain extent objectionable, both in kind and degree, but it is the loathsome and degrading association. flow can he who wishes to amend his life be expected to reform—no matter how strong-minded he may be— when' all day long his ears ring with the curses and laughter of the vilest of mankind? If he shows a de termination to conduct himself well, he is assailed with the'ridicule, mockery, and persecution of his companions. In the evenings he hears nothing but the exulting rela lations of successful villany, of credulity deceived, of charity and goodness abused, together with histories of profligacy, ingratitude, and every species of wickedness. The natural result of passing through such a dreadful ordeal is, that whatwas at first heard with the utmost hor ror, the unhappy man gradually becomes accustomed to — his feelings become day after day deadened to his de gradation—and at last, with the total extinction of every moral and religious feeling, he becomes an active partisan in crime, or he is only passively honest until temptation is thrown in his way. This is a matter in which our colonial autocrat, Lord Stanley, incurs a fearful responsibility. - I doubt not if he were presented with a complete and true picture of the awfully bad effects of his crude and ill-digested experiments in "penal science," it would harrow up bit soul, if he had a particle of feeling. Instead of Van Diemen's Land being a spot where the erring children of men are reclaimed and won back to . the paths of virtue and honesty, where a wise and good Government pursues those measures which can best en sure the reformation of its criminals, it is converted into a frightful pandemonium, where the comparatively good are initiated into a knowledge of vice and wickedness, of the existence of which they never previously dreamt. This distant island, therefore, intended to be a theatre for the development and growth of every latent spark of honour and principle, is turned into a vast moral grave, wherein is buried for ever every good and right feeling with which a convict is possessed, when he sets foot on its polluted shores ! I am, however, forgetting our friend, A- B-. As he was without money, and not allowed to bring out clothes with him, he found himself quite destitute in that respect when he came again to town, and would have laboured under a very great disadvantage in ob taining employment, if dressed in the prisoner's clothing. I therefore sent him to my tailor, who supplied him with a new suit, so that he now looks respectable. The whole expense or his rig -out, which was managed as economically as possible, will cost me something more than five pounds, which will be well bestowed, it I can get him a situation away from his vile associates, and so be the means of saving one victim of imperial expedi ency. I have great hopes of him ; he appears very grateful, aud, I trust, will do well. If he s h ou ld dis credit the description I have given of him to those whom / have spoken to on his behalf, by misbehaving, I shall of course be compelled to abandon him te his fate. [ADVERTISEMENT].—SIGHT AND HEARING.-39, Albemarle-street, Piccadilly, Newly-Invented Spectacles, Powerful Telescopes, Opera Glasses, Microscopes, &c.—Patronized by his Ma jesty the King of Hanover, her Grace the Dowager Duchess of Bed ford, their Graces the Archbishops of Canterbury, York, and Dublin, the Dukes of Devonshire, Norfolk, Argyle, Marlborough, and Man chester, Bishops of kzeter, Lincoln, Cork, Elphin, Kilmore, and Kil dare. Messrs. S. and B. Solomons, oculists and opticians, have invented Spectacle Lenses upon a new construction. Immediately they are placed before imperfect vision, either by day or candlell,ht, that mist and_ dullness which appears before the eyes is at once re moved, every object becomes clear and distinct, so that the most aged defective sight becomes bright and brilliant, and is brought to its youthful natural and original state. Also the most powerful Achro matic Telescopes, Opera Glasses, Microscopes, Invisible and all kinds of Acoustic Instruments for relief of extreme deafness. Caution — Messrs. S. and B. Solomons, opticians, are not in any way connected with a person of the same name in their Immediate neighbourhood. To prevent mistakes, be cautious, and observe—Only to be had at 39, Albemarle -street, Piccadilly, opposite the York Hotel. EADVESITISEMENTI—HoIIoway's Ointment and Pills aro producing immense sensation in the Bahama Islands. A letter received recently from Mr. Frederick Williams, of Nassau, states, " I know of many hero that have tried Holloway's Ointment aild Pills, and who have derived the greatest benefit from their use. One case in particular, 'a lady, whose foot was in such a dreadful state that, to save her :ife, amputation was deemed necessary, and yet she regained the complete use of her limb by these celebrated medicines." Any wound, sore, ulcer, abscess, or bad leg, even if of twenty years' standing , will readily heal by their application. Sold by all dealers in medicines, and at Professor Hollo wa y 's Establishment, 244, Strand, London. 3 l i L r. E s a I r T m I i i , A c T r E a r° rds CHlLDR EN notmotionf l o N r an tEcLe o A uNDt of of women having illegitimate children relieved In the . workhouses in IRELAND.—The return to "number rn C rom the i Ireland during the half-year endi n g the 225th _of om b m e o pt , e l mbe . r . , 1845,' was yesterday printed by order of the House o summary of the returns from 119 workhouses t appears ie aumbers relieved during the above perio d were vromea having illegitimate children, 2,091 ; Illegitimate children, 3,688. Mr. Aiderinan klumphory paird off wi Tuesday night with Mr. Mackinnon in favour of Mr. C. Villiers' motion, for irn. mecliate reptal. CHARGE OF EMBEZZLE COMMITTAL OF A LIVERPOOL BRu•°.' • (From the T,iverpoo _ l Courier of Wednesday.) ~A l ice Yesterday -extraordinary interest was excited at theority court by the circumstance that Mr. James Spenc e Av a ter. firm of Messrs. Spence, Cochrane, and Co., brokers, 0 " o led street, was put to the b ar , c h arge d w i t h h av ing ell'lLj e ,. bf 119 casks of oil, of th e va l ue o f 2 , 00 0 / . and 11Pwa,,,rilere. transferring the property w ith ou t th e consen t of 111 v " o no The prisoner is a y oung man o f very respecta ble aPPe s a pd Mr. Lownde ,s solicitor, of the firm of Lowudes, Robteslis,e6 Bateson, of Brunswick street, appeared to prefer the c';(1 and Mr. Bardswell, solicitor, of the firm of Bardswets. Littledale, Royal Bank-buildings, appeared for the pris?° o " Mr. William Gartside, on being called, deposed as-foilsroip I carry on business at Ossett, near Wakefield, ifils r &iober with my brother Jo se ph, as d yers. I n t h e mo nth ()I goe! last we had 119 c as k s o f o il l y i ng i n Liverpool. ' °set casks belonged t Q th e fi rm , an d fortv-n i ne w ere trY ou r These oils were in the possession of Mr. Bilbrougkf,i t ess, broker. He informed u-• he was about to give uP " tr or and requested directions as to whom the oil should be t rot ferred. We gave him directions to hand them over t ?,i i r bes l Cochrane, and Co. I have had correspondence w ll c oo h. since about the oil. I produce a letter signed Spence, _ . `',, Ati o rane, and Co., dated the 4th of 'October last. I also P4" - en ce a circular, dated the 24th of September last, signe d 'fel and Co. ; a letter dated the 26th of November last, of Pe. Spence, Cochrane, and Co.; another dated the Ist vett camber, signed, per pro Spence, Cochrane, and CoA pe nee J. Spence; anothe r d a t e d t h e 6th of Decem b er, signed filbert Cochrane, and Co.;and another dated the 11th of •li'f r oto signed Spence, Cochrane, and Co., which we ree eiyed j SO them. The last four of iese letters relate to the oi l -, 19 the prisoner, James Spence, at O sse tt, on Friday " las lds s/ told me had suspended payment. I said that that svou b el affect our ail. He replied, " Yes, it will." I aske d i geo He said he had transferred it to another plain. a dded , Wonostrocht and Co., about six weeks ago. -t ie ~other it to e" o il, that in an evil moment he had transferred the party. He also said that he had obtained money en 0 lot Ido not know that he named the amount. 3 1 3 .5elf h i l li lye„ brother came to Liverpool with the prisoner. I ' 3 , W : I nch P terday, when he gave me the paper, now produce d , ", he cl'' wrote in my presence. I never gave authority 111 ' ii, 6 soner, or to Spence, Cochrane, and Co., never had any loans or advances from Spence, u° ol lll and Co., on those oils. We had no other merchant. o t sl their hands. We have only had one transaction wit h about some logwood, and that was paid for. r cs , Croes• examined by Mr. Bardswell—The prieV., r poe' over to see me. He did not invite me to come to '''`O / 1 I said it was time to come, and we same together., o f to pledge the ocott, arrival I did not require to see a statement of 111 ' st , t Yesterday I did require such a statement. I ' s tall prisoner's ( - Ace on Saturday, and my brother was "- The prisoner slid he did not look upon me as a , . 1 1 and that he would endeavour to pay my account c l t , We asked him if he could give security. I et" -: 01 that if he could we would give him time—dirt; fel months, nor did my brother say so. No etec? l : d fs l l! r named. He said he had none. I asked if b e st 111 ‘ would give security. He said he was in the t o ore" dies. We left, and said we should call on Mond.st o ods9 ing to see' what was to be done. We went 00 . ;(10 morning. I did not a s k f or a s t a t emen t of his g. , se One was slioWn to us, and we then asked for a coPP v 0 1 . wanted to see how he stood. In the afternoon a c p ,4 ript furnished to Mr. Bilbrough, :and we got it. M „ i '' sae ,: meeting in the forenoon he promised to -fseP,' copy and send it. I' got it, and have it now. Our O w )3P: not in it, but" owners of olive oil" are. I think o f thl brough asked in my presence the probable 00 1. ife u 're dividend. Spence said he could no t t e ll. He said n o sy , ' endeavour to pay us afterwards, if he could make i t ' .d 1 ft no reply that I k n o w of. I cannot tell whether I said ,not satisfied without security.' I did no t go for th e s , to r intention of gettin g sec ur ity. 1 went to see what w ss id 1 :: done. I wanted to get the oil back. Nothing 117 1 %59 0 b Liverpool about hi s w if e ' s unc l e, b ut i n Yorkshire P : o ci 11 :! l , f had no one but his w if e ' s unc l e to become fiecuriti' " t forfrl 'he had refused. When we left, I did not tell him theongb, 1 negotiations were to be carried on th roug h Mr. lil ibr o pf. o saw the account partially made out before I got 11 ,. o f 0 , 1 .:d only_ looked it over casually. I did no t see " mime': o n ,oil" in it. I took very little notice of it. I 11 1 d° Afte, r a that my name was not to be inserted as a creditor. ...it,'n got the account Mr. Bilbrough and myselflooked ove_.' d o se I had no conversation as to security. My brothere. ~,, leave me direction to get security before I went b,° 11 4,..0f. h 't Re-examined by Mr. Lowndes—My first kn0° 11 ,,,,,, e t e i s - 4 pawning of the oil was on Friday evening last a ir '7, o els" o'clock. The oil cost us about 2,200/. or 2,3004 .1 " 0 put out of the way about it. ...ads s. .,e .r This evidence being reduced to writing, it was mold T e a the prisoner, and Mr. Rushton intimated that he S P be 4, mit him for trial at the assizes, but. admit hi lll "'hi, finding security, himself in 4001. and two sureties each. • tUrtll The prisoner will be again brought up to-daY , whell iea' evidence will be produced on th e p ar t o f th e prosec et TUESDAY NIGHT'S GAZ.-. v. - yrrs* DIVIDENDS DECLARED. Ptt/; kberl i ' .. l• W. H. and T. B. T u r ner , co tt on spinners, Bla c 7r ii esdsA' 'cashire—third div. of 20. in the pound, on any ' ' s i dsi 6 the office of Mr. Fras er , M anc h es t er . gor , -„ ve r E. T. Jones and H. M. C ross kill, booksell" a ny ' Lancashire—first div. of 10& Bd. in the pound, 013 - ,1 day, at the office of Mr. Fraser, Manchester . first d'ir. t. T. Jones, bookseller, Rochdale, Lancashire - ' of af 94. in the pound, o n a n y T ues d ay , a t the " lc ori t Fraser, Manchester. H. M. Crosskill, booksell er , R oc hd a l e , Lau calbi o r r t. O div. of Ild. in the po u nd, on an y T ues d a y, et th e th e ill Mr. Fraser, Manchester. ~e ss. go' T. Todd, -cotton dealer, Manchester—first div " r ' Bir• F ill e ' ,l pound, on any Tuesday, at the office of • tis chester. A r st ali d .o° ( J. Cummins, joiner, Newcastle-upon-Tyne--- -- ehe oill div. of sd. in the pound, on any Saturday, at '' dig' Mr. Wakley, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 0, of. H. G. Gibson,. chemi s t, N ewcas tl e - u pon-Tyne - r gee ob of 2s. 6d. in the pound, o n .. n y Saturday, at the 0 0 ' Wakley, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. DIVIDENDS. o at , „ 4 0 , At. the Court of Bankruptcy, 13asingh a ll•et' „ - ,tais• G. Clement and H. Sammon s , grocers , Net - 11 ,0D, Stoke Newington, March 24, at twelve—B. .L. Wa t l e fer flo r I lecturer of flags, Cornhill , March 24, a t half-past: e is. Y d s, S. Tucker and G. M. Bidwell, groc ers , M e l c ombe l i tte r ? setshire, March 26, at twelve—J. Vines, meala2,e ° ' Wlll, fa ch March, 25, at two—H. Goertz, upholsterer, .N e " , pa rts March 27, at twelve—G. Barnes, innkeeper' March 25, at eleven. - 11' In the Country. ieePer' Pr c ,r , J. David, mister, Langherne, Carmarthenshire , j. Go t oe at eleven, at the Bristol District Ccurt—T: and „,e, i' - - o re, V merchants, Coldsithney,. Cornwall, April 2, 8 " opt Exeter District Cour t —W. Smethurst, Jacqu ar td . makers; March 25, at twelve, at the Manche s Court.l IA SW CERTIFICATES to be granted, unless cause of , the contrary, on the day herein mentionosetio A. Bunnett, window-blind maker, Newingl o itO o telu March 24-11. Muggeridge, wiredrawer, St' u tlisfe Smithfield, March 24—C. Bartlett, merchant , noirf n e, March 24—T. Adams, calico printer, CheaPsi, de 'oo_,o7e, F. Taylor, tallow chandler, Orange-street, Re", 0 4 Dw oo llsti March 27—A. Palmer, druggist, Feltwell, N0 17° . 0 , —W. Wilks, builder, Leeds, March 24--B• draper, DocAtAtij, draper, Kingston-upon-Hull, March 26- - "‘ worsted spinner, Birstal, Yorkshire, March 26-.- - " d 0 0 1 merchant, Liverpool, March 24—J. Roberts aL1 ,,,bi1d , ,, 1 : 5 10,1 liuendrapers, Manchester, March 26—J. 1 1 .„° t ',: maker, Bristol, March 24—J. Peake, 4 Knights, Essex, March 24—A. S. Tucker angootl well, grocers, Melcombe Regis, Dorsetshiret M a rc Brooks, currier, Glastonbury, Somersetsbire , 110,;t i gc4 4 Corduroy hatter, Liverpool, March 24—E. 24 : 1,11 1 4 "gcll' dentist, Lower Brook-street, Grosvenor -041 1. 3 %1re, Y. 44. W. Brown, ironmonger, Atherstone, Warw/c.' ( - ar ch --W. R. Edward., linendraper, London-road' , r 1 PARTNERSHIPS DISSOLVEfi e t.-- -. .„ R. Gould and J. R. Hall, merchants, Man,ch,",fog o ;b t win and W. R. Bibby, law stationers, P li " - por 3 ,,e; 0 42 e Ayers and R. Amey, millers, Sutton Pcri tz ' ess P ;. 4 .. A.. - S. Spooner and J. Dunster, ironmongers, o gee- or, Long Acre—T. F. and S. Adams, w hip-0114 . 10 0 elo ° Ues mingbam—J. King, J. Witt, J. Long, onurtarltat ail4ol chants, Southampton—T. Sands, jun., and J...." b t i r bl drapers, Norwich—J. Turnbull and W am 00. 4 South Shields, Durham—A. S. Thornton, - 0 ; ric hest e ;l3vi d , and B. B. Atterbury. commission agents, / , ',A g A tid, as regards B. B. Atterbury)—R. M. GiL es ao d starch manufacturers, Old Ford—J. fkr s , te rs j At o steL , carpenters, Huddersfield—J. and J. Vero, nisi, o , tir o , ;70, Warwickshire—A. Buffery, jun., and E. nu ", dtAlL e b rolt,th Stratford-upon-Avon—J. Ross and T. Cai rns ' A re ruth, Cornwall—J. Warburton and W-Pa r ' e ISA P -4 Newcastle-upon-Tyne—T. Grissell and S., 31 0 • 010 , York-road, Lambeth--E. Brooks and 'l% 4 ' l ° j:e vil, e ti on, lecturers, Spital-square—A. Silcoek and d; c hi t pr y On, Langey Burrell, Wiltshire—R. and R. a ' l° ad of Beak-street, Regent-street—J. Mulliner4h,rd . 11 „ ; . fin commission agents, Manchester—J. 8.F . " . Jotclr o r p otlir Croft, brokers, Liverpool—J. Winter and. IJ. W. S. a ß ti u n r g ton n:a N nu e f yb ac m tu a r n e . rs st , re l e l t u , d o de x r f s o ti r e d /f i E v rce e e t-•i . worth and T. Porter, cheese dealers, 3 1 „ 3 " 8 ,,„" gab O. —E. L. Baker, E. Cantrell, jun., and E. J. firlieds . „ll , brokers, Manchester— W. Hopkinson an ti rs, .11 nor, proved woollen-fabric-machine mallufag o ger 6 slll'. Gray, J. D. Hutton,. T. Gray, A. it 5 , 916 11 .1 2 3i# Lovegrove, J. Fames, C. Ashdown, J. " g. o' t jlet printers, Salisbury-square, Fleet- st re etz: - iirokek.„ leo Briggs, stockbrokers, Leeds—J. Wilson, IST spellC" stead, W. Waithman, R. Walker, and J. yi dressers, LeedSCOTCH SEQUESTRA s. TIO S' an d 114 hJit Alexander Jeffrey, printer, Jedburgh, re:" elbargn• h 5 an a 2 h, twelve, at the Spread Eagle Inn, Je gate ,44. - John Bowden, merchant, Glasg"i' j i as govii o a 'WOO twelve, at the office of Mr. Monteith Glasgow, john C3oioakr March Neil gate - 4 Stewart, Glasgow. Dumfries, James Fleming, bootmaker, pututri„, A re 7 April 22, at one, at the Commercial 1 1 ,!_ 5n , 0 „.4 James M‘Gill and Co.. victuallers, Ui t io golf 25, at twelve, at the office of Mr. Young, an a d nd 3o C , oa.t, oinrzfoartdhercb`-:berhsic.'o 04 of 00('''r 11.41tRIED. Mr Geo „ t o God a ffi t At the parish church , St. Marylcbonf e, , Thornss , . .- D olce , - .Jamberwell, to Mary, oldest daughter oMr mouth-street, Portluud place.--.----- , 0 0 DO ' loiv_foOart York -place, - l il i lia e aecn 2 : : : t i h ,:ry u oi l dwg t ei . ei , tri 30 a . ies t it: L rde a oe t : t .. o n Vi cl DIDD• r . / ff. - , 1 Hyde Jr. ih " --. . ira . tl i e 61 1516 l'i r ..41, Or. '"" On the 27th ult., ou the Terrace, Vralw o P --, 04. Cr On the 28th ult., at I:racondale, nea r Norw.---, btr. t. • 64. ..}1 J C ub i sr be' o o64 On the 28th ult., firs. Elizabeth Orme.% wi fe ° fe l tor ..• aarabe, f„gq:100 On the let inst., at Stareross, Devon, J. 5e.. ., you" 1 16 '' On the let at Norland-place, Netting-hill, An'' , ClO ri° of the late William Crosse, Esq. .... chelteoligin'' ,04; On the Ist inst., at Charlton Kings, near D• A. Ales ftri o a t i7e. relict of the late Rear-Admiral 9fansol• On the 2d inst., at Baring-crese cnt, ,on P. e weep ,t sO dst izeOnittotiii:eac2eddir4tBst. Henry, youngest soli of (4°4 JP ° King-street, Wooltsbn y ' e g r. tte' On the 2d inst., at C r ole . shill-Street, Eaton -64 , Ch .... ~ of VPP "C; On the 2d inst , David Edward Williams, ..-e,'' street, Fitzroy-square. 1 01 14 4 as ,0 rr i gool London : Printed and Published by vv..- p w to pil.. l '..A tj a , The Sun Office, No, 112. .2, 'o of tritud the , Frillier, Savoy inat the County of 1111tid leee 3, 1846. • lat ?Ii bi r Lei, 4 1(3 gtal 0 .11 t 10r to t h, l ll pi g f,401 ins t is i ra `lb al kelt 4 , 1 VI 1 44 e; 1 tw tat Ate ' - 4)., 'el r vid er . 10.%;', 4 a k r. t 11 1 1 ] r e , ; _ . '4lc 2S, at twelve, at ti....,____2=)f]fice01D...........L-"'',,.........----—______------- —___ . -------- l!' OP # On the 17th alt., the lady o ( Thomas Edil, ,l A dy of goof dit OW On the 25th ult., at Bromley , in Kent, the + _, v of° ~ Eaton Butcher, of a daughter.o • BiagAs. o ...10 0• On the 28th ult., at B r i g hton, Mrs. Charlee ter, which survived Its birth but two hours. „role, /311 r 41 On the 2d inst., at Hereford Lodge, h ours. J O 64° _,, Mrs. Ferdinard Joubert of a sou. On the 2,1 inst., at Bioadstairs, the Wife of the lb° df O P Hodgson, of a daughter. 11-11 i-r l' On the 2d inst., at Medbury Cottage, Stockw e 00 Joseph Manning, of a daughter. go. 111.61'6' 041 On the 3d inst., at Brook Lodge, Hendon , a lisp of a daughter. On the 3d inst., in Notting it the lady a. l a ra hter . of a son. On the 3d inst.. at Croydon. Mrs. 11. Scott, of A ' Wig'. . ol oaf , Cod °l 10 1 , „i•