The Sun. — London, England, 1846-09-01 00:00:00

The Belgian Government would seem anxious to ob tain the goods traffic; for it is stated in this Compte Rendu, that it is to the extension of it that the State must look for any fresh increase in the net profits of its railways. It has been observed, however, that the rail ways do not maintain a very successful competition with the canals; for while in 1844 the goods carried by rail way amounted only to 52,000 tons, those carried by canals amounted for that year to 400,000 tons. The canal traffic of 1845 still showed an increase, and the freights exceeded those of 1844 by 18,9451. It has been inferred that the Belgian Government have not yet suffic'ently lowered their charges for heavy goods. In France, by the law of 1845, the fares and charges are in pence and decimals : d. Eissengers, per head per mile. — First class Second 1 .25 f t Third ditto ff 51 , Cattle per head per mile.—Bullocks, &c. Calves, &c. .. 066 /I Sheep, 8.37 &c. If Fish, per ton ft per mile ll ds, per ton per mile.—First class • „ Second ditto „ Third ditto 2 .35 And Carriages, per mile.—Single bodied 4.18 Double ditto The French charges are about 20 per cent. higher than the Belgian for passengers, and considerably more so for cattle and goods. The fares on the lines of Austria and Prussia, and the States of the German Confederation, are in some cases even lower than those of Belgium. On the lines of Austria and Baden, which were executed by the State, they are the lowest. On the Austrian linos of Budweis and Linz the fares are only three silver groichen per German mile, or 0•73 d. per English mile, for second class passengers, and two silver groschen per German mile, or 0.40 d. per English mile, tor third-class passengers. In Prussia the fares differ very little from those of Belgium. On the Berlin and Potsdam line, for instance, the fares for first-class passengers are 1.4 d. per English mile ; for second-class passengers, 1.06 d. per English mile ' • for third-class pas senge7:s, 0.6 d. per mile. On the Berlin and Anhalt road the fares for first-class passengers are 1•47 d. per English mile; for second-class passengers, 0.98 d. per mile ; for thirgl-class passengers, 0.61 d. per mile. T no following comparison is instituted in the Rapport on *the Projet de Loi:on the Northern line, to the Cham ber of Deputies in France, in 1845; between the passen ger fares in England, France, Germany, and Belgium, in c. mtimes per kilometre, in 1844:-- ! First Class.'Second Class.l Third Class, En; ;land.. France .. Ger many Belgium 5 7.10 9 1 61 4 7 54-5 _ _ _ _ 3 7-10 These rates may still be near the truth with respect to .IFrance, Germany, and Belgium ; but they are nu len ger applicable to England, where considerable reduc tioi is have taken place on most of the lines. But though the difference between English and Foreign fares and chi urges is not so great as it formerly was, it is still suf ficient to constitute a strong reason for control and in ter ference ; the fares on nearly all the lines are still too high, and evidence has been given that railway coin pa axes, when they have driven rivals out of the field, ha fre not hesitated to raise their charges, especially for the conveyance of goods, on principles not perhaps strictly in accordance with their own true interests, but stil 1 less in accordance with those of the public. Yonr )mmittee conceive this is far too important a matter to b , left to the arbitrary will of companies. The greater cheapness of coal and coke in this coun try enables companies to convey heavy goods by railway at a much lower rate than Continental railways can pos sibly do ; and the ability to lower fares increases in the ratio of the amount of goods carried. A line with a traffic of 750,000 tons per annum, could carry goods with as much profit at Id. per ton per mile as the Paris and Orleans line with a traffic of 150,000 tons at 3d. per ton per mile. The maximum rates fixed by Parliament in the dif ferent Acts are in all cases above, and in some greatly above, what ought to be taken from the public ; and thus, were no other check interposed, the community would be entirely at the mercy of the companies. Be sides, as has been already observed, there is at present the greatest diversity both in the scale and the mode of charging on different lines. For these high fares no justification can be found, either in the original outlay on the lines or the expense of maintaining and working them. Mr. Reed, intimately acquainted with the work ing of English and French lines, who is confirmed by Mr. Brassey, extensively employed as a contractor in the two countries, states that the cost of earthwork is much the same in England and in France ; that the rails and chairs, which on the Soutnampton line cost 2,7901. per mile, cost 4,6351. per mile on the Paris and Rouen line ; that the working of the former line costs about ls. a mile, while it is about Is. 4d. on the Paris and Rouen line ; that the locomotive power and the carriages Lost about 141- per cent. on the former, and 16 1-3 on the latter ; that - the general expenses, including officers, police, Ssc., are about 12 per cent. on the South-Western, and about 16 per cent. on the Paris and Rouen ; so that, in all these respects, England, it would appear, has a considerable advantage over France. On some of the English lines the balance of advantage is still more in favour of England. The cost of construction of the Belgian State lines appears to have been very unequal. According to the report of the Minister of Public Works, the three cheapest State lines were those from Ghent to Courtray, from Ghent to Bruges, and from Landen to St. Troud. The line from Ghent to Courtray cost per mile 6,6201.; :from Ghent to Bruges, 7,675/. ; from Landen to St. 'Trend, 8,990/. The three dearest State lines were those from Louvain to Tirlemont, from Liege to the Prussian _frontiers. and from Ans to Liege. The line from Lou vela to Tirlemont cost per mile 19,9571. ; from Liege to the Prussian frontiers, 40,797/. ' • from Ans to Liege, 02,325/. The average cost of the State line was 17,132/. pei• mile. The items of this average cost are, per mile, Jane and compensation, 2,9191. ; earthwork, bridges, tunnols, &c., 7,1631. ; rails, &c., 3,1461.; stations and buildings, 1,153/. ; working stock, 2,201/. ; miscella neous, 550/. The following is the cost of some of the French lines execateo: and in the course of construction : Per mile. The Paris and Orleans The Paris and Rouen The Strasbourg and Basle 18,485 The Amiens and Boulogne 20,000 Ti se Rouen and Havre 28,300 Tie Avignon and Marseilles 28,600 7.1 e Orleans and Bordeaux T Centre T 1 Le North, with Calais Branch Ti ,e Paris and Lyons Ti e Lyons and Avignon, with branch to Grenoble 25,800 Ile Austrian line from Olmiitz to Prague, 152 Ewlish miles. cost 11,6571. per mile ; that from Briinn to B,'ilimisch-Tsiibau, 55 English miles, cost 16,360/. per mile.. The cost of construction of the Prussian lines appears to have been generally lower than that of the Belgian fines. .s.\ccording to the elaborate work of Baron Von Beden. the cost or the Berlin and Potsdam line was P 2,3231. r of the Madgeburg and Leipsic isas 10,179/. ; bi it the Rhenish line from Cologne to the Belgian fron t; ers was to cost 28,331/. per English mile. This last lc le, though lower than most of the English lines, is hi gher than that between Edinburgh and Glasgow by a tr ifle, and considerably higher than most of the Scotch lit .es. Mr. Legoyt, a respectable authority, estimates tb e average cost of the German lines at 170,0001. per ki lometre, or 10,940/. per English mile. The Prussian su other*German lines pay less for land and law cl iarges then the English lines. The following is the cost per mile of some of the Et incipal lines in this couutry Average cost per mile. ..A.*broath and Forfar £ 9,214 Cb...‘ster and Birkenhead 34,198 Sub Tin and Drogheda 15,652 Mubl:n and Kingstown :Dcrlee and Arbroath 8,570 put Gam and Sunderland 14,281 .Rdin;lurgh and Glasgow 35,024 aster!' Counties and North Eastern 46,355 'Glasgow - , Kilmarnock, and Ayr ... 20,607 4 Glasgow and Greenock i Iravesend and Rochester ( 'Treat Wostern 43,585 i lartiepool I J ondon and Birmingham I ,onelon and Blackwall I .ondon and Brighton 56,981 I ondon and Croydon I .ondon and South-Western /. [anchester, Bolton, and Bury 36 - anchester and Birmingham 3Sft anchester and Leeds 3ii Band 30,949 Nei Ncastle, Darlington, and Brandling :Ne•N vcastle and Carlisle No% castle and North Shields N , ~rfilk 13,150 North Union and Bolton and Preston Preston and Wyre ! Sheffield and Manchester ' South-Eastern 44,412 ' Taff Vale 21,610 Ulster York and North Midland, Bze • The extravagant expenditure in England in buying off powerful landowners, from whom opposition was an - ticipated, and in the proceedings before obtaining Act;, no doubt swelled very muc h th outlay on many of the ;I k English lines. In the mere purchas' of land the outlay .a AS often as great in France, if not greater than in .En •;land. Mr. Legnyt averages the purchases and corn peri;,ation on the three lines of Orleans, Rouen, and . Nimes. at 40,000 francs per kilometre, or 2,572 L per mite. Mr. Reed states that on the Paris and Rouen 'Me, the land damage and law charges cost 3.1321. per z tile (the law charges being very trifling), while on the , nth-Western they cost 3,6231. per mile. But if the of ulay has been unnecessarily great on some of the E iglish lines, ard they run through districts of which th traffic does not, as is alleged, yiell the usual returns on capital, that can surely form no reason why an ex tra vagant scale of fares should be adhered to. The pro etors of a bridge would not be allowed to charge high -tot Is because moderate tolls would not yield such a re tat, • as they might wish to obtain for the capital ex ed by them. yI t .Peto says, he has several times stated to the r ~,,, , chrs of lines in agricultural districts , that if the fares be love they will have a larger traffic , but not otherwise , I.)ec ,ause• Gbe people in such districts cannot afford to pay :far rely for their travellinv; that unless you bring it -wit ,hin their laws they will not come to you; and that 31; low fare* Will not pay, high fares never can. THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY MORNING-, SEPTEMBER 1, 1846. Mr. Robert Stephenson states it as his belief, that re ductions of fares are not carried to the extent that rail way companies, as they go on and gain experience, will carry them. It is possible that ultimately the conviction may gain gronnd that further reductions to a great ex tent are indispensable; but your Committee cannot shut their eyes to the danger of placing the community at the mercy of companies, who may or may not take views of their interests in accordance with the interests of the public. The railway companies have either driven, or must ultimately drive all competition from other quar• ters out of the field. Even the canals, which it was thought with proper management might maintain a suc cessful competition with railways in the case of heavy goods, in many instances, as has already been observed, have been beaten by them, and the report of the Com mittee on Railway and Canal Amalgamation Bills shows but too clearly that we must prepare ourselves for seeing the canal interest come still more extensively under the influence and control of railway companies. This has resulted not merely from the power which the passenger traffic gives the railways of conveyin g goo d s a t r a t e s at which the canals cannot afford to carry them, but from their obtaining the command of portions of the lines of canals, and raising the tolls of that portion to the utmost limit allowed by law, so that the com panies in possession of the remainder of the lines are thereby disabled from maintaining a successful eompeti tion. On no subject is there a more general agreement among all the intelligent witnesses recently examined by Committees of both Houses of the Legislature than that railways either now are, or from the nature of things must soon be, in possession of a complete mo nopoly of all the internal traffic of the country. The system, which has been carried to so great an extent by some comnanies, of creating nominal capitals, amounting to twice and even three times the actual outlay, had no doubt mainly for its object to enable them to exclude the interference of Parliament, and maintain extravagant fares. Under such circumstances, it becomes of para mount importance that a vigilant superintendence should be exercised over the different railway companies, in order to defeat any attempts on the part of those com panies, from whatever motives, whether mistaken views of their interest, or the supposed necessity of their posi sition, from exacting higher fares, either for goods or passengers, than the interests of the community will al low. Without interfering with the details of the ma nagement on railways farther than the neceesity of the case may occasionally demand, they ought, as in every other country, to be compelled to furnish all the informa tion necessary to the thorough understanding of what ever relates to the working of the lines, and in particu lar to furnish:complete and into iligible accounts of re ceipts and expenditure from time to time. By the exercise of such a control alone can a hope be entertained that the interests of the public will be safe under the existing railway system. The general rule may be exceedingly good, that the utmost scope should be given to private enterprise, but in the case of railways the most important interests of the country are at stake, and a monopoly, embracing all its communications, and consequently possessing power in the absence of control, of inflicting irreparable injury on its trade and industry, from the very nature of things, ought to be exercised under proper regulation and supervision. Most of the witnesses representing railway interests, examined by your Committee, deprecate all attempts to regulate with exactness the scale of fares, and contend that the Legis lature should content itself with fixing a minimum. It is proper, no doubt, that maximum fares should be fixed in Railway Acts ; but though they may be fixed with care, and may sometimes approximate to fair rates at a given time, they can never meet all future exigencies.. Continual improvements are made, both in the modes of constructing and maintaining lines, and in the mechanical means by which they are worked, and the public ought not to be excluded from participation in these ad vantages. The maximum rates are, however, almost always extravagantly high. In the Acts passed so late as the session of 1845, the maximum rates for passengers are almost always thrice as much as on the Belgian lines, and the charges for goods usually exceed those in Belgium in nearly the same proportion, though sometimes in a much greater. Thus, while in Belgium twenty sheep may be carried a mile for less than 6P., and in France one sheep for 0 34d., the maximum rate for sheep in not a few of the English Acts of 1845 is 2d. per head per mile, more than six times the Belgian and French rates. Such is the extent of the arbitrary power possessed by companies. But because the Legislature was at first taken by surprise, and from inability to foresee the results to which railways have led, omitted to take suit able precautions against the abuse of the powers entrusted to companies, that can be no reason why we should not avail ourselves of subsequent experience to turn to due account such opportunities for protecting the public as are ensiled under the Acts passed during the last two years, and as will be afforded under future Acts. Your Committee conceive that though the occasion, which was carefully seized by the Belgian and some other Governments, of placing the management of railways in accordance with the interests of the community, has been neglected, yet that we should never lose sight of the fact that railways are a public concern, and that the most perfect system in the abstract is that which regulates the fares by such scales as will produce the utmost amount of convenience to individuals and give the utmost possible development to the trade and interest of the country. We cannot, as in Belgium, ob tain all the benefit which an increased traffic on railway lines might give, because the first adventurers in the great lines, which were undertaken before the practica bility and profitableness of railways were established, are entitled to large profits as the legitimate rewards of their enterprise and sagacity, but there is a point beyond which the sacrifice of the public interests ought not to be carried, and, therefore, every available occasion should be seized for reducing fares. Your Committee, enter taining such views of the legitimate demands of the pub lic on railway companies, cannot admit that we should be content with the maximum fares imposed in the Acts, and leave the reduction of them exclusively to the dis cretion of companies. Much of the evidence received by your Committee bears upon the defects of the existing system of legis lation in the so-called private Bills, which are often private only in name, and in which class Railway Bills are comprehended. The objections to the mode of pro ceeding in these Bills are of extensive application ; and your Committee have seen with satisfaction the report of a Select Committee on the subject of Private Bills, recommending a decided alteration with regard to them. Of one of the suggestions in that report, your Committee cordially approve—the appointment of a public board or department to which all applications for Private Bills affecting public interests should be re ferred. Such a board, if properly constituted might re lieve Committees of the House from much waste of time and companies applying for lines, as well as the public -at large, from much needless trouble and expense. The example of foreign countries has shown that many in quiries with regard to railways can best be conducted on the spot. But, besides the advantage from substituting a cheap and natural movie of conducting inquiries for the present cumbrous and most expensive mode before Committees, under which, too, tht y are entirely de pendent for information on interested parties, the public might hope that a properly qualified board, entrusted with railway affairs, would obtain more knowledge of the wants of the country, and of the best means of sup plying them, than committees under the present system, can p ,ssibly possess. Your Committee, are, therefore, of opinion, that the functions of the board may, with safety, be extended to the supervision of ex isting railways, and the determining, in the first instance, subject, of course, to the con trol of the Legislature, where lines should be con structed, and what projects should be entertained. It so happens that existing companies have an interest, in common with the public, in preventing wild and unne cessary projects for the construction of new lines from being put . forward; and your C omm itt ee t h ere f ore anti cipate trout them no opposition to the confiding such powers to the board as may be necessary to enable it to interpose with effect in defeating foolish or fraudulent schemes in the outset. The receipts of those companies are always diminished by the construction of rival lines; and they are often put to heavy expense in purchasing them, and in buying off threatened opposition. Mr. Robert Stephenson thinks the fact of the pre liminary steps in railway schemes being subject to no control, is the root of all the mischief now existing in the railway world, and is of' opinion that no project for the construction of a new railway should be allowed to be brought forward till it has been taken into con sideration by a Government board. Mr. William Reed, who acted for about five years in the capacity of secre tary to the South-Western Railway, and who is now a director of two French railways, the Paris and Rouen and the Rouen and Ilavre, is of opinion, from his ex perience in both countries, that the greatest benefit would result from the appointment of' a Government board, to which should be committed the examination of all projects for the construction of railways, with power • to veto them if disapproved. In France all schemes must first be submitted to and approved of by a Government board; but, notwithstand ing their having obtained the sanction of such a board, they are still, as in England, referred to a Parliamentary Committee; but that Committee does not, as in England, hear counsel and receive evidence on all manner of de tails, but merely decides on the materials submitted to it; and it is only when any difficulty occurs, or explana tion is required, that a member of the Government Board is called before it, or some superior person in th e confidence of the promoters of the project, who supplies the additional information required : in order to enable it to arrive at a correct decision. This part of Mr. Reed's evidence is not materially contradicted by another wit ness, Mr. D. Salomons, who states that the Cam mission of the Chambers may alter and modify a project, and that " it does hear evidence in one way or other." What Mr. Reed wished more particularly to c nivey was merely that the inquiries, which are conducted at so much ex pense, and occupy so much time before Committees of the Houses of Parliament in this country, are unknown in Franco; and that the Commission of the Government Board of that country, though it does not decide finally whether a particular project shall be adopted or re jected, is invested with the pwer of determining, after due inquiry, whether or not it shall be submitted at all to the Chambers. In the one case the State wishes only to understand the merits cf a project before allow ing it to be brought forward, and adopts the means bel'eved to be most conducive to the attainment of that end ; in the other a project is at once suffered to be brought forward, without having been subjected to the ordeal of an examination before a department of the Executive entrusted with the care of the public interests, which, she uld no opposition be offered on the part of existing companies, the owners of property, or the pro moters of rival projects, are here but little regarded ; while, on the other hand, parties can only hope to suc ceed in their opposition by the employment of counsel of eminence, and by bringing forward witnesses, often from a distance, and maintained in London for weeks at a heavy expense. Some idea may be formed of the magnitude of the sums absolutely wasted in this country, before Bills can pass through Committees, from a return just made , by the Eastern Counties Railway to an order of the House. The line, which is 51 miles in length, cost 45,1991. in Parliamentary expenses. The other prelimi nary expenses, such as cost of engineering, &c., amount ing to 48,6501., are separately stated. The Parliament ary expenses of the London and Birmingham have been stated at 6501. per mile ; of the Great Western at 1,0001. per mile. No wonder that foreigners hold up their hands in astonishment when they hear of this enormous waste. The sums paid for land by the Eestern Counties amounted to 809,9501., or about - 12,0001. per mile, alone, exceeding the whole cost per mile on most of the German lines, and on several of the Belgian. The Londont, and Birmingham and the Great Western paid 6,3001. each per mile for lands. In the case of the Rouen and Havre line, Mr. Reed states that 6,000/. was paid to three gentlemen who made considerable ex ertions to obtain the Act, but that the expenses incurred in theinquiry before the board, and up to the time the Act was obtained, amounted in all only to 7001. The allowing, as an affair of course, the projectors of a railway, on giving the prescribed notices to drag ex isting companies or owners of property on the proposed line before a Committee of the House of Commons, is an eve the magnitude of which can hardly be over-rated. Many of the schemes lately brought forward were, on the face of them, quite unworthy of being entertained ; some were started for gambling purposes, and not a few with the object of compelling existing companies to come to terms in order to avoid a troublesome and expensive contest. Mr. Peto mentions one instance within his own knowledge, where, though the line was utterly imprac ticable, and the Bill never went beyond the Standing Orders' Committee of the House of Commons, the solici ter's account, which did not include the expenses of engineers and various other outlays, amounted to no less a sum than 82,000/. Your Committee are happy to perceive that the causes of the failure of the Committee of the Board of Trade to answer the ends for which it was appointed, are satis factorily explained by many of the witnesses whom they have examined. Mr. Robert Stephenson attributes the failure not to any incompetency on the part of that Com mittee, but to the faulty system pursued by them in re ceiving evidence in private. Without entering on the question whether, if that Committee had been properly supported by the Government, a different result might have been expected, it is sufficient to state that no con clusion against the placing railways under the super vision of a department of the Executive can be fairly drawn from that failure. The Committee of the Board of Trade took more enlarged views of the object for which they were appointed than the Legislature and the public in general were then prepared for; but after the experience of the last two years, the conviction has be come general that something more is required than merely to decide between the conflicting claims of con tending parties, and that railways are of too much im portance to the community to allow of their being any longer viewed as subordinate to the interests of individuals. Objectionable as the mode of proceeding before Committees confessedly is, and erroneous as their decisions may sometimes have been, this evil, great as it is, sinks into insignificance in comparison with that to which the country has been exposed from the want of a board of high character connected with the Executive Government to watch over the public interests in railway affairs. Such a board, pursuing an enlightened system in sanctioning or rejecting proposed lines, keeping constantly in view the necessities of the country and the protection of the public from excessive exactions for the conveyance of goods and passengers,!and taking due advantage of every suitable opportunity that may present itself for obtaining a reduction of fares and charges, and uniformity both with reference to prices and classifica tion, would soon obtain the confidence of the public, and command the respect of the Legislature. Though Par liament would still have the power of deciding in the last resort, it would no longer be forced to encumber itself with preliminary inquiries which might be so much more advantageously conducted before a tribunal proceeding according to a more judicious system, thoroughly acquainted with railway affairs, and there fore peculiarly qualified for the task confided to it. The hopelessness of shaking the confidence of Parliament in the Board, which would result from unsuccessful at tempts could not fail to induce a disposition to acquiesce in its decisions, and thus the spirit of gambling which is so much fostered by decisions varying with each other in principle, would experience a serious check. That part of the functions of the proposed Govern ment Board which relates to the supervision of existing railways, in order to secure the public against a capri cious exercise of their powers, and unreasonable fares and charges, might not be so palatable to companies as the power to interfere in the origination of new schemes. Ycur Committee are, therefore, thoroughly persuaded that a due regard to the public interests essentially re quires that companies, in the exercise of their powers, should be placed under a vigilant supervision. A board of high character and influence, possessing an extensive knowledge of the wants of the different parts of the kingdom, might resolve on doing so of their own accord. Mr. Smith. of Deanston, for instance, states that the greatest benefit may be expected from the conveyance of fat cattle on railways, as they can only be driven for a very short distance. Now on many of the railways the directors have from the first maintained, and still maintain, a scale of charges for cattle which utterly excludes them from railways. Captain Laws, a direc tor on two or three railways, and who has the manage ment of the traffic on the Manchester and Leeds Railway, recently stated before another Committee that railway companies, by fixing their fares for cattle and sheep too high, deprived the public of the benefit of the conveyance by railways ; that though the present rates are only about a third of those with which they started, and though the reduction has greatly increased the traffic, the majority of the cattle and sheep are still driven, to their great detriment. An intelligent su pervision would have led to the correction of this evil long before this, and prevented the ignorance or obsti nacy of directors from inflicting so serious an injury on the public. A pretext has been set up by companies, that the great outlay by them on their lines ought to secure them from all interference with a view to a reduction of fares, so long as the profits of the undertakings do not allow such dividends as would constitute a fair return on their capital. Though fares so high as to interfere with the interests of the country ought in no case to be allowed, and the principle of determining fares by the returns which capital ought to obtain is not to be recognised, yet it may not be irrelevant to observe that even if the amount of capital sunk in a line were to be taken as a criterion, it would be necessary to distinguish between the original outlay on a line, and the atnount to which the capital of the company has been swelled by the mode adopted in purchasing and amalgamating with other lines, and in providing for extension and branch lines. It is quite clear that the original outlay on lines, including all the extravagant purchases of land, and the wasteful expenses incurred in surveys, and the proceedings before the Parliamentary Committees, falls far short of the amount of stock which has been created. Your Committee are unable to state with exactness the amount of money divided, or to be divided, in this country, among proprietors, as premiums on new shares, but they conceive it cannot tall much short of fifty millions. The payment of large sums to obtain the consent of competing lines to amalgamations, which at one time excited so much sensation, was not so objectionable in itself as in the use that was made of such amalgamations, and of the power to raise money for the extension of old, and the construction of branch lines. By issuing shares representing capital to an amount far beyond that of the money required, in order to enable proprietors to divide among themselves large premiums, sums were pocketed by proprietors, which, if applied to the purposes of the lines, would have rendered a corre-ponding issue of shares unneces sary, and in so far diminished the amount of stock created. Of these practices a striking illustration has already been given by your Committee from the report from the Select Committee on Group (58) of Railway Bills, relating to the Hull and Selby Railway Purcha. , e Bill. Were an account taken of the sums already divided and to be hereafter divided among proprietors in this objectionable way, and of the expenditure incurred in buying off parties supposed to possess powerful interest, and in proceedings before Committees, which at a low estimate alone must have exceeded twenty-five millions, they would have been found sufficient fur the construction of trunk lines for the whole country. The whole of the State lines of Belgium, of which 145 miles were double, and 202 miles single, cost only 5,945,1481. The whole of the capital required for the magnificent system of railways executed and in the course of execu tion, and projected in France, down to the autumn of 1845, by which the commercial wants and militaty de fence of that great kingdom were provided for, does not exceed the sums divided and to be divided by a few English companies among the proprietors in the shape of premiums. The capital for the lines conceded and executed in France, down to the 31st of July, 1835, amounted to 8,576,0001.; and among these lines are those from An drezieux to Roanne, from Bordeaux to La Teste, from Montpellier to Cette, from Mulhausen to Thann, from Paris to Orleans, from Paris to Rouen, foom Paris to St. Germain, from Paris to Versailles, from St. Etienne to Lyons, from Strasbourg to Basle, the line of the Gard ar.d the mines of La Grande Combe. The capital for the lines in the course of execution at the above period amounted to 14,000,000/. The capital for the lines and branches to be conceded in 1845-6, voted in the session of 1845, amounted to 32,360,0001. The capital required for the lines remaining in the state of report at the close of the session of 1845, excluding a few branches not finally decided on, amounted to 9,520,000/. All these sums taken together amount only to 64,566,000/. This was the estimated amount of the capital necessary to complete the French railways at the period alluded to, though, indeed, additions have been subsequently made. Such is the manner in Ns hich sums have been withdrawn from the purposes of the public deemed suffi cient for the couatruction of railways, on a magnificent scale, for the greatest continental kingdom, where local difficulties are often formidable, and where the outlay for earthwork, masonry, and iron work is as high as in England, and which, if applied to their legitimate purposes, would have left no part of Great Britain with out the benefit of railways. If we assume the average cost of the construction of railways in Prussia to he 12,000/. per mile, which, judging from those already executed, is rather above than below the mark, the whole expenditure on 3,200 miles of railway by which the surface of a kingdom con taining a population nearly equal to that of England will be covered as with a network, will not exceed 36,000,000/., a fraction only of the money withdrawn here from its legitimate purposes. Part, of the evidence taken by your Committee has reference to consequences with which the establishment of railways has been attended, to a branch of the public revenue intimately connected with the convenience and welfare of the great body of the people. Before the establishment of railways the Post-office, according to Mr. Stow, paid for the carriage of the mails, including the coaches, something under 2d. a mile, but the charges demanded by the railways are much higher ; and in the case of one railway, the North Union, they amount to no less than 2s. 9 13 64d. per mile. The aggregate charge for carrying the mails in Great Britain was, in :1836 7, before railways were adopted, 53,293/. 18s. 4d., or 1 30 32d. per mile per day, far 18,090 miles ; but partly in consequence of the increase of letters and parcels through the introduction of the penny post, and partly in consequen .e of the high sums charged by some railways, the aggregate charge is now much higher. In 1846, as appears by a return from the Post office, the number of miles travelled daily by mail coaches had been reduced to 11.473, while the amount paid per annum was 45,729/. 10s. 6d., or 2 19-32 d. per mile per day. But besides this sum, there is paid yearly to rail ways no less than 102,1851. 6s. 10d.; the two amount ing together to 147,914/. I7s. 4d. Mr. Robert Stephen son, who has been extensively employed in arbitrating between the Post•office and railway companies, states that the principal difference between Captain Harness on the part of the Post-office, was this, that Captain Hars ness contended that if a line run six trains a day, and a seventh were wished by the Post-office, it should only pay the bare cost of that seventh train; but that he said, 'No; we ought to negotiate with the Post-office as with other parties; there is no law that exempts them from the ordinary mode of transacting business;" therefore he had invariably maintained that the total establishment of the railway ought to be taken, and a portion of the charges placed to the account of that one train; ob serving, significantly, that if the Legislature bad made a law that they should be treated differently, well and good; but that he took the law as it stands. Mr. Reed states that in France they are obliged by every train to reserve a compartment of a carriage, coevenicut for a person to ride in for a post-office guard, with his bag of letters, without any remuneration; and a similar sys!em seems to prevail on all continental railways. When a separate train is require d, it is paid for by the State. In this country the mail proceeds along some lines at an hour of the night when there are no passengers; arid there are, therefore, reasons why a difference should be made between such lines and the Great North of Eng land, where the train for the mail runs at a reasonable time and carries numerous passengers. Your Committee conceive that in all cases where the mail is carried by passenger trains, no charge whatever should he made against the Post-office; and that when the mail is con veyed at times when there are no passenger trains, the charge should in no case exceed the additional expense to which railways may be put by running such trains. In France and other continental countries, railways are also obliged to convey soldiers, sailors, and police, and their baggage, either gratis, or at rates dispropor tionately low. It might, perhap , , be advisable in this country, in the case of all bodies of men in the service of the public, to fix scales of fares merely sufficient to cover the additional expenses to which their conveyance might subject railway cempanies. Your Committee will now briefly recapitulate the points which they conceive ought to be aimed at in our future railway system:- 1. No future lines, either for main trunks or branches, shoald be ceded, except for terms of years, 2. Full and accurate accounts of the proceedings of railway companies, embracing their whole receipts and expenditure, should be laid from time to time before Parliament. 3. As all idea of the construction of new lines where they are not called for by the wants of districts, in order to give the public the benefit of competition, must be abandoned, in return for' their monopoly, companies ought to submit to an efficient system of control, with a view to the security of the public against extravagant fares and charges, and the adoption of uniformity on the dif ferent lines in the scales and the mode of charging.. 4. An end should at once be put to the system of issuing more new shares than are required to cover ne cessary outlays, in order to divide premiums among pro prietors and thereby swell the amount of nominal stock beyond the actual outlay. 5. In order to provide efficiently for the superinten dence of railways, and in order that the intentions of Parliament may not be defeated by the directors of com panies, and in order also that a judicious railway system may be ensured, and a cheaper and more effective mode of conducting preliminary inquiries than that which now takes place before Parliamentary Committees may he adopted, a board or department of the Executive should be appointed, with power to employ inspectors, sur veyors, and other officers, to aid them in conducting their inquiries. Such a board, to which railway affairs might be entrusted, woule, from the knowledge it could not fail to acquire, be enabled to judge what lines are necessary for the supply of the wants of the country, how far a given project may be conducive to that end, and to sup ply Parliament with such information as may be of use in enabling it to legislate in the way most beneficial to the public. 6. Railway companies should be obliged to carry the Post-office mails by passenger trains free of all charges; and at times when there are no passenger trains, for the additional expense thereby occasioned. The alterations which may be advisable in the case of se fliers, sailors, and other bodies of men in the public service have not been considered by your Committee. August 25, 1846. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MARLBOROUGH-STREET. William Samuel was placed at the bar charged with an attempt at burglary, on Sunday morning, at the Fitzroy Coffee-house, Windmill -street, Tottenham-court road. Daniel Chamberlain, 73 E, said he was on duty yes terday morning, about half-past five o'clock, walking along Windmill-street, when he saw the prisoner run ning along the projection over the shop No. 43, from the third window of the first-floor front. By the time he got up to the place the prisoner had slid down the pillar into the street, and said to him, " Oh, you know me?" The policeman recollected having seen the boy attend ing at the coffee-house some time before, but he asked his reason for being in such a predicament. He said he was still at the coffee-house, but his master kept the keys, and he thought he was gone to bed. The police man rung up Mr. Chambers, who said, on hearing where the prisoner had been found, " Oh, I thought it wou ld come to this; he was in my employ three months, and was discharged last Saturday fortnight for being found in one of the rooms when he should have been in bed." The prisoner said to the magistrate he had rung — the kell before without effect, and he went up there to see if the servant was up. He wished to get the things he had left. The complainant said he believed there were a few articles of wearing apparel at the house, which he had never called far. The prisoner was sentenced to three months' impri sonment. John Faker was charged by Mr. John Dean Paul, the banker, 217, Strand, with a violent and wanton as sault, by which he was placed in considerable personal danger._ Air. Paul said he was riding on horseback quietly through Leicester-square, about a quarter to six on Sa turday evening, when he met the prisoner and a com panion, in a small tax cart, driving towards him. When they came up to him, the prisoner stood up in his cart and struck the horse he was riding very violently, which made him begin to plunge. Mr. Paul rode after the cart and stopped it, when the prisoner denied having touched the horse, but said if he had done so it was quite acci dentally. Meanwhile a mob gathered abut them, sided with the assailant, and recommended them to drive over complainant. They whipped the cart-horse into a gallop and rode off. Mr. Paul stopped them a second time, and had seized the horse by the reins, when the prisoner struck him with great violence over the head and shoulders with his whip. He was then given into custody. The prisoner, in answer to the charge, said he was whipping his own horse at the time, and struck the gen tleman's horse by accident, and certainly without any intention ; he had at the time told him so and apologised for it, but Mr. Paul called him a liar, and refused to give him his card. He denied having struck Mr. Paul afterwards, although by seising his horse by the head he had p u t hi m i n d a nger, as it was a spirited animal. Witnesses were called by the prisoner to corroborate his statement. The Magistrate ordered him to enter into his own recngniwtnces to the amount of 40!., to appear at the sessions to answer any indictment that may be laid against him. BANK RETURNS. (From the London Gazette of Tuesday.) An Account, pursuant to the Act seventh and eighth Victoria; cap. 32, of the Average Amount of Bank Notes, of the several Banks of Issue in England and Wales, in Circulation during the Week ending Satur thy, the 15th day of August, 1846 : Average PRIVATE BANKS. Amount. Abingdon Bank, Abingdon—ltnapp and Co.. 25,896 Andover Bank, Andover—Heath and Co 15,910 Ashford Bank, Ashford—Jernmitt and Pomfret 10,340 Ay lshain Bank, Ayl3ham—R. and E. Copeman 5,436 Aylesbury Old Bank, Aylesbury—Rickford and hunt Bahlock Bank and I3aldock and Biggleswade I; ir.k, ;lablock—Wells, Hogg, and Lindsell... 30,080 Blinitapie Bank, Barnstaple—Drake and Co. 11,725 Basingstoke and Wiliam Bank, Basingstoke— Colo, Seymour, and Co. t?k - s.ll‘ad Bank, Bedford—T. Barnard 13 , ,yiford and Bedfordshire Bank, Bedford— apr, Halehead, and Co. Bewdi,y Bank, Bewdley—Nichols, Baker, and Crane 13iecrster and Oxfordshire Bank and Oxford Bank, Bicester—Tubb, Wootten, and Co. Pirmingham Bank, Birmingham—Attwoods, Spooner, and Co 23,378 Birmirgham and Warwickshire Bank, Birming ham— Lewis, Moilliett, and Co 16.599 Bit:milord Bank, Blandford—Bastard and Oak Boston Bank, Boston—Garfit and Co 61,980 Boston Bank, Boston—Gee and Co 7,480 Bridg ter Bank, Bridgwater—E. &J. Sealey 7,713 Bristel Bank, Bristol—Miles, Hanford, and Co. 40,625 Broscle, ,, and Bridgnorth, and B r id gno rth and Broie'ley Bank, Broseley—Messrs. Pritchard 23,161 Buckingham Bank, Buckingham Bartlett, .l'arrett, and Co. Bury and Suffolk Bank, Sudbury Bank, Market Bank, Bury—Oakes, Bevan, and Co Paul ury Bank, Banbury—Gillett and Tawney Banbury Old Bank, Banbury—Messrs. Cobb Bati. City Bank, Bath—Meger and Son Bedcordshire Leighton Buzzard Bank, Leighton Buzzard—Bassett and Grant Biriningham Bank, Birmingham—Taylor and Lloyds Bradtord Old Bank, Bradford, Yorkshire—H. and A. Harris Brecon Old Bank, Brecon—Wilkins and Co lirid port Bank, Bridport—S. and W. E. Gundry Brighton Union Bank, Brighton—Hall, West, and Borrer Burlington and Driffield Bank, Burlington— Harding, Smith, and Co Bury St. Edmunds Bank, Bury St. Edmunds— .). Worlledge and Co. Bromsgrove Bank and Stourbridge and Broms grove Bank, Bromsgrove—Rufford, Biggs, and Co. *latiibridge Bank, Cambridge—Mortlock and Sons Cambridge and Cambridgeshire Bank, Cam bridge—Messrs. Forsters Canterbury Bank, Canterbury—Hammond and Co Carmarthen Bank, Carmarthen—Morris and 72,817 32,213 42,971 3,369 35,923 36,416 13,482 67,967 21,992 32,369 12,115 2,835 16,185 19,662 46,0 29,008 Sons Chertsey Bank, Chertsey—Messrs. La Coste Colchester Bank, Colchester—Round, Green, and Co. Colchester and Essex Bank, Witham and Essex Bank, and Hadleigh Bank, Suffolk, Colchester —Mills, Bawtree, and Co Cornish Bank, Truro—Tweedy and Co Coventry Bank, Coventry—Little and Wood cock City Bank, Exeter—Milford and Co Craven Bank, Settle—Birkbecks and Co. Christchurch Bank, Christchurch—Tice, Welsh, and Co Cardiff Bank, Cardiff—Towg,ood and Co Chepstow Old Bank, Chepstow Bank, Mon mouth Old Bank, Monmouth Bank, Brecon Bank, and Ross and Herefordshire Bank, Chepstow—Bromage, Snead, and Co. Derby Bank, Derby—Messrs. Evans Derby Bank, Derby—Smith and Co. Derby Old Bank and Scarsdale and High Peak Bank, Derby—Crompton, Newton, and Co Devizes and Wiltshire Bank, Devizes—Hughes, Locke, and Co Diss Bank, Diss—Oakes, Fincham, and Co 23,056 3,542 20,096 34,540 44,450 7,954 21,127 72,147 Doneuter . Bank, Doncaster—Leatham, Tew, and Co. Doncaster Bank and Retford Bank, Doncaster— Cook and Co. Dover Union Bank, Dover—Latham, and Co Darlington Bank, Durham Bank, and Stockton on-Tees Bank, Darlington—Backhouse, and Co Devonport Bank, Devonport—Hodge and Nor- man Dorchester Old Bank and Dorsetshire Bank, Dorchester—Williams and Co. East Cornwall Bank, Liskeard—Robins, Foster, . . and Co. East Riding Bank, Beverley—Bower, Hutton, and Co. v Essex Bank and Bishops Stortford Bank, Chelmsford—Walford, and Co Exeter Bank, Exeter—Sanders and Co Fakenham Bank, Fakenham—Gurneys, Birk- beck, and Co. Farringdon Bank and Bank of Wantage, Far ringdon—Barnes and Medley Farnham Bank, Farnham—Messrs. Knight Faversham Bank, Faversham—Hilton and Co Godalming Bank, Godalming—Mellersh and Keen _ . — Grantham Bank, Grantham—Kewney and King Guildford Bank, Guildford—Messrs. Haydon... Grantham Bank, Grantham—Hardy and C 0.... Hastings Old Bank, Hastings—Smith, Hilder, and Co. Hereford City and County Bank, Hereford— Matthews and Co. - llertfordshire Bank and Ware Bank, Ware— S. Adams and Co. Hull Bank and Kingston-upon-Hnll Bank, Hull —Smith, Brothers, and Co. Huntingdon Town and County Bank, Hunting don—Rust and Veasey Harwich Bank, Harwich—Cox, Cobbold, and Co Hemel Hempstead Bank, Hemel Hempstead— Smith, and Whittingstall Iloniton Bank, Honiton—Flood and Co. 1 lert fordshireHitchen Bank, Hitchen—Sharples and Co. llerd9r(l, Ross, and Archenfield Bank, and Ross and Archenfield Bank, Hereford—Morgan, Hoskins, and Co Ipswich Bank, Ipswich—Bacon and Co. Ipswich and Needham Market Bank, Suffolk, Iladleigh Bank, Manningtree and Mistley Bank, and Woodbridge Bank, Ipswich— A lexanders as 3 Co. Kentish Bank, Maidstone—Mercer, Randall, and Mercer Kington and Radnorshire Bank, Kington—J Davies and Co Knighton Bank, Knighton—J. Davies and Co Knaresborough Old Bank and Ripon Old Bank, Kna:esborough—Terry and Co Kendal Bank, Kendal—Wakefield, Crewdson, 2,608 6,911 8,709 10,998 31,288 25,95 18,260 10,165 12,764 55,019 79,400 10,046 44,030 99,682 42,577 48,641 31,385 18,295 8,110 11,696 4,945 5,816 16,091 15,008 24,231 28,489 18,733 14,284 17,968 44,930 5,307 22,958 13,546 34,187 26,186 20,260 71,178 14,087 23,726 7,432 19,195 and Co. Kettering Bank, Kettering—Gloteh and Sons 8,149 Lane Kid Staffordshire Bank, Lane End—C liarv,y and Son Leeds Bank, Leeds—Beckett and Co 52,781 f"Nls - Union Bank, Leeds—W.Williams, Brown, and C Leek and Staffordshire Bank, and Leek and Congleton Bank,Leek—Fowler,Gaunt, and Co. 3.251 L. - ;ieester Bank, Leicester—Pagets and Kirby 24,252 Lewes Old Bank, Lewes—Molineux and Co 40,205 14;oliFeld Bank, Lichfield—Palmer and Green 17,295 Lincoln Bank, Lincoln—Smith and Co 76,893 li:Andovery Bank and Llandilo Bank, Llando very—David Jones and Co. : . .ouf2:hborough Bank, Loughborough—Middle- t.nis and Cradock Lymington Bank, Lymington--C. and S. St. Barbe Lynn Regis and Lincolnshire Bank, Lynn Regis —Gurneys and Co. Lynn Regis and Norfolk Bank, Lynn Regis— Massey and Co. Macclesfield Bank, Macclesfield—Brocklehurst and Co 12,102 anningtree Bank,Manningtree—Nunn and Co 6,11S Marlborough Bank, Marlborough and Wilts Old Bank, Marlborough Old Bank, Marl borough Old Bank and Hungerford Bank, and Hungerford Bank, Marlborough—Tanner and Pinckney 13,815 Marlborough and North Wiltshire New Bank, Marlborough—Ward, Merriman, and Hillier 10,048 Merionethshire Bank, Dolgelly—Jones and Williams Miners' Bank, Truro—Willyums and Co 16,965 Monmouthshire Agricultural and Commercial Bank, Abergavenny—Baileys and Co 30,087 Monmouth Old Bank, Monmouth Bank, Brecon Bank, Chepstow Bank, Chepstow Old Bank, and Ross and Herefordshire Bank, Monmouth —Bromage and Snead 15,994 Monmouthshire Newport Old Bank, Newport —W. Williams and Sons 8,435 Newark Bank, Newark—Godfreys and Hutton 21,740 Newark and Sleaford Bank, and Sleaford and Newark Bank, Newark—Handley, Peacock, . and Co Newbury Bank, Newbury—Bunny and Slocock 33,307 Newmarket Bank, Newmarket—Eaton, Ham mond, and Son Norfolk and Suffolk Bank, Diss—Taylor and J)yson Norwich Crown Bank, Norwich—Harveys and Hudsons Norwich and Norfolk Bank, Norwich —Gur neys and Co 68,420 Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Bank, Not tingham—Hart, Fellows, and Co Nuneaton Bank, Nuneaton—Craddcock and Co Naval Bank, Plymouth—Harris, Mudge, and Co 23,594 New Scrum Bank, Sarum—Hetley, Everett, and Co 14,917 Nottingham Bank, Nottingham—Smith and Co. 25,744 Oswestry Bank and Oswestry Old Bank, Os westry—Croxon and Co 16,700 Oxtord Bank, Oxford—J. and R. Morrell 11,899 Oxford Old Bank, Oxford—Robinson, Parsons, and Thompson... Old Bank Tonbridge, Tonbridge and Tonbridge Well , Old Bank, Tonbridge and Tonbridge Wells and Sevenoaks Bank, Tonbridge— Beeching and Sons 9,007 5,635 8,934 5,511 Oxfordshire Witn e y B an k Wi tney —Williams,Average Amount Clinch, and Co Pease's Old Bank, Hull, the Hull Old Bank and Beverley Bank, Hull—Pease and Co Penzance Bank, Penzance—Batten and Co Peterborough Bank and Oundle Bank, Peter borough—Messrs. Yorke Peterborough Bank, Peterborough—Simpson, White, and Simpson Pc,:ebrokeshire Bank, Haverfordwest—J. and W. Walters Penzance Union Bank, Falmouth Bank, and Truro Bank, Penzance—Rickets, Enthoven, and Co Reading Bank, Reading—.Simonds and Co Reading Bank, Reading—Stephens,Blandy, and Co Richmond Bank,Richmond—Stapleton and Co Ringwood and Poole Bank, and Town and County of Poole Bank, Ringwood—Ledgard and Sons Rcchdale Bank, Rochdale—Clement, Royds, and Co Rochester, Chatham, and Strood Bank, Roches ter—Day and Nicholson Romsey and Hampshire Bank, Romsey—Foot ner and Son Royston Bank, Royston—Fordham and Sons Rugby Bank, Rugby—Butlin and Son Rye Bank, Rye—Curteis, Pomfret, and Co Reigate and Darking Bank, and Reigate, Croy don, and Darking Bank, Reigate—Nash and Co Ross (ild Bank, Herefordshire, Ross—Pritchard and Allaw ay Saffron Walden and North Essex Bank, Saffron Walden—Messrs. Gibson Salop Bank, Shrewsbury—Burton, Ll o yd, an d Co Scarborough Old Bank, fScarborough—Woodall and Co Shrewsbury and Market. Drayton Bank, Shrews bury—Adams, Adarns, and Co Shrewsbury Old Bank, and Shrewsbury and Ludlow Bank, Shrewsbury—Rocke, Eytons, and Co . . Sittingbourne and Milton Bank, Sittingbourne —Valiance and Son Southampton Town and County Bank, South ampton —Maddir.on and Son . Southwell Bank, Suuthwell—Wylde and Co St. Alban's Bank. St. Alban's—J. S. Story Salisbury Bank, Salisbury—Messrs. Brodie Shaftesbury Bank, Shaftesbury— Brodie and King Southampton and Hampshire Bank, Southamp ton—Atherly and Fall Stone Bank, Stone—W. Moore Stourbridge Bank, Stourbridge —Rufford, Wragg, and Co . Stafford Old Bank, Stafford—Stevenson and Co Stamford and Rutland Bank, Stamford—Eaton, Cayley, and Co. Stourbridge Old Bawl, Stourbridge—Bate and Robins Shrewsbury and Welshpool Bank, Shrewsbury —Beck, Downward, and Co. St. Alban's and Herts Bank, St. Alban's—Gib son and Stuart Taunton Bank, Taunton—Messrs. Badcock Tavistock Bank, Tavistock—Gill, Rundle, and Co. Thornbury Bank, Thornbury—Rolph, Yates, and Parslow Tiverton and Devonshire Bank, Tiverton—Duns ford and Bartle Thrapston and Kettering Bank, Northampton shire, Thrapston—Yorke and Eland Tring Bank and Chesham Bank, Tring—But cher and Son Towcester Old Bank, Towcester—J. and S Percival Union Bank, Cornwall, Helston—Vivian and Co. Uxbridge Old Bank, Uxbridge—Hull, Smith, and Co. Wallingford Bank, Wallingford—Wells and Co. Warwick and Warwickshire Bank, Warwick— Kelynge, Greenway, and Co. Wellington Somerset Bank, Wellington—Fox, Brothers West Riding Bank, Wakefield, and Pontefract Bank, Wa',;eficld—Leathana, Tew, and Co Whitby Old Bank, Whitby—Simpson, Chap man, and Co Winchester, Alresford, and Alton Bank, Win chester— Bulpett and Co. Winchester and Hampshire Bank, Winchester —Wickham and Co Weymouth Old Bank and Dorchester Bank, Weymouth—Elliott and Pearse Wirkesworth and Ashbourne Derbyshire Bank, Wirkesworth—Arkwright and Co. .. 9,866 45,066 9,846 7,682 9,650 11,717 16,364 36,213 37,940 5,701 10,726 4,880 9,332 3,359 15,452 10,225 21,560 12,69 4,1•',2 29,645 16,263 23,202 10,155 34,717 3,374 17,292 12,902 2,638 22,145 9,548 6,562 5,677 16,620 12,399 25,740 17,958 22,485 2.335 27,631 12,602 8,505 9,815 10,392 12,482 8,95 15,362 21,408 8,803 26,357 5,208 44,249 13,75 24,480 5,895 16,510 30,280 tiVisbech and Lincolnshire Bank, Wisbech- Gurney and Co. Wiveliscombe Bank, Wiveliscombe-P. and W. Hancock Wolverhampton Bank, Wolverhampton-Good ricke and Holyoake. Worcester Bank, Worcester-Farley, Lavender, and Co. 11,696 Worcester Old Bank and Tewkesbury Old Bank, Worcester-Berwick, Lechmere, and Co 86,557 Worcestershire Bank, Kidderminster-Farley and Turner Whitby Bank, Whitby-Frankland and Wil kinson Walsall Old Bank, Walsall-Charles Foster and Sons Warminster and Wiltshire Bank, Warminster- Everett and Co. Wrexham Bank, Wrexham-J. and S. Kenrick 1,738 Wolverhampton Bank, Wolverhampton- Messrs. Fryer Yarmouth and Suffolk Bank, and Halesworth and Suffolk Bank, Yarmouth-Gurney, Birkbeck, and Co Yarmouth, Norfolk, and Suffolk Bank, Great Yarmouth-Sir E. K. Lacon, Bart., and Co 9,404 Yeovil Old Bank, Yeovil-E. and J. Batten 9,772 York Bank. York-Swann. Clough. and Co 44,997 JOINT-STOCK BANKS. Bank of Westmoreland, Kendal . Barnsley Banking Company, Barnsley Bradford Banking Company, Bradford 49,266 Bil,ton District Banking Company, Wolver hampton Bank of Whitehaven, Whitehaven Bradford Commercial Banking Company, Brad ford . . 17,746 Burton, Uttc,xeter, and Staffordshire Union Banking Company, Burton-upon-Trent Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Banking Company, Chesterfield Cumberland Union Banking Company, Work ington . Cheltenham and Gloucestershire Banking Com pany, Cheltenham Coventry and Warwickshire Banking Company, Coventry Coventry Union Banking Company, Coventry 11,322 County of Gloucester Banking Company, Chel tenham Carlisle and Cumberland Banking Company Carlisle Carlisle City and I)istrict Bank, Carlisle 17,978 Dudley and West Bromwich Banking Company, Dudley Derby and Derbyshire Banking Company, Derby 17,380 Darlington District Joint-Stock Banking Com pany' Darlington 24.240 East of England Bank, Norwich Gloucestershire Banking Company, Gloucester. 146,012 Halifax Joint-Stock Bank, Halifax 18,235 Huddersfield Banking Company, Huddersfield 36,256 Hull Banking Company, Hull Halifax Commercial Banking Company, Halifax 13,230 Halifax and Huddersfield Union Banking Com pany, Halifax 43,168 Helston Banking Company, Helston 1,446 Herefordshire Banking Company, Hereford 21,690 Knaresborough and Claro Banking Company, Knaresborough 23,520 Kingsbridge Joint-Stock Bank, Kingsbridge 3,304 Lancaster Banking Company, Lancaster 56,826 Leeds Banking Company, Leeds Leicestershire Banking Company, Leicester Lincoln and Lindsey Banking Company, Lincoln 45,405 Leamington Priors and Warwickshire Banking Company, Leamington Priors Leeds and %Vest Riding Banking Company, Leeds Leeds Commercial Banking Company, Leeds... Ludlow and Tenbury Bank, Ludlow Moore and Robinson's Nottinghamshire Bank ing Company, Nottingham 24,118 Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Banking Company, Nottingham Newcastle. Shields, and Sunderland Union Joint- Stock Banking Company, Newcastle 72,050 National Provincial Bank of England, Birming ham, Head-office, 112, Bishopsgate-street, London l5O North Wilts Banking Company, Melksham ..... 5 405,3,027 Northamptonshire Union Bank, Northampton., 75,295 Northamptonshire Banking Company, North ampton ....... 23,342 North and South Wales Ba n k, Li verpool 51,775 Pares's Leicosttrshire Banking Company, Lei cester 47,832 Saddleworth Banking Company, Saddleworth 3,465 Sheffield Banking Company, Sheffield 32,282 Stamford, Spalding, and Boston Banking Com - pany, Stamibrd Stuckey's Banking Company, Bristol Somerset shire Bank, and Somersetshire Bank, Lang port Shropshire Banking Company, Shiffnall Stourbridge and Kidderminster Banking Com pany, Stourbridge Sheffield and llallamshire Banking Company, Sheffield Sheffield and Rotherham Joint-Stock Banking Company, Sheffield Swaledale and Wensleydale Banking Company, Richmond .. Stockton and Durham County Banking Com pany, Stockton Storey and Thomas's Banking Company, Shaftesbury . Sheffield and Retferd Bank, Sheffield ... Suffolk Bankin:..• Company, Ipswich Wolverhampton and Staffordshire Banking Com pany, Wolverhampton 35,041 Wakefield and Barnsley Union Bank, Wakefield 12,670 Whitehaven Joint-Stock Banking Company, Whitehaven Warwick and Leatuir_gton Banking Company, Leamington ...... West of England and South Wales District Bank,Bristol. . 84,687 6,489 18,646 40,376 9,000 515 6,627 8,836 LLOYD'S SHIPPING. LONDON, Auo. 3l.—Wind this day at noon S.S.W., light airs, and fine clear weather. DEAL, Aye. 30. —Wind N.N.E.—Arrd. from the River, and sailed, Prince of Wales, Hopkins, Calcutta; Queen Dowager, Cape Coast Castle ; John Craig, Walton, St. John's, New Brunswick; Jane, Knarston, Rimouski ; John Brewer, Brown, Bombay; Warren Hastings, Mason, New Orleans; London, Newbury, St. Andrew's, New Brunswick; Samuel Leighton, St. John's, New Brunswick; Neptune, Rundle, Quebec; Montezuma, Smith, Quebec; Douglas, Douglas, Quebec and Montreal. PORTSMOUTH, AUG. 30.—Wind N.N.E.—Sailed 29th, Chieftain, Walker, Quebec. LIVERPOOL, AUG. 30.—Wind S.E., light.— Arrd. 29, Geannette, Hee, Porto Rico; Commerce, Savanilla ; Wash ington, Walker, Quebec; Tom Moore, Santa Cruz. 30th, Serampore, Baker, New Orleans ; Lady Sale, St. John's, New Brunswick. Std. 29th, Sir H. Pottinger, M'Wean, Calcutta; John Horrocks, Bond, Demerara; Swallow, Steele, St. Thomas ; Harvey Galbraith, Watkins, St. Thomas ; Lanca shire, Lyon, Savannah ; Franconia, Smith, Philadelphia ; Themis, Kenney, St. John's, New Brunswick ; Violet, Holmes, Bathurst; Horatio, Grave, Quebec. 30th, Swatara, Brown, New Orleans; Waverlev, Smith, New York; Malabar, Barker, Quebec. Off port, Jane, Hammond, St. John's, New Brunswick; Philopontos, Lillias, and Seabird, brig —. The Dundalk steamer, from Dundalk, ran on shore this morning in Boatle Bay during a thick fig, but came off on the afternoon's tide without apparent damage. FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE GRAVESEND AND ROCHES- Tzrt RAILWAT.—On Friday afternoon W. Woodford, a plate layer employed on this line, lost his' life by the half-past three o'clock up-train passing over him in the tunnel near Rochester. It was the duty of the deceased, with others, to examine the rails in the tunnel every time a train passed, and he had clone so many hundreds of times.' While in the tunnel on this occasion, the train approached, and the whistle was blown as it entered the tunnel, about three quarters of a mile from the spot where the deceased was; the deceased heard it, and asked his fellow-workmen what train that was, and the latter having told him, went to pro cure a fresh candle, theirs being nearly burnt out ; he left the deceased still at work. On returning he found the de ceased lying dead upon the rails, his head and both legs being cut in two. He should have stepped to the side where there is room to stand out of the way, and hold by the bar rier while the trains pass; lie had probably delayed it till too late. He had a red light with him to exhibit if he wanted to stop a train. The engine-driver did not feel the engine pass over anything; the speed was 16 miles an hour. The jury found a v er di ct o f A cc id en t a l D ea th at the inquest held on Saturday, and expressed their full conviction that the accident did not occur through the negligence or mismanage ment of the superintendent or any other person connected with the management of the line. The line was opened in February, 1845, and this is the first accident that has oc curred upon it. e 4 ionou Averag Wilts arid Dorset Banking Company, Salisbury 68 ' 77 West Riding Union Bankng Company, Hud• c'ersfield Whitchurch and Ellesmere Banking Company./ 4,19 5 Whitchurch Worcester City and County Banking Company, 5,91 Worcester.... York Union Banking Comp an y, Y or k ...........• 71 ' 4 7 5 5 6 6 York City and County B an ki ng Company, York t 1 ',. 5 0 Yorkshire Banking Company, Leeds ............ 1 21 '' P. DEANS, Regist ra r ef Bank Returris. Stamps and Taxes, August 22, 1846. MARKET NEWfS—(YESTERD ItI) -MCC/CANOE. The past week CORN 's arrivals of Wheat of home produce li b e a re t on the increase—they having exceeded 6,000 quartets 24 those of all other articles of English Grain were 4; From Scotland and Ireland the receipts were vary lime while from abroad all articles if we except Oats, 'To slowly to hand. Fresh up, a full average quantity of Epg, o d Wheat, chiefly of the present year's growth, 8 11 d in Aitli condition, came to hand ; and the stands were well till t he samples of both Red and White, owing to which, „ or tlh continuance of line weather for harvest work in the,: m ent the demand was exceedingly heavy, at an ab a r ''frois in the currencies obtained on Monday last „„ wes 2s to, in some instances, 4s per quarter, and a clearauilioe not effected. The accounts respecting harvest work 1, 11 0 :01 very satisfactory. We had rather a large quantity of ° c o, Wheat on offer. All descriptions were excessively il l t o tet and, to effect sales, a reduction of from 2s to 33 pet Cl .l, was submitted to by the importers. In Corn under Ilhe little was doing that prices were nominal. the supply of Old Barley was very trifling, Ye' s % et amount of business transacted in it was e .., 131 co rn' late rates. The few samples of New on sbe"„ first' manded a steady sale, though they w e r e n ot to say per rate condition, and selected parcels produced 40s to 42s r oe quarter. The supply of Malt was not large. W e t . late White parcels moved off steadily, othe r ki n ds slowlY 9 ; o ffet , rates. Notwithstanding the large quantity of Oats 43- ts re' the Oat trade, arising from the unfavourable accoun dey'e specting the potato crop, was firm, at fully last bfr' ° „ quotations. The supply of Beans was small, yet t he i 0 was heavy at previous currencies. All kinds of Peasf e ' fi te good request at extreme figures. In Flour very litt le doing, at unaltered value. CURRENCY PER IMP Wheat—Essex & Kent, Red, New.. • • 40s to 51s Ditto,White, Old 50s 66s Norfolk and Lin coln, Red 38s 49s Ditto, White.... 50s 54s Irish, Red.. —s —s Ditto, White .. • • —s —s itys—Old ••• • . • 309 32s Harley—Grinding ... • • 24s 26s Malting . 3ls 34s Chevalier .... 34s 35s Nlalt—Sutiolk and Nor folk 54s 60s Brown ..... .. Kingston and Ware 63s 64s 'ERIAL MEASURE 65 A M alt—Chevalier • • • • • • - Oats Yorkshire and , # 2 : 6 ,, Li nco l ns h., Feed. 30 Potatoe ...... . • • • 2. ' Youghal and Cork, , Black. ••• • • • LI ft Cork, White. •• • • T., r Scotch, Feed. •• • • f,',Z r Beans—Tick . ... •.. • • on 4 0 Pigeons •.• • • 1 0 „ Pease—Grey • ...... • • br Maple ........• • • •,',.; 4 0 White ..... •..• • • 4,r. 40 Boilers ..• • . •• • r,; 4 0 Flour—Town-made .• • a s ' 4 0 Suffolk • • 31 , 5 , 3 10 Stockta & Norfolk 3.° SMITHFIELD. We had on offer about 600 foreign Beasts, twanti . . o ii from Spain, the remainder from H o ll a nd and G er ", e olc 1,800 ditto of Sheep and Lambs, a nd s i x teen Calves , c " o isls the whole of which sold at very f u ll p r ices. The ' p eg Oxen produced from 181 to 181 5s each. From ee i e grazing districts the arrivals of Beasts were moderate ./40:1 ten,ive, but of middling quaiity. N ear ly all breeds owthe (If freely, at very full prices, and, in come instancl i p, primest Scots fouiid buyers at 4s 2d p er 81bs, and at W t ool good clearance was effected. Th e d roves from the Il e "golifi England comprised 1,500 shorthorns; from Norfolk, fry Essex, and Cambridgeshire, 300 Scots and Hoinebredsilatitk the western and midland counties. 500 Herefords; .„ ar ioaf' ' Devons, &c. • from other parts of England, 600 01 v scotb breeds; and from Scotland ninety ho rne d and polled cite The numbers of Sheep were again large, but not extensive as on some preceding Mondays. T l l l ,l e ices vrproert, trade was again rather active, an d l as t w eek's readily obtained for all kinds—the primest old P e Were ducing fully 4s 8d per 81bs. Prime Down Lamb e ~.(340 , good request at full currencies, but other breeds r e 'i falq , slowly. The Veal t ra d e was aga i n to l era bl y s teady, a . n g, , previous rates. In Pi gs comparat i ve l y lit t l e Was d°l our quotations. _ 4.. Per Blbs. bo sink the offal. S. do s. d. s. d- Inferior Beasts .• ••2 10 3 0 Second qua lity ditto 4 „ 4 , Second quality ditto. 3 2 3 6 Coarse-woolledditte 4 4; Prime large Oxen.. 3 8 310 S ou thd own Wethers 4 6 ,' Prime Scots •.•• • • 4 0 4 2 Ditto out of the wool -- 2 4 : Large coarse Calves 3 6 4 0 L arge H ogs ...... 3 r ; 4. Prime small ditto .. 4 2 4 6 Small P or k e rs ••• • 4 0 18 Suckling Calves ..18 0 29 0 Quarter old Pigs ..12 4 5 Inferior Sheep • . • 3 6 310 Lambs ...• •••• • • 4 SUPPLY AT MARKET. 00 . Beasts. I Sheep. I I Calves. 1 91 0 3,571 30,720158 .. NEUTGATE .11.N1) LEADENELI I - 15- . . r ice.- l 4 The arrivals of country-killed meat up to these ms_ n vlL the past week having been very limited, and the 7,07 that slaughtered in the metropolis by no means e l : c s f rather more business has been trans ac ted, and, 41 a t ill :, stances, the, quotations of mutton have had an uP'' 01 or i r i i dency the value of other kinds of meat beinE ir ~, SO ported. Several carcases of Foreign Beasts, sh eer ' Calves have found buyers at fully previous rates• e• do At per stone, by the Carcase. O. d.to , s. d. to s. d. 3 4 4. deaf, inferior •••• • • 2 6 2 8 Mutton, inferior •• 4O A I - middling -- 2 8 210 middling. • ' 2 • 5 - prime large .• 3 0 3 2 - prime small- 3 4 3 6 Pork, larg P e rni . i .. e . :: :: 1 4 2 44 ° Vea1........ -••- 3 6 4 6 - small ••••• • • • - • Lamb. 45 4d to 5s 4d. ARRIVALS DURING THEPAST WEEr.• PJ 4 °. Beasts Sheep Caß r eS - 40 Scotland ................ Yorkshire ..................... 8 80 . 90 Lincolnshire .. ...... •• • . •... •. 10 60 ...• .-. ...., 40 Suffolk 15 30 --- 0 Cambridgeshire ————.••• • • •. 20 40 —. 40 20 20 60 Surrey 20 60 50 'yo Devonshire Wiltshire • 18 2050 i Other parts •••• ....... .• ...... 33 100 30 90 e Total ..... . ........ 139 480 120 fie Previous week's arrival...... 165 470 160 (eo Difference since our last •• • • 26 10 40 BOROUGH AND SPITALPIELV.44 100, These markets continue to be abundantly suPP; all kinds of Potatoes, yet a large business is doing.' ~/pf at prices varying from 40s to 100 s per ton. Several "`" in a very diseased state have come to hand. BOROUGH HOP BICARICET. Several pockets of n e w H o p s have come to 1 19 A 0 Kent and Sussex du r in g th e p as t wee k, and been- e u o o l 7 of, at from 61 to 61 10s per cwt. Pickin" is 0 ,"',.. 73 603 0 pretty general, and the accounts from pia fir satisfactory. The duty is now backed at 180,0 00 i• $4, OOL. Owip The imports of Wool in t o London, since this day s % d I have not exceeded 350 bales, chiefly from SPaiq n a ptOo r is many. Privately, very little business is passing, l :l rtf, of Wool, and the quotations are almost now" — •of sales of Colonial Wool will commence on the 9th bfa if-b' tember.—South Down Iloggets, is '2d to is 4 1 / I ' l ; I d • i; ditto, is 3d to is 4d ; Ewe s , c l o thi ng , is to -0 , 0 / 5 1 1 / 4 : fleeces, is ld to is 2d ; Combi ng Ski n s, 10 1 / 2 d Flannel Wool, 9 1 / 2 d to is 1 1 / 2 d ; ditto, - 141313-- Is Old; Leicest er fleeces, is to Is Oid per lb. a sh s TALLOW. rallY This market is very fi rm , an d pr i c es gene" uslitY' tt higher. New Y. C. on the spot is 42s 6d for fine ga te rn n/3-. 1 0 Old is 425, re-weigh e d. O n arrival, and for ser, petersbor 425. By advices received this morn i ng frotn:; o f prices remain firm and steady, and the quan t ' i c askS• this date on the way to London i s only l'°°°,Blbs• Tallow is 41s net cash ; Rough Fat 2s 4d Per A h re °I ; DRAYTON MANOIL—The company a visit to Sir Robert and Lady the visitors within the last fortnight have been t 1 : 1 0, the Earl Tel co unt sy"p bishop of Canterbury, Mrs. Howley, iris c °° r d Earl of Lincoln, the Earl and Countess Howe, Viscountess Villiers, Sir Francis Lawley, the 1 0 . ! 0 , 4 , „1, Peel has assespealurabtle7.. -014-e Henry Goulburn, his Excellency Baron Brun" ji te,o ll ; 4l Excellency Chevalier Bunsen, General and MoV r , Captain and Mr. A'Court, Dr. and Mrs. Lally, lake, &c. onie j 0 BITE FROM AN ADDER.—A lad of the ec eife Sp o oner, living in Chester-place, in thi s toweL r d heea ! severe bite from an adder on Sund ay l ast. He get blaCkberries, in a field near Little Eaton , gathering them his attention was drawn to s"„ w hP,,tt moving in the bottom of the hedge ;he looked to se o ' in e ; tth w hhi a mei r „ ke a ipi n lltg d vi ehi b tes e niru l ,d e ho v due i el n and g rl t remd t o thhi ebinre: and ed snake wb ehgilaen h b e pl 10 t t 5 3, t b ss ejo i c t o , f t : y wmadehi which h a '°ra best ii under the upper lip, swell so much that his friends felt alarmed , ait h u.d cspaurisnegd and d s b m it o h u i rh advisable to call in medical aid. The injurY b e , was re,u,so o f was attended to, and the swelling of the bee' ' so rrf but it proceeded to the boy's breast, and we are s° he continues in a very alarming state.—Derby IRISH PROVISIONS.—The following list c° o 7 r at l b ee t e principal arrivals of provisions an d a rticles of l e a st b, cad of Liverpool from the Irish p or t s d u ring the P n d 13 9 4 it 9,551 firkins, 178 half firkins, 1.587 baskets , g ' . 56 ° 4- 0 0 . t. ( of butter ; 46 sacks, and 30 barrels of wheatj a cks °f 0• 1 „/ flour; 897 quarters, 295 tons we i g ht, and 1 12 121 sacZil 1.9" # 36 sacks, and 154 other packages of oatmeal ; d 20 tire ), sg.„s 200 quarters of malt; 132 kegs, 21 casks, ;M 541 P a r - u ! Y, lard ; 350 barrels of bacon • 63 casks of hams';„ of P e " f D7 l of linens and cottons; 15 kegs, and 221 barr e ' - „kage s „ a oso casks of whisky ;64 bags of meal ; several P a- • "'", beans' We 3 1; and tongues; 200 quarters, and 50 sacks of /e get iP of farina flour, and various other articles m,„ c ipal and importance. The following were the Pf` h - e asiae f l a ,a 7 which took place at the port of London from ira ges a geo,4o in the same period of time, viz. :-1,92 0 Pa c ,i9 542 boxes of eggs, 264 casks of porter , *,, a of lar paper, 5,606 packages of butter, 892 Pa ckt' a r''Tela , aild of pork, and 39 of beef, 50 sacks, 340 13 —, 70 l'a c i j o quarters of oats, several packages of tor,gt:: ' 4B B 1)5 ;r of hams, 178 packages of malt, 132 pip, ail'. l es too 5 of fresh salmon, and a variety of ot:ner 00 dr is'"" holt' Or ous to be further enumerated and articul ar p wa y f l l ,Ol portatior. of 38 blocks of marble from g a way nj t f from its not being an usual article of suPPIP_t Bristo l ic h e o tioned, as also that the arrivals of provisions a c hili 4 v the same quarter have, in a l ess er degree, been ',l a ce , similar to that above specified as having t akell 0 9 larger ports. N Er G intl [ADVERTISEMENT.]-A GENTLEMA.O _fit sy KOLLO;nundhgrl #Ol4, OF AGE CURED OF A VERY BAD LEG OINTMENT,—Mr. Richard Stopper, residing at S l a ve wa till i c e ley folk, had a very bad leg, which he was aPPre hens n S ett 1 O le ce i t ur ge , no his life. Although attended by an eminent s „ use ,_ e ", became so great that it was deemed necessaqr nv to Pills and Ointment under the surgeon's inspectio fas a ;. e r. brated remedies alone a perfect cure was effectede t ittraordie' , I# 1 ; The ne of this gentleman makes the case mos , _., s. a s 11 , 0n0..1, he is well known, thenad the fact may be inquired ... .T; aledif,;iia new a clerk to commissioners of taxes. I;stab li 5..1,1 by all druggists, and at Professor 11oliodeS9 244, Strand, London. BIRTHS. O f 66 0 Os M On the 25th of August, at Banbury, th el% w hir* Hamilton, Esq., 55th Regiment, of a. daug 410 y On the 24th of August, at Caon'..l Sall, jj lady of J. Golden, Esq., of a daurpter• mon, Nor'' , On the 25th of August, at .",.i ew bold-on 4a sop shire, the wife of the Rev. Edward SutythlB9i fit " MARRIED. genri Ord On the 27th of August, at Learniu gto ounger dao. of Pembroke-square, Kensington, to Alm a 'Y of B. M. Roberts, Esq., of Hackney. DIED. ..,. , Alm L0W 134 On the 24th of Ang ast at Paisley- • 01 On the 26th of Anglia, at Ildinster, Daughter of the P _key. John A___12 11 . : .......... ........ / 111 --, a of 214. ‘ London: Printed and Published by AfITBDO Wig( . tha triogr Strand, Printer, at Zee Bun Office, 20.1 12, gtra ild '..., ia estlrn of th 3 Savoy. in Ma County of Uiddlesix• i- --- tember 1, 1846. CarOliSe, / 1 1\ ~` 32,4 23 L 1