The Sun. — London, England, 1846-05-22 00:00:00

RAILWAY COMMITTEES. (YESTERDAY.) I' ',OISE OF LORDS. GROUP I. LONDON AND YORK. The Committee met this day at eleven o'clock, the Earl of Love lace chairman Several land-valuers were called to prove the value of the land which would be ►centred for the purposes of the railway. The wit nesses wet e cross-examined at some length by the counsel for the °pp ming htrulowners. The scn of the Archishop of York was called to speak to the interference with the farm-land of the see of York. The witness said that the Archbishop 'lid not oppose the line in regard to his own ieglins, lot to the t rests:of those who W.oll I succeed him. He did not feel the ,nterfcrence on his own account, for at his time of lite he could not expect to live to see the line completed. Eatl Fitzwilliam was examined as to the great accommodation to the country by tie London and York line. Ills Lortaship had but one oiljectiou to the lisle, and that was, that the promoters should /make their It ae ht close opposition to the Syston and Peterborough Rana ay, :tad that at that part the latter line should be common to both companies. It that should be agreed to, he Lad no objection to urge T.:alit:4 the I (imam and York Railway. Mr. AMS said, brat on the part of the promoters he was in structe I tt, acaniesce i■ the wishes of the Not* Lord. The c n e :or the Archbishop of York having closed, Mr. AcsrN relkessed the Committee on the evidence submitted to them against the Bill. The case for Sirlliam Milner was next proceeded with, and evidence having, been adduced of the injury which he weula sustain by the line crossing part of his estate, Mr. Hitav u to addressed the Committee, and concluded by re questing that the preamble of the Bill be rejected, on the grounds that no amount of compimsation could satisfy the Injury which would be done to his clients' property. The Committee adjourned at four o'elock tin eleven the next day. tiOUSE OF COMMONS. GROUP X. This Committee met to-day at twelve o'clock, in Boom No. 1 (House of Commons) ; present, Mr. Deedes (chairman), Mr. Ark wright, Mr Farnham, Mr. Stanley, and Mr. Vivian. Immediately after the,r assembling, Mr. Ser;eant BELLASta informed them that in the case of the rr3Ord3EMAN39S AND ILIRICINTILLOCH (CHAPEL —HALM BRANCH), which had stood over to this day, the promoters had come to terms with the opposing petitioners, the Messrs. Baird, of the Gartsherrie iron-works, in respect to "way leaves" and other compensation. There was, therefore, no longer any opposition to the Bill. The CHAIRMAN having intimated the satisfaction of the Committee, the preamble was declared to be proved. The clauses were severally ;one through, and the Bill was passed. GLASGOW, 3:UNC AnziriziE,TlO ANT.„ NrONKLANDS N. - - - - Mr.. Am:mews, Q. C., for the promoters, stated that he would not, after what had fallen from the Committee yesterday, go at any length into further evidence of the advantages of the line in itself; but he would show immediately the comparative disadvantages of the two competing lines. Ile then called Mr. Wilson, prorost of Airdrie, and proprietor of the Dundyvan iron works, who gave evidence very strongly in favour of the line, in respect to the benefits it would confer on the proprietors of mine rals aed iron works, and on the public generally, in the towns it would connect and the districts through which it would pass. In cam -examination by Mr. WnersionE, for the Dundyvan Branch, the witness said that he did not think it was of any im portance whatever that in sending his metals to the port of Glasgow by this railway, he would have to use the line of another company far cart of the distance. It was of no advantage whatever to the traffic that the whole of a route should be upon lines all in the hands of one company instead of several. In fact, it was sometimes otherwise. To speak from experience, he hag been sending his mineral traffic for the last ten years by a route which was lat,(o , in the hands of three separate companies. They had since become amalgamated, and he found the treatment all the worse for it.—(A laugh.) Mr. 'Wilson. in other answers, gave evidence favourable to the competing lines on their own merits, but adhered on the whole to a preference for this ,Bill. Mr. Addle, of the firm of Addle, Millar, and Co., ironmasters on the line, was next examined by Mr. ANDREWS In favour of the bee. I In crose-examination by Mr. FORSYTH, the witness stated that he bad petitioned against the Bill, but two or three days ago he with drew the petition, the Company having abandoned those parts of their alternative line which would have come too near to his furnace. The cross-examination was lengthened and minute. Other evidence of the same character having been received, , Air_ Arlie. manages cf the Edinburgh and Glasgow, and of the I%To: end Kirldntilloch Railways, and engineer of this line, was examined by Mr. (*tilde:lrd, as to the engineering particulars. Ii le moss-examination by Mr. Forsyth occupied the remainder of the lay, and the Committee adjourned, at four o'clock, till twelve to morrow. GROUP XIII, Thin Committee met to-day at twelve o'clock, Sir Wm. Clay in the chair; there were also present, Earl <Termyn, Mr. P. Ainsworth, and Mr. Cartels. NORTH BRITISH (CARLISLE EXTENSION). Ev'dence on behalf of this line was resumed. Sir Jatnes Graham, .11. P., examined by Mr. ArsTin, said hiarest dence was at Netherby. The line before the Committee went for a Considerable way through his property, between Canoble and Car lisle. He had paid some attention to the scheme before the Commit tee. and he thought that the construction of the line v - ould confer great, benefit on that district of country. It passed Langton in its route.- It would be of great advantage to Langton. and the sur rounlia; neighbourhood. Langton had a population of about 2,000 intia'Atants. The prluclpal manufacture there was hand loom weaving. The weavers were supplied from Carlisle. He and his predez.essors had hitherto opposed the establishment of manufactures by power,' but having seen the destitution among the hand loom weavers, he now thought it desirable to establish manu facturing power. The po , it , on of the Esk was not such as to' allow of the extensive application of water power; he therefore thought that steam power was more desirable. In the establishment of that ouwet - Le could ()Ter great facilities; and he believed that with railway* accommodation. coals could be laid down at Langtoa cheaper limn any port in the north of England. He had every reason to believe that the present line would not only be a great benefit to Langton and the neighbourhood, but also :o the city of Carlisle. He did not think the Caledonian and Langholtn I ranch would accommo date the district near so well ; it would interfere injuriously with his property, and would cause the Canoble coal to be taken in a more circuitous way to Cal:isle. lle had large plantations as well as stone quarries, and the Caledonian branch would also give very imperfect accommodation for the conveyance of the wood and stone to Carlisle. The North British Hoe, on the ether hand, went in the most direct manner to Carlisle, along the route of the turnpike road, and afforded the fullest accommodation to the district through which passed. The district was an important agricultural one both ;or the raising of produce and the feeding of sheep, and it was annually improving. If accommodation by rail way was to he given, it ought to be on the left bank of the Esk. Ho also approved of the extension of the line to Itawick, as he thought this the natural line to Edinburgh. It would be the shortest as well as the ban:. . Cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant WaANGOAM—He had given his attention 'o the whole scheme of railway accommodation for the south of Scotland. He had last year assented to the Caledonian. It went thrtat.h I,:s property. He had heard that a line had been sanctioned for a line to Glasgow by Dumfries. That would make, with the present scheme, three lines to the centre of Scotland. He had alwal * ilyught, however, that the traffic would only support two lines. Still he considered the Caledonian should be satisfied with the Glas;ow traffic, and that the Edinburgh main line shoal I go through Ilawick. The line by Hawick to Edinburgh was the most direct, and he .relieved the shortest. He supported that schema because it would open up the valliei of the Esk and Tweed, and accommodate the important and rising towns of Galashiels, Hawick, and Selkirk. On public grounds, therefore, he thought the present line desirable. The line to Edinburgh by the Caledonian beim.; formed, and the present line also laid down, it would no doubt be a calamity to the Caledonian; and, there fore, to that cottext an injury to the public. If the Nithsdale line took away a port ion of the Glasgow traffic, it would be still more so. He had once thought that railway competi tion wit:: n great evil, but he had seen reason to modify his views, and to conclude that increased accommodation by railways developed traffic and induced the public to travel to a greater extent ; so that Use evil apprehended was not such as he once thought it to be. He had not read the pinion of the Board of Trade on the subject of com peting iines ; all he could say was, that there was traffic enough to sup port one line to Edinbugh and another to Glasgow, but with regard to a third competing line by Nithsdale, he had net considered the question. He did not know the capital that would be required for all these I:nes. He only thought, generally, that one line to Glasgow, and one to Edinburgh, world pay; but whether two to Edinburgh, and two to G'asgow, competing with each other, would pay, was a subject he had nut considered. Tha present line went about six miles through his property. The Caledonian branch did not approach so near to Langton as the Carlisle and Hawick, and there was the river between them. lie had been told that the Cale donian brans); Slam Langholm to Carlisle was 3% miles longer than the North British Extension. He had always thought the Caledonian line from larlisle to Glasgow very desirable, and would prove of great public benefit. He had heard within the last month that the Hawirit line. in *is entrance into Carlisle, crossed a thoroUghiare in an objectionable manner. Mr: I.a;rig, factor of several 'estates in Roxbureishire, deposed as to tha agricultural traffic of Roxburghsh're. A large amount of the moll', e went westward Into Dumfriesshire. It was generally bought up by dealers, and a good deal of it went to the English market. I is re urn of the grain, meal, and flour, that went west ward thrulixh anwiek, was 4,714 tons. Cross , exaatitted—Of the 4,714 torts, a considerable porton went Into Ledclo.';'alc. He could not say what towns in Dumfriesshire were stvt!ied with this produce, nor could he say who the parties were !fiat fought it. The Ledderdale district, he believed, was south west .1 lin Nick. He could not say that the district in question was to the south 915 e 01 Langholm. To the CVAIIIIAN—IIe ascertained the quantity of grain he men • Voile by communicating with the millers who attended the Hawick Market and examining their returns as far as he could obtain them. Mr. Scott, cattle dealer of Hawick, examined by Mr. Sergeant Brwars —lie occupied a sheep farm of 1,000 acres in Roxburgh. shire, alio grazing farms in Ross-shire. He was also tenant of Arthur's st - 7.1t, near Edinburgh. It was his practice to breed his sheep on his northern tanns and then bring them tp the south for the purpose of feeding and afterwards they were all sent to Ann an, from whence they were shipped to Liverpool. If sent by railway to Liverpool, they svoslti arrive much sooner, and in much better condition. He sent about 4,000 sheep and 400 cattle to Liverpool annually. There were other persons In Roxburghshire and Berwickshire engaged in a similar occupation with his own. There were 450,000 to 500,000 lean sheep annually sold at the fairs in Roxburghshire, and he estimated that fully three-fourths of that number were sent to England. There were also 120,000 to 130,000 fat sheep annually sent to Newcastle. The cost of sheep from Kelso to Annan was Is. a head, and from Annan to Liverpool 25., being 3s. in all. Cattle cost to Annan Bs., an dfrom thence to Liverpool 10s., b e i ng 18 s . i n all. He thought about 15,000 fat sheep would go by this line through Carlisle, and about 4,000 tat cattle. He could not say what would be the amount of lean cattl e that Would go, but he considered a great amount would go. Cross examined by Mr. IttexaßDs—He was the largest dealer in the district. Liverpool and Newcastle were his principal markets, but the proportions he to these places varied. The largest con sto umption was at Newct l it great t consumptiongratproportion f Leeds and the other to:;nsThoferYeowrkThiare.g the stock that went to Liverpool consumed at Manchester. If things remained as they wereands: v crtrect line was formed from N castle to Manchester, no d ou b t a considerable amount of the ew would go that way. It would, h owever, be a round about comma u. nleation. A very considerable portion of the lean stock of Rox boirghsh;re went to Skipton and the north of Yorkshire, and the Newcastle route as far as he knew would be an accommodation to that oraltic. What would go by this line, was In a great measure a ma tt e i of guess. Mr. Nelson, butcher, of Glasgow, deposed that the East and Mid- Lothians were the best feeding districts in the south of Scotland. This district lay to the east of Edinburgh, between Dalkeith and Haddington, His evidence was generally that, from his experience of carrying cattle, the fat and lean stock from the Lothians would go by the proposed railway. He thought alarge traffic in fat cattle Prom the Lothians would take place along this line to supply the Xanenester, Liverpool, and Birmingham markets. There would also, he was persuaded, be a large trade in slaughtered meat. Cross .examined —Probably a considerable amount of the cattle Irom Dalkeith and Tranent would go to Edinburgh and pass to the Mouth by the Caledonian Railway. There was little difference in the two routes, and therefore the Caledonian line would give accomtno delion to ll , e cattle of that neighbourhood without the construction of the present line. From Tranent cattle going along the :Hawick line might save about five miles. With reference to the Slaughtered cattse, he gave evidence last year that the Caledonian 'would be a convenient route for that meat going south. There were a 0 - cat timber of villages around Edinburgh engaged In slaughter ing, and by going into Edinburgh, the Caledonian would give them gad southern ace tinmodation, The Fifeshire cattle would also be Accommodated by the Caledonian line. The traffic to the east of England would be accommodated by the North British Railway. lie bad not coluddezed whether there would be traffic for the two rail -ways, though last year lie had deposed that there was sot roma for . The Caledonian and the Dumfries schemes, and he p - eferred the iormer. Mr. ifortor, m'n'ng engineer, said he had examine.] the route of the line in reeerti to minerals, and he had visited the Canobie coal- Iflod t. was 9 fteiltful coal •field, three miles by two, containing 55 *et of w,rkable of al in 13 seams. It had been but slightly worked. The present seem, ~ voree t coald be made available fora supply of 100,000 tone for tn rare. Accenting to boring, the whole of the proved seams would wive a supply for 200 years. At present the euppty was 25,300 tons a year, at hs. 4d. at the pit's mouth. Of this quantity Haef-icii. took about 7,003 tens a year. If the railway were formed it cenld be tail doe n in Hawick at Os. Id. a ton. There was also an extensive limestone bed worked near to Canobie. He bad made a table evhieft would be put in, of what would be the price of coal at venous points along the line assuming the carriage to be I%d. per ton per mile, coals from Slid-Lothian would cost at Hawick ' 12s. 5:1. Cross-examined—Last year he corroborated the evidence cf Mr. Wright, which took credit for Hawick being supplied with coal from Mid-Lothian. That was, he believed, a considerable item in the estimates of the line froin Edinburgh to Hawick. The coal sold at the pit's mouth at Canobie was Just as it came out cf the mine, Imsorted. With a Hue (tom Canobie to Dumfries, awl another to Nawick, no doubt the puke of the coal would rise. The present price at Canobie would not, therefore, present what it would be under the other et rcums' enees referred to. He could not say what the Berwick coal could be supplied in Hawick for. The entire con gumption of coal last year was 7,000 tons. When he talked of ;,000 tons going to Hawiek, from Canobie, he merely guessed the amount ' - to be such for the pi emelt year. (The witness was here subjected t• sclo , e scrutiny on the table he had furnished, with the object of Showing that the estimate of the coal traffic was greatly exaggerated). Mc. Gibson, manager of the Canobie colliery, generally COZTO. b°rateel the wridenee of the previous witness with regard to the , minerri traffic. Coals were taken to Ilawiek ha carts, and prcrvi *MA bwatitht buck for Couoble. Quo lquctrog Gana were $Uw - employed. The coal sold at the pit's mouth was unsorted and nn riddled. just as it came to the pit's mouth. Coal had at one time been shipped at Carlisle. Cross.examined—They never had had any shipments of Canobie coal at Annan; lnit if that part was better adapted for shipping than Carlisle it would be desirable for that purpose. In making up the traffic table he had taken all places on each side of the railway, that was eeven miles beyond Cattobie. Lanett()lm was a market town about seve.t milesfrom Cartobie, yet he had estimated for all the coal to be consumed there. He had made no deduction for the farmers coming to market with their carts and bringing coals. He had not calculated how many of the places in the table would be nearer by the turnpike road than by railway, or that were likely still to cart their coals. Mr. Wright, manager of the Dalkeith collieries, wits examined in corroboration of the foregoing witness He had assisted Mr. Morton and Mr. Gibson in making up the tables submitted. Cross-examined—He gave evidence last year to the effect that Hawick would be well supplied from the Mid Lothian coal-field, which was a most extensive one. The country around Langholm was a thinly populated country. He had estimated f or Langholm and six or seven miles round. He had also taken a circuit round Hawick. The country along the line wag very thin till within three miles of Hawick. Mr. Kenwick, a manufacturer and wool spinner at Langholm,was generally examined, with the object of showing that the line in question would be of great importance to his business in opening up a connexion with the north and south. It would also be of consider able benefit to the town and neighbourhood. Cross-examined —He was the only manufacturer of this particular kind in Langholm, and he sent the most of his goods through Hawick to Glasgow. The steamers from Liverpool came to Annan, because they conld not come up the canal to Carlisle. The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow At twelve O'clock. GROUP XIV. The Select Committee appointed to consider the merits of the Bills cimprised in this group re•asserabled at the usual hour this morning, Mr. Protheroe in the chair. _ SOUTII-EASTMMT (MID IZMNT). The first business gone into this morning was the engineering evi dence in favour of the South-Eastern (Mid Kent) schemes. Mr. Robert Stephenson, the chief engineer of the South Eastern scheme was the first witness called. The Mid Kent line commenced at a point en the existing Greenwich line. passed through Lewisham, along by Bromley, through the Ravensford Valley, and the Valley of the ➢iawlirgs on to Maidstone, and from thence to Chart, near Ashford. There was a branch to Riverhead. and anther from Hytham to Tunbridge where it joined the existing Tunbridge Wells branch and the Tun bridge and Hastings lines, which received the sanction of the Legis lature in the course of the present session. The length of rail to be made would be about sixty miles in length. The scheme would shorten the distance from London to Dover by thirteen miles, from Lonon ,to Tunbridge by nine miles, and from Lon don to Maidstone (the county town of Kent) by twenty miles. The proposed line would avoid the exi Hug New Cross station, which was found at present to be very inconveniently situated. The steepest gradient on the line was 1 in 125 ; the others ranged from 300 to 268 ; the first was about a mile and a half in length. There was a short gradient at Lewisham of lin 146. The severest gradient on the at mospheric line for the same division of the country was 1 in 100 for several miles. There was a tunnel between Bromley and Farnborough, but it was not of an extensive character. The works on his own line were decidedly superior to the works on the atmospheric line. The atmospheric line ap proached nearer to leeveneaks than his own, but it did so in a tunnel of 2,717 yards in length, which was preceded by another tunnel of 300 yards long. There was perhaps a quarter of a mile between the two. There was a gradient of lin 80 for three miles and a half on this part of the atmospheric line, and a descent of the same character going towards Tunbridge. The distance of the branch from Hytham to Tunbridge was eight miles and one eighth. It passed through the Barket valley. a thickly populated district, fruitful in agriculture, hops, and fruit, and thickly studded with paper and flour mills. The atmospheric line avoided this valley and of course its advantages. The engineering features of the line from Maidstone to Chart were exceedingly good, and he had no doubt the- line generally would be of peat advantage to the public and continental travellers. In. deed ho might say it was precisely the route which the South-Eastern line ought originally to have run. He believed -tt.^ -eason it did not do so was the opposition the landholders of the dist. ict originally evinced to a railway invading their property. In the present session a line had been passed running from Reading to Reigate, forming ajunction between the South-Eastern and the South- Western lines, and he had no doubt all the continental travellers coming from the west of England would pass over the Reigate line on to the South-Eastern and so on to the continent. In fact this line formed the key to all the western traffic, directly connecting Southampton, Oxford, Worcester, Wolverhampton, the North, and Bath, Bristol, and Exeter, with Dover and the continent. His esti mate for the line was 1,000,500/. On cress-examination by Mr. Sergeant TALFOVILD, on behalf of the atmospheric line, the witness stated that the South-Eastern Com pany were about widening the existing Greenwich line for the Croydon Atmospheric and proposed to lay down additional lines for the North Kent line. For the increased traffic of the Croydon Atmospheric, the North Kent and the Mid Kent lines, there would be three addt ticwal lines laid down at the Loudon-bridge station and then there would be seven lines of rails. There would be a saving on the at mospheric line over the South-Eastern of four miles between London and Tunbridge. On re-examination, Mr. Stephenson stated that the Croydon Com pany would have to contribute towards widening the Greenwich line approaching to London-bridge. The saving of time by the at mospheric line between London ant Tunbridge would not be more than seven or eight minutes. Mr. Bidder corroborated the testimony of Mr. Stephenson. lie agreed with him in all the evidence he had given with reference to the general features of the line. Mr. J. Clutton, a land agent and surveyor, estimated the cost of the land for the main line and branches at 236,5701. This closed the case for the promoters. Mr. 31. Dewsom then addressed the committee on behalf of a land. holder at Deptford, who complained that the line unnecessarily in vaded his property, inasmuch as the company might avoid the pro perty by availing themselves of the existing Croydon line. The Committee then adjourned. GROUP XVIII. EXETER, YEOVIL, AND DORCHZSTMII4., I.OIXTDOVI, SALISDUSLY, AND YEOV:f.L. The Committee met as usual ; Mr. B. Denison, chairman. Mr. HILDTAED statedl that in consequence of the intimation which the Committee had given, he would endeavour to call as few wit nesses as were really necessary for the protection of his clients' interests. The Cnantmate stated that he hoped any intimation which the Committee had made would not lead the Counsel astray. He should be sorry to the latest day of his life if any intimation he had made would prevent the Counsel calling any witness which they thought material to the interests of their case. lie was sent there by the House of Commons to Judge of the merits of the line, and he was de termined to do his duty. Mr. Morrison, M.P., was then called, who stated that on public as well as local grounds he thought it necessary that there should be another line affording direct communication between Exeter and London. Mr. Head, residing at Seyton, was proceeding to give evidence of a similar nature, when the Committee interfered, and ordered the room to be cleared. The parties having been called on, The Cnatamsx announced that it was the opinion of the Cemmittee that they had heard sufficient evidence as to the traffic of the line, and desired the promoters to proceed at once with their engineering evi dence. Mr. Locke. the engineer, being under examination in another Com• mittee, and there being no probability of his examination being con• eluded to-day, the Committee adjourned till twelve o'clock to-norrow. GROUP XX. This Committee met to-day at twelve o'clock ; Mr. Sotheron in the chair. LONDON, BOUZitSZOV7 AND WESTERN. The case on behalf of this Bill was resumed. 11r. T.% son, of Staines, gave general evidence as to the advantages the proposed line would confer on that town and neighbourhood, in which a great depreciation of property had taken place from the want of railway accommodation. George Beesley, landlord of the Windsor Castle, Hammersmith, deposed as to the benefit the line would confer in that locality. Mr. Charles Brown, bulkier, of Hammersmith, gave evidence to the same effect. Evidence of the same character was given by Mr. Beck and Mr. Brown, of Staines. After the hearing of some further traffic evidence, The Committee adjourned at an early hour till to-morrow. GROUP XXII. WAVENSY VALLEY. The Committee met at the usual hour. Sir G. Grey, chairman. The witnesses examined to-day gave evidence of the advantages which the line would confer upon the districts through which the proposed railway would pass. The witnesses were Me,ssrs.Willshire, Thomas Hammond, W. Tees dell, H. Walwood, and T. B. Palmer. Captain 3lorsom, R.N., engineer t o the Company, gave evidence of the favourable nature of the line; the gradients were not severe, and he considered the line would prove remunerative to the company. The line was on the narrow gauge, and there was no engineering difficulties. The river Waveney would be crossed by means of a swing bridge, which would not all interrupt the naviga tion of the river, which was a tidal one. At the conclusion of the engineering evidence the Committee rose and adjourned till twelve to -morrow. GROUP XXVI. LONDON AND SOUTH ESSEX. This Committee resumed its sittings at twelve, Mr. Maurice O'Con. nell in the chair. Mr. COCKBURN, Q.C., addressed the Committee on the ground of being opposed by the North Gravesend slily!) , because they wanted a larger span of archway across their line than was absolutely neces sary. Mr. RODWELL, in reply, stated that they wanted a span of 100 feet over the river Lea, which Mr. Brunel deemed necessary, whereas the London and South Essex offered them only 60 feet. Mr. Locke, civil engineer, was cross-examined by Mr. ROBERTS on this subject. He was of opinion that the force of the current would not be increased by his bridge of two arches, as the river would be widened in proportion for a sufficient space to counterbalance any In creased impetus that might be given to the stream by the erection of his buttresses, and, moreover, that a bridge of fifty feet span would be quite ample for all the purposes of navigation. Mr. JAMES followed up the cross-examination of this witness, who stated that there was a very ex cellent natural dock in the river Crouch, near Burnham, and he did not hesitate to say that that place must rival Harwich, though Mr. James was of opinion that the sight of an Ostend steamer would very much astonish the worthy oyster drudgers of Burnhafn. Mr. Locke was further of opinion, that there would he no danger in transferring the traffic on to the Blackwell Railway, as he bad an idea of altering one line, and substituting either the locomotive or atmospheric principle. The curves also on his proposed line were very favourable at this junction with the Blackwell Railway ; there was a curve of 42 Chains ; with that exception there were none under three quarters of a mile. The steepest gradient was 1 in 150 from Lon don, and 1 in 251 towards London ; there was no tunnel. The gradients on the two branches were also good, but better on the Tilbury than on the Southend Branch. The Committee were then engeged for some time examinirg the plans and sections, after which Mr. Locke stated the working expenses to be 64,1971., which subtracted from 124,3241., gross amount of capital, would leave a net revenue of 60,1271. for the branches, &c. Mr. Tite, the architect of the Royal Exchange, said the esti mate for land was 108,940/ which he considered a very fair esti mate, Doinganaverage of y" 2001. per acre ; but he believed the land would be bought.f ne nt ari wolruhldisbve nexoupeemrlaenn,cselrfo.ros.me,Komrdialret,es.s, and also that no opposition articlec.tten wind-bound Fisher, harbour -master rpaoiiilzasys.s been postponed opinion that a station for colliers on ol t ut : eit y of Loudon ' o s n o d u o t n k ,.. w w e o s u t l dg gales o e f o sl very v h e s greatsel,,l:,,, race communicating a S of w du it r h ing for days when there was a great need of thereto the metro polis, Such a station would also relieve the Pool of that pressure to London. o d f o t w en n was the source of accidents to large steamers L ur i e Wlitth " the river. Could not say thatvessel ps ng up ana a would, under every circumstance, be able to beat up the river Crouch with a gale from S.W. A vessel could not b Mr. Wightman, of the illeaat-up to London with wind at S.W. to the proposed line. Ti c i all Railway, gave evidence favour ablethe Blackwall line after the traffic began steadily to increase on street. Was of opinion that the openinguh of . the station in Fenchureh with the Blackwall Railwayas it vas would effect a junction that 250,000 tons of coal might well be s consumedat present laid down ; and brought by the South Essex line. about Stepney If In answer to the lion. CHAIRMAN witness stated that traffic on the Blackwa ll Railwa y was about two-thirdsthe station of He also, in reply to Mr. Maumee O'CONNELL stated the whole. that cent. was a good am ount of increase on the traffic of thefirs 5O per cons idering the great rush of traffic they experience on fi rst Opening,t year, Mr. Win. Pare stated that the number of passengers carrie iia, exceeded the estimate by half a million. The rate of traffic of in crease between Liverpool and Manchester and between Brighton and London was less than between Newcastle and Car lisle; or, generally, that when the pre-existing traffic was considerable, the opening of a railway has not caused so great a ratio of increase as between places where the pre-existing traffic was comparatively small. The Increase of traffic on t,he Liverpool and Manchester was only live times, and on the London and Brighton only three times greater than before the censtruction of the railways, whereas on the Newcastle and Carlisle it was thirteen times greater than-before. Mr. Tite, being recalled, stated, in reply to Mr. Maurice O'C onnell, that estates and occcupancy are regarded, but parochial and other divisions are not ; that arable land is more liable to consequential damage than any other description, and that no objection was made now to level crossing., even in pasture countries. This virtually closed the case for the South Essex ; and after a table of assents and dissents had been given in, the Committee decided upon hearing the, North Gravesend, on the rebutting evidence. Mr. John Cooper, owner of West Ilam corn-mills, was called, and stated that from 6d. to Is. per quarter was the charge of freight from the eastern coast of Essex to the various mills about West Hain, which he thought was a cheaper mode of conveyance than by any railway at Id. a mile. The carriage to London from West Ilam cost him 2s. 6d. per ton, the distance being about three miles. Most of the large mills in the vicinity of London were near the water. ~It being four o'clock the Committee then adjourned till twelve to morrow. GROUP XXVII. . IMPORTANT DECISION. This Committee met this morning at the usual hour; Sir C. Lemon in the chair. SOUTH IVIIDLAND, AND LEICESTER. AND the main line of the London and Croydon Railway crossed the canal. This was already a great obstruction. _ _ Mr. Smith, the engineer to the Surrey Canal Company, gave similar evidence at great length. The examination, cross-examination, and re-examination of these witnesses occupied the Committee up to four o'clock, when they ad journed till twelve to-morrow. WISBEACH, ST. IVES, AND CAM- BRIDGE JUNCTION RAILWAY. A meeting of the holders of scrip and shares in this scheme was held on Wednesday, in the Sussex Hotel, Bouverie-street, Fleet-street, for the purpose, agreeably to the recent reso lutions of the House of Commons, of receiving a copy of the Bill, and to decide as to whether they should approve of and authorise its further progress through Parliament or not. The chair was taken shortly before two o'clock by llr.l. Fryer. The CHAIRMAN explained the object of the meeting, and observed that the capital of the Company was 475,3601., i.sued in 23,768 shares, a third of which—namely, 7,922, must be represented at the present meeting, in order to authorise the further prosecution of the project. He was happy to state that the number of shares represented on the present occasion amounted to not only one-third, but to no less than 17,959 shares in approval cf the Bill The Solicitor then read the draft of the Bill, and The SECRETARY announced the present state of the finances of the Company to be as follows :—The receipts by deposits on shares, 47,0001., of which there were deposited with the Accountant-General 30,300/. ; while in the hands of the Company's bankers there remained, after payment of expenses, 6,933/.—(Hear, hear.) A resolution, approving of the Bill, and authorising the directors to proceed with it through Parliament, was then put and agreed to. A vote of thanks was passed to tho Chairman, who ac knowledged the compliment, and the meeting separated. THE SUN, LONDON,__ FRIDAY ,MORNING, MAY 22, 1846. szurorm (COMPETING) LINES. Mr. PAGET replied on behalf of the promoters of the Leicester and Beciford..ll4lpray, upon the Bupplemont4l engineering- evidence ad duced yesterday. gf t roptitd pa Denali prPl2loi4rA 0t UN 0911t4 Midland scheme, and addressed the Committee upon the general MIL . The room was cleared, and on our re-admission, The CHAIRMAN announced that he could not then (it being past four o'clock) give the official decision of the Committee, but he would do so to-morrow at twelve o'clock. He might, however, say, that the decision to which the Committee had come was, that the pre amble of the SOUTH MIDLAND RAILWAY was not proved, and that the preamble of the LEICESTER AND BEDFORD RAILWAY was proved. The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow. GRjUP 1-XXI, SOUTH WALES (AMENDMENTS AND DE— VIATIONS). The Committee met this morning at the usual hour ; Mr. Round in the chair. The opponents of the Margem deviation proceeded to call evidence against the project. Mr. Whateley and Mr. Venables appeared for Mr. Talbot, a large landowner in the vicinity of the line. Several witnesses were examined, who agreed in opinion that the proposed deviation from the line as passed last session would injure the trade of Bridgend, Cowbrldge, &c., as it would create a new line at the commencement of the deviation, which would withdraw the trade from Bridgend, which now supplied the inhabitants of the val ley of Glamorganshire with tha materials used in their avocations, and also the necessaries of life. One stated that at the point ofjanc lion there were a number of old pit-3, now unworked, and that there had been two sinkings on the Perth Canal Railway in consequence of some of these pits being below it, but they were not of a serious nature. Mr. Marsh, C.E., stated that the line as passed last session would go through more than eight miles of inferior land belonging to Mr. Talbot, the petitioner against the Margem deviation, and that the proposed deviation would run through about nine miles of valuable farming land. _ . . Mr. Talbot's agent, Mr. Llewellyn, considered that that gentle man's property would be materially injured by the deviation ; many farms would be removed, and the tenants subjected to considerable annoyance. Mr. WHATELEY, Q.C., then addressed the Committee against th i(argem deviation, and held that after Mr. Talbot had consented to the line as passed last session, and agreed to give up a certain quan tity of his property, that it was extremely hard now to propose a deviation which would injure his property to a greater extent, as the promoters a the line would require more land and that of a more valuable quality than in the first instance. Besides, the line could not fail to materially injure the towns of Bridgend and Cowbridge by taking the traffic in another direction, and consequently leading to the establishment of a new town at the junction in question. Then it had been shown by farmers and others that the original line would answer their purpose, and that the deviation would not. He deprecated the conduct of the South Wales Company coming forward this session, after having obtained their Bill, with several important deviations which materially affected the whole plan of railway. lie held that the preamble of the Bill, so far as this portion of the line was concerned, had not been proved, and called upon the Committee so to decide. Mr. CROWDER then addressed the Committee on behalf of the Severn and IVye Canal and Railway, into the history of the rise and progress of which he entered at length, and held that as they had constructed their canal and railway at a period when such projects were looked upon with little favour, and at considerable expense, and they had from time to time expended large sums of money in fitting them for the wants of the district, and as the project before the Committee would be most destructive to its proprietors, he called upon the Committee to reject it, namely the filling up of the "gap," as not required by the wants of the district. He did not ask this on behalf of a company possessing a lucrative monopoly, because the proprietors did not receive more than 5 per cent. on the capital which they had invested in its construction? The Forest of Dean Company and the South Wales Company said they, had full powgrs in their Bill to purchase the Wye Railway, but if the prorietors of that Railway did not consent, why then they would let them alone. In what a pretty condition his clients would be if the South Wales were constructed and the Fo est of Dean allied to them. The property of his clients would be utterly destroyed. The Learned Gentleman had not concluded his address at the. rising of the Committee. An arrangeinent has been made with the Berkeley Canal Company which has led to the withdrawal of their opposition. GROUP XXXII. The Committee met this morning at twelve o'clock, present Mr. .T. E. Denison (in the chair), Sir E. Hayes, Sir R. R. Vyvian, and Mr. Talbot Clifton. CHELTENHAM , " AND OXFORD. Evidence was continued this morning to show that the private wells. in the town of Cheltenham would sustain little or no injury from the cuttings of the railway whore it passes through the sand. Mr. Andrew Paul, surveyor, stated that where the Bir mingham and Gloucester Railway passes the High-street, Cheltenham, by a cutting through the private wells ht the vicinity, they contained from four to eleven feet of water above the bottom of the railway ; and that in the wells along the proposed line from Duke-street to the intended station the water stands now about the same level as the bottom of the projected cuttings, so that there was no probability of their being at all affected. He believed that the cuttings near New-street, where the clay was nearer the surface, could be so managed, by puddling and by underground construction, as to prevent the escape or the cutting off the water from the town. These facts were affirmed, and the evidence corroborated by other witnesses —by Messrs. Onley, Wright, Millar, and Simpson. At this point Mr. Brunel, the engineer of the line, should'have been produced for examination, but he was under examination in another room, and Mr. Austin applied to have an adjournment till to-morrow, at twelve. The Committee adjourned accordingly. GROUP XXXVI. The members of this Committees met at twelve o'clock; Mr. Mor. gan John O'Connell in the chair. LONDON AND SOUTH ESSEX. The cross-examination of Mr. Locke, the engineer to the line, was resumed this morning. The cross•examination was on the part of the commissidners of the river Lea navigation, who objected to the Elie on the ground. that the bridges by which It proposed to cross the river would very seriously and injuriously interfere with the naviga tion. Mr. Locke was, however, of opinion that no danger or even inconvenience would arise, and that the line was free from all engi neering difficulties whatever. GROUP LIV. This Committee re-assembled to-day at the usual hour ; presem Mr. Bannerman (chairman) and the other members. MIDLAND, BURTON—ON—TRENT TO NUNEATON, AND BRANCH. The Cuainmax said he wished to call the attention of the counsel for the petitioners against the Bill to a eertain regulation that had been agreed to by Committees, namely, that counsel should set forth some of the general grounds on which they objected to the Bill. The Committee, however, would not on all occasions adhere too rigidly to this regulation. The evidence for the Bill was then resumed. Mr. J. Steene, examined by Mr. MacauLET—Was a corn and coal dealer in Oxford, where he had resided for thirty years. From 50,000 to 60,000 tons of coal were consumed annually in Oxford, of which 30,000 tons came from the Moira collieries. They suffered consider ably in Oxford from the canal by which the coal was at present conveyed. For one ton of Bedford coal there were 200 tons of Moira coal consumed in Oxford. The cost of bringing coal from Moira to Oxford was at present 13d. per hundred ; but by the pro posed railway there would, according to the calculation that had IN en made, be a saving of 15,0001. annually. The railway would be desirable for Abingdon and several other towns, where Moira coal n - as consumed in large quantities. There was no doubt that the pro posed railway would be of the greatest advantage to Oxford. Mr. J. Nadon, of Stapenhill, examined —The proposed railway would be very desirable to his neighbourhood, as regarded the coal pits there. A large trade was carried on in the neighbourhood of the railway in clay for earthenware, and a species of fine clay, which was sent to Sheffield for the purpose of making crucibles. It would be very desirable to have the southern communication which this rail way would afford. Cross-examined—The proposed railway would be very beneficial to Lord Hastings' property and the coal pits on the same side. The principal traffic to the south upon whick they relied must go to Rugby. Mr. Thomas Gray examined—Was an earthenware manufacturer at Gretusley. There were three manufactories there for a coarser kind of ware. There were also eighteen manu- factories for yellow ware, which article was used chiefly by the poorer classes. The trade in both articles might be considerably increased. Their ware was sent to Canada, and there were strong expectations that a trade in the same would be opened with France. There was a trade in clay for bricks carried on there also to the extent of 150 tons a week. Mr. W. W. Abney, of Masham-hall, was examined as to the gene ral benefits of this line, which he stated would be very advantageous to his neighbourhood. J. Kidyer examined—Was employed to take the traffic and survey on the line from Burton to Nuneaton. The population on the line was 114.000, and the traffic 89,0951. Cross. examined —Was not prepared to go into the details on which he based his calculations. He had put down the mineral traffic rt Id. per ton per mile, and the other articles at d. per ton. The net proceeds of the railway would he 40,0001. He had made in his calculations on this point an addition of 50 per cent. to the true traffic. He considered that at least that increase would result from the railway. Wanted to sur vey the country to the west side, but was prevented doing so by Lord Howe's agent. He was prevented from taking surveys on Mr. Moore's estate. Did not include in his estimate any coals coming from the east of the Moira cord-fields. The CHAIRMAN said that the Committee were desirous to ascertain the rates and tolls at present levied on the Ashby cana'. Mr. MACAULEY said that ho would take care that this information should be forthcoming. The witness was re examined by Mr. MACAOLEY—It was of great importance to the brewers of Burten to have this railway constructed. There were no less than seventeen schemes which proposed to con struct railways in this district and all proposed to pass through the estates of Lord Home and Mr. Moore. These estates were very extensive and could not possibly be avoided by a railway crossing the country. After hearing some further evidence of the same nature, the Com mittee adjourned at four o'clock. (;nour Lv. MANCIIESTMR, surprxr.LD, AND 11IID.- LAND JUNCTION. The preamble of the Manchester, Sheffield, and Midland Junction line having been proved, the Committee went through the clauses to-day, and disposed of them in a short time. They then entered upon the evidence affecting the Manchester and Hyde line, which is a line of seven miles ; and also that of Staley-bridge, a competing line. The cost of the former was estimated by Mr. Vignoles at about 139,2001., cr 20,0001. per mile, and was to have two small branches, and one viaduct of 3b2 yards, and the line was to be a doable one. M. Gee, Esq., was examined in opposition to the line, and in sup port of the Staley-bridge line. The latter was to be 12 miles long, with two short branches; and he contended that the Staley-bridge would be preferable to the Manchester and Hyde. At the close of this gentleman's evidence, the Committee adjourned till twelve o'clock to-Morrow. GROUP LVI The members of this Committee met at 12 o'clock, in Room 29 (New Houses of Parliament), when Mr. Ewart took the chair. the same me embers were present as yesterday. The case of the LONDON AND CROYDON (THAMES JUNC TION CANAL) was resumed. Mr. William Cubitt was called, and examined on the part of the thepromoters. promoters, promo B. Cubitt. h, o ta e w r li o ns t oonalclohnjgcltAidire.d W. is . c cas ob e a fi: ) r His evidence was chiefly in corroboration of that of Mr. . (A , t h t e he reserved time Retherhithe, and Deptford-road trustees. He spoke to the very great Deptford,nwalsliolal,ilesdupheyri3nitre.nrdeonwtm,of, othhethevipcaturtalloifntghedeßpearmrtmoeonatseayt, mischief that would result from the formation of a line crossing from it on a level. ' alr. Sergeant WILKINS (011 the part of the Grand Surrey Canal Company) then rose, and said that he did not at present propose to go into the (location of the merits of the Bill. He was not about to open the case on the part of the Canal Company, but he was about to ask the Committee for something like what in common law is called a " nonsuit." Ile claimed this on these grounds: —lst. By the 7th and Bth Victoria, cap. 20, sec. 40, it Was enacted that, whenever a railway crossed a public road it must do so either by an arch over or tunnel under such road, unless a special clause provided otherwise. lie had searched the Act through and could find no special clause so providing, although it was proposed to cross Grove-lane on a level.—(A laugh from Mr. Talbot) lie (Mr. Sergeant Wilkins) well understood his Learned Friend's laugh ; for his friend' alive) s showed most philosophy in adversity, and laughed more then than at any other time.—(Laughter.) The Learned Counsel then objected to the interference with the right of wartT4ha erection Learned o .era turning ,0 1 l of r n i efad n g aside a certain road, and also to the interference with the bed of the river, which he said was a necessary partwoobfftttiihellithee. purposehtehe,ttoohrft short -hand n k e l nddgoteh writer'ske m pil o e sn s t o o tb n e se thecoffer-dam Counsel line t h referred aftowouldr tbthe to Sri hence of Mr. B. Cubitt to show that a coffer-dam would be ne cessary. Mr. Cubitt had that morning introduced "the play of Hamlet, the character of the Prince of Denmark emitted," for he had said, that in laying down the line he had not contem plated the dock as a part of qutlaienounn.derltahkin LearnedtheAct,geougsr again ed doc to k Mr. Cubit's ft:huebsitia'se evidence and also rt e . lie (Mr Sergeant Wilkins) knew very well that there were no diffi! culties in the eyes of the engineers, for when Mr. Stephenson was asked in another committee-room a few days ago whether he coc a could mak a tunnel under th e wor ld i f you liked, its make a tunnel under the Alps, he replied, " Und er the Helps, mon ! why yes, ye merely, a question o' pounds, shillings, and pence."—(A laugh.) But though no difficulties in the eyes of an engineer, they were great difficulties in the eyes of lawyers. Mr. TALBOT replied (on the part of the promoters) that th ough there Was no clause in the Bill that would a part Grote-road oulpdemt of f oner the p romoters to passthe se , would be o bviated by striking scheme, on a-level, yet one could be easily introduced. an d all objections to the clauses which referred to the decks, and t o th ose 'no ts of the preamble that treated it a " n out those portions. d to the 81 st and 82d standi ng orders, by w hi ch Mr. POWER re ferred empowered to strike out such parts of the preambl es Of Bills as were not Pr C omm ittees were ved, and such c l au ses as would b e baneful in their results, but With this proviso , that the Bill must not b e so altered as to become adls tinct Bill from that originally presented. tarY agent, replied on the part of the Mr. PartEES, the P arliamer. • promoter, and Sergea n to t Wmani, After a lew words 'front Mr• _ b e c leared. On our return The Committee ordered the room . the case was ordered to proceed. proceeded to examine Mr. Travers, Mr. Sergeant WILEINs then PrO- - Company, who gave evi dence Can the secretary to the Grand Surrey, ult from the interruption of the that would re eh this railway would tress dence as the mischief wt traffic on the canal- by the bridge on . i s.,„„ Wiltici 011 winch It. Thin bridge weuld be but A ! - Vlr PIA 4 ±-Y-''--' r- - NORFOLK RAILWAY. A meeting of the shareholders of the above Company was held on Wednesday, at the office in Guildhall-buildings, for the purpose of deciding upon the further progress of the 4,1. lowing Bills, in conformity with the sessional orders : A Bill to empower the Norfolk Railway Company to make a railway communication between the Dereham branch of the Norfolk Railway and the towns of Wells and Blakeney, in the county of Norfolk. A Bill to empower the Norfolk Railway Company to make a railway from the Ipswich and Bury St. Edmund's Railway at Stowmarket, to the Norfolk Railway at Attleborough and Wymondh am. A Bill to empower the Norfolk Railway Company to make a railway from the Norfolk Railway at Thetford to the Lowestoft Railway at Reedham. A Bill for extending the Norfolk Railway to the Jetty at Great Yarmouth, and to enable the Norfolk Railway Com pany to purchase a lease of the Lowestoft Railway Harbour and Navigation. A Bill for making a railway from Norwich to Aylsham, with a branch to North Walsham. A Bill for making a railway from East Dereham, in the county of Norfolk, to the city of Norwich. A Bill for makiar a branch railway from the East Dere ham and Norwich Railway to the Norfolk Railway. Mr. Duff (the Chairman of the Company) presided. The advertisement by which the ; meeting had been con vened having been read by the secretary (Mr. Till), resolu tions assenting to the further prosecutions of the Bills were carried unanimously. Upon the termination of the proceedings, a meeting was held of the scripholders interested in the progress of the first two Bills above mentioned. The Bills were unanimously sanctioned. A vote of thanks was given to the chairman, and the meet ing, which lasted a few minutes only, broke up. THE WATERFORD and KILKENN RAILWAY. The half-yearly meeting of the above Company was held on Wednesday at the London Tavern. The Hon. P. Buller, in the chair. The SECRETARY read the report, which stated that the directors felt increased confidence in the value of the under taking, and that some progress had been made in the works. The money in the hands of the bankers and that lent out at interest amounted to 31,453/., and the sum stall due on un paid calls was about 26,0001. The directors bad felt it ne cessary to take an iaterest in the Galway and Kilkenny Railway, which would become an important feeder to the Waterford and Kilkenny line. The CHAIRMAII addressed the meeting at some length, and moved that the report and balance-sheet be adopted, and printed for circulation amongst the shareholders. This resolution was carried ; and it was understood that all books and accounts of the company would be open for the shareholders' examination. The next resolution put was, that the present directors be re-elected, which was also carried. The general meeting then assumed the character of a spe- cial meeting, to determine what course was to be adopted i❑ reference to carrying out the wooden railway, on which principle it was originally intended this line should be formed. After some discussion, it was agreed that a committee of four directors and five shareholders should be formed, to in quire into and report upon the matter. _ A vote of thanks having been given to the Chairman,, the meeting separated. WHITEHAVEN AND FURNESS JUNCTION RAILWAY.—SPECIAL MEETING. A meeting of this Company was advertised for yesterday at the Company's offices, 1, Guildhall-chambers, Basingball street, in pursuance of the sessional orders of both Houses of Parliament, but after waiting for a considerable length of time the directors were obliged to adjourn the meeting to some future day, in consequence of the non-attendance of proprietors or scripholders. LONDONDERRY and ENNISKILLEN RAILWAY.-SPECI AL MEETING. A special meeting of this company took place yesterday, in compliance with the sessional orders of both Houses of Par- liament ; Mr. George Frith in the chair. The SECRTARY having read the advertisement convening the meeting, The CHAIRMAN said, that the subject of the present Bill had been discussed at a former meeting, and they were now only assembled to comply with the orders of the houses of Parliament. The whole number of shares belonging to the Company was 10,000, consequently 3,334 would be a sufficient number to constitute the meeting legally, but he was very happy to state that he had received proof of 3,397 assenting to the carrying on their BM in Parliament. A SHAREHOLDER desired to know if the deposits had been paid upon those? The CHAIRMAN was uncertain upon that point, and the meeting adjourned to this day week, in order to ascertain the point. RAILWAY SH ARE MARKETS. BRISTOL, MAT 20. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are —. Caledonian, I I %—Ditto, New, 134—London and York, 2 4 — Manchester, Buxton, and Midland, 1 9-16 p.—Shrewsbury and Birmingham, 3 1 A. MANCHESTER, Max 20. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Ambergate, Nottingham, &c., I7s. 6d. dts.—Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire, 1% p.—Black burn, Clitheroe, &c., I dis. — Blackburn, and Preston, 4 p. —Boston, Newark, and Sheffield, 34 c. dis.—Chelmsford and Bury, 16s. c. —Chester and Manchester Direct, 295. c. dis.—Clitheroe Junction, I dis. —Derby and Crewe, 3 P. Direct Northern, 12s. 9d. dis.— Eastern Counties, 24—Essex and Suffolk, % dis.—Exeter and Ex mouth, % c. dis.—Glasgow and Dumfries, % dis.—Goole, Doncaster, Sheffield, &c., dis.—Grand Union, I6s. c. dis.—Lancashire North Yorkshire, % dis.—Leicester and Bedford, par—Leicester, Birming ham, and Trent Valley Junction, 1 dis.—Liverpool and Bury, New, p.—Liverpool, Ordiskirk, and Preston, % p.—Manchester, Bux ton, and Matlock, I p.—Manchester and Birmingham, 803( —Ditto, 4uarters (C), 7 13-16 p.—Manchester and Birmingham Continuation and Welsh Junction, 17s. dis.—Manchester and Hyde, % Northumberland and Lancashire, 21s. dis.—Nerth Eastern, 1 7-16 dis.—North Staffordshire, 3% p.—North Wales, I % c. dis.—North Western, 5-16 c. p.—Oldham District, % p.—Cixford, Southampton, ant Gosport, 17s. dis.—Sheffield and Manchester, Quarters, No. 3, 3-16 p.—Seropshire Mineral, I% dis.—Shropshire Union Railway and Canal, 16s. 6d. dis.—Sonth Midland; 34 p.—South-Eastern and Dover, . Halves, No. 4, 5-16 p.—Welsh Midland, 235. 6d. dis.— West Riding Union, 2% p.—York and Carlisle, PA dis. LIVERPOOL, Mav 20. NEw STocX EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Cheater and Birkenhead, 201. Shares, par—Eastern Counties, 234 —Ditto, York Extensions, 1 p.—Glasgow and Ayr, 76—Grand Junction, Eighth Shares, 27% — Manchester and Leeds Extensisns, 3 p.—Manchester and Birmingham, Quarter Shares (A), 9 p.—Ditto, ditto (B), 9 p.—Ditto, ditto (C), S p.—Midland, 401. Shares, 11% P.—Preston and Wyre, Half Shares (B), 9s. p.—Sheffield and Manchester, Quarter Shares, No. 1,43 i p. —Ditto. Quarter Shares, No. 3 (scrip), % p.—South-Eastern and Dover Consolidated, Half Shares, 3% p.—Ditte, Half Shares, 36 p.— York and Selby, East and West Riding Extension, 11% p.—Hudders- Geld Railway and Canal, par—Huddersfield and Sheffield Junction, p.— Leeds and Thirsk, 4 dis.—Liverpool and Bury, 8% p.—Ditto, Fifth Shares, 1 3 4—Goole and Doncaster, 13s. Gd. dis.—London and York, is. 6d. dis.—Sheffield and Lincolnshire, p.—Direct North ern, • dis.—Glasgow and Dumfries, ss. ells.— Liverpool, Ormskirk, and Preston, % p.--Birkenhead and Holyhead Junction, l i4 p.— Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire Junction, 1% p. —Boston, Newark, and Sheffield, % dis. —Boston, Stamford, and Birmingham; % dis.—Buckinghamshire, 3s. 6d. p.—Cambridge and Oxford, 10s. 6d. -Derby and Crewe, 3%- - -Furneis and Windermere, 1 dis..—Grand Union, dls. --Great Eastern and Wester,,, 1% dis.—lnverness and Perth, 19s. dis.—Leicester and Bedford, par—Leicester and Birming ham, % dis.—Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle Junction, par —Manchester and Binningham Continuation, lfis. dis.— Manchester, Midland, and Great Grimsby, % dis.—Matlock and Midland Junc tion, 265. p.—Northumberland and Lancashire, 19s. dis.—North Staf fordshire, 765. 6d. p.—North Western, % p.—Rugby and Hunting don, 16s. 6d. dis.—Shrewsbury and Herefordshire, )4 dis.—Trent Valley Continuation, 1 dis.—Trent Valley, Midland, and Grand Junction, % dis.—Warwickshire and London Junction, par—Welsh Midland, 23s 64.-IVestßidlng Union, 565. 6d p.—York and Carlisle, 1 1 1 dis.—Dutch Rhenish, 2 p. LEEDS, MA 20. STOCK EXCHANGE. —The sales are—Eastern Counties, York Ex tension, 20s. p.—Huddersfield and Sheffield, 5% p.—Leeds and Brad. ford, 28 1 ,6 p.—Leeds and Dewsbury, 1% p.—Leeds and Think, 3M dis.—Ditto, New, 21. Is. dis —Newcastle and Berwick, 10% p.— North British, Carlisle Branch, 235. 6 41 . p. — Sheffield and Manchester, Quarter Shares, No. 3, par—Wakefield, Ponte f r a ct , and Goole, 13 p. —Boston, Newark, and Sheffield, j dis.—Bradford, Wakefield, and Midland, 1 dis.—Clitheroe Junction, 16s. dis.—Direct Northern, % dis.—Grand Union, 13s. dn.—Glasgow and Dumfries, 105. dis.— Lancashire and North Yorkshire, 7s. dis.— Lancashire, Yorkshire, and North Eastern, 28s. 6d. dis.—Leeds and York, 28s. d i s . — Leeds, Wakefield, and Midland, 6s. did.—Leiceste r and Bedford, Is . 6 d. dis.—London and York, par-3lancliester, Brixton, Matlock, and Midland, iM p. —Northumberland and Lancashire Junction, 19s. die. —North Staffordshire, 3% pr—North Western, 3s. p.—Sheffield, Rotherham, and Goole, li dis.—Shropshire Union, 14s. dis.—South Midland, 225. p.—Welsh Midlands, I Ifi dis f —West Riding Union, OA. HULL, Ali? 20. • STOCK EXCHANOZ.-The Balm; are-North British, Half Shares, 48s. 9d.-Axholme, 315.-Derby, and Gainsborough, 145.-Direct North ern , 1% -East Lincolnshire, 195. - Fleet wood, P r eston, and West Riding, 178.-Goole D on caster, Sheffield, &c., 1 /. 9 s. 6 , 1.- Grand Union, 13s. 64.-Ht:11 . and Barnsley Junction, 265. 3d.-Hull and Lincoln, 195.-Leicester and Bedford, 235.-Liverpool, Orms, kirk, and Preston, 3/. In.- N o ttingham and Mansfield, 21. Hs:- North Weatern, 275.-North Staffordshire, 61. 28. -South Midland, 2t. 19s. 94 . - Shrewsbury and Birmingham, 3. Ditto, SHEFFIELD, MAY 20. Srocz EXCHANGE.-The sales are-Grimsby, and Sheffield, 3/. 4s. (Its.- Ditto, E xtension, 9s. di s. -Ditto, Quarter Shares, ss. dis.- Railway and Dock, 1% di;.-London and York, IA dis.-NOt tingliam and Mansfi e ld , I s. p. -Sheffield and Lincolnshire, 7s. p.- Ditto, Extension, 10s. dia.-Sheffield, Buxton. Leek, Potteries, and Crews, 13s. 6d. dis.-South Yorkshire Coal RAilway, % dls. HUDDERSFIELD, May 20. STOCK EXCHANGE.-The sales arc-Huddersfield and Manchester Railway and Canal, par -Clitheroe Junction, 14s. 6d. dis.-Hud. derafleld, Halifax, and Bradford Union, 41.75.-Leeds and York, 295. dia.- Lei c( s t er aid Birmingham. s. -London, Salisbury, and Yeovil, 31s. ( A.-Manchester, Barnsley, Dewsbury. kc., 20s. 6d.- Manchester, Huddersfield, and. Great Grimsby, 21s. 6d.-Glasgow and Dumfries, 36 5 . -G reat Grimsby, Quarters, G s. 6d. dis.-Essex and Suffolk, l Is. td.-L ondon and York, 24. and Sunderland, sSuTtLidE;rlLaTt.Ol,N2-4T%Y.N-lEn,ve3rf Inverness e T s s 20. STOCK EXCHANGE. -Th e ilaEmll ar sales aro-Aberdeen, Banff, and Elgin, 225. dis.-Durham and Elgin, 1 dis. -Leicester and Bedford, is. Gd. p.--Northumberland and Lanca shire, 195. Us. YORK, MAT 20. • . STOCK EXCUANCE.—TiIO B.ftieS are.—Eastern Counties, York Ex tens!on, I% G rand Union, Nottingham and Lynn, 13s. 6d.—lpswich and Bury, — Leicester and Bedford, 1/. 2s.—London and York, 21. 1 is.—M anchester, Buxton, Matlock, and Midland, 3%—Newcastle and Darlington (Brandling) 41% —Ditto, Extension, 9% —North British, Carlisle Extension, 2%—North Western, 1% —Sheffield, Rotherham, Wakefield, Barn sley Huddersfield, and Goole, 3% Wakefield, Pontefra c t, and Goole,' 36% —Welsh Midland, 11. 75. West Riding Union, s —York an North Midland, New (East and West Riding), 11%. _ _ ~. GLASGOW, MAY 19. STOCK Excnewor.—The sales are—Airdrie and Bath g ato, 565. Banffshire, 19s. 6d.—Bridge of Weir, 445. 6d —Caledonian Exten slon, 33s.—C a l edonian Central, 28s.—E ast of Fife, 205. —E a st Indian Railway, 17 s. 3 d. — Edinburgh and Il athgate, 42 ; .. .. - Edi n hurgli and Peebles, 3 1 s. — Forth and ClSde Jmiction, 343.—Glasgow, Barrhead, and NOlston Direct, Direct Northern, 335. Cornwa ll and Devon 9X—Glasz•Ow and Belfast Union, 415.—Glasgow, Kilmarnock, and Ai r ; 73 %7.° 14 ug01v, Darafrie S I and Carlivle, 01.--Cilvii9w, EU: marnock, and Ardrossan, 363.—Glasgow and Dundee Junction, 345. 6d.—Glasgow Harbour Mineral, 25s.—Great Indian Peninsular, 83. —Kilmarnock and Ayr Direct, 378.—Lesmahagow, 46s.—London, Bristol, and South Wales, 193.=Manchester and Southampton, 458. —Perth and Inverness, 31s. 6d.—Scottish Central, New, 71(—Scot tish Central and Caledonian Junction, 30s. 6d.—Soutb. Midland, 645. —South and Midland Junction, 225. 6d. PROVINCIAL BANK OF IRELAND. GENERAL ANNUAL MEETING. A general annual meeting of the proprietors of this Com pany, pursuant to the deed of settlement, was held yesterday at the offices of the society, 42, Old Broad-street. Mr. Allston took the chair at half-past twelve o'clock. The SECRETARY then read the advertisement calling the meeting. . The CHAIRMAN said it was the first time he had ever pre sided over such an assembly as that before him, and he therefore trusted he would be excused if he should make any mistake. He had to propose that the four following gentle men be elected as directors for the ensuing year :—Edward Fletcher, Thomas Masterman, G. R. Robinson, and John Young, Esqs. The resolution was unanimously agreed to. The CHAIRMAN said, as they were all men of business, and did not require many words from him, he would therefore call upon the Secretary to read the report. The SECRETARY then read the report, which stated the satisfactory prospects of the Company. There was a surplus fund of 14,000/. An HoN. PROPRIETOR wished to know if the directors intended to give an extra bonus this year? They had done so before with a much less surplus fund. The CHAIRMAN said that the directors were as fond of bonuses as the proprietors, but as the Company had este blished four extra branches, they did not deem it prudent to do so. They had gained the confidence of the public, and they should be careful not to lose it. Their surplus fund was their rock of safety.—(Hear, hear.) Captain J. L. LEWIS said, as a stranger, having heard the report read, which he considered most satisfactory,he wished to know what was the amount of salary they had given to their retiring secretary ? The CHAIRMAN said that his full salary was 1,2001., and they had given him for his excelent services a pension of 1,0001. An flox. Pnorntirron. begged to express the confidence he had in the board of directors, and to state that he con sidered their course as quite correct in not giving a bonus, for when bonuses were given the shares were apt to go down in the market.—(Hear.) The CHAtammt then moved that the report read to the meetingbe adopted, printed, and circulated, which was carried unanimously. An Hoar. PROPRIETOR wished, before the meeting sepa rated, to move a vote of thanks to their late secretary. It was to his exertions that they owed the present excellent arrangements of the Company, in so much that the Company was looked upon by others ac a model, and was often quoted as an example. The motion having been seconded, it was passed unani mously. A vote of thanks was then passed to the Chairman, and the meeting separated. WO: (.6 THE CELEBRATED :.:.RENCIT THIEF-TAKER. 7'.") IYE EDITOR OF THE SUN. just reed in your paper of Monday evening last, that " Vidocq. the celebrated French thief-taker, died lately ne..i Brussels, in a state of poverty." I trust yoi , wil: be kin(' enough to contradict such a false iat• me+lL. sr I out neit:!e: ,lead nor poor. lam quite as well !Fs : was wbc3 , l t i u horiJitied me with your visit, at the Cos morama about 4 ye 1r ar:o. As to the state of my fortune, I have got more than !or me; and if you will favour me NJ it ypiir compmnv at dinner, any day you like to ap ),-pic.t. y.ri: will at e a - :aan who, for a long time yet, means k be.,•point time who, for particular reasons, may wish ad patres ; Ind who saved enough to treat his friends By puVislihig this letter, or any part of it that may please you, so as to prove, at all events, that I am slid alire and in very geol health. you will greatly oblige. Your most obedient servant, VIDOCQ. 1, Leicster-stre:t. Leicester-zquaro, May 2Y,1846. LAW INTELLIGENCE. PRIVY COUNCIL, May 21. The Judicial Committee )1 the Privy Council con tinued their sitting to-day. The Lords present were, the Lord President (the Duke of Buccleucb), Mr. Baron Parke, the Vice-Chancellor Knight Bruce, and the Judge of the Prerogative Court (Sir Herbert Jenner Fust). • WILLIAMS AND OTHERS V. CHAPMAN AND OTHERS. ---- - This was an appeal from the sentence pronounced by the Judge of the High Court of Admiralty in a cause of damage, civil and maritime, arising out of the total loss of the brig Parana and her cargo, together with the master and five of the crew, in a collision with the Iron Duke steamer, brought by the respondents (the owners of the brig) against the appellants, trustees of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company. The facts were as follows:—The Parana, a new brig of 200 tons burthen, was navigated by a master and ten hands, and with her cargo was worth about 17,0001. The Iron Duke is a steamer, belonging to the City of Dublin Steam packet COmpany, of 600 tons burthen, having engines of great power, her ordinary speed being from twelve to fourteen knots an hour. She carries the mail between Liverpool and Kingstown, and on the night of the collision had 70 passengers on board. The Parana left Liverpool the 9th of September, 1844, bound to Montreal. Shortly before two o'clock, A.N. of the 10th of September, the steamer's lights were erst seen from the brig, about three miles distant off her star board bow. As the steamer rapidly approached, the mate of the brig held the binnacle light over the weather quarter, and hailed, but no notice was taken, and the Iron Duke ran into the Parana, which went down almot t instantly, and with cargo and other property. The arguments were commenced yesterday, and re sumed, but not concluded to-day. The Solicitor-General and Dr. Addams appeared for the appellants, and the Queen's Adrocate, Sir Thomas Wilde, and Dr. Hsggart were counsel for the re spondents. The further arguments in the case were postponed to a future day. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MANSION-HOUSE. Frederick Steinberger, clerk to Mr. Tate, solicitor, of Basinghall-street, was brought before Sir Peter Laurie, upon the charge of having forged a cheque for 1001., upon the London Joint-stock Bank.; Mr. Bush, of the firm of Bush and Mullins, solicitors to the Committee of Bankers for the' prevention of for get-its ' 'and frauds, attended for the prosecutor, and Mr. Hobler appeared for the prisoner. Mr. J. W. Nutter, cashier of the London Joint-stock Bank, stated that between three and four o'clock on the 13th of May, the cheque produced for 1001 was pre sented by tbo prisoner across the counter for payment, and witness suspected that something about it was incor rect, and asked him to go into an anti-room ; that one of the managers asked for whom he presented the cheque, to which he replied that he was a clerk to Mr. Tate, and that he presented the cheque for a friend ; that upon being asked who that friend was, he said he did not know, but that he was a young man like himself, only rather shorter • and that the prisoner was therefore detained, and Mr. iate was sent for. Mr. William Tate said the prisoner bad been his clerk about nine , months, and that the writing on the chr que was, he had no doubt, in the prisoner's hand writing. He added that he had never authorised the prisoner to fill up that or any other cheque ; that he had been in the habit of sending the prisoner to the banking-house with his pass-book, and almost invariably for the purpose of getting his cheques changed ; that he found there had been a cheque taken out of his cheque book, and the cheque produced bore the same number as the missing one, viz., 20,928, that he constantly kept his cheque-book in a drawer, which was locked, and that the drawer must have been opened t o o b ta i n i t, andthat the prisoner must have known the place of concealment. The witness, in cross-exa m i nat i on b y Mr. Nobler, said that he knew nothing of the cheque in question until the 13th inst. The prisoner was committed for trial at the Centra Criminal Court. EXTRACILDINARY CASE.— William George Wallis, the secretary to the Tower Hamlets Loan Society, held of late in St. Mary Axe, having been summoned to answer the complaint of a tbreigner, named Otto Brunges, who had deposited in the hand of that individual, as an officer of the society, the sum of 65L, upon which interest was to have been paid. Sir PETER LAURIE called on the case. Mr. King, who appeared as solicitor for Mr. Wallis on a former occasion, in which a complaint was made against the Secretary to the Tower Hamlets Loan So ciety, begged leave to hand to the Alderman the fellow, iug notice, which occasioned no small degree of sur prise : " To the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor of London, and all other her Majesty's justices of the peace of the said city : " Take notice that, by virtue of the summons granted upon the complaint of one Otto Brunges, .I duly'attended the same on Thursday last, the 14th day of May inst., and there objected to your Lordship, or any other of her Majesty's justices of the said City of London, entertain ing the complaint of the said Otto Brunges, upon the ground that the loan society mentioned or referred to in the said summons, and to which it was alleged that I was the secretary, was not an enrolled society, and that your Lordship and the said justices of the said City had no jurisdiction to adjudicate on the matter of the said complaint by reason thereof. Now I hereby give you, the said Lord Mayor of the said City of London, and each of you the said justices of the said City of London, notice, that you have no jurisdiction whatever to hear and determine the said complaint ; and I hereby require you, and each and every of you not to adjudicate therein, and I hereby further give you notice that, in the event of your granting any warrant against me, for not appearing to She said summons this day, upon the hearing thereof by adjournment, or of your taking any proceedings whatever against me, in the matter of the said complaint, contrary to the notice, I shall hold you, and every of you, personally liable and responsible to me for any damage which I may sustain by reason thereof. Dated this 21st day of May, 1846`. G. WALLIS. Witnev, Charles W. King, 40, St. Mary Axe, at torney for the said William George . Wallis. Sir PETER LAURIE, upon hearing the paper read, observed that he never recollected any occasion upon which a magistrate was served with a written notice denying his jurisdiction. Mr. Goodman said, he had never heard of such a thing. The question of jurisdiction was usually left to the decision of the magistrate himself. Mr. King admitted that he believed the notice to be a solitary instance. Sir PETER LAURlE—Before I can say whether I can or cannot adjudicate, I will hear the case, one tittle of which lain as yet unacquainted with. It is necessary to stilt; here, that about a fortnight ago Mr. Ashley, the solicitor to the complainant in thi s case, represented to Alderman Gibbs, that his client, and a great many other persons, bad been induced, by the attraction of advertisements in the news papers, and by the brilliut vacilizta aim by the Secretary to the Tower Hamlets Loan Society, of the state of the funds, and the prospects of the insti tution, to deposit considerable sums of money in the concern, and that finding these accounts utterly fallacious, applications had been made for the restitution of the sums advanced ; according to the printed regula tions, to the secretary, who refused to listen to any com plaints of the kind, although he was not only in posses sion of the whole property of the shareholders, but was actually using the loans and the interest upon the loans daily. To this statement of Mr. Ashby, it was replied by Mr. King that Mr. Wallis represented a body of shareholders himself to a verti• large amount, and that it was in the power of any person interested to examine the books of the society in the possession of the secre tary, from which it was to be seen that every trans action was bona fide upon the part of that officer. In conclusion, Alderman Ginas postponed the case upon the understanding that the books of the society were to undergo an immediate examination. _ Such was the state of the case, wh II the subject was introduced to Sir Pet-r Laurie, before whom there ap pears to be a natural disinclination, upon the part of prrsons engaged in matters of doubtful character, to attend. Sir P. LAURIE desired to know whether the books had been examined ? The complainant, and several other of the share holders, replied that the solicitors who had attended the office of the secretary, to examine the books, had not only been refused permis,ion to do so, but had been grossly insulted by Mr. Wallis. Sir P. LAURIE--I have always considered and repre sented these loan societies to be most dangerous deposi taries for pcople's property, but how any one could be such a fool as to give his money to be kept where he could not have access to the books appertaining to it is what I cannot at all understand. The complainant—Any one, my Lord, would be led away by his talk.—(Laughter.) Sir PETER LAURIE—Did you not look into the book of rules and regulations? The complainant—l am not acquainted with any of them. I believed everything he told me, and so d d everybody else.—(Laughter.) Sir P. LAURIE—How many shareholders claim money of him? Several shareholders—There are twelve of us who claim about 2,0001., independent of the interest to which we were entitled upon the loans. .The sum of 8,0001. altogether is in the secretary's hands. The complainant—He defies us all, and says posses sion is nine points of the law; and he is receiving money every day which ought to be divided amongst the share holders. Sir PETER LAURIE—I find amongst the book of rules and regulations that fourteen days' notice is ne cessary to be given before the deposits made by the shareholders can be withdrawn. Has that notice been regularly given ? The complainant—Certainly ; my solicitor has done everything that was necessary. Sir PETER LAURIE-But who are the directors and trustees? They ought to hold the person responsible. The complainant—The direction is entirely broken up. To fact, the directors are opposed to the secretary. He is down upon directors, shareholders, and all, and he defies all. Sir PETER LAURIE—Why have you not called a meeting of the parties interested? Some of the share holders said they had endeavoured to get the borrowers and the whole body of the shareholders together, and that it was intended to indemnify the former if they refused to pay the secretary any further sum, but the poor people were terrified by the apprehension of law proceedings. Sir P. LAURIE—I FCC here the names of the directors of the society, anl I- shall send summonses to all of them. It is said they are as much opposed to the secretary as any of those who now complain—that they are equally losers. I shall see, however, whether the strict p' rformance of their duty to the shareholders will not lead to the restitution of the property of which so many have been deprived, so that the directors may, by being compelled to serve the shareholders, who were induced to take shares in consequence of their re spectability, render great service to themselves. I per ceive that the book containing the names of the directors was handed to the complainant after the payment of the first instalment ; and I perceive other points on which I shall try whether I cannot achieve complete justice for these poor credulous people. A Mr. Taylor, who said that he was a director, and had been, when the society was commenced, chairman of the directors, here stepped forward and assured Sir Peter Laure that the directors were all sufferers, and thst they would all most readily attend bis call. Sir P. LAURIE—Why do you not it once lay hold of your servant, the secretary, who is in possession of your funds ? Mr. Taylor (as our reporter understood him) said that the secretary had by his ingenuity contrived to get a number of shares into his hands, and was thus enabled to contend against a minority. Here I.lr. Ashley (whose clerk had been attending for the complainant) entered the justice-room, and Sir PETER LAURIE informed him of hisdetermination to summons all the directors, and by such means get at the secretary. Mr. Ashley said there never was a case in which the skill or exertions of Sir Peter Laurie could be more usefully or beneficially exercised. The whole of the funds of the society are in the hands of the secretary, who was compounding with some shareholders for ss-, with others for 63., and with others for 7s. or Bs. in the pound, and giving his own promissory notes, at long dates, to the unfortunate people in payment of their de posits. It was melancholy to think that men could be such dupes. He had seen a letter from a solicitor in the City to a poor man, who had borrowed money of the society, and who only owed 9s. 0., as a last instalment, threatening, in the name of the secretary, that if that sum was not paid by twelve o'clock next day law pro ceedings should be commenced. . . Sir P. LAURIE—Mr. Ashley, attend here en Friday week, I will then hear the case. I am told that the matter is not in my jurisdiction ; but I don't mind going out of my way to accomplish a public benefit. The whole proceeding gave great satisfaction to a crowded Court. THAMES. Joseph Ady, of "something to advantage" notoriety, was brought before Mr. Broderip, charged with fraud. Mr. Pelham attended for the prisoner. Samuel Smith Hill, of Vine-street, Regent-street, deposed that he received a letter on the Ist of January, 1846, signed Joseph Ady, stating that he could inform him of something to his advantage, on the payment of 20s. There was a postscript annexed, as follows :-10001. in the public funds, references to the Lord Mayor and Sir Peter Laurie. A long correspondence took place between the witness and Ady. In one of the letters Mr. Hill expressed an opinion, that his references were all fudge. Ady re plied that the references were not fudge ; that ho had taken a bull by the horns and made him roar all over the world, while St. Dunstan only made the devil roar at Temple-bar. At last the prosecutor for. warded the prisoner ss. worth of postage stamps, and Ady sent back a receipt, promising to return the ss. if nothing resulted from the in formation he had to give him. The money, of course, was never re turned, and no "advantage" resulted from the information. In the cross-examination by Mr. Pelham, Mr. Hill said he was a merchant and a shareholder in the London Joint-stock Bank, and generally resided abroad. IVllhim Argent, 126 H, said he took the prisoner irate custody on a charge of obtaining 60 postage stamps, and found upon him a post office order, dated Hull, for U. It was signed Jahn Beadle, _the re ceipt was to it "Joseph Ady." Mr. BAODERIP —Let that bo taken care of. After some further evidence of no importance, The prisoner on being called on for his defence said he would leave It to his attorney. Mr. SAOIIE/UP said there was a prima fade case made out, and he should commit him for trial. ROYAL GARDENS, CHELSEA COLLEGE.—The authori ties of Chelsea College, having kindly granted the use of their gardens to the Committee of Management of the new Hos pital for Consumption at Brompton, for the purpose of hold ing a bazaar and fancy fair, in aid of the funds, it has been decided that the fête shall take place on Thursday, the 18th of June, when, in addition to the College grounds, the old Ranelagh gardens will be thrown open. Among the distin guished and titled ladies whose consent to hold stalls on the occasion has been already obtained, are the Duchess of Nor folk, the Duchess of Sutherland, the Marchioness of Ayles bury, the Marchioness of Westminster, and the Viscountess Combermere, iac. Sac. The arrangements are being made on the greatest scale of magnificence. THE SCHOOLMASTER WANTED.—The auditor of this district under the new poor-law was somewhat surprised the other day while engaged in auditing the accounts of an uni m in this county, at being addressed by a person in the room who had a bundle, consisting of several books, under his arm, with—" Perhaps you'll be good enough to take me next, sir." " What are you, sir ?" said the auditor to this man of great business. "I'm the relieving officer, sir." "What,' ex claimed the surprised auditor, " Hav'nt you enough to do to attend to your own duties, without coming here to pass the parish officers accounts, go and send the overseers directly," " It would be of no use, Sir, they can't read or write, and I keep the books." " Send the churchwardens here then," replied the auditor " That would be no better, Sir," re torted the relieving officer. The auditor lifted up his hands and eyes in amazement, regretting that the schoolmaster had been so little at home in Worcestershire.— Worcester shire Chronicle. An old lady of Dawlish, seeing the men engaged in fixing the electric telegraphs very modestly stepped forward, and inquired of them, "if there is to be alackwire dancing on the ooening of the railroad."—Devonshire Chronicle. REFUSAL TO BURY A SUICIDE.—An inquest was held on the 15th inst. at the Plough Inn, Piecombe, Sussex, on the body of Richard Riddl.s, aged 63, who committed suicide by hanging him self. The jury returned a verdict of " Temporary insanity." The relations took meaFures to bury deceased at Newtunber, where he resided ; but on Sunday afternoon, when they went to the burial place, the curate, Mr. Brigsden, refused to bury the body or read the r funeral service, there having been a doubt about self-murd - r. te 3l .n Winter produced the coroner's order for burial, and the and if they l reply, said he had written to the bishop on tile subjec e t, x a tra shell to would wait the bishop's answer he would provide an was getting very cover the coffin anti keep in the effluvia, offensive. This could not be ac would not ; but allowed get another clergyman to bury him, for body' was interred between the clerk to have a grave dug, and the atiehlwhheiethen said they might live and six o'clock in the evening had neither clergyman, or clerk, or any official with them,__ced;eadnbdttiotntohfueyneral service was read. DEATH OF at his scat, near Charlton, Wool. - I Ci ns E t. NER A L FvEns. —This gallant Par r' s - tivel Iley 'ad"! A t .T o7 O fth ß his age, and after a brilliant and honour. wick, in the 77th 3' officer expired on th M e but did not enter born in 1769, vanced in life, able career in the s e er a v r ice of his country of 'army until s c 4 om y viz., in his twenty-fourth y year. THE NEW POTATO CROP . Vl,e regret to le arn t h at the disease has manifested itself in several instances among the new potatoes in Home and Chorlton. One curious circumstance has been mentioned to us. Potatoes of the same kind were planted in the autumn, some apparently sound, and others diseased. On an ex amination of the crops. it was found that though the disease ex': tad to both, it was most developed in those grown from apparently Sound tubercles.---HancheaW Guardian. Timm—The seventh annual gen p e e r r al i m on e s et a in n g d og NEWSVENDERS' BENEVOLENT AND PROVIDENT USTl rhdet affording o t v e e nt h p lt i a t r u ; relieftl ii, established for me members rsgrantingofithe newspaper publishing e trade, Harmeride,was held on Wednesday , a t A ndert on 's Hotel, Fleet-street, James Esq., president, in th e c h air. The report showed that the society t that the subscripti ons o f t h e past year were four times greater than the preceding, and that the funded property was now upwards of 800/. Thanks were unanimously awarded to the press, and Mr. Terry stated that no less than 2001. of the subscrip tions had been contributed by the proprietors of various journals. The officers for the ensuing year having been elected, the cordial thanks of the meeting were awarded to the president and other officers, and the meeting, 'which was very numerously attended. was dissolved. NARROW ESCAPE OF THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON.— Wednesday morning, about two o'clock, as his Grace the Duke of Wellington was crossing the western entrance into Hyde-park on his way home, a hack cab, which was driven "very rapidly from the Knightsbridge-read, ran against him, and but for the presence of mind of a gentleman who pulled his Grace suddenly back, he must have inevitably been knocked down and run ever. The driver, who was greatly to blame, proceeded at the same rapid pace into the Park. His Grade acknowledged the kindness of the gentleman in assisting him, and pursued his way apparently unconcerned, Ilib hand ap- Mod bliilltlY touched by the wheel. . LITERATURE. THE BLACK-GOWN PAPERS. 2 Vole. By L. Mariati. Seldom is a work submitted to our criticism endued with such peculiar characteristics as the present. In these two volumes are a series of novelettes, written in the purest and most elegant English, by an Italian gen tleman named Mariotti, one whose abilities are already familiar to magazine readers. We observe that the style of composition for which the author is so remark able has received the commendation of one of our most facile and fastidious writers. Sir Bulwer Lytton has observed of the productions of Mr. Mariotti, that " the Engligh is wonderful;" and wonderful it undoubtedly is in more than one particular. Perhaps a foreigner has never before displayed such a fecundity of expression, such a command of diction, such a knowledge of syntax, such symmetry of construction, and such a power of rhetoric, as the individual we have already mentioned. In his former work Mr. Merlotti gave us an insight, through the lens of his own opinions, of the political, historical, literary, ecclesiastical, and artistic peceliari ties of his native land— " Italia! 0 Italia! thou who haat The fatal gift of beauty." Now, however, he draws the curtain of distance from hie country, and enables us to form some conception of the social phases of his countrymen. He carries the reader from sober disquisitions to attractive fictions ; he for sakes'the currule chair of commentary for the abandon- ' merit of familiar life. From a consideration of the gene ralities of his birth-place he descends to the portraiture of its individualities ; he paints the Italian in the carni val, in the basilica, in the vineyard, on the highway, in the cottage ; he depicts town society and the society of the country ; the borgeois, and the gran' signor. "%- native description of a remote people (that is to say, of a people separated from ourselves as well by a difference language as a difference of costume, of customs, or lon gitude) is always the most acceptable species of descrip tion ; but, generally speaking, the faithfulness of the narrative is filtered away through the carelessness or in capacity of a translator, and the scenes become distorted from their original significance. Here, howbeit, we re ceive the account pure and unalloyed from the lips of the foreigner himself—he becomes, as it were, his own trans lator. Such things hare, without doubt, occurred re peatedly before this ; philosophy was formerly written only in the Latin tongue, and as recently as the last generation Mr. Beckford first produced his " Vathek " in a charming French version. With Mr. Mariotti, how ever, the selection of an acquired idiom originates, not so much in eccentricity as in a naturalised bias. This very fact is, nevertheless, conducive to the greatest ' blemish in the effusion of this Anglo-Italian ; he is so ostensibly a deserter from his native land in its social, and even its religious partialities, that we absolutely mourn over the alteration. A red Indian, bedizened it' the foppery of an European dress, twirling a rattan in his brawny hands, and displaying in his bronzed Visage the inroads made by unwonted potations of alcohol, is, to our thinking, the most sad and mournful spectacle that can be witnessed. And it is thus sad and thus mournful because it is in defiance of his nature ; it • is, so to speak, a desertion of his birthright , . Precisely with a similar feeling do we regard any member of a civilised nation abandoning the habits, the mode, the idiosyncrasy of his fellow-countrymen, t o turn the fribble of some antagonistic race. That is a lugubrious sight enough, but how much more sombre and regretful is the impressi o n conve y e d t o the 'Diouf when, in addition to these acquisitions the person la question becomes th e sco ff er o f t h e most cherished, Or ' most revered, the most idolised of the sentiments of hi s countrymen. Such is the position of Mr. Merlotti and much as we respect his extraordinary talents, w e regret their very sorry degradation. The various peca" liarities of the Italians—peculiarities which possibly he himself formerly possessed—only afford him an °WO" tunity for derision ; their very religion is made the unceasing and unseemly object of a jest. This l a painful; we repeat it with a genuine sadness of heart- - it is painful. For whatever may be our partialities for mother Church, we cannot but confess that ridicule is derogatory to the very genius of Christianity, when that ridicule is coupled with anything like piety—however much that piety may be distorted. Vulgar gibes are not conducive to the suppression of any faith, they rather tend to consolidate the holders of that faith into a cow crete and embodied love for their religion. Sarcasm is not the due helpmate of revelation; scurrilous jokes a re not the most appropriate polemical weapon s . With this fault, however, we believe we have mentioned the only glaring failure in these volumes; and, cousequent l 4 with a protest against such an unnat u r a l display 43 ' recklessness to the feelings of so considerable's portion of Christendom, we can cordially commend the work to the lovers of romance, of legend, of travel, of adventurt It is a palateable melange of tragic interest and eons interest, as instance the two very first stories, " ring" and " Orazia." The " Organ-Boy's Progress I' we fear, "an ower true tale," and one likely to gener at e emotions of philanthropy. The " Black-gown Pape r ' are clever, sparkling, lite-like, original. MARKET NE WS.-(YESTERDAY)' MEAT 1128.743 LET S. SournaLL, MAT 20.—Although the supp li es of each k i n d of fat stock here were but moderate, the general demand ruled heavy, a n in some instances the quotations had an upward tendena• Beef from 2s 6d to 4s ; Mutton, 3s to 4s 4d ; Lamb, 5s to 55 10d; Veal, 4s to 4s 10d ; and Pork, 3s 10d to 45 8d per 81b5, to sink the offal. ROMFORD, MAY 20.—We had a very slow Inquiry this morning,. and last week's prices were not supported. Beef from 2s 8d to 4e; Mutton, 3s 4d to 4s 4d; Lamb, 5s to 6s ; Veal, 4s to 4s 10d; and Pork, 3s 10d to 4s 6d per gibs. Suckling Calves, 18s to 293 ; Quarter-old Store Pigs, 16s to 183 ; and Mulch Cows, with their small Calf; 161 to 181 each. LEWES, MAY I9.—Beef, from 2s 10d to 4s 2d; Mutton, 3s to 45 6d ; Lamb, bs to 5s 10d; Veal, 4s to 4n 8d; and Pork, 4s to 40 84 per 81bs. A moderate supply and a dull trade. • NEVIGATE 11.11 TD LEADENIZAZZ. Prime Beef and Veal commanded a steady sale at full prices, 0 t her wise, the demand was in a very inactive state. Beef from 28 44,..,A to 3s 6d; Mutton, 2s 10d to 4s; Lamb, 5s to 6s; Veal, 4s to ss; Pork, 3s 4d to 53 per 81bs by the carcase. EMIT MAIMISTB. SMITHFIELD.—Meadow Hay, 31 to 31 18a; Closer ditto, 4/ lOs to r 51 14s ; Oat Straw, 1112 a to 11 14s ; Wheat Straw, 1/ 143 to 11 156 pe load. Trade heavy, at drooping prices. CIIMBEELAND.—Meadow Hay, 31 5s to 41 4s; Clover ditto, , 4 1 36 : to 5/ 155,; Oat Straw, 1/ 12s to 11 14s; Wheat Straw, I/ 1 4 s t o " per load. Supply moderate, and trade dull. WurrEcnsprr..—Meadow Hay, 31 to 4/ ; Clover ditto, 415 8 t°, 6 5 , 1 16s ; Oat Straw,7ll 12s to 11 14s ; Wheat Straw, 11 14 e t o I per load. A full average eupply, and a heavy demand. CORN AVERAGES. GENERAL AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH COSY For the Week ended May 16, 1846, made up from the Returns of I. e ; Inspectors in the different Cities and Towns i n E ng l an d and Wal per Imperial Quarter. irEAff WUEAT. I BALLET. I OATS. I 3 RYE. I 3 BEANS. 3 - PRICE 57& Od 29s ad 24s Id 3a 5d 5s Ild DUTY... 16s Od 9s Od 58 Od 9s 6d 7s 6d 81 6d CORK AND WATERTFORD RAILWAY. --A m ee ti n g of the shareholders in this project r e s id en t i n E xeter was -field in that city a few days ago, when it was unanimously re solved, on the motion of the Rev. C. R. Roper, seconded by Mr. Tombs, to request the directors to proceed with that Bill. A statue of Rossini is about to be placed in the Opera HOW at Paris. The performance of the ceremony of the inaugura tion of the statue, which is trom the atelier of M. Etex, will take place on Saturday next, when Tamburini, Duprez, and Barroihet Will appear in Cuillaume Tell • earlotta Grisi will dance La Peri. Ret 6 Cottereau, alias Chouan, the last of the four brothers who gave their names to the famous insurgents of the right bank of the Loire of '93, died lately at St. Ouen des Toits (mayerine), at the age of 92. SALE OF RARE MANIIECRIPTS, QUEEN ANNE'S FAR THING, AND OTHER COlNS.—Yesterday the sale of the valuable library of the late Venerable Archdeacon Todd, which was cont.. minced on Saturday, was concluded at the auction-rooms of Messrs. Sotheby and Co., Wellington-street, Strand, the sale taking place by order of the executors. There were 1,106 lots, containing some ex tremely valuable religious, historical, and literary works. Amens the most rare were the following manuscripts : — Lo t 492- "All the Subrnyss.ons and 'Recantations of Thos. Cranmer, late Archbisshop of Canterburye, truely set forth, both 0 13 Latyn and Englyshe, agreeaole to the originalles, wry and subscribed with his own hande ; a tract of six leaves ; 1555." 31. is. Lot 918. "Thomas Earle of Strafford" (a poem on his death) ; his letter to his Majesty , f r om the T o w er , May 4, 1641 ; hii letter to his lady, from the Tower , May 12, 1641, upon his death; and his meditations, a manuscrip t of 29 leaves. 2 /. By the same auctioneer were also disposed of , a Q u e en Anne ' s farthin g , extra tine. 1713, 1/. 19s. ; a pattern halfpen n y , bronze, of ditto, 155. ; a William and Mary pattern halfpenny , 195. ; a Geor g e 111. pattern for a perm)" (tin), 10s. ; nine Charlemagne silver p ennies, 2/. r a silver medallion, by Pistruccl, 18 33 , 21 . 95 . ; a George 111. p attern fo r a erowr , 21. 4s. en a silver coin of Antiochus VIII., of Syria, &c., which were the pro perty of the late Mr. Till, of Great Russell-street, Covent-garden. BREAKING INTO PRISON.—On Saturday, as Aldertoll and Clarke were watching at orr gaol, about one o'clock in the morn' ing, they heard some one get over the top of the door of the gardl. wall, and make his way into the garden at the back of the Il ouse . °. Correction. He had with him a ladder, and went up as far as th! roof. They then saw it was Robert Berry, alias " Bob the Cooper, and ran towards the ladder, on which he descended could, ran across the garden, and escaped over the wall. TheyfriqO in watch for him, as it was believed that he had on the pr a night been in communication with one of the prisoners, named E Weavers. On being taken before H. Braddock, Esq., he said that rs he was only going to take some tea and sugar to Emma Weaver He was committed for two months as a rogue and vagabond.—Bury a we re e Post. T b r u i t n o i i t l y e fo T r n e e r w m begins to-day (Friday). The arrears of the Common Law Courts have commencement of Easter Term. In al e bee T b il re E ducedsi Y ao Court of Queen's Bench the earliest h APPROACHING th moved In Easter Term, 1845, and in t e other Courts the p t roceeding clean the back building e town n n were commenced in the p resent year. a ball EXTRAORDINAR Y HIT.—On Saturd a y l ast, i n a znatc_ll,, b e t we en the M ar ylebone Cricket Club and e l even members o f tw rjoradivsetrrsuitcyk, gtahoel,gteheel the Er ht Of wicket 240 feet. — 1 which is 26 feet, and the distance from the ' Ca'n bridge Advertiser. f d at h over a o BIRTHS On the 19th inst., at Hendon, the Countess of Kerry, of a soa c •._„ o t On the 12th inst., a Thomas, Esq., of a son, of the W ife On the 19th ult., at Funchal, in the Island of Madeira , the Rev. J. Guilletnard, of a daughter Dr • Ce lnYris On the 16th inst., at Ciunb-ay, Cheltenham, the lady of • • Be rkeleY-sqUare, the lady of Le Mar o•• 11. D., of a daughter. On the 16th i ns t ., at Ramsgate the lady of Captain James CaroP.- bell, Royal I r i s h F usiliers, of a daughter. s the Arden • o f On the 17th inst., at Conduit-street West, Ilyde-P aaViigioeers, lady of Lieutenant -Colonel Irvine, C. 8., of the !Rug , s a daughter. ~. jingu' iu On the 18th inst., at Brighton, the wife of the Re r• •' Packe, of a da ug ht er. ____---------- - • MARRIED. f B andon ' On the llth inst., at A m ereh am , M r . W a tkin Doyle, O l2 grid ,- street, Camden-town, to Catherine, only daughter of Mr, T. well, surgeon, of Amersham. Mee l ' c ' n On the 16th inst., at St. Mary's, Islington, William, th e e widow of Thomas Modgkinson, Esq., of Barton-ereseent, to Eliza beth, of the late Francis Larbalestier, Esq. _________--------- DIED. a On the. 16th inst., at Clifton, Lucy Maria, the w ife of Edmoo Elton, Esq. rife of On the 17th inst., in Pall-mall, the Hon. Elizabeth Ann, William Buchanan, Esq. On the 17th inst., at the Vicarage, North Otterington , Marlon, wife of the Rev. F. A. Sterky. On the 17th inst., at Clifton, Richard Nott, Esq. ts eria major—en Oil the 17th inst., at Charton, near Woolwich, R. A. Peter Fyers, C. 8., Colonel Commandant of the 7th battalion _ ___, On the 18th inst., William Horace, infant son of Wit liew. , Smith, Esq., of Russell-square. Agn ew On the 18th in , at Thirkleby-park, Yorkshire, Caroline . eldest surviving daughter of Sir Robert Frankland Russell, Bart . , el Mary , re"' On the 16th inst., at Granville,quare, Pentonville, the late W. Weightman, Esq., aged 93. On the 16th inst., at Barnsbury-park, Islington, C. Chubb, gig.. On the 16th inst., Harriet Staudidge, wife of Mr. Ormsby J. th i s Yorkshire, Bank of England. ---.......5ree London: Printed and Published by WEIRDO YOUNG, of NO. 1 1 _ 3 1, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, N 0.112, Strand, in th e Preen°. of the Savoy, to the Count of AL1 4 44,100x1 rridsh 2441 22, 1546! 47.