The Sun. — London, England, 1846-12-21 00:00:00

,nd iir e 0 11;a ich RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. O PENING OF THE L k NCASTER AND CARLISLE. naTtiohe c ompletion and oyening t) the public of this great rnta t tine, the last link in the chain' of communiaca:, between London, Edinburgh and Glasgow, o e J u l its an extended notice, more particularly as throt, i t i est eaginrnoegerreinsgs it has been the scene o f some of the gin a exploits of the age. WeVeritotalherhe records of the rise and progress of the line. lam t h at the subject of a communication with 1 2c±it „ - 1 , ' along the western side of the island, began, aa2 4 ear 4 ae tor s' and to occupy the attention of railway spr cutal • iiss' and of parties who were locally interested. Activity tcianasntdetirßrp,rise on the eastern side of the island were o a a il n w d ay t , he proprietors of the Great Northf feeling assured that two lines wor=ld o po `ler be c onstructed, were anxious to secure the mot h ) . d a l by priority of movement. However natural suc arb i bane might be, the disuse of the w,: stern route would whir inconvenience I the manufacturers of - ire, Whose nearest and most direct course lay through l rancaster and Kendal, and would have been an equal Qi„ ad 'antage in the intercourse between London ' "n to sh • The Westerns could not be expected tamely aaa...., e ~ . Westerns Andhuu r facilities they had long enjoyed, and not (all; at to see their road become a highway shut up : new Moreover, if railroad communication developed tat ca Pabilities, it was reasonable that they should par -oii , t) of these advantages, and march on with the progress T7l lPr°vei nent, as well as their neighbours. _ mo ao ki e f eeling of indignation against the atternpted Westerns b ad the o f the Easterns, was universal ; but the d ; .. .ir °Wu feuds and when they came to fix in . what " eat lon tl • • va trara their line should proceed, the unanim i ty and el ar ra Zanif feeling which had characterise 1 the former h itch disappeared. The Caledonian, and t 1( p uli, haven, Workington, and Maryport Railway C s o o m n, rho „B:eorUnliSSiolled in 1637 Mr. George Stephenson, li e a., fathee' of the railway system, inasmuch as . to a lo w a no first introduced the locomotive steam engine, _ , east Surveys between Lancaster and Carlisle by th , dale, Morecambe Bay, and also by Kirkby Lone red verm 1 13 n the Luue and Penrith. Mr. Stephenson deli coast-lineis report, which was strongly in favour of the tail e , Re admitted that the coast line was 22 latter 1 00 Ile than the inland line, but he alleged that the eca st _ i ' ; 'ould be much more costly in construction. The o,.- Nit, Ina, from the fact of its being on a level throti„la ta wonld also be passed over in an equally short time. thing gT o a i di ents . of the latter being very steep, to say no a new 0- the difficulties created by the accumulation of Di r , t Shap Fells in rai ' l ocke, an equally ' great and trustworthy authority a and h ad matters, had surveyed the country in 1836 . un, e up o,Pr°,7lollllCed in favour of the practicability of a 7 a t r un — ii n i e e7 i f ea lPas t Sedbergh, and . under Sh Fells, Del Dee w t h a lie sk tf i t„ , Th e gradients on this line were thought_ at e to o • steep, being about 1 in 150, and engi aa a core aratively s directed te tun tottiliettePeenrlit" dee med a 13 bje tion aid he was by and R end a al o bran a chea , of the provisional corn slated. are whether these objections could not he oh tlao oa t 41e accordingly reported, in the year 1838, upon ki the ether lines, Which he respectively called the Appleby ofdirainadal lines. lh Appleby line took the west b "Y Lonsdale to Borr e owb . rldge and Tebay—thenc , i lli til i ztt d . e b t r o i t: b__ --, Rip 8 Jo Sunbiggin Tarn—thence by Watei Meabu n Morland, and Cliburn, to g b e, where it r ' s to cross the Lowther and to g and proceed to Carlisle. The Kendal line was :B r h th ll_ t a b rn ro p t,l t g o h n,Lfoonllgoswleidnigaae, by a . tunnel through Gates kid ii °4 tne west side of Hawse Water, to Thornthwaite the valley of the Lowther t. ta taa ana and thence by Yanwath to Penrith. Mr. Locke tha7ththat the Kendal line would be twelve miles shorter 14 lett° Appleby line, th oug h t h e steepes t gra dient on e the ew er would be o n l y 1 i n 130, and he strongly urger. lake t i a „ l32 ! 1)1. lt our " thri v i ng town, " express i ng , . the s korv ae, his convi ct i on that the Kendal line might t h_ttbi.,, eras moth as to avoid some of the great and diftic bi l 13 'erere wh!ch occurred upon it. He also repeated b : hap " 0 for the line he had originally surveyed 3_ nail P' declared his opinion that the tunnel of LI 4 slta ar :uld present fewer difficulties than the route by Th ' f orta ad . v onates of the inland line at this juncture put raerit:eir strength in an animated controversy on tino teca ra ° f their respective schemes, and it is amusing, ii, atartaang to the nature of the o bj ect i ons w hi c h were staa;" both ee how completely deceived in manybiiiii. ties of s parties were in their ideas of the cepa i nave, engineering skill. The inhabitants of Whi l te- i ea al,''`hof lalverstnn, and of the intervening towns, .et , °f %I t" l ate Sir 11. F. Senhouse, ridiculed the format a lO n i * ere pnel through Shap as the dream of a madmain the d Intie ra l a ft ed into the fourth heavens when they talked of the"i; ge ent embankment of ten miles which was to span .d alli n ti L and the thousands of acres of productivelar b Wa t e e a would be reclaimed from the sea. The perilsa With - Were nothing in their account, when comparedoppose a ) , i, tl) ., e d ifficulties which the snow storms would r t16 0 " 114 * The landsmen, on the other hand,. drew ta Old I , l)i ctnres of the sweeping floods with which , ea,_wather Neptune would avenge the presumptuous ofiaenehment on his domains ; and the greater length the • fiv ell tk coast line was alleged as in ititself a fatal objection,eligible. km 'ugh, in all other respects, far party, in addition, asserted was eqeally priority of claim, so poi nt amount of population was concerned, the only tad O n Which th e y were ag reed being that passenger ( 1, - ie rtaaia fo rmed the most profitable item of a railway un ball° ratersfactory progress was made in either direction ofZds the formation of a company, and in November to ,„: )7 , a public meet i ng was h e ld at P enr i t h , in order a aaenaete a lin e b etween t h at town an d C ar l ise. This I• nte as brought out _as an a independent scheme ; but it was brought cont . no dc . mbt,_ s tep towards e formation of e lnuous line from Lancaster, and th if it had been t a r ried out, the controversy between the mariners and e landsmen have been brought to an end, and a speedyr oars decision would have been also come to as to the from Lancaster and Kendal to Penrith, th e to be taken at e co.n. ,,, engineeringn difficulties occurring being at these i The Penrith line met with great favour.. "half, leading gentry of the district came forward . in its "half, with the Earl of Lonsdale at their head.. A meeting was held at Carlisle in. its who promised the gli sheriff, Mr. Dixon, presided,favour, at which the "P P c n't of the Carlisle and Newcastle Company: Ap thbYehZira°! and other towns, made demonstrations in progress towel the share list made a very respectable of mil ards being filled up; but too large a number not --wa y Words being race even then in being, m though with 8° numer ous as it has since become—got ix . mixed the n P lo o m th e Imject, and it was judiciously resolved n zeAbeoournt i t iti i t s tee to abandon it altogether. Qi nfial, , Mr. Nicholson, times the late Mayor of published a pamphlet " On the London and 1 as gnw Railway, through - Westmorland and Cumb . er .a ri a ~ injury w‘. .``• Ile Pointed out, with great force, the - " l eh Kendal would sustain if it did not secure to itself t he benefit o f a railway communication, and a meeting lias held in th e Town Hall in the month of December,. ir 837 , at whi c h resolutions were passed in favour of o ttnediate an d active steps to protect the interests of th e j 3 71 1. Mr. Locke was accordingly commissioned to in-_ i dute a fresh survey of the country by the Lune and i t rough Longsleddale; . and he reportecain !avour of the a en al line, as being shorter than any other, the only `easiderahle objection to its adoption being the long tun el through Gatescarth, at the head of the valley. of shout t h e same p er i o d Mr. Larmer, employed by parties pointed out a line by the Lune, through a (/r lon Scar, F{•11 - icii, being of limestone, presented fewer 'Acuities in the way of tunnelling, besides requiring a. shorter tunnel than the line through' Shap, and the ad cates of an inland line _thought that eve r y di ff i culty as now smoothed before them. PBut the Gordian knot, says the Kendal Mercury, of asse conflicting claims . _ could . not be unravelled by the aes who had assisted in weaving it, and it was left to t s il a . e .Government Commissioners, Lieutenant-Colonel smith, R.E., and Professor Barlow, who had been tsp. ointed to inquire respecting railway communication b e tween London, Edi n b u r g h, and Glasgow, to pronou nce etw een the comp e ti ng s c hemes. Their first report was sued in 1840, and the lines which came under their con sideration were the Bay l i ne, the sections i of which were S llrili slied by Mr. H ag ue—the _ Lune linei‘n Larmer—and through Orton I ' l ' , just ment i one d , surveyed by ' e Xendal line by Langsleddale, the sections of which were line was at prepared by Mr. Job Bintly. The coast - a ° nee set aside as impracticable, the length of its em isaisniekornfent and its circuitousness puttingit out of , the farther consideration. The Lune line fwaisl:tdees tlared to be most eligible, so far as engineering facilities cTlivretiteepncerned ; but the commissioners . dwc . lt f a , advantages of railway communicatit n s to the a ° l 3 ‘siatio n n o f the lower part of the ..valhy . f the a e a n l , and to the thriving town of Kendal in pa . rti e cular, d " and intimated, if a route could be found which could bring. Kendal upon the line without the long a nd difficult tunnel through Gatescarth mountain, they should f ee l b oun d to report in its favour. Mr. Larmer was accordingly employed On a fresh survey, and the result was the dis covery of the Grayrigg line, which united the Lune and the Kendal schemes, the junction of the new line fro m Kendal with the Lune line taking place at a point about nine miles from Orton. Lieutenant Smith ex• Pressed his complete satisfaction with this line, and it Was warmly recommended to the Treasury, conditio na ll y , however, ore th e formation of a local company. The commissioners had previously reported against a line on the eastern coast, and given the preference to a western fine- Th e fear which they _oerds another mark of the expressed that two lines c ould not be supported aff r apid advance in public spirit and enterprise that has b een made within the last few years, as it clearly indi e_atee what undiscovered capabilities the country pos sesses. An eastern line and a western are both in course c 1 completion, and there can be no doubt that they will b e,. equally remunerative to the shareholders, as they will he convenient to the country. The line by Shap, as originally pointed out byalr.Locke„ , u ses not app ear to h ave come under the cognisance of the commissio n ers. It was, no doubt, the shortest route th at could be devised, but it had a higher summit than i th e Gatescarth and the Orton tunnels, and consequently l i t steeper gradient to attain that summit, the rise being 1 a 1 17 5, while the rise on the other was only 1. commissioners old ' 1 1 in 75 had been proposed, the commis I Ndd in all probability have been startled, and another line might perhaps have been adopted. Tha t to work gradient has, however, been found of exceedingly well, and here we see again the progress a kin and enterprise within the last few years. The r ecommendation of the Commissioners did not commit either the Legislature or the company to th i e , n 7Tion of any one route, and progress being so iu li ti,7 e, Mr. Locke proceeded with increased z ail in r _eng the line by Shap, and ultimately the line as now '44o..dified and laid out was adopted. rogverything was now favourable for the eccomplish t eat uf this much.desired object but the filing up of the broke list. The railway mania had not at that filar niten out, and the denizons of the north, sure but s em i "mg. cautious in their movements, were unwilling to em , "mg. to th e necessary extent in an untried projt.ct, anti the matter was once more at a stand still. But strangers stepped in at this juncture to their assistance, strangers, however, who had a natural and legitimate interest in the undertaking, and whose co-operation the inhabitants of Kendal, Penrith, and Carlisle were entitled to claim. In Ate4ust, 1841, there was a meeting held of the share holders of various companies, whose lines formed a con tinuous route to London, and it was determined at once to help it through. The London and Birmingham sub scribed 100,0001., the Grand Junction 250,000/., the North U:,ion 8.5,0001., and the Preston and Lancaster 65,0001. Th,+ total proposed capital was 1,200,0001., with power !:arrow not snore than one-third of that amount in addition, and this was soon raised, and the company went to Parliament. We believe we are strictly correct in saying that there is not another in stanc&of a line where there has been so little of Mere speculative investment, nor where the shares have so little changed hands. The slowness and hesitation manifested in the first instance by those who were so deeply interested in its formation, may be thought at variance with the usual enterprise and forethought of men of business ; but it has redounded to the solid and lasting benefit of tha company. The Act wes obtaini - d in the month of May, 1844. The engineers of the line are Messrs. Locke and Er rrngton. The contractors are Messrs. Stephenson, Mackenzie, and Brassey. The prospectus, in the first instance, contemplated only a single line of rails ; but the directors, looking forward to the growing demands of the country, wisely determined to enlarge their plan, and having bcrrowed the additional amount that was requisite, proceeded at once to lay down a double line. The works were begun in See tcmber of 1844, as soon as practicable after the passing of the Act, and the con 'rectors undertook to have the line ready for opening within eighteen months after their commencement ; but circumstances beyond control and foresight prevented the accomplishment of their intentions before the pre sent period, and it is no small proof of their energy and .letermination that the) have so sp'edily and so effectu die vanquished the difficulties which presented them- selves. - At Carlisle there is a communication with the New castle and Carlisle, and the Maryport and Carlisle lines, and when the Caledonian is completed, an uninterrupted route will be opened to Edinburgh and Glasgow, and thence by other. lines to the north of Scotland. It is proposed to have a general station at Carlisle, and if the scheme is carried out, of which there cannot be any doubt, the county town of Cumberland will possess acilities for traffic and locomotion second to few places in the kingdom. The total number of bridges on the line, exclusive of culverts and cattle• arches, is 180. As may be supposed, in undertaking of this magnitude has required a great force of men, and the number of labourers employed has ranged as high as 10,000 men, together with 1,000 horses. I'he navvies from their want of educational opportunities, and, indeed, partly from the very nature of their occu pation, are a rough, uncultivated set, and the peaceful natives of some of our secluded localities expressed ex -roma dread at the prospect of their introduction into the aeighbourhoods ; but, with the exception of an occasional strike, they have shown themselves tolerably quiet and 3eaceably disposed. A riot, however, took place at Pen . ith in February in the present year, which threatened at one time serious consequences. It originated in a dispute between an English " ganger " and an Irish ex cavator, near Clifton Moor, and the Irishman, indignant at being compelled to obey his superior, roused his coun. :rymen, who mustered to between seven hundred and eight hundred ; and proceeded in a body to drive the English off the line. The spirit of nationality between each party was roused,just as the action-fights kindle the most savage frays between the Mans in the Emerald Isle, and if it had not been for the promptitude of Mr. Hasell, one of the resident magis ,rates, who is also the chairman of the company, it is impossible to say what might have been the result. The Yeomanry Cavalry were called up, and continued on duty above a week. A composition was afterwards entered nto, by virtue of which certain boundaries were pre -scribed for the natives of each country respectively, and a proclamation having been issued by the magistrates, expressive of their determination to uphold the supre nacy of the law, argil, at the same time, to afford protec 'ion to all, with.iut distinction, against outrage, the I'en ith riots were speedily numbered among the things that have been. Every possible precaution has been adopted by the iontractors to prevent accidents upon the line, but in a ivork of such a nature as the formation of a railway, they are inevitable, and all that can be done, is to insist upon the observance of every possible care by the labourers. Fewer casualties have occurred upon the Lancaster and Carlisle, we believe, than upon any other line of the same length, yet there is too long a catalogue to record. Since the opening of the works there have been 72 acci lents resulting in death, but no small portion of that amount has resulted through the carelessness of the suf tering parties. The greatest number seems to have oc curred between Grayrigg and Shap. The directors have called for the full amount of the shares of 501., and they have also had to increase their capital by the creation of new third shares, but the line stands at a premium of from 17 to 19, a plain proof of the confidence which is felt in its ultimate prosperity. On Wednesday, at eleven o'clock, a train, consisting of nine carriages, left the Lancaster station, and pro ceeded at the rate of between twenty-five and thirty miles an hour, on its way to Carlisle. The shall) incline of one in seventy-five was ascended with a single engine at the rate of 221 miles an hour. At Penrith there was a large concourse of spectators, who hailed the arrival of the train with cheers. In Carlisle there was a general holiday. The whole journey was performed in lets than four hours, including stoppages. At the grand banquet in the evening, the directors entertained upwards of two hundred guests at dinner in fur i T a a n n e y a • , presided; Lancaster; ter; the and Hi ah near Sheriff him o f s atMr the county, een u G n r ty e ' M.P. Cm Colonel the Athenaeum. Mr. E. W. Hasell, Chairman of th Irton, Rifle Brigade; Messrs. Rotheram ' of Liverpool W. Marshall, M.P.. David Hodgson, of Liverpool Joseph Locke, J. G. Evrington, John Dixon, E. Ralph: Mayor of Carlisle ; J. Steel, G. E. Mounsey, W. Car rick, &c. Mr. JoirN DOUGLAS proposed the health of the chair man and directors. Colonel HASELL responded, and said the line will be of very material benefit not only to the country through which it passes, but to the nation at large, inasmuch as it will open out a great chain of communication along the western side of the land—between the populous districts of Warwickshire, Staffordshire, and Lancashire —and it will finally connect these important districts with the mass of industry in the busy part of Scotland. — (Cheers.) There is no line of railway calculated to produce greater benefits, either national or local, than the Lancaster and Carlisle. Not individuals, but masses will derive advantage; . the manufacturing, trading, and commercial communities of England will re ceive the blessings of speedy communication to all the chief towns of England and Scotland. The directors have spared no pains to, accomplish the gigantic work. Our next great busine,s is to see that the line is safely worked —to see that we do not ea fastnot e g r ot t o o o res.c _at fihr;etr)Th , s andso e endanger tbe liv es of our fellow h 1 a h r a e s ebeen doubt entrusted that managementt othe engineers ofi whot,l am d a e p it " and t o sa l y ; they will take such is oparlmyecaatiulteioAnismaisgshvtiyll himself effectually w o h b o vi c a a t: all danger. It .a o y t a h k a e v e e v il e r i y s butd I hiotpies well m t precautionblessing preserve iuns allwf r e o w m cea a n c arecitdode o n i t nr , ' e a v n ent ri,k to life or limb. — t ( rColdi limb. — (Cheers.) . on shall a p t l h l e d o. line, X a e n s d ha h l y l t g h r e ad m ua id ll d y le in o .. f hall be able to run our trains by February I hope we s ) the T trafficee o t, and let him know shall have every man at his p.le Shall, however, get night as well as day.—(Che.ers.) In the meantime we thoroughly what he is about. W the difficulties of night traYeltina, , and win the goo d all things in perfect workingoro.d.eraebedfohryerwoeeneihncgosuanfetelyr and not too fast, we hope to deserve The opinion of the public.—(l - lear, hear.) ng portion of our linebe m tw oh e t e h n s, dLaunriceagstewrhaienhd tilmieenT,dae h a ve been running eight has been open for three • eight t ra i ns i n twenty -f o ur hours, and completing the line in the intervals between them. In cousequen ce of the excellent arrangements of Mr. Worthington, not a single ,. oacacricolepneteitelas occurred since the opening. The result of ticable, p th r: o es w t h h o at w t i h sh e scheme tisfactory opening prov es " 8 it was represented to be and it mustliialielTer that:ac-' whil,t other parts of the country are enjoying the bene fits of railway communication success t:O as o . our line our land of lake and mountain h as not been denied own dsi n milar privileges' r P e o g r i otnh the wein means of ° I f repeat, layln indebted d( n a t l o i n e Mr. •_)c te— cheers)—and I trust the line • Mr. S. IRTON, M.P. for West w fitted for every purpose. l t e io d n g e t d o t h ii i s ta health, tha t h a e nd w aa i st t great satisfac tion of an undertaking friallu present at the benefit to the country in Parliament, it was thought irupraclicable ere t 1 pass over Shap Fells by railway, to say nothingof - difficulties on other parts of the line. Mr. DAVID HoncsoN, late Mayor of Liverpool, pro posed " The Members for Lancaster." Mr. W. MARSHALL M.P., returned thanks. He could not help casting his eyes back a few years, when it was thou A ht in-operable difficulties stood in the way of a i was ar ge a . enabled matter teo g Cumberland,r P behrmeotoi f v e n I Ae withsb sopi s e adodc:: I' m: . difficult ' o a h l u w n ce a( and i 1 line over Shap Fells. There was scarcely an engineer datddats o assured prosperity that sper t i le Caledonian, tiy except Mr. Locke—(Cheers)---who would have dared t o go on, or could have done what he h as accomp li shed for us. (Incre when as ed e n c he completed,eri cheering.) g. li would ef of the company. Mr. Trio miCs GREENE, M.P., for Lancaster fol lowed. Lancaster. might for a while fe e l th at it had sustained a loss in ceasing to be the terminus of a rail way, as it had been for a considerable period; but the inhabitants, he was sure, would look upon the matter in its true light, and would see that no town could expect a state of increasing and permanent prosperity which did not possess the the mans of railway inter. course with all other parts of the kingdom.—(Applause.) ile confessed that he was in the numbs of those who regarded with jealousy and suspicion the progress of those who belonged to the eastern part of the island, and tie thought that great thanks were due to the gentlemen who had promoted, and brought to a happy issue, the construction of a line MI the western side of the island, seal it was with feelings of no small gratification that he attended the commemoration of that interesting event on the present occasion. —(Loud applause.) Ile was not one of those who were disysed to detract from the praise if those who had engaged in this great work, from the circumstance that they had embarked in it for the pur pose of private gain, and he hoped that they would re .eive the teo3t ample compensation for the risks which they had run. Ile thought, en the other hand, that the country at large owed them the deepe.t lebt of gratitude, and th-t they wero entitled to he ,olied upon as public benefactors. There were many who were strongly in favour of the continental plan, where the contracts we: a all adopted by government; but he strongly felt tha t it was most desirable that they should depend on private enterprise and on their oss n I exertions, and Le thought that one of the great sources ' of our national strength and prosperity was this reliance unon their own private efforts.—(Loud applause.) At the same time he was not prepared to deny that there should be some government supervision over railway,, Ithough such supervision was one rather to public opitosn than required by any real necessity of the case.—(Ap plause.) There was one benefit which he must be allowed to mention as the result of this dependence on private speculation. If some of the existing line:; had not been laid down to the best advantage possible, there had been many lines constructed where there would not have been any thing of the kind had the control been in the hands of government, which looked only to the best termini. If it was found requisite that any of those lines should be shortened, individual and private enterprise would nut be wanting, and at the same time other places would re tain the benefits of railway communication, which would not have been conferred upon them had the arrange ments been altogether in the hands of the Government. —(Loud applause.) He could not quit this part of his subject with, ut adding a word of testimony in favour of his friend who had been placed at the head of the Go vernment Board. He (Mr. Greene) remembered that he had had a conversation on the subject, when the arrange ments were in contemplation, with a gentleman who was opposed in politics to the Hon. Member who had been selected to preside over the Railway Board, and that gentleman, among other remarks, had said, " Give us five Strutts, and we shall have nothing to regret." And when he (Mr. Greene) heard the appointment announced, he could not help exclaiming, " what an admirable ap pointment !"—(Applause.) He mentioned this fact to show that this appointment was not to be regarded merely as a political appointment, but the appointment of an individual who was in every way fitted for the office, and in whom the public might place the utmost confidence and trust.—(Applause.) Colonel MACLEAN proposed the "Directors of the London and North-Western," and Mr. WIGHT3IAN re turned thanks for those of the Caledonian. The CHAIRMAN said people at first laughed at the pro ject for a line over Shap Fells ; but the Directors of that line took good advice, and relied on it, because they were sure it was sound and good. What had become of the assertions against the gradients ? It had been said they were impracticable for travelling ; well, that morn ing many present had travelled up an incline of 1 in 75 at the rate of 22f miles an hour.—(Loud cheers.) The time was when the assertion that a locomotive and train could run ten miles an hour, even on a plane, was laughed at and considered dangerous to life and liaab.—(Hear, hear, and laughter.) The objection to heavy gradients occurring occasionally had ceased, and in the case of the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway, where an extreme gradient occurred, it had entirely vanished, and been disproved by their experi mental trip that day.—(Cheers.) The directors were told that it was practicable, and the man on whose opinion they relied was Mr. Locke, who would no doubt allude to the subject himself.—(Hear, hear.) Of course those in the east did not wish those in the west of the island to have any traffic. He did not go so far as to wish those in the east to have none : he would rather say, let each side have the traffic that belongs to it, and both will have plenty to do.—(Cheers.) At all events com petition would do not harm. It remained to be seen whose fares were the lowest.—(Cheers.) There would be no harm to the public if the fares in the cast were reduced ; in his opinion it would be beneficial to the public if they were reduced.—(Continued cheering.) His belief was that the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway would be worked successfully and well ; and he founded his belief on the opinion of Mr. Locke—one of the ablest engineers this country ever saw.—(Loud cheers.) Mr. LOCKE, the engineer, in reply to his health, ob served the Lancaster and Carlise is but a link in the chain which we first set out to form. We began by set ting out a railway from Preston to Glasgow, and I trust you will not forget that our scheme must be viewed as a whole.—(Hear, hear.) Circumstances have led to its construction in detached parts, but I trust the whole length between this town and Edinburgh and Glasgow will be carried out quite as satisfactorily as the portion which we have so successfully opened out this day.— (Hear, hear.) It may be that lam a little premature, but I look forward to the time when the London and North-Western Company will extend their lines to the very northern extremity of the country.—(Cheers.) The working of the Lancaster and Carlisle line is but an earnest of that, and I believe the interests of the public will be furthered by the extension of their railway realms —of their experience and intelligence—as far as railways can be extended in the north of Scot land.—(Cheers.) I should like them to be car ried forward till you could scarcely tell where one railway begins and another ends—till the whole net work was so perfect that you should do away with the incon venience arising from interruption in the modes of tra velling from one part of the kingdom to the other.— (Hear.) I beg to assure you that there has not been a prouder day in my life than this, on which we have cele brated the opening of the Lancaster and Carlisle Rail way.—(Cheers.) So much for myself. I will not allude to my friend Mr. Errington, for he is able to speak for himself ; but I must be allowed to say that, in addition to experienced practical engineers, we have had the ser vices of experienced contractors (Messrs. John Stephen son and Co.)—contractors such as few railways can boast of, and who have executed the works in the most credit able manner possible. I can quote the words of Captain Coddington, who said he had never seen handsomer or more substantial masonry on any line in the kingdom. But, though I admire these works, my satisfactian in creased by the knowledge that they are to be placed under the management of the London and North-Western Company, who are in every way qualified for that re sponsibility.—(Hear, hear.) We have opened the Lan caster and Carlisle Railway at an inclement season of the year; but there are great advantages in opening now. The poor want fuel, which they cannot get except at a great cost, and the roads over Shap are almost impass able. The line, therefore, is opened no sooner than it is required. I hope you will make allowances for the first month or so, and I pledge myself that beFore the spring is over it will be as perfect a railway as any in the king dom.—(Loud applause.) Mr. ERRINGTON also acknowledged the compliment in a very appropriate address. "The health of Messrs. Stephenson, the contractors," of " Mr. Swift, the solicitor," and of " Mr. Bolden, the secretary," were subsequently given. The latter, in ac knowledging the compliment, announced the gratifying, and as regards previous experience in railway enterprise, the unusual fact, that from the state of the finances it appeared that the lines would be made " within" the es timate." THE WEATHER. NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, TUESDAY NIGHT.—The snow storm continues here with unabated severity, and with every appearance of being prolonged still further. Last night a very heavy fall of snow took place, and lasted throughout the night, and, with intervals, during the greater part of today, of course deranging all the ordinary means of communication. Yesterday morn ing's papers, which should have been delivered here at six P.m., did not reach until two this morning ; and the mails have been quite as much beyond their time. Letters usually delivered early in the forenoon were not in the postman's hands until about four o'clock, and the delay has necessarily occasioned much annoyance to business men. On the North Shields Railway no train run this morning until eleven o'clock ; and a serious delay again ocourred on the Carlisle line. On the Newcastle and Darlington no trains have run, except the mail and one or two expresses, so that we are nearly completely cut off from neighbouring towns. The frost continues intense, and tells seriously on the navigation. Altogether, we have not suffered so severely in these respects for many years. A sad result of the inclemency of the weather has ec cursed on board the Londonderry steamer. She left that place on Thusday morning, but was detained in the Loch by the strong gale that was blowing s hours, ege: 0 andn Saturday a t o o n r l d y ay m arrived oro i o h g e , r e, afterbetween a seven ver3, and eight condition, on sen o'clock. board, Sh all e of dhae them in great numbermost wretchedof st steerage a ego ne for se r e r e several r as - these suffered very much from hun g er and cold. Al and lng th e m was a tolerably well - dre ssed man, apparently about' sixty or seventy yea rs of a g e, who was discos ered to have died on deck from the severit y of the weather. A little' c hild. two or three year s of a g e, also died on the p assa g e. The body of the lat ter was brought ashore here, and the former was carried on to Glasgow. A circumstance of this kind is very rare, and not more rare than strange is it that such a fearful affair should happen on board a Cargo roomy vessel, where means might have been taken to prevent it. The authorities will, of course, inquire into the matter, to see that all proper means were adopted to to prevent the fatal result. The passage across was tremendously severe, and very likely all the crew were required to look after the vessel.—Greenock Advertiser. The frost continues with unabated rigour, our ther lbaerlgoewmfarseecersinegf t point .oo mometer having indicated for the last few nights a point the Severn, render the navigation very dangerous. The varying The canal from r ' being over, degrees and condition of the abject poor must now indeed be wretched, l2frotoz4ll6 while that of many artizans, who are obliged to suspend their work in consequence of the cold, is scarcely any bett er . The relief committee, it will be seen, have come to a resolution for the distribution of soup at a penny bad note think commenced per quar t i n th e first week of Ja nuar y , and also for the omm it is o en sale of rice an d coal at greatly reduced prices. These measures will prove most beneficia l, and the subscription listot w will undoubtedly be soon crow ded with liberal sums; ed a t hun dreds of th e with all the horrors o f fireless grates, empty cupboards, and uncovered bids.-- 0 Worcester tronzele. DELAY or NEws —The frosty weather cont inues to y cause all the railwa • trains to be late. On Tuesday the morning mail tr a i n from from the slippery m London was about an hour late, st a t e of the rails; and, owing to t he same cause, the train which past six A.m. freighted, leaves London at a quarter past amongst other things, with the morning papers, was an hourbeyond its time in reaching Birmingham ; consequentl town for Manchester aboutYth e train, usuallyleaving that N twenty minutes after its ar rival, proceed e d without vi were br oug ht on t a h ting for it, an d the news papers Manchester just one byhourande mail-tr a i n , w hi c h reac hed t three minut es a t t e r its due time.—Manchest e r Guardian. --- We are informed that Mr. Cannan, son of the late Mr. Cannan, official assignee, is appointed to fill the same berth in the place of the late Mr. Alsager. ALARMING FUZE NEAR TIIE WEST INDIA DOCKS. —At a few minutes before six o'clock on Friday evening a fire, which, whilo it raged, occasioned much anxiety in the vicinity of the docks, broke out on the premises in the occupation of Mr. Silvester, beer-shop proprietor and lodginghouse•keeper, situate adjacent to the West India Dock station of the Blackwell Railway. Though several eng ines were in attendance the house was wholly de stroyed, and damage done to two of the adjacent houses, though not to any considerable extent. It was late when the fire was entirely subdued. HORRIBLE TREATMENT OF THE POLES IN SIBEiZIA. We borrow the following recital of the cruelty exer cised by the Russian Government on the Poles exiled to Sib-ria, for political causes from one of the Polish , journals published at Paris. Europe too often re -1 mains ignorant of • the mock in which Muscovite tyranny displays itself; at intervals, however, seine victim escapes, and denounces to the aivilised world the frightful barbarity shown by this Government of savages towards those of its subjects whose crime is to aspire to liberty. Our readers may recollect that some months ago the journals contaitied a paragraph, stating that a Pole had been arrested at licenigsborg by the Prussian police, who found him asleep on the steps of a church. This Pole, who at first attempted to pass him self off as a Frenchman, of Languedoc, on being closely questioned, confessed that lie was a political exile who had escaped from Siberia. He was immediately thrown into prison, and, by an order from 13i•rlin, was about to be delivered up to the Russian authorities, when, fortunately, he again succeeded in escaping. This fugitive, by name Rufin Piotrowski, a native of the Ukraine, has now reached Paris ; he is known to several of the most honourable members of the, Polish emigration, who attest the loyalty of his character, and his perfect sincerity. During his stay in Siberia, Pio trowski had the opportunity of conversing with many political priscners on their road to the place of their exile ; he was also acquainted with many inhabitants of the district where he was (Tava, near Ekateriesk) and even with persons attached to the Govern ment ; hence he learnt many facts from men the best informed on the subject, and ocular witnesses of the greatest credibility. The number of Poles exiled in Sib( ria exceeds fifty thousand. Several are condemned to hard l a b our in various establishments; the majority are colonists ( n land belonging to the ad ministration of transports. A Catholic church has been erected at Tomsk, and two priests of that belief are annually sent to give religious consolation to the exiles. The following accounts throw light on the fate of some of these unhappy men. Colonel Peter Wysoshi, chief of the insurrection of the 29th of November, 1830, who was wounded and taken prisoner during the attack on Warsaw in 1831, was condemned in 1834 to hard labour in the mines of Nertchinsk, situate in Eastern Siberia, on the confines of China. Here, finding a num ber of countrymen in a similar position, an attempt was made to escape, in which, however, they were disco vered. Wysoski, the hero of so many b a ttles, was con demned to receive 1,500 bl ows o f a stick. He under ' went his punishment with the firmness of a martyr, and after being cured, was sect to the fortress of Akatui, more to the east, where he still is. Another attempt to escape by a Polish priest, named Sienacinski, and a number of other exiles confined at Omsk, in Sibe ria, having been likewise discovered, - about 400 Poles were arrested. After an inquiry which lasted three years, the Abl-6 Sienacinski, a Captain Gorski, and four others, were sentenced to receive seven thousand blows each; and two hundred others accused to from 500 to 3,000 blows, together with hard labour for life it they survived. The execution took place at Omsk, in March, 1837, a General Galiafiayeff having been sent expressly' from St. Petersburg to preside over it. General Prince Kortehakoff was Governor-General of Siberia at the time. On the day fixed for this sanguinary act, two battalions, of 1,000 men each, were drawn up on the place of execution, every Pole in the battalions having been previously replaced by Russians, One of these battalions was to inflict the punishment of the condemned sentenced to 7,000 blows; the other con demned were reserved for the second battalion. Ac cording to the military penal law of Russia, the sticks used in punishing soldiers should be of such a size that three will fit the barrel of a regulation musket; but each of the sticks employed in the execution of the Abbe Sieracinski and his accomplices were so large that a single one would scarcely go into the musket. According to the same law the soldiers ought to remain in close order, and not move the elbow from the side in striking ; for this special case, however, an order had been issued to leave the space of one pace between each soldier ; they were also commanded to advance the right foot, and raise their arm when giving the blow, in order to strike with their whole force. The execution commenced with those condemned to receive 7,000 blows, the Abbe hieracinski being last. Each of the con demned, naked to the waist, was led f: , tirteen times be tween the ranks (two soldiers striking at once only cc:not ing as one blow). When the sufferer fell from exhaus tion he was placed on a sort of sledge, in order that he, might receive the full complement of his sentence.. When the turn of the Abte Sieracinski came, a surgeon, approached him to make him take a strengthening drink, but he refused it, and walked towards his , executioners singing the psalm, Misere Mei Deus.. As he was of a delicate constitution, and exhaust( d by long privations, he fa after receiving one thousand' blows. lie was then seined, and placed in a kneeling . position on the sle(lge, his arms being bound behind his back in such a manner as - not to protect, him from the bloody flagellation ; his head was fasten( d, face downwards, to beams at the back o!':* the sledge, and in this posture they continued to , bear him along before his executioners. He stilt breathed at the four-thousandth blow ; but soon after yielded up his last breath. His inanimate corpst received the remaining two thousand blows. The, others sentenced to seven thousand blows, died dur ing the execution, with the exception of one alone, %he, was spared, because he Ras ill, and after recovering from his wounds, was sent to Nertchinsh. There, however, he became insane, and killed himself the day after the infliction of his sentence. The bodies of th.e five martyrs were buried near the town of Omsk. Those who were to suffer from five hundred to three thousand blows, received neither pardon nor ummutation. Of three persons, through whom the projected at tempt at escape had been discovered, one was strangled and another drowned; the authors of this act of vengeance have never been discovered. The third .'ass been promoted to the rank of an officer (he was before a private soldier), but has the air of a lunatic. General Galiflayeff has been named commandant of the city of Stavropol, the chief place of the province of the Caucasus, and now resides there. Other scenes of the same nature have occurred, and still occur in Siberia. The publi.2ity given to such facts will at least serve as a chastisement to the executioners. THE RAILWAY PIONEER. A claimant to the invention of the railway system has lately risen from the obscurity to which his want of suc cess seems, unfortunately, to have doomed him. It ap pears that so early as 1816 a project then in contempla tion for making a canal from Charleroi to the mining districts of Belgium, first suggested to one Mr. Thomas Gray the superior alternative of a railway, a proposal which, it is curio us to o b serve, h as l ate ly received the sanction of the Bel g i an G overnmen t, as " the Entire Sambre and Meuse R a il way. " F rom this period (1816), the idea of general railway communication took entire possession of Gray's mind ; and he shortly afterwards published a volume of " Observations on a General Iron Railway, or Land Steam Conveyance, to supersede the necessity of horses in all public vehicles." This publi cation was followed by several petitions from the author to the various Ministers of State, from 1820 to 1823; yet, although the book went through five editions, the pe • titions were disregarded both by the Government and the commercial and mercantile interests to which they were addressed. Gray's first recommendation was, to make the railway experiment between Liverpool and Manchester; which shows how well he appreciated, both the meritsof his scheme, and the w ant of rapid communication between manufacturing and export towns. In his work he mi nutely details the advantages derivable from railway transit for cheap supplies of fish, and other pe rishable produce, to the interior of the country —the regulation and acceleration of post-office carriage, by morning and evening mail-trains, so as to insure two deliveries and dispatches in each day. Yet poor Gray's book was ridiculed by a writer in the Edinburgh Review, and the author pronounced to be a madman, who ought to be shut up in Bedlam ! The book, however, penetrated into Germany ; and, not long since, a well known German writer re marked of it as follows :—"There was l‘lr. Gray, who wrote upon iron railways—how exact his prog nostications of the immense advantages turd the sure progress of his railway system. Twenty years ago I read this beck, sad I often turn to it to see how truly his predictions have been veuified, rot only with regard to England, hut to the whoole of the civilised world." Gray's idea was a grand trunk system between all the large towns, and branches to the smaller places, which the best railway authorities have since asserted would have constituted by far the best system, bud it been originally adopted ; his plans show locomo tives as now used, with six wheels, the centred ones being toothed to work into racks, to ascend steep in clines ; but this portion of the project has been perfected by Mr. George Stephenson, the great practical improver of the locomotive engine. Poor Gray is, however,. left without any reward for his ingenuity ; Mr. Thomas ,N,VGilrsaonnd c , ( r )f ru l n ia k grlemto whom h e commun i cate d hi s System" as early as 1816, has, however, lately placed Gray's claims before the public in such a light as, we trust, will insure the inventor's requiatal.— Penzencc Gazette. a o 4tl l it a i s ubbiur ß osi rnh i edgfl which 1,5 e, hl , 4ni6c f di r i o a a n a nbracr N riorN r, e een w l , barrels PROVISIONS FROM TII E UNITED ST ATES.---The af i lN y l too o urL n rk t ,i, e v4 z ael u nr, m podo9 a ttl , ,hl N eb V oucn t: hh t e eet r ini I l sc o a now,glho7aeinahfdti, instant, n3s l st e n,a l on l 100 barrels Indian corn meal, 300 barrels biscuit, 42 casks rice, 4,547 boxes and 83 casks cheese, 208 firkins and 242 kegs butter, 63 barrels and 1,050 kegs lard, 50 barrels and tierces baef, 241 barrels pork, and 16 hhcls.. bacon. ALARMING AND DESTRUCTIVE FlRE—Saturday morning, shortly before three o'clock, a fire broke out en the premises of Mr. Nablett, currier, 24, Drury-lane, which at one time threatened destruction to the densely populated neighbourhood adjacent. The premises: con sisted of a dwelling-house in Drury-lane, and workshops extending to a considerable depth, entirely built of -wood, for the purposes of tanning and currying the leather. The fire originated in the front of the building, a.ul was speedily communicated to the wooden workshops above mentioned. At cue time considerable fears were enter• tained for the safety of the building adj.ining, in the occupa tion of Mr. Durien , tallow-chandler and inciter, bu peedy arrival of the engine s f rom t h e v a zious stations, together with that b e l ong i ng to e , igss• Comte Co,assisted with a plentiful supply of and together with th e stoc k hi trade,furniture, &c. The firemen, w ith th e i r wonted water, speedily :topped Old progress of the flames, but not before the whole of Mr. Noble tt's premis es were entirely s consumed. Y. per severance, c ombatted the flame.; at no l ee s than. lour s e ve ral pointc, viz., at the rear of th e premises, in Brownlow- s treet, in Brokers' alley, in Charles-street. and in the front in Drury-lane. The fire, we are happy to state, was nearly extinguished within an hour alter the outbreak. Mr. . Noblett, we understand, is insured in the Sun-office. We could nosescertain the cause of the conflagration, but the l certain be very con siderable. FOUEIGN AND COLONIAL COM- MERCE OF FIIANCE IN THE YEAR, 1845. The French Customs' authorities have just published a general statement of the foreign and colonial corn coerce of France during the year 1545. It is somewhat remarkable that the publication of this statement should have been delayed until the middle of December. 1846, and does not speak much for the industry of the French employes. We shall now proceed to give as brief and compendious an analysis us possible of the details of this huge volume : the ." general commerce" of France, with her colo nies aed ieith foreign countries, for the year 1845, amounts to 2,427,000,000 fr. By the term general com merce we would be understood to mean every thing which has been exported or impwated, whether by land or by sea, without regard to its destination, or to any other matters of detail ;-special commerce including only that which enters into the internal consumption of the kingdom, and whatever has been exported of the actual produce of the soil and manufactures of France. Of the 2,427,000,000 fr. above-mentioned, the imports are stated at 1,2 , 10,000,0001 r., and the exports at 1,187,000,000 fr.; and if we divide the fifteen years from 1831 to 1845 into three periods of five years each, and compare the com mercial °pc:aliens of the respective periods, we shall ar rive at some curious results. During the first period, from 1831 to 1835 inclusive, the general course of French commerce involved a total of 6,969,000,000 fr., for the second period, from 1836 to 1840, a total of 9,339,000,000 fr.; during the third, from 1841 to 1845, a total of 11,215,000,000 fr. Thus the third period, as com pared with the first, exhibits an increase of 61 per cent.; and, as compared with the second, an increase of 20 per cent. The returns for 1845 present, when compared with those of 1844, an increase (on imports and exports united) of 88,000,000 fr.; and compared with the average of the five preceding years, an increase of 257,000,000 fr. The in crease has occurred chiefly in sea-going commerce. In 1845 the marine commerce amounted to 1,736,000,000 fr., while that by land reached only 691,000,000 fr. Of the 1,736,000,0001 r. forming the total of the marine commerce, the proportion of 808,000,0001 r. is set down as having en tered or departed under the French flag; but deducting from this the sum of 284,000,000 fr. representing those opera tions, wherein the competition of foreign flags is pro hibited, the actual independent proportion of France is only 524,000,000 fr. against 928,000,0001 r. for which foreign flags must get credit. Let us now set down, in the order of the importance of their relations to France in this respect, the names of the principal countries with which the French hold commercial intercourse. In the first list we shall consider imports and exports together, and in this view the order of the respective nations is as follows :-1, the United States ; 2, England ; 3, Bel gium ; 4, the Sardinian States ; 5, the States in cluded in the German League ; 6, Spain ; 7, Algiers ; 8, Switzerland ; 9, Russia. If we take only imports, the order of relative importance changes, and runs thus :- 1, United States ; 2, Belgium; 3, England; 4, the Sardinian States; 5, the German League; 6, Russia ; 7, Turkey, 8, Spain; 9, Switzerland. And the order again changes if we confine our view to exportations-for instance:-1, England; 2, the United States; 3, Algiers; 4, Spain; 5, the German League; 6, Belgium; 7, Switzerland; 8, the Sardinian States; 9, Guadaloupe. It appears from this that the United States and Belgium occupy the first rank as im porting countries. The United States have sent to France the value of 146,000,0001 r. of their produce, and Belgium the value of 117,000,000 fr.; while France has sent to the States no more than 96,000,000 fr. worth, and to Bel gium only 57,000,000 fr. It is necessary to remark here that the United States are nearly the only country in the world which produces in sufficient quantity the great staple raw material which is indispensable to the opera- tions of the manufacturers of France; and it is further necessary to advert to the action of the restrictive tariffs enforced against France by the United States since 1842, for their late commercial relaxations are exclusively in favour of English produce. About Belgium it is enough to say that she produces like a great, and consumes like a :mall, nation-a circumstance which, in the opinion of many, must always detract frcm the advan tages of any treaty that the French may form with her. Algiers has already arrived at the third rank amongst the consumers of the produce of French in dustry ; but this is accounted for by the well-known fact that the French themselves constitute the principal consumers. A reduction of the army would probably be immediately followed by a reduction in the ex ports of France to the colonies. It is well to remark, however, that the English and other foreigners will no longer have the advantage of supplj ing Algeria with most of its necessaries, and of occupying the market there at the expense of French industry. This is put an end to by law, and French producers and workmen will henceforth enjoy benefits of which they were for along time d. prived. Coming now to the subject of " Special Com merce" we find the total under this head amounts to 856,600,0001 r. ; cottons and silks occupy the first rank, being 108,000,0001 r„ and 65,000,000 fr. respectively ; wools at 50,000,000 fr.; oils at 36,000,000 fr. ; and under the head of exports, which amount to 845,000,000 fr., silk tissues hold the first place, reaching 140,000,000 fr. The export of cotton manufactures was 127,000,000 fr. : of wool manufactures 104,000,000 francs ; of wines 54,000,000 francs ; and of linens and hempen cloths 24,600,000 fr. These are the most interesting general facts deduciWe from the bulky documents before us. THE CORN TRADE, WAKEFIELD, FRIDAY.—We have a small arrival of all grain at our market this morning. This is accounted for by the impediment in the canals by ice, which pre vents the vessels from making their passage. Wheat has, in consequence, advanced upon last week's prices ss. to 6s. per quarter, barley also from ss. to 6s. per quarter, with a limited business at those quotations. In other articles no alteration. LIVERPOOL,:FRIDAY.—The arrivals of all kinds of pro duce are extremely small, owing to the continuance of easterly winds, consisting of 5,456 quarters of wheat. 365 quarters of oats, 4,380 quarters of Indian corn, 466 loads of oatmeal, and 184 sacks and 5,465 barrels of flour ; whilst the exports for the same period are 4,933 quarters of wheat, 676 quarters of barley, 183 quarters of peas, 3,345 quarters of Indian corn, 6,5:'4 barrels and 924 sacks of flour. The transactions in wheat since Tuesday have been to a moderate ex tent, at an advance of ld. per 701bs. Of flour in bond a few thousand barrels have changed hands, at 3Gs. to 365. Gd. per barrel in store for Western Canal. In duty paid parcels there has been little done, but it is held for 6d. per barrel advance. There has not been much passing in oats and oatmeal, or Indian corn, the high prices required restricting the demand to small parcels for immediate consumption. Malt, barley, beans, and peas are firm at previous rates. At our market this morning there was a moderate demand for wheat at an improvement of 2d. to 3d. per 701b5., but this advance checked the sale. Free flour met a slow sale at 6d. per barrel advance, and bonded was rather easier to pur chase than yesterday. Oats were 2d. per 451b5., barley 3d. per °Whs., and Egyptian beans 2s. to 3s. per 4801bs. dearer, being very scarce. The small quantity of Indian corn here held for 725. per 4801bs. Oatmeal was Is. per load higher. GLASGOW, DEC. 16.—From the north, east, and south heavy snow-storms are reported, which impeded the carriage of grain to markets, and, combined with con trary winds, have kept out supplies. Here and in the surrounding districts we bad a week of sharp frost, but no snow. The trade has been very lively since our last, owing to an increased demand from Ireland for all the secondary qualities of grain and flour, consequently wheat and flour have advanced 2s. to 3s. per boll or sack. Barley has to be written Is. to 2s. dearer per 3201 b. Oats and oatmeal are held. Is. to 2s. higher per boll or. load respectively. Beans and peas, especially the latter, realised an advance of Is. to ls. Gd. per boll of 2801bs. At this day's market there was a gocd attendance of town and country buyers, and the sales effected pro ceeded easily at the above enhancement. WHY SHIFT THE SITE OF WESTMINSTER BRIDGE? —By a very slight removal to the north of the present bridge a new site may be obtained which would recon cile many difficulties, which would not inflict injury end injustice on innocent parties, and which would still afford to the public that accommodation to which they have been accustomed. There is a very short street, leading out of Parliament-street, called Det by. street, having on one side only two houses, and on the other side three houses; consequently much money cannot be required to be expended in forming the approach. Cannon-street crosses Derby-street at right angles, but opposite the latter street is only a wharf, extending to the river. I venture to suggest that a new bridge could be formed at this point, and to terminate on the Surrey side, very nearly, if not quite, where the present bridge ends, al though, in fact, a clearance of ground a little to the northward would form a better line than the present. My object in selecting a line which would require but a small outlay for the approaches (always a most expen sive item in such matters) is, besides the reasons already stated, that a large sum may he devoted to a purpose which is highly desirable, namely, to purchase and re move the entire block of houses in Bridge-street, form ing the north side of New Palace-yard; thus a fine area would be obtained for the entrance to the new Houses of Parliament, which would also be seen to more advantage from the new bridge than can be expected to be the case from other positions.—The Builder. FIRE AT POPLAR.—On Friday evening, an alarming fire was discovered burning upon the premises, in the occupation of Mr. Wm. Maunder, situated at 2, King street, West India-road, Poplar. At the time of the outbreak, no person was on the premises, and there being no one to attack the fire, it travelled with surprising ra pidity, so that in the space of a few minutes the build ing, which contain( d eight rooms, became wrapped in flames. The parish engines, with a couple from the dock, were early in arriving, but owing to the scarcity of water, the engines for some time were of very little service. The brigade engines from Jeffrey and Well. close-square stations followed in rapid succession, but ow ing to the want of water, the fire was not extinguished until the building and the contents were all but destroyed. How the fire originated could not be learned. Unfortu nately the occupier was not insured. Mr. Saunderson, lodger, has likewise lost the whole of his furniture; and m r . James Ray, who occupied the adjoining house, has likewise received some damage by fire, &c. The former is insured in the West of England Office, but the latter was not to fortunate. v. WHEEL or FORTUNE.—A gentleman from Strasburg won no less a sum than 150,000 francs at the guning-house in Hamburg on the 28th of November, and on the folloss ing day lost it all back again, together with as much more. We learn from Florence, that on the day on which a subscription was opened at the French Legation, for the sufferers from the Inundations of the Loire, the Duke of IX , vonshire, who arrived in Florence only the preceding day, went personally to the Count de la Roche foucalt, the King's Minister in Tuscany, and presented a rouleuu of 30 louis. This noble example was quickly followed by many of the resident English, some con tributing 100 f,, and some 200 f. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. PORTSMOUTH, DEC. 18.—At nine o'clock this morning the St. Vincent, Victory, Vengeance, Penelope, and other ships in harbour, dressed in colours to receive her Majesty on her return from the Isle of Wight to Windsor. The Polyphemus steam-vessel, Commander James J. M'Cleverty, tailed last night soon after sunset, to distri bute water ar.cl provisions to such distressed merchant vessels as she may find windbound in the Channel. The Cyclops steam-frigate, Captain W. F. Lapidge, has been found on examination to be very defective in her hull, and as her repairs will require docking and occupy some considerable time, she has been ordered to Sheerness for that purpose, all our docks but one being fully occupied, and that one will be wanted earlier than her repairs can be completed. She is expected to sail to-morrow. The Sinbad lighter sailed this morning for Woolwich and Deptford. The Myrtle steam tender, Mr. Balliston, Second Master Commanding, was taken into the bean to-day to make good defects. _ _ The Emerald tender returned yesterday from Jersey, with newly raised men and boys for the service. The Hampshire (timber barque) was floated on Wed nesday night, and was taken into the Camber yesterday to have her ballast trimmed, and the vessel put to rights after her week's immersion. The Penelope steam frigate, Captain W. Giffard, was removed from her hulk yesterday, and placed at moor ings to try her compasses. The Cyclops took her place alongside the Blake hulk to refit. In — Harbour—The St. Vincent, Victory, Vengeance, Victoria and Albert, Excellent, Naiad, Sparrow, and Penelope ; the Cyclops, Fairy, and Echo steamers. At Spithead—The Mutine. In the Basin—The Resistance, Crocodile, and Myrtle steamer. In Dock—The Prince Regent, Edinburgh, Ajax, Leander, Champion, and Serpent. SHEERNFBS, DEC. 17.—The following memorandum, issued by the gallant and .distinguished Captain-Super intendent of this dockyard, Rill explain the nature of the intended measure for organizing' the workmen of the several dockyards into a volunteer corps for the de fence of the ports : MEMORANDUM. "My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having issued a circular expressing a desire that the artificers and labourers of the dockyard should enrol themselves for the exercise of the great guns, and also to acquire a sufficient knowledge of small ones, so as to enable them to move in a body for the defence of the works that are in progress for insuring the dockyards from a-surprise by the enemy, the officers are requested to make this known to the men in their respective departments that an enrolment may be commenced ; and the Captain- Superintendent has full confidence in the zeal, loyalty, and spirit of the men of the dockyard, that they will not be behind any other yards in manifesting such proper feeling for the defence of their country, if necessary. Their Lordships propose that the enrolment shall take place under the following regulations, viz. :—none are expected to enrol themselves above the age of 45 years, or under 18 ; an allowance will be made for the extra time employed in such drill as may be thought necessary; clothing will be provided when forming in line for the infantry exercise with arms, and accoutrements; the inspectors and leading men will be non-commissioned officers, and the Captain-Superin tendent relies on their zeal, not only in seconding their enrolment, but also in getting the men efficient when formed in companies. The principal officers of the yard being the field officers, and captains of infantry, the clerks and foremen will be subalterns. The instructions to be given to the officers and men will be mainly the exercise of the great guns, though some training in the use of the musket, and platoon exercise, may follow, to gether with a company or two for light infantry move ments. Further instructions will be given out from time to time, as they may emanate from the Admiralty, and no active measures will be immediately resolved on, further than to manifest the zeal and good feeling of the men in this yard, in giving in their names on au early day; and in the list of names so given in, are to be ex pressed against each man his age, trade, and stature. " D. PRICE, Captain-Superintendent." The Terrible steam-frigate, Captain Ramsay, is or dered to Woolwich, to have her defects made good, for which purpose she is to be taken into dock there; she is precluded from being docked here, in consequence of the narrow entrance to the ha in, a defect which it has been in contemplation to make good for some years. The Apollo troop ship, Commander Radcliffe, will, on her arrival from Portsmouth, be taken into dock to be overhauled and refitted. The Raven cutter, recently paid off all standing by Commander Stephen, is not to be re-commissioned at present. but will dismantle and be laid up in ordinary. The Birlt:nhead iron steam troop ship, Commander Ingram, prognoses favourably with her fittings, but men enter slowly for her. _ _ The Forinidable, Seringapatam, Euryalu3, and Horatio are in dock ; and the Birkenhead, Dragon, and Chiches ter in the basin. CHATHAM, DEC. 18.—The Albatross, 16 guns, Com mander Arthur Farquhar, in harbour, is shipping her sea stores on board, and will be ready for sailing on the 23d instant. .. The Warspite, 50 guns, in dock, fitting for commis sion, is nearly completed, and she will be undocked at the end of this month. Mr. Joseph Pemble, draughtsman, has been appointed overseer of the Banshee steam-packet vessel, ordered for building in the river Thames, on plans proposed by Mr. 0. W. Lang, assistant to the master shipwright of this yard. LLOYD'S SHIPPING. LONDON, DEC. 19.—Wind this day at noon, S.W., light breeze, and dull hazy weather, with rain. DEAL, DEC 18.—Wind N.E. to S.E., P.m., westerly breeze. —Arrd. Fortuna, Wilson, Abo, and sld. for Cadiz. PORTSMOUTH, DEC. 18.—Wind N.W.—Sld. Her Majesty's steamer Polyphemus, westward, with supplies for the home ward bound. COWES, DEC. 18.—Wind N.N.E.—Arrd. Kimbell, Paul, Savannah ; reported leaky. _ SOUTHAIWPTON, Dec. 113.—Arrd. Queen steamer, Weeks, Gibraltar. DARTMOUTH, DEC. 18.—Nearly calm.—Arrd. Factor, Cooper, Chester, for London, leaky. LIVERPOOL,:thcc. 18.—Wind S. to S.W., light.—Arrd. Fidelia, Hackstaff, New York; Venus Salter, ditto. Sld. Joshua Bates, Stoddart, China; Seraphina, Taylor, Pernam buco; Swan, Taylor, New Orleans; Ben Nevis, Bruee, Mobile; Fatima (supposed), ditto; Caledonia, Brander (supposed), New Orleans; Mononghela (ditto), Philadelphia. F4Lstount DEC. 18.—Wind N.E., fresh.—Arrd. Ocean Bride, Bird, Honduras; Hawthorn, Miramichi, for Sunderland. BRISTOL, DEC. 18.—Wind light.—Arrd. Arcadia, Jop, Quebec; Monarch Merser, Honduras; Persia, Couch, New Orleans. Sld. Margaret Pollock, Pye, New Orleans ; Agnes Gilmour, Anderson, ditto. SWANSEA, DEC. 17.—Arrd. Lively, Moore, Quebec. MILFORD, DEC. 17.—Wind N.N. W., modirate.—Henry, M'Fee, St. John's, New Brunswick, for Ardrossan. WATERFORD, DEC. 17.—Wind N.N.W.—Acrd. Romulus, Sangster, St. John's, New Brunswick. OFF DUNMORE EAST, DEC. 16.—Warrior, John 31.'Intosh, St. John's, New Brunswick, for Belfast. PENZANCE, Dice. 17.—Wind N. to N.N.W., strong and squally.—Dammaris, Thompson, Prince Edward's Island, for Clonellc• ; cargo shifted. RAItkiATE: Dac. 18.—The Walter, of and for Falmouth, fiom London, got on the Main, near Shingle End, last night, and remains. About 50 tons of cargo hays been discharged and landed here ; she is expected oft next tide. FALMOUTH, DEC. 18.—A ship, apparently British, on shore on Earysfort Reef, was passed 17th Oct. by the Ocean Bride, Bird, arrd. here. IvEs, DEc. 16.—The Marquis of Lorn, Clark, which went aground on the Western Spit 11th inst., has been got off and put into Hayle, without much damage. LYNN, DEC. 18.—The Chapman, Norman, from Maims to Leith, which was fallen in with off Saltfleet in distress, has been brought into Lynn Roads, leaky, and with loss of bow sprit, &c. The Gipsey, of Sunderland (coal laden), which has been drifting amongst the ice for the last few days, has been assisted in the channel, about half a mile below the haexur, in a leaky state. YARMOUTH, DEC. 18.—An oar, marked "T. A., London, N. 5.," a rudder tiller, and some bottom boards, were washed ashore yesterday near this place. MILFORD, Dze. IG.—The vessel seen on fire on the 11th inst. near the Bishops, proved:to be the Hope, from Pata gonia, and she afterwards sunk on the Bass Bank. AMERICAN FLOUR FOR IHE QUEEN OF ENGLAND ! —Notw•ithstundieg that the flour and other bread stuffs sent to England are of the purest quality, nevertheless we learn from the Batavia Times, that Mr. Henry Smith, on enterprising miller of that county, sent six barrels of the choicest superfine Genesee flour, manufac tured at his mill in Wheatland, Monroe Co., to Queen Victoria. and for which, in due time, he received from her Majesty the comfortable little sum of 13,000. The flour was put up in highly finished barrels, neatly varnished, enclosed in sacks, and forwarded direct to the Queen at London. The fortunate experiment upon the appetite f royalty seems to have suited her Majesty's palate so nicely, that in addition to the ample remuneration for his first adventure, he has recently received an order direct from London, for three thousand barrels more "of the same sort," which he has promptly forwarded. We ap prehend that the article sent to her Majesty was more carefully selected and fashionably put up than the thou sands of barrels sent down to the sea -coast, and the Queen prefers it for short cakes or rout cakes; but gene rally speaking, our wheat and corn flour, our rye and buckwheat meal, are beyond doubt the cleanest and purest product of any country, and the fine brands may be purchased with great confidence by any and ail classes of consumers abroad.--New York American Sun, Nov. 30. THE LARGEST MERCHANT VESSEL IN THE WORLD —The people of Liverpool have now an opportunity of seeing the fine new packet-ship New World, which is supposed to be the largest merchant-vessel in the This magnificent ship arrived in the river on Thursday, on her first trip across the Atlantic. She is under the command of Captain W. Skiddy, and is intended to take her station as one of the packet-ships between this port and New York. She is ISB feet long between perpen diculars, 196 feet from the stem to the taffrail, 42 feet extreme breadth of beam, 28 feet deep, and is 1,818 15 95th tons, carpenter's measurement, or 1,511 31-95ths Government measurement. It is estimated that she will show 5,000 bales of cotton, or 3,000 tons of measurement goods. She has three decks, the same as a frigate, the upper one being as substantial, in proportion, as either of the others. A full figure of Columbus ornaments the bow, and an arch of carved work, relieved with gild ing, her stern. The after-cabin is 27 feet by 14 feet, and contains six state rooms, each 9 feet by 10 feet square.—Liverpool Albion. ST. JOHN'S, NEW BRUNSWICK.—A private letter from St. John's, New Brunswick, dated 26th ult., says: —" We last night had a dreadful storm, ships blown ashore, chimneys falling, walls and houses blown down, the steam ferry-boat disabled, and the ferry rendered impassable. The mail driver . from St. Andrews, 67 miles distant, says that they had to cut away nearly 110 windfalls. The mail drivers in windy weather generally carry axes with them. THE CORPORATION CONFLICT. 1 The members of the Court of Common Connell, who I formed themselves, oa Thursday, int o a comm i ttee, after the departure of the Lord Mayor, without putting the question as to the passing of the Members' Qualification Bill, assembled on Saturday to receive the report of the sub-committee, Walter Anderson Peacock, Esq., in the chair. The following resolutions were then, after some discussion as to slight verbal alterations, agreed to amidst cheers : " Resolved,—That the Court of Common Council, con sisting of the Lord Mayor, the Aldermen, and anumber of commoners annually chosen by the'freemen inhabitant householders of this city, bare for ages possessed and exercised the right to originate and pass such acts and ordinances as have become necessary, from time to time, for advancing the welfare of the citizens, and improving its municipal institutions in unison with the spirit of the age. "Resolved—That in furtherance of a design to defeat the exercise of this right, the Court of Aldermen, on Thursday, the I7th instant, presented a protest against the passing of an Act for regulating the qualification of members of the Common Council ; and, although the Lord Mayor and Aldermen had at former courts con curred in the orders for the preparation of the Bill, and, in its being read a first and second time, when the third reading of the Bill was moved and seconded, the Lord Mayor refused to put the question to the court, and the Aldermen, after a long discussion, with one exception, quitted the c our t, w hi ch was thereby dissolved. " Resolved —That we the members of the Court of Common Council, have reason to believe that it is the determination of the Mayor and Aldermen to dispute the right of the corporation in Court of Common Coun cil assembled to pass the Bill now before the Court, mainly because they are aware that a Committee of the Common Council have, since the introduction of the present Bill, prepared another, to limit the Court of Aldermen in the expenditure of the public money. " Resolved—That e, the members of the Common Council, then protested, and now protest, against the proceedings of the said Mayor and Aldermen ; and, on behalf of the citizens of London, resolve to in sist upon their right, through their representatives, to control the outlay of their funds, that we may insure their application to public and useful purposes ; and we resolve, and hereby pledge ourselves, to adopt and en-. force all such lawful, just, and reasonable measures as - than preserve to the citizens of London the right to alter their municipal institutions, to meet the increasing com merce of the city, and in conformity with the intelli gence and wants of the times." The thanks were unanimously voted to the chairman, and the committee separated. SNOW STORM. For several years past we have not experienced such a snow storm as has prevailed since Thursday last. The thaw of Tuesday and Wednesday morning cleared the roads in the vicinity of the town, and though the snow still lay on the hills, it was imagined that communica tion with the south and north would not be interrupted. On Wednesday afternoon, however, the wind set into the north, the streets became crusted with ice, and at lengh snow began to fall. By Thursday morning every thing was covered, and with little intermission the snow has since continued. Near 'midnight on Thursday one or two flashes of lightning were seen during a tempo rary cessation of the fall. The roads in the neighbour hood are covered to a depth of from ten to eighteen inches ; but on the high grounds of the Perth road, on the east road and in Ross-shire the depth is great. On some parts of the Perth road, particularly about Kingussie, the wreaths are in solid banks, perhaps twenty feet in depth. What is somewhat remarkable, about Dalnacardoch, where in general the worst weather is experienced, the fall of snow has been comparatively trifling ; but to the north of Dalwhinnie the coach is unable to travel. From Dalwhinnie, the mail, during the latter part of the week, has been carried on horseback, frequently as far as Moy, where it has been met by a carriage from Inverness. To keep the road is impossible, and of course regularity is not to be expected. Indeed, but for considerabledaring, and ;he endurance of great hardships by coachmen and guards, we would not have the mails at all. To show the state of the road, we may mention that the mail of Sunetty night, for the south, left Aviemore about nine p.m., and did not reach Kin gussie—a twelve mile station—until four o'clock on the following morning. The distance was performed on horseback, and in crossing the drifts not a little danger was encountered. The road to Aberdeen is in much the same state. Betwixt Forres and Elgin communication was difficult 'on Friday. The coach from Elgin on Friday morning returned ; and the Elgin, Star, and Defiance remained In Forres on Thursday night. The north road is also deeply covered. On Thursday, the Thurso mail was upwc,rds of two hours behind ; on Friday, eleven hours ; on Saturday, twenty ; and the mail which should have arrived at 20 minutes past one on Sunslay morning, did not reach the post-office until 7 A.M. on Monday. The Aberdeen mail of Thursday was an hour behind ; on Friday, six hours ; and the mail which should have arrived at 7 P.M. on Saturday, came in aboht nine on Sunday morning. There has been no mail from Aberdeen since, and three are now due. The Perth mail was also, of course, behind. The detentions of the Aberdeen mail of Saturday arose chiefly from the heavy fall to the south of Aberdeen. It is worthy of remark, as favouring the idea of a railway to Perth (which was thought by some persons so wild a project) that the Highland road, on this as on former oc casions, is less blocked up with snow than the line by Aberdeen. The Perth mail arrived about six o'clock last night, but brought nothing from places to the south of Edinburgh, so that the snow-storm has in all likeli hood been general. Our ancient friend, John Maclean, the Centenarian, says, " this is just the old weather back again. In the first of my day, the snow-storms were mosey. in Decem ber, and were hea‘i, r than even this, besides being ac companied with extraort:ir ary keen frosts, and it would generally be at the end of January before the ground was stript of its white covering. During these times, we had had to put our very water-stoups near the fire all night, and after all they would sometimes be frozen, and we had to . brcak the ice in the morning with the red hot tongs. The after-seasons, however, were grand. Early in February, the ploughman was at work ; we could hear him a histling at the furrow, but it was not easy to see him, for the fine warm smoke rose up from the ploughed land. And with regard to the summers, the heat was so great that men at field-work gave up for two or three hours at mid-day, and the foot-travellers on the roads took their coats off. Near the town here, some fields of barley were cut in the beginning of July, and by the end of July shearing was general. If the poor folks were but decently off, I would never like to see December go'ng out black, as the old saying is true, that ' a black Yule, or Christmas, makes a fat kirkyard."' Poor John is but ill off himself in this inclement season, and we should be glad to see our Clachnacuddin friends remember the claims of their ancient townsman and chronicler, who has now nearly rounded his hundredth year, and led an irreproachable life.—lnverness Courier. DROVE ROAD-THE INVEROU- RAN STANCE. An important point in the case now pending between the Marquis of Breadalbane and the sheep-farmers of the north, relative to the drove road in Argyleshire, has been decided by the First Division of the Court of Ses sion in favour of the farmers. After a full hearing on the 3d instant it was decb!ed that the defenders have a relevant case, a right to the drove stance if they prove possession. As this is the point on which Lord Breadal bane rested his case, it is very likely that he will no t insist further, but he does, the defenders must go before a jury and prove possession, a matter on which there can be no doubt. The Black Mount road, through the Breadalbane estates, from King's House, by Inverou ran and Tyndrum, to Falkirk, has been used for:cen turies for cattle and sheep, and the Inverouran stance, or station, has always been a resting-place on the jour ney. Inverness Courier. THE CITY ELECTIONS.—The annual election of members for the Court of Common Council takes place this day, being St. Thomas's Day. The City con sists of twenty-seveu wards, returning 206 members ; and seven of' the former will be contested, viz. :—Bishops gate, Coleman- street, Cripplegate (W ithin and Without), Farringdon Without, Purtsoken, and Cordwainers, in the latter of which one of the candidates is of the Jewish persuasion. SCILLY.—About eighty logs of mahogany have been picked up among the Islands within the last week, the principal part near the SevenstoneF.— West Briton. • M. V ISIT TO THE HOT SPRINGS NEAR MONTEREY.— MONTEREY, MEXICO, OCT. 28, 1846.—Last evening I paid a visit to quite a notorious and fashionable place of resort, called by the Mexicars Caliente Angus, or Hot Springs. These sprirgs are situated about six miles from the city, and have of late become a place of much attraction to the American officers and soldiers, as well as Mexican citizens. The larger of these springs is about ten feet square, the bottom covered with a beauti ful limestone, about four feet deep, and surrounded by a substantial cemented wall,of limestone. The water is abut 11 milk warm, clear as crystal, oozing from the bottom. is i 3 one of the most splendid places in the world for bath ing on a small scale. The other is about one half mile from the first, and nearer the base of the mountain. This spring is much smaller, and remains as nature left it. The water is actually unbearable to the touch. I dropped an egg into it, and in four minutes it was beau tifully cocked. This is what I call natural cooking. What is very strange about this spring is, that there is no steam rising from it, not even in the morning or evening. The water, after standing over night, is de cidedly the best I ever drank—it is truly delicious. If we have not the pleasures of Saratoga, White Sulphur, Newport, &c., we do have the enjoyment of Caliente Augua.—New Fork Herald. _ _ Etnis.—(Extract from a private letter.)--Our old favourite Deshayes has just died in Paris. With De shaycs &parts the last glories of ancient choreo graphic art, which began when Louis XIV. danced, and was handed down, through Gardel and Noverre, to Deshayes. He was himself the very prototype and living compendium of this art, at the time when con ventional grace and dreamy poetry were pre. (erred to energy of thought and execution. A more amiable and more courteous personage, never existed in the realms of the fantastic toe, nor was he d evo i d of inventive talent; her Majesty's Theatre having been indebted to him for Benpowsky, and several other excellent ballets. Last season he came to visit the beloved precincts again, and being invited to a dinner with Taglioni, Cerito, and many of the first of the light-heeled fraternity, all the memories of his glories were revived, and he had so many toasts on the subject to drink in champagne, that he grew glorious himself afterwards; floated in clouds of dreamy reminiscences, like the h eroes o f Ossian; and instead of goi ng to bed, strolled into the fields, and nearly broke his neck in a pit. However, he recovered with broken shins, and lived to die amongst his house hold gods in Paris, loved and esteemed by all who knew him. THE SUN, LONDON, MONMAY DECEIVIBER, 2l, 1846.