The Sun. — London, England, 1846-04-15 00:00:00

various heads of traffic, the lowest amount of charges made by each company during the two preceding years, and the maximum of those which are allowed in the Bill to the amalgamated companies. Having thus referred to the case of Legislative amal gamations, yoar Committee feel that they ought not to omit to notice that some important lines of railway originally formed by independent companies, and with respect to which no legislative amalgamation has yet been proposed, are at present practically under the same control and management ; and so long as those parties feel it to be their interest to combine, all the evils to be apprehended from amalgamation may be produced by private arrangements between them. It is true that such arrangements cannot acquire a permanent cha racter without the sanction of Parliament ; but, on the other hand, they enable the parties, by avoid ing an application to Parliament, temporarily to escape the necessity of submitting to those pro visions which Parliament may see fit to impose for the benefit of the public as the condition of amalgamation. Your Committee have felt it their duty to advert to this point as one requiring serious consideration ; al. though they are not yet prepared to make any definite s uggestion for the purpose of averting any evils which might arise from an abuse of the power derived from these private arrangements. Your Committee trust that the rules which they have suggested may assist the Select Committees on railway groups in their deliberations, and may contribute to the uniformity of their decisions. As regards the amalgamation of railways with canals, your Committee have not been able as yet to obtain sufficient intormation to justify them in offering any definite suggestions ; but they propose immediately after the recess to enter more fully into that important branch of the subject. FIRST REPORT from the SELECT COMMITTEE ON RAILWAYS AND CANALS AMALGAMATION. The Select Committee appointed to consider the prin ciple of Amalgamation, as applied to the Railway and Canal Bilk now under the consideration of Parliament, have proceeded in the consideration of the matters to them referred; and agreed to the following report: — Your Committee, in discharging the duty imposed upon them, have in the first instance applied themselves to the task of ascertaining how many of the railway and canal Bills now before Parliament contain clauses in volving the principle of amalgamation. Owing to the circumstance that several of them are still awaiting the preliminary investigation of the Com mittees on Standing Orders, and have net yet been formally introduced into the House, and that the Irish Railway Bills have been commenced in the House of Lords, it has been found difficult, if not impossible, to form a correct estimate of their number ; but, making allowance fur error, and exclusive of the Irish Bills, it may be stated that they amount to about 161 for Eng land, and about 56 for Scotland. Of this number, 37 are Bills for the amalgamation, by purchase, lease, or otherwise, of existing railway com panies with each other. Thirty-two of railways with canals. One hundred and fifty-five for the formation of new lines, and their amalgamation with existing companies or with each other. Amongst the last will be found Bills containing clauses which give a general power of leasing the tolls, or leas in•g or selling the works or lines, with the view of effect ing amalgamation at some future time with any com panies which may be disposed to take advantage of the power so given. Also Bills which, containing clauses with a somewhat similar object, are, however, restricted to the option of two or more companies therein specified. In addition to, and not included in the above list, there are several Bills in which powers are taken by ex isting companies to contribute to the funds for the ex ecution of the works of new lines ; thereby securing, in proportion to the sum subscribed, a permanent influence in the future management of the company. Looking to the number of these Bills, and to the fact that a great proportion of them have been already grouped, and submitted by the House to Select Corn euittees for the consideration of their merits, and that seine of them are advanced even to another stage, your Committee have felt bonnd to come to an early decision as to the course which it would recommend the House to pursue in respect of them. After the best deliberation which the time permitted, it has been thought on the whole most advisable with a view to avoid inconvenient obstruction to the business before Comm ittees, net to interfere more than is absolu tel y n ecessary with their present progress; and that your Committee, taking advantage of such information as could be the most easily and readily obtained, should at once suggest such regulations for the guidance of Select Committees as they believe may be safely and bene ficially adapted, and which would tend in a great mea sure, though not a ltogether, to the attainment of the object of the House in referring this matter to them. In cowing to this determination, they have railway in mind that a clause may be inserted in every ilw Bill, sub that the promoters to such additional enactments as Parliament may on further consideration deem ex pedient. On taking a general view of the various projects of amalgamation, yuur Committee were at once struck with the general tendency on the part of the principal rail way companies to extend their operations, and to unite as large a proportion as possible of the carrying trade of their respective districts under their own control and maime• ment. Your Committee have ta ken evidence on several schemes of amalgamation, in order to illastrate this tendency ; and without invidiously selecting one out id' a g reat number, it may be su ffi cient to state that some of th ere are so extensive in their combination, that they way be said to secure, if not a monopoly, at least en almost overwhelming influence in those districts of the country embraced within their limits. Under such circumstance it appears to your Committee to be the imperative duty of Parliament to consider well and carefully the probable result of these great combina tions, and (if they should be consented to) the nature and extent of the privileges which should be entrusted to the directing body of each. Your Committee are by no means disposed to regard with undue jealousy the principle of amalgamation. The benefits arising from it, if conducted within proper limits and under judicious regulations, are indisputable. It enables companies to conduct their operations with less expense to themselves, and consequently with dimi nished charges to the public; it conduces to better arrangements and more efficient control, and thereby to greater speed, and at the same time to increased safety to life and to property. It enables companies conjointly to provide that increase of accommodation for the public at their terminal stations, and in their general establish ment, which many of them could not separately afford. It also enables small companies, whose lines are worked at great expense, to obtain the benefits of cheap ness and general arrangement which are enjoyed by lines of greater extent. The above are advantages of no small importance, especially in the more populous dis tricts of the country, where the junction of numerous lines, under different management, tends to expense, ob struction, and confusion, and danger to life and property. On the other hand, it is equally manifest that, if car ried beyond certain limits, and especially if not subjected to proper regulation and control, amalgamation must necessarily have a directly opposite tendency in each and every respect. It might greatly diminish the induee ments to a low rate of fares, or to the adoption of new improvements; it might tend to a laxity of discipline and decreased attention to public accommodation ; and in various other ways injuriously affect the public in terests. Indeed, past experience affords sufficient and convincing proof that while, in some instances, amalgama tion of railways has been followed by diminis h ed rates of carriage and increased accommodation, in others the result has been directly the reverse. It would not have been possible for your Committee, without causing much delay and public inconvenience, to examine into the merits of these various schemes of amalgamation ; they have therefore directed their chief attention to the question, whether any general rules could be laid down, applicable to the system, which, without fettering the judgment of Select Committees, might conduce to a greater uniformity of decision, to a stricter examination into the Bills brought under con sideration, and at the same time to prevent undue ad vantage being taken of any increased powers and privi leges which it might be thought proper to grant. With this object, your Committee have given an early and attentive perusal to the report upon this subject, which was made by the Railway Department of the Board of Trade, on the 7th of May. 1845. To the suggestions and to the opinions expressed in that report, your Committee are disposed to give their general concurrence; they have appended an extract from it to this report; and in pressing it earnestly on the con. sideration of Members, they deem it necessary to make only a few additional remarks, most of which have been suggested by experience derived subsequently to its pub lication. In the first place, then, they beg to call the attention of the House to the general principles therein propounded for regulating its decisions on amalgamation Bills; and with a view to carrying out in detail some of those prin ciples they recommend — That " general powers of granting or accepting a lease or sale of a railway or canal, or of otherwise merging the independence of one company in another not named, should not be allowed to be inserted in any Bill." S- condly, that the same rule be applied to all Bills which contain clauses enabling the companies to lease or sell their tolls or works to any one of a number of railway companies therein specified. Thirdly, that a clause be inserted in each Bill sub jecting all the parties involved in it to all general rail way Acts. Fourthly, that in all instances in which railway com panies propose to take powers of amalgamation, the rates and tolls of the amalgamated companies should be sub jeteed to revision. At the present time, owing in some instances to a system of law fares being found most profitable, in others to actual or threatened competition, the maximum rates or tolls hitherto imposed by Parliament has not been generally required as a limitation. It is manifest, however, that if a system of amalgamation is to be x Lensively adopted, the latt er i n d ucement to low charges will be materially diminished, if not altogether done away with. It would be impossible to - lay down any precise rule for the guidance of the House in this respect, which would not be subject to numerous exceptions ; the de cision, therefore, as to the exact limitation of fares must a t presci.t be left to the discretion of each Committee, to b e a p e lied according to the merits of each separate cave. It ought, however, always to be borne in mind that the effect of amalgamation is to diminish the expense of working and managing railways, and thereby to enable the proprietors to secure a greater profit on their exist t..atfic ; and in this view of the case it might be taken as a general rule, subject to special exceptions, that the maximum of rates and tolls combined ought not to exceed the lowest rates which had been previously demaeded and receive d by the respective companies. It will doubtlessly be found impossible to adhere rigidly to this rule in all cases. Circumstances peculiar to a particular railway may render it desirable that rather a wider limit should be allowed ; but your Committee are confident that in a far greater number of instances, especially in those of extensive combinations and of large com panies, the limit ation which they have sug gested would be found to fall short of, rather than to ex ceed. that which might be justly imposed with a due re gard to the interests of the shareholders on the one hand, and of the public on the oth c er. Y . our Committee, herelbre, recommend that SelectC omm ittee s appointed there the consideration of these Bills should impose a new li m i ta tion of to ll s and f ares, and specially report any cir cumstance which may lead them to allow any increase of the rates previously received. There are several instances now before Parliament of two . or inore companies applying for powers of amalgamation, whose respective rates and charges vary in amount. Your Committee submit that it should be the duty of Select Committees, in these cases, to exercise much care in the adiustment and substitution of a maximum rate. Your Committee would strongly urge upon the atten tion of the House, the charges made for the conveyance of coals ; their cheapness being of paramount import :exec to the manufacturing and commercial interests of this country. A glance at the proposed amalgamaiions in the neigh- Ion:hood of the great coal and manufacturing districts, R . sot once suggest that if the present competition is to be eiminiehed, on whic h alone the p ublic have to r el y as a sec rarity against high charge, it is absolutely necessary that a new limitation of rates should be imposed, at once equal to all parties, and as low as is constent with justice. With a view to affording the House the fullest in formation as to the grounds on which Committees have founded th eir decisions, it would be desirable that a schedule be appended to each report, giving, under the drawal of a juror, the Learned Judge observing that he thought that course the best for all parties. (The effect of this step is, that each party will have to pay his own costs.) This was the last case at Nisi Prins. CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Baron PLITT.) William Bishop, aged 35, was indicted for having in termarried with one Anne Shipway, during the lifetime of Elizabeth, his first wife. Evidence was given of his first marriage, which oc curred about eight years ago, at BristoL Six years since, however, the prisoner was deserted by his first wife, who went to live, and has during the interval co habited, with a man of the name of Baker. Anne Shipway, aged 37, stated that she was married to the prisoner at Radcliffe Church, Bristol, on the 23d of July, 1844, after an acquaintance of about eighteen months. She was aware that his first wife was alive, but he told her that " he was parted from her by law, hav ing sold her." Mr. Baron PLATT—Is it credible that you have ar rived at your time of life without being aware that a man cannot sell his wife, and that he can only be sepa rated from her by divorce? The witness proceeded to state, that the prisoner hav ing neglected to supply her with money, she had taken possession of some chattels a hich she had previously purchased. The former wife, repentant of her past transgressions, had reappeared, and now claimed the prisoner as her rightful husband. The prisoner was convicted, and sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment, without hard labour. He was defended by Mr. Greaves. George Britton, aged 31, was arraigned upon the charge of having pillaged a trading vessel, which had stranded at Hambury on the Bth of February last. Mr. Skinner conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Greaves defended the prisoner. The prosecutor stated that the vessel in question, named the George, of Chepstow, sailed on the 7th of February from Hentland (Hertfordshire), with a cargo of timber, spokes, bark, &c., and that, three days after, she stranded and filled about a mile and a half above the Bristol river, a little below the new Passage. Several men were in possession of her at the time witness dis. covered her in the above situation. He asked them what he should give them for securing her ; they replied 501., but he ultimately compromised the claim for 17/. The vessel was afterwards taken to Bristol, where, on un lading her, several articles were missed, namely, a bunule of hogshead-hoops, 250 spokes, and some small hoops. The prosecutor and policeman went to the prisoner's house, where they found several portions of the missing property. The counsel for the prisoner contended that the articles in question had floated ashore, and that the prisoner and his companions had secured them, not knowing to whom they belonged. He was acquitted, as were three other prisoners, who bad been charged with the perpetration of similar, offences. Thomas Williams was charged with assaulting. James Osborne on the highway, in the parish of St. George's, and with having robbed him of seven sovereigns. M.. Greaves prosecuted ; the prisoner was defended by Mr. Cooke. On the evening of the 12th of December, the prose cutor, it appeared, was returning home after sundry lengthy potations, when he was attacked by two men. one of whom knocked him down, while the other rubbed him. He swore that the prisoner was one of his assail ants, and that he knelt upon him while his pockets were being rifled. Other evidence was given to connect the prisoner with the transaction, and the jury, after remaining some time in deliberation, found a verdict of Guilty, whereupon he observed, "I am happy to say that I am innocent of this crime ; I was in bed at the time of the robbery." He was sentenced to transportation for the term of fifteen years. After the trial of several other prisoners for offences of no great importance, the assize business of the present circuit was brought to a conclusion. DOE, ON THE DEMISE OF WOOD, V, ELIAS. This cause, which it was expected would have been tried at these assizes, for the recovery of certain free hold estates of considerable value, the property of the late James Wood, has been made a remanet until the summer circuit. A special application upon the subject was made at an early period of the assizes to the Chief Baron by Mr. Godson, who requested to know if his Lordship would fix a day for the trial. The CHIEF BARON replied—By no means, it must be made a remanet. It cannot be tried by me at all. It must have been perfectly well known to those who en tered the cause that I should not try the cause in this court, and it was no secret that I came down here only a few years age to dispute that very will. I at that time entertained a very strong opinion upon that case, and have had no reason to alter that impression since ; and it would be an act of great indecorum on my part to sit and try the case. I expressed an opinion as to Dr. Lushington's sitting in the capacity of judge, after having been engaged as counsel, and I still adhere to that opinion. I consider that it is a course which is cal culated to bring the administration of justice into ques tion, if not into contempt. Mr. Sergeant TALFOURD, on behalf of the lessee of the plaintiff, observed that his client would be perfectly satisfied that his Lordship should adjudicate upon the case; but if his Lordship felt a disinclination so to do, perhaps an arrangement might be made for Baron Platt to take it. The CHIEF BARON said it was his duty to take the business of that Court, and he did not conceive that he should be justified in asking his brother Platt to dis charge his office for him. So far, therefore, as he was concerned, he should direct the cause to be made a APPENDIX. Extract from the Report of the Railway Department of the Board of Trade on proposed Amalgamations of Railways ; dated Railway Department, Board of Trade, Whitehall, 7 May, 1845. "The present unsettled state of the railway system, when almost every day brings forward some proposal for a new railway, or some new combination among existing interests, renders it peculiarly undesirable that permanent amalgamations should be precipitately al lowed, unless in cases where the advantage to the public is perfectly manifest. " These observations apply principally to the case o amalgamations between railways which have been ori ginally projected and sanctioned as independent under takings. There is another class of cases where new lines are brought forward by the aid of, and in alliance with, existing companies, who subscribe a portion of tke capital, or guarantee a certain return upon it, and take powers to lease or purchase the line when made. In such cues it is evident that greater latitute must be allowed, as otherwise the inducement to the existing company to support the new line would be in a great measure withdrawn, and in many cases the undertaking could not otherwise be supported. In such cases it would appear to be fair to allow an existing company promoting a line sanctioned as an useful undertaking, in exchange for a guarantee on their part to complete what they undertake, to purchase or amalgamate with them selves such small lines as may be considered natural branches of the parent line, and to lease, for a long period, such larger schemes as they may have promoted. " Where such new schemes, however, are of sufficient magnitude to support themselves independently, and are not so intimately connected with the parent line as to be necessarily worked along with it, it may in some cases be advisable to make some provision for the existence of a degree of independence and local manage ment in the new concern ; and also for limiting the period during which the union of interest is to exist without the necessity of a fresh application to Parliament. " We refrain, however, from entering more particu larly upon the details of such cases, since they are neces sarily brought fully under the cognizance of the Com mittee on each Bill, in the course of the general investi gation of the merits of the projected lines which it is proposed to amalgamate with existing companies; and we shall confine our observations more especially to those in which the amalgamation of existing independent Companies is proposed, and in which the bearings of the case upon public interests are not necessarily brought under consideration by opposing parties. " With regard to these, we incline, under present circumstances and on the whole, to the opinion that such amalgamations should only be allowed where there is a natural and manifest identity of interest for public pur poses among the different portionsof railway which seek to unite into one whole. For instance, when two or more lines form continuous portions of what is evidently, for permanent public purposes, one great line of com munication, or whenever in fact there can be no reason able doubt that, if the whole system were now proposed for the first time, an integral scheme would obtain a preference over separate and unconnected portions, we think that the benefits which we have already pointed out as likely to ensue from unity of management, may be considered as sufficient to justify the sanction of amalga mation under proper guarantees and conditions. "But where there is any appearance of any conflict of interest between the companies proposing to amalga mate and the public, and if there be any reason to sus pect that the amalgamation is sought as a defensive measure to ward off legitimate competition, or to prevent new and useful projects from being brought forward, it appears to us very undesirable that amalgamation should be permitted. And even in cases where there is no very evident interest adverse to the public at the present I moment, but where there is no such natural identity of interest as properly to unite the lines proposing to amal gamate into one whole, we think, that having regard to the present fluctuating state of railway affairs, it would, generally speaking, be more prudent, at any rate for the present, to pause before sanctioning such proposals, and uniting irrevocably, or for long periods, companies whose relations to one another might in a few months have been entirely changed, or which might be discovered to have some unforeseen interests adverse to those of the public. " We are the more inclined to recommend this course, as no great evil could result from the postponement of such amalgamations for a year or two, by which time further experience will have been gained, both of the true interests and relations of the company and of the public, as well as of the efficacy of any legislative pro visions against undue monopoly. In the present state of experience, it would hardly be wise to trust much to such provisions, unless in cases where they shall be seconded by an obvious coincidence of interest between the company and the public. " There is also reason to believe, that many of the benefits sought for from amalgamation may be obtained without unions of this permanent character, by mileage arrangements, arrangements for the supply of locomo tive power, and others of a similar description, which would not be open to the same objections ; and this in our opinion, affords another reason w h y , in cases which are at all doubtful, the more prudent course would be to postpone, for the present, the concession of powers to carry into effect lasting amalgamation." remanet. This course was finally adopted, an arrangement being moreover proposed, by wbich the evidence of an im portant witness, now 90 years of age, should be admitted by the opposite party. POLICE INTELLIGENCE G 1) IL DH A LL. John Sharp and six other inmates of the East London Union were charged with refusing to work, because it was Easter Monday. Mr. Alderman Gums asked what work they were set to? Mr. Mortlock, the master of the house—lt was hair-picking. There was no objection to it. The pri soners were all young men, able to get their living by labour; but they were reconciled to workhouse fare and workhouse labour, and some of them had been in the poorhouse four years. Sharp had left a place where he had 12s. a week, that he might work less hard with workhouse diet in the poorhouse. Though it was holi day time, he thought it was his duty to keep such characters to work. The paupers said they hid a holiday last Easter Monday. The master said he had then newly come into office. Mr. Alderman Gums said, he thought the master acted properly in keeping them to work, and he asked the prisoners if, after hearing his opinioa, they would now do the work?—The prisoners said they would; and the magistrate discharged them. They were guarded back to the workhouse. MARLBOROUGH- STREET. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. OXFORD ClRCUlT.—Gloucester, April 11. Yesterday being Good Friday, the business of the assizes was not resumed till after the termination of the morning cathedral service, when Mr. Baron Platt took his seat in the Crown Court, the Chief Baron having departed from Gloucest er very shortly after the disposal of the last two causes in 'the list. There were two city cases ; the following is a brief summary of the proceed ings in each:— , lIORRISON T 7. 'WALKER AND ANOTHER. Mr. Sergeant Talfourd and Mr. Self appeared on behalf of the plaintiff ; Mr. Godson, QC., and Mr. Beadon on the part of the defendants. From the statement of counsel it appeared that the plaintiff was captain of a vessel called the Trial, and the defendants were partners in a firm of timber-merchants, known by the name of Price and Co., in this city, from whom Morrison claimed a balance as the price of a 'cargo of timber, in respect of which they were admitted to have already made several payments on account. No witness seemed to have been present when the contract was entered iato, but on the day previous to that occur• rence, a Mr. Edwards heard the offer made by Morrison relative to some part of the transaction. The cargo con sisted of deals and battens, for which 1,4191. 103. ld. was claimed ' • birch and pine timber , valued a t 4541. 9s. 3d.; and lathwood, at 60/. 155.; forming a total of 1,9341. 14s. 4d., of which the defenants had paid 1,564/., so that the amount now sought to be recovered was 3701. 14s. 4d. The dispute between the parties arose mainly from an alleged difference in the quality and quantity of some of the timber, regarding which the I Lea rn ed n n so c e e d l t i h t S t e l eetTagean,rgalouterretmhbaroatruktgehd,he that, in Nova Scotia, t 'm t er r Ch be a r nt w s as wereso p n l e o n t t v i f e u r l y , accurate in their measurements, and in the present c a se the measurement of the Custom-hou se o ffi cers caus ed a great apparent difference when compared with the quan tities specified in the manifest. At this stage of the proceedings, The Learned JUDGE inquired whether a party accus tomed to the measurement and valuation of the kind of goods above enumerated would not be the most compe. tent person to decide the question ? Upon this suggestion a discussion ensued, which ter minuted in the adoption of, the Chief Baron's recom mendation. Captain Crawford, R N., Pall-mall, was charged with having knocked out two of the teeth of George Long, a solicitor's clerk. The complainant said he was walking with a friend in Oxford-street about nine o'clock the previous evening, when he happened accidentally to kick against the foot of the defendant. He turned round and immediately begged the defendant's pardon. The defendant, how ever, instantly struck him on the face, and followed up the assault by another blow, which broke two of his teeth and knocked him down. As soon as the defendant had finished this cowardly assault he ran away as quickly as he could. He was, however, pursued and given into the custody of a police-constable. A witness corroborated the statement of the com plainant as to the accidental touch of the defendant's foot in passing. The defendant, after receiving the apology, struck at the complainant violently, with the remark, "- your eyes, get out of the way." The defendant said the complainant tried to trip him up; and, as he believed this was done for the purpose of picking his pocket, he certainly knocked the complainant down. He ran away because he had no wish to find himself involved in a police charge. Mr. MALTBY said the evidence disproved the asser tion of the kick against the defendant's foot being inten tional. The complainant had done all that a gentleman could require, for he made a full apology; but this had not satisfied the defendant, who had instantly com mitted a violent and aggravated assault on the com plainant. For this assault he should fine the defendant in the highest amount of penalty, namely, 51. The money was paid. Henry Bishop, a young man, a bricklayer, was charged with committing the following brutal outrage on his wife. The complainant, a young woman, of cleanly and decent appearance, stated that she was living at No. 15, Morton-street, Middlesex Hospital. She bad been mar ried to the prisoner about two years, and, before n week had expired he commenced using her in a most brutal and inhuman manner. She was scarcely ever without a black eye, or severe bruises about her person. She had been three times in the hospital from his violence, and, in one instance, her life was placed in imminent danger by his kicking her with dreadful force on the head. His ill usage at length became unbearable, and, about Christmas last, she left him, he having previously sold off all the furniture, and dissipated the produce in drunkenness, to which be was habitually addicted. Her lather supplied her with the furniture she had at her present lodgings. Between one and two o'clock on Sunday morning last, the defendant, in a state of furious drunk enness, gained entrance to the house, and forcing open the door of her apartment, beat her in a most shameful manner, and broke the chairs, table, crockery, and nearly everything in the place. As he was leaving the room, he inflicted a severe kick on her person, as she was lying nearly insensible on the bed. This morning he again came to her place and ill-used her, on which she gave him in charge to the police • Mr. MALTBY asked the defendant what he had to say for himself ? The defendant said he certainly had struck his wife, because she was saucy to him ; but he did not hurt her. Wilks, the gaoler, said the defendant had, a few months ago, been committed from this court for two months to hard labour, for assaulting the complainant. The complainant said such was the fact. Mr. MALTBY ordered the defendant to pay a fine of 51., or undergo two months more imprisonment to hard labour. CLERKEIV WELL. Michael Brien was brought up on a charge of attempt ing to murder his wife. The prisoner is one of the most desperate characters in Clerkenwell. He is the !error of the police, many of whom he has seriously maimed. Since he came from Ireland, ten years ago, he has spent half his time in prison, having been more than twenty times convicted SitlN, LONDON. WEDNESDAY MOtNING, A`PRIL 15,_1846. at this Court. The assaults for which he has been con victed have been committed, in most instances, without any provocation ; like some wild beasts, his sole object seemed to be that of spilling blood. Last night, about twelve o'clock, he entered the wretched apartment in Pavel) , court, Islington, where his wife and children live. Immediately upon entering it he smashed the windows, and without receiving the slightest provoca tion, dragged his wife out of bed and kicked her violently with his heavily-nailed boots on the head and breast. The unfortunate woman bared her breast in Court, and horrified every one present by the appearance it pre sented. Having kicked her until she was almost in sensible, he swore he would murder her, for that he might as well hair for her now as at another time. He then went to the cupboard and brought out the chopper. The unfortunate woman seeing his determinati.m, craw!ed into bed, went upon her knees, and beLged of him to spare her life. He aimed a desperate blow of the chopper at her head, which struck the bed post ; he aimed a second, which, raising her arm, she received on her wrist. At length the neighbours, hearing her screams. rushed in and the fellow was secured. Mr. CostnE decided upon committing the prisoner for trial. ment, but he was not able to state whether or not the prisoner's purpose had been fully effected. The prisoner, who about four years since was sum marily convicted and imprisoned for 21 days for some indecent conduct to sonic pauper girls at Chiswick, was remanded until Saturday next, in order to ascertain if the parochial authorities will undertake to prosecute. FEARFUL RAILWAY ACCIDENT SOCITH SHIELDS, SUNDAY.-A serious accident oc curred on the Brandling Junction Railway, near this town, by which several persons have been injured, some of whom, it is thought, cannot survive. The ten o'clock train from Gateshead was proceeding at a rapid rate„ from Brockley Whins to Shields, when, on taking a curve near the Jarrow Alkali Works, the engine got off the line, dragging the tender with it, and having become disconnected from the passenger carriages by the break ing of the coupling chain, dashed over the embankment, and through the roof of a row of dwelling-houses, on the ground floor of one of which it finally stopped, rest ing on its end, wish the tender above it, poised in a most fearful position. The only inmates of the house which has thus been completely demolished were two women and a child, all of whom are most seriously injured, one of the women by the engine having fallen upon her leg, which was literally crushed to atoms; and she, as well as the others, by the escape of steam and boiling water which rushed frotn the boiler. The force of the engine and its great weight seem to have cut through the build ing almost like a razor, which accounts for the inmates of neighbouring houses having sustained but little in jury; in fact, none at all worth mentioning. The en gine-man and stoker were thrown from the engine, and alighted on that portion of the roof which remained, re ceiving serious contusions from the fall. One passenger, who was riding outside the train, bad both his legs broken. Fortunately, none of the passenger carriages were dragged from the line, and the extent of injury received by the passengers is not so great as might have been expected under the circumstances. Several dan gerons ounds and contusions were received. MONDAY MORNING.—The women and child are still alive, and are said to have passed an easy night. It is now hoped the child and one of the women will recover, but the other is so fearfully scalded as to preclude the remotest chance of her surviving. Her hair was com pletely scalded from her head, and her face and other parts of her bed) present a most shocking sight. Workmen have been engaged all night in preparing a temporary way, and in other preparations to get the engine up. Hundreds visited the spot during yesterday evening and this morning, but a strong body of police are stationed to keep off the crowd. THE ACCIDENT on the EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY. ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS. Of the many railway accidents that we have had occa sion to notice, probably Mat which occurred on the Eastern Counties (Cambridge) line on Sunday afternoon VMS the most extraordinary. The directors, in order to meet the convenience of the subscribers to the Newmarket Craven Meeting, deter mined to run a spf o al train from Shoreditch en Sunday afternoon at half-past one o'clock, to Chesterford, and undertook to do the distance to Newmarket within four hours. At the appointed time on Sunday the train started, conveying Lord and Lady Chesterfield, Lord E. Russell, and the elite of the sporting world, amounting to near 100. In advance, drawing the train, were two of the finest engines the company possess, both of the same construcion, with the exception of the foremost one having inside cylinders, and the second outside ones. The train was rather heavy. Next to the tender of the second engine were five - horse-boxes, containing cattle ; then a second-class carriage, three first-class carriages, three second class, and two trucks at the rear. The being anxious to promote the best arrange ment and promptitude in the passage of the train, pro ceeded with it ; their head locomotive superintendent, Mr. Scott, on the first engine ; Mr. Roney, the secretary, on the second, and Mr. Waddington, the deputy-chairman of the company, in a first-class car riage, accompanied by some of his co -directors. The train stopped at Lea-bridge station to take up passengers, up to which period everything worked favourably. It app' ars that here Mr. Roney joined Mr. Scott on the foremost engine, and in a few seconds the train resumed its journey. The special express speed, it seems, must at this juncture have been got up, and by the time that it had passed Edmonton station it was travelling at the rate of 43 miles an hour. That speed was satisfactorily , ascertained by Mr. Roney and Mr. Scott comparing their watches. These gentle men, we are informed, had scarcely noted the time, however, before they were considerably alarmed by a peculiar dragging movement on the engine they were on. and, on looking towards the train, saw sufficient to convince them that an accident had occurred. The train was then midway between Edmonton and Pon- der's-end station, a distance of nine aid a half miles from the metropolis. The second engine they saw had left the rails, and was tearing up the road fearfully, dragging with it the train, and almost instantaneously the steam of both engines was shut off. For the mo ment nothing short of the second engine dragging the train into a large ditch was expf cted. Such was the momentum of the foremost one, that it still held the second one, and eventually forced it on to the rails un injured, the fireman and stokers still maintaining their position. The fate of the carriage portion of the train, however, was more unfortunate. As before stated, it followed :he course of the second engine on the permanent way for about twenty five yards, when the coupling which held it snapped asunder, and as the engine retook the rails the train shot down the embankment into a ditch filled with water. The crash of the carriages was terrific, and the alarm amongst the passengers was of the most painful character: The fore most part of the train, comprising the horse-boxes, were partly buried in-the- ditch, and al-lost crushed to pieces by the weight of the carriages. The next catriage, a second-class one, containing a number of porters, who were going down to assist at the Ches terford station during the races, was thrown on its side. Such was the concussion, that every portion of it, except the side uppermost and the flooring, was knocked away, and yet not a soul inside was hurt. The second guard, George Gordon, was on the roof of the carriage, and his escape from immediate destruction is surprising, as the next carriage, a first-class one, mounted the roof. He was found amongst the fragments bleeding from the bead, and at first it was thought he was mortally injured; we can state, however, that he was so far recovered as to come up to town yesterday afternoon. The remaining carriages were more or less damaged, and the chief guard, it appears, was saved by being hurled on to the wire of the electric telegraph, and tilted over into the ditch, luckily escaping with a ducking. The officials travelling with the train promptly released the passengers, who, with the exception of the fright they had sustained, were uninjured. Conveyances were procured as soon as possible from Edmonton, and they were taken on to Pondet's-end and Waltham, where another special train was provided for them, and was more fortunate in reach ing Chesterford. The greater part of yesterday Mr. Waddington, the deputy chairman of the Company ; Mr. Kennard, one of the directors ; Mr. Roney, the secretary ; Mr. Dun can, the solicitor ; and Mr. Phipps, the engineer, were engaged in instituting an inquiry into the cause of the accident. By some it is supposed that the oscillation of the second engine caused it to rise and leave the rails, and by others that a rail at a joint had shifted and shot out after the first one had passed over and thrown the second one off. The loss to the Company will amount to between 3,0001. and 4,000/. DEMISE OF AN AGED RADICAL.—At Parkhead, in the house of his son, on the 29th ult., after a long period of ill health, which terminated in dropsy, Mr. J.ihn Allan, in the 64th year of his age. It may be said of this excellent man, that throughout the whole course of his life his_raind was de voted to his God, his country, and the human family. Reli gious, but rot fanatical—patriotic, but not visionary—and glowing with a generous wish for the emancipation of his fellow-men in every land. His sympathies, and his efforts, as far as his humble rank permitted, were uniforml3 enlisted in every righteous movement. About the end of the last century, when but a very young man, he became the un flinching advocate of civil and religious liberty. In 1815, his whole energies were directed against the enactment of the corn-laws, and the description which he then gave of the ruinous consequences of that measure was truly prophetic. Two years afterwards he appeared at Thrushgrove, and the series of splendid meetings that succeeded testify against oppression ; but his high-toned and discriminating mind saved him arid those under his influence from becoming the victims of the hired emissaries of Government. In 1819, urged on by the spirit of the age and his ardent love of jus tice, he was found among the foremost in the agitation for Parliamentary Reform. A few weeks prior to the crisis in the history of that movement, he was delegated to England to ascertain the state of public opinion there, and on his re turn be assured his constituents that they were deceived, and reiterated his former exhortations in favour of enlight ened and peaceful agitation. Unfortunately, however, his judicious counsels were not attended to, otherwise the Con vict-ship would not have lien required to convey it s poli tical victims to a penal colony, nor would th e g ibb ets o f Stirling and of Glasgow have been stained w ith th e bl oo d o f their martyrs. 1831 came, and he was again in the ranks of freedom, rejoicing in the prospect I , f his country's deliver ance, and from that time till the period of his dissolution he maintained, without a blemish, the character he had ac quired, of being an upright, uncompromising Reformer; even when he felt himself drooping to the grave, be was thankful to his Creator that he had lived to see the day when the iniquitous monopoly of the people's food was about to ronicl be e. numbered among the things that we re. —Glasgow A SOLDIER FOUND WITH HIS THROA T Li v.r LiHAT HAM, APRIL 13.—0 n Saturday afternoon,at the I C l a Ch nt i e n e s n t : , s t. Hinde, Esq., coroner , he ld an twinest Mary's Barracks, on the body of JahmeswGaarandtia,caaveprreidvabtey oaf the 2d Battalion Rifle Briga d e. intentlying in one of the private soldier o f the 40th R g i 'wot empty casemates a quantity of congealed blood. The soldier gave imm ediate alarm, When it was found on exami nation that the deceased had cut his throat with a razor, as that instrument was l y in g covered with blood about two feet from where the body lay. The, wound of the throat ex ' tended from one ear to the other, and it appeared that the deceased, after cutting h is throat, had stuffed his pocket handkerchief into the wound, as it was firmly cemented and stiffened with gore. The man had been missed from the barracks for several days; he was first found absent on the sth inst. at tat-too, and no tidings could be gleaned as to where he had gone, until the 10th inst., when a private of the 40th, wishing to exchange his tin can for a better, applied to one of the staff sergeants, and he was directed to go into the said empty casemate to change it, and in doing so he discovered the body in the position above descriaed Evidence was given that the deceased, since his return from Halifax to this depot, had been noticed by his comrades to be silly in his conversation and eccentric in his conduct. Death was caused by the loss of blood, as the cut in the throat had not divided the windpipe, or any of the principal arteries. Verdict—" Temporary insanity." The deceased liar? been 16 years in the service, was 35 years or age, and was waiting at the depot to receive his discharge. On his person was found 11. 55. 2d. He was a single man. EPIDEMIC AMONG RABBITS. The rabnit-far curs have had great losses from a disease now prevalent arcong fancy and other rabbits. WELLINGTON V. WEST. For the plaintiff were Mr. Godson and Mr. F. V. Lee ; for the defendant, Mr. Sergeant Talfourd and Mr. Francilloo. The plaintiff was a grocer, and the defendant an inn keeper, both living at Newent, between whom, in February last, an agreement was entered into to the effect that Wellington should take the Red Lion Inn for the re mainder of the term during which it was demised to the defendant, namely, until the month of June next. The stock and furniture were to be valued, a sum of money paid down, and two friends of Wellington's were to join in nutes for the balance, each party further binding themselves to forfeit 501. in case either failed to fulfil their mutual obligations. The 25th of March was appointed as the day on which possession was to be given to the plaintiff, but a few days previously West requested to be allowed to remain in a short time longer. The plaintiff raised no objection to this, only stipulating that the new arrangement should be reduced to writing, which was accordingly done, but the defendant refused to annex his signature to the document, whereby the plaintiff contended that 501. was forfeited to him. The defendant pleaded " leave and license," to which the plaintiff replied, that the execution of the second agreement was a condition antecedent to the al leged leave and license, and that, as that had l i not force been complied with, the original agreement stn . After the examination of several witnesses, The CHIEF BARON remarked that the main did not difficulty in the case seemed to be, that the plaintiff the a - pear to have had possession given to him, even after 25th of March. Mr. Sergeant TALFOURD replied, that possession had been offered and refused, whereupo n a lenghtened dis- I elusion ensued, and the case terminated by the with. THAMES. Thomas Roff, a lighterman and greengrocer, of Fre derick's-place, high-street, Bromley, was brought be fore Mr. l3roderip on re.uand, charged with kilting and slaying James Eastman Bradley, aged 20, a toll-col- lector. Mr. Sorrell, an attorney, prosecuted o❑ behalf of the father of the deceased ; Mr. Pelham defended the prisoner. The prisoner was originally remanded by the magis• trate on a charge of wilful murder. Since then an inquest has been held on the body of the deceased at the London Hospital. Great difference of opinion pre vailed among the coroner's jury, and 12 of them at last returned an open verdict, that the deceased was run over by a loaded cart and died of the injuries he re ceived, but how he was thrown under the cart there was no evidence to show. Two of the jury were for a verdict of manslaughter. Yesterday the whole case was reinvestigated at great length by the magistrate. It appeared that the de ceased was the collector at the Mile-end turnpike-gate. On the morning of Saturday, the 4th of March, at 5 minutes before 5 o'clock, the prisoner and his son, who were in a light c.irt drawn by one horse, drove through the gate. The deceased asked for the.toll or the ticket of the day. The boy called out the letter " Y," which, it appeared, was the initial of the day, commencing at 1 12 o'clock on the preceding night and ending at 12 on 1 the following night. The deceased said that would not do, and demanded a sight of the ticket, which the pri soner refused to produce. The deceased immediately rushed towards the horse's head and snatched the reins out of Hoff's hand. The prisoner struck at him, and the deceased, in stooping to avoid the blow, was knocked down by the shaft of a cart laden with vegetables aid drawn by three horses which was •proceeding in the same direction. The off-wheels passed over the de ceased and crushed him in a dreadful manner. He was raised from the ground by the prisoner and others and placed in Roll's cart and taken to the London Hospi tal, where he died on the following morning. About three hours before his death and after he had parted with his relatives, and was conscious he could not sur vive, he informed Mrs. Morrill, the nurse in attendance upon him, that Hoff passed through the gate and would not produce his ticket, and that when he asked him for it he struck him twice with the butt end of his whip, and knocked him down. The evidence was very con flicting as to the degree of violence used by the pri soner to the deceased, and Mr. Pelham endeavoured to show that Stevens, the driver of the loaded cart, was as culpable as the prisoner, and that if he had stopped his team during the altercation between the deceased and the prisoner the fatal occurrence would not have hap pened. Stevens was not sworn before the coroner's jury, but made a statement inculpating the prisoner. Yesterday he was sworn, and after being told by the magistrate that he had no occasion to answer any ques tions which might criminate himself, he stated that he followed Roff's cart through the gate. The deceased asked Hoff to show his ticket and be said he would not. The tollman then ran after the cart, caught hold of the horse's head, and was pullin , the animal towards the cart the witness was driving, when the prisoner struck him with his whip. The deceased was thrown on his back, and the wheels of the loade d cart went over him. Stevens thee stopped his team, and helped to put the deceased in toe prisoner's cart. In cross-examination by Mr. Pelham, it was elicited from the witness that there was ample room for his team to pass on the off side of the prisoner's cart without going so close to it, and that the road was a very wide one. The prisoner's son, a lad about 15 years of age, stated that his father drove through the O ld Globe- g ate on his way cei ve t d o a m c r a e r d k i e t t ti c a k t e a t. quarter c h b w e f a o s r e t h s e ol i n ' t o i a c l k r e it was also endorsed "Roff C." The ticket cleared the Mile•end-gate. It was customary for his father to re ceive a credit ticket at the Old Glo be- g ate on his way to market, and pay on his return. He was seated by his father when the deceased ran up. He called out the letter "Y," and the deceased said that would not do, at the same time pulling the reins out of his father's hands, and attempting to turn the horse's head in a contrary direction to the one his father was proceeding. His father struck at the deceased once, but did not hit him. The deceased "bobbed" his head to avoid the blew, and in rising came in contact with the shaft of the laden vegetable cart, and was knocked down and run over. The boy swore positively that his father only struck at the deceased once. Another witness, named Hunt, a porter, who was on the footpath, saw the deceased close to the wheel of the light cart, and observed the prisoner strike at him twice, which caused him to ge to the horse's head, and while there he was knocked down by the laden cart. Another witness, named Castle, was examined, but his evidence was not material. Mr. Sorrell explained, that the collector at the Old Globe-gate was there a quarter-of-an hour before his time on the morning in question, and the deceased hav ing his misgivings whether the prisoner had actually received a ticket, wished to see it. Mr. Pelham advised his client to reserve his defence. Mr. BRODERIP said he should commit the prisoner for trial for manslaughter; and, in answer to an application made by Mr. Pelham t o put in bail for the prisoner, said he must refuse it. It appeared from the evidence of Mr. Bradley, the father of the . deceased, that the prisoner had been in the habit o f striking at his son. It was the pri soner's duty to produ ce the ticket when it was demanded, and if it were not for some doubt s w h ic h h a d ar i se n out of the fact of the prisoner's having tne ticket in his po - session and calling out the right letter, it would have been most probably his duty to commit him for wilful murder. WESTMINSTER. In our impression of Monday, under this head, will be found the particulars of a case, which, from its pecu liarity, appears to have excited considerable intere)t in the public mind. Immediately after the disposal of the night charges yesterday, a sergeant major of the Grena dier Guards, accompanied by Francis Bowen, the private whose enlistment has occupied so m u ch a tt e ntion, ap peared before the magistrate. The sergeant-major having put Mr. Bond in possession of the circumstances which transpired, and which have been already detailed, said that the first enlistment of the soldier (about seven years ago), from which he had never been discharged, was perfectly legal. The private had alleged that it was otherwise, upon the ground that it had taken place on a Sunday. The authorities at the Horse Guards had been consulted on the subject, and the commanding officer had comniunicatfrd to the private some days ago that his first enlistment was perfectly valid, notwith standing which, secreting this fact and taking advantage of the order to re-enlist all those who were willing, and whose original enlistment was allowed to be defective, he again enlisted, hut on coming before the magistrate for attestation he objected, and wished to pay the smart. The difficulty in this case had - arisen from some of the authorities at the Horse Guards having neglected to make the return at the 'Wellington Barracks with refer nce to the legali.y of the private's first enlistment. Mr. Boisn wished to know the object of their appli cation to him, as if the first enlistment was legal, there could be no doubt the man was a soldier. The second enlistment was perfectly useless. The sergeant-major said that be had attended with the private on his own application, he having expressed a wish to his officers to be brought before the magis- trate. Mr. BOND wished to know when the sergeant-major became acquainted with the fact, that the original en listment was valid? The sergeant major replied that it was not until after he had left that court on Thursday. Had he, or the adjutant at the Wellington Barracks, been aware of the fact, of course tr.e soldier would not have been re-enlisted. The soldier wanted to know why he had been brought to that court to be attested, if he was considered a sol dier. The Magistrate had told him on that occasion of his regiment, that he was not. . Mr. BOND said it was easily enough accounted for, as it was considered at that time that he had been illegally On the soldier's attested on the first occasion, and it was, therefore, pre sumed at the time of his appearance at that court that he was a . - c iv ili an. He (Mr. Bond) was confident that the f pr i vate was perfectly safe in the hands of the officers justice,.and who would not insist upon his remaining in whose desire was to afford him every the regiment unless they thought he had a right so to do. onSaturday application the smart which he paid for the second enlistment was returned to him, al!d he then left with the sergeant - major to join his regiment. which w HAMMERSMITH. g assaulted a girl named Mary Ana Meades, only Thomas L ee h ay i n , a man 75 years of age, was charged with the children, saw ninelt years " age, with intent, &c. appeared from the evidence gone into that the pri soner was a Pauper inmate of the workhouse of the parish of Kensington, where he acted as gardener, of evening ledged that th e of Thursday last, just before dusk, a woman, workhouse the girl was also an inmate. On the named Mary E. Watson one of the nurses attending the garden, and watched him take her in the direction of the tool house, and her suspicions having been pre viously excited, she called the girl back, and questioned the rfsoner call the girl Meades into her as to the prisoner's object, when the girl acknow tempted her violation, which act Watson sub-equently last time haring ,communicated to Mr. Blackwell, the master of the work prisoner had, on several occasions at "llse, who caused the prisoner to be taken into custody. The girl Meades, after having been questioned by the magistrate as to her knowledge of the obligations of an oath, and answered satisfactorily, was sworn, and de posed to the prisoner having made three attempts, the taking her aga i n i nto the gar d e n. Mr. Gu azzaron i , the surgeon to the workhouse, de - II posed to having been just before t he nurse saw him examined the girl Meades, and the re sult of the examination was confirmatory of her state- LATEST PRICES OF SHARES. 11 BANKS, ASSURANCE, AND OTHER COM PANIES' STOCK. From tle Official List, PUBLISHED EVERY TUEF,DAY AND FRIDAY EVENING LONDON, TUESDAY, APRIL 14, JOINT-STOCIL BANKS. Dividend Amount • Name of Company. per of Paid. Price T Annum. Share. t - - -- --.--- ..___ .£ s. d. X s. d. t Australasia •••• • • - - 61. per cent. 40 0 0 40 0 0 25% I Brash North American 5/. per cent. 50 0 0 50 0 0 44% I Commercial of London Si. per cent. 100 0 0 20 0 0 22% Colonial. Londn and Westminstr [ Gt. per cent. 10 0 0 0 20 0 0 : 6 % L o ndon Joint-Stock .• • I ,' 61. per cent. 50 0010 0 0 14 Metropolitan ••.•• • • • • - 25 0 0 710 0 1 Provincial of Ireland• • 8/. per cent. 100 0 0 25 0 0 48 1 A , Ditto, New. •••• • . • . 5 /. per cent. 10 0 0 10 0 0 17% . National of Ireland -5/. per cent. 50 0 0 20 0 0 18 Nat. l'rovncial of Eng. Si. per cent. 100 0 0 35 0 8 35% Ditto, New.• •• • .... 51. per cent. 20 0 0 10 0 0 Union of Australia- -6/. per cent. 25 0 0 25 0 0 25 Union of London..• • • 5!. per cent. ,50 0 0 10 0 0 12 INSURANCE COMPANIES. Dividend Amount Name of Company. per of Paid. Price Annum. Share. ---- -- ---- - £ s. d. X s. d. Albion .. •••. • • • ..... 3/. 105 500 0 0 50 0 0 74 klliance Brit. and For. 6 per cent. 100 0 0 11 0 0 19 Ditto Marine.. ••• .. 6/. per cent, 100 0 0 50 0 6% Atlas 138.6 d. pr sh. 50 0 0 5 0 0 16% British Commercial .. 7s. per share 50 0 0 50 0 7% Clericl,Med.&Gen.Life 51. per cent. 100 0 0 210 0 6 3 ,4 '2ounty .. •••••• • • • • • • 31. 100 0 0 10 0 0 i3rown .• •••••• • • • • • • 10s. 50 0 0 5 0 0 - Eagle ••• • • • ...... •• • • 6s. 50 0 0 ir 0 0 5% Economic Life. •• 30 5 pe s.bs. ct.,} 1000 0 0 250 0 0 Eng. & Scot. Law ••• • •• 5/. per cent. 50 0 0 20 0 2% Europeao Life ••• • • • 5% per cent. 20 0 0 All paid. 20 Freemasons' Globe .• .• ••••• - •• -6/. per cent. Stock. - 138 Guardian .. •••••• • • • • 51. per cent. 100 0 0 36 10 0 49 imperial Fire •••• • • • • 6/. and bonus 500 0 0 50 0 e '240 Imperial Life •••• • • • • 12a. 100 0010 0 0 17 Indemnity Marine• •• • I/. sh. & be. 100 0 0 513 1 29 Law Life. • Legal and General Life - 50 0 0 20 0 6% London Fire .. ••• • • • 10s. 25 0 0 12 10 0 15% London Ship •.••• • • • 10s. 25 0 0 12 10 0 15% Marine.. ••• • • Sled. Invlid&Gen.Life 4%1. per ct . 50 0 0 20 0 3 National Lean Fund . si. per cent. 20 0 0 210 0 2% National Life• •••• • .• • 81. per cent. 100 0 0 5 0 0 9% Palladium Life • ..... .. 51. per cent. 50 0 0 2 0 0 2/. 2s. Phcenix •• • - 205. Protector'Life : .7 - .:-. a. per Cent. 20 0 0 ' 1 .- 0 0 It. 4s. Provident Life •• Rock Life• •••••• • • • • • 4s. 5 0 0 010 0 4% Royal Exchange Si. per cent. Stock. - 180 Sun Fire • • • • .• • • • .• - - 210 Ditto Life .• • • • • • - - 49 Universal Life DOCKS. Dividend [ Amount Name of Company. per i of Paid. Price. Annum. [ Share. I ---- s. d. £ s. d. , Commercial •• •• ....• 3/. per cent. : Stock. - 78 East and West India ...I 61. pr cent. I Stock. - 140 - East Country •• . 1 I/. per sh. [ lOO 0 0 - 21 L mdon - 115 % i St Katharine ••-• • • • 5 per cent. I Stock. - 104% ... Southampton ••••• • • • [ 4/. per cent. '5O 0 0 50 0 0 30 LIST OF SCOTTISH COMPANIES' PRICES Dividend Amount Name of Company. per of Paid. Price Annum. Share. ---------- £ 8. d. £ s. d Bank of Scotland • • ••• 61. per cent. 100 0 0 165 Royal Bank of Scotland 61. per cent. 100 0 0 157% British Linen Company 81. per cent. 100 0 0 224 Commercial Bank •• • • 61. per cent. 100 0 0 161 National Bank 6l. per cent. 10 0 0 14% Union Bank of Scotland 7% 1. pr cent. 50 0 0 92 Western Bank...• • North of Scotland Bank 61. per cent. 5 0 0 714 Clydesdale Bank .•• • • • 6/. per cent. 10 0 0 13.y 4 . Eastern Bank •••• •• • • 5/. per cent. 10 0 0 11 Caledonian Bank ••.• • 7%1. pr cent. 2 10 0 4% Edinb.& Glasgow Bank 6/. per cert. 5 0 0 6h .2ity of Glasgow Bank . 51. per cent. 10 0 0 13 Scottish Union Ins. Co. 51. per cent. 20 0 0 1 0 0 245. Hercules Insurance Co. 71. per cent. 100 0 0 10 0 0 14% Insur. Co. of Scotlnd.• Si. per cent. 10 0 0 All paid. 9 1 / 24 North ltrit!sh Insur. 5% 1. pr cent. 200 0 0 10 0 0 28 Caledonian Fire Insur. 101. per cent. 100 0 0 10 0 0 24 Edinburgh Life Insur. 61. per cent. 100 0 0 12 10 0 18% Edin.&Glasg. Railway I /.10s. perc. 50 0 0 50 0 0 72 Ditto, 1 4 Shares. • 7s. 6d. p. s. 12 10 0 All paid. 17% Edin., Leith, & Grantn 20 0 0 20 0 0 16 ;lasgw & Ayrshir Rail. 5/. per cent. 50 0 0 All paid. 70% Glasgw &Greenck Rail. 2/. per cent. 25 0 0 All paid. 19 Glsgw &Garnkirk Rail. 51. per cent. 25 0 0 All paid. 4010 Dundee& Arbroth Rail. 61. per cent. 25 0 0 All paid. 39 Standard LiteAsswnice.ls/ per cent. 150 0 0 1 2 10 0 9 Name of Company. WATER-NVOXLIES Dividend 1 Amount per 1 of Alinum. Share. £ s, 100 0 East London.... •• •• • • Grand Junction ...... 3L 103. tient ................ 2/. 10s. 41 13 100 0 Vauxhall ............ 51. per cent. 1100 0 0 West Middlesex .. •• • . 51.55. pr en!. I ‘ , 1:1 12 9 Names of emaiimMes. (Dividend . ArMm. Namos of Companies. Monmouthsh Mntgomrysh Macclesfield . Heath . . Nottingham Peak Forest . Regent's • • • • Rochdale ..• • t Shropshire • • ' Somrset Coal Do.Lk Fd St Stffrd & Worc Shrewsbury Stourbridge I Strt frd on A v [Severn and 1 Wye Rail. Trnt & Mr-1 sey, IA sh. Thorns &Med rorcstr & 1 Birming. j Wilts & lltits 1401 100 1 1001 100 1 150 Ashtnk Oldh 97 51.55. p Ashby-d-la-Z 1131 41. Barnsley.. —ll6Ol 121. Basingstoke.. l lool lirknk&Abrg , 1501 5/. Cromford .. • . 100 , 141. Dudley .• • ... 100 41. Derby • • 100 61. Ellsmre&Chs 133', 41. Erewash •.. 100 321. Forth & Clydloo 4/. GrandJ unetn 100 71. Grand Union'loo 11. 10s. Glainorgnsh .• 172 13%1. Gist!' & Brkly 00 Grantham • • :150 . 121. Huddersfield. 57 Kenut & Aviv 39 7s. 6d. Lancaster .• . 1 47 11. IN. Leeds& Liyrp 100 341. Leicester ....,140 101. Leicstr &Nth, 83 41. Loughborogh,l42 701. MARKET NE WS CANALS. Dividend per Annum. 71. 10s. 6/. p. c. 281. 161. 201. 11. 10s. 11. 83. (YESTERDAY.) 11.&ir MAILUNinTs. 31 3s to 418 s; Clow'. ditto, 1! 12s to 1/ 14s; Wheat ; M i r N s v tr H aw ay , , Straw, 1/ 145 to 11 16s per load. Supply but moderate, and 4/ S irs Ii to PI L LD I . 67 trade dull. CUMBERLAND.—Meadow Hay, 31 65 to 41 105 ; Clover ditto, 4/ 5s to 1/ iris ; Oat Straw, 1/ 12s to 1/ 143 ; Wheat Straw, 11145 to 1/ 16s per load. A fair average supply, and a sluggish demand. WlirrEcisArEL.—Meadow Hay, 3135 to 418 s ; Clover ditto, 4/ 8a to 61; Oat Straw, 1/ 12s to 1/ 14s ; Wheat Straw, 1/ 14e to 1/ 16s per load. Trade steady, at the above quotations. (From the London New Price Current of April 14.) SUGAR.—Prices have suffered no further depression, the market having been less freel y supplied, but the trade have been cautious in their proceedings. and large parcels of Bag Sugar are announc ed for public compe tition. The importers of East India and Mauritius are taining but small profits. West India has been taken with much caution by refiners and grocers, but merchants have succeeded in getting former rates, although only 400 hhds, &c, were sold on Wednesday an d Thursday, including 61 hhds 12 tres and 64 brls of Berbice at auction. The market has been closed since Thursday, and will con tinue so until to-morrow. The stock is much less than it was last year, especially of the better sorts of yellow and grey. REFINED.—In the value of Refined Sugar little varia tion has taken place since this day week, but the home trade have been cautious in their proceedings, and the market is well supplied with goods, as the refiners con tinue to work freely, although they are obtaining but small profits. Stocks in the grocers' hands, however, being light, the consumption larpe, and prices under those of last year, an improvement in the demand may be exrected to take place quickly, especially as Refined is cheap in comparison with Raw Sugar. M.searrius.—Prices have suffered no further depres sion, but there has been only a li m i te d b usiness trans . acted privatelyin Grocery nr Refining kinds, although they are cheaper than other ho me t rade kinds of Sugar. 0 . f 2,000 bags 1,070 casks a n d 21 hhd s offered at auc tion, a part only found purchasers upon former terms. The stock is still less than it was last year, although there are further arrivals. The supply yet consists chiefly of the better kinds of grey and yellow—of low and brown it is small. EAST INDIA.—The market having been less freely supplied with Bengal Sugar, prices have suffered no further depression. White Benares has been in good request by private treaty, low to middling at 39s to 51s 6d, and good to fine 52s to 555. Dobah several parcels have been taken at 3/ts s t o O o f f 42 b s ro f w o n r low to fine Khaur, and the private s e a w e t. Although amount to 3,000 bags, at 48s to 59socpker is deficient to that there are further arrivals, still t e h r e st brown only bringing but not at better prices, There has been privately, of last year. Of Madras sev . , al yellow 41s 6d to 48s. . parcels have been sold 38s to 415 6d, and rates are not to be obtained, privately, and ev. operate in Foreign East India last year. little desire evinced pr although the stock i auction since this day week, has been offered at None , previous rates less than it was b • FOREIGN.-- ro-day an exteeSive business wastrans acted were not allowed to transpire. in yellow Havannah Sugar privately d at 2 . os, but the exact particulars ConrEE.—The better qualities of West India are wanted, that is to say, the sorts worth above 86s, and the parcels disposed of privately were at fully late rates; the supply is, however, still far from ample for the de mand ; the inferior sorts have been sparingly dealt in, but at present cannot be obtained upon lower terms, as the supply is small. None has been submitted to public coin • petition since this day week, but the market will be better supplied shortly, two vessels having arrived from Jamaica laden with Coffee of the new crop, consisting of 879 casks and 499 barrels and bags. The stock is still less than it was last year, but. prices are rather higher. The deliveries however are still small, and which is to be ascribed to the cheapness of other home trade sorts, and tho assort ment at market being superior to that of West India. In the value of East India we have little varia tion to record since the issuing of our last Price Current; the market having been scantily supplied with home trade and shipping sort s ; the (imam, however, does not increase, cheap as all sprig are, inde e d they are under the cost of importation. Stocks are. not heavy; whereas the consumption is large, and prices under those of former years. There are sellers of Mocha even rather under former rates ; still the trade have evinced little desire to operate ; although prices are low, the consumption on the increase, and the stock con siderably deficient:to that of last y ear , Pew purchases have been made by private treaty ; and of 160 bales offered at anctica, a small part only sold. Plantation Ceylon is wanted, and the rates offered are fully equal to those that previ,m•ly existed, but the sup ply is small, and insufficient or the wants of the trade. 2: ative, however, has been purchased with caution, al though good ordinary can be obtained at 45s to 46s per C cwt. None of any sort has been offered at auction si our last. The deliveries are yet exceeding those of last year, and Ceylon is the cheapest sort of Coffee adapted for home consumption. TEA.— There has been more inclination to operate in Black and Green Tea during the last few days ; still no improvement in the value has taken place. Further parcels have arrived, and for public competition to-mor row 20,000 packages are declared. Of Cengou several parcels have been disposed of, but upon former low terms, 71c1 to 8d being taken for common unsound, Bid to 9d for ordinary sound, and 9d to 10d for good com mon. Twankay has been in fair request, and the rates paid differ from those previously current ; low and fair yellow leaf is to is 2d. Of Hyson several have been taken but holders are compelled to accept is lld to 2s Id per lb. for comnr.n. Other sorts of Green can be obtained at low rates; still there has not been a large business transacted: at public sale of 7,551 packages offered, 1,050 were sold, and these chiefly consisted of Pouchongs and out of condltion Congous—Peuchong, good, 10P, mid 44d to 51d; Imperial, is 8d to 2s 3d; Hyson, 2s Old to 2s 3d; Young Hysnn, 2s 44 , 1; Gunpowder, but mid ra str, 3,41 d; and Twankay, mid fr and str, is 7d per lb. SPlCES.—Although prices rule low for black Pepper, etill exporters and the home trade have operated with caution privately; the value of Malabar is 2,id to 31d, Sumatra, 21:1 to 2id, and Penang 20, to 2,1 d per lb At public sale 200 bags and 297 packets of Malabar were sold shot at 3d to half heavy 24d to 2i-d, sea damaged first class 2id to 2P, second and third class 2id to 2P, sea damaged and repacked 24d to 21d, per lb. Ar rivals are upon a more extend( d scale, yet the stock is much less than it was last year. Prices do not improve for white, but several parcels have been disposed of privately at 3d to 5d per lb. Nutmegs are little wanted, and there are sellers privately upon rather lower terms ; the stock being on the increase. Mace has been in fair demand at firm rates. Although Ginger can be obtained at the considerable decline that took place in the value on this day week, still little busines has been transacted privately in any kind. Pimento is held with firmness and several parcels have been taken privately at 30 to 31d per lb. Cassia Lignea has been sparingly dealt in at 50s to 575, and good to fine at 58s to 63s per cwt. In Cinnamon there has been little passing, but lower rates are not taken for any kind. Some parcels of late have been sent direct from Ceylon to Spain. Cloves are heavy of disposal. SPIRITS.—To-day Leeward Island Rum was sought after, and buyers were compelled to pay Is lOid to is Ild per gallon proof strength. Jamaica is wanted, and 100 puns of plain quality, 33 per cent over proof, were sold at 3s 2d. Calcutta is sought after, and it was diffi cult to purchase proof strength with certificate under is 9d per gallon. lticE.—To-day lower rates were taken for Bengal Rice, for 1,000 bags of good middling white 12s per cwt being accepted by private treaty. INDIGO.—The quarterly sale of East India commenced to-day, and consisted of 12,978 chests ; before the be ginning and during the progress of the sale, 757 chests were withdrawn. 768 chests have passed the sale. SALTPETRE.—There has been a good desire evinced to purchase Rough, and the supply at market continuing to be small, buyers have been compelled to pay rather higher rates. OlLS.—There has been a brisk demand for Cod Oil since this day week, holders have shown firmness. In Seal there has been a good business transacted, but at present no advance has taken place in the value. South ern has been in increased request, and a further adv ance in prices has taken place. Sperm is not offered upon lower terms, but there has been only a limited business transacted. For Linseed Oil rather lower rates have been taken, although the supply does not increase. For forward delivery many contracts have been entered into, and 25s 6d to 26s paid, according to the period. Rape Seed Oil has been in excellent request, and prices have slightly improved. In Olive several purchases have been made, and the stock continuing to be light, holders evinced firmness. For Palm further reduced rates having been taken, tempted the trade to operate with more freedom ; several parcels have been disposed of. Cocoa Nut has been sought after, but there is still little in the market ; Americ,,n Lard Oil is neglected, and can be obtained upon easier terms. TALeow.—Russian has been in good request on the spot, and the stock being light, holders evince firmness, and obtain 42s 3d to 42s 6d for fine Petersburg yellow Candle, 42s for second sort, and 41s 3d to 41s 6d per cwt from Odessa. For cl , livery in the last three months of the year, there has been a larger business transacted, and 42s 6d to 42s 9d per cwt are the rates given, duty paid, for fine Petersburgh yellow Candle. Town Tallow is plentiful, but the quality inferior, and 41s to 4ls 6d per cwt are the rates taken, nett cash. The accounts come to hand from St. Petersburgh state that the supply of Tallow for this sea son was not likely to exceed 100,000 casks. Prices were firm, and equal to 42s 9d per cwt for yellow Candle of first quality laid down here. 18% 72 17 16 7(N 19 40% Price, BRIGHTON, APRIL 13.—Lord Francis Egerton an d family embarked at the pier, on Saterday, on board the steamer Magnet for Dieppe, en route for Paris. ACCIDENT AT KING'S COLLEGE.—Since the commence ment of the holidays, the above establishment has been undergoing considerable repairs, under the auspices of Messrs. Grissel and Peto, the builders. On Monday morning two workmen who had raised some scaffolding in one of the lofty rooms upon the first floor, for the purpose cf repairing the ceiling, were pursuing their avocations, when the scaf folding suddenly gave way, and they fell with it on to the floor. On being raised, they appeared insensible, and were at once conveyed to the hospital belonging to the College, where it was discovered that one of them had escaped with a few slight cuts and bruises, but that the other, a man named John Shannon, was so much injured in the vertebrae of the back and other parts of his body, as at present to render his ultimate recovery extremely doubtful. SUICIDE OF A COW.—THE DEATH LEAP.---A fine cow, the property of Mr. Turner, of Fleetwood, was lost en Wednesday night last from on board the Princess Alice, on her return passage from Belfast to the above port. Having been neglected to be tied up, she became, from the motion of the vessel, somewhat obstreporous, and not relishing the pe culiar style in which "Jack" was endeavouring to teach her manners, with the end of a rope, expressed her indigna tion at " coercive measures" by clearing the bulwarks. The captain refused to stop the vessel at the alarm of "cow over board," and poor cushe, thus abandoned, "met with a watery rave."—Preston paper. _ _ _ Price. NARROW ESCAPE.—About ten o'clock on Monday morning, as the Hampton Court steam-boat Locomotive was leaving the Old Shades Pier with several passengers on board, a small boat, which was crossing the river from Dyers' Hall Pier to the Surrey side, with three men in her, was unable, in consequence of the number of Greenwich and Woolwich steam boats which crowded the river, to get out of the way. The captain, after calling several times to the men, stopped and backed the steam-boat, but it was too late: to prevent the Locomotive from capsizing the small one,. and precipitating the three men into the river. The boat . . immediately sunk, and the men sprang to the side of the steam-boat to get on board, but in this they f.dled. One of the crew leaped iato the water, and succeeded in rescuing one man ; the other two were picked up by the men ota beard the steamer. CAMBRIDGE, BOROUGH SEssrorts.---These sessicat were held on Monday last before Henry Storks, Esq., the Recorder of the borough. The Recorder, in his address to the grand jury said he had been constantly in the habit of awakening them to the duty of a vigilant superintendence over the moral character of their dependents. He, however, with such a calendar, did not see the necessity fe,r it on this occasion. From facts furnished to him by' 'Mr. Edis, the very vigilant and exemplary keeper of the ge o/, he was happy to say that the number of prisoners in his custody showed a decrease between this and the corresponding quarter 3f last year, in the proportion of 31 to 20, and on the year a diminution of from 75 to 49. This probably was owing to an increase of empleyment, and it might be that the morals of the poorer classes were improved. Education was spreading, and it was cheering to look forward to a time when with respect to public morals there would be a happier state of things. There were three appeals entered by per sons named James Hawkins, William Green, and William Butter, against convictions of them by the present Mayor and Mr. Alderman Bishop under the Vagrant Act, as " sus pected persons." EARTHQUAKE IN NORWAY.—Three violent shocks or earthquake were felt at Nannstad, near Christiana, on the night of the 14th ult. Each shock lasted three seconds, and was accompanied by a loud rumbling noise; the direction of the shocks was N.N.W. to S.S.E. The intervals between the shocks were not more than two seconds. Five houses were entirely destroyed at Ninnstad, and many others much injured. There had been several preceding shocks of earth quakes in various parts of Norway, but none comparable in. point either of duration or violence to the last.— Chriatianaz Journal. [ A DVERTISEMENT] —Holloway's Ointment and Pill's, received e eied producing recent i l m y m fr e o n m se ju se r n . sa F t r i e n e n e 4 r L k th :vv e : B ill a i h a ga o l f sl .N an4s. u.Astkattteeszr know of many here that have tried Holloway's Ointment and Pills, and who have derived the greatest benefit from their use. One case i n particular, a lady, whose foot was in such a dreadful state that, to save her 'ife, amputation was deemed necessary, and yet she regained the complete use of her limi by these celebrated medicines." t r he i i i r ol a l pp:ica , tio E n. Sold u by al2 icwiinells,ranellyat heal by Any wound, sore, ulcer, abscess, or bad leg, eve n if of t wen ty. oway s sta shmunli. 244, Strand, London. dealersye a a' standing, BIRTHS, On the 7th inst., a t Omega.terrace, Regent's-park, Mrs. Dyer, of a son. On the 2d ult., at Port-au-Prince, Hayti, the lady of John Newman Tweedy, Esq., of a daughter. On the 4th inst., the lady of John Penkivil, surgeon, Wad — burst, Sussex, of a son. On the sth inst., at Guy Harlings, Chelmsford, the ladj of Dr. Badeley, of a daughter. On the 6th inst., at Leicester-place, the wife of James. Nichols, Esq., of a son. On the 6th inst., in Albion-street, Hyde -park, the wife, of the Rev. M. D. French, of a daughter. On the 7th inst., at Union-place, City-road, Mrs. Henry Pawle Ree, of a son. MARRIED. On the 9th inst., at Chesham, William N. Walker, Esq. surgeon, of Crich, Deyshire, to Emma Marthaieungest daughter of Francis Pelh rb itt, Esq., of Thorne House, l hamshire. On the 9th inst., at Brading Church, Isle of Wight, Charlk),s Meeres, of Islington, Esq., to Clara, eldest daughter the. late of Cholwell ilkins, Esq., of Newport. DIED. On the Bth inst., at Clifton, after receiving all the conso lations of religion, as prescribed by the Catholic Church, Charles Knight, Esq., of Cannington, Somersetshire, aged 63. On the 24th of December, at sea, on board the Minerva. Captain T. E. Geils, Madras Artillery. On the 7th of March, at Barbadoes, Mr. James Wedder burn Simnson, aged 37. On the 10th ult., at Barnsbury-terrace, Islington, Harriet Entices, wife of Captain J. C. Hillman, aged 29. On the 6th inst., Isabella Rose Breach. On the 7th inst., at the Parsonage, Merton, Surrey, MOP the widow of the late Essex Henry Bond, Esq. On the 7th inst., at Shrewsbury, Rice Wynne, Esq. On the Bth inst., at Homerton, Mrs. Augusta Whitling, re lict of the late Mr. John Whiffing, aged 72. On the Bth inst., at Haywood Lodge, Cobham, Surrey, G' F. C. Ammerschuber, Esq. On the 9th inst., Mary Jane, youngest daughter of Charle G. Joues, Esq., of Gray's Inn. London: Printed and Published by iIeCIIDO TOIrNO, of No. 112 Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, No, 112, Strand, in the Preciv c i i of the Savoy, in the County of Middlesex, WedneedaY, Ap r 15. 1846. Price. IL Ss.