The Sun. — London, England, 1846-09-17 00:00:00

-.0 0 5 S HERIFFS' COORT.-(THIS DAY.) (Before Mr. Under-Sheriff DURCHELL.) LEHARGE V. HART. LIABILITY OF SURETIES TO LOAN SOCIETIES.—This l 'aa an action to recover the sum of 171. 7s. 4d., for money paid for and on account of the defendant. Tuoma.s stated the case. The plaintiff and de /cadent were both sureties, with three other persons. to , lean coTpany for a sum of 721., and actions were brought against them, and the plaintiff paid the debt and c °'ts, and now sued the defendant for his contribution. Mr. Webster, the manager of the loan-office, was c alled, and proved that the money had been advanced to a person named llolroyd, and plaintiff had been sued for it by Mr. Thomas Bevan Jones, who was the only person haavancing te one. The money was paid to him by s solicitor, h Mr. m She y pherd. A receipt, signed by Mr. Shepherd, was then put in. The UNDER-SHERIFF said that the mere production ;If a receipt was not evidence of a payment. It might h ave been paid by some other person than the plaintiff. Mr. THOMAS said that Mr. Shepherd was not in at- ' tendance. The UNDER-SHERIFF said that there being no evi dence of the payment by plaintiff. he must he non-suited. Mr. TucomAs said he would withdraw the record. The UNDER-SHERIFF said that could not be done after tbejury was sworn, except by consent. Mr. THOMAS then desired that Mr. Shepherd should be called on his subpoena, which was done in this and the Counsel case, against another of the directors, the Learned voansel contending that he was entitled to call his wit ness before the j u ry was sworn, and to withdraw the r ecord. The plaintiff was non-suited in the first case, and the record withdrawn in the next. Mr. THOMAS applied to have the writ retained, as he had not consented to the non-suit, but it was by the direction of the Court. The UNDER-SHERIFF said that he entertained no doubt Of the non-suit being correct. The Learned Counsel might apply to a judge at Chambers. CLARKE V. ELLIS. This was an action to recover the sum* of 5/. 17s. 9d. The defendant pleaded that he was not indebted. The facts of the case were these :—The plaintiff is a taitailor, and the defendant formerly carried on business his broth e r as a woollen-draper, in Lawrence-lane, Uity. For the plaintiff, it was sworn, that the goods, consisting *rm. of articles of dress, were supplied to the Mr. Stammer, for the defendant, contended that this `• ° 4l d not have b e en the case, and called John Walker the defendant's brother, who swore that he had a Private account with plaintiff, and the goods were sup- Plied in reduction of a debt due to him, and his brother 4 ought a coat, &c., of him. The witness had become b ankrupt after the dissolution of partnership. The Plaintiff refused to produce his ledger to show to Whom he had given credit. The jury immediately gave a verdict for the de fendant. 4 1IRREY SESSIONS.-(THIS DAY (Before Thomas PUCKLE, Esq.) SINGULARCASE.—WiIIiam Braliam, a respectable 'Poking youth, about fifteen years of age, was indicted lefrr feloniously stealing a velvet cap from the shop of 'ar• Grove, outfitter, New-cut, Lambeth. William Edward Grove, son to the prosecutor, said th at about ei g ht o ' c lo c k on the evening of Saturday, the 26 th of August last, the prisoner entered the shop, and re quested to look at some caps. Witness opened the r awer in which the caps were deposited, and showed him Zeyeral. The prisoner declined purchasing, and requested 4111 1 to bring a blouse for his companion, which they Purchased and left the shop. He instantly perceived „.at the prisoner had stolen a velvet cap and left his old 171 3 in the drawer among the new ones. He ran after thatand brought him back, when he asked him whether was his cap which he then wore? The prisoner eplied‘, No, it is a mistake, I have left mine behind." ' l nesa then called a policeman and gave him into eu st° t l Y. When in the shop the prisoner said that his t ll l 3 Was similar to the one be had on his head, and offered 0 Purchase it. he Baker, shopman to the prosecutor, said that ;7 s howed the prisoner several caps on the evening in question, one of which was a velvet one, for which he 14,„ -e ' him two shillings and sixpence, and at the same 1 ,, i - "e placed it on his head. The prisoner refused to dent any more than one shilling and sixpence for it, and to another part of the shop where the blouses were Of.. Witness went to him again and told him he could ' h ave it for one shilling and ninepence, the lowest price. 4, 11 ° prisoner refused to give more than he offered. He the e nothing more of him until he was brought back to th e shop with the cap in his possession. When he put Le velvet cap on the prisoner's head he had his old one %his hand. Thomas George Painter—Saw the prisoner enter the °P on. the evening in question, and proceed to the cap r awer, Af ter a f ew min utes he saw him pitch his own ~ i: t e P r into the drawers, and place the new velvet one on bead and proceed to the other part of the shop , there the blouses are kept, and having purchased one ale left the shop with his companion. Witness went after VII and asked him if the cap on his head was his own. 4eQuswered in theaffirmative; but, afterlooking at it, he Lelaimed it was a m i sta k e ,—th e ca p did not belong to t h ill at • lie then t o ld t l se p r i sone r that he had been at ah oi jarao before on the Saturday previous, and he t ime give him into custody. Three months that tim e h: 41 7 stole a cap and a velvet waistcoat : at that Mr, c n'Y Purchased a common blouse. behalf o f -111 ' 1 °cX addressed the jury at some length on to the prisoner, and contended that the cap was "n away ',r a dby mistake. He was the son of a respectable ih "Man, and at the time he went into prosecutor's . 1 , -. I O P was possessed of money to make the purchase. 0 . " 6 Learned Counsel called the prisoner's mother, who the witness Painter's statement, 45 - 1 '• Vincent, the news - agent of the Blackfriars-road, .. ii.ze prisoner an excellent character for honesty, wing entrusted him to cullect large sums of money tr Oat his .customers. The CHA.I.amAN minutely went through the whole of 3 "e eviden ce ,. and after half-an-hour's deliberation the 41 7 returned a verdict of Not Guilty. GUILD HALL.—(THIS DAY.) native of Baden, named Vincent Anselin, who stated Zat he was a tailor, and had until lately been employed 7, journey man in several respectable houses in the City, tias brought up, on a remand, before Mr. Alderman ktr nilter, on a charge of creating a disturbance in the b• t f'et, and outrageously assaulting several children, by tentl lag and kicking them. He has been now in confine toh in the Compter more than a fortnight, where his vi," l "et towards the other prisoners has been exceedingly 4 - ,.. e nt, and it was the opinion of the medical officers that . / 7 1 , 8 :s not of sound mind. Z i ' a uts day, Mr. Simpson, the Consul of the Duchy of an, attended for the second time before the worthy Ap t i er raan, and stated that he w ould be assisted b y a t o l l ,' e tY for relieving foreigners in distress , in for wardin g kPrienner to his own country. t o r• Alderman HUNTER said that he was quite ready k n e ontribute towards the expense of placing the unfor 4te man under the care of his own friends. i th e prisoner, however, sturdily refused to go home. ti t i, S aid he wanted nothing but to go to an hospital and k i :"Physic ; and, after he had indu l g ed in much L 1 •4 g and incoherent statements in mixed Eng l is h -- er m an, 4' .he Magistrate and Mr. Simpson having conferred, it 4: 4 Oetermined to remand him to the Compter for a fe w t o P , enti; inquiries could be made and matters arranged sendin g to his own country and friends. e LERKEN WELL—(THIS DAY.) 4 respectable looking young man, named Charles 7 , 4 1 4 )4'", was charged with having defrauded his employer, th `• Joseph Vintney, a butcher, carrying on business in e , Gray' s I nn - r oad, under the following circumstances: t o 4t appeared that the prisoner was occasionally ordered to taers Procure payment of bills` account immediately his master'son his cus oturn, for which he was s e , home. The prisoner having left Mr. Vintney's the latter applied to a customer, named Dawson, 0: Payment of 11. 75., which he found had been p aid to prisoner early in April. There were also two other b. 1 ,..,t 1 a, which Mr. Dawson deposed to having paid t he ‘'isoner, but for none of those three had be accounted. f Inspector Penny handed to M r . G reenwoo d a letter i f alizd upon the prisoner at the station-hou se , w hich the illagistrate said was written with the view of endeavour gjo prevent Mr. Vintney from prosecuting. The prisoner, in his defence, said he had lost the b e °, 4 eY, and postponed telling his master in the hope of able to raise enough to replace it. 0 1 ' 11 e Inspector having stated that there was another t 4t l t go preferred against the prisoner, of having ob c4ed a quantity of biscuits in his master's name with- Ai ll ny authority, -n r. GREENWOOD ordered the case to be remanded to ant Tuesday. MARYLEBONE.—(THIS DAY.) ' B enjamin Th orne was charged with stealing sixpence 44d a farthing from a little boy, six years of age, ~ a mesi William Spellen. Ryan, a dentist, observed prisoner speaking kati teur or five boys about half-past seven this morning, at last noticed him to take up the little boy above kt it i .T e d, and carry him from Ernest-street to Edward and while so carrying him he saw him place his in the little boy's pocket, and informed a police qn of the fact. t eeorg e El s l e y observed the prisoner put a piece of Ri: e r in his pocket, on which he recommended him to up the money, when he took the sixpence from t he h • ri ,t)eltet a n d a f ar thing from his waistcoat and put ti i ‘ - e l e into his hand, without saying a word. Witness save the money to the policeman. bal e , 213 S, confirmed last witness's evidence. rob bed, ,Spellen, mother of the little boy that was ueed, s t at ed that she gave him 6d. this morning to buy o i e lle br ea d i n tanhope-street, and heard about eight fat th e c hild was at the station-house. Knew also ?T il lie had a farthiog• eff e prisoner in his defence said he picked the money 4 11 re ground, a nd that he was a pot-boy out of place. y et • RAwLINsoN said o.Lat though the sum was small, ,t,he offence was aggraxated, and he should commit -4% Dar trial . Ik e °°ert Tring and Albert Dowse were charged by po -111 133 aa 79 S with creating a disturbance, and with try ate get up a fight, about half-past eight o'clock last In North-street, Highgate. the e policeman stated that the prisoner Dowse was in hattitude" of fighting when he interfered. ZA.Vi'LINSON—What do you mean? Policeman— I I oftring up (suiting the word to the action), and said 1.4 9 12 ne on, " your Worship. ta t i -4 !. RANLINsoN (much amused)—You need not tell 40 come 0/L.—Discharged. t et 4 ) , R -. A VESIND AND ROCIrESTER RAILWAY.—Traffio Zills for the week ending Sept. 12th:—Fassengers, " 4 ; amount receised, 5524 Bs. Id. ELECTION OF LORD MAYOR. On Tuesday, at the Swan-with-Two-Necks, Gresham street, the friends of Mr. Alderman Wood held a meet ing, to consider what steps should be taken to secure his election to the Mayoralty of London. The attendance was numerous and respectable. Mr. Deputy Muddell was called to the chair, and sug gested that Mr. Alderman;Wood, who was present by in vitation, should address the meeting.: Alderman WOOD said that he must commence with an apology for having been a little behind his time ; but he had been detained at a sitting of the Court of Aldermen, held with closed doors.—(Hear.) He was now before the meeting to offer any explanation which might be de sired, to answer any questions, to invite the fullest and most searching investigation into his conduct, in public and in private life.—(Applause.) At the Court of Al dermen which he had just quitted, held, as he remarked, with closed doors, Alderman Wilson had put a question to him, which he noticed, because it appeared to involve a new accusation. In 1832, he (Mr. Wood) was employed by the Irish Society of London to defend them against an action which had been brought by the twelve com panies of London, and which threatened to annihilate the Irish Society. This action had gone on from court to court, with successful decision in each case, until at last it was brought, by appeal, before the House of Lords where a final decision was pronounced in the session of 1845 in favour of the Irish Society. The other parties in the suit had paid the costs last February, and he (Alderman Wood) deducting the amount of his own bill, had the next day paid over the balance to his clients. He had brought this important case to a suc cessful issue, after devoting years of unwearied labour and research to it, and yet he had never got a vote of thanks from his clients for that success.—(Hear.) He had not yet got his bill settled.—(Great sensation.) An obligation of secrecy was enforced upon the members of the Irish Society, and yet it was a fact that what took place with them invariably transpired, particularly if it should involve any slander against himself. The question put by Alderman Wilson was, whether he (Alderman Wood) was not in debt to the Irish Society—whether he had not retained moneys of theirs—and whether he had not also retained in his hands moneys that should have been paid over to counsel ? Now, every professional man knew that what are called "marked fees," are paid when briefs are -delivered to counsel, while " running fees," for consultations and such matters, remained over on ac count, and were paid by the solicitor when his clients settled with him. The account which some of the coun sel's clerks had:sent in to him had charged ten guineas instead of the five usually allowed for consultation ; but as it was a very heavy suit, he (Alderman Wood) did not object to the higher charge. If he had paid it, however, before his bill was settled, and it had been re duced on taxation, he should have had to pay the differ ence out of his own pocket. The account, therefore, ran on and for this cause only. It was his right, as a solicitor—and he spoke in the presence of eminent legal gentlemen, and after forty years' professional experience —to detain not only moneys, but all the papers in the cause until his bill was settled. He had done neither. (Applause.) One counsel's clerk applied to the Irish Society for the amount of the running account. He (Alderman Wood) had written and inquired if this had been done by desire of the counsel, and the answer he received was, that he was most angry such an applica• tion should have been made, as the settlement between them was matter of private arrangemeat. Alderman Wilson had written on the subject, to the different counsel employed in the suit, and the answer he received was to the same effect. In point of fact, whenever the Irish Society would settle with him, he (Alderman Wood) would pay counsel. It was hard that the Irish Society's obligation of secrecy should be used against him.—(Hear.) They would not bring any substantive charge against him—they did not call him before them —but they allowed statements which were calculated, if not intended to injure him, to be made. That day Sir Peter Laurie had said he had always hitherto voted against him, as, in the Talacre case, the verdicts in Ire land had been against him. But he then informed Sir Peter Laurie that when the case had been finally ar gued in Ireland, the Chief Justice said that the verdicts had not been sustained by the evidence.—(Cheers.) They had been given coley on the unsupported state ments of counsel made to Irish juries, and Sir P. Laurie then acknowledged that, until now, he had never heard that the verdicts had been reversed.— (Hear, hear.) He believed others had never heard of it. All that bore against him was duly trans mitted to members of the Court of Aldermen, but whatever was exculpatory was carefully kept back.— (Shame.) He never professed to be a man of large fortune, and perhaps this was the chief objection to his occupying the Civic chair.—(Cheers.) If none but very opulent men were to be put into that chair, it would endanger the citizens' freedom of election. It would be dreadful if the man chosen by the wards should be excluded by a secret court.—(Hear.) It would ever be a refection on the City that, because the allowance to the Lord Mayor was insufficient, none but very wealthy men, who could bear the additional outlay, should occupy the chair.—(Cheers.) It was curious that the slanders of which he had been the object were never directed against those members of the - Court of Aldermen who possessed great property.—(Laughter.) He did not shrink from a comparison with any of that Court, and confidently rested his case in the hand of his friends and in the justice of the City.—(Cheers.) The meeting was then addressed by Mr. Underwood, Mr. Holt, Mr. Pitman, Mr. Wintour Harris, Mr. Yates, and other gentlemen. Resolutions were passed assert ing Alderman Wood's high claims to the mayoralty on eccount of his private worth, as well as the exemplary manner in which he had performed his public duties as sheriff and alderman ; expressing unabated confidence in him ; pledging the meeting to use all exertions to promote his election ; and authorising the chairman to transmit a copy of the resolutions to the Lord Mayor, in order that they might be placed before the Court of Aldermen. After a vote of thanks to the chairman the meeting separated. THE REGISTRATION. TOWER HAMLETS. D. C. Meylan, Esq., the barrister appointed to revise the lists of voters for this borough, opened his Court yesterday, at half-past nine o'clock, in the Court-house, Wellclose-square. The overseers having handed in the list of their respective parishes, it appeared that the total number of claims was 107. There were no objec tions. The claims were from the following parishes: — Poplar, 1; Christ Church, Spitalfields, 3; Mile-end, Old Town, 22; Ratcliffe, 3; Limehouse, 4; St. George's, 3; Hackney, 19; Shoreditch, 20; Bethnal-green, 29; Shad well, 1. After a short conversation it was arranged that the lists of the parishes from which there were neither claims nor objections should be disposed of before en tering upon the consideration of the claims; this having been done, the first claim entered upon was that of Wm. Forscutt, of . 31, Robin Hood-lane. The overseers ob jected on the ground that the claimant had not been a sufficient time on the rate-book. Mr. Forscutt, who defended his own claim, said that this was owing to the overseers having refused to place his name on the book, notwithstanding repeated notices to that effect. He charged Mr. Nation, in particular, with throwing every obstruction in the way of his ob taining the privilege of a vote, and now, when he had at last compelled the insertion of his name they had in creased the rating of his house 150 per cent., and even increased the estimated value of the house itself from 141. to 181. per annum, determined, apparently, to make him pay for it. It was such conduct as this on the part of parochial officers which narrowed the franchise, and made the Reform Act a nullity to large classes. In sup port of his claim, Mr. Forscutt handed to the Court duplicates of the claim to be rated, which he had served upon the overseers on the 11 th December, 1845; sth March, 1846; 25th June, 1846; and 22d August, 1846. The rate-books were put in evidence at the request of the claimant, and the Barrister decided that the claim was a good one, inasmuch as the notices required by the Act had been duly served. The first notice having been served on the 11th December, 1845, previous to the pub lication and allowance of the Christmas rates, he did not see any rate from the 20th July, 1845, which Mr. For scutt was not entitled to claim upon, and upon these b e-rounds it must be admitted. Mr. Forscutt then requested that the Court would en force the penalties in the 51st and 46th clauses of the Registration Act, and that the overseers should be fined for wilfully neglecting to insert his name on the register, and also for their frivolous and vexatious opposition in the court to his claim. The Barrister declined to exercise the power vested in him by these clauses, inasmuch as there was a great distinction between an innocent mistake as to the law, and a wilful omission. Ile thought the first was the case in this instancy ; as to the penalties levied by the 46th clause, they referred to individual objectors, and not to the overseers, who had appeared merely to sustain their own list. Mr. Forscutt denied the overseers could object in their official capacity, it must be as individual voters, and on that ground he claimed the costs of his attendance, and the infliction of the fine. Unless something was done to restrain parochial officers from the aLuse of the powers vested in them, these abuses would increase, and the franchise be practically denied to those entitled to it through the obstacles they created. The Barrister could not concur in the views of the claimant as to the fine, but hoped the discussion which had taken place would effect all that the claimant wished. Claim allowed. _ _ The next list was that of Christchurch, Spitalfields. The claim of William Somervile was disallowed, on the ground that he had made no claim between the Ist of August, 1845, and the 10th of August, 1846. In th© interval four rates had been levied without his name being put on the rate•book, and the Barrister held that not having complied with the requisition of the Act, by giving successive notices fur each successive rate, the claim must be disallowed. The overseers said, that having ascertained the house claimed for, though one which vc as compounded for (the landlord paying one part of the rates and the tenant the other), was of the required value, agreed to put the name on the rate-book for the ensuing registration. The two remaining claims on this list were disallowed, in consequence of the non appearance of the claimants ; their claims, however, stood upon the same grounds as the preceding, and would, in any case, have been rejected. The claims of Ratcliffe and Limehouse were admitted without opposition, the requirement of the law having been complied with in each case. Mile end Old Town.—Twenty-two claims.—The claim of Boon, tenant of a " compound house," was objected to, on the ground that he only paid rates on pi., the landlord being rated for the other 81. The overseers admitted, however, that they had irif,rted Boon's name on tho ratc-J9QOk, in an l P ll Fge w i th a claim MZ- 4° /337 him, The Barrister said the insertion of a name was an admission of the right to vote; the only question was whether the premises were of sufficient value. It appeared that the tenement occupied by Boon was one of three, the estimated value of which was 601.; there could thfretere be no doubt of its sufficiency, and the claim must be allowed. Two claims from tenants of the other two houses were then admitted for the same reason, and the remaining nineteen were disallowed on the ground of non-appearance. St. George.--Three claims.—Two were disallowed on the ground of insufficient notice; the other claim was admitted, the name having been put on the rate-book, and the rates paid. For the parish of Hackney there were nineteen claims; of these four were disallowed in consequence of non appearance; the other fifteen being merely corrections of a list of upwards of 2,000 names, were permitted to stand. The claims of Shadwell and Whitechapel were ad , mitted. Mr. Forscutt called the attention of the Court to the necessity for a fuller description of streets than the lists afforded. For instance, there might be twelve William streets with voters of the same name resident in each, but for want of a more particular description it might be requisite to go to each of them before finding the voter. He thought the overseers should be ordered to amend this defect. The Barrister admitted that this was an inconvenience everywhere experienced, but its correction rested with a higher power than the overseers, and he was not autho rised to make any order on the subject. Of the twenty claims for St. Leonard, Shoreditch, seven were disallowed on account of non-appearance, the remainder, which were corrections of the overseers' list of 4,200 names, were admitted. On the Bethnal-green list being called, Messrs• Manley and Benson appeared on the part of the Com pound Householders' Registration Association of St. Matthew's, to support the claim of fifteen of their mem bers whose names did not appear in the overseers' list. Of these claims eleven were admitted, the majority of them being part occupiers of houses, and paying a weekly rent of ss. ; two claims were disallowed on the ground that the rent and premises were not of sufficient value to entitle to a vote ; and sixteen claims fell to the ground on account of non-appearance, and the absence of the names from the register. The general result of the day's proceedings showed 50 claims out of 107 admitted. The Court then closed at six o'clock, having disposed of the various lists in one day. HERTFORD. The adjourned Court of Revision of voters for this county was held yesterday, before Mr. J. Espinasse, at the King's Arms, Watford. E. R. Spence and J. F. Bontems, Esqs., attended as the freestrade agents, and C. E. Grover, Esq., attended as the Cons, rvative agent. Arthur John Moore, whose name appeared in the Northchurch list of voters as follows :—Place of abode, " 33, Queen Anne-street, Cavendish-square;" nature of qualification, " fee-farm rent'' "Augustus Smith, owner," was objected to by the free-trade party. A gentleman from London was called by the Conser vatives to prove the qualification, and gave the follow ing evidence:—l know Mr. Arthur John Moore—he is possessed of a fee-farm rent in the parish of North church—it is of the value of 40s. and upwards, and has been in possession of it more than six months. Cross-examined--Mr. Moore does not reside at 33, Queen Anne-street, but at 4, Upper Harley-street; he did reside at Queen Anne-street, but has removed. The property is situate at Northchurch, and is known by the name of the " New Lodge." Mr. Spence submitted that this was a good objection, inasmuch as the voter had left Queen Anne- street. The witness called upon the Barrister to award him the utmcst amount of costs he had the power to do. Mr. Espinasse believe you are a solicitor? Witness—l am. Mr. Espinasse—Then in that case I shall award you the sum of twenty shillings. Mr. Spence here rose, and said he was perfectly sur prised that such a decision should be come to. Ile had taken his objection because the voter was not residing as described in the list, which under the provisions of the Registration Act was a perfectly bond fide objection, and one for which costs could not with justice be awarded against him. He would further urge upon the barrister the necessity of the full description of the situation of the property being set forth in the list. It was proved that the property was known by the name of " New Lodge," and therefore called upon the Barrister to insert the situation of the property under the provisions of the Act, which enacted that in cases of rent charge, not only the owner's name should be given, but also the situation of the property. Mr. Espinasse said he did not think it necessary to state anything more in the fourth column than the owner's name, as by that the objector could easily find the property. Mr. Stare said the owner resided at Scilly, and he could not understand upon what hypothesis it could be contended that the fact of a person residing in Seilly was a sufficient identification of property in Hertford. Mr. Espinasse was of opinion it did; had the objector made inquiries, he would have ascertained whether the claimant was entitled to the property. Mr. Spence thought it a great hardship to be com pelled to go to Scilly to find Mr. Smith ; and then to ascertain whether he had granted the rent-charge—the heading of the list was perfectly clear upon the subject. Mr. Espinasse—The Act says that the notice may be given " to the like effect," and the description in this case was to the like effect. Mr. Spence submitted that it was the "notice," and not the description of the situation of property that might be given to the like effect. He would still submit he was not liable to any costs on that ground, and also on ac count of the party having removed. Mr. Espinasse—l think that no ground of objection, nay, I think it is a frivolous and vexatious one, and shall give the witness the utmost amount of costs I can. Mr. Spence—Then, Sir, I must certainly ask for a case of appeal. Mr. Espinasse—Then I shall certainly not give it you. The costs were paid, and the name retained. Another case, similar to the above, was then taken — namely, that of Mr. Charles Henry Moore. The ob jector said he did not intend, after the decision given, to proceed with that objection. The witness in the last case again claimed costs. It was then contended by the free-traders that there was no case before the Court, as no objection had been proved. The duty of the Barrister only commenced after the notice had been proved, and not before. By the 40th sec. of the 6 Vic., cap. 18, it was enacted, " that any person objecting to any other person who shall ap pear in support of such objection, if he shall prove that he gave the notice required by this Act, the Barrister shall then require it to be proved that the claimant was en titled to vote." It was evident by the word " then" that the-Barrister could not decide that the objection was frivolous, groundless, and vexatious, without having first proved before him that the objector had given the no tices required. Mr.Espinasse—l have the objection putinto my hand, and the Act gives me power to award costs when it ap pears to me to be right—l shall therefore award twenty shillings to the witness. Mr. Spence hoped the Barrister would not adjudicate upon the case without having first heard the objection; the description in the list was on "fee-farm rent," with out stating upon what property it was charged, whether houses or land, which he submitted was necessary. Mr. Espinasse was of a contrary opinion, and awarded 20s. costs. Much disapprobation was manifested in Court by both sides (excepting the witness) upon these decisions. William Brown was objected to, in the Wigginton list, by the free-traders, on the ground of misdescription. His name was entered in the list as residing at " Tring," nature of qualification, "freehold cottages," situation, " next the common." Mr. Brown was in attendance. The property for which he claimed was next Wigginton-common, which was a long and narrow meadow. There were many houses on it besides his own. The cottages were not known by any name, but they were let to various tenants. Mr. Spence laid before the Court the judgment of the late Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in the case of Eckersley v. Barker, of which the follow ing is an extract:—"The direction at the head of the form No. 2 (the notice of claim) appears to us to intend that the house and premises are not in a street, lane, or other like place, but in a road, or on a com mon, or the like, then the name of the property should be given, if known by any, or the name of the occupy ing tenant;" and he submitted to the Court that it was necessary that the tenant's name should be in serted. Mr. Espinasse said that however much he respected the opinion of the late lamented and Learned Judge, yet he thought his Lordship could not have contem plated all cases that might occur, and as the heading of the fourth column stated that the " street, lane, or other like place, should be given," he was clearly of opinion that the voter had done so by giving the description " next the common," which was a like place. Mr. Spence submitted that it was " the street or lane " that should be given, and not " next the common." It might be at this end or at the other end, or at any part of the common, from the whole two miles of road. Mr. Espinasse thought it was an " other like placee' Mr. Spence—What a common like a street or lane? Mr. Espinasse—Yes, it is an " other like place." The Barrister then awarded twenty shillings costs, which were paid, but fifteen shillings were afterwards refunded owing to the claimant not being able to show that he had incurred any " costs" in attending, except for the keep of his horse. Mr Spence afterwards drew the attention of the Court to the fact that Mr. Espinasse had been making the very altcrationp in the description that he had been contend ing for, which produced quite a titter in Court. The whole of the Conservative notices were again thrown over, owing to their not having set forth the voters' re sidence in the notices. The following is the result of the day's revision : By Free-traders. By Conservatives. Liberals struck off' 4O 25 Conservatives struck off 26 66 41 Making a total majority, in favour of the free-traders, on the two days' revision, of 81. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.—His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has been rated as midshipman on the ship's books of the Victoria and Albert. Should the naval precocity of his Royal Highness continue, it may be con fidently expected, that, in the year 1850, he will hav e attained the rank of Admiral of the Very Blue; when, in the event of war with France, he will take the com mand of the English fleet against. the French admiral, Prince IjOinVille. — Punch, . TIIE POOR MAN'S GUARDIAN SOCIETY. A general meeting of the members was held at the rooms of the society, No. 40, Leicester-square, yester day, at three o'clock, for the purpose of adopting new regulations and rules deemed necessary for the govern ment of this society. Mr. COCHRANE, the President of the Society, took the chair, and said it devolved on him to draw the atten tion of the meeting to the object for which they were come together. As the advertisement set forth, it was to adopt a modification of the constitutional laws of the society. It had arisen out of the previous meeting of the committee, who resolved to submit those modifi cations in these laws of the society which the change of circumstances seemed to require. They thought it better to call a public meeting for that purpose, that they might have the benefit of public opinion on the laws before they were adopted, and that whatever was done might then appear more legal. He said they were in duced to think of these modifications by the very nume rous applications which had been made to the parent so ciety from the provinces, by persons desirous of forming district societies, communications from whom had all been most acceptable, especially as they enclosed money for the objects of the society. It bad been found that under the old laws, which gave every member of the society a voice in the election of the committee, the com mittee being limited, that as soon as the number of the committee was filled up, all power to influence the pro ceedings of the parent society would be taken away from those district auxiliaries which might afterwards be formed. The committee, however, intended that these auxiliaries should have a voice in conducting the affairs and business of the parent soc i e ty, an d h a d thought it right immediately to take measures to make it possible to confer this power upon them. In doing so they had not failed to profit by a careful investigation of the laws on which the Anti-Corn-law League had been framed and so successfully conducted for the attainment of the object it had in view ; and they had had besides the advice of gentlemen who had been concerned in the working of that body. He hoped then that what they had done would meet with their approval. Before resuming his seat he was happy to say that already their efforts had been followed with complete success, and when the secretary of the society gave any poor person applying a letter to the authorities, that letter had always been most respectfully attended to. The SECRETARY then read the new rules of the so ciety, out of which we excerpt the following:— " That the objects of the Poor Man's Guardian Society are, and are hereby declared to be, to aid the poor in their applications for parochial relief, to secure to them the legal and humane dispensation of the poor law, and by every constitutional means to effect such improvements in the law itself as may be deemed necessary." "That the management of the affairs of the society be vested in a council, to consist of a president, vice presidents, and chairman. The present members of the metropolitan committee and the representatives from the auxiliary diistrct societies." " That the council shall elect out of its own body an executive committee, to consist of not less than 30 members, who shall elect a chairman and one deputy chairman (three members to form a quorum), whose duty it shall be to conduct the business of the society." The CHAIRMAN, when the rules had been read, in vited the observations of the gentlemen present. Mr. HEALD said, as he had aided in drawing up the new rules, he could not be expected to do other than suggest them ; but he did so because he thought them well adapted to attain their object. They had been drawn up in order that the district societies, besides their local committees, might be represented in the grand council, so as to be concerned in all the doings of the society ; which he thought the most likely means of preventing collision, or party and factious feeling. It was on a basis of laws similar to those just read that its founders had instituted the Anti-Corn-law League, of which he would say no more in that place than that it worked well, and finally triumphed in its object. B. B. CADDELL, Esq., M.P., moved that the code of laws just read be adopted as the laws of the society. Rev. Mr. BARBER seconded the motion. Mr. STALLWOOD moved as an amendment to the ninth rule of the societ u y, which appoints that there be one general meeting each year, to be convened by the com mittee, that a general meeting should be convened by the council on the requisition of any fifty members of the society. Mr. ASCOTT seconded the amendment. Mr. HEALD hoped the gentleman meant that the fifty requisitionists should bear the expense of the meeting so called ; otherwise, when no object might be gained, the society might be involved in heavy charges. For the requisition to the council was formed, perhaps, of a thousd members, scattered throughout England ; con sequenily the travelling expenses of the council, &c., could not be imagined or limited. Mr. CABBELL said, before the amendment was put he must observe that it proposed an impossibility. For to whom did it appeal ? To the council. But where was it ? It was arepresentative body ; whereas the com• naittee was an executive body, elected out of that coun . cil, to carry its will into effeCi—a will in which all the auxiliary societies participated. There was no object named tbr the meeting supposed—no place of assem bling ; for, as far as the amendment went, it might be convened in York, or anywhere else in England. The power proposed would tend to no good object ; it would embarrass the infant society, and might render their efforts null. He hoped the amendment would b© with drawn. The amendment was accordingly withdrawn, and the rules passed nem. con. The CHAIRMAN congratulated them on the unanimity with which the business had been transacted ; he hoped it but prefigured the unison of the conduct of all the branches of the Parent Society, in seeking to gain the objects which they had set before them. 13. B. CABBELL, Esq., M.p: moved a vote of thanks to the Chairman, which was passed, and the meeting separated. METROPOLITAN FREE HOSPITAL. The tenth annual dinner of the friends and supporters of this institution was held yesterday at the Freemasons' Tavern. The Right Hon. the Lord Mayor officiated as chairman, and was supported by Sir George Carroll, D. S. Ker, Esq., M.P., J. Goding, Esq., R. M. Bates, Esq., G. Mavrogani, E sq ., J . C . P r i or , E sq ., J. E vans, Esq., J. G. Fry, Esq., Joseph Fry, Esq., junior, Luke Hansard, Esq., &c. The CHAIRMAN, after the removal of the cloth, pro posed " The health of her Majesty the Queen and Prince Albert, the Queen Dowager, the Prince of Wales and the rest of the Royal Family." His Lordship then gave " The Army and Navy." The health of the "lon. Member for Downpatrick " was afterwards given, which afforded the Lord Mayor the opportunity of bear ing testimony to the loyalty and devotion of the inhabit ants of the sister isle, than whom, he felt assured, there were none more loyal to their Sovereign, nor more devoted to the interest and well-being of the empire. Mr. KER returned thanks, and proposed the health of " The Lord Mayor." The LORD MAYOR said, that whether within the city bounds or without them, he always felt much pleasure in meeting his fellow-citizens, and more espeeially so when engaged on a work of charity. lie had had the pleasure of meeting many of the gentlemen present on a former occasion, and ho trusted that he would meet them yet many more times to the advancement of the institution they were that day assembled to strengthen and promote. He thought that if the same system of affording relief to the poor were extended to Ireland, it would produce a very great and beneficial influence on the Irish. His Lordship said that he had travelled over a greater part of that country, and he was obliged to confess that he never experienced greater hospitality nor received a more warm and welcome reception than in Ireland. If such an institution were established, he should have no objection to go over to be present at their first meeting. His Lordship, in conclusion, returned thanks for the honour which had been conferred upon him. The health of Prince Albert, and the patrons of the institution, having been drunk, The Loan MAYOR proposed briefly the toast of the evening, " Prosperity to the Metropolitan Free Hospi tal." He said that the immense value of the institution was apparent to any one acquainted with its operations, as also the vast amount of benefit it was the means of distributing amongst the poor of the neighbourhood in which it was situated. He was himself well acquainted with the locality, and he could assert that, from the very dense population of the district, the value of the institution was day by day more dearly appreciated. His Lordship complimented the medical officers on the gratuitous yet valuable exertions they were making far the benefit of the poor entrusted to their care, and con cluded by again proposing the above toast. After the reading of the report, the LORD MAYOR pro posed " The health of Sir G. Carroll," who briefly re turned thanks for the compliment. The health of Mr. Luke Hansard, Mr. Rogers, and other gentlemen theproceedings present, having e f the evening beengiven and re sponded to, terminated very having pl e r a e s n a h n s t e l d y , the a nd a f r m o e n a n n t t h ee off fact 0 1., v t e h r e y subscriptions , to the institution. The following, extracted from the printed report, is the number of patients admitted to the Metropolitan Free Hospital, from the 7th of April, 1845, to the 7th of April, 1846: Under the care of the Physicians .................. 5,935 // Surgeons ..................... 3,396 If Dentist ............. 658 ........... Total for the year ending 7th of April, 1846... 9,989 Number of Patients admitted in the nine pre ceding years .......................................... 70,554 Total since the opening of the Hospital on the 14th of May, 1836 ................................. 80,538 The Metropolitan Free Hospital, notwithstanding its great utility in alleviating the sufferings of our fellow creatures, is by no means in a flourishing condition; and it therefore becomes the promoters of the charitable in stitutions of the country to step forward, and aid by their purse and influence the objects of so excellent an asylum for the poor and destitute. PUBLIC DEPARTMENTS.—By a Parliamentary re turn, yesterday printed, it appears that there were 47 persons on the redundant list of the several public de partments at the commencement of the year 1845, of whom 7 died or became incapable of service during the year ; that 13 were added to the list during the year, making 53 persona on the redundant list of the several 's dep ar t ment ; 3 , public departments at the close of th e y ear — cons i sting of Admiraltyfrm 7, the cor P dn a a y i m lce as ; te 7 r : G cu en st e o r n a l l s ; 12, Excise ; 3, Stamps and ' Taxes ; 2, Woods and Forests ; 7, Audit office ; 1, National Debt-office ; and 1, Exchequer, Scotland. Another, but very slight, shock of ear th quake was ox,rrienced at Pisa on the Ist inst. IRELAND. SPREAD OF DESTITUTION. DUBLIN, SEPT. 15.—There is scarcely a district in the entire country which does not already feel the pressure of distress; and in many counties, chiefly in the south and west, the peasantry are in a state of utter destitution. Even in Ulster, where the people have been comparatively comfortable, such scenes occur as th e fol lowing, describ e d by th e Armagh Guardian : " DESTITUTION IN FERMANAGH. On Wednesday about 1,000 of the labouring peasantry entered the vil lage of Newtownbutler, and having proceeded to the police barrack, called for the constable in charge of that station, to whom they stated that they and their fami lies were perishing for lack of food; that they had hitherto waited patiently in hopes something would be done for their relief by the neighbouring gentry; but no measure having been adopted to give them employ ment, and thereby save them from starvation, their only alternative was to take by force what they could not otherwise obtain. The constable remonstrated with them on the evil consequences that would attend a viola tion of the law, and told them that Lord Erne was on that day gone to Enniskillen to hold a meeting for the purpose of adopting immediate measures for their relief, upon which they all returned peaceably to their respec tive places of abode." The same journal gives the following as an illustration of the new state of things in the ordinarily peaceable county of Armagh : THREATENING NOTICE.--On the night of the 4th instant the following notice was posted on several places on the Powerscourt estate : " Take notice, seeing the blight on the potato crop has become so alarming, we think well to caution the occupy ing tenant particularly those who may be called Capital ists and also those who have been in the habit of tender ing their Rents at an early period from sinister motives, not to let their motives or large purses induce them to do so this season until there is an understanding between the Representatives of Lord Powerscourt and the tenantry ; we trust the lovers of humanity and agricul tural interest will take notice of any person will be so low or truckling as to pull any of our Circulars down ; Brand us not with Molly Maguireism but if you wish to mention us you may use the following gilt characters (the lovers of humanity). We confess we have got at the present time a good gentleman to deal with, Mr. Hore. " Signed on behalf of our Supporters, " Captain FEARNOT. " N.B.—We hope our neighbouring estates will take patron. From the county of Donegal, the Evening Post gives the following communication :—" Letterkenny, 11th September. Distress and alarm still continue to prevail here. The people do not see any of the resident gentry taking any steps, or making any move, towards prepar ing for the evil day, although many works of great utility could now be entered on—such as cleaning up the river which passes by this town (Loughswilly), and which would render this town, from its position, and so far removed from any other town, one of the most im portant and flourishing in the north of Ireland. This work would employ a great number of the labouring class. If some prompt and very energetic measures should not be adopted, God only look to our distresses. It is a well-known fact, that many families in this town and neighbourhood go to their wretched beds to drown by sleep, if possible, their pangs of hunger." Turning to the south-west, where distress is much more general and urgent, we find the following in a Conservative paper, the Clare Journal:— " THE IMPENDING FAMINE.—We feel it absolutely necessary, from the present state of the country, to call upon the Government to take immediate and decisive steps to satisfy the clamours of a starving people. Pro visions are raising in price every day. As for potatoes, there are very little indeed in market, and it is almost dangerous to make use of those offered for sale. Not one stone of potatoes can be obtained without some of them being found tainted; and even those bring seven pence halfpenny. Indeed, R e are strongly inclined to believe that, for the sake of their health, the people should not be any longer allowed to use this diseased food. Indian corn meal is now ls. Bd. a stone, an ad vance of twopence a stone within the last three days. If other provisions, therefore, rise at this rate, we should like to know wh a t family could support themselves; we speak not of the labouring classes alone. The oat crop is not at all productive—the yield is not anything equal to the past year, and therefore if the people are left without a supply of Indian corn meal, as they had last season, they will be totally unable to live. We think it our duty to speak out thus early, for it is by timely exertion on the part of the Government that the privations can be met, and that outrages can be pre vented. If the Indian corn meal is freely sold at a shil. ling a stone, and beyond this we consider it over its value, the peace can be preserved, but if the country be left to private trade or speculation we may dread the werst consequences. The people are determined, if such supply is not afforded them, not to allow the corn of the country to be exported, and therefore nothing but anarchy and confusion may be looked for. The potato gardens are left in many places altogether undug by the owners, and the population generally allowed to dig them and take them away. In other places, too, we are told the gardens are being ploughed up for wheat, as they are not considered of sufficient value to dig them out. This bears reference to every part of the country ; it is not to any isolated part we refer. In fact, the en tire face of the country presents one universal failure of the potato crop, and the great bulk of the people who depend on that crop are without any means of sus tenance." The following passage appears in a letter addressed to the Dublin Evening Post, by Mr. T. E. O'Cavanagh:— " Portumna, September 12. " It is impossible to deny the existence of distress here. The potatoes are all gone or usless. The fact is, that the people are in the greatest apprehension of famine, and unless ample employment as well as food be pro- vided, we are on the eve of some great outbreak—men assert openly they will not starve while there is food on the land. On Friday several hundred men from different parts of the country came in procession into this town in order to ask the advice of the gentry about what they were to do under existing circumstances. They called at the Glebe, the resident of the venerable Archdeacon Armstrong, who addressed them for a long time, and promised to write to the authorities and try to get em ployment and food for them, which is all they require. The very reverend gentleman then rode with them to Portuma Castle, now the residence of the Countess Dow ager of Clanricarde, but the crowd failed in obtaining an interview of her Ladyship, who is really very charitable, and anxious to do all the good in her power. She hap pened to be out." MEETING OF THE GENTRY OF MAYO. The Freeman's Journal contains the following account of the county meeting in Mayo, where the leading gentry appear determined, if possible, to evade the Labour Rate Act upon various grounds, including the embarrassments and incumbrances of landlords, whose properties they consider in danger almost of confiscation, and a deputa tion has been appointed to proceed to London in the hope of inducing Lord John Russell to adopt measures more extensive for relief, and less burdensome upon the landlords:— " CASTLEBAE, SEPT. 12.—A very numerous meeting of the magistrates and deputy lieutenants of this county was held here this day in the grand jury room of the court-house, in pursuance of a circular addressed to them for that purpose by the Earl of Lucan, Lieutenant of Mayo. Amongst those who attended I observed the Marquis of Sligo, Earl of Lucan, Colonel Knox Gore (Lieutenant of Sligo county), Sir R. A. O'Donnell, Bart., Sir William O'Malley, Knt., Valentine O'Conor Blake, Andrew Crean Lynch, Geoffry Martyn, Michael B. Bermingham, John Brown, Courtney Kenny, Colonel John Browne, Walter J. Burke, Denis Bingham, Thomas V. Clendenning, John Garveys, Esqrs., and about forty other magistrates from all parts of the county. " The meeting was held with closed doors, the reporters of the public press and all other persons being refused admittance; the object of the meeting (as stated in Lord Lucan's circular) was to consider the distressed state of the county, in consequence of the loss of the potato crop. The magistrates continued in deliberation for nearly three hours, and the subjects discussed, as well as I could ascertain them from some of the magistrates who were present, in casual conversations subsequent to the meet ing. were to the following effect:— " First—That the landlord who might be disposed to avail himself of the recent Drainage Act, by borrowing money from Government, to employ his tenantry and improve his property, and thereby, increase its value, would, under the subsequent Act, called the Labour Rate Act, be placed in a worse position than the land lord who declined to avail himself of the Drainage Act, and ofcourse gave no employment to his tenantry, because the repayments to Government were, by and under the Labour Rate Act, charged alike upon the lands of the improving and unimproving landlords, thereby in effect compelling the improving landlord to pay an increased proportion of these repayments is consequence of the increased value of his property, while he had at the same time to repay Government the moneys advanced to enable him to effect these improvements ; thus doubly taxing him, as it were, as a penalty for giving employment to his tenantry. " Secondly—That the Labour Rate Act, if put in execution to the extent which would be requisite to give employment and food to the enormous number of families who stand in need of it, would in its effect be an almost confiscation of property, and be productive of disastrous consequences to all landlords, but particularly so to those whose properties are encumbered or embarrassed, and it was added the tenant must suffer accordingly. " Thirdly—That Government did not seem to be fulls aware of the extent of the existing and forthcoming des titution, and had not made sufficient provision to meet the calamity. " Fourthly—That in order to enlighten the Govern ment upon these several points, and to induce them to grant additional relief in the shape of same great national works, such as railways, &c., &c., a dep u t a ti on s h ou ld proceed to London immediately, to wait upon - Lord John Russell and other members of the Government." The Dublin Evening Post remarks as follows upon the extraordinary course adopted by the gentry of Mayo : " The resolutions, which were prepared by Lord Lucan, object to the double burden inflicted by the Drainage Act, and the Labour Rate or Extraordinary Present ment Sessions Act, the latter of which would bear as heavily upon those landlords who should afford employment by drainage, as upon proprietors who totally . neglected that salutary mode of at onco improving the soil and providing labour for the peasantry. Why should not the large proprietors, who attended this meeting, co-operate in seeking ad vances under the Drainage Act, for employment on a large scale ? Even though there might be some few landlords in a district so utterly neglectful of their inte rests, as well as their duties, as to refuse their co-opera tion, yet the amount of presentments required would be comparatively small in districts where employment should be provided under the Drainage Act. Further more, the landlords who avail themselves of the advances or drainage would obtain the requisite amount upon ' very advantageous terms, and they could not possibly adopt a more secure and profitable mode of obtaining a return for the outlay. It appears to us, then, that the objections referring to the possible refusal of some land lords to co-operate have really no foundation. " Another objection, made in the Mayo resolutions, is of a totally different character, namely, that the Labour Rate Act, if put into operation to the extent required by the distress, would be tantamount almost to a confiscation of the property of landlords, especially of those who are deeply involved by in cumbrances, arid that tenants as well as proprietors must suffer from this cause. For landlords who are so embarrassed that they can neither pay their portion of a tax rendered inevitable by a terrible national ca lamity, nor avail themselves of loans to improve their properties, and at the same time greatly lessen that tax, we fear there is no remedy. The people must be saved from starvation, and the land, no matter what may be the circumst ances o f t h e owner, must bear its proportion of the burden. As to the allegations of ruin to the farmer who rents the land, we hold it be mere childishness. " We further learn that the meeting appointed a deputation, consisting of Lords Lucan and Sligo, P. C. Lynch, Esq., the high sheriff, Sir R. O'Donnell, and Colonel Gore, to - proceed to London, with a view of im pressing upon the Govbrnment the necessity of adopting different and more extensive measures of relief and em ployment. As the meeting was not a public one we are compelled to take at second hand the preceding version of the resolutions. Another county meeting is to be held on Thursday next, and as the deputation is not to pro ceed to London until after that day, we trust that some more practical course may be determined upon by the gentry of Mayo." About eleven o'clock on Friday night as a car, laden with corn, the property of Hugh Singleton, Esq., of Hazlewood, accompanied by two caretakers, was pro ceeding to the market of Limerick, on reaching a place, known by the name of Moll Ryan's Cross, situate be tween Knoppogue and Rachluba, the men were pelted with stones from behind a wall. While they were run ning to the opposite side for shelter, a shot was fired from the same direetion that the stones came from, and the horse was wounded in the side by slugs. The men immediately turned the horse and brought back the load of corn.—Clare Journal. GREAT SOUTHERN AND WESTERN RAILWAY, IRE LAND.—Open to Carlow, 56i miles: Return of traffic for the week ending Saturday, Sept. 12, 1846:—Pas sengers only, 1,489/. 2s. Bd. THE SUN; ~,LONDON,6 THURSDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 17, 1846. trti Ebttton WELSH MIDLAND RAILWAY. (THIS DAY.) A meeting of the scripholders in this company was held this day, at the London Tavern, for the purpose of receiving the report of a committee appointed to wind up the affairs of the company. Lord Hereford took the chair. The SECRETARY, having read the advertisement con vening the meeting, proceeded to read the report, from which it appeared that the Bill had not passed the Standing Orders' Committee, and that although the directors did all in their power to retrench the expenses, still the demand of the engineers and solicitors remained unsettled. The report concluded by stating that it had been resolved to dissolve the company, which had been accordingly done, and that 15s. a share would be returned to the shareholders. The CHAIRMAN then rose to address the meeting. It was the wish of the directors of the company to court inquiry, and to seek the strictest scrutiny into their con duct. The delay in giving the shareholders the full in formation as to their circumstances was owing to ina bility to get in the accounts of the claimants. More over they were anxious to promote the formation of a new and good company. The enormity of the accounts was as much reprobated by the directors as by any of the shareholders.—(Hear, hear.) It was proposed to resist those claims at first ; but the board found it would be necessary to review all the transactions, such as con tracts with other companies, &c., and it was considered more politic, toto endeavour to make arrangements than to oppose them with all the means in their power. He stood there on the part of himself and his brother directors to give any individual present full and imme diate explanation as to the past proceedings of the direc tors, which he had no doubt would be satisfactory. In conclusion, he trusted that a searching inquiry would be made, and this inquiry the directors demanded as a right.—(Hear, hear.) The SECRETARY then read a statement of the liabili ties, in which was one item of payments of over 20,0001. to Mr. Baxter, as well as large demands still due to bim. Mr. GEORGE Jos said he regretted that printed copies of that report had not been made, as the details were too numerous and various to be retained. After the enormous expense that had been gone to, a little more might have been incurred for this purpose. The SECRETARY, in reply to a question, said that there would be a balance of 20,0001., after paying the 15s. a share, but the accounts were not yet arranged, and the assets were not certain. Mr. MAIIBERT said that he was sure that they must all be struck with the amount of the charges brought against the company. Enormous as were railway charges in general, these exceeded allj lothers. One thing should give them great satisfaction. From the explanation they had just heard from the chairman, it appeared that they had to deal with honourable men, and who had the same interests with themselves. He felt satisfied that they would do all in their power to for ward these interests.—(Some dissent.) Now, as they had heard from the chairman that the directors were de sirous of inquiry, he would take the liberty of asking a few questions. In the first place he would ask, why 5,000 shares had not been disposed of ? and, in the next place, how many shares the directors held originally ? Mr. ARERS, in reply, stated that the 5,000 shares al luded to were not allotted from a consideration that it would be better to reserve a certain number of shares for the proprietors of the land through which the line was to pass, as well as the canal proprietary. With respect to the second question, there was a minute on the books that the directors should be compelled to take one hundred shares. Mr. MAUBERT said he would now ask how many shares were held by the directors ? Several directors here stated that they held not only the number of shares originally allotted to them, but a considerably larger number. Some stated they held as many as 350. The deed giving power to the directors to extend their line and constrtict new branches was read by Mr. Baxter, to show that the directors were authorised in enlarging their line beyond the limits laid down in the prospectus. In reply to a question, The SECRETARY read a list of payments already made to Mr. Baxter, amounting to 20,0001. The CHAIRMAN, in reply to a question as to the re maining debt of 21,000/. to Mr. Baxter, for which that gentleman had offered to take 7,0001., said that they did not believe that the amount of Mr. Baxter's demand would amount to the sum claimed, and the first intention of the directors was to resist that demand. Mr. BAXTER said it was the first time that he had heard of the intention of the board to resist the claims he had made. He would beg leg leave to state what had occurred between him and the directors. (Mr. Baxter here entered into a long detail, the purport of which was, that when his account had been made out he was himself surprised at its amount, and sug gested that it should be taxed. He also stated, that when the affairs of the company became so very bad he had offered to make a deduction even from the taxed bill of costs, which, however, he would not have done had he been aware of the intentions entertained by the directors, and stated, in conclusion, that he would not demand the full balance remain ing.—(" Hear," and cheers.) The CHAIRMAN explained that his meaning was, that it was the original intention of the directors to resist the payment of Mr. Baxter's demand, but from the moment they entered into communication with Mr. Baxter they abandoned that intention. After a protracted discussion, it was finally agreed that the report should be printed for circulation amongst the shareholders, and the pre sent directors should be continued in office till the affairs of the company had been wound up. Thanks were voted to and acknowledged by the chair man, after which the meeting separated. BANDON AND BANTRY RAIL WAY.—(THIS DAY.) The requisite number of shareholders to constitute the dissolution of the company having attended to-day, the chairman declared, the company to be legally dis solved. METROPOLITAN SE WAGE MA- NURE COMPANY.—(THIS DAY.) The first public meeting of the shareholders in this company was held to-day at the British Hotel, Cock spur-street. J. C. B. WARREN, Esq., having been called to the chair, congratulated the meeting on the success with which they bad been able to struggle through Parliament, notwithstanding that they had had the aid of no men of title, but they had had able leaders and men to aid them whose opinion in science was attended to. The SECRETARY then read the Report of the Directors, which stated that though they had made some conces sions in their plan to prejudices, it was substantially still the same. The Company would begin its operations at King's Scholar's Pond, pipes being carried on to llounslow. After alluding to Mr. Martin, the projector of the company, and the claim he had on the share holders for compensation, the report congratulated the meeting on the certain prospects of a remunerative return. Mr. NEISON moved that the report read be received and adopted. Mr. PROPERT seconded the motion. Messrs. Jellico and Owen Jones were appointed auditors to the company. Mr. SMITH, of Deanston, then addressed the meeting, and stated at length the experiments which had been made to ascertain the practicability of their scheme, and demonstrative of the certain good effects which would follow its application. He gave notice that he would move at the next general meeting of the Company, that the half-yearly meetings in future should take place in May and November. Mr. MOORE, the Secretary, entered into his own twenty-three years' experience of the good that would result from the adoption of the Company's scheme, cor roborative of the remarks which had already fallen from Mr. Smith. A vote of thanks was moved to the directors, and the meeting then broke up. , „ 0 LITERATI 14E;c . - -: < e l THE SYBIL'S SPELL. \A FQI 1C 1:21 This little metrical story is a lit i tiippE.A" - too delicate and gossam e r-lik e for Iht taele brous hands of criticism. If it be dissected, or tumbled about much in the crucible of that same un compromising criticism, we shall find the bloom come off it like the powder from the pinions of a butterfly. The story itself is a trite old story enough ; never theless it is handled with a grace that imparts to it almost an air of newness. A baron roving on a hunting expedition in the woods surrounding his castle, comes upon a "simple forest maiden," loves her and is beloved—goes to the wars—is all but betrothed to a haughty lady during his absence—returns homewards in a torment of doubt—his heart luring him towards his former ladye love—his pride and his honour towards his latter ladye-love. Here it is that the writer of this little poem has clothed the old legend with a novel and not inelegant appendage. The Baron's hesita tions are dissipated by a sybil's spell—the said sybil having, with fairie agency, disclosed to him, in a kind of visionary panorama, the terrible consequences which would result from any rash step in the way of (as poor George Farquhar bath it) " committing matrimony." Need we explicitly state the winding up, of the fragile line spun by the romancer ? The Baron leads the simple damsel, in her russet dress, from cottage to castle, his bride. Alfred Tennyson has given a most delicious version of this story, founded upon a real, but romantic incident in the life of one of the ancestors to the noble house of Burleigh. Sir Bulwer Lytton has given the antithesis of the story— and beautifully has he given it—in his " Lady of Lyons." Associated with such predecessors, " The Sybil's Spell" could scarcely fail from dwindling into insignificance, especially when certain literal absurdities insinuated themselves into the text. Such for example as the lines— " Young Baron, bast thou yet atoned To one thy words have shatter'd ?" That unfortunate expression necessitates the ridicul ous consideration, that the words must have been " devilish hard words," and the individual shattered by them, frightfully brittle ! Then, again, we have a specimen, so true, of bathos, or the art of si n ki ng i n poetry, as would have warmed the heart of Martinus Scriblerus—where the Sybil ends her solemn warning with the exclamation— " Go —young man, beware!" In another part we have the couplet— " Then came a wakeful' thrill across him, Then did a shadowy murmer toss him." The rhyme, too, occasionally smacks of the veritable cockaiene ; ex. gr. _ At morning's dawn, She heard the horn." And at other moments the verse is encumbered with the most awkward redundancy of language; as in the following : "hidden by their bubbling showers, And swelling foam, that roaring mocks The bending of the fragile flowers, That stoop beneath the glowing stream"— et cetera, et cetera. Has not the bloom-dust come off our literary butterfly ? E CH OES FROM THE BACKWOODS. 2 Vols. By Captain R. G. Levinge. We have so repeatedly had occasion to /lake these Sketches of Transatlantic Life" during their piece meal publication in Colburn's New Monthly Magazine that it is unnecessary to enter into any minute exa mination of their merits. As the author very judici ously observes in his preface, it is matter of astonish ment, and should be matter of regret that so little is. known and apparently so little cared for our posses sions in New Brunswick. Everybody knows some thing, more or less, respecting the internal condition and external relations of almost every other portion of the American continent ; but of the provinces of New Brunswick—provinces " containing many millions of excellent land, magnificent rivers, inexhaustible mine ral wealth, and most exthnsive coalfields"—scarcely one individual in a hundred knows anything whatever. These two sensible, picturesque, laughter-moving, sprightly volumes, are descriptive of the scenery, illustrative of the society, and indica tive of the affluence of this same unnoticed, but most noticeable territory. One literary advantage, there fore, is assured to the reader—the book possesses sin gular novelty. Of the existence in its pages of many other literary advantages we can give our most de cided, and, we trust, somewhat decisive voucher. The writer has penned his chapters quite con amore—he evidently relishes his own narrative—he engages in all sorts of surprising and healthful adventures—he lets the reader into a thousand geographical and colo nial secrets ; and so pleasant withal and off-hand are the descriptions, that it is scarcely so much reading so many sheets, of letterpress as hearing Captain Livinge himself tell all about (what Harry Lorrequer would call) his " wanderings and ponderings." Nor is our author merely an agreeable scribe— he is an excellent draughtsman as well. His sketch book is alternately embellished_ by the pen and, by the pencil. " The air hole,"—namely, a fracture in the ice when sledging over it, and the consequent engulphing of a horse is gloriously delineated. hoever can thoroughly enjoy the tales of an ob servant traveller will be loth to abandon the perusal of these delightful volumes. THE ECLECTIC REVIEW. No. 111. New Series. As the Latin derivation of name (eclecta) would indicate, the contents of this periodical are generally the choicest cullings in prose composition. Besides this the subjects of which its articles treat are usually very well timed and appropriate. In the number for September, however, there are two contributions which are terribly after date, we mean criticisms upon Burton's Life and Correspondence of Hume, and upon Shepherd's Life and Corr es p on d ence of Foster. For a monthly publication these notices appear to us to have been singularly procras tinated. For a quarterly review it would be different. The two preliminary volumes of Mr. Grote's " History of Greece are submitted to a care ful and judicious analysis. We conceive the re viewer is tolerably justified in protesting against the learned commencement of Mr. Grote's work, namely, the chapters referring to . " Legendary Greece," as al together unnecessary to the development of Grecian history. The references to the mythology of that classic region should, unquestionably, be as succinct and incidental in the opening of its national history as the references to Druid ceremonials and superset tions in our English historians. Mr. Grote, how ever, evinces so much earnestness, originality, and erudition in describing attributes of the Heathen deities; and in tracing the the origin of the Grecian mythes, that we can scarcely regret his very admi rable blunder of judgment. Now that the Ministerial intentions, with reference to the systematic education of the multitude, still continue enveloped in obscurity, and that we are abandoned to our conjectures, the strictures upon Dr. Hook's proposition will be exa mined with interest. We cannot but think the pa per, entitled " The Irish Church—Ministerial policy," miserably one-sided. If such feelings be fost ere d and cultivated, religious enthusiasm can scarcely f a ll goa l t o w hich nations ar e strugglin in t o h f e de gr ge a n n e d W rating into sFctarian fanaticism. hat i s this age of enlightenment ? Is it not the goa l of civil and RELIGIOUS liberty f And despite all the petty bickerings of prejudice, that gloriou s goa l w i ll, under the blessing of Omnipotence, be gained ! " Mexico and " Blair-Athol," as described by Thompson and Trench, form the subject of two welcome articles in this instructive number of the Eclectic Review. 7 N . •,- COURT CIRCULAR. The Queen and Prince Albert, accompanied by the Prince o Wales, and the Princess Royal, and attended by the Viscountess Canning, Lady in Waiting, went on Tuesday morning, in the char a-banc, drawn by four ponies, to Newport. Colonel Bouverie, 'Equerry in Waiting to his Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended on horseback. Her Majesty and the royal party returned to Osborne Roust s by way of Barton. Their Royal Highnesses Prince Alfred, the Princess Alice, and Princess Helena took airi ngs i n t h e pleasure grounds of Osborne House on Tuesday afternoon. Lord John Russell had the honour of joining the royal circle at dinner in the evening. Yesterday morning her Majesty and her Rope' Consort took their usual early walk. The Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred, tire Princess Royal, the Princess Alice, and the Princess Helena, rode and walked yesterday forenoon in the plea:sure grounds of Osborne House. Mr. Cavan King had an interview with Earl Grey yesterday at the Colonial-office. A deputation of the Philanthropic Society, consisting of the Hon. and Rev. Robert Eden, Mr. Poynter, Mr. Gladstone, and the Rev. Sydney Turner, chaplain to the Philanthropic Society, had an interview with Sir George Grey yesterday at the Home-office. Mr. Wickham, Chairman of the Stamps and Taxes, had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday in Downing• street. - Mr. ?dFLachlan had an interview yesterday with Earl Grey at the Colonial-office. Mr. Jerningham had also an interview with the Noble Earl yesterday. Dispatches were sent off yesterday evening from the Colonial-office for the Governors of the West India colonies. Viscount and Viscountess Fielding left Farrance's Hotel yesterday for their seat in \Vales. THE PRIVATE APARTMENTS AT WINDSOR CASTLE. — No orders to view the private apartments can be avail able after Friday next the 18th inst., in consequence of the approaching return of the Court. WALZING MATCH FOR 1001. Yesterday Brad- , shaw and East decided their long-pending match of twenty miles, East receiving three minutes' start. The place fixed on was the Barnet-road, and on . the start being made the men went to work at a great pace. East kept ahead till the tenth mile, when, either by accident or design, he was pushed down, and Bradshaw quickly; passed him and went in an easy winner. It is expecte4 the men will compete again. '° die