The Sun. — London, England, 1846-06-17 00:00:00

thing which every Englishman required. The decision which 41 1 . e Committee had come to i n J une thi s y ear w a s precivly 'different to the decision in July, 1845, when the two lines underwent an investigation for six weeks, ending in the approval of the Caledonian Company, and he rejection of the other. He stated at the meeting that he was sure the Committee were not aware of the merits of the case, else they would not have come to such an unjust decision. Ile stated also that there was still the report to be considered When the House of Commons cou:d be appealed to on the sub ject; and if such reports were not to be considered in a bona Jide manner, to bring them before the House under that name would be a mockery. It this consideration`was not successful, reversing the derision, he said they had then the House tf Lords to apply to, where any aristocratic witnesses that might be taken would only be estima , ed at the intrinsic value of their evidence. He stated this, because ,ne Noble Duke, who was adverse to the Dumfries line last year gave evidence iu its favour this year. He said then that it justice was to be done, this decision must be reversed. When the Committee met, they seemed to have been under the impres sion that they were proceeding to a new trial of an old subject, and, accordingly, the other party moved for the evidence of last year. An Hox. :viEMBER, here rose to explain, but was called to •der. Mr. .1 3 . M. STEWART continued to say that he had his in formation from those who were better acquainted with the de tails than himself,, and he certainly was informed that counsel --she thought M. Cockburn—applied for the evidence of hist ear, but it was refused by the Cotr.'!'ittee, What, then, e asked, were those facts which had aff qqed the decision of the Comm 4 .ttee of last year ? There were two schemes proposing to proceed into Scotland by Carlisle ; these two were brou:..ht befr s e e the public.—Commissioners were appointed by the Board of Trade to investigate both of them--the very same schemes as were now before the House. Thee Commissioners Laying made their investigation, gave their decision in favour of the Caledonian, as the best of the two schemes. That CA 'll2 - ftinien was appointed in 1841, but it was not till 1844 that inbseriptions could be get up sufficient for the company pro ceeding with their operations. Here h, claimed the help of the toard of Trade, for they had interfered in a most obvious 'inner. The Board gave their decision in favour of the Ca iedonian, because, in their opinion, there was not traffic suffi cient for both lines. Both schemes, however, were now brought before the House. He would not me' tion the sums expended in the contest, for he thought it would cast a slur on that House, that _public undertakings must be burdened with so great a cost. The Caledonian passed both Houses last year, stud on the 31st July it received the royal assent. Since then contracts had been entered into, as many as 10,000 Illen were employed on the line, and as much as 200,000,. had been laid out, although the other scheme had been put forward as not being a competing line ; but the chairman of the Nithsdale Company said at a meeting of that company that they might rejoice, for they had broken the back of the Caledonian at last. The map wa. faith fully drawn as regarded the districts through which this line was proposed to pass. Was there anything, he would a-k the Hon. Member, required in a map beyond showing di-- tinctly the juxta-pos tion of the railroad ?—( Hear, hear.) And as regarded the traversing of the country, and the juxta- Ignition of the railroad, he would maintain that tlVe map was sufficient for every purpose of that nature. It, was alleged that it represented the line as too near DumMes, and too far from Carlisle. The original plan of the Caledonian was laid down by Mr. Locke. the engineer, and Annan was in cluded in it. The Board of Trade ordered him to draw it out in its present shape. It was professed that there should be, instead of one branch as originally proposed, a south branch springing from the main trunk line at Carlisle, and a north branch near Glasgow. But what had they done ? They bad awarded the construction of those branches to their opponents. Now he would ask the House to consider this most impor tant expenditure of 2,000,0001. on the construction of one line, It had been plainly stated that these was traffic only for one line, and that the Caledonian line was merely a b per cent. line with all its expenditure. The Committee appeared to have acted in a most anti-Caledonian spirit.—a spirit for which he could not account. For a length of seventy miles there was a strictly Caledonian line. By this fell swoop of the Committee they had refused to give the Caledonian, Ur a length of seventy miles, one single branch.—( Hear.) It had been reported by 'the Board of Trade that there was traffic only for one line. The Caledonian had faithfully discharged their duties. Why were they not permitted to go cot and finish their work ? And if they did not Properly carry out the spirit of their undertaking, let Parlia ment visit them with all the vengeance they could exercise, but let them not pretend to say that this line was mit a competitor. He would ask them to say whether between 300,0001. and 400 ,000/. had been expended by the Caledonian Company ? He asked whether that was the way to dispose of the public money without any reasons being assigned ? He asserted that he was bet interested in this matter, further than beim': a director of the Caledonian Company, and he was glad to be able to afford that information to his Hoe. Friend, who appeased to feel no sympathy for him. He had no interest in it beyond that. His constituents and friends were strongly in Savour of the line, and last session he presented a petition from them in favour of the Bill, but after the Legislature had given its decision in favour of the Caledonian, all the constituents on earth should induce him to play so foul a part, to turn round against those who, under the sanction of Parliament, had em barked their capital in the undertaking, and support their old v olapetitor, who, like a snake, had been lying in the grass for 'the last few months. In truth, the present Bill was the same as the one which came before the House in the last session of Parliament, only it was under a differerit name ; but he trusted the House would not allow it to pass, and at the same time require the Caledonian proprietors to complete the task which they authorised them to take in the last session of Parliament. Mr. HUME wished to ask whether the Committee were unanimous or not ? _ _ Sir W. CLAY was understood to reply that they were per ectly- so. have JAMES STEWART said it was not his intention to tve addressed the House, but after what had fallen from his 'non. Friend the Member for , enfrewshire, who appeared aotieus to support a huge monopoly, he felt it indispensibly bt ee ms , s Clary to trouble the House with a few ob , ervations upon important Bill Hi' Hon. Friend had toid the 4.l °4se that the Committee upon the Caledonian Bill for six week., and that at the end of that period, after carefully consiCering the mat , er, the Committee Mme to the decision that the preamble to the Bill had been Proved but his Hon. Friend carefully avoided stating that Committee was not unanimous in that opinion. He did not tell the House that the Noble Lo r d the illemb.r fo r Ws opposed to the decision of the Committee. Nov with regard to the m er it s o f t h e Bill i tse lf, l e t hi m rem i n d the House. that Ayr was one of the most important counties in Scotland.—a county which abounde d and in m r o i r ch a rntnerals that were rapidly. anti daily becoming mor e Lond t L e ate o he had no doebt the knowledge of this fact welgh e e v o e mitteee in coming to this decision. The line, too, passed through the whole of the important towns of the district who had peti tioned strongly in favour of the line. Most of the praicipal landed proprietors were favourable to the line, and to show the estimation in which it was held, he might mention on its being Made kne,wn that the Bid had passed it was made the subject of a ge;neral rejoicing. M. FOX aIAULE said, before the House divided, he must be allowed to say a few words upon this important subject. He was connceed with neither corniia.y. and was only interested in obtaining the best trunk line from 'England to the North of Scotland. In 1839, it would be remembered, a Commission was ap pointed by Government to examine the county, with a view of discovering 'the best trunk line from England to Scotland. The Commission discovered, after a very careful investigation, that the county wa s exceedingly poor , and that an y line of railway run n i ng through it must depend upon the through traffic to Edinburgh anti Glasgow. They were, therefore, in.. clined to think that only one line could be maintained, and they reported what they thought would be the best and proper line. In 1841 the line laid down by the Commissioners was adopted ofby a company who enrolled themselves under the name or title the Caledonian Company, and in the course of time ano ther company presented itself to the country under the name _0! title of the Glas g ow, Dumfries, and Cariisleßailway. Both tllese schemes were considered first of all by the Board of T rade, who came to the same opinion as the Commissioners, that the country would not afford a sufficiency of traffic to maintain two great trunk lines and they decided that the line which ought to be selected and adopted by Parliament was tie Caledonian Railway. The Committee, after sitting for six weeks, and taking the most voluminous evidence, came to t: ,e decision that the Calte d*nian was a right and proper trunk line to be given to Scot land. They rejected the preambles of the other Bills, because they found that the country would nut admit of two railways. Its 1845, after great expense and a contest of six weeks in the Committee of that House—he could not say how long elsewhere—they attained their Bill. They were now employ ing 10,000 men on their works; they had entered into engagements for a million of m iney in their con trasts, and there was also a large sum fur which they were engaged. The present Company was one not ori ginating in wild speculation. It was a bona fide Company, acting upon the faith of Parliament, entering upon their winks, and eatrrying them on with the greatest possible speed. The Caledonian Company requested to be allowed to produce be fore the Committee evioence of the best possible nature, Densely, the evidence given before the Committee last year ; that application had not been granted.—( Hear, hear. ) Prom a report which he held in his hand, it appeared that Mr. Sergeant Wrangham made this application, for Mile reason unknown to him. That evidence had not been received. If the House concurred in the decision of the Committee, the effect would be to deprive the half of Scotland of a trunk line. He hoped, therefore, that Hon. Members would exercise that power vested in them of reviewing the de cisions of their Committees. If the flouts consented to aban dont its right to do so, there was an end to the matter. He en treated the House to take it into their serious consideration. Ile thought if such a decision was to be acted on, it would risk the carrying out of the railway system throughout Scot land, and materially interfere with the application of ca pital.-' An Holt. Maxus whose name we could not learn, spoke in favour of the decision of the Committee on the Nithsdale line, as it would open an important mineral and agricultural district, at present overlooked from the absence of railways. The mineral riches of Ayrshire at present were very great, there being 34 iron furnaces in blast, and the connexion with Dumfriesshire would be a great service in bringing the coal and iron of the former county to the latter, and in taking back agricultural produce to the manufacturing districts of the west. Sir EDWARD COL EBROKE said that on the present question it was important that they should ha ve before them the grounds of the first decision on the merits of the two lines. He did not wish to consider the question as a shareholder, but on public grounds,and heappealed to the Chairman of theCornmittee of last year, when the whole question was fully considered, to state whether the inquiry went to show that the country was too poor to support the two lines of rail way. If the fact were pre sumed, had taken place so, no alteration, he since las t year to justify snottier decision. They must, it the joint decision was the right one, best and if the Caledonian was the to supply the general wants of the country, support it, and reject the Nithsdale scheme. as he had b ee n Mr. PARKER, nappealed to, rose . to explain. It was not his intentio n o rise and o ff er an explanation as to the proceedings of l of last a );o s e t ew ye a r . r ' It was perfectly true t hat the Committee e divided on this subject. The four alenabers for Win ch ester, Cheshire, and Barnstaple jo ined with him (Mr. P arker) the opinion, that for the general purposes of Scotland, th at was to say for local traffic—( Hear, hear )—they considered, and he saw no reason why he should now change his opinion, that as a national hoe, and one calculated to accommodate all parts of the north of Scotland, the Caledonian was the bet. trunk Lee. —( Hear, hear.) If, therefore, there was to be a Caledonian line, then they had to consider what was to become of that most important population situate in the mineral district in the west of Scotland, a line for which dis trict should, in point of fact, be considered w,th respect to Dumfries. He was sorry to be forced to say that last year the Committee came to the conclusion that these two lines could not exist together.—( Hear, hear.) He was bound under the present circumstances to state the reasona of that decision The Committee thought that they were called upon to sanction the Caledonian and reject the other, as they dot not consider it as well adapted for the traffic of the district through which it would pass. The Noble Lord the member for Ply mouth was of a different opinion ; he thought that both lines could exist at the same time. The Committee, s heref re, with the view of leaving . the whole matter to another decision, con cluded that the decision, on the branch te - Dumfriesi t sbould be X e S t Mek. 1 110 7 4 0 MI 7_41 t o 0 _ 44 00 1 1 *AO! Tilt SUN, LONDON, - WEDNESDAY MORNIVG, JUNE 11, 1846. that should be incompatible with the interests of the public and the companies concerned. Now these were the simple conclusions at which they had arrived. And the Hon. Mem ber opposite would hear in mind that, in the first instance, the Caledonian was considered to be the best for Scotland at large, and they left the question as to the best railway accommodation for the western district to a future decision. They were de cidedly of opinion that that district should be immediately p vided with railway accommodation. He had felt himself called upon to lay this short statement of facts before the House. Mr. ESTCOIJRT rose, and was almost inaudible in the gallery, but we understood him to say that he was glad he had heard the opinions of the Chairman of the Committee last year. He begged the House to recollect that that Com mittee hail given its oecesinn on evidence such as was laid before them, and th.' facts as they were there stated no doubt appeared to justify that decisi n. Both schemes went into Committee, and that Committee it seemed preferred one of them on the grounds then laid down. But that evi -1 denee was also introduced, no doubt. by the Ntths dale Cemp,ny, and that was the time when the Caledonian ought. to have opposed it ; now to come in and oppose it, however good a lice it might be, however coovvnient for the country, was too much. All that had been done by the com mittee of this year was, that they disallowed one expression used in the dec sten of last year's committee, "that there was not sufficient traffic for both lines," and gave it as their opinion in the decision they had come to, that there was traffic enough for both lines. Mr. AINSWORTH said that an impression seemed to have been made on several Members of the House that the Corn mitteto Of this year refused to hear evidence ; such seemed to be the impression made on the Hon. Member for Perth. What had been said in that. Committee was simply that they were ready to receive all information that might be offered on the merits of the line, but they had nothing to say with ought that had been done by a Committee of last year. They listened with the greatest attention to the whole of the immense quantity of evidence atiduced before them in order that they might come to a just decision on the merits of the Bill. It had been stated that the Caledonian and \inlaid ale were rival lines but this was not so, and he considered the distinction drawn by the Hon. Member for Oxford was a fir one. The Caledonian was given last year as a direct line to the north, and without the slightest regard to affording railway communication to the eastern and western district sof Scotland; it was not granted with any view to intersect those rich mineral and agricultural dis tricts. They had the evidence of parties from Kilmarnock and from the mineral districts, and of every landed proprietor, all of whom were praying that the Nithsdale line might be made, as it would promote the interests of the country at large ; in short, they had the evidence, it seemed, of the whole population, whose prayer was. to the same effect, and the country from Dumfries up to Kilmarnock had been illumninated by the decision of the Committee.— ( Hear, hear.) And there could be no doubt that it would he a very great. benefit to the whole country at large. It appeared to him the: the Committee lest year looked forward to this Caledonian line as connecting the South with the North of Scotland, and the Committee this year viewed it in this light when they refused to pass the North British Railway. as they considered it would cempete with the ('ale d .nion Railway; out they could not take that view of the Dumfriesshire line, as no reason was adduced why the im portant districts of Dumfriesshire, Kilmarnock, and Ayrshire, should not have the communication with the Dumfries line. —( Loud cries of" Divide, divide.") Mr. LOCKHART considered that the Committee were justified in passing the Dumtrit sahire project, brit that they were not justified in cutting off branches projected by the Caledonian, which in the aggregate amounted to seventy miles. Mr. EWA RT said, as he represented the district which the Nithsdale railway was proposed to traverse ( Dumftiesshire), he wished to state that upon its Success depended in a great mea sure the prosperity of those large districts. He would not say one word more, except to express his hope, that after the unanimous opinion of the House and of the Honour able Member for Oxford in favour of the project, the Hen. Member (Mr. H. Johnstone) would not per severe in his motion. ( The Hen. Gentleman sat down amidst loud cries of Divide, divide ") Air. CUR:FELS wished to ask the Honourable Member for Renfrewahire whether he was a reader of the Edinburgh Ad vertic,r.—;Cries of " Divide, divide ") He wished to ask the Honourable Member this question, be - ause he thought it a most unbecoming thing for any Hon. Gentleman so go to a public meeting and say chit the decision of the C .mmittee was a partial one, for that was what the remake of the Hon. Gentleman amounted to. Ile stated that the e - mmitiee had been dazzled by the case attempted to he made nut by the promoters.—(Loud ores of "Divide, divides") He did think there was something very in im proper, and indeed somethi n g v e ry unfair, the remarks made against the cha'rman of that Ce emit - tee. He did nor care one farthing whether they set asitit• the decision of the Committee or not; he did not care in the slightest degree whether or not they upset the vote of the Committee; but he would say what was the use of sending Bills before a Committee when the decision of that. Committee was to be opposed in that House by Hon. Member. for no other rea'en than that they differed from that decision? All the Scotch Members in that House were up in arms against the decision of the Committee.—(Great confusion.) He believed that there was a Gentleman who had just entered the House who expressed himself very strongly at a puhlie meeting astainst the decision of the Committee, and ice believed that the Hon. Member went so far as to say that the decision of the Committee was not a fair one. He would not allow any oe to say that he had been influenced by any but the most impartial motives in voting in that Committee, and he would take the first opportunity of fully contradicting that imputation when he met that gentleman in private. He thought such conduct was most unprecedented and unworthy. He wished to know if the Hon. Member had rest the report of that meeting in the Edi , tburyk Act-rtiser. He would hand , he paper to the Hon. Member for his perusal.—( Leud cries of " Divide, divide," during which the Hon. Member handed the paper to Mr. P. Stewart.) TU. Hon. Member proceeded amidst great confusion. Hon. Members ought not to g t to public meetings where all were on one side, and there attack a Committee who could not be present to deny or con raven what wa‘ stated.—(Hear. ) Strangers were then ordered to withdraw. On our te-admissiow, aler an exclusion of nearly two hours, we found that the numbers were— For the motion that the report be considered ll9 For the amendment Majority Mr. HUVIE then objected to the votes of some Hon. Mean. bens, as they were interested in a pecuniary manner in the railway. A long discussion then ensued, and the House again divided, when the numbers were— permit any line to be made upon any other than the gauge of 4 feet 81 1 inches. This recommendation the Government pro posed to carry out with certain modificaiious, which could be seen from the resolutions he was about to submit to *' :house. He knew it would be difficult to resist the a, ~station, which would doubtless be made, for making lines in connexion with the Great Western. fle hoped, however, that if the House should sanction the resolutions which he would propose to the House, that it would elf ctually prevent parties from coming forward to construct bread gauge lines in the country north of the Great Western Railway. It was owing to the utter im possibility of effecting any uniforrnil of gauge by any equable mode of proceeding—either by compelling the Great Western to lay down the narrow gauge on their line, at their own expense er at the ex pense o the Crowe--chat the Government felt it their duty to propose ft: the consideration of the House the resolu tiot of which he had given notice. The House must bear in mind that the Great Western Company had led the wey in all the great improvements whict, had taken place in railway tra velling. The narrow gauge had nosv nearly coma up to the speed of the bread gauge. Taking all the circumstances into considextion, he was not prepared to state that. there was any superiority in the case of the broad over the narrow gauge. He would, therefore, mova the resolutions of which he had given notice:- 1. That no line shall hereafter be formed on any other than the four feet eight and a half inch gauge, excepting lines to the south of the existing line from London to Bristol, and excepting ant-ill branches of a few miles in length, in immialiate connexion with the Great Western. Railway ; but that no such line as above excepted shall be sanctioned by Parliament, unless a special report shall have been made by the Committee on the Bill, setting forth the reasons which have lad t . he Committee to advise that such live should be formed on any other than the four feet eight and a half inch gauge. 2. That, unless by the consent of the Legislature, it shall not be permitted to the directors of any railway company to alter the gauge of such railway. 3. That, in order to complete the general chain of narrow gauge communication from the north of England to the southern coasts, and to the port of Bristol, any suitable measures should be promoted to form a narrow gauge link from Gloucester to Bristol, and also from Oxford to Ba-ing stoke, or by any shorter route connecting the proposed Rugby and Oxford line with the South-Western Railway. 4. That the South Wales line, and its branches to Mon mouth and Hereford, should be permitted to be formed on the broad gauge, as sanctioned by their Act. 5. That the Rugby and Oxford line, and the Oxford, Wor cester, and Wolverhampton line, should be permitted to be formed on the broad gauge, as sanctioned by their Acts : that the Lords of the C rn:nittee of Privy Council for Trade shall exercise the powers conferred upon them by the several Acts, and shall require that additional narrow gauge rails shall forthwith be laid down from Rugby to Oxford, and from Wolverhampton to the junction with the Birmingham and Gloucester line; and that if it should hereafter appear that there is a traffic requiring accommodation on the narrow gauge from the Staffordshire districts to the southern coast, any suitable measure shall be promoted by Parliament to form a narrow g.iuge link from Oxford to the line of the Birmingham and 61 , 1w:ester Railway. Mr. LA BOUCHERE said that the question which the Right Hon. Gentleman had submitted to the House was one of the most important with respect to the railway interests of the country that could be submitted. He confessed that if he thought that it was necessary for the public interest of the country that all the railways throughout the country should be on the narrow gauge, it would not be the expense of the alteration of the gauge that would deter him from supporting the alteration He did not wish to enter into any discussion of the merits of the two gauges. But any one who had travelled on the Great Western must have felt that it was an easy mode of travelling, and that the railway was a great un dertaking,. Look, again, at the effect of competition on rail ways of different gauges. Taking these circumstances into consideration, and looking at the fact that the railway system was still in its infancy, he should feel no difficulty in pronouncing an opinion against the broad gauge. He thought there were eels in a diversity of gauge, which would in duce the House to say. neto is paribus, that railways of different constructions 'o the p , esent might be created. There was one part of the resontion- on which he would venture to threw out some hints for the coesideration of the Right Hon. Gentleman. There was one point which recommended that both the broad and the narrow gauge should be constructed on the same line. He was of (Tinier' that that doubt.; system should be admitted or:ly in special cases. In the case of the Birmine.am and Ox ford, and the Birmingham, Dudley, and Wolverhampton Rail ways, he would suggest to the Government whether it might not be allowed to establish the double line, and also in cases of the like description. He held that the decision on the gauges should he decided by public opinion alone, and that no hoard, whatever might be their authority, should be suffered to pronounce a dictum which could not be appealed from. The Hon. Gentleman then briefly adverted to the ex ercise of the powers conferred on the Board of Trade, and concluded by saying that he was of opinion that the Govern ment had adopted the hest course under the circumstances that it was possible for them to adopt. Mr. HUME could not. agree with the Government in the course that they were now taking. He would fully confess that formerly he was in favour of the broad gauge, and it was only since he had perused the report of the Board of Trade that he was at all altered in his opinion. He thought the Commis-ioners had come to a wise judgment—they had stated that it . break of gauge was a great inconvenience. The broad gauge had been carried on with great public spirit, but still he was not satisfied that it was the more proper. The railways extended, he believed, to 2.200 miles, and he wished to ask himself whether it was possible to have a universal broad gauge? He thought that every additional mile that was added to the broad gauge, was only increasing the difficulty of rail way legislation. He hoped that the House would agree to the first resolution of the Commissioners, that the gauge of rail way should not exceed tour feet and a half. He thought the intentions of the Government, if carried out, would only in crease the difficulty in which the gauges were already enve loped. Perhaps an intermediate gauge might be found, in after years, to be superior to either the broad or the narrow gauge. The opinion of the House ought to limit, at least for the present, the construction of railways to the narrow gauge alone. He would submit, in answer to the motion of the Right Hon. Gentleman, the following amendment:—That the gauge of 4 feet 81, inches be declared by the Legislature to be the gauge to be used in the cer.struction of all railways, in after years, in Great Britain. *lie G. Cl 2 & V thn.ght, in order to prevent the Great Western Company from completing their continuous line to the Western Coast, by means of the Cornwall and South Devon Rail way, it would be necessary to allow the Right Hon. Gentleman's For the motion For the amendment Majority a g ainst the Bill _.--4 only increase speculation in the market, and he thought that Mr. EW ART suggested that the motion should be post- until some tangible schemes were produced, the House poned for a week. It was in van for the House to purify its should suspend its judgment. He should decidedly object to Committees if it admitted of such verdicts in its own body ; the fourth resolution. The South Wales railway had already verdicts obtained by the most indirect motives. been passed, ard the broad gauge line had been declared to After some remarks from Mr. GREENE, which did not be the proper gauge for it. The same remark applied to the reach the gallery. Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton line, with the excep- Mr. CH RIsTIE said that under all the circumstances this tion that the Board of Trade possessed the power of corn• second division must h a ve bee n anticipated. 'The motion was yelling the company to lay down rails on the narrow gauge. lost by a majority of two, and it wpeared that there were two With these exceptions he was prepared to support the substance directors of the Caledonian Company amongst the maj=ority. of the resolutions. The HOH , P ought to alto x further time for consideration. Mr. E, ELLICE had adjourned the Committee of which Mr. WARD said, that the observations made by the Hon. he was chairman that day in order to get at the Altmber were most unf a ir. 121 Members had vied on one opinion of the House with respect to the gauges side, and 119 on the other. How ma -1 Members did the on the Bristol and Birmingham line at the Gloucester Hon. 31ember require to give their vote• in order that the and Stonehouae Junction- The Midland Company proposed senseof he House e n a private all might la, ascertained ? to alter the broad gauge between Storiehouse and Bristol to Lord PALMERSTON suggested 'he adjournment of the the narrow gauge ; hut such a proceedir ' r was contrary to the debate, which would mere fairly meet the views of all parties, spirit of the resolutions of the fituse. He had been teased and eoncluded by mnving the adjournment of the debate. with the opinions of counsel on the subject, and had heard a The SPEAKER then put the question, and after some multitude of witnesses, but could not form a competent opi further eonversation. nion. He bail at'j , urned his Committee for t he o pinion of the Mr. LA BOITCHERE strongly urged upon the House the Government. sa that he might be guided in coming to judg necessity for supeerting the decisions of its Committees, and ment on the subjec t. should be most happy to let the House have another opportu- Mr. CHARLES RUSSELL of herSSELL Majesty's wassaid,it Government, obviesinteentti, and nt d e nity of considering this question. support the v.sout Mr. P A KING TON agreed with the Hon. Gentleman should oppose the ottersain en of tiethe broad gauge to alter et.ltwouldbe aagery their eatinjguastuigece that it was most important for the House to sui•port and to compel the supi' respect the decision of its Committees, but this was a very par- to the willow line, after the imme .se sums they had expended ticular case. It in f a ct established a dan g ero u a precedent, and in the broad gauge. He had no objection to the repoi tof the showed the inconvenience wsich resulted from a Committee of Board of Trade ; it was plain, short, and above all it was prac this year reversing the decision of the Committe e o f last year. ticable. The broad gauge was to have possession of one side For his part he was ready to agree to an adjournment, but he of the country, and the narrow gauge the other; and the report confessed he felt strongly disposed to support. the Committee of ordered that in particular cases the narrow gauge should be l as t year.—( Hear, hear.) laid down in addition to the broad. The Government he Mr. AINSWORTH p si n t e d ou t t o th e H ouse th a t th e evi- thought had acted wisely in not binding themselves to either denee brought before the Committee of last year was entirely gauge; that was in not expressing itself in favour of the narrow different to that which induced the Committee o f thi s y ear to gauge. Th e b roa d gaOge had advantages over the narrow, pass the Bill. He should support the motion of the Hon. independently of speed and power. It afforded more accom !Member for Kilmarnock. modation to trade, and was far more convenient for passengers. Sir T. COL EBROOKE complai n ed that thei r legislation He admi ted that a break of gause was attended with some with regard to railways was most. defectiv e . There was no degree sf inconvenience, but he thought the evil, it evil it principle to guide them. a n d th e c ons e quence was th e decision could be calied had been greatly exaggerated. They had as of one Committee wa. , not bindi n g upo n anothe r . Something yet only the experience of one break of gauge, and that occurred ought to be done to render their system more binding and at the juiettiou of two lines whose proprietors were opposed to uniform. and more in accordance with the principles of common eac h (steer , or rather the narrow gauge company adopted sense, a policy - antigenistic to the broad gauge company. The The House then divided on Lord Palmerston's motion for bread g.uge, it had been proved beyond a doubt, could he adjournment, when there appeared— worked more ecouosnisally than the narrow, and this enabled a For the motion • . Against it Maj airy in favour of it On our return to the gallery are found Great Western district, ought to be changed. The Great Mr. PARKER suggest i ng t h a , b ot h th e Bills should be Western Company had done all they could to effect that object, postpo ne d f o r R twe i„, non ,e, and then part i es wou ld have an bnt hitherto with,,ut success. They had offered to convert the opportunity of reconsidering their respt etive pttsitions. Mr. HU%IE said the re h a d b een a goo n deal of crimlnatir n narrow into the broad gauge, or to lay down an additional and restaintnatie n indulged in in the progress ot this discussion , on the part of some Hun , Members, but tieingthe humble ; line on the broad gauge, but it had been refused. Still, how ever, the Great Western Company did not object to the reso. to assure the douse that he did it upon principle, and vita d u i t . vidual who suggested that the votes should be ed. be gged`m lutions. and he, for one, should glee them his most cordial rested, he support. the sliehest intention of wounding the feelings of any Hon. Mr. CHOLMONDELY said it was important that some Me A m ft be er r. a — fe ( w H w ea a r r , da be f a ro r..) Mr. BOUVEPIE, tribunal should be established to whom should be referred dis puted questions as to the applicability of either gauges to par ticular districts, or great injustice must eventually be inflict e d Mr. HUDSON expr e • se d it as hi s op i n i on that the uestio ought to be discussed, not. in th e li g ht of a private meas u re, bunt on many parties. He would mention a case where injustice as a .natter of public policy. He protested against being throug h the done through the want of such a tribunal, or rather thought to have any shares in this undertaking. At the same h the decision of the Board of Trade. The House was time he believed that shareholders, if there were any in the awate that the Great Western line already went to Oxford, while last year a Bill was passed for extending it on to Wor- House. and if they voted at all, would Tote on public grounds, aud consider only the public interests. The Hon. Gentleman center and Wolverhampton . Now after, or perhaps before, the s at down amid lairs After a few words from the m o ver and secon d er i s reply, be a gre t public advantage, particularly to Irishtraffic, traffic, if that line were continued on from Worcester, the House divided, when there appeared— through Wales, to Portdynllaen, but it was discovered that the Against the amendment In favour of it Majority against the amendment Deny. Ultimately however the Great Weatern Com an seeing the necessity of shortening tne cummunicatton betw een the were ordered to lie on the table. metropolis and Ireland, were induced to take up such a scheme, BATTLE OF THE GAUGES. and last session it was sanctioned by a Committee of that Mr. GREENE p r e•ented a p e titio n from a number of House, and it stood in the other House in the position of apri carriers of the metropolis praying the House to adopt some vileged Bill. Now, if these resolutions were carried, the line measures to secure the uniformity of gauges. could riot be made upon the broad gauge, and might in con- Sir G. CLERK r'se to call the attention o f th e House, sequence be altogether abandoned, or at all events, if it were carried out, it would involve another break of gauge at pursuant t.o noiee,to o a f e g a a se uge of . acnodnstiodedreavbislee some means t f h ov e Worcester. Now he thoug ht this was a hard case, and it question of uniformity ihrougtiout the country o f a uniform coarse - I served to convince him, he hoped itwould convince th e and g et a nn g m au is g s e ion was appointed last year, u pon the motion House too, of the necessity of establishing some board or tribunal to what measures to whom such cases as these could be referred.—( Hear.) s port, consi de r A report had been made Mr. NI. GIBSON saidthe d 11 Railway Company by Port yn ean upon this subj ec t. e or onat leastteit ought not, should be adapted and the Board of Trade were requested to having obtained an Act from that House to make for Sto k by that Cornmisoi nn • thought by °tObfrjahieniAnHon. Member . their resolutions into eff..ct. Their the measures cou re ld o b r e i a n d a o d p b te e d en fe l r ai c d ar b r . y lv in r e a ,the i not,tcould ling to au b g e e inter h fe e red with consider what practicat At the same time, when it was question, which might perhaps be a question of law rather than the Hou se . No person could doubt inconvenience of having ' these resolutions. But he rose for the purpose of asking a a divetsity . - 4- break of gauge. con s id ere d th e l ar ge sums of mossy which had be en ex- .3 a question coming under these resutions. He wanted to pen led by these companies in constructing their lines, it was know if a railway company, having obtained power to make a hard to ccompel these parties at their own sure narrow as well as the broad, altho ug h there is no mention of expense line on the broad gauge, had the power of making it on the to alter th e gauges . It was also a m ea not to be entertained that the charge branch railway was sanctiened on the broad gauge expense tr of the Crown. Several ingenious mechanical con- last _a . . ye y r . a ii and Taunton, and now he understood that the should he made at the the narrow gauge in their Act ? He asked this question because ivances had been laid before the Committee fur ti.e purpose from (nv •_. • . of obviatin g these evils. The Government had to consider ! Great Western Western, which was on the narrow gauge, pro readythe whole bearin g of I; So uth- t e c ase, both with respect to lines al- 1 and the Railway proposed to carry their line to Yeovil, constructed or those about , ro be constructed The Cain • i osed to carry theirs merely a continuation of the Great Western Railway. should be ; to make . the last session were anxious missionere considered. that the South * t the branch passed in Devon line, whi c h was ! p r omoters p o , t o Taunton, narrow a s wel l andas the e e h c r o o n a s d e consequence was the it upon the allowed to remain a broad g auge GE ULEBK line. They al so GEO a desirable that the South Wales should be enable him to j allowed to be con- ; ledge enough to Member. He begged strueted on the broad gauge. There Honourable • were tw o lines which ' the • question of the .said he had not legal know the Honourable Baronet were passed last year by the Parliament in which I were inserted compelling the parties to lay down, clauses t, who asked, in reference to the it was required. a narrow gauge upon these lines. Thes l e f ' the Member for Devonpor power was already given to lay lines were the Oxford and Rugby and the Oxford, Wor- ' Oxford and Rugby line, where whether it would l leave to state also, in answer to ceser, and Wolverhampton. It was proposed by the Com- I -down sanction of the Legislature, rnissioners to compel the parties forthwith to la y ,be necessart o receive again the The Member roots on the broad and narrow gauges, ;that any additi ona l down the narrow gauge according to the terms of their Acts.for the construe- Withfor Coventry, the . chairman of the company regard to all railways hereafter to be sanctioned, the tion of th e the north of sanction was unnecessary. connectmg trunk of railway between roird of Inds proposal Vat to Goveramoat should so gpsi t ag a l v a • A 9 V" . mut, -a has trail Liogby, sqpite4 tht the terms of the resolutions should be more general. Be ( Sir G. Clerk) thought it would be better for him to ap ply directly to the Board of Trade on the subject, fur the line betwixt Gloucester and Bristol was peculiarly circumstanced, and he was certain the Board of Trade would give it their earliest consideration. LITERATURE. TRAVELS OF LADY HESTER STANHOPE. 3 Vas. By her Physician. What the author of these volumes had commenced in his previous publication, he has completed in these Eastern Travels—namely, a copious biography of Lady Hester Stanhope, the beautiful, accomplished, and ec centric nieces of William Pitt. We conceive that in so doing he has discharged himself of a very important duty which he owed to his contemporaries and posterity. Fur it is precisely from works of this description that we obtain the most correct notion of those domestic re lations which not unfrequently influence the p,llVcal movements of statesmen, and change the whole condi tion of an empire. It is from the memoirs of Sully that we glean our most correct knowledge of the otherwise hidden machinery of the Government under Henry the Fourth ; it is from the autobiography of Madame de Maintenon that we peer into the secret chambers of the French Court under Louis the Fourteenth ; it is from the remarkable scholarship of Anna Comnena that we obtain the principle portion of our information respect ing the Byzantine Empire under her brother, the Em peror Comnenus. Indeed, if we survey history from the most antient to the most modern periods, we shall invariably find that our truest guides to the actuating sentiments of a legislator are discoverable not in State documents, not in official statistics, not in dry debates, but in those lively, anecdotal, and almost flippant bio graphies which are given to the world by the minor actors in the great scene—by men or women who have associated in familiar life with th e more dis- Air. LABOUC :IERE, who concurred in the views of the Government, thought, however, it would be more convenient • if they would consent to adjourn the present debate and recon sider these resolutions, for he thought alter the discussion which had taken place any amendments that might be introduced would be very defective. He thought that too much was left to the dicretion of Committees, and that more should depend directly on the sanction of the House. Hi 3 principle was, that the broad gauge ought not to be extended ; always, of course, presumit.g that no engineering difficulties interfered to prevent the construction of narrow guage lines. But in the re,elution proposed, exceptions were made in favour of certain short branch lines running into the Great Western, which were to be permitted to lay down the broad eauge. Now, there was a short line connected with the South Wales Railway—a short line trom Portsmouth to the Bristol Channel—but it ap- peared to him most vicious to lay down that line on the nar row gauge. He mentioned this only to show the House how these resolutions would operate in certain cases. Sir WILDE said, it was the general opinion that the object of the resolutions was to avoid a break of gauge, and that these resolutions should be reconsidered. Defects in them had been suggeste dWhiCh - lie . tl;ouidit attached to them, but he had heard no answer given upon the subject. These resolutions ought be reconsidered, for in his opinion they were deficient. The second resolution, for example, made certain exception•, yet in reference to these excepted lines, which had already got the sanction of the Legislature, it wag said that they were not to alter their gauge without the sanction of the Legislature. He did not understand what was meant; they had already gotten the sanction of the Legislature, and they were compelled to apply for it again. Again, by the fourth resolution, the South Wales line and branches into Hereford were to be sanctioned anguished personage. Hence it was that the pre vious publication respecting Lady Hester Stanhope— though crammed with ridiculous exhibitions of her vanity and prurient with frivolities—possessed never theless an importance, and attracted an attention en. tirely apart from the literary merits of the composition or the personal character of the heroine. Every one turned very naturally to such volumes for some glimpse of the Prime Miniiter in his morning gown and slippers; they expected to hear the great orator chatting about his opponents over the tea-board; they yearned to listen to his views of contemporar legislation and contempo rary legislators, when incited to freedom of remark by the abandon of social conversation. Nor in these ex rectations were they altogether disappointed: much as we might have experienced a feeling of annoyance at the interminable harping-upon-self in his niece, we ex perienced pleasure notwithstanding at the casual peeps we thereby obtained of the renowned Prince. In the travels, however, which conclude the Memoirs of Lady Hester, we are compelled to give ourselves up entirely to the romance attrched to that tair adventurer. Pitt has spoken his last harangue, has plotted his lest in trigue; Pitt has drawn his last sad breath in solitude, in desolation, and almost in obscority; the great Minis ter, whose mandate was so recently the guiding voice of the anti-Napleon monachs, is rotting unremembered in its coffin. _Lady Hester Stanhope discovers that the on the broad gauge. Why, he asked, should these lines be sanctioned again when they had gotten the sanction of the Legislature already. The effect of the sth resolution was equally irregular. For if the House intended to do something s as the resolution presumed, why should the Board of Trade recommend them to do that—why should the House be com pelled to do that which it was willing to do ? Surely, he said, the propositions might be stated in a mariner more worthy of the dignity of the House, and, therefore, the resolu tions might be reconsidered with advantage. The last resolution was most unparliamentary, for it proposed that the House should compel the Board of Trade to do some thing recommended by the Gauge Commission. The Learned Gentleman proceeded to comment upon the first resolution, il lustrating the inconvenience which would arise from it if ear ned out. The Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhsmpten line, be said, joined the Great Western at Oxford. Was that line, he wished to ask, to be considered as a connexion with the Great Western Railway, and would that be among the exceptions allowed in favour of some short branches running into the main line of the Great Western ? It was doubtful whether they would so consider it. Bat if it were, he submitted that branches cf a few miles in length, though not directly connected with the Great Western, yet running into the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton line, were as much to be looked upon as branches of the Great Western as thoFe which fell into it immediately, and therefore to be made excep tions under the resolution. He therefore thought that the words of that resolution ought to be general, and he was sure that the Right Hon. Baronet would lose no time, and would consult the general convenience, if he withdrew the resolutions that they might be reconsidered. Mr. E. DEN ISON said the House seemed to be almost unanimous in thinking that the last three resolutions ought to be withdrawn, and that the first two should be amended as had been suggested by the Honourable Member for Devonport He wished to insert the Board of Trade in the resolutions. He thought there could be no objection to this course. With that slight alteration he thought the resolutions should be allotted to pass. tilistpan which has hitherto obtained her so much adu lation (viz. influence !) is for ever shivered into atoms. Her heart mines with a feeling of disappointment, and of pensiveness, and of unusual tranquillity. She re solves to dissipate her moodiness by going in quest of adventures, and to distract her memory by visiting foreign countries. The consequence of this resolve is, her migration with a suitable suite (among whom is the writer of the narrative) to the laud of the Orientals. Of her singular mode of life in that remote region there is assuredly no Englishman but has listened to some gossip, or who has had his curiosity excited by mysteri ous iruendoes of her magnificence, her loneliness, her hospitality, and her munificence among the Musselmen. That curiosity may be fully and elaborately appeased by the three volumes just published by the anonymous physician of the expedition. His descriptions of the rather uncleanly inhabitants of Syria, of the somewhat unprepossessing females, of the singular customs of the people, of the scenery and of the various cities, are peculiarly lively and as peculiarly graphic. The book is better than a score of ordinary novels for interest, and is preferable to a thousand works of travel for the truthfulness of its delineations. We only regret when the author forsakes the beaten track of his subject, to meddle in matters upon which he only betrays his ignorance. For example, he mentions an hospital at Jaffa, " which is said to have been the grave of many Frenchmen poisoned by Buonaparte, when he raised the siege of St. Jean d'Acre." Here is the old trumpery libel raked up again, and actually thrust upon the credulity of the reader, after the charge bas been so elaborately refuted by Las Cases, O'Meara, Savary, Hazlitt, and even by Sir Sidney Smith himself, whose silence alone would have eonstituted its triumphant re futation. For the satisfaction of those who may be inquisitive in such matters of costume, we transcribe the following description of Lady Hester Stanhope's eastern dress:— Sir R. PRICE thought it unfair that the broad gauge lines should be confined to he narrow limits assigned to it by the report of the commissioners. He hoped they would shortly see one of these broad gauze lines going to the north with double the speed, and carrying three times the load which the narrow gauge company could. Mr. DENISON thought that there should be no time lost .n deciding this question. He had the honour of being chairman of a Committee in which one portion of country between Exeter and Yeovil was contested for by the broad and the narrow gauge. If it was the pleasure of the House that only the narrow line should be laid down on this district, they would of course know what to do in the matter. Mr. W. COLLETT considered that, although the broad gauge had been a very pretty and successful experiment, and had produced a spirit of competition among railways which had been of great advantage to the interests of the public, yet with reference to the starement4 of the Hon. Member for Reading (Mr. Russell) of the economy of the broad gauge, he would say that it was a statement utterly unsupported by pvidence. The Commissioners had decided quite the contrary in their report. After hearing all the evidence which could be adduced before them, they declared that the nar row gauge was ihe more economical of the two, and better adapted for the interests of the public. He hoped the House would at once come to some resolution upon the matter, and not allow the present state of uncertainty to hang over the Committees having to dee , de upon the tailways brought before them. Mr. HAYTER considered that with reference to the South Wales Railway the present resolutions would prove highly ob jectionable, as the Tenhy and Saundersfoot, and other branches belonging to the South Wales, must be constructed upon the narrow gauge if the resolutions were carried out in their in tegrity. The same would apply to the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton, and even to the Great Western Railway itself. He hoped the Government would make those resolu tions more perfect and more adapted to the circumstances they were required to meet. Mr. F. SCOTT wished to know why the three resolutions had been abandoned. He thought the whole of the resolu tions should have been passed as they were first proposed. Sir J. CLERK stated that objection was taken to the word ing of these resolutions. Mr. F. SCOTT—Does the third resolution stand as originally proposed? Sir J. CLERK—It does not. "In addition to her more splendid habiliments, Lady Hester had, whilst at Cairo, procured a travelling Mameluke dress. It consi'sted of a satin vest, with long sleeves, open to the bend of the arm, which reached to the hips only, and folding over at the chest was attached with a single button at the throat and waist ; over this again she wore a red cloth jacket, in shape like a scanty spencer, with short sleeves, and trimmed with gold lace. The trousers were of the same cloth, gorgeously embroidered with gold at the pockets, as well before as behind. They were large and loose, as is the fashion in Turkey, and, when worn, formed, by their nume rous folds, a very beautiful drapery. Over the whole, when on horseback, she wore the burnooz or white-hooded cloak, the pendent tassels and silky look of which gave great ele gance to her figure. The turban was a Cashmere shawl, put on with the peculiar fulness which the Mamelukes affect in their head-dress, and which is very becoming. This dress, as far as regards the sherwals (or trousers) which were of the same colour as the jacket, is peculiar to Egypt : for throughout Syria the sherwals is almost always blue, and generally dark. But this Egyptian costume was more proper for her ladyship, because hersaddle and bridle were Egyptian ; being of crimson velvet embroidered in gold." As some palliation of what might otherwise appear like indecorum, we sive the author's account of the lady's reason for abandoning the habiliments more suited to her sex : Air. F. SCOTT—Then I object to the alterations the Right Hon. Baronet intended. He Was supposed to adhere to his second speech. Dr. 130 WRI NG wished to know whether the short branches of railways from the South Wales lines, running towards the sea, would be allowed to be constructed on the broad gauge. The sea wouk' be an effectual boundary, and they could not run into the narrow gauge country. Sir 0. CLERK said that provisions had been made in the resolutions for that circumstance. Under all the circum stances he saw no reason why they should not be constructed on the broad gauge. Mr. HAWES - thought that it was of some importance to conclude the discussion on these resolutions as early as pos sible. He could not help remarking that during the whole evening not a single Member had supported the amendment of his Hon Friend the Member for Montrose, yet the system pro posed by him was one of considerable value. The Board of Trade had taken into consideration all the circumstances con nected with railway companies, and had come to some deter minations with respect to the broad and narrow gauge. It was most desirable that the Government should press these determinations upon the attention of the House. Colonel ANSON said that the gest of the argument of his Hon. Friend was, that some discretionary power should be left to the Government to continue the double line further than was conveyed in these resolutions. He would be glad to sup port such a plan, but at the same time he thought that no mixture of the gauges should take place ; but that the lines should run entirely and strictly separate. Lord PALM ERSTON said that he had heard of a curious invention for the purpose of obviating the inconvenience of a break of gauge. The principal inconvenience arose, not from the transfer of passengers from one gauge to another, but from the transfer of goods. It consisted of a waggon, the trunk part of which was separable from the truck part, and the trunk part when loaded could easily he transferred to another truck on the broad gauge. In this mariner a merchant could toad his own waggon and send it down by the ordinary waggon to the railway, where it would be transferred to the truck on the line. He thought that the House should have some report upon this subject, in order to see how far the principle was applicable to break of gauge. Mr. HUME said that he would not then press the motion he had made to a division, but he would allow it to remain upon the paper to mark his sense of the conduct of the Govern ment. "It will be thought by many persons, that Lady Hester Stanhope violated too far the regard due to her sex in the resolution she now adopted of equipping herself as a man, and as a Turk. But let it be recollected that she had lost everything in the shipwreck, and that even the cities of the Levant, had she been in one, had neither milliners nor mantua-makers, who understand how to make European female-dresses, nor materials for them, could she have made them herself. The impos , :ibility of getting what she wanted was therefore so evident, that she unavoidably made choice of the Turkish costume, in which the long robes; the turban, the yellow slippers, and pelisses, have really nothing incompatible with female attire. Nor can we refrain from entertaining the reader with a very gorgeous narrative of a procession of the sultan at Constantinople. It runs (the narrative, not the pro cession) thus : "First came some dozens of water-carriers, who bore skins of water across their backs, with which they laid the dust as they advanced. On the right and left of the street was a double file of janissaries. Bostangis, with knotted whips, kept the crowd from pressing on the procession. Net to the water-carriers came a group of nondescript persons; grooms to hold horses, servants to unrobe their effendis or masters, and other hangers •on or attendants of great men. After these, upon a finely caparisoned horse, surrounded by a dozen valets on foot, followed a fierce-looking Turk, with a black beard; and I and my companion exclaimed, Here comes the Sultan:'—it was only his coffee-bearer We made the like remark at a second, and a third ; but they were his stool, sword, and pipe -bearers, who, with the emblems of office in thair hands, passed in succession. " The surprise which the splendour of these inferior officers of the palace excites is increased, when the Captain Pacha, the Reis Effendi, the Kakhya Bev, and the Grand Vizier, pass by, muffled in pelisses worth 2001. each, wearing in their girdles hangers or daggers studded with diamonds, and mounted on horses almost sinking under the weight of gold housings. Our ideas were confused by the magnificence which we saw displayed. And now, on a sudden, the crowd, which had been noisy and making their remarks on the scene before them, was hushed. A solemn and really an awful silence prevailed, whilst only low whispers were heard that the commander of the faithful was near . Ever Turk immediately folded his long robe over his breast, crossed his hands before him, dropped his head on his bosom, and, in a tone of voice just audible, prayed Allah and Mahomet to preserve the perpetuity of the royal race. Our object was curiosity, and we looked eagerly for the Sultan, but could hardly obtain a glimpse of him. His person, too sacred to be gazed on, was almost hidden by the lofty plumes of feathers of the attendants who surrounded him, each of whom wore a vest of glittering stuff representing resplendent armour, and on his head a crested helmet. Fancy must assist the reader in imagining the gorgeous housings, studded with rubies, emeralds, and other precious stones, on a ground of gold, that covered the Sultan's horse, which was a milk-white stallion." We congratulate the author on having removed from himself a responsibility—namely, the exclusive know ledge of circumstances which should not be kept from the world. He has written with an agreeable sparkle of style, and with a very valuable brevity. The six volumes are a curious innovation upon the usual manner of biographies ; and as they relate to the niece and fa miliar associates of the celebrated Pitt, they cannot fail to secure a multiplicity of readers of this and of other .enerations. The first resolution was then carried, with the exception of the words " South Wales " being inserted after the words " Great Britain." The second was then prop osed. After a few words from L ord PALMERSTON, Sir G. CLERK E consented to add the words "that it is the: opinion of this House that no directors shall hereafter alter the gauge of their hne without the consent of Parliament," before the words " that no line shall hereafter be formed." Sir R. PEEL suggested that the best way of wording the resolution would be this—" That it is the opinion of this House provision should be made by law to prevent directors of rail ways from altering the gauge hereafter."—( Hear, hear.) After a few words from Mr. Ricardo, Sir T. Wilde, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the suggestion was adopted, and the resolution as amended agreed to. On the third resolution being proposed, Mr. T. BARING said he was afraid the spirit of the reso - lutions might be misconstrued, and parties who were promoting particular schemes, such as the Manchester and Southampton line, seriously injured by such misconstruction. He wished, therefore, to add these words to it, 88 Without prejudice to the formation of any other railway connecting the north of England with the southern coast." A short discussion ensued upon the propriety of more spe cifically defining the line from Basingstoke to the south, or rather the part in the South, whence it should be carried. Colonel ANSON moved that the words specifying the line from the north to the south should be omitted altogether. Mr. C. RUSSELL said the resolution was sufficiently plain and explicit, and he was prepared to support it as it stood. Mr. B. HAWES supported the resolution upon the same ground. Mr. E. DENISON protested that he would divide the House upon the resolution, if it were persevered in, for it was understood at an early period of the evening, that its consider poned, with a view of defining more whichex it alluded. It was the knowled g e of this consider ation ay w c tto which e e induced d s u t eed him to resist its adoption now, Mr. HAYTER hoped that the Right Hon. Baronet would not submit to any alteration in the original resolutions. Colonel ANSON said he would withdraw his amendment if the Right Hon. Baronet would consent to the reconsideration of the resolution. Sir G. CLERK said what they proposed was to lay down the narrow gauge to Oxford, and rails on both the broad and narrow gauges along some part of the North Western. Mr. HAWES said the object was to harmonise the two gauges, so that the country should be shared between them. He granted that the narrow gauge had got the lion's share. Yet a line had been fixed of demarcation between them, but the effect of the resolution of the Hon. Member for Portsmouth would be to break in upon that. The galleries were ordered to be cleared for a division, but it was afterwards agreed to adjourn the debate. Mr. HUME mowed for leave to bring in a Bill for procuring accounts of receipt and expenditure by all persons administer ing charitable trusts in England.—Agreed to. Mr. FREWEN moved for leave to bring in a Bill for the more effectual administration of justice.—Agreed to. Captain PECHELL postponed his motion for taking into consideration the petition of the rate-payers of the parish of Winkfield, complaining of the conduct of the Poor-law Com missioners, and the proceedings of the board of guardians of the East Hampstead Union, till a future day. The Honourable Member then moved for a copy of the minute record ing the dissent of one of the Poor-law Commissioners to the issue of the Order of the Bth day of November, 1845, pro hibiting the employment of paupers in workhouses in pounding bones. Also, a copy of a report of the Secretary of the Poor law Commissioners on Bone-crushing. —Agreed to. CHURCHES BILL. HOME AND COLONIAL LIBRARY, No. XXXIII. Memoirs of a a Missionary in Canada. In conducting this very valuable series of publications Mr. Murray is careful to appeal to the various literary tastes of his subscribers ; and so to alternate the themes as to beautify and diversify the collection. The present volume, which is pleasantly and unaffectedly written, initiates the reader into the domestic life and the social condition of the inhabitants of that gigantic colony, while it en livens the narrative with the incidents encountered by the narrator—the vicissitudes and adventures of a Christian missionary. There is a novelty about the scenes described, and an air of truthfulness about the manner of the descriptions, which invest the page with of some now haunted interested man by a peculiar fascination. We travel on through the suc cessive chapters, now involved in a snowdrift, n ow providential escape from robbers, n a -w d b st e y artl o decoyed dby anearthquake, the account until we are suddenly surpri se d to find our selves at the termination of the vo l ume, vinthd our sin cere wish that the obnoxious fi nis had no t tol m appearance until aft e r th e i ntervent i on of anoth a er 150 t pages. As an agreeable, chatty, and yet reflective por trait of Canadian life, these memoirs will be read with profit, and, we are confident, with pleasure. As a specimen of the natural and spontaneous tone of the sketches, we give the following description of an earth quake : " It was in the depth of winter, in the month of January. We were on a visit to my wife's brother. The night was ex tremely cold, and as still as the grave ; there was not a breath of air stirring. My brother-in law and myself were sitting talking by the stove in the hall; my wife had just left US, and had gone up stair to bed: when all at once w e heard a rumbling noise, precisely like that produced by a stree ht. eavi Al t y paved laden cart driven at a rapid pace along a first the sound was faint and distant, and then came nearer and nearer, till it seemed to pass close under the windows ; and as it did so it shook the house violently, and thengradu ally receded and went off again into the . distance. We rose from our seats, and looked at each otherg fear and amaze raelat,_gs we tinL l F • I all§ Q the how mayisg The second reading of the Churches' Bill was postponed till thi4 day. COUNTY WORKS PRESENTMENTS (IRELAND) AMENDMENT BILL. The consideration of the report on this Bill was postponed till Thursday. The other orders of the day were th en di sposed of, and the unso Ootu%ad a LIW-p&O Oa o'cicd._ to and fro. My poor wife, in her fright, rushed out of her room to the head of the staircase. Her first impulse, dic tated by the inherent principle of self-preservation, was to make her escape; but she recollected that her little daughter and her two boys were in bed in an adjoining room, and the feelings of the mother predominated over her fears for her own safety. After calling to us to know what was the mat ter, but without waiting for our answer, she ran back to them, and found her little girl fast asleep, but the boys were sitting upright in bed, perfectly bewildered, and wondering what had awakened them. I have said that the noise was like that of a loaded cart passing rapidly along a paved street; but it was vastly louder, and its duration longer, for it passed very slowly by. No damage was done to the house, save some cracks in the plaster and cornices of the lower rooms." Nothing could be more simple as a composition, but the impression . conveyed is singularly vivid. The author has seen, and thought, and written well. RIO DEL MONTE MINES. Received Bth June, 1846, per the Tweed.—Extract of a letter dated Mineral del Monte, April, 1846 :—I have not failed to notice, for some time past, the advantage which Mr. Bowring's process has obtained over that of Moreno, and you will have perceived by the accounts that the patio at Regla has been wholly conducted on this plan, since Mr. B.'s departure, by Mr. Woodfield, and with good effect, particularlyin the last three months. The barrels continue to give very uniform results, both with respe c t t o th e l oss o f s il ver , quicksilver, and cost of benefices ; and as by this method all classes of ore can be eq ua ll y b ene fi ciate d , I t hi n k t h at a f ter awhile it will probably supersede the patio entirely ; especially as by Mr. Spangenburg's improved method of calcining the ore, the barrels w ill i n future be discharged once in twelve,instead of once in twenty-four hours. Mr. S, has consented to take this department for a short time under his own special direction; and from the favourable result already obtain e d s i nce th i s improved method of calcining has been introduced, not only is there a less loss of silver, but the time is materially shortened, and cost less. For inst ance , f ormerly the furnaces were generally changed once in each eighteen hours ; at pre sent the operation seldom exceed five hours ; and again, the quantity of salt is reduced f rom a b out 7 i to 4 per cent. I beg to hand you enclosed a letter from Mr. Span genburg to Mr. Taylor, dated 24th instant. The results of this first trial on 58 quintals of ore, it will be seen, are very satisfactory ; we are now making preparations to increase this establishment for reducing a larger quantity. In the first trial the process proceeded very slowly, but Mr. S. hopes to be able to overcome this ; it will, however, still be necessary to augment the num ber, and put up larger tines than those at present in nse. A great number of people in this neighbourhood have anxiously watched these trials, and I believe nearly all parties are of opinion that it will very soon supersede all other methods of reducing silver ores in this country. Considering such may pos sibly be th case, I am hesitating with respect to the completion of the sixteen new barrels proposed to be erected at Sanchez. Nothing, however, will inter fere with the speedy erections of the water-wheel, and if this new beneficio should be found to answer better than the barrels, we might then attach 20 or 24 stamp heads to the wheel, thus increasing the quantity by water, instead of by mules, as proposed at present. In order, however, to avoid being thrown much out of our calculation with respect to this hacienda, I have given instructions to continue the works now in hand for the barrels, which will not cause much extra expense, even supposing the wheel should eventually be used for grinding instead of working the barrels. I noticed in my letter of last month that the grinding power at Sanchez, when the additional arrastres are completed, would be equal to about 560 cargas per week ; but if the 16 barrels now in hand are completed, and discharged twice instead of once in each 24 hours, we shall require nearly double that amount of grinding, for which means must be devised hereafter. , 10.11 .••••••r... COLONIAL AND EIVIIGRAT: rO N COMMISSION_ The following are extracts from the sixth O'neral report of the Colonial and Emigration Commis:to ners (just presented to Parliament by command of her -Ma i es ty) NEW 8011TH WALES : ITS FINANCIAL STATE. In our last report we noticed the gradual improveoent which has taken place in the general state of the coloo7, and we are happ y to perceive that each accoun t s i n c e r e P ceived tends to confirm our expectations that we should soon hear of its returning prosperity. The G Ollll.- nor, in a dispatch transmitting the abstract of th,e revenue and expenditure for 1844 and the esti— mate for 1846, says, that he considered the finances of the colony to be in a very satisfactory state. The ordinary revenue, which in 1843 fell short of the expenditure by 11,895/. 19s. ld. in 1844, ex ceeded the expenditure by 8,9331. Bs. lid., and &hi:to - ugh their was not in either of these years any contribution towards the ordinary revenue from the Crown revenue, at the commencement of June last, there was then in the Treasury about 70,0001., of which something - more than 20,000/, was Crown revenue. There is, however, sr debt on the Crown revenue of 100,0001. for immigra tion, bearing an interest of six per cent. This debt was incurred'to pay for the last immigrants sent out, under an arrangement sanctioned in 1843, before the depressed state of the colony had rendered it necessary to put an entire stoppage to emigration at the public expense. SOUTH AUSTRALIA. During the year 1844, the quantity of land sold was 3,428 acres, and the amount reEdised 5.666/. 13s. The extent of land surveyed was 6,680 acres, at a cost of about 41d. an acre. This is considerably higher than the average of the preceding year's surveys ; but Captain. Promo explains that the whole of the 6,680 acres con sisted of detached blocks of land, lying in different parts of the settled districts ; and that the excess' of expense is accounted for by the small size of man); of the blocks, and the incessant movement of then surveying parties from one part of the colony to another. The total quantity of land surveyed and open for settlement on the 31st of December, 1844, was 663,553 acres. Further accounts, however, have been received of sales effected in the colony up to the 31st of May, 1845, amounting to 124/. 125.; and we have every reason to believe that much more considerable sales have since occurred. In this country, also, as much as 20,0001. was deposited during the past year in the pur chase of land by the Australian Mining Company, be sides 1,1001. by other firm the statem en t s we ' depositors. Sub'equent accounts, w e mentioneda r o gls d l a t: t r o e f p o t r h t , e fully disco vcoenry of valuable mines of lead astidcopper. Appendix an extract fromeGovernor We place Grey,eA in u the o both Re port o f onr the mines containingnesa n d obthe generally minterestin g favourable observation s pros pects of the colony. The source of wealth thus unrxpectedly op ened to the colonists appeared to offer a favourable op portuni ty of providing for a revenue, which, without being onerous, might keep pace with the growth of. prosperity in the colony. Accordingly, in compliance with Lord Stanley's directions to consider the subject, we consulted with different gentlemen connected 'with the management of mines in Eugland, and with others desirous of embarking capital in mining operations in South Australia; and we submitked our views to his Lordship in a report, dated the 14th of May last. His Lordship referred the whole matter to the Governor, authorising him', to establish, with the advice of the xecutive Council, such rules as might appear best adapted to the circumstances of the colony, subject, however, to their being confirmed, dis allowed, or modified by her Majesty's Government. By the latest accounts the demand for labour *una rmed particularly for agricultural labourers, shepherds , mechanics, miners, and female domestic servants ; sad notwithstanding a considerable; influx of labourers (amounting in the year 1804 to 809, and in the first quarter of 1825 to 613), the previous high rates of wages were maintained. By Mr. Woodfield's letter to ,Mr. Taylor, dated the 24th instant, you will perceive that the returns from Regla patio of last month were considerably less than the estimate, Mr. Woodfield having deemed it expedient to delay the washing of 3 or 4 tortos, in consequence of their not being properly rendido, but which, in the earlier part of the month he expects to have brought in. In the first three months of the year there were 927 montones ground in this hacienda, whereas only 730 were washed, leaving a surplus of 197 montones for the second quarter. By the statement of costs and returns for March, it will be seen that the total silver produce amounted altogether to only 27 bars, comprising 12 from Regis patio, 9 from Fundiciones, and 6 from Sanchez ; total value, 32,000 dollars. The mines cost amounted to 25,400 dollars general expenses ; charges on produce, minerals, &c., 6,689 dollars ; the haciendas to 2,270 dollars; making a total of 54,360 dollars, thereby showing a loss of 22,380 dollars. The reason of the small returns from the Fundiciones I explained in sly letter of last month ; namely, the breaking of the main rods in the Dolores diagonal shaft, which prevented the working in the Santiago level west, and in the San Enrique and San Pablo bottoms, and which compelled us for upwards of a fortnight to sus pend the workings of the Fundiciones. During this time also, it should be borne in mind, that Acosta Mine was nearly full of water, while Terreros engine was being erected ; and besides which there was not less than 8,200 dollars for stores at Regla brought into this month's accounts, which should have been en tered two months before. There were also 2,820 dollars charged for materials, Sce., for San Antonio hacienda. For the present month the returns will, I expect, be something better than the estimate ; say, about 42 bars. Even during this time we lost nearly one week's work on the best laborer, on account of the Semana Santa. However, after all these misfortunes and drawbacks, I have the satisfaction of informing the directors that our prospects of future returns have of late decidedly improved. The raisings of this month have been as follows : Azoque. Fuego. April 4 ~ 11 ), 18 „ 25 In the last week there will be seen a notable in crease, both of Azuque and smelting ore. The latter, however, is at the present moment of the greatest importance ; and as you will perceive by Captain ltatling's report, that the lode in Santiago level west of Dolores is about of a taras wide, a large portion of which smelting ore, assaying 150 mares per mouton, while the remainder is Azoque, containing from 25 to 30 marci per monton, and taking into consideration that this place is about 15 varas east, and 17 varas below the San Pablo winze, there is reason to expect that the whole of this piece of ground will turn out to be productive. I therefore venture to make out the estimate for next month as follows : Cost 5 weeks Returns 58 bars Dollars. 56,300 69,600 Profits 13,300 And, as the ground seems to be lengthening in the Santiago, there is every probability of its continuing for a considerable time to come. I expect, therefore, we shall go on making profits for the remaining part of the year ; if the ore continues as at present, there can be no doubt about it. By Captain Skinfell's report you will be informed that the east new engine at Acosta was put to work on the 2d instant. We have had some difficulty in forking the water, in consequence of a pump having broken out ; I trust, however, we have at last overcome all difficulties. as the engine works remarkably well, and keeps the water very easily. The puropmtn are now employed fixing the two new plunger lifts at the Aviadero level, which Captain Skinfell calculates will be finished about the middle of May, after which we shall resume driving the new level twenty-four ♦arcs below the Aviadero, and also with the sinking of the shaft— two most important works which have been delayed so long a time owing to the increase of water: You will notice that Captain F. speaks of a winze called San Pascul, situated 246 varas south of Acosta below the San Antonio level, in which there is a branch of smelting ore about a foot wide, which assayed on Saturday last upwards of 200 marks per monton., This winze is in the neighbourhood of San Cayetano, where we rose some very rich ore in May last ; but the lode is very bunchy, and we cannot, therefore, place much re ' liance on the continuance of this class. Although of azoque, there is great probability of its being found in abundance. By the statement on the other side you will observe that at Rosario the raising of ore has got up to near 350 cargas per week. The mine essays average from 9i to 10 mares, and I expect will give about 8 in hacienda. The quantity of ore might easily be increased, but at present there are no means of reducing it. I propose confining the raising to nearly sufficient to supply Sanchez.—Railway Herald. CAUTION.—A correspondent states that it may not be generally known that a law is still unrepealed, which was passed very many years since, fir the protection of the brass button trade, and which makei it a fineable offence to manu facture buttons of silk, cloth, &c. Taking ad vantage Of this Act, a person has been hard at work endeavouring to extort money by threats of action. A mongst Others, he has ca ll e d upon the Messrs. Nicoll, both in buttons, Regent - street and Cornhill, who are most extensive manufactuer rs re of with Llama cloth, fir their re it I Paletot, and whom, covered if r liable, are so to an enonots extent. e The Me6sN. Nicoll have, however, exp resse d theirl determination to resist to the uttermost, and thus put the question at rest, should the movers in it carry o ut t h e i r threats. A RABID DOG.—On Monday, between twelve and one o'clock, a te rr i er dog, seemingly in a rabid state, run ning along the Vauxhall-road, biting and snapping at everything was observed that came in his way. On reaching Millbank he seized a man name d Joint Phipps, a bricklayer's labourer, by the call Meted a seve' - e wound. Phipps, who had a 5h0i,...,1 histofiitihelefi,and,d ell-directed blow im mediately attacked the dog, and fortunately by gsu surgeon. HORRIBLE stunned the animal, whom he itninedistel was at once incised and cauterised by a nog Y- dispatched.hbou r Chatham, were walking through the HORRIBLE DiscovEay.—On Sunday morning, as a shipwright and his son from C they discovered the body of a weil- Bridge Woods, Maidstone - r o ad.lying d on his face, with his hat on his back, They immediately proceeded for dressed man near a tree, rent to the coroner's office, Mr. Ggewith both his arms extent e . as sistance, and an express wh7on arrival_ , discov;Ted the remains fo r ks Braddy, at Rochester, ark. a married man, 1 ving at No. 14, Ord tbose of Mr. Chatham, and who has been missing from his home nance-place , for the last fortni;ht. It was conjectured that he must have fallen in a fit. The man has been flighty in his mind for some time; he is about fifty years of age. The body is in a state of decomposition, and was kept from falling to pieces by his clothing. The remains were conveyed to the Royal Geerge Inn, on the Maidstone road, to await a coroner's inquisition. [ADVERTISEMENT.]---DROPSIES.--ANY CASE OF DBoPST MAT BE CEBED sr Ilouoway's l'uxa.—Females at a cer tain period of life are subject to this dangerous complaint, which drat makes its appearance by the swelling of the feet, legs, and hands, and so gradually making strong inroads on the constitution. Hundieds of dropsical patients, even when their cases are pro nounmd as hopeless, are cured by taking Holloway's Pills: initanee Mr. Robinson, the wealthy farmer and grazier at Wootton, Bed. lordshlre (and which at the time was made so public): this gen tleman cured himself by Holloway's Pills after he had been told by his medical attendant that he cruld not survive three days.--sold by all druggists, & ad at r ro j e a b ox gaoway's ist4lr Imeat, 244, strand, IMO:, . CANADA. The following particalars of sales have been gathered from the Land returns for 1844 :—Farm —Farm (or country) lots, 381 ; town lots, 838 ; park (or suburban) lots, 70: total, 1,289. Producing 26,074/. 18s. 7d. The number of immigrants landed at the ports of Quebec and Montreal in 1845 was 25,375. of whom 633 were cabin passengers. A comparison of this aggregate, with the return of 1844, shows an increase of 5,233, equal to 26 per cent. It is not practicable to ascertain precisely the number of departures from the province to the United States, Mr. Buchanan estimates the number at about 4,000, which is more by 2,800 than went in the preceding year, while the number of arrivals by way of the United States does not ' appear to exceed 2,600, making the accession to the population consequent to the year's immigration to be between 23,000 and 24,000 persons. Several of them were possessed of moderate capital, and pro ceeded at once to purchase partially improved pro perties, or to enter into trade. A larger proportion were small farmers, with sufficient means to unable them to establish themselves advantageously_ on wild lands; but the great bulk were agricultural labourers, many of whom had nothing even for their immediate support. The total expenditure ou the relief of destitute immigrants, including the cost of agency, was 6,9441. 4s. 24. currency, being an increase of 2,0001. Bs. sd. on that of the preceding year. The charges for agency in the two years was nearly equal. The disbursements for buildings and repairs amounted to 732/. Bs. 2d. in 1844, and only 961. ss. 6d. in 1845. The increase, therefore, for direct assistance to emigrant families was upwards of 2,6001. Some allowance must be made for there having been a larger emigration, but the chief cause of the in creased expenditure last par was the enhanced rates of transport on the routes between Montreal and King ston, the passage having been raised from 4s. to 10s. for an adult. We are sorry to notice, that although the average length of the voyage was somewhat less than in the preceding year there was an increase in the mortality both during the voyage and in hospital after arrival. Many cases of fever and small-pox were sent to hospital, and the medical superintendent has mainly attributed the origin of the disease to the cr.)wded, filthy, and ill-ven tilated lodgings occupied by the emigrants previously to their embarkation. The number of passenger vessels during the past seacon was 256. Of these net more than 147 came within the regulations of the Passengerb' Act, and con ,;pquently a very considerable number sailed from this country without any previous inspection by Government officers. IMMIGRATION INTO THE MAURITIUS. It is desirsble to begin by referring very briefly to the history of emigration from India to this cob ny. The first emigration commenced in 1834 and t nded in 1839. It was carried on entirely by private enterprise. The labourers were intr duced under contracts of service, which atter 1837 were limited in duration to five years, and the emigrants were entitled at the end of that period to ts free passage back to India. The abuses to which this system was found to give rise were formidable; amongst the evils proved to have been inflicted on the emigrants, it may suffice to enumerate kidnapping, actual confinement in Calcutta itself, and compulsory embarkation, betides contracts on disadvantageous terms, which nevertheless were seldom, if ever, strictly fulfilled. The number of pers ms introduced in this first emigration from India was 25,468, of whom 24,566 were male labourers. At the end of 1842, the emigration was re-opened under the direct superintendence of Government officers, and a bounty was made payable in Mauritius on the immigrants. No contract for sertice could be made out of the colony, and none within the colony for a longer period than one year. This mode :of emigra tion happily proved exempt from the former evils. It continued throughout 1843, and for the first few months of 1844, when it was succeeded by the third and present system, under which the whole mea sures fot' the selection and conveyance of the emigrants are &Volved exclusivtly on a responsible Goverment officer. This change was made partly with a view of lessening the expenses, and partly of •btaining a better selection of emigrants, including a larger proportion of women, in both of which respects it would app . ar from the reports to have b-c n attended with success. The whole number introduced under the renew ed emigration, from the commencement of 1843 to the end of 1844, appears to have been 46.014, of whom 39,244 were male labourers. From these statements it follows that, in the course of ten years, 71,482 people were introduced from India into the island of Mauritius, of whom no less than 63,816 were male labourers r servants. IMMIGRATION INTO THE WEST INDIES-FROM INDIA. On this important service, the steps t,. , be tikon in this country last year forrried at first a quk•sti..n Of some difficulty -; we iss ued, in the mouth of May, with the approval of the Secretary of State, an advertisement, calling f...r tender:, of any ship ping which the owners would , :ffrr (01 the chance of the Indian agents boing able to supply them with emi grants. It was found, however, that shipowners would not offer ships on these terms, except at rates which are deemed higher than it was expedient. to Pay therefore, that in the meanwhile much more encourag ing act-ounfs hsd arrived from Madrid fir ( c the collection of emigrants had a doubtful) and taking Seeing, Port where t t he se p emed most into consider at i on- ths country. we were t the express desire authorised, in the month of the West India committee of t lu rn ne. to issue a second ad vertisement for tenders,tee d to the shipowner. rtis.tment issued ott these em l iF h r e a n oo ta n s w e a q s u lf uetnhcaeerraoonff the a that followed , terms, and ano similar adve nature was nve t ) h i e ng about engag ement of thirty-one vessels, capable of 8,000 coolies. The rate s at w hi c h they w ere taken up varying fr o m 141. to 15s. •106. per a d u lt for the voyage from India to th e W est I n di es . co Turning now from the measures taken in England, we proceed to the information which has been received from India. Both at Calcutta and Madras, offices have been formed, including on the establishment at each station, a surgeon for the examination of the emigrants, paid at the rate of 2001. per annum. At Madras, Captain Wilson has contracted for the sup ply of clothing required by coolies on the voyage, and also for provisions during their maintenance in depot, previous to their embarkation. The clothing of each adult emigrant will cost about 21s. for males, and 15s. for females, and the maintenance in depot will cost 3id. per diem for each adult. Captain Wilson has also entertd into a contract with a native for the collection of such emigrants as may be required, at a charge of about 10s. per statute adult. All the emigrants sent by Captain Wilson in the seasons of 1844-5 appear to have been procured by this individual. By dispatches recently received we are glad to learn that the Indian Act has been altered, so that emigration may commence at Madras at an earlier period, viz., on the Ist of September, instead of the Ist of October of each year. This will be a very useful alteration, which was much called for by the nature of the seasons at Madras. In the season of 1845-6, there were introduced into Jamaica, British Gtatza., and Ter:41241843; elltiZTl:4s . . I i.:041.44;f1. I 1 1 1