The Sun. — London, England, 1846-10-03 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR. \YINDsoft, - FRIDAy.—Tbr , nnftcvonrshle state of the weather, both in the morning and afternoon, prevented her Majesty and Prince Albert and the Royal Family from taking their accustomed drives and airings. A Cabinet Council was held yesterday afternoon at the official residence of Lord John Russell in Downing street. It was attended by Lord John Russell, the Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Minto, Viscount Palmerston, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Earl of Auckland, Vis count Morpeth, the Marquis of Clanricarde, and the Right Hon. T. B. Macaulay. The members assembled soon after three o'clock, and sat two hours. Baron de Moncorvo, the Portuguese Minister, had an interview with Lord John Russell yesterday. 'The Adjutvnt-General to the Forces transacted busi ness yesterday at the Treasury. Dr.' Phillimore and family have returnel to town from the baths at Wiesbaden. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE WREXHAM RACES—WEDNESDAY. The Gold Cup of 100 sovs. Thrice round. Mr. Skerratt's Intrepid, 5 yrs, Bst 131 b (Arthur) 1 Mostyn's b f by Revolution, 3 yrs, 6st 121 b Mr. Worthington's Hooton, 6 yrs, 9st 81b Mr. Fitzhugh 's Black Strap, 4 yrs, Bst 31b Won by half a neck, after a fine race. Handicap of 20 sovs. each, 10 ft, and 5 only if declared, with 50 added ; the second to save his stake. Once round and a dis. Mr. Worthington's Dr. Husband, syrs, Bst 71b, walked over. Handicap of 10 sovs. each. 5 ft; 30 added. One mile. Mr. Stapletord's Carrissima, 4 yrs, 7st 10lb (Simpson) 1 1 Mr. W. Smith's Foxwhelp, 4 yrs, ist 121 b ... 0 2 Mr. Price's Kissitt, 3 yrs, Est 101 b 2 0 Dr. Husband, Bst 71b, and Obscurity, 7st 131 b, also ran. The Hurdle race was won 1)v Jesse, distancing two others. CHESTERFIELD RACES. The Chesterfield Plate of 401., added to a Sweepstakes of 3 sovs. each, second to receive 10/. Heats. Two miles. (5 Subs.) Mr. Baker's Redskin, 5 yrs Mr. Dixon's Amason, 3 yrs 1 2 3 Mr. Wormald's Millepede, aged 2 3 2 The Ladies' Purse of . 25/., added to a Sweepstakes of 3 sovs. each. Heats. Once round. (5 Subs.) Mr. Pepper's Hector, 4 yrs 1 1 Mr. Lancaster's Monsieur Perrot, 3 yrs Mr. Lamplough's Boltsman, 3 yrs broke down. Handicap of 3 sovs. each, and 25 added. Heats One mile. Mr. Ird's Tottenham, 4 yrs 2 4 1 1 Mr. Pepper's Hector, 4 yrs 1 2 3dr Mr. Raworth's Engineer, 3 yrs Mr. Whales's Stranger, 4 yrs 3 3 2dr CHESTER AUTUMN MEETING.—TMURSDAY. The Hooto n Stakes of 7 sovs. each, 5 ft, with 20 added ; 3 yrs olds, lOst ; 4 yrs, 1 lst4lb ; 5 yrs, Ilst 121 b ; 6 yrs and aged, 12st :21b ; mares and geldings allowed 31b. Cup Course. (5 Subs.) Mr. Tempest's Lucy, 5 yrs Sir J. Gerard's Perpetual Motion, (h b), 4 yrs Mr. Dawson's British Tar, 5 yrs 3 Won easy. The Grand Stand Stakes of 10 sovs. each, with 50 added; for 2 yrs old colts, Bst 61b ; Bst 31b ; winners extra. Three-quarters of a mile. (5 gulps.) Mr. Mostyn's b f by Lanercost, out of L'Hirondelle 1 Sir C. Monck's b f, by Touchstone, out of Cast Steel 2 Mr. T. Dawson's c, by D'Egville, dam by Hum. Clinker 3 Mr. S. L. Fox's Chapeau Rouge Won easy. The Saracen's Head Handicap of 25 sovs., added to a Sweep stakes of 5 sovs. each. The second to sake his stake. Mile and a half. (20 Subs., 10 of whom declared.) Mr. W. Scott's Driffield, 3 yrs, sst 81b (Oates) 1 Mr. S. Fox's Psalmsinger, 4 yrs, 6st 51b Mr. Meiklam' s c , by Touchstone, out of Laura, 3 yrs 3 Won easy. The Selling Stakes were not run for when our account left the course. KELSO RACES.—WEDNESDAY. The Roxburgh Gold Cup of 200 soya., added to a sweeps of 1 . 0 sovs. each. One mile and half. (16 Subs.) Mr. 31 ,eiklana's Fancy Boy, y 3 rs, 7st 81b (Lye) 1 Mr. Ni ormald's Quadruped, 3 yrs, Est 121 b Mr. Sawyer's Lady Cow, 3 yrs, 7st Mr. A. Cook's Shadow, aged, Est 61b.. Mr. Robertson's Blackbird, 3 yrs, ist 111 b The favourite won easy. The Bowmont St a k es o f 10 sovs. each, with 25 added; for two yrs old colts, Bst 71b ; and fillies, Bst 41b. Three quarters of a mile. (5 Subs.) Mr. Merry's Maid of Motherwell (Holmes) 1 Mr. Wauchol.e's f by Camel, or Nonsense, out of Qneen of the Gipsies' dam Sir J. Boswell's f by Caliph, out of Bella Won cleverly by a length and a half. Sir 11. H. Campbell's Plate of 501. Winner to be sold for 04 Mr. Meary's Pilot, 4 25 yrs Two miles. (Holmes) 1 Mr. Dawson' s M agnet, 4 yrs 2 Won easy. Plate of 501. Heats, one mile and a quarter. Mr. W. 11. Johnstone's Marian Ramsay, 4 yrs, Bst 41b 1 1 Mr. A. Cook's Surety, 5 yrs, Bst 91b Mr. Jobs on ' s Ti n d er b ox, age d , Bst 4 1b 3 3 Mr. Hepburn's Billy Rook, 5 yrs, 7st 71b Mr. Moor' s I no , 3 yrs, Est 91b 2 dr. Won easy. CHESTER RACES.—FRIDAY. The Mostyn Stakes of 15 soya. each, 10 ft, with 20 added ; for two and three yrs old ; two yrs old colts, 7st slb ; fillies, 7st 21b; three yrs old colts, 9st ; fillies, Bst 101 b. Three-quarters of a mile. (6 Subs.) Mr. Dawson's cby d'Egville, 2 yrs, 7st 101 b ...... (Crouch) 1 Mr. Worthington's Sharston, 3 yrs, 94 51b 2 Mr. Mostyn's f by Lanercost, out of L'Hirondelle Won by a length. The Chester Handicap of 15 soya. each, 10 ft, with 50 added ; the second to receive 20 soya. out of the stake. Grosvenor Ceurse. (39 Subs., 22 of whom pay 5 sous. forfeit.) Mr. W: Smith's Master Downes, 4 yrs, sst 101 b (Brookes) 1 Mr. Skerratt's Romance, 3 yrs, sst 101 b Mr. E. Peel's Spithead, 3 yrs 6st The following also started but were not placed :—Patriot, 5 yrs, Est 121b—The Prince, 6 yrs, Est 131b—Erin-go-bragh, 3 yrs, Est 31b—c by Touchstone, out of Laura, 3 yrs, sst 81b —and Factory Girl, 4 yrs, sst 111 b. Won cleverly by a length. FUNERAL OF THE DUKE OF ATHOLL.—The remains of this Nobleman, which bad been brought from London by the Dundee steamer, were interred in the family vault in Dunkeld Cathedral, on Saturday last, at one o'clock in the afternoon. The funeral was strictly pri vate, being attended only by the immediate relatives of the deceased, the new Duke (the late Lord Glenlyon), who is the nephew of the deceased, acting as chief mourner. During the funeral the cathedral bell was tolled, and all the shops of the town were closed as a token of respect to the memory of the deceased, and the illustrious house of Atholl.—Dundee paper. A GOOD EXAMPLE TO LANDLORDS.—The Duke of Rutland has, with the liberality which always marks his Grace's conduct, given directions to have the village of Codnor culverted and drained, at his sole expense.— Derby Mercury. BRANDING A DESERTER.—Thursday morning at Windsor, the 2d battalion of the Scots Fusilier Guard: in garrison at that place were drawn up in a hollow square at the barracks, in Sheet-street, for the purpose of witnessing the branding, with the letter "D, the arm of private John Saddles, who had been tried by a regimental court-martial for desertion, and found guilty of the offence. John Saddler, after deserting while the battalion was quartered at the Tower, and being absent about a month, gave himself up to the military authori ties in a state of great distress and destitution. The charges and sentence having been read over, the opera tion was performed by the surgeon of the regiment; it occupying but a few minutes. BATHS AND - WASH-HOUSES FOR THE POOR.-011 Thursday the committee of the baths and wash-houses for the labouring poor, situate in George-street, Euston square, made a statement of the numbers of individuals who have availed themselves of its benefits since its open • ing eight weeks since, being 22,568 males and 2,789 f males, who have bathed, and 2,132 poor women who have washed 51,34 k articles of wearing apparel. A man of herculean powers, named Paul, has been exhibiting feats of strength at the Theatre des Vari6t6s, at Nantes. On Sunday last, according to the Courrier de Nantes, he performed one that no person can well believe who were not eye witnesses. Being laid on his back, he formed with his feet and hands a species of frame or carriage, on which was laid a cannon weighing 1,2121b5. French, I,3oBilbs. English, and in this position sustained it for 53 minutes, during which it was fired off, without causing Paul to make the slightest movement. THE PIINASANT SEASON —Thursday being the first day of pheasant shooting ,the London markets, mil many of the principal poulterers, exhibited pheasants for sale, although they were scarce and i nsu ffi c i ent f or the demand. Prime youn g birds made fr om 6 s. to 7s and Bs. a brace, and small and inferior ditto sold at 5 wad 6s. a brace. FIRE AND Loss or LIFE. —Thursday afterno on th e inhabitants of Ann-street, Gl o be-fields, Mile-end, were alarmed by hearing loud cries of " fire' proceeding from Upon the house, N o . 1, i n th a t thoroughfare. enteric he first floor, a most pitiable scene presented young gi r l a b out fi ve years o f age , named Ann Elizabeth Hollingdale, was perceived on the floor, w ith the whole of her wearing apparel blazing away mo st furiously. The fire was extinguished, and the unfortunate creature was take n t o t h e L ou d on H osp i ta l , w h ere she soon d ied from the effects of the burns. DISCOVERY OF HUMAN Borns.--On Thu rs day a human skull, together with various portions of several others, and a number of thigh bones and other smaller ones, were found amongst some rubbish in front of a house in Edward-street, Barnsbury-road, Islington, at present in course of erection. The circumstance occa sioned much speculation in the neighbourhood, and it is imagined that as the street is little frequented, persons employed to remove the bones from some of the burying places in the metropolis have dropped them there in passing. HAIL STORM.—We learn that her Majesty has contributed 201., and his Royal Highness Prince Albert 101., to the subscription for the relief of the nurserymen and others who suffered by the late hail storm. We understand that the losses are estimated at 15,0001., and that the committee have only received at present about 1,5001. A BEGGML.T.T OPINION —One of the begging fra ternity, in reply to a question propounded to him by a captain at Pillgwenlly, "half seas over," of whom he solicited and received alms, provided he admitted the amount of his " income," made the following candid and truly pithy acknowledgment.—" I doesn't know what's come to Newport, it's bad times with the tradesfolk, for I used to make my thirty shillings cadging it through the town, when my rounds came that way, and was safe for full thirty shillings. Now, I can't get more nor five shillings, and a matter a two days about it ! It must be , awful times with th e t ra d espeop l e . How I pities 'em !' -Roars of laughter were ' e li c i te d by th e s ympathising ;manner and rich pathos in which the fellow spoke as to the diminution of his " income," and the fallen forines of Newport. Ile should have attributed his "lesser fortune" to ill,. discrimination which now enables our charitable townsfolk to perceive the difference between the ri ally needy and those who trade in begging.—Mon niouthshire Merlin. HAMBURGH and FLANDERS MAIL. Bur' ssF.r.s, SEPT. 29.—The average price of wheat in the week ending on Saturday, Sept. 25, was from 24f. 06c., and that of rye from 191 2 05 per hectolitre. The Duke and Duchess of Saxe Coburg and suite left the Palace of Lacken yesterday for Germany. On Saturday last, the 26th September, two marriages were celebrated in one of the most ancient noble fami lies of Belgium—the family of Werner de Merod. The two sisters were married on the same day, at their country seat at Louvenal, near Charleroi. One was married to the Prince de la Cisterns, and the other to the Duke de Valentmois, the hereditary of Monaco. This was the civil ceremony ; the religious ceremony took place on Monday, and was performed by M. de Saint Marsden, the Apostolic Nuncio. We learn from a lean from Ostend, dated the 28th, that Mr. Waghorn had arrived this evening by the train without dispatches. It is needless to tell yon that insuperable obstacles are the cause of this disappoint ment,, since the English Government has not declined any expos=e to get the mails from India by way of Trieste. Our readers are aware that Mr. Waghorn has been endeavouring for some months past to establish a communication between Trieste and Belgium for the conveyance of the mails from India, which would be preferable to the route via Marseilles, as it would be performed in a shorter time. On Thursday last a very violent west wind p,revailed along the whole exten t o f our coast. The English mail, which sailed in the morning, was obliged to put back, but in art } r oar afterwards it put to sea again, having left behind almost all her passengers, most of whom took carriages to convey them to Oalais, Mr. Borsig, proprietor of important worlts in the en virons of Potsdam, where, within the last fourteen yearif, more than 100 locomotives have been constructed, has just increased the number of Ids worionen to 2,000. He is engaged to construct 186 locomotives; which have been bespoke, within the space of three years. The number of locomotives at present employed on the railways in Germany is 631, 402 of which are on lines worked by companies, and 229 on those under the Government. The Committee for the improvement of the condition of the working classes, had another sitting yesterday. Mr. Charles Bouckere read his report on the distress in Flanders, and the means of remedying it. This report, which its author has modified and completed between the two meetings, was finally adopted, and is to be laid before the Minister of Justice. The report of the com mittee, besides the creation of a society for the en couragement of the manufacture of linen, propose to em ploy the people during the approaching winter on public works, such as roads and canals. We have reason to hope that, thanks to some manufacturers of Ghent, the wish of the committee for the improvement of the labour ing classes, and likewise the wish expressed by the com mittee of inquiry in 1841, will be speedily fulfilled. EISACK, SEPT. 23.—We are in daily receipt of the most painlul accounts of hail storms and inundations, which have occasioned fearful damage in different parts of the Tyrol and on the Voralberg. In Liven Allongo, near Bushenstein, nearly all the crops are totally destroyed, from Kirchberg to Kelzlinshel. All communication was interrupted for some days in Sa lurne ; the silk works were destroyed, and all hopes are blasted for this year, and, it is feared, likewise for the ensuing. At Golzniss, near Inspruck, several dwellings were washed away by the inundation. At Dornbern and Hoheneurs no less than 50 landslips teok place, by which the mountain torrents were so swelled that numbers of the inhabitants were compelled to seek their safety by flight. Acconnts from other parts are equally distress ing. Great consternation and uncertainty prevails among all classes, for it is impossible to say where the devastation may end. The district of Rente has suffered more from inundation than even the Markt did so lately rom fire. HAMEURGH BORSIMIALLE, SEPT. 26. Bills. Money. Austrian 5 per Cents • ..• Bank Shares • . . 1570 Anglo-Russian Loan .• ••• • • • ...... 108 Russian 5 per Cent., Hamb. Certificate. 102 Ditto Ist serieslnscription.• ••• • •• • . les Ditto, Rope and C0.,3d and 4th series • 97 Ditto, in Certificate• • .• • • • • 96% New 4 per Cent., Hope and Co. ••• • • • Ditto Stieglitz ••••••• • • • • • 88% SS% Spanish New 5 per Cent . 18 1811 Ditto 3 per Cent .... .. 32 Anglo-Portuguese Loan, 2% per Cent • • Dutch Actual Debt, 2% per Cent. ••• .. 59 Ditto 3 per Cent. ••••••••• • • • • • • • Polish New 4 per Cent. Loan, 1844.• 791.4 Anglo-Danish Loan, 3 per Cent •• • ... 86 National Bank Shares.. RAILWAYS. The Northern, or Ferdinand • • .• • • .... -. 181% Gloggnitz .. •• • • • • •• • • •• .. ............. 131% Vienna—Milan • • • • • • • • • ............ 114% Leghorn ••••• • •• • ......... ..... ......• 105% Grosetto •• • • • Pesth Bridge —Allgemaine Zeltung. Sept. 46. DUTCH FUNDS.—ABISTERDAN, Snorr. 29. Money. Bills Actual Debt, 2% per Cent •••••• •• • • • 89 3 8 1 Ditto, 3 per Cent .. • • • • 71% 72 Ditto, 4 per • • • • • • .......... 94.. 944 94% Amort Syndic, 31 per Cent •• . ... 89% 90 Commercial Company, 4% per Cent •• 174 174% East India Loan, 4 per Cent........ •• — l7 Exchange on London, at sight •... 12 Two months... .. • ......... 12 12 On Hamburgh, at sight 35 75 Two months... 107% On Paris . 56 75 Twomonths..• ............ 56 24 Dutch Papers, Sept. 30. FASHIONS FOR OCTOBER. (From the World of Fashion.) MORNING WALKING HATS are principally of the jardinieres form, a petites pailles, decorated with a single ribbon of velvet. Certain fancy net works have lately appeared, made of black velvet, and intended for the or namenting of these kind of hats, and which have a very becoming effect. HATS.—That most worthy attention, is a hat of pink crêpe, the form round and recouvert, with a voilette or demi. veil of pink tulle, attached upon each side with two white roses, and carelessly tied under the chin. The veil is edged with a very narrow white blonde, terminating at the ends, and gives it the appearance of two lappets tied under the chin. MORNING DRESSES of the peignoir form are now greatly in request, and offer the greatest variety, some being extremely graceful and simple ! whilst others, by their ample folds, and the richness of their ornaments, approach to the oriental style of costume, opening upon a most elegant kind of under skirt ; these are denomi nated des peignoirs sultanes. DRESSZS.—Ladies who do not like wearing flounces, or who wish for a variety, have their light and simple dresses made with tucks, to the number of five or seven, according to the height of the skirt, the lower one being rather wide, and the others diminishing progressively. Those dresses trimmed with flounces are, however, most in favour, as they can be adapted for either slender or stout ladies ; these flounces being only slightly fulled, has often the effect of simple upper skirts. Short sleeves are also very much worn, particularly with dresses of the pelisse form, under which is generally worn tight sleeves fastened round the wrists, instead of those made demi larges and open. EVENING DRESS.—Les taffetas glace, or the Pekin rayes, are mostly in vogue for evening costumes, the bodies being made low, and cannezouts of lace ; short sleeves, trimmed with narrow frillings, to match the three flounces which are put on at equal distances upon the skirt. CAPS are chiefly eomposed of tulle chiffonne, and seamed or striped with sprigs of the lily-of-the-valley, or Parma violets, whilst others are made of lace, with ornaments of coloured tulle. .MANTELETS.—Those for morning costume are prin cipally of embroidered muslin, festonnees a dents pointues. A very convenient kind of small cloak has lately appeared for travelling, called le mantelet rouliere of silk, but not lined, and trimmed with an open-worked fringe, being more solid and less likely to crease than lace, and which from its lightness can be thrown over a light summer toilette .This style of mantelet descends as low as the knees, and is very simple and comme it faut. FLOWERS are still worn in the hair, the most natural being preferred, and to match those which decorate the dress, artificial flowers are being now much intermixed with fruits, such as a bunch of black grapes in a wreath of cactus. FASHIONABLE COLOURS for the present month arc principally of mixed hues, such as blae d'Aumole upon gris perdrix, groseille upon gris de fer, and lilac upon violet. ,s• ST . PHILIP'S CHURCH, STEPNEY.—On Tuesda y evening this very handsome Gothic edifice was re opened, its fine-toned organ being enlarged and rep aired by Holdich. A full choral service was perfelaned. DISTRESSING Su I n c i i g n h z.—A Coroner's isi.ll inquest was held on Wed n e s day of M r . All en , age d twenty -fi ve , anarehi i te s e , on architect an t d he a b rt o i d a y t, who resid e d w ith hi s mother, in Hunter-street, Bruns wick-square, before Mr. squar e , in whose house the inquest took place. It appeared that Mr. Allen had exhibited great depression of spirits si nce the death of his sister, about six months since, and that on Sunday last he went to see the tomb stone be placed over her grave. On stone that was discharged a pistol intheo a shut himself in his room, and Tuesday afternoon by the servant who went: to t et st t a h ie er o e f i ,:i , snio c u a t l h l . hi li m e t w o a d s in fo n u er n . d dead e h a e t n t d h h e e wasdeceased a at the destroyed in e verdict of the jury was ' not sufficient evidence to hisibie:Tewsoehnl'u'fm,rsUidtuatetydinatfhwteehraanoon a bricklayer's labourer, named o'Moye, whilst with a hod of bricks, placed against the house of Mr. Weston hrekhe,gaand ladder th e , No. 40, Bishops gate-street Without, one of the steps poor fellow was thrown with frightful violence to the ground. His skull was dangerously faactured. WEST OF ENGLAND SOCIETY FOR THE EN COURAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURE, &C. --A meeting of this society, the p arent of all the agricultural societies in England, was held on Wednesday last. It com menced with a ploughing match, and ended with a dinner at the Gloucester Hotel, Hotwells, Clifton, near Bristol, when the chair was taken by W. Miles, Esq., m . p . After the usual loyal toasts had been duly honoured, the chairman proposed the health of the pr . esident of the s ociety, the Marquis of Lansdowne, and in doing so ex pressed his regret that a prise offered by that noblema n , for the best drained farm, had not been competed for, notwithstanding the farmers in the several counties of Gloucester, Wilts, and Somerset wer e exi g ible. He re gretted it the more, because he was convinced that unless they drained and availed themselves of all the means now offered by science they would find it impossible to compete with other countries--(Hear, hear) —and he knew, and they all must be well aware, that there was ample room for improvement in the system of cultiva tion pursued, both in that and the neighbouring counties. The remainder of this and the other speeches possessed only a local interest. The party broke up about nine o'clock. MAGAZINES.-(CONTINUED.) BENTLEY. The present number opens with the seventeenth chapter of Maxwell's novel of " Brian O'Linn," and then we have " The Corso of Naples," a continuation of those graphic pictures of Neapolitan society, which have of late appeared in this magazine. This is fol lowed by a Latin lyric (which we transcribe) de scriptive of the cholera morbus : CHOLERA MORBT,JS CLASSICUS. Magnus venire doter, Nullus in ore color, Bum languescit vultus ; Sanguie triste ;brit, Dam sine more ruit, Sudor passim multus. Co: torpore dolet, Spiritus asper olet, Angor torquet doraum ; I)entes usque" freurunt, Pallida latira, tremunt, t detreetant morsure, Noctes atque dies Est tibi nulla quies, Duram luges sortem ; Picit morbus ibi, Teropus ahire tibi, Nune aroesso mortem. The literary retrospect of the departed consists of some clever sketches of " little great" literary people of a quarter of a century since. 11Iiss Benger and Lady Caroline La;nb, and poor fillcott, that most indefatigable collector of literary curios ities, who, if his digestion had been equal to his appetite, would have been a first-rate historian; and Cuvier, whose intellect, vast as it is universally acknowledged to have been, was yet surpassed by his kindness, whose heart was ever largerthan his head, are here sketched from the life. We see them before us as they walked, and talked, and moved, and had their being. Then comes "The Pony Club," a fearful legend of the backwoods of America—of those regions where the only justice known is Mr. Justice Lynch ; and after that we have an amusing account of the adventures of an English traveller at Pyrmont, before Pyrmont had fallen into " the seer and yellow leaf." Dr. W. C. Taylor gives us two papers, one on the sayings and doings of Nasir- Ed-Din-Khojah, the Turkish Joe Miller, as he calls him, but rather, as we should say, the Turkish Hierocles, inasmuch as there is matter for thought in all his jests, and the other on " The Dissolution of the Monasteries," an able review of that portion of the letters of the monarchs of England, recently pub lished by Sir H. Ellis, which relates to the reign of Henry VIII. This paper is illustrated by a well engraved portrait of the bluff King Harry, from the original portrait in St. Bartholomew's Hos pital. The Flaneur in Paris continues his amusing sketches of Parisian life, and Miss Costello, in her Legendary Towns and Cities, illustrates the topo graphy and local history of Gloucester and of Ciren cester. A continuation of the paper on " Doncaster, its Sports and Saturnalia," and a quaintly told legend of the Folly Tower at, Clifton, by Albert Smith, complete the number of Bentley for the present month, which contains much amusing light reading. DUBLIN UNIVERSITY. So little is thought of contemporary poets, when in reality they generally deserve so much consideration, that we are rejoiced to see a series of critical articles devoted to them commenced in the October number of the Dublin University. Much as we may mourn over the decadence of poetical genius now-a-days, there is, nevertheless, a group of aspirants for the bay garland still among us, many individuals of which group are not wholly undeserving of such a coronal. First and foremost among our young poets stands Alfred Tennyson, and about his pedestal is a motley and interesting throng—Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett, B. Simmons, Ebenezer Elliot, Barton, R. H. Horne, and a swarm of other songsters. Many of them have given evidence of the possession of faculties worthy of true bards ; very few—scarcely a single one indeed — has produced anything capable of ensuring him (or her as the case may be) anything but a very transitory celebrity. It is fitting, then, that they should occa sionally receive a gentle, and sometimes even a churl ish, reminder of their shortcomings. Some intellects of extraordinary promise have ere now been dwarfed and nullified by their possessors deluding themselves into a belief that they have performed enough to entitle them to immortality, or that they have con ferred sufficient benefactions upon their fellow creatures, or, in plainer language, that they can with impunity " repose upon their laurels." Criticism, if incapacitated from performing any greater service, has still the power and the opportunity of overruling these fallacious convictions. Such a description of beneficent and utilitarian criticism is the one we welcome in the present number of this magazine. "Evenings with our Younger Poets" will be a serial calculated to perform very excellent service in lite rature. It will "beat up the bushes" round the base of Parnassus, and may rouse into song some slumber ing bird of poetry who might otherwise exhaust life in inglorious indolence. The younger poets selected for disquisition on the preliminary evening are five— Currer, Ellis, Acton Bell, Camilla Toulmin, and R. H. Horne. When we call to recollection the fero cious onslaught made upon the last-mentioned by the ebony crutch of Christopher North and remember at the same moment the solemn delight we have our selves derived from the perusal of Mr. Home's re markable epic of " Orion," we are really gratified to observe that the critic in this Dublin periodical is more inclined to do justice to the intellectual powers possessed by the author of that farthing poem. Mr. Home is not gifted with a genius of a gi gantic order, but still it would be frivolous to deny him the possession of a genius; it would be frivolous after having studied his writings. There is a trans parency in his dreamings, and a richness in his illus trations of a thought, such as mere art could scarcely produce. Here is a description of the heroic giant musing on the sea beach : " O'ersteeped in bliss; prone on its ebbing tide; With hope's completeness vaguely sorrowful, And sense of life-bounds too enlarged; his thoughts Sank faintly through each other, fused and lost, Till his o'er-satisfied existence drooped, Like fruit boughs heavily laden above a stream, In which they gaze so closely on themselves, That, touching, they grow drowsy, and submerge, Losing all vision." Nevertheless, it is the very evidence of superior capacities in Mr. Horne that makes us inclined to quar rel with him for the mal-employment of those capacities. His history of Napoleon is too jejune to survive its author very long ; and his " New Spirit of the Age," though a pleasant book enough, is little less than one of the ephemeridoe of literature. It is only by a vigorous and apposite employment of his time that Mr. Horne can carve his name upon the threshold of immortality. The river hunting con - tributor to the Dublin University continues his lucubrations about the Shannon with much spright liness ; he paints landscape so delicately in pen-and ink, that he seems to have studied jointly under Turner and Minasi. " Commerce—Ancient and Modern," is a thoughtful and instructive review of the very valuable work recently published by W. Torrens M'Cullagh. The reviewer justly regards Mr. M'Cullagh as reprehensible for imitating such a style of composition as that peculiar to Thomas Carlyle, but when he presumes to call that style " the absurd manner of writing in which Mr. Carlyle mystifies both himself and his readers," he wholly overlooks the time-ho noured adage—"chaeun a son gout." Alison and divers others have written upon " taste," and have endeavoured to systematise that aerial endowment of the human mind ; but almost every successive day testifies that nothing scarcely could be more futile than such an endeavour. Of this Thomas Carlyle thousands upon thousands are worshippers, so to speak ; his voice has that in it most akin to eloquenee in their regard ; he is to them the prophet of grand truths, the teller of deep mysteries ; his " Sartor Resartus" is their Alcoran. Nor are these men any blunderers in so doing ; Carlyle never speaks without a purpose; the riches of his book are like the riches of that fountain in the tropics into which, when a bucket is cast to draw water, a sedi ment of gold dust is discovered at the bottom. If this reviewer find nothing worth the gathering in Carlyle, let him go his way, as Gilfillan has said, " the book has nothing to do with him, nor he with it 1" Of the style of Carlyle, it may be said that it is a rude jangle of words to those who look not to the meaning, but filled with glorious and thrilling tones to those who do. Carlyle has an office higher than that of phrase-turning ; he utters his thoughts in the first natural and vigorous language that presents itself, instead of pottering over the littlenesses of composition. A likeness and memoir of Sir Henry Pottinger is introduced into the "Portrait Gallery," and a worthier subject could scarcely have been selected. "A Visit to Milo" is strangely interesting; the " Black Prophet" is pro ceeded with by Carleton ; and a survey of the " Life and Correspondence of John Foster," though after date, forms an excellent conclusion to an excellent collection of contributions. DOLMAN. Although there are several articles in this perio dical almost exclusively attractive to the class of which it is the monthly organ, namely, the Roman Catholics, there are others of a very miscellaneous and agreeable character. The Rev. Charles Plowden's narrative of the " Preservation of the Jesuits in Russia," and " Lord Shrewsbury's New Church at Cheadle," are foremost among the former. Among the latter the "Reminiscences of a Visit to Spain in the Summer of 1845" will be peculiarly agreeable to the thousands who love the phantom of " That sunny south countrie ;" and especially so at this moment, when between Chris tina, Louis Philippe, Nlontemolin, Bresson, Cabrera, Narvaez, and Isturitz, the whole social and political fabric of that empire seems about to be tumbled into confusion. " Lorenko the Magnificent" is a paper which is not merely illumined by the gorgeousness of its theme, but also by the intelligence of its contri butor. Immediately afterwards we are treated with some appropriate and most graceful verses, entitled " The Triumph of Autumn," and signed E. E. M. K. They appear to us so redolent of this glorious October season, that we gladly present them to the reader. I wake, and the eastern height--flame-tipp'd height, As an armed knight, With cuirass and helm of sheen, Reveals me, there in the kindling air, 'Mid armies of nodding green. " Noon eomes, and I bind the earth—panting With a burning girth Of sultry sunbeams round, Till from her sluices the vital juices In ruddy tides abound. 4 ' I sigh, and the love-sick flowers—damask flowers, • In our trysting hours, Their sly seclusions leave, And round me long, like a burst of song, Delicious odours weave. " I call, and the list'ning brooks jocund brooks, From among the ' stooks,' With silvery footsteps run, To join the espousal, and rare carousal, Of earth with her lord, the sun. And listen! in yonder mead—waving mead, Where the reapers speed, About her temples twining A chaplet new of corn-flags blue, My love, bright Ceres, pining " Farewell! at her feet I'll rest—haply rest, As in heaven the blest, Sweet Goddess mine! I swear By all the blooming, thy grief consuming, My kingdom thou shalt share!" Dr. James Johnson is eulogised in a second article appertaining to him ; but he deserved almost any rational panegyric, so industrious were his habits, so intelligent was his mind, so genial was his disposition, and so honest was his whole nature. Altogether Dolman's Magazine sustains its character among the most valuable of the monthly publications. LITERATURE. HINTS ON ANGLING. By Palmer Hackle, Esq. Piscator will revel over a book so thoroughly worthy of " the gentle craft" as this, by Palmer Hackle, Esq. It condenses a whole library of in formation into the compass of 339 pages, and this without being superficial upon any one given topic. The author has evidently entered upon his labours with a gusto; nevertheless, with all his. enthusiasm, he never forgets that his principal office is to be practical. His work will prove as useful as it is de lightful, as fraught with wholesome advice as with agreeable reflections. Those who love the craft of angling will find a singular fund of information in the lucubrations of Palmer Hackle ; those who love to sit with Izaak Walton under a woodbine hedge while a shower is passing over, will delight in many passages from the pen of the said Palmer Hackle. Charles Cotton would have listened to his voice with pleasure, and, seeing that there are hundreds of Charles Cottons in existence, our author is tolerably secure of becoming a general favourite. NOTES ON TILE EPIDEMIC CHOLERA. By R. Hartley Kennedy, M.D., late Physician-Genera and President of the Medical Board, Bombay. Second Edition. The first edition of this work, published in 1826, has long since been considered a medical classic. It is the authority on the subject on which it treats, and Dr. Kennedy has conferred an obligation on the public and the professsion by the publication of this reprint of it. WHO WERE THE NORMANS? The period from which the English aristocracy dates its origin is that of the Norman conquest. Aristocracy, indeed, there was in the country before, but that was an n bilated by the Normans ; and this epoch is the vaunted birth-day of our nobility. There is nothing of which we hear so much as of the pride of a descent from these first Norman nobles ; of the pure and immaculate blood derived from this long descent. To say nothing of the wretched fallacy of blood and descent—for the most wretched and mischievous fallacy it is which ever cursed the human race—being the pretext for every insolence, and every species of tyranny amongst men, and being besides, the most hollow bubble that ever was blown by pride, for, there is no beggar who, if he could trace his pedigree, would not find himself descended from kings, and no king who is not descended from beggars, —we will take the trouble to refer to the histories of the time, and :chow what these Norman conquerors really were. Ws shall then find that, so far froni"being a set of men to be proud of as ancestors, there cannot be a more scanda lously disgraceful origin. They were, in fact, a swarm of the most desperate and needy adventurers ; " a rascal rabble" of vagabond thieves and plunderers. They were not, in fact, one half of them, what they aro pretended to be—Normans ; but collected by proclamation, and by lavish promises of sharing in the plunder of conquered Engis .d—vultures from every wind of heaven rushing to the field of British carnage. We shall find that, allowing the claims of such families as now can trace a clear descent from these men—and these are very few indeed—even such of them as were Normans were but of the lower and more rapacious grade. The great vultures fleshed themselves to the throat with the first spoil, and returned home, while their places were obliged to be repeatedly supplied, through renewed proclamations, and renewed offers of the punder of the Anglo-Saxons, from the still hungry tribes of knights who were wandering and fight ing anywhere for bloody bread. Again we shall come to the curious question, who the Normans actually were ? Who actually they were who actually were Normans ? And here will come another singular laying bare of the proud pretences of our proud nobles. Forsooth, they are descended from the gal lant and chivalrous Normans. They will be de scended from them and them alone. There is not a soul of them who will claim the honour of descent from the Danes. Oh no ! The barbarous and bloody Danes, they are a scandal and an abomination They are thieves, pirates, plunderers, and savages. No body is descended from them, except some plebeians in the North of England, and except that the rabble rout of the common people are contaminated with their blood. And yet, who are the Normans ? Why, the Danes ! Yes 1 the proud aristocracy of England, such of them as have any long known descent at all, are actually de scended from the Danes ! They are the legitimate issue of this bloody and barbarous people that nobody wishes to acknowledge as ancestors. The Danes, driven from England, fell on the shores of France, and amid the distractions of that kingdom, laid Paris in ashes, and seized on that district which thence received from these Northmenner or Normans, its name of Normandy. Here, though settled too com fortably for their deserts, they never ceased to keep an eye on the far richer prize of England, from which, for their cruelties and fiery devastations, they had been chased away. In the time of the Conqueror, they had been settled about two centurias in France ; and though they had acquired a considerable degree of external civilisation, and much martial discipline, yet, if we are to judge by their proceedings o n t h e acquisition of Eng land, they had lost none of their greedy hunger of spoil, nor of their reckless and ruthless disposition shed blood.—Hampden 's Histo r y of the English Aris tocracy. A rumour has reached us of a very painful occur rence, affecting the members of two noble fam ilies, which is likely at no distant period to form the subject of legal proceeding in one of the Civil Courts.—Post. EMPLOYMENT ON RAILUOADS.—It IS computed that there are 200,000 navigators employed on railroads. Sereral of the flax mills in the north of Ireland have been converted into corn mills. THE NEEDLES.—An important discovery has re cently been made by commander Sherringham and the officers of the Dasher, surveying vessel, of a great error in the Admiralty charts, representing the depth of water and some dangerous sunken rocks in the Needles passage. For many years there have appeared in the charts issued from the Hydrographic - offiae marks of soundings near the Needles' rocks, pointing out sunken chalk rocks in the narrow passage, with the water over them not exceeding three or four fathoms ; and in consequence there is an order in force from the Admiralty that no captain of a ship of the line is to make that passage, down or up the Solent, to or fro m the Channel, through the N ee dl es . Th e D as h er , survey ing vessel, has been occupied for the last year in sur veying and sounding th e wa t er over th e shoals, and in the channels, bays,&c., leading from Christ church Bay to Cowes, and a week or two since came to the Needles, and minutely examined the passage bs• tween that part of the Isle of Wight and the shingles, including Alum Bay, &c. Soundings were taken in Three lines over the supposed dang erous c h a lk r o c k s , the width being quite 500 yards, and the leads were dropped as quick and as close as possible, first from a boat, and afterwards from the Dasher, when it was ascertained that at low water there was never less than five fathoms, or thirty feet water over every part, and that a line of battle ship could with ease work to sea by that channel much quicker when.the wind is from E. than by having to beat up from Spithead to the Nab light, and round by Bembridge .ledge. A full rep or t of this important fact, with a descriptive chart, has been made by. Co mmender Sherringham , and transmitted to the Admiralty who will doubtless represent to the Trinity Board the advantages which will arise to the mercantile shipping, when it is known that vessels of great draught of water can use the Needles' passage in any weather, without risk. The last ships of the line which passed through the Needles were the Spartiate and Wellesley ; the latter had the flag of the late Rear-Admiral Sir F. Maitland, K.C.8., bound to India, but she was without her lower deck guns. On one d ays survey Commander Sherring ham was accompanied by Vice-Admiral Sir G. E. Hawed, Bart., of South Yarmouth, known to be one of the best pilots of that part of the Isle of Wight. and he was agreeably surpr ised at the soundings which were obtained. —Shipping Gazette. Offence was lat ely taken by the " sovereign people" at Saratoga, in the United States, that Madame Jumel (the widow of the famous Aaron Burr) should presume to drive in a carriage with four horses. The lady was grossly insulted. This is something of the same character with an expression of public opinion to wards an innovator a year or two ago. The offender was a gentleman of wealth, who had resided some time abroad : returning with his English servants, ho was stoned in the street of New York for riding with a mounted servant in livery behind him. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. THE OXFORD, WORCESTER, AND WOLVER- HAMPTON DISTRICT. The present position of what is called the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton system of lines, and the ltoftirohfniprojectsrucetsns, whichedwfloevers were hhi r vbea erevaoxdecj railroadstcebeoci yn)tmedeeaaidmnnn Worcesterdogd accommodation f r arao a ni trn i ic l ogb w t results which have followed the advocacy of the several , a r Legislature, he m cee o i i v moiety et Bills iyds the Royal assent, are as follows:- 1. Birmingham and Gloucester — Branch lines for ex tending the accommodation of this railway by branches to Halesowen, &c. y 2. Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton—Branch n i . ro a t c c dchm w o o m er h basry i m :e c iwhsuapt:shoiboi ecncmuand t t ee i ohn o fna n olvr i t n y the or r fiftyd s - lines for accommodating Stratford-upon-Avon and Droit wich. 3. Shropshire Union Railway and Canal—a line from Wolverhampton to Chester, &c. 4. Trent Valley, Midlands, and Grand Junction—a junction line for communicating with the Grand Junc tion, Trent Valley, and Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railways. 5. Rugby, Leamington, and Warwick—for giving further accommodation to the Warwickshire district for communicating with the Great London and North- Western. 6. Buckinghamshire—Oxford and Bletchley Junction, and , 7. Buckinghamshire—Tring and Banbury. These two lines are for extending the London and North- Western accommodation into Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. 8. Birmingham and Oxford Junction, and 9. Birmingham and Oxford Junction—Birmingham Extension. These Bills are for making a new and im portant broad gauge line of railway from Birmingham to Oxford direct, with branches to the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton line. 10. Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Stour Valley— a line from Birmingham to Stafford, with branches to Dudley, Bilston, Stourport, Halesowen, Kingswin ford, &c. 11. Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Dudley—a broad gauge line between the towns specified. 12. Shrewsbury, Worcester, and South Staffordshire Junction—for affording railway accommodation to Shropshire and Staffordshire, embracing the Potteries and the mineral district. 13. South Staffordshire Junction—for accommodating the South Staffordshire coal and iron district, and bringing traffic on the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolver hampton line at Wolverhampton. It should be stated, however, with reference to the above, that the South Staffordshire Junction is amalga mated wiih the Trent Valley Midlands, and the Shrews bury, Wolverhampton, and South Staffordshire with the Birmingham and Shrewsbury. The capital required for the completion of the above projects for this district alone amounts to 2,849,5881, thus apportioned : Birmingham and Oxford Junction £233,330 Birmingham and Oxford Junction (Birming ham Extension) Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Stour Val ley, and Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Dudley lines 370,000 Buckinghamshire (Oxford and Bletchley) Buckinghamshire (Tring to Banbury) Birmingham and Gloucester Branches Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton Branches 73,000 Rugby, Leamington, and Warwick 120,000 Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton, and South Staf fordshire Junction Shropshire Union (total) 1,099,993 South Staffordshire Junction Trent Valley, Midlands, &c. Total £2,849,588 These are the railway bills for this district which re ceived the sanction of the Legislature during the last session, and it will be seen that Parliament has been especially indulgent to the mineral district of South Staffordshire, which will, when the lines above enume rated are completed, be completely intersected. The works of the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolver hampton are progressing rapidly, and as to the accommo dation of Worcester, there seems every probability that the promise made at the last half-yearly meeting of the proprietors, held a month azo at Worcester, that the line from Worcester to Stoke Prior and Abbott's Wood, forming junctions north and south with the Bristol and Birmingham line, should be completed within a twelve month, will be realised. At several points on this junc tion excavators are busily at work, digging cuttings, raising embankments, building bridges and watercourses, levelling and boring tunnels, viz., at Norton, Abbot's Wood, Ballenhall, Worcester, Clamis, Fearnal Heath, and Droitwich. The tunnel at Worcester is in a forward state, and those at Dudley and Mickleton—some fifty miles asunder—are slowly progressing. The contract for the construction of that part of the line between Fearnal Heath and Dudley has been taken by Messrs. Treadwell, and the work will now shortly commence. The Dudley tunnel is a separate contract, and was one of the first let, on account of the length of the line it will occupy. THREE BRIDGES WASHED AWAY ON THE NORTH BRITISH. EDINBURGH, SEPT. 20.—The greatest confusion (says a correspondent) prevailed here this evening, in conse quence of the interruption of the railway traffic to Ber wick ; the bridge at Linton, twenty-three miles hence, having been washed away by the floods. It rained in cessantly all last night, and until six this afternoon. The country was flooded, and the line for some distance was laid under water—the result being as I have stated. I had travelled over the line a few days since, and was told by a fellow passenger, an elderly lady, that " folk had raised an ill report of the line," but it appeared to me to be smooth and easy for a new line, indeed, re markably so. The country people, however, knew of the propensity of this fierce stream to overrun its boun dary, and riot at its will along the banks, and they are now satisfied that local knowledge should be respected by engineers. The directors have done their best in the emergency ; omnibuses and horses have been for warded to the " soft" places, and the promptest mea sures taken to forward the passengers. The Scotsman, just received, corroborates our correspondent's state ment, with the following details :—" We regret to learn that, in consequence of the heavy rains which fell on Monday evening and yesterday morning, much damage has been done to the line of the North British Railway, between East Linton and Dunbar. All the tributaries of the Tyne were swollen to an unusual size ; and the river itself rose higher, it is said, than was ever before known. The principal devastations we have yet heard of are, that the water carried away the railway bridge over the Tyne at Linton, and two other bridges over smaller streams between Linton and Dunbar. The bridge over the Tyne fell about two o'clock. For some time pre vious some men employed on that part of the line had judged the bridge to be in a precarious position from the height and force of the water ; and on the approach of a train from Edinburgh, stopped it , and g ave warning of the danger. Mr. Scott, the goods manager, who hap pened to be a passenger with the train, then proceeded forward, and, along with another person, went upon the bridge to examine its condition. While standing there, the personson the emba nkment cried out that the bridge was going, and scarcely had Mr. Scott and his com panion got out of danger, than the structure was over thrown. By the fall of the two smaller bridges nearer Dunbar, and the destruction of a large portion of the em bankment in the same locality, the portion of the line between that town and Linton was of course rendered entirely useless, and will remain so until these extensive damages are repaired. The company spared no exertion that the traffic might be interrupted as little as possible ; but great difficulty was experienced, owing to all the horses and coaches having been removed from that portion of the road since the opening of the line. Omni buses and horses had to be obtained from Berwick, which conveyed the passengers of the half-past three Berwick train from Dunbar to Linton, from which a train carried them to the terminus here, arriving at eleven o'clock. The mail which leaves Berwick at half-past five reached Edinburgh by the same means at half-past one this morning, being five hours and a half after her usual time. She brought no passengers. A train was sent from here to Linton at nine o'clock with a supply of horses and carriages for the conveyance of the passen gers of to-day. We are happy to state that no person has been injured by these occurrences. The contractors being bound to maintain their works for a twelvemonth from the opening of the line, the expense of repairing the damages will, we believe, fall upon them." SOUTH-EASTERN (GRAVESEND BRANCH).—This line, the Bill for which was obtained during the late session, has been commenced, and, according to the contracts, is to be complete for traffic by Christmas, 1847. The works throughout are not of a heavy character, the cut tings and embankments being very slight. The station at Gravesend is intended to be placed in the central part of the town, probably adjacent to the London-road, the line will run into the Rochester Railway, about a mile down from the present Gravesend station. ELY AND PETERBOROUGH.—This branch of the Easters Counties to Peterborough (to connect Mr. Hud son's Midlands by the Stamford and Syston line) is finished. The opening for public traffic is daily ex pected, the sanction of the Inspector-general being only required. It is said to be the intention of the Eastern Counties, who are to have the management, to run re markably cheap trains. THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAM —Arrangements are making for laying down this telegraph along all the leading lines. It is in constant operation along 950 miles already formed. In the United States it is laid down for a distance oF 1,6 GO miles. In France and Bel gium this magical medium of communication has not yet been adopted to any great extent, but arrangements are making for laying it down along the principal lines of both countries, as well as in Germany. On the conti nent it is exclusively in the hands and under the control of Government, while in this country it belongs to pri vate enterprise. DELAY ON THE GREAT WESTERN. —Many different rumours respecting the delay of the train which left Exeter on Monday afternoon at a quarter after three o'clock, and did not reach Paddin g ton until after mid night, being nearly two hours be hind time ; having been current, inquiry was made, when it was ascertained that the Queen, a most powerful engine, driven by James Hammond, was the engine employed ; the delay was oc casioned, not by any fault of th ose in charge of the train, nor on account of a defective locomotive, but in conse quence of a new species of fuel havin g been tried on that occasion, when it was found that a sufficient heat was not imparted to the boiler to kee p u p a requisite supply of steam, and at times not enough to boil the water. Hammond, the driver, is a most experienced person, and on several occasions he had the honour to drive the trains containing her Majesty, Prince Albert, and other members of the Royal Family. FALLING-IN OF A TUNNEL ON THE TYNEMOUTH Ex- TiN4ION.—The principal twanol on this line—which is a continuation of the Newcastle and North Shields—fell in, about the centre, on Wednesday morning. As the circumstance (says our correspondent) has given rise to many exaggerated rumours, it is satisfactory to bo able to state that neither loss of life nor injury to limb has been sustained, and that the occurrence is not likely to postpone the completion of the line much beyond the anticipated period. AUSTRALIAN LINES.—By the last mail from Sydney we learn that a deputation comprising several members of the Legislative Council and the Mayor of that colony, waited upon his Excellency the Governor, with the view, principally, of ascertaining how far he would ba dis posed to recommend her Majesty's Government to intro duce or sanction a Bill for authorising free grants of whatever Crown lands might be required for railway purposes. We understand his Excellency expressed his readiness to make such a recommendation, so far, at least, as relates to the actual lines, and a reasonable ex tent of land on either side. GREAT SOUTHERN AND WESTERN LINE (SYDNEY).-- A public meeting has been held at Sydney, for the pur pose of adopting measures for the formation of a line from that port to Goulburn and Windsor, to be called the Great Southern and Western. The Mayor was called to the chair. Mr. Bradley, in moNif,g the first resolution, proceeded at some length to explain the great advantage the colony would derive from the in tended line, and that the outlay would not exceed 1,000,000/. Mr. H. G. Smith said that amount would be the capital of the company, to be held in 50,000 shares of 201. each, of which three-fourths would be re served for British capitalists. They were not going to make railways on the scale they were formed in Great Britain. Probably they would not lay down more than a single line ; this might be laid on wooden sleepers. Resolutions were then approved of in respect to the for mation of the company, and the provisional committee men, who were chosen by the melting, were erep,,wered, on 9,000 shares being subscribed for, to apply to the Colonial Legislature for an Act of incorporation. BATHURST AND SIDNEY.--A meeting has also taken place at Bathurst, to promote the construction of a line from that town to Sydney. Major-General Stewart pre sided. It was resolved, that the growing importance of this and the surrounding districts, and their increase in trade and commerce, coupled with the great advantages they possess for the growth of grain of all kinds, and for pastoral pursuits, render it highly desirable that a railway communication should be established with Sydney. A committee was appointed for the establish ment of a company. ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. SITTING OF SEPT. 21.—A communication was re ceived from M. Walchner, an engineer of mines in the Grand Duchy of Baden, having for title " Observations on copper and arsenic, proving that these two metals are to be found everywhere." M. Walchner's facts do not establish the universal presence of copper and arsenic, but they have an extensive range. He has found them, he says, in all the iron mines he has visited, and in the ferruginated waters of Griesbach, Rippoldsdau, Wis baden, Ems, Pyrmont, &c. This must not, however, alarm the drinkers of such waters, for the quwatity of arsenic contained in them is so very small, that it re quires the nicest analysis to detect it at all. The re sult of M. Walchner's paper is, that copper and arsenic are also to be found in iron. If he had merely declared this in the title of his paper, he would have done well. Another communication was received from M. Boussin gault on the process and character of digestion. Accord ing to M. Dumas, digestion consists of two orders of phenomena; it resupplies the materials of the blood in cessantly destroyed by respiration, at the same time that it restores or adds new principles to the organs. Thus, therefore, digestion must supply on one hand the respi ratory combustion, the source of animal heat, and on the other effect the assimilation of our food. Of the two phenomena, M. Boussingault regards the respiration as the most indispensable, inasmuch as the assimilation of food would be useless without the addition of the animal heat. The author proceeds at great length, to detail the experiments that he has made on albumen, fibrine, caseum, &c., to establish his opinion, but the thing itself appears to us to be so self-evident that we cannot under stand why so much time should have been bestowed in the way of exemplification. Theoretical disquisitions of th;s kind are very useful when they lead to any result or to the knowledge of any useful fact, but we would prefer one practical proposition, by which real advantage may be derived, to volumes of discussion on the mode of operation in phenomena, the general nature of which is already so well known. A paper was read on the means of ascertaining, with more certainty than hitherto, the action and in t ensi ty of electrical currents. The author , M. Marie Daay, ap pears to have taken great pains to arrive at some useful i knowledge on this subject , a nd as electricity s now made an important agent in many of the useful arts, he is entitled to the thanks of men of science and of the public at large for the labour that he has bestowed. M. Arago gave an account to the Academy of some of the effects of lightning upon electrical telegraphs in the United States of America, observing that the facts had been communicated to him by M. Eben Mariam, of Brookly, and entitled to entire confidence. On the 29th April of the present year, the lightning fell on the wire of the electric telegraph at Lancaster, without melting or breaking it. In the room, however, where the electric battery, by which the line is worked, is placed, a noise was heard like that of the discharge of a pistol, and se veral sparks were seen. On the 18th of May a telegra phic wire was broken by lightning, and several of the posts supporting the line were split. In this case there was a report equal to the discharge of two or three muskets. On June 3 the wire telegraph from Washington to Baltimore was so broken that the communication b.t tween the towns was suspended for several hours. On the following day, during another thunder-storm, the wire was not snapped, but at every stroke of thunder the hands of the telegraphic instrument moved as if the battery was at work. M. Pelouze presented to the Academy, in the name of M. Barreswill, a paper on the liquid blue obtained by condensing, by means of frigorific mixture, a compound of hypoazotic acid and bioxyde acid. M. Arago addressed some questions to the members composing the section of chemistry respecting the new discovery of means for preparing a fulminating cotton, more potent than gunpowder, of which so much has been said in the journals. M. Scheenbein, the inventor, as serts that this cotton, although more powerful than gun powder, does not explode with noise, and has the advan tage of not soiling the tube through which it is dis charged. M. Arago said, before he would give credit to these assertions, he wished to know what was thought of them by the gentlemen of the section of chemistry ? M. Thenard observed, that if the preparation spoken of has the force of propulsion stated by the inventor, it is utterly impossible that the discharge can take place without detonation. M. Dumas said M. Scheenbein had given him several samples of his preparation. He bad, said M. Dumas, succeeded in making from cotton a paper clear and transparent as glass, and flexible as ordinary paper. The friction of this paper excites electricity in a very high degree. When a portion of it is placed in the dark it becomes luminous, and if it be rubbed against common paper or cloth it adheres to it with such force that it cannot be removed. This fact, added M. Dumas, was beyond contestation, for he had frequently made the experiment himself, but he knew nothing of the ful minating substance spoken of by the journals, and now alluded to by M. Arago. There might, for aught he knew to the contrary, be something of the kind, but the statements which had been made on that subject were irobably much exaggerated. THE NEMESIS IN CHINA.--A third and cheaper edition of this work, which comprises the most complete History of the gate War in China, is just published, complete in one volume, with maps and plates, price 12s. bound, and may be had of all booksellers. At a time (says the prospectus) when the comparative efficiency of iron and wood as the material for constructing steam vessels is engaging the most serious attention of the seaman, the shipbuilder, and the engineer,it has been thought useful to place this work, combining an extra ordinary variety of interest, in a cheaper and more ac cessible form, before the junior members of all the pro fessions which it concerns. The Nemesis was the first iron steamer that doubled the Cape ; she bore a conspi cuous part in the Chinese war ; and the merits of this full, clear, and instructive narrative of her experiences and operations, were fully appreciated by the public in general, on its first appearance. But a more special in terest must attach to this work for the professed seaman and the engineer, on account of the details of the diffi culties, emergencies, and imminent dangers to which the Nemesis was repeatedly exposed from accidents and weather, and for the mechanical skill, ingenuity, re sources, and perseverance, so eminently displayed by Captain Hall, his officers, and crew. The book holds forth an impressive lesson to the young navigator, and amply deserves a place on his shelf beside the classic voyages of an Anson or a Cook, or any of the cele brated maritime worthies of other days. Need we add that, for a youth destined for the naval profession, or just embarking in it, a more appropriate present could scarcely be found. FLAX.—IHELAND.—If only one-half of the lands in Ireland, suitable for flax culture, were under that crop, employment, and that in the poorest districts, would be afforded to upwards of four millions—about half the population. Independently of its claims, on the ground of profit to the farmer and employment to the labourer, flax culture adds the very important one, of mainly contributing to uphold and increase a manu facture which already employs thousands of hands in its prosecution ; it has distributed wealth wherever it has settled, and is in fact the most flourishing and im portant of the industrial resources of Ireland. We are led into these remarks by observing that flax culture r has progressed so rapidly under the a us p ices . of " The Flax Improvement Society for Ireland," that a deputa tion, headed by the Marquis of Downshire, attended on Wednesday, at Windsor, and that and cambrics were presented and graciously received by her Majesty." These specimens were made from . purely "specimens ?f . linen Irish grown flax ; the webs of linen and cambric both bore the seal of " The Golden Flax," to the spirited . proprietors of which too much .praise. cannot .be given for their indefatigable zeal in stimulating this industry. POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION...7OH We inesday last we had the gratification of hearing a most admirable lecture at this establishment, on the electro-needle tele graph, by the Professor of Natural Philosophy, Doctor Bachhoffner. The learned gentleman proceeded to point out to his auditors the great advantage that sci entific application was likely to be to all classes of so ciety. He exhibited varioas illustrations to prove the theory was good in all its bearings , and he particularly delighted his audience by the clear, simple, and un affected style throughout his lecture, and the evident pains he took to render plain and intelligible that which at first appeared intricate, and at the same time without losing sight of its importance in a scientific point of view. - The lecture was well attended, and at the con clusion the professor was greeted with loud and continued applause. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. (From Punch.) Louis Philippe Orleans, an old man, with a largo head, and a ver;• confident expression, was charged be fore the bench, Public Opinion, with a most flagitious act of child stealing. The case was very protracted, and involved many statements and counter-statements, but may be briefly summed up as follows : It appeared that a Spaniard, named Ferdinand, who had distinguished himself as a man- milliner—having been specially appointed as petticoat-maker and em broiderer to the Holy Virgin—died some years ago at Madrid, leaving behind him two little infant girls ; and it was for the crafty abduction of the younger of these children, by name Luisa—a young creature scarcely marriageable—that the prisoner was brought to the bar. Ile was an old offender, full of subtleties and tricks, which he played off under the guise of the most en chanting benhonnnie, which, of course, only rendered him the more dangerous. This, however, was the first time he had appeared at the bar of public opinion as a child stealer. It was shown in evidence that the petticoat-maker died very rich ; and there was no doubt that the im mense wealth of the unfortunate Luisa was one reason for drawing upon her the attention of the prisoner ; who had also—there could be no doubt of it—considerable hopes of obtaining futther advantages by meddling in her family affairs ; and further of ultimately obtain ing the larger share of the property o❑ the death of her sister, reputed not to be of the most vigorous constitu tion. It was shown that Orleans had had crafty accom plices in the business. He had introduced into the house of the young ladies a French hairdresser, named Bres son, who had turned the head of the innocent Luisa with the most glowing description of Orleans, surnamed Montpensier, a youth with great precocity of mous tache. The hairdresser, Bresson, had also contrived to give the young man's portrait (painted for the occasion) to the hapless Luisa; and the effect of a portrait of a handsome young man upon a girl of fourteen would be obvious. Finally, a contract of marriage had been brought about by the craftiness of the hair-dresser; and the child —however it might be attempted to palliate the circum stances by the forms of law—the child was, in a word, stolen from herself, her country, and her re l a ti ons , b y the guile and avarice of the prisoner at the bar. The COURT regretted that it could not interfere in even so flagitious a case. The prisoner must be dis charged ; though he must not for a moment suppose that he left the Court with clean hands. Hereupon the prisoner gave a knowing wink, chuckle, and left the Court, humming "Ou pent on itre mieux, qu'au sein de sa famille 1" NARROW ESCAPE OF AN EMI GRANT SHIP.-AWFUL SUFFERINGS. __ Recently considerable attention has existed regarding the fate of the Elizabeth and Sarah emigrant ship, which has been reported at Lloyd's as having been nearly wrecked, twice or thrice, while on her outward passage to North America, with three hundred Irish emi grants. Since the last notice published, announcing the vessel being stranded on the island of St. Peter's, south of Newfoundland, letters have been re ceived communicating the fact of her having been got off, and her arrival at Basque Island, with a frightful fever raging on board, to which the captaim of the Eli zabeth and Sarah, Mr. Simpson, and no fewer than twenty-three passengers, had fallen a sacrifice. The unfortunate commander was, we understand, the. sole owner of the vessel, and in consequence of his death there is little probability of an inquiry being instituted into the alleged charges as to the condition of the ship and the stores with which she was provided. From all the accounts received we extract the following : " The chip sailed from Killala on May 26, twenty four days after the day advertised, and the time the emi grants had come on board. The original number of emigrants she was to carry eras fixed at 218, but the number in her when she sailed proved far greater, amounting to 280, besides the crew, and the accommo dation provided on board consisted only of thirty-two berths. Owing to the great length of time before she sailed, most of the emigrants had consumed a large quantity of their stores, and by the time the vessel had reached half way to her destination her position was most deplorable, subsisting on short allowance, and many with scarcely any. What was worse, the water had from some cause become putrid. At the time of the ship running ashore on St. Peter's Island, the captain had an attack of fever, which soon carried him off, and many of the passengers expired from the same disease. The bodies of the passengers were immediately com mitted to the deep, but that of the captain was kept on deck for thirteen days, until the ship arrived at Basque Island. As may be supposed, it was in a shocking state of decomposition. In the meanwhile twenty deaths had occurred, and the illness that prevailed in the ship was truly frightful. On the vessel reaching Basque island, the unhappy creatures received every attention from Mr. Webb, the mate of the Liverpool, wrecked on the island, who took immediate steps to convey information of the dreadful condition of the emigrants to the Government emigrant agent at Quebec, where they arrived on the seventy-second day after their departure from Killala. Twelve more deaths took place ere the ship dropped anchor, and a vast number of the emigrants continued in a dangerous condition up to the time of these accounts being sent off. The state of the ship when it arrived is described to have been most disgusting. She was only 330 tons burthen, and was entitled to carry no more than 155 adult passengers. She had Si beyond her complement." THE `NEAT HER AND VIE CROPS.—The weather has altogether changed during the past ten days— rain has been very plentiful. The hopes that we al luded to last week and the week previous, of the sup plementary crop of potatoes, continue to be indulged in even here, where the disease was soonest observed, and where its ravages have been the most extensive In the neighbourhood of Huntley, and in other dis tricts to the north of it, it is calculated that about one-third will be saved. The threatened disease in the turnip crop is fast disappearing. There are, in general, not more turnips found irremediably injured than in ordinary years. The disease is said to have been nothing more than a mildew or rust, that covered and discoloured the leaves, preventing them from exercising their functions, and thus stopping the growth of the plants. The same disease was apparent in 1826. Al most all traces of it are said to have vanished after the late rains, and it is expected that the crop will yet recover. The grain is very high at present. The millers have none in their possession, as the farmers have pas ture in great plenty, even as much as in the month of June, and, of course, standing in no need of fodder, are not inclined to thrash out any portion of their crop. It is, however, hardly expected that the present prices will be long maintained.—Aberdeen Herald. DREADFUL COAL-PIT ACCIDENT.—SIX LIVES LOST.—On Monday morning a dreadful accident from explosion of fire damp, whereby six lives have been lost, occurred at a pit connected with the Clyde Iron Works, the property of Messrs. Dunlop, situated near Toll Cross, a few miles up the Clyde from Glasgow. The casualty had becomo but very partially known in this city at a late hour on Monday, and the subjoined particulars have been hastily - collected from inquiries made in the neigh bourhood in question. The pit in which the accident occurred is called Bogle's Hole Pit, and is situated within a stone-throw of the river side. We understand it is a working which has been daily open of late, and no premonition of danger had taken place in con nexion with it. About four o'clock yesterday morning five men and a boy went down in the course of their ordinary occupations, and immediately on the lights which they carried coming in contact with the foul air, the explosion took place by which the whole have been deprived of life. We have not yet ascertained the names of the sufferers, but we understand the majority, if not the whole, of the men were married, and have left widows and families. The consternation which the occurrence excited in the neighbourhood can be imagined only by those who have been wit nesses to similar scenes of distress. Steps were promptly taken by the persons connected with the management for recovering the bodies, and in the course of the morning those of one man and the boy were got out. The remains of the other four men were not recovered until about five o'clock on Monday even ing. The explosion cannot, under the circumstances, be easily accounted for; but without desiring heedlessly to impute blame in any quarter, or to anticipate the re sult of the inquiry which we understa nd has been insti tuted under judicial authority, we may state that the common impression amongst the mining population of Rutherglen and the neighbourhood was, that the disaster had been CIIIIEOI by a trap-door, connected with the ventilation, having been left open when it ought to have been shut, in consequence of which the gas had been concentrated, and rendered peculiarly liable to ignition on the contact of flame.—Glasgow Chronicle. AGRICULTURAL WAGES IN OXFORDSHIRE.—Mr. W. Collingridge, farmer at Goding, was summoned to appear at the petty sessions, at Bicester, on Friday last, to show cause why he refused to pay John Freeman, a lad of thirteen, wages amounting to 6s. 6d. It was for three weeks' wages all but one day. The defence was, that the lad had misconducted himself by leaving on a Saturday morning. It appeared the complainant had worked for the defendant for some time ; that he left home at about five in the morning, and that he had not done his work till late at night; that until May he had had threepence per day, and twopence for Sun days, but that his wages were then day ; that on the da y I T left his place Mr. Collingridge told him he had " a whip in pickle " for him, and that the boy left is consequence. The magistrates ordered the defendant to pay the boy his wages for two weeks, 4s. 6d., and to pay the clerk's costs, 9s. Gd. Th e f arme r appea red very angry at the deci s i on , an d sa id h e should a ppeal against the conviction. MEETING or M ASONS —O n Th urs d a y n ight a public meeting of the stone-masons was held at the Temper ance-hall, Waterloo-road, which was completely filled. Mr: John Shaw ( a mason ) was called to the chair, and congratulated the me e ting on the prospects before them. from the report of the subscriptiens received in aid of the late struggle at Liverpool, it appeared that the total. was, in voluntary contributions, 611.15;,. 6d., and from a benefit at the Liverpool Theatre, 741, ss. 10d. ' • a profit of 221. 19s. 6d.—Robert M'llonald proposed the first re soluti " That Trades' Unions are highly conducive to the social, moral, and intellectual improvement of the working classes, and that it is the imperative duty of every mason, in particular, to unite in forwarding the objects of the Masons' Association."—The resolution was carried unanimously amidst loud cheers.—Joseph Wood proposed the second resolution :—" That this meeting pledges itself, individually and collectively, to use every legitimate and constitutional effort to forward the objects of this meeting, believing that Trades' Unions are the only lever that will ultimately elevate the work ing classes to that pre-eminent position that they ought to occupy . among the producers of the wealth of this great empire. This and the other resolutions wen 030 carried unanimously. THE SUN, _LONDON, SATURDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 3 , 1846.