The Sun. — London, England, 1846-07-01 00:00:00

. 0 ---- IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LOnDS June 29 Their Lordship s met at Five o'clock. BANKRUPTCY' AMENDMENT ACT. On the motion Of Lord BROUGHAM, this Bill was read a second t'.cae. PROTECTION AGAINST VEXATIOUS ACTIONS. This Bill was also read a third time and passed, on the motion of the same NOBLE AND LEAaNFD Loan. SUGAR BILL. Tht Duke of BUCCLE D UCH UTIES move() that this Bill be read a second time. On the motion of the same NOBLE DUKE the standing orders were suspended. The :Sill went through Com mittee, and was subsequently Passed.. read a third time and RAILWAY COMP.A INTIEs DISSOLUTION BILL. On the motion of Commons' amendments to this Bill were a HOLTSIE, the greed to. tile Earl of DAL The Duke o f mittal of the A.M moved the re-com it --NI ailway Buckingha ms hi re (T r i ng and Ban b ury) the Bill. .t Comm itteeto th e d ec i s i on of the Select on ofThe obje c t; h e said, was to consider the propriety Passirg a portion of the Bill which was not objected to. with Vd Ec w urst info rm t h e Hoe that he made the motion e concurren ce o f the' chairman, e l se he s ho u ld not with. presumed to have done so. lord STANLEY explained the reasons why the Corn- Inittee decided against the Bill in question. They did so because they believed the line as an independent schr:me would not pay the share holders for the capital invested. Since then he understood the scheme had been so altered, that the major part of it was to be abandoned, and a branch of twelve miles retained to accommodate the towns of Buckley' and B uckingham. This small portion anded to be o b ta i ned was unobjected to byb the propriet ors a l ong the line, and would be worked ,_y another co mpany. Under these circumstances he had no objection that the Bill should be re-committed for the purpose of considering the propriety of granting the portion in question.. Lord BRou II p , to M had always felt a great objec tion vo the mmitteeo interference ki of the House with railway In the present case the circumstances seemed e L-‘the Bill . r , J - ) ;siuerawy a ltered since ...no was before "ep:tnittee; he thought, therefore, that th ere was no object'.on to the Bill being referred b ac k t o the Coin klit`Lee. Lord CAMPBELL did not think they were departing from the sound principles of non-interference with the decisions of railway Committees by referring this Bill back to the Committee. The motion was then agreed to. It was then ordered that the Bill be referred to the Select Committee for re-consideration. Their Lordships then adjourned till nest. LWAY COMMITTEE 4. (YESTERDAY) OF LORDS. GROUP C. lIMRCULANETIVX DOCKS. ._The Committee re - assem bl ed this morning, Lord Ashbur ton ._Th e the chair, when, after some time, the preamble waB declared to be proved. The clauses of the Bill were passed through. without amendment, and the report ordered to be brought up. GROUP D. IVIANCHESIY;•EIt, MIDLANDS, .AND GREAT Glt IN/SIM JUNCTION. The Committee assembled this morning, Lord Somers in the chair. Witnesses were called to show the nature of the produce on the respective lines of the present competing companies for this line, the chief points being to show what 'Was the extent of magnesian limestone carried into and Lincolnshire from th e ne i ghbourhood of Worksop, the supply of stone for grindstones sent from Thryburgh and Wickersby to Sheffield, as also the number and extent of the ironworks in the neighbourhood of Rotherham. The statements with respect to the miuer..l3 were made by Mr. Sellers and Mr. Byron, bath connected with the district, the latter agent to Earl. Fitzwilliam for his mineral pro perty: Mr. Dyson, of Rotherham, was the principal wit ness called to show the extent of the ironworks, and be stated that his own manufacture was 500 tons daily, and, of noise, many thousands of tons a year. Mr. Chadwick stated that he was the owner and the oc cupier of the stone quarries at Thryburgh, and that the thing quarries at Wickeraby are nearly exhausted; while was the additional advantage, the stone having to descend a considerable elevation. The Secretary of the line was then put into the box , and repeated the fo rma l proofs wh i ch had been deposited b e fore,acc ording to the s t an di ng or d ers . Th e p o p u l a ti on within three miles of the line, but including all those residingin Gains borough and Rotherham, as stated by Mr. Belton, who has been employed in taking the traffic, was 65,855 on a line of the rolnoters, exclusive altogether of the population of Sheffield. witlurut speaking as to accuracy, he found that the local POpulation was 39,000, or, according to the statement of the e ngineer of' the Sheffield and Lincolnshire line, only 34,000. A long cross-examination ensued. in which Mr. PAGET endeavoured to elicit that the several places on the line for 'whose population credit had been ten were, though appa- Zel ttlY, really several miles distan t; ; but the discrepancy aPPeared to be reconciled by the circumstance, that though parts of the several parishes were far off, yet the population is Scattered, and spread over wide districts. Mr. Macconnell, the engineer locomotive superintendent of the Bristol and Birmingham line, who attended under a 'warrant from the Speaker, expressed an opinion that there woald be danger in the junction of the Sheffield and Lincolnshire line with the Rotherham Railway, as the line was there on a descent. He was impressed with the necessity of having four policemen stationed at each of the four points of this junction. It would be necessary also to have a first-dass station there, where all the trains might atop, as, from the natural slope of the ground, it was impos sible to see the trains as they approach. The northern point lin 4 the Midlands Railway would be particularly dangerous, Consequottes of t h e cutting interrnpti ls ,.._ ways. On re-examination by Mr. PAGET, it appeared that all the junctions in the kingdom are made by the up or the down train passing from one pair of rails to the other, and that. the junction here spoken of was on an incline of 1 in 100, still he had himself formed a gradient of 1 in 37, though he disliked gradients. To Mr. Sergeant WILKINS the witness said, that the employment of policemen would be inevitable, and thus the expense would be ten gu i neas a week for this watching. With respect to the junctions which had been alluded to, all the trains on the Birmingham and Midlands Railways, with the exception of the express train, stopped at Rugby, and he had understood, with respect to the Warrington line, that it was considered so objectionable, that the people of Liverpool had this session applied for a new and direct line, in order to avoid the danger and delay of that junction. Mr. Payne, the manager of the traffic on the Bristol and Birmingham, considered the Woodside Junction very inad visable. Captain Lewes, manager of the Manchester and Leeds Railway Company from its establishment, testified as to his knowledge of the country through which the line of the promoters was to pass, and to his opinion of the excellence of the line from the communication which It opened up with the Yorkshire coal-field, which is one of the largest in England for the eastern counties of England. The Aubrey section strikes the Sheffield and Rotherham line about two miles and a half from Rotherham, and in tersected the Silkestone coal-field for more than three miles, and as the whole of the line was on a de scending gradient there would be an excellent facility for the transference of this coal to every part supplied with communication by the London nod York line. He el, cidedly objected to the junction at Woodside, and would rather go round by Sheffield to Rotherham than incur the risk and trouble of it. With respect to the inclined plane which bad be en o bj ected to in the Manchester, Midlands, and Great Grimsby Junction line, he could say that the Oldham incline, on the Manchester and Leeds Railway, is 1 miles long, and on a gradient of 1 in 27 , and yet, by the adoption of a system of balances, they found no difficulty whatever in daily overcoming it. There could be no doubt, therefore, that the engines could be Worked up the proposed incline of the promoters at a speed of twenty. five miles an hour. The facilities for traffic at Sheffield had been greatly increased by the enlargement of the station. In that i n s- examination by Mr. BMWS, Captain Le wes s t a t e d ascending the Oldham incline, all the contingencies of breaking of ropes and braces had occurred, but they had al- C' , found th e p ower of the engine in front sufficient to over difficulty. He Ile denied th a t ther e had been any de . oid in s d e Lto the elanches+e r and Sheffield lin and al though inter in the Po n t e f ract, Wakefield, and Goole , as well as the uran., t o Hull, though not an engineer or a ' practical manager, he ' , mild, in the face of the opinions of all the civil engineers in tes kingdom, persevere in his im tss oithis gradient. pression of the great injudiciot... o The Committee here adjourneo till to-morrow. HOUSE OF COMMONS. GROUP XVII. MANCUEsTER AND SOUTHAMPTON. The Committee met this morning at the usual hour, and were occupied th e whole of the morning in hearing evidence in support of the opposition of a few landowners. In each case resid en ti a l injury was complained or, but the cases p o ssessed no feat ure of public interest, beyond the tact that the railway simply intersected the lands of the petitioners. Mr. ATHERTON then proceeded to address the Committee. a gainst the ,li ne , on behalf of Mr. Roe, a landowner at Southampt on, near the site of the proposed terminus. He is the owner of a wharf fronting the water, the access to 'which he held would be destroyed by the line; and, there gill.Praykd the Committee not to pass the preamble of ithenrnoAllaeki an architect at Southampton, considered that and that the th e Dorchester line would be dangerous, into' early seriou s 's earr3 ing of t ra i ns along the quays would offer terfere with those rice to the usine-s of that . locality, b ' and fn the purpose of recreation.e Who wre in the habit of going there for In his cross-examination b Mr. AL NDEIL, he stated that four roads were crosse d m li on train s in connexion nnexion with the South-Western, at South a c° hich belonged to Mr. Roe. On the whole, he con ae n r e ed o th w e railway would be of advantage to the to le, He should like to see direct rail way communication with the north from z•:outhampton. The Committee then adjourned until twelve to-morrow. GROUP XVIII. . E0111)04.• NVVVDTS72,Ir, AND ISAMU D raECT. Mr. Sergeant IVrtaxGßAm dto the Committee that she pr omoters of the Bill had end tate eavouted to carry out the Wish expressed yesterday by three members of the Com mittee: that twelve Companyd been submitted on the part of the Great Western , and that eleven of these had been arranged, and that the twelfth point could not be agreed upon ; he, therefore, requested the Committee to ;appoint a third party, who should have the power of deciding upon that Point. By his decision they were quite ready to elide. The. CHAILIMAN stated that as the parties could not agree among themselves, there was no other course left open for the Committee but to proceed with the case. Sir DE LACY EVANS thought, as the promoters of the Wilts and Somerset line would not come to any agreement, they must proceed at their own risk; they had heard the in timation of the Committee upon the subject. Mr. Cave, the traffic-taker, was accordingly called, and was cross-examined by Mr. DENISON on the traffic-tables, which he hid propat oil with I. mot tedious minuteness. Mr. ArIEEREWETIIER then called Mr. Walker, the Admiralty engineer, who stated that he had been in communication with the Speaker for a considerable time, which was his apology for not appearing before tbe cioramittetet twelve TILE SITN, LONDON, WEDNEgDAY o'clock, and_ that he thought he should be able to save any further delay and trouble to the Committee, as he hoped he should be able to conclude au arrangement with Mr. Brunel. Aster a short time, whict' was spent in consultation be tween Mr. Brunel and Mr. Walker, Mr. Mr:l-...,,wErtatit stated that he had, been informed that an arrangement had been entered into between the parties, which he would his' before the Committee in a formal and proper mluner to-morrow. ' rho Committee then adjourned till twelve to-morrow. GROUP XXXIII. The Committee on this Bill having adjourned to this day from Saturday, met again at twelve o'clock this morning, and pr, ceuded with the adjourned case of the landowners, petitioning against the 317.17e1INGEAVE AND ozronn jUNCTION. Mr. itliscLoN proceeded to address the Committee on the part of his several clients petitioning against the Bill. He went over the whole of the evidence given on Saturday, which was stated at great length in The Sun of Monday morning, both as it referred to the landowners, and of the traste:ii of the Independent Chapel. In respect of the latter case, the Learned Counsel observed that it was impossible for his clients to accept the offer of Mr. Cockburn, as to tie building of another chapel, in the case of the annoy ance to the congregation being as great as was repre sented. His clients were of opinion that it would be impossible to find an efficient arbitrator. It would be im possible to appoint any person who would be able to form a -4gment upon the many " nice points" which were included question, as to whether the annoyance was as great beep anticipated. The Learned Counsel concluded by ing that the objections to the line, on account of the to prnperty, would certainly not be sufficient of them wives," but that the line itself was not one which was called for by the exigencies of the country, and that the Warwick shire and London lines were far superior to the Birmingham and Oxford Junction. Mr. WNATELEY then addressed the Committee on the part of the promoters of the Bill at great length. The Learned Counsel said, that the only very important opposition to the line was on the part of the trustees of the chapel, and on the part of Sir Edward Smythe. In respect of the latter, he would only say that he was prepared to refer the question as to whether the Company should buy the whole of his pro perty or not to any gentleman they might choose; and he would then refer the price to be paid fo r it t o ar bi tra ti on ; or if Sir Edward Smythe wished to keep his property, or any part of it, they would refer the question of compensation to arbitration, and would give the most liberal compensa tion. In respect of the chapel, the Learned Counsel repeated the offer made by Mr. Cockburn on Saturday, as to the con tingent building of a new chapel, and said that he thought the Company could not make a more liberal offer. He also instanced several cases of places of worship being situated in the immediate vicinity of railways, and no inconvenience being sustained, or, at all events, complained of. The Learned Counsel then proceeded to object to the Warwick,hire and London Railways. He said that the London and Birmingham Company had, in this case, pur sued an obstructive policy. These lines were not intended to supply the wants of the country, but to take posses sion of it and keep every one else out of it. The Learned Counsel objected to the three lines of the Warwickshire and London on these grounds. The Worce,ter and Weedon was an eastern and western line, and it had been proved that the whole traffic was north and south. There had been no attempt to prove a case of traffic on this line, except in regard to lean cattle, and indeed there was no traffic that could go by the line but that. The same was the case with the Hampton and Aschurch and the Hampton and Banbury; there had been no evidence whatever as to traffic on either? and the latter was a line beginning nowhere and ending nowhere. It stopped at half a mile from Banbury, and a junction could nut be made with the Oxford and Rugby line, because the level of the Hampton and Banbury was thirty feet above the Oxford and Rugby. Besides this, the Hampton and Banbury ran for a considerable distance parallel to the Oxford and Rugby, and then passed through most valuable property. Again, the case set up on the part of the London and Birmingham Company, as to the hospital at Warnford, that the rail way would be rather an improvement than an injury to the hospital, it certainly had been said by Doctor Jephson, that the patients would rather like it than not; but he would ask the Committee whether a man in the height of fever, or a poor fellow who had had his leg taken off, and had taken an opiate for the sake of forcing an unnatural sleep, would be very much pleased by a train passing by, with the engine hissing, screaming, and roaring m the dead of the night ?—( A. laugh.) The Learned Counsel's speech occupied about an hour. as had obsery injury Mr. AUSTIN then rose on the part of the WARWICKSHIRE AND LONDON (WOR CESTER. AND WIZEDON, lIA.TIMPT:.7N AND BANDITRY, HAMPTON AND IiSHCHITECII). In reply to the speech of Mr. WIATELEY, he dwelt at some length on the accusations of that gentleman against the London and Birmingham Company, and observed that he was very sorry that the Great Western Com pany should instruct their counsel to make such allegations as this, which could not be disproved, but which he thought could have no effect with the Committee. The Learned Counsel proceeded to show that the three lines of the War wick and London were not competing with the Birmingham and Oxford. The only parts of the two schemes which could at all be said to compete, or even to compare one with another, were the War wick and Banbury portion of the Hamp tGn and Banbury and the corresponding portion of the Bir mingham and Oxford. It had been said that the stations of the Warwickshire and London, at Leamington and Warwick, l i were n9t convenient. Now at these places each line formed a letter S ( Mr. Austin here referred to a plan). In the War wick and London one curve brought them close to Learning ton, and the other brought them near Warwick; and at each place the station was within one street's length of the popu lous part of the town. But on the Birmingham and Oxford the S was reversed, oae curve taking the line far away from Leamington, and the other carrying it far away from Warwick. The Hampton and Ashchurch and the Worcester and Weedon were not mere east and west lines, but north-east and south-west Imes, and would carry a large amount of north-east and south-west traffic. The Hampton and Banbury line did not fall short of the town of Banbury, as represented by Mr. Whateley. There was a station to the west of the Oxford. and Rugby line, which was common to this and the Tring to Banbury line, and although it was lost in the Tring to Banbury Bill, it still remained lin the Hampton and Banbury line. The Learned Counsel dwelt at great length on the question of monopoly and com petition, and urged that the passing of the two Bills for lines competing with one another, would not have the effect of 440:_vcio4 monopoly. There could be no competition be: once come down to the lowest point to which it was the in terest of the companies to bring them they would amal gamate an d ra i s e the prices The ne cessity for high tolls being increased by the double expenditure of capital, the passing of both lines would rather injure than advantage the public. He did not look upon his Learned Friend's observations as to the mischiefs that might result from the line passing by the hospital as likely to have much weight with the Committee. He thought the evi dence of Dr. Jephsou had set that point at rest, and he should think that gentleman's opinion much more worthy to be relied on than that of his Learned Friend. Mr. AUSTIN'S speech occupied about two hours. At. about five minutes to four o'clock the room was cleared in order that the Committee might consalt as to the course to be ad6pted in proceeding with the case. On our re-admis sion the Chairman said that the Committee would prefer to take the evidence of the engineers who had been sent down to examine the levels of the Worcester and Weedon line, on Thursday, instead of to-morrow, if that would be equally con venient for the parties. The Couns_l having declared that it would, The Committee rose at about nalf-past four, and adjourned till to-morrow at eleven o'clock. GROUP XXXVIII. The Committee met at the usual hour. WEST F ZIaXNG UNION. Mr. BnlNEs, Q.C., opened the case for the promoters of this Lne, in a speech of considerable length. The first witness called was Mr. Hawkshaw, the engineer to the line. He was also the engineer to the Manchester and Leeds Railway. The' whole sy-teni of railroad included in this scheme was about 45 miles in length. The main line was laid out so as to form a continuous line of communication between Leeds, Bradford, and Halifax. The next branch was proposed to accommo date Bradford, Halifax, and Huddersfield. The third branch ran in the direction of Bradford, Dewsbury, and Wakefield. There was also a branch from the main line at Brighouse to Bradford. -A branch called the Cockersdale branch was pro- posed to be made for the purpose of accommodating the ex tensive coal fields in this district. The examination And cross-examination occupied the whole of the day. The Committee adjourned till 12 to-morrow. many parties, and one's hopes in these particulars are some times fallacious. However, in a short space of time, I cannot say immediately, but probably in the course of half an hour, or as much time as will be occupied by the law- stationer in copying some papers, I shall be prepared to lay before you the terms which we have to submit, Mr. CocunuaN, Q.C., said he appeared on behalf of the Shrewsbury and South Staffordshire (that part of the line that would extend from Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury), and the question of levels would materially affect the line of his clients. They were, therefore, extremely anxious to know the nature of the term's that would be submitted to the Committee. It was quite clear that what would affect the Shrewsbury line would also affect the line of the party for whom he appeared. There were two competing lines between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton, and both lines would be laid down on different levels ; and whatever might be the decision of the Committee, the line for which he ap peared would have to adopt the level of the line sanctioned by the Committee. The Hox. CHAIRMAN—They must be a party to tbe ar rangement. Mr. Cociuiunx—Of course. Mr. Hope—l believe there will- be no great difficulty in ar ranging this matter. Mr. COCKBURN—I dare say if the Committee would ad journ for an hour, or half an hour, the matter will be ar ranged. The Hox. CHAIRMAN—We had better say half an hour. The Committee accordingly suspended proceedings until the expiration of that period. Mr. COCKBURN said he was sorry to find that at present his clients could not enter into any arrangement with the other. His party were perfectly willing to amalgamate with them on such terms as the Committee or any person might fairly approve of. It appeared that the other party had no substantial objection to amalgamate, but they had raised some technical ojection against the accuracy of the measurement of the line for which he appeared. The Hon. CIAIRMAN—That is the level of your line be tween Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury? Mr. COCKBURN—Certainly. They proposed, in the first place, that the question of the supposed inaccuracy of these levels should be ascertained, and they said that, supposing that that inaccuracy should be established then they would have nothing to do with his clients. Supposing, however, that it was ascertained that no such inaccuracy existed, they would then consent to amalgamate, so that they offered to play with them a sort of game of " head, I win, tail, you lose." Of course his clients could not consent to amalgamate on such terms. The Hon. CHAIRMAN—If you cannot agree upon the facts, you know you cannot get on further—that is quite clear. Mr. COCKBURN—bst so. The decision on the question of levels might most seriously affect the interest of his clients, and they objected to the Committee coming to any decision until they had heard what were the levels which the other party had adopted. They would be most willing to accom modate the other party, but of course they could not accept the terms proposed. Mr. HOP/ said that the .objection which his party made would, if it were established, be a most fatal one, and it was his duty therefore to insist on the question of the accuracy of the measurement of his Learned Friend's clients' line being settled. They had proposed that it should be settled by the engineers of both lines, or, in case of their disagreeing, by the decision of their referree. The Learned Counsel then proceeded to read and comment on the terms of settlement proposed to be entered into between the Shrewsbury and Birmingham and the Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Dudley Companies. Mr. Sergeant KIWOLAKZ then addressed the Committee at some length on the terms proposed by his party. He contended that the low level was the best level for the t own of \% olverhampton, and that the Shrewsbury and Birmingham Company did not struggle for the high level there for the purpose of accommodating the district, but really to construct a line by which they might pour upon their canal line (if they were to obtain it) the whole of the traffic coming from Shrewsbury. The question of the levels was a public one, and he hoped that the Committee would so decide as to force the traffic arriving in Wolverhampton to be brought in on the low level. His clients were perfectly willing to give up that part of the line which would accommodate Dudley, but he contended that in return for this concession the Shrewsbury and Birmingham ought undoubtedly to give up to his clients that part of their line between Tipton and Wolver hampton. because the population and the traffic of that district did not require it. The Learned Sergeant con cluded by proposing to put in a written statement explana r4ory of the propositions of his Clients, but Mr. HOPE having objected, The Hon. Cuainatax decided that the document ought not to be received. Mr. Hera then contended that the proposals of arrange ment of the Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Dudley Com pany a c ere not such as his clients were fairly entitled to, and relied to the remarks of the Learned Sergeant. The propo sitition he pronounced to be the most niggardly he had ever heard. The question of levels was entirely an open ques tion, and would not, as his friend had adroitly re presented, settle the lines of the district under the consideration of the Committee. He contended that if the Committee did not sanction that portion of the Shrewsbury and Birmingham line between Tipton and Wolverhampton, they would hand over that district bound hand and foot to the Great Western Company. His Learned Friend had proposed amalgamation in the same breath that he had extolled the benefits arising from com petition. The fact was that if the line proposed by his Learned Friend were sanctioned in its present shape, it would lead to one of the greatest monopolies in the country. Mr. SEW% said he appeared on behalf of a body of inde pendent ironmasters, who were very much interested in the question now before the Committee. He understood that an arrangement between the two companies had been proposed to the effect that the district in question should be fairly and equally divided between them. He begged to say, on behalf of the public, or at least that portion of the public which he represented, that they had a most decided objection to any arrangement which should prevent the green line (the Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton, and South Staffordshire) from Tipton to Dudley being carried through to Wolverhampton. He trusted that the interests of the public would not be sacrificed by any arrangement between the two countries. Mr. COCKBURN submitted that before the Committees de cided upon the terms proposed, they ought to hear his clients on the question of level. They were quite willing to amalgamate with the Shrewsbury and BirmingLava, provided the low level at Wolverhampton were adopted. If the Com mittee decided that the high level of that company should be sanctioned, the fate of his clients' line was sealed. Mr. HOPE said that, for the purpose of coming to a fair rongan n ient Ny2t,ll!;l2,..Learned,,Counsel's_elients, he ; pffole i l the Committee might fairly come to a decision on the terms proposed between the Shrewsbury and Birmingham and the Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Dudley Companies, with out hearing the case of the other companies as to the advan tage of the low level. Let that lengthened inquiry be re ferred to the engineers—that course had been adopted in other Committees. The Hon. CHAIRMAN said he thought it would be well, in his opinion, that the Learned Counsel on the opposite side should consent to refer the matter. Mr. COCEBUEN objected to do so. It was, however, eventually arranged that the question of the supposed inaccuracy in the level should be referred to the decision of the engineers of the lines. The room was cleared of strangers, and on oar re-admission, after the expiration of half an hour, Mr. Sergeant KIMGLAKE again attempted to lay the written statement before alluded to before the Committee. Mr. HOPE agaih objected, and The Hon. CHAIRMAN decided that it ought not to be received, remarking that the written terms already before them required no supplemental explanation. DECISIONS. - - The Hon. CHAIRMAN then said that the Committee had come to a decision in favour of two stations at Birmingham, and also two at Wolverhampton. They had also decided that the whole of the lower line (as represented on the map) should be assigned to the Shrewsbury and Birmingham Company, and the upper to the Birmingham, Wolverhamp ton, and Dudley. After a short conversation between' the Hon. Mr. Talbot and Mr. Lang and the Committee, The Hon. CHAIRMAN said that the Committee had come to the decision that the preamble of the SISE.OPSH/RE UNION RAILWAY and CA NAL (CHESTER and ViTOLVERHADIPTON) had been proved. At the request of the Learned Counsel, the Committee postponed going through the clauses of the Bill until to morrow. • The Committee then adjourned, at half-past three o'clock, till twelve o'clock to-morrow. GROUP XLII. The Committee on this group re-assembled to-day at ,welve o'elock. LIVERPOOL AND BURT. Evidence with regard to the point respecting the crossing of the East Lancashire Railway was proceeded with. After hearing some engineering evidence on this point, the Committee adjourned. GROUP XLVIII. 2VZOISTWOUTHSIIIRE. The Committee met again this day, Mr.Aldham, chairman. The remaining clauses of the Bill were proceeded with, and a lengthy discussion ensued on the proposed amendments. The other clauses of this Bill were postponed till twelve o'clock 10-Morrow, in order to give the promoters time for s a i mLl z m G en il ts v. . . a.LTD umum. izintErowducpinogitsTonfie TOED. This was the next case called On. Sir. T. l'inu.lPS, ln• a brief address, opened the case for the promoters. The Learned Counsel said that it was a line of railway which would open up a rich coal and mineral traffic. After going into the merits of the scheme, the Learned Geneeman called Mr. Blythe, civil engineer, who explained to the Com mittee the engineering merits. The gradients and curves were most unexceptionable, with a small exception of where the junctions took place; but the difficulties at those points were not more than ordinary difficulties, to be met with on many lines. Vie Committee, after the examination of this witness, de clared the preamble of the Bill proved. The clauses were then gone into, and the Bill declared to have passed. GROUP LIII. This Committee re-assembled this morning at twelve o'cloL:k, in Room 36, Grand Corridor; present, the Hon. E. Lascelles (in the chair), the Earl of Arundel and Surrey, Captain Dalrymple, and Mr. R. Clayton. SBIZZ I VS.I3I3MY AND BIRMINGHAM, AND niraziN GE AM, WOLVZILIIADTP TON, AND DUDLEY. Mr HOPE opened the -proceedings of the clay by saying that he had now to state, on the part of the Shrewsbury and Birmingham Company, that in pursuance of the intimation which he had given to the Committee the previous day, they hivi endeavoured to come to terms with the Opposite party. Those endeavours had been hitherto fruitless. On the part of his comp my, he had not the slightest indisposition to submit to the - Committee the terms which - they were pre pared to enter into; but of course those terms could not be considered until the terms of the other party were laid before the Committee. He did not feel himself at liberty to call upon the oryo , ite party to lay their terms before the Com mittee, but if they should think fit to produce those terms, he was perfectly ready to go into a comparison of the two propositions before the Committee. Of course it would be left in the hands of the Committee to decide upon the merits of those propositions. The Hon. Mr. T.u.noT, Q.C.—There is no indisposition whatever, Sir, on our part to enter into any arrangement that shall be just to both parties. We have not the slightest ohj , •ction t. this matter being candidly laid before the Com mit:et, in the way proposed, and my own opinion is, that unecr the direction of my Learned Friend there will be no substantial difficulty to the Committee adjusting the points betweeq us. Thqt is my opinion. But we have to deal with GROUP LIX. The Committee on this group re-assembled to-day at twelve o'clock. LANCASTER AND PRESTON. Mr. BAINES, Q.C., opened the case for this Bill. A long discussion then ensued between counsel as to the right of the petitioners against this Bill to be heard. After which, the proofs of compliance with the resolutions of Mr. Duncombe were given, and the evidence was proceeded with. Mr. HOPII, who appeared on the part of the Lancaster and Carlisle and Preston Junction Railways Amalgamation, ap plied to have these two Bills heard together, as the former had been leased to the latter Company. A long discussion then followed, which terminated in the Committee recommending Mr. Hope to withdraw his opposi tion to the preamble of the Bill, reserving his right to open the question on the clause relating to the appointment of directors. The Learned Counsel acquiesced in the r ecommendation of the Committee , who decided that the prea mble of the Bill was proved. The clati.es of the Bill were then gone through seriatim and the Committee adjourned. GROUP LXI. EDINEURGH AND GLASGOW, AND SCOT. TISU CENTRAL JUNCTION. - The Committee met again this day at twelve o'clock, and proceeded with the clauses of the Bill. After some amend ments several were agreed to, and the counsel for the oppo. nents continued to propose other alterations in various clauses of the Bill. STANDING ORDERS' COMMITTEES. HOUSE OF LORDS. Their Lordships met at the usual hour in Room 6, House of Lords, Lord Shaftesbury in the chair. There were five Bills on the list, all railway Bills. LEICESTER AND BEDFORD. The Committee decided that the promoters of this Bill had proved compliance with the standing orders.' PORTBURY PIER AND RAILWAY. Their Lordships made a similar decision in this case. GLASGOW, DUMFRIES, AND CARLISLE. In the absence of two witnesses, this part-heard case was adjourned till Monday. EDINBURGH AND BATHGATE. The standing orders were declared complied with. LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM (WEEDON AND ' NORTHAMPTON BRANCH). This case was adjourned until Friday. Their Lordships then resolved themselves into a Select Committee on Merits. There were twelve Bills on the list, four only being railway Bills. WAKEFIELD, PONTEFRACT, AND GOOLE (METH LEY, ASKERN, AND OAKENSHAW BRANCH.) The preamble of this Bill was declared proved, clauses being inserted to insure the building of lodges at all level crossings. ST. HELEN'S CANAL AND RAILWAY. The preamble cf this Bill also was declared proved, clauses being inserted as in the last case. WISHAW AND COLTNESS (GREENHILL BRANCH). The promoters of this Bill also succeeded in proving their preamble. SHEFFIELD, ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE, AND MAN CHESTER (D UKI N lELD, WORSBORO UGH, AND OTHER BRANCHES). Preamble proved. Clauses inserted as to level crossings. Their Lordships then rose at half past three o'clock. MORN' IN JULY 1, 1846 LITERATURE. BOGUE'S EUROPEAN LlBRARY.—History of Civilisation. By M. Guizot.—Literary Histoy of the Midd e Ages. By the Rev. Joseph Berington. In issuing these two celebrated publications in such a portable and moderately priced form, Mr. Bogue has per formed a strvice to the reading public, while he has adorned his excellent series, entitled tile " European Library." So important do we consider these works, and so necessary do we conceive their perusal to be, that we feel justified in designating them elementary books to one of the widest fields of human knowledge. They induct the reader to a capacious and yet concrete and symmetrical cognizance of the progress of that ex • traordinary race of beings of which he is an unit. They are perhaps the most fitting pioneers of historical lore ; they serve as a connecting medium between ancient and modern times. Certainly the most itn r ortant fact to us, as inhabitants of the earth, is the fact of barbarism having become modulated into civilisation. Before we have acquired some accurate sense of the manner in which this change was developed, of the causes which originally withdrew mankind from their primitive rudeness, and of the consequences which have followed from that momentuous meta morphosis, we are ignorant of our tree position in the scale of creation. That ignorance is an intolerable anomaly (in the present age especially), and it may be effectually dispelled by the perusal of these volumes. Can there be a more for cible recommendation to any literary venture than this ? We opine not ; and in uttering it we have been actuated solely by a love for truth and a reverence for justice. One circumstance in connexion with these Histories is singular enough, inasmuch as they are intimately associated with each other in subject, as well as in publication. The one is the production of a Protestant Frenchman; the other of a Roman Catholic Englishman. Any particular allusion to the " History of Civilisation" by M. Guizot would be at once super fluous and impertinent, as the writings of that illustri ous stateman have justly achieved for themselves an European celebrity. Since the chapters of the present lucubrations were first pronounced in lectures at the Sarbonne, in Paris, they have illicited a constantly enlarging attention, both from the vastness of the theme and the remarkable excellence of the com position. The survey taken by Guizot is peculiar for its extent, and yet the remotest outlines of the panorama are pencilled with a marvellous distinctness. The work enlarges the mind, and imparts fresh vigour to the faculties. In the "Literary History of the Middle Ages," on the other hand, we obtain a more minute and elaborated description of one segment in the cycle of civilisation. Namely, of that extraordinary period in the history of the world, when the popular intellect was slum bering save in the recesses of the casual philosophers, and, be it said in justice, in the cloisters of the monasteries. This, indeed, is not the only instance in which the cor rectness of the title of " Dark Ages," as applied to those times, has been disproved. The secretary to the present Archbishop of Canterbury has already spoken boldly in defence of those ancient ecclesiastics; and has sufficiently demonstrated that but for the literary and scientific spirit which was fostered in the monastic edifices, the classics would possibly have been swallowed up and lost in the almost universal apathy of the popular mind; and that, but for such cha racters as Copernicus, and Briar Bacon, and a thousand others, either wearers of the cowl er clients of the cowl, philosophy might have lagged on for many centuries, in the same effete and slumberous manner. As a new ex- position of these circumstances, the work of Berington is extremely interesting, and, with its renowned com panion already noticed, cannot fail to carry instruction and intellectual advantages among all classes of the com munity. PLEASURES OF POESY. By W. H. Haynes. The author of this little volume has altogether mis taken his subject. He can write a brilliant passage and an effective stanza, but, as - far as these pages can indicate, he is incapable of producing a con tinuous poem very far removed from medio crity. There is a want of sustained vigour, and an indistinctness of conception, throughout these two cantos which sadly deteriorate from their merit as an accumulation of musical sentences. Akenside, Rogers, Campbell, and Warton have severally dilated upon the Pleasures of Imagination, Memory, Hope, and Melancholy. Mr. Haynes attempts, if possible, a loftier flight,—videlicit, the " Pleasures of Poesy." But the presumed fraternity with his pre decessors renders his failure so much the more manifest. He reminds one of the philosopher in " Rasselas," who, to test the merits of his artificial wings, ascends to the summit of a conspicuous eminence, and tumbles into a lake. Is the water in this instance Lethe ? Unquestionably it will prove so to the poem, but the poet may extricate himself from the same catas trophe if he strives to compose something more likely to live. We do not mean to imply that the writing is altogether , faulty; on the contrary, there are in the volume para graphs of no inconsiderable beauty. But those advan tages are marred by such forced similitudes as, where the author is speaking of the time, " When Newton's eager telescopic eye, Explor'd the realms of circumambient sky." A figure of speech, which calls up an unpleasant recol lection of the visual organs of a lobster ! Again, the repetition of strained adjectives, is a remarkable blemish in the whole poem. For example, in the very same page, (p. 50), we have : " And his far roar awakens pallid fears, tic." " Yet even thus, amid the pale alarm, kc." . _ What shall be said, moreover, of such dissonant rhymes as these : " Transmuter of base passions to the ore Of love that leaves the breast no longer poor !" " To the fair orb of day, with homage due, In worship bent the Incas of Peru." Again, is there no lack of grammatic construction in the following ? ', Whose obelisks retain the midnight lore Of buried time, which apse 0i.....f0r bore 1" Such expositions of failure as the foregoing, are anything but hypercritical, since, with the like flaws, no real eminence in poetry can ever be attained. Mr. Haynes has endeavoured to breathe through the opheoclide of metre, and his powers have proved inadequate : let him restrict himself to the flageolet of metre, and he will succeed. A passable ballad, or a tolerable canzonet, would always be preferable to a laboured and abor tive epic. _ DRAMAS FOR THE STAGE. By George Stephens. Two Vols. Our national literature, perhaps, is more en riched with dramatic writings than with any other description of composition. And this cir cumstance arises not so much from the num ber of our professedly dramatic poets, as from the fact of almost all our celebrated bards having, without ex ception, arahitioned the production of a play. Thus Milton, with an essentially epic mind, has given posterity his delicious masque of " COMUS," as well as the " Sam son Agonistes ;" thus Thomson, though almost solely endowed with a descriptive genius, produced the " Tan cred and Sigismun , a," with the " Edward and Eleo nora;" thus also Dryden, whose chief capacities were those of a translator and a lyrist, displayed considerable fecundity as a playwright. Within our own times Byron, who rose before the world as a satirical and meditative poet, with a greater facility in the production of cantos than of colloquies, of stanzas than of scenes, was not contented without the publication of " Manfred" and " Cain ;" while Shelley, at first lost in the exalta- tion of ethical philosophy, ushered into immortal life, possibly the most glorious of his creations, certainly the most splendid tragedy of modern times, his "Cenci." Such as these are, so to speak, the adventitious aids thrown in, from generation to generation, to our dra matic literature. And, what with our great English dramatists, advisedly so called, our Shaksperes, Jon sons, Wycherleys, Sheridans, Farquhars, Beaumonts, Knowles s, Massingers, and Talfourds, render Great Britain in the world of letters second to none other in ancient or modern times. It is from this very richness and splendour of our dramatic compositions that, we conceive, may be derived the decadence of the popular passion for theatrical amusements—the decadence at least as far as the representation of new plays are concerned. The Shaksperian drama can never, it is true, become distasteful to the public, as long as the language in which the great Titan of Poesy has written, continues in existence ; for, as the lexicographer has said in his behackneyed, but not less beautiful phrase, " Shak pere wrote not for an age, but for all time." It is in the modern drama that the histrionic art has for a long period been exhibiting tokens of a scarcely re parable decay ' - and this, because we are already so inundated with masterpieces in that style of literature that we have become fastidious beyond measure. We have awaked to a consciousness that time may be employed to infinitely better ad vantage in studying and restudying the chef d'oeuvres of our many matchless dramatists, than in frittering evenings away in company with the O'Keefes and the Reynolds, and the Dimonds. That, we take it, is the whole secret of the so-called downfall of the stage. The people will never fail to relish the repetitions of the book-shelf plays, such as are performed at the Hay market, at Sadler's Wells, and occasionally at the Prin cess's. But notwithstanding all the epigrammatic sparkle and keenness, and dagger-like flashing of wit, which is the principal characteristic of Jerrold ; notwithstanding the jocund and rollicking boxhonsinie of Bourcicault, or the stern reflectiveness of Spicer, the modern drama, looking at it in its general aspect, cannot by any means flourish. This is not in consequence of a deficiency of ster ling dramatists, for we can boast a Talfourd, a Sheridan Knowles, and (vide " The Lady of Lyons," and "Riche lieu," and " Money,") a Bulwer : neither is it from a paucity of histrionic talent, while Macready, and Miss Faucit, and Farren continue before the footlights. It is rather from that spirit of the age, to which we have already referred—a spirit of intense thoughtfulness, and hence a spirit Of fastidiousness. The motto of this generation might aptly enough be " Cui Bono 4" We are therefore persuaded that Mr. Stephens, in publishing two large volumes of tragedies and comedies like the present, has adventured ton much. He has adventured too much in presenting Lo public criticism a collection of plays which, while they evince the scope of his intellect, are nevertheless too crude and precipitate to acquire him any solid or imme diate popularity. We regret this the more as in several portions of his work we recognise a very considerable aptitude for dramatic invention, and a very nervous flow of ideas and expression. Had he restricted himself to the composition of a single play instead of attempting so many ; had he pruned exuberances and scrupulously collated the manuscripts of that one performance ; had he in fine concentrated his very admirable powers upon a solitary theme, and thrown his whole imagination and his whole judgment into its execution, we aro convinced that he might more readily have secured the attention of his contemporaries, and through them of posterity, than by the laborious production of these two volumes. Will he redeem his vantage ground ? He has, we feel, the innate capacity PARLIAMENTARY DIVISIONS (From the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Commons MONDAY, JUNE 29. SHEFFIELD, ROTHERHAM, BARNSLEY, WAKEFIELD, HUDDERSFIELD, AND GOOLE RAILWAY BILL. Motion made, and Question proposed, " That the Bill be now read the third time :"—Amendment proposed, to leave out the word "now," and at the end of the Question to add the words " upon this day six months:"— Question put, " That the word ' now' stand part of the Question." The House divided : Acland, Sir T. Ainsworth, Peter J. P. Antrobus, Edmund Archbold, Robert Arkwright, George Austen, Colonel Bailey, Joseph Baine, Walter Barnard, E. G. MAJORITY—AYES, 146. Ellice, Edward Mahon, Viscount Elphinstone, Sir H. Maitland, T. Entwisle, W. Martin, John Estcourt, T. G. Masterman, John Feilden, William Maule, Fox Fielden, John Meynell, Captain Fitzroy, Henry Mitchell, T. A. Fitzroy, Lord C. Morpeth, Viscount Flower, Sir J. Neeld, Joseph Forman, T. S. O'Connell, Daniel Forster, Matthew O'Connell, J. Fox, S. L. Paktngton, J. S. French, F. Pattlson, James Frewen, C. H. Peel, Jonathan Fuller, A. E. Plumptre, J. P. Gill, Thomas Plumridge, Captain Godson, It. Pollington, Viscount Gore, Montague Powell, Caleb Gore, Robert Rashleigh, W. Goring, C. Reid, Colonel Greene, Thomas Repton, G. W. J. Grosvenor, Lord R. Rolleston, Colonel Hale, R. B. " Bound, C. G. Hamilton, J. H. Round, John Harcourt, G. G. Shaw, Rt. Hon. F. Hawes, B. Sheppard, T. Hinde, J. H. Taylor, E. Hindley, Charles Thompson, Aid. Hodgson, F. • Thornhill, G. Hodgson, Richard Tollemache, F. J. Hamby, John Tower, C. Houldaworth, T. Towneley, John Howard, C. W. Trelawny, J. S. Hume, Joseph Trench, Sir F. Hutt, William Trollope, Sir J. Inglis, Sir R. H. Vane, Lord H. Jervis, John Vernon, G. H. Ker, D. S. Villiers, Viscount Labouchere, Henry Vivian, J. H. Lascelles, E. Waddington, H. S. Layard, Captain Wakley, T. Lindsay, Captain Warburton, Henry Lockhart, A. E. Welby, G. E. Long, W. Winnington, Sir T. Lopes, Sir R. Wynn, sir„W. Lyall, George Yorke, Henry B. Lygon, Gen. Mackinnon, W. TELLERS. M`Carthy, Alexander Lascelles, W. S. )`Taggart, Sir J. Manes, R. M. Bateson, Thomas Beckett, W. Benbow, John Bentinck, Lord H. Berkeley, Craven Bernard, Viscount Blackbnrne, J. I. Bouverie, E. P. Bowring, Dr. Boyd, John Bramston, T. W. Bridgeman, H. Bright, John Brisco, M. Broadley, Henry Bretherton, J. Buller, Sir J. Y. Busfeild, W. Carew, W. H. Pole Chandos, Marq. of Chapman, A. Christopher, R. A. Chute, W. L..W. Clerk Sir G. Clifton, J. T. Collett, John Compton, H. C. Coote, Sir C. Dalmeny, Lord Dalrymple, Captain Denidstouri, J. Dick, Q. Dickinson, F. F. Douglas, Sir C. E. Douglas, J. D. S. Duncan, Lord Duncombe, A. Du Pre, C G. Easthope, Sir J. Ellice, Rt. Hon. E. MINORITY-NOES, 58. Batllie, Col. Farnham, E. Philips, G. R. Baldwin, Barry Ferguson, Sir H. Richards, Richard Bennet, P. I Gisborne, Thomas Ross, David R. Beresford, Major Grimsditch, ThomaS Seymour, Lord Berkeley, H. F. Hamilton, W. J. Smith, Abel Bruce, 1..0rd E. Hanmer, Sir John Spooner, Richard Buckley, Edmund Hastie, A. Staunton, Sir G. Burrell, Sir C. Heneage, Edward Stuart, J. Cavendish, C. C. Colebrooke, Sir T. Hughei, W. B. &raft, Edward Humphery, Aid. Wall, C.B. Collins. WSlliwm Leader, Wal4;l, 5 T. Craig, W. G. Mackenzie, W. F. Crlpps, William Mangles, It. D. Davies, D. A. S. Marshall, W. Denison, E. B. Morris, David Duncombe, Thomas Northland, Viscount Dundas, Admiral O'Connell, M. J. Ebrington, Viscount Ord, William Evans, William Parker, John Wood, Charley Wortley, Lord Wortley, J. S. Wrightson, W . B. TELLERS. Arundel, garl of Cavendish, G. H. MEETING OF THE LEAGUE. MANCHESTER, JUNE 29.-A very full meeting of the executive council of the League was held in the Council-room, in Newall's-buildings, on Saturday after noon, George Wilson, Esq., in the chair. Mr. Cobden was present, and took part in the proceedings. The lead ing qu.•stion brought under the consideration of the meeting, was the immediate or future dissolution of the League. Some discussion ensued, and Mr. Cobden, we understand, expressed himself in favour of an immediate dissolution. It was contended, however, by other parties, that it would be injudicious and impo litic to break up the association so long as the ob ject for which it had been organised, namely, the repeal of the corn-laws, bad not yet been fully and entirely accomplished. It was, therefore, ultimately agreed that the act of dissolution should be postponed, to be rendered coeval, perhaps, with the expiry of the corn laws in 1849; but that its operations and functions should at once cease, and that its affairs should be wound up with as little delay as possible. It was also distinctly understood that, in case of future emergency, the League should be recalled into existence. • It will be recollected that in respect to the quarter of a million fund, the first payment from the subscribers required to be made was an instalment of 20 per cent. on the respective subscriptions. No further instalment than this will be called for; but that portion of the sub scriptions will be absolutely necessary to enable the League to meet all its monetary engagerilents before its operations shall cease. A meeting of the general council is convened for Thursday next at the Town-hall, at which all the sub scribers of 501. and upwards will have the privilege of attending. The object of this meeting is to ratify the proceedings of the executive council at their meeting on Saturday. Nothing definite is yet known as- o. the Cobden testi monial. A few gentlemen, in tWr private capacity, have met together to discuss the subject, but no plan has hitherto been determined upon. A testimonial worthy Mr. Cobden's distinguished services will doubtless be agreed upon, and the eminent labours and talents em barked in the cause of free trade, of Colonel Thompson, Mr. Villiers, Mr. Bright, and Mr. George Wilson, the chairman of the League, will be acknowledged by the presentation of some appropriate reward. There is a strong public feeling in favour of a popular demonstration, that all classes of the people may partici pate of a general holiday, in celebration of the event. In a few days, perhaps, something may be proposed to meet the wishes of the community. DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND. (From the Times.) isy the Pearl, arrived off Teignmoutb, we have receive( the following particulars of a most destructive fire, whichihad occurred at St. John's, Newfoundland, by which three-fourths of the town had been consumed. ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND. (From the Morning Courier extra, June 12.) On Tuesday morning the sun rose on St. John's a busy mart ; its population arose from the slumbers of the previous evening, and applied themselves to the occupations of the day with the hope that it would be as the days that had gone before; and ere that san had set at least three-fourths of the town, including the whole of the business part of it, were in ashes. As far as we have been able to ascertain, the fire, though accidental, arose from carelessness ; its origin was in George street, off Queen-street, in a house, the lowest part of which was occupied as a workshop by Messrs. Hamlin, cabinet makers. In a few minutes the premises of Messrs. J. and W. Stew art, P. Rogerson and Son, and Boyd and M'Dougal, were one mass of flames. It soon communicated with the oil vats of Messrs. Stewart and C. F. Bennett and Co. Mr. J. H. Warren's premises and vats caught immediately after • as also those of Messrs. Rennie, Stewart, and Co., Mears. New man and Co., Messrs. T. and J. Kent, and of Bowring Brothers, Messrs. M‘Bride and Kerr, Messrs. Berne, John stone and Co., and the stone buildings occupied by Dr. Car son, Mr. Grace, and other buildings. The premises of Mr. E. Smith and Wilson and Co.,soon followed, and also Mr. Cliff's wharf, the houses on oth sides of the street, from Messrs. W. and H. Thomas and Co.'s, to those of Messrs. Barnes and Job, Brothers, and Co., and Messrs. Hunter, &c., the Bank of British North America, Messrs. J. Tobin and Co., L. O'Brien and Co., and James Douglas and Co. Her Majesty's Custom-house was immediately after on fire, whence the flames extended downwards, destroying every thing before them, including the premises of Messrs. Gill, Dunscomb, and Harvey, Robinson, Brooking, and Co., and proceeded along the beach to Messrs. Parker and Green's, at Magolly Cove. While the fire was raging in Water-street, and on the wharfs, it proceeded up Queen-street to Duckworth-street with equal rapidity, in the line of Messrs. Newman and Co.'s premises, where it stopped. The fire swept everything before it down on both sides of Duckworth-street. The fire reached the Court-house, it communicated with the building on the south side, destroying the corn room, Marine Insurance- office, Agricultural Society Museum, and stone-house of Mr. Prowse. The fire proceeded rapidly as far as the Ordnance Store, which was burnt. On the lower side of Duckworth-street, the houses were burnt as far as the house of Mr. Reid. From Duckworth• street the fire proceedednorthward on the King's road to Gower-street, destroying every house on both sides, and about twenty in Gower-street. Along the theatre to the King's-road, between Duckworth-street and Gower. street, a considerable number of buildings were consumed. The fire commenced about half past eight in the morning, and about seven in the evening the work of destruction may be said to have been completed, so that in ten hours and a half our town was almost totally destroyed, and the moon rose in cloudless splendour, throwing her mild light on a houseless population, who stood viewing, with intense anguish, the smoking ruins of their habitations. A great number of mereantile establishments, besides those we have named, were destroyed, and were we to attempt a complete list, we should have to name every firm, except the solitary one of Messrs. Newman and Co., which is the only one now in St. John's that has either a store or an office, except the stores on the south side of the harbour. A. public meeting was held in the factory at three o'clock on the same afternoon, to devise measures for the relief of the destitute; it was numerously attended. It was ascertained that there were 4,00 0 bags of bread and 8,000 barrels of flour in the merchants' hands. Only three men are reported to have perished in the flames. The want of water was much felt. was almost totally d es t roye d b y fi re on the 9t h Tniasnaorrn, JulgE 2 9.—The town of St. John's, New foundland, All mercantile esta blishments from Messrs. Newman and f o ° f u J n u d n ian e. Cl ' Co.'s, at the head of the harbour to the fishing establishment of Mr. Michael Rowell, at Chain Rock, are totally destroyed ; this includes more than two-thirds of all the town. The loss of property is that not one -twentieth part of the goods and property in shop s a nd stores is saved. ro testa nt Church, Custom-ho us e, a nd Ca tholic immense. It houseless,is and famine is greatly feared. Many of the vessel s ha d their sails and rigging burnt. The P brnt. caught fire, b u t none h a d their hulls seriously damaged. C o rt . convent hous e , evess o ld Some are Court . T us h e, e on Lord greempoert, nt Mayor gave a dinner a t th e M ans i on Ho last to a se l ec t p ar t y o f f r i en d s. B AHIA STEAD' NAVIGATION COMPA NY . —The annual meeting of this comp an y took place yesterday at the George Saturday and Vulture Taver n, Cornhill. Mr. Saunderson in the chair. It d t that the directors had endea voureds for the transfer of the com pany's property to t he Brazilian Steam- packet Company on o m from a ke arra ng ements f avoura ble terms, but had not succeeded. F ro m the last ad vices they had learned that some of the Brazilian capitalists had started another company, many of whom were share holders in this company, and had been successful with the p rov i nc i a l Government, se that this company was looked upon t r h a e n as having forfeited its claims to protection. The directors had sent in a memorial, but no reply had as yet been received. Under the present circumstances, the directors were unable to advise the shareholders how to act, but he hoped to do so in a short period. It appeared from the accounts, that the paid-up capital in this country- was 46,4104 and in Brazil 7,753/., making together 54,2231. There was a trifling balance at the bankers, and considerable property abroad which could not be exactly estimated at present. After some discussion, the report was received, and three directors were re-elected, whell the meeting adjourned. for so doing. "Philip Basil" is a Officietit affectation of this. Will - he revert to the original dic tates of his ambition, and forsake, as iTicrli sistent with his talents, such conventional frlb hies as Courtxll in "Rebecca and her Daughter' If he acts thus, and restrains the superfluity of his fanny, and imparts a more artistic sequence to his plots, h e may produce something worthy of himself, and not un worthy of forming another link in our chain of literary treasures. The two volumes before us, amidst an abundance of valueless matter, justifies us in anticipat ing much. Mr. Stephens has it in his power to realise or disappoint those anticipations. May they be realised I ACADEMY OF SCIENC& SITTING OF JUNE 22.—M. Pelouze, who rec-ently communicated to the Academy his experiments for the purpose of ascertaining with greater celerity and cer tainty the component parts of mixed metals, and particu larly the quantity of copper contained in any substance of which it forms part, this day made a communication on the subject of the copper, bronze, and boll metal coins in circulation in France, and the amount of copper that is represented by them. The nominal value of this circulating medium is estimated at thirty millions of francs. Of the total weight, the sous, according to M. Pilouze, amount to 6,191,100 kilogrammes, and as his analysis gives him for copper coin 929 of copper to the 1,000, he estimates the total weight of copper at 5,732,750 kilogrammes. M. relouze divides the copper or mixed coin, of which copper forms the base, into three classes. The first comprises the reri sous of the reigns of Louis XV. and Louis XVI. They contain 995 of pure copper to the 1,000. In the second class he ranges the two-sous pieces of bell-metal, copper, and tin. His esti mate of the copper is 860 to the 1,000. They contain also a very small portion of zinc, lead, and antimony, and sometimes traces of iron and arsenic are found in them. The third class consists of the red sous and double sous, with the effigy of Liberty. These contain 960 parts copper to the 1,000. The information given by M. l'elouze, although not of much apparent use now, may subsequently be very useful to the Government when it shall call in the various copper and mixed money in circulation, for the purpose of replacing it by a uniform coinage. As to the calculations about the total nominal value and real weight of the copper coinage is France, it must be out of the power of M. Pilouze, or any other man, to estimate it correctly. It is easy, by consulting the public records, to ascertain what quanti ties acre issued from the Mints at different periods ; but nobody can guess at the amount which has disappeared from circulation. A very pretty model of a turbine, stated to be the invention of M. Fouval, but manufactured by Messrs. Kmechi n and Co., was presented to the academy at this sitting, and an account was given of the effects of the machine, by the scientific persons appointed to witness the experiments. This was favourable to the inventor, for it appears that he has made many important im provements upon the turbine hitherto in use, but which was nevertheless marvellously powerful as a means of raising water. The turbine, however, will be eclipsed, if half that is said of another and very recent invention, by aM. Letellier be true. This gentleman has, accord ing to the report of two commissions of scientific bodies, made improvements upon the screw of Archimedes as an instrument for raising water, which increases its power at least one-fourth, with the same degree of manual labour. Another and very curious invention by an Italian en gineer was also spoken of at the Academy. It is a water-mill of from five to fifty-horse power, worked by an artificial waterfall, and which can be placed up as a motive power in any manufactory, occupying a small space, requiring little labour, and, of course, producing vast economy as compared with the steam•engine, as it requires no combustible. By the description given of this machine, a large model of which is, we learn, in operation, we find that it consists of eight pumps worked with great ease by a single man (it is said that two men would suffice for an eigllt-horse power machine), by means of an admirably disposed coun terbalance system. The pumps supply a reservoir placed at a proper height above the water-wheel, as in the case of a natural fall, and the water falling upon the wheel to which the strap of the machinery of the manufactory is affixed, the whole goes round, and puts the machinery in motion. The paradox of this in vention is the return of the water to the fountain head in such a way as to keep up a continuous fall. If we had not been assured by scientific men who saw the mo del at work for nearly two hours that this was accom plished we should say that it was impossible. There is no difficulty in creating a waterfall by artificial means, and making it a motive power, but we do not understand how when the force has been supplied to work the ma chinery of a factory, and when it would appear to be ex pended, the water should by the same action be forced back to the reservoir to renew the operation, without the necessity of employing further manual labour. A paper was received from M. Bonjean, a chemist, of Chambery, on the medical properties of the ergot of rye, particularly as a remedy in the case of external hemorrhage. M. Bonjean does not pretend to have made the discovery of this application of the ergot. It was in fact discovered long siiVle, and tried by Dr. Wright and M. Muller. M. Boolean, however, claims credit for having carried his experioeists to a greater extent than either of those gentlemen, and gives a num ber of cases which scarcely leave a doubt of .`.l l e efficacy of the remedy. We give one of his cases : "On the sth instant (says M. Bonjean), a stx: -) ng woman, aged 40, in uncorking a bottle, which broke in her hands, received a dreadful wound in the palm of the left hand. A portion of the artery was cut, and the blood rushed out with such force as to cause a je: of nearly four inches in height. After all the ordinary- means of stopping the effusion of blood had been tried without effect, the wound was tightly ban daged, and the woman proceeded to the house of a physician, who immediately sent for M. Bonjean to ad minister his remedy. The latter gentleman uncovered the wound and laid upon it a piece of lint saturated with a solution or the ergot of rye, at the same time using only gentle pressure. In two minutes the blood ceased to (flow ; in five minutes the pressure was re moved. and the lint left upon the wound, and in twelve minutes even that was removed. The wound was now found to be self-closed by a mass of coagulated blood, and another piece of saturated lint being laid over it and the hand gently bound up, in two days the wound had c;catrised. A letter was received from Dr. Blandet complaining of the delays in getting rid of the odious establishment of Montfaucon, and pointing out the serious inconve nience and danger of the putrid emanations which arise from it. The public ought really to be grateful to Dr. Blandet for the energy with which he has taken up this subject and the manner in which he treats it. The inhabitants of the environs of Paris, in the direction of Montfaucon, to even a considerable distance, are dreadfully annoyed by the stench when the wind sets towards them, and we may justly conclude that in certain states f the atmosphere a portion of the capital must also be affected, although insensibly so by these putrid emanations. This, however, is not the only evil of the kind of which we could complain. We would direct the attention of the authorities to the shameful way in which the . poor are interred in some of the cemeteries. The air is actually poisoned in hot weather by the emanations from the pits in which the bodies are heaped upon each other with only a few inches of earth to cover those that are uppermost. In a city where so much has been done for the public health, where the cleansing of the streets is so perfect, where the supply of water is so great, where common sewers— one of the greatest triumphs of the present peaceful reign—have been made, where the authorities appear to be laudably on the watch to ameliorate this dreadful system of interment, is an anomaly which cannot too soon be removed, if the persons who are charged with the public salubrity would entitle themselves to our un mixed gratitude. We shall conclude our report of this sitting with a notice of a curious but really important paper, addressed to the Academy by M. Busson de Maurier. We call the paper important from the subject, and the evident care with which it is treated, although we cannot bring ourselves to believe that the plan suggested by the author is, under all circumstances, practicable. M. Busson de Maurier complains of the annoyances of the passport system ; who that has ever had to take a passport has not ? Who is there that has not fretted under the delays in procuring a pass port, and the occasional pertness of the officials whose duty it is to examine them ? Latterly, indeed, the Government has done all in its power to render the passport system as little vexatious as possible, and it is not now an uncommon thing for a man to travel from one extremity of France to another without being required to produce his passport. But the system exists ; it is in itself essentially vexatious, and, under certain circumstances, the vexation may again become habitual. We are quite of opinion, therefore, with M. Busson, that it would be a delightful thing to do away with the necessity, of passports. He does not pretend that this is to be accomplished without finding a substitute for the passport system ; he would be very foolish if he did. But is the substitute that he recom mends one which would give general satisfaction. He recommends that every person should be registered, that each registry should have a number course from the extent); and that the number on the registry should be represented by me dal to be con stantly worn by the person who is registered. The mere exhibition of this medal is to be the passport of the individual. The registry, a ccording to the plan pro posed by M. Busson , is not to be g rat u i tous; indeed, his estimate of the revenue that even a very small registration fee would yield is enormous, and thus far his plan must be agreeable to governments. But is there not something inquisitorial, in idea at least, in this compulsory regis tration ? And would it as means of police be quite satisfactory? It would, we admit, be, notwithstanding the infractions to which it would be subject. a great check upon thieves, and even upon bad servants, who introduce themselves into families with false characters and assumed names. It would, however, require many years to reconcile the public at large to this registration system. Still, we must thank M. Bussen for having written upon the subject, and devoted so much attention to it. Our opinion may be an erroneous one. We re commend him, therefore, to publish his plan, and ascer tain what is thought of it generally. DEATH OF LADY BLACKETT,—Her Ladyship died, on Friday last, at Sir Edward's seat, Matfen Park, North umberland. She was daughter of the present Sir Charles A. Monck, Bart., of Belsay Castle, and married, 1830, Sir Edward Blackett, Bart., by whom she has left a numerous family. MANSLAUGHTER BY AN ENGINE DRIVER.—A num named George Hocker, engine -driver at the Grace Mary Col liery, Rowley Regis, has been committed to take his trial for manslaughter, in causing the death of a collier through his negligence nn Monday last. It appears that the de ceased was being drawn up from the pit, and Rocker having neglected to slacken the engine, the skip struck with great violence against the pulley of the pit-frame, and the deceased was jerked out of the skip, fell heavily on the ground, and Waged. r~.- „Er- (MI CALIFORNIA. ir 7 ,..,__, - 1 (From the Augthurg Gazette.) c, , ;?' ...,...;: , . -7, --C: ' War has now indeed broken out, and w . ito'±ti,tni9l- : ,_,,..-.-..,' . degree -tend to hasten the dissolution o isclVOC*lo , i;;;.; '; - -i-i. -- ~ '' union. Texas has broken her col tnexion faier-Cwii.:l;.CZ_i hand ; for a few years she formed :an inde ' fitkiste - bme.----,...._; = • /::: Y ' but now the "lone star" has be en added o the ' "r4_77-77 - qi tv . spangled banner of the Union, and stand l s bri" "":..." brethren in the American firmament. Calitse Ailit.:' its luxurious pa.ttures and magnificent harbour; hangs but loosely on Me'zieo, from whose hands it is, as it were, gliding away. Year after year stream shoals' of adventurers into this neighbour land of Oregon i and on the shores of the Pacific are now being repeat.edt exactly the same scenes anti events that took place two. and twenty years ago in the Gulf of Mexico amid the rolling Savannahs of Texas. The appearance of Graham and the German adventurer Sutter has st,. striking resemblance to that of Stephen Austin and David Crockett in Texas, and the conseipences are declaring themselves in California the same ai in Texas. In order to attract continually fresh streams of immi grants into , tha- mg-Autry, the Americans already settled in California are sending the most alluring deso•riptiom to the States. Andl„ indeed, Upper California (the op posite peninsula is a desert, woodless, and watorless place) is one of the most splendid tracts of laud in the world. Its situation on the Pacific Ocean will the mere hasten the future prosperity of this American conquest, inasmuch as the magniOcent arb hour of San Francisco scarcely has its equal. The people that understand how to avail themselves of the advantage of the coast between there and the no less important Puget'& Sound will be the masters of this great ocean, and give laws to the Chinese as the English now do., The climate is mild and everywhere healthy, the soil of as yet virgin fertility, and where unfit for arable, possesses such luxurious pastures;. that alread.7 . the inhabitants, in order to prevent the in-uno derate i.ncrease of the herds of wild cattle, have bt'teiv. compelled to slaughter many thousand head of stee.ra , and cows eh'. masse. California possessing far more con ditions of ex,fensive development within itself than the relatively poorer Oregon, is therefore much more im portant than this latter * * * Continuous. or determined resistance on the part of the Mexican Go vernment is not to be apprehended by these new con quistadores; in no case will they fear it. The native . whites are few, they certainly do not exceed fifty or sixty thoraand ; the Mexican President resides several hun-. need ralies from Monterey ; California owes gratitude. neither t.-_,hito nor any one else ; not a small portion chezishes the same wishes as the Americans ; foreign interference is not, however, to be accepted ; and thus in this state - of affairs, we see nothing to oppose the formation of a- free and independent " Republic of Cali- - fornia." THE STAGE PRINCE. (From the " Quizziology of the British Drama.") Royalty, on the stags, is usually very unfortunate, and the treatment it% receives is, under even the most favourable circumstances, anything but what it ought to be. If the stage monarch is in the height and ple nitude of his power, there is very little respect shown to him. He has to march about in processions with a pasteboard crown on his head, while the ro val ermine is nothing better than flannel with tufts of win sited fast ened on to it. As to his palace, though the w alls are fiaely wanted, there is scarcely one room that h e can comfortably sit down in, for the apartments are usoally as barren Of furniture as if a distress for rent had re cently cleared them. If he gives a banquet, there is no thing to eat ,but a quantity of artificial flowers in vases, and some imitation fruit, moulded all in one piece on a papier mochi pl,Ateau ; so that, if the fruit were eatable, the plate of which it forms a part, would have to be. devoured with it. The stage monarch has generally veryr little to say, and perches himself quietly on a very uncom fortable throne raised on a ricketty platform, with scarcely room for his feet ; while some individuals, turn ing their backs upon his Majesty, amuse themselves with dancing. He is frequently sworn at, and impera tively ordered by the stage-manager, who is a viceroy over him, to get down from his throne, that it may be dragged off at the wing by the scene-sNfters just before thefito concludes, when the monarch sneaio in among the crowd of supernumeraries who constitute his "people." His snubbed Majesty feels that he shall interfere with some Terpsichorean grouping, or destroy the flax!. tableau of a pas de deux, if he does not get out of the , way ; and he keeps backing and backing, nntik some of his court, irritated perhaps by tile pres sure of the royal heels on their plebeian corns, check his further retreat with—" Now then, stupid I where are you coming to ?" But the stage Monarch is nut always a mere nonentity, for he sometimes takes a very active part, and develops some very remarkable traits of character. If he happens to be a king, after the pattern of him known familiarly as the " merry monarch," though in reality a very sad dog, he gets into tavern rows, flirts with the barmaid, cheats the landlord, insults , the guests, awl is on the point of being subjected to me rited cbastisement, when some tradesman of the court — perhaps the milkman or the butcher—recognises the king, from which .t must be inferred that his majesty is in the habit of personally taking in the milk, or ordering the meat for dinner. If the dramatists can take liber ties even with royalty moulded on the model of an En;-. lisp sovereign, it may be supposed that they will rin into considerable rampancy when picturing one of t: le monarchs in miniature that are supposed to swarm on toe continent. A foreign princedom, standing like a suburban in its own grounds, with cavalry barrack for six hors , s, a large rooms , outhouse for infantry, and the use of a. paddock for an occasional review, may admit of con siderable latitude in the way of dramatic treatment, for n o one knows whether it is right or wrong ; and it may be, t n " zsrefore, perfectly en regle for the small fry of so vereigns :9 do the sort of things that on the stage we find in Thus it may be very natural for an Italian prince to go away from his dominions, leaving o ha r n ig d h s; u f l a b y e o ir u , n , g m er ig b h ro t t s h e e ttl ro e r t h a l e the government in the uncle, who spreads * report of the death of the " right " 1."-" k n n r g e ftl fe i rs h s e n i e r ali b u l g .. s a i ro p u i t y the min ont ful heir, when tile business with the trusty retainer," and forward. He, however, skirts of a forest, with some' " fall ing in love with the daughta.'r of some dealer in fire wood, who comes home every evening to talk sentiment about his child, after having b e en en :ployed all day ift felling timber that does not belong to kire- The Stage Prince, when he does make up his mind to claim his rights, issues no proclamation ; but muffles. himself up in an enormous cloak that he may not be, known, and arrives in his own territories dus'ing some. fete that is being given by the " wrongful heir" to cele— brate the feast of the grottos (qucere, oyster day ?) or anything else which makes a line in the play-bill anti admits of an iileidental ballet. The " rightful heir" keeps judiciously in the background during the dancing,. and the "wrongful eyes him without knowing why ; and in the intervals t:f the festivities comes mys.- teriously forward to tell the orches:ra that " he don't know how it is, but something seems to ;yeigiz at his heart,"' and he will occasionally inquire politely Of consience• when, it will allow peace to enter the guilty brblast, from. which it has hitherto been a prohibited articlo He will ever and anon eye the " rightful heir" with a sus picion for which he—or any one else—cannot account; and ultimately he will make some observation Wont which the stranger in the cloak will dissent; And higle% words will ensue, in which the "rightful heir" win be. addressed as " Caitiff! " and asked by what right lie; interrupts the festival. Every one will gather round,- but no one will know the " rightful heir" until, throwing off his cloak, he developer a blaze of orders, including a terrific freemason's star and a quantity of ornaments in paste, that he has purchased from having seen them ticketed up " cheap" at a pawnbroker's. The discovery of the orders, accompanied by a sudden throwing off of the hat, will cause all to go down on their knees, the courtiers exclaiming " Sire !" the female peasants murmuring out " The prince," and turning round to each other with " My gracious!" " Only think!" " Did you ever I" &c., in a series of facetious asides ; while the male peatants shout " Our long-lost lord 1" The supernumeraries, who can only be intrusted with a; single word, cry simply "Sire I" and the discomfited: " wrongful heir," covering his face in shame, and, leav ing the blushes to mantle under his cloak, mutters out. " My liege!" while the chorus singers burst into a con cluding strain of joy, love, and loyalty. ASTURIAN MINING ASSOCIATION.—At OLIO O'clock on Monday the second annual meeting of the propri e to r s of the a b ov e association took place at the company's office, No. 9, Austinfriars. The chair was taken by N. Colquhoun, Esq. The report stated, that through unavoidable circumstances the furnace and rolling mill had not yet been got into opera tion in the " Valley of Mieres," but by September next the directors were in expectation of having all their hopes real ised as to the success of the undertaking; and that since the gentlemen, to , run fron . a their soal Royal North of Spain Railway had been defunct, the directors, with some influential Spanish pro jected a railway which is purposs4 of 13isca3 , which is well calcu mines to Aviles, on the Bad FraFce. The balance-sheet was as fol paeilsdo-uilip capital was 61,7251. 7s. ld. The ex penses, to extend the deinan for ore and coal to porta in the Atlantic, a s railway . survey, purchase of Santo Firm 6 collieries, works, mac h in ery, &c., &c., amounted to the above s um, 2,2191. ss. 9d., which remains with the bankers.. A unanimous vote of thanks having beenpassed to the chair man, the meeting separated. :—The ding SUSPICIOUS CASE.—On Monday, an inquest was held: by adjournment before Mr. W. Baker, jun., at the Mulberry Tree, Mile-end Old Town, on the body of James Perryman, aged 42, late foreman to a fish salesman in Billingsgate market. The wife of the deceased was a very profligate woman, and on several occasions, when the deceased re turned home, he found some strange man sitting there. About two years ago she was tried at the Old Bailey for robbing a man of eight sovereigns, and on that occasion a quantity of arsenic was found in a cup in her house. She had been heard to wish that her husband was dead, and to say that a fortune-teller had told her he was to die in the course of next year. Various alarming rumours had gone abroad that the deceased had been poisoned, and suspicion was directed against the wife. The deceased's relatives applied to the Coroner to hold an inquest, and a post mortem examination was ordered to be made. Evidence was given as to the bad character of the wife. The suspicion which rested on the wife was, however, cleared away by the evidence of Dr. Leatheby, lecturer on chemistry to the London Hospital, who deposed that he analysed the contents of the stomach, and found that the abdomen contained fluid indicating a previous state of inflammation. The liver was very much decayed, and a very large abscess had formed. Witness also said that he had carefully analysed the stomach, but could not detect any trace of poison, and he was of opinion that death was caused by the bursting of the abscess. The jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony. TELEGRAPHIC JOHE.—The Washington corres pondent of the Penesyivanian Inquirer says that a few evenings since, in Baltimore, the people were anxiously waiting for news from the army, and there being none to send, the operator on the Washington line sent on letter by letter—" T-h-e-r-e a-r-e a g-r-e-a-t c-a-n-s"—here there was a full stop, and the Baltimore ; operator made signs to proceed. The Washington operator soon did so, and ended the sentence with the words i-n M-e-x-i-c-o." A great rattling followed from the end of l the Baltimore line, as much as to say—" When I come on I will Pita into you like a thousand of bricks." t • aft '714 - TA '