The Sun. — London, England, 1846-01-05 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. TEN NARROW GAUGE. Sec.l Ist to 2,1 mile ... 4 0 2d to 3d mile 2 20 3d to 4th mile ... 2 10 4th to sth mile . . 3 30 sth to 6th mile 6 20 6th to 7th mile ... 3 40 Min. Sec 23d to 24th mile ... 3 1 24th to 25th mile ... 2 50 25th to 28th mile ... 2 50 26th to 27th mile ... 3 10 27th to 28th mile ... 2 50 28th to 29th mile 2 30 7th to Bth mile ... 2 20 , 29th to 30th mile ... 2 40 Bth to 9th mile ... 2 10 30th to 31st mile ... 2 40 9th to 10th mile 2 10 ,31st to 32d mile ... 2 35 10th to 11th mile ... 2 20 .323 to 33d mile ... 2 35 11th to 12th mile ... 2 40 33d to 34th mile ... 2 50 12th to 13th mile ... 3 20 34th to 35th mile ... 4 0 13th to 14th mile ~ 3 0 ;35th to 36th mile 5 10 14th to 15th mils ... 3 0 36th to 37th mile ... 7 20 15th to 16th mile ... 2 40 ,37th to 38th mile ... 6 30 16th to 17th mile ... 2 20 ,38th to 39th mile ... 3 30 17th to 18th mile 2 10 '39th to 40th mile ... 3 30 18th to 19th mile 2 10 40th to 41st mile ... 3 0 19th to 20th mile ... 2 10 41st to 42d mile ... 3 0 20th to 21st mile ... 2 4 42d to 43d mile ... 3 0 21st to 22d mile .. 2 30 433 to 44th mile ... 3 20 223 to 23d mile ... 3 25 I The train reached York at 10 minutes 20 seconds past four, and the journey of 43 miles was thus performed in 2 hours 15 minutes 20 seconds, being an avenge speed of something more than 19 miles an hour. The maxi mum speed attained was a mile in 2 minutes and 4 seconds, or upwards of 29 miles an hour, whilst a speed of nearly 28 miles an hour was attained over and over again. This, taking it per se, is a remarkable result ; and the question naturally presents itself, " How is it that the average speed with the 400 tons train was greater than with the 200 tons train ?" This may be accounted for by the combination of three causes. In the first place, the very slight breeze that existed was in favour of the 400 tons train ; secondly, as there were no stoppages with the large train, the time lost in slacking and getting up the steam, previous to arriving at a station and just on leaving it, forms no element in the time occupied by the journey ; and lastly, the de scending gradients. I yesterday visited the spot where the accident oc curred which was so nearly proving fatal to poor Hob son, the fireman, and I am convinced, from the appear ance of the rails at that part of the line, as well as on other portions, that the oscillation of the engine (in this case an inside cylinder one) must have been very con siderable. Had it not been so the chair would not have given way at this time, though sooner or later it must have gone. Hobson, lam happy to tell you, is now much better, and no danger is apprehended. These experiments having been brought to a close, it may be well to make a few observations on the mode in which they hare been conducted by the competing par ties. Oa the Great Western the days for experiments having been previously fixed, on those days the trains ran, anal with the trains in the order also which had been agreed on. Mr. Bidder, on the narrow gauge, would not run an eighty-ton train when the wind was at all high, or the weather in the least unfavourable, and the con sequence is that the narrow gauge experiments were made under much more favourable circumstances than the Great Western experiments, as far as weather at least is concerned. Mr. Brunel ran all the trains which it had been previously arranged with the sanction of the Commissioners should be run. Mr. Biddle only ran one train, which could be regarded as a perfect parallel with any experiment made on the Great Western, but ran other trains of 40, 200, and 400 toes respectively, which ha - I not previously been agreed ilnen, nor run by the Great Western. On the Great W..stern the train was always brought to a stand at the first mile post. On the York and Darlington the trains did not stop at the first mile post, bat passed it at speeds averaging from ten to fifteen miles per hour, so that time being corrected from the moment of leaving th: first mile post the narrow gauge had an advantage over the Great Western in not starting from a state of rest. I nqw annex a table, showing side by side the speed attained on each line with the SO tons trains, and in giving this table it is only necessary to observe that the gradients, in either ease very inconsiderable, are some what more favourable on the Great Western than on Olt . , York and Darlington —the curves on the latter, however. art fewer. As the distance traversed by the Great Western was 52 miles, I take, in order to make the eqses to. parallel as poss ib le, the first 42 and then 52,1 mitt. In each experiment the train was work up against the gradients, in the one case from Padlngton to Didcot, in the other from York to Darlington: Narrow Broad Narrow Gunge. Gauge. Gauge. Time, Time, Tr ---.------" ime, Time, each each lost gained mile in mile in in in seconds. seconds. seconds. seconds. Passed the Ist ratle- post at 2 938 2 ... 111 48 ... 130 ... 122 ... 8 ... 0 3 .•• 2 13 18 ... 90 ... 118 ..0 ... 18 4 .•• 214 34 .. 76 ... 90 ... 0 ... 14 5 ... 2 15 52 ... 68 ... 2 18 go ~, 0 ... 2 6 .•. 2 17 2 5 1 ... ... 74 ... ... 0 7 .. 74 79 , 5 . , 75 ~ 0 ... 1 8 .. 219 40 ••• 75 ... 68 „ . 9 ... 2 20 52 . .•. 72 ~ 6g .:. , 7 . 14 ) ... 222 5 ... 73 ... 74 ... 4 .. ... . 0 . 0 11 0 23 18 ••• 73 ... 73 0 ... 0 .. 0 2 13 ... 12 ... 25 48 ... 78 ••• 65 -•• 13 .. 0 ..... 65 .. 15 ... 2 12 0 14 ... 227 8 ... 80 .. ( 0 ) 15 ... 228 26 ... 78 • 66 ... 12 . ; 74 ... 68 ••• 6 ••• 0 16 ... 2 29 40 ••• 1 7 ... 230 54 ... 7 4 ••• 67 ••• 7 ... 0 67 ... 11 ... 0 18 ... 232 12 ... .7 . 1 —• 19 ... 233 34 .. c'' 68 .. 14 ... 0 2069 6 8 ... 18 ... 0 ... 235 0 ... 36 ••• 21 ... 2 36 21 ... 82 ... 69 13 ... 0 0 ::: 13 ... 0 22 ... 237 44 ... 82 ••• „,. 2.1 ... 239 0 ... 76 ... 69 ..• 7 • „ 24 ... 240 18 ... 78 ... 69 ... 8 ... 0 25 ... 241 40 ... 82 ... 72 ... 10 ... 0 26 ... 243 0 ... 80 ... 71 ••• 9 ... 0 2 7 ... 244 20 ... 80 ... 71 ••• 9 ... 28 ... 2 45 34 ... 74 ... 71 ... 3 n 0 30 '-' 29 ... 246 50 . 76 .. 70 ... 6 ... 0. . ... 2 48 14 ... 8,4 ... 69 ... 15 ... 0 31 ... 249 32 ... 78 „, 71 . 7 ... 0 33 ... 252 8 32 "' 250 50 • 7 8 ...74 . , 4 .. 0 34 ..• 2 53 25 ... 78 ... 73 77 71 . .:. 5 :. 0 ... ... 35 ... 2 54 42 „.. 77 ... 70 • .:: 7 6 .. .: • 0 . 0 35 ... 256 0 ... 78 „, 7 0 ... 37 .. 2 57 28 ... 88 ... 70 ... 18 8 ... o 38 ... 259 0 ... 92 • 0 71 .. 21 ... 0 70 39 ... 3 030 ••• 90 ... ... 71 ... 19 ...—. 15 ... 0 40 ••• 3 1 55 0 85 ••• 41 ... 3 3 18 ... 83 ... 42 ... 3 4 42 ... 84 ... 72 ... 12 ... 0... 43 0 34 42 ... 84 ... 73 ll 0 '" 41 3 8 8 .. 118 ... 102 l6 ... 0 ••• From the above it will be seen that i n th e 4 3 miles the nl: r o w gauge lost 397 seconds, and gained 36, or lost in seconds. This is an amount scarcely " 5 lij : r l it i l , t" h 3 l : l s m ust be remembered that the Wea thersl.""'''''' --:t it r of the narrow than the broad Wai more in favo u r gl,l 4e. What the Commissioners 1% i.ll gather from these ex p,riments 0) a i d them i n homing to a conclusion as to the eff ect o f t h e two gauges 0 " t h e commercial interests Gt the country it is difficult to imagine. That . the Great Western Can accomplish higher velocities that can be at:l - titled on the narrow ga uge is dent, which has alretel been ' reco rde d, occurred most un fortunately at it t i me Y.- evident, whilst the acci dent, pally attempting to show , Vete . tx the narrow g . con sistently with perfect sa i lL et aPeed could be . attained were at present suffleiteat for %Z. P!obably either system is through which it extend,, arrementa othe country tilling up that large triangle betvivrheasn the os for and the London and Birmi ng h am 33 , ta. the Great Western „.a., including the wok of Wales, which is at presents by railways, and fur which competin g s a kt l onfraversed by the contending gauges are in the field, es forth that some step must be taken either to enanridth„eu ibrulity of gauge or take care that the interests of n em _ coerce shall not suffer from the break of it. Annexed is a table of the gradients on the York and Darlington linos, calculating frOM YOrk:—... SATIIIIDAL—The experiments of speed and tractive poem c* the narrow gauge were brought to a close yesterttay by the running of two hea v y t ra i ns —th e one weighted with 200 tons, and the other with 400 tons. The party accompanying the trips has gradually become less and less, cud to-day i t consisted only of Mr. Bidder, Mr. Gooch, Mr. S. Clarke, Mr. W. Harding. and Mr. Calry. I was informed by Mr. Bidder that Professor Airey had returned to town, but that we should have with us " one Commissioner." Professor Barlow, how ever, did not make his appearance, and the train started without him. It consisted of about twenty trucks weighted with iron rails, and with one first-class carriage attached. The whole weight was 200 tons. The engine selected was the Hercules, belonging to the York and North Midland Company. She is a very powerful engine. The area of her fire-box is 60 feet; area of tubes, 900 feet; diameter of cylinders, 15 inches; length of stroke, 24 inches; diameter of wheels (all coupled), 4 feet 8 inches; weight, 20 tons. The arrangement was that stoppages should be made at every station, in order to show what might be practically expected as the every day work of an engine on the narrow gauge with a long and heavy train. These delays, however, proved so tedious, that, after calling at six stations, the arrange ment was abandoned, and the remaining stations were skipped. We left York at twenty-six minutes and ten seconds past nine, and arrived at Darlington (fortry-three miles) at twenty-six minutes past twelve. having been two hours, fifty-nine minutes, and • fifty seconds on the road. From this time however, 40 minutes and 29 seconds taken up by the stoppages, must be deducted. This reduces the time of actual progression to 2 hours, 19 minutes, 21 seconds, being nearly 18f miles per hour. Including the stop pages, the rate averages something more than 14} miles per hour. Had stoppages been made at the remaining stations of Northallerton, Cowton, and Croft, it is fair to presume that something like a further delay of 12 minutes would have been the consequence ; and taking that into consideration, a practical result is shown of an average of nearly 13f miles an hour. The maximum speed attained was one mile in 2 minutes 25 seconds, or nearly 25 miles an hour. The day was calm, and well suited to elicit the best speed. It must be added, how ever, that this train proceeded against the prevailing gradients, as will be seen from the tab:e annexed. Dar lington is considerably higher than York. After some delay at Darlington, a great many other tracks were added to the train, the length of which was extended to 290 yards. There were forty-seven vehicles, trucks and carriages, and the train was weighted to 400 tons. This monster train left Darlington at fifty-five minutes past one, and ran through to York, without any stoppages, a double tender having been added to the engine, so as to ensure a sufficient supply of water and all the necessary auxiliaries. The result of this trip being somewhat re markab:e, the speed exceeding that of the 200 tons train, I annex a table of speed similar to those which I have hitherto employed : THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY Length of Gradient. 1 mile 7 furlongs. 2 „ 14 „ 8 „ 52 „ 5 77 36 f , 4 , 58 „ 2„ 3 „ 5 „ 61 „ 1 „ 31 „ 1„ 6 „ 2 „ 11 „ 4 „ 16 „ Descending. Ascending. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Level. Ascending. Descending. Ditto. Ditto. Ascending. 0 Level. j 2 ;', 51 -,', Descending. 2 „ 65 ~ Ascending. 0 , 49 „ Ditto. fre have receive from Mr. Char tary to the Great Western, the fol tion : Rate of Inclination. 4.60 feet per mile. 4.48 „ 136 „ 6.56 „ & 4 8 „ 840 2 . 56 k•l8 2'16 B'Bo 14 . 00 11-52 12-00 .les Saunders, secre• [lowing communica• " London Terminus, Paddington, Jan. 3. " Sir,—The Directors of this Company have received ' from their superintendent of the locomotive department a report on the experiments which have been recently made on the Great North of England Railway, and con sidering it of the utmost importance to the public and to the interests of this Company that the circumstances under which the experiments have been made, and the cause of the unfortunate accident on that line should be correctly reported, which accident may otherwise have a serious tendency to create apprehension of danger from speed on the express trains on the Great Western Rail way, I am desirous to transmit a copy of that report, with a request that you will be kind enough to publish it.—l am, Sir, your very obedient servant, " CHARLES A. SAUNDERS, Secretary." Mr. Saunders, and those he represents, will admit that it would be a breach of fairness to publish, in the present crisis of the question, saythilig that has not the imprima tur of our reporter, who was sent down on this special mission, more particularly, as from perusal we perceive that there is an exparte tone about the document. Irre spective of the coloured portions of the composition, it is corroborative in main statements, and circumstantial de. tails of the accounts given before and above. Our ob servations and tables of mean practical resalts are coin cident, within some seconds, of the results given in another journal, and both combine, with the account we have received, in their statements to show that the oscillation was the origo malorum of the matter, coupled with a casualty beyond the control of the experimenters, the fracture of a faulty chair. The document, without questioning either its truth or its correctness, is written b disparagingly, and apparently with prepossessions, ear inn', as indeed it states, "on the interest of the Great Western," and it would be both a breach of fairness and bad taste to give currency, unless as an advertisement, to any such apocryphal reports.—Chronicle. GREAT EASTERN AND WESTERN. WORCESTER, SATURDAY NIGHT.—This evening a meeting of the Shareholders in this undertaking took place at the Guildhall in this city for the purpose of re ceiving a reply to the memorial addressed by them to the Acting Committee a few weeks ago, requesting them to close the accounts in consequence of the failure of the Company to make the requisite deposits with the Board of Trade on the 30th of November, with the view of dis solving the Company. J. Lilly, Esq., one of the Pro visional Committee, and late Mayor of Worcester, took the chair. The CHAIRMAN read the following reply to the memorial addressed to the Board, and which he said had been resolved upon at the meeting of the Board in London on the previous day (Friday). "London, Jan. 2, 1846. " The Acting Committee of the Great Eastern and Western Railway Company received, on the 19th of December, a memorial from Worcester, stating that in consequence of the incomplete state of the plans and sections, the Proprietors considered that there was no possibility of the Company succeeding in its application to Parliament in the ensuing session, and that they therefore felt themselves entitled to call upon the Com mittee to abstain from incurring any unnecessary ex • penses, and to submit at once a statement of the Com pany's liabilities and future prospects to a general meeting of the shareholders. Vi" The Committee, in replying to this memorial, have great pleasure in assuring the Proprietors that they find that the defects existing in the plans and sections origi nally deposited were greatly exaggerated, and do not exceed in reality those minor inaccuracies which com panics have generally been allowed to rectify in all en terprises of acknowledged public utility. " They beg to remind the memorialists that, in the advertisement of the 4th of December, two courses were recommended : first, to hold Mr. Gravatt responsible for the failure in the deposit of the plans and sections ; and, secondly, to make provision for opposing, in standing orders, the competing lines, in order to keep the ground open for a scheme in which they expressed and still re tain unabated confidence. • " On the 7th of December, two days before the meet. ing at Worcester was held, they received the opinion of a very eminent counsel as to the course which it was necessary for them to take in order to carry out their two objects ; and the Board being convinced that they could neither test Mr. Gravatt's liability, nor resist any claim which he might bring against them, unless damage was proved before the proper tribunal, viz., the Committee in standing orders, gave instructions to their solicitor for preparing the Parliamentary notices and the December deposits at an expense which they do not think will exceed 4,0001. up to the time when their case is brought before Parliament. " All the arrangements for this were made, and a large proportion of the outlay actually incurred, before the Worcester memorial was transmitted to them, and with every desire to pay the most respectful attention to its contents, the Committee cannot regret the decision then come to. Looking to the improvement resulting from it in their present prospects, for the number of railways that will come before Parliament in the ensuing session being not likely now much to exceed that adjudicated upon in the last, there is no reason to suppose the stand- ' ing orders will be enforced more stringently, in which case there are abundant precedents to show that an en terprise of a thoroughly bona fide character will not be thrown out by a delay by which no one has, in fact, been damnified, as the deposits of the Great Eastern and Western line were in every instance effected before the offices of the Clerks of the Peace were opened for busi ness on the Monday morning. " It is clearly Mr. Gravatt's interest to prove, as the Committee are now given to understand was the case, that severe illness alone incapacitated him from the more punctual discharge of his duties. "The Committee have taken advantage of the course recommended to them, carefully to revise their original plans, and following the example of the Welsh Midland Company, they have made fr es h d epos i ts , i n w hi c h t h ey feel the fullest reliance. If the course taken in the one case be sanctioned by the Standing Orders Committee, it must be so in the other. The Acting Committee entertain a very sanguine hope that both prospects will now ba heard upon merits ; they feel, therefore, they should not be doing their duty to the shareholders, with whose in terests their own are identified, if they were now to shrink from a course which they believe to be indispen sablo. They have given, and will still continue to give, their mostanxious attention to the interests of the Corn pany. They pledge themselves to enforce the most rigid economy in the management during the short period that must elapse before the fate of their application to Parliament is decided, and in the event of its failure they will immediately call a meeting of the Proprietors, and leave the future polity of the Company entirely and absolutely to their own decision. " H. G. WARD, Chairman." A long discussion followed the reading of the report, and much dissatisfaction was expressed at the non-pro duction of the accounts. At length the resolution was carried unanimously. Mr. MILES then moved a resolution for adjourning the meeting to Saturday, the 17th instant, for the purpose of receiving the accounts from the Acting Committee, which was carried nem eon. THE WORCESTER RAILWAYS, The notices required by Parliament have been com pleted for the following lines : MIDLAND AND EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY. -- A line proposed to connect Cambridge with Worcester. THE GREAT EASTERN AND WESTERN.—A line from Worcester into South Wales. This Company has made a fresh deposit of plans with the Board of Trade. RUGBY, WARWICK, AND WORCESTER.—A proposi- tion for affording railway accommodation to the above towns. The competing " Worcester, Warwick, and Rugby" has, it will be remembered, failed to make the deposits with the Board of Trade in Itffielent time. Oake w n B itoesitias UNION.—A line from Worcester to Shrewsbury', with a diverging line from Broseley to thisw cAitityw.aitee: a it n li d b s w ala_ll }t branches for convenience near the ‘. Rugby, Warwick, WORCESTER. —A competing line with is expected the latte i r ck 6 satisfactory to both aides , and Worcester," but in which it will make an arrange mentWaawicicsurau AND LO'ND. pro posed lines to bring Warwickshir e and thr Worcester shire in connexion with the London e Birmingham line at Weedon. This line commenc es at w eedon, a n d runs direct to Worcester, having branch es to Aleester and Droitwieb. WELSH MIDLAND.—A line from Warwickshire to Worcester, and thence vid Malvern, to communicate with South Wales. This line is proposed to intersect the very middle of the Landromest-street, in Worcester (Foregate-street). WORCESTER, TENBUILY, AND LIIDLOW.—A direct line between these towns of about thirty miles in length. WORCESTER AND LEO3IINSTER.—A line proposed to form at Worcester a junction with some of the War wickshire lines, and thus to afford through traffic to Leomi ns t er yid Bromyard. The shares in this under taking have n o t ye t been allotted. WO RCESTER, HE aFY ORD, Ross, AND GLOUCESTER. — A proposal for au with the Oxford, entirely new line forming a junction Worcester, and Wolverhampton line at Worcester, and acct caster. Malvern, ommodating t h e f o ll ow i ng towns an d GI ester. maav ernLedbury, Ross, Hereford, and WORCESTER AND SOUTH W ALES JUNCTION. —A com peting li ne w i t h t h e last name d where it is p ropose d to join from Wor cester to Ross, the 11 Railway. onesouth and Hereford / WORCESTER AND PORT DYN forming a junction with the OrioArEdN.—Anothe r line Worcester, and Wolverhampton line at Worcester, Lid propo s i ng t o pass hence through Tenbury and Ludlow, and so - through Shropshire, Montgomeryshire, and Caernarvon shire, s hire, to Port Dynnlaen, on the North Wales co as t. . The following lines, proposed to come to Worcester, have stopped proceedings, having failed to effect the ne cessary deposits with the Board of Trade, on the 30th of November : The Birmingham and Worcester Direct—a proposal for partially converting the Worcester and Birmingham Canal into a railway. k and i _ Worcester, Warwick, and Rugby —a com p etin g line, VlNVawic nii r cixion with the Eastern and W estern, with the Worcester," and "Rugby, Warwick , a nd Woree 8t "" lines. SOUTH-EASTERN RAIL WAY.—EXPRESSES. The following are regulations rtd.,pted by the South- Eastern for expresses and express engines : " 1. Charges to be made for special trains for the pub lic press:— ''For members of the public press, ss. per mile. " If any special engine or train is ordered to be in rea diness, and be afterwards countermanded, half of the above charge will be made. "In addiiion to the above, a charge for demurrage will be made upon every engine so ordered and detained at any station for a longer period than 24 hours, as fol lows: "No charge will be made for the first 24 hours, but at the expiration of that period the charge for demur rage will commence at the rate of 503. for every day or part of a day. "2. No person to travel by such engine unless he be the known agent of one of the newspapers, or has proper authority from the secretary of the company. " 3. No agent of the press to be allowed to interfere in any way with the conducting of such engines. " The driver to take his instructions front the officers of the Company, who shall act with the most perfect fairness towards all parties in enforcing the rules relative to special engines. "4. That whenever an express engine is engaged or ordered to be k ept i n rea di ness, the engineer or driver shall, on no account whatever be allowed to leave the station until relieved by some other engineer or driver ; and that during the time the said engineer or driver shall be on duty, one or other of them shall remain constantly on or by the engine, to keep the steam up, and keep the engine ready to start without the least delay. " 5. That when two or more expresses arrive at either the Dover or Folkstone station at the same time, the said expresses shall be forwarded by the same express engine. The expense thereof to be defrayed in equal proportions by the respective parties. "6. That when two or more express engines are ordered on demurrage, the first express which arrives at the station shall be forwarded by the engine which happens to be placed first on the line. 7. Much dispute having arisen owing to the vary ing capabilities of the engines e mployed, it is now ordered that no special engine be allowed to follow within a quarter of an hour of any other previously dispatched. _ _ _ a To enforce this rule a time will be specified as the period for 'informing all such special expresses. " All the Company's drivers being required to make the run in the specified time, according to these rules. "E. When any special engine interferes with the order of the running of the ordinary trains of the Com pany, the driver of such engine to pass such regular trains (on their going into the side flues a a a L.:won) according to the usual signals." LEICESTER LINES. —On Thursday last, at a meeting of the Leiceister town council, the clerk read notices which he had received from the following Companies —The Direct Birmingham and Leicester ; Direct Lon don and Manchester ; Midland, in relation to the Swan nington Extension Junction ; Western Junction ; Lei cester and Redford Extensions ; and the Tean and Dove Railways. The notices were served on the coun cil, so as to learn whether that body assented, dissented, or would remain neuter in regard to these schemes. The matter was referred to the Estate Committee for their consideration. AYRSHIRE LlNES.—During the past week several surveyors have been busy at work in Ayrshire, along the roatas of several of the new lines, boring, with the object of learning the nature of the subsoil—whether rock or otherwise, and of what mineral character, preparatory to sub-letting the works to contractors. THE BRIGHTON, LEWES, AND HASTINGS.—Near to Brighton the tunnel through Rose Hill is finished, with the exception of clearing away the rubbish left by the bricklayers, &c. An enormous mound of chalk, carried from the cutting, has been raised so as to join the viaducts forming the approach to the junction of this with the present line from London to Brighton. In the erection of this viaduct, upwards of three millions of bricks will be used. It consists of 27 arches, eight of which are turned, and the work pointed ; the ninth is about being finished, and the finishing layer was put upon the crown of the main arch over the London-road on Saturday last. The height of this from the ground to the base of the sleepers upon which the rails will be laid, is 72 feet, and the space across the road is 50 feet in width. All the buttresses, which are of brick, are pierced so as to take off the weight of the material, and contribute to the general stability of the erection. The " centres" are fixed for the formation of several other arches, and it is now considered that the heaviest part of the work is finished. It was intended, some time since, to remove the elegant balustrade from the celebrated Ouse Valley viaduct, to ornament this one, but this has been aban doned, and it is now determined to build a strong wall, with a plain coping of stone on each side of the railway. The line at this point terminates in an easy sweep, and simultaneously with the progress of the works along the line, there are being erected most extensive warehouses, engine-rooms, depots for traffic, and store-houses for merchandise, equal to any built for the purposes of any yet constructed line in this country. From the present prospect of the general state of the works, there is no doubt but that the whole line will be opened to the public by the time intended, namely, in April next. ADVANTAGE OP JUDICIOUSLY EXTENDING THE RAIL• WAY SYSTESI.—From a table just published, showing the progress of the railway system for the last four years, it appears that up to a certain period of 1842, 52,380,0001. were expended on railways, giving a profit of 4-97 per cent. at that time; and that up to acorrespond ing period in 1845, 71,646,105/. were expended, and the receipts'show a profit of 5 54 per cent. after deducting 40 per cent. for the working expenses. The great advan tage of extending the railway system must be very evi dent from the facts stated in the above table, showing that a further outlay of 19,266,1051. between the years 1842 and 1845 had produced a gradual and firm increase in the profits of 4'97 to 5.54, or of 0 . 57 per cent. Should the 70,000,000/. authorised by Parliament in 1844 and 1845 to be raised for railways now in course of cone struction be equally as beneficial in producing a further progressive increase in the traffic of the country, of which there cannot be much doubt, the fur ther outlay of the 70,000,0001. may be expected to increase the profits on the capital of the old and new railways, when completed and in operation, as much as two per cent. more, which, added to the 5.54 per cent. of the present time, would make that amount 7.54 per cent. But this calculation does not include any ad vantage to be derived in future from improvements in locomotives, or any of the economical changes in the working expenses of railways which have taken place since 1842 to a considerable extent upon most of the great lines; and there can be no doubt that the increase of traffic consequent upon an extension of the railway system will further reduce the proportion which the working expenses now bear to the total amount of the traffic receipts. It should be remarked, that although in the table the working expenses are assumed to be 40 per cent., there can be no doubt that they have been re duced 4 or 5 per cent. at least since 1842; and, there fore, if the profits were 4.92 per cent. in 1842, those at the present time should be estimated at 6 per cent. instead of 5.54, as stated in the table. The result is also highly favourable to the security, and a proof of the improving nature of railway property, whether we consider it as respects the outlay of capital, er the ex tension of railways in length; as an instance, 1,520 miles were in operation in 1842, and 2,040 miles in 1845 being an increase of 520 miles; at the former period the earnings were 2,8561. per mile per annum, and at the latter period 3,2421. per mile per annum; showing an increase in the receipts per mile of 13.5 percent. instead of a decrease, as many of the enemies to the extension of the railway system expected.—Hed upath's Journal. RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS. BRISTOL, JAN. 3. STOCK ExcrraNGE.—The only sale was—Midland, New, 29, SHEFFIELD, JAN. 3. STOCK ExcnaKor..—Ths sales are—Sheffield and Man chester, Quarter Shares, No. 3 (scrip), B—Grimsby and Sheffield, l2%—Goole and Doncaster, 4 1 4—Grand Union (Nottingham to Lynn), 2 1 4—London and York, 43A—Man cheater Sheffield, and Midland J u n c ti on , 41. 1 18.—Manches ter, Midland, and Great Grimsby, 2%—Sheffield, Wortley, Silkstone, and Wakefield, 21. 4s. 6d.—Wakefield and Har rogate, 21%. YORK, JAR. 3. STOCK EXCIIANGE.—The sales are—Newcastle and Dar lington, Brandling, 55—York and North Midland, Selby, 87—Ditto, Extension, 403i—Newcastle and Berwick, 20 1 ,4 —North British, New Carlisle Branch, 34—London and York, 4%—Axliolme, 234—Grand Union, 2—Lei ,, .ster and Bedford, 21. 6s. 6d.—Leieeeter, Tam,vith, Coventry, Bir mingham, and Trent Valley Junction, 2/. 17L—North Staf fordshire, 61. 2s.—North Western, 3:.li—Welsh Midland, Pi —York and Carlisle, 3 HILL, Jaw. 3. The sales are—Blackburn, Darwen, &c., B—North British (Carlisle), 3 %—Buckinghamshire, 20x. p.—Derby and Gainsborough, 275. 6d.—Cambridge and'Lincoln, 3—Dudley, Madeley, &e., 2A—Glasgow and Dumfries, 3—Grand Union, 2—Hull and Barnsley Junction, 495. 6d.—Leicester and Bedford, 20s. p.--Manchester, Buxton, &C., 2'5 P. — Nottingham and Grantham, 24—Sheffield Potteries and Crewe, 225. 6d.—Tean and Dove Valley, par—Great Grimsby, Louth, and Horncastle, 353.—East Lincolnshire, 3%. RASTRICK'S MANCHESTER LINE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. you permit me, through the medium of your journal, to ask why the Directors of Rastrick's Manchester Line have not returned the deposit money, over and above the two pounds fifteen paid by Reming ton's subscriber s ? And also, why do not the conjoint Directors at once state the plan of amalgamation they propose ? If t h ey intend to reduce the fifty pound shares to twe n ty-fi ve, why not at once say so, and allow dissentie n t s to withdraw ? If the Directors were to pursue thi s h onourable course, we should no longer see this splendid and promising project at such an unsaleable discount ? but such conduct would give a tone to the market as most assuredly to cause a healthy reaction. Did I nit think the Directors rather neglect ful of the great interest committed to their trust, for they represent 10,000,000 of money, your valuable space would not be so intruded on by your very obedient servant„ JAMES SIIEPPARD, a Shareholder. Stonehouse, Devon. THE WELLS IN TRAFALGAR-SQUARE.—The mains have been l a id d own f rom the engine house and cisterns in Or ange - street, to Buckingham Palace, the last pipes of which were laid down on Friday. Two fresh pumps, of eighteen inches diameter, have arrived at the works, to be used in consequence of th e greater supply which will now be required, and one of which will furnish twice the present quantity. Since they have been first opened, the water has risen in the wells to an additional height of about five feet. To CURE A WArr.—Scrape a carrot fine, and mix with salt, and apply a poultice five or six nights. On Saturday, at Covent-garden market, there was a good show of new potatoes and cucumbers, and amongst the flowers were camellias, roses, hydranger s , azalias, pelar goniums, heartsease, and violets. EVEN] NG, JANUARY 5, 1846 , THE OREGON QUESTION. (From the Morning Herald.) It is remarkable that so few writers, either in Eng land or America, rest the dispute about the Oregon territory upon the just ground, viz., superiority of title. Yet this is, after all, the real question at issue. It is a simple case of right or wrong, without the possible in tervention of what Lord Eldon used to call a grey case. America, as Mr. Polk has truly said, is entitled either to tile whole or to no part of the territory in dispute. [here is no via media in establishing, whatever there may be in enforcing the claim. We echo Mr. f'olk's decla ration—Great Britain is either entitled to the whole or to no defined part of the Oregon, though she would sti:l possess the right to a joint occupancy, under the provi sions of the Nootka convention. But England and America, assuming the question of title to admit of doubt, are not in the same position, and do not urge the same pretensions. If we had originally no valid title to Oregon, we disclaim any that might be supposed to arise on the construction of the treaty of 1827, and accordingly are bound to concede the whole to America. Let America, if the right be on her side, possess every acre of land and water in the disputed region. But if, on the con trary, the British title be clear as the noon-day sun, which is our conscientious conviction, we yet do not claim to monopolise the whole benefit of the western shore. England has no desire to act the part of the dog in the fable, depriving her kinsmen in America of advantages which she cannot use herself ; but, on the contrary, is content to share them with the Common wealth. Oregon's chief importance springs from the trade, yet in its infancy, with China. England, moreover, has expressed her entire readiness to open to American enterprise ports to which her title is beyond question. The navigation of the Columbia, affording a very easy communicatian from the interior to the sea, is the next matter of importance to which the conflicting claims are directed. But England does not seek to engross the sole use of the river, but offers to share it yvith the United States. The pretensions put forward by Ame rica reach to a monopolisation of everything worth caring for westward of the Rocky Mountains ; and this distinction between the claims of the compet ing nations raises, in the absence of direct and con elusive testimony of title, a presumption in favour of Great Britain. But the question of title is not a doubt ful one—no, not for a moment. Great Britain is, in contestably, proprietrix of every acre of land or water that lies within the disputed boundaries. To confirm her title, precedent, fact, and every known law of the civilised world have harmoniously and irresistibly com bined, and we offer the following gene.-al observations in supp.rt of this ViPW, Tee American title to Oregon is resolvable into three distinct branches,—first, that ac quired by the purchase of Louisiana in 1803, from the French Government ; secondly, the right derived from Spain, by the convention of Florida in 1820 ; and, lastly, the rights acquired from the discoveries and exploration of American citizens subsequently to 1782. With re spect to the title dependent on the cession of Louisiana by the French, we would observe that France never pre tended to any dominion westward of the Rocky _Moun tains, and in support of this statement we quote the lan guage of Mr. President Jefferson, employed by him in a letter bearing date 1803. Ile says : "The boundaries (of Louisiana), which I deem not admit ting question, are the high lands on the western side of the Mississippi. enclosing all its waters (the Missouri, of course), and terminating in the line drawn from the north-west point of the Lake of the Woods to the nearest source of the Mis sissippi, as lately settled between Great Britain and the United States." This admission of its chief magistrate disposes of the title of America in as far as it rests upon the purchase of Louisiana, and, to use Mr. Cushing 's own words, it is now too late to attempt impeaching a title so admitted, even were the pretended discoveries in France of the hon. gentleman better authenticated than they are. Mr. President Jefferson, then, having relieved us from arguing on the right derived through France, we come to the Spanish American claim, and we may preface our arguments by remarking that the alleged title of Spain depends entirely upon discovery and settlement, which we shall hereafter consider. The Spanish American claim rests upon the treaty of Florida ratified in 1820, by which Spain ceded to America such rights over the western coasts as she herself possessed. If at that period, 1820, Spain had a valid title to Oregon, without im peaching the original title of Spain, Great Britain is precluded from disputing the American claim; but if, prior to 1820, Spain had already parted with her interest in the subject matter of the dispute, the American claim, so ra- as it depends on Spain, at once falls to the ground. But is a valid title in Spain at the date of the treaty of Florida compatible with the received construc tion of the Nootka convention of thirty years previously —viz., of 1790? We think not. For, consider the cir cumstances that led to the ratification of the latter treaty. In the year 1788, Esteban, a Spanish officer, proceeded to Nootka Sound for the purpose of founding a settle ment. It happened that about the same time Captain Meares, and other British subjects, arrived in the Fe lice on the same coast on a trading expedition, and in the course of the following year were seized by the Spanish authorities. The result of this aggression of the Spanish Government was a remonstrance, and subsequent nego. tiations between England and Spain, which termi nated by Spain submitting without reserve (we cite Mr. Cushing) to the claims of the British Government. By the convention which succeeded, the free commerce of the north- western shores, and the right of found ing settlements, were guaranteed to both countries. There cannot, therefore, be a doubt of the right of this country to found settlements in, and trade with, the north-west shores of the Pacific, even under the title of Spain, which America has so earnestly laboured to es tablish. We next arrive at the question of priority of discovery and settlement, and we shall confine ourselves to a comparison of the titles of England and America in their own right, because the derivative title of America we have already disposed of by the confession of Pre sident Jefferson, and, secondly, by the Nootka conven • lion. If the discoveries of Spain established a title to Oregon, Great Britain has succeeded to it by the treaty of 1790. But to proceed. By the law of nations, the navigator who first lands on an unappropriated shore conveys a presumptive title to his native country, not only to ports, bays, and rivers, but also to the interior. On this principle alone did Spain make title to her once vast trans-Atlantic possessions, and un less the principle be disputed, which we cannot suppose possible, the title of Great Britain to the whole of Oregon, river, plain, and mountain, is complete. The first known circumnavigator was Drake, who, in 1581, sailed along the entire length of the north-western coast of America, and on several occasions planted a European standard on the then supposed fabulous western shores. Drake was followed by Cook in 1777, who visited every bay and creek of the long line of coast, of course many years previous to the establishment of the American Republic. In 1786 Captain Meares actually entered the mouth of the Columbia River, and bestowed the name it now bears upon the northern promontory. These acts, performed by British subjects, all occurred prior to any attempt on the part of the States to explore or settle the region lying to the westward of the Rocky Mountains. To combat these cogent claims, the American Plenipo tentiary resorts to aisubtle and untenable distinctions between landing on the shores and penetrating a few miles into the interior. Though Captain Meares, argues Mr. Buchanan, was the first to anchor at the mouth of the river, Captain Gray it was who acquired for his country a right to the navigation and to the surrounding territories by ascending a few miles towards the source. And the SCRIC kind of argument is employed against Captain Vancouver's discovery in 1792. But what if e were to admit the validity of this distinction, savour ing as it does of special pleading ? Why, the American Chargé d'Affaires himself abandons it in attempting to make out the claims of the Spanish adventurer, Perez. We quote the following : "It is unnecessary to detail the discoveries of the Spaniards, as they regularly advanced to the north from their settlements on the western coasts of North Ame rica, until we reach the voyage of Captain Juan Perez, in 1774. That navigator was commissioned by the Vice roy of Mexico to proceed in the corvette Santiago to the 60th degree of north latitude, and from that point to examine the coast down to Mexico. He eailed from San Bias on the 25th of January, 1774. In the performance of this commission, he landed first on the north-west coast of Queen Charlotte's Island, near the 54th degree of north latitude, and thence proceeded south along the shore of that i land, and of the great islands of Qeadra and Vancouver, and then along the coast of the conti nent Loom he reached Monterey. He went on shore and held intercourse with the natives at several places, and especially at the entrance of a bay in latitude 49A de grees, which he called Port San Lorenzo, the same now known by the name of Nootka Sound. In addition to journals of this Voyage, which render the fact incontes tible, we have the high authority of Baron Humboldt in its favour. That distinguished traveller, who had access to the manuscript documents in the city of Mexico, state that ' Perez and his pilot Estevan Martinez, left the port of San Bias on the 24th of January, 1774. On the 9th of August they anchored (the first of all European navigators) in Nootka Road, which they called the Port of San Lorenzo, and which the illustrious Cook, four years afterwards, called King George's Sound." In this passage the coasting and landing are the founda tion of the clai ms ; b ut we do not seek to i nval i date the Spanish title, which runs up, as we have proved, into our own. W e shall mere l y po i nt out t h e i ncons i stency of the American P lenipotentiary, and the absurd argu ments he adduces in support of his demands. If any thing turned, which it does not, on the mere number of square miles discovered and ex plored, Alexand er Mac kenzie, a British subject, carried his discoveries in 1789 farther than any who preceded him ; but, in truth, no claim can be based on such a circumstance only. At this day many hundreds of square miles within the a lrnitted boundaries of the United States, have never been visited by civilised man ; but the States, never thel:ss, claim these unknown regions as part of their dominion, and would naturally a nd with reason repel any intrusion. The rule of national law must prevail— that he who first discovers the shore acquires a title to the adjacent lands, and on t hi s pr i nc i p l e o f l aw t h e title of Great Britain to the whole of Oregon seems incontestible. We have trespassed too long already on the patience of our readers, but we cannot forbear call attention to the most extraordinary argument ever embodied in a state paper. Mr. Buchanan, in order to prove that the American title is generally admitted in England, writes thus : "Even British geographers have not doubted our title to the territory in dispute. There is a large and splendid globe now in the Department of the State re cently received from London, and pu b l i she d b y Malt b y and Co., ' manufacturers and pu bli s h ers to th e Society for the Diffusion of Useful K now l e d ge ,' w hi c h assigns this territory to the United States." We have not seen the globe to which the American Plenipotentiary refers ; but if hi s argum ent is worth anything, we would direct hi s attent i on to the maps by Mr. Wyld, one o f th e fi rs t geographers o f th e age, in which Oregon is not assigned to the United States, as, indeed, pending the provisions of the eonvention of 1827, it could not tie. Vie think. re is evidence of our title to the entire district ; but whether we ought now to insist on the strict right is another and distinct question. The convention of 1827 seems now to preclude either country from setticg up a claim to the whole ; the natural termination of a joint te nancy is a partition, not conducted on the principle of dividing the superficial art:a in equal parts, but on a divi sion of the real advantage which the country affords. What need England care for the addition of a few thousand acres, more or less, to her countle,s thousands of square miles in Canada, in India, Australia. and the innumerable islands under her dominion ? The real ad vantages of the north-western coasts are the facilities of establishing trade with China, and the colonies of the Pacific Ocean. Any arrangement securing to Great Britain this source of future wealth, together with the free navigation of the Columbia River, she may fairly accept without any compromise of the national honour. These things being conceded, it matters little how the boundaries are drawn from the Rocky Mountains, whether by followi,g the 49th parallel to the sea, or ly making the Columbia River, which seems the more natural and convenient, the line of d , marcation. Less than this Great Britain cannot, and oueht not, to accept, especially when menaces accompany the advancement of a rival claim. Woe be to the country that stoops to buy off an unprovoked war by concession. We should sincerely rejoice to see an amicable adjustment of the dispute, nor are we without hope that such a happy measure will terminate the affair. Despite all Mr. Polk's frothy denunciations, America will not relinquish her extensive and profitable commerce with Great Britain for no higher object than bolstering up the credit of Mr. Polk. The subjoined extract from Mr. Cushing's lecture does not betoken any disposition for war : " Time is the great regulator of all things in this world. If nothing else occur to dispose of the Oregon question, in time, the backwoodsman of the west will do it with their axes, cattle, and ploughs, and if need be, their rifles. Emigrants from the United States have a land journey to Oregon, which is, comparatively speaking, easy ; for their horses and cattle feed themselves on the road, carry or furnish provisions for the emigrants, and carry the utensils, and constitute the capital with which the settlers are to begin life in Oregon. Emigrants from Great Britain have a much longer land journey to make, besides a sea voyage of 3,000 miles ; or in the whole, a sea voyage of enormous length and expense, if they go by the Cape of Good Hope or Cape Horn. Besides which, all British emigrants in America have a greet tendency to cease to be Britons and to become Ameri cans." Be it so—the day will probably arrive when Mr. Web ster's prediction will be ♦erified to the letter, and these immense wilds, occupied by a thriving population, will not submit to a dependency either on Great Britain or the United States. REVIEW of the COTTON TRADE. (From Haywood and Viccar's Circular.) The review of the year 1845 is simple. The fluctua tions in fair qualities of Upland and Orleans cotton from the highest to the lowest have exceeded 12 per cent., and the import, generally, has been profitable. The season opened under favourable auspices. The stock on hand was large, but prices were so low as to inspire con fidence. All expectation of an overwhelming import, which had operated so prejudicially in the month of November and in the beginning or' December of 1844, had disappeared before the month of January of the present year, and the result now proves the American crop to have been 2,394,500 bales, exclusive of 25,900 bales from Texas. It is true that there are many who in January last believed this to be an over-calculation, and, under the conviction that the growth would not ex ceed 2,100,000 to 2,200,000 bales, prices rather advanced in that and the following month. In additi n to this motive for action, common both to the speculators and the trade, the announcement of the intended repeal of the duty on cotton furnished fresh stimulus, and the sales were very extensive. But, in spite of this, the month of March, by a combination of circumstances, proved to be unsatisfactory, since, instead of advancing, the market declined per lb. The duty of 5-16 d. per lb. on cotton wool, however, being then taken off, the real difference in money to holders was not important, but as many of them in the first instance expected to gain that amount, the disappointment seemed almost equivalent to a loss. In the early part of April, the statements as to crop, which had, as just stated, been gradually diminishing, uow began again to increase, and the receipts into the ports seemed to justify the new anticipations. It was for a time in vain that the buying here continued large, and that the probability of dissension between the United States and this country respecting the Oregon territory was again brought more prominently forward by the declaration of both parties in the House of Commons as to the general determination of the Legislature not to surrender our early rights to the disputed country. All was unavailing, under the pressure of the heavy stock and increasing supply, to raise prices. On the contrary, they again receded. This state of things, it is true, was only of short duration, for the profits realised by spinners being at least 2d. to 31. per lb., at the end of April and in the beginning of May, the decline was again recovered, and the excitement upon the American question seemed to gain fresh force. It is certain that neither then nor at any time since has it been generally believed that the discussion would terminate seriously ; yet a certain degr ee of f ear h as ex i s ted th a t, previously to any final arrangement, so angry a feeli n g might be raised as to interpose increased difficulties. The negotia tions were now rendered more delicate and critical from the decided manner in which each party had asserted its claim, and with every wish to avoid actual hostilities ; yet in discussions between nations the slightest untoward incident may lead to open rupture. It is this same sentiment which still pre vails, and which has always more or less entered into the views of holders throughout the year. The message of the President is of a nature to confirm this impression. Returning, however, to the question more immediately before us, June was a month of large business, though without any advance in price. The only new feature which manifested itself was that of ad vises as to the appearances of the coming crop of 1845- 1846, which were not propitious. Though the period of the year was far too early to form any correct judg ment, yet the plant germinated it was said so unfavour ably, as in the opinion of many to furnish a reasonable motive for steadiness in prices. In July the intelli gence continued to be of the same description, and it was then also supposed that the crop would be later than usual. Speculators, encouraged by the facilities of the money-market, as well as by the continued prosper ous state of trade, and the lowness of prices, pur chased largely on the one hand, whilst the spinners on the other deemed it prudent to keep up their stocks to a point beyond their usual quantity. It was the large supply in the port alone which tended to keep the market in check. The weather might have had some little effect at that period, but this was only slightly regarded, though circumstances have since proved of what immense importance was its then character. Before the end of August all apprehensions as to the harvest, if any were ever seriously entertained, seemed for a time to subside, and the market again im proved. The stock of American cotton had reached its maximum of 832,000 bales. This amount now began sensibly to diminish, and the month of September was one in which the business transacted was of vast extent. In the beginning of October, in consequence of the alleged deficiency of yield in the wheat crop, and of the injury done to the potato crop in this and other countries, a settled dull and anxious feeling began to prevail, and this continued unabated throughout the remainder of the month. November was still more discouraging, and a second advance in the rate of interest to 3f per cent. by the Bank of England (the rate of interest had already been raised on the 16th of October from 2f to 3 per cent.), effectually destroyed all hope of change for the better in the money-market, and with this all prospect of amendment in cotton seemed for the moment to he annihilated. During the present month of December there has been a regular and steady de- , mend daily ; but a tighter state of the money-market, coming too at a period of the year when there is always rather a desire than otherwise to liquidate existing en gagements and to diminish the amount of responsi bility, both on the part of merchants and brokers, had, until counteracted by the advices of the last packet bringing reduced estimates of crop, operated still fur ther to depress prices and to throw a gloom over com mercial transactions generally. The projected changes in the Ministry, and th e uncer t a i n ty o f . the immediate effect of the measur es t o b e p ro p ose d with reference to the opening of the ports for the admission of grain, and the abolition of the corn-laws, have contributed still more to unsettle the public mind, and in the doubt that has been raised and the hopes and fears which have alternately predominated, trade has suffered, and con fidence has been considerably shaken. The railway deposit question also, which belongs to another part cit our subject, has likewise been one of the principal causes of the distrust which has pervaded the monied interest, and through this influence essential injury has been done to the holders of cotton. Having now alluded more especially to the fluctua tions in the article itself, other events of the year as they are more or less indirectly connected with it call for a few observations. The first one of these in the order of time, and probably in importance, as it refers to cotton itself, is the abrogation of the whole import duty, which is one of the most remarkable events in the history of commercial policy. It is a measure fraught with wisdom, not only as being in itself of vital im portance to the country, but as a precedent for other changes of a like nature. It will tend to give a still greater development to the manufacturing energies of Great Britain, and will better enable us to compete, in common and heavy fabrics, with that very country, the United States, where the raw material itself is pro duced. It had been a growing complaint that the duty, which constitutes in coarse goods so heavy a per cent age upon the cost, was causing our manufactures to be superseded in the South American markets, and it was its extension correct th e ev il i n th a t h em i sp h ere, an d to preven t extension to India, upon which so much of our future prosperity dep en d e d, th a t, see i ng t h e financial state of the country would bear the abstraction, the Government wisely abandoned this branch •of revenue, though it is certain that, for immediate popularity, other reductions might have been selected, and other taxes taken off, which would have been more acceptable to the multitude. This act of the Government cannot be too much commended. The next point which calls for comment is the mania in railway speculation during the greater part of the year. The words of the historian of 1720 describe in so accurate a spirit the folly of 1845, that it can hardly be out of place to quote them. Speaking of the South " All dis Sea and other schemes . . of that day, he says, tinctions of party, religion,. vex,. character, and circum stances, were swallowed . up in this universal concern, or in some such pecuniary project. Exchange -alley ;vas tilled with a strange concourse of statesmen and clergy men, Churchmen and Dissenters, Whig, and Torik physicians, lawyers, tradesmen, atal even with multi tudes. of women ; All other professions and employments were utterly neglected, and the people's attention wholly ene-roqsed hq ebis end other ehimerieel which 1 :UV,: 11 by tilt? n!‘illiii%.tiOn 01 blib+aif•si. The euie proposed to he raised by different expedients amounted to 300,000,000 sterling, which exceeded the value of all the land of England. The nation was so intoxicated with the spirit of adventure, that people became a prey to the grossest delusion." By a most valuable synopsis, pub lished in the Times newspaper last month, it will be se' n that 47 completed railway companies hail raid up and borrowed 70.000 000 t ; that 118 lines in the curse construction, and fe- which Acts of Parliament had been obtained. required 67,000,000/.; that for the railways projected, amounting to 1,263 companies, 59,000,0001 of deposits would he necessary ; so that the total capital invested and required (taking the amount actually paid up at 54,000,0001. in railways completed, and those in the course of execution, sanctioned already by Par:ia ment, into account, together with 59,000,0001. to he paid of deposits upon new lines), would be 113.000,000/. Thus, to carry out these projects, including the money already borrowed, 590,090,0001. would be neces sary, the very magnitude of which sum must strike every one as evidencing the highest degree of insa nity in any natien which could entertain projects in volving sueh an outlay. The " deposit que>tion," as it has been generally designated, arose out of this extra ordinary state of things. By the Act Ist and 2d Vic toria, it is rendered imperative that the deposits upon the undertakings in question should be paid into the Bank of England, to the ere dit of the Accountant-Gene ral, within 14 days after the meeting of Parliament. It is true that the check so opportunely given by the Bank of England. by raising the rate of interest, effectually put an end to many of the schemes, but it was supposed, in the first instance, that a sufficient number had complied with the forms necessary to make the deposits alone 20,000,000/. Subse quent information has led to the conviction that this sum was greatly overstated, and that the amount required will not be 10,000,000/. ; but during the time that the process has been going on of weeding out the lines which had not complied with the necessary for malities, great uneasiness has existed in the money market. The banking interests all along has felt quite unable to explain how the difficulty would be met, and although certain that, from the total impossibility of complying with the law, there must be some mode of ex• tricating the country from its embarrassment, yet even now that 10,000,0001. only are supposed to be required, the monied interest is necessarily upon its guard, for to withdraw this sum, if only for a few days, from the re quirements of trade, would be to put a stop to the whole machinery of the circulation, and derange all branches of public financial arrangements. The President's message, though looked for with great anxiety, has produced less effect than might have been expected. Its tendency by a few is not thought to be unpacific ; but the generality of persons consider, notwithstanding its calmness of tone, that there is a determination pervading it which is anything but ami cable in spirit, or generous in feeling. It seems to breathe a decision of purpose hardly concealed by the moderation of its language. Its demands assume con clusions which are most exaggerated, and its harshest and worst feature is that it seems to close the door by anticipations to all interference in a matter which, in ease quarrel is to be avoided, can best be arranged by foreign friendly arbitration. It is difficult to suppose that nations so wise and so enlightened as our own and that of the United States, should not recoil from the idea of war for the sake of so trifling an object as the pos session of a wilderness separated from both countries by rocks and deserts on the one hand, and by the ocean on the other ; but as there is a point beyond which conces sion would be considered weakness, it is impossible to, say what may be the result. The deductions to be drawn from all the facts l j d o . re us, are, as usual, liable to much uncertainty, 4nd t h e crop, after all, in the opinion of most persor s , i s t h e main point upon which, as far as cotton is concerned. the future doFends. There are some W . no rate this high, and consider that it will reach 2 ; 7,00,000 to 2,400,000 bales, but there are others eqnally well informed, who pretend that 2,200,000 bal:es . will be the maximum. Added to this contingency, there is the certainty of a large consumption an:t a good trade, and the remote pos. sibility of war ; bit the transactions of this year, as far as regards specniators, have been so unfortunate that it Is probable the market will be left very much to the trade for some time to come, and under these circumstances it is rare for prices to improve either very rapidly or con siderably. Decline seems considered by every one to be cat of the question, but whether or not any material ad vance is to be experienced depends so much upon-points that are yet doubtful, that to predict an important rise, should it prove to be the case, would be rather a fortu nate conjecture than the result of reasoning which at present could be fully justified. DUTCH MAIL. - - - - --- THE HAGUE, DEC. 27.—The following is the passage in the Haarlem Journal, which has given occasion to the prosecution which we mentioned in our paper of the 24th inst. : " What can the nation yet expect from a Chamber, most of the Members of which constantly show that their sole object is money, who do not consider themselves as the bulwark of the nation, but who look on a seat in the Chambers as a footstool, by means of which they may be able to rise, by basely binding themselves to the views of the Government, and so to obtain for themselves and their families some delicate morsel from the Government kitchen. Such, with few exceptions, is the conduct of those whom we are forced to consider as our representa tives." According to the preliminary report of the central section, fifty Members of the Second Chamber took part in the examination on the sections of the new projects of law relative to the elective franchise-29 Members declared it as their opinion that these projects were not in accordance with the fundamental la'w, and that the proposal made by the Government did not seem to them to be admissable. Seven Members did not ex plicitly state their opinions on this point; the other 14 Members did not find anything unconstitutional in the project of law used before them, but some of them thought that all doubt was not wholly removed; some even thought that the several questions to which this project of law related would never be regulated in a satisfactory manner till a change shall have been made in article 6 of the fundamental law. AMSTERDAM, DEC. 27.—At the request of his Royal Highness the Prince of Orange-, his Majesty has been pleased to allow his Royal Highness to retire from the post of Inspector-General of the Infantry, with thanks to the Prince for his services. ROTTERDAM, DEC. 26.—A remarkable robbery was committed here last night. The thieves having taken possession of a boat, proceeded to a warehouse belonging to the Commercial Company's stores, where they forced an entrance, and carried off no fewer than 66 bales of coffee ; the police, however, stopped the boat as they were going to land the stolen goods. One of the thieves was taken, and the other (for there were only two as it seems) jumped overboard and escaped. BREDA, DEC. 21.—A singular circumstance took place here to-day :M. K. Klyn, an old man, nearly 86 years of age, kept the 25th anniversary of his marriage with his fifth wife. AMSTERDAM, JAN. I.—ln the course of the year 1845 the number of merchantmen that have arrived here amounted to 2,426. From ports in Great Britain there were— From London Sunderland Hartlepool Cardiff Liverpool Grangemouth Hull Newcastle &Otani Stockton 161 80 50 131 513 We learn from good authority that the accounts of he failure of the coffee crop in Java and elsewhere have induced the Netherlands Commercial Company to re solve that the quantity in the spring of 1846 . shall not exceed 9 0(:),000 bales, and that the best qualities should be selected. The farmers have observed that when the winter is likely to be severe in proportion bury themselves deep er under ground, and this is proportion to the severity of the expected frost. Thus, for instance, last year they were five feet under ground, whereas they are this year only two inches below the surface, which indicates that the winter will be mild. Thi s i s conf i rmed by the bees, which last winter wholly closed up their hives, but have left thorn nearly open this year. FLUSHING, DEc. 30.—The editor of our Courant was examined to-day for the second time by the justice of ; Middleburg, respecting the article which is the subject of a provcution, when he declared that he would be responsible for it, the writer not being known to him. UTRECHT, DEC. 31.—The provincial tribunal pro nounced its sentence (stating its reasons at great length) on the affair of M. Vandersteen, assuming the fact t. ba as stated in th e i n di c t ment, if d ec id ed contrar y t;fl prevailing judgment of the high council that duelling is not punishable according to the penal code, ttud eon. sequently declar e d th e accuse d to b e f u lly acquitted. AMSTERDAM, JAN. I.—The Directors of title Rhenish Railway are still negotiating with the departments of finance of the int er i or , res p ec ti n g a line ;torn Rotterdam to Utrecht and the prolongation of tl - Aat from Arnheim to the Prussian frontier. TILBERG, DEC. 30.—Within these two days the waters have risen to such a beysht that a great extent of land on the river Ley is ov . e,r . flowed, and much damage and!_ll.ebr t'aldtngs. dune L E bridgesjA _NI Highness the Princess of Orange was sud?te . .tly taken ill while attending divine service on Sundny, so that she was obliged to leave the church. The - agh her Royal Highness is still suffering, there is reason to hope that she will soon recover. lIAMBURGII BO RSENLIALLE, Dec. 30. Bills. Money. 113 Austrian 5 per Cents .............. Bank Shares ..... _ Anglo-Russit - ,, g— .lan Loan ................ 1083,( 1084 Russian 5 per Cent., Mint). Certificate. 103 Ditto Ist series inscription.... .... 104% Ditto, rlope and Co., 3d and 4th series • • 99 Ditto, in Certificate. ..... ...•••• • ' • • • g 7 _ New 4 per Cent., Hope and Co. ••• • • • -- ‘ Ditto Stieglitz . . ....... ......... 89 1 3; 4 21 --- - Spanish New 5 per Cent.• •••••• • • • • • • 2 Ditto 3 per Cent .•••••••• • • • • • • • • • 33 32% Ang,lo-Portuguese Loan, 2% per Cent • • Dutch Actual Debt, 2 1 ,! per Cent ••• • • 59% Ditto 3 per Cent. •• • • Polish New 4 per Cent. Loan, 1844•... Anglo-Danish Loan, 3 per Cent .... National Bank Shares • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • DUTCH FUNDS.—AMSTERDAM, JAN. 2 Money. Bills Actual Debt, 2% per Cent ••• • • . I%itto, 3 per Cent ••••••••• • • • • • • • • • 74 74% Ditto, 4 per Cent............ ....... 96 96 Amort Syndic, 4% per Cent • ..... •• .. 39th 9 9 3 Ditto, 3% per Cent ..... .. ..... 91 q 92 Commercial Company, 4% per Cent • • 16434 163% East India Loan, 4 per Cent... ...... . 95% 964 Exchange on London, at sight . .. •• • • 12 20 Two months... .......... 1 2 10 On Hainburgh, at sight •• • • 35 75 Two m0nth5............... 35 25 On Paris Tw0m0nth5............... •Dutah Papars, J an . 3. 8134 .. 86 BIRTHS. On the Ist inst., at Edinburgh, the wife of Captain Harri son, late of the 4th Light Dragoons, of a con. On the 28th ult., at Croydon, Surrey, Mrs. John Arthur Emberson, of a son. On the 28th ult., the lady of Walter Atelier, Esq., of Carl' ton Villas, Maida-vale, of a son. On the 29th ult., in tipper Seymour -street West, ) 11.5. Stephen Denison, of a daughter. On the 31st ult., at Kennington, Mrs. Teevan, of a son. s. On the Ist inst., at Vinc en t- square, the wife of the Be' William Jephson, of a son. On the Ist inst., at C a l edonian-place, Clifton, the lady of Major Anderson, of a daughter. On the Ist inst., a t Eb ley, Gloucestershire, the wife ofFeter Leversage, Esq., barrister-at -law, of a daughter, still-born. On the Ist inst., at Lee, Mrs. Wallroth, of a son. On the 2d inst., Oral, Hackney-road, Mrs. Frederick Ag er ' of a daughter. MARIED. On the Ist inst., at Hackthor ß n,Gervaise Tottenham Wale° Sibthorp, Esq., to Louisa, third daughter of Robert Cracroa Esq., of Ifackthorn and Harrington, Lincoln. On the Ist inst., at •Sevenoaks, James Edward Hebb'ea/ Waite, Esq., ALR.C.S ., to Eleanor Rosa, second daughter o f the Rev. William Presgrave, A M. DIED. On the 30th ult., Mr. Dill Baker, of Oxford-street. On the 31st tilt., in High- street, Susanna, youngest (hlk'h., ter of the late Mr. W. A. Hawkins. On the Ist inst., at Old Chapel-row, Kentish-town, Thane, Esq., aged 64. On the 2‘l inst., .John Gibbs, o n ly son o f J ohn Masse y, of Brunswick-place, Regent's -park, Esq., aged 26. On the 2d inst., in Sussex-place, Kent-road, Thom Emi., Purser, R.N. On the 2d inst , Olney, Bucks, Hugh Maltby, Esq Lopdon: Printed and Published by M URDO YO USG' , f ,; , ';o. 112, Strand., Printer, at Tile Sun Office, No. r Strand, in the Precinct of tke Savoy, in the CcupV" Middlesex, Monday, January 5, 1846. ri lf r efINTITFTeTi k r nocqrPtrlNT or A UNITED SILli Within the past two years there has been a coroP le i te , revolution in our foreign export trade. We are no,' e pa s porting articles of food in immense quantities to " 1.- „. Britain; . and the foreign demand for our staples li o l o ", crea.sieg so rapidly that we can hardly supply it• r k, cket ships are crowr4ed full of 11,er, grain, beef, 1 3) ", elle: se, &c. Cotton at present appears to be a set:o o3 i a:le itr shipment, and is taken prineipaily by transient.vesse's. Two-thirds of the aggrei:ate va:ue of ou r ,: r i l ports, in former years, have been in the great souther, staple ; the planters of. the south have bean almost (S , cht,ively benefited by the increase in our export tr a Is it was confined to the productions of their section ogee, the country. Our exports are now drawn from e ve l , section of the Union: the wheat and corn of the w e ', the productions of our northern dairies, are as rinP"r t fo to the people of Great Britain at this time as- the are e ! cotton, has been heretofore. The United S'i et !,l are destined to occupy a position among nations of the world second to none. We have furniO e the raw material to clothe the people of every eciont r i l j : and we are rapidly becoming the granary of the w° l. , / ,', the com Men sod the principal source of supply for food to feed the most powerful and wealthy nation in existence. El ; ', E , have been made to cultivate cotton in the East but they have failed, and the manufacturers of G r si, Britain are compell e d t o consume t h at grown tb country by slave labour. Ottr breadstuffs are becotoi l l necessary to the exi s t ence o f t h e operat i ves o f l b '', kingdom, and they will be compelled to admit them or, the most favourabl e f oo ti ng . C ons id er i ng the iratOse, extent of soil within our limits, our agricultural P r . / ductions are very few, w hi c h can b e attributed 09; entirely to the want of m ar k e t s . Th e popu l at i on of States is so limited that our surplus products are W il li ; ally large ; but with an ex t erna l d eman d so l arge as the opening of the ports of Great Britain would give us,„, o growth of the princip a l gra i ns wou ld b e immense. 1.0 western States alone would s u pply any d e fi c i ency in t h e harvests of Europe, and nothing would enrich tbos l States so much or so rapidly as an active demand for . j , the breadstuffs th e y cou ld pro d uce. O ur principal star:, productions are so nece ssar y t o t h e nat i ons o f Eur°ri _,, that they must h ave th em . Th ey must b e fed Iwo clothed, and in a few y ears we s h a ll h ave to supply 'be with the raw m a t er i a l f or t h ese purposes more eaten' sively than we ever yet h ave, and our position, as a P r , '': ducing and exp or ti ng country , i s therefore every Ye",, becoming vastly important.—American paper. SUSPICIOUS CASE of POISON'S ° AT BROMLEY. It may be within the recollection of the public, th ei ll / about eighteen m on th s ago a young woman, tain.,l Harslet Monkton, was found poi sone d b y pruss i c al e at Bromley, und e r suc h c i rcumstances as to leave hllej doubt that she h a d b een mur d ere d . As so long a Per'to has elapsed since the occurrence, it may 'not be amiss briefly bring to the recollection of the r,ublic the eiret ll l; differentf this stool{mysteriou affir. It appeared, upon inquiries that jury, that the deceased was a 'young woman of resPe e j Pl_ - ace upon the coronit, able connexions in the neig,'abourhood of Bromley, at the period in quest,',on she had come down fr ° London to see her friends to going to a : for a short period, peeparatl, iaatam as governess in a famili tio i Arundel, in S'assex. She left her mother's house 1 0 ' 0 .Nrening in good health and spirits, and nothing En ° o was heaL e d of her until she was feund dead in a privi ty the of a Dissenting chapel at the back of the Bigo s t .:tet, Bromley. At first not the slightest suspicion ° to entertained that there had been any foul play, but f 0 circumstance s th a t su b sequent l y transp i red, the coroneto jury deemed it requisit e th at an adjournment Oleo take place, in order th a t th e surgeons who were o'4o in might have a n o pp or t un i ty o f ma ki ng a pos t MO" 0 examination. This was accordingly done, when it To discovered that the deceased was very far advance , ' be pregnancy, and th a t h er d eat h was occasioned administration of a large dose of prussic acid. ber It appeared q u it e c l ear , f rom t h e me di cal an d 0 t d testimony, that it was a l mos t i m p oss ibl e f or t h e d ec eni v to have herself admi n i s t ere d t h e l arge quant i ty o f d e a d poison that was found on her stomach, and the infere°_.. was that it was given to her, and, from the evidenc;j probably in the chap 1, where it was supposed she h dl r gone to meet her seducer, and that afterwards the hn to had been rem ove d w h . re i t was found, with a view' ,d lead to the ide a th a t th e un h appy young woman destroyed herself, or had died in a lit. One circurnstn ii h e of great suspicion, h owever, arose in the mind of `r Coroner's jury, which was the absence of any weapon, instrument lik e ly t o pro d uce death, or any vessel ca , e lated to c on t a i n po i son, and this chiefly occasioned,l be , adjournment which led to th e discovery above alludna: B After two or thr ee a dj ournments of the inquiry, V 1 R .i3O no very material additional evidence was adduced, Commissioners of Police employed Mr. Pearce, w ho 0 : 11 ; at the head of th e d e t ec ti ve f orce, to prosecute t h e quiry, and several meetings of the jury took place, no fresh evide n c e ca l cu l ate d to t h row any light upon mysterious mysterious transaction was brought f orwar d , a nd length the matter seemed to have entirely dropped. • The jury, or rather a consid era bl e majority 01100 members, who felt a very strong impression that a O da foul crime had been committed, were determined, ever, that the matter should be brought to F,ome is s io and they m a d e repeate d and pressing applicrotions r Coroner to continue the inquiry. The Coroner, ° lac ever, refused to call the jury together to conclude u o, inquiry ; an d a f ter repeate d applications a. memorial Pd within the last few d a y s , b een sent to tlae Secretary n State, requesting him to interfere to comp e l the Coron, e o to perform what the j ur y cons id er to be his duty. 4:0 answer was received on Frid a y f rom Si r James Gral3o to the effect that the necessary step s w ill b e taken t0h11,.0 a full inquiry into th e c i rcumstances o f the case, and t'nj no further delay shall take place ; and it is underst J that a communication has been sant to the Coroner., such a character as will compel him to commence thee' quiry. TOBACCO. The Lords Commissioners of her Majesty's Treil e i l l having had under their co ns id erat i on a memorial 11.;11 an eminent house, importe rs o f to b acco, praying that gy leaf tobacco, or tobacco i n an unmanufactured state,o"l be allowed to be impo r t e d f rom the United States 0 America into this country, in packages of the $ 511 :„, weight in which the same description can be legally ported from the place of its growth; the Commissionf A of the Customs have received a letter from Mr. Ca r d well, one of the secretaries to the Lords of the Trease,Ji stating that he has been commanded by their Lords% to authorise . the Board to give directions for a corcel ante with the request, and that he was further authoris b — , to direct that the requisite alteration may be made in, l law in the next Customs' Amendment Act, for allowl e ,f, tobacco, the produce of Mexico, South America, or tu t , islands of St. Domingo and Cuba, to be imported W h y the United Kingdom in bales containing 801bs. w eigh, each from any place from which it may be legally iir a ported for home use. He was likewise further desir to to authorise them, pending the alteration of the law, 0 give directions for the admi ss i on o f t h e sa i d tt bacco , in packages of the size proposed, as recommended by the o Their Lordships having also h a d un d er their consideril. tion a memorial from another party- interested in t" growth of tobacco at Trinidad, praying that tobacco, produce of that island, may be allowed to be importer. into this country in packages of the same size a s tho. l sanctioned for tobacco th e p ro d uce o f S outh America ar ' ' St. Domingo, a further communication has been rt' ceived from Mr. Cardwell, stating that he has been cot"' mantled by their Lordships to authorise the Beard e give directions for a com pli ance w i t h t h e request in )3!g matter as in the other alluded to. These several pi/ leges, :vhich have been repeatedly prayed for $ ll granted in special instances, in re gar d to the importutie:,, of tobacco, in anticipation of th e a l teration of the RP" have been made general and communicated to the re' venue officers of the various departments in Lon don, o at the outports throughout the kingdom, for their infor Illation and future government in the matter. The stric t provision s o f t h e law with respect to the importr,tion tobacco, ex cept i n packages of large size and r„eight, in order t o prevent the smuggling of the artir;le, to which e" considerable likelihood attaches, owing to ',he heavy rat e of duty leviable thereon. Tobacco con) legally imported, being the produce e:f the islands men u ti died, in South America, except in packages of a certs d 7 I not hitherto b e aofptrhoepodritffircnualfb• to relax then trict provisions acr' it is deemed necessa% in the law in that particulo' descrip ion, as well as weight, from the place of growth toof removing the tobacc e the port of shipment, unle ss in light-weighted and P h i able description, it havir g to be carried on the b a cks camels anti other be tievs of burden across an extensiv e p c( a ) c n k se a ci g u es;; tract of .iesart inland country to the port of embarkatio n for stipment to its destination. WELLS, J Ali. I.—A sloop, munk in about tbr i eB . , fathoms, w i t h topmast struck, was passed about six mild frem the land N.N.W. of this port, by the Robert and Catlw rine, arrived here. The W. S. R. of Boston, which was 0 shore at B rancaster, has been got off with little damsgl after throwing p ar t o f h er cargo overboard. —ll rorfoi chronicle. cqt: 1P11444t 111/ "t ie t , aI , '.ekE Itt, %.'4 ity Du , % to r , • e T . e s , /ti t ' 1 rdol cav .1 1 ..; 14, 1 .4 to kk , i tad, 1 , !it - ales t ot a Dap e k t p. ! It Cl ut i to , i h : " t it ht. 11 4," isfu let 4: kiti4l \ , C l ' d, - The tto ,c , iutl 7 t i'll: 0111 44 , Nrit l i— ! a t a mns ,ltt a p sn * etn: itt Poia4tB'