The Sun. — London, England, 1846-08-27 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, August 26. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) Lord CAMPBELL presented a petition from the inhabitants of the metropolis, praying for the abolition of tolls on the bridges. The Bishop of OXFORD, on behalf of the Arch bishop of Canterbury, laid on the table of the House the twenty-sixth annual report of the Commissioners for Building New Churches. SMALL DEBTS BILL. On the motion of the LORD CHANCELLOR, this Bill, as amended, was ordered to be printed, and the amendments of the Commons were ordered to be taken into consideration to-morrow. DISTRICT LUNATIC ASYLUMS BILL. On the motion of the Earl of CLARENDON, this Bill was read a second time and ordered to be read a third time to-morrow, after some observations from Lord MONTEAGLE. RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS' BILL. This Bill went through Committee, and was ordered to be read a third time to-morrow. POOR EMPLOYMENT (IRELAND) BILL. This Bill was read a third time and passed. CONSOLIDATED FUND (APPROPRIATION) BILL. This Bill was read a third time and passed. PUBLIC WORKS (IRELAND No. 4) BILL. This Bill was read a third time and passed. PUBLIC WORKS (IRELAND No. 5) BILL. This Bill was read a third time and passed. CONSTABULARY (IRELAND) BILL. This Bill was read a third time and passed. LEASES (IRELAND) BILL. This Bill was read a third time and passed. PRIVATE BILLS BILL. This Bill was read a third time and passed. NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT BILL. This Bill was also read a third time and passed. EJECTAIENTS, Sze. (IRELAND) BILL. This Bill was also read a third time and passed. WASTE LAND AUSTRALIA BILL. The Commons' amendments to this Bill were agreed to after a short discussion. _ _ _ The Earl of CLARENDON laid on the table papers with respect to New Zealand. The House then adjourned to half-past Three o'clock to•morrow. HOUSE OF COMMONS, August 26. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) The SPEAKER, on his return, announced thia her Majesty's gracious consent had been given to several Bills. CONTAGIOUS DISEASES BILL. Several Members of the house were summoned to the House of Lords to confer on alterations made by their Lordships in the " Contagious Diseases Bill." THE LEVANT. On the return of the deputation, Dr. BOWRING wished to know if the Noble Lord the Secretary for Foreign Affairs could inform the House what the terms of the treaty were which the Government of Russia had entered into with other na tions respecting the trade of the Levant? Lord PALMERSTON said that he was not at that time in a condition to lay documents before the House, but he was glad to say that Russia had shown the utmost sincerity in her desire to overcome any difficulty which might arise in negotiating with the natives, for, with an exceedingly wise and liberal policy, she had foregone many advantages which she held in the Levant. He could only repeat that Russia seemed most desirous to consult the wishes and interests of the other powers. COLONIES (REVENUE). Dr. BOWRING moved for returns, in a tabular form, for the last year in which they can be made up, of the gross revenues, under their different heads, of each of her Majesty's colonies, exhibiting the costs of collection, and any deductions made in their progress to the public treasury, together with other returns relating to the colonies. After a few words from Mr. HAWES, the returns were ordered to be laid on the table. In reply to a question from Dr. BOWRING. Mr. HAWES stated that Sir W. Finn received a pen sion of 3001. a year for the services he had rendered. HAYDOCK UNION LUNATIC ASYLUM. Mr. WAKLEY moved for returns from the Haydock Lodge Lunatic Asylum, and for the appointment of a commission thereon. He held in his hands petitions that showed the justice of this motion. The Honour able Member then read documents at considerable length to show that very great neglect had taken place in the management of the asylum at Haydock Lodge, and remarked upon the appointment of Mr. Mott, in March, 1845, as auditor of the unions in the district, in the midst of which stood this asylum, over which he acted as superintendent. He was of opinion that the disclosures made on this subject reflected far more on certain parties than any disclosures connected with the Poor-law. The mortality in these asylums was always less during the first year. He had no means of knowing what the mortality was during the first year in this instance, but during the second year it was 112 out of 450. The Poor-law Commissioners were aware of this fact, and yet no inquiry was made; and he therefore sincerely hoped that the Right Hon. Gentleman would take mea sures to have an inquiry into these scandalous proceedings. In the year 1845 an addition was proposed in the dietary tables of the establishment by the visiting magistrates. Upwards of sixty persons had died in the year pre ceding the Ist of October, 1845. The recommendations then proposed had not been carried out, and he thought the proper course would be to deprive the proprietors of this establishment of their license; he was sure the late Lord Chancellor would have done so, and he did not think the present one would act with less hu manity than the late one. The next inspection which had been made was after the institution had been in existence one year and eleven months. The result of that inspec tion was, that the magistrates were of opinion that the house should only accommodate 367 persons instead of the 500 who had been compelled to live in this establish ment. What he wanted of the House was a commission to inquire, not only into the conduct of the managers of this institution, but also into that of the Poor.law Commissioners themselves. The visitors of Haydock Lodge Lunatic Asylum stated that they had had the pleasure of meeting the Lunatic Commissioners in that asy'um, and that on the day of their visit they found that the inmates had one quart of rice for their dinner, with half a pint of beer. The rice was formed into a kind of soup, or rather rice-water. No wonder, therefore, that many of them died from dysentery and diarrhoea on account of the water diet to which they were subjected. The Commissioners ascertained that they had had a similar dinner the day before, and they suggested that the regimen should be changed. The Commissioners of Lunacywere, it appeared, of the same opinion,and thought they ought not to have such dinners more than twice a week. No question there was great neglect some where, and it was the bounden duty of the Govern ment to institute a searching inquiry. The mor tality alone was sufficient to demand such an inquiry —one hundred and twelve demented individuals having died in the course of twelve - months. Many of the in mates in the coldest seasons of the year were only allowed one blanket to their bed. This was a great hardship, especially as the walls were damp, and as the inmates were not fully fed they were more liable to feel the cold. No wonder they died of these diseases Then the Poor-law Commissioners had decided that a person who held the office of guardian of the Chester field Union could not supply milk to the persons who had contracted to serve it to the workhouse without rendering himself liable to the 55th Wm. IV., c. 137. In another case, that of the Plimpton Union, they had decided that a person could not be a guardian who was the owner of a lunatic asylum, without incurring similar penalties. If the Honourble and Learned Gentleman the At torney-General declared that a commission would not be a legal mode of inquiry, he would withdraw his motion, and give notice of his intention to move for a Committee of Inquiry on the very first day of the next session. But, for his own part, he thought a commission was the best and most legal mode of inquiry, and he trusted after the facts he had stated, the Right Hon. Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home Department would appoint one.—(Near, hear.) Sir J. FEILDEN said the proceedings to which the Hon. Gentleman had alluded were perfectly disgraceful, and he had much pleasure in seconding the motion. The question having been put, Sir G. GREY admitted that Dr. Roberts had done a great public service by bringing forward these facts concerning the unfortunate inmates of the lunatic asylum in question. lle regretted that the Hon. Member had brought forward this most important subject before so thin a House. All the facts which had been stated with so much force were contained in the papers which had already been laid on the table of the House. He admitted that those facts showed that private lunatic asylums were in the most deplorable state, and he was afraid that it was entirely out of the power of Parliament to remedy that state. With regard to a Commission of Inquiry, the Honourable Member must remember that the Commissioners of Lunacy were not at all implicated in this ill-treatment of lunatics. lie admitted that it was most discreditable to any p art i es emp l oyed under the Poor law Commission to be connected with the management of lunatic asylums. After the disclosures that had been Bl ade, he thought that the Commissioners of Lunacy ought to direct their most close attention to the conduct of the managers of the Haydock Lunatic Asylum. The only remedy for the evils connected with lunatic asylums was in the bands, of the magistrates of this county, who should immediately set about erect i ng coun ty lunatie asylums. He hoped, in conclusion, that the lion. Member would not press his motion. words After a fe w from Mr. R. YORKE and Mr. P. BORTIINTICK, Mr. WAKLEY replied, and hoped the Right Hon. Gentleman the Home Secretary would make an effectual inquiry into the case bef 're the next session of Parlia ment; and if this could not be done, he should feel it to be his duty to move for an inquiry to investigate the circumstances. The motion was then, by leave, withdrawn. The other orders of the day having been disposed or, the House adjourned at Six o'clock. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PORTER AND ALE.—A patent has been taken out by Mr. Maugham, for improvements in the manufacture of ale, porter and other fermented liquors, which appears likely to become of some - 1 ,,E tiller the liquor has undergone the ordinary diepw tiltation, it is heated to such a temperature as :hither Aerrnentation, say from 1.50. to 160 degrees, ;flat chireed to any desired degree with carbonic acid d ..1y this - rat eof treatment, fermented liquors can -become sun as the various fermentation is checked illy by tlk eat, and in close veisel9 there is no Ogpor 'cv iti Sanklillt remoy4l,-4rtizan, A a GUILDFORD EXTENSION AND FAREHAM AND PORTSMOUTH RAILWAY. The first general meeting of the shareholders of this Company was held yesterday, at the South-Western Rail way terminus, Nine Elms, for the transaction of the ordinary business of the Company. The meeting was also made special for the purpose of receiving a report from the directors on the subject of selling the under taking, authorised by the said Act, to the London and South-Western Railway Company, and for considering the same, and determining on the expediency of such sale, and if deemed expedient they for deciding upon and fixing the terms thereof. The chair was taken, in the absence of Mr. Chaplin, the chairman of the Company, by G. Best, Esq., at twelve o'clock precisely. The advertisement convening the meeting having been read, The CHAIRMAN said, that as there were several formal resolutions to be proposed, he would decline entering into the more important subject to which the attention of the meeting would be called—namely, the :.ale of this line to the London and South-Western Company. He would therefore call upon the becretary to read the report of the Company. J. W. HORN, Esq , the Secretary, then read the report as follows: " The Act of Parliament incorporating this Company passed on the 27th of July last, and under the provisions of the Companies' Clauses Consolidation Act, 1845, a general meeting of the shareholders becomes necessary within one calendar month from such passing. Your directors lost no time in forming the register of share holders, and they caused the fullest notice to be given, in order that the registration might be as complete as possible before the day of your meeting, which, for the same cause, they postponed to the furthest limit allowed by law. " It cannot be without feelings of regret that your directors meet you on the present occasion, constrained as they now are to contrast the purposes of your asso ciation with its results. They believe that a more legi timate, useful, or comprehensive scheme than that which was originally proposed by this Company, was never submitted to Parliament, forming as it did the shortest, cheapest, and best line between London and Ports mouth—completing the then remaining part of the coast line between Fareham and Chichester, and giving Chi chester and West Sussex a direct communication with London, through Godalming and Guildford. " Neither can your directors admit, when the integrity of this scheme was destroyed by the Parliamentary decision of 1845, that the measure which was then substituted for it was less comprehensive or beneficial. Parliament had seen fit to place in the hands of the Brighton and Chichester Company the line between Chi chester and Portsmouth. The London and South-Western Company thereupon made arrangements with the London and Brighton Company for the joint ownership and use of that line, and the formercompany were ready to place their interest in it at the disposal of this Company, so that in renewing their application in the session of 1846, your directors were enabled, by increasing the capital of the Company, and by making a conditional arrangement with the London and South-Western Company as to the use of the Portsmouth and Chichester line, again to propose an integral, and the shortest and best connexion between London and Portsmouth, and the same benefits as before to West Sussex and Chichester, with a branch to Mid hurst and Petersfield, a second branch to Chichester Harbour, and a third, into the dock-yards at Portsmouth. " It is in vain to repeat that this project was infinitely superior in the judgment of your directors, in every one point of comparison, to its antagonist. A committee of peers decided otherwise ; your directors can only con sole themselves with the reflection that the lines pro posed by this Company were the best for the country at large ; they entertain no doubt but that public opinion will hereafter so pronounce. " Returning, however, to the business more imme diately for present consideration, your directors have to report, that on the rejection of the Bill of 1846, they immediately obtained from the London and South- Western Railway Company the means of repaying to the subscribers of the new capital of 250,0001. (raised in quarter shares of 121. 10s. each, 11. ss. deposit), the full amount of their deposits, and these quarter shares are accordingly in course of liquidation as the holders present them. "By the ultimate decision of Parliament, you have acquired powers to construct two inconsiderable por tions of your original line, viz., four miles between Guildford and Godalming, and about eight miles between Fareham and Portsmouth ; and your original capital of 1,000,0001. (divided into 20,000 shares of 504 each), has been reduced to 500,0001., divided into the same number of shares of 251. each, upon which, if this Company shall proceed to execute these remnants of their project as an independert company, it, would pro bably be necessary to call from 15/. to 17/. 10s. per share. The arrangements between the Brighton and South-Western Companies, which were to have placed at your disposal the interest of the latter com pany in the line between Portsmouth and Chichester, have, by a subsequent rupture between those companies, become unavailable, and indeed would be inapplicable under any circumstances to your present position ; so that the question which has presented itself to the minds of your directors, as that on which it became them imme diately to form ajudgment, and to submit to you for your consideration, is—whether, in the now mutilated state of your undertaking, it would be advisable to carry on the works which this Company is authorised to execute, or to sell them at once to the London and South-Western Company. If the former course were deemed the more expedient, the London and South-Western Company would be your lessees, at a rental of 4 per ent. upon your outlay, and half the surplus profits, to be ascer tained on a mileage proportion of the receipts on your line, and those parts of their line upon which traffic pas sing also on yours might be carried. " Considering that the portions of line granted to you will, with reference to their lengtb, be costly, and that the great expense incurred since your association would, under this state of circumstances, form part of your ex penditure, so that your share of surplus profit could never be great, your directors became unanimously of opinion that it was far better to sell the undertaking at once to the London and South-Western Railway Com pany if fair terms could be secured ; and they deemed it their duty to enter upon a treaty without delay with the directors of that company, in order to submit its results to you at this present meeting, so that, if adopted, the expense and delay attending further proceedings might be avoided. " Your directors have now the satisfaction to report, that, subject to your approval, they have agreed with the directors of the London and South-Western Company for a sale of your undertaking to that company, upon the terms, that the purchasers shall pay all the expense, and take up all the liabilities of this Company of every de. scription, inclusive of those incurred to the final settle ment of its affairs, and shall also place in the hands of your directors, a sufficient fund to repay to each share holder in this Company, his full deposit, with interest at the rate of 5 per cectum per annum, upon his payments during all the time the money has been or shall be de tained from him. " Your directors recommend you to sanction this arrangement, and they will propose for your adoption resolutions authorising them to carry it into effect." T. H. HELPS, Esq., objected to the adoption of the recommendations contained in the report of the directors; he objected to selling their line upon the terms proposed. It was quite true that they had only succeeded in ob taining two small portions of their line. He believed that the line would be worth considerably more than was offered by the South-Western Company. He had the authority of the directors on a former occasion for that opinion, and he could not conceive that the reason stated in the report, namely the expense of the contest, could possibly have influenced the directors in changing their opinion upon the subject, for surely no directors could think of going to Parliament without incurring great expense. The question really was, whether the line proved a remunerative one? And upon that point he wished to know whether the expenses incurred since October last by the directors would raise the average price of their line beyond the average price of the South- Western. They bad ob tained the line between Fareham and Portsmouth, and, wits a station at Portsmouth, he believed that they could carry a considerable portion of the traffic which was now carried by the South-Western Company ; for it was not to be doubted that there was a great superiority in a station at Portsmouth, compared with one at Gos port. That portion of the line would form a link in the great south-coast communication of England ; and it would also afford communication with Chertsey, Kings ton, Hampton-court, and a number of other places. The line might have extensions, for instance, to Arundel, to Chichester, to Horsham, or to other places in the county of Sussex, which would increase the traffic upon the line. He believed also that very shortly the South-Western Railway would have a communication with Windsor from Woking, and then there would only be one short g.tp between Godalming and Woking to complete a communication between Windsor and Brighton, and he had no doubt that in that case the Loudon and Bir mingham, or the North-Western rather, would come forward, and by a line from Tring communicating with Windsor, they would make use of that portion of the then existing line. There was another consideration, which was, that if this line were worth anything to its present shareholders, it was worth considerably more to the South-Western, and he thought that they should have acted more liberally towards this line than they had done, not only in their present offer, but also in their conduct during the late Parliamentary contest. He be lieved the directors of the South-Western Company were perfectly honourable, but he could not help thinking that by the course of conduct they had pursued most advantageous agreements had been lost between this Company and the London and Brighton Company. He thought that some compensation was due from them for this loss, and he thought it would be no more than fair that the South-Western Company should consent to in corporate the Guildford. Chichester, andFarehamßailWay with their own. He thought nothing less than this would be satisfactory to the shareholders of the Company. He believed that course would be politic for themselves; they had complex schemes in the %rest, and it would be well for them if they would endeavour to stand well in the sight of these people in consequence of their liberal conduct towards subordinate companies. If the South-Western did not act in this manner, he, for one, would be prepared into the rns a e m cn o t u in n of his s g t theirseh h e a na re e s, to ina e f n u c t o n u r r e ag s e ess th io e n d n ir f ectors Par liament. The report was then received and adopted. Several resolutions were also proposed and agreed to, having for their object the appointment of auditors, the salary of the secretary, and other matters. A resolution was al =o passed confirming the appoint ment by the South-Western Company, of Messrs. Chaplin, John Lewis Eyre, George Ilenderson, and Matthew Uziell, as directors of the company, The following twelve gentlemen were elect e d as direc tors, in the room of those retiring :—Messrs.-Best, Currie, Vincent, Eyre, Fuller, Sing, Mangles, mar. shall, Masterman, Nance, Smith, Lord G. Lennox, and Mr. G. Henty. The CHAIRMAN then moved the next resolution, as follows : " Resolved—That this meeting sanctions and approves the sale and transfer to the London and South-Western Company of the undertaking authorised by the ' Guild ford Extension and Portsmouth and Fareham Railway Act, 1845,' together with all the lands, tenements, and hereditaments, moneys, securities, and other real and personal estate whatsoever, of the Company incorporated by the said Act, upon the terms that the London and South-Western Railway Company shall pay, or to the satisfaction of the directors of this Company adopt, so as to exonerate this Company, all the ex penses, payments, debts, and liabilities of this Company, inclusive of all future expenses incurred in the winding up and final settlement of this Company's affairs, and shall also pay to the directors such a sum as will enable them to return to the share holders the full amount of their respective payments on their shares, together with ten shillings on each share whereon ten per cent. has been paid, and five shillings on each share on which five per cent. only has been paid, without any deductions whatsoever." T. W. HELPS, ESQ. moved, as an amendment, "That in the opinion of this meeting, considering the relation in which this Company stands to the South-Western Company, the latter would only be acting with reason able liberality in assigning to our shareholders extension shares in that Company, in exchange for shares of the same amount in this Company ; but that the meet ing authorises the directors, if better terms cannot be obtained, to sell the undertaking with all the claims and liabilities for such an amount of South-Western capital as will give every shareholder in this Company one fifty pound share for every 501. of deposit, and a proportion ate share, or its money value, for any less amount of deposit." G. GATTIE, Esq., seconded the amendment. G. BEST, Esq., chairman, said that the subject of the resolution had received the best attention of the di rectors, and he thought the proposition of the South- Western Company a very advantageous one to the inte rests of the shareholders. He would merely state that the expenses already incurred by this Company had been 60,0001., the whole of which would be taken off the hands of the Company by the South-Western Company. 11. CURRIE, Esq., one of the directors of the Com pany, thought that a better arrangement could not he made than the present one. He believed also that in the present depressed state of the money market it would be difficult to raise sufficient money even to com• plete the works of the line. Mr. HORSMAN, M.P., thought that in all these matters there was a proper course to be adopted. A course of fairness between man and man included also a course of fairness between company and company, and he did not think the shareholders of this Company should be governed entirely by a principle to get all they could out of the South-Western Railway. So far as his pe cuniary interests were concerned, he should be pleased to have his deposits back ; he thought he might do much better with them ; but he (lid not think that the South- Western Company would be so soft as to concede to the terms of Cie amendment, and the consequence would be that the Company would be thrown back upon their original resources and strength. He felt bound to say that constant attendance at the board had given him ample opportunities of stating that the South-Western Company had acted in the most perfect good faith, and in the most honourable manner, with the shareholders of this company, and it was his decided opinion that the offer of the South-Western was a most fair and honourable one, and one which ought to be adopted by this meeting. A SHAREHOLDER wisked to know the amount of the expenses already incurred. _ The CnAmmix said that the expenses would be about 50,000/. Mr. GERSTEMBERG opposed the resolution. The CHAIRMAN stated that the reason why Mr. Chaplin, who was the chairman both of the South- Western and this Company, was not present, was in order to give the shareholders an opportunity of stating their opinions unbiassed by anything which he might say, and to remove at once any doubts as to anythipg he might say being actuated by motives of interest for the South-Western Railway. J. RAND, Esq., cordially approved of the resolution of the committee, and considered the offer of the South- Western Company advantageous to the shareholders of the Company. F. D. BURCHILL, Esq., solicitor to both the South- Western Company and the present Company, rose for the purpose of explaining the course of conduct pursued by the South-Western Company towards this Company, in which he fully exonerated the South• Western Company from the charges which had been brought against it. That Company had made arrange ments with the London and Brighton Company, on the faith of which they had made promises to this Company, but, in consequence of a rupture between the two com panies, the South-Western had not been able to fulfil their agreements. A somewhat desultory conversation took place on the subject alluded to by Mr. Burchill, solicitor to the com panies, at the conclusion of which J. W. I-lELps, Esq., stated that his opinions on the subject of the sale of the railway remained the same as when he proposed the amendment, and he should there fore press it to a division. The CIIAIRMA.N then proceeded to put the amendment, when by a show of hands there appeared— For the amendment l3 Against it Majority The original resolution was then put, a scrutiny being demanded, when there appeared shares— For the resolution Against it Majority There were 3,500 shares held by the South-Western Company, who did not vote ; had they done so, there woulg have been a majority, instead of 723, of 4,223. A resolution, authorising the directors to carry out the terms of the above resolutions, was then agreed to. A vote of thanks was also proposed to the directors of the Company for their untiring zeal and services in the cause of this railway, and for their endeavours to pro mote the interests of the shareholders of this Company. The resolution was carried unanimously. A vote of thanks was then proposed to the Chairman for the very able and impartial manner in which he had performed the duties of the chairman of this meeting. The resolution was agreed to nem. con. The meeting then broke up. SOUTH WALES RAILWAY. The third half-yearly general meeting of this com pany was held at the station of the Great Western Rail way, Paddington, at one yesterday afternoon. Charles Russell, Esq , M.P., in the chair. There was a numerous attendance of directors and shareholders. Mr. N. ARMSTRONG, the Secretary, having read the advertisement convening the meeting, The CHAIRMAN, with the consent of the meeting, affixed the seal of the company to the register and transfer of shares, and then addressed the proprietors as follows :—Gentlemen, in the report which has been cir culated among the proprietors this morning, there is contained a statement of all the proceedings in Parlia ment during the session which is just about to be closed. I think we may congratulate the proprietors on the results of those proceedings being much more satisfactory than we at one time contemplated. The South Wales Railway, like almost all established rail ways in the country, was threatened by a multitude of rival and competing schemes, with which the year 1845 abounded. I think we counted at the time no less than 46 railways extending through the principality of Wales alone, while not later than the year 1844, great doubts were entertained whether a single railway could be car ried with advantage to the projectors. If we had resolved to embark in an extensive opposi tion to all these schemes, we should have wasted a considerable portion of the funds of your company in such opposition, and in preparation for such opposition. Your directors did not think it expedient to adopt this course, and the results which have ensued satisfy them of the prudence of the course upon which they did determine. The greater number of these rail way projects in 1846 to which I have adverted were still-born; many of them in the course of a very short period were withdrawn from the notices of Parliament, some of them failed, and I believe I am right in stating that not more than five or six bearing any relation whatever to the South Wales Company survive this session of Parliament, but of those five or six four at least were in friendly relation with your own line. The measures which have been accomplished favourable to our own views may be classed under three heads :—First, the completion of the connexion with the Great Western Railway, by the route of Glou cester, which, though circuitous, will unquestionably be come much more important, and much more valuable, than the projected line between Oxford and Cheltenham, when carried into effect. The second combined the divisions and improvements of your own line, and two additional projects which are integral portions of the South Wales Railway—the one to Swansea, and the other to Haver fordwest, conferring very considerable advantages, I hope, upon those towns. Tho last of these schemes, which may be regarded as tributary to the South Wales Railway, adopt+ d by independent companies in friendly relation with the South Wales Rail way Company, consist of the Vale of Neath Railway, the Llynvi Valley Railway, and Tenby Saun dersfoot Railway. These are briefly the objects which have been accomplished in the last session of Parliament. Simultaneously with the prosecution of these objects, your directors have been engaged in giving effect to the powers they previously possessed. As soon as the re vised survey of the line had been completed, steps were taken by your directors for entering into contracts for the formation of the heaviest of your works. These occur in the neighbourhood of the town of Newport and the town of Swansea, and the contracts for those portions of the line accordingly were entered into as early as the month of March or April in the present year. You are quite aware that the heaviest works must in the first instance be completed over the extent of the whole of the line, and it is useless to enter upon the construction of the easier portions of the line until these shall have been considerably advanced. Immediately preceding Mr. Brunel's departure for the Continent, he entered into very extensive contracts, contracts Which embrace the construction of the entire line from Chepstow to Kid welly, in the neighbourhood of Carmarthen, and with the exzeption of an interval of about thirty miles, close to Carmarthen, and two other short intervals, one being near the town of Neath, an d t h e other near Loughor: and Cardiff. Gentlemen, these contracts embrace a distance altogether of 54 miles, and I hope that the proprietors will ace that the faith and assurance which the directors gave to you and the public at our last meeting, that we would prosecute the works under our superintendence with the utmost energy and vigour, have been fully carried out. Let me 'state,- also, that the terms upon which these contracts have been obtained are, in the estimative of Dstwel, Perfectly 6411614ctcrY and ad- PIESORTritt c ,c,,... zr 0c .t0. .. ), 4; „. ,.,fl. ittii 4,-17 , 1:!. ofer :b8 (V', e;duall ° - "' tY foi THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST_ 27, 1846 vantageous, and that they come within the limits and estimates originally prepared.-- (Cheers.) Gentle men, you must be aware that these extensive works cannot be accomplished without demands upon our resources. The directors have therefore, on this account, and on many other general accounts, thought it expe dient to consider whether some arrangement cannot be accomplished with the Great Western Railway Com pany, for the purpose of drawing still closer the rela tions between the two companies.—(Hear, hear.) This arrangement they always contemplated as one of ex treme probability and advantage, and they think that there perhaps can be no period at which it would be more desirable and more advisable than the pre sent.—(Hear, hear.) Preliminary discussions have in consequence taken place between deputations from the two companies, but your directors have not thought it right to proceed further than preliminary discussions without first obtaining your concurrence, not to the completion, but to the entertainment of the question.— (Hear, 'tear.) It is an arrangement of such magnitude, that the directors of the Great Western Railway Com pany have thought it right to take such powers from their proprietors; and, guided by similar reasons, the directors of the South Wales Railway Company are de sirous to be armed with similar powers. The principles and objects of such an arrangement were b r i e fly state d by me at the last meeting of the Great West ern Railway Company, and the proceedings at that meeting have probably become known to most of the proprietors who are now present. The objects which such an arrangement seemed to offer were, first to give a more steady and certain value to the shares of the South Wales Railway Company, and to secure to that company the ultimate possession of all the advantages of their own line, and, after a certain time, of the traffic which shall be completely developed and fixed. And in concurrence with those two objects, it must be plain to the proprietors of the South Wales Railway Company, that the proprietors of the Great Western Company will expect to be protected from any disadvantages which may result to them from the facilities which they are willing and desir ous to afford to the South Wales Company. Gentlemen, as soon as the details of this arrangement shall be so far accomplished as to be pre pared to be laid before you, a special meeting shall be convened, and your opinion shall be taken upon it.— (Hear, hear.) lam perfectly satisfied that nc arrange ment can be advantageous either to one company or the other which does not provide reciprocal advantages to both.—(Hear, hear.) It will be the object of your directors, in forming any arrangement, to give this cha racter to the terms between the two companies. —(Hear, hear.) As soon as they are completed they shall, as I have already stated, be made known to you, but the de cision of this question will ultimately rest with yourselves. Gentlemen, I am not aware that there is any other subject on which it is necessary that I should trouble you. I will request the secretary to read the report, and after that is read I shall be extremely happy to offer any further explanations that may be required of me by any proprietor.—(Cheers.) The SECRETARY then read the following report of the directors:— " The proprietors are aware, that the South Wales Act of 1845 conferred power on this Company to con struct a railway from Chepstow to Fishguard and Pem broke, with a branch from Newport to Monmouth, leav ing the completion of the line to a point of junction with the Great Western Railway a subject for the considera tion of Parliament in this present session. A Bill was introduced accordingly in February last, which received the royal assent on the 27th ult., and the directors have much pleasure in congratulating you on its being attended with the important result of perfecting, in con nexion with the Great Western and Gloucester and Forest of Dean Railways, an unbroken line, on one uniform gauge, from St. George's Channel to London, crossing the Severn at Gloucester. " Two alternative modes of crossing the Severn were proposed by your directors, and submitted to the pro prietors, which underwent a full and lengthened discus sion with the Lords of the Admiralty, one being a bridge at Hock Crib, the other a tunnel at a point a little higher up the river. The tunnel was rejected by the Committee of the House of Commons, and the bride could not be constructed under the powers of the Act in such a manner as would accord with the views of the Admiralty. " Your directors have always considered it of great importance to improve the access to the very valuable mineral resources of the Forest of Dean. The pro prietors have been already informed of the engagement entered into with the Bullo Pill Railway Company for this purpose. Parliamentary powers to carry this agree ment into effect were sought for in the present session, but the Committee of the House of Commons having re quired conditions to which your directors deemed it in expedient to accede, they had no alternative but to with draw the clauses of the Bill, but they adhere strictly to the terms of the agreement, and propose to seek powers to carry it into effect at the earliest practicable period, and in the fullest manner. " With the exception of the Margam deviation, powers have been obtained to carry out all the devia tions, branches, and extensions, proposed for the im provement of our line : these have been already enu merated in the report presented at the last meeting, and include, as the proprietors will recollect, branches into the towns of Swansea and Haverfordvvest. " Acts hare been passed this session for the Vale of Neath, Llynvi Valley, and Tenby Saundersfoot and South Wales Junction Railways, which must be regarded as important tributaries to the main line. " sets have also been passed for the Waterford, Wex ford, Wicklow, and Dublin, and the Cork and Water ford Railways, which will afford the means of opening out the traffic of the south of Ireland to this line, and in the case of the former of these measures, an addi tional line of communication between England, Dublin, and the northern parts of Ireland, through the interven tion of the South Wales Railway. " Parliamentary powers having been now obtained for a complete line to Gloucester, it is important that a rail way should be constructed from Cheltenham to Oxford on the same principle, as a means of shortening the com munication between South Wales and the metropolis. A company has been already formed to carry this measure into execution, to which your directors will give their cordial support in the next session of Parli amen t. " Your directors are desirous to submit to the pro prietors the expediency of some arrangement with the Great Western Railway Company which shall render more intimate the connexion between the two companies, and facilitate and ensure the early completion of the works. With your approbation they will p rocee d t o a negotiation for the accomplishment of this object—the details of which shall be laid before you at an early meeting specially convened fur the purpose, but they have not thought it right to-concl u d e a ma tt er o f suc h importance without obtaining in the first instance the specific concurrence of the proprietors. "As regards the progress of the works, your directors refer you to the report of your engineer which is an nexed. " Some difficulty has been experienced in negotiating with persons interested in the land along the line ; but your directors cannot contemplate that any further im pediments will be thrown in the way of the completion of a railway of such manifest national as well as local importance • and they make an earnest appe a l t o t h em to afford all the facilities in their power. " The usual statement of receipts and expenditure is annexed to this report ; and your directors have thought it advisable to pass a resolution, acceding to the wishes of many of the proprietors, by authorising interest at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum to be allowed on all pay ments made on the shareholders in anticipation of calls, as sanctioned by Parliament." The SECRETARY afterwards road the following report of Mr. Brunel, the engineer:— " I have great pleasure in reporting the very satis factory state of the arrangements made for the con struction of the line. " Nearly the whole of the lino from Chepstow (where the power of our first Act commenced), to Kidwelly, with the exception only of that por tion of the line between Cardiff and Neath, which was affected by the proposed Margam deviation, has been let by contract in a satisfactory manner : these contracts, forming an aggregate length of 54 miles, com prebend all the heavy works between Chepstow and Carmarthen, or indeed Haverfordwest, as the works beyond Carmarthen and to the junction of the Haver fordvvest branch are not of a serious character. The heaviest works are in and through the town of Newport, and from Neath through Swansea to Loughor. " At Newport some considerable progress has been made with the shafts of the tunnel and the construction of the bridge over the Usk, and in the neighbourhood of Neath a commencement has also been made by the con tractor. The portion between Swansea and Loughor was the subject of an Act for a deviation which has only just passed, but the contracts having been prepared in anticipation, have been let immediately on the passing of the Act, and generally, as far as we can now enter into possession of the land, we shall be enabled to pro ceed with the works. " Steps have already been taken for preparing to proceed imms•diately with the works between Chepstow and Gloucester, under the power of the Act just passed." The reports appeared to give general satisfaction, and were , recei ve d w i th app l ause; at t h e co nclusion of whi c h The CHAIRMAN moved that they be approved of by the meeting, and printed and circulated amongst the members. Mr. STUTeLY—WiII this report of the directors give them authority to negotiate with the Great Western? The CHAIRMAN—Yes, to negotiate, but not to con clude the arrangement. Indeed, our Act requires that before any arrangement shall be entered into between this and any other company, it shall be referred to the proprietors for their sanction, and three-fifths, I think, are requisite to give such a sanction. A SHAREHOLDER said that he perceived by the accounts that some of the shares had not been paid up, and he wished to know what was the intention of the directors with regard to the defaulters ? The CHAIRMAN said that the circumstance of those shares not being paid up was not in consequence of tiny neglect on the part of the directors in urging upon the defaulters to pay up the calls that had been made upon them. Those urgent requests on the part of the directors had in most cases been suc cessful, and they would take every step for procuring the payments of the calls as rapidly as they possibly could. Of course there were remedies in the hands of the directors, but they were remedies to be resorted to only in extreme cases. The resolution proposed by the Chairman was then seconded and unanimously carried, after which Mr. ROCHE said—Gentlem e n, before we separate , I think th a t th e t h anks of the Coripany are due to the directors fur the exertions w aich they have made during this sessi on i n brin gjng ou r Bill to its present state of p er f ect i on . I see now no obstacles in the way of our proccedinz with the objects of this Company, and I have no doubt that the directors con sider the line to be of so much 4.5 to induce •• Pc,4 . 1 .. them to make every exertion, as far as prudence will dictate, to complete the prosperity of the line. I shall therefore move that our warmest thanks be tendered to the directors for their exertions on behalf of this Company. Mr. STUTELY having seconded this vote of thanks, it was put and unanimously carried amidst applause. In reply, The CriAntmAx said, on behalf of the directors I beg leave to express our very sincere thanks for the honour just now done us. I assure you we shall act strictly in conformity with the suggestions of the Hon. Proprietor who has been so good as to move this resolution. We shall exert ourselves most strenuously—we shall adopt every exertion that we possibly can consistently with prudence to carry into effect the important works which have been comm►tted to our charge.—(Cheers.) The meeting then separated. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. IVORTII ERN ClRCUlT.=Liverpool,. Aug. 25. (Before Mr. Justice WiGirntAN.) William Clapham was indicted for the wilful murder of Abraham Tweedale, at Salford, in the month of August, 1845, by striking him on the head with a piece of iron. Mr. Brandt and Mr. Hulton conducted the prosecu tion; the prisoner was defended by Mr. Sergeant Wilkins. It appeared filial the statement of the Learned Coun sel, that at the summer assizes in the year 1845 the pri soner was arraigned on this charge before the Lord Chief Baron, and appearing from his demeanour to be insane, a jury was eEnpannelled to ascertain the fact. They having found that he was insane, he was removed under the warrant of the Secretary of State to Hayclock lodge. During the last assizes it was intimated that the prisoner had quite recovered his intellects, and he was accordingly removed to the gaol at Kirkdale for the purpose of taking his trial; but this removal having taken place at a late period of the assizes, the trial was, with the prisoner's consent, postponed till the present sittings. _ _ The appearance of the prisoner was that of a person nut yet restored to perfect mental health. His eye was wild, and frequently, during the trial, seemed for some seconds to be fixed on vacancy. He was apparently, however, quite able to understand the nature of the in vestigation. _ _ It appeared that a short time before this unfortunate occurrence took place, the prisoner had bee n comm itt e d to the gaol at Salford for two months, as a punishment for some trifling offence ; and, in consequence of his health not being very good, and certain singularities of manner, which seemed connected with some aff,'ction of the mind, he was removed to the hospital. From the testimony of a person of the name of Hartley, who was at that time also in gaol and an inmate of the hospital, he was, about a quarter before one o'clock on the 2d of August, standing at the dresser in the lobby, when he heard a cry from the hospital. An old man of the name of Vent was in the hospital also, and it was his voice the witness heard, crying out, " William, William, a man's murdered." The witness ran up into the room where the prisoner was. The prisoner met him about a yard from the door, having in his hand a long thin plate of iron, which had formed part of one of the iron bed steads. 'Witness seized him. He did not speak, but looked at witness very earnestly and steadfastly. His face was all sprinkled with blood. Witness helped to take him down into the yard. As the old man, Vent, was descending the stairs he " chucked " the iron after him. When he got into the yard he said, " Well, I've done it at last." Found the deceased, Tweedale, lying on the bed in the room in which the prisoner had been. He was lying on his right side, with several cuts upon his head. Witness had seen the prisoner in the yard shortly before this occurrence. He was swinging about a pair of stockings. From the testimony of a turnkey of the name of Wright, in whose care the prisoner was placed after this occurrence, it appeared that he was very communi cative, and persisted in talking to the witness, notwith standing the latter endeavoured to induce him to desist. He said that five years before he had been the best workman in the parish ; and that if any one had told him then that he would be imprisoned two months it would have killed him. He inquired if the man was dead, and if he would be hung. He said it was drink which had brought him to gaol. On hearing the voice of the governor, who was coming up stairs, he flung himself back in his chair, and opened his mouth and eyes as if ho were an idiot. It appeared from the statement of another turnkey, who assisted in securing him, that he asked if the man was dead ; and upon the witness telling him he didn't know, he replied it mattered nothing, for he should have murdered a man at Otley. Mr. Davis, the governor of the gaol, said, that on hearing the alarm, he ran to the hospital, and gave orders tor the prisoner to be handcuffed. The prisoner said, " You need not do that, I wish to be hanged." his con • duct had been very peculiar, from the time of his coming into the gaol. He had been, in consequence of his state of health, put to wool-picking with a number of others. He was constantly making use of foolish expressions and gestures, which caused the other prisoners to laugh, and he was removed to a workshop by himself. He was found on one occasion with his braces round his neck, pulling them tight, as if attempting to strangle himself. On another occasion he was found with his head cut and bleeding very much, from knocking it against the wall. He said it was to ease his head. He was finally removed to the hospital on Monday, 28th July. From the statement of the superintendent of the ward, the prisoner, while there, was very eccentric in his manner. He at one time refused to eat his foad, on the ground of having had so many teeth drawn. He said he was going mad, and refused to rise from his bed. Mr. Stott, the surgeon, stated that the head of the de ceased had been nearly broken to pieces. There were no fewer than fifteen distinct blows to be traced. The prisoner showed many symptoms of weakness of mind. Thinks he was not of sane mind at the time. Mr. Chalmers, surgeon at Kirkdale gaol, stated that the prisoner, when committed to the gaol, was perfectly insane, and remained so up to the time of his removal to Haydock-lodge. Verdict—Not Guilty, on the ground of insanity. Benjamin Barnet was indicted for the manslaughter of William Seddon, at liearsley. _ _ Mr. Brandt and Mr. HuWin appeared for the prose cution; the prisoner was defended by Mr. Monk. The charge against the prisoner alleged in the indict ment was in substance that he was in the employment of William Stott and others at a certain colliery, and was employed to superintend an engine there for pump ing out the water from the workings, and thereby keeping a free passage for the atmospheric air, and thereby dissipating certain noxious gases, and espe cially carburetted hydrogen, which, in the absence of such free passage, would accumulate in the colliery. That the prisoner absented himself from the said col liery, and neglected to superintend the said engine, and thereby prevented a free passage of the atmospheric air through the workings, and thereby caused the said gases to accumulate in the workings, and caused large quan tities of carburetted hydrogen and other gases, which had so accumulated in the colliery, to surround the deceased, who was a collier employed in the said colliery, and using a lighted candle therein, had caused the said gases so caused to surround the deceased to explode and burn the deceased, giving him divers mortal wounds, of which he died. It appeared from the statement made in opening the case, that at Kearsley there is a colliery belonging to W. Stott and others. Connected with the pit which is now worked is an old mine, and there run between them certain passages for the admission of air to ventilate the mine. At the old pit is the engine in question, which is used for pumping out the water in the passages of that mine, which would otherwise rise so high as to prevent the passage from the old to the new mine, and thus cut off the necessary supply. The prisoner absented himself for three days from his duties in attending the engine. In consequence the water accumulated, cut off the supply of fresh air, and the result was, that when the deceased, with others, descended into the mine with a candle, an explosion took place which caused his death. On the opening of the case, Mr. MONK objected that the facts stated, if proved, would not show any indict • able offence. It is a mere nonfeasance, and that a mere breach of a civil contract. A mere nonfeasance cannot make a person criminally liable, except when it is the neglect to discharge a duty imposed by law, as of a parent to support an infant child. To make any one, in other cases, liable to a criminal charge, there must be an act done. In reply, it was urged that this case was similar to that of a carter who leaves his cart in the street, or stops to speak to a companion, and the horse, in consequence, runs over a person. _ _ His LORDSHIP said that in that case the cart was set in motion by the party's negligence. Here there was nothing of the kind. There was a mere abstaining from doing anything. In the case of driving a cart, the law imposes on the person who undertakes to drive it the the duty of taking care of it. The Learned COUNSEL suggested the case of a porter on a railway, where he had neglected the proper placing of the points, by which the carriages ran off the road and a party was killed. His LORDSHIP said that in that case there had pro bably been an act done by the party in at first placing the points in the wrong direction. After some further argument, his Lordship decided on hearing the evidence, and on the facts appearing as above shortly stated his Lordship stopped the ease. Verdict, Not Guilty. Richard W g nail was indicted for the wilful murder of his wife, Kitty Wignall, at Liverpool, on the 15th of June last. Mr. Sergeant Wilkins and Mr. Blair conducted the prosecution. The prisoner was defended by Mr. At- kinson. It appeared that the prisoner and his wife occupied a cellar in Gore-street, in Toxteth-park, in this town, and on the day in question he had had some dispute with a woman of the name of Bogue respecting some panes which he was to have put in her cellar. He afterwards went into his own cellar, where his wife was, and the neighbours heard a noise as of some parties quarrelling. One of them looked in and saw him striking with his fist towards the bed, and the deceased was then crying out " I'm not a w-; I'll never give in to be called a w-." A Mrs. Moreton, who lived adjoining, went in, and he was then striking the deceased' with his fist as she_ sat on the bed. lie took up a stool and struck her twice on the head with _ _ it. Mrs. Moreton succeeded in getting it from him, and the deceased sat down on a chair. The pri soner knocked her down and kicked her on the head. Mrs Moreton then left the cellar, taking the prisoner's two children with •her, and the prisoner then came to the door and threw some water over the children who were assembled, having been attracted by the disturb ance. The deceased tried to get out, but he would not let her and closed the door. Some of the parties stand ing round opened it, and the prisoner was then seen to kick the deceased as she lay orrthe grouud, and to strike her with a piece of wood. He cafe out shortly after, threw up his cap, and said he didn't care for any WA Gore-street. On the neighbours going in, the poor woman was found in her last agonies, and died in a few minutes. There was found to be a cut on the back of the head, an abrasion on the temple, and various bruises on other parts of the body. None of them were in them selves dangerous, but, on an internal examination, there was found to be a large effusion of blood in the brain, which had been produced by external violence, and had caused her death. 21r. Atkinson addressed the jury for the defence. His LORDSHIP summed up ; and the jury, after being some time in deliberation, returned a verdict of Guilty of manslaughter, adding, that it was their unanimous opinion it was one of the most aggravated cases that had ever come before a jury. To be transported for life. The Court, on the civil side, was engaged the whole day with the trial of a question of fraudulent preference, which was of no public interest. CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT, OLD COURT.' Jane Gill, 28, described as a widower, and Jan Jones, 38, tailor, mere indicted for feloniously stealing ten sove reigns, ten half-sovereigns, and other moneys, the pro perty of Elizabeth Berkley, in her dwelling-house, and Thomas Webb, doll-maker, 29, was indicted for assisting the other prisoners to commit the robbery. Mr. Baldwin prosecuted, Mr. Payne defended Webb, and Mr. O'Brien the other prisoners. From the evidence adduced, it appeared that the prosecutrix is the keeper of a brothel in Whitechapel, and the prisoners Gill and Webb had cohabited together and occupied a room in her house, but they had left shortly before the robbery. On the day in question Gill went to the house of the prosecutrix and told her that she had met a friend who had just come from India, and she wished. the best bed-room to be kept for their accommodation, and she at the same time particularly requested that Webb should not be told of her pre tended infidelity. At night, accordingly, Gill and Jones came to the house, and two shillings' worth of brandy were immediately sent for, and the prisoners mixed some brandy and water, of which the prosecutrix and her servant partook, and there was strong ground for supposing that the liquor was drugged, for imme diately after they had drunk it both the prosecutrix and her servant became insensible, and were quite un conscious of what afterwards occurred. When, how ever, they came to themselves in the morning, it was discovered that a cash-box, containing the money in question, had been stolen from the bed-room of the prosecittrix, and it also appeared that the bed-room en gaged by the prisoners had not been occupied, and the candle-stick that had been given to them in the evening was found in the bed-room from whence the cash-box and money had been stolen. The evidence against the prisoner Webb merely went to the extent of showing the nature of his connexion with the female prisoner, and also that they were all together on the night of the robbery, and that he parted from the other two just before they proceeded to the house of the prosecutor, and that he was again seen in their company on the following morning very shortly after the robbery must have been committed. When the prisoner Jones was subsequently taken. into custody, a pair of spectacles, which the prosecutrix identified as a portion of the articles stolen on the night of the robbery, were found in his pocket. The. COURT having intimated an opinion that there was not sufficient evidence to connect the prisoner Webb with the transaction, the jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty with respect to him. Mr. O'BRIEN then addressed the jury on behalf of the other prisoners, and called witnesses to prove that the spectacles that were found upon him had been in his possession a long time before the robbery. The evi dence upon this point was not, however, by any means of a satisfactory character. The REcortriErt having summed up, the jury returned a verdict of Guilty against Gill and Jones, and they were sentenced to be transported for ten years. Elizabeth Pink, 31, Eliza Lloyd, 23, and Hannah Carroll, 20, were indicted for stealing six 101. notes, the property of Thomas Jackson. • Mr. Baldwin prosecuted, and Messrs. Payne and Horry appeared for the prisoners. The pro , ecutor, who described himself as a gentleman living at Ramsgate upon his property, it appeared from the evidence, had been enjoying himself on the night in question, and at an early hour on the ensuing morning he proceeded to a house of ill fame, kept by the prisoner Carroll, where he went to bed with the prisoner Pink, and when he awoke he found that all his money was gone, and the three prisoners, being in the house, were given into custody. The prosecutor admitted that he had been very drunk, and had gone into several public houses and other places during the night, and no portion of the stolen money was traced to the possession of either of the prisoners. The COURT expressed an opinion that the evidence was not sufficient to make out the charge, and a verdict of Not Guilty was therefore returned. In the early part of the session a person, named James Augustus Seymour, was indicted fbr a mist meanour, in having unlawfully caused a false entry of a birth to be made in the register of St. Luke's.. The jury, under the direction of the Court, returned a spe cial verdict, finding the prisoner Guilty, but at the same time expressing an opinion that he had not made any actually false representation to the registrar. The Re corder has since, upon further consideration of the mat ter, given his opinion that the finding of the jury was tantamount to a verdict of Not Guilty, and the prisoner has since been discharged from custody. THE SEASON AND THE CROPS. During the last week the weather has been very un favourable in this part of the country for the drying of the grain, and the greater part of it still remains in the fields, cut, but not in a fit state to be housed. It has several times been almost ready for stacking, but in each case rain has come before it was thoroughly dry, and has rendered a further delay necessary. On several days the weather has been warm and close, as well as wet, which rendered it doubly dangerous to the grain. Saturday was the finest day that we had last week, and the believers in the in fluences of the moon predicted that we should have a fine month, but present appearances are much against the truth of their predictions. The grain must have suf fered in some degree from this long continuance of damp close weather, wherever it is not secured, that is, in the north of England, in Scotland, and in the greater part of Ireland. The accounts from the south and centre of Eng land state that it has there been secured in good order. The fatal disease in the potatoes continues to spread in every part of the country. Scarcely a field has es caped in South Lancashire and Cheshire. On the open sandy lands, extending from Warrington to High Legh, as well as in the district which we described last week, the disease prevails everywhere. Its ravages are much more general and fatal than they were last year. Then it principally prevailed in wet and heavy soils, whilst this year it exists in soils of every kind ; then goodness of cultivation appeared to check it, whilst now the best cultivated crops are the first to be seized with the malady. Some of the worst specimens of the' disease are to be found in perfectly dry soils, where the potato has never been grown before, and where the greatest care has been taken in selecting healthy seed. Hopes were entertained by many parties that new varieties of the potato might be raised from foreign seed, which would he free from this disease; but we learn from Mr. Skirving, that of twenty -five foreign varieties grown by him in bis nursery grounds at Walton, not one has escaped. The sorts tried by Mr. Skirving were brought from every part of Europe and America, and after so entire a failure, in the hands of so skilful a cultivator as he is uni versally allowed to be, we fear that the prospect of re newing the crop from foreign seed is very slight. In this neighbourhood, and in other parts of Lancashire and Cheshire, some farmers speak of giving up the cultiva tion of the potato, except on a small scale, and of turning their attention to milk and hay. In most instances they will be compelled to do so by the want of seed, fnr none of the potatoes are likely to ripen properly this year, and it is therefore very improbable that they will keep until spring.—Livcrpool TIE POTAToE DISEASE.—The exemption of these counties from this awful scourge, at which we so often congratulated ourselves, no longer exists. Within the last ten days the dreadful reality has displayed itself, and is readable by every eye in the black pestiferous fields which were anon teeming with luxuriant verdure, indicative of prolific crops. Throughout the whole district the potato crop has been blighted, the stems are black and withering, setting forth, where decomposition has taken hold of the roots, a disagreeable fetid odour ; and to such an extent does this prevail, that it is impossible to say whether even a tithe of the crop will be available for food. The characteristics of the disease need not be enumerated, as they are the same here as elsewhere ; and what is vexatious is, that no effectual remedy is known for arresting its impetu ous rava g es. Cutting or pulling off the shaws has been recommended ; but Nvh!re the cause of the disease is not known, an y prescription must be very problematical. Some . persons have com menced to plough up the fields not far from this and if the crops were nearly ripe this would be right ; but in their present immature state, we doubt the advanta ge o f so doing, particularly where , upon trial, the root s are not all giving way. The disease . is now pervadingutin n ,)thewhole empire, and no locality is tree of it ; b dis trict will it be more severely felt than in the Northern Highlands, where the bulk of the pop u l a ti on su b s i st on potatoes as their daily food, for which, w e fear, noade quate substitute can be provided. In these circumstances the most gloomy prospects are only open to us, of which we do not see the end, or the intensity of the distress that impends. In the meantime we recommend to all classes to look the danger fully in the thce—to break up no fields until the rottenness of all the roots is proved, and in preparing tainted potato es f or f oo d, to pare off all the parts diseased before boilin g . Th e esta bli s h ment o f starc h mills and flour mills has been suggested, and the suggestion should not be lost sight of. Measures of relief will be ab solutely necessary in these counties, where the potato is the chief subsistence of many, as in. Ireland ; and we doubt not that the Ministry, who have so timeously and hu manely made provision to meet this visitation of Providence in the sister isle, will turn a ready and willing ear to any representation which msy be addressed to them from this country. The approaching meeting of the Highlivid and Agricultural Association of Scotland, in Inverness, affords a most fitting opportunity for deliberation as to the measures which are necessary in the present juncture; and we sincerely hope, that as not only most of our norther!' proprietors and farmers will be assembled there, but many from other parts of the kingdom, as well as the directors of this great Association, which truly re presents the agricultural interests of the whole of bcot land, the opportunity will not be lost of discussing this very important question, and of adopting such a course of action as may justify us in hoping that our country will not be left without some . substitute for the important article of food, of which, itas .now certain, the poor among us will this year be utterly deprived.—Boss• shire Advertiser. THE CROPS IN SCOTLAND. (From the Ross-shire Advertiser.) DIIMFRIESSEURE.—The past week has not been so favourable for the important operations of harvest as was earnestly desired over a wide district of country. Around Dumfries about two-thirds of the grain have been cut, and where the farmers were enabled to get an early start, the fields have been cleared of their stocks+ and these safely deposited in the barn-yard. This only. applies to our own immedi a t e l o cality, however ; even on the sunny slopes of the Tinwald hills, near', all the grain remains standing, while much of it ' s still decidedly green. A good many sales of growing grain have taken place, and wherever the crop ha s not suffered seriously from the weather, the Te e mand has been fair, and in some cases brisk. uncertainty which still hangs over the grain wa r d " . ket has not been without its effect, however ; an as several places, where heavy crops, which had suffered from rain and floods, were exposed to competition, th e sales went on so languidly, that they were stopPe altogether. Prices for oates have ranged from 51. to I per acre, according to quality; and the only instaseat we are aware of where this figure was exceeded is Mountainhall, where 11/. Os. were given for crop of has questionably a very superior de scr ipti o n. Barley ar been sold at 71. per acre, the crop being short in tu e straw, as is generally the case all over the country. (~„ Oats are looking remarkably well this season thr on g out the district of Cunningham. At the sales, a k en / competition, and good prices have realised. At Bil l ; Dunlop, at a late sale, from 101. to 12/. per old Se°,, te acre was readily obtained, which is an advance of Pe tween 20s. to 30s. on the last year's rates. FORFARSHIR,E.—The heavy rains which fell to wards the end of last week were unfavourable to harvest or rations, which are now generally commenced in t '7 l neighbourhood. Several farmers express a dread le the alternately hot and rainy weather cause the grain : sprout in the stook, or in the fields where it has b ee lodged. The potatoes are now by all conjecture d,s almost a lost crop. Fields which a few weeks ag° pearell in all the luxuriance of vegetation, and g ¢ every sign of promising an abundant crop, are now vered by one mass of blackened "shams." It is a Pa lri ; ful sight to behold the ravages thus created. Some t' 11 ,!,1 ago it was 'announced that the grain c rops were s e ' s ,, with a disorder similar to that which had attacked th e potatoes; but we arc given to un d e rstand that L e namage will at most not exceed that of an ave`"D o f blight. Though oats at one time had the a ppearanc e 0 being more than an average crop, s o man y fields of the e having been lodged and their whit en i ng s o rapidly bs lo given rise to a dread that the grain, though bulky, W not be of the average weight. fs.to We have still to lament the progress of the Po s disease, although some accounts seem to induce "li ot , that a few quarters may comparatively escape fro m On this point, however, it is impossible to make any e i w os filent statement. In various places where the crop d manifestly failed, the ground has been c l ea red, r, planted with greens, cabbages, and other vegeta v ar e In other cases, the potatoes, hopeless as the sPr in ance of the stems is, have been allowed to reniatn ir , the ground, until the time of taking up shall hav e rived, which is expected to be a month earlier to 11 usual. In some instances, the stems have been cat an, with the scythe, and the surface powdered over n il quick lime, and the earth raised around the plots. .„ short, in ignorance of the real cause of the ePiderwrli people are glad to try anything in the way of exP7 meats, in the hope of arresting ft.—Aberdeen Journa4:oo KEITH, Auo. 13.—We regret to state that the Pi ta taint has, to some extent, appeared in this distriet,ol, the last week. It commences in the low grounds or y lows, but gradually reaches the high grounds also. Ar e a, field is more or less tainted, 'both stem and root ; withstanding, we thi n k t h e ca l am it y i s muc h exagg elli t i e d and, so far as we can j u d ge i n t h e meant i m e, vve an f l y pate only parti a l d amage , w hi c h t h e a b un d an t and ye" fine grain crop will amply make up. RAILWAY SHARE _MARKETS. EXETER, AUGUST 26. Tll l SToclt EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Bristol and Exe•—,..„,o,* 1014—Exeter and Crediton, % dis.—Devon and Central k , "*" . " k —South Wales, 4. MANCHESTER, AUGUST 26. born, ' 94 STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Ambergate, Notting_ no tom Boston, % c. dis.—Blackburn, Clitheroe, &c., /34 • d 01 , r ; Newark, and Sheffield, 13-16 dis.—Boston , Stamford , 11-. - mingham, 12s. c. dis. —Eastern Counties, York Extension, et,o.ood, p.—East Lancashire.B 9-16 p.--East Lincolnshire, % dis. —Fl e Preston, and West Riding, % dis.—Glasgow and Dumfries, % 45 . dis• Goole, Doncaster, Sheffield, &c., c. dis.— Grand Union, __pito —Huddersfield and Manchester Railway and Canal, 174 P . Lee ds Lis , " Extension, p.—Lancashire and North Yorkshire, (r o " and Thirsk, dis.—Liverpool, Ormskirk, and Preston , 311.: London and York, % dig. —Manchester and Leeds Fifths , 8 P . c .- Oa f chester and Southampton, 18s. 9d. dis.—Midland Rail w il l 40/. Shares, 13 p.—North Eastern, 1% dia.—North Westcrlye., ° 5 : —Nottingham and Mansfield, 4, gy p. Oldham, Birkenhead, 1 011 , c. dls.—Preston and Wyre, Halves (B), p.—Sheffield al lre, cheater, Quarters, No. 1, 4 p.—Shrewsbury and Herefor dis.— Shropshire Union Railway and Canal, 14 dis.—Son± .. _' veal. lands Junction, 16s. dia.—South Staffordshire Junction,_PZ. Valley, Midland, &c., par—West Lancashire Coas t, Iss* Whitehaven and Farness, 2% dis. LEEDS, AlmusT 26. tips York EY. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Eastern Counties, y b and Shcf . tension, 335. p.—East Huddersfield% p.—Great GO 11. 1 sg. 9d.. ., field Docks, 13i dis.— and Manellesnt p.—Huddersfield and Sheffield, 6- p.—Leed s a 1 —Leeds an. —Leeds and Dewsbury, 33 p.—Ditto, Branches, p 14 tish Carlhila North Bri , Thirsk, 31. 14s. dis. Ditt N 3 jytto. r'l3radford, 42 P; o. elv, d Goole, 11% p.— 1 Branch, 575. p.—Wakefield, Pontefract , an dis . 11. New, 5% p.—Boston, Stamford, and Birming,,ham, 14s. .O, therce Junction, 16s. dis.—Direct Northern, 175. dis. —Grand 11 , 1 1 ,, , 135. dis.—Lancashire , Yorkshire, and North Eastern, 1% u i v g• Leeds, Wakefield, and Midland, 16s. dis.—Leicester and Birin I, ham, 17s. Gd . dis.—Leicester and Bedford, 9s. 6 d. dis.—Livern, Orinsklrk, and Preston, 3% p.—L on don and Manchester (11r.... 2% dis..—North Western, 4s. Gd. p.—Shropshire Union, 9s. dtcl Welsh Midlands, 345. dis.—West hiding Union, 41. 19s.—yorlt .'" Carlisle, 353. 6d. dis. HULL, AUGUST 26. STOCK EXCHANGE.-The sales are- Eastern Counties, York, i . t a tension, 2% -North British, Half Shares, 16%-York and 1,5$ Midland (East:and West Riding), 13-Fleetwood, Preston, and w 4.0, Riding, 7s. 6d.-Leicester and Tamworth, 345. 6d.-North We 1011. 4s. p.-Shrewsbury and Birmingham,6cl.-Shropshi rc e "o l 10s. dis.-West Riding Union, 5h Grand Union, 155.-Leicest r Bedford, 12s. 6d.-South Midland, 14s. p. SHEFFIELD, 26. STOCK EXCHANGE.-The sales are AUGUST -Grimsby and Sheffieild %71 , 5 7, sion, 17s. dis.-Ditto, Quarter Shares, 9s. dis.-Ditto , Dock, 1 3 4 dis.-Derby and Gainsborough, % dis.-East Linct:- % dis.-Manchester and Lincoln Union and Canal, 17 5 . dis• field and Lincolnshire, Bs. dls.-Ditto, Extension, X, dis• YRK, 26. STOCK ExCnAwGE.-The O saIes AUGUST are -Grand Union (- Nr 0t and Lynn), 13s. 6d.-Leicester, Tamworth, &c., 11. xaa and York, 2-Newcastle and Berwick, 271. 16s. 3d.-New caii i Darlington, New, 1114 -North British, 3334-Ditto, Ca r 50• sion, 41. Is. scrip -North Western, if. 75.-West Riding Unio* EDINBURGH, AUGUST 25. 4 1,01 STOCK EXCHANGE. -The sales are-Aberdeen, 8/. 155.- - A - i r pros' t Banff, and Elgin, 1/.-Airdrie and Bathgate, 3/. 15s• - ", - ,tre r ,l and Forfar, 281.-Ditto, Half Shares, 15/. 108.-Armag b rush, I4s. 6d.-Ayr and Galloway, 11. 78. 6d.-Banffshire, fast and County Down, 12s. 6d.-British and Irish Unil'ettoids:; 6d.-Caledonian, 151. 78. 6d.-Ditto, New, 11. 9s. Extension, 1/. 135.-Caledonian and Dumbarton. and Northern Direct, 2/. 25.-Clydesdale Junction, 20 '•,.,; 7s. us 'res wall and Devon Central, 1/. 118.-Deeside Direct Northern, If. 145.-Dublin and Enniskillen, V. hri• e rtb• and Arbroath, 371.-Dittci, New, 21/. 55.-Dundee and 78. 6d.-East Indian Railway, 165.-East of Fife, 1 75 • 70 /...-1, )1 ,, t ;, burgh and Bathgate, 2/. IN.-Edinburgh arid Glasgow , d itto, Half Shares, 171. 155.-Ditto, Quarters, 171. IN. l\ -- e l w )i p tt o o r l : - 07 , 1 e; 181.-Edinburgh, Leith, and Gragton, 181.-Ditto, Pref er os• 1 1; 158.-Edinburgh and Northern, 91. 195.-Ditte, tiO , Edinburgh and Perth, 31. 105.-Forth and Clyde J llO , - j os. -- 7:llas -Qlasgow and Arshire, tto, New Stock. 3 7 '• ,•••• 2t. jun- Quarter Shares, 151. 10s.-Glasgow and Belfast Union, dee , Ter gow, Dumfries, and Carlisle, 11. 155.-Glasgow and Du n tion, 11. IN.-Glasgow and Garnkirk, 40/. -Glasgo w SLes'„4 minus, 81. 10s-Glasgow and Greenock, 161. 10s.-Ditto.f.:,oc, 81. 155.-Ditto, Preference, 11. 155.-Glasgow, Ardrossan, 1/. IN.-Glasgow, Strathaven, and , Le S, i•is•-111.:zel -198.-Granton Junction, 10s.-Great North of Scofiasn, _Larne. ness and Elgin, 17s. 6d.-Lanark and Lothians, 158. fast, and Ballymena, 95.-London, Bristol, and snares' 'l. 29/. 3s. 6d.-London and York, V. 3s. 6d.-Ditto. m a o d Herwick, ion to -Midland and Eastern Counties, 155.-New -North British, 33/. IN.-Ditto, Halves, Thrth Staffordshire. 51. Carlisle,Ditto, Fifths, 71. New , 101. -F e • 95. 6d.-North Wales Mineral, 161. 155.--Ditto, Ditto. N ei l: 19/• 10S. - and Inverness, 11. 11s. 6d.-Scottish Central, • IL los.- D‘v,i, 10s.-Scottish Central and Caledonian Junct _ sco w-. fish Grand Junction, 12s.- Scottish Midland, 71. 10S• .011 , Extension Southern, 1/. 175.-Shrewsbury and Hereford. Oswestry, and Chester, 51. 10s.-South 2/. 15s. .69., ling and Dunfermline, I/. 8s. -Stirling and Midland, 21• Strathern Junction. 2L-Wishaw and Coltness. 471. 10s. 15c7s._tile)itti shrews ir‘ 1,, 0 0 : THE COBDEN NATIONAL TRIBUTE FUND.—T h e appointed at Newell's-buildings, on Friday, t ne n ,ttg° instant, for the purpose of co-operating with the cor n " ) sol at the Town-hall, in making a more effectual ca!, f i t ID" throughout the borough than has yet been made,_ in • -r I A bilf ance of the testimonial to be presented to Mr. Cobden' t ole since been very actively engaged in the pursuance of tb a . bat ject, with what success we are at present unable to s tate t ba a report it is expected will be made at the meeting, committee on Tuesday evening. The amount subscra „.00 this district is upwards of 44,3001., and the aggregat!. upwards of 66.800/. The names of Messrs. PiZf r e ;,cio Brothers, and Co., Blackburn, and Messrs. Eccles, - ;_„"" cr ibei! and Co. Darwen, appear in the advertisement as a nd for 20011 each firm, as do those of Messrs. Barnes, Church, near Accrington, Mr. W. Eccles,J 3 ., lB d i eter and Mr. J. Eccles, Blackburn, for 1001. each.--ffi as , Guardian. Dt THE COLOSSEUM. The above establishm e b oonr illuminated last evening in the following manner, i n A Or of his Royal Highness Prince Albert's birthday : `.' he r iu nificent star in gas in front of Regent's Park, anoLthor Albany-street, and the summit of the building with two colums, forming a beautiful temple in gas. Si oritO t [ADVERTISEMENT.] —UNPRECEDENTED HOLLOWAY'S Pmts.—Thomas Symonds, former'y of Chat! ) . s ' ° t 0 do yard, residing in Gravel-lane, Southwark, had been unit.' 00'1' his work for t tree y ears. His lungs were supposed le be es WO; having a distressing cough, with feet and legs swelling, be, e 's HaWoreTburib Se e he could scarcely ever keep anything on his stomach, an. 4 7 .7 0 , rally so weak and ill as to barely have power to stand: vit-n o ' months this poor man acquir e d a l mos t a new c onstitution 0, „, to Holloway's Pills, and is now become so strung and Well L ar ,l to able to undertake the laborious duties of a carpenter on vessel about sailing to New South Wales. These invaluab le I , l o 'o o sold at Professor Holloway's Establishment, 244, Wand, and by a dealers in medicine. • BIRTHS. On the 23d inst., the wife of the Rev. F. S. Grgiberli of a son. I foc& On the 23d inst., at Hamilton-terrace, Mrs. Prothero, of a daughter. , e Dt• , Ebe'• On the 24th inst., at Southsea, the lady of the Musson, of the Island of Jamaica, of a son. K. ooto Dr On the 24th inst., the wife of the Rev. J. ti• ~ Vicar of Houghton, Norfolk, of a daughter. 7 .. ~.n i Bette On the 25th inst., at Highbury-place, Mrs. IN 11 11 ' of a son. i. St. Jobser MARRIED On the 19th inst., at Portsmouth, . prs Mr. Abraham Portsmouth, to Belle, eldest daughter of Mozley of of Barbadoes. On the 25th inst., at Basingstoke, Mr. J . S. .1: Il licj por Guildford, to Mary Anne, second daughter of Gliarle3 man, Esq DIED. On the 20th inet., Edward Russell, only son of gr. Edtrlirli Jar - Vi;, of Grove-road, 31ile-end. ' - On the 22d inst., at Wormley, Herts, Mr. D. ItaYnisrola On the 23d inst., at Hackney, Sidney, third son of Simpson, aged 16. / m iltoe' daughterthe 23dofitnbset., Rev.at Haverhill , j. Davies, agedsex S o phia late eOoeof the a n jo th h e n 2 F 3 o d w i l n e s r t , ., Es a q t . llightield House, Sarah, relict ..nad , On the 23d inst.. in YDrk-place, Camberwell AN i e rl '" - Mr. John William Taylor, aged 67. ~..o:2e 250...........e.piace0 vand0n the 24th inst., at Rath, Robert C. Sconce, sEiveocl;tb.ro3d' ,-. (A 1 Reeves, Esq., agecl:l2.______-- - ' 11 5 `ci• ' Printed and Published by MSD° YOtTlia.,Lf I/reel:11e; London: Strand, Printer, at The Sun Mee, No U . 1}2..E11ir2332etr:.. Alin' of the Savoy , ha the Coun t y pi ukuueop4 liatuj..o 27, 1816, ~'~~,,,~ Oz b„„ 4rg