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

RAILWAY COMMITTEES (YESTERDAY.) HOUSE ()1" COMMONS. GROUP IV. THE GREAT NORTH OF SCOTLAND. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) Mr. AUSTIN wished to know if his Learned Friend, who appeared for the Perth and Inverness line, opposed the Aberdeen, Banff, and Elgin line ? Mr. Sergeant BELLASIS—NO, we do not. _ _ Mr. AUSTIN contended, then, that they could not oppose the Great North of Scotland line, and they ought either to remain neutral, or oppose both the coast lines. Mr. Sergeant BELLASIS thought not. Here were 'two distinct com panies, the one a competing line with tha Great North of Scotland for the local, and the other a competing line with the Great North of Scotland for the through traffic. Both Companies had, therefore, the right of opposing the Great North of Scotland. The CHAIRMAN—Let us proceed, then, as before. I don't think we shall gain time by discussing the matter further. Mr. AUSTIN wished to know then if the Committee had any ques tions to ask his client upon Mr. Duncombe's resolutions ? The CHAIRMAN —Yes, some doubt has been raised as to the source whence you procured your deposits with the Accountant-General. Mr. roltSYTII—Yes, there are circumstances connected with these deposits which give rise to grave suspicion that the deposit was net raised by bona fide subscriptions on allotted shares. In the first place, the solicitors of the company, Messrs. Adam and Andrews, had allotted to them in the first instance 500 shares each, wh:ch amounted to 50,000/., upon which the 5/. per cent deposit was paid, 2,500/.; but on the 28th of January, 1846, 1,630 additional shares were allotted to Mr. Adam : amounting to 81,500/., upon which he was en!y liable to pay the 5/ per cent. de posit, but he had raid more ; he had paid 73,3 ,0 .'- Thomas Blakey, the joint secretary, hail allotted to him 25,“/0 shares, fur which be was liable to 25,000/. Messrs. Inglis and Burns, the Edinburgh agents, have subscribed to the extent of 20,000/., and two other agents to the extent of 15,0001., while the directors, eight in number, had subscribed 17 ,0001. Mr. AUSTIN explained that, independently of the amount il su il b- . sub scribed by the solicitors, a sufficient deposit had been p shares to meet the requisitions of the standing orders of tie o itonse of Commons. The excess was to meet the requisitions of the stand ing orders of the House of Lords. Mr. Hugh Lonsdale, ShetriZortofhSluiitihe.erlaintclgsahZ,mgoarveelgoecanleralevi dence in favour of the Gres - accom modation. in his opinion, than the Aberdeen, Banff, and Elgin line. The Great North line passed through a fertile and populous district, while its competitor passed through a comparatively sterile and barren country. In three fourths of the Perth and ; Nairn line it through a perfect wilderness , a nd in the win ter season the P road was frequently stopped up with snow, but this objection could not be applied to the Great North line. There were three important manufacturers employing several thousand people on the Great North line and further on many large and extensive quarries. At Huntley also there were manufactories on a large scale. Mr. Andrew Lumsdale, a shareholder, both in the Great North of • Scotland and the Aberdeen, Banff and Elgin line, preferred the former line, because it went through a more agricultural and well peopled county on both side , ., while the Band line passed nearer to the coast, and would only be extensively useful on one side. The branches of the Great North li ne wou ld amply accommodate Banff and places near to the coast. Captain Dalrymple, son of Sir Robert Dalrymple, of Inverary, gave Concurrent testimony. The Committee adjourned at four o'clock. GROUP XI. SLILMANNAN AND BORROWSTOITNESS. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) The Committee immediately declared the preamble proved. The clauses of the Bill were then gone throu4h and agreed to. WILSONTOWN, moitiesurosxms , and COLT" NESS (CALEDONIAN 3 - criccerxoN). Mr. GasussE opened the case on behalf of this line, which is un opposed. It is a branch from the Wilsontown, Morningside, and Coltness Railway, to connect it with the Caledonian line, so as to open up the rich mineral district intersected by the latter, and to form a connexion with Edinburgh and Granton, whence coal and lime might be supplied. Mr. Colliston, civil engineer, was examined as to the advantages of the line. The gradients were generally good, and could be easily worked. The severest was one in eighty-five. The estimated cost of the line was 123,370/., the length of the branch was eight milts and three-quarters and the traffic was calculated, after paying work ing expenses, to yield a revenue of five and a half per cent. Mr. Williamson, mining engineer, generally stated the advantages the branch would confer on the mineral traffic of the district. It was a work which, when executed, would be of the greatest benefit. The Committee declared the preamble of the Bill to be proved. The clauses were then arranged, and, with the exception of two that were postponed, agreed te. The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow at twelve o'clock. GROUP .XIV. SOUTH-EASTERN AND BRANCHES. The Committee on this group of railways met to-day at twelve •,'clock, in Room No. 30 ; pres(nt —Mr. Protheroe (chairman), Lord Emlyn, Mr. J. O'Connell, and Mr. Grogan. The CHAIRMAN said that with regard to the correspondence which had passed between the South-Eastern Company and the Board of Admiralty, those letters merely contained a refusal to allow the Greenwich Branch to pass through Greenwich Park, without assign ing any reason for that refusal which could at all operate on rational men. Under those circumstances, he thought that th Greenwich Branch was as before the Committee as any other part of the Mr. MEaREWETIIEtt said that the only reason assigned was the fear that the vibration caused by the fast trains would interfere with the delicate experiments that are made at the Observatory. The Astronomer Royal had declared that such an objection was of no value, but he declined stating his real reasons for fear of offending the Board of Admiralty. Tho Astronomer Royal had at length spoken out, and he (Mr. Merrewether) would no doubt be able to state and to overcome those reasons. Mr. GoLDSmiD said that the South• Eastern Company had in their opening abandoned that part of their line, and ;that being the case It could not now come under the consideration of the Committee. The CHAIRMAN said that their duty was not to consider what the South-Eastern Company had abandoned, but to consider the public benefit that would result from the formation of any particular line. The South-Eastern Company had retained the Greenwich branch of their line upon the map, and therefore he considered it competent to the Committee to decide upon it. Mr. Bice, who appeared on the part of the Thames and Medway Canal Company against the South-Eastern line, called James Smith, the lock-keeper on the canal at Maidstone, who stated that there is a lock above Maidstone-bridge, and in times of flood there is great difficulty in navigating a barge through the lock at the bridge. It is a very common occurrence for two or three barges to get across the pier of the bridge. The width of the barges is about 15 feet 6 inches, sod the arch of the bridge was about 24 feet I span. The barges going through the bridge are much affected by the westerly winds, and there is difficulty in keeping them straight in going through the bridge. If there was a bridge formed sixty yards farther down, the barges would have to be kept straight in going through both bridges. Even as the present bridge is, the barges often sustain serious damage in passing through it. By Mr. Memaxwemen.—Believes that the new bridge will be about 60 or 70 yards from the present bridge. The barges, when loaded, draw from 3 feet to 3 feet 6 inches of water. Mr. Dewhurst, a member of the Committee of the Medway Navi gation Company.—The company owns the river from a little below Maidstone to Tunbrige, a distance of 15 or 16 miles. The com pany are extensive dealers in coal as well as carriers. The Medway company entirely supported the greater portion of Mid Kent with coal before the introduction of railways. When railways were intro duced they were compelled to avail themselves of the South-Eastern Company to carry their coal, but that company charged so high that frequent remoristranCes were addressed to them. The North Kent Company, on the contr.,' rY, exercised their powers with much fair ness. The Navigation CG.'npany at length proposed to ran a loco motive on the South-Easton line, but the South-Eastern Company refused to allow it. Mr. Mxnaewrrneit objected to that circumstance being taken into consideration, as it was already the subject of proceedings in the Court of Queen's Bench. Mr. Bice considered that it was perfectly:competent to him to make that circumstance a part of this case., The CHAIRMAN decided that the Committee could not attend to that point, as it was before a civ.l court. Mr. Bice then addressed the Committee at some length, on the part of his clients, and commented on the table of charges which the South-Eastern Company had themselves supplied, and which showed that the company had charged the Navigation Company for carriage more than double the amount which they made other persons pay. At the conclusion of his address, the paper was handed in to the Committee. Mr. Sergeant Wiessec nist, on the part of the North Kent line,-pro ceeded to call rebutting evidence to the case made out by the South- Eastern Company. He called Mr. Vignoles, who stated that the evidence given on the South- Eastern side had not altered his opinion of the North Kent line. The low level of the South-Eastern had been adopted to secure easy gra dients, but that object hai not been attained. The highest vertical elevation on the South-Eastern between Greenwich and Dartford is 118 feet, and on the North Kent 135 feet ; but the South-Eastern Company loses its advantage by the amount of undulation. Be tween learttbrd and Gravesend the level is in favour of the South-Eastern line, but their undtliations again lose the advantage. Although Mr. Stephenson's summit level is 90 feet lower than the summit level of the North Kelt, yet his rases are 30 per cent higher than on the North Kent. Between Gravesend and Chatham the summit level of the North Kent is 75 feet, and ere: the South Eastern it is the reverse, there is a fall of 16 feet. The amount of undulation is greater on the South Eastern. From Chatham to Sittingbourne the highest point;is 98 feet on :the North Kent, but oil the South Eastern the highest summit is only 45 feet. There are no rises on the North Kent in that distance, but the rules of the South East ern line are altogether 75 feet, thus losing the advantage they gain by a lower level. Between Canterbury and Faversham, the highest point on the South Eastern line is 150 feet, and on the orth Kent it is 110 feet. The sum of the rises on the North Kent is 150, and the sum of the rises on the South Eastern is 166, thus losing 16 feet. Between Dover and Canterbury the highest polet on the North Kent is 132 feet, and the sum of the rises is also 132 feet, giving no undulation. The South Eastern's highest level, between these points, is 276 feet, and the sum of the rises is 356, giving 80 feet amount of undulation. The amount of all the undulations on the North Kent line is 61 feet; and the total amount of the undulation on the South Eastern is 134 feet, giving an excess of undulation of 193 feet on the South Eastern scheme. It is not fair in ascertaining ruling gradients to take a line in sections—the whole of the line should be taken into consideration, in order to ascertain the real ruling gradient. Such a division would only be fair, supposing that a fresh engine-was to be put on at every section, and regulated to the amount of resistance it had to incur by gradients. Well, take the sections of the two lines aril compare them. On the North Kent line, from Greenwich to Dartford, the ruling gradient is I in 132, and it is the same on the South Eastern. The distance by the North Kent is 12 miles, 7 furlongs, and 1 chain, and on the South- Eastern it is 12 miles, 7 furlongs. and 2% chains; but on the north loop, over which all their Gravesend and Sheerness traffic mast go, the distance is 14 miles, three furlongs, and 24 chains. On the North there Kent __ s e t .i. 4 ll re no level crossings, but there are fourteen on the nutlanct-e, while the North Kent has 2,960 yards of tunnelling in that there are 781 yards. Between has none, but on the southern loop dieut of the North Kent rlef n Dartford and Gravesend the ruling gra -132., and on the South-Eastern I in 182 - . By the North Kent the distance is 19 miles 6 furlongs and 10% chains. On the South.: is it Is 19 miles furlongs and 3 chains but on their southern loo p ,p on which on their own 'showing all their Gravesend tracts must pass, chains. The North Kent has n'odirvatek"erisoss2inlgsm.lll7t3thiu'ed'sontht n the North Rent in that Eastern has three. There is no tunn e ellin Fr distance, hut on the South-East,n there are Y 4 a r at on the m Gravesend to Chatham the ruling graAlient is a o r n e e SOUtli-Eastern it is quite level. The distance on the North Kent is 28 miles 6 chains, and on the south loop Eastern it is 28 miles 1 furlong 9 c h a i ns, l an t r South north loop, 29 miles 7 furlongs. The North Kent on the no level crossings, but the South-Eastern has 7. Between Chatham o and Sittingbourne the ruling gradient on the North Kent is 1 in 132, and on the South-Eastern it is lin 168. The distance by the North Kent is 3d miles 2 furlongs 6% chains, and by the South-Eastern 39 miles, 4 furlongs 3 chains. The North Kent has LOOP yards of tun nelling in that distance, and in the South-Eastern there are 1,790 yards. The South-Eastern has 1,100 yards of viaduct and a swing bridge, while the North Kent has neither. Between Sittingbourne and Faversham the North Kent distance is 44 7 miles, 2 furlongs, and half a chain ; on the South - Eastern it is 46 miles,furlongs, and 1 chain. The North Kent Railway gradient is 1 in 330, and the South-Eastern lin 106. Thera are no l evel crossings on the North Kent, and five on the South-Eastern; no tunnelling on the North Kent, and 242 yards on the. South-Eastern. Between Faversham and Canterbury the North Kent distance is 54 miles, 2% chains, and the South-Eastern distance is 58 miles, 8 :chains- The North Kent gradient is lin 172, and the South-Eastern gradient is lin 100. The North Kent has 1,500 yards of tunnelling, and the South-Eastern none. The North Kent has Lone level crossing, and the South-Eastern Ave., Between Canterbury and Dover the North Kent ruling gradient is 1 in 132, and the South-Eastern lin 79. The total distance of the North Kent, from the Greenwich Railway to Liverpool-terrace, is 70 miles 1 furlong, chain, anti on the South-Eastern line the distance is, fromlthe same point to their local station, 73 miles, 2 fur longs 4 chains. The North Kent tunnelling is 2,280 yards, and by the alternative line 2 , 760 y ards, while the South-Eastern has 4,375 yarOs. The North Kent has only one level crossing, and the South- Eastern Company six on the Maidstone branch. The North Kent ruling gradient Pram Rochester to Maidstone is 1 in 132. There Is a short gradient, half a mile, of 1 in 90. The South-Eastern ruling gradient, between Maidstone and Rochester, is 1 in 83. The North Kent distance is 9 miles, 5 furlongs to the centre of the town, but to form a junction with the Paddock Wood branch the distance exceeds 10 miles. The South-Eastern distance is 11 miles 6 furlongs 1 chain. The North Kent has '2OO yards of tunnel, and the South Eastern 440 yards. The Sheerness branch has both lines level, and the North Kent distance is 6 miles 7 furlongs 8 chains ; while tile South Eastern distance is 5 miles 7 furlongs 6 chains. On the North Kent there arc two level crossings, and three on the South Eastern. Both lines have a swivel bridge. After some farther evidence, of no public interest, the Committee adjourned until 12 o'clock to-morrow. GROUP xvr. BE ADING, GITILTORD, A ND REIGATE. The Committee resumed this morning, Sir Charles Douglas in the chair, when, after some conversation, Tho CHAIRMAN stated the Speaker had decided that, according to Mr. rhincombe's resolutions, no parties could a until the Committee entered it ; and the rule wafp,ienarZ) on the 8111 a su pposition of fraud,jthe pat ties should petition the House for be heard upon the Bill. After some further discussion between Mr. Cockburn, who ar peared for the promoters, Mr. Hill, who appeared for the oppnnent; and Mr. Roe, who appeared for Dr. Fellowes, the Committee decided that Mr. Cockburn should proceed. But a fu r th er difficulty occurred, and the room was cleared. On the re-admission of the parties, the Committee again requested Mr. Cockburn to pro ceed, after an endeavour on the plrt of Mr. Mellor to speak upon a petition against the line. Kr. ComugniN said that a more important line than this bad not !MILO Wore Parliament this session. The object of the Line was - - , to connect Reading and Reigate, and the necessary effect must be to connect the South-Eastern, the South-Western, and the London and Brighton lines, and thus link the south eastern districts with the north, north-western, and midland counties. By the lines to the west, even to Land's End, by the Rugby and Oxford line a connexion was opened up w ith Bristol, Plymouth, Exeter, Sheffield, and all the manufacturing zi stricts. man who wanted to send goods to Dover, Brighton, S uthampton, and all the other places on the southern coast, or to travel, was now obliged to go round by London, about twenty miles in zi stance. By this lino they would connect the southern lines with the whole of thoso on the north of the Thames. It commenced at the Great Western station at Reading, by Wokingham, Sandhurst, and Black water, crosses the South-Western at Farnborough, and thence to Ash and Stoke. From Stoke it runs on the Guildford Junction, and thence to Dorking, by the Portsmouth atmospheric line, with the company for s which an arrangement was made for using their line from Gomp io al v to Dorking, and thence to Reigate. There were three coret a. _ lines, this, that of the South-Eastern, and that of the Londonhowever,d Brighton Company. With the South-Eastern Company,the South an arrangement had been made, the effect of which Dork ing, South- Eastern u C o o l m es p s a t n t, y at sh p It was also agreed line South -Western Company should have the right. o o rt ul i d on m t e s formed the w b i e t t h w ia e h e a t n . b e' l and t im p e , ° t r h% lease, at , 1 1 /. per cent, and half the net at P e 736,0001., and the capital re ß as ei o wg n aas a t that the South-Eastern Company should take thaeftelirnethoant payment.perpetual The length was 46 miles, the estimate ing difficulties. The line 'li-oiungston, Guildford, Croydon, and lion, as it would connect , 800,0001: ; the gradients are favourable, ld .aoartnid great te localw-ere a n c o co e engineer ing which the sessions for Surrey are lt,:igate, the places at t which is in every way valuable and all favourable to the proje to c o , g ßri an gl d iton Company held The landowners and t o h t e h h er ope h d th w al o. a u t l a ci nt b s e o , fwitihetehedristthreicirt line e desirable. The only question Reigate, and reason whatever why this company should not have or that of their desirous D . o T r k h i c . there was no portion between Reading and Dorking, yet they opposed the t w h •h e ole, because he conceived that the traffic for the north would come under the management of the South-Eastern Railway Company. The first point would be to connect Bristol, Exeter and Plymouth with Dover, Folkestone, and other places on that part of the English Channel which was a principle recognised by the Legislature as of the utmost importance. A great inconvenience would arise from having this small portion of the line between Dorking and Ryegate under a different management. With respect to the'opposition of D.r Fellowes, he should state thatit had been got up by the solicitor of the London and Brighton line, and it should be observed that the South Eastern Company had made their arrangement with him. Ile had withdrawn his petition against that company, and this company was prepared to do everything tier that gentleman—their line being identical with that of the South Eastern —which the Slouth Eastern Company had promised This was as bond fide line as had ever been brought before Parliament. Mr. James llarroway, the Mayor of Reading, was then called, and stated that he was a lu.use-it ent, and consequently had consider able opportunities of knowing the feelings of the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood. He could say that it was unanimously in favour of the lino. The traffic is considerable, but there is no pre sent mode of travelling between Reading and Guilford but by post, and the line would materially benefit Reading by opening communi cation with Wokingham and Sandhurst. To Mr. MELLOR—He stated that there was a road, but that it was bad and circuitous, there being no turnpike road beyond Bracknell. There had been formerly a coach between Reading ant Brighton, which ran during the summer, and ran by Oldham and Farnham, which declined from a four-horse to a two-horse vehicle. prietor, acquainted with ma England. Mr. John Boughton, He farmed 3,470 acres, of Broo ny n ian il d al ed l, in pr ß ov e ri rk e s t ,..a l , a f rg ar e me l d an a d n e a d p m ro- a. d could say that he was acquainted main with all the places on and near the a l ed the This s t li land of of traversed a2Y a mile through his property, and he had 900 l a ii c le res without any road whatever, and though he was himself in disposed for the line, but as a matter of public convenience, there was not any part of the country which more required a line than this district did. It was called the Heath district and the soil re quired lime or chalk for its improvement. He had himself expended 10,000/. on the improvement of one estate. This line would greatly facilitate the conveyance of the line. There would also be a great advantage to the hop growers in Sussex in the carriage of hop poles, which were ranch wanted in that county. There would also be a great advantage in the direct conveyance of hops from the south to Derby and the neighbourhood, as well as bringing back gypsume from that county, a material which was eminently useful in improving the natural quality of the soil. There are large markets for cattle at London-bridge, and for corn at Reading and Guildford, and this line would enable the growers of the peculiarly fine white wheat of Guildford to carry it into Berkshire, and further north into the ma nufacturing districts, where it was required to mix with other wheat. He was concerned for landowners in almost every county In Eng. land, travelled very much by railway, and believed that no district more required this sort of convenience. To Mr. MELLOR the witness replied, that in some parts of this dis trict the population was very dense, the roads are at present very bad, and a great part of country about there lay in a state of nature, from the want of the materials required for its improvement. That much of it was improveable was evident from the fact that the 900 acres which he held was nearly barren heath, and now it was all arable land. To Mr. Roz—The witness reiterated his previous assertions, and stated that he had no fear of a free trade in corn. To his re-examinition by Mr. HUDSON, Mr. Houghton stated the roads were quite insufficient for the country, and the formation of a railway was felt to be such an advantage, that the high roads were almost deserted. Formerly 46 coaches had passed his house every day, and now there was only one. He also testified to the utility of the communication from the n est to Farnham and Alton. To the CHAIRMAN, the witness replied that the formation of this railway would give immense facilities for bringing additional land into cu'tivation. Lord Loraine, residing at Albury Park, near Guilford, had an estate at Chilwerth, on which the paper-mills of Sir W. Magnay stood, between which and Guilford there was only the ordinary road communication. He testified generally to the utility of the line. Mr. 11. Drummond, the banker, who resides at Albury, stated that this line would pass to the extent of three miles through his estate, and that it would tend to supply the wants of the neighbourhood, as the traffic of late much increased. When he went into that district 2t or 29 years ago, where he had ever since resided, there was no road at all. Mr. Drummond explained the reason why the Ports mouth Atmospheric Railway did not supply the same convenience as this line, by stating, that though the two lines ran parallel for a short distance, they immediately afterwards diverged at almost right angles. Mr. MANGLES, M.P., testified to the general feeling of the district in favour of the line, and it was on that ground that he took interest in it. He also stated that the communication with the west of Eng land was had and circuitous. This ,line would be of great service, among other persons, to the corn-jobbers. It happens that the markets at Reading and Guildford are held on the same day, but the former was an early market and the latter a late one, so that throughthis line individuals would be able to attend both on the same day. He also testified to the advantage of this means of com munication with the west and the manufacturing districts, and he could say from his own knowledge that many of the respectable trades men in Guildford had taken shares in this line with the expectation of getting their good cheaper and snore speedily than they,now could. This line would connect all the chief towns in Surrey, and if the communication were made, the chalk would occasion all the im provement which 3lr.Hor.ghton had stated. He thought even the worst part of Ansi:set Heath might be reclaimed, for on the most sterile part of the common, near the Woking Common Cottage, squatters had brought large gardens into flourishing cultivation. The Committee here adjourned till to-morrow. GROUP XIX. This Committee met at twelve o'clock, In Room IC; Lord Harry Vane, in the chair. There were also present the Earl of March, Mr. Scott, and two other Hon, Members. CIZABXI CANAL. - The evidence as to this line was now completed, but the Com mittee reserved their decision until they should obtain the opinion of the Attorney-General upon several points. They next took the case of the BRISTOL AND EXETER (CREV/XERNE BRANCRES). • The general evidence as to the necessity for such a line as that proposed, the advantages it would confer upon the people of the districts through which it passed, and the probable amount of traffic, occupied the Committee the greater part of the day. A portion of the engineering evidence was given, but in the absence of Mr. Stephenson it could not be completed. It appeared, however, tkat the steepest gradient was 1 in 40, which only occurred in one place, near one of the stations. The prevailing gradient was 1 in 100.. At two o'clock, the parties being unable to proceed with the case until Mr. Stephenson's evidence could be given, the case stood over, and The Committee rose and adjourned till to-morrow at twelve o'clock. CROUP XXVII. This Committee re-assembled to-clay at the usual hour; Sir C. Lemon in the chair. NORTH SIEVIPTORESHIRE (THREE LINES). This day was entirely occupied with the allegations of the peti tioners who opposed the line, principally Lord Begot, Messrs, Whel don' and the inhabitants of Leek. .After a series of lengthened, uninteresting, and extremely tiresome discussions and examinations of witnesses, on the injuries which the construction of the lines would cause to the properties in question, and to the eligibility of ether lines to meet the wants of the district, The Committee could stand It no longer, and the room was cleared for the decision on the merits. After the lapse of a few minutes parties were readmitted, and The CHAIRMAN announced the decision of the Committee—" That the preamble of the Harecastle and Sandbach Bill was proved ; as also those of the Chumet Valley and the Potteries." The Committee then adjourned till twelve o'clock to-morrow. GROUP X.Y.Y. This Committee met to-day, shortly after twelve o'clock. Lord Charles Wellesley and theother members present. CAMBRIDGE AND OXFORD. The evidence in this Bill was resumed. Charles Kingsby examined—Lived in the neighbourhood of the railway. and considered that a line of this kind would be . a great ad vantage. It was extremely desirable to Hitching, at the market of which he sold his sheep. Mr. V. Prior, a magistrate of Hertfordshire—Resided at Bolton. Malt was the chief trade there, which had been decreasing in con sequence of the increased modes of land conveyance afforded to other places, which prevented them entering into successful competition. There was a good deal of plaiting carried on which afforded a great deal of employment, and which would no doubt be increased if there were an improved land carriage. He considered that the proposed railway would be of great advantage to his neighbourhood. Mr. W. Hopkins examined—Lived at Oxford, where he was a car rier. There was a great quantity of timber sent to London annually. The station of the termini of the Great Western was very inconve nient for sending timber by, and the station of the proposed railway would be much more preferable. _ . Cross-examined—Elm was the wood that he carried chiefly to Theme. He could not say tho exact quantity—perhaps it might be two hundred tons. Beech was used in the manufacture of chairs. Did not know whether the price was much increased by the quantity consumed at 'I hame. If the proposed Rugby and Oxford Junction were established they would be able to supply. -Aylesbury from Oxford at one pound a ton with coals. It would be delivered at Oxford at 15s. or 16s. a ton. Did not think the breakage of the coal of any great consequence in any coal except that from Newcastle. There was some timber sent by the Great 'Western. He understood front the most correct sources that the quantity sent last year by that way was 2,700 loads. Mr. J. B. Denton, engineer and surveyor, was employed under Mr. Locke to prepare the levels and sections. In his jndgment the line before them was the best that could possibly be made, from the care ful examination that had taken, place with respect to it, and on those results it was formed. Every care had been used to a l2i 'Cite l i. , interferingoetne wpriothpcsetdheraihluousaye general satisfaction netghbourhoor.:Zd gave rotrie:tihrtste:mthult e paerlittgihieseblienlitthnhaeet. ro they were situated under one in a • hundred. Th . bridge was lin 240. The e twenty-eighth mile from Candirld There was no gradient A yadiet4 on leaving Cam st tunnel was on the the second tunnel was on the 20th in in len gth 1,320 yards ; third tunnel was on the 30th mile in g'inngth 240 yatcis ; the fourth tunnel was on the 39th mile, length 336 yard. : and the All these tunnels were made through chalk. The cross-examination of witness was postponed till Sir. Joseph Locke examined—Surveyed the count line, and considered it the best line that could be made ry was in length 530 yards. accommodation of the country. There were h o engineering 1.-) ties on the line, which he heavies considered to be a first-rate to - morrow. for the present Tor the local difticul t cuttings were made in chalk. The sharpest curve ' the station, at Luton, and the danger • curve at the station, than any where as one of the best which it accommodated. he had ever laid down, one. The was at was less from having a else. lie Considered this sharp line from the number of plates Cross-examined—The present price of iron on em n, t ota r tt a u ct was 01. 10s t couldra ftie Thought that iron would ' fall instead of rise ne l x . t d m e ont i h ,e : per ton. knewiiedld n it ot w think e,i . T o e . prTehseent coursetal p i a i: e price ser temporary. 7x l} l 3 :sc: eedn t d h e a d t ' towards London. .but all common . . point. The object was to connect places so situated u.L.One Doint, and then give them a common directi on. Would .cer tainly wish that there was not a gradient at the stations at starting. The gradients minds line, howcver,were not difficnlt. The gradient at Dunstable was one in a hundred, which, as It was a descent at starting, he considered an advantage. He did not rely much on what was meant by compensation of momentum. The surplus of the es timate Included the Parliamentary expenses. Three-fourths of the distance was made In chalk, and nearly all the bridges were of brick. Lord Dacre examined—Owned some property in the county through which the railway would pass in Hertfordshire. Conside re d the railway would be most advantageous to the agricultural interest ou the line. Samuel Mills, Esq., examined—Had estates at Hertfordshire, and approved of the railway which was to pass through that county, which was greatly in want of such a railway. The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow. GROUP XXXIV. The Committee met at twelve o'clock. Present, Mon. Mr. Cow. per (chairman), Viscount Duncan, Man. Montague Gore, Mr. Pal• polo, and Mr. Sanders Davis, GREAT GRIMSBY Al N D SHEFFIELD JIINC■ CORNWALL AND DEVON CEN- TRAL RAILWAY. A meeting of the shareholders in this undertaking was held, at twelve o'clock yesterday, at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street. II :Williams, Esq., was called to the chair. The CHAIRMAN, in opening the business of the meeting, stated that they had called the shareholders together for the purpose of laying before them the position and state of affairs of the Company. A report had been prepared, and he would call upon the Secretary to read the same; he would then be happy to answer any questions that might be put by the shareholders present. The SECRETARY then read the report. The CHAIRMAN then stated, that in order to afford the shareholders the power of giving expression to their opinions on the subject of whether the affairs of the Company should or should not be wound up, they had prepared petitions to both Houses of Parliament. Mr. D. W. HATCVEY proceeded at some length to comment on the position of the Company, and pointed out the rea sons why the Cornwall and Devon Central Railway, in his opinion, would not participate in the benefits of the proposed Government measure. After some considerable time had elapsed, and a warm dis cussion had taken place, it was announced to the meeting by a Mr. Clipperton, a solicitor, that he had had the opinion of the Solicitor-General, to the effect that it would come within the meaning of the Act. On the motion of Mr. Osborne, of Exeter, the meeting ad journed sine die. ASSOCIATION FOR THE AID OF DRESSMAKERS AND ,MILLINERS. The annual meeting of this association was held yesterday, at two o'clock, in the rooms of the Statistical Society, 12, St. James's-square. Present—Lord Dudley C. Stuart, Earl of Arundel and Surrey ; Hon. Capt. Knox, R.N.; Rear-Ad miral Sir Charles Malcolm, Capt. Kelly, R.N. ; Capt. Hat ton, R N., M.P. ; Rev. Thomas Boodle, J. Toynbee. Esq., P.R.S. • S. Solly, Esq., F.R.S. ; General Kenah, Gene ra l Riddell, Henry Holland, Esq. ; Countess Grev, Hon. Miss C. Waldegrave, Mrs. James Taylor, and Miss Knox. Lord ASHLEY, having taken the chair, said he hoped he might be excused from detaining the meeting by any lengthened observations, for he had left another meeting in great haste, and the chair in it would remain vacant till he could return. But he could not begin the business of the meeting without congratulating them on the very marked improvement that had taken place in all their arrangements, and especially as to the regulations i n point of time ; and he hoped that they would see that the efforts they had made and the zeal they had shown had not been altogether thrown away, for great improvement had been made in the circum stances of the young females who were the objects of their benevolence— Mr. Gruntoz.n, the Secretary, was then called on to read the report, which stated that situations had been obtained through the office during the past year for 434 persons; that there had been a reduction in the hours of work ; that still there was a great want of out-door exercise, and in the matter of food there was reason to fear, in many cases, there was a deficiency both in quality and quantity. Lord DUDLEY STUART, being called on to move the first resolution, that the report be received, said, it was with great pleasure that he rose to do so ; for all would agree with him that the report read was able and satisfactory, and likely, if printed and circulated, to do much good in furthering the objects of the Association. It gratified him especially that tbere had been a reduction in the hours of toil. Employers them selves had been led to see there was a policy in refraining from overworking those whom they employed. This was acknowledged in reference to animals, but much more must over-fatigue aff ec t th e amoun t o f work done by the human being, whose mind, as well as his body, was inti mately affected. The maxim was now being generally re. ceived, that honesty is the best policy ; and in this case that maxim, he believed, applied, for it was decidedly dishonest in any person to overwork those whom they employed. He begged to add to the motion, that the report be also printed and circulated. J. TOTNBEE, Esq., seconded the resolution, which was put and carried. An amendment was moved to this resolution by a gen tleman in the body of the meeting, that no good could be ultimately done by the Association so long as foreigners were employed and ladies had their dresses made by their maids. Lord ASHLEY could not put it, as the mover was not a member of the Association. The Earl of ARUNDEL and SURREY moved that the Right Honourable Lord Ashley be re-elected President of the As sociation. S. SOLLY, unanimously. Esq., seconded the resolution, which was car ried Lord ASHLEY, in acknowledging the honour done him, alluded to the general movement throughout the kingdom, to secure for all engaged in labour a portion of each day for their mental and moral improvement. His Lordship moved the names of those to be re-elected as vice-presidents, and of those to form the ladies' committee for the ensuing year. Mr. REDM&YNE moved, "That the thanks of the meeting are due to the medical officers of the Association, for their efficient services." The Rev. TUOMAS BooDLE seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously. The Hon. Captain KNOX moved, and Mr. SMITH seconded, " That the thanks of the meeting were due to R. D. Grainger, Esq., the honorary secretary of the Association." The thanks of the meet* were voted to the Hon. Chair man, and the assembly separated. LAW INTELLIGEN CE, HOUSE OF LORDS, April 3 0 . The House sat t-d a y t o h ear a ppeals. The Peers present were Lord Brougham, Lord Cottenham, and Lord Campbell, THE EARL OF STAIR V. SING. The arguments in this — part -heard appeal were resumed and concluded to-day, and Their Lonnsaws gave judgment, dismissing the appeal with costs. COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH, April 30. THE QUEEN AT THE PROSECUTION OF THE DUKE OF ERUNS• WICK V. BARNARD GREGORY. This case, which stood adjourned from Monday, was called on to-day. It was postponed, in order to give the de fendant time to put in affidavits in answer to the charge of the prosecutor made upon the last day, to the effect, that the defendant had hired and bribed certain per sons to hiss and hoot at the Duke of Bruns wick, at the Strand Theatre. The affidavits on behalf of defendant were considerable and voluminous, and all deposed that upon the night in question, to wit, the 2d December, 1843, when defendant played the part of Shylock, in the Merchant of Venice, and the prosecutor was marked out by certain parties crying out, " Down with Brunswick, down with the murderer," which latter was un derstood to allude to the murder of Eliza Grimwood. The affidavits of defendant solemnly denied that he had in any way, directly or indirectly, used any means by which to cause any persons to annoy the Duke as represented. Mr. COCKBURN, on behalf of defendant, argued at great length in mitigation of punishment. Mr. Justice PArrEscirr, in giving judgment, said that the Court had taken into consideration the fact of the prosecutor having published a certain placard, and other circumstances, in favour of defendant; but that, on the whole, the sentence of the Court should be, that for each of the four libels in question the defendant should be imprisoned two months, that was to say eight months altogether. PARLIAMENTA I tY BUSINESS. (From the Votes a ngs of the House o f C o mmons. n : ri ProceultscoAe APRIL 30. The following Railway Bill was withdra wn liorth and South Junction. RAILWAYS. Select Committee on Group No. 5. Viscount Clive discharged; Sir D. Norreys selected, and added to the Committee. ..... Select Committee on Group No. 13. Viscount Ingestre discharged; Earl Shelburne selected, and added to the Committee. ... Select Committee on Group No. 44. Mr. Douglas discharged ; Mr. Bodkin selected, and added to the Committee. The Committee of Selection have nominated the following Select Committees on Railway Groups : A Committee consisting of —Sir G. Grey (Chairman), Captain Gorden, Earl of Arundel, Hon. J. Howard, and Sir S. Glynne, to whom they have referred the Bills comprised in Group No. 22 of Rail way Bills, viz. : Ipswich, Norwich, and Yarmouth, Halesworth and Norwich, __ Ipswich and Bury St. Edmund's (Norwich Extension), Norfolk (Extension to Stow market, &c.), Norfolk (Extensions), Waveney Valley and Great Yarmouth. The Select Committee to meet on Thursday, May 14, at one. A Committee consisting of—Mr. Pusey (Chairman), Mr. Botfleld, Sir J. Hops, Mr. Mitcalfe, and Lord Ossulston, to whom they have referred the Bills comprised in Group No. 23 of Railway Bills, viz. : Nortblk (Extension to Yarmouth), Norfolk (Norwich Branch), East Dereham and Norwich, Norfolk (Extension to Dereham, Wells, and Blakenoy), North of Norfolk. The Select Committee to meet on Thursday, May 14, at one. A Committee consisting of—Mr. M. J. O'Connell (Chairman), Dr. Bovrring, Mr. Forbes, Mr. E. Lockhart, and Mr. Mainwaring, to whom they have referred the Bills comprised in Group No. 26 of Railway Bills, viz.:— Eastern Counties (Epping Extension), North Gravesend. London and South Essex, Thames Haven Dock and Railway. The Select Committee to meet on Thursday, May 14, at ono. _ . . C. Round (Chairman), Lord J. f iu M rr r o . ughs, and the Hon. C. Cavendish, tilf Manchesterithaea n A lyl wihieaayrvs, Committee Sir jf. H consisting aii.ord,m r o . to whom they have referred the Bills comprised in Group No. 31 of Railway Bills, viz.:— Po: tbury Pier and Railway, Bristol and Birmingham (Bath Line), .- Bristol and Birmingham (Gloucester and S Bristol and South Wales Junction, Bristol and Birmingham (Ashchurci,Tewk t es on b e n h r o y us , a e n j d u 2 i f , al et v io e n r ) n , line), South Wales (No. 2), Gloucester and Dean Forest. Bills, viz.:— Q uu r i e a s f r e Ito h T A h e e o S m el m ec i t tt C ee om e t o n n i s t i t s e t e in to g meet on Trh.umrsLans Mr. M Ha lsey, sey, w om Sir B. Hall, lion. W. A'Court Holmes, and rips (Chairm l4 ;n a ) t , o M ne r . . Chute, Q._ Ju i n ee e t ti c on orn ( Runcorn and Preston Brook, St. Helen's Canal and Railway, Grand Junction ( Huyton to Warrington), Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire Junction, drrnedirmthiengßhilacomprised In Group No. 52 of Railway Chester and Manchester Direst, South Staffords‘hizir.e: (Showh th ill e and Portobello Branch), Grand The May 15, at one. Hon. E. A Committ e e consisting of—Mr. Bannerman (Chairman), P. Bouverie, viscount Adare Sir E. Filmer, and Mr. Fitzgerald, to whom they have referred ' Bills comprised in Group No. 54 of il nu tlY tt t e on e to to m A e s e t t o o n n , and ot h er Branches). Grand Trunk, or Stafford and Peterborough Union, Oxford, Coventry, and Burton-on-Trent Junction, Trent Valley (Alrewas Branch), London and Birmingham (Coventry to Nuneaton Extension), Leicester and Tamworth Junction, Midland (Leicester and Swannington Alteration and Branches), Midland (Burton-on -Trent to Nuneaton, and Branch), Direct Birmingham and Leicester, Leicester and Birmingham, and Branch to Coventry, Covent ry, Nuneaton, Birmiham, and Leicester. The Select Co mm i ttee to meet on Friday, May 15, at one. A. Committee conesting of—The Right Hon. F. Shaw (Chairman), Mr. Trotter, Mr. Hughes, Captain Harris, and Viscount Acheson, to whom they have referred the Bills comprised in Group No. 55 of Railway Bills, viz. : Manchester and Hyde , Sheffield, Ashton, and Manchester (Whalley(WhalleyeY Bridge and Hayfield Branches), Sheffield, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction, Congleton and Crewe , 2i - anchester, Sheffield, and Midland Junction, Sheffield, Ashton, and Manchester (Dukinfleld, Worsborough, and Glossop Branches, and sh e ffl e id Station, except the Worsleorough Branch, which is included in Group No. 37.) The Committee of Selection have appointed the Select Committees on the Groups Nos. 2, 32, 56, and 10, to meet in the week commenc ing Monday, MaY 18 ; and the Select Committees on the Groups Nos. 17, 24, 23, and 39, in the week commencing Monday, May 25. SECONDvny mand aAnw MONDAY, O I G N Nr aD G nAd S y. O 3Ft Junction.A Y R A 4 Trent Portbury Pier and Railway. Oxford, Coventry, and Burton-on-Trent. Thames Hann Beek and Railway. mlioarnaeylLteer., Bolton, and Bury Canal Navigation and Railway. .ILWAY BILLS. Sir Edmund CradoekHut - opp arrived at Farranee's Hotel, Yesterday, from raggltton Lodge, Leicester. THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 11, 1846 TION (EXTENSION No. II.) Lord Horsley, Chairman of the Great Grimsby and Sheffield Rail way to was examined at length by Mr. Hope, in favour of the proposed line. His Lordship's attention was especially directed to the Barton and Nov Holland Ferries over the Humber, and the preference the latter which had been given by the Post-office over the other, and to the superior accommodation offered by the proposed railway for communication between the agricultural and manufacturing dis tricts over that by the Hull and Lincoln line. Other witnesses were called to give evidence on the same points. GROUP XXXVII. The Committee met to -day at twelve o'clock, in Roam No. 2l' (Grand corridore). present, Lord Seymour (chairman), Viscount Rbrington, Mr. F. French, Lord Edwin 11114, and Sir Ralph Lopez. There having been a mistake In the votes, in which the time •of meeting was set down as " one" o'clock, whereas the Committee actually met at " twelve," there was considerable delay, before the parties were in attendance and ready to proceed. The Committee at length resumed the convideration of the slizrinExm, ROI•RERHAM, 33ARNSLEY, :___ vraxErxEL D, it ,-.lrDimßsrzELD, AND GOOLE. Thomas part i Chambers, bentethe pr.. ers, a proprietor of coal mines and iron wor k s, at Thorncliffe, n the between Shehleld aud Barnsley), was exa half-way mon the di b s Act through which the line is pr o p ose d to t to prove the value o f t h e ac commodationestn lines a t Riding, and that it was superior in its claims to the propo se d un pass ps (being g which the railway would give to that part o f t h e W ad branches. The evidence of this gen tl eman was cl su bstantially the same as that given by Mr. George Ch am b ers yesterday. C ross -examined by Mr. Sergeant Witareemot — The witness was not able to state exactly what would be the advantages of th e b ranch contemplated by the Manchester and Sheffield Railway. He was convinced that they would not be so great to the district in question, certainly not to that part in which his works were situated. With respect to Sheffield, there were coal works in the town, or rather on the south and east side of it. The coal was of the Silkstone forma tion, and there was enough in the immediate neighbourhood of the town to supply it for some hundred years to come. But then, that part of the great coal bed was more diffi cult of working than out of the pits near by Barnsley. Witness supplied the gas-works at a lower rate than they were supplied from the Sheffield works. If he could send his coal by railway to Sheffield, taking into account the expense of working the_, coal mines of the Duke of Norfolk at Sheffield, he would be able to meet the produce of the latter on equal terms. In cross-examination by Mr. FicgEnneo, on the part of Earl Fitz william, and other opponents of the Bill, the witness stated that this railway would come close to his own works, but would not go nearer than three miles to the Milton works ; hut there existed tram ways which connected his works and the Milton works with the line of the proposed railway. The remainder of the cross-examination elicited nothing material. Mr. Henry Unwin, of Sheffield, iron-master, was examined by Mr. LAING, on the part of the promoters of the Bill, and gave detailed evidence to show that the proposed line would benefit the manufac turers of Sheffield by opening to them an access by railway to the coal of the Silkstone and Barnsley beds. The parties who supplied the coal at present to that town, whether from the neighbourhood and the site of the town Itself, or from Derbyshire, would be obliged to lower their prices if the Silkstone and Barnsley coal could be brought into competition. The witness was cross-examined at great length as to the items of the tables of calculation (computed by himself) as to the consump tion of coal of various kinds in the different departments of manufac ture in Sheffield. Ultimately it was agreed that he should take time to prepare a part of the details in another form, for the satisfaction of the opposing counsel. The next witness, Mr. Edwin Unwin, is a director of the gas com pany at Sheffield, gave evidence of a similar character in favour of the Bill. TLe coal purchased at the pit's mouth, within 300 yards of the Sheffield Gas Works, was charged 6s. 10d. per ton ; whereas the price of the Mortumney coals, the works being about eight miles from Sheffield, coat about 4s. , cl. at the pit's mouth. This could be delivered in Sheffield, if this railway were completed, at 6s. per ton. The Sheffield Coal Company would be obliged to reduce their prices, and the gas rates would also be reduced. The witness was cross-examined at great length. lie was de cidedly of opinion that there was a scarcity of coal in Sheffield, and that the wants of the town would be supplied by means of this railway. Mr. Swan, manager of the Chapeltown Iron Works, near Sheffield, was examined to nearly the same effect, in favour of the Bill. By means of the railway, the carriage of mineral from the works to Sheffield, and the delivery there, would be reduced from ss. to ls. Gd. per ton. Ills company would " unlock" more of the mineral, and they would be able to dispose of a large quantity of engine coal which at present was waste. The railway would give other means of saving, so as to increase the supply, and lower the price of their iron. Mr. J. Fletcher, of Goole, shipowner and builder, also gave evi dence in favour of the line, as serving to connect that port with the Silkstene and Barnsley coal field. Evidence in support of the traffic tables was then adduced, and The Committee adjourned at four o'clock. GROUP XL. The Committee met at two o'clock. in Room 26, Mr. Stafford O'Brien in the chair. The following Bills have been referred to their consideration : Lancashire and Yorshire (North-Eastern), York and Lancaster, Leeds and York, Leeds, York, and Midland Junction, York and North Midland (Leeds Extension), North•Westem, and Morecombe Har bour and Railway. The first Bill taken was the YORE AND NORTII MIDLAND (LEEDS • EXTENSION). The Hon. Mr. TALBOT, Q.C., opened the case for the promoters. The object of the Bill was to do away with a very inconvenient and circuitous route on the York and Leeds line. This Bill would give a direct communieation between Tadcaster and York. Passing from Tadcaster they came down to the Leeds and Selby Railway, of which railway they would avail themselves. They would finally cross the North Midland station, which was an exceedingly commodious one ; that of the Leeds and Selby being a very indifferent station. By means of a branch at Skipton, they would have a communication with the Leeds and Bradford Railway, which he had no hesitation in saying would Involve as commercial results as any line in the kingdom. Thence they would have a communication with Hull, and all the lines lying on the west of that port. The total length of the extension would be 17 miles, which would involve an expense of 360,0001. There was a rival line, for which his Learned Friend 'Mr. Baines appeared; and the Committee would find, on looking at the map, that instead of making 17 miles only of railway they would be compelled by their plan to make 26 miles and 3 furlongs. This company did not propose to intersect any property the owner of which was opposed to that intersection. Whether his Learned Friend's clients were so fortunate he knew not. He con cluded by tendering evidence. Mr. Alexander Sherrif, of Marsh-lane, Leeds, said he was assistant to the superintendent of the goods station at Leeds. The station was very limited, as this was only the second railway constructed in the kingdom All the goods going from Hull to Leeds arrived at this station. Unless this 8111 were suffered to pass, the traffic be tween Bradford and Hull, which was exceedingly extensive, would have to be carried round by Castleford. That traffic was about 3,6001. per week. Considerable competition would exist between this company and the canal in that district, even in the event of this Bill passing. Cross-examined by Mr. lianas (who appeared on behalf of the Leeds, York, and Midland Junction.) He had heard complaints for several years of the insufficiency of the station, but within the last two or three years those complaints had very much increased. The plans for these extensions were published at the close of the last year (which was after the publication of the Leeds and York Company's plans). Mr. John Waddington, resident until recently at Leeds, stated that he had for several years carried on the business of a merchant there. Is a Director of the Leeds and Bradford Railway Company, and was acquainted with the merits of the three competing schemes before the Committee— viz., Leeds and York, Leeds, York, and Midland Junction, York and North Midland (Leeds Extension); and he was decidedly of opinion that that of this Company was of the utmost public importance. Was of opinion that a connexion between the Leeds and Bradford and the Hull and Selby Railways was a matter of great importance. The cost of the Leeds and York scheme would be about double that of the construction of the other scheme, and he did not believe that, if carried out, it would be a remunerative line. The gross receipts per annum could not be more than 3,0001. Cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant Winans (who appeared for the Leeds, York and Midland Junction)—Was a proprietor In this Com pany, and concurred in a petition of the Leeds and Bradford Railway Company, against the Leeds and York. In that petition there were the words, " That the Leeds and York scheme was totally unnecessary and uncalled for, inasmuch as there was now, and had been for several years an efficient communication between Leeds and York, which the York and North-Midland Railway Company were most ready to extend. It was pro posed to connect the Leeds and Selby line and the Leeds and Bradford station, by a line coming in at the North Midland a little below this Company's branch there. There must be detentions tinder Lord Seymour's Act at the two proposed junctions of the line, the speed being then required by law to he reduced to six miles per hour. There would be only one detention on the Leeds, York, and Midland Junction, but he was of opinion that it would he as inconve nient as the two detentions on this Company's line. He had never seen any quotation of the shares in the Leeds, York, and North Mid land. Lord HAREwooD was next called, and said that this railway would pass through one of his farms. Was no great friend of railways that passed through his property. There had been a meeting in his neighbourhood to take into consideration the merits of the three rival schemes, and they came to the conclusion that this line would give the greatest accommodation, if any such accommodation was neces sary. The Leeds and York line left out some of the most important towns and villages lying between Leeds and York. There was, at one season of the year, considerable passenger traffic between Scar borough and Harrogate. Cross-examined by Mr. HARDY (who appeared for the Leeds York direct)—No representative of the interests of the two rival,. of this Company was present at the meeting alluded to, althougk Mr. Iludson, the Chairman of this Company was there. Therewas one gentleman (Mr. Hatfield) who opposed the Leeds and York W I, L e L e k d six and s— ord.hr ekT l : l a u a.d d n : o drit n tehe er a wL t waeo t sc h ud a lesd t : although he was now in favour of it. it B y er o g f ean th t e me C er s ing e d x en a i n ed in th ed e b n y ee M es r s York, and Midland Junction. At that time no plan but aprospectus r o e f e ld eiv r e . I gr lu e d a so t n b 's en li e f fi le ts wa i s f parodrzucweady. pAasbsboedtfonredarant opinion that this Company's scheme was more direct than the Leeds, York, and Midland Junction, although, if he were convinced that it was actually a mile longer than that of the line for which he (Mr. Sergeant Wilkins) appeared, his opinion would of course be im mediately changed. Sir Edward Vavasour said he was owner of Hazlewood, on which he had a mansion in which he resided. The estate was a very extensive one, and it had been in the Vavasour faintly since the Conquest. This Company's scheme would pass over his estate for two or three miles in a very objectionable way, and he had presented a petition against the scheme some time ago, but at that time there was no rival in the field. He was, however, of opinion, that this scheme was a good one, and ought to be encouraged. Cross-examined by Mr. HARDY—Had not very fully considered the merits of the Leeds and York scheme. Cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant WiLioNs—The line of the Leeds, York, and Midland Junction would pass a mile and a halt distant from his mansion, whilst that of Mr. Hudson would pass at a distance of a mile and a quarter, and would very much injure his estate. It would also pass over Lord Hanck's estate in a deep cutting. His own estate would also be very much cut in one place, and embanked in another for the purposes of this Company's scheme. He did not know whether those cuttings and embankments would be greater or less than those proposed by the Leeds, York, and Midland Junction. Mr. Hudson had announced that there were shares - reserved for, the t owners of property through which his scheme would pass. The premium on those shares was now cent. per cent., but_ they were at one time much higher. Mr. Richardson (Mr. Hudson's solicitor), and Mr. Birkenshaw, his engineer, were present at the meeting held at Mr. Fox's, for the con sideration of the different lines by the landowners In the district through which they proposed to pass. Mr. George Heart, of Leeds, was next examined, and said he was a merchant residing in that town for the last four years, and was acquainted with the Marsh Lane station, which was in a most convenient position, and not at all adequate to the traffic that en tered the town by the Company's line. It was of importance that all the goods arriving at Leeds should meet at a common central sta tion. That object could only Le advanced by some scheme which would connect Leeds and Bradford and the North Midland Railways. He was of opinion that that junction ought to be effected by the ex isting company, as other new companies would be compelled to charge tolls which would be too high, and the question of tolls would not be the only inconvenience. There should be unity of manage ment. Cross-examined by Mr. BAINES, on behalf of the Leeds and York —He was of opinion that the neighbourhood of Wellington would be the most desirable point for a passenger steam in Leeds. Mr. Thomas Johnson Fox was the next witness—Was land-agent for the last seventeen years to the property of the Miss Gaskin, who were landowners in the district through which this line would pass. This Company's line would give a direct communication to the people of Leeds with the coal mines of his employers ; nd which were worked to a very great extent. Todcaster was by far the most important town in that district, and yet the Leeds and York scheme would not go near it. If the Leeds and Selby line were extended, he believed that a much greater quantity of coals would be forwarded along it to th e town of Leeds. The ease was, a t t hi s stage of the proceedings, adjourned until to marrow, th e Speaker haviaz been announced to be at prayers. : - e` , -committe e No. 1. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) The Committee then proceeded with the BErtits AND HANTS (1117NGERFOISLD EX TENSION AND RADSTOCZ. COLLzZ LINE). This line came on, ay agreed last week, but was found to be very deficient in the formal proofs, a number of the witnesses uot being in attendance. In one instance it was shown that a warrant had servedo n evidenceone as of h e the w o a u b s h e , nhtawv have tn g e i s y s e e n s , now, t i h n a ts Sub-Committee ite , i given t e No. 2, the Bill h av i ng b een or i ginally brought before that Committee. the been same The lists produced by him on that occasion were handed in and proved, and the Committee determined to report that evidence had been given of the service of a warrant on the witness, and of the list having been proved in the other Committee. The nature of the proposed extension is apparent Nom the name. The length of the line will be thirty-eight miles, and the estimated cost will be 850,0007. Mr. I. K. Brunel is the engineer, and Messrs. Burke and Co. are the Parliamentary agents. Mr. COATES and Mr. Weema appeared in support of the petitions of various owners and occupiers on the line. That part of the formal proofs with which the promoters were pre pared being completed, the evidence on the part of the petitioners was proceeded with. The first allegation, and several others, mostly referring to the omission of names from the book of reference, and non-service of notices, were declared proved. Others were not sustained, and some withdrawn. These allegations occupied till four o'clock, when the Committee adjourned. — O p F res L en O t,RtDe S. Earl of Sh a f tesbury STANDING ORDERS' TEES. COvimiT o in n e d lit , t a Oh n iU d s dS L a o Ey rd Hawarden. h hP b mS rought before the Committ ee Was the case of the the T T : pe e n ! o r k : ei L l yoo of : Ra s si h pc i OMAGH, DUNGANNON, ARMAGAY.H, AND BELFAST JU NCTION RAILW The remaining portion of the names of the promoters having be en proved, the Committee Intimated that the Bill had passed their Lord- lips. Their Lordships rose at fire o'clock. nia_persons from Lille have been sentenced to a short period of imprisonment by.,the tribu t ual of Brussels, for bringing French children into Belgium, and there leaving thozn in theturning. boxes of the foundling-hospitals, such establintatents having been Itoppreased in the department du Nord, IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, April 30. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat upon the Woolsack at Five o'clock. CHARITABLE TRUSTS BILL. The Duke of CAMBRIDGE said he had to present a peti tion from the trustees of the Foundling Hospital, against the Charitable Trusts Bill. His Royal Highness read the peti tion at length, which was then laid on the table. The Duke of WELLINGTON presented a petition from the trustees of the Lying-in Hospital against the same measure. Lord CAMPBELL said he had also to present to their Lordship? House several petitions against the Charitable Trusts Bill. —( Hear hear, and laughter from Lord Brougham.) His Noble and Learned Friend might laugh, but the petitions were from the Cordwainers' Company . and several bodies against that Bill. There were several petitions now lying on their Lordships' table, in which the petitioners request that the Commissioners of the Court of Chancery will prosecute certain persons for ap plying money which had been given for charitable purposes, to their own individual use. Lord COTTEN HAM presented petitions from St. Mary, Whitechapel, Dundee, and several other places, against the Bill. Lord BROUGHAM said that he had also a petition to pre sent from a respectable individual. praying that this Bill might pass ; and it was not only the opinion of this gentleman, but of several other individuals, that the funds given for charitable uses should not be applied to purposes of jobbery, guzzling, corruption, and all those other vices which his Noble Friends were desirous to pat ronise.—( Great laughter, and cries of " Name, name.") Oh, he would not conceal the name—the petition was from Mr. Henry Walker, surgeon, St. John's-street, Clerkenwell, and when his Noble Friend was talking about the number of petitions, and the number of petitioners by which they had been signed, he must say that he thought the number which he had presented was greater than theirs. But the real question was, not the num ber of petitions, but whether they were right or wrong. Now, Mr. Walker happened to petition for that which was right, whilst those presented by his Noble Friend happened to be wrong. He would say nothing further upon the subject, but reserve his suggestions until the Bill came under the discus sion of their Lordships. Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from Major- General Wyndham against a railway proposed to be con structed in the north of England, near his property at Cocker mouth, by which his castle, which had continued in the pos session of his family since 1068—the days of William the Con queror—would be very much injured. The line would pass within a third of a mile of the castle. This was an interference which he was sure their Lordships would not sanction, the more especially as th e cas tl e h a d b een i n t h e possess i on f the family for 800 years, and had latterly been very much im proved. The promoters of that railway, however, did not care if they had possessed it for 8,000 years, or before the flood. Earl FITZ WILLIAM presented several petitions against the Charitable Trusts Bill. INSOLVENT DEBTORS' AMENDMENT ACT. Lord BROUGHAM moved the first reading of an Act for amending the law of insolvent debtors. Earl GREY presented a timber of petitions against the Charitable Trust' Act ; and another petition in favour of a Ten Hours' Bill. The Noble Lord also presented a petition from Manchester, complaining of the careless manner in which railways are managed, and praying the House to pass an Act compelling railway companies to compensate the relatives of persons killed upon their lines. RELIGIOUS OPINIONS RELIEF BILL. The LORD CHANCELLOR said, that upon the second reading of this Bill he felt bound to call their Lordship? at tention to it. His Noble Friend had framed a Bill last year for the purpose of repealing several penal Acts against her Majesty's Roman Catholic subjects. He at that time asked the Noble Lord to entrust the Bill to him. His Noble Friend complied with that request, and he (the Lord Chancellor) laid the matter before her Majesty's criminal law ad visers, after which a Bill was introduced to their Lordships' House which met with very little opposition, and was passed by a very great majority in the other House of Parliament. He had pledged himself to look inte the merits of the subject, and with that pledge he had complied, and accordingly he had referred the matter to her Majesty's first criminal law adviser ( Sir Edward Ryan) and other eminent lawyers. It was possible that considerable difficulty had been felt by some parties at some portions of the Bill. To the former part of it considerable objeetion might be entertained, but in the other he conceived there would be no objection whatever. He had, therefore, determined to divide the Bill into two parts. The first part related to oaths, which it was necessary for minis ters of the Church of England, as well as Dissenters to make on certain occasions. The other related to cer tain disabilities under which some portion of her Majesty's sub jects at present laboured. To the first part no objection what ever could be taken, and the other proposed to repeal no less than thirty Acts of Parliament which imposed disabilities on persons of the Jewish persuasions. The two first of these Acts were those of Henry 111. aod Edward 1., by which it was de creed that persons of that persuasion could not possess land or houses for their own dwelling. That Act imposed various re strictions and indignities—one of them was that badges should be worn both by males and females, and it described the form which these should be. He thought, therefore, that he had shown satisfactorily that it was necessary to afford relief, and that the Bill should be read a second time. The next point to which he would allude was the penalties imposed by the Act of the sth and 6th of Edward VI., and he could not refer to this without alluding to the Aets passed in the reign of Queen Elizabeth and Charles. A form of prayer was established in the reign of Edward VI., which was to be used in different chapels of the kingdom. Certain penalties were imposed upon those who did not conform and join in that prayer. That prayer was altered' in the several reigns which succeeded. These penalties were afterwards confirmed and others were added. One of these was, imprisonment of six months for the first offence, for the second offence one year, and for the third offence imprisonment for life. These penalties were still existing, for they had been continued by different Acts of Parliament down to the present time. In the session before the last, their Lordships repealed them so far as they related to Roman Catholics, but they were still con tinued so far as Presbyterian Dissenters were concerned. A Dissenter, however, escaped from these penalties by taking a particular oath; but was not this an inconsistency? But their Lordships must remember that people of the Jewish persuasion were always subject to those penalties, for they could not take the oath to which he had already referred. He hoped their Lordships would think, then, that the 3d of Edward the Sixth ought to be repealed. Now, then, the second penalty to which he had referred required every person to attend the service of the Church in his parish every Sunday, and if he did not, he was liable to be admonished or subjected to a penalty. Now he proposed also to remove these penalties ; but a Right Rev. Prelate, for whose opinions and character he entertained the highest respect, was desirous that the first penalty should be still applied to parties connected with the Established Church. It was for their Lordships to consider if any, and what, proceedings had been taken under the powers of these Acts. It appeared then that for the last one hundred and fifty years no proceedings under such statutes had been taken, and it was now for their Lordships to consider whether it was necessary to have such a law at all.—( !Lear, hear.) He alluded to the first of Elizabeth ; there was a clause which enacted that any one acknowledging the supremacy of the see of Rome, was subject to a penalty of forfeiture of his goods and property; for the second offence they were to be further punished, and for the third offence they were to be deemed guilty of high treason. These were monstrous acts, and ought to be repealed. It was true, that the Act relating to high treason had been repealed, but the others still remained on the statute-book in alt their original force. He proposed that these Acts should be re pealsd. They applied alone to Roman Catholics, and did not apply to sectarians generally. They all knew the Roman Ca tholics of this country, and it could not be denied, that the fundamental principles of their religion was to acknowledge the supremacy of the Roman Pontiff in religious matters. It was preposterous, then, to suppose, that any penalties could be retained against Roman Catholics for holding the ecclesiastical and spiritual headship of the Pope. But he had heard it in timated, not asserted, that opposition would be offered, from a quarter where he would have least expected it; but if it were to be so, he conceived that no opposition could be more in famous, or less maintainable, more utterly hopeless than that was. This Act was not to prove that ecclesiastical supremacy which had been over and over again declared by the ancient Acts of Parliament. The words which specified it in the sth of Elizabeth were precisely the words used in the first. It had been stated before, in the same terms, in the sth and 26th of Henry VIII., and was, he held, an inherent and an inalienable right in the Crown of these realms. A Right Rev. Prelate, an ancient friend of his, proposed that the penalties, as far as related to the ministers of the Established Church, should not be repealed, with regard to the supremacy. To meet that, he would propose that these Ministers should still be subject to the censures of the Church; and would introduce a proviso that the clause should in no way affect the other clauses of the Bill. He would now come to the statute passed against Popish ~,recusants, and with regard to that statute he should say that no one could doubt the propriety of abolishing the penalties which that statute imposed. The next Act of Parliament to which he referred was the statute of James, which required parties to attend their parish church on the anniversary of what was called the gunpowder plot, and any person who disobeyed this injunction was li a bl e to b e indicted for a misdemeanour. So -far as the Roman Catnolics were concerned, they had already passed an Act of Parliament, relieving them from the provisions of this Act, but they were still applicable to the members of the Church of England, Dissenters, persons of the Jewish persuasion; but he was sure their Lordships would agree with him that this Act aught to be repealed in respect to them also. The next Act of Parliament to which he wished to refer, prohibited the introduction into this country of books, and papers, and writ ings, from the see of Rome. Any person infringing this Act of Parliament was guilty of high treason, and was liable to be tried and executed for that offence. Every body knew the his tory of this Bill. Pope Pius the Seventh excommunicated Queen Elizabeth, and the Bull for this purpose was fixed up to the palace of the Bishop of London, and upon some place in the metropolis of France, which excited the indignation of the monarch of that country. It was under these feelings that the Act was passed ; and he would tell their Lordships why it ought to be repealed. Their Lordships had already passed a law tolerating the performance of the Roman Catholic wor ship ; but this could not be done without the clergy and 'pre lates of the Church communicating with the Pope of Rome ; and it was for this reason, as well as from a know ledge that neither Scotland nor Ireland passed a similar Act that he proposed their Lordships should repeal it. He now came to the 1 Ith and 12th William 111, which were two of the severest Acts that ever were passed. By these Acts any person seizing a priest after having performed mass, was to receive 100/. ; and every young person, on attaining the age of 18 years, was called upon to take a number of oaths'; and he thought their Lordships would have no objection to repeal an Act of that sort. By the 2d of Anne, any person becoming reconciled to the Church of Rome, or causing another person to be reconciled to that Church, subjected himself to the penalties of prwmunire. Their Lordships were aware that the effect of a prwmunire, was to place a person out of the pro - tection of the law; and it had even been debatede had no whethersuch a person might not be slain with impunity. H hesita tion in saying that that Act ought to be repealed. By another Act of Parliament, no person could keep a school, or become a tutor in a private family , with out a licence from the Bishop or Archbishop of the diocese. By another Act of Parliament any person not going to church was subject to a pecuniary penalty; and when he was told that these Acts were obsolete, he could not help recollecting that within four or five years fourteen poor labourers had been convicted under it, and sent to prison, and were only released after an applica tion to their Lordships. By the Ist of Elizabeth, any person net going to church, or refusing to go, was subject to a fine of 20/. a month during the time of his abstaining from going. An option was given afterwards to the Crown to seize upon the lands of the recusant ' • and in one year the fines amounted to 30,0001. These penalties also affected a married woman, and if her husband chose to pay the penalties to liberate her, she was only then freed from the consequences of her recusancy. He had now made his statement, and Ire was prepared to give every explanation in his power, to 'any Noble Lord that might require it. If any mischief enuld result from the repeal of these stringent enactments, he would be sorry to propose their abolition. lie had now to con clude, by proposing that the Bill be read a second time. Lord BROUGHAM quite concurred with his Noble and Learned Friend, that no man could rise in that House and pro pose the continuance of these penalties on the statute book. He entirely concurred with his Hon. and Learned Friend on the Woolsack on this subject. His Noble and Learned Friend had alluded to the fact of this disgraceful law having been brought into operation in the year 1841, and he defied the art of man to point out anything that could more enliven the dormant snake into . a vicious vitality. In that case the worthy magi strates could not forget the unfortunate men for poaching. But, determined as they were not to allow them to escape, one of the worthy magistrates cried out, " Oh, but you were not at church last Sunday." " No," said his victims. " Oh, then," said he, " it's Queen Elizabeth's shilline." They were therefore fined Queen Elizabeth's shilling, which in value amounted to one pound eight shillings, and they being labour ing men and unable to pay that sum, were committed to prison for one month. The Act said that we must attend our own parish church—so that it would not do if we were to attend any other church—for the words of the Act fixed the place of worship. Penaltiea, restricting a man from the exercise o 1 his religion according to his own faith, penalties, not against the individual for an act committed against the country, but for the exercise of a particular faith, for opinions expressed, or for worship exercised, ought not to be allowed to remain on the statute book. But when they proposed to remove penalties inflicted upon persons for introducing into this country the edicts, the bulls, and decrees of a foreign potentate, who as sumed superior jurisdiction in matters ecclesiastical, not alone in his own country, but over the whole world, and over the subjects of her Majesty the Queen of England, he for one could not agree to such a proposal. If the Pope sent a bull into this country, in any way libelling the Church of England, the Sovereign, the State, or the Par liament of this country as by law established, the person who fixed that bull up or published it was amenable to the law as it now stands. But the ingenuity of the Vatican did not stop there; the Vatican was too ingenious to make any such mistake as that. It well knew how to issue its de crees through the priest to the congregation, and obtained such an influence as would very mischievously effect the minds of the people. He, therefore, saw great difficulties w hich in duced him to pause before he assented to the repeal of all these penalties ; for there was not a body of men on the face of the earth more slavishly subnais , ive to the will of a tyrannical master than were the priests of the Roman Catholic Church to the Pope's commands. They might laugh at the temporal power of the Pope, but through the submission of the Catholic priests to their Sovereign, the Bishop of Rome, there was no potentate in the whole world more powerful in spiritual matters than the Pope. The penalties of presnaunire and recusancy were absurd penalties, and they ought not to be allowed to remain on the statute-book. He had only to add, that they could not altogether dispense with the prohibitions as to processions. He knew how offensive these Popish processions would prove to the people of England, and he considered that they would excite strong feelings among the inhabitants of Birmingham and other towns. With regard to bells he would say nothing, as he did not think their orthodoxy could be affected by them. The LORD CHANCELLOR intimated that there was nothing proposed in the Bill with regard to bells. He had great respect for the Roman Catholics ; he had nothing to do with their religious superstitions—he only wondered how they believed in them.—( Laughter.) The Noble ais s l Learned Lord had stated the case for a repeal of this Aet in i clearest manner—as he did on every other matter—and he trwied their Lordships would see the necessity of repealing the ! - .st. The Bishop of LONDON said he had to address a few words to their Lordships on the Bill before the House. He had not gone fully into a comparison of all these statutes, because it required rather a legal than a theological mind to look properly into them; but, after such consideration as he could give them, he had come to the determination not to resist the second reading of the Bill.—( Hear, hear.) The last ques tion was, whether those penalties could not be modified, for it should be recollected that this claim of the Pope to supremacy had never been formally and openly laid aside or renounced. By that supremacy the Pope claimed the right to exonerate her Majesty's subjects from their allegiance. He did not expect this doctrine would be openly promulgated, because he appre hended that thej person proclaiming would subject himself to the punishments of a seditiou s A c t. He named this, because he conceived that it would in some degree account for the apprehension which it had been intimated was entertained by himself and the friends near him, and because he thought that this Bill might be going further than his Noble and Learned Friend apprehended and intended it should do. It should be recollected what the circumstances were under which the sth of Elisabeth was passed, and the fears which were then ascer tained. The Commissioners who prepared the Toleration Act, had expressed their opinion that the clause imposiug penalties might be modified, but that it should not be altogether abrogated If the Roman Catholic religion was tolerated at all he did not see how they could continue these penalties. He was extremely glad that some objection had been made by a Noble Lord to part of the Bill, but he quite concurred that as far at least as supremacy, it was a political question. He confessed that he at one time wished the assistance of her Majesty's judges, with regard to these provisions, but after what transpired he thought they would generally concur in removing those dishabilities from the freedom of opinion. Lord CA MOYS returned his thanks to the Noble Lord for having introduced such a Bill; and he quite concurred with him that these odious penalties should be repealed. He thought, however, that the laws which forbade Roman Cntholics to present to livings should alas be repealed. No evil could result from Roman Catholics having that power, for the clergyman would require to be pre viously examined before his presentation to any living. (The Noble Lord then quoted from Butler's edition of Coke upon Littleton, to prove that no danger could result from Roman Catholics having that power. ) If the Acts of the 10th of George IV. were examined, it would be found that the Roman Catholic divine, who allowed himself to be called Archbishop, was liable to a penalty of one hundred ponnds. How would this apply to the Right Rev. Dr. Murray, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin. That Right Rev. Prelate was always acknowledged as the Archbishop, but no such fine had ever been inflicted. The Noble Lord then read the Acts referred to. He could not perceive what possible purpose such Acts would serve, and he thought the sooner they were removed from the statute book the better. It was not the Catholics alone who sought to have these clauses repealed, but there was a large party, struggling for the sake of common sense and toleration, who wiahed to see these penalties blotted out of the statute hook. Representing, as he did, the Roman Catholics of the United Kingdom, he thought he had stated sufficient to induce the Noble and Learned Lord who sat upon the woolsack, to take the subject into his serious consideration, and he would leave it for the good feeling and tolerant spirit of the Noble Lord to hereafter adopt the suggestions he had ventured to throw out.—( Hear, hear. ) The Bishop of EXETER wished, after what had fallen from the Noble Lord who had just sat down, to say a few words, but he would promise not to detain their Lo r d s hip s f or more than a few minutes. He did not intend to oppose the Bill which was before their Lordships, but notwithstanding what had fallen from the Noble Lord who last addressed the House, he could not help thinking that these penalties were as justly inflicted upon certain parties at the time they were enacted as they were now justly blotted out of the statute book. Until that evening, he thought the day had gone by when a Noble Lord would get up and speak against an Act of Parliament which gave himself the right of a seat in that House, and their Lordships the benefit of his attendance and advice. T he Noble Lord, in speaking of the same Art, said a stranger coming in at the moment, and hearing what he said, would think he was quoting an Act passed in 1816, instead of 1846, but in his opinion it was foolish for the Noble Lord to talk in this strain, because although there were some offences which did not de serve to be treated as acts of high treason, yet it was necessary for their Lordships to put up with the inconvenience of prohibiting these offences, by sanctioning a legis lative measure which inflicted upon parties com mitting them penalties of a trifling character.—( Hear, hear.) At the present moment there was a Bill passing through the other House of Parliament, which appeared to him to comprise the objects of this Bill. He did hope that that Bill, which did in fact contain a clause similar to that to which the Noble Baron objected would not pass that House, but he was quite sure that if ever it reached their Lordship's table it would either be largely modified or altogether rejected. He who was at the present time Prime Minister of the country, and who had been mainly instrumental in passing the Act of 1829, had stated in the honesty of his heart, and he believed his heart was honest, that if ever any of attempt were made to do away with the small security which that Act preserved, he would give it his sternest and most decided op position. The Bill in the other House had already passed the second reading, but he believed that it would be impos sible for it to receive the sanction of the Legislature. In the Act of 1829 there was a section of what the Noble Baron termed petty regulation, but which he himself conceived to be of little importance. 1 hat section imposed a penalty of 100/. upon any one assuming the title of bishop, archbishop, or dean of any province to which they were riot entitled by the law of the land. It was evident to 'their Lordships, that there could not be two bishops of the same" province at one time. The fact was established, and the law that ruled it was recognised ; and it was no derogation from it, that the offence had been repeat edly committed, because there was a difficulty in bringing the parties who had offended under the penalties of the Act. It was not because letters appeared in the newspapers, signed "John of Tuam," that the parties were consequently convicted of the offence. They might certainly sub poena the editors, but unless it could be shown that a letter had been actually placed in their hands, signed in the hand writing of the person who claimed the title, they had no l ega l proof of the offence. But there was another important conse quence which flowed from what the Noble Baron called petty legislation. This was the declaration, under the Act of 1829, that the Church of England and Ireland was the Catholic Church, and that the Romanists either in this country or in Ireland, were in a state of sehism.—( Hear, hear. ) He would now ask if the Roman Catholics were fit persons to be trustees to present to benefices? He was astonished that the refusal of the state to grant such a power could be con sidered a degradation. It was a gross anomaly in the law of the land to allow any but members of the Established Church to make such presentations. Before concluding he would allude briefly to the Bill itself in some of its provisions. This was not the first nor the hundreth time the question of supremacy was discussed. If the Bill passed in its present form they would be countenancing the assumption of the supremacy of the Pope in the most illiberal manner that any Pope chose to assert. He would be glad to concur with the Noble and Learned Lord in mitigating the denalties of prsemuire and high treason, but the enactment as to the supremacy of the Pope ought to have been left en un t ; touched, and he considered the safest way would have te b mitigate these penalties rather than abolisti them altogether. Nominally the Pope had no direct temporal he had that power indirectly. ha t h t that le) the p Pope, wael br ugoteef w tt h h hde e eer n n: throning kings. It would be remembered sovereigns e w r e a i s g nelectedto Europe t he announcing pontificald tiheh tthrone,fyeebt bishops m During lettersbee athe ee t o r tehitgeh reign dofidNnaolitolsetiobn;ertihbeePtohpeeirdaerloesgeiancegto him. Now this act of the Pope was defended by the great friend of Roman Catholics, Mr. Charles Butler, who went into a very a bl e an d l earne d arguolent in support of this deposition of bishops, because they would not give the allegiance which they had sworn to L on i s the Eighteenth, to the usurper of the throne. He was against taking of the statute book the penalty of supporting and extend ing the pernicious principles instilled by the supremacy of the Pope. No difficulty had been experienced from the existence of these Acts except that they were declared to be a disgrace to the statute book, and if their Lordships gave them up, they would, to any extent, be acknowledging thel supremacy of the Pope. The common law of the country discountenanced this supre macy, and he could see no reason why they should not do so in the present Act. It was difficult for him to say how they should do this, but because it was surrounded with difficulties he would leave it in the hands of his Noble and Learnd Friend on the woolsack, believing that his active and intelligent mind would find some means for getting rid of the diffieulty. Lord BEAUMONT wished tot to hes j a o Ny in oab w lef i e th wan li t i i s Noble F r i en d this Bill, B t i ti ll a , nk an in d g wordsL e a r uponn e d L theo r d f w o h r o in s t a r t od ne u x c t in h g im th , subject last alluded to by the Right Reverend Prelate who had just resumed his seat.—(Hear, hear.) He was not surprised that the Governme nt h a d thought it necessary to takesome measures for securing themselves against the supremacy of the Pope, but there were abundant means for guarding against any abase of their privileges which their priests might exercise. They might well avoid all this by a concordat, or by doing as every other G overnment in Europe had done, by placing themselves in relation with the Government of Rome. Had they done so, all difficulty would have ceased, for to all those Governments which had done so, rescripts had been forwarded empowering them to take the direction of the clergy into their own hands, and th en i t b ecame their duty to beas obedient in all spiritual matters as it was their duty to be in temporal. But in fact this dogma of supremacy was altogether regulated by different rules than those which were generally supposed to be. The dogma of supremacy, in fact, had never been fully carried out. What was the course whfch the Court of Rome had pur sued with regard to Spain? What, with regard to France and other countries ? Why, it was well known that the Pope had Beyer excommunicated the clergy who had obeyed the rulers who repudiated his authority, or taken any steps to punish them. Then, as regarded the principle of renouncing this su premacy, the rule was, that the bull was never repealed; other bulls might be issued of decidedly contrary tendency, but no bull was ever formally withdrawn. Thus it was supposed that the dogma was still insisted upon, but no greater mistake could possibly be made. With respect to the Act of the 13th of Eli zabeth, he was not at all surprised at its passing ; and when he looked back to the period, and the circumstances by which it was excited, and the history of those circumstances, he was not at all surprised at that Act passing, nor could he charge the parties through whom it became law with the spirit of persecu tion which his Noble Friend had ascribed to them. As to the danger of promulgation of bulls, it need only be observed that they were, openly passed through the post-office ; and if there were any dangerous or treasonable matter in them, the parties publishing them were equally liable to prosecution with any other doctrinal offenders against the law. If the law of su premacy had been anything such as it was represented to be, he would be a bad Catholic if he did not hold it up, and extol it as his Noble Friend had done, instead of utterly and entirely repudiating it, as he emphatically did at the present moment. lie felt bound to say that the attempt to introduce Papal domi nation in temporal affairs in all the continental countries, was without success. He would ask them to repeal those numerous A tts with ref erence t o persons profess i ng t h e R oman C atho li c religion, and to blot them out at once in the statute. Let their laws he a little more in accordance with the other civilised Governments of Europe, and let measures be adopted at once to do away with the anomaly. Their Lordships might be assured that there was nothing to fear at the present moment with respect to any attempted usurpation of the Papal power in this country. They knew little of the Roman Catholic spirit if they could think that any attempted interference on the part of the Pope in temporal affairs would not be resisted. Were they acquainted with the state of society on the Continent, and with the spirit which existed in the various Roman Catholic States ? Did they know what was the general feeling which reigned in the society in Italy and also in Spain within the last year or two ? Had they read the writings of various learned authors in France? He was convinced there was no danger in the present measure, and would willingly join in expunging those obnoxious Acts from the statute-book. He would leave, however, the entire management of all ulterior arrangement to his Noble and Learned Friends. Lord COLCHESTER said the Noble Lord had referred to the temporal changes in the Pope's supremacy which had been made in other countries. He thought that the Pope had acted very wisely in interfering in Spain, Portugal, and other coun tries, because the state of men's minds in those countries was such as not to admit of any interference en the part of the Pope in their temporal affairs. He thought that very great changes were taking place among the clergy in our country, and it was not altogether clear that their domination might not ul teriorly be greatly increased if steps were not taken to prevent it. He was quite willing to acquiesce in the principles of that Bill which provided that no penalty should be inflicted on any person professing any religion, whether he were a Roman Ca tholic, a Jew, or a Mahornedan. Lord CAMPBELL said he did not wish to throw any ob stacle in the way of his Noble and Learned Friend, but he thought at all events he ought to have introduced the two Bills together, that they might be pas s ed pari passu, and their Lordships might have the opportunity of judging of both. The state of the law with respect to Raman Catholics was most dis graceful. Roman Catholics were obliged to say that it was no part of their religion to say that they did not believe it was lawful to murder a man who had been excommunicated by the Pope, before accepting any office of trust. Noble Lords pro fessing the Roman Catholic religion, before they could take a seat in that house, were compelled to take an oath that they did not think it lawful, if her Majesty were excommunicated, that she could be dethroned by her subjects. The Bill, in its present form, met with his most hearty approval. He felt solin . fled, that unless some understanding was come to between this country and the Pope of Rome, the Roman Catholic clergy in Great Britain would never be at rest with respect to the re ligious powers they might possess and exercise. An arrange ment might easily be made which would settle all differences. He hoped that the Bill would pass with the almost unanimous opinion of the House, and trusted that the Noble and Learned Lord on the Woolsack would bring his other Bill before the House. The LORD CHANCELLOR, in reply, said he would deal with the case of supremacy. It had been suggested by a Right Rev. Prelate, that toe Judges should be summoned, in order to give their opinion upon that point. He objected to such a pro ceeding, because that point was so clear, that the Judges would think it a mere waste of time for them to attend. A very high authority had been consulted, and his opinion was clearly in accordance with his own, which had been expressed on a former occasion. Another question with respect to the promulgation of bulls from the see of Rome, had arisen. Bulls had, however, been imported with impunity into Scotland, and no harm had arisen, nor had any harm been anticipated. Why, then, was there any danger to apprehend from their importation into England? The harm was purely imaginary, and was not worth a moment's consideration. Lord CAMPBELL wanted to know when they might ex pect to see the other Bill of his Noble and Learned Friend ? The LORD CHANCELLOR said that perhaps his Noble and Leaaned Friend would take charge of it himself.— ( Hear.) He believed that " bulls " were included in the new tariff, and would perhaps be admitted under a Custom house regulation. The Al! was then read a second time, and ordered to be committed. Their Lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS, April 30. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock. NEW MEMBER. Mr. EDWARD LASCELLES took the oaths and his seat for the borough of Ripon. YORK NEW WATERWORKS. The Lords' amendments on the York New Waterworks Bill were read and agreed to. METROPOLITAN SEWAGE MANURE COMPANY. Colonel T. WOOD moved the second reading of this Bill. Sir DE LACY EVANS presented two petitions against the Bill, and moved that the second reading be adjourned for a fortnight. After a few words from Mr. MANNERS SUTTON, Colonel WOOD consented that the second reading of the Bill should be postponed for a fortnight. NORTH AND SOUTH JUNCTION RAILWAY BILL. Mr. GREENE moved that the order, referring the North and South Junctio n R a il way Bill to the Committee of Selection. be read ; that the said order be discharged, and that the said Bill be withdrawn.—The motion was agreed to. RAILWAY COMMITTEES. Mr. DUNCOM BE moved the discharge of the order for in struction to Committees on railway Bills, and to move amended instruction, namely, by substituting for the words, " And that the Committee report special!) on each of the foregoing par ticulars," the words, " And that the Committee immediately , on having completed this branch of their inquiry, report sperm cially on each of the foregoing particulars."—The amended in structions were agreed to. NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN CONNECTING RAILWAY BILL. Colonel T. WOOD moved for leave to present the Northern and Southern Connecting Railway Bill, notwithstanding the order of the House.—The motion was agreed to. FORTH AND CLYDE NAVIGATION. Mr. LOCH moved that the petition of the Company of Pro prietors of the Forth and Clyde Navigation, praying for leave to withdraw their former petition against the Stirlingshire Midland Junction Railway Bill, be read, and that the Bill be treated as an unopposed Bill, and referred to Mr. Greene, and the Members ordered to prepare and bring in the Bill. This motion was also agreed to. RESOLUTIONS ON RAILWAYS. Mr. RI6ARSO observed there was some difficulty in the minds of railway proprietors as to the interpretation of one of the resolutions that had recently been passed with respect to railways. He wished to know whether the production of scrip would be sufficient to meet the order of the House, without the attendance of the holders ? Sir GEORGE CLERK replied that the resolution was sufficiently explicit, and the best answer he could make to the Hon. Gentle►nan was to read it. The Right Hun. Baronet then read the resolution of the House, which only required the production of scrip without the attendance of the holders, either personally or by proxy. Mr. HOPE JOHNS TONE moved that the Committee on Group No. 8 of Railway Bills have leave to sit and proceed on Monday next upon the Caledonian Railway (Leith Junc tion) Bill, and Caledonian Railway ( Nlid Lothian Branches) Bill, notwithstanding that seven clear days' notice of the sitting of the Committee on those Bills has not been given at the Pri vate Bill-office.—Agreed LAW OF SETTLEMENT. Colonel T. WOOD presented a petition from a place (the name of which we could net hear) comp'aining of the law of settlement at present existing, and praying for its abolition. SALMON FISHERIES. Colonel CONOLLY presented a petition from the owners of salmon fisheries in Ireland, stating that some of them had re cently lost 5,0001. in consequence of the recent enactment, for bidding the fishing of salmon during more than one season is the year, and praying that this stringent enactment might be removed, and the laws relating to salmon fisheries in Ireland , assimilated to laws of England on the same subject. SELLING SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS ON THE SABBATH. ~ Mr. LAWSON presented a petition against the selling of spirituous liquors on the Sabbath. THE DANISH CLAIMS. Mr. G. HUDSON presented a petition in favour of the Danish Claims. ADJOURNED DEBATE ON THE COERCION BILL. On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHE• QUER, the motion of the day for resuming the adjourned de bate on the Irish Coercion Bill was read for the purpose of being:postponed till to-morrow.—Agreed to. THE CALEDONIAN RAILWAY. petition to pre sen t f ro m Sir J. G said had he a himself. The SPEAKER said the Hon. Baronet could not present a petition from himself.—(Laughter. ) Mr. S. HERBERT, under these circumstances, presented the petition from the Right Hon. Baronet. It was concern ing the Caledonian Railway. NOTICES OF MOTION. Mr. SPOONER postrmed his motion relatin,„if to the peti tion of Mr. Toulmin Smith from the 12th till the 14th May' Dr. BOWRING moved for a copy of a petition of the in' habitants o f M a l ta to the Queen in Council, on the subject of their grievances, and especially complaining of the interferenc e of the police at the last Carnival.—Agreed to. Captai n VIVIANTHE POST-OFFICE. wished to draw the attention of the House to the great irregularity which took place in the transmissio n of letters and newspapers from the General Post-office, an d upon this subject he would desire to ask a question o f the Right Hon. Member the Secretary for the Treasurir wheth er t h e Government were prepared to make a c ./ arrangements on t h e su bj ect ? A f r i en d o f hi s, on ly living five miles from London, was accustomed to receive his letters and papers eight-and-forty hours after the proper tin?e: He w ro t e to h i s news-agent, a Mr. Smith, who, in reply formed him that B' , o sacks of newspapers, posted in the morn ing, were retai ne d till th e even i ng . H e (C ap t a i n Vivian) believed that it arose from a deficiency in sorters. Mr. CARDWELL was rather surprised to hear any conl f plaint against the delivery of letters. He was aware u . some irregularity in the transmission of newsP 3 P er :f There had hien a very great increase in the circulation °f the London daily papers by the morning mails within the two months, ari, he thought that Hon. Gentlemen w ou n d 1, 1 1 0 surprised when he stated to them that he held i orin hand a re t urn in is 1116 it was stated that in week withi n th e present year the number of news papers c arr i e d b y t h e Post-office was no less than 729,0005 Perhap s some H on. G ent l emen were not aware o f the be some of those newspapers. He held in hi> hand one of . t_ " one newspapers, a n d 729,000 of those had been forwardedr ed o f, week alone !—( Hear, hear.) The irregularities comPla l wo os as he had already stated to the House, were by with th at general at the Post-office, or in any way connected sco e department. They arose from many other ca uses :s, .._ ecte d newspapers wore sent without covers, and some were mt er '_" - man y Some were sent at the very last moment. There c w not irregularities for which the Poet-office authorities w_ ere post accountable. With regard to the responaibility nf .tnl ta ken office, he had already stated the great increase which e nau as , tw o place in the dispatch of the morning mails within th in tbi! months, and there had also been a considerable increaccich ha d public business. There had been new machinery! ad only recently been put into operation. There had been n ec _ crea sing ditional number of persons appoint e d to discharge th duties, and he had every reason to believe that the uTc . / so t o ties complained of would soon b e removed. 119 lard I