The Sun. — London, England, 1866-01-05 00:00:00

Great Eng] Railways. THE SOUTH EASTKM The system of which we are now about to take stock is not, unfortunately for the proprietors, in such happy circumstances as the Great Northern, iusn which we last reviewed, bu t has had to sustain during the last few years the strain of a very severe competition. Mistaken economy, in the first instance, led the promoters of the South Eastern to be content to be an offshoot of the Brighton, while the true interest of the proprietor was to run nearly as straight as an arrow from th metropolis to Dover, regardless of all obstacle It is fair, however, to observe that when th South Eastern was first projected it was neve supposed that the relations between England alai France would expand as, they have expander during the last wonderful quarter of a century, an( doubtless the engineer in chief of the original Soutl Eastern enterprise believed that he was realli studying the interests of his employers in adoptini a cheap circuitous route. In the long run this hal proved a most serious error, for during the last ter years a formidable competitor has appeared in th( London, Chatham, and Dover, while, what with f ear f u lly expensive metropolitan extensions and new works to secure the direct route which ought to have been adopted in the first instance, the South Eastern will have to expend in the end an enormous amount of capital, upon which it is extremely doubtful whether a fully remunerative return can be obtained. But it is always easy on looking back to detect errors which might have been avoided, were men gifted with a larger share of prescience than they actually possess, and we must not be hard upon the present administration of the South Eastern for errors committed by predecessors unable to an ticipate and provide for the future course of events. With these sage reflections, let us examine the course of the traffic, &c., upon the South Eastern during the last three years—the expression " South Eastern," including the London and Greenwich, the Reading, Guildford, and Reigate, the Mid- Kent, and, as regards 1864, the Charing-cross also. Annexed are the receipts acquired, the working expenses incurred, and the profits realised upon the system in 1862, 1863, and 1864, or rather in 1862-3, 1863-4, and 1864-5, the company making up its accounts to January 31 in each year : Year. Receipts. Expenses. Profits. 1862 £1,156,416 ... £554,673 ... £601,743 1863 ... 1,162,886 ... 560,349 ... 602,537 186 4 ... 1,198,187 ... 605,586 592,601 It may be said that we have been rather hard upon the South Eastern, and that a concern which realises a profit of about £600,000 a year cannot be in a very bad way. But, in the first place, it will be seen that although the receipts have made a certain progress, yet the working expenses, by reason of the active competition which it has been found necessary to sustain against the London, Chatham, and Dover, have increased in a greater ratio, and that the net profits realized in 1864 presented a decline of £9142 as compared with 1862. This would be a trifling circumstance in itself, had not the capital account been increased from £15,304,137, raised by shares and loans, Jan. 31, 1863, to £17,561,039 similarly raised, January 31, 1865. These figures comprise for 1862-3 the Mid-Kent, the London and Green wich, the Reading, Guildford, and Reigate, and the South-Eastern. For 1864-5 they embrace the South-Eastern, the London and Greenwich, the Reading, Guildford, and Reigate, the Charing cross, and the Mid-Kent. The amount raised by . the Charing-cross, January 31, 1863, was not in cluded is the total given for that date, as this vir tual extension of the South-Eastern system was not amalgamated with the parent undertaking until September 1, 1864, and did not become a charge upon it until that date. The capital account thus appears, according to our mode of treating it, to have been increased to the extent of £2,256,902, comparingJanuaiy 31, 1865, with January 31,1863, while the profits realized in 1864-5 as compared with 1862-3 declined to the extent of £9,142. Such was the result of the competition carried on for 21 months with-the London, .Chatham, and Dover. The directors persevered with it for another year, in which period the capital account was increased to the extent of £642,575, while the net profits realized decreased to the extent of £20,630, as com pared with the corresponding period of 1864. The result of the constant additions of capital was that the dividends on South-Eastern ordinary stock,which was at the rate of £5 2s. 6d. per cent per annum for the year ending Jan. 31, 1863, was only at the rate of £2 10s. per cent. per. annum for the half year ending July 31, 1865 ; and the upshot of the matter finally was that the directors came to the conclusion that they must secure traffic arrange ments with the London, Chatham, and Dover—in other words, that the competition long and obsti nately maintained with that company must cease. The London, Chatham, and Doverwas only too glad to come to terms, and the result was an agreement between the two rival companies, to which we shall make future allusion. Meanwhile, it may be of some interest to analyse the details of the South-Eastern traffic in 1864-5--. that is, for the 12 months ending Jan. 31, 1865, 'The extent of line worked at that date was 291 miles (269 miles double and 22 miles single) as com- pared with 286 miles Jan. 31, 1864. The number of passengers conveyed in what for the sake of brevity may be termed 1864, was 15,008,755 (1,709,865 first • class, 3,419,253 second class, and 9,879,637 third class) against 13,455,053 in 1863. There were besides, last year, 3,309 holders of season or perio- dical tickets. The number of carriages conveyed last year was 2,229, of horses 9,202, and of dogs 19,615. The movement of live stock last year em braced 26,233 head of cattle, 209,788 sheep, and 7 ' 358 pigs. The slow trains conveyed, besides, 198,132 tons of coal and coke, and 690,901 tons of general merchandise. The number of passenger trains run last year was 121,326, and of goods trains 9,301 ; the passenger trains ran 3,349,218 miles, and the goods trains 837,100 miles, making an ag gregate of 4,186,318 miles. The average fares charged last year by ordinary trains were—first class, 1 - 96 d. per mile ; second class, 1.39 d. per mile ; and third class, 0 . 83 d. per mile. With ex press trains the fares were 2 . 34 d. per mile, first class, and 1.70 d. per mile second class. The receipts from passengers last year were £807,088 (1254,937 first class, £225,973 second class, £287,654 third class, and £38,542 season and periodical tickets) against £769,731 in 1863. The receipts from ex cess luggage, "parcels, carriages, horses, dogs, &c.. conveyed .by passenger trains, were £59,219 l ast year, and from mails, £34,027 ; making the total earnings in the quick train or coaching department last year £900,334. As regards the slow train ser vice, live stock produced £8,046 ; coal and coke, £31,298 ; and general merchandise, £258,509 ; making a total of £297,853. Adding this sum to the £900,334 acquired by the quick trains we have the total of £ 1 ,198,187 indicated above as the revenue of the system for the past year. It will be seen that the company's revenue is very largely depen dent upon passenger traffic, the movement of goods being comparatively insignificant. Turning now to the details of the working expenses we find that maintenance of way absorbed last year, £100,072 ; locomotive power, £145,274 ; repairs and renewals of carriages and waggons, £48,656 ; traffic charges, (coaching and merchandise,) £178,362 ; rates and Government duty, £ 27 ,995 ; corn taxes, £45,9 89 ; pensa tion for personal injury, &c., £6,297 ; com pensation for damage and loss of goods, £1,812 ; legal and parliamentary expenses, £7,943 ; and miscellaneous charges, £43,186; making a total of £605,586, or rather more than 50 per cent. of the receipts. At the close of January, 1865, the com pany possessed 214 locomotives, two Royal carriages, 33 9 first-class an d saloon carriages, 84 composite carriages, 306 second-class carriages, 419 third class carriages, 160 m ail, l u ggage, and bullion vans, tr u cks, 100 horse-boxes, 102 carr iage-trucks, six . stores vans, 2,541 goods an d coa l trucks, 185 cattle trucks, 650 timber, coke, ballast, &C./ Wagg ons ' 65 brakes, and 337 horses. This considerable plant has U lla Year been further increased to some slight extent. We have said that £17,561,039 had been raised by shares and l oans January 31, 1865. Of this total, £15,767,739 referred to the South Eastern, with which the Charing - cross and the Mid-Kent were last year amalgamated ; £BOO,OOO to the Read- ing, Guildford, and Reigate; and £993,300 to the London and Greenwich. One favourable element in South Eastern finance is the large amount of ordinary capital taken up. Thus at tl e close of January the South Eastern had issue 1 £7,993,090 of ordinary capital, upon which a dividend of 5 per cent. for 1864 was paid ; the Reading, Guild ford, and Reigate, £BOO,OOO, which received 5i per cent. for the year ; and the London and Greenwich £550,000, which received £2 14s. 2d. per cent. for the year. Of the whole capital raised by the South- Eastern and its allies in January, 1865, £9,343,090, or rather more than 53 per cent., was thus ordinary stock. The preferential capital in existence in Jan. was as follows:—South-Eastern, £2,348,592, at per cent., and £1,517,450 at 5 per cent; London and Greenwich, £210,000 at 5 percent. The South- Eastern had also issued in January £67,810 of 4 per cent. debenture stock. The state of the debenture debt account, Jan. 31, 1865, was as follows : South-Eastern, £1,313,146 at 4 per cent., £627,875 at 4k per cent., £1,912,581 at 41 percent., £142,600 at 44 per cent., and £563,595 per cent.; and Lon don and Greenwich, £233,300 at 4 per cent. The average rate of interest paid on the debenture debt has been gradually advancing, having been £4 3s. 3id. per cent., Jan. 31, 1863 ; £4 3s. Oid. per cent., July 31, 1863; £4 3s. sd. per cent., Jan. 31, 1864 ; £4 4s. 21d. per cent., July 31, 1864; £4 7s. 3id, per cent., Jan. 31, 1865; and £4 Bs. 6d. per cent., July 31, 1865. We have shown that the capital account has been largely extended during the last two years, but a great deal has of course been done for the money. Thus, the original Charing-cross undertaking has been carried out, and the works of the City Terminus Extension have now well ad vanced, so that it is expected that the city station will be available for traffic by the beginning of 1866. A portion of the new direct line to Tunbridge, ex tending from Lewisham to Bickley and Chiselhurst, was opened for traffic on July 1, 1865. The works on the remainder of the line as far as Tunbridge are proceeding, and are expected to be completed in the course of 1866. This line will shorten the main route 18 miles, and will place the company in a more favourable position with respect to Ramsgate and Margate traffic. The works are rather heavy, comprising, as they do, a tunnel at Chelsfield 594 yards in length, another at Polhill 2,530 yards in length, and another at Sevenoaks 3,451 yards, or very nearly two miles, in length. It was the magni tude and difficulty of these works which doubtless caused the abandonment of this route in the first instance. If it had been chosen it is possible that the South-Eastern might have preserved intact its originally prosperous position. We may add that the Chelsfield tunnel has been completed, while the Polhill and Sevenoaks tunnels are advancing at the rate of 30 yards per week. Although the South-Eastern has been contending with very keen opposition for the last three or four years, there is an immense vitality in the passenger traffic. Thus, while the number of passengers con veyed in the year ending January 31, 1865, was 15,008,755, it was only 13,455,053 in the year end ing January 31, 1864 ; 12,354,363 in the year end ing January 31, 1863 ; 11,598,827 in the year end ing January 31, 1862 ; 11,113,794 in the year end ing January 31, 1861; 10,531,101 in the year end ing January 31, 1860 ; 9,588,331 in the year end ing January 31, 1859 ; 9,295,089 in the year end ing January 31, 1858 ; 9,241,462 in the year end ing January 31, 1857 ; and 8,709,197 in the year ending January 31, 1856. There has thus been a steady and unchecked progress year by year in the number of passengers conveyed. There have been some fluctuations as regards classes, but the general total has been ever onwards ; at the same time, the great increase has been in third-class pas- sengers, so that the receipts from passengers have perhaps not displayed quite so much progress as might have been expected. Annexed is the yearly revenue from passengers during the last ten years, ending January 31 in each year :-1856, £685,046; 1857, £703,666 ; 1858, £707,956 ; 1859, £700,681 ; 1860, £737,190 ; 1861, £765,455 ; 1862, £729,217 ; 1863, £763,966; 1864, £755,915; and 1865, £807,088. It is interesting also to note the gradua' growth of season-ticket revenue, indicating, as ii does, the steady development of a residential traffic —1856, £22,796 ; 1857, £26,362 ; 1858, £26,847 1859, £27,431; 1860, £30,358 ; 1861, £31,013 ; 1862, £32,175; 1863, £33,429 ; 1864, £34,693; and 1865, £37,623. The traffic agreement with the London, Chatham, 'and Dover has been Concluded " with the view of avoiding the injurious effects of undue competition, and of working the traffic of the two companies more economically and efficiently." The agreement, we may add, provides for the es tablishment of a common fund, into which shall be paid—first, the gross receipts of each company from continental traffic ; secondly, the gross receipts of each company from local traffic ; thirdly, the pro portion received or receivable by each company of through-rates, fares, and charges in respect of traffic to or from the Continent, or to or from Dover or Folkestone, brought upon any of the railways of either company at London from any railway beyond London, or forwarded by either company by any other railway from London to places beyond Lon don ; and, fourthly, all subsidies or payments re ceived by either company, for the carriage of mails by railway or steamboat, either directly or indi rectly, through the medium of any other person in connection with the companies. The agreement has a number of clauses defining what is Continental traffic, what is local traffic, and what is through traffic, but we have not space to enter upon all these niceties. It must suffice to say that the common fund is to be divided between the two companies in the following proportions : Year. London, Chatham, and Dover. Per cent. 32 ...... 34 • ..... 33 ...... 36 South-Eastern. Per cent. 1863 68 1864 66 1865 65 1866 61 1867 61 1868 59 1869 56 1870 54 1871 52 For 1872 and subsequent years the proportion is to be 50 per cent. for each company. This agree ment may be all very well for the London, Chatham, and Dover, but it is scarcely so well for the South- Eastern. Supposing that by 1872 the Londo n , Chat ham, and Dover has reached an average revenue of £20,000 per week, that result can only be attained to some extent at the expense of the South-Eastern system ; but, even if the natural buoyancy of the traffic of the old network overcomes every obstacle and continues to expand to an average of £30,000 per week by 1872, how will matters then stand ? Why, each company will be entitled to £25,000 per week; and, allowing 50 per cent., for working ex penses, the net profits of the South-Eastern will be at the rate of £650 per annum. Supposing that the working expenses can be reduced to 45 per cent., the So uth-Eastern's net revenue will be in creased to £ 71 5,000 per annum, as compared with £600,000 at present. It may seem a nice profit enough, but there can be little doubt that the capital rapresented by the South-Eastern system by 1872 will be £ 1 9,000,000 or £20,000,000, of which £12,000,000 will be preference and loan capital, for it is not very likely that the directors will be enabled to issue any fresh ordinary stock. Taking the average charge of £12,000,000 of pre ferential capital of 44 4 per cent. per annum, £570,000 of the £715,000 is at once swallowed up, leaving £145,000 for division upon nearly £8,000,000, of ordinary stock, or not quite 2 per cent. This would be a grievous result, and it is right to state that it would be attenuated by such of the traffic as is not comprehended in the agreement entered into, by rents, and by miscellaneous items of revenue. On the other hand, the receipts of the two companies must experience an enormous expan sion before they attain a total of £50,000 per week between them. That would be £2,600,000 per an num, and in 1864 the revenue of both undertakings combined was £1,576,000. In other words, traffic must be developed to the extent of £1,024,000 per annum between 1864 and 1872 to enable the hypo thetical case which we set up to be realized. It may be that the local and other traffic excepted from the agreement is of more importance than we suppose ; but this is a point which must be left to the solution afforded by time. Meanwhile it does seem that it would have been better for the directors to have THE SUN, LONDO.N, FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 5, 1866. waited another year or two before coming to terms with the London, Chatham, and Dover. Even if this undertaking began seriously to stint the traffic and aggravate the working expenses, it is not the less certain that an enormous outlay had been in curred by the South-Eastern upon metropolitan and Kentish extensions, and that terms were concluded with the rival network before the utility of those extensions had been tested as a means of dealing more effectively with the competition offered. The result is this :—Eight or ten years since the South- Eastern was a prosperous company, with a brilliant future. Ever since it has been taking upon its back burdens grievous to be borne, while it has now ap peared as a kind of ally of the very undertaking which it has been endeavouring to crush. This is generally the case with foolish railway contentions ; after end less wranglings in committee-rooms, and frantic struggles out of doors,kompeting companies become loving friends, and make a submissive public pro vide, in heavy rates and fares, an interest of some kind upon their lavish and unnecessary expenditure. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. some empty waggons in the goods yard ; but, for tunately, it was not necessary to carry this plan out. The prompt action of Gilchrist and Baty was most commendable, and they are certainly entitled to the thanks of the directors for what they did.— Newcastle Chronicle. The Metropolitan Building Act, Mr. Rigby, builder, appeared before Mr. Knox, at the Marlborough -street Police-court, to answer a summons taken out by Mr. Kendall, district sur veyor, for not complying with certain requirements of the Metropolitan Building Act in the rebuilding of Saville-house, Leicester-square. Mr. Raymond, instructed by the solicitor of the Metropolitan Board of Works, appeared to support the summons and Mr. Sleigh was for the defen dant. After hearing the arguments of counsel, Mr. Knox said— Saville-house was burnt down on Feb. 20, 1865, and of the bUilding after the fire there remained the two party or west and east walls, partially damaged by the action of the fire, the front or south wall tuwards Leicester-square, and the northern walls of the building, also to a considerable extent injured by the fire; indeed, the north wall of the front building was wellnigh wholly destroyed. The roof and floors were gone, and for all practical nurposes connected with the discussion of the sum mons it may be said broadly that the interior of the building was destroyed by the fire. Of Saville house nothing remained but the dilapidated shell. With this exception, Saville-house was left by the fire a mere heap of ruin. Now, the law is, that " wherever any one building has been taken down to an extent exceeding one-half of such building, such half to be measured in cubic feet, the rebuilding thereof shall be deemed to be the erection of a new building, and every portion of such old building that is not in conformity with the regulations of this act shall be forthwith taken down." These are the very words of the act ; but though the terms used by the Legislature would appear at first sight to be clear and explicit enough, yet, as it has turned out, almost every phrase has become the subject of keen and anxious discussion. The most important questions raised are three in number :-1. What is a building for the purpose of the act; 2. What extension, if any, should be given to the term used in the act of "pulled down ;" 3. How should we proceed in order to measure the contents of a building in cubical feet. Other minor points have been raised, but upon the conclusion I may arrive at under the three heads just named my decision must turn. First, then, what is a building ? Is it a shell—the four outer walls ; or is it these with the addition of the floors and roof ; or is it all these, and whatever else is contained within these six limits? I see no reason for any variance between the conclusions of com mon sense and usage and the conclusions at which I must arrive, after a careful perusal of this statute, as to the intentions of the Legisla ture. As far as may be, I would let the statute interpret itself wherever we are left to seek the intentions of the Legislature, without help from the preliminary definitions. In the present case, how ever, definitions do help usin an indirect way. I find among them that "the area of every building shall be deemed to be the superficies of a horizontal sec tion of such building, made at the point of its greatest surface, including the external walls and such portion of the party walls as belong to the building." Here, then, the external walls and party walls are spoken of by the framers of the act in such a way as must preclude the idea that they looked upon the shell of the building and the building as identical. It may, perhaps, at this point be best to add that I have not considered it necessary to go at any length into the discussion as to the attached buildings, inasmuch as, though the point were found for the defendant, it would not better his case. I should, however, add that on personal inspection the attached buildings did not exceed the height of the ground flooring, and, therefore, cannot be taken into acccount in increase of the cubical contents. Next, when can a building be said to be pulled down? Is it necessary, as contended by the learned counsel for the defendant, that the meaning must be confined to occasions where a building has been pulled down by the hands of workmen acting under competent direction and of set purpose ? or does it mean if a building is levelledwith the ground by the act of God, as by lightning ? or, as with Saville house, if destroyed by fire ? or even if it should fall to the ground by sheer decay, that then it should not be re-erected in conformity with the provisions of the act ? Surely such an absurdity could never have been intended, as that if a ruinous building should tumble down because it was ruinous that it should be sufficient to restore it to the condition in which it was the moment before it fell. I have little of my own to add to what was urged by the learned coun sel for the complainant on this point. I do not con sider the act under review as a penal act, although it contains penalties. It is an act intended for the protection of the public out of regard for existing in terests, it does not, save as far as the provisions for " dangerous structures" are concerned, interfere with old buildings ; but, when they are once down, it enacts they shall be re-erected in conformity with the provisions of the act. It is a statute that should be read liberally for the public protection. Such, I feel sure, was the meaning of the Legislature, and although the term used might have been more com prehensive, it is, I think, sufficient to justify the view that when an old building is once down any re-erection snould be considered as within the mean ing of the section of the act now under review. Sa ville-house, then, is a building—an old building— which has been " pulled down" within the meaning of the act. I now come to the third point, which is as to how the cubical contents of a building should be measured. I should have thought this plain enough, according to the calculation of height, length, and breadth in the usual way. I cannot but say that, as it seems to me, a good deal of somewhat perverse ingenuity has been employed in making that obscure which is sufficiently clear. lam not here to inquire into the methods of calculation employed by professional men, save in so far as I ask myself if they or any of them carry out the in tentions of the Legislature. If they do this lam sa tisfied. If not, I reject them. I say that what must be calculated is not the solid contents of the containing limit, less the roof and floor, but that it must include the space contained within these limits. Take advantage of the shell as an instrument of cal culation, it is little more. The methods propounded by the district surveyor, and Mr. Nelson, the archi tect of the building, appear to me equally faulty, inasmuch as both of them ignore the proportions of the building contained within the walls, as floors, roofs, staircases, &c. The district surveyor has, I think, withdrawn his calculation as based on a faulty method, and he has done well. Of Mr. Nelson's plan it is sufficient to say that its result is a reductio ad absurdum. That gentleman appears to have proved to his own satisfaction that half of Saville- house is standing. I can only say I was there last week, and I saw several large portions of the build- ing represented by walls in aru - inous condition. One portion of a party wall had received a new facing, __ . but I cannot say I had any very robust confidence as to what lay beneath. The fire must have acted very partially indeed if it treated three of the walls in so unhandsome a way and left the fourth in a sound condition. But to return to the more immediate subject. The method propounded by Mr. Reeves, the Surveyor to the Metropolitan Commissioners of Police, has this advantage, that it actually takes account of the cubical contents of the building, and does so in a satisfactory and scientific way, which cannot, as I think, be impeached. If, then, I am right in the view that the term " build ing" in the act means the " entire building," and not merely the shell, it is obvious that, upon Mr. Reeves's method, very considerably more than half the building is gone. Saville-house must be recon- strutted according to the conditions imposed by the Act of Parliament, and every portion of such build- ing which is not in conformity with the provision of the Act now under review must be taken down. Judgment must, then, go for the district surveyor, which will be in the form of an order to comply with the requisitions of the summons in the usual Mr. Sleigh said he would take a case under the 106th section. Mr. Knox—You are at liberty to do so, provided the points raised are purely points of law. The only point before me is as to the meaning of the words " taken down." The builder will, of course, give security for costs, and an undertaking to desist in the meantime from all works the subject of discus sion in the present summons. ILLINOIS CENTRAL. The directors of this company have resolved that a dividend of 5 per . cent. in cash, free of the Go vernment tax, be paid on the Ist February next to holders of the paid-up shares in the books of the company on the 20th inst. SOUTH WALES AND GREAT WESTERN DIRECT The half-yearly meeting of this company was held yesterday at the offices, Westminster-chambers, Victoria-street, Mr. A. Darby, the deputy-chair man, presiding. The secretary having read the notice convening the meeting, The CHAIRMAN said itwould not be necessary for him to detain the shareholders by any lengthened observations, as sufficient time had not yet elapsed since the passing of the Act for any other than pre liminary steps to be taken. Two opposition schemes had been proposed, but he believed the scheme for another high-level bridge across the Severn would most probably fail on standing orders, and the other project, which was for an opening bridge, seemed a very absurd one, especially after the accident at Neath. He believed that the works of the line would shortly be commenced, and that the railway would be most successful, both as regarded the interests of the public and the return to the shareholders. A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the proceedings. PONTYPOOL, CAERLEON, AND NEWPORT. The first general meeting of this company was appointed to be held yesterday at the Padtlington station, but there was not a sufficient number of shareholders present to constitute a meeting. It was stated that the proposed line would be a short one from the Great Western Railway at Pontypool to the same line at Newport, forming part of a route between Newport and Staffordshire. The line would afford accommodation to various im portant works in the Valley of Mon Llwyd. The company intended to apply for powers in the ensuing session to construct a branch rail way from the authorised line to the east side of the river Usk, which would afford important accommo dation to the iron trade of Newport. BEDFORD AND NORTHAMPTON. Ihe first ordinary meeting of this company was held yesterday at the offices; Westminster-chambers, Victoria-street ; Mr. W. H. Whitbred in the chair. The report congratulated the shareholders on the success of their application to Parliament for powers to make the proposed line from Bedford to North ampton. The engineer had reported that the whole of the line had been staked out, and that early in the spring all the usual preliminaries would be settled for letting the contract for the construction of the railway. Mr. TOWNSEND moved the adoption of the report and the re-election of the retiring directors, which was agreed to. Mr. W. B. Greenfield and Mr. Pain were elected auditors, and a vote of thanks to the chairman con cluded the proceedings. METROPOLITAN AND PORTLAND-ROAD. Yesterday at the ildarylebone vestry a numerous deputation of the inhabitants of Portland-road, Great Portland-street, and a portion of Oxford street, presented a memorial, praying the Board to adopt the same course as they had done with regard to Baker-street, in opposing the bill for making a railway from the Portland-road station of the Me tropolitan Railway to the southern side of Oxford street. Mr. Wingfield, Mr. Hills, and other mem bers of the deputation urged that if such a line were permitted to pass the property of nearly 200 inha bitants would be seriously injured, and that such a line was wholly unnecessary. After considerable discussion it was resolved to take precisely similar steps with regard to the opposition to the Great Portland-street line as they intended to take with regard to Baker-street line. BUSBY. This new line of railway was opened for traffic on Monday. Four trains run each way daily between Glasgow and Busby, stopping at three interme diate stations. The whole distance was performed in half-an-hour, and the traffic during the opening day was considered satisfactory. GRAND TRUNK OF CANADA. The traffic receipts on this company's lines amounted for the week ending the 16th of Decem ber, for local passengers, to £6,419 ; for foreign passengers, to £2,686 ; for mails, &c., to £1,541; for local freight and live stock, to £14,060; and for foreign freight and live stock, to £1,742 ; total on 1,377 miles, £26,448, against £23,281 on the same mileage for the corresponding week of 1864, show ing an increase of £3,167. The total receipts from the Ist of July to the above date amounted to £680,542, and for the same period in 1864 to £580,572, showing an increase of £99,970, or 17.2 per cent. Exciting Race with a Runaway Engine. DARING ACT OF A FIREMAN. About two o'clock on Tuesday afternoon the " wires" flashed the astounding intelligence to the authorities at the Central Station that engine No. 392 was then tearing along the down line at tre mendous speed without any one upon it. The con sternation of all parties was immense, as it was at once concluded that the unrestrained race of the locomotive must result in causing considerable damage to some portion of the line. From inquiries we have made, it appears that the engine was stand ing with a ballast train at Durham, only the fire man being on it, the driver standing on the ground near. While thus standing, No. 392 was run into by another engine. The shock detached the ballast engine from the train, threw open the regulator, and pitched the fireman upon the ground. The result of the regulator being open was that No. 392 came away at a gradually increasing rate of speed. Meeting no impediment to its progress, the engine ran on at a great pace. The passengers on the platform at Leamside station were startled by the guideless engine rushing past, end the wildest con jectures were, of course, indulged in as to the strange occurrence. It is usual to slacken speed in approaching and crossing Victoria Bridge, and when the engine came rushing on with unchecked speed the Company's servants at Washington at once saw there was something wrong. At this station an engine was standing, the driver of which is named Ralph Gilchrist. He at once saw that the engine was a runaway, and detaching his engine from the train, he followed as fast as he could. It was a long and exciting race (the runaway going at a rate of speed estimated at sixty miles an hour), that Gil christ only succeeded in ranging up alongside of it at Washhouse-lane, about half a mile outside of Gateshead. As soon as this was effected, the fire man, John Baty, in the most courageous manner, and at the risk of his life, jumped from his own engine on to No. 392, and succeeded in bringing it up, fortunately without any damage being done, as must have been the case had Gilchrist and Baty not not succeeded in this pursuit. It was intended by the company's servants at Gateshead, in case the engine should reach that station without being stopped, to open the switches and run it among Royal National lifeboat Institution. Yesterday, a meeting of this institution was held at its house, John-street, Adelphi, Thomas Chap man, Esq., F.R.S., V.P., in the chair. There were also present Sir Edward Perrott, Bart. ; George Lyall, Esq. ; Colonel Palmer ; W. H. Harton, Esq. ; Capt. NV - fad, R.N., inspector of lifeboats to the in stituticra ; and Richard Lewis, Esq., the secretary. The minutes of the previous meeting were read. The committee expressed their deep sympathy with the two widows and five orphans of the poor men who perished by the capsizing of the Lizard life boat, during a hurricane on Tuesday last, and voted £lOO in aid of the local fund raising for them. The lifeboat, it appears, was completely wrecked on the rocks, and a new lifeboat was ordered to be sent off by the institution to replace it in a few days. In a large fleet of 153 lifeboats casualties must, it is feared, be occasionally expected. It is, however, gratifying to know that they are unusually rare, three only, including the Lizard one, having oc curred in three years, with the loss of six lives, and that the lifeboats of the institution during that period had been manned on occasions of service and exercise by upwards of 18,000 persons. Rewards amounting to £l3O were granted to the following lifeboats of the institution, for saving life from shipwreck during the recent gales :--The Albert Edward lifeboat, presented by the city of Bristol to the institution, and stationed at Pad stow, rescued, under most difficult circumstances, the crew of 17 men of the barque Juliet, of Green ock, which was wrecked off Padstow during a strong gale from W.S.W. on the 29th ult. This lifeboat is named after his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, in accordance with the desire of the citizens of Bristol. The third-service clasp was also voted to Mr. Daniel Shea, chief officer of the Coast Guard, at Padstow, and the silver medal of the institution to Mr. William Hills, the coxswain of the lifeboat at Padstow, in recognition of their brave services in the lifeboat on this and previous occasions. A letter was read frons; Gen. Knollys, expressing the great satisfaction of his Royal Highness the Prince of %Vales at this valuable lifeboat service. The Arundel Venables lifeboat of the institu tion, stationed at Arklcw, Ireland, rescued 34 men belonging to the ship Tenissarian, of Liverpool, which was wrecked on Arklow Bank during a gale! of wind from N. on the 25th ult. This was another very meritorious case, as the sailors were taken off the rigging in a very exlausted state. The silver medal of the institution was granted to Peter Kava nagh, the coxswain of tie Arklow lifeboat, for his general brave services in the lifeboat in cases of shipwreck. The Wexfore. lifeboat saved four men. from the steamer Barbadan, of Liverpool, which was wrecked on the Blaekwater Bank, during a S.S.E. gale and heavy sea. This was likewise a most gallant service. Tha lifeboat, owing to the violence of the waves, was repulsed five times in succession, and the sailors, when taken off, were int a very exhausted condition. The Providence life boat, stationed at Dungeness, rescued the crew of six men and a boy from a French vessel, the Dieu Protege Alexandre et Jein, of Dieppe, which was wrecked off Dungeness during a gale from 5.W.,. on the 31st ult. The lifeboat was reported to have behaved remarkably well on the occasion ; while re turning from the wreck withthe shipwrecked crew she was struck by three heavy seas, which filled her twice, at the same time wasting the French boy overboard. The lifeboat's crew, however, succeeded in reaching him and dragging him into the boat. The Tyrella lifeboat saved the crew of five men of the schooner Daniel O'Connell, of Arklow ; the People's Journal lifeboat, stationed at Peterhead, rescued one man from the schooner Wilhelmina, of Veesdam ; the Newbiggin lifeboat rescued the crew of nine men of the brigantine Neptune, Delaware, United States ; and the llauxley lifeboat saved the crew of four men from the schooner Tom Cringle, of Thurso. It was also reported that the Ramsgate lifeboat had, in conjunction with the steam tug Aid, rescues under very perilous circumstances the crew of seven men of the Dutch brig Zeeploeg, of Hoogez, which was wrecked on the Goodwin Sam's, during a gale from E.N.E. and heavy swell on the 15th ult. The same lifeboat also went off on tie 30th ult., and succeeded, after much difficulty, in saving the crew of 16 men of . the barque Norma, of Bremen, which had also struck on the Goodwi). Sands during a fresh breeze from S.W. to W. It appears that during the pastyear the lifeboats of the institution have altogether saved 532 lives, besides bringing 20 vessels into port. In addition to this it has granted rewards amounting to £l2O 10s. to the crews of shoreboats 4nd others for res cuing 182 persons during the mine period ; thus making a grand total of 714 lives saved during the past year through the instrumentality of the Na tional Lifeboat Institution. Rewards amounting to £B9 were also voted to pay the expenses of the lifeboats of the institution stationed at Broughty Ferry, S. Andrews, Fraser burgh, Whitburn, Ballycotton, Wicklow, Tyne mouth, Lytham, and Southport, for putting off to render assistance to vessels in distress, or for going out in reply to signals of distres from different ves sels, which, however, had aft!rwards got out of danger. Various other rewards were also granted to the crews of shoreboats and others for saving many lives from different wrecks on our coast during the past month. In the same period the institution has sent new lifeboats to Courtown, on the Irish coast, and to Arbroath, on the Scotch coast. Two lifeboats were also about to be sent away to Hauxley and New biggin, Northumberland, a free conveyance having been given to the two boats by the Great Northern and North-Eastern Railway companies. A benevolent lady had recently presented to the institution the cost of the Worthing lifeboat estab lishment. The late Captain Sykes, R.N., had _left to the society a legacy of £lOO, free of duty. The demands on the institution continue to be very heavy. The society has also a number of new lifeboat establishments in course of formation, which will involve a considerable outlay on the institution. The accounts of the institution for the past year were ordered to be sent to Mr. Begbie, the public accountant, who has been the auditor of the society for the past 14 years. Payments amounting to £2,000 were ordered to be made on various lifeboat establishments. A cordial vote of thanks having been given to Mr. Chapman and Sir Edward Perrott for their able conduct in the chair at the meetings of the institu tion during the past year, the proceedings terminated. [ADVERTISEMEN T.]—oollSUMptioll, and all nervous, bilious stomach, and liver complaints, in every stage, are only ag gravated and accelerated by drugs of every description. but perfecily curable by Du Barry's health restoring Revalents Arabica Food, as proved by thousands of cases which had been considered hopeless; such as indigestion (dyspepsia), cough, asthma, consumption, habitual constipation, diarr hoea, all gastric derangements, haemorrhoids, liver com plaints, flatulency, nervousness, biliousness' fevers, sore throats, diphtheria, catarrhs, colds, influenza, naises in the head and ears, rheumatism, gout, imputities, eruptions, hysteria, neuralgia, irritability, sleeplessness, acidity, pal pitation, heartburn, headache, debility, dropsy, cramps, spasm+, nausea and sickness even in pregnancy or at sea, sinking fits, bronchitis, scrofula, tightness of the chest, pains in the pit o: the stomach •,nd between the shoulders, &e. We quote a few.—Cure, No. 413,270. Mr. James Roberts, timber merchant, of Fere iey Surrey, of hirty years' diseased lungs, spitting of blood, liver derangement. and partial deaf ness.—Cure, No. 47,121. Miss Elizabeth Jacobs, of extreme nervousness, indigestion, gatherings, low spirits, and nervous tancies.—Cure, No. 1,771. Lord Stuart de Decies, Lord-Lieu tenant of Waterford, of many years' dyspepsia.—No.4 , ,,B32. Fifty years' indescribable agony from dyspepsia, nervousness, asthma, cough, const patio-,, flatu'ency, spasms, sickness, and vomiting—Maria Jolly.- Cure No. 54,1116. Ihe Rev. James I. Campbell, Fakenham, Norfolk, of indigestion and torpidity of the liver, which had resisted all medical treatment.— In tins. 1 lb., 2s. 9d. 21b., 4s. 6d ; 51b., Ils. ; 121 b., 225. ; :41b. 40s.—Barry Du Barry and Co., N 0.77, Regent-street, London; also Philli tea dealers, S, King Williatn-street ; likewi e at 61, Gracechurch-street ; 4, Cheapside ; 49, Bishopsgate sire. t Within ; 63;150, and 298, Oxford-street ; 330, Strand; 54, Upper Baker-street ; 103, TOttenham-court-road ; 011, Upper-tit , eet, Islington, N. ; Harvey, Notting-hill ; Close Brothers, 6i, High-street ; and Stubbs, Queen's-terrace, St. John's ; wood, London ; and all respectable grocers and the mists.—Beware of spurious imitations. way. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. TIMES.--Mr. Bright's speech at the Reform meet ing at Rochdale has in it a peculiarity which we never noticed before. For the first time in a public life which now extends over a quarter of a century, he appears to speak as a man conscious of responsi bility for what he says. He recogniks the existence of persons who differ from himself—nay, even of timid brethren who are not prepared to go all the length that he himself would desire. He speaks of considering, not what would be abstractedly the best, but what a Cabinet might reasonably be ex pected to propose, and, after the example of his great prototype, O'Connell, he is willing to take all he can by way of instalment, reserving to himself the right to demand the rest whenever opportunity shall offer. Somewhat embarrassed with this new character, Mr. Bright's speech no longer assumes that clear and categorical form to which he has ac • customed us ; he works at the same time three sets of propositions —one his own ; one to which the Ministry is, he considers, pledged beyond redemp tion ; and one which some wicked people, timid counsellors, or " prophesying " Brahmins," have suggested. He wishes the Reform Bill to be sim ple, and therefore disentangles it of two questions which he nevertheless has much at heart. The first of these is the Ballot, and the second the Redistri bution of Seats. The Ballot, as he truly says, will be of no use to the working man until he has got a vote to give • and as for the Redistribution of Seats, it would be difficult to carry it in the same bill with the reduction of the franchise, but very easy after the reduced franchise has been once ob tained. In this declaration Mr. Bright, perhaps, exceeds in the amiable virtue of candour. He says that were the Reform Bill to contain the disfran chisement of the small boroughs the members for those boroughs would be sure to league them selves against it. Will not these members for small boroughs equally combine against a mea sure avowedly passed for the purpose of render ing the disfranchisement of those boroughs pos sible ? " Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird," more especially if the fowler has taken care to inform the birds of the precise purpose for which he has spread it. The bill which Mr. Bright desires is one giving a £lO fran chise in the counties, and a household franchise similar to that on which municipal councils are elected for the boroughs. The bill to which Mr. Bright considers the Government pledged is a £5 rating or £6 rental for the boroughs, and a £lO rental for the counties. But there is a third class of proposals. He has been told, though he does not attach much value to it, that there are persons who advise Lord Russell to have a £l2 or £l5 franchise for the counties, and others of such remarkable cre dulity or timidity as to believe that a £2O franchise would be satisfactory. In the boroughs there are those who think that there is something dreadful in j a £6 franchise, and that a £7 or £8 ren t a l wou ld be I enough to admit the working man. If the Govern ment adopt this latter scheme, they will, according to Mr. Bright, be peddlers and not statesmen. Now, Mr. Bright probably well knows that the proposi tion which has at present met with the approval of the Government is a £6 rating franchise for the boroughs and a £2O rental for the counties. So that all this tripartite division of what he wishes, what the Government is pledged to, and what wild and wicked people represent to the Government, really means that they are going alike to differ from Mr. Bright and from their former selves, and to do the thing which he cannot believe they will ever do. We trust we shall not be considered hypercritical in saying that this speech of Mr. Bright, copious though it be in detail even to a fault, presents the same scantiness of argument in favour of his pro posals of which we have so often to complain. We know that the Government is pledged to Reform, we are presented with great plans of innovation, and when we ask for the reason of those plans, or an answer to the strongest arguments which are urged against them, we are met with the assertion that a vast number of people have not the franchise, which seems to be considered as a sufficient proof that they ought to have it ; we are told of selfishness, monopoly, and privilege, and that the powers o f goo d —the identity of w hi c h with Mr. Bright and his friends requires no proof —are gaining on the powers of evil. Dissatisfied with this rather meagre fare, we search a little further, and at last we light upon what, we confess, appears to us a very sound prin ciple. Mr. Bright says that a proper franchise would be, not that which excludes no man, but that which excludes no class ; and he says that the Whole class of working men are excluded by the present state of the franchise ; which proposition he modifies afterwards by saying that the ten pound clause in the Reform Bill excludes " the great body of the working people." The whole pinch is in the diffe rence between these two statements. Subtract the great body of the working people from the whole body of the working people, and the remainder forms a representation of the working class, which, be it small or great, negatives the argument on which alone Mr. Bright proceeds—that it is necessary to give representation to classes, not to men, and that our present system does not do this. When the return comes to be laid before Parliament, Mr. Bright will see that a considerable number of the working classes are already admitted to the fran chise, and that the franchise is in the power of a much larger number if they only desire to possess it. This being the only argument which Mr. Bright has brought forward in favour of his proposal, we may naturally be excused from attaching much weight to his conclusions. But there is one question to which we really hope he will afford some answer. He now takes his stand on the representation of classes as opposed to the representation of indivi duals, and we agree with him. But how does he meet the argument drawn from the immense numerical superiority of the class whom he proposes to admit ? He is perpetually speaking of the excluded 5,000,000; supposing one-third of them to be admitted, or even less, what will become of the representation of the classes above them ? Will there still be a representa tion of classes, or will not the very principle he con tends for be lost by the overpowering numbers of a single class ? This has always been felt as the main difficulty of the question ; yet Mr. Bright confines himself to commonplaces, which assume, most un truly, that there is nothing to be urged on the other side. If Mr. Bright does wish that the working class should be supreme in this country, why does he not point out the advantages to be de rived from so mighty a change ? If he does not wish it, why does he not show us how we can en franchise, as he desires, the great bulk of the work ing classes, and yet preserve a share of power to the classes above them? How will he meet the argu ment that if we are to regulate our franchise by high intelligence, it would give us a narrow aristo cracy; if by moderate wealth, a mixed G overnmen t, i such as we now have; fby numbers, a pure demo cracy? This argument is the real difficulty in the way of a great lowering of the franchise. If Mr. Bright can find an answer to it, he will give to his cause an irresistible impulse ; if he cannot, all the long and laboured harangues with which he is en tertaining us are just so much sound and fury, sig nifying very little and proving nothing. We hope Mr. Bright will take the earliest opportunity of giving the country his ideas on this point, and that if he does not do so he will be a little tolerant with those that refuse to follow a leader who carefully avoids the strongest point on his antagonist's side, and allowsthe case to go bydefault which he assumes to have triumphantly proved. Mr. Bright seeks to show that the passing of a Reform Bill will not ne cessitate immediately a new election. "It will not condemn the present constituencies." But though it will not condemn them it will execute them. It has been shown over and over again what immense effects a £6 renting franchise in the boroughs will have on existing electoral bodies. It is only adding to present constituencies, we are told; but adding is altering, and, in many cases, altering to such an ex tent that the constituency loses its identity, as at Walsall, for instance, where it would be increased fourfold. If the new constituencies are to return the same members as the old, the change would be simply trifling with the public time ; if, as Mr. Bright and his friends doubtless hope, there would be a very striking change, the argument for a dis solution would become irresistible. The same rea sons which passed the bill must require the bill to be carried into execution. It would be ridiculous indeed to make a great organic change about which its authors cared so little that they were in no hurry to see its effects. Besides, the bill is desired as a step, and when it is carried those who regard it only as an instalment would be naturally anxious to use the vantage ground they had gained for the purposes of fresh progress. PosT.—Starvation in a city tempting with wealth, as London does, would seem to imply either a callous indifference to the wants of the poor, or else a defective organisation for the discovery and cegnisance of cases suitable for relief. Some cases may, indeed, lie beyond the scope of this alterna tive ; such, for example, as belong to the category of suicidal and murderous starvation ; but from the very nature of things they must be few. The former of these assumptions will be summarily abandoned by all persons who, reading their newspaper from day to day, note the donations, frequent, and often profuse, which charitable individuals tender from their superfluity. To assume ostentation as the motive would be a mistake, for, oftener than other wise, donations find their way to the police courts under the testing signature of mere initials. We be lieve that a benevolentspirit of kindliness and cha rity pervades English society in a greater degree than at any former period ; only needing the supple mentary aid of some well-devised organisation to give it effect. We are led to offer these remarks by the simultaneity of two events which should have . -ip-2-- -, been incompatible had what we may call the mea chanism of dispensing charity and relief in London been commensurate with the feelings of humanity that pervade English society. Yesterday (Thurs-- day) the magistrate of the Thames Police-court, Mr. Partridge, in acknowledging the receipt of £5 from " 0.P.Q." for the poor-box fund, wished it to be publicly stated th a t th e mag i strate h a d now suf ficient funds to meet all legitimate requirements. The court, he said, did not possess the necessary machinery on the staff to distribute relief to the poor on any large scale. There was no occasion for any more money to be sent. He explained that the poor-box fund was originally intended for the re lief of the well-known peculiar and immediate cases of distress which come under the notice of the stipendiary magistrates in the course of in vestigation. Much good, he said, had been done ; and he caused it to be emphatically understood that the clerks and officers of his court, already overworked by the transaction of their own special duties, could not efficiently respond to the charge of seeking out cases of distress beyond those which might happen to come in the way of police business. Last winter, he went on to say, £7OO was distributed from the poor-box, and the labour of distribution was immense. Then adverting to the operation of the Houseless Poor Act, he de signated it.a, wise and beneficent measure, that ought to relieve the magistrates of the police-courts to a great extent from applications for relief. Concur ring in all the magistrate's remarks, there are many benevolent persons who will feel sorry that the cur rent of eleemosynary charity should be checked so long as cases for relief are in plenty ; especially so long as starvation is occurring in our very midst. Concurrently with this announcement the painful details of a coroner's inquest were appearing in the newspapers ; details of a case of starvation that assuredly would have been prevented had any orga nisation existed for seeking out, by house to house visitation, cases of want and distress. As the inquest here adverted to stands adjourned in order to aster= tain if sufficient evidence cannot be procured to sustain a criminal charge, we shall forbear to express any opinion reflecting on the conduct of any of the parties concerned. Such an outline of the circum stances we will, however, give as shall suffice to illustrate the position we took up ; namely, that if some competent organisation had existed whereby cases of imminent starvation could have been sought out and revealed, the death which was the subject of inquiry would have been averted. About three weeks ago an old lady called at the surgery of Mr. R. Meldola, a surgeon, residing in Green-street, Beth nal-green, and said, " A woman is dying of con sumption at 6, Havelock-place. If you are passing by, call in, as your opinion is wanted." He did not call, the request seeming informal ; and, before the coroner's investigation shall have been completed, it will be premature to offer any opinion relative to the propriety or impropriety of Mr. Meldola's behaviour. - On Christmas-eve he was again summoned, and this time formally. He then went to the patient, Julia Susannah Bellinger, aged 49, whom he found a mere skeleton. By the aid of stimulants she was kept alive until Boxing-day, when she died, and a post-mortem examination was held. The result showed that there was a total absence of food in either the stomach or intestines. She died—as Mr. Meldola testified—from the ex haustion of sheer want; to be plain, from starvation. A daughter—Julia Bellinger—threw more light upon the case. She deposed that deceased was the wife of George Bellinger, a weaver, from whom she had been separated some years, and who contributed nothing towards her maintenance. Deceased had 12 children, none of whom did anything for her, but her son Eugene, a boy 16 years old, who allowed her Bs. a week for his board. Deceased lived in wit ness's house until three years ago, when she went to reside with her mother, who had £lOO a year income, besides the interest of £5OO. Deceased, though living with her mother, was often in a state of starvation. Witness took her mother a little bit of meat to eat, and a sausage roll, but Mrs. Clempson (mother of deceased) took it away, and gave it to deceased's son, Eugene. Witness asked deceased's mother to light a fire, as deceased was very cold ; but Mrs. Clempson refused, saying, " This is my house ; I will do as I like in my own house. No person shall interfere with me in it." She was kind when kind ness did not touch her pocket, and often grumbled at the waste when witness gave deceased wine. Mrs. Clempsou herself then gave evidence. She said she did not call in a doctor because her daughter was suffering from a chronic disease, and doctors were expensive. Deceased could not eat food, she said, but could have partaken of beer and wine ; witness did not, however, think it right to give those drinks. She remained 60 hours insen sible, but witness did not think it necessary to send for a medical man, as " a doctor's bill is no joke." Thus, until the conclusion of the inquest, stands the case. We forbear to comment on the demeanour of any of the parties concerned at present, our sole intent being to illustrate the need of some sort of visitation under authority before the spirit of charity and philanthropy, so fortunately rife, can have full scope. Institutions for the dispensation of charity exist by the score. Do they not fritt er away t h ei r energies by operations too isolated, and might they not with advantage to the public send delegates to meet in conclave for the purpose of discovering a means whereby the contributions rejected at police courts might be dispensed with effect ? Evidently there is, and we believe there ever must be, a consi derable number of cases of hidden want and suf fering which the Homeless Poor Act, however well administered, can never touch. COUNTRY MARKETS ERIS T OL—THURSDAY. On our market to-day English wheat was in fair supplY , and sold slowly, at barely last week's prices. Foreign freely offered at Is. per qr. reduction, without attracting the attention of buyers. Malting barley dull. For grind ing a good demand, at the full prices of last week, oats scarce, and fully as dear, but the trade is devoid of anima" tion. Indian corn moderately inquired for, at a reduction of 6d. per qr. Beans and peas dull. BIRMINGHAM—THURSDAY. During the present week little has passed in the trade• Wheat the turn cheaper. Barley, oats, beans, and pea° only taken in retail. At this day's market there was 9 short supply of English wheat, and, the condition b e ing deteriorated, a reduction of ls. per qr. had to be submitted to in order to effect sales. Barley 6d. to ls. lower. OatS and beans still scarce. Peas neglected. Currencies :—English wheat, white, 45s to 50s ; red, 3 95 to 48s per 36 stone. Malting barley, 30i to 35s ; grinding, 22s to 25s per qr. Oats, 24s to 30s ; Irish, 21s to 24s per 30 stone. - Beans, 42s to 45s ; and peas, 40s to 42s per qr. MANCHE S T ER--THuRsDA.Y. There was only a moderate attendance at our marke. t this morning. English wheat was mostly in damp condi tion, and except for the best samples must be quoted 1 5 per qr. lower. Foreign was also in limited request, at decline of ld. to 2d. per cental. Flour was very little in quired for, and both English and French might have been . obtained at a reduction of 6d. per sack. Oats were with out material change, but oatmeal was rather cheaper• Beans and Indian corn likewise ruled in favour of buy©rs• EDINBITRGH—WED,EsDAT. At to-day's market there was a small supply of country wheat, which sold quietly. Wheat on the top, Os 6d down average, Os 5d up. Barley on the top, Os 3d up average, Os 10d up. Oats on the top, Os 6d down average, Os ld down Beans on the top, Os 6d down average, Os 8d down Average prices. Wheat, 48610 d I Oats, 278 lld Barley, 33s 7d 1 Beans 44s 6d Total supply and sales. Wheat 609 qrs sold 349 Barley 1385 qrs sold 1164 Oats 1903 qrs sold 1400 Beans l4O qrs 501dt.124 Town-made flour sells as follows :—Whit e, 42s Od;extra, superfine, 40s Od ; superfine, 38s 6d ; fine, 37s Od. GLASGOW-WEDNESDAY. To-day's market was pretty well a tt en d e d . Wheat an d flour were slow, and the turn cheaper ; barley a little dearer ; beans, oats, and oatmeal 'firm ; peas and Indian corn unchanged. Births. DIGBY.—On the 3d inst., at Weymouth, tho wife of the Rev. R. H. W. Digby, of a daughter. FIELD.—On the 3d inst., at Hampstead, the wife of Allea Field, Esq., of a daughter. MELVILL.—On the 3d inst., at Hampstead, the Hon. IV' W. H. Melvin, of a son. Marriages. HOWE—BEAucLERx..-- On the 4th inst., at St. Jared ; Church, Paddington, T. E. H owe , b arr i ster-at-law, ° Lincoln's-inn, to Augusta, eldest daughter of the late A' de Vere Beauclerk, of Ardglass, county Down. LEWlS—Wrixis.—On the 3d inst. at St. Saviour's Church+ Clifton-gardens, Maida-hill, George W. Lewis, o f Gros', venor-road, Ratbg ar , county Dublin, to Alice, eldes t daughter of Mr. R. Willi s, 1, Blomfeld House, Uppe r Westbourne-terrace, Hyde-park. Deaths. FARRER.—On tho Ist inst., at 66, Lincoln's-inn-tiell Oliver Farrer, Esq., of Ingloborough, Yorkshire, a g ed 80. HARDING.—On New Year's-day, at his residence, Turn' ham-green, W. Harding, Esq., aged 63. LANE.—On the 2d inst., at Swan-hill, Shrewsbury, Benit v min Lane, Esq., aged 65. LIVERMORE.—On the 3d inst., at the Mansion House, MI Emma Livermore, ne ar ly 30 years the faithful serva ll of the Right Hon. Benin. S. Philips, Lord Mayor. MITTON.—On the Ist inst., Wm. Mitton, Esq., of St. 3 1 5 1... tin's, Stamford, aged 77. NI ND.—On the 3d inst., Philip Nind, Esq., of Leicester' square, W.C., and Ivy House, Clapham, aged 52. WARRINGTON.— On the 2d inst., at Boulogne-sur-ge r ' Emma, widow of the l a t e C o l . T . W arrington, age d 80 London : Printed and Published by WIL LIAM AN Di3gWl of No. 112, Strand, Pai n t er, at TM; SUN 015:0, IC°' i f •• a Strand, in the. Precinct o f the Smroy. in the Cunt) 1111f.diesex.—Friday, January 5,1816. I.4°N] Ito ThevA.t, dreg. ~~INI Thif. cet Prize Blec It iN P u dold in the Agent 8 . GB Obeerve "Kinahat 11 1jT 14, RUSS] r e r ehold' pfe'',ee a or 18 COUnted In ' t leiore 15 Y eerj -avelove. LAW LAS . *fruit .r. W . Jattu L aw Soc L. by LA,. Mr. R E DAY Mr. ci Mr. n isji Jafl L„-, so i 1.( RRYA GE,) 'sued A., place, Lona A g E B }_] Capital 18 not t° Pro epre 8, 1 1 " E c oiat:01:1101:N.alae,riono:m:nli At i` d ays' tnonth'i No o l t X E t_ leas that il:Yond 6 m , e3 7 06d .` ni Of $ CITO CO CII°CO CII°COi ATEXII Ware tim an d Full Y an ab le Abn e 'el YAM e to t o Viesuure,