The Sun. — London, England, 1855-06-01 00:00:00

TIRE SUN. LONDON, FRIDAY EVENll46;_tiftTNE . 'l, 1855, RAZLWAY INTELLIGENCE. LONDON AND SOUIII-WESTERN. A special general meeting of the proprietors of this railway was hell yesterday at the company's offices in the Waterloo-bridge station, for the consideration of a bill now pending in Parliament for authorising the erection of works by the company for regulating their capital and for other purposes ; and also for the election of .a director, in the room of Lieutenant-Colonel George Henflei son, deceased ; Mr. Chaplin in the chair. The report of the directors published in The Sum of Saturday having been read by the secretary ) and the heads of the bill and clauses by the solicitor, The CHAIRMAN said that having on two recent occa sions met them and entered into the details and history of these proceedings, and they had:having a copy of the bill and the report, which gave them every information up to the present time, he had but, little to bay to them. After alluding to his presiding over a di videl proprietary which was not satisfactory to en sure success, and to some of the proprietors publishing letters which tended to depreciate the value of the property, otherwise than improve it, remarked that so, far from the dividends of the company being " confiscated," they bad only got so far as to their being " suspended" only in the event of certain things not being done in accordance with a pledge given with the consent of certain of the proprietors. He thought they were all agreed on the prin ciple of the bill, except the clauses which affected the pledge, as being satisfactory and useful, especially the alteration of voting on the preference shares stock, the consolidation of it, and asking for fur ther time to complete the Salisbury and Basingstoke Railway, in order to prevent the risk of stopping the dividend _in 1856. He regretted the recommendation of the Directors, with reference to . the exten sion of the line to Exeter, had not met with the approbation of the proprietors, which was the only satisfactory mode of closing the business thrust on them by the House of Commons, after two meetings of the proprietary authorising thedirectors to do that which was for the benefit of the company. (No, no.) He hoped the company would sanction this proceeding, which asto be justified as a commercial speculation, but taking it on higher grounds, as a point of honour they were bound to carry it on. Tho public jocularly said that the directors must get purged of their pledge, because, until that be done, they were unfit to continue in their position. There was but one way it could be done. All must admit that the pledge was duly authorised and given—(" No, no," and " Yes, yes,")—and accepted by the directors, and for which the company had had a quid pro quo ; and, lastly, the directors ha l declined to attend to that promise. That pro mise bad again, however, been renewed by the House of Commons, and he acquitted the sharehold ers or any one connected with the company of being in strumental in having the clauses inserted in the bill, which, however, would be the only means of extricating themselvel from their difficulty. He called on them to go boldly forward in this undertaking, which would be beneficial to the shareholders, and moved the adoption of the report. Count EYRE seconded the motion. Mr. HELPS, after relating what occurred in reference to this pledge, contended that it was only obtained for a single line, and not for a double line, as stated by Mr. Scott, and that the pledge given was a totally different one to that authorised by the proprietors, involving a cost of 1,100,0001. instead of 700,0001., and had no bind ing force whatever on them. Mr. Scott before the Com mittee of the House of Commons stated that the proxies sent in against this pledge amounted to 252, and the number who voted against it in the room from eight to ten, representing 600,0001. of the com- pany's stock, by no means an insignificant amount, and whose opinion he (Mr. Helps) considered worthy of re spect. The Legislature had released them from this pledge in having granted to a broad gauge company a bill to construct a line from Maiden-Newton to Brid port, which would interfere with this contemplated ex tension ; and he contended if it were carried out it wool I result in a losing speculation, which the Legislature had no right to force on them. He moved "That the meeting called in accordance with the standing orders of the House of Lords, does not approve of the bill submitted to tho proprietors." Mr. DIcKENsoN seconded the amendment. He had always been against Western extension, arid at the former meetings he opposed it as strenuously as possible; and one of his undertakings was to defeat this project, for he cared nothing about the pledge, having bees no party to it. He deprecated a committee of the Howie of Commons having power to compel that company to embark in what must be a lasing speculation. With regard to the petitions that had been presented "in favour of the extension, he found that Exeter contained but 32,000 inhabitants, and already bad a railway with which it ought to be satisfied, and that the other towns on the line did not number much more than 20,000 inhabitants. There was nothing in the district to justify such an outlay, and he saw no reason why they should make a railroad for the conve_ nience of landed proprietors. If they consented to the construction of a single line, they would be called on to make it a double one, and so far from the tratfio be low Exeter coming on it, they should recollect the South Devon Railway was a broad gauge line. Mr. ADDIBON said he was one who consented to the pledge. There had been a total omission to the throwing out of the Devon and Dorset Bill, which at the time it was before Parliament was considered would be detri mental tto the company, and that something should be done to get rid of it. It was in consequence of that the pledge was given, and those who acquiesced in it at the time were bound in equity now to carry it out. Mr. PIINCHABD said there could be no doubt this pledge was given from the impression that the Devon and Dorset bill, if carried, would ultimately conduce to their disadvantage, and it would be to their benefit it should be thrown out, but Mr. Scott broke the pledge by applying for a double line instead of a single one. He was inclined to think this clause was introduced by the ear-wigging of disappointed members of Parliament, who, having t?ndered their resignation as directors, much to their chagrin found them accepted. Sir JOHN WALSH, M.P., said a prima facie case bad been made out that this undertaking would not be a re munerative one, and that they ought not to be forced to acquiesce in a project against which there were grave reasons as respected the interests of the shareholder& It was not a question of Parliament or the authority of the House of Commons ; but the course the shareholders should take with regard to this bill that had not bean sanctioned by the House of Commons, and whether, in point of honour, the shareholders by that pledge were precluded from exercising their free judgment on this occasion ? Under the circumstances, he thought it would be better, not only for the line, but railway pro petty generally, that this bill should be withdrawn. Mr, WELLS considered that if the pledge was not car ried out the commercial world would look upon it as an act of repudiation. Mr. Sergeant GAZELEE (director) denied that he or those who were against the extension of the line were repudiators. He had repeatedly suggested to the direc tors the withdrawal of the bill, but the solicitor always opposed it by saying it could not be done, and the direc tors had acted on that opinion. He believed, if they extended the line to Exeter they were sur rounded by men who would carry it on to Plymouth, and then to the Scilly Islands, and beyond that if it were possible. (Hear, and laughter.) He suggested that, if the bill could not be withdrawn, to fight the question in the House of Lords, under the Wharneliffe order, and at the expense of the company. Mr. BIROLIAM (the solicitor) denied he had ever said the bill could not be withdrawn, but that it could only be done with the leave of the house. Mr. HUTCRINGS, M.P. (director), addressed the meet ing, defending the,conduct of the director and the soli citor, and added that Mr. Serjeant Gazelee consented to withdraw his opposition to the bill if nothing was said in it offensive to their breaking their pledges. Mr. Sergeant GAZELEZ said the last speaker was un a, der mistake in saying he had withdrawn his opposition to the bin. Mr. enatm addressed the meeting in support of the motion, and said the resolutions adopted at Mr. Dicken son's meeting had been sent to the House of Commons for distribution, accompanied with Mr. Pratt Barlow's card, a director of the Great Western Railway Company. Mr. DICKENSON said he was not influenced in doing that by Great Western influence. He did it on his own responsibility and expense, and Mr. Barlow was his son in-law. Mr. LACEY (a director) confirmed Mr. Hutchings' statement of Mr. Sergeant Gazelee's intention to with draw his opposition t o the bill, and that the sooner the line was constructed the better. The CHAIRMAN said it appeared they all agreed is the clauses of the bill without the extension clause. (Yes.) If the amendment were carried, that part of the bill which they approved and would be of advantage to them would be lost, and he suggested a modification of tlie amendment. . 2 5 . re .RIILPS declined altering any part of it. „fb eneirucaN then pub the amendmen t, which wag was, and a poll demanded. The original resolution was then put, the show of hands being in its favour, on which a poll was al ,o de. 1113J(L(1. The CHAIRMAN announced the poll would continue open till Tuesday, at 12 o'clock, and the result be de clared on Wednesday, at two o'clock. Charles Castleman, Esq., of St. Ives, Ringwood, Hants, was elected a director in the room of the late Lieutenant-Colonel G-. Henderson, the other candidates having resigned. A poll was demanded an I granted. The usual vote of thanks was given to the Chairman and the meeting separated. EAST KENT RAILWAY BILL. ROUSE OF COMMONS -TUESDAY, MAY 22. The pressure on our space at the time the discussion took place on the East Kent Railway Bill prevented our then giving more than a very brief notice of it. As the decision at which the House of Commons arrived abrogates the recommendation of Mr. Henley's commit tee of 1853, over which Mr. Cardwell subsequently pre• sided, and also the standing order of the house requir ing a deposit of 10 per cent of the capital of projected railways to be paid into the Court of Chancery, and to remain there until half the capital has been paid up and expended, by releasing, in the case of the East Kent Railway the impounded 10 per cent. without the usual condition having been fulfilled, we think the question of sufficient importance to the railway interest to take the first opportunity to publish the debate at length : On the motion for the third reading of this bill, Mr. JAMES MACGREGOR slid—Sir, I rise to move that the third reading of,this bill be postponed until Mon day the 4th day of June next; that the minutes of the evi dence taken before the committee on the bill be laid before this house ; and that the said evidence be printed at the expense of the parties. If the hon. gentleman who has brought forward the bill is willing that the third reading should be postponed until the 4th of June, and that the evidence should be printed, I shall not, of course, occupy the time of the house by going into a statement at the pre sent moment. Well, sir, as he is not, I must proceed testate the reasons which have induced me to propose the motion which I have just submitted to the house. I have to state, at the outset, that the report of the select committee on the bill was not pnblirhecd at the time when the bill was considered and ordered to be read a third time, or I should then have called the attention of the house to the subject. I took the usual steps to obtain a perusal of that report. I went to the Private Bill Office, and to the office of the right hon. gentleman the chairman of committees, and was there informed that the report had gone to the printer, and that copies of it would be circulated in the usual manner. The report, however, was not circulated until after the bill had been considered and ordered to be read a third time. When it was circulated I found that the select committee on the bill had mado a spe cial report to the house, recommending that " under the peculiar circumstances of the case" the 136th standing order should be repealed, so far as the East Kent Railway Bill was concerned. The committee added that they had been led to that decision, " by the conviction of the para mount necessity, in a national point of view, of continuous railway communication between the metropolis, Deptford, and Woolwich, and the dockyard and arsenals at Chat ham ;" and that they had restricted the application of the money impounded under the standing order to the construc tion of a bridge over the :Medway, at Rochester. Sir, this is not the first time that we have heard of the importance of continuous railway communication between the metro polis and the dockyards and arsenals on the Thames and at Chatham. The very able report on Kentish schemes of railway, published by the Marquis of Dalhousie, in 1845, set forth the importance of such a communication in un mistakeable terms. It showed to demonstration that it would be highly conducive to the national interests if a continuous line of railway were constructed between the metropolis and the dockyards and arsenals on the Thames and at Chatham ; but it recommended, at the same time, that the working of the line should be entrusted to the South-Eastern Company, which in 1815 had already expended several millions of meney in the constru , tion of railways in Kent. Sir, that company proceeded bona fide to endeavour to obtain powers from Parliament for that purpose. In 1846 their bill was thrown out upon the standing orders, but in 1847 it passed this house, and was reed the second time in the House of Lords. At that stage, however, chiefly through the exertions of the hon. member for Dover, backed by the great influence of the late Duke of Wellington, the bill was referred to the railway commissioners, and it remained so long in their hands, and there was so evident a desire on the part of its opponents to have the bill rejected, that the promoters thought it necessary, in order not to be killed by time, to take advantage of the standing orders and have the bill suspended till the following year. Sir, in the following year (1.848), the state of the money market was such as to make it utterly impossible to proceed with the scheme, and the same cause has since prevented the company from going on with the works, but they have never denied either their intention or will ingness to complete them. In the report published by the Marquis of Dalhouse in 1845, it was stated that the South- Eastern Company, besides completing the railway in North Kent, would also, for the public interests and without the prospect of remuneration, construct a line from Hastings to Ashford, and complete the communication to Deal—the very lines which, according to the Duke of Wellington, were of so much importance with regard to the national defences. Moreover, the company offered to pledge the whole revenue of their existing line fer the completion of all cross-lines undertaken by them within a reasonable period. They did complete those railways, with the fact before them that they would prove ueremunerative, and fail to yield a dividend to the shareholders. But, sir, not content with that, the impatience of the gentlemen of Kent, in the face of difficulties, which had prevented a great and wealthy company like the South-Eastern from embarking in such an outlay as would have been requisite for -the entire completion of the Kentish Railway scheme, induced them in 1833 to apply for an act for the construction of the railway now under consideration. They precipitately undertook the formation of the company now called the Lust Kent Railway company. I corresponded on the subject with certain noble lords and right bon. gen tlemen connected with the county of Kent, indicated the error into which they had fallen, and pointed out the diffi culties in which they qould place themselves ; but, not- withstanding that warning, those noble lords, - righ hon ourable gentlemen, aldermen of the city of London, and other dignified persons undertook the construction of the East Kent line, and the result is now before the house. It was obvions at the time that they commenced the pro ject with insufficient means, and that they could never hope to accomplish what the South-Eastern Company, in conse quence of the state of the money-market, had been unable to effect. What, sir, do we say now? Why, only two years after the passing of their act, the East Kent Company con fess that they have not complied with one of its conditions, and ask the house for the release of their deposit money and other unheard-of privileges. Their bill is read a second time, and referred to a select committee. That committee reports in favour of the bill, and authorises the liberation of the money deposited with the Court of Chancery and the con sequent abrogation of the standing order; which impounds 10 per cent. of the capital of a projected railway as a gua rantee for the bona fide" of the undertaking and of its pro moters. But it also appears that the Government itself has lent its influence to obtain the infraction of the stand ing order. The Admiralty has made a report, expressing a wish for the completion of the bridge over the Medway, at Rochester, and recommending the house to realise the 50,5501. deposited with the Court of Chancery, and to al low it to be applied to the construction of the bridge in question. Now, sir, what I maintain is this—that if it be necessary for the Government to assist in the completion of the East Kent Railway for national purposes, the proper company for them to negotiate with is the South-Eastern Railway Company, which has expended no less a sum than 12,000,0001. in the construction of nnremunerative lines in the district. As an independent member of this honse, no longer connected with the South-Eastern Com pany, having only the interests of the public in view, I say that the conduct of the Government in dealing with a company in such a state of embarrassment that it has not been able to catnply with one condition of its act, is neither wise nor politic; and I contend that in a matter of such great national importance, if the Government is to negotiate at all, it should negotiate with a compr..ny whose capital and resources aro of such an extent as to afford the best security for the performance of its engagements. Sir, I do not wish to prejudge the case. All I want is, that the third reading of the bill should be delayed until the 4th of June, and that in the meantime the evidence taken before the select committee should be printed for the information of the house. I have no personal interest in the question. My sole object is to discharge what I believe to be a public duty, and having done that, I will leave the matter in the hands of the house. Mr. RICE—I can assure the hon. gentleman, who has re ferred to me as the member for Dover, that with regard to the principle of this bill I am not prepared either to affirm it or otherwise. I am in favour of the bill only in so far as it promotes a direct railway communication between London and Dover. The hon. gentleman has talked of the impatience of the gentlemen of Kent inducing them to come forward in 1853 with a line of their own. Now I have not a single share in that line, nor am I in any way connected with it. I have supported it as a step towards a direct line from Ihe metropolis to Dover ; and, indeed, I have repeatedly told the promoters that, in my opinion, the line would be of no use unless it were carried on to Dover. The hon. gentleman has also spoken of the bone fide of the proceedings of the South-Eastern Company. Now, I recollect perfectly well that in 1848 it was pro posed by an independent company to construct a line to Dover, and I have always regarded the rejection of that bill as a most unfortunate circumstance. It was thrown out at the ineance of the South-E istern Company, who brought forward a rival project, which I believe, however, they never had the slightest intention to carry into effect. Indeed. I have been told—but I cannot vouch for the accuracy of tho story—that after they succeeded in de feating the bill to which I have referred, they put the plans of their own scheme into the fire. I have uo hostility to the South-Eastern Company. I wish them to afford every accommodation they can to the coanty of Kent, and hav ing spent so mush money in the district—whether wisely or not is another question—l think it would be desirable to see the railway communication in their hands, provided I they adopted a more direct line. I think they could con struct and manage it better than any other parties. Bat, in the absence of any such scheme, I am prepared to sup port the East Kent lino on public grounds, with the under standing that it is to be carried on to Dover. Mr. LUSHINGTON—As the member who has charge of the East Kent bill in this house, and as one of the repre sentatives of Canterbury, I wish to say a few words on the motion of the hon. member for Sandwich. The question which the hoe. member has introduced is so full of details, and has been so often brought before the house, that I do not think it necessary to go into it at any length ; and really if 1 were to enter minutely into the opposition which the South-Eastern Company has on all occasions given to schemes for the extension of railway communica tion in Sent, I should weary the house with details which are now of little interest. I am glad to hear that the hon. gentleman is no longer connected with the South-Eastern Company, because I hope there will now be some chance of his opposition ceasing, for so long as he was chairman of that company he never lost an opportunity of opposing, by every means in his power, any bill which had for its object the extension of railway communication in Kent. When the East Kent bill was carried through this house in 1853 the hon.gentlernan,who was then chairman of theSouthEatern Company, through his agents, raised no fewer than 1,000 objections on the question of the standing orders ; and as the line was only 30 miles in length, there were upwards e sow f h 3 : e i n o t b h j e ec h ti o o n n .s per mile, all of them of a technical, and of i)tgnkahantvetho n that he venturem iceow , n l ,n w lect i a ll ponobwiii to say, of atrivialnature. Now, l gentleman comes down hereto say, that in passing of this bill he had no other than a public g th sd ra to il l w o a o y k s a i t n h K is e a n n t t . ecedents, and plated extension,l believe it and has uniformly opposed the contem- Compan_ when he states that the South-East / ha s Pledged itself to complete the railway communication in Kent, and that the GoNernment ought to have negotiated with that company, and not with the i landowners of the district, I cannot help observing that the South-Eastern Company has, on every occasion, eluded its obligations in that respect. The Duke of Wellington took up the subject very warmly in 1811. He said the immense importance, in a national point of view, of the establishment of a continuous railway communication between the metropolis and the dockyards and arsenals on the Thames and at Chatham, could not be qnes tioned, and he proposed that the scheme of the. South-Eastern Company, which was then before Par liament, should be referred to the railway commis sioners. Well, the commissioners made their report, and the Duke of Wellington was himself goin g down to the House of Lords to move the insertion ofa clause compelling the South-Eastern Company to complete the railway communication in Kent, so as to secure the na tional objects which he had in view, when he discovered that the hon. member for Sandwich and his friend, taking advantage of Lord Brougham's resolutions, passed in the preceding session, had suspended the bill till the following year. It was understood at that time that the bill was to be taken np at the same stage in the House,of Lords in the session of 1848 ; but the hon. gentleman, from that day to this has never re-introduced the measure. t inder these cir ctunstences the East Keut Company's bill was passed in 1853. That company has experienced great difficulties in the carrying out of its project, and it now ciomes to Parlia ment to ask for the release of the money deposited in the Court of Chancery, in order to enable it to complete the construction of the bridge over the Medway at Rochester, which it was compelled to make within a certain time. The bill for that purpose was taken before the standing orders committee. It passed that committee. It was then referred to a select committee of this house, and that com mittee has reported as follows :—" That the committee, having allowed a relaxation of the 136th Standing Order, and permitted the money impounded under it to be applied to the construction of a bridge over the Medway and the approaches thereto, think it right to inform the house that they have been led to that decision by the conviction of the paramount necessity, in a national point of ` , view, of conti nuous railway communication between the metropolis, Deptford, and Woolwich and the dockyards and arsenals at Chatham—an opinion in which the comfittee are satis fied, the Government entirely coincide. his continuous communication, it appeared to the committee, could only be obtained by the immediate completion of the bridge and its approaches, and they have taken care to restrict the application of the deposit released by the bill to that specific purpose, the national importance o which in their opinion would alone justify them in, senctioning any departure from a standing order so well calculated to protect sound and necessary railway schemes, and to dis courage reckless and unnecessary railway speculation. That in the opinion of the committee, the completion of the railway through its entire length will not be endangered by the release of the deposit." Now, if the hon. gentle man had merely the public interest at heart he should, on the select committee making their report on the 11th inst., have come forward and moved that the evidence be printed ; but on the 16th the bill as amended by the com mittee, was considered in this house, without any opposi tion whatever. Now, however, the hon. gentleman who at first intended merely to move, as appears from the votes that the evidence taken before the select committee should be printed, comes forward with an altered motion, to the effect that the third reading of the bill should be postponed till the 4th of June, which is, it; fact, till after Whitsuntide. It is important that the house should knew that there is another bill coming before the standing orders committee this day for au extension from Canterbury to Dover, and I have no doubt that the hon. gentleman thinks, if he can get the East Kent bill post poned till after Whitsuntide, it will be of some use to him in raising a further opposition to the Canterbury and Dover bill, which, I may add, has the vigorous support of all the Government departments—of the Ordnance and Admiralty —and of those who have the greatest interest in the esta blishment of a direct railway communication with Dover. I hope that the house, for the public reasons I have stated, will reject the motion of the hon. gentleman. Mr. H. ADAIR—As chairman of the select committee to whom the East Kent Bill was referred, I must trouble the house with a few observations. I think the motion of the hon. member for Sandwich is a very judicious and prudent one, because the house, before passing the bill, should have an o eportunity of seeing the printed evidence. I ain of that opinion, because the question now raised is every important one, and it is a question, moreover, which I think the house alone is able to decide. This is the first application that his bean made to suspend this portion of the standing orders of this house. The whole object of the bill is to release a sum of money which the House of Commons has judged it desirable should be held impounded to enforce the completion of a certain railway, the plans of which have been deposited in: Parliament. Now, I think that is a question of such importance that the house ought to be called upon to express an opinion as to the circumstances under which such a deviation from the usual practice of the house should be allowed. The reason alleged to the committee why the bill should pass was that the East Kent line was of national importance, and one in which the Government had a great interest. Why, it seems to me that this is an argument which many of the railway com panies may urge almost with the same effect as the East Kent Company. But I wish to call the attention of the house to another point. The object of the 136th standing order, if I understand it rightly, is to ensure to the public the completion of certain lines of railway. I have no doubt that the Government are very anxious that the bridge over the Medway at Rochester should be con structed. I have not the slightest doubt that they wish their dockyards and arsenals to be brought into immediate communication with the metropolis; but still it was not shown to my satisfaction in the committee that the pro moters of this bill were unable to complete,the bridge at Rochester without the assistance of the Governinent. They have raised only an insignificant portion of the capital which they are authorised to raise under the provisions of ' the act of 1853; they have laid out little or no money upon the construction of the bridge at Rochester ; and I think it is for us to consider whether, under the circum stances, we should agree to the proposed deviation from the usual practice of this house, amounting, in fact, to the abrogation of a standing order, which heretofore has been found to work beneficially, and which I am quite sure has, at all events, prevented the passing of many crude and ill devised schemes of railway extension. I think, moreover, that the parties should not be called upon to pay for the print ing of the evidence, but that the expense should be borno by Parliament, and that the house should at once deal with the question, and for the guidance of its select committees, should lay down under what circumstance, if any, the 135th standing order should be dispensed with. I have thought it right to make these few observations, as many members of the house are not quite award of the actual facts of the case. I shall most undoubtedly support the propo,ition of the hon. member for Sandwich, with the view of bringing distinctly before the house the question of whether the 136th standing order shall be made practi cally operative, or whether, under any circumstances, even when a scheme may be called by its promoteri of great national interest, any deviation is to be allowed. Mr. DEEDES.—As a member of the standing orders committee I think, after what has been said by the chairman of the select committee,. I may be allowed to state that this question of the infraction of a standing order was brought under our notice; that we went fully into all. th 3 circumstances connected with the cam ; that there was a great deal of discussion ; and that we thought, under the peculiar circumstances of the case, that we should recommend the house to dispense with the standing order. In consequence of that recommendation on the part of the standing orders committee, the house agreed to dispense with the 136th standing order in this instance. Now I admit that the question of interfering with a stead big order of this house ought always to be approached with considerable caution ; but, seeing that the present case has been considered in all its bearings by the standing orders committee, and that that committee have come to a decision upon it, I think the house ought not to interfere at this late stage of the bill. If the hon, member for Sandwich had brought forward his motion upon the report of the committe, then it would hai , e been right and proper for the house to entertain it; but the question has greatly been decided, and therefore I hope tho house will reject the proposition of the hon. gentleman. Nor can I agree with the hon. member in regard to the consideration which, he says, ought to be shown to the South-Eastern Company. I have no hostility to that company, but I think they are bound to show that they are not to blame for the delay which has taken place in the fulfilment of the pledies they have given with regard to railway acc mmodation• Mr. ADAIR—I riee merely for the purpose of di laiming the slighteht irtention of treating the standing o r ders com mittee with any disrepect. What I meant to say was this, that the question is one of such importance that the house itself should deal with it, and so relieve the standing orders committee from a responsibility which they ought not to be called upon to incur. Mr. Rica—l am anxious to make a few remaiks on the subject before the house. It has been said that the hon. member for San ,with ought to have brought forward his motion on an earlier day. Now, it must be iecollected that the report of the select committee was not circulated until after the house had considered the bill anl ordered it to be read a third time; and I presume it world hardly have been competent to move that the evidence te printed before the repot itself. Therefore, that objeo:ion falls to the ground, I think the house will always ;sten with great deference to any opinion expressed by the chairman of a committee, who has had fall opportunity of hewing the whole case. Well, the chairman of the committee on the East Kent bill has described the evidence which was laid before that committee, and has told you that 1 new rule is to be adopted iu this case. lam sorry the right hon. gentleman the member for Oxford is not in his (lace, for if he were hero he would tell you that the object o f the stand ing order which it is now proposed to repeal wits to secure that those who broxig,ht forward railway schemes had the requisite means for carrying out their projects and that that object has been attained up to the preseul moment.. Now, however, certain par ties come forward adl ask Par liament to abrogate that rule, and to establish %that I may venture to call a very bad and dangerous precei , nt. Why are the promoters of the bill so anxious that tile evidence taken before t'.e select committ e e s hould not b' printed ? That evidence will show whether their railway scheme is one to which the provisions of the standing order ought or ought not to apply ; a nd I really d o not see, if their project b e a goo d one , w by th e y s h ou ldobject to the motion of the hon. member for Sandwich. It they had exerted themselves to carry out the objects I the act of 1853—if they had exercised all due diligence to fulfil their covenants—then, I think, they would have been en" titled to ask the house to consider whether or not it should relax the standing order with the view of enablindthem to execute their engagements; but it is notorious that they have not complied with the conditions of their act, and I think it would not be fair or just to extend an unit ual in dulgence to a company placed in such circumstance,. We have recently dealt a very different measure of j t etice to another company. What are the covenants of the East Kent Company ? They undertook to complete certain arches over the river Medway by the 4th of August 1854 , and to complete certain abutments of the bridge by the 4th of January, 1855. I am now speaking on the ? , 2d of. May; 1855. The work that was to be finished on the 4th of August, 1854, under the penalty of paying 101. a bay to the Admiralty is not yet completed; while the work that was to be. finished on the 4th of January, 185 i, under a similar penalty, has not been conitneteed. Here, then, are to o covenants plainly disregarded. But the engineer of the railway, intim atoly connected with the engineer of the Admiralty, supported by Government in fluence, obtains a relaxation of the penalties, by Ghat means this house has yet to learn. Well, has any a lert been made by the company to fulfil its covenants ? Far from it. The company got its bill in 1853. A call gas made in September of the samoyear. That call was not very cordially responded to, and legal proceedings were obliged to be taken. The works, or at least a portion of them, w ire to be competed in 1854, and yet during the whole of Wit year—from the month of September, 1853, till the month of January, 1855--not one single call was made by t)e company, nor was there the least effort to fulfil the coal nants which had been entered into with the Govert ment. Is that a state of things in which any core pany should should be allowed to come before this hone and ask to have a standing order relaxed, which is specially meant to enforce the fulfilment of contracts The Admiralty relievei them from the penalties ; is this house to go farther and release them from every obliga tion imposed by Parlament ? If the house will have a little patience, and wait. until the evidence is printed, they will find ample reason to suspect why no calls were made after the month of September, 1853, and why the call made at that time was not paid up. These have been what are called " bubble schemes." When the evidence is printed lam afraid the house will find it may have to apply to the East Kent Railway an epithet which I will not now use. It will find, for example, that of the whole capital to be raised by the company, one individual in London is liable to the amount of 100,0001. ; that a stock-broking firm is engaged for the sum of 80,100/. ; and that the e mtractor who is to make the railway is engaged by himself or his agents to the amount of 72,00 /. But I will not detain the holm any longer. I will merely say in two words that this company' has notoriously failed to fulfil its engagements with the Government, and that it is composed of shareholders whoare not precisely persons of that character upon whom we could depend as to the bona fide owners of Stock.. The chairman of the select committee having declared his opinion that the evidence should be printed before the house comes to a decision, I think it would be an act of injustice to the county of Kent, as well as to the other railway, companies in the district, and a violation of its own duty, if the house were to pass this bill without seeing the evidence upon which the opinion of the chairman of the committee is founded. Sir EDWARD DERING—I think if we wore to adopt the motion of the hon. member for Sandwich we would deal rather unfairly by the standing orders committee, who have carefully considered this question, and have recommended the house to dispense with the standing order. Ido notknow that I should have troubled the house by saying a word on this subject had it not been for the observations which have just fallen from the hon member for Richmond. I think if he had read the terms of a pledge given in 1853 by the company of which he is now the representative in this house he - would not have sought to delay the progress of this bill. In 1853 the South-Eastern.Company passed the following resolution under their common seal : " Whereas a bill is now i3eixii;l in Parliament for the purpose of enabling the South-Eastern Railway Company to make a railway from the North Kent Railway at Strood to the town of Maidstone; " And Whereas the committee of the House of Lords, to whom the said bill was referred, have required, as a con dition of passing the said bill, that the following under taking should be given by the South-Eastern Railway Company; therefore, the South-Eastern Railway Company do nereby, under their common seal, undertake and pro mise that they will not, in any future session, offer any opposition to the passing of any bill which may be intro duced into Parliament for the purpose of authorisine• the construction of a line o f ra il way f rom C an t er b ury to &ever. •` Given under the common seal of the South-Eastern Railway Company, this 6th day of July, 1853. Mr. RICH—I do not oppose the construction of a line between Canterbury and Dover. Mr. DEEDES.—I beg to explain to the house an uninten tional error into which I have fallen with regard to the standing orders committee. I stated to the house that the question of the infraction of the 136th standing order was brought before the standing orders committee • that a good deal of discussion took place upon it; and that commit tee recommended the house to dispense with the standing order. Upon referring, however, to the minutes of the committee, I find that that question was not considered by them. I can only explain my error by stating, that when ever these Kent bills came before the committee, .I pur posely abstained from taking any part in the proceedings. Mr. FITZROY.—It appears to me that we will consume a large portion of ounitime unnecessarily by going at length into the merits of this bill. The question before the house is a very simple one. Two propositions have been made by the hon. member for Sandwich, both of which appear to me to be rather novel in character, and certainly most ob jectionable in principle. The first is, that this house, in stead of referring private bills to a small body up stairs, who would be able to take evidence and consider the matter dispassionately, should itself deal with such concerns and decide them according to the chance attendance of members in this room Such would he the result if the house, after exposing members to the inconvenience and labour of at tending a committee up-stairs, were to set aside their 'repOrt either against or in favour of a private bill as of no value, and then proceed, as now proposed, to reverse their decision altcgother. But the motion of the hon. member, if it were carried would lead to no practical end. Who among the gentlemen who now hear me would trouble themselvesto read the evidence if it were printed? Yet, if they did net do so they would necessarily come to the dis cussion on ;he 4th of June as ignorant of the details of the question as they are at the present moment, and the conse quence would be that they would have to depend upon cer tain members better informed than them-elves. Surely, then, it would be infinitely wiser to leave the decision of such questions to .7a. more impartial and to a better con-' strutted tribunal. On that ground I hope that he will sup port the decision of the committee. The other proposition of the lion, gentleman is more startling in its, novelty. He proposes that because a railway has expended a certain sum of nioaey . either wisely or foolishly, the Government must come to their assistance and aid them in their schemes for competing with other railways. Islo not think that pro position was made seriously by the hon. gentleman, and therefore will not detain the house by arguing it. Ido hope, however, that the house will abide by the report of the select comnittee, and to decline to take such matters into its own lands- Mr.'Srooszut—l quite agree with much that has fallen from the right hon. gentleman, and in ordinary circum stances should have supported the decision of the commit tee ; but thechairenan of the committee has told us that he thinks weought to have the evidence before us. He has also stated that this is the first time the question has been raised in thishouse, and the hon. member for East Kent -has informed us that the point was not brought before the standing orders committee. It is upon that ground that I give my votd7or the motion of the hon. member for Sand wich. Ido rot deal with the merits of the proposed line. I have no interest one way or other it is a matter of in difference to no whether the line is constructed or not ; but ' I think ought' not Co be a matter of indifference to any member )f this house that so important a standing order should )e 'departed fi oln without the knowledge of the houso, set without the fullest .and most careful deli beration. Mr. GREEN—The report of the committee bases the suspension of the standing order on the " national impart :lnce" of the tradertaking. It appears, therefore, that the question was raised- before the select committee, and I would ask the hoe. member for North -Warwickshire whe ther in all his experience he ever knew a large body like this house go into the merits of a private bill ? Those who have had any parllarnaptary experience must know that the house itself never dealt with such questions, but left them to the decision of private committees sitting up stairs. That coune has been followed with reipact to thisbill; the commit tee have reported in favour of the measure; and I think the house would take a wrong step, and would destroy all con-' fidence on the part of the public, if it were to interfere with the decision o: its select committee. Sir FERGUSON DaTIE--It appears thereis an impression on the part Of the house that the committee were unani mous h. their decision. Now, I do not imagine that the opinion of do humble a member as myself will have any weight; but still I am bound to state that, so far as I am concerned; having sat upon the committee, my views we re entirely in accordance with th ose of the chairman. I thought the preamble of the bill was not proved, and I differed entirely from the Fpecial report made by the com mittee. Of course I considered it my duty to record my vote against both._ Mr.FREWEN—I Understood the hon. member for East Kent, correctingatf error into which he had fallen, to state that this queStion had n ot b een bef ore the sta.uding orders committee at all. The house, therefore, by agreeing to the third reading of the bill will decide the 'question of, the standing order without a communication from the com mittee. Upon that ground I shall support the motion of the hon. member for Sandwich. Mr. HENLEY—The house appears to be in a perplexity about what took place before the standing orders commit tee. I suspect the question is not about a standing order, but whether some clause in a former Act of Parliament should be dealt with by the present bill, in which a stand ing order is vii tually abrogated. That, is, the state of the case, and, therefore, the standing orders committee would not necessarily be called upon to consider the matter, be cause the real question is not the relaxation of a standing order, but the dealing with money impounded under a former Act of Parliament. • I hope the house will not disturb the decision of the select committee. The only reason alle..ed for that course is, that the subject is im portant, and that the committee happen to differ in opinion and by a decided majority. But I will venture to say that if we once make it a rule that we are to decide a matter simply because it is important, abd because the select committee differ in opinion, we shall have to try over every case of any importance that comes before Parliament. In simple cases committees do not differ; it is only in cases of importance that a difference of opinion takes place, and they are just the very questions which this house ought not to have brought before it. We might get on well enough in easy cases ; but we would fail when required to go into minute and complicated details affecting great and important interests. I shall, therefore, vote against the motion for The postponementof the bill. Mr. BROCK-MAN.—I shall, have much pleasure in giving my vote in favour of the motion of ato hon. member for Sandwich ; indeed I would do anything, not only to delay the passing of this bill, but to reject it altogether. The house then divi,led, when there voted — For Mr. Macgregor's m.,tion Against it .......... . ........................ 99 Majority -78 The bill was accordingly read a third time and passed. co Gn rr EenpAoidEri ORTHERN RAIWAY. —Traffic return for the week ending M aw a ye week k 0 lastglB 1t year 5y5 year ae . r 1;19,860 9 0 Corresponding ding week 17,027 0 7 LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE RAlLWAY.—Traffic re turn fur the week ending May 27,1855 £20,180 15 3 19,335 15 3 • - the 'i N i ve s el l K CuTesponEecß A li m u l p 4,752 14 9 4,648 9 5 g r u D zwem fl ek o ay L ia Y 2B l 7t 7 - y A leB D asr l s ZAlLWAY.—Traffic return for Increase week 1 5 t in lB a s 5 SCOTTISII CENTRAL RAlLWAY.—Traffic return for the week ending May 27, 1855 Corresponding year. BANK RETURNS. An Account, pursuant.to the Act seventh and eighth Victoria, cap. 32, of the Average Amount of Bank Notes of the several Banks of Issue in England and Wales, in Circulation during the Week ending Satur day, the 19th day of May, 1855 Average PRIVATE BANKS. Amount. Andover Bank, Andover—Heath and Co. Ashford Bank, Ashford—Jemmitt and Pomfret 11,520 Aylsham Bank, Aylsham—G. and T. Copeman 5,250 Aylesbury, Old Bank, Aylesbury—Z. D. Hunt 29,630 BalcloCk Bank and Baldock and Biggleswade Bank, Baldock—Wells, Hogge, and Co Barnstaple Bank, Barnstaple —Marshall and Co Basingstoke. and Odiham Bank, Basingstoke— Seymour, Lamb, and Co. Bedford Bank, Bedford—T. Barnard and Sons 3ewdley Bank, Bewdley Nichols, Baker, and Co .Bicester and Oxfordshire Bank and Oxford Bank, Bicester—.R. M. and G. Tubb Birmingham Bank, Birmingham— -Attwoods, Spooner, and Co Birmingham awl Warwickshire Bank, Bir mingham—J. L. Moilliet and Sons Blandford Bank, Blandford—Oak and Co. Bostcin Bank, Boston—Garfit and Co Boston Bank, Boston—H. and T. Gee and Co Bridgwater Bank, Bridgwater—J. and J. L Sealey Bristol Bank, Bristol—Miles, Miles, and C 0... Broseley and Bridgnorth and Bridgnorth and Broseley Bank, Broseley—Pritchards, Boy cott, and Co. Buckingham Bank, Buckingham—Bartlett, Par rott, and Co. Bury and Suffolk Bank, Sudbury Bank, and Stowmarket Bank, Bury St. Edmunds— Oakes Bevan, and Co • Banbury. Bank, Banbury Gillet, Tawney, and Co. Banbury Old Bank, Banbury—Cobb and Son Bath City Bank, Bath--G. Moger and Son Bedfordshire Leighton Buzzard Bank, Leighton Buzzard—Bassett, Grant, and Co ,•• Birmingham Bank, Birmingham—Taylor and Lloyds Bradford Old Bank, Bradford, Yorkshire—H A. and W. M. Harris and Co. Brecon Old Bank, Brecon—Wilkins end Co Brighton 'Union Bank, Brighton—Hall, West, and Borrer Burlington and Driffield Bank, Burlington— Harding, Smith, and Co Bury St. Edmunds Bank, Bury St. Edmunds— J. Worlledge Cambridge Bank, Cambridge—Mortlock & Co Cambridge and Cambridgeshire Bank, Cam . bridge— , Messrs. Fosters Canterbury Bank, Canterbury—Hammond and Co 32,306 9,633 22,440 35,089 11,367 15,295 23,232 9,590 6,852 85,856 14,237 8,009 38,530 18,045 22,895 66,901 34,367 24,204 34,767 32,282 11,747 0,078 20,641 12,028 2,740 15,992 49,813 30,895 Carmarthen Bank, Carmarthen—David Morris and Sons Chertsey Bank, Chertsey—La Coste and Son Colchester Bank, Colchester—Round & Green Colchester and Essex Bank, and Witham and Essex Bank, and Hadleigh, Suffolk, Bank, Colchester—Mills,• Bawtree, and Co Cornish Bank, Truro—Tweedy and Co Coventry Bank, Coventry —Little & Woodcock City Bank, Exeter—Milford and Co Craven Bank, Settle—Alcocks, Birkbecks, and Co ' Cardiff Bank, Cardiff—Towgood and Co Chepstow Old Bank, Chepstow Bank, Mon mouth Old Bank, Monmouth Bank, Brecon Dank, and Ross and Herefordshire Bank, Chepstow—Bromage ' Snead, and Co Derby Bank, Derby—W. and S. Evans & Co. Derby Bank, Derby—Samuel Smith and C 0... Derby Old Bank and Scarsdale and High Peak Bank, Derby—Crompton, Newton, and Co .. Devizes and Wiltshire Bank, Devizes—Locke and Co Diss Bank, Diss—Oakes, Fincham, and Co Doncaster Bank and Retford Bank, Doncaster —Cooke and Co Darlington Bank, Durham Bank, and Stockton on-Tees Bank, Darlington—Backhouse & Co Devonport Bank, Devonport—Hodge and Co Dorchester Old Bank and Dorsetshire Bank, Dorchester---R. and. H. Williams East Cornwall Bank, Liskeard—Robins, Fos ter, and Co East Ridiacr Bank, Beverley—Bower and Co Essex Bank and Bishop's Stortford' Bank Chelmsford l —Sparrow, Round, and Co Exeter Bank, Exeter—Sanders and Co Fakenham Bank, Pakenham—Gurneys, Birk beck, and Co Farringdou Bank and Bank of Wantage, Far ringdon—Barnes, Medley, and Co Farnham Bank, Farnham Messrs Knight Faversham Bank, Faversham—Hilton and Co Godalming Bank, Godalming—Mellersh and Keen Guildford Bank, Guildford —Messrs. Haydon.. Grantham Bank, Grantham—Hardy and C 0... Hastings Old Bank, Hastings—Smith, Hilder, and Co. Hereford City and Counily Bank, Hereford— Matthews and Co. Hertford and Ware Bank, Hertford--S. Adams, and Co. Hull Dank • and Kingston-upon-Hull Bank, Hull, Smith, Brothers, and Co. Huntingdon Town and County Bank, Hunting don—Rust and Veaseys Harwich Bank, Harwich—Cox, Cobbold, and Co. Heinel Hempstead Bank, Hemel Hempstead —Smith and Whittingstall Hertfordshire, Hitchin Bank, Hitchin Shaiples, and Co. gereord, Ross and Archenfield Bank, and Ross and Archenfield Bank. Hereford— Morgan and Co; Ipswich Bank, Ipswich—Bacon and Co. Ipswich and Needham Market Bank, Suffolk, Hadleigh Bank, Manningtiee and Mistley Bank, and Woodbridge Bank, Ipswich— Alexanders and Co Kentish Bank, Maidstone—Mercer, Randall, and Co. Kington and Radnorshire Bank, Kington— Davies and Co. Knighton Bank. Knighton=havies and Co Knaresborough 'Old Bank and Ripon Old:Bank, Knaresborough—Terry and Co. Kendal Bank, Kendal—Wakefield, Crewdson, and 'CO. - Kettering Bank, Kettering—J. C. Gotch and Sons Lane End Staffordshire Bank, Lane End—C Harvey and Son Leeds Bank, Leeds--Beckett and Co Leeds Union Bank, Leeds—LW. Williams, Brown and Co. Leicester Bank, Leicesterl—Pagets and Kirby, Lewes Old Bank, Lewes—Molineux and Co Lichfield Bank, Lichfield—Palmer and Greene Lincoln Bank, Lincoln—Smith, Ellison, and Co. Llandovery Bank, Lampeter Bank, and Llan • dilo Bank, Llandovery—D. Jones and Co Loughborough Bank, Loughborough—Middle ton and Cradock Lymington Bank, Lymington—St. Barbe and Co. 21,479 :-;,545 15,425 32,925 47,065 6,400 20,153 76,262, 6,406 9,089 11,143 38,131 27,133 9,058 10,095 75,849 88,232 9,275 47,815 92,283 53,648 46,129 27,440 19,188 8,117 13,077 5,925 5,191 j 4,472 32,827 27,883 18,847 -19,792 18,770 52,84 5,175 24,210 38,279 21,545 20,080 63,950 ... 13,424 9,475 21,970 41,652 9,376 4.764 53,955 37,402 31,674 28,383 9,320 97,112. 7,249 3,965 Lynn Regis and Lincolnshire Bank, Ly nn Regis-,Gurneys and Co. Lynn Regis and Norfolk Bank, Lynn Regis-- Jarvis and Co Macclesfield Bank, Macclesfield—Brocklehurst and Co. Manningtree Bank, Ma.nningtree--Nunn and Co. Marlborough Bank, Marlborough and Wilts Old Bank, Marlborough Old . Bank, Marl borough Old Bank and Hungerford Bank, and Hungerford Bank, Marlborough—Tan ner and Co Merionethshire Bank, Dolgelly—Williams and Son .• •• Miners' Bank, Truro—Willyams and Co.. Monmouthshire Agricultural and Commercial Bank, .A.bergavenny—Bailey and "Co Vlonmouth Cld Bank, Monmouth Bank, Bre con Bank, Chepstow Bank, Chepstow Old Bank, and Ross and Herefordshire Bank, Monmouth—Bromage, Snead, and Co Newark Bank, Newark—Godfrey and Riddell Newark and Sleaford Bank, and Sleaford and Newark Bank, Sleaford—Handley, Peacock, and Co Newbury Bank, Newbury—Bunny & Slocock [Newmark >t Bank, Newmarket—Eaton, Ham mond, and Co Norwich Crown Bank and Norfolk and Suffolk Bank, Norwich—Harveys and Hudsons,.. Norwich and Norfolk Bank, Norwich—Gur neys and Birkbeck Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Bank, Not tingham. Hart, Fellows, and Co Nuneaton Bank, Nuneaton—Craddock and Co Naval Bank, Plymouth, Plymouth—Harris and Co. New Sarum Bank, Sarum—Everett and Co Nottingham Bank, Nottingham—Samuel Smith and Co. Oswestry Bank and Oswestry Old Bank, Os westry—Croxon and Co . Oxford Old Bank, Oxford—Robinson, Parsons, and Co. Old Bank, Tonbridge, Tonbridge and Ton . bridge Wells Old Bank, Tonbridge and Ton bridge Wells and Sevenbaks Bank, Ton bridge—T. H. and S. Beeching W. Oxfordshire Witney Bank, Witney—J, W. Clinch and Co. Pease's Old Bank, Hull, the Hull Old Bank and Beverley Bank, Hull—Pease and Co Penzance Bank, Penzance—Batten and Co. Peterborough Bank and Oundle Bank, Peter borough—D. Yorke and Co. Pembrokeshire Bank, Haverfoilwest—J. and . W. Walters...... Reading Bank, Reading—Si mer d s . . Reading Bank, Reading—Stephens, Blandy, • and Co. ........................... ........... . ....... Richmond Bank, Richmond —Roper and Co. Rochdale Bank, Rochdale—Clement, Rovds and Co. ............................. ' .................. Rochester, Chatham, and Strood Bank, Roches ter—Day and Nicholson ................... ...... 7, 6 7 6 Royston Bank, Royston—Fordham and gong 13,93 0 Rugby Bank, Rugby —A. Butlin and Son 10,009 ve dank, ke -- -'R,, G. Peet* and Co 13,40G 36,860 12;150 13,230 2,566 8,915 17,954 27,093 14,930 27,451 53,G97 21,440 X 10,474 47,613 72,219 10,628 8,901 26,555 12,376 33,298 11,739 33,982 8,615 10,800 46,320 10,300 10,050 10,664 80,476 29,382 6,876 5,105 SUICIDE OF "JOHNNY" BROOMS. Shortly before four o'clock, yesterday afternoon, this ce lebrated sporting character committed suicide by cutting his throat; at .the Wrekin Tavern, Broad-court, Bow street. It is supposed that he was labouring under an attack of delirium tremens when he committed the rash act. . CRYSTAL PALACH.:: SHILLING DAY.—MAY 31.—Ad• missions on payment, 1,9961; ditto by season tickets 203.—Total, 2,199. A DIPLOMATIC PRISONER. —A correspondent in the East writes :—" A very young and pleasing Russian officer was lately made prisoner by the English, and by his engaging manners very soon became a great fa vourite.l3e is very accomplished, appears to have a good supply of cash, and with great dexterity avails him self of every opportunity to flatter the English ; at the same time he cleverly tak es 'every chance of insinuating something or ether derogatory to the French ; arid evi dently does all in his power to create a bay: feeling be tween the allies ; and with some skill shows what won ders they would do as allies, assuring his auditors that the Russians, to a man, are fond of the English. This gentleman has been sent to England. I have heard of several other prisoners who have acted nearly the same. It has often struck me when in company with this sort of Russian prisoners that they have been sent prisoners intentionally by the Russians for the purpose of creating a party in their favour in England." Ross Old Bank, Herefordshire, Ross Mac dougal and Allaway Saffron Wald& and North Essex Bank, Saffron Walden—Gibsons and Co. Salop Bank, Shrewsbury—Burton, Lloyd, and Scarbor 3ugh Old Bank, Scarborongh—Woodall and Co. Shrewsbury Old Bank and Shrewsbury and Ludlow Bank, Shrewsbury-- : Rocke, Eyfons, and Co. Sittingbourne and Milton Bank, Sittinbourne —Valiance and Co. Southampton Town and County Bank, South ampton—Maddison and Pearce , Southwell Bank, Southwell—Wyide and Co Southampton and Hampshire Bank, Southamp ton—Atherley, Fell, and Co. Stone Bank, Stone--W. Moore Stafford Old Bank, Sta.tofd—Stevenson and Co Stamford and Rutland Bank, Stamford—Eaton, Cayley and Co. Shrewsbury and Welshpooi Bank, Shrewsbury —Beck, Downward, and Co. Taunton Bank, Taunton—H. and R. Badcock Tavistock Bank, Tavistock—Gill t.nd Rundle Thornbury Bank, Thornbury—Rolph and Co. Tiverton and Devonshire Bank, Tiverton Dunsford and Co. Thrapston and Kettering Bank, Northampton shire—Thrapston, Yorke and Eland Tring Bank and Chesham Bank, Tring—But cher and Son Towcester Old Bank, Towcester—Percival and Co Town and County of Poole Bank and Ring wood and Poole Bank, Poole—G. W. Led gard and Sons Union Bank, Cornwall, Helston—Vivian and Co Uxbridge Old Bank, Uxbridge-IEI I I, Smith, and Co Wallingford 1; Wells, and (t , s, Warwick and Warwickshire Bank, Warwick-- K. Greenway and Co. Wellington Somerset Bank, Wellington—Fox, Brothers, and Co West Riding Bank, Wakefield, and Pontefract Bank, Wakefield-- Leatham, Tew, and Co Whitby Old Bank, Whitby—Simpson, Chap man, and Co Winchester Alresford, and Alton Bank, Win chester—Bulpett and Co Winchester and Hampshire Bank, Winchester —Wickham and Co Weymouth Old Bank and Dorchester Bank, Weymouth—Eliott and Pearce Wirksworth and Ashbourne Derbyshire Bank, Wirksworth—Arkwright and Co Wisbech and Lincolnshire Bank, Wisbech— Gurneys and Co Wiveliscombe Bank, Wiveliscombe—P. and ' W. Hancock - Wolverhampton Bank, Wolverhampton—•Good ricke and Holyonke Worcester Bank, Worcester—Farley, Laven der, and Co Worcester Old Bank and Tewkesbury Old Bank, Worcester—Berwick Lechmere, and Co • Worcestershire Bank, Kidderminster—Farley, Turner, and Co Walsall ,Old Bank, Walsall—Charles Forster and Sons Wolverhampton Bank, Wolverhampton—R and W. F. Fryer Yarmouth and Suffolk Bank, and Halesworth and Suffolk Bank, Yarmouth—Gurneys, Birbeek, and Co Yarthoutl;, Norfolk, and Suffolk Bank, Great Yarmouth—Sir E. H. K. Lacon, Bart,, and Co York Bauk, York—:Swann, Clough, and Co.. JOINT-STOCK BANKS. Bank of Westmorland, Kendal.. Barnsley Banking Company, Barnsley Bradford Banking Company, Bradford Bilston District Banking Company, Wolver hampton Bank of Whitehaven, Whitehaven Bradford Commercial Banking Company, Bradford Bu , tin, Uttoxeter, and Staffordshire Union Banking Company, Euston-upon-Trent Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Banking Company, Chesterfield Cumberland Union Banking Company, Work . 58,953 10,249 34,329 ington Cheltenham and Gloucestershire Banking Com pony, Cheltenham Coventry and Warwickshire Banking Company, Coventry Coventry Union Banking Company, Coventry County of Gloucester Banking Company, Chel tenham Carlisle and Cumberland Banking Company, Carlisle Carlisle City and District Bank, Carlisle Dudley and West Bromwich Banking Company, Dudley 32,555 Derby and Derbyshire Banking Company, De. by Darlington District Joint Stock Banking Com pany, Darlington East of England Bank, Norwich 23,515 Gloucestershire Banking Company, Gloucester 154,416 Halifax Joint Stock Bank- Halifax 18,255 Huddersfield • Banking Company, Huddersfield 36,806 Hull Banking Company, Hull 27,038 Halifax Commercial Banking Company; Halifax 13,446 Halifax and Huddersfield Union Banking Com pany, Halifax Helston Banking Company, Helston Herefordshire Banking Company, Hereford Knaresborough and Claro Banking Company, 24,500 14,613 111,4 44,172 1,369 22,775 27,732 3,987 63,933 23,090 81,058 54,140 Knare,sborough Kingsbridge Joint-Stock Bank, Kingsbridge... Lancaster Banking Company, Lancaster Leeds Bankin g Company, Leeds Leicestershire Banking Company, Leicester Lincoln and Lindsey Banking Company Leamington Priors and Wai wickshire Banking Company, Leamington Priors 12,725 Ludlow and Tenbury Bank, Ludlow 10,250 Moore and Robinson's Nottinghamshire Bank ing Company, Nottingham Nottingham and Nottin,ghamshire Banking Company, Nottingham 28,19 Newcastle, Shields, and Sunderland Union Joint-Stock Banking Company, Newcastle upon-Tyne -- National Provincial Bank of England, Birming ham, Head-office, 112, Bishopsgate-street, London ' North Wilts Banking Company, Melksham . 47,385 Northamptonshire Union Bank, Northampton 78,1 Northamptonshire Banking Company, North ampton North and South Wales Bank, Liverpool Pares's Leicestershire Banking. Company, Leicester Saddleworth Banking Company, Saddleworth 2,13E Sheffield Banking Company, Sheffield 35 , 422 Stamford, Spalding, and Boston Banking Com pany, Stamford Stuckey's Banking Company, Bristol Somerset-, ' shire Bank, and Somersetshire Bank, Lang port, Shropshire Banking Company, Shiffnall Stourbridge and Kidderminster Banking Com pany, Stourbriciae Sheffield and Hallamshire Banking Company, Sheffield 23,875 Sheffield and Rotherham Joint Stock Banking Company, Sheffield 51,448 Swaledale and Wensleydale Banking Company, Richmond .. 52,79 Storey and Thomas' Banking Company, Shaftes bury Wolverhampton and Staffordshire Banking Company, Wolverhampton 33,59 Wakefield. and Barnsley Union Bank, Wake field Whitehaven Joint-Stock Banking Company, Whitehaven 29,592 Warwick and Leamington Banking Company, Warwick West of England and South Wales District Bank, Bristol 80,602 Wilts and Dorset Banking Company, Salisbury 76,326 West Riding Union Banking Company, Hud- 34,453 23,156 47,958 52,985 342,984 34,459 57,7 13,805 dersfield Whitchurch and Ellesmere Banking Company, • Whitchurch Worcester City and County Banking Com pany, Worcester 6,668 York Union Banking Company, York 70,049 York City and County Banking Company, ' 93, 3 7 7 Yorkshire. Banking Company, Leads 127,748 J. MICHAEL, Acttng,Recristrar of Bank Returns. Inland Revenue, Somerset Itouse; - , May 26, 1855. 34,308 On Saturday last a cab Was driven to the City of Lei Won Union, in St. Mary Axe, with a young seaman ' named Tho mas Whi te, a splendid specimen of the ser vice. He was covered with the small-pdx, and said he belonged to the ship Silva, of Hull, which had just ar rived. He went to the Dreadnought Hospital ship, but was refused admission. He was then driven to the Small-pox Hospital in a cab, but having no letter be could not, according to the existing rules, be admitted. Mr. Thwaites, however, the relieving officer, gave the poor fellow a letter which had the effect_ of procuring his admission, but the disorder could not be checked, and the seaman died yesterday. Orders were immed - ately, upon intelligence of his death, issued for his funeral. If the authorities at the Dreadnought do n( t admit cases of small-pox, they surely ought to have the power of giving admissions to the Small-pox Hospital. Detachments from the undernamed corps, from Chat ham, embarked on Wednesday morning from the Cus tom-house-quay, Gravesend, on board the ship Emma Eugenia, for conveyance to the following stations, viz. :-1 sergeant and 50 men, with 1 woman and 4 children of the 26th Foot, for Bermuda, to join their service companies ; and 81 men of the 76th Regiment, with 4 officers, for Halifax. The names of the officers are Major Henry Brewster, Lieutenant J. H. Tripp, and Ensign L. E. O'Connor, 76th ' • and Lieutenant W. M. Mill, 26th Regiment. Colonel Henry Jervis, comman dant of the provisional battalion, and Staff-Captain Henry Jackson, from Chatham, were present and super intended the embarkation of thq troops, and inspected the ship's accommodation for thein : also the berths for the officers. 2,300 4,612 28,297 15,821 24,048 40,390 2,910 13,501 13,054 3, 381 345 12,854 26,733 23,359 25,438 9,300 4,653 9,411 11,953 12,700 8,595 10,13 11,645 15,485 7,316 25,674 2, 475 13,95 18,876 14,710 37,530 8,33 A 10,948 71,776 68,811 7,620 11,375 40,390 11,903 43,033 10,959 9,708 48,151 8,862 31,952 19,78 OOP ° sou • ° f l) Ole of the P? Ol e atfee deVe 011 be ,no The Glasgow Daily vs Gio . Mail states that Se re* P r ; gio b ne e o e wtu i h i pee a ur n s. e p ai e mv i De n er t rs e . appointed to etho the chair of Materia '''fvtbe vacant Lofil a knowledge rw t sl h ee e dvge ( re l a e il a ny th e:,h ° re ; t el o a d t e ;, 0 10 1 "" 01 0 University. fow Ear d B.oe [ADv..s.m.NT.]— Trill WAR IN T.". I „„17 • PATENT RECONNOITRING GLASSES.— Messr s. P*oo mous, opticians, 39, Albemarle-street, ricegojestl_fel°,e, opposite the York Hotel. By llor Letters Patent for valuable and extraortlina%, Cal,st-ijo in the most powerful and brilliant Telesofrow tl3 O O to to , course, Opera, and Perspective Glasses , to ,I:lporticliesefe• of objects viewed through them—of gr eat ' os oes otS*,;figi army, navy, and others. These telescopesjo. 9.0„1.01 ordinary powers that some 31 inches, Do ns, and the hweildl double e w e d ta is m tirt w ly ith Jup th it e er sa ' seen a person's counter Tace three rotle s of ' 3 "iieir tl l° and an object from 16 to 20 miles. Thoi 3 : tlit,P l s<rm and sizes, with increasing powers accordinglYo'or e P o above,i ng from and theto 6 G e i e n r c g h i e a s e e icttbh7e his s 6 t d e l s : cl . l7f :,: e 7 o l l: (ll'l6 l l3 :l, 4 ? Alj et i ' .l Exhibition, 1851.—Valuable, newlriuvf ,10113;.'1,0, powerful waistcoat-pocket glass,the size t a ' ist ,ot: ' co V' a person can be seen and known 1i railo 9 at the Y to . ° g, o every purpose on the race-course, and - - ea * t - , aeb t tr * country scenery, and ships are clearly s t ` id kivg , .,; o . u i r e rfol They are invaluable for shooting, deer' s d tou . V it wor re rit; sportsmen, gentlemen , gamekeepers , w i o f tll e i fric r race-course, camp, and perspective gl',.7. o ses e j power.—Newly-constructed Spectacle .frn est transparent power. The valuahl _n s oo oo tr from this invention is, that visios lo u ag ed Y; t ite o iff: preserved and strengthened, and veil lo st , 1 0 0 ,0! enabled to employ their sight at th,. njo b 1 1 :11 pation—can see with these lenses of t he frel i „ v ce , ,oo lv ing power—and they do not reqr4r e ", fl oissi s ; 8 '0 0 ; to the dangerous effects of further pnwe .AIOT, r f iribi fe , g 0 0 3 ness—New Discovery.—The organ . stru ng ow i g nary powerful, small, new in r _ ass r . o .18; entirely different from all others, to P ca u 1 1'0 0° 0 0 4 kind that has been, or probab'y ever : vo t 0 0 1 D P, Being of the same colour as the skin, 1. 4 Ch.n3flg sig enables deaf parsons to hear distincgo; o f sl i ni i e s 'ot, public assemblies ; the unpleasant seas:l: l or ds 9 : 00 40 .0 a l the ears is entirely removed ; and it 3 9 , .A 11)6 4 an i c e e ead tb i t y. o possibbervleycoeuld b e des ge e Vets Piccadilly. — op p os ite the Blßr ll * 031' A (: ) I'T. •4 viaCe/ tio`' )lY., On the 30th ult., at 32, Newing'°ll.' foild John Clutton, Esq. rr re OP On the 3Gth ult., the wife of E. B. - J. of Nettingham—prematurely- 9 Olt A DAIIGFITED. .bili, d e Ba o k n er t . he Tills ° re On the 30th ult., at Beulah Lodge, ~ tb . 21st March, at the Cape of . , gtor , tj, Gov - , 1 g 1 041 of Lieut.-Colonel Aston—twins. , bert. - i g ilf tb e ' On the 31st ult., at Gothic "Villa , 013°13 wife of Geo. Ellwood, Esq. 4 jjawklitt°' or el l On the 29ths ult , at Collingwe e-, CO° of Sir John'F. W. ' Herschel Bait. Ar eet,,,, „re , On the 28th ult. at 56, Grosvenor_;3ol, lr,irg' s.Tuare, the wife of 'Thomas Spencqoilatt, On the 30th ult., Mrs. Randall " Chelsea. ti get .NA .R R Iff- D • stoolobel' ~ Pri al tort l ,„` l,l 4 On the 31st ult., at Saint Mary, - ' n sth, r tsJvc i ev' Garthshcre Stirling Home Esq:, Car a j o to '-' l , l ll O 4no' land Fusiliers and youngest son of the to il , , i, r) Home, forme;ly c.f the 42,1 Ifighlanuer,•oq., of giana, third daughter of William SCObv , CO r " bi d k .0 1 sten-square. , jou,, of 013 tr P C. Y b tor On the 29th ult., at Lee Church, the wr. a . tv g 1 Maitland, Royal Artillery, sou of ,hlest ' f o l land, of Brighton, to Elizabeth °deb , j ..paro, o T. Baillie, Esq., Blackheath.the Rev' bead *rd l o6 On the 31st ult. at Milton "Cent, ant i pro o f the D oll M.A., rector of 'Plymtree,'Devoo, /00,,,,bter,t0o0P Exeter, to Emma Louisa, youngest ' foe Sor Josiah Dornford, Lieutenant R• •' ° Greenwich. - , atle DI-g p ' to p*, l3lll° 0010 On the 26th ult., at Wyndharo-Pit'Ses',. A . 0 Joseph Newington Carter, Esq ., a g e v . o° ll olg tj ' P ill On the 26th nit., at Tours, the ,g ° O.S. F., aged . se. 0. lir. prifoli e Lodg e ' On the 29th ult., at Rushmo r , o Ile ' i Esq., aged 20. Gore- „jot) )0 1 c , On the 31st ult., at Sighburri Esq., aged 60. On the 28th ult. the Rey: Jame s Stitcli°' ilicill'?"1 SAI Dil° WO of Kucckholt, Kent. ' aged DD.., _ yev. jas.._.,t fp , On the 27th ult., at I,yous,Anelic proteStroopat ~, one of the ministers of the 14 . e u u r „ str eet, ' , joyr, Church of the Savoy, 131001330 .1 ti 0 01°' ti 11`v 86. , 9 0 , On the 26th ult., at Landuet,boCo7rtritis;,%7slo' r. ll. Phillipi:s, Esq., formerly- of „ iz , v ge,.., e ferldl 0, Lieut.-Col. of the Royal Corova.',i:uoie,,,iu" 1 elf On the 28th ult at 7, Sidney ' l ,, ge d / 3. p o . eli Thomas, o n the o2fBtthhenEi t als: t a t u s d i,?ao.llb u o r u y s 7 J3 ` boor, , k B s e , g ot r i v* i c eoro . of of and lnau y lNl y a e u a d r e s , a o fM representativeark-1 a e. 0,, the C ' Af s e d i e l ',llY :' On the 23d ult., at De,vize,,,,, perksbile, . Inner Temple, and of Binfiela -.} 461 rov l o ------ _ ri ot , l- , A P blishea le Oillce' ova LONDON : Printed an,... • u ii ,. ri b, Mal C of No. 112, Strand, Printer; : . 1,: vo , la bm - Strand, in the Precinct of the 2" Zdidrlltaex, FrilaYr Jun 1, 85°. ~~ ._, 6,525 COUNTRY .MA.RSETS• ----- EP-- -- DERBY SMITIIFIELD.—AfaI 29• _ or The number of fat beasts to -day was loss than it has boy? f el , several preceding markets; the demar.d was flt and veral lots were left unsold. The suppty of sheep oll! large without any alteration of price. There was a ea quantity of lambs, but many of them only in soiddlini condition. Fat and store calves scarce. Limited sopPlf of fat pigs. ' mutton, 6d to 7d ; lamb, Od to Od ; The following were the quotations Beef, ot ° 7'd lb. ; pigs, es 9d to lOs Od per score ; rough fay, 53 0 I toul per 111 b. ; hides, 34d. to 40. per lb ; calf-skins, 3i t'' per lb. veal, 60 to id P,e, . AA The supply demand good, of f n E DINBURGIEI GRAIN. —MAT :30 of b and all r kind's iees ofg improvedrain toonqllaays tw,ua:eskn.is ll The T4i ___ alloy today was the heaviest evert in the market► 5. wa_s . grown by Mr. A. Johnstone ser I:biles. i , Wheat on the top 2s up, and the avera g e' Is Sd. 13 0 ' e l on th e t o p i s 6d, and the average is 2d upon. Onts o a t . lO top 3s 4d, and the average Is 2d np• a the toplh and the average Is 4d up• Total Supply and Sales. Wheat 835 qrs. • . ............ sold 613 , 1 0 Barley 550 qrs ............. . sold 6091 r.s Oats , 515 qrs .................. 515 ql , Beans l7l qrs ............... sold 139 qr , Top of Wheat ............................. 6441:21.1 Barley._ ................. ....... . 61 lb 22s ~ i • 454 ',l) 0 tl, ..... Gill) 524 0 i Oats ............ ................. Beaus ................ BOSTON —MAY 30. iticr`ri' li ' !i t A limited supply of wheat, and the detnanii; ~,, 0 about last week's prices. Barley and oats in r :I v o e t,,niri the turn dearer. Beans being scarce, met an a cti on o i er. at an improvement of is to 2s per qr. No Pe'!„ s 3 0 t" Prices :—Wheat, red, 738 Od to 77s Od; v* ,111 ,"1,4 Osilf 83s Od extra, 85s Od. Barley, 32s Od to :30;_v`0,1 to 0 , 26s to 31s. Beans, 46s Od to 48s Od. Peas, 4 -'' Per qr. NEWARK —MAY 30. l e At f 1 A p entiful supply of grain. Wheat Met s fo, 33 late prices. Oats and beans were is to 2s deare r ' o ltivg Wheat, white 82s to 87s, red 784 to 80s; b ar ley', 225,!. 31s to 375, grinding 30s to 335; oats, 24st. 3s t 0 01 28s to 325; beans, 48s to ro lt 70s to 763; P ' 3 ' ma , " to 44s ; tares, 58s to 60s per. qr. _......... essi''' '' 6 the Genes, itch.) Fro a t dt , e , ; I d roll Er- a E a t t Livero°' COUNTRIES 4010 6 ItiverPN l ,southe nPt n V fi C C South' MPtG", Dover •• 0 .41 0 17 • ::',lOl plyr ooutP .. 1 D o ver • • iib Sou 03 vv p tor'Dell je g°` l lune pove- " tha o3 ! ) „ Ply _ d oe s o d , o to „ m oo, s o otti• „ v v., .- irar i o tls soutliarat°' .1 0 • 5i.41 I — tb goutbsniP.:: gs/ : 0 P l ao v see t June t : 00 1 l Gou t deee: t °r i r: a e ' 111 3ou LoII pover oe • sout" a t ii ••1 91 * o f ire. 6 Pe' ',, e aJ ?se/ 0013 . ra pto , , SOUtb a ICO 0 10 WowLiVerr°°' Ipover t I , oou v o r ono taii___ c er. lirarlol_l9Pit.:lVP I D° l l.3; " t°" tutithartilpzrious ltlttle D v .: l ; ::••jone I ,DOS optopi 10 0 SEABORiVE MAILS. (N signifies that the mails are sent fro m sy the night—and Mby the morning--desP6 Day when 14 &It in General . Office , London. !Every Friday • • Imerica(byßrit.pack)N &merle?. ( by United Sts. packet) .. N imerica (by U. States • packet) Australia (via South ampton) Ditto (via Marseilles) N Ditto (via Cape of Goad H0pe).............N Africa (West Coast) ..N Alexandria N Alexandria.......... Bahamas ... SI Belgium ............N Brazil Buenos Ayres .. Cape of Good Hope .. N Cape of Good Hope ..1 . 4 Cape de Verds Ceylon (see India) Ceylon.... N Channel Isles ~..N China Constantinople Cerstantinoyle ........ t.:ont. of Europe M & N Egypt (see India) France ........ & N gibraltar .......... M Greece (see India) groytown ........ , . 2nd & 17th of mon. ilamburgh Tuesday & FridaY rlavannah ........ .. 51 2nd of the month Flolland .............M Daily,. • • • • • • ifonduras .......... M 17th of tl•e month. India (viaSonthampt.)llli4th & 20th of men,. India (via Marseilles)sl i 9th&2sth of mot lonian Isles (seo Indle)l7, 17, & 27 of mon Ireland & N Twice daily ..... 7.9, 17, 27 of 1 14 , • a lf a ad ie e l i r r a a ooff month the Malta (tee India) Malta,N 8,18, &28 ot mot Mauritius (see India) Lianritius :.........N 14th of the month Mexico 2nd of the month. Naples ........N sthlsth2sthofmom New Granada, ...... St 3 d & 17th of montl, New Zealand By private skip • • Papal I.4tates N sth I sth2sthoftnon. Peninsula 7thl7th27thofm oo. Peru Al 2d & 27th of mom, Port Natal ..... ..... N By private ship.• • Sicily •• •• •• ........N 50115th2-sthoftn on, Tuscany ............N sth 15th25 thofinon. iTenezuela „ „Al 2d & 17th oftnonp Van Diemen's Land (see Australia) Vcat Indies & 17th of month, 33d of the frionth 9,24,8 c ao Of ni ' 4th t'Ot i, iv°l' 17th of the ova Daily.. • • •"• '• 1 9th of the month.. 19th of the roontii.• 9th of the month Oncee4 ' 4 2 4th 20th c I. 1 0 ' 'Bl27lVd'Otaih;h:y6ottl:;hB.llPra°.°.ri.".ol ITvgice daily ... ni •• !4,7, 17,20, TT or When any of these dates fall 071 a Sunday', spatched on the following day, with the exci Fo - ithamptoit), and the Malta, both of Whic h preceding day. ~~ L .i ,