The Sun. — London, England, 1854-04-27 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA. SYDNEY, JAN. 25. At the half-yearly meeting of the Australian Joint-stock Bank, held yesterday (24th), a divi dend of 4 per cent, on the paid-up capital of 125,0001. was declared. Considering the low rate of interest, and the fact that the bank is still in its infancy, the directors consider the result of the half-year satisfactory. The bank has established an agency at the Ovens for the purchase of gold. The general half-yearly meeting of the Commer cial Bank was held on the same day. The report stated the profits of the half-year to have been 17,9611. Hs. 10d., which, with an undivided profit on the previous half-year, left 20,5401. ss. avail able for appropriation ; the directors, therefore, declared a dividend for the half-year of 15 per cent. ; 3,0001. is added to the reserve fund. At the half-yearly general meeting of the share holders of the Sydney Railway Company, held on the 16th Jan., a very favourable report was pre sented. From the progress of the works there is scarcely a doubt that the line will be open for traffic from Sydney to Paramatta in the early part of 185 a. The engineer, Mr. Wallace, states in his re p ort that five and a-quarter miles of the road are already pre paredth for laying down the rails. Th e cost of lel line, however, as might have been eected, i w greatly exceed the first estimate ; the additional expense is caused, not only by the increased rate wo of wages and the price of materials, but by a deism rk s i ture from the original plan, by which the will be rendered more e xtensive. The line, tis estimated, will cost 139,000/. more than the direc tors have at their disposal from the subscribed capital and the Government loan to g ether. In ord er to supply the deficien c y , they have resolved to ask the shareholders for p ower to raise 100,0001. by issuing 20, 000 now shares, and also to apply t o th e Government for the promise of a further loan of 150,000 1 . The amount received from the Govern ment up to the present time, on account of the loan already obtained, is 50,0001. The company has also reseived from the executive an additional grant of 21 acres of land, to enlarge the area of the Sydney terminus. It appeared from the proceed ings that some of the owners of land along the line had asked such enormous prices for it as to excite the indignation of the directors ; it seems, too, that the provisions of the Railway Act for securing a proper valuation of such lands by surveyors are very unsatisfactory, and it was resolved to apply to the Council for definite powers. The resolutions approving the issue of new shares to the amount of 100,0001., and of the application to the Govern ment for a new loan were carried. In the purchase of these new shares the present shareholders are to have a preference. The subject of railway communication generally is exciting more attention than it has ever yet done. It has even been possible to get a public meeting together in Sydney to consider the project of a railway from Sydney to Melbourne. When a line beteen the capitals was proposed some two years ago the scheme was ridiculed out of doors, and met with no encouragement even in the Council. Where a railroad has never existed there may be a pardonable degree of incredulity as to the extraor dinary effect which rapidity of communication pro duces ; but with the example of America before them, the better informed among the colonists should not have so completely discouraged all en terprise in this direction. In the United States the first road through the forest is the rail ; there is no reason why it should not also be the first road through the " bush" of Australia. Yet one of the greatest colonial authorities discouraged the idea, declaring that the lumbering bullock-dray was the " natural conveyance of the colony." It is so at present, but must be discarded in course of time ; it is slow, clumsy, and expensive. Where there are no roads draught by horses would not be any better, and there is no possibility of con structing highways on the principle of Macadam throughout the colony, or even roads of the parish trust standard ; there is actually nothing between the scriptural and classic bullock team and the locomotive. The first train that runs between Sydney and Paramatta will work a moral revolution by dissipating much prejudice disguised under the name of "colonial experience." It is quite time some efforts should be made ; the wealthiest and most exclusively English of the British colonies is the last to attempt the construc tion of a railroad. The nearly ruined colony of Jamaica has one, largely patronised by the free and independent negroes ; the stationary Hindoo already sees the swift train dash past him; almost every nation is in advance of the Australian Briton. The novelty-hating Spaniard has a fragment of a line ; the Russian, a mere barbarian as we call him, ne gotiates loans for no other purpose than the con struction of railroads ; and it was till lately an equal chance that the proverbially unenterprising Turk would have had a line across his territory before the colonists of Australia could be brought to believe that steam communication by land was either advantageous or possible. Now they are beginning to perceive that some activity is abso lutely necessary. The roads of the province, even in the vicinity of the capital, are fast deterio rating ; everywhere they are neglected, and in the interior have become so perilous that the mails are ordered to carry no passengers by night ; a dreadful accident, by which the Bathurst mail was a short time since thrown over the precipice of the Victoria Pass, has frightened the autho rities into issuing the order ; but it is no less retrograding from the former state of the means of communication, bad as they were. After long, and almost patiently, seeing wretched country roads becoming worse every month, and continually taught by the high'rate of carriage for goods inland, the merchants of Sydney are beginning to think that something should be done. The last and most direct impulse, however, has been given by the opening of the river Murray to steam navigation. Sydney is threatened with the loss of a large por tion of its traffic if the produce of the south of New South Wales is floated down to Adelaide for shipment, instead of being dragged up to the capi tal. Good authorities state that much of the wool of the Goulburn district will find its way to the sea by the Murray, and that the whole of the traffic beyond Yass will take the same direction. The fleeces grown in the province of New South Wales will then swell the export returns of South Aus tralia, and Sydney will lose both in importance and profit. The last item of the loss, at least, is one the Sydney traders can fully estimate, and ac cordingly they are considering whether a railroad to the district towards the head of the navigable portion of the Murray would not enable the pert and capita] to keep its status in the colony. It is evident ' nothing else will do it, and in any case the steamers on the river, now they have really commenced running, will command the traffic for many years. The consideration of the necessity of a line in the direction of the Murray has led to a better appre . elation of the advantages of others ; and the public meeting above referred to also discussed the pro bable benefit of a railway to Newcastle or Mait land. But the more immediate object was stated to be the construction of a great trunk line from Sydney to Melbourne— " By a company to be called the Sydney and Melbourne Railway Company, to which it was to be expected, on public grounds, the State would grant the amount of one half the estimated cost ; the amount to be raised by the State issuing bonds, secured on the public revenues of the colony, redeemable at the end of 30 or 53 years, the corn- Puny raising the other half by the issue of shares of say, s'. each, to be subscribed by the public in the colonies or in without any Government guarantee ; the Govern ineat, if it subscribes half the capital, to retain control ovel the railway and its management in the ratio of its ProPrietorship." TI" • • 's the first shadowy outline of the scheme, which ha s nutted t o the yet taken shape enou g h to b e sub ; a second meeting, called to discuss the of the arrival of details, ti was adjourned in consequence overland mail. The fromintelligencihe the goldfields is a shade more fiwourable. di ggers nagel are returning to work - after a somewhat prole indulgence in the fes tivities of Christmas • by tholastne the quantity. of gold brought down shows a slight in crease. In the early part ofsc,luary a rich vein of auriferous quartz was found upon Hawki ns - r id ge , . Lear Tanabaroora, which i s now being worked suc cessfully. S pec i mens o f t h e vein have been s en t • d o wn to Sydney ; th e y are very g oa d, thou g h the ex act proportion of g old to the rock has not yet been minutely as certained. The p ubli shed accounts of similar discoveries are generally t o b e cc with a large abate ment, but as to the Tambaroora-aepted • vein , private letters confirm the first report s o f i ts i richness. The following s the description of the locality and the discovery given by the Bath urst Free Press of the 7th of January : " Some eight or nine days ago a digger came Hill, about a pie ce Bald , of auriforous quartz on the side of theabout 900 yards from Wilson's public-house, and made known th e e circumstance to Mr. Joseph Withers, publican,who at on_c n r - put a party to work on the point with splendid suc ce ss. r b l a very short time the discovery was bruited about am a roora, and a sudden rush was the consequence. Claims were speedily marked out on all sides of the lucky spot, and the earth turned np with a celerity which nothing but the pro spect of a golden reward could have produced. At present there are about 130 people at woik on the point, all of whom • are doing remarkably well, and many of them bagging their 20 to 30 ounces of the pure metal per day each party. Ono lump of quartz of about the size of a brick was found on the surface, which, when broken up and divided among the six diggers who had a joint interest in it, was found to contain 1001. worth of gold of a brilliant bright colour ; some of the pieces of the preciou s metal scatterel through the quartz weighing several pennyweights, and the largest 17 pennyweights. The locale of the now discovery is not more than 300 or 400 yards from the head of the Golden -Gully, where the diggers have latterl y b een doing so well, and it suppose d t o be a continuatio n of the same vein or lode,' extending thence to the Turon. The richness of some of the claims may be estimated from the fact that 3001. was refused for one of them, out of which it is known that nine ounces of gold have been taken in six buckets of earth. As before stated, the gold is found in the quartz matrix, and at no considerable depth. The first layer is sparkling duet d a u n a d t i generally o found re ea cast t a o w b s e y t a o : p s o t o r i r p t p o i n p g a , y , b f u o t b h r e e is ari,y whoree t has in invariably casaeby disappointed found the th co e hopes s d l o f theaye layer, l w d h h i e u h n t a e s r, they have been confined within moderate limits. The same journal adds : " The news of these new diggings has inspired fresh life intotheframes of our business people, who were fast settling down into a moody despondency under a growing but groundless conviction that our g oldfields were ex hausted , or that their slender attractions were powerless to draw hither a population from Victoria. The idea now appears to prevail that, with a large accession of diggers, diggings equally rich would be found over a surface of country com prising hundreds of square miles, and we are as hopeful as we have hitherto been desponding. The future looks bright from the reflected light shed by the quartz ridges of Tam ba roora, and the views of some of our business people have undergone, within the last two or three days, a most th o rough and surprising change. Some few scintillations of the electric excitement which in the early days of the gold discovery were wont to rouse us to a temporary deli rium have manifested themselves in our hitherto quiet town, and many who were looking towards Victoria as their next theatre of action have philosophically resolved to wait a little and watch the course of events." The best review of th e f ac t s connecte d w i t h t h e goldmines for the past year is given in the last gold circular of Messrs. Lloyd and Co., from which the subjoined particulars are extracted "The northern mines, consisting of the Hanging Rock, Rocky River, and Bingera, have been worked with consider able success. The favourite method has been the system of sluicing, which was established by some Americans from California, and has been carried on upon a very large scale. By its means water has been brought to spots previously un workable for want of it. New diggings have been found in the northern district of Cameron's Creek, near Armidale. It is difficult to give any proximate estimate of the amount of gold obtained from this district, as it has nearly all been brought down to Sydney by private hand. In consequence, the Government escort to the north has been discontinued. A very large amount is, nevertheless, believed to have been obtained. The produce of the western mines has been fluc tuating owing to the uncertainty in which the question of the gold license fee was left during a large portion of the year ; but the average brought down by the escort per week from these mines for the year may be stated at 1,600 ounce. Some new diggings have been discovered here on the Mac quarie river at Burrandong ; these promise to turn out the richest diggings in our western goldfield. The southern mines near Braidwood have not been so productive this year, having sent to Sydney by escort, on an average, only about 600 ounces per week. Some new fields have lately been discovered here also, the richness of which has not yet been tried. On the southern boundary of the colony, near the far-famed Ovens, but on this side of the Murray River, some new diggings have been opened at Adelong Creek, which have yielded a large amount of the precious metal. One spot, to which there is at present an immense rush, is named Buffalo Range. Some thousands of miners are on their way thither, and the older worked deposits on the Ovens are comparatively deserted. On the whole it is believed that, under the reduced amount of license fee, a much larger development of the mineral wealth of the colony will take place, and that many of our miners, who had gone over to the Victoria fields, will re turn. The more moderate price of the necessaries of life, the greater degree of security and order, and the more , equal distribution of remuneration being taken to counter balance the splendid prizes and numerous blanks that cha racterise that district. "Asa proof that the general produce of the New South Wales mines is sufficient to afford ample remuneration to all the diggers employed, the following statistics may be produced :—The number of licenses issued to diggers in New South Wales for the first 10 months of 1853 was 32,670, or, on an average, 3,267 miners per month. The total arrival of gold per escort and mail (exclusive of the amount received from the Ovens diggings, which belong to Victoria) is 145,036 ounces for the twelve months. This divided by 3,267 will give as the individual earnings of each digger a sum of 421 ounces, or, in value, about 1501. per annum. But it will be seen that in this estimate only the amount of gold brought down by escort and mail has been taken into account, and that the amount at present in the hands of diggers has not been estimated. There is little doubt that the real produce is double the amount stated, or, in other words, that the average earnings of each digger is about 2501. per annum. Another calcula tion, founded on the export of gold from Sydney, produces the same result, making the earnings of each person em ployed in digging 73 ounces of gold, or 2501. to 260/. per annum. By several old diggers this is regarded as a very moderate estimate ; and, from the unquestionable data on which it is founded, it is capable of proof that it is not itoo much, though it iis impossible to be certain that it is not under tins mark. Tt is very much to be doubted whether the colony of Victoria can exhibit an equally large return per man. The escorts provided by the Government for the pretection of the gold during its tran sit from the mines to the capital have been conducted at a heavy loss to the revenue, as they have not received the encouragement from the public that they deserved. In consequence, the northern escort has been discon tinued ; and we already hear of one robbery of gold hav ing taken place upon that road, and another of the southern mail. The price of New South Wales gold has fluctuated considerably during the year, having been in Jan., 1853, as low as 70s. 9d., and in Sept. 775. 9d. " The extreme fluctuations have arisen from the altera tion of the exchange in London, which has varied from 6t per cent. dis. to 26 per cent. prem., and is at present 1 per cent. pm. The highest rates have been paid for shipments to the East, where the exchange has lately operated most heavily against bills on England. Our present quotation is 77a. to 778. 6d. for Victoria, and 755. for N.S.W. gold. " The total export of gold from Sydney for the year end ing 1853 has been 824,9470unce5, and the total export from its discovery to the end of the year 1853 has been 1,615,555 ounces, which, valued at 31. 15s. per ounce, gives a total of 6,058,3311. ss. There is calculated to be at present in Syd ney upwards of 50,000 ounces." The produce of the fields of Victoria does not in crease,,,and the " bad luck" of many of the diggers is no doubt at the bottom of much of the agitation against licence fee and general regulations. But there is still no evidence that the old diggings are actually exhausted, though the correspondence of the Sydney journals contains very gloomy predic tions in regard to them. There is a little jealousy between the provinces on the meritsof their respec tive fields; those of New South Wales, though the earliest discovered, have long been eclipsed by Mount Alexander, Bendigo, and Ballarat, by which Mel bourne is maintained. Still, it is evident from the crowded population on those fields, the increasing discontent among it, and the stationary or even slightly diminished quantities of the escort returns, that the discovery of a new field equal to either of the old ones is beginning to be very desirable. Mr. Forster, the Colonial Secretary of Victoria, has visited Bendigo ; notwithstanding their differ ences with the Government, he was generally well received by the diggers. It was remarked, as something like an omen, that in the week before Christmas the number of departures from the co lony of Victoria exceeded the arrivals, the difference the wrong way, being 150. Th e last Melbourne Gold Circular is to .Tanuary 7. It states : " From Ballarat a slight decrease has taken place this week, and the same has occurred at Mount Alexander and Bendigo. From M'lvor a small quantity has been received, while the neighbouring field of Waranga or Goulburn has ceased to be productive. Favourable reports have reached town of a new and rich field having turned up about 12 miles from Mount Mellagull, on M'lntyre's station. The numbers at work are not given, but those employed are doing well. The reports from the Buckland are contradic- • tory, one party stating that, from the success of the dig gers, a very large increase of gold may be looked for by next escort, while another states that numbers are return ing to their old quarters at Reid's and Spring Creeks. The escorts brought from— Mount Alexander and Bendigo Ballarat, including Geelong The Ovens ... " Gold shipped from Victoria iu 1854 : Per Evadne to Calcutta ... 3,613 t Or 3qrs 11b. loz., at 755. ... ... ... £13,548 " Exchange on Loudon.—Draughts against gold taken at 1 per cent. discount. r " The banks advance from 50s. to 60s. per ounce. " Freight of gold delivered at the Bullion-office, London, 4id. per ounce. " Insurance, 2i guineas per cent. free of war risk." A little stimulus has been given to the out-of doors agitation againt the Caastitution Bill by the reappearance of Dr. Lang in the arena. He arrived from Europe when the discussion in the Council was about to close, but immediately launched against the plan some letters in the journals. But it was not till last week he addressed a public meeting on the question ; it was called by himself in the Circus, and was numerously attended. Considering the doctor's ..fame as an agitator, his speech did not ' justify his reputation. He nearly wearied his hearers by a long and pointless introduction, with out connection with the matter in hand ; he got beyond their depth in a laboured parallel of the landed aristocracy of Rome with the squatters of Australia, and between the fall of that empire, under the invasion of the Gauls and Germans, and the probable result of a supposed invasion of the colony by the French. He declared that, in case of such an invasion, the people, under the projected new constitution, would have nothing to fight for, and, consequently, would offer no resistance. The audience, not at once perceiving the doctor was putting an assumed case, thought he was asserting a fact not complimentary to the national spirit, and showed signs of dissent, on which he was obliged to explain. All thi s part o f hi s a dd ress was a fa i lure. He succeeded best in an analysis of the present electoral law, bestowing on the authors of it, how -1 ..justify. ever, coarser terms of abuse than political contro versy can • • His remedyfor all politicalevils , and separation of the colonies has come over society ; under a federal governmentbut a great change since Dr. Lang first started his agitation. The colonies were never less disposed to quarrel with the mother s country than now. All yea T rs he has tended the immigration of the last two to strengthen the bonds of union the home Government i s considered pow e b r e of protection against the undue influence of the t 4 , great interest" of the colony. Fresh blood, quicker, or, at least, more frequent communica tion, and the removal of most of the chief causes of colonial discontent, especially the cessation of convictism, have done wonders in changing both opinions and feeling. Another generation has arisen that knows not Dr. Lang ; and a theory which gained attention a few years would now ex cite no interest beyond the circle of the Doctor's personal partisans. The Sydney public had scarcely done laughing at ... 18,640 ... 8,567 422 .. 4,734 32,303 -~0 ", 'Tr rz , • , , - ~ .. ;. ~~. THE SUN, - LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL 27. 1854. the strike of the London cabmen before it found itself in a similar difficulty. For the last few days the cabstands have been deserted, the proprietors having taken off their vehicles in a fit of indigna tion, and to defy the new city commissioners. These officials have had to revise the scale of cab fares, and in consideration of the high price of forage, have allowed double the old rates to be charged ; this would have been submitted to the more readily as any tariff is nominal only, and, practically, the drivers charge what they please. But the new scale of fares was coupled with an order to place the number of each cab on the door panels, instead of its old place, the end of the driver's box, where it could be conveniently covered with a carelessly-hung coat, either to elude identificatio n or p ro du ce an impression that the turn-out is a private one. Compliance with this order involves the painting out of all the shields, crests, lions, and griffins of heraldry with which the doors of the vehicles are now decorated, and in defence of these monsters the cabmen have " struck" with a spirit worthy of the old French noblesse resisting the advance of Repub licanism. On the first day of the strike the omni buses out of the city were loaded with emancipated Jehus, enjoying the sensation of being driven ; while the public was puzzled by the sudden disap pearance of the ordinary conveyances. The licenses expired a day or two after the strike, and the city commissioners refuse to grant any new ones unless the order as to the numbering is complied with. The Supreme Court will have to settle the dispute, as the cab proprietors intend to apply for a manda mus to compel the commissioners to show cause why they refuse to license a vehicle without a con dition that would degrade the nobility of its door panels. Since the above was written the cab proprietors have applied to the Supreme Court for a mandamus calling on the city commissioners to issue a license to one of the number. The court decided that the mandamus must be granted, as, according to the present act, the commissioners had no pawer to an nex any condition to the issue of a license if the individual applying for it were of good character ; any default of the licensee must be the ground for an after prosecution. The commissioners might make the place on which the numbers of the cabs should be painted the subject of a clause in the by-laws relating to carriages, but they were bound to issue the license ministerially, without reference to the position of the number. In consequence of this decision the cabs are again placed on the stands. The following paragraphs are taken from the re view of colonial affairs for the past month given by the Sydney Empire : "The annual return of the revenue of the colony of New South Wales gives the following results for the year 1853 as compared with the year 1852 : The total amount for 1852 was £505,656 16 6 The total amount for 1853 was ..... 815,859 2 10 The gross increase for the year 1853 being £359,69513 4 From which deduct a decrease of 49,493 7 0 The real increase for the year 1853 being £310,202 6 4 " The principal items in which this large in crease is observable are the revenue froth spirits and the revenue from the sales of land. There having been : Year Gallons Spirits imported Ditto s. . Duty on spirits ...... ...... 1852 Ditto " The territorial revenue exhibits the following large additions:— Proceeds from the sale of lands and town allotments for 1852 For 18.53 158,837 2 7 Being an increase 0f.. : R117,579 3 1 (Or nearly 3CO per cent.) "With the sad exception of the crime of drunkenness, the colony is at present very free from violence and dis order. The ample wages which all classes are able to ob tain and the general prosperity that prevails contribute as much to this satisfactory condition as the large and expen- sive police force which is kept up. The crimes that are committed are nearly all of them traceable to the influence of liquor. " The harvest which is now being got in is generally very good. In thg early part of the season great fears were enter tained from a long-continued drought. Some copious rains at length fell, and resuscitated the crops in a most surprising manner. Reports from the Hunter River district, the Illawarra district, from Shoalhaven, and from the interior, all concur in stating that the crop of wheat has been abun dant, and hay, of which an unusual breadth is laid down in consequence of the enormous prices that this article has realised, will also be a large crop,, In the Hunter River district the crops are heavier than has been known for 36 years past. The clip of wool also is large • and , although there is the usual complaint o f wan t o f lab our for shearing. it seems now to have settled down more into a question of the price to be paid than absolute impossibility of procure ing hands for the work. The unprecedented abundance of money and the keen competition introduced by new banking establishments had the effect, a short time ago, of reducing discounts from 6 per cent. to 21 per cent. But it was felt that this low rate could not be sustained, and a rapid and decided rise has taken place, as the very heavy importation and the sluggish state of the markets are causing a large demand for money. The savings-bank, which had placed a large amount of its de posits in the hands of the leading banking establishments, has recently withdrawn 200,0001. and deposited it in the Government vaults. There is still an immense amount of capital lying unemployed, the high price of labour and the general want of enterprise in the colony rendering its in vestment at a profit exceedingly difficult. " The half-hearly meeting of the Great Nugget Vein Company was held on the 16th of January. The report stated that the Government had conceded to the company a lease of the claims for 21 years. The machinery had scarcely got to work, so that no result could be reported, but sanguine expectations were held out. The balance of profit on the sale of shares in England enabled the directors to declare a dividend of 5 per cent. for the half year. The balance-sheet showed credits 229,491/. 14s. 7d., and debits 191,5791. 9s. Bd. The result of experiments made in this claim showed that the average produce of the quartz crushed was loz.l idwt. per ton, and of the alluvium washed lldwt. per ton. " A new settlement has been made in the northern dis trict at Port Curtis. A surveying party is at present em ployed there, and has marked out the site of a town, to be called Gladstone. The country is described as auriferous in its appearance and very fertile. The harbour is mag nificent. A large river has been discovered, and it is named after the Governor-General ; it runs into the sea about forty miles north of Port Curtis, and it is probable that by its means the interior of that district will be opened out. "A larger amount of waste land has been taken into occu pation for farming purposes during the past year than in any previous year; but still it is felt that, with a surplus of 500,0001. in the savings banks, and some millions in other establishments, no more desirable means of investment could be offered, if official difficulties and squatting privi legesslidziot stand in the way. Mr. Wentworth declared his determined opposition to what he denominated ' the picking out the eyes of the country ;' and it is to be feared that the squatting interest generally look with ext reme jealousy on the occupation of the waste lands by small settlers, as they must be aware that the increased value thus given to the waste lands will interfere with their monopoly." SPORTING NOTES. RUNNING REMARKS FROM YORK. The Great Northern Handicap afforded another and a convincing proof of the vast superiority of Virago. From start to finish the race was not for an instant in doubt. Lough Bawn took up the running soon after quitting the post, Virago quietly " biding her time until reaching the Knavesmare wood when she gradually improved her position, took second place soon after rounding the turn into the straight, passed Lough Bawn at the distance, and won without the semblance of an effort by a clear length. So great a certainty was her success deemed that she was the only animal actually backed for the race ; early in the morning even money was eagerly betted on her against the field, but her partizans hardening in confidence increased their investments until they freely laid 2 to 1 and 7 to 4 on her. Although there were seventeen runners 12 to 1 was currently offered, bar one ;—a circumstance unparalleled in the memory of the oldest turfite. The owner of Virago was warmly congratulated on his success, and more than once the question, " Why did you scratch her for the Chester Cup ?" was put to him. In answer to this query I heard him publicly declare that he struck her out in a passion ! My " cockboat" Lough Bawn satisfied me by his performance. Defi ance so ominously declined in the betting that I scarcely know whether I am to consider his running honest or not. Kingston showed prominently in the van of the encounter until turning into the straight, when he disappeared from the front. Had he been persevered with he might have obtained a more forward position at the finish. Heapy got badly off, but was sixth past the winning post. John Scott, however, was not a little " savage" at his jockey's indiscretion in "ex posing" the horse, and rated him soundly in consequence, telling him that he ought to have known he had not an earthly chance, and should have pulled up. Balrownie was third—a performance certainly not insignificant, and one that forcibly suggests the question " where would West Australian have been ?" Book-makers ' With few e xce pti ons, stoo d t h e fi e ld ,e lik e l am b s ." The Leviathan Book Maker, took odds despite the warning which he received from " honest John" in the morning. Principle, I suppose, would not allow him to take adv an t age o f the tip. Kingston's party backed their horse, but they were scarcely san guine of success. " Good-bye, Bob," were the last words of Mr. Morris to Basham as the latter quitted the enclosure on Kingston. None but the owner was seemingly sweet upon Jujube, and it was not his fault if every one was not acquainted with his partiality. My notes on the minor events must be brief. Orestes, as I expected, won the Craven Stakes. Hospodar, a much improved horse, belonging to Lord Zetland, carried off the Spring St. Leger with admirable ease, and was immediately backed somewhat spiritedly for the Derby at 50 and 40 to 1. The Zetland Stakes occa sioned some heavy betting. Sicily was the favourite, but she sorely disappointed her backers ; my "first fancy " Bessie won, after an exciting race in with Mary, by a head. Mary was backed with much spirit ; her owner it is said investing about one thousand pounds on her. The weather was cold but not unfavourable to the enjoyment of the sport. The attendance of general com pany was very large, but the muster of business men and fashionable visitors perhaps fell short of expectation. Still, the getters up of the meeting have cause to con gratulate themselves upon the satisfactory inauguration of the First Great Northern Handicap. The efficiency of the "executive department" was attested by the punctuality and regularity with which the proceedings were conducted. Mr. North, the clerk of the course, as usual distinguished himself by his zeal for the proper carrying out of the details of the management. Before closing my communication I may refer, with pardonable satisfaction, to my "notes and notions" which were published in The Sun on Monday. After stating my opinions at length respecting the Great Nor thern Handicap, I thus "summed up" the proba bilities : " After her recent achievements at Epsom, it would be seemingly sheer folly to desert Virago's colours ; still I am compelled to confess that in Kingston, Vindex, and Defiance she will meet her most dangerous antagonists, and one of them may snatch the victory from her. I have omitted West Australian from this summing up," be cause lam at present in doubt as to his starting. Should he, however, go to the post, I shall not deem his chance a forlorn one. Of the " extreme outsiders," I give the pre ference to Lough Bawn and Jujube. The former is cer tainly favourably weighted, and many shrewd judges in tend " to go for the off chance with him." The scepticism which I entertained respecting Virago's " flying qualities" is now removed. The Craven Stakes I assigned to Orestes, the Zetland Stakes to Bessie, and the Spring St. Leger to Barrel. It will be seen, therefore, that I indicated the winner of every race which I touched upon, except the last-men tioned event, for which my "pick" from a field of ten ran second. INFERNAL MACHINES.—It is reported, whether truly or not, that several Americans, headed by ex-Alderman Wesley Smith, jun., of this city, accompanied by a Russian officer, left in the Baltic on her last outward trip, to engage in % contract with Russia to destroy British and French ships of war that approach near enough to Russian ports by means of Taylor's submarine armor and Colt's submarine battery. They have also an invention called the catapult, a vessel with double bows, armed with long sharp iron beaks, to break the sides of hostile ships. It will be propelled by steam, which drives a wheel in her bottom. It is so arranged that jets of scalding water are thrown from the vessel on all attempting to board her.—New York Herald. LAWYERS IN AUSTRALIA.—There has been a large emigration of lawyers to Australia, and, from inquiries continually being made by correspondents as to the regu lations for practice there, it would appear that many are contemplating the same step. Let us give to such a timely warning. There lies now before us a letter from ayoung lawyer, who had -gone to the land of gold with the fullest confidence that fortune was to be certainly and easily secured. Bitter has been his disappointment. He finds that lawyers are but little wanted there ; that for such business as there is the competitors are so numerous that no one can thrive. He has been obliged to turn his hand to labours for which he had re ceived no previous training. The day-labourer was bet ter off by far than the barrister or the attorney. He had seen gentlemen belonging to both branches of the profession glad to earn a.rnaintenance as porters, ostlers, and waggoners —even as domestic servants. Trade, too, is overdone, and is not profitable, because everything is so expensive. Let those of our readers who may have entertained thoughts of emigration to Australia pause be fore they resolve ; and, if they go, it should not be as lawyers, or with any hope to thrive by the law.—Law Times. HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK. A FRESH MAN. YORK SPRING MEETING. CONCLUSION OF TUESDAY'S RACES.-ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS. THE GREAT NORTHERN HANDICAP of 25 BOVS. each, 15 ft, and 5 only if declared, &c., with 300 added by the licensed ♦ictuallers and their friends. Penalties for certain winners ; the second horse in any handicap, value 500 sous, 51b extra. No horse to carry more than 10lb extra. The second horse to receive 100 sovs out of the stakes, and the third to save his stake. Two miles, over the old course. Two hundred and ten subs, 129 of whom declared. Mr. Howard's Virago, by Pyrrhus the First, 3 yrs, 6st 61b (including 10Ib extra) (Wells) 1 Mr. J. J. Hendersou's Lough Bawn, 6 yrs, 7st 21b (G. Oates) 2 Mr. I'Anson's Balrownie, 4 yrs, Bst 31b (Templeman) 3 The following also ran : Mr. Morris's Kingston, 5 yrs, Bst 121 b (Basham) 0 Sir C. Monk's Vindex, 4 yrs, 7st 7lb ...(E. Harrison) 0 Air. T. Parr's Defiance, 4 yrs, 7st 61b (Hiett) 0 Mr. W. M. E. Milner's Grapeshot, 4 yrs, 7st 3lb _ REMOVAL OP SPIRITS BY RAILWAY.—IMPORTANT NEW REGULATIONS.—The following order has been issued by the Board of Inland Revenue, establishing regulations for the removal of spirits from Scotland to England by inland conveyance : —•' It is ordered that the several officers of this rovenue take notice, for their information and guidance, of the following regulations, under which only such removal of spirits can legally be made :—Foreign or British spirits removing under Cus toms bonds must be accompanied by an advice letter signed by a Customs officer, containing a specification of the packages and the quantity and description of the spirits, and the casks or packages must be ad dressed only to the officer of Customs at the port of destination. Spirits upon which the full English duty has been paid may also be removed from Scotland to England, as at present, by inland carriage, and must be accompanied by a warehousing permit, endorsed with a specification of the spirits and a certificate that the full duty has been paid. In order that the examination of spirits removed by inland carriage may be properly at tended to, it is further ordered that the collectors in whose collections railway termini and goods stations are situate, immediately state what arrangements it may be necessary to make for the efficient performance of this duty. On the removal of spirits from the Customs bonded premises the advice letter is t• be prepared by the officers in duplicate, one copy to accompany the goods in the same manner as a permit, and the other to be forwarded by poet to the port of destination. (From the Report of the Registrar-General. ) The return for the week that ended last Saturday dis covers an increase in the mortality. In the first and second week of this month the deaths in London were re spectively 1,149 and 1,087; in the third—viz., last week, they rose to 1,193. In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1844.53 the average number was 1,000, which, if raised in proportion to increase of population, becomes 1,100. The number of deaths registered last week is, therefore, nearly 100 above the calculated amount. In comparing the results of the last two weeks, it ap pears that the increase arises mainly from the epidemic class of diseases. The following are the special heads under which it is found :—Measles, which rose from 34 cases to 51 ; hoopingcough, which rose from 63 to 83 ; and diarrhoea, which in the two weeks was fatal to 18 and 26. With regard to typhus and continued fever, the cases were not so numerous in the latter as in the former week. Two deaths from cholera were registered, which occurred on the same day, the 13th of April, The fol lowing are the particulars : In the sub-district of Amwell, at 3, Baynes-row, the son of a builder, aged 2 years, died of " pertussis (two weeks) cholera Anglica." In the workhouse, Islington West, a female servant, aged 24 years, died of " cholera, consecutive fever." From smallpox the number of deaths registered is nine, two of which occurred in the Smallpox Hospital. All the persons who died were children, except a female ser vant from Old Quebec-street, who died in the above hospital on the 20th of April, at the age of 34 years, from " smallpox, distinct, modified (seven days) ; the brain and nervous system much affected by the disease. She had been vaccinated in infancy near Tonbridge Wells ; two indifferent cicatrices." (J. Osborne) 0 Lord Chesterfield's Typee, 4 yrs, 7st 21b ...(Ashmall) 0 Mr. H. Watters's Lord Fauconberg, 4 yrs, Est 131 b (G. Waddington) 0 Mr. Surtees's Colsterdale, 6 yrs, Est 121 b (Carroll) 0 Mr. C. Spence's Catherine Parr, 4 yrs, Est 1 llb (T. Cliff) 0 Mr. H. T. Thompson's Guicowar, 4 yrs, Est 1 llb (J. Gill) 0 Mr. S. Murland's Ammonia, 5 yrs, Est 61b (T. Sher wood) 0 Mr. Harrison's Heapy, 4 yrs, Est 61b (carried Est 81b) • (Chilman) 0 Mr. C. Peck's The Puritan, 5 yrs, 6st 61b...(Hayhoe) 0 Mr. Knapton's Merry Monk, 3 yrs, sst 121b...(Bates) 0 Mr. E. R. Clark's Jujube, 3 yrs, 4st 121 b (Cresswell) 0 Betting—At one time 2 to 1 was betted on Virago, but 7 to 4 was the closing price ; 100 to 8 each agst Kingston and Defiance, 100 to 7 a g st Vindex, 16 to 1 agst Typee ; 25 to 1 each ags t Lough Bawn and Heapy, 100 to 3 agst Catherine Parr, 40 to 1 agst Jujube. Nothing backed for money except the fa vourite. Oliver, jun., weighed for Ann Eliza, but she did not go to the post. On drawing together to start, Merry Monk broke away and ran some dis tance out of the course to the right before he was pulled up. Soon after being brought back the flags were dropped, and away the high-mettled competitors streamed. Puritan immediately went to the front, with Lough Bawn in close attendance, Ammonia and Vindex being third and fourth ; the favourite, Kingston, and Balrownie lying about the middle of the ruck. Scarcely had they proceeded a quarter of a mile when Lough Bawn took up the running, and on passing Knavesmire Wood he was seen in possession of a distinct lead, but his chance was even then in palpable jeopardy, for the favourite full of running, improved her position at every stride, and showed that, barring an accident, the victory was within her power. Nearing the straight, leas and less was the interval between her and Lough Bawn ; Kingston followed her round the turn, and then gave way, Balrownie and Defiance taking third and fourth places. At the distance the favourite obtained the lead ; Lough Bawn made a vigorous effort to regain it, but in vain ; the favourite defeated him very easily by a length, the second beating the third three lengths ; a length between third and fourth ; Lord Fauconberg was fifth ; Heapy, who lost start, was sixth ; and Colsterdale seventh. Puritan and Ammonia, in the extreme rear, pulled up and walked in. Net amount of the stakes, 2,1801. Mr. Jorden, registrar of the Belgrave sub-district, writes in his report for the quarter ending March 31 : " Smallpox has been epidemic in this district this last quarter. All the fatal cases were in persons unvacci nated. Parents are only driven to have their children vaccinated at the eleventh hour, when smallpox has made its appearance in the house or in some member of their family." _ _ SELLING STAKES of 25 sovs, added to a Sweepstakes of 5 sovs each, for three-yr-olds and upwards. Optional selling weights, &c. One mile and a quarter. Four subs. In - the sub-district of Brompton, at 4, Sloane-place, on the 20th of April, the daughter of a musician, aged 1 year, died of " scarlatina maligna (six dayn)." The medical attendant mentions that " two other children have died of scarlatina in this house within the last two weeks ; the drains are very offensive, and there is a cesspool in front of No. 3, the smell from which is very bad." At 87, Tower-hill, Aldgate, on the 14th and 15th of April, two sons of a warehouseman, aged G and 3 years, died of " scarlatina anginosa," one after seven days', the other after 4 days' illness. Mr. Spencer, the registrar, bays,—" The house in which these children lived is large, well drained and ventilated." Captain Reynard's Vinaigrette, by Bentley, 4 yrs, 7st lib (301.) (Kendall) 1 Mr. Wright's The Greek Slave, 3 yrs, Get (301.) (Bates) 2 Mr. G. S. Thompson's Shamrock, 4 yrs, let 71b (301.) (Thompson) 3 Mr. John Thomas's Goldfringe, 5 yrs, 7st 7lb (301.) (Barrett) 4 Betting-7 to 4on The Greek Slave, 3to 1 agst Vinaigrette. Won cleverly by half a length. A length and a half between the second and third. ORDER OF RCINNING THIS DAY. 2. 0 Scramble. 2.30 Flying Dutchman's Handicap. 3. Eglinton Stakes. 3.45 Londesborough Cup. 4.15 Tyro Stakes. 4.45 City Plate. In the sub-district of London-road, Southwark, at 9, Smith's-place, Gibraltar-row, on the 21st of April, the daughter of a carver and gilder, aged 3 years, died of " scarletina, dropsy- (two weeks)." Mr. Hentsch, the registrar, states that " there are a great number of cases of scarlatina in this sub-district at the present time, but it does not appear to be more fatal than usual." In Islington West, at 32, Catherine-street, on the 20th of April, a shirt-collar maker, aged 29 years, died of " phthisis pulmonalis (six months)." The disease was attributed to her receiving the linen from the warehouse in a damp state. Last week the births of 891 boys and 898 girls, in all 1,789 children, were registered in London. In nine corresponding weeks of the years 1845-53 the average number was 1,437. At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean height of the barometer in the week was 29 . 723 in. The mean daily reading was above 30 in. on Sunday and Monday. The reading was 30.14 in. at noon on Tues day. The mean temperature of the week was 52.6 deg., which is 5.8 deg. above the average of the same week in 38 years. The mean daily temperature was above the average on every day except Monday, when it was 0.8 deg. below it, and Saturday, when it was 2.1 deg. below it. It rose from 45.5 deg. on Monday to 58.2 deg. on Wednesday, 59.9 deg. on Thursday, and 58.2 deg. on Friday. It again fell to 45.4 deg. on Saturday. The highest temperature occurred on Thursday, and was 77.5 deg. ; the lowest on Sunday, and was 34'2 deg., showing a range of 43.3 deg. The dew-point tempera ture was 44'5 deg., the difference between this and the air-temperature being 8•1 deg. The wind blew first from east-north-east, then from east-south-east, after wards from the east, and at the end of the week from the north-east. Of rain scarcely any fell till Saturday, when the amount was 0.27 in. The whole that fell in the week was 0.30 in. RACING FIXTURES FOR 1854. MAY. Newmarket F S Chester Spring 9 1 Lewes l9 Lothians& Edinburgh...ll ' Bath 23 Newmarket S S l6 1 Liverpool Hunt Spring .. 24 Shrewsbury l3 I Epsom Manchester Ascot Heath 13 Newcastle-on-Tyne 20 Hampton 2l Carlisle 26 Bibury 2B Stockbridge ........ ,29 Ludlow 30 Winchester 3O Jt Newmarket Worcester 4 Lancaster 6 Mansfield ll Liverpool l2 Ipiwich 13 AUG Brighton Brighton Club 4 Wolverhampton Yarmouth 8 Reading Odiham 9 North Staffordshire 9 Wolverhampton l4 :4Y. Stourbridge l7 Stamford 18 Nottingham '2o Goodwood 25 Ripon 31 Egham York 23 Hereford 24 Eccles Chelmsford 29 Derby 29 Plymouth 3O Lincoln . 'UST. MORTALITY IN THE METROPOLIS. NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED IN THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, APRIL 22. Zymotic Diseases Diseases of Uncertain Seat Tubercular Diseases Diseases of the Brain, Nerves and Senses Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 34 Diseases of the Lungs and other Organs of Respiration 202 Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion Diseases of the Kidneys, &c. Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &c. Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles Diseases of the Skin, &c. Malformations Premature Birth and Debility Atrophy Old Age Sudden Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance lB Causes not specified DEATHS FROlf ALL CAUSES Population Deaths in corre- Deaths Enumerated. sponding week in the ___ . 1851. of 1853. Week Vest Districts North Districts 490,396 Central Districts 393,256 East Districts 485,522 South Districts Totals Males Females 1,243 1,193 609 584 BIRTHS IN THE WEEK. Males Females.. Total .. 1,789 THE NEW FRENCH SETTLEMENT IN THE PACIFIC. The Minister of Marine has received further intelli gence from the new French possession of New Cale donia. In a report, dated from the village of Balade, December 5, 1853, Admiral Febvrier des Pointes states that having in October despatched the John Millay, an American vessel, to Sydney, for provisions, he sent an armed boat to visit the mouth of the Jahot river, and ascertain whether it might be a proper place for win tering. The expedition was quite successful, having found a spasious bay with a clayey bottom at theanouth of the above-mentioned river, twelve miles from Balade. Meanwhile a strong blockhouse was constructing at the last-mentioned place, to guard against any attack from the natives. The Prony having arrived on the 30th of October, the admiral was enabled to visit the bay himself, which he found partly formed by the steep coast of New Caledonia, and partly by a considerable island, which, by its high mountains, shelters the bay from the west and south-west winds. The sea is broken by the coral reefs which surround the island of Bou lablo, and by a sandbank which bars the entrance to the bay on the north. At the mouth of the Jabot is a bank of clay, which, however, is at a depth of three metres and a half at low water, and is not dangerous, as vessels cannot break against it. M. des Pointes employed a fortnight in surveying the river, which is bounded by fertile plains. At six miles from its mouth, and all along, as far as the bank already mentioned, the depth is never less than seven metres. The zeal and activity of the officers and men, both at Balade and at the bay, are stated to be above all praise. Brick and lim&-kilns, forges, and saw pits, have been established, and walls and roofs erected as if by magic. The block-house, mentioned above, is nearly completed ; it is all of stone and brick, and de fends a magazine, now building, which may contain pro visions for a year sufficient for 600 men. The top of this magazine is to be constructed so as to fit it for bar racks, with battlements ; so that the cross fire from these two buildings would render any approach to them i mposs ibl e . The sanitary condition of the crews of the Phoque and Prony was excellent, showing that the cli mate is healthy. Iron, copper, spar, and porphyry have been found on the very surface of the island, which must therefore be rich in mineral wealth. In a second despatch, of Dec. 30, Rear-Admiral des Pointes an nounced the arrival of the steam-corvette Catinat on the 7th ; and his own departure on the 31st for America. THE SCREW STEAMER SnaA. — GLASGOIV, Monday. The fleet of the Peninsular and Oriental Company kas received a magnificent accession in the screw steamer, Simla, which, having b een j ust completed by Messrs.' Tod and Macgregor, sailed to-day from the Broomielaw. She will remain a day or two at the G-areloch ' to have her compasses adj us t e d , w h ence she sails to Southamp ton, from which s h e w ill carry the Indian mail to Alex andria on the 4th proximo. The Simla is constructed of iron, and is one of the finest ships which have ever been constructed on the Clyde. Her dimensions are as follows :—Tonnage, by new measurement, 2,440 tons ; by old measurement, 2,600 tons ; her power is equal to 650 hor ses ; b y i ns id e measuremen t she is 335 ft. in length, 39ft. bin. breadth, and 28ft. in depth. It will thus be observed, that of the Peninsular and Oriental fleet, the Simla is next in size to, and only a few feet shorter than the Himalaya, and she is confi dently expected at least to rival her in her sailing powers. The Simla is a three-decker, and her fittings and general accommodation, including baths, light, and ventilation for a numerous body of cabin passengers, are of the most magnificent description. Her saloon will accommodate at dinner 150 p assenger s at one sitting. Within 43 hours, hovever, all her ornamental trappings can be removed, when she might be transformed into . - n tiooptteamer, capable of carrying 1,500 men. The Simla commanded by Captain Brooks, the oldest commander in the service of the Peninsular and Oriental Company. The rapidity with which this ship has had her engines put on board, and her internal accommodation completed, may be learnt from the fact that she was only launched in the end of February. 891 898 RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. RAILWAY LEGISLATION. The question relating to the introduction of Mr. Card well's committee of new clauses in the London, Brighton, and South Coast, the North London, and other railway bills now before Parliament, as a first step to improve railway legislation, is appointed for discussion to-night in the House of Commons. It appears that great efforts have been made by the directors of several railway com panies to obtain the rejection of those clauses, prepara tory to the intended overthrow of the general measure to be brought before the house on the Ist of May, for facilitating the transmission of traffic from one railway to another, and compelling railway companies to forward the traffic over the various lines of railway in a manner most conducive to the public interests, and at the same time it is believed for the mutual advantage of the share holders in the respective companies. Some of the railway directors and officials strongly object to the pro posed interference, and also to the power in the bill sought to be conferred on the Board of Trade of regulating the traffic arrangements, and settling differences that might arise between railway companies, deciding on the amount of tolls in certain cases to be charged and paid, and on the hours for the starting and arrival of railway trains at certain points of junction with lines of hostile companies. Bad as " the vicious system of railway legislation" has been heretofore, and which has been so bitterly complained of at railway meetings, it seems it is not to be given up without a struggle. 'With regard to the objection raised against the adjudication by the Board of Trade, it is rather remarkable that in almost every case of dispute between railway companies for some years past the rail way companies have invariably addressed the Board of Trade on the subject for redress in some shape or other, with a view to induce that Board to interfere in the mat ter, and finally to undertake a settlement of the difference. In many railway bills the companies hive provided that in case of dispute the matter should be referred to the Board of Trade, or to some arbitrator to be appointed by the Board of Trade. The proposed general measure will require some useful modifications to secure the interests of shareholders, and to meet objections that may be raised, and to carry out the objects of it successfully and satisfactorily. There can be no doubt, however, that any simple and effective measure that may have the effect of doing away with the necessity of, or pretext for, all sorts of amalgamations, improvident leases, and unwarrantable guarantees, which have already depre ciated railway property to the extent of several millions of capital, will meet with the most strenuous opposition of directors, lawyers, Parliamentary agents, and other interested parties, as it would at once cut off a very fruitful source of profit, and condemn the policy pursued for years past by a number of large railway companies. WATERFORD AND KILKENNY. The report of the committee of investigation, ap pointed at a special meeting of the shareholders on the 2d of March last, states that the expenditure on capi tal account to the 25th of March, 1849, amounted to 274,6731. and thence to the 25th of March, 1854, to 238,049/.—total, 512,7221. Since 1849, 6,8781. had been paid for engineering expenses, including 1501. paid for the furniture of a house for one of the directors, improperly placed to this account. The whole extent of the line to be constructed in 1849 was 20 miles. Prior to that date 12,833/. had been ex pended in this department, and ought to have been suffi cient for the engineering expenses of the entire railway to Waterford. The sum paid under the head of Parlia mentary and law expenses since March, 1849, amounted to 15,632/. ; and, it appears, a further sum is due to the London solicitors of 3,5821., and to the Irish solicitors of about 3,0001., making a total sum of 22,2141. since 1849. The committee find that 22,7821. had been paid under this head up to March, 1849, being at the rate of 2,0451. per mile. The committee are extremely dissatis fied with this department on the ground that they con sider the charges excessive, and that the payments have been made in a loose and most unsatisfactory manner, the board appearing to have paid large sums to the solicitors without any accounts whatever. In one in stance a suns of 4,0001. was paid, for which the com mittee can find no account whatever. The average cost of land was 1,7611. per mile, or 1761. per acre, which appears to the committee to be most exorbitant, consi dering the actual value of the land. The sum paid on construction account averages 9,372/. per mile upon 29 miles of railway. The linc when completed with rolling stock will cost at least 17,0001. per mile ; in the original prospectus it was stated that the total cost Would not exceed 8,0001. per mile. The committee complain of the way in which the contracts for works were let and executed—the want of accommodation for goods traffic at Kilkenny, the insufficiency of the via duct over the Nore, and they state at least 50,0001. will be required to make the railway safe and efficient. The existing traffic arrangements are condemned by the com mittee as wholly inadequate to the requirements of the undertaking, and they consider that a great deal of in jury has been inflicted on the company by the board persisting in promoting the Kilkenny and Great South ern and Western scheme. The committee conclude by stating that they are unable to state with any certainty the extent of the company's liabilities, as 28,0001. will be required to renew and complete the works. The contractors claim 30,0001. for compensation, and the solicitors 3,0001. in excess of the sum of 17,2001., which was stated by the directors at the last meeting as the total amount of the liabilities of the company. RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURN. SCOTTISH CENTRAL RAILWAY.—Traffio return for the week ending April 23, 1854 £2,998 2 1 Corresponding week last year 2,782 12 Oi SERIOUS CONFLAGRATION IN TOTTENIIAM-COURT ROAD.—Last night, at a few minutes before 9 o'clock, a fire, which at one time threatened the destruction of at least a dozen large establishments, broke out in the premises belonging to Mr. Thomas Tomseney, a furni ture-dealer, situate at 234, Tottenham -court-road. The discovery was made by an officer of the E division of police, but not until the fire had penetrated the skylight and had risen to an alarming height, so as to threaten every house near with destruction. The constable at once sounded an alarm, and sent off for proper assist ance, and in the course of a few minutes Giraud, the engineer of the London Brigade, attended with the Wells-street engine, and was quickly followed by Flem ing with the Crown-street engines. Numerous other engines of the London establishment, with Mr. Colf, the foreman, and that of the West of England Office, with Mr. Deputy Barrow, attended as soon as pos sible, and a good supply of water having been immediately obtained, the firemen, under the direc tions of their superior officers, went to work in an admirable manner; but in spite of their exertions the destructive element continued to spread, and finally that part of the property in which it begun was enveloped in one tremendous sheet of flame, threaten ing the most disastrous results. By great perseverance, however, on the part of the firemen, they succeeded in getting the mastery over the flames before eleven o'clock, but not until property valued at several hundred pounds sterling had been consumed. Owing to the absence of the owner of the premises, it was impossible to learn whether or not the sufferer was insured, or how the dis aster commenced. A Mr. Brian and Mr. Harris rented a portion of the premises ; but it is und ers t oo d th at they received no material loss. The Royal Society's fire-escapes were prompt in attendance ; but it is satis factory to state that their services were not required. A crowd numbering from 12,000 to 14,000 persons were present ; but owing to the admirable arrangements of the police, under Mr. Superintendent Foxell, of the E division, a space was kept clear in that great thorough fare for omnibuses and other vehicles to pass along. A fire also happened yesterday afternoon in the Poultry, City, but the damage done was so slight as not to de serve particularising. DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN COLEMAN-STREET, ClTY.—Yes terday morning, shortly after six o'clock, the inhabi tants of Coleman-street, in the City, were greatly alarmed in consequence of a fire of a serious character breaking out in the extensive range of premises belonging to Messrs. Charles Fauntleroy and Co., Berlin wool and general dyers, carrying on business at No. 5, in the be fore-named thoroughfare. The discovery was made in rather a remarkable manner. It appeared that as one of the City police-constables was passing over Black friar's-bridge, his attention was directed to an unusual volume of smoke rising high into the air. Feeling con vinced that a fire had broken out, he at once ran off to the engine stations, and informed the Brigade authori ties of what he had seen. The engines of Whitecross street, Jeffrey-square, Watling-street, and Wellclose square promptly attended, as well as that of the West of England Insurance Office, from the Waterloo-road station. Upon the arrival of the firemen they found that a storehouse behind the extensive front premises was en veloped flames. T' iames. ns building a pproximated to 50 in feet in length, and contained a valuable stock of chemi cals and other articles used in the trade, such as dye woods of various descriptions, vitriol, American ashes, &c., which added materially to the progress of the con flagration. Fortunately an immediate and also an abundant supply of wat er was procured from the New River Company's mains, and the firemen at once took ad vantage of the same by setting their engines to work, and by attaching lengths of hose to the stand p i pes on the premises, also to a "dummy,' in the street; and owing to the judicious directions of Mr. Superintendent Braidwood, Mr. Fogo, and Mr. Connorton, a continuous stream of the opposing element was scattered over the conflagration, which happily had the effect of saving the front premises ; but unfortunately, notwithstanding the exe rtions of the firemen, the fl ames could not be con quered until the building in which the disaster originated was burned down, and th e va l ua bl e contents consumed.b As to the cause of the misfortune not the least infor mation could be obtained. Fortunately the firm was insured in the Atlas and Royal Fire Offices. Notwith standing the early hour that the fire happened, a vast crowd of spectators assembled on th e ot and it re quired the servic es o f a strong body of P p olic ' eto keep them out of danger. FATAL ACCIDENT TO A CLERGYMAN.—A shocking accident occurred at Gloucester on Tuesday, which has, unfortunately, terminated fatally. The Rev. Mr. Clax son, vicar of Sandhurst, was driving through the streets of Gioucester, on his way to his church, about three miles out of the city, having an engagement to marry a couple at 11 o'clock, when the horse, in proceeding down Northgate-street, ran away, and jerked the servant who was drivi ng, out of the carriage. The rev. gentleman having no control over the animal, and being alarmed at the speed at which he was travelling, attempted to get out of the vehicle, and was thrown with great violence against the kerbstone. lie was carried into a druggist's shop, but was insensible. He lingered a few hours, and expired on Tuesday night. The servant was only slightly hurt COU.YIBY MARKETS. EDINBURGH HAY AND STRAW MARKET APRIL 2s. There was a large supply of straw of all descriptions ix the market. The prices to-day were as follow : Oat straw, from 5s Od to 7s 6d p er k emp l e o f 16 stones tron ; wheat do., DS Od to 7s 6d ; barley do., 5s Od to 6s Od. Hay from lld to 13d ; new ditto, Od to Od per stone. EDINBURGH MEAL MARKET—APRIL 25. u There were in the m ar k e t to-clay, 18 sacks oatmeal, ea ch weighing 2801bs imperial, which sold thus :-4 at 21. 1014 14 at 1/. 19s Od, and 0 at 01. 9s. DALKEITH MEAL MARKET—APRIL 17. There were in the market to-day 67 bags of oatte,ell.o 2 of barleymeal, and 1 o f pot-barley. Sales dull. top price of oatm ea l is d.own ; the second was Is down ~: third the same as l as t wee k. P o t-b ar l ey on t h e t o p Pr l " as balore. Oatmeal, per sack of 2801bs First. Second. Th ird ' imperial _ Od 6 47: 6 d z 6dAA Cki Barleymeal, p er ditt o Peasemeal, per ditto Flour, per ditt o —39 : s 01 00 (. (a1 0 0 o(cci _s ss od F d Pot-barley, p er ditto DUBLIN—APRIL 25. White wheat, 44s Od to 00s Od , red ditto, 00s to 4 2, V ci ! barley, 22 s 6d to o Os Od ; oats, 18s Od to OOs Od ; raP ese "Os Od to 008 Od per brl ; oAtrneal, OOs Od to 18s Od ; baken flour, 00s Od to 27 3 (id per cwt; luulau corn, 45s Od to 003 per 4801bs. COLCHESTER —APRIL 22. Prices to-dty were as follow :—Wbeat, white 76s to 8S red, 72 s t o 84 s ; b arley, 34s to 38s ; oats, 28s to 33s ; b eans' Mazagan, 38 s t o 42 s ; m id dle and small, 44s to 48s ; Pe as ' white, 56s to 60s ; grey, 42s to 445. LEEDS—APRIL 25. The trade is very dull to-day. Millers buy wheat ear, an d t o make sales a reduction of is to 2s per must be sub m itt e d to but fact ors are care l ess a b o ut Beans and oats 6d. to i ls per qr. dearer. CHELMSFORD —APRIL 21. The trade in wh ea t t o -d ay was extremely slow, an d Jot• week's prices were barely maintained. Where sales of 10 : ferior were pressed a reduction of is per q r. Was 33 1 e at sarily sub m itt e d t o. O ats, barley, and peas firm " week's rates. Beans is dearer. SEABORNE MAILS. signifies that the mails are sent f rom th e G enera l Pos.E-O a by the night—and M by the morning—despatch.) Day when made u, From witne c du When COUN rRiEs. in General Po s t- P ort Office, London.. Dispatched. gO rl. America(byltrit.pack)N Every Friday .... Liverpool 1... America (by United Sts. Amer 6 packe t erica ) (by U States May 2 .• •Liverpool .. I API' packet) April 25.. Southampton / Mai 4 Australia (vla South. 29 ampton) .......... M Stay 4 .....• . Southampton May Ditto (via Marseilles) NlM a y 8 . Dover .. Jana 4 Ditto (via Cape of Good! , t Hope) ...... • • • • •.N Ju ne 4 ........... unee -•• il Africa ( West C oas t) ..N 130 of the month . Plymouth •• H.- nr 29 Alexandria ...... • ... NB, ` l , 24, &30of in Dover ...• "29 Alexandria .......... SI 4th & 20th of mon. Southampton! ~ Bahamas ........... NI 17th of the mont! South a mpton !Mar Belgium ............N I fatly Dover .... • • Da! I Brazil Mi9th of the month .. Southampton S 3la , Buenos Ayres 9th of the month.. Souttiamtit , u , MO 1 6 Cape of Good Hone N ! 14th of the rant Plymouth .. Cape of Good Hope ..N jl4th of the month .Sowthampf - ou 26 Cape de Verde ......N 14th of the month 'Southampton March Ceylon (see India) Ceylon . • ......N 14th of the mo n th Apri l f l gyG Channel Isles Mort.,Wed.,&Frid. Southampton ' Chili. • • ...... NI 2d & 17th of mont. Southampton 'Mal • China (see India) Constantinople ......N17 , 8 , 17 ,21, & 27 or m. Dover .• . • • • .April 30 30 Constantinople ........14th & 20th of mon Southampron I ~ (font. of Europe- -52 sec daily • Dover . . • • Twice Egypt (see India) France .... •• M& ti :Twice daily.-- Dover .. • •T—cedifyy Gibraltar .... • • .51'4, 7, 17, 20, 27 of m Southamp'coOdaY 6 Greece (see India) Greytown .... • • ......M!2nd & 17th of mon. Southampton ai-ai • 1 flamburgh ..... Tuesday iv - FtidaylLondon Havannah ........ M l 2nd of the mont: ISouthampt 011 Mel I Holland ...... • ..... Mi Daily ...... • Dover .. .• • • pail'sl Honduras .. • • ....Mll7th of the m on th Sou, hain flux; MaY India (viaSouthampt.)M,4th & 20th of m:m. Piym tab •• i ' M a y - India (via 51ar se illes)11 4'13 th&24th of moor Dover ......!A P ril 29 . lonian Isles (see Indi a ),7, 17, & 27 of monon Dover...• •• e ta Ireland ........M & Ni Twice daily Vi Holyhea.y ..i 6 T'C Lisbon ••••••• • • • • . • . MI, 9, 17, & 27 of in. Southampf on!MaY 6 Madeira • •..... 51 1 9th of the month ilouthampionMaY„', Madeira N l 23d of month ....IPlymouth !AP , '" '- Malta (see India) 29 Malta .N 7,17,19,27 , 30 of m. , Dover Mauritius (see India) 'Mauritius April 26 1 4th of the month Mexico•••• 2nd of the month. ;Southampton May . Naples .• sth 1 5 th25thofmon.!Dover ...• • • MaY New Granada .•51'2d& 17th of month,Southampton May Now By private ship Various port • Unce Papal States N ls thlsth2sthoflnon. Dover .. . • Slay : Peninsula ...........Mlthl7th2Bthofmon. l Southampton May Peru•,MICO & 27th of mon (Southampton May I Port Natal 14th or the month Plymouth .. Sicily • • ...........I%7lsthlsth2Stholmon,Dover .• .... May 2 Tuscany Dover May 2 Venezuela ivi l 2d& 17th of month Southampton May 1 Van Diemen's Lan . (1 (9eel Australia) .• • •• i West Indies It 2,1 17th o monthitiouthampton May 1 When any of these dates fall o i a iunday, the mails will be despatchel on the following day, with the exception of the India vi* Southampton), and the Malta. both of which will be despatched the day preceding. [ADVERTISEUENT.]—The Earl of Aldborough and Holloway's Pills.—An astounding cure by this miracu . lous medicine after every other means had failed. Se o extract from his lordship's letter, dated " Villa Messina, Leghorn, Feb. 21, 1845. To Professor Hollowai; Pis have effected a beg t o acqua i nt you that your fr ecte " . a cure of a disorder in my liver and stomach, which all the most eminent of the faculty at home and all over the Continent had not been able to effect —nay, no t even the ' waters of Carl s b a d or Marienbad. (Signed) Aid, borough." These wonderful pills will cure any disorder* of the liver or stomach.---Sold (also Holloway's °in!' ment) Prosessor Holl oway ' s E sta bli s h men t, 2 43, Strand, London, and by all medicine-venders through'. out the world. T , 44 I [ADVERTISEMENT.]—Her Majesty's Royal _Lie...a. Patent, for valuable and extraordinary improvements 3 0. the most powerful and brilliant Telescopes, Camp, l' gc t i t e course, Opera, and Perspective Glasses, to know . distances of objects viewed through them--of grea t 1 1; portance to the army, navy, and others. Messrs. S i • B. Solomons, opticians, 39, Albemarle-street, Piee° 3l „, '- Observe—opposite the York Hotel.—These telescopes Bess such extraordinary powers that some, 3 inches, wil ' h an extra eye-pi ece , w ill s h ow distinctly Jupiter's ring, ract' r 0 . Saturn's and th e d ou bl e stars ; w i t h t h e sa me "'i .; es scope can be se en a person ' s countenance t h re e Ml' and a half distant, and an object from 12 to 1 4 m u They are of larger and all sizes, with increasing In .0, accordingly.— The R oya l E xh i bition, 1851. - Val" k st newly invent e d, very small, powerful waistcoa t-poc glass the s i ze o f a wa l nut, by which a person can be s e( and known mile distant ; they answer every Pu r P ° r on the race-course, at the opera-houses, c ountry se nery, and ship s aro c l early seer at 12 to 14 miles. Th e o are invaluable for shootin g , deer stalking, y ac hting, ' sportsmen, gentlemen, gamekeepers, and tourists. Opens '3 race-course, camp, an d perspective glasses, m ule with won r power ; an obje c t can b e clearly seen from 10 t o 12 distant. Newly-invented Spectacles ; immediately _W o g , are placed b e f ore extremely imperfect vision, e'd; object b ecomes clear and distinct• the most aged , , fective eight i s b roug h t to its youthful, natural, and -°sri orator state. Dcafness—New Discovery—The Organi c _ ta il , au extraordinary powerful, small, newlynvu l i t i ers, ot _ instrument, for Deafness, entirely different frora all to surpass anything of the kind that has been, or 17:° 6 bably ever can be, produced. Being of th e 0;", - colour as the skin, is not perceptible ; it enables c e'ar, persons to hear distinctly at church and at publi semblies ; the unpleasant sensation of singing noise le. f the ears is entirely removed ; and it affords all the as inc ante that possibly could be desired.-39, Albemarle.stre ei, Piccadilly. Observe, opposite the York Hotel. [A DVERTISEMENT.]—A most interestin: recovery from av ast OM' plicatio.. of diseases, without the aid of medicine, is recorded following letter : ‘. Bridgehouse, Frimley, 3d April, 1 854 4 , a fo F r oo t d h , e l b fe e e n l e i fl t t . l i d a u v t e y d t e o r ived expressfrom to 3 11 :11 13 m a l '' )fe lt i g e ni e ! , lenta "Gr A a r t a e thanks for the invariable kindness I have met with at your ban My case I. an extra rdinary one, and as it may benefit of er sai ferers I think it but right to place its details at your disposal, have suffered these 33 years continually from dis ease d l ungs, sP lttt of blood, liver derangements, deafness, sin g i ng in the ears, gorl!`„ 1 ; pdtion, debility,shortness of breath and cough, and during th period taken so much m•clicine that I ca n safely say t have laid Our I upwards of a thousand pounds at tile chemist's and doctor's. I ba actually worn ou' two medical m en during my ailments withou t find ._ ing any improvement in iny h ealth. Indeed I was in utter desPair and never expected to get 0v,.-r it, when I was fortunate enough IA en h* become acquainted with your Revalenta Arahica, which , El A ": aire , my hearing i r inn e gg s t. perfect, erers,fdleyemt,e lungs,t a tvaetre, s or to h m e a alt , hwelandc,halnldonegart since "il4Prjaig and my recovery is a marvel to-vnandll tances.— I am, respectfhPy, I 44 .dimEs RouEaTs, " t l un Distrito - In canisters, suitably packed for all climates, and with su per re tions-1 lb., 2s 9d ; 2 lh., 4s 6 , 1 ; 5 lb., his; 12 lb., s r t e i c e e d i receipt L o o t n P d o o s n t - ; o l ffl o c r e t fl o u r m d 2 !age free, on fined, 5 lb., 225; 10 lb., 335. The 10 13. and 12 lb. Co.,carriage 77, Regent ands to her Majesty purveyors rch-street ; 49 Piccadilly; also at 63, Oxford -street • 60 Gracechu d and 451, stran . Ashopagate street; 4, Chea i 330 ps de ;mja. chant. • fu ll o a n r ry a dlt Barry, BIRTHS. OF A SON. On the 23d inst. D at Hill-house, Southwel l, Notts, the wife of the R ev . J.D. Becher. On the 23d inst., at Chichester, the wife of Dr. Tyackos. OF A DAUGHTER. On the 22d inst., at St. Mary's Court, Shrewsbury'' , ti wife of Henry Robertson, Esq., On the 23d inst., at the Vicarage, Milwich, Staffort shire, the wife of the Rev. W. W. King, 8.A., Vicar 4 Milwich. MARRIED. On the 25th inst., at Bloomsbury Chapel, James Ales'i Campbell, Esq., of Glasgow, to Ann, secon d daughter Samuel Morton Pato, Esq., M.P., of Kensington Puce Gardens, and SomeVeyton-all, Suffolk. DIED. On thA 24th inst., at Champion -grove, Thomas Allport, Esq., a ge d 67. On the 25th inst., B en j am i n Baily, Bag, of ThThread needle-street, aged 78. E9cl " On the 23d inst., at S ou th Shi e l ds, Thomas aged 84. 19, On the 22d inst., a t A r b roat h , N. 8., Isabella, agedeldest daughter of William Sim, Esq. Cam b er well, On the 21st inst., Jeremiah Carter, Esq., Of BA Sin g ball' street, in th e 71 s t year of hi s age. LONDON: Printed and Published by MURDO YOUN G, of No. 112, St ran d, P r i n t er , a t 7724 Sun Office, No, 1 12, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, itt the avant , " ' 2l Atiddloeox. Thursday, April. 27, 1804. Tin is; TERLY their How l 'txt at E THE IN That thl IfithE I ntILIDAT That the th e 6 th ju IV,, „p. rEN Tesp S r o all kinNdoho. Te . C EN h C 4 ' 1 4 RiN at,h e 1 „ Ileetk g bevy Ge;,( ""stree t iG ° ,l ) : to .44111 The to a p thr. eh MI °'' and bOwsi a 'ealera;, Th e 7 u Bristol, fir paddi o x i st wi , h( zita i l on, v,rhainp t 'ave L( krive iv 14 0.3 n SI K Az riv“ a ---._ SU2 SHAT Pollci eaairtin hg after these p Edoeiety' The f 4 e low are dlti on P rennin Polie Pro s London N' Joh n Willi Thom, . Joh, Charle Joh, It ober, LANx txt rYin g t he as all th amain, utrat l E In