The Sun. — London, England, 1845-08-11 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. (SATURDAY.) PROROGATION OF PARLIAMENT BY HER MAJESTY. This being the day fixed upon for the prorogation of the Imperial Parliament by her Majesty in person, con sideraWe bustle and excitement were manifested in the neighbourhood of St. Stephen's and along the route usually taken by the royal procession, from an early hour. At all points from which a view of her Majesty could be obtained scaffolding and platforms were in the course of erection, for the purpose of accom modating those liege subjects anxious to obtain a glimpse of the imposing pageant of the Queen of the Isles going in state to relieve herself and those who have been engaged in the business of legislation, for a season, from the more weighty and pressing cares of the state. The morning bore a threatening aspect, but by mid-day the sky cleared up, and fortunately continued so during the whole progress of the royal pro cession. About one o'clock a strong party of the Metropolitan Police arrived on the ground and formed themselves at regular distances on each side of the space along which the royal cortege was to pass from Bucking. ham Palace to the entrance of the House of Lords. Im mediately after the horse and foot-guards took up their respective positions. Exactly at half-past one the Queen, with her usual punctuality, left the palace in the state car riage. Prince Albert sat on the same side of the carriage as her Majesty, dressed in a Field-Marshal's uniform, and opposite were seated the Duchess of Buccleuch, the Mistress of the Robes, and the Earl of Jersey, the Master of the Horse. During the whole progress of the royal procession, from the palace to St. Stephen's, her Majesty, who looked exceed ingly well, and seemed in excellent spirits, was cheered by the immense assemblage with heartiness and cordiality—tokens of good feeling and respect which she acknowledged in the most condescending manner. We have seldom seen a larger concourse of people assembled on such an occasion, or one whose conduct was more deserving of praise ; for during the whole proceedings, though we traversed the entire route of the procession, we did not witness a single act of rudeness, or hear one unseemly observation. The ladies, as is usual on such occasions, mustered strongly, and were particularly marked for their anxiety to secure a good view of her Majesty, and all the " pomp and cir cumstance" by which she was surrounded. The royal cortege reached the entrance to the House of Lords at ten minutes to two precisely, the fact of which was announced to the assembled thousands by a discharge of cannon. HOUSE OF LORDS. The gallery of the House of Lords was opened to-day for the admission of strangers at ten minutes after twelve o'clock. Shortly afterwards the galleries and body of the House were filled with elegantly dressed ladies. The Dakes' benches were reserved for the Peers, all of whom appeared, as usual on the auspicious occa sion of the presence of the Sovereign in the higher House of Parliament, in their full robes. There was more than the usual attendance of Peers, owing probably to the fact of her Majesty not having prorogued Parliament in person since August, 1843. On the Bishops' benches we noticed the Bishop o Ely and the Bishop of London. None of the Judges were present. . _ In the place set apart for the Foreign Ambassadors were the French, Russian, Prussian, Austrian, and Turkish Ambassadors, together with a great number of attendants. The steps of the throne, as is usual on these occa si.ns, were covered with rich carpetting. The chair of the Prince of \Vales was placed on the right of her Majesty's throne, and that of his Royal Highness Prim( Albert on the left. The chairs were all lined with crimson velvet, and were ornamented with rich gold fringe. At half-past twelve o'clock the Earl of Shaftesbury took his seat on the Woolsack, when prayers were read in a most impressive manner by the Lord Bishop of Ely (I)r. Turtun). In those portions of the prayers where those present were called upon to kneel, the rustling of the ladies' dresses sounded like a heavy shower of rain. Among the Peers present we noticed the Earl of Shaftes bury, Lord Glenelg, Lord Monteagle, Lord Wharncliffe (who was dressed in the Windsor uniform), Lord Mid dleton, Earl St. Germans, the Earl of Leitrim, Lord Forester, the Earl of Zetland, the Marquis of Clanri carde, Earl Beauchamp, the Duke of Buccleuch (who wore the Windsor uniform), Lord Campbell, the Earl of Aberdeen, Lord Stanley, the Duke of Norfolk, Lord Grantley, Lord Calthorpe, Lord Beaumont, Viscount Canning, and several other Peers. he Duke of Wellington entered the house at twent) minates to one o'clock, habited as a Field-Marshal. Hi:. Grace wore over his Field• Marshal's dress a dark wrapper. His Grace looked extremely well, and en tered heartily into conversation with several of the ladies present. The Prince Dwarkanauth Tagore, with his son and nephew, arrived at ten minutes before one o'clock, and proceeded to the seat appropriated to their use in the gallery to the left of the throne. The Lord Chancellor entered the House at one o'clock, and took his seat on the Woolsack. The Duke of Cambridged, dressed in his robes, and habited as a Field Marshal, entered the House at ten minutes past one, and immediately shook hands with )ady Lyndhurst and several of the Peeresses present. Prince George of Cambridge entered shortly afterwards. LONDON AND YORK RAILWAY. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE brought up the report of the Select Committee on the London and York Railway Bill. Lord CAMPBELL presented a petition from the Isle of Man, praying for the establishment of local courts. The Earl of ABERDEEN laid papers on the table, by clmmand of her Majesty. - Shortly before two o'clock the firing of guns and the flourish of trumpets announced the arrival of her Ma jesty at the entrance to the House of Lords. The cheer: and shouting of the crowds assembled outside were dis tinctly heard within the House. At five.minutes before two o'clock her Majesty entered the House, preceded by the Duke of Wellington, bear ing the Sword of State, the Duke of Argyll, bearing the Crown on a crimson velvet cushion, and the Earl of Zetland, bearing the Cap of Maintenance. Upon her Majesty entering the House the whole of the Peers, Peeresses, the ladies, and all present, rose to receive her. Her Majesty leant on the arm of Prince Albert, and was conducted to the throne by his Royal Highness. The Mistress of the Robes, her Grace the Duchess of Buccleuch, was in attendance on her Majesty in her °OW capacity. Her Majesty then took her seat on the throne, the Duke of Wellington, bearing the Sword of State, stand ing on her left hand, and the Earl of Zetland, the Duke of Argyll, and the Lord Chancellor, standing on herright. Her Majesty then, in a clear voice, commanded that their Lordships would be seated. The Usher of the Black Rod (Sir Augustus Clifford) was then commanded ,to summon the House of Com mons into the presence of the Sovereign in the House of Peers. The SeEAK:ert shortly afterwards, dressed in his state robes, and accompanied by a great number of Members of the Lower House, appeared at the bar, and addressed her Mkrsty as follows :—"Most Gracious Sovereign: We, you'. Majesty's dutiful and loyal subjects, the Common of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire land in Padiament assembled, attend your Ma jesty with our concluding Bill of Supply for the present year. We are about to close session rendered unusually laborious by the rapid development of human industry and enterprise, in the construction of railways, from which we anticipate the beat results to commerce and industry, and we have devoted much time and labour for the purpose of faci litating the carrying out those important projects, not withstanding the maiss of other public business neces sarily pressing on our consideration. Your Majesty was graciously pleased to intimate at the commencement of the present session your approval of the manner we had carried into effect the Act for the more effec tually giving effect to charitable donations in Great Britain. In the same spirit we have continued to legis late for Ireland. We have granted a more suitable en dowment to the College of Maynooth ; and at the same time we have had a due regard to the particular circumstances of that part of the kingdom, and the religious feeling of the majority of the inhabitants ; and we hope and believe that the encouragement afforded by this and former Parliaments to the education o f the people has placed the future tranquillity and improvement of Ireland upon a sure and lasting foundation. Our attention has not lost sight of the condition of the destitute poor of Scotland, and assisted by the information that your Majesty com manded should be laid before us, we have made such amendments in the law relating to the poor of NE r 11rn4 1 secure to them a permanent subsist - eqw,,..—W-0-12 endeavoured, by facilitating the drain :—.‘lie inf,i fi nii`--ttn of inclosing commons, materially to G:• WO:on the agrie ltural interests of the country. But ny) \ !„, .Wei Rfertli ;pee liar satisfaction to those measures .which we. Tare are . opted for the further security and ~,:, otteasion, of the. de "of the country—l allude to the ( a :.‘,. stasiarof With respect to banking in this country, which, -...-- - -- ---" with certain modifications, we have extended to Scot- land and Ireland, by which the operations of trade have been rendered more secure. We have also given facilities to trade by the abolition and reduction of euties and imposts. We have materially reduced the duty on sugar, and on the important staple reanufacture of glass all fiscal charge has been removed. To make up for the deficiency in the revenue, we have considered it necessary to continue for a further period the tax upon income, and we have thereby been enabled, in accordance with your Majesty's suggestion, to add to the efficiency of the naval service, and at the same time to afford ample protection to commerce. It has now been my duty to advert thus shortly to the prominent measures of the session, and we believe that, under the dispensation of Divine Provi dence, they will tend to promote the interests of the country, and to the welfare of your Majesty's subjects; and if we have felt it our duty to con tinue to impose a tax which is generally only imposed in times of war, we have the satisfaction that we have imposed it, not for the purpose of aggrandisement or contest, but for the purpose of re linquishing those imposts that pressed heavily upon the industry of the country, and to enable all our fellow-subjects to participate in those blessings which peace has cast around us. It now becomes my duty to present to your Majesty two Bills, ene for raising the sum of 9,240,000/. for the supplies of the year, and another for appropriating the sum of 10,689,000/. out of the Consolidated Fund, to which we humbly beg your Majesty's royal assent." Her Majesty then gave her royal assent to the Exchequer-bills Bill, the Appropriation Bill, the Small Debts Bill, the Silk Weavers' Bill, the Blackwell (Eastern Counties) Railway Bill, the Bristol Rates Bill, and the Marquis of Westminster's Estate Bill. The Lord Chancellor then advanced to the foot of the throne, and, bending on one knee, presented to her Majesty a copy of the speech (for which seo another column). Her Majesty then read the speech in a most clear and distinct tone. After which • The LORD CHANCELLOR said—lt is her Majesty's royal will and pleasure that the present Parliament be prorogued to Thursday, the 2d of October next ; and this Parliament is accordingly prorogued to Thursday, the 2d day of October next. Her Majesty then rose from the throne, and the royal procession left the House in the same manner in which it entered. Prince Albert took her Majesty's hand, and thus the royal pair left the House. We are happy to be enabled to conclude our report by stating that her Majesty looked in excellent health, as did also Prince Albert. Her Majesty wore a splendid tiara of diamonds on her head, a brilliant necklace and stomacher, and a dress of white satin. Altogether the scene within the House was of a most imposing description. Her Majesty left the House of Lor is at half-past two o'clock. The procession returned in the same order in which it quitted Buckingham Palace. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The House met to-day at Twenty-five Minutes to Two ,'clock. Mr. W. PATTEN gave notice that early in the next session he would move for a Select Committee to consider the expediency of relaxing the privileges of this House respecting the fees and pecuniary penalties imposed on private Bills. LONDON AND YORK RAILWAY. Mr. HAWES brought up the report of the Select Commit tee on the London and Yo:k Railway Bill. On the motion of Mr. B. DENISON, it was ordered to be printed. Mr. VILLIERS moved for returns relating to the general assessment in England and Wales.— Agreed to. Mr. S. HERBERT brought up returns relating to the Ordnance Department. Mr. ESCOTT said, that in moving for the return of fees which had been paid the clerks of assize in criminal proceedings, he wished to add a distinct return between those courts which administered justice with fees, and those who administered it without fees. EDUCATION IN IRELAND. Mr. WYSE moved for certain returns with respect to edu cation in Ireland, from 1838 to 1845 inclusive. NEW IRISH UNIVERSITIES. In answer to a question with respect to the new universities, Sir J. GRA HAM said that as the Act for the establishment of the new universities in Ireland had only received the royal assent a few days ago, sufficient time had not elapsed to allow charters of incorporation to be made out. As soon as they were framed copies of them would be laid before Parliament. EMPLOYMENT OF FEMALES IN MINES. Sir J. GRAHAM, who was mere than usually indistinct, was conjectured to say, that seeing the Hon. Member for Finsbury in his place, he wished to inform the Hon. Member that he was now in a condition to inform him that women were employed in the mines alluded to by the Hon. Member, but in none other in England. The Right Hon. Baronet made also an explanation in reference to the poor-laws, of which ex planation no two consecutive words were heard in the gallery. RAILWAY COMMITTEES. HOUSE OF LORDS. REPORT OP THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE LONDON AND TORE RAIL- WAY BILL. The following is a copy of the report of the Select Committee appotnted by the House of Lords " to inquire into the allegations of the petition of Henry Bruce, of Mincing lane, merchant, and two petitions of George Pryme, of Cambridge, Esq ; also a petition cf certain subscribers of the London and York Railway," which was on Saturday presented to the House of Lords, after the Lord Chancellor had taken his seat on the woolsack, and before her Majesty arrived. The report commences in these terms :—" The Com mittee have proceeded to inquire into the circumstances referred to in the petitions referred to them, and have examined several witnesses, and they are of opinion that the evidence taken before them is sufficient to in duce them to recommend to the House that the Bill should not be allowed to be read a second time, until a further investigation has taken place ; but, as their inquiries cannot be brought to a close during the present session of Parliament, they do not propose to report the evidence taken before them to the House. " That in the petition of Henry Bruce, presented to this House on the Ist instant, and referred to this Committee, are included two lists: the first contains thirty-five names subscribed, objected to ' in respect to notices or descrip tions or places of abode as fictitious or false ;' the second list contains thirty names of persons who are alleged, from their circumstances or station of life, to be utterly irresponsible and unable to pay the several sums sub scribed by them.' "In the second petition, presented to this House on the sth of August, twenty-one persons, whose names appear on the lists already alluded to, have explicitly denied the allegations made against them, and have re quested that, if the House think fit to direct an investi• gati-)n of the allegations of the petition of Henry Bruce, the same may be made without delay; but the fullest in quiry into the circumstances the Committee felt ought o take place into this branch of the subject, so as to allow these last-named petitioners an immediate oppor tunity of exonerating themselves from the charges brought against them. The agents on both sides were informed of this determination of the Committee, and were allowed to produce evidence on the subject, but some of the parties did not appear. The Committee have, however, been enabled to investigate the following cases, in which the allegations contained in the said pe tition have not been sustained." The names of the parties are then inserted, to the number of thirteen. The report then proceeds to state, " That the opposers of the bill have withdrawn all imputation against the following parties." This list comprises the names of twenty subscribers, of whom we may mention Messrs. Porter acid Meredith of the Royal Navy, as well as Messrs. Vickers, Elliot, Roberts, Turner, and Jones. _ _ _ In conclusion the report proceeds in these terms— " The committee cannot conclude without expressing their disapprobation of the hasty and inconsiderate man ner in which personal abuse has been brought forward against parties who appear, is several cases, from the admission of the opposers of the Bill themnlves, and in others, upon investigation, to be free from all imputa tion." HOUSE OF COMMONS. LONDON AND YORK RAILWAY SUBSCRIP TION CONTRACT. The Select Committee on the petition of Mr. Bruce assembled at half-past ten o'clock precisely. Present— Mr. Hawes (chairman), Mr. Warburton, Mr. Bingham Baring, Mr. T. S. Duncombe, Mr. B. Escott, Mr. Christie, and Mr. B. Denison. Mr. Mowatt was the first party called in, after which Mr. Humphrey and Mr. Bruce (the petitioner), under went an examination. Mr. B. Denison was also, we understand, examined at some length. The nature of these examinations did not transpire. The Committee remained in deliberation until shortly after ono o'clock, when they broke up. Mr. HAWES then proceeded to the House of Com mons to pr. sent the report, which was, we understand, in effect as follows :—That the petition of Mr. Bruce al leged charges against parties named, which were classed under two heads; the first class of charges applied to persons who were alleged to have given false and fic titious names and places of abode when they signed the Parliamentary contract. Under the second class, it was alleged that the parties were unable to pay the sums for which they had subscribed the deed. There was also a third class, which had reference to a general allegation, false and fictitious descriptions, and inability to pay the deposits for which the parties made themselves re sponsible. Previous to the Committee inquiring into the two first classes of allegations, Mr. Bruce withdrew a large num ber of names, and expressed his sorrow for having intro• duced them into his petition, but said he had been in duced to do so in accordance with the advice given to him by his solicitor and agents. The Committee the❑ proceeded to inquire into the two first classes of allegations, and, as it is stated, came to the conclusion that, in some of the cases the charges made, both as respects the incorrectness of the names of the parties, and of the descriptions given of their places of abode, and, also, of the inability of certain parties to pay the deposits for which they had subscribed their names, were proved. The Committee, likewise, reported that in the case of several other parties against whom similar allegations like those just referred to were made, the charges were not sustained. Tbey also reported that several cases were postponed in consequence of absence of witnesses, and the non attendance of parties. The Committee did not go into the third head of charges contained in the petition, that which related to the general allegation of fraud, &c. The Committee then S tated that, considering the case as it stood before them, they were of opinion that " Mr. Bruce had abused the right of petition," inasmuch as he had made charges against parties which were not founded in fact. The Committee came to no resolution as to resuming the inquiry next session. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN RAILWAY. The half-yearly general meeting of the Directors and Shareholders ink this Company was held on Saturday at one o'clock, in the Board-room, at the Nine Elms Terminus, Mr. Chaplin, Chairman of the Directors, presided. .The SECRETARY having read the advertisement call ing the meeting then read the report, of which the fol lowing is an abstract : The total balance available for distribution is 86,7331. 18s. 11d., out of which the Directors recommended a dividend of 375. 6d. per share, subject to income-tax, being an advance of ss. a share, or 14 per cent. on the dividend declared in August last. The Guildford Junction Railway, which has now become the property of this Company (subject to its future probable amal gamation with the intended line from Guildford to Chichester and Portsmouth), has been in working since the beginning of May last, and the traffic upon it has realised the expecta tions of the Board. The Act for extending this railway to the Waterloo and Hungerford Bridges, and for improving its river- s id e accom modation at Nine-elms, had received the royal assent. In connexion with it, the Directors cannot omit to congratulate the Proprietors on the passing of the Act for making a railway to Richmond. Friendly relations have been established be tween this Company and the Richmond Railway Company, and arrangements have been already made for working the Richmond line by this Company, upon mutually satisfactory terms. The Bill introduced into Parliament by the Brighton Company for establishing a junction between the Brighton and South-Western lines was rejected by the Committee in the House of Commons ; but the Directors have reason to believe that the application will be renewed in the next session, and with more success. An Act has also been policed, authorising the construction of the Southampton and Dorchester line, towards which, under the powers delegated by the Proprietors at the last half-yearly meeting, the Directors have subscribed 325,000 f. Four mem bers of this board have become Directors of that Company, and the terms on which this Company are to become perpetual lessees of the line, have been already discussed and adjusted. By a clause in this Act the Board of Trade are empowered to enforce proper provisions for the passage between Dorchester and Weymouth, of engines anit carriages constructed on the national gauge, and thus the traffic of Weymouth, eastward, and with London, will be considerably facilitated. The Directors regret that a successful result has not attended the application to Parliament for making the Guildford, Chi chester, Portsmouth, and Fareham line. The Committee in the House of Commons decided, it is true, after a lengthened inquiry (but by a majority of one only), against th e grea t er part of the scheme, but even this Committee could not res i s t the justice of this Company's claim to an independent access to Portsmouth, nor deny the imperfection of any new line to Portsmouth, which failed to secure the advantage of this Corn psny's access to the Thames at Vauxhall, and to the centre of London at Waterloo-bridge. In the House of Lords, the pro. moters of the line by Guildford deemed it their duty to appeal from the decision of the Lower House against them ; but , it pleased the Noble Lords who formed the Committee to reject their claim to be heard, a proceeding (be it said with perfect respect for the right intentions of those Noble Lords) alike widely at variance with the principles of justice and with the practice of Parliament. The House of Lords have net per mitted this injustice to remain uncorrected, but have ordered the whole subject to be investigated by a fresh Committee in the ensuing session, when your Directors confide that the strength of the case presented by the promoters of the Guild ford line must ensure its adoption. In the meantime, the Act proposed by the Brighton and Chichester Company, for ex tending their line to Portsmouth, has been passed ; and your Directors have reason to believe that the adoption of that mea sure will not be without a favourable effect on the completion of the line to Portsmouth, by Guildford and Chichester, whilst the construction of the coast line between Farnham and Chi chester cannot fail greatly to increase the traffic passing east abcndeoeTnnihpwceaoen works over the li nes now or a b out to b e wor k e d b y thi s .rrokosted f o r on the on i satisfactorys hopst o ke and terms : a 1 is bury greatprogress Branch have been made in their execution, and there is no cause to doubt the opening of that line in the early part of the ensuing summer. The Directors intend to recommend the execution by this Company of lines from Basingstoke to Salisbury—from the Salisbury Branch at Romsey to the Southampton and Dor chester line at Redbridge —a Branch for the accommodation of Alton and the neighbouring district, and also a further ex tension of the railway from Waterloo-bridge to London-bridge. The three first of these undertakings your Directors are pre pared to recommend for adoption, and with reference to the last they are of opinion that the execution of such an extension will be highly desirable, should the closer examination which they have ordered :o be made as to the plan and the properties to be affected justify the favourable impressions which the Di. rectors at present entertain. That the attention of the Directors had been invited to the project for constructing a central railway terminus on the north bank of the Thames near Charing-cross, and they have deemed the subject worthy of mature deliberation. That they have therefore agreed, subject: to the matured approval of Mr. Locke, and to the scheme receiving support from other leading in terests, that this Company should subscribe towards it. Upon these conditions your Directors anticipate the ready concur rence of the Proprietors. The Directors propose to provide the funds for the above several puroposes out of the new shares' capital created pur suant to the resolutions of this Beard, and of the Proprietors in December last. It is necessary that the scrip certificates now afloat should be at once called in, and the holders registered as shareholders. Advertisements have been already issued to this effect, and the Proprietors will bear in mind that, until re gistration, they become entitled to no " dividend, interest, or other privilege " in respect of their scrip. The CHAIRMAN then rose and said, that in submit ting this report to them, it was with some degree of partial satisfaction only at the progressive nature of the improvement in their traffic, but their Directors contem plated the being enabled to come before them in a loftier position. They had flattered themselves that by securing the Guildford, Chichester, and Portsmouth Branches, which they assumed some right to claim from the iutimation given by the Board of Trade, and by their friendly relations with the Great 'Western Com pany on the one hand, and with the Brighton on the ether, they would be placing the affairs of the Company on a more stable footing than had hitherto been the case ; but in railway matters, as in the course of human life, they were subjected to vicissitudes, and among the adventitious circumstances of the times, arising from an abundance of capital, might be reckoned the numerous railway schemes which had in the past session come before Parliament. It was very evident that the Legis lature desired to encourage competition, for the scheme brought forward by the Croydon Railway, called the Direct Portsmouth, had nearly succeeded against them (the South-Western Company), showing that the schemes of least pretensions to usefulness had very nearly defeated those which had a legitimate claim upon the country. The Portsmouth Direct Railway had very nigh succeeded, but for their mistaken zeal in the Committee of the House of Lords. There they, to use a sporting phrase, it had over-rode the hounds.— (Hear, hear.) Were not for this mistaken zeal, he repeated, they should most assuredly have been beaten in their attempt to secure the legitimate line through Chichester to Portsmouth. One feels a little sore from the bumps and knocks received during the progress of these matters ; but ono could not look with any degree of satisfaction to the imperfect nature of the tribunals to which their cause had been referred. It appeared that the legislative measures of last session had left them with all these inferior tribunals, instead of the one, to whose opinions, it appeared, they paid no attention and he himself did not disguise the truth, that he had calculated, with much satisfaction, on the probable effect upon the Committee of the decision of the Board of Trade ; and although a gentleman on the last occasion twitted him with too great a submission to the Beard of Trade—(and he must confess that that gentleman was more correct in his prophecy of the result than he (the Chairman) was—he was prepared now to assert that such a controlling power as the Board of Trade was ab solutely necessary to tt.e preservation of railway inte rests. Without such a controlling power, the general interests of established Companies would be subjected to undue competition, which the imperfect tribunals esta blished last session would not do away with. Yet one would suppose that five able gentlemen would have conducted matters with more judgment than a Commit tee of fifteen would, but the five should be acquainted with the general necessities of railways, and with the particular locality to which the line before them had re ference. But in Parliament the reverse was the fact. The members of Committees were chosen because they had no interest in railways, and because they knew nothing of the particular part of the country that they were to decide upon. In such a case, if an active-minded man got into the chair, ten to one that (even supposing him to be prejudiced in a particular way) the whole affair would be decided by him. But those decisions were now made, and it was of no use to revert to them. Such were the contingencies of appealing to the present tribunals established by the House of Commons, that he would leave any one in that room to judge whether any men, unless indeed they were raised above the failings of human nature, could give a satisfactory deci sion, considering the many conflicting interests that were involved. It seemed as if Providence had intended their defeat as a lesson, lest they should get puffed up, and be too vain in future. He did not mean to say a word against the Chairman of the Committee, for from all he could learn he was a high-minded and honourable man; but he believed Viscount Canterbury had been elected by the House of Lords to act as chair man, but unfortunately his decease took place a little before the Committee met, and they were, therefore, left in the hands of Lord Hardwicke. He would repeat that he (lid not mean to impugn the conduct of that Noble Lord, but he went in advance of justice from a desire to get the business finished, and they (the South-Western Company) did not therefore overtake that quality, until they had passed his ordeal, and got within the House of Lords.—(Hear, hear.) But he was perfectly convinced, from what had taken plate there, that they should get on better in the next session of Parliament. But he could not leave these Committees without one other word. On one or two occasions they spoke of putting down monopolies. They said that that Company was unpopular at Portsmouth, and they would therefore take care to throw the traffic open to other companies. He would, for the benefit of those members who were at a distance, as also for the sake of their new members explain the cause of this unpopularity. At first starting, it was the general opinion that it would be impossible to cmrry on this Company, and part of its capital was raised at 50 per cent, discount. They had had a maximum rate of carriage established, which had however never been reached to, and on two trains they had reduced the rates twenty per cent„ and what were they doing ? They had got a Bill for the extension of the railway from Nine- elms to Hungerford-bridge, and then they calculated on carrying it on to London bridge. The whole of this extension could be effected for a million of money, and their charges to these points would be somewhat under that which was now charged from Nine elms to Southampton. Then, again, they bad reduced the goods' charges to 10s., and this, too, included loading and unloading ; he had not yet heard of any railway carrying at lower rates than these. Now when they contemplated these reductions, when they contempla'ed a million of money laid out to accommodate the public, he hoped and trusted that the public would give them credit for making a tender use of their monopoly. They frankly admitted that some irregularity had taken place in the times of running the trains, but in the three months that the fares had been reduced tney had increased their passenger trade by 52,105 persons; and they had also increased their goods traffic, in consequence of the reduction, by 15,179 tons. Then they had worked the Guildford Junction, which that Company were anxious to dispose of to them, and if the Shareholders but considered this, and the increase on their goods and passengers, they would believe that it had pressed very hard on their working stock, for owing to the increased demand not only in this country but abroad, it was scarcely possible to get engines at their command as they would wish to have. Then with respect to the station at this end, it was self-evident that it was too small, and if they expended any money upon it, it would only be sheer wastefulness, because they wanted an extension to the Thames. As it was at present the marshalling of the trains took up a con siderable time, and this affected in some degree the time and regularity of starting them. But with all this thi Directors were entitled to some credit, for with one exception they had never had an accident upon the line. But another remark upon their monopoly. It was fit that the Proprietors should know the effect the reduction of the charges had upon their funds. The in crease in passengers then had been 5'2,105 persons, and they had only netted 5,3751., and from the increase of 15,179 tons in goods, they had only netted 1,7.56 e, which would hardly pay for the loading and un loading at either end. Thiel real cause of the outcry which had been raised against the Compane arose out of the jealousy existing between the towns of Portsmouth and Southampton. The first of these places complained that they were ruined for want of railways. And the last said exactly the reverse, for they com plained that they were ruined by the facility of railway communication.—(Laughter.) They said that the rail way did no good to the hotels and other places, because passengers is ere at once whisked through the town with out stopping ; and such was the feeling that pervaded them that they proposed, in a line projected into Dor setshire, to have a separate terminus. in order that they might make something by the transfer of the passengers' luggage from one point to another. He could assure them that their Directors were as anxious as any set of men could possibly be to promote the public convenience, and with this view they had lately effected some little change in their executive, Mr. Stovell having been ap pointed to the superintendence of the traffic department, thus allowing Mr. Martin to be released from details, in order that he might exercise a necessary surveillance over the whole thing. It was also their intention forth with to publish to the world their time bill, and that the whole of the short traffic, including the Guildford trains, should be independent of the long trains, thus obviating the necessity of' all the passengers, to whatever place, being subjected to the inconvenience of stopping at the several stations between Woking and London. There was a railway spoken of between Manchester and . Southampt on; b ut not b e i ng yet acqua i n tedwiththen survey s , h e woul d say noth i ng o f t h em until their en gineer, Mr. Locke, had an opportunity of seeing their plans to jud ge w h a t t h ey m i g h t b e . It was very clear that the trade from south to north was much over-rated. because of that traffic very little returned south again; and when they saw the lines projected by the Great Western Company, he almost doubted if this line would repay the projectors. He had nothing more to add, but would be most happy, as far as in his power, to answer any question put by the Proprietors present Mr. UPCROFT thought that the report was a very satis factory one, inasmuch as their passenger traffic wns steadily increasing, and he for one was glad to see it. Ho would second the adoption of the report. A PROPRIETOR was of of that it would be desi rable to hold out friendly terms to the Manclie-ter and Southampton Company. He thought that some sort of coalition would be of service to both companies. Mr.SNow sa id t h at if the proposed railway ran directly into the town of Southampton, they (the South-Western) could have nothing to do with it, but if' they proposed to use their station, he thought that feelings of a friendly character ought to be cultivated between them. He thought, however, that this meeting was not called for the mere purpose of receiving that report, and his own opinion was, that a retrospective view of their struggles in the last session would be useful as a guide to their conduct in the time to come. But nothing had been said by the chairman of their treaty with the Great Western Company. They had heard, indeed, that the Company was unpopular in the towns of Portsmouth and South ampton. In his opinion, of all the inconsistent people in the world, those of Southampton were the most in consistent. He held in his hand a report of the pro ceedings in the Southampton Docks Bill, and he found that the town council opposed, at last, all to which at first they had given a ready sanction. He (Mr. Snow) thought that the increase in the goods' traffic, and in TFI.E SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, AUGUST IY. isah! the amount received for the half-year—namely, 28,5641., and 41.—bore no proportion to the reduction which had been made in the charges, and he thought that if they were further reducing those charges to ld. a mile, they would, in his opinion, increase the triiffic to nearly double. lie would recommend that the whole table of fares be revised for the purpose of reforming it. They might at least try a reduced scale for six months, and if it did not pay, they could at that period resort to the old charges. The CHAIRMAN said that, as regarded the agreement with the Great Western Company he should say a few words. They had made an arrangement of a friendly character with that Company, with the Board of Trade, for a referee; but in that arrangement they had not sacri ficed in any degree the interests of the South-Western. They had entered into relations w ith respect to each other's district; they had not broken that agreement hitherto. The South-Western Company had got a Bill to make a rail way from Basingstoke,to Salisbury; the scheme was, in the first instance, opposed by the Great Western Com pany, who ultimately withdrew their opposition. There was a Company started, with a capital of 50,0001, to make a line from Salisbury to 'Yeovil, and another Com pany to carry it on to Exeter. Then if the narrow gauge were recommended by the Commission appointed to examine into its operations, as compared with the broad gauge, a most extensive field would be opened up to their enterprise, because, while they held strictly to the letter of the agreement, they were not precluded from taking advantage of such circumstances as might arise at an after period. With respect to the Manchester and Southampton, although the scheme was before the world, the ground had not yet been surveyed, and he doubted much if capital could ne raised for the purpose. Again, in relation to the fares, the Directors had consulted on the subject whether they should all be reduced to the level of those trains which had already been reduced twenty per cent. Those trains, it would be recollected, had been lowered because they were so very inconvenient, stopping at every station. Ile thought, however, that the ' Proprietors might calculate upon the future reduction of prices. I suppose I may now move that the report be adopted by the meeting. Mr. GLYN wished to know, before that was put to the meeting, whether one million would include all the ex penses of the proposed extension to London-bridge ? The CHAIRMAN said it would. Mr. Sergeant GAzELEu thought the chairman's ex planation as regarded the agreement very far from satis factory ; and ne th night the question might be with great propriety asked, whether the Directors of the South-Western had rot been outwitted by the Great Western ? Neither did he think the report satisfactory in respect of the increase of passengers. The Directory in his opinion would be none the worse for having some new blood infused into it, as energy seemed a virtue greatly wanting. And now that they had lost their vice-chairman. the late Mr. Humphrys, it behoved them to select for the vacant office a gentleman of ability and experience, who could efficiently assist the chairman in his arduous duties. He thought also with others of the proprietors, that a further reduction of fares and creased accommodation to the public would add mate rially to their resources. He understood that the ex press train had waited 10 minutes for the Duke of Richmond, who did not come after all. Was this right to the public ? Mr. SANGSTER thought the project of going to Lon don-bridge deserved to be more fully considered. He was certain the estimates were not sufficient for the purpose. Mr. TAMLYN would move a resolution, after the report should have been adopted, recommending the Directors to reduce their fares. He would not wish to bind them to a particular course ; but he would with great respect suggest that 2d. for the first class; 11-d. per mile for the second, and ld. fur the third, be considered amply suffi cient. The CHAIRMAN said that the reduction of fares was under consideration ; and with respect to the Duke of Richmond, he could only say that they were under very great obligations to that nobleman, who had lately lett his seat at Goodwood, where covers were laid for 50 guests, in order to serve the purposes of that Company. The Company's officer had said that the train did watt 10 minutes, but that it still arrived in London 3 minutes before its time.—(Cheers.) The report was then adopted. The following resolutions were read seriatim by the Secretary, and unanimously adopted by the meeting :- 1. That a dividend of 1/. 17s. 6d. be declared upon all the registered 501. shares iit the Company, except such of those created under the authority of the Gosport Branch R.dlway Act, in respect of which the Proprietors have elected to receive interest instead of dividend ; and that the same be payable on the 22d inst. 2. That the discretionary powers delegated to the Directors by the special general meeting of the 7th December last, and the half yearly meeting of the 13th February, with reference to the several projected lines of railway therein mentioned, so far as the same remain applicable to existing circumstances, be, and they are, hers by continued and confirmed, with power to the Directors to make or consent to such modifications of the said projects as they may deem proper or expedient. 3. That the Directors be authorised and requested to take on behalf of this Company solely, or to concur with other parties in taking such steps respecting the pro jected new lines of railway mentioned in their report of this day, as to them shall seem most conducive to the interests of this Company, and to make, or concur in making, such application to Parliament, with reference thereto respectively, as shall in their judgment be expe dient. 4. That the Directors be authorised and requested to subscribe on behalf of this Company towards the pro jected central railway terminus near Charing-cross, or to take such other measures with reference thereto, with the object of obtaining for this Company an ade quate share in the use and management of the same, as to them shall seem most advisable. Mr. TITS (the architect) and Mr. CHADWICK spoke to the e:timate of 1,000,0001. sterling as being amply sufficient for the London-bridge extension. The CHAIRMAN advocated the establishment of a steam-boat company at Portsmouth and S.uthampton, in connexion with the South-Western Railway. Mr. Till; proposed a committee for the purpose of considering the Chairman's suggestions, and reporting accordingly. The resolution was carried unanimously. A committee was also formed for the purpose of con sidering and adopting the best moans of founding a fund for the benefit of the workmen and children connected with the railway. Thanks were then voted to the Chairman, and the meeting broke up. LONDON AND MANCHESTER DIRECT INDE PENDENT RAILWAY.—REMINGTON'S LINE. MANCHESTER, FRIDAY MORNlNG.—Yesterday a public meeting of the merchants, manufacturers, tradesmen, and others, inhabitants of Manchester, and the surrounding dis trict, was held in the large room of the Town-hall, King street, to meet a deputation from the London and Manchester Direct Independent Railway. At the time appointed there were about 180 gt ntlemen present, amongst whom we noticed the following :—David Ainsworth, H. Marsden, R. S. Saw ler, barrister ; James Consterdine, James Taylor, M. Norris, Thomas Deane, J. S. Stubbs, Captain Gibson, D. Wadding ton, Mr. Braddock, J. Collier, H. Newberry, Mr. Grundy, Mr. Bingon, Mr. Bowker, Mr. Robinson, Mr. T. Hopkins, Mr. Worley, Mr. Royle, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Orm ro d, M r . Davis, Mr. Hyle, Mr. insor, surgeon, &c. The following gentlemen, composing the deputation, were also on the plat form :—The Hon. Colonel Stanhope, G. P. Livius, Esq., Bed ford ; W. King, Esq., London ; Horace M e tey ar d, E sq. , Lon don; John Joseph Keane, Esq., London ; Richard Johnson, Esq., London ; Sir George Stephen, London Sir John Ren nie, engineer ; George Remington, Esq., engineer ; Jere miah Clarke, Esq., London and M acc l es fi e ld ; J o h n B urgess, boroughreeve ; John Holford, Esq., Manchester ; Henry Wardle, Esq., Macclesfield; Robert Hine, Esq., Macclesfield; R. H. Wilson, Esq., Manchester; R. B. B. Cobbett, Esq., Manchester. Mr. John Brooks was called to the chair. The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, observed that during the summer of last year a deputation of gentlemen from London had called upon him to solicit his support in favour of a direct line of railway between London and Manchester. They brought with them letters of introduction from several of his friends in the metropolis with whom he had been doing business for upwards of thirty years. The introduction was so respectable that he at once put down his name, and con sented to act as one of the Provisional Committee, and at the same time offered to put down his money for a number of sharer. He heard no more of the scheme till the present year, when it was again brought before him. Ho was always of opi nion that a direct line of railway to London was indispensable, and he believed Sir Robert Peel was of the same opinion, having pledged himself to support it ; and believing it was pro gressing he was very much surprised in a few days after to learn that another scheme of the same sort was projected. Under those circumstances he thought the value of the scheme enhanced, as it appeared of such importance as to ensure a competing company„ and therefore when they came before Parliament he presumed there could be little or no opposition to the principle of direct communication between Manchester and London. The two Companies might, however, expend much money in useless litigation, and therefore it oc curred to him that they had better amalgamate in promoting the undertaking. He had no doubt upon his mind but that their (Remington's) line was by far the best, but if the other party could make any improvement he was sure they would be liberally met. He had called upon them when in London, and told them this, but they appeared to possess little or no information upon the comparative merits of the two schemes. The scheme, he believed, would be fairly brought before the meeting, and having heard all that the de putation had to say in its favour, it would be for the people of Manchester to give or withhold their support from the resolu tions that would be submitted for their adoption. He would not say more at present, but call on the members of the depu tation to explain the object of their mission. Sir GEORGE STEPHEN, as one of the deputation, complained of the course adopted by Mr. Ashes, the attorney to the com peting line, and then explained the nature of the proceedings of the Committee. Immediately on hearing that an opposi tion line was projected he applied at their office for a plan of their intended line, but could not procure ene, nor any infor mation whatever. He was told that in a few days the required information would be afforded, but it was delayed, and, indeed, never yet satisfactorily laid before the public until Remington's line was before the public, and then came out their prospec tuses and plans of the very same line of railway proposed by that gentleman—a proceeding which he (the speaker) consi dered a most convincing proof of the eligibility of the scheme. The engineer they employed was a man of some eminence in his profession, and yet he could not discover a better route than the one laid down by Mr. Remington. Wl , en he ( Sir George) was on the point of leaving London he met Mr. Sudlow, a gentleman who took a prominent part in the opposing scheme. He told him that it was unfair in the Company to take advantage of Mr. Remingten's survey, and was answered by Mr. Sudlow, that they thought themselves perfectly justified in taking it up, because Air. Remington had abandoned the project. Surely the gentlemen of Manchester would not allow Mr. Remington to be thus Plundered of the fruits of his labours. In the advertisement put forth by the opposing line, the names of many gentlemen supporting Mr. Remington were inserted, and letters and other communications had been circulated, denying the right of our publishing names upon our list of subscribers. The day before leaving London he saw a letter in the morning papers, signed by a Mr. Ogle, recalling the names of Messrs. Jones Loyd, as bankers to this line. Nothing could be more unfair than the adoption of such a course. Their connexion with Messrs. Jones Loyd was this. Some time ago he (Sir G. Stephen) called at the bank in London to open an account with them; in raw orAe of the partners, to whom he commu. THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO THE CONTINENT. Mr. P. BORTH WICK said he wished to put a question to the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the Government—a very grave and important question, which stood under his name for that day. He wished to guard himself against any expression of disrespect, either against the Right Hon. Baronet or his Government. A few nights ago the Noble Lord the Member for London called the attention of the Government to the same circumstance, but no reply was then given; and he (Mr. 13orthwiek) conjectured, from that silence, that the subject was under the consideration of Government. He regretted now to to think otherwise. He alluded, of course, to the Queen's in tended visit to the Continent. There was no precedent in the history of this country in which the Sovereign had left the country without appointing a Commission. It was alwa3s considered a great constitutional principle that the functions of the Crown should not be exercised out of the realm. From the earliest period of our history to the pre sent moment this custom had been religiously observed, and he saw no reason why it should be departed from on this occasion. A precedent to the contrary night not to be formed, for, although it could not be in any way dangerous at present, it might on a future occasion be attended with the worst consequences to the peace of the realm. He would not say one word on the subject, but would prefer lis tening to the reasons which the Right Hon. Baronet could advance for the course which the Government thought At to pursue. _ _ Sir R. PEEL said—l hope the Hon. Gentleman wilt not attribute the abruptness of my reply to any want of courtesy towards him, but rather to the shortness of the time mhich I can now occupy the attention of the House. I will begin at onee by saying that the Honourable Gentleman is wrong on every single point which he has thought proper to advance.—( Great laughter.) First of all, he is wrong, utterly wrong, in point of precedent. He said that there was no instance where the Sovereign had been absent from the realm, and where a Commission of the Lords Justices had not been appointed. Now, Sir, that is not the fact; The Hon. Gentleman says he will go back to the earliest periods of the history of our Constitution. I cannot say what he means by Constitution, but there are instances within— Here the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod appeared at the bar, and the Right Hon. Gentleman sat down. The Usher advanced to the table, and announced that is was the desire of her Most Gracious Majesty that the Commons Should immediately attend her in the House of Lords. The Speaker forthwith rose, and attended by the Sergeant at-Arms, and followed by the Members in a body, of whom there were about sixty present, proceeded to the House of Lords. After an absence of about a quarter of an hour, The Speaker returned, and the Queen's Speech baring been read from the Chair, the busy and protracted session of 1845 was brought to a close. ClDER.—Guernsey cider is now selling at Brixham for IBs. per hogshead, cask and all. The crop of apples is un usually great in the Channel Islands. _ _ __._ 3111."D'ISRAELI'S " SYBIL ; OR, THB Two NA rloNs."—This work seems to be making even a greater im pression on the public than its predecessor " Coningsby." A third edition has already appeared. "We need not say (ob serves the Examiner) that there is a vast deal of cleverness in this work, and much that does justice to a subject which we must all take up practically, sooner or later. No one who reads the book can fad to admit the many passages of delicate and beautiful writing which it contains ; the courage it evinces ; its disposition to take part with the weak ; its right and manly Isnpathies; or the masculine sense and liberal spirit with which it denounces many social evils. Where Mr. Disraeli hits full home, without a swerve of exaggeration or caricature, is in his sketches of the knaves and dupes of party. It would here be difficult to praise him too much. In force of touch, in fidelity, in temper, in boldness and witty spirit, he is here without a rival. His Lord blarneys and Sir Vavasours, his Captain Grouse and 'dear little Poynsett,' his Ladies Firebrace and St. Julian s , an d hi s and our old friends, Tadpold and Taper, are inimitable." KILMAENOCH.—STATE TRADE.—There is more demand for the labour of ou o r r artizans, and almost the printwhole w o o f rtkhee,m carpet ne are works,in comfo r tabl eaod w w oollen ne condition. . are T w h o e r l k ar in g g e good orrefLoa g ebt r ui o v u aen n d d ei s ao oe fo rni r full hours. It is considered that the indulging a hope of a continuance of this st r a e t lion in a sustained demand for our manufa ctur e s weavers and sewerscomplain of low prices.-- [ADVERTISEMENT.]—Ladiest whetherY ,toermseFrorerra.rily crest exposed to the scorching rays of the summer sun ing the crowded saloon, or close assembly, will fi nd R r o e Kalydor a most refreshing preparation and auxiliary to com fort, waea's dispelling the cloud of languor and relaxation from the co plexion, and immediately :affording the pleasing sensation I n t: tending restored elasticity of the skin. The numerous va rieties of cutaneous eruptions, sunburn freckles, tan, and dis colourations are pleasingly eradicated by the Kalydor, and th e skin rendered delicately clear and soft. Its purifying and re freshing properties have obtained its selection by the Court and the Royal Family of Great Britain, and those of the Continent of Europe, together with the elite of the aristocracy and haut ton. The high reputation it bears causes unprincipled shop keepers to offer their spurious " Kalydors" for sale, composed of the most deleterious ingredients, containing mineral astrin gents, utterly ruinous to the complexion, and by their repel lent action endangering health. It is therefore imperative on purchasers to se e that the words " Rowland's Kalydor" are en the envelope (an engraving of exquisite beauty, from a steel plate by Alessrs. Perkins, Bacon, and Co.) All others are fraudulent counterfeits. _ ... [ADVERTISEMENT.]—GENERA L JOSE GONZALVES CORED OF • BAD Lao BY HOLLOWAY'S PILLS AND OINT DIENT.—The General some time ago received a gun-shot wound in the leg, which, from neglect and fatigue, assumed an alarming appearance, there being a sudden outburst of several ulcers, and, for a time, mortification was seriously apprehended ; in this alarming state the amputation of the limb was deemed as absolutely necessary. The G enera l , h owever, unwilling to sacrifice his leg, dismissed his doctors, and set about using nothing else but Hollo7ay's Ointment and Pills, and with these celebrated remedies he _perfectly _ care d himself in five weeks, and was able to leave London last week for the Con tinent. To be had of every medicine vendor, and at the establishment of the proprietor, 244, Strand, London. nicatcd his object, but was informad th't the house at Man chester must first be consulted. In a day or two after he saw Messrs. Jones Loyd and Co., of Manchester, attached to the Company, and believing therefore that they consented through some other parties, he took no further steps in the matter. The project was, he said, objected to on account of the extent of the undertaking; but that very circumstance he believed to be one of its best recommendations ; and he could with con fidence affirm that it was the determination of the Committee to persevere, and at the opening of the next session bring the line before Parliament. They did not come to ask the people of Manchester for money, of that they had a'ready sufficient, and were resolved to prosecute the undertaking ; but in order to secure success, it was necessary to have the influence of the people of Manchester when before Parliament. It was absurd to object to the line on account of its extensiveness ; on the contrary, that was one of its best recommendations. Parliament had already given direct trunk lines to Bristol, Exeter,' Birmingham, York, and other places, and yet, Manchester, the most extensive town in the kingdom, is still without a direct communication with the metropolis, by which a heavy tax was imposed on the transmission of its manufactures. It had been said that the opposition to the line would be so great that they never could succeed, but this was an idle fear. Mr. G. P. Livros was the next speaker. He observed that there could not be any difference of opinion as to the propriety of a direct line of railway between Manchester and London. That being conceded, the question arose who were the most fitting persons to carry out the scheme. Mr. Rem , ngton and Sir John Rennie having been engaged in the undertaking from the year 1836 appeared to him to be best informed as to the best route of railway. If, how ever, another company have discovered a more direct and easily constructed line, then they were entitled to its advan tages; but up to the time he was addressing the meeting no map or plan of the proposed competing line was laid before the public. True, it was set forth in the prospectus that they would find accommodation to certain towns, but whether by branches or other wise did not appear. In reference to the line of country through which the line was intended to pass, he would say a few words. Meetings had been held in almost every town on the proposed line, and they (the promoters) had received universal support. At all those meetings the greatest unanimity prevailed, and the resolutions adopted were of the most decisive character. He b , lieved it would, when completed, be the most important line in the kingdom, and the Committee had received the mot warm support from nearly the whole of the landowners through whose property it was intended to pass. In conc'usion, he begged to inforen the meeting that the Directors were resolved to bring the matter before Parliament next session, and leave it to the great tri bunal of the country to decide upon the comparative merits of the two lines. Mr. DAVID WADDINGTON, deputy-chairman of the Man chester and Birmingham Company, wished to a.k whether the gentlemen promoting the competing line had had notice of the meeting then holding, that they might be present to hear what had been said of them ? Colonel STANHOrE said that no formal notice had been given. The meeting was publicly advertised, and he hoped Mr. Ashes or some other gentleman was present to discuss the comparative merits of the two lines. Sir JOHN RENNIE said that in the year 1836 Mr. Reming ton consulted him as to the propriety of a direct line to Man chester, and be ( sir John) then gave it as his opinion that it was a most important undertaking, and ought to be carried out. lie had, in conjunction with Mr. Remington, received instructions from the Committee to proceed with the survey, and had no doubt but they would be prepared with the whole of the plans and gradients by the 30th of November next. He or Mr. Remington would ba most happy to answer any ques tions that might be put to them. Mr. JOHN BURGESS, boroughreeve of Manchester, proposed the first resolution—" That the feeling of this meeting is strongly in favour of a direct and independent line of railway between London and Manchester, as being the only mode of obtaining the cheapest and shortest route for carrying the large passenger and goods traffic between these two important termini." Mr. R. S. LAWLER, editor of the Manchester Courier, supported the resolution. Hitherto, he had taken no part in promoting any railway schemes, but as an inhabitant of Man chester, he considered it his duty to assist in the promotion of direct communication with London. He then read an extract of a speech delivered by Sir R. Peel in favour of short and direct communication between large and important towns. He was of opinion that the whole railway system was a blunder, and would never be complete until direct trunk lines were universally adopted. The question for them to consider was whether they (the people of Manchester) would take from Mr. Remington the merit he justly deserved, and hand it over to a person.who had fraudulently taken advantage of his labours and scientific skill. 'f he resolution was then put and carried with one dissentient. Mr. DAVID AINSWORTH moved the second resolution, and said that hitherto he had taken no active part in the scheme, because he was not satisfied with the line; but, since the arrival of the deputation in Manchester, he had received such information as convinced him of the merits of the undertaking. He was, therefore, resolved to support the prosecution of a work which was of such importance to the town of Manchester. The only gentleman who had held up his hand against the first resolution was one of the gentlemen who had signed in favour of the line at the same time he (Mr. Ainsworth) signed that document. He concluded by moving —" That this meeting, having heard the full and explicit statements of the acting Committee of Remington's line, and feeling assured of their determination to proceed into Parlia ment in the ensuing session, are of opinion that the said line is the most convenient for the town of Manchester, and the most worthy of its support." Mr. Alderman BURn said that he opposed the resolution be cause he thought it was pledging the people of Manchester to a railway scheme which was not fully understood. Mr. COOKE, of Macclesfield, supported .the resolution, and in the course of his speech complained of the want of railway accommodation for that town. Mr. J. P. WESTHEAD, Chairman of the Manchester and Birmingham line, said he felt it to be his duty to offer a few observations, more in the way of explanation than of opposition. It was but that morning that his attention was directed to the meeting, and, therefore, he came unprepared to say much on the subject of a direct railway to London. He might, however, just observe that much distance could not be saved by the proposed line. The old coach road, which was, of course, the nearest that could be well made, was 186 miles, and when the Trent Valley is completed, the distance by railway will be only 1884 miles, and by the Churnet Valley the distance would be reduced to 181 miles, or five miles less than the coach road, whilst the proposed direct line will, ac cording to the statement of its promoters, be 177 miles. He did not, therefore, think that the saving of so short a distance justi fied the expenditure required for the making of the proposed line. He would, therefore, caution the people of Manchester against coming to a hasty conclusion, by adopting any resolu tion which pledged them to support the undertaking then be fore the meeting. Mr. METEVARD, of London, next addressed the meeting, and said that Mr. Westhead appeared to be perfectly ac quainted not only with the meeting, but also with the merits of competing railways, and, therefore, ought not to complain of the shortness of notice. He thought that Mr. Westhead had very much injured his case; for he showed that the opening of the new lines, to which he directed attention, would leave the passengers and traffic to be carried by four companies be tween Manchester and London. Mr. DAVID WADDINGTON said that having seen the adver tisement calling the meeting yesterday, he called on Mr. West head and requested that he would accompany him to the meet ing, that they might give such information as might be required in reference to the lines now in progress, which he hoped they had done. He suggested the propriety of the meeting with holding its decision until the latter end of the year, when the plans would be deposited with the Board of Trade. Mr. JOHN WHYATT supported the establishment of com peting and direct lines, on the ground that the inhabitants of Manchester and London would receive at the hands of the railway servants a little more civility than they were accus tomed to. He was so satisfied with the scheme of Mr. Remington that he felt justified in calling on his fellow-towns men to give it their support. Sir GEORGE STEPHEN thought the town of Manchester was fairly represented by the 180 gentlemen, who constituted the meeting. _ _ _ _ Mr. NEN ' i;BEICY, one of the Directors of the Manchester and Birmingham Railway, protested against the statement made by the last speaker, that the meeting was a fair represenation of the town of Manchester. If Sir George Stephen knew as much of the town of Manchester as he (Mr. Newbery) did, he would not have ventured such an opinion. He did not see any gentlemen on the platform who were known to take an active part in the promotion of railways for the accommodation of the town, except a few gentlemen who simply moved and se conded resolutions without remark. He did think that the Chairman ought to pause before he gave his support to such an undertaking. That gentleman had already lost so much money by the Manchester and Crewe speculation that he at all events should pause before he again embarked in such undertakings. The CHAIRMAN said that, having been personally alluded to, he thought it tight to admit that he had lost large turns of money in a previous scheme ; but he thought a direct line of railway was necessary for the trade of Manchester, and, there fore, instead of taking up 50 shares, as he originally intended, he would now take 200, if he could get them. The resolution was put and carried with four dissentients. The thank• of the meeting were then voted to the Mayor for granting the use of the room, and also to the Chairman ; after which the meeting separated, having occupied upwards of three hours. CHESTER AND BIRKENHEAD RAILWAY. The adjourned half-yearly general meeting of the share holders in the Chester and Birkenhead Railway was held on Saturday, in the Clarendon Rooms, South John -street, Liver pool, William Jackson, Esq., Chairman of the Board of Di rectors, in the chair. The report stated that the increased traffic had enabled the directors to recommend a dividend of 13s. per 501., and 6s. 6d. per '251. share, and that the same be payable on and after Monday, the 18th August inst. ; but there would have to be a deduction trade of 3s. per share on the new 501. shares, for interest on the calls unpaid at the period of closing the accounts. The Bill for the exten sion of the line from Grange-lane to the Birkenhead Docks had received the royal assent, and the rapid advance in the price of property had induced the Directors to anticipate that assent by purchasing a considerakle portion of the land which would be required for the extension ; and to raise the neces sary capital to complete these purchases it was recom mended that 15,000 new shares, of 0 0/. each, should be created, and that the holders of one 50/. and two 0 5/. shares be entitled to one of such new shares at par. The Chair man announced that their disputes with the projected Birken head, Lancashire, and Cheshire Junction Railway had been adjusted, by an arrangement by which the two com panies mutually agreed that 250,000/. worth of capital in the Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire Junction line should be allotted to the shareholders in the Chester and Birkenhead Railway, and the Manchester line were to be entitled to the same terms as were agreed upon last year between the two companies, the Chester and Birkenhead Company undertaking to amalgamate with no other line.. With a view of increasing the accommodation, the Directors had determined upon laying down a new and additional set of rails, but whether upon the broad or narrow gauge they were not at present prepared to say. The report having been unanimously adopted, resolutions in accordance with it, and the statement of the Chairman, were agreed to, the Directors being authorised to make a call of 51. per share on the new shares about to he issued on the 15th of September, and the meeting terminated with the customary vote of thinks to the chairman. [ADVERTISENIENT.] --TO TIIE LADIES.—It is uni versally acknowledged by every one of taste that however beau tiful a woman may be, if her hair is deficient either in quantity, quality, or colour, one of her greatest charms is wanting. A complete remedy for all this is to be found by visiting the esta blishment of Ross and Sons, and choosing head-dresses that !-ur- , pass nature herself, fronts, bands, or ringlets that assist her, or splendid plaits that, encircling the thin hair, give it all the appearance of a luxuriant growth. The partings are so admirably contrived that the nearest inspection is confounded ; the transparency of the web, admitting the skin of the head to be seen through, they may be described as being as light as a feather. --Address Ross and Sons, 119 and 120, Bishopsgate- • street, London, who have lately invented the Depinquitory for cleansing the skin, parting of fr on t s , & c . A pike of hay was taken up by the wind in a field near Hebburn, a fcw days ago, and carried over the river Tyne in the vicinity of Howdon, to the no small alarm of the hay- 1 makers and inhabitants...-Durham Advertiser. ---- . O i - . D/ED On the Ist inst.., in her 73(1 year, at O. 202, ll' i g sw itlit born, Mrs. Ann Smith, widow of tliu Rev. Thoa s ~ formerly of Gordon House, Kentish- tow n• O f the - sts g ° On the 2d • • inst., Mr. Thomas Hitching% Head, New Cavendish-street; Port land -place• t, , 1 C° 3 7/ On the 7th inst., at Forest ..hill, Kent, Lady Soll" l iortig , On the 7th inst., Elizabeth, wifeGet'rltraati. the Coach and Horses, Upper Wellington-rstrcet, Ur , i ._ 'eriatau fui.:ll , .stoto by Mul" 1 Of V 4 l,e. yo Pnvi No. 112, S trand , Printer, at The Sun , 'CO' Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in 1 ,4 ' Bliddleemx• ALcuday, Auguat 11,1845. CUSTOM-IItIUSE ROBBERY. T(IA3IES POLICE. Edwa'd Lewis and Bonham, Custom-house weie hers in the employ id the Crown, and 11' Slain Silo' land, the landlord of the Wheatsheaf public-house, i° Anthony-street, St. George's in the East, who was f er. merly a Custom-house weigher, were brought be :ore , Mr. Broderip, charged with stealing one gold watch 200 four silver watches, the property of the Messrs. Stio r Y' goldsmiths and jewellers, 9 and 14. Cornhill, and lienrY Osto-ne, landlord of the Crooked Billet public-house c' e Tower-hill, was charged with feloniously receiving th e property, well knowing it to be stolen. This prosece; tion was inslituted by the Crown, and Mr. Walter' Solicitor of Customs, and Mr. Ballantine, the barrister, conducted it. The prisoners having answered to their names, Lewis' who was described in the p, lice as a solicitor le the Borough-road, etat.d that he was intoxicated wil t he was taken into custody, and wrongly described hinfsei; Mr. Joseph Savory stated that he carried on busie e % as a goldsmith and jeweller, in partnership with I ' l brother. In June, 1812, he had occasion to exp ert* case of clocks and watches to the East Indies, and afterwards received information that on the reeeio' the case one gold watch and four silyer ones were 1 13 °, 5 ; ing, and he had to pay for them. The value o f 1 " - t watches was 451. The clocks arrived safe in the Et° Indies. Mr. John Faris, clerk to Messrs. Savory, was cr 6 ; ployed to ship a case of clocks and watches on the 2'' of June, 1542. There was one gold watch and four se' ver watches in the case, which were placed on the t e . 9 o of two very large clocks, which were enclosed in A case and a wooden one outside. He attended the user; Customs examination at No. 1 shed of the West Int Dock. The case was opened and inspected by the prq.j.. -- Custom-house officers, and the tin case was re-solder; and the outer case screwed down in his presence. recollected a Mr.'Scanlen, a gentleman connected wit the Customs' department, being present, but had no re' collect'on of the prisoners. Mr. George Cliff Lowe, also in the employ of A'ree sta ; Savory, gave similar evidence. Ile was sure the w atehe were in the tin case when it was re•so'dered. • tea Henry Richard Turn r, an accomplice was adellt as evidence for the Crown. He said he lived at No. it Dempsey-street, Stepney, and was a Custom -Ig , weigher, and filled that situation in the month of. Jul,: 1842. At that time he was stationed in the West Diu. ' Dock. He recollected a case being brought to 1 4 %, shed for examination by the searchers. There wh o present himself, Benhaee Lewis, and Stickland, * be was then a Custom-house officer, and then acted a s t shipping officer. He was occasionally absent from the shed during the day. During one of those abseeesic Bonham and Lewis were in the shed, and Sticklend efl outside, on the watch. He saw Lewis and Bonhate e r g gaged in securing a case of clocks and watches abeeto be shipped for the East Indies. There were some ser e is fla t on the outer lid, but they were not used again a was opened, but knocked in with a hammer and a o° t. 4 He was asked by Bonham to lend a hand, b qp did so. After the case was fastened d u h e again he took it out for shipment, b et I could not recollect whether it was taken to . 1 -` e ' o shed or No , . 3 shed. Atter he had been absent abo ut , e t minutes he returned to No. 1 shed, and a brown P e liy parcel, containing four or five watches, was procluee t se is Stickland ; one of them was a gold watch and the n tu i e o were silver ones. He knew them to have been st,. e or from the case, and an observation was made about slop ing them, but as there were five there was more nd, one for each, and it was arranged they should be e.:k. The watches were packed up and left in a desk ie s t ied land's office ie the shed. Next morning witnes s Lewis waited upon a Jew named Moss, in street, St. George's-iii-the-East, and made a proP (74— to him to buy the watches. Moss said he would el° i p to the dock and look at them and after he had dello/ he offered 161. for the lot, which was refused ; an veal was asked, which the Jew declined giving. Stielt,";. e a Lewis, and Bonham, were all present when Moss nu e r cli 161. for the watches. Two or three days aftereelibl. Stickland said he would buy up the other shares for r ta el each, to which they agreed, and witness, Lewis' pp' Bonham, received the money of Stickland. It wa s t he derstood that Stickland had found a customer 01 watches, and received 201. for them. tia John Haynes, inspector of the detective forcer 5 , , 00 that he went to the Crooked Billet public-hou r 0 e Tower-hill, on Friday evening, and waited till thit.);ol the landlord came home, whn he told himr o . ° eoi what he was, and cautioned him against rnaltiese statement that might criminate himself. , A ther e Mr. BRODERIP stopped the witness and sal" kips was no occasion for him to do anything of the jt Police officers appeared quite to mistake their deT t eii was the duty of an officer when he apprehends, bob person to state the nature of the charge agants," 4 and then leave his prisoner free to speak or be W e l l ° he thought proper. It was not necessary g per caution at all, and it often caused the loss of stolen perty an defeated the ends of justice. bor lie Haynes then stated that he asked the prisoner 0 * m sti, if he had not sold a watch to a person named Y e , ° and he said he had. Witness told him he bad the feseoer it in his pocket, and that he must have it, and the P r . i t s bito. immediately took the watch off the guard and ga ve W a tch' He then told the prisoner that his wife had a gola fob and that as she was ill he had no wish to execute h is t e aer warrant, if it were delivered to. him. The P ;: - biltl , immediately fetched a gold watch and gave it He then asked if he could give a satisfactory ac seta of how he became possessed o f t h e watc hes, and ' e . 5 10 41 that he had bought five of th em at one time. He I I " 0 0 him where the others were, and he said he bad sold e k i i ,„ to Mr. Taylor, his solicitor, who lived at No. 2, Ca cY re , street, Holborn. Ile asked hi m w h er e the others weAs and he said he did not think he had but four, altbellp he at first said he had five. Witness asked bilnl e ol he bought the watches of, and he said he bought eii:eps of a man who occasionally used his house when be, lie the Lamb in Conduit -street, Holborn. lie as ked lie for the man's name and address, and he replied test. did not know either, nor could he give a descrip tion so him, but would consider about it. He then left hiel t went to the Wheatsheaf in Anthony-street, b e Plieg Stickland, and told him he was charged with steilwelc watches, and he said he knew nothing about itt . Stickland into custody. After he had locked Stle., ; get, in the station-house he returned to the Crooked , r e d and found Osborne was out. He immediately bl, - a tia cab and returned to the Whe a tsh e af, where he '- Osborne, and took him into custody. e off' John Robinson, book-keeper to the Messrs- P!i c er said the gold watch and the silver watches produc e " s ebe s responded with the number and description of w i 'beolt manufactured by his employers, and inserted ie in th e year 1842. Haynes said the numbers of the three wateb e- d be responded with those in Messrs. Savory's book , 3n oiee' expected to produce the others at a future exciel„.. sloes After several hours had be e n spe n t i n the invest'F' Mr. Walford applied er a reman. de fences The prisoners were f then called d upon for their ... s efe and their legal advisers directed them to be quiet; og thf Mr. Clark addressed the Maeistrate at great Os' in support of an application that Strickland an yea° borne should be admitted to bail. rle said theY li t he persons of good character, that Osborne had gig,epot fullest information to the officer, and that it wf e likely, if he thought the watches had b ee n dishonest Jog tained,he would have kept one himself, and given i l l ° s be to his wife. There was no proof that the ifi n a te- s e eore purchased were those stolen from the case, and : r e . -1 , had not attempted to get out of the 'way.o . .ceeri to Stickland, there was no evidence against him, .„'eeree that of the accomplice Turner, which ought to be with great suspicion. n oose; Mr. Ballantine, on the part of the Customs' °r` e , the application, which was founded on a false be els i was re ady to give his reasons, if Mr. Clark wis h ! VIP they would affect his clients most seriously, slid r, always dangerous to say any thing about charaeL'd beet Mr. Broderip said, as the application for hail h tl .botO opposed by counsel on behalf of the Crown, b e - remand all the prisoners till Thursday next. ader. The prisoners were then remanded. It w es- r ol e $ stood that other charges of robbery will be pr ole ' t ad 0 the next examination. The disclosures have cry great sensation at the Custom lion-e. Mn. PITT'S LAST MOMENTS.—" I ha serve that I had read an account of Mr. PitesPlaPsetiiinieodnifte:ibr: Gifford's life of him, and that his dying words, praYing,, the t giveness through the merits of his Redeemer, or woe"' a, oP' effect, together with the whole scene of his death-bei to he peared, as I thought, too much made up, and too forh' a foto true; leaving the impression that the author, and those itity so whom he gathered his information, had considered it a n. e liji• make the close of a great man's life comfortable to their.; t bsi ous feelings rather than to facts and reality. W h° says it of him ?' asked Lady Hester. ' Dr. Prettyeea rat her Sir Waltar Farquhar." Oh 1 it's all a lie ' she rep lied j r • - fit; indignantly ; Dr, Prettyman was fast asleep when died ; Sir Walter Farquhar was not there ; an d no° ;Seep resent present but James. I was the last person who saw hi m era' James, and I left him about eight o'clock, for I saw hi aka bite, filing as if he wanted to speak, and I did not like to tha' ho uh' worse.' After a short pause she resumed :—" Wh at :herd' Mr. Pitt make such a speech for, who never went tn: a be in his life? Nothing prevented his going to church oTri-efer was at Walmar : but he never talked about religion, anuffeste brought it upon the carpet.' "—Memoirs of La d li Stanhope. :.✓'' _ BIRTH& o f On the 28th ult., at Interlachen, Switzerland, the fe , 0 1 Lieutenant Hodgkinson, her Majesty's ship Caledonia of Wimpole-street, London, of a son. ova' On the sth inst., in Kensington Gardens - t errace, park, the wife of R. Sargent, Esq., of a daughter. ~,jadi On the 6th inst., at Yate Rectory, Gloucestershire, i." the of the Rev. G. L. Harvey, of a son. &rice , On the 6th inst., at the Vicarage, Chievelen lady of the Rev. J. E. Robinson, of a son. , s t, th e ()n the ith inst., at Provender, near Favers ham, I'' e lady of Nort on K na t c hh u ll, Esq., of a son. ark, the 'or On the Bth inst., at Norfolk-crescent, Hyd e q of Ared Alexanius of son lady °I O if n the Bth inst der Jul ~ in Cu " rzon - a street, Mayfair, the Demi , , ser Ileming, Esq , of a daughter. On the Bth inst., at Gracechurch-street, Mrs. Thonti .B r " Wheeler, of a son. -, rt .tlAptillA'ii. IZe be On the 4th inst., at St. George's, Hanover-square, , "aug ir Ransom, Esq., of Hastings, to Hannah Martha, on i, ter of Mr. George Pearson, of Pimlico. loser; CI 0 On the 9th inst., at St. Mark's, Tenter Ground -I I , t or Wohlgemuth, Esq., to Mary Louisa, the eldest daug • the late James E. Maddox, Esq., of Bow. /Int' Of ;',l Ti, At li the c St: --...., Pt Item ( itom tout, Or tb t:th; Loth I, si 213, 71 ta, kon, tit j Ran hd b lo