The Sun. — London, England, 1845-05-29 00:00:00

4 . 1 .1... . Lord bad omitted to state his opinion as to the operation of a fixed duty in a ti me o f scarc i ty . I n an un prolific seaso the Noble n to levy such a duty wou ld b e impossible; yet the Lord h a d sa id nothing of making a provision for 1 1 e xecutive aut h ority remitting the duty on corn under such ci rcumsta nces. The &Isle Lord h a d om i tte d to state his ° Pinion on this question the previous evening. The first presolution referred to the political tranquillity and commercial olperity of th e country. It could no t b e d en i e d th at t h e le Lord (Lord John - Bussell,) had divested his motion of a pant character, yet still no one could fail seeing that the resolutions implied di strust and want of confidence in her th e Majesty's Minister s .—( n ear.) On this subject it was asking House to determine if improving the taxation of the "°°trY--imposin taxes on those who could afford to pay them--relasin' in g dustr and relieving the difficulties of the „e°2l°4l—if those were y t ' o be taken as reasons why the Go :4'''rnment was not entitled to the confidence of the country then i , the Noble Lord correct in the position he had taken. I.e r __ -e •erred to the improved comforts and social condition of the 'a%7Pie—to the removal of embargoes on traffic—to the reyr i . and improvement of the laws upon which commercia (the de end ;to all these he referred as evidence that they Ithe Go vernm p ent) had not been remiss in their duty, and h.d done that which entitled them to the confidence of the . country. ai d e "mid not think that the habitual discussion of this question e t ",Y good.—( Hear, hear.) He thought the subject of the ett-7.a Ws cou'd be much more efficiently discussed by a motion a Pecifi cai . ha ta ,,, iy introduced, as by the Hon. Member for Wolver the Aro , than in the manner . adopted by the Noble f L t 7 e d li o ,rober for London. According to the statementhot the . r -9. Ilember for Essex he was led to understand t a er ealtural interest had withdrawn their confidencefrom ,,, h ret tji(latlttra Government. To this he could only express ri er , on. a - 'e3' should have seen reason to withdraw their , . pursue con- What but h 2 would nevertheless consider it his th d e ut i y n t te o r p e u st r s s of the etotthe considered best calculated . to serve the..., T 'trY, as he believed the policy of the government con ,e-istst to the general good. If they contrastedthe country e 't ii b wa ., B in 1841 with what it was at present, it could not Wi t h ...omitted that a great improvement had taken place. heh er re sPect to the changes that had taken ploce in the law, he the e h ed . ,that so far as they had not increased the price of corn,. tor; of had a beneficial effect. The welfare of the propr:e bri o , '. , and did net depend upon the sum which corn might d pre pr ' ie l to n the market.—(Hear, hear.) He asked the landed Whiehders Whethe r the returns from corn was the c t i h rc e u aeoounts *his, t mined their welfare. If he looked upon the hi.tere.given of the state of the country as resulting from lakiecisit price s of corn, he was perfectly satisfied state that the (T h ,i,nterest would not be benefited by such a of things. It . ight H o , t alia o , l . n. Gentleman then _read extracts from the 44, cations of a Ger.eral commanding in the north of Eng of "' the Secretary fer the Home Department, on the state Pt ' becu rry in May, 1841, and the state of the country at s Ool le t 4 t i i t ' --°'n which ay it ' appeared ' that the former period was a er VMS SO ..friork 1507.trbe,d one, and the latt tranquil and free 'sell i., ' 'ea, agitation, that there was no interest whatever Publi c 'Th".a Miestion which had recently so much dist u urb t ed eo t n h - e v i ;Pled ti,;ne,d--namely, the Maynooth question. Z r %lei, ,Right Hon. Gentleman), depend upo . n ) it, the ( state s. - ` Bast in 1 842 could not have continued.- - iCr ies '.ld aia , t, liear • e ) The Honourab le Member ble Member for Essex 14%4 hi s he had been disappointed, and he had b " a n d i Z t a w ezi 4 e - e e s f % tii n e fi e de u n s e e e from her Majesty's Government in which they had pursued ; but if they f denee j o gailed his confidence—if or they had forfeited )—with his which the eon4e(ltlence of the rapidity—(A laugh )—w it he Would'"°eceded in those changes, he most cordially hoped f th e , 3 _ i d po s i tio Proceed, if not in accordance with the views o 'rud er l a 0 ,,.0, at least in a common expression of want of eon - -eel. a - ...,. b soy th em., Hear, hear.) He was perfectly convinced, ; kt eede s i circumstances, that the principles on which they had s ° , 4 rao st - We re sound • but he thought it most just, !nost wise, o mat th,;Prudent not to proceed too rashly and hastily, but t (l"'lain t - n - eaotious and deliberate course which was the most i e R - ts see u'e the permanent prosperity of the country.— 0 ,..., 4 rd ig i n t ton. Gentleman sat down loudly cheered.) r 10 ,„''"N ROSSELL said, that as he had °cen t a tWe 1, '" u nit of their time on the question before the nh 'ad b'eje would very briefly refer to the observations which Illisdebate Illnade by Honourable Members in the ctoeuorsfethoe thein- tsi one When he had such testimonials of f t o h u e nd st. aft h e „,,..ci2ses from day to day—when h the a advocates . • 1 4,„"rr? laws ceasing from using arg e uments which they 7 t re-e - T t ` i ° the habit of using, and these with diminished ;'lt_dietit,,,as obvious that the time must soon conae when :?et, -. "! 01 11d cease, when Parliament would consider that , l aj ari ' lo s, or 50s, per cent., ought no longer to be retained ` 9 stet °°' to the farmer and the labourer. He wished then tiv e 6 e thiS to the Hou-se—they were in a state of comre tical r°'PeritY--the people in the nortk were making no poll. th e ttdistnrbance—their labourers generally were better off ° ! t il h th ett oli f ood was high. Parliament, therefore, could legis e el se , any suspicion as to its motives . , .and bee . ring .m al - 1 Post,. rustances before it, to come to a decision on these i of Matters.—( Hear, hear.) Whatever might be the re tint "I „. the resolutions hich he had submitted to the House r igt, the great question would remain, that they felt lin r ' l ced th at i • • a est n a time of distress, when there was a bad t he ' and corn was high in price, they could not maintain Ytt ttesent Qom-laws exactly as they were at present. But in,: Government were to propose an alteration thkithe corn no one were pretend to say that any party 'gu t I ° llse would be capable of resisting it. He said that k lrlta' u 'd be the case, and he called on them as men to grant ~t, l l cession —he appealed to those who considered that the ktke such a increased the price of the food of the people to tlrOtioaa a concession as the one pointed out. The Right tedro",te Baronet at the head of the Government had re ed to th e changes which had taken place since 184 . 1, and re to the the . ei rcumstanc e as if th were entirely 1 H ow (L n o g rd John Italar7 which the Government ad taken. tsaoth' considered those changes had been caused e by change of ~triti."(llear, hear)—and that made a material alteration in ;tat iernent. If they were brought by su a r n es unwise Govern had produced th l "it ; t o ba '! state, and the such ti es to .,' t t --Y rnight expect that such k ' a e n a B unexpected state im e of Isi a s,'llley' ll 4l l continue without chec . ti te `q ho t bbd seen the alterations which had taken place they td,:a ) tie ly „ at expect that alterations of vast importance to tha t e h arid to its property would ocettr. In 1830 Sir t) tba et - L° l -a r . t elth 11 brought forward a motion to the effect n,,..4 4s all inl t' l i partial but general, in which he was sup- Members on the other side of the it: ol ,, ed In lean ..°Li°fteelinsueaon topics analogous to those Itth,r to 4tl,tLatl, deba a te which admissions were made c ottn t a re'l l 4o •3l4 7 ,:ar.d in ' the course of that discussion—that increase' Ind OttlWryi;" the v arious branches of trade, the silk, ` 4 in -""senes of manufacture were very much e"S amPtion, a gnantity and Ind dun 'and nd y et i n 183., exportation, and by internal i t* rise to a 3 'PeCtilatiOn i there was a vast . deal of undue uou re Prlce that • In 1838 the price of corn began firer, l' ' hich continue :aen there e sa , d for the years 1839, 1840, and 1841, _alistresq a ,„„ a continuance of bad harvests, arid suffering qi ee to - "lst the kiffi • one Go People. He would ask,. without refk . 'le nt ind* • yernraent or to another, if this was not a N o __ 'cation that they might have again to encounter " " n s of distress to that which existed during tl r i a o m se all rap, He really • th able r en wlshed to put it to the House, apart f Itilzughi) eensidertions—as a question on which he eras t at !tteasur:nv'need him sclf—whether they would now decide Sta.„: ° in alt t e h r i a s_ t t i ll o. e n. Y e t hought b t whether they would decide, were to es be — . made, they should be Ala I. 0 3 time of comparative prosperity ?—( .Hear. ) ke a e, rd had said in the course of the debate, that if pro -4)00 X ° carried a little further it was sure to fall—and 64t1,,,,, lwer.atiort of the corri-laws ' w , ould in many respects be gr ee lia n l to.the farmer. This was but wise, and in per- Ni t !lta kv e t with the public interest. But the Right Hon. aridctiketiottna.d raised another question. The Government have ki t tea th e t ° Part of the resolutions which he had proposed,. 4.tbehl, seemed to think that legislation on this motion ta*ll. held aiart of it. ledig° et o '''"*----Mat could only be obtained by an address J. tlia r that BUSSELL had no objection whatever as to the ' 11 ) . ''' the xj. as . to be pursued. But it clearly was . not the f Vtaii!lata rtnisters of the Crown to legislate exclusfvely b or by th "e thought that the same objection might e ai a . rl iata a arnendment of his Hon. Friend the Member for 2N a. .G etir ren to the purpose of the Committee. The Right )?; ° „enee„ e f t °,ari said another of his colleagues had lost th :otLito) of the Hon. Baronet the Member for Essex (Sir J. Nt" l al lio - ' be thought while stating this that they th e th, „,,. .recollect what was just to themselves— ail, groi,,,Tinisters had come into power with a pretence, i ,, ath ' , l oy u .s s • auosht sthi",_leb they had never carried out. . Yet all - rit i t a% t z,. 10. ''" nim would say the tariff, and the introdue e'ity , s - and cattle, had not so interfered A ith the general tro t , • The Militate against the interests of the agricultural t atth'bread ° small importation of cattle into this country tiits.,bor c ° ,l ld not in at degree have affected the Tioi or co the introduction of corn from Canada have ]pfd theeti interests of the farmers or have hindered rtlithe,t°sPerity. He could not be presumed to agree ',47titiair,,''_teiPles of the measures of the present Ministers, gtt. t ',to ee,„ he thought that the farmers of England had ~,''iitht tte didn of the measures of the Right Hon. Baro- N4tio, no t Mean to complain of the measures of the Ze toktl a tt i o ronet; but the speeches of the Right Hon. Os_ to tt Y to e B4° and 1841 had certainly led the farmers of vthote measures based on principles entirely op t:tic, h e i' 4l . which he had always acted; though, as he k 4kftil a note 4l'ev d the measures which had been adopted i,,,,, ti es injurious- At the election of 1841 he had (11 if: forl.q kle asures ' which would certainly not have h kt :le,l 4 4 • r h . t rib 't the confidence he enjoyed in 18 . 40. i for Essex had expressly declared this.— P I A) co tdd .• was not to be expected that he (Lord John ?t, anxi soe g h lve h!ft confidence to the particularGovferanen. t h hileNtlee thee. mi g ht be as a member o io e ar o i influence of the Ministry, yet he ll must say L p„ 4 d rath N ett rie ro _rather to net th e support them than y' the motion of member for Essex; and much as he . I**th.7liekrceteecith;_ir general policy, if he wished to see Whig L'e r,,,lai ttr ' ha should feel obliged, in preference, to sup tidj,d e' l lia L 3 ' ""‘v in power. ls,i' n AN t ,„,„ (l sat down amid loud cheers. f f ! ti leh, m o o ` . ,'''''rB rose amid loud cries of " Divide, di- N tvitto,-," Order," &c. He complained that no al ,(0l1lal eh,"'h ad been made to Ireland in the resolutions. iot a oi t are Divide, divide.") It might almost be ima eNa 4 134 i Pe,a 1 of the union had already taken place.— he hattero,:t?c," and laughter.) The Noble Lord after P ar Oase i ll t 'g to be heard sat down. 4._.th e a i'n divided when there appeared— Aelitist i e tn endru ent ' 33 4, i , , . A, .............................. .. ............... 253 e d _ are e ,,, c Y against the amendment • _ 220 /1 01, in divided on the original motion, when there A tile rain 4 teiii.t citaions ... ........... 104 )q 'ttil. 1 4hia,iorit!", ................ : ............ 182 Ibilcrs t%4-3 / 4 1 , ?y• cga•nst thei : e ' s ' Oiu . lions ... — 7B ItilT%,...ap o :er e t( '' ) ,_ Called upon the Speaker to say whether hots Wastwo ,:e excluded from the House between divi t„i 1 , 11 ,2 he separate motions. The reason he asked the ' 4 l' ' P - - oti excuse be was refused admission by the officers via , i i km p first division, a w in , --'.% Con e ,*. a. Rp,,, o ne 0 ,, urred, with the Hon. Member oppo t4l-iptkeile ! , kkt RI th.use who had been excluded. l'beted alto of tksaid that the officers had acted under a i lAit oo— t ee c t e h a e e n h a ufi . v: i i us r * rio d n i . t d i :s a , t for Hon, uterMt e. m T b w e o rs o s ,c h l o o u ck ld . be Or -A.k].E.,----,--- tv 'lt ' 1 -LARY BUSINESS. :io Y and pic ks A _ 111,-, 41 tin pY. MAY 2 " Vs,,, ti So d g sailway,—Third reading, Friday -, irett."ika kicarhorou,,,ii I,• t ,t l s,c(lX o 4 Y 80, b railway Deviation,—Third read ka'q' it`a"lin,7l'l44lad R • r •,)' .4 4 4 pci, y, „ allway (Bridlington Branch),— t. e 44,, Ctin gdo ~s r a.'y 80, 4 di 'q • 0 l'ailway,—Third reading, Thursday, Ll.r m ll k,T h 'itn t ,b, 'a r l ' l4 °-(1" an d She • d 1 , %n and ay, May 29 erlield Junction Railway,—Thir r ee;! 1 11 * „ Crr e ' 3 ' 29 . -ki ta .in d enwich railway, —Report, Thursday, 41 .1 k et; 111 11r SQ1 'y 11 't 4 , ~,.‘ ss u da y . A . 41. „ Wa, (Bridlington Branch),—Third rea, 4 ; u et eclit la Y 29 . Ni n ,,,rti on RailWay,—Third reading, Thursday, s e i , 011r iti ' llll 'Sd " (Z 1 Is:P1, h 4 3 , , At Y and Whittlesea Deviation),—Third O c 4 3.' 29, 4 IIL at th 0 , _ art h " Dl s 'e -,orn ate - e 't e,"in g t e Gra n i ,_ (Uerault) announces the 4144rie_etli ke,Tiabitant at. the extraordinary age of 110, r Or tobacc o any subject to any d brandy. infirmity, although Mr. HOPE hoped that if there was any more evidence to adduce in support of the traffic on the line, it would be brought forward at once. It would not do after breaking down in the engineer ing evidence to bolster up a case by calling fresh traffic evidence. It would disarrange the proceedings. The CHAIRMAN could not see that anything like bolstering up would succeed with the Committee. Mr. Cocenuesi could inform his Learned Friend that there was nothing in his mind fearful of a breaking down of the engineering evidence. On the contrary, he defied his Learned Friend to shake that evidence. Mr. Brunel examined by Mr. COCKBURN—IS engineer to the Great Western scheme for the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton line of railway. In laying down the line he was guided by the ob ject of connecting South Staffordshire with Oxford, Berkshire, and London. There is a cross line before Parliament from the Great Western line to Basingstoke, which will form a continuation of the line then before the Committee. The plan of the line from Wolverhampton to Worcester and Oxford had been made for some years. The project is of old standing. The line was first projected in 1836, but from the difficulty of raising money at that time, it was abandoned. There was also about that period a branch line to Oxford. It was then proposed to carry the line from Rugby by Banbury to Worcester. The branch to Ox ford vas thrown out of Parliament three times in consequence of not introducing the academical clauses. The traffic of the South Staffordshire districts was very important. The cost of the Ox ford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton line would be 1,500,0001., and the cost of the Oxford and Rugby would be 600,000/. The gradients of the Great Western line were more favourable than the gradients on Mr. Stephenson's line. The population accommodated on the Oxford and Rugby line was much greater than the popula. Lion on the Tring line. The report of the Beard of Trade stated that the population on the Tring line was much greater ; but wit ness believes that the reverse was the fact. The line to Wolver. hampton commences near the Grand Junction station between two large and important towns. Mr. Stephenson's line at certain points would be much higher, and would then descend considerably. The Great Western line would come into the fire-brick works, which was a most important consideration in the traffic. From Stourbridge the Great Western line is carried to Kidderminster, and passes within half a mile of the town. The reason for not bringing the station into the town was, that the tonnage did not exceed more than fifty tons per week, and the value of that to a railway amounted to a very small item. The value of the manufactured goods was f•om 150/. to 300/. per ton, and the cost of cartage from the town to the station would be very trifling. Had no station at Stockport, the trade was not important, and there is a canal accommodation. At Wor cester the London and Birmingham line passes closer to the town than the Great Western, but the difference was very trifling. They pass closer to the town-hall by 16 chains. The passenger station of the Great Western line was most convenient ; it was almost as near to the canal as the London and Birming. ham. In the event of this line being carried, there is a company formed for carrying a line from Shipton to Cheltenham. It would save half the distance. With regard to Stratford-on-Avon, they proposed to connect it with Morton by the Morton line, which line has been purchased by the Great Western line. With regard to the Rugby and Oxford line, they propose to con nect them with Warwick and Leamington. Their line was as near as the Tring line. Were quite as well situated with those places as the London and Birmingham. They could be as well accom modated by their line as the Tring line. Between Wolverhampton and Worcester the Great Western line was three miles nearer. We obtain our summit, taking a common point from Dudley, which is three miles. Between Dudley and Worcester the London and Birmingham would have two miles more railway to make. Our steepest gradient in ascending Dudley is lin 88, and the London and Birmingham 1 in 67. They have followed the valley, and we have avoided it. By so doing, he attained the height better than Mr. Stephenson. By this they did not neglect any important traffic. We go into Droitwich and the other line did not. Between Oxford and Worcester we have 1 in SO and 1 in 81, and thay have 1 in 100 in several places. The superiority of the Great Western gradients was, that from the con.. centration at one point, and the good gradients at others, they were enabled to carry larger loads. They had better gradients, and the line was much shorter. All experience and all reasoning in railway matters proved that no legislative enactment could regulate the remuneration to the company, nor the accommodation to the puhlic. It all depended upon the expense of working the line. The gradients on the Rugby line are 1 in 308, and those on the other line were 1 in 100 in several places. At one point of their line they had 1 in .00, and there is one ascending from Oxford to Rugby of 1 in lop, and this would make a great difference in the loads which could be carried. As regards the communication between Worcester and London, their gradients were more favourable. The ascent is concentrated in one part for the assistant power. Good gradients were very desirable, and ought to be had where it was possible. In the report of the Board of Trade it was said that there was nothing in the gradients to give a preference to one line over another. That remark was not applicable, for the gradients, as he had already stated, on the Great Western line were far superior to the London and Birmingham scheme. There was also a remark in the report con. cerning the break of gauge. Looking at the question of the gauges, he could not see what bearing the break of gauge on the Worcester and Wolverhampton line had to do with the line from Bristol to Birmingham. There was another passage in the report regarding the centre of gravity on the broad gauge where it was connected with the narrow gauge. The question did not apply. The report also said that a great expense would be incurred by laying down switches. This would not be the case, as there would be switches for both gauges. Although they had independent rails for the two gauges, the buffers were the same, and there was no danger whatever attached to the working of the carriages. Had given the subject very great consideration. There was another remark in the fourth report of the Board of Trade, where, in speaking of the change of gauge on the Weymouth and Dorchester line, they thought it would be well to have clauses introduced into the Bill, for the purpose of having them laid down under the guidance of proper persons for the safety of the public. The broad gauge could be applied with greater safety on the present line. On the Oxford and Rugby line it was pro posed to lay down the broad gauge, as the traffic from that place could be carried on to the Great Western line without any difficulty whatever, as both gauges would be the same. With respect to the difficulty anticipated in shifting the goods from the broad to the narrow gauge, he met that by a simple me. chanical contrivance. This was to be done by trucks, which would shift from one train to the ether, without disturbing the goods. Was some time engineer to the Gloucester Com pany, and he recommended that they should obviate the difficulty of transhipment on the break of gauge by an improvement in the trucks, and the erection of these where the break of gauge took place. His recommendation was not carried into effect. He heard that numerous statements had been sent into the Board of Trade respecting the change of gauge. The statements were made by the other side. Considered that it was necessary for him to explain it to the 'Board of Trade, and when he waited at the office to see Lord Dalhousie, lie was informed that his Lordship was not to be seen. Was told so by Mr. Laing. He accordingly sent in a written explanation of the change of gauge. With respect to the transhipment of goods, it could be managed with perfect ease, and without any injury to the goods, or delay in the transhipment. It was a simple contrivance. There was no difficulty in it. Mr. Stephen. son had invented far more difficult contrivances. He had invented a most beautiful and simple contrivance on the Blackwell Rail way for drawing the trains by ropes. Had heard of the manner in which the diligences were lifted at Paris and Rouen. The bodies of the carriages were lifted up and placed on the other trains. Had set one to work at the Paddington station, and it answered well. It was shifted in a very short time, and with very little expense Had no doubt whatever that it would answer. On the Rugby line the transhipment would be necessary. The cost of the un favourable gradients on the London and Birmingham line would be more expensive than the transhipment occasioned by the change of gauge. If they had even to shift the carriages, wheels, and all on to the broad guage, it could be done at as little expense, if not at less than the additional power of working the unfavourable gradients on the London and Birmingham line. Preferred the broad to the narrow gauge. It was best adapted to the accommodation of heavy traffic. The large waggons are of more convenience to the carriage of cattle and live stock generally. The carriages on the Great Western line were much larger than those on the London and Birmingham. The Great Western car. riages weighed, with passengers, ten tons, and those of the London and Birmingham only weighed five tons. Could carry much more weight on the broad gauge by slackening the speed ; but there was nothing gained by having long trains, for it wore out the carriages. It was as well to go on with a moderate train. The weight on the carriages of the narrow gauge is greater than that on the broad gauge, inasmuch as the carriage from the narrow basement had more pressure on it than the broad gauge, which having a broad basement the load was more divided. A railway is contemplated between Dudley and Birmingham, and there was no doubt it would be carried out. The connexion between these places will then be complete. By this line Stourbridge would be brought nearer to London by twenty miles, than by the Tring line. What was wanted was not a communication between Bristol, by London and Birmingham, for that already existed, but what was really wanted is a communication from the agricultural to the mineral districts in South Staffordshire, so as to have the agricultural and mineral traffic brought on to the great lines, and so affording a marketfor their articles. RAILWAY COMMITTEES. (YESTERDAY.) Group A. THE LONDON, CHATHAM, AND ROCHESTER RAIL WAY. The Committee met again to-day at twelve o'clock. Chairman, Mr. Lascellcs. The Counsel in suppo.it of the Bill called Mr. Sedder, an estate agtnt at Rochester, who had been mayor of the city. This gentleman stated that there was consider able deficiency in the means of communication at present between Chatham, Rochester, and London. The inhabitants were obliged to come by the Rochester Railway to Gravesend, and thence by the boats to London. There were many charges and many delays. Many thousands of troops sent to Chatham in the course of the year, and many thou sands of workmen employed in the dockyards, had to pass to and fro from time to time between Chatham and the metropolis. He was acquainted with the North Kent Railway projected by Mr. Vig notes. At a public meeting held at Rochester to consider the merits of the various lines, the feeling was almost unanimous in favour of Vignoles' line. The inconvenience at present felt for want of complete communication was very great. The population of Rochester, Chatham, and Stroud, without the troops, was 35,000. The country around was very fertile, and a great number of cattle were sent to London. Cross-examined by Mr. WILMORE, for the London and Croydon Railway—The feeling of the meeting to which he had referred was decidedly in favour of Vignoles' plan. There was a great want of railway communication between his part of the country and London. Cross-examined by Mr. MEREWETHER, for the South-Eastern Company—Was not aware that nine.tenths of the owners of property in the neighbourhood were unfavourable to it. He admitted that the names read to him by the Learned Counsel were owners of a very large portion of the agricultural property in that part of Kent, but did not know they had petitioned against the present project. Re-exatnined by Mr. GOLDS3fITH—The feeling was generally in favour of Vignoles' plan. The delay of communication with London, especially in winter, was very great. Mr. J. Batter, auctioneer and surveyor of Rochester, was also one of the Rochester magistrates. There was a great quan tity of fruit grown on that part of Kent, and touch loss was sus. tuined by the delay and irregularity of the conveyance to the Lon don market There was also great want of railway communication between Dartford and London. Witness was yesterday five hours coming from Rochester to London, being delayed one hour at Gravesend. The CHAIRMAN said that the Committee had no doubt that a railway was desirable, and they ought to confine themselves to the question which line was the best. '1 he Counsel on both sides expressed their concurrence, and Witness was cross-examined by Mr. WiLmoac—Witness did not think that the North Kent scheme would be at all injurious to Gravesend. On the contrary, the increased advantage of every communication with London all through the year, would induce many families to reside there. Mr. Mathews, secretary and part proprietor of the Terrace Pier at Gravesend, who was next examined by Mr. Sergeant SHEA, said that there was great want of regular communication between Gravesend and London. Fish were often detained at a great loss in Gravesend, especially in winter. They were obliged to be taken by land, as the expense of steam-tugs to take up the fishing-boats in winter would be too great. In all respects the convenience of North Kent would be best promoted by the London, Rochester, Chatham. and North Kent line. Cross-examined by Mr. MILLER—Did not think that the ne cessity for the line was at all removed by the great increase of steam navigation on the river. But he must admit that, as the steam-boats did not pay themselves, it was not likely that railroads could compete with them at their present rates. By Mr. MEREWETHER—Thought that the North Kent line was superior to the one projected by the South-Eastern Company. The former line passed through the most populous parts of the whole country. Mr. Park, of Gravesend, surgeon, examined by Mr. Sergeant SHEA, gave testimony in favour of the North Kent line. Cross-examined by Mr. WILMORE—As a medical man he would say that steam-boat trips upon the river were very conducive to the health of the inhabitants of the metropolis. Cross.exatnined by Mr. MEREDITH—Knew that there was a great difference of opinion as to the two lines in Kent. Mr. Waite, landlord of Waite's Hotel at Gravesend, could not say what was the opinion of the inhabitants of Gravesend generally on the subject. He knew that the commercial gentlemen who frequented his room were very anxious for a railroad, as it would enable them to re main at Gravesend in the winter, by affording a regular and speedy communication with town. He could not say whether the rail way would benefit Gravesend or not. He knew it would benefit him.—(A laugh.) He could give no opinion which line was the best. The cross-examination of this witness elicited nothing material. Mr. T. Strong, of Welling, auctioneer, gave evidence in favour of the railway ; there was very little accommodation for persons going to or from Welling to London since the formation of the existing railways, which had driven off the road almost all the former con veyances. There were but two coaches daily through Welling at present; a few years ago there were upwards of seventy. There was great loss sustained in respect to the fruit trade, in consequence of the greatly diminished means of conveyance. The CHAIRMAN said that it was unnecessary to go into proof of the want of a railway. Mr. Sergeant WRANGHAM said the object was to show that accommodation was wanted at Welling, which the North Kent line proposed to give. Mr. Stvaysland, of Crayford, cotton printer, stated that up wards of 600 tons of goods were sent to London annually from his factory. Great inconvenience was suffered from the present want of conveyance, the deficiency being occasioned by the present exist ing Kentish Railways, which did not give any facilities to Cray. ford Cross-examined—He would prefer the line which would pass nearest to his own factory, provided that it went on a level, and not on an embankment. Mr. Callow, of Dartford, builder, stated that the population of that town was about 6,000. There were several factories of steam. engine makers there, besides gunpowder and paper-mills. Formerly there were great facilities of transit to London, the falling off of which had caused very great inconvenience. He was in favour of the North Kent line. Mr. Sergeant WRANGIIAM stated to the Committee that he felt at this part of his case in a position of some difficulty. As far as the question between the North Kent and the South- Eastern Companies was concerned, the report of the Committee of the Board of Trade had rendered it in a great degree unnecessary to go into any proof on the subject of traffic. He therefore would avoid taking up the time of the Committee with the investigation of that part of the subject here, but he apprehended the gentleman who appeared for the London and Croydon might take advantage of the omission and put in adverse evidence at a future time. He was prepared to put in satisfactory evidence ; but to save the Committee unnecessary trouble, ,he wished to submit to their judgment whether the evidence was to be gone into or not. The Committee, after some conversation, decided to go into the evidence. Mr. Sergeant WitANGIIAM said he would new proceed with evi dence to show the amount of traffic. Mr. Denham, of Welling, builder, was then examined by Mr. Sergeant SHRE—The population of Welling was about 1,000, and there was a considerable traffic to London, espe • daily of fruit, which required speedy transit from that town, and the adjacent ones of Bexley, Boxhill, arid Charlton. He knew the opinions of the people in those places to be ♦ery strongly in flvour of the North Kent line. It was certainly to be preferred to one which should go round by Eltham. Mr. Hartland, land surveyor, of Wickham, gave similar evi dence as to the great want of conveyance to London since the establishment of the Kentish railways, by which the coaches were driven off the roads. A railway to London direct through that part of Kent would be a great advantage to the neighbourhood, and have a considerable traffic. He was in favour of the North Kent. William Chunley examined—Had until very lately driven a coach from Brompton and Rochester to the Golden Cross, Charing cross, London. He had been obliged to give it up in consequence of the railroads. There was now, properly speaking, no direct land communication between those places and London. It was a great inconvenience to the inhabitants. A great number of coaches were formerly maintained. He thought the North Kent line the best, as it passed through the most populous and stirring parts of the country. Mr. TALBOT—Was it not the abominable river that drove the coaches off? Witness—Thought the steam-boats had something to do with it. Mr. Mathew, of Canterbury, chemist, proved, as the other wit nesses had done, that there was a great deficiency of conveyance between the metropolis and the parts of Kent which had not yet the advantage of a direct railway communication. The railways had driven the coaches off the road, and had thereby greatly in. jured the city. There was now a great difficulty in letting lodg ings, which formerly was not the case. The great wish of the peo ple of Canterbury and the neighbourhood was to have a di rect line; but of the two lines proposed, the feeling was greatly in favour of the North Kent. At a meeting convened by the mayor six weeks ago, resolutions in favour of that line were carried by a majority of one hundred to one. The people of Canterbury were sufficiently aware of the advantage they should gain by having two rival companies, for they saw by this time what they had to expect from monopoly. As soon as the de cision of the Board of Trade in favour of the South-Eastern Com mpany was known, they raised the rate of parcels from Bd. for 141 b. to Is. Sd. To Mr. MEREWETIIER—Since that they had reduced the rate to 7d. That was done after the display of public feeling at the meet ing, where resolutions were passed in favour of the North Kent. William Austin, of Canterbury, tailor—Was a member of the town council. He Imew the opinions of the inhabitants generally, and he had no hesitation in saying that five out of every six were in favour of the North Kent. The fares and rates on the South- Eastern were higher than by the old coaches. All the people of Canterbury were in favour of two companies, for they thought that the public interest would be served by preventing a monopoly. Cross-examined by Mr. MEREWETHER—The South-Eastern Corn. pany lowered their rates after the meeting. Before the rates were raised he could not say that there was any feeling in favour of one Company more than another. Re-examined by Mr. Sergeant SWEE—After the decision of the Board of Trade, which was against the North Kent, the South- Eastern raised their rates. That convinced the people in Canterbury that it was necessary to have a second Company to check the monopoly, as at present the South Easters could raise or lower their rates as they pleased, and therefore they had the public at their mercy. Mr. MEREWETHER suggested that It was needless to carry the evidence as to traffic further. Mr. MELLOR said that, on the part of the London and Croydon Railway, he wished to show the Committee that there was not sufficient traffic to justify the establishment of a new company, whereas the one which he represented had the means of supplying, at less expense, the wants of the places through which the North Kent was proposed to pass. The CHAIRMAN said the Committee would go on with the evi , deuce as to traffic. Mr. Cobb, of Canterbury, grocer, said that the feeling of the pub lic in that neighbourhood was decidedly in favour of the Vignoles, or North Kent line. He corroborated the evidence of the pre ceding witnesses as to the raising of the rates by the South- Eastern, and the inconvenience and loss which the inhabitants were at present suffering. The CHAIRMAN said that it was now too late to take any further evidence. But, before the adjournment of the Committee, the counsel for the Croydon Railway were allowed to put in evidence of their traffic. The Committee-room was excessively crowded all day, and the noise and talking of the strangers produced great inconvenience, and were repeatedly complained of by the counsel, and reproved (but with exceeding forbearance) by the Committee, who observed that they could not hear counsel or witnesses on account of the noise. Cross-examined by Mr. AUSTIN—The line surveyed in 1836 was from Didcot to Worcester. It was not intended to be a broad gauge, because the Great Western was not then constructed. There was another line in contemplation which he had not men tioned, and that was a line from the Oxford and Rugby to Bir. mingham. If the Oxford and Rugby line is to be on the broad gauge line, so would the line to Birmingham be on the broad gauge. There were more names in that project connected with Liverpool and Birmingham than with the Great Western Company. Mr. Russel's name was amongst the pro. jectors. This line will take up Leamington and Warwick. The general course of the former line was almost similar to the line now proposed by the London and Birmingham Company. A meeting was held at Banbury in 1834. Mr. Barlow spoke at that meeting. He is one of the directors of the Great Western Com pany. Was not aware of any other meetings where the abandoned Ine was spoken of as the most favourable for the traffic of the county. The Committee adjourned at four o'clock till twelve o'clock to- morrow. Group V. MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD, AND MIDLAND JUNC- TION RAILWAY. The Committee, consisting of the O'Conor Don, chairman, Sir John Rae Reid, Sir Denham Norreys, Mr. Hope Johnstone, and Mr. Davies, sat at twelve o'clock in Room No. 9, and pro. ceeded to hear further evidence on the part of the promoters of the above railway. Mr. BA INES, Q.C., called Mr. Appleby, of Sheffield, who spoke to the great advantages which would result to that town from the opening up of the coal district between Chesterfield and Sheffield, including the Dronfield and Unston coal and coke, which was par ticularly esteemed by iron.founders for its valuable qualities in the conversion of iron to steel. The railway would also com municate with the markets of Lancashire and Cheshire. Mr. Blake, also of Sheffield, was examined by Mr. Ser. geant WRANGIIAM, and he quite coincided in the opinion given by the previous wittness, as to the advantages which would be given to the towns of Chesterfield and Sheffield, and the district between these places. Mr. Knowles, of Brampton Manor, was an earthenware manufac turer, and spoke to the quantity exported to Manchester, and the districts to the south, which would be greatly increased by the line being opened. Mr. Birkett and Mr. Wright gave similar evidence. Group V. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition.) John Wilson resided near Chesterfield, and was a timber mer. chant. Great quantities of oak and other timber were grown at Dronfield, and he sent at least 900 tons to Manchester and Liver. pool every year, He paid by the present defective railway com munication 3 per ton per mile, and he lost, comparing it with the present projected line at the same rate of carriage, 2s. 3d. per ton. Theodore Walsh, captain and farmer near Dronfield, said, that in the article of lime alone the projected line would save him ss. per ton. Group F. The Committee met again this day in Room No. 11 ; present, the Right Hon. F. Shaw, Chairman; Mr. Drummond, Mr. V. Stuart, Mr. Bramston, and Mr. Lockhart. The Committee pro ceeded with the adjourned case of the LONDON, WORCESTER, AND SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE RAILWAY. Mr. CocKuuart said that in consequence of what had fallen from the Committee yesterday, as to the character of the evidence re garding the traffic, he would sacrifice his own feelings in the matter, and he would now call a fresh class of evidence. He would call Mr. Brunel, who would speak as so the difference of gauge and the engineering evidence. He would, however, reserve to himself the right of calling, at a future time, evidence on the local traffic. The importance of such evidence would be seen, in asmuch as Parliamentary Committees generally decided upon the merits of the lines before them. The CnairemsN had only to say, that the number of witnesses examined already amounted to eighty-four, counting on both sides. The intimation of the Committee yesterday amounted to a sug gestion, and no more. The Committee were of opinion that the importance of a line of railway was apparent to the Committee, and they thought that the London and Birmingham had proved the case, up to a certain point, for the Great Western Company. Mr. Sykes, of Sheffield, proved that the projected line would lower the price of the Dronfield and Unston coal at least 2s. 6d. per ton, and that in that case it would be used by the gas com pany to the extent of 200 tons a week. The general feeling of the sown of Sheffield was in favour of this line, and they had passed resolutions in its favour at a public meeting. Mr. Ritchie, engineer, would prefer the Dronfield coal to any other, if got for 6s. 6d. per ton. Benjamin Fox, steel refiner, Sheffield, would prefer Dronfield coal to all others, if he could get it at an equally low price. William Butcher, steel manufacturer, corroborated the last evidence, Mr. Hawksworth also spoke to the superior quality of the Un ston and Dronfield coke, and added that If the carriage were better, a greater quantity would be used in the Sheffield market. Isaac Scholefield put in a return of the coal and coke used in Sheffield, the greater part of which would come from the Dronfield TILE S UN, LONDON, THURSDAY MORNING-, MAY 29, 1845 pits. The total amount was of coal, per annum, 530,178 tons; coke, 100 tons. The Committe adjourned till to-morrow. Group K. LONDON AND NORWICH DIRECT LINE. The Committee on this line resumed its sitting this morning at the usual hour, when Mr. ALEXANDER, Q. C., on behalf of the promoters of the Bid, stated that the total length of the line he advocated would be 45 miles 10 chains, ()tiering no engineering difficulties what ever; no turnpike.road would be crossed upon a level ; either bridges w,uld be thrown over the roads, or the roads raised above the railway. No tunnelling would be required, and the worst gradient was 1 in 100, and that but for two miles. The cost of the entire line, including all contingencies, was estimated at 760.0001., while the traffic tables presented a prospect of fair remunerative returns. With respect to the accommodation proffered by the competing lines by a connexion with the metro. polis, the distance from London to Norwich by the Eastern Ex tension would be 113 miles 1 furlong; by the Norwich Junction 118 miles 1 furlong ; and by the London and Norwich Direct 110 miles 5 furlongs. The last-mentioned thus affording a very material saving in time and distance. At Wick - enbrook a favourable point pres ented itself for forming a junction with Newmarket, reaching the latter town at the eastern side, so that the Heath vrprhi v , "' be interfered with ; so impressed were the Jockey Club witn the advantages that would be afforded by such a project being completed, that they had actually presented a petition in favour of the independent line, solely on those grounds. By the returns presented by the Board of Trade, the population on the London and Norwich direct line was 31,800, and on the Eastern extension only 21,000 ; the population within three miles of the former 56,262 ; and within the same distance of the Ipswich and Norwich 47,600 ; and between Thetford and Nor wich 20,294. On these and other concurrent superior advantages, he therefore sought the favourable interposition of the Committee, and urged the passing of the preamble of the Direct Norwich Bill. Charles Beard, examined by Mr. CIRDEN—Is an ironmonger at Bury, and well acquainted with that town. Has inquired into the condition of the trades in the district, and found that 600 tons of bar and pig iron, coming principally from Lynn, at a cost of 10s. per ton, are brought to Bury annually, and 500 or 600 tons of hardware, at a cost of 15s. per ton. The groceries imported ant.ually into that town from London, a distance of 72 miles, at a cost of front 30s. to 41s. per ton, amounted to 2,000 tons annually. Linen at.d woollen also coming front London is above 300 tons. The only accommodation, besides the expensive and ob jectionable land route, is a circuitous water navigation from Lynn ; anticipates a reduction in the carriage of goods of 35 per cent. by the establishment of a di rec t ra i lway communication. Has atten d ed meetings at Bury in f avour o f the Direct Norwich Li ne. Six. sevenths of the Parliamentary erectors and seven.eighths of the in habitants of the town prefer this to any other project. Cross .examined by Mr. RA wussosr—ln anticipating a reduction of 35 per cent, by the establishment of a direct railway communi. cation, he presumed hardwares and general groceries would be car. ried then at the rate of 4d. per ton per mile, nails and sugar, how ever, at I id. per ton per mile. The line from Lynn to Cambridge and from Cambridge to Bury, would not afford a good means of transit for the Yorkshire and North coal. Charles Beard, cross-examined by Mr. CHAMBERS, on the part of the landowners on the line—Thereis no wholesale warehouse in Bury, nor any extensive factory, except a willow-plait manufaetory, in which about 100 hands arc employed. About 3.Bths of the grocery goods, and 1-4th of the iron-ware come from Ipswich : the cost for carriage is on an average 10s. per ton, ex. elusive of wharfage and sufferance, payable by the purchaser. One.half the goods brought to Bury, or shipped from it, are also liable to cartage charges. The estimate made by the railways for conveying goods is, for bar iron lid. per mile. Holds shares in the Direct Norwich Railway, and consequently has considerable interest in its success. John Meadows Rodwell.—ls a large farmer of Suffolk. The Phingoe union, including Bury, comprises 30,500 inhabitants, and 90,000 acres, of which 18,000 acres are pasture and wooded, and 8 per cent., or 5,760 acres, waste, leaving 66,240 acres for arable purposes. Of this he reckons 16,560 acres would be devoted to the growth of wheat, and calculating each acre to produce six coombs, the total amount of the grain grown would be 99,360 coombs ; deducting two bushels per acre for seed, or 8,280 coombs, and too coombs per soul for 30,500 inhabitants, or 61.000 coombs, the total quantity for home consumption would be 69,280 coombs, leaving a surplus of 30,080 coombs for exportation. Allowing 16,560 acres for the growth of barley, and nine coombs as the produce per acre, the total yield would be 149,040 coombs. Deducting three bushels per acre for seed, or 12,420 coombs, and for the consumption of 7,625 families, at two Coombs each, 14,250 coombs, the total home consumption would be 27,670, leaving 121,370 surplus coombs for exportation. Allowing 8,290 acres for peas and beans, and seven coombs as the yeld per acre, or 58,030 coombs, and deducting 6,218 coombs for seed, and 4,500 coombs for the use of the population. making a total for local consumption of 10,718 coombs, there would remain for exportation 47,312 surplus coombs. The seeds would also give 1,507 coombs for ex portation. The whole amount of this produce, requiring a means of transit for exportation, would be, in weight, 19,796 tons. For this, he considers no line hitherto projected offers equal advan. tages with the Direct Norwich line. The Speaker having been at this juncture announced at prayers, ,he Committee adjourned. LLOYD'S SHIPPING. LONDON, MAY 28.—Wind N.E., moderate breeze an cloudy, with showers. DF:A'L, MAY 27.—Wind N.N.E. to N.Y., light.—Sld. Ethelred, Aden ; Ranger, Sierra Leone ; Belle Cre o l e , De merara ; Rebecca, Honduras ; Cremona, Quebec. PLYMOUTH, MAY 27.—Wind N.E.—Arrd. her Majesty's ships Electra and Illustrious, Bermuda ; Brun sw i c k, steamer, Plymouth, get ashore this morning in a thi c k fog, but came off with the flood. SOUTHAMPTON, MAY 2i .—Ski. Royal Tar, steamer, Gibraltar. OFF 'vita WHiliT.—Don Antonio, Valparaiso. OFF D ARTMOUTH. — Northumberland, Brid, Madras. PLYMOUTH, MAY 27.—Sid. Wilberforce and Richard Rey. nold, Quebec. Off, Abberton, Campbell, Port Phillip. DARTMOUTH, MAY 27.—The Bolina, arrived here from New Zealand and the Falkland Islands, reports the crew and master of the Jane Grey were at Port William (Falkland Islands), Feb. 10. She had been struck by a sea off Cape Horn, and bore up for the islands, and was subsequently wrecked on the West Falkland, Feb. 10. The Manney was condemned at Falkland Islands, had discharged part of her cargo, and was waiting a vessel from Monte Video to take the cargo into Valparaiso. Her Majesty's ship Philomel was lying there. FALMOUTH, MAY 27.—Wind variable and light.—Off, Saline, New York, for Haniburgh. OFF THE OLD HEAD OF KINSALE, MAY 25.—Henry Gar diner, Kinsale. Winn:HAN-Ex, MAT 2 7.—The Catherine and Isabella, from the Clyde to Liverpool, ashore near Booth; has been got off, and put in here to repair. PORT TALBOT, MAY 26. —The John Thompson, from White haven, with iron ore, grou n d e d on a hollow near the quay at Neath, and strained and filled, and has been discharged for repairs. __ 'BERWICK, MAY 23,—Ski. Mohawk, South Seas. _ LONDONDERRY, MAY 20.—S 1d. Harriet, St. John's, New Brunswick ; Cahawba, New York ; Agenora, Philadelphia. COWES, MAY 27.—S1d. Unicorn, Swan River. SWANSEA, MAY 25.—S1d. Elizabeth Bevnon, Valparaiso. OFF BRIGLITON.—Tiher, Charleston, for Antwerp. LIVERPOOL, MAY 27 .—Arrd. Douglas, Farrell, Loango. Sld. Epamonidas, Bosto n ; Eli za Ann, Rio Grande ; Bahia; Emile, Africa; Diana, Barbadoes ; Isabella, Phila delphia ; Waterloo, N ew Y ork ; Junius, Nova Scotia. Off, Ottoman, --. SUNDERLAND, MAY 27.—The Elizabeth Vane, off and for this port from Hamburgh, is ashore near here. CLYDE, MAY 26.—Sld. Benares, Gilkison, Trinidad. POSSESSION ISLAND, F EB. — Loading, Maulev, Glover. ICHABOE, MARCH 10.—Arrd. Paine London ; Lochinvar, Clyde. 11. Aulaby, Southampton. ----- CURRENCY AND SOLAR SPOTS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SIR,-It being admitted by all the great authorities on the subject of money that the circulation of this country should be regulated by the foreign exchanges, or, in other words, by the supply of gold in the Bank of England coffers, and not by the in ternal requirements of the country in respect of its population and productive power, as was the case in what Mr. Samuel Jones Loyd terms "The dark ages of the Currency," prior to 1819, it Is de sireable that the lights of modern science should be brought to bear on this all.lmportant subject, so th a t a still more expeditious and comprehensive plan may be devised for " regulating the issues" of the Bank of England. And, further, as it is well understood that the removal, or order for removal, of a few millions of gold from the Bank coffers is sufficient to plunge the whole mercantile community into con. fusion, panic, and bankruptcy, it becomes a most important point to ascertain the causes which chiefly operate in creating a drain of bullion from the Bank. Now, passing over, as unworthy of philosophic attention, the paltry jobbing of two or three bullionists, the possibility of foreign wars, or foreign loans, which must always act as disturbing causes, we arrive at a great natural cause fur a drain of bullion which no wisdom •r foresight has hitherto been supposed capable of anticipating, that is, the drain arising from deficient harvests. As it is well known that deficient harvests arise from unfavourable seasons, and that unfavourable seasons depend on the number and magnitude of the spots on the sun's disc, it must be apparent that accurate observations as to the solar health (so to speak) would be a far more correct and scien tific way of " regulating the issues " of the Bank of England than the present vulgar and contracted method of ascertaining the comparative relative value of gold in Paris, London, and Amster. dam. It is therefore submitted, with due deference to Sir Robert Peel, Lord Monteagle, and " his friend " Mr. Samuel Jones Loyd, and all the other writers on political economy, that in future the Astronomer Royal, at the Observatory, be required to furnish pert odically an account of the number, size, and appearance of the solar spots, to be published concomitantly with the returns of bullion in the Bank of England. By means of the electric tele graph on the Greenwich Railway, the Bank Directors will be able, on an emergency, to apply the screw with the greatest expedition, if not ease, to the mercantile community. Hoping these speculations may be of some use to my fellow countrymen, I retain, Sir, your most obedient servant, Laputa, May 2b. PROJECTOR. R to ni st A at T e E , t 11111; e are sin most positive cerehllyis hap G py ßA to C h E ave TH it E in L ou O r ß p n owe P r manner, that there is not the slightest foundation for a rumour put forth in an Evening Paper, of the sudden demise of the Most Re verend Prelate in the forenoon of yesterday. His Grace was at her Majesty's Drawing.room in the afternoon, dined subsequently with the Lord Bishop of London, and retired to rest at his usual hour, and, we rejoice to add, in his usual state of health.—post ROBBERY IN THE STRAND.--Tuesday forenoon a lad, about ten years of age, was robbed under the following circum stances : —The lad was standing at the top of a court adjoining Hungerford-street, when a woman, about twenty-two years of age, persuaded him to take off his boots (quite new), and also a decent beaver hat from his head, under pretence of purchasing him better. The boy waited with anxiety for some time, when he made known his situation to Chadwick, a police-constable, but of course the thief had decamped. LIVES OF THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND, VOL. VIII. —Miss Strickland's new volume of this popular work (just published) will probably be pronounced the most interesting one of the series. It contains the biographies of the two Queens Consort of our first and second Charles—the adventurous Henrietta Maria, who was so active a partisan for her husband in his wars against the Parliament, and the amiable Catherine of Braganza, who figured so prominently at the gay Court of " The Merry Monarch." • With her accustomed grace and skill, Miss Strickland has woven her materials together in a narrative which cannot fail of charming every class of readers. A vast mass of original information con nected with the personal history of British Royalty will be found in these biographies, tending to elucidate the causes and effects of the great Rebellion, and to throw new light on some of the mysterious political events of the times. From the recordi of the Braganza family, the Imperial Library at St. Petersburgh, the Secret Archives of France, and other hitherto unexplored sources, Miss Strickland has been enabled to obtain an amount of accurate knowledge as to historical facts, which has never fallen to the lot of any other English historian. The widow of one of the brothers BarOera died on the 15th at Venice aged only 27. The death is attributed chiefly to grief at the melancholy fate of her husband. BONDED Go tice having divers of p prevailed in ascertaining an d recording the weight rac of the contents of packages of goods repacked into other or smaller packages, under the warehousing regulations, particularly those upon which average or assumed tares have been allowed at the time of landing, and the Customs' authorities being of opinion that when the contents of a package upon which an average tare has been allowed shall be required to be subdivided in the warehouse, the gross weight thereof should be previously ascertained, and the actual tare after wards taken and deducted from such gross weight, and that in the case of tea the usual allowance of one pound for draft on each original package should be added to the actual tare, and the re packing account so adjusted, the revenue officers at the several de partments in London have received directions to govern themselves accordingly, and the order has since been made general, and com municated to the various ports throughout the kingdom for the in formation of all parties concerned. SUlClDE.—Williain Cock and Hannah Moore had lived in the capacity of waiter and kitchen maid at the Bell and Crown, Holborn, and were discharged by the landlord yesterday in consequence of the discovery of an improper intimacy existing between them. After leaving the Bell and Crown, they engaged a room at a beer-shop in Cross-street, Leather-lane, and purchased a quantity of oxalic acid. They mixed it in hot water, waited till it became cool, and then swallowed the poison. The woman expires! a few minutes afterwards in great agony. The poison did not take effect upon the man, who became alarmed at the consequences of his rash act, and suplicated for assistance. The landlady, on going into the room, found her female lodger in a dying state, who soon afterwards breathed her last. William Cock was given into cus tody of the police, and will be detained until the result of the coroner's inquest is known. The deceased is said to be only twenty years of age. ST. PAUL'S CATIIEDRAL.—The following notice has been posted up;—" While the works are going on in the church, the morning service will be discontinued except on Thurs. day next, the 29th inst. (to-day). The afternoon service will be continued daily as usual." SHIPWRECKED FISHERMEN AND MARINERS' BENE VOLENT SOCIETY.—A special meeting of the subscribers and frends of the above-named valuable institution was held on Tuasday at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street. The chair was taken by Sir James Flower, shortly after twelve o'clock, when Mr, Brewster stated the object he had in calling the meeting together, from which it appeared that the accounts of the Society had been improperly kept. Mr. Brewster, who appears to be alone in fluenced by just and charit a ble f ee li ngs , s t ate d not hi ng i n i mpugning the management of the Society' s fi nances b ut w h at h e b ore out by quoting from the minutes of the committ e e, an d w hi c h lie was cor. roborated in by the meeting. Another and more g enera l mee ti ng will shortly be held, when the whole proceedin gs w ill b e l a id b e f ore the public. It was moved by Mr. Stephenson, and unan i mous ly adopted, " That this meeting is of opinion that the statement m a d e by Mr. West, late secretary to the Shlpwr.cked Fishe r me n an d Mariners' Benevolent Society, under date of the 15th May, 1845, corroborated as it has been by sufficient testimony, imperatively demands the immediate consideration of the committee, as well as that b e re o gt f ou t eb l s l e e t chsdeu held to is at r tb i tr b lil e ne r g s ug . t ahntedl wholeoanrgTe neurdb, subject c h o a t: ,bie. Thursday, stherefore,(tihaye meetingtth h e e committee h j adver tised June." separated respectably The attended, after expressi ng thei r m t e h e a t n i meeting, , to w eh chairman,sie RAILWAY COMMITTEES.--ine expenditure incurred by railway companies in carrying their Bills through Parliament is enormous. At every stage of their progress they are subjected to charges of the most multifarious and costly character ; but the one item which throws all the others into the shade is that required to defray the Inquiry before the Select Committees of the House. It is understood that not much under 50,0001. has been expended in the Committee on the rival Newcastle and Berwick and Northum berland Railways; and it is estimated that in more than one of the Committees now sitting the expenses cannot fall short of from 1,0001. to 1,500/. per day. Madame Ida Sainte Edme, better known to 'the world as La Contetnporaine s died on Thursday last at Brune aged 71, THE COLLEGE OF MAYNOOTH, AND THE COLLEGE OF BUDDHA ! (From the Ipswich Express.) In the news from India, brought by the Overland Mail which arrived in London on Friday, there is a piece of intelligence which we are anxious to bring pro minently into notice, for the purpose of rebuking the anti-Maynooth fanaticism that is now disturbing the kingdom. Certain Siamese priests had visited Kandy, in the Island of Ceylon. for the purpose of seeing and wor shipping the relic, called the tooth of the Idol Budh, which is carefully preserved by the British Govern ment !! ! Sir Colin Campbell, it is stated, was at first unwilling that the tooth should be displayed ; but he was at length prevailed on to give his consent ; and the sacred tooth wa3 exhibited to the adoring strangers from Siam, in the presence of L or d El p hi nstone, b y Mr. Mercer, the Assistant Government Agent ! ! ! No lightning from Exeter Hall descends on the guilty heads of a Government which permits and sanctions such abominations ! No conferences, no religious breakfasts, no indignant protests, no meetings, crammed to suffoca tion, to denounce this iniquity ! For half a century the English Government have cherished and protected the foulest form of Idolatry that ever polluted the world, and offended the One Living and True God ;—and yet there has scarcely been a whimper of disapprobation in this country. The Christian z.‘al of our furious theologians is expended in reviling the religion of Francis Xavier, the Apostle of the Indies, - who con verted millions of idolaters in this very island of Ceylon; but it is not its vocation to denounce the anti-Christian apostacy cf that Government which fosters the Idol Budh; in opposing which, 600 of the natives of Ceylon, converted to the faith of Christ, by Xavier, fed as martyrs upon one occasion. By the treaty of 1815, the Buddhist religion is " main tained and protected" in the interior of Ceylon by the British Government ; the British Government select and appoint the priests; the British Government possess the temple patronage; and the British Government are the keepers of the Dalada and other relics of Budh.—So tar, Ceylon. In one part of Hindostan the English Government treat the superstition of Siva—worshipped with name less abominations—with equal tenderness ; and the late Governor-General of India, the Earl of Ellenborough, ordered " the sandal-wood gates," taken in Caubul, to be borne, with military honours, to " the restored temple of Somnauth." The English Government so far consult the prejudices of the natives of India, that they pay the chaplains of Juggernaut, and show the utmost consideration to the Mohammedan religion ; and yet men rage, and menace, and twaddle against the Minister who, as a matter of political justice, increases a grant for the education of their fellow-Christians ! When the Irish Roman Catholics consider the circum stances we have drawn attention to, can you be surprised at their indignation ? They see that the English con science can tolerate Budh, Juggernaut, and Siva ; but is offended at Catholicism ;—that it strains at at a gnat, and swallows a camel ! For our part, while we hold very decided opinions on the necessity of a reformation in the Romish Church, and value, we trust, the blessings which Protestant England enjoys, we must own that we like Popery better than Buddhism ;—that we esteem some what more highly the religion of Thomas a Kempis, Francis Xavier, Fenelon, and Mathew, than we do the idolatry of Randy . The founder of the Metho dists, John Wesley, wrote a life of Xavier, and com mended him as the model of Christian missionaries ; and he edited " The Immutation of Christ," by a Kempis, for the use of the Methodists. The deep-toned piety of Thomas a Kempis is admitted by all sects of Christians (tor his works are used as books of devotion by them all);—and yet there are persons who venture to assert, without any fear of contradiction, that men who entertain the views of a Kempis are in the road to ever lasting perdition. Shame upon the unworthy spirit that makes a man a raging lion against his Catholic neighbour • yet permits him to b e a very l am b aga i nst the British'-nursed ido latry of Ceylon and Hindostan. Every sincere Protestant, of course, entertains strong objections against the doctrine and discipline of the Ro man Catholic Church: but those objections should not convert men into wild and irrational fanatics; nor in duca us to violate the fundamental laws of Christian Charity, and Civil and Religious Liberty. Not only are the Roman Catholics of Ireland real human beings; but they hold a great deal more of the common truths of the Gospel than many of their silly libellers (who, generally, never take the trouble of fairly examining the opinions that they' censur e ) suppose. Roman Catholics use the Lord's Prayer : Roman Catholics believe all the articles in the Apostle's Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed : Roman Catholics hold, I believe, and teach the Ten Commandments of the moral law. Roman Catholics believe the Bible to be the word of God ; they hold it in reverence ; preach it ; read it ; and diffuse it. Many will be quite angry when we present them with the fol lowing picture of a Bible reading Papist : " The Ronzish father reads the sacred page, How Abram was the friend of God on high; Or Moses bade eternal warfare wage, With Amalek's ungra cious progeny; Or how the Royal bard did groaning lie Beneath the stroke of Heaven's avenging lyre. Perhaps the Christian volume is the theme, How guiltless blood for guilty man was shed : How Hu who bore in Heaven the second name, Had not on earth w herewith to lie his head : How his first followers and servant sped, The precepts sage they wrote to many a land : How he who love in Patmos banished, Saw in the sun a mighty angel stand ; And heard great Bab'lons doom pronounced by Heaven's command." —lmpossible ! Do not the Papists hate the Bible ? Do they not burn it wherever they find it ? Is it not a sealed book to the laity ?—There are very many well meaning people who suppose that Popish priests have an unconquerable repugnance to the sacred Scrip tures. But they forget who were the sole guardians and keepers of those sacred books for fifteen hun dred years ; they forget that before the invention of' printing all the manuscript copies of the Bible in our possession were copied by the pens of monks and Romish priests: they forget that the first copy of the Bible ever printed was printed at Mayence by Popish Bishops ; they do not know that an epistle and gospel is an essential portion of the Mass ; that in Roman Catholic-prayer-books there is the epistle and gospel foi• every day in the year, in English ; that nearly all the Collects in the English Book of Common Prayer' are from the Romish Mass Book ; finally, they cannot be aware that there are many millions of complete copies of the Bible circulated in England, Ireland, and Scotland, in the vernacular tongue, by the authority of the Romish Priests and Bishops. Nay, there are some editions sold in numbers for the benefit of the poorer classes. The Romish Church binds her children to her authorised interpreta tion of all controverted points of Scripture ; but recom mends to instructed Christians the diligent perusal of the oracles of God as a means of attaining Christian perfection. When the anti-Maynooth zealots chaunt the Te Deum next time, let them reflect that Catholics sing that majestic hymn too ; and blush (if they can blush) when they recollect that, while they have been so energetic against Peel and Popery,' they have had no indignation to spare against Buddha. Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington has now the Maynooth Bill in hand. The Duke will make short work of it. He knows what a pretty mess we should be in if America or France (or both combined) were to declare war against us, with Ireland turbulent and hostile ! NATIONAL BANK OF IRELAND. " Previous to the development , of the measures of the Government affecting the monopoly of the Bank of Ire land, the Directors, with a view to absorb and render profitable to some extent the unproductive capital of the Bank, gave their attention to the extension of its busi ness in a large district of the south of Ireland, where a fair demand ( xisted for banking accommodation. " The Directors, after an anxious and careful exami nation of the information furnished to them, have esta blished branches in the following places, viz.:—Clona kilty, Skibbereen, Midleton, Killarney, Rathkeale, and Mallow ; and so far as the business hitherto transacted at these branches has progressed, the results are very favourable, and would seem to indicate a judicious selec tion and appreciation of the wants of the community. " The Directors have viewed with much satisfaction the projection of several lines of railway communication in Ireland. They regard them as undertakings which, when carried out, will give a new stimulus to the yet undeveloped resources of the country. " The Directors have to congratulate the Shareholders on the proposed measures in regard to banking in Ire land, and the withdrawal of the exclusive privileges which have been so long enjoyed by the Bank of Ire land. By the proposed measures the existing joint-stock banks of issue will be empowered to transact on a per fect equality, with respect to each other, all descriptions of banking business in Dublin, and within sixty-four English miles thereof—a district always considered ele gible for banking operations. "The Directors are prepared to secure to the Bank every advantage which the alteration of the laws for the regulation of banking in Ireland may permit. "It will be satisfactory to the Proprietors to learn that the Directors have recently erected a commcdious banking-house in the central part of Dublin, which will afford them the facilit3 of transacting an extensive busi ness in that city. The undivided profits at December, 1843, were £30,286 3 4 "Net profits for the year ending De cember, 1844.. 20,842 16 6 " Deduct half-year's dividend for Midsummer, 1844 £8.750 " Ditto ditto Christmas, 1844 8,750 £51,128 19 10 £17,500 0 0 "Leaving the amount of undivided profits at December, 1844 " There are now to be elected four Directors, in the room of John Joseph Keene, Esq., Christopher Fitz simon, Esq., John Rawson, Esq., 'and Colonel the Hon. Leicester Stanhope, whose seats a t th e B oar d are vacate d by rotation ; all of whom are candidates for the office, and eligible to be re-elected ; and the appointment by the Board of Nicholas Maher, Esq., M.P., another of the Directors, will require the confirmation of this meeting. (Signed) "T. LAMIE MURRAY, Chairman." The report having been read, The SECRETARY proceeded to read the account of the liabilities and assets, together with the account of profit and loss. The CHAIRMAN said—Gentleman you have heard the report of the Directors, and also the accounts of the as sets and liabilities, and of the profit and loss. Before I move that the report and the accounts be received and adopted, I will wait awhile, in order to afford any gentleman present any opportunity of putting any question on the subject of the accounts or the report. After a pause of some minutes, The CHAIRMAN proceeded Since no gentleman wished to address any question to the chair, that was an indication that the Shareholders were satis fied with the expose which the Directors had made of the state of the Bank.—(Cheers.) Certainly the year which had passed away, and that which was about to come, afforded signs of the commencement of some degree of prosperity as regarded this establish ment. They had hitherto had an unexampled quan tity of money, for which they bad been unable to find employment. Finding the pressure of this state of things continued so long, the Directors had looked out for a field for its employment, and after much care and attention, they had determined to extend the branches of. the Bank, and had selected for those branches, the places named in the report—Clonakilty. Skibbereen, Midleton, Killarney, Rathkeale, Mallow, He held in his hand an account of the operation of those branches during the short space of time which they had been in existence, and it was gratifying to know that those accounts were satisfactory.—(Cheers.) He regretted, in common with his colleagues, that they had been deprived, on this occasion, of the services of their distinguished Governor—(Loud cheers) — because it was an occasion on which no man could have filled the chair with more ability, considering the im portant measures which had been announced by Sir 11. Peel on the subject of banking in Ireland. It was impossible to contemplate the advantages which Sir R. Peel proposed to give to the existing banks without great satisfaction. Since the commencement of this Bank, it and other similar institutions had, by the privileges of the Bank of Ireland, been placed in a circumscribed position, and one of considerable difficulty. It was proposed to abolish those privileges.—(Hear, hear.) This would open to them an entire province containing a population of a million and a half, with a rich and fertile district, including the metro polis. The Directors were not called upon to-dsy to say how they intended to take advantage of this. Next year, after they had duly considered the subject, they would be able to state in what manner they had taken advantage of that opening, and, therefore, he would not now enter on its discussion, particularly as the measure itself was now before Parlia ment. Whether or not the details of those measures were entirely satisfactory, he would abstain from ex pressing an opinion. If they were not so the Di rectors would not fail to make representations to the Government—(Hear, hear)—but he did not think that the Government ought to be embarrassed by the discussion of the peculiar opinions of individuals at a meeting like the present. The Chairman concluded by moving that the report be re ceived, adopted, printed, and circulated among the Pro prietors.—(Cheers.) The motion was then put, and carried unanimously. The Directors who went out by rotation, John Joseph Keene, Esq., Christopher Fitzsimon, Esq., John Raw son, Esq., and Colonel the Hon. Leicester Stanhope, were then unanimously re-elected. The appointment of Nicholas Maher, Esq., M.P., as one of the Directors, was confirmed. The Rev. Dr. MAGEE said, that the business being concluded, he felt pleasure in proposing to vote the thanks of the Proprietary to the Chairman and the Di rectors for the great assiduity with which they had per formed the duties that had devolved upon them. The Rev. Gentleman concluded by moving the thanks of the Pro prietors in the usual manner. The motion was received with great cheering, and carried by acclamation. The CHAIRMAN, in returning thanks on behalf of himself and his colleagues, expressed his gratifica tion at the good feeling that pervaded the entire meeting.—(Hear, hear.) He could only express, on behalf of his colleagues and himself, that they had endeavoured to discharge their arduous duties during the past year to the best of their abilities, and they would still continue to do so.—(Great cheering.) The meeting then broke up. Among those present we observed—Directors, r. Lamie Murray, Esq., Chairman ; J. C. Ruding, Esq. ; Charles Bianconi, Esq., Mayor of Clonmel; John Joseph Keene, Esq. ; Frazer B. Renshaw, Esq. ; Fowler Newsom, Esq. ; Colonel the Ilonourable Leicester Stanhope ; Robert Sutton, jun., Esq. ; A. P. John son, Esq., and .J. L. Cochrane, Esq.; Shareholders, Michael O'Brien, Esq., of Mitchelstown ; W. L. Wheeler, Esq. ; John Wheeler, Esq. Deni e s io O n ' e N g e a i l l, ; E C 3 .11 Charles Dublin ; James Nowlan, Esq., of Rule, Esq. ; Rev. Dr. Magee ; Augustus Vigue, Esq.; s John Fitzgerald, Esq., of Carrick Thomas Madge ; Francis J. O'Nei - I, ° E n- s B q u . I ; r.; Jo t h h n e R it a e n v : som, Esq. ;J. B. Bacon, E3q ; ward James Daniel) Ed Esq. ; John Robins, Esq. MONEY MARKET.—The premium on gold at Paris is 19 per mille, which, at the English Mint price of 31. 17s. 10• per o unce f or standard Old, gives an e xc h ange o f 25 63 ; and the exchange at Paris on London at short being 25 77i, it follows that gold is 0.56 per cent. dearer in London than in Paris. By advices from Hamburgh, the price of gold is 438 per mark, which, at the English Mint price of 31. 17s. 1011 per ounce for standard gold, gi vesa n exchange a t. at of'l3 ; and the exchange at Hamburg on n London short being 13 124. it follows that is gold 0.57 per cent. dearer in London than in Hamburgh. The tenth annual general meeting of the Shareholders of the National Bank of Ireland was yesterday held at one o'clock at the Bank, 13, Old Broad-street; T. Lamie Murray, Esq., in the chair. The CHAIRMAN opened the proceedings by calling upon the Secretary to read the advertisement convening the meeting. The SECRETARY, N. S. King, Esq., then read the ad vertisement convening the meeting. The CHAIRMAN said that the Directors had prepared a report of the transactions of the Bank during the past year, up to the 31st of December ; and also an account of the assets and liabilities of the Bank, and of the profits and loss. He hoped they would find the report sufficiently ample and explanatory as to the situation and affairs of the Bank. He would not detain them longer, but at once call upon the Secretary to read it. The SECRETARY then read the following Report : "The Directors of the National Bank of Ireland have again the pleasure of meeting the Proprietors assembled at the tenth annual general meeting of the Company, and of submitting the usual statement of the assets and liabilities, with the profit and loss account of the Bank up to the 31st of Decetnber last, exhibiting the rezult of its operations for the past year. "At the commencement of last year it was generally expected that a marked improvement would take place in the agricultural and commercial interests of Ire's! d, which previously had been so seriotkly depressed. These expectations were well founded, and it is gratify ing to the Directors to report that they have been realised by an uninterrupted increase of the business and resources of the Bank during that period. " Had the Directors been enabled to employ with safety and advantage in Ireland the large surplus means in their hands, the profits of the year just ended woul have been much greater. The difficulty in effectin this desirable object has existed up to a late period some increased demand for money has, however, bee. recently indicated, though as yet unaccompanied by a: alteration in the rates of interest IRELAND. ACADEMICAL EDUCATION IN IRELAND. The following is a copy of the memorial proposed by the Roman Catholic Bishops of Ireland, in accordance with the resolution agreed to at the late synodical meeting in Dublin : "To his Excellency Lord Heytesbury, Lord Lieutenant. General and General Governor of Ireland. " The Memorial of the Roman Catholic Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland, " Humbly sheweth—That Memorialists are disposed to co operate on fair and reasonable terms with her Majesty's Govern ment and the Legislature, in establishing a system for the further extension of academical education in Ireland. " That the circumstances of the present population of Ireland afford plain evidence that a large majority of the students be longing to the middle classes will be Roman Catholics; and me. morialists, as their spiritual pastors, consider it their indispensable duty to secure to the utmost of their power the most effectual means of protecting the faith and morals of the students in the new colleges, which are to be erected for their better education. "That a fair proportion of the professors and other office. bearers in the new colleges, should be members of the Roman Catholic Church, whose moral conduct shall have been properly certified by testimonials of character, signed by their respective prelates. And that the office-bearers in those colleges should be appointed by a board of trustees, of which the Roman Catholic prelates of the province, in which any of those cAleg.s shall be erected, shall be members. " That the Roman Catholic pupil; could not attend the lectures on history, logic, metaphysics, moral philosophy, geology, or anatomy, without exposing their faith or morals to imminent danger, unless a Roman Catholic professor shall be appointed for each of those chairs. " That if any president, vice-president, professor, or office. bearer in any of the new colleges shall be convicted before the board of trustees of attempting to undermine the faith or Injure the morals of any student in those institutions, he shall be imme• diately removed from his office by the same board. " That, as it is not contemplated that the students shall be pro. vided with lodging in the new colleges, there shall be a Roman Catholic chaplain to superintend the moral and religious instruc. tion of the Roman Catholic students belonging to each of those colleges; that the appointment of each chaplain, with a suitable salary, shall be made on the recommendation of the Roman Ca. tholic Bishop of the diocese in which the college is ituate, said that the same prelate shall have full power and authority to remove such Roman Catholic chaplain from his situation. "Signed on behalf of the meeting, " X D. MURRAY, Chairman. " Dublin, '.1 0 .3c1 May, 1845." The first vessel direct from the West Indies, with sugar, that has for several years arrived at Gal way, is the Paths, Leggett, from Trinidad, now discharging there. A Limerick paper ;ay;:—" The extraordinary progress of the crops, notwithstanding the continued prevalence of dry weather, has been the subject of general remark and thankfulness to Divine Providence. Not a single failure has been reported in the potato crop; on the contrary, so rapidly is it shooting forth, that the trenching of them up is going on with general celeri:y. Should it please Providence to continue the same favourable prosperity, the next harvest will be one of the earliest and most abundant ever remembered in this country. The rain of Thursday evening last has produced a most beneficial effect in field and garden. The growth of grass, even on light soils, was never better so early inn the season. THE STOCK EXCHANGE. MONDAY, Mar 26.—Government Three per Cent. Consols, 98M ; Three-and-a-Quarter per Cent. Stock, 1011 101/; Na. tional Bank, 23/ ; Steam.ship Building Company scrap, 54 ; Great Southern and Western Extension, 13 12ai; Dublin and Belfast Junction, 10;/; Dublin to Mullingar and Athlone, 4ia ; Dublin to Galway, 41 4 ; Belfast and Ballymena, 81 ; Dundalk and En niskillen, 5 ; Waterford and Limerick, 7 8 ; Wexford and Car. low, 44 ; Cork and Bandon, Eli , Deny and Enniskillen, 4/1 ; Dublin, Belfast, and Coleraine Junction, 247 ; Limerick, Ennis, and Killaloe Junction, 5i ; Limerick and Ennis, 3/. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. Sin,--1 see in The Sun of the 14th current, an extract article from the Times, headed " Kirkmichael and Cullicudden," beginning with—" The minister writes," and concluding thus "He states that none of the heritors contribute anything to the poor funds, except an occasional small contribution on the Sabbath." Will you permit me, as one who ought to feel, and does feel, a deep interest in the poor of Kirkmichael and Clillicuthlen, to correct an erroneous impression, which the concluding statement in this paragraph is calculated to make, and which might prove in. jurious to the poor. The paragraph bears to be in reply to an address of the House of Commons, inquiring into the " Management and Support of the Poor, from 1836 to 1841 inclusive." I was not minister of Kirk michael and Cullicudden until 1843, and would not advert to any statement made by its former minister—it being but fair to as. sume that he knew what he stated, as he is responsible for its accu. racy—did I not suspect that many might read the statement, as showing 'not only the present condition of the poor, but also as proving heard-heartedness and cruel indifference its the owners of the soil to their present privations. In justice to them, and with the confident hope that I may have continued proofs of their charity in benefactions to the poor, whilst they depend, as they do now, on the contributions of the charitable, I have to state that the heritors of this parish do give more to the poor than an " occasional small contribution on the Sabbath." Most of them, In proportion to the extent and population of their estates, have, regularly, since 1 became its minister, made very liberal money donations to the poor. The principal heritor, besides his money donation, annually, give. meat and fuel to the poor; and from two heritors, whose estates add only one to the number on the poor•s roll, I have regularly had donations for general distribution. These are facts which justice demands of me to state, and which it might be injurious to the poor to suppress. 1 a tttl and a rei numerous, an d severe ve S e ot ; part of the duty of the L eg i s l ature of the forms an importan t Doubtless d the m p cas oor ie i n n al i l l y ie t H he ig ir hla p n ri d v s a a ri n e d ns Isles he he means for its improvement— w hi c h should be means, at devise t country to make a searching inquiry into their co n di t i on, and to the same time, to release the soil and to re li eve i ts owners from the heavy *pressure of pauperism—whether a legal assessment be, or not, the best means to accomplish that important end ; but surely this may be set about, and ought to be effected, without denying the merit which really belongs to any set of men, or injurio us ly affecting their character. If the proprietors of other Highland parishes were so heartlessly indifferent to the state of their poor as those of this parish are said once to have been, I have had the good fortune never to have come in contact with such. For twenty years that I have been minister of a parish, forming a part of the Duke ' domains, I witnessed the most munificent liberalit o y f to the poo Sutherlandrs and to many rep resentations in their behalf I never recei , ved an un. favourable reply. Hoping that you will, in justice, give a place to the above few lines in your intelligent and talented journal, I am, Sir, your obe dient servant, JOHN MACKENZIE, Manse of Minister of Kirkmi c h ae l and Cullicudden. Klrkrnichael and Cullicudden, May 19. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUIV. SIR,-I should be much obliged if you would be good enough to correct two: errors which have ac c id en t a ll y crept into an article, in The Sun paper of the 224 inst., connected with the Austrian and Sardinian Railway, the original line, and which, for the sake of distinction, is called Parken's Original Line. The error's consist in my name being given as Parker, instead of Mr. John P. Parken, and in the name c.f the Ambassador being tailed Count Pillon, instead of Count de Pollon. I am sorry to give 3ou so much trouble, and remain, Str, your most obedient servant, JOHN P. PARK - EN. New BoswelLcourt, May 24. THE QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY.—Tuesday being the day appointed for the celebration of her Majesty's birthday, the Landon District and General Postmen, in accordance with annual custom, shone forth in all the glories of new hats and coats. The mail-coach guards and the few remaining coachmen m we a r i e l. s g im u i a la r r: d ecora ted. Theprocession of mail coa ches throu g h the Cit y has al late years been discontinued , in consequence of their number being r e duced by the powerful comp etition of railwa y s. We understand that A. Macpherson, between Thurso and lielmsdale„ stands fully committed far trial, on the serious charge of opening the mail-bags, and abstracting money therefrom.—Roys.shire Adveratter. DUBLIN, MAY 86,—The weekly meeting of the Repeal Asso. ciation was held this day in the Conciliation Hall. On the motion of Mr. O'CONNELL, the chair was taken by Conti. sellor Moriarty. The SECRETARY read a letter from the late Lord Mayor, which acknowledged, in suitable terms, the vote of thanks which had been passed to him on the last day's meeting, for his patriotic conduct during his year of office. On the motion of Mr. O'CONNELL it was inserted on the minutes. Mr. S. O'BRIEN, having handed in his own subscription for the current mouth, and several contributions, proceeded to address the meeting. After a few preliminary observations he commented se verely on the conduct of Mr. Hume in persevering in his inten. tiun to more a call of the House, and accused him of ingratitude towards the Irish people. The motion of Mr. Hume, however, was useful in one respect, for it had been the means of deciding that the law gave the British House of Commons no power over the Irish Members. The Whigs were annoyed at the Irish Members, because they would not lend themselves as an appendage to an English faction, and he himself had been taunted by the press of that party with aspiring to the crown of martyrdom. He would tell the English press, that when lie joined the Repeal Association he had made up his mind to encounter any extremities or danger that might arise when acting in the service of his country. But he considered these taunts, like a great deal that came Pram the other side, as mere idle vapour. He then pro. ceedcd to condemn the Academies Bill. Mr. O'CONNELL would not remain silent any longer. He came there to denounce the New Colleges Bill from end to end. He spoke authoritatively in condemning this execrable Bill. They were all united on the point; there was no dissension among them. He admitted the value of education. The foulest part of the penal code was that it prevented education; but he saw no redeeming quality in the new Bill, except merely that it recognised the importance of education. He s 'tight nothing for the Catholics that he would not concede to the Protestants. He did not under stand mixed education. Education, if religious at all, must be exclusive. A more atrocious Bill was never attempted. He would not bid at all for it. A fouler attempt at public pro fligacy was never made. It was a Bill to bribe and corrupt. It was replete with horrors and abominations. He pronounced his emphatic:al denunciation of it. It was altogether a graft from the French system of Louis Philippe. He read the resolutions agreed to by the Roman Catholic Bishops at their synod held in Dublin last week. He thanked the Catholic Bishops for the ex plicit manner in which they had condemned this abominable Bill. He beard a great deal of German education, and then pro. ceeded to read a report on education in Prussia, to show the pre vailing ignorance of the people, particularly on the subject of re ligion. Education, he insisted, must be religious; any other might corrupt, but could not enlighten. He would go to London, if ne cessary, to oppose the Bill. He objected to every part of it except the money part. As to Trinity College, he repeated his opinion that the Protestants ought to have it to themselves. He wished the Catholics to have one also for themselves. Under present err. cumstances, Trinity College proved a sort of snare to many Catho. lies, who were tempted to recant by the good things which it had to offer As to Lord J. Russell, his political hardihood—not to say impudence —was unmatched. He was himself the first repealer; for it was his unjust partial Reform Bills which had first greatly excited the repeal agitation. No living statesman had done such injustice to Ireland as Lord John Russell. They were all agreed about the Bill. The Government refused to alter the Bill; this he knew ; but they would all unite a 4 rally —all Ireland together—to defeat this atrocious measure. Mr. Gaerrsw next addressed the meeting im a tong speech. He denied that they were hostile to British connexion ; they were only hostile to British tyranny. They would be on their guard against a desperate Minister, who wanted no more than to reduce them to perfect captivity, The people of Ire'and were not agita. tors. They were only too quiet. If they were agitators they would be up in arms against their oppressors.—(gear, hear.) — They would not, at all events, be deluded by any insidious bribes horn Ministers. They rejected the colleges Bill--eay, they would kick it over the bar of the House.— (Hear, hear.) Mr. O'CoNxsth deprecated the idea of turning out in arms; it was quite contrary to his system. The people of Ireland would continue peaceable.—(Hear.) Mr. J. O'CONNELL spoke against the new colleges, and parti. eularly was very hard against the system of mixed education. German education he looked upon as equivalent to sheer infidelity, and such was the system which he argued it was sought to intro duce here. He contended, with his learned sire, thht Trinity Col lege should be left to the Protestants. Mr. BARRY, a barrister, also denounced the Bill, but was favour. able to mixed education, providing there was a sufficient guarantee for the religion of all parties receiving it. The rent at five o'clock amounted to 3004, and was not likely much to exceed that sum.