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

COURT CIRCULAR. oWl'infa°R, FRIDAY.—IIis Royal Highness the Duke of mbridge arrived at the Castle at two o'clock to day, to pay h is respects to the Queen, and remained to luncheon with ter Rajesty and Prince Albert. His al Highness left Vw„ni at four o'clock. theirs Serene Highness the Duke Ferdinand of Saxe Cobourg, a S .“eyal Highnesses the Prince and Princess Augustus of . Sage Cabourg, and his Serene Highness Prince Leopold ot - en . e Cobourg are expected to wive at the Castle this evail ,!lfrorn t he ' Conti'nent, on a ' visit to her Majesty. Their 4iij and Serene Hi g h nesses will trarel from town t o t agh on. the Great Wesle Railwa by a special train, s u i t been or d ered for rn the illustrious party and their tai ll ,, e _Qn(la and Prince Alb er t t oo k th e i r accustomed early prig' walk to-day. tended b v Li Albert rode out on horseback in the forenoon, at- The Colonel Wylde. Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred, the Princess Royal, And he P r i ncess Alice were taken for equestrian and walk exercise this-tnornin_ g. ph a g sty and her Royal Consort rode out in a pony tensed rseback Maje this afternoon, his Royal Highness driving, at -I.3rd Charles W e ll es l ey , E querry i n Waiting, on k i i. i s Roval Highness the Duke of Cambridge left the Royal W i in itt ri. all: -Ce llege, at Sandhurst, yesterday 4t C ab morning, for Castle, and afterwards proceeded to town, arriving retrain; ,v‘kriiitiligsemlißo. use at six o'zlock. ie.kford Collett, M.P., Chairman of the Re thair.._ Canal Railway Company, Mr. Lewis Cubitt, Deputy bit „wan, Major Beresford, M.P., Mr. Henry Thomas Hope, taaaizeo.rge Frederick Young, and Mr. Char , les . Freeth, ac- Ra P aai ed hY Mr . Joseh Gibbs and Mr. IN illiam Radfo , rd, lietseers; Mr• J: Collier Surveyor, and Mr. Mason, So pti,,°,,r' h a delit • tion front the Regent's Canal Railway Com et t h -ad an interview with the Earl of Lincoln yesterday, Gr:The e office of Woods and Forests. L Governor of the Bank of England, and the Deputtys -I:4ehruor, had an interview with tha Chancel.or of h S er equer Y eat erdaY, at his residence in Downing-street. Robert eral of the Cabinet Ministers hal interviews with Sir heTeel Yesterday. De al east of Dalhousie l e f t t own y es t er d a y morn i ng fir bis Patch • Sia.l. v es were sent off yesterday evening from the Colo 'Lee for the Governor of Thing-Kong. GR A "Ei ISINNE,R AT THE MAN- T he Lo SION-HOUSE. Mayor gave a splendid banquet on Thursday ttestillg to the Lord Bishop of Calcutta. Amongst the ktotieUT!sent Were Sir Henry Willock, Chairman 0 ofk att W i nie East India Company ; Sir Robert Dale, Canon St. S t. p'leen, and Sir John Pirie • the Rev. Mr. Dale, Canon V icar of a i u ,!,s, ; Colonel Hutchinso'n, the Rev. Daniel Wilson, serer,' i a ; i ngton ; Mr. Wilberforce Bird, Mr. Colson, and The con tes. fed i PanY assembled in the yellow. drawing-room, and The in long parlour. 0 Calc°ll" tiyOß, in proposing the health of the Bishop e xertion utt a „'..,ver warmly praised the vigorous !indskilfu nf l th eistij, 4 B . 41 e Iteverend Prelate to extend the blessings lete It.) . in the East, and expressed a hearty ish for the quiifi restoration to health of a min who w w as as well suasion; as be Was inclined, to render service to the great Th e II !' ,which he was engaged. ko st i nt ' s nop of CALduTra, in returning thanks, gave a . hi a lab erestlng account of the success which had attended l'lstre,ho;er!.,..in India, importantand acknowleded with gratitude, a ' , ,t ree e i ve Zessed, the support and assistance he den cornpaoryornattlir Government abroad and from the East uppo abroad and from the East tlluirc enablj at home_ su pp or t and assistance which had eliarlieri.enabled him e to nie b - 2ld a cathedral instead of a new coe st ,,,, in addition to which, thirty new churches had be Iksit' te d hY private subscription.—(Hear, hear.) He . fe e lt , 4 figi a r . ni en to be soon able to return to his labours, which, Z oll a C ttefi Tis the success already resulting from what had str.ki,,,,a,beptefdruiitniests.he East, he had every reason to hope Toby * h":„9• 42l cic, in returning thanks for the honour done u n tolo e i t 7b" l Pany in drinking his health, .bore his testi `'e "'e immense benefits which had been confert:ed.on ta lcutt Li bY the indefatigable zeal of the Lord Bishop of snit his ow and expressed the desire of his brother Directors, Surd fqo,wo d'esire, to aid and assist in the good work going , 0,,Y er erY means in their poHear, hear). . ks a vour . :" R Y INGCas thanked the Lord Mayor for the greet iejaePPol3.rtuielirtdyshaiPn. dhadi• conferred upon him in allowing him aure of meeting so many of his berf o a fr iehd.s. He PassedpPleasure high eulogium upon Mr. Wil the erfereßird for the ablem a anner in which he had managed . the re. 4 irs of India during the long period of his residence Poland hi m :del IbreFILNSON returnei thanks for the honour done ,he tosity ata Y' -- det ailed some facts connected with India during t. h on of the asisembly a h , eor.tli.at country which greatly engaged the atten 1 sll, 11.91ifl etehlti:r. DALF, when . his health was drunk, hoped to eo . ""P would be enabled to return with renewed health i P ati p s , great undertaking, and that he would make tie s Iv, %,athedral in Calcutta as renowned as the St. (4ear, hear, lie (Mr. Dale) had the honour to repres_ Ma or I;.,Poti hisear.) Hs highly complimented the Lord M y 'ath ed Lordship's regular and constant attention at the teac eese tal, and I A , asped his example would be followed by ins ehief 1 - "' ile nag convinced that the example set by_ the ay in I,•gistrate of this great City in appearing each Sun a 111 0 st ; 11 1Place in the Cathedral, was calculated to have Afer beneficial effect upon the people. . l 'Po4 ( l eci tile health of Mr. Wilberforce Bird had been re lrstes of t i° hY has entleman, and the toast of the Magi.s esa, t h i-,ondon been acknowledged by Alderman Wil- Slo st e Party withdrew to the drawing-room, and concluded elep„egreeable evening. This finished the numerous and — l' Parties of the Mayoralty. .7., - _ Sik___"r° TifeEDITOR OF - THE SUN. tlo q ---_, Do You not think that an illuminated dial to ther mor e 4 eeth:Mhe Royal Exchange would, in the evening, be mo in tit e, r`awe to the citizens of London than the one now Viiii and Which would be ' seen quite as well during the dig, t e. the expense would be comparatively very small? Jogy th4 l i ng out this hint in the pages of your valliable,and oted:e Widely. circulated journal, you will oblige yours, 1413 'i - -A STRANGER TO LONDON. e 7,1845. - N -EL pAT, Ntv o i .;"TING INTELLIGENCE. ' I4L RICET COURSING MEETING—ThuRSDAY. (Badlingham Field.) T q THE DERBY.—DECIDING COURSE. Ir adbroke's Mac beat Mr. B. Smythe's Sportsman, p. ° II the stakes. I gazo THE CUP.—SECOND TIES. s '''t Damask Rose I Duchess beat Veronica. 40.4 fat nra :ruu OAKS.—SECOND TIES. aer ciosa I Dowager Queen b Mealey(dr.) b °rus THE PORT STAKES. "mat Vanguard Fullsail beat Mackerel. I beat Mi ntman (dr.) : No tts TUE CHIPPENHAM STAKES—Tag& s_ be at Cruiskeeu I Wideawake beat Silesia _ s THE BADLINGHAM STAKES. Wildrake beat Mr. Gillett's Gipsy Quern t Deb ate' s Diamond beat Mr. Fyso n ' s F a th er M a th e w . b r ora s t MATCH. I ' l3 P. aclbroke's Meg Merrilies beat Mr. Dobede's Dew 81, H UNTIIsTG APPOINTMENTS._ aoe Course; i.i riii"torl harrs Mon. Patcbam; Wed., ,li 4.„4-71te•---11. " ' totacoeside h arrs•, Mon., Newmarket-hill; Thurs., Tele pi„e,:rYe-....10i. ' Thorn ; Sat -- r 1 hds., Tues., Parham ; Thurs., Wapping, .411 f•arl ngi'lant S axbv of liarborough's bds.. Mon., Welsby-house ; Wed., Gale Si Y llill ; I?ri., Swallow-village -11. ACgalx:4n Sykes's hds., Tues., Whinmoor-build; Wed., ); Fri., Mr. Beeville's, Thorp-hat . ise. e ~ A„,, rstorie hds., Mon., Kingsbury-Nr°d- --I W d Ansley-hall; --hall ; S a t ., tgr; Thrs. adeby-gate ; Fri, 113 , kr. e.abb eY---10 Red Lion, l'Iva;() Chandler's hds., Tues., Coombe Perry kr h i " ) ' Ataas— Wood; Sat., Nit .-.,,es hds. 10i. Mon , Dunstone Cross ; ll Rouse -10.. u,ii v a e ra rto -brikdge-10i• O.' Alr°Pshire hds , Ato High Ercall ; Wed., Petton , Wed., Lea Moors; re '14)0r.....1011, 'Ws., Wed., Huntsham Ham House , Si w ~ • Sat., Gibbet ' 4 lr(l. p', 4 " • WYnns hds. Mon., Chirk Castle; Tues., Is -1 Att: A", Nescliff; Sat, , King's Mill-14 . 4lii;',„".• Smith's hds., Mon , latford Oakcuts , Wick Farm; P a., s" ed, Wherwell Wood; . Thurs., Lower h . outh a Tues.loare Q,4k -r "Te ; Sat., Clarendon Park. 1 1 1 4 e of Bedford's lids, Mon., Alderton village , 4141141 n Village; Fri., Leighterton village; Sat., Christian Sh e ; Post—il. ~ r,w°od harrs , Tues., Berry Hill; Fri., Wh',V._uis., Cat. 11t,Yel Ingram's ids., Mon., Longford; o t: •34t., Renburst-10i • 11 vil la*,:ntsliegtoe hde , Mon Bunny Park; W e d., Tickna (41;10 at. Cavendish-bi:i'dge Th 41,31143, Alen., Shearsb . Inn ; Tues., B,lti,' -addesby ; Fri. Benny Park-104. 84t. ,°rdles., by ''-- ' a ,_ ry inkburn ; Thurs.,Priory; Beaumanor Park ; Thurgarton tll.i.ilea Ilall—° 104. L .Y 0 1. Bentinck' hd Mon. Blanket'; Toes., Thonock, ske lel,„Litillabergh w 3 8:, b 'w en ; Thurs., ruorp e ' ed., Linwood, y Ir , ' 4l . Rook l'erk: i"arquharson's hds., Mon , Yellowham ; Tues.,. tthill's., Glanville's Wooto . n ; Fri" Sydling B e ari Fr arM— Ili . , Tues, Pointington Ridge ; Fri., l'°°' t r. D e • li evo 4,as harrs., Tues Achill Forest-10. t s n 114'.• Mon L u " 0 h 11. ,414:-Y:Poe:l.:.olltienehzi°l;ll;rsl.:::MTo-unse.es., ,mHe—azeleigh e •rist I.` Hall; Hall; Se., Totham .r al Green (if there should De ra i n) -10. i Bulmer ; T . hu i_ rs._, j A n l , dh_ir o. ........„........................... Lo, LLoyDs SHIPPING. cit„:ibo=q, Nov 7 Wind S.S.W., light breeze and fine weather.l-- • .."- Ip kti 4:;iraNzo,l3. 6_.---Wind 5.5. E.,. m w oder is a i t o e gt .- o A n, rrd iun gs g : p "ele a , „ weuth Seas. Sailed 0? Luzon. 4,,alliate iylotlehton le Spring, Cousins, dittei Sul re (lib 4, ditto • Wales ; Sydney, W..,: i + - " Lrol,-;)fl:t4. Arrived from the river and sailed, , J . SYdnev, New South ra It A , erse 7 01,6. , Inchell, .Dornillioa• Lass, Shepherd, Cape Coast Castle; (, t , 111 thcrodAN, Nov 4 . —Olive Branch, Bombay. 11A1311 ai ,ußAliihtis, Nov. 5 - . --William Tell, Farren, Quebec. 0,7 1 ' 1, Nov. 4.—Arrd. Ann, Johnston, Quebec. rrd. "err i-"`tvEN, Nov. 3.—ind E.S.E., strong.—A lei 0 ! , S. John's, New Brunswick. hristtp, Nov. 4.---Sld. Letitia Heyn, Pirie, New Orleans; 1.4. e, Montgomery, ditto. `l'Noli"rr,.Nov. 5.--The Ellen, Rose, from Stockton to , ae l l s, , Alit in here this morning leaky ; will ship extra vAt arid proceed 11 e k°l;.4l ' ' N ov. G.—The Anne Margarette, beatlesterday from Longeound, threw her deck load over ' on the 21st ult., and received derange to her hull. which arrived . NTo MARINERS. —SUNKEN WRECK. _ ,ti,i oiteit.A.m, Nov. s. —The Anne, of this port, reports i I\l vessel in St. Nicholas Gat, bearing Loweseeoe . t church i tlli "'' St• Ni c> 1 n N. by W c ,,,„ , ic oas . oat W. /2 3 low water. F A lett,,,,T,RE GENERAL, OF SUNDERLAND. 1 ' W., in twelve ,-er lab letter has been received at Lloyd's this morning from the 'rei e "i - "Luce, enclosing copy of a dispatch from the British q,: l i. at tockhlm, reporting the stranding of the brig N . r itl, of Sunderind, on the Reef Flytorne, on the 12th lleg a A second letter from the Foreign Office of this morn a.., nneeces that the American whaling vessel Navy had -.. let, ,-, _ . ,ain ki , r a yal, with several articles taken from a vessel rkpilio(tar,el,i,et, on the stern of which were the words " Packet, 144 ate, ~. .1 1T-11°Lis Es AND VESSELS ON THE FRENCH pt l 'he F r COAST. L'aatt au each Consul General has transmitted to Lloyd t 's i c e t o t :: light houses and light vesslevl7iioolii maythe ofcoasts ' %leers eonl°atphpl°ifcatte to the Fi l e B c 4 r s eiarv. ,ittttiefir,e brol-..............._ iitit,-,ts of ice out on W ednes.inv morning in the -fad, -Ye Bell Inn, at T hetford, which were entirely c0n t14140.-84 well as thirteen horses and eight sets of harness, -- enty au. Robert Edward*. LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY COMPANY. SPECIAL MEETING OF PROPRIETORS. Yesterdl a special general meeting of the proprietors of this line of railway, was held at the Company's Offices, Euston square Station, to consider and sanction an agreement enter ed into by the directors of this company with the directors of the Grand Junction Company, for an amalgumation of the two Companies; and also for the purpose of considering and sanctioning another agreement entered into by the directors with the said Manchester and Birmingham Rail way Company, for an amalgamation. The chair was taken at one o'clock precisely by George Carr Glynn, Esq , at which time there was a very full muster of proprietors present. The Secretary (Mr. CREED) having read the advertisement calling the meeting, The CHAIRMAN rose to address the Proprietors. He said he was exceedingly glad to meet with them on that occasion. The present meeting was the most important they had yet held, as arrangements would be submitted to their considera tion and approval, which, if carried, would enable the Com pany to stand higher and command a better position than it had ever done before. They would recollect that, in February last, at a meeting which was then held, an amalgamation with the Manchester and Birming ham Railway Company was then sanctioned. Since that had occurred circumstances had happened which rendered it necessary to alter the teems of union then pro posed and agreed to. He would not on that occasion go into an exposition of the views and motives that had led to the alteration of the proposal, though, should the proprietors wish it, he was quite prepared to go into an explanation of the whole affair. At the previous meeting he told the pro prietors that he was anxious only to make with the Company referred to, a fair and equitable arrange ment ; a view of the question which had not been lost sight of, though were he to go into a detail of reasons, it would require a considerable length of time and expla nation. The best course would be for the proprietors, should they think fit, to examine for themselves the voluminous statement of accounts, which would be open to their inspec tion. If in February last they saw that it was necessary to amalgamate with the Manchester and Birmingham Com pany, it was still more so now, as since that time direct lines had sprung up in every quarter, and it was necessary for them to be on the alert. No doubt, though, many of these projected lines were only traced on paper, and were not likely to be carried out, still they were sufficient to induce them to take steps effectually to protect the inter ests of the Company. In consequence cf the arrangements proposed to be carried out, he might say that the London and Birmingham Railway Company were in a position to offer the people of Manchester with regard to traffic terms such as no other Company or body of capitalists could, or that the supporters of any projected line could by any means carry out. He was persuaded no body of capi talists could be found to maintain a railway in competition with the one he represented, under the arrangements pro posed, without a loss. In every point of view it would be vain for the people of Manchester to expect that cheapness and accommodation from the line they were at present supporting in competition with the present one. If they went on with their line they would soon find the competition so great that all ex pectation of profit would be destroyed. It was vain for them to say that the line they supported could carry goods from Manchester to the south in the face of their amalga mated Company, with any reasonable hope of realising and cocoa on the capital invested, so far as it regarded the first point. New with respect to the arrangement with the Grand Junction Company. They (the Directors) had succeeded in coming to terms for malgamation with . that Company.—(Loud cheers.) This arrangement, as they might be aware, had been attended with a great deal of difficulty, but at last they had succeeded in coming to terms which were satisfactory to the Grand Junction Com pany, and such as would be to the advantage of the London and Birmingham. He was sorry that the proposition for an amalgamation of the two companies had not been agreed to when first proposed.—(Hear, hear.) Such a course would have removed a great amount of diffi culty out of their way, and saved a great amount of hearts burning and foolish squabbling. But that was past, and there was no user effecting on it ; and the subject formerly so desirable was to be submitted to them that day. By the amalgamation of all the interests proposed an immense ad. vantage would be gained. They would then command the most direct line to Liverpocl and the north generally, possess the most ample means for the accommodation of the through traffic, and have the whole placed under one entire manage ment. Another advantage of this amalgamation would be that they would get rid of the competition for the Holyhead traffic, with which they had been threatened, and, secondly, that they would command the use of the large establish ment at Crewe for the mechanical purposes of the entire line. If compelled to go to Parliament next session, they would be ready for it by this amalgamation ; but, if f parties who were disposed to oppose them were sober-minded for that, they would be also ready. On all hands they would be pre pared. Moreover he would, and he was sure they would, be ready to submit to any arrangement to secure the public in terests that Parliament might be disposed to make. He was desirous that the fullest protection and accommodation should be given.to the public. With regard to the carrying of goods, it was their intention to allow private parties to carry on the line, but if complaints should be made that carriers abused that privilege, then the Directors would be prepared to enter upon that department, and would take care that the public were properly accommodated. In carryiag out the amalgamation between the two companies" considerable difficulties had arisen; but he believed that what had been agreed on was, generally speaking, the best that could have been done under the circumstances of the Company. He would now address himself with regard to other companies having a relation to these two. There was the North Staffordshire line, a scheme that was not like many of the ephemeral projects before the public, but one that would command a large local traffic, and which was supported by great local interests. In respect to that scheme, stipulations had been entered into which were mu tually satisfactory to all the negotiating parties; and a pro posal to the shareholders of that Company had been made that would prove important to their interests, and which he had no doubt would be accepted by them at the general meeting of that body, to which it was to be submitted. Then with respect to another project, the Birmingham Canal one, the arrangements with that Company would remain exactly as they were before. That Company would go for ward in connexion with the Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton and Birmingham Railway Company as previous to the amalgamation. Next respecting the Shrop shire Union Railway, arrangements were in pro gress for an alliance with that Company, which would secure to them the London and Birmingham line, the whole valley of the Severn from Worcester to Crewe. With regard to the Shrewsbury and Birmingham Company, they would stand in precisely the same position as prior to the present arrangement ; and as it respected the opposing Com pany, supported by the Grand Junction Company, a pro position for an amalgamation of the two had been proposed. An offer had been made to them by which a beneficial interest in the present scheme, under a properly defined arrangement, would be secured to their Shareholders. The result of this general arrangement would be peace be tween all interests, and the carrying out of a plan that would secure a mutual and lasting advantage to all parties concerned. Though it was not usual to submit a report at a special meeting, the present business was considered so important that one had been drawn up, which would be submitted, embodying the principal features of the amalgamation. After that had been read he would be prepared to go into the details on which it was founded, should it be desired of him, or to afford any explanation that might be required. There was one other point before he had done. The capital accounts of both Companies were about to close ; they would, however, be opened again in a short time. He was not prepared at present to say more than this ; but he hoped shortly that a small distribution of stock would have to be made to the pro. prietors consequent on that close. It would not, in all pro bability, be very much, but as soon as it was ready for dis tribution he would take care that every Proprietor was Apprised of it by circular. The Hon. Chairman concluded saddress amidst considerable applause. The SECRETARY then read the following report : " The Directors, in pursuance of the notice which they have given of the present meeting, have to recommend the adoption by the Proprietors of an agreement of amalgama tion, which has been conclude* by the London and Birming ham and Grand Junction Boards, subject to the approval and confirmation by the Proprietors of each Company respectively —the object to both parties being that the amalgamated Companies should be subject to all liabilities in common, and receive the same rate of dividend out of one common fund. The relative circumstances of each Company in respect of ex penditure, revenue, income, and share capital, were fully con sidered, and a balance was definitively struck by which the adjustment was regulated. In virtue of this adjustment, the London and Birmingham capital is taken at 8,653,7504 and the Grand Junction at 5,788,5604 making together a consolidated fund of 14,442,316/., and for the future dividends of the amalgamated Companies are to be calculated, and for this purpose the receipts are, from and after Ist July last, to con stitute one common fund. In regard to the management of our amalgamated concern, it is mutually agreed that for the 'first five years there shall be held one mutual board, whose meetings shall be held monthly, or as may be found convenient, to consist of mem bers selected in the first instance from the present direction of each Company, in the proportion of eight London and Birmingham Directors to six Grand Junction—the united board to discuss and settle all matters of general policy. The London and Birmingham line proper being worked, in respect of all details, under a committee sitting in London, composed of twenty four Directors, and the Grand Junction line proper being worked, as respects all details, under a committee sitticg in Liverpool, and com posed of eighteeen Grand Junction Directors, or sub-committees of either respectively. Considering the great and obvious importance to both parties of an arrangement which gives a common interest to lines so circumstanced as the London and Birmingham, and Grand Junction Railways, the Directors think it unnecessary to do more on the present occasion than refer to the obvious be nefits which must be derived from a combination of the re sources of the two Companies under one common management, and the increased means which will be thereby afforded of pro viding for the convenience of the public, and of adopting such moderate rates and fares as will be felt to be satisfactory to them. The Directors have further to recommend the adop tion by the: Proprietors of an alteration, agreed to on the 16th of September, in the agreement of the amalgamation between the London and Birmingham and the Manchester and Birmingham Companies, which was approved of at a former meeting. The terms of those alterations are, that the capital of the Manchester and Birmingham Company shall be taken at 2,800,000!., 700,0001. of which is not to be entitled to any dividend before Ist February, 1849, but may be capitalised at any time. The power of the Manchester and Birmingham Company under the Acts to raise an addi tional capital are not to be exercised without the consent of the London and Birmingham Company. The London and Birmingham Company are to guarantee to the Manchester and Birmingham Company a dividend of 8 per cent., from Ist February to the 31st July, 1846, on their paid-up capital of 1,440,0001. ; from that date to the Ist February, 1847, at the rate of 9 per cent. per annum on the portion paid up of the capital of 1,800,000/. • from the 31st July, 18 4 7, at the same ' rata and the portion paid up of the capital of 2 , 100,000 /. ; and from and after Ist July, 1848, a dividend on the same ca pital as a late equal to what may be paid out of the united property of both companies to the. London and Birmingham Proprietary. On the Ist of February, 1849, the capital of 700,000!. will be placed on the same footing as the capital of the 2,100,000/, making the total capital of 2,800,0001. " The Directors have only to observs, in conclusion, that the arrangement with the Manchester and Birmingham Com pany, now submitted for confirmation, is simply a modi fication of terms which they thought it fir the interest of the London and Birmingham Company to agree to." The CHAIRMAN—Is it your pleasure, gentlemen, that the rept rt now read be adopted? I beg to propose a resolution to that effect, and also that it be printed and circulated among the shareholders. The resolution having been seconded, was unanimously carried. • The CHAIRMAN—I have now to propose to you a resolution to the effect that the Birmingham and Manchester Companies be considered as one, and be amalgamated as to capital and in all other respects. Hon. Proprietors would see that that resolution preserved their interests to the full extent, the capital of 2,800,000/. being united with their own. They would also perceive, from the circumstance that interest was 81. 3atbgao, itish sod xtension no an d .t Linton, h, 9%" . tinburgb, erth, d rth an n , 66x- - marnock, Junc -Glasgoly Scotland, mess and Belfast, —Les ol9 ' . _Paisley, Junction, 513.6 d! 1, 529.1 • n t r al an d Stratbero Bang:* ist, Sba r" S o uthern . ; Lnd RO I " t y, 4 inierick, 9 d, Water, dAll i. its of ng f th e a, on the the 0010 two daYI fiction »sia, whi ch ite decree: .ember fo r ;al, of LuNel o : respect tu uges, raS spri" ble to tb. e . sowing irks of affbr'il. , rman Joch 101: e ral, s no e the 0 0 : ' 3 rvices nstailtil3°; light 'AC journal. of convoltn w onth. ity and " t r articles () ous fiata t4 ' it ne time [age a w ilti b l i g rice. I" to t°' I PP valatf chick heir b°°;',,, tuck rata mint is 74 Are chat;il emhsimeto aropg r4 11 A., as ' c p ived fr ° ; ll Is to Wh wing CO° o - i reed out , aming tent er t her, t P k i The w"- r of °, • 0 thersl;:, re .thel.. a 0 w 't, „ g y* few he 1111 7;t . entities st and be An to e i he ca lli f o r alleged , s whithS : o J ew s v o l t have se •, th ey s- ra are iterfere, V. 4• II onel erti f :Pr ° P ol d el " t he itr, t e port ea ° I be n t of of me et loge 1 at tho o l4 ere icA'd fo' ca wate''i A e - s or d 0 if tjl tO • pope )o. voi ce ;es, A o, i tbstterwt Olt Ivo $ aY , tbo veY 9 o tef tt. pi.-c to t o t- , cr e " 110 0 orP•ng tvertigi t ho are ' " d ;C eive t at o w ° to io 'i e r/i 4er 4ml i t • ren t P°' 1-IE. Vo 00 ogh t " ~, . \~• ;~ -_ , t !t ris r "'HE sigN, LONDONO Y MORNING, NOVEMBEii - 8, 1845. to be paid in September, in that point also a due regard was had not only to the interests of the Company, but to strict equity. The advantages which they would derive from this amalga mation were almost self-evident, bocvise the real capital of the Birmingham and Manchester Company had not been fully estimated, as the increase in their profits of late had been very considerable. If any Honourable Proprietor should desire him to enter into the details he was perfectly ready to do so, as they were in the room at the present moment, in the statement to which allusion had already been made. These would convince any one who should hear them, or take the trouble of perusing them, that if any excess of advantage were on either side it was on the London and Birmingham Company in this agreement merely He confessed that there were other considerations also that in dtved them (the Directs rs ofthe London and Birmingham Com pany) to.enter upon that agreement, amongst the most promi nent of which was a desire to prevent the Birmingham and Manchester line falling into rival hands. He would conclude by proposing the resolution which he had already submitted to them. Mr. ENTWISLE, M.P., said that it was already known among the shareholders that he was not altogether satisfied with the arrangement that bad been made; but he had now to state that he had been canvassing for proxies to give effect to his views. He considered that the accounts to which the Hon. Chairman had referredshould be laid before the meeting before they were called on to agree to the terms which this resolution embodied. There was one difficulty which strongly pre vented his entering into the views of the Directors. What he alluded to was the compact that had been entered into as to the leasing of the line within twelve months. He conceived that the Directors of the Birmingham and Manchester line did not act with the great wisdom they con ceived they had done in entering into this agreement, or that, indeed, either party had made so advantageous a bargain as it appeared was the general impression they had done. For instance, they knew that new lines would detract from them as much as they would get by their amal gamation. The consequence was, in fact, that they would have to pay eight or nine per cent. in conjunction with the Grand Junction. He did not conceive that the Birming ham and Manchester should be considered in exactly the same light as the other two companies, and receive as large a proportion of the benefits pecuniary as well as otherwise With these views he should not hesitate to express his dis satisfaction at the decision of the Directors. Perhaps the views they had taken were wise, and in the main points unobjectionable, but while they were ignorant of the figures upon which their calculations were based, be could not con ceive that it should occasion much surprise that individual shareholders should not evince unqualified approval of the arrangement. The bargain was, in fact, made chiefly to frustrate the views of rival companies, but, strange to say, this was not the ground upon which they were called to express their approval of it. The gain that it was asserted would be realised was only what the depression in their funds would balance, so that in fact here there were no such evident profits obtained as the report would lead them to imagine. Under these circum stances, he begged to say that he considered it would be better if time were afforded them to investigate these figures, and to arrive at a just conclusion. The CHAIRMAN said he certainly was aware of the opinions entertained by the hon. member whose presence amongst them was always so agreeable, though he differed with them on the present occasion. He was not, 'however, aware that he had gone to the lengths which he himself had stated, namely, in canvassing for proxies. However, he would meet the Hon. Gentleman, and he trusted that before the meeting was over that the Hon. Gentleman would be convinced that the position he had taken in reference to this subject was nut justified, and that he would alter his views. He should recollect what were the exact circum stances. The Directors of the Manchester and Birmingham Company had no doubt been hurried in forming the decision they had arrived at, by the knowledge of the opposing lines that were coming into existence. In fact, he bad no hesita tion in stating that all the advantages were on the side of the London and Birmingham Company. The agreement with the Birmingham and Manchester line, respecting the 6* per cent. which they were to receive, was based upon a calculation of the rate of traffic in July, 1835. Now, they had but thirty miles of their line in operation, and they calculated the cost at 34/. per mile. There could be nothing fairer than that calculation, and if gentlemen would consider for a moment, they would see that there was an increase in the profits of 10 per cent. on every third mile. He did not deny that they had been actuated strongly by a desire to prevent the line in question falling into the hands of those who were hostile to them, and the reasons that influenced them in that particular were the strongest that could possibly be conceived. He trusted, therefore, that Honourable Gentlemen would not object to the line of con duct which the Directors had deemed it their duty, under the circumstances, to pursue.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. PEasE--That the Directors had done right in the course they had adopted. The CHAIRMAN then put the resolution to the meeting and declared it to be carried with only one dissentient. The CHAIRMAN then proposed a resolution, agreeably to th• terms of the report, with respect to the Grand Junction line. In doing so, he thought it right to say that the point on which the Proprietors had a right to ask some ex planation was the reason why, on the amalgamation, the Directors bad accceded to the increase of stock of the Grand Junction. The reason was, that the property of the Grand Junction line was of the value of a 21. dividend over the London arid Birmingham line; or, in other words, the Grand Junction was in a situation to show larger property, upon which they might pay 12 instead of 1.0 per cent. Mr. WILLIAMS wished to know whether the proposed amalgamation with the Grand Junction Company included the previous amalgamation that had taken place? The CHAIRMAN said that it included all. Mr. WILLIAMS was also desirous of knowing whether a meeting of the Proprietors of the Grand Junction Company was now taking place at Liverpool, and also one of the Bir mingham and Manchester Company. The CHAIRMAN said that the meeting of the Birmingham and Manchester Company had already taken place, and he was in hopes a meeting was now taking place of the Grand Junction at Liverpool, at which similar resolutions, to those proposed at the present meeting, would be agreed to. The resolution was then put to the meeting, and declared to be carried unanimously. The CHAIRMAN then proposed another resolution, by which the Proprietors gave authority to the Directors to apply to Parliament for powers to carry the pro posed amalgamations into effect. In proposing this re solution, the worthy Chairman stated, that if it should turn out there was any technical mistake with re spect to notice, each Company was pledged to the other to apply in a future session for the powers required. The resolution was carried unanimously. Mr. ELIAS MOSELEY, of Liverpool, then moved a vote of thanks to the Chairman and Directors, which was seconded by Mr. Williams. and carried unanimously. The CHAIRMAN, in returning thanks, assured the Proprie tors that neither himself nor the Directors would relax in their endeavours for the interest of the Proprietors or the convenience of the public. They were now preparing to enlarge the station in Euston-square, and were endeavour ing to obtain an entrance into the heart of the City, in which he had no doubt they would be suc cessful ; added to this, he had been informed by an influential individual, that it was determined to have a railway from the City to the West India Docks, and should such be the case, he need not say how much that Company would be benefited thereby. In conclusion, he begged to thank the Proprietors for their confidence in the Directors and himself, and ventured to hope that what they were now doing and proposed to do, would be adequate to the wants of the public. The meeting then broke up. GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY COMPANY—SPECIAL MEETING. A special General Meeting of the Proprietors of the Great Western Railway was held yesterday, at the station, Padding ton, for the purpose of taking into consideration tke terms of an agreement entered into with the Directors of the Bristol and Exeter Company for the leasing of tke latter line, and also for the purpose of determining upon a plan for making a direct railway from London to Exeter. Charles Russell, Esq., M.P. presided. The SECRETARY having read the advertisement convening the meeting, The Cfisinsinn rose and said, that the purposes for which the Directors had thought fit to convene the meeting had been fully stated in the advertisement which had been just read. The, terms of the agreement with the Bristol and Exeter Company had already been published by the Di rectors of that railway, and they were in consequence known to all present. They had, however, been included in the re port of the Directors of the Great Western, which would afterwards be read by their Secretary, and those present must necessarily be fully acquainted with them. The circumstances which led to that agreement could be very briefly related. In the rage for extended railway communication several projects were started for the purpose of making a more direct and central line to Exeter and the West of England. The course was open to them (the Great Western) to resist those lines in Parliament. They might contend that a direct communication was afforded by the Bristol and Exeter line and the other new lines along the coast, and they might show that no direct traffic could exist to support a third line. They would have been 'assisted in this opposition by the report which bad last year emanated from the Board of Trade. But it appeared to them that this course would have been a very hazardous one, and that it would look as if they ne glected the requirements of the public or the wants of the district. The project of a more central and direct communication had taken firm hold of the public mind, and the claims of Falmouth, Plymouth, and the other ports of the west, recommended that they should endeavour to supply the want in question. The South-Western Company had undertaken to complete a line for the purpose of afford ing accommodation to those parts. The South-Western, it was true, did not, as a body, collectively directly support such a line, but the leading proprietors of that company, at a public meeting, denounced the agreement which was made by the Great Western Company, and it had been ostentatiously put forth, that the solicitors and en gineers were embarked in that line; and some of the pro prietors stated also that, although the Directors might feel themselves bound by that agreement, still they (the proprie • tors) were at liberty to come forward in spite of it, to lend their aid to the adverse line. It seemed to them, therefore, that the only security and defence which they in that case pos sessed was the somewhat hazardous result of a Parliamentary investigation. They thought, therefore, that the wisest and the best course was for themselves to take the more direct li n e to Exeter and the west—(Hear, hear)—by an amalgamation of interests with that Company. They thought it also fair to consult them, and to offer a par ticipation in the scheme. They met and discussed the ques tion ; but before the discussion closed, it was intimated by the Directors of the Bristol and Exeter that they thought there were some preliminary matters that ought to pre cede the question they were then met to discuss. They asked what were to be the permanent relations that were to subsist between themselves and the Great Western Company? What were to be those relations at the the termination of the lease? Was that lease to cease, or to be renewed, and, if renewed, in what form, or on what terms ? They (the Directors of the Great Western) were not very desirous to agitate this question. They thought it would be more judicious to po.tpone the consideration of this question to a further period, when the result of the present changes would be known, and when they might be able more correetly to estimate and know from experience what was the real value of the Bristol and Exeter line. They were, however, bound with that Company, and could not shrink from the risk to which they might be exposed. The meeting was convened for the purposes of business; the parties came to it with a really bone fide intention to enter into some ar rangement. The Directors of the Bristol and Exeter pro posed to them, as the basis of the agreement, a perpetual rent charge. That was agreed to, and the discussion turned chiefly on the terms of the rent charge. Those terms had been for a long time before the public, and those present were therefore aware that some portion of the proprietors of the Bristol and Exe ter Railway had objected to them; but he could not help thinking that their opposition had arisen from net suffi ciently comprehending the principle on which the agreement was based, or from not having taken time to exa mine their own actual position. The rent which they had engaged to pay to the Bristol and Exeter Company had enabled the Directors to give to their share holders a dividend of 4 per cent. 157 this agreement they could give at once 5 per cent., which would be for the three and a half years of the lease one per cent. additional. the expiration of the lease, by the terms of the agreement; -they would be called .on to pay them a dividend of 6 pe: cent. The payment of this dividend rested on Very wenlative and con jectur:d grounds as to the degiee of traffic and the other resources of the line. There could be _no . doubt that the North Devon and the lines now projected would pour some considerable-traffic on :o this railway, but, again; they-must recollect that the Bristo: and Exeter trans ferred to them a great liability for the construction of their line, and if a central Hie were made there would be little question that a portion of traffic would be w.;thdrawn from the Bristol and Exeter, perhaps more than that which might be expected front the new lines. Under one contin gency they used to pay h 3 / 4 per cent. instead of 6/.; but he trusted that was a contingency not likely to arise. It had been assumed that a difference of one quarter per cent. wou'.d cover any loss likely to arise from the making of the central line, but the reason why this per tentage had teen retained was a very different one. They were aware that they were giving the Bristol and Exeter Company a certain dividend, and they retained this quarter per cent. as a security that the pri prietors of that Company would join the ranks of their opponents. This meeting had been made special for the purpose of obtaining the consent of the shareholders to certain new line., in addition to the Bristol and Exeter. The Chairman then recapitulated the outlines of the new schemes, which are fully detailed in the report of the Directors. The level of the line, as far as Yeovil, lu.d been examined by Mr. Brunel, and he reported that the country might be deemed an advantageous one for the pur poses of a railway. The Chairman concluded by -calling upon the secretary to read the report, Mr. SAUNDERS then read the report, as follows " The directors have found it necessary to convene the present special meeting for the purposes referred to ui two notices,—the one being to consider and decide upon a conditional agreement for the pet manent tenure of the Bristol and Exeter Railway, and for the purchase of the property of that Company,—the other, to de. termine what lines should be brought before Parliament in the next session for improving the general railway communication of any towns, or district of country, lying to the south of the Great West. ern Railway, in connexion with the traffic of this line. " The arrangement with the Bristol and Exeter Railway Com pany is recorded in two agreements, dated 11th October and 6th instant, which are appandedto this report, and will be sub mitted for confirmation. " It is right to premise that this measure has not been proposed at this time from any desire of your directors to obtain by antici. potion a renewal of the lease, which will only expire in 1849. " It would have been in many respects more satisfactory if the question could have been left open for future adjustment, when the circumstances affecting the permanent value of the Bristol and Exeter Railway could have been better known and appreciated; but after having candidly stated to the directors of the Bristol and Exeter Railway their opinion of the necessity of forming a shorter Hue between Exeter and London, a measure which did not admit of being longer deferred, they felt it due, in the relative position of the two companies, to endeavour to effect some equitable settlement with that company before they entered upon any active measures for promoting the direct line to Exeter. " It will be seen that the first agreement has been modified, in one respect, by the supplemental agreement of the 6th instant, en tered into at the request of the directors of the Bristol and Exeter Railway Company, in order to equalize the calls on their different shares. If confirmed by the general meetings of the two com panies, application will be made to Parliament in the next session to carry the provisions into effect. " The directors are strongly impressed with the advantages which are likely to be secured both to the Great Western Rail way Company and to the public, by an active effort to promote, in the approaching session of Parliament, two portions of new line, — which will contribute, with the Great Western and the Wilts, So. merset, and Weymouth lines, to form one direct railway between the metropolis and Exeter, as the best access to the south-western ports in the Eng:ish channel Ist. By a prolongation of the Berks and Hants Railway from Hungerford to Westbury—about 35 miles—with branches to Marlborough and Devizes. " 2d. By a railway from the Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth line, at Yeovil, to Exeter—about 51 miles—with a connect. ing line from Bridport to Axminster, and a branch to Sid mouth. " The distance from London to Yeovil by the first-mentioned line willonly be 126 miles; of which 91 are constructed or autho rised to be made for other purposes. The directors recommend that the prolongation of the Berks and Hants Railway shall be ap plied far in the same manner as was adopted in the case of the Bill or the incorporation of that Company. " With regard to the other portion of line, the directors think it will be beet accomplished by the formation of a separate Com. pany, similar in all respects to the Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth Railway Company; and upon the same stipulation► of a guarantee for the lease of the line when made. " The directors have the pleasure to state that they have al ready obtained the promise of the moat influential local support to that measure; and they cannot entertain a doubt of its complete success, if authority be given at this meeting to proceed vigorously with it. " The pledge exacted in the Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth Railway Bill, that an improved communication should be given from that railway towards the cities of Bath and Bristol, has led to the adoption of a short line (about seven miles) between Brad. ford and Bathampton, there to join the Great Western Railway; and this, if sanctioned by Parliamentary enactment, will be con structed by the Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth Company, to be worked by this company under the lease. " A branch line of about 11 miles is recommended to be made from the Great Western Railway, at Tiverton, to the Somerset shire collieries in the districts between Timsbury and Hadstock, which the directors consider to be very important. It will afford the means of conveying over the main line a very large quantity of coal which is extensively used for consumption throughout the country, and some passenger traffic will be obtained to,increase the advantages of the new branch. "The attention of the Board has been long given to the question of affording to a very populous district within a few miles of Lon don the advantages of railway connexion with this company. Lookit.g to such accession of traffic even over only a short distance of the main line, as being extremely valuable for the purpose of assisting hereafter the extension of this railway further into Lon don, the directors think that no time should be lost in promoting it with that view. The line referred to would unite with the Great Western Railway at Ealing. and would. pass through or near to Breutford, I.leworth, Twickenham. Hounslow. and Staines. The country Is very level, and the earth work would not be heavy, but the character of the property is, in many portions, valuable. The population ofthe district is, however, much more than proportionally gteat, and the Directors believe it will be very remunerative. The great saving of expense in bringing such a lire to join this railway at Ealing, instead of attempting to obtain a separate entrance into the west end of London, must be an obvious public advantage, and the Directors do Lot hesitate to recommend the measure for your adoption. " C. RUSSELL, Chairman." • The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report, said that if any gentleman wished to make any observations, that was the time to do so. Mr. MORRIS said, before the motion was put, he should be glad to hear the Chairman give a sketch of the liabi lities of the Bristol and Exeter Company. The CHAIRMAN said the liabilities would amount to about 2,500,0001., but it must be remembered that, with the liabi lities, they took the shares and interest in various new scheme's, to which the Bristol and Exeter Company were entitled to. .. Mr. Monms suggested that all their future half-yearly re ports should contain a statement of the number of shares, and the company in which they had an interest. He had heard it stated that the Great Western Company held about one-half of the shares in the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton line, but he thought this must be a mistake. The CHAIRMAN was understood to say it was. He pro- Mised that the suggestion of the Hon. Proprietor should receive every attention. Mr. MORRIS asked whether there was any prospect of their entering into an arrangernant with the Kennet and Avon Canal Company ? He understood that the Proprietors of that undertaking were anxious for an arrangement, and were favourable to the Great Western Company. The CHAIRMAN replied that none had been made. Mr. PHILIP HAYWARD protested that the Kennet and Avon Canal Company had no vested rights in the district, as some Hon .Proprietors assumed they had, and grew"somewhat warm in his comments upon the Directors for leaving out Devizes, Bridgewater, the Vale of Pewsey, and Salisbury Plain, in their scheme, for making a direct Exeter line. Mr. MAJOR COURT remarked, that the dividend they were to pay to the Bristol and Exeter Company was to be 53% per cent., in the event of any competing line on the narrow gauge between London and Exeter being carried. Now he could see no reason why the same proviso should not be made in the event of a similar line being carried on the broad gauge. They were, independently of this contingency, to pay six per cent., but their own dividend might fall belew that sum, and it was only just to consider that the Bristol and Exeter might fall too. Mr. WILLIAMS,M.P., was understood to ask what were the receipts of the Bristol and Exeter, or upon what data they had calculated the 61. per cent.? The CHAIRMAN was sure the meeting would see the neces sity for his not answering the question. It might have the effect of creating dissensions at another place, where, he hoped, the question they were then considering was being disposed of. Mr: SMITH said he should be glad to hear some information upon the probable cost of the proposed extensions. The CHAIRMAN said the capital of the Yeovil and Exeter • Company .would be about 125,0001. They calculated that the line from Hungerford would cost from 500,0001. to 600,0004 and the other extensions would cost about 15,0001. per mile.. The Radstock branch would probably cost 10,000/. per mile. • Mr. SMITH asked if any effort had been made to come to terms with any of the competing lines. There was, for in stance, the 'Yeovil and Dorchester and the Direct Western, which they might advantageously come to some arrange ment with. The CHAIRMAN replied that the only competing line which would be embraced in the new company was a line running to Bridport. They did 'not deem it expedient or advisable to arrange with any other line. Mr. ATHERSTONR wished to know whether the main line to Exeter would embrace the important towns of Devizes, Trowbridge„ &c.? The CHAIRMAN replied, that as they acted upon the prin ciple that the line would be a direct one, they could not con sist' ntly include the towns mentioned by the Hon. Proprietor. Besides, there were engineering difficulties in the way. Those towns, however, would be accommodated with branches. er ß e E c ß o N m A peting schemes in the M.P., pointed out to B t f i r i e . AmTeneteing othat and the re M l r v . field, which proposed to overcome these engineering diffi culties, and place the towns named upon a main line. These lines were supported by those towns, and they therefore urged upon the Direction the necessity for taking this matter into their serious consideration. Mr. SAUNDERS, the Secretary:of the Company, replied, that all these matters had been duly and carefully considered, and the result arrived at was to have nothing to do with any of the competing projects. An impression hail gone abroad that the Great Western Company was connected with one parti cular competing project, because the name of the secretary to that project was Sanders. Now he beggt dto state that that gentleman was not related to himself, nor had the Great Western any connexion with the line in question. After seine further discussion the resolution wai put from the chair and carried unanimously. The agreement for the leasing of the Bristol and Exeter line was then confirmed, and the Directors having been authorised to take whatever steps they might deem expe dient and necessary f or carrying a Direct London and Exeter line, a vote of thanks was passed to the Chairman, and the meeting separated. GREAT WESTERN BENGAL RAILWAY, A general meeting of the shareholders of this Company was held yesterday morning at the London Tavern, for the pur pose of obtaining the ratification and confirmation of the powers to be given to the representatives and agents of the Company in India; Major Morse Cooper in the chair. We observed among those present the following- Directors: —Hon. Captain Gore, John Grant, Esq. ; W. P. Andrew, Esc. ; Mr. Alderman Hoop_er, W. F. Fitzwilliam, Esq.; Mawr Waller, and Captain Hitehinc The CHAIRMAN, before proceeding to business, would only mention, as to the affairs of the Company, that they are in the most desirable condition. It might seem to some of you that we are doing nothing, but with a company like this the local Council can alone do anything to favour our objects. Till this is done we can do nothing more than collect our m. mey, consolidate our scheme, and have all in a State of fort ford ness to carry out our measures. And we are met to-d s l y to give the necessary powers to the committee's and ai;e - ats in London for • the carrying out of these measures. ?i therefore, submit to you resolutions for this purpose:. Resolutions were then read to the effect,—First, T hat this meeting empowers the Committee ,of Management i n India to appoint agents, - with the delegated necessary poi viers, to pay them whatever salary is proper. and if need ly3, to suspend them. Second, Empowers the - said Commi tte e to appoint ausiiliary committees, and to give such runup en ition to any member or members of these auxiliary corm:aide Is as may be proper. Third, Gives the Committee of Man age ment full power to exert or join in the execution of such deeds as may be necessary for these measures. These having been moved and seconded by two c f the Proprietors present, whose names we could not obtain, The CHAIRMAN said, before putting the resolutions, h I had to tell the Shareholders there is a gentleman present ins thorn the Directors have the greatest confidence, who has lived and filled the highest situations in India, whose know ledge of the country and the details of its affairs led the Go Vern ment of the country to employ him confidentially. To him these resolutions will apply. The resolutions were then put and carried unanimously '. The CHAIRMAN—I have the pleasure of introducing to you John Grant, Esq., as the gentleman to whom I have refel"red as having the entire confidence of your directory. He will set off fur India by the 20th of this month, and will now take farewell of the shareholders. Let me add further, that of the proceedings in India, with reference to the Company's affairs, your Committee really yet know nothing; by n ext mail we may hear of something ; as, however, this is our condition, to talk would be useless. As to the appointor ent of Mr. Grant we are sure you still agree with us. Mr. GRANT thanked the Chairman and the Committee for the degree of confidence they had b een p l eased to expres s in I him. also beg to convey my thanks to the meeting 'Chat you have with the same confidence in me, elected me on the provisional committee. I have been a resident in India :/6 or 27 years, and very much on the track of this line, wi th the country about which lam well acquainted. The line is the most favourable possible in the Presidency. It would be premature to say more now, than that, on arriving in In la, I hope to connect myseif immediately with gentlemen . of great influence and knowledge of the country. I again repeat my sense of the honour you have done me. Mr. LEGGE—I believe it is understood that the Compt.ny's line shonld go to Diamond Harbour. But it appears from a prospectus, issued by the Calcutta and St. George's :I. 3 oint Company, that Company's line is to go to Diamond H9,rbour instead of St. George's Point. A PROPRIETOR thought this strange. The CHAIRMAN said the Directors are aware the Com mittee have done their utmost to further the interests of. the Company, and could not do more till the subject was brought before the Government. The line from Diamond Harbour to Dinapore will form another scheme. We cer tainly are the first registered. We have, besidsis, a native in our Company of very great influence in the country. Dwarkanauth Tagore has an estate extending twelve or fourteen miles along the line in the Burdwan country. We are perfectly satisfied with our position; our plans and our memorial are already before the Government. To a Proprietor, who asked whether the engineers of the other Company were at present out in India, making surveys, The CHAIRMAN replied, yes; but this was very unnecessary, all India was already accurately surveyed, and as well known in every corner as the proprietor's own garden. Dates of registration were here compared, when it ap peared this Company was registered on the 14th of April; the East India Railway Company on the 15th of May. Another PROPRIETOR—Are there not officers out doing the same duties as those imposed on the gentlemen sent out by the other Company ? CHAIR➢iAN—No ; we consider this would be quite pre mature; the country is surveyed as well as it can be, and there was no time lost. Mr. IC.R.NINEDY—I have been 32 years in Inida—l speak with the most intimate knowledge of the country. As to the question of surveys, I will remind the Company that the Asiatic sovereignties are the landowners of the country; that their revenue is land-rent. They have no com plaints of redundant population; the people are unsettled; the terror of the sovereignties is, therefore, that their agriculturists will leave them ' • and two such sover e ig n ti es will go to war with each other on this account. The agriculturists are their slaves, In order, therefore, to ascertain their revenue, they must have exact geographical surveys of the conntry. The revenue officers have . the whole, every bush and corner in the country. laid down in their charts—every soil in every district, red or black, moist or dry. The sending out of surveyors, therefore, is a mere useless expense. Those connected with the Company know the country better; and when you consider that only five shillings are paid on our deposits, the funds of the Company, it must be evident, will not allow of this. In differing from the procedure of other railways, I think we have done right, and believe the issue will show this. Mr. Princeps, on our Committee, is a gentleman whose know ledge and station entitles his opinion to great weight, and he, after a careful consideration of the plan, gave his opinion in favour of the Bengal line. General Macleod, also, not on our Committee, though his name appeared on the list by mistake, decidedly approves of our line as the. best. It has been said to ii, that an inundation from the rivers has lately occurred in the country, overflowing an extent of fifty or sixty miles to the depth of even fifteen feet, and from this it is supposed our line will not do—that it cannot be made; but this very circumstance applies to the other company's line, and not to ours. It was to prevent this, having a perfect knowledge of the country, that we did not start as we should otherwise have done from Cal cutta, but went some way up the river, by which we have escaped the inundations. Alderman HOOPER only wished to correct any false im pressions arising from the name of the engineer sent out by the other Company, for though that gentleman's name is Stevenson, it is not the celebrated Robert Stephenson. The CHAIRMAN here remarked, that Dwarkanauth Tagore had been pleased to give them his own plans and surveys, which are already in India ; and before the Governor, and that these surveys extend over much of the line, caving thus much expense to the Company. We have sent in two projected lines, one to Dinapore, and another up the liooghle:y, because large boats must unship up the river, or if not must go round by the Sunderbunds, a very danger ous passage. _ _ A . PROPRIETOR in the body of the meeting remarked that he did not see the other Company was any rival. This Company had put in two plans, of this he was glad. Now should the Government suggest any other line to the other Company, these lines of this Company would still remain, and the committee and proprietors are convinced they will be pro fitable to the shareholders. To a question by one of the Proprietors, the CLIAIRMAN said that the shares had been allotted, half to India and half to England, 40,000 shares each, and 36,000 have been paid upon in England. Mr. JONES urged very strongly on the committee that the remaining 4,000 shares, which the Chairman said had been reserved, should be allotted to the present shareholders. Mr. Jones could see no necessity, and thought there was little propriety, he had almost said, honesty, in reserving these shares to be allotted, if they paid well, to a few fa vourite?. This called forth a good deal of explanation from the CHAIRMAN and others. A PROPRIETOR, who came in late, enquired what had been known by the overland mail, and added, on hearing the Chairman could tell him nothing, that he had several letters. The purport of one of them was, that there will be a line from Mirzapore, that this is rather a favourite in the country, therefore the writer would suggest, and wished that it had occurred to the Directors before, that from the increase on shares in the Ea3t India Railway Com.. pang. one Company is enough on the same side of the country. Thanks to the Chairman for his courteous conduct in the chair were moved by Mr. JONES, and seconded. The meeting then broke up. SCARCITY OF FOOD. (From the Norfolk News.) The following memorial from Norwich to Sir Robert Peel, praying for a temporary suspension of the corn-laws, at the present important crisis, was forwarded to him on Thursday evening last, after having received about 500 signatures of some of the most respectable gentlemen and tradesmen of the city, in the course of a few hours. This number would doubtless have been much increased if another day could have been allowed TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR It. FEEL;FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY. The Memorial of the undersigned Inhabitants of the City of Norwich, Sheweth,—That your memorialists partake;in the general alarm excited by the failure of the potato crops, and the deficiency in the wheat crops, which have occurred simul taneously in Great Britain and Irelaud, and in many of the nations on the Continent of Europe. That the scarcity and the consequent privation to the poor throughout her Majesty's dominions, to be apprehended from these causes, will be felt with peculiar severity in the city of Norwich. That the operatives of this city have just emerged from a lengthened period of distress, unexampled in the memory of any living citizen, if not unparalleled in the history of civilized countries—a distress which, though borne with patient fortitude, has, in many instances, induced a condition of slow starvation—a distress which the Poor-law, and the utmost efforts of private charity, have been found alike utterly inefficient to relieve—a distress, in the recollection of which, your memorialists cannot look backward without affliction ; nor forward, under present circumstances, without absolute dismay. That the rate of wages now earned by these operatives, a rate not likely to be soon raised, and not certain to be long continued, is but barely sufficient to sustain life ; the impend ing advance in the price of food must, therefore, plunge them during the coming winter into aggravated want. Necessity, it is said, has no law; the present emergency, as it appears to your memorialists, calls imperatively for the temporary suspension of that law which limits the supply of food. For the sake of warding off, as far as possible, the antici pated sufferings of the poor citizens of Norwich, as well as the distress which is threatened to their fellow-subjects in Ireland, and in other parts of the empire, your memorialists entreat her Majesty's Government to suspend, for such time as they may deem expedient, all DUTIES ON IMPORTED ARTICLES OF FOOD. CITY OP LONDON GENERAL PENSION SOCIETY.- A very numerous meeting of this excellent charity took place on Wednesday evening last, John P. Hayward, Esq., in the chair. The Secretary, Henry F. Richardson, Esq., addressed the meeting at considerable length on the desirability of in vesting one moiety of the donations above 51. instead of the whole, thus enabling a large increase to the payments to the pensioners, whilst, at the same time, the permanent fund was gradually increased. Mr. Richardson stated that the life fund now exceeded 6,0001., and from all the inquiries he had made from many munificent donors to the charity, he had no hesitation in stating that the feeling was that the Society bad already gained sufficient permanent stability to authorise the plan, and that it would live more in the hearts of its sub, scribers and the public if the rigidity of its laws in this respect was relaxed. Mr. Richardson then entered into a variety of arguments and calculations to prove the soundness of the pro posal, and expressed hisanxious hope that, ere long, he should have the happiness to announce to the pensioners that a large increase was made, and that, in all probability,the full roma s o o f n t t t he e p n e n a s n i o n n o s u n in e e i g d h t t h s e h o fi r n tl a y n c b i a e l a c n o t n i c d i i p t a i o t n ed . of Mr.R e . s ic o c h i a e r t ( y l and stated that R. S Holford, Esq., of 15, Bolton-street 5 17 . c 5 ca s. d a i lly Mr. Cutler, and several other gentle men, then addressed the s n ha a d n annualpresentedi b th u e t o g n e . n e is ro ir u . s D d e o p ti v a t t y i on ß o e f df 2 o C r / d ., and d that it is expedient to suggest to the subscribers that one moiety only of the donations above Si. be funded. Th an k s were then voted to the chairman, and the meeting adj ourne d for a week, then to con fi r m or re j ect this important resolution. SOUTHAMPTON, PETERSFIELD, AND LONDON DI RECT RAILWAY.—A numerous and influential public meet ing of the inhabitants of Petersfield was held in that borough on Wednesday last, John Ring, Esq., the mayor, in the chair, to consider the propriety of supporting this line. The De puty-Chairman of the Company, Joseph Lobb, Esq., addressed the meeting at great length in explanation of the details of the undertaking, after which a series of resolutions (which will be found in our advertising columns) in approval and support of the line were unanimously earned. THE ARMY. CAVALRY. First Royal Dragoons—Dundalk.—Half a troop is ordered to march from Belturbet for Enniskillen, there to occupy the barracks while the cavalry stables are undergoing repairs. Six rank and file are under orders to march from Belturbet for Killishan 'ra, ti ere to remain during the repairs of the cavalry stable's. Lieut.-Colonel Marten, K.H, is on leave of absence to 30th November. Major Stephens is commanding. Cornet Stephens has joined head quarters on appeintthent, on the Ist of November. sth (Northumberland) lNFANTßY Fusileers.—Enniskillen.—The De , tacbment at Ballyslannon consisting of Brcvet•Major M‘Gre,ror, Ist Lieutenant gcroggs, 3 sergeants, 1 drummer, and 4erank and file, is ordered to be reinforced to a company. Gth Royal Regiment.—Mullingar.—A recruiting party is on march to Dublin to embark for Liverpool, en route to Leeds, there to be stationed. 7th Royal Fusileers.—Depot, Naas.—Captain Cochrane arrived in Dublin from head-quarters on 30th Oct., there to embark per steam-vessel for Cork, to take the command of the draft at Spike Island, Cork harbour, consisting of Lieut. Porter, 1 sergeant, 40 rank and file, and 2 boys, under orders to join their service companies in the West 30th (Cambridge) Reghnent.—(Castlebar.—Twe recruit ing parties are ordered to march from head-quarters for Beggar's Bush recruiting depot, Dublin, there to embark per steam-vessel for Bristol, to be stationed at Bristol and Exeter. A recruiting party is ordered to proceed en route from Castle bar, for Dublin, there to embark per steam-vessel for Glas gow, en route to Aberdeen, there to be 34th (Cumberland) Regiment. The service companies embarked at the Cove of Cork, on the 28th of October, for conveyance to Corfu, on board of the Java freight ship, 1,175 tons, with the following officers and men, &c.:—Lieutenant- Colonel Airey, commanding; Major Brown; Captains Matthews, Kelly, Goodenough, Lang, Simpson, and ywilt ; Lieutenants Harvey, Packe, Maxwell, Oxley, Talbot, Sitwell, and Burrill ; Ensigns Sir George Henry Scott Douglas, Bart, Best, Worry, and Jordan; Paymaster Roche; Quarter master Williamson; Surgeon Bain, M.D.; Assistant Sur geon Frown-, M.D., 1 regimental sergeant-major, 30 sergeants, 11 drummers, 24 corporals, 576 privates, 4 officers' wives, 2 female servants, 6 officers' children, 36 soldiers' wives, and 46. children. Lieutenant T. A. M. Brisbane is on leave of ab sence to the 31st March next, at Largo, Brisbane-house, the seat t f General Sir Thomas Macdougall Brisbane, G.C.8., F.C.H., Colonel of the Regiment. Honorary distinctions, " Albuhera," " Vittoria," " Pyrenees," " Niville Nive," "0. this," " Peninsula." Major H. Deedes is commanding the depot companies at Fermov. 40th Regiment.—We are informed that her Majesty's 40th regiment is to embark for England at the end of the present month. on board the Poictiers, Seringapatam, and Scindian. The regiment has acquired an excellent character whilst on service in India. The garrison of Fort William will thus be left without any European corps for a time; but it is expected that the 39th, now at Dinapore, will do duty here. The headquarters ofthe 40th will be on board the Seringapatam. The men will be allowed to volunteer for any of her Majesty's regiments in Bengal. The Governor-General gave a dinner on the 19th to the officers of this regiment, on the occasion of their departure from Calcutta.—Bombay Times, Oct. Ist. 79th Highlanders.—The Diadem, (398 tons) freight-ship, • will sail from Deptford, for the Cove of Cork, on the 3d Nov. to receive on board drafts of the 72d and 79th High landers for conveyance to Gibraltar, and 88th Connaught Rangers for Malta. 88th Connaught Rangers.—Depot, Boylo.—Ensign Gore has arrived in Dublin from leave of absence, en route to Cork, to join the draft under orders for embarkation for Malta. This regiment is about to sail in the Diadem, 398 tons, for Malta. DISTRIBUTION OF THE ARMY IN OUR AUSTRALIAN COLONIEIL 51st Regiment.-5 companies, (head quarters,) Hobart Town; 4 companies, Tasman's Peninsula. 58th Regiment.-3 companies, (head quarters) Bay of Islands; 3 companies, Ne w Zealand; 2 companies, New foundland. 96th Regiment.-2 companies, (head quarters) Launces ton ; 2 companies, New Zealand ; 1 company, Adelaide ; 1 company, Oatlands; 1 company, Campbell Town; 2 com panies, Tasman's Peninsula. 99th Regiment-4 companies, (head quarters) Sydney; company - , Blackheath ; 1 company, Maitland ; 2 companies, New Zealand. OADNANCE CORPS. • Rifle Brigade—Rifle Brigade depot, Ist battalion, Beggar's Bush Barracks, Dublin. Captain A. S. Murray,. has em barked at Southampton, per mail steam vessel, for the Medi terranean, to join, the Service Companies at Corfu. Major Robert Walpole is commanding the depot companies. Re cruiting, 1 sergeant and 8 rank and tile. The draft of 1 sergeant and 30 rank and file, and 3 boys, embarked at Cork in the lowa for Corfu, on the Bth October. The Board of Ordnance have recommended that the House of Industry, in Strand-street, Limerick, hired as temporary barracks, and capable of accommodating 7 officers and 236 men, belonging to Mr. Watson, be purchased by Govern ment, and be converted into permanent barracks. A new military hospital is also ordered to be built at Limerick. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. NAVAL RETIREMENT. The following are the actual numbers of post-captains in the list, eligible for the retirement, who have sent in their names to the Admiralty as willing to accept the terms pro posed : Of the first 100 on the list ...... 46 Of the next 150 on the list Of the remainder on the list Total number Thus, it appears that 48 names are required to complete the 300, and the time for receiving the applications is limittd to the end of this month. THE SURVEYOR'S 90. GUN SHIP ALBlON.—Extract Of a letter from her Majesty's ship Albion, dated Oct. 27, 18s5, latitude 47, longitude 10 west.—" Here we ate, having had four trials of sailing, and the Rattler having towed Superb first day, Rodney second day, Albion third day, and Canopus on the 25th, at the rate of 41 1 ' ; knots in the wind's eye, per kour, and the rest of us chasing her—had she been an enemy's ship towed out of action, any good sailer would have taken her. At all events, we are always beaten. Rodney and Albion started with Superb on Friday; Superb beat us about six miles dead to windward, and Rodney about two miles; to-day we had a little shell practice, and during the time we were firing the senior officer demanded inclination; and Rodney was 7 degrees port to 9 starboard, ourselves 15 port to 16 starboard ; r a th er a wide difference, is there not. between the two ships? I must say that this ship rolls more and more every day. In, the morning before (26th), at eight AM., the ship rolled many times very heavily, so much so, that it so happened that the lower deck ports were up, and heavy seas came in and floated everything in the after cock pit. It ran over the combings at least two feet deep. To remain till 3d of December, unless the Vanguard brings counter orders."— West of England Consernatire. The Apollo troop-ship, Commander Radcliffe, arrived at Santa Cruz on the 12th of October, from Cork, with troops on board, bound to the Cape of Good Hope. THE EXPERIMENTAL TRIALS BETWEEN THE RODNEY, ALBION, CAN - 451"U, AYIS We have much gratification in being enabled to lay be fore the public the following detailed account of the latest trials between the above four line-of-battle ships and the Daring 12-gun brig, under the orders of Commodore Fair fax Moresby, C.B. They come to us from an officer of the squadron of distinguished character, and we feel as sured that when the Gallant Commodore's official report shall be published, the subjoined will be corroborated in every respect. FIRST TRIAL.—As soon as the squadron got outside the Plymouth Breakwater, on the 21st October, the Daring was ordered by the Commodore to look out ahead, and when she had proceeded a little distance from the line-of battle ships, a general signal was made to chase the Dar ing. This was at 12.55, the course was W. by S., and the wind was N., a nice steady breeze, and smooth water. At 1.10 the squadron had made all sail—whole topsails, topgailant sails, royals, and fore-topmast studding sails. At 1.18 the Rodney and Superb appeared to be going ahead of the Canopus, when the signal was made to them to " Look out ahead of Commodore." The Albion at this time was right astern under all sail, dropping. At two, P.M., the Canopus had gone ahead of the Albion 1,850 yards, of the Rodney 560 yards, and of the . Daring 750 yards; but the Superb had come up with the Canopus 210 yards, the weather and wind the same. At three P.M., without change of wind and weather, the Superb had come up with the Canopus 1,000 yards, and the Albion had come up with the Canopus 50 yards. The Canopus had gone ahead of the Rodney 120 yards, and the Daring 880 yards. At 4 P.M. the Canopus had gone ahead of the Rodney 140 yards, and of the Daring 100 yards; the Superb drawing up fast with the Canopus, and the Albion having neared the Canopus 102 yards, the wind and weather just the same. At 4.55 the signal was made by the Commodore to cease the trial, when the ships were in the following positions : The Superb had beaten the Canopus 2,080 yards, and the Albion had beaten the Canopus 200 yards; the latter had gained on the Rodney, during the whole trial, 870 yards, and on the Daring 1,560 yards. The trial was a very good one, and there can be no doubt that every ship could have fought their lower-deck guns during the whole trial. SECOND TRIAL.—The next trial was on the 23d of Octo ber. At eight A.M., the Commodore made signal to chase strangers in view. All the ships with all their port stud ding sails set and royals ; course W. by S., wind E.S.F., ; force of wind 5 with a swell from &E.; wind on the port quarter. At 8.30 the squadron had made all sail, and at the time of starting the ships were in the following position :—the Albion distant from the Commodore's ship, the Canopus 1,524 yards, the Rodney 1,446 yards, the Superb, 1,675 yards, and the Daring 736 yards— all astern. At 9.35 the Superb had come up with the Canopus- 295 .yards ; the Canopus had increased her distance ahead of the Albion 716 yards, of the Rodney 334 yards, and of the Daring 554 yards ; wind and weather the same. At 10.35 the Canopus had gone ahead of the Albion 320 yards, and of the Daring 1,150 yards ; the Rodney had gained on the Canopus 70 yards, the Superb had come up 60 yards. At 10.40 the Superb carried away her foretopmast stud ding sail boom, which caused her to drop a little. At 10.55 the Canopus carried away hers also ; but, by the angles taken, she seemed to held her own with all but the Superb. At eleven the Albion carried away , mast studdingsail halyards, b u t soon had the a! her mair l ito s p e i s again. At 11.35 the C R and on anopus had gained on the Albion 1,140 yards, on the .Rodney 70 yards, Daring 1,570 yards. The Superb had also dropped 300 yards; the wind and weather much the same , with a little swell. Within this hour all the ships had taken in their lower studding-sails, except the Daring. At 12.35 the Canopus had gone ahead of the Albion 810 yards, of the Rodney 180 yards, and of the Daring 1,560 yards; the Superb had gained on the Canopus 550 yards; the wind had increased a little. At 1.35 wind and weather much the same, the Superb had come up with the Canopus 440 yards; but the latter had increased her distance from the Albion 1,410 yards, from the Rodney 60 yards, and from the Daring 840 yards. At 3.30 the Commodore made the signal to shorten sa il, when the squadron were in the following positions : The Albion astern of the Canopus 5,660 yards, the Rodney 734 yards, and the Superb 440 yards - tiff. This clay the fleet had a good seven hours' trial, during which time they ran 72 miles. Nothing could be fairer than this trial. The wind was steady i; the port quarter during the whole period, and the ships could have fought their lower deck guns, the ports having been kept open during the run. The Superb was first. having beat the Canopus 1,000 yards; the Canopus was second, having beat the Rodney (third) 734 yards; and the Albion 5,660 yards. On two or three occat,ions, in light winds, the Rattler screw steam-sloop was ordered to tow the Albion ' Rodney, and Superb, whi c h sh e did i n ver y goo d style, taking them 4i knots, against a head swell and breeze. On the 25th of October, the Superb, Rodney, Albion. and Daring, had a trial of sailing on a wind, the hat tier towing the Canopus dead to windward, against a good breeze, three knots an hour. In about six hours the Superb beat the Rodney dead to windward, and the Rodney beat the Albion. The Daring, on this occasion, beat the large ships con siderably. Upon the whole, in the above few trials, the Superb niay be considered first, the Canopus second, the Rodney third, _ and the Albion last. The Albion and the Superb rolled very lunch indeed; and it is ilie opi nion of every one that if the Superb had had her proper quantity of water and provisions on board she would be as bad as she was on the former trials. As itis, she is now in yacht-trim ; but what is the use of a ship that cannot sail with all her provisions on board? That old • Frenchman, the Canopus, seems to combine all the qualities of a thorout,h good ship—fit to chase or to run away; to fight,or to blockade.—Herald. TIIE EXPERIMENTAL BRIGS. (From the Plymouth Ti mes. ) It will be within the recollection of our readers that dur ing the time - the late squadron of brigs were under trial, and before any official report bad become public, the partisans of the Surveyor's department of the navy were constantly endeavouring to mislead the public mind relative to the merits and qualities , of their own vessel, the Flying Fish. which they stated to be the most complete and perfect of the whele; and, not content with this, they endeavoured to strengthen their statements by most unhandsome misre presentations of. the other brigs, particularly L'Espiegle and Daring. The fcrmer was made, more especially, an object of efficial jealousy and vituperation, solely from the circumstance of her having been built and constructed by three gentlemen of the late school of Naval Architecture, whom they described " as being of little or no use"—" as sauntering about the dockyards and picking their teeth with chips." All this was, of course, only a continuation of the policy pursued by the late First Lord of the Admiralty, who took so active a part. in ruining the prospects of these gentle men—certainly the best educated and most talented men in the dockyard service. He stated, as is well known, in his place in Parliament, as an excuse f or keeping them in subordinate situations, they had " failed in the science they prefe:sed ;" but did not explain how. At last, however, this shallow policy of sacrificing the interests of science upon the altar of a political party, merely to uphold the views and in terests of a few individuals, became so very apparent that the present Board of Admiralty deemed it expedient to em ploy tkese much-abused gentlemen, for the first time, in the construction and building of ships for the public service, by which it would be seen whether they were fairly open to the mean misrepreseotations of those whose very existence de pended on keeping them back in the service, or Dot. Now, it proved that, so far from their being incompetent to the very highest duties which cc uld be required of them as naval constructors, scientifically educated by the Government, that they sent in very beautiful and perfect designs for a line-cf battle ship, a frigate, and a brig, accompanied by a most complete end important report on the general state of our national naval architecture, and which, we are assured, on the best authority, gave the greatest satisfaction to the Ad miraltv. The brig, as is well known, when constructed, al though the first vessel ever built by these gentlemen, came very nearly within the line of flotation given by calculation, and differed less from the construction drawing, than any of the other vessels; whereas the Flying Fish, the brig pro posed by the Surveyor of the Navy, and constructed in hie department, differed so much from the intended line of flota tion, as shown in the construction drawing, that if all her ordnance stores, - including guns and all her provisions in casks, together with her anchors, had been sent on shore, she would not then have swam upon the lines intended. So much for the comparative merits of the constructors of these two vessels, and so .much for the alleged failure in the science professed. Come we now to the reports of the trials of these vessels as men-of•war. The official reports upon these trials, al though called for in the House of Commons, have been de 'dyed and kept back from time to time, in certainly a most extra.rdinary and suspicious way. At length, however, those who so withheld them have been literally compelled to yield them up; and it will be most gratifying to those ho endeavour to maintain the necessity of scientific educa tion in the public servie, to find that they fully bear out the enlightened and patriotic principles which they so frequently advocate. The first of these reports which claims attention is that of Commodore Corry, who states, that "on a wind," in mode rate weather, there is very little difference between the Flying Fish and Espiegle; that in a head sea, the Daring is the superior vessel ;" whilst in a following sea, " there was little difference between the three." In the thirteenth L'Espiegle "had a decided advantage over the Mutine and rest of the squadron." In fact, any one who will peruse Commodore Corry's very clear, well-arranged, and valuable report, will see that, to say the least possible in favour of this, the first vessel ever constructed by the gentlemen of the School of Naval Architecture, she was in no wise inferior in sailing qualities to the Flying Fish, the latest production of the Surveyor's department of the navy, after fifteen years' empirical experience at shipbuilding at the public expense. And it will be apparent to every one that in this same report it is proved that the Flying Fish was very frequently beaten by the other brigs—not only by L'Espiegle, but by the Waterwitch and autiee. In the ninth and tenth trials the Flying Fish was third. Upon the whole, Commodore Corry awards superior sailing qualities to the Daring. But in reference to other qualities, viz., capability of firing guns, Sc., he remarks, "Whilst al luding to the Inclination, I must state that I could not help remarking the extreme stiffness of L'Espiegle when com pared with the other vessels, which must give her a great advantage when firing her guns." Now, when it is consi. deied that this brig carries her ports nearly a foot higher out of the water than the Flying Fish, and, by Captain Thomp son's report, she left Plymouth Sound with full five months' provisions under hatches, whilst the Flying Fish could only stow, in a similar way, fourteen weeks', can any one d ou b t of the superiority of this vessel over the Flying Fish as a British man-of-war? Even the report. of Commander Harris, of the Surveyor's own vessel, the Flying Fish,. is favourabl e , and highly honourable to L'Espiegle, admitting, in fact, that each might claim success upon four trials to windward out of seven ; whilst in eight subsequent trials Commander Thomp son states that ,L'Espiegle beat the Flying Fish five times, and Daring three times. _ Yet, notwithstanding these striking facts, the organ cf the Surveyer'a-office, which seems to keep no terms with either consistency or truth, has the impudence to tell the public that these returns to the House of Commons prove the great supe rierity of the Flying Fish over all the other brigs, 'as they have repeatedly maintained. 'Verily, none are so blind as those who won't see. if Captain Corry's repost goes for anj thing, it goes to show directly that the constructors of L'Esplegle have been most unjustly dealt with, both by Lord Mint° and the late Board of Admiralty, ar.d tyrannically kept down to subordinate situations iu the dockyards • against every principle of honourable deal ing. If the Admiralty will only look a little forward there will appear a most melar.choly prospect of otitainilig in a few years, properly qualified persons for superintending the work of the dockyard ; and from At hem can be selected surveyors of the navy and other officers in the higher department of the service. In fact, they have only the wreck of the School of Naval Architecture to depend on. Some of them may be certainly found eminently quali fied as practical and theoretical shipbuilders, extremely well versed in the routine of the dockyard, and who are beside sound mathematicians; but even those are getting far advanced in life, and unless some grand step be taken to train up and educate fitting persons in the science of naval architecture for the Go vernment service, why, as a matter of course, that service must either become degraded in its class of shipwright officers, or be left at the mercy of any successful private shipbuilder or amateur, who, through the patronage of the State, can seize upon the office of the Surveyor of the Navy. The Reform Admiralty have made a pretty mess of it, they " and their apron men." They have certainly left the Go vernment ship building in a tar worse state than they four d it; with such a man as Sir Byam Martin, Comptroller of the Navy, and such men as Sir Robert Seppings, Sir Willi am Rule;Sir Henry Peake, and others, there was at least some guarantee that the public affairs could not be misconducted by underlings and managing men, whilst, at the same time, there was some little regard shown to the progress of science in the establishment of the School of Naval Architecture. We hays, in this respect, to use a homely proverb, la out of the frying-pan into the tire. It was remarked by an old stage coachman, in regard to railways, that if you are thrown oft' a coach into a ditch " there you are. But if zou are smashed in a railway carriage where are ye?" Now where we are in the naval architecture of the Government by this smash of the reform government in their royal road to learning, we believe it would puzzle any to tell—such a mass of contradictions was never before heard of in any public establishment. With respect to the official reports of the brigs, we earnestly recommend them to the serious attention of naval men, as bring quite conclusive to the principlei for which we are contending, and as being a complete con tradiction to the numerous attempts of hired writers to mis lead the country upon all the important questions of its government shipbuilding and the melancholy state of itq dockyard affairs. ROYAL THAMES YACHT CLUB. On Thursday the monthly meeting of the club was held at the British Coffee-house, W. Harrison, Esq., the Commodore, presiding, faced by Lord A. Paget, the Vice-Commodore and supported by Lord W. Lennox, and a b out e i g h ty influential gentlemen of the club. Mr. RLYNELL brought forward his long-delayed motion for the establishing a new club-house, or removing from their present quarters, and after considerable discussion the motion was unanimously carried, and a committee of thirteen gen• tlemen appointed to inquire as to the best mode of carrying out'the same, and to report thereon. Among the gentlemen appointed were the Commodore, Vice-Commodore, Lords W. Lennox and Sealiam ; the first meeting to take place on Thursday, the 20th inst., at Cuttriss's Piazza Cotiee-house. The great confusion at present existing from the mode of taking the ballot was, on the motion of Dir. GREENWOOD, altered to taking the names collectively, or by balloting singly if one black were found in five It was also decided, upon a motion of Mr. BUCKNALL, that the Society 'should in future receive 11. for every yacht sold after being placed on its list. The remaining business having been disposed of, thanks were awarded to the Commodore, &c., and the proceedings terminated. __ --- SIR ROBERT PEEL.—We are exceedingly happy to state that the answer to inquiries in Whiteh a ll -gardens on Thurs day:was, that Sir Robert had nearly recovered from his recent attack of the gout, and was in excellent health. COURT. — In the event of a continuance of the present fine autumnal weather, her Majesty and the Prince Consort, accompanied by the infant Royal Family, are expected to proceed to Osborne House about the 2 .oth or 21st in s t., w h ere t h e C ourt will probably remain for about a fortnight or three weeks. MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Or LADY ADELA Vittixas.—BaiouTox, Now. 6.—Considerable excitement has been caused in this town by the sudden and mysteriows disappear ance of Lady Adela Corisanda Maria Villiers, youngest daughter of the Earl of Jersey, who has been missing since yesterday afternoon. His Lordship and family are at present residing at East Lodge, Upper Rock-gardens. It appears that at five o'clock yesterday afternoon her Ladyship retired to her room, with the avowed in tention of dressing for dinner, but as she did not make her ap pearance at table,. inquiries were made, and she was not to be found in the house. On Rather investigation it was ascertained that her Ladyship passed through the lodge -gate, at a quarter past five o'clock, with a small bundle in her hand, and turneddown St. James's-street ; but nothing further could he learned of her. Inquiries have been made since at the railway station, but no per son employed about it remembers any person answering her Lady ship's description going by either of the trains which left 18 ,1 night after five o'clock. Every means have been resorted to to t tra l t i e the fugitive, but hitherto without th e s li g h test suc cess. Ine genes of the distressing occurrence was f orwar d e d to . the Cou nte rs of Jersey, who was on a visit to the D u ke a nd Duchess of Norfolk, at Arundel Castle, and the Countess returned to East Lodge early this morning. Lady Adele is only 17 years of age. MAKING THE BEST OF IT.—Not long ago the minister of a dissenters' meeting-house, near this town, failed to make his appearance at th e hour appointed for the commencement of the service. 'the congregation waited patiently for some time, but still he came not ; and anxiously they waited 00, expecti ng each moment that he would be seen ascending the pulpit, but still t h ey wa it e d in vain.hey, however, brakehe s ilencetretnained q o u f i t e h t e ly h i o n us t e he o ir f . places, and scarcely a whisper worship. . At length a highly respectable gentlemen of this town, seeing his son in the lower part of the chapel, and no doubt think ing it time to commence proceedings, called out '• Tom!" Tom " Yes, father." " Hadn't we better sing a hymn, Toni " Yes, father, I think so," responded Tom. Accord. ingly a hymn was given nut and sung. Still the minister did not appear, and the service came again to a dead standstill. The ad gentleman above alluded to, however, came again to the rescue. Calling again to a relative, he said, " Hadn't some one better mac) a sermon ?" " I think so," was the reply, and forthwith the re spondent, a sharebroker of this town, went into the vestry, foUtsd sermon, ascended the pulpit, and read the discourse with good emphasis and discretion.—Urerpool Albion.