The Sun. — London, England, 1845-11-21 00:00:00

HE CORN LAWS. 74u ~1n , (PRox A ConnE.sPoNDErr.) , i tf . , g st neient history, we find time divided into reigns m. l l ort; l4tk ii 3 gs, and a c h ange of dynasty the most i th e o f event s . B ut in modem times, when the power of got.L Pee Ple has co unterbalanced that of the monarch, t a new is ones,. itki.tstilla thall- mnaequenee than a popular movemen -a new a change of:public opinion.different We have 'the Con bl:iillohe:the'ellignerlYseesbooubtetyl:enosat m th e e f ici on: of government ; it is g. The influence of the people great as in'England. Parliaments i m .o a n k . e How te e t e t ssa Y are Weighed in the balance of public op tolls of i s It, then, for those who rule to watch the indica 111 °gill s ).„,, 'nighty spirit, to feel the pulse e . e called upon to govern. of those whom 4 44; , lag events cast their shadows .. before.' ti like i .., statesman will mark the rising necessities', and vi tile o f Pel ted. A r t . necessity, by yielding before he is com- Vles L , '" e ve all, he will anxiously uatch . .. the time . Ibli ° . 4 loro become useless, old restrictions .. irksome , he 41 111 5" es, u P in t ime, and yield to the spirit of the age. I:44,tistd:oliecayasfinadirSdrim.ust have an end, the most perfect system It is with these, as with the years of d Onifit me dually reaches maturity, and then hastens to his 4411( 1 -4 to flf we look• back to our . past history, if we l 'trss, 4na °reign nations, we shall find that all rules, and l 'e`frs,, --- 4,3lleinSl'dourish for a time, and then inevitably h e 01 . acco"j4ws are made for the present . moment : they may 41 b, f snee with our immediate necessities, but they Noet ) .- °4(I M arbitrary and impossible for posterity as the /tyi n ‘ 3 of tine child are useless for the man. In sur it4r,ortag , th , e i l ar. , t, we shall find that the great revolutions and 10 0 1 , 11 ' 1 ' erclits were chiefly occasioned by this tendency o ,- re kPtadetigethe.ruinous effects of an old system, for the m I° lr ,P e licY of the new. It is the daty of a government el liti le s igns of the times with an anxious eye, to eager how Nroft, kke--..v and, p erchance, avert the coming danger ; an li el thill be done? This is no idle question at the present all thin gs warn us that a crisis is at hand-this 41, teginning of the end." NI ‘,.' 4l g there will be a change, but whether for good or . , q e tutu B ,''' N I , bust determine. The outward . surface is is ti i„ -- Yet the storm approachris. The whisper of L -mkt t wtlid e is as the rising breeze, and the eyes of all are 111, e, °Wards thos e inpower , even as in the time of d tt °Nero ,Ntlig, r egard the pilot at taebe m. per ,4l4krlg tempest, but it i s not for them to act. They lla to ' e ll) to those whose d'ity it is to guide them ; findand lilt N es t be their feelings in that anxious moment,. to the %0.1, 4tAtilen absent from their post, and neglecting . g - diBPute With c another ? One advising this oct,:.Mothe ae is confusion, and nothing d i r e atop, Counselling that-all l'::ki lik k ire til safety mu 0,,e4ti 4 ef on. : anz aPP i : e t a y e o h ,: e' e s on the wings of the wind-soon all lost. What can these voyagers do? their countenances as they watch . the W " 4 ; What :Agony, what distrust, what fears mingled 1,,t1/440s11:11ei,,,deferred, that maketh the heart sick." '4 th t 6 "I°lder than the rest approaches the leader, rre t7trom-ttfaatillrell ensions, and implores aid. lie is calmly th e ` bo co n e r emonstrance has beard - but . he is ..... m c4 lo P tion no,promises. Every instant increases 4 " A ti o h ''':? er' ti e° erY inst'ant,:iretards the decision-must the ship ado 44 (13 to " v l ong will the spectators wait ? Are there totpi. endurance 2 If we were to read of such an k tili e ' W ould , 11 5 , kl etisi, we, could we believe it ? Could we credit k r 'tail 4 4%7' 811°1 madness ? No, we should regard the 0 4 , 84 11 4 l e• Yet, if look around, can we find no parallel Oilot s _ 4ll . e ? To what can we compare t f l i i .o e m co d n an du g c e t r o: k i7_ the re ~.i it thi s zn oment ? Are we free qt, k " Are a el°t4 ls in the horizon ? Is our path all sun ; skits. ' W e BFf3 even now menaced with the . . worst of d la tkk , tle 3 ef previsi - on. Our daily food is failing, an ti l ! tati a o l ; hand--.famine, the greatest curse that Can '4, Pte, ), ' worse even than death, for it . destroys not gort i but kitt thi s withers all feelings and affections. And by \ll ll 41 114 1 be felt ? Will the rich suffer ? No, t os th ! toliches them they will no longer be s . t . be en ri jo c y h ;!fettt:rae I, ill be no poor. No, they may ina t ill t 7t lZ f e 4 ficti ° l i d b , gaieties , may still rejoice afe battle, or Nil;llrt-ball-they will be safe. And the middle 11 - Wl ii IMY perhaps, pay dearer for their bread, but 114. Pk. el ' ave bread. Then who will suffer ? The 1 C„ bria b Y el es 0 but the great body of the people must ~4 1 1 tl; 4lll lv:i: b il , r den P • ' ITrion the weakest and most helpless 4, tte nr,‘ Press the hardest. How many . thousands kf lil tll ,' w Who can 'Scarcely contrive to exist I . They t \teqt their" of ' starvation-they subsist on the v h e e ries th, Itrio, trifle will be taken away from t m 4 11 ,'' 411 sds Whie ll would be insufficient to support . but which is o f 811, or h orses of the great, feeble 14 4 1i t te ' th which alone sustains the spark 14, 4 , e, ~a,t' g u st he taken from them. 4 ie sl . lti `'o ‘44kg thensands more be brought to the Thousandsverge o . f ' lll it . ,,, el lin fn licl w hy? Why must the people . starve . in this g l ;' ail -rnuent-this time of peace-this reign of spe liq,aictivitY ? Never did nation arrive at such a ,Nit af. et t 1164 d n ow-never did people suffer more cruelly 'NI, ' q e e e again, Why is this ? Those who reflect on tt, he ' 4l 4 i e i e us tion will say a crisis is at hand-the o n't.ttY. A t ll° lc' ger adequate to the necessities of the *44'; th ey the ;:resent day we have a Ministry of expe- I'lltksleeern. Plausible enough ; they are ever ready . "Pa rt ' ,l'otOit-11,d manoeuvres ; they pass muster at a re . ''llu - " t ' li sp . lB in the day of battle that their weakness tois 111, si lv ' t i1tp 1 ,.. 1 4 no principles, they can have no plans 'k,r,,,,,illey":sot in the sunshine, but when the storm I , e t ttliZg Pilot ,, ntdecided and inefficient. the They are l late • i l kij7 t 40t 1 ; 3 l a the storm. Already it is almost . too PEELa , t4o le ''cit4 e 4i tste an instant longer. Surely Sir R. ki11,,, t1 4t th,,.-11.°11gh to understand his position. He must b: resh7, i 8 the time to cast party prejudices and ut k i4', 43, , st: tie na to the winds, and to follow o i i, 4 1 (4 gol7d*htf°Nrard, and liberal feeling. Will he not ,i' t t'al t ! 4 Or t 41,4 °P PQrtunity, prove himself worthy of the 4 t tr , 6 7, 444""e country, and come forward as the modern L ll tll' b lio -11114 by difficulty, to write ne plus ultra . on 9 1 ( 1 1 : '' , 4 , l , l , l i i i i i l ars of restriction and oppression? Will he 1141 ' .. t4 eY , h e listen to the fears of his colleagues? tlityte,l,4 ilesitate--are they still influenced by worn-out 1, 4 ' 1 ° 11 1, 4 t elib ° the Y Diar the charge of inconsistency-will Ns, ', thOtnoll tl Leir beloved schemes? They grasp a , i 'Ll tll: i lv4 loi Will filn/ the reality is gone. They think of 1 , 41 tY lit tte t c ! - f ! t ' f O. l . eft' that the welfare of the people . b :'; th 8 11 1 ' ili - a g, vg ern in e g nt-the care of the State is the : ,Nt, t ;., tW i l l i st ; tr Y 3 . : When i it neglects that, it is unworthy !i t a ri ght it it to us if the Council do not agree ?- tl e 4) /h viit ll tl i - .honourable baronet cannot reconcile his u; the 1 11, w e j yz ews of a noble lord or a right honourable ~Y 'Bryan,,,,' 3e k to the suffering people, whose lives are '''sl, end w. if the Ministry cannot agree, t„ trl hi resign sa y , who has tt ,,l t t rQ self, I, ' Steely, Sir ROBERTP EEL, 1 ,4 4 such a oomo tent manager of the House, will . 1.:%)111,4,e4,41:t4,149,e0t.11! Cabinet-if not, he must give up his ' kr it4l4 j; lf -,1 3Ri t ... 11 . 18 duty to his country. He must be ; With :"! 1 " to ac not the chief . of a faction;as such let tt'tlkiltignn, Let' , The Cabinet is against him-the people 11, l 'rt heredntit h im issue the order to throw open the . 14.- „,.400d. to starving millions, and whether Whig Wfl it ill . iat er : e r rnle the kingdom, he will be recognised as Ille bo t i l i tilt s , ai l llci 'relinquished his party to suit the exigencies k ''''. ' '44ve iq , his colleagues to secure the safety of ,Alt v t.., AichkstlsTE SAV EN GS' BANK, ;IN --STRE ET.-Established July 5, 1830 '44, s tar k ~... ED - ..a, z -- ---w'r OF PROGRESS, AT SPECIFI E D 'RING THE LAST SEVEN YEARS. O4 Sums invested with , °Pen Deposit National Debt 4 01, 20 Accounts. Commissioners. '11,839 ..e.R.11 935 1e4:421..... ....... 13,004 £223,353 '''w.. .. .. 12 ' 680 253,167 ,843 ............ . 1 1 4 3„3 13 4 0 9 266,407 285,382 319,496 i!S ....... 15,124 lt4ithf(l4o, _,.........................L.............°36.-...... 16 201 350,089 356,954 ' t t j'.,;_ 4 iz..., , t ----------_____- t fi °° r '6. will hp tip left Paris on Saturday for IV,`,ll4!_cl th.: u P a ' --- her es h - few days on where she is engaged 1,11-7; -en proceed to Rome, t c; 41 ,„, at ~ciocof; p er if ht % • 11 attention to fares toethkt th'ltt•Rr4tlGed at being able to ea reduction of —..- tat ; a t the Lake teite 1,0,a4 notwithatanding the recent receipts of last enrre Itic#l,L.kitt,,% and Brighton Railway, the o f the tte 'tilt ``'M by n 1;,, 1 001. the receipts be e kteklYtip*teietiiillas- t..-eaearr: lihis_ circumstance must the public COFFEE.—On R4k 6,,i94oatike to the shareholders and to kottith A" SekLb4 Gazette. DEAT H HT COFF h E e boa_ of L Le .tt 8 4 i.. e tED TO . . - , onwtin sinYg,.. Zt• ItX,bittet:i.(sP!, a . was death in Liverpool she was NI IN ',vim met his . under the follo 4tititr i 4 t h ltolo:l4:--.Margaret Wilson, idiaer t ha tof fedikary Ht(h)wiretr;d: '4.14 33;it4th, and l odged in the am d ce e e ceased, ot,t hoictlo.4terda:Jedditin ee e k the Bth f.j hi t( ;11,1 fottnd‘thewdeeeti, sed who A w b as eat eight by „ane, went ti3o, the-I"te,,d state• The landlady, hthl deceased C,I tlvOess 1,'',4,1, and *while she was away the•nto bed. had got 1 Ay t -'4 `t a f , after he c s e it l ti ll a r t inst - an t t i i wktn e e i ss u was the ik 1., ttiltli eW 14 ords - d what use 014, 1 kid .mt of Phythian she asked bling beca Nit 4 ' ref "-488 I,ohlher that h e was gram 111 h I th t LN to ge t b d Phythian then sal , hearing 111,;,.tj. eat -'s--- d la tcibkeen 'sot.- Immediately on was to ''thf 1115 lu t i he bed asked what the diu Some 111 4 444 cal d her' “ old faggot." h 4),thi R 1,3, ~...r i a . d " Never ---- them, and 8:t if ,-, t,11141 tool."hs passed between 4Pil/}Ath-M h,,,,- -Ib the poker and said she would strike ker himdown, shi ll 41 h o - a "faggot" again. She put the Po qtet 44i d o' hr, " What else are you? .e 11/ ' 4 all 4 faggot ?" She said, if she took are you any qt'll h *lsaid sem d h* h f th r 4 a, .. -, im, and immediately. hob, lay upon the elan rew i,'"utaming hot coffee, which allover his head, after she the 1 kr. him. The coffee went ~, „ mar_ thud theilli, Z Ile called out to witness, anu , ;uo the qulrdered " t 8 went to 1m -e. se 4 i, _, . i nes gist for soku 4t ' dr,ato!,l parts, and sent to a drug as sent to to.' tillr), e„..1%. The following morning he w the period 11110-4eath, ,lospital wher remained up to i, at once, t he „ha Itli,l°l)kh oee'orred onehursdaY last. PhYt 10 1 11 yt ),.`t aolstr at the time went out after throwing ` 4e IlLita) atd acknowledgedto two of the neighbourso, these '''tll iv el:i hirn 4‘ afa ot's mark by throwing a en t he ParN Itil'" IN't h dgg heard any wards aboutbettyw rEt i b,f,, ' ness a not. tit kYltds fi, re that time, The bed, she said, was it h-14,i - .Y lid °ial the and the pan, which was w re.. kitt:l Verdi fireplace,ifol of coffee. The jury having m. 1, 11 '``., te kin e t ,_eS " Manslaughter," Phytbian was co at Ik'Prokhl u.kle gaol to take her trial on the charge liotiiilirat 1 ,,, ag 'winter assizes• Prior to leaving the Court 'tail `Aallp;"‘Q. tears, nd expr.s ed aho that the Coroner Pe 1)44 Na h e rears, see3the bod e 3 f the The Coroner deceased. li kh a 8111galar 1,. Y * () that he should not tro hero or der aPp 'cation, and t her tiltk , on the subject • but he should not preven . littk.e, ':ltewn the rd b'y to offi.cer who had her in its,_ t o . officer accordingly took her. to the Northern 411...11w the b ody, an con ducted her to 44'47P991411'i0n, id Priq id wells and did Graham , owe De. 0 Closet, OD ° he Du ke , eel, Fi rs " r of Stat e sident of 31 - , Chan f C° lll- ie sidneY rd Chain- rther pro sd,y, the ile nig" ' tenant of ted to be ie Council 3 Gra ll4ll4 ester, gr. 'l. William the G reat The on. ..,, d fsaYe ; '". led a t the nillo l3lk' 5 ,„t to ) rd Ch arles 1d Colonl , n i v g e'er. P St35 iAu n i by Bar°. o'3 l Ilig". attire tbis ) •ceel tb a irigssev c,3oop::seretthi%ty Gad;. didAtlnii ill Pin ctio' ring arC li. . $t sr tir riC a nd u pis res astle• r° our te jA boa da a of L" :se / pel tr P ill. iSi bie be P ° l3 sve o i e t s b of t be t daS bate roof' , roof° 'Derv' or the „ D os. ft. se yrs o leo; o , b , t on t , i ,„ 1 1 it* 3oril f° , # 5 elff 'tin t ;, s 4 l! Vig e° /st 3 15 :80'„, 70‘. alp Ae b ,i f tv . 0 - rfrO rh o 1,61 0 or ,0 3 6. prei n e , ving ;e , , r oo”" *P- e l ' ik 4 e" O e s °f Vt i jie 1 V3 O O io,a ;c 1 .ght. 4 ,.. t o ol p , of r cor',o9 o ,t of . 6 1 nO° 4 4 is ls - 6 r. Ps op' • 9s t 41b l$ ding' CO Ora m oo .000 St si. ;01: 0 oseP e. fri,tifo' d s 3s. b• 6 ntl 5, 4 00 4. .. e e r , n ce V a be es lii_lf b ioloot t '5 Ib P- 5' 13or LITERAT URE. THE CITY; or Physiology of London Business with Sketches on 'Change and at Cofee•houses. The author of this book has scarcely done justice to himself in his title—his aro not mere sketches, they are daguerrotypes of the city and its inhabitants. It is one of the most readable books we have lately met with ; and at the present moment, when every one is interested in the proceedings of the Stock Exchange and the share • market ; when the novel reader leaves his novel for the romance of the railways ; w hen the youth no longer talks of love but of lines ; and, when even the clergy themselves are deeper in the study of scrip than of scripture, such a book as this cannot but be most useful as well as amusing. Do yon wish to be introduced to the Bank directors, and to the principal London ban kers and bill discounters, our author will introduce you to their intimate personal acquaintance. He will act as your cicerone in the awful bank parlour, and accompany you to the clearing-house; he will initiate you into all the mysteries of: the Stock Exchange, teach you to know a broker fr.an a jobber, to distinguish between a bull and a bear, and after that hunt you a stag, and explain to you lois physiology. The follow ing account of the changes induced in the Stock Ex change by the death of Rothschild, and by the intro duction about tbe same time of pigeon expresses, will be found interesting, and will at the same time enable the reader to judge of the style of the book. " When ,the late Mr. Roth;Child was alive, and business ever became flat and unprofitable in the Stock Exchange, the brokers and jobbers generally complained and threw the blame upon this leviathan of the money market. Whatever was wrong was always alleged to be the effect of Mr. Roths child's operations, and, according to the views of these parties, he was either bolstering up, or unnecessarily depress ing, prices for his own object. An anecdote is related. of this great speculator, that, hearing on one occasion that a broker had given very strong expression to his feelings in the open market on this subject, dealing out the most deadly anathemas against the Jews, and consigning them to the most horrible torments, he sent the broker, through the medium of another party, an order to sell 600 , 0001. Consols, saying—*As he always so abuses me, they will never suspect he is Bearing the market on my account." Mr. Rothschild employed several brokers to do his buisness, and hence there was no ascertaining what in reality was the tendency of his operations. While perchance one broker was buying a certain quantity of stock on the order of his principal in the market, another would, at the same moment be ,instructed to sell; so that it was only in the breast of the principal to know the probable result. It is said that Mts. Rothschild tried her hand in speculating, and endeav , Jured by all her influence to get at the secret of her husba'jd's dealings. She, however, failed, and was therefore not - eery successful in her ventures. Long before Mr. Rothsch;:td's death it was prophesied by many of the brokers, tb.at, when the event occurred, the public would be less 3:l`arnied at the influence of the firm, and come forward more freely to engage in stock business. They have, notwilbstanding, been very much mistaken; for although several years have elapsed since his demise, the in tervening period, till the present railway speculation, has been one of most unexampled dulness. Now he is dead, many, no doubt, wish he were alive again, to impart activity to business, as well as increase their own resources by the handsome commissions he was in the habit of paying. "Mr. Rothschild is said to have generally speculated as a Bull, and a great portion of his large property was obtained by such operations. At a party which he one gave at his mansion on Stamford-hill, one of the guests, in order to pay a compliment to his host, introduced upon the supper-table the figures of a Bull and Bear in violent conflict with each other. The Bear, however, appeared to be nearly subdued by his horned antagonist ; and the device, which was thoroughly understood, was honoured with the approbation of the company. " Among the various plans adcpted of late years for securing early intelligence fer Stock Exchange purposes, none have proved more successful than that of ' pigeon expresses.' Till within the last seven or eight years the ordinary courier brought the news from the Continent; and it was only the Rothschilds, and one or two other important firms, that ran' intelligence in anticipation of the regular French mail. However, about ten years ago the project was conceived of establishing a communication between Paris and London by means of pigeons, and in the course of two years it was in complete operation. The training of the birds took considerable time before they could be relied on ; and the relays and organisation required to perfect the scheme not only involved a vast expenditure of time, but also of money. In the first place, to make the communica tion of use on both sides of the Channel, it was necessary to get two distinct establishments for the flight of the pigeons —one in England and another in France. It was 'then necessary that persons, in whom reliance could be placed, should be stationed in the two capitals, to be in readiness to receive er dispatch the birds that might bring or carry the intelligence, and make it available for the parties interested. Hence it became almest evident that one speculator, without he was a very wealthy man, cou!cl not hope to support a ' pigeon' express. The consequence was, that the project being mooted, two or three of the speculators, including brokers of the house, themselves joined and worked it for their own benefit. Through this medium several of the dealers have made large sums of money ; but the trade is scarcely so profitable as it was, because the success of the first operators has induced others to follow the example of establishing this species of communication. The cost of keening a ' pigeon' express has been estimated at 6001. or 7001. a-year ; but whether this amount is magnified with the view of deterring others from venturing into the specu lation, is a question which never seems to have been properly explained. It is stated that the daily papers avail themselves of the news brought by these expresses;' but, in considera tion of allowing the speculators to read the dispatches first, the proprietors, it is understood, bear but a minimum propor tion of the expense. The birds generally used are of the Antwerp breed, strong in the wing and fully feathered. The months in which they are chiefly worked are the latter end of May, June, July, August, and the beginning of September; and though the news may not be always of importance, a communication is generally kept up daily between London and Paris in this manner. "In 1837-38-39, and 1840, a great deal of money was made by the pigeon -men,' as the speculators supposed to have possession of such intelligence are familiarly termed; and their appearance in the market was always indicative of a rise or fall, according to the tendency of their operations. Having the first chance of baying or selling, they, of course, had the market for a while in their own hands; but as time progressed. and it was found that the papers, by their second editions,' would communicate the news, the general brokers refused to do business till the papers reached the City. The pigeons brin g ing the news occasionally got shot on their passage ; but as aflock of some eight or a dozen are started at a time, miscarriage is not of frequent occurrence. At the time of the death of Mr. Rothschild one was caught at Brighton, having been disabled by a gun-shot wound; and beneath the shoulder-feathers of the left wing was dis covered a small note, with the wor.ls "Il est snort," followed by a number of hieroglyphics. Each pigeon establishment Was a method of communication entirely their own ; and the conductors, if they fancy the key to it is in another person's power, immediately vary it. A case of this description oc curred not long ago. The parties interested in the scheme fancied that, however soon they received the intelligence, there were others in the market who were quite equal with them. In order to arrive at the real position of affairs, the chief proprietor consented, at the advice of a friend, to pay 101. for the early perusal of a supposed rival's pigeon ex press.' The express' came to hand—he read it, and was not a little surprised to find that he was in reality paying for the perusal of his own news! The truth soon came out— somebody had bribed the keeper of his pigeons, and were thus not only making a profit by the sale of his intelligence, but also on the speculations they in consequence conducted. The defect was soon remedied by changing the style of characters employed, and all went right as before." We would earnestly advise all who may be inclined to dabble in accommodation lAN, to read the chapter on " Petty Bill Discounters, and the manner of doing a Bill." It is an admirable exposure of an infamous system of ex tortion. He gives us a very lively description of a meeting of railway proprietors, and an admirable portrait of Mr. Levy, the great pacificator at all these meetings, and a "great man in the City." He next introduces us to the Royal Exchange and to its " Lions," the Rothschilds, Barings, and Salomons; and then, ascending the staircase, he conducts us to Lloyd's, and introduces us to the underwriters, merchants, and captains. From thence we go in company with some of these merchants to the North and South American Coffee-house, where we find the City correspondents of the various newspapers busily engaged in preparing the "City article.' On leaving the North and South American Coffee-house we go to the Jerusalem, the resort of those engaged in East India or Australian commerce. One person fre quenting this place deserves especial notice, " And that is the indefatigable gentleman, Lieutenant Waghorn, by whose exertions and plans the overland route was first adopted. He has now started an agency for the conveyance of parcels overland, and is, in some small degree, benefiting by the undertaking, since he is well supported by the majority of the merchants, who, knowing they can rely on his punctuality, patronise him in preference to numerous other firms who are following the same description of business. "Lieutenant Waghom is rather an eccentric man, and, though excitable, is undoubtedly an honest British seaman. A story is current in the City that " Tom Waghorn," as he is familiarly called, can do nothing without the Pacha of Egypt, and the Pacha of Egypt nothing without him. This statement, it is commonly understood, originates from the strong friendship existing between these two great men. Waghorn is said to be Mehemet Ali's fides Achates, and every reason exists for believing that the influence the one possesses over the other has done much to ensure the safety, and facilitate the passage of the mail across the desert. "It will be recollected that, at the time of the war in Egypt, Mr. Waghorn took up the cudgels in one of the even ing papers in favour of the Pacha, and was replied to (as Mr. Waghom will always have it) by Lord Palmerston, in the Globe. Mr. Waghom vigorously defended the Pacha against (as he imagines) the assaults of the ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs, and to this day he takes no little credit to himself for so thoroughly vanquishing (as he thinks) his mighty op ponent. The project of a railway across the desert, and a variety of the local improvements in Egypt, are by many of Mr. Waghorn's friends attributed to his influence with the Pacha; and such a distinction, if only earned by a tithe of what he is supposed to have done, must afford such an ambitious man, as Mr. Waghom really is, some reason for self-congratulation. "The rapidity of Mr. Waghorn's movements is a great feature in his bustling character. You meet him one day at the Jerusalem ; and the next, or the day after, you see him announced as arrived in Paris, on his way to Marseilles—of course en route for Egypt. You are perhaps, in a day or two afterwards, surprised to find, rushing up Cornhill or down Birchin-lane, the individual who, you would have thought, could scarcely have reached Alexandria; and when you say, Ah what ! back again—why you've never seen the Pacha?' Yes, I have though—when we travel we don't do things by halves.' " It was not many months ago that Mr. Waghorn was off on one of these flying visits, and he then reached as far as Bombay. On his return, he was asked how he liked the ap pearance of affairs there. He replied, Not at all—no im provements going on there as in other parts of the world-- the Parsee!, the Jews of the place, are eating up all before them.' This eccentric individual is about fifty years of age ; he is, we should say, five feet six, with a robust constitution and intelligent countenance, the latter much tanned by his frequent voyages to, and excursions in, Asiatic countries. He is a regular attendant at the Jerusalem when he is in town, and has large connexions with many of the first merchants in the City. The only remuneration Mr. Waghorn is under stood ever to have received from Government for the interest he exhibited in promoting and directing the route of the overland mail, was the concession of the title of Lieutenant R.N.,' for which he sought several years before it was allowed. The merchants in the year 1839-40, however, very hand somely subscribed a considerable sum, and presented it to Mr. Waghom, to enable him to push his agency, both at home and in India, which then required more capital than he could readily command. Since that date, although compe tition has made a dead set against him, he has gone on pretty successfully, and so continues up to the present time. "Within the last two months the merchants hays COM. THE S UN, LONDON, FRI DAY MORN ENG, NOVEMBER 21, 1845. me iced a subscription for a testimonial to Mr. Waghom, which promises to be liberally supported." Want of 'space alone prevents us from giving further extracts from this most amusing book, in which the City, and all connected with it, are reflected as in a mirror,and which will henceforth be an entertaining remembrancer for those who are acquainted with City life—a manual of useful information for those who are desirous of being initiated into its mysteries, and an agreeable book for the winter's evening for all who, having heard of the mames of stocks, and shares, and City localities, and City people, would wish to know something further about them. quell, coming to look on, one of their number addressed some words of consolation to these poor women. Within twenty-foui hours, not only this imprudent individual, but all those around him, had disappeared. " The falling of a wall in the midst of the nuns injured many, and killed eight of them outright. Aninth and tenth soon after perished. " These ten bodies were carried of by the people, and hidden, where all the efforts of the Russian authorities failed TEMPLETON IN AMERICA. Our, old friend Templeton is creating quite a furore in America. The New York Herald, which devotes more than a column to the account of his debut, speaks of him as the greatest tenor singer that has ever appeared. It appears that the house was crowded to suffocation, and that the audience were so enthusiastic, that Templeton felt bound, at the conclusion of the performance, to return them especial thanks, which he did in a neat speech, for the magnificent reception they had given him. He re peated his entertainment on the following evening, and the following is the critique of the New York Tribune:— " On Friday evening, Templeton—the all-accomplished Templeton—presented us with a romance which might have flowed from the pen of Scott. Never was the history of the beautiful and illustrious Mary, Queen of Scots,' listened to with sympathy more profound, and never was it our lot to hear the details of history more attractively handled. The whole entertainment fell on our ears more like a brilliant poem than a grave matter of historical interest. The songs were sung as only Templeton could sing them. Did our space permit we would instance many additional triumphs of this truly great vocalist ; but it is impossible to pass in silence the effect produced by the humorous and eccen tric ' Jolly Beggars'—the production, it is well known, of King James, who is himself the hero of the ballap—which was enthusiastically encored. Not inferior to this was the inspiring and original strain, Put off, put off,' which also met, as it merited, a warm encore. ' Scots wha hae ' was in troduced with singular felicity, and, as usual, commanded thunders of applause. Between the parts Templeton again charmed us with his magnificent I love her, how I love her;' and, at the conclusion, after describing with deep pathos the last days of the ill-fated Mary, he struck a su blime chord of sorrow in All is lost,' which he delivered with an effect perfectly thrilling. The house was even more densely crowded than usual." to discover them. " About this period, several monks of St. Bazilius were brought to the same convent. Their treatment is described as having been more barbarous than even that of the nuns. Four of these men, Zawecki, Komar, Zilewicz, and Buck zynaki by name, all upwards of seventy years of age, were at last, in the full severity of winter, stripped and placed under a pump, where as the water was poured over them it gradually congealed into a mass of ice, and froze them to death ; another, named Abbe Laudanski, aged and infirm, whilst staggering beneath a load of firewood, was struck upon the head with such violence by a drunken deacon that his skull was fractured, and he died upon the spot. " It must here be explained that all the lower, or white clergy in the Russian Church are very ignorant anddepraved, and that the deacons are the lowest among them. " In the present instance, however, the refusal of the great bulk of the Bazilian clergy to pass over to the Russian Church had obliged it, in these forcibly-converted provinces, to fill up those gaps in the lower ranks of its hierarchy with boors of the most illiterate and dissolute character. _ DICTIONARY of _DATES and UNIVERSAL REFERENCE, RELATING to ALL AGES and NATIONS. By Joseph Haydn. Third Edition. To which is added a copious Index of Leading Names. The author tells us in his preface that his " design has been to attempt the compression of the greatest body of general information that has ever appeared, and to pro duce a book of reference, whose extensive usefulness may render its possession material to every individual." In this design he has completely succeeded. The work contains fifteen thousand articles, alphabetically ar ranged, and is a resume of universal history. There is not a remarkable occurrence, ancient or modern, whether relating to arts or arms, to science or literature, but what is here chronicled, its date given, and its salient features described. It is the Directory of History. No house can be said to be properly furnished in which the " Dictionary of Dates" is not found ; and our advice to all who are engaged in the pursuit of knowledge is, if you are so poor that you can only afford to purchase one book, let that book be the"" Dictionary of Dates ;" for it is a library in itself, and will save the necessity of purchasing many most expensive works. "It happened that one of these surviving monks of St. Bazilius succeeded in making his escape ; and Samiasko, irritated at this incident, resolved to conquer the obstinacy of the nuns, and publishing that they were about to read their recantation, caused them to be forcibly led by the sol diery to the portals of the Russian church. The curiosity which this announcement caused, led the whole population'of the city of Polock to assemble; notwithstanding the ex amples which had been made of those who had expressed their sympathy with the sufferers. "The apostate bishop, in his episcopal garments, advanced towards the nuns, and bidding the soldiers leave his dear sisters at liberty, spoke to them with paternal kindness, and offering his hand to their superior, prepared to lead her into the church. Irene Mieceslas then seizing one of the hatchets used by the carpenters who had been working at the repara tion of the church, called out to all her nuns to kneel, and addressing Semiasko, told him, ' After having been their shepherd, to become.the executioner of those whom he had not already done to death, and to strike off their heads before the threshold of that temple, which their footsteps would never voluntarily cross.' "So galling was the provocation of this rebuke to the Russian bishop, that unable to contain himself, he struck the superior on the face, and then flung the axe indignantly from him. It chanced in falling to wound one of the nuns in the toot; and a moment after the superior having put her hand to her mouth, which was filled with blood, drew tout one of her shattered teeth, and holding it up to him said, Take it, it will earn you some fresh order from the Emperor.' " Such was the effect of this scene, that nothing could re strain the enthusiasm of the people; and as the nuns were led back by the soldiery, the crowd followed them, singing with one accord Hallelujahs and Te Deums. " Such, notwithstanding all the repressive terrors of the Russian authorities, became the feeling of the population of the city of Polock, that it was found unsafe to continue the persecution of the nuns within its walls, and they were ordered to be removed to the borough of Medzioly, in the province of Minsk. " This public defeat of the Russian bishop and authorities was, however, revenged on these poor women by an act of such diabolical malignity as only the most undeniable evi dence can render credible. _ _ TEXAS. ST. JOSEPH'S ISLAND. (From a Correspondent of the Tribune.) St. Joseph's Island is one of the many places in Texas which is now engaging the public attention, and as I have had an opportunity of spending a few weeks upon it, I will give you a short account of this celebrated spot:— " It is situated on the coast of Texas, in latitude 28 deg., and about 140 miles south-west of Galveston. The sheet of water between it and the main land is called Aransas Bay, into which a river of the same name floe vs, and also the San Antonio. The island is long and narrow, being about forty miles in length, and varying from two to six in width. With certain winds, and certain stages of the tide, it is divided into two portions, one being about eighteen, and the other twenty-four miles in length. This strip of land is a mere sand-bar, which has been formed by deposition from currents of water freighted with sicilious matter. The oceanic currents run in this direction strongly, and bring with them great quantities of drift-wood. These trees and branches having affected a lodgment, become en tangled and intertwined together, and form a strong net work, which binds the whole together. The land is making gradually out in the direction of the sea, because this drift wood is constantly lodging on the shore, and serves to catch and hold the aqueous deposites. The soil is very poor, being composed of, fine sand with little or no proportion of calca reous matter or vegetable mould, and is unfit for vegetation in its present state. There is not a tree, o:r even a bush upon its surface. Owing to the decompositic mof the materials which have been brought by the curren ts, such as shells And sea-weeds, and the effects which have been produced by 'wild beasts and birds, the surface soil has sufficient strength to produce some grasses. This surface soil is very thin, and the grasses are high and coarse. Some portions are covered with the musquit grass, which is quite celebrated, its nutriment being nearly equal in quantity and quality to that of some of our coarse grains. The mustangs, `or wild horses, feed upon this grass, and prefer it to any other. The island is very level ; some parts are subject to 'overflows, and in no place does the land attain to the height "of thirty feet above the sea. There is a ridge ,of sand hills 'along the coast, which are abrupt on the side of the water, but `slope off gradually in the other direction. As you approach the coast, this ridge has the appearance of being a forest ; but as you come nearer you discern naught but barren sand-hills, and feel satisfied that distance lends enchantment to the view ' as well in Texas as elsewhere. Plenty of water is obtained in every part of the island by digging a few feet; but it is as poor as it is abundant, being very brackish. The enterprising inhabitants have not brought the croton to St. Joseph's. We brought some out in the vessel, and it tasted very fine. Why should it not? What the population of this island will be at the next census, I am wholly unable to say. It may be double or treble its present number, and not be very great then, for at present there are but two families upon it. The climate is healthy and delightful at this season. In consequence of the little rain which falls, its speedy perco lation through the 15round, and the intense heat which the sand attains, there is a constant current of air from the sea, which is very refreshing. The days are warm, and the nights are cool. Thick clothing is worn mostly at present. The beech excels even the far-famed Rockaway for its fine bath ing. This has been quite a fashionable resort this season for people from the north, but I believe the fever is confined prin cipally to the military profession. They are not so selfish as to Swish to monopolise it themselves, so come on and try it your pelf. There is the greatest abundance of game, of all sorts. It is very common, in going from six to ten miles on any part of the island, to see from one hundred to two .hundred deer grazing. They are quite tame and easily ob tained. Wish I could send you a quarter of venison. Grey hounds would be invaluable here. There is the greatest abundance of wild geese, ducks, plover,. snipe, rail, and sand hill cranes, and they are such fine ones, that ' Those now shoot, who never shot before, And those who always shoot, new shoot the more.' "Our greatest annoyance is the rattle-snake, which abounds in the greatest profusion. But these will eventually give place to man. We have plenty of fine fish in Aransas Bay, which, by-the-by, is a beautiful sheet of water, but its na vigation is interrupted by sand bars. Vessels of lighter draught than seven feet can pass the bar, and go as far as Shell Island, some ten miles. The channel is very winding and intricate, and well adapted for wrecking of small craft." NEWS FROM TEXAS. The Alabama arrived at New Orleans on. the 16th, with advices from Aransas Bay to the 12th inst. Aniong other documents, we have received the following letter from our correspondent, who is now safely in camp:— "St. Joseph's Island, Texas, Oct. 10, 1845. " The present position of our country with respect to our southern neighbour is peculiar, and as we are: yet young in diplomacy, it is presumed that many new questions of prac tice and policy must arise, on the settlement of which will depend, not only our own future conduct, but. whose deci sion may have no small effect in modifying those interna tional rules which civilised nations have acknowledged to be their governing laws. Hence every eye must be directed hither with unusual interest, for Americans feel that the time is now at hand for their country to assert her influence among the nations, and whether or not a hostile gun shall be fired, they look with patriotic pride upon the spectacle of firmness and vigour she now presents. THE RAILWAY SHAREHOLDERS' POCKET- BOOK AND .ALMANAC for 1846. This will be found a convenient booli for persons inte rested in railway property. Ia addition to the matter usually published in almanacs, it contains a list of autho rised railways, comprising the names of the chairman, secretary, and engineer, tables for calculating the value of shares and commissions, and a diary for entering the sale or purchase of railway shares. The tables have been prepared expressly for the work; they are warranted by the publisher mathematically correct, and will afford means of ascertaining with facility the amount of brokers' commissions on any number of shares, and also the price of any number of shares at any given rate. Te the work is prefixed a little elegant map of England, with all the lines of railway completed, and many of those proposed for consideration in the ensuing session. It is to be regretted that those who have the arrange ment of minor details in publications of this kind do not bestow a little more care in order to make them correct. The following instance in proof we give as a specimen of the grossest negligence :—ln the list of her Majesty's Ministers we find the name of Lord Geo. Somerset, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said to be "of the Cabinet," and only three lines further down is Lord G. Somerset, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, "not of the Cabinet." THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHIL4CH. The following is extracted from a new work; entitled "Eastern Europe and the Emperor Nicholas," by the author of " Revelations of Russia." The descriptions are, we hope and believe, grievously overcharged:-- " When the Russian soldiern, and the newly-made deacons had been rendered drunk with brandy, all these helpless nuns were turned out amongst them as incurably obstinate, to treat as they thought fit. Then commenced a scene worthy of pandemonium—the shrieks and prayers of the victims mingling with the oaths, blasphemies, and ribaldry of the crowd, to whose brutal lust they were abandoned. "When the fury of these demons in human form had been exhausted, it was discovered that two of these unfortunate females were quite dead. The skull of one had been crushed by the stamping on the temples of an iron-plated heel. The other was trampled into such a mass of mud and gore, that even its human character was scarcely recognizable. Eight others had one or several bones or limbs broken, or their eyes torn or trodden out. Of the whole number, the supe rior, a woman of iron frame as well as indomitable resolution, fared the best; but she was not allowed to attend or console her mutilated sisters except on the condition of apostacv. " They were afterwards marched out of Polock by night on foot, and chained two by two, —even those whose eyes had been torn out, and whose hideous wounds were festering. Those whose legs were broken, or who were lamed, were sent forward in carts under the care of Cossacks. " In the City of Minsk, in 1837, there still existed a con vent of humble nuns of the order of St. Bazilius. Their time, like that of the Sisters of Charity,' was divided be tween their religious duties, attendance on the sick, and the education of poor children. " Far and wide through the surrounding country, the suffering and needy had learned to bless their unassuming benevolence, and people of all ranks regarded with venera tion a community, distinguished not by by ascetic practices, but through its active and unwearying philanthropy. " The very popularity of this order, and the estimation in which it was held, marked it out for a persecution, so atro cious that I know of nothing more harrowing in times ancient or modem. " The cruelties of Nero, Domitian, and Caligula, the most virulent religious persecution of past centuries, and the hor rors of the French revolution, rarely equalled in degree the barbarities practised on those harmless women, and sink into insignificance beside them, when the long protraction of seven years of suffering is considered. "All the details of this inhuman;persecution might have re mained either utterly unknown beyond the Russian /frontier, or merged in vague rumours of cruel treatment, but for the providential escape of four of the sufferers. " Between 1837 and 1845, 44 nuns perished at the hands of the Russian despotism, out of 58 devoted to duties whose fulfilment appeals so directly to all human sympathies, that a religious sisterhood analogous to their own had been spared even during the French reign of terror, which so pitilessly swept away all social landmarks. Of the 14 that remained, eight had either had their eyes torn out or their limbs broken, and of the other six only four had strength to at tempt, or fortune to effect, their escape. A few more months and the whole surviving 14, at last doomed to Siberia, might have been expiring on that weary road, which the ten unhappy creatures left behind by the fugitives, are at this moment being dragged or driven over, all lamed, blind, or ailing. "Nothing in that case would ever have reached our ear of the incredible sufferings of these poor victims, whose fate, would silently have contributed to swell those statistics of proselytism which the Russian Government gives periodically to Europe, and which Nicholas has commemorated by the famous medal inscribed with the motto, Separated by vio lence, and reunited by love.' "Of the four fugitives, two—the sister Wawrzecka and Irena Macrina Minceslas (Mieczyslaska)—succeeded in reach ing Posen in Prussian Poland, where the Roman Catholic archbishop, having taken down their circumstantial deposi tion of the facts about to be narrated, sealed it with the arms of the archbishopric, and forwarded the document to Rome. " An order consequently arrived for the superior to repair to Rome by way of Paris, in which city she took up her abode till the 10th of October last, under the same roof with one near and dear to the author. " A gentleman of Polock, M. Walenkiowitch, having or dered a funeral service to be read for these victims, was seized in the middle of the night and sent to Siberia, his property being confiscated. A monastery of Dominican monks, in another part of the country, having ventured to pray for them, was immediately dispersed. " On reaching Medzioly, the nuns were again immured in a convent of the black sisterhood, and divided into four parties. Here they were put into sacks, and towed after boats in the water, which was allowed to rise to their mouth and nose. Three more of their number perished in this manner, either of cold, or fear, or drowned , by incessant immersion. The inhabitants of Medzioly carried off their bodies in the night, as the earthly coil of holy martyrs which men would some day venerate and hold precious. "After two more years' captivity of the 58 nuns (34 from Minsk, 14 from Vitepsk, and 10 from Polock) only 14 sur vived, and of these eight were either lame or blinded. "The superior, Irena Miesceslas, who had fared the best, had an open wound, from which she was obliged to extract with her fingers the carious bones, and which afterwards be coming filled with worms, from want of dressing, caused her intense agony. " At length some relaxation of vigilance having opened a prospect of escape, this courageous woman persuaded three of her companions to attempt it with her. In this enterprise these four women all succeeded, enfeebled by disease as they were, and without money or passports, at a distance of between 200 and 300 miles from the Austrian and Prussian frontiers. _ . "At the commencement of the present year, profiting by the scene of riot and drunkenness to which the saint's-day of the protopope of the convent had given occasion, they effected their escape. Leaping down a high wall into the snow they alighted in safety, and immediately fell on their knees in thanksgiving. They then separated, to facilitate their flight. The superior, in the midst of all the severity of the season, was driven to hide for days together in the woods, without other food than berries, or anything to quench her thirst but the snow. Once, driven to ex,tremity, she knocked at the door of a wealthy-looking house, and being received with veneration by its owner, was provided with money, provisions, and a correct map of her route. She crossed the frontier disguised as a shepherd; but even then was not in security, as the cowardly Government of Prussia gives up even its own subjects to the Czar. "It was not until she had reached Posen, in the midst of a Polish population, that she felt in security; and here she had unobtrusively withdrawn to a convent of the Sisters of Charity, but she was considered too precious, as a living tes timony of the horrors daily perpetrated in that Golgotha which the frontier of Russia encircles, to be left in her retire ment. With her scars, wounds, and personal evidence, she has been wisely forwarded to Paris, where a deputation re cently waited on her, to express their sympathy with her cruel treatment. In Posen she was joined by the sister Wawrzecka, and , shortly afterwards learned that the other two had, in like manner, escaped the pursuit of the Russian authorities, and been safely forwarded by the zeal of the in habitants to the Austrian frontier." " Here she was led to give all the sad details of her harrow ing story, whilst the scars which mark her body added their dumb eloquence to her recital. " Irena Mieceslas had been thirty years renowned :for her charity and benevolence throughout the Government of Minsk, as head of the Bazilian convent, consisting of 34 nuns, in the city of that name. It will be hence at once per ceived that she is advancing into the vale of years. The aspect of her countenance, according to the portrait which the writer has before him, is at once noble and indicative of deter mination. It derives the first expression from the position of the eyes, which is such as we rarely meet with out of the Scandinavian or Anglo-Norman race—viz., obliqued upwards from the outward corners, that is to say, in a direction pre cisely contrary to the eyes of the feline species, of all Mongo lian races, and of many of the inhabitants of southern coun tries. The finely-chiselled corners of her mouth seems to mark a decision of temper, of which she has given the most heroic proofs in her conduct. " The substance of her narrative, which the other three sisters corroborate in the minutest particulars, is to the fol " But you do not ask for political letters from Texas ; you would rather hear of the ' dreadful marches,' of war's alarms,' and all the pomp and circumstance of which the country beyond the Nueces is soon to be the theatre. Of course, everything communicated with reference to the movements of an army is mere speculation, entitled to con fidence no further than :as the views of an actual looker-on. He who claims greater authority for his revelations is an impostor; as the nature of his orders is first published to the world in the act of a good general. That these orders will be judicious, we have a guarantee in the elevated character of our Administration, which many thinking men believe is the very definition of what is demanded by the present crisis. "It is known that this camp is a sort of half-way house for the troops in transitu. Arrivals and departures have been the exciting incidents for weeks, but in a short time this place must be shorn of its honours as a scene of interest, and will very soon be degraded to the ignoble rank of a mere depot of stores and supplies. Henceforth look to the disputed territory' for the true seat of war. "The United States ship Lexington arrived on the 4th, with detachments of the Ist and 2d Artillery. Yesterday the steam-ship Alabama smeared off this island; she brought from New Orleans five cdmpanies of the sth, two of the Bth, and one of the 7th Infantry. All the troops now here, it is understood, move to Corpus Christi in a day or two, and lowing effect : " The Emperor Nicholas, having profited by his influence and privileges in nominating corrupt and ambitious tools to the bishopric of the Bazilian communion (that is say, the Roman Catholics with Greek forms), amongst these Semi asko, the bishop of the diocese in which the convent of these poor nuns was situated, bad apostatized to the Greek from the Latin church. Finding that the great mass of the clergy, and the whole of their congregation, refused to follow the ex amples of their chiefs, Nicholas ordered forcible means to be resorted to, and set on foot a persecution, which caused the females of this religious association great alarm, and induced them to use the private influence of their friends in the Rus sian capital, to be allowed to retire from the convent into the bosoms of their families.' _ . " This boon the Emperor refused, referring them to their apostate bishop. " Semiasko, after vainly using all his persuasive powers with this community, to induce them to pass over to the Russian Church, showed them alike the threats and promises he was empowered to make in the name of Nicholas, and the awful signature appended to a document which com manded him to adopt such measures as the interests of religion might require, to oblige all recusants to reform. Finding their determination unshakable, he left them three months to consider the matter; and then, detaching from his breast one of the numerous orders with which the Em peror had rewarded his apostacy, he attempted to pin it on the bosom of the superior, to whom he held out a dazzling prospect of honours and rewards. " These women, it must be remembered, in their devout belief, now saw in their former pastor only an impious se ceder from the faith of their fathers. Irnallieceslas, there fore, spurning this temptation, said tauntingly to the bishop, ' Keep it, keep it ; it would ill accord with the humble cross which marks my order, and with you it serves to hide a breast beneath which there beats the heart of an apostate !' " These nuns had been fortified in their resolution by the exhortation of their confessor, a weak, but probably well meaning man, named Michalewitch. "As the persecution became more rigorous around him, between the threats and the promises of his bishop, he was influenced to desert to the Russian communion, and he was afterwards frequently obliged to take his seat as member of the tribunal which attempted to subdue the obstinacy of 1 1 these women. It is, however, probable that he yielded.more to terror than seduction, for be strove apparently to bury his remorse in incessant intoxication ; and in this condition he afterwards fell into a pool of water, where he was drowned. " Three days after the insulting refusal of the superior to apostatize, Semiasko came with a detachment of soldiers to turn the sisters out of the convent. Such was the violence employed, and the terror inspired by the account of uni versal persecution, that a sick nun of their number fell and expired upon the pavement of the chapel. "The remainder were heavily ironed, hand and foot, and marched to Vitepsk, where they were placed in a Russian convent of 'black sisters.' " These black sisterhoods, which may, in some measure be compared to our penitentiaries, are places of refuge for the widows of private solders, and receptacles for the most dis then-Here endeth epistle No. 1." (From N. 0. Picayune, Oct. 16.) The troops stationed at Corpus Christi and St. Joseph's Island were all well. No movement has yet been made upon the Nueces. The Flying Artillery, under Major Ring gold, were at St. Joseph's Island, but about to proceed to join the main body of the forces. At Corpus Christi business was extremely brisk. We have seen letters dated the 10th inst., which state that the Indians lately made an attack upon a settlement on Mis sion river, and killed and drove off all the cattle. The inha bitants were so fortunate as to escape. The attack is sup posed to have been instigated by a desire to avenge the late cowardly, attempt upon the life of Castro, who lately guided Col. Cook, the Texan Secretary of War, to Corpus Christi, and of whom our correspondent spoke so favourably. • A bloodless duel came off recently on the beach of St. Joseph's Island, or rather a hoax in the guise of a duel, there having been an understanding between the friends of the principals that no harm should be done. One of the prin cipals is said to have gone off under the full impression that he has killed his adversary. • The United States store-ship Lexington and the mail schooner On-kah-y-e sailed from Aransas on the 7th inst. The schooner Piedmont, of Waldborough, Me., had arrived at Aransas from New York, with United States troops and stores. The steam-boat White Wing has been sold to the United States Government. For the want of warehouses, the schooners Cornelia and T. F. Hunt have been converted into temporary store-ships. The steam-schooner Augusta, and the steam-boat Monmouth, are still em ployed by the Government as lighters. The Monmouth and the schooner Wm. Bryan were shortly to leave for this port for repairs. The schooners Josephine, Henry Plantagenet, and the Emma, arrived at Aransas on the sth, Bth, and. 10th respectively, from this port. The schooners Two Friends and Roselle sailed for this port on the 10th, the schooner President, of New York, on the 11th, and the schooner Fame on the Bth inst. The schooners H. L. Kinney and Orange Branch were shortly to sail for Galveston. THE OREGON QUESTION. (From the New York Journal of Commerce.) We fear our fellow-citizens are not sufficiently aware of the precarious state of our foreign relations. It is well under stood that the Oregon negotiation is making no progress— the claims of the two parties being irreconcileable, and neither being disposed to yield. Meanwhile another session of Congress is approaching, and it is more than probable that the House of Representatives will vote to give England notice of our wish to terminate the joint occupancy of Oregon at the end of a year, according to the treaty. Neither will it surprise us if the Senate concur. In this case we have little doubt that England will consider the negotiation at an end. Not that she would call in question our right to terminate the joint occupancy by giving the required notice, nor that the giving of such notice would be in itself any ground of offence. It is not the act itself, but the circumstances and implications of it, which would make it offitnsive. England would construe it as a virtual abandonment of negotiation, and an appeal to the power of the strongest. There is a great deal of senseless declamation about our rights to " the whole of Oregon," and it generally comes from men as ignorant as they are stupid. What do they know about our claims to the whole of Oregon? Perhaps they have read an article in their country newspaper which told them we had as gcod a right to Oregon as to Massachusetts; and perhaps they dreamed it. But we venture to say that not one in a thousand of these noisy declaimers has ex amined the subject, or understands its merits. It is in truth a subject of great difficulty. The evidence" even as far south as the Columbia River, is not all on one side ! by a great deal. And when we come to latitude 49, the claim of Ens rreaenmodfailltnhsethbneuegtnoeatixatto:t negotiation. land is better than our own. Th ere is no doubt of this ; any disinterested man acquainte d with the case would say s rl oenf the hs refuse And firstrhe t e pe r lr e aecn i e s c, e a w. an delicate willh , e h r a tnot concede; alternative a b a ndonment of the territory b y Great Britain, or war? We know of no other a lternative. ftu Now we are certain that Great Britain never will abandon the entire territory to us—we mean, up to 54, 40, the Rus ' piau boundary-Kan what will. at cau,n9t do it without orderly prostitutes. " Here the 33 nuns of St. Bazilius, from Minsk, met with 14 more of their order, transferred from another convent to this abode, where for two years they were kept at hard la bour, chained in couples, and exposed to all the malignity of the depraved associates with whom these women of gentle birth were thus forcibly mingled. "In 1839, all other efforts having failed to shake their resolution, they were transferred to another Russian convent of black sisters, in the city of Polock. Here they met with ten more nonconformist nuns of the same order. The whole number of these women, 57, were now brought up twice a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays, before a commission of the Russian -Authorities and clergy, and flogged before them, receiving 50 strokes a piece. "This was continued for months together, till the wounds upon their backs was an open sore, and that pieces of the scabs, ar3d then of the raw flesh, adhered to the instruments of torture. Three of their number died beneath this in fliction. "`They were then fed on salt herrings, and refused drink (a favourite Russian mode of torture), except on the condi tion of apostacy. This punishment, which it appears they found the most difficult to bear, was superseded by a system of starvation. They were only fed once, every other day, and driven to eat nettles and the f.sdder of the convent cattle. " They were employed to dig out clay, and not under standing how to conduct an exc.P. - vation, the earth fell in, and buried live of their number. With incredible barbarity the Russian authorities not only refused to dig them out, but pre vented the nuns from attempting to extricate their com panions. They perished in this self-dug grave. "The next labour in which the survivors were employed, was to tact the masons in constructing a palace for the rene pole tishop. • 1 , 4 591310 of the geno7 l whim iopiet 119 terrors dishonour. What can have put it into the heads of our negotiators to make such a demand? Have we not again and again offered to adopt latitude 49? and long since the Euestion would have been settled on that basis, had not ngland refused. If we rightly understand the case, she might possibly consent to that boundary now, as far west as the Pacific Ocean, retaining to herself the whole of Van couver's Island, which extends about half a degree below latitude 49. The right of navigating Columbia River would be of no importance to her, if latitude 49 were adopted as the boundary. If the question can be adjusted on this basis—namely, by extending our present boundary, as fixed by the Ashburton treaty, east of the Rocky Mountains, to the Pacific Ocean, we contend that our Government is guilty of a gross dereliction of duty in not accepting the compromise, and thus putting an end to this last boundary dispute which we can ever have with England. Perhaps we are mistaken in the extent of concession which England is prepared t o make by way of com promise ; but latitude 49 has been openly advocated by some of the more moderate English papers, including the Examiner, as the proper boundary, and there is every reason to believe that the British Government is disposed to meet us on what it deems liberal terms. Although conscious of her power, England does not want war with any nation—and least of all, perhaps, with the United States, whom she can use to much better advantage by trading with her than by fighting her. England does not want war; but she will have it, and we shall have it, as surely as we undertake to grasp the whole of Oregon, to latitude SC 40, or above latitude 49. The conviction is strong in England that she " has rights" to Oregon ; and although they are admitted to be imper fect, speaking of Oregon as a whole, yet they are too valid to be wholly abandoned, or to be wrested from her by any other Power. England is the last nation in the world that we ought to desire to measure strength with, especially at a point so re mote from even the frontiers of civilisation, and so accessible to her fleets. Although it may be an unpleasant confession to make, it is nevertheless true, that for many years to come, whatever Power commands the ocean can command Oregon ; or, at least, all the points of it accessible to navigation. A march across the country with an army of any considerable magnitude would be an achievement more difficult to be ac complished than Hannibal's passage of the Alps ; and when they had reached their destination it would be equally diffi cult to maintain them. England, in case of a war about Oregon, or a discontinuance of the joint occupancy, would immediately fortify Cape Disappointment, at the north side of the mouth of Columbia River, and that would be the end of our communication with the Oregon by sea. Our pot-valiant heroes do not know what they are talking about, when they propose so summarily to drive John Bull into the Pacific. We here take it for granted that we could have all our resources at command, and should not require them at home to defend our altars and our hearths. But even this could not be expected. If we have trebled our population, and more than trebled our re sources since the war of 1812, so has England vastly in creased her available strength. She is completely ready fora conflict—with us or any other Power. We are not ready, and never shall be, till the horrors of war at our own doors compel us to buckle on the harness. We say these things in the hope of cooling the ardour of some of our hot-brained " patriots," who appear (on paper) to desire nothing so much as blood and carnage. We advise such men to be quiet. They may have a chance to display their valour sooner than they expect it. The state of public opinion is such, especially at the west, that the President and his Cabinet may be tempted to go farther in insisting upon doubtful rights in the case of Oregon, than their own judgment would dictate. There is, however, danger in the other direction. When men form opinions unsustained by proper evidence, they are very apt to part with them when they discover their error. It may be very popular now to make unreasonable demands, and insist upon them ; but will it be so, if it should appear that these unreasonable demands have brought the nation to a position which it cannot maintain, and from which it cannot recede with honour? It is the part of true wisdom to anticipate events, and so to steer the ship of State as to avoid disasters on either hand. We feel a great degree of con fidence in the:present Administration, yet we confess we are not without anxiety on the subject of which we are speaking. We wish to see the Oregon question either left where it is, under the belief that time will strengthen our cause, or else brought to a speedy and final adjustment. The territory really in dis pute, i.e., the territory North of Columbia River, west of the north branch of the same, and south of latitude 49, is of little value, consisting chiefly of mountains or barren plains. One month's war expenses, to say nothing of human life, would be too much to give for the whole of it. We have hundreds of millions of acres of better land, 1,000 or 2,000 miles nearer home, which goes abegging for want of occu pants. Much of it is the finest land which man ever set his eyes on, not excepting the Garden of Eden. Now we admit this is no good reason for relinquishing territory clearly our own, but it is a reason against endangering the peace of the country by insisting upon the possession of poor land at the ends of the earth which is not our own, or of which our title is so very doubtful that we dare not submit the question to arbitration. A vast extent of fertile land on our south-western fron tier has just been annexed to us, most of which is un occupied, except by Indians and wild beasts ; and if we want niore further off, we can purchase it more cheaply . of Mexico than we can knock it out of John Bull's brains. As Mexico has concluded not to fight us, she must come to an understanding with us on the subject of boun daries. Upper California is already in revolt, and she may be willing, for a suitable pecuniary consideration, to set it off to us, fixing her northern boundary at latitude 36, in stead of 42. This would give us the finest harbour on the western coast—viz., San Francisco, and along with it some excellent land. The river Sacramento, which empties into the bay of San Francisco, takes its rise in Oregon—and, in fact, for the best part of Oregon, San ;Francisco is the natural outlet. If Upper California were ours, we need not care if Columbia River were our northern boundary. We should still have ten degrees of latitude on the Pacific, and a really fine country, instead of mountains, rocks, and bar ren sands. The forthcoming message of the President will be awaited with special interest, on account of its bearing upon the Oregon dispute. We hope it will be such as to promote pacific results. POOR-LAW CHARITY and PRISON CHARITY. A poor Irish woman named Fox, who had supported her family decently for twelve years by keeping a stall in the street at Holborn-bars, was run over by a cab in September last, an accident by which her leg was broken. Being thus suddenly deprived of the power of earning a livelihood, she made her case known to the authorities of the union, and was visited, as a matter of course, by the surgeon and the relieving officer. The medical gentleman, she declares, per formed his professional duties to the end most humanely, as well as skilfully; but the relieving officer told her that her case was an infirmary case, and that unless she consented to take up her abode in the workhouse he could do nothing for her. She informed him that she would willingly do as he suggested if he would be so good as to assist, in the mean while, in preserving her furniture and the few articles she used in her business, and she assured him that, without some aid of the kind, she and her family must be thrown destitute upon the street upon her recovery. To this appeal the re lieving officer turned a deaf ear. He would have nothing to do with her goods, and, handing her the sum of eighteenpence, desired her not to apply to the authorities again, as not a farthing more would be forthcoming Not supposing it pos sible that the parochial liberality would be so cramped in a case of such extremity, the patient applied a second time for a modicum of aid, and sent her son to plead the ruse of the family, but he returned empty-handed, and so well bullied, that he was afraid, notwithstanding the deplorable condition of his parent, to make another experiment upon the justice or humanity, or whatever else it is called, of the party in power. Furthermore, when she recovered sufficiently to be able to resume her former avocation, she made a last appeal to the union for assistance in furnishing her stall, the con tents of which had been disposed of in her necessity ; but the answer had gone forth—she was to have nothing, and thus the mother of a family, with a fractured limb, which confined her to her bed for a period of about six weeks, was got rid of at the small price of eighteenpence. So much for poor-law charity ! We turn with pleasure to the other side of the picture, to which what we have stated presents a disgusting contrast : At the time the accident occurred to the mother, the daughter had been committed to Bridewell Hospital for a misdemeanour, in which (as it afterwards appeared) she be , came very innocently involved. The former wrote to the latter some time aftewards, describing in a very feeling man ner the distress to which she was reduced by the refusal of the union to give her any relief unless upon the condition of a sacrifice of all those necessaries in which her future comfort depended, and, above all, deploring the want of her daughter's help at such a time to dress her wound, and administer to her other necessities. This letter underwent, according to the arrangements of the prison, the inspection of the Governor of the prison (Captain Kincaid), and the melancholy tale, which failed to awaken either the sympathies or the conside ration of the poor-law authorities, immediately found both in him ; for it appears that, without the slightest delay, he sent to ascertain the truth of the statement, and, having ascer tained it, he represented the case to the committing magis trate, obtained the daughter's discharge, and sent her home to attend upon her mother, provided with the means of ade quately administering to her wants. Upon more strict in quiry, Captain Kincaid found the case to be one of real charity, aad he continued to give personally, or to send, relief to the family every week down to the day when she was enabled to go to her stall, which, her benefactor knowing that the parochial authorities had thrown up the case of misery with contempt, supplied her with the means of fur nishing, and there she now sits daily, within ten yards of the corner of Gray's Inn-lane, by the aide of a lamp-post, called llolbom-bar. ----. The case thus simply detailed is one in which individual charity ought not to have been taxed. It is impossible not to see that the humane part taken by Captain Kincaid on this occasion was precisely that which ought to have been taken by the authorities of the union, both in the nature and the extent of the relief, and people cannot therefore understandwhat the hearts of those worthies can be made of, seeing that, indivi dually, it would have cost them nothing to try, for once, the experiment of humanity; but Alderman Farebrother, who speaks out upon occasions on which the defects of the heart are conspicuous more frequently than most of his brethren, said, with striking truth some time ago, that the great ob ject of the unions seemed to be not the relief of the poor, but how to relieve the parishes of the poor. Had the poor crea ture who thus, by a providential accident, fell into the hands of the benevolent Governor of Bridewell, accepted the relief which the relieving• officer offered, she and her whole family would, in all probability, have become paupers for life. She refused the boon, and may never be again in a condition to require the generous contribution of the authorities. OPENING OF THE PORTS.-011 W ednesdays meet ing of the Chamber of Commerce of Newcastle -on-Tyne, tl -on-Tyne, e, was held in the Council Chamber of that "to consider the propriety of addressing her Majesty's Ministers on the subject of the corn-laws." Thomas Wilson, Mr. Pollard, corn ilson,Esq., Vice-Pre sident of the Chamber, was in the a memorial to the Prime Minister, entreating him ° merchant, moved the adoption of advise her Majesty, in Council, to open the ports for the a dmission of foreign grain duty free. Mr. Alderman Brockett seconded the motion. M r. Armstrong spoke again st the motion at considerable length, and was replied to by Mr. Stephen Lowrey and Mr. Charles Rayner, after which the motion was affirmed by a large majority. The memorial was then signed by the Chairman on behalf of the Chamber, after which the meeting broke up. LADY HESTER STANHOPES MEMOIRS.----A second edition of this remarkable work has just appeared. " These volumes (observes the Quarterly Review), consists of anec dotes related by Lady Stanhope, opinions expressed by her, letters written by her, during e several residences of her physician under her roof, and to him, in that confidential capacity, all communicated by her. The nature of such a book is unavoidably such as to give it extraordinary at tractions. These volumes are such as no one who takes them up can easily lay down. The character of the prin cipal personage is one of no ordinary interest. She was the daughter of Mr. Pitt's favourite sister, and lived with him for the last years of his eventful life. Before her he freely unbent himself; and as she remembered much that had passed in his society, the principal charm of these volumes is derived from their constant reference to the habits of that great man. Nor can anything be well conceived more at tractive than his simple, amiable character, as it appears in these pages. He is hardly ever mentioned that he does not Xise itt cux CAteCM." PUNCH'S PRIVY COUNCIL. Sir R. PEEL.—My Lords and Gentlemen,—it is not often that I look into the newspapers, but having lately peeped into some df them, I hope I don't offend the prejudice of any one present if I say—l fear there is a failure of the potato crop. Duke of WELLINGTONMUCh exaggerated. Fellows in newspapers say anything. If a failure, what of it? Sir ROBERT—Why, don't you think, my Lord Duke— mind, I have no wish to be precipitate in anything: no, I think it always shows greater address to run after a calamity than to stop it—nevertheless, don't you think we may begin to consider the future propriety of some day or the other— with famine, as it were, menacing us—to consider the pro priety, I say, of gradually opening the ports? Sir E. KEA:minium—My dear Sir Robert ! The venerable institutions of our country ! Our blessed Constitution ! Church and State ! The House of Brunswick ! A bold peasantry, our country's pride ! Well, you do surprise me ! Open the ports ! And as that Molesworth said—but you may expect anything of a man who reads Hobbes—open the ports, and who'll shut 'em again ? It's a virtual repeal of the corn laws; and they once repealed, how are we to pay our daughter's dowries—our wives' pin-money ? Think of pin money, Sir Robert. Sir J. GRAHAM—It's very true; they do say potatoes have failed in Ireland. But with O'Connell there, who's to believe anything that comes from that country? Lord LYNDHURST—If the potatoes are rotten at heart, it's only because O'Connell's been making Repeal speeches to them. And then for the Irish, are they not aliens in Lord STANLEY—NM my dear Lyndhurst, be quiet on that point. They are aliens; but don't say so. Let us stick to potatoes. If the crop has failed Sir JAMES—Pooh, pooh! if it has—the starch is all right. And people may live very well upon starch and—resigna tion. Besides, I'm convinced of it, hunger is only a vulgar habit—a wretched prejudice of the common people; nothing more. The DuKE—Good deal of that true, Graham. Tried it in Spain. Soldiers there lived on chesnuts. Lived well. Fought like devils. Sir RoßEßT—Nevertheless, to return to the opening of the ports. Earl of ABERDEEN---PEI just thinking we cannot be too deliberate. Earl of HADDINGTON—CertainIy not. Besides, if the poor are hungry, why can't they, like sailors on short allowance, why can't they chew tobacco? Sir ROBERT—That never struck me; again, as the Noble Earl says, we cannot be too deliberate. Besides, there's the sliding scale, and Parliament must meet in February. Well, wheat may go up—so there's a great load taken from my mind. By the by, what beautiful weather we've had for November 1 The DUKE—Very. Seven this morning saw a butterfly. Duke of Bucazucir—They say the gooseberry-bushes are actually shooting. Earl of RlPON—Shouldn't wonder. [And, with this remarkable observation of the Noble Earl's, the Council broke up.]—Punch. NOTTINGHAM, WEDNESDAY.—OPENING OF THE PORTS.-At a meeting of the Town Council this day, Mr. Taylor brought forward a motion, on the subject of memo rialising the Government, to open the ports at this important crisis, to prevent difficulties which must occur, should they not be opened, from a scarcity of food, arising from an in sufficient crop of wheat and the disease amongst potatoes. He urged the necessity of the memorial to strengthen the hands of those in the Cabinet who might be favourable, and condemned the policy of deferring to do an act which all the nations of Europe had thought it right to pursue, for the purpose of affording an ample supply of provisions to the inhabitants, and to prevent them being visited with the horrors of famine. He begged to move, that with the fearful prospect of distress occasioned by the deficiency of the late harvest, the council deem it expedient, that a memorial in conformity with this resolution be prepared and transmitted to the Lords of the Treasury, and that the mayor do affix the common seal to such memorial. Mr. John Bradley se conded the motion. Mr. Wakefield thought the alarm created bad been greater than was necessary, but he should vote for the memorial. Many members of the council spoke in favour of the motion, and it was carried unani mously, and a committee was appointed to draw up the me morial agreeing with the spirit of the resolution. This year Lord G. Bentinck has won 68 races with 25 horses, netting 17,3721., besides a cup, value unknown, being the greatest winner of the season. THE HOUSELESS POOR.--Preparations are going on for opening the asylums in Ogle-street, Playhouse-yard, and East Smithfield, which will take place as soon as the frost sguiratAceS. IMPORTANT RAILWAI_MEETING AT CAMBRIDcrE. .. t. 0 , CAMBRIDGE, WEDNESDAY EVENING.-may a meeting . of the inhabitants was held at th e To wn - I,:m..rorsiiance ',-- of a requisition to the Mayor, to take into colitgrilifiettitiMk• numerous railway projects in immediate connexion with the town. Mr. Hudson, accompanied by Mr. Waddington, De puty-Chairman of the Eastern Counties Company; Mr. R. W. Kennard, Mr. Routh, Mr. Duncan, the law clerk, and other gentlemen connected with the Company, arrived by the train which reached Cambridge at half-past ten, A.M. The Town-hall was filled, and amongst the gentlemen pre sent were many of the members of the University. Mr. J. J. Deighton, the Mayor, took the chair. He was accompanied by Mr. Hudson, Mr. Waddington, Mr. Pym, Mr. Cobbold, and the other gentlemen who attended as de putations from the respective Companies. Mr. Harris, the Town-Clerk, acted as Secretary. _ The following gentlemen were present representing the re spective Companies : EASTERN CouNziEs.—Mr. George Hudson, Chairman ; Mr. David Waddington, Deputy Chairman ; Mr. E. Fisher, Mr. S. Anderson, Mr. R. W. Kennard, Mr. W. Routh, Mr. Duncan, the law clerk. LINCOLN AND EASTERN COUNTIES JUNCTION (from Hull through March to Cambridge) E .—Lord C. Bentinck, Mr. Winckworth, Mr. Lyston, Mr. . Breary, secretary. WISBEACH, ST. IVES, AND CAMBRIDGE JUNCTION.—.-MIISS/1. J. Fryer, Nortor, R. Ward, Cooke, F. Lumaden. CAMBRIDGE AND OXFORD.—Mr. W. Wiltshire, M.P., Rev. H. Arlett, Messrs. E. Forster, C. Cobbold, W. Ekins, Henry Hope, secretary. MIDLAND AND EASTERN COUNTIES (from Cambridge by St. Neot's and Northampton to Worcester).—Messrs. John Chevallier Cobbold, of Ipswich, Chairman of the Eastern Union Company, and of the Ipswich and Bury St. Edmunds; Francis Pym, of Biggleswade ; Captain Page, of Somerton ; the Rev. Francis Hall, rector of Fulbourne, near Cambridge; William Gee, of Bishop's Stortford ; John Hill Day, St. Neot's; John Carrington, St. Neot's ; Thomas El goo d, St. N eo t' s ; Marion Welstead Stonely Hall, Kimbolton ' • Cuthbert Cur tis, George Abbey, Northampton ; and John Allan Ransome, Ipswich. BEDFORD AND CAMBRIDGE EXTENSION.—Messrs. T. J. Greene, Mayor of Bedford; Captain Newland, T. Barnard, T. A. Greene, J. Elger,_ . H. Parker, H. Pearson, secretary. NEWMARKET AND CHESTERFORD, WITH A BRANCH TO CAMBRIDGE.—Lord George Manners, Messrs. James Fairlie; Timothy Tyrrell, Francis Fuller, W.P. Isaacson, T. Caldecott. BURY ST. EDMUNDS AND CAMBRIDGE UNION EXTENSION. —Messrs. J. Chevallier Cobbold, J. Allen Ransome, J. F. Saunders, secretary. CAMBRIDGE AND COLCHESTER JUNCTION.—Lord Sussex Lennox, Messrs. Halpin, J. S. Christopher, secretary. On behalf of the London and York C ompany there were present, Mr. Francis Pym and Mr. John Nathaniel Foster. The MAYOR, in opening the proceedings, said only those lines that have been advertised in the Gazette, as being ready to be brought before Parliament at the ensuing session, will be considered at this meeting. In the next place, it is not intended to come to any decision at the present meeting upon any of those lines, but merely to hear whatever may be brought forward in favour of or against them, and also any explanation that may be offered about them ; after which resolutions will be proposed to form Committees for various purposes in connexion with these projects, and to make arrangements for another public meeting, to take place on some day subsequently to the 30th of this month, by which time all the companies who purpose going to Parlia ment in the ensuing session must have deposited their plans. The first group consists of the Eastern Counties, Cambridge to Lincoln; Lincolnshire and Eastern Counties Junction (from Hull, through March to Cambridge) ; Wisbeach, St. Ives, and Cambridge Junction. Group ll.—Cambridge and Oxford; Midland and Eastern Counties (from Cambridge, by St. Neot's and Northampton to Worcester) ; Bedford and Cambridge Extension. Group lll.—Newmarket and Ches terford, with a branch to Cambridge ; Bury St. Edmunds and Cambridge, Eastern Union Extension. There is besides a ninth line, the Cambridge and Colchester Junction. Mr. PRYKE—I beg to say that the Harwich, Birmingham, and Central Junction line is not there. Another Gentleman remarked that the Harwich, Cam bridge, and Stour Valley Company did not intend to apply to Parliament next session. Mr. SMITH, one of the deputation from the Harwich Docks and Cambridge Company, complained that although that Company had been invited to send representatives to the meeting, there was no mention made , of their line in the list submitted to the meeting. The MAYOR then referred to a large diagram hung up in view of the meeting, and on which were delineated the va rious projected lines touching at Cambridge. Mr. Rotrrn, as one of the representatives of the Eastern Counties Company, said the Eastern Counties Company had already made a line from Cambridge to London.—(Hear, hear.) He might further state that they were prepared to go to Parliament for a line through Peterborough and Lincoln to York. They had also taken up a line from Bedford to Cambridge ; and further, they had determined on forming a line from St. Ives to Wisbeach. He need not dilate on the importance of those branches to Cambridge, they must be apparent to all parties; at the same time he admitted that there might be other schemes which might serve the town better. It was the intention of the Eastern Counties Com pany to deposit their plans, and apply to Parliament for a line between Waltham-cross direct to the town of Bedford. These were the objects the Eastern Counties Company had in view ; and it would be satisfactory to all parties to know, that the Company had the means to carry them out, and that their projects went through districts that might be tra versed with dispatch. Within last year they had constructed nearly one hundred miles of country, and opened them to the public within twelve months from the time their Bill had passed. If their line was sanctioned by Parliament, it would pass through a country affording great facilities, and the people of Cambridge might depend on it that the same energy would be exerted to carry the project into execution that had been hitherto manifested with respect to similar projects by the Eastern Counties Company.—(Cheers.) Mr. FOSTER said if the Eastern Counties line to Hull was adopted, it would obviate the necessity of making the proposed line from York to London. the MAYOR then called upon any gentleman who ap peared on behalf of the Lincolnshire and Eastern Counties Junction (from Hull through March to Cambridge) to state his views. Mr. WiNcKwonnt said he appeared under very unfa vourable circumstances, in consequence of the illness of some of the managing committee, and important engage ments of the chairman and deputy chairman. He had re ceived so short a notice that he was scarcely prepared to enter upon the merits of the line he was called upon to represent. The Lincolnshire and Eastern Counties Junction was to bring by the shortest route the whole traffic of that im portant district, commencing at Hull, and terminating at the great town of Cambridge. It was scarcely necessary, in addressing gentlemen of business—well acquainted with the district—to inform them that the line would be of great importance to the south. The promoters of the line were quite aware that agricultural districts were not so suscep tible of so great or so paying an amount of traffic as the commercial and densely-populated districts. He was old enough to recollect when large ships from the Baltic and the Continent came to the port of Hull on account of:its proximity to those ports. A good deal of that traffic had subsided; but it might be shown that this traffic might be brought back. He had spoken of the saving of dis tance, by which he meant the saving of time. The com pany which he represented relied greatly on the passenger traffic ; but on these points he did not think it would be ne cessary to trouble them with any details. One of the great advantages their line possessed was, that it was a very level one, and would not cost more than 8,0001. or 9,000/. per mile. That, as they were well aware, was a very small estimate in deed; but still it could be effected for that amount. He had also to state that the Company were not copacious of any op position. They had secured the approval of the landowners, and not only so, but the most influential amongst them had spoken in the highest terms of the necessity of the line and the immense amount of benefit it would confer on the district through which it would pass.—(Hear, hear.) It might, in deed, be alleged as an objection, that some proposed lines would intersect that which he advocated. So far from con sidering that an objection, he thought it would be highly ad vantageous, inasmuch as the lines which might cross it, or be brought into proximity with it, would act as so many feeders. This line (the Lincolnshire and Eastern Counties) would in return prove a very valuable feeder to the Eastern Counties, which line, next to the one proposed, would profit most largely if they succeeded in obtaining Parliamentary sanction, as they confidently anticipated. The line, he might state, had been very carefully surveyed by a gentle man who was well qualified for such a duty. Lord Charles Beauclerk had also been over the line. The opinion of his Lordship and the surveyor fully confirmed the views enter -1 tained by the Company, and they were now in a position most positively to state, that they would be quite ready for the necessary deposits at the proper period, namely, the 30th of November. Mr PRYME said he understhod they were constrneting additional docks at Cambridge, and it was certainly desirable that Cambridge sould be brought into more immediate com munication with that port. He had nothing to say which would detract from the merits of the line which had first been brought before the meeting; on the contrary, he Shought it was a most eligible one; bat he just wished to mention the fact that another line which had been proposed, and which would connect Hull with Cambridge by means of the Eastern Counties line, would be a little shorter. He alluded to the line from Hull and Lincoln, crossing the llumber, and thus coming to Cambridge. Mr. E. FOSTER said he had for some years been advocat ing, with all the power he could command, communica tion with the north, as near the sea-coast as could be effected, inasmuch as he believed it would be productive of incal culable advantages to Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, and the adjacent counties. They were all aware . of the importance of the Fen districts , both in Cambridge and a Lincoln, and they were also awar e that they required an easy and speedy communication with the London markets, as well as with the western districts. If the Linc o l ns hi re and Eastern Counties Junction line was adopted, it would be well calculated to carry . out these great and important results.—(Cheers.) He might, however, state that the Eastern Counties Company had already a project for a line to March, and this might be extend e d t o H u ll. Thi s li ne wo uld give equal facilities for communication with the London markets. In the line proje c t e d t o Li n coln he per ceived dif fi culties which appeared to him almost innumerable. These difficulties arose from the Bedford level, of which he, AS a commissioner , could scarcely fail to be cognisant. He firmly believed that the projected line from Cambridge to Lincoln would be totally impracticable. There were several rivers to be cross e d, a nd mars h es w hich would baffle engi. neering skill. If attempted it could not fail to be calamitous to the country, and ruinous to the shareholders who might embark in such a Quixotic undertaking. The inhabitants were aware that there was a line projected from Cambridge to St. Ives, and thence to Wisbeach, and if that were carried there really could be no occasion to carry out the Cam bridge and Lincoln. Some arrangement might, he thought, be entered into with the London and York Company for the settlement of that matter. The speaker con cluded by again urging the necessity of a line nearer to the eastern coast. The MAYOR inquired whether any gentleman appeared on behalf of the third line in the first group, namely, the Wia beach, St. Ives, and Cambridge Junction. Mr. JOHN FRYER rose, and said he had the honour of re presenting the Company projecting that line. He had only to say, in connexion with it, that it was generally confer dered a most important line, and that all the plans were ready to render it competent for the Comp an y to bring it before Parliament in the,ensuing session. It was a line singu. larly free from engineering difficulties, and would be construct ed at a very trifling expense in comparison with other under takings.--(Hear, hear.) Wisbeach was one of the largest corn markets they had, and the cattle traffic in Lincolnshire was very great. Both these interests would be materially served by the construction of the projected line. Taken in connexion with the proposed Hull line, it was the most im portant that could be adopted for the town of Cambridge. It would bring all the traffic of Wisbeach and its neighbour hood through Cambridge by the Eastern Counties line. Mr. F. PYM, as representing the London and York, observed that the map which had been prepared for the r bl? _ I ta,....