The Sun. — London, England, 1847-12-23 00:00:00

. bee .n discovered that fraudulent overcharges were made, the prisoner was given into custody. Messrs. Noble and Co., seedsmen, Fleet-street, suffered to some extent by the prisoner's delinquen cies. First, for goods received by the company':. train .Messrs. Noble were charged 11s., whereas they had been debited to the company Bs. 33. only ; in th( second case, for goods received by the train Messrs. Noble were charged 35., but debited to the company 2s. 3d.; in the third case, for goods so received Messrs Noble were charged 145., but debited to the company 12s. 9d.; and in the fourth case Messrs. Noble were charged 21s. 11d., whilst they had been charged to the company 19s. Bd—the prisoner thus pocketing, by one firm only, in the short space of two days, 6s. 3d., or 18s. 9d. per week, independent of his salary. Mr. Fearn, the clerk, produced a book, in which the proper amount was entered, and said that Messrs. Noble had been greatly overcharged, and that the prisoner had paid him the correct value of the freight age and delivery only. Several other charges of a like nature were proved against the prisoner, and a number of others were ready to be gone into, but Mr. Hurlstone, the second clerk, said that the company would confine themselves to three charges, which had been brought forward and proved before the magistrate, and if other individuals were re quired they would be subpeeaned upon the . trial at the Old Bailey. Mr. Hurlstone then read over the depositions, and the witnesses having been bound over in the sum of 401. each to appear at the next session of the Central Criminal Court, the prisoner was fully committed for trial. THE STAGE COACHES OF BY GONE DAYS. About 50 years ago, the:Holyhead mail left London at eight at night, and arrived at Shrewsbury between ten and eleven the following night, taking 27 hours to run 162 miles. This distance, however, before the establishment of railways was done without diffi culty in 16i hours. At the time when this rate of travelling was considered all that was required, there Was a coach on the road between Shrewsbury and Chester, called the " Shrewsbury and Cheater Ilighflyer." This coact stinted from Shrewsbury at eight o ' c l oc k i n th e morn ing, and arrived at Chester about the same time in the evening, the distance being 40 miles. This was a good hard road for wheels, and rather a favourable one for draught. "But how," inquires a writer in the Quarterly Review for 1832, "can all these hours be accounted for ?" Why, if a " com mercial gentleman" had a little business at Elles mere, there was plenty of time for that ; if a " real gentlemen" wanted to pay a morning visit on the road, there could be no objection to that. In the pork-pie season, half-an-hour was generally consumed in consuming one of them, for Mr. Williams, the coachman, was a wonderful favourite with the farmer's wives and daughters all along the road. The coach dined at Wrexham, for Coaches lived well in those days—they now live upon air; and Wrexham Church was to be seen—a fine specimen of the florid Gothic, and one of the wonders of Wales ! Then Wrexham was also famous for its ale; there were no public breweries in those days in Wales ; and, above all, the inn belonged to Sir %Vat kin. About two hours were allowed for dinner; but Billy Williams, one of the best-tempered fellows on earth, as honest as Aristides, was never particular to half an hour or so. " The coach is ready, gentlemen," he would say, "but don't let me disturb you if you wish for another bottle." This was the plan adopted in the good old times, when every affair of life moved on at a quiet jog trot pace, not at all adapted to the pre:,ent mode of carrying on business. Competition of the most eager kind has been for some years the order of the day, and most certainly it cannot be said that stage coaches stood still. Leaving out of the ques tion the light coaches, which travelled at an ex-. tremely rapid rate, we may notice the speed main tained by the mails, which had to travel long dis tances before their employment was superseded by railways. The Edinburgh mail ran 400 miles in forty hours, stoppages included. This was nearly eleven miles an hour. A coach to Exeter, the Herald, went over its ground, 173 miles, in twenty hours, and that is a very uneven country ; and the Devonport mail performed its journey, 227 miles, in twenty-two hours. The increase of speed was alarming to those who had been accustomed to the old-fashioned slow coaches, and at the rate at which the new vehicles travelled was considered reckless risking of human life. Nevertheless, the thing went on, and it began to be whispered, in spite of the mer ciless ridicule of the Quarterly Review, that if steam were to be employed on a railroad, it would be even possible to attain a speed of some twenty miles an hour. In reference to a pro posed London and Woolwich railroad, the Quarterly . not only backed " Old Father Thames agah st it for any sum," but assured its readers that the people vf Woolwich "would' as soon suffer themselves to be Jared off upon one of the Congreve's richocet ' rockets as trust themselves to the mercy of such a machine (a high pressure engine), sind going at such a rate (eighteen or twenty miles an hour)." And the reviewer expresses his trust that " Parliament will, in all railroads it may sanction, limit the speed to eight or nine miles an hour, which is as great as can be ventured upon with safety." The experiment has, however, been tried, and we all know with what success.—The Rail; its Origin and Progress. THE FRENCH ON THE ENGLISH COAST TARING SOUNDINGS.—A correspondent of the Brighton Gazette saga—": There is at this present moment lying in Har wich harbour a whacking French corvette for the pro tection of the fishing trade. Her complement of officers is extraordinary; and every fine day, when they can spare time from their piscatorial occupation, they im prove the shining hour by surveying and sounding the harbour!_ Verbum sapienti." THE NEW RAILWAY ACT.—The Act to give fur ther time for making certain Railways came into opera-. tion on Monday, when it received the royal assent. It was yesterday issued, containing 11 clauses. Various alterations have been made in the measure since its in troduction. By the Act, as passed, railway companies may " within two months," apply to the Commissioners of Railways for an extension of time for the purchase of &c. The commissioners may require a company so applying to give notice, and may appoint a day for hearing objtctions. The Commissioners may extend the time to a period not exceeding two years, from the ex piration of the time originally ;. , (lowed. Existing on tracts and notices to take lands are to be continued as if .this Act had not been passed; and in cases where parties are agrieved by an extension of time, compensatien may be awarded. The important part of the Act is embraced in the seventh, eighth, and ninth clauses. Contracts for new works are not to be entered into for twelve months, unless it shall be determined otherwige at a general meeting of the shareholders. Within six weeks after the passing of the Act, the opinion of a company may be ascertained as to the commencement of new works. A form has been provided (set forth in the scheiule an nexed to the Act), in which the shareholders may ex press their assent or dissent to the commencement of new works. The chairman is publicly to announce whether three fifths of the shareholders assent or dis sent. At such meeting, no shareholder is to vote who has not paid up all " calls." A certificate of the meeting is to be filed with the Railway Commissioners, and a sealed copy to be received as evidence in all courts. HERRING TRADE.—Wick, Dec. 16.—The con tinuance of unfavourable weather, preventing all ingress and egress at Pulteneytown harbour, has considerably retarded shipments of our staple commodity, since our last notice, so that the number of barrels remaining unshipped at this place is not materially diminished from the quantity then represented as being still on hand. There are two vessels in the harbour, taking on board cargoes, one for an Irish port, and the other for Leith. On their departure, there will remain about 7.000 barrels unshipped here. In our local market we hear of no purchases of cured fish, nor of any inquiries being made, the principal sales of the past season being, as usual, intended for the conti nent. Irish markets give no indications of reviving trade. From Stettin, last accounts were to the effect, that the market continued steady. Prices still stood at a shade above eight dollars. With respect to the trade in general, it is in a much more lively state than in De cember, 1846. At that time almost every cooper was out of employment. At present, however, there are few, if any, entirely out of work at :their own trade.—John or Groat Journal. FORETHOUGHT AND SAGACITY OF RATS.—In cut ting through an embankment in a field adjoining the river Lune, the other day, for the formation of one of the culverts rendered necessary for the passing of the North-Western Railway in that direction, the labourers met with between fifteen and twenty pounds weight of eels, some quite fresh, and others in the last stage of putrefaction. They varied from a quarter to half a pound in weight, and consisted of the common silver bellied, or river eel, and Lilliputian specimens of the conger, or sea eel. The latter, of course, had come up with the tide. As teeth-marks were visible on the heads of most of them, it was conjectured they had been destroyed in that way, and stored for winter pro vision, by some animal whose retreat was not far dis tant. This proved to be the case.. On digging a little further, out bounced a matronly rat, with seven half. grown young ones at her heels. The workmen gave chase, and ultimately succeeded in killing both motaer and progeny, with a solitary exception, the trunk of a neighbouring tree affording an asylum to one of the family. The embankment is about 100 yards from the Water's edge, so that it must have required considerable tim e and labaur on the part of the old rat to have dragged the eels thither.—Lancaster Guardian. Lord Nugent Kennedy left the Bluekwall Pier Yesterday morning by the General Steam Navigation Company's mail steam ship Ocean for Rotterdam, en route to the Hague. We have just received, but are unable to publish, a. Solemn protest against the opposition to Dr. Hampden, signed by upwards of 300 members of the Convocation of Oxford.—Cambridge Advertiser. The Journal de Constantinople of the 6th says,— " Since the publication of our last number several cases of cholera have been reported by the board of health, but tho malady is not =kin ranch progtess." Ttik SUN, LONDON THURSDAY THE ANNUALS. THE KEEPSAKE FOR 1848. Edited by the Countess of Blessinyton. It is said that the days of `‘ The Annuals" are over, and their occupation is gone. If so,:they share the • fate of many a popular beauty, whose charma once surrounded her with countless admirers, but whom the hand of time has deprived both of the one and of the other. Such is ever the case with superficial attractions—either the external beauty itself passes away and with it the admiration which it elicited, or, if it remains unfaded, e, " Shining on, shining on, by no shadow made tender Love falls asleep in its silence of splendour," and admiration grows weary of admiring. Under such a calamity, the only chance left the forsaken favourite for retaining popularity, is to have recourse to such means as shall make a lasting interest and esteem more than compensate for the loss of a tran sient admiration. Such a prudent line of conduct has been adopted by the Annuals. In the "Keepsake" for 1848 we remark a slight alteration, which, on examination, we find to be an improvement. A similar change has taken place in its external and inter nal arrangement—in lieu of the silken binding of former times, it now appears in a more durable, though not less gorgeous covering ; 'and in place of a whole contents of silken sentimentalities, its articles present a very pleasing variety, and are many of. them worthy of being treasured up and again referred to. The names of the contributors are indeed suffi cient to prove the variety and excellence of the materials. Among them are the fair editress, Lady Blessington, Sir E. Bulwer Lytton, Albert Smith, Monckton Milnes, Barry Cornwall, Eugene Sue, Mrs. S. C. Hall, Camilla Toulmin,. Mrs. Romer, Lord J. Manners, and many others. The first article is by Sir E. Bulwer Lytton—" The Lawyer who Coat his Client Nothing." It is taken, we are informed in a note, from the " Thresor d'Histuires Admirables et 3femorables," published in 1620, * a rare book (adds the note) from which Sterne borrowed with his usual hardihood and felicity." This tale, narrated in Bulwer Lytton's invariably attractive style, is isuf ficiently interesting; but the subject is 'not a pleasing one, being a repetition of that often-repeated theme of the arch-enemy tempting some unhappy wretch to barter his soul for some temporary benefit. One passage, however, is very suggestive, and contains a moral lesson worthy of being remembered. Before the hesitating. soldier (the hero. of .the tale) will Stinv!,_ sent to the proposal of the tempter, he insists that he must behold his far-distant child. His compianion reluctantly agrees, but the vision 'is' only to laSt for the hundredth part of a moment, while a nail 'drops from his hand to the floor. Accordingly;he conjures it up for that brief period : " The soldier looked; Bettine was before him; the _. _ little room at the forge; the small bed at the corner; the crucifix hung at the bed's head. Bettine's sweet faol was pale and disturbed; some dream scared or disturbed her; and her lips plainly syllabled the words—' Father, God save thee!' Then the soldier's soul seemed to'make itself palpable, and felt within him, it seemed to flutter and writhe in agony—to appeal to heaven against the base fears of the body, by which its divine essence was so mercilessly endangered. Its voice became audible; as a frightened child at the breast of its mother it wailed for succour and deliverance. Suddenly—as the form of a giant angel, its feet on the earth, its brow encircled by the glory of the loftiest stars—rose Hope. ' Son,' said the angel, whom I have reared from the cradle, wilt thou desert me at the gates of the tomb? Not till the tomb is closed canst thou know me as I am! All my beauty—all my power—are never shown but in the land beyond the grave. Do thy sins dismay thee? I was created to rescue men from sin. Nor guilt, nor demon has lasting authority on the soul, while it clings to the garments of Hope.' The voice died—the dream faded. Before the soldier stood the tempter, and the nail had not yet reached the floor. Fiend,' said the man delivered, if in the hundredth part of a moment the soul, escaped from the body, can feel as mine has felt, what must be eternity ? Avaunt, and let me die 1' " This same tale also contains another passage, of a totally different character, which, although somewhat ludicrous, is interesting, as showing its author's strong belief in the efficacy of the " Cold Water Cure." A sick man, at the point of death, deserted by his attendant, being attacked with thirst, so great as to give him the strength of desperation, " contrived, though with difficulty, to crawl down stairs, open the kitchen door, and find his way to the trough in the yard, at which the horses were watered. Of this unpalateable beverage he drank heartily, and found himself refreshed, when, in totter ing back, he fell unawares into a large cistern." Now, whether the shock of the immersion, or the previous draughts of cold water, wrought a change in the complaint, or that the disease of itself had taken a favourable turn, the historian saith not, but the con sequence was the patient's complete restoration to health ! Next follows " A Tale that was Told to Me," by Camilla Toulmin, a tale of a sea voyage and shipwreck, rendered peculiarly interesting by the beautiful character of the heroine, who fully deserved her epitaph of " a most noble woman:' It is not fair, we know, to disclose the denouement of a story, but in this instance the closing incident is so inte resting and so affecting, that an acquaintance with it would rather excite a desire to know the whole. After the shipwreck, when the vessel was momentarily expected to go down, one boat put off to the not far distant shore, and then a second, the last one, was prepared, but it was found that it could not contain all who remained. There was a general cry that all the women should be saved. One young wife clung in passionate agony to her husband. " My love, my life," she exclaimed, " swear to me that we shall not be parted—swear that you will not urge me to enter the boat, if there be not room for both !" His only answer was a last em brace, as he handed her fainting to the sailors in the already full boat. Helen (the heroine), the last woman on board, about to leave the vessel, wit nessed this scene and drew back. " I yield my place to James Lawson," she said, " let not two loving hearts be parted." And before the husband had time to hesitate or refuse, his wife had drawn him after her and the boat put off. Helen remained: A beautiful engraving—" The Last Moment"—represents her clinging to the broken mast as the ship went down. This picture, whether intentionally or not, effectually illustrates the final conflict of soul and body—one hand of the dying girl clings tenaciously to the broken mast with the strong instinct of' self preservation, the other is stretched almost ex ultingly towards heaven—her eyes are cast up wards in faith and hope, while the rest of her countenance is convulsed with the last agony 01 nature. Yet there is nothing gloomy in the picture or in the tale it illustrates, which is one of the most beautiful and most interesting we have yet seen from Miss Toulmin's pen. We have neither time nor space sufficient to analyse each separate ar ticle, but must content ourselves with enume rating some of the most striking. " Red Rose Villa " acquires additional interest from its being the compo sition of the late Grace Aguilar. There is something inexpressibly affecting in thus perusing thoughts, coming, as it were, from the grave. The story in itself is a very pleasing one. " Regniaud's Ven geance," is by Albert Smith, who des6ribes it as "a theft from Boccaccio ; being a free translation of, but not so free, as the original." It is written with his accustomed humour, in a mock heroic, or rather mock sentimental style, yet we could wish that he had somewhat modified the concluding portion—it would have been better had it been even a less " free" trans- lation than it is. Among the rather ridiculous, yet not inappropriate, similes to be met with in this tale, here is a novel description of the effects of love : " Regniaud's heart had fairly got into his head, and occupied all the space that his brains ought to have done. Practical anatomists may deny the pos sibility of so curious a displacement, but there are no limits to the power of love. From that time Reg niaud's books went out of favour. He tried to study, but he read the same lines over dozens of times, and even then could not tell what they were about. His fanciful thoughts of Elena half obliterated the letters, as the varied patterns of the lining qf a trunk overcome by their intensity the modest literature they blot out." " Bataillon," by Eugene Sue, has the somewhat novel attraction of being in French. And a very great attraction it is, for much as any work loses by passing from one language to another, none suffer so greatly as the favourite fictions of France. In the writings of Eugene Sue, Alexandre Dumas, and others, the greatest charm consists in a peculiar fascination of style, and even of idiom, which is utterly untranslatable. This "Bataillon "is an amus ing sketch, with a somewhat tragical catastrophe. liataillon is a stray dog, picked up by one Capitaine David, who adopts him 115 his comrade; this Capi tame, and his domineering rnenagere, Madame Tolibois, remind us greatly of Captain Cuttle and his obliging landlady, Mrs. M‘Stinger. Those who love romantic tales will be gratified with Miss Isabella Munro's " Tale of the Past,"—" Louisa de Montemar," and Mrs. homer's " Romance of Ronda." The latter tale, notwithstanding its romantic character, very effec tually illustrates the true policy of the Christian doc trine of forgiveness of injuries —it is a sermon on the proverb, " A soft answer turneth away wrath." Among the lighter c.)ntributions are some sketches about " Scandal," by Lady blessington, Mrs. S. C. hall, in the " Little Hop-picker's Dream, gives us one of her delightfully natural glimpses of humble life. One of the most interesting articles in the whole volume is a brief tale by Elizabeth Youatt— " The Blind Nan and the Child." This tale, attractive in itself, is rendered peculiarly fascinating from the belief that it is to a certain extent founded on truth. A skilful artificer had constructed a clock of wonder ful mechanism for the town of Dantzic, when some of the citizens, justl V proud of possessing such a mas terpiece, became alarmed at a report that he was about to construct a similar one for the rival town of ilamburgh. Consequently, with relentless cruelty, they caused the eyes of the unfortunate man to be put out, thus for ever destroying his mechanical powers, and, to conceal 1 . 4 eir to bible act, transported him to a distant country: 4 Thrs afterward 3" the blind r man" found his way to his native place, and gaining access to the works of the famous clock, though blind, cut some important wire and effectually destroyed it. But this revenge cost him dear ; he had destroyed his cherished chef d'oeuvre, he did not long survive it, and the legend adds that his spirit was often seen .wandering in the neighbourhood of the ruined time piece, wringing his hands andlamenting its destruction. Of the poetical contributions to the "Keepsake," the first is by Barry Cornwall, a translation from the German, ." The Awakener in the Desert." The versification of this piece is sufficiently melodious, but the subject (the reminiscences of a "mummied thing") necessarily reminds us of Horace Smith's inimitable "Address to a Mummy," and, conse quently, the " Awakener in the Desert," being greatly inferior, obtains little of our admiration. Among the other poems are some verses by Lord J. Manners, being the disconsolate farewell of a despair ing lover ; some spirited stanzas upon " Slavery, by Lady E. S. Wortley ; and some sweet lines on " The Destiny of the Poet," by Mrs. Abdy. Anna Savage has contributed a beautiful poem upon the "Bourse," concluding with the mournful moral that the wealth of worlds " cannot purchase one lost hour again." There are only two pieces from the fair editress, one, upon the "Palace of the Luxembourg," is on the text " Uneasy lies the head which wears a crown ;" the other upon the " Gallery of Diana at Fontainebleau," is a brief allusion to the strange incidents connected with a palace built by Henry the Great, for his " fair Ga brielle," where afterwards " Monaldeschi's blood crimsoned the floor," and where, in latter days, " Fortune's favourite son" resided in the hour of calamity. With this reminiscence the verses thus conclude— What bitter pangs were his, as now revealed— Ingratitude stood forth, all unabashed, And friends were few. His guards, whom oft he led To glory, corquered now by grief, shed tears, As theyreceived his earnest, fond farewell, Whom, as a god, they worshipped in their hearts." Of the beautiful engravings with which this volume is adorned the most beautiful is the frontispiece— a portrait of Jenny Lind, by J. W. Wright. Por traits of Jenny Lind are common enough, they are to be met with in all directions ; indeed we are told in a note to a poem addressed to the fair singer by Miss Power, which appears in the " Keepsake,' that ,shortly after her arrival in England Jenny Lind, chancing to enter . a poor cottage near Burnham Beeches, was surprised and amused to find a portrait of herself " the cherished ornament of the humble abode." Nevertheless, numerous as these likenesses may be, and critically correct as many of them doubt lessly are, after seeing the original on the stage, we are invariably disappointed by them all. They may give a tolerable representation of the features, but they have not the expression which delighted us in the original. They are not Jenny Lind. How ever,. this portrait, which forms the frontispiece to the "Keepsake," differs in this respect from its predecessors, it gives us not only the features, but the charming expression which animates them, an expression of mingled sweetness and simplicity. The fair singer is here represented as in the last act of the Somnambula when for getting a sad reality, she is dreaming of happiness and love ; her countenance fully expresses the tender and joyous sentiments, which are then supposed to occupy the heart of Amina. Her whole appearance is most interesting, and the artist has effectually pourtrayed _ _ " The mind, the music, breathing from her face." The pencil of J. Allom, and the graver of C. Mor tram, have contributed some admirable views of the " Bourse," the " Staircase of the Palace of the Lux embourg," and the " Gallery of Diana at Fontaine bleau," and " Phoebe," by E. H. Weigall, is as beautiful and natural a delineation of the dreaming "Little Hop-Picker" as is Mrs. S. C. Hall's pen and ink portraiture of the same. THE BOOK Off'' BEAUTY; or, REGAL GALLERY. The same improvement that we noticed in "The Keepsake" is visible in this " Book of Beauty" for 1848, which, besides its accustomed and very honour able employment as the mirror of beauty, lays claim to the, we were about to say, higher office of illus trator of history. As usual, it presents us with a group of lovely faces, and, as usual, they are not fanciful but actual portraits, with this difference— they are taken, not from the present but from the past. Consequently each portrait is not, as heretofore, only interesting to the favoured few acquainted with its fair prototype, but is, or should be, attractive to the great multitude who are supposed to have a certain knowledge of its original, for each of the twelve fair ladies here re presented, "the likeness of a kingly crown had on," each of these fair ladies was a queen of England. This " regal gallery," as it is termed, appears at an appropriate time, when the sovereignty of Queen Victoria, and the writings of Miss Strickland, have rendered the royal ladies of England a subject of general interest. This volume contains the portraits of only twelve out of the long list of English Queens, and in order, doubtless, to avoid the appearance of being too historical, great care has been taken, in the arrangement of the volume, to place the pictures without any regard to date—thus the Queens of Henry VIII. take precedence of the Consort of Richard 1., and the wife of Richard 11. comes long after the queen of Charles I. Hence, we -presume, that each lady is to be considered per se, and her life regarded as matter of biography, rather than of history, notwithstanding the judicious remark of Miss Tout min, in her life of Queen Caroline, in this volume, that an: isolated historical character is like " a pro file cut in paper, without shadow or background, or artistic accessories." Taking the royal ladies, then, not as we find them in history, but in the "Book of Beauty," we must begin with Anne Boleyn, whose portrait by H. O'Neil forms the frontispiece, an d whose memoir, by Lady Blessington, is the first article of the volume. This commencement is, we think, somewhat injudicious, not that the picture in itself is unfit to he a frontispiece—on the contrary, it is a most beautiful likeness of a most beautiful counte nance, and as an engraving, is worthy of all praise—yet surely the regal gallery of Eng land can boast of some more admirable Queen than Anne Boleyn. Next follows Jane Seymour, and then Catherine Parr. Thus, out of a list of only twelve Queens, a very undue share is, to our think ing, given to the Consorts of Henry VIII. Their memoirs by Lady Blessington are all interesting, and their portraits worthy of a Book of Beauty. Then we meet with Berengaria and Elizabeth Wood ville, who lived in very different yet equally perilous times. The one shared with her husband in the chivalrous wars of the Crusades—the other mourned over the terrible battles of the Roses. Next follows the stately Caroline, wife to George 11. The memoir of this right queenly lady is, as we have Queen-Consort, she possessed m ore real p ower than a l : f r e e a o d f y c s a a r i o d l , i n w e 'r i i s t t a e by n n i nte l‘ r l e is s s tin U g am st i u li d a y T ; clu th im ou i gh . only many a reigning sovereign yet, (and in this respect, her conduct is well worthy of admiration, and, if we a m (l a y u e v e n e n: u s h r e e e t to e s r a c y j s it, of of i gr e m a t i t i a n t imitation n a l e s e o ) al though as hus band, she was zealous in the performance of her duty as a wife, yielding him submission due, and this not from motives of policy, not . even, it has been said, from affection, but from .a strong sense of duty. It is related that when, the King desired her to walk with him ; when, from ill health, too weak for the exertion, she frequently would plunge her feet in cold water before setting out, in order to gain temporary_ strength. Whether or not the King knew of this is not said, but in either case, as Miss Toulmin justly observes, " Whether one thinks of a man who could for his own gratification permit such risk and suffering to be incurred by a wife, of whom he said, I never yet saw the woman who was worthy to buckle her shoe or the resolution with which s he concealed the sacrifice, the alternative is equally amazing." After Eleanor of Provence, comes the portrait and memoir of Matilda of Scotland, Queen of Henry I. This portrait is one of the most attractive in the book; the Queen appears in an attitude of humility, car rying a basket, but her air is dignified, and the ex pression of her countenance most pleasing, according well with the interesting character here given of her by Dinah Mulock, and according well with what we should anticipate from her parentage—the daughter of Malcolm Canmore and Margaret the Saint ; and with her own surname of " Good Queen Maud." Philippa of Hainhault, equally good as a wife and as a queen, presents in many respects a striking contrast to the gentle Matilda, whom she succeeds. Henrietta Maria, Eleanor of Castile, and Isabella de Valois complete this " regal gallery?' In the me moir of Eleanor strong dpubts are cast upon the veracity of the anecdote of Eleanor sucking the poison from her husband's wound, but " where igno rance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise," and we feel no gratitude towards those who endeavour to shake our belief in the pleasing incidents, few and far between which illumine the otherwise somewhat gloomy chronicles of the past. It is understood that tile unrestricted control of the money order deportment of the Post•offie through out th c kingdom has been placed in the hands of Mr. lowland hill by the Postmaster General, w i t h a v i ew to its impr ov em e nt and extension... No step cou ld h ave been ad o pt e d i n conn exion with this branch of the Go vernment service more calculated to afford satisfaction to the public, while at the same time it furnishes a good precedent—and in England a most rare one—in allow ing freedom of action to a reformer, master of his sub jrct, instead of permitting his plans to be marred by official pedants, and then complaining of delays or of imperfections. INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT.—In conformity with the treaty lately concluded between Prussia and Eng land relative to copyright, two editions of the German translation of Bulwer's "Lucretia " have been seized-at ar..d the publishers prosecuted. LITERATURE. THE COUNCIL OF FOUR ; a Game at Dffini. lions. By Arthur Wallbridge, author of " Torriugton Hall." " It happened some short time since," says Mr. Wallbridge in his preface, " that being one of a small party assembled at the house of a friend, we agreed to play at bouts rimes. But the due number of syl lables would not come pleasantly, • the poems when complete were uninteresting, and altogether our game at bouts runes did not turn out well. Upon this I proposed that we should try a new exercise for our wits. This was to consist of various definitions of some word fixed upon by general consent. Each of the company was to be provided with a slip of paper and a pencil. Three words for definition being chosen, they were to be written down by every person on his or her slip of paper, and the definition of each word having afterwards been written under it, all the papers were to be handed to some one gentleman who was to act as reader. This gentleman was then to read aloud the contents of the papers, giving all the definitions of one word before he pro ceeded to the next. As the ' anonymous' was to be strictly preserved here was a capital opportunity for the expression of opinion —for jokes—or for anything, indeed, which the temptation of being able to write without chance of being convicted as the author of the matter written could inspire." The game went off so satisfactorily that it was proposed that Mr. Wallbridge and three of his friends should meet on successive evenings, and define one hundred words as a prospectus and a specimen of the new game of definitions, and the little volume now before us is the result of their labours. It is a manual of wit, wisdom, and poetry in a l outshell. A more amusing book for a family party assembled round the parlour fire we have seldom met with. As a specimen of the manner in which the Council of Four have performed their task, we give two of the words with their definition; : • " SUPERSTITION. " 1. The high priest of the temple of ignorance. " 2. The swaddling clothes worn by society in his cradle. "3. The dethroned pretender to the crown of reason. "4. The nightmare caused by swallowing crude creeds." " DUEL. " 1. Folly playing at murder. " 2. An appeal from, reason to insanity. • "3. A game of chance for two persons,...*,whielr it is possible for both to be losers. -- - " 4. The only instance in which a man may fire in the air without being expected to hit something." The lovers of " home pleasures" are under great obligations to Mr. Wallbridge for having added so materially to their stock as he has done by his inven tion of his game of definitions. THE COMIC ALMANAC FOR 184 R. Edited by Horace Mayhew. Illustrated by George Cruikshank. This, the oldest of the annual " jokers," like old wine, improves every year. It is, like the laughter moving frontispiece to this year's number, " a good pennyworth." George Cruikshank has been pe culiarly felicitous in his illustrations, and he has met with a most efficient collaborateur in Mr. Horace Mayhew, who seems to possess the enviable knack of " hi'ting folly as it flies" with unerring aim. As a specimen of the contents of the Comic Almanac for 1848, we give " THE RESPECTABLE MAN. "A highly respectable Man Is Iscariot Ingots, Esquire, He's ' post obits' on half the • Blue Book,' And a mortgage or two in each shire; And having more cash than he needs, Why he lends the poor all he can, And only takes sixty per cent., Like a highly respectable man. " He's a house like a nobleman's furnish'd, his side-board, too, blazing with plate, And half silver, half gold, you'd declare It belonged to some peer of the State; So it did—till he seized it in pa) ment Of his sixty per centum per ann.; And now he gives dinners to show it, Like a highly respectable man. "His father-in-law's an attorney, And his brother a dealer in wine, And his brother. in-law's a bum-bailiff, And his son in the auctioneer line; So first you've half wine' for your bills, Then are sued, seized, so ld u p by th e clan; For ho loves to assist his relations, Like a highly respectable man. "For the assurance of lives he's an office, To make his small profits the more; If you ask him to discount, he tells you For security, you must insure.' Adding all honest men ought to do so— Besides it's so easy a plan, And with something to leave on your death•bed, You die such a respectable man.' " It is said he's a tyrant at home, That the jewels his wife has for show, Were all of them salves for some wound— That each diamond's heal'd up a blow; That his children, on hearing his knock, To the top of the house always ran— But with ten thousand pounds at his banker's He's of course a respectable man. "Yet he's kindness itself to young bloods,' And when lordlings solicit his aid, Why he talks like a Lather, and asks How is sixty per cent. to be paid? Such extravagance really would ruin The richest in all liindostan; But to serve them he'll do a ' pust obit,' Like a highly respectable man. : "Still some 'scoundrels' declare he's hard-hearted. That he curses each beggar he meets — That for re n t h e unhous'd his old father, And of want let him die in the streets; Pooh! pooh! he subscribes every quarter For the mission'ries sent to Japan, And if that doesn't make one respectable, Why what is a respectable man? " Of religion he well knows the value, For he was the first of beginners To run up a fashionable chapel For elegant mis'rable sinners;' And to hire a good-looking parson To tell dowagers 4 life's but a span,' For he loves to serve both God and Mammon, Like a highly respectable man. " His daughter has married for love, Though she 'd offers from persons of rank, And ' my Lady' at least might have been With the money. he had in the bank; But since s h e thought fit to disgrace him, She may live in the best way she eau, So he leaves his own daughter to starve, Like a highly respectable man. Then be makes a fresh will every quarter — Or when he 's a fit of the blues' — Or his wife has offended him somehow — Or some son will not follow his views ; And he threatens to leave them all beggars, \Vhene'er th ey come under his ban — He 'II b equeath all his wealth to an hospital, Like a hi g hl y respectable man." A TABLE for Findin g the Day of the Week or Month at Sight, f rom the Year 1840 to 1900. This useful tabl e d oes great credit to the ingenuity of Messrs. Letts and Co., by whom it has .been con structed. The me c h an i sm is simple—a circular moveable table is attached by its centre to a circular fixed table, the moveable table is turned on its axis until the year to which it is desired to refer appears underneath a vacant space left in the card on which the moveable table i s printed—the table is then complete, and will show the day of' any month or week in the year. It will be found a most useful companion in the library or counting-house. COURT CIRCULAR. WINDSOR, WEDNESDAY. — The Queen and his Royal Highness Prince Albert walked this morning on the slopes. The Royal Family took walkin g and pony exercise this forenoon, in the Little Park. Theroyal dinner party at the C astle, th i s evening, included L of th e D uchess of Kent, the Lady Augu s t a Bruce, and Sir GheeLadyg The band of the Grenadier Guards was i n attend to Baroness e e 1 Id ie u n e rpe R o yal e y Wa i tingtablp Highness th e Duchess of Kent, a a nf afterwards duringards d inner. ned in t Her he Castle. Maj e s t y 's private band w pri attended His Royal Highness the D u k e of Cambridge the German Hospital at Dalston, yesterday. Their Royal Highnessesth e Duch ess o f Cambridge and the Princess Mary visited her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester yesterday at Gloucester House. The Archbishop of York had an interview with Sir George Grey yesterday at the Home Office. The Earl of Devon had a n i nterview with the Chancellor cf . the Exchequer yesterday. L or d Mont eagle had also an interview yesterday with the Right Honourable Baronet at his official residence in Down inisr.street. Commis sioner of Railways, andi seat, ~.. Mrs. Strutt, left town yes near Derby. Strutt, Chief for Right t,he Ehdi.wnagrsdt Kingston Dispatches were received Yesterday at the Colonial Office from the Governor of the . Cape of Good Hope, ter'lidahye and also from the Governor cri. St. GRAND OPERA, THEATRE ROYAL, DRPRIE-LN AE.— i Among the company prese n t yesterday evenin g were — His Royal Jones, lili gi'n the Ear e l Duke of C am b ridge, attende d by i Co of Shelbourne, the Earl of , Lord Alexander GordonMuns L , L ea o i r i d ox D a u n r d 'na p m ar , t L y, or h d is D E o x n e e t g i a ie l ney the Brazilian Minister and party, the Baron and Baroness ,Rothschild and party, the Count Rosen, Sir John and Lady Camp bell, Sir Bellingham Graham, Sir G eorge C arro ll, Sir George Grey, Sir W. Ball, Sir W. Clay, Honourable 3', Honourable Major Cuddy, Captain Brand, W. Broadwood, Eeq. Needham C an a t v i en pa d r is t.,, h ,, H u o n n d ou p ra a b r l t e Bower Lyon, Captain EI MIN D - E CE M ItEjt MR. AND MRS. CHARLES KEAN. (From the Dublin Pilot of Dec. 20.) Mr. Charles Kean and his gifted lady are about to leave our city after a most successful engagement of 22 nights. During their stay they have " won goldan opinions from all sorts of people," and will depart with the best wishes of those who esteem worth and appreciate genius. Our respected manager could scarcely have struggled through-the present crisis of gloom and influenza, unaided by " his firm allies, the noble Keens." No other performers could have so signally triumphed over illness and despondency ! They will shortly re-appear in London, where we anticipate the same brilliant career for them in 1848 which attended Mr. Charles Kean's debut at Drury lane Theatre in 1838. Having steadily progressed in his art, he conquered many difficulties and overcame the prejudices of some who denied the existence' of hereditary genius. At that period he placed himself at once at the summit of his profession by a brilliant career of twenty-one representations of Hamlet, sixteen of Richard, and six of Sir Giles Overreach, on the same boards, and with almost the • same suc cess that hailed his father before him, in the memorable season of 1814 ! His triumph as Hamlet has, indeed, been unprecedented on the stage. In the words of the Times of that day, it may justly be regarded as a most graceful and elegant performance. Such wonderful success must have satisfied the ardent ambition of the young actor, and rewarded the years of anxious probation he had undergone in the pro vinces : at the same time, perhaps, it raised the stan dard of party feeling, as there was an evident endea vour to stem that success, lest it might diminish,the brightness of others. The mere fact of such an ex traordinary attraction in the first walk of the drama must convince every unprejudiced mind of the exist ence of great talents to achieve such a wished-for end. His reception in Macbeth, and the result 'of his per formance of that and other characters subsequently at the Haymarket for a succession of seasons, was scarcely less_ distinguished than that of Hamlet. Mr. Charles Kean possesses one characteristic above others which enhances his representation of the philo sophic Dane—a bearing and manner which implies the true born' gentleman, and oneinahe enjoyment of inter course with the most polished society. Consequently, 'though we admit the merit of many, there is no other so pleasing ; for' in that refinement there is a charm which attracts all classes, though some may scarcely know what may be the ingredient so gratifying- to their taste. — Mr. Kean's acting should be often seen, and duty studied, to be fully appreciated, abounding as it does with so many delicate touches and pencil- ' lings. We may, occasionally miss those wonderful 1 flashes of genius which his father shot like electricity ; through the hearts of his audience, and rendered the elder Kean himself alone.; but there is, on the other hand, a finish and completeness that reminds us .of the Kemble school, and at once pronounces Mr. Charles Kean a great actor. It has been most grati fying to all lovers of the drama to see our venerable ex-Chancellor, Lord Plunket, surrounded by his numerous family, so constantly in attendance on Mr. and Mrs. Kean's ' Shaksperian repre sentations, and to hear his warm expressions of admiration. If Mr. Charles Kean stands unrivalled as Hamlet, how perfect is the entire picture when we hear the sweet tones of Mrs. Kean's warbling the pathetic snatches of song in Ophelia t The exquisite grace and tenderness of this lady'are most charming ; and are beautifully illustrated in her performance of this difficult character—a character which, we safely aver, we have never before seen represented. In domestic tragedy and high comedy Mrs. Kean 'is without a rival. What heart does not respond to her sorrows as Mrs. Beverley and Mrs. Hiller, or is not charmed with her playfulness as Rosalind and ber brilliancy as Beatrice ? The introduction of two such artists in the same play is an intellectual enjoy ment granted to us for the present, and one which we should cherish while yet in our power : for once re moved by time or circumstances, we may look in vain for the repetition of such combined talent. The performances to-morrow night conclude their engagement, and will be undar the express command of Major:General Sir Edward Blakeney, the Com mander of the Forces, on which occaiion the tragedy of Macbeth will be given, and in addition Planche s elegant vaudeville of The Follies of a Night, in which Mr. and Mrs. Kean appear to so much advantage as the Duke and Duchess. SURREY THEATRE. An English version of the Figlia del Reggimento has been brought out at this theatre, in which Miss Poole, who is now Mr. Bunn's prima donna, sustains the principal p ar t. Thi s young l ady, one of our best stage artists, combining much vocal skill with very su perior talent as an actress, is better adapted for this ex periment than any other English singer that we know of ; and she has consequently met with very decided success. Her execution of the catching " Rataplan " is fresh and cheerful; and she is encored in this, as well as in one or two other morceaux of this pleasant and ex hilarating opera. It may be remarked that the exigen cies of the music incidental to the principal 'character have been considered with reference to the voice of Miss Poole, and that such transpositions have been made as are necessary— we may add, not much to the detriment of the general musical effect. The other parts are as well sustained as the state of Mr. Bunn's operatic company will allow, and the enBemble is satisfactory to those who are not too exigent, and are pleased with zeal and good intention. There cannot, however, be any want unattained as regards the bluff and paternal Sergeant Sulpizio, which is capitally played and sung by Mr. H. Phillips. Mr. D.:W. King personates the rustio lover Tonio, and Mrs. Daly the Countess. The English text has been sup plied by Mr. Fitzball, who is a ready hand at adapta tions of the sort. SOCIETY OF ARTS. - Last night a very large meeting of the members and their friends was held in the great room of the Society's house, John-street, Adelphi; Benjamin Rotch, Esq., Vice-President, in rotation, was in the chair. After the usual routine business had been 'gone through, and the minutes of the last meeting read by the Secretary, The CHAIRMAN called upon. Mr. Smith Williams to read a very interesting paper on the Progress of Lithography in England. After a few introductory remarks, Mr. WILLIAMS stated that the discovery of the art of lithography was like that of many others, purely a work of chance ; it had been found out when quite a different end bad been in view. About 1795—the exact period was not known—Alois Senefelder, the son of an actor, at Munich, and also an aspirant for histrionic fame, made the discovery alluded to. He was in the habit of printing the speeches which' he had to study, and as copper-plates were' too dear, he tried tin ones; these were found to be uncertain in their ac tion, and he had recourse to stone—a peculiar kind of stone, known now as lithographic stone, was obtained by him ; this stone was remarkably porous, and he was enabled by its means to engrave his speeches easily, and to draw the letters backwards; in this state, however, he might have remained, had not chance directed otherwise, having one day being desired by his mother to make a note of a certain household bill, and not having any pens, ink or paper, he determined on drawing it on the stone; this was done, and the writing allowed to remain some time ; it then struck Senefelder if he bit away the stone round the writing, with acid, he might be enabled to produce an engraving; the acid was applied, and thus the discovery was made. The art of lithography, Mr. Williams said, was one which required the utmost care and taste, the touches on the stone must be made at once, from the circumstance that no retouching would serve to improve that which was once done wrong. That there 'were four methods ,of lithographing, by means of chalk or grease in a hardened state, ink or grease in a liquid state, en graving with incised lines, and those lines being filled up with ink, and by transferring drawings on pre pared paper to the surface of the stone. Great care %VHS required to be taken that the outline of the 'drawing should be neat and cleanly executed, and that it was properly bitten by, the acid ; for , were it bitten in too deep, the shades- would turn out black and patchy; and were it not sufficiently bitten in, the lights would be faint and imperfect. The art of litho g raphy was an ally to engraving, not a rival, and as such it was now regarded by English artists, and on that account 'we wore fast approaching a state of the highest perfection in it. Mr. Williams was very warmly applauded frequently throughout his reading of the communication. The walls of the room were thickly 'hung with most beautiful specimens of lithography. LEONORA, A LOVE STORY.—Speculation has been busy respecting the authoress of this work, whose beauty and genius have been particularly alluded t o , and various ladies have been mentioned as being entitled to the honour of having produced this clever and bril liant story; among others, Lady Dufferin, Lady Bles sington, Lady Duff Gordon, and Lady Emmeline Stuart Wortley; but we can asecrt, on good authority, that neither of these aristocratic writers is the author desired 'to be discovered, who now appears for the first tinie in the literary arena. NEWSPAPERS AND RATiwAys.......The sale of news papers and periodicals at the different railway stations in London is becoming so profitable that the companies now exact a rent from the venders for the privilege. It is said that the sale of papers and periodicals at the London-bridge station returns a profit of ten guineas a week,and that the directors have put the privilege up to competition at a high figure. The rent payable for this privilege at the Euston station, is at the rate of 60/. per annum,. though, until lately, the privilege was accorded free of payment.—Railway Mies. A letter from Leipsic, of the 13th December, an nounces that the new work by J. Venedey, "Sorwarts and Ruckwarts in Preussen," (Prussia ; her Rise and Fall) has been seized by the authorities. A seizure has also taken place at Heidelberg, of a work, • entitled " Trausiettoniof the Diet from the Secret Conferences at Vienna to the year 1845. b 23, 1817. tiflrbs2Ntfo -----~~ DIRECT LONDON AND EXETER , AILWAY,—(THIS ,DAY.) A meeting of the shareholders of this company was held •at the Guildhall Coffee-house to-day, for the purpose of considering the best means to wind up sltisfactorily,the affairs of the company ; Dr. Burnett in the chair. Mr. ROBINSON said that the financial statement that was made at the last meeting of the company, in 1846, having been unsatisfactory, the present meeting had been convened. From the statement it appeared there were large . sums that had been • paid, to the solicitors and the engineers, and respecting which the fullest information should have been afforded the share holders. There were three modes open. to the share holders—the first to appoint some gentlemen to confer with the committee of management with a view to an arrangement ; the se con d, t o i ns ti tn t e a suit in equity ; and the third, to avail themselves of the powers of the Act of Parliament, and put the company into the Court of Bankruptcy. • , After some discussion as to which mode shoulcl be adopted, • • Mr. Isaacs moved a resolution, to the effect that it was the opinion of the meeting that the winding-up of the affairs of the company would be best accom plished by bringing, the matter under the jurisdiction of. a Court of Bankruptcy, and that the necessary steps be taken fur that purpose.. Mr.. D,04350x seconded the resolution, which was carried by a large majority. Thanks were then voted - to the Chairman, and the meeting separated. CANADA. COMPANY---(THIS DAY.) The half -yearly meeting of this company was held to-day, at tha offices, St. lielen's-plaCe (Charles Franks; Esq., in - the chair), for the purpose of de claring a dividend, and to elect a director in the room of John Easthope, Esq., who had been dis qualified from ill-health. The 'CIIAIR,MA,N. said Mr. J. W. Freihfield was the only gentleman who had offered himself to fill th e vacant office,. and if there was no opposition he would submit . - hi s nathe to the approval of the meeting, - - _ There-.being no- oppoidtinn. 14% .Freshfield was accordingly elected. The CHAIRMAN then read the report, which con gratulated the proprietors on the increasing pros perity of the company. The emigration to Canada this year, especially from Ireland, had been unusually large, the number who had landed at Quebec from January to the 27th of October last being 92,819 ; many of them, however, were persons quite unfit to undergo the hardships of a settler's life, and 'were very deficient in that general intelligence so impor tant to settlers in a new colony: Many came extremely ill-provided with means for their immediate support; and suffered from diseasei with which they had in some cases embarked; they therefore had experienced great difficulty in obtaining employment, and upon the whole great loss of life had attended the emigra tion of the year. The expenditure in some of the provinces of Canada had been less advantageous than usual ; but the increase of settlers on the Huron tract had been great, as up to the 25th September, 14,032 had settled there, making in the aggregate 16,643 settlers in the district, many of whom were valuable emigrants, who had removed with their families from some other part of the British do minions. The lands disposed of by sale up to the 24th of November amounted to 23,801 acres, at an average of 15s. sd. per acre, and by lease 78,194 at 15s. 9d., making altogether 101,995 acres, exceeding the leases and sales of last year by 58,065 acres, and at an average increase of ls. 3d. A considerable sum of money bad been sent home by emigrants through the hands of the company. The report was received, and a dividend of 6 per cent. on the capital stock, free of income-tax was de clared payable on the 10th of January. The CHAIRMAN, in reply to a question, stated that the settlers were allowed to hold the land on lease for 10 years on paying 6 per cent. on its value, when the land would revert again to the company. • The im provement of the land was secured, and of course its value enhanced, and if the settler did not cOmply!with the conditions he was liable to be ejected. Mr. FRESIIFIRLD having thanked the meeting for his election, and a vote of thanks having been passed to Chairman, the meeting separated. EXCHEQUER.—(THIS DAY.) (Sitting at Guildhall, before the LORD CHIEF BARON and Special Juries.) MACHER V. SOUTH^WESTERN RAILWAY. This was an action brought for the purpose of re covering the sum of 125/. 16s. 101, being the value of a certain bale of silk, sent by the plaintiff, from Andover to London, by the South-Western Railway, and which was alleged to have been stolen by one of the servants of the company. Sir F. Thesiger appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Martin for the defendant. It appeared that the silk in question was forwarded from Andover in the month of March. Upon the arrival of the bale at the Nine Elms station, it was handed over to Messrs. Chaplin and Horne, the carriers to the company, to be by them conveyed to its final destination, and it was while under the charge of Messrs. Chaplin and Horne that the robbery was alleged to have taken place. Upon the 10th of March the solicitors of the plaintiff wrote to the direc tors of the company, requesting payment for the tniss ing goods, and in answer to that communication he was informed that his application would receive attention in due course. The principal evidence in support of the robbery was that of a person who stated that he was emiloyed occasionally by the police to hunt .afters suspected characters, and that he had seen the person charged with the robbery take the bale from one of the carts of Chaplin and Horne, but declined to give any information to a police-officer whom he met im mediately afterwards, on the ground that the police man appeared to him to be " a raw Irishman. The witness further stated that he had followed the pri soner for several days to watch his motions, and finally pointed him out to a policeman, who took him into custody on the charge o f stealing the bale. James Johnson, the party su charg e d, was committed by the police magistrate, and upon his trial at the Old Bailey was acquitted. On the part of the defendant Mr. MARTIN con tended that the directors of the South-NWstern Railway were not liable, their railway being' em ployed only for the purpose of conveying the goods in question to London, and that having arrived at its destination at the Nine Elms station, the liability of the company was at an end. 2'he LORD CHIEF BARON dissented from that opinion, and ruled that that would depend entirely upon the arrangement which might be made between the parties. In this case it appeared that the railway company professed to carry the goods the whole dis tance, and employed others to act for them after. Such persons, so employed, would undoubtedly be come the servants or agents of the company, and'their servants would also be the agents or servants of the • company. Mr. MARTIN, in replying upon the evidence, said it would be very hard upon the railway compapy if they were to be called upon to pay so large a sum as that which they were now called upon to pay, they having received only the trifling sum of 2s. •3d. as carriage for the goods. The plaintiff; to be entitled to make good his claim for 'compensation ought, in compliance with the Act regulating the carriage of goods by carriers, to hare paid an additional sum beyond the charge for carriage as insurance. The plaintiff de clined to do so, and having refused to pay a small additional sum, he must bear the consequences. The Learned Counsel then proceeded to describe in very strong terms the conduct of .the witness who stated that he had seen the goods stolen, but refused to give any information which would lead at once to the detection and apprehension of the person who had committed the theft, and thought that the jury ought not to attach much weight to hii evidence. The person whom he had charged with the robbery had been tried, an]. by the verdict of a jury had been ac quitted. Looking carefully to the whole of the ,'case, he confidently anticipated that the jury would return their verdict for the defendant. The LORD CHIEF BARON, in summing up, told the jury that the real questions for them to consider were, whether the goods in question were or were not feloniously stolen by one of the servants of the com pany, and whether the plaintiff gave notice to the defendants that the silk was worth more than the sum of ten pounds. The jury after a short consultation returned a verdict for the plaintiff for the amount claimed. COMMON PLEAS.—(THIS DAY.) (Sittings at Nisi Prins, at Guildhall, before the LORD CHIEF JUSTICE and a Special Jury.) BENNETT V. PENINSULAR AND ORIENTAL STEAINI•TACHET COMPANY. This was an action brought by Captain Bennett against the Peninsular and Oriental Steam-packet Company for the refusal to all ow hi m to proceed to Gibraltar by the vessel! called the Montrose. Mr. AL D. Hill end Mr. Peters appeared for the plaintiff, and th e Attorney-General, Mr. Sergeant Byles, and Mr. O g l e, f or the defendants. From the statement of Mr. HILL, it appeared that the plaintiff was formerly in the service of the company, as captain of the shin Lotus, and that he was superseded by Captain Moody in 1841, the corn pang inti ma ti ng b y letter at the time of his dismissal that they h a d h no intention whatever to impugn _ e. his character. In Feb ruary , 1847, the plaintiff was de sirous of p rocee di ng to Gib ra l tar , an d for that pur poseut he w en t t o S ou th am pt on in order that he fight go by the ship Montrose, which was appointed to sail (on that day. On arriving at the quay from which the vessel was to sail, he was met b Mr. Andrews, an assistant manager of the company, who refused to allow him to take his passage in the vessel, and on inquiring the grounds of the refusal, he was re ferred to the directors in London. The plaintiff then applied to the directors on the subject, but no answer was returned, and - the present action was instituted. There being sufficient accommodation in the slAp the defendants were in the position of dommon carriers, and were bound to carry plaintiff as well as the fokssen. gers, to the places to and from which the ship sailed. Mr. Andrews was then called and stated that he was instructed by the directors to refuse a pasiage to Captain Bennett. r Cress-examined—The Montrose was to 411 off Oporto, which at that tim e was i n a state of bloekade. The ATTORNEY-GE NERAL then addressed the) jury for the defendants, who were entitled to refuse a passage to any person in their' vessels, if they thought that the person was the agent 'of another who was opposed to foreign Powers with whom the Queen of this country was on terms of amity. The plAintiff, who he should prove was intimate with' Don Miguel, applied for a passage to Oporto, which the director refused to give him, believing that it might read to an interruption of the intercourse between this country and Portugal. He afterwarda applicki for one to Gibraltar, but as they thought this was therely an evasion, and that it was his •intention to land at Oporto, they also refused to take him as e passehger. Mr. Francis Ignatius Van Zeller, Portuguese Consul-General, had refused to supply the plaintiff with a passport, in consequence of an intimation he received from the Spanish Ambassador that Don Miguel -was living with Captain Bennett at the time he applied for a passport. • John Webb was in the habit of going to the plain tiff's house, No. 4, Canoribury-cottages,: Islington. There were several gentlemen living with hith, one of whim was known as " Don the King." He bad frequently seen the king in company of the plaintiff. A gentleman, who stated that he was an agent of Spain, and also agent for Don Miguel, was next exit mined. Don Miguel was living with the plaintiffin Fe bruary last, and remained with him about three (Sr four weeks. The plaintiff in March went 'to Portugal, and was absent about a month. He told witness that be went direct to Oporto in a small vessel. Was not aware that the plaintiff had no passport. After his return, Don Miguel frequently visited him, hut did not reside at, his house. Don Miguel first =Fe-ea in this country in January, 1847: • Mr. Van Zeller recalled,'stated that if the plaintiff had obtained a passport from the British Government, it would either have come through his hands or that of the Spanish Ambassador's. Mr. HILL was heard in reply. r The CsiEr JUSTICE, in summing up, said, in his opinion, a public company offering to carry British subjects and others to foreign parts had no right to inquire into the political reasons of their journey. He could not understand how a passenger in one of the company's vessels could land at Oporto if the persons in command objected to it, as it ap peared that the mails were sent on shore : by a small boat, over which of cou rse th ey h a d the entire control. It was for the jury to consider whether a British subject who had been so treated was or was not entitled to compensation. The jury, after a few minutes consideration, re turned a verdict for the plaintiff —Damages, 2001. SHERIFFS' COURT.—(THIS DAY.) WALKER V. SHACKELL.—FALSE IMPRISONMENT. (Continued from Afternoon Edition.) • Mr. Sergeant Wristris then called several wit nesses to prove that defendant told plaintiff that if he gave up the paper he had nothing more to do with the matter, as there was no rent due, but Brotherton said that what they had got on the van they would stick to, and Walker (the plaintiff) said, "Follow us how you will we will do you at last." Mr.. Wentworth, an upholsterer, at Turham-green, deposed to having sent in furniture to Clarke cottage, to the value of 1801., but which he had not been paid. He was present when the goods were being removed. He followed them to the station-house, and instructed some per -1 sons to watch the good's, with the view of recovering them, but he did n o t succee d. - S ilas Eyles, a china and glass dealer, proved that he had sent in some goods, some on sale, and some on hire, which were also removed by plaintiff and the men. He had not been paid. John Stavill was called to prove that the goods were removed from place to place. . Mr. Sergeant JONES objected to this evidence. Mr. CHARNOCK (for defendant) submitted that he was entitled to give evidence to show that the 'plain tiff and others were aware that they were .doing wrong, especially after the remark of the plaintiff that they would " do" them, let them watch how they might. The UNDER-SHERIFF admitted the evidence; and it was proved that the goods were removed from place to place, and that the parties watching had been threatened to be given into custody if they at tempted to touch the goods. The jury said they had made up their minds, but Mr. Sergeant JONES claimed his right to reply, con tending that whatever intimacy there might exist be tween Clarke and Young, or whatever the miscon duct of either, which however had not been proved, it ought not to prejudice the plaintiff who was t cting under the direction of his master, and was *holly ignorant of any impropriety in the act of recovering the property. The Learned UNDER-SHERIFF summed up, and the jury gave a verdict for plaintiff for one farthing. The case occupied nearly five hours. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST. CROYDON AND E PSOM I,INES. • A very numerously attended meeting of gentle men residing within the district between London and Epsom was held yesterday, at the North and South American Coffee House, Royal Exchange, "in consequence," in the words of the advertisement convening the meeting, " of the great inconvenience and annoyance daily experienced by the passengers on the above railway, to take into consideration the best means to be adopted for obtaining redress." Mr. CHARLES DEVONPORT having been called to the chair, proceeded to detail to the meeting the grievances which he considered they had to complain of. The principal of these were the inconvenient hours at which the trains started—the irregularity of the time kept by the trains—the taking off, in defiance of an implied agreement with the holders of annual tickets, the seven o'clock P.m. London train, which was generally the most convenient for parties °employed in the City to return home by, and, above all, as regarded the comfort of the work ing men—the discontinuance of the use at this season of the year of the covered third-class car riages, and the substitution of open ones. He felt that the interests of the shareholders of the company were bound up with ; those of the residents on the line, and if some: mea sures were not adopted to accommodate those parties, they would be compelled to give up tbeir re sidences on the line, to the great detriment of the landlords, the parishes, and the railway company itself. It had been hinted to him by some friends by whom he was surrounded, that we show them the disparity of the fares to the various classes of pas sengers. He would take the Croydon station as an example. A first •class passenger could obtain an annual ticket for 20/. ; each carriage contained eighteen persons; so that it produced 3601. per annum. The second-class passenger paid 2s. per day, or 11/. 10s. more per annum than the first-class pas senger; and as those carriages contained thirty-two passengers, if they multiplied the sum by that•num ber, it would be seen that they produced nearly 6004, above the first class. Then, again, the third-class passenger paid 31. 12s. 6d. more than the first class, and, as the carriages contained forty passengersi there was a return from that class of 9451. against. 360/. from the ,first class. Of course there was some dif ference in the cost of the carriages ; but, under all th e r e e ir se g n r t i a e t v io n n nen to s the redressed, directo ranstdwith a the circumstances, he thought the passe ngers on the line were very unjustly dealt with, an d t h at i t behoved them view of gettingtomake a representation interests of the company thus secured. Several gentlemen entered into a detail f plaints which they had t o ma k e against t h 0 COM.. e company, the most prominent of which are mentioned in the Chairman's address as noticed above, with the arkrti of its being obj ec t e d t h at there is no train from Cr on don or Sydenh am b y which the families of par ties re siding - on the li ne can come to London between twenty minutes past ten, A.M. and twenty minutes past two, P.M.; and that, although the charge of a first-class annual ticket to Croydon is only 204, if you go two or three miles further, the full fare to Epsom, 201., is charged. It was ultimately resolved, on the'motion of Mr. MAITLAND, seconded by Mr. Moons, that a' me morial, setting forth the various grievances complained of, should be drawn up by the Chairman, assisti.d by such friends who these to do so, and lie at the North and South American Coffee-house for signature two days next week; after which it shall .be presented to this h directors of the London and Brighton R ailway meetingadjourned to the Mth of Company ; and the January to receive the reply, when, if it is not deemed satisfactory, it is proposed to appeal to the Railway Commissioners. The meeting terminated with a vote of thanks to the Chairman. „ GLUCIESTADT, DEC. 17.—Several vessels, Cleatlltled for Altona, have run in here on account of the , sharp frost which has set in. BERLIN, DEC. 16.—Counsellor Wedeeke, who has his residence in Hanover, has been arrested there, at the instigation of our Government. He is laid to have grossly violated the confidence of a high per bOlage.