The Sun. — London, England, 1847-06-11 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JUNE 11, 1847. THOMAS GRAY AND THE RAIL- , for the transfer of the engines and waggons from. the WAY SYSTEM ; main line to the branches, and vice versa, by a series of AN rNBECORDED CHAPTERN THE HISTORY OF circular turning plates, much the same as those which we see now in use for turning carriages at the stations, I IN VENTIONS. (From the London Journal.) with this difference, that each plate embraces a complete set of rails, that is there is a plate for the up and down "An Unrecorded Chapter in the History of Inven tions !" We think we hear some cautious reader ex- rails respectively. We cannot follow llow Mr. Gray through the whole claim, "An unrecorded chapter in the history of thep e i v d e n glance now. Railway ! Pooh ! pooh ! More mysteries from the arguments of his remarkable interest book. the fertile brains of French feuilletoniste romancists. The at some of them may rea A der ra railway is an open question to everybody—everybody be t he n fully p roved by its universal adoption in The practical economy of steam power he held to . . so districts, knows every thing about it." Stay, good reader, before we proceed to the elucidation of the mystery ;—let us as to afford demonstrative evi our raining in our manufactories, and on board our packets, have a friendly catechetical chit-chat with you, to test the extent of your knowledge of the history of one of the deuce derived from its general application of d the •l n b u e merus but unforeseen advantages which greatest mechanical inventions of any time or country. mightto our dail y conveyance. By the establishment Have you ever, when borne along on the wind-like speed—the time and space annihilating career of the of a general iron railway in a direct line, he argued that railway locomotive—carried your thoughts from the the distance between the capital and the manufacturing wondrous realities of the moment to the time when your districts and principal cities might be reduced one quarter and in many cases one third, instead of the ridiculously respectable grandfather made his will ere he departed on a two hundred mil e j ourne y ? H ave y ou eve r, when winding course the stage and mail coaches then daily contemplating the omnipresent results—political, social, ran. The permanent prosperity which would arise to and moral—which this simple instrument of constructive commerce from this rapid communication wou ld soon , he added, be felt in every corner of the United Kingdom. genius is hourly effecting—i m p u l s i n e c o mm erce with The mails from London to Manchester, Liverpool, and Leeds, might be conveyed within the space of twelve giant power—cementing nations in the firmest bonds of brotherhood, and rearing up and fostering, by the means hours ; the ordinary stage coaches, caravans, and vehi of intercommunication between province and province, cles for the conveyance of every description ' of ' merchan and town and town of this empire, the best and the disc might also be transported the samo improved ' closest ties of union, because founded on mutual in- principle. The farmer would likewise on greatly partici terest and the general good—have you ever thought of pate in this national improvement. The land then the origin of that simple contrivance? In short, can required to produce food for his horses might be culti you tell us, as the facetious Sam Slick would say, vated for other purposes far more profitable ; the vari " When was the railway invented, and who designed in 0 us products of the farm, as well as live stock of every at a word?" • description might be conveyed to any market, and Till you can answer these plain questions, and, with manure brought back, without employing a single out any offence to our hundred thousand readers, we horse, in one half the time and at one half suspect ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety the expense incurred. The introduction of fresh fish nine of them will feel rather puzzled, we must e'en set you down as too much dazzled with the wondrous throughout the interior of the kin g d om wou ld o p en a powers of the great invention of this age, to enter into source of trade to numerous i n di v id ua l s , an d ver y essen tially contribute to the improvement o f our fisheries, as an inquiry, which, by the inquiring minds of other cen turies, will inevitably be regarded as second only i n i m - well as to the establish men t o f new ones . A s a per portance and interest to the discoveries of p r i n ti ng an d manently improving source of rev e n ue t o ca pit a li s t s , the steam-engine, ; this plan would have no pa ra ll e l the diurnal returns at the most moderate toll upon eachvehicle, would annually The principle of the railway, a s a mec h an i ca l means of transport, has been k nown f or nearly two centuries. produce many millions ; " i n d ee d," h e o b serves, " no limits can be assigned to the increase of wealth which It is apparently so very simple that, were we not all this change is our inland conveyance might produce ; aware that the simplist principles have lain longest un there is no branch of agriculture, no branch of coin discovered, we might express surprise that it merce or of arts, but would partake of its endless pros should not have been tried earlier than in the perity. In support of this statement it is merely neces year 1680, which is the remotest date known in sary to remark, that one steam-engine, on an improved connexion with the history of railways. It railway, would draw from London. to Edinburgh three first took the shape of w t ud.o w0 , ,,10. tram a st a ge um e c r o a o c ne s e;ricti carrying tw i ce the luggage and way, and the first known experiment was made at coal h b which now of ordinary horses, stages) d in thirty mines near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in 1680, for trans ours, time now require sad at least fifty porting coals from the mouths of the pits to the ships in hours for the performance of the journey. If a the Tyne. Coal at that time was becoming the substi- lute of wood, as the fuel of the metropolis, and a great public meeting were convened by the wealthy merchants and capitalists of the metropolis, in order to canvass impulse was constantly given to the mining operations of the North. Many of these pits are said to have em- the relative properties of this scheme, the example ployed each of them 400 or 500 carts in this traffic ;it would soon be followed in the manufacturing districts . and principal cities, and the many became, therefore, an object of manifest importance to millions, now annually squandered away in purchasing reduce the great expense thereby incurred in keeping up and feeding unnecessary horses, might be divided by horses, drivers, and roads. A wooden tramway was the holders of shares in the numerous branch companies which would be established throughout the U therefore substituted, constructed on the following Kingdom." This is but a fraction ofthecomprehennsitievde plan :—Slips of ground of the required breadth were argument advanced in support of the plan. marked out between the coal pits and the river. To heperseverance and energy displayed by Mr. Gray obtain the easiest and most regular descent, this line was T in the promulgation of his views were not less re varied in its direction, to meet the inequalities of the markable than for their deep foresight and aecu ground ; or where these inequalities were inconsiderable it was carried straight forward, and regular slopes made by embankments and cuttings. The ground being then racy. The work to which we have above alluded, smoothed and levelled as for an ordinary road, large logs or and which, by the bye, went through five large " sleepers," cut in lengths equal to the breadth o f t h e editions, and was trans l ated and extensively cireu road, were laid across and firmly bedded into it at short lated on the Continent, was only a very small por distances to sustain and hold fast the rails or . slips of tion of his labours. Justice can hardly be done to wood in which the waggon w h ee l s were i ntended to run. his energy by our necessarily brief recapitulation The rails were laid on beech, laid end to end, forming of his correspondence and unceasing communications two continuous parallel li nes a l ong each side of the road. w ith p u bli c men, governments, and corporations on Waggons of large construction, set upon low wheels, the subject. We can here only state that he earnestly completed the "plant" of the first railway ever con- memorialised the King of the Netherlands, Count Dupin, structed. The invention became popular and was largely of Paris, and o ur own G overnment annua ll y, f rom t h e adopted in the co a l districts. The result was a saving time that his vie ws were mature d up to t hi s present d ay. of at least two-third s Parliament also h e b esoug h t w i t h earnest vo i ce to l en d quired, and th e wor ki ng expenses of many large coal of the horse power f ormer ly re an ear to his pleadi ngs f or th e pu bli c goo d. I n 1826 establishments were thus ver largel diminished. Tim- he addressed the legislatu re i n a pe ti t i on, em b rac i ng a series of powerful reasons t o i n d uce a C omm i ttee bet continued t o f orm t h e m a o y f the tramways for upwards of half a cen t ury , t ill 1733, w h en cast- i ron ra i ls of the House of Co mmons t o recommen d t h e establish were tried at the Whit e h aven co lli er i es, b ut no great went of a nation a l ra il wa y b oar d i n L on d on , w ith success attended the attempt for thi r ty y ears , ow i ng t o an annual grant to be d rawn f rom eac h rail the injuri ous e ff ect o f t h e we i g h t of the waggons on way company, for the p ur p ose o f fi x i ng upon a s i te of ground of several miles of extent, for making exp the rails. In 1768 this was in a considerable degree ments on rails and locomotive engines. In his innu obviated by the simple contrivance of a more general merable petitions to Govern men t h e p o i nte d out t h e diffusion of the weight o ver th e ra il s , by l essen i ng the size of th e waggons. H av i ng thus answered probability of liquidati ng th e na ti ona l d e b t b y means the purpose, th e i nvent i on attracte d attent i on, an d of a national railway sy s t em , cons t ruc t e d on sound during the n ex t s i xty years there was a rapid application scientific principles. It seems s t range even to l ook of the principle throughout the kingdom, chiefly, back on the cold way in which shre w d p rac ti ca l men , however, as aux ili ary to mineral adve nture,and o ca- ministers, legislators, and commercialists, tr ea t e d w h at sionally in b ranc h es to canals. Many of them : ere they were plea s ed t o call hi s " v i s i onary " v i ews ; b ut formed in the mining districts of Northumberland, Lan- the red-tapeism of office is ever slow in the appreciation cashire, Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, and South of merit. How beautifully has Sir Robert Peel de- Wales ; and in Scotland, in Lanarkshire, Mid Lothian, scribed the mission of th at p ower f u l b u t s i mp l e instru and Fife, Partington esti mates t h e extent of these tram- meat which Gray, by his appeals and unwearied exer ways in the neighbourhood of Newcastle alone at se- tions, roused the public mind to appreciate and establish. verity-fire miles. " The steam-engine and the railway," exclaimed the Such was the ori g i n an d ear l y con di t i on of the rail- ex-Premier, i n hi s sp l en di d i naugural address to the road. We mus t now s h ort l y spea k of the motive University of Gl asgow i n 1836, "are not merely facili polf a Wing ing the tra ns p or t o f merchandise—they are not employed on t h ese rude tramways. Till within ha century of the present time animal power was solel merely shorteni ng th e d urat i on of journeys, or ad employed t o move the waggons along the rails, but are spreading the about the beginning of this century a great step was intercourse between mind and mind, they are creating new demands for knowledge-- made towards the progress of railwayism in the inven tion of the railway locomotive engine. An experirnen- they are fe r tili s i ng t h e i nte ll ectual as well as the mate tal attempt was mad e i n F rance, about the year 1728 rial waste—they are removing the impediments which obscurity, or remoteness, or poverty, may have hereto in the Royal Arse na l at P ar i s ; no practical result, how.: ever, followed till 1302, when Messrs. Tre ve thi c k and fore opposed to th e encourag i ng o f real merit. " Four- Vivian took out a patent in this country for propelling teen years befor e h e h ear d un h ee d ed the prophetic voice of Gray, who told hi m th a t t h ese great things might be carriages upon railroads. We find the f o ll ow i ng de brought scription of the ma c hi ne i n Partington's Cyclopedia, lod g ed, though the late lamented. Sir William Foll e tt " The boiler was com p ose d o f cast i ron of a cylin- told vr . Gray that he had laid the case before the Trea drical form, this was mounted horizontally upon four sury Board, where, he said, our railway pioneer was wheels, the cylinder of the engine being placed ver tically on the end. T wo connect i ng rods descending there can be little doubt that the Government would ere from the cross bar of the piston were then made to com- this have recognised his c l a i ms t o some nat i onal reward. municate motion to the wh ee l s b y means of a crank, no We must confess that we h ave no great f a i th in Govern fly wheel being nec essary, t h e momentum of the carriage went gratitude for hi g h i n t e ll ectua l ac hi evements. A carrying the crank s p ast t h e li nes of the centre." When these engines were first tried it was found difficult to glance at our pension list is conclusive on the point. A produce a su ff ic i ent d egree of re -action between the more worthy recipient of a nati on ' s b ounty cou ld not b e wheels and the track road, so that the former turned found than Thomas Gray. But we look for national round without a d vanc i ng the vehicle. This was reme- gratitude in a more pop u l ar shape.We are, however, bringing our compressed summary died by Mr. Blenkinsop, of Middleton, West Yorkshire, of these large and important events in our commercial who, when he adopted the invention at his colleries, history to a rather premature conclusion. The ques took up the common rails on one side of the whole Von has no _doubt arisen in the mind of many an ,n ew, had of the road, and replaced them with rails which ig r e i n n t reader to whom these facts are new, had large and coarse cogs projecting from the out- 1' w comes it that so much mystery should aide. The impelling wheel of the engine was made exist with regard to a s y s t em t h e or i gin of to act in th ese teet h, so t h at i t cont i nued to work in which is but of yesterday. All th e wor ld k nows that a rack th e w h o l e l engt h o f t h e road. An engine the railway from Liverpool to Manchester was the first of four-horse power, employed by Mr. Blenkinsop, public line opened in this country. All the world impelled a carriage lightly loaded at the rate of ten miles a n h our, and when connected with thirty ree tons, it great improver o f th e l ocomo ti ve , i n part pro j ected, and in whole executed, that important work. Hence, oh il went at about one-third of that pace. Mr. Blenkinsop logical reasoni ng f rom prem i se t h e accurate—George took out a p a t ent which is dated in 1811. It must be borne in mind that this invention was entirely conclusion most ill eg iti ma t e —G eorge S tephenson de produce. Th e pu bli c knew little if anything of the confined Stephenson constructed the first public railway — Argol to the mineral di s t r i cts and to the conveyance of mineral signed the railway syst em ! O ne w i t h ere d leaf in the railway, and an y man w h o forty years ago was bold laurels of Stephenson mus t ever t a i nt t h e i r freshness— ughthat amidst the pl au dit s o f popu"arity he has failed to freshness— enough to whisper th a t i t m i ght be made to supply the _ !lefeets of the common road system was written down an acknowledge the claims of a far earlier labourer in the same field. Th e Li verpoo l and Manchester Railway incurable mad man , as poor Thomas Gray was severa l years later. B ut this is nothing very new in the hist Company was sanctioned by Parli ament on t h e sth of of improveme nt . 'Dry May, 1826. I t was opened on the 15th of September, hise a r s lit. ere r toe that the mi Quest : We have now reached the period of our history when 1830.t00k pl l e V ce e , h M av r e . G ae r e a n y had devoted d m e a v n o y ted y we are to note the beginning of the vast railway system which has sprung up and is daily extending cation of his theory. Thomas Gray shaped and syste matised the system and enforced it on • around us. public atteu - In 1815, that memorable year i n th e hi s t ory o f t h e ti on ' George The - world, and most important epo c h i n th e a d vance o f our men Land ob theorist lives unrewarded, unhonoured— commeroe, Mr. Thomas Gray, a man o f l arge compre- n p a o m or e, and fa sc m u e re ;the If s e tt e p e r r a s e t i a c n a d l ma n dou b en t joys d wealth, and hensive mind, gifted with a r emar k a bl e f ore -thought, were common when Stephenson contended anedforsuthsepicions prac - and with a deep earnestness of character and indomit- ticability of a public railway in 1826, how much . greater able perseverance, chanced to revisit his native town of must have been the difficulties which "mad " Gray—for Leeds. He was drawn by curiosity to inspect Blenhin- • e • so " enlightened minds were pleased to term him—had sop's steam carriage railway at Middleton colliery, which to encounter b inpreparing thepublic for the change, and is situated in the immediate neighbourhood of Leeds. in inducing the more enlightened minds to risk the great After a careful inspection of this railway he was inoeu- experiment. That ho did work this revolution in feel lated with intense admiration of the system, and eon ing will be amply apparent to any re fl ec ti ng man w h o winced of its appli ca bili ty to t h e pur f poses o general intercommuni ca ti on . Th e same year M r. Gray repaired, e railway men who have the conceptiontakes the trouble to examine into the history ° f the rail or, we b e li eve , re his railw a y imaginings, turned to Brussels, hi s m i n d big with way. Strange it is that " amassed princely fortunes by thi s i nven ti on , are t h e of An interesting event ' in enterprise opportunely oe- honoured old age. It cannot b e th a t c l a i ms so un dullest to the claims of th e f oun d er , i n hi s poor an d un- Y curred to creat e new t h oughts, and to shape and s ste- on the gratitud e o f th e ra il way world matise these cr u d e i mag i n i ngs. The King of the answerableen- Netherlands, ab ou t th at t i me, proposed the construe- are denied. No, we will ra th er suppose that, grossed in the pursuit of wea lth or i mmersed in the lion of a cana l f rom Ch arleroi, for the conveyance of coal from that rich mineral district to Holland ; toils of business, railway men have found no time to and a scheme of such magnitude and commercial inquire who really discovered this rich unfathomable importance naturally excited lively interest in mine of national wealth. For the public at large an enterprising and industrious community, more espe- the plea of ignorance must stand as the apology for cially amongst our own co un t rymen res i dent there. It their neglect ; or it may b e w i th some that the hand of roused the active mind of Mr. Gray, who not only time has not cast that venerable hue on the structure to ardently espoused the project, but with a b o ld ness th at excite may not be able yet t o j o i n i n the aspirations of ite their feelings of v enerat i on f or its magnificence. , excited the amazement of his compatriots, he urg e d the th e y the strain of a true poet of progress. construction of a railway, and set about in his own quiet " Blessings on science, and her handmaid steam! but earnest way to demonstrate the practicability and They make Utopia only half a dream; 'Vast superiority of such a mode of communication. The And show the fervent of capacious souls, idea was far in advance of the age ; and its bold pro- Who watch the ball of progress as it rolls, pounder was set down as an ardent impracticable That all as yet completed, or begun, theorist. But the theorist was determined to show the Is but the dawning that precedes the sun." world that his theory was one of the most practical and Unquestionably the pioneer of the railway system shall !Way attainment ; so he e'en sat himself down to think a yet take his place in the roll of the spirit of the age! little more on the subj e ct, an d s h a p e hi s th oug h ts to a Personally, perhaps, Mr. G ray may f ee l li ttle desire at tangible form. We hear nothing more of Mr. his advanced period of life to acquire the mere "bauble Gray , for nearly three years. But he slumbered not in fame ;" but it cannot be that he is equally regardless of the interval. In . 1818 he completed and placed the those more solid advantages of pecuniary remuneration manuscript of a treatise in the hands of Mr. Wilson, an which ought ever to be the reward of talent and industry, eminent British merchant who has published a and manufacturer in Belginm, especially when applied in a manner so eminently prac interesting pamphlet on the tical, as we have, we think, proved Mr. Gray to have subject. This productioryn can a Railroad for the wholewoit;Fheaded, " Observations done. This is simply rendering justice to the rights of of his views was only exceeded4:i'repe," The largeness labour. Bat we will go a step further, and urge on the tire and exact demonstration by yvrtikliiecbc,alm argumenta- public the necessity, in these days of competition with nec essity which existed for a reform to set f or th t h e f ore i gn r i va l s, o f b e i ng espec i a l ly carefu l to i nsure to internal and international communi cation, t a the mode of every gr ea t i nven t or, o f w h atever ki n d , not only the just ing commerce ability of a rapidly expan re e e, meet the profit, but th e equa lly j ust h onour d ue to hi s successful ability of his plan to meet those demands. In n the efforts. the work, considerably modified and improved, was , A few words by wa y o f seque l to our sketch, the published under the title of "O bserv ations on a generalresponse to which wo hope may show to be in truth a Iron railway, or land steam conveyance to supersede the t tilleiecdtiecal application of the subject. Mr. Gray, after necessity of horses in all public vehicles." Mr. Gray lavish v e o x tion d o . f the best years of his life and the most therein proposed a system of direct trunk lines radiating views forPtelli iture of his means in the promotion of his from the metropolis to the principal seats of trade and the - e public good, is left in ire age to exist on precarious emolura commerce, with branches for the accommodation of His friendsand . emoluments of an illquited agency. admirers a • nxious that some of the places of minor importance—London to be the central golden accomp an i ments of point for Great Britain, and Dublin for Ireland. For should cheer the latter •em fame, which yet await him his useful and laborious the principal trunk lines he proposed a series of six life, are determined to ii. 3 / a it r n s o of either for Govern parallel railways, one half for the up, the other for ment interferenc e or railway l on ger recognition down trains ; on the branch lines from two to but to appeal loudly and at once to of his claims, gr l atitude of the tour as the nature of the traffic might demand. The pub lic. And, we think, they ate right. t : the f E principle of the cog ra il, which we have seen, m ind, is sometimes slow t o receive ne nglish was introduced by Mr. Ble n ki nsop, i n the early stage eve r noble and generous when convinced a t 1 -. l ' t a s these it is of the hi s t or y of lo c o mo ti ves , f orms a part of Mr , have sure ly contributed to the general good. Ever y Gray's sy s t em , w ith this diff erence, that it is added man, woman , and child at some period or other has eex as a third rail placed in the middle of the track to perienced directly, in wo n d erin g admiration, the e erie _ give uniform p ower t o th e p ermanent action of the / fits of the railway ; i ndirectl y this is eve ry day and stem. engine. lie p rov id e d an ingenio us machinery ' hour brought home to their feelings, Let them testify their gratitude by contributing a mite to a national tes timonial for Thomas Gray. A public meeting was lately held in the city of Exeter, and an executive com mittee formed for the purpose, who are now in commu nication with the friends of the cause throughout the country. Leeds, Nottingham, and Lincoln have joined in this grateful movement, and we hope ere long to be able to announce that on almost every railway in the kingdom an opportunity will be afforded to the tra veller, while breathing from the wind-like speed with which he has been carried from place to place, to add a little to the reward of the designer of all. RAILWAY COMMITTEES. HOUSE OF LORDS.-(YESTERDAY. Room B. WINDSOR, STAINES, ANSI SOUTH-177MS TERN (RICHMOND TO WINDSOR, &c.) WINDSOR & SOUTH-WESTERN (STAINES TO ASCOT AND WOKINGIIIM, WITH BRANCHES). (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) Mr. AusTrs was proceeding to put a question with respect to some negotiations that had taken place between the Right Hon. Baronet and Mr. Saunders, the secretary of the Great Western, while he was in office, with respect to an atmo spheric line from Slough to Windsor. Mr. Sergeant WRANottA:u ob'ected to the question, on the ground that that line was not before the Committee. The Committee took the same view of the question, and it was not put. In reply to the question, whether the line would be ob jectionable to the property of tLe Crown, or not, he replied that the line of last session was objectionable, but whether the present line was or was not objectionable to the Crown, was a question which would be more properly answered by the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests, Lord Morpeth, and by his predecessor, Lord Lincoln, than by him. He could give no opinion upon it. The Committee adjourned anti: to-morrow. INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS. JINE B.—Sir John Rennie, President, was in the chair. The paper read was " On the Expansive Action of Steam," by Mr. J. M. lieppel, Grad. Inst. C.E. The object of the paper was to deduce a more exact formula than those now in use for the dynamical effect developed by steam in expanding from one pressure to another. The usual method of computing this effect neglects the influence of the variation of temperature, which always accompanies change of density, and which has been shown to modify considerably the corresponding pressure. M. de Pambour, however, has, by combining Gay Lussac's for mula for the relation between temperature and density under uniform pressure with that of Boyle for the rela tion between density and pressure under uniform tem perature, deduced a formula containing the density, pres sure, and temperature from which any two being given the third may be deduced. What was further done in Mr. lleppel's paper was to combine this formula with one by Mr. Scott Russell, ex pressing the relation between the pressure and tempe rature, and by this means to eliminate the latter, and obtain a formula containing only the pressure and density. From this formula another was easily obtained, show ing the total dynamical action developed during ex pansion from one pressure to another, and the results were given in a tabular form, exhibiting 1. The pressure in lbs. per:square inch. 2. The relation volume, or ratio of the volume of steam to that of the water which produced it. 3. The dynamical effect before expansion, or the num ber of lbs. raised ono inch by the evaporation of each cubic inch of water. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-(YESTERDAY.) GROUP XXIV. CHESTER. AND HOLYHEAD. The Committee met at the usual hour. Mr. ALEXANDER addressed the Committee at some length on behalf of the locus stundi of the Liverpool Stepan-packet Company, contending that they ought to be heard, as by the construction of the proposed railway their tram would be diminished. Mr. TALBOT was heard in reply. The room was ordered to be cleared, and the Committee and that they co u ld not come to a correct and decided that they could not reg ar d th i s measure merely as a proper raila de yß c i i l !ion on the Bill if they did so, and they therefore decided that the parties should be heard. Mr. TALBOT then proceeded to address the Committee on behalf of the promoters of the Bill. The Committee was occupied during the remainder of the day in hearing evidence in support thereof. The Committee adjourned till twelve to-morrow. 4. The dynamical effect during expansion, or the number of pounds raised one inch by the steam produced from one cubic inch of water in expanding from a pres sure of 'Nibs. per square inch to the particular cones from any one pressure to any other must be clearly ex pressed by the difference of the corresponding numbers in this column. Part of the remainder of the paper was devoted to showing that whilst the performance of engines could not possibly be expected to exceed the results ascer tained as above, it could not fall far short of them in the case of engines of good construction. In conclusion, a simple method was suggested of ascertaining the magni tude of all the forces i❑ action during the working of the Cornish engine, independently of the indicator. In the course of the paper, the fallacy of the theory of what had been termed the " percussive action" of steam was ably exposed, and although, from the paper being full of mathematical formula, it was not well adapted for being read at a public meeting, it evidently possessed great merit as an investigation of an important subject. It was followed by a short paper, also on the "Ex pansive action of Steam," by Mr. Tate, mathematical master of the Training College, Battersea. Its object was to demonstrate and apply a formula some time since discovered by the author, expressing the law of the ex pansion of steam, and at the same time to establish certain general equations relative to the work of steam, applicable to all formulae professing to give the law of volume and pressure. It also examined and corrected Pole's formula, which, although a decided improvement upon Pambour's, was stated to be not sufficiently ac curate for pressures above 701 b., or below 161bs. Monsieur Piarget exhibited in the library, after the meeting, specimens of the improvements in producing ornamental metal surfaces, formed by the deposition of metals during the electrotype process, which is conducted in a peculiar manner, with mixtures adapted to the effect desired to be attained. The form also of the bath is peculiar, and when the plate is taken out of it, and off the model, it exhibits a burnished polish, or a dead appearance, according to the preparation used. The metal thus produced is stated to be of a much better description than metals which have not undergone such process, as it is more flexible, and is capable of withstanding the action of heat without destroying the form or the copper, and the surface will not tarnish when exposed to the air. Portions of any pattern can also be silvered by a similar process ; and the general expense is about one-third of that of engrav ing or chasing, while the boldest or most minute pat terns can be equally well produced. The paper announced to be read at the meeting of Tuesday, June 15, was " On the law which governs the discharge of elastic fluids under pressure through short tubes and orifices," by Mr. W. Fronde, M. Inst. C. E. MR. O'CONNELL'S FUNERAL. THE " YOUNG IRELAND" PARTY. DUBLIN, JUNE B.—The Council of the Irish Confede ration met yesterday; William Smith O'Brien, Esq., in the chair. The CHAIRMAN stated, that having heard that Mr. O'Connell's family were desirous that the members of the Irish Confederation should not attend the funeral of Mr. O'Connell, he had thought it right to address the following letter to Mr. John O'Connell : " 4 I Westland-row, June 7. "My dear O'Connell,—As should be very reluctant to take any part in reference to the funeral of your lamented father which may not be acceptable to hit, family, I shall feel obliged if you would let me know whether it is their wish that those who dissented from the policy adopted by the Repeal Association during the last twelve months should attend the funeral. "I should not have deemed it necessary to trouble you with this inquiry, if I had not learned that it is the impression of some of my friends that Mr. O'Connell's family desire that none of those who are called the Young Ireland' party should be present on the occa sion.—l remain yours very faithfully, " WILLIAM S. O'BRIEN. "John O'Connell, Esq." " As our council meets to. day at three o'clock, perhaps you will kindly forward an early reply." He regretted to say that he had received the following reply from Mr. Maurice O'Connell : " 30, Merrion-square South, June 7. " Mr. Maurice O'Connell presents his compliments to Mr. Smith O'Brien, and begs to say that his brother, Mr. John O'Connell, having submitted to him Mr. Smith O'Brien's letter of this morning's date, it becomes his duty in reply to inform him, that all arrangements for the funeral having been entrusted to the Glasnevin Cemetery Committee and the Rev. Dr. Miley, the family leaves it entirely in their hands." Mr. O'Brien stated that he did not desire to suggest any course to the council in connexion with this corres pondence, as he thought that each member of the Con federation ought to act upon the occasion in accordance to his own sense of propriety ; but for his part he in ferred from Mr. M. O'Connell's letter, that it is the wish of the family that he should not attend the funeral. After some further business the council adjourned. THE EXPIRING PARLIAMENT. The now moribund House of Commons, elected in August, IS4I, has proved one of the longest Parliaments on record --at all ev e nt s , d ur i ng the present century. It has, in fact, only a year more " to run," in order to die the death so seldom allotted to Parliaments, viz., a na tural one. The students of English history, during the early period of the last century will not require to be reminded that it was in those days by no means an uncommon event for the septennially elected Par liaments to run out their full career ; nay, so powerful was the power and influence of the Whig Ministry at that period, that the new elections were usually a mere matter of form, no change of any importance ever taking place in the constituent elements of the popular representation. During the latter part of the eighteenth, and the early period of the present century, the rapid succession of important political events, both in this country and on the continent 01 Europe, produced constant alternations of men and mea sures ; and when the great climax of the Reform Bill changed the representative system of England, " annual Parliaments" appeared by no means improbable contin gencies, even without the aid of the " charter." We have had four Parliaments since the era of Reform ; the first, elected in 1832, in accordance with the pro visions of the new statute, only lived two ses ssons, the Ministerial change of November, 1834, having rendered an appeal to the people a measure of almost indispensable necessity. Thus perished the Parlia ment of Earl Grey. The second, or " Peel" Parliament, although elected under Ministerial auspices, only re turned a very formidable Conservative minority to sup port Sir Robert, and the new Premier soon succumbed to the influence of the Whig majority. The second Melbourne Ministry, as it is well known, lived on until 1837, with a mere measuring-cast majority, when the death of the Sovereign extinguished the Parliament ipso facto, after an existence of two sessions and a half. The new House of Commons was almost equally balanced, as regards parties, and but for the forbearance of the Opposi tion Lord Melbourne could never have remained at the head of the Government for four years longer. A crisis, however, at last ensued, and the Whig Ministers ap pealed once more to the constituencies. The issue of this contest was never doubted by either party ; the star of agricultural protection was in the ascendant, and ad immense majority was returned by the county con stituencies to enable Sir R. Peel to take Dawning street by storm. The Melbourne Parliament of 1837 lasted about four years. The present Parliament, which has endured for six bears, has been a memorable one. It was elected to protect, the corn-laws, and it has enacted free trade into a law. It began by hurling a Whig Ministry from office, and has ended by ejecting a " Conservative " one with almost equal ignominy. Lord J. Russell, now in a nominal minority of 100, has ac tually encountered less opposition, and carried on his Government with far greater ease since his last acces sion to p ower , th an i n t h e very p l en i tu d e of his popu larity, when, w ith a sma ll b ut d ec i s i ve majority on the Ministerial benches, he refused to hold office " oa suf ferance."— Times. THE NEW OFFICES OF THE TREASURY AT WHITE HALL—The erection of the new offices of the Treasury at Whitehall has been completed, and the whole of the scaffold ing removed. The new building completes the whole of the course of buildings of the Privy Council, Board of Trade, and Home and Treasury-offices, formerly an unseemly edifice, but uow presenting a façade of elegant and elaborate archi tecture, in keeping with the magnificent structure of the new Houses of Parliament, and a great additional ornament to Whitehall. The interior is in a forward state for the re- CePti9ll of the officers of the different departments. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF LORDS, June 10. The Earl of SHAFTESBURY took his seat upon the Woolsack at Five o'clock. DIOCESE OF KILDARE. The Archbishop of DUBLIN presented a petition from the Protestant Association of Bath for the restora tion of the diocese of Kildare. REPRESENTATIVE PEERS (SCOTLAND) BILL. On the motion of the Earl of EGLINTON this Bill was read a third time. INFLUX OF IRISH PAUPERS INTO LIVER POOL, &c. Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from Swan sea, praying that all national education should be based upon secular principles; also a petition from Liverpool, complaining of the influx of Irish paupers into that town. Already, the petition stated, had several of the inhabitants of Liverpool, includ ing six captains of Irish steam -vessels, fallen victims to the fever these paupers had imported into the town, and the petitioners prayed that some measures should be adopted by the Legislature to prevent Ireland from emptying her diseased, infirm, and starving popu lation into the town. AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. Lord BROUGHAM complained that certain papers connected with the affairs of Portugal had been published in the newspapers before they were laid upon the table of the House, and gave notice that on Tuesday he should submit a proposition to their Lordships on the subject. POOR REMOVAL ACT. Lord REDESDALE presented a petition from the county of Oxford complaining of the operation of the Poor Removal Act. Several Bills were brought up from the House of Commons, and read a first time. QUAKERS MARRIAGES. Lord CAMPBELL rose to move the second reading of a Bill for declaring certain marriages between Quakers valid. It was a Bill to confirm Lord Cotten ham's Bill. An Act had been passed in 1826, to render the marriages of Quakers valid, but great doubts had been raised re specting their validity. and in Scotland they had been declared to be untenable, and this Bill was to remove all doubts respecting them, as great distress had been ex perienced in consequence of the decisions of the courts of law. The Bill was read a second time without a division. RETURNS FROM THE POST-OFFICE. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH said that the last returns from the Post office were not satisfactory, and therefore he wished to obtain further details.—They were granted. REWARDS TO THE NAVY. The Earl of HARDWICICE gave notice that he should postpone his motion on this subject from to-day till Monday next:._ LOANS TO IRELAND. Earl FITZ WILLIAM mov. d for a return of the loans made to Ireland for the relief of distress during the past and present sessions; also the sum which might be expected to be repaid. The papers had bcen already laid before the other House of Parliament, so that thry could be easily supplied to that House. He thought the public of this country would be surprised when they were informed of the gross amount which had been lent for this purpose. The people of this country had been taught by the press to believe that the amount was much greater than it was, but it would be found, he understood, that the total amount was between 6,000,0001. and 7,000,0001., which had been lent upon good interest. The motion was agreed to. SCOTCH BILLS. The following Scotch Bills passed through Com mittee:— Service of Heirs. Transference of Lands. Burgage Tenure. Heritable Securities for Debts. Crown Debtors. MESSAGE FROM THE COMMONS. Messengers from the Commons brought up seven: Bills. BISHOPRIC OF MANCHESTER BILL. Lord LANSDO WNE rose to move the order of lhe day for the second reading of the Manchester Bishopric Bill ; and he would take that opportunity of stating, his regret that a jocular observation which was made the other night, and which was not intended to have been heard, should have been published, and thus making the business of their Lordships' House appear to be conducted more irregularly than it really was. It was necessary from the great and spreading population of Manchester to establish a spiritual head in that town, and there was fortunately the means for the providing of a bishopric out of the paro chial funds, which had increased to a very great degree. These were the leading provisions of this Bid. The diocese would embrace a population of 1,123,000 per sons, and 1,220 square miles. He had stated that the funds were already provided for supporting the bishopric, and therefore the country would be put to no expense whatever by the establishment of this diocese. He did not know that there were any further details for him to remark upon, and he had only, in conclusion, to move that the Bill be now read a second time. Lord MONTEAGLE was quite sure the Bill would be agreed to if it were notcalculated to involve the country in any expense ; hut, under existing cir cumstances, their Lordships had long felt and admitted the necessity of this measure. If he understood the statements right, it was asserted that there was a surplus in the fund of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and that it was not contemplated to call for supplies from any other quarter. It should be recollected that this idea first arose from the Government of Sir Robert Peel in 1835 ; and the Commison then in existence had recommended that there should be a consolidation of two of the Welsh bishoprics as well as as a consolidation of the sees of Gloucester and Bristol. Through these consolidations it was stated that the means would be raised for erecting a see of Manchester. But this question had excited great attention out of doors, and it was doubted that the Legislature had any right to in terfere at all with the principle which would be invaded by interfering with these bishoprics. A petition, numerously and importantly signed, was presented by his Noble Friend (Lord Brougham) —and he did not complain of any want of consistency in the conduct of his Noble Friend. But it should be recollected that the first object of the Commission of Inquiry issued by Sir Robert Peel's Government was to make a better provision for the parochial clergy of North Wales. Of that commission the two Arch bishops, the Bishop of Lincoln, and the Bishop of Gloucester were members, and those Commissioners came to the conclusion that there was not a sufficient fund to provide for these paro chial clergy. But it was afterwards found that the proceeds to be obtained from the consolidation of the two Welsh bishoprics were not only sufficient for the addition to the iccoines of the parochial clergy, but that there would be funds to make a provision for the new see of Manchester. But in the report of the second Commission it was worthy of observation that no notice whatever was taken of the wants of the parochial clergy of North Wales. Seeing the mischief that was likely to arise from the consolida tion of the two bishoprics, he had called their Lordships' attention to the subject, indeed he had laid a Bill upon their table. But the Bill contained a new and most im portant provision —it was the first time they had been called upon to appoint four new bishoprics, the repre sentatives of which were not to be permitted to have seats in that House; and besides their appointment was not recommended by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners as in all former cases. They were demanded by the people, and though they were not immediately to have seats they were subsequently to be entitled to the n. When he looked at the great increase of the population, especially in towns, and the necessity of instructing them, he could not but bring himself to believe that the parochial clergy were unable, in some parts of the country, to provide for this necessity. In North Wales the inadequacy of church instruction had been felt more than in any other part of the country ; so de fective had it proved, notwithstanding the appoint ment of two Welsh bishops, that the num ber of Dissenters actually exceeded the number of that belonging to the Church, so that the progress of dissent had been more rapid than the doctrines of the Church of England ; and this was a state of things which they were about to perpetuate by the Bill before them, and he considered that they should increase the clergy rather than the Bishop=. He considered that the principle of creating bishoprics without seats, was mes objectionable. Lord STANLEY admitted all that had been said by the Noble Marquis as to the impossibility of the present Right Rev. Prelate the Bishop of Chester attending to the spiritual wants of his extensive diocese in the way it ought to bo done. He rejoiced, therefore, that the pre sent measure was introduced, although he considered that some of its principles were objectionable. The ob jection which he took to the principle of this Bill was the establishment of a bishopric without the aovautage of a seat in that Efouse. The Noble Marquis who introduced this Bill had stated that the Ecclesiastical Commissioners had recommended that in the establishment of new bishoprics, an arrangement should be made to prevent the erection of new seats in that House, except in one instance. Now he thought it was highly desir able that the public should know what was the number of sees to be established which should have seats in that House attached to them. It was evident that her Ma jesty's Government intended to make a considerable in crease to the sees of this country, without, however, appointing them to seats in their L irdships' House ; but, in his opinion, it would be much more satisfactory to make the number smaller and affix seats to each of them. If the principle to be established by this Bill were the creation of four-and -twenty sees with seats in that House according to the seniority of the Bishop, and four-and -twenty without seats, it would often happen that the most talented Bishops would be altogether ex cluded from their Lordships' House ; and he therefore thought it would be undoubtedly more satisfactory to reduce the number and give them all seats. Adopt the principle of this Bill, however, and they might go on establishing these new bishoprics without seats, until the number of sees reach 48, excluding, perhaps, the most able and efficient of the Episcopal Bench from participating in the ecclesiastical government of the country; and as such a step must of necessity be pro ductive of jealousies and dissatisfaction amongst the clergy, he must repeat his conviction that it would be far better to reduce the number, and give to each of them equal rights and privileges. It was not his intention, nevertheless, to offer any opposition to this Bill, but in pursuing that course, he must earnestly entreat her Ma jesty's Government not to mislead the public, or to keep them in suspense by withholding from them the precise number, and the precise principles upon which they pro posed hereafter to establish the new bishoprics. Lord BROUGHAM must also object to the anomaly of Government establishing one single bishopric in this country without the advantage of a seat in that House. It was a dangerous principle, and in refraining from Opposing 1$ 110 r, he wished 1$ $9 be undorBt994 thot ho GROUP XX -i-. The Committee on this group re -assembled this morning in Room 34; Mr. Corry in the chair. GREAT NORTHERN' (DEVIATION BE TWEEN GRANTHAM AND YOR,R). On z ihMfirenpn4rilliterc„94theris'i l eectit o the deviation Vtfia l l Barnbymede, and Mr. R. Stephenson on behalf of the oppo sition. After some further discussion, the Committee threw out this deviation between Retford and Doncaster. DEVIATION NEAR TUXFORD. Mr. DENNISTON then opened the case of the promoters on he deviation near Tuxford. Mr. Cubitt, C.E., was examined on the engineering works required on this part of the line, and one witness deposed as to the traffic. Mr. Fowler, C.E., was examined in opposition to the line on behalf of the Manchester. Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway. This part of the line was passed, and some additional clauses were added to the Bill. The Committee adjourned till twelve o'clock to-morrow. GROUP XXXIX. The Select Committee appointed to consider the merits of the Bills comprised in this Group re-assembled at the ususl hour this morning; Lord Charley Wellesley in the chair. CLARENCE RAILWAY, AND LEEDS AND TIIIRSX ADTALLGANIATI-Cri. The Committee having passed the preamble of this Bill, were engaged the rest of the day in disposing of the clauses. The clauses having been agreed to, the Chairman was directed to report the Bill to the House, and the Committee adjourned. GROUP XLVI. The Committee met at twelve o'clock, and after an address from Mr. Whateley on behalf of the Edinburgh, Leith, and Granton scheme, the Committee decided that the EDINEURGH, LEITH, AND GRANTON (UNION CANAL AND CALEDONIAN YtAXLVTAY JUNCTION), was not proved ; and that the cAxamoNxAN (EDINDUR.GIE STATION and BEANCHMS TO GR,A.NToN AND TO THE EDxr:DunGlx AND GLASGOW ra 2X. 1,17 A 1 r), was proved. Tlie clauses of the Bill were then gone through and agreed to. COMMITTEE ON MERITS, HOUSE OF LORDS.—(YESTERDAY.) The Earl of Shaftesbury passed the following Bina :- Heron's (Pensions) Estate Bill. Mvine (or I . .PNabb's) Estate. Wyndham's Estate. Payne's Patents Assignment. Wakefield Bcrough Market. Aberdeen harbour Improvement. Glasgow and Shott's Road. National Mercantile Life Assurance Society. Edinburgh Markets and Customs. Staffordshire Potteries Waterworks. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SIR,—A false assumption and scandalous abuse of my name having found its way to your columns in the Marl borough -street police reports of yesterday, and being the only person bearing the title of the old and not undis tinguished family, which is to become extinct with me, I hope you will be kind enough to insert this note in your widely.circulating paper, as expressing my earliest and unqualified contradiction of having any connexion with the parties and statements referred to, so injurious to my character and social position. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, MORITZ DAM YONDER PFORTE. Tokenhouse-yard, June 9, 1847. A splendid sample of barley in the ear, grown by Wm. Laws, Esq., of Prudhoe Castle, w as sent to our office yesterday, along with a still finer spe c i men grown by Mr. Isaac Johnson, of Oyinghaoa Boat-house. The latter mea sured four feet six inches in the straw, the grain was well formed, and the plants altogether were in a most healthy condition. A very few weeks of fi ne weather would render the bulk fit for the sickle. —N ewcast l e Journal. NEW WHEAT. We were, on Tuesday, shown an ear of wheat, grown by William Jeffery Lockett, Esq., of this town, on the Farnworth estate, near Runcorn. We believe it is the first shot in this county. The seed was Im ported from New Zealand in October last, and is a new thing in this hemisphere. It already m e a sures 4 f eet 10 inches in the stem, and 7 inches in the ear. On a fair aver age of the field there are twenty-five stems to each seed, and taking the stem shown to us as a basis for calcula tion, every seed should produce 1,650 grains of wheat, an increase which we may venture to call most amazing. It also gives us great pleasure to inform cur readers that the potato and every other producti on o f t h e so il are i n a most promising condition in the locality to which we have alluded. We have also se en an ear o f w h eat, sown at Holt-hill, Cheshire, in the beginning of November. It stands four feet high, and presents a very promi s i ng ap pearance.—Liverpool Courier. EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF DROWNING.—An in quest was held on the 7th inst., at iSures St. Mary, before Harry Wayman, Gent., coroner, on the body of Francis Hardy, aged about ten years, who, it appears, was bathing with two other children about eight years old, named Philip Hurrell and Robert Seymour; and Hardy and Hurrell, try ing which could go furthest into the river, got out of their depth, when Hardy sunk, but Hurrell made a spring and saved himself. The two boys, fearing punishment, sank the clothes of the deceased with stones, and stayed fishing for an hour befor e th ey gave information' of what had happened ! There being no marks of violence on the body, the jury found a verdict of " Accidental Death," but, reprimanded the boys for their conduct.—Bury Post. THUNDER -STORM.—Manchester was yesterday afternoon visited by a rather heavy thunder-storm, which continued from about half-past four to a quarter past five o'clock. About five there was a flash of light ning so vivid and brilliant, and followed so immedi ately by a sharp and rattling peal of thunder, as to produce a general impression that the lightning must have fallen somewhere near the centre of the town, and this imprevion proved to be perfectly correct. It struck the lofty chimney of the calender works of Mr. Pollitt, adjoining Corporation-street, in which it has left very obvious marks of its force, in the shape of a ragged and irregular groove in the brickwork, ex tending from the roof of the building• to the summit of the chimney, where a small portion of the stone coping has been displaced. Between the roof of the calender house and the earth the electric fluid has evidently passed along an upright shaft of iron which extends from the basement very nearly to the roof. As in almost every case of damage by lightning which, has co me under our notice, t h ere are evident marks of upward action. The lead 'lashings affixed to the chimney at its junction with the roof have been partly melted and partly bent upw ar d s . Wh at seems rat h er cur i ous i s, that in many places, the lightning has displaced the mortar from between the bricks, through the entire thickness of the brickwork; and the draught of the chimney has consequently been considerably injured by the air which flows in through the crevices thus created. Apparently, ho wever, the stability o f t h e structure is not at all affected, and the inconvenience just mentioned will be ea s il y o b viated by pointing the brickwork with mortar.—, anehester Guardian of Wednesday. SEIZUR E OF AN ILLICIT DISTILLERY.—The Excise officers Messrs. Kay and Pargeter have effected the seizure of another illicit distillery, at 39, Hare. street, Bethnal green. From informationreceived, they proceeded to the premises kept by a man named Thomas Rebbeck, carrying on the business of an oil and colourman, and also entered as a retailer of tobacco. They went into the back parlour, where they fou n d a curiously-contrived trap-door, which was concealed by th e floor- cloth. On opening it, by a lad der they descend e d to the cellar where the ob j ect of their search soon prese n t e d i tself. A ; till was fitted-up in brick work, with a fi re un d er it, and running off strong spirits, and a quantity of molasses wash was prepared for feeding the same. The stock of spirits found was what is techni cally called " feints," and other spirits had been recently re moved for sale. The fittings and utensils were on the usual scale, with a large number of barrels, &c. The trap-door above mentioned was the only means of ingress to the cellar, and might have defied the strictest search, but for the accu rate information received. The whole of the seizure was de posited in a van, and conveyed to the Excise warehouses in Broad-street. The owner has at present escaped from the officers. CAUTION TO HOUSEKEEPERS.—On Sunday evening last, between half-past six o'clock and eight, during the absence of th e f am i ly at chapel, the house of Mr. William Hulme, rope manufacturer, Lodge-lane, Liver pool, was entered by thieves, and property to the amount of 1001. in gold an d notes was abstracted. The thieves made their entrance at the back kitchen window, and ransacked the house. They had laid out a quantity of clothes, with which it is believed they intended to decamp, but finding the money, they left everything else. was not to he debarred from resisting every future crea tion that may be proposed upon the same principle. The Bishop of SALISBURY regretted that this Bill had been placed in the bands of Noble Lords at so late a period as this morning, and preventing thereby that careful and deliberate attention which a Bill so important deserved at the hands of their Lordships. The objec tions urged by the Noble Lord against this Bill were such as had otter been repeated in this House, and had as often been most completely answered. The present Bill proposed to remedy an evil universally admitted, viit, that of the large amount of superintendence which de volved upon the present Bishops, and their inadequacy to the performance in a proper manner of those high and important duties. And it was from a deep sense of the necessity of an increase in the number of Bishops, that he and his Right Reverend Brethren were resolved to give their most cordial assent to the Bill now before their Lordship's House. Earl FI ISZ IX IL LA M concurred with the observation of the Noble Lord, that it would be a serious anomaly that there should be one Bishop who had not a seat in their Lordships House in common with the other Right Rev. Prelates. Be felt quite convinced that there was a necessity for a very extensive addition to the present number of Bishops, and he thought also that it would be desirable that a careful subdivision of the large dioceses already existing, with a view to a more efficient administration of the duties which devolved upon those Right Rev. Prelates. The Bishop of OXFORD wished to tender his most hearty thanks to the Government for having brought in the present Bill, end for having given their minds heartily and warmly to the consideration of the ques tion. He thought, however, that there were some grave objections to the measure. The positio❑ of the English Bishop required that his funds should be ample and fully equal to that which they at present received. It was not a seat in the House which required the ne cessity of those funds. It had been said that seats in this House gave the Bishops a great deal of power ; he did not believe that such was the case. On the contrary, he thought that seats in that House tended to a dimi nution of the spiritual authority of their Lordships. He wished their Lordships to pass the Bill with the greatest possible unanimity, but at the same time with some minor amendments which seemed to him necessary; but one great fundamental oifficulty met with in the Bill was the limiting ef the new Bishops to four, because if they limited the number of spiritual teachers, they would limit the spiritual instruction of the people. He thought that the extension of the see should be a matter to be dealt with on a future occasion. After a few words from the Bishop of BANGOR in favour of the all, and expressive of his thanks to the Government for its introduction, and from Earl Powis, the purport of whose observations could not be heard in the gallery (he was understood, however, to support the Bill), The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said, as none of the Noble Lords who had addressed the House had ex pressed their intention to oppose the Bill, it would be necessary for him to detain their Lordships with a few observations. He did not feel satisfied at present to rest only with a Bishopric of Manchester, because he thought that they must carry their reform further, and increase the number to four. The funds by which the three additional bishops would be sustained were accruing, and when he looked at the extent of the population, at its rapid increase, and its increased spiritual wants, he confessed that he considered three additional bishops absolutely necessary, and as soon as the fund s no w accruing were provided, the three would be appointed. Her Majesty's Government believed that they were faithfully discharging their duty in bringing forward this Bill. The amendments proposed would be printed and placed in the hands of their Lordships, and wh« n they came under their attention, he confidently trusted that they might be favoured with the rosesence of the Right Rev. Prelate at the head of the Church, whose presence on all occasions was gratifying. The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be reported to-morrow. RAILWAY RESOLUTIONS BILL. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented the report of the Select Committee appointed to report relative to the suspension of the Railway Bills of this session, and moved that it he considered. Lord KINNAIRD considered that the Bill would not prevent the evils it was intended to obviate; for i - aitanee, it said that interest was not to be paid up!in calls. He thought that these resolutions had neen passed without due consideration. Lord REDESb ALE said that he was opposed to those resolutions on many accounts. He Vonsidered them especially objectionable, as binding the House of Commons to a course which they were utterly unable to carry out. They gave the Railway Companies, having Bills before Parliament, the option of upending in this session, and resuming the same Bill in th.- next. Now, it was notorious that the very constitution of that House rendered any arrangement of this nature futik, because no arrangement entered into by this, would be binding in the next Parliament. After a few words from Lord GRENVILLE, the re solutions, with amendments, were agr.ed to, and their Lordships adjourned soon after Eight o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS, June 10. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) The Huse re-assembled at Five o'c!ock. THIRD READINGS. The Manchester, 13,ixtim, and Midland Junction Rail way Bill was read a Laird time and passed. The Manchester. Sheffield, and Lincnin,hire Railway, and Manchestar and Lincoln Union Railway, and Choi terfield and Gain-borough Canal Amalgamation Bill was also read a third time, and the svveral amendments agreed to. REPORTS. The reports upon the iollowirig Bills were brought up and ordered to lie upon the table:— Croydon Commercial Gas arid Coke. Fleetwood, Preston, and West Ri ing Junction Railway (Burnley and Coll cry Branches). Great Northern Railway (Deviations between Gains borough and Rineaster.) Huddersfield and Manchester Railway (Deviations and Alterations in Oldham Branch, &c.) Ipswich Docks. Legal Quays (London). Leominster Canal Navigation Sale. London-bridge Railway Termini General Enlargement. London (City) Improvements. London and North- Western Railway (Lease and Pur chase of the Huddersfield and Manchester Railway and Canal, and the Leeds, Dewsbury, and Manchester Railway). Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway (Station at Sheffield and Branch to the Sheffield Canal). Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway (Shef field Canal Purchase). Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway (June tion with the Midland Railway, via Barnsley, and Branches therefrom). Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway (Branch to Chapeltown and Thurgeland Coal Branch . ). Midland Railway (Masbrough an Normanton Stations Enlargement). Midland Railway (Extension from near Leicester yid Bedford to Ilitchin, and to Northampton and Hun tingdon, and Enlargement of the Leicester Station). Midland Railway (Gloucester and Stonehouse Junction). Midland Railway (Hangotsfield to Bath). North British Railway (No. 1). Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Wakefield, Rudders- . field, and Goole Railway (Partial Alteration of Levels, &c.) South-Eastern Railway (Widenink of the Greenwich Railway and Arrangement and Enlargement of the London bridge Station). South Yorkshire, D3neaster, arid Goole Railway (Peni stone, &c., and Purchase of Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Wakefield, Huddersfield, and Goole Rail way, Dun Navigation, and Dearne and Dove Canal). Swansea Harbour. Wear Valley, Bishop Auckland and Weardale, Wear. dale Extension, arid Wear and Derwant Railways, and Shilthesi Tunnel Amalgamation. Westminster and Part of Middlesex Sewers. York and North Midland Railway (Knottingley Branch). LORDS' AMENDMENTS. The Lords' amendments on the following Bills were considered arid agreed to :—Belfast Port and Harbour Railway, Ewell Rates Bill, Sheffield Markets Bill. ROYSTON AND HITCHIN RAILWAY (SALE OR LEASE). This Bill was read a third time and passed. WEYMOUTH AND MELCOMBE REGIS HAR BOUR AND BRIDGE TRUSTS. This Bill was read a third time and passed. HOLYHEAD HARBOUR. Mr. WILLIAMS moved that Captain Berkeley, Mr. 0. Gore, Mr. Duncombe, Captain Jones, Mr. Bankes, and Viscount Clive, be added to the Select Committee on the Holyhead Harbour Bill. He would not have detained the House one moment on this subject, but that he understood the Secretary of the Admiralty was to oppose it. The Committee ap pointed on the Bill was most unsatisfactory ; two of the Gentlemen appointed being directly interested in this Government job. The Hon. Gentlemen then quoted the opinions of some eminent engineers against the availableness of the harbour. Now, in the Owe of such statements as had been made by eminent engineers, whose attainments could not be questioned, and who had been employed in public works for a number of years, were they determined to act contrary to tin ir expressed opinion on the matter ? It was estimated that the cost of the work would be 600 0001. That estimate was made by an engineer of eminence, opposed to which was the esti mate of -ir George Rennie, that the cost would be 1,800,000/, who had stated also that great loss would be sustained by the blasting that would be necessary, and that it would be almost impossible to obtain blocks of stone of sufficient size. Sir George Rennie also stated that the labour of throwing down the breakwater would be very great. Now by which of these opinions should they be guided ? He thought the House called upon to appoint a fair Committee, and he begged, therefore, to move that Captain Berkeley, Mr. O rms b y Gore, Mr. Duncombe, Captain Jones, Mr. Benkes, and Viscount Clive, be added to the Select Committee on the Holyhead Harbour Bill. On the motion that Captain Berkeley be added to the Committee, Mr. WARD opposed it on the ground that the addi tion of other names to the ten already appointed was utterly unnecessary and unwarranted by the usages of the House. aHpopuosi Captain en.tedn, etheHARRIS wasßol f should oh thoughtpoiunlidon be before oo the led Committeebthete before particularly t c h a a u t t t o h u b the reportefo r e they laid should h out e la indi thmeefoyreonthtehiHe o h u a a r e bo p u r r io , r an to d anything beingmE said done. Mr .the Hous e s h ou l d be slow in laying HUMS out the public Money on this project before the fullest investigation was had with regard to it. Mr. KELLY thought the interests of Ireland should form some ingredient iu the cewideratien ef, this citlesticc• Ample information had been obtained, and all the engineers had concurred in recommending Holyhead harbour as harbour of communication with ail! country. He trusted that the Government would persevere to stand by the decision of the Committee in this case. The ga!1( ry wai then cleared, but no' clivisien took place, the H.lll. t mb r having withdrawn his !notion. Messeug- rs fruu: the L , rds brought up sundry EDUCATION. - Mr. WATSON presented a petition from the Romeo Catholics of Newport, in Shropshire, and other plece s4 praying to be admitted to a participation in the vote fur educational purposes. CHANCERY. Mr. WATSON presented a petition from several solicitors and attorneys, praying for an inquiry into the evils of Chancery. EDUCATION. Mr. B. ESCOTT presented a p e tition from the isle 49f Wight, and other places, against Ihe vote for education. SMITHFIELD MARKET. Lord MAHON presented a peiition from certain grt; ziers in Hertfordshire against the removal of Smith"' market. THE EDUCATION GRANT. Lord J. MANNERS p resen t e d petitions from im Roman Catholics of StarnfOrd, Penzance, and ot eat her_ places, praying for a participation in the Gov erns educational grant. RATE-PAYING CLAUSES. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE resented a petition front t o{ inhabitants of Liv er p oo l praying for the tot al repeal the rate-paying cl auses . POOR-LAW AMENDMENT ACT. Mr. BANKES presented a amendment of the Poor-law Act. RAILWAYS IN IRELAND. certain Mr. J. O'BRIEN • from presented a petition Hol y parts of Leland. praying for the extension or r a accommodation to Ireland. the petition, praying for the petition from Lord G. I3ENTINCK presented Midland Great Western orlrel s ana Rit o wa y COPP Rouse pany, complai n i ng o f t h e select i o n by the a nd Irel a nd, a of three railway companies in Goverpre en rs h also prayi ng f or ass i stance . from They stated th a t th e y emp l oy upwar d s of 4,00010070 i representing 20,000 persons, who have, by f 1613 the that coral= public funds of this country. They further that in consequynce of the depress;d 2. 9 , been kept off as a burden to money market they will be compelled toLlors, out of employment the whole of their l ab' : t he unless the same assistance is rendered to theta b f Government as they proposed to render to others ho patsies in Ireland. They further stated tha , 00 . state shoo' most unexceptionable security to offer to the nor meat for any loan tnat might be advanced. The petition was then ordered to lie on the table. SMITHFIELD MARKET. far si ffecS Mr. PALMER p reserve d two petit i o ns from the • 0/ mers and graziers of Reading M market against there al of Smthfield market. r. i lIAWES presented a petition to the W et 9 from Croydon. MEMBER FOR CORK. la na g Mr. S. O'BRIEN gave not i ce t h at o n lifon - rts e • to he should move that the Speaker do issue his //li t f o r th e the Clerk of th e C rown to ma k e out a n ew s v i" f - Ctsrict election of a k n i g h t o f t h e shire for t h e c ount,' °` In the room of the late Daniel O'Connell, Es+ ACCIDENTS ON RAILWAYS 0 . i n to Ding Colonel SIBTHORP gave notice that o n a t{ the Committee of Supply, he should call the attentionlor, House to the accid en t s w hi c h occurre d upon rill "Is. and to the best means o f guar di ng aga i ns t these ee l Sfl RA PNELL SHELLS. Sir DE LACY EVANS move d f or *a r eturn of t" e a number of Shrapnell shells o rd ere d to be tuseurilrdis at the Carron Foundery for the British and Bas"oinß Company's armies, since the period of the shell 131 :. t he been adopt e d by t h e G ove rnment for the use (11 national forces.—Agreed to. BI,‘DCAGE WALK. r caMis e Sir DE LACY EVANS asked the Chief %.,°- - ft to be of Woods and F.,r, sts whether anything w a s done in regard to paving Birdcage-walk? laid Lord MORPETH sa id that mater i a l s were u e '" . " down for the pu r p ose . PORTUGAL. a th o Mr. B. OSBORNE sa id h e ha d seen it reper te the Conde D as A ntas , w i t h two t h ousa nd of h s :ea: had bee n ta k en pr i soners b y the Br i t i s h fleet; he be"Go therwore, to ask th.. Noble Lord at the head of th h re , 7ernment wh e th er h e h a d rece i ve d an y p a pers wi t pop .erenc , a to that, and w h et h er h e w o uld lay th eca the table? ~„r s 00 Lori J. RUSSELL sa id h e h a d rece ived no P i r - r ted the subject. He had s een a t e l egra phic dispatch rel-10, in Mortiteur, wher e no d ou bt th e Hon. Mem ber _ self had sreu Mr. P. BORTHWICK begged to ask the Honourtibblve Member for Montrose whether he intended abidieg_tira his motion on the Portugal papers, and whether he ri'v take the discussion tomorrow? Mr. HUME said h e was qu i te rea dy to take the dir cussion to morrow. Lord G. BENTINCE wished to tel the Noble r o o f whether whether the instruc..ions of the Government we r° o , s such a character that it w a s p oss ibl e f o r her Mail be naval force to have a cted t h us a ga i ns t the troops 01 ., - e p Junta, by taking the C o nde D as A n tas and his `" prisoners ? Lord J , /FIN RUSSELL said it was quite poseiblej for Sir Willi am P a l mer h a d or d ere d th e bl oc kade oft li c Douro. and in case the Conde Das Antas should br e !h in upon th ese or ders, it w as v e ry possible that stz might be the eonst.qu•nce. • Mr. HUME said he wished to know whether th. were all the instructions that had been sent out. Lord JON RUSSELL said that the dispatches CO--. tained all the diplomatic correspondence. S MALL DEBTS (IRELAND) BILL. Mr. M. MILNES asked the Solicitor-General for mto land whether ho intended introducing a Bill to mitig_ ios the present practi c e of i m p r i son i ng f o r small de bts Ireland? . a th e The SOLICITOR GENERAL f o r Ireland sa l oes subject was under coesic•ration, and he was in 1 1is of being able to introduce a Bill this session on subject. 13105* TREATMENT OF A CONVICT IN VCR all th e Mr. G. BERKELY said that he wished to f e colo attention of his Hon. Friend the Secretary for.teh no nies to a circumstance connected with a convi o . in i n g Panco. It was stated that he was desirous of r 7„ wo g the rite of baptism, which a Roman Catholice r___Uld not permit him to do. Hon a nd Gallon - Mr. to administer, but which the authorities wv Mr. HAWES said, that when his 11° House en a tor- Friend brought this subject before the titute inquirie.s and it mer occasion, he stated that he would - n8 a de, on the subject. Those i nqu i r i es h a d been w Bolan appeared that the convict was attended b y on, but as Catholic Priest on the morning of his executl w en) , . 1 n ot minutes , d hr wan before f t o o r a e d t m h i e n administer execution, rite ehof authorities sanction it. POOR-LAW ADMINISTRATION BILL , The order of the day for goine into Committee OP. the Poor-law Administration Bill was then read for purpose of postponing it. The further consideration of the Bill wa s th en Pc° ptis only _ poned until Monday next. PRICE OF BREAD. Sir DE LACY EVANS said that, in answer to question asked the other evening by an Hon. Metobt as to whether th ere was any i ntention on the p a rt of the Government to b r i ng i n any measure to regulate SP f price arid weight of bre a d i n consequence of the pr i c e et c .pdac?s witht bread not rising and falling with the price of wheat. i f keptbegg a te the th r a z t ie th e e of pr w ic; i s e o a f t i b n rea l d l ihtsadoutietntimfotrioeine.l ./ He hoped that alarms of this nature would a not be gi ve unnecessarily. be Mr. BANKES sa id that he was amenable for what d. said, but not for the way in which it might be ree rt t e he The speech he made was reported ver correctly le 3 public pap e r s , b ut he could not be answerable for a ny alarm it mi g h t create. He then held in his hand f4.hPe,t • tition from a magistrate in th e coun try, sta tln b i isea there was a considerable - amount of fraud daily Pr r u d e ' r to upon the poor man i n t h e price of bread. In since the prove that, he would st a t e t h at a s h ort time o price of bread in Paris was cheaper than it vves : le h in don at the ti m e w h en the corn in France was h'g e t here price than in England. He thought that though, oro t.. might not bo any com pl a i nts o f these f rau ds ii v oice minst(r, yet in other parts of the kin,gdore the Plant. of the delivering fraudulent weight was very Pretread to Mr. HEATHCOTE said that the price of p r i c e ca London might be cheaper, in relation to th e ,g, east)! corn, than it was in Paris, in consequence of li ter ina mode of carriage upon the Thames, the better e chinery and the cheaper price of fuel for ham''',: pr iee could not, however, understand the reason of parts of bread varying from 7id. to Hid. in different Committee of the metropolis, and h e hoped a Cl'm would be appointed to inquire into this subjec t ' ible tu Mr. B. ESCOTT sa id that it was not P°l l pro' purchasecoarse br. ad in L•idon u tu e tor duce of the bushel of wheat was was n tedups the tion of white bread. the motion that the o cl PRISONS ILL. d' On de a r of the ay _ ~„ she journed debate upon • going into Committee aPv - Prisons Bill be read, Mr. NEWDEGATE saidshouldsot berm that he .. p. troubkd the House at all upon this occasion bad I' tor been for the wrong f l' which Ses ee ing ho knew was • a .00.- tained throughout the country that the aboli e of transportation would be ta , great m istbrttii o; of r ho evils which had arisen from the old sY s- 4 0 transportation were attributable not to w 3 punishment itself, but to the way in which, h " was administered. The failure of the system of Ptl n ' h i ," - i for the a ment in Norfolk Island and Van Diemen's Land --, throughout been attributable to the inadequate aiet i d which had been given for carrying it into effect. Iss t : ti o of any att em pt being made to correct the error ... which the late G overn ment tell on this subject, then were pursuing a similar course. It was an 00 100,,, among the p u bli c i n thi s countr y th a t the abolitio u b : transportation would be inj ur ious to this count r Y, .4 doing aw a y w i t h a means o f r id i i ng thi s country 0 ' r5 l g superabundant p o p u l a ti i n by sen di ng o ut of it its of members. They were adopting the principle of his measure upon most erroneous grounds, and were t er substitute for transportation the silent and o th er experimental systems whi c h h a d been by no Ing—os successful. The Hon. Member here read ex.racts fr? , several letters, to show that the system of Lord S tau : had failed, not through any i n t r i ns i c demerits of 0711 system, but from its being ju m bl e d up with sum s j°e „ n d regulations, and it was from that most unfair gr°- It that the Goe,rnment proposed the present messure.. was alleged by Lord Grey that the ground of abolishing transportation to the Australian colonies, was 14°t• of local defects, hut from a conviction of the SOUT)dflelie the total abolition of transportation. The Hos. man here read some lett ers t o s h o w the peculiar aaa_nr-i: 09 11 of the Australian colonies for purposes of tenor s Ita . qc ay e tie kad the telt 1,1 1 hp( a l 'iti! 4 111 403 tba ( lof Pro of. Le: Lb i toi