The Sun. — London, England, 1847-03-15 00:00:00

mnied by the ridgy afternoon, Insort drove oat cs on SAtardsP dies and Ge. rvice yesterol attended divine al, St. Jarael& ,ore, the less service by th e by the BishaP withal shall a at the Orgati.; e Duchess Organ h e Marquis d Colville, O 'bridge visited It, attended by nd Lord AO er presence en ck on Saturdg t e nded by UP. T .,, u is of Di nt/ ,iscount Exchequer, Po, Abell, Viscou p . car de, o f Clann Ri g ht OA P' gavreO L,F4 id an in k -i e o ll f a t the oin , ge-str,eet' • ef r an ,aturdaft A if . Mr. lan " on es, J ' Re d the Cit on ohn /toe" street. Earl of Chirc . Trade. Saturday w on Sa tlirdal tbe at Stra (l l o Aa, th e 'Lord r 0 Sin I, ir Sr' Nilo/ h Wales Were e s r e . rvi D e n e esyesiter'el rilde, b a l:0; e -street, ”- TED kCT• rti Local C ali ft no Ict bil" hire. TRICTS ot rers are - g A )e propos e l rrangeoleo o f the , s ri t s s alicien t 4'ng of the 'larhatrient iijgbnesS Pe th,Letlf ne M ai l! CoeP e rheatre ber D ' is Le E a rl ell d ty. t b Tbel : e Aro , of hione° - • 0 Ress ls o e e 0/b 4 , 4 1 the ri‘.- t be digag' - ,ad}' S ac he SF Welles le 'd 0 $ ll, it Hare, . o f )14 'brelit°ll find co .- lob b e ;non, je Jiro]• e n forgo t t o successto Os, „ to hie rat, he Doi, g. f a it eht , a l or i ” d. 116 CITY of Ti'ON,rON C01?1 4 0MA TTON REFORM. The committee of the a hole Court upon the Corpera tiall privileg es assembled o n F r id a y. The p rocee di ngs testified a firm determinatim in the majority of the ;members who constitute a the meeting to apply to Par liament for a limited interference in reconstructing the civic government. Mr. Richard Taylor was called to t he chair. After the minutes of the proceedings of the last Meeting were read, The C ITY S tLICITOR reported to the committee that he had 'submitted the various questions propounded by brief tc, the law officers Of the Corporation, together Faith s ; that a general wish was expressed by them for en enlargement of the time given for consideration, on P aell eunt of th e i r var i ous engagemen , s ; an d t h at t h e e orde r m ent i one d hi s j u di cial o bli gat i ons as lik e l y to tallt him from deciding, when he should be able to give his opinion. Some of the mesabers said the Recorder's "when" team " whether." S ir PETE R L AURIE s t a t e d hi s i mpress i on to b e t h at the Recorder was not inclined to answer at all. The CITY SOLICITOR said that all the other Learned Ge ntlemen had expressed their intention to answer the questions fully. He suggested that the time should be V l larged t o t h e 12th of April, so that the other avoca- P n e cf t of he t offi he que cers sti mig ht not interfere with the consi eration on. ASHURST did not object to grant further time. oft he suspected that there might be in view the object F rying the matter of reforming the Corporatio n mop the session of Parliament.—(Cries of " No, no.") it es wer e b oun d, i n hi s op i n i on , to i nstruct a sub corn ,tee prepare a Bill, while the officers were preparing Itl!;eir answers, for the opinions of counsel as to whe her 1, 11 0 necessity o f go i ng to P ar li ament were not requ i re d . th et was a quest i on o f p o li c y, no t o f l aw . Th ose w h o f„Q,s ught with him thou g ht it would be necess a ry to go r arliame n t, whatever might be the opinion of the Officers, and it would be inexpedient to delay the Preliminary steps, as the session of Parliament was h e l id lY passing, and a great deal of time had already ti ee e n occupied in ' ineffectual efforts to advance the ques- H ull of reform. The proceedings of the other court 64.engthened the argument for decisive conduct. The o e eie r ‘ t , cf Aldermen agreed to appoint a committee with to reform—agreed unanimously. But the mo t they saw their speeches in the newspapers they th ere frightened, and so complete was their repentance k at they ridiculed and eered at the ver proposition Wh ich they had all advocated.—(Laughter) * Sir PETER LAURIE assured the committee that there 1,..; /4 not one member in the Court of Aldermen who -allied to appeal to Parliament, whatever credit the ectninittee might be disposed to give to the mover of the gllestion alluded to, for sincerity.—(Laughter.) ASRURST said he was not mistaken in suspecting ( e a t ,. he had given the Court credit for too much.— s ee lighter.) That it was essential to go to Parliament m ' Pe pel of the Ith of eorge therst, therc al be re no a doubt, as l a preliminary step in improve e ei ne How monstrous was it that the Aldermen could Pit rid . t t of 'any question that was unpalatable to them, by. e 'PaPping out at the side door ; and that the Lord efeYor should have the power of disposing of the result h the deliberation of the great mass of the Corporation, iltrefusing to put the questions.—(Hear, hear.) It was nglabent upon the committee to lose as little time as ;7 8 ible, If they allowed the 9th of November to pass Wo uld reform, they might have a Lord Mayor who 0 0 , /Ihl he disposed to act more in consonance with the k e iP t c' e rate body, than the present Chief Magistrate ; h ies *" question might then pass away with the ep jii,`„ent necessity, as was unfortunately the case after o,stwinchester M ayora l ty.— (H ear, hear.) Mr. Ash ler" th en moved that the application of the law officers, 121 au e xtension of time, be granted, the limit to be the h o f April ae lf-r ' FIALA, second e d th e m otion, and wished it to be p a z ir stood at th e same t i me , t h at h e by no me ans sup rot d the law officers had any notion of causing delay, A t ll e Purpose o f p os tp on i ng t h e ques tion. 14 a motion was unanimously agreed to. lil• IlonT—l n t h e meant i me l et us p re p are a Bill f ur l anlent.—(C r i* of " No, no ") P ttr iF• BURN believed they should be obliged to apply to ament but they ought to apply with regularity and ra % e lisiste noi, and hand in hand with the Court of Alder toariralear, hear.) There was as yet no reference 1 10 e to get the authority to go to Parliament, but he k ted the Lord Mayor would call a Court to give the 4ority to prepare a Bill. t ete I '. We JONES said it would be prejudicial to the in s, s t B of the Corporation to prepare a Bill at the pre-. time bp i, PETER L AURIE sa id b e was altogether against ke flg to P ar li ament. He was not prepared for encoun y e ri ng such a danger. Lord Brougham said to him e e tterday," What! are you comi ng t o us ?"— (L aug h ter .) e,oe thank God," said he (Sir P eter ), fb r h e was o f e l ,aagrave' s o pi n i on, that by going to Parliament the ttY would incur the guilt of suicide te kr. HALE sa id t h ere was a time when he concurred in tun opinion just expressed, but he was now decidedly for going to Parliament. Mr. ASSEURST then moved," That the Committee pre terit a report to the Court of Common Council that the i qorporation require s re f orm wh i ch can only be effected e3' the aid of Parliament." Mr. HUMPHREYS assured the Committee the Corpora ;ell would get but little by going to Parliament, and i l i eY did not k now w h at th ey m i g h t not l ose. —(Hear.) eY would certainly lose the magist r a c y o f th e Ci t y. ee l a fendia ties would be the substit u t es o f th e Ald ermen, ,;'.tievery Gover nmen t , w h et h er Whi g, T ory, or Rad i cal, '` ts Id be alway s rea d y to put the i r hands into the City e, ad. &l ak r, e BO WER supported the moti on , an d h ope d t h at t h e o at I ::: of Parli ament wou ld not he allowed to pass with- Pres se r f ng ie evidence to the sincerity of their lon g - e x- Council elgs. e At is was convinced that the Court of Common %tit th " ti ght not to decide upon going to Parliament e °Pinions of counsel were known, and he should e in tk .1 Y ~'"e Court upon the expediency of not making hao den to Parliament at all.—(Hear, hear.) It said that the Court of Aldermen intended to Ilte Atoethat authority themselves. That was an error. a rt en could not go to Parliament except as s ket ase a ti Parcel of the Corporation, for they had in Ts a co r p orate capac i ty .—(H ear, h ear. ) NeriII: Q.D ERTON was surprised at the bugaboo jack a hke te e emention of Parliament.—(Laughter.) It was u'ig words used to frighten babies, and produce tati eh es l ic lldling effee.e upon the great babies of the Cord 4.ea 'm e. ; Re did not believe that Government consi ,N"' la. be their interest to do the Corporation of ; ' l73' anY mischief, or that they even contemplated "Oel e '"Perious interference with the privileges of the ‘•los; If the Corp Oration carried union with them, no kisinllient would make the experiment of taking . away hes e e t ges which had been handed down to the citizens fr ir ne immemorial. He certainly apprehended der! ep e e% not going to Parliament, although he conso %d e he t Perfectly sa f e t o see k t h e a id o f t h e Le g i s lature, N I tlt rejoi ce d t h at Si r P eter L aur i e ' s war d diff ere d "eks k e lr Alderman on the s u bject, and manifested so Sir le g a spirit. "'its tTER LAURIE—The ward showed the utmost Alderin- Il i e• 'There were only 16 present. 4 ,ttan SIDNEY agreed in u inking that some reform which' e ce seary, but they ought to settle upon the po nts 44 tenuired remedy be:ore they proceeded to Parlia t iati e e rld they ought to avail themselves of the expe ellesio-ePtal judgment of the Court of Aldermen in dis Al e le t !he matters for consideration. NI6,„,_" I 4I.RTL EY contended that the Act of Edward 111.. towe'wr Story o f t h e C orporat i on , was conc l us i ve o f t h e i tself the C or p orat i on t o ma k e a ll necessary re f orms %r uz . "" t f, and ren d ere d an y ap pli cat i on t o P ar li ament It• le an useless.—(Hear, hear.) true:iksurriasT in reply, said he had not heard a word 4.lliecitent against an application to Parliament. Could keel cond ition be worse than that in which the Corpora *lees at that m omen t pl ace d?—(H ear , h ear .) H e tliq p e'l to test the sincerity of those who had expressed , 414 14 1 , is aPprobation of the control to which they were ', l Vtor : (l - As to the points which required remedy, eeemaerediculous to specify them, known as they were to 44 4 a ain and out of the Corporation. Look at th.• t 1 14• M ayor; look at the Aldermen; look at the constitu telVansisting of publicans. who were unjustly corn .thais',l° take up their freedom before they announced e 'lte ;elle. Look at our long shore men, a set off alwas a .4° : -/ner al for a few hundreds to influence . any elec- I tln;''(Hear h state of things to be et i 4 ;P lZ to et _ id t ll re ' d? e -(Loud no.") It was for et eitie en to give its powerful aid S us '', rend in pieces Th e "g system.—(Cheers.) Th e resolution was then carried. s b Ne e n ext resol tif n which went to restrain the Chem -4.,0 fo r t o Paying every sum money f iend M ayor, & e ., &c., was, after some discussion, iiega eeeititle`:,alently from respect to the Chamberlain, e hose e v,iate since his appointment had given the most corn eas fad that it would be absurd to doubt the judi- NY sf" independent performance of his duties under kightl'eeltristancea of doubt or difficulty in which he ,„ Th e r Placed. I),;looet'oTsr,t resolution was,. " . That it is the right of this ' e e l, to re Council, in Common Council asseru lee_lsoe t l e gillate and control the business and proceed -yell,elees."et Court, and the order and course of its pro 's •to tj' e ? and to regulate its paper of business." la eoees r esolution, which was moved by Mr. Ashurst, u'Enittee agreed unanimously.—Adjourned. -31 -A.R V LEBONE VESTRY. „eon Sat u 4 POOR -LAW FOR IRELAND. 'th - ` ll4 lav at a very numerously-attenae meeting th • e )4 i - - -., - hR v• Dr. Spry in the Mr) ary,ebone v estry (t e e . t kr: ii 0 4 -- ;; ; C• 'Wilson Mr. G. Daniell, and Mr. Potter, as ,° P R llt i""°b on the part of the parochial committee, a h ig il th il ," up the following petition to Parliament, pr y „Ndbgislature to pass a poor-law for Ireland, -ro t h ) upwards of 5,000 ratepayers b T eztio 7 , Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and "411. -411 tod Commons of the United Kingdom in 4 6 1,, -rnent assembled • ue hi, Li the parishioners of St. „43-I,, k _ -na.Ae petition of 'Be b.., — ":no in public meeting assembled, the rector of il . ‘ - ‘ lB n in the chair, „ Sh e ., Pr o , -etb--That your petitioners consider the rights klit rettY, however sacred, to be secondary to the tht ri,?ifi eXistence and to the law of self defence •; that . 4 fle ti i' i t of .-xistence and of subsistence constitutes stn $14 4 , 14 ` and indetea*ible portion of the social and reh olifik.etthileZel3:netgwr(h)sisely-I•unitks• man to man ; that this coin violated by some of the possessors 4 '4 • I °4l in Ireland. who in the absence of law. have liv e • Ili " l nanly denied to ;heir fellow men the right to 15 % ; a nd that this rnonstroui and crying evil can only 1444 :11t euk ., d bY g g to that unhappy country a per tc)por.e'n'i effective poor-law, which will make the ' 4, li lt b i J of Irelan4 liable, as the property of England kid d ", to the support and main:enance of the pour 'l'4B a t t itlite. kki ikoYcair petitioners view with feelings of indignation rr eilee the heartless conduct of those landlords TIIE SUN, in Ireland, eehn, at a period of ettel , dire nevetion. de=ti aed d,.atli trent abseiwc star aee,. , ieee eeso lutions for the closing of the union workleeises, and re fused, from motives of self interest, to collect and expend the rates designed for the maintenance of the poor, which, if prOperly applied, would have gone far to diminish the awful calamity with which the nation has been visited, and that they also view with feelings of in dignation the conduct of those in England, who, during a period of great and increasing misery, have sought to defeat the humane intentions of the Legislaeure, by de daring it to be inexpedient to grant ts ruporary relief through the assistant overseer, and that nut-die.r relief was injurious to the able-bedied labourer, even when exposed to the imminent risk of starvation and disease, that the exemption from taxation, hitherto enjoyed by , the landholders of Ireland has been most unjust and bur thenserne to the empire at large, and most injurious to our suffering fellow-subjects in Ireland in particular, in asmuch as h has prevented both the levying and distri bution of those funds which ought, according to every principle of humanity and justice, to have been raised for their relief ; that in the opinion of your petitioners, the necessary expenses of State incurred in conducting the business of the nation, should he raised by the taxation of real property, without reference to rank or station; that the burthen of taxation should be equally borne by all and every portion of the empire; and that the inhabitants of this parish are especially called upon to give utterance to this opinion, inasmuch as they have to provide, not only for the maintenance of their own destitute poor, but also for a large number of , their poor Irish fellow subjects in adAtion. Your eeti tioners, therefore, humbly pray your Right Honourable House that such humane and efficient measures may be t passed es an Irish Poor-law, as will permanently relieve our suffering fellow-subjects in Ireland, and your peti tieners will ever pray," &c. Mr. H. C. WILSON, in moving that the petition be re ceived, observed that it embodied the sentiments, he be lieved, not only of the people of Marylebone, but of every English constituency, and that he was delighted to find that her Majesty's Government were desirous of carrying out an efficient poor law for Ireland.—(Hear, hear.) He trusted that the measure brought forward by the Noble Lord at the head of the Ministry would be a poor law for Ireland based on the 43d of Elizabeth, every attempt to amend which excellent measure in this coun try had signally failed.—(Hear, hear.) At the present moment the emanation such opinions as those expressed in the petition, coming from a great metropolitan pa rish like Marylebone, would be of immense service and support to the Government in carrying out their mea sure ; and he hoped to see every parish in the kingdom following the example.--(Hear, hear.) In bringing this document before the vestry, he had great pleasure in bearing his willing testimony to the zeal and ability with which the Hon. Baronet (Sir B. Hall) had, par ticularly in the question regarding Ireland, represented the feelings and wishes of his constituents.—(Hear.) Mr. GEORGE DANIELL, in seconding the proposition, expressed his gratification at the extraordinary unity of feeling which the signatures to the petition exhibited amongst all classes of politicians in Marylebone. Amongst the names were to be found those of Peers, Members of Parliament, and other parishioners, who although they differed not only in political, but parochial subjects, were yet united in demanding of the Legisla ture justice to Ireland in the shape of an Irish Poor law, which would compel the Irish landlords to support the poor on their own estates.—(Hear, hear.) He al ways viewed Irelanu as the little sister of England—. (Laughter)—as an integral portion of the British empire e--(Cheers)—and it was indeed gratifying to find the unanimity of feeling which the signatures to the Mary lebone petition displayed in a determination to rescue the poor of Ireland from the grasp of their oppressors. He sincerely hoped and believed that out of the evil and calamity which hail befallen Ireland would come good, and he felt that the unanimous feeling of all parties in England augured a teeter state of things for that unfor tunate and unhappy country. Mr. JOHN WILLIAMS concurred in the belief that the presentation of such petitions as this to Parliament would materially assist Lord John Russell in his mea sures for Ireland, but he differed with Mr. Wilson, who seemed to imply that Sir B. Hall was entitled to a vote of thanks for his een.!tiet recently. He (Mr. Williams) hought the Hon Baronet was not entitled to thanks for merely 4 , )ing his ditty to those whom he represented. Sueh a borough as ithrylebone ought not to be repre sented in P .rliament by a mere automaton.—(Laughter.) The CHAIRMAN remarked, that if a man was not thanked for doing his duty, he would never be thanked at all.—(Hear. hear.) Mr. H. C. Weeesoer explained, that he only made the remarks. in re erence. to Sir B. Hall, as his own feelings, !)e having taken a prominent part in condemning him some time back. The resolution was put from the chair, and carried nem. con , and the Rev. Chairman having appended hts signaturP. Mr. POTTER moved that the petition he placill in the hands of Sir B. Hall, for presentation to the fluuse of This was also seconded, and carried unanim ous l y. on Monday (ads) evening. Commons, STATE OF PAUPERISM IN THE PARISH. Sir JAMES HAMIi.TON expressed his gratification that during the past week there had been a great de, rease of pauperism. The number of new applications for rebel . on the sth of March were 620, and on the 12th of March 399. In the house last week there were 1.657 persons, corresponding week last year 1,677 ; decrease 20. (Loud cheers.) Sir WALTER STIRLING was sure the Vestry were much indebted to Sir James Hamilton for the trouble he had taken, but there was one most important point altogether omitted, and which was most satisfactory, namely, that there was a decrease of Irish paupers.—(Hear.) A week or two back, out of every eleven applicants for relief, there was only one English. Out of 2,000 pau pers 1,700 were Irish ; and out of 2,500 no less than 2,000 were Irish. He was happy to say the ratio of Irish was diminishing, for had it increased, not only would the authorities be compelled to raise the rates, but the pestilence, disease, and starvation, existing in Ire land, must inevitably have extended itself to this country. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. MOLECOMB HILL .RACES.—FRIDAY. The Molecornb Cup of 301., added to a Sweepstakes of 5 soya. each ; for hunters; gent riders. Mile and half. (6 Subs.) Lord A. G. Lennox's The Sledge, 4 yrs (Owner) 1 Mr. S. G. L. Fox's Black Bess, aged 2 Five others started. Won by a length. Sweepstakes of 3 soya. each, and 15 added. One mile and half. (7 Subs.) Lord A. G. Lennox's Barnaby Budge, aged (Owner) 1 Mr. C. Goring's Fiddich, aged Four others started. The Scurry Stakcs of 2 sovs. each, and 10 added, half a mile, 8 Subs., were m on, in two heats, by Mr. Wyatt's Bertha, 4 yrs, beating Mr. Mitchell's Miss Lucy, Mr. H. Forth's Beauty, and three others, in a canter. The Beaten Handicap was won by Black Bess. BETTING AT MANCHESTER—FRIDAY. NORTHAMPTONSHIRE STAKES.-70 to 10 agst Doleful (taken)-80 to 10 agst Halo (taken)-90 to 10 agst Euclid colt (taken )-100 to 3 agst Camera Obscura (taken). NEWMARKET HANDICAP-10 to I agst Vanish (taken). CHESTER CUP.-20 to 1 agst Mendicant (ofl.)-100 to 6 agst Antler (t. 20 to 1)-25 to 1 agst Camera Obscure (t.)-- 27 to 1 agst Punch (taken)-40 to 1 agst The Lamb-40 to 1 agst The Flitch-45 to 1 agat Sir Tatton Syhes-45 to 1 agst Inheritress-45 to 1 agst Crim. Cnn.— 50 to 1 agst Princess Alice-1,000 to 15 agst Fitzallen-1,000 to 15 agst Plaudit (offers to take). THE DERBY.-600 to 100 agst Van Tromp (taken)-10 to 1 agst Epirote-10 to 1 agst Planet-20 to I agst Glen tilt-26 to 1 agst Conyngham-30 to 1 agst Liberator (taken) --35 to 1 agst Allertonian-50 to 1 agst Red Hart 50 to 1 agst Oxonian-50 to 1 agst Black Dwarf (taken)-50 to 1 agst Will-o'-the-Wisp (taken). The betting upon the Metropolitan Handicap was not worth mentioning. HUNTING APPOINTMENTS. Her Majesty's ataghounds meet on Friday, Twyford Sta tion-11 1 / 2 . Brighton hrrs., Wed., Racecourse ; Fri., Dyke. Brookside hrrs., Thurs., Telscombe •tye-11. Findon hds., Tues., Kennel ; Thurs , Dial Post-11. Eastbourne hrrs., Thurs., Snap Hill; Sat., Willingdon Old Mill- 1 4 to 11. Crawley and Horsham lids. Wed., Crawley Village; Fri., Handeross Vill age -l% to 11. Worcestershire hds., Wed., Westwood ; Fri., Tiddesley Wood-10i. Lord Redesdale's hds., Wed., Broadwell Grove ; Gaw comb ; Sat., Ranger's Lodge-10 1 / 2 , Leclhury lids., Fri , Colin Purk-101 2. Shrop- hire lids., Wed., Wytheford Wood; Fri., CI • ,ve to 11. Wheatland lids., Wed., Moville ; Fri., Monkh,von-10. East Essex lids., Tues., Bellchamp Bells ; Thurs., linching field Town; ?;at., St. Ann's Castle-10 1 / 2 . Mr. Trelawney's Ms., Tues., Tolchmoor Gate ; Fri., Bit tofu, d Bridge— 101. 2 . Mr. Deacon's hrrs., Wed., Petatary ; Sat., the Chimney on BlAckdown-10. Mr. Horndon's hds., Thurs., Chapman's Well-101, Mr. Lumley's hds., Tues., Sparkin Hill; Thurs., Bossing ton Bridge ; Fri., Blyth Law Hill-10i. Mr. M. Ingram's hds., Thurs., Spread Eagle ; Sat., Hen hurst. Dorrington lids., Wed., Cavendish Bridge ; Sat., Staun ton Harold Park-1014. Quorn lids., Tues., Roecliffe Hall ; Thurs., Houghton on-the-Hill ; Fri., W idmerspool-1 1. Rufford hds., Thurs., Cocking Moor; Sat., Clipstone-10 1 /2. Bedale lids., Wed., Hutton Conyers ; Fri., Hornby Castle —ll. Mr. Brand's hds., Fri., Warden Hills-10i. Mr. Hildyard's hrrs., Fri., Trenholme Bar. Cleveland hds., Thurs., Marton-10 1 / 2 . Sir C. Constable's stghds., Fri., West Newton-11 1 / 2 . Mr. Drake's hds., Tues., Bourton Village ; Thurs., Buck nell Common; Sat., Farthinghoe Lodge-10 1 / 2 . Durham County hds, Wed., Tunstall; Fri., Chester Bar F. B. hds., Wed., Roskeymer Bridge. Earl Fitzwilliam's hds., Wed., Old Weston Windmill; Fri., Ashton Wold-10. Haydon hds., Wed., Coldwell Wood ; Sat., Threepwood. Lord Elcho's hds., Tues., Cornhill ; Wed., Hirsell Law Tollbar ; Fri , Cockburn ; Sat., Doddington. Mr. liorndon's hds., Tues., Middleton One Row; Sat., Hil ton-101/, Col. Wyndham's hdv. Wed., Westdean Park ; Fri., Rewell Hill-11%. Atherstene hds., Tueß., Overseal Village; Fri., Freasley ; Sat., Churchover: 7 lo l ; 4- _ Warwickshire hds., Honnington Toll Gate; Thurs., Harbury Village ; Fri., 411 , 61 Village; Sat., Cubbi ng t on Toll Gate-10'6. Mr. Lowndes' lids., Wed., Whaddon Common-11. Berkshire lids., Wed., Little Wittenham ; Fri., Badbury Hill. Lord Parker's lids., Tues., Stow Wood; Fri., Woodeot Common. V.W.H., Tues., Alds worth ; Thurs., Swindon; Sat., Charl ton. York and Ainsty hds., Tues., Red House; Thurs., Whix ley ; Sat., Oulsion—M Mr. Watson's hds., Wed., Kennels ; Fri., Netherwitten. Ruby hds., Wed., Kennels ; Fri., Selaby Park. Sinnington lids, Tues., Lime Kiln House, Hambleton ; Fri. Ty lass Bridge. Tiadale hds., Thurs., Matfen Piers. LONDON, MONDAY MORNING, MARCH 15, 147 .BTRMINGIRAIVI AND OXFORD io;-: THE WAR BETWEEN THE GREAT WESTERN AND LONDON AND NORTH WESTERN COMPANIES—BATTLE OF THE GAUGES— EXTRAORDINARY SCENE. On Saturday afternoon, at two o'clock, the meeting of the shareholders in this company, called by those who object to the selling of the line to the Great Western, was heal in Dee's Hotel, Birmingham. The extraordi nary interest excited in the result, in consequence of this line being the ground on which the Great Western and London and North Western are fighting the battle of the gauges, attracted an immense number of shareholders from ail parts of the country. Long before the time ap pointed fir the meeting, crowds of gentlemen were in a state of great excitement. There was a very large at tendence from Liverpool and Manchester, and a great muster from London. The metropolitan journals were nearly all represented by reporters connected with their respective establishments ; and most of the provincial papers of note, within an extent of 100 miles, had also their reporters at the meeting. Among the gentlemen . present we observed :—P. H. Muntz, Esq., M.P.. chairman of the company ; C. Russell, Esq., M.P. ; Richard Spooner, Esq., M.P. ; Captain Carnegie, M.P. ; F. Barlow, Esq., director of the Great Western Com pany ; John Crosswaith, Esq. ; Charles Saunders, Esq., secretary of the Great Western ; Edward Tootal, Esq. ; Captain Porter ; Captain Moorsom, R.N. ; J. F. Led sane Esq, deputy chairman of the London and North Western ; all the directors of the Birmingham and Ox ford Junction, and several directors of the Midland and various other railway companies. P. H. MUNTZ, Esq., chairman of the company, was in the chair. The SECRETARY having read the advertisement calling the meeting (the names to the requisition com prised one-fifth part of the shareholders of the company), The CHAIRMAN requested the gentlemen who called the meeting to commence the proceedings. Mr. MOZLEY, of Liverpool, they rose on the part of the discontented shareholders, amidst deafening ap plause. His object was to propose a resolution in creasing the number of the directors from twelve to eign teen. He wished, in the outset of the proceedings, to disclaim all personalities in what he should say. Since their last meeting, a fortnight ago, he bad learned with great surprise that Mr. Stevens, the solicitor of the company, had been put on the liet of the directors. That was a most extraordinary step on the part of the directors of this company to take. He had never heard of an instance of this kind before, and he was sure no one else had.—(A laugh.) lie wished to be understood as saying nothing against the gentleman personally—it was against the principle of a gentleman being in the direction who, in his especial capacity, might be asked to give advice as to these very proceedings, that he ob jected to. He would content himself, in the meantime, with moving the resolution. Mr. LEECH seconded the motion. Mr. STEVENS wished to set the meeting right in respect to what had fallen from Mr. Mozley regarding himself. He was not in any way connected with the company except as a shareholder. He held 2,000 shares in it, and had never sold one of them, even at the time when there was a great doubt as to whether they would ever get their Bill. He bad wrought for the company, and fought for the company, at all times, and under all circumstances. Mr. MOZLEY—The Hon. Gentleman, who is a man of the hiehest respectability in his professional capacity, says that he is not agent for the company. Does he mean to say that he is not a partner in the firm which is professionally connected with the agents of the com pany. Mr. STEVENS—I am in no way connected with the company, except as a shareholder. Mr. MOZLEY—Then I beg Mr. Stevens's pardon. I have been misinformed. The resolution was then put cad agreed to without a division. Sir J. VERNEY (late M.P. for Buckingham) proposed that Mr. Mozley, Mr. Biel, Mr. Bayern, Mr. John Brad shaw, Mr. Thomas Bigg, and Mr. Timothy R. Cobb be elected directors. These gentlemen were chosen without a division. They are all in the interest of the London and North-Western. Sir J. VERNEY then rose to move a resolution respect ing the rotation agreeably to which the directors should go out of office, and the object of which was to provide that only two out of the six directors just elected should go out of office in one year. Mr. SHIRRET seconded the motion. After a consultation of some length with the directors of the company and Counsel, who were present in the anticipation of difficulties occurring, The CHAIRMAN said that he was placed between the two great parties in a very delicate and difficult position, and he betted the indulgence of the meeting for a few minutt s until the Counsel had made up his mind as to the course they ought to pursue.—(Hear, hear.) The CHAIRMAN, after a few minutes' consultation with the Learned Gentleman, again rose, and said that there was no objection to the spirit of the resolution, hut he was now advised that it was 'contrary to law. The Act of Incorporation only allows the meeting to alter the rotation of the order of the whole body of the directors, and not a portion of them. He could not act contrary to the advice he had received, and therefore must decline putting the resolution.—(" Oh, oh.") Mr. MOZLEY said the resolution was drawn up by one of the most distinguished men in the legal profession. He pledged himself for its legality, and therefore he must insist on its being put to the meeting. If it was illegal, its adoption would lead to no results. It could not be rendered legal by the simple act of its being agreed to by the meeting.—(Hear, hear.) The CHAIRMAN—I am bound to act on the best advice I can get. Mr. MOZLEY—Our advice was obtained from the most eminent counsel. Ile carefully drew it up. and be had ample time to weigh the matter in all its bearings, which the gentleman who has just advised you had not. The CHAIRMAN—I cannot put it after the advice I have got on the point. lam bound to act by that advice. Mr. MOZLEY—I must insist on its being put.—(Loud cheers.) I cann o t com p e l you to put it, but I do peremptorily require you to put it. If it be illegal, the consequences will rest upon us. The CHAIRMAN—I repeat I can only act in the delicate position in which lam placed on the best advice I am. able to procure. I have sought and obtained that advice, which is adverse to my putting the resolution. Mr. WHEATLEY read the opinion of the Attorney- General, the Solicitor-General, Mr. Talbot, and Mr. Godley. The opinion of these eminent counsel was that the resolution read, as it applied to only a part of the directors, and not to the whole, could not be put. Mr. MOZLEY—The opinion we have obtained is that of Messrs. Crompton and Parker. It was after the fullest deliberation. The CHAIRMAN—I repeat that in my very peculiar position I can only act according to the opinion of counsel, which is, that it would be illegal to put the resolution.—(Cheers and hisses.) lam sure I neither deserve cheers nor hisses. These cries can do no good. I am acting, I again say, on the best advice I can get. Mr. NlcznEv—lf you refuse to put the resolution, the only alternative for us- to adopt is to put it ourselves. —(Cheers.) A PROPRIETOR—Read us the Act of Parliament, and see what it says. The CHAIRMAN—I cannot comply with the request of the Hon. Proprietor. lam no lawyer, and cannot un dertake to put constructions on Acts of Parliament. I must abide by the advice I have got. Mr. MOZLEY—Then I feel it my duty to move the adjournment of this meeting till five o'clock, in order to consider what course we should adopt. Mr. ALSTON—You cannot alter the law. Mr. MOZLEY—I do not know, Mr. Alston, whether we can or net ; but I think your remark is not very creditable in the circumstances in which we are placed.— (Loud cheers.) A PROPRIETOR—CouId we not turn out the chairman and put another in his place ?—(Loud laughter.) The CHAIRMAN then put the motion for adjournment, which was agreed to without opposition. Mr. MOZLEY—The adjournment will not interfere with the meeting at four o'clock, adjourned from that day fortnight. The CHAlRMAN—Certainly not. Remember, gentle men, the adjourned meeting from Saturday, the 27t1: of bru,iry, takes place in this room at four o'clock. The meeting then broke up. ADJOURNED MEE iING FROM FEB. 27. 'nit, meeting which had been adjourned trom Satur day, Feb. 27. took place in the same room at four o'clock. The same gentlemen who were present at the meeting at two o'clock, again crowded the large hall. F. P. Muntz, Esq., chairman of the company, in the chair. The CHAIRMAN havinc , stated that this was an ad jouviied me et i ng trom Feb.. 27. Mr. MoZLEY—WiII you, sir, be kind enough to read the report again. The CHAIRMAN —Certainly. The Chairman then read the report, which only con sisted of a few sentences, and was quite of a general cha racter. Mr. MOZLEY—The point on which the meeting was adjourned a fortnight ag), related to the retirement of four of the directors and the election of other tour di rectors in their stead. You would not agree to this. I wish to know whether you have changed your mind ? The CHAlRMAN_Certainly not. We are acting here, as in the other case, on the advi ce o f counsel. Mr. MOZELEY—We are doing the same, and are act ing in accordance with the advice of men at the very head of the profession. They are Sir F. Kelly, Mr. Crampton, Mr. Parker, Mr. Peacock, Mr. Hope, and Hawkins. .--- Mr. TURNER—I propose that one third of the directors s hould now retire, agreeably to the Act, of Parliament.---: (Hear, hear, and cheers.) The CHAIRMAN—I cannot put the resolution. Mr. TURNER—Then, sir, I beg to tell you that I am not to be diverted from my purpose by your refusal. I will put the resolution myself.—(Laughter, and loud cheers.) The Hon. PROPRIETOR now put the resolution, which he declared to be carried unanimously. The CHAIRMAN—If gentlemen choose to put resolu tions in this way, they can carry anything they choose. Mr. MozLEY—I tell you, Mr. Chairman, in all can dour, that I am about to move a resolution, as an amend ment to the motion for the adoption of the report, which I am determined shall be put.—(Hear, hear.) That re solution is a want of confidence i the directors.—(Loud cheers.) The shareholders, seeing how their property has been said at much below its real value, have a right to express the-ir opinions in such a practical way as I propose. I know something of railways ; and I will undertake to say, that in the annals of railways no instance can be adduced in which 50 per cent. of the capital had been called up in five months.—(Loud applause.) You may disclaim any improper motives as you please, but yeti cannot divest our minds of the conviction that you had your own conduct bears out this conviction Your object evidently , was to shut out th e grea t b o dy o f the sharcAolders, be -4 cause you knew they were against you, from the right to ) vote. You shut your books for an unusually long period. Shareholders who had purchased shares, and held a large amount of the stock, could not obtain them. I myself was for six weeks in this position, and some of the shares which I had bought, and which were kept for me fir this long period, belonged to the directors of the company. —(Deafening plaudits.) Mr. Mosley then proceeded to condemn, iq very severe terms, the conduct of the dire c t ors i n ama l gamat i ng the Oxford and Birmingham Junction with the Wolverhampton and Dudley. He felt it painful thus to animadvert on the conduct of a body, but he felt that the conduct of the directors had been such as to impose upon him the duty of expressing himself as he had done. Mr. Mosley, after one or two other observations, proceeded as follows:—We are threatened with an in quiry into the way in which many of the shares have changed hands. Perhaps, Sir, that inquiry, when it comes, many end in discovering what is commonly called " a mare's nest."—(Loud laughter and applause.) You (the directors) made great professions of patriotism in connexion with this company, but all your patriotism seems to have evaporated through the medium of your pockets.—(Laughter and cheers.) You read the rights of shareholders in one way—we read them in another. I never knew an instance in which a body of men so pertinaciously clung to office, in defiance of the wishes of the shareholders. We have, Sir, at least 45,000 shares out of the 50,000 shares of which the stock con• sists; and I beg to tell you that a great proportion of the proprietors consist of men who are wholly uncon nected with any other rival company. Mr. Mosley then, amidst loud cheers, proposed a motion, declaring a want of confidence in the directors. Mr. JONES seconded the motion. The CHAIRMAN--I do not mean to make any reply to Mr. Mozley's spt ech. I think the sooner an inquiry is , made, in another place, into the matters referred to by the gentleman the better.—(lronical cheers.) If we be guilty of the one. half of what is charged against us it is high time an inquiry a ere made into our conduct. The resolution was then put and carried without divi sion, amidst the most deafening cheers. On the applause 4 subsiding the chairman declared the meeting at an end. ADJOURNED MEETING FROM TWO O'CLOCK. At five o'clock, the Meeting, which had been ad jcurned from two o'clock took place, when the same parties were again present. The chairman of the com pany again presided. . Sir J. VERNER wished to ask whether the directors had re• considered the point on which they differed with the meeting when it adjourned ? We have carefully considered the matter, and are satisfied that we are acting legally in pressing the resolution for the retirement of four directors. The CHAIRMAN—I regret that I cannot put the reso lution. I can only put what is according to legal forms. Sir J. VERNEY—Then I will put it myself.—(Tre• mendous cheers.) I have now, Sir, learned, for the first time, that gentlemen who acknowledge thas.they do not possess the confidence of their constituents can still cling to office--(Renewed cheers.) You say you cannot be compelled to resign. I would rather have said, were lin your position, that I was delighted that I could not, after such an expression of opinion as had been given that day, be compelled to remain.—(Hear, he ar .) l am surprised that the directors should not have, at least, attempted to reply to the grave charges which Mr. Mozley had pre pared against tEem. If you persist i n re f us i ng to put the resolution, I must, I repeat, put the resolution my self. The Hon. Baronet then submitted the resolution to the meeting. The CHAIRMAN—You have called on me, sir, to reply to the charges preft rred against us. I have already told you that they will be more fittingly replied to in another place. I have heard a vote of censure and want of con fidence passed this day on the directors, because we would not break im engagement and take 15/., after we had agreed to take 101. ss. I am content to leave the charges to the public, and am willing to abide by its de cision. Mr. MATTHEWS (chairman of the Wolverhampton and Dudley Company) entered into a defence of the directors. He cared not for the vote of censure passed by the meeting.—(A laugh.) He telt that in character or social position he was second to no one in that room. Sir J. VERNEY—I now propose the resolution. The CHAIRMAN—I call on the meeting to proceed to the next business of the day.—(Cries of "No, no.") Sir J. VERNEY—I move the resolution. The CHAIRMAN — It is perfectly illegal. Sir J. VERNEY—Then if it is illegal it will do no hai;. — As - ;;;;ir as are of opinion that the resolution should pass, will be pleased to signify the same by hold ing up their hands. A forest of hands was here held up. Sir J. VERNEY—Those who are of a contrary opinion will please to 11. , 1d up theirs. None were held up, the friends of the Great Western remaining passive. Sir J. VERNEY declared, amidst thunders of applause, that the resolution was carried unanimously. Mr. MOZLEY—You said, Sir, that there is to be an iuquiry, and you intimated that I was afraid of inquiry. Sir, I tell you that I am not afraid of inquiry .—(Loud cheers.) I feel that I have a right to make What use of my money I think fit. I am sorry to hear Mr. Mat thews say that he cares not for a vote of censure. I exceedingly regret that, for I think it must not be very pleasant to a man to be censured by his own friends. I had thought, Sir, that public confidence was the sheet anchor of society.—(Loud applause.) The conduct of the directors must go tar to shake confidence in railway property.—(hear, hear.) With reference to the threa tened inquiry, I again repeat that lam quite prepared to meet it.—(Loud cheers.) Captain CARNEGIE, M.P., then rose to propose a re solution, respecting the amalgamation of the Oxford and Birmingham Junction with the Wolverhampton Company, and also- repudiating the sale of the Oxford and Birmingham Junction to the Great Western. The resolution further instructed the directors to oppose the Bill now in Parliament for the amalgamation and the sale. The Hon. and Gallant Officer then proceded to censure the indecent haste with which the directors bad concluded their arrangements. In their hurry they had over-reached themselves, and had proceeded throughout illegally. He regretted the bad feeling between the two companies, and thought the better way for both would be to come to an amicable understanding. The shareholders of both were great sufferers from these quarrels, and the public were the gainers. He then moved the resolution. The CHAIRMAN—I cannot put that resolution. I could not do so as a man of honour, as it proposes to ccmmit a br eac h o f a contract which h a d been duly signed and sealed. Captain CARNEGIE—Why the meeting was called for the purpose of considerin g the propriety of proceeding with or withdrawing the bill for the amalgamation and the lease. Mr. MOZLEY—Read the advertisement calling the meeting. The CHAIRMAN read the advertisement, which. amongst other things, ion stated that the meeting was called for the purpose o f g i v i ng their op inion on th e p ro p riety ama.ga of sanctioning the Bill f or thel emotion with the one company, and the sa l e to the other. (Loud cheers.) Captain CARNEGIE—Th en wo are acting in accord ance with the terms of the advertisement. —(Loud cheers.) Would I be troubling you too much, Mr. Chairman, to ask you to put the seal of t he company to a petition to Parliament against the amalgamation and the lease?—(Laughter.) The CHArnmAri—l certainly will not do that. Captain CARNEGIE—Then I must put the resolution myself. The resolution was accordingly put and declared to be unanimously carried, amidst vehement cheering. Mr. MOZLEY —I now propose a resolution to the effect that Sir J. Verney and any other five shareholders shall be empowered to put their names to the petition to Parliament in the name of this meeting. A PROPRIETOR seconded the motion. The CHAIRMAN—I protest against that resolution being put. Mr. MOZLEY—Of course you do, but I will put it to the meeting nevertheless.—(Laughter and cheers.) The resolution was then put and carried amidst deafen , ne! acclamations. Mr. 11,ozLEy then proposed a resolution to the effect, that the directors be instructed to endeavour to bring about an arrangement for the leasing of the line to both companies conjointly, or keeping it independent of both, but giving each the use of it. Sir J. VERNEY seconded the resolution, and said he had heard with great satisfaction the wishes for peace be tween the two companies which had been expressed by Mr. Mozley. It was a most desirable consummation. The two companies might advantageously work together. The CHAIRMAN—I fully concur in much, Sir, that you have said rt , spectiug the d• sirableness of peace between me een the two companies.—(Cheers.) Nothing could give greater pleasure than to aid in bringing a b out a peace between two companies to which the public are co much indebted I cannot, however, put the resolution, for it would have the same effect as the former, namely, to break a solemn and duly ratified engagement. lam sure there are many around me who would be sorry to see me put the resolution. I have presided at a hundred meetings, but this is the first time I have refused to put a resolution. Mr. MOZLEY—There is nothing binding in the reso• lution. It simply contains a recommendation to the di rectors. If the chairman is at liberty to refuse to put such a resolution, then he is the meeting in his own person. I feel for the chairman ; for there can be no doubt that he is made a puppet to the gentlemen around him. The CHAIRMAN—If Mr. Mozley knew me, be would made a te n t in I know that I am incapable of being ad e a the hands of anybody.—(A laugh.) The resolution repeat, is one that I cannot put. , Mr. MORLEY—I deny that the shareholders are bound by the acts of the directors before their act s h ave been sanctioned by Parliament. Now, Sir, I w ill make a proposal. If you will consent to withdraw the Bill, we will agree to raise the question of the legality of the sale in f ew d a y s , and we will abide by the decision of the Court, whatever it may be. The CHAIRMAN—I have no authority to withdraw the Bill. • • Mr. MozLEY—But we, the shareholders, give you the authority. You seem determined to set law and justice, and the interests of the shareholders, equally at de fiance; hut we will fight you. — (Trementious cheering.) put the resolutio n , w hi ch was carried Mr. Muzley then unanimously, amidst tremendous peals of applause. The meeting was then declared by the Chairman to be at an end, without the customary vote of thanks to the chairman. The meeting lasted till half past six o'clock. We understand that Mr. W. F. Beadon will succeed Mr. Clive as police magistrate at Wandsworth. RAILWAYS BILLS. of Railway Bills on the South-Eastern (Mid Kent and Direct Tunbridge), Lewisham to Tunbridge ; Soul 11- Eastern (Lewisham to Croydon, with Branch to Brom ley); South-Eastern (Maidstone to Great Chart); South- Eastern (Strood to Maidstone); South-Eastern (Strood to Chilham), in Group No. 1; and South-Eastern (North Kent and Bricklayers' Arms Junction); South-Eastern (Widening of the Greenwich Railway); South-Eastern (London-bridge Station Enlargement), in Group No. 3: " The Commissioners of Railways, in commencing their report, consider it proper to quote the resolutions of the House of Commons, under which their reports are made:— " Resolved, That all railway Bills, in the present ses sion, be referred to the Railway-Commissioners, for their report tv this House upon the following points, previously to such Bills being considered in Committees of the House. " 2. Resolved,—That every report so to be made upon each Bill, shall state the amount of the capital proposed to be raised, and of the loans proposed to be authorised by the Bill; and if, under the provisions of such Bill, any powers are to be given to any company already in corporated of raising further capital or loans, or of making alterations, branches, or extensions of their existing lines, or of purchasing or leasing any other lines made or to be made, or to subscribing to the capi tal, or guaranteeing the capital of, or amalgamating with, other companies.; such report shall also state the powers granted by any former Act or Acts to such com panies already incorporated for any of the above pur poses, and of the manner in which, and extent to which such powers have been exercised ; and the report shall further state the opinion of the Commissioners thereon, and also their opinion as to any special provisions with which it may, in any case, be expedient to accompany the grant of any powers for any of the above-mentioned purposes. " 3. Resolved,—That every such report be referred to the Committee of this House, appointed to consider the Bill to which the same may relate. " In the performance of the duty which has thus been assigned to them, the Commissioners have called for such returns from the different railway companies as appeared to them to be necessary for the object in view; and after examining these returns, they have proceeded to obtain such additional information and explanation as might be necessary to elucidate the subject. " It is, of course, impossible that the Commissioners can be the mselves responsible for the correctness of such information as could be obtained only from the companies themselves; but the greatest readiness has been shown in the present instance in supplying them with the requi site answers to their inquiries, and they see no reason to doubt their accuracy. " The eight Bills above mentioned have been applied for by the South-Eastern Railway Company. The first, for the Mid Kent and the Direct Tunbridge line, would 'give to that company power to raise 1,130,000/. addi tional capital, and to borrow 376,0001.; by the second, for a line from Lewisham to Croydon, with a branch to Bromley, it would obtain powers to raise 180,0001., and to borrow 60,000/. ; by the third, for a line from Maid stone to Great Chart, to raise 311,2501., and to borrow 103,750/. ; by the fourth, for a line from Strood to Maidstone, to raise 275,000/., arid to borrow 91,6001. ; and by the last, for a line from Strood to Chilharn, to raise 724,500/., and to borrow 241,500/. " By these five Bills, being those comprised in Group 1, the company would be enabled to increase their ca pital stock by 2,620,7501., and to borrow 872,850/. " By the sixth of the Bills, to which this report_ re fers—viz., the North Kent and Bricklayers Arms Junction, the South-Eastern Railway Company would receive power to raise a capital of 55,000/. and to borrow 18,300/.; by the seventh,, for the widening of the Greenwich Railway, to raise 150,000 L, and to borrow 50,000/. ; and by the eighth, for the London Station Enlargement, to raise 200,000/., and to borrow 66,6604 By these three Bills, being those comprised in Group 3, the Company would receive power to in crease their capital by 405,000/., and to borrow 134,960/. " The eight Bills applied for in the present session will, if passed, give to the South-Eastern Railway Com pany power to raise additional capital to the extent of 3,025,7501., and to borrow 1,007,8101. " By former Acts of Parliament. twenty in number, the first of which was passed in 1836, this company has received power to raise a capital of 6,415,033/., and to borrow 2,218,710/. By these Acts it is empowered to convert the loans at maturity into capital, and thereby finally to create a capital stock of 8,633,743/. "The capital stock has been created by 252,500 whole shares, varying in value from 25/. to 50/., and amounting, if fully paid up, to 8,191,000/. ; hut as 95,000 shares of 30/. each have been divided into thirds, the number of transferable shares is 442 500. On these the cotnpan% have received 4.290.075/. Bs. 103., and 3,656,4 9 0/. 5-;. remain to be paid. Wh en f u lly pa id up the company will have received from them 7,946,495/. 13s. 10d., or 244,504/. 65.2 d. less than the capital they represent, a loss to that extent having been sustained on the shares first issued, in consequence, it is stated by the company, of the forfeiture of shares, which, when sold, in many instances did not realise the amounts due upon them. " No nominal addition• has been made to the capital of the company as compensation, or lymus, or under any other denomination; but the holders of shares of less value than 50/. receive equal dividends per share with the holders of 50/. shares, which arrangement appears to have been made under the authority of 5 Victoria, c. 3, s. " The borrowing transactions have amounted to 2,014,1771.; 1,348,8441, has been obtained on mortgage ; and 665,3331. on loan notes, by sums varying from 5001. to 1,0004, and at rate of interest varying from 3/1 to 5 per cent., the higher rates applying to the earliest loans. No special provision was made in the acts of the com pany to authorise the issue of loan notes; but those which had been thus issued were legalised (as in the case of other companies) by the 7, and 8 Victoria, c. 85, by which Act the future issue of such motes was prohibited. " Loans to the amount of 358,2204 have been paid off and converted into capital by the issue of shares; and the remainder is to be paid off between July, 1847 and, January, 1853, as the periods of the several securi ties expire, by calls on the shares not paid up. These securities amount to 1,655,9574, being 2,000,463/. ss. less than the amount remaining unpaid on the shares created; and as a power remains under the present acts to issue additional shares to the amount of 442,7434, it appears that 2,443,206/. ss. is at present available to the South- Eastern Railway Company, and will, it is stated by the company, be actually required for the works in progress. This company have not subscribed towards the capital of any other company, nor given any guarantee in favour of any other company. But under an Act passed 16th of May, 1846, they have purchased the Gravesend and Rochester Canal and Railway for 310,000/. Under an Act passed 10th of February, 1844, they have taken a lease for fourteen years of the Canterbury and Whit stable Railway, at a rent of 1,2004 for the first year, to be increased by 300/. per annum, until it amounts to 3,0004, which is to be continued to the end of the term. Under an Act passed September 10, 1844, they have taken a lease of the London and Greenwich Railway for 999 years, at a rent of 36,0004 for the first year, to be increased by 1,0001. per annum, until it amounts to 45,0004 per annum. And under an Act datA July 16, 1846, they have agreed to take a lease of the Reading, Guildford, and Reigate Railway in perpetuity, at a rent amounting to 4i• per cent. on the cost of the line, as sumed at 600,0004, with an eqaal division of profits, which haebeen commuted for 5/ per cent. without such division. Under an Act dated July 19, 1839, they have purchased one moiety of that part of the London and Brighton Railway which lies between Croydon and Red hill, with the right to pass over the other moiety with out payment of toll for 340,000/. Under an Act passed August 10, 1846, they contributed 101,662/. 10s. sd. to the construction of the joint station at London-bridge. Under an Act passed June 27, 1843, they purchased the Folkestone harbour for 18,000/. ; and under an Act passed July 4, 1843, they purchased the share of the Bricklayers' Arms branch and station possessed by the London and Croydon Railway Company for 82,8771. 7s. 11d., and thus became the sole proprietors of that branch and station. "It appears that the company have in the following manner complied with the standing orders of the House of Commons requiring a deposit either of a subscription contract to the amount of three•fourths of the estimated expense, or of a declaration that the work is to be exe cured by sums of money to be raised on the credit of present surplus revenue. For the capital required for the works to be authorised by two of the Bills, namely, No. 49 and No. 54, amounting to 1,035,7501., a declara tion as above has been duly deposited. For the capital required for the works to be authorised by the six re m titling Bills, being 1,990,0001., subscription contracts to the amount, of three L.urths of the different sums, each signed by eight directors, have been deposited, each director having thus signed Lir the amount of about 186,0001. The deposit of one teeth. amounting to 144,2501., has been paid sut of the funils of the company, and it is clearly understood that the directors have signed only on behalf of the company, and that they are not to be called upon for the sums for which they appear as liable under their contract deeds. " The Commissioners, in remarking upon these trans actions, have no view of imputing any peculiar blame to the South-Eastern Company, who have only followed a course which has in numerous instances been adopted by other companies, and which may, perhaps, be consid , red as having received the tacit permission of Parliament. They cannot, however, but regard the system itself as ob jectionable, and, though it may be technically considered a compliance with the standing orders, as involving a violation of their real spirit and object. There can be no doubt that the object of Parliament in requiring the deposit of a subscription contract was to be satisfied of the existence of bona fide subscriptions to three fourth of the amount of the estimate, which subscription might and would be called for in the prosecution of the undertaking. But when the subscription contract is signed only by the directors, who are themselves the promoters of the Bill, and when their signatures are given only on the distinct understanding amongst them selves that the subscriptions are never to be called for, and that the works are nat to proceed unless the re quisite funds can be obtained from other sources, it is obvious that the intention of Parliament is frustrated, and that by such a subscription contract no additional security is obtained for the execution of the work, or for the both* fide character of the undertaking. " In such a case either the surplus revenue of the company is considered a sufficient guarantee for the undertaking, or no such guarantee is offered. If the surplus revenue be such as is considered sufficient, this ought to be shown either by the deposit of a declaration, or in such other manner as the House of Commons may hereafter determine. If, on the other hand, the surplus revenue be insufficient, it is submitted that no additional security is obtained by the deposit of such subscription contract as has been described. It may also be a question how far railway companies are justified i ! A making the Parliamentary deposits for new Bills out of funds which have been authorized to be raised for other purposes. 6 , The Commissioners have considered their duty to take the Porliest ormortunity of submitting: this AO): C.ql:-1,ot:s; Rad they AVOLtiti re Speet:tifiy to,c.,7gest that. whatever course in regard to this question it may be thought proper to adopt with r44 . erence to the Bills of the pre sent session, means should at all events be taken, before another session of Parliament, of revising the system under which an evasion of this kind has been per mitted. " One of the pecuniary transactions of the South- Eastern Company requires particular notice and expla nation, namely, the issue on various occasions to their proprietors of shares a hich were of a lower pecuniary amount than their original shares, but which were, nevertheless, entitled to equal dividends. It appears that the company, having, in the year 1836, raised their original capital by means of 28,000 shares of 501. each, found themselves, in 1842, under the necessity of raising further capital; and their ori ginal shares being at that time at a considerable dis count, it was impracticable to raise additional shares on the same terms ; and the company accordingly ob tained an Act authorising them to issue new shares at such a price and with such advantages over the other shares as the company, with the consent of three-fifths of the proprietors present at a general meeting, might think fit. The result was that the company issued 28,000 new shares of 251. each, entitled to the same divi dends as the original shares of 501„ one such 251. share being allotted to each holder of a 501. share. There appears to be no injustice in the arrangement, inasmnch as any additional advantage conferred on the 25/. share was at the expense of the 50/. share, which was the property of the same person. A similar system was pursued under subsequent Acts by the creation, at dif ferent times, of new shares of 32/, 331. 6s. Bd., and 30/, with similar privileges. The interests of the public appear to have been not materially affected by these transactions, provided that in any future calculation of profits, with the view either to the revision of fares, or to the sale of the railway under the provisions of 7 and 8 Victoria, c. 85, the different shares are reckoned at the amounts at which they were respectively issued, and not as 501. shat es, as they have sometimes been erroneously termed in share lists. " A statement on this subject, by the secretary of the company, will be found in the appendix, No. 4. " Amongst the different pecuniary transactions in which the South-Eastern Railway Company have been engaged, cne of the most peculiar is, perhaps, the pur chase of the harbour of Folkestone. The Commissioners think it right to state, that had this transaction been now pending, or had it been proposed to take power to authorise such an arrangement by any of the bills of the present session, they would have considered it their duty to report fully upon the subject. As, however, they find the purchase to have been duly completed under the authority of an Act of Parliament, they have thought it necessary to extend their inquiries further, and they only allude to the subject at present, as affording au example of one of those transactions to which, in their opinion, the attention of Parliament ought in future to be specially directed. By order of the Commissioners of Railways, FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE, Secretary. March 10. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. WEST LONDON RAILWAY. The half-`•early meeting of this company was held on Fri day, Mr. H. H. Grounds in the eh*. The report stated that the lessees declined to bring the line into operation until it is extended to the Thames. The claim of a landowner having been decided. they will now be enabled to disc the sale account with the London and North-Western Company; after which the deposits made upon the Thames and Knightsbridge Extension shares will be returned to the subscribers. The line is to be extended by the Great Western Company across the Thames to join the South- Western Railway. The receipts were stated to be 272,0351., a d the disbursements 271,8904 leaving a balance of cash in hand of 1441. The directors expressed their confidence that they would be enabled to introduce a clause into the Act to protect the interests of the company. Resolutions were passed adopting the report, re-electing the directors, who go out by rotation, and authorising the directors to attach the common seal of the company to a petition to Parliament for powers to compel the Great West ern and London and North-Western Companies to carry out their agreement with the West Lo , idon Company. BRISTOL AND EXETER RAILWAY. At a special meeting held at Bristol, on Thursday, the draughts of two -Bills now before Parliament were approved of, to make a branch railway, from Lyng. rear Taunton, to join the Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth Railway, at Casti•e bury ; and also to make a branch line from Bleadon to Glastonbury. It was mentioned that an agreement had been made with the Exeter and Crediton Railway Company, which had been subsequently repudiated and rejected by the proprietors of the latter railway ; but it was thought that a Parliamentary Committee would set the matter to rights. The meeting, in the meantime, sanctioned that agreement, in accordance with the wish of the directors. HARBOURS OF REFUGE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. hope you will not fail at an early period of again lending the aid of your powerful pen (always devoted to the public good), in calling the attention of Government and the Members of both Houses of Parliament, to the great ne cessity of carrying out the recommend..tion of the Admiralty Commissioners, by voting the supplies during the present session of Parliament, for commencing the intermediate breakwater in Seaford Bay, a few miles eastward of this populous, but sadly unfortified town of Brighton. An annual grant for this great national work is highly desirable, as a shelter for both Government stelmers and merchant and trading vessels, so many thousands passing yearly through the Channel, and frequently detained during the easterly winds. The construction of the proposed breakwater at a site so commanding and magnificent, and lying midway be tween Dover and Portsmouth, is not merely of local, but of national interest, and besides creating employment for a vast number of labourers, would offer _refuge and protection for millions of property, often endangered on the southern coast, and would prevent frequent wrecks, and save the lives of many worthy seamen. A breakwater at Seal,rd would be of immense service to the British Government in the event of an unfortu nate war, affording a central refuge for ships of every class and size. The proximity of the Brighton and South Coast Railway, also, is an important feature, as troops and ammu nition could be conveyed from London to the breakwater in about two hours; and the improving port of Newhaven, near Seaford, is likely to become, in the ensuing spring, a packet station for passengers to and from France. Newhaven being the nearest port from London, that route ultimately is expected to have a preference. At a very healthy spot, East Blatch ington, between Newhaven and Seaford, there is an eligible piece of barrack•ground, used last war, and belonging to Government, and which,' in connexion with the Brighton and South Coast Railway, suggests important considerations and facilities to her Majesty's Ministers, too invaluable to be longer delayed, consistent with the defence of the southern coast. A few thousands annually cannot be more profitably bestowed than in the formation of this grand national pro ject, both as a means of defence and protection of maritime interests. The seaport town of Brighton, with its fifty thou sand souls, remains in a defenceless state. You have so often and so strongly reviewed this important matter, Sir, that you will pardon this intrusion on your time and columns; and I hope that your continued advocacy of this subject will not be without its proper influence upon the Ad miralty during the present session of Parliament.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant, A READER. Brighton, March 8. RIOTING IN CAITHNESS AND IN ROSS-SHIRE. (From the Inverness Courier.) The presence of the military in Thurso had the effect anticipated by us last week—the grain was shipped, and the mob dispersed, happily without any serious collision. On Monday afternoon, the military detachment, consist of 76 men, under the command of Captain Evans Gor don, marched into the town. Next day it was resolved to proceed with the shipment, when Sheriff Thomson had a large body of special constables enrolled, and the whole of the civil power then proceeded to the shore with several carts laden with corn. A determined mob had assembled, and barricaded the passage to the pier. Stones were thrown and other riotous manifestations adopted, when the Sheriff rend the riot act, and the mi litary were brought forward. The crowd was forced back at the point of the bayonet, and the shipping of the grain was proceeded with without further interruption. One person was taken prisoner. Next day, shipping took place at Scrubster Roads, only a sm a ll party of constables being present. The detachment of the 76th has been relieved in Wick by a party of the 27th or Enniskillen Foot from Fort George. No further tendency to riot has been dis• played in Wick. gentleman in Dlvt:rgordon writes us, Monday even ing, March 8—" X 11 is quiet here, and the shipment of grain is going On. Thu t-ame is the ease at Fowlis Point, in the locality of which the people were very excited arid determined a few da)s ago. in opposition to any expor tation of wain. I reaily hope all is over, We are not yet sure of Portinahoinaek." THE LOVER'S TEXT. The lover has no conscience iu his dea:higs! He gets his due, and asks for it again ! He is never paid ! Something remains, or the coin is hardly to his mind! He accepts it at one moment, and rejects it at another —weighs it, to the frac tion of a grain, and, still, doubts whether it may not yet be light I—rings it with such an ear, as never tuner (fan in,tru client applied to a string! scrutinizes the mintage, with an eye that magnifies, a thousand fold! and, after all, suspects, from sheer Liability to trust his own jealous senses, or for the pleasure of imagining default, where be knows that none exists, that he may enjoy the reiteration of sweet, though uncalled for warranty! Our hero felt convinced that Phcei)e loved him ! The frank lips of the maiden had avowed it ; " a world," not only " of sighs," but of tears had attested it ; at sundry times had her changing cheek revealed the fitful mood! and yet he wanted more! more, even though it cost a pang! a pang, but questionably commiserated, from the knowledge, not only, that it was without a cause; but that it was certain of beingsuperseded by transport " Defend us," some of our fair readers may exclaim " from such a lover I" No lover, that is not like him, is worth a sigh. The thorn is property of the rose, as much as its blush and breath I They, never lived, asunder.—Sheridan Knowles's New Work of" George Lovell." LOCAL RAILWAYS.—The Portsmouth Extension of the Chichester and Brighton Railway is progressing very speedily. We understand the directors contemplate opening the entire line on the first day of May. The works on the Fareham Branch of the South-Western Railway were com menced on Friday last, the object of the directors of the com pany being to get the branch completed by the middle of the present year. We can only repeat what we have before said, that, with the accommodation afforded by the several lines, Portsmouth will be better provided with railways than any town in the kingdom.—Hampshire Independent. LEICESTER TRADE —WO are sorry to have to re port unfavourab:y of the present state of trade. A g eneral stagnation appears to prevail thr oug h out the staple manufac ture of the midland counties,—and a very large number of the workmen are unemployed. Th e advance in cotton, which has only been partially realised in the yarns, cannot be ob tained in the finished goods, an d t h e prospect for ' the next two or three months is very discoura ging , — Leicestershire Mer cury. _ His Excellency Count Raezynski, the Prussian Minister at the Court of Lisbon, has arrived in town from Portugal, and is about to proceed to Barltn. \ L . " N --: , -- 1 / 4 - -- - -- --- : . 0 .- :., , ..).1. V. -,,,--, - ;;-. c, - \ „ 4 ~.... i -.-, _ ,:: .11111 R 7, AY'S HOME and COLONIAL LIBRA tY r - ---4 No. XLT I. Sketches of German Life. Treffsk tosArds j - - t1:414 by Sir A. Gorden, hart. ['art I. A more compact, cheap, portable, and generally ex cellent serial publication is not issued than this Library of Literature for all classes. Frcm what has already appeared, we may perceive that the prospectus origi nally issued from Albemarle-street is in a fair way of being realised. In the forty-one numbers which had been produced before the present one had passed through the printing press, we have selections from the writings of many distinguished authors ; among others may be mentioned Washington Irving, Heber, Southey, Barrow. Borrow, Drinkwater, and Darwin. And several of the most accomplished aristocrats have embellished its pages with their abilities : in proof whereof we may enumerate Lady Duff Gordon, Lord Mahon, Sir Francis Head, Sir John Malcolm, and the Earl of Ellesmere. Nor have the monthly volumes been restricted to works whose merit had been long acknow ledged Others have appeared in the Home and Colonial Library, whose powers of thought, and picturesqueness of description were previously unknown : ex. gr. the inimitable Hermann Melville's Visit to the Marquesas Islands. With scarcely a single exception, we have found the utmost discrimination apparent in the selection of the various compositions comprised in the perio dical. For almost the first time since that pe riodical was undertaken, we have found a total ' absence of discrimination in the work now lying under consideration, translated from the German original by the facile and accurate pen of Sir A. Gordon. We re gret this the more, as it is calculated to warp the minds of those readers who are so far unfamiliar with the more truthful narratives of the events therein recorded, as to be liable to be the victims of a bold and shameless decep tion. These "Sketches of German Life" purport to afford glimpses of the war of liberation in Germany. They are, however, glimpses as unreal, but not quite as fraught with a mystic wisdom, as the phantasms and tableau vivans beheld on Christmas Eve in the orgies of the subterranean goblins by Gabriel Grub, of whom most r aders wot in the Posthu mous Papers of' the Pickwick Club. " Scenes" they are called " from the war of liberation in Germany." It is needless to ask the translator it be has corrected the statements contaned in his descriptions by the ac counts given by Icnimi in his " Traites de Grandes 00- rations Militaires ;" by Bignon, in his " Histoire de France ;" by Baut tourlin, in his " Campagnes de 1812 et 1813 ;" by Capefigu, by Matthieu Dumas, by Baron Fain, by Labaume, and a multitude of other his torians. It is needless, we repeat it, to ask whe ther this emendation has ever been attempted, for the work possesses internal evidence that the nem. • sity of such an emendation has probably never crossed the imagination of Sir A. Gordon. As nothing of the kind is visible in the production before us, so very naturally is it replete with instalments and misrepre sentations enough to render Colonel Mitchell happy for the rest of his valuable days. Nevertheless the Sketches are sparkling enough in their manner, and on topics in which the writer's patriotic prejudices are not concerned, he affords us much interesting information. At one time be tells us how the people of Dusseldorf " tore their hair, and scratched their faces, and called down execrations on the murderers," when the in telligence arrived of the execution of Louis XVI. At another moment he gives us a very lively description of the conflagration at the Prince Schwart zenbureh's, immediately after the marriage of the Em peror Napoleon and Marie Louise. Although a thousand accounts of this appalling catastrophe have already been I published in histories, memoirs, journals, autobio graphies, and so forth, the present narrative is not with out an interest of its own, as the writer was among the eye-witnesses, and as his account differs considerably from the accounts previously given. Judging from the general inaccuracy of the book, however, we are dis posed to place but little reliance upon the altera tions introduced. V. hat shall we think of a man who can have the telly, not to say the turpitude to garble history like this? Speaking of the dead Cseiar of France, he observes:—" The impression left by his memory on the present generation is far stronger than that which he made on his own. It sounds strange, but it is nevertheless true, that neither the lower nor the upper classes in Paris—not even his own imme diate adherents—had any real reverence for him, or con sidered him a man of the highest order." Was it so, in truth? Why, if the descriptions of this scribe be correct, most we not rate the Czar Alexander as little above an idiot to swear eternal friendship for such an one at Erfurt and Tilsit; must we not regard Pius the Seventh as au imbecile in viewing him with affection; must we not look upon Francis of Austria with unmitigated contempt when we call to mind his interview in the highway? Was it so, we ask? Was this great warrior despised by " his own adherents?" Answer it shades of Duroc, of Lavalette, of Ney, of Murat, of Labedoyere! Answer it tiourgaud, Rovigo, Las Casas, Bertrand, Autommarchi, Montholon, Cipriani! Was he contemned by the " upper classes?" when the ancient aristocrats numbered themselves among his most obsequious parasites, when M. de Coblentzel said to him after the victories of Lutzen and Bautzen, "Sire, some say that you are an angel, others that you are a devil ; but all confess that you are more than a man !" Was he scorned by the " lower classes?" Answer it, the millions who welcomed his banners in his triumphal march from Cannes upon the capital. Answer it, the peasants who made pilgrimages (as Thackeray tells us in his accoent of the exhumation) to the Seine, to fall down on their knees and pray, while they gazed on the sarcophagus as it floated on towards Paris. Answer it, citizens of Paris, who hung garlands on the rails round the column in the Place Vendome. Answer it, Pierre Jean de Beranger, the poet of the people —or, as this writer loves to term them, of the lower classes. " Ou parlera de sa gloire Sous le chaurne Lien longtemps L'humble toit clans cinquante ens Ne counaitra plus d'autre histoire ; Ld viendront lee vil!ageois Dire alors h quelque viedle : Par des recite d'autrefois, Mere, abregez notre vedle. Bien dit—ou qu' ii nous ait nui Le people encore le revere, OUL LE REVERE !" Whatever may be the merits of this enthusiasm, there it is, attesting its existence in a thousand eloquent voices. To gainsay it would be madness or downright idiotism. And yet Colonel Mitchell would gainsay it, and the author of these " Sketches of German Life" does gain say it I ~"' 14;:!x. LITERATURE: . -:;~ ,~'".~ .: HISTORY OF ROME, By Miss Corner. Among the numerous volumes written by this lady for the instruction of children—and she has written his tories of this character embracing almost all times and almost all nations—this is one of the west beautiful and excellent. The purity of the composition throughout the writings of Miss Corner is singular and fascinating; she loves the old Saxon tongue " which , Shakspeare spake," and not the mongrel diction which has been long tending to the degeneration of the language. But this is not the only advantage in the school histories produced by Miss Corner—admirable as that advantage is in tutoring the mind of childhood in, a phraseology the most elegant and chaste—it is, per haps, the least merit in the volumes. It is in the ar rangement and classification of her materials, in the simplification of occurrences that would otherwise be complicated and embarrassing ; in the explication of ceremonies and creeds that would, but for that explication, remain abstruse and impenetrable mys teries to children ; and in the preservation of a direct chain of sequence in the events of each particular history, that the excellences of Miss Corner's writings are most conspicuous. In these particulars she is unrivalled. From the skill with which she has combined all these advantages, Miss Corner has entitled herself to a consideration rot inferior to that with which the memory of Madame Chapone is re garded. Beyond all this, there is a delicacy in the man ner in which she treats subjects that in other works are repulsive. She adapts herself to the pure and immacu late sentience of the infant race. Thus in recounting how the firs: barbarian citizens of Rome obtained wives. she heads it " Ihe fabulous account of the Sabine maidens;" in mentioning the supposed parentage of liomulu,, ,he remarks that his Maier was "the god Mars, who, it is said, had secretly espoused the princess ;" and even in recording how the iutant twins were suckled by the wolf near the Palatice-hill, she says that " the wolf gave them nourishment, as though they had been her own offspring." For situpicity of style, lucidity of arrangement, accuracy of narrative, and clearness of thought, this volume is de s erving or all praise. A TREATISE on the LAW RELATIAG to PATENT P IV!? EG I. S for the ole t se o f IN_ ENTIONS. and the Practice of obtaining Letters Patent for Inventions : with an Aline/J(ll.x •'t ,tutee. Rules, Forms 6.c By 11. .11. Hindmursh, Esq., Bar rister at Lain. _ . _ 1. he want of a treatise on the law of patent! , , which should present a complete summary of the present state ut that law has been long f(lt. This want has been ad mirably supplied by Mr. flindmarsh, who has produced a work which, embodying, a, it does, all that is valuablo in the works of his predecessors with much new and original matter, and containing all the latest decisions, must supersede all other books on this subject. In pre paring those parts of the work which relate to pr act i ce, Mr. Hindmarsh has obtained the assistance of the offi cers by whom the various proceedings are conducted er prepared, and the forms given in the appendix, have the greater number of them been used in actual practice. MUSIC. HANDEL'S MESSIAH, in Vocal Score, with an Accompaniment for the Organ and Pianoforte. Arrangad by Vincent Acmello. Part VIII. This edition of the Messiah is now more than half completed, and it is a marvel of cheapness and correct ness. To use Mr. Novello's own words, "It is the cheapest musical publication ever offered to the public." It will, when completed, be the standard edition of the Messiah. HAYDN'S ORATORIO, THE MESSIAH, is Vocal Score, with a separate Accompaniment for iha Organ or Pianoforte. Arranged by Vincent LYose lk. Part V. Encouraged by the success of his edition of Handel's Messiah, Mr. Novello has undertaken to publish a similar edition of Haydn's Creation, of which the pre sent is the fifth part. The name of Mr. Novel lo is a sufficient guarantee of the high character of any musi cal publication produced under his auspices. MY FATHER'S PORTRAIT. Ballad, sung by Miss Emma Stanley. Words by W. A. Ghislin, Esq. The music composed by Wellington Guernsey. This is a sweet and plaintive melody, requiring no great compass of voice for its mention. The accom• 111 'd. Otlef. CTS• ar -0 2 0 . iotie, bell note s no 1