The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-03-24 00:00:00

•: a Ss ~. .r4.k,5.i0.. a t .\ \ : C"\Q%-..(:•\.:a gay Eiberpool gptanDarb. TUESDAY MORNING, MARCH 24, 1846. The debate on Thursday night, upon the motion of Mr. Morrison, for the appointment of a special committee 6 4 to enquire whether, without discourag ing legitimate enterprise, conditions might not be embodied in railway acts better fitted than those hitherto inserted in them to promote and secure the interests of the public," affords convincing proof of the necessity of some prompt and vigourous steps being taken to protect the public from the effects of a needless and unprofitable multiplication of railway projects, on the one hand, and, on the other, the erection of monopolies dangerous and op pressive to the public. Without committing our selves to an approval of the understood opinions of the hon. member upon the course to he pursued; without entering at all into the question whether the reversion of all railways, hereafter to be sanc tioned by Parliament, should be secured to the country ; it is clear, from the tone of the whole debate, that the railway interest is rapidly gaining a degree of power which will shortly render it as dif ficult to be grappled with by the legislature as it has already been found difficult to grapple with the landed, the commercial, or any other of the great interests of the country. We have neglected, in the infancy of the system, to take proper securities for the public safety and convenience ; and when the infant shall have assumed the gigantic proportions, of which it is so rapidly giving indications, we shall find that it will possess a sort of " noli me tangere" influence, which the legislature will find itself power less to strive against. The arguments of Mr. Mangles and others, op posing legislative interference with railway property, on the ground that, if there have been great prizes drawn hitherto, there have been blanks which re duce the average interest of the capital invested to a fair rate of profit, have a reasonable sound with them. It appears equitable enough, in ordinary kinds of speculative enterprise, that good judgment and prudent management should be remunerated, so long as their opposites entail upon projectors ruinous losses ; and hence we have got into a habit of regarding legislative interference to check such enterprize, as uncalled for and even unjust. We should bear in mind, however, that railway pro perty is in its nature monopolizing. If from want of judgment, or too great expenditure in its plan, or its working, it is not a profitable property, it pre vents, nevertheless, the adoption of a better planned and better worked project. The legislature will hesitate, and even private enterprize will pause, before entering upon the formation of a cheap and efficient line through a country in which a dear and inefficient line has already been formed. On the other hand, the want of such a cheap and efficient line may be severely felt. Between the termini A and B, for instance, a line may have been formed costing the extreme price of railway formation—say £50,000 per mile—which renders it absolutely ne cessary for the remuneration of the proprietors, that a high rate of fares should be charged; and al though it may be impossible that two lines can co exist between the same localities, it is manifestly cruel towards the population of these localities that they should be taxed for the blunders or the ex travagance of the projectors of the original line. The question as affects interference with railways is clearly out of the ordinary category of legislative in terference with the application of capital to every day business or enterprize. We first sanction an injudicious undertaking ; and, by depriving a judi cious one of all prospect of fair remuneration, we entail upon the country, in exorbitant rates, the penalty of our want of legislative foresight and good judgment. We cannot, moreover, be told by the proprietors of such railways that we have the option of using them or not. It cannot be said—" We have given you, at a too costly rate, it is true, an improved mode of conveyance between the points which we connect ; but we do not compel you to use it." The fact is indisputable that, comparatively inefficient or dear as such railways may be, we are compelled to use them ; for they are still so far an improvement as to have driven long ago the old conveyances off the road. We cannot now post it to London or to Newcastle, if even we were disposed to resort to that costly mode of travelling. There are no relays of well-fed and well-trained horses now on the road— scarcely a post-chaise in a condition to travel. The once bustling inns are fallen into dilapidation, or are converted to other purposes. The whole race of drivers, guards, postillions, and ostlers, belong now as completely to a past age as the relics which we preserve in our museums. We are thus as in explicably bound to the rail as Ixion to his wheel. The monopoly is almost complete. The task which Mr. Morison proposes for his committee will be a difficult one; and we greatly fear that it will not lead to any very useful result, if its inquiries be restricted, as prescribed by the terms of his motion, or by the evident animus displayed by several of the members, whose remarks upon tle subject are before us. It may appear presump tulus in us to offer any suggestions for its guidance in 'a practical direction. Located, however, as we are in a town and district, which may well be called the centre of railway enterprise, and having had many opportunities of watching the working of the present system, we willingly risk the imputation of presumption, in the hope that some portion of our remarks may be found useful. We have already thrown overboard the notion that railway investments ought to be held sacred from Legislative interference, direct or otherwise. 'We believe that even existing railways might, with greater safety, submit to an authoritative restriction of their rates of tolls and their general regulations, than incur the risk of having such restriction forced upon them by competition from new railways. There is an evident elasticity in this description of property—a creativeness of traffic and profit—be yond that found in ordinary business undertakings, and which is daily proving that judicious conces sions to the public convenience are ultimately a source of gain rather than a sacrifice on the part of the companies. New feeders are continually falling into the trunk lines. Fresh sources of mineral and other traffic are being optned up by them. Their original exorbitant expense of working and manage ment are being diminished by judicious amalgama tion and centralization of direction ; and from all these circumstances we deduce the conclusion that, as their most efficacious protection from the invasion of new and comparatively uncalled-for schemes, railway companies, whether existing or only pro jected, may advantageously submit to some reason able measure of control on the part of the Legisla ture, acting in behalf of the public. We are the more impelled to this conclusion by the extent to which the principle of amalgamation and leasing of lines is being carried on—a principle which promises ultimately to place the great railway thoroughfares of the kingdom in the hands of a few giant companies, whilst it threatens to isolate com pletely many valuable lines, which, if permitted a fair chance, would be remunerative to their pro prietors and useful to the public. There must he some power erected to control the formation of these monopolies. The Legislature professes, when ex amining into the merits of this or that new railway scheme, to be guided, in part, in its determination by the fact that it confers on the district through which it runs greater cheapness or convenience than is conferred by the existing line. Of what avail, however, is this principle, when we know that as soon as ever such new line developes its public use fulness, and lops off a branch from the old mono poly, it is bought up and merged in the concern against whose exactions it was to have served as a protection? And here, in our humble judgment, we come to the most useful portion of the enquiry to which the Committee of Mr. Morison can direct its attention— " How can we best protect the public from the growth of dangerous monopolies, on the one hand, and on the other, from such a multiplication of new projects as that from the effects of which we arenow suffering." We would suggest that both these ob jects might be secured by the exercise of a more strict surveillance by Parliament over the terms upon which such amalgamations are forme4. We believe firmly that three-fourths of the schemes which are now before Parliament and the public, would never have been projected but for an expectation on the part of the projectors that they would either be bought out of the field by rival projects, or taken up by one or other, or by a combination, of the great companies, a portion of whose traffic they threaten to extract. Others have been brought for ward solely in the hope of profiting by some break. down of a rival under the ordeal of our absurdly complicated standing orders. A revision of these, so as at least to render them more intelligiblu— more the te:t of bona fide honesty, and less the in- \-• 'A.CS . \4\llA4 , JCI4 \N‘y ••• ~ v ~•_~ N ~ ~1-s~ std -30 SA" strument of tricky and frivolous opposition,—the committee may safely recommend; and thereby drive out of the field a whole host of dishonest pro jectors. On the other hand, they may insist upon the Legislature taking steps to insure to the public the full benefit of the new schemes which it sanctions. It cannot be tolerated that the ten per cent. limita tion of dividend, imposed by Mr. Gladstone's act of last session, should be entirely rendered nugatory, by the continual new creations of shares, resorted to for the purchase of extensions or branches, which, of themselves, never were calculated to pay more than four or five per cent. If the " Great A B" or "C D Company," with its capital of two or three millions, can this year divide eleven per cent., and thus ren ders itself amenable to the powers of Mr. Glad stone's act, the public ought not to be baulked of the promised reduction of fares, because, by draw ing within its embrace the " E F branch or junc tion," with its capital of one million, which barely pays four per cent., the dividend upon the amalga mated capital is brought below the scale at which Parliament receives powers of interference and regu • lation. THE WEST INDIA MAIL. The mail steam ship, Clyde, arrived at Southampton on Saturday from the West Indies. She left Jamaica on the 23d of February. The island of Trinidad had been alarmed by several at tempts at incendiarism; one fire, which broke out in the Cooperage, on the sea lots, had totally destroyed the Ro man Catholic church, but by the great exertions of the people it was prevented from extending very far. The Duchess of Argyle, Philip master, 97 days from Calcutta, had arrived at Trinidad with 290 immigrants, being the first Coolie ship of the season. 267 were adults and 23 children. They were all in excellent health, and a larger proportion than usual of them were women, which the Port of Spain Gazette calls "a pleasing feature," and hopes will continue. There had been only seven deaths on the passage, and two births. The Barbadors Standard reports the continuance of severe and protracted drought, and that, with the excep tion of a few very slight showers, there had been no rain for many weeks. The old canes were in a wretched con dition from these causes, and little progress having been made in cutting, the crop of 1846 will, it is feared, be very short. The young crop has also suffered severely, and a large portion will have to be replanted as soon as rain falls. Some sugar has been made and sent to the market, but of a very inferior quality, arising from the imperfect and diseased state of the canes. The royal mail steamer Medway reached Barbadoes two days behind time on her outward voyage, having expe rienced the most boisterous weather for twelve days, between Snutbampton and Madeira, six of which were spent in the Bay of Biscay. The weather in some parts of the island of Jamaica has been most oppressive. In the district of Salt Ponds and the Caymanas, in St. Dorothy, Vere, and parts of Claren don, the drought has been unprecedented. Not the re motest sign of verdure is visible amongst the pens; in Salt Ponds the cattle are dying for want of food; none of the parishes will yield an average crop. In other parts of the island the rains have been very heavy. In St. Mary's, till lately, it put a stop to sugar-making, and rendered the roads nearly impassable. The Jamaica Despatch notices with congratulations the arrival of the Mandarin at "Morant-bay with a ship ment of Coolie immigrants from Calcutta. Lieutenant Smythe, R.N., harbour-master at Kingston, had died after a long illness. His memory is mentioned with much respect, and the loss to his friends deeply regretted. In the ports of Cuba a new tariff went into operation on the Ist March, by taking 20 p, r cent. off all exports. Export cargoes have consequently been kept back for this date. Tht tonnage of foreign vessels is, by a new regulation, assimilated to the Spanish measurement, which will increase the British duty about 25 per cent. The " visit" is also now charged id. per ton. imprrial Vatitanunt. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-MONDAY. Sir R. PEEL, presented a petition, signed by a great ma jority of the commercial houses in London, praying the house to pass the commercial measures now before them as soon as possible. Lord J. RUSSELL postponed his motion relating to the state of Ireland, until after Easter. A desultory conversation ensued on the best mode of supplying food for the people of Ireland. . . 'S'ir - R. - PEEL said, that after the tariff had been disposed of, there could not be a more important subject for consi deration than the present condition of the poor in Ire land. It was a most important subject, which ought not to be discussed piecemeal, but should be considered a sub stantive motion, after due notice had been given to every member of the house. No impediment should be thrown in the way of considering the present state and condition of the poor in Ireland. The house having gone into committee on the Customs Act, Mr. PLUMPTRE, on behalf of the growers of Kent, opposed the reduction of the hop duty ; but on a division the reduction was affirmed by 91 to 44. On the proposition for reducing the duties on the im portation of foreign silk manufactures, which embraces several articles of the tariff, Mr. G. BANKES proposed to omit this article, with all its items, from the tariff.—A discussion ensued. On a division there were for the amendment 114, against it 220. HOUSE OF LORDS.-TIIESDAY. The Earl of CLARENDON moved for such portions of the diplomatic correspondence respecting the Oregon negotiation as the Earl of Aberdeen might think it consis tent with the public duty to produce, and inquired what course the Government intended to pursue in the event of the American Senate concurring in the twelve months' notice? Lord ABERDEEN said he must reserve to himself the right of withholding a large portion of the correspondence, because its production, at the present moment, would be injurious to the public interests. Her Majesty's govern ment had no intention at present of calling on Parliament for an rTinion, and therefore the information sought was not indispensable. Besides, in the present undecided state of the negotiation, the production of the whole cor respondence might induce an unfavourable opinion as to the result of the negotiation, for which reason he must also decline to say what course it was intended to pursue with respect to the twelve months' notice. He proceeded— Believing, as I do, tbat war is the greatest calamity that can befal a nation, and the greatest crime generally that a nation can commit, every effort consistent with the national honour will be employed to avert it, without any sacrifice of honour or of the real interests of the country. But, my lords, on the other hand, it is certainly possible (though I would reject the notion) that all our efforts may be unavailing. In that case I can only say that it will be my endeavour not only to secure the support and counte nance of every one of your lordships, but the sympathy of every state of Europe, and of the whole civilised world." The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH, in answer to a question from the Marquis of Clanricarde, explained that the only object of the Ad miralty in thelate experiment at Portsmouth was to show how speedily an advance ship could be got ready in case of emergency. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-TUESDAY. . The house proceeded with the consideration of the ta riff, and various articles passed under review. On the proposal to reduce the duty on foreign spirits to fifteen shillings a gallon, Alderman Thompson divided the house, but the resolution was carried by a majority of 29 out of a house of 99. Mr. MILES deprecated the removal of the duties on cattle and salted provisions. Sir R. PEEL replied, arguing that the reduction could not be productive of any injury to the agricultural interest, that the increased price might be occasioned by increased consumption, and that increased consumption might be the result of the labouring classes having enjoyed, during the last year, better wages and more constant employ ment. At any rate you put a check upon extravagant prices by increasing the import; and if this reduction did no more than put a check upon the extravagant prices, it did no injury to agriculture, and was a benefit to the rest of the community. A long discussion ensued, in which a number of spea kers joined, Mr. Finch, Sir J. Tyrell, SirJ. Tro'lope, Sir J. Walsh, Mr. E. Yorke, Sir C. Knightly, Mr. C. Bruce, and Lord G. Bentinck supporting Mr. Miles's amend ment ; and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Vil liers, and Mr. P. Borthwick advocating the proposed re solution. The conversation was somewhat discursive, very little being said on the subject actually before the house till a division took place. The numbers were—for the amendment, 72 ; against it, 111. Mr. LAwsoN divided the house without success on the article " raw hides ;" and Mr. Lawson protested against the reduction on linen goods, but did not press for a di vision. It was arranged that the further debate on the tim ber duties should be adjourned to Friday ; that the se cond reading of the corn bill should be fixed for Monday, and that the debate on it should not extent beyond Fri day next. • HOUSE OF COMMONS.—WEDNESDAY. On the motion to go into committee on the Fever (Ire land) Bill, Mr. P. SCROPE moved an instruction that the guardians of the several Poor-law Unions in Ireland be required to relieve with food, all such destitute persons within their union as may be in danger of perishing from want, or from disease in consequence of want. Mr. S. CRAWFORD seconded the amendment. Sir J. GRAHAM objected to any permanent alteration of the principle of the Irish Poor-law for the purpose of providing a remedy for a temporary calamity. To move such an instruction as that proposed by Mr. P. Scrope to the committee about to consider the Fever (Ireland) Bill, was not in accordance with the Rules of the House. The hon. member's proper course would have been to move for leave to bring in a bill to effect the object he had in view. The amendment was withdrawn, and the bill was agreed to, with some verbal alterations. HOUSE OF LORDS.-TITURSDAY. Lord KINNAIRD gave notice that he should move on Thursday next for a committee to inquire into the best means for enforcing good management on railways, and of protecting persons through whose property intended lines might run. Lord BROUGHAM then asked Lord Clancarty, if a witness under examination before the committee on the Irish Poor Law had refused to produce certain papers, and that he bad been fortified in his refusal by the Poor law Commissioners tbemselves? s-ra) ~s~i~t This question having been answered in the affirmative by Lord Clancarty, Lord BROUGHAM vehemently in veighed against this breach of privilege, and ended by de nouncing the commissioners for being influenced in their proceedings by a fear of the press. On the motion of Lord CANNING, the Metropolitan Buildings Bill was read a second time, and the house ad journed. THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-THrRSDAY. Sir J. GRAHAM moved that the report on the Fever Bill be brought up. After a short conversation, in which Mr. S. Crawford, Mr. I'. Scrope. Mr. Stafford O'Brien, Lord Ebrington, and Sir James Graham joined, the re port was agreed to, and the bill, at a later hour of the night, was read a third time and passed. On the motion of Mr. ELPHINSTONE, leave was given to bring in a bill to limit the duration of polls in counties at contested elections of members to serve in parliament to one day. Mr. MORRISON moved for a select committee to in quire whether, without discouraging legitimate enterprise, conditions might not be embodied in Railway Acts better fitted than those hitherto inserted in them to promote and secure the interests of the public. He stated that it had been his intention to enter at some length into this sub ject ; but as he understood that no opposition was to be made to his motion, he would not carry out his original intention. He then briefly mentioned the leading objects which he had intended to dwell upon. The experience of the last few years had proved that the railroads had caused a development of traffic beyond all calculation ; that cheap fares were the most profitable for the railway companies, and that low fares produced such ample divi dends that the companies were not injured but benefitted by them. He had, therefore, intended to propose that the committee should be directed to inquire whether the rate of fares ought not to undergo revision every twenty years. He also had intended to propose that his com mittee should inquire by what means the committees up stairs might be relieved from the very heavy labours to which they were:now exposed. The attempts which those committees had made last year to establish rates and fares for the different lines of railroad had been a complete failure, as all kinds of rates of fares for goods and passen gers had been approved by them. He also wished to bring under the notice of his committee the propriety of grant ing terminable leases instead of leases in perpetuity. This was a matter which concerned the house and the country rather than the railway companies, provision always being made for the creation of a sinking fund to repay them, at the expiration of their lease, the capital which they had expended. As these leases were daily becoming more valuable, it was the duty of the house to prevent them from becoming perpetual monopolies. Ar guing from the example of Belgium and France, where the fares were much lower than in England, he thought that, if these leases were granted for forty years, the rail way companies would not object to such an arrangement. At the same time lie should never recommend the princi ple of competition to be given up—but by itself it was not sufficient. Mr. MANGLES considered that this motion had a much wider scope than that which appeared on the face of it, for he thought its object was to reconsider the principle on which our public works had been hitherto conducted. That principle had hitherto been to give free scope to the application of private capital to public works • but the principle advocated by Mr. Morrison was to place that capital under the restriction of Government. He called upon the house to look at the results of the two princi ples as exemplified in practice in England and France re spectively. We had constructed 3,051 miles of railroads, and France had not constructed more than 376. He had no intention of oppasing the proposed committee; but he believed that the principles on which Mr. Morrison pro posed it were unsound and pernicious. Mr. PARKER, after alluding to a motion which he had on the paper for the appointment of a select committee to "consider whether precautions could not be devised, by which the effects of the railway legislation now pend ing on the labour and money markets of the country may be provided against," begged leave to ask the Govern ment, which was responsible for the monetary system of the country, whether it was prepared, with the large expenditure now proceeding uron railroads, to sanction this year a still larger expenditure on the same objects, and so to mortgage all the industrious resources of the empire. He showed that such a pressure on those re sources would greatly raise the value of money, and would occasion much distress to the agricultural, the manufac turing, and the commercial classes. He took a review of the number of the railway bills presented at the com mencement of this session, and concluded therefrom that it would have been useful had the house selected a certain number of them for consideration this session, and re served the remainder of them for consideration in another. He had not the slightest wish to impede the appointment of the proposed committee. Mr. HUDSON had not intended to have taken any share in the present debate, as he understood that the motion was to be granted by Government ; but as Mr. Parker bad said that the monetary system of the country would be deranged by the large sums now expending and to be expended on railways, he must enter his decided protest against that doctrine. After recapitulating the calcula tions which he had made to the house some weeks ago respecting the amount of money which for some time to come would be expended annually on these great national works, he showed that it did not equal the sum which had been annually expended by the country, without any return, for many years previously to the close of the last war. If he could have convinced himself that he should have any prospect of success, he would have moved a di rect negative on the appointment of this committee, be cause he believed that the house was in possession of full information for legislation on this important question without it. He denied that low fares would ever produce ample dividends, especially where large capital was sunk in the construction of public works. He then saye a his tory of the profits received by the existing railways, and inferred from it that they did not afford a very successful field for private enterprise. Mr. LABOUCHERE did not believe that on the whole the profits of those who had engaged in these magnificent un dertakings had been enormous, nor did he grudge them those well-earned gains which they had acquired by their intelligence and enterprise. But there were circumstances in the present state of the expenditure on railroads which did require immediate attention. There was something besides the employment of capital which ought now to be considered by the government and the public. We were fast approaching a state of things in which the whole in ternational communication of this great country would be in the hands of four or five great companies. That con sideration took this subject out of the ordinary course of commercial policy. Some control ought to be devised to prevent this power from being lodged by a few amalgama tion bills in the hands of a few private individuals. He should support the motion for a committee, and he hoped that the government would give Mr. Morrison every assistance in leading its deliberations to a safe and satis factory conclusion. He then applied himself to the con sideration of Mr. Parker's question, whether it was right for the house to check the application of further capital to the construction of railroads from fear of its producing results dangerous to our monetary system. That was so grave a step, that, when it was first proposed to take it, he had said that, if it were taken it should be after due deli beration by, and with the full responsibility of, her Ma jesty's government. Sir R. Peel, by his speech on that occasion, had created an impression in the minds of many members that government would place a plan for carrying such an object into effect before the committee, which he had himself proposed. Having briefly stated the course which had been pursued by the members of the govern ment in that committee, and which had been terminated by their declaring that they were not prepared to bring before it any such plan as a government measure, he added that the committee had come to the conclusion that, though it was at liberty to examine such a plan and the evidence on which it might be founded if brought before it by the government, it was not as a committee bound to originate such a plan itself. His own opinion would lead him to be very cautious how he limited the application of capital in the way proposed by Mr. Parker. He was not afraid of the effect which this railroad expenditure would produce upon the capital of the country. He was more afraid of the effect which it would produce upon the market for labour; but the whole question was of such nicety that, if taken up at all, it must be taken up by the go vernment. _ . _ __ _ _ Sir G. CLERK admitted the correctness of Mr. Labou chere's description of what had occurred in the committee of which he had been a member. If the railway bills of the present session had been as numei ous as was originally anticipated, Government would have been prepared to se lect some for immediate legislation, and to postpone others to another session; but when the proposed committee assembled, it was found that the number of bills was much less than had been expected, and in consequence there was no necessity for making any selection. He would not go so far as to say that the expenditure on railroads might not affect the capital of the country; but it did not appear to him that it was likely to affect that capital at present. If Mr. Parker intended to proceed with his committee, he should oppose it; but to Mr. Morrison's committee he would give every ass6tance in his power. In so doing, he did not wish to throw discredit on the enterprising in dividuals who had established railroads : but there were many suggestions in Mr. Morrison's speech deserving of inquiry, and every facility would be afforded to him for prosecuting it by her Majesty's Government. Sir R. PEEL inferred, that the course which Mr. Mor rison would take in the proposed committee, of which doubtless he would be chairman, would be in conformity with the very able pamphlet which he had written. He appeared to labour under the impression that there had hitherto been great errors in our railroad legislation, and to propose for inquiry two questions—l. Whether it would not be desirable to establisia some tariff of prices, to which all railroads, seeking the intervention of parlia ment, should be compelled to conform ; and 2. Whether it would not be advisable to adopt the French system, and to give the different companies only a temporary interests in the railroads. To illustrate these subjects, Mr. Mor. rison would probably place before the committee a quan tity of information respecting foreign railroads. It would take some time to collect that evidence ; but what in the meanwhile was to be done with the railroad bills now in pro gress? He recommended the committee to attend to that subject in the first instance. He was of opinion that if errors of legislation had been committed with respect to railroads in past years, parliament had a right to correct them now, and to apply new principles to new companies which came before it, and, even in case of old companies which came to demand extensive additional priyilegFs, to apply principles of correction as preliminary conditions to granting them. The question then arose whether par liament would suspend legislation for the present session, or would insert in all future railway bills a clause render ing the companies liable to any general bill which . parlia ment might hereafter pass? He thought that it would be found difficult, in many cases, to apply this reservation in years to come, though there might be no difficulty in pass ing it now. At any rate some early report should be made by this committee on the subject of legislation . He gave his ready assent to this committee. Its inquiries must be useful for railway profits and railway monopolies, and railway interference with all kinds of property baffled all calculations which were made two years ago. Lord J. RUSSELL considered that some delay bad oc curred in the railway legislation of the present session in consequence of the statement made by Sir R. Peel at the commencement of the present session. It would have been much better had these matters been taken into con sideration by the Government at the opening of the ses soin than by a committee now. He did not infer, from anything which had just fallen from Sir R. Peel, that he had any plan for dealing with the mass of railway legisla tion now before the house, nor any opinion whether the application of such an amount of capital to railroads would be injurious to the monetary interests of the country. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER complained that Lord J. Russell had mixed up the question proposed by Mr. Parker with that proposed by Mr. Morrison, al though the two were as distinct as could be. At the com mencement of the session it was expected that there would be upwards of 800 railroad bills, involving an out lay of £779,000,000. If that number of bills had come before the house, it would have been nceessary to pass extraordinary measures to prevent inconvenience arising from such a mass of bills, and from the expenditure of such an immense amount of money; but at the next Par liamentary stage the bills were reduced to half their num ber, the state of things became essentially different; and every reason which ought to prevent Government from interfering with the application of private capital to public enterprizes, immediately came into action. The incon veniences, therefore, which were anticipated at the com mencement of the session no longer existed. He should be most happy to give his attendance in the proposed committee. After a few remarks from Mr. BARING, which were in distinctly heard, from Mr. HORSMAN, who advocated cheap fares, and from Mr. WAWN, Mr. MORRISON briefly replied, reiterating his former statements, and defending himself from the attacks which had been made upon him by different members. The motion was then agreed to. HOUSE OF LORDS.-FRIDAY. After the presentation of several petitions, the Duke of BUCCLEUCH moved the second reading of the Print Works Bill ; which was agreed to, and ordered to be com mitted on Monday. The Duke of RICHMOND and Lord STANLEY presented several petitions, from various parts of England, against the measures recently proposed by the Government. After which Lord CLANCARTY adverted to the discussion which had taken place on the preceding evening on the refusal of a witness to produce a certain document before the Irish poor law committee. It turned out on inquiry that the order that was given to the witness to refuse the produc tion of the document referred to was give❑ anterior to the sitting of the committee, and did not, therefore, apply to the point which had been raised. Lord BROUGHAM admitted that this statement was sa tisfactory so far as the relief of the commissioners from the charge of having refused to obey the orders of the committee was concerned. Lord ST. GERMANS said that he should move the sus pension of the standing orders in favour of the Irish Fe ver Hospital Bill, which the Duke of Wellington had fixed for a second reading on Monday, with the view of fa cilitating its passage through its remaining stages. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-FRIDAY. The consideration of the report on the new tariff was resumed. On coming to the article of timber, The Marquis of WORCESTER moved its omission from :he schedule. _ _ Mr. H. HINDE was of opinion that this measure would prove ruinous to the Canadas, and said that the foreign shipping trade with the northern ports of the kingdom had largely increased, while the British shipping trade had di minished in a precisely similar ratio, since the former re duction of the differential duties on timber. Mr. CARDWELL quoted several returns to show the ge neral increase of British shipping, and contended that the house w should he governed by the large majority of the Bri tish shipowners, who had become converts to the doctrines of free trade, and who were prepared to support the mea sure of the Government. Mr. A. CEO APM AN quoted returns to show that the whole of the Canadian timber trade with Sunderland had been, since the former reduction of the timber duties, transferred to Norway. He believed the measure under consideration would, if adopted, be productive of serious mischief to the shipping interests. Lord G. BENTINCK contended that the house was called upon to agree tdithe amendment by three most im portant considerations—the maintenance of the revenue, protection to our colonies, and protection to our shipping interests. The noble lord contended that the whole of the former reduction of duties had gone into the pockets of the foreign producer, without having in the slightest de gree benefitted the consumer. The activity of the Baltic trade he attributed to the construction of railways, but when these were completed that activity would cease. He thought Canada had great reason to feel alarm, and he un derstood that in those colonies they were already beginning to discuss whether they would not be better off if under the government of the United States. Surely, when America was arming her seaboard, and John Quincey Adams was impiously and blasphemously invoking the Word of God in aid of the hell dogs of war—surely that was not a happy time for them to alienate the affections of the faithful and attached Canadian subjects of her Majesty. The proper answer to send to America would be from the naked sides of our men-of-war, which would :speak to them in lan guage not to be mistaken (great cheering). Sir G. CLERK was surprised to have heard any argu ments in favour of a higher duty on Baltic timber, for nearly every article in the tariff had been reduced to a duty of 10 per cent., while a duty of 20 per cent. was con tinued on this article. This he thought ought to satisfy the advocates of protection that the interesfs of those con nected with the Canadian timber trade have not been lost sight of. He begged to inform the noble lord that in con sequence of the high price of Baltic timber it had never been used in railways until within the last year. Mr. C. BULLER deprecated the language used by Lord Geo. Bentinck with respect to America, and thought the course adopted by Sir R. Peel far more dignified than that of bandying bombast with the braggarts in America, in the manner resorted to by the noble lord. It was far better to seek to lay the foundations of peace by the adoption of a liberal commercial policy than to seek a rivalry with Mr. Quincy Adams by adopting a tone of congenial bluster. (Cheers.) The hon. gentleman then contended that Canada would be well contented to forego its monopoly of the timber trade provided that the mar kets of Great Britain were thrown open to its corn, and there never was a time when the change :could be made with such facility and such slightly injurious consequences to any party whatever as at the present moment. The house then divided, and the amendment was de feated by a majority of 232 to 109. FOREIGN AND COLONIAL. THE RIVER PLATE.—Private letters from Buenos Ayres, received by the Brazilian packet, state, that Gene ral Rosas had resigned the office of President of Buenos Ayres for the thirteenth time, and also state that some of his partisans are of opinion that his resignation is not quite so great a farce as the previous ones have been ; but, as intended to free him from the mortification of yielding to the demands of the British and French governments. It is said that he will retain the office of commander-in chief, and with it all real power, whilst be will throw the odium of concession on the new president. The letters from Monte Video state, that Colonel Silveira, who re cently pronounced in favour of the independence of the Banda Oriental, at Maldonado, was at the head of 600 men, and that he had captured 2,000 horses, on which he was remounting the cavalry of Rivera. defeated at India Muerte, who were slowly arriving from Rio Grande. It is certain that the advance of the squadrons of the Parana and the Uruguay had compelled a large part of the Bue nos Ayrean forces to retire :into the province of Entre Rios ; and thus set the eastern part of Banda Oriental free. CAPE OF Goon HOPE.—Cape of Good Hope papers to the 18th of January have arrived. Afracas had taken place at Port Victoria between the Caffres and the troops, in consequence of the military on duty attempting to ar rest one of the aborigines who bad stolen a blanket. Two of the Caffres were wounded in the affair, and then the riot was soon quelled. Tola, the chief, resided in the neighbourhood, as well as his superior chief, Botman, and showed every disposition to restore order, and the latter had expressed his regret that any thing should have oc curred to disturb the good understanding hitherto sub sisting between the military and his people. A letter from Port Natal, dated the Bth of December, 1845, in the South African Commercial Advertiser of the 14th of Ja nuary, announces the arrival of the Lieutenant-Governor, with his family, on the 4th of that month. NEW ZEALAND.—Accounts from Auckland to the 22d of November have been received. They are very unfa vourable. The correspondent of the Times says,—" Cap tain Fitzroy's proposals of peace having been scornfully rejected, and there not being any probability of success with our limited force against determined foes strongly in trenched, it was deemed advisable for the troops to retire from their advanced position at Waimate to the vicinity of the shipping, and there await reinforcements. They are now encamped on the site of Kororarika, about 720 men, and preparations are being made to re•erect the flagstaff for the fifth time! The arrival of Captain Grey is so very recent that no prudent conjecture can be ad vanced how far he may be the man to remedy the mani fold errors of his unfortunate predecessor—that he will cut and carve among the public officers, concentrate their duties in the few working men among them, reduce the expenditure to the income, and place the fiscal arrange ments upon a sure basis cannot be questioned." The King of the Belgians cannot persuade any of his subjects to form a ministry. Narvaez has returned to power in Spain, and another bloody revolution is considered as possible. INDIA MISSION.—The institution of the General As sembly of the Church of Scotland, at Calcutta, was re opened on the 12th of January last. On the first day 250 pupils were enrolled; and before the mail left the num ber had increased to above 1500. What do the Free Church seceders think of this ? Glasgow Constitutional. Considerable agitation has been excited at Pisa against the Vicar of the A rchb;shop, who has purohased the Pa lazzo Silupis for 300,000 f., in order to convert it into a house for the Sisters of the Sacre Coeur, who are said to ba connected with the Jesuits. A petition on the subject to the Grand Duke has received 130 signatures from per sons of note, including many professors of the University. A curious order of the police was issued at Berlin on the 2d instant. With a view of preventing the diminution of nightingales in their natural state of liberty, it is decreed that every person in Prussia who keeps a nightingale in a cage shall pay an annual tax of ten thalers (forty francs), and that any person putting a nightingale into a cage, with out giving information to the police, shall be fined thirty thalers. On the 27th ult. 47 houses were destroyed in the little town of Albeg, in Saxony, and 120 persons were reduced to misery. The loss is estimated at 200,000 francs (about £8,333). A COSTLY WEDDING ORNAMENT.—The Paris papers inform the curious in such matters, that there is now to be seen in a jeweller's shop on the Boulevards the diadem of precious stones to be worn by the Princess Olga, of Russia, on her wedding-day. This diadem is wo:th 18,000,0001. The large central diamond is estimated at 1,000,0001. This diadem is to be presented to the bride by her Imperial father. An affair took place on the 22nd ult. at Dorston, in Prussia, between the Roman Catholics and Protestants, in which 120 persons were wounded. It originated io a pretended miracle, it being stated that a poor idiot girl had mysterious marks impressed on her forehead. The miracle was proclaimed by a Jesuit, with insulting lan guage to the Protestants ; and the excitement ran so high that a military force was called in to the aid of the Jesuit. FAMINE ON THE CONTINENT.—We learn from Pia cenza that, on the 24th ult., the town was threatened with a serious riot, from the Government having attempted to raise the price of bread from ten to thirteen centimes the pound. The populace having attempted to assail the Government House, the Austrians on duty fired and killed four persons, wounding several others. On the following day several bakers' shop were attacked, until at length the magistrates were compelled to post up bills, announcing that the price was again reduced to its former rate, and flour lowered 3f. a sack. The people appeared to be pacified by this concession, but dragoons were still stationed at the provision shops. HORRID MASSACRES IN POLAND.—The painful im pression produced throughout Europe by the late desperate and abortive insurrection in Poland has been greatly ag gravated by the atrocities which are said to have been per petrated at the instigation of the Austrian authorities in the province of Galicia. The insurgents, who had got possession of the town of Cracow, and had expelled the Austrian garrison, forthwith crossed the Vistula and marched in several columns into Galicia, where the con spiracy had numerous ramifications among the Polish gentry and clergy, and where they expected to meet with the support of the people. These anticipations were, however, erroneous. The chief magistrate of the district of Tarnow harangued the peasantry assembled at the mar ket of that town, and persuaded them that the designs of the insurgents and the nobles were no less injurious to them than to the Government. He exhorted them to re main faithful to the Austrian authorities, and ended by offering a reward of ten florins for every rebel whom the peasantry might bring in dead or alive. The measure had immediate and horrible effect. More than 400 nobles were massacred in two days. A hundred corpses were brought into Tarnow to claim this blood-money ; and so great was the slaughter that the authorities reduced the price of a murder from ten florins to two. The whole district was a prey to the horrors of a social convulsion which can only be compared to the Bauernkrieg of the 16th century, or to some of the scenes of the French Revolution. In the midst of these tragical events, the cause of Poland seemed to be entirely forgotten, and the attempt which has been made to resuscitate her independence only revived those fatal dissensions by which society in that country has so often been distracted. A BULGARIAN PRINCE AND A NEW ZEALAND CHIEF. At the soiree, on Thursday, in London, of the British and Foreign Institute, Mr. G. F. Angus, a recent travel ler in Australia and New Zealand, exhibited a collection of drawings illustrative of the scenery and manners of the people in those countries. He was accompanied by a New Zealand youth, son of the chief, Pomara, who, with the whole of family, excepting only this youth, was killed by a hostile party. This son, thus left without pa rent or protector, was taken by Mr. Angus to Sydney; and there placed at school, but on returning to England Mr. Angus brought the youth with him, to give him the benefit of an English education, and afford him an oppor tunity of seeing this country, after some stay in which it is intended that he should return to communicate the re sults of his acquirements to his countrymen. The youth was dressed in his native costume, evinced great intelli gence, and excited general interest by his appearance and conversation. There was also present, as a visitor on this occasion, a Bulgarian Prince, Alexander Stoilovitch, Exarque, Bey- Oglou, who has come to England on a very interesting mission. The Bulgarians, who inhabit one of the con quered provinces of the Turkish Empire, near the chain of the Bolkan, and the Black Sea, are at present very much in the condition of the Greeks previous to the establish ment of their independence; and, notwithstanding the hatli-cherfff of the Sultan, Abd•ool-Madjed, which gives to all the subjects of the Ottoman empire, whatever may be their faith, equal civil and political rights, the local au thorities of Bulgaria, removed from the eye of the chief ruler of the empire, and having no fear of public opinion or the press, which no where exists throughout the inte rior, practice cruelties and oppressions at which every hu mane heart would shudder it they were fully detailed. The Prince, being himself a Christian, but a member of one of the few remaining families of the ancient Bulgarian nobility, who continue in possession of their estates and privileges, is anxious to interest the more intelligent and philanthropic men of influence in Europe in the improve ment of his country. Instead of seeking to resist the op pressions under which his countrymen labour, by an armed revolution, which so often only rivets the chains of the unsuccessful more closely, he hopes, by the more pa cific, and more certain mode, of establishing schools, in troducing the press, and promoting religious and benevo lent associat'ons for the advancement of civilization, to effect a slow but gradual amelioration. He has been re ceived in France by Monsieur Guizot and the French mi nisters with the greatest respect and cordiality ; and has had a most favourable interview with the Earl of Aberdeen and other of her Majesty's ministers, in this country. He proposes to bring over some of the sons of the principal Bulgarian families to England, and other countries in amity with the Sublime Porte, for education in their schools and colleges, and then return them with all their stores of knowledge to their own country, as has been done with so much success by the present Pasha of Egypt. The Prince was introduced to the assembly by the Resi dent Director, Mr. Buckingham, who explained, in a pub. lie address, the object of his visit at some length. The Prince also addressed the company in French, and expressed his gratitude for the cordial reception he had met with in this country. IRELAND. The Dublin mountains are now covered with snow; argil showers of hail, with a biting wind, convince that winter has not yet departed. Two magistrates of the county of Clare, Michael Fins cane and Smith Blood, Esqrs., have been fired at, and dangerously wounded. The Waterford poor law guardians have passed a reso lution to give the paupers bread instead of potatoes for dinner, from the high price asked for the latter. At the Down assizes, a Catholic clergyman was indicted for having celebrated marriage between two Protestants, but a special verdict was taken, in order that the question may be argued in a higher court ANOTHER MURDER.—On Sunday night week, a man named Meara was murdered by six miscreants, who broke into his house, near Clough-jordan, in the county of Tipperary. They dashed the unfortunate man's brains out with clubs and stones. Some rioting took place at Kilrush on Tuesday evening between the police and the country people, in which some persons connected with the towns joined. One of the police had his skull fractured, and several of the ri oters were wounded by the bayonets of the police. The ringleader was in the first instance arrested, but was res cued by the mob—he was, however, again taken. FATAL. FACTION FIGHT.—On the Ist inst. two faction parties, about four hundred strong, assembled at the fair of Killedmond, county Carlow, to settle a dispute about a farm by a regular battle. Several magistrates were present and a large body of constabulary, and the factions were overawed and retired. In the evening, however, they again assembled, maddened by drink, when during the affray that followed, one man was so dreadfully hurt as to occasion his death. ASSASSINATION OF A MAGISTRATE.—On Tuesday last as Mr. Pierce Carrick, a magistrate in the county of Clare, was returning in his car from a meeting at Ennis, to devise means for relieving the distress of the people, he was fired at from behind a wall when within a mile from his home, Toureen House, and a bullet lodged in his thigh. Mr. Carrick jumped from the car, and without a moment's delay a second shot was fired. Another ball entered at his groin, and passed round towards his spine, inflicting the wound of which he died next day. FATAL AFFRAY IN IRELAND.—A few nights since, a difference arose between two men, about a right of pre cedence to put corn on a kiln at the mill of Ganaveen, near Glantahe ; blows ensued, and some mutual friends of the parties, who happened to be present, took part, it is much to be regretted, not for the purpose of making peace. One of the men, named Manion, bad his brains dashed out on the spot, and so severe were the wounds received by the other man, that he has since expired.—' Tuam Herald. AWFUL ACCIDENT.—A very awful accident occurred, on Wednesday, at New Inn, in this county, by which the lives of three men were sacrificed. It appears that one of these men proceeded to light a lime-kiln, but, not being a regular lime burner, he did not perfectly understand how to proceed to work. He could not satisfactorily pro duce the necessary heat, and in order to stir up the fire he got a ladder and descended into the kiln, when instan taneous suffocation was the result. A second and third man followed in like manner, and with the same disas trous consequences. The bodies were got out by break ing down the front wall of the kiln.—Tipperary Vindic. REPEAL ASSOCIATION.—Mr. John Mitchell presided at the weekly meeting on Monday. A short letter from Mr. O'Connell on the Coercion Bill was read. In it he says, " My great object in writing this hurried line is to conjure the independent members of parliam en t t o come to London as speedily as possible. The presence of every Irish member friendly to constitutional liberty is essen tially required by the exigence of the times. There is one consolation,—that the atrocious and ludicrous Coercion Bill carries with it a most unanswerable argument in fa vour of the protection of a domestic parliament." Mr. Steel delivered one of his fervid speeches in support of the motion that the letter should be inserted on the minutes. The others speakers were Mr. Grattan, Mr. Meagher, Mr. Mahotiy, and Mr. Mackey. The rent for the week, which included £lOO from America, and £l4 from Liver pool, was announced to be £2.10 Os. 3d. 'WHITEMAN'S BRUNSWICK HOTEL—The recent ex tension and the great improvements that have of late been made at this hotel, together with its advantageous situa tion, renders it a most Asirable casual residence for com mercial and other gentlemen, and those who visit the assizes would do well to secure the attention of the host— a jolly well-meani❑g Boniface, whose best services are ever at the call of his patrons. March 24, 1846. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. The direct London and Manchester Railway Bill bas been thrown out on standing orders for the present ses sion. _ HIGH CHARGES FOR RAILWAY PARCELS. Flower's letter to the directors of the Grand Junction Railway, upon this important subject, is, it is said, nevi under the consideration of the board in London. On Sunday week two men were killed on the Maccles field branch of the London and Birmingham Railwal• One lot of waggons ran into another lot, and the deceased were jammed between them. RAILWAY ACCIDENT COMPENSATION.—It is said thet the Edinburgh and Glasgow Company have compromise°, the action for damages, at the inst an ce o f th e c hildren 0' the deceased Mr. Cooney, horse-dealer in Glasgow, wb° was killed in a railway carriage on that line in May last, for the sum of £2OOO, with all expenses. The Standing Orders' Committee of the House of Commons, on Friday decided, in the cases of the Chester and Manchester, Direct Boston, Newark. and Sheflieht Railway, and the Welsh Midland Railway, that the Stand ing Orders ought not to be dispensed with. That the parties should not be allowed to proceed with their BUIS; THE TABLES TURNED.—At Rutl a nd ass i zes , the Ear' of Harborough indicted several bf the surveyors and la bourers on the Syston and Peterborough Railway, for riot in Stapleford Park, and they were acquitted. The We day a true bill was found against the noble earl and S number of his retainers, for a conspiracy to prevent the railway from being made, or the survey from being cool' . pleted. _ _ _ The Wishaw and Coltness, about to merge into the' Edinburgh and Glasgow, have declared a half-yearly dial' dend of 12s. 6d. on the £25 share ; and the Glasgow, Pale" ley and Greenock, about to be amalgated with the Cale' donian, are to pay the guaranteed division of 6 per cent. on the amount called up of the preference shares, and per cent on the £25 and £l2 10s. shares. deducting come tax. The report of the half-yearly meeting of the South' Eastern betokens increasing prosperity. After paying' tollto the Croyden and rent to the G reenw i c h, th e bal' ante at disposal for dividends is £78,018, yielding 175. 6d• per share upon the paid up shares, and of the proportion ate amounts 6s. 7d. on No. 1 shares and 3s. 9d. on No. Z . shares, less the income tax. Afte r doing this, there Iglu' remain £11,900 to be carried to next half-year's account. RAILWAY LABOURERS' STRIKE AT PENRITK.--0 11 Wednesday week, upwards of 1,100 of the labourers cal' ployed on the Lancaster and Carlisle railway struck work and left the line, in consequence of the contractors issuing a notice requiring the me n to wor k 10 hours yer day- - the time previou sly being 10 hours. Although the strike was mutual among the English and Irish, no disturbance or disorder took place. Upwards of 400 of the men left and tramped off elsewhere. At a meeting of the Croydon Railway Company. 011 Tuesday week, the Chairman in his address, stated that s proposition had been made to the Company from an Asse' ciation, which proposes to erect villages for the working' classes at six or eight miles from London, and by a slight rentcharge give the occupiers a passage by the railway t° and from London daily to attend to their various employ' [Gents. He was not at present prepared to say how far It might be carried out, but he thought it practicable, the only difficulty being that passengers took up so much ►more room than goods, to the carriage of which it would 0 1 some measure assimilate. NON -LIABILITIES OF PROVISIONAL COMMITTS I3. MEN.—An action was brought in the City Sheriffs' Court , at Guildhall, on Thursday, by Mr. Hadland, of Cheap' side, against Mr. Thomas Johnson, a gentleman residing at Newark, and one of the Provisional Committee of the defunct General Canal and Steam Haulage Company, for a sum of £B. 13s. 4d. for stationery supplied to the Cour pany. The defendant paid 10s. into Court, denying bi° liability beyond that amount. Evidence having beer/ given, fully proving that the defendant had nothing to do' with the Company until long after the goods were sup' plied, the jury returned a verdict in his fa7our. SODTH EASTERN AND CONTINENTAL STEAM-PAC/al' COMPANY.—The half-yearly meeting took place on ThurS' day. James M`Gregor, Esq., took the chair. The repor t showed the earnings to have been £6695 17s. 9d. The vessels were five in number ; but, owing to the expecte", opening of the line to Ramsgate, and the great traffie, likely to follow that of the G rea t N or th ern R a il wa y °f France, the directors had ordered three more steamers', The profit was sufficient to allow a dividend of 4s. Pe r share. The chairman moved the adoption of the re port: which was seconded by Viscount Torrington, and passed unanimously. Viscount Torrington, Benjamin Harding+, Esq., James M`Gregor, Esq., and Captain Tindale were re-elected directors. GOOD NEWS FOR RAILWAY TRAVELLERS.—In the debate on railways in the House of Commons, on Thurs day, Mr. R. D. Mangles, the member for Guildford'' stated that the London and Birmingham Railway COI pany, and the Grand Juucticn Railway Company, bar agreed to hind themselves to a voluntary maximum of 2 0 ' per mile for the first-class passengers, Id. per mile foe the second•class, and td. per mile for the third-class' As the Grand Junction Company are now owners of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the above maximl 4o6 ' of fares will, in all probability, apply to that line also' When these rates are established, the maximum fare t° Liverpool will be ss. 2d. for first-class; 3s. 'Old. second' class • and 2s. 7d. third-class p assengers. T he f ares t: London, first-class, 335.; second-class, 245. 9d. • 0,1),a -third-class, Hrs. 6d.: a ssum i ng t h e di stance to be IVv: miles. The fares may be even lower, but cannot be higbe ° than the sums stated. STRIKE ON A RAILWAY.—On Monday, a large bol l of the labou rers emp l oye d on th e Ch es t er an d li n iyhes Railway, on the Saltney side of the river, " struck" f° l. : an advance of 6d. per day in their wages. After leavinli: their employment. th e y crosse d t h e r i ver, an d pro ceeded along the line as far as the tonne!, insisting as they went along that all the other labourers should join in the strike. Some resistance was offered by the men working at the tunnel, for which they were pelted with stones, and ulti; mately driven from th e ir wor k. M atters assum ing somewhat serious aspect, a strong body of police wets ordered to the spot, who succe e d e d i n captur i ng f o ur 0 * the ringleaders, named Michael Trayner, George Ches s worth, James Amery, and Joseph Minshull. They we r brought up before the Chester magistrates on TuesclBl,: but, the case not being pressed ag a i ns t th em by the rat' way authorities, they were liberat e d on p rom i s i ng to he ° have ir etter for the future. IMPORTANT TO PROVISIONAL COMMITTEE-MEN case was tried at York on Saturday, before Mr. Justl e Coleridge, when the personal liability of provisional coot mitteemen for the debts contracted on the part of thel company was established. The plaintiffs were Worth ss t Frith, surveyors to a co m p an y w hi c h was in existence autumn, called the Leeds, Midland, and Lincoln Jus c i tion Railway; and the defendants were Mr. Gresham LI P Mr. Copland, two of the provisional committee of tb e e ,• line. It appeared from the e v id ence o f M r. Webster, tf„, solicitor to the company, who was called as a witness 1 ") the defendants, that it was projected by himself s ° , Messrs. Worth and F r ith, on t h e f oot i ng that the el penses of the latter were t o b e guaranteed to the ex te: j of £100; and that, beyo n d th a t amount, if no prov i s i o n. f committee could be formed, each party were to bear the r e own expenses. There h a d never b een any meeting of t°, parties who had agreed to become members of the colt mittee. Mr. Justi ce C o l er id ge, i n summ i ng up, said, did the liability of the d e f en d ants was sufficiently establisb e io by letters put in eviden ce , i n which they agreed to i?, the committee; and the jury g ave a ver di c t f or t h e platy tiffs. Damages, £879 ss. 6d., and costs. r LIABILITY OF RAILWAY ALLOTTEES.—At th e fte be Assizes, on Friday, Mr. Woolmer, as c h a i rman of t o provisional committee of the Direct Exeter and Plyns o „ l / 1 1 Railway project, sued Mr. T o by f or £lO5, the dePOlg money on forty shares allotted to him in that scheme• sr , appeared that, soon after the prospectus was issued, I, ° e • Toby sent application in the foll ow i ng f orm t o th e dif i to tors :—" I request you will allot me 50 shares of tal each in the above railway ; and I undertake to accept •t 0 same, or such number as you may allot to me, su blea s e the regulations of the compa n y, an d t o s i gn t h e neces, s o documents, and to pay wh en requ i re d t h e d epos i t of tso 12s. 6d. per share." Forty shares were allotted, but re j panic succeeded, and, though the scheme was conside. ; j, a bona fide one, very few of th e d epos it s wer e ni Meanwhile the plan s were l o d ge d, an d expenses to ' o s amount of £6,000 incurred, but, as the money wale forthcoming, the project was necessarily abandoned. directors applied for 3s, per share from the allotteessii, enable them to pay thei r ex p enses , b u t t o these anPlictSo ons no replies were received. It was contended f°,!,, (of defence that at the most th e d e f en d an t was only Hsu' ssi £6, being at the rate of 3s. pe r s h are , w hi c h wouldi i r s. his proportion of the loss. Th e j ur y f oun d f or the Pl y tiff for the full amount claimed. THE CjURT 4- FASHIONABLE WO 111" : 1 H a t er l HER MAJESTY'S DRAWING-ROOM.—Her Majes t Y l , her second drawing- r o om , thi s season , on Th u rsa s i leo: St. James's Palace. It was v e r y numerous ly atr elj a , and the presentation of the fair de'bulantes excited (1, interest. Her Majesty was observed to look raue u oto; tigued. The youthful Lady Rose Somerset, whoe e pit presentation took place, as well as her fair sister, tb e ,,io 7 , Blanche, attracted general a d m i ra ti on . slier . I ",;ier, wore on the occasion a dress of w hit e t u ll e illusion " w eft' . white satin slip, trimmed with b ouque t s o f cer ise fie is de r train of cerise and silver brocade, li ne d w ith white e b . o o and trimmed round with cerise and silver blond ;doff; and sleeves ornamented with diamond s . Hesd il ds r e wreath of cerise flowers and diamond s , fe a thers $ O ",- l IT blond lappets. The whole of B r iti s h manu facture . 0 0; Duchess of Kent wore a court dress composed of t o or,`; talcs of tulle, trimmed with superb Brussels 1 1 1 obt t o, a dress of rich white moire ; the train and body O'd satin, brocaded in silver, and tastefully ornarnen t( s , fe tl e 'd Brussels lace and amaranthe velvet. Head dree fl itl, d tilers, lace lappets, and diamonds.—Her MajestY,', ;o o' Albert, and the royal children still remain at Boo" Pa 'l he lace. Ir e° Queen Dowager is to take h er fi na l depart ure Witley Court on the 21st instant. the Her Majesty has appointed Mrs. Anderson , 0, lented painter, teacher to the princess royal. ,fr . J. The Marquis of Salisbury, accompanied by P- t i, tis Balfour, M.P,. and Lady Blanche Balfour, wen„, t ,,, no t e , from Hatfield House, Herts, on Tuesday. -" A ult 0.,, marquis received his Excellency Count de St.": str Viscount and Viscountess Mahon, Lord and Le d s ley, and a distinguished circle, at Hatfield. Sir o f', SOCIETY AT SYDNEY.—D ur i ng the govern. - t e m . 0 0 0 Richard Bourke, an attempt was made by h ~ n ~ilie s ' s et duce into bis own parties some emancipist ft~e SY(ICO7' on one occasion the grand-daughter of a 1 ,11 at , s 0 hangman actually mad e her appearance at t he tw - o , vernment-house. This fact being fb un d out ut his rO5 of families present, a representation was mad e I ..` o pie eti 4 ; cellency through his aid-de-camp, and, after r of opposition on the part o f th e gov ernor, a at o p to it. he, lox -ro( set IND A g thr on, atr th e th e to, jell hal etc th e fen si 'wit - Put reb Va; Le, dis •wil .810 'Car, thri Pas to t sho ton