The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-02-17 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD finperial Varliamtnt, HOUSE OF COMMONS.-MONDAY. The petitions of the Grand Junction Railway, for their seven branches, were declared proved by the committee. Mr. CLIFTON presented a petition, signed by 12,000 of the inhabitants of North Lancashire, praying the House to continue protection to agriculture. Sir R. PEEL explained in relation to his reply to'the Noble Lord's question the other night as to his answer on the subject of the reduction of the corn duties, that he could find no precedent for the Treasury sanctioning the reduction of the duty on the receipt of the reports. and that, therefore, he could not consent to anv reduction on the corn duties until the proposed alteration should become law ; but so convinced was be of the necessity of proceeding with the alteration OR the corn laws at once that he proposed to proceed with the measure for the alteration of the corn-laws, in preference to any other public measure, and to every otheralteration in the tariff, until it should become law. In reply to Mr. M. Phillips, Sir R. PEEL said that if the debate should be adjourned over Tuesday, there would be no alternative but to re sume the debate on Wednesday at twelve and finish it at six. The right hon. baronet also explained that neces sarily there must be an interval between the first and second readily , of the Corn Bill, during which be might bring forward' other articles in the tariff, but thet he would proceed with the Corn Bill with all the speed that the forms of the house would permit. On the motion that the order of the day for the house resolve itself in committee being lead, a host of petitions on the corn laws were presented, after which Mr. PHILIP MILES rose to move the amendment of which he had given notice on Friday last, viz., that the house resolve itself into committee that day six months. He admitted the failure of the potato crop in Ireland, but the oat and wheat crops were above the average, and there was no fear of a famine. 11 there was danger of that he would open the ports. If the pre miers opinions bad undergone a change, be should have followed the example of the member for Dorsetshire. He could not see where these changes were to lead, and if these were agreed to, greater would follow which would shake the public credit. (Hear, bear.) The honourable gentleman then proceeded to take a review c•f the history of our commercial policy since the accession of Sir R. Peel to office, and contended that the prosperity of the industrious classes had been owing not to the free trade measures of the government, but to the immense increase of our railway system, which had created a demand for labour, and in conse quence of which the prices of iron had risen enormously —to the cessation of war in India—and to the succession of good harvests, and he believed that much of that pros perity would have taken place if the noble lord opposite had been in power. He denied that the amount of exports afforded a fair indication of commercial pros perity. Foreign markets were glutted with our goods. It was the home trade which afforded the finest ele ments for the calculation of the actual amount of our commercial prosperity. With regard to the corn laws, the law of 1842 ItPd worked well ; it had secured steadiness of price, and he would not consent to its altera tion. The Right Honourable Baronet had said in 1842 that-56i was a fair price for the farmer. He would like to know what he considered a fair price now. The Right Honou.able Baronet said his proposed measure would not lower the price of wheat : what then became of the argu -7112`20 of the cheap loaf ? Mr. Miles concluded by depre eating the stimulus sought to be given to manufacturing enterprise, which had already reached far enough. He then proposed, " that the Chairman leave tae chair that day six months." Sir W. HEATRCOTE seconded the amendment. He did not join in imputing dishonest motives to Sir Robert Peel, he merely thought the measure proposed a visionary scheme. That scheme was also partial in its operation, acting for the almost exclusive advantage of those engaged in manufacturing pnrsuits. The peculiar burdens to which the agriculturist was exposed, rendered it difficult to afford him adequate com pensation. T:te colonial corn-growing interest was dis regarded by the proposed measure. Tile duty of sup porting Sir ROBERT PEEL as a Conservative Minister, he admitted, ought to prevent any factious opposition, but the responsibility of embarrassing the relationship between Government and their supporters, properly lay with him who had varied from his original policy. Mr. LASCELLES denied that the - Government had altered their policy. The speeches which Sir Robert Peel bad delivered since his elevation to power had uniformly pointed in the direction of Free-trade. The truth of that theory had been made manifest by the constant results of experience, and Sir Robert Peel had merited the gratitude of the country by the measure he had proposed. Lord NORREYS had refrained from condemning Sir Robert Peel until his measures were published to the Country ; his suprise and disapprobation were, however, equal when he first learned the extent of these proposals. It was incredible that the Minister, who in 1839 avowed an unqualified adherence to the Protective System, shall in 1846 propose an entire repeal of that system. His con duct was unfair to both his supporters and opponents. Mr. B. COCHRANE denied that there was any compro mise of principle in the course pursued by Sir R. Peel. He agreed to the dictum th " whoever proposed an un alterable law, was an unalterable fool." Parliament was something superior to an assemblage of delegates. There was real inconsistency in the Duke of Richmond and Lord Stanley, who had co-operated to bring about the Revolu tion of 1830, now opposing the repeal of the corn-laws, as a revolutionary measure. Lord North, Mr. Pitt, Mr. Huskisson and Mr. Canning, had successively lent their great names to the support of a free-trade policy. He (Mr. Cochrane) should vote for this measure, because he preferred legislation to agitation, and also because he WhS favourable to the principle of genuine protection. Mr. DEEDES regarded the measure proposed by Go vernment as an experiment upon native industry, fraught with great injury to the country. It would certainly cause the withdrawal of a large tract of land out of culti vation, and diminish the permanent supply of specie in the national coffers. Upon these grounds he should offer it his opposition. r , Sir Jows WALSH denied that the Corn-law question was one of rent merely, though that was of no trifling moment. The landowners were but a small class, hold ing in a very few hands large territorial possessions. The landed proprietors amounted in 1815, according to Mr. M'Culloch, to two huadred thousand persons. This very numerous body would be affected by what ever injuries a Free-trade policy might inflict. The protective system had been in existen a cotempora neously with a great increase in the population, and a great progress in the commerce of the country. Results, therefore, witnessed in its favour. It was only necessary to guarantee security to agriculture, in order to elicit a perfect development of its resources. He contended that land was liable to peculiar burdens. There was no reason to fear a great importation of corn from many parts which at present contributed nothing to our supplies, and at very low rates. The failure of the crops in Ireland had been advanced as a reason for the present measure; but why should a temporary calamity prompt so great and perma nent a change? The proposed measure would, if adopted, ruin Irish agriculture, and destroy the Protestant Church in Ireland. It had been brought about by an association which every lover of order ought to oppose. Mr. A. J. B. HOPE considered a preliminary inquiry was, whether the existing parliament were morally as well as legally competent to take cognizance of the question of Free trade or Protection. They had been returned upon principles very different from those which at present held sway in parliament. A revolution in the commercial po licy of the country was being wrought, and the proper persons to carry it would have been the members of the Anti-Corn-law League. Lord SAN DON startled the house by declaring that though he disapproved of the scheme proposed by Her Majesty's government, he had made up his mind to vote in favour of it. After stating his objections to the mea sure at some length, he said that he felt that the country must be governed. He found that when opinions hostile to protection had been pronounced by the great leaders on both sides of the house, and that it was now opposed by all the gentlemen who had ever sat in the government except two, it was no longer a matter for discussion; but the only question was the way of doing it. He looked upon it, as the French said, "un fail accompli"—it was settled. It might be railed against, but the country must be governed; and when the only persons who could go vern the country were of one opinion, the sooner it was settled the better it would be for all parties. Lord J. RUSSELL considered it a very impotent argu ment in favour of protection, to allege that it was sanc tioned by the decisions of parliament in former time. The same might be said of various absurdities. The friends of protection had affirmed that it was extended to all pur suits of native industry. Was this the case? Our woollen and other manufactures competed with foreign fabrics abroad ; they could therefore hardly benefit by protection at home. The protective system was for the benefit of one' class alone. If it were admitted that the system was erro neous, the great question was, how were we to abandon it ? The results of past reductions in duties had proved bene ficial both to the revenue and to the producer. As Sir R. Peel's measure proceeded upon the principle of non-inter ferencewith the pursuits of industry,he was prepared to give it his cordial support. He then examined that part of the ministerial scheme which ordains the gradual reduction of the Corn duties. The Lclinations of the farmers were in favour of immediate repeal, provided that repeal were inevitable. He believed there would be less inconvenience to the English farmer in the change occurring at present than at a future period. This part of the plan he should prefer altered, but at all events be would support the measure. He recognised the principle of affording compensation to the agricultural body for special tax ation Party motives• had restrained many from sup porting free trade measures when introduced by himself, though they now supported them when pro posed by Sir Robert Peel. Had these influences not pre vailed, much misery throughout the country would have been prevented, and Sir Robert Peel's consistency preserved. He and his party intend to pursue a different course, and by the aid they would render, the success of the measure would be ensured, Sir R. H. INGus congratulated Lord John Russell upon the triumph he must have derived from the disunion amongst the Conservative ranks. The great object to be attained by a legislature in the matter of food, were a suf ficiency of supply and equability in price. There bad been a remarkable equability in the prices of Corn in England compared with other countries. He then argued that the land was subject to special taxation, and particularly in respect to the item of tithe. Sir R. Peel's conversion had, he believed, beeq perfectly honest, nevertheless the suddenness of it gave cause to suspect the permanence of even his present convictions. The hon. baronet concluded by expressing his intention to support the amendment. After Sir R. Inglis closed his address, Capt. FITZMAU RICE and Mr. SYDNEY H ERBERT addressed the house, the former opposing, and the latter in an able speech sup porting the propositions of Sir R. Peel, after which, on tf e motion of Mr. S. O'Prien, the debate was adjourned. HOVSGLWDS.-=TUFSDAY. The Earl of ABERDEEN, in answer to a question from Lord Kinnaird, respecting the cruelties alleged to have been perpetrated on the Polish , nuns at Minsk, stated that he had no doubt the persecutions in question were grossly exaggerated ; and that, whatever might be the state of the case, her Majesty's Government had no power to inter fere in the matter. The Scotch Turnpike-roads was then forwarded a stage HOUSE OF COMMONS.-TUESDAY The adjourned debate was resumed by Mr. Stafford O'Brien, who complained that the government had not yet thought fit to consult the agriculturists at all on this measure. He had little hope of attracting the attention of the house ; he had not changed, and therefore he bad nothing to explain, but remained in the same state of bi gotry in which he had ever been. The law of 1815 might have been the greatest error that the landed interest had ever committed, but he would ask who had encouraged them to persevere in that error ? Year after year the hon. member for Wolverhampton had given them an op portunity of retrieving that error and year after year the right honourable gentleman hall urged them to persevere in it. He would not impute to•the occupants of the trea sury bench dishonesty, but this country had hitherto been governed by party ; and ifTarties were to be broken up in this way, he would ask how the government of the country was to be conducted? 1 - le had no hesitation in avowing that he was a party man; and if ever there was an opposition conducted by party tactics for party ends, it was the opposition of the right hon. gentleman to the late government. It was a bitter disappointment to find him now eschewing all party. The right hon. gentleman who spoke last night said that thelaw of 1842 had failed. Had it failed to the Sidney Herbert of last year, or to the Sidney Herbert of this year ? If the law had failed in re gard to the question of averages,[it must be a reason for re-adjusting those averages ; and if he found the eliding scale fail, that was no reason for giving up protection— they had the sliding scale to fall back upon! If it had been merely a question of duty, why had they raised such an agitation on the subject ? It was not on a mere ques tion of import duty that the present government had dis placed the last. If the present government had changed their opinions, let them avow the change, and give due credit to those who had always upheld those principles; bnt let them not deprive them of the credit due to them by saibag that this was a mere question,of import duties. He was not careless of the evils impending over Ireland ; but a particular evil required only a particular remedy ; and although the ports were opened to prevent a famine in Ireland, yet there was no necessity for repealing the corn laws. All the authorities in Ireland agreed that the destruction of agriculture in that country would be its ruin. He admitted the existence of the potato disease, and if it had progressed he was convinced there would not have been a potato left in Ireland. The rest had been stayed, but had now recommenced, and he believed that the government was prepared to meet the emergency ; but he denied that the case of famine in Ireland would be met by the proposed alteration in the corn law. He be lieved that the landowners in Ireland were greatly respon sible for the distress existing in the country, bnt he de nied that a repeal of the corn laws would provide a re medy for the distress. Mr. S. 'Crawford, Mr. Bailey, Lord Clements, and Mr Gregory spoke in favour of the government measure, and Mr. Lefroy, the Marquis of Granby, and Lords Brooke and Clive against it, several of the members requiring a fresh appeal to the country. Lord WORSLBY challenged the recollections of the go vernment respecting the last election. The predominat ing motto then was, " Peel, the Farmers' Friend." The opinions various members of the administration had ex pressed on this subject, up to a very recent period, coin cided. Even withi❑ the three years during which they declared their conversion had been effected, Sir Robert Peel had professed his adhesion to protectionist principle. It was said this measure would settle the question. This he denied ; a fresh election before 1849 would again agi tate the question, and the farmers, wiser from past expe rience, would exact pledges from their representatives for the repeal of the measure, while the other party would seek an earlier consummation of free trade than was pro posed by the government. He should vote for the amend ment. Sir J. GRAHAM protested against degrading the ques tion into one of mere finance, much less of personality. He avowed a change in his orations, and that avowal would at once dispose of all citations from former speeches in favour of protection. Referring to the cir cumstances of Sir Robert Peel's resignation, he owned he thought it would have been better for the country and for the character of public men, had Lord John Russell proposed the free trade scheme instead of Sir Robert Peel. (Hear, hear.) The members of the cabinet had been taunted with adopting opinions upon the corn ques tion altogether inconsistent with those they formerly en tertained, but extracts which he read from their speeches dis. roved this statement. Circumstances had precipi tated the change which otherwise he would have preferred to be gradual. The peculiarity of the harvest of last year had caused the corn law of 18-12 to prove more stringent than the law which it had succe:ded. The potato disease in Ireland had also contributed to hasten a legislative change. His own opinions bad been influenced by the disordered state of the manufacturing districts in the year 1842. Those disorders he had satisfactorily traced to the difficulty of gaining subsistence. He then read several statistics to prove that the rate of wages varied univer sally with the price of food. Exaggerated apprehensions had been entertained respecting the fall in price which the contemplated measure would occasion. It would benefit the consumer principally by the guarantee it would pro vide against extreme price in the event of a deficient har vest. A settlement of this question was manifestly needed. Certainty and peaceful enjoyment were great objects to attain, and they would be encompassed by the measure proposed by government. The valuable ends now sought to be effected would be cheaply purchased by any reduction of rent, and be for one would, if necessary, have consented to such a sacrifice. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-WEDNESDAY Petitions were presented in favour of a ten hours' bill; ;ainst repealing the corn-laws; and against calling out ie militia. In a committee of the whole house upon the piers and harbours of Ireland, a resolution was agreed to that the sum of £50,000 should be granted for their improvoment. Lord G. BENTINCK moved for a return giving the num lo?rs of the importers of foreign grain now in bond in the Queen's warehouses in Great Britain and Ireland, toge ther with the quantities held by each individual. He en tered into some calculations in order to show that the course proposed by the government with respect to corn would deprive the revenue of half a million in order to put it in the pockets of two or three hundred corn merchants. —Agreed to. HOUSE OF LORDS,-THURSDAY The Earl of DALHOUSIE brought up a report from the select committee on railways, which was laid on the table, and ordered to be printed. His lordship said the object of the resolutions contained in the report was to assimi late the practice of their lordships' house to that of the House of Commons. His lordship also intimated that the competing lines would be grouped together and pro ceeded with as soon as each group should be completed. In answer to a question by Lord KINNAIRD, The Earl of DALHOUSIE said that the report of the gauge commission had been that afternoon placed in his hands. Lord MONTEAGLE gave notice, that in the event of the motion of Lord Beaumont, which stood for Monday next, for the appointment of a select committee to inquire into the burdens on real property, being carried, it was his intention to move the addition of these words : "and also to inquire and report on the legislative exemp tions from the pecuniary liabilities proved by law in re spect to the taxation affecting real property." The Marquis of CLANRICARDE moved for a return of all murders, or attempts to commit murder, in Ireland since the year 1842. Crimes, he declared, prevailed to an extent almost unprecedented ; and he accused the govern ment of very great remissness in not having taken earlier measures to repress the system of combined outrages, which are now more general than had ever been known, and given efficient protection to honest men in their ho nest callings. He referred to her Majesty's speech as justifying the expectation that energetic means would be instantly adopted, and described a number of outrages wl-ich had recently been committed, and which proved that there was no longer any safety for the pro perty of the rich or the life of the poor. He exposed the absurdity of attempting to improve the agriculture of Ire land while no man was allowed to pursue the system which be preferred. It was said that people should not submit to such intimidation, but the government itself had recom mended submission in one remarkable instance, which he cited. Lord ST. GERMANS offered no opposition to the mo tion, and informed their lordships that such a bill as Lord Clanricarde bad described would be submitted to their consideration on Monday next. Lord FARNHAM bore testimony to the firm support he had received from Government in one of the most dis turbed districts of Ireland; and Lord Grey, while agree. ing that at whatever cost security of person and property must be attained, urged that the opportunity should be taken of considering the state of Ireland generally, and accompanying 'any coercive bill that might be necessary with measures of another kind, and having more compre hensive reference to the evils which have so long affected Ireland. The motion was agreed to, and their lordships adjourned HOUSE OF COMMONS.—MuRsDAy, The adjourned debate was commenced by Mr. COLQUHOUN, who entered into an explanation of his vote in 1838, in support of Mr. Villiers's motion for a committee to inquire into the propriety of repealing the Corn-laws. Sir R. Peel had entirely mistaken both his past and present opinions. He had never entertained the opinions so consistently entertained by Mr. Villiers; and he had never passed from them to the doctrines of high protection. He had always considered the question of the Corn-laws a most anxious and perplexing question ; and in 1841, not being in Parliament, and having much leisure time, he bad studied it with all the diligence and impar tiality he could command. He had come to the conclu sion that protection was necessary for the interests of agri culture ; and having come to that conclusion, he bad de clared himself an advocate for a fixed duty on corn. After the occurrences of the past six months, it seemed proba ble that his notion of a fixed duty, had it been adopted, would have now been deemed preferable to that of a slid ing scale. After applying himself to refute Sir R. Peel's arguments respecting prices and wages, he proceeded to comment on the speech delivered by Sir J. Graham on Tuesday ev , .n;ng. Sir J. Graham had then disposed very summarily of all his former arguments on this subject; and bad said that as he confe4sed that he had changed his opinions, there was an end of his former reasonings. No, there was not an end of thcm ; fur a statesman who spoke like Sir James Graham, with eloquence and genius,ought to recollect that his words were winged shafts which stuck deeply in men's hearts. They had made many con verts, and had influenced and were influencing thousands of his fellow-countrymen:; -and he (Mr. Colquhoun) was of opinion that Sir Jamees explicit recantation of his im mortal words would not convince the country that he could raise wages or exalt the financial condition of the labour ing population by his present measures. He was afraid that those measures would bring on the country evils of a kind to which its attention ought to be, yet had not been called. What would be - their effects on their colonial in terests ? The protection on timber and sugar would not long survive the protection of corn ; and then the manu facturers of England wontlfind themselves no longer in pos session of the advantages which they now possessed in the colonial market. Under such circumstances, what would be the condition of the country if, in addition to a failing harvest, it should have to struggle, as in 1840, against a falling revenue? But what reason was there to induce the house to give their consent to a commercial code which even Mr. Villiers could not recommend to his con stituents as a perfect code, as it still enforced protection on silk, on sugar, on timber, on copper, and various other articles. If, then, protection were left on some fabrics, why was all protection to be taken from that manufacture —for corn had been justly called by Lord F. Egerton a ma nufacture—which was of all others the most precarious in its course, and the most uncertain in its returns ? He regretted that ever since he had taken his seat on the mi nisterial bench agricultural protection bad never received from Sir R. Peel anything like a sincere defence. Last year Mr. Villiers bad called Sir Robert's speech on the Corn-laws a dexterous evasion of the whole question, and had warned the country gentlemen that they would soon be called upon to surrender the protection they enjoyed. He was sorry to observe that on all the great institutions of the country Sir It. Peel followed a similar course of dexterous evasion. He had no antipathy to him, and a very sincere regard for many of his colleagues; but his oppsition to Sir R. Peers administration would in future be openly avowed and steadily adhered to ; for as long as Sir Robert declined discussion on all the great questions which agitated the minds of Englishmen, so long he should not promise him any adhesion nor repose in him any con fidence. Mr. HEATHCOTE did not come forward on this occasion to attack the consistency of others, but to maintain his own. He had resisted a measure similar in principle to the present when proposed by his own political friends; and he felt bound to offer the same resistance now, when a measure ten thousand times more mischievous in degree was proposed by his political opponents. He explained at some length the reasons why he considered this measure a rash, ill-timed, and hazardous experiment, and observed that it was not recommended to his mind by being accom panied with changes of opinion hitherto unparalleled in the annals of political tergiversation. They had turned out a government for proposing a fixed duty of Bs. a quarter on corn ; and they were now themselves proposing a fixed duty of 4s. a quarter, to expire at the end of three years. The compensation which they proposed for the injury which they were thus going to inflict on the agricultural interest was utterly inadequ ite and disproportionate. Monarchial Europe and Republic America had both their corn laws. Why was England to deprive itself of a simi lar code? Holland had once made the experiment of ab rogating such laws ; but the experiment had altogether failed, and Holland, like ourselves, had now the benefit of a sliding scale. _ _ Mr. W. C. MARTIN contrived to eat up his former professions in favour of protection, and then declared himself an emancipated free trader. Mr. T. BARING indignantly repelled the hollow cant made use of by Sir J. Graham respecting the starving people of Ireland, and boldly expressed his belief that the greatest want under which the country laboured at present was the want of ministers, and the most appalling scarcity was that of statesmen, who would consent to sit together in the same cabinet. Neither in the effects of our previous relaxation of protective duties nor in the present circumstances of the country, could he see any justification of the sweeping change now proposed. Lord MORPETH next addressed the house in favour of the government propositions, as also did Mr. ROEBUCK. Mr. GASKELL spoke eloquently in favour of the amend ment, and the debate was adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-FRIDAY. Several members addressed the house on the govern ment commercial scheme, pro and con., and amongst the rest Sir Howard Douglas, whose admirable speech we give elsewhere. The debate was again adjourned to Mon day. FOREIGN AND COLONIAL UNITED STATES The mail steamer Hibernia, Captain Ryrie, arrived at this port on Saturday evening, bringing New York paper,: to the 31st ult.—thirteen days later than the previous advices. The proposition in the London Times for the settle ment of the Oregon question had attracted some atten tion—viz., to take the 49th degree of North latitude as f , r as the sea as the boundary line, reserving to Great Britain Vancouver's Island, the harbour of St. Juan de Fuca, and the free navigation of the Columbia. The Washington Union, the organ of the government, has spoken of this offer in a spirit of peace. The question is now so much narrowed that (says the Herald.) it is next to impossible that war can grow out of the negotiations, unless the negotiators go mad. The movements in Con gress are, so far, conciliatory and peaceable. No vote has been taken of a warlike nature, and Mr. Calhoun and Mr. Benton have indicated by their speeches that they anticipate no rupture. Even General Cass, though he thinks the news from England would not justify an inter mission in preparation for defence, has bated down the offensive meaning that had been attached to Mr. Polk's anti-colonisation doctrines. It is yet questionable whe ther the tariff of 1844 will be disttrbed. The subtreasury bill has a better chance of succeeding, though commercial men consider it will be injurious to the trade of the country. The effect of the news from England, being more pacific than was expected, had had a highly favour able effect. News had been received from Mexico of another revolution, and that country was in a most un settled state. The new party, headed by General Paredes, is understood to be hostile to the United States. The Money market continued tight. Though the war panic had subsided, the banks, in order to present as strong a position as possible i❑ their quarterly statements, had curtailed their discounts, and money was consequently scarce. In the Senate ti.e proceedings had been somewhat in teresting, though not tending to any specific result. To the resolution offered by Mr. Crittenden, to the effect that no notice should be given to the British Government relative to the Oregon territory till after the present session of Congress, in order that time may be afforded fer amicable settlement, which was generally considered as inviting conciliation and compromise, Mr. Magnum gave notice of an amendment, to the effect that the said notice, when given, be accompanied by a proposition from the United States Government to submit the dispute to the arbitration of competent persons, whose decision shall be binding. The amendment was ordered to be printed. A notice by Mr. Allen on the 20th ult., for leave to in troduce a resolution declaratory of the principle by which the United States will be governed in regard to the inter ference of foreign powers with the independent govern ments of America, was laid on the table, by a vote of 28 to 23. Mr. Allen brought the subject forward again on the 26th, when a warm discussion ensued, in the cot.rse of which General Cash made another of his flourishing war speeches, and Mr. Allen attacked Mr. Calhoun, who replied temperately, showing the effect which such a de claration, uncalled for at the present time, would have on the European powers, with whom it was, in consideration of their position with respect to England, important to cultivate friendly relations. The resolutions were ulti mately admitted by a majority of twenty-six to twenty. one, and were referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. It is believed that the committee will return them, and that they will be laid on the table, on the ground, as a writer in one of the papers shrewdly:observes, that the United States are not in a position at this junc ture to declare war against all the nations of Europe. On the 21st, a bill, introduced by Mr. Fairfield, to aug ment the navy by appropriating 5,625,000 dollars to toe 'building of ten war steamers, and for other purposes, was brought forward. It was rejected as a war measure, but again brought up on the 27th, and discussed with anima tion. According to a statement from the navy department it appeared that the United States had only two sea-going steamers, and this was urged as an argument for the bill. Mr. Benton opposed the bill vehemently. He said there was every indication of peace; but Mr. Dickinson, of New York, while he admitted that the late intelligence was pacific, advocated the bill as a peace measure. The question was resumed on the 28th, and was contested with still more vehemence, the war party still insisting cn the necessity of the addition from the immediate prospect of contest. The subject of the negotiations with England relative to the Oregon territory was before the House on the 26th, but without result. Mr Speight (" the tallest, man in Congress ") made a sensible speech in favour of peace and economy, and declared that the failure of Lord John Russell to form a Cabinet, on the express ground that Lord Palmerston, who was hostile to America, was ob noxious to Lord Grey, was news which it made his heart glad to hear. This single fact regarding the attempted change in the Cabinet, he said, was conclusive of peace. In the House of Representatives the question of the notice to England on the Oregon territ,:ry had been dis cussed in a desultory manner, as though i s interest had subsided. A motion that the Oregon resolution be taken out of committee on the 7th February. was lost by 84 to 52, as it required a vote of two.thirde. Mr. Hal es, in a long and able speech, contended, from a variety of data, that the United States had no claim to the Oregon which was not equally held by this country. A writer in one of the papers, of the 31st, in concluding a review of the state of parties in Congress, says, " Th e probable prospect of the present state of things at Wa.-h -ington is highly favourable to a peaceable termination of our difficulties with England, of the success of liberal principles in commerce and currency, and the probable triumph of the measures brought forward by Mr. Polk." Rumours were prevalent that Mr. Buchanan, secretary of state, has resigned, and that the seals would be resumed by Mr. Colhoun. The weather had been very severe. At Utica on the 20th, the thermometer stood at 20, 23, and 21 degrees below zero. The advices from Canada are to the 27th ult. Contracts for the erection of fortifications at Kingston have been declared. The works will cost £60,000. The papers state that despatches had been received announcing the appoint ment of Lord Cathcart as Governor-general. The express from the government Of the United States, bearing to the authorities of Texas the accepta;.c , of her constiiution by congress, reached Galvestm; C;. the 12'1, ult.. when Preside. , t Jones immediately is,oeil a pi ocla mation convening the legislature of the state to meet at Austin, on the 16th instant, to organise a state goverh ment. The news from Mexico is to 3d January, three days later than that brought by the West India Mail. It fully confirms the intelligence of the new revolution, under Paredes. That revolution was complete. Paredes had entered the city of Mexico, and was forming his Ministry or Cabinet. There were reports that Mr. Slidell, the new American Minitter, had been murdered by a Mexican bandit, but they are disbelieved. WEST INDIES The Royal Mail steam-ship Trent arrived at South ampton on Monday, with the West India mail. Among the passengers is Lieut. Peel, (son of the premier,) who is the bearer of important despatches from Vera Cruz. There is no particular news from Jamaica. The weather had been somewhat unsettled, rains and severe storms having been very frequent. Lord Elgin had pro rogued the House of Assembly in a very friendly and ex cellent speech on the 31st of December. The Spanish Town Railway was realising the expectations of every one to the fullest extent. Other lines had been determined upon and sanctioned by the legislature, which will, it was confidently anticipated, give increased stimulus to the commerce of the island. Fine weather had prevailed in the Windward Islands. The crops throughout were very favourable, and much good was expected to result from the various railroads in contemplation. Sir Charles A. Fitzroy has been gazetted Governor of New South Wales. Information has reached from the west coast of Africa that the Hydra steam-sloop, Commander Young, has captured a slaver, on board of which were 1,100 slaves. ALGERIA.—The news from Algeria, which is of a dis couraging character, occupies the French prints. One of the journals says :—" A great mortality reigns at present among the French troops in the three provinces of Al giers, Oran. and Constantine. The hospital are crowded, and more than 600 soldiers sank under the effects of fever and dysentery in the province of Algiers alone, during the month of December last." IBRAHIM PACHA'S SUGAR REFINERY.—The Egyp tian correspondent of the Times says—" It is confidently expected that Egypt will derive great benefit from Ibra him Pacha's visit to Europe, and that he will introduce many improvements in the country on his return. After inspecting the sugar refinery of the Marquis Forbin Jan son, at Marseilles, finding, on inquiry, that the per ten tage of refined sugar obtained there was greater than that obtained at his own works at Rhoda, his highness wrote to order an investigation of the cause to be made, and also engaged three Frenchmen to superintend the press ing and refinery. Ibrahim Paella's sugar manufactory at Rhoda, in Upper Egypt, produces annually about 700 tons of sugar, which is all consumed in the country, and his highness is now setting up a second one at Farchout, near Keneb, which he expects will produce the same quantity. A fine species of dark cane, from Jamaica, has lately been introduced into Egypt, and thrives remarkably well." INCREDIBLE STORY.—" A letter from Hamburgh of the 30th ult.," says the Paris Constitutionnel, " details the following adventure, which lately took place at the Court of Berlin The King of Prussia having ordered a grand hunt to be organized between Berlin and the for tress of Spandau, all the sportsmen of the Court ac cordingly assembled at the place of rendezvous at three o'clock on the day fixed. At the head of these was the Prince Royal, brother of the King. His Majesty not arriving, the Prince showed signs of impatience ; and, after waiting for an hour, ordered the grand hunts man to commence the hunt. The latter, however, ven tured respectfully to point out to his Royal Highness the risk he would run of incurring his Majesty's dis pleasure by so doing. The Prince replied that he would take the responsibility on himself, and the hunt accord ingly commenced. The King shortly afterwards arrived, and, highly indignant, sent for the grand huntsman (master of the hounds). Arrived in the royal presence, he was about to explain that it was in accordance with the orders of the Prince Royal that he had acted ; but before he had time to open his mouth, he experienced from the King the most flagrant outrage—His Majesty spat in his face. The first movement of the grand huntsman was to place his hand on his sword, upon which the King drew back. The huntsman then took a small pistol from his belt, and placing it to his own head, blew out his own brains.' " _ _ A NEW PROJECTILE.—Mr. M'Cartey, who is con nected with the navy-yard at Brooklyn (U.S.) has in vented a new species of artillery, which will discharge thirty balls in a minute, or one every two seconds, for hours together, in succession, and this by mechanical power alone, without gunpowder, chemical substance, or any other preparation. It is effected by merely putting the balls into a hopper, and letting the ordnance throw them out with immense momentum at the rate of one every two seconds. On one occasion, Mr. M'Cartey ex hibited the operation of this in tte navy-yard. From twelve to twenty pieces of solid timber were united to gether, forming one compact body. Against this piece of wooded breastwork Mr. M'Cartey opened the battery of his piece of ordnance, and in less than ten minutes the whole solid breastwork was utterly demolished and shivered to splinters by the powerful and rapid succession of discharges upon it. The simplicity of this invention is one of its most singular features. The principle of this new invention is simply a modification of the principle of the sling, applied to machinery, in connexion with a tube or gun, throwing out a discharge of balls. The ma chine is so constructed that on putting in at one end the balls to be discharged, a rotary motion is produced by means of a crank, and, by a few rapid revolutions, each ball receives a force and momentum equal to that com municated by any quantity of gunpowder. When this has been done, a slide starts and allows each ball to escape in succession from the chamber into a tube, when they are thrown to almost any distance, and with unerrine aim. For this invention a patent has been taken out at Wash ington.—New York Herald. INDIA.—The mail from India, via Marseilles, long overdue, brought no letters or despatches from the Go- I vernor-General. It is known, however, from the most I unquestionable authority, that the advanced guard of the British army was attacked, on the evening of the 18th of December, by the Sikh troops. The enemy was repulsed and driven back for upwards of three miles, with the loss of 17 pieces of cannon. This affair occurred at Moodkee, a place about twenty-two miles to the north-east of Fero zepore. The next day the British troops advanced to wards Ferozepore, an. 3, having opened a communication with Sir John Littler, who commanded at that post, and having been joined by the corps under that officer, at tacked the enemy's entrenched position at 4 o'clock in the afternoon of the 21st. The first line of intrenctiments was carried ; but the night was so dark that further ope rations were suspended. At daylight, on the 22d, the second line of entrenchment, was attacked, and all the enemy's defences were, in half an hour, taken in reverse, and the guns captured. On the afternoon of the 22d the enemy advanced with their infantry, and hordes of camels carrying swivels, for the purpose of retaking the guns they had previously lost. All the attacks, however, which they made were repulsed ; and after a cannonade, which had no result, they withdrew, and retired to a place called Sultankbanwalla, about ten miles from Ferozepore, where they had still some heavy artillery. The British army would be joined by two battalions of native infantry, which were not in the previous actions, and the enemy's position at Sultankbanwalla was to be attacked on the 24th. No accounts have been received of the specific loss on either side, nor is the name of any officer mentioned. The captured guns amounted to 65 counted, and there were some more in the village on the British right. DISCOVERY OF COPPER MINES IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. —By the last arrival, which brings papers from Adelaide to the 7th of October, it appears that valuable copper mines hive been discovered in the colony of South Aus tralia. A special survey of 20,000 acres has been secured by the combined efforts of a number of the colonists, who have paid £20,000, in terms of the last act, for regulating sales of land in the Australian colonies. By this purchase a district of that extent has been obtained singularly rich in copper ore. A scientific report given in the Colonial Gazette says, " We found a continuous outcrop of gray sulphuret of copper exhibited on the surface, averaging about eighteen feet in breadth, and extending over the brow of the bill, and down again to the south eastern base or gully, more than a mile in length. Where this dis appeared in the gully, we saw a broad and beautiful dis play of azure-blue carbone of copper, intermixed with quartz, cropping out through the surface, and traceable for upwards of 200 paces, exposing an average breadth of about fifteen feet. At this place we opened the ground about three or four feet, and found the most favourable indications of a large and regular lode being near at hand —abundance of " gossan" presented itself, and masses of spar, containing highly crystalline carbonate of copper, were frequently encountered. We then proceeded higher up the hill, and found, at different elevations, three other distinct and well-defined traces of ore : indeed the hills appeared to be full of it !—almost every stone we picked up betrayed, either directly or inlerentially the presence of rich copper lodes. A fragment, struck off at random from the corner of a large quartz boulder, exhibited no less than three varieties of ore—the gray sulphuret, the blue carbonate, and the copper pyrite's ; and we could scarcely move a step without observing some kind of mineralogical evidence, indicating the proximity of metal• liferous veins." The Colonial Gazette remarks: "We are aware that in this country it is considered an unfa vourable symptom when metallic lodes crop out on the surface of the ground ; but in South Australia it is other wise. Short as has been the experience of the colonists in mining operations, it has been sufficient to show that this rule of judging does not apply to the minerals in that country." The South Australian Gazette, of the fol lowing week, in closing a long article on the subject, says, " It would be ridiculous to assert, that all the cop per ores found within the district are of equal value ; but we are assured that the very worst surface specimens have on assay never yielded less than 32 pi r cent. of pure metal." SPOTTING INTELLIGENCE. HEREFORD GRAND STEEPLE CHASE, THURSDAY, FEB. 12. The Handicap of 25 sovs. each, with 100 added, was won by Mr. Preston's Brunette, beating Cracksman and Little Tommy. A Sweepstakes of 5 sovs. each, 3 miles, was won be Mr G. Moseley's Jerry, beating Gipsy Queen and the Mer chant. The Sweepstakes of 3 sovs. each were won, in three heats, by Mr. Turner's Brewood beating Delamore and two ()thus. Foor RActi.-03 Monday, a foot race I);!.;‘,%cen Pet: r i Melrose and the Young Sportsman came Moffat the (.Ira; et , . 120 varN. 13. lore £2 a dis!ati , . stmrtiuir,, ottt,i,v The nit!, rhlts as 6 tt; 4 on the Y,ttng Sp. (4'11 . 1 I,cit, another btart c. - uri cit.:vet 1y by 2, . . SptrtsTrian giving in at tint distance from thew Wolin; post.—A match has been made between Lowery and Ro gers to run round the race course for £5 a side ; a deposit. has been made at Mr. Peacock':, Drury-lane, Newcastle. IRELAND. The Tullamore Board of Guardians have lately adopted a petition in favour of Repeal. An Irish paper mentions the case of a sick man at Thornend-gate, who, in a fit of delirium, got up and ate several bank-notes by way of disappointment to his ex pectant heirs. . . At Coolwen, in the county Clare, a few days ago, in a fit of religious enthusiasm, a man nailed his feet and his left hand to the post of his bed, in imitation of the cruci fixion of our Saviour. A bar of gold, weighing 30 ounces avordupois, and worth £ll5 10s. Od. was found a few days ago in a field near Blackwatertown, Armagh, about eight feet below the surface. Abuut a thousand silver coins have been found at Borrisokane, Tipperary. They consist of groats of Henry IV. and silver pennies of Henry 11. The Cork Constitution states, that a house in that town nets £17,000 by the recent decision, noticed in our last, relative to the return of the duties on corn released the day before the measure of 1842 came into operation. The proprietor of a baking establishment in Cork will, it is said, have £2OOO returned to him. AGRARIAN MURDER.—On Friday night a party of men invested several houses on the lands of Dangan, and in one house occupied by a widow woman and her son named Leary, they beat the young man in such a dreadful manner that be died before morning. The cowardly ruffians also beat the old woman, breaking her collar bone, and other wise dreadfully abusing her.—Clare Journal. The precautionary measure of quartering a troop of Light Dragoons in the town of Galway, where serious disturbances were, and are still apprehended, has excited great indignation among some of the lower classes. On Tuesday morning a fellow was engaged placarding the town with an " address from the Claddagh people to the men of Galway," calling upon them, as Government had sent them troops in place of food, to unite to a man, and drive the military out of the town. The placard was in manuscript, and is stated to have been of a most seditious nature. THE POTATOES IN THE NORTH OF IRELAND —The following is from the Evening Mail:—" A gentleman, who has more knowledge of Ireland, and more experi ence in potato crops than all the commissioners and all the cabinet ministers put together, writes thus in a letter received this morning : " Warrenpoint, Feb. 10. " ' There is a great quantity of potatoes exported from this port every week for Liverpool, and no sign of famine here yet. I came from Bangor yesterday, 42 miles across the country, and it is a curious sight to see, at this time of year, such stack-yards, and hundreds of acres of pota toes undug, in which way they are keeping well—i. e., the good keeping good—the bad no t worse . ' " REPEAL ASSOCIATION —The prospect of the Hall was rather blue on Monday, owing probably to the combined influence of the weather and the absence of any novelty to stimulate the patriotic interest of the greasy idlers who usually attend. The chair, on the motion of W. S. O'Brien, Agitator pro tern., was taken by Mr. R. A. Fitz gerald, who, deriving proportionate eloquence from a mi serable scrap of paper which he held in his hand, pro ceeded to congratulate the association on the numerous and respectable (!) attendance which they exhibit every week, and to declare his readiness as a landed proprietor to forego his private interests for the public weal, and support the abolition of the corn laws. Mr. O'Neil Daunt called on the landlords to join the " national" ranks, now that the only barrier which he stated hitherto to have pre vented them—that of private interest—was about to be destroyed by the removal of the monopoly in the English market, which they apparently possess. The Head Paci. ficator, Mr. J. A. O'Neill, Alderman O'Brien (the new " rnimber" for Cashel), and Mr. H. Grattan, M.P., also addressed the meeting. The rent for the week was de clared to be £268. FALSE REPORTS OF FAMINE.—Some days ago a Wa terford paper sent forth an awful statement to the effect that the long threatened famine had set in at Dungarvon, and that about 5000 persons, or about five-sixths of the inhabitants of the town, were in a state of absolute starva tion. Of course the most was made of this in all the free trade journals. The fact turns out to be that the poor are not even in as destitute a condition as they were this time last year, when provisions were abundant and moderate ; and the workhouse, capable of bolding 700 persons, now contains only 369. A large proportion of the inhabitants are fishermen, and the following little fact, whilst it illus states their pride, demonstrates that they are not so badly off as represented. It appears that a sum of £215 was collected for them in the town a short time ago for the purpose of enabling them to improve their tackling, but they took huff at the conditions proposed by the donors, and only £l5 were taken, the remain'nz £2OO being still at their service, if they think proper to subscribe to the very reasonable terms on which it is offered. After this expoee we should hope that due regard should be paid to panic statements from the provinces. Tuu POTATO CROP.—At the meeting at Enniskillen, on Tuesday, the Rev. Mr. Richardson said he considered that nothing that Sir Robert Peel could do would be suf ficient to meet the ruinous measure he had proposed. Ireland was an agricultural country, and the great mass of it he people were supported by the produce of the land ; and, therefore, deprive her of protection to agriculture, and she must go down. Every class of persons, from the highest to the lowest in the land, must deteriorate and grow worse every day. He would ask the respectable shopkeepers of the town, then present, if their shops were ever better filled than they were at present? and this arose from the farmers around having more means at their disposal ; but would this be the case if the value of their agricultural produce were decreased? He remem bered that two or three years ago a far greater depression arising from the bad state of the crops, existed than there now did. He remembered that two or three years ago— the failure of the potato crop—that failure which Sir R. Peel now produced in support of his argument, had been as great as in this present season of distress. The shops were deserted. Even when potatoes were lid. a stone distress prevailed; there was plenty of provisions, but no money to buy them. It would not be a sufficient com pensation that the lands should be received from cesses to which they were subject. He would go far in his disappro bation of Sir Robert Peel. How could they place de pendence on a minister who one year took one view of a question, and in another year took a view directly in op position to his former one ? RAILWAY INTELLIGEACE. At the Great Western Railway meeting a dividend of 4 per cent. was declared. A dividend of £1 15s. per share has been declared on the London and Brighton Railway. The Liverpool. Ormskirk, and Preston Railway Bill has passed the Standing Orders Committee. For the last month of the present half-year £457,600 has been received as railway receipts, being an increase over the corresponding period of 1845 of £64,843. BUXTON, MACC, ESFIELD, CONGLETON, AND CREWE R • ILWAY.—This company have determined only to apply for a line from Congleton to Crewe in the present session. The weodt n viaduct of the South Devon Railway had a narrow escape of being totally burnt, in consequence of the negligence of some workmen engaged in repairing it allowing the pitch pot to boil over. A largo slip of an embankment supporting the down rail of the Great Western Railway occurred on Saturday night. No lives were lost, but the damage will be about £lOOO. At a numerous meeting of shareholders in the Edin burgh, Leith, and Granton Railway, held in Mr. Daw son's office on Thursday, it was r: solved to sanction the proposed amalgamation wish the Edinburgh and Northern. A very crowded meeting at Runcorn have resolved to petition parliament in favour of the Huyton and Aston Branch Line of the Grand Junction Company, which crosses the Mersey at Runcorn. Messrs. Brunel and Gooch have projected an engine which they calculate will run eighty miles per hour; it is to outdo the atmospheric. This engine is to have 18 inch cylinders, 2 feet stroke, 8 feet driving-wheel, and an in creased diameter of boiler, to contain 270 tubes. The John Bull says several of the aldermen of London engaged in railway speculations have been served with writs for their liabilities. One has received 175, another 65, and a third 33. Several of the civic worthies, it is said, have winged their way to sunnier climes, and others hold themselves ready for an early flight. We learn from Vienna that the two viaducts, thrown over the Muldau, in the environs of Melnick (Bohemia), for the ufie of the Vienna and Prague Railroad, were lately washed down by the flood. The Government has at once taken measures for te-erecting the two bridges, so that the railroad may be stopped fur as short a time as possible. At the Kenyon Junction, on the Liverpool and Man chester Railway, on Thursday last, two luggage trains came in contact, whereby the engine belonging to the Liverpool and Manchester line was destroyed, and several wagons belonging to the Bolton and Leigh Company shattered. No person was hurt. GREAT NORTH AND SOUTH WALES RAILWAY.—The majority of the shareholders have agreed to dissolve the company but it appears a difficulty is likely t , ) arise in effecting this result by the interference of the law, the so licitor to the company opposing any such measure. A committee is appointed from among the body of share holders to look after general interests. The Chester Town Council have determined to peti - ion against the Birkenhead and Holyhead Junction and Mold Extension, with its branches ; the Birkenhead, Chester, Mold, Ruabon, and Vale of Llangollen; the Liverpool, Birkenhead. Par kgate, and Holyhead Junction ; and the Mold Junction, as they would injuriously affect the river Dee. ROYAL NORTH OF SPAIN RAILWAY.—We learn from the Yorkshire Gazelle that Mr. George Stephenson, who went over to Spain with Sir Joshua Walmsley, for the purpose of investigating this scheme, found that, instead of a revenue of near £50,000 a-year, it could not have one of more than .1.:61.00, and, consequently, he dissuaded Sir Joshua from having anything to do with the scheme. RAILWAY " REPUDIATORS".—In consequence of the decision lately given by the judges in reference to scrip transactions, in which they affirm the legality of all sales of scrip made in lines duly registered, several actions, have been commenced against parties who have declined to make good their bargains. Amongst other., proceedings have been taken against certain parties in Preston, where the sum clainaeg amounts to upwards of £1,400. The ca ses will come on at the ensuin g ass i zes at L'verpool. CHESTER AND HOUTHEAD RAILWAY.—At.Sthe half- YtatlY meeting, on We ., nesdav, it was stated that one third cf the earth-works were Completed. Six hundred and forty-ene Lre employed, lw-idea 195 in Antlesea. Arrangements have been mad, to Isaac a jJillt-Etati.n at Chester. A harbour r.f reiuge, enclosing a spuce of 4CI) acres, appeared at the end of the railway, winch the dial. man said T' .., another large company was. prerare ,l t° ,; 0 1 ;1 , 110, 0 fl ii ~ , Tr...t'a one dry linfil liverpou, ci - ,airmin sai•.l ht felt confident ro (Mier - lii : e but their ! hear.) ,Vter a few words from Mr• ' ot 00 1 1)1 own mould go throuzli Wales, a • the other hue had via- Casson, against the amendment, it o.Bs . or itr; s ti t) ducts considerably higher than the monument and shafts I chair, and negatived by an immens e „,,T ai Ca ir i ,le° P below St. Paul's Cathedral. He add, d that the plan of 1 mover and seconder voting for it• T he 00 1 ' j the engineer to cross the Ntenai Straits would 1:w a monu- ! moved that a dividend of five per cert.he ' ment of his talent and ingenuity. 1 16th instant, which concluded the me ettl3P Feb. 17, 1846. der, d e ' The London and Birmingham meeting , on el l e eproe dared a dividend of 10 per cent. per annum, m ee % u nted perty tax. The gross receipts on the half -year allyeanee e n to £542,702; the expenditu r e to £222,529; t he l' eele £320,173, applicable to the dividends, and a large re for the next half-year. ed th e The balance sheet of the Eastern Counties showli, receipts and disbursements for constructing the Mgt t re e to 4th January, 1846, to be £2,296,39 5 , end th e to account of the Cambridge and Colchester litt e ene y. £173,166 ; also the balance up to 4th January (al",',.` e be ing dividends up to 4th July, 1845, and income ta Vel9S. £64,467. At the meeting a dividend was deelareo; o f per share on the capital stock, at the average 'we p , £l4 16s. per share. The increase of traffic, arising,j3e cipally from the opening of the line to Cambr id g e and Brandon, was stated to be great. restil l t The report of the Brighton Company is an In f e s t the one, and, on the whole, satisfactory ; proving e. en. experiments in cheap fares they have so boldly mad e, to der circumstances by no means the most favourswuithe their introduction, have been carried out so far e , et a profitable result. The available balance is X76,oattoe of which a dividend was declared of 355. a share. 3l, total half-yearly gross receipts, to December op er• £144,325, against £128,665, in 1844: the same re t ali tionate advance will not, however, be found in the balance ; the rate of working expenses having inc ! fe ta as the report states, 154 per cent. While the recetth,, passengers have increased 104 per cent., the nn wbe - r e7e• vied has increased 184—very nearly double. It is w e e ) / I gor. fore easy to account for the rise in the scale o f „ t oe expenses. The total nett income is, meanwhile , Xl' er ied (or 34 per cent.) more than in the corresponding P of 1844. o How THE HOLYHEAD RAILWAY WILL C ROS S raw n ew NIENAI STRAITS.—Mr. Robert Stephenson's arm ed ef is too well established to leave a doubt on the Int e „ e b. any one that he would disco ve r a s olution of the P o ' t ej lam, and that what he s h ou ld reso lve upon b e 1100 efficiently execute. This p ro bl em i s , however, tu e baS arduous he has yet attempted, and the expedient beetee adopted is a bold one. Already he has carried 01 ,0 use of iron in railway bridges to a greater extent T ee t or e stother favourite e n ni g i a n t e e e r r i a s and and fo is t- this abn u p; purpose s l e a y h e o i s er t o n; la rt i v e la r i Menai Straits AN IRON BEAM 450 feet long, 8 "Pl o yli on stone pillars at both ends. This proposal ' 5 01 but the method proposed for executing it is i n g e° and satisfactory. This great iron beam, 450 feet loogo to be 30 feet deep and 15 feet wide, with a hollow ~1 11 1 0 centre, and this hollow is to be so lar g e, th a t the i. train shall pass along in the heart or centre of the o ne This beam will be laid across the Menai Straits to e end joining the railway on one side of the s traits , ' the the other end joining the railway at th e o ther sid e jlg be straits ;so that passengers coming alon g the line ate whirled through the heart of th e b eam w ithout an! las ceptible difference between this and any part of w e It which may happen to be covered in or arched ov er. silt is, in short, to be an iron tunnel, hu ng u p in tue across an arm of the sea.—Railway Chronicle. Sa welt ST. HELENS CANAL AND RAILWAY.—On eel the half-yearly general meeting of this company wse,,, e ds at the Clarendon-rooms. The revenue account sho w to surplus for the half-year of £3,359 2 s . 3d., after 11 ' t be ding for the guaranteed dividend of £5 per cent. "0 amount paid up on the preference shares. Titer! 101 £517 15s. 4d. left on the same account to June lest, fop as there were still debts owing for work done in the. e i• oration of the line, which there wer e no m eans of 11 9ee dating under the acts, except from surplus incometety dwirectors obtaineddid t not n ra r i e s c e o am furtherme nd any n m n dividend frn nn untilmoney, b e h ; when there debts might be provided for. The traffic for the Lot of 1845 left a clear surplus, after meeting every elta'rei a, the revenue account, of £5,207 16s. 7d. The e ao Ters! come for the half-year had been £8,353 , and th e ra o -l effit from income rnodm tbhoe te:hria, concerns y eThexpwe expenditure t a l l rs e e, x 6x p s e 34 r : l 6 d B i f ti?ou. from e Thewhandi cbhe tot a len X s ; ei c a l ducting interest and guaranteed dividend, ea., left a nett surplus, as stated in the report, of x 3 ,87 s a. The report of Mr. Rendel, the engineer, was then r e tie It stated the grounds which had induced him to r ec ! te e, mend to them the construction of a coal-dock at Gar; t ee and a railway between the St. Helens coal-field an ~, said dock, by a line along the banks of the c anal, 0. municating in its course with the Grand Junction 0 way, at Warrington. The Chairman stated that theses of £400,000 was proposed to be raised. The rePo rt ,, to adopted, and the directors were empowered to aPP," e le parliament to make the lines. &c. mentioned. These holders are to be called together again, to have the eti e e, of the bill submitted to them in detail. Mr. Ww;e o o solicitor to the company, stated that the Grand Ju p " - tse feat° were on very good terms with their company. o. e , j e tt/ the Grand Junction would rather that the St. P e t esl Company should not make their proposed lines tha rl is t be they did ; but he thought such an arrangement miser of come to as would prevent all opposition an the pa r St , either company. The Grand Junction crossed the,,,s Helens line two or three times, and the projected bni;b6e of the former at Runcorn would be very iejurious t c) it $1 present dock of this company there. The new d °c t bst Garston, however, would obviate all difficulty on et , head. The heads of Mr. Rendel's report are to be ' o f culated amongst the proprietors, together with a P lan the proposed lines, prior to the next meeting. hs lf ; GRAND JUNCTION RAILWAY.—On Friday, .-- ger yearly meeting was held in the Cotton Sales Rootueesi,, was numerously attended. Charles Lawrence. 54c, Chairman of the Board of Directors, presided. a d Booth, the secretary, read the report. which cemm e 'teel by congratulating the shareholders on the amalga ms e tlf with the Liverpool and Manchester, and s ubset:ln c- v olt with the London and Birmingham Company, and tb ei e° that company with the Manchester and Birminghate o ' th t after her there., 67 _ ,0 which means the directors were enabled to carry let goods and passengers, at a cheaper rate, and with gr ee t ee punctuality and expedition. The report then notie ee i e of alterations now making at the Liverpool terminue alt er which are in proeress. It goes o n t o say —. The' oe tors will now refer to the new measures which, witeb er ie approbation of the proprietors, th e y i n t en d t o apply the present session of parliament. The most itre oe lo is the line from Huyton to Aston near Preston - o , r e es crossing the Mersey at Runcorn , E by which the dis ler from Liverpool to Birmingham and London will be dia le r tened between nine and ten miles. From this lin e 0 0 0 will be a branch to Warrington, affording to that te. / improved communication with Liverpool. A iCenT also being made for a line from 'Warrington to g to and Parkside, to shorten the distance from WerVigtOP and the south to Bolton, via Kenyon, and to . e til Preston, and the north via Parkside. The next Pr e i ct st i ' a short line from Huyton Quarry to Prescot O n e O' Helens. for the accommodation of those towns , a ll - id,,e the collieries in the vicinity ; and they propose to de their own railway from Huyton to Edge-hill, bY ea tht t tional rails on the south side, with a view es pecial!! 'l O . better accommodation for the London and BirmiL t i .' s er" traffic. They have further lodged plans for ar be ets' from the main line to Wolverhampton, where it ' fi e f se' posed to arrange a central station, for the joint use 4 t e e • veral lines of railway now proposing to connect w` e ' e t pplieatt°, Grand Junction at that town. The estimated e" oge e these undertakings is £1,300,000. It had been Of t te t expedient to subscribe one:fourth part of the ceP i t eer the Liverpool and Preston, M anc h es t er a nd S vu ,„ 0 0° ,:e Railway, amountin g t o £400,000. B y th e accoun ts mitted, the traffic of th e G ran d J unc ti on Ama i g, t ehreP Company, during the h a lf y ear t o th e 31 s t De e 'trsro exhibits a considerable increase over the a e gregat e e eeV e of the Grand Junction and Liverpool and IT:ie, o ;, lines, in the corresponding 6 months of 1844. i gg ceipts for the last six months amounted to £4351;001, 2d., and the disbursements to £180,499 lls. Oclo qe , as the nett proceeds of the half year £254,76 1 e re' To this amount must be added the amalgamated 5 0 , re o i fund of £28,615 19s. Id., a s s ho wn i n the direct°4o! port of the 10th of September last ; also th e a )0,5 £1,574 19e. 2d., being balance of Liverpool nn_ fe ett e e chester reserve fund , after payment of sundry tiv i e and small charges. The directors recommende" o e dend of 5 per cent., without deduction for in e e ° 9 s . 9ll o l amounting, as per statement below, to £218, 768 84,, e 0 e, and leaving a disposable balance of £67. 1 9 7 1"11e. of which the income tax, amounting to £6,30 0 t h e be has to be paid. The chair man i n m oving tha t to t . counts and report be approved, called attenti o n eh g r , fact that both boards had given up concerns tri fi e pod e they had promised t o t a k e an i n t eres t. The! " t en 6 • 0 0 posed to take a large interest in the WolverharnFeteeeo Shrewsbury line. They had not given u p th e t`' e bsP' e f of supporting it, but they had declined to buy ° '' Y ° s P, li gt e and had applied the money to more advantage°ooe'd poses. The Derby and Crewe, whio,h now W , B e s ectO t V I mated with the North Staffordshire line, won.,.'" e jou to have their support, as well as that of the I . 49 ,i, a retto Birmingham, but without their taking any 'had 0 them. With the North Union an arrangement, tittl e eet made, which it would be necessary in a sb °r l ;at i t r e 0 submit to the proprietors for their sanction. re gs fe ct not yet in a fit state to lay before them. With° t he bet their present state of affairs, be would allude r tw es 14 0 , that that was probably one of the last wee t o y . would have as the Grand Junction ComPee%edr moved that the accounts and report he aPP"j e ree ee ll iet I that they be printed and circulated in the us u 'etiersioy Mr. Rotherham seconded the motion. Mr- rt 11 0 0' of Warrington, objected to that part of the rep ete ec d recommended an extension from Aebtont l d elle, The report stated th a t thi s a lt era tion wn tl e epg saving of nine or ten miles, whereas the 98. of e le only be about five m il es , an d th a t wo uld be Ite& r t bad gradients, of w hi c h th ere were 31 miles ct: 1 "" to 4in 100. It also would be particularly navigation of the Mersey, and driving poles in ee e rt .4( 1 14 14 of the river might affect the tidal cower cf 0: 0 tIl t e lf every body knew was a ticklish one. Its eO- eich;'ee enormous ; something like a million ; upon , 4 1,-,, e r.,4 to pay 5 per cent., they must have a tra ffi c jot , e ig e ol week—a tra ffi c which it was almost imeoe' eo ot e e Oep je j u rio t o° t e o e b iell anticipate. The scheme was, in fart, only y e t. V gi , out of opposition to the Birkenhead ComP f g re at 1 1 019 from any expected benefit to be derived o pett e e moved as an amendment, " That it is not 0 010, 0 1 apply for an act of narliamer.t to make the P. rit e eeiel "Tb" from Astor, to liuyton." Mr. JosePh Pe r Warrington, seconded the amendment- --Tb r e e o f g ir e , ° 0 exelained that the proposed line was a tneasutingeoe.9oL policy to secure themselves avinst any en 9 . oe, c° eel; to prevent their being injured by a comP eti to bY se t e r 4 who might get a bill on the score of the eon of est' f l e e being a near er one to L or d on. They did I se ertl t oy weuld pay of it se lf, b ut t h e pro t ec tion eta be ttY than the c o s t. W it h reseeet to the river , ' o ne etitio and the Lord Conte, vatorm of the Mersa! $ ea e its tidal power ic 'IR not injured. I i'd e l !:„,l cile tit e "Y• het they kiiew that it they had no t 5 1. ,n d 00. Wee: qoul so ni boot then ae t ,„ 1 2f hi 1 li c , th e the