The Express.
London, England, 1855-10-12 00:00:00

ATTEMPT OF A MOTHER TO MURDER HER

CHILD.

At the Wolverhampton Town Hall yesterday,
Mary Macdonald, 18 years of age, an Irishwoman, was
charged with attempting to murder her infant child, a girl
16 mouths old. The prisoner has been a resident in that
district for a number of years, and usually earned her living
by washing cinders at the iron furnaces. About twelve
months back her husband died in the Wolverhampton
workhouse, in which institntios the prisoner sad her child
were then living. Since that period she has beta frequently
an inmate of the union. On Monday last, after
• stay of a few days in the workhouse, she
left it with her infant, and then, according to
bar own confession, went to an unused new-made
coal-pit at Rough Hills, nine yards in depth, down
which she cut her child, after giving it the breast. Ths
poor babe was thus riseertird by its unnatural mother about
• o'sloek. Some colliers pasting near the pit in question
shortly after 7 o'clock oa Tuesday evening, heard cries
proceeding therefrom ; a men, who was instantly let down
the mine by • rope, found the child lying at the bottom
and brought tt up. Its clothes and puma were in a most
filthy state from vermin, Ow pit being infested with
, toads, Hoards, beetles, and other nozioas reptiles, which
I must have crowded over the little girl; and from the
appearance of its face it is evident that it mast have suffered
from their attacks. It had sustained little injury, though
mush exhausted. It was talon to the workhouse the same
night, and there recognised ea belonging to the prisoner,
who was discolored by a pekoe-officer, ea Wednesday, fol-
lowing her customary awmoation at Sprieg Vale Ironworks.
When apprehended she said she bad committed the crime
to get rid of her child, end hoped Clod would forgive her.
She was sent to Stafford gaol to await her trial at the forth-
mains amine.

DINNER TO Mi. THACiintriT.--Ltat evening a
magnifiesnt dieser was given at the Leedom Tavern to Mr.
The/horsy, oil the eve of that panelizes's departure for the
United States. Charles Dickens occupied the *hair, and
was supported by Albert Smith, Douglas Jerrold, Mr.
A'Beckett, Charles Haight, Mr. Wills, Mr. Lemon, Mr.
Loops's, Mr. Murny, Mr. Willis, Lord Tenterdes, Mr.
Idaeready, Mr. Forster, Kr. Hodges", Mr. Moriarty, Mr.
lupus, Mr. Pollock, Mr. Bicknell, Mr. O'Bierae, sta. Tbe
aompaay sambaed upwuds of sixty. The banquet was
quite of a private character. The bill of fare adds to the
somenelature of the culinary agleam—for example:
" Potage Torun Anglaise Ile Hobson Newtrome, " " Oos.
butes de Maims as.: Foie Gras sauce Icehouse 11a Becliy
Sharp,' " " nalmi Coq de brayer au: TroHss a Is
• Fotheringay,' " " Quesalls de Leman I la ' Grand
Cairo,' " " Beldam de Mouton titti I le • Colonel,' " dta
PROFESSOR SEDOWICE AT KISNDAL.—OPF-NINO OF
TOR NOW NATURAL HISTORY AND SCINNTITIC HALL,—
The opening of the new hall of the Kendal Natural History
and ealeatilic Society took place on Monday, when Professor
Sediseick delivered a leagthosed {setae* bearing on the
phenomena and anomalies of meteorology and geology. The
ball, as was to be expected, wail crowded by a highly respect-
able sad attentive audio's', ineluding some of the most
infleential gentleman of Handal and the surrouscling neigh-
bourhood. The chair was occupied by John Whitman,
Req., 'sayer, and the room mu *dossed with • number of
excellent diagrams. The professor, who wee received with
loud applause, spoke for *beat two hours and a half. At the
close of his address a vote of thanks war proposed by Dr.
Fleming, and weeded by Isaac Braithwaite, Esq., sad
carried with enthusiasm. Oa Tuesday morning the pre-
tosser again met his friends at breakfast is the Whitehall
Assembly Hum. About 150 assembled end partook of the
refreshmeats together, after which a few addreuse of a
Westin. shimmer were delivered.
The Journal de Brtszella says that the Catkin"'
~of Colossi' will sot henent meek by the visit of the dreg
imolai.' to Paris. Mr. Mitsholl. of Leedom, the estlrr
promour. is a knee by *early 14,0001.
The forme Autrichinuse says that the Aogir
Balks Luisa Wm remised a great Inquisition is the posses
of Chevalier Mali, Calomel of the National GRIM el
Tula, who he nab keens his mastics' ism oar el
the day.

ORRAT LUXEMBOURG RAILWAY. `a

Yesterday a special insetiog_of proprietors of this
company was bold at the London Taunt, to receive a report
from the directors use. the prune and future proepecs of
the company, Mr. W. Ruh in the chair.
The 82CRITAIT read the report, which was published in
the DM, New of Tuesday last.
The Comeau, Ia moving that the report be received
and adopted, spoke of the high qualifications of the new
directors sleeted under the authority given to the board at
the nesetlag in February, vie., the Hon. F. Scott, and
Mean. Brume, Otos, and B. Reed. Ths great difficulty
which the directors formerly had to contend with was that
they had no local control, and the employers not Meg
subject to such control, were less efficient probably than
they otherwise would have been. The directors eateggpleeitly
appointed a local committee of their own body, de weekly
reported their proceedings to the board in Lasko, whole
sanction was necessary before any of the recommtlatione
of the local committee could be carried out. TM amaga
mat ensured perfect control both as to the szpeoffiesea mod
the carrying on of the works. When the pretest beard
came into oleos they found 9} miles of the line open, and a
weekly outgoing fez exceeding the receipts; whereu now
they had $1 stiles of the line open, which were
worked at a less cost than that at which the
Di miles Ind been formerly worked. When he
addressed the proprietors in February last, they wen
receiving from the traffic of the line about 401. • week,
whom. lent week their receipts had been 6161. (Hear,
bear.) It was true that this was somewhat sore than the
avenge the increase being attributable to some fetes.
while t additional traffic. They might take the
puma et about 4001. • week, or if there were not
MOO OMlSlnees from the coal traffic it might ;whops fell to
esawbar below that, but this additional receipt was earned
gaga imam not exceeding that which was previously in-
Mead in earning the 401. a week. With regard to the
Valk when the line was opened to Namur, which would
be a about three menthe, he might say on the part of the
&rectos that every effort would be made to develop it,
wed te bring coal upon the line, coal being • very
Impalsat item in the souroes to which they had to look
Mr Mk future receipts. As the lines east and meet were
mum, if their exploitation were exercised Ia • proper
manner, they must neceismily add to the prosperity of the
Luxembourg Company. That they would do so in time
there could be bat little doubt, seeing that it would be to
Weir own interest to avail themselves of the realities whisk
the Luxembourg would afford, and then the rousse of
this compare y would be largely sugausted fres that aillaa.
At present, however, these lieu had been open but • very
short time, and their exploitation in working was not
muted on so efficiently as it might be, the consequences of
whisk were that the public were disappointed, and the Las-
embus; lice failed to receive that advantage from these ma-
=lines which they had a right to expect. This state of
could not exist long, end when it reseed. even without
Me opening of the Namur line, there would he a considerable
belleeme in the receipts. When in January next their own
Ilse mu opened to Namur their position would be very
different. Except the line between Antwep and Brussels,
which had the largest mileage receipt of any line in the
world, the Luxembourg would be equal to any in Belgium,
sad would
_produce &revenue which could not but be 01111/1-
filatOry. What amount of traffic they might expect when
the lino wee fully developed it was difficult to say. It
would communicate with an immense area of country, and
the through traffic must necessarily be considerable ; and
when he informed them that all over the vast
province of Luxembourg the tolls on the common
reads were considerably higher than the rate
which would be charged by the railway, they
would understand that • very large traffic must cane
to the line. (Hear, hear.) In • locality not far from Arlon
there was an establishment for the manufacture of paper—
more extensive then any establishment of the same kind
either in that or (he believed) any other country. It cost
the proprietors of that paper maoufectry 50fr., or 21. a too,
to convey coals to their manufactory. Let the proprietors
imagine what must be the effect of such a tax in preventing
the development of • manufacturing district—for it
*bounded in minerals—and what an amount of traffic must
result from the removal or large reduction of such • charge.
(Hear, hear.) The arrengemente with the Belgian govern-
ment he considered were very satisfactory, sod would afford
ample time for the completion of the works. The directors
had advertised for tenders for the construction of the
heaviest part of the lino, VIZ , that to the south of Namur,
and they would take care that it was constructed oa proper
terms, and they would also take care that the other parts
of the line should be completed by the time those weeks
were finished. With regard to the financial proposition to
be submitted to the shareholders, be confessed he was
averse to the issuing of shares at a nominal value—that wee '
writieg them up at • higher amount than had actually been
paid upon them. But the board finding the company in
position of great difficulty, it was their duty to consider how
the difficulties which pressed upon them could be best re-
moved foe the interest of the shaseholders. They required
not merely money for present purposes, but before they en-
tered into contracts involving an expenditure of something
like a million of money (in round numbers),they desired to be
assured that the money would be forthcoming when wanted,
and that they 'nighties be compelled to place those proprietors
who paid up their calls in • false position because others
refused or neglected to pay. The proposition that they had
to submit came to this—that for every 101. paid up on the
additional shares the holder would bare a 201. share paid
up. Though this was • course which he bad already said
he should not wish to see resorted to, except under very
extraordinary circumstances, it was not without precedent.
Seventeen or eighteen yearn ago the South Western, bears
in • state of difficulty, raised the sooty they required by
issuing 501. shares for 251. each, and so successful was the
operation that in leer then a fortnight those shares MOO to
110 premium. He would not prophesy that the Great
Luxembourg would rise as rapidly—(a laugh)—but be bad
no doubt that if the resolution be intended to move on this
subject were adopted, the company would be placed on •
safe footing and their property command its value to the
market.
Mr. Omni* seconded the motion.
Sir W. 11•ONAT considered the report satisfactory, inas-
much as it confirmed all that had been put forward by the
late directors. Ho should rejoice to see all the 'degasses
alluded to by the chairmen realised ; but if they were, the
esedit would be due to the late bored. ("Oh. ob," and
laughter.) He then entered into soma details to show that
the late directors bad obtained for the shareholders all the
advantages that could molt from the connection with the
Louvain and Sambre and the Mons and Liege lines, but was
frequently interrupted by the chairman and other direction',
and his statements emphatically denied. The proposition
for raising capital by issuing shares with 41. only paid up
as 141. written up shares he considered illegal end unjust,
and if persisted in, be threatened to institute legal proceed-
ings to provost its being acted upon.
M. Vicroa TISCH, a director and a Belgian jurist, on
being appealed to, said that the proposal of the board would
be perfectly legal according to the law of Belgium.
A dieciamisa ensued of • personal and angry nature be-
tween Sir W. Maguey, the chairman, Mr. Usielli, and some
of the shareholders, in which the baronet's statements mu
frequently declared to be wholly end knowingly untrue;
and an announcement was made by the chairman that pro-
ondinp wen already in progress for the recovery of the
mosey for whin the board considered that gentlemen wee
liable. The result was that Sir William, finding himself
without • single supporter, allowed the report to be carried
without oppositiou.
The Cortiaoss then moved • resolution authoriaing the
directors to re-issue 21,666 of the forfeited shares on the
following terms :—That 11. per share be paid on subeerip.
tioa, 11. on the Ist of February, 11. on the let of April, and
11. cm the let of June, making 41, fur which the holders of
each certificate would be entitled to • share of 201. written
up as 141. paid, leaving 61. remaining to he called
up hereafter ; and that sack shares be offered
in the first instance pro rola to the 4mi-tin shareholders.
He observed that it would be necessary, supposing the reso-
lution were carried, that it should be confirmed at • meeting
at Brussels, which would be held about the close of the
month. The acceptance of the proposition would have two
good effects—it would render any further call upon the
existing shares unnecessary before next Midsummer, and,
extending the basis of the share capital from 78,000 to
1,000 shares, it would prevent the inconvenient rapidity
of subagent calls. (Hear.)
The reeolation having been mended was cut, and after •
few °Mendes* from one or two sbareholders meta whether
the shares might to he regarded as the re-issue of forfeited
obsess, or as a new issue altogether, was carried
unaai-
mo
A vota of thanks to the Unison they melded the
Maass&
wide

liumee Monummer.—A meeting of the Working
lien's Committee, formed in promotion of this object, wee
held at the Mechanics' Coffee-kome, Clerkenwell-green on
Weinaiday, Mr. Cross is the chair. The deputation to,;the
Right lion. Bir Benjamin Rail, Bert, M.P , reported that
the members of the deputation were most courteously re-
solved by the right hen. gentlemen, who entered warmly
into the sub**, pings' his services et the disposal of the
committee, bet swellig a wish to see the working chimes
Joseph Hume,
prove that they held tin
memory of their steadfast friend,
is estimation, by subscribing. their share to
the gene& fund. A comeasniestion was received ftom
W. Williams, Req., and a deputation appointed to
visit that gmitlomas. Letters from a number of influential
gentlemen, all approvlog of the object, sad desiring to bare
the means of suUnibiag to the feed, were read, sad after
the vestige barium, incisdieg the enrolment of a great
many members, was goal th-ough,jthe commolmittee adjournoel
to Monday evening nest, when they meet at the Mechanic'
Cedres4ouss, Clorkirawell-greea.

(Stamped ld. Additional) [TWOPENCE.