The Express.
London, England, 1853-02-08 00:00:00

NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY.

The fourteenth half-yearly general meeting of the,
shareholders in this unplug was held at the Leeds Court-
house, at noon. yesterday (Monday)—llnhitt ALcuca,
Esq., the deputy-chairman of the board col directoss pre-
siding. Thue was a considerable attendance uf :hue-
holders.

Mr. Was Low, the secretary, having read the notice con•
vexing the meeting, the seal of the company was affiud to
the register of shareholders.
Thu Secretary next read the directors' report as follows :
" The accounts for the half-year coding 31st December,
.1852, an abstract of which is appended to this report, have
1111411 carefully made tin and audit.d. The cceipts from
traffic married over the railway auaount to 72,738/. 75., and
the rents and interest to 1,2941. he. 10d., making together a
pees income of 24,0521. 15e. 10d., against 16,6401. 5..6d.,
foe Use corresponding period of the previous year. After
payment of 11,3791. 3s. ed. to the Midland Company for
working and m.untaioiug the line; 1,3011. 13s. 3d. fur reuse
of stations and expenses of management. and 2411.115. 7d. the
mown of sundry debts incurred previous to the 30th June
Ms; a balance of 11,1301. Ps. ed. remains to be carried to
tbe °wilt of the general revenue account. The balance at
the debit of that account on the lit of July (i,0851. 3s. &I.),
and the payment of the half year's interest on preference
share capital, debenture debt, amount owing for land,
ilbalances due to contractors, and others, banker's balance,
and the expenses attendant on the procuration or bons,
amounts to 11,2911. Bs. 6.1., leaving a balance or
1811. Is. to be carried to the debit of the revenue account
Ole the current half year. Your directors have received
Man • gentlemen who holds a large number of original
AMMO in the undertaking, a protest against the payment of
Ma MOM of 3,0851. 31. &l. out of the revenue of the half
pork sad be will probably make some proposal to the
meeting with reference to thee item, but your directors are
ef *puma that the accounts as stated are on the only cur•
Mt end fair principle, in which the auditors fully concur,
sad they trust that the general body of shareholder. will
approve the same. The payment' on ea .ital account for the
half year amount to 21,9721. 16e. 3d., the total expenditure to
31st of December, 1852, being 1.094,9441.6.. The arrears
"death; have been reduced by the suns of 7,1711. 14s. 11d.,
and active measures are being taken to compel payment by
defaulters who, having had ample time allowed and being
maw able to pay, have neglected to do ea. The whole of
the company's acceptances have been paid off, the contrac-
tor's balances have been liquidated, and se many of the
outatanding lead purchases as possible completed. The de-
Immure debt lass been placed on better terms as to the rates
of Material, and on the 31st of December the amounts were
as follows: 114,3501. at 5 per cent. • 3,0401. at 41 per cent. ;
te,9501. at 4 per cerst.; 2,2471. 3a: 10d. at 3t per cent.;
0001. at 31 per cent. ;—Total, 182,0871. 3s. 10d. Your
directors find no difficulty in renewing any loans that fall
dim, at the reduced rate of per ceat., and they ate
mew refugiaq offers of loans at 4 per cent., under
Me conviction that the nature of the security which
Mere company can give, will always secure a sufficient sum
of snowy at the lowest rata of interest paid by any railway
oseapsay. The traffic continues steadily to increase, clim-
e:lay that which comae ea to the line at Morecambe, In
the 'maintenance and extension of which the Midland

company have been able to 'iv; your directors material as-
sistance. The demand for additional harbour accommoda-
tion and increased facilities for new and extended traffic at
Morecambe, has gradually pressed itself upon the attention
of your directors, and small additional works have been
constrasted flom time to time, to meet these requirements,
but they feel that it the interests of the aompasy are coo.
salted,• further eonsiderable outlay will be necessary. It
is a matter f.r congratulation that whereas, during the
gale tia the 27th December last, damages to a very mina
extent were sustained at neighbouring ports in blereesiske
Bay, sad at every other port on the west coast of England,
vessels were driven from their moorings with
loss of life and property, the works of ACTot
More-
cambe escaped comparatively harmless, and that every
vessel wider shelter of the breakwater stood out the
whole of the gale, without sustaining the aligh.est damage.
An arranguaent has been made with the Midland Conspeay
for the workbag of the company'. steamboats betweea
Morecambe and Piel, under which interest at 4 par ait.
per me mis secured on the capital expended in the boats.
Thiserposition offered by parties interested in the Fket.
mid eleampokote hos hitherto curtailed the advantages
MUMMA Mt Mistimmgany trona the steampaskets plying be-
en= Maramabi and Belfast, but your directors in eon-
-11111111811 with the Midland board have need, and will con-
dom M nee, way legitimist* means for securing to More-
Moho • fair parties of the large traffic to sad from the
sea of Ireland, mil it is to be hoped that ere long some
Mitaamaguatiat may be made, and the advantages
gto the railway trim the Belfast traffic materially in-
Greased. trader the provisions of the new act of parliameat
the while of your director. go out of office at this meeting,
boa ars eligible for n-election. Mr. hares, one of your
seams likewise retires, and he is also eligible for re-
alastice."

Tbeeaelatex said it wet not notary for him to
take up stash of the time of the abareirshisre, as the re-
port salmi very lA, kinked/ the MUNI on which the
dinettes bad say sestaden se gift. He thought there
we. only one pint es wlish any nuestiou could arise, end
that wee fanfmsaee to the payment of the balance of
3,')861.3e. id. out of the renew of the ball-year. The dim-
ton did net expect say objection to this, bat one gentleman
(Mr. Harkill), who was • Lizoire ptister, had seat in a
madam against the payment. *at it ought to stand
to the debit of espied acermat. sum referred to was
paid to the bidden of pretenses einews, the revenue for
the peedowi lislf-year being deadest to that amount. If
they bed net paid this sum, it wenn have had to come
oat elf the mem amemat at areedser half-year ; and it
bad theme's* bees paid end brought into the scootau is
the wily mil& the amain= bad approved as correct. The
sharebeidses woad me Item tisseserestbat during the
41.1=then had bees • ideroose of trot
beged weld mathise. that neat Wi-
rt/it they might be able se most the shwebeidsse with a
small dividend ea the original shares. (Hear, Isms) Re
theeibt they bed a moral sertelaty of be abbe to do
Ws. Their thanes of makiog • dividend bad Mermaid
Cr.. Ming able to borrow mosey at a losses rase of inte-
rest. m leans maid now be obtained at 31 per cont. In
ansindes, he moved the adoption of the report.
Mr. Mann (a director) emended the moths.
Mr. ham: amanita, said he bad sat la • pretest against
abarging the below. of 3,0861. se the ',runt half-year's
revenue, act become be ebj.eted to the payment of the
profteestiel dividends, bet blame he mesidared it illegal
to Mitten mosey est of fee the of paying
penAreatial dividends; bat, baying so pur borrowed it, be
=tt it should renew abargeabis to capital astwant
he revenue eetountowdd Masbate it.

ecliiiiiiiFT6llll;:lresiracwTraTatakin all 'lq-
m%, that Chia nears bad bon borrowed bud capital
usawat.

Mr. lionall.z. thought that made little digitises', whe-
ther it was borrowed from capital or elsewhere. The
gaieties wee whether it meld be legally borrowed for the
pmepose of paying mi./ease Coattails. la oonelusion he
maw/ a resohitioa to the u.cs that the payment of prefer-
ease divides& last half-year by the directors when they had
set =Seisms mosey is bead woe illegal, and that the re-
far the preseat half-year could not be applied to re-
in Maee them for limey borrowed for emit a purpose.
Mr. Lurrom (a director) said the iaterest ea the pre-
ference shares had never beat paid out of capital, bat
always out animas*.
Mr. Facer, one of the andiron, mid he should n
have allowed preferential dividends to be paid out of
capital; it hid always been paid oat of renegue, sad the
anginal sharelsoldets lost nothing by the transeeties.
Mr. °SOUS seconded Mr. Barkill's motion.

Yr. Btta[tW dieelaimsd and ;troit7 sayiag any-
thing which could by possibility nu& of repudiation, but
thought that what had bees date was not quite legal or
regular. A good deal of discussion ensued upon the point,
after which Mr. Harkin withdrew bis motion.
The CHAIRMAN, in answer to questions pat to him,
said the company owed about 16,00 W. for Med, but they
bad money at their bankers amounting to 23,0001. The
solicitor's bill had been settled, and he would be entitled to
&boat 3,0001.

The Quitman then put the inetion for the adoption of
the report, sad It wee carried saanintonsly.

The neat business was the election of directors. Mr.
Padsey Dawson and Mr. Robinson, two of the retiring
directors, did not offer themselves for re-election. Mr.
Gill proposed that the other five retiring directors,
namely, Mears. Muck, Lupton, Hind, Kitson' and Hare,
be re-elected, and that Mr. hue Burkill, of Leeds, and
Mr. Thomas Horsfall, of Hurley Hall, be elected to all the
places of Messrs. Dawson and ltrbinson ; the sum of Oa !
to be placed at the disposal of the board, as remuneration
for their service, dozing the year.
The CHAIRMAN said there was no personal objection to
any of the gentlemen proposed, but the directors doubted
the propriety of selecting. those who were members of
other railway boards, particularly of the Great Northern.
Mr. &whiff, of whom he knew nothing, he understood was
a director on the Great Northern board, and as that com-
pany were not en the beet terms with the Midland Com-
pany, he was afraid his appointment might interfere with
the free action of the North Western hoard in any 'assails-
ti sus they had to enter into with the Midland Company. Mr.
Burial' was one of their largest proprietors, and, aa he had
said, he and his colleagues had not the slighest personal
1 objection to act with him, and after statiag what he had,
ha would leave the matter in the hands of the meeting.

Mr. Smear', solicitor, said he understood that the Mid-
land were carrying out their agreement with this company
in a manner which wee satisfactory to the directors, but as
the Midland Company were about to enter into an amalga-
mation with the London and North-Western Company, it
was important to have a gentleman like Mr. Harkin on the
directory of this company. It was necessary to have some
one who would look with a little jealousy at the movements
of the London and North Western Company, or their
amalgamation with the Midland Company might be the
destruction of this (the Little North Western) Company.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. Humana. said he had no wish to be one of the direc-
tors, having a sufficiency of other engagements to attend
to ; but if elected, he should endeavour to promote the in-
terests of this company, in which he had a larger stake than
in the Great Northern ur any other company, and to carry
out the agreement made with the Midland Company. He
was opposed to the agreement when made, but as it was
made he should endeavour to carry it out. As to the Great

Morthetn, his disposition was not to be again elected a
director, bat as to that he did not bind himself.
After sores farther eoa•ersatioa to the sass effect. the
list as proposed by Mr. G:U (including Mr. Barka!) was
adopted unanimously.
Mr. locum, the retiring auditor, was then re-appoiated:
and alter some general oonversatiern as to the position and
prospects of the company, particularly as regard, the traffic
at Morecambe Bay, which was said to be promising, a vote
of thanks was awarded to the retiring directors and to the
chairman.
The meeting then broke up.

LY AND CHESTER RAILWAY.

A special general meeting of this company was
held at Shrewsbury on Monde), lest. Resolutions were'
passed on behalf of the directors, and also of the body of
shareholders who at recent meeting. have been opposed to 1
the directors, which have a direct tendency to put an end,
to the differences which have recently sprung up in this
company. In the last session of parliament bills were
brought before the house for carrying into effect an agree-
ment, dated 18.51, for amalgamating the two Shrewsbury
Companies with the Great Western Company. The bills
paced Hours the Bou of Commons, but were thrown out in the
House of Peers, on a non-compliance with the Wharncliffe
Standing Order. Similar bills were lodged this session'
on behalf of the Great Western Company and the
two Shrewsbury Companies, and were liable, of course, to'
a similar failure, unless the opposite parties in the Shrews-
bury Company come to tome understanding. Having oh-
hafted the consent of the Great Western Company, the
directors of the Shrewsbury and Chester Company called
a general meeting of their shareholders for Monday lint,
the 31st ult., for the purpose of having authority, " without
prejudice to existing agreements," to make such ',rang.-
'tient' as appeared calculated to obtain a satisfactory
and final settlement in the present session of parliament.
This desirable project was simplified, in consequence of
the London and North Western Company having like-
wise brought bills before parliament for giving effect to
their proposals for the acquisition of the line. the
directors proposed that both classes of the shareholders
should agree to acquiesce, and adopt the bill pasted by',
the Committee of the Commons, whether their decision '
should turn out to he in favour of the Great Western
Bill, or the Linton and North Western Bill—leav-
ing open, of course, to both these great c 'meanies
a fair field of conflict, both before the Commons and the
Lords. The object of the several resolutions passed on
Monday, on the part of the directors and shareholders, are
intended to produce that effect. They are devised to bind
the shareholders who have hitherto supported the London
and North-Western Company, to adopt the Great Western
bill, if the bill of the latter company shall pass ; and impose
on the former supporters of the Great Western Company a
similar obligation of acquiescence, in ease the London and
North• Western bill shall peas the ordeal of the Commons.
The Hone* of Commons is, in point of fact, constituted by
the arrangement the sole arbitrator, as they ought to
be. in a question of so mush importance to the public
as well as to the two railway companiee—and we
cannot forbear expressing our cordial approbation
of the good sense which has ehmacterised the share-
holders, in coming to such an arrangement as has been
submitted to them by their directors. We shall rejoice
to find, that this is a first step towards an amicable and final
settlement between the two great companies themselves.
There was no poll demanded, the directors having declined
to vote on the resolatiose of the shareholders, as some parts
of them seemed to trespass somewhat too cOoely on the
terms of "existing agreements," which, until a decision
be pronounced by the Commas., may in no way, directly or
indirectly, be interfered with. The state of the votes on the
proxies lodged showed, if a scrutiny had taken place, a total
favourable to the directors of 8,108, and against them of
7,718, giving a majority for the directors of 1,388. The re-
solutions proposed by the directors were, however, carried
unanimously, we may pay, the exception being merely three
or four pugnacious hands, who ventured:on no explanation
of their obstinacy. The capital represented at the meeting
exceeded one-half of the whole capital of the company.—
Chester Chronicle.

TIE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 8,185 a.

length, sad originally latended to form put of a communal
cation with Southport—may be said to be entirely urea
duties, as it is not used either for pamenger Or marcher
dim traffic; but in the event of be company establishing
the proposed communication between Bt. Helens and South-
port this branch will form part of it, and the directors are
sweated will became a profitable portion of your under-
ing
tak.
"In then circumstances the direetors are confident that
In advising the shareholders to apply to parliament fur
authority to construct the proposed new works they are pro-
moting Umbel interests of the undertaking.
" The directors have taken the opportunity of an appli-
cation to parliament, to ask for power to c,.nvert the mort-
gage debt into a stock, bearing a fixed rate of interest in
perpetuity, and forming the first charge upon the com-
pany's net ee . It is not anticipated that this power
will at once become practically beneficial, but the time may
arrive when an easy state of the money market, combined
with an increased confidence in the stability and value of
the undertaking, will enable the directors to diminish the
fixed charges of the company, by the exercise of the powers
now intended to be sought
" Since the lot meeting, the conversion of your paid up
share capital into stock has been effected.
" Three directors retire from Ake by rotation, and are
eligible for reelection--vis., James Riley, of Halifax, mer-
chant, deputy chairman: James Pilkington, M.P., of Black-
burn, Esq.; and Richard Fort, of Read Hall, Whalley,
"The recommendation of the committee appointed for
selecting auditors, will be submitted to the meeting.
" By order of the board,
" TMOILILI DUODALB, Chairman.
" Bury, Feb. 4, 1863."
Revenue fur the half-year ending December 31st, 1852:

Dr.
To Sled charges, viz.: a. 1.
Interest en loar.s, 954,026, at 41. Si. 2d.
per cent. per annum 20,724 6 11
Dividend on preference stock and shares :
Six per cent preference capital sto It,
264,394, at 61. per cent. per annum 7,931 1G 3
Pr. ft *ince fifth shares, 208,783, at 61.
per cent. per annum
Calls in advance on ditto, 25,11 d, at
51. per cent per annum
Interest—
On the average amount advanced by
bankers on tha capital account, say
67,428, at 21. 10s. per cent. per ann. 842 16 5
On deferred payments, say 36,639, at
41. per cent. per annum 732 15 8
Rents—Payments 713 14 71
Leta receipts 6lB 16 8
94 18 111
Balance of the Leads and Liverpool
canal lease account
40,321 11 at
To propoced dividend on ordinary stock,
2,221,300, at W. per cent. par annum
Total amount chargeable upon revenue,
3,777,8771.
Balance tarried to the reserved fund 870 811

£74,61110 23

Cr. E s. d.
By amount of profit, u shown above .... 73,770 16 0:
By interest allowed by bankers
upon the net revenue ba-
lances B9l 4 4
By interest on arrears of calls
and debts due to the company 22 15 8

913 19 10
Lereommistiospaid to bankas 178 6 8
740 14 2

£74,611 10 22

AUSTRIAN AND FRENCH OCCUPATION OF
TEE ADMAN STATES.

Last night a public meeting was held in the New
Vestry Hall, King's-road, St. Pancras, for the purpose of
taking into coasidtratinn the motion of which Mr. Dun-
combs has given notice in the House of Commons, " pray-
ing her Majesty to use her good offices in order to put an
end to the present oecuoaticn of the Roman States by the
troops of Austria and Fiance."
Professor Hueneme took the chair, and was suppoiled by
Lord Dudley Coutts Stuart, Mr. David Masson, etc.
Mr. Cntenome ANeTEY rose to move the first resolution,
to the effect," That this meeting contemplates with feelings
of horror and indignation the bigoted and cruel oppres-
sion of Christian men in the dominiens of the Grand Duke
of Tuscany, for their profession of religious belief ; bu: that
this meeting hereby records its conviction that religious
liberty is impossible without the existence of civil freedom,
of which it is a certain consequence, and, believing thus,
the meeting is farther of opinion, looking to the re la-
lions of civil and ecclesiastical government in the
Italian states at the present time, that the com-
plete political freedom and independence of Italy
would be the beat guarantee of religious liberty in Tuscany,
and an incalculable gain to the cause of religion liberty for
the world." This resolution so entirely coincided with his
sentiments, that he did not see that it was necessary for
him to say much upon the subject. Ile could not help de-
claring his surprise at the sentiments he heard expressed at
a meeting at which he wes present the ether day. lie was
there merely as a spectator, for tee wording of the bill con-
vening the meeting prohibited him from offeriug any re-
marks. It was there argued that civil liberty was of no
esweequence provided religious liberty was secured. Now
les contended that religious liberty was only to be obtained
by securing to Vie people that which :he protestant meet-
ing denounced as unimportant—civil liberty ; without this
no real liberty could be obtained, not even b_y all the pro-
selytising societies in the world. tHear.) For his part, he
saw no difference where persecution Came from—Roman
catholic or protestant; for his part, he would not owe alle-
giance to any church which considered it heterodox to con-
demn the late persecutiou in Tuscan). He should like to see
realised the oft.eznressed wish of O'Connell, that the secu-
lar power of the papacy should be for ever swept away.
(Hear, hear.) He freely expressed hie sentiments, and he
was prepared to take the consequences. (Hear, hear.) Mr.
Ansley concluded by reading the resolution.
A. Teixeira, Esq., seconded the resolution, and con-
demned the doctrine of nos-intervention. It was monstrous
for any country to look quietly on and allow France to go
into a sister republic at the point cf the heyonet, as was the
case three years ago, when the French took possession of
Rome. (Hear, hear.) Not only was Austria allowed to
occupy a similar position by this doctrine of nun-interven-
tion, but there was no doubt that had this country but
raised its arm in the cause of Hungary, without shedding
one drop of blood that country would now be free, and
Eugland looked up to as its saviour. (How, hear.) Non-
intervention was never heard of until weaker mittens sought
to right themselves. (Hear, hen.)
The resolution was carried news. die.
Lord DUDLEY STCART rose to address the meeting, and
WI received with loud cheers. He felt much pleasure at
seeing so large a meeting, and at seeing the noble Vestry
Hall granted for so noble a purpose. (Cheers.) He then
referred to the terms of the resolution proposed by Mr.
Annoy, and thought it must be heartily concurred in by
every friend of civil and religious liberty, for who: could
be a more melancholy spectacle then to see a country held
in subjection and forced to submit to a course which it ob-
jected to, by the bayonets of a foreign power—(hear, hear)
—and when it was borne in mind, that that country was
the same which for many years was considered the centre
of civilisation and which gave laws to the world, that this
was once Imperial Rome, he was sure that all possessing a
knowledge of the history of the world would be filled with
indignation. (Cheers.) It had been truly said by the
mover of the resolution, that civil liberty and religious free-
dom were insoperable. Those who met at Exeter Hall
and elsewhere to declaim and clamour against the
religion of Rome were pursuing an erroneous
course ; they forgot that unless power and liberty
were given to the people, they could have no security for
freedom of conscience. (Cheers.) He was for freedom of
conscience for all; not for protestants, catholics, Jews, or
Greeks, but for universal freedom, under which every oLe
might follow out his religious opinions, whatever they may
be. (Hear, hear.) Wherever there had been despotism,
there had been round religious as well a. civil slavery.
(Cheers.) They would find that there had been monarchs
more tyrannical even than the Pope himself, and who have
invited the Pope to persecute even more than he himself
was inclined. The pages of history also informed us that
pontiffs had used their influence in Spain and elsewhere to
mitigate the severity with which despotic monarchs pursued
heretics. (Hear.) They would find the greatest oppres-
sors had sprung from the house of Hapsburg; find Charles
the Fifth in Germany, Phillip the Second in Spain, Fer-
dinand 11. in Bohemia, and Leopold I. in Hungary, pur-
suing those whom they considered heretics with unrelent-
ing persecution. (Hear.) They would find at the present
day, also, that Austria was still carrying on the spirit of
persecution. It was since the Grand Duke of Tuscany has
had the assistance of his Austrian Main, the Emperor, that
he hail carried on his abominable practices. (Hear.) It was
most desirable to every lover of freedom that Italy should
be freed from French rule, but .it would he lamentable to
relieve the Italians from the French to put them under
Austrian rule. (Hear, hear.) His lordship had much
hopes in the present government; it was gratifying to find
that a men who had so ably exposed the prison system in
Naples held a prominent part in the government, and that
the nobleman to whom Mr. Gladstone addressed his
writings was at the head of the government. It was
equally gratifying also that that old and tried statesman,
Lord Palmerston, held a part in the present government,
and although be did not fill his old post, there was no doubt
he would exercise some influence in the foreign policy of
the country. (Hear, hear.) His lordship concluded amidst
loud applause.
Mr. MASSON then moved the following resolution, and
urged the immediate separation of the temporal-spiritual
supremacy of the Pope : " That Thomas S. Duncombe,
M.P., having given notice of his intentita to move an ad-
dress from the House of Commons to her Majesty, to use
her good offices in order to put an end to the present oc-
cupation of the Roman States by the troops of Austria and
France, the present meeting declare their approval of this
motion, and do hereby adopt the following petition, to be
signed by the chairmen of this meeting, and presented as
the petition of the meeting:"
" To the honourable the Commons of the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland in Parliament assembled,
the humble petition of the undersigned, showeth,
" That the mode in which the Roman republic was estab-
lished in February, 1849, and the entire course of its pro-
. endings during the trying period of its active existence as
described iu the deopatelles from the British Consul at
Rome to her Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreiga
Affairs, and since printed, presents a remarkable picture of
combined wisdom, courage, and virtue, which ought to
have secured the sympathy of every free nation, and more
especially of protestant and constitutional England.
"That instead of expressing any such sympathy, Lard'
Normanby was instructed to state that her Majesty's go-
vernment approved of the national crane committed by the
French government, in their armed intervention in sup-
' port of the pope.
" That the plea under which that sympathy was expressed
was that the pope should be restored under an improved
format government.
" That the foreign occupation of Rome has now lasted
' nearly four years, and has restored and maintains in its
' very worst form the old priestly despotism.
"That- the Pope in 1848 refused to share in the war of
' Italian independeace because Croats were Christians, and
' be could not shed Christian blood,' but that since his resto-
' ration he has been imprisoning, torturing, and exiling his
own subjects by thousands and shooting them by hundreds.
" That in October lest alone, this shooting
Pope made
• room for fresh victims in his overcrowded dungeons by
haring sixty of his subjects publicly shot, being at the rate
• of two per day for the whole month.
"That the national character of England is implicated
in these horrible proceedings, by the expressed consent of
her Majesty's government to the restoration of the Pope.
"Your petitioners therefore humbly_pray your honourable
house to present au address to her majesty, praying that
' her Majesty will use her good offices to put an end to the
occupation of the Roman States by France and Austria.
And your petitioners will ever prey, &c."
Mr. Pirrete, a working man, seconded tho motion,
I which was adopted by acclamation, and the assembly hay-
; tug been addressed by Mr. Bronteree O'Brien and other
I gentlemen, a vote of thanks was given to the chairman,
I and this enthusiastic meeting broke up.

ZETRAORDINARY LOBS OF PROPERTY.-A gen-
tleman in this city haying left his counting-house on
Wednesday evening at too late an hour to lodge hie daily
receipts in the bank took home with him 971. in notes and
19 sovereigns made up in a cartridge. Those be deposited
in au interior drawer in a secretary in his bedroom. The
following morning, on opening the drawer, be was amazed
at perceiving a quantity cf greasy, black ashes, on removing
which he perceived the roll of sovereigns, the paper
around which was perfect, and some letters not even
soiled. The notes were gone. The appearance of the
drawer catmint doubt, in his mind that the ashes were
those of the notes, particularly as he could not conceive how
fire could have communicated with them. He removed

the drawer and its contents; these he submitted to the
manager of one of our banks, who immediately declared
that the ashes were not those of notes, as he had seen
many thousand notes burned, the ashes of which were
white and dry. The manager without hesitation con.
luded that the notes must have been stolen, and that the
ashes of burnt brown paper were placed in the drawer to de-
ceive. This made the gentleman extremely uneasy, as he
could not suspect any of his domesties of being a thief.
Consulting with a friend on the subject, be recommeuilvd
him to have the ashes examined through a magnifying
glass. lle accordingly placed them in the hands of Mr.
Hawkesworth, on the Wand Parade, who discovered ow the
particles the scrolling and figures of bank notes. It is sup-
posed that when placing the notes in the drawer a spark
tram the candle which the gentleman held, fell among
them, and they smouldered away. The letters sad th_
papers on the geld, brio; glared and smooth, did not catO,
the fire. Another curious incident is, that the gentleman
had passed the hour for m eking the daily lodgment in the
bank, from being engaged in preparing a hill of parteulare
of the loss he sustained by a fire which took place in iii,
establishment that day month, and which it was necessary
to forward by the next mail to the Insurance Comeany,
whose policy he held. His claim in that case was but uol.
Cork Conatitution.