The Express.
London, England, 1861-04-27 00:00:00

AAILWAY COMMITTEE&

Yesterday there was a perfect " pit rash," of
the various parties interested in the decision of the com.
mittee on the proposed amalgamation of the (Madonna,
Edinburgh, and Glasgow and Scottish Central Railways
under one supremacy to be entitled " the Caledonian
Central." with a consolidated capital of some 115,000,0001,
Mr. Scholefield, the chairman, announcing that the coin.
mince bed come to the decision that the preamble of the
bill wen " not proved," or • in other words that the case did
not disclose • sufficient mamma of public advantage to justify
the committee in the kill. The announcement was
received with a nee, mod the committee broke up alter
• sitting of nes y three weeks of laborious investigation.
The bill of the Ross and Monmouth Railway, the
whole case having been closed in so able speech
by Mr. Merewethez, Q.C. was passed in Mr. Cob.
bett's committee, the main object of the measure
being to run a line of twelve miles from
Monmouth to the Great Western Railway at Rom, at s
calculated cost of 200,0001. The bill of the Banbridge Er.
tension Railway was peeved in Mr. Ingham's °nominee,
fora railway commencing at Castlewallan and terminating
at Dundrum ; and the remainder of the sitting was devoted
to an isquiry into the merits of the Downpatncic and Newry
Junction, 30 miles long, from the Belfast and County Down
Railwa to the Newry and Armagh, with branches, at as
eat cost of 300,000/. The case of the Aberystwitir
and Welsh Coast was opened in Committee 10, and that cd
the Cheshire lines of the London and North Western closed
in Committee 9.

The Leeds anted off all the work assigned them in cow.
mitte• this west by pasting several nolosures, and amongst
tkern the Esk Valley Railway, a short junction line to the
Howick nation of the North British, to the +punt aide cl
the Rine Bak and to Lasswade, " the Richmond" of
Edinburgh, at a cost of 50,0001. Mao the Forth and Clyde
Railway, sad a Welch line celled the Cardiff and flier.
philly Railway, estimated to coot 200,0001., from a junction
with the Bute Dock branch of the !throaty Railway nor
Cardiff, to a junction with the Caerphilly branch of that
railway at Eastern and divers branches. The bill of the
Cornwall Railway to &Moe their share capital as amounting
to 1,500,0001., to authorise the raising of 82,9501., to mate
a line to the docks at Bar Point, in Falmouth harbour, and
with ridereses to the loosing of the Cornwall lime to the
imotiatinComposite, was remitted to Lord Redesdale, the
been withdrawn
chairman of committees, the opposition to the bill Loins
.

BRITISH SOCIIITY POZ TER CONVRESION Or TES
Jews—Theannualmeeting of the Society forth. Camino'
of the Jews was held yesterday evening at the Freemasons'.
and was numerously attended. The Hon. W. Ashley
presided, and on the platform were the Rey. Dr. Campbell,
Rev. Dr. Meyer, Rev. George Smith, Rev. John Stoughton,
Rev. R. Herschel!, ho. A prayer having been offered, the
Chairman maid be was glad that the society had tabs
advantage of the recent events in Italy for the purpose
of spreading the gospel among the Jews in that country.
The incentives to exertion, he argued, were of the strongest
description. A lengthened report was read, which stated
that the society employed 22 missionaries, sad much is.
tereating information was gieen concerning the efforts made
in Algiers, Prussia, the Danubian Principalities, England,
he. The income of the year bed been 5,987 f. 3s. lid. lex.
cluaive of the last balanoe); the exyciditure was
9a. 2d. ; and the balance in hand 90of. 9s. 10d. The Rey.
G. Smith moved the adoption of the report, which we
=rantn The Rev. Dr. Meyer and other gentloee
spoke, and the meeting terminated in the only
nag way.
TURKISH MISSIONS AID SOCIRTY.—A public
meeting of the friends of this mission was held yeaterdee st
Willia'n.roorns ; the Earl of Shaftesbury in the chair. Tbs
noble chairman dwelt in his usual impressive manner nem
the lamentable state of the Christum population in the
Turkish provinces, referring particularly to the recent mu
nacres in Syria, and the effects arising therefrom. lis
trusted the exertions now making by the various Christie
powers on behalf of their fellow. Christians in the Da
would be rewarded with success. The report, which at
of a verf interesting nature, was then read, and the metw
lug, which was addressed by several noblemen and gentle
men, separated, a collection in aid of the object hCO
bean first made.
SCRIPTURE READERS' ASSOcIATION.—The annual
meeting of this society was held yesterday at the Ifanoveo
square Rooms, the Bishop of Durham in the chair. 70
report stated that there had been 25,986 visits paid ; 3.404
infants and 102 adults had been baptised ; 2,014 childrn
and 158 male and 237 female adults had been induced W
attend schools; 307 persons bad been led to attend Muni
who never attended before ; 429 bad been confirmed, sni
209 become communicants ; 48 persons had Leen induced tn
marry who were living openly in sin. Thu grants for the
past year had advanced from 119 to 125. 290/. scot
received from donations alone for the current year or MI
staff of readers could not be maintained. There you 1
halance in the treasurer's hands of 831. 12s. itd. The Rel.
Mr. Cbampneys, vicar of St. Pancnui, moved the adoption
of the report, which, having been seeonded by the Hoc., J.
Napier, was carried unanimously. The Bishop of Cadsill
moved a resolution affirming th,..t increased exertions wens
necessary to carry on the operations of the society, no"
was also carried.

Tua "Twice" AND THE BtDDET.—As the case
actually stands, we are of viola' that the budget is &fey
sible, and that Mr. GlatLtone's propositions have rte
recommendation of uecemity. If the question of abandon'
lug an indirect tax of this value were now proposed for the
first time it would be a different matter. Even if the
paper duty were now discussed on its own merits the mods
might be dubious, for it is curious to observe bow le:neatly
and even affectionately this intichsibused impost °
regarded now that its fate is thought sealed. From wlot
is laid of it, and whet is left unsaid, a reader of the dr•
bates might be led to conclude that it was about our of
the least objectionable taxes going, but the truth
is that the topic has been long removed from ibis
sphere of argument. The house is committed to
a policy on the paper duty—committed not only by "sb-
strata resolutions " or recorded opinions, for records of thst
kind, as was observed, might be pleaded against the biome,
tax as well, but by proceedings far more absolute in clia•
rector. The house has actually posed a bill for the 'bob.
tion of the paper duty, and that Buell bill did not become
law was owing only to an intervention of a very extraordi•
nary kind. As it happened, the conflict between the two
houses did not &mime a very serious shape, but those who
best understood what was at stake on the OCCIOIOII will be
most anxious that all chances of feud should 6. deote°
It followed necessarily from last year's promo:liege that
the paper duty should be repealed as soon as the mom fee
dispensing with it could be found.—Tiams.