The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-08 00:00:00

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mant, nor the date of embarkation, but it will probably
take place at the end of the month.
The Aberdeenshire Militia arc to be embodied on the
20th inst.

The following gentlemen have been promoted and al,.
pointed in the Renfrew Militia :—Mr. W. F. Hamilton
to be Captain, Mr. A. S. G. Jauncey to be Captain,
Lieutenant F. R. Reid to be Captain, Mr. D. M. La-
tham to be Lieutenant, Mr. C. W. Motherwell to be
Lieutenant, Mr. J. Simons to be Lieutenant, Mr. R.
W. Barber to be Lieutenant, and Mr. R. W. Young to
be Ensign,
Lieutenant J. Broughton has been promoted to a Cap-
taincy in the 2d Regiment of Staffordshire Militia, vice
Lane, appointed to the Coldstream Guards ; and Second
Lieutenant F. Vero to be Lieutenant, vice Broughton,
promoted as above.
The North Durham Regiment, which is commanded
by Earl Vane, having received notice that they would
he embodied for permanent duty, mustered on Thursday
last in the city of Durham, their head-quarters. The
weather was most inclement and the notice somewhat
short ; however, about 150 appeared ween the roll was
called, and since then they have increased to 220. Earl
Vane has net yet assumed the command. Meantime the
men are drilled under the Captain and Adjataut. The
full quota of the regiment is 500.
Tu. 3d Royal Middlesex Light Infantry Militia azsem-
bled yesterday at Turnhana green for permanent duty.
The following officers were present :—Colonel Viscount
Cheleea, Lieutenant-Colonel Glossop, Major Penton,
Captains Ralfs, Cork, Piper,. Murray, Baynes, Wood-
h cad, Burgess, and Parsons ; Lieutenants Ralfs, M 'E Hen,
Swan, Hough, Gifford, Derides, and Ctgapinan ; En-
signs M'Ewen, Bulkelly, and Walker, Captain and Ad-
'titant MiEwen, Surgeon M'Z'ann, and Assi taut-Sur-
geon Hurman.
The permanent staff of this regiment are old non-corn-
missione officers from the Guards and line. The regi-
ment mustered at the first parade 410 strong, with every
probability of soon reaching their full complement, al-
though they have given a great number of volunteers to
the regiments of the regular army.
The Government have directed the immediate embo-
diment and organisation of a new corps of militia for
the county of Glamorgan, and, in consequence, active
exertions are being made for the immediate formation of
the force, which is to be an artillery regiment, and to be
styled the "Royal Glamorgan Artillery Militia." The
enlistment will be immediately carried out. This new
body will be entirely distinct from the regular county
militia, which is a light infantry regiment, and the
authorities have ordered the enrolment of this artillery
corps with a special view to the protection and defence of
some of the more exposed points and harbours along the
South Wales coast of the Bristol Channel ; indeed, the
whole line of coast at present is nearly defenceless, and
an efficient artillery corps is much needed. The strength
of this new regiment will be 400, and the head-quarters
at Swansea, those of the county being at Cardiff. Capt.
Morgan, of St. Helen's, is to be the Lieut.-Colonel. The
exposed ports and harbours on the coast will be imme-
diately fortified and otherwise strengthened.
On Monday 50 Commissariat drivers arrived in Cork
from Dublin for the Crimea. They proceeded to Eliza-
beth Fort, where they will remain until the arrival of
the transport Severn, which was expected hourly.

OFFICIAL DESPATCHH FROM FIELD-
MARSHAL LORD RAGLAN.

(From a Supplement to Tuesday's Gazette.)
WAR-DEPARTMENT, FEB. 7.
His Grace the Duke of Newcastle received last night
a despatch, of which the following is a copy, addressed
to his Grace by Field-Marshal the Lord Raglan,
G.C.B.

EIIOPLE SEBASTOPOL, JAN. 23.

My Lord Dullo,—Nothing has occurred of importance
in our front ; but the enemy has occasionally opened a
tire upon our left attack, and Mr. Spalding, a fine young
man, an Acting Mate of her Majesty': ship London, and
in charge of the battery, was unfortunately killed by a
round shot the day before yesterday.
His loss is deeply deplored. I enclose th return of
casualties to the 2lit inst.

The weather has become milder ; but the country is
still in 9. dreadful state from melted snow.

The army is well s,upplied with warm clothing, and if
the Commissariat were adequately provided with trans-
port, and the huts could be at once brought up, there
would be no other cause of suffering than the severity
of a Crimean winter, and the duties imposed of carrying
on a siege in such a climate at this season of the year.—
I have, &c., RAGLAN.
His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, &c., &c., &c.

A RETURN OF CASUALTIES IN THE NAVAL
BRIGADE ON THE 21sT JAN., 1855.
KILLED.
Mr. J. H. Spalding, Acting Mate, London.
Total killed, 1.
STEPHEN LUSHINGTON,
Captain Commanding Naval Brigade.
The Military Secretary to H.E. Lord Raglan,
Commander-in-Chief.

WILR-OFFICE, Fle. 7, 1855.
The Right Hon. the Secretary at War has received
from his Grace the Dike of Newcastle the following list
of casualties amongst the non-commissioned officers and
privatcH, in the forces under the command of Field-Mar-
shal the Lord Raglan, G.C.8., from the 19th to the 21st
January, 1855, both days inclusive.
gETURN OF CASUALTIES FROM 19TH TO 21ST
JANUARY, 1855.
44th Regiment of Foot-1 rank and file, killed.
89th Regiment-1 rank and file, killed ; 1 rank and
file, wounded.
21 Battalion Rifle Brigade-1 rank and file, wounded.
Total-2 rink and file, killed ; 2 rank and file,
wounded.

J. B. BUCKNALL ESTCOURT,
Adjutant-General.

NOMINAL RETURN OF NON-COMMISSIONED
OFFICERS AND PRIVATES KILLED FROM
19TH TO 21st JANUARY, 1855, INCLUSIVE.
KILLED.
JAN. 19.
89th Re;iment of Foot.
Private Henry Williamson.

JAN. 20.
44th Regiment of Foot.
Private Matthew Claire.
J. B. BTJCKNALL ESTCOURT,
Adjutant-General.

NOMINAL RETURN OF NON-COMMISSIONED
OFFICERS AND PRIVATES WOUNDED
FROM THE 19TH TO 21sT JANUARY, 1355
INCLUSIVE. ,

WOUNDED.
JAN. 19.
89th Regiment of Foot.
Private William Houston, slightly.

JAN. 20.
2d Battalion Rifle Brigade.
Private Walter Newman, slightly.
J. B. BUCKNALL ESTCOURT,
Adjutant-General.

MORTAR EXPERIMENTS.

Were yen ever present, says a Mathematician, when
an !Dan co Committee were carrying on experiments
•n great guns or the like f If so, you have probably
seen the said committee represented by two or three old
gentlemen who have long since forgotten the little
"gunnery" they once read :—ene thinks it is a pity to
change what answered so well in the last war ; another
is opposed to improvements on general principles ;
while a third, worst of all, has a hobby of his own, t•
which he is ■o attached that he can see no merit in any
rival plan. Now, sir, I do not begrudge any roan his
hobby, but when I kniovv it to be a restive beast, and
whe❑ its owner insists on putting the kicking strap
under its belly, instead of its usual place, it teems time
for some one to tell him of his mistake.
These remarks are called out by the reports of certain
mortar experiments, in which blocks of indiarubber
were placed under the mortar-bed to do away with tke
mischievous effects of the recoil. By this method the
vertical part of the recoil is undoubtedly much lessened ;
but any one with the slightest mechanical knowledge,
practical sr theoretical, must know that, when a mor-
tar is fired on board ship at an elevation somewhat
under 45 deg , it is the horizontal part of the recoil
which so shakes the framework as to render it in a short
time unserviceable.

Such an attempt to break the shock of the recoil,
without paying any attention to the horizontal action,
can only arise from ignorance of the simplest mechani-
cal principles.
Why, then, is it, that when our governing bodies
undertake to try experiments and test mechanical in-
♦entions, they do not call in the aid of some competent
scientific person, who can understand what he sees, and
report intelligibly on the merits of the case
Practical men may think lightly of theorists, and igno-
rant men may find some pleasure and excitement in
groping in the dark, but, certainly, the quickest as well
as the surest road to success in such matters is that in
which science and experience go hand-in-hand. In war-
like preparations particularly our country cannot afford
to neglect any element of success, and it would be found
on trial that some advantage may be derived from the
suggestions of such persons.

n.
gellaita•
ni‘o%kcicronEcon, M.P.—we (Glasgow Mail) have
sa.Ya that, the from this. gentleman t;) a friend, in which he
Ilia been
for has Just retnnicd from Paris, where he
I merco butvveen Great
to a more free system of corn-
, busines., witili`Tri tulle past in the eischarge of puilic
nadi:leation.—'
gentlernsia w,„lrar,,t,il'itaila and France. The lion
intended period, in el,:— I" Paris for ten :lays beyond his.
[4.DvEtvriszutNr.]___7ile"ce of a slight indispJsition
coomaretite, debit-
cite:ons in curing Bile a4,ITNLY's Pills sinoni!arly cal.-
go peculiarly on the bowels
complaint,, Should
rCese pills act
on the systenl, that persons' sufFehriaY: l'aO„goi°,4 an effect
Con, headache, dimness of Eitginheti,e,l*oiasuftrif;:s;le, iluliges-
' its-, nervousness, liver or stomach
hare immediate recourse to
best
medicine to be cornpaz-cd with. the properties 'thlue other
less. They may be taken in
,all climates, and byyll'outsi:
sexes at any period of life. Ina, cures effected by their
use convinces every one that taey are the very
family umiieines extant.—Sold by all 'v eutlors of Medi-
cine, and at Professor Holloway's Esta blishuients, 244,
Strand, London, and 80, Maiden-Jane,, New York.

LAW INTELLIOtNCE.—Feb. 7.

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.

THE QUEEN V. RHODES AND OTHERS-RIOT AND ASSAULT.

Sir Frederick Thesiger, Mr. Bodkin, and Mr. Keane
appeared for the prosecution ; and Mr. M. Chambers,
Mr. Serjeant Wilkins, and Mr. Huddleston for the
several defendants.
The defendants in this case were indicted for a riot
and assault. They pleaded not guilty.
It appeared from the evidence adduced on the part of
the prosecution that an election for commissioners for
the ward of St. Mary Abbotts, under a local act for pay.
ing• and improving the parish of Kensington, took place
on the 4th of October last, at the Kensington Vestry-
hall. Mr. Reynell, a solicitor, was acting as presiding
officer, and on the poll being closed at four o'clock, some
of the defendants demanded to know the state of the
poll, to which Mr. Reynell replied that he could not
mention it then, the act of Parliament allowing him
until two o'clock the day following, the day after the
election, to do so, but he would get it done as eoon as
he could. He then endeavoured to get out of the hall,
when the defendants called out "Shut the door, and
don't allow him to go out until he has declared the state
of the poll." Mr. Reynell was then laid hold of by
them, and his coat torn, and he was otherwise assaulted.
A great cumber of witnessis having been called on
the part of the prosecution,
Lord Campbell, at the close of the case for the prose-
cution, said he thought it would be difficult to deny the
assault after the great body of evidence which had been
called, although it had been done under great excitement,
and it did not amount to a riot. He thought it would
be better that there should be a verdict for an assault.
Sir F. Thesiger said the commissioners had not the
slightest desire to press the ease against the defendants,
and if they would have assented to a verdict of guilty of
the assault they would only have been required to enter
into their own recognisances, the object being to protect
persons who ware necessarily employed in the perform-
ance of SI duty.

Lord Campbell said there was n• premeditation, and
they all knew the excitement of an election. In his
opinion the commissioners had most properly directed
the inquiry.
Mr. Hall said he was the attorney for Mr. Rhodes,
who expressed a strong desire that the case should
go on.
scl. Lord Campbell was of opinion that the best thing Mr.
Rhodes could do would be to accept the offer which had
been made to him.
After some consultation,
Mr. Serjeant Wilkins said Mr. Rhodes had left the
case in his hands, and of course he would accept his lord-
ship's suggestion.

A
A discussion having taken place as to costs,
Lord Campbell said no doubt the commissioners
would waive any item of that sort.
!'4 Sir F. Thesiger said if his lordship thought so he had
no doubt the commissioners would assent to that.
A. verdict of guilty of an assault was then returned,
and the parties entered into recognisances to appear for
judgment when called upon.

ARCHES COURT.
(Before Sir John Dodson.)
HART V. RART.-lONTENOE.

This was a suit of divorce, by reason of cruelty,
brought by Emily Jane Hart against her husband,
Francis Hart.
Sir John Dedeen, in giving sentence, said that the
marriage had taken place on the 18th of September,
1847, and that the parties had cohabited together at
Tunbridge, Margate, Cheltenham, and other places,
until June, 1848, when Mr. Hart had deserted his wife.
A subsequent cohabitation took place iu the month of
April, 1850, which continued until the following July,
when the defendant again deserted his wife at the White
Hart Hotel, Bristol. Since then they had lived apart.
It was stated that Mr. Hart had concealed his resi-
dence, and that Mrs. Hart had thereby been prevented
from bringing her suit until October, 1853. A libel
was then given in on her behalf containing charges of
gross cruelty against her husband. No defensive alle-
gation had been propounded by Mr. Hart, who had
contented himself with merely cross-examining the
witnesses. Mrs. Hare in her evidence, had deposed
strongly in support of the circumstances alleged in her
iibel ; but the court, without meaning to charge her a ith
wilful perjury, could not help thinking that she had
much toe highly-coloured some of her statements. For
instance, her evidence contained au averment to the
effect that she had been ordered by her husband to write
to the trustee under her marriage settlement to send her
certain documents relating to some houses settled upon
her ; that she had written to him accordingly, and that
upon his declining to forward her the papers, her hus-
band had behaved with great violence towards her.
She stated that he had clutched her so tightly by the
throat that she could not speak, but that being near the
bell she managed to ring it, and the servant who came
in removed her husband's bands from her, saying
that she would call a policeman if he did not de-
sist. This account, however, was scarcely consist-
eut with the deposition of the servant herself, who
stated that upon entering the drawing-room she
found her mistress sitting on the floor, with her back
resting against a chair, from which she appeared to have
slipped off'. She was much agitated, and her master was
stooping over her with a glass tumbler containing some
liquid which smelt like spirits and water. Mrs. Hart ex-
claimed,"Look here, Mary ; he wants to strangle me," but
the witness deposed that at that time he was not touching
her. This showed that Mrs. Hart's account could not be
implicitly relied upon. So again in the eighth article, which
referred to one of the earliest acts of cruelty alleged, it
was stated that Mr. Hart had violently assaulted her in
a garden at Margate ; and that Mrs. Killick, the keeper
of the boarding-house where this took place, hal inter-
fered to prevent further mischief. But Mrs. Killick was
neither produced as a witness in the case, nor was it al-
leged that she was dead or unable to give evilence. It
was said that she might hare forgotten the circumstance,
but surely if it had ever occurred that was not likely to
be the case. The court, however, was bound to say that
with respect to some of the acts of cruelty alleged there
was corroborative evidence. He (Sir J. Dodson) was
alluding to that which took place at the house of Mrs.
Hart's father at Hereford. Mrs. Hart had deposed to
acts of cruelty there, and she was confirmed by her
sister, who was present on that Occasion. Indeed, there
could be no doubt that Mr. Hart had been guilty of gross
acts of cruelty towards his wife—acts that would have
entitled her to a sentence of separation from him. So
again with respect to the midnight scene, which was
enacted at their house at Ladbroks-villas, Notting-hill.
Mrs. Hart deposed that she was obliged to fly from the
house and to take shelter in an outhouse er shed in
the garden of a neighbour, Mr. Hinchcliffe ; and
that finally she had obtained admission into Mr. }finch-
cliffe's house, where she remained till the morning. In
her account of that transaction she was confirmed by
other witnesses, and the court was constrained to say,
that although she had gone beyond what the facts would
warrant in some portions of her evidence, she had satis-
factorily proved such acts of cruelty as would entitle her
to a divorce, unless her remedy was barred by what had
subsequently taken place ; more especially as Mr. Hart
had not given in any evidence to rebut the testimony
cffered on her behalf: The question, therefore, came to
this, namely, whether the malicious desertion of Mrs.
Hart by her hushand, at Bristol, would revive the for-
mer acts of cruelty which had been condoned by the
reconciliation and subsequent cohabitation which took
place about two months before that event ? That there
had been condonation in this case there could be no
doubt whatever. Not only had there been cohabitation,
from which condonation might have been presumed, but
there bad been an actual and formal condonation. There
had been a reconciliation at Mrs. Hart's own solicita-
tion and de-ire. It appeared that she had sent letter
after letter to her husband, begging him to renew the
cohabitation, assuring bins that it would give her
ttehlelingarhettimteshtowplueanshuapu shereelld was satisfaction
living faicitviian to do so,
separate, and
using etreng expressions of endearment tewerds him.
These letters failed, however, to answer her purpose,
and she then instituted a, suit for divorce, on the ground
of cruelty and adultery ; but subsequently she called at
the house where her husband was living with the lady
with whom she had charged him with committing adul-
tery. She had an interview with him, and being assured
that lie was not guilty of that offence, she signed a sort
of confession, in which she admitted her' faults of temper,
and declared that she would forgive and forget all that
had passed, and promised to live with him in future
quietly, soberly, and with a decent regard to his com-
fort. The question then arose whether the malicious
desertion subsequently acted as a reviver of the former
cruelty ? By the law of some countries malicious deser-
tion was of itself a ground of divorce. He (Sir John
Dolson) learned from the valuable and excellent work
of Mr. Bishop, of Boston, that such was the case in
several, though not all, of the United States. Malicious
desertion, however, was certainly net by the law of
England a ground of divorce ; and no case had been
cited to show that it would even operate as a reviver of
former cruelty. It had been argued, and no doubt it was
quite true, the lesser acts would suffice to revive former
cruelty, than to establish an original case ; but then
those acts must be ejusdera generis--of a nature to show
that the offending party still entertained the same cruel
disposition towards the party who brought the suit. In
this ease no such acts had been proved. It had not been
shown that Mr. Hatt, after the reconciliation, did any-
thing that would tend to establish a reasonable appre-
hension of danger to his wife, in life, limb, or health.
On the contrary, it was clear that he had throughout
manifested the strongest possible anxiety to get away
from her, and that she had always been the party who
was desirous of renewing the cohabitation. Under these
circumstances the court must pronounce Mr. Hart to
have been guilty in the first instance of such acts of
cruelty as would have justified it, if the suit had then
been brought, in granting a separation ; but it must
also decide that those acts had been condoned by Mrs
Hart, and that they bad not been subsequently revived
by the defendant's conduct in maliciously deserting her
at the White Hart Inn, at Bristol. He (Sir J. Dodson)
felt himself therefore bound to dimaiss the parties.
Divorce refused.

prop, er conduct towards her, by thrusting his hands into
her bosom, but that which formed the subject of this
prosecution took place on the Thursday preceding
Christmas-day. The defendant's wife was out, and the
girl went into a room where the defendant was sitting
alone, for the purpose, as she at first stated, of putting
some glasses on the sideboard, but she afterwards ad-
mitted she had no necessity whatever to go to the room.
The defendant took advantage of the opportunity, and
pulled her clotTaes about in an indecent manner, and in-
vited her into a bed-room ; but suddenly he altered his
purpose, and said to her, " You ought to have checked
me at first. lam a married man, and ought to know
better. Let this: be as if it had never happened." lie
then gave her le., and she quitted the apartment.
There was something said about her being sent away
about ten days afterwards, and then for the first time
she charged the defendant with having improperly
behaved himself to her, and the first intimation of any-
thing of the kind was contained in a letter which she
got a person to send on her behalf to the master of
the workhouse. An entry of the matter was made
in the books, and a magistrate's summons was obtained
against the defendant. When it was served upon him he
said it was very hard, and that it was done with her
own consent. The defendant voluntarily attended before
the rotation committee of the hoard of guardians, and
saw Mr. George Poland, one nf the members, to whom
he said, after the entry in the books containing the
charge had been read over to him, that he had been very
foolish, that he had kissed the girl, and that he had on
the particular occasion in question treated her in the wa:,-
she had described. lie was anxious that the committee
should hush the affair up, and suggested that it would
be better for him to give her something by way of com-
pensation ; but Mr. Poland's reply was that it was a
magistrate's er,s and must be proceeded with in the
regular way. Consequently, after the evidence had been
given at the police-court, the defendant was held to bail
to answer the charge at this court, and the parish solici-
citor (Mr. Randall) was instructed to prosecute.
In her cross-examination, the prosecutrix answered
the questions with great reluctance, particularly those
relating to her having received a shilling from the de-
fendant, and not making the charge for so long a time
after the assault took place. She " thought" this was
the first charge of the kind she had ever made, hut after-
wards she recollected that she had complained about the
conduct of a gentleman who lived in a house where she
was formerly in service.

Mr. Ballastin• made a short address t• the jury, the
substance of which was, that though he must admit that
the defendant had been guilty of conduct which could
not be justifie,d, nor be regarded with anything but dis-
approval, yet it was quite clear that he had not rendered
himself liable to the serious charge in the first count of
the indictment ; and that what had taken place, it was
quite clear from her own statements and admission, had
been with her own entire willingness and consent. Re-
viewing the whole case, the jury, he was sure, could
come to no other conclusion.

. The Assistant Judge said there was no pretence for
the first count ; and if the defendant had conducted him-
self as the girl bad stated, without her consent, he was
liable to the charge of assault ; but looking at the whole
of the circumstances, it would be for the jury to say
whether she did not consent to what took place. The
defendant's conduct could not be justified or excused,
but it appeared to have been that of a man who had had
a temptation held out to him, and encouraged by what
had before taken place with (as it appeared) the prose-
cutrix's sanction; for though three times repeated, she
said not a word about it, though she had full opportu-
nity to do so if she had chosen ; besides which, she re-
ceived a shilling from the defendant, and said nothing
about his conduct on the more particular occasion until
ten days afterwards, and not then till she was about to
be sent away.
The jury immediately acquitted the defendant.
The Assistant Judge said he entirely agreed with the
verdict ; but the guardians, as a body, had done per-
fectly right in instituting the proceeding, aid not sifting
the evidence and deciding upon the merits themselves ;
because had they done so, they would have had the out-
cry against them that they were encouraging such con-
duct towards workhouse children. They had acted with
great propriety in the matter.
The Court then adjourned.

SURREY SESSIONS.—Feb. 7.

INCITINa SOLDIERS TO DESERT—IMPORTANT CASE.

Daniel Curnnaings, an Irishman, was indicted for un-
lawfully causing Thomas Horton, William Johnson, and
William Reynolds, privates in her Majesty's Coldstream
Guards, to desert at Croydon, in the county of Surrey..
Michael Haley, police-constable 255 P, said that on
Monday evening, the 29th of January last, between
seven and eight o'clock, he was on duty in Croydon,
when he saw the prisoner and Horton in Mr. Welt's
field. They had three bundles containing regimentals
belonging to soldiers in the Coldstream Guards. He
stopped them and took them to the station-house, when
he found that the prisoner had incited Horton and two
other soldiers to desert.

Thomas Horton' a private in the Coldstream Guards,
said he was at tested at Sheffield on the Bth of December,
and on the 23d he came to Croydon Barracks. On the
29th of January he met the prisoner, and was induced
by him to desert. William Reynolds and Wiliam
Johnson were with him, and they all deserted, and
Cummings said he would get them clothes. They all
went to his house, and witness and Johnson paid lls.
for private clothes, and Cummings brought them to
tyl-,em, and they put them on. Johnson and Reynolds
left witnts3, and he had not seen them since. Witiless
was taken into custody by police constable Haley on the
same ciaj'.

John Ashley, a serjeant in the Coldstream Guards,
said that the clothing produc,d was the property of the
re,;iment, and was until recently used by William John-
-11911 and William Reynolds, who had deserted.
The prisoner, in his defence, contended that he did
not incite the soldier to desert ; neither had he received
any money fur the clothes. lie, however, acknowledged
having the regimental clothes in his possession, but they
were left with him.

The jury, aft3r a short consultation, returned a verdict
of guilty.
The chairman said it was a very serious offence, espe-
cially at such a time, when her Majesty was in want of
soldiers to prosecute the war with Russia. He should
sentence him to three months' imprisonment in the House
of Correction ; but he was sorry to say tho law did not
give him power to add hard labour with it.

WESTMLNST.ER COUNTY COURT.

EXTRAORDINARY BURSTING OF A
RAILWAY ENGINE.

one of the most extraordinary and unaccountable
accidents ever recorded happened at Gloucester yester-
day (Wednesday), at the station of the Great Western
and South Wales Railway Companies. It appears that
the 6 rem, train from Paddington arrived at Swindon in
due course, arid proceeded on to Bristol, a branch train
being made up at that place, and running thence along
the Cheltenham branch to Gloucester and Cheltenham.
This train, drawn by the Actaaon, reached Gloucester at
the appointed time-10'20—and the passengers for
Gloucester had alighted, leaving others for South Wales
and Cheltenhatu in the train. From Gloucester to South
Wales the train is made a third-class one, and ac-
cordingly, during a short stoppage, the engine proceeded
about a hundred yards down the line to fetch a third-
class carriage. This had been attached to the engine,
which at once returned at a slow pace towards the sta-
tion, and had reached within 15 yards at the end of the
platform, when an awful explosion took place. The top
of the boiler was carried away, and fragments of the en-
gine were scattered in all directions. One portion, the
cupola at the top of the boiler, fell through the zinc roof
of the station on to the platform, but luckily without
touching any person. Another large piece of the en-
gine was propelled through the roof of the Gloucester
workhouse, which stands a short distance from the side
of the line ; a third was carried a distance of a quarter of
a mile over streets and houses, and fell in a garden near
the Spa, while a massive iron ring about a foot in diame-
ter was carried across the cattle-market, a distance ofabeut
250 yards, and striking the corner of the new market inn,
drove a hole completely through the wall and destroyed
numerous articles of furniture is the room, some •f the
bricks being projected 50 yards up a narrow lane. A
rod from the boiler was picked up in a yard in Burton-
street, and numerous fragments were found in various
parts of the city. The woodwork of the engine appears
to have been splintered into a thousand bits, no piece
more than two or three inches in length having been
picked up. The explosion, which resembled that of a
park of ordnance, threw the whole city into consterna-
tion and was heard for miles around. A great many win-
dows near the railway were broken by the concussion,
but the most miraculous part of the story is that no life
has been sacrificed. The driver and stoker both escaped
with a few bruises. The explosion took place in the
front part of the engine, and these men were providen-
tially protected by the upright part which rises between
their place on the engine and the front part. A switch-
man named John Cooke, who was on duty near the spot
where the explosion took place, was very severely
scalded by a complete deluge of water from the boiler,
and is now under surgical treatment, but no one else
appears to have been injured. Mr. Ashbee, the Glou-
cester superintendent of tho Great Western Railway,
and othor officials, were promptly on the spot, and the
train was not delayed more than half-an-hour, a fresh
engine having been procured. The Actaeon presents a
perfect wreck, having literally been blown to atoms and
burst into two pieces, connected by the pipes of the
boiler. The line was cleared for traffic in a short time,
sod the remains of the engine aro now being removed
piecemeal from the snide.

RATS V. TIIE WEST INDIA MAILS.—A latter from An-
tionaP dated J;nuary 1.2, received in Liverpool, says " The &Learner Prince, which arrived here on the 9th
inst., from St. Thomas, brought lack the mails of Dee.
23, for Europe, in consequence of rats having eatera off
the parchment labels."
PETO'S SUIELD.—Mr. Pete, it appears, offered his
services to the late Government —which Lad never
thought of demanding them. The Herald's Office should
give him a new coat of arms, in which navvies might bo
quartered with spades, both proper, in the normal way.
As the aid of Mr. Peto was unsought, his motto might
be " Peto non petitus."—Punch.
LITTXRPOOL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.--Alt the ad-
journed meeting of the members of the Liverpool Cham-
ber of Commerce, held on Tuesday, in the Office, Ex-
change-buildings, Messrs. Thomas Bouch, John Torr,
Wm. Rathhone, jun., and .Alr. R. W. Kelley, were
elected directors of the chamber for the next year, in the I
room of those who retired by rotation.

RAILWAY INTBLLY-G.ENOII.

METROPOLITAN.
We stated a few days since that the termination of this
railway at the Central Post Office in St. Martin's-1e-
Grand will prove highly beneficial to the Manchester
trade, inasmuch as it will enable the manufacturers to
send their goods almost into the midst of the City ware-
houseirien. We now find that one of the most eminent
of the Manchester warehousemen, Mr. Sampson Cope-
stake, of Cheapside, has, seeing the importance of the
line to the trade, taken a considerable money interest in
the concern, and called upon the whole of the trade to
support it. We take the following extracts from the
circular which Mr. Copestake has issued :

" It seemed to ma that a line to connect the City with
the great railways leading to Manchester and the manu-
facturing districts in the north would afford the facilities
which the City of London ought to possess, and was de-
serving of every encouragement, and might, moreover, be
made conducive to the interests of the wholesale trade wit h
which we are more immediately connected ; in that belief
I took 500 shares, and in that belief I venture to bring it
before your notice.
' The undertaking appears now to be placed in hands
and upon a footing which afford every reasonable assurance
that it will prove a profitable inveAment, and be efficiently
and independently carried out, and be made fairly available
for the common interests of the different railways with
which it will be in communication."

PRICES OF SHARES
IN BANKS, ASSURANCE, AND OTHER COIL
PANIES' STOCK.

From the Official List.
PUBLISHED EYEBY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY EVENING,
LONDON, FRIDAY, FEB. 2, 1855.

GAS-LIGHT AND COKE COMPANIES,

Dividend Amount
Name of Company. per of Paid. Price.
Annum. Share.
"
British •
4 s. d. X s. d.
• • • ..........
Ditto Provincial.... I/. Bs. 20 0 0 20 0 0 21
Brighton ...... ••• • ~ 51. 20 0 0 20 0 0
';ity of London .... •• 41. 10s. 100 0 0 150 50 , 100
:'ontinental (3cl Cap.)... 41.105. 50 0 0 43 10 0
Equitable ... • ....• .. 1/. ss. 50 0 0 all 28
Great Central .... •.. 71 pe! cent. 10 0 0 all , 10%
Imperial .. • • ........ 10t. & bonus. 50 0 0 all I - -
Independent ......... 51. 40 0 0
If
London•• ...... ...... 50 0 0
••
Do., Parl. Preference 61. per cent. 25 0 0 25 ff.
Pr‘co4'ix ............. 41. per cent. ,60 0 0 50 0 0 28%
Ratcliff • ..• •.... .• • 51. 100 0 0 90 0 0 73
United General ...... 1/. ss. 50 0 0 all 20
Westminster Chare 51. per cent. 50 0 0 9 9 403
Ditto, New ... .........Si. per cent. 50 0 0 10 o 0 ,

WATER-WORKS.

Dividend
Name of Company. per
Annum.

East London
Grand Junction •• 4t. per cnt.
Kent—.
Lambeth
New River Company 2l. 10s.
Southwark &Vauxhall 5/. per cnt.
West Middlesex 51.105. pr et.

Name of Company.

Commercial . • e ••• • • .
East and West India
East Country..
London . •
Ditto Bonds
St. Katharine

DOCKS.

Dividend
per

Annum.

outhampton ........
Victoria .. • .........

Amount
of
Share.

Name of Company.

Hungerford .... • • .
Southwark .......

I)itto New of 7% p.c.
Waterloo .......
Ditto Old Ann. of 81.
Ditto Nw ditto of 71.
Vauxhall ............

4/. pr cent.
5/. pr tent.
20s. per sh.
51. pr cent.
41. per cent.
4 per cent.
3/. Os per c.
51. per cent.

X s. d.
Stock.
50 0 0
100 0 0
100 0 0

100 0 0

Amount
of
Share.

X s. d.
Stock.
Stock.

Stock.

Stock.
50 0 0
20 0 0

BRIDGES.

Dividend Amount
per of
Annum. Share.

4 s. d.

100 0
708. per cent. 50 0

100 0

11. 14s. 60 0
11. 10s. Od. 40 0
11. ss. 70 10

raid. I Pril

JOINT-STOCK BANKS.
--------
Dividend Amount
Name of Company, per of Paid. Price.
Annum. Share.
-- -
.£ s. d. X s. d.
Australasia........... 6/. per cent. 40 0 0 all SO%
British North American 61. per cent. 50 0 0 if. -
Commercial of London. 4/. per cent. 100 0 0 20 0 0 31
Colonial .............. 31. per cent. 100 0 0 25 0 0 -
lonian ............... 61. per cent. 25 0 0- 25 0 0 -
Lond. Char. Bk. of Aus. - 20 0 0 all 0 21%
London and County .. 61. per cent. 50 0 0 20 0 0 -
Londeand Westminstr 61. per cent. 100 0 0 20 0 0 '
London Joint-Stock ... 61. per cent. 50 0 0 10 0 0
Provincial of Ireland.. 81. per cent. 100 0 0 25 0 0 -
Ditto, 81. cent. 10 0 0 all -
National of Ireland.... 1 41. per cent. 50 0 0 22 10 I -
Nat. Provincial of Eng. 161. per cent. 100 0 0 33 0 0 -
Ditto, New ........ 5/. per cant. 20 0 0 10 0 0 -
Oriental Bank Corpora. 'la p. et.&bs. 25 0 0 all 38
South Australia ...... 11/. p. et. & bs. 2.5 0 0
Union of Australia.. t• 140 i. per cent. 25 0 0 25 "0
0 67
Ditto .. .. .. . • ...... '4Ol. per cent. 210 0 -
Union of London ... .. k 81. per cent. 50 0010 0 - Union of Madrid ..... - 40 0 0 all 0
CANALS.
- -
Dividend
Names of g Dividend Names of
:-, per
Companies. per Price. Companies. ,4 , Price.
Eir; Annum. , V) .o Annum.
..- ----.........•-.........
.£
Ashtn EcOldh 93 7i. p. ct. 141 Niacelesfield. 100 21. 10s. 51%
Barnsley.... -160 i - Seals ......
I 100 161. 150
lirknk&Abrg 1.50' 40. I 60 0xf0rd...... 100• 13'. 110
Birmingham ' 401 41. - Peak Forest. 78 61 Os. 86
Coventry.... 100', 25/. 1 209 Regent's.... so 18, 16
Derby ••••• 1001 61. 84 Rochdale.... as 11. 10s. GO
EllsinreBcChsl 691234 p. ct. - Somrset Coal 140; - • -
GrandJunetn 100 4/. pr. ct. 55 Do. Lk Fdst IT -•
Do., 6 pr.Ct..l 10,61. pr. ct. 11% Stflrd &Wore ,401 28/. 425
i,rand Surreyllool 2/. 10s. 48 Shrewsbury.. '251
I
Grand Union 100 1/. Cs 12% Stoarbridge_ ,45 12/. 235
Kennt & Avnl 39 6s. Od. 6% Sevei a and 1 '
Lancaster ..1100 - - Wye Bail., 26 21- 2E
Leeds &Livrp 10f 251. - Warn:ek & 1
Leicester ....1101 51. 59 Binning. 5 100 21. 20
Leiestr &Nth' 83 41. 28% Warwick & 1
Lougliborogli 142 701. 575 Napton..l 100 31. 12
Monmoutlish 100 - - worcstr &i
78 31. 211
Mntgmerysh 100 - e - Binning.
Mel tnMwbry 100 - - Wilts & Brks -, 10s. Od. -

INSURANCE COMPANIES.
e Dividend Amount
r Name of Company. per of I Paid. I Price,
Annum. Share.
- ----- ,---
.£ s. d. £ s. d.
Albion .... ••••- • • • • 3/. 10s, 500 0 0 50 0 0
Alliance Brit. and For. 71. 14s. 6d.bs. 100 * 0 0 11 0 0 111
Ditto Marine ... .... 6/. p.c. & bs. 100 0 0 25 0 0
Anchor .......... •... 6 per cent. 5 0 1 0 0 -
e Atlas .
Argus Life ......... • • 41. per cent. 100 0 0 25 0 0 22
) British Commercial .. 7s. 6d. 50 0 0 50 0 7
t
Clericl.3led.& Gen. Life spr ct. & bs. 100 0 0 10 0 0 -
County .... .......... 4/. 100 0 0 10 0 0 125
I Crown .. .. ..... ••• • • 17s. Od 50 0 0 50 0 17%
1 Eagle ..
, Equity and Law-- 4% per cent. 100 0 0 5 0 0 6%
' European Life .. 1/. 20 0 0 au -
• Genera 1............. 61. 5 0 0
~,,
Globe ... • • ..... 6/. per cent. Stock.
. 5%0
127%
• Guardian ............ 5 per cent. 100 0 0 45 0 0 55%
Imperial Fire ..... .... 12/. per cent. 500 0 0 50 0 0 330
I Imperial Life
Indemnity Marine.... 11 3s & 31. 100 0 0 20 0 0 65
• Law Fire
Law Life. •• •• .... •• • • - 100 0 0 10 0 5 56
Legal and General Life - 50 0 0 20 0 6%
London .. 27s 65. 25 0 0 12 10 0 29
London ,hip.,., -
Marine ..... ...... •... 118s.per share 100 0 01 18 0 0 28
Med. Invlid & Gen. Life 4% i per ct. 50 0 0 2 0 0 ry„
Minerva .......• •• .. sp. el. & be. 20 0 0 2 0 0 5%
Monarch •• ••••• .• .. - 500 1 0 0 National Loan Fund.. 51. per cent. 20 00210 0 --
Palladium Life... - - - - -'-
-
Professional Life ••• • .. 51. per cent. 5 0 010 11 34
Provident Life.- .... 11. ss. & bs. 1100 0 0 10 0 0 -
Rock Life............ ss. 6 3 0 11 10 0 7%
Royal Exchange .....• 6/. p et. A bs. Stock. all Sun Fire ...... • • .... • • 61 104. -
It
-
--,
Ditto Life ... •• 1/ 10s - 67%
United Kingdom .... 41. p. ct & be. 20 0 0 4 11 0 4%
Universal Life .•. -
Victoria Life ......•• I 51. per cent. -- 412 6 5%
MISCELLANEOUS.
Dividend Amount
Name of Company per of Paid. Price.
Annum. Share.
--- ---
a. d
Assam Tea -- • • .... V. 50 0020 0 0. 19U
Auction Mart ••...• .• 21A per cent. 50 0 0 - -
Australian Agriculturl IL Is. 100 0 0 17 10 0 36
Australian Trust .... 6/. pe7 cent. - 25 0 0 -
Australian Royal Mail bl. 10 0 0 all 434
1 nglo•Mexican Mint. 11. 10s. 10 0 0 all -
British American Land 15s. - 40 0 0 -
Canada ......... •... 6/. percent. 100 0 0 32 10 0 -
Do. S per cent Bonds 5/. per cent. - - -
Ditto, 6 per cent. - 61. per cent. - _ 110
City Navigation Bonds - - - -
Electric Telegraph (A) 7 per cent. 25 0 0 21 0 0 13
Ditto ~ •• • • •... (3) - 25 0 0 15 0 0
Equitable Reversloary El pr. cent. 100 .0 0 100 0 0
Ditto New ....... • - 50 0 0 17 10 0
Gen. Revers. & Invest. sp.c. & bs, 100 0 0 100 0 0 -.
Gen.SteamNavigation 10 p.ct. 15 0014 ' 0 0 Hudson's 8ay...... • • - Stock,
-..
--
flungerford ...... ••.. , 21. ss. 100 0 0 100 0 0 -
London Institution ...
London Reversionary A% per cent. 15 0 0 all
Russell Institution.... - - 12 10 0 -
Prica's Patent Cand. Co 10/. percent. 20 0 0 17 10 0 25% Reversionary Int. SOC. 4341. pr cent. 100 0 0 .100 0 0
-I Royal Mail ',team.... 41. p. share. 100 8060 0 0 South Australian .. 61. per cent. 25 0 8 all 38
Trust and Loan Comp.
Upper Canada .... -
- -