The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-02 00:00:00

THE TRANSPORT SERVICE.

The General Screw Steam Navigation Company's
transport Calcutta, No. 195, steamed into Portsmouth
harbour yesterday morning, and ranged up alongside the
Camperdown, 104, until this morning, when she will
drop alongside the dockyard jetty, and commence
a'tering her fittings for the reception cf the Ist Royal
Lancashire Nilitia, who will not embark yet this week ,

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IcE SD.

the ship requires as much alteration as is reported. It
is one of the evidences of the manner in which the tran-
sport service is misconducted that ships taken up by the
Government seem to need two or three titnea fitting
before they can be made available for starting upon the
duty which they are hired to perform. The Calcutta is
a splendid ship, and all hands who embark in her will
have every comfort in their several positions on board of
her.

SHIPS AT SPITHEA.D.
All the men of war at Spithead bad topgallantntasts
struck yesterday, owing to strong winds in the morning.
There were at Spithead last night—the Neptune, 120,
Captain Hutton ; the St. George, 120, Captain Eyres,
C. 8.; the Calcutta, M, Captain J. J. Stopford ; the
Cressy, 80, Captain Warren ; the Ajax, 60, Captain
Warden ; the Esk, 20, Captain Birch ; the Gorgon, 6,
Commander Crawford ; the Asia, 9, Commander Luce ;
and the Resistance, store-ship, Master Commander
Bradshaw, which came up about half-past five o'clock
from Plymouth.

Yesterday morning a large number of volunteers who,
had entered for the Baltic fleet were draughted from her
Majesty's ship Crocodile. By the returns supplied to
the Admiralty by the several inspecting commanders of
ccast-guard it has been found that the force can supply
1,500 efficient seamen who have previously servedin the
Royal navy, in addition to which above 2,000 seamen
riggers Sand 500 London watermen, making a total of
4,000 men, are in immediate readiness, to complete the
crews of the various ships fitting for the Baltic,

•
the fft& )3 • The icntenan -G nunce,s, geneial
order, has approved of Sergeant George Shepherd, 11th
battalion, being appointed Sergeant-Major to the com-
pany of gentlemen cadets, in the room of Wm. Young,
commissioned as an Adjutant in the Royal Glamorgan-
shire Militia Artillery, to bear date Jan. 31, 1855.
Yesterday the issue of the spring clothing for the
troops in the Crimea commenced at the Tower, and some
thousands of summer trousers, flannel waistcoats, shirts,
&c., were put on board lighters to be shipped in the
transports at Woolwich.
Lieutenant-Colonel E. Every Clayton, Captains Wil-
liamson, Fielden, and Kirkes, Lieutanants Daniels,
Viger, and Fielden, Paymaster Dickson, with 14 ser-
geant's, 4
,drummers, and 245 rank and file of the Ist
Royal Lancashire Militia, left Portsmouth garrison yes-
terday to join the depot of the regiment at Lancaster.
A handsome testimonial was presented by the non-com-
missioned officers of this regiment yesterday to a gallant
comrade, consisting of a costly,llarge, and massive silver
snuff-bor,l bearing on it the followingiinscription :
" Presented by the ion-commissioned officers of the let,
or Duke of Lancaster's Own, to Sergeant-Major Thos.
Kinna, as a mark of respect on his promotion as Ensign
and Quartermaster. Portsmouth, March 1, 1855."
Captain Dawson, of the light company, presented his
Pay-Sergeant Johnson with a very handsome snuff-box,
as a testimonial for his integrity and straightforward
conduct, both wit's his company and himself. He had
no sooner received this handsome present from the cap-
tain, value at least 101., when the company gave Co-
lour-Sergeant Johnson a very splendid ring, with an ap-
propriate inscription upon it.

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sist of a single impression regularly issued at the inf.
form price of the saries, it would be quite certain that
reasonable limits of weight could not be exceeded. There
is a plain and manifest limitation placed by the very
nature ofthe case to the amount of matter which we can
publish once in every 24 hours, and sell for sd. That
limitation is quite sufficient for the purpose, and, though
we are not in the habit of addressing to Government on
our own behalf those expostulations which we freely
utter on behalf of the public, we feel we have here a
right to require that in any measure which the new Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer may think fit to propose, he
will not legislate to our prejudice as compared with
other journals, nor exact that one copy of the Times
shall be taxed as two, because we give the public a little
more matter for the same money.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

GREAT WESTERN.

A speeial meeting of this company was held yesterday at
the Paddington station, for the purpose of considering a
proposed a,greement with the Birkenhead, Lancashire, and
Cheshire Junction Railway Company, for the use and occupa-
tion of the line by the Great Western Railway Company, on
certain terms and conditions; Mr. C. Russell in the chair.

The CUAIRMAN explained that, in consequence of the re-
jection of the proposition at a special meeting of the Birken-
head, Lancashire, and Cheshire Junction Railway Company,
held at Birkenhead on the preceding day, it was his duty to
declare the meeting dissolved.
The resolution passed at the Birkenhead meeting was to
the effect, "That the terms of the proposed agreement with
the Great Western Company are highly impolitic and inju-
rious, enabling the Great Western Company to enter into a
contest with the London and North-Western Company at the
expense of the shareholders of this company for two years,
and without ultimately securing to the shareholders of this
company an adequate fixed dividend, and that this company
therefore reject the same."
The meeting then separated.

Mr. HIBBERT thought no better course could be adopted
than to leave the matter, as it was proposed to leave it, in
the hands of the directors. _ _

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Mr. W. TITS also concurred in the recommendation made
by the chairman on the part of the board. 'He moved the
following resolution:—
" That this meeting acquiesces in the recommendation of
the directors, and, leaving the matter in their hands-do now
adjourn."
General HUTCHESOII seconded the motion.
Mr. HELPS moved and. Mr. Dlciusox seconded an amend-
ment—" That this meeting do now adjourn."
Mr. LOCKE, M.P., was sorry to notice again that there was
no definite recommendation from the directors on the subject
referred to them. He denied the truth of the chairman's asser-

tion' that it was " impossible " to carry out the pledge given
to Parliament, and he denied also that the proprietors were
" unanimous " in ther opinion that this company was unable
to redeem its pledge. At present they were going to Parlia-
ment exactly as they had come from it ; they had done no-
thing in the meantime.
The CIIMRMAN thought they had done a great deal.
After some observations from Mr. Hutchins, M.P., Mr.
Ashmore, and Mr. W. C. Rowe, Q.C.,
The amendment for the simple adjournment of the meetiog
was then put and negatived, and Mr. Tite's motion was ear- •
ried, only four hands being held up against it.
The proceelings terminated with the usual vote of thanks
to the chairman.
which the board would be desirous of assuming. But to
shrink from this responsibility would, in their opinion, be in-
consistent with their duty, and if, therefore, the meeting

thought fit to leave the further management of the pending
bill in their hands it would be their endeavour to bring things
to such a close as would conduce to the best interests of the
company. The board would take care on the one hand to ex-
press the feeling of regret entertained by the proprietors
(which they believed to be unanimous) that this company
should have given, and should be unable to perform, the pledge
of 18.:>3 ; and thersh )uld, on the other hand, state their firm
conviction that to effect the object then contemplated was
now impossible. (Loud cries of hear.) Beyond this it did
not appear to be judicious that he should at present go;
the proprietors, supposing they left the matter in the hands
of the board, might be assured they would feel, in all its bear-
ings, the gravity of the company's position and would do
their best to retrieve it. (Hear.)

BIRKENHEAD, LANCASHIRE, AND CHESHIRE
JUNCTION.
The half-yearly meeting was held at Birkenhead on Wed-
nesday ; Mr. Bancroft in the chair.
The report stated that the balance available for dividend
amounted to 1i per cent. per annum on the capital, and the
board recommended a dividend of 4s. 40. on the 311. shares,
4s. Id. on the 271.105. shares, and 3s. 10. on the 221. shares.
The report and accounts were adopted, as was also a reso•
lution declaring the dividends payable on the 12th of March.
The CHAIRMAN proposed a resolution empowering the direc-
tors to enter into an arrangement with the Groat Western
Company according to the terms of the proposed agreement.
Mr. CATTHRALL moved, as an amendment, " That the pro-
position be not entertained."
Mr. R. BIRLEY seconded the amendment.
After some further discussion the amendment was put to
the Tote, when there appeared 63 in favour of it, and only 24
against it.
The CHAIRMAN declared the amendment carried.

LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN.
The half-yearly meeting of this company, adjourned frame
the 15th ult. in order to enable the directors to consider the
course to be adopted in consequence of the resolution of
the House of Commons relative to the company's proposed
Amendment Bill, was held at the Waterloo station yester-
day, Mr. W. J. Chaplin, M.P., Chairman of the Board of
Directors, presie The meeting, was but thinly attended.
The Cultasalr saikArat in accordance with the desire of
the shareholders, the directors had carefully considered the
question referred back for their opinion at the late half-yearly
meeting, and he was requested to state that, in their judg-
ment, the proprietors could not do better than leave the sub.
ject still in the hands of the board. The shareholders would
readily understand that the duty of dealing with this ques-
tion was not an enviable one, nor one the responsibility of
Mr. HELPS renewed the protest made by him at the last
meeting, that no resolution could be come to in this matter
on the part of the company at large, inasmuch as notice had
not been given of any such resolution.

HIGH WANE% AT LONDON BEIDOK
TRIII DAT —Morning 28 min.after 1 I Eveninr 48 sain.aft. 1
To.loAsoir Morning 5 min.after 2 / Evening 23 Iniu.aft. 2

THE WEATHER.—Sum 0711CII, March.. 2.
THERMOMBTIB, IN THZ SHAWL
154—highest since noon yesterday.
45—lowest this morning and during the night.
54—this day, at noon.
BAROMETER, 29'35—a sudden fall.
WIND, S.W.—Fresh breeze, with very mild, sunshiny
weather.
This day week finished the frost, after 39 days' continn•
sum of anew and frost.