The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-05 00:00:00

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE—This day.

LONDON, Dec. 6.—Wind this day at noon—South-
West; light breeze, and fine weather.
PORTSMOUTH, Dec. 4.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—lnvesti-
gator, from Bel;ze.
OFF PonTsmourH, Dec. 4.—Arrived—Centurion, from
London for Sydaey—Trevelyan, from London for Cal-
cutta.

OFF DARTMOUTif, Dec. 4—Arrived—Young Irishman,
rrom London for Hong Kong.

NEwrouT, Deo. 3.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Emma,
From Mauritius.

CARDIFF. Dec. 3.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Empire, from
Quebec—Gilbert Wheaton, from St Michael's. Sailed—
Antioch, for St Jago de Cuba.
OFF POOLE BAY, Dec. 4.—Arrived—Bombay, from Lon-
don for Auckland.

BRISTOL CHANNEL, Dec, 4.—Arrived—Robert Bristow,
from Portland.

R&MSGATE, Dec. 4.—Arrived—Trurnjohn, from Grimsby
for Gibraltar.

(BY MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.)

GRAVESEND, Monday Morning.
Arrived, Die. s—Elizabeth, from Cuxhaven—Napoleon,
from Gravelines—Johanna Petronella, from Holsingborg—
Wild Roso, Clansman, and Sundew, from Cronstadt.

_
DEAL, Monday Morning.
Palmed. Dec. 4—Holonebank, from Colombo, for London.

Sailod, Dec. s—Three Bells (ship), trom Japan, for Itot:
terdam—Soine and Tamilo (screw steamer), from Paris, for
London.

COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS.—At a meeting of the
council of this corporation on Saturday, the diploma of
Licentiate was granted to Mr W. T. Jones, 8.A., Queen's
College, Cambridge—to Mr William Martin, 8.A., London
—and to Mr J. 'V.:Jones, Grove Park School, Wrexham.
The diploma of Associate was granted to Mr James Hays-
man, of Burdett House, Burdett-road, E. The following
gentlemen were elected members of the college—Mr A. RI
Abbott, Grove House, Tottenham—Mr W, Famcombe,
Staple-cross, Hurst-green—Mr W. H. F. Johnson, M.A.,
Llandaff House, Cambridge—Mr F. Nash, Kensington
Collegiate School—Mr Harry Smith, Arthur-street, Bil-
ston—Mr M. Smith, Aston Villa School, Handsworth—
Mr T. Whitford, Great Dover-street.
AMERICAN MAIL STEAMERS DUE AT LIVERPOOL
THIS WEEK.--The following steamers are due at Liverpool
this week, with the United States and Canadian mails, viz.,

the City of London, with dutes from Now York to the 26th
ult., and tho Peruvian from Portland, with corresponding
dates may be expected, the former at Cape Clear or Queens-
town, and the latter at Greencastle in the course of to-mor-
row (Tuesday). On Saturday morning next the Cunard
steamer Australasian, with dates to New York to Nov. 30,
may be expected off Crookhaven or Queenstown.
JOHN LEECH'S ARTISTIC' HABITS.—Mr Leech's

life and character are in his own " Sketches of Life and
Charac'er." Any anecdote that can be told of him has

its double in his own works. Suppose we give this anec-
dote in the words of Mr Charles Dickens. He was very
fond of a boy known to Mr Dickens, an extraordinary
small boy, but of great spirit, who was a midshipman in
the navy. " Whenever this boy came home from a
cruise," says Mr Dickens, " he and Leech, and never any-
body else, used to go out in great state, and dine at the
Garrick Club and go to the play, and finish in an exem-
plary way with kidneys and harmony. On the first of theie
occasions, the officer came out so frightfully small that,
Leech told us afterwards, he was filled with horror when he
saw him eating his dinner at the Garrick with a large knife.
On the other hand, he felt that to suggest a small knife to
an officer and gentleman would be an unpardonable affront.
So, after meditating for some time, he felt that his course
was to object to the club knives as enormous and gigan-
tic ; to remonstrate with their servant on their huge pro-
portions, and with a grim dissatisfaction to demand small
ones. After which he and the officer messed with great
satisfaction, and agreed that things in general were running
too large in England." But incidents like these are pre-
cisely what we find pictured in his pages ; and his friends,
pointing to sketch after sketch, can say, " I told him that;;"
",This happened to himself;" " I was present when he
came upon so and so." Wo select two sketches, for
which we are indebted to Messrs. Bradbury and Evans,
to illustrate this, not because they are greatly supe-
rior to others, but because they show his manner of
working, The first is called " Private Theatricals,"
and appeared in the Almanac for 1854, with these words
under it :—" Dismay of Mr James Jessamy on being told
that he will spoil the Whole Thirg if he doesn't shave oft
his Whiskers." The incident happened to himself; it is
his own whiskers that were in question ; and it is himself
that he is here making fun of. So again but a few weeks
ago. there appeared in lunch the sketch of " A Little
Scene at Brussels," with these words underneath, " T-mp-
k-ns (who has just come down breakfast) : Herd I
say, Gareong ! I want a kelk chose for dfjewna) I der
lioriee, and des Hoofs, you know 1 (N.B. The stout party,
T. pokes in tho ribs is a wealthy Belgian swell)." Hero the
incident is founded on actual occurrence. During this last
summer ho went ICI the continent for the benefit of his b ealth,
in company with Mr Elmore; and it was he himself mho
made the mistake of addressing a Belgian gentleman as the
waiter. But whereas he himself was tall, he pictures the hero
of the escapade as short ; whereas he was a gentleman in all
his ways, ho represents the said hero with the manners of
a " gent" terrible in his French. The type of an im-
mense number of these sketches is to be Lund in his letters,
and one must conceive of them as aform of published letter.
lie writes to a young -tut most distinguished artist with
whom he had formed a close friendship—" W hen do you re-
turn Y Mind, you present yourself here directly you come
back. You are of course something like this by this time,"
and then on opposite pages of his letter ho draws with pun
and ink two prodigious portraits of his friend, that illustrate
the felicity with which he could give a likeness from memory,
and preserve the likeness too, while confounding it with
extravagances that have no existence in fact. So when he
writes to another friend to appoint a day for hunting, he
must wind up with a sketch of what is likely to take place
on tho morning of the hunt, no was troubled with a want
of sleep, and indicates on the sketch how difficult it will be
to wake him up. Now, what we have here in the rough,
in his letters, we have highly finished in his public works.
Representing scenes of private life, they have the same re-
lation to art that a man's letters have to literature. They
are his mode of correspondence, and they have the biogra-
phical character of a correspondence.—Cornhill Atagasine.
'rhe Mayor of Arbas (Haute-Garonne) committed
suicide two days ago by blowing out hie brains with a gun
during a moment of temporary insanity.
IRON SHIPBUILDING AT CARDIFF.—On the 16th
of last month the first iron steamer constructed in Cardiff
was launched from the premises of Mr N. Scott Russell.
She is called the Mallorca, and is built far a Spanish Royal
Mail Company, to ran between Barcelona and the island of
Majorca. lier dimensions are—length, 230 ft ; breadth, 2Gft ;
depth, 15ft; and she is propelled by paddle engines 0 190
nominal borso power, which are guaranteed to drive her at
12 knots per hour. She is constructed upon Mr Scott Rae-
sees longitudinal principle of iron, made by the Dowlais
Company, ant is an elegant model. The launch excited
considerable
thatsiderab pleionrtt, anderest, as being the first that has taken place
is expected to be the forernnnero
from f
many. Messrs Batchelor and Messrs Hill are also building
proximity
iron chips, and it is to be hoped that, owing to its
to one of the great iron and coal fields, Cardiff mayi one day
become a formidable rival of Newcastle and the Clyde,

___,..._„,...
The German Legal Protection Society,

The following letter has been addressed to tb 4
editor of the Manchester Courier:—
Sir,—The German Legal Protection Society in Loraono
which took up the case of the unfortunate Muller w;Ah so
much earnestness and magnanimity, has introaueec;
the following passage in the memorial to the Queen
6' If Muller were one of the two men seen in ti railway
carriage—though Mr Lee declares that he wias not—it is
hard to conceive how he could have been found in posses-,
sion of the whole of the property, as he 'would have to
share it with his confederate. It is more probable that he
purchased it all from one of these men or from a Jew accom-
plice of theirs afterwards, under circumstances that -when
he came to rEltet upon them, excited his own suspicion's."
Vide Times, November 11. Tho undersigned abstains for
tho present from all comment on this astoundi•ag paesage.
Ile confines himself to the reproduction of ':he words in
the columns of the Courier; and in doing so he begs to ask
the aermsn Legal Protection Society, "by the support of
what arguments the society assumes the right to express a
presump.ion which, under all aspects. involves the most
mortifying accusation to all the adherents of the Jcwish pet-
suasion ? What entitles the society to suppose that the itn-
agined accomplice could be no other than a Jew ?"Ihn
Legal Protection Society cannot and must not leave ttais
question without an answer. It owes an explanation, tot
merely to Jews, but also to-public opinion, which it, has
irritated through its assertion. It owes besides an Qtplana-
tion to the sublime principle of equality and toleration that
rules in this free country; and finally it owes that explana-
tion to the great Fatherland in whose name aild interest the
society has stepped forward—to that very Fatherland,
which,
with a sentiment of noble indignation, has blotted out from
her statutes and usages the difference between Jew and
Christian. The undersigned is a member of the religious
body which, according to the purport of the above passage
is in danger of being charged with participation in the foul
crime of murder. But at the same time he is a German,
and is keenly alive to all that concerns his native land—ataff
on both these circumstances he founds a right to make the
following earnest demand to the society. It may be that
the society or the reader will ask why precisely the under-
signed, and nobody else, has ventured to urge the grievance
he mentions, No doubt the opprobrious expression the
Legal Protection Society has made use of in the above pas-
sage awakens at this time in many a Jewish and Christian
mind a burning indignation. But in concerns that speak so
much for themselves, I think any person has the right to
be heard who first feels the impulse to give utterance to
the complaint.
Manchester, Nov. ZO, 1861.

H. Zinrinon.p.

The Smithfield Club Cattle Show—This Day.

This show opened this morniag at the AgriCultural Hall,
Islington, the subscribers and the press being admitted to
the galleries, while the judges were making their awards
in the body of the building. The judges for cattle were
For Devons, Herefords, Sussex, Norfolk, longhorns, Irish,
and crossbreds—Messrs Samuel Rogers, Suthbury, New-
pagnell—.T. E. Jones, Springfield, near Hereford—and'
W. Baker, Park Nook, Quorn, Derby. For shorthorns,
Scotch, Welsh, and extra stock—E. Bowley, Siddinitort
House, Cirencester—F. Fowler, Henlow,Bigg!es wade—J as.
Topham, Welford, Notts. For Sheep—Leicesters, Cots-
wolds, Lincolns, Romney Marsh, Cross bred, Oxford, Moun-
tain, and extra—R. J. Newton, Campsfeld Farm, Wo-d-
-stock—John Marriott, Goventon, Southwell, Nott—Hugh
Aylmer, West Denham Abbey, Stoke Ferry, Norfolk.
Southdowns, Hants, Shropshire, and Ryland—H. Sugar
Hengrave, Bury St Edmunds—J. Bryon Sonthleigh, Wit-
ney, Oxon—G. Cureton, Bram House, Shrewsbury, Pigs—
S. Field, Farnafeld, Southwell, Notts—H. P. Jones, Port-
way, Warminster—Geo. Turner, Beacon Downs. War-
minster.

The following prizes had been awarded up to the time of
our going to press :

CLASS I—Devon steers not exceeding 2 years 6 months
old--let prize, No. 4, William Smith, of 85, Southern
Cray, Exeter—silver medal to the breeder, George Turner,
Beacon Downs, Exeter. 2d prize, No. 2, Robert Woithy,
of Suffield, Aylsham, Norfolk. Highly commended, No 3,
Major General the Hon. A. IL Hood, Cumberland Lodge,
Windsor, Herts.

Class 2—Devon steers; not exceeding 3 years and 3
months old.—lst prize, No. 10, Harry Frampton, of Bland-
ford, Dorset—silver medal to the breeder, Rich. Alogridge,
Mulland, South Molton, Devon. 2d prize, No. 12, Robert
Farthing, of Farrington Farm, North I'eterton, Somerset
—3d prize, No. 3, Charles Frederick Perkins, the Grange,
Kingston, near Taunton, Somerset—highly commended.
No. 6, Robert Gibbs, of Carhampton, Dunster, Somerset—.
commended. No. 9, the Earl of Leicester, of Holkham,
Norfolk. No. 14, William Smith, of Southernbay, Exeter,
Devon. No. 16, Edward A. Sanders, of Stoko House,
Exeter, Devon.

CLASS 3—Devon Steers or Oxen above 3 years and 3
monthslold—lat prize, No. 18, Walter Farthing, of BONN ey -
court, Bridgewater, Somerset—silver medal Ito the breeder,
Sir A. Hood, Bart., M.P., of St. Awdry's, Bridgewater.
2d prize, No. 27, Henry Hine Ball, of Hankridge, West
Monkton, Taunton, Somerset. 3d prize, No. 26, William
Heath, of Ludham Hall, Norwich. Highly commended,
Jrmes Witworth Buller, of Downes, Crediton, Devon—No.
24, William North, of 85, Southernhay, Exeter, Devon.
Commended, No. 28, Alfred Beisly, of Spureholt Farm,
Romney, Hampshire.

The Present Parliament.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—As the Ministerial prints seem to think that the
present Parliament is not at all unlikely to exist until the
spring or summer of 1866, viz., a year and half from tho
present time. allow me to observe through the medium of
your valuable paper, that should such an event actually
take place, it will bo the first time each a thing has hip-
pened for more than 100 years. During the reigns of
George 3rd and 4th Parliament sat generally 6 years, but
never longer, and there has been one Parliament, and ono
only, during the present reign that has sat 6 years, and this
was the Parliament of the late Sir R. reel, which
was elected during the summer of 1841 and dissolved
in 'the summer of 1847, and therefore existed just 6 years.
With this one exception the present is the longest
Parliament we have had since the firet Parliament of the
reign of George IV., which was elected on the accession of
the last-named monarch in the spring of 1820, and not die.
solved until the summer of 1826, just over 6 years. The
last Parliament which sat for anything like seven years was
the first Parliament of George 111., which was elected in
May 1761, seven weeks after that King's accession, and dis-
solved 61 years afterwards, as the next Parliament was as-
sembled May, 1768, exactly seven years afterwards, and
considering the length of elections before the Reform Bill,
a Parliament must have taken little less than half a year in,
being got together. Sir R. Peel said at Tamworth the
other day that in all probability the present 1 &Lament
would continue to exist until the spring of 1866. If so ?
What shall we behold ? A Whig Government which came
in 34 years ago, with the watchwords, Peace, Retrenchment,
Economy, Reform, and Short Parliaments. And lo I what
do we behold, England in time of peace with a war expen-
diture; Reform laid completely on the shelf, and, instead
of bhort Parliaments, a Parliament which even the Govern-
ment of Geo. 111. the very Guvernment which was so vio-
lently opposed by Junius and Willis, would have been
ashamed of.—l remain, sir, your obedient servant,

A LOVER OF 11 ISTORICAL DATES AND FACTS.

DEATH OF A " LORD OF THE FoltEar."—Ciowai
barrow Park has lost its king, and the adjoining
fells the stag tht.t for about half a snore of years has proudly
held sway over the herds that take up their quarters on the
heights about Martindale. Ila was a noble fellow--one of
the largest animals ever seen in this part of the country,
and a dangerous enemy to any of its kind with temerity
enough to &spot° his superiority. But what singlehanded
none durst attempt, overwhelming numbers have accom-
plished. Like that of many other despots his reign bees=
obnoxious to his subjects. A short time ago they rebelled,
and attacked him in force; he fought a noble fight, but his
enemies were numerous, and eventually he fell pierced by
many wounds. His weight was immense, and his head and
antlers considerably larger than anyanimal of the kind ever
seen in this part of the country.—renrith raper.
THE REWARD FOR MULLER'S CAPTURE.—UN'
LUCKY
that
tthe
cAnlbOn Ni aEn T.i,% ttfh he ew
sH osmenetiteeodrettoary thehaswhole
doleecoifded
the
reward of £3OO for giving information which led to the
conviction of Muller for the murder of Mr Briggs. The
sum has been ordered to be paid to him in a few days. In
the meanwhile, unfortunately for him, ho has been arrested
for a debt of £3O, by one of his numerous small creditor?,
whose aggregate claims amount to £560. Though the
present claimant only demands £3O, the others will of
course lodge detainers against him, and a vesting order
will be immediately obtained for the assignees to receive the
whole of the money payable to him from the Government
lie will thus not only enjoy no ben( fit whatever fromwhat
has been called the'' blood money," but before he can re-
gain his liberty he will have to go trough the Court of
Bankruptcy for the remaining £260. The place of l‘fr
Matthews's confinement is the debtors' prison for the county
of Surrey (liorsemonger-lane
gaol). It is not true, as
was currently reported for some time past, that the girl
Eldred who was examined at the time with a view to esta-
blish the alibi, was Matthews' sister-in-law, to whom
Muller had formerly been tngsged.
A GREAT BAG.—The following is a return of
recent shootingia
preserves of a nobleman in Scotland :
—Seven guns, in 13 days, killed 9 grouse, 792 pheasant?,
1,042 partridges, 79 woodcocks, 25 snipes, 3,040 hares, and
1,836 rabbits—total, 6,823 head. At the average 'weights,
this is 15 tons, or rather more than 1 ton per day, or 3201 b
weight for oach gun per day, or 23 atone; so that, taking
the shooters to be list each, each man shot twice his own
weight in game per day.—Liverpool Albion.
EGGS FROM ABROAD.--The enormous number of
'291,597,240 eggs have been imported into this country in
the first 10 months of the present year—not very far from a
million a day.

An assembly is about to be held at Rouen under
the title of " Congres pour l'etude des fruits a cidre." The
object of this meeting is the study of all questions concerns
ing the culture of apples and pears.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

NEW RAILWAY PROJECTS.

- About 400 notices of intended applications to Par-
liament in the ensuing session have been given for
railway, canal, and dock bills, all connected with
railways. Plans and sections have been deposited
at the Board of Trade for 354 projected new rail-
ways and works, being 46 more than those depo•
sited last year, and it is believed the largest number
since the year 1846. In the last session of Parlia-
ment it was found difficult to get through the work,
and it appeared that several bills had been delayed
very late in the session for want of chairmen of COM.
mittees to consider and report on their merits. The
railway business for next session promises to be
much heavier than last session ; at least the bills
are more numerous, and probably not so easily
shelved as the 30 schemes for the metropolitan rail-
ways were last session.
Notices for 27 bills have been given for lines and
junction lines for the metropolis and the suburbs,
but none of them equal in magnitude to any of
those of last session. The Metropolitan District
Company (part of the inner circle) merely propose
to divide their authorised double junction line with
the West London Railway, from Kensington to
Fulham, and to purchase land, houses, and property
for the purpose. The East London (Thames Tunnel
line) have come forward with a modified scheme
for constructing a railway from the Great Eastern
at Westeplace, Bethnalegreen, passing through the
Thames Tunnel to the London and Brighton Rail-
way at Deptford, with a branch to the South
Eastern Railway, and also to the Great Eastern at
Liverpool-street to Whitechapel, and to the London
and Blackwell Railway at Mile end, Old Town.
The Eastern Metropolitan propose to construct a
railway from Aldgate to Mile-end ; the Metropolie
tan and St. John'sswood Railway Company ask for
power to extend their line to lYillow.road, Hamp-
stead ; the Waterloo and Whitehall Company
propose to make a railway from Great Scotland.
yard, passing under the Thames to the Waterloo
station of the London and South Western
Railway Company. The London, Chatham, and
Dover are very moderate this time; they propose to
make a junction line from Lambeth to the London
and Brighton Railway at the west end of Denmark.
hill tunnel, a junction railway from their Peckham
line at Camberwell to the London and Brighton
Railway at Hanover-parkeroad, to oblige the Crys-
tal Palace and South London Company to ethane
don the construction of the portion of their line
from Camberwell to Denmark-hill, to make a
junction line at Beckenham, and to abandon the
whole of their Bickley and other authorised junc-
tions. They also propose to enable the London
and SoutheWestern Company to work over and use
with their engines and carriages the railways,
sidings, and stations of the London, Chatham, and
Dover Company in Surrey, Middlesex, and London,
on such terms as may be agreed upon: The Tot-
tenham and Hampstead Junction Company propose
to make railways from Gordon-house-lane to the
Metropolitan Extension of the Great Eastern Cora.
pany at Tottenham ; from Tattert-down-lane to the
Alexandra-park, near the southern end of the main
building. The North London Company propose to
make a railway from Islington to near the toll-gate,
Highgate-archway, and thence to the Alexandra-
park Extension lines of the Edgware, Highgate,
and London Railway at Hornsey. A company pro.
poses a line from the Edgware, Highgate, and
London Rail way at Hornsey to the North London
Railway at Islington. Tho Edgware, Highgate,
and London Company propose to make junctions
with the Tottenham and Hampstead Railway from
Crouch-hill to the Holloway-road, and also at
Hornsey. A company proposes to make a railway
from Wood-green to Winchmoreehill and Enfield;
and so do the Great Northern Railway Com-
pany, extending it from Enfield to Hertford.
A company has given notice of a line from
the London and North-Western, near Willes-
den, to Harrow and Rickmansworth. New com-
panies propose to make railways from Acton to
Brantford, from Acton to Twickenham, from Balham
to Brixton and Clapham, from King's-cross to Is,
lington and Limehouse, and from Chalk-farm station
to Fiuchley. Hendon, Totteridgo, and Barnet. The
London and Blackwell Company intend to extend
their line to Millwall. The London and Brighton
Company propose junction linen at Rotherhithe.
The Metropolitan and South London Company pro-
pose a line from Little Moorfields, passing through
the Thames Tunnel to Rotherhithe, and branches
to the Great Eastern It dlway at Bethnal-green and
Tap-street ; and branches at Rotherhithe to the
North lipnt, South Eastern, and London and
Brighton Railways. Two high level branch rail-
ways to the Crystal Palace are proposed from the
existing Crystal Palace line. A company proposes
to make railways from the Great Western and
Brentford Railway at leleworth to the Wimbledon
and Croydon at Merton and Wimbledon, on the
mixed guage. These projects appear to be suffie
ciently numerous at least for one Session, within a
circle of about 10 miles of the General Post-office.
The most important projects in the list of notices
for new railways are the Lancashire and Yorkshire
and Great Eastern Junction ; the Leeds, North
Yorkshire and Durham; the London, Bucks, and
East Gloucestershire; and the South Wales and
Great Western Direct. The Lancashire and York-
shire and Great Eastern Junction is promoted by
those two companies jointly for the construction of
a railway from the Great Eastern Railway at Long
Stanton to the Askerne branch of the Lancashire
and Yorkshire Railway at Askerne, with branches
to Somersham, Ramsey, Standground, Bourn, Siete-
ford, Blyton, Kirksandall, Thorpe, and Burgwallis.
This is nearly identical with the Great Eastern
Northern Junction scheme of last Session, which
was rejected by committees of both Houses as
being a competing line to the loop line and
branches of the Great Northern Railway ; but at
the same time they inserted facility clauses in the
Great Northern Bill for the conveyance of coals and
other traffic to and from the Great Eastern Rail-
way. Those facilities not being considered suffie
cient by the Great Eastern Company for the de-
velopment of the northern traffic between Lancashire
and the Eastern Counties district, the project has
been revived, and will no doubt be again opposed
by the Great Northern Company. The Leeds, North
Yorkshire, and Durham is promoted by an "inde-
pendent company " for constructing a railway from
Leeds to Hartlepool, with branches to Scarborough,
Ferndale, Wortley, Armley, and other places, and
junctions with the North Eastern, Stockton and
Darlington, and other railw aye in the northeastern
district. This scheme will be strenuously opposed
by the North Eastern Company—but it is supposed
that running powers over the existing railways
similar to those granted for 50 years to the Great
Northern Company over the Manchester, Sheffield,
and Lincolnshire Railway would obviate the neces-
sity of making those two competing railways, at a
cost of £3,000,000 or £4,000,000. The London,
Bucks, and East Gloucestershire is promoted by an
" independent company" to make railways from
the East Gloucestershire railway at Ysrnton, to
Risborough, Ellesborough, Rickmansworth, Wee
ford, Stanmore,and Willesden to the Midland Rail-
way at Henden, with branches to Wolvercot, Great
Kimble, Watford, and other places. The project ap-
pears to be intended as a competing line from the
Midland Railway to Oxford,
Cheltenham, Glocester
and Bristol. The South Wales and Great Western
direct is promoted by an " independent company" to
make a railway from the South Wales Railway near
Chepstow across the Severn by means of a bridge to
the Great. Western Railway at Wootton Bassett. The
Birkenhead and Liverpool is api eject for making a
railway from the Birkenhead line at Bebbington, b
means of a tunnel under the Mersey into Toxtethl
perk, Liverpool, and thence to the Liverpool central
station. The South Wales Junction is a project for
constructing a railway from the Bristol and South
Wales tJaion Railway, by means of a tunnel through
rock under the river Severn, to the South Wales
Railway near Portakewet. A similar tunnel project
for next session is for a railway from the Bleekwall
end North London Railways at Limehouse, passing
under the Thames to Blackwell Point and the Greene
with-marshes to the North Kent Railway at Cheri-
ton. The other important engineering works to be

submitted next session are the high level railway
*bridges over the Firth of Forth and the Firth of

'ray. The North British and Edinburgh and Glas-
gow companies propose to construct a railway from
the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway at a Feint 15
miles from Edinburgh, thence across the Firth of
Forth by means of a high-level bridge about two
miles in length, to the North British line at Charles.
ton. The Tay Bridge and Dundee Union project is
for making a railway from the North British Rail•
way at Ferry.port-on.Craig, passing over the Firth
of Tay on a high-level bridge, to the town of Dun-
dee, with branches to the Scottish Central Railway
and to the harbour of Dundee. The construction of
those railway bridges would greatly facilitate the
traffic from the north to the South of Scotland, and
by whieh these two great ferries would be avoided.
Those schemes are looked upon with great favour in
Scotland, and are therefore likely to be sanctioned.
The proposed leases, purchases, and amalgamations
are rather numerous. The Great Eastern propose
to lease the London and Blackwell Railway, to
amalgamate the Bishop's Stortford, Dunmow, and
Braintree and the Ramsay Railways with their
undertaking. The Great Northern propose to
amalgamate with the West Yorkshire and the Leeds,
Bradford, and Halifax Junction ; and in conjunce
tion with the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln-
shire Company, to vest the Stockport and Woodley
Junction, the Stockport, Timperley, and Altrincham
Junction, the Cheshire Midland, and the West
Cheshire railways in their undertakings. The Lon.
don and North Western propose to give the Midland
a joint interest in the lease, use, and working of the
Lancaster and Carlisle, the Kendal and Windermere,
and the Lancaster and Preston railways, and to
amalgamate with the Bedford and Cambridge and
South Staffordshire. The Caledonian propose to
amalgamate with the Scottish Central, the General
Terminus and Glasgow Harbour, the Dumfries and
Lockerby, the Dumfries, Lochmaben, and Lockerby.
The Scottish Central propose to amalgamate the
Crieff Junction and the Dumblane, Doane, and
Callender Railways with their undertaking, The
Edinburgh and Glasgow propose to amalgamate the
Monkland Railway with their undertaking. The
North British intend to apply for power to amalga-
mate with the Edinburgh and Glasgow, and also to
amalgamate with the St. Andrew's, the Devon
Valley, and the Esk Valley Railway Companies.
The Glasgow and South Western intend. to amalga-
mate the Maybole and Girvan,the Ayr and Maybole,
the Castle Douglas, the Bridge of Weir, and the
Kirkcudbright Railways with their undertaking.
The Scottish North Eastern propose to amalgamate
the Carmyllie line with their railways. It is in-
tended to amalgamate the West Hartlepool and
Cleveland Railways with the North Eastern. The
North Eastern propose to amalgamate the Cleveland
Railway with their undertaking, The Inverness
and Perth Junction have agreed to amalgamate with
the Aberdeen and Inverness Junction Railway Com-
pany. The Bristol and Exeter intend to lease the
Devon and Somerset Railway. The Vale of Neath
intend to ask for power to amalgamate with the
Great Western Railway. The 'feign Valley pro-
pose to lease their undertaking to the South Devon
Company. The Maryport and Carlisle propose to
amalgamate the Whitehaven Junction, the Cocker.
mouth and Workington, the Whitehaven and
Furness Junction, the Whitehaven, Cleator, and
Egremont, and the Solway Junction Railways with
their undertaking. The Whitehaven Junction and
the Cockermouth and Workington have agreed to
amalgamate. Tho Metropolitan intend, in conjunc-
tion with the Great Western, to lease the Hammer-
smith and City Railway. 'The Great Western and
London and North Western intend jointly to pur-
chase the Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway. The
Great Western propose to amalgamate the Bridport,
the Great Western and Brentford, and -Wycombe
Railways with their undertaking. The Cambrian
intend to amalgamate with the Aberystwith and
Welsh Coast. The Brecon and Merthyr Tydvil
Junction intend to amalgamate with the Hereford,
Hay, and Brecon Railway. The Monmouthshire in-
tend to purchase the Brecon and Abergavenny Canal,
and the Neath and Brecon Railway Company have
given notice to purchase the Swansea Canal. The
Dublin and Belfast Junction and the Dublin and
Drogheda Railway Company are proposed to be
amalgamated, The London and North:Western, the
Great 'Western, the Midland, the Lancashire and
Yorkshire, the North Eastern, the Great Northern,
the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, the
London and South Western, the London and
Brighton, the South Eastern, the Caledonian, the
North British, the Glasgow and South Western, the
Great E istern, and other large companies have
given notices of intended application to Parliament
in the ensuing session for additional powers to con•
struct various short branch, junction, and spur
lines ; also to purchase lands, houses, and property
for the purpose of enlarging sidings and stations,
with a view to afford ample accommodation for the
increasing traffic of the country, and to facilitate
the interchange and conveyance of traffic. Nearly
all the notices specify an intention of asking for
powers to make traffic and other arrangements
with neighbouring companies. Many of them con-
tain provisions for mutual running powers, and
the accommodation of trains at the various stations
and sidings; while the projects promoted by inde-
pendent companies invariably authorise established
companies in the district to subscribe towards the
new undertakings, and to raise additional capital
for the purpose.