The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-30 00:00:00

FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 305 1852.

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, JAN. 29.
The following had the honour of dining at:the Royal
table yesterday :—Eter Royal Highness the Duchess
of Kent, the Lady in Waiting to her Royal High-
ness, the Baroness de Speth, the Earl of Carlisle, the
Earl of Aberdeen, Sir George Couper, Lieutenant-
Colonel F. Seymour, and Lady Caroline Barrington.
The band of the Grenadier Guards attended in the
Castle during dinner, and performed the following
music :

Overture, " Maritana"
Quartett, " Der Wildschutz" Larzing.
Bayrische Oberlander Tanze.
Romance, " La Part du Diable" Auber.
Cbmur des Soldats, " La Fille du Re-
gitnent" ........
Nachtigallen Polka
Her Majesty's private band afterwards attended,
and performed the following selection:—
Overture, " Z-rrline"
Selection, " Robert le Diable"
Airs de Bailet, Scene et Chccur,
" L'Enfant Prodigue" Auber.
The Queen walked in the Home Park and Slopes
this morning.
The Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, and the
younger members of the Royal Family took their
usual pony and walking exercise.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert went out
shooting this forenoon, attended by Lord A. Paget,
Colonel F. H. Seytneur, and Lieutenant-Colonel
Biddulpb. Lieutenant- Colonel Forester, Com-
manding Officer of the Royal Horse Guards ac-
companial the Prince.

The following have received invitationF, and are
expected to arrive at the Castle to-day. The Lord
Chancellor and Lady Truro, Lord and Lady John
Ru'sel), Viscount Hardinge, the Countess of Shel-
burne, and the Right Ron. Pox and Mrs. Maule.

The Education Committee of the Lords of her
Majesty's Most Hon. Privy Council had a meeting
yesterday at the Council-office. The members of the
Committee present were the Lord President, Lord J.
Russell, the Earl of Minto, the Earl of Carlisle, Sir
G. Grey, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Lord J. Russell, accompanied by his Lady, left town
after the Cabinet Council yesterday afternoon, for
Windsor Castle, on a visit to ber Majesty.
Mr. R. Montgomery Martin bad an interview
with the Right Hon. Henry Labouchere yesterday,
at the office of the Board of Trade. •
The Earl of Carlisle arrived in town yesterday
morning from Windsor Castle, for the purpose of
attending the Cabinet Council.
The Oxford University Commission had a meet-
ing yesterday, at the official residence of the First
Lord of the Treasury in Downing-street—present,
the Bishop of Norwich, the Dean of Carlisle, the
Master of Pembroke, the Rev. a G. Liddell, the
Rev. Professor Powell, the Rev. G. H. S. Johnson,
and the Rev. A. P. Stanley (secretary).
The Lord Chancellor left town atter the Cabinet
Council yesterday for Windsor Castle, on a visit to
her Majesty.
A deputation on behalf of the ballast-heavers, in-
cluding Mr. Vansittart Neale (of Lincoln's Inn), 'Mr.
Frederick J. Furnival (of Lincoln's Inn), Mr. Henry
Mahew, Mr. Thomas T. Fynn, and Mr. Henry Bar-
thorp, had an interview with the Right Hon. Henry
Labouchere yesterday at the Board of Trade.

DRURY-LANE THEATRE:
In consequence of the "sudden indisposition" of
Mr. Sims Reeves last night, Robert the Devil was
substituted for Fra Diavolo. The audience were not
disposed to listen to any apology on the part of Mr.
Bunn, who made sundry attempts to mitigate the vio-
lence of the house. In consequence of his inability to
obtain a hearing, this gentleman has forwarded us the
following letter for publication :
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
you be so obliging as to give the sub-
joined certificate that circulation in your journal
which it was impossible to obtain for it last evening :—.
" I hereby certify that Mr. Sims Reeves is confined
to his bed by very severe indisposition, and that it
will be highly dangerous for him to attempt to appear
on the stage this evening.
"JOHN ERICHSEN, L.R.C.S.

" Jan. 29, 1852."
To my certain knowledge Mr. Sims Reeves made
every effort to the last moment to appear, and nothing
but the suddenness and severity of the attack pre-
vented his so doing. To avert any further disappoint.
ment, I have postponed his re-appearance until Tues.
day next.—l am, Sir, &c.,

A. BUNN.
Theatre Royal, Drury-lane, Jan. 29, 1852.

INSTITUTION OF
Oa Tuesday last, James Meadows Rendel, E-q.,
President, in the chair, discussion was renewed
" On the Alluvial Formationse and the Local Changes
Coast of the South-Eastern of England," by Mr. J.
C.
B. Redman, M. Inst.E ' and many of the views
stated by the author in the paper were still further
argued, It was stated that the formation of such
points as Dungeness and Langley were always found
to windward of the elite
through of a rirQr, which, in the
former case, passed a clay district, bringing
down much deposit, forming
an accretion, or delta, in
the low, shallow water
at the outtall. This %las
phenomena than to assignnattuhral explanation of such
action, of the waves, 0 em to the mere force, or
which must have been ri
the tidal currents, causes
ages; and it was asserted,n Operation, unchanged, for
mucheur to do with their formation.
rents
im-
possible for any
btiaddal that it was physically
coast which existed in the
channel to have
A shallow, shelving
favourable to the formationwas also thought to be
, sea Bill was instanced as of these points, and Sel-
was actually in a a Case in which this accre-
tionDungeness and Langleystate of progression, whereas
nearly completed. 01 might be supposed to be
these formations took placeer speakers argued that
they simply formed the on clay deposits, whether
truded beyond it, and that coast line, or were pro-
formed on a nucleus of the Shambles shoal was
ing of shells. rock, with a superficial cover-
The depth at which shingle
water was considered to be would travel under
this question, as on it a very important point in
ciples for executing many really depended the right prin-
actual experience it had beenengineering works. From
travel at a greater depth than observed that it did not
three fathoms ; so that when from two fathoms to
an artificial work, as a pier or a natural headland, or
or groyne, was projected
into that depth of water, the pa
it was arrested. ssage of shingle round
Some difference of opinion
appeared to exist as to
the position of the largest
of these banks. On the opebbles on a cross section
that they were invariably foundand it was asserted,
greatest altitude ; that this es to have attained the
Langley, and other beaches '
toas the case in the Hurst,
it might be attributed to the force the eastward, and that
wave being greater th
--an that of of the approaching
that large pebbles brought up ()f the receding one, so
left, whilst the smaller ones by the former would be
by the reflux. On the other i would be clawed away
was cited as an instance to bhand, the Chesil Bank
smallest pebbles were stated be contrary, where the
be on the top. Both parties, some authorities to
the largest pebbles were alwowever, agreed that
the leeward point of the formation.ays to be found at
With regard to the action of
tides in the Channel, as shown the meeting of the
Beechey, it should be byobserved the charts of Capt.
junction and parting ca,cillateds that the point of
nearly sixty miles, and therefore over a sea board of
over a corresponding latitude, and
ittis) action would be
exer-
cise but little influence in isolated calls it could
_The paper read was a "Description
Viaduct erected at Manchester, forming a Cast Iron
Joint Station of the London and IT part of the
and Manchester, Sheffield, and Lin orth-Western,
ways," by Mr. A. S. Jee, M. Inst. ceolnslaire Rail-
Th object of this structure was to oh.
accommodation for th 3 goods station of obtain increased
com-
panies, which was formed on brick arches,the two
of about 30 feet above the adjacent streets, at a level
themselves being used as goods warehouses,
the arches
communication between the two levels bases, and the
by means of hoists. This extension was 7eing effected
and 36 feet wide, and as it was necessary it 00 feet long
without interfering with, the lines of should cover,
low level, a row of Doric columns, of Way on the
mounted by an entablature forming the cast iron, sur-
the station, was arranged, each about 20infelosure of
from centre to centre, on the outer eet apart
the space to be occupied, and on these boundaryone of
end of a
transverse cast iron girder was Placed, the
being supported by the brick arching. To
theoher,,end
trans-
verse girders, longitudinal cast iron girders
each rail, were attached, and to these half ,bone to
balks of
Memel timber were bolted, the whole being planked
with 3 inch deals, on which three lines of
wan and
an ample supply of turn-tables for working
the traffic
were laid.
To effeCt a communication between this
station
and a warehouse belonging to the Sheffield Co
Store-street had to be crossed, which was inpanyl
done by
means of wrought iron girders, 68 feet clear spian of
peculiar construction. T g
The top part of these '
rders
consisted of a cylindrical tube, 2 feet in diameter,
made of boiler plate half inch thick ; the middle web
Was 3 feet 6 inches in depth, and formed of
5 -16thS of an inch thick; the bottom ~,_ plates,
20 ines in width, and at the Tage was
a
centre
was
composed of , three plates each 3-Bths of an
inch thick, diminished to one Plate at the
ends. These girders were each tested with
weight of 60 tons at the centre, when the deflection
was not found to exceed one inch.
The
whole of the cast iron work was of Stirling's
Toughened Iron, by which a saving, in weight,i
about one-fourth of the quantity that would of
ee have
been iron, necessary with ordinary was
effected,
without any diminution in the absolute strength. I

Messrs. Robinson and Russell were the contractors,
and they had most satisfectorily performed the work,
the total cost of which, including twenty-one turn-
tables, was under 14,0001., or about 201. per lined.
foot.

The paper announced to be read at the meeting of
Tuesday, Feb. 3, when the monthly ballot for mem-
bers will take place, was " The Construction and Du-
ration of the Permanent Way of Railways, and the
modifications most suitable for Egypt, India, &c.,"
by Mr. W. B. Adams.

RAIL WAY SU PERA UATION.
London and South-Western Railway,
York-road Offices, Jan. 21, 1852.
Sir,---I am instructed, on the part of the directors of
this company, to acknowledge the proposals of the com-
mittee of the General Railway Association, fir pro-
viding superannuation and other objects, modified as
explained in the Circular of the 13th instant, and I am to
isy before you the objections to certain of these pro-
posals which lave been i-uhalittcd to the directors by the
salaried officers in this establishment, the persons de-
signed to b; benefited by the proposed association, and
whose opinions on the question at iszue are therefore en-
titled to reesorable consideration.
The directors of this company believe these objections
to be generolly so far well founded as that they are not
inclined to join, with their staff, the superannuation
scheme of the General Railway Association, unless the
regulations can be framed so as to meet such objections.
On the other hand, if these objections can be obviated
the directors would be prepared to abandon the plan of a
separate superannuation fund for their own staff, which
has been prepared under the advice of an eminent cc-
tuary, and which presents in certain respects advantages
over the plan of the General Railway Association, and
would join the superannuation fund suggested by the
General Railway Association, the whole of their present
staff probably becoming members.
A copy of the memorial presented by the
,general
body of the officers of this establishment is appended to
this letter.
The modifications which are considered still requisite
in the proposed regulations of the General Railway As-
sociation relate, in the first place, and principally, to
that rule which enjoins—
That in the case of the death of a member of the
fund before the age of superannuation, the whole of the
contributions paid by that member up to that period are
to be altogether forfeited and lost to his family or re-
presentatives.
Under this regulation the proposed plan of superan-
nuation is made to assume the aspect of inducing the
officers of railways to make a provision for their indivi-
dual comforts in old age, to the exclusion and neglect
of any provision for their widows, their children, or
other persons dependent on them.
This is objectionable on many accounts; it frustrates
one of the principal objects of the whole arrangements,
viz, (in the words of the Report of the Provisional
Committee):—
"To relieve directors from the highly unpleasant
task of adjudication upon applications from indi-
viduals, without any recognised rule for their
guidance;"
for it will be even more difficult for directors to dispose
of the claims of destitute families than of those of su-
perannuated officers.
This regulation will also practically prevent officers,
who have already served runny years in railway service,
from making up their contributions as suggested (at five
per cent., with interest) for past years service, even if
they have the means to do so on the terms suggested,
which very few will have, for they would be called
upon to pay up their contributions for the past under
the contingency that if they chanced to die the next
day the whole would be lost to their representatives, a
consideration which would effectually prevent such con-
tribution for past services being paid up and suggested.
Any person now joining the railway service would
thus, under the regulation as it now stands, be placed in
precisely as good a position as regards superannuation
as the man who has served a company faithfully for
perhaps ten years or more, which, it is submitted,
should if possible be avoided-
All these objections to the regulation in question, and
others which might be named, would be removed by re-
turning the contributions (without interest) to the re-
presentatives of persons dying before the age of superan-
nuation. The fund would still have had the benefit of the
accumulated or compound interest on these contribu-
tions. It is believed, without some such provision, the
present plan will not be found to work in a satisfactory
manner, and the directors are moreover confirmed in the
opinion that such an arrangement is feasible under the
proposed rate of premium (viz , five per cent. on sala-
ries), by the opinion of an eminent actuary whom they
have consulted on the general question.
As regards Rule 14, relating to the resignation of an
officer before the age ofsuperannuation, and the modified
proposal of the provisional committee to the effect that
persons leaving the service of railway companies "in
consequence of' reduction or alterations in the establish-
ment are to receive back the whole of their contributions,
or to have the option of remaining subscribers upon
payment of the full rate of contribution," but in the event
of persons resigning the service of railway companies
they are to receive back only half their contributions,
the directors conceive that the distinction here attempted
to be drawn between the withdrawal of an officer from
the service of a railway company by voluntary resigna-
tion, or in consequence of alteration in the establish-
ment, is net one which can be acted upon ;in practice,
and that the attempt to do so had better be avoided.
They do not concur in the propriety of making it a
condition of railway service, that if an officer who has
served a company sees fit for any reason honourably to
resign his appointment, he should forfeit II per cent. on
his salary, during the whole period of his past services.
If his whole contributions are returned to him, the
fund will, as in the case of death, still have had the
benefit of the compound interest on such eontlibutions,
and this it is submitted should suffice.
I am, in conclusion, requested to press very earnestly
on the attention of the Yrovisional Committee of the
General Railway Association the two modifications con-
sidered requisite by this company in the plan of super-
annuation, to make it such as would secure the approval
of all interested in the question, and establish it as a
general rule for the railway service,—l any, Sir, &c.,
WYNDEXAM HARDING, Secretary.

A. Bee: ton, Esq.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.
NORTH STAFFORDSLURE.
The half-yearly meeting of this company was held
yesterday at the offices at Stoke-upon-Trent, Mr.
Brodrick in the chair.

TT hh ee
cu
ns IRpreliminariessaido havingto be been
egsosn ebs through,
regret
that the negotiations which had been on foot with the
North-Western Company had not led to any result
which might be satisfactorily communicated to the
shareholders ; he could only indicate the result,
which was that the terms held out by the North-
Western with a view to an identity of interest be-
tween the two companies were such as the directors
could not recommend the shareholders to adopt, nor
did they feel justified in bringing them before the
shareholders. He trusted that more than that would
not be expected from the directors. The subject
was a very delicate one, and the board were unani-
mously of opinion that it would be most prejudicial
to the interest of the lines were the details of
that negotiation at this time to be furnished. They
had been entered into on the part of this
board with the strongest anxiety to bring them
to a successful issue, and although no successful issue
had resulted, he felt bound to state that the London
and North-Western Company had met them in the
most friendly manner. He hoped that they were not
drawing too largely on the confidence of the proprie-
tors in requesting that the details of that negotiation
might be allowed to remain in the hands of the direc-
tors. He admitted that this undertaking had not
produced such results as had been expected; but he
was quite satisfied that, on comparison with any
other line which had been entered into under similar
circumstances and at the same time, it would be
found that their proceeds had been larger than those
of any other line which had not been leased to or
guaranteed by some other company. In this state of
their affairs he could not help reminding them that
their revenue had gone on steadily increasing, and
that, small as the dividend was, it bad been progres-
sive and even rapid. The whole of their capital had
not been called up, and they had consequently bor-
rowed more money than under ordinary circumstances
they would have had to do, and the difference he be-
lieved would have enabled them to divide 41. 6d. in
the place of 3a. a share. Though by no means
sanguine on the subject of railway undertakings, he
yet thought that they met under more favourable
auspices than ordinarily. He moved that the report
be adopted
Mr. H. HAMMOND expressed his regret that
the
chairman bad not entered into the details of
negotiation which had been under consideration
forthwith
the North-Western. Rumour had given
that the North-Western had offered them atthe
of half their dividend. How far this was the
begged to
case he
rat-
i
knew not, but as an old shareholder be
sasfiedwit
say that he should be by no means
such an arrangement.—(Cheers.) He concluded bh
y
but by way of sub-
committe
moving, not as an amendment,
of a
a
stantive resolution, the appointment
of shareholders, to inquire into
matters
into the nature of the negotiation w
. of
othertraffic and e
he negotiation,
com-
panies which might be pending%
Mr. LAURIE seconded the
Several questions were proposed with the view of
eliciting information subject of t
motion.
hut it was resisted by the directors,several of whom
the shareholders of the perfect
spoke, end assured
existed among their body,
on the
unanimity which
Ultimately the report was unanimously adopted,
Mr. Hammond's resolution was rejected by a very
dividend of 3s. per share large majori:y, a d
confidence in the
to, and a vote ofdirectors termi-
nated the proceedings.

PARIS AND ROUEN.
The half-yearly meeting of the Paris and Rouen
Rail way
was held on the 27th inst., at the offices,
Rue d'Arnsterdam
, Paris, M. de rEsgr6e, Presidont of
the board of the directors, in the chair. The directors
present were MM.. Lawrence,, Simons, de Kersaint, N.
Duchatel, Benoist D Azy, Ch. Laffitte and Ed. Blount.
M. Chibaudrau, general secretary, was in attend-
ance. 11,050 shares were represented. MM. Lassence
and de Cheppre, the two largest shareholders present,

were called upon to act"as scrutators ; and M. Michelot
to act as:secretary to.the meeting. The number of
shares represented was large enough, according to the
terms of the Act, to empower the meeting to delibe-
rate on the ordinary affairs of the company, but not
sufficient to enable it to come to a decision on the
subject of the proposed agreement with the company
de la Ouest. For this purpose a new meeting will
hare to be summoned. M. Chibaudrau, secretary,
read the administrators' report. The payment of the
amount due to the company from the State, for repa-
ration of damage approved by the company in
February, 1848, has been arranged for. The sums
due to the company amount to 370,092 f. On the
other hand, the company owes to the State, for the
loan which it has received, the indemnity of 370,492 f.
The working of the Rouen line during the
last six months of 1851 produced a product of
3,107.900 f. by the trains of grand vitesse, and j
1,688,999 f., by other trains; the miscellaneous re-
ceipts were 21,302,4431. Total traffic revenue,
9,009,890`: The expenses of working, strictly so
called, were 1,719,757': ; the interest, tolls, and re-
payment of loans reaches 1,205,611 f.; and taxes and
charges of surveillance, 105,46,-3f. The total of
Icharges and expenditure is 3,090,8371., to which is
to be added a loss of 7,293 E, during nine months
working the line to Dieope. The net sum dispos-
able for dividends is 1,911,7191:, representing fer
each share of 500° the sum of 25f., of which one
moiety is interest, and the other dividend. The
interest and dividend on shares will be paid on and
after Jan. 29, at the company's officee. The report
discusses the reasons of the unfavourable difference
between the revenue returns of the lust six months of
1851 and the corresponding period of the preceding
year, and speaks hopefully of the circle of railways by
which it is proposed to engirdle the capital of France.
The accounts, dividend, and reports were approved.
After the termination of the meeting the drawing
took place for 52 shares for amortisation.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURNS.
BRISTOL AND EXETER RAlLWAY.—Traffic for the Week
ending Jan. 18:
Passengers ...
Goods ... ...
Parcels ... ...
Mails ... ...

... ... £2,120 18 4
... .. 1,093 11 3
... ... 119 6 1
... ... 223 4 2

Total ... ... ... £3,556 19 10
LONDON AND BLACIMALL RAILWAY.—Amount of revenue
.31. tho week ending Jan. 29 :
Passengers
Goods

,£7BB 9 2
... 32 10 0

Total ... £B2O 19 2
Corresponding week last year ... 737 12 10
SHREWSBURY AND CHESTER RAILWAY.—Traffic receipts
for the week ending Jan. 25 :
Passengers £499 8 4
Parcels, horses, &c. ... 35 5 6
Merchandise, minerals, &c. ... 954 8 0

Total .. ... ... £1,489 110
Corresponding week last year ... 1,472 4 6

MANCHESTER, BUXTON, MATLOCK, AND MIDLANDS JUNG.
MON RAILWAY.—Return of traffic for the week ending
Jan. 25 :

Passengers, &c.... ...
Merchandise ... ... ...

... £42 16 11
70 13 1

Total £ll3 10 0
Corresponding week last year ... 86 13 0
CALEDONIAN RAILWAY.—(IB9k miles opened.)—Return o
traffic for the week ending Jan. 18 :
Passengers, &c.
Goods, &c.

....Z2,690 11 5i
... 4,587 15 112

Total £7,278 7 5i
Corresponding week last year ... 7,119 8 9
SCOTTISH CENTRAL RAlLWAY.—Traffic for the Week
ending Jan. 25, 1852
Passengers (7,956), parcels, horses,
and carriages ... £859 311
Goods, cattle, &c. 804 18 6

--
Total 1,664 2 5
Corresponding week in last year... 1,350 0 6
Perth, Jan. 27, 1852.

GREAT SOUTHERN AND WESTERN (IRELAND) RAILWAY
[SS miles). Return of for the week ending Jan. 24:
Passengers, parcels, &c. ... £2,971 19 3
Merchandise and cattle ... 1,057 2 11

Total
... £4,029 2 2
Corresponding week last year ... 4,126 14 11