The Sun.
London, England, 1852-10-01 00:00:00

7‘".71
M 7 OCTOBER 1, 1852.

Coned, from London for Table Bay, on the 29th of July,
in ht. 8 N., long. 23 W.
Glasgow, barque, from Cardiff far Panama, on the 31st
of July, in lat. 13, long. 25.
J. K. L., from Bombay for Liverpool, on the Ist of
August, in lat. 13, long. 26 W.
Vesta brig, of Dundee, for Colst4ntinople, on the 14th
of September, off Cape St. Vincent.
Aberfoyle, with emigrants, on the 16th of September, off
Cape Finisterro.
Ides, of and from Bristol, for Demerara, on the 10th of
September, in lat. 45 N., long. 15 W.
Exertion, of and for Penzatce, from Galati, on the
13th of September. in tat. 46 N., long. 16 W.

NAVAL IN TEL

GE NCE.

Lieutenant Samuel Twyford (1849), of the Pen-
guin, 6, on the coast of Mozambique, has been ap-
pointed flag- lieutenant to Rear-A.dmiral Purvis, the
commander- in-chief at Queenstown, vice Lord Gros-
venor, whose appointment his losten cancelled.
Lieutenant Frederick D. Yonge (1845), of the
Albion, 90, in the Mediterranean, has been appointed
flag-lieutenant to Rear-Admiral Superintendent Fan-
shawe, C.B.
DEATH OF THE SENIOR CHAPLAIN Or THE NAVY.
—The Rev. Charles Burne (1$01) died a few days
since. He was 44 years rector tfE Tedburn St. Mary,
greatly beloved and respected :by his parishioners,
and deeply lamented by his !tinily and a large circle
of friends. He was the senior haplain of the Royal
Navy, and was present at the plormus battle of Tra-
falgar, in ber Mqjesty's ship ISeptune,•-and obtained
the medal awarded for that meraVable 'victory.
Tan WEST INDIES.—COMTAb.I,OYe I\l-I,i'autte, in the
Imaum, was all well, at Port Rayal, Sept. 11. The
Persian, 12, Commander Thomas Mitchell, was at
Havannah, Sept. 6.
The machinery of the Sans Pxeil, 81, screw-ship,
Captain Dacres, has arrived it Devonport, and
the engineers are busy putting it in place. Mr.
Dinnen, the inspector of steam machinery afloat, is
there, hastening its progress. There may be a hope
now that the ship will soon fled her way outside the
Breakwater.

A carpenter's mate, named Hugo, belonging to the
St. George, 120, whilst working on boixd the Vigo
hulk, in Hamoaze, accidentally fell overboard and
Was drowned. His body has not yet been found.
The poor man was the main support of an aged
mother.

PORTSMOUTH, THURSDAY.—Rear-Adthal of the
Red H. Prescott, C. 8., Superintendent of this dock-
yard, struck his flag this evening at sunset on board
the Neptune, 120, on his retirement. He carries
with him the respect of all whom he has presided over
during his term of office. His successor, Rear-Ad-
miral Fanshawe, C.B , will hoist his flag (hue at the
wizen) on board the Neptune, and comnence the
duties of his post to-morrow morning.
The Sharpshooter iron steam-vessel was commis-
sioned at this port last evening by Lieutenant J. E.
Parish, late of tha Arrogant, who is app►inted to
command her.

The Ajax, 60, Captain Quin, will come out of dock
on Saturday. Sne is refitting her upper decc.
The Niger, 14, Commander Heath, is swiiging, to
have her comploses adjusted in this harbour .o
-day.
The Fairy Royal yacht, Master Commander
Welch, relieved the Elfin, Acting Tastes Baliston, in
attendance upon the Royal children at Osborne this
morning.
PLYMOUTH, THURSDAY, 11 A.M.—A large frigate,
apparently 50 guns, was observed from Pen:ee Point
at seven o'clock this morning going up Channel with
studding sails a:ow and aloft. Wind westerly, strong
breeze.

The steam troopship Megeera will call at this port
for artillery mPri, on her passage to the West Indies.
At half-past eleven on Tuesday night, to the east-
ward of the Eddystone, two Government steamers
were observed going down Channel under steam only.
The lesser, a two-masted vessel, was ahead showing
lights, with which she was signalling her consort, a
large three-masted ship.
The merchant barque Tartar, Captain Rotings, be-
longing to Messrs. Kerswill, of this port, has recently
made a passage from the Cape of Good Hope to the
Mauritias in 13 days. She left on the sth and arrived
on the 18th of July, supposed to be the quickest pas-
sage ever made.
WOOLWICH, SEPT. 30.—TheAgamemnon,90, screw
steam-ship, Captain Sir T. Maitland, C. 8., had her
steam np to-day in the basin, and every preparation
made for her to be taken out and proceed rumediately
after to the Nore, where it was intended she
should cast anchor for the night, and on the follow-
ing day teat her speed at the measured distance of
knots between the Nore and Mouse lights. At two
o'clock P.M., some time before high water, Captain
Baldwin Walker, K. C. 8., Surveyor of the
Navy ; Captain Sir Frederick W. E. Nicholson, and
a number of naval officers, including all the officers
studying steam at the factory at Woolwich Dock-
yard ; Mr. Lloyd, Chief Engineer of the
Steam Department at Somerset-house; Mr.
Atherton, Chief Engineer at Woolwich Dock-
yard ' • Mr. Murray, Chief Engineer at Portsmouth
Dockyard ; Mr. Trickett, Assistant to the Chief En-
gineer et Woolwich Factory ; Mr. Lang, Assistant
to the Master Shipwright at Chatham Dockyard;
and Mr. Peake, Assistant to the Master Shipwright
at Woolwich Dockyard, with a number of scientific
gentlemen, and Mr. John Penn, the constructor of
her engines, of 600 horse power, and Mr. F. P.
Smith, inventor of the screw-propeller, were on
board, intending to go down the river in her to wit-
ness the trial, but, unfortunately, a strong south-west
wind had prevailed during the forenoon, and the tide
did not rise to a sufficient height to enable the Master-
Attendant to take her out, and the trial was conse-
quently postponed.
The Mem:a steam-frigate, Commander J. 0.
Johnson, having embarked Captain Innes's and Cap-
tain Marston's companies of the Royal Artillery, im-
mediately after they were inspected by Colonel
Whinyates, C. 8., K.H., commandant of the garrison,
she left Woolwich shortly after twelve o'clock to-day
for B rbadoes.
The Terrible, steam-frigate, Captain James Hope,
C. 8., arrived here this afternoon from the Mediter-
ranean station, and is to be paid off at this port.

APPOINTMENTS.
Lieutenant Charles G. Fegen (1845), William D.
Loch (1846), and Thomas J. Young (1851), to the
Agamemnon, 90, screw steam-ship, at Woolwich;
Samuel Twyford (1849), from the Penguin, 6, brig,
on the Cape of Good Hope station, to the Ajax screw
steam flagship, at Cork; Frederick D. Yonge (1845),
from the Albion, 90, on the Mediterranean station, to
be Flag-Lieutenant to Rear-Admiral Arthur Fan-
shawe, C. 8., who will hoist his flag to-morrow (Oc-
tober 1) on board the Neptune, 120, guardship of
ordinary at Portsmouth, the Gallant Rear-Admiral
having been appointed Admiral Superintendent at
Portsmouth Dockyard, in the room of Rear-Admiral
Prescott, C. 8., who has held the office of superin-
tendent of that dockyard since December 15, 1847.
Surgeons--John W. Elliott (1838), to the Aga-
memnon ; Joseph Caldwell (1842), to be Surgeon-
Superintendent of the Rodney convict-ship.
Mate—Edinuod P. 'Weld (1852), to the Electra,
14, at Portsmouth.
Master's-Assistant—John J. Frewen, to the Arro-
gant steam-frigate, at Portsmouth.
Acting Assistant-Surgeon—Joseph Austin (1852),
to the Impregnable flag-ship, at Devonport.
Clerks—Frank Ramsden (1850), and John Burke
(1850), to the Agamemnon.
Midshipmen—R. B. D. Freeman,_ to the Terma-
gant steam-frigate, at Devonport-; H. G. Marsden, to
the Niger steam-sloop, at Portsmouth.

GALES ON THE NORTHUMBERLAND COAST.—CUL-
LERCOATS, WEDNESDAY.—A very heavy gale of wind has
prevailed on this coast during the last two days. It has
blown from the north-east, with heavy falls of rain. Yes-
terday morning thirty fishing-boats were about nine miles
from the coast when the gale came on, and immediately put
in towards the shore. When about a mile of the haven a
fearful sea was breaking on the shore, and it was at great
peril those well in advance landed. Four boats, however on
arriving off the bar, found it impossible to get in, and in all
probability the crews would have met a watery grave but for
the presence of the new lifeboat just stationed at Cullercoats
by the National Society for the Preservation of Life from
Shipwreck, which was manned by fourteen of the fishermen
and pilots, who, anxiously watched by a large concourse of
people, gallantly rescued their comrades from their impend-
ing fate. On the same afternoon the Emporium, a vessel
from America, got on shore to the south of Blyth. The
Blyth lifeboat was run along the sands with horses, and the
crew and passengers, including three women, were rescued.
Some Tyne pilots were able to run their cables on shore and
south of Manhaven before the gale got to its worst. There
are some vessels on the coast, and fears are entertained for
their safety. The Lightning war-steamer, which left the
Tyne on a surveying expedition to the Doggerbank, is ex-
pected to have reached the Humber. There is no appearance
of the gale abating.
DEATH OF JAMES FILLANS, ESQ., SCULPTOR.--
We regret to announce in our obituary of to-day the death
of this eminent and talented gentleman, whose demise has
been almost as sudden as it was unexpected. He bad for
some time past been afflicted with rheumatism, and for the
last week or two had been labouring under an attack of the
disease. About a week ,ago it assumed the form of fever,
and he was obliged to remain confined to his room. No-
thing serious, however, was apprehended, either by his
family or his medical attendant till Sunday night, when the
fever-took a turn for the worse, and he continued sinking
till
Monday morning, when death terminated a life full of bril-
liant promise. We are certain we speak not only our own
feelings, but those of a large circle of private friends in this
neighbourhood, when we express the deep regret we feel at
the unexpected loss of one whose warmth of heart and many
social virtues endeared him to all with whom he came in
contacte—Glasgow Chronicle.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.
OPENING of the OXFORD and BIRMINGUAk
Yesterday was the day appointed by the directors
of the Great Western Railway for celebrating the
completion and intended opening of the Oxford and
Birmingham Railway.
The portion of the line yesterday opened for traffic
was that between Banbury and Birmingham, a dis-
tance of 42 miles. That part of it which lies between
Banbury and Fenny Compton was constructed under
the powers granted to make a line from Oxford to
Rugby, the portion from Fenny Compton to Rugby
having been abandoned by the Great Western Rail-
way Company. The line from Birmingham to join
the projected Oxford and Rugby at Feuny Compton
was projected by the Grand Junction Railway Com-
pany, who were then anxious to obtain an independent
entrance for themselves into London. In consequence
of the amalgamation between the Grand Junction and!

the London and Birmingham Companies the projected
line was abandoned by the former company, and sub-
sequently taken up warmly by friends of the Great
Western Railway. The various contest,, legal and par-
liamentary, which have taken place between the Great
Western and London and North-Western Railways
have made this line notorious in connexion with " the

battle of the gauges." At length, however, the sane-

tion of the Legislature was obtained for the forma-
tion of the line, and after an expenditure of money
and an amount of annoyance and harassing unparal-
leled even in the history of railway litigation, the line
has at length been completed on the mixed gauge, the
Legislature having decided that the narrow as well as
the broad gauge should be laid down upon it. In
order to celebrate the opening of this important com-
munication with the metropolis and the manufactur-

ing districts by means of the broad gauge, a large
number of persons, a fair proportion of whom were
ladies, were invited from London, Oxford, and Bir-
mingham, to proceed in a special train along the newly
completed line. The arrangements were that a
train should leave London at nine o'clock in the
morning, calling at Oxford at 10.15. for Birmingham,
whence it would return to Warwick and Leamington
at half-past two in the afternoon. A collision—fortu-
nately, however, not attended with fatal consequences
—prevented a strict adherence to the proposed ar-
rangements, and threw a considerable damp over the
anticipated pleasures of the auspicious occasion. A
train of ten carriages, in one of which was the band
of the Ist Life Guards, left the station at Paddington
with the splendid engine " The Lord of the Isles,"
which, as a noble specimen of English workmanship,
was so greatly admired at the late Great Exhibition,
and which was now gaily decorated with garlands of
flowers, the Union Jack, and a number of flags and
streamers. The train dashed on in gallant style, the
band played lustily and well, and Oxford, with its
fine old towers, its halls and its colleges, was reached
at ten minutes to eleven. A halt of a few minutes,
and at eleven the train was again under way, and all
went on as well as before till it arrived at the small
station of Aynoe, sixteen miles from Oxford. On
arriving within a short distance of the station, and
while going at about fifty miles an hour, the con-
tinued whistle of the engine and the sudden applica-
tion of the breaks produced a momentary feeling of
uneasiness among the passengers, and this was imtne.
diately followed by two or three slight concussions,
which confirmed the fears already entertained.

Ou alighting from the carriage the first evidence
which we saw of an accident having occurred was the
total displacement of the stone facing and coping of
the platform of the station, and the engine lying off
the rails in a shattered and helpless condition. The
buffers were broken off, the gearing irons were lying
beside the vast machine, its front wheels were knocked
from their frames ; and under the ponderous mass
and behind the driving-wheels were the axle and a
pair of wheels, in a position in which it appeared they
could only have been placed by the engine actually
mounting above the axle, and running for some yards
on the top of the wheels. A few yards in front of
the engine were two luggage vans, the hinder one
lying upon the foremost, four of its wheels knocked
off, the hinder part of the van smashed in, the sides
bulging considerably over the rails on each side,
while the sacks of wheat which it contained, as well
as casks of vinegar, were pouring their contents upon
the ground. Beyond these two vans, at a distance of
a few yards, stood another, the massive framing and
buffers of which were splintered in the most extra-

olairway ut,, fit. n rTic!ance of about
forty or fifty yards, were another engine and two
carriages, the hinder part of the latter of which
was smashed, and the partitions split. Some two
or three dozen persons had already jumped out of the
carriages, several were lying on the ground, and
some who were still inside were unable or unwilling
to move ; but the look of terror which pervaded all,
and the contused and bleeding faces, told but too

plainly the fact that a passenger train had been run
into by the special train. Fortunately, none of the
persons appeared to be seriously hurt; those who bad
received the greatest amount of injury had their
wounds dressed at the station, while the others were
forwarded on by the train to Banbury.
On returning back to the station and making in-
quiries as to the cause of the accident, it appeared
that the train which had been run into was the 7.40
down train from London to Banbury, and which was
due at Aynoe at 10.40. The passenger train did not
arrive at Oxford till about half-past ten, when, ex-
pecting the special train, which did not arrive till
11 20—it waited a considerable time in the siding to
allow it to pass. Not having made its appearance,
the train left the station twenty-three minutes before
the special train, having a distance of twenty-three
miles to run in order to reach Banbury. While the
passenger train was waiting at Aynoe, collecting the
tickets for Banbury, the special train came in sight,
and the passengers having hastily taken their seats the
engine-driver at once put on all his steam in order to
carry the train further down the line to save a collision.
On starting, however, the coupling-chain which con-
nected the luggage vans with the passenger carriages
broke. At this instant the engine of the special train
ran into the hindmost luggage van, forced it and two
others preceding it along the line, till they came into
contact with the passenger carriages. The severe
blow struck by the engine against the weighty lug-
gage vans, threw it off the line, and, after ploughing
up the ground for some dozen yards, breaking off the
switches, and tearing up the transoms, came into con-
tact with the masonry of the platform, and was finally
brought to a stand still. Every attempt was made by
Messrs. Brunel and Gooch, together with the engine-
driver, to bring up the train, in order to avoid colli-
sion, but owing to the short distance it was impossible
to do so. The signal at the station, in consequence
of its being at the extremity of a very sharp curve,
cannot be seen for a greater distance than four hun-
dred yards, and from the moment that the caution was
seen, notwithstanding all the breaks were applied, and
the steam reversed, it was found impossible with the
train going at the rate of fifty miles an hour to bring
it up. The debris and wreck caused by the collision
were moat extraordinary, and but one feeling of won-
der and astonishment was manifested that no severe
personal injury had been sustained. With the excep-
tion of one or two who were slightly shaken, no per-
son received any injuries in the special train.
Mr. Brunel proceeded on by the passenger train to
Banbury, and shortly after returned with the engine,
with which the line having been cleared, and the
carriages transferred to the up-line, the special train
proceeded on to Leamington. It was not considered
advisable to proceed to Birmingham, and a message
was sent requesting those who were to have joined
the party at Birmingham to come on by train to
Leamington, instead of, as originally intended, by the
special train.
By the new route from London to Birmingham the
distance will be 128 k miles, that by the London and
North-Western being 112. The following are the
names of the various stations upon the new portion of
the line beyond Banbury, with their distances from
London :—Cropredy, 89i ; Fenny Compton, 94.
Harbury, ; Leamington, 1051 ; Warwick, 10,7:4-
Hatton, 111:k ; Knowle, 1184 ; Solihull, 1221 ; Litre
mingham, 1281.
The country through which the line passes as it
nears Birmingham is very interesting, while the
works upon the line are many of them exceedingly
heavy. One of the heaviest cuttings,o cubic
probabylyaridns
England is one at Harbury-3,0
of marl and limestone were removed ; the cutting is
at the deepest point 110 feet in depth, and its breadth
at the top 140 yards, the slope being 1 in 1. Be-
yond this is an embankment of four miles in length,
and 23 feet in height, formed from the spoil, and not
less than 40 acres are covered to a height of 20 feet
by the remaining unused portion of the soil. At
Whitmarsh there is a cutting in red marl, from which
350,000 cubic yards of earth were removed. The
railway runs for a considerable distance side by side
with the narrow gauge lines, and crosses, in almost
immediate contact with the Rugby and Leamington,
the High-street at Leamington by means of an iron
bridge of 150 feet span. At Myton the line passes
under the Oxford and Birmingham Canal, the water
being carried over by an aqueduct, in the construction
of which a large amount of labour and engineering skill
is evident. The Avon is crossed by a bridge of 100 feet ;
and a short distance beyond is an extensive viaduct of
thirty arches of twenty-five feet span. The road at
Warwick and the canal are crossed by means of iron
girder bridges. At Hatton there is an embankment
of three miles in length and twenty-five feet in height,

rind a somewhat deep cutting, from which 500,000
cubic yards were removed. At Fin wood there is also
a deep cutting, and the canal at Shelford is crossed
by a bridge of sixty feet in length. There is also an
extensive embankment at Blythbrook of one mile in
length and forty feet in height, and at HaYeoCkem,
green there is another of a mile in length, and 48 feet
in height, followed by a 30 feet cutting of consider..
able length. The railway passes under the Bristol I
and Gloucester Railway at a part where it rans on an
embankment 50 feet high, and the whole of the works
connected with the required tunnel were completed
without any stoppage of the ordinary traffic. An iron
bridge 150 feet in length carries the railway over
the Warwick Canal, and the Coventry-road is crossed
by an arch of 60 feet span. A most remarkable proof
of the energy displayed by Messrs. Peto and Betts,
in the completion of the line, is shown by the fact
that the whole of the works through Leamington and
Warwick, at Myton, with not less than three miles of
:viaducts and bridges, and the other works we have
mentioned, between Fenny Compton and Birming-
ham, were completed in the incredibly short space of
forty weeks. The average number of men employed
was 5,000. The entire management of the works
during their progress was confided by Messrs. Peto
and Betts to Mr. Charles Watson. The line ap-
pears to be remarkably well constructed, and has, we
believe, been highly approved by the Government in-
spector. .
In the special train we notice& a. new composite
carriage, constructed to carry 24 firat.olass. and .56
second-class passengers. Two first-class carriages,
rani* t ogethe'., occupy the centre, and two second-
class carriages each extreme end. The length of the
entire carriage is 39 feet, and its width 9 feet 9
inches; it is filled with papier mache panels. The
'under part, or framing of the carriage, is entirely of
iron ; the wheels are placed in two sets at each end,
having their centres five feet apart, the distance from
the centres of the extreme wheels being 28 feet.
Intelligence of the collision at Aynoe reached Bir-
mingham at one o'clock, and orders were received by
electric telegraph to send the Sultan engine down the
line to render any assistance that might be required.
It so happened, however, that while going to take in
water the engine ran off the rails, and got embedded
in the soil ; and, notwithstanding all the exertions of
the labourers, it could not be replaced on the rails for
several hours. The services of the electric telegraph
were again put in requisition, and ultimately the
Amazon, with two first-class and several second-class
carriages, left Birmingham at half-past four p.m., in
order to convey that portion of the visitors which was
to have come from Birmingham to Leamington accord-
ing to the original arrangement. Large numbers of per-
sons were assembled at the station at Snow-hill to
witness the arrival of the first broad-gauge train into
this hotly-disputed territory. The party from Bir-
mingham reached Leamington about half-past five,
when they proceeded to the Regent's Hotel and joined
the party from London.
Amongst thsse present we observed—Lord and
Lady Villiers, the Hon. Colonel Clive (chairman of
the Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway Company),
the Hon. S. Cotton, Mr. S. M. Peto, M.P., Mr. J. W.
Buller, the chairman, and Mr. Badham, the secretary
of the Bristol and Exeter Company ; the Rev. Dr.
Harington, principal of Brasenose College ; the Rev.
Dr. Jeune, master of Pembroke College ; the Rev.
Dr. and Miss Saunders ; Captain Bulkeley, Mr.
Paull and Mr. Potter, directors of the Great Western
Company, and Mr. C. A. Saunders, the secretary;
Major and Mrs. Court, the Misses Bulkeley, Mr.
Brunel, Mr. Seymour Clarke, and Mr. Mowatt, the
general manager and secretary of the Great Northern
Railway; Mr. Frederick Clarke, general superin-
tendent of the South Wales Railway, and Mrs. F.
Clarke; Mr. F. Saunders, the secretary; and Mr.
Martley, the assistant locomotive superintendent of
the South Wales Railway; Mr. Rennet and Mr.
Tredwell, the well-known contractors ; Mr. and Mrs.
Norris, of Sutton Courtney; Mr. Parker, a director
of the Great Northern line ; Mr. Bertram, C.E. ; Mr.
Kershaw, the secretary of the Birmingham and Ox-
ford line ; Mr. Merewether, Mr. T. Martin ; Mr.
Matthews, deputy-chairman of the South \Vales
Railway, and many other gentlemen connected with
various of our railways.
Ample justice having been done to the dejeuner,
Mr. SIMMONDS, one of the directors who presided
in the absence of Mr. Russell, the chairmen, who was
prevs,i.ted franc. atree.ei.,4s ‘..,-. ...e. attack of lumbago,
proposed the usual loyal and national toasts, which
were received with great enthusiasm.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed " Success to the Ox-
ford and Birmingham Railway." He stated that it
would be open to the public to-morrow (this day).
The line had been long looked for, but had arrived at
last.—(Cheers.) The work had been nobly executed,
and reflected the highest credit upon the engineer and
all parties connected with it.—(Cheers.) The visi-
tors had seen the beauty and completeness of the line,
and it was therefore unnecessary for him to detain
them by any description of it.
The toast was drunk with the greatest enthusiasm.
The Hon. Mr. CLIVE next proposed " The Health
of the Directors, and success to the broad gauge and
the Great Western Railway." Since the year
1848 the Legislature had determined that there
should be a broad gauge, and from that period to
the present he had been constantly directing his at-
tention to the attainment of this desideratum, satisfied
that sooner or later the intentions of the Legislature
would be carried out.—(Cheers.) The day had at
last come, and now he felt satisfied, happen what
might, that there must be a broad gauge line direct
from London (aid Oxford) to the Mersey.—(Cheers.)
He was therefore exceedingly glad to find that they
had now completed one important link in this much
desired route. He was not for competition for low
rates—he desired only competition for the public
accommodation.—(Cheers.) Let them have competi-
tion in that sense, and then he had no hesitation in
expressing his opinion, that they should be not only
benefiting the proprietors themselves, but also satis-
fying the public, whom they were bound to serve.
The CHAIRMAN, in returning thanks for the direc-

.ore, also avowed himself as an opponent to ruinous
competition ; but at the same time he stated that the
Great Western Railway would never allow itself to
be borne down by any railway in the United King-
dom,—(Cheers.)
The toast of " Prosperity to the Birmingham and
Shrewsbury, and the Shrewsbury and Chester Rail-
ways," next followed, and was acknowledged by the
Hon. Mr. Clive and Mr. Roy, directors of the re-
spective lines.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed the " Health of Mr.
Brunel, the engineer in-chief," which was briefly re-
sponded to by that gentleman. He stated that what-
ever other qualities the directors might approve him
for, they could not value him in his speech-
making qualities. As he could not make speeches
he never attempted them, preferring rather to under-
take only such works as he knew he could accomplish
well.
The CHAIRMAN next proposed " The Flealths of
Messrs. Peto, M.P., Betts, Brassey, Treadwell,tt and
the other contractors for making the line."
Mr. PETO, M.P., in returning thanks, said that he
had not anticipated the honour which had been done
him, nor the kindness of the reception which had
been given to him and his friends, but felt deeply
thankful for it. He could not personally for a moment
claim the slightest merit with respect to any of the
works upon the line. His labours in connexion
with the works bad been light, indeed, owing to
the perfectness of the designs, which could not
be surpassed, and the valuable assistance of the
engineer-in-chief. Re also desired to express his
most cordial acknowledgments, and the obligation
under which he and his partners lay, to the ad-
mirable and efficient conduct of the clergy and
magistrates of the districts in which the works were
carried on. Having been the employers of s,ooomen
for upwards of three years, it must be manifest that,
without their kind and valuable assistance, they could
never have conducted them so as to ensure that per-
fect safety and security of property in the variou9
districts in which they were employed. In conclusj°';
g
he stated that it afforded him reat pleasure to n.nu
that the works of the railway had given otisfaction
to the directors.
Lord VILLIERS then proposed " The
Saunders, the secretary of the Great Western
way," which, in the absence of that gentlulun, was
acknowledged by Captain Buckley, one a the
directors. and the company re-
Various other toasts followed,
turned to the station, which they left about half-past
seven, and arrived in London a few minutes after one
o'clock. On passing the Aynoe station on our return
we observed that the line vvas perfectly clear, and that
the shattered ,g Lord of the bles," with the dilapi-
dated luggage vans, occupied a place on the siding.
It was also ascertained that no bones had been broken
by the unfortunate occurrence of the morning, while
those of the passengers who received injuries were
going on well or rapidly recovering.
-------

Lord John Russell, on Friday evening, slept in
the Royal George Hotel, and next day left by the Dundee
Railway for Rossie Priory, on a visit to Lord Kinnaird,
where a distinguished party were invited to meet him. On
Sunday Lord and Lady Kinnaird, with their noble guests.
attended Divine worship at the parish church of Inchture.
Lord John Russell returned to Perth on Monday, and left
in the afternoon by the Central Railway for his Highland
home) the (lad Call:laden—Perth Courier.