The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-27 00:00:00

INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS.
O Feb. 17 and 24 (Robert Stephenson,
in the chair), the discussion on Mr.
Ell q.
, paper,
" On the Permanent Way of
;
Reilways," occupied the whole of thEse evenings.
Tne imporbince of diminishing the cost of meinte-
nance of way was admitted by all the speakers, and
numerous improvements iutroduced.for that purpose
were mentioned. Those which appeared to have ob-
tained the most general approval, were Mr. Fowler's
long chair ; Messrs. Adams' and Richardson's fished
joints; Mr. Samuel's fished chairs; Mr. P. W. Bar-
low's cast-iron eleepers; and Mr. W. H. Barlow's
sell-supportieg broad-flanged, wrought iron rails.
Each of these systems were shown to possess peculiar
qualities, but it appeared to be admitted, that the
latter combined the greater number of advantages,
now that the more powerful machinery of the iron
works enabled heavy rails to be rolled with greater
facility, and at a less cost. The asserted rigidity of
the iron lines, without timber sleepers, was combated ;
and it was stated that, from the evenness of the joints,
the wear and tear of the rolling stock would be dimi-
nished, the cost of maintenance of the permanent
way would be materially reduced, and that provision
against the effects of the contraction and expansion of
a long length of rails rivetted together need not be
made, as in practice the anticipated effects were not
experienced.
It was stated, that the system of fishing the joints
had been practised in Germany for some time, and
that as far back as 1838 rails with a hole at each end
exported from this, country ; it appeared,
t
obe the general opinion, that these holes
however,ha d
were not intended fur fishes, but for traversing pins to
hold down the ends of the rails in the joint chairs ;
however, within the last few years the system of
fished joints had been introduced with great advan-
tage in Germany.
The numerous varieties of form proposed by Mr.
Adams, for inflexible girder rails, for hollow iron
sleepers, for a combination of timber and stone bear..
ings, &c., were discussed; the system of accumulat-
ing all kinds of assumed forms was censured, as hav-
ing a tendency to retard the introduction of improv-
meats by. practical engineers • and the compound
rails were objected to as being less substantial at first,
and more expensive to renew than Barlow's rail,
which, when exfoliated on the surface, could be again
rolled, at a cost of less than 2/. per ton ; the other
modifications were not considered to be required, as
with the present experience in railway affairs, with
good materials, care in putting them together, and
keeping the whole in order, a good travelling road
might be made and maintained on any of the usual
systems. Up to the present time a strong bridge..
rail, firmly secured to a strong loegitudinal balk of
timber, soundly packed with dry gravel ballast, and
well drained, had been admitted to be, if not the best,
one of the best kinds of permanent way. It
remained to be demonstrated by time what amount of
improvement was introduced by the continuous
broad-flanged rail, which it was admitted did appear
to be well adapted for foreign lines, but with respect
to them it was contended, that in almost all the
tropical climates there were some kinds of timber
which resisted the white ant, and those would neces-
sarily be used ; but it was probable that the use of
iron might be found ultimately more economical, even
if it were more costly at the outset.

On the question of stone block railways, it was
urged that on several lines so constructed, where the
traffic was considerable, but the velocity did not ex-
ceed ten or twelve miles per hour, the rails lasted
well, and the cost of maintenance of way was light ;
but that where the velocity was great the rigidity
was objectionable, and caused too much wear and
tear of the rolling stock.
In the various statements of the cost of mainte-
nance of way, it was essential to specify what items
were included in each, in order to arrive at any com-
parison. When iron was cheap and timber compara-
tively deer, the proposed system of cast iron sleepers
and of very heavy continuous rails might be advan-
tageously adopted, but in countries where timber was
abundant and iron must be imported, the system of
longitudinal timber sleepers and light rails would of
necessity be adopted.
With respect to the cast-iron sleepers on the,South-
Eastern Railway, it was stated, in reply to questions,
that there was not a greater amount of breakage than
with ordinary cast-iron chairs, although the system
had been principally tried on a part of the line where
the traffic was very heavy and the ballast was very
bad, and that the offer of Mr. Taylor, the contractor,
to maintain and renew those parts of the line laid with
cast-iron sleepers, for 21 years for 1001. per annum,
sufficiently proved the fact.
It was urged also that it was impossible to draw
any accurate deductions from the expenditure in
maintaining a wood sleeper line for six months, as it
might appear in the next half-year that an apparent
saving had been made at the expense of increased de-
terioration.

It was urged that the duration of rails must depend
on the quality of the iror, the proportion of its
weight to the traffic, and the velocity and amount of
that traffic. That the question of the cost of main-
tenance of way was, up to the present time, almost
an insoluble problem, the elements being inconstant,
no absolutely parrallel cases being in existence, and
unle9s all the conditions were distinctly given, no
comparison between different systems could be
established.
The paper announced to be read at the meeting of
Tuesday, March 2, when the monthly ballot for
members will take place, was "On the Electric
Telegraph, and the principal improvements in its con.
struction," by Mr. F, R. Window, Assoc. Inst. C.E.

TUE FRENCH
INDIAN GOVERNMENT AND THEMAIL.
Tho Semaphore of Marseilles has the following on
the subject of transmiseiou of the Indian mail:—
In the struggle entered into between the two coun-
tries of which Marseilles and Trieste era the champions,
every one is aware that the victory will remain with the
one vs hich shall gain a speed over the other; politics
will have bat a very slight influence in the affair, and
England will definitely give the preference to the shortest
route. The question, therefore, is to ascertain whether
the passage of the English mail through France is
greatest possible speed. To put this
effectedqueat with theioriisto
solve it. It is only necessary to follow
with some attention the march of this service, to ace
that there is much wanting both in rapidity and regu-
larity. To quote only one example, we will say that
the snail which left Marseilles at the end of January la
took 86 hours to reach London, although the journey
might, if necessary, have been made in 48 hours. Every
snail meets .
ono is generally cveed in attributing the frequent
the first
e;aesificat. causes:
wtehrircihtorytheto.Bntwgiei'llpeinci pal with on the
iltinCittlaia3ic'esil examination end
which takes place at the rmu of the letters,
seines, and which Gccesicns a loss of at Mar •
time; the second results Irene thess about two hours'
for the fast trains on the reP necessity of waiting
delcy, varying front on- 'kw ay, which causes another
, hour to tun I. ,
the hour of the arrival of the p .oars, according to
evidently fella within the es 1 pascket.
The first delay
vernment. it
we
are
Ir.,ilee: it,,tve. domain of the Go-
has the rare merit of assuming -tenurnacd, the Prefect, who
which interest; hi; d the irthiative in all affairs
commueicatien to
the.
Government,
has just addressed a
that the sorting of the in which he suggests
forth
m_.,_
et.
Malta
mail „'l,°o
cnlewhich
would save to the English
stifle:" iT".114.1i f is lost in that operation at Afar-
this nact is the most rational means of
seriousreme-
dying inconvenience, and it is hoped that
this awyfreoi,)
n may be acceded to by. the Post-office
authorities. The second cause oe delay is more compli-
cared. In order to remedy it it would suffice that
special trains should be placed at Marseilles at the dis-
posal of the English courier on the arrival of the packet.
But here there arises a question of expense, which must
he first solved. There probably :exists in the contract
which has been entered into between the French Post-
office and the English Government for the transmission
of the India mail, ;a blank as far as concerns the trans-
port by railway, and which blank it will be proper
to fill up. On tae other hand, the dispute whicn has
arisen between the Post-office and the Avignon to Mar-
seilles Railway Company, relative to the transport of
dispatches, is not yet settled, and will doubtless act on
the service of the India mail, which is thus reduced to
the condition of a private undertaking. In such estate
of things the English courier only takes a special train
under very particular circumstances, and never except
by paying the expense of it. The Prefect,:in his 81)''
plication to the Government, has said nothing .on the
subject of the expense; he has confined himself to
pointing out facts, and the inconveniences which result
from them, and demanding that they should be remedied
by having the necessar arrangements made in order
that the moment the English mail is landed, the courier
may find a train, either special or not, but a fast elle,
always ready to start with him. The Chamber of Corn-
meref4, to which the Prefecteoninaunicated his intended
application, has also supported it by an application. The
question thus put cannot fail to receive a speedy solu-
tion, and one in conformity with the interests of the
country. It must not be forgotten that it is the whole
of France, and not Marseilles alone, which is interested
in preserving the transport of the India mail, and no-
thing should be neglected to obtain this result."

ELECTION.—Last evening a meet•
inYorfEtshTelriencis of Mr. John Villiers Shelley, took place at
the Piazza PiaZZA Hotel, Covent-garden,. for the purpose of receiv-
ingexplanation of his political opinions, as a candidate
an
for the city representationupon the eventual retirement of
Mr. Lushington. At a quarter to eight o'clock the chair
,fas taken by Mr. Thomas Prout. Mr. Shelley then cams
forward, and having expressed himself in teams consistent
With the liberal character of his address, declaring himself
favourable to vote by ballot, short P.irliaments, free tra te,
proceeded to notice other topics not mentioned in that do-
cument. He engaged to oppose church-rates, as being as
much an insult to the Churchman as to the Dissenter ; he
was for defending the country by the navy, rather than for
looking to a militia for safety. He would labour for the
education of the
a vote of confidence from his audience, and
people, and assert their right to self-govern-
meet. At the conclusion of his address, Mr. Shelley received
a promise of their
support when the election should occur.
NEWSPAPER STAMPS.—Yesterday a return to Par-
liament was printed, showing the stamps issued to news-
papers, &c., from 1837 to 18:10 inclusive. The return ex-
tends to 47 folio pages. There is no summary given, buL
the ""Its it W each paper are mentioned.