The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-08 00:00:00

FIRE AT THE HOUSES OF PARLIA-

MENT.—(This Day.)

This ;afternoon about three o'clock the utmost
consternation and alarm was experienced by the mem-
bers of the select committees of the Houses of
Lords and Commons sitting to consider various private
and other bills, as well as the witnesses attending them, at
the announcement that a fire had broken out in the build..
ing and was then burning. As may naturally be
supposed, a general panic ensued, and numerous
members left their o'her duties to ascertain the
truth of this announcement, which they were soon,
able to satisfy themselves from the strong smell of charred
wood which prevailed throughout the corridor of the
building. It turned out on inquiry that a
waiter belonging to the refreshment department
of the House of Commons, on passing from the
library to the:members'. tea-room, observed smoke (issuing
very near to the latter from the wooden roof, and imme-
diately afterwards the flames burst through with
great fury. He immediately communicated this
to police-constable Home, 12 C, who gave an
alarm, and obtained the assistance of the police
ou duty in the other parts of the building, and
he immediately set to work, applied the hose, and turned
on the water with which the mains are constantly charged,
and applied it with such effect that the flames were soon
subdued, and no further mischief was apprehended.
The condor leading from the House of Commons to the
Lords' committee rooms were flooded with water, and but
for such prompt means of action there can be little
doubt that the whole of the corridor, as well as
those above, would soon have fallen a prey to the
flames.. When the flames were extinguished, Mr.
Kelly, the acting man under Mr. G. Gurney, to whom the
ventilation of the Houses of Parliament are entrusted, made
an examination of the seat of the outbreak, when it was
found that a brick flue from the kitchen passes over the wood
roof of the corridor, and that by some means a brick had
become displaced, and by the opening and draught the heat
had communicated to the woodwork near it, and having,
no doubt been for some time subjected to it, had thus taken
fire. It was deemed prudent to make a strict examina-
tion to ascertain if the fire had extended to any other
portion of the space between the wooden roof and base
alluded to, and the flooring of the corridor above it, and:seve-
ral of the officers connected with the gas department were
sent down the trap doors to see if there were any other parts
on fire, but, after a diligent search, it was reported rnat it
had been confined to the place where it originated, and no
further danger was to be apprehended.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

NORTH BRITISH.

A special meeting of this company was held in
Edinburgh on Thursday, for the purpos3 cf consi-
dering five bills now before Parliament ; Mr. Hodg-
son, M.P., presided.
The CHAIRMAN stated that out of the five bills
only two were as yet in a condition to enable the
company to put steam vessels on the passage be-
tween Silloth and Belfast, and the Esk
Vsl-
ley Railway Bill. With regard to the first
measure, it was intended to take powers to
organise steam communication from Silloth to
Liverpool, Dublin, and other places ; but the House
of Lords' committee had only granted power as
regarded Belfast, where the company would open
up a new traffic, and not become the rivals of any
other company. The directors were quite satisfied
to accept of this limited power. The Esk Valley
Bill gave powers to a company to make a short
railway from Eakbank (Dalkeith) to Springfield,
and to the North British to work the line.
The differences with the Border Union shareholders
had been settled bythe introduction of a clause into
the Wandsworth Railway Bill, providing that the
holders of Border Union ordinary shares should re-
ceive one-half more than the dividend on North
British ordinary stock, until the latter received 4
per cent., when the addition should stop, and above
6 per cent. both should proceed pare passu. The
directors had great satisfaction in announcing
the decision of the House of Commons committee
on the bill promoted by this company for a new line
from Edinburgh to Dunfermline and Perth and com-
peting measures. The Edinburgh and Glasgow
Company had by that decision been empowered to
make a line from Ratho to South Queensferry; this
company to have absolute running powers from
Edinburgh to South Queensferry. The ferry was to
be mutual to the two companies, and this company
had received power to construct the line from
North Queensferry to Dunfermline, and also the
extension line to Perth, using so much of the Kinross
railways as was required. A great outlay of capital
had been saved by this decision of the committee,
to use the line from Edinburgh to Ratho, and the
absolute eharacter of the running powers to Queens-
ferry, which the North British had been found
entitled to, rendered the line almost, if not quite,
as good as if they had got power to construct their
own separate line to Queensferry. The committee
had also given power to construct certain small
branch lines near Edinburgh. He moved approval
of the Silloth Steampacket Bill.
Mr. LEIsUMAN seconded the motion, which,
after the rejection of an amendment, was carried by
a large majority. Tne Esk Valley Bill was also
approved, and the meeting adjourned for a week to
consider the remaining bills.