The Sun.
London, England, 1839-09-26 00:00:00

SUNDAY TRAVELLING

In our last was given the Report and proceedings of
the Manchester and Leeds Railway Company, one of
the most promising Companies in the north. A discus-
sion on that occasion arose respecting Sunday travelling.
Several of the proprietors were for shutting the line up
altogether, others for partially opening it, and others
again for opening it for the transit of passengers, as on
other days. An animated discussion took place, and it
was at length resolved to open the line on Sunday with
not fewer trains than travel on that day on the Liver-
pool and Manchester Railway, with which it is in con-
nection. This result, we regret to learn, has deter-
mined Mr. Wood, the Chairman, and two of his col-
leagues, to resign. Mr. Wood has, we believe, been
the Chairman from the beginning, and by his zeal and
vigour has contributed much to bring the concern
through the difficulties which once beset it to its present
prosperous state. It is therefore with unmingled feel-
ings of regret that we heard of his secession from an
office which he filled so honourably to himself and so
advantageously to the Company.
We lament exceedingly these discussions on the sub-
ject of Sunday travelling. It is full time some higher
power should step in and decide what shall; or what
shall not be done on the Sabbath. If presently 0,,e
line takes upon itself to exclude Sunday travelling ant?
another to admit it, what endless confusion shall we have
throughout the country ! W e give the fullest credit to
the excellence and sincerity of the motives of thos,
gentlemen who are for restricting, or even closing alto-
gether, the railways on a Sunday; but, we apprehend,
they are assuming to themselves a power they have no
right to at all, even supposing they were unanimous on
the point. The preamble of every Act says, " Whereas
the making of a railway ' from A to B " would be of
great public advantage, be it therefore enacted," and
so forth. Hence it is. dear that the point to be con-
sidered is whether opening it on a Sunday will be a
benefit to the public, which can only be settled, in our
opinion, by the demands of the public, and the use
they make of the line when so opened. Nov, the way
to determine this, and the only way, is to open the linc
as freely on the Sunday as any other day for some de-
finite period, and observe the use the public make of
it. If they do not use it, we may conclude they do not
want it, and the opening of it is of no public advantage ;
if they do use it, we must of necessity conclude it is
wanted, and will be of advantage, and, consequently.
cannot legally be closed. As mandamuses are become
so fashionable, we rather wonder the effect of one ha,
not been tried on this point. We have no doubt the
result would be a compulsion to afford every and
equal facility, on all days in the week, without distinc-
tion, to public transit. We believe an opinion to this
effect has already been given by a high legal authority.
—Railway Magazine.

SUSPECTED INCENDIARISM AT WATFORD.
—On Friday evening last a fire of an alarming descrip-
tion broke out in a barn at the rear of the Essex Arm,
Hotel, Watford, belonging to Mr. Barnard. The barn
contained about twenty loads of hay and straw at the time
The fire was first discovered about half-past seven o'clock
and in a very short time it was completely enveloped it
flames. A great masonic dinner had been provided le
Mr Barnard ; and the gentlemen who were dining in
room, the windows of which fronted the barn, were dis-
turbed in the midst of their festivities by the glare of tee
flames and the cries of the neighbours. The town engine ,
was soon brought to the spot, and it happened very fortu-
nately that on the same day it had been exercised, one
was in excellent order; and, by the exertions of the town',
people, and the immediate neighbours of Mr. Barnard, ter
fire was subdued in about two hours, but not before eigh,
or nine loads of hay and straw had been entirely consumed
and the building nearly destroyed. We regret to say the'
a very strong impresssion prevails that the fire was the act
of some vile incendiary, as no person was allowed to g (
into the barn with a candle, and it had not been opera
at all for several meetly:. Several strangers had been us
served lurking about the house Ouring the day, and it I
supposed that advantage was taken of the confusion cau:,(
by the dinner for the purpose of committing the act. H
the fire occurred at a later period of the night, there i
very little doubt but that the whole of the premises woue
have been destroyed.
INCENDIARISM.—Yesterday, information vvas
received by the Police, that on Monday night a stack o
wheat and a stack of oats, situate about sixty rods fron
each other, in a field near Dagenham, Essex, were maliei
ously set fire to and destroyed. Mr. George Edwttre
Poulett, the owner, has offered a reward of twenty poun
and the Daginham Association a further reward of twentl
pounds for the d;scovery of the incendiary.
On Monday morning, as the Hastings lif2,li
Express coach was going from London, and had, at
half-past ten o'clock, arrived at the George lan, Farni,e
wnich is situated on a steep hill, and which tie
coach had to descend, fresh horses had been put to, En;
the horse-keeper standing:at their heads waiting for Bates 1
the coachman, to mount the box, when a " gentleman'
drove up in his chaise, and called to the horse-keeper e
take the loose horses which had been just before take,
from the coach and were standing in the road, out of th
wry, as he could not pas,. Not thinking what ho w.,
about for the moment, he lea the heads of the horses at
taebed to the coach, and they immediately started off ail!
fearful speed down the hill, without the coachman or is
one to guide them. The cuseb being full inside and cu,
the pasesengers were drelefully terrified at the prosp,:c
before them, and the alarm of those who witnessed it col
be more easily felt than described. Bates. the coachman
instantly nsounted one of the horses and followed the cost-.
at a rapid rate, but very judiciously did not attempt to ee
before the afEeighted horses until they began to slacket
hgaliopped about six miles. eN
littleteir beforePacr' after
theyyar had
arrived at the toll gate at Spratt's-bottom
he succeeded in getting up to them and stopped them
As several vehicles bad been passed on the road, it was ;
miracle that none of them were upset and lives lost. Th
rumours up the road were various and of a most painft.
description, until the up-coach arrived, when it was aster
tabled that no serious damage had been done. All ti
passengers, except one gentleman, had the courage to keel
their places, and escaped injury. It was said one gentle
man leaped from the coach, and was seriously but no:
dangerously injured.
SINGULAR INCIDEMT.—On the morning o
Wednesday last, when the officials at our Post Office pre
ceeded to make the arraegrnents for dispatching th
mail for Edinburgh, which leaves about half-past fie,
o'clock, p.m., a silver watch , enclosed in a paper wrappee
and bearing this address " To James Soutar, labour. r.
parish of Johnstone," was found in the receiving box. Ti
the watch was appended a long piece of string, doubled
and which had apparently b men used for at once prevent
ing the watch from being e,naged, and occasioning are
noise while being dropped in :to the box. The clerks wee
puzzled what to do with the wide, but Mr. Baddan, tie
mail-guard on duty that in orning, instantly scented te.
motive which led to the wat ch being then in their hand...
In short the dropper wished , :o transmit it to James Smite
by the guard, but as the only means to avoid detection ha,
resorted to the letter box. Mr. Baddan having got to
article into his possession, at id knowing nothing of the in
dividual to whom it was addressed determined on seareitiae
him out by trusting to whatever accident chance
might throw in his way. Act ordingly when everything we.;
" all right" off went the mail , and upon nearing St. Ann's
Bridge, which lies in Johnso fine parish, a person was mei
upon the road, of whom Mr Baddan enquired if he knew
anything of a labourer nam. td Soutar, in that part of the
country. " Why, James e. touter? yes," was the answer
returned. " I think I've got a bit of a watch for him here,"
said our friend, handling tl le packet, and looking inquisi-
tively at his informant. .; A watch l" was the rejoinder,
" how did you come by it ?" Mr. Baddan related its recent
history, and was informed tb at about thirteen years and a
half ago, the individual to c thorn the packet was directed,
was attending divine service in Lochmaben church. Derive
the service his watch had e ether been extracted from les
pocket, or dropping on the fluor had been picked up and
unfairly converted into bog pty. Suspicion fell strongly on
a person present, but as not hing tending to circumstantiate
it could be found, no steps of any consequence were taken
in this matter. The watt' a was then transmitted to the
custody of the individual, who promised to deliver it to
Soutar. It is evident fran t what we have related, that to
watch must have come unl awfully into the possession of
some one, who, afterward. ; labouring under a remorse of
conscience, sought the abo• se curious means of restoring it
to its rightful owner. —Du mfries Courier.
DiscoVERY OF A Si DiTERRANEAN CHAMBER.
AT ALTON.—A number of / abourers have lately been eri.
ployede ;bury in excavating part of the
the t
ruins of the ancient baronial castle, which forms the chicf
ornament
of Earlhi s
opfi cSt uhrre7qt ie village. Amongst other
trifling curiosities they found some bullets and a piece of
ancient coin ; but a few days since they discovered a sub.
terraneous apartment, and a flight of stone steps, wines
apparently form a descent to 1 the bottom part of the stu-
pendous and lofty rock on wl tich the castle is built. The
excavation has since been sus] )ended by order of the Ea, I,
who intends to continue it to still geater extent, on his re-
turn to England next summer
.—Staffordshire Ezaminer.
LARGE MUSHROOM.- —Last week a mushroom
was gathered in a field at Gre •enstead Hall, near Chipping
Ongar, which measured 13i inches in diameter, and 401
inches in circumference.
, t parish, which for size, we
ENORMOUS TROUT.— -A trout was lately caught
in the Water of Wester, ;at
can confidently say, has wider n or ever been surpassed is
this country. This king ref the trout tribe measured no less
than three feet in length , was two feet two inches it cir-
cumference in the thicke, it part, and weighed no less than
23ilbs. 1 It was taken a little b elow the bridge of Wester,
and the individual who c aught i t; affirms it to be the largast
trout he had ever seen. We Is ave been assured that ti i
Daniel Lambert of trove Is was c onsiderably larger than tiny
folmon caught at Wich. this 'ear. The trouts found in
the Water of Wester 'have at i 11 times been remarkable for
their *CO flavour zed Large size e —John o' Groat's Journ,fl,
CAPTUItE OF IV HALE' Friday two you:ig
whales were got in the Clye the one on the beach at
Roseneath, the other a roc Dumbarton, or West Fen).
They were both of th abe the nose species, and about '22
feet in length. The o ee et Roseneath was thrown tree', e
dead. The other was foetid below Bisbopton, in el eit
six feet of water, left by the receding tide, and unable to
swim out, and after a good deal of difficulty wastit
iid
by the ferryman, and oue of the men belonging t )
dredge vessel, now s, :atioru.d above Dumbarton T:
were both of such awg sight that the blubber had to be (~t
off them as the lay I for ty wan attempted to haul u.) o
one at West Ferry, b et they were unable to move it
Glasgow Courier.
Yesterday mornit ig, at si% o'clock, a strong t' -
tachment of the Royal , Foot Artillery arrived, by the re. el
train, by the London mil Birmingham railroad, from I. e-
land, having landed at Liverpool, under the commaee .1
Colonel Richardson. They proceeded at seven o'clock on
their march to Woolw icb.