The Sun.
London, England, 1839-09-02 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN POLITICAL

SUMMARY.

The Globe of Saturday thus alludes to the pro-
ceedings at Eglintoun Castle :—" In these piping Mmes
of peace, nothing. can well be more warlike th u the
holiday doings from north to south—from Wellington
Festivals to Eglintoun Tournaments. The only men
of peace going have been those scientific gentlemen
who have just been holding their meeting at
the late seat of warfare h Birmingham —we
may add the Durham Clergy, who have addressed
Lord Londonderry against duelling—in pursuance of
the praiseworthy example of their brethren of Bath,
who remonstrated with the Noble Member for that city,
on the like occasion. Nothing, we may say in passing,
can be more creditable to the clergy than the manner
they have begun to vindicate the precepts of their pro-
fession in this matter. But
.Lord Londonderry has
other " fish to fry" than to meditate any answer. That
eminently wise nobleman has been getting on horse-
ick, flanked by a pair of halberdiers, in his robes of velvet
and ermine, wearing hit coronet, and making a great
—figure of himself; as King of the Tournament. It
is very unlucky the rain should have come down so un-
mercifully on the gallant knights, though, by cooling
their courage, it may possibly have prevented man-
slaughter. Not that there was quite so much danger
of such a catastrophe as in " the free and gentle pas-
sage of arms" at Ashby-de-la-Zouch. It was not likely
that much mischief would be done with spears cut
against the grain, to attest the charms of a Queen of
Beauty who came to the lists in a close carriage. All
this is extremely spirit-stirring."
The Courier alludes as follows to some of the recent
Ministerial changes :—" Ministerial changes are never
so sure to be improvements as when they prove parti-
cularly disagreeable to the Tories. This should be one
of the essential principles regulating all new appoint.
ments in the Cabinet—as indeed it appears to be.
Lord John Russell has been appointed to the Colonial
Secretaryship, in the place of Lord Normanby ;
the change is especially distasteful to the Tories,
and their ridicule is a certificate of Lord John's
eminent qualifications for that arduous and responsible
office. The Marquis of Normanby succeeds to Lord
J. Russell's position at the Home Office ; the removal
is the signal for the renewed abuse (if abuse of Lord
Normanby ever ceased from the moment of his
first landing in Ireland) in all Tory quarters ;
and the excellent qualities he displayed in
the Executive Government of the country to
which his services have endeared him are ad-
duced as proofs of his profound incapacity for the
duties of Home Secretary. This change will therefore
be entirely satisfactory to the country. Lord Howick
retires altogether from the Government. Even this
seems to kindle no pleasure in Tory breasts, notwith-
standing the boldness with which that Noble Lord
could sometimes launch out into Liberalism, exem-
plified particularly in his declaration relative to the
Church of Ireland. But perhaps his Lordship's more
recent declaration, that he had assented to the Ballot
being made an open question solely with the view of
retarding it, may have induced the Tories to suppose
that his Liberalism is on a par with his logic, as in th
single instance it was. We do not, however, hold this
example to be a fair illustration either of Lord How-
ick's liberality of character or clearness of judgment,
which are generally to be respected ; still it is under-
stood that his good qualities as a Reformer are over-
shadowed by others that render his resignation no source
of weakness to the Cabinet."

The Standard makes the following observations on
the Cinque Ports dinner to the Duke of Wellington :
" The Cinque Ports banquet to the Duke of Welling-
ton—for a detailed account of which we stand indebt-
ed to the Times of this morning—adds another to the
many gratifying testimonies which have already been
afforded of the reverence in which the character of the
Duke of Wellington is held in this country by people
of all parties in politics. It is scarcely possible to imagine
a more noble or exhilarating spectacle than appears to have
presented itself on this occasion. The congregation of
so large and respectable a body of persons, for the pur-
pose of rendering their earnest and affectionate
homage to the great Captain of the Age, was alike
honourable to themselves, and their illustrious guest.
To Lord Brougham was deputed the grateful task
of proposing the health of the Noble Duke—a task
which his Lordship performed in the hest possible
taste, and in a flood of eloquence which appears to
have electrified his audience. Unrivalled as are Lord
Brougham's powers when his feelings are deeply excited,
we hardly remember a passage in any of his brillialit
speeches which is so instinct with ' thoughts that breathe
and words that burn,' as hii splendid eloge upon his Noble
Friend. Twat such an oration, with the greatest and
most deservedly-popular man in her Majesty's dominions
for its theme, should have been received with an enthu-
siasm so unbounded as to beggar all description,' is by
no means surprising. Its mere perusal is calculated to
stir the heart like the sound of a trumpet. The esteem
which pervades every order of Englishmen for the
Duke of Wellington is one of the redeeming signs of
the age ;"nod so long as this indication of right feeling
continues uninpaired, we shall not despair, however evil
the star that_ may be in the ascendant."

GREAT LEINSTER and MUNSTER

RAILWAY COMPANY.

The th:r3 yearly general meeting of this Company was
advertised to take place on Saturday in conformity with
the Act of Incorporation, at the Company's Office, 62,
Moorgate, but shortly before two o'clock a sufficient
cumber of Shareholders not having arrived to form a
a meeting, Henry Bainbridge, Esq. the Chairman,
stated that as it did not appear likely they would be
enabled to form a meeting, it might be as well that the
Proprietors present should hear the Report read.
The SECRETARY then read the Report, from which
it appeared that the total amount which had been
received was 24,3261. that which had been expended
19,8551,, leaving a balance of 4,6711. ; that communica-
tions had passed between the Directors and the Govern-
ment, which had led to no beneficial results, although
the Directors had been in hopes from the declaration
of Lord Morpeth, that the impediments in their way
would have been removed ; but as the Company must
meet again in two months, they were in hopes that
something would be done in that time ; but till the in-
tentions of the Government were known, it was the
opinion of the Directors that the interests of the Com-
pany must remain in abeyance.
Mr. OSWALD wished to knew if the whole of the
original deposit had been expended, and also what por-
tion, if any, of the first call?

The SECRETARY said that up to the lst of July no
portion of the first call had been expended, nor had the
whole a the original deposit.
Mr. OSWALD wished to know how much of the
original deposit remained up to the present time?
The CHAIRMAN said that up to the present time
175/. 6s. 3d. of the first call had been expended—that
was up to the Ist of August.

Mr. OSWALD asked what accounts were outstanding
against the Comp my ?
Tue. CHAIRMAN said they were very trifling. There
was a bill they expected from their engineer, Mr. M'Niel,
but it was not of any very considerable amount.
Mr. OSWALD wished to know what was the annual
amount of their expenditure, as they were going on at
present ?
The CHAIRMAN—About 1,0001. a-year.
Mr. Osw ALP—According to the Report of the last
two half-years it appeared to amount to 2,5001. a-year ?
The CHAIRMAN said that included other expenses
besides the amounts incurred during the current year.
The SECRETARY said the amount of the expenditure
during the last half-year amounted to 7.551., which em-
braced a considerable expenditure incurred in Ireland,
and which would not occur again.
The CHAIRMAN said that although this could, in
fact, be considered no meeting, and as nothing official
had taken place, they might, of course, do as they
pleased, but he would suggest the propriety of having
the Report printed and circulated among the Share-
holders.

Mr. SMITVI wis,hed to draw the attention of the
meeting to one or two points. It appeared to him,
from the correspondence which had taken place between
the Government and the Directors, that they were
much in the same situation they were last year. There
IV -IS the same array of facts on the part of the Directors,
and the same putting off system on the part of the Go-
vernment, which would gradually exhaust their means.
As there was to be a meeting next week he would sug-
gest that the Directors, before that time, should endea-
vour to discover some means to husband their resources,
so as to enable them to take advantage of any contin-
gency
that might happen. He did not doubt but that
the attempt of the Government would be renewed next
Session. Lord Morpeth, after withdrawing his plan,
had said that if private enterprise did not go on, he
should turn his attention again to the subject. Now as it
was impossible for private enterprise to form a railway
in six months, he had no doubt the Government would
repeat their attempt of last Session, which he
was also convinced would fail, as that had done.
It was gratifying to see that the Belfast and Armagh
Railway_though it had been refused any Government
aid—had been already opened between two considerable
towns. And the Dublin and Drogheda Railway Com-
pany, though also refused Government assistance, had
been enabled to commence. So that next Session, the
xs
e Governmentn commenced
could be referred to several railways
actually
or the eboym
pp
ar invya t ebee, in
nterprise. Could, not
the p
the meanwhile, re-
duced, the offices,
The CHAIRMAN
sfo.r instance, could they not be
given up?
; enter into this '-?1a he really could not at present
qu
estiti e on.. The offices were taken for
two or three years.
did not think the Government
would give them
. ,aid. The proper period, how-
ever, f anyor considering the
quesio of continuance, or
Pro o which did appear
closing of the Compan
yin effect to be suggested by th questionte
would be when, in two months hence,,
it Po
was ri
whether the firfei; ore of shares should take place. Sa-
laries could not stop all at once.