The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-11 00:00:00

one obj-ction, however, in the resolution which he
would wish had been omitted, namely, " that this meet-

ing has heard with surprise and regret of the extraor-
dinary opposition which the measure is receiving in Par-
! haunt ;" for he confessed that he felt no surprise what-
at the circumstance, knowing the parties from
.ora the opposition proceeded, and the motives by
rich they were actuated. He contended that not only

ever

would the town of Manchester be benefited by the
competition of another railway to the metropolis, but
that the whole country would be likewise benefited by
it. While he made this observation, however, he would
distinctly state that he should be no party to recom-
mending another line of railway to London, if it went
to deprive individuals of the fair profit to which they
were entitled for the spirit with which they took up the
que:it;on when the prospects of success were yet un-
c trt,iin. But he would endeavour to show that a large
traffic would still be left to them, with the means of
still further increasing it by better management. If
the Extension Line was carried out it would not
deprive them of the traffic of the first fifty-

five miles v between Liverpool and London. In

a l lition to the local traffic between Birmingham and
Wolverhampton, which was capable of considerable in-
crease, they would also have the benefit of the traffic of
new tributary lines, the one between Preston and the
Lakes, of another between Birmingham and the 'West
of England, another between Shrewsbury and Wolver-
hampton, and all the intervening places, which left them
without the shadow of a doubt that their traffic would

bJ most ample. He therefore contended that they had
no right to come forward with the case which they had
done, that they had a right to the monopoly because
they happened to be first in the field. Mr. Birley here
referred to a letter i❑ the Railway Times of the 26til
of January, in support of the position that a moderate
scale of fares would tend to increase the revenue of
Railway Companies generally, and contended that no-
thing but competition would ever induce them to try
these low faros, or give the public the benefit of them.

Amongst the disgraceful tricks resorted to by the
Grand Junction Company, he felt compelled to notice
one, which in his opinion was most unworthy and eon-
temptille—that of hiring a person to write letters, and
to insert them in the Manchester Papers under the title
of a " Manchester Man," in order that these Papers
might be put into the hands of Members of Parliament,
cud give them an opportnnity of saying, " See what the
opinion of the people of Manchester is." Mr. Birley
..Jed by seconding the resolution.
CHAIRMAN put the resolution to the meeting,
7.1 was carried unanimously.
es CONSTERDINE, ESQ., in proposing the next
confessed that as an inhabitant of Man-
s:er, and hating no pecuniary interest in the under-
,ittg, be felt if ever there was an occasion when they
,ouid unite in support of the enterprising share-
delers of the Extension Line it was the present.
wns not a cold concurrence that would prove service•
to the Company on this occasion, but a warm and
arty concurrence ; the whole town of Manchester
;ould go along with them and support them, and he
j(te:,(l to hear the worthy Director, Mr. Tootal, say,
nit if -supported by the inhabitants they would never
'ase till they had achieved tLis most desirable object.
eeling its full importance as .he did, it was impossible
it hiat not to feel de( ply indignant at the nature of the
j.polition manif sted against them. When he beard it
t.ttcd that cut of nearly .500 allegations 46 only had
ten sustained, and that of these latter scarcely any
:r7e four:d to aff..-ct the propertyof complaining parties—
repeated, when he reflected on the character of that
,;,position, every man ought to feel the cause his own,
11 that it. should be met by the manly support exhi-
by the rrosecutors of the undertaking. At the last
early meeting called in support of this undertaking,
a st ttenteut was made by Mr. Whitehead, which had
peter been contradicted after twelve months trial and
test of its truth! lie found by this statement, that
Max.: fester, which had been encouraging and con-
tr:boting large portions of the capital, which had fur-
nished the principal lines of Railway communication in
the kingdom, when she attempted to obtain similar ad-
vaatages for herself, found all the oppcsition of the
sultcunding neighbourhood brought against her. Such
conduct was as ungeeeroes as it was despicable. He
rusted that the people cf Manchester would act in a
earner worthy of themselves on the occasion, and give
heir h-est energies and support in behalf of those who bad
.41,!ed so much property and time in endeavouring
the best interests of their town.

COlieill

w I "

~~ s:,luti

TooTAL here observed that, reference havin;

been made to the Directors, he begged to say on their
hc.,ltalf, that if they received the support of their fellow
townsmen, in the manner he. anticipated they would
th..t day, he did nct hesitate to say that they would
perse%ere, session after session, till they obtained for
Manchester that independent and pefect railway corn-
unnim:ation with the metropolis, to which they were
entitled.

WM. WANKLYN, Esq., rose to second the resolution.
When he entered the meeting he had not the slightest
idea of taking part in the proceedings ; but after the
details which he had beard that morning he could not
give his simple assent to the resolution without express-
ing his indignation at the abominable conduct of the in-
dividuals who were opposing the present Directors—
men whose only offence was the endeavour to obtain
for their native town the shortest and best communica-
tion with the metropolis. As an individual totally un-
connected with the undertaking, he merely gave a simple
and uninterested expression of feeling upon the subject.
He had experienced on travelling to London the incon-

venience of the present system, and so long as the pre-
sent monopoly existed they would never enjoy those
benefits which they had a right to expect in common
with other large commercial districts.

The resolution was put to the meeting and carried
unanimously.
R. Bannon!, Esq., in moving the next resolution,
said he conceived it to be quite unnecessary to go into
any lengthened detail with regard to the merits or the
demerits of the line proposed through the Valley of
Churnet. It was sufficient to say that this line had been
already before the Legislature, and after mature consi-
deration had been abandoned. As an individual lately
connected viith the Directorship of the Manchester
and Birmingham Railway, no one more deeply regretted
the conflict is which the present Company were en-
gaged than he did. He did hope that an amicable and
sltisfactory arrangement might have been entered into
with Vie Grand Junction Company. That arrange-
ment however failed, and he hoped that the House of
Commons would prove to that Company, that the diffi-
culties which they had thrown in the way had not
mealy been frivolou-sandvexatious,hut that they had been
most unfair and unjust. It should ever be kept in view
the precise position in which the Extension Railway
stood in reference to the Grand Junction Company. In
order to prevent the expensive conflict in which they
were engaged, a most liberal offer had been made to

Directors of the latter body. They were offered
on-11-.llf. the interest in the shares of the Extension
Company ; but this they refused to accept unless they
had also one-half the management, in order that by
holding the shares in their own hands they might at any
time exercise a preponderating influence on the under-
taking. If they had conceded this point to them the
consequence would have been, that the whole controul
of the Extension Line would have been under the influ-
ence of the Grand Junction Company, and that the
great and important town of Manchester would have
been der rived of the benefits and advantages of an
independent line. In noticing some of the objec-
tions of the opponents to the present Com-
pany, Mr. Barbour observed that Parliament
had sanctioned a line of railway to Stone at the expense
of two millions of mono y, by which a saving of thirty-
five minutes had been made in the distance between
Manchester and Birmingham, and he asked upon what
ground could they refuse the outlay of another million
for the construction of a line to Rugby, which would
effect a saving of an hour and a quarter? With regard
to the oppOsition, he would ask for what reason did
the London and Birmingham railway oppose the Ex-
tension Line when they hal hitherto uniformly supported
the Midland Counties Railway, by which they lost the
whole of the traffic to the north of England for a dis-
tance of twenty miles along their line, and yet they
opposed this line upon these very grounds. He could
account for this inconsistency by the fact that some of
the most influential of the London and Birmingham
RailwavDirectors were also deeply interested and equally
influential as Directors of the Midland Counties Line.
Mr. Barbour afterwards adverted to the large profits of
the Grand Junction Line, and the high price of their
shares, as a proof that there was complete traffic for
another Company. He therefore trusted that the
support and encouragement which the undertaking
would receive from that highly respectable meeting
would have that weight and influence on the Members
of the House of Commons, as to induce them to waive
the paltry and frivolous objections to this great and im-
portant undertaking.

GEORGE PEEL, Esq., said, after the very able man-
ner in which the question had been discussed that
morning he would have satisfied himself with merely
seconding the resolution, were it not that he felt anxious
to mark his sense of the importance of tie Extension
Line to the town of Manchester, and of the high claims
which the Directors of that undertaking had upon their
best erwrgies and support.

After some Nrencr observations,
The CHAIRMAN put the resolution to the meeting,
which was carried unanimously.
The SENIOR CONSTABLE having been called to the
chair, a vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Evans for
his kindness in presiding. over the proceedings of the
day, and the meeting separated.

thaTREssING ACCIDENT.—Another melan-
choly incideetc,f death by burning occurred here on Thurs-
day last. Several children happened to he incautiously
a'nusing themselves in an out-house in St. Michael-street,
by kincling a lire with some Lroken sticks, when the
clothes of a little boy about five years of age, son of Mr.
Adderson, tailor, ignited in consequcnce of accidentally
approaching one of the crnb,2rs which were sca tered about
C The poor child, being severely scorched, was
e t,-) the Lfirmary, where he expired in a few
Dadfries Courier.
HU. 1.•-•••••

AYH ITECHAPEL METROPOLITAN
LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTION. i

We have pleasure in announcing that this Institution,
the opening of which we noticed in our columns for Ja-
nuary, has been for the short period of its existence emi-
nently successful. At a meeting of the proprietors,
which was held at Salvador House, on Tuesday evening,
the 9th inst., the report of the Committee of Manage-
ment stated that the institution was generally in a pros-
perous state ; that the library, which consisted of a se-
lection of standard works in various branches of literature,
contained 1,309 volumes ; that 1,237 volumes had been
issued to the members since the opening of the library in
February ; that classes for the study of the French lan-
guage, for the discussion of literary and scientific subjects,
and for the practice of vocal and instrumental music
had been formed—that the News and Reading-rooms
had been liberally supplied and well attended—and that
the Lectures had given general satisfaction. This state
of the Institution is extremely gratifying, and shows
that " the great object which the Managers have in
view"—namely, " to meet the wants of the neighbour-
hood—the literary wants that have been created by the
advancement' of society—the scientific wants that
have been produced by the great exertions made during
past years for the advancement of science by the British
nation"—is duly appreciated by the inhabitants of the
locality in which the Institution is situated.

EXPERIMENTAL SUBTERRANE-
OUS AND SUBAQUEOUS EXPLOSIONS AT
CHATHAM BY THE VOLTAIC BATTERY.

For several months past the Royal Engineers, at
Chatham, under Colonel Pasley, have been trying con-
tinual experiments in firing gunpowder by the voltaic
battery, chiefly under water ; and after many vicis,i-
tudes of partial success and of failure, they have at
last succeeded _in bringing this process to as much
perfection as it seems capable of ; that is, to as
much certainty as the former methods of firing mines
in dry soil. They have repeatedly fixed gunpowder
at the distance of 500 feet, with their conducting
wires either buried underground or led entirely under
water, excepting a few feet connected with the bat-
tery, which in their subaqueous explosions was in a boat
on the Medway, the powder being lodged at the bottom
of that river. In their subterraneous explosions they
blew up a field-work ; and in one of their subaqueous
experiments they blew to pieces a vessel representing a
wreck, the fragments of which being of fir timber, came
up to the surface of the Medway immediately after
the column of water thrown up by the explosion.
On Saturday last they applied their voltaic bat-
tery to the blasting of rock under water. Two
very large and heavy pieces of hard sand-stone were
each prepared with a hole three inches in dia-
meter by a borer, after which a charge of three
quarters of a pound of powder was put into each, and
the upper part of the hole was tamped by pouring in
small fragments of broken stone round a cone fixed over
each charge, in a new and ingenious manner, first sug-
gested by Mr. Howe, clerk of works of the Royal En-
gineer Establishment, more than five years ago, which
does not seem inferior in resistance to the common
mode of tamping, but is much safer, and far more expe-
ditious. The conducting wires were 16d from each charge
to the battery, which was placed on the gun-wharf,
whilst the stone thus prepared and loaded were lowered
down from a crane to the bottom of the river oppo-
site, where the water was 14 f. et deep at the time.
The first stone being of a compact form was blown to
pieces, and the rope-sling by which it had been lowered,
and which had not been removed, was broken. The
second stone being of more irregular shape and much
thinner, so that there was not sufficient resistance above
and below the charge, was brought up by the crane
after the explosion, which had blown out the solid part
of the stone below the bottom of the hole, apparently
without injuring any other part of it. Another charge
was, therefore, placed in the same hole, which
was tamped both above and below in the mode before
described, and the stone was then again let down to
the bottom of the river ; and after firing this second
charge, on being hauled up by the crane, it was found to
have been broken into three parts, one of which did
not, reach the surface, whilst the other two being still
held together by the slings, atter being raised nearly to
the level of the wharf, separated from each other and
fell to the bottom. One of these charges was contained
in a tin cylinder fitted to the size of the hole ; the two
others in a canvas bag of the same form, covered with
waterproof composition. These last experiments,
which, like several of the former ones, were witnessed
by a great number of spectators, chiefly military, have
proved that the voltaic battery may succeed for blasting
rock under water, as well as for blowing wrecks to
pieces ; and on the former supposition, the holes in the
rock would be formed, and the charges placed, by
means of the diving-bell.

The results of this course of experiments may be of
great importance, especially for defensive military mines,
because the voltaic battery affords the only possible
means of firing several such mines not only instanta-
neously, but simultaneously, and at the very moment
when an enemy's column advancing to the assault is over
the very spot where those mines have been pre pared ;
whereas by the common mode of firing military mines
by a piece of portfire, or slow match, connected to a pow-
der hose, there can be no certainty of their taking effect
at the precise moment required, so that the enemy's
troops might either have passed over, or not
yet reached the spot at the period of the explosion ;
and the simultaneous explosions of conjunct mines by
this methcd is out of the question, for no two pieces
of portfire or powder hoses, though cut to the same
length, were ever known to burn exactly alike. For
subaqueous explosions the superiority of the voltaic ,
battery is still more striking ; so much so, that
Colonel Pasley has repeatedly declared that if he had
beet) possessed of the same voltaic apparatus, and had
known how to use it, last year, id his operations in the
Thames, it would have saved "a great deal of trouble and
expense. _ _

Nothing can appear easier than to fire gunpowder
under water by the voltaic battery, as exhibited in
a lecture-room or scientific institution ; but the mode
usually adopted on such occasions, of passing the con-
ducting wires through a cork, coated with sealing-wax,
and of insulating the remaining length of each wire by
inclosing it in small India rubber tubes, would be in-
adequate and inexpedient for practical purposes in
a rapid tideway and in deep water. 1 n Colonel
Pasley's experiments at Chatham corks and seal-
ing-wax were rejected, the former as being too
weak, the latter from being liable to crack : and
India rubber or caoutchouc was also rejected as being
far too expensive—instead of which a composition of
pitch softened by bees'-wax or tallow was adopted, the
remarkable efficiency of which was proved by keeping
one of those experimental charges ten days under
water before it was fired, when the powder was still
perfectly dry. Each pair of conducting wires used in
these experiments was always attached to a rope or
line, previously saturated with boiling tar to prevent it
from tearing asunder the soldered joints of the wires,
by its alternate contraction and expansio❑ when wet and
dry—an effect which on one occasion actually took place
before the rope was so saturated. The two wires and
rope wers bound together by tape, and served round
with hemp yarns, and in this state they had the ap•
pearance of a single rope, capable of being coiled, and
veered out conveniently. One of the most important
points necessary was to prevent all strai❑ acting upon
the connecting wires from without, and thereby breaking
the very small and delicate platinum wire within the
charge, which, by interrupting the circuit, would render
explosion impossible. To guard against this cause of
failure, in the shocks in which the conducting wires
may be exposed in a rapid tideway, appeared at first a
very difficult task.
The voltaic battery used was of Professor Daniell's
improved construction, which, from retaining its energy
much longer than any former voltaic battery, he has
named the constant voltaic battery, and which Colonel
Paslsy found to be much superior to the beat of the for-
mer constructions, at least for the peculiar purpose of
firing gunpowder, either under ground or under water.
Serjeant-Major Jones, and the non-commissioned officers
and privates, who have been employed in theso experi-
ments, are now as expert in the use of this battery as
can be desired, and being artificers, they arc as able to
make as well as to use such batteries.

At Manchester, the Directors of the 'Mechanics'
Institution have made an exhibition of a varied and in-
structive character ; comprising specimens of the produc-
tion of nature and art, models and machinery, and samples
of the products of our manufactures. Although, in con-
sequence of the expense of the exhibition, it was necessary
to charge an entrance fee of sixpence, it is most gratifying
to learn that, notwithstanding this check to admission in a
tow❑ generally considered much below the level of Eng_
land's populgtion, no less tl:an 33.000 persons visited the
exhibition. "It was delightful," says Mr. Cumber, the
Corresponding Director and Chairman of the Exhibition
Committee, " to see working men, with their wives, and
some with their children, clean washed and in their beat
apparel, enjoying a sight they had never before had the
opportunities of contemplating, and to observe the indica-
tions of a newly kindled spirit of inquiry."—Morning
Advertiser.

INFLUENCE OF PROPERTY.--The late Lord
Recicsdale, by way of illustrating the propensity of the
people of this country to worship property, quoted the ob-
servation of a Yorkshireman to his friend, whose attention
he directed to a Bench of Magistrates, " See, there are
200.0001. a year on that Bench."

In a Paddington omnibus, a short time ago,
there had b2en an altercation between two of the pas-
sengers, and, on one of them quitting it, the other was
rudely reprimanded by a third party, for having the as-
surance to contradict a man who to his knowledge was
worth upwards of 2.0,0001.
MIDDLESEX SESSIONAL COURT.—The Court
granted warrants, on affidavits being made and the re-
quired recognizances having been entered into by the pro-
secutor, against John Platt, W. Smeed, Wm. Sufflin, Wm.
Croft, Richard Thorn, Thomas Wilson Richardson, Romeo
Faux alias Vaux alias Fox, and David Gidion, all of whom
are indicted for nuisance, and keeping common gaming-
houses. As soon as the warants were obtained the parties
prosecuting started in various directions in order, if pos-
sible, to put them into execution.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, APRIL 10.

There being only twenty-eight Members present at
Four o'Clock, the House adjourned until to-morrow
(this day).

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

These Sessions commenced on Tuesday before Mr.
Sergeant ADAMS and a full Bench of Magistrates.

The calendar is an extremely light one, there being
but ten prisoners charged with felonies.
ARTICLES OF THE PEACE.—Mr. ADOLPHUS said he
was instructed to apply to the Court on the part of a
gentleman of fortune for leave to exhibit articles of the
peace against his son. He would not, from motives of
delicacy, mention the names of the parties, neither would
he state the particulars of the case publicly, being
anxious, as far as possible, to spare the feelings of the
highly respectable family of which the defendant was a
member. The parties had recently been before a ma-
gistrate, who, on being made acquainted with the facts
of the case, had ordered the defendant to find bail to
keep the peace until the Sessions, himself in 801. and
two sureties in 40/. each. He would hand up the ar-
ticles for the perusal of the Chairman, leaving the
Court afterwards to deal with the case as it might think
proper.
The CHAIRMAN read the articles, and, after consult-
ing with the other Magistrates on the bench, ordered
that the defendant should enter into recognizances to
keep the peace for twelve months, himself in 1001. and
two sureties in 50/. each.

Mr. ADOLPHUS said he was instructed on the part
of the Duke of Wellington, the Duke of Portland, and
the rest of the Governors; to apply for a license for the
Lying-in-Hospital, in Brownlow-street. The application
was necessary in consequence of a late decision of that
Court on an appeal case relative to the settlement of a
pauper who had been born in a lying-in-hospital, and
which had been licensed, but one of the Governors
was dead at the time of the birth, and the license
not having been renewed, he became chargeable to the
parish in which the hospital was situated.
The CumassAN—l think there can be no obj•'ction
to grant the license to the I\l,,blemen and Gentlemen
whose names have been mentioned.—License granted.

SURREY QUARTER SESSIONS.

REIGATE, APRIL 10.

THE WIMBLEDON DUEL.—At the sitting of the
Court a memorial was presented to Lord Eastnor from
John Young, Henry Webber, and Edward Delves
Broughton, three prisoners at present confined in Guild-
ford gaol, praying the Court
.to order some further in-
dulgences to be allowed them. These persons, it will
be remembered, were convicted of the murder of a per-
son named Mirfin in a duel at Wimbledon.
The memorial was read. It set forth that the
prisoners bad been sentenced to twelve months' impri-
sonment without hard labour. That they found the
water-gruel allowed them for breakfast by the regula-
lations of the gaol, peculiarly distastefnl to them, and
caused violent reaching and sickness. That their former
situation in life made it the more severe punishment to
them, and they requested that they might be allowed
to purchase milk for their breakfast in future instead of
having the gruel. The memorial also stated that they
had always been accustomed to read the leading journals,
and that they found it a great hardship to be debarred
from doing so while in confinement, and they preyed
the Court to allow them to have newspapers to read.
They also preyed that further facilities might be given
them to communicate with their friends.
After a few remarks from Mr. Nicholson, Mr. Best,
Lord Lovelace, Lord Eistnor, and other magistrates,
the Court refused to make any order upon the prayer
of the petition.