The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-17 00:00:00

PROTESTANTISM IN 12021 E.

A letter just received from the Eternal City
says :

It is the opinion of the best informed persons here that
in the event of a revolution which should restore liberty of
conscience, there would be a much stronger reaction towards
Protestantism in Rome than has yet been shown in Flo-
rence, or elsewhere in Italy. They have here seen Popery
in its grossest shape, and are doubtless heartily sick of it
in all cases where there is not absolute enslavement to super-
stition. The "curses not loud but deep" on the immo-
rality of the clergy maybe heard by whomsoever will earn
enough of the confidence of one of the poor Romans as to
induce him to speak his mind. Knowing what a dweller
in Rome cannot but know on this subject, it is not a
little disgusting to watch the prudery of these priests in
" whited sepulchres"—the banishment of Florentine
flower-woman, the exclusion of English ladies from dozens
of places too holy for their desecrating feet, and lastly such
incidents as ono which occurred to roe yesterday. I was
visiting an infant school, admirably managed by a most
benevolent Italian gentleman. It consisted only of little
boys, from three to eight years old. " Why," said I, "do
you not admit also little girls ? It does them both good to
be mixed, and it is hard for the girls to be excluded every-
where in Rome from these institutions." " I know it,
signora, I know it. But, believe me, we have difficulties
enough with the Government already. Were Ito venture
on mixing boys and gills, even under eight years old, 1
should have my school shut up next week." The poorer
classes certainly manage to read a quantity of forbidden
literature, good and bad, in whatever way they contrive to
obtain the books. I have managed to converse with a good
many, according to the easy courtesy of Italian manners,
and have found the knowledge of French novels alternate
curiously with that of the Bible. One poor young woman,
cf the latter order of readers, confided to me that she pos-
sessed a Bible; and oh, what a beautiful book it was ! An
English lady in her house had given it to her. "But have
you not to confess to your priest that you have such a
book ?" "Oh, care signora, ho never dreams of asking me
such a thing; if he did I should be obliged to give it up.
I have a cousin, a fine fellow, who had a Bible last year,
and a priest came into his hcuse and spied it on a table,
and put it into his pocket and walked off with
it." "Tell me," I said, "supposing we were to have a
change here, would there be many, do you think, who
would become Protestants ?" •' Molti, molti, signora, oh,
molti I" (many, many). " And are there many now who
read the Bible ?" A compressed smile and a nod was the
safe reply.

RAILIVAT INTELLIGENCE

-~

GREAT WESTERN.
The directors of this company have just issued
their financial statement, which is divided into nine
principal accounts. No.l consists of Great Western
receipts and expenditure on capital account ; No. 2,
of the capital accounts of the Shrewsbury lines ;
No. 3, the Great Western and West Midland joint
account of receipts and expenses on capital account
in respect of all sums expended for the accommoda-
tion and development of the joint traffic, including
the expense of laying down the narrow gauge from
Reading to Paddington, providing additional roll-
ing stock, station, sliding accommodation, and
' making new lines. The interest of the capital ex-
pended on joint account is deducted from the joint
revenue before any division of net receipts is made
between the two companies ; No. 4, the revenue
accounts of the two Shrewsbury railways; Nos. 5
and 6, the revenue accounts of the Kennett anti
Avon Canal, and of the West Midland Canals ; No.
7, the joint revenue account of the Great Western
and West Midland Railways ; No. 8, the general
revenue account of the Great Western Railway
Company ; and No. 9, the details of the joint revenue
account of the Great Western and West Midland
Railway Companies. No. 1 shows that the Great
Western received on capital account £8,421,529 on
ordinary shares, £5,133,571 on preference shares,
and £10,824,309 on debentures, loans, &c.—making
together £24,379,409. The expenditure of the
Great Western on capital account for lines, works,
and rolling stock, to the end of 1849, amounted to
£10,902,380, and from that date. to-the 31st of De-

cember, 1861, to £10,866,771, including £465,978

expended on joint account, together £21,769,151,
and for subscriptions and disbursements in respect
of other undertakings to £2,182,322, making the
outlay on capital account £23,951,474,and leaving a
balance of £427,936. No. 2 shows that the total
expenditure on the Shrewsbury and Birming-
ham Railway amounted to £1,760,284, and on the
Shrewsbury and Chester Railway to £1,743,618,
making the total expenditure on capital account for
those two lines £3,503,901. No. 3 shows that the
Great Western Railway Company bad expended
£465,878, including £31,171 for the Shrewsbury
lines on the joint capital account of the Great
Western and West Midland Companies, No. 4
shows that the revenue of the Shrewsbury and Bir-
mingham Railway amounted for the half-year end-
ing the 31st of December last to £51,925, and the
working and other expenses to £31,136, leaving a
balance of £20,789 to meet the guaranteed interest
and dividends, amounting to £28,258, leaving a de-
Reicricy of .C 7,400 to bo uviatia by Lhc Great
Western Railway Company. The revenue account
of the Stirewsbury and Chester Railway for the past
half-year showed that £96,337 had been received,
and £56,311 expended, leaving a balance of £40,026
to meet the guaranteed interest and dividends,
amounting to £38,486, thus leaving a surplus of
£1,540. There was a deficiency in the preceding
half-year of about £3,400, from which the surplus
of £1,540 must be deducted, leaving the actual defi-
ciency on the Shrewsbury and Chester line only
£1,860 for the year 1861. This must be gratifying
to the shareholders of the latter company, as it in-
dicates that they are approaching the time when
they will be entitled to receive, in addition to the
31 per cent. guaranteed, a moiety of any surplus that
might retrain after paying all expenses and gua-
ranteed charges at the end of any year, such accounts
being settled yearly. No. 7 shows that the total
receipts on joint revenue account of the Great
Western and West Midland Railway Companies
from the Ist of July to the 31st of December, 1861,
amounted to £1,212,201, and the working and