The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-16 00:00:00

A Pugilist's Funeral.

We extract the following admirably written ac-
count of the funeral of Tom Sayers from the
Daily News :
Tom Sayers, the pugilist, was buried yesterday at High-
gate Cemetery, under circumstances which can only be de-
scribed by the word disgraceful. Soon after mid-day a vast
crowd had assembled in High-street, Camden-town, where
the ex-champion lived, and-the main road and pavement
from the Mother Red Cap, for several hundred yards to-
wards Hampstead, was infested by what looked like an
execution mob. The shops were nearly all closed, partly
perhaps out of respect to the memory of Sayers, and partly,
there can be no question, out of deference to the evidently
predatory instincts of the crowd. Jesting, swearing, and
rough chaff, wishes that the music would come, jostling
and horse-play, were the occupations most in vogue. All
the way from High-street to the cemetery the same class
of people on foot, in carts, and on the roof, and inside of
overladen cabs, were to be seen steadily making for the
hero's grave.
At the cemetery itself the gates wore guarded by what
seemed a strong body of policemen, who only admitted
people who either " gave the number of their tomb," or
other wise justified their claim to enter. At two p.m. this
crowd was easily kept in order, but half an hour later a
successful rush was made, and some hundred sturdy vaga-
bonds carried the gates by main force, amid the yells and
shouts of their companions. The police, who behaved
splendidly throughout a most trying day, succeeded in re-
closing the gates, and in again exercising discrimination as
as to whom they should admit. As it was, the tombs and
covered crypts were crowded with people who turbulently
jostled and laughed, trampled on the grass, and defiled the
graves with as little reverence for the place they were in as
if it had been an old prize ring. The succeeding two hours
were taken up in watching the hand-to-hand combats be-
tween the police outside and the rapidly increasing crowd
of roughs, in the arrival and admission of tavern celebrities,
each admission being the signal for a struggle on the part
of those who wanted to force their way, and in securing
vantage ground from which to see the procession.
Soon after 4 p.m. the sound of drums and trumpets was
heard, and a brass band playing the Dead March ; feathers,
hearse, and mourning coaches, struggled through the surg-
ing, disorderly mob. Sayers's pony and dog-cart, with his
magnificent dog, the sole occupant of the latter, followed
immediately after the hearse. The police contrived to keep
back the attendant mob for a few moments, but as soon as
the coffin was taken into the cemetery chapel, and before
the carriages had filed in, the crowd of thieves and black-
guards proved too strong for those opposed to them,the and
the gates were again stormed. The members of hand,
while in the act of playing the Dead March,
d' and were
scattered
pell-mell, their instruments flying v
them-
selves running for safety. foulestHundredseofetrhteewho
at
scum of
the back courts and alleys of London, the creatures
only come to light in the aggregatean execution, or
racecourse, or an illegal betting ground, rushed in to hold
saturnalia at the grave side. All this time the noble brute
in the dog-cart looked on with stern composure, as if to
prove his superiority to the degraded wretches around
him. For a few minutes the police were completely over-
come. They were a more handful of men against the
enemy, but they subsequently rallied, and once more suc-
ceeded in closing the cemetery gates. Many of the roughs
were trodden down in the raid, and after it was over the
gasping, speechless forms stretched at no unfrequent inter-
vals on the grass, or reared by their luckier comrades
against the tombs while neckcloths were torn open and
animation restored, spoke to the severity of the conflict.
Such were the last obsequies of Thomas Sayers, and
such the tribute of respect paid by a large section of his
admirers—a good-tempered, uneducated man, whose stout
heart and unbounded animal courage inspired the respect-
able classes with such admiration that they subscribed to
keep him in idleness for life ; who became the idol of pot-
houses, and died of drinking, and whose funeral was a riot.

CRYSTAL PALACE SCHOOL OF ART, &C.—The
directors of the Crystal Palace have organised a course of
free ltetures, to take place in the Lecture Theatre every
Thursday, at three o'clock, during the winter months. The
third lecture will be delivered to-day by the Rev. F. G.
Lee, D.C.L., F:S.A., on the subject of " Modern English
Poetry," with illustrations.

The Marquis de la Valette, Minister of the Inte-
rior, has left Paris for Perigord on leave of absence,
n Rouher taking charge of his functions ad
interim.

Railway and other Companies.

REGENT'S CANAL.

A special general meeting of this company was
held yesterday at the offices, City-road Basin, to
consider a proposition for making a railway from
the Metropolitan line at King's-cross to Limehouse
—Mr. IV. Parker in the chair.

The report stated that in the year 1860 the con-
struction of a line of railway in conjunction with
the canal was projected, but the measure not meet-
ing with sufficient encouragement was abandoned.
Since that period much experience had been gained
from the working of the several metropolitan rail-
ways, which, though constructed at an enormous cost,
were yielding good dividends, and the shares were
already at a large premium. As the directors had
had notice that plans of a line of railway from King's-
cross to Limehouse, via Islington, running parallel
with the canal, were again to be brought forward in
the ensuing session, the directors strongly advised
the proprietors to seek from Parliament powers of
their own for that purpose. The main line and
branches suggested by the board mightbe constructed
without diminishing the efficiency of the canal, but
by rebuilding of bridges, the widening and deepen-
ing of the water way, and other works, the naviga-
tion would be materially improved. The cost of the
railway, with the several branches, was approxi-
mately estimated by the company's engineers, Mr.
Fowler and Mr. Thomas, at £900,000, and the net
profits anticipated upon such an outlay was about 9
per cent. on the railway alone. The report proposed
that the capital required for constructing the railway
and for the simultaneous improvement of the canal,
should be raised as a distinct capital by new shares,
to be offered first to the proprietors and then to the
public; and that upon the opening of the railway
for traffic the profits of both canal and railway
should belong exclusively to the proprietors of the
new capital, subject to the payment of a pre-
ference dividend to the present proprietors of the
existing canal shares, including those created on the
6th September last, of not less than 30s. per share.
The engineers, Messrs. Fowler and Thomas, reported
that it was practicable to construct a double line of
railway from King's-cross to Limehouse, and to pre-
serve an efficient waterway of the canal for the con-
veyance of goods. The proposed line would commence
by a double junction with the Metropolitan Railway,
for east and west traffic, and thence pass under Pen-
tonville-hill, near the Angel Tavern at Islington, and
enter the property of the Canal Company near Frog-
lane-bridge, from which point it would pass parallel
to the canal to Limehouse Basin, and of course, when
practicable, the railway would be confined within the
boundary of the company's property. It was proposed
to construct perpendicular walls on each side of the
waterway so as to form an uniform channel 50 feet
wide, by which means the slopes would be usefully
appropriated, and much valuable space would be
thereby obtained. The main line of railway from
King's-cross to Limehouse would provide direct pas-
senger communication between the Great Western,
the Great Northern, the Midland, the Metropolitan,
and London, Chatham, and Dover Railways, and
seven large and important districts of the northern
and eastern parts of the metropolis, which now con-
tained a population of 800,000 inhabitants. It would
have branches to the Great Eastern Railway at Cam-
bridge-heath, the East London or Thames Tunnel
line, and the Blackwall Extension Railway, Mill-
wall, and the Isle of Dogs. the main line from
King's-cross to Limehouse would be five miles in
length, the branch to the Metropolitan Railway 15
chains, branch to the Great Eastern 55 chains, and
loop 13 chains ; and the branch to the Blackwall
Extension line 38 chains—total length, 6 miles 4
furlongs and 1 chain.

The CHAIRMAN explained that the proposed un-
dertaking would very much improve the value of
their property, and greatly assist the freighters in
carrying on their trade on the canal. The company
would be enabled to utilise some of their waste land
by making the railway along the north side of the
canal, and thus protect their property from fighting
schemes. lie concluded by moving a resolution
approving the preliminary steps taken by the direc-
tors for applying to Parliament in the ensuing ses-
sion for power to construct a railway from King's-
cross to Limehouse, and authorising the directors
to proceed with the bill for that purpose.
Mr.W. STURGE moved an amendment, to the effect
that the meeting were of opinion that the scheme
was unnecessary and uncalled for. • He contended
that the railway would destroy the business of the
canal, and override the interests of the canal pro-
prietors. The proposed annual preference interest
of 30s. per share was not in his opinion an adequate
compensation.

Mr. GRISSELL said the canal need not fear the
competition of the railway for heavy traffic, as more
canals were wanted to accommodate the trade of
the country. Thirty shillings a share was not suffi-
cient for the canal proprietors, and he thought they
had better allow some other company to make the
railway.
After a long discussion, in which Mr. Dodd and
other proprietors took part, the Chairman replied to
the various objections to the scheme.
On a show of hands the amendment was rejected,
and the motion was carried by 15 against 9,- several
shareholders remaining neutral.
The CHAIRMAN said the proprietors at the ordi-
nary meeting next month would have a further op-
portunity of considering the proposition.
A vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded the
proceedings.