The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-09 00:00:00

THE WAR,

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.
Orders have been issued by the Admiralty to com-
mence the building of a new 91-gun screw ship, to be
called the Hero. The lines are to be laid down at Chat-
ham, in the second slip, from which the Majestic was
recently launched. The building of a screw frigate, to
be named the Chesapeake, to be pierced for 50 guns, has
commenced at Chatham Dockyard.
Advices were received yesterday, under date Malta,
May the 29th, that the screw-steamer Sydney had ar-
rived, and sailed with troops and stores for Constanti-
nople.
All the parcels, letters, packages, &c., lying at Sheer-
ness for the Baltic fleet have been ordered to be put on
board the Wildfire paddle-wheel steamer, and she will
sail, in company with the Holyhead steamer, to join the
fleet under Sir Charles Napier.
The 20 days' notice given by the Queen's Proctor in
the Court of Admiralty having expired without any one
putting in an appearance, the Russian ships Zeleue, Cap-
tain Sandelin, prize to her Majesty's steam revenue cut-
ter Argus ; the Froya, Captain Weekman ; and the
Livonia, Captain Matskat, also prizes to the Argus ; the
Kamschatka, William Engblorn, master, taken by a
coast guard boat off Folkestone station ; and the Dido,
prize to her Majesty's ship Imperieuse, will forthwith
be condemned and sold, and the proceeds divided among
their captors.
On Wednesday Rear-Admiral Walker and. the Sur-
veyor of the Navy, Captain Sir B. W. Walker, visited
the ship-building yard of Messrs. Mare and Green, at
Blackwell, to inspect the progress made with the building
of the despatch gun-boats now constructing at that esta-
blishment for her Majesty's service in the Baltic. They
are rapidly approaching completion.
Letters were received at Plymouth on Wednesday
from her Majesty's frigate Trincomalee, dated Callao,
April 24. She was to leave on the 27th with stores and
provisions for the ships at Behring's Straits. The officers
and crew were all well.
The Colossus, 80, new ship, will be complete in her
alterations for the reception of the propeller by the
middle of next week, when she will be undocked and
ready to enter the steam factory basin, Portsmouth, to
have her engines put in working order. She was lifted
on her blocks yesterday to have her false keel adjusted,
and she is now coppering.
The Minx, steam-tender to the Scourge, 6, Commo-
dore Adams, arrived at Spithead on Wednesday evening,
and was paid in advance on Thursday. Both leave to-
day for the coast of Africa station.
The Locust, 3, steam-vessel, Lieutenant Day, is to be
paid down and refitted. The crew have a few days' leave.
An order arrived at Sheerness yesterday for all the
available force of the dockyard to be set on the Royal
Albert—they are to work from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., until
she is ready for sea.
The Holyrood, hired screw steam transport, No. 77,
Commander P. C. Lovett, arrived off the Garrison Point,
Sheerness, yesterday, at 1.20 p.m. In consequence of
the Baltic and North Sea pilot not returning on board
on the 7th at Woolwich, she was detained there, and on
making her number in Sea Reach she was signalled, by
the Port Admiral's order, to come into Sheerness for
parcels.
She takes out as supernumeraries the following officers:
Mr. Geo. Robert Bell, mate of the Magicienne, 16-gun
steam-frigate, who came home in charge of the Russian
prize brig Patrioton ; Mr. Archibald Geo. Bogle, mate
of the Amphion steam-frigate, who came home in charge
of the Russian prize Carolina, Also, Mr. J. G. Dathan,
second master in charge, appointed to the steam gun
vessel Cuckoo; Mr. Alex. Raven Burniston, second mas-
ter of the Valorous steam-frigate, who came home in
charge of the Russian prize Primus ; Mr. Wm. Lynd
Martin, naval cadet, who came home in the Primus ;
Mr. George Lane, midshipman of the Euryalus steam-
frigate, who cams home in charge of the Victor ; the
Rev. Walter Bridge Arthy, chaplain to the Imperieuse
steam-frigate, first appointment ; also the prize crews of
the Amphion, Cruiser, Vulture, and Valorous, and vo-
lunteer seamen for service in the Baltic fleet.
The Holyrood left Sheerness without a pilot at 6.30
p.m. yesterday for the Baltic.
The following appointments have been made :
Lieutenants—Conway M. Shipley (1845), to the Win-
chester, 50, flag-ship on the East Indies station, as addi-
tional lieutenant ; John P. J. Parry (1854), recently
promoted from mate of the Portland, 50, to the Terrible,
paddle-wheel steam-frigate, serving in the Black Sea.
Masters—Henry B. Akaster (1854), recently promoted
from second master of the Impregnable, flag-ship, at
Devonport, to the Star, sloop, on the south-east coast of
America station ; Edwin Rowe (1850), recently serving
in the Portland, 50, to the Indefatigable, 50, at Devon-
port.
Paymasters—William Wiles (1846), from the High.
flyer, 21, screw steam-frigate, on the Black Sea station,
to the Bellerophon, 73, also on the Black Sea station ;
William Ellis (1849), recently serving in the Inflexible,
paddle-wheel steam-sloop, on the Black Sea station, to
the Highflyer, vice Wiles ; Benjamin P. Heather (1851),
from the Vesuvius, paddle-wheel steam-sloop, to_ the
Sampson, paddle-wheel steam-frigate, on the Black Sea
station ; James W. P. Foord (1849), borne on the books
of the Fisgard, flagship at Woolwich, for service in the
Naval Coast Volunteers, to the Meander, 44, at Devon-
port ; John H. Greaves (1835), from the Arethusa, 50,
on the Black Sea station, to the London, 90, on the
same station.
Acting Paymaster William Warburton, to the Vesu-
vius, paddle-wheel steam steam-sloop.
Sir James Graham, First Lord of the Admiralty, re-
turned to his official duties at Whitehall yesterday.
Rear-Admiral Martin, superintendent of Portsmouth
Dockyard, went on leave yesterday, and will return to-
morrow.
Captain Peter Richards, C. 8., was sworn in on Wed-
nesday as one of the Lords Commissioners of the Ad-
miralty. Rear-Admiral Berkeley. C. 13., and Captain
Alexander Milne, Lords of the Admiralty, and Captain
Sir Baldwin Walker, K.C.8., Surveyor of the Navy,
visited Woolwich the same day, and were accompanied
by Commodore John Shepherd, Superintendent of Wool-
wich Dockyard, and Captain B. Martin, C. 8., Superin-
tendent of Deptford Dockyard, on a visit of inspection
to the Cormorant, hired steam transport in the basin at
Woolwich.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCES

GREAT WESTERN.
A special meeting of this company was held yester-
day at the new station, Paddington, to consider eight
bills now before Parliament. Mr. C. Russell in the
chair.

Mr. Saunders, the secretary, having read the adver-
tisement convening the meeting,
The CHAIRMAN said, they had met in compliance
with the Standing Orders of the House of Lords, for
the purpose of obtaining the approval of the shareholders
to such ,a:!' the bills as had made sufficient progress in
Parliament. The first bill he bad to submit was " A

bill for enabling the Great 'Western Railway Company
to make a branch railway to connect the Berks and
Hants Railway with the main line of the Great Western

Railway Dear Reading ; for extending the time for the
completion of parts of the Wilts, Somerset, and Wey-
mouth Railway, and for reviving the powers for pur-
chase of Stand for, and for completing other portions of
that railway, and for other purposes." The bill autho-
rised the construction of a short branch line at Reading,
which w ould be of great importance in facilitating the
traffic to and from Basingstroke and other places, and
enable th e trains to proceed direct to their destination,
and avoi.d the present delay and inconvenience at that
station. The bill also provided for the completion of
the Wilts;„ Somerset, and Weymouth Railway—a mea-
sure that had been repeatedly sanctioned by the pro-
prietors at former meetings ; and the object of the bill
was to give effect to these resolutions, to extend the
time for completing the works, and to authorise the

company to raise funds for the purpose.
The Secretary read the heads of the bill, from which
it appearod that two years were allowed for the purchase
of land, :and three years for the completion of the
works. :The length of the branch at Reading was
about a quarter of mile, and the cost 20,0001. ; the
length of the Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth lines to
be completed was 76 miles, and the cost about
1,000,0001. Arrangements had been made with the
South-Wet:tern Company for laying down the broad
guage for :a distance of eight miles on their Dorchester
branch, and, in return, the Great 'Western are to lay

down the °narrow guage from Dorchester to Weymouth.
The Co AIRMAN moved a formal resolution approving
the bill au d authorising the directors to take the neces-
sary stepei with regard to it, which was seconded by
Lord BIitIIINGTON.
The H.Dn. C. L. BUTLER said he would give the mea-
sure his i n ost strenuous opposition, as it would involve
a large e xpenditure and have the effect, with other mat-
ters, of r educing their dividends to 2 per cent. It was
with the greatest anxiety he looked on the further ex-
penditur e of capital. If they had confined themselves
to their western extensions, he believed they would now
be in th is receipt of 8 per cent., instead of 4 per cent.
dividend s. He regretted that a general warfare had
been kept up with other companies, and large sums had
been ex.p ended in Parliamentary and law expenses, as
he consiii ered, needlessly. There had been serious war-
fare at Li3amington between the two companies, to the
injury of the public. There were also a number of petty
actions et arried on by the company—a recent one in re-
spect to idle loss of a portmanteau, the defence of which
must hal, e cost a considerable amount. He concluded by
moving .a n amendment to the effect that no more money
be expera led on branch lines and extensions.
Mr. FiLYTH had great pleasure in seconding the mo-
tion, as .he felt that, if the shareholders did not put a
stop to those branch lines, there would be no end to their
. The time had come when railway com-
panies should cease spending money on branch lines,
and leave. the construction of them to the parties inte-
rested in the various districts. It was quite enough for
companies to work the traffic on them when made.
The C LEAIRSIAN said, the directors fully concurred in
the regr et; the hon. proprietor had expressed respecting
the warfaire that had continued so long between the
Great Western had London and North-Western Com-
panies ; but the directors could assure him that it was
not their fault that it had continued. He (the chairman)
repudiate:d the charge that the Great Western were
litigious, as no one regretted more than the board the
various causes of litigation ; but sometimes it happened
that groa.t principles were involved in apparently trivial
matters;, which, if not defended, would entiil the loss
of thou:nu:ids to the company. The various undertakings
in whic h. they were at present involved had been forced
upon th,te company in 1847, through the mad popular
feeling that existed at that time for new branches and
extensio,ns. He could produce numerous letters from
shareholders, urging them at that time to oppose the
extensicens of the South-Western Railway, and to pro-
mote others. There was not one new undertaking pro-
posed by the directors ; all that they asked was further
power to give effect to resolutions and measures which
the prop rietors had over and over again sanctioned at
meetings of the company ; legal proceedings had been
taken against the company to complete the lines in ques-
tion, and mandamuses were pending in respect to some
of them. The great object of the directors was to make
the 1,50 0,000/., which had been expended on the Wilts
and We
.y mouth lines, productive by the outlay of the
1,000,00.0/. to complete them, all the chief expenses
having be.en already incurred.
Major COURT begged to say that the present state of
things Mr-as entirely owing to the fault of the proprietors ;
they had given their sanction at various times to mea-
sures of which they were wholly ignorant. He (Major
Court) 'had often on former occasions called upon the
proprietors to pause, and inquire into the various mea-
sures Caen proposed before they sanctioned them, but
no attention was paid to his frequent warnings, and
hence the present difficulty. He would ask whether the
gross traffic of the Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth
Railway would amount to 6 per cent. on the outlay ?
The CHAIRMAN believed there would be a fair return
on the amount they proposed to spend.
After some observations from Mr. Vousley, and ex-
planations from Mr. Saunders, respecting the liability
of the company to complete its engagements to the
public and to Parliament, the Hon. Mr. Butler with-
drew his amendment, expressing himself perfectly satis-
fied with the explanation afforde by the chairman and
Mr. Saunders respecting the necessity for carrying out
the measure proposed.
A resolution, approving the bill, was then carried
unanimously.
On the motion of the CHAIRMAN " A bill for enabling
the Great Western Railway Company to provide addi-
tional station accommodation at Birmingham, Wolver-
hampton, and Bushbury, at an expense of 30,0001."
was approved.
The CHAIRMAN said the next bill he bad to submit was
"A bill to authorise the consolidation into one under-
taking of the Great Western, the Shrewsbury. and Bir-
mingham, and the Shrewsbury and Chester Railways,
and the union into one company of the three several com-
panies to whom the said railways respectively belong." The
agreement with those companies was entered into on
the 28th of September last, and was confirmed by the
proprietors at the meeting in February last. The bill
had been sanctioned by the House of Commons on the
ground of its public utility, and he had no doubt it would
also pass through the House of Lords.
The SECRETARY read the heads of the bill. In reply
to questions it was stated that the share capital of the
Shrewsbury and Birmingham amounted to 1,344,0001.,
of the Shrewsbury and Chester to 1,251,0001., and of
the loans to 488,0001. and 417,0001. respectively,
making together about 3,500,0001. The gross traffic
receipts last year on these two lines amounted to
140,0001., notwithstanding very severe competition,
being equal to 4 per cent, on the whole capital. They
had no doubt the competition would be removed, and
all the risk the Great Western would have to provide
for would be the working expenses, the amount of which
with an increasing traffic would be considerably reduced.
A resolution approving the bill was carried.
On the motion of the CHAIRMAN, " A bill for enabling
the South Wales Railway Company to acquire additional
land at Swansea, and for enlarging the powers of lease
or sale to and contribution by the Great Western Rail-
way Company, and for authorising arrangements be-
tween the South Wales Railway Company and the
Vale of Neath Railway Company, and for other
purposes," was approved. A resolution was also
passed approving a bill for authorising arrange.
ments with respect to the South Reserve, at Birken-
head, and for other purposes. The provisions in the bill
were for enabling the Great Western Railway Com-
pany to obtain from the Birkenhead trustees part of the
South Reserve for a terminal station, at Birkenhead,
should it be required.
The CHAIRMAN stated, that the other three bills were
not sufficiently advanced to be submitted to the proprie-
tors under the Wharncliffe standing order, and therefore
it would be necessary to adjourn the meeting for the con-
sideration of them to the 22d inst.
In reply to a question, it was stated that they bad not
submitted a proposition for subscribing to new schemes
since 1848, with the exception of 175,0001. to the North
Metropolitan Railway, which, when completed, Post-
office,
them to convey passengers to the General
office, and would be a great advantage to the company.
A cordial vote of thanks was then unanimously . pn
assed
to the chairman and directors for the manner whichTh
they had conducted the affairs of the company,3i e
best thanks of the meeting were given to r. Saunders,
the secretary, for his meritorious and zealous services to
the company.
The meeting then separated.

ACCIDENT.—AII accident, which has ter.
RAILWAY
urinated fatally, occurred on Saturday at Darlington.
mAni inquest was held on Monday, when from the evidence
given it appeared that the unfortunate man, whose name
fe Thomas Graham, was employed in reversing the
fastenings of a coal train, which was 'lying on the line
of railway which joins the Stockton and Darlington anc'
York and Berwick stations, when an engine and pas-
senger carriage came down the adjoining line on its way
to the Stockton and Darlington station. The driver of
the coming engine whistled as he turned the curve, and
the deceased in his anxiety to be quite safe as the engine
and carriage passed, stooped down. The lines are here
very close to each other, and in doing so Graham's head
caught in the foot-board of the passenger carriage as it
passed, and he was knocked down. The wheels passed
over his thigh and the lower part of his abdomen.
Medical assistance was promptly rendered, but in a few,
hours the unfortunate man expired. The jury Feuri._'"
a verdict of accidental death.