The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-09 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD, WORCESTER, AND WOLVERHAMPTON.
The opening of the third and largest section of this
railway, viz., from Evesham to Oxford, was celebrated
on Saturday with great rejoicings along the whole route,
terminating in a grand banquet at Oxford. The weather
proved most miserably unpropitious, snow and rain
falling throughout the morning. A special train ran
through the whole length of the line from Dudley to
Oxford, conveying the directors and their friends, with
the authorities of the several towns through which the
line runs. At Evesham a champagne luncheon was
supplied to the travellers, and all along the new portion
of the line from Evesham to Oxford crowds of people
were assembled .at the stations and bridges, and gazed
with wonder upon the special train, which was made
up of 26 first and second class carriages. Rejoicings
took place at Chipping Campden, Blockley, Moreton-
in-Marsh, Stow-on-the-wold, and Charlbury. At
Wolvercot, where the Oxford, Worcester, and Wol-
verhampton Railway joins the Birmingham and Oxford
line of the Great Western Company, the party changed
carriages and proceeded at once to Oxford. There a
sumptuous dinner had been prepared by Mr. Peto and
the directors at the town-hall, where four ranges of
tables laden with a most bountiful and delicate repast
were spread. The chair was taken by the Right Hon.
Sir John Pakington, M.P. ; and among those present
were—Lord Lyttelton, Earl Talbot, Viscount Elmley,
M.P., the Hon. Captain Rushout, M.P., Mr. Langston,
M.P., Mr. Oliveira, M.P., Mr. Peto, M.P., Dr. Jenne,
the Master of Pembroke, and numerous other dignita-
ries of the Oxford University, Mr. Rosse, Solicitor-
General of Canada, &c. Mr. Harker officiated as
toastmaster.
A number of loyal and appropriate toasts having been
drunk and responded to, the guests retired from the
ball shortly before 8 o'clock. Those from Dudley and
the North returned by special train from Oxford aboutal
a quarter past 8, and those from London by special
train about 9 o'clock.

Mr. Samuel Woodburn, the well-known dealer in pic-
tures of old masters, early drawings, and prints, died
last week at his house in Piccadilly, at the age of 73. He
has long been considered one of the first judges of an-
cient art of his day, and has helped more or less for the
last 50 years in forming the principal picture galleries in
Europe.
DIMINUTION OF PAUPERISM IN IRELAND.—From a re-
turn to the House of Commons, it appears that on the
ry,
Ist of Janua, 1852, the number of paupers relieved
(in-door and out-door), in Ireland was 170,484 ; and on
the Ist of January last 141,822. The decrease, after
deducting an increase of seven in one place (Louth) was
28,662.

-
THE UNITED STATES.

SOUTHAMPTON, MAY 7.
By the United States' mail steam-ship Washing-
ton, Captain E. M. Fitch, which arrived off Cowes
this evening, on her way to Bremen, we have ac-
counts from New York to the 23d ult.

The Washington brought 120 passengers, 43 of
whom were for Southampton, and a small quantity
of specie for Bremen and Havre.
The Royal Mail steamer Arabia arrived at New
York, from Liverpool, on the 20th ult.
From Washington there is no political news of
importance, the following being the chief items con-
veyed by telegraph from the capital :
" The Central American policy of the present Admi-
nistration is understood to be indicated by the sending
into and ratification by the Senate of Mr. Squier's
treaty with San Salvador. This treaty, which is sup-
posed to have been held back by the late Administration
for fear of offending Great Britain, is entirely free from
entangling alliances with any European power. Mr.
Buchanan designs setting an example of republican sim-
plicity at the Court of St. James. He is said to have
requested the Zion. John Appleton, member of the last
Congress from Maine, to accompany him as Secretary of
Legation. Senator Borland, having declined the gover-
norship of New Mexico, it is intimated will get the mis-
sion to Central America, which was rejected by Mr.
Sliddell. The British Government has sent to Mr.
Crampton, the British Minister, a gold medallion like-
ness of Queen Victoria and a gold pocket chronometer
for Captain Nye, of the steam-ship Pacific, and a gold-
mounted trumpet and 101. sterling for the mate, and 101.
for each of the six men who volunteered their services
and saved the crew and passengers of the British barque
Jesse Stephens, wreaked some time since. The presents
are to be distributed through the State Department.
Major Stevens has nearly completed his arrangements
for the survey of a northern route for the Pacific Rail-
road. Lieutenant Duncan, with a party of 16, has been
sent to Oregon, rid the Isthmus, to start from Puget's
Sound and meet the exploring party in the mountains.
Another of the party has been some time in Canada, col-
lecting information from the Hudson's Bay Company,
&c. The Washington Union denies the reported ill-
health of the President, and says that his health has de-
cidedly li/11,2.0N-et and- that' he has gained both in
strength and weight since the inauguration."
The _Herald says :
" New York is to have a new opera-house,—one on a
magnificent scale. We learn that $lBB,OOO have already
been subscribed, and 24 per cent. paid in. Only $12,000
are now wanted to make up the sum required for this
splendid enterprize. It is in contemplation to have it
completed in December next, and open with Grisi and
Mario."

The Santa Fe mail has arrived at Independence,
bringing accounts that
" Lieutenant Heth, in command of the military post
at Fort Atkinson, had determined to attack the Cheyenne
Indians, and was only waiting till the mail had pa,sed.
This band during the winter murdered a discharged
soldier on the plains, and refused to deliver the murdei'-
ers to Lieutenant Heth. The force at the garrison was
very insufficient, but Lieutenant Meth deemed it abso-
lutely necessary to attempt their chastisement, as they
bad insolently defied him on more than one occasion. The
contest will be rather unequal, and the result is feared.
The Government have been guilty of gross neglect in
supplying an insufficient force at a post where there is
so much danger, surrounded as it is by 5,000 Indians of
various tribes. A dispatch was sent by Lieutenant
Heth, notifying the Adjutant of the sixth military de-
partment of the difficulty and circumstances.
" New Mexico was in a quiet state."

The tone of the New York money market was
rather improved, and speculation was reviving.
Exchange on London 9j to N. premium. Freights
to Liverpool rather lower. Cotton less active.

THE IRISH MEMBERS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir, --Having met and defeated the attempts of s
clamorous majority in the House of Commons to compel
me to unsay my words, I find myself called upon to an-
swer in your columns a new and widely different charge.
You affirm that my original statement was that
"within the last few days" I had seen practised the
corruption which I denounced.

I do not know on what authority you make this
charge, but, on whatever authority, it is totally untrue.
Neither your own report of the proceedings, nor any re-
port which I have seen, gives it the smallest support.
It is not only untrue, but absurd. The words attributed
to me in the reports are these :

•

" Short as my experience of this house has been, I must
say I do not believe, in the worst days of Walpole or the
Pelhams, more scandalous corruption existed than I have
seen practised under my own eyes in corrupting Irish
members."
I referred to and repeated the identical phrase in italics
in my subsequent observations in reply to the appeals
made to me by Sir George Grey and Lord Palmerston.
Is there any possibility of believing that a man who has
sat in the House of Commons almost daily since the pre-
sent Parliament met in November last, would say,
" Short as my experience in this house has been, I have
seen," &c., if he had been speaking "of the last few
days ?" The charge, you perceive, is not merely a fa-
brication, but a blunder.

My original statement, from which I never departed a
hair's breadth, was this :

" You are taxing us (I said) without our consent. Moro
Irish members have voted against this budget, I believe,
than against any measure on record. The Government, I
confess, have got some Irish support. How they got it I
cannot tell, for I am not in tho confidence of the right hon.
gentleman who whips up the Treasury forces. Some few
of them, I have no doubt, voted for it from conscientious
motives. But, short as my experience in this house has
been," &c.

I have ascertained from personal inquiry—what, in-
deed, I never doubted for a moment--that the Irish
members with whom I act knew thoroughly from the
first that I referred to the case of the men who betrayed
their public and solemn engagements to get into place.
Mr. Serjeant Shee, without the smallest communication
with me, stated this to the house. It never was even
suggested, till after I had withdrawn, that my meaning
was that a bag of money was carried round by the
whipper-in, and the votes bought up, like borough elec-
tors, at so much a-head. It is too absurd to fancy that
an independent member, in opposition to Government,
would have been permitted an opportunity of inspecting
transactions of this nature, if they occurred. But I
have yet to learn that corruption is less corruption be-
cause the man who falsifies his life and betrays his con-
stituents is not paid the bribe in a round sum, but by
quarterly instalments at the Treasury.
In your ordinary report of Friday's proceedings there
is an error which I must ask to have corrected. lam
made to say, in reply to Mr. John Ball, that "I did not
connect my statement of last night with the division of
Monday." As my answer is quite differently reported
in other papers, I fancy it was imperfectly heard in the
gallery. What actually occurred was this :—Mr. Ball
was assuming, as I understood, that as my explanation
had reference to " transactions which occurred four
months ago," the Irish members not in office had of
course no concern with it. I interrupted this assump-
tion with a hasty negative ; and another assumption,
putting the converse of his first proposition, with a second
negative. I meant, in fact, to convey as briefly as pos-
sible—that while I never charged the body of Irish sup-
porters of the budget with direct corruption by bribes of
money, I could not, on the other hand, give them a bill
of health merely because I was not impeaching them
with the grossest venality.
Your reporter winds up his account of the second day
by stating that the business terminated amid consider-
able laughter. It is quite true ; but it was the triumph-
ant laughter of the opposition at Lord John Russell de-
dclummibnga
na
dn
d iinquiry,sconso l
aa
tned
baetb
ionnde
tobfe theT reascuulpiyritßsenshcbrinwkbineng
he was expected to defend himself. For my part, a
onfuwmbboemr ofl
tbhe adfonroeotmrknotshtorowmunegmhbobeuefrtosrtheo,fecatehe house,
inveenitnog,in several
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place immediately,
me for having preserved the honour of Parliament, as
well as my own honour, by refusing to unsay a syllable
I had said.—l am, sir, your obedient servant,
C. DUFFY.
Eocleston-street south, April 7.