The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-20 00:00:00

Admission—ONE SHILLING.

Doors open at Half-past Eight o'clock. _Dancing to commence at
Nina and terminate at Half-past Eleven precisely.

MIDLAND GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.

An extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders
of this company was held on Tuesday at their terminus
in Dublin, for the purpose of submitting to the sharehold-
ers for their approval, an agreement for the purchase or
transfer to the said company of the Grand Canal, with
all the lands, works, and property thereto belonging,
and to the means of carrying said agreement into effect.
The chair was taken by Mr. John Ennis, the chairman
of the company.
The CHAIRMAN described in detail all the negotiations
that had taken place relative to the purchase of the canal,
and in conclusion said that, thinking it essential to enter
into possession as early as possible, they proposed to be
the lessees of that company until after the 30th June,
when, having obtained the Act of Parliament legalising
the transfer, they would become the proprietors. He had
now reached the termination of these matters, and he would
not offer one word of comment, inasmuch as he believed
they carried with them their own commentary. He
had been anxious to show that all through their cause
was one of the most straightforward character—they
were co-operating for a great public good, and one which
was to be advantageous to every party contracting. It
was not their intention to take undue advantage of any
man or set of men ; and however they might have been
subjected to the imputation of having adopted what the
Americans call "smart practice," he, on his own part
and on the part of his colleagues, asserted that their ob-
ject was a public, straightforward, and independent one.
(Hear, hear.) Having stated so much, he would give a
brief exposition of the advantages which would be realised
by the purchase of the Grand Canal navigation ; and he
might observe, with reference to the union of canals with
railways, that it was found so imperative in England
that in almost every instance a combination of railway
and canal interests had taken place. (Hear.) Now
that was a strong fact in favour of the position they
established. It was very desirable, in his opinion, that
their interest should be under the same control, because
if they looked at the map they would find that the
course of the Grand Canal and the course of the Mid
land Great Western Railway were, to a very great ex-
tent, locally and geographically speaking, identical—
, they ran, in every degree, parallel. But let them see
what they got for the money. He would first ask them
to consider the question with reference to the very
important position in which it placed them. The
Grand Canal gave them access to Belfast by water,
which was very strange, and also to Waterford.
They bought the entire property at the cost of 316,0001.
they got an income of 5,8611. a-year, as he saw by the
last report, irrespective of tolls. There was included in
that income the price which the citizens would pay them
for pipe-water, and that rent, according to very good
corporate authority, was yearly increasing. They got
10,0001. in the funds, stock, boats, &c., which were valued
by Dr. Hudson at 20,0001., but which he valued at
12,0001. They would pay, in point of fact, 147,0001., or
a little more, for the navigation of the canal, which
would protect their flanks at all times, and give them
command of an enormous country. he original cost
was two millions stterling. (Hear.) Under the circum-
stances, he thought the proprietors would not hesitate to
sanction the purchase ; and if they did, he would at once
relieve all public anxiety, and quiet the apprehensions
of those who feared that the possession of this new line
would lead to the internal derangement of their own
affairs, or to contention with their neighbours, by the
assurance that theirs would be the policy of peace—
(hear, hear)—and that they would be prepared to treat
with all the world in terms of amity, and to recognise
the rights of others as well as their own. (Hear, hear.)
He would now bring his observations to a conclusion,
and congratulate them, by anticipation, upon the splendid
property which was about to come into their hands.
There was room enough for them all. The country had
lately exhibited unmistakeable symptoms of improve-

meni, and he would have a great deal to answer for in-
deed who would use any additional power or authority
he had acquired in needlessly harrassing those means of
enterprise and industry, which, however they might be
used by other hands, yet formed an undoubted item in
that general system of co-operative arrangements which
in course of time would lead to peace and contentment in
this country. The chairman concluded by moving the
resolution which he had previously read to the meeting,
and was cheered on resuming his seat.
Mr. PERRY (director) said that there was one matter
which escaped the notice of the chairman, with reference
to the advantages that company would derive from the
' purchase of the Grand Canal, namely, that they would
get the entire control of the Shannon navigation from
Kiilaloe to its source. He looked upon the Shannon as
a tributary to their railway, which -would prove to be of
far more importance than was generally supposed.
(Hear, hear.)
The resolution was then adopted, and the proceedings
terminated.

THE NEW MARKET AT BILLINGSGATE.--Yesterday
the gas jets for illuminating the arcades in the new struc-
ture were fitted to the cast-iron pillars. They number
84, two being affixed to each shaft. Besides those on
the river front there are six powerful gas lamps, which
throw a most brilliant light over the whole wharfage, so
as to preclude the possibility of any accident accruing to
persons passing at night across the wooden platform to
their vessels. The sub-market, for the sale of shell-fish,
is also brilliantly lighted with 24 gas jets. The whole of
these lights are in addition to the ordinary lamps pro- i
vided by the commissioners of lighting and paving, and
are lighted during the winter months or when the dul-
ness of the weather may require it, as soon as the market
bell rings (4 o'clock in the morning), at which time the
vast area presents a splendid appearance. The fountain in
the centre of the market has been in full play, and besides
being ornamental it is of the greatest utility in cleansing
the surface ; the sub-market and the drains and sewers
are cleansed several times every day, by water being
impelled through them by steam power, forcing all the
filth and o ffal that may have accumulated into a main
sewer that empties itself into the river, and which is fre-
quently flushed by the steam apparatus, so that not the
slightest unpleasant odour is emitted. The exterior of
the Thames-street front is completed, and the interior is
rapidly progressing. It is a very neat structure, consist-
ing of an arcade for the sale of fish on the ground floor,
with a suite of offices over. It is built with red brick
and 'dressings of Hayter granite, and is perfectly in keep-
ing IN ith the river front. The space between the houses
on the west side of the market and the arcades has been
covered in with rough plate glass of an extraordinary
thickness, laid in a laminated form. The houses on the
west side of Darkhouse-lane have been purchased by
Messrs. Nicholson and Co., the proprietor's of Nichol-
Lower Thames-street, who intend to enlarge
and build a large stack of warehouses on
tst
hho Nichol-
n'
rrs
-swwitileliFfrf',The remaining houses in Darkhouse-lane and
those in the market, being the property of the City,will,
when the leases fall in, be pulled down, and their site
appropriated to the enlargement of the market.
AN _ALARMING SACRIFICE IN BATAVIA.—The Journal
des Dehats, quoting from the Java Bode (a journal pub-
lished. at Batavia) gives an account of a recent sale of
slaves at the Chinese camp. The slaves, twelve in num-
ber, having been placed upon the table of the exposition,
disposed in four lots, rattled some money in their hands
and addressed a few words, timidly, and in low tones, to
the as4embly. A person who acted as their agent here
stepped forward, and stated that his clients, having
accumulated, by long and painful labours, some small
sr.vings, solicited the favour of being allowed to make a
bidding for the purchase of their own persons. No
opposition being offered, the first lot was cried, and
made an offer, through their agent, of 40 francs. No
advance being made upon this sum, the slaves were
knocked down to themselves. The next lot, encouraged
by their predecessors, offered only 24 francs. The pub-
lic preserved the same silence, and they also became their
own purchasers. The third lot took the hint, and were
even more fortunate, picking themselves up a decided
bargain for the modest sum of 10 francs. The Java Bode
sees in theso facts a great advance in civilisation, espe-
cially among the Chinese, who formed the great majo-
rity of the persons present.
EGGS.—One hundred and fifteen millions of eggs were
thesay Fthraetnephoualtryd
idtoetes not pay paaey;
s()imported from France into England in 1851, which are
Id at prices much below native produce. Our farmers
well, as °two is it then that
their exports from 88millions in
in 1851 ? Either our
neighbours 1848, to 1151 millions
than
underst.and the ma-
nagement of poultry better.
the English do, or our
!armers are ignorantly
domestic farming. t
1 kept artificially w a
prejudiced against that branch of
appears that if a fowl-house is
during winter, hens will lay
during that season
British Mail. as constantly as in summer.— h
Nort