The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-13 00:00:00

THE SIEGE OPERATIONS AT CHATHAM
THIS DAY.

Preparations have been made at Chatham for the re-
ception of H.R.H. Prince Albert and a part of the Royal
Family, who will occupy a stand on the top of the
flank cf the casemate barracks next the Medway, from
which they will have a commanding view of the whole
of the siege operations, which are to commence at half-
past 1 o'clock to-day, Thursday, July 13. The Royal
Artillery will fire a royal salute on the arrival of the
Prince. The royal carriage of the South Eastern Rail-
way Company was tried down and up the North Kent
line of that company yesterday, and is now at the Lon-
don-bridge station in readiness to convey the royal party
to Chatham.

A. large and select party will be entertained at the
Royal Engineer mess-rooms, at the conclusion of the
siege operations to-day.

Admiral Lapierre is to superintend the embarkation
of the French troops for the Baltic on Friday. 9,000
men will be embarked at Calais on board of English
ships ; and 3,000 men, with siege artillery and 100
horses, will embark on board French sailing ships, which
will arrive at that port two days later. The English
ships will anchor at the distance of a mile and a half
from the shore, fitted up as transports. The troops
will also arrive the same day, a part on foot from Bou-
logne, and a part by railway from St. Omer. Fifteen
French steamers will be ranged along the Calais quays
in order to convey the troops from the shore to the
English ships. The embarkation will begin on the
morning of the 14th. The 9,000 men will be embarked
in one operation, and the rest will be taken a day or
two after on board French sailing vessels. The total
force that will proceed to the Baltic in subsequent de-
tachments will be about 30,000 men.
The 2nd company of Royal Sappers and Miners, under
orders to proceed to the Baltic, under Captain King,
Royal Engineers, paraded on Tuesday morning in the
square of Brompton Barracks, Chatham, and were in-
spected by Colonel Harry D. Jones, Director of the
Engineer Establishment. The company has received
subsequent orders that they are not to embark until
after the grand field-day on Thursday, July 13. Twenty
privates of the 2nd company were detached from it some
time since, and sent to the Baltic for service in the
Duke of Wellington, 131, screw-steam flag-ship of
Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Napier, and as they will
join the company on its arrival in the Baltic, the
number of privates to be sent out under Captain
King will be 80, making a total strength of 100 in the
company. _ _

The 94th Regiment of Foot paraded on Tuesday at
Chatham, and were instructed in the duties of field-
working parties, which they will have to perform at the
siege operations to-day.

Fifteen horses left the field batteries at Woolwich on
Tuesday afternoon by the North Kent Railway for
Chatham for service with Captain Mountain's company.
The Camperdown transport, with the head-quarters
division of the Ist battalion of the 12th Regiment,
which embarked at Queenstown on Thursday week
for Melbourne, sailed on Saturday. She had
made the necessary preparations to sail on Mon-
day evening, and had got as far as the harbour's
mouth, when a telegraphic message arrived re-
quiring her to delay her departure to await the arrival
of a Government agent intended to sail in her. This
gentleman arrived hi Cork on Friday, and so urgently
were his services required that he stated he had been
only 27 hours in England, after returning from foreign
service, when he received the order to proceed with all
haste to Queenstown and go out in the Camperdown.
Iwo companies of this regiment are still in barracks,
awaiting a transport for conveyance to the same destina-
Von.

Like other military stations in Ireland where entire
regiments had been stationed, but are now occupied only
by a depot, Cork, too, is likely
shortly to be without a
regiment. In anticipation of the departure of the 91st
from that garrison, the depots of the 39th and 59th Re-
giments at Kinsale, and the depot of the 9th at Tralee,
received letters of readiness on Friday to march for Cork.
The Kerry Post says that on the departure of the
depot of the 9th from Tralee that barrack will be occu-
pied by the local pensiOners, under command of Captain
Stokes. When the depot leaves Tralee there will not be
a soldier in the county of Kerry, with the exception of
the local force, or a solitary recruiting party. For many

There are probably not a dozen persons in this country
who feel any confidence in the Board of Health. Mr.
Chadwick believes in himself, and Lord Shaftesbury be-
lieves in Mr. Chadwick and in Dr. Southwood Smith ;
but it would be exceedingly difficult to name any one
who participates in his lordship's opinion of those gentle-
men. For Lord Shaftesbury individually a large part
of the community feels admiration, sympathy, and re-
spect ; but his semi-official 'character as a member of the
Gwydyr House department is not even generally known,
and it is a flagrant anomaly to entrust administrative
functions to an unpaid member of the Legislature, who
is in no way responsible to a Cabinet to which he may,
perhaps, be politically opposed. It is perfectly natural,
however, that an active philanthropist should welcome
the opportunity of carrying out, in an official capa-
city, the schemes to which his personal energies have
long been.devoted. Lord Shaftesbury wishes to improve
the dwellings of the poor, and to provide them, by com-
pulsion if necessary, with the means of obtaining air,
light, and cleanliness ; and these or similar objects were
contemplated by the Legislature when the Board of
Health was constituted—water supply, flushing of
sewers, removal of nuisances, as well as many other salu-
tary provisions, being included in the clauses of the Pub-
lic Health Act. The members of the Board were all
enthusiasts in their way, and they were eager to exercise
their powers to the utmost, until it should be the will of
Parliament, at some future time, to enlarge their attri-
butes. The utter failure in which their indefatigable
activity has resulted may, in some degree, be ascribed to
the individual characters of the functionaries employed ;
but it was impossible that a Board so viciously con-
stituted could work satisfactorily.
Experience has abundantly shown that no secondary
public department can be prudently trusted with large
admidistrative powers. No amount of personal ability
will supply the want of that authority which the great
officers of State derive from the confidence reposed in
them by Parliament and by the country. A head-
clerk may possibly be superior, both in general capa-
city and in special knowledge, to a Secretary of State ;
but he is not recognised by the community at large
as the legitimate depositary of the executive power.
So long as the spirit of our constitution remains
i s
unaltered, theleadmerosopfolPy of the higherarliamentary administra-
tion. parties n
must
necessarily rus-t ia
ye enjoy ano
established method of deciding contests for
tnieocne. ssaTrihl
the possession of the functions of Government is proba-
bly as little objectionable as any other which could be
devised ; but, be this as it may, it is enough for the
present to know that it exists. The Board of Health,
having been authorised to exercise certain powers, soon
found that it was necessary to obtain the control of sof-
ficent funds for carrying out its various projects ; but,
whenever the demand was preferred, the Minister of the
day refused an application which was undoubtedly in
consistent
r.
Chadwick
andrts
h,
but
e his
also
colleaguesordinary
by courseext r
a ooffif
consoledcextra-official administration.
act activity
ity themselvesin
publishing
Mr.
for their failure, not only by straining to the utmost their
legitimate p
pamphlets, which were generally marked by
charlatanism, and by encouraging popular agitation on
sanitary questions. The paid members of the Board
have always been remarkable for their disposition to
substitute official interference for every kind of
spontaneous movement, whilst their titular chief
has spent his entire life in the atmosphere of platform
excitement ; and successive Ministers have uniformly
found it necessary to refuse their co-operation to the
Board, so soon as they became acquainted with its
practical working. Lord Seymour took the lead in de-
nouncing their mischievous quackery—Sir George Grey
overruled their obstinate opposition to all rational plans
fur improving the water supply of the metropolis—and
Sir William Molesworth had determined to go to the
root of the evil by remodelling the entire department,
and had actually prepared a bill for the purpose.
Lord Shaftesbury's influence has, however, once more
clsesie to the rescue of his own authority and of the Board.
Lord Palmerston has unfortunately been induced, from
deference to the ornamental head of the department, to
take the question out of the hands of his colleague,
and to claim for the Home-office a class of functions
which a Secretary of State has neither the leisure nor
the means to discharge. Under the provisions of
the Bill now before Parliament the Board will be
retained without . any material change, and Mr. Chad-
wick and Dr. Southwood Smith will continue to render
sanitary reform odious by circulating, at the public ex-
pense, absurd and exaggerated statements. Whenever
an indignant member asks a question in the House of
Commons with reference to the proceedings of the de-
partment, the Home Secretary will blandly give utter-
ance to some answer with which he will have been pre-
viously supplied ; whilst, in the House of Lords, Lord
Shaftesbury will still enjoy the privilege of defending his
colleagues in the official tone which might become a
responsible minister. The new bill is evidently founded
on the assumption that, although the system has become
too unpopular to be defended, it is desirable to change
it as little as possible ; and, in fact, had Lord Shaftes-
bury brought forward a measure drawn by Mr. Chad-
wick, it would probably not have differed widely from
Lord Palmerston's attempt at legislation.
Any efficient reform of this branch of the public ser-
vice must start from the principle that there is no occa-
sion for the existence of a Board. The Chief Commis-
sioner of Works is not adequately employed, and there
is no reason why he should not combine with his present
duties those of Minister of Public Health ; nor can the
personal respect entertained for Lord Shaftesbury
justify Parliament in entrusting important administra-
tive powers to an unpaid, irresponsible, and practi-
cally irremovable functionary. According to the bill as it
stands, either the third member of the Board or the Se-
cretary of State is a superfluity—according to the bill as
it ought to be, the Minister of Public Health would not
require an amateur colleague, however high in rank or
benevolent in intentions. The remaining and supple.
mental condition of a sound measure on the subject is,
that it should place the whole department in due
subordination to the chief. A Parliamentary func-
tionary, responsible for all that takes place in the
office, will be able to avail himself of the advice of his
assistants, while he retains in his own hands the final
decision of all questions, large and small. This clear
and intelligible principle of administration is so well
established in this country by practice and experience,
that it is scarcely necessary to argue on the expediency
of assimilating a moderate department to those of older
date ; and no personal considerations ought to be al-
lowed to stand in the way of so necessary and obvious
a reform.—Morning Chronicle.

CRYSTAL PALACE. —WEDNESDAY (SHILLING DAY).—
Number of season tickets sold to this date, 20,370. Ad-
mission at the doors, 9,867 ; admission by season
tickets, 609-14,757.

BRISTOL AND EXETER.
A judgment affecting railway companies Was delivered
on Tuesday in the County Court at Exeter. A package
sent from London to Exeter was injured on its transit
upon the Great Western line ; but a clerk of the Bristol
and Exeter Company went to the person to whom the
article was consigned and arranged the amount due to him.
Application was accordingly made to the Bristol and
Exeter Company for the sum named by their clerk ; but
they referred the applicant to the Great Western Com-
pany. The judge held that, as the property was injured on
the Great Western line, and as that company entered into
the contract for the carriage of the article the whole dis-
tance from London to Exeter, they were liable, and not the
Bristol and Exeter Company.

OXFORD, WORCESTER, AND WOLVERHAMPTON.
This railway, the bill for which received theßoyal assent
nine years ago, may now be said to be completed, the con-
cluding line between Tipton and Wolverhampton being
now just opened for pas eager traffic. Only a certain num-
ber of the trains will run to and form the new station, the
remainder running over the Stour Valley Railway to Tip-
tun, as heretofore.

SEVERN VALLEY.
The works of this line are expected to be commenced in
a few months ; Mr. Peto has the contract.

LEEDS, BRADFORD, AND HALIFAX JUNCTION.
This line is progressing rapidly towards completion, and
will be inspected in a few days. Should the inspection
prove satisfactory, it is proposed to open the line on the
Ist of August. On Tuesday last an engine ard first-class
carriage, conveying several officials, passed over the line,
and the result was satisfactory. The length of the new
line, from Leeds to Bradford, is a little over eight miles,
or more than five miles shorter than the present line. .It
will also materially shorten the distance between Leeds
and Halifax, besides facilitating the traffic between the
principal towns in the district.

REPORTS OF COMMITTEES ON RAILWAY BILLS.

reported
METROPOLITAN.from the sub committee that
the additional capital authorised to be raised by the bill
is 700,0001., and the amount of loan 233,0J06. The ex-
tensions of the railway will, for the greater part of their
course, be constructed by means of a covered way, in
the same manner as the present authorised line is in-
tended to be formed, the height being 14 feet and the
width 28 feet. The steepest gradient on the proposed
extension to the General Post-office is 1 in 100, and on
the extension of the Great Western Railway 1 in 163.
The length of the extension to the General Post-office
is one mile three furlongs, and of the extension to the
Great Western Railway 1 mile 4.70 chains. The estimated
cost of the proposed extension lines is 650,0001. Mr. J.
Fowler, Mr. Brunel, and Mr. Hawkshaw, were the en-
gineers examined in support of the bill, and Mr. Locke
was the engineer examined in opposition to it. Eighteen
petitions were presented against this bill. The committee
are satisfied of the fitness in an engineering point of view,
of the proposed extension lines of railway.
LONDONDERRY AND COLERAINE.

Colonel
billth that
the
12,0001., and the amount of loan 4,0001. The length of the
Magilligan branch is 4 miles, 2 furlongs, li chains ; and the
steepest gradient on it is lin 198. It is intended to cross
additional B o LD
capital ER o
proposed reported
bt
eh e
raised sub-committee
bthe
two roads on the level. The estimated cost of the branch
line is 11,6601., and the quantity of land required 46i acres.
The committee are satisfied of the fitness in an engineering
point of view of the proposed branch.
BALLYMENA, BALLYMONEY, COLERAINE, AND PORTRUSH

(No. 1.)
Colonel BoLDERO reported from the sub-committee that
the additional capital authorised to be raised by the bill is
27,0001., and the amount of loan 9,0001. The length of
line is 6 furlongs, 2 chains; and the steepest gradient on
it is 1 in 227. The estimated cost of the new works is
27,0001., and the quantity of land required 6 acres. The
committee aro satisfied of the fitness in an engineering
point of view of the proposed railway. The committee
received a report from the Lords of the Admiralty to the
effect that they did not approve of the crossing of the
river Bann at the points and in the manner proposed by
the bill. After hearing evidence from several eminent
engineers, the committee resolved that the mode and
place of junction proposed by the bill ought to be sanc-
tioned.

GREAT WESTERN, SHREWSBURY AND BIR-
MINGHAM, AND SHREWSBURY AND CHES-
TER RAILWAY COMPANIES AMALGAMATION.
HOUSE OF LORDS COMMITTEE.—Wednesday.
The committee re-assembled this morning soon after 11
o'clock. Present—The Duke of Wellington (in the chair),
the Earl of Morton, Lord Walsingham, Lord Cottenham,
and Lord Stafford.
Mr. Serjeant Wrangham having, at considerable length,
addressed the committee on the part of the Great Western
Railway Committee, in which he combatted the arguments
that had been urged by the counsel representing the Lon-
don and North-Western, Oxford and Worcester, and New-
port, Abergavenny, and Hereford Railway Companies, in
opposition to the bill,
The room was ordered to be cleared, and after the lapse
of half an hour, on the parties being re-admitted,
The Duke of Wellington said the committee were of
opinion that the preamble of the bill had been proved. Some of the clauses were then passed, after which their
lordships adjourned.
Companies, which has been attended with enormousivosGrTo
shtu s h.‘
ve
satse
rtne ramn idn at eLo/
n 1
dtohne
ag rn
de a
Neat
ostruggle s t be
re
nt wRe eani
wt
oh
ye
ex-
penses to both parties. The result of this decision g
the Great Western Company a through
from London to the Mersey and all places in t
England. commhounnoicrathtio of
n

Z e. d. £ s. d.
Australasia........... 6/. per cent. 40 0 0 all 82%
British North American 64. per cent. , 50 0 0
PP 64
Commercial of London. 61. per cent. ;100 0 0 20 0 0 -
Co!onial .............. 31. per cent. ,100 0 0 25 0 0 -
onian ............... 61. per cent. 25 0 0 25 0 0 -
Lond. Char. Bk. of Aus. - 20 0 0 all 0 -
London and County .. 1 61. per cent. 50 0 0 20 0 0 -
Londti and Westminstr 61. per cent. 100 0 0 20 0 0 40
London Joint• Stock ... , 61. per cent. 50 0 0 10 0 0 -
Provincial of Ireland.. , 81. per cent. 100 0 0 25 0 0 -
I
Ditto, N ew. • ... •. . . , 8 i.per cent. le 0 0 all -
National of Ireland.... , 41. per cent. 50 0 0 22 10 0 -
Nat. Provncial of Eng. 1 61. per cent. 100 0 0 35 0 0 -
Ditto, New ...... • • 5/. per cent. 20 0 0 10 0 0 -
Oriental Bank Corpora. 121. p ct.&bs. 25 0 0 all 475{
South Australia .. .• .. 8, p. ct.& Ds. 25 0 0 „ --
Union of Australia.... 40!. per cen', 25 0 0 25 0 0 74%
Ditto .. .... ...... 401. per cent. - 210 0 --
Union of London ..... 8/. per cent. 50 0 0 10 0 0 -
Union of Madrid ..... - 40 0 0 all -
I gsURANCE COMPANIES.
Dividend Amount
Name of Company. per of I Paid. I Price.
Annum. Share.
-----
s. d. I X s. d.
Albion .......... •• .. 3/. 10s. 500 0 0 50 0 0 90
Alliance Brit. and For. 71. 1 is. 6d. bs. 100 0 0 11 0 o 195
Ditto Marine ....... 61. p.c.& be. 100 0 0 25 0 0 40
Anchor ........ •..... 6 per cent. 5 0 0 1 0 0 -
Atlas
A rgus Life -
British Commercial
Clericl.Med.& Gen• Life spr ct. & bs. 100 0 0 10 0 0 21
41. 100 0 0 10 0 0 125
Crown
Eagle
Equity and Law...... 45% per cent. 100 0 0 5 0 0 6
European Life lss. 20 0 0 all ' 19%
General - 5 0 0
PP 5%
Globe ... • • .... 61. per cent. Stock. 127
..
Guardian ............ 51. per cent. 100 0 0 45 0 0 57
Imperial Fire.-- .... 12/. per eent. 500 0 0 50 0 0 -
Imperial Life -
Indemnity Marine.... 11. sh. & be. 100 0 0 20 0 0 56
Law Fire .......• •• • • 2s. & 2s. bs. 100 0 0 210 0 4%
Law Life......... •• .. - 100 0 0 10 0 0 551
Legal and General Life - 50 0 0 2 0 0 6%
London Fire ...
London ~hip...
Marine......... ••• • .. 15s.per share 100 0 0 18 0 0 -
Med. Invild & Gen. Life 45,E /. per ct. 50 0 0 2 0 0 3
Minerva ...... •• •• .. sp. et. & be. 20 0 0 2 0 0 6
Monarch .• - - ..... - 5 0 0 1 0 0 1%
National Loan Fund.. 51. per cent. 20 0 0 210 0 23
Palladium Life , .
Pelican - - - 45
Phoenix - - - -
Professional Life ...... 51. per cent. 5 0 010 0 34
Provident Life........ 11. ss. & bs. 100 0 0 10 0 0 42
Rock Life .......• ••.. I ss. 53 0 010 0 7%
Royal Exchange ....• • 6/. p ct. & be. Stock, all 229
Sun Fire ...... 6/. 10s. - f t 260
Ditto Life ..... 1/ 10s. - 65
United Kingdom .... 41. p, ct &bs. 20 0 0 4 0 0 5%
Universal Life .. -
Victoria Life • 5l. per cent. - 412 6 -
BRIDGES.
Dividend Amount
Name of Company. per of Paid. Price.
Annum. Share.
£ a. d. £ a. d.
Hungerford .... - .. - - - - 12
Southwark .......... - 100 0 0 - -
Ditto New of 7% p.c. 70s. per cent. 50 0 0 - -
Waterloo .... .. •• • • - 100 0 0 -4%
Ditto Old Ann. of Si. 11. 12s. 60 0 0 60 0 0 28
Ditto Nw ditto of 71. 11. Bs. Od. 40 0 0 40 0 0 -
Vauxhall ............ 11. ss. 70 10 3 - 21
WATER-WORKS.
Dividend Amount
Name of Company. r per of Paid. Price.
Annum. Share.
--- -_--
1
East London £ s
61. per cnt. Stock. d.
£ 8
k. 105 d.
-
Grand Junction .....• 4". per cnt. 50 0 0 all 72
Kent-. .. ...• •••• • . 41. per cnt. 100 0 0 - 80
Lambeth ..... - 97
,
New River Company 2l. 10s. - - -
Southwark &Vauxhall 51. per cut. 100 0 0 - 89%
Nest Middlesex - -1005 y
DOCKS.
Dividend Amount
Name of Company. per of Paid. Price,
Annum. Share.
- --
X s. d. £ s. cl.
Commercial • • ~.... • • 41. pr cent. Stock. Stock. -
East and West India.. 6t. pr cent. Stock. - -
East Country.. - - -
London .... ... - -
Ditto Bonds I 41. per cent. - - -
St. Katharine - -
• outhampton -
Victoria ...... • • I 5/. per cent. •20 0 0 10 0 0 -