The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-08 00:00:00

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LIVERPOOL
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Yesterday at one o'clock the annual general meeting
of the members of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce
took place in the Association Rooms, Exchange-build-
ings. In the absence of the president and vice-president•,
Thomas Bouche, Esq., was called to the chair. The
general report stated that, upon the subject of Tribunals
of Commerce and the Commercial Law of England, the
council intended shortly to take into consideration the
expediency of inviting a general conference of the Com-
mercial Associations of the Kingdom, to be held in Liver
pool. Upon the question of charters with limited

[ability, the council reported that a motion was brought

before your council by one of the directors, to the effect
that the chamber should memorialise government against
granting to shipping companies charters with limited
responsibility ; but, after giving the subject the fullest
consideration, it was resolved that the question of
limited partnerships, being one of the greatest import-
ance, should be approached with the utmost caution.
The matter, as regards shipping was, therefore, deferred
until the council can fulfil its intention of taking up the
entire subject. With regard to the subject of decimal
coinage the council were of opinion that the country was
ready to adopt the plan which ,the council had already
propounded in a special report. From the annual
report of the treasurer it appeared that the association
had increased 84 in number during the past year ; that
several of the leading firms of the tawn, who had hitherto

held aloof, had now become members ; that the total
strength of the association was now 497 ; and that the
balance of cash in hand at present amounts to 571. 19s.
ld., against 291. is. Bd. at the last annual meeting.
Both reports were adopted, and the routine business of•
the meeting was then disposed of. This principally con-
sisted of the election of new directors.

GRAND BALL OF THE SOCIETE FRANCAISE DE BIEN-
FAISANCE.—The twelfth ball of this benevolent institu-
tion, which was founded to afford relief to distressed
natives of France resident in London, took place yester-
day evening, at the Hanover-square Rooms, under the
patronage of his Excellency the French Ambassador,
and was attended by between three and four hundred
persons. Dancing commenced at half-past 9, under the
orchestral superintendance of M. C. Boosd ; and the
room was speedily thronged with a company in which
the English element decidedly predominated. The cir-
cumstance that the metropolitan season had not com-
menced did not prevent the attendance of some who, in
consonance with the occasion, may be termed the re-
marquables of the day ; and the object which had con-
vened the assembly appeared, on the whole, to be well
appreciated. In addition to the receipts from the ball,
a lottery was drawn of objects which had been previously
forwarded to the bureau of the society, and the pro-
ceeds of which were designed to augment the charitable
fund.

NARROW ESCAPE OP A RAILWAY TRAIL—On Friday
week, as the down mail train of the Lancaster and Car-
lisle Railway was on its way to the north, and not far
from the Milnthorpe station, some wicked and malicious
persons had placed two sleepers on the line with the in-
tent of throwing the mail train off the line. Fortunately
no accident occurred save the breaking of the ash-box
belonging to the engine. A diligent effort has been
made for the discovery of the miscreants. Another
attempt of the same character was made near Burton,
where about 12 cwt. of stones were found put upon the
line at six o'clock on Wednesday morning.—Carlisle
Patriot.

RAILWAY COMMUNICATION WITH WEXFORD. —The
High Sheriff of Wexford presided, on Tuesday, at a
meeting of the ratepayers of that county, held in the
court-house of Enniscorthy. Resolutions were adopted
protesting against any guarantee being given by the
grand jury to indemnify the projectors of either of the
proposed railways for connecting the county of Wexford
with Dublin, in a per centage upon the costs of the un-
dertakings. One of the contemplated lines is to be be-
tween Wicklow and.Wexford ; the other is to extend
the South-Eastern line from Bagenalstown to Ennis-
corthy and Wexford.
A MAN KILLED BY A RUNAWAY HORSE.—Mr. Bed-
ford, the coroner for Westminster, held an inquest ye-
terday at St. George's Hospital, touching the death of
Thos. Shoebridge, a cabman, aged 48, who was killed
by a runaway horse, in Park-lane, Piccadilly, on
Thursday last. The jury, after remarking on the in-
crease of the very dangerous public evil of runaway
horses, returned a verdict of "Accidental death."
ANOTHER DARING BURGLARY AT. WALWORTH.
Shortly after nine o'clock on Saturday evening, Mr. H.
Hill, of the Prince George, Hill-street, Walworth, had
occasion to proceed to one of the uppeirooms, when he
observed one of the windows wide open, and on closer
inspection perceived that the wire gauze blind had been
removed therefrom, and other indications of unusual dis-
order, which aroused his suspicions. Accordingly, he
proceeded to a drawer in the landlady's bedroom, when
the cash-box, to his dismay, he found had vanished, to-
gether with its valuable contents, consisting of about 60
sovereigns, and a considerable quantity of silver. On a
further search two watches were found missing, to one
of which was attached a massive ladies' guard chain, to
the other a black silk guard. It was further ascertained
that a quantity of rings and other jewellery, including a
a ring with three large pearls, had been abstracted, as
also a green silk purse, a Frenchporte snonnaie, formed of
morocco with steal clasps, containing a 201. Bank of Eng-
land.note (the number of which is known), and also se-
veral florins, an old guinea, and other coins, From the
female servant's bedroom bad been stolen from a drawer
upwards of 51, in gold and silver, including an'ancieut
silver coin. The whole amount of the property abstracted
has not yet been ascertained, but is supposed to be far
more considerable than at first imagined. The thieves
appeared to have overlooked several Si. notes which
were lying near the cash-box, and also a box containing
about 1001. worth of plate. Information was instantly
forwarded to the police, and accordingly Coppin and
Baker, two active detective officers, promptly attended,
and are, together with Mr. Superintendent Lund, of the
same (the P) division, on the track of the depredators,
who are supposed to be part of a desperate gang of burg-
lars, by whom numerous other robberies have been com-
mitted in this locality during the last few weeks.

SHOCKING MURDER IN DEVONSHIRE. EXETER.
Information reached this city on Monday that a dread
ful murder has been perpetrated at a village called Clay
hedon, near Honiton. It appears that a gentleman,
named William Blackmore, who was extensively engaged
as a land surveyor, had been out the whole day on
Saturday collecting taxes—he being the collector for the
south side of the parish. Mr. Blackmore called at a
public-house, named the White Horse, in Clayhedon, at
half-past 8 o'clock on Saturday night, and remained
thero until about 1 o'clock on Sunday morning. He
was in the company of three men, named Edmund
Sparkes, George Sparkes, and James Hitchcock, the
former, however, leaving the house shortly after 1. The
other men, it is alleged, accompanied him, until they
got to their own homes—leaving the deceased about a
quarter of a mile from his house. Not having arrived
home, his son and -a man servant went to look for him,
and found him dead in the highway, a short distance
from the Mills, at Clayhedon, where he resided. The
deceased was dreadfully beaten about the head, and his
throat was cut. He had a large sum of money with
him, of which he had been robbed. An inquest is to be
held at 11 o'clock to-day, at the house of the deceased,
by R. 11. Aberdeen, Esq.. coroner for the district. We
understand there are two men in custody on suspicion
of being the murderers.
A BOSTON VESSEL WRECKED ON PLYMOUTH BREAK-
WATER.—The smack Ocean, of Boston, Gostellow, mas-
ter, was wrecked on Plymouth breakwater on Wednes-
day night last. The Ocean was laden with wheat, con-
signed to Messrs. Collier and Sons, merchants, of Ply-
mouth, which she had embarked at Shoreham. The
master, who was also principal owner, being a stranger
to the port, thought the lighthouse on the eastern end of
the breakwater, instead of the western end, and ran the
vessel right end on the breakwater. The night was very
dark, and there was a strong swell at the time. The
vessel became a total wreck ; but, fortunately, the mas-
ter and crew, two men and a boy, were saved, having
been taken off by the crew of the Tavy, the yacht of Mr.
Thompson, the Queen's harbour-master at Plymouth.
Neither the vessel nor cargo was insured, we believe.
THE FORTHCOMING MEETING OF CONVOCATION.—The
members of both Houses of Convocation have been sum-
moned to meet at the Jerusalem Chamber, Westminster,
on Wednesday, the 16th instant, and a rumour has ob-
tained very general circulation amongst the clergy, that
although the present Government will not pledge itself
to advise her Majesty to allow "The Ecclesiastical Par-
liament" to sit for the dispatch of actual business, no
obstruction will be offered to a lengthened sitting for a
discussion of matters relating to the welfare of the Church.
For some weeks past a committee,
consisting of the
Deanew e of
Chichester, and Saint Alban s,
Dean of Etlhye,
Mar-
tin, Dr.- Mill, Dr. Spry, Dr. Wordsworth,
At hrec h die eaacno n sof
of N:Mr waiicdhs:t otnhee,
Chancellor
and
dother clerical dignitaries have been holding private meet-
ings to consider the subjects that may be judiciously
brought before the Convocation at
introducing
approaching
meet-
ing, as well as the proper mode of them, so
that immediately after the transaction of formal business
a great variety of topics will be submitted in an elabo-
rate report, which will no doubt form the subject of a
lengthened discussion.
ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC JUNCTION CANAL.—A com-
pany has been advertised for constructing an Atlantic
ha acs o cost e ov fe r 1
bse, Oe
noo,aoeysOth On,
llasyddt eesrpul irnvge .y e
d, Thisu tr os
ou
nt ee,
and Pacific Junction Canal through the Isthmus of
prove
ee
such
as
so
they
observationsifthelevlaetelsl
ipt aar epnea ras
,t
are supposed to be, a canal capable of passing the largest
vessels without locks might be excavated for the s
as us
spueir4ctiiaoln that the
um
expenditurethosewtho is a
specified. That the revenue to be derived from a ship-
ev heavy a
bv yy
ship-
canal between the oceans would be such as to repay
n a very
most
th conclusionoro
gl long
sincee arrived l
av e
investigated the question, but whether an outlay of
15,000,0001. for a work that must be subsidiary to
the Nicaragua Canal, every foot of which has been the
subject of the most precise estimates, and which can be
built so as to admit large ocean steamers, such as the
Northern Light, for less than 4,000,0001., will be found
pofitable, is a point upon which there would seem little
difficulty in forming an opinion. The shares o_fepo.
proposed company are to be of 1001. each, withhaned
has
sit of 10s., and a conditional concession of the line
• been obtained from the Government of I,l"Fv,tiv.,_,
to whom the sum of 24,0001. is to be paid '-'1""
months of its date.