The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-03 00:00:00

RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURNS.

SCOTTISH CENTRAL RAlLWAY.—Traffie return for the
week ending Jan. 29, 1854 V,729 4 61
Corresponding week last year 2,561 9 2

WATERFORD AND KILKENNY RAlLWAY.—Traffic return
for the week ending Jan. 29 (29 miles) £l6O 15 9
Corresponding week last year (13

WINE DUTIES REDUCTION.

A meeting of the general committee favourable to this
object was held on Wednesday at Fendall's Hotel, Palace.
yard. Mr. Benjamin Oliveira, M.P., occupied the chair.
The hon. gentleman stated that on the sth of last
April he brought under the consideration of the House
of Commons his motion for a reduction of the wine
duties. The support he received was considerable ; but
taking into account the recent formation of the Govern-
ment, and the pledges given to the country that a sys-
tem of unrestricted freedom would be adopted, he con-
sented to withdraw the motion. The measures pro-
pounded by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the
great reductions of duty effected by him, justified him in
the course he pursued. He gave notice that he would
early in this session bring the subject forward. He con-
vened a meeting of his Parliamentary friends and sup-
porters at Fendall's Hotel on the 10th of August last,
when certain resolutions were passed, by which this
committee was formed, and through whose agency he
had been enabled to continue important investigations
and to obtain extended support during the recess. It
was for the purpose of developing the general outline of
his proceedings, and to arrange a future course of action,
that hesitatlseonvened this special meeting of the general
committee. On the 10th of August last they numbered
on this committee 90 names of influence ; amongst them
a large number of members of the House of Commons.
On this Ist of February, after an interval of six months,
the number of the general committee was increased to
more than 700—amongst them 100 members of the
House of Commons, and the rest comprising several
presidents of chambers of commerce, mayors of cor-
porations, and other public functionaries, commercial
firms of eminence, &c. He had devoted his time since
they last met to inquiries bearing upon the revenue
to be derived from imports of wines with a low duty,
the disposition entertained in foreign countries to
reciprocate by lowering duties upon British goods, the
moral and social influence of wines as general beve-
rages, and the benefits likely to flow to collateral branches
of English trade by the adoption of the is. duty. He
might state what the general conclusions were to which
his investigations had led him. First, as to revenue,
he was confirmed in his previous convictions that, with
a duty of ls, per imperial gallon, in a very few years,
they might reasonably expect a revenue of between
2,000,0001. and 3,000,0001., with a progressive increase.
As to reciprocity, the general tendency of all foreign
Governments was towards a relaxation of high import
duties. France had given proofs of that policy, and
several of the ministers of the Emperor had assured him
of their intention to persevere. Upon moral and social
grounds, he had had occasion to remark how very rare
the vice of drunkenness was in countries where wine
was consumed ; and in the absence of that vice was also
a very small amount of those crimes, immoralities, and
profligate habits which the use of ardent spirits at home
had recently forced upon public attention. With re-
spect to other branches of industry, he had no doubt
that with tenfold our present supply of wine, the ship-
ping interest, coopers, iron-hoop makers, and other
trades would be benefited. With increased demand, in-
creased production will be stimulated in the countries
where wines are grown. Power of production is with-
out limit—France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany,
Sicily, Greece. Our limited demand of artificial wines
from some of these countries was scarcely felt. He had
come to the conclusion that the fairest mode of dealing
with this question was by a vigorous, prompt, and early
discussion of it. With this view he had given notice of
motion for Tuesday, the 14th inst., that lie might not
be presumed, in the most distant manner, to embarrass
the Government.

A resolution was then proposed, and carried unani-
mously—`" That, in the opinion of this committee, the
present session appears favourable for the reduction of
the wine duties, and that measures be adopted to press
the settlement of the same upon her Majesty's govern-
ment."
Thanks were then voted to the chairman, and the
meeting separated.

LAUNCH OF THE SIMLA.—GLASGOW, Monday.—The
fleet of the Peninsular and Oriental Company received
a magnificent addition to-day in the launch of the iron
screw s' earner Simla, from the building-yard of Messrs.
Tod and Macgregor, Partick, who have constructed for
the same company most of their finest steamers in-
cluding the Bengal, Ganges, Cadiz, &c. The launchtook place at 2 o'clock, under the most favourable cir-
cumstances, although, from the strong gale which was
blowing, taken in connexion with the narrowness of the
Clyde at this point, it was at one time feared that the
operation might be attended with some risk. The Simla
is one of the largest steamers that have hitherto been
built in Scotland ; and nautical men may judge of her
proportions by the following details :—Keel and fore-
rake, 330 feet 4 inches; breadth of beam, 39 feet 2
inches ; depth moulded, 29 feet ; and height from main
to spar deck, 8 feet 6 inches. She has two steeple en-
gines of the aggregate power of 642 horses ; the cylinders
are 90 inches in diameter, with a stroke of 6 feet 6
inches. The diameter of the screw propeller is 18 feet
with a pitch of 21 feet 6 inches. The tonnage, by the
old measurement, is 2,508 tons, and by the new mea-
surement 2,563 tons, The lines of the Simla are consi-
dered to be beautifully drawn, and it is expected that
she will attain a speed even in excess of that of the Ben-
gal and other crack ships of the company. Her main
saloon is of the most spacious character, extending fully
100 feet in length, and the general furnishings will-be of
a commodious and tasteful kind. As a proof of the rapi-
dity with which these immense ships are now turned out
we may state that the keel of the Simla was only laid
on the 10th of May, 1853, and, as her engines are
already prepared in the engineering establishment of
Messrs. Tod and Macgregor, it is expected that she will
be ready for sea in two months from this date. The
Simla will be commanded by Captain Brooke, one of the
most experienced commanders in the service of the
Peninsular and Oriental Company.
ACCIDENT ON THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY.--
About two o'clock on Tuesday morning an accident
occurred to a train laden with potatoes, from York to
London, near Corbey, by the breaking of an axletree of
a North British waggon, which was in the fore part of
the train. The coupling-chain broke and several
waggons were broken, and the potatoes strewed about
the rails. The up line was blocked up for several hours
and the trains had to be worked on the down line. This
is the eighth accident which has happened on this line
of railway by the breaking of axletrees. The company
are about making a new kind of axletree, hollow in the
centre, with a view to avert these casualties.
BRISTOL LUNATIC ASYLUM.—Lord Palmerston has
ordered the authorities of Bristol to build a new lunatic
asylum, instead of the present, which is inadequate.
The estimated cost is 45,000/.—Medical Circular.