The Sun.
London, England, 1836-05-30 00:00:00

cimus Burton, B. B. Cabbell, P. Hardwicke, C. R.
Cockerell, R.A., R. Abraham, T. Griffith,
Esq., five guineas each, some being their tenth donation,
and others, as Sir F. Chantrey, their twentieth donation !
The business of the evening passed off very agreeably, to
which Messrs. Broadhurst, Taylor, Hawkins, and Chap-
man, Masters Smith and George, assisted by Mr. Pyne,
jun., at the piano, contributed very materially, not only by
their high vocal talents, but by the urbanity with which
they attended to the wishes of the Stewards with respect to
giving one or two popular airs.
The CHAIRMAN left the Chair at half-past ten o'clock,
and the company departed soon after that hour.

LONDON, SALISBURY, EXETER,
PLYMOUTH, AND FALMOUTH RAILWAY.

(FRONI A CORRESPONDENT.)
There can be no surer test of the soundness of the views
which have given rise to any undertaking than its receiving
the approbation and sanction of those who are most tho-
roughly acquainted with the circumstances upon which its suc-
cess or failure depends. No schemes of a public nature are
more speedily put to this test than railways. Many such
schemes are got up as mere speculations, by persons little
connected (or even wholly unconnected) with the particular
district fixed upon, and shares are immediately subscribed
for in the metropolis and the great commercial towns, on
the faith of plausible statements, of the truth or falsehood
of which the subscribers can know nothing. But in such
cases, the landholders along the projected line, the mer-
chants and manufacturers of the places through which the
road is proposed to pass--and all those who would be per-
sonally interested in the success of a plan founded on a
sound and solid basis, either stand aloof, and decline
countenancing the scheme, or else decidedly oppose it.
Being thus tried and found wanting, it soon falls into ge-
neral discredit, and they who were so easily taken in by
it, have only to lament their rashness.

Of the recent undertakings of this nature, the railway
from London to Falmouth, by the way of Salisbury, Exeter
and Plymouth, has attracted the largest share of public
attention, from its great magnitude, and the evident im-
portance of its national results. It has already undergone
the test which we have just described, and stood it tri-
umphantly—originating within the district itself, it was
not brought before the public till the line had been sur-
veyed and fixed upon, and the merits of the plan, in every
point of view, carefully investigated. Hence it had a large
share of local support from the very outset, and this has
been increasing down to the present hour. Feeling inte-
rested in the success of an immense national undertaking,
we have attended to the proceedings of the inhabitants of
the districts which it most immediately concerns ; and we
observe a series of public meetings, numerously attended
by persons of station and influence, the result of every one
of which has been the most cordial support to the plan,
the appointment of powerful and efficient local committees
to assist in carrying it into effect, and the adoption of sub-
sidiary plans for the establishment of minor railways, by
which the utility of the general design will be immensely in-
creased. _ _ _

On the 19th of April last, there was a public meeting of
the inhabitants of the town of Romsey, at which a plan for
a railway, branching off from the principal line at Salisbury,
and proceeding to Romsey, and thence by Redbridge to
Southampton, was unanimously approved of, and the meet-
ing pledged to its support. The projections of what is
called the " South Western Railway" from London to
Exeter, immediately endeavoured to stir up an opposition
to this plan of a branch railway, and to substitute a plan of
their own in its place. For this purpose they got a public
meeting convened at Southampton, hoping to carry resolu-
tions in favour of their own plan. But they were signally
disappointed. The meeting which took place on the 29th
of April was very numerous, and attended by above six
hundred of the most influential inhabitants of the place, and
after a full discussion it terminated in a resolution, carried
with only three or four dissenting voices, that the !proposed
line, branching from the London, Salisbury, and Exeter
Railway, " would be the most desirable and beneficial line
for the inhabitants of Southampton, and is consequently
entitled to receive their support." A separate Company in
connection with the " London, Salisbury, Exeter, and Fal-
mouth Company" was immediately formed to carry this
branch railway into execution, with local Committees con-
sisting of the most influential persons in the towns of Salis-
bury, Romsey, and Southampton, and their neighbourhood,
to act in conjunction with the general Committee of the
great Railway in London.
On the 7th of May, a large public meeting was held at
Barnstaple, for the purpose of taking into consideration the
construction of a line of railway embracing the commercial

advantages presented by the estuaries of the Rivers Taw
and Torridge, passing through the centre of the county of
Devon, by the way of Okehampton and Tavistock, to
Plymouth and Devonport, and uniting with the London,
Exeter, and Falmouth Railway. It was unanimously re-

solved by the large body of influential persons thus assem-
bled to support the plan of this branch Railway, and to
proceed with the necessary measures for executing it ; and
the resolutions conveyed the strongest approbation of the
plan of the great Railway, with which the above Railway
is to unite. On the 14th of May a meeting took place at
Okehampton, at which the preliminary arrangements for
proceeding with this plan (called the North and South
Devon Railway) were made, and a numerous and influen-
tial central Committee was formed. Such have been
the proceedings in the counties of Wilts, Hants, and
Devon. In Cornwall, a similar spirit is every where
abroad. On the 16th of May a public meeting was held
at Launceston, and on the 19th another at Bodmin, at each
of which strong resolutions were passed approving of the
plan as a great public benefit, and of the liberal, judicious,
and energetic conduct of the London Committee of Ma-
nagement, and also requiring the members for the county
and the different boroughs to support the undertaking.
The local committees appointed at these two meetings,
comprise many of the most distinguished gentlemen of the
county. The last meeting of which the proceedings have
been made public, took place at Truro, on the 24th inst.,
on which occasion the sentiments of a large body of the
most respectable inhabitants of that town and its neigh-
bourhood, were unanimously and warmly expressed in fa-
vour of the undertaking.
From this series of demonstrations of public opinion in
those quarters, where public opinion is peculiarly entitled
to weight, one conclusion only can be drawn, that the un-
dertaking will be a great public benefit, and will conse-
quently obtain general support.

Lord Minto gave a grand dinner at the Admiralty
to the Lords of the Admiralty and several distinguished naval
officers.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer entertained at his
house in Mansfield-street the Governor and Deputy-Governor
of the Bank of England, the Chairman and Deputy Chairman
of the Excise, the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the
Customs, and the Lords of the Treasury. The Right Hon.
Gentleman had a numerous party in the evening.

Lord Glenelg gave a grand dinner to Sir John
Franklin, R.N., Captain Back, R.N., and to all the Colonial
agents, at his house in Great George-street.

The Attorney-General gave a grand dinner in honour
of his Majesty's birthday to the King's Counsel and Sergeants
at Law, at the Thatched House Tavern, St. James's•street.

Grand dinners in honour of his Majesty's Birthday
were given to large parties by the Ministers and Great Officers
of State. The company all appeared in full Court dress.
The Lord Chamberlain entertained at dinner the
Officers of the Household, the Commander in Chief, the Secre-
tary at War, the Master General of the Ordnance, the Adju-
tant-General, the Quartermaster-General, and Major-General
Lord Fitzroy Somerset.

Lord John Russell gave a grand dinner at the official
residence of the Premier, in Downing-street, to the Judges,
the King's Sergeants, the King's Counsel, the Attorney and
Solicitor Generals, the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Sheriffs,
of the City of London.

Lord Palmerston entertained at the Foreign Depari
all the Foreign Ambassadors and their ladies.

DARING HIGHWAY ROBBERY.—A few days ago
the following daring robbery was committed upon
Griffiths, Esq., a gentleman of fortune residing at Lee Green,
near Lewisham, Kent. It appears that Mr. Griffiths, upon
his return from the City, on horseback, observed two labour-
ing men engaged in a pugilistic contest; being anxious to put
an end to the affray, he offered them a gallon of beer if they
would accompany him to a neighbouring public-house. This
was agreed to, and upon his paying for the liquor he pulled
out a purse .containing nearly twenty sovereigns, which no
doubt was observed by the parties present. At a short distance
from his residence he was dragged from his horse, and robbed
of the money and every other valuable article he had upon
him at the time. Information of the robbery, was immediately
given to the police, and from the description given of the
ruffians, it seems that they are well known, and will no doubt
be very shortly apprehended.
TALES OF TIIE WOODS AND FIELDS.—We
are requested to state that the new work, " Tales of the Woods
and Fields," being a Second Series of " The old Men's Tales,"
is now ready, and may be had of the publishers, Messrs. Saun-
ders and Otley, Conduit-street, Hanover-square ; of their
agents in Dublin and Edinburgh, and of the booksellers in
town and country.
There are economical points of View, in which all
parties may contemplate Ireland with profit. It may be
'hewn, that, could her present population be placed in such a
position, that their consumption equalled that of an equal
number of English labourers, the direct addition to the public
revenue would be greater than the whole sum which that re-
venue receives from all our colonies and foreign possessions
put together, though these almost girdle the globe, and con-
tain more than 100 millions of inhabitants ! There is no
country in Europe to which an analysis of the condition of its
population would not show like results; we may hope that one
day such ,:alculation will be familiar to all nations. They will
be the most eloquent of monitors to peace and good govern-
, ment.—Professor Jones.