The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-23 00:00:00

ITAL Y.

By three decrees of the 9th of the Provisional Go-
vernment of Venice-1. The Assembly of Deputies,
convoked on the 3d of June, is dissolved. 2. The
new Assembly is convoked for the 15th instant. 3.
The Commission of the Lombardo- Venetian Railway
is dissolved, and the Venetian Government assumes
the administration of the enterprise.

LAW 'INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF EXCHEQUER, Feb, 22.
GRAPES V. BURNEY.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
The verdict in this case was for the plaintiff on first
issue, damages 101.; second, for defendant. '

SHERIFFS' COURT. Feb. 22.
(Before Mr. Under-Sheriff BIIACHELL.)
SMITH V. CARRELL.

This was tln action to recover the sum of 20/. on a
' guarantee. The defendant suffered judgment to go by
default. Timpnly question raised was, whether the
plaintiff w*%*titled to recover interest without notice
having been given.

The.UNDER-SHERIFF thought that it would be on-
, dangering the verdict if interest was taken.
'Mr. THOMAS submitted that as there were two counts,
one on the guarantee and one on the count stated, the
Jury might give the whole amount if required.
The UNDER-SHERIFF considered that although there
was no plea the plaintiff was bound by the particulars,
on which , only 201. was claimed; had the interest been
demanded, then perhaps defendant would have pleaded.
The jury then gave a verdict for 201.
COLLINGWOOD V. SMITHERS.

This .was an action to recover the sum of 51. 12s. for
wine supplied.
The defendant's solicitor complained that the case
should have been brought in this court, and counsel em-
ploYed in such a case, the costa being 201. instead of
as many shillings, if it had been brought in the County
Court.
The UNDEU-SIZERIFF said that they had nothing to
do with that, but if the action had been improperly
brought, the plaintiff would be deprived of his costs, on
application to the Court above, but he was entitled to
sue if he thought proper.
. The jury gave a verdict for the amount.
Tho other cases were undefended.

EAST AND WEST INDIA DOCKS
AND BIRMINGHAM JUNCTION RAILWAY.
The usual half-yearly general meeting of this company
was held yesterday afternoon at the offices in Old Broad •
street; Mr.. Scott, chairman of the board of directors, in
the chair.
The report stated that the works of the line bad been
let. upon most advantageous terms, and as many as six
miles and a half of the railway were rapidly approach-
ing a state of completion. The first contract to Ho-
merton was nearly finished, while the other two, which
had been let, wero progressing most satisfactorily. A
fourth contract had just been let for constructing the
works at Camden Town, at a price below the engineer's
estimate ; and by the end of the present year
it was fully anticipated that the line through•
' out, from Camden Town to the City, would be ready
for traffic; and then it was proposed to complete
the line up to the docks. Negotiations were still pending
for leasing the railway to the London and North-Wes-
tern Company. The balance-sheet represented that the
receipts of the past half-year amounted to 105,2011. 13s.
4j., and the expenditure to 95,845/. 4s. 6d. The total
receipts up to the present time yielded 347,3891. 12s. Id.,
and the expenditure amounted to 330,7751. 7s. 2d.,
leaving 16,613/. 4s. 11d. in hand.
In answer to questions,
The CHAIRMAN stated that the directors had purchased
'and got possession of about three-fourths of the land ne-
cessary for making the line. The calls in arrear
amounted to about 17,0001. It was a mistake to suppose
that the part of the line connecting thena with the docks
•would be abandoned.
' Several shareholders urged upon the directors the ne-
cessity for enforcing payment of the calls, or forfeit the
shares where holders were in arrear.
The CHAIRMAN, however, said, in the present state
of the market, it was not expedient to adopt that course,
but the meeting might rely upon the directors doing
their best to. obtain payment of the arrears. The cost
of•the line, he could assure them, would be within the
estimate.
Mr. HANICEY avowed himself to be one of the de-
faulters, but he felt that he was justified in withholding
his calls until he ascertained what the North-Western
• Company were going to do with them. If it were
announced that the North-Western were prepared to
lease the line at once, he had no doubt the arrears would
. be immediately paid up.
The CHAIRMAN replied that until November last they
.:were not in a position to negotiate, but now the matter
.was being considered by the North-Western directors,
and he hoped that ere long the arrangement would be
brought to a favourable termination.
. After some further discussion a motion for the adop-
• of the report was agreed to.
A: resolution was then passed authorising the directors
to borrow money not exceeding the sum of 200,0004, not
however without a protest from a shareholder, who cora-
l:qui:led that the resolution would only benefit the East
and West India Docks and the North- Western Companies,
who held 450,000/. out of a capital of 600,000/. It was
much better to call up the full amount of the shares than
.borrow money.
. The retiring directors and auditors were then re-
elected, and thanks having been voted to the Chairman,
the meeting terminated.

THE Cow-KETCFIES.--I left Baltimore by the late

night-train for Washington. For two-thirds of the way,
we went on smoothly enough; but when within about
ten miles of Washington, a violent jerk to the whole
train apprised us that that we had run against some-
thing, not, however, sufficiently formidable to bring us
to a sudden halt, or to dislodge us from the line. The
• engine-driver gradually slackened speed, and on stopping
the train, we discovered that we had run against a cow,
which had been lying on the line. " Sure on't," said
the driver, as soon us he had satisfied his curiosity. "You
seem familiar with such accidents," I observed; "are
they frequent ? " "Now and then of a night," said he,
" we do run ng,in somethin' of the kind, but they gin'rally
manage to get the worst on't."—"But do they never throw
you off the rail?" I inquired. " They seem to take a plea-
sure in. Join' it when they find us without the • cow-
ketcher:, he replied. On walking to the front of the
, engine I discovered what the " cow-ketcher" was.
Utterly unprotected as American railways are, either by
fener.s or police, the presence of this device is a very
necessary precaution in the ease of all 'night-trains. It
is appended to the front of the locomotive, and consists
c,f a strong iron grating, turned up a little at the project-
• ing points, which is made to trail along the line a few
inches from the rails, It is by no means uncommon, on
arriving at a station, to .find a sheep or a hog dead or
dying in it. A cow or a horse is too formidable an ob-
• stacle to be run against with out being observed. On
this occasion, the unfortunate cow was lifted off the rail,
on which it had been
lying, but its body was frightfully-
lacerated by the process.
I but them
can
nid stand a h
the stokoegr,
• 'ere cows are the devil to pay,"
pro-
ceeded, with the help of some saby others,the to
sidedr agnifhetheecarcasslihe
it
off the machine, and deposit it
" Might they not as well take int'o Washington now?"
I observed to ono of the bystanders. " I suppose they
would," said be, " but that they want to leave room forthe
next;" a remark which enabled me certainly to resume
my place with a very comfortable feeling of security.—
The Western World.
NEW COUNTY GAOL FOR SURRET.—Wednesday a
meeting of the rate-payers of St. Mary, Lambeth, was
• held at the Horns' Tavern, Kennington, to take into
consideration the proposed building of a new gaol for
the county of Surrey, at a cost of 120,0001. T. Alcock,
Esq., one of tho county Members, had promised to pre-
side. A certificate from that gentleman's medical ad-
viser, setting forth that sudden indisposition prevented
his presence, having been read to the meeting, Mr.
Hun!, the senior churchwarden of St. Mary's, was
votrA to the chair. Mr. Taylor moved the first reso-
lution, to the effect " that at such a period when all
o.asses are labouring under such excessive difficulties,
:arising from local and general taxation, the pro-
posed enormous outlay in the erection of a new pri-
• 8?." was an, uncalled fir an 4 useless expenditure
of public money."
C. Pearson, Es q., MMr W .1d seconded the resolution.
.P.; supported the resolution. The
Government had d-clared the Pentanville experiment a
failure, and he did not
perpetuate
why the county magistracy
should seek to uoatite it. The resolution was
adopted, us- also severalPe
aliesors condemnatory of the pro-
posed. outlay. It
Alenreeskoliv,ed that a petition
shonld be forwarded to T.
see ation to the louse of Common's "qM,P.,f. for pre-
A praying
deputation,oa u
form system of prison discipline.'
M.P., vvas appointed to wat on.
• e luding Mr. C. Pearson,
in-
Sir G. Grey, to call his attention to the proposed erec-
tion. Thanks were voted to the chairman, and the
meeting separated.
• DUBLIN METROPOLITAN POLICE.—A Parliatnentay
return issued yesterday shows that the total amount ex.
Fended on account of the Dublin Metropolitan Police
Voroe Was, in 1847, 71,722/, against 73,289/. in 1846,
and 73,5431. in 1845. The amount expended on account
of the police magistrates and magistrates of Dublin was
1,7074 agalaii 1,723/. in 1846, and 1,87 V. in 1845.

UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE.

CAMBRIDGE, FEB. 21.—At a Congregation holden
this day the following degrees were conferred:—
M.A.—A. R. Thomas, Corpus.
M.B.—Augustus Drake, Caius.

B.A.—F. J. Fitzwygram, F. B. Frank, R. P. Hooper,
C. W. Hough, Trinity; W. C. L. Aspinall, E. W. Clark,
R. Howard St. John's; J. F. Green, St. Peter's; Rush-
...oral Batley, G. W.. Aspen, J. T. 11, Delafons, T. R.
Eaton, Corpus; E.A. Gattie, Laurence Preston, Queen's;
W. Kendall, M. Patey, F. Smith, Catherine; W. T.
Nunn, H. Smelt, E. C. Wyvill, Jesus; C. Salisbury,
Christ's; J. W. Holdsworth, C. R. Holmes, Magdalen;
J. H. Hatfield, G. J. E. Riadore, Emmanuel; C. W.
Bere, R. Parkinson, Sidney.
At the same Congregation, the following grace passed
the Senate:—The Commissioners for building new
churches being desirous of conveying, with the consent of
the University, a quarter of an acre of laud, formerly a
part of the Hulse estate, to the minister and chapel-
wardens of Elworth for the site of a school and house;
to affix the common seal to the requisite deed of convey-
ance in testimony of such consent."

PLYMOUTH GREAT WESTERI

DOCKS.

The fifth ordinary half-yearly meeting of the share•
holders was held on Feb. 12, at the office of the com-
pany, in Stonehouse—James Wentworth Buller, Esq ,
of Downes, in the chair. The meeting was respectably
but not very numerously attended. The preliminary
business having been gone through, the secretary, Mr.
Edward Fielder, was called upon to read the reports.
The directors' report stated that the company having
been put into possession of the Millbay pier, at Michael-
inns last, under the contract with Mr. Gill, they had
engaged permanent officials and appointed a secretary.
The directors hoped that, by fixing a judicious and
moderate scale of duties, and extending the accommoda-
tion which the pier afforded, a very considerable addi-
tion would be made to the existing trade. The directors
to retire by rotation were Mr. David Derry, Colonel
H. B. Harris, Mr. T. Gill, and Mr. B. MbCalmont, who
were eligible for re-election. Mr. Jonathan Clouter,
one of the auditors who retired, was also eligible for re-
election.

The report of Mr. I K. Brunel, engineer, stated, that
during the last six months the progress of the works
had been satisfactory, as rapid as the season of the year,
the weather, and the nature of the work would permit.
The eastern portion of the south wall had been nearly
completed, and the western p trt commenced, and some
progress made in it. The report then proceeded to say:—
" l'he western side of the coffer-dam for the locks has
been constructed ; the eastern side is commenced, and
preparations made for proceeding with the south ; and
considerable progress has also been made with the ex-
cavations for the main sewers required on each side of
the bay ; and the masonry of the east sewer
commenced. During the last fortnight the contractor
has suspended his work. It is impossible for me here
to enter into the consideration of the reasons which
he appears to have had for doing so ; but I trust that
it will shortly be resumed, that the delay will not have
been great, and that no other inconvenience will result.
The pier has required some repairs; the masonry at the
extremity had been much damaged by the action of the
sea; this has been rebuilt in a substantial manner. Much
of the timber has also been destroyed by the worm, not-
withstanding the usual precautions adopted in the origi-
nal construction of the pier. In the repair of this, I have
adopted a plan which would admit more easily of repla-
cing any parts that might bo again injured; but the ex-
perience of several years confirms my expectation that
the use of creosote in the preparation of the timber will
protect it completely from this cause of destruction. The
rubble bank in which the pier is built has received and
still requires some additional quantity of stone, which
will be thrown in as opportunities for obtaining it from
the basin may occur. With these precautions I believe
the pier will soon be placed in a substantial state of
repair."
The balance-sheet showed that there had been re-
ceipts on account of calls to the amount of 37,2221.25. ld.
On the side of payments there had been expenses in-
curred before and in obtaining the Act, 4,591/.; Parlia-
mentary expenses in 1848, 550/. ; law charges, 746/. ;
land and compensation, 13,411/.; engineering expenses,
1,5991. ; works, 15,3141. ; interest on shares, 4781. ;
balance at bankers, &c., 2401., making, with a few small
items, a balance of the account.
The report of the directors, and the statement of ac-
counts, were then adopted, and ordered to be printed ;
and the directors and auditors, whose names are men-
tioned above, were' then re-elected. This closed the
business of the general meeting.
An extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders
was then held, for the purpose of authorising the direc-
tors to borrow on mortgage or bond such sums as they
were authorised to borrow by the Act; and a resolution
for borrowing 30,0001. was agreed to.
In reply to a question from Mr. May, it was stated
that the works had been stopped by the contractor, and
not by the directors, or through any want of funds on
their part. But it was believed that the stoppage was
only temporary. It was further stated, that the South
Devon Railway Company had not paid their calls. but
the Great Western and the Bristol and Exeter Com-
panies had paid a call in advance, which was in the na-
ture of a loan to the South Devon Company, and more
than covered the debt due from them.

On the motion of. Admiral PASCO, a vote of thanks
was given to the Chairman, and the meeting broke up.