The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-15 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 15, 1847.

THE GLORIOUS THIRTY-FIRST

REGIMENT.

Ciwrium, JAN. 13.—The left wing of this distinguished
and heroic regiment, which signalised itself in bravery in the
recent battles with the Seikhs, at Moodkee, in December,
1845, arrived this evening at Chatham Barracks from
Gravesend. This wing of the regiment consisted of 14 ser-
geants, 7 corporals, 4 drummers, and 93 privates, with 10
women and 11 children. They embarked at Calcutta on board
the ship Plantagenet, and sailed on the 3d of August last,
but, owing to the ship meeting with an accident on her
voyage down the river, was obliged to return to Calcutta,
when she underwent repairs necessary for her voyage. She
sailed for England on the 2d of September, and put in at St.
Helena on the 17th of last month, and there took in water,
and arrived at Gravesend on the 12th inst. During the
passage the detachment lost by death six men ; one died this
morning at Gravesend. One man of the 9th and one man
of the 94th came home with the detachment. Lieutenant
T. H. Plasket, 31st, was in charge : this officer is wounded
in the ancle. There are four other officers of the 31st came
with the troops: Lieut. R. Law, Lieut. A. Pilkington (this
officer is wounded through both ancles), Lieut. E. A. Noel, and
Assistant-Surgeon Hampden H. Massey. This part of the
regiment is very sickly, and the greater part are wounded,
there being only about forty, effective men among them.
Very general complaint prevails amongst the soldiers re-
garding the ship, as the pumps were kept working every four
hours during the whole voyage. There were several
_pas-
sengers came home in this vessel, among whom was Lord
Henry Gordon, Captain of the 4th Native Infantry; Mr.
Shand, a cadet; Miss Sutherland, sister of Major Sutherland,
of the 21st British Fusiliers; and Mrs. Chapman, a lady of
one of the judges of Calcutta; Mrs. Kelly, widow of Lieu-
tenant Michael Kelly, of the 63d, who was killed in action,
and also the widow of Lieutenant and Adjutant George Sims,
of the 62d, and the widow of the quartermaster sergeant of
the same regiment, who fell in battle, and Mrs. Turnbull, an
officer's widow of the Company's service. This detachment
of the 31st, after being medically inspected, and the men that
are unfit for service transferred to the invalid depot to be dis-
charged on pensions, and those that are effective will join
their head-quarters at Weimer Castle. The Royal Marine
band went out to meet them, for the purpose of playing them
to the barracks, but owing to the soldiers being brought in
vans, not being able to march, the band returned to their
head-quarters without them, although the band waited up-
wards of two hours.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.
LEEDS AND THIRSK.

On Wednesday a special meeting was held at Leeds, Mr.
John Gott in the chair, to consider and determine as to the
expediency of contracting to purchase the undertakings, rail-
ways, stations, and properties of the Stockton and Hartlepool
Railway Company, and the Clarence Railway Company, or
any part thereof respectively, by the Leeds and Thirsk Com-
pany, upon the terms and conditions to be submitted to the
meeting; and to authorise the directors of the Leeds and
Thirsk Company to enter into contracts for such sales, or to
ratify any provisional agreements, if approved, that may
have been entered into with these companies respectively, or
either of them, for those purposes; and further to authorise
the directors of the Leeds and Thirsk Company to do all such
acts, adopt all such measures, and execute all such documents
as may be necessary or" expedient to carry the same respec-
tively into full effect.
Mr. EDDISON, solicitor to the company, read the terms of
the agreement whieh had been entered into provisionally by
the directors of the Leeds and Thirsk Company with the di-
rectors of the Stockton and llartlepool Railway Company
during the present month. By that agreement the Leeds and
Thirsk Company are to purchase the works of the Stockton and
Hartlepool Railway for the sum of 240,0001., of which sum
90,0001. Is to be paid in cash within three months after ob-
taining the Act of Parliament to ratify the agreement ;
and the remaining 150,0001. by 3,000 shares in the Leeds and
Thirsk Company, which are to be considered as paid up, and
to take all the rights and interests which appertain to the
other shares in the company; and in pursuance of which the
shareholders in .the Stockton and Hartlepool Company are to
be entitled to an allotment of 3,000 of the 351. preferential
stock, bearing six per cent. interest, created on the 30th of
November last, but are to pay the calls and interest
thereon in all respects the same as the other holders of those
shares. This purchase is to cover all the real and personal
property of the Stockton and Hartlepool Company, excepting
the engines, which are to be taken at a valuation, sub-
ject to an option which the Clarence Railway Company are
entitled to, under some former agreement with the
Stockton and Hartlepool Company. Mr. Eddison also
read a copy of the proposal of the Leeds and
Thirsk Company to purchlse the works of the
Clarence Railway Company for the sum 0f450,000/., of which
214,000/. is to be paid in money within seven months of the
passing of the Act of Parliament, and the remaining 236,000/.
in shares of the Leeds and Think Company principally pre-
ferential shares. The proposal had been accepted by the
committee of the Clarence Company, on the understanding
that the preferential shares are to continue such. The
Chairman read some observations illustrative of the advan-
tages of the proposed amalgamations, which had been writ-
ten by the chairman of the company. He concluded by
moving that the agreement for the purchase of the Stockton
and Hartlepool Railway works and other property, which
had been read be approved, and the corporate seal attached
thereto.

Mr. EDWARD BAINES seconded the motion, when it passed
unanimously.
A motion by the Chairman, sanctioning the proposal made
and accepted for the purchase of the Clarence Railway and
works, subject to such alterations as shall be found expe-
dient, and subject also to a copy of the Bill for confirming
the same being laid before the shareholders of this company
for their sanction, was seconded by Mr. J. G. Payley, and
adopted unanimously.

IRELAND.

THE ALEE.4ISO OF PEERS, COMMONERS, &c.
DUBLIN, JAN I3.—Yesterday and this day a vast number
of tickets for admission to the meeting to-morrow were
issued by the committee. We have seen a list of the Eames,
which comprise peers, members of the House of Commons,
and landed proprietors, from almost every county in Ireland
The demand is so great (although a charge of ss. is made for
each ticket, to defrAy expenses); that the committee have
found it necessary to make an arrangement for the continu.
ance of the issue of tickets until eleven o'clock to-morrow
forenoon, one hour before the time fixed for the commence-
ment of the prodedings at the Rotunda. Either the Marquis
of Ormonde or the Marquis of Sligo is to preside at the meet-
ing—most probably the former. The town is quite full of
country gentlemen.,
THE NEW IRISH-PARTY.

On Monday last the declaratory resolutions for the forma-
tion of a new Irish party received the signatures of a large
portion of the Irish .Peers and MeMbers of the House of Com-
mons, and arrangements are in progress for holding meet-
ings on the subject throughout the provinces. The follow-
ing resolutions have emanated from the Marquis of Sligo and
Mr. Moore, of Moore Hall, with the signatures, as we find
them in the Dublin Eve.iing Mail of this afternoon :
" That at this awful period of national calamity it becomes
the first duty of every Irishman to devote his undivided
efforts to the interests of Ireland; and that neither politics,
parties, nor personal prejudices should influence his mind in
the discharge of such a duty.
"That as we fuel deeply convinced that our own divisions
have been the leading causes of our own misfortunes, and
by weakening our influence in the councils of the empire
have deprived us of our share in the general prosperity, so
we are no less firmly persuaded that it is by union alone we
can repair the evils that dissension has created.
"That if the necessity of joint and united action be urgent
and important to Ireland, under ordinary circumstances, it
at this moment becomes imperative and vital, as not only
the future fortunes, but the present lives of millions, may
depend on our exertions, and that dissension at such an hour
is not only a reproach, but a crime.
"That to make such an union binding and effective, it will
be necessary not only to feel, but to act together, to take
steps to ensure an united support or united opposition to
sueh measures as may be produced with regard to Ireland
during the ensuing session of Parliament.
"That for this purpose we venture to suggest to the Irish
Members of the Legislature to meet together at such time as
may be considered most proper and convenient, for the pur-
pose of forming an Irish party for the protection of Irish
interests, and we earnestly entreat that every member of that
body should resolve as far as possible to consider and modify
his own opinion so as to meet the united feeling of the gene-
ral body, and should banish from his mind all considerations
of party or prejudice at a time when the lives and interests
of his countrymen are so deeply periled.
" That we feel confident a union thus formed and carried
on for the protection of all classes will receive the support
and co-operation of all—the aid of the rich and the confi-
dence of the poor.- We pray Divine Providence to bless our
efforts in the cause of our afflicted country—to proniOte
amongst us thit feeling of united exertion and self-reliance
which can alone raise us to our proper place in the Brea
empire to which we belong."
Mayo
Lor ton
Sligo
Glengall
Farnham
James Maxwell, M.P.
Clements, M.P.
J. O'Connell, M.P.
Talbot de Malahide
Daniell O'Connell, M.P.
Maurice O'Connell, M.P.
Clonmel
P. Somerset Batler, M.P.
Wm. Acton, M.P.
Richard Smithwick, M.P.
IL Winston Barron, M.P.
Cremome
Donoughmore
Headfort
Clancarty
Bandon
Bernard
Kingston
Desart
Shannon
Gort
Waterford
Wallscourt
C. Coote, M.P.
Doneraile
A. B. Brooke, M.P.
Crofton
Clonbrock
Ormonde
R. B. Osborne, M.P.
Mornington
Clarina
Dunrayen
Kilmame

And. Armstrong, M.P.
Wm. Gregory, M.P.
W. S. O'Brien, M.P.
J. MlDonnell, M.P.
N. V. Maher, M.P.
Valentine Blake, M.P.
Castlemaine
Dunsandle
EL Bruen, M.P.
Timothy O'Brien, M.P.
R. A. Fitzgerald, M.P.
Riversdale
Valcntia
A. Lefroy, M.P.
Cloncnrry
Rathdowne
Conynghazn
Limerick
Dunally •
Dillon
Erne
D. D. Ross, M.P.
Mervyn Archdall, M.P.
Cornelius O'Brien, M.P.
It Browne, M.P.
J. Boyd, M.P.
Caledon
O'Neill
Arran
Avonmore
Downes
Drogheda
Thomas Martin, M.P.
Hor. B. Seymour, M.P.
C. Powell Leslie, M.P.
Muakerry
G. A. Hamilton, M.P.
Southwell
Charlemont.

The Evening Mail adds, that " many other Peers and
Members of Parliament have signified their cordial concur•
rence in the scheme ; though, not having signed the docu-
ment, their names do not appear. Very few have expressed
their dissent, and answers are still expected from
many-
whose feelings are well known, though not as yet declared."

GRAND ENTERTAINMENT TO
LORD JOHN RUSSELL.
This most ancient of the Livery Companies of the city of
London (the Weavers' Company), under the presidency of
Alderman Wilson, for the second time, gave a splendid ban-
quet to the Premier, on Wednesday last. The,charter of the
company being more ancient than that of the city of London,
its chief officers retain the distinctive titles of upper bailiff
and rentor bailiff, for by such heads the City was governed
before the appointment of Lord Mayor.
After the accustomed loyal and patriotic toasts were dis-
posed of,
The UrPEn BAILIFF rose, amidst cheers, to give the
1‘ Health of Lord John Russell." He was happy to think
that on that night they stood upon neutral ground ; the
events of the last twelve months had shown Use frailty and
uncertainty of political connexions. As the nation grew
older, he hoped it would grow wiser, and, at a time like the
present, our legislators would doubtless unite with those
whom her Majesty had been pleased to honour with her
confidence in devising means for the benefit and relief of our
suffering fellow-countrymen in the United Kingdo n.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL rose amidst great cheering, and re-
sponded to the toast of "Lord John Russell and her Majesty's
Ministers," then announced by the toast-master in a manner
the most happy and appropriate, taking for the text of his
speech the motto inscribed on the company's banner, " Weave
truth with trust," showing that the experience of the nations
both of the old and the new world bore testimony to the
great truth, that in proportion to its fidelity to its engage-
ments—in proportion as it did "weave truth with trust"—
were the distinction and eminence to which any nation or
community attained. Acknowledging the kind and liberal
sentiments advanced by the chairman, his Lordship freely
admitted the right which the nation had to expect to be
governed by the political party most able and willing to do
her service ,• and concluded, amidst general cheering, by
proposing "The health of the Upper Bailiff."—(Cheers.)
Several other toasts were duly honoured.

,THE LONDON DISTRICT POST

-
LETTER-CARRIERS.
A meeting of this hardworking and eminently useful body
of men was held yesterday evening, at the Pied Horse,
Chiswell-street, Finsbury-square. Although there were not
less than 200 persons present, the utmost regularity charac-
terised the proceedings of the evening.
The purpose of the meeting, as explained by the chair-
man, Mr. J. Richmond, Mr. Elwood, and othet speakers, was
to nominate a deputatirn for the purpose of securing an inter-
view with Mr. Rowland Hill, who, it will be remembered,
has lately been appointed to a high official situation in the
General Post-office, in order, if possible, that the salaries of
the district letter-carries shoed be somewhat increased.
Among other facts brought before the meeting, it was stated
that, out of nine hundred persons, seven hundred and sixty
only received 11. per week, and the remaining one hundred
and forty, who had extra duty to perform, would be deprived
of any remuneration for that duty by the lite arrangements.
It was hoped, however, that under the management of Mr.
Rowland Hill the interests of the district postmen would not
be lost sight of.

A resolution was moved, seconded, and carried unani-
mously, " That this meeting deems it essentially requisite to
authorise a deputation, consisting of thirteen members, seven
senior letter-carriers, with the six who had lately waited
upon Mr. Robert Smith, the superintending President, to
attend upon Mr. Rowland Hill, to represent to that gentle-
man the grievances of the district letter. carriers, and to re-
quest he would recommend the Lords of her Majesty's Trea-
sury to grant them a scale of salary according to length of
servitude, as recommended in the Eighteenth Report of the
Commissioners of Revenue Inquiry.
Thanks having been voted to the Press for its continued
advocacy of their interests, and to the Chairman, the meeting
separated.

ILLNESS OF MR. MORE O'FERRALL, M.P.—The
Eveni»g Post says :—" We much regret to hear of the
serious illness of the Hon. Member for Kildare, Mr. More
O'Ferrall, by which he will be prevented from going over
to England on his Parliamentary duties at the commence-
ment of the season."
BRITISH TESTIMONIAL TO FRENCH CAPTAINS.--
The Lords of the Admiralty have evinced their sense of the
humanity recently shown by two captains in the French mer-
chant service, by presenting each of them with a gold ehro-
nometer, by Dent. The incription engraved on one chrono-
meter, states that it is presented to Captain Fronde,
of the French brig Courier du Monde, in acknowledgment of
his humane and generous treatment of nine British seamen,
after saving them at sea from the wreck of the sloop Jane
Hick. The other chronometer is given to Captain Guignot,
commander of the ship Anselle, of Havre, in acknowledg-
ment of his humane and generous treatment of four Bri-
tish seamen, after saving them at sea from the wreck of the
brig Rose.
THE LINEN-DRAPERS', SILY-MERCERS', LACEMEN'S,
HABERDASHERS', AND HOSIERS' INSTITUTION.—The ball
held at this season of the year in aid of the funds of this ex-
cellent institution took place last night at Willis's Rooms,
St. James's, and the stewards had the satisfaction to find
their exertions on behalf of the society rewarded by an at-
tendance of not less than 600 persons. Mr. Adams's band
was in attendance. Mr. Younghusband, of Gerard's-hall,
supplied as usual the refreshments; and the dancing, under
the judicious arrangements of Mr. Corrie, as master of the
ceremonies, assisted by an efficient party of stewards, was
kept up with much animation to an early hour this morning.
THE LATE HOMICIDE AT BRISTOL.—BRISTOL,
THURSDAY MORNlNG.—Yesterday the inquest on Catherine
Welsh, who was killed by being thrown over some stairs by
her husband, on Saturday last, was resumed at the King
George Tavern, Canon's-marsh. Further evidence was ad-
duced, but nothing calculated to explain the motives which
had induced the commission of the fatal act. Mr. James,
surgeon, proved that the skull of the deceased was exten-
sively fractured, and the coroner having summed up, the
jury returned a verdict of " Manslaughter." The prisoner
was immediately committed upon the coroner's warrant
for trial.

THE LATE STARVATION CASE AT WORCESTER.=

Having investigated this case, the Pear-law Commissioner's
have come to the decision that Mr. Crisp, the relieving
officer, was to blame, yet, in consequence of extenuating cir-
cumstances. they say (in an official letter to the board of
guardians, 'Jan. 13) that they will not themselves dismiss
hiss, but they request the guardians to call for and accept his
resignation.
The Havre and Rouen steamer Emma, on her pas-
sage, on Saturday, from Havre, had arrived about eleven at
night off Val-de-la-Haye, when it was found that, from
some unknown cause, her cargo, principally composed of
hog's-lard and cotton, had caught fire. The captain imme-
diately forced open all the hatchways, and endeavoured, by
pouring down quantities of water, to suppress the flames ;
but this had little or no effect, and nothing was left but to
sink the vessel by making holes in her bottom above the
keel, and this could not be accomplished before half-past
bwQ 11;Ornieg, when at last she went down.

CONVEYANCE OF TROOPS BY
RAILWAY.

There is some interesting testimony on this subject to
be found in the recently issued (by order of Parliament)
minutes of evidence taken before them. The following
are extracts therefrom. The first witness quoted is W.
Hosking, Esq. :
Supposing a separate terminus to be made for the
North Kent at Union-street, what effect would that have
upon the thoroughfares ?--Any terminus in that neigh-
bourhood would, of course, have some of the advantages.
which I claim for the neighbourhood of the York-road,
but it would want the advantage which seems to me
likely to arise from the railways north and south all
meeting at the same place, and the interchange of pas-
sengers and goods without the necessity of driving them
through London. The streets of London would. be re-
lieved, in the way I propose, of a useless traffic, that is,
of the mere through traffic from railway station to rail-
way station. I contemplate also an advantage from
bringing all the railways as far as possible to the same
terminns that an interchange would take place.
You speak of passengers only ?—Passengers mainly.
Would not that apply to one particular class of pas-
sengers, viz., those going by another railway?—Of course;
but it is an incident merely to the general scheme,
though not an unimportant one in a military point of
view, and especially as it regards the transmission of
troops and stores from one part of the country to another,
when it may be necessary that such should pass by or
through London.
Do you contemplate, in connexion with the general
terminus which you propose, that the termini, now exist-
ing in the outskirts to the northward and westward, be-
longing to the Great Northern and Western Railways,
should still remain?—Thg might be left entirely w,th
the companies. I should urge merely that they ought
not to be allowed to advance further into the town; that
they should not be allowed, indeed, to advance beyond
their present positions, so as to come within the belt
formed by the Edgware-road, the New-road. and the
City-road; and that no public advantage would be de-
rived from bringing them forward, for some parts of the
town would suffer more from greater difficulty of access
to the railway than others would benefit from vicinity. I
submit, that the position which I have indicated would be
more accessible than any other from every part of the
town, and more accessible than most other places, taken
as independent termini.
[General Sir James Willoughby Gordon, Bart., G.C.8.,
G.C.H., and Major-General Sir John Fox Burgoyne,
K.C.8., examined.]
To Sir J. W. Gordon—The Commission are very
anxious to have your opinion upon the advantages which
might be expected to be derived, military speaking, from
a connexion between the railways on the north bank of
the Thames and the railways on the south bank of the
Thames; and also to have any opinion that you may be
prepared to gi se them as to the best means of connect-
ing those railways for military purposes?—Before I
answer the question, let us see whether we understand
the present termini in the same way. The termini of
the railways that I use are these, viz., the Paddington,
the Euston-square, the Shoreditch, and the Black wall
Railway in Biliter-square; those are all on that bank of
the river. When we come to the other side, there are
the London-bridge stations, the Bricklayers' Arms
station, the New Cross, and the Vauxhall, or nine Elms.
Those are all the termini that I know of. Now, nothing
can be more convenient for my purposes than those ter-
mini. Ido not see any advantage that would arise from
any change in them. I may undrstand it wrongly, but
if 1 am to understand that anything like a central tor-
minus is intended, I should say it would be attended
with inconvenience. Your termini now, as I
have described them, are central, in a circle of
somewhat large diameter, but still it is one. If you
make it smaller, so as to bring the thing, as it
were to the nave of a wheel, from which the raddii
diverge like spokes, it for military purposes might be
attended with very serious inconvenience. I need not,
perhaps, tell you that in the assembling of large bodies
of troops with all their necessary accompaniments,
equipments, and baggage of all kinds, women and
children, it is a difficult matter to put them in regular
motion from any given place at any time ; but when
you bring them from different parts to one central place,
and under different commanding officers, I can conceive
nothing more calculated to create very great confusion.
• I did not intend the question to apply so much to a
central station as to a connexion, (putting stations out
of view for the moment,) by railway, between the rail-
ways already existing on the north, and the railways
already existing on the south ?—I do not see any ne-
cessity for it. For example, our troops are moved up
from Hampshire to London, with a view to being sent
to Birmingham; they disembark at Vauxhall, and then
they are moved to Euston-square ; there is no difficulty
in that movement.
Except the loss of time ?—As far as regards the
march ; but if I am to understand by a connexion a con-
tinuous connexion, that instead of stopping at Vaux-
hall, they would go on, that would be a different thins.
That is the question, a connexion by railway ?—Uer-
tainly, that would be a convenience ; they would not
have to stop and besbilleted about ; but if they are to
be removed from ono railway station to another, then I
should say it is hardly worth while to do it.
It is specially with a view to a junction by interme-
diate rails ?—lt would be convenient, no doubt, if, in-
stead of being disembarked at Vauxhall, they could go
straight on to Paddington, or straight on to Euston-
square, or any other place to which they might require
to go onwards.
It would be a saving, pyobably of three or four hours
between Nine Elms and Euston-square ?—Yes ; in
ending troops by railway we must consider this. When
the Government has particularly desired it for special
public purposes, troops have been conveyed on the same
day from Gosport to Weedon, rul.London, but that is
not a thing to be practised, for various good reasons.
If such a connexion as I have described were to be
established, should yon consider it a matter of much im-
portance whether the connexion were very direct ; that
is, for instance, whether the connexion between the
South-Eastern Dover Railway and the London and Bir-
mingham Railway passed through the heart of London,
or should you consider that it would equally answer
your purports if the connexion were circuitous and
effected by a railway making half the circuit of London,
and perhaps crossing the river as far up as Vauxhall or
Battersea, and coming round to the London and Bir-
mingham ?—The answer to that question would be
merely a matter of time ; if you went direct it would be
a quarter of an hour ; and if you went in the way you
propose, it would be twenty-five minutes. As to the
extent of the use to which railways are applied under
try direction, I would state, that in the course of the
four last years, there have been moved by railways
250,000 people, of which about 12,000 have been wo-
men, and some 14,000 children ; and the extraordinary
part of it is, that they have been moved without an
accident of any kind. I know no other conveyance
which would show this ; so that it is not only rapidity,
but security.
Do you think, for the defence of the country, in the
event of an invasion or threatened invasion, it would not
be very desirable to form a communication between the
northern and southern lines of railway ?—No doubt it
would be.
Would not an unbroken connexion between the
northern and southern railways he particularly desirable
for the purpose of moving cavalry and artillery ?—Yes;
hat you will, in a military
i
in moving troops generally the more continuous the bet•
ter ; cavalry and artillery are seldom moved without
sfg
oer
nre
sadet expense
; rabo tuadt
te movedai n
ego in t
wtnnous lino is better than a, and very imperative necessity
broken one. I take that as a'general view of it. Any-
thing that requires to be taken from a railway at one
point, and moved to another, is very inconvenient ; and
the more
you can avoid it the better for the public
service.
One finds, in private life, that the inconvenience and
greater than
beings?—Certainly. The
tthhaetriosfk
moving of horses by railway becomes expensive in this
troafns transporting ha
no r
tot
p or t
ing
way, not only that the weight is larger, but that you
have nothing to set off against it. A horse marching
costs no more to the public than he does when in the
stable; his food is the same. You have nothing to sot
off against the expense of the railway with a horse, but
with a man you have. The men and the officers cost
the public more when they are in march than when they
are at rest. That cost put against the expense of the
railway makes the expense of the railway for them less.
With respect to stations in the heart of London more
central than they:are at presept, I understand you to say
you have a decided objection to it?-1. should say they
are not necessary, and they might be very inconvenient.
If you bring great bodies of people to one centre, there
will be a great confusion in getting them out of one
place and into another, which might be extremely in •
convenient, and particularly if there were horse and
artillery, with all those impediments that must attend
the moving of bodies of that description. I should con-
ceive that nothing could be more inconvenient. I con-
sider that the termini now, as I have described them,
viz., at Paddington, Euston-square, Shoreditch, Biliiter-
square, London-bridge, and Vauxhall, are quite central
enough. If you reduce it to the nave of a wheel and
make all the spokes branching out from it, it will be
attended, I think, with great embarrassment, but any-
thing that is continuous is good as a general principle.
The less interrupted:your line of movement is, the more
convenient; whether you move by your feet, or on horse-
back, or by railway, the principle is the same.
You would see no objection to a connecting railway
avoiding London, and skirting instead of going through
it ?—I understand the question to be, whether if you
make a turning, instead of:going in a straight line, it
would be inconvenient: I say not at all ; it is a mere
question of time whether I go round that curve, which
takes ten minutes longer than the straight line,
You are constantly using railways for the purpose of
moving troops at present, I believe ?—Yes, I have said to
the extent of about 60,000 a year • but not always, for
this reason—that a soldier
carries, or ought to carry, a
considerable weight upon his back, and no man can _do
that, however strong he may be, without practice. Ir
you take the strongest fellow you see in the street, and
strap a package on his back of the same weight as a
soldier carries, it will be very inconvenient to him before
he has gone six miles. It is necessary to practise it.
'troops are moved by railways more when the public
service requires celerity of movement.
Would there be any great objectonnecting Wool-
wich with Portsmouth by railway ,in k
thin so.Wool-
wich is an ordnance depot,
and tkierefore any explana-
tion required with re
gust t3',e moving of ordnance
supplies would be much betta
ord-
nance authority than by 't given to you by an
think it convenient, The, same
but on general principle, I
tary stores of all sorts. e. same principle applies to min-
To Sir J. F. Burgoyn
believe you hare turned
your attention very munch to the system of national de-
fence and the degree t .
to it ?—I have. o wench railways might contribute

Do you consider it a great object to connect Wool-
wich with the southern and Western ports of England
England by railway 2—Certaitily, of very {great import-

ance. The old mode of conveyance was chiefly b 3 water
round the coast, and, of course, was subject to great in-
terruption in time of war.
But that communication would be just as well afforded
by railway for your purposes if it did not come nearer to
London perhaps than two miles or thereabouts ?—Per-
fectly.
It is not necessary to come through the heart of the
metropolis to effect the object which you have in view ?
—No, certainly not. Perhaps it is better avoided, as
in the case of transport of ammunition, &c.
And the -same would apply, I suppose, to a connexion'
between Woolwich, or between the south of England
and the north ; it might be just as well carried round
London as through it ?—Just so. I imagine that a few
miles in increase of length would make very little diffe-
rence in that respect, the great object is the continuity
and non-interruption of the intercourse.
Do you think it very desirable to connect all the nor-
thern and southern lines, in the event of national defence
being required ?—I think it of very great importance,
and one particular reason would be that the carriages
would be universally available. I should say, that
about 2,000 men require at least 100 carriages ; 2,000
men would be a small number for an emergency
upon an invasion, or in any case of that kind, where
you want to assemble a large number of troops ;
100 carriages is a large number to carry on ore line ;
therefore, it would be of considerable importanceto
make the carriages of one line available for any other.
With the power that the railways ought to give us, I
think that every soldier of Great Britain might be as-
semb!ed on any one point within twenty-four hours, and
even from any part of Ireland within a few hours more.
.But in bringing them by the different railways to Lon.
don, and moving them from London, unless you can
make all the carriages available, you would have to take
them down by driblets to the point of action; that
would be very objectionable, and lead to two things,
either in that way they must be taken near the enemy,
in which case they would be beaten in detail, or you
must take them at a distance of fifty or sixty mile:,
which would be an inconvenience. It would take as
long to march from Guildford to the c aast as fof them
to get all the way from Edit.burgh to London. I think
it a point of very great importance to preserve the con-
tinuity of the line. _ _

in
So tnat the carriages of one railway might be avai
able for all2—Yes.

Sir S. W. Gordon—That is to say, to have the same
gauge. _ _ _

- Sir J. F. Burgoyne—And the same gauge, of course.
At present the northern and southern lines are severed
by the Thames ?—Yes, unless you had a continuous line;
if the troops got to the terminus of the Portsmouth line
from the Birmingham line, for instance, they would find
only such a number of carriages as that 2,000 or 3,000
could go at a time ; if you bad a continuous line you
could bring them all down from the northern lines, and
they would only be subject to the one inconvenience of a
single column.

Supposing an invasion on the south coast, you could
bring the whole of the northern forces down, and they
could cross the Thames ?—Yes, you could have 20,000
or more men all at once.

One of the lines is proposed to run down from the
Great Western and the London and Birmingham, to
Iny
cross the Thames near Battersea, to join the South-
Westerneiraaiteasl,inteh?a—tl would enable
communication,all
the
carriages though it
tomight h
eap-
plicable, be
.
plicable,l think, would meet the point I allude to.
Sir J. W. Gordon—l would mention, with regard to
all lines of road by which military supplies of any kind
are to be moved, that the Government ought certainly
to be consulted in the tracing of the line, and to have
the report of the proper military and civil authorities
before that line is traced ; and for this reason, that in
case of military operations being carried on in the
country, if those lines which are intended only for com-
mercial purposes were found to interfere with those
operations, either by impeding our own movements or
facilitating those of the enemy, the duty of the com-
manding officer would be to destroy them.
To Sir J. F. Burgoyne—Are there any observations
which you can offer to the commission upon the subject
which they have before them, beyond what has been
stated by yourself and Sir Willoughby Gordon ?—I am
not aware that there are. The facility and rapidity of
steam navigation render us very susceptible of being
attacked on a sudden on the breaking out of a war,
and it is very necessary to improve our means
of defence. The only resources which we have
are the navy, fortifications, and the concentration
of th© troops ; the navy might not be able to come in at
particular periods ; the fortifications have all yet to be
made ; therefore it would be of still more importance to
facilitate the concentration of the troops. I conceive
that you might be able to concentrate your forces faster
than the enemy could land them ; there is great diffi-
eulty in landing a large number of troops; It takes a
very long time.
We are to understand that you attach very great im-
portance to a line being carried across the Thames to
connect the northern and the southern railways ?—Cer-
tainly, it is of very great importance, more particularly
in London than in any part of Great Britain.
[Alderman J. Ihmaphery, M.P., examined.]
And the advantage of the extension (of the south-
Western) to London-bridge as regards the telegraph,
would be, that it would bring the telegraph nearer to
Lloyd's ?—lt would bring it to Lloyd's within a very
short distance.

It would bring it safely to a point so near Lloyd's,
that it might be continued to Lloyd's2—lt would. An-
other advantage, I think, of having the terminus here
would be with respect to the steam-boats coming east
and west of London-bridge, bringing troops going
south, south-west, or south-east. The Gravesend boats
come no ifurther at present than London-bridge ; they
come just through the bridge ; they are larger boats
than the penny boats, and bringing troops up from any
part of the Thames, they would bring them and land them
on the wharf, and those troops would go into the railway
carriages without being perceived by any person ; they
might walk up the staircase from the river to the plat-
form, and the Government would be able to transport
these troops without being incommoded by the crowded
streets, or by any portion of the traffic that :might be in
that neighbourhood. Troops, also, coming from the
South Western
,and proceeding by the South-Eastern,
or vice versa, could pass under the dry arches of London-
bridge to either station, without going through the
public streets, which I consider would be a great conve-
nience. The company having such a large frontage to
the river, I have been measuring, since I have been here,
the frontage of Somerset House ; I find it is 500 feet,
and the frontage which the South-Western Company
propose taking at London Bridge according to their plan
is 700 feet, consequently it is by 200 feet a larger front-
age next the river than the Somerset House frontage,
and therefore it would be a very imposing sight, and it
would be a place of very great traffic.

INSTITUTION OF CIVIL
ENGINEERS.

The first meeting of the session, Sir John Rennie,
'resident, in the chair, was held on Tuesday evening,
when a paper by Mr. Shears Assoe Just, C.E., was read,
descriptive of the iron dock gates constructed by Messrs.
Rennie for the Russian Government, and erected at
Sevastopol on the Black Sea :—" Sevastopol is very
peculiarly situated amidst rocky ground, rising so
abruptly from the shore that there was not
space f,ar the buildings necessary for a dockyard.
On account of the depth of water close in shore, and
other rantural advantages, the Emperor determined
to mal-:e it the site of an extensive establishment,
and as there is not any rise of tide in the Black Sea,
and th.c construction of cofferdams would have been
very expansive and difficult in such a rocky position, it
was decided to build three locks, each having a rise of
ten feet-, and at this level of thirty feet above the sea to
place a i na,in dock with lateral docks, into which vessels
of war c ould be introduced, and the gates being closed,
the wale r could be discharged by the subterranean con-
duits to the sea, and the vessel being left dry, could be
examine a and repaired even beneath the keel. A stream
was con. lucted from a distance of twelve miles, to sup•
ply the Pocks, and to keep the docks full. This, how-
ever, hr IS been found insufficient, and a pumping en-
gine ha s since been erected by Messrs. Maudslay and
Field, for assisting. The original intention was to have
knade the gates of the docks of timber, but on account of
the raved( s of a worm, which it appears does not, as in
the case of the teredo navalis, or the terebrans, confine
itself to the salt water, it was resolved to make them

with east-iron frames, covered with —wToWht:iron
plates. There are nine pair of gates whose openings
vary from 64 feet in width, and 34 feet 4 inches
in heig ht, for ships of 120 guns, to 46 feet 7 inches
in width I, and 21 feet in height, for frigates. The mani-
festation. of such masses of metal as composed these gates
demand ed peculiar machines ; accordingly, Messrs.
Rennie fitt ed up a building expressly with machines con-
structed', lay Mr. Whitworth, by which all the bearing
surfarJes c nild be planed, and the holes bored in the ribs,
and all -4 he other parts, whether their surfaces were
Curved or, planed. The planing was effected by tools
wlaicia trsrvelled over the surfaces backward and forward,
mitring eau ;h way ; the piece of metal being either held
'blocks if the surface was plane, or turned on centres
if it was. curved. The drilling was performed by ma-
Chines, so- Axed, that the pieces could be brought beneath
or against. the drills in the required direction, and guided
so as to insure perfect uniformity and accordance
between tb tem. Travelling cranes were so arranged as
to take the Largest pieces from the wharf, and place them
in the varic tuts machines by the agency of a very few men,
notwithstan ding their formidable dimensions ; the heel
Parts in st cue cases being upwards of 34 feet long.
Each endle: n screw, for giving progressive motion to
the cutting tools, was 45 feet long. Some idea may be
formed of t' he manual labour avoided by the machines,
when it is s tested that the surface planed or turned in the
nine pairs o f -gates equals 717,464 square inches, and in
some cases a, thickness of' three-quarters of an inch was
cut off. Th a surface in the drilled bolt-holes equals
iheTghaetePas PaPnrl.4 gtahvee
120,000 squ az e,inches."
ma lalethhi en
etsl s
fur moafktihneg
ctremst
,ruacitlidonwaosf

illustate4 by a series of detailed drawings.
An interest ing discussion followed, chiefly on the
pectLifirity of the site selected for the docks, and the
suPPo3ed ra-tal •es of the worm in fresh water, as it was
of u-nustr.tl onct rrence. It seemed to be the opinion that
i,ll temperattir e of climate influenced the ravages of
these insects.
Tile meeting was held in the library, as the new
theatre was ye!.; to damp to be used with safety. It was
announced the the meetings would be held there in.
February, wee n we shall give an account of the altera-
tions to the bui jding during the recess.
The annual general meeting for the election of the
council, was announced to take place on Tuesday,
January 19.

IRON M ASTEL:S' QUARTERLY MEETING.—The first
of these m'ietings commenced at Walsall on Tuesday. The
second was held at Wolverhampton, yesterday. The attend-
ance was nor . large on either occasion ; but the resolution to
adhere to pr esent prices' Wsed by the masters who met at
Wolverhav ipton. on- Tuesday week, was maintained.