The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-22 00:00:00

btrb 12btttoit

SUN OFFICE. Seven n' Clock

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.

(THIS DAY.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
GROUP I.
'lto Select Committee appointed to consider the merits of
the Bills comprised in this group re-assembled at the usual
hour this morning, rn Room SO ; Lord Granville Somerset in
the chair.

THE SOUTH-EASTERN SCHEMES.
The cross-examination of Mr. Bidder by Mr. TALBOT was
continued. The tenor of the cross-examination was to show
that bad gradients, such as 1 in 136, were now-a:days not
objected to by engineers, but Mr. Bidder declined to admit
as much. Where a better gradient could not be obtained, a
gradient of 1 in 136 ought to be adopted, and no doubt, under
such circumstances, it might easily be worked. But he made
a point of never taking a gradient so severe as 1 in 136 when
he could find a better. There were nine junctions
.between Bbndon and Ashford, but he did not consider that
objectionable. With the view to speed, these junctions
would be no disparagement of the line as being productive
of delay.
Mr. Bidder was also cross-examined by Mr. HoPE, on
behalf of Sir Percival Hard Dyke. Mr. Bidder admitted
that the line would do considerable damage to that gentle-
man's residence and property, but the company were pre-
pared to make him every accommodation.

GROUP XII.
The Committee, consisting of the Hon. Mr. Lascelles, Sir
Will4w Molesworth, Admiral Bowles, Sir John Guest, and
Mr. FilTrley, re-assembled this day in Room No. 25.
NEVITDIARICET AND crxEsTmEronn (EX-
TENSION TO BURY, ELY, AND THETTORD).
Mr. HILDVARD, then proceeded to call witnesses in sup-
port of the prokct.
Beeton, coach proprietor, Bury ; Mr. Macintyre, gover-
nor of the gaol; Mr. Jeremiah diflney, ironmonger, East
Dereham ; Mr. Berry, merchant, Bury ; Colonel Anson, and the
Marquis of Granby, were all decidedly in favour of the
schemes promoted by the Chesterford and Newmarket Com-
pany. The feeling of the country generally was in their fa-
vour, and the traffic was amply sufficient to warrant their
construct ion.

Mr.. Peter Clark had great experience in the management
of railways. He did not consider that the descent of 1 in 60
on the proposed Bury and Ipswich line iuto the line at New-
market was a favourable feature, and sooner or later he con-
sidered that dangers might arise.
Cross-examined by Mr. At:Fr-re—He was now engaged on
the Brighton Railway, and they had an incline at Shoreham
Wharf of 1 in 20. They did not kill a certain number of
persons per day there, as on that portion they did not convey
paseengera, and the carriages were not assisted by locomotive
power. Perhaps there would be no danger on the incline of
lin6o if proper care were taken. He should not hesitate to
trust his own life upon it.
Mr. Borthwiek, C.E., had laid out the Newmarket and
Chesterford lines, in conjunction with Mr. R. Stephenson, and
with the sanction of the Jockey Club. On leaving Newmar-
ket they bad a tunnel of about 1,500 yards, but it was easy
of construction, as the excavations were through a chalk
formation. The gradients were very fair, certainly not diffi •
cult. The estimated cost of construction from Kentford to
Thetford was 425,000/., but from this was to be deducted
165,000 L, the proportion to be furnished by the other lines.
The branch to Ely was estimated at 160,4251.
Cross-examined by Mr. Bnarix—He had nearly 700,000
cubic yards of earth to remove before reaching the tunnel,
180,000 of which would be required for embaukineno, and
the remainder would be used in screening the racing ground
and in spoil. He would require for the spoil from fifteen to
twenty acres of land. The expense therefore would be, be-
take commencing the tunnel, 22,500/., which, with 65,0004
for the construction of the tunnel, would be near 90,000/.
Mr. R. Stephenson, C.E., considered that this was the best
line, in order to sup: ly the wants of the district. He
considered that the descending gradient of one in
sixty, at the Newmarket station, was most objectionable, and
he would not in any works of his wish to introduce it. The
London and Birmingham Railway, at Euston-square, was not
a parallel case, fur there they had a flat of a full half-mile, and
as a further check, there was an ascendiug gradient of 1 in
132. He thought that the expense which would be incurred
on the line would be fully justified for the purpose of getting
rid of the lin 60 gradient. There would be no difficulty in
working the Kentford station for three lines. The thing
was done every day at Derby.
The Committee anjourned till to-morrow.

OALEDOINUAN ASYLUM.
(THIS DAY.)
A gpneral Court of the Corporation of this institu-
tion swag held to day in the lull of the Scottish
Ho4pital, Crane-court, Fleet-street. Lord James Stuart
in the chair.

The SECRETARY read the minutes of the preceding
meeting which, after some discussion were confirmed.
The secretary also read a letter from the Duke of Buc-
clench, which stated that her Majesty and Prince Albert
had consisted to become patrons of the institution.
After some discussion the following resolution was
agreqel to:—" That all votes recorded by unsuccessful
candidates at that or any future election should be
aarrjod forward for their benefit at further elections,
so long as they were eligible to remain on the list of
cardidates." Thanks were voted to the noble Chair-
man, after which the meeting separated.

SURREY SESSIONS—(THIS DAY.)
111 adjourned sessions for Surrey were opened this
morning, before J. W. Fresladeld, Esq., and a tul bench
of Magistrates, at the Scssions-honse, in the Borough.
The grand jury having been sworn,
Mr. FRESIIFIELD, in addressing the jury, drew their
attention to the heavy state of the calendar, but stated
that as there was no particular case that required
observation, he would not detain them from their duties,
and he was the less inclined to do so inasmuch as the
county business would be taken at one o'clock, and it
was necessary that the Court should have something to
proceed with.
A true bill having been found,
Wiliam Tucker, aged 36, was indicted for receiving
one fowl, one sack, and one bushel of peas, the property
of the Earl of Ellesmere, at Walton-on-Thames, well
knowing the same to have been stolen.
Mr. WALLLNGER, who appeared for the prosecution,
said that he did not doubt but the charge would be
brought home to the prisoner, although be had no
direct evidence to put in against him ; but the property
was found in his possession, and as he could give no
proper account of his receiving it on the usual rule of
law, he muer he presumed to be guilty. He then called
George Williams, a labourer, who had charge of the
poultry on the property of the Earl of Ellesmere at
Woodlands, near Walton, stated, that about the 4th of
February, he left two hens and five ducks, together with
a sack containing peas, called " Black-eyed Susan," in
the fowl-house. When visiting the place the next
morning, he missed the property enumerated in the in-
dictment, as well as the ducks and the other hen. The
peas had been soaked, ready for feeding the fowls, and
the sack which contained them had a few holes, and
other peculiarities about it, by which he was enabled to
identify the one produced in Court as the same. His
Lordship's name was painted on the sack.
Sfr. CHARNOCIL cross-examined on behalf of the pri-
soner, but was unable to shake his testimony.
Robinson, constable at Walton, stated that in
consequence of an intimation from Eye, the constable at
Guildford, Le went to the White Swan, the house of the
prisoner, at Walton, and that in a closet in a bed-room
he found the sack produced, the peas which it had con
Mined, and a dead fowl.
On cross-examination, the witness stated that free ac-
cess was given to the house, and no impediment what-
ever was thrown in the way of searching the house.
To 'Mr. WALLINGER, the witness stated that the pri-
soner was absent at the time the search was made. He
found nothing else, but a sack was picked up out of the
Thames about twenty yards from the prisoner's house,
out of the crop of which he had taken peas like those in
the sack.

To this evidence Mr. Charnock objected.
Henry Bolknger, su,perintendent of the police at Guild-
'Cord, stated while the prisoner was in custody on another
charge, a person came to the outside of the station-
house, and the prisoner calling out to him, said
be supposed that he knew from whom he had
the fowls requested, that he would go over to
Sutton, which is about four miles from Guildford, and
tell his wife to put the ducks and other things out' of
the way, and further to tell his brother Tom
to come over and swear that he had sold
the fowls to him at three shillings a couple.
In consequence of hearing this conversation, he sent
over to search the prisoner's house, and the sack, the
peas, and the fewl produced were brought to him. He
then searched the prisouer's person, and upon him,
besides five sovereigns' and some silver, found a
quantity of Black-eyed Susan pe 4s in his pocket. The
peas appeared to have been soaked.
John F.)e, the polivemin, who had accompanied
Hollitigton in the search, produced a bag of peas which
he found in the garret of the prisoner's house. They
were the same kind as those previously produced.
Mr. Haines, one of Lord Ellesmere's bailiffs, spoke to
the marking on the sack, and said the f,,vvls produced
was of the same kind as those bred at Woodland. He
had ordered the peas to be put into a tub, to be soaked,
to the bullock-house a day or two before they were
stolen.

Mr. Gemment certified to tho present name of the
Earl of Ellesmore, a doubt having been raised as to the
correctness of the form df the indictment.

Mr. CLIARNOCK, in reply, contended that it was no
rule of law at all that wheie property is found in the
possession of a person shortly after it had been stolen
if that person was unable to give a clear account of how
he came by it—that person was presumed to be the
thief. It was not a rule of law, but simply for the
guidance of juries; if they conceived the collateral cir-
cumstances should seem to justify such a supposition,
but he verily believed that like the celebrated law for
the regulation wills, it has been the cause of injuring
Ni? innocent rather than correcting the guilty. After
&ping through the evidence, and stating that it ought to
he of the clew lit kind to induce a conviction. The
Learned CounciTTalled witnesses to character.
The Chairman summed up
Sibednite,tnaleeendtenfegrariend6'i
thej
and the •u'r returned a
verdict of Guilityh.e—r
Tlicre is another

misoner.

entertained bi't nuir.—ViseoUrit
is Excellency Count
VISCOCNTESS PALMERSTON's Ass,
.gap:l2 at dinner on
Her Lady-
and Viscountess Palmerston
schemmelpenninck and a distinguished
e foreign
Saturday, at their mansion in Carlton
ship subsequently had an assembly, when most of_tri.,
serps dtplomatique and fashionables honoured the N iscouutess
by their comony.
FANCY -FAIR IN THE THAMES TtriatszL.—.The
fourth anniversary of the opening of this extraordinary
thorotighfare under the river Thames will be celebrated by a
Sincy fair, held in the tunnel, commencing this day, and con-
tinuing throughout the week, with the exception of Wed-
nesday, the day appointed for the national fast.
EWSP.XpE A Toulon letter, of the 15th, states that the Prince
. - Joinville was about to take a trip to the coast of Italy in
-,..,.. '` a isamer. On the 13th his Royal Highness gave a grand
. .. - .. i 1
on board his flag-ship, the Soverain.

-
_ .
t 4

IMPERI A L PARLIAMENT.

(THIS EVENING.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.

The Lunn CHANCELLOR took his seat on t' e woo:
sack at Five o'clock.

DRAIN AGE OF LAND BILL.
On the motion of the Earl of SHAFTESBURY this
Bill was read a second time.
STATE OF IRELAND.
Lord MONTEAGLE said that in consequence of a
representation made to him by a Noble Friend he would
put off his motion, of which notice had been given ilr
to-morrow, till Friday night.
SPANISH BONDHOLDERS.
_ _ _

Lord BROUGHAM gave notice that he would, to-
morrow evening, present a petition from the Spanish
bondholders relating to the manner in which they had
been treated. lie considered this was a cause of
grievous hardship, fur which some remedies ought to be
provided.