The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-10 00:00:00

GROUP XXXIV.

The Committee were engaged all day arranging and pass-
ing the clauses of the
MANCHESTER, sztErrxELD AND LlN—
coxaystanz (ASHTON PURCHASE), and
THE OLDHAM ALLIANCE.
The Committee afterwards broke up.

GROUP XXXVIiI.
The Committee met at the usual hour this morning; Mr.
Rice in the chair.
VIANCIIEST33R. AND NEW-
CASTLE-UPON .T tNE JUNCTION ( ALTERATION
OF MAIN LINE AND HAWES BRAN•'H).
NORTHERN COUNTIES UNION DEVIATION.
The Committee having passed the preambles of these two
Bills, were engaged the whole of the day in disposing of the
dowses.
The clauses were agreed to, and the Chairman was directed
to report the same to the House accordingly.
This closed the labours of the C. inniittee.

GROUP XLV.
EDXNBITRGH AND PERTH.

The Committee met at twelve o'clock, and proceeded to
hear evidence for the promoters.
Mr. Charles Jopp, C.E., had assisted Mr. Miller in laying
out the line. its iength (both main and branches) was over
34 miles; its cost, incluning land, 650,000/. ; the heaviest
gradient, lin 80; the sharpest curve, 2 furlongs 5 chains.
'There were two tunnels on the w!tole line, one of 400 and the
other of 500 yards. It had two viaducts, one of 160 and the
other of 700 yards.
Mr. Miller corroborated the evidence of the previous
witness.
The Committee afterwards adjourned.

COMMITTEE on PRIVATE BILLS

HOUSE OF LORDS.—(YES VERDAY.)
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY took his seat at One o'clock
and passed the following Bills :
Cork and Bandon Railway.
Cork, Blackrock, and Passage Railway.
Alilland Great AN estern of Ireland (Extension from
Athlone to Galway).
Imnerial Continental Gas Company.
Warrington Gaslight and Coke Company.
Dunfermline Waterworks.
Glasgow, Barrhead and Neilston Direct Railway.

STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE.
HOUSE OF LORDS.—(YESTERDAY.)
The Earl of SHAFTESBU RY decided that the following Rail-
way Bills had complied with the standing orders:—
East Lincolnshire (Deviation to Boston and Branch to Great
Grimsby and Sheffield Junction Railway at Grimsby).
Glasgow, Barrhead, and Neilston Direct.
Watei ford and Limerick.
London and South Western (Andover to the Basingstoke
and Salisbury Branch).
Newport, Abergavenny, and Hereford Deviations.
Newport, Abergavenny, and Hereford Deviations (Extension
to Taff Vale).
Ambergate, Nottingham, and Boston and Eastern Junction
(Alteration of Line and Branches into or near the town of
Nottingham).

REGISTRY of BIRTHS and DEATH
DURING THE WEEK ENDING JUNE 5.
Deaths registered in the week. Births registered in the week.
Males... .• • ... 426 Males ... ... ••• 7°6
Females ... ... 360 Females ... •••619

Total ... 1,325

Total - . 786

COMBAT BETWEEN A RAT AND
A FERRET.
A striking proof of the sagacity, courage, and I
may say reasoning powers of these animals, has been
recently given me by a medical friend living at King-
ton. Being greatly surprised that the ferret, an animal
of such slow locomotive powers, should be so destruc-
tive to the rat tribe, he determined to bring both
these animals fairly into the arena, in order to
judge of their respective powers;
and having selected a
tine large and full-grown male rat, and also an equally
strong buck ferret, which had been accustomed to the
haunts of rats, my friend, accompanied by his son,
turned these two animals loose in a room without furni-
ture, in which there was but one window, and the two
philosophers determined to watch patiently the whole
process of the encounter. Immediately upon being
liberated, the rat ran round the room, as if searching for
an exit. Not finding any means of escape, he uttered a
piercing shriek, and with the most prompt decision took
up his station directly under the light, thus gaining over
his adversary (to use the language of other duelists)
"the advantage of the sun." The ferret now erected his
head, sniffed about, and seemed fearlessly to push his
way towards the spot where the scent of his game was
strongest, facing the light in full front, and preparing
himself with avidity to seiza upon his prey. No sooner,
however, had he approached witoin two feet of his watch-
ful foe, than the rat, again uttering a loud cry, rushed
at him with Iviolence, and inflicted a severe wound on
the head or neck, which was soon shown by the
blood which flawed from it; the ferret seemed astonished
at the attack, and retreated with evident discomfiture ;
while the rat, instead of following up the advantage.he
had gained, instantly withdrew to his former station
under the window. The ferret soon recovered the shock
he had sustained, and erecting his head, once more took
the field. This second rencontre was in all its progress
and results en exact repetition of the former, with
this exception, -that on the rush of the rat to the
conflict, the ferret appeared more collected, and evi-
dently showed an inclination to get a firm hold of his
enemy; the strength of the rat, however, was very great,
and he again succeeded, not only in avoiding the deadly
embrace of the ferret, but also in inflicting another
severe wound on his neck and head. The rat, a second
time, returned to his retreat under the window, and the
ferret seemed less anxious to renew the conflict. These
attacks were resumed at intervals for nearly two hours,
all ending in the failure of the ferret, who was evi-
dently fighting to a disadvantage from the light fain,*
full on his eye whenever he approached the rat, who
wisely kept his ground, and never for a moment lost
sight of the advantage he iad obtained. In order to
prove whether the choice' of this position depended
upon
accident, my friend managed to dislodge the rat,
and took his own station under the window ; but the
moment the ferret attempted to make his approach, the
rat, evidently aware of the advantage ho had lost, en-
deavoured to creep between my friends legs, thus losing
his natural fear of man under the danger which awaited
him from a more deadly foe. The ferret by this time
had learned a profitable lesson, and prepared to approach
the rat in a more wily manner, by creeping insidiously
along the skirting, and thus avoiding the glare of light
that hitherto had baffled his attempt. The rat still
pursued with unabated energy his original mode of
attack, namely, inflicting a wound and avoiding, at the
same time, a close combat ; while it was equally certain
that his foe was intent upon laying hold or, and grasp-
ing his intended victim in his murderous embrace.
The character of the fight, which had lasted more than
three hours, was now evidently changed, and the rat
appeared conscious that he had lost the advantage he
originally possessed, and, like the Swedish hero, had
taught his frequently-beaten foe to conquer in his turn.
At last, in a lengthened struggle, the ferret succeeded
in accomplishiug his originally intended grapple; the
raf, as it couscio.us of his certain ruin, made little fur
ther effort of reslitafice, but, sending forth a plaintive
uric k, udered his life to his persevering foe.—
Jesse's Natural Nistoru.

standard -
MONEY MARKET.
at.
ip,lie:mlisihuinonti
pgr gold
oaf t 3 ri.
1"s.
earpneuldritittuee'ne.c.:.eheilloahrt;ge at Paris on London at short being
gold, gives an exchange of
i2,8051.15465dp;.
25.31, it follows that gold is 0.10 per cent. dearer in London
than in Paris. ilk' xlvices from liamburgli the price , '
I •,:,,iii
it 4331, P.
per „nark, which, at the ooish kint price of 31.1 7,..,.
101,6 d. per ounce for standard gold, ,ive6
an
enchtwge
of
13 loi ; ,-;N.I i.be exehaLge at 'Hmburg% on Loudon at short
being .13.91, it follows t
Lond at gold is 0.34 per cent. dearer in
liamburgh than in ou.