The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-28 00:00:00

Newcastle

"Athousand w
yearse netahneirectloeuednedtewmipelgasteexpa
And, gentlemen,
ad-
miration the wonderful contrast presented to
u
withoutud.
(Cheers.) This day we are met to celebrate thecosm-
.—
com-
pletion of a work as part of a system which is • probably
destined to effect a greater social revolution than any
invention since the art of printing was discovered.—
(Cheers.) I believe that the effect of railways must be
for good, and that they will promote the moral and
social welfare and political security of the country.--
(Cheers.) Within a few months our bodies will be
carried along this railway with the fleetness of the wind,
and our thoughts, by the agency of the telegraph, with
the fleetness of ightning.—(Cheers.) Gentlemen, let
us hope that these combined influences will be for our
good, by drawing closer family affections, and facilitating
the intercourse of life—(Cheers)—while they tend to
promote civilization and the advancement of knowledge.
—(Cheers.) As regards their political security,
I believe that we shall not have cause to regret
their construction. In a country like this it is
impossible to do more than support a limited
army ; and, in the event of war, which may God
in his mercy avert, we might be exposed to the most
fearful consequences, for it is difficult to say what
effect steam navigation may have on maritime warfare.
Of this, however, I am sure, that railways would enable
us to concentrate our limited forces on any point that might
be required ; and I have no doubt, then, that the spirit
of Englishmen would enable them to combat successfully
against any enemy, even if numerically superior, by
being conveyed by this new element of transport without
fatigue. Gentlemen, it is only by drawing closer the
" great metropolis" of the empire with the great towns,
each of which may be said to form a metropolis of their
districts, and getting a cheap conveyance, if we are ex-
posed to the rivalry of other countries, that we shall be
enabled successfully to compete with them ; but I have
no fear but by. the means of railways, and the increased
facilities of intercourse, that we shall continue suc-
cessfully to compete with them, and add to the
prosperity of agriculture and manufactures.—(Cheers.)
I also hope that the result of bringing closer the
sister country to us will be to increase its prosperity,
and unite us in bonds of mutual good feeling, and
strengthen in us all the loyalty and affection to our
graeious Sovereign, who, if zeal for the interests of her
country and examples of domestic virtue constitute claims
upon the affections of her subjects, has at least as strong
a claim on those affections as any Sovereign that ever
sat upon the throne. The Right Hon. Baronet sat down
amid loud applause, which lasted some minutes. On its
subsiding,
Sir R. PEEL again rose, and said—Gentlemen, I am
happy in being permitted to give a toast by the Chairman
of the meeting. It is a matter of pride and gratification
to me that I am allowed to propose " Success to the
Trent Valley Railway, " and with that toast I should
wish to associate the names of George Carr Glyn,
Esq., the chairman ; Charles Lawrence, Esq.,
the Deputy Chairman ; and the rest of the Directors
of the London and North - Western Company. Gentlemen,
these na r es of themselves afford a tower of strength to
the railway, and are calculated to afford a guarantee that
they will properly carry out the affairs of the company,
and that they will attend to the interests of the public
with industry, zeal, and integrity.—(Cheers.) The pe-
culiar feature of railways is, that they unite in their
management merchants of the highest station and inte-
grity, who are influenced not by a desire of pecuniary
aggrandisement by means of the direction, but to serve
the interests of the shareholders and the public,—
(Cheers.) That their motives are not influenced by pe-
cuniary considerations is proved by the fact that they
could easily the better promote them in other pursuits ;
and I refer with confidence to the means which are taken
since religious subjects have been mentioned, to attend to
the wants and interests of those employed such as we do
not witness in other employers. I most unfeignedly hope
that while the interests of the public are attended to in
the way they now are, that Parliament will never
consent to interfere with them—(Cheers)--in a vex-
atious seirit, or under any circumstances adopt regu-
lations which shall have the effect of driving from the
management such men as a Glyn or a Lawrence into
other pursuits more profitable to themselves, but by
which others would be introduced who could not give to
to the public, by their position and well-known integrity,
such guarantees for good management and the safety of
the passengers. All the advantages supposed to be likely
to arise from diminished fares, or the interference of Go-
vernment, would be entirely neutralised if they tended to
throw the management into inferior hands in the place
of the gentlemen I have named, who, as I have before
said, would more profitably employ their time and
money. In conclusion, I beg to propose " Success to the
Trent Valley Railway," coupling with it the names of
George Carr Glyn, Esq., Charles Lawrence, Esq., and
the Directors of the London and North-Western Rail.
way.—(Loud cheers.)
The toast having been drunk with due honours.
Mr. GLYN returned thanks, and briefly alluding to
the position in which the London and North-Western
and Trent Valley Lines formerly stood to each other,
passed a high eulogium on the promoters of the latter
company for their perseverance in bringing the line to
a successful issue.
The next toast, which was proposed by Colonel Car-
negie, M.P., was that of " The Mayors and Corpora-
tions present and represented at the meeting." The
Mayor of Manchester returned thanks.
" The Members for the counties and boroughs of
Staffordshire and Warwickshire," were then proposed
by the Chairman, and responded to by the Hon. Colonel
Anson.
Mr. W. YATES PEEL then proposed " The health of
Mr. George Stephenson," whom the Hon. Gentleman
warmly eulogised for his distinguished professional at -
tainments.
Mr. STEPHENSON, in returning thanks, characterised
the atmospheric system as very good in theory, but as a
gross delusion and humbug in practice. With regard
to the broad gauge, he had no hesitation in saying that
it would have been found equally impracticable but for
his (Mr. Stephenson's) engines. When the broad gauge
was first laid down it was found impossible to work it,
until they sent to Newcastle for his engines and received
the aid of the " Star of the North."—(Laughter.)
The CHAramix next proposed " The Directors of
other Railway Companies vtlio were present on the
occasion."
Mr. HUDSON returned thanks on behalf of himself and
his brother directors. He could assure those present
that they always had the interests of the public as well
as their proprietors in view in all the measures they
adopted. He was happy to see that meeting graced by
the presence of so many ladies, for whom they (the di.
rectors) considered themselves trustees, especially as
many of their number hal invested their little all in rail-
ways.—(Cheers.)
.. The Chairman," " The Engineer," " The Officers
of the Company," " The Contractors," and " The Vice-
Chairman," were then successively given and duly
acknowledged.
Five o'clock, the time for starting, having struck, the
company, whh the exception of those who reside in the
locality, took their seats in the carriages, and the
I train started amidst the cheers of the as tembled specta-
,ors, reaching the Boston-square station at a quarter past
ten o'clock.
The length of the Trent Valley. Railway is abou
fifty miles, and runs through a singularly rich and
beautiful district of country, which is nearly a dead
level throughout. In an interesting article in the
current number of the Monthly Railway Record, there
is a history of the circumstances under which the
line originated and has been brought to the successful
issue which was this day celebrated at Tamworth.
" The company," says that able journal, " which pro-
jected this line, was originally formed in 1838, as
the Manchester and Birmingham Extension, its ob-
ject being to shorten the distance between Man-
cheater and London, by avoiding the circuitous
route of Birmingham. The line then proposed was
from Stone to Rugby, with a branch uniting the
Derby and Birmingham Railway—the total length being
a' little better than 62i miles, and the estimated cost
1,045,0001., the saving in distance being twelve miles.
In 1839 the Bill was brought into Parliament, and not-
withstanding a most strenuous opposition on the part of
the London and Birmingham Company, was read a
second time by a majority of forty-eight—Sir Robert
Peel giving it his support, which he continued until
finallyisuccessful. The Bill then went into Committee;
but its inquiry having been protracted, by opposition,
over a period of nearly five months, although it ob-
tained a favourable verdict, it dropped iu consequence o
the session coming to a close. In the following
year no steps were taken in Parliament ; bu
negotiations were carried on with other com-
panies to see whether any arrangements could
be effected to carry out the line. They only resulted,
made to th
however, in an offer which was ,
e promoters by
the London and Birmingham Company to pay them
twenty thousand pounds, on condition that they
c i
would abandon the a i e'me. This proposition 55.59
submitted to a meeting of
the proprietors, when, prin-
cipally through the exertions of Mr. E. Tootal, the de-
puty-chairman—one of the first and firmest supporters of
the line—the offer was unanimously rejected. Arrange-
ments haying shortly afterwards been made for the line
to commence at Stafford, and come into connexion
with the Grand Junction, instead of a ith the Manchester and Birmingham, as had been
originallytt d,
the title
proposed, the company was formally dissolved,
and re-organized under , of ' The Stafford
and Rugby, Railway . Company. In 1841 a Bill was
introduced into the lime 9f Commons for the company,

Writtle
Newmarket

Lancaster
Mansfield

AUG
Ripon 2
Brighton
Norwich
Wolverhampton
_ _

Chelmsford
Reading ll
Lewes ll
Yarmouth
SEPTE:

Warwick
Knntsford 8
Aberdeen
Doncaster l4
Leicester
Lichfield

OCT,

Stafford 5
Newmarket, S. 0 ll

EGYPTIAN HALL.—THE BossEsmArts.—Thie boys
of the Royal Caledonian Asylum, in full costume,. accom-
panied by their band, visited the exhibition: of the
Bosjesmans, or Bush People, on Friday. Nothing could
exceed the surprise and delight expressed by the Afri-
cans when the drums and fifes struck up the national airs
of Scotland. The Bush people stood immovable, in
really graceful and picturesque attitudes. The :Bosjes-
mans communicated to Mr. Tyler, the gentleman under
whose care they are, their anxiety to examine the in-
struments and see where the sounds came from ; ac-
cordingly the fifers and drummers were marched to the
platform inside the barrier. The sudden crash of the
drums made the Bush people retire backwards,. appre-
hensive of some danger ; in a few minutes they redvanced
and listened with apparent ecstacy to the soft a ad melo-
dious notes of the fife. The younger Bushmen,, who at
all times evince a vein of considerable humour, wished to
take one of the fifes into his own keeping, no doubt to
soothe the irritable temper of his better half. Altoge-
ther the exhibition was highly entertaining and, amusing.
The rooms were crowded.
ALARMING FIRE IN THE NEW NORTEC•E OAD.—
Oo Friday morning, at about a quarter to three o'clock,
a fire, which at first threatened the entire destruction of
several large buildings in the New North-road, broke
out on the premises of Mr. Edward Davis, 2, Steven's
place, in that locality. The fire was first perceived by
the police-constable on duty, who lost no time in giving
the necessary alarm, and Acting-Inspector Saur ders, of
the H division of police, with a strong muster of con-
stables, was quickly on the spot, and but for their exer-
tions it is more than probable that a great sacrifice of
human life would have been the result. Ladders having
been procured, the individuals who only a few seconds
before were fast locked in sleep, were taken from the
up-stairs window in a state of nudity, but provided with
a covering in the constables' great coats. The brigade
men were successful in confining the flames to the base-
ment of the premises in which they broke out, but it is
stated that property amounting to upwards of 3001. is
destroyed. The premises are insured. The cause of the
fire is not known.

EXPORT OF POTATOES TO IRELAND.—It iS a Curi-
ous circumstance that a large part of the new potatoes
brought to the Liverpool market during the last ten days
have been bought up for Irish consumption, and dis-
patched to Dublin. The Irish, with their delightfully
mild climate, ought to be able to beat us hollow in the
growing of early potatoes.—Liverpool Times.
A supplement to the Gazette of Friday contains
the official documents relating to the capture of Canton
by the British troops, the principal of which has already
appeared in The Sun.

The Duke of Wellington gives a grand dinner on
Wednesday next at Ansley House.
WAKEFIELD CORN MARKET, JUNE 25.—The ar-
rivals are only moderate. Millers supply themselves
sparingly with wheat at a reduction of 2s. to 3s. per
quarter. The demand for oats and shelling is quite in
retlil at late prices. Beans are slow sale at rather less

money.
Among the visitors to the Free Exhibition of Arts
yesterday, were the children of the Royal Caledonian
Asylum, with their band.
THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.—We cannot
better describe the state of the crops in the hilly district
of the high peak, than by using a phrase almost univer-
sally made use of : " They never looked better or for-
warder." The late rains have made a wonderful im-
provement. As examples, we may state that a patch of
wheat belonging to Mr. John Wright, of Chinley, near
Chapel-en-le-Frith, is now in full ear, a thing almost un-
precedented in that high and bleak locality. A field of
clover belonging to Mr. Slack, of Hayfield. has been cut,
and yields an abundant crop. Hay grass will be forward,
and a heavy crop. Potatoes are looking admirably, and
no traces of disease have yet appeared. Another cir-
cumstance deserves especial attention. The large tract
of celebrated hill pastures is abundantly stocked with
ley cattle, both cows and horses, which augurs well for
the future supply of roast beef of Old England, and
sturdy drudges to carry on the operations of trade and
agriculture, and proveathat breeding has been carriedon
extensively in this arid the adjoining counties.—Derby
Reporter, June 25.
FOREIGN FRUIT AND VEGETADLES.—The impor-
tations of fruit from the Continent has increased
during the last few days, and extended to other
articles than those which were brought during the
previous week. The steam-ship Magnet, from Rotter-
dam, brought 176 baskets of potatoes, 26 baskets of
cherries, and the large quantity of 188 seives of
gooseberries; the Britannia steam-ship, from the same
port, 28 baskets of cherries, 17 baskets of cucumbers,
several of melons, and various other articles; the Ocean,
from Rotterdam, 260 baskets of potatoes and 33 baskets
of other description of raw vegetables; the James Watt,
from Havre, 656 baskets of different ‘ kinds of fruit, the
growth of France; and the Antwerpen, from Antwerp,
7 baskets and 75 sieves of fruit of different descriptions,
the production of Belgium. Subsequently the Giraffe
steam-ship arrived from Rotterdam, and brought 422
baskets of cherries, 14 baskets of fresh cucumbers,
and 140 baskets of potatoes ; the City of London,
from Rotterdam, 40 baskets of potatoes and 99 baskets
of cherries ; the Soho, from Antwerp, 244 baskets of
cherries ; and the Columbine, from Havre, the exceed-
ingly large quantity of 2,177 baskets of various kinds
of fruit, the growth of France. It will be seen that the
importations of fruit from the Continent have been of an
extensive nature, and have comprised some from Hol-
land, Belgium, and France, although those from the
latter country, now that they have once began to take
place, are by farthe most extensive, and the fruit, gene-
rally speaking, of better quality.
ATROCIOUS OUTRAGE.—We have heard of a most
diabolical outrage committed near Ballinrobe, on Thurs-
day night last by a party of men who assembled and
cut down the greater part of a field of wheat. We
regret there is no clue to those ruffians.—Mayo Con-
stitution.
In addition to the pension of 1001. a year, so gra-
ciously conferred by the Queen from the Civil List upon
the children of the late lamented Thomas Hood, her
Majesty has granted a pension of 2001. per annum for
his life, to Mr. Leigh Hunt, from the same fund, in con-
sideration of his many brilliant contributions to English
literature. The decision of her Majesty has been no-
tified to the veteran writer by Lord J. Russell in terms
of kindness and cordiality, and will be appreciated by
the republic of letters, to whom Mr. Leigh Hunt's ser-
vices and sufferings are so well known. The public is
already aware that the amount of annuities from this
fund for literary, scientific, and public services is limited
to the grant of 1,2001. in each year, on the responsibility
of the first Minister of the Crown, the returns of wt.ich
are to be regularly laid before Parliament. The appro-
priation commences on the 20th of June. In the amount
already granted, we feel assn iral that the public Niece will
recognise the taste and the.edin-,deration which have in-
fluenced the selection.—Observer.
Harriet Martineau has returned from her travels
in the East ; she arrived on a visit to her relatives, Mrs.
and Miss Martineau, at Beacondale, Norwich, on Tues-
day last. We understand she made daily copious notes,
which it is her intention of publishing. She was absent
above eight months. The work will be looked for with
much interest.
The Hon. Wm. Temple, her Britannic Majesty's
Ambassador at Naples, has arrived in London ou leave
from the Queen, after an uninterrupted absence of eight
years in discharge of his diplomatic duties at the Court
of the Two Sicilies.
Mr. Chilton, Q.C., of the South Wales Circuit,
will succeed the late Mr. Daniel Leahy as Judge of the
Lambeth and Greenwich District County Court.—
Observer.
waswiii
bfiers a t
The changes consequent upon lie death of Mr.
Charles Sheridan, who
a p
followel Attache :
T h e toH tohne.
British Embassy at Paris
Richard Edwards, first paid Attacl36 atTShte. Pleitersbi tiirgh,
is
teon
br ye
is to be first paid Attache
Elliott, second Mr. g
who is
first ; and will be succeeded_tabt:Sati.._iPs'etersbur hon.
Corbett is to be Wombwell,
unn aid
JosephAt-
Hume Burnley will
position at Madrid.—Observer.
occupy a similar
Her Majesty has conferred upon that pious and
good man, the Rev. Theobald Mathew, better known as
paid Attaf-I
Mathew,nFtaoacwthhéeurnaptaid aAtst,
acaah:ck pensionNlXrr. .
of 300/. a-ye.ar. Lord John
Russell, who communicated the fact to the Reverend
Gentleman, stated that her Majesty conferred that mark
of her royal bounty upon him in consideration of the
sacrifices he had made for the promotion of morals and
the services he had rendered thereby to the poorer
classes—indeed to all classes—of his fellow-countrymen.
The greatest credit is due to the Noble Lord for the
handsome manner in which this well-earned tribute has
been paid to the public and private virtues of that worthy
man ; and all honour must be accorded to her Majesty
for acquiescing in the arrangement of her Ministers in
respect of these matters, and sanctioning with this fiat
of her approbation his labours in the cause of temper-
mice and litimanity.—Observer.