The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-19 00:00:00

91- 1847.

PRICR SD.

ASHBURTON-MONDAY.
(IMODI A CORRISPONDINT.)
This morning, about nine o'clock, a large number of
men, principally miners, together with a body of women and
children, assembled near the Town Mills, belonging to Mr.
W. R. Whiteway, merchant. Au alarm was spread quickly
through the town that a riot would commence, on account of
the high price of corn. A short time after a party of the
mob were permitted to go through the various store-rooms
in the mills, which were expected to be breaking down from
the quantity of grain being lodged therein. Contrary to
their expectations, not thirty bags, on the whole not amount-
ing to sixty bushels, was found stored in the various rooms.
A short time after this a waggon arrived at the mill-yard.
containing about thirty bushels of wheat, which was imme-
diately seized by about 100 women, and carried to the en-
trance of the market, where they stated they would sell it
at Bs. per bushel North-street, in which the market is
situated, was at this time entirely taken possession of by the
populace, who applied to Mr. S. Mann, the person who super
intends the market. for the keys of the corn chamber; on
threat of refusal his shop windows were to be broker.
This be acceded to from the best of motives, and the corn
was taken to the chamber and sold to the poor people at the
above price by the parties who took it from the mill-yard,
A meeting of magistrates has taken place, and a large
number of special constables have been sworn in. About
100 men of the sth Fusiliers passed through this town yes-
terday, en route from Plymouth to Taunton.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.
WISHAW AND COLTNESS RAILWAY.

A special meeting of the shareholders was held at Glasgo w
on Friday—Mr. N Dalrymple in the chair. It was convened
by requisition to receive a statement from Lord Belhaven
respecting the land occupied by the line, which bad beer,
given as a donation to the company in 1842, on certain con-
ditions; and also with regard to a private agreement alleged
to have been made with the Edinburgh and Glasgow Rail-
way Company for the sale of the land upon which the line is
constructed at half its value, because the removal of the
minerals underneath may endanger the stability of the line.
The Edinburgh and Glasgow Company having relinquished
the purchase of the line, it had since been transferred to the
Caledonian Company. To sanction this transfer, there is a
Bill before Parliament which his Lordship is determined to
oppose until they come to his terms. The existence of the
agreement referred to was denied ; and, after a long conversa-
tion, it was decided to adjourn the meeting until the 7th of
June next, to afford time for inquiry.

WILSONTOWN, MORNINGSIDE, AND COLTNESS
RAILWAY.
The adjourned meeting of this company was held at Glas-
gow on Friday, Mr. J. Ilouldsworth in the chair, at which
it was determined by a majority of the shareholders (182
votes against 107) not to dispose of the line to the Caledonian
Company on the terms proposed. It was also resolved to
provide funds aufficient to pay the debts of the company, and
to meet the expenses of altering the gauge of the line to the
standard gauge, 4 feet 8i inches. At the special meeting
held immediately afterwards, it was resolved to proceed with
all or any of the branches already authorised by Parliament,
and to raise money for the purpose.

BORDEAUX AND CETTE RAILWAY.
A meeting of the English shareholders in this company
was held on Monday at the London Tavern ; Mr. David Salo-
mons in the chair.

Mr. Artwoon having opened the business of the meeting,
Mr. Wiwnses explained that there were but two courses
to pursue—either to get a modification of the terms of the
agreement, or to abandon it altogether. It was clear under
the present circumstances that the pressure upon the money-
market would prevent any modification being acceptable to
the shareholders, therefore no course was left but to endea-
vour to get a dissolution of the company. He then read the
resolutions, of which the following is an abstract:—That
circumstances have rendered it impossible to fulfil the con-
tract with the French Government for the construction of
the railway, and the Government having refused a modi-
fication of the terms, that the undertaking be abandoned
and the affairs of the company wound up at the earliest
moment ; that a committee be appointed to give effect to
this resolution, to obtain a return of the caution-money
deposited, and that the expenses incurred by the com-
mittee be paid out of a fund distributable among the share-
holders, not exceeding 6d. per share ; that the directors
be requested to co-operate with and assist the commit-
, tee, and represent the absolute impossibility of carrying
out the undertaking, and the necessity of abandoning
concession.
The above resolutions were passed, and the followingg sa
tlemen were appointed on the committee :—Messrs. Att-
wood, Field, Uzielli, Harnett, and the Hon. Howe Brown
with power to add any of the French shareholders to the
committee. The directors promised to co-operate with the
committee.

KILLARNEY JUNCTION RAILWAY,
The half-yearly meeting of the shareholders was held at
Dublin on Friday. The report stated that the contracts for
works had been let, and that nearly the whole of the land,
extending about sixteen miles in length, had been obtained
on amicable terms, and it was expected that the remainder
would be shortly in the hands of the company; that the
directors would do all in their power to avoid pressing the
shareholders until the present crisis in money matters had
been surmounted. The :accounts to the 30th of April, 1847,
showed that 32,47/ had been received, and 12,9771. ex-
pended, leaving 19,510:. in favour of the company.
The CHAIRMAN, on moving the adoption of the report,
said that the conduct of the landowners and the facilities
afforded by them to the company, deserved the highest com-
mendation, and that he had no doubt their liberality would
conduce in the end to substantially promote their own inte
rests as well as those of the company.
Resolutions were passed adopting the report and re-electing
the directors.

DUBLIN, DTJNrRUM. AND RATHFARNHAM
RAILWAY.

A meeting of tLe shareholders in this company was held
on Friday at Dublin, Mr. E. P. Porter in the chair. It was
convened by Mr. Kennedy on the preamble of the extension
to Stephen's•green haying been declared proved, as it was
understood that the directors did not intend to proceed so far
with the Bill. Mr. Kennedy went iuto a long statement
with respect to the mismanagement of the affairs of the
company. Resolutions were passed to petition the House of
Lords on the grievances complained of, appointing a com-
mittee to receive any proposals the directors may have to
make, and to receive a subscription of is. per share to defray
expenses.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
PORTDIOUTH, Mir 17.—The St. Vincent, 120, Captain
Milne, was prepared for going out of harbour to-day, and
the Centaur steam-frigate get up her steam, and placed her-
self in a position to tow, but the master-attendant, consider-
ing the wind too scant for sailing out, and too strong for
towing, declined moving her. She will consequently go out
to-morrow, or be detained until the next spring tides. What
does a Contemporary mean by saying she will "recover "
her lower deck guns? She had no lower deck guns in, con-
sequently could not have thrown them overboard, or other-
wise lost them, however great and imminent her distress.
The Odin steam-frigate, Captain the Hon. F. T. Pelham,
built on the design of Mr. Fincham, master-shipwright, of
this dockyard, of 1,326 tons, and 560-horse power, was taken
into the basin this afternoon in readiness for docking, to
have her machinery repaired. It is now said that a miscal•
culation of the weight for the engines and machinery will
cause this finely-built steamer to swim much deeper than in-
tended! She is ordered to be supplied with Captain Smith's
paddle-box boats, the davits of which are to be fitted on one
side on the plan of Lieutenant Julius Roberts, R.M.A.,
and on the other on the plan of the Sidon's, in order to test
which is the original invention, and to whom to adjudge the
credit of having perfected it. There are now three claimants
in the field for the credit of having invented these precious
appendages to the paddle-box boat.
The Ajax, 78, one of the 74's converted for a steam guard-
ship, was undocked this afternoon.—Times.

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.
LO N DON, MAY 18.—Wind E., light breeze, and line.
DNA', MAY 17.—Wind W.S.W., strong and squally. row.
S.W., moderate.—Arrd. Louise, Curry, South Seas; Mary
Sloss, South Seas; Sumatra, Duncan, Ceylon ; Lancashire
Witch, Monte Video ; Lotus, South America; Elisabeth,
Midwinter, Grenada. Arrd. from the River for Australia,
Batavia; John Cobbold, Jaffa; Indus, Pernambuco; Grange,
Demerara; Glaphyra, St. Kitts; Amnia, Jamaica.
OFF Dovsn, MAY 10.—Jason, Schilling, New York for
Hamburgh. 14. Keatrick, Wise, Lima.
SOUTHAMPTON, MAY 17.—Wind W.—Sld. Thames steamer, 1
West Indies.

PLYMOUTH, MAT 17.—Wind S.W.—Arrd. General Ha-
weft, Norfolk.

LIVERPOOL, MAY, 17.—Wind W.N.W., fresh.—Arrd.
Sandi ord, Cellar, Calcutta ; Cape packet, Lamb, :Mauritius ;
Sultana, Longtnuir, Alonte Video; Shamrock, Wiseman,
Bahia; Alecto, ' Varbadoes; Vigilant, Cuthbertson,
Rio Hacha; Gabk . :lb, New Orleans; Sir Charles Na-
pier, Webster, New Orleans; Colombs, Burnell, New Or-
leans ; Birmingham, Robinson, New Orleans; Covenanter,
Patterson, Apalachicola ; Ann Kenny, Baldwin, Charleston ;
Liverpool, Eldridge, New York. Off port, St. Lawrence,
Bombay, Hindu, —.
WIVENIME, MAY 17.—The Hopewell, of and from London
to Amsterdam, was totally lost last night en the Gunfleet
Sand ; crew saved.

HULL, MAY 17.—The Phoenix (tug), sunk in the Trent on
the 11th instant, has been raised.
CO MAY 15.—Wind S.S.E.—Arrd. Caledonia, Henry,
Matanzas; Florina, Drinkwater, New York; Edla, Lander,
New York; Swan, Robertson, New York. Sld. Rodney.
Quebec.
BRISTOL, MAT 17. Wind N. Arrd. Prince George,
Foster, Callao.
MUMBLES ROADS, MAY 17.—Arrd. Taglioni, Australia.
MAY 17. The Rhine, from Stockton, arrived
here, was in contact with the Wells packet off Hambro
Head 14th inst., and both received considerable damage.
SOUTH AMMON, MAY 15.—Wind • • W•S W.—Sid. Graham,
Montreal.
TRIGNMOUTH, MAY a
1 Wind S.S.W.—SId. Abeona,
Labr.idor.
DARTMOUTH, MAY 15.—Wind S.W.— Sid. Cesar and Ho-
lene, New York.
OFF SALCOMBE, MAY 14.—Nederland, Batavia for Rotter-
dam ; Pioneer, New Orleans for Havre.
OFF HAsrpros, MAY 13.—Elizabeth Antonia, Bakker,
Passaronang for Amsterdam ; Pauline, Jansen, Mayagoez for
Bremen.
HE START, MAY 12.—Heinrich Sorensen, Sorensen,
OFF
T
St. Croix for Copenhagen.

THE MAILS. SOUTHAMPTON, MAY 17.—The
West India and other mails were taken out at three r.m. this
day by the royal mail-packet Thames, under charge of the
Admiralty agent, Lieutenant Wilkinson R.N. The Thames
has a full general cargo, and 10,562/. ;
also thirty-seven pas-
sengers. The Oriental Company's steamer Tiger, Captain
Hamilton, went out of dock this day at tthree r.m., en route
for Gibraltar, with the Peninsular and Mediterranean mails.
The Tiger takes out a full detachment of Artillery, with their
officers, to relieve those at Gibraltar, who will return by thn
following boat afterthe arrival out of the Tiger. The Tigerhas
a full cargo and complement of passensers.
RIVER PLATE.—LIVERPOOL, MONDAY.—By a_n.ye
ar-
rival at Falmouth we have late intelligence from thel
Zx
Plate. Rivera was at Martin Garcia. A report
.was spreeß
cha
that Oribe bad taken possetsion of Maldonado.
44i to 45.

Dr. Reid delivered a lecture in Willis's Rooms, St. James's-
square, on Saturday night, in reply to one delivered some
time ago by Dr. Faraday, in the Royal Institution, on the
subject-of ventilation, especially in connexion with the
g ventilationndhigohflythe new House of Lords. There was a nume-
rousrespectable attendance. Among the gentle-
men present we observed several individuals of distinction
in the scientific world. The lecturer, after a few introduc-
tory observations, said that the present step had been forded
upon him in consequence
before the public, re of Dr. Faraday having brought
variety, of circumstannecwesslecture
connected
withthe
the
eyal
subject,lnstitution,
mid
par-
ticularlya with the
their
ruse of Peers, which he was de-
sirous
matters betweenkeeping
h limn sepi fll:
icantnueddorertghi n al
privacy, until some
Dr. Faraday's
FRaeriaddcaoym,sGovernment had been
that. he had not been invited
aeithough the subject was
atodjautstieenda
one which so deeply affected himself,
vhieh
personally. He then
proceeded to contend that the plan on I
emrmrtons, a
i,plaint
the new House
of Peers was ventilated was, in all essential esipseFe
which he had previously proposed to the C
was a plan which might be wished', but it was farrsilm Commissioners.
the best plan that could have been adopted. The iceteuirnegr
. .
next proceeded to develop los trews respecting the true
principles i t ventilation, and in doii.g so pernirined a variety
of experiments. lie atterwarils rt plied at coosiderablo it riga,
to the attacks mails upon hint in the Tisiies, the ..-ithencruni,
and the Quarter y Berko.. Nothing, be said, could be
more unfair or untour.thd than the ret:resentations of these
journals, in proof of s% hich lie made quotations from them,
and sl.owed how inconsistent they were with' the
facts of the case. Dr. Reid, towaids the conclu:i:tit of this
lecture, complained in emphatic terms of the injustice
which had been done hint by the Governntent, in taking
the ventilation of the new Hoilse of Lorth; out of his hands.
The lecturer wound up an address, which - occupied an hour
and a half in the delivery, by intimating indirectly, es we
understood him, that he means to bring an action against
her Majesty's Ministers for the injury done to him in con-
nexion with the House of Lords, and gave as the principal
reason for the lecture of that evening, that it was necessary
previous to bringing the matter before the proper tribunal,
that he should be able to refer to the fact of his having re-
plied to Dr. Faraday. The lecturer expressed himself with
great moderation though evidently under a s:roug sense
of the injustice which he believes to have been done to him,
and was most attentively listed to throughout his address.--
Observer.

OPENING OF THE CALEDONIAN

CANAL.

We are glad to be able to state that the navigation of
the Caledonian Canal is BOW open troth sea to sea—that
the works have been completed--and that vessels are
availing themselves of the admirable tacilities thus pre-
sented to the public. These are greatly increased by the
recent improvements, anti particularly by the estublish•
tnent of steam tug-boats, for towing vessels through the
lakes. By means of this important addition the passage
is rendered certain, and will generally be effected in two
days. When the great advantages thus held out are
once practically felt, it cannot be sappos( d that many
vessels will hereafter encounter the tedious and danger.
ous passage round the Nest coast. The canal dues, we
believe, are fixed at a moderate rate, in order to hold
out every inducement to traders • and the wharfage and
other conveniences have been rendered so complete as to
add most materially both to the quality and extent of the
accommodation previously existing. Indeed, Inverness
may nt,w, in this respect, be fairly considered as on a
par with the first-class ports of the kingdom. The new
works have been very substantially executed, and were
last week surveyed by Mr. Walker, the principal en-
gineer of the Commissioners, who proceeded along the
whole line of the canal, accompanied by the contractors,
Messrs. Jackson and Bean. Mr. Walker expressed him-
self highly satisfied with the manner in which those
gentlemen had brought their laborious and important
operations to a close; and from Mr. Walker's high pro •
fessional character and well-known experience, his
opinion cannot fail to be equally gratifying to the con-
tractors and the public. We are sorry, however, to hear
that the undertaking has been by no means a profitable
one to Messrs. Jackson and Bean. This has arisen
chiefly from the great increase in the price of labour and
materials during the last four years, over which the con-
tract extended.

As an illustration of what may be done with th•
facilities for communication now existing in the north,
we may here mention, that Mr. Walker, being on express
Government business to Ireland, after completing his
survey, proceeded in one of the canal steam-tugs, the
Speaker, from Corpach direct to Belfast. The passage
was made in seventeen hours, and if we estimate the
passage through the canal at ten hours, it will be obvious
with what ease future communication may be carried on
from Inverness to any part of Ireland, as well as to the
Clyde or to Liverpool. Our trade may thus shoot out
into new ramifications, conferring upon the whole north
the most important advantages.
We understand that Mr. Walter Strachan, so long
known in the shipping trade between London and Inver-
ness, and formerly commander of the Duchess of Suther-
land steamer, has been appointed by the Commissioners
to the office of Lek-master, and superintendent of traffic
and steam-towage, on tho line of the canal.—lnverness
Courier.

ANECDOTES OF SIR W. SCOTT.

(From Hogg's Weekly Instructor.)
He used to relish Creech's stories prodigiously. I
have seen him in convulsions of laughter at a ludicrous
anecdote told by the bookseller of a country woman,
who, one market day, cattle into his shop (then in
the Luckenbooths) with a basket of butter on her
arm, which having deposited on the counter, to the
t peril of some ut his most splendid " wire-wove,
itotpressed " volumes, she asked him for • tippence worth
o" oo creush.” Utterly at a loss fur the w omau's mean-
ing. he replied that he solo nothing but books 11,4
stationary—articles totay out of her way ; and
very naturally concluded that she was wrong in the
upper storey, civilly requested her to quit the
which was much more easy in theory than practice; for
she insisted ou being served, while he insisted that he
sold no such article. " What for uiv ye tell lees then?"
demanded she, stretching her neck out at the shop-
door, and pointing with one fing,r to the large gulden
letters on the signboard —" What for div ye pit double
'oo creash over your door to cheat folk then?" It is
scarcely necessary to add, that the honest woman, whose
education had unquestionably not been first-rate, had
mistaken the name on the sign-board—" W. Creech"—
for the article she demanded, which was wool grease for
the purpose of spinning.

When the mirth and laughter at this drollery had
somewhat subdued, the conversation for a few minutes
turned on the impositions of horse- dealers, Scott (who
had a ready rebound for every story) said—" Well, that
reminds me of an anecdote quite characteristic of the
fraternity, I once heard from a friend, who happened to
meet with two horse-coupers at a public-house. My
friend loved everything which marked a character
strongly, and had purposely placed himself where he
could hear without being seen, and listen to a bargain
about a mare which one ut these worthies wanted to sell
to his companion, whom he filled mortal fou, while he
contrived to keep himself comparatively sober. At last,
after sitting till a late hour, the bargain was concluded,
the money paid, and bill and their horses called for, each
having to ride in a different direction to their respective
places of abode ; but before mounting, the one who had
sold the " meare" turned round suddenly, and told his
companion that, though she was a guid beast, she had
twa faults—" In the first place, man," said he, " she's
unco ill to catch," " Ou, man, that's naething to speak
o', " stammered his friend ; " but what's the tither
faut?" " Wait a wee," was the reply, " till I ha'e my
fit in the stirrup (making sundry hopeless efforts to seat
himself in the saddle). Whisz, noo, dinna hurry me—
hurry nae man's cattle," clapping his hand on the pocket
of his " smalls," to make sure that the sitter was safe.
" Toot, toot, man," impatiently exclaimed he who had
bought the beast, " yer unco lang coming out we the
tither faut—oot wi' it ; ye telt me she was ill to catch. '
" I did so," was the reply, " and noo I tell ye she's no
worth a single boddle when ye've gotten her!, ' Clap-
ping spurs to his steed, he was off like a shot.

A MISTY MAT.—If the old proverb hold good—
,. A misty May and a hot June,
Brings cheap meal and harvest soon,"
we may expect cheapness and plenty at the end of our
sent dearness and scarcity ; for so far as May has yet gonei
has been misty enough. But on the afternoon of Saturday
last May drew her mantle of mist very closely around her ;
so much so that even on the highest heights in this neigh-
bourhood it was impossible to recognise a person at the dis-
tance of thirty yards.—Bradford Observer.
EXTRAORDINARY HIGH PRICE OF WHEA7.--At
the Windsor-market, on Saturday last, some singularly fine
samples of wheat realised the enormous sum of 314. per load.
A similar price was also obtained for wheat at Uxbridge-
market on the preceding Thursday. At Chertsey May fair,
which was held on Friday last, the price of wheat ranged
from 27/. 10s. to 301. 10s. per load. Several buyers from
London attended Uxbridge- market and Chertsey,who re-
fused to make any purchases in consequence of the advanced
prices.
lowing notice was issue
d •—" The mails for Corrunna,
DEPARTURE OF. Tdnzon
office, St. Martin's-le-Gran .
Cadiz, and Gib-
raltar,Axti,eLs
G.—eneTrallepofoslt:
Monday morning, the 17th inst.
will be made up on F.;aßt uEridGaNw aMt
forwarded by the Madrid steamer (via
(this morning), to
Neat
N packet due, the Iberia steamer. 'rho
Vigo, Oporto, Lisbon, Madeira, via Lisbon,.
PAVeira, the British and foreign colonies in the
Bermuda, San Juan de Nicaragua, Granada,
(except Mexico, Honduras,
. and Havannah),
Venezuela,
voeilte
ztsh
faumerl Indies
Chili, and Peru, will be made up on the morning of the 17th
instant (this morning), to be forwarded by the Thames
Liverpool,
the
Halifax,
lllifnaix,ted anStates,
Boston. Ol
steamer from Southampton. Next packet due, on the 22d.
bßyermthuedna,ibßerriltliisahsNteoarintleir
imaeLriicav ,
r an
the evening of the 18th instant (to-morrow), to be conveyed
ING'iebxrtalptaaer, mketadltaue:GthreeeCcea, the
inn
Caledonia steamer,
nods, ntEhegy3Opt„ kthidnsent:
Ceylon, Irdia, Hong-K.,ng, and China, on the morning of
Thursday, the 20th inst., to be forwarded by the Ripon
steamer, via Southampton. By the fortnightly overland
closed mail to the Mediterranean, Egypt, India, ic., on the
evening of the 24th instant, via Marseilles.
FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE RIVER.—On Sun-
day afternoon, at half-past two, the following fatal and
melancholy accident occurred at Battersea:—Two gen-
tlemen, one named Meeson (a member of the Thetis Club),
and a friend of his named Bownes, took the club wherry, and
There
started in it from Lambeth on their way to Putney.
was a strong wind from the west, and the swell was very
heavy on " shooting" Battersea-bridge;
the surf was very
high, and their boat, light and uncovered, dipped three
times in succession, filled, and upset. Mr. Meeson clung
to the stern, and•
Mr. Bownes also gained firm hold, but
feeling confidence in his powers as a swimmer, and anxious
to secure a safer position for his friend, he bid him " bold
fast," and struck out for the shore, which most unhappily
he never reached. Mr. Meeson maintained his hold for ten
minutes, and was eventually picked up by Hawkins, the
captain of the Citizen, passing at the time, who conveyed
, him to the White Hart, Chelsea, where prompt assistance
was afforded him. Some idea of the roughness of the reach
may be gathered from the fact that in a race between three
four-oared boats, two while contesting filled and sunk; no
loss of life, however, ensued.
The Duke de Terceira and suite arrived on Monday
at Mivart's Hotel from Portugal.,