The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-22 00:00:00

FOREIGN RAILWAYS.

The Journal des Chemins de Fer furnishes some fur-
ther interesting information relative to the progress of
the railway system on the continent of Europe. The
details in the present instance are chiefly confined to the
undertakings opened or in course of construction in
Belgium and Holland.
The progress of railway construction in Belgium
is thus described :—ln the year 1835 the line from
Brussels to Malines was opened, being 20 kilometres
in length. In the year 1836 the line from Malines
to Antwerp was opened, being 26 kilometres in length.
In the following year, 1837, the three lines, Maliues to
Louvain, 20 kilometres; Termonde to Wetterin, 10 kilo-
metres; and Louvain to Tirlemont, 25 kilometres, were
opened. In 1838 the Tirlemont to Ans, 45 kilometres;
the Wetterin to Gand, 23 kilometres; the Gand to
Bruges, 30 kilometres; and the Bruges to Ostend, 36
kilometres, were opened. The lines from Gand to
Courtray, 44 kilometres, and from Landen to St. Troud,
10 kilometres, were opened in 1839. In 1840 the Brus-
sels to Jubise line, 25 kilometres, was opened. In 1841
the Jubise to Jurbise, 25 kilometres, and the Turbise
to Mons, 10 kilometres, were opened. The Ans to
Liege, 3 kilometres ; the Mons (French frontier), 27
kilometres; and the Courtray (French frontier) lines,
27 kilometres, were opened in 1842. The lines opened
in 1843 were, Liege to Chaudfontain;', 12 kilometres ;
Chaudfontaine to Verviers, 16 kilometres; and Verviers
to the frontier of Prussia, 12 kilometres. The line
opened in 1844 was that from Mouscron to Tour-
nay, in length 19 kilometres. In 1845, the
Braine-le Comte 'to Charleroy, 23 kilometres ;
the Godardville to Gosselies, 21 kilometres,
and the Charleroy to Namur, 37 kilometres,
were the three lines opened. The lines opened in 1846
were the Antwerp to' St. Nicholas, IS kilometres ; aed
the Bruges to Thourout, 32 kilometres ; thus making
the total length of railway up to the end of that year,
including the interior branch of the Antwerp, 3 kilo-
metres, and the Junction Line of the Brussels, also 3
kilometres, 609 kilometres. Among the lines specified,
only those from Antwerp to St. Nicholas, and from
Bruges to Thourout were constructed by private enter-
prise, the whole of the others being carried out at the
expense of the State. It, therefore, appears that the
Government works include 559 kilometres, of which
362 kilometres are double rails, and 197 kilometres
single rails. According ,o official accounts, the sum
expended by the Belgian Government in these under-
takings amounted to 159,174,827 E, which is at the
rate of 1,339,1301. 85c. for the league of 5 kilometres.
The lines in course of construction, and for which
special concessions have been granted to particular
companies, include the Liege and Namur, length 70
kilometres, estimated to cost 18,000,0001. ; the Ate
to Termonde, length about 50 kilometres, estimated
expense about 12,000,000 f. ; Manage to Mons, length
25 kilometres, estimated expense .5,000.0001. ; Lou-
vain to Jemmappes, length 55 kilometres, estimated
cost 20,000,0001; Jurbise to Tourney, length 48 kilo-
metres, estimate:l cost 8,000,0001. ; St. Trond to Has-
selt, length 15 kilometres, estimated cost 4,000,0001. ;
the lines of the Sambre-et-Meuse, length 94 kilometres,
estimated cost 10,000,0001. These concessions, granted
in 1845, show works undertaken to the extent of
a
423 kilometres, which will require an outlay approach-
ing 101,000,0001. Independent of
,
railwaysmong
already mentioned, othersendean o
ret
projected,
which should be noticed the Erquelinnes and Charleroy,
and the Great Luxembourg, both being regarded as
exhibiting features of importance connected with
the routes proposed to be opened by them. It is
mentioned with regret that up to the present moment
the want of cordial feeling between the Belgian and
Dutch authorities has prevented the continuation of the
Belgian Northern line from Antwerp to Northern Bra-
bant, the result of which would be the connexion of the
railway network of Holland with the Belgian and French
lines, and the opening of a direct communication be-
tween Amsterdam, the Hague, Rotterdam, and the whole
of the Pays Bus with Paris.

In Holland the lines opened to the public to the end
of the year 1846 were those of Amsterdam to Haarlem
(opened in 1839), 18 kilometres in length ; Haarlem to
Leyde (opened in 1843), 28 kilometres in length ; Am-
sterdam to Utrecht (opened in 1843), 36 kilometres in
length ; Ley de to the Hague (opened in 1844), 15
kilometres in length ; and the Utrecht to Arnheiin
(opened in 1845), 129 kilometres in length; making the
complete extent of railway communication in active
operation in the Netherland kingdom at that date 226
kilometres. The Government of the country are still
occupied with arranging the necessary plans to perfect
their system. At tlis moment the line from the Hague
is being carried forward to Rotterdam, and from Arn-
heim to the frontier of Prussia; besides which the works
between Rotterdam and Utrecht are in full activity. To
sum up these arrangements two concesiims have been
recently made, one for a line in Dutch Brabant and the
other for a line in the Eastern ntherland provinces,
bordering on Hanover and Rhenish Prussia.

M INCHESTER, FEB. 20.--BOROUGH ELECTION.—
At a met•;iug of Lord Lincoln's committee, held yesterday, it
was resolved that a deputation should proceed to Loudon on
Tuesday next, to present the requisition, asking his Lordship
to offer himself as a candidate for the representation of the
borough.—Manchester Guardian.

THE WAR IN THE CAUCASUS.
TIMBISOND, JAN. 12.—The storms of the month of The`
cember had interrupted our relations with the Circa.ssiart
coast. Yesterday the arrival of several vessels from Kertche
and Suckur-Ealeh brought us positive sews of great im-
portance relative to events of which Circaesia has been thee
theatre. The following details, which are derived from%
the best source, are as well known at the Russian Consulate'
as at the Palace of Halil Pacha. After two years of the most
perfect tranquillity, which permitted the Russians to direct
their entire efforts against Schamyl, the famous chief of the
Tschetschenses and Lergians, war has again commenced on
the banks of the Black Sea and of the liouban with the
greatest ferocity. On the 7th of December the Governor o.
the Fort Golowin, situate 30 leagues to the north of Suckum-
Kaleh, was warned by his spies that the warlike tribe of the
Übbikhs was planning a night attack against the
fort, and that at the same time the Tschigetes,
commanded by Hadj-Terike-Okow, one of the bravest chiefs
amongst the Circassians, were collecting in the mountains, in
order to surprise the fortress of Gagra. On the same day the
Russian steam-boat, corning from Rectut-
Kedah anzl proceede
ing to Kertch touched at Fort Golowin. The GOVOIIDOT of
ee the
that fort immediately dispatched it to Gagra, to apps.
garrison of the danger which threatened it. This circOlu'
stance saved the Russians, for during the same night 4,`f
mountaineers attacked the retrenchments of the Gagra wits
the greatest fury. The fortress, which is surrounded on all
sides by lofty rocks, would have been certhinly captured by'
the Circassians, if the garrison, accustomed to peace during
two years, should have been taken unawares. But, notwithe
stem ling the brave resistance of the garrison, 800 men strong,
protected by artillery, the loss of the Russians was consider•
able. The mountaineers, not being able to scale the
walls, well defended by the Russian infantry, possessed
themselves of a great rock to the north tef Gagra, upon
which the Russians had established a post. Thence they
directed a murderous fire against the interior of the fort,
and their balls reached even the sleeping apartments of the
' officers. This position was held during two days, netwith-
standing several sorties made by the garrison,
which :were
repulsed. The want of ammunition at length compelled
Tschigetes (the lost Circassian tribe to the south of the grot
chain) to retire to the mountains. The attack upon Fore.
Golowin took place two days afterwards. More than 5,000'
mountaineers of the Übbikh territory had surrounded the,
fortress. Although all their attacks were repulsed, the Rus-
sians themselves admit that the enemy showed more courager
boldness, and fury than on any previous occasion, and that
but for the information given by their spies, the fort would
have incurred a great risk of being captured. With respect'
to the movement on the Rouban we have no accurate in-°
formation. We are assured, however, that 4,000 Schap-
soukhes, commanded by Chora Beg, had passed the river
near Ladoschskaja. The cause of all this commotion, after
an uninterrupted tranquillity of two years, is owing to'
the following circumstances :—The Circassians are la
want of corn and salt, which they are compelled to
purchase from the Russians. In order to accustom
them to pacific relations, Prince Woronzow had accorded
them considerable advantages, and he carried his compfel-
sance towards the Circassian chiefs so far as to permit then*
to trade with Turkey, and to send their female Circassiatu
slaves for sale. But by degrees the Russian generals be-
came more exacting. They demanded of the Circassian
chiefs to surrender the Russian and Polish deserters, of who'll
several hundreds are dispersed through the mountains. They
demanded hostages for their fidelity, and they required tbeZ
the Circassians should deliver up Schamyl's emissaries-
When the Circassian chiefs refused to consent to these con-
ditions, the Russians refused to supply the Übbikhs sod'
other tribes with corn or salt. The Übbikhs were ever re-
markable for their antipathy to the Russians, and when at
length the latter captured a Turkish vessel near Pitzounds,
laden with 60 female Circassians, the mountaineers lost all
patience and revolted on three different points, aided by the
majority of the Works, the nobility of the country.

ROYAL THAMES YACHT CLUB.—This first of our
metropolitan aquatic clubs gave their anniversary ball on
Thursday evening, the company mustering, with members
and visitors, nearly four hundred. Dancing was kept DP
with unflagging ardour, to the music of Adam's orchestra,.
till an early hour of the morning, an elegant supper having
been dove ample justice to soon after midnight. The Noble,
Commodore, Lord Alfred Paget, in giving the health of her
Majesty, which was enthusiastically received, alluded to the
especial honour accorded in her graciously becoming the=
patroness of the Royal Thames Yacht Club; and Mr. Jos
Wilkinson, in a very neatly-turned speech, expressed thest
light which the club felt at the presence of so many of the'
fair sex, to whom the flag of every yachtsman must striker
and whose smiles were his best guerdon either on the deck-
or in the ball room. The admirable arrangements of the
stewards were the topic of general comment, whilst their,
courteous attention to theirguests, throughout the entireeveir,,
ing, was unremitting. Such was the demand for ticket"
that the supply was wholly incompetent to meet it, end hoer'
ever we may sympathise with the disappointed, yet the en-
joyment of the evening was greatly enhanced by the jeali;
cious restriction as to numbers, and the great care exercised`
in the distribution of the tickets of admission.
SEIZURES OF ILLICIT DISTILLERIES.—OnFTWSII.
appears to have been a busy day amongst the Excise offinersre
as no less than four illicit stills were seized by them 11.
the course of the day. From the observations of MOO*
James and Frederick Pargeter, officers of Excis of Peri:
mises 27, St. Peter-street, Bethnal-green, and thee, deliereli
there of certain suspicious articles, they were convilw*;
that something illegal was going on, and on obtainislg
search-warrant they proceeded to the house, and beseer te
gained admission, they soon found that those suspicions lee.
perfectly correct. On proceeding to the front kitchen, 1"...
found a large copper still in full work, running off gre'er,
spirits. They then went to the back kitchen, when a!ethetbii,„
still immediately met their view, also at work. In
room two men were engaged, and so busy were thenyi that
for some time they were unaware of the preseinae a
h funnel
officers. One of them was holding a bladder wfrtoni a tub.•
in it, while the other was filling it with spiri 3a .
COrnuemgpatuvue, thebut
protested
at of James
they
wßerreowunniy servants.
a large quantity of fermented wash and spirits, and the usual
,
distillery apparatus, which they seized. The next case e!
at 7, Scott-street, Bethnal-green, kept by a man namednamedtahnteto hrebrer Alfred
f wasre
Joseph Adlington. The officers got over a gateway, 04
effected an entrance into the house, where they found a still
at full work, running off spirits of wine, a quantity of spirit'
50 per cent. over proof, fermented wash (which was de-
stroyed), and all the usual apparatus, which were seized and
conveyed to the Excise warehouses. The third case WO
in Stoney-lane, Petticoat-lane. Messrs. Bayford and Lewins,
the officers, from information received, went to a house in the
above street, and after a good deal of trouble effected el
entrance. In a back apartment they found a very large st
in full work, and a man attending to it, with an immerge
quantity of fermented wash prepared for carrying on a large
' trade, with spirits ready for sending out. The apparatus Ws
of a complete description, the whole of which was seized.
NARROW ESCAPE FROM ADDITIONAL CAL AMITIP.-.
The mother of the unfortunate boy, George Beale, whose un-
timely end was recorded in our paper of the 4th inst., was
herself on the point of perishing upon the Downs, betsyse
Cherhill and Yatesbury, on the night of the severe snout
storm of Monday week last. It seems that on the. receipt
of the melancholy intelligence, which was communittated to
her by the Rev. Dr. Money Kyrie, she had starts id fr°rl
London on a sudden impulse, " to see her child's g:rivie"
He was her favourite son. When near Yatesbury alhe e!!:
countered the full force of the storm. Blinded by them drib
she lost her track, and was overpowered by constantly- eirt^:
ing in the snow, which in many places were several fee'
deep. A man who accompanied her was in little better
plight. She was brought to the rectory at Yatesbury in
proper
remedies, insensible state; but, by the administration of pro'
remedies, was happily so far restored in eight-and-fort,
hours as to be able to return by rail to London. We hen
that a subscription, proposed to help her on her journey,
readily responded to by all the principal farmers of the parish
—Devizes Gazette.
BURGLARY AND EXTENSIVE ROBBERY..—On Friday
morning it was discovered that the premises of Mr. Mar-
shall, in the Edgeware-road, had been entered, and watches
of different descriptions, to the amount of 1001., stolen froth
the shop.
THE ISLAND OF ASCENSION.—PORTSMOLTTII,
19.—Letters from the Island of Ascension, up to t he 29th o
December, have been received. They furnish the ~.eratifYillig
intelligehce that all the inhabitants were in good', health;
that the turtle had re-appeared in abundance, and been takell
and the ponds filled with them ; and that the water tan
were also well supplied. Commodore Sir Charles troths-en, le
the Devastation steamer, accompanied by her Majesty's ship
Actaeon, Captain Mansell, had put to sea on the 26tb. of Me;
cember, intending to be absent for three months, and -visit and
inspect the different stations on the coast of Africa,. and the
men-of-war cruising off them. Sir Charles Hothane left be;
Majesty's steamer Hydra at Ascension, for her officers en"
crew to obtain refreshments and rest, after a long ,cruise on
the coast. Commander Morell had heard that he was ap-
pointed to the Hydra, vice Young, promoted, and oil the Si"
rival of Captain Hutton, who was to take comman d of the
Tortoise and the Island of Ascension, will bring that steamer
to England; she was to sail on the Ist of Februar.ve The
African squadron were all at sea, and, with the exception of
her Majesty's brig Wanderer, had been tolerably hOale,theYe"
She has lost about ten officers and men from fever. .".;
Larne, 16, and Espoir, 10, are ordered home to be pale 0'"
having been nearly four years in commission, and the
greater part of the time employed on the coast of Africa-
Letters from her Majesty's ship Fox, 36, Commodore Sir
Henry Blackwood, Bart., dated the Ist of January, hivie
arrived here, announcing her being about to sail for Trine
comalee, and expected to leave the station for England
during the month of May. The officers and crew of the For•
were all well.
TENURE OF LAND IN IRELAND.—A document
possessing much interest at the present moment was on Fri-
day issued among the Parliamentary papers. It contains al!
abstract of returns from the clerks of unions tlerougboue
Ireland relative to the number of persons holding land,
parative size of the holdings, &c., and is reprinted ,fie
papers presented to the House in the session of 1845•
census of 1841 is taken as the basis of the calculation. .r r°--
this return it appears—" That in the year 1841, the tote;
;
population of the 130 unions was 8,174,029 ; and the teo,ta.
area 19,146,502 statute acres. Of this population the nnue-
ber of persons holding land was 883,097 (representing,
with their families a gross number probably little short a
four and a half millions). The number of persons holdhlit
land, whose holdings do not exceed one acre of grounde,„
124,407. Those holdings between one and two ats'd
amounted to 50,233 ; between 2 and 3, 35,368 ; between 3,"'6,
4, 45,135; between 4 and 5, 52,071; between 5 and
„
i 36,468; between 6 and 7, 40,374; between 7 and 8, 35,n9;
between 8 and 9, 40,822 ; between 9 and 10, 34,792.
1
number of persons holding from 10 to 20 acres was 186,
to
from 20 to 50, 120,681 •, from 50 to 100, 42,772; from 100 e%
200, 15,458 ; from 200 to 500, 5,947; from 500 to 1,047;
1,127 ; from 1,000 to 2,000, 284 ; from 2,000 to 3,ookoce
from 3,000 to 4,000, 11; from 4,000 to 5,000, 3 ; and euei
5,000, 6. The acre sof land held in common or joint-
tenancy
tenancy were 1,902,547 am cs ; the number of holders not
included in the foregoing classes, 30,316. In the notes ye-,
pended to the return, there is stated the amount of yr:l_Bw,
bog, and otherwise unprofitable land, appertaining to 0:70{0
of the unions • but there is no estimate formed of the w the
extent of such land, although it has been included iII
return of the gross acres of land given above.
Aral
FIFESHIRE, Sr. MONAIcCE.—THE WEATEIBn
FISHING.—The weather has been particularly fine the w
hole
of the week, and our fishermen have been diligent.. I_l7
herring fishing has been prosecuted with indefatigable.'
untired earnestness. Many of our crews have slept
during the week. The fishing being at the May -1-eitiime
seven miles from our place, in moderate weather it req
their
a considerable portion of the fishermen's time in making
passage to and from the fishing-ground ; that, combined e with
day,
other labours which they have to perform during b
prevents them from getting regular rest. The turbottfisrhianngd,
which has been backward for some time, looks bettuet,n.fi
several of our crews have this week caught fourteen
teen at one haul. The cod-fish have almost entirely disap-
peared main; several boats having short lines caught
the north-
a very few. The wind has been prevailing frosenerine
n very
west, with keen frost, which bps pinched our fi
eral. Se-
much. The herring-fishing has not been veryr,Ust the
wral ur our boats I,.tve been ~ingulerlL.• fortnn;flt_e:""
RevorZa.
jot it v e barely ids wages.- only
We understand that the (r.i'ltli'eJenci:' hL se Dduekciacie,7l
the Garter, vacant by the decease of the late
the Duke of
Nor-
thumberland, shall be conferred upon his Grace
Bedford. tllat

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