The Sun.
London, England, 1840-11-20 00:00:00

RESIGNATION OF ALDERMAN

HARMER.

Yesterday, at one o'clock, a very numerous meeting
of the electors of the Ward of Parrinudon Without,
was held at the Inquest-room of St. Andrew's, to con-
sider what steps should be taken, in consequence of the
resignation of their much respected Alderman. Mr.
John Blackett, a deputy of the Ward, in the chair.
The CIIAIIINIAN having stated that the present meet-
ing was called in consequence of a letter which he re-
ceived, on Saturday last, from their late worthy and re-
spected Alderman, said, that previous to laying before
the meeting any plan for their consideration, he would
,first communicate the contents of the letter to them,
'After reading the letter referred to, which was dated
" Ingress MOT; November la," and announced the
worthy Alderman's intention to resign. the Chairman
then stated that a letter had been received from Sir
James Williams, and, at the request of Mr. Obbard,
read it. Its contents were to the effect, that unless the
Ward were unanimous, he would decline putting him-
self forward as a candidate. The letter was dated
" Liverpool, November 18, 1840."
Mr..l. l'oNTlrlix observed, that, as Sir J. Williams
had declared that he would not come forward unless the
office was unanimously bestowed upon him, the ques-
tion was, would the electors who were pledged to the
candidates who would be proposed, think it necessary
to withdraw their claims.

Mr. FEARON said that any difficulty which might
have arisen upon Sir James Williams being proposed,
was avoided by his expressing himself as being unwill-
ing to contest his claim. Another requisition, how-
ever, had been presented to Sir James Duke, who is a
Member of Parliament, who was 8 years in the Common
Council, who has also been one of the Sheriffs of the City
of London,and who has been 21 years connected with the
Coal Exchange. The only objection that could arise
to that gentleman was, that he was a non-resident ; but he
Mr. Fearon, ryas told that he had conqcnted to reside in
the Is-Ai-1.-4 ppl,us(-.) (In.: troi,r ~r,,titneric iu
of MIL oiti, ,t
tut the. Mitti,ier..--1 11,:t.) lie then ..t.:trd sti t there
titty tc...ltti:itiott to Sit
Duke, than to that to Mr. Butterworth.

Some of the meeting wished that Sir James Duke
might be requested to attend, when it having been
stated that he was at a short distance from the Inquest-
room, it was proposed that he should be called. A
desire was also expressed that Mr. Butterworth should
be applied to for his attendance, when it was moved,
seconded, and agreed to that a messenger be sent to
each of the candidates. In a few minutes Sir James
Duke entered the room, and was loudly cheered. The
messenger who was sent to Mr. Butterworth, returned
with an answer that be was not at home, and that they
did not know when he would be.

Mr. J. PONTIFEX next read the requisition that had
been drawn up, and which was signed by 240 electors,
when

Sir JAmEs DUKE rose, and was received with loud
applause. He observed that in soliciting the high honour
of offering himself as a candidate for the office of Alder-
man, he was aware that he was taking upon himself a
heavy responsibility. But he felt that pride that he
was supported by gentlemen of high character, intelli-
gence, and independanee, who would watch over his
conduct.—(Neer.) lie, therefore, knew that he must
discharge the duties with credit to the Ward. He
then referred to the past actions of his life, observing
that there were many in that room who were witnesses
that he had done no act which had done him any dis-
honour.—( Hear.) lie had been recently elected a
Member of Parliament ; and should he be chosen Al-
derman, he would be happy to render his services where
his Parliamentary duties could avail.
Mr. OEBAKD said that he had not referred to his non-
residence in the Ward.
Sir JAMES DUKIC then gave his pledge that he would
take up his place of residence in the Ward.
Mr. J. PONTIFEX having referred to the corruption
of the Corporation, asked Sir James Duke if he would
use his exertions to reform that body ?
Sir JAMES DUKE promised that he would.
Mr. GALLOWAY wished to know whether, in case of
any change of circumstances in his life he would feel it
his duty to resign ?
Sir JAMES DUKE considered the question highly
proper, and he assured the meeting that if it should
happen that from any infirmity of body, or any circum-
stances that he should happen to
.be incompetent to
fulfil, the duties, he would come forward and resign
the office.
Mr. J. PONTIFEX then moved a resolution, " that
this meeting having heard the opinions expressed by Sir
James Duke, the answer he has made to all theques-
ques-
tions submitted, is highly satisfied, and they request that
he would allow himself to be put up as a candidate for
the office of Alderman, in compliance with a
requisi-
tion, most respectably signed by 240 of the electors,
who arc pledged to support him.

Mr. PONTIFEX, sen., seconded it.
Messrs. Taylor, Beckwith, Kelk, &c., addressed the
meeting, when

The-CHAIRMAN put the question, which was carried
by 120 to 10.
S:r JAMES DUKE pledged himself to stand the contest.
Thanks were then passed to the Chairman, who re-
plied, when the meeting broke up.

The Earl of Derby is surrounded by a family
circle at Knowsley Park,
consisting of Lord and Lady
Stanley and family, Hon. Mr. and Mrs. Stanley, Colonel
Hornby, &c. Last week Lord Stanley, Hon. E. Stanley,
and Colonel Hornby had three hours' shooting in the pre-
serves, and killed a vast number of birds.

'he inquest on the two mien killed last week at Har-
row was resumed yesterday before Mr. Wakley ; who
stated that he had, as the jury wished for the evidence
of Sir F. Smith, written to the Board of Trade on the
subject, but had received no answer. It was stated that
Sir Frederick had gone to investigate the accident on •
the Great Midland Railway.
George Adams examined—l am breakstnan em-
ployed on the London and Birmingham Railway. I
was with the train on the night of the accident, and
saw the signal of the red light about a quarter of a
mile before reaching the Harrow station, and I in-
stantly put on the break ; I also saw the policeman's
red light, and heard him call out " hold on." The
policeman was about 250 yards from the station towards
Watford. At the rate we were going I should have
required a signal from half a mile to three-quarters to
stop. The distance -from the point to where the
policeman stood is between 2 and 300 yards. (The
witness then described the number of carriages of which
the train consisted, and the incidents of its journey ;
such as stoppages, &c.) He then proceeded as fol-
lows :-1 bad a conversation at Boxmoor with the de-
ceased Simpson and Martin Brown, but I was not in-
formed of there being any 'obstruction on the line.
The first warning I had of danger was the police-
man's light. The policeman was -on the down_line. I
was standing on the right hand side of-theAlaiEwaggons-...
There was no other than the usual signal-to
alarm. When there is any obstruction on the line
a red flag or lamp is shown. When any accident has
occurred on any part of the line it is custo-
mary to receive information of the same, on reaching
the nearest station, from the officers on duty. The
signal-light at :the station could be seen oa a clear
night for a mile. I carry a book, in which I put down
the time the train arrives at each station. At the time
when I first saw the policeman the train was going at
about 25 miles an hour. There is a station at Wat-
ford, which is about six miles from Harrow, but I saw
no signal of danger there. All the policemen I saw
between Chiddington and the Boxmoor station, held a
'white signal, signifying all was right ; but, on reaching
Boxmoor, there was a red lamp shown, as they had a
waggon to attach to our train ; but I did riot take it,
as there was another train close behind us.

By the Conn.NER—I heard the porter on the plat-
form call out " Hold on, hold on ;" the break was
down ; the first thing I saw was the engine roll over,
and the train came to a dead stop ; the waggon which
I was in was not thrown off the line, but ten or twelve
of the carriages went off ; the first engine was not off
the line ; I was the first who saw the bodies of the
deceased. Simpson was lying partly under one of the
waggons belonging to the Midland Counties Rail-
way ; I can't say if Simpson had shut off the steam
before the accident happened. The break was
not of much use for the first mile, as the train was
coming down hill. The engine that they ran
against was the cause of the two men losing their
fives. I knew Simpson ever since he has been on the
line, which is about four months. He was a very fast
driver, he ought never to have exceeded 25 miles an
hour with goods, There was no fixed time for the
train to have reached the station. Simpson drove faster
than any other driver on the luggage train. I never
complained of him to my employers, but I have often
told him not to drive so fast, when he replied, " I al-
ways like to drive fast where I can go to get home." I
never saw him intoxicated. I have been a breaksman
about eighteen months. I had written instructions given
to me, part of which direct that 1 was to report any mis-
conduct on the part of an engine driver.
David Peck, a policeman, No. 38, on the London
and Birmingham Railway, at the Harrow station, was
next examined at considerable length. His evidence
was briefly this m--There was plenty of time for the
train to have stopped if the drivers of the engines had
paid attention to any signal. At a rate of :23 miles an
hour the train might have been stopped in a quar-
ter of a mile, and before they arrived at harrow station.
Ira my opinion the cause of the accident was the great
speed at which the two engines were driving, and no
attention being paid to my signal. I never knew an
engine driver leave his engine as Bradhurn did.
Mr. John Bedford, Superintendent of Police on the
London and Birmingham Railway, considered the no-
tice given at this station quite sufficient to avoid danger
of an accident by a break down a mile and three-quar-
ters on the other side of it. He was of opinion, also,
that had not the engine No. 15, been as it was upon
the rail, a much more serious accident would have
happened, as no attention had been paid to the sig-
nals of the Harrow Station. The engines and train
would have come right into the carriages at Wood-
stock 11111, where forty or fifty men were
at work, and he believed the loss of life
would have been much more frightful. Wein were,
moreover, expecting Bradbury's engine to return, and
we should have thought it was that coming. It is a pe•
remptory order of the illompany that the driver of an
engine shall stop at every nation when the red signals
arc hoisted. 1 have had a report from this station of
the (irk er Simpson's misconduct in driving past the sta-
tions without regarding the signals. It was from the
inspector, who is now dead, and was about two months
back ; I traumnitted time report to the chief su;terintetylnnt
,me,t If.
,! •-.: :b
mo,u eim
0: ilk• :;,t,

la%

.1101111 LA z:d
urged the importance of obtaining the evidence of Sir
FrAerick Smith, as also if possible that of the stoker of
82 engine, Quinlin, who still lies at the Queen's Arms,
in a dangerous condition ; with this view, he proposed
they should adjourn until a late day nest week. Mr.
Berry said Sir F. Smith bad already made his report
to the Board of Trade, and the Coroner hoped then
they should get that at all events. After much further
conversation, the investigation was at eight o'clock again
adjourned, until ten o'clock on Wednesday morning next.

SIR THONIAS DICK LAUDER'S NEW WORK.
—l'he Highlands of Scotland have long been regarded as
the chief preserve of the romantic legend, the singular
and very interesting nature of which has hitherto been
very inadequately made known. We are glad, therefore,
to learn that Sir Thomas Dick Lauch.r, an experienced
and popular writer of Scottish story, who has enjoyed ex-
traordinary advantages in collecting his materials, is about
to produce a most welcome addition to the legends we bare
already secured, in the shape of a series of highly-charac-
teristic traditions diecovercd by him in some of the wildest
and most mountainous districts of Scotland. He has
styled them ‘. Legendary Tales of the Highlands ;" and
it said that their novelty, variety, and romantic character,
possess many additional attractions front the picturesque
inanntr in which they arc presented to reader's atten-
tion, and that they are likely to take their place among
the most valuable illustrations of history ever made public.
STOCKJOI3BING IN PARIS.—The Frankfort
Journal contains the following remarks On the exati'iina-
tion ordered by the Keeper of the Seals under the Tillers'
Cabinet, relative to the Bourse s;•eculations which took
place at the period of a great fall in the public funds,
owing to the news relating to the Eastern Question. Ia
Boulloche,
t.ue editors of
summoned
the way in which the affair was set about it was easy to
ofpersons, Instruction,
especially
I see that it would not be attended with success. The
Judge
o f
ot
a
number journals, in
order to interrogate them on that subject, the greater part
replied that they could not themselves give up the names
of the guilty parties, but that it would be very easy for
the Parquet to discover them, by interrogating all the
stockbrokers, and by ordering them to have their books
inspected, in conformity with the law, in which are to be
inscribed all the names of the speculators that have given
commissions. M. Boulloche favourably received that
in-
formation ; but, although the law gave him the right of
interrogating the stockbrokers, he ((mined himself to re-
fer all future proceedings to the head of _
Finance
paerequsentti
who, in his turn, appealed to the Minister of of
of the Cabinet
the President of the Council. A decision
hich
it
was
of the Ist of March was the result,
b;
lw
Parquet and to
pro-
hibited to cite stockbrokers before
he
compel them to produce their ieh would henceforth books,
inasmuch as it would
be establishing a precedent, w
its
money in the funds of
pre-
vent the public from investing
the State.
Ky.—
12th inst. mentionsth
A Berlin letter of the
FRENCH CA
VAL
departure of the Russian Minister
Peetesburh and beve
of Finance for S_
tc'er, whro, aftegr, havingsa puyrchasedWe a great
here a French officer,
number of horse
s in the Duchy of Brunswick, is come to
endeavour to obtainsc from the Prussian Government permit.
rt them by the Prussian litre of customs. It
sion to transport thewi by the Prussian liwe of customs, l
extremely
doubtful, whether he will gain his
is, bow.ver' exGovernment is likely to insist
strictly on the
object, as out
observance of its interdiction against the export of horses,
utttila continuance of the peace is put entirely out of
doubt." The 12th Regiment of Dragoons, quartered atVa.
lenciennes,"says the Franc Parleur, a Meuse journal, "had
been authorised to make purchase of 200 horses, of which
it stood in need. Bargains had been made, and the deli-
veries had commenced ; but a Ministerial order has arrived
revoking the authority previously given, and the purchases
have been annulled, the horses being left in the hands of
. the sellers, without any compensation."

EVEN EIMTION:_

EGYPT AND MEHEMET ALL

Tne true way to consider the commercial, agricultu-
ral, and military greatness of Egypt, is to compare her
mercantile marine with her naval armament, her armies

with her agricultural population, and her revenues with
the resources of her people. Now, the mercantile ship-
ping belonging to the port of Alexandria falls short of
20 ships exceeding 100 tons ; while the ships of war

amount to 11 vessels of the line, 6 frigates, 5 corvettes,

4 schooners, 5 brigs, '2 cutters, 2 small steamers on the
Nile, and one sea-going steam-ship.
This naval power, enormous when compared with the
mercantile marine, weighs heavily on the resources of
the country. But the burden of the maintenance of the

Turkish fleet presses still more heavily on them. That
fleet, now lying useless in the harbour of Alexandria,
consists of 24 vessels, 9 ships of the I;ne, 11 frigates,
1 corvette, and 3 brigs. The total number of Turkish
sailors and soldiers,i.icluding 3,000 of the latter belong-
ing to this fleet, is 21,124 ; and to keep these men in
subjection, the Nacha is compelled to pay them very
punctually. But, with all his efforts to keep them quiet,
it is impossible to reconcile them to their captivity.
Numbers of them Live already taken refuge on board
our ships ; some have fled into the desert, in the hope of
getting back to Turkey, and have been carried back to
Alexandria. _ _ _

The total number of men in the Egyptian marine is
20,000 ; so that the marine force now at the disposal
,nd at the cost of Mehemet Ali exceeds 40,000 men,
:etween Turks and Egyptians.
When I quitted Egypt in 1828, the battle of Nava-
rino had left the Pacha of Egypt two frigates. The
arsenal was not then in existence, nor the palace, which
is now contiguous to it. In the course of twelve years
I find Mehemet Ali master of two fleets, consisting of

sixty vessels of war, with a marine of 40,000 men, and
an arsenal in which the greater number of his own ships
have been built, and occupying a site which, twelve
years ago, was a sandy beach.
Poor diet for the miserable fellabs is all the military
glory of Mehemet Ali.
. .

The army, according to the latest official returns of
the Government, consists of 130,300 regular troops,
distributed in Egypt, Syria. Candia, the Hedjaz, and
Upper Nubia. National Guards of the chief cities of
Egypt, 47,800 men ; and irregular troops in Arabia
and Nubia, including the Bedouins, 41,678.—T0ta1, in
round numbers, 9.20,000 men. This statement is
greatly exaggerated, and recent events have diminished
the number of the Pacha's troops, considerably.

iThe exi;,Ygeration of the number of regular troops is
normoUS ; the total number of Egyptian troops now in

Syria does not exceed 23,000 men. The number of

troops in Egypt, Arabi.►, and Nubia may he estimated
at :JO,OOO ; the irregular troops, consisting of Albanians
awl Bedouin Arabs, at the utmost may be estimated at

5,0 00 men, and the National Guards at =25,000 more

Total of the effective military force of Mehemet Ali,
.105,000 men. To which, if the Egyptian marine force

. ,
be added, of 20,000 men, the joint amount would be
125,000 men. The Turkish marine Ido not take into

account, bec Inge Mehemet Ali could not count on its
I.lelity to him in any emergency. The above state-
ment is founded on the information of official persons
deeply interested in ascertaining the real strength of the
Pacha's army.

Ia a coantry whose population hardly exceeds two
millions, and where the females are to the males in
the proportion of 13.5 to 100, where the scarcity of

. .
hinds to cultivate the soil is so great, and the repug-
nance of the people to abandon that soil so notorious,
tic keeping op of an army of 125,000 men, and of a
na%y of 30 vessels of war, with 20,000 marines, inde-
pendently of the Turkish fleet and force, cannot even-
tually prove otherwise than ruinous to the resources of
it. 'Phis army is officered by Turks and Mamelukes ;
its instructors arc French and Italians, chiefly the for.

mer ; and Colonel SAves, now Soliman Pacha, formerly
au aide-de-camp of Marshal Grouchy, has the title of
a Boy, and the rank in it of a General of Division.
Soliman Pacha is the person to whom Mehemet Ali
committed the introduction of Europen tactics into his
army, and he certainly deserves the highest credit for
the manner in which he has acquitted himself of that
t isk. In the year 182'2 this revolution in the military
discipline of his army was commenced by Mehemet Ali.
F,ve hundred of his young Mamelukes were placed at the
disposal of Col. Selves, and with these the Colonel com-
menced the new system at Assouan. Five hundred more
of the sons of the Pucha's chief officers of state, and
the grandees of the large towns, were soon added
to the number and these young men having been
trained for officers, an army was sought for them to com-
mand. 'The unmanageable Albanian and Turkish sol-
diers of the Paeha it would have been useless to have
attempted to select for this experiment. It was deter-
..nined to ravage unfortunate Africa for recruits, The
slave hunts were duly organised in Kordofan, and 30,000
negroes were dragged away in chains, and carried down
to Manfalout to be made soldiers of atter the European
fashion. Six yegitnents were formed of these negroes,
and four of these were sent to the Morea to fight against
the Greeks. I happened to he in the island of Candia
when they arrived there from Egypt, in the latter part
of the year 1824, on their way to the Mores. Here
they were encamped for the winter months, and here
about two-thirds of then miserably perished from the
effects of cold and hardship, and the despair of ever see-
jog their own land again. They could not be said to
die of any disease—they drooped and pined away, and
many a black corpse has been thrown on the beach in
the Bay 'of Soda while the army of Ibrahim Paella was
encamped in that place.
The rest of the negro troops, who were sent into
Arabia and Sennaar, perished by thousands, and in a
little time the skeleton of the regiment was all that re-
mained of 30,000 stolen men. The poor Arabs were
now destined to replace the negroes ; this was the first
time the fellahs were ever taken from their homes to be
made soldiers of, and their repugnance to this service
was not overcome, but was terrified into apparent sub-
mission by the courbash. This was the beginning of
the greatest calamity that ever fell on them, and it has
gone on augmenting their misery for upwards of fifteen
years.

The Syrian conscription amounted to about 36,000 ;
but of those 17,000 only were distributed among the
Egyptian forces in Syria, and the rest were sent to Egypt,
and desertions to a large amount have reduced the num-
ber of the former. Far from deriving any pecuniary
advantage from his conquests, every conquest of Me-
hemet Ali has proved burdensome to Egypt. This cer-
tanly does not arise from any want of inclination to
avail himself of the resources of the country he has
conquered, but from the effects of the excessive rapacity
of his Government. The excess of expenditure over
the revenues in Syria amounted in 1838 to 120,000
francs, and yet the taxes imposed on the people of
Syria were enormous. In some districts the capitation
tax amounted to 32 piastres a head, the toleration
tax on Christians from 22 to 60 piastres a head, the
house-tax from 13 to 500 piastres a house, the tax on
a silk-loom 300 piastres, on an olive-tree 150 piastres,
on a yoke of oxen from 30 to 50 piastres, on a mule
40 piastres, on a sheep 20 piastres, on other animals 10
piastres a head. And what with taxation, the aban-
Illn-nent of cultivation, the effects of the conscrip-
tions, the constant requisitions of beasts of burden for
the use of the army, and the excesses of the troops,
the price of provisions was raised in many places 100
per cent., and on some articles of food 200 per cent.
It is to be feared that Mehemet Alt's career will
still be like that of the rapacious barons in former times,
" whose life was but a battle and a march, never rest-
ing, but driven like the wind across the war-convulsed
land." R. R. MADDEN.