The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-08 00:00:00

U 'O'DAY ORNING

NA VAL INTELLIGENCE.

.RTSMAJTH,'ThEsPAY.—i he Si.. V Ince:a, 120, Cap-
tain Min.e, flag of Admiral Sir Chariea (_).,le, Bart.,
Cow inander-in Chief nL this port, was taken out of duck
last evening, naviug had her bottom cleaned. She will
complete the repair of her deiecta in tee basin, and be
expedited for sea service with all dispatch Nearly the
whole of her stern has teen taken to pieces, and is in
course of recons:rucuon. The new rigging of this fine
old three-decker has been set up in a style of masterly
exce,lenc:. which even a lai.dsmen cannot fail to notice,
and drew the attention of the Secretary of the Admiralty
and the Board west tnaikedl on their recent visit of
invecti-n.
Undine steam-vessel, Master Commander Alley,
was taken into the duck vacated by the S. Vincent, to
repair defects. She is to be coated over the bottom with
the same kiwi of composition as that with which the
Fairy has been recently paid. During one portion of her
trial trip, on Thursday last, she is reported to have
steamed at the rate of 14 knots per hour.
The Royal yacht Victoria and Albert, Captain Lord
Adolphus Fitzclai ence, wus removed from the basin to-
day, and taken alongside the Blake hulk in the harbour,
to prepare for sea service. The nursery apartments in
this vessel have been enlarged, and the approaches to
them rendered less dangerous for the Royal .b'ausily and
attendaets. We believe the almost perpendicular stair-
case which led from outside her Majesty's apartments to
those of the Royal children has been rebuilt in a less
awkward manner and situation.
-We have had an opportunity of witnessing the pro-
gress made by the boys entered on board the Victory in
the seamanlike exercises of reefing and furling and un-
furling sails, broad sword pracice., manning yards, gene
ral quarters, and all the maeceuvres incidental to the
duties of a sailor, and they perform them, with.-astylo44-
precision and seamlike alacrity which reflects the very
highest credit upon them and their officers. Captain
Pasco has scarcely had his crew of boys under his charge
three months; they went on board the Victory from the
plough-tail, and the great majority of them were the
poor starved peasantry of Ireland an't Scotland. who had
travelled all the way trout their distant homes on foot to
enter for her Mujesty's navy; great, therefore, must have
been the exertion made and the pains taken to bring
them to their present state of efEtiency, as they are now
fit to be draughted into any ship fur sea-going service,
either at home or abroad. We have often thought it
would be a good thing to devote a ship to the exclusive
service of exercising boys and bringing them forward for
the navy, in other words, a nursery ship; and as the Vic-
tory is not fit for fighting it would be a noble purpose to
devote her to, both on account of her size and conveni-
ence in eve ry other respect, and the associations with
which sh .? is so gloriously connect: d, which could not but
have an influence upon the mind of every genuine as-
pirant for fame in the naval service of his country.
Woor.wiest, APRIL 6.—The Amphion steam-frigate,
in. charger of Lieutenant Siobald, arrived at Woolwich
from Greenhithe on Sunday afternoon to have metal
valves fitted to her air pumps instead of canvass, the
material of which they were originally constructed, to
‘lispense with their noise when working.
The Salamander steam sloop has had her orders, to
be pen off at Woolwich to-day countermanded, and
she will continue in commission until further notice is
given.
The Sphynx steam-sloop was taken into the basin at
Woolwich yesterday.
The Kite steam-vessel has had her engines refitted,
and got up her steam yesterday to try them in the basin.
The Hon. H. G. Ward, Secretary to the Admiralty,
visited the Dockyard to-thy, with some friends, and
went over the various departments.
The workmen in the Dockyard were permitted to
leave an hour earlier to day by order of the Commodore-
Superintendent, to afford those entitled to vote an op-
portunity of tendering their suffrages in the election of
thirty commissioners and a churchwarden for the town
asd parish of Woolwich.
The Porcupine steam vessel being still required for
service on the coast of Ireland, Captain Bullock has re-
sumed his surveying duties in boats, and will land every
evening and perfect his draughts at the nearest farm-

houses.
Royal Marines-148 non-commissioned officers and
men of the Chatham division arrived at Woolwich on
Saturday afternoon, under the command of Captain
Urquhart, with two subalterns, to do duty in the place
of the detachment of the Woolwich division which left
here last week for Portugal.

THE LATE CONFLAGRATION AT
HIBERNIA WHARF.
On Tuesday afternoon Mr. William Payne and a re-
spectable jury assembled at the Bridge-house Hotel,
Londoa-bridge, for the purpose of inquiring into the
circumstances connected with the recent conflagration
at Hibernia-% hurl, the property of Mr. Alderman Hum-
phery,.M.P.
William Monroe, the foreman of Hibernia-wharf, said
he left the premises for the last time at 20 minutes past
two o'clock on Sunday morning. He was the last per-
son in the warehouse. He had been working with
.five
other men on the wharf till that hour, in landing and
shipping Roods. When he left he locked up the pre-
mises, and carried the keys home with him. The ware-
house was lighted with three gas burners, and it was
witness's duty to extinguish the lights before he left,
which he did on the morning in question. The last gas-
light he put out was in the counting-house, where he
lighted a candle, and on getting to the door he pinched
the snuff, and placed the candle outside of the building.
The men on the wharf were not allowed to smoke, and
n'•ver did so. The goods in the premises were of a ge-
neral description. There were in one part about 200
poeltpts of hops. In another part there was a quantity
of rags, and a few bali-s of shoddy.
-A juror here explained that shoddy was a dressing of
Yorkshire cloth, and th.' most dangerous article that
could be placed in any building. It was of an oily na-
turf•, and if the least quantity of water got upon it, it
would cause th,., sub:Aimee to ignite spontaneously. He
(the juror) had been obliged himself to throw some into
the Thalies on several occasions. . _ .

Owen M. Cross, another workman, said that he saw
nothing in the warehouse likely to take fire. lie was
in the middle floor during the night, and 'had a candle
with him, which he stood on the head of an empty beer
ca-k. He did not put the light out till he got on to the
wl-thrf. lie could not tell in what part of the building
the fire began.
Edward Hamilton, engineer of the Tooley-street Bri-
gade station, said that he arrived at the wharf between
a quarter of an hour and 20 minutes past three on Mon -
day morning with the first engine. lie then saw fire at
the side window in the court. lie could not form any

idea as to where the fire began.
Thomas Brooks, a foreman at Hay's wharf, said that
he had been desired by the Alderman to attend and an-
swer any questions the court might put. He had occa-
sionally been at Hibernia- wharf to deliver in goods. He
had loaded at different times many a ton of shoddy, but
had never had an accident with any.
A juror—But you turn it over, do you not, whilst it
is in the warehouses?
Witness answered in the affirmative, and explained
that it was done to prevent overheating.
William Wilkinson, sub-engineer at the Southwark-
bridge-road station, said that shortly after his arrival,
on one of the shutters being burned away, he saw that
the gas pipe had mthed, and the gas was burning,
which could not have been the case if the gas had been
turned off at the main. He foand the wrench on the
maui, but the pipe was so rusty that it could not be
turned. It had evidently not been turned off that night.
Monroe, upon being recalled, admitted that he might
have neglected to turn the main cock off.
Joseph Willy, the
enenpofurelielwvdaa,mtneeei
ointwnuhatts,etrsciihnbsmisafayonrs,emmsotthr
naketeei
ndndgoi
.5
discovery
oTas
vtmhe
They
pfiwasraes.semdHatdheee,s
apwr
when
tmhieahemse.
were perfectly sober.
The Coroner having summed up the evidence. the
jury consulted, and returned the following verdict:—
."I'hat there is not sufficient evidence to enable them
(the jurors) to decide how the fire originated, but in
their opinion there is every probability that it arose
from the spontaneous combustion of some bales of waste
or shoddy."

THE NATIONAL DEBT.
(From the London Gazette of Tuesday.)
The Lords Commissioners of her MaPsty's Tressum
having certified to the Commissionerz.2.r the Reductiod.'
of the National Debt, in pursuat the Act
iotfr
George IV., cap. 27, sec. 1, that the actual surplus re-
venue of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, beyond the actual expenditure thereof, for the
year ended the sth day of January, 1847, amounted to
. .
.the sum of 2,846,3071. 19s. 2d.
The Corntrission,rs for the Reduction of the National
Debt, hereby give notice, that the sum of 711,576/. 19s. 9d.
(1-pinm ,ne-fourth part of the said surplus of 2,846.3071.
19s. 2d.)- kill be applied, under the provisions of the said
Act, between the 7th day of April, 1847, and the 15th
(lay of July, 1847, to the following purposes, viz.:—
To be applied to the purchase of £. a. d.
Stock ... ••• ••• ... 11,576 19 9
To be applied to the purchase of
Exchequer (Supplyor Deficiency)
Bills ... ••• . . 700,000 0 0

£711,576 19 9
Add interest receivable on account
of Donations and B,quests, to
be applied to the purchase of
Stock ... 1,350 12 7

£712.927 12 4
S. HIGH AM, Controller-General.
National Debt•oflice, April 6, 1847.

MELANCHOLY DEATH OF Two GUARDSMEN.—A
melancholy accident occurred on Monday evening to
two privates belonging to the Coldstream Guards. One
of them, who had been married vie same forenoon at the
military chapel, proceeded on board one of the Green-
wich boats, in company with his bride and comrade. It
appears that the first mentioned, on the boat passing
it, .t; ,ei he, by some unlucky heave, stumbled
backwards and tell into 'be river. He sank wmost m
medtately, and was seen no m..re Ihe second sold or
perceiving the accident, plunged into the water, but so
tar front succeeding in the noble effort to save his corn-
rado's life, lost his own.

SOUTH WALES RAILWAY.

A special general meeting of this company was held
Yeslion'ery, at the offices of the Great Western Railway,
Pa idington station, for the purpose of taking into con-
sideration the drsfts of the:Undermentioned Bills, applied
for in the present session, viz. :
A Bill fur making certain ne`w lines of railway in con-
nexion with the South Wales Railway, and certain alter-
ations in the line of the saki railway, and for other pur-
poses ; and also certain propositions proposed to be in-
serted in such Bill enabling the South Wales Railway
Company to subscribe towards the undertakings of the
Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow. and Dublin, and the
Cork and Waterford Railway Companies ;
A Bill for making a railway from Abercrave Farm, in
the parish of Ystradgurila,is, in the county of Brecon,
to Swansea, in the county of Glamorgan, with branches,
to be called the Swansea Valley Railway;
A Bill for enabling the Vale of Neath Railway to
construct certain new lines of railway in connexion with
the Vale of Neath Railway, and for other purposes ;
A Bill t 3 enable the Llynvi Vailey Railway Company
to make an extension of their railway to Newcastle, in
the county of Glamorgan, tad to amend the Act re-
lating to their said railwal; to be called the " Llynvi
Valley Railway Extension;
A Bill to authorise the. Gloucester and Dean Forest
Railway Company to construct a dock or basin at Glou-
cester, in connexion with the said railway;
A Bill to authorise certain alterations in the line of
the Waterford, Wexford, Wjeldew,
0-.0 be and Dublin Rail-
way, and to amend the Ad -elating thereto, and also
certain provisions proposed inserted in the said
last-mentioned Bill, enablingithe South Wales Railway
Company to subscribe to t 'undertaking of the Water-
ford, Wexford, Wicklow, ~in Railway Company.
Vsmemse_ltustagez; , , ..:.k-"the chair, and, after
the usual preliminaries, said he supposed the small at-
tendance must be accounted for by the Easter holidays.
The directors (lid not usually like to make their state-
ment to a thin meeting ; but, indeed, that had been done
so fully at the last half-yearly meeting both in their
report, which was then presented, and the comments
which accompanied it, that nothing more remained for
them to say than that various new projects which the
company meant to apply for to Parliament this session
would be presented to them for their approval. That
was the object of their meeting, which had been
specially called in obedience to Lord Wharn-
cliffe's resolutions, and the standing orders
of the House of Lords. The directors had hoped to
have jnade some progress with these Bills; but, in con-
sequence of some financial returns having had to be
made up, the Railway Committees had been postponed,
and they were yet betbre the House of Commons. The
object of the Bills which would be laid before them for
their formal approval that day was fully explained at
the last general meeting, when it is ceived the sanction
of the assembled shareholders. The first Bill, which
was to effect certain alterations and deviations in the
South Wales line, proposed to take powers for a variation
to the east of Newport, in order to avoid the churchyard.
there, «hich the railway ran close to, if it did not cross
it ; and variations near the towns of Cardiff and Car-
marthen, the effect of the latter being to bring the line
through the town of Bridge-end. These variations
would increase the traffic and the accommodation of the
line, while they would diminish the cost rather than
increase it. Another provision of the Bill was a branch
which would bring the line down to the neighbourhood
of the Breton ferry ; and a third proposed an exten-
sion which would effect a better entrance to the
river Severn, and sanctioned for that purpose
the purcliaseof the Forest of Dean Railway. The Bill also
sanctioned the arrangement which must be very agree-
able to the proprietors, and was announced at last half
yearly meeting, to advance by agreement with the Great
Western Company, the interest from four to five per
cent. The Bill further was framed to enable the South
Wales Company to give their assistance to certain Irish
lines. It was thought to be for the interest of the com-
pany to keep the Bills obtained for these Irish lines alive,
and as the companies had determined to proceed with them
but to proceed very slowly, the directors thought it their
duty to subscribe for a certain number of shares, with
the intention, as soen as they had given effect to their
Bills, to divest themselves of them.

A SHAREHOLDER interposing—But how were they
purchased. At what price? There must be a loss.
The CHAIRMAN said they of course took the shares at
par; and that was at a time when the market was in a
different condition. _

A SHAREHOLDER—I object to this; it brings on the
company only the rick of loss and no profit. Why. does
not the Great Western Company take up these projects?
What interest has the South Wales in them?

The CHAIRMAN said the interest was very evident.
The South Wales were guaranteed by the Great West-

ern five per cent. and half the surplus profits. Now thv
Irish schemes might just be those which would create

;he surplus profit—. 'Where, then, was the risk of loss?

. .
A SHAREHOLDER—We are guaranteed only to a certain
amount, I believe 4,000,0004 ; ii),here not risk beyond
that ?

The CHAIRMAN said the Great Western were, no
doubt, confined to that amount in connexion with the
South Wales project itself, but in relation to others, they
guaranteed 5 per cent. on every extra advance so made.
There could not, therefore, be any risk.
A good deal of conversation followed, in which some
two gentlemen objected to the subscription to the Irish
schemes, on account of the difficulties existing at present
in the money market.
The CHAIRMAN informed them that the arrangement
Bill
had been already entered into with these railways,
under the sanction of the pllroprietors. He said he
had sib eady spoken of the
which concerned
the South Wales ; the next Bill was for the Swan-
sea Valley line. Some time since a company was con-
stituted called the Swansea Valley CompsnY, who made
a short railway in the neighbourhood of Swansea; ano-
ther company was formed who extended that line up the
Vale, and connected it with all the works. Last year
when this company was threatened with the Welsh Mid-
land Bill, some doubt existed whether that project would
not pass through in connexion with the great works of
the neighbourhood. This company,
therefore, had
thought proper to purchase the Swansea Valley line, for
which 70,000/. had been already advanced, and which,
•
when all the works were completed, would cost in all
about 220,0001.; but that had already been before the
proprietors and received their sanction, nor would it have
been again submitted to theta except in
obedience to the
standing orders of the House of Lords. Surely
it must appear to them a worthy object to connect all
the works and the mineral resources of the valley with
their main lime.
Why, they were only looking to their
own interests when they sought"to augment the feeders
of their general traffic. The next Bill was for the Vale
of Neath Railway. The directors, con‘idering the pro-
prit ty,of associating that scheme with the main system,
had been in negotiation with the Vale of Neath Cora •
pany, and though they had not purchased, they had taken
an interest in it to the amount of 125,000 L The Bill
therefore which they were to apply for was to render
the Vale of Neath Railway more effective.
The next Bill which they had to present to them the,
was the Gloucester and Forest of Dean Railway, and
the last was for the two Irish Bills, which they hoped
at some future time would be most beneficial to them.
It would not be prudent to regard a temporary difficulty
when there was so much prospective good.
The SECRETARY then read the Bills.
quite satisfied with the
Mr. SAMPSON said he was
promise of the chairman, that the Great Western Rail-
way Company should guarantee them all the capital ne-
cessary.
Resolutions adopting the Bills were then read, and
unanimously carried.
The meeting then resolved itself into a special and
extraordinary meeting, for the purpose of taking into
consideration the propriety of purchasig the Gloucester
and Forest of Dean Railway. .
The following resolution was Accordingly put and
unanimously agreed to
That the directors of the South Wales Railway Com-
pany be, and they are hereby authorised to purchase and
take a transfer trom the Gloucester and Dean Forest
Railway Company of such prtion of the undertaking
authorised by the Gloucester and Dean Forest Railway
Act, 1846, as consists of the railway extending from or
near from the Grenge, otherwise Grenge-court, in the
parish of Westbury-upon-Severn, in the county of Glothe said last-men-
w
tester, to ur near liagloa Farm, in the parish of Aure, in
powers and privi-
:tioned company in respect thereto, on such terms and
;7e7,lncoenclerurnedt
conditions as to them may seem expedient, and also to
execute all necessary sad proper deeds, and to do all ne-
y,byanodealslaitdheArcitghotas,
acts fur effecting cessary and proper such sale and
transfer."
The meeting then adjourned.

LONDON AND BRIGHTON AND

Bills now before
SOUTH COAST RAILWAY.
A general meeting of the shareholders of thtmcdoornn,
pbariidi);ewatesrihneinldusy,estoterrdtabye.,pautropnoeseo'oclfocic, at the
giving the sanction
The Bills were as fellow:—
Ilyari,degeaci
required by thce. lija.teuArecntfetoil,thEesq7vieurte
chair.
A Bill to enable the London, Brighton, and South
Coast Railway Con3pany, to enlarge their Terminal Sta.
and for the &-
lion at London-bridge, and to divide such station perma-
nently from that of the South-Easter!! Railway Company.
A Bill for Enlarging the present Station 4 the ,Lon-
don, ,Brighten, and South Coast, and of the South-
Eastern, and of the London and
.Greenwich Railway
the London, Brighton, and South Coast and the south-
Eastern Railway Companies, for the separate accommo-
Co
visionm p Companies,
essu'e hatporersennetaara suchnd e-
dation of the traffic of such two railway companies.
A Bill to enable the LondeNßn
g-h
toe• and South
Coast Railway CompanY to make a railway between
London, Maidstone, Canterbury, and l •
unbridge, with
branches.
A Bill to enable the Direct London and Portsmouth
Railway Company to make. an approach to the town of
Do! king, and Deviation in the Line and certain Altera-
tions in the levels of their Railway, and in the Croydon
and Epsom Railway.
A Bill to Unite and Consolidate the Direct London
and Portsmouth Railway Company with the London,.
Brighton, and South Coast Railway Company ; and
A Bill for authorising the Sale of part of the Brightoi
and Chichester (Portsmouth Extension) Railway to the
London and South-Western and the London, Brighton,