The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-24 00:00:00

SHREWSBURY AND HEREFORD

RAILWAY.

The ordinary half-yearly meeting of the proprietors of this
company was held at the British Hotel, Cockspur street,
yesterday. W. Ormsby Gore, Esq., M.l'., presided.
The advertisement calling the meeting having been read
by the Secretaty, the report, of which the follpwing is a brief
abstract, was read:—
The directors are now in negotiation with the Shrewsbury
and Chester, Shrewsbury and Birmingham, and Shropshire
Union Railway Companies, with a view of making permanent
arrangements for the erection of a joint station at Shrews-
bury.
The directors have entered into an arrangement with the
proprietors of the Leominster Canal Navigation, for the pur-
chase of that canal, a part of which will be made available
in the construction of the line, and the remainder held with
a view to future objects.
The accounts showed a total receipt of 35,911/. Is. 7d.
expenditure, 13,417/. 16s. 4d. ; leaving a balance of
22,4931. ss. 3d.
The liabilities of the company amounted to about 15,0001.,
leaving a credit balance of 7,400/. 18s. 4d.
In answer to questions, the CHAiamAN said that the Leo-
minster Canal was 16 miles in length, occupying a space of
150 acres of land, and that the purchase money was 12,000/.
It was the general opinion of the meeting that the purchase
was an advantageous one. The calls had been well paid up,
and a 2/. call would be made in the course of a short time.
The report was then adopted unanimously.
In seconding the second resolution, that the negotiations
for the purchase of the Leominster Canal should be confirmed,
Mr. Score, M.P., for Walsall, suggested that the amalga-
mation of all the lines which had their common terminus at
Shrewsbury would be advantageous to the particular in-
terest of this company and to the public at large, the more
especially as the Chester and Shrewsbury, and the Hereford
and Shrewsbury were continuous lines.
Thanks to the Chairman were then voted, and the meet-
ing separated.
It was stated in the course of the meeting that the offices
of the company would be removed from London to Chester.

--- - -
MUNIFICENCE OF THE MILLOCAACT.—" Proud of
of my heritage indeed; lam more—l love it, I reverence it
with the fondest affection, and bless the accident that made
me a Manchester man. In less than three years the noble-
spirited inhabitants of Manchester—a mere provincial town
—have given away, out of their own earnings, upwards of
three hundred thousand pounds! Oh ! how hard-hearted,
selfish, and grasping are the cottonocracy. What ducal
country can vie with such a town ? Wherever I may dwell,
I shall always look back with the fondest remembrance to
my native town, raised, as it has been, by the gigantic
efforts of the sons of toil to the honourable position of the
first commercial town in Europe."—From John Easby's Mena
TIIE ROBBERY OF DIAMONDS.—In our report of the
last examination of Kerr, upon the charge of stealing the
diamonds, Mr. Satchell was erroneously mentioned as the
solicitor for the prisoner; Mr. Nobler is, and had been from
the tire, engages for the deform.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, Feb. 23.

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack al
Five o'clock.

DESTITUTE PERSONS (IRELAND) BILL.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE moved the order of the
day for the third reading of the Destitute Persons (Ireland)
Bill.

Lord BROUGHAM said that he had already stated what
he conceived would be the necessary consequences of this
measure. Among the other objections that might be urged to
this measure was, that there were three official bodies con-
stituted to carry out the details of it. The relief commission
was the one to which ho wished to call the attention
of the House. There was no power given under the
provisions of the Act to appoint one of the commissioners
a member of the committee. It only said that it should be
lawful for the Lord-Lieutenant to nominate certain parties. It
only gave power to the Lord-Lieutenant to specify by a general
or special order applicable to the case of the parties, but it
did not make it imperative, upon him to say what the number
should be.

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY complained of the
attacks which the Noble and Learned Lord who had just sat
down was in the habit of making against the Irish landlords,
for a more kind-hearted, more just, or more beneficient body
of individuals did not exist in the empire. Their gene-
rosity at the present emergency could not be described, and
he would not venture to assert that the assistance they
had given had contributed much to alleviate the calamity.

If thi; Noble and Learned Lord was so adverse to persons
spending their money abroad, why did he not carry out his own
argument and not spend his money in France.--( Hear, hear. )
He repeated that the Irish landlords were a most beneficent
class of persons. He admitted that the want of resident
proprietors in Ireland caused much of the unhappiness in that
country. However, if Irish landlords were deprecated in the
way they had been, their tenants would become dissatisfied.
He did consider that these measures might have been more
maturely weighed. By these frequent animadversions the
Irish tenants were taught to look unfavourably upon their
landlords. He considered that the Noble Lord should not
have undertaken the Government without re-enacting the
Arms Registration Act. At the present moment the pea-
santry were parading the country in large bodies with arms.
He was satisfied that they must now extend the poor-law
system to Ireland, for the guardians appointed under it were the
wisest and best protectors both of poverty and property. He
was obliged to the House for their attention to him on this
subject. It was one on which he felt very anxious, and he had
felt it his duty to state to the House his opinion that the
measure was one calculated to benefit Ireland.
Lord BROUGHAM begged leave to set the Noble Marquis
right. The Noble Marquis had totally mistaken him, if he
was under the impression that he had meant any attack upon
the Irish people, or to run down the Irish, he could
assure the Noble marquis that he had no objection to the
measure as applied to the Irish in particular. He should have
the same objection to the measure if it were applied to the
Irish or Scotch. His objection had nothing to do with any
national peculiarity ; what he was averse to was the
system. He had no doubt that many of the measures
adopted were very munificent charities ; but his objection
applied to a great public measure. He had no objection to
Ireland, although he had not resided there any more than he
had ever pursued the diversion of bsar hunting on the Con-
tinent.—( Laughter. )
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY said that, although
he was not present, he understoood that the Noble Lord had
attacked the Irish landlords. He objected to their habits, of
horses, equipages, servants, and wino—(A laugh ) ard said
that they ought not to indulge in them. The Noble Lord
himself could go to France, and do as he pleased in
that respect, but there was no necessity for him to run down
the Irish proprietors.
Lord BROUGHAM could assure the Noble Marquis that
he never ran down an Irish proprietor any more than he ever
ran down—

( A voice from the Ministerial bench—" A bear.")
The Marquis of L A NSDO WNE here made some observa-
tions, but in so low a tone of voice that they did not teach the
gallery.) With respect to the amendment that had been sug-
gested by his Noble Friend opposite, it was one to which no
very seeious objection could be advanced, and he intended to
introduce an amendment that would meet the views of the
Noble Lord. In reply to an observation of the Noble Lord
opposite, he wished to state that he would receive a report
from the Commissioners, to which he might refuse to accede.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH said he felt quite satisfied with
the Noble Lord's statement that he would introduce an
amendment.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that there were
certain other amendments which it was intended to introduce.
The NOBLY, MARQUIS then proceeded to refer to amend-
ments which he proposed to insert in the Bill.
The Marquis of WESTMEATH said the late meeting of
Irish proprietors in Dublin proved that better feelings had
been generated among them, and that there was now greater
hope than ever for the improvement of Ireland. He regretted
that there was no provision in the Bill for the more effectual
collection of the poor rates.
Lord BEAUMONT said that he desired to take that oppor-
tunity of correcting a mistake which had appeared in a letter
of Mr. Commissioner Otway from Castlebar. He states that
a near connexion of mine, a Noble Lord who does not possess
a seat in this House, Lord Kilmaine, has not paid
the greater portion of his rates. He ( Lord Beaumont)
had received a letter from that Noble Lord, and he had also a
communication with his agent, and they had both assured him
that that statement was totally incorrect; that all the rates
had been paid, and that no portion of them were unpaid at
any time, as they were always paid upon application. He
thought, however, that he might be allowed to remark that
he did not wonder that these mistakes should occur from the
incorrect manner in which the collector's rate-book 6 were kept.
He acknowledged that the Bill was a necessity of the moment;
hut he thought a great disadvantage would arise from the me-
thod in which one rate was made to clear another; for that
was really what would occur.—( Hear, hear.) One rate
would not be half collected, before another was struck.
The system of levying the rates in England was much more
complete and rapid than it was in Ireland, in consequence of
the long notice required. The system, however, was produc-
tive of most injurious effects to those who did pay their rate,
while those who did not pay them escaped comparatively free.
If a retail trade had existed in Ireland, to distribute the im-
mense supply of provisions that had arrived in this country,
three-fourths of the suffering which had prevailed in that count
try would have been prevented. He would just observe in
conclusion, that an extensive system of emigration must be re-
sorted to, if an improved system of cultivation of the land was
to be introduced. In England there were but three labourers
to the hundred acres; but in Ireland there were eight; and
until this surplus population was removed, they could not hope
to establish the prosperity of Ireland on a permanent footing.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY was about to address
the House, when
_ _

The LORD CHANCELLOR interrupted him, and said
that he had received a Commission from her Majesty cud the
House should stand prorogued during pleaiure.
ROYAL COMMISSION.
The LORD CHANCELLOR then retired, and in a few
minutes returned, accompanied by the Earl of Minto and the
Earl of Shaftesbury, in their robe,, as Lords Commissioners,
to give the Royal assent to several Bills.
The Usher of the Black Rod then summoned the Com-
mons, when the Royal assent was given in the usaal form to
the Buck Wheat Importation Bill, the Brewing from Sugar
Bill, the Distillation from Sugar Bill, and the Chelsea Pen-
sioners' Bill.
DESTITUTE PERSONS (IRELAND) BILL.
On the motion of the Marquis of Lansdowne this Bill was
then read a third time and passed.
Their Lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 23.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual hour.
The following Bilk were read a second time, and or-
dered to be committed:—
Aberdeen Harbour Improvement.
Leeds Waterworks.
Regent's Canal Company (Paddington and Limehouse
Railway and Branch)—by order.
Rochdale Waterworks.
Ryde Improvement.
South Yorkshire, Doncaster, and Goole Railway (Peni-
stone, &c., and Purchase of Sheffield, Rotherham,
Barnsley, Wakefield, Huddersfield, and Goole Rail
way, Dun Navigation, and Dearne and Dove Canal'