The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-14 00:00:00

monNivet

'COURT CIRCULAR.
wINDSOR, FICIDAT.—The Queen and Prince Albert
took their usual ‘snik in the Park this forenoon.
lier Royal Highness the Princess Royal was driven
out for an airing to-day.
T• he Earl and Countess of Erroll paid a visit to Cum-
-411 And Lodge this morning.
41 the afternoon the Royal party left the Castle for
'n airing, in the Park, her Majesty being in a pony
14 iteton and four. attended by the Duchess of Bedford.
Titbuntesi of Errol, and Lady Leveson. Another car-
• contained the Lady Ida Hay, Lady Caroline
h,oomers Cocks, and the Hon. Sarah Mary Cavendish.
etis Royal Highness -Prince Albert accompanied on
horseback, attended by the following Noblemen and
gentlemen :—The Earl of Erroll, the Marquis of Head-
-1°14; Lord LeveSon, Colonel Wylde, Lord Alfred Paget,
Itad.the Hon. Major Keppel.
The Royal dinner party at the Castle this evening
'll include the Earl and Countess of Uxbridge, the La-
L▪ les Eleanore. and Constance Paget, Lord Paget, and
`4lonel Paget

1., Yesterday was the birthday of her Majesty the Queen
"51rager.. Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and
1,4
utulbess of Cambridge, and Prince George of Cambridge,
,rrived at Bushy Park, in the morning, from their resi-
dence at Kew, to pay a visit of congratulation to her
4taiety, on the auspicious event. Their Royal High-
bosses returned in the evening to their residence at Kew.
The Viscount and Viscountess Barrington left Bushy
illotise, Busby Park, on Thursday. The Viscountess has
been succeeded as the Lady in "
Waitinc, on her Majesty
. Queen Dowager by Frances Ludy Clinton, who has
'trice& at Bushy Park, the residence of her Majesty.

Her, Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester re-
turned to her residence in Bagshot Park yesterday, from
leisit to his Grace the Archbishop of York, at his seat
uteham, Oxfordshire.
‘ His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge left i
residence
-in St. James's Palace yesterday morning,
Kew.
Lord and Lady John Russell have arrived at their re-
idence in Wilton Crescent, from, Minto House, Rox-
burkbahire.
Mr. Ward bad an interview with the Marquis of Nor-
Illariby yesterday at the Home-oflice.
Mr. Thornton; the Chairman of the 'Portuguese and
'Punish Bondholders, transacted business with Viscount
l'alnierston at the Voreign-office.
Viscount Palmerston arrived in town on Thursday
from Windsor Castle.

LITERATURE.

OWRMER; A TALE OF MESMERISM, WITH
OTHER SKETCHES FROM LIFE. Bentley.
; The tale; which gives a title to the three interest-
-4tlg voluines before us, is by no means worthy of
a leading place in the beautiful series of sketches
''high must be;: tiotriterely-shadowed, but oh-
6eLtred by the associations connected with its
Ytterious name. Itideed, of the five stories,
three, at least, might furnish each sufficient ma-
terials for a full-sizedromance, of library dimen-
!lons, to any author gifted with equal powers of
41Figination, but restricted by a less pragmatical
habit, and
And less scrupulous in squaring the fancy
19:the recollection of facts than Mrs. Romer.
"Pon reading the sketch of the ill-fated Mesme-
tist, Stunner, which, after all, is not only like,
nearly equal_ to, the. German Shakspeare's,
(-WAirter" we were reminded at once of the ex-
elatnation ef Vives; when he read the earlier
ofthe Princess Elizabeth, to whom
e had just been appointed Latin tutor:—" Yes-
I vgium-!-ee adhuc leouis!" We saw deeply Ml-
re. ssedupon every page- the footmarks• of the
° .),hut not yet full grown. As we advanced
, Irunkh the volumes" .the marks of approaching
maturity became evident, and in the pathetic and
powerful histories—(such we must call them)—
ta.!`. The' Grisettes," and the " Mother and
t light& " every manifestation of the poet dis-
nthralled from artificial shackles, and every
ytilbellishment which -natural grace and culti-
Ic
ated taste can give to written expression. Nor
"hre.we certain that a blemish, which we must
to,, and which to us is very glaring, should
ulige us to qualify that commendation. The
a 111tllor has travelled so much, and has had so
,1 feel
intercourse with foreigners, that she may
feel
translatiOn to be inadequate to the expres-.
,1!?r1 Of sentiments which, although common Co
the
race and tongue, are intelligible only in
le dialect in which they are purely tittered.
Mrts• Homer seems herself conscious of her fault
11.1 his respect ; and in her preface to the
Pisitl4teex-
e tale of the Grisettes, endeavours to pal-
it. The blemish still exists; and, admitting
4. We cheerfully do, with our " friend Flaccus,"
that it is only " a freckle upon a fair skin," we
!lust avow our opinion that it looks more like one
'1 those unseemly patches with which, a century
the beauties of the'Court.used-to set off, not
,;1," fairness of their comPleXions, but the pu-
-`,`Y of the paint. with which they were
,'„v,ered. Still we may talk of blemishes
;''ll impelf,:ctions this rare work of genius,
has only. one parallel in our language,
that Mrs. Shelley's " Frankenstein." But
,either our praise nor dispraise can prevent or
'tinote the reading -of ." Sturmer." It is
minted, and as powerless as the Edinburgh Review
the case of " Childe Harold," would be any
ktie tnpt to write it down, or to restrict its circu-
"lon hy malignant criticism. Even with this
.nowiedgment we cannot lay down these VIC.
fumes without- avowing Our conviction that the
author has ill-advisedly given ,up half ,her
Nvers in making the admission that the basis
'T her .tale was strictly historical. In the exer-
,e,'s of those powers she has here fettered'herself
i'teessively,. in a style too pragmatical, and tied
04 closely to facts an imagination .capable of
paugin spheres to which ihe spirit neither of By,
NI nog r Mrs. Shelley could travel.

I. AWFUL INSTANCE OF SUDDEN DEATHe-i-
-t:l'ierday morning at ten, as Mr. Thompson, in com-
InY with Mr. Richardson, were "passing through Wig-
°N-street, they observed an elderly gentleman of in-
4Poindent fortune, aged 84 years, a Mr. Oldfield, of No.
iZ34(.lgware-road, stagger and fall to the ground; they
tailtly raised the unfortunate man, procured a cab,
ko lost no time in taking him to his residence. Mr.
tt,e4Pl, a surgeon of the neighbourhood, promptly at-
; but, before his arrival, the vital spark had fled.
the
spoke from the time he was put into the cab up
moment that he expired.
11,,I)READFUL ACClDENT.—Yesterday morning,
`lifOen eight and nine o'clock, George Rudland, aged
ofelny-five years, carman, in the employ of Mr. Sinnott,
01- olerkenwell, dust-contractor, was riding on the
acts
when
of the cart he was driving along East Smithfield,
or? 1 the horse suddenly took fright, and he was jerked
la arid one of the wheels passed over his thighs,
14Sing a compound fracture of both. He was removed
, St.
Thomas's Hospital, and is not expected to survive.
the CAUSE AND EFFECT.—The uneasy state of
Public mind in Ireland, proc.uced by the prospect of
-rory Government, has induced her Majesty's repre-
6:!itative to recommend that an addition be made to the
i:,‘'llitary force in that country. We have, of late years,
:41 the pleasure of reporting a reduction in the army
, t4tioneei there. We have now the unpleasant duty of
Stating that a regiment of cavalry is ordered to proceed
to
4 Ireland forthwith, to be followed by two infantry
ghoents. •
To diminish the considerable number of cretins
ip the narrow valleys of the Alps, an establishment has
been
formed for the education of children, who, in their
eneY, present indications of this condition. It has
'et been ascertained that all young cretins might be
hired by. transferring them from their low valleys to the
'
flab
mountains • and that, at a distance of about 3,000
~
ii;" above the level of the sea, these unhappy creatures
ono longer met with. - All the midwives of the narrow
,%11.
us 'tea easily recognise cretinism at the time or birth :
,73' know that every child, born with a stupid expres-
'bt of face, uttering peculiar cries, and making strange
b,;'venients, is sure to be a cretin. When such.
.a one is
;.1;11, a report will, in future, be made to the civil autho-
-1.17; 4. that the child may be taken to the national insti-
tttiii", which is now founded on a mountain in Berner
are and in which all the necessary arrangements
-I.e taken' to secure the complete physical, intellectual,
andn.—Moral development of the youngchild b Gaz_ette
4y
iedipale— On the Cure of Cretinism, Dr. Guy-
19eit&Idti.
SIiEiRNESS.—A report is in circulation at this
;;;Itie, that it is the intention of the Lords of the Admi-
4,:tY t:o'require all the mechanics who have been super-
eloated trom the Dockyard to attend nluster on a not
distant' day, in order to pass the examination of the
a
goon and all who may be pronounced able to work
be ;equired•to return to the yard and resume their
'c'tk, or in defaidt Of their so doing, to relinquish their
pensions. The report adds, that this step is to be taken
1/t
Consequence of complaints having been made that of
hate
years many able-bodied men have been superan-
t4ated from the dockyards, .who have immediately gone
private yards and obtained work, which they were as
well able po- do as any other men.—Kent Herald.
We understand the death of the celebrated
giantess, Mary Laskey, took plac?
_on Tuesday evening
Stin Guernsey. She had attained the extraordinary
statute of seven feet two inches, and had been exhibiting
My as a giantess in that island. Her brother, who bad
ee°Topanied her for exhibiting, measures seven feet
,":yen inches. The remains of the deceased are to be re-
eved to Southampton; her coffin measures upwards of
seven feet and a half.—Sherburne Journal.
,r
11 le WEATHER AND THE HARVEST.—
Ithe prospect last week was gloomy it is much more so
ew, " rain, rain, rain," being still the order of the day,
and there does not appear much probability of a favour-
ti le change being near at hand. It is impossible to tell
de amount of injury which 'may endue if the rain eon-
OS much longer, but at present much grain Must be
which we fear will never recover.— Worcestershire
Chronicle
ONE-SIDED CHARITY.-- At Wigan, the
Church ministers have been going about, distributing
loaves to their Church-going friends only, The follow-
:tg circumstance has occurred :—One of the ministers, a
j"anger in the borough, went into Spring-gardens, and
' a little boy, to whom he promised a penny if he
,„,
"DOH show him in which houses Protestants, and in
/thieh Catholics lived. In one instance the guide made a
041,;stake, but before the minister had entered he found
tit his error, and drew back. The poor woman told him
eY %'rete starving, but this didenot stop the dispenser of
94e-sided charity.—Bolton Free Press.

TO SIR JAMES GRAHAM, BART.

LETTER 111.

Sir,--It may be that you plead -'not guilty" to the charge
of unscrupulously perverting the Scripture which I brought
against you in my last letter. But such a plea, it must
be remembered, can only be supported on the supposi-
tion that you are among the most ignorant of mankind,
that, indeed, your education has been so neglected that
you know nothing of Babylonian or Macedonian, Nebu-
chadnezzar or Alexander, or of the final subjection of
what we may call the fragments of Tyre, which survived
the shock of both, to the Roman yoke, but fondly ima-
gined that the Tyre of Herod's days was the Tyre of
the Prophets, the same in wealth, the same in power, the
same in grandeur, magnificence, and commerce, the
parent of them all. In plain words, Sir James, you are
between the horns of .no very pleasing dilemma. You
have perverted the Scriptures, either wilfully or igno-
rantly, in a most extraordinary manner. Take your
choice. Shall we say that you were a wilful or an igno-
rant perverter of them ? One or other of these two cha-
racters certainly you are in this instance.
But while pondering over the awkward lapsus lingua
which I have exposed, perhaps you will yet be inclined
to carry on the argument and to maintain that, even in
the days of her greatness and commercial prosperity.
Tyre was still dependent upon foreign nations for her
supplies of corn. But how was she dependent, while her
fleets swept every sea, and her mercantile navy pene-
trated to every coast of the then known world ? It was
A dependence which could only be felt under a most sin-
gular combination of circumstances. There must harm
been an union of all nations against her, or the element:,
and seasons must have conspired against the crops in all
lands at the same time, before she could have been cut
off from obtaining food. But I pause on this point. Any
one less ignorant than yourself must have known that no
analogy can be traced between Tyre and this country at.
any period of the history of the fomer. She was empha-
tically a city without any corn-growing territory attached
to her, and, therefore, when her commerce went, all
went together. Could, indeed, greedy monopolists and
Anti-Christian Quarterly Reviewers have their will, and
cut down and starve down the people of England, until
they brought them within the capabilities of their owe
soil, there are in this country broad plains and fertile
vallies to retire upon for support. But it was not so ii.
the case of Tyre. To tell her inhabitants to grow corn
for themselves, would be, like telling the Londoners or
the men of Manchester and Birmingham that they must
have no supplies of .corn beyond what they could pro-
duce in their own streets, or on their own house-tops.
Verily, Sir James, we cannot say of your sense, vires
acquirit eundo, as we proceed with the analysis of your
Dorchester speech.
But I have not yet done with you. After the extra-
ordinary and astounding perversion of Scripture of which
you were guilty, you crowned the whole by thus exult-
ingly exclaiming, " Now I believe this to be written fee
our learning and instruction." I answer, that the arch-
saint of Toryism himself is said to be able to quote
Scripture when it pleases him to do so. But only fancy.
what a howl about blasphemy and infidelity would have.
been raised by you and your party, had some unfortu-
nate Radical thus employed some text from Holy Writ to
prove the correctness of some wordly object. Let us,
however, have a little further talk together on this fresh
point which you have started. You tell us that Tyre
fell because she was not a corn-growing country. You
gather, you say, this information from the Scripture, and,
borrowing the language of an Apostle, exultingly ex-
claim, " This I believe to be written for our learning
and instruction." If you do, Sir, then you can believe
anything. In this case, however, you make your own
Bible, and then announce your faith in it. But the Bible
in general use says not one word, breathes not a single
hint, about this fall of Tyre from not growing her own corn.
It leaves no place, indeed, for you or any mar,
to coin and circulate such fictions; for it speaks.
out positively and loudly, and states, in language toe
clear to be either misinterpreted or misunderstood.
that Tyre fell under the withering influence
of the Divine displeasure, and that displeasure was pro-
voked by the vices, and pride, and pomp, and insolence.
and. oppression, which prosperity brought with it, and
which turned the hearts of her high and lofty into a
state of rebellion against the Most High. You, Sir, any.
the rest of the aristocracy of this country, would do well
"to point the moral" for yourselves. In the Propheb
'lsaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, and Joel, you will fine
much information on the points to which I have alluded.
but not one of them, even in a passing word, gives the
slightest hint that Tyre fell because she was a corn-im-
porting city. That valuable fact remained in the store-
house of hidden secrets until the year 1841, when it war
brought to light by the researches of the Rev. Hugl,
M‘Neile, and welcomed with a faith, amounting to cre:
dulity, by his one disciple, Sir James Graham.
And now, Sir, let me 'ask you, in all seriousness, how
long is the melanclibly state of things, which we see
around us, to endure ? How long is the vampire of
monopoly to prey upon the vitals of England's trade and '
England s industry ? Is it really to be as the Man of
Tamworth tells us ? Is nothing to be done to avert the
destruction which seems to be even now impending over
this once happy land ? Is Sir Robert Peel to take office
simply to watch, like the poet's idiot, from the windows
of Downing-street, until the flood of calamity has run
itself out ? Is it to be over again,
Rusticus expectat dum defluat amnis; at ille
Labitur et labetur in omne volubilis cevum?
But beware, lest you try the forbearance' and long suffer-
ing of'the people of this country too far. Human pa-
tience and human resignation have their limit, and it is
not the part of wise men to put them through too severe
an ordeal. And, bark—did you not hear it? There is
a sound upon the breeze. It is like the mourning of the
distant storm—but it approaches nearer. The voices of
frantic women are mingled with the imprecations of
starving and maddening men. They cry out against
their oppressors, against those who cramp- the channels
of commerce and trade, and set the iron heel of monopoly
upon the efforts of industry.' They ask for food, that,
the common children of one common Father, they should
not be cut off from the blessings which his bounty has
prepared for them, but which the impious legislation
of men has intercepted in their course to them. You
will say, perhaps, that I speak warmly on this subject.
It may be that I do, but of the people and from the
people, I am, with all my heart and soul, with and for
the people. I pity their sorrows, I feel for their wants,
and my heart beats with emotions which I cannot de-
scribe, as I behold them bowed down in utter misery
and wretchedness, that pride or vice may trick itself out
with a little gaudier apparel; or luxury purchase new
' sources of enjoyment; as its old ones cloy and pall upon
its sated appetite. This, I doubt not, will be thought
strange and unwelcome language to address to the aris-
tocracy of England. Elevated on the lofty pedestal of
SELF, and arrayed in all the gorgeous drapery of self=
satisfactioO, self-love, and self-idolatry, they are not ac-
customed to hear such plain and homely truth. But it is
truth, nevertheless. Let them beware, and retrace their
steps before it is too late. The. old Noblesse of France
had their warnings, but they heard' them without heed-
ing them. And wkat was the result ? 'The social ava-
lanche fell. You know the rest.
And now, Sir, as I conclude, a word with You' on an-
other subject.' In all the fantastic gambols which your
faction—the Tory faction—play before the eyes of an
astonished Worldiein all their political vagaries, all
their oppressions, .cruelties, and bigotry, it is their
fashion to identify 'themselves with the Church. As a
Clergyman of that I beg leave to tell you
that she utterly disowns and utterly repudiates the whole
of you. I am a Churchman from conviction, and next
to the evidences of her truth which-, I draw from the
Scripture, I find it attested, in the strongest manner, by
the simple fact that she is not only able to struggle on,
but to upraise her head, and enlarge her borders; in spite
of the load of obloquy and reproach which the pro-
fessed attachment of the Tories to her brings upon her.'
They tell me, indeed, that the age of miracles has
passed away, but I say that it is a daily and hourly mira—
cle in behalf of the truth of our venerated Church, that
she is what she is, that she still commands reverence and
wins affection, when she is so constantly disgraced before
the eyes of men by the affected adhesion to her of a party
who, in all their doings, outrage the Christianity which
they profess, and talk of religion while they practise op-
pression, whose lips speak of charity, while bitterness
and bigotry are in their heart, and who will tell you of
their love and pity for the poor, while the sacrifice of a
nation's industry upon the altars of monoply is all too
little to pamper their luxury and feed the pride of their
swelling appetite for pomp and show. lam ashamed
ofou.
•
Farewell, however. for the present. I emphatically
say, for the present, because I may again, and at no dis-
tant period, be tempted mice more to mingle in the arena
of political strife upon whicl I have now entered, and we
may again cross lances in the inelce. These are stirring
times, and every man, however small may be his ability,
who can do anything for the people, is, I, think, bound to
exert himself in their behalf. 1 shall; and, .in doing it,
I will have an especial eye upon yourself. Farewell.
" We meet again at Philippi."
A CLERGYMAN OF THE CHURCH OF
Aug. 12, 1841. ENGLAND.

THE QUEEN AND SIR ROBERT PEEL.
(From a Correspondent.)--A gentleman of rank and
talent assures me the Queen may very properly and con-
stitutionally say, "Having, by the advice of my Minis-
try, dissolved the late Parliament, I expect, in the for-
mation of a new Administration, that Sir Robert Peel
will not be placed in any situation giving him necessarily
access to me, as I have a personal objection to him. I
rely on the loyalty of those who may come into office to
secure me from this. I hope you will think thus, and
say so too; it would ward off much evil; and mightily
lower the consequence of that insidious spinner of wiles
and fallacies, if adopted.
The following distressing occurrence took place
lately at Eaux Chaudes, a watering-place in the Basse
Pyrenees. A gentleman and his wife were taking a
walk in the environs, and came to a chasm between two
rocks. The lady dared her husband to leap over it.
Being a better judge of distances and of his own powers
he at first declined, but, piqued by her reproaching him
with cowardice, he made the spring and fell into the
space between. When taken up it was found that his
back was broken, and in e, few hours afterwards he
expired,
CURIOUS FIGHT.--A tame gull, a remarkably
fine bird, brought from the cliffs at Flamborough, about
six monts ago, and since domiciled in the garden of Mr.
G. Shepherdson, Driffield, the other day walked into
Mr. S.'s kitchen, and finding a cat and kittens, the gull
cast an epicurean eye upon the young feline race, and
was about to help himself to one of these tender morsels,
when Pussp With maternal instinct,
immediately com-
menced a furious attack upon gully, which he as fiercely
repelled. The household dog then came to the assist-
ance of pussy, but the strong and piercing beak of the
gull drove them both from the field, and his gullship
• then, at one gulp, bolted a fine young kitten.
kitten then became his prey, which, Another
more easy of passage, was soon in his capacious maw.--
Yonis Courant, after making rather

HAYMA►R.KET THEATRE.

Mr. Placide, the celebrated American Manager and
actor, made his first appearance in this country at this
theatre, last evening, in the character of Sir Peter
Teazle in the ;School for Scandal, and of Lingo, in the
Agreeable Sitiprise. %Ye think this gentleman acted
very injudiciously in choosing the character of Sir Peter
Teazle for his debut. The character of Sir Peter
Teazle is one so completely peculiar to the polished
English society of the last century, that it is next to
impossible rot.a persor. who has not been used to mix in
first-rate English society, to understand or to act -the
character. Sir Peter Teazle is a finished gentleman, and
Mr. Placide was wofully deficient in the elegance of
manner necessary-to give effect to such a character. His
thorough acquaintance with the stage business, saved
aim from.the commission of any grievous faults; but his
conception of the character was altogether false, and
his acting harsh, unpolished, and wanting in grace. He
is a good farceur ; but no mere farceur can act Sir Peter
Teazle. His Lingo was a much better performance.
His reading of the character is different to what we have
been hithertoaccustomed. lie makes Lingo more of the
old man, and we are by no means disposed to say that he
is wreng in so doing ; but he was at times very humorous,
And some of his grimaces were most extraordinary.. He
sings well, and was deservedly encored in the song
" Amo, amas," which he gave with great quaintness. From
what we saw of him last night we should imagine that in
his line Mr. Placide was a good actor ; but genteel co-
medy is most decidedly not in his line, therefore, we
hope he will not again attempt the character of Sir Peter
Teazle. Miss Helen Faucit was the Lady Teazle, and we
were agreeably surprised to find her so excellent in co-
.nedy. She was scarcely sufficiently buoyant in the car-
der scenes, but as the character developed itself, she rose
with her part, and in the more serious scenes towards the
...lose she was excellent. The screen scene was given-
with a pathos that was exquisitely touching, and the
scorn with which she retorts on Joseph Surface, at the
.:lose of the scene, was most withering, and at the same
lime most lady-like. We never saw this scene better
acted. Mrs. Stirling, as Mrs. Candour, was per-
fect. It is impossible to imagine anything better than
.the Mrs. Candour of this lady. The othr characters
were all excellently supported (Wallack resuming his
old character of Charles Surface), and the piece
was got up • with all that attention to costume
and scenery, for which this theatre has of late become so
.:elebrated. At the conclusion of the play Mr. Placide
was. called for, and on his appearance was loudly cheered.
The house was well attended.

DR BIRKBECK.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—l perceived by your paper, of some few days
back, that a testimonial in honour of Dr. Birkbeck is
about to be raised. lam glad to hear this, and cannot
but feel pleased at the handsome manner in which you
have introduced the subject to the public.
In what has been done as yet, however, I disagree.
Permit me to say that a piece of plate, a lectureship, or
any of those means which have been proposed, would in
themselves be too trivial and toy-like to be applied in the
way of commemorating the services of the individual in
question. I can understand the presentation, of a testi.
monial of this description emanating from a private cir-
cle in acknowledgment of ordinary merit ; but I do not
think any thing of this kind would be in keeping with
the nature of the services of Dr. Birkbeck. The ser-
vices of the worthy Doctor are of a national character,
and the testimonial which would go. !to reward or ac-
knowledge them should also be of a national character,
and should emanate from the highest. quarter. I would
say that the services which Dr. Birkbeck has rendered
are of the highest importance to the age and to his coun-
try. He has devoted his life, his learning, his fortune,
Ind his energies to the improvement and development
f that portion of the public mind to which England
th% es so much of her mechanical and commercial great-
ness. The State has not hesitated to bestow its honours
on merit. Witness—ln physic, Sir B. Brodie and others;
in art, Sir David Wilkie ; in literature, Sir E. L. Bul-
wer ; in science, Sir D. Brewster and Sir M. Farraday.
Might not some high national honour be conferred on
the revered individual in question ? His services to his
country have at least been as worthy as the noblest of the
names above mentioned. I am, Sir,

ONE WHO HAS PARTAKEN LARGELY OF THE
BENEFITS CONFERRED BY THE DOCTOR'S LABOURS
Aug. 14, 1841.

LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM
RAILWAY.

The Sixteenth Half-Yearly General Meeting of the
Court of Proprietors of this Railway was held yesterday,
pursuant to printed notice, at the Euston Hotel; Euston-
,quare, Sir Richard Carr Glyn, Bart. in the chair.
The CHAIRMAN said, it was now the duty of the Di-
rectors to lay before the Proprietors an account of the
proceedings of the last six Months, and he thought the
consideration of that account would justify the anticipa-
dons formerly held out as to the satisfactory progress of
the undertaking. The account showed a considerable in-
crease, of their earnings, and a decrease of their charges.
The Directors were enabled to announce a dividend of
Si. ss. for the last half-year.
RICHARD CREED, Esq., read the Report, from which
it appeared, that the' receipts for the present half-year
ending June 30, amounted to 382,452 L, or 39,258/. more
than in the corresponding half-year of 1840 ; that the
cost of maintaining the road and working stock in an
efficient state was 112,9361., or 6,4901. less than in the cor-
responding half-year ; and, consequently, that whilst
there was an increase equal to lit. Bs. 6d. per
cent. on the receipts, there was a decrease on the
-charges equal to 51. 18s. 6d. per cent. That the net
balance of the revenue for the two last half years (de-
ducting the dividend of 4 per cent., ordered on the 12th
February last) was 192,1481., being the sum applicable to
the dividend about to he. declared. That arrangements
had been made between the London and Birmingham
and the Birmingham and Gloucester Companies, which
it was expected would give additioxial facilities to the
traffic on the respective lines when the Gloucester Rail-
way should be opened, which would be on the 17th inst.
That referring to the proceedings of the Harrow inquest
in November last, so much of the verdict as awarded a
deodand had been quashed. That Edmond Calvert, Esq.,
had resigned his seat in the Direction of the Company
since the last general meeting.
Mr. BOOTHBY, in answer to a question regarding the
depreciation fund, said it had been presumed that about
5 per cent. on the value of the stock should be laid aside
as a depreciation fund ; it would soon be seen whether
that were too much, or not enough' ; a very correct
valuation of the carriage stock, horse-boxes, and trucks.
had been made ; and although 50,0001. had been laid.
aside as the depreciation fund for those articles, the
actual amount of depreciation upon them already
amounted to more than had been set aside for the pur-
pose; he did not think that would be the case with re-
gard to the engines and other stoat ; however, he thought
the amount laid by would be sufficient to cover. the de-
preciation.
Mr. JAMES HEYWORTIt proposed that a dividend of
41. 10s. should be paid, . instead of 4/. 55., which he
thought might very judiciously be done, out of the net
earnings of the Company. He held in his pocket no less
than 350 proxies, and the amount of shares he repre-
sented was immense; the owners of the proxies which
he held would all have voted, to a man, for the dividend
of 4/. 10s. ; and he did not consider he should be acting
as a faithful steward if he did not press for that dividend.
Mr. ORMEROD and others followed in favour of the
greater dividend.
The CHAIRMAN (Messrs. Rathbone, Hodson, Rams-
den, Moseley, and others) trusted Mr. Heyworth would
withdraw his motion. It was not without much serious
deliberation that the Directors had come to the deter-
mination •of offering the 'dividend they did ; it was a
considerable increase upon the last, and they trusted
Shareholders would be satisfied. They were sure, if
gentlemen, whose proxies Mr. Heyworth held, were
present and had heard the arguments, they would not
vote as lie had intimated.

.....
A great deal of discussion ensued, and Mr. ileyworth
at last consented to withdraw his motion.

Ihwas then moved and seconded that " the Report be
received and adopted ;" which was carried unanimously,
amidst loud cheers. _ _ _

Captain PORTER, R.N., stated for the information of
his brother Proprietors, that a school had been opened
at Wolverton, entirely under the superintendence of the
Board of Directors, intended for the education of 100
boys and 100 girls, children of servants engaged on the
line.. A Society had also been instituted for the reliev-
ing of those servants who had met with accidents, &c. ;
410 men had already been relieved by this Society, at
an expense of 7001., and' only six deaths through acci-
dents or injuries, had occurred on the line since the open-
ing-of the Society ;he wished to remind the Proprietors
that Mr. Saville was the treasurer of this Society, and
that the smallest contributions from them would be most
thankfully received.
The CHAIRMAN spoke to the benefits accruing to the.
Proprietors from this Society. IsTotWithstanding the
great competition, and the great demand for good ser-
vents; and workmen, and their actual scarcity, the Lon-
don and Birmingham Railway always managed to retain
good and efficient servants on its staff.
A vote of thanks was carried by acclamation to the
Chairman and other Directors of the Company. The
former briefly acknowledged the honour, and the meeting
broke up.
The dividend will be available on the 23d inst.

TOM BOWLING, A TALE OF THE SEA,
BY CAPTAIN F. CHAMIER.--It is a long time, by far too
long, since Captain Chamier has been vigilant and active
in the press, and those who like racy, vigorous novels,
fresh from nature's mint, or full of a seaman's character,
had begun to think that he was " skulking under ginger-
bread hatches on shore ;" but here he revives, and makes
his appearance on deck in a style to support his old fame,
and resuscitate the taste for this species of novels. " Toni
Bowling" is a work of the right good cast on a capital
subject, and which the Captain manages with even more
than his wonted tact and judgment. We have all the
exploits of naval warfare vividly brought before us, so
as to excite great 'and never-failing interest. Captain
Chamier's humour is rather of the old school, and is,
therefore, delightful as the representation of the reali-
ties of our old naval society, when the enemy, and that
means all the world, scarcely dared to show a flag on the
ocean.—Dispatch.

A CURIOSITY.A farther in the neighbour-
hood of Wirksworth, has now in his possession a lamb,
perfect in all its parts except the hind legs, which have
only one joint, and are but half the length of the fore
ones. When standing, its appearance resembles the
giraffe, and when moving from place to place, it leaps like
a rabbit. It continues in good health, and grows rapidly.
A mod horrible accident occurred last i‘eek in
the county of Two Mountains ; a man, while in a state
of intoxication, having fallen into a kettle of boiling
potash, had been completely dissolved. Search was made
for his body, but not the least particle of it could be
found.—Canada Times.