The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-13 00:00:00

yet on the line, and none were injured. The elec-
tric telegraph brought the news to Paris on Saturday,
Mr. Locke, the engineer of the Company, one of the
administrators and contractors, and the head of the
works, went instantly from Paris to Rouen and &lien-
tin. The accident, to all appearance, will have none of
the serious consequences at first anticipated from it.
The manager publishes the following note from Mr.
Locke,, which contains that gentleman's first notions re-
specting the cause of the disaster, and which is to be
followed by a more detailed report
" At present it is impossible to determine the precise
causes of this disaster. the arch which first fell was that
on which the ballast wat placed. Its fall may possibly
bare been caused by the inequality of the lading, the
weight of ballast lying more on one side than the other
of the arch. The giving way of the latter may have oc-
casioned the falling in of the rest of the construction.
" The late thaw, by which the mortar was softened,
and the solidity of the arch diminished, and the unequal
distribution of the ballast at the same time, may have
destroyed the equilibrium of the whole.
"No one was hurt. The repairs will be commenced
immediately. The accident will cause the contractors a
loss of 500,000 or 600,000 f., and will occasion two or
three months' delay in the opening of the line."

IMPORTANT FROM SPAIN.
We have received the Madrid papers of the sth
and 6th inst.

The Government had taken great offence at the
manifesto of the Infnnte Don Enrico; and the
young Prince had received orders to leave Madrid
within forty-eight hours. Passports were sent him
for the Ferool, where the ship of which he has the
command is now lying; and it is stated in the Eco
del Commercio that on his arrival there he will find
further orders, which will give him the pleasure of a
trip to the Philippine Islands or some other distant
region. It is reported, however, that Don Eurico
has resigned his commission in the navy, and refuses
to go.

The address of the Senate was presented to the
Queen on the 6th, by a deputation appointed for that
purpose.

QUEEN'S BENCH.—(THIS DAY.)
(Sittings in Banco at Westminster Hall.)
Their Lordsh►ps entered the Court this morning at
the usual hour, and proceeded to dispose of the " New
Trial Paper."

PAGE V. MITCHELL.
This case was tried during the sittings of last term,
when the facts were published at full length, a short
summary, therefore, is all that is necessary.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL stated that the plaintiff got
a verdict in the case last term, and he now moved to
have that verdict set aside, and a new trial granted.
issue
was case went to a jury upon two issues ; one
was that if not being possessed, and the other, not
guilty. The declaration contained two counts, the first
of which alleged that the river Thames was a navigable
river at the place in question ; and, that the plaintiff had
a wharf upon the river near Battersea-bridge, where he
carried on business as a coal merchant, and as such had
certain barges, &c. coming up to their wharf ; but that
his trade had been obstructed by reason of the defendant
having placed certain posts in the river in front of the
wharf. The second count was a count in trover, for
certain barges, carts, waggons, &c. The first plea was
to the allegation of not being possessed of the wharf ;
and the second, that of not guilty, to the count in
trover. The Solicitor-General then proceeded to describe
the locality of the wharf, and tha premises connected
with it. It appeared from the statement that a family
named Long held certain other premises near to those
of the plaintiff, under a lease from Lord Cadogan ; that
a sen of Mr. Long's was also a coal-merchant, and used
the wharf in question in conducting his business ; that
Mr. Long, sen., had let the wharf' to plaintiff, but the
defendant, who had a private house near to the wharf,
conceived that the wharf had become his private pro-
perty, and that it should not be used by the
public, and therefore he had put up the ports
complaine.l of. It had been given in evidence
that the family of Mr. Long had been in possession of
his premises for forty or fifty years, and that during
the time the wharf had been used by the public ; but
the plaintiff did not produce any lease to Mr. Long, he
relied entirely on the fact of usor. But the defendant
put in the last lease granted by Lord Cadogan to Mr.
Long, by which it appeared that Lord Cadogan had
demised to Mr. Long the premises he held ; but as to
the wharf, there did not appear to have been any demise
of that, other than the use of it heretofore. The Learned
Solicitor, having stated a number of extraneous facts,
then proceeded to read the lease he had mentioned,
which was a most voluminous document.
Judgment deferred.

WEST FLANDERS RAILWAYS..",

(THIS DAY.)
The first half-yearly general meeting of the Pro-
prietors in this undertaking was held this day, at one
o'clock, in the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, for
the purpose of laying before them the present position
of the Company. W. P. Richards, Esq., presided.
The notice calling the meeting was then read, as was
also the report, the substance of which is as follows:
" The Directors, at this their first general meeting of
the Company, are anxious that a full statement of their
proceedings from the formation of the Soc'e. a Anonvme
to the present time should be presented to the Pro-
prietors. With this view they beg to place before them
such additional facts and information with reference to
the prospects of these railways as their increased know-
ledge of the country and its resources has enabled them
to supply.
" The deposit of two pounds per share became due on
30th June, 1845, and the first call of another two pounds
on 23d September, 1845.
It is most satisfactory to the Directors to be able to
state, that the instalments called up have been fully
paid, with the exception of the second instalment on
fifty shares, which, by an omission of the holder, were
not presented until within the last few days, and eleven
shares, on which a question has arisen.

" The amount of the money received has from time
to time been remitted to Belgium at favourable rates of
exchange, and a large portion of such money is invested
and bearing interest. The sum of 1,000,000 francs,
being the caution money originally deposited, re-
mains in the hands of the Belgian Government, at interest
at 3i per cent. This caution money will be returned to
the Company by fifths, as the works proceed. The
Directors have obtained from the proper authority the
Certificate that 2,500,000 francs have been paid up by
the Company in Belgium, which certificate, in pursuance
of the terms of the grant and law, puts in force the
full powers conceded to the Company. The accounts
annexed show at the disposal of the Directors a balance
amply sufficient for the present requirements of the
Company, and such as will render the consideration of
a further call at present unnecessary.
" It was not until a very late period of the last ses-
sion of the Belgian Chambers that the grant of these
railways was sanctioned, and the concession was given
under circumstances which rendered it convenient to de-
fer the settlement of two important points, which had
reference to the direction of a portion of the lines, until
a future period.
"In one case it was left for the Company to decide,
within a twelvemonth, whether it would continue the
line from Dixmude to Fumes, or not ; in the other case
the Belgian Government was to determine, whether the
road from Thielt was to be carried to Aeltre, a town on
the Government line between Ghent and Bruges ; cr to
Deynze, on the Government line from Ghent to
Courtrai.

" In August last the Directors proceeded to Bruges,
and being 'fully convinced of the superior advantages
which a line from Thielt to Deynze, as recommended by
Mr. Stephenson, offered over that to Aeltre, they stated
their wishes to the Minister of Public Works, and in due
time, as soon as the necessary forms were completed, an
Arre 6 Royal was granted, authorising the construction
of the line in that direction.
" At a subsequent period, after having duly examined
the country, and considered the question, the Dit ectors
formally declared their intention of making the line of
railway from Dixmude to Fumes.
"Another question of very serious importance occu-
pied the attention of the Directors. Mr. Stephenson
had, in his report of July last, strongly recommended
that a branch should be made from Bossuyt, on the
Scheldt, to Courtrai, on the Lys, from which latter point
the West Flanders Railways lead to Poperinghe, in one
direction, and to Bruges in the other ; in fact, com-
manding the whole railway communication of West
Flanders. This induced the Directors to visit and in-
spect the proposed line, to collect at Bossuyt, Courtrai
and other places, statistical details, and to ascertain the
feelings and wishes of the inhabitants of the different
towns of the province. They are in consequence able
duly to appreciate all the value of this branch.
"At present the great bulk of the coal, lime, and building
stone consumed in West Flanders passes up the Scheldt
by Bossuyt, and, by a circuitous, uncertain, and expen-
sive river navigation of about 180 miles, arrives at
last at Courtrai, the distance of whch town by land from
Bossuyt is only nine miles. By this proposed branch
this circuitous and uncertain communication will be
superseded ; and not only will the coal, lime, &c., which
have heretofore been brought by water to Courtrai, be
carried by railway, but, owing to the diminished cost,
the consumption will be materially increased.
"The plans having been daly deposited, the Minister
lost no time in submitting them to the Conseil of the
Poets et Chaussees. The report of the Conseil has been
received, end the following substance of an extract from
that document will show that the proposed measure has
their entire approval The Conseil are unanimously
of opinion that with the modifications proposed they
may pronounce favourably on the projected line. It
seem; t 0 Shona one of great public utility. Tho law for
the concession will be brought before the Chambers in
February next ; in the mean time the inhabitants of
West Flanders are expressing by petitions their anxiety
that this branch should be made. The interests of the
coal-owners at Mons are equally enlisted on the same
side, so that it is not unreasonable to entertain strong
expectations that this grant will be conceded by the
Chambers. It will materially add to the resources of
the West Flanders Railways.
"The working plans have been Prepared according to
the instructions of Mr. Stephenson, p. 4 those from that
portion of the railway between Bruges and Thourout'
towards Courtrai, have been approved. The
land on
this section of the line is expropriated ; contracts are
entered into for the works, which are of a remarkably
d there is every reason to suppose that
light tharactertP, h the end of May next.
this portion wii; be oPe— ytime to time, especially
Other portions will follow from
in the direction of Courtrai ; and it is expected that the
line will be completed to that town in October next.
"The works near Whourout, which htins been let to