The Sun.
London, England, 1848-12-28 00:00:00

RAILWAY ASSURANCE.

A meeting, which was very thinly attended, was held
at the London Tavern yesterday, to consider a proposi-
tion to establish an association for the better protection
of railway travellers; idr. Carter in the chair.
Mr. COBB, at some length, stated the objects of the
association that he had in view, the giving to all railway
officers and servants a direct pecuniary interest in the
prevention of railway accidents, and for assuring more
adequate compensation to sufferers from railway tra-
velling than is afforded under the provisions of the Act
of Parliament. He stated that 893 passengers on rail-
ways were killed and injured during the past two years
and a half. He assumed that one-fifth of the whole po-
pulation would ultimately travel by railway, and that 1
in 100 would insure. He made his calculations from

the number of killed and injured in 1846 over a given
number of miles ; he estimated that 42 persons would
be killed, and 392 injured, in three years, and he found
that in two years and a half up to last June 41 persons
had been killed and 255 were injured during that period,
which he thought was a proof of the soundness of his
calculations. He estimated that a premium of one
guinea only, once paid during seven years, would insure
401. for a casualty requiring temporary medical treatment,
6001. for a casualty, causing severe internal injury or loss
of limb, 1,2001. for one rendering the assured unable to
gain a livelihood, and 2,0001. for one causing the death
of the assured; that a premium of five guineas would in-
sure five times these amounts. He computed that the
fatal accidents were not more than 10 per cent. of the
whole, although in 1847 they amounted to 25 per cent.
He assumed that in the first year 41,000 persons would
insure and pay 86,0001., and they would have to pay
10,8331. 11e believed that in seven years 350,000 would
insure, that they would have to pay about 250,0001,
and receive about 600,0001., leaving 50,0001, per annum
to go to the mutual fund for the relief and support of
decayed railway servants. The share capital of the
company was to be raised by the issue of 60,000 shares
of 101. each to the persons employed on the railways,
which would be at the rate of one share for each person.
The secretaries, clerks, &c., on the railways would have
the privilege of subscribing for shares to the amount of
one-fifth of their salaries. It was in that way he would
induce the railway officers and servants to have a direct
pecuniary interest in the prevention of accidents. He
then read the opinions of Mr. Burchell and Mr. Hardy
in favour of his proposition.
After some discussion a series of resolutions were
passed approving of the objects of the association, and
appointing a committee to confer with parties inte-
rested, and adjourning the meeting to Saturday even-
ing for the further consideration of the subject.

MALTON AND DRIFFIELD JUNCTION. - This line,
which for eighteen miles passes through the county of
York, connecting the York and North Midland with the
Hull and Bridlington Railways, is now just ready for
opening to the extent of ten miles, commencing at
Driffield. At present it is only a single way, but suffi-
cient land has been taken to make it double. The
amount subscribed during the last year and a half for
this purpose has been at the rate of 5/. per share, or
70,0001., and the company, under the advice of Mr.
Hudson, who has undertaken to work the line at its
opening, to see what it will produce with a view to
leasing it, have resolved, so as not to press heavily•on
the shareholders, to suspend almost entirely the works
on the remainder of the lino until March next, by which
time it is hoped an improvement in the trade and menu-
factures of the country will again justify them in pro-
ceeding.

A new line is to be made in the neighbourhood of
Brecon, from the Dowlais iron works to the limestone
and mineral quarries, which will give to the people of
Brr con a communication with the Taff Vale railway at
Dowlais and South Wales railway at Cardiff.
CALaDONIAN.—A committee of London shareholders,
in connexion with this company, has been formed to op-
p9se in Parlisnaent the leases and guarantees of other
lines proposed by the directors.
SOCTII-EASTERN RAILWAY.—Gross traffic receipts
for the week ending the 23d December :—Passengers:
First class, 12,840; second class, 28,725; third class,
25,694; total, 67,259; amount, 6,4631. 13s. 6d.; carrying
account, 1,675/. Bs. 4d.; total, 8,139/. ls. 10d.
ULSTER RAILWAY.—The traffic on this railway was,
for the week ending the 24th of December, 1848 (36
miles); Passengers, 10,552 ; amouat, 471/. 10s. 9d. ;
goods, 359/. 9s. 7d. Total, 831/. Os. 4d. Correspond-
ing week, 1847 (25 miles) :—Passengers, 13,124 ;
amount, 452/. 4s. 10d. ; goods, 2011. 2s. 3d. Total,
6531. 7s. Id.

MIDLAND GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY OF IRELAND
AND ROYAL CANAL COMPANY.—Revenue for the week
ending 24th of December, 1848 :—For goods and pas-
sengers (exclusive of mails), open to Mullingar, 50 miles,
1,157/. Oa. 10d.

PARIS AND ORLEANS.—The following is a return of
the receipts on the Paris and Orleans Railway, for the
week ending the 19th of December, 1848:—Passengers,
60,029 F.; luggage, parcels, &c., 15,772 f. 33c. , goods,
58,9171. 43c. ; carriages and horses, 6,566 f. 90c.; cattle,
10,047 f. Total, 151,332 f. 66c. For the corresponding
week of 1847, 213,419 f. 03c.; total receipts since Ist Jan.
1848, 9,081,904 f. 34c.

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.
LIVERPOOL, DEC. 27.
STOCK Exalt...amis.—The sales are-s Birkenhead, Lance.
shire, and Cheshire (late C. and B.), 27/. 105. Shares,
5 per cent. for 1847-4 S, and 6 per cent., 1849, 15—Lancashire
and Yorkshire (late Manchester and Birmingham), Fifths,
334 dis.—Ditto, 32/. Shares (late Extension), 8 dis.—Ditto,
Fifths (late West Riding Union), 5% dis.—London and
North• Western, 123—Ditto, New Quarters, 11,E p.—Man-
chester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, Quarters, No. 2, 11
Ditto, 10/. Preference, 10I—Ditto (late Great Grimsby and
Sheffield), 27 dis.—Ditto (Docks), 13% dis.—Midland Stock,
85—Ditto, New Halves, 8% dis.—North Union (A), 205
Shrewsbury and Chester (late N. W. M.), New 131.65. id.
Shares, % dis.—Ditto (Shrewsbury, Oswestry, and Chester),
6% —South-Eastern and Dover, 23%—Ditto, No. 3,9% dis.
—Ditto, No. 4, Thirds, 7% c. dis.—York, Newcastle, and Ber-
wick (G. N. E. Purchase), dis.
MANCHESTER, Dxc. 27.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Sheffield, Preference,
104:1—North Staffordshire, 5 dis.—West Riding Union, 5
1-16 dis.—Grimsby, 201. Shares, 10% dis.—East Lanca-
shire, New, B,dis.—Grimsby, Quarters, 6% dis.—Leeds, 321
Shares, 8 dis.—Sheffield, Quarters, No. 2, 11%,
BIRMINGHAM, Dxc. 27.
&root EXCHANGE.—The sales are—North British, Thirds,
4/..85. 9d.—Coventry and Nuneaton, % dis.—Shrewsbury and
Birmingham (B), 31. 18s. 9d. dis.—Ditto, Preference, Bs. 9d.
p.—South Staffordshire, 4% dis.
YORK, DEC. 26.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The business transacted to-day was
as follows :—Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton, 22%
—York, Newcastle, and Berwick (Extensions), No. 1,13
—York and North Midland, Preference, 1018.

[ADVERTISEMENT.] —A Remarkable Cure of Dropsy
of the Chest by Holloway's Pills.—Extract of a letter
from Mr. Munday, farmer, Kennington, near Oxford,
dated Dec. 2, 1843, to Professor Holloway ; Sir,—Have
ing on a former occasion apprized you of an extraordi-
nary cure upon myself by your invaluable medicine, it
gives me great pleasure to testify again to its efficacy in
a case of dropsy of the chest, with which my shepherd
was afflicted, to whom, the moment I was informed of
the nature of his complaint, I recommended a trial of
your pills, which advice was adopted with complete
success, for by taking a few boxes only he was perfectly
cured and is now in sound health.—Sold by all Drug-
gits, and at Professor Holloway's Establishment, 244,
Strand, Loudon.
WESLEYAN TRACT SOCIETY.—Last evening the
thirty-second annual meeting of the Southwark branch
of this association was held in the Southwark Chapel,
Long-lane,
Southwark. D. W. Wire, Esq., presided,
and addressed the meeting. After adverting to the
tranquil state of this nation, when compared with other
countries, he called upon the secretary to read the an-
nual report. From that document it appeared that
during the last year 66,149 tracts had been distributed,
of which number 4,800 were sent to the Benevolent So-
ciety, 5,375 given to the subscribers, 8,000 sent to the
Thames Bethel, 4,800 to the workhouses, 850 distri-
buted among day-schools, and the remainder by the
society. The society had deeply to regret the loss of
their treasurer, who died in last May. It further ap-
peared, from the report, that the association is debtor
to the treasurer for the Pupa of 1.31, The report was
a,dop

LAW INTELLIGENCE,
COURT OF BANKRUPTCY, D c. 27.

111.4RLBOROUGH-STREET.
From "E. W. M." 101. has been received for the
poor-box.

MAR YLEBONE.

A ruffianly-looking fellow, named Hugh Stack, a
labourer, who has upon many occasions been brought
up for assaults of a most violent description, was
placed at the bar before Mr. Broughton, on the
serious charge of having stabbed police-sergeant
Bewley, 20 D.
Bewley, who seemed very faint and weak, and
who had evidently sustained serious injury, deposed
that on the previous night, as he was on duty in
Orchard-place, Portman-square, the prisoner, without
saying a word, ran up to him and spat in his face.
Witness desired him to go quietly away, but he
swore he would not do so, and, rushing at com-
plainant with a knife, forced the weapon through his
belt and coat, at the same time injuring his thumb.
Complainant called out for assistance, but none ar-
rived before the prisoner had plunged a knife into the
thick part of Bewley's thigh, which caused him to
bleed profusely. Before he was stabbed the prisoner
made many thrusts at him, which with his truncheon
he parried off, and his impression was, from what was
stated by a number of the prisoner's friends, that they
had made up their minds to wreak vengeance upon
him to a far greater extent.
Tapp, 90 D, deposed to the brutality exercised to-
wards the sergeant, as did also another policeman of
the same division.
Bewley was recalled, and he said that the prisoner,
whilst masking thrusts at him, used language of a
most violent description.
Mr. Wilson, assistant to Mr. Vickers, surgeon,
Baker-street, said that he dressed the wound, which
was in the fleshy part of the thigh ; it was an inch
and a half in depth, and had it been a little higher up
the knife would have perforated the femoral artery,
and the haemorrhage therefrom might have caused
death.
In reply to Mr. BROUGHTON, the witness said that
the sergeant was not in any danger, but that he re-
quired several days' rest.
It was further stated that at the station-house the
prisoner was very outrageous, and that a knife was
found upon him.
The prisoner stands committed on the charge of
cutting and wounding, but will be brought up again
next Tuesday, when the depositions will be read over
and he will be sent for trial.
WESTMINSTER.

Mr. Broderip yesterday received 51. from " R. W.
F." for the poor-box, an acknowledgment of which
was requested by the press.
WORSHIP-STREET.

Yesterday Alfred Pinner, described as an unem-
ployed toll-collector, was placed at the bar before Mr.
Hammill, charged with having been concerned with
others not in custody in assaulting and robbing a
decent-looking labouring man named Jeremiah
Travers, living in the East-road, Horton.
The prosecutor, whose face was much bruised and
swollen, stated, that his wife having complained to
him on the preceding day that she had been grossly
insulted by the prisoner, he proceeded in search of
him, and at length found him in company of several
other fellows, collected in front of a beer-shop in
Plummer-street, City-road. He was about to re-
monstrate with him upon his scandalous conduct,
when he was instantly surrounded and hustled by
the whole of the party, and while endeavouring to
disengage himself from their grasp one of them
struck him a violent blow in the face, which
brought him to the ground, and before he could recover
big feet the prisoner and another man knelt upon his
chest and held him down, whilst a third commenced
riding his pockets, from which they stole all the
money he had with him, amounting to about Ba. in
silver and copper. Ile moment the last man had
secured his money he darted off and attempted to effect
his escape, and was intercfrpted by a person who had
witnessed the outrage, and who endeavoured to seize
him; but he had no sooner caught hold of his coat,
than he was knocked down by two others of the gang
and robbed of his pocket-handkerchief. The prose-
cutor in the meantime continued struggling with his
assailants, hut each time he attempted to rise he was
struck down by the prisoner, who forcibly held him
on the ground until his confederate had effected his
escape with the money, when he and the others also
made off in different directions. The robbery was
the more daring from having been committed in broad
daylight, and the prosecutor went forthwith to the
station-house, and gave such an accurate description
of the personal appearance of the men who had at •
tacked him, that it resulted soon after in the prisoner's
apprehension.

'Upon being asked if he wished to put any question
to the witness, the prisoner unguardedly replied,
that it would be perfectly useless for him to do so,
as the prosecutor was in such a state of helpless in-
toxication at the time of the occurrence that he
could not possibly recollect anything that had taken
place. _ _

Police-constable Jenkinson, however, proved that
the prosecutor was perfectly sober when he came to
the station to lodge his complaint; and that his face
and person exhibited marks of severe ill-usage, evi-
dently
the
m very recently inflicted. Prom his description
of had committed the robbery he was
ah
recognised as a well-known character who had been
previously convicted of felony, and the prisoner upon
being taken into custody admitted that he had been
present during the affray, but positively denied the
more serious part of the charge.
When called upon for his defence, the prisoner
now repeated the same statement he had made to the
officer, but

The MAGISTIATU ordered him to be remanded for
a week for the completion of the evidence against
him.

CLEREENWELL.
Our reporter is requested to state that "R. E."
has forwarded a letter containing the half of a 101.
note for the poor•boa, with a request that its receipt
might be acknowledged in the newspapers.
LAMBETH.

-
Mary Sparritt, a common prostitute, and Hyam
Benjamins, a Jew, who lives with her, were placed at
the bar before Mr. Elliott for further examination o❑
a charge of being concerned with another person, not
at present in custody, in stealing a gold watch of the
value of 271. and upwards of 3/. in gold and silver,
the property of Mr. Joseph Pearson, a railroad con-
tractor.

From the statement of the prosecutor it appeared
that on the night of that day week he met the female
prisoner and another woman near the Victoria
Theatre, and agreed to spend the night with them.
He accompanied them home to their lodging, and
went to bed in an upstairs room with one of the
women. On awakening at an early hour in the morn-
ing he missed his companion and his gold watch, and
also found that his purse, which he had placed under
his pillow for safety and which contained 81. in gold
as well as some silver, had been emptied of its contents.
The prisoners, who slept down stairs, denied all
kuowledge of or participation in the robbery, but the
prosecutor not believing the statement gave the man
and woman into custody.
The female prisoner was again remanded, but her
companion was discharged.
There were very nearly forty charges disposed of
by the Magistrate caused by the drunkenness and ir-
regularity of the preceding day, and in upwards of
twenty of them penalties of various amounts were im-
posed.

A fiat was this day opened before
sioner Evans against Mr. John Fitzgerald, of 39,
Portland-place, and of Pendleton, in th County Pa-
latine of Lancaster.

Mr. Fitzgerald is an extensive mine owner and also
a coal merchant. It is reported that the unsecured
debts are upwards of 10,0001., but the assets are said
to be considerable. The fiat hears date December 20.
The cases on the list were few and unimportant.
Before Mr. Commissioner Fonblanque there was a
last examination in the matter of P. W. Spokes, a
bookseller, in the Strand. Mr. Lawrance opposed ;
Mr. Duncan and Mr. Parry supported. The bankrupt,
after some discussion, passed.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
GUILDHALL.
M. Mitchell, in presenting a donation of 101. 10s,
to the poor-box from the Court of the Drapers' Com-
pany, expressed a hope that the press would give pub-
licity to the fact, that others might be stimulated to
join in placing funds at the disposal of the magistrates,
who had no other money applicable to charitable
purposes than that the public supplied. During the
approaching inclement season many pitiable cases
were sure to turn up in the ordinary course of the
business of a police•ofiice.