The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-04 00:00:00

MARLBRO'-STREET.-(THIS DAY.)
William Borne was charged with stealing several ar-
ticles this morning from the tap-room of the Yorkminster
public-house, North Audley-street.
George Johnson, landlord of the Yorkminster, said,
the prisoner bad a cup of coffee this morning, about half-
past eight o'clock, in the tap room, and immediately
walked out; but in consequence of hat was told him,
the complainant followed him, and said he had got some-
thing of his in his pocket. The prisoner denied, but
complainant was bringing him back to the tap-room,
when the prisoner pulled out a cup and saucer from his
pocket, and begged hini not to go further with it. When
he was in the tap-room, waiting the police coming, he
brought out five knives and four forks from his poeket,
all belonging to the complainant.
Police-constable C 70 searched him, and found a tea-
spoon on him.
Mr. HARDWICK committed the prisoner to take his
trial at the Middlesex Sessions.
Charles Kerslake, tinplate-worker, Tudor-court, Tot-
tenham-court-road, was summoned 67 his apprentice for
ill-using him on Wednesday last.
Henry James Newman, the apprentice, said that when
he was leaving the shop. on Wednesday, at 20 minutes
after one o'clock, to go to his dinner, he was ordered by
his master to return at two. Instead of that he returned
a quarter-past two, being five minutes within the hour
allowed by his indenture. His master threatened be
would give him a caning, and laid hold of him by the
throat to pull him down stairs. After some rough usage,
in which the handkerchief of complainant was torn off
his neck, and his shirt collar damaged, two lads were
sent for a cane, the master saying he would cane every
inch of him, and when it was brought he struck him with
it severely across the back and side till the female ser-
vant came up and took the cane from him and broke it.
Several witnesses were ealled on both sides, who all
corroborated the statement of the complainant.
The master said the boy had disobeyed his orders, and
he gave him what he considered a thrashing. He con-
sidered he had a right to cane his apprentices ; he felt it
was his solemn duty to do.so, and believed it would do
him good.
Mr. HARDWICK asked what was the age of the ap-
prentice ? The apprentice—Eighteen years.
Mr. HARDWICK said the use of personal violence to a
lad eighteen years of age was not right, and could not
be approved of on any principle; and there was no ne-
cessity for a Magistrate sitting with a power to send
apprentices to the House of Correction, if masters were
allowed the use of personal violence towards them.
The defendant's idea of his right was erroneous, and his
sense of a solemn duty was ridiculous. It was evident
the master was an irritable man, and the indenture had
better be cancelled.
The master said he could not agree to that, and would
resist it to his utmost.
Mr. HARDWICK said the power to do so lay entirely
with the magistrate. He said the master must pay 20s.
and 2s. costs for the assault. lie then informed the ap-
prentice's mother that she might have a summons
against the master to make him show cause why the in-
denture should not be cancelled, but advised her in the
meantime to consult some friend whether she ought to
proceed to that length ; but she might have the sum-
mons at any time.

CLERKEN WELL.—(T HIS DAY.)
William Holding was charged with robbing his sister-
in-law, Anna Holding, of half-a-crown, and two dupli-
cates, one being that of her wedding-ring, and with
violently assaulting her in the commission of the robbery.
The prosecutrix said she resided in a small cottage in
Pocock's-fields, and about one o'clock on Monday the
prisoner came in, and after saying a few words, caught
her by the throat and attempted to put his hand in her
pocket. She screamed out loudly, upon which he
knocked her down, when he took the money ana dupli-
cates fioni her pocket and ran away.
Several witnesses were called by the prosecu trix to
support her statement, but although all said they heard
her scream, none saw either the prisoner or any person
else near the spot ; and it was also shown that there
existed a very bitter family quarrel, her husband .having
ran away from her a short time ago.
Mr. COMBE said it was a most singular charge alto-
gether, but with such contradictory evidence he could
not do otherwise than order him to be discharged.

GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.
(THIS DAY.)
A special general meeting of the proprietors of the
Great Western Railway was held this afternoon at the
Paddington station, for the purpose of considering two
agreements, one for purchasing the Birmingham and
Oxford Junction, and the Birmingham, Wolverhampton,
and Dudley Railways, the other for the purchase of the
Wycombe and Uxbridge Railways, and also for the pur-
pose of determining upon the expediency of certain
branch lines and extensions, and, if necessary, to autho-
rise the directors to apply to Parliament in the esisuing
session for powers to make them. Mr. Charles 3 tussell,
M.P., chairman of the board of directors, pt•esided.
There was an exceedingly full attendance of share-
holders.

The CHAIRMAN said that the purpose of the present
meeting was to obtain the permission of the share 'holders
to carry out to their legitimate results the meas urea of .
last session, by renewing an application to Par liament
to sanction them in the next. One of th e most
important measures which had obtained the sanc-
tion of Parliament in the .last session was the
Birmingham and Oxford Railway, the circum stances
with regard to which were so recent, that it was hardly
necessary for him (the Chairman) to detain the. meets
ing with any reference to them. They (the share -
holders) would remember that a Bill was also o' btained
for the construction of a railway from Birming ham to
Dudley and Wolverhampton. The connexion betwe, m these
lines was intimate, as they formed a continuous line of
communication, and were, indeed, almost prom( ited by
the same parties. It was, therefore, thought ad risable
that they should be amalgamated and brought to tether
under one direction. Accordingly, a special ruteeting
was convened to promote the amalgamation, on
the 30th October last, at which he (Mr. Rus-
sell) had thought it his duty to be p resent.
A long discussion took place as to thee pro-
bability of the
Great Western Company's being
disposed to lease or purchase them, which many
parties wished that they should do. He (Mr. R aissell)
thought, on that occasion, that the proposition should
not come from them (the Great Western), but stated
that they would be prepared to take it into con-
sideration, and that he did not think that
they would offer any opposition to the amal-
gamation of the two lines, or to their pur-
chase or lease by the Great Western, provided that
certain conditions were complied with, viz., Ist -That
the arrangement should be just; 2d—That the prin-
ciples and purposes for which the railways bad been
granted, should in no way be violated; and, la;tly— -That
the rights of the Great Western Railway should iru no
degree be weakened. On these agreements, he said,
the Great Western would be prepared to tree t. A
resolution was passed agreeing to the amalgarthati.on,
and it was also agreed that a negotiation should be
opened with the Great Western for the lease or pur-
chase of the line. Accordingly, a deputation of the two
companies had met, and the result was, that -the
heads of the agreement were drawn up, which
had been circulated amongst them. He (7 the
Chairman) believed, and so did his colleagues that the
terms of that agreement were just and equitable. He
trusted that it was not the practice of the Great We stern
Company to ask in their arrangements anything but just
terms. But in the present instance there were st rc ing
reasons why they had thought that the terms sh uld
be liberal. It was their opinion that the London, t tad
North Western Company could not bid for these lintel;--
that it would be inconsistent with their principles t o do
so—and that as they (the Great Western Comp: ray)
were the only parties who could purchase the line, they
mtenty n
ao lookedm , hesitation
the itat
pt o iooin point
ought to offer liberal terms. The directors, there fore,
fheil
iewn h
e recommending
retprospectsh
etraffic
affie of
of tot
theh their
e ntwo north
t hs
ic
tr
es.
holders the adoption of the terms, particularly
en
They passed through rich districts to the heart of Ri r-
gh
eentrated, before diverging to the various parts of th e
south. The terms in fact were such as were just to thof ;e
who sold as well as advantageous to those wb
bought.—(Hear, hear.) Up almost ..to the prese et
time (continued the Chairman) no attempt had bui :n
made by the London and North-Western Company to
interfere with the agreement ; but so late as yesterda y
(Thursday), he (Mr. Russell) had received a letter fro! n
Mr. Glyn, the chairman of that company, whic h
he would now read to them. Though it w as
a private communication (as all which passed betwe en
him and Mr. Glyn were), it had such a bearing on r he
measure before them, that he should not feel justified in
withholding it from them. (The Chairman then 9 f:s-
eceded to read the communication in question, w 11 aich
stated that the London and North-Western Com truly
had received a memorial from certain parties i ,n the
Birmingham and Oxford, pressing them to come fo; rward
with some proposition for an union between' th em to
the advantage of the latter. The letter conclud ed by
mfpally, they ( the'
stating that it was accompanied by a copy of the a nswver
sent to the memorial. This document stated, t hilt if
the Great Western should decline entering into
any
,
ethsteeronffe Cr oo
the Great W. est-
negotiation for a fresh arrangement in the matter se ith
ern was disposed of, to propose an arrangement ai fan-
tageous to all.) This letter, though dated the 2d inst.,
had not reached him (the Chairman) til the
ltahtete London
ond
wereo n dai6spdosNedor whenthW
day before. Its object was evident, and the b was,
to sow dissension among them, not at the el( iventh,
but the twelfth hour.—(Hear, hear.) Re soul
d not,
therefore, hesitate, and at once, though labouring under
an answer, which had illness, had written obtain Kt the
concurrence of his colleagues. He had said in it t that he
did not anticipate any advantage from the negol iation
proposed. If he (Mr. Glyn) could persuade the t are-
holders of the Birmingham and Oxford to transfer tl ieir
line to the hands of the London and North-Wes k rn,
and if Parliament should so far stultify itself as to
agree to it, they (the Great Western) would submit, f but
they would take no part in it.—(Loud applause.)
The CHAIRMAN having 13
ex ressed his firm belief t hat
the agreement- would be confirmed, proceeded to say
that, under any circumstances, there would still ren lain
an appeal to Parliament. He then commented in clefts' ion
the other lines to be applied for in the next session, w; hich
he stated to be for the most part the same as those of the
last, and already approved of by the shareholders. !,* Che
resolution formally confirming the agreement with the
Birmingham and Oxford, and the Birmingham, Wolver-
hampton, and Dudley, for the purchase of these t wo
undertakings, was then read, and a long discussi on
ensued. _

Mr. WITHERS, at great length, opposed the agrl v-
naent, and entered into elaborate calculations to slit )W
that it would never be lucrative. With respect to t. he
apprehension entertained from the probability of tl `le
.London and North-Western Company's getting the lin, es
If the Great Western did not, he said iet them get tb7;n.