The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-17 00:00:00

IVHITTINGTAN CLUB.—TfiiRD
SOIREE.
On Tuesday we spent a pleasant and intelligent .1."
ieniug with our young friends of the above club, at :ate
ateir third soiree, in the elegant and spacious hallitd.thetr; at'
new premises, formerly the Crown and Anchor Tien,
for which they only pay 6001. of rent. Their presi lent,
Douglas Jerrold, Esq., ably filled_the chair and was
surrounded by many of the more distinguished and
ectarhlueainrkitesehdaKiinknai,geEmhstbe4.rEsq.
s; and patrons. Among others M.
Milnee, Esq., M.P. ; Charles Lushington, Esq., M.P. ;
Dr. Bowring, ; George Thompson, Esq., M.P. ;
;Coßoopbeerr, tEsOci.w;en,
and Esq.several ;
G egladiese
and gentlemen whose names we did not learn. Al-
though the sale of tickets was restricted to members and
their friends, the hall was crowded. At bait 000 were
present—a large portion of whom were of the gentler
sex, whose beaming eyes and intelligent faces testified
how much they appreciated institutions of this nature.
The extensive suite of rooms were thrown open at seven,
and exhibited a well-arranged and liberal display of
viands of various kinds. Mr. Jerrold congratulated the
club, with characteristic wit, that they wets not now
lodgers, but leaseholders. They had been driven out
of their former premises by the irresistible dictum of
that unreasonable agent fire, for which the now histori-
cal cooking apparatus of that place had, no doubt, its
own reasons. He introduced Mr. Charles Knight, who
made some practical remarks on the necessity of central
combination and co-operation to secure success in such
institutions, and referred for proof to those in the north
of England. Mr. Lushington, in a neat speech, con-
gratulated the meeting, and his countrymen,
that that hall, the arena of many a noisy political strife,
was now consecrated to the more sacred purpose of
harmony and intellectual enjoyment. Mr. Thompson
apologised for having appeared in his working clothes.
He and others owed what success they had to a similar
institution—that of Aldersgate. Mr. T. concluded some
judicious remarks on.the capability of the human &eta.
ties to progress to an illimitable degree, and illustrated
the influence of knowledge by an anecdote of the dandy
in Holborn, who, when all attempts to induce the mastiff
to release the old lady's poodle from his unrelenting
jaws, coolly administered a pinch of snuff, and as the
animal sneezed and dropped his prey, sagely remarked to
the mob that " knowledge is power." Mr. Geese
Cruikahank, in a short speech more remarkable for a
blunt, honest, well-meaning zeal for the good of youth,
than for oratorical eloquence, reviewed shortly the
" authentic " and " poetical " history of Whittington'.
They could not all be Lord Mayors; but this pretty
story offered good lessons of industry, perseverance, and
courage. Mr. Monckton Milnes conceived that their
success was mainly attributable to the broad and liberal
basis on which their club was constituted. It was nei-
ther religiously nor politically sectarian. Want of this
principle had been the death of others. Another chief
cause of success was the admission of the fairer and
more influential portion of creation to membership. He
recoll,cted a " ladies' club," twenty or thirty years
ago, in Albemarle-street. Each lady could bring a gen-
tleman to dinner. One day a lady member was prevented
from attending. Her intended gallant, however, went alone,
when, to his consternation, he found his own wife in
the party. The, scandal incident to this accident wait
too much for the club. It died in three weeks. Dr.
flowring -concluded this part of the proceedings by
some reminiscences of his Oriental travels. The
amusements of the evening were agreeably di-
versified by the vocal talents of Misses Dolby and Sa-
billa Novelle, and Mr. Alfred Novelle. Miss Novelle
has a soft, silvery, soprano voice, which blended charm-
ingly with the more powerful and thrilling notes of
Miss Dolby in Spontini's duet, "Di conforti." Miss
Dolby sung delightfully that beautiful canzonet by
Morri, " 0, tell me, pretty river," and when rapturously
encored, gave with great spirit a Scotch song, half
hunting half Jacobite in its character. Mr. Carte per-
formed a solo on Bohm's silver flute, and the risible
faculties of all were well exercised by the comic genius
of John Parry, in his ludicrous account of the marine
excursion of the too daring " King Canute," and his
comical account of the good King Alfred and the old
woman's burnt cakes. About half-past ten significant
indications of preparation for the dance began to ap-
pear. Harp, fiddle, and flute were speedily released
from their cases and green great coats, and the hall was
soon cleared for the agreeable relaxation, which was kept
up till a late hour. Mr. Yapp, the secretary, deserves
much credit for his arrangements. It might be advisable,
however, to have an earlier hour to commence, and to
keep that hour. But the early-closing movement, we
fear, has not yet been so successful as to render these
improvements practicable. —From a Correspondent.

ARMY ESTIMATES for 1848-49.
The estimates of the effective and non-effective army
services from April 1, 1848, to March 31, 1849, N, ere
issued yesterday from the office of the Parliamentary
printer. The gross total amount to be provided by the
House of Commons for the effective" service for the
ensuing financial year is estimated at 4,201,1761., and
the amount for the " non-effective" service at 2,117,5081.,
making together a grand total amount of 6,318,6861.,
exhibiting an increase, as compared with the charge for
the year 1847-48, of 43,6121. Of the amount required
for the " effective" service, the sum of 3,836,8801. will
be appropriated to the land forces throughout the world,
168,2371., to the staff officers, 96,5911. to public depart-
ments, 19,1611. to the Royal Military Asylum and
Hibernian School, and 80,3081. to the volunteer corps.
The effective force of the regular army—as it is to be
organized for the ensuing year—may thus be analyzed,
via., 6,700 horses (exclusive of 3,506 for the East Indies,
the expense of which is defrayed by the Company),
4,862 officers, 8,308 non-commissioned officers, trum-
peters, and drummers, and 100,677 rank and file, making
a grand total (all ranks) of 118,847 men. Of the
2,117,508/. required for the non-effective service the sum
of 15,507/. will be appropriated to rewards for military
service; 76,000/. to the army pay of general officers;
57,0001. to the full pay of retired officers; 406,0001, to
half pay and military allowances ; 47,3861. to foreign
half-pay ; 129,5311. to widows' pensions ; 98,0001. to
compassionate allowances, bounty warrants, and pen-
sions for wounds; 26,7741. to the in-pensioners of the
Chelsea and Kilmainham Hospitals; 1,223,8101. to out-
pensions; and 37,500/. to superannuation allowances.
The sum of 80,308/. required for the charge of the volun-
teer corps is thus subdivided:—vis. 4,8181. for the pay
and forage allowance for 28 adjutants, via., 1 at
105., 24 at Bs., and 3 at se. ed. per diem each; 13/. 10s.
for the clothing of 9 sergeant-majors, at 30s. each per
annum; and 39,800/. for the contingent and clothing al-
lowacce of 13,600 men, at 31. each per annum, making a
total for ordinary pay and clothing allowance of 44,6311.
to which the sum of 35,677/. is added as the probabli
expense of the corps when assembled for exercise or
for permanent duty, or when employed in aid of the
civil power, and expense of inspecting field officers for
1848-49; also allowances to'clerks of lieutenancy, under
tee provisions of the Yeomanry Act, founded upon the
actual expenditure of 1847. The increase of the regular
military force this year, as compared with last, amounts
to 5,449 men, and the extra expense to 43,6121. It
should be understood by our uninitiated readers, that
the votes of men and money for the regular army and
the royal navy are annually taken in what is called " a
Committee of Supply," whereas any organization of a
national militia force will have to be provided for by a
speeial Act of Parliament. The old Militia Act of the
reign of George 111. is still nominally in force, but hail
hitherto alway s been suspended from year to year by
an annual Act of Parliament.

ACCIDENTS ON TIIE NORTH-WESTREN RAILWAY.
—Yesterday two accidents, both of which, though not
attended with any fatal consequences, were of a very
serious nature, and caused the greatest alarm to the
passengers, occurred on this line. The first happened
to the train which loft London at six A.M. from Euston-
square, which travelled with the usual speed until it ar-
rived at Hampton (between Rugby and Birmingham),
when some passengers discovered that one of the car-
riages was on fire. An alarm was instant]) raised, but
before the train could be stopped, the fire had got a firm
bold of the carriage, which was completely filled with
smoke. Upon the train being brought to a stand, it was
found that owing to tho axle-boxes not having been pro-
perly examined and greased, the friction from the
eN heels had caused the fire. Water from a pond was
quickly procured, and the fire extinguished, without
doing much damage. The second accident occurred to
the express train from Manchester, which left that town
at five o'clock P.X., when, upon arriving near Rugby,
atter leaving the Trent Valley line, a singular jumping
motion was felt by the engineer ; he immediately stop-
ped the engine, and, upon examining the train, it was
found that a carriage had got off the line, much to the
terror of the passengers, who had been thrown from one
side of the carriage to the other with great velocity.
1 The carriage being nearly the middle of the train, the
only reason which can be assigned for the accident is,
that the coupling iron had not been properly secured.
The carriage was found to be so much injured that it
was necessary to take it from the train, which afterwards
proceeded on its journey to London.
THE TITHE REDEMPTION TRUST.—Yesterday a
meeting of the members of this society was held at their
office, in Abingdon-street, Westminster. Lord Jo
Manners presided. There were also present Lord
Grosvenor, M.P., the Rev. 1)r. Spranger, , the R. -
Robert
Messrs. J. T. Russell, Swan, Denne, Mallet, tkye" Thre.
G. H. Drew, and other supporters of th;?
treellero.apect us
secretary stated that ho had sent copies
'York. and to all
to the Archbishops of Canterbury
theHe hadtlish
received
i vmost
communicationso f whom onc
fromusr. Dr
concurred da
gti
ornestght i evnieu n
ir
uvb
epi
rtwhos
the
persons,
iawteilrbengfor a fair conside-
leiiethr7sn'thesrheeldoafswlahr impwreorper
c
rliasttiosni.nceSethveeralasl new wniseuebtisengri,bielrnsdhmadanbyeeanppaidiedat tnosthheaidr
been made for advice how to act where there weibiolrgßegcohulaitantetheosef
h© bad
recHeeivtehdeifiorreac
suggestionsobject
egeett ttihnegy darray
tithes restored.
A discussion then ensued, in
which Lord Robert Grosvenor, Lord ohn Manners the
Rev, Mr. Mallet, Mr. Dingwell, and Jhe Reva. Mrr. Scott
took parts; after which a committee was appointed, and
the meeting adjourned till a future day.
-,.. Guildhall was in some danger of being destroyed
by fire on Sunday morning, from the close proximity of
other buildings. About! one o'clock in the morning
Wood, one of the patrols, was crossing over the roof of
Guildhall, when he found a fire had broken out in the
upper floor at Messrs. Gregory and Cubitt's, straw
`bonnet manufacturers, No. 15, Aldermanbary. The
back of these premises are within two feet of one portion
of Guildhall. Through the early discovery of the fire
the mischief was confined to the upper part of the house,
but the damage from fire and water amounts to nearly
2,0001.
COLLISION OF THE TYNE.—A verdict of " Man..
slaughter" has been returned by the coroner's jury
against the captain and crew of the Alice steam-tug, of
North Shields, for having run down a boat containing
seven men, and occasioning the death of four.

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