The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-31 00:00:00

ABERDEEN.

An extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders
of this railway company was held on Thursday, in the
Royal Hotel, Aberdeen; Lord James Hay, chairman.
The CHAIRMAN intimated that the present meeting
was a special one, called for the purpose of laying before
the-shareholders two proposals—one by the London and
North-Western Railway and the other by the Edinburgh
and Northern Railway, in connexion, it was understood,
with the North British, and Yot k, Newcastle, and Ber-
wick Railways.
The following report was read:—
" The meeting had to consider first a proposal by the
London and North-Western Railway Company to 4^ake
at ♦aluation the present working plant of the Aberdeen
Railway Company, and advance on account thereof a
sum of 80,0001. on the completion of the agreement.,
until the exact value shall be ascertained; also to fur-
nish the necessary additional plant required, and to
work the Aberdeen line from the present time, and for a
period of five years after the opening of the line to a
point near Aberdeen, at a mileage rate to be fixed by
Mr. Locke, the engineer of both companies. The
second is a proposal by the Edinburgh and Northern
Railway Company, in conjunction, it is understood,
with the North British, and the York, Newcastle,
and Berwick Rails ay Companies, to take and pay for
by instalments of 20,000/. per month, the whole of the
new stock authorised to be raised by the Aberdeen Rail-
way Act, 1848, amounting to 276,0001. (subject to the
option of such shareholders as may choose to do so to
take a rateable proportion of the new stock correspond-
ing to the number of shares held by them), on condi-
tion that the said new sleek shall be guaranteed a
dividend of six per cent. per annum for five years,
and five per cent. per annum thereafter in perpetuity, and participate in any dividend exceeding five per cent.
which may at any time be declared on the whole stock
of the company. The Edinburgh and Northern Com-
pany also agree, on the completion of the line to a
point near Aberdeen, to take and pay for at valuation
the Aberdeen Company's working plant, and to work
the line thereafter for a period of twenty-one years, 410
a charge of 40 per cent. of the gross receipts; but an
account of the actual expenses is to be made up at the
end of every three years, and submitted to the Aber-
deen Company; and should there be any difference of
opinion with regard to their amount, or should it be
considered that the said per centage entails loss on
either party, the amount of the per centage shall be
determined by engineers to be mutually choten."
Resolutions in accordance with the report were
agree to.

SOUTH DEVON RAILWAY.—This company has made
a variety of alterations in the arrangement of its trains,
and like the Great Western Company, it had, at first,
determined not to allow the issue of return tickets. For-
tunately, however, for the interests of the company, as
well as for the convenience of the public, the directors,
at a meeting which was held on Saturday, re-considered
the subject, and came to the determination to continue
the system of granting return tickets. As the South
Devon Railway is mostly used as a pleasure line, the
withdrawal of the facilities that have been allowed would
have been attended most probably with a great sacrifice
of income: The alteration in the trains is to commence
on the Ist of November. There is no truth whatever in
the statement recently published by one of the local
papers, of a reduction in the wages of the porters, and
of the salaries of the other officials.

OPENING OF THE EAST AND WEST YORKSHIRE.—
This new line, that for fifteen miles accommodates the
east and west districts of Yorkshire, was publicly opened
yesterday, when three trains ran each way, connecting
the adjacent districts with the York and Newcastle and
Leeds and Think system of railways. The line fur-
nishes facilities to the inhabitants of the beautiful neigh-
bourhoods of Ii naresborough and Harrogate,' and the
trains touch at Allerton, Marston, and other places in
their transit. By means of it, the farmers of east and

NV(-14 Yorkshire Will be enabled to convoy their corn ,
cattle, and agricultural produce to market with doulle
the rapidity and at half the uinal cost. The line has
cost between 200,000/. and 300,0001. Its chief works
are, a tunnel under a portion of tbe town of Knares-
borough, and a viaduct in the castelated style of archi-
tecture, to correspond with the neighbouring castle at
Knaresborough, over the river Nidd, 300 feet long and
80 feet above the river. Mr. Hudson has undertaken
the working management of the line, to ascertain its
probable income, prior to entering upon an expected
leasing possession.
The Newcastle and Carlisle have declared a dividend
of three per cent. for the half. year.
VALE OF NEATIL—Lord Villiers, the chairman of
this line, which is to run for two-and-twenty miles
through the county of Glamorgan, has, with the engi-
neers and officers, been over the works in progress during
the past week. Additional contracts have been let, the
company being desirous of ecmpleting their lines to
certain points by the time that the South Wales Railway
is completed to Swansea, and thus accommodate visitors
to Merthyr.

LONGRIDOE RAILWAY MEETING.-The general half-
yearly meeting of the proprietors of the Longridge Rail..
way was held at the Fleetwood, Preston, and West
Riding Junction Railway Company's offices, on Thurs-
day last; T. B. Addison, Esq., in the chair. The busi-
ness transacted was merely of a formal character. A
dividend of 12s. per share, clear of income-tax, was de-
clared.—Preston Chronicle.

EAST LANCASHIRE.—The directors of the East Lan-
cashire Railway Company are now prepared to contract
for the extension of their line from Farington to Pres-
ton, involving the erection of another bridge across the
Ribble.—Preston Chronicle.

A NEW RAILWAY.—A correspondent informs us that
surveyors are at present engaged in surveying for a line
of railway from Fleetwood to Lancaster, to pass a little
to the west of Garstang.—Preston Chronicle.
CANTERBURY BRANCH.—The interruption to the
traffic on the branch between this city and Chilham, oc-
casioned by the excessive floods last week, which broke
down a culvert intended for the purpose of carrying off
surplus water, has now ceased, as a footway has been
carried across. The works for replacing the culvert are
proceeding, and will shortly be completed.—Canterbury
Journal.

THE ABERDEEN.-It is now our pleasing duty to
congratulate the shareholders of this concern, as well as
the community at large, on the final adjustment of ar-
rangements by which the completion of the Aberdeen
Railway to the south bank of the Dee has been secured,
The works will be resumed immediately with the ut-
most activity, and we believe it is expected that the line
will be opened to the public about the middle of next
year. We are quite satisfied that neither the Edin-
burgh and Northern, nor either of the other com-
panies, who are understood to be parties to this agree-
ment, will have any reason to repent of it.— Aberdeen
Herald.

THE RAILWAY AND CANAL COMPANIES.—We are in-
formed that amicable arrangements have this week been
come to between the Lancaster and Preston Railway
Company and the Lancaster Canal Company, so that
now there is little doubt that the long pending suit with
the Lancaster and Carlisle Company will be shortly
settled also.—Lancaster Gazette.

THE PEACE MOVEMENT.
DEPUTATION TO THE PREMIER.
Yesterday morning a special deputation from the
Peace Congress, which sat at Brussels on the 20th, 21st,
and 22d of September last, waited upon Lord John
Russell, according to appointment, at one o'clock.
The deputation consisted of M. Visschers, a gentleman
well known for his philanthropic sentiments, and a di.-
tinguished member of tho Belgian Government, who
acted as President of the Collgress; Mr. William Ewart,
M.P., vice-president for En;!and Eilat Ilurritt, vice-
president for the United State; the hey. Henry Richard,
secretary of the Peace Society, representing M. Francois
Bouret, vice-president for France, and member of the
French National Assembly; and Mr. John Scuble, of
the committe of arrangements, representing M. Baron
Suringar, vice-president for Holland.
Mr. EWART introduced the,deputation, and stated to
his Lordship the general character of the Congress, the
objects they had in view, and the means by which they
proposed to attain them. He stated that the object of
the deputation in seeking an interview with his Lord-
ship was to present an address from the Congress to
him, as the Prime Minister of the British Government.
M. VISSCHERS read the address in French, and his
Lordship listened nith attention, occasionally making an
observation.
Mr. ELIHU BURRITT desei ibed the efforts that were
made by the friends of peace in the United States to in-
doctrinate the public wind with peace sentiments, and
the policy of ki❑dness at d friendship, which were gra-
dually but surely increasing towards the parent country.
Lend JOHN RUSSELL, who received the deputation
with courtesy, expressed the deep interest which he, in
common with every member of the British Government,
felt in the preservation of peace, and his ready belief that
such meetings as those recently held at Brussels might
be well calculated to produce a temper of moderation and
kindness amongst the various nations of the world. His
Lordship then adverted at considerable length to the
propositions adopted by the Congress, entering into some
of them with great energy. Whilst to the full extent he
admitted the desirableness of universal peace, he ap-
peared to doubt whether in the present circumstances of
society, and whilst men's passions remained as they
were, such an end would be easily attainable.
The deputation withdrew, much gratified with the
interview.
It may be added that the plan of holding a peace
congress at Brussels arose out of a proposition made by
Mr. Elihu Burritt early in August last, for holding
some such a convention at Paris. On visiting the capi-
tal of France, however, that gentleman was compelled
to yield to the conviction that, owing to the great poli-
tical excitement which then prevailed in that city,
especially on the question of Italy, it would not be pru-
dent or practicable to hold the convention there. An
interview was subsequently sought with M. Rogier, the
Belgian Prime Minister, who afforded every encourage-
ment to the deputation, and there the congress was ac-
eordingly ultimately holden.

THE SERPENTINE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Six,—Your extract from the Lancet, about the
Serpentine, is very impressive; and I have no doubt
the state of it could be remedied at a moderate cost
for such a purpose, by drawing water from the
Thames, near Chiswick, and driving it through a
sixteen or twenty-inch pipe, which might run con-
tinually, and the cascade, or waterfall again be
brought into play; which was indeed pretty while
it lasted ; but the worst of these things is, that they
are made the vehicles for jobs in some pet engineer's
hands, to do or undo. F.

THE SEA. SERPENT.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
• SlR,—Your correspondent " Zjetetes " evidently
has never " rolled" the voyage front the Cape of St.
Helena, and does not understand the drift of the
remarks of " W. H."

Latitude. 24 deg. 44 min. south, and longitude
9 deg. 22 min. east, give a position within the range
of the south-east trade ; and few instances are to be
found of homeward-bound vessels close hauled in that
lccality—outward-bound vessels for the same reason
are seldom, if ever to be met with there. But her
Majesty's ship Daedalus is not the only exception to
the rule.

In the Roberts, on the homeward voyage from
Calcutta between the 16th and 20th of August, 1838,
for nearly four successive days we had a dead head
wind, between latitude 26 deg. and 23 deg. south,
and longitude 8 deg. and 2 deg. east. I have not
been able to find the journal of the voyage so as to
give the exact particulars, but I have left at your
office a rough manuscript chart of our course, which
all on board looked on at the time as a vexatious
curiosity...

A peLliarity of the voyage, which it may be worth
while at the same time to communicate was, that,
after an unusually rapid run for the season from the
Sand-heads to the Care, we were in hopes of round-
ing it on the 6th of July, 1848, with a fair and
strong breeze on the quarter—about E.S.E. I should
think : but as soon as the ship's head was round
L'Agulhas heavy gales came on from the N.W.
Those who trace the courses of storms may like to
have this fact in connexion with the other, which
it seems worth while to offer to -" W. 1-1." and
" Zjetetes ;" and it may interest the officers of the
Daedalus and your readers in general, some of whom_
may not be aware of the rule by which " W. IL"
has tested the credibility of the story of the sea
serpent, nor that marvellous or otherwise, there is a
second exception at all events to that rule.

Your obedient servant.
Q. E. D.

We are authorised to state, with reference to the
increase of duties on woollen and silk goods recently
imposed by the States forming the Zullverein, that, pend-
ing the decision of the question by the several states,
orders are about to be transmitted by the hessian Go-
vernment to their Custom-house authorities to take the
same measures in respect of goods of British origin as
have been agreed upon with regard to Belgium produce;
and which are, to keep a particular account of such
goods as may be furnished with the requisite certificates,
so
as to facilitate a reimbursement of the duties already
paid, if eventually, and as there is reason to expect, a
reimbursement should be decided upon.—Tinres.—We
have the satisfaction to state, with reference to the above
paragraph respecting the increase of duties in the Zell.
verein, that the States of the Zollverein have now con-
sented to the admission of British goods free from the
additional duties, provided they are accompanied by
certificates of origin. The Prussian Government has
also intimated an intention of reimbursing the addi-
tional duties already paid on British merchandise im-
ported with proper certificates, and of inviting the other
States of the Zollverein to adopt the same course.
The successful patentee of the celebrated Welling-
ton surtout whose ingenuity to decorate the outward man
has anticipated and provided for the comforts and.wants of
so porous
the puilic by introducing another new coat for winter.
The Royal Siberian Ova-coat, brought out by Mr.
Forigere, of Conduit-street, Regent-street, 111
that a candle may be blown out through it, yet the
wearer can be kept perfectly dry although exposed to
twenty-four hours incessant rain; it is light, warm,
pliant, and comfortable as fur. This coat possessing so
many qual:ties is likely to become a great favourite.
Tue moderate price at which it is to be sold, v'z., fifty
shillings, is sure to cause a general and almost tuaiversal
demand,