The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-29 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS, August 28.

(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
lir. T. DIMTCOMBE presented a petition from Mr.
Philips, a proprietor of the Bellevue Lunatic Asylum,
praying for an alteration of the law regulating lunatic
asylums.
The lion. MEMBER also presented a petition from
Charles Watts, a private in the 71st company of
marines, complaining of having suffered corporal
punishment unjustly, and praying that the House would
order an inquiry to be instituted into the conduct of the
commanding officer of that company.
Mr. AGLIONBY gave notice that, next session, he
•would move for leave to bring in a Bill to facilitate the
inclosure of commons, and to provide that all waste
common lands might be made into lots as freeholds,
vithout respect to the ancient tenure of lands.
Mr. PHILLIPS presented a petition from Manches-
ter, praying for additional representatives for the
borooghs in that district.
PO OR-L AW S.

Mr. BORTHA ICK wished to ask the Noble Lord at
the head of her Maj.-sty's Government on what terms
the House separated with regard to the question of the
poor-laws. He had given notice of two motions on the
subject, but had withdrawn them on the assurance that
the subject would be taken into consideration next
session.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that he would not then
venture to state what: measures her Majesty's Govern-
ment would propose with regard to the poor-law, but he
woold promise the Hon. Gentleman that unless he did
prol.'ose some inquiry, or take some steps tending to
show the necessity of such an inquiry, the motion of the
Hon. Gentleman for a Select Committee of the whole
House would not be objected to.
PROMOTIONS IN THE POLICE.
_ _

Mr. PROTHEROE wished to ask the Right Hon.
Baronet, the Secretary for the Home Department,
whether the impression which had been created in the
public mind in consequence of some statements in the
public papers that the promotion of the police depended
upon the number of convictions they had obtained, was
.correct or not.
Sir G. GREY had received an assurance from the
police Commissioners that there was no such rule
j existence, and that their rules were founded
upon totally different principles.
ANDOVER UNION. _ _

WAKLEY wished to call Ilia attention of the
Rig bt lion. Baronet to a letter which had appeared in
the Times of that morning from a person named Maker.
It stated that the witnesses called before the Committee
of th at House for the purpose of inquiring into
the conduct of the Guardians of the Ando-
ver -Union had received no protection since
from -the Right Honourable. Baronet, who was in
effect himself the head of the Poor-law Commission.
Tacker was a man with a wife and three children, and
recatved an allowance of 3d. per week before the inquiry
of Ow Committee, but having been called as a witness
before that Committee, his relief had since been stopped,
and he was left to starve. He (Mr. Wakley) thought
that some protection ought to be afforded to those
witnesses.
Sir GEORGE GREY said that he had had no time
that day to look at the letter in question, but he would
direct his attention to it at a future opportunity. He
.did not, however, know if he had any power to interfere
in the matter referred to.
The Usher of the Black Rod here made his appear-
ni tee to summon the House to hear the Royal Assent
giN 'en to several Bills, and to hear her Majesty's most
gm, zious Speech upon the prorogation of Parliament.
On' the Speaker's return he took his seat at the table,
and r 'ad her Majesty's speech, and the House then
sepsrat ed.

ARMAGH, COLERAINE, AND
PORTRUSH RAILWAY.

A numerous and respectable meeting of sharehold-
ers of this Company was held yesterday, at the London
Tavern, for the purpose of considering the propriety
of an amalgamation with the Dublin and Belfast Junc.
tion Railway Company.
In the absence of the Right Hon. George Dawson,
the chairman, Mr. Fox was called to the chair.
The SECRETARY having read the notice convening the
meeting,
The CHAIRMAN said, that having heard the advertise-
ment they were aware that they were called together
for the purpose of taking the sense of the shareholders
on the proposed amalgamation. They, the directors,
thought it would be desirable to effect that amalgama •
don. Their line, as they were aware, went through
some of the richest parts of the couatry in all the
features that would enrich a railway proprietary. The
railway would pass through Loughrea. The property
here traversed belonged to the Irish Society, who were
the best landlords in Ireland. The competing line
started about the same time, and when such was the
case it must be evident that it was a desirable project.
The Dublin, Belfast, and Coleraine line differed in
one or two particulars from their line. They intended
to connect Stewardstown and Portadown with the
Ulster Railway, while the other company took a slightly
different direction. The expense of a contest would
have been very great, and, therefore, it was resolved by
both parties to refer it to that eminent engineer Mr.
Rastrick. The reference was before him for a consider-
able time, and it appeared desirable for both parties to
abide by the award which he made, the particulars of
which were contained in the report that would be sub-
mitted to them. In fact, it would be seen that they suf-
fered no disadvantage from the alterations suggested by
Mr. Rastrick, and that the line of the competing Com-
pany was, in reality more their (the Armagh, Coleraine,
and Portrush's) than their former rival's. It would be
seen, from the report, that the other Company, having
agreed to amalgamate, had placed on the board eight of
their directors, and eight of their own. This joint
board had all sat together, workinc, harmoniously for
the interests that were now identified.' He did not think
it was necessary to advert to any other topic in the
report.—(Hear, hear.) The Chairman concluded by
proposing a resolution to the effect that the proposed
amalgamation should be agreed to.
A long and desultory discussion here ensued as to
whether a protest which had been handed to the Chair-
man should be read; and which not only dissented to the
proposed amalgamation, but characterised the present
meeting as illegal 7.
The CHAIRMAN said he thought they should confine
themselves to the specific object for which the meeting
had been convened. _ . . .

It was then put to the meeting whether the protest
should be read, and the motion was negatived.
Mr. MAXWELL and Mr. RICHARDSON addressed the
meeting against the proposed amalgamation, which they
denounced as wholly illegal.
The Secretary then read the following report:—
"The directors have convened this meeting of the
shareholders in the Armagh, Coleraine, and Portrush
Railway Company, to lay before them the terms of the
amalgamation which have been entered into by them
on the part of this Company with the directors of the
Dublin, Belfast, and Coleraine Junction Company; and
also to give a brief statement of the reasons which in-
duced them to form what they conceived to be a most
desirable junction with what was once a powerful oppo-
sition company.
" It will be remembered that the project for construct-
ing a line of railway from Armagh to Portrush origi-
nated in the latter part of the year 1944, when every
endeavour was made to ascertain the statistics of the
company, and the particular information necessary for
so important an undertaking. In the spring of 1845
the company was established. The Dublin, Belfast,
and Coleraine Junction Company, with which, as beforb
stated, an amalgamation has taken place, was formed
about the same period. The object was nearly the same,
being only characterised with some few distinctions as
to the precise country that it should serve in the direc-
tion of the line, not material to be noticed here. It was
impossible to deny but that there were features in
both schemes that were deserving of great public
support ; and the two companies for a considerable time
disputed the ground with each other without it appear.
ing very probable that either would recede, or that any
particular advantage would result to the shareholders of
either scheme. The directors, under these circum-
stances, felt that it was worse than useless to continue a
fruitless opposition, and they considered themselves
bound, upon every principle of justice to the share-
holders, to effect a cessation of hostilities if possible,
provided they could ultimately obtain their object,
which was to make the line of railway from Armagh
to Portrush. They are happy to say that a correspond-
ing disposition was evinced on the part of the directors
of the Dublin, Belfast, and Coleraine Junction Railway.
Overtures for a treaty were therefore made, and in the
month of November last the deputations from each
company met and arranged that, as the two lines were
nearly identical, together with the branches, the selec-
tion of the line to go forward in Parliament
should be left to Mr. Rastrick, and that the
solicitors of each company—Mr. Ogle and Mr. Sutton
—should attend him, accompanied by the engineers, for
that purpose. It is proper to remark here that the line
projected by the Dublin, Belfast, and Coleraine Junction
Company was intended to pass through the estates of
the Mercers' Company, and ,that that powerful body
were, therefore, disposed to support them in Parliament,
and, on the other hand, to afford every practical op-
position to the proposed line of this company,
which was not so well calculated to benefit their
estates. After a number of successive meetings
Mr. Rastrick, by consent of the parties. selected
the Dublin and Belfast Junction line with certain modi-
fications, availing himself of those features in the
Armagh, Coleraine, and Portrush line, which he con-
sidered of great importance to the perfection of the
scheme. The following is an extract from Mr. Ras-
trick's award :
" ' Ist. That part of the main line of the Dublin, Bel-
fast, and Coleraine Junction from Portadown to Stewarts-
town to be entirely abandoned.
" 2d. The branch from Stewartstown to Armagh to
be adopted as a portion of the main line.
"` 3d. The branch from Dungannon, crossing the
main line at Killyman, and going direct to Portadown,
to be substituted instead of the line between Stewarts-
town and Portadown.
" 4th." The branch from Castle Dawson, at Randals-
town, as laid down on the plan of the Dublin, Belfast,
and Coleraine Junction Railway to be the line adopted.'"
"Upon this award being made an amalgamation of the
two companies took place ; the substance of which was,
that a joint board was to be farmed, consisting of eight
members of each committee; that the funds of the two
companies be placed at the disposal of the united board ;
that the line to be so constructed should be called " The
Dublin, Belfast, and Coleraine Junction ;" that the share
holders should reciprocate equally in the benefits, and
that the expences heretofore incurred, as well as the
future, should be pail out of the joint funds,
and, lastly, that the shareholders of the Armagh,
Coleraine, and Portrush Extension Company
should be admitted shareholders in the united company
upon equal terms as the subscribers to the original
scheme. It may be observed, that the Dublin, Belfast,
and Coleraine Junction shares, which were originally
so/. shares, were reduced, uader the provisions
of the Act just obtained, to 251. shares, for
the purpose of meeting the convenience of the
shareholders in this Company, whose shares were
only 251., and that a shareholder in the Armagh,
Coleraine, and Portrush Company, and the Armagh,
Coleraine, and Portrush Extension Company, will
therefore be entitled for every share he holds in either
of the above companies to have one in the Dublin, Bel-
fast, and Coleraine Junction Company.
" The directors having made these arrangements,
immediately announced by advertisement, for the infor-
mation of the t,liareholders, that the amalgamation had
taken place, and they have only waited for the royal
assent being given to the Bill before they called
together the subscribers to submit the particulars
of their proceedings, and, as they hope, to receive
from them their sanction and approval. The directors,
in conclusion, would only remind the shareholders that,
by adopting these measures, they have saved a very
considerable expenditure of money, and secured, by the
co-operation of the two bodies, the safety of a Bill for car-
rying out the project. The object originally contem-
plated has been attained, the opposition which once ex-
isted converted into a friendly alliance, and the interests
of the shareholders preserved and protected to the
utmost."

The CHAIRMAN then moved the adoption of the re-
port, which was seconded.
An amendment was proposed and seconded, to the
effect that the amalgamation should not take place, and
that the money to which the shareholders were entitled
should be refunded, and the Company dissolved.
Mr. WILSON said he thought it would be consulting
the best interests of the company if they proceeded
with the proposed amalgamation.
Several other shareholders expressed themselves to
the same effect.
Scrutineers having been appointed,
Ten of the shareholders left the room, and, from the
statement of the scrutineers, it appeared that the amend-
ment was negatived, and the original resolution carried;
the numbers being
For the amalgamation 7,595
Against it B7O
Those holding scrip were permitted to vote, and there
appeared to be the strongest desire on the part of the
chairman to give all parties fair play.
Captain Heaviside was then moved to the chair, and
the cordial thanks of the meeting voted to the Chair-
man and the other directors for the zealous and efficient
manner in which they had discharged their duties.
The CHAIRMAN briefly acknowledged the compli-
ments.
The meeting then separated.

AFFRAY WITH POACFIERS.—On Wednesday night last
an affray of a serious nature took place between three game-
keepers in the employ of J. F. Featherstone, Esq., of Milton
House, near Rayborougb, and a party of poachers. It ap-
pears that information had been conveyed to the keepers,
that two men belonging to the neighbourhood, well-known
poachers, intended trying certain open lands, abounding
with partridges, with a description of net generally used
upon such occasions, and the keepers were accordingly on
the look-out. At a late hour, five men made their appear-
ance and commenced operations, but were speedily inter-
rupted by the keepers, when a fight took place. Neither
party carried fire-arms, but a desperate struggle was main-
tained with stout sticks, during which, one of the keepers
was struck down senseless by a blow on the head, and his
companions, finding the poachers too much for them, were
obliged to retreat. The poachers having decamped, the
keepers returned to the spot where the affray took place, and
carried off their wounded companion. On examination, the
man's skull was found to be dangerously fractured. On the
following morning two of the ping, who had been recognised
by the keepers, were taken into custody.