The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-09 00:00:00

VICTORIES IN INDIA.

His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, in obe-
dience to the order of her Majesty in council, has pre-
pared the following form of prayer and thanksgiving to
Almighty God, for the repeated and signal victories ob-
tained by the troops of her Majesty, and by those of the
Honourable East India Company, in the vicinity of the
Sutlej, whereby the unjust and unprovoked aggression
of the Seikhs was gloriously repelled, and their armies
totally discomfited :
" A Form of Prayer and Thanksgiving to Almighty
God.
" 0 Lord God of Hosts, in whose hand is power and
might irresistible, we, thine unworthy servants, most
humbly acknowledge thy goodness in the victories lately
vouchsafed to the armies of our Sovereign, over a host
of barbarous invaders, who sought to spread desolation
through fruitful and populous provinces enjoying the
blessings of peace under the protection of the British
Crown. Wo bless thee, 0 merciful Lord, for having
brought to a speedy and prosperous issue a war to which
no occasion had been given by injustice on our part, or
apprehension of injury at our hands. To thee, 0 Lord,
we ascribe the glory. It was thy wisdom which guided
the counsels, thy power which strengthened the hands
of those whom it pleased thee to use as thy instruments
in the discomfiture' of the lawless aggressor, and the
frustration of his ambitious designs. From thee alone
cometh the victory, and the spirit of moderation and
mercy in the day of success. Continue, we beseech
thee, to go forth with our armies, whensoever they are
called into battle in a righteous cause ; and dispose the
hearts of their leaders to exact nothing more from the
vanquished than is necessary for the maintenance of
peace, and security against violence and rapine.
" Above all, give thy grace to those whe preside in
the councils of our Sovereign, and administer the con-
cerns of her widely extended dominions, that they may
apply all their endeavours to the purposes designed by
thy good Providence in committing such power to their
hands, the temporal and spiritual benefit of the nations
entrusted to their care.

" And whilst thcu preservest our distant possessions
from the horrors of war, give us peace and plenty at
home, that the earth may yield her increase, and that
we, thy servants, receiving thy blessing, with gladness
and thankfulness of heart may dwell together in unity,
and faithfully serve thee to thy honour and glory,
through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with thee and
the Holy Ghost belong all dominion and power, both in
heaven and earth, now and for ever. Amen."

This form is directed to be used at morning and even-
ing service, after the general thanksgiving, in all
churches and chapels in England and Wales, and in the
town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, upon Sunday, the 12th
inst., or the Sunday after the ministers of such churches
and chapels shall respectively receive the same.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS.
(From the Votes and Proceedings of the H"je of
Commons.)
WEDNICSDAY, APRIL 8.
The following Petitions for Railway Bills were reported,
and the Bills ordered to be brought in by the undernamed
Hon. Members :
Northampton and Bedford—Viscount Alford and Mr. Vyse.
Manchester, Bolton, and Bury Canal Navigation and Rail-
way—Mr. Ellice, jun., and Mr. Brotherton.
Eastern Counties (Tottenham to Farringdon-street)—Mr.
Ward and Mr. Hudson.
Eastern Counties and Thames Junction—Mr. Ward and Sir
J. Tyrrell.
Eastern Counties (Stations Enlargement)—Mr. Ward and
Mr. Hudson.

Aberdeen, Banff, and Elgin Railway Bill—to be considered
in Committee, on Tuesday, April 28.
Kilmarnock and Troon Railway Bill—to be considered in
Committee, on Wednesday, April 29.

BRIGHTON, APRIL B.—The Easter recess is expected
to bring us an influx of visitors. Viscount and Viscountess
Hill have engaged apartments at the Norfolk Hotel, and are
daily expected. Sir William Fremantle has arrived at the
Albion Hotel for the holidays. Mr. and Lady Char-
lotte Greville arrived yesterday on Brunswick-ter-
race. Sir Hugh Palliser and Mrs. Lockhart have also
arrived at their residence on the terrace. Sir George and
Rady Rose have arrived at the Bedford Hotel. Lord and
Lady Willoughby D'Eresby and Miss Burdett Coutts are
among our fashionable visitors. The Countess of Lincoln
has arrived on the Marine Parade. Viscount Bangor has
arrived in Eastern-terrace. Mr. L. and Lady Jane Peel
are shortly expected at their residence, in Kemp-town,
from Paris. Lady Noel Byron has takenl a house in
Brunswick-square. The Duchess (Dowager) of Roxburghe,
who has been staying at the Bedford Hotel, for several
weeks, is expected to take her departure this week, for town.
The Countess of Malmesbury, and Sir William and Lady
Medleycote, after a few days' stay at the Bedford Hotel, have
taken their departure. Lady Augusta Seymour has arrived
on a visit to her noble father the Marquis of Bristol, in
Kemp-town. Lady and Miss Hawley have arrived at the
Norfolk Hotel. The Earl and Countess of Seafield will
leave Clarence Mansion for Goodwood next Monday. Apart-
ments are taken at the Pier Hotel for the Earl and Countess
of Kinnoul, who are daily expected. The :General Steam
Navigation Company's packet the Magnet, Captain Good-
burn, sailed from the Chain Pier this morning fur Dieppe.
Among the passengers were the Marquis of Douro and Vis-
count Cantalupe. It is reported that two of the royal children,
the Princess Royal and Prince Alfred, are to be sent to the
Pavilion during her Majesty's confinement. .
Yesterday a Court of Directors was held at the East
India House, when the thanks of the Court were voted una-
nimously to Sir Henry Willock, K.L. 5.., Chairman, and James
Wier Hogg, Esq., M.P., Deputy Chairman, for their great
application and attention to the affairs of the East India Co-
mpany during the past year. t
was
taken ...... •... ........-. :
• f six Directors, in the room of Wil-
House, for the election 0 .
liam Astell, Esq., M.P. ; ll' Btt
WI lam u erwerth Bayley, Esq.
Major-General Archibald Galloway,
On Wednesday a ballot at the East India
*Jenkins, G.C.B. ; and John Masterrnan,
go out by rotation. At six o'clock the
and delivered to the scrutineers, who re-
ported Char es__Mills, Esq. ;
RussellcgEl.saßcis..:sl Sir
i Ellice,.repr. Richard
cwl ohsl ioe:dsq
William Henry
that the electionl had fallen on John Cotton, Esq. ;
Chicheley Plowden, Esq. ; Henry Shank, Esq.; and Henry
St. George Tucker, Esq.
THE INVERNESS STEADIERS.—
John Loch, Esq. ;
The Aberdeen Steam
Navigation Company's fine steamer, " North Star," James
Anderson, commander, performed the voyage from London
to Inverness, last week, in sixty-two hours, having called at
the usual ports during its course. She sailed again a
on lon.
day with a great number of passengers and a caof live
stock and general merchandise, for the London cargo
Mr. Napier, the celebrated engineer of
Glasgow,
market.
derstand, building a large iron steamer for sgow, is, we un-
which they intend to employ in the in this Company,
trade. The inhabitants of the North Inverness and London
of Scotland
by the enterprize of this public-spirited have thus,
markets of London thrown open to their Company, had the
invariably the cave in all legitimate cot produce, and, as is
all parties are gainers. The London consumer
transactions,
supply of food, the Scotch producer gets aultiner gets a better
, produce, and the Company gets a fair Profit
price for his
' veyance. in the con-
e
OPENING OF TUE RAMSGATE RAILWAY. T
Eastern Railway Company have fixed Monday he South-
ing of the Ramsgate hue of railway, on
which
for the open-
magistrates and gentry of the town and districtoccasion the
will be en-
tertained with a sumptuous dinner by the director F
sive preparations are in progress to celebrate the event, jxten-
it is expected the company from Londonwill event, and
rise'`lo The • reach Rams-
gate about ttrain 'Veiling of the Whitstable
e
Railway for pger c took place on Tuesday
This line, it will be recollected, was last.
made as long
1832 for the conveyance of coal, the waggons ten back as
by ropes and stationaryasetngmes. A few months g . drawn
ago it was
leased by the South-E ern Railway who
since had the rails replaced by heavier
ones. Company,
I t branches have
from the South• Eastern at
.: Canterbury, within 100 oft'
the station, and is about nine miles in length,
yards of
ROBBERY AT THE RESIDENCE OF THE EARL OF
RIPON.—On Monday afternoon, some thief managed
an entrance into the residence of the Earl of Ripon,telecfroect
Csrlton-gardenr, by, it is supposed, sneaking down the stetsl,
of the area, and stole therefrom a silver sugar bas in, richly
chased, and weighing about 15 ounces, with which h
e suc-
ceeded in getting clear Off.

MONEY MARKET and CITY NEWS.
CITY, WEDNESDAY EVENING.
TIMES.—The speech of Lord Dalhousie has created
the greatest interest, not only because it gives in full
detail the plan mentioned the evening before by Sir Ro-
bert Peel, but because it contains a succinct summary of
facts well known in the City, and briefly points oat the
state of the law which prevents the unfortunate holders
of railway scrip from liberating themselves and the pub-
lic from impending evil. The times, which he described,
when the fate of a Bill before the Legislature was
awaited with such intense anxiety are fresh in the recol-
tion of the members of the Stock Exchange ; and it is
remembered what jealous suspicions were constantly
awakened that some privileged party had possession of
valuable information to the detriment of the general
body of speculators. Now, as we remarked the other
day, and as stated by Lord Dalhousie, the knowledge
that a Bill is favourably progressing through Parlia-
ment causes a depreciation of the shares in the market.
It is felt that there is less chance of getting rid of an
annoyance.

In the law of Joint-stock Companies the proposed rail-
way Bill will make a great alteration. Hitherto corporate
bodies alone have had the power of winding up their
affairs, but the adventurers in' an inchoate company
have had no opportunity either of arresting their liabili-
ties or of obtaining a restitution of their property. Now,
if the law passes, the shareholders of a company that
has not obtained its corporate capacity may call a general
meeting, and the majority of votes at that meeting will
decide whether or not an undertaking is to be wound up.
Still, however, a doubt has arisen among the most ex-
perienced brokers, whether this change, so great in
theory, will be equally great in practice. Its working
may be attended with a new series of difficulties. Dis-
putes may arise es to the formation of the general meet-
ings and the eligibility of the voters• and, after all, the
shareholders in most of the undertakings are a scattered
body, who could not readily be brought together NI effect
with promptness any practical purpose. That the
Government have made a move in the right direction by
this new proposition no one seems to doubt, but the
opinion that it does not go far enough is equally general,
and an improvement in the measure is not only desired,
but the mode of amelioration is indicated. _

It is suggested here, and the suggestion is seriously
discussed on the Stock Exchange, that instead of allow-
ing a Bill to proceed till a majority of shareholders has
declared against it, it will be better to let every scheme
now before Parliament die a natural death, unless a majo-
r

ty of shareholders shall declare in its favour before a spe-
cified day. Where the feeling of the proprietary is really in
favour of a project, the directors have all the machinery
at hand for collecting the suffrages ; but, as already
said, the shareholders being a scattered body, there are
the greatest obstacles in the way of any action against
the directors originating with them. It is necessary
to consider this point fully, since on it rests the equity
of the proposed alteration of the new measure. Many
of the leading persons in the City are so thoroughly
impressed with the judiciousness of this mode of check-
ing the influx of railways, that a deputation waited on
Lord Dalhousie yesterday, and though there was no-
thing in his Lordship's speech indicative of their sug-
gestions, it is said that they were not unfavourably
received, and that there is reason to hope they will
find, after Easter, that their exertions have not been in
vain.

The avidity with which the proposition as defined by
Sir Robert Peel was caught up and acted on by some
parties yesterdays presents a singular contrast to the
general apathy of the railway world. Some of the com-
panies who yet hope that their projects may be sanc-
tioned, and who therefore dread the competition of op-
posing schemes, at once bought largely in the latter, on
purpose that they might vote for their abandonment at
a general meeting. Besides these, several companies
are calling meetings in anticipation of the new law,
hoping to wind up as soon as possible.

MR. SMITH O'BRIEN, M.P., AND

THE COMMITTEE OF SELECTION.

House of Commons, Committee of Selection,
Monday, April 6, 1846.
Sir,—Having had the honour to receive, on Friday
last, your letter of that day's date, in which, " with
reference to your having received the usual communica-
tion of your name being placed on the list from which
Members will be selected to serve on railway Com-
mittees which will commence their sittings in the week
beginning Monday, 27th April," you state reasons for
" declining to serve on any Committees on private Bills
except such as relate to Ireland," and of course on either
of those Committees on railway Bills about to be ap-
pointed from that list—l this day availed myself of the
first sitting of the Committee of Selection since the re-
ceipt of your letter to submit its contents to them ; and
I am instructed to inform you that the Committee can-
not, in the reasons which you allege for not serving,
recognise such an " excuse" as (in accordance with the
spirit of the resolutions agreed to by the House ,on the
12th of last February) would justify their " deeming it
sufficient" to exempt you from serving, should you be
selected for that purpose from the list of Members whose
attendance is required in the week commencing on
Monday, the 27th of April.
But as it appears from your letter that at this parti-
cular juncture your time and attention are engrossed by
a subject of primary importance to Ireland, I am further
instructed by the Committee of 'Selection to state that,
adhering to their usual practice of consulting, as far as
may be consistent with a faithful and impartial dis-
charge of their duty, the convenience of the several
Members whom they may find it incumbent upon them
to select, it will afford them great satisfaction to avail
themselves of this timely communication with you, to
make an arrangement by which your attendance may be
postponed to a later period, should your convenience be
thereby accommodated, provided you will pave the good-
ness to give them an early intimation of any week dur-
ing the month of May when it may be less inconvenient
to you to be in attendance. _ _ _

In the event, however, of their receiving from you no
such intimation, the Committee of Selection will pre-
sume that no accommodation would be afforded to you
by such a postponement as I have alluded to, and will
consider it their duty to abide by the arrangement which
will be announced in the votes of Wednesday.
I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient humble
servant, T. G. BUCKNALL ESTCOURT,
Chairman of the Committee of Selection.
William S. O'Brien, Esq.
Oxford and Cambridge Club, Pall-mall, April 7.
Sir,—l have had the honour of receiving you obliging
letter, of yesterday's date, in answer to mine of the 3d
instant.

I feel exceedingly indebted for the courtesy and con-
sideration evinced by the Committee of Selection in sug-
gesting the arrangement proposed in your letter ; but
since my objection to serve upon Committees on English
and Scotch private Bills is founded upon the relations at
present subsisting between my country and Great Bri-
tain, and not upon a regard for my own personal con-
venience, I must refer to my former communication, as
announcing my final determination.
I have the honour to be your obedient faithful servant,
WILLIAM S. O'BRIEN.
To the Chairman of the Committee of Selection.