The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-15 00:00:00

fllE

They constitute, in fact, the basis upon which the line
rests. It is for them to decide whether they are pre-
pared to go forward with the scheme, or whether it
ought to be abandoned. If they do not co operate and
ex:xcise the powers con rerred upon them by the Com-
vanies' Clauses Consolidation Act, which enables them
to demand and carry a dissolution of the company, they
can have nobody to blame but themselves for any con-
sequence that may flow from their supineness.
Since the above was in type, we find that the allottees
and scripholders of this railway have in a great measure
anticipated our advice. A meeting has been held in
Dublin, for the purpose of devising some means to
rescue all parties from the perilous position in which
they are placed. We refer to the report of this meet-
ing for particulars, and trust that the committee ap-
pointed to watch over the interests of the shareholders
will see the necessity of being prompt, as well as ener-
getic, in their movements.

OPENING OF THE LANCASTER

AND CARLISLE RAILWAY.

We mentioned in our last that a part of the directcrs
of this line had proceeded on Friday morning on a trial
trip from Carlisle to Lancaster. The directors were
John Dixon, Esq., and G. H. Head, Esq., who were
joined at Pen' ith by E. W. Hasel, Esq., chairman of
the directors, A. Howard, Esq., of Greystoke Castle,
and Lieut.-Colonel Maclean. 'they were accompanied
by T. C. Heysham, Esq., P. Dixon, Esq., Mr. Steel, of
the Carlisle Journal, Mr. Larmer, resident engineer,
Mr. Collister, resident engineer of the Caledonian Rail-
way, Mr. Mould, Mr. Hemberow, Mr. Green, and two
or three other gentlemen connected with the works.
The train consisted of the engine, tender, and three car-
riages. It proceeded at a rate of upwards of thirty
miles an hour, and would have reached Penrith (18
miles) in about 35 minutes, but for a slight accident
when about two miles from that place. By some unfor-
tunate blunder the person appointed to attend to the
switches, had neglected his duty—the points were in
the wrong direction, and the engine and tender were
thrown off the rails. The train was at the time pro-
ceeding at so slow a pace, that the shock caused by
being brought to a sudden stand still was scarcely felt
by the passengers. It caused a delay, however, of up-
wards
of an hour, when the train again proceeded on
its way—reaching Lancaster (70 miles) in about three
hours of actual travelling,—the directors having stopped
at several places to inspect the works.
At Lancaster a board meeting was held—the directors
resident in Liverpool, and Messrs. Locke and Errington,
the engineers, being present, and various arrangements
were made for the public opening of the line, should
Captain Coddington, the Government inspector, give the
requisite certificate. In the evening, the directors, en-
gineers, and friends dined together at the King's Arms
Inn, and next morning were joined at breakiist by Capt.
Coddington, who had just arrived from London.
A little after eight o'clock, they started with a train of
four carriages on the return to Carlisle. The day was
excessively cold, with rain, sleet, snow, and frost
by turns. At times, the rails presented the appear-
ance of long lines of ice, and were extremely
slippery. The difficulty on such a day was the
ascent of the great incline on Shap Fells—one of
the severest gradients on any railway in England,
and the whole party watched this with no little interest;
and it must have been highly satisfactory to both en-
gineers and directors when Captain Coddington, who
stood upon the engine and timed its progress, announced
that the ascent had been made, notwithstanding the
unfavourable state of the rails, at the rate of twenty
miles an hour—although the engine was an old one and
not of the most powerful class.
All the heavy works—the bridges, viaducts, cuttings,
and embankments—were minutely inspected by Captain
Coddington, who expressed himself, at the end of the
journey, as highly pleased with the whole of the works—
declaring that the public might travel upon the line
with the most perfect safety; and immediately after-
wards gave the directors a certificate to that effect.
We may mention here, that the line is double through-
out, with the exception of about two miles, near Low•
ther. This portion will be made double in a month or
less. The line is remarkably easy nearly throughout—
the exception being a short distance where it has been
recently ballasted; and it passes through a country
which can scarcely be surpassed fur picturesque beauty
and wildness of scenery.
It was our intention to have given a full description of
the line in this day's journal; but as the public opening
is definitely fixed for Tuesday next, we think it better
to defer our account until next week, when we can em-
body it with the proceedings of that day. It is our in-
tention to illustrate the account by various engravings,
which will give our readers a faint notion at least of the
various objects of interest which the line presents.
As few events have ever occurred more interesting to
Carlisle and the county at large, than the opening out
of this most important railway, we trust the day will be
kept as a general holiday—to mark the importance
which is attached to it. A correspondent suggests
that a public ball should be given on the occasion. The
idea is a good one, and we hope to see it followed up.
We believe Mr. Mould would gladly allow the splendid
fittings in the Coffee House Assembly-room to remain
fur this purpose after the contractors' dinner.
The arrangements of the day are these a train
will start from Lancaster for Carlisle, at eleven o'clock
in the morning; and as time will be given to inspect
the various wonders of the line, it will not probably
reach here before three in the afternoon. At twelve
o'clock a train will start from Carlisle for Penrith,
where it will remain (probably about an hour) until the
arrival at that place of the Lancaster train—when all
will proceed together to Carlisle. At five o'clock the
directors will give a splendid dinner to a large party of
invited guests at the Athenaeum ; and on Wednesday
there will be return trains for the guests from Kendal,
Lancaster, &c. On Thursday the line will be opened
for traffic—two trains a-day running each way.
On Wednesday Messrs. John Stephenson and Co., the
spirited contractors, who have so ably executed the
work, give a dinner to a large party of friends at the
Coffee House. for which the most extensive preparations
are being made.—Carlisle Journal

RAILWA Y SHARE I%IARKETS.
LIVERPOOL, DECEMBER 14.
STOCK EXCHANGE.-The sales are-Birkenhead, Lanca-
shire, and Cheshire Junction, 1/ 3s. 9d. p.-Birmingham and
Oxford Junction, 734 p.-Chester and Birkenhead, 51-Dun-
dee and Perth, New, 514 p.-East Lancashire, New (Nos. 1
and 2), 3% p.-Ditto, New (scrip), 31s. 3d. p.-Edinburgh
and Glasgow, 74-Glasgow and Dumfries, 114 p.-Glasgow
and Ayr, New, 6 p„.-Hudderstield Canal and Railway, 414
p.-Leeds and Thirsk, ex Preference, 2% dis.-Ditto, New
Preference, 34 p.-Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle
Janction, % dis-London and North-Western, 194-Ditto,
New Quarters, 13 p.-Ditto (G. J.), Quarters, 203 A p.-Lon-
don and Manchester and Birmingham, 75-Manchester and
Leeds (late Huddersfield and Sheffield), 414 p.-Matlock and
Midland, 1% p.-Midland, New, 4% p.-North British, 38-
Ditto, halves, 5 p. -Ditto, Quarters, 274 p.-Ditto, Quarters
(scrip), New, 213. 3d. p.-Ditto. Thirds (scrip), 2ls p.-North
Staffordshire, 3% p.-North Union (A), 225-North-West-
ern, % p.-Sheffield and Manchester, Quarters, No. 2, 23-
Shrewsb iry and Hereford, 14 dis.-Shrewsbury, Oswestrv,
and Cheshire, 11% dis.-Shrewsbury and Birmingham (A),
2IA p.-Ditto 91 12s. 3d. Shares (B), 11/s p.-South-Eastern
and Dover, New, No. 4, 1,4 p.-West Riding Union, 1% p.-
York and Newcastle, New, 71/s p.-York and North Mid-
land ( East and West Riding Extension), 12% p.-Belfast
and Ballymena, 634 dis.-Dutch Rhenish, 11/8 dis.
MANCHESTER, DECEMBER 14.
STOCK EXCHANGE.-The sales are-Ambergate, Notting-
ham, and Boston, 1/8 dis.-Birkenhead, Lancashire, and
Cheshire Junction, 11/2 p.- Birmingham and Oxford Junc-
tion, 8-East Lancashire, No. 1, New, 3% c. p. -Ditto,
No. 2, 31/2 ex n. -Ditto, New (scrip), 1144 p.-Fleetwood,
Preston, and West Riding, 1% dis.-Glasgow and Dumfries,
lea p.-Huddersfield and Manchester Railway and Canal,
41,4 p.-Ditto, Thirds. 1% p.-Leeds and Thirsk, Preferen-
tial, p.-Leeds, Dewsbury, and Manchester, 91/ p.-
Liverpool Manchester, and Newcastle Junction, 3-16 dis.-
London, Manchester, and Birmingham. 745/-Manchester
and Leeds, Quarters, 41% p.-North Staffordshire, 3 11-1 G
p.-North-Western, p.-Preston and Wyre, 32-Ditto,
Sixths, 434-Shrewsbury and Birmingham (A), 2% p.-
West Riding Union, 1% p.-Whitehaven and Furness, 2%
dis.-York and Newcastle, Preference, 5 p.
LEEDS, DECEMBER 14.
STOCK EXCHANGE.-The sales are-Birmingham and Ox-
ford Junction, 8% p.-East Lancashire, New, 3% p.-Ditto,
New Scrip, p.-East and West Yorkshire, 16.5. dis.-
East Lincolnshire, 15s. p.-Great Grimsby and Sheffield, 314
dis.-Huddersfield and Manchester, 414 p.-llitto, Thirds,
leg p.-Leeds and Bradford, 4514 p.-Leeds and Dewsbury,
101/_ p. c. n.- Ditto, Half Shares, 6 p. c. n.-Ditto, Ex-
tensions (green), 1% p. -Leeds and Thirsk, 2% c. dis. c. n.
-Ditto , New, ss. dis. c. n.-Ditto, Preference, 19s. p.-
Malton and Driffield Junction, 21s. p.-Manchester and
Leeds, Half Shares (late Huddersfield and Sheffield), 414 p.
-North British, Thirds, 21/s p.-Ditto, Quarters (late Carlisle
Branch), 48s. n. p.-Ditto, Extension (scrip), 19s. 6d. p.-
North Staffordshire, 348 p.-North-Western, 10s. 6d. p.-
Sheffield, Rotherham, and Goole, 14s. n. p.-Shrewsbury and
Birmingham, 2 p.-York and North Midland, Preference,
1214 p.-Ambergate, Nottingham, and Boston, par-Leeds,
Wakefield, and Midland, 12s,
HULL, DECEMBER 14.
STOCK EXCHANGE.-The feeling of the market to-day
is decidedly firmer than could be said at the close of last
week, and although only a limited amount of business con-
tinues to be done, our quotations generally range higher.
The sales are-Ambergate, Nottingham, and Boston, 3s. dis.
-North British, Quarters, 88s. c. thirds-Ditto New Quar-
t
CeorusnfisecarUnlP)ionl, 6dDit,,NoTrhthir!ws,e32t/e.rnl, 868.5.p.-York
p.-Northern
and Selby, Preference, 10/. is. 3d. p.
YORK, DECEMBER 14.
STOCK EXCHANGE.-The sales are-Eastern Counties,
York Extension, 3 %-Malton and Driffield Junction, 31. 3s.
-Newcastle and Berwick, 3414-North British, Half
-shares, 15%-Ditto, Thirds. 31. 145.-Ditto, Quarters, 31.
145.-Ditto, Extension, ii. 13s. 6d.-North-Western, IBs.
-West Riding Union, 3/. 175.-York and Newcastle, New,
121/-Ditto, Preference, 7-York and North Midland, Pre.
ference, 1214.
GLASGOW, DECEMBER 12.
STOCK EXCHANGE.-The sales are-Caledonian, New, 455.
6d.-Caledonian and Dumbartonshire, 38s. cum int.-Edin-
burgh and Northern, New, 585.-Glasgow, Kilmarnock, and
Ayr, 383/4-Ditto, Halves, .B.i.-Glasgow, Dumfries, and Car-
lisle, 6/. 55. 6d.-Glasgow, Kilmarnock, and Ardrossan, 455.
6d.-Glasgow, Airdrie, and Monkland Junction, 425.-Man-
chester and Southampton, 295.-Midland, Halves, 61,1-
North British, Thirds, 725. 6d.

THE DURATION OF MARRIED LIFE.—The tables of
the mean joint lifetime of males and females show, that
in this country husbands and wives married at the age
of 26 live, on an average, 27 years together, the widows
living rather morn tha❑ 10 years (10.4) after their hus-
bands' deaths, and the widowers nearly 9 years (9.3)
after their wives' deaths. Where the husband is 40, and
the wife 30, the mean term of married life is 21 years,
the widows living 13 years after their husbands, and the
widowers 5 years after the deaths of their wives. The
tables furnish ready answers to a great number of ques-
tions of this kind, and others in which two lives are con-
gerned.—Registrar General's Report.
REPRESENTATION OF BATH.—We have authority
for stating that a letter was received on Friday from
Lord Ashley declining to become a candidate, at the next
dissolution or vacancy, for this city.—Keene's Bath
Journal.