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

Thirty-two ran.

THE PEEMIER.—Lord John Russell and Lady
Russell arrived in this city on Thursday afternoon, by
the Scottish Central and Glasgow Railways, from Cal-
lender, and took up their residence at Douglas's Hotel.
In consequence of the unfavourable state of the weather
tho Noble Lord did not leave the hotel during the even-
ing. Yesterday the Noble Lord, who was slightly indis-
posed, did not leave the hotel, except for a few minutes.
He was wholly engrossed during the day with the pe-
rusal of dispatches ; and the Lord Provost had two in-
terviews with him in the course of the day. The illus-
trious party intend to leave town this morning at half-
past eight o'clock for the residence of his noble father-
in-law, Minto-house. He travels by the North British
Railway to Alnwick, and thence posts to his destination.
—Edinburgh Witness of Saturday.
Cunrous BEQUEST.--At the latter end of last
week a poor woman of the name of Sarah Searle died in
St. George's workhouse, Little Chelsea, and bequeathed
her body to Dr. W. Vesalius Pettigrew for dissection.
The corpse, under the warrant of the Inspector of Ana-
tomy, was removed to the School of Medicine, adjoining
St. George's Hospital, where the doctor lectures upon
anatomy. The deceased during her life-time frequently
alluded to the bequest, stating that her body would be of
more service to her fellow-creatures after death than it
had ever been before.

We regret to learn that the Duchess of Manchester
is severely indisposed at Kimbolton Castle, Hunting-
donshire.

TRADE WITH MADAGASCAR.—By a letter from
the Mauritius, dated May 29th, we learn that her Ma-
jesty's steam-vessel Geyser, which accompanied Admiral
Dacres to Madagascar, has returned to Port Louis with
the information, that after much temporising the local
authorities were consenting to reopen the trade with the
colony, but under considerable restriction. Admiral
Dacres preferred following the Geyser to Port Louis, for
the refreshment of his ship, with the intention, it is said,
of returning to Tamatave to receive the Queen's expected
confirmation of the final conditions. By whatever re-
strictions limited, however, the reopening of the inter-
course cannot fail to afford a very seasonable relief to
the colony at this time.
MEETING OF SUNDAY. SCIIOOL TEACHERS.—Last
night a meeting of the members of the above body was
held at Finsbury Chapel. Mr. Samuel Morley, who
presided, addressed the assemblage, a large majority of
which consisted of female teachers, expressing his dis-
approbation of any interference on the part of the Go-
vernment with the education of the people. He advo•
cated the voluntary principle, which ho contended would
produce happier results than those arrived at from State
intervention. He likewise deprecated any endowment
of the Roman Catholic clergy, which rumour reported
the present Ministry intended to propose. The Rev.
George Smith, of Poplar, moved a resolution to the
effect, that in the judgment of the meeting it was indis-
pensable to social and national welfare that the children
of the labouring classes should receive a religious and
secular education, based on the Holy Scriptures, with-
out reference to denominational creeds or formularies.
Other resolutions of a similar nature were carried, and
the meeting dispersed.
EXPLosioN ON BoA Ito A SIIIP.—On Saturday,
the brig Sceptre, Turnbull, of Sunderland, was lying in
Monkwearmouth dock laden with coals—the hatches
battened down, and all ready for sea. One of the
boys went on board at night, and lighted a lucifer-
match in the half deck, when a violent explosion took
place, caused by the gas which had escaped from the
coals. The deck was blown up on each side of the hatch-
way—tha long-boat was lifted from its seat, and the boy
was much burnt about the head and hands.—Gatesliaad
Observer.

THE OLDEST LETTER PRESS PRINTER IN ENG-
LAND.—Died, on Thursday night, aged 99, Mr. Thomas
Lambt•rt, 'minter and buckseller, Colliergate, in this
city, the oldest letter-press printer in England. lie was
a native of Nlalton. York Herald. .

.ALARMING FIRE AT-iVAJIII:FIT'LD.--TIIC inhabitants
of this town were reused from their slumbers between
one and two o'clock on Friday, by the ringing of the
fire-bell. The scene of cLivasto.tion was the shop of Mr.
Leary, a ready-made clothes warehouse, in Kirkgate.
How the tire originated is at present a mystery. The
shop had been closed by Mr. Leary at the usual time,
and he had turned off the gas not only at the pendant,
bnt also at the main. He had retired to rest, but thought
there was a smell of burning, and came down stairs, but
did not discover the cause of the area, and retired to
bed again. The house then began to fill with smoke,
and on going into the shop, some clothes near to the
fire-place were blazing, and, he says, that had he pcs.
sessed the presence of mind to have thrown water on
them, he thinks it might have been immediately extin-
guished. He was, however, so much excited that he
opened the door to give the alarm, and the work of de-
vastatioa went on with increasing fury until the engines
of the Leeds and Yorkshire Fire Insurance Company
arrived, which soon extinguished the fire; but we are
sorry to raid that the entire stock, said to be worth
nearly COOL, was consumed or made worthless.—Leeds
Mercury.
AIATLOCK.—The lead mines in the neighbourhood
of Matlock have been for many years doing very little,
owing to the progress of the mines being stopped by
water, and many of the veins which have been very pso-
ductive have been obliged to be abandoned for want of
some power lx ing used to drain them, There appears
now some chance that this desirable object will be
obtained, as we understand a powerful company is con-
templated to relieve several ruining districts, and also
make some valuable trials, which the miners have not
been able to do themselves. It is expected that this
company will be speedily formed in a considerable
number of shares, of small amount. Our whole mining
districts have been, comparatively speaking, doing
nothing; and should this plan be carried out, a complete
renewal of the veins, at a greater depth, is confidently
expected, and which can now be done by the great im•
provement in the steam-engine, and the greater facility
of getting them supplied with coal by means of the rail-
, ways, which our furefathera could not do.—Derby
porter

MAGAZINES, &c.—(C ON TIN UED).
THE MIRROR.
By far the most interesting article in The Mirror
for the present month, (perhaps it would not be going
too far to say the most interesting article in any of
the magazines for the month,) is the sketch of the life
and career of General Cavaignac. it is impossible to
read this memoir without being convinced of the
attachment of Cavaignac to Republican principles.
He is the son of an old Conventionalist; his family
and himself have suffered "outrage, calumny, and
wrong" for their attachment to republican principles,
both from the Governments of Charles X. and from
that of Louis Philippe. He has, moreover, always
seemed void of ambition ; and has had greatness
thrust upon him rather than sought it, but has inva-
riably risen with the occasion, and shown himself
always equal to the exigencies of the position in which
he has been placed. Sent to Africa in hopes that the
climate would prove his destruction, he, by his heroic
defence of Chercell, drew on himself the public atten-
tion, and wrung promotion from an unwilling govern-
ment. He suffered so much from the wounds he had
received in the course of the campaign, that he was
compelled to return to France in 1839,
" Where shortly afterwards he published an able
though unpretending volume " On the Regency." With-
out being in any degree briliiant or profound, this work
is marked by all the sagacity, coolness, and sound sense
which distinguish the writer's character, and in this re-
spect place a bide line of demarcation between him and
so many of his countrymen. Had Cavaignac been of
Saxon instead of Celtic origin, we should indeed have
been more disposed to credit his alleged Irish descent.
All the calmness and circumspection conspicuous in the
former, and so different from the recklessness and mere
animal audacity characteristic of the other race, are pre-
eminent in his temperament, and the germs of them are
to be found displayed in that work. It excited consider-
able attention at the period, and if he maintains his pre-
sent position, the views there developed will probably
secure it still more attention. Without being in any de-
gree written to obtain their support, the Government of
Louis Philippe quickly perceived that it was marked by
the meditation and resolution of no ordinary man. Had
he been a more unscrupulous supporter, his services
would doubtless have been engaged at home; if he had
displayed less intuitive sagacity he would have been sum-
marily dismissed or consigned to neglect. But neither
course in his case was deemed expedient or safe; and
the following year, 1840, accordingly again beheld him
in Africa with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel,
" The views propounded by Cavaignac in this work on
the Regency, as it was termed, or government of Al-
giers, were carried out by him so far as possible in his
future commands. Under the system of forbearance
and equity which he recommended, amicable relations
were for a short period established between Abd-el-
Kader and the invaders, and hopes were entertained of
the speedy improvement and tranquil colonization of the
country. But they were of brief duration, Bugeaud, or
his counsels, now reigned supreme at the Tuileries; and
the unscrupulous Louis Philippe was readily induced to
enter upon a system of brutality and extermination
which might prove ruinous to the country or the natives,
but would secure the great object of his desire—military
fame or notoriety for his offspring. With this view
son after son of France,' as the overweening old knave
designated them, was sent out to Algeria to join the
troops, assail tho unhappy Arabs, carry terror and de-
vastation wheresoever they could, advance men to en-
counter with the natives, but themselves always remain
in safety to reap all the advantages of the enterprise in
the rear. A venal Government press at home, and
Louis Philippe's unblushing laudations, seconded their
efforts ; and country and Chamber rang with praises of
these infants of Orleans,' and their bravery, though to
all who witnessed events in the colony it was notorious
that the Princes were never present in action, and that
on every occasion they rather avoided than courted

danger.
" This course. which doubtless was dictated from
head-quarters—for the Princes have never been desti-
tute of personal courage—excited considerable ridicule
and disapprobation in the ranks of the army; and Ca-
vaignac having expres-sed some discontent, w as deprived
of his colonelcy until the autumn of the following year,
when his services were so conspicuous at the head of a
brigade of Souaves, that it became impossible to over-
look them. Till 1845, however, he was permitted to re-
main in this rank ; though Lamoriciere, Changarnier,
and many others of less merit, but more subserviency,
were in the meantime placed over his head. To the ad,
vancement of the first-named of these Generals, Cavaig-
nac is understood to have submitted without repining, as
he really possessed claims to distinction, though he owed
it more to court favour; but the second having been no-
toriously promoted by this alone, a feeling of jealousy or
distrust arose, which is said still to exist in their respec-
tive positions of Chief of the Executive Power and Com
manger of the National Guards of Paris. Changarnier,
indeed, is one of the agents relied on by the Orleanists
and Reactionists now, and were he in any degree pos-
sessed of the eloquence or elocutionary power requisite
to address a popular assembly, there can be no doubt he
would prove a formidable rival still. As it is, by the
partisans of the late monarchy Lamoriciere is the party
now put forward with the view of undermining and sup-
planting Cavaignac, whose less showy abilities are un-
derstood to have excited the Thiers faction's envy and
distrust.
" Feelings of this nature are supposed to have been
engendered as early as 1844, when Cavaignac was pre-
sent at the capture of Orleansville, but raised some ob-
jection to its receiving this designation, inasmuch as the
princes of the house of Orleans had displayed no claims
to the honour. In the question of nomenclature, how-
ever, the voice of Bugeaud, Lamoriciere, and Changer-
nier prevailed; and it was not till the September of the
following year, consequently, that Cavaignac at last
attained the rank of General of Brigade. Even then it
was grudgingly bestowed, and he was dispatched with a
force of only twelve hundred men by Bugeaud to assail
Traras, in the full expectation that it would prove ina-
dequate, and that he would reap nothing but disgrace
from the enterprise. Cavaignac, however, unexpectedly
prevailed. Assailed by thrice the number of Arabs on ,
the way, he t7fice overthrew them; compelled Abd-el-
Kader to raise the siege of Nedroma; and finally, after
accomplishing his object, effected a victorious junction
with Lamoriciere at Tlemceen, to which that general
had been sent with a larger force, for the purpose of
averting the consequences likely to flow from Cavaignac's
anticipated overthrow.
" A terrible insurrection next broke out, which called
into activity all Cavaignac's energies. Entrusted with
the duty of suppressing it, over a wild and extensive dis-
trict, he by mingled firmness and moderation subdued it,
and carried the flames of war from the Algerine into the
Morocco territory, by whose ruler these internal disturb-
ances in Algiers were supposed to be instigated. At
the head of five or six thousand men he put the Dheira
to flight, and paved the way for those triumphs which
Bugeaud and the princes of France nominally obtained
over the Emperor Abderrhaman, in 1846 and following
year." _ _

lie was subsequently engaged under Bugeaud in the
campaign against the Emperor of Morocco, which
was treminated by the battle of Joly.
" To the submission of Abd• el-Kader, which shortly
afterwards followed, Cavaignac contributed; and he is
understood to have vehemently joined Lamoriciere in
protesting against that breach of faith of which the Emir
was the victim. The attitude of Bugeaud, however, was
now viewed with such distrust, if not alarm, by the cabi-
net of the Tuileries, that their opposition was over-
looked; and with the design of counteracting the sup-
posed ambitious intentions of the marshal, who was sus-
pected to aim at the establishment of an independent
authority in the country, Lamoriciere was entrusted
with the government of Algiers, while Cavaignac re-
placed him in that of Oran; and in this position both re-
mained till the former was recalled by the provisional
government of February, and the other appointed to the
entire command of the province."
Our extracts from this interesting biography have
extended to such a length, that we have not space to
allude to any of the other papers of The Mirror,
which, however, are of merit sufficient to fully main-
tain the high character of this periodical.

MODEL MEN MODELLED. By Horace Mayhew.
The greater number of these "Model Men" have
been already exhibited by Punch; here we have them
collected, as it were, into a museum of models, and a
very entertaining and instructive museum it is. At the
conclusion of the volume we have a small group of
Models exhibited for the first time. As a sample we
give :
" The model Pet Parson has the most beautiful black
hair, and the prettiest loves of whiskeir. He attends tea
and whist parties, and preaches in canary-coloured kid
gloves, with the most dazzling diamond outside his little
finger. He has the smallest fashionable lisp in the
world. He is highly eau-de-Cologned. His handker
chief is of the purest cambric—a perfect cobweb, edged
with lace. He is never without a nervous headache.'
He is very delicate, poor fellow ! He lives on
cold chicken and white wine whey. He rides to
church in a lady's carriage. Ile is supported by the
voluntary contributions of the young ladies of the neigh-.
bourhood, and has embroidered braces sufficient to stock
the whole of the Highlands. Hassocks, too, book-marks
and covers, orange marmalade, calf's-foot jelly, grapes,
game, tea-cakes, and sweet-breads, of all varieties, arc
left for his kind acceptance' every day. Ho collects
pennies for converted washerwomen. Ho and the Duke
of Wellington have married more lovely brides' than
the whole Church. His dress is profound black, relieved
with liberal wristbands, and a-shirt-front that sticks out
like the paper ornament of a fire-grate. When he gets
preferment to a more fashionable church, a magnificent
silver teapot is presented to him by the ladies with a
beautiful parse full of new sovereigns. With the purity
of his white neckloth, the Pet Parson is sure of a rich
wife, and innumerable legacies."

HISTORY OF PHYSICAL ASTRONOMY. By

Ram? tGI ant. .IVos. 1 and 2.

These tracts are Nos. 7 and 8 of a new series of th,
"Library of Useful Knowledge." To follow in the
wake of that publication requires scientific attain-
ments of no mean order, and the publishers have
therefore done well to entrust the subject of physical
astronomy to Mr. Robert Grant, a gentleman who,
by his talents and his learning, is well entitled to rank
as a collaborateur with the giants in science who con-
tributed to the first series of this library.

SOUTHAMPTON, MONDAY, OCT. 9.—The Spanish
barque Neufa de Santander, Captain Lopez, 1,751 boxes
sugar, 45 days from Hammel), bound to Bristol; the
Dutch barque Africa, Captain Onman, with rice, 140
days from Akyab; and tho Swedish brig King Oscar,
451 casks suar, 54 days from Bahia, arrived Or ()owes
yesterday for orders.

SINGULAR CASE OF CONCEAL-
MENT OF SEX.
(From the illacelesfield Courier of Saturday.)
The particulars of a very singular case of conceal-
ment of sex, in this town, have come to light during
the past week. The facts, as far as we have been able
to gather them, are the following :—On Saturday, the
16th September, Mr. Bland, one of the medical
officers of the Macclesfied Union, received a certificate
from the relieving officer, requiring his attendance
upon a person described as John Smith, aged forty-
eight, by. trade a cooper and tinker, belonging to
Macclesfied, and residing in Derby-street, as a lodger,
at the house of one Mrs. M`Cann. Mr. Bland
attended the individual in the course of the day, and
found the complaint under which he was labouring to
be that of dysentery. On looking at the person and
hearing his voice, he was struck with their peculiarity ;
the face, lips, general expression, and the voice being
those of a woman. Mr. Bland asked the landlady of
the house whether it was a man or woman. Mrs.
M`Cann replied by saying, " I don't know, doctor;
all I can tell you is, that he and his wife have lodged
here nine weeks, and he has always dressed as a man,
and followed his occupation as knife-grinder and spoon-
maker." Mr. Bland, en hearing that there was a wife,
requested to see her. In answer to his inquiries,
she stated that she had lived with him fourteen
years ; that she met him first at New Mills, in Derby-
shire; that they were not married, although living
together; that she had eleven children; that he fol-
lowed the trade of knife-grinder and tinker, and
sometimes got as much as 10s. a day.
.The statements
thus made by the woman satisfied him for the time
that he was in error in supposing the individual call-
ing himself her husband to be a woman; but subse-
quent visits served to re-awaken his suspicions. In
the meantime the symptoms of the disease became
more aggravated, and the individual died on Saturday
morning.
On hearing of the death, Mr. Bland immediately
proceeded to the house and ascertained that the person
was beyond all doubt a female. He again questioned
the woman calling herself the wife, when she denied
having any knowledge of the sex of the deceased till
the day before the death, when deceased requested
that she would allow no one to assist her in laying
out the body, but sew it up in a sheet, which she did;
and it was in that state when Mr. Bland visited the
house almost immediately after the death. On being
further questioned, the woman stated that the eleven
children of which she had spoken were by another
husband, who was dead ; and the reason she gave for
living with the deceased was that she was promised
her maintenance, which promise seems to have been
faithfully kept by the deceased. Mr. Bland commu-
nicated the facts of the case to the police, in order that
an inquest might be held; but as the case was that of
a concealment of sex, and not one of doubt as to the
cause of death, such a proceeding was not deemed
necessary.
The body was interred on Sunday last, at Christ
Church, as John Smith, and from the numbers at-
tending to witness the funeral, the case seemed to have
excited considerable interest. The surviving woman
has since, we understand, divulged to the registrar of
the district the real name of the deceased, which was
Sophia Locke.
Although the deceased was described in the certi-
ficate from the relieving officer as 48, Mr. Bland is
convinced from her appearance that she could not
have been less than 60 years old. He has been con-
firmed in this by an old man who was in the town on
Wednesday, who is a native of Biddulph-moor, and
who stated to him that he had known the deceased
for about forty years, during which time she had
always dressed as a man. There are several people,
natives of Biddulph-moor, who live on the common,
and it is singular that all of them have known her for
years, and been acquainted with different parts of her
history. From the various statements which they
have made we have been able to get the following
particulars of her past life. Before giving them it
might be as well to observe that it is believed the
natives of Biddulph-moor are descendants of a gipsy
tribe, and if so, the fact may go to explain the intimacy
which seems to have existed between them and the
deceased.

The account given of her life is as follows :—She
was the daughter of a man named Locke, who was a
scissors-grinder and tinker. He had several children
besides the deceased, who appears to have been the
only daughter. He led the life of a gipsy, travelling
from place to place with his family, and carrying
with him his tent. The deceased was born in a cave
near Croker Wood, in Sutton, and a highly respect-
able lady of that neighbourhood is said to have been
present at the birth. At three years old she assumed
male attire, and used to accompany a brother to va-
rious towns, visiting the public-houses, and dancing
to a violin which he played. In this manner she
grew up to womanhood, and then commenced the
trade of her father. The family, it appears, used to
winter always on Biddulph-moor, and it was only
known as hearsay among the natives of that place that
she was a woman. The fact, however, subsequently
became well known among them from the following
circumstance taking place :—A quarrel took place
between her and a man, and a pitched battle between
them was the result, which took place on Bolton-
green, and in which the female came off the victor.
In the contest her bosom accidentally became ex-
posed, and then it was that her sex became known
as a fact. The old man above alluded to saw the
battle, and he says he was to have fought her brother
at the same time. Several living on the com-
mon recollect its taking place, and their statements all
agree in fixing the time about forty years ago. The
fact, although known to the Biddulph people, appears
to have been kept by them a profound secret ; and if
in her wanderings she chanced ever to meet any of
them, she would take them on one side and say,
"Keep my secret." On one occasion it appears to
have been divulged by a Biddulph man with whom
she had quarrelled at Glossop. He communicated the
fact to the people of the house where she was in the
habit of calling at, and the next time she visited it
she was subjected to insult. She, consequently,
never went there again. It appears hat, when win-
tering on Biddulph-moor, some sheep were missed,
and the family in question were suspected of stealing
them. From that time the family never visited Bid-
dulph, but divided themselves, each going into dif-
ferent parts of the country. Occasionally, however,
the subject of this narrative used to meet Biddulph
people, and always the same injunction as to keeping
her secret was repeated.
About twenty-five years ago a singular circum-
stance connected with her history occurred. Sbe was
in the habit of visiting Winster, in Derbyshire,
practising her vocation as scissor-grinder, &c.: and
while there she became acquainted with a married
gentlemen, who, unaware of her sex, offered her 61. to
marry a servant girl who was enciente by him. The
offer was accepted, and the marriage took place in
Winster Church. The female soon after gave birth
to a child, and from the accounts given of the manner
in which it was brought up and treated by the
deceased, whom it was taught to call "father," there is
little doubt they received considerable support and
assistance from its parent. They lived together for
about seven years, when, fromsoamfteerTarsthe iid with
several whichwdoehs
not appear, they separated. She
3everal women ;',one man says he has known her to
have six or seven. Some would live with her a
month others two months, and some perhaps a year.
About fourteen years ago she became acquainted with
the woman with whom she was living when she died,
and they lived together uninterruptedly during that
length of time. They had travelled all over England.
Last year they were in Worcestershire picking hops.
They lived very happily together, and the deceased,
who could earn half-a-guinea a day sometimes, used
the woman very well.
One peculiarity of her character is well-remem-
bered. She was very fond of picking quarrels in
public-houses. On such occasions she would chal-
lenge the men out to fight, threaten to clear the
room, &c. One man says, " And she could fight very
well, too." If in these freaks, however, the chanced
to see a Biddulph man, she would not say another
word, and would sneak out of the room as soon as
possible. On one occasion she was making a noise
at a public-house in Bosley, when a hawker of pots,
from Biddulph, came into the room. At that time
She was defying the whole room, daring them out
to fight, and threatening to give them all a good
thrashing. Immediately on seeing the hawker she
dropped her fighting attitude, exchanged compliments
with him, and, as soon as she could, left the room
unobservedly.
The deceased was of slender make, and had some
years ago a profusion of black glossy hair, which was
carefully curled and dressed, so as in some measure
to take off its feminine appearance. This, with a
total absence of beard, and a very swarthy com-
plexion, produced a tout ensemble which would arrest
the attention of any admirer of the gipsy picturesque.
It appears that one of the clergy of the town being
called upon to visit her last week, recognised in her
person and the soi-disant wife a pair whose appearance
bad, nearly seven years ago, excited his curiosity and
that of another clergyman, who then officiated at the
old church. It appears, however, that they then soon
left the town ; and the circumstance was forgotten
till the recollection of it was revived in the way we
have described. The reason of her leading such a
strange mode of life can only be accounted for by her
partiality for the calling she practised; and she could
have had no object in living with women as she had
done unless it was to keep down suspicion. The
promises she made of keeping them were, perhaps, an
inducement for them to live with her.

TREASONABLE{ DOCUMENTS FOUND AT LIVER..
rooL.—We learn that several of the Liverpool police.
force are at Clonmel, in waiticg to give evidence on the
state trials there. They have to produce, we believe,
several letters from the rebel chiefs, and other docu-
ments of a treasonable character, seized on a search in
the Confederate club-rooms here. It was Javatt, police-
constable 112, vyho followed Al'iNtuma from Liverpool to

lib

4

fourtbl_libition
SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock.

DEMERARA RAILWAY.
(THIS DAY.)

The ordinary half-yearly meeting of the share-
holders of the Demerara Railway Company took place
to-day, pursuant to the Act of Incorporation, at the
London TaVRVD, for the purpose of receiving the re-
port of the directors, and for the transacting of the
general business of the company.
MICHAEL M'CULERY, Esq., the chairman of the
coin tiny, took the chair at one o'clock, and the usual
routine business having been gone through,
The SECRETARY read the following report :
" The directors have to call upon the prop, ietary body,
assembled at this general meetii,g, for their most serious
cogideration of the present position of this company.
"It will be seen by the annexed statement of ac-
counts, made up to the 30th ultimo, that while there
are existing and pressing liabilities to the extent of
36,3011. ss. 41., the sum received upon calls falls short
of the amount payable thereon by 35,3121. lOs., and
that there are no immediate funds available to carry on
the works.
"Every exertion has been made by the directors to
collect the arrears. In addition to urgent appeals made
to those shareholders who, having been regular in their
earlier payments, have since neglected to meet their
calls, suits have been instituted against the defaulters of
the longest standing, while the shares of others, who,
it was ascertained, had not the means of paying, have
been subjected to forfeiture. Of this latter class 570
shares have been absolutely forfeited ; and with regard
to 790 other shares, on which notices of forfeiture have
been given, the directors still reserve to themselves the
option of proceeding at law.

" Of th© suits which were instituted, several produced
the desired results, and in others judgments have been
recovered ; but the directors have abstained from acting
on those judgments from the present inability of the
parties to meet them, and the hope that by indulgence
the money would be forthcoming.
" The directors, in their last report, apprized the
shareholders that they had been obliged, from a
deficiency of funds, to suspend, in a great measure,
active operations upon the works ; and a continu-
ance of that cause, arising from the nonpayment
of the calls, has so retarded the progress of the
line, that it has not yet advanced beyond Plaisance,
a distance of fire miles from George Town. That point
has now, however, been reached, and instructions were
lately sent out to the engineer to work this section of
the line, if it could be advantageously accomplished.
The progress of all the other works has, of necessity,
):
been absolutely suspended, and the result of this day s
meeting must decide, whether the project is to be
abandoned, and a sacrifice made of all the capital
(126,6981. I ls. 6d.) which has been expended upon it ;
or whether, by a cordial co-operation on the part of the
shareholders with the directors, the undertaking may be
yet brought to aispeedy and prosperous termination.
" One means which has presented itself to the direc-
tors of assisting the undertaking in its present diffieul•
ties, is that of which notice is given in the advertisement
convening the present meeting ; viz., the reduction of
the capital of the company, from 250,0001. to 175,000/.
The details of this measure will be more properly consi-
dered at a subsequent part of this day's proceedings ;
but it is expedient now to state, that the immediate
object which the directors have in view in this
proposal, is to put the company in a position to
borrow money upon the security of the railway works, a
power which they do not possess at present, as one-half
of tha existing capital is not, as required by law, paid
up; whereas the borrowing powers of the company
would come into immediate operation if the capital were
reduced to 175,0004, more than one-half of that sum
(viz., 89,687/. 10s.) having been actually; collected from
calls. It has been fully ascertained that the lesser
amount of capital would enable the directors to com-
plete the line.
"The shareholders are aware that the directors have
been in negotiation with her Majesty's Government for a
loan. Their endeavours in this respect have unfortunately
proved abortive for immediate purposes; but it may be
briefly stated, that although no direct promise of pecuniary
assistance was actually given by the Government, the result
of frequent communications with the authorities at the
Colonial. office had led the directors to entertain a confident
belief that advantage would be taken of the passing of
the West India Loan Act to ensure to this
company a definite portion of that fund; and it was only
at the eleventh hour, after Parliament had separated,
that a letter was received from Earl Grey, referring the
matter altogether to
-the decision of the Combined Court
of British Guiana.

"A copy of this letter is appended, and it will be ob-
served that his Lordship expresses his opinion, that the
promotion of this undertaking would be a very proper
purpose to which to apply a part of the money which the
Combined Court msy decide.upc•n raising, under the gua-
rantee of Parliament.'

" The directors have no reason to doubt that if, on
the re-assembAne;:of the Combined Court (whose sittings
have been temporarily suspended owing to some differ-
ences witiiithe Colonial Department), the claims of this
company to participate in the loan to be raised under the
Act referred to, were brought before the Combined
Court,they would to readily and favourably entertained;
and at the same time their assent will doubtless be given
to the legislative guarantee of six per cent. upon the
capital expended—the principle of that measure having
already received the sanction of the Court of Policy.
"Should the shareholders consider it advisable to
pursue the course here adverted to, the question will
arise, How, in the meantime, is the company to be
carried on, and the property protected from the claims
of the creditors ? The liabilities are immediate and
heavy, and cannot be further postponed ; and tha
directors can see no way of meeting them, but by
the prompt, resolute, and combined exertions
of the shareholders themselves. If all those who
are now in default, but 'able to meet their calls, will ,
forthwith pay up their arrears, and if the remainder of
the calls to the extent of the reduced capital be punc-
tually met, the directors feel confident that—with the
money which they will be enabled to borrew on the
secs city of the works, to make good any deficiency in
the collection of the arrears on the part of those who are
actually unable to meet their calls—the railway will ha
successfully completed, even yet, at a cost within the
engineer's estimate.
These prospective advantages must, however, be
abandoned, and the valuable property already embarked
be altogether lost to the present shareholders, unless
immediate funds are raised by them to meet the liabili-
ties. It is right to remind the shareholders, that had
the calls been punctually met, the company would at
this moment have been free from debt, and the line have
teen in profitable operation.
" The directors have performed their duty in submit-
ting these facts thus plainly to the shareholders, and the
fate of the undertaking is now in their hands. If this
last appeal should not be responded to, and the pro-
perty of the company be left to the mercy of the cre-
ditors (from whom further forbearance cannot be ex-
pected), the shareholders must still recollect that,
after such a sacrifice has been made, they would
not be relieved from their liabilities to the full extent
of their shares under the existing capital, while a single
creditor remained unpaid iu this country or in Deme-
rara ; and that the first and most imperative duty
of the directors would be to enforce payment of all
arrears doe on calls made, or to be made, without dis-
tinction of persons, by the use of those legal
powers which have been conferred upon them for
that purpose, by the company's Act of Incorporatien and
Deed of Settlement. But if, on the other hand, the
shareholders concur with the directors in thinking that,
by a united and vigorous effort, this important project
may yet be carried successfully through, they may con-
fidently rely upon a continuance of those exertions on the
part of the directors to promote the interests of the
company, which, they can conscientiously state, have
been hitherto unceasingly given to the utmost of their
ability."
The following is the copy of the letter from Earl
Grey alluded to in the report :
" Downing-street, 14th September, 1848.
" Sir,—l am directed by Earl Grey to acknowledge
the receipt of your letters of the 9th and 12th instant,
applying, on behalf of the Demerara Railway Company,
for a portion of the loan of 500,0004 to be advanced to
the sugar-growing colonies, to enable them to
complete the line of railway which has been com-
menced in British Guiana. In reply, I am to
acquaint you that the Act of Parliament only
authorizes the guarantee of loans to be contracted
by the authority of laws to be passed in the colonies
for such objects, within the description of those sanc-
tioned by Parliament as the local legislatures may select.
It will, therefore, be for the Combined Court to deter-
mine whether it will charge upon the colonial revenue a
loan part of which shall be applicable to the railway.
And Lord Grey can only express his own opinion, that
such a loan would be a very proper purpose to which to
apply a part:of the money which the Combined Court
may decide upon raising under the guarantee of Par-
liament. —I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient
servant, "HERMAN M E RIVALE."
" To M. McChlery, Esq., &c., &c., &c."

From the general statement of the receipts and eiK-
penditure, it appeared that there was only a sum of
2,2261. 4s. lid. now available for the purposes of the
company.
The CHAIRMAN, after shortly adverting to the
report, stated his readiness to hear any observations
from Sie shareholders, and observed that the directors
were determined to enfore the payment of all
calls in arrear by legal means, unless the share-
holders, by coming forward, prevented them from
doing so. The line would have been opened long ago
if the shareholders had promptly answered to their
calls. The line was at present completed for five
inlks, and instructions had been sent out to work it
if it could be done with profit. The whole
extent of e as 20 miles, and it only wanted about
50,0001. to complete it. It was entirely the fault cf
the shareholders that the line had not been completed.
A PROP.RIETOR could not consent to such an asser-
tion. Ile thought, in justice to those shareholders
who had paid their calls, some exertions ought to
have been made by the directors to enforce the pay-
ment of the calls in arrear.

Iliii"xipiAN said that everything had been done
t. ~,:rce tliP.. .. tut without success. With re-
.,J • ,v 1.4 r. , . ..• .ersons holdinr, shares, it was
pi
s ~ .►- f, ...it, it of folly to take proceedings
AvokslaYtte, had literally nothing to pay
liir" lii" ::',...„..\ .' 4
to e
f v
..,,
MP . e p,
~,,,

,iolicitor of the company, said
is duty not to run the company
,ose of proceeding againg par-