The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-13 00:00:00

N OCTOBER 13, 1848.

yelled to and, fro between the two towns during the
day. The stations and eminences about Shrewsbury
and Chester were crowded with spectators throughout
the day.

The line has for its object the opening out the mi-
neral districts of North Wales, connecting them with
the manufacturing districts, as well as forming an
improved communication between the estuaries of the
Dee and the Bristol Channel. It was expected to be
opened in August, but the wet weather retarded it.
The line for upwards of sixty miles traverses the rich
vale of the divisionary boundary of the principality,
and of the western counties. Birkenhead may be
looked upon as its main goods terminus. Besides
embracing the agricultural districts of Shropshire, it
is intended to furnish a new means of export to the
vast mineral resources of North and Central Wales,
the produce of the slate quarries, and the manufac-
turing commodities of Manchester, Liverpool, Ches-
ter, Oswestry, and other places. At present these
have to be carried by a circuitous route of more than
fifty miles. It will likewise be a summer and plea-
sure line, leading to the watering places of Wales, to
Llangollen, Aberystwith, and the most attractive
scenery of the district.- Arrangements have been
made ny which passengers are to be cheaply con-
veyed every day from Liverpool and other places to
these points. 'The line is made up of an amalgama-
tion of what were the North Wales Mineral line, and
the Shrewsbury, Oswestry; and Chester Junction.
It passes through four counties—Cheshire, Flintshire,
Denbighshire, and Salop—oommences in junction
with the Shrewsbury and Hereford and Shrewsbury
and Birmingham Railway, passes through Oswestry,
Chirp, Rurabota, and Wrexham, and terminating in
junction with the Chester and Holyhead Railway at
Chester.

The most striking work, as you traverse the line, is
the great viaduct over the valley of the Dee, in the
vale of: Llangollen, which, in dimension, surpasses any
other in the Kingdom. It is upwards of 150 feet
above the level of the river, being 30 feet higher than
the viaduct at Stockport, on the London and North
Western, which has hitherto been considered the
greatest work of the kind. Its length is 1,530 feet,
or nearly one-third of a mile long, it is supported by
19 arches of 90 feet span ; it connects that part of the
line between Rhos and Chirk. The viaduct which
has been erected by Messrs. Brassev and Mackenzie,
the contractors, has cost upwards of 100,0001. The
works in general are substantially constructed, and,
in consequence of the favourable nature of the soil,
the line will be cheaply maintained. The next work
of magnitude is the Cheater station, next to the Derby
station at Derby. It is one of the largest in the
kingdom. It is a central point where several lines
converge ; it -has cost 100,0001., and is to be used
jointly and paid for jointly, by the London and
North-Western, the Shrewsbury and Chester, the
Chester and Birkenhead, and the Birkenhead, Lan-
cashire, and Cheshire. The station at Shrewsbury is
on a similar though less extensive scale, and will be
paid for proportionally by the lines that enter there.
The first return train for Chester would reach there
at about nine o'clock. The public dinner, in cele-
bration of the event commenced as our express left.

UNION CANAL COMPANY.
On-Tuesday a general meeting of the shareholders
of this company was held in Mr. Paxton's hall, Royal
Exchange, for the purpose of considering and deciding
upon a proposal to amalgamate with the Edinburgh
and Glasgow Railway Company. Colonel M'Donald,
of Powderhall, occupied the chair.
Mr. ELLis read the heads of agreement between
the Union Canal Company and the Edinburgh and
Glasgow Railway Company. These were to the effect
that the two companies should be amalgamated, on the
principle that the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Company were to have the canal, and certain houses
and offices necessary to the working of it; the canal
company to retain all the other lands, property, feuing
ground, &c., which, estimated at 20,0001., would be
applied to the extinction of the debt. The railway
company, in return, undertake to give 1,058 of their
1001. shares to the holders of the unburdened shares
of the canal company, and 82 such shares to the
holders of burdened shares ; and such stock to be
issued to the shareholders of the canal company
within one month after the passing of the Act for
carrying this agreement into effect ; and which Act
both parties bind themselves to apply for in the next
session of Parliawent. The railway company are also
to assume a sum not exceeding 95,0001. of the debt of
the canal company.
otr JOHN ir-LADSTONH of Fasque, moved that they
should agree to the proposed arrangement, and remit
it to a committee of management with instructions
to carry it into effect.

A SHAREHOLDER said, before agreeing to the
motion, he wished to have a little more information
on the subject. •He should like particularly to know
if the Forth and Clyde Canal Company were decidedly
hostile to this company ?
The CHAIRMAN could not say that they were de-
cidedly hostile, but he had no cause to say that they
were friendly.
The same SHAREHOLDER said it appeared-to him
that if the Forth and Clyde Canal Company were
not hostile, they might still be able as a company, to
compete with the Edinburgh and Glasgow Rail way
Company.
The CHAIRMAN said, if it was wished to ask him
whether or not any arrangement could be entered
into with the Forth and Clyde Canal Company, he
would at once say, decidedly not.
In answer to a series of questions,
The CHAIRMAN stated that, as soon as the Act was
obtained, the stock would be issued to the holders
of the burdened as well as the unburdened shares ;
the shareholders to receive a dividend according to
the amount of their stock; that this stock did not go to
pay the interest on debt; that the Edinburgh Railway
stock was valued, not at its present market price, but
at 100/.; that for every three canal shares, valued at
331. 6s. Bd., the canal shareholders were to receive a
100/. railway share.
A SHAREHOLDER asked if there was any balance
or surplus of revenue divisible among the share-
holders?

The CHAIRMAN jocularly remarked that the less
they asked about that the better.—(A. laugh.)
After some further discussion, the motion of Sir J.
Gladstone, approving of the arrangement, was ap-
proved of, Mr. MILLER stating that, as the judicial
factor for the heirs of some of the shareholders, he
could not agree to it until he had consulted the bene-
ficiaries.
The meeting then adjourned.—Witness.

ROCHESTER MUNICIPAL REVISION COURT.—We
yesterday witnessed at this court scenes which we bad
believed could not possibly have taken place in England.
To describe the disorder which prevailed throughout the
proceedings is almost impossible ; people would never
credit that spectators in a court of justice could possibly
be permitted, at this time, to indulge in all the boister-
ous ebullitions of the bear garden ; cheers, clapping of
hands, stamping of feet, and frantic shouts of laughter,
hailed every unusually in%emperate expression of the
Tory agent, whilst the Liberal agent and witnesses were
subject to the, most indecorous interruptions. Hooting,
hissing, yelling, and threats of personal violence, were
aimed at Page, the Liberal objector, and at some mo-
ments the Guildhall more resembled the arena of a prize
fight than a calm, orderly, English court of justice.
The members of the court seemed utterly helpless,
and unequal to the slightest effort to preserve order
or decorum. They would doubtless have been laughed
to scorn by their own party if they had attempted it. A
more disgraceful course of proceedings than those of
yesterday it has never been our lot to see ; and, for the
sake of public morality, and public confidence in the jus-
tice seat, we hope it may never be witnessed again; yet,
as the court are to sit day by day, we fear that there is
too great a probability of its daily repetition.—Maidstone
Gazette.

LIGHTING BY ELECTRICITY. Last evening Mr.
Pepper delivered a lecture on the "Physical Properties
of Light," at the Western Literary and Scientific Insti-
tution, Leicester square. After going through a great
number of interesting experiments illustrative of the
various modes of producing light by chemical combina•
tion, he proceeded to introduce the apparatus recently
invented and patented by Messrs. Stait and Petrie, for
lighting by means of electricity. The lecturer stated
that electricity, as was obviously proved in the case of
lightning, was a natural element for :the production of
light; the great difficulty consisted in producing the
necessary supply of combustible matter upon which it
should act to produce the luminous result. In the ma.
chine invented by Messrs. Stait and Petrie a certain and
constant supply of charcoal was presented to the action
of electric fluid, and the consequence was a continuous
and brilliant light. The machine, apparently a very
simple one, was then set in operation, and although the
flame was enclosed within a framework of paper, the
effect was so dazzling as almost to be unbearable to the
naked eye. The gas-lights with which the theatre was
lighted were virtually extinguished, the only evidence of
their existence being a red spot (the effect of the uncon-
sum, d carbon), the light produced by the electric lighting
machine being of the purest white colour. The lecture was
listened to with great attention by a crowded auditory,
who appeared to bo greatly struck by the " new light"
thrown upon their optical faculties.
DEATH FROM TOBACCO.—An inquisition was
holden at Coleford, on the body of John Evans. The
surgeon stated he found slight traces of inflammation in
the stomach, and a very strong odour of tobacco. It
appears that the deceased smoked a great quantity—
nearly half a pound per week, besides chewing pigtail.
A verdict was returned of " Died by the visitation of
God, accelerated by the excessive use of tobacco."—Dor-
setshire Herald.

[PsicE SD.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, THURSDAY MORNlRG.—Yesterday after-
noon it was positively asserted that the Government
had dispatched to Clonmel the warrant for the exe-
cution of Mr. Smith O'Brien, in pursuance of the
sentence pronounced on Monday. In half an hour
afterwards it was announced, in just as positive terms,
that the sentence of death, with all its horrible ac-
companiments, had been commuted to transportation
for life, and that the order for a respite had been dis-
patched to Clonmel. It is probable that both state-
ments are mere speculation upon the probable deter-
mination of the Government in the case of Mr. Smith
O'Brien. Meantime public opinion, not to speak of
mere sympathy, is most decidedly against capital
punishment in this case, and all classes appear to
have made up their minds that the unfortunate gen-
tleman will escape the extreme penalty of the law.
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