The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-01 00:00:00

IsmaktlSON, M.P.
kirto mho ineinalied 141,&:letYlnblia ‘Wi/CAlit 4#1*,,,,454
peva elsewhere, that the document publi‘.had Jett
twts of Saturday; and purp,rting to be E4o seeend:
' report of the Select Committee on Railways, is out the
report of the committee, but merely a draught prepared
by Mr. Morrison for the consideration of the board.
It
is proper, for the sake of truth, that this statement
should be made, but for no other reason is it at all neces-
sary. Its only effect is to transfer from the general
body of members to their chairman whatever merit the
public may conceive to exist in the document in question.
In our own estimation the paper loses nothing of its
importance in losing the official stamp. The arguments
remain the same; the information is not less valuable;
the facts are equally true; the resolutions alone are
somewhat diminished in their weight by being
reduced
from a general verdict to the expression day individual
opinion. That opinion, however, will beter the test
of the most rigorous analysis ; and we are convinced
that the more it is examined, the more clearly'
eol
truth appear. It has been commonly objected the
system of Government surreillance, and especially ‘`e) the
appointment of an executive board, with powers of ;9re"
liminary investigation, that either would operate inju."'i-
wil its
ousty, as a check even upon legitimate enterprise. We'
believe that no more erroneous notion could possibly
have taken possession of the public mind. Teat the fear
of a searching inquiry into their merits might stifle many
fraudulent or visionary projecls is a supposition not more
probable then satisfactory ; for surely there can be no
one so blindly devoted to the non-interference principle
as to view such a result with disaffection or alarm. Even
the bubble companies themselves, or at least the ge-
neral body of their subscribers, would feel the ad-
vantage of a tribunal which would stop their pro-
gress at the outset and save them from a needless
and unprofitable expenditure. To the bond fide
useful schemes the benefit would be immense. The
sums that have been wasted in Parliamentary expenses
by the railways now working, are so enormous, that to
state them is to draw almost top largely upon public
credulity; we believe they are not less than ten millions.
Mr. Morrison's report informs us that, if an account
were taken of all the premiums already or hereafter to
be divided among directors, through the creation of
new shares, and of the expenditure incurred in buying
off parties supposed to possess powerful interest, and in
Parliamentary proceedings., which alone amount to
twenty-five millions, the total would be a sum sufficient
for the construction of trunk lines for the whole coun-
try. Contrast this wasteful extravagance with the
state of things in France, and Belgium, and Prussia.
In the first country, the capital of the lines executed on
the 31st of July, 1845, was eight millions and a half;
of those in course of execution, fourteen millions ; and
of others sanctioned or projected down to the present
period, forty-two millions ; making, in the whole, about
sixty-four millions and a half. The whole of the
Prussian lines cost about thirty-six millions, and of the
state lines in Belgium not quite six. The cause of the
extraordinary difference here apparent is not the supe-
rior cheapness of labour or material on the continent.
This we stated on Saturday. The expense of mere
construction on the French Railways has been, in some
instances, greater than that of the English. The real
cause is to be found in what may be called the inci-
dental expenditure, especially the Parliamentary ex-
penses, which Mr. Morrison reckons in the aggregate
at fifty millions. The Eastern Counties are said to
have paid 810,0001. foe land alone, being about
12,000/. per mile, more than the whole cost on most
of the German and many of the Belgian lines ; and
we have heard it said that the Parliamentary ex-
penses of the London and York exceed a million. With
these facts before their eyes, the English people will un-
derstand at once why they have to pay so exorbitantly
for the carriage of themselves and their goods on English
railways. The enforced extravagance of the company
falls eventually upon the public, who by this considera-
tion, if by no other, may possibly be induced at length
to appreciate the advantages of Government control. It
will of course be said that an enforced reduction and a
compulsory revision of the charges made by existing
companies would be arbitrary and unjust, for that there
ought to be a fair return for capital expended.
Mr. Morrrison has anticipated this objection, and
proved by the evidence of Mr. Stephenson and others, as
well as by independent facts, that a reduction of charges
would not necessarily nor probably be attended with a
diminution of profits. It is certain that the fares on
most of our railways are very much less now than they
were at the commencement of the undertakings ; and we
believe it is admitted on all hands that in no instance
have the dividends been injuriously affected. In agri-
cultural districts, which, according to the opinion of some
are more favourable to railways than manufacturing dis-
tricts, Mr. Veto thinks that low fares are absolutely ne-
cessary to create traffic, for, as the rural population can-
not afford to pay high, if they are charged high they will
not use the railway at all. Mr. Stephenson thinks that,
in course of time, experience will teach the companies that
they best consult their own interests in yielding to
the wishes of the public. This opinion is probably
correct ; but the public may very fairly ask, how long
they are to wait? The probability of an evil curing itself
will hardly be thought to relieve a Government from the
duty of applying remedies, or from the responsibility of
neglect. The full benefits of railway communication
can only be developed by cheapness. It is not the rich
only who require and who will be improved by a more
frequent intercourse among each other. The national
interest demands a method of speedy and cheap travel-
ling ; and it seems to us that sound policy dictates the
adoption of such a system as will immediately ensure the
desired result..—Tones.

DEPARTURE OF THE FOREIGN
MAILS DURING SEPTEMBER.
The following notice was 'issued on Saturday, at the
General Post-office, St. Martin's•le-Grand, giving the
dates on which the foreign mails will be made up at the
chief office, London ; also when the return packets are
due at Southampton, Liverpool, and Falmouth :
INDIA.—The mails for Gibraltar, Malta, Greece, the
lonian Islands, Egypt, Aden, Ceylon, India, Hong-Kong
and China, will be made up on the mornings of the 3d
and 21st, to be forwarded rid Southampton. The
Oriental Company's steam packet Erin will convey the
mails of the morning of the 3d. By the fortnightly over-
land closed mail to the Mediterranean, Egypt. India, &c.,
via Marseilles, on the evenings of the 7th and 24th.
PENINSULA.—The mails for Corunna, Vigo, Oporto,
Lisbon, Madeira, Cadiz, and Gibraltar, will be mado up
on the mornings of the 7th, 17th, and 27th, to be for-
warded via Southampton. The Queen steamer will
convey the mails of the morning of the 7th. Next
packet due, the Pacha steamer, on the sth. The Penin-
sular steam-packets will not call at Corunna, either on
their outward or homeward voyage, during the winter
months of November, December, January, and February
next, commencing from the 17th November next.
THE WEST INDIES, &c.—The mails for the British
and foreign colonies in the West Indies (except U.
vannah), Venezuela, Madeira, &c., on the mornings of
the 2d and 17th ; Mexico, Honduras, and Havannab, on
the morning of the 2d only, and Bermuda, San Juan de
Nicaragua, New Granada, Chili, and Peru, on the morn-
ing of the 17th only. The mails of the morning of the
2d will be conveyed by the Trent steamer via South-
ampton. Next packet due from the West Indies,
Mexico, Honduras, Havannah, Bermuda, San Juan do
Nicaragua, New Granada, Chili, and Peru, on the 7th, at
Southampton.
BRITISH NORTH AMERICA, &C.—The mails for Bri•
tish North America, Bermuda, and the United States,
will be made up on the evenings of the 3d and 18th, to
be forwarded, via Liverpool, Halifax, and Boston. The
Cambria steamer will convey the mails of the evening of
the 3d. Next packet due the Caledonia steamer on tht
15th, at Liverpool.
MADEIRA, BRAZILS, &c.—The mails for Madeira,
Brazils, Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, &c., will be made
up on the evening of the 4th, to be forwarded, vu
Falmouth, by her Majesty's brig Crane. Next packet
due her Majesty's brig Express, now overdue since the
28th instant.
Henceforward the mails for the Brazils, Buenos
Ayres, Monte Video, &c., will be made up in London
on the evening of the 4th of every month. When the
4th falls on a Sunday, the mails will be made up
London on the following evening. From August to
January inclusive the packet touches at Pernambuco
Bahia on her outward passage to Rio do Janeiro,
and the other six months on her homeward.
NEW SOUTH WALES, &c.—Tho mails for Sydney..
New South Wales, South Australia, Van Diernou'a
Land, and Newfoundland, will be made up on the even.
ing of the 3d of September, to be forwarded vt4e,
Gravesend.
The Walmer Castle will convey the mails of this
month. Letters and newspapers in time thiA Zvening,
the 31st instant.
FRANCE, BELGIUM, HOLLAND, Rzn
The mails for Calais and Ostend are made up every
evening except Sundays; due daily. Forwarded by steam.
packets vid Dover.
HOLLAND on Wednesdays and SP...turday mornings ;
due Mondays and Thursdays. 'Hamburg on Tuesday
and Friday evenings ; due Tuesdays and Saturdays—
forwarded by steam-packets from the Thames.
NOTICE.—A mail will be made up for the Islands.
Ascension, to be forwarded by her Majesty's ship Hound.
All letters intended to be so forwarded must be addressed
by " her Majesty's ship Hound," and will be liable to a
packet rate of postage of Is. if not exceeding half bn
ounce, and so on in proportion. No charge w be
made upon newspapers. The Hound will f:ali from
Portsmouth on the 3d September.
NEW YORK.—The Great Britain Steamer will sail
from Liverpool on the 22d of Septernber, with a letter-
, bag for New York. Letters and P.owspapers in time on
the evening of 21st.
s,

SHOCKING COOL—Most people have heard the story
of the Irishman who, on being awakened one night with the
intimation that the house was on fire, coolly turned himself,
and as coolly replied, " It is nothing to me, I am only a
lodger." The anecdote has generally been looked upon as
joke, but the following incident may prove that it may rave
been no joke at all. One day last week, as the stage, coach
was being rapidly driven past a small village between Ayr
and Maybole, a child, apparently between four arid five years
of age, was observed playing iu the middle of the road, un-
conscious of the approaching danger. The driver, having
given the alarm without effect, succeeded in pulling up just
in the nick of time. A woman, who was observed lazily
resting herself against the wall of a house, and looking upon
the whole transaction with the utmost composure, while
every person on the coach was painfully alarmed, on being
asked by the indignant driver why she had not rushed to the
rescue of a child in such imminent danger, replied, with e,
look of surprise, and in tones of innocent simplicity, "'r
bairn's no mine." Improbable as this may appear, it is new:.
theless a fact.— Glasgow Examiner.
SOUTH SEA WHALE FISHERY.—In the course of tho
present week a letter has been received from one of the crew
of the Mohawk, which left this port last year on. a whaling
excursion. She sailed from this on the 23d of May, 1845.
and arrived at Appinam, Lombock Straits, on the 23d at
November. The letter is dated the Ist of December, andat_
that time the crew had captured one Sperm whale, frildil
which they obtained fifty-two barrel* of eft. Sho crew 417.40
• all well.-18erwick Advertiser.