The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-27 00:00:00

THE 'SUN,

CLERKEN WELL.-( THIS DAY.)

A powerful young man, a navigator, was charged
before Mr. Tyrrvhitt with creating a disturbance in the
house of Mr. Price, of the Duke-of Richmond Tavern,
Chalk-road, and with violently assaulting the landlord ,
waiter, barmaid, and a policeman.
Mr. Price stated that last evening the prisoner came
drunk into the parlour, and said he had lost his mate,
and wanted a few pence. Witness told him that he
should get no pence there, and recommended him to go
into the tap-room to look for his mate. The prisoner
poured out a volley of the mostdisgusting abuse, and re-
peatedly struck at witness, who, being a very powerful
man, at length knocked him down. Being removed from
the parlour, he made his way into the tap-room, and
there assaulted the waiter, the barmaid, and
others. A policeman was called in, but the
prisoner knocked him down three times. The
latter, however, kept hold of him, although severely
kicked and beaten, and, with the assistance of another
officer, succeeded in conveying him to the station-house.
The prisoner's wife begged hard for mercy in consi-
deration of his family of young children.
Mr. TYRWHITT said that his outrageous conduct could
not be passed over with impunity. He should sentence
him to pay a crown to the waiter as compensation, and
a fine of one pound for the assault on the policeman, or
to be imprisoned three weeks. The magistrate com-
plimented Mr. Price highly for the manner in which he
had resisted the prisoner.

LON DON,

A FEW WORDS ON RAILWAY
BUSINESS.
TO THE EDITOR OE THE SUN.
Sta,—Punch of to-day gives a representation of
the bees stinging the bear, might he not improve
upon it by a little mythological license of stags con-
verted into " Bears,' and those writhing under the
sting of your remarks ? Those animals, from letters
in my possession, are not so easy in their minds as
they were a few days ago, and I fancy if the parties
who hold shares as security for advances would cease
to press them on the market, the " Bears" would
have to " disgorge" part of what they have latterly
acquired. I fear, however, that such is the desire of
bankers and others, from the cloud that hangs over
all railway accounts, to realise at whatever sacrifice
to their clients, that the "Bears," with the facilities they
possess, will, before the termination of the account,
have things nearly their own way.
As a practical man, I have done much to break
down the advantages possessed by the "Bears," but with
the present trammels of legislatve enactments, I do
not comprehend how even the London Stock Ex-
change could " smooth" the way " down" to meet
the present crying evil. The real broker has already
done much, and must have sacrificed greatly to meet
the wishes of his customers—perhaps one way would
be to adopt a rule once attempted to be carried out
by a provincial exchange, to this effect, that all con-
tracts, the shares for which were not delivered within
fourteen days after the account day, should be null
and void at the option of the buyer.
I am, yours truly,

Oct. 26, 1848.

B. E.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sxu,—Railway shareholders generally owe you a
debt of gratitude for the independent and honest
course you have exhibited in your remarks on the
present state and price, not value, of railways. What
a contrast to the cupidity and malevolence of the so-
called " leading journal of Europe," who, when the
public mind was most sensitive, printed the gross,
andino doubt designed misstatements of the " London
Weekly Railway Share List;" and this, not imme-
diately after they appeared in that publication, but
some weeks afterwards, making palpable to the most
obtuse the animus which induced their republication.
And now, sir, if you will permit me a small space
in your valuable columns, I will proceed to notice
a few of the grievances under which the railway in-
terest labours.

In the first place, directors have too much and
irresponsible power, and I fear in too many instances
want that stern honesty of intention and purpose
which, as guardians and trustees of the vast property
under their control, the interests of the general body
of shareholders demand. One,-third of that body
should retire half-yearly or yearly, and two-thirds of
that third should be ineligible until the next election,
which should be by the shareholders, without any
nomination by the directors ; or, perhaps what would
be better, have a small, well-paid, responsible com-
mittee of management, and, if preferred, let the re-
muneration be a certain per-centage on the nett
earnings of the line.

Then, again, as to the power of shareholders to
inspect the list of proprietors, every shareholder should
not only have power to inspect the list of proprietors,
but also the amount of stock held, which would check
the gross jobbing which existed on the part of parties
in power. The necessity of damped proxies should
also cease, and non-shareholders should be
eligible to hold them ; for a shareholder unable
to attend a meeting held perhaps at one or
two hundred miles distance from his residence,
and not knowing a single fellow.shareholder, cannot
at present give his proxy even to a father or brother
who is a non-shareholder. There should be not too
great a disproportion in the three classes of fares, for
where there is too great a difference the effect is to
force first-class passengers into the second, and second
class into the third ; whereas, where the difference of
rate is small, the increased comfort of the superior
class of carriages induces a great number of second
and third class passengers to travel in the class
above. Goods trains are run at too high a rate of
speed even on lines where the traffic is small, and no
necessity exists for a high rate of speed in these
trains; whether the high velocity at which they are
often run is caused by the self-will of the drivers, or
the want of contrary orders and regulations from the
directors, I cannot tell, but certain it is that the
speed is not only unnecessarily but destructively,
great both to the line and carrying stock. The num-
ber of passengers trains on many lines might be ad-
vantageously reduced, without any injury or incon-
venience to the public. But the most important
point at the present time is nearly, if not altogether,
to suspend calls for one or two years, and, above all,
perhaps to avoid the unjust and iniquitous issue of
preference shares, which in many instances amounts
to a virtual confiscation of the original capital.
The stamp on transfer should either be abolished
or the amount:very much reduced, and, what may
perhaps appear to many persons not very important,
the broker's commission on the purchase or sale of
shares is vastly higher than the little trouble can by
any means warrant.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
DELTA.

Newark, Oct. 26, 1848.

SIR CHARLES NAPIER AND
MR. BAILLIE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

SIR,—Mr. Baillie's letter of the 21st instant is so
weak, that a few remarks are enough.
Ist. The facts in my letter are accurately stated
and have been admitted by Sir James Hogg and Mr.
Baillie themselves, although -

2d. Mr. B. says, "I never stated to Sir C. N., as
he says in his letter, that Sir James Hogg had
directed me to make the statement to the House."
Begging Mr. Baillie's pardon, this is a mere evasion.
In the first place, my memory I believe to be as good
as Mr. Baillie's memory, and I maintain that he said
to me what I stated. However, I will concede to Mr.
B. that his memory is the best of the two. What
then ? Whether Sir James Hogg said to Mr. Baillie,
while the latter was speaking, "tell them he has re-
c. eieed 70,0001.," or said to Mr. 8., " Sir Charles
Napier has received 70,0001.," makes not an iota of
difference. The words uttered, were for Mr. Baillie's
use and to injure me; Mr. Baillie did use them and
did injure me in many ways. I do not mean as to re-
wards for services, for I have al ways been perfectly
satisfied with the approbation of those under whom I
served, and of the country. I have received both.
3d. Mr. Baillie goes on to say that my letter
would lead the public to infer that I was an "
ill-
used man, whom the Court of Directors (who had
nothing to do with the matter) had attempted to defraud
of his just rights." Exactly so, Mr. Baillie 1 except
your parenthesis ! only let me set your parenthesis
right—by recommending an English dictionary to
you, and there you will find that " Trustees " for
the distribution of other men's property have some-
thing to do with the matter."

Having thus, I hope, added to Mr. Baillie's stock
of knowledge, I will conclude with the observation
made by a very clever person when hearing that the
interested Court of Directors were made trustees for
the Sinde prize money. "It is like making the wicked
uncle the trustee for the babes in the wood." Just so I
But I preferred an appeal to the Lords of the Trea-
sury to eating blackberries, and so I take my leave,
for the present, of Sir James Weir Hogg and Mr.
Baillie.—l remain, Sir,,&c.,
C. J. NAPIER, Lieutenant-General.
Cheltenham, Oct. 24, 1848.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—Would you allow me to expose a gross piece
of oppression on the part of the authorities of Man-
chester. A short time since I was summoned to
attend the Boiough Court, to answer the charge of
having my shop door open on Sunday morning the
Ist of this month, at ten minutes past eight o'clock.
In compliance with the summons I attended the
Court, and the result was the magistrates convicted
me of this grave charge, and ordered me to pay the
costs, warning me to take care in future and keep
my door shut. Was there ever slavery worse than
this ? not even allowed to open one's own door for the
admission of fresh air into our dwellings, although
this is one of the regulations prescribed by medical
men for the prevention of cholera! I expressly asked
the magistrate if I was not allowed to have my doors
open on a Sunday morning for the admission of fresh
air, and he said no. I look upon myself as a perfect
slave under such a regulation, and unless you, or some
one else of equal power and influence over the public
mind, raise your voice against it, this slavery I and
others will have to endure.—l am, Sir, &c.,

C. J. HASLAN.
14, Byrom-street, Manchester, Oct. 25, 1848.

WHITTINGTON CLUB.—The managers of this
institution have engaged Miss Kelly to give a series of
Shaksperiau readings ; and the first took place on /Mon-
day evening, The play chosen was lhe Merchant of
Venice. The audience listened with great attention to
the " reading," which was accomplished by the once
famous actress with all the necessary intelligence, and
with as much affect as the mode of communication would
admit of.
Dom MIGUEL DE BRAGANZA.—Yesterday having
been the birthday of the illustrious Prince, a number of
distinguished Portuguese, and several English gentle-
men, called to offer their compliments of congratula-
tion. They were all highly gratified to rind the Prince
in the enjoyment of excellent health, unbroken by the
persecutions of which, for so many years, he has been
the object.