The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-29 00:00:00

MIDLAND AND SOUTH WALES.

A special meeting of this company was held
yesterday
.at the offices, Victoria-street, Westmin-
ster, Mr. Beattie in the chair, for the purpose of
considering a bill for authorising an extension of
the company's railway to the Buckinghamshire
Railway, for the construction of works and an alte-
ration of the financial arrangements.
The CHAIR3IAN said it was proposed by the bill
to make a line to Banbury, and from Banbury to
Blockley and Chipping Norton. To do this the
raising of additional capital was necessary, and it
was proposed to issue shares, bearing 5 per cent.
interest, to the amount of £500,000, of which
£IUO,OOO would b..! required for making the line to
Banbury and £400,000 for the line to Blockley and
Chipping Norton.
Mr. BIRT, solicitor, then read the heads of the bill.
The CHAIRMAN moved the approval of the bill,
which was seconded by Mr. WiLsoN, and carried.
The proceedings then terminated.

ESL' 01' is

3 :Eft )r,laoi
Do

I.lotl 111
AUtWerp ••• 12 ... 42.
lirussvls -• a/ 421
••• )5 371 ... 25 421

11,indatrgn
... 13 101 ... 13 11
Paris
Ditto
Marseilles
Frankfort-on-the-Main •.• 120 k ••• 1211
Vienna .. — •• 12 65 ... 12 7u
Trieste
Petersburg
Copenhagen.. ........ .
... 9 22
6 271 .. . 6 28
Berlin
Madrid..
t2adi7 — . ... 49 ... 49i
Leghorn
Milan — ... 26 73 ... 26 771
Genoa — ... 26 75 .., 26 771
Naples - 75 - ... 26 77/

iIIiiRRICAN AFFAIRS.

(From the Anglo-American Times.)

The House Banking and Currency Committee
has revived the Great Gold Gamble Case; and there was a
pretty gathering setting in towards Washington. The offi-
cers, the T,.uth National 13, .k of New York,.Cien. Butter-,
field, and other officials of the Government were there, also
Mr. Corbin, James Fisk, jun., and other noted persons, bad
beea summoned. Mr. Fisk's outspoken evidence can
scarcely fail to bo of interest, as well as Mr. Corbin's art-
ful fencing. Fisk has to prove Corbin to be "the greatest
toad in the puddle," or to admit that he slandered that
gentleman. From the ample telegraph communication of
the Pall Mall we learn that Mr. Corbin, the President's
brother-in-law, was examined on Thursday before the
Congressional Committee, as to his alleged share in the
great gold conspiracy of last autumn. " The evidence ad-
duced at this inquiry has as yet been kept secret ; but se
much is known as this, that it conflicts in several not un-
important prtticulars with the assertion lately made by
James Fisk, jun., of the Erie Railway Company. It is
generally believed here that President. Grant's sister, and
possibly his wife, will yet be summoned before the com-
mittee to testify as to the alleged connection between the
Administration and the gold conspirators, which is so
boldly alleged by Fisk, and so sturdily denied by Corbin.
The worst that is believed here is that there may Pos-
sibly have been some p:omise of pecuniary advantage in
the way of business or speculation for some members of
the President's family."
President Grant has vetoed a measure of the
Senate, and this is his first essay of a practice in which
President Johnson grew to be such an adept:—" To the
Senate of the United States.-1 return herewith, without
my approval, the Senate bill No 273, entitled An Act for
the Relief of Rollin White,' for the reasons set forth in the
accompanying communication, dated Dec. 11, 1869, from
the Chief of Ordnance—U. S. GRANT. Executive Mansion,
Washington, D. C., Jan. 11, 1870." The communication
referred to is addressed to the Secretary of War, and
states that in the year 1855 Mr. White made an improve-
ment in repeating pistols, among other things extending
the chambers of the rotating cylinder through to the rear
by hand, or by a self-acting charger. The patents ex-
pired by limitation April 3, 1869, and thus the invention
became public property. The validity of the patent hag
been a question for some years, and it is understood it wag
affirmed by the Supreme Court only by a tie vote. The
bill authorizes the Commissioner of patents to rehear and
and determine the application of Rollin White for an ex-
tension of his letters patent issued in 1855. The applicant
urges renewal on the ground that he has not been suffi-
ciently compensated. Smith and Wesson, the manufac-
turers of the arm, have returned an income amounting in
the aggregate to about $1,000,000, on which Smith has re-
c,Avell a royalty of nearly $71,001. For these and other
reasons General Dyer opposes the extension, as it would
be detrimental to Vie interests of the Government by ccm-
pulling it to pay for the use of pistols on' which the inven-
tors have already realized a large sum of money, and on
which the patent has expired.

Among the propositions made for the revival of
American shipbuilding is one by Mr. Joseph Snelling,
who advised the passage of a law to reduce duties 15 or
20 per cent. on all goods imported in American bottoms.
This would be Protection hilts most objectionable shape,
as well as in its most ineffectual. In the first place, it could
not affect exports, and an ocean trade to be healthy must
convey goods both ways. The export trade of America,
consisting mainly of raw and agricultural material, is
infinitely greater in bulk than the import trade ; but one
class of veseels would be employed for the conveyance of
the exports, and another for the conveyance of tho im-
ports; au obvious waste, and it is more than probable that
the discrimination would be met by European nations,
with port dues against American ships. Mr. T. F. Rowland
declared the difference in the cost between American and
British shipbuilding to depend entirely on the price of the
raw material in the yards, the wages paid to skilled labour
being nearly the same in both countries. Perhaps Mr.
Rowland is not aware that there is a marked difference in
the cost of labour on the Thames and on the Clyde, that
is, between two places OA the same island, yet it is nut
this difference alone which has built up the Clyde at the
expenSe of the Thames. Tke differences in the cost of
fuel, in the cost of pig-iron, in the extensive premises re-
quired, all favour the Clyde, which has, in consequence, as
completely shut up the London yards as it has the Ame-
rican. To revive shipbuilding in London, as much Pro-
tection is required against the Clyde as to revive ship-
building in Nsw York; but one thing is certain, and that
is, that the Thames shipbuilders will not get it.

The National Intelligencer has again died, Mr.
Alexander Delmar notwithstanding, and the prestige of 11j3
statistics. That National Intelligencer was a voracious mon-
ster while it lived, eating up the substance of every one
connected with it. Its last essay at living, short as it was,
cost several thousands of dollars, and Mr. Delmar lost 111'6
health as well as his money in trying to keep the ricketty
thing on its legs. Any one who wants to achieve a sun-
-Jess likely to make him famous ought to take hold of the
National Intelligencer, and coach it into a vigorous exist-
ence. Senator Spi ague had his eye on it, but, rich anl
enterprising as he is, he prudently concluded that the ex-
ploit was beyond Lis powers.

The meeting of the Georgia Legislature at At-
lanta on the 10th inst. was as interesting as it was impor-
tant. The scats of Senator Adkins, Representatives Ayers
and Flournoy, killed during the recess before reaching
their homes, wore trimmed with crap; and remained
vacant. The Hon. J. B. Conley was elected President of
the Senate, and J. G. W. Mills secretary. Mr. Barris
called the House to order, and the members proceeded to
take the prescribed oath. Thirty-six Senators, with a
single exception, took the oath, and all the Representatives
present ; but a scene of great confusion followed the real-
ing of Attorney-General Furrow's opinion regarding the
scope of the oath. Captain S. E. Bryant of Augusta pro-
tested against the reading, and refused to sit down when
ordered by the Chairman, who directed the Sergeat4-at-
Arms to arrest him. When Mr. Hinton laid his hand on
Captain Bryant the latter menacingly raised his cane, on
which Mr. Hinton drew a pistol, and several sprang to
their feet; weapons were immediately produced; the gal-
leries now cheering Bryant, now cheering the Chairman.
Fortunately, uo blow was struck, and quiet was sufficiently
restored to proceed with the business, wlien Captain
Bryant moved that J. H. Cald well take the chair. Mr.
Caldwell went to the Speaker's desk with Bryant, when s
motion was made toadjourn, amidst great excitement, and
pending another that Captain Bryant be Speaker pro terra.,
that gentleman got in front of the Speaker's desk and put
the motion that the House adjourn, declaring it adjourned
till ten o clock next morning. Mr. Harris, who appears to
have displayed firmness and moderation, then said he was
there to organise the House, and he was enabled to pro-
ceed with its business, as many of the disturbers, including
Captain Bryant, had left.

Mr. Corbett, of Oregon, lost no time in offering
this resolution in the Senate on the annexation of British
Columbia :—" Whereas it is believed that it is the earnest
desire of the people of British Columbia to be annexed to
the United States of America, as appeared from a petition
recently forwarded to the Queen of Great Britain (a copy of
which petition accompanied the resolution and was read),
therefore, resolved, That the Secretary of State inquire
into the expediency of proposing to the Government of
Great Britain to include in any treaty for the adjustment
of all matters of difference between the two Governments
an article for the transfer of British Columbia to the United
States: " Senators from these wild regions know little of
the tone of feeling in Christendom. if they did they would
not propose such resolutions to the injury of the very cause
they desire to serve, damaging as well the dignity of the
Senate. When this was followed up with the remarks made
by Mr. Howard, of Michigan, the conclusion in Europe is
that the Alabama claims have been seized on and tortured
and twisted with the nefarious design of using them as a
means of wringing her North American colonies from
Great Britain. Should this impression become general,
the claims will assume a new dangerous character, for
England will feel that she has to fight, not to negotiate.
Senator Howard assessed the value of the claims at
$200,000,000, and signified his readiness to accept Co-
lumbia as an instalment. It is almost incredible that men
should be sent to the U. S. Senate to talk such rubbish ;
but tho value of such talk is now known on this side the
water, and the main weight of a motion depends on the
Senator who introduces it. Suppose a petition to the
Queen wore presented by some citizens of Georgia, ask-
ing the British Government to extend its sovereiguty
over that State, what would Mr. Howard think of seeing
the Duke of Norfolk, the head of the House of Howard,
rising in the British Parliament and proposing that Geor-
gia be accepted as a small instalment fur the expense Bri-
tish citizens had been put to by the conspiracy in the United
States against the peace of her Majesty's. Empire which
lately resulted in an outbreak in Ireland, fostered, armed,
and led by the Americans? What would be foolish bun-
combe in the House of Lords, is foolish buncombe in the
Senate Chamber, and becomes the one as little as the other