The Sun.
London, England, 1848-12-19 00:00:00

TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 19, 1848:

DICKENS'S CHRISTMAS BOOK.
THE HAUNTED MAN, and the GHOST'S
BARGAIN. A Fancy for Christmas. ,By Chores
Dickens.

After an interval of twenty-four months. Mr.
Dickens has bestowed upon us, at this festive season,
another of his Christmas stories. lie is always wel-
come to us, and more so than ever, if that be possible,
at Christmas. The green covers of his serial fictions
are as pleasant to our eyes as the crocusses of spring,
or the roses of summer, or the mulberries of autumn.
And equally agreeable to us—out of our affectionate
recollections of the " Carol"—are the little crimson
books emblazoned with golden branches of the holly
and the mistletoe, which have for five winters ap-
peared amidst the glooms of December, and spoken to
us in a voice so dear and grateful to our ears as the
voice of Charles Dickens. We have intimated, in the
whisper of a parenthesis, that the pleasure with
which we greet even the,e little Christmas tales by
Boz, arises exclusively from our remembrance of the
" Carol." We say rightly ; the thought of that exqui-
site book would put us in a good humour whenever
it might recur to us in a moment of dejection ; and,
assuredly, the recollection of it must prove amply
sufficient to make us look with kindly interest upon
any subsequent narrative from the same eminent
hand, coming under the same attractive guise, and
coming, too (be that never forgotten I) at Christmas.
Even when most disappointed in our expectations as
to the merits of the story-teller, we shrink from the
distasteful duty imposed upon us by criticism—
that of quarrelling with his production. We
shrink from it, because we call to mind that
beautiful ejaculation in the " Christmas Carol
" For they said it was a shame to quarrel
upon Christmas Day; and so it was, God love it! so
it was." Our predilection makes us disposed
to welcome Charles Dickens on our Christmas
hearth, as the honest folks of Bagdad were wont to
welcome the good fairy—with a benediction! When
we see the dainty little book lying before us after
perusal we experience a sort of remorse, by anticipa-
tion. We ask ourselves, as Pope did in his " Imita-
tions of Horace"—

" Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?"
Nevertheless, we shut our eyes to all partiality. The
truthfulness of the reviewer looms upon us in a man-
ner altogether imperative. We sit down to examine
the midge with a microscope, and to dissect its fibres
with the keen and inexorable edge of criticism—our
sternness of temperament not unlike that dis-
played on loftier occasions by Brutus and
by Manlius. Grateful to Mr. Dickens for
the tears and laughter drawn from our innermost
" heart of hearts" by the subtle intonations of his genius,
we are not the less resolved to weigh accurately in
the balance, the merits and demerits of each of his
subsequent productions. "
The Haunted Man " will rank not an inch higher
than " The Chimes," " The Cricket on the Hearth,"
or " The Battle of Life"—and those three, as every
reader in the United Kingdom knows, never attained
any very remarkable elevation. The four stories
will be viewed as nothing more than four pretty little
fictions, to be glanced through overnight and to be
forgotten by the next morning. In none of them
are the extraordinary powers of Mr. Dickens,
whether in style or naturalness, whether in the
sad or in the humorous, revealed with their
light of his unquestionable
wonted vigour. The
genius only glimmers out here and there, feebly and
at remote intervals. As in,,. the appeal of Will Fern ;
as in the crooning of Tilly Slowboy; as in the
comical ways of Cle:nency. ew corne ; or—to come at
last to the volume which is this very day published
—as in the capital portraiture of Johnny and the
Moloch ! The conception of. the plot in " The
Haunted Man" is perhaps its highest excellence. The
construction of the narrative is comparable, indeed,
to that which conduced to the transformation of
.Ebenezer Scrooge from a curmudgeon into a philan-
thropist. Redlaw is the man who is haunted, and
haunted too by the " awful likeness of himself !" John
Leech has embodied the thrilling fancy ofthe author in
a masterly woodcut (p. 34), which is the very epitome
of Redlaw's contemplative and saturnine character.
Tu explain the working of the plot in a few sylla-
bles :—Redlaw (a renowned chemist, who lectures on
anatomy and medicine to a class of students in the
theatre of an old college) is haunted by his own
shadow. He repines perpetually at the recollection
of his miseries, and at last demands from his ghostly
visitor the privilege of losing all remembrance of his
sorrows, wrongs, and troubles. The spectre com-
plies. Redlaw is deprived of his memory, and finds
by experience that the loss of that faculty is a curse
rather than a blessing. As the ghost vanishes,
the chemist hears its voice ringing through
the darkness—. The gift that 1 have given,
you shall give again, go where you will. Without
recovering yourself the power that you have yielded
up, you shall henceforth destroy its like in all whom
you approach." Out of this comes all the confusion
and interest of the tale. And cut of the gentleness
of Maly—the only one who is spared by Redlaw the
diabolical influences of his presence—comes the un-
ravelment of all the difficulties, and misunderstand-
ings, and contradictions of the plot. The work is
divided simply into three chapters, the first being
" The gift bestowed ;" the second, " The gift dif-
fused ;" and the third, " The gift reversed." That
is briefly the scheme of the narrative. It is admirable
for its originality, and thrice admirable for the
holy truth it inculcates. In a particular which
must often have bewildered the minds and
darkened the consciences of the reflective,
it will tend in,a noble and bewitching manner to" re•
concile the ways of God to man." It proves by
example, as well as by precept, that God is good in
giving us the memory of our afflictions—" that me-
mory which was the memory of Christ upon the
cross !"—r. 184. "May I tell you," says Milly
(p. 177), " why it seems to me a good thing
for us to remember wrong that has been
done us ?" " Yes." " That we may forgive it !"
Further on she asks Redlaw, in the event of his re-
covering his lost faculty, " Would it not be a bless.
ing to you to recal at once a wrong and its forgive.
ness ? Again, we repeat, the principle instilled
by the volume is exquisitely beautiful. It is
calculated to render the reader happier at
Christmas. 'Whatever faults we discover in
the story, and they are neither few nor
insignificant, are connected solely with the manner of
its composition. When we find "Boz" beginning a
chapter, for example, in this wise (p. 52)—" A small
man sat in a small parlour, partitioned off from a
small shop by a small screen, pasted all over with
small scraps of newspapers"—we marvel whether he
mistook this threadbare trickery of language for
the humorous. Why the most wretched hack of
all the comic scribblers of Holy well-street, of Grub-
street, and of Catnach's has used almost these very
identical words over and over again usque ad nauseam.
Or when we hear Mr. William Swidger dinning into
our ears perpetually, "That's exactly what
I say myself, Sir" (a phrase wholly devoid in
the abstract of the smallest vestige of drollery), we
call to mind the agonies of wearisomeness with which
we at last came to regard the habitual saying of even
Mark Tapley—" There's some credit in being jolly
under such circumstances." Mr. Philip Swidger is
also an intolerable bore with his long, garrulous
sentences always ending._" And I'm eighty-seven."
Other blemishes we shall not tarry over, but turn
rather to the more felicitous passages of" The Haunted
Man." Foremost then amongst them come Master
Johnny Tetterby and the immortal Moloch. The
first description of the couple is given after the ac-
count of the other small fry at " Tetterby and Co.,
Newsvenders :"

" Besides which, another little boy— the biggest
there, but still little—was tottering to and fro, bent on
one side, and considerably affected in his knees by the
weight of a large baby, which he was supposed, by a
fiction that obtains sometimes in sanguine families, to
be hushing to sleep. But oh! the inexhaustible regions
of contemplation and watchfulness into which this baby's
eyes were then only beginning to compose themselves
to stare, over his unconscious shoulder!
" It was a very Moloch of a baby, on whose insatiate
altar the whole existence of this particular young
brother was offered up a daily sacrifice. Its personality
may be said to have consisted in its never being quiet,
in any one place, for five consecutive minutes, and never
going to sleep when required. ' Tetterby's baby' was
as well known in the neighbourhood as the postman or
the pot-boy. . It roved from door-step to door-step, in
the arms of little Johnny Tetterby, and lagged heavily
at the rear of troops of juveniles who followed the turn
biers or the monkey,. and came up, all on one side, a little
too late for everything that was attractive, from Mon-
day morning until Saturday night. Wherever childhood
congregated to play, there was little Moloch making
Johnny fag and toil. Whenever Johnny desired to
stay, little Moloch became fractious, and would not re-
main. Whenever Johnny wanted to go out, Moloch
was asleep, and must be watched. Whenever Johnny
wanted to stay at home,
.Moloch was awake, and wanted'
to be taken out. Yet Johnny was verily persuaded that
it was a faultless baby, without its peer in the realm of
England, and was quite content to catch meek glimpses
of things in general from behind its skirts, or over its
limp flapping bonnet, and to go staggering about a ith it
like a very little porter with a very large parcel, which
was not directed to anybody, and could never be deli-
vered anywhere."
It was a peculiarity of this baby," says the author
further on, " to be always cutting teeth. Whether they
never came, or whether they came and went away again,
is not in evidence; but it had certainly cut enough, on
the showing of Mrs. Tetterby, to make a handsome
dental provision for the sign of the Bull and Mouth.
' All sorts of objects were !repressed for the rubbing of
its gums, notwithstanding that it always carried,
dangling at its waist (u/tic/i Was immediately under
its chin), a bone ring, large enough to have repre-
sented the rosary of a young man. Knife-handles,
umbrella• tops, the heads of walking-sticks selected from
the stock, the fingers of the fsmily in general, but espe-
cially of Johnny, nutmeg-graters, crusts, the handles of
doors, and the cool knobs on the tops of pokers, were
among the commonest instruments indiscriminately ap-
plied for this baby's relief-. The amount of electricity
that must have been rubbed out of it in a week, is not to

be calculated. Still Mrs. Tetterby always said it was
coming through, and then the child would be herself ;'
and still it never did come through, and the child conti-
nued to be somebody else."

Johnny proves in truth to be a daily sacrifice to this
blessed infant; and in testimony of it we see him on
one occasion, after carrying the Moloch round to be
kissed by the family, stagger across the small parlour
with " hardly breath enough left to get back to his
stool, crush himself again, and pant at his relations!"
'Dolphus, the newsboy, is a worthy brother of
Johnny and Moloch. lie enters the shop, dripping.
" ' Are you wet, 'Dolphus, my boy ?' said his lather.
Come and take my chair, and dry yourself.'
" No, father, thankee,' said Adolphus, smoothing
himself down with his hands. I an% very wet, I don't
think. Does my face shine much, father?'
" Well, it does look waxy, my boy,' returned Mr.
Tet terby.

"'lt's the weather, father,' said Adolphus, polishing
his cheeks on the worn sleeve of his jacket. What with
rain, and sleet, and wind, and snow, and fog, my face
gets quite brought out into a rash some times. And
shines, it does—oh, don't it, though!'
" Master Adolphus was also in the newspaper line of
life, being employed, by a more thriving firm than his
father and Co., to vend newspapers at a railway station,
where his chubby little person, like a shabbily-dis-
guised Cupid, and his shrill little voice (he was not much
more than ten years old), were as well known as the
hoarse panting of the locomotives, running in and out.
His juvenility might' have been at some loss for a
harmless outlet, in this early application to traffic, but
for a fortunate discovery he made of a means of en-
tertaining himself, and of dividing the long day into
stages of interest, without neglecting business. This
ingenious invention, remarkable, like many great disco-
veries, for its simplicity, consisted in varying the first
vowel in the word paper,' and substituting, in its
stead, at different periods of the day, all the other
vowels in grammatical succession. Thus, before day-
light in the winter time. he went to and fro, in his little
oilskin cap and cape, and his big comforter, piercing the
heavy air with his cry of Morn-ing Pa-per I'. which,
about an hour before noon, changed to ' Morn-ing Pep-
per which, at about two, changed to Morn•ing rip-
per !' which, in a couple of hours, changed to Morn-
ing Popper I' and so declined with the sun into 'Eve-
ning Pupper l' to the great relief and comfort of this
young gentleman's spirits."
The account of the breakfast of the little Tetterbys
would be inimitable but that it had already been
done so well by Dickens in his picture of the Toodles
in " Dombey and Son." Here, however, is the pas-
sage :
" The little Tetterbys were not habituated to regard
that meal in the light of a sedentary occupation, but dis-
cussed it as a dance or trot ; rather resembling a
savage ceremony, in the occasional shrill whoops, and
brandishings of bread and butter, with which it was
accompanied, as well as in the intricate filings off into
the street and back again, and the hoppings up and
down the door steps, which were incidental to the per-
formance."

Milly's exclamation throughout the close of the
last chapter, " Oh dear, oh dear, here's another of
them Oh dear, here's somebody else who like's
me !" is a repetition of the reiterated simplicity of
Dot Perrybingle. A nameless little barbarian brat of
a boy figures in the narrative, and is only ageeeable
inasmuch as he gives occasion for an eloquent and im-
passioned apostrophe in behalf of the miserable chil-
dren who are nurtured in the ragged schools. Edmund
Longford the student, his lady-love, George Swidger,
and the reprobate who ruined the domestic happiness
of Redlaw are only so many picturesque dummies.
The whole interest of the narrative is absorbed
in the proceedings of Redlaw himself, of
Sophia and Adolphus Tetterby, together with their
peripatetic offspring, Mr. William Swidger and his
buxom little wife Daly; but beyond all of them, to
ourselves at least, Master Johnny and " the Moloch
of a baby !" The book—which is gracefully illus-
trated by John Leech, by Clarkson Stanfield,
by Frank Stone, and by John Tenniel
concludes with a Christmas dinner in the large ban-
quetting-room of the old college, at which, of course,
Johnny and the Moloch arrive " all on one side and
too late" for anything but the chesnuts. Although
we cannot speak in very eulogistic terms of " The
Haunted Man," we, in consideration of his former
writings, felicitate Charles Dickens upon the indis-
putable fact that he has no occasion to exclaim, with
the gentleman in the ruff and pointed beard, " Lord,
Keep our Memory Green !"

tions with reference to uture appointments to the Ex-
cellent gunnery-ship at Portsmouth, but which, it is
hoped, will not be enforced.
OBlTUARY.—Assistant-Surgeon William C. Torrance
(1845), of the Royal Naval Hospital, Port Royal,
Jamaica, died at that establishment on the 24th of Oc-
tober, aged 26 years. He was eldest son of Collector
Torrance, of the Excise, Greenock.
NAVAL FORCES IN THE HOME PORTS.

Now that Sir Charles Napier's squadron have taken
their departure, the following is the strength of our
naval forces at the home ports:—
Beginning with Deptford we shall find that there is
not a single pendant flying. There is not an apology
for a man-of•war there.

Woolwich is almost as deficient of seagoing ships; for
besides the Fisgard, 20, commodore's ship, with a com-
plement of 106 officers and men; the Black Eagle, Ad-
miralty steam-yacht, complement 38, and a solitary
steam-tug, there is only the Tenzer, 3, screw-gun-vessel,
complement 38, Lieut. Commander Selwyn, in com-
mission.

Chatham presents us with the PoictifTs, 10, ordinary
depot-ship, complement 290, as the only representr.tive
of the active forces of the navy, if we except the Fear-
less, steam-tug.
Sheerness, one of the principal and most important
of our home ports, has not a single seagoing ship in
commission. All that are there are the Ocean, 46 guns,
flag-ship, complement, 160, and the Wellington, 10,
depot-ship of the ordinary, complement, 270. The only
vessel fit to perform any service away from her mo:ir•
logs is the Wildfire, 6, steam-vessel, with one gun and
24 men—the admiral's tender, or yacht. Now that the
Ganges has left for Cork, there is not a single ship at
that port in commission, either fitting for sea or pre-
paring to be paid off.
Portsmouth—the rendezvous of our home strength—
has only one steam-vessel in commission, the Devasta-
tion, 6, Commander Johnson, that can be called " ready
for sea;"—that is, the only vessel that could be dispatchd
on foreign service. The Blenheim, 56, screw. guard-
ship, Captain Austin, C. 8., is here, but not " ready for
sea;" but her complement, 265, with, we believe, 100
supernumeraries, could be made available for any of the
advanced vessels. The Superb, 80, Captain Purcell, is
fitting, and has nearly all her complement—that is, only
her advanced complement of 469; but she is not avail-
able for sea service, nor is she likely to be, from the
extensive defects which are daily being di,covered in
her, in spite of the paint and putty. The Victory, 22,
complement 174, is the stationary flag-ship; the. Exce-
llent, 48, complement 692 (less about a score of vacancies
for officers not filled up), is the stationary gunnery-
ship; the Illustrious, 10, complement 416, is the depot-
ship of the ordinary. Then there is the Rolla, with the
200 apprentices; and the Fairy, Royal yacht-tender;
the Firequeen, steam-tender; the Myrtle, steam-tender;
and the Echo, steam-tag—and a e had almost forgotten
the Bee, steam-tender, and the Fanny and Portsmouth,
admiral's yachts.

Devonport, the no less important and westernmost
port, has less force in its neighbourhood than Ports-
mouth. There is not a single man-of-war lying in that
noble, capacious, and safe anchorage—the Sound. The
Caledonia, 120, Captain Carter, advanced line-of-battle
ship, is in harbour. Her complement is 540, but of these
some 82 or 100 are in the Racer at Lisbon. There are
two of the Falmouth packets refitting—Penguin and
Express, 6 guns and 40 men each, and there were also
the Llewellyn, 2, Holyhead steam-packet, 35 men, and
Confiance steam-tug, with some 20 or 30 men; but these
are all the vessels that could be put to sea on an ewer•
gency. Besides the above, there are in commission at
Devonport the San Josef, 14, flag-ship, complement, 160 ;
the Agincourt, 10, depot-ship of the ordinary, comple•
ment 416 ; the Nautilus 6, wi►h 200 apprentices ; there
are also the Sylph tender, that has not been to sea
for a great many months, and the Netley tender, that
has done a great deal of work, but is now to be put out
of commission.

We have thus given the entire naval forces at the
home ports, and from these lists our readers will be best
able to draw their own conclusions as to the amount of
efficient force which could be made available. We will,
however, only add one remark—namely, that the Cale-
donia, at Devonport, could be got to sea only by lock-
ing up the ships in ordinary to take care of thetuselvts,
and drafting the shipkeepers, with the few boats' crews,
from the depot to make a respectable complement of
hands for her. _ _

There are some very able and good men, petty officers
and A.B.'s, on the books of the flag-ships at the ports,
but most of them are on their six weeks leave, and few
only are available.—Heruld.

APPOINTMENTS.
Master—James G. H. Thain (1845) to the Penguin, 6,
packet-brig, at Devonport.
Midshipman—C. Hawkins, to the Shearwater, steam-
vessel, on the coast of Ireland.
Master-Assistant—R. B. Richards, to the Teazer,
screw gun-vessel, at Woolwich.
Boatswain—James Maynard, to the Agincourt, deck
ship of Devonport ordinary, vice Downs, appointed
master rigger at Portsmouth Dockyard, vice Andrews,
appointed boatswain of Devonport Dockyard; vice
Chatfield, superannuated on 951. per annum, after nearly
ten years' service in the dockyard.
SIR CHARLES NAPIER'S SQUADRON.—PORTSMOUTH,
MONDAY.—We have a fine breeze from the south to east
this morning. No doubt the ships of squadron got a
good offing last night, in which case this would be a
leading wind down Channel.
The Ganges, 84, Captain H. Smith, C. 8., manned by
her advanced complement, 496, and with a draft of sea-
men riggers from the Poictiers and Wellington, to a,sist
in the navigation, sailed from the Nore, on Sunday, for
Cork, where she will remain until further orders, but
with all her provisions and stores on board for her full
complement of 750, ready to proceed to sea at the shortest
notice on making up her crew.
The Formidable, 84, will :be the next advanced ship
commissioned at Sheerness, to supply the place of the
Ganges. The Formidable has been in dock above a
twelvemonth, the workmen having been employed on her
only at intervals. She will be ready now in a few days,
but as times go it is altogether uncertain when she
will hoist the pendant.
The Nile, 92, has been undocked at Devonport, having
had her copper examined, cleaned, and repaired, and
has been removed to her moorings among the advanced
ships.
The Fairy, screw-tender, went to Osborne from
Portsmouth early yesterday morning, and conveyed
the Prince Albert on his promised visit to the Excellent.
The Camel, lighter, Faber master, left Devonport for
Dartmouth on Sunday, with the necessary gear for
raising the schooner Marianne, of that port, laden with
Indian corn, &c., now sunk in the harbour.
The Tortoise, lighter, left Devonport on Sunday, with
stores for Pembroke.

The Cadet, convict•ship, left Plymouth on Saturday
evening for her destination.

RAILWAY INTELLIGEZCE.

OPENING OF THE TORQUAY EXTENSION OF
THE SOUTH DEVON.

Yesterday the public opening of this extension line
took place with great eclat and public rejoicing. The
weather was moat favourable, and thousands of the in-
habitants were abroad to be spectators of the first steam
caravan careering through the valleys and ravines of that
picturesque neighbourhood.
At five minutes past twelve a special train left the
Exeter station, containing Sir J. Y. Buller, M.P., chair-
man of the Bristol and Exeter Railway; Sir J. Duck-
worth, M.P.,Sir T. D. Acland, M.P., with the directors,
Mr. John oolcombe (banker) chairman; Col. Harris,
Dr. Dliller, Mr. Pratt Barlow, of the Great Western
Railway; Mr. Tothill, Mr. Buller, Mr. Jones, Mr. Brunel,
the eminent engineer; Mr. G. Carr, the secretary, and
others. The train, which also contained a large number of
the gentry of Exeter, was decorated with flags and ever-
greens, and so were the stations along the line. Mr. Mart-
ley, C.E., the head of the locomotive department, drove the
engine; and upon it were Mr. Margary, the resident en-
gineer; Mr. Herbert Clarke, chief superintendent ;
Messrs. Harrison and Dowley, the constructing engi-
neers; and Mr. Hennett, the contractor. As the train
proceeded at a rapid pace to Torquay it was cheered by
several thousand people; in fact nearly the whole length
of the line was hedged in by the inhabitants of tho dis-
trict. On arriving at the Torquay terminus the directors
were met by a procession, consisting of the commission-
ers, principal tradesmen, townspeople, and coast-guard,
with bands and banners. Amongst the gentry were the
Rev. Archdeacon Froude, Rev. Dr. Sutherland, Mr.
Vivian. and a large number of the fashionable frequent-
ers of Torquay. The procession got into marching
order at the Royal Hotel at about half-past ten, and
consisted of upwards of 1,000 persons. The shops were
closed, and business was entirely suspended. The pro-
cession arrived at the terminus at twelve, when
Sir J. Y. BULLER, M.P., for the southern division of
the county, who spoke from the centre of the platform,
briefly addressed the assemblage, congratulating them
on the events of the day. The Hon. Gentleman con-
cluded by presenting an address from the inhabitants of
Torquay to the directors of the South Devon Railway.
Mr. J. WOOLCOMBE (who succeeds Mr. Gill, 11 .P ,
as chairman of the board of directors) acknowledged
the presentation of the address. The directors had, in
common with other railways, had to encounter difficul-
ties, and he could assure all those who were insereste d
in the welfare and working of the South Devon line,
that the parties who at present had the management and
care of the undertaking were not appalled by the
diffi-
culties before them, and would not blench before any
kind kind of obstacle. They would pursue a firm and
tempe-
rate course, and they hoped to merit that
public appro-
bation which was always readily accordedto a
gene-
rous, deliberate, and cautious policy. The Hon. Gen-
tleman concluded amidst loud cheers, which were fol-
lowed by a renewed round for Sir J. Y. Buller.
The line, the works of which have been in hand since
the commencement of 1847, is nearly six miles long, and
turns off at a distance of 214 miles up the main line at
Nev ton Abbot, in the neighbourhood of the river, and is
expected to prove a valuable auxiliary to the main line.
It is at present what is called a single way, but will be
doubled to accommodate the traffic. It has been built
by Mr. Brunel for the moderate sum of 80,0001.; there
being no expensive engineering works. It terminates
within little more than a mile of the heart of Torquay,
into the centre of which it will be speedily extended.
There is a station at a place called Kingskersall, midway
between Newton and Torquay.

Nearly 2001. were subscribed to carry out the enter-
tainments of the day. The poorer portion of the inha-
bitants had distributed amongst them in the market-
place bread and meat, &C. Trips were made throughout
the day to Newton and back, and in the evening there
was a sumptuous dinner at the Royal Hotel, and a ball in
the assembly rooms.

The opetiing of yesterday places Torquay within one
hour's ride of Exeter, and .5i of London.

LONDON AND SOUTH- WESTERN.—THE
FARES.
A meeting of parties residing in the suburbs along this
line of railway was held at the Hero of Waterloo Tayern,

Waterloo-road, yesterday, to take into cansideration a
I projected alteration in the fares of the company.
Mr. GIFFARD, having been called to the chair, said
that he supposed every gentleman was acquainted with
the objects for which they were called together, which
was to consider the effect of a projected alteration in the
fares. The company had lately announced their inten-
ticn of issuing season tickets at the rate of 21. 10s. per
mile—which was certainly some boon to first-class pas-
sengers, but no corresponding boon was offered to second-
class passengers—indeed, on the contrary, it was re-
ported that the company were about to raise the price of
the return, or day tickets. On other lines issuing season
or annual tickets, the general prices charged were
11. 10s. per mile fer first-class passengers, and 1/. for
second-class; but here, in addition to the price per mile
being so much higher than the average, it was proposed
so to alter the price of the return tickets that, instead of
an allowance of one-third being made, there would be
only an allowance of one-sixth, so that those who at
present paid 2s. 6d. fare would have to pay 2s. I Id. or 3s.
Mr. GUY argued that, taking into account the casual-
ties attending human life, the amount proposed to be
charged for annual tickets was too' high ; and that the
conteuiplsted alteration in the return tickets was unjus-
tifiable, and injurious to the owners 0). property along
the line. It had been stated that on the line .being opened
to Waterloo-bridge, no additional charge was ta. be made;
but the fares had been twice increased since the, event
took place, without any corresponding advantage ea.:ru-
ing to the travellers, and it was now proposed to make
further increase in the rates. He was confident that they
must make a stand against these repeated alterations ;
they would not only obtain no redress, but have no secu-
rity that the company would not funher increase their
fares. The speaker then urged upon the gentlemen present,
whenever possible, to patronise any ether mode of traffic
open to them, and stated that already a new omnibus had
been started from Kingston, which, with those previously
on the road, were crowded. daily. He begged to move a
resolution to the elect, that the South-Western Rail-
way Company, after obtaining the support of the public
and causing capital to be laid out on suburban property;
had unnecessarily raised the established fares on the line
beyond an average amount. of what was considered fair,
which alteration must prove injurious to the shareholders,
the public, and the holders of property on the line. He
had formerly been a large shareholder in the railway,
but had sold out on the fares being raised, and he would
not be a proprietor again until they were placed on what
he considered a fair footing.
Mr. HALLETT seconded the resolution, which was
carried unanimously.
A series of resolutions were then carried, to the effect
that 30s. per mile for first, and 20s. per mile for second
class.was a fair average charge for season tickets ; and
as the South- Western Company charged so much more
they ought not to interfere with the second-class day
everyttcke so
htehra
means
theean
smeeting
travellingpledged where practicable
themselves
to promoteif
the
directors would not consent to more reasonable charges;
and that Messrs. Mallison, Giffard, Devonshire, Lee,s
and Guy, be appointed a committoe to communicate
with with them on the subject. The meeting concluded by
passing a vote of thanks to the chairman.
MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD, AND LINCOLNSHIRE.—
WICKER VIADUCT.—The last stone of the last arch of
this magnificent work was laid on Tuesday last by Dr.
Bartolome, one of the directors, in the presence of
Thomas Blake, Esq., another director, and of Messrs.
William Wilson, the resident engineer, li. Gainsford and
11. Hinde, solicitors, T. D. Jeffcock and W. Fowler,
land agents to the company, Mr. Shortridge, the con-
tractor, and some other gentlemen connected with the
engineers' department. The centre key-stone of the
great or centre arch, weighing upwards of a ton,
was
lowered from the crab, and permanently fixed in its
place by Dr. Bartolom6, one of the original promoters of
the Sheffield and Lincolnshire Junction Railway, of
whiCh the Wicker Viaduct is the commencement. We
understand that this splendid viaduct contains more cubic
yards of masonry than any other work in this country,
our largest cathedrals and even the new Houses of Par-
liament not excepted. We belive that the first engine
will pass over the viaduct this day.—Sheffield Times.
GUILDFORD TO GODALDIING BRANCH OF THE SOUTII-
WESTERN RAILWAY.—The inhabitants of these WO
towns are greatly disappointed at the workmen being
withdrawn from this four-mile branch line for the pre-
sent, as it is only sixteen days since those living in and
around Godalming had a public meeting to congratulate
themselves, and thank the directors for going on with the
same, when the works were put a stop to in many other
places; now they are doomed to suffer a similar delay
and disappointment, yet it is hoped the progress of these
works will not be impeded beyond February next, such
having been announced by those well acquainted with
the proceedings of this company.
KNIGHTON.—In consequence of the recent opening of
the line of railway from Shrewsbury to Ruabon and
Chester, considerable quantities of good coal find their
way from thence even into this valley. The advantage
of a line of railway from Shrewsbury to Ludlow and
Hereford, can scarcely be estimated.—Hereford 7 imes.
EASTBOURNE.—The rails were laid down and com-
pleted on the site of the intended terminus, and on
Wednesday last, the 13th, the ballast engine, No. 102,
came in with colours flyii g. A temporary station will
shortly be erected, but the transmission of passengers
will not take place till early in the spring. The Hail-
sham branch is proceeding rapidly, the rails now being
laid three quarters of a mile from Pulegate towards that
town.—Sussex .Express.
DUNDALK AND ENNISKILLEN.—A trial trip was made
on that portion of the above railway between Dundalk
and Castleblayney on Wednesday last. We believe that
those present were perfectly satisfied with the manner in
which the work had been completed. This railway will
be ready for opening about the same time as the Dublin
and Belfast Junction.-Newry Examiner.

PATENT IMPROVEMENT IN
STEAM-ENGINES.

The Warkworth Harbour Commissioners (consisting
of the Hon. Capt. Frederick Grey, R.N., John Forster,
Esq., Richard Robson, Esq., &c.), and Edward Western,
Thomas Brown, George Remington, and John Reming-
ton, Esqs., &c., having recently met at Amble, pro-
ceeded to inspect the working of a new ten-horse engine,
recently erected at the harbour for the purpose of dis-
charging ballast. The engine (says a correspondent)
is upon a new construction, and involves a principle in
mechanical engineering never before attained ; for
although it does not come under the class of rotatory
steam-engines, there is no crank, no piston rod, and
consequently no connecting rod. We quote the descrip-
tion given in the Mechanics' Magazine of Saturday:—
" These improvements consist, first, in converting re-
ciprocating rectilineal motion into rotatory motion
secondl.), in converting rotatory motion into recipro-
cating motion ; and, thirdly, in a mechanical arrange-
ment for reversing the action of engines. Upon the
revolving shaft is fixed, at right angles, a lever ; to the
end of which, and on the sides, are attached two small
blocks. On the sides of the lever which carries the blocks
are two metal plates, each containing two slits, one hori-
zontal, the other vertical, and intersecting each other at
right angles to the centre of the plates. The revolving
shaft passes through the vertical slot, so that the plates
may travel freely up and down over it. The blocks,
which are somewhat longer than the breadth of the ver-
tical slot, is placed in the horizontal slot; and supposing
the lever to be upright, slightly deviating from the per-
pendicular, which is parallel to the vertical blot, and that
a downward motion is communicated from a steam engine
to the plates to the full extent of the vertical slot, the
result will be, that the blocks will travel from the centre
to the end of the horizontal slot; thus the the lever will
assume a position the reverse of the one in which it was
first placed; and thus the main shaft will have made one
half of an entire revolution. The dead centre is then
overcome by a fly-wheel, or, in the usual way, by two fly-
wheels, and an upward motion given to the plates,
whereby the revolutiOn of the main shaft is completed,
and the lever brought back to the first position, ready
for the second operation." The engine erected at Wark-
worth Harbour has but one cylinder, which is placed
horizontally, the main working shaft passing through
the transverse axis, and through the slot or opening a
the plates, as above described. In this case the plates
are inside the cylinder and to each end is attached a
piston, with metal packing, so as to fit and work in the
cylinder steam tight; and the steam is alternately ad-
mitted between the pistons and the ends of the cylinder,
giving motion to the plate to which they are attached,
and consequently rotatory motion to the shaft. The cyl-
littenhhndeege
piston
spindlehi
s itfsoronlms iswt ihlhn2eice
ihchnee
en:
htairernesr
"doe ifsaTtmthhheeeet emebr
entire
oiztkehsshe;
lengtha
shrift
ate
nvtedor
oft thehe
6 i
en
ec
nh
terse it I:.if
the st roke
engineo
exclusive of the fly-wheel, is 4ft. 2in.of
and the breadth
3ft., so that the whole occupies but little space compared
to the engines at present in use. Although this was the
first engine ever erected on this new principle, the trial
was most successful, realizing the full expectation of the
Patentee (G. Remington, Esq., C.E., of Warkworth),
and gratifying all who have witnessed its performanoe.
The principle upon which it is constructed is well adapted
for all purposes; and where saving of space and weight
of machinery are important, as in steamboats, it cannot
fail to come into general use. It is also well adapted to
give action to the shaft of the screw propeller, without
the intervention of pinion and other gear—an object
much to be desired. It is also well adapted for locomo-
tive engines, as the crank is entirely dispensed with.
Indeed the invention puts the steam engine in its sim-
plest and most useful form; and there will be consider-
able reduction in the first cost, having fewer working
parts of maintenance. It exhibits the simplest mode of
converting rectilineal reciprocating motion into rotatory
motive. yet attained.—Gateshead Observer.

AN INDIAN PRINCESS ABOUT TO VISIT QUZIN
VICTORIA.—There are in New York two interesting
young Indian girls, one of the Mohigan tribe, about
twelve years of age, and the other a beautiful maiden
of seventeen, a Princess of the Chippewa tribe, with jet
black hair, three feet long, who has arrived here with a
view of visiting England to pay her respects to Queen
Victoria, whom she appears fully resolved to see before
she returns to her native place.—New York Paper.
The Bishop of London, it is stated, has just had a
case of some importance referred to him. It is alleged
that a clergyman who officiates at a fashionable church
in London, long rerparkable for its forms and cere-
monies, advised one of his congregation who was about
to travel to communicate with the church of Rome whilst
absent from England. This advice has been submitted
to the bishop as highly reprehensible, and the decision
of the diocesan is looked for with great interest by the
Rev. Gentleman's congregation.
, It was one of the laws of Lycurgus that no portions
should be given with young women in marriage. When
this great lawgiver was called upon to justify this en-
actment, he observed " That, in the choice of a wife,
merit only should be considered, and that the law was
made to prevent young women being chosen for their
riches, or neglected for their poverty."