The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-11 00:00:00

No. 16,711. LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING

ALLIANCE ASSURANCE COMPANY.
The HALF-YEARLY DIVIDEND on the Stock of the
ALLIANCE BRITISH and FOREIGN LIFE and FIRE AS-
SURANCE COMPANY will be in coarse of payment on MONDAY,
the 13th instant, and every following day (Saturdays excepted), be-
tween the hours of eleven and three o'clock.
A. HAMILTON, Secretary.
Bartholomew-lane, April 8, 1846.

rcATIONAL LOAN FUND LIFE ASSUR
ANCE SOCIETY,
26, CORNHILL, LONDON.
Capital £500,000.
Empowered by Act of Parlira:neat.
This Institutlan oitirs important and sutataatial advan
rages with respect both to Life Assurances and Deferred Annuities.
The assured has, on all occasions, the power to bore )W, without ex-
pense or forfeiture of the Policy, two-thirds of the premium paid,
(see table); also the option of selecting benefits, aid the conversion
interests to meet other conveniwnces .r necessity. Assurances
(or terms of years are granted on the lowest possible rates.

DIVISION OF PROFIT'..
The success and increasing prosperity of the Society has enabled
he Directors, at the last annual investigation, to declare a third
Bonus, varying from 3u to 7a per cent. on the premiums paid on
,aola Polley effected on the Profit scale.

The division of profits is annual, and the next will be made in De-
•ember of the present year. _ -

F. FERGI7SON CAMFOUX. See.

PUBLICATIONS.

THE EDINBURGH REVIEW, No. CLXVIII.,
will be published on Friday next.

CONTEXTS :
I. THE LORD CHANCELLORS of ENGLAND.
2. LADY DALMENY'S "SPANISH LADY'S LOVE."
3. THE CORN-LAWS of ATHENS and ROME.
4. HOOD'S POEMS.
h. THE CHEVALIER BUNSEN'S ANTIENT EGYPT.
6. WILKES'S UNITED STATES EXPLORING EXPEDITION".
7. DUVEYRIER'S POLITICAL VIEWS of FRENCH AFFAIRS.
8. ADMINISTRATION of CHARITABLE TRUSTS.
9. LANDOR'S COLLECTED WRITINGS—NEW IMAGINARY
CONVERSATIONS.
10. ON the GOVERNMENT of DEPENDENCIES.
London Longman and Co. Edinburgh : A. and C. Black.

Now. ready, in 3 vols. Bvo., price 425. cloth.
QIR JAMES MACKINTOSH'S MISCELLA-
NEOUS WORKS. Including his Contributions to the Edin-
burgh Review. Edited by R. J. MACKIXTOSH, Esq.
" This highly interesting and valuable collection belongs to the
brilliant series of Edinburgh Review' re-publications, and.is not
less illustrative than either of those of the literary character of the
age which has just passed."—Morning Chronicle.
London : Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans.

M. MIGNET'S NEW WORK, TRANSLATED BY COCKS.
Just published, in one vol. post five.' 9s. cloth,
MIGNET'S ANTONIO PEREZ and primp
the SECOND of SPAIN. Translated (with the Author's
approbation) by C. COCKS, 8.L., Translator of Michelet's " Priests,
Women, and Families."
" A valuable and acceptable contribution to English literature.
Our importations from France rarely bring us any Mysteries' half
so strange or so authentic as those revealed in M. Mignet's remark-
able historiette."—Tait's Magazine.
London : Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans.

On Wednesday, April 22, will be published, two vols., post Bvo.,
HISTORICAL PICTURES of the MIDDLE
AGES, in Black and White, made on the spot, from Records
in the Archives of Switzerland. By a WANDERING ARTIST.
CoNTENTs :—The Nuns' War—The War of Two Abbots (Theiche-
nau and St. Gall)—The Passage of the Great St. Bernard—Bertha,
Queen of Transjurane Burgundy.
London : Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans.

M. MICHELET'S NEW WORK, TRANSLATED BY COCKS.
New Edition, just published,
r ['HE PEOPLE. By J. MICHELET, Trans-
lated, with the Author's especial approbation, by C. COCKS,
Translator of Michelet's " Priests, Women, and Families." Library
Edition, post Bvo., 9s. ; Cheap Edition, price Is. 6d.
" A very able and faithfully executed translation of M. Michelet's
extraordinary work. From the variety of Its subjects, and the vast
quantity of interesting details contained in The People,' it 15 a
book that mast be read attentively; and we believe that it is as
well adapted for a studious perusal in this excellent translation as in
the French original."—Weekly Dispatch.
*,,,* M. Michelet's two works, in 1 vol., price 3s. 6d. cloth.
London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longfnans.

NARROW GAUGE AND BROAD GAUGE
Price 6d.

REPLY TO " OBSERVATIONS" OP THE
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY COMPANY on the RE-
PORT of the GAUGE COMMISSIONERS.

London: Vacher, Parliament-street; C...Edmonds, 154, Strand;
Grapel, Liverpool; Abel Heywood, Manchester • Bingham, Bristol;
Williams, Bath ; Wrightson and Webb, Birmingham; Jew, Glouces-
ter ; Bird, Cardiff. ,

NO. 11. OF THE TOPIC.
Now ready, fcp. 4t0., price 3d.,
THE NEW TARIFF, and its effect on Trade
and Society fully analysed and elucidated.

This new periodical, "The Topic," consists of an article each week
of the same kind, and by the same writers, as in the quarterly re-
views.

No. I.—The Indian War.
C. Mitchell, Red Lion-court, Fleet-street.

NEW AND AMUSING NOVEL,
Entitled " BILL BLAKE," or " A TRIP TO PARIS,"
by the Author of " Edwin Leslie ;"
Also, an Interesting Sketch, entitled, " THE PLEASURE PARTY,"
will be published in the Columns of
THE ULSTER GAZETTE,
COMMENCING APRIL 13, 1846, AND CONTINUED IN
CONSECUTIVE SECTIONS UNTIL FINISHED.

The Ulster Gazette, Irish Turf Register and Sporting Chronicle,
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Annagh, and is a journal devoted to the interests of Agriculture, to
the encouragement and record of Field Sports, and other species of
..rational amusement. it is Non-political.'and fts-co/umns corintin,'
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•** Please to order Tegg's Editions.

"FALLACIES OF THE FACULTY."—" YOUNG PHYSIC."
CIIRONO-THERMAL SYSTEM of MEDI-
CINE; with art Introduction and Notes, by Dr. TURNER,
of New York. Price 2s. 6d.
" Under the sportive appellation of Young Physic,' the British and
Foreign Medical Review has at last done justice to the Chrono-
Thermal system. ' Young Physic' is Chrono-Thermalistn in disguise !
The great success of this system has reluctantly wrung from Dr.
Forbes the buruillating confession that he has been all his life prac-
ti
York iTribune. in error Our system (he says) is radically wrong !"—New
hillnPkin and Marshall, Stationers'-court ;J. Olivier, Pall-mall,
FO

D-STREET.—Msb—EifT.a'arcutterso't
,URTEENTRFrEDITION of the SILENT FRIEND on Human
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The CONCENTRATED DETERSIVE ESSENCE, a remedy
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•N THE SECRET INFIRMITIES OF YOUTH AND
MATURITY.
WITH TWENTY-FIVE COLOURED INGRAYINGS.
Just published, Sixteenth Thousand, is a sealed envelope, price
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•r Post-office Order.

SELF. PRESERVATION : A Medical Treatise
on the Secret Infirmities and Disorders of Youth and Maturity.
Illustrated with Twenty-five Coloured Plates on the Anatomy,
Physiet gy, and Diseases of the Urinary and Reproductive Organs,
explaining their various structures, uses, and tlinctions, and showing
the injuries that are produced in them, by solitary habits, and ether
excesses. With Practical Observations on the Treatment of Nervous
Debility, Local and Constitutional Weakness, and other diseases of
the Urethra.

lay SAMUEL LA'MERT, CONSULTING SURGEON,
9, Bodford-street, Bedford-square, London;
Matriculated Member of the University of Edinburgh, honorary
➢tember of the London Hospital Medical Society, Licentiate of
Apothecaries' Aali, London, Ste., &c.

AMBITOF THE WORE.
"The author of thi singular and talented work is a legally quali-
fied medical man, who has evidently had considerable experience in
the treatment of the various disorders arising from the follies and
frailties of early indiscretion. The engravings are an invaluable ad-
dition, by demonstrating the consequences of excesses, which must
act as a salutary warning to youth and maturity, and by its perusal
many questions may be satisfactorily replied to, that admit of no ap-
peal, even to the most confidential friend."— Era.
Published by the Author, and may be had at hi. residence; also
from S. Gilbert, 32, Paternoster-row; alarmay and Co., 6S, Oxford-
street; Starle, Tiehborne.street, Quadrant; ;orders, 146, Leaden-
hall-street, London; Newton, 16, Church-street, Liverpcol ; aid by
all Booksellers.
At Home for Consultation daily, from Nine till Two, and from
Five till Eight ; and all letters immediately replied to, if containing
the fee of 11., for advice, Stc.--9, BEDFORD-STREBT, BEDFOAD-
vivAits, LOND9If.

THE BROAD AND NARROW
GAUGES.

TO THE PROPRIETORS OF THE GREAT
WESTERN RAILWAY.

Brother Shareholders,—The uncertainty and jeopardy
in which our interests are placed by the report of the
Gaage Commissioners induce me to submit a few words
of peaceful caution to you, which, I believe, it is for our
common interest to ponder well upon.
And, first, I would revive' a question which has been
often mooted among us—whether, as Great Western
proprietors, we have been benefited by adopting the
broad gunge ; whether, in fact, the gratification of being
singular among railways has not cost us, at least two
per cent. per annum for some years past ? Narrow
gauge lines of a corresponding age and amount of traffic
to our own, have long divided ten per cent, among their
proprietors ; they have been enabled even to accelerate
the march of their prosperity by making reductions in
their fares in a greater ratio than ourselves.
We Great Western shareholders, notwithstanding the
increase of our traffic, seem to have made a halt both at
an eight per cent. dividend, and at a reduction of fares.
It is the belief, I know, of not a few of us, that we
made a great mistake for our own interests in humour-
ing our engineer with his eccentric hobby. In making
this sacrifice, we have likewise failed to secure any com-
pensating public good. As matters stand, the public is
against us: Ido not mean the great public, who, I do
not believe, interest themsejves about the matter, but
the official public who have been sitting in judgment on
our case.

A time now appears to have arrived when we are
enabled to correct our mistake; and I would state some
reasons why I think it is for our interest, as sharehol-
ders, to retrace oar steps, and rather swim with the cur-
rent than against ft.

If our system were as superior as Mr Brunel boasts it
to be, why has it not spread more ? The gauge has
been surely a perfect free-trade questione were its ex-
cellencies so immensely superior, like all superlative
things, it would have made greater way. How is it to
be explained, that there are existing at the present mo-
ment in this country, so many as 1,901 miles of narrow
and so few as 274 miles crf broad gauge; and that out of
projected lines ie 1845 8,000 miles were to be narrow
and only 651 broad? And how is it, that in America
and the continent of Europe, whence engineers have con-
tinually come to ascertain the results of our experience,
not one mile of broad or seven-feet gauge has been laid?
Surely, if our own dividends did not convince us, these
facts ought, of the mercantile absurdity of our eccentric
gauge.
We adopted it with our eyes open, and against the
warnings of others. Our line has cost us more to make
and work illian it would have done had i►t been like other
railways. We ourselves have paid for our whim dearly
indeed, and are likely to continue to do so, at the rate,
at least, of two per cent. per annum, as far as we can see
into futurity. It is needless to go into figures to prove
this. It is not to be denied that we are receiving only
an annual 8 per cent. and that only on a little more
than half our capital expended, instead of a 10 per cent.
dividend, which we should receive, if the Great Western
had been like the other railways of the country.
We are losers not only by the superior cost of the
construction and working of our line, but have been cut
off from that profit which, in all probability, would have
flowed upon our line from other line. They have been
deterred from approaching us. Mr. Brunel told us
years ago, it was our business and interest to
have nothing to do with other lines ; that our course
was insulation. Certainly his broad gauge has fulfilled
his prophecy—and to our loss. But now he cannot
maintain that position. Our insulation is to end. We
are to be united on all sides with other lines; but it is to
be a union not of harmony but of disagreement. Our
hand, like Ishmael's, is to be against everybody, and
everybody's against us. The contest may be very ex-
citing to Mr. Brunel and the lawyers; but I think the
piping will be rather costly to us, the paymasters. The
progress of our 8 per cent. dividend, instead of being
forward, will, I fear, be like that of the crab—back-
wards. On whose behalf are we to fight this game ?
The public? So far as the public is represented by the
Government, it will be a contest against the public. The
Board of Trade condemns our eccentric system. Her
Majesty's Commissioners recommend its positive con-
traction—even its annihilation. Who will dare to say
that we shareholders are to gain by maintaining it under
these hostile circumstances? No one. It can be only
for the satisfaction of our engineer: and it is too pre-
posterous to suppose that we are to sustain the battle for
his sake—even if we assume that he wishes us to do so,
of which I am by no means sure.
Our peculiar system has already brought us to a
positive difficulty. We are authoratively told we are
not to extend it. We must either bow to authority or
contend against it ? Has the experience of the past,
without contention, been so very encouraging that we
have really anything worth fighting for? If it could be
shown that we made greater profits than the narrow
guage companies—and it would require much greater
profits to make a man belli.ierent—the question might
he worth entertaining. On the contrary the facts, perhaps,
show that we are worse off than narrow guage lines in
corresponding circumstances. Our worse will become
worst, if, besides managing our own line, we have to con-
tend with others, and thus encourage rivals to run side by
side of us, who, if they chose to adopt the atmospheric
system, on the general gauge of the country, will beat us
hollow on our chief point-of strength—speed.
Shall we then acquiesce in the recommendations of
the Commissioners ? Most decidedly, say I.
The Commissioners estimate that the cost of changing
the broad into narrow gauge lines would not much
exceed 1,000 0001. ; and recommended that some equit-
able means should be found of producing uniformity of
gauge. It is quite clear that we have now an opportu
nity offered us of redeeming the error we first commit-
ted. Let us meet and tell Sir Robert Peel that we are
willing to aid in carrying out the Commissioners' report
—that if equitable means are found, we will become n
narrow gauge line. Let us petition Parliament to fur•
nish these equitable means. There would be no diffi-
culty in effecting an arrangement, which would greatly
. .

improve our position, agree with official advice, and not
cost the public one shilling.
We cannot be blind to the apathy of our rivals, the
London and Birmingham and South Western Railways,
on this question. The best thing for their interests, de-
cidedly, is that we remain a broad gauge line. To avoid
the evils of breaks of gauge, they will just come side by
side with us and carry off our traffic. And think you
the Legislature will listen to our remonstrances ? The
answer will be, " You were offered uniformity once on
reasonable terms—you preferred your insulated position
and its consequences. The public have complained of
these consequences, and here are other Companies ready
to obviate them." Our answer, then, must be ad miss-
ricordiam, and we shall have to beseech for leave to lay
down nerrowgauge at our own cost.

If we are obstinate in our first folly, and now delay to
reject the terms held out, the worse our prospects will
become. A million is a sum within possible realization ;
but increase it to three or four, and the offer is less
likely to be made, and we shall be compelled to provide
a remedy for ourselves. _

Brother Shareholders, let us meet and discuss this
question. Our affairs are now at a critical juncture.
Shall we work for our eccentric gauge, and the evils of
a break of gauge, for discord with other companies, and
decreasing dividends ? or for a national uniformity of
gauge, concord with other companies, and increasing
dividends ?

ONE OF YOURSELVES.
London, March 30, 1846.

INSTITUTION OF CIVIL
ENGINEERS.

TIIESDAY.—Sir John Rennie, president, in the chair.
The conversation upon the Estuary of the River
Severn being renewed, led to an interesting discussion
upon the River Clyde, and the capability of improve-
ments of that river, which will be continued at the next
meeting.

The paper read was a short notice by Mr. G. Bu-
chanan, explanatory of a plaa and sections of the Mid-
Lothian coal-fields.

The coal field treated of is that by which the city of
Edinburgh has long been supplied, and it was stated to
be still very far from being exhausted, but that a very
large portion of the coal seams were rendered useless, on
athc,roouugnht of thovast volume of water which, percolating
working
pervaded the freestone strata
above down in such quantities that
above the coal, ant
the pumping engines were barely sufficient to keep open
the present workings ; it therefore became the object of
to obtain
an
coal-field. extensive system of drain-
agethe pthrorforuitogcherust
the ddle,osfuNewt:
castle, was requested to draw up a r. l3u
t
on
the
subject,
from difficulty to be
from which it appeared that the great
encountered arose from the circumstance
that
Hater communication existed throughout the distariicto,rnnd
a pnmping-engine placed in any one spot would draw
the water from every part around, which would render
it an operation involving great labour and expense,
which ought to be borne equally by all the mine proprie-
tors. The paper then described the situation of thegreat
dyke by which the coal was intersected and thrown
eighty fathoms upwards; the north-east boundary, where
the seams are standing on edge ; and then gave the dif-
ferent seams of coal and their qualities. These were:—
Splint coal, 3 feet thick, good quality; rough coal, 3 feet
thick, good quality bufie coal, 4 feet thick, inferior qua-
lity, not much worked; diamond coal, 4.feet thick, valu-
able when found; jewel coal, 4 feet thick, most valuable.
At the monthly ballot for members, the fallowing can-
didates were elected :—William Froude, John Taylor,
jun', and Edward Woods, as members; Charles Frods-
ham, J. B. lluntington, and the Rev. S. J. Rigaud, as
associates. _ .

The following piper was announced to be read at the
meeting of April 21:—
No. 737. On the combustion of fuel under steam-
boilers, with a description of Bodmer's fire grate. By
J. G. Bodmer, M. Inst. C.E.

[ADVP:RTISEMENT.]—Tuz EARL OF A LDBOROUGH
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btrand,Und by all medicine Tenders thvirughoist tk2 eiwilMd world.

MEETING of MIDDLESEX IVIAGIS-

TRATES.
A meeting of justices (if the county of 711iddlesex was
hell on Thur,day at Hick's Hell. Clerkenwell-green,for
the tranzaction of business. Mr. Polypsll in the chair.
The minutes of the preceding Court were read and
confirmed.