The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-23 00:00:00

LEAMINGTON BRANCH.

The Train now leaving Coventry for Leamington at 8.45 a.m. will
leave at 8.30 a.m..

The Train now leaving London for Rugby at 3.45 p.m. will leave
at 4 p.m.
The Train now leaving Aylesbury at 10.30 a.m. will leave at 10.45
a.m., arriving at London at about 12.30 nom.
The Train now leaving Birmingham at 8.0 a.m. will leave at
7.45 a.m., arriving at the intermediate stations and London 15 mi-
nutes earlier than at present.
By order,
Euston Btation, Nov. 24, 1846.

NARK rn is i, Manager.

Caledonian (Clydesdale Junction)
Paris and Lyons 3 0
Boulogne and Amiens
Huddersfield and Sheffield Junction
Manchester and Leeds, Huddersfield and
Sheffield Junction, 501. shares
Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne, and Manches-
ter, One-eighth shares (late No. 3 Quarters) 2 10
Taw Vale Railway and Dock Company 1 0
Ipswich end Bury St. Edmund's
Edinburgh and Northern, 151. shares
Liverpool and Bury, 101. shares
Manchester, Bolten, and Bury, Fifths.
Manchester and Leeds, Quarter shares
Manchester and Leeds (Liverpool and Bury
101. shares) 3 16
Midland, Erewash Valley 5 0
London and BlackwalJ, New shares 1 0
Lynn and Ely 5 0
Northern and Eastern
Fleetwood, Preston, and West Riding Junction 0 10
Newcastle and Carlisle, New 1004 shares
Newcastle and Carlisle, New Quarters
Newry, Warrenpoint, and Rosstrevor 5 0
Midland Six !xr cent. shares (late Bristol and
Gloucester shares), 2/. on the 50/. shares;
31. 14s. 6d. on the 37/. ss. shares. Ja-
nuary 5, 1847.
Midland Extension Lines, New 40/ shares 6 0
Midland Great Western of Ireland, 50/. shares 5 0
Ambergate, &c.
South-Eastern and Dover, No. 4 1 5
Leeds, Dewsbury, and Manchester, 501. shares 5 0
Great Western, 17/. shares
Great Western, Quarter shares
Bristol and Exeter, Thirds
Dutch Rhenish
Great Luxembourg . ... 2 0
London and North Western (Grand Junc-
tion 251. shares)
Eastern Counties, 14/. 16s. shares
Eastern Counties, New 41. 16s. shares
Thames Haven Dock and Railway
Reading, Guildford, and Reigate 1 8
London, Brighton, and South Coast
South Wales
Leeds and Bradford . . 5 0
Eastern Counties (York Extension) 2 0
Northern of France
Belfast and Ballymena
Taw Vale Railway and Dock Company 1 0
Eastern Counties, New shares 2 0

SHEFFIELD AND MANCHESTER—CUTTING
FIRST SOD OF THE WHALEY-BRIDGE
BRANCH.
On Friday afternoon the ceremony of cutting the first
sod of the Whaley-bridge Branch of the Sheffield,
Ashton-under-Lyne, and Manchester Railway, extend-
ing a distance of twelve miles from Dukinfield to Wha-
ley Bridge, took place under very auspicious circum-
stances. The day, considering the season of the year,
was fine, and that attracted many people to the scene of
the ceremony. At one o'cleck a special first-class train
left Manchester, and at half-past eleven a special train
left Sheffield, with the directors of the company, share-
holders, and well-wishers of the undertaking. The
Manchester train first reached the Dukinfield station,
bat shortly after its arrival the train from Sheffield took
its place at the appointed rendezvous. Immediately
after alighting from the carriages, the company pro-
ceeded along a narrow and slippery lane, for a distance
of about two miles, to the field, on the estate of Mr.
Dukinfield Astley, in which it had been arranged that
the ceremony of cutting the first sod should take place.
At this spot there was a very numerous attendance of
gentlemen, farmers, and cottagers connected with the
neighbourhood.

The usual preliminaries having been gone through,
Mr. JOHN CHAPMAN, Chairman of the Sheffield,
Ashton, and Manchester line, said they were met that
day, as they were all aware, to commence the operative
part of the works connected with the formation of the
Whaley-bridge branch of the Sheffield, Ashton, and
Manchester Railway.—(Cheers.) As chairman of that
company, he had to express the thanks of the directors
to Mr. Dukinfield Astley, for the prominent part which
he had consented to undertake in the commencement of
that great work.—(Applause.) He hoped the work
would be carried forward in as auspicious a manner as
that in which it had commenced.—(Applause.) He hoped
the work would progress in a satisfactory way until it
was concluded.—(Loud applause.)
Mr. Dukinfield Astley, then, amid loud cheers, cut an
immense sod in the usual manner, and wheeled it along
planks " like a regular navy." He returned along the
planks amidst great cheering, when some of the directors
and founders of the company cut sods. After this the
regular " navies" were called in, took the spade, mattock,
and wheel-barrow, and did excellent work, to the great
delight of the assembled multitude.
Mr. DUKINFIELD ASTLEY, On returning, after deliver-
ing his great sod, said he must take that opportunity of
expressing the great pleasure which he felt in assisting
at the commencement of a work which he had no doubt
would be of great advantage to those parts of the country
through which the line was to pass.—(Cheers.) He
thought nothing could be better Lthan to move three
cheers for the success of the work that they had just
cominenced.—(Three times three, and three cheers
more.) Three cheers were then proposed for Mr. Ast-
ley, and after a short stay in the field, the meeting
broke up.
aAn s
toi of hae
bceoamu
tpi
faunly s
p(aMd
er .
previousCli a m Chapman)
t)o pre-
sentedhi
sscription :—"
spade is presented to F. D. P. Astley,
cutting the first sod, and which bore the following in-
Esq., by the directors of the Sheffield, Ashton-under-
The
etohallirimr.
Whaley-
bridge comme-
moration of his having cut
bridge branch, on the 18th
first Company,
sod o f hien
of December, 1846." This
,
Lyme, and Manchester Railt+hvasy
inscription was surmounted u
On the reverse
side of the spade were the seal
Mr. Dukinfield Astley's coat of an the shaft (which was made ya portrait of the Queen
oand arms of the com-
pany, of mrmasp_le wood), and by
ber of or-
the company. On the shaft were also a num Male
ham, by Mr.
!laments. The spade was man
and a list of the directors and principal officers of
ham, ironmonger, Sheffield.
The Earl of Yarborough, chairman of the Lincolnshire
and Sheffield Railways, would have been present both at
the cuttiag of the first sod and at the dinner, had cir-
cumstances n'.it compelled him to be absent on the con-
tinent.

The celebration of the dinner took place in the Music
Hall of the Albion Hotel, Piccadilly. About 100 gen-
tlemen sat down to dinner about half past four.
At the dinner, the chairman, Mr. John Chapman,
chairman of the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne, and
Manchester Railway Company, was supported right and
left by Mr. F. D. Astley, Mr. G. Gisborne, Mr. J.
Smith, Mr. E. Buckley, Mr. G. Winter, Captain Clarke,
Mr. R. Buckley, Captain R. Hollingworth, the Mayor of
Ashton-under-Lyne, the Town Clerk of Manchester, Mr.
John Cheetham; Mr. Robinson, Mr. J. Ellison, Mr. Al-
derman Bancroft, Dr. Fleming, &c., &c. The following
dirßctors of the company were present: —Messrs. Charles
Turner, Richard Matley, William Bradby, M. M. de
Bartolome, J ames Wall, Richard Thorold, and F. A.
Ward. The vice chairs were occupied by Mr. C. Randall
and Mr. T. Blake.

CHARGES FOR CATTLE ON THE EASTERN

LINES.

On Saturday another meeting of the farmers and
graziers was held at the Norfolk Hotel, Norwich, Mr. J.
Neave, of WS•mondham, in the chair, with a view to a
reconsideration of the promises of improvement lately
made by the Eastern Counties, and for putting them in
a fair way for being carried into tangible results.
The CHAIRMAN said the complaints with regard to the
conveyance of cattle were not confined to the Eastern
Counties line, but extended to nearly all the railways in
the kingdom. In London he heard complaints of the
Great Western that cattle had been upon the line twenty-
one hours, when they ought to have been up in seven,

The London and Brighthn are in search of a locomo-
tive and carriage superintendent over the 120 miles of
line now in full working operation.
The Chester and , Holyhead are about to take tenders
for the minutiae of locomotion, such as crossings,
switches, turn-tables, and water-cranes, indicative of a
speedy completion of their line.
The Admiralty have given notice of their intention to
deepen Holyhead Harbour, to dredge, excavate,
build
retaining walls, and erect limber jetties.
The following companies are candidates in the money
market for loans to various amounts
:—Chester and
Birkenhead, East Lancashire, Edinburgh and Glasgow,
London and North-Western, Taff Vale,, Irlaler, Ipswich
and Bury.
It is said that the reformed boa* trilaMitanchester
and Leeds intend declaring a dividend at their next half-
yearly meeting, at the rate of eight per cent.
The. Scottish papers state that the English proprietors
in the Edinburgh and Glasgow, who hold about 3-4ths
of the stock, have determined that the Sunday trains
shall be immediately resumed.
The York and North Midland intend, with the new
year, to take in hand the formation of the railway and
works from Selby to Market Weighton, a distance f
about 16 miles ; the formation of the railway and works
from Copmanthorpe to Tadcaster, a distance of about
seven miles • and those on the Harrogate Branch Ex-
tension, a distance of one mile. Also, the stations,
buildings, and other works on the East Riding Branch
(Leeds Extension), Selby to Market Weighton, Harro-
gate Extension, and Copmanthorpe to Tadcaster.
The South-Eastern will first commence tha' portion of
their North Kent line extending from Erith and the
Surrey Canal, a distance of 14 miles.
The Leeds and Thirsk are contracting for their
carriages and conveyances for general merchandise.
The Ashburton, Newton, and South Devon meet
to-day to consider the sale of their line to the South
Devon.

RAILWAYS AND FRESH liEuancos.—llerrings caught
at Brighton in the morning are sold in the Midland
counties in the afternoon. This arises from the facilities
of transit by the London and Brighton and London and
North-Western Railway; and such has been the effect
in the reduction of prices, says our Birmingham cor-
respondent, " that the finest quality can now be had at
the rate of from twenty to twenty-five for a shilling,
being a reduction of nearly two hundred per cent."

THE LATE SUPPOSED MURDER
AND SUICIDE.

LATEST PARTICULARS.
Throughout the whole of Monday the police were
engaged in endeavouring to find out the names of the
unfortunate child and woman, whose bodies were dis-
covered near Waterloo bridge, but without success.
No letter or anything else was found upon the deceased
likely to lead to their identity. A notice was last even-
ing sent to every police-station in the metropolitan and
City districts, with a request that the police on their
several beats would make inquiries of the inhabitants as
to whether they had missed any persons answering to
the description of the woman and child. Persons were
engaged on Monday afternoon in the neighbourhood of
Belvedere and Commercial-roads, Lambeth, inquiring of
the wharfingers whether they had seen the woman and
child upon their wharfs the preceding day, or if they had
beard a splash in the water, such as would be caused if
the unfortunate creature had precipitated herself into the
river. Up to six o'clock on Monday night they had been
unsuccessful in their inquiecs. The clothing of both
having been washed, it was found that the child had
on a white lace cap and a light-coloured hood, a cho-
colate and blue coloured woollen turnover, a pair of
worsted leggings, and two frocks. It is believed to be
not more than 10 or 12 months old. It was an exceed-
ingly fine chili, and had cut two of its upper teeth. The
woman had on a speckled straw bonnet, trimmed with
black crape, Adelaide boots, black worsted stockings, a
dark silk and cotton shawl, with bunches of flowers on
it, and a pair of dark jean stays. She had no wedding-
ring on her finger, and the only thing found in her
pocket was a small box key. Her age was apparently
from 26 to 30 years. She was of middle stature, and
had dark brown hair. It was found, upon examining
the bodies, that neither of the deceased had a single
bruise upon their persons, proving that they could not
have fallen from any great height. The appearances of
the bodies are such as to lead to the supposition that
they had not been in the water more than 12 or 18
hours ; but from what part of the river they went in it
is impossible to tell, as it is quite possible that they
might have been forced along with the tide for some
miles. The ligature which bound the two together was
what is termed laycord ; it was passed three times round
their bodies, and fastened to the bonnet and cap strings
of the woman. The police who have seen the woman
declare that she was not known to them, and they are
of opinion that she did not belong to the neighbourhood
of Lambeth.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
PORTSMOUTH, MONDAY.—The Palestine freight ship
arrived last evening with the remaining portion of the
crew of her Majesty's late brig Osprey, from New Zee'.
land. The men were removed from her to the Victory
this afternoon by the Echo.
The Mercury returned to-day with volunteers from
Poole and the neighbourhood.

ROTAL MARINES.
Lieutenant-Colonel John Hewes (1842), of the Ports•
mouth division, has retired on the full pay of his rank.
This gallant officer was First Lieutenant serving in the
Rainbow in action with the French frigate Ner6ide,
1810 ; was in boats at the capture of a Genoese pri-
vateer moored under a battery ; was also present at the
attack on Leghorn ; and the reduction of Genoa, 1814.
By the retirement of Colonel Hewes the following °facers
obtain promotion :

Bre;et Major T. Wearing to be Lieutenant-Colonel,
vice Hewes. This officer was Second Lieutenant, and
served in the CGnqueror, 74, at Trafalgar, when he was
wounded. Gazetted 1805.
First Lieutenant P. Priest, to be Captain, vice Why•
lcck, promoted. This officer was midshipman of the
Genoa at Navarino, when he was wounded.
Second Lieutenant J. Manger, to be First Lieutenant,
vice Priest.

First Lieutenant H. P. Lewin (1E37), of the Ports-
mouth division, died last evening at his residence,
Portsmouth.
PLYMOUTH, DEC. 19.—. His Swedish Majesty's corvette
North Star, 20, Captain G. Hespelberg, arrived on the
18th, in twenty-eight days from New York. During
her passage she experienced some severe weather, and
shipped several heavy seas, one of which broke in aft,
entered her bread-room, and damaged her provisions.
To-day she was supplied with three tons cf bread and
other necessaries. Iler water was obtained from the
Royal William Victualling-yard at Stonehouse. She had
been on a cruise, and to-morrow will leave this for Fre-
derickLtadt.

The schooner Queen has this week discharged at the
Royal William Victualling-y[4:d 932 quarters of Indian
corn, making, with six other cargoes received there,
ab;)ut 5,400 quarters, the whole of which is ground or is
being ground into meal for the destitute in Ireland and
Scotland. The mills are kept going night and day; two
gangs of men are employed, and in order that the master
miller may be always on the spot, he is furnished with a
bed in the mill-house. About 1,000 sccks of meal are
produced per week. The whole of the corn now in store
will be ground in a fortnight, previous to which it is ex-
pected other cargoes will arrive.

763 sacks of meal have been shipped by her Majesty's
steamer Stromboli ; 794 by her Majesty's stere•ship
./Eolui, 42; and 1,000 are to be shipped by her Majesty's
steamer Rhadamanthus, Cony expected at this port.
These three parcels go to the Isle of Mull, where the
y
will be under the orders of the captain of her Majest's
frigate Belvidere.
The steam-packet Shannon, Captain Moppett, the
cargo of which ignited on the sth instant, left this port
in ballast trim on the 11th for Falmouth, whence she
departed again yesterday morning for Dublin, where she
will be repaired at the extensive establishment of her
proprietors, the British and Irish Steam-packet Com-
pany. The Shannon, which is 153 feet long by 27 feet
broad, was originally built by Messrs Fletcher and Co.,
London, for about 44,0001. In the spring of 1845 she
was thoroughly repaired, and supplied with new boilers
and engines of 250 horse power, at a cost of 13,0001.
She has been employed on various services, but princi-
Pally between London, Plymouth, Falmouth, and Dublin,
on which station she has run about 250 voyages, and
never experienced any casualty worth recording before
the spontaneous combustion of her cargo on the sth of
December.

of
the line as far
accordance with our announcement last week, Mr.
SALISBURY AND BISHOPSTOK a RAt:
Locke and some other gentlemen surveyed the line on
be commenced.
wclaYrTiagiens
d iat
ely ; and that lug-
gage f BishopstokeetAdtlnhdeeesrdbauyr3,l, last.
t .IVeA haves ttatal
ionn
reason and
consisting
t
of t h e
trafficw ork s
willwas
almost considered satisfactory
immediately
e
There is still much work to be done at the Salisbury
terminus, but advantage has been taken of the present
fine weather, and the works are rapidly progressing.—
Poole Herald.

The poll-books were opened yesterday morning, in the
Fellow 81-4
-porters' Hall, St. Mary-at-Hill, at a quarter
to ono ; the numbers were as follows :
Curling 2B Old
Bower
Kalil
Robe! is 3l *Gibbs
32 *Piper
PWhiiilhliiaopsms 29
Those marked thus * are new candidates.
CRIPPLEG ATE WITHIN.
The poll demanded on Monday by Mr. Wilson, the
Conservative candidate, was proceeded with this day,
at the school-rooms, Philip-Lane, Addle-street.
The polling commenced at one, and terminated at
three, and appeared to excite considerable interest in the
ward. At the closing of the poll for the day,
Mr. Alderman CHALLIS announced the numbers to be—
Smith 39 Brass
Brown 4O Cash 37
Hoole
Bennoch 36 And Wilson, the Con-
Dewar 39 servative candidate... 20
The polling will commence to-day at two, acd will
terminate finally at four o'clock.
CORDWAINERS' WARD.
The second day's polling commenced at one o'clock
yesterday afternoon, and closed at :three, when the
numbers declared were, for
Muddell 2B Jolliffe
Croucher
Lott
Joyce 29
BISHOPSGATE WARD.
The polling commenced yesterday morning at the
Ward-Schools, in Peter-street, and continued with great
spirit until the close (three o'clock) when the numbers
were declared as follows :
Stevens
Peacock
*Owden 134 Patten
Jones
Hall
Filcher
Carr
Bennett
The polling will commence to-day in the contested
wards, and finally close.
ALDERSGATE.
This wardmote was held at two o'clock on Monday, in
the General Dispensary, Aldersgabe-street, Sir P. Laurie
occupied the chair, and having been called on by Mr.
Beasley, explained at length his opinion on the question
at issue between the Court of Aldermen and the Common
Council. He thought the same principle which entrusted
all money bills to the House of Commons would indicate
that the members of the Court of Common Council, as
the annual representatives of the great body of freemen,
ought to have the control of the City purse. He objected
to a lavish generosity with other people's money, and
thought that the Court of Aldermen had no right to
pension off their decayed members. The Court of Com-
mas Council did not do so, and he disputed the right of
his brother Aldermen to the privilege. The Corpora-
tion was established for the benefit of the citizens gene-
rally, and ought not to be made subservient to private
purposes. It was painful to him to oppose his old
friends, but, at whatever sa^,rifice, he had determined to
take his stand in support of the common rights and pri-
vileges of his fellow-citizens.
Mr. BEASLEY moved a series of resolutions—the first
recommending the citizens at large to call for the inter-
ference of Parliament, in order to prevent the revenues
of the city of London from being perverted to private
purposes, instead of the patriotic uses for which they
were originally intended ; the second praying for the
abolition of a life appointed magistracy ; and the third
conveying the special thanks of the wardmete to Sir
Peter Laurie, for the support he gave the Common
Council in the late struggle.
Mr. LANE seconded the resolutions, which were also
supported by Mr. Norris, who said the principle at issue
was not simply the qualification of Common Councilmen,
though the Court of Aldermen had chosen to fight the
question on that ground, rather than as associated with
their sight to deal with the Corporation funds. As an
instance of the manner in which the Aldermen had ex-
ercised this power, he found, from Corporation returns,
that the snms paid in pensions in 1800 was 4301. 3s. 41;
in 1810, 480/. ; in 1820, 750/. ; in 1830, 500/. ; in 1840,
2,006/. ss. 9d. ; in 1841, 2.489/. 16s. ; and in 1846,
3,BBll.—(Hear, hear.) The recipients of the latter
amount were one alderman, four widows of alder-
men, four daughters of aldermen, and one granddaughter
—in all ten persons.—(Cries of " Shame.")
The resolutions having been put, were carried nem.
con.

The election was then proceeded with, when Mr.
Deputy Larkin, Mr. J. T. Norris, Mr. J. Woods, Mr. S.
Maw, Mr. E. Godson, Mr. G. Stacy, Mr. S. Shtrwood,
and Mr. H. De Jersey were unanimously re-elected.
Before the meeting broke up, Mr. Stacy and Mr.
Norris alluded to the projected street improvements in
the City, denouncing the same as a job, which, if carried
out, would swallow up nearly a million of the Corpora-
tion funds.
Sir PETER LAURIE expressed his willingness to call a
meeting of the ward on the subject, and it was ultimately
agreed to meet on an early day.
ALDGATE.
Mr. Alderman Humphery presided at this wardmote.
Mr. Deputy Lake, Mr. Fisher, Mr. Massey, Mr. White-
side, Mr. Salter, Mr. Ternan, Mr. Clifton, and Mr.
Freeman were re-elected without opposition.
After the election, a long discussion ensued on the
subject of the dispute between the Court of Aldermen
and the Common Council. The course pursued by the
latter was warmly applauded by a large majority of the
meeting, and resolutions declaratory of the approval of
the wardmote were passed.
B ASSISHAW.
This wardmote was held in the vestry-room of St.
Michael's, Basinghall-street ; Mr. Alderman Farneomb
in the chair.
Mr. Bretton, Mr. Lister, Mr. Wilson. and Mr. James
were the former representatives of this ward, and they
were all proposed for re-election.
A fifth candidate appeared in the person of a Mr. H.
Clarke, for whom a poll was demanded.
BISHOPSGATE.
A poll was demanded in the usual form. At its close
the numbers stood thus :
Stevens
Peacock
*0 wden 24 Patten l6
Jones . 22 Tozer
Hall 2O Thomas
Filcher
Carr ....... 19 Sharland l2
Bennett
* New ‘:.--ididates.
BRE AD-STREET. •
In this ward, held before Mr. Alderman H. Hughes
at Cordwainers' Hall, the 'following gentlemen were
elected:—Mr. James Southwood Bridge (Deputy), Mr.
David Laurie, Mr. James Duncan, Mr. James Dignum,
Mr. William Lawrence, Mr. William Hawtrey, Mr.
Nicholas Maugham, and Mr. James Pellit Snell, in the
room of Mr. Poland, resigned.
BRIDGE,
Alderman Sir Chapman Marshall presided in this
wardmote.
Mr. Deputy Pewtress, Mr. Nott, Mr. Hill, Mr. Cope,
Mr. Low, Mr. Chadwick, Mr. Watham, and Mr. Mat-
thews, were re-elected.
BROAD-STREET.
Mr. Alderman Musgrove presided here.
Mr. Deputy Corney, Mr. B. W. Jupp, Mr. H. F.
Gadsden, Mr. James White, Mr. C. Wharton, Mr. H.
Marriott, Mr. T. W. Foster, and Mr. S. Baker, were the
former candidates, and all of them were proposed for re-
election.
Mr. Costerton was proposed as a new candidate, and
the show of hands being against Mr. White, a poll was
demanded on his behalf.
CANDLEWICK.
The Lord Mayor, as Alderman of this ward, presided
here.
Mr. Deputy Evans, Mr. Bond, Mr. Daikin, Mr. Blake,
Mr. Towers, and Mr. Kemp, were re-elected.
CASTLE BAYNARD.
Mr. Alderman Wilson presided here.
Mr. Deputy Hicks, Mr. Hoppe, Mr. Collingwood, Mr.
Bailey, Mr. Rownson, Mr. Ferrer, Mr. Muggeridge, and
Mr. Adlard, were re-elected without opposition.
CHEAP.
Msr. Alderman Thompson in the chair.
Mr. Deputy Brook, Mr. Fenning, Mr. Watson, Mr.
Hardwicke, Mr. Phillip, Mr. Hickson, Mr. Oliver, and
Mr. Peade, were again chosen as representatives of this
ward.