The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-08 00:00:00

TE IL
.'lr. HUME called attention toB theLS.
number of private Bills
before the with the view of having model Bills for the
several classes. As an instance of this ne would adduce the
class of Bills for water-works. of which there were more this
year than ever there were before. With respect to tl•ern, lie
would require that no Bill for water-works should be brought
before the House till a public inspector had investigated the
case, and reported that it was one of pulilic cessity.
This would be a much preferable mode of proceeding
to that usually practised, of examining evidence
by a Committee of that House, which was generally given by
parties interested in the case. The public interests were not
considered at all. This was the case with a great many private
Bills, and the charge which he was desirous to effect was one
by which the public interests would be always kept in view.
There was no reason why one Bill should not be passed, by
which any community could carry out their intentions in these
respects without being obliged to come before Parliament.—
( Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member for Northampton had
brought in a Bill in the year I 533, founded on the same princi-
ples. It was one to enable large communities, who
should agree that their town ought to be lighted,
to do so without coming before Parliament. If such
a measure was brought in. it would be of vast
importance and would do credit to the G ivernment.
Those were the objects he had in view, and he might have en-
larged upon them, had it not been for the length of time al-
ready taken up. He should be glad to hear the opinion of one
of her Majesty's Ministers, and to know whether they were
prepared to consider the question. He would conclude by
moving that a Select Committee be appointed to consider the
subject.
Sir J. GRA lIAINIsaid that he agreed with the I-lon. Mem-
ber for Montrose that a great public interest was involved in
this question. Last year the Legislature adopted a principle
with reference to enclosure Bills, which was found to be very
advantageous. It passed a general nil: giving great facilities
to local enclovires, and reserving to the Government the right
of deciding on the more important ones. So far from differing
from the motion which the Hon. Member was disposed to make
after Easter, he entirely concurred in it. The Hon. Member
for Devon had called his attention to a measure for promoting
the health of large towns, supplying them with water, and
cleansing their drains. The effect of that measure was to sti-
mulate speculation, and to cause great numbers of Bills to be
brought forward in this session to include numbers of large
springs under a general Act, anti it would be necessary to take
steps to these Bills. He was induced, on the part of the Go-
vernment, to propose that the power of companies over such
springs should be contingent on some general measure, for he
certainly thought that the attention of Parliament should be
directed to the subject, and he should, therefore, be happy to
give the Hon. Member his hearty support in the course which
he proposed to take.
Lord EBRINGTON said that he was very much rejoiced
to find that this subject was brought under the notice of Par-
liament, and he did hope that the course taken by Government
would be a decisive one. The Legislature had, all along
laboured under an erroneous principle with respect to the
application of free trade to matters of commerce, and not to
these monopolies, The public, in his opinion, could not be
protected against these monopolies without some stringent re-
gulations were applied to each company, both with regard to the
price and the supply of the gas or water, or whatever it might
be.
Mr. GREENE suggested that the same system that the
House adoped last year in respect to railways should be ap-
plied to all description of police improvement and water-
works Bills. Last year they passed a lands' clauses consolida-
tion and a railway clauses consolidation Bill, and they could
apply similar measures to other descriptions of private Bills.
The motion was then agreed to, but the nomination of the
Committee was deferred till after Easter.

Mr. O'CONNELL gave notice that he would move for
the production of certain correspondence that had paged be-
tween Lord Stanley, when he was Colocial Secretary, and the
Government of New South Wales.

Mr. JOHN O'CONNELL gave notice that he would
move for the production of minutes of proceedings that had
taken place before the poor-law gardians of the Mullingar
Union.

Mr. CHRISTIE gave notice that he would move for cer-
tain returns relative to cemeteries.

Dr. BOWRIWG gave notice that he would call the atten-
tion of the House to certain passages in the report made by the
Tidal Harbours' Commission relative to the Isle of Man.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE gave notice that he would call the
attention of the Houso on that day fortnight to the administra-
tion of affairs at the Post-office.

Mr. M. MILN ES moved for a copy of the abstracts of the
diocesan returns made to her Majesty in Council, for the year
164,1, by the Archbishops and Bishops of England and Wales;
showing the number of resident and non-resident incumbents;
the net value of the benefices on which the incumbents are non-
resident ; the number and stipend of citrates to non-resident in-
cumbents ; the number and stipend of curates assisting resident
incumbents.—Agreed to.
Sir DE LACY EVANS moved for a return of the number
of persons in the united parishes of St. John and St. Margaret,
in the city of Westminster, who have claimed to be rated to the
relief of the poor, and whose claims have not been complied
with ; such return to include the last three years separately,
and to show whether the omission of any such claimants was
made from the rate for the time being, or the subsequent rate
or rates; and also to show the number of such claimants who
have been excluded from the lists of voters for Members of Par-
liament since such claims were made.—Agreed to.
Mr. EVELYN DENISON wished to ask the Secretary of
State for the Home Department, whether it was the intention of
the Governmeht to take any steps, in order to restrain the
Ecclesiastical Commissioners for Ireland from expending the
capital sums, derived from the sale of church lands, in defray-
ing the annual current charges of the Commission. It might
be in the recollection of many gentlemen, that he had brought
this question under the notice of the House last session. Lands
had been sold by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners to the value
of 452,0001.; these, therefore, had been lost to the church,
and lost to the state, the guardians, and trustees of that fund.
--(Hear, hear.)

Sir J. GRAHAM said he would refer to the correspondence
which he had the honour of laying on the table of the House
last session, and from it would appear what the opinions of the
Government were on the subject.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM, in reply to the Hon. Gentleman,
said that in the course of the present year the expenses had
been strictly confined to the interest of the revenue, and not
a portion of the capital would have been exp,nded. The sur-
plus on the present year amounted to 10,0001.
Sir CHARLES NAPIER wished to know whether the list
which was promulgated some time since for the retirement of
300 officers had yet been filled up ?
Mr. CORRY said that the Government had not yet been
able to fill up the list.
Mr. COCHR ANE said that the affairs of Greece were in
a state of bankruptcy. This was corroborated by the Minister
of Finance for Greece. Ile (Mr. Cochrane) wished to know
whether the interest of the loan was likely to be paid, and
when?

Sir ROBERT PEEL said he could not entertain very great
hopes that the interest of the debt that had been incurred by
the Greek Government would yet be paid. He was prepared
to lay before the House the statement with respect to the
financial affairs of the Greek Government. A demand for the
interest of the loan had been made by the Government, which
had been refused on the ground of inability to meet the demand.
Lord WO itSLEY wished to ask the Secretary of State for
the Home Department, when the public general Bill for the
inclosure of those waste lands, which the Inclosure Commis-
sioners for England and Wales have certified, in their annual
report, to be expedient, but ohich may not be further pars.
ceeded with without the authority of Parliament, will be pre-
sented to the House? Whether the said Commissioners will
be instructed to report specially, at a later period of this session,
upon such applications for inclosure as had been received by
them since the date of their annual report ; and if so, whether
a second public general Bill would then be presented to the
House, with a view to avoid delay ? What restrictions, if any,
are contemplated to the introduction of private inclosure Bills,
with a view to an efficient and inexpensive protection of the
interests of those commoners who, by petitions to this House,
allege that there are not any circumstances so special in them-
selves as to render the provisions of the general Inclosure Act
inapplicable in whole or in port to
ni.suc h in closures 7
H
Sir J.if GRAHAM said hec.hmadintenideed to present to the
new eßill, t
whi he report
inc of the
de t Commissioners was inadequate. a
chwould lu a satisfactory reply to the
question of the Noble Lord. Under the Act of last session,
that Commission had been enabled to
makteoat.oseenadrate report
ehisspipil:cYation
for i uipen their
and if necessary he should feoefl
tibt
report of the present year,
nc osures to
the Bill, a second Bill. With respect to the last question of
the Noble Lord, it certainly wl as nttrit_thte intention of the Go-
vernment to give any genera con ol? the_patronage of any
private Bill that might be introduced.Aluc.h facility had
been given to each promoter of such a Bill, while at the same
time opponents had an opportunity of protecting them hopportunity had been passed
e
selves or their privileges.
for a standing order regulating the Inclosure Bills during the
present session ; he was, however, decidedly of opinion, during
the next session of Parliament, it would be decidedly desir-
able to introduce a standing order, under the consideration
of the House, for the regulation of private Bills.
Sir ROBERT PEEL presented a petition from the county
of Clare, praying the House to consider the state of that
country, and to devise some mode for the apprehension and
bringing to justice the persons concerned in the late murders in
that county. The petitioners stated that in consequence of
the assassnitions that had taken place in that county, and
the neighbouring counties, they were of opinion that it would
be very desirable that the Bill for the protection of life
should be allowed to pass into a law.
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE.
Sir ROBERT PEEL said that it would perhapsf
before
Government for
the convenience of many Hon. Members present, he we
now to state the course which the had propsed to
adopt with respect to the adjournment. He did not consider
it would be his duty, in the present aspect of public affairs____ and
the important business which pressed upon the House, to
propose any longer adjournment than was absolutely
necessary. It had been usually the practice on
House
occasions similar to the present for the
to adjourn till the Monday week following the
day of adjournment. That was the shortest period which it
was customary for the House to Alopt. When, however, he
considered the amount and importance of public business which
remained to be transacted, the loss even of a day was of consi-
derable importance. He should, therefore, consider it his du' y
to propose that the House should adjourn from the Thursday
next ensuing until the next Friday ; and in that case he should
propose that the House should resume the consideration of the
debate on the Irish question. If, however, it should be the
wish of the House that the adjournment of the House should
take effect to-morrow instead of Thursday, he should make no
objections to such proceeding. Several Hon. Members had
motions on the rapers for that day, and ifethey made no objec-
tion to waive their motions, he should recommend that the
House do adjourn. He should, therefore, propose that the
adjournment should be carried to Friday of the following week,
when the consideration of the Irish question would be re-
sumed. On the following Monday he should be in a position
to proceed with the Corn Bill, and the regulation of the tariff.
After a few words from Mr. O'Brien, Lord G. Somerville,
and Lord G. Bentinck,
Mr. DUNCOM BE moved that the second reading of the
Lace Factories Bill be postponed from Monday, April 20, to
Wednesday, the 22d.
LEGAL EDUCATION (I.
Mr. WYSE, in bringing f,irward hßis motion for the ap-
pointment of a Select Committee to inquire into the
present
state of Legal Education in , Ireland, and the means
for its
further improvement and extension, wished to impress
the importance of the subject on the consideration of the House.
In a former Committee, the question as to the importance and
necessity for a law school was considered and admitted ; and
subsequently, in the year 1840, the subject was again mooted,
and a suggestion was made to the effect that a school for leg al
education should be established in Ireland. In the session
of
1543 he laid a petition upon that table, praying for a charter of
incorporation for this purpose, and at the same time he made a
Motion for a Committee to inquire into the state of legal
education in Ireland. Of the importance of this branch of
education he would not speak, for who was there who would
not admit the great influence of the lawyer upon society, not
only at present, but the influence which he might be the means
latfsepiferopoetludatiug to future ages. The testimony of history
be brought forward to illustrate the great mis-
fortune ofu the defective.state of the system of legal legislation
ilreland
n former times, It might be true that in England and in
t•oo, 'there were men at the bar of the very thtrs 74E
alliterary attainments ; but how was it that was 0 the only learned profession in which it
test this
compulsory to pass through a certain ordeal to
441111 of the candidate for that profession. In calling

the attention of the House to what was desirable in this re-
spect in Ireland, he would ask that House to lock at what had
been done in the rest of Europe. In all the universities of
Spain, Italy, Austria, and other European States, there was
attached to each a department for the studies of candidates for
the leeal pt -,fersion, which were secured to non: of the other
departments. In France, also, the most extensive provisions
had been made, in order to secure to the legal student a most
perfect system, by which to enable him to acquire a knowledge
of the law. The Right Hon. Gentleman then read long ex-
tracts from a work he held in his hand, to show the extent
to which the Governments of America and other countries
have gone, in order to secure to the law. agent a most com-
prehensive education ; and instanced the number of colleges
and institutions in those countries to which -a faculty for law-
study was attached. He also read extracts from the opinions
of Judge Storey, and other learned lawyers, to the effect
that it was must desirable and important that
every public college should have a law faculty
attached to it. He next instanced the opinion of Car-
dinal Wolsev upon this subject, who complained of the gross
ignorance of the lawyers of his day, and in consequence
attemi ted the establishment of a Law College, which could
still be pointed at as illustrative of the great conceptions of his
mind. He then referred to mare recent dates, and called ihe
attention of the House to the report of the CoMmittee of the
Middle Temple upon the defective state of legal education,
some extracts from which he read. He did not mention these
circumstances with reference to the motion he was about to
submit to the House, as that motion related to Ireland alone,
but as a preliminary observation on the motion he was about
to submit. He would now turn to the case of Ireland. In the
year 1839, an institution was established in Ireland, called the
Law Institution, and founded by a gentleman of great public
spirit, and well known at the bar of Ireland. The person to
whom he referred was Mr. Kennedy, the principal of the insti-
tution. In 1840, the lords justices of Ireland wished that it
should receive an endowment, and the benchers of King's Inn,
granted it an income 0f.4001. per annum. That grant was in
the year following withdrawn. Very large revenues had been
received by the benchers of King's Inn, and he (11r. Wyse)
thought that those funds should be applied to the endowment of
law institutes. Such institution would be eminently misfitl in
forwarding a systen.atic course of legal education, and would be of
very considerable service to the bar and to the country. He
felt he had trespassed too much on the time of the House in
reference to this matter, but he felt so much that he was sure
he should be pardoned for saying a few words more. As schools
of theology and medicine had been established in Dublin, why
should not a school of law? That would make lawyers con-
versant with the theory and practice of their profession, and
would render them as able jurists as those of other countries.
Let them by such a system put men upon the bench who would
show by their administration of justice that there was not one
law for the rich and another for the poor. Such a system, and
such unprejudiced judges, would be of permanent advantage to
the country.—( Hear, hear.)
On the motion of an Hort, NIEMBEIL, the House was counted,
and there not being forty Members present, the House ad-
journed until Twelve o'clock to-morrow (this da3, ).

THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS WERE PRESENT WHEN TIIE
HOUSE WAS COUNTED OUT LAST NIGHT, ON TIIE MO-
TION OF THE HON. W. E. LAW:—
Graham, Sir James Scrope, G. P. Duke, Sir James
Peel, Sir Robert Moffatt, George Trelawny, J. S.
The Lord Advocate O'Brien, Smith Warburton, Henry
Goulburn, Henry O'Brien, Johx Sibtliorp, Colonel
Sandon, Viscount Kelly, James Powell, Caleb
Hume, Joseph Fitzgerald, Mr. Borthwick, P.
Douglas, Sir C. Somerville, Sir W. M` Donnell, J. M.
Bentinck, Lord G. Cobden, It. O'Brien, T.
Rawdon, Colonel Maher, Mr. Clayton, R. R.
Thornely, Thomas

ROYAL ARTILLERY.
Deputy Adjutant-General's•oflice, Woolwich,
April 4, 1846.
GENERAL ORDER.
Lieutenant-General Lord Bloomfield, G.C.8., and G.C.H.,
having resigned the command at Woolwich, the Master-
General has appointed Major-General Sir Thomas Downman,
C.B. and K.C.H., to succeed his Lordship; the appointment
commencing April 1, 1846.
(Signed)

H. D. ROSS,
Deputy Adjutant-General.
GARRISON ORDER BY LIEUTENANT-GENERAL LORD BLOOM-
FIELD, G.C.B. AND G.C.H.

WOOLWICH. APRIL 4, IB46.—The Master-General of the
Ordnance has been pleased to accept his Lordship's resigna-
tion of the command of the garrison, and the Lieutenant-
General cannot close his active duties with the corps in
which he has had the honour and happiness of serving for
sixty-five years, without expressing his grateful thanks to
his comrades of all ranks, and to the garrison staff in parti-
cular, for the unwearied zeal and good feeling with which
they have supported him and enabled him to carry on the
duties of this important garrison during the eight years lie
has had the command of the head-quarters of the Royal
Regiment of Artillery.
The Lieutenant-General is also much indebted to the
officer commanding the Royal Engineers and the Royal Ma-
rines, and to the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men
of these corps fir their steady assistance and soldier-like
conduct, and he begs to assure them he will ever feel the
high opinion of these services that it has so often been his
duty to report.

ON DRAINING.

(From the Glasgow National)

The objeA of all arts is the imitation of nature. To ex-
ceed, or even reach in every case the perfection of the
pattern, is impossible, but the more closely it is kept in
view, and the more nearly it is attained, the more per.
feet the performance will be, and the more exactly will
our own ends be aeswered. Any departure from
the principles suggested in the examples set before
us by nature, through a hasty desire to arrive
at the object by a nearer road, defeats the intended
purpose. Shallow drainage offers many evidences
of this. The gravitating tendency of water is per.
pendicular, and the mere it is made to deviate from this
course, the weaker the effort of escape becomes, and
the slower the motion of the fluid ; consequently a
deep drain will fill quicker than a shallow one, provided
the supvrstratuns of soil be sufficiently porous to yield
a passage to the moisture. But this it will do more and
more readily every year, after the drain is once laid, let
the clay have been over so obstinate at first. The diffi-
culty of making drainers believe this occasions such a
perpetual conflict between them and their employer, such
a perpetual tendency on their part to lay their drains
shallower, that unless their employer be very strongly
convinced of the truth of the principles he wishes to
carry out, the wearing and " experienced" opposition of
his " practical" man, backed by the tempting cheapness of
a shallower cutting, will prevail. h is important to be oit
our guard against this. Every substance capable of ab-
sorbing water is capable of transmitting it. If, on dig-
ging up clay, we find it damp, we may be quite sure that
if undermined, and pressed upon by moisture from
above, the capillary sustension being overborne, it will
begin to weep from below, and every drop that fall,
wears a wider passage for the next, so that time only
would be wanting to increase the porosity, even were
it not more rapidly hastened by the cracking produced
towards the close of summer, when even capillary at.
traction has lost its last supply, and the contraction of
bulk occasions separation into parts. However long we
may have to wait for the completion of these processes,
of this we may be sure, that we have nature on out
side from the moment the drain has been effectively
laid. The effect may be slow, but the cause is in cer-
tain and perpetual operation. But. we merely allude
here to this physical law, as giving effect to the other
hydrostatic principle of perpendicular descent, which
would, of course, be inoperative without it. The ten
dency of a fluid to descend is of course equally strong in
a basin as in a filter, though the one holds it and the
other transmits it. Our object is to explain that a clay
subsoil, which before acted like the first, is, when under
mined by deep drains, likened to the second. The
whole principle of deep drainage, in its mere mechanical
relation to the soil, depends upon the downward pres
sure of water, a power so strong, that it has been put
into use, in the hydraulic press for instance, as one,
of the most irresistible of natural forces ; a small tubs.
of moderate height, charged with fluid, will, it,
virtue of of this power, burst the stoutest cask, if in-
sertedinto a well-secured aperture ; and se equable
and searching is the pressure of fluid weight, that it has
already been applied to the arts, wherever great force,
itahpearticulai
continuous action, and perfect equability its applica-
testine
rels, • y desired,
where the
tion,
e(el cast-iron
against
and proving
other of gtui
purposes,bar
security
character hay of its weakest parts.
generalthestoutness of meterial affords no
as carefully and personally ex
Now,
etnined the
anybody who
fail to have of the very stiffest observed that, like clays,
will
not
their weak ourselves, they have
points : here there
" sand pot ;"
here again a bit • there a vein of iinbeelded gravel,
or cleavage filled with •
some description ; that, in lighter soil of
its g.:neral character, Perfct fact, however obdurate
never to be met with, so
lo continuity of texture
so to call thew, have no vent ungndaesrnteaetT erpy ernents.
comparativelyinactive; but once undermine
there m a
field
t
by deep drains, and their valuable office begins to show
itself. The subsoil, which before held up. the service-
water like a basin, now begins to transmit it like a filter;
every succeeding summer increases the number of cracks.
as the drying clay gives way to the contracting tendency,
and surrenders that continuity of texture which depended
upon the imprisonment of its moistawe.
Where one drop
of water descends and escapes, another must follow it, tilt
the last be gone, drawing the air after it. Fromto use
tht
moment the system of regeneration commences—to
protexi
the formidable words of the chemist—the slightly
be-
gins to be converted into the peroxide; that is, s
oxygenated earth, which repels vegetation, changes
gra-
dually by contact with atmospheric air into the highly
•
oxygenated earth, which favouie vegetation ; and the
roots of plants, which formerly turned up like fish-hooks
on coming in contact with the subsoil, now plunge
boldly into it, and add, by their eventual decay, to its
vegetable character. The student in hydrostatic science
is astonished at the surprise with which a writer in the
" Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society" tells u.
that his four-feet drains drew off water in half the
time that his three-feet drains used to do. It woul,l
be a marvel to him, contradictory to every known
principle in the laws of fluids, if it were other-
wise. The deeper the drain, the more irresistible
the pressure of water towards it, and the more
rapid the escape. A simple experiment will illustrate
this. Let a gun-barrel be filled Is ith water and held
vertically, allowing the fluid to escape at the nipple.
The column of water will drive the fluid out with a
f tree increasing rapidly with the distance from the
point of escape to the mouth of the barrel ; as the force
decreases in depth, the force and rapidity of the stream
will diminish also ; till at last the fluid, instead of
being projected several yards, merely escapes in drops.
It is upon the same principle that a deep drain acts with
more energy than a shallow one, exemplifying one of the
soundest maxims of agricultural science—that if you
drain the subsoil, the soil will drain itself.

[ADVERTISEMENT ] —A NOBLE DUKE AND HOL-
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the personal thanks of one of the most renowned dukes of the
realm, who (like the Earl of Ildborough) has been cured of a liver
great weakness and debt'itY, by the means of Holloway's celebrated
awl stomach complaint of some years' standing, attended with
Pills, and this after plirician's skill was tried in vain. Dropsy,
paralysis, as, hina, and diseases of the lung,:, have nearly all their
origin in disordered livers and stomachs, wllich a few timely doses
of Holloway's !Us will cure. - Sold by all dealers In medicines, and
at Professor Holloway's Establishment, 214, Strand, London.
Dispatches were sent off yesterday evening, from the Co-
lonial-officer for the GroTeruere of Ceylen and Hong-Kong.

MANCHESTER, SOUTHAMPTON,
ANI) OXFORD JUNCTION RAILWAY.
A Special General Meeting of this Company was hell
esterday at the King's Arms Hotel, Bridge-street, West-
minster,
at four o'clock, G. F. Munta, Esq., M.P., in tilt,
chair, for the purpose of considering the propriety of
dissolving the Company, and returning one half of the
deposits to the subscribers.
After the advertisement convening the meeting had
been read, Mr. Heald, the solicitor, on the requisition of
the Chairman, read a report to the meeting, which was
very lengthy, but the substance of which appears in the
course of the explanations which ensued in the course
of the meeting. _ _ _

Before going into the report, it was suggested by Mr.
Cradock that the state of the several actions, both at
law and is equity, should be laid before the meeting.
Several gentlemen complained of not having received
the reports.
Colonel JOHNSON said that he was little of an ac
countant, and knew little further than to understand his
half-pay list. He thought it would be unfair to load the
Chairman and the members of the Committee with the
expenses arising out of the dirty actions brought against
them on the part of the Committee.
After some altercation, it was decided that the ques
tion respecting the several actions should be answered.
In this reply it appeared that only six of the Committee
had been made parties to Mr. Parsons' suit in equity.
These six had put in their answers; but it was the duty
(.f the plaintiff to serve all the Committee, and until
these services had been made. and the answers put in,
the suit could not proceed. 1,0001. had been proffered
to the Court of Chancery, to meet Mr. Parsons' claim.
With respect to Mr. Doyle's suit, both the oharge and
the replies were very lengthy, and the Master had
allowed a certain time for the purpose, which would
expire about the 21st of the present month.
Some further conversation ensued, in which several
gentlemen appeared desirous that Mr. Parsons' claim
should be settled as a preliminary measure, when
The CHAIRMAN explained that the Committee bad
refused to settle this claim because in their corporate
capacity they would not do that which they would
hesitate to do individually. They were quite ready
to meet this claim in a fair way, and submit
to reference before the Court of Chancery. This, it
appeared from that gentleman's conduct, was not what he
desired. Mr. Parsons had brought an action against
him individually; that he was prepared to defend, out
of his own resources, and as the company were not to
be responsible, they of course could not interfere. Cer-
tainly he felt assured that he would rather have given a
cheque for 5001. than have had anything to do with the
concern. The object of the action commenced by Mr.
Parsons, was to recover the loss which Mr. Parsons had
sustained upon the 2,000 shares allotted to him, al-
though the letter of allotment itself had been destroyed
by consent.

Mr. CRADOCK complained that the Committee had
taken such a small interest in the concern: Among
others, the Chairman had agreed to take a hundred
shares, but had only signed for and paid upon 25.
Some of the Committee had proposed for 400, and others
of them for 100 each, but these gentlemen had taken a
much smaller number.

The CHAIRMAN explained that he had paid upon 25
shares and was quite ready to take and pay on the 100
shares, but the fact was that Mr. Parsons had filed a bill in
the Court of Chancery to compel him to take up 300
shares. To this he should demur, but he was quite
ready to pay on his 100 shares as soon as Mr. Parsons
paid upon his.
Mr. CRADOCR - Well, then, pass by the Chair-
man's case and go to that of the other directors, and read
a letter requiring the production of the letters of allot-
ment to the directors.

After some conversation the Chairman, who had fre-
quently expressed his readiness to give the minutes,
produced the minute-book, and read a statement of the
allotments to the directors, and the payments made by
the parties, by which it appeared that the reserves
and payments had been made on behalf of six of the
directors. By the rest of the provisional committee no
application had been made. On the 17th of December
it was decided that twenty shares should be the qualifi-
cation for a directorship, and that a reserve of 300
shares was made for each of the directorships.
Much confusion and angry altercation ensued, in which

it was alleged that the directors ought to have taken up
their 300 shares, but this was met by a declaration on
their part that they would take up their shares so soon
as the Bill in Chancery was removed.
A SHAREHOLDER alleged that he had lost 3s. Id. per
share on 200 shares in consequence of the directors not
having taken up their shares.
Mr. TURNER explained that out of 27,400 shares as
many as 23,443 had been allotted to the public, and that
the capital had been reduced from 900,0001. to 600,0001.,
and that the failure of the company was owing to the
change of public opinion and net to the deficiency of
the provisional committee.

Dir. CRADocK wished to know why the amalgamation
had not been made ?

The CHAIRMAN explained, to the effect that it was
Mr. Parsons' own objection which had prevented the
allotment of shares in the first instance, and it was only
owing to his own determination that any allotment had
been made whatever. After the arrangement had been
made with Mr. Bethell, it was discovered that his en-
gineering was so deficient that there was a fall of thir-
teen feet in one place, and a rise of two feet in another;
so that there was no moral possibility of getting through
the House. He had himself taken the plans to Mr.
Bethell, and had desired him to explain. Then the
arrangement with the Andover line was made ; but
here there was a deficiency again; and he believed
that if the three companies had been amalgamated, this
would have been one of the best lines in the kingdom,
and that it would yet be so. But it would have been
clearly madness to have gone into Parliament under the
circumstances, for the probability was, if they had done
so, instead of 30,000 to return to the shareholders, they
would have had nothing.
Mr. CHANCE and Mr. PAYNE, both of them directors,
declared that as soon as Mr. Parsons removed the
Chancery snit, they would pay on the remaining 75
shares.

Mr. POCOCK, in answer to a question, stated that on
receiving the letter of allotment, he immediately re-
turned the letter to the secretary, and distinctly stated
that he would take no more than 25 shares.

A SUAREELOLDER—Then you are justified ?

Mr. PococK—l think so.

A SHAREHOLDER wished to know whether the pay-
ments by the Committee had been made at the same time
Kith those of the other allottees ?

Before however this was decided upon, the secretary
was requested to read the several letters of the directors,
excepting the allotments, by which it appeared that Mr.
Chance had agreed to take 400 shares, Mr. Oliviera 400,
Colonel Ellington 400, Mr. Payne 400, Mr. Williams
425, and Lord Rossmore 425 shares; but of those only 25
shares had been paid upon.
Mr. HEALD explained, that by the reduction of the
capital to 600,0001., the shares had been reduced to
28,570 in number. Of these, it appeared that 23,560 had
been allotted, and 23,443 had been paid upon, leaving
only 5,010, and 10 shares reserved, and dividing these
by 17, the number of directors, it left 178 shares for
each of the directors, and thus set aside practically the
,riginal allotment of 400 shares.
On further inquiries, it appeared that four of the pro-
visional committee. Mr. Coape, Mr. Fitzgerald, the Hon.
R. Gore, and Mr. Spicer, had each accepted 100 shares,
but had paid nothing.
It was afterwards shown that the time of payment by
the allottees had been the 9th of October, and the suit
commenced by Mr. Parsons began on the 17th of De-
cember; but it 'was explained that the money paid by
the directors was advanced, not as a payment, but for
the purpose of meeting the daily expenses.
Mr. CHANCE here stated that he wished he had paid
upon the 100 shares, and that he was now ready to do so.
Another Director stated the same thing.
A SHAREHOLDER wished to know whether Mr. Tur-
ner had paid upon his 100 shares, to which that gentle-
man replied that he had never agreed to take more than
twenty-five shares.
It was then suggested by Mr. H. BLAKE that, with
a view to winding up the concern, a committee of the
shareholders should be appointed to investigate the af-
fair, with power to call for all the documents in the pos-
session of the officials of the Company. This was the
more necessary, as it appeared that the chief difficulty
arose from the ill-feeling existing between the late soli-
tor of the Company and the present officials, and he
thought that the business would be better settled in that
way, for he believed that if Mr. Parsons bad been paid
the whole of his claim lie would have suffered infinitely
success.placed moreT h ei
CHAIRMAN
asbfalse
a l charactersc
presentgh stt statedhn
before
ten.
rob e would gain by any present
lanngd
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thought
tu
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the
Coloneldir directors jos inN
JOHNSON
howtxahapepsroessistei
meeting TT les
was,expressed the same opinion.
Mr. BLAKE still persisted in his suggestion,b and con-
ceived that he was taking the very
whicht courseb to relieve
motiont
theand Cboemwmonititde,etbfreormerotrhee, onus
frametoatcoythwaetreeffleicatb.le,
explained that the motion before the
that the report be received and adopted.
cb being
AIRMANn gseconded,
Mr. HEALD said that this motion could not be enter-
tained, for no subject could be mooted which had not
been advertised.
After some conversation,
Mr. HEALD stated that only the original shareholders
could be allowed to vote, and a paper was prepared which
the assentors and dissentients might sign ; but this the
meeting refused, and the adoption was ultimately car-
ried unanimously.
A resolution was then passed to the effect that a
guinea per share should be returned to the shareholders
on the production of scrip, but considerable difference
ensued as to whether a release should on this payment
be granted to the directors for all their past acts, and it
was ultimately decided that as the fund to be distributed
was 30,0001., and the amount to be distributed was only
20.000/., that such a release would be improper, and Mr.
Chance thought that on this point, the solicitor would
yield.
Mr. R. SPOONER, M.P., was quite ready to meet the
shareholders, and act as candidly by them as the direc-
tors had acted. If there was any charge to make
against the directors after the money was paid, he
trusted that it would be brought forward now.—(Hear.)
The business mode of doing the thing was to give a
receipt on the payment of the money.
Further conversation then ensued respecting stamping
the scrip, as had been done in the case of the Rugby,
Derby, and Manchester Company, and at last it was
settled that a receipt should be given on the payment of
the dividend, and that the payment should commence
within fourteen days from the present day.
Mr. BLAKE desired to press his motion that a Com-
mittee of shareholders should be formed, but it was
decided that the business of the meeting was concluded,
and thanks were voted to the Chairman, and the meet*