The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-15 00:00:00

IRE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 15,

COURT CIRCULAR.

The Queen and Prince Albert walked early yester-
day in the plantations of Osborne House.
Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, Prince
Alfred, the Princess Royal, and the Princess Alice,
walked and rode on ponies yesterday, in the pleasure
grounds of Osborne House.
The Hon. and Rev. C. Leslie Courtenay left Osborne
House yesterday.
Mr. Wickham, Chairman of the Stamps and Taxes,
had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer
yesterday, at his official residence in Downing-street.
Mr. Charles Warner had an interview with Earl Groy
yesterday, at the Colonial-office.
Dispatches were received yesterday, at the Colonial-
office, from the Governor of Gibraltar.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Lady Mary
Wood left Bowood Park, Wilts, the seat of the Marquis
of Lansdowne, yesterday morning, for town. Mr.
Charles Greville also left yesterday for London. The
Earl of Clarendon will leave Bowood Park to-day, for
his seat, Grove Park, Herts.

The Marquis and Marchioness of Blandford, Earls
Stanhope, Cadogan, Stradbroke, Lords de Lisle, Somer
ton, Walsingham, Bendlesham, and Cranley, Mr. and
Mrs. 11. Seymour, and Captain Broke, have been visit-
ing General Sir Edward and Lady Kerrison, at Oakley
Park, Suffolk.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
TATTERSALL'S—MONDAY.
The business transacted yesterday failed to produce
any effect on the odds ; none in fact can be looked for so
long as the horses are confined to straw beds. After
stating, therefore, that the animals most currently in
favour were Epirote, Planet, Glentilt, Wanota, and Red
Hart, it will be sufficient if we preface our usual price
current with a list of the principal transactions :-8 to 1
to about 50/. agst Van Tromp, 15 to 1 to 651. agst Epi-
rote (16 to 1 laid once), 1,000 to 50 two or three times
agst Planet, 2,000 to 80 twice agst Glentilt, 2,000 to 60
agst Allertonian, 2,000 to 50 agst Tantivy, a similar bet,
and 2,500 to 50 agst Red Hart, 2,000 to 40 each agst
The Liberator, Projectile, and the Miss Martin cot,
(plenty of layers agst The Liberator), 45 to 1 in fifties
agst Cossack, 1,000 to 15 three or four times, and after-
wards 3,000 to 30 agst War Eagle, 1,000 to 15 each agst
the Monimia colt and Galvanic Ring, and 10.000 to 100
agst Clarendon. Offers to take 6to 1 about Scott's lot,
and 40 to 1 about Wanota. The Oaks bets were 3,000
to 300 agst Slender, and 300 to 25 and 500 to 100 agst
her and Clementina jointly. Offers to take 20 to 1 each
about Miami and The Farmer's Daughter. The frost
having put an end to steeple-chasing for the present, no-
thing was done on the events that were to have come off
this day in the neighbourhood of Leamington. We
subjoin the latest averages.
CHESTER CUP.
1000 to 15 agst Mr. Coape's Rufus—taken
1000 to 15 agst Mr. Whaley's Burgundy—taken.
TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS STAKES.
stolon the field.
6to 1 agst Mr. Mostyn's Glentilt—ta. to a small sum.
DERBY.
11 to 2 agst John Scott's lot—take 6 to 1
6to 1 agst John Day's lot—taken to 251.
Bto 1 agst Lord Eglinton's Van Tromp—taken
15 to 1 agat Mr. Bowes's Epirote—taken
20 to 1 agst Mr. Mostyn's Planet—taken
25 to 1 agst Mr. Mostyn's Glentilt
28 to 1 agst Mr. Payne's Sig. to Cobweb colt—no frnds.
30 to 1 agst Mr. Bowes's Lunedale—taken
33 to 1 agst Mr. Gully's Allertonian—taken
33 to 1 agst Mr. Worley's Old Port
33 to 1 agat Lord Caledon's Wanota—take 40 to 1
40 to 1 agst Mr. Gully's Tant ivy—taken and aft. offd.
40 to 1 agst Lord Stradbroke's Marpessa colt
45 to 1 agst Mr. Pedley's Cossack—taken
50 to 1 agst Duke of Richmond's Red Hart--ta. freely.
50 to 1 agst Mr. hlostvn's Miss Martin colt—taken
50 to 1 agst Mr. Mostyn's Projectile—taken
50 to 1 agst Mr. W. O'Brien's Liberator—ta. and af. off.
100 to 1 agst Mr. Bouverie's War Eagle—taken
100 to 1 agst Mr. Ford ns Clarendon—taken
1000 to 15 agst Mr. Wreford's Monimia colt—t and aft cf.
1000 to 15 agst Lord Strathmore's Galvanic Ring—taken
and afterwards offered.
OAKS.
10 to 1 agst Mr. Mostyn's Slander—taken.
16 to 1 agst Sir J. Hawley's Miami.
16 to 1 agat Mr. J. Day's Farmer's Daughter.
As some misconception exists on the subject, we may
as well mention that the horse backed fur the Derby
under the name of the " Miss Martin colt," is the same
that has occasionally figured as the Miss Iris colt ; he
was originally entered as " by Lanercost, dam by Vol
taire, out of Miss Iris," but the dam has since been
named Miss Martin.
Sir G. Heathcote has christened his three Derby colts
as follows :—The Miss Wilfred colt " Bellerophon," the
Caroline colt " Atlantic," and the Samarcand colt " Ti-
mour." Mr. Drinkald's Oaks filly by lon, out of Ran-
villette, bought of Mr. Ellis, has received the name of
lonia."
Lord Gardiner's hunters were put up for sale yester-
day, and about five or six knocked down ; the principal
lots sold were Dot, 91 guineas ; and Snuffbox, 85
guineas.

SHIPMENTS OF BRITISH WOOLLENS TO

CHINA.
(From the Leeds Mercury.)
We have been favoured, just before going to press,
with the following Return of Shipments of British
Woollens to China during the present year, with the
comparative exports of former years. Want of time
forbids our making the remarks we should have wished
to offer on this important document, which is from the
highest authority; but we cannot refrain from noticing
the striking confirmation it gives to the arguments lately
urged in favour of an immediate as well as serious re-
duction in the duty on tea. The falling off in the trade
of this district with China is now proved to be most
serious; and we have no doubt that the cotton districts
present a result equally indicative of the darkened pros.
pccts of al►, capitalists end labourers alike, who have
hitherto been engaged in supplying the Chinese markets.
Statement of the Estimated Exports .of Woollen Goods Shipped to
China from London and Liverpool, from the Ist of January to the
23d of November, 1846.

0.
.; 8
g i ;74
1.3
4; S. :44 a•
G
tr. xi
Shipped to this date
during the present
year .. 66,600 7,959 45,932 5,493 8,812
Shipped to same date
last pear .. 87,900 14,793 56,363 7,525 10,294
Do. do., 1844.. 106,134 20,533 46,462 4,643 11,855
Total shipped during
the year 1845 .... 93,510 15,253 58,515 7,525 10,291
Had arrived in China
when the last ac-
counts lett of the
present year's ship-
-23,090 2,190 3,216 3,341 4,005

IRELAND.
MR. O'CONNELL AND THE REPEAL
SECESSION.

DUBLIN, DEC. 13.—The following important letter
has been addressed to the Freeman's Journal by Mr.
O'Connell. It would now appear that there is no pros-
pect of a reconciliation between the Repeal Association
and the seceders:—

"Merrion-square, Dec. 12, 1846.
" Sir,—l return you the resolutions which you sent
me unsought for on my part. I return them, lest by
retaining them I should be supposed to acquiesce in the
gross inaccuracy they exhibit of the real state of the
question touching the conference proposed by me.
"In one of these resolutions-you talk, as of a matter
of doubt, whether any legal question would arise at the
conference.
"It is, perhaps, my duty—at all events it is my incli-
nation—to inform you that the primary, if not the ex-
clusive object of the proposed conference, is to ascertain
and define matters of law.
" In truth the affair stands thus:—
" First—The Repeal Association is, beyond any sha-
dow of doubt, a lawful assembly, not impeachable for
any breach of the law.
"My proof is this. The Repeal Association has stood
the ordeal of the state trial—not only without any
prosecution, but without any officer of the crown, cr any
one of the court, intimating against it the slightest
charge of illegality.
"The Repeal Association is a legal body, because it
disclaims any use of force and arms to achieve the repeal
of the union statute. Because it disclaims the use of
physical force to achieve the repeal of the union statute,
every member of the Repeal Association is at present
perfectly safe from any prosecution.
" Would the members be equally safe if it were to
admit any intermixture of the physical force principle
as part of the means for obtaining such repeal?
" I am decidedly of opinion that the members would
not, in such a case, be safe from a well-founded prose-
cution.
"I take these propositions to be clear in law:--
" First—That any asssembly admitting any species of
physical force as part of its means of obtaining a repeal
of an Act of Parliament is an unlawful assembly, liable
to be dispersed by any magistrate, and its members to
be punished by indictment.
" Secondly—That any such assembly is not only un-
lawful, but that any acts done by it in furtherance of its
object constitute a treasonable fact, rendering the mem-
bers liable to conviction and execution for treason.
" This opinion, in point of law, I have at repeated
public meetings proclaimed.
On one occasion, in the Association, I brought down
the legal authorities, and quoted then chapter and page.
" It is observable, that often as I have repeated this
legal doctrine, no one has had the hardihood to deny its
*accuracy.
" It follows, if I be right, that the seceders cannot
safely be admitted into the Repeal Association, unless
upon the fullest and most explicit disclaimer of resorting
to any physical force means to achieve the repeal of the
union.
"In order to be enabled to receive the seceders into
the Repeal Association again, it should be ascertained
beyond a doubt whether I am right in point of law or not.
" At former periods in my struggles for advancing
the popular cause my judgment in the matter of law
was found eminently useful, and my opinion of the
state of the law was trusted to with implicit confidence.
And I have the comfort to know that such confidence was
never regretted nor shown by any fact to be misplaced.
" Now my most anxious desire is to lay the founda-
tion of perfect conciliation ; er, if that be refused, to
have the universal people understand who it is to whom
the continuance of the dissension is justly attributable.
" I stand altogether upon the law. My sole difficulty
rests upon the legal objection to the admission of the
seceders.
" What, then, is to be done ?
"Is it not the wise course to ascertain beyond n
doubt what the law is upon the subject ? If the-law
will admit of any relaxation I am quite ready, of course
I am, to give the seceders the full benefit of that re-
laxation.
" I repeat the question.
" What is to be done ? My answer is ready, and I
propose to do the thing—that is, to hold an amicable
conference, to ascertain, in the first instance, the state
of the law.
" This should be a preliminary inquiry. It would
be idle to talk upon the terms upon which the seceders
should be re-admitted, if we are prevented by the law
from re-admitting them, except at the peril of our lives.
" Let us, then, ascertain most amicably the state of
the law, and leave every other question (if other ques-
tions there be) undiscussed until the state of the law
is ascertained.
" It was with a-view to ascertain thus amicably the
law of the case that I proposed the conference. I se-
lected the most unexceptionable persons to be members
of that conference, including even myself, for I named
before Mr. Smith O'Brien. I also named four barristers
—three of them more eminently successful in their pro-
fession than any gentlemen of their standing in the
British dominions; the fourth possessed of talents
equally entitling him to a success in his profession, which
I believe ought not to be far distant.
" The four are—

Sir COLEMAN O'LOGHLIN,
Mr. O'HEA,
Mr. O'HAGAN, and
Mr. Dit.LoN.
" It is not likely that any man will be found who will
dispute the accuracy of their conjoint legal opinion. If
that opinion be identical with mine, there are many of
the seceders who will acquiesce and submit to the law,
and join the Association once again in its struggles for
Irish nationality. If the law be declared otherwise
than I think it is, I shall acquiesce at once and admit my
error. But in either case, no question of terms can
arise until the law is ascertained, and fully and unequi-
vocally submitted to.
" There can be no paltering in a double sense. The
law, when once ascertained, must be the rule of all our
actions ; nothing else would be just—nothing else would
be wise—nothing else would be safe.
" The conference cannot do any harm ; it may, and I
think must, do good. It will show that I am ready to
carry out conciliation to the full extent of law.
" It will also show who they are who would prevent
conciliation ; or, at all events, not avail themselves of its
influence.
" I am bound to say that I have not been met with a
spirit corresponding to my own, in the desire to put an
end to dissension.
" A most respectable clergyman, of the mildest con-
ciliatory demeanour, and a high order of intellect-
- " Such men as he
Give grace to holy ministry,"
took the trouble of going down to the county Limerick
to Mr. Smith O'Brien, with my message of peace.
" He, alas! had his journey in vain. I have his au-
thority for se) ing that Mr. Smith O'Brien decidedly re-
jected the conference.
" I regret extremely ; but it makes it only the more
imperative duty upon me to redouble my exertions for
the sole remaining object of my political life—the repeal
of the union. "I arn, Sir, your obedient servant,
" DANIEL O'CONNELL.
" T. Devin Reilly, Esq."
STATE OF THE COUNTRY.

There is no part of Ireland exempt from the terrible
calamity by which we aro now afflicted. The northern
districts, heretofore comparatively free from destitution,
are now suffering deep distress; and even in the manu-
facturing towns, Drogheda, Belfast, and Lisburn, there
is a vast amount of destitution.
In Drogheda, on Tuesday last, a meeting attended by
all the leading inhabitants, was held at the Tholsel, to
adopt measures for affording relief and employment,
until the Board of Works should be enabled to extend
operations in the district.
The Roman Catholic Primate, Most Rev. Dr. Crony,
addressed the meeting on the necessity of prompt exer.
Lion. "We must," said that excellent prelate, " call on
the inhabitants to subscribe liberally, although it is not
very long since we called on them before. But we
could not, no one could, foresee the greater calamity
which has since befallen the country. That calamity is
far more deep, and more extensively spread over the
country, and we must appeal to all for aid."
Arrangements were made for a general subscription.
DEATH OF THE SON OF CAPTAIN KENNEDY
FROM HYDROPHOBIA.
The Limerick Chronicle says—" Sad gloom prevails
over the neighbourhood of Newcastle, in consequence of
the death, from hydrophobia, of a fine boy, seven years
old, son of Capt Kennedy, agent to the Devon estates,
who was bitten five weeks ago by a stray cur dog."
Lady Blessington (Miss Power), the authoress, and
friend of Moore, the poet, is at Besborough, the scat of
the Lord-Lieutenant.
LIMERICK, DEC. 12.—Three vessels arrived in our
port from Odessa, Vigo, and New York, with cargoes of
Indian corn, since 'Wednesday, besides four vessels from
London, Glasgow, and Waterford, with flour and grain.
We are shipping corn and provisions every day for Lon-
don and Glasgow! The Isabella, from New York, with
Indian corn, arrived here yesterday, and was purchased
at 15/. per ton. J. N. Russell and Sons, of this city,
have entered notice of application to the grand jury for
2,3001., amount of loss sustained by them in consequence
of the plunder of their ship, the Sea Lark, and her cargo,
at Ballybunnion, last month.
DARING OUTRAGE.—Thomas Gabbett, Esq., of Cor-
bally House, and his friend, Mr. Bindon, returning from
a shooting excursion near Castle Lake, on Monday last,
were intercepted at Truogh by three men, one of whom
ordered Mr. Gabbett to deliver his gun, while the other
two rushed upon Mr. Bindon and struggled to disarm
him. Mr. Gabbett, who had a valuable double-barrelled
piece, kept his adversary at a few paces' distance by an
earnest expression of his resolve to shoot the man if he
dare approach him nearer. This fellow immediately
gave a loud whistle, and in less than five minutes fifty
country fellows ran across the fields to the spot with
spades and shovels, the above fellow calling out, " Take
the gun from the ruffian." Mr. Gabbett then repeated
his former determination not to surrender, warning them
of the consequence, and telling them who he was. Two
of the crowd who knew Mr. Gabbett then interfered,
and prevailed upon the leader and his gang to let Mr.
Gabbett told his friend pass on, which they did, and both
gentlemen brought home their arms safe, to the evident
discomfitu re of the principals in this daring attack.—
Limerick Chronicle.
THE FAIRY WOMAN. "—On the Bth instant the
county coroner held an inquest on the body of a man
named JDenis Roche, of Knockrow, barony of St. Mul-
lins, um ier the following circumstances :—" It appeared
that th.e deceased, who was employed on the public
works, had suddenly disappeared, and was not heard of
by his family during the last fortnight. After being
paid h'is wages on the day he was last seen, he went into
a public-house at Babana, to drink with some of the
workmen, and as his body was found last week in a turf
bog at Cranagh, it is supposed he lost his way, had
fallen into a turf bog, and was drowned. His family
having k ;parched the district in vain for the body, pro-
ceeded iy Enninortby t 9 a ' fairy woman,' that is, one

who held communication with the invisible world, and
gave her it, on condition that she would inform them
of the particulars respecting the death of the deceased.
Having taken two clear days to consult her invisible
friends, the fairies,' she announced that she had seen
deceased himself, and that he was murdered by two men,
one of whom had deceived a fair-haired girl in the neigh-
bourhood, but the fairies threw no light on the locality
of the murder. The body was accidently found on the
7th instant. The coroner and the jury, we presume, did
not placed implicit reliance on the " fairy" woman's
superhuman knowledge ; for, as the body presented
the ordinary appearance of death by drowning, the jury
found a verdict accordingly.—Carlow Sentinel.
THE WEATHER.—The frost has become so intense
that the Liffey is frozen even where the tide runs. This
has not occurred for several years. The canals are also
frozen. The weather is extremely severe, and must
greatly aggravate the sufferings of the poor.
LIMERICK, DEO. 12.—After a most intense hard frost
yesterday morning, there was a copious fall of snow,
succeeded by very severe frost, with an intense cold at-
mosphere the entire of yesterday.

THE WEATHER and the PARKS.
The skating season in the several parks commenced
yesterday, although the ice was far from being safe, and
loss of life unfortunately resulted.
HYDE Hatuic..—ln this park the number of persons
surrounding the Serpentine was very considerable, but
the skaters, the ice not being above one inchin thickness,
were very limited. Upon the long water the ice is about
one inch and a half thick, and the number of persons
who ventured on during the day, including a few mem-
bers of the Skating Club, were not more than 200.
During the day, five persons broke through near the
edge, but were speedily rescued by the lookers-on. The
round pond in Kensington -gardens had about 150 per-
sons on it, no accident occurring. The thermometer at
the receiving-house in Hyde-park at eight A.X.. showed
the mercury to be as low as 18; at twelve o'clock, it had
risen to 28, but at six, P.M., the mercury was at 21, with
wind in the north-east.

ST. JAMES'S-RARIL.—In this park the number of per-
sons venturing on the ice were about 250, but they were
mostly confined to the west end, opposite Buckingham
Palace. At the east end the ice was considered to be so
unsafe that Superintendent Gochrey caused the edges to
be broken by the icemen. About half-past two o'clock
an accident happened by which a man named Wright,
potman at the king's Arms, Brewer- street, Pimlico, lost
his life. It appears that a young man named George
Pilley, a paper-hanger, of 169, Goswell-street, broke
through the ice, near the fountain, into seven feet water.
Thomas Thomas, of 5, Grove, Mile-end, went to his
assistance, but•the ice also broke with him, and they both
became immersed. The unfortunate deceased went to their
assistance, but before getting near them the ice broke with
him also, and he disappeared. Iceman Pavey succeeded,
by means of a "breaker ladder" in rescuing Thomas,
and Winnett, another man belonging to the Royal
Humane Society, rescued Pilley. The drags were then
put in requisition, and in about four minutes Wright was
brought up. The whole of the men, much exhausted,
were conveyed to the marquee, where they were attended
by Mr. M'Cann, surgeon, and Thomas and Pilley reco-
vered, but all efforts to restore Wright were unavailing.
The body was removed to St. Martin's workhouse to
await the coroner's inquiry.
REGENT'S-PARIL.—The ornamental ice in this park
was visited by about 600 skaters and sliders during the
day. The only accident worthy of notice happened
about two o'clock, when W. Bennett, 27, Guildford-
street, Russell-square, and W. Vincent, 15, New-street,
Dorset-square, broke through the ice near Clarence-
gate. They were speedily rescued by the icemen.
ACCIDENTS IN THE FROST.—Yesterday the metropo-
litan streets and suburbs were to a great extent covered
with ice, occasioning many serious and fatal accidents.
In the 'Waterloo-bridge-road, a horse attached to a cart
heavily laden with hay, proceeding up the hill towards
the bridge, in consequence of the slippery condition of
the ground, fell down, and the cart being overturned, a
boy named Farley, who was seated at the top, was
dashed upon the ground, and sustained a deep fracture
on the head. On the same spot, shortly afterwards, a
boy accidentally slipped down, and before he could
recover himself, the wheels of a cab had passed
over his chest. Two other accidents of nearly a
similar nature occurred during the day on London-
bridge, and in Fleet-street, opposite Fetter-lane, result •
ing in the serious maiming of two females named Clara
Lloyd and Emma Morgan. On Holborn-hill, a power-
ful horse, attached to a brick cart, was thrown down
opposite Shoe-lane, and several persons who assisted in
detaching the animal were severely kicked and injured
by the horse, which the owner was compelled to kill.
Very numerous accidents occurred on nearly every
bridge, owing 0 the horses of omnibuses, &c., being
unable to ascend the slippery roadway. An unloaded
coal barge, belonging to a merchant of Southwark, was
found drifting down the river, and it was ascertained
that the barge had left Chelsea in the charge of a lighter-
man named. David Smith, and from marks ou the
barge it is supposed that that individual was walking
along the gunwale, which was covered with frozen snow,
when he had slipped overboard.

IRISH RAILROADS.

THE WATERFORD, WEXFORD, WICKLOW,
AND DUBLIN COMPANY.

(From the At(al.)
The importance of railways to Ireland is obvious. To
a country possessing almost every element of national
prosperity except capital, they present the most direct
means of ultimately supplying that great want. In the
present circumstances of Ireland they are peculiarly
valuable as a source of immediate employment, and as a
vital agent for vivifying existing forms of industry and
creating new ones. But railroad enterprise, to be of
practical utility to Ireland, must be conducted with the
utmost caution. The danger is as imminent as the utility.
Ireland is not in a condition for experiments. She
cannot afford failures. The only railroads that can, in
the existing state of things, be of any use to Ireland,
or that ought to be sanctioned in that country, are
railroads that present a reasonable chance of success.
Projects that are likely to expire amongst the gam-
blers in the share market—or upon which the calls arc
never likely to be paid up—or that cannot yield
remunerating returns, even if established—ought to be
abandoned. The great money power of England enables
her to play with risks which would be destruction to
Ireland. In England it is all very wt It to say that
wherever there is a turnpike road there must be a rail-
way ; and no doubt, in the end, the exulting prophecy
will come to pass, because we have plenty of money to
carry us over the unprofitable interval which must elapse
before it can be realised. But in that interval the bulk
of the subscribers to an Irish railroad would perish.
These sounding generalities, which represent the omni-
potence of capital rather than the inevitable operations of
necessity, are wholly inapplicable to Ireland. There is
no money power in Ireland ; not a superfluous shilling
to expend upon theoretical schemes ; hardly enough,
indeed, to supply the exigencies of the hour. In Ireland,
therefore, every advance made in this direction must be
made with a forewarning of the gravest responsibility.
There must be no squandering ; no wild speculation ;
or, instead of conferring benefits upon the country, the
extension of railways will only increase her embarrass-
ments, and place her still farther beyond the reach of
ordinary social remedies.
The company whose title we have cited above affords
a very complete illustration of the practical evils we ap-
prehend from rash and ill-advised railroad speculations
in Ireland. The objections to this line are so strong,
and lie so conspicuously on the surface, that, had there
not been n special inducement, to which we will come
presently, it would be surprising how a sufficient num-
ber of subscribers could have been drawn together in
the first instance, or why, having had ample time to con-
sider their situation, they do not now dissolve. The
failure of such a line, with a uominal capital of a mil-
lion sterling, would entail incalculable calamities upon
the country. She could not endure the consequences of
so fatal an error. She lacks the elastic spring by which
wealthier communities recover themselves from a false
step.

The objections to this line are twofold. First, it can-
not pay—an objection large enough in itself to include
all others. Second, it is impossible to raise the requi-
site capital. Undoubtedly these are peculiar features in
a railway which has already procured its Act of Parlia-
ment. But it must be remembered that the scene of
these eccentric :operations is Ireland, and that the sub-
scription to the deeds was obtained at a time when na-
tional credulity was agape for every project, however
absurd, and when it was believed that there was a sor-
cery in prospectuses to conjure traffic out of a desert.
The line proposes to run from Dublin, through Wick-
low and Wexford, to Waterford. Any person ac-
quainted with the country must know that there is no
business intercourse of any kind along this road. The
only portion of it traversed by a travelling population is
that which is embraced in the first fifteen or twenty
miles into Wicklow, whose beauties, surrounded by a
cestus of romantic hills, never fail to attract the wander-
ing eyes of visitors, and the pic-nits of the slumberous
metropolis. Through the summer, possibly, a few
pleasure-trains might yield a remunerating return. The
value of property, too, in the immediate neighbourhood,
might be improved. But all this would be only fair
weather prosperity. The moment winter sets in, the oc-
cupation of the green vallies and mazy woods is over ;
and the business of a Wicklow railroad would virtually
cesse. People are not fond of making gay excursions in
dreary December, or eating cold dinners on the saturated
grass, under a forest of umbrellas.
The rest of the line passes for the most part through
a country disomlly relieved here and there by stretches
of sand, barren heaths, and long undulating hills. The
population is wretched, and, in some places, plunged
into the lowest depths of misery. A few farms are
scattered at distant intervals, but none of them rich or
large ; gentlemen's seats are still more rare ; and there
are no evidences anywhere of the material progress
which either requires a railroad, or which is likely at
present to be benefited by one. The whole intercourse
along the line is now carried on by two coaches—a morn-
ing coach and a night mail; and so languid is the traffic,
that the post-office finds it necessary to allow a much
higher rate of mileage here than in other places, to ena-
ble the contractors to make up for the deficiency of
passengers. Yez an Act of Parliament has been ob-
tained for constructing a railway through these unpro-
fitable districts, over which a miracle must be worked
before any prospect of a return can ever be looked for.
The history of the company is instructive. It started
under the auspices of the Board of the Great Western of
England, who contemplated a chain of communication
through the South line across to Wexford, and thence
by this new line to Dublin, forming, upon the whole, a
more accessible route between London and Dublin, than
any now in existence. The name of the Great Western
was a tower of strength. The Irish constituency be-
lieved that they were safe under the shelter of that vast
monopoly; and in the confident expectation that the lire
would be either leased or purchased by the Great
Western, the shares were rapidly subscribed. As the
time, however, approached for closing the Parliamentary
contract, it seems that there was not a sufficient amount
subscribed to enable the directors to go before Parlia •
mert, and during the last three days a number of in-
fluential gentlemen put their names to the contract for
various sums from 10,0001. to 300,000/. each. They
were just in time to save the Bill, and the Bill was saved
accordingly.
But it is now discovered that the Great Western has
no intention whatever of either leasing or purchasing
the line. The Great Western intends to wait very
wisely till the line is formed; and then it is not im
probable the Great Western may treat with the ruined
directory. In the meanwhile, what course is the direc-
tory adopting? The English reader will infer at once
that they have determined to wind up and dissolve, since
the temptation which called them into existence is with
drawn. No:—he will never guess that, in the face of
difficulties which may be described as being absolutely
insurmountable, they have announced their intention of
prosecuting their scheme! Now, this is precisely one of
the projects which, if persisted in, must inflict irreparable
mischief upon Ireland.
The mass of the allottees are Irish; they are persons of
small, or of no capital; they subscribed on the faith of
the Great Western; and now, finding that there is no
expectation of assistance from that quarter, they would
gladly retire from the speculation. But how is this to
be done? The majority of them have parted with their
scrip, although it seems not with their responsibility
The directors have announced their determination to re

gister the original allottees, and thus ifix them for the
calls. Let us see the effect of this proceeding,
By holding the allottees to their responsibility, the
directors deprive themselves of the means (if means can
ever be obtained) of carrying out the line. The bulk of
the allottees cannot pay their calls ; they could as easily
pay the national debt. Any attempt to enforce payment
will only aggravate the general difficulty. On the other
hand, the act of shutting out from registration the pur-
chasers of scrip, who may he presumed to be upon the
whole a more solvent class than allottees who subscribe
and sell, is an act of gross injustice, which literally
amounts to a forfeiture of property. This movement,
then, of the directors affects two very large constituen-
cies—the allottees who are still chained to their respon-
sibility, and the holders of scrip who are threatened with
confiscation. It has seldom happened that such a com-
plicated power of doing mischief has been roncentrated
in the action of a Railway Committee.
But what is to become of the great supporters of the
line who subscribed 20,0001. and 30,0001. each ? Are
they to be held responsible with the rest of the allottees?
Everybody knows that subscriptions of this extravagant
kind are merely intended as a sort of nominal guarantee
to answer the immediate purpose of securing the Act,
and never intended to be exacted. The greater part of
the shares of these gentlemen are, doubtless, distributed
over a wide expanse in the hands of the men of straw.
But the question still remains, what is to be done with
them ? If the directors mean to deal out impartial jus-
tice (or impartial injustice) alike to all, the question an-
swers itself, and these gentlemen must pay for their
.pa-
triotism. But, as the directors have a right to reject
whom they please, there is an escape for patriots which
will readily suggest itself to the board. We presume
that none of these large subscribers will be impounded
for their subscriptions. But they grievously deceive
themselves if they imagine that they wil get loose from
their responsibility in that way. They are in the per-
plexity of a man who. trying
.to escape from a fire,
rushes into a pond. The choice is between burning and

drowning.
The dilemma is this. They are either liable, or not
p
liable. If liable, they e haveensp e
et, incurredw iwill
be
very a
responsibility
willingonsibis littyo
which few of them, we
discharge ; and if
not liable, they have incurred a
responsibility from the inevitable failure of the
greater
means to carry on the line, through the pauperism of
the parties to whom their shares have been transferred.
In either case, the weight will finally descend upon
them, either from their own direct responsibility, or
from the extinction of all other sources of capital. It is
clearly their own interest, therefore, as well as their duty
to the country, to bring the affairs of this company to
an immediate solution.

We cannot conceive a single argument in defence of
such a project at such a time. If there was the slightest
prospect of eventual SUCCeSS ; if there was the slightest
hope of being able to raise the requisite capital—the
perseverance of the directors would command, as it
would deserve our warmest applause. But there is no
such prospect—no such hope. To persist in such a de-
sign at a juncture like this is to draw down wilfully fresh
fli,asters—to brave the evil genius of the country, in the
midst of misfortunes that already overwhelm the energies
of the people. The true policy—the honest and upright
course—is to dissolve this hopeless company, and to re-
turn back to the scripholders all the money that can now
be snatched from a career of aimless expenditure.
Delay will only absorb more of the deposit, and leave a
scantier residue to be distributed. It is possible the di-
rectors might negotiations to lease or sell their
rights. Every It of this kind should be tried before
the interests of the constituency shall have been finally
sacrificed. Such arrangements have been fr•Nuently
carried out with excellent results in England, and
might be attended with still happier effects in Ireland.
But whatever course the directors may take, the al-
lottees and scripholdere bare but One interest in common.