The Sun.
London, England, 1848-11-28 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE

PonTsmotera, Nov. 27.—The Sampson steam-frigate,
Captain Henderson, arrived at Spithead this afternoon,
with a freight of upwards of 2,500,000 dollars on mer-
chants' account, from the Pacific, which Messrs. Casher,
wine merchants and freight agents of this port, will con-
vey to the Bank. She sailed from Valparaiso on the
30th of September, took the passage of the Straits of
Magellan, arrived at Madeira on the 18th inst., and
sailed on the following day for this port. She left at
Valparaiso the Asia, Champion, and Nereus; at Rio the
Inconstant and Calliope (the latter on her way home
from New Zealand). She has brought home Lieutenant
Symons, of the 99th, from. New Zealand (out of the
Calliope); Mr. Hunt, late.Vice-Consul at Monte Video;
and Count Guidon, Captain
_,ef the French war brig
Genie, from Valparaiso. The Sampson has made the
quickest passage from Valparaiso on record. She will
be inspected to-morrow, and afterwards come into har-
bour to land her freight and be paid off.
The following are the reports of the performances of
the Rifleman and Shsrpvbooter screw- schooners during
the cruise which terminated this day:--
In smooth water, to determine the relative consump-
tion of fuel, the Sharpshooter (202-horse power) kept
pace with the Rifleman, working at a very reduced speed.
Against a closereefed-topsail breeze and a correspond-
ing sea the 'Rifleman (100 horse power) had the advan-
tage of nearly three miles an hour.
Under steam and sail the speed of the two vessels
may be considered nearly equal.
Under sail alone the Rifleman appeared to have a
slight advantage. The want of time is alleged as pre-
venting the relative capabilities of the two vessels on
this point being satisfactorily determined.
Another account :
On Tuesday the Sharpshooter and Rifleman left Yet,.
mouth Roads in order to encounter a gale of wind, to
try the superiority of the Sharpshooter steaming against
a head sea. After being at sea four days the result of
the trials was, that the Rifleman proved her superiority
in all points of sailing. On a wind the Rifleman beat
the Sharpshooter upwards of three knots in the trial,
which was the only one wherein both ships were esteemed
on a perfect equality. On Saturday both vessels tried
sailing with the wind on the quarter, studding-sails set,
when the Rifleman was fast overhauling the Sharp-
shoopter, but signal was made, " Try steaming and
sailing," and although Sharpshooter is 102 horse power
more than Rifleman, she only gained on her a quarter of
a mile in two hours. The Rifleman came into harbour
this afternoon to be docked, in order to discover the leak
in the stern-frame which appeared while in the gale of
Tuesday, the 21st, in which from her rolling motion the
Sharpshooter carried away and lost her port quarter
boat. The conclusion which I have arrived at from the
trial is, that the Rifleman, notwithstanding the superiority
of wood over iron, has shown herself to be superior in
every point of sailing, and as to steaming, comparatively
speaking, more efficient than the Sharpshooter, inas-
much as the Rifleman can steam 23 miles with one ton of
coals, and 31 miles expansively at the lowest step, and
the difference of speed between her and the Sharpshooter
is not more than one knot, although the engines of the
latter are 102-horse power more than the former.
At 10 30 this day the Rifleman and Sharpshooter
proceeded to Stokes-bay to try speed along the measured
mile. The Rifleman, three trials up and down at full
speed, averaging 8.5 knots, and working at the lowest
step of expansion 7.827 knots per hour, thereby show-
ing that by using her lowest step of expansion-gear
her speed is the same within half a knot as though she
was working full speed, which is a saving of one-third of
the quantity of coals. Revolutions at full speed, 43; at
the 3d step of expansion, 37.
Revolutions made each mile by the engines:—
First mile ..s ....• ... 311
Second mile
Third mile
... 320
Fourth mile 481
Fifth mile
Sixth mile
Seventh mile (expansion gear, 3d grade) 355
Revolutions of the screw:—
First mile ..• ••• 777
Second mils)
Third mile 800
Fourth mile
Fifth mile
... ............
865
Sixth mile
Seventh mile ... ... 887
Both vessels have done more than was expected of
them, and in the absence of a similar log from the Sharp-
shooter as we publish from the Rifleman, we give her the
credit of realising the extent of the wishes;of,allasconceraed
in her welfare—builder, enginemakers, commanders, and
engineers.

-The Fire Queen steam-vessel, Master-Commander
George Allen, was docked to-day. It is understood she
is to have a renewal of Mr. Hay's composition on her
bottom.

The Superb, 80, Captain A. L. Corry, is to be paid
off to-morrow.

The Driver, steam-sloop Commander J. R. John-
son, is ordered to take her marines, and such of her
seamen as wish to avail themselves of the opportunity,
to Plymouth.

The Rolla, exercise brig for the naval apprentices, is
ordered to be laid up for the winter. She was accord-
ingly warped up to a buoy ahead of the flag-ship this
morning, and commenced stripping, which has been car-
ried on with such expedition that she bids fair to be
clear to her girtlines by sunset.
The compasses of the Reynard, Commander Cracroft,
have been adjusted to-day for local attraction.
Sir Charles Napier's squadron will sail as soon as pos-
sible, and the Reynard, Commander Cracroft, and Plum-
per, Commander Nollith, are to follow. The latter
expects to be ready to•morrow evening or Wednesday
noon. The former has been detained for the perfect
testing of her cooking and distilling apparatus (Mr.
Grant's). The Plumper has not been tried at sea, and
no doubt the superior method she possesses of discon-
necting, and also of raising her screw when she is re-
quired to become a sailing vessel, and also of disposing
of her funnel telescope fashion so as to set her square
mainsail, will all give :the Reynard an advantage as to
mechanical arrangement, but this will not affect the
actual sailing.
Wind W.N.W., moderate breezes, and fine weather.
WOOLWICH, Nov. 27.—The Phaeton frigate, of 50
guns, launched at Deptford on Saturday last, under the
superintendence of Mr. Willcox, master shipwright at
that dockyard, was towed down the river to-day by the
Adder and Pigmy steam-vessels, and they will conduct
her to Chatham, the .Adder and Pigmy being under
orders to remain at that port ready for service. The
Phaeton, as she passed Woolwich to day, appeared very
much down in the stern, apparently fully more than
three feet of greater immersion than at her bows.
The Teazer steam-vessel, Lieut-Commander Selwyn,
returned to Woolwich yesterday from her experimental
trial in the North Sea, and it is said to have answered

very well considering the quality of coals she had on
board. She :left Greenhithe on the 23d, making only
5 knots with steam and 7 knots with steam and sail,
owing to the inferior coals and bad draught; but on the
two following days, the 24th and 25th, she made an
average of 8 knots, and stood remarkably stiff under sail.
She also answers her helm well, and will prove a good
sea boat. lier draught was 6 feet 11 inches aft and 6
feet fore.

The Arrogant, 42-gun frigate, with auxiliary screw
propeller, is to be towed down from Deptford by the
Monkey steam vessel, to be docked at Woolwich.
The Princess,Royal transport ship is under orders to be
towed down the river from Deptford to Gravesend pre-
paratory to her proceeding with troops to the Cape of
Good Hope.

CAUTION.---A correspondent writes . the Ken-
nington-road, between North.street and Richmond-
street, a female child, about six years of age, decently
clad, is to be seen at night-time i
macohrtushning men for
alms, carrying on her arm a basket
vy
as containing laces, &c. This child is mosetrasepsriedsueonutss
in her calling, and by her plausible manner fails not to
en list the attention of male passengers, to whom she
al one addresses herself, carefully shunning all female
Passers-by. An elderly gentleman was accosted last
evening by this, child, and who from a feeling of sym-
pathy, before responding to her appeal, commenced
making inquiries as to the cause of her being oat at that
hour seeking charity ; but ere the gentleman had put
the question a man and woman pounced upon him from
the dead wall at the corner of St. Alban-street, where
they had placed themselves to receive the proceeds, and
accused him of having made improper overtures to the
child. The gentleman was compelled to call forward
persons who were passing at the time, some of whom
stated that they had on former occasions been similarly
solicited by, and gave alms to, this very child. But for
their interference a groundless charge would have been
established against one who oat of kindness was about
to relieve the child's supposed necessities, and he would
have been made the victim of these designing characters,
whose mode of living seems to be this infamous system
of extortion.—Walcot-place, Kennington-road, Nov. 26.
—[What are the police about in that quarter?—En.
Sun.]

WESTERN RAILWAY.
Referring to the notice of an intended special general
meeting of proprietors on the lath December, I tan in-
structed to forward to you the following copies of reso-
lutions and correspondence, from which you will per-
ceive that in consequence of the refusal of the Great
Western and South-Western Companies to submit either
to the decision of a Committee of the house of Commons
on the Bill, or to reference, the question of representa-
tion at the proposed amalgamated board, the holding of
that meeting is considered unnecee. ary.
These documents will also inform you of the nature
of the Bill intended to have been vtitanit tcd to the pro-
prietnrs on that, occasicre and of the (Alice s which the
parties negotiating had in view. It was eentemptated
that the Act should be permissive oily, and that
when
passed a meeting should be celled to censider the steps
proper to be taken under it. An iuvestieetion would
then have been instituted for ihe.purpose of ascertaining
the actual relative value of the three undertakings
after which, the proprietors would again have been
called together to consider the terms proposed, which
would ha.e required the sanction of not less than three-
fifths of the proprietors, and vvitle ut which sanction,
the Act, even when passed, would not come into operation.
The resolutions referred to having been, submitted to
this board, were approved, with the exc, poon of the fol-
lowing:—" That in any united beard to be created under
the Act, each of the companies shall in the first instance
be equally represented in number, and such first joint
beard shall continue in office for a fixed term of five
years from the passing of the Act, and that due provi-
sion shall be made in the Act for the local administra-
tion of the several railways;" in which is involved the
principle of nominal equality of representation for a pe-
riod of five years, irrespective of the much- larger capi-
tal of this company, as compared with the capital of the
other companies, as the case might bee--a principle
which our deputation had from the earliest stage, and
throughout, objected to, and which they finally re-
served for the special consideration and decision of their
board.
The resolution (marked C), and letter of the llth inst.
(D), will explain the grounds on which the board felt it
their duty to withhold their approval of resolution 8,
feeling sure that their constituents would never consent
that for a period of five years their much larger capital
and revenue should have an amount of representatieni
equal only to that sought for the capital and revenue of
the other companies respectively. As, for instance, the
Great Western Company, the larger of the two, having
a capital paid up of only 7,000,0001., and with an annual
revenue of 822,0001., as compared with the paid-up ca-
pital of the London and North-Western Company,
amounting to 14,000,0001., with an annual revenue of
2,195,000/. But with an anxious desire that the nego-
tiations should not be broken off upon a point which it.
was hoped might be adjusted hereafter, it was proposed
that the question should be left either to the decision of
the Committee on the Bill, or to reference.
This proposal, so reasonable in itself (the principle in-
volved bring in strict accordance with the precedent af-
forded by the London and North-Western Amalgams.
Lion Act, quoted by the Great Western Company), liar
been rejected; and on grounds the force of which this.
board, after the most careful consideration, are unable to
recognise. Under these circumstances, the directors are
not prepared to rccemmend their shareholders to proceed,
with the proposed Bill. It becomes my duty, therefore,
to inform you, that there is no longer any necessity to re-
quest your attendance, either personally or by proxy, on.
the 13th of December. By order,
CHARLES E. STEWART, Secretary.
Office, Euston-station, Nov. 27.
[Here follow the resolutions considered at several con-
ferences held in London in the months of September,
October, and November, 1848, between deputations of
the London and North-Western, the Groat Western, and
the London and South-Western Companies. Also the
declaration (A) of the Great Western Company referred
to in resolution 5, with the reply (B) of the London and,
South- Western Company to the preceding declaration;
likewise referred to in the same resolution, and which
appeared in our paper of yesterday.] •
. (C.)
Extract from the Minutes of the London and North-

Western Board, Nov. 11.
" The chairman explained the position, up to the pre-
sent time, of the negotiations with the Great Western
and South-Western Companies.
" The chairman having laid before the board the reso-
lutions as finally adopted by the deputations of the
London and North-Western, Great Western, and South-
Western Companies, subject to the app.-oval of the re=
spective boards, stating that resolution No. 8 had been
specially reserved—
" Resolved—That the same be approved, except as to
the resolution No. 8, which involves the principle of as
equll number of directors from each company at the
first amalgamated board—a principle which the London
and North• Western deputation had throughout ex-
pressly declined to recognise..

" That having regard to the much larger viid-up
capital of the London and North-Western Company, as
compared with the capital paid-up of the other com-
panies, and the amount required to complete their en-
gagements respectively, this board cannot admit the
principle involved in resolution 8, and which is not in
accordance with the practice adopted in similar cases,
nor reasonable in itself ; but the board is willing to
allow the number of directors to be settled by the Corn.
mittee on the Bill, or by reference after the passing of
the Act, subject to the approbation of the proprietors."
(True Extract.)
CHARLES E. STEWART, Secretary.
(D.)
London and North-Western Railwa.
Office, Euston Station, Nov. 11.
My dear Sir' —The London and North-Western-
board
having to-day had under their consideration the resole=
tions adopted (subject to approval) at the late confe-
rences, have agreed to them with one exception, for
which Mr. Glyn's reservation from the outset will of
course have prepared you, and also the South-Western
(Great Western) deputation, to whom I this day trans-
mit a duplicate of this communication.
For a variety of reasons, upon which I need not now
dwell, since they have,been fully and repeatedly from
the first explained by our deputation, the board are not
at all prepared to agree—and they feel sure that their
constituents will not agree—that their much larger ca-
pital shall be represented at any first united board by
only the same number of directors as the capital of the
other company or respective companies, as the case
may be.
But, as the board are averse to a termination of the
negotiations, conducted up to this point in so satisfactory
a manner, if by any reasonable concession on their part
such a result can be avoided, I am instructed to propose
that the question of the relative number of directors be
_ _

either left to arbitration (like other questiens which may
arise under the resolutions, considered as adopted), or to
the Committee of the House of Commons to whom the
Bill may be referred. •
The suggestion of the Great Western board that the
resolutions themselves should bepublishcd—a suggestion
against which my board no longer seek to press any ob-
jections—renders it impossible to leave the question of
the relative numbers of directors undecided, since the
proprietors will, doubtless, expect distinct information

upon so important a point.
I return home on Tuesday morning, but shall be
happy to attend there to any communication you mey
have to make to me in reply to this letter,
And remain, my dear Sir, yours truly,
J. SWIFT.

Mr. C. A. Saunders.
Duplicate forwarded to the South-Western Company,
addressed, Mr. F. T. 13ircham.

(E.)
Great Western Railway Station,
Paddington, Nov. 17.

- -
My dear Sir,—The directors of this company hating,
at a meeting on the 2d inst., approved all the resolutions
of the conference, are much concerned to . find by your
subsequent letter (dated the 11th inst.) that the London
and North •Western board withhold their formal confie-
motion of them upon an objection to the eighth resolu-
tion, which was previously stated on their part, and fully
discussed at the meetings of the conference_ a question
certainly reserved by their deputation, but not insisted
upon, when they knew, from the directors. of the. other
two companies; that the effect of it must have been to
brelaakmoffdetshiree
d, riann
rgeepml ntart.
o
your letter, to state that this
board feels compelled, upon a careful re-consideration of
the matter, to adhere to the opinions expressed through-
out the negotiation—that the other companies would
not be justified in conceding to the London and North-
Western direction a majority of votes in the first united
board. It would practically be the means of chpriving
the companies of the power to secure the fair and ho-
nourable performance of their duties and engagements,
converting what was intended to be a union or amalga-
mation into a mere sale and transfer of other underta-
kings to the London and North-Western board, who
could exercise the power of exclusive control by virtu.)
of the majority of their representatives.
It has always appeared to the directors of this com-
pany that the parties whose interests, pecuniary and
local, may be affected, whether as associated companies
or as individuals, would reasonably require that the
future arrangements should provide adequately the
means of justice being impanrially done to all engage-
ments ' • that the power of fulfilling them should bo pre-
served in the hands of those who made them, and not
precipitately transferred to others who have always hi-
therto represented conflicting interests. It cannot be
supposed that the public mind would be brought
at once to confide in the due performance ot
every obligation of a company if handed over to bo
dealt with by the preponderating influence of another
long known to have been acting in hostility to it; such
would be the inevitable effect, as it seems, of conceding
a decided majority of votes to the representatives of either
board. It is calculated to engender distills; and to
strengthen apprehensions as to the consequences of any
amalgamation, which it must be the interest of all to
prevent, and which time alone, with an honourable ob-
servance of all engagements and liabilities in the inter-
val, and the impartial observance of duties, can success-
fully obviate.
The period of five years was assumed from the London
and North-Western Amalgamation Act to ho sufficient
to establish confidence as to the equitable proceedings cf
the united board in the minds of the public, by which
time conflicting opinions or hostile views and feelings
might be fairly supposed to have subsided. The various
interests, as well as the property itself, will have become
sufficiently blended to admit of one general system of
election—not as representatives of each company, but as
a governing body of the united company—by votes given
in proportion to existing capital.
Upon these and other grounds, the directors must de-
cline to be parties to any plan of amalgamation which