The Sun.
London, England, 1848-12-05 00:00:00

CHIENNE TO WALCOURT.—The opening of this section
of the Sambre and Meuse, the chief trunk communica-
tion from Belgium and Germany to the north-eastern
provinces of France, took place on Thursday last. The
total extent of railway thus opened up from the Govern-
ment line at Marchienne to Walcourt, with branches to
Morialme and Laneffe, is 25 miles through the richest
mineral districts of Belgium. The Belgian Government
having certified its fitness for opening, alter inspection
by the Minister of Public Works, the traffic in passen-
gers and the staple products of the districts, such as
coal, coke, and iron, which is very considerable, com-
menced on Saturday. Upwards of 3,000 tons of zinc
ore, a mineral extensively worked at Samart and Sautour,
near Philipville, were ready for conveyance to the banks
of the Sambre, for smelting. The chief engineering
works are the Laury and Ham-sur-Heure tunnels. Some
delay in the prosecution of the works on the MorialtrA
branch was occasioned in consequence of the mineral
proprietors claiming heavy indemnities for the damage
they alleged would be done to the mines by the railway
passing over them. There has been an excess on the
cost of this first section of 73,3291. owing to the earth-
work having exceeded all original calculation, and
which is attributed by the engineer-in-chief, M. de
Grandvoir, to the hard nature and treacherous character
of the rocks that had to be encountered. The Sambre
and Meuse is the first railway in Belgium of any extent
conceded, constructed, and worked by British capitalists,
all the other lines being the property of the State.
ABERDEEN RAILWAY.—The directors of this com-
pany have issued a report and financial statement re-
specting the position of their line. A small portion of
the railway, consisting of twelve miles of the main line
and six miles of a branch to Brechin, has been open for
seven months ending the 31st August, and has been
worked in conjunction with the Forfar and Arbroath.
The receipts for the seven months have been, including
3,0004 for carrying the mails, 17,015/., and the expendi-
ture 9,025/. The directors confidently expect to be able
to open early next year other twenty-five miles of the
line, bringing it within twelve miles of Aberdeen, and
have made an arrangement with the Edinburgh and
Northern, the North British, and the York, Newcastle,
and Berwick Companies, by means of which they will
obtain the necessary funds on favourable terms for.com-
pleting without further interruption the whole of the
line to Aberdeen, thus giving an uninterrupted commu-
nication by railway from London to Aberdeen, a distance
of more than 500 miles. The directors entertain the
same confident opinion respecting the remunerative cha-
racter of the line which they had on former occasions
expressed, and consider its position and prospects im-
proved by the arrangements with the southern companies.
The amount received in calls is 784,8471., and, including
the amount received on loans, the total sum expended on the
line is 907,4661. The three companies already men-
tioned are to advance 276,0001., which, with 40,000/. to
be received in arrears of calls and the sum which the
company has power to borrow, will complete the entire
line at a sum not exceeding 1,450,000/., or less than
24,000/. per mile, which, the directors conceive, will be
less than any other equally important trunk line has
ever been constructed for. Including the Arbroath and
Forfar, the Aberdeen line will be 75 miles in length.
The company has no liabilities of any kind, with the
exception of the Arbroath and Forfar line, 16 miles in
length, which is leased at 5i per cent. on capital of
220,0004 but the profits already more than exceed the
guarantee.—Scotsman.
THE BELFAST AND BALLYMENA RAILWAY. The
half-yearly meeting of this company, in which so many
persons are interested as shareholders in this country,
took place in Belfast on Thursday. The''report 'showed
that the total half-year's receipts amounted to 12,358/.
Sc. 10d.; the working expenses to 5,317/. Ifs. 5d.; the
interest on loans to 3,0361.45. 3d.; leaving a balance in
favour of revenue account of 4,004/. 10s. 2d.; out
of which the directors recommend a dividend of
10s. per share, payable on the 14th day of De-
cember. The adoption of the report was moved by the
chairman, and seconded by Mr. Jackson, an English
shareholder. Mr. Joseph Maunder, seconded by Mr.
Beloe, both of Liverpool, moved an amendment impugn-
ing the management of the line, and authorising the ap-
pointment of a committee to scrutinize the discrepancies
between the estimates and the actual traffic. Thera
were, however, fifty. five for the original motion and but
four against it. Mr. G. Macartney defended the direc-
tors in a lengthy speech ; and after considerable bad-
gering of Mr. Maunder to induce him to apologize for
some statements he had made, a vote of confidence in
the board was carried.
AMIENS AND BOULOGNE.—At a meeting of the pro-
prietors in Paris, on Saturday, the proposed modification
of the statutes bearing on the number of the directors
who should comprise the board of direction, was delibe-
rated upon and settled not to exceed eleven. With the
exception of the permanent works, through the fortifica-
tions at Abbeville, and the passage at the river Somme,
where the structures are only temporary, the line from
Amiens to Boulogne is completed, and at work through-
out its whole length.
WEST FLANDERS.—A meeting of the foreign share-
holders was held at Bruges last week, in conformity
with the statutes, when the proceedings were as near as
possible a rehearsal, as regards the reading of the report
and resolutions with those at the meeting of the English
shareholders. The traffic from Ostend to Namur, Liege,
and West Flanders, over the Tournay and Jurbise line,
just opened, is said to be considerable.
A FLOATING RAILROAD.—Our railways have been
laid in cutting and on embankments, through tunnels and
over viaducts, and by the genius of a Stephenson they
are actually being carried over arms of the sea, where
ships in full sail can pass beneath them. While this
daring work, however, can be effected where the width,
as at the Menai Straits, is only some 500 feet, such great
tidal estuaries as the Forth and Tay will not admit of
it. As these Friths lie across the route of the great east
coast line of railways, which will shortly extend from
London to Aberdeen, it became extremely desirable that
some means should be devised by which those seas might
be crossed without the troublesome necessity of passen-
gers and goods changing carriages. We are happy to
say that a plan has been devised for carrying the trains
bodily across the Tay at Broughty Ferry, where it is
about a mile and a half broad. Mr. Robert Napier is
at present building, in his yard at Govan, a floating rail-
way for the Edinburgh and Northern Railway Company.
It is being built of iron, 180 feet in length, and 35 in
breadth. It is to have three lines of rails on deck, so
as to enable it to take on a railway train of 500 feet in
length, and is to be propelled by engines of 250-horse
power. As the main line of railway on each side of the
Tay is considerably above the level of the sea, stationary
engines on either side of the Frith are to be employed
to draw up or lower the trains. This railroad steam-
boat is expected to be launched in a few weeks. In the
meantime, and before the above improvement is com-
pleted, the Edinburgh and Northern Company have
made arrangements for having their cattle and heavy
goods for the English markets carried by the Dundee
and Perth line, and thence through Fife, and by the east
coast lines to England, on very moderate terms.—Perth-
shire Courier.

LONDON AND NORTH WESTERN AND LANCASHIRE
AND YORKSHIRE.—We have to announce that the Lon-
don and North- Western Company and the Lancashire
and Yorkshire Company have entered into mutual traffic
arrangements, the effect of which will be to immediately
transfer all the traffic of the latter to the Leeds and
Dewsbury line. We understand, indeed, that this line
will be exclusively worked by the Lancashire and York-
shire Company until the opening throughout of the
Huddersfield and Manchester Railway, when the London
and North Western Company will assume the working.
—Herapailes Journal.
GR? AT NORTHERN.—It is said that Mr. Beckett
Denison, the chairman, has resigned, owing to a propo-
sition of his being overruled at the board; and that
overtures have been made to Mr. Hudson to join the
board. But we shall, perhaps, be enabled to give,the rights
of the rumour next week.—lbid.
„„
GLASGOW, DUMFRIES, AND CARLISLE.—This Mnt.
pany have intimated that, after the Ist of December
next, till transfers of their stock must describe it as the
Glasgow, Dumfries, and Carlisle Consolidated Stock,
end be transferred as stock.—Kilmarnock Journal.

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.
BRISTOL, DEc. 4.
STOCK EXCHANGE. —The market to-day is improved, and
the business done in Great Western, 171. Shares, was 3 9-16
die.—Midland, 501. Shares, 11 dis.

LIVERPOOL, DEC. 4.
&roar EXCHANGE.—There has been little business doing
in our Stoek Exchange to-day. Prices, however, remain
unaltered, and the market closed heavily at the following
quotations. The sales are—Caledonian, Preference, 3s. 9d. e.
dis.—London and North-Western, Fifths, 3,4 c. p.— Ditto,
New Quarters, % p.—Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln.
shire, 101 Preference, 9%—Midland (Birmingham and
Derby), 63—Scottish Central, 25,4—Shrewsbury, Oswestry,
and Chester, 814 dis.—South-Eastern and Dover, No. 4,
Thirds, 61. Ss. 9d.

MANCHESTER, DEC. 4.
STOCK ExonAmm.--The sales are—South-Eastern and
Dover, No. 4, 6 7-16—North Staffordshire, $ 9-16 dis.—
Leeds, Fifths, 434;dis.—Sheffield, Eighths, 7% dis.— Cale.
donian, Preference, % c. dis.—Grimsby Docks, 15 th

BIRMINGHAM, Dix. 4.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—North Staffordshire,
dis.—Shrewsbury and Birmingham (B), 41/2 dis.—
Ditto Preference, IA p.—South Staffordshire, 61. lls. 3d. dis.
Caledonian, 181/2.

YORK, DEC. 2.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The business transacted to-day was
as follows :—Gteat Northern, 6 C.—Ditto, Halves (B),
/. 14s. 3d.—York, Newcastle, and Barwick (Extension),
No. 1, WA.

- -
THE COUNTRY MARKETS.
HARTLEY ROW (HANTS) CATTLE FAIR, DEC. 4.
Beasts—A greater number of every description of lean
stock than has ever been brought here before at any fair
for sale. Of large three-year old Devons and Herefords
more than 1,000 head; of black cattle nearly 2,000; and
full 1,000 of other breeds, besides cows, heifers, and
calves. Although the day was very stormy and inclined
for rain, there were many purchasers present from the
counties of Berks, Bucks, Oxon, Surrey, Sussex, See.,
who bought freely, and many rather extensively, at
higher prices by at least 20s per head for the largest,
and 10s ditto for the smaller beasts. Some large Here-
fords reached 141 to 14 guineas each; Devons nearly the
same; moderate beasts, from two years to thirty months
old, went at from ill to 12/ ditto; second-rate ditto, 10/
to 10110 s ditto; finest North Wales breed, at from 81 to
91 ditto; others at from 61 lOs to 71 los ditto; a few
Scotch breed went at from 81 to 10/ ditto; a great many
were sold. Several large dairymen purchased best cows
and heifers freely, some up to 181, others 161 each; hei-
fers in calf at 131 to '5/ ditto; some at from ill to 121
ditto; stock calves were sold at from 30s up to 6/ each,
Horses were of dull sale, the chief part being of very in-
ferior description and aged.
LA.MBOURN (BEMIS) SHEEP FAIR, DEC. 4.--Sheep
—This is one of the largest and most important sheep
fairs held in the county of Berks, the town of Lambourn
t,e;,-, ;- tin, r,^l,-• of ry, fnr' r:'"Z'7 t *i.
ridge of downs, which extend for miles, having large
sheep walks, where are to be seen tens of thousands of
fine pyre Southdown and half bred sheep, not to be ex-