The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-15 00:00:00

present day to denominate the accomplishment of any
thing unusal " a great fact."--(Cheers.) The existence
of the Anti-Corn-law League was called a great fact,
and what had been accomplished that day had clearly
proved the broad gauge to be a great fact, and the Great
Western engine a great fact also.—(Cheers.) That
engine had drawn a train of fourteen carriages,
no tons in weight, a distance of nearly i
120 miles in two hours and twenty minutes, being )
at a speed of nearly 70 miles an hour ; such travelling,
and with such weight, he thought all would admit was
another great fact ; and the ease, comfort, and
sense of safety they had all experienced was not only a
great, but a comfortable fact.—(Cheers and laughter.)
What they had accomplished that day was the practical
answer which the Great Western Company gave to all
the assertions that had been made against the broad
gauge, and the various arguments by which attempts
had been made to mystify and to falsify the statements
of those who were its supporters.—(Cheers.) What they
had accomplished that day was the answer he gave to
the Report of the Commission on the Broad and Narrow
Gauge—a report which her Majesty's Government, he
was happy to say, speaking through their enlightened
president of the Board of Trade had not thought fit to
adopt.—(Cheers.) That Noble Lord notwithstanding the
report of the commission, had thought fit to say,
that the power of enterprise should not be limited
within four feet eight inches.—(Great cheering.) Whatthe
Great Western Company had done that day all present
had experienced; what they had still to do they and the
public would learn. Owing to an accident that had oc
curred—the breaking of one of the pumps of!h e
engine near Slough—they had not attained the high
rate of speed they had intended, but let the publiconlyo-
give them a fair field and fair play, and he had n
doubt the broad gauge would ultimately triumph.—
(Great cheering.) i
He would say, leave it to itself, and
it would break down all the prejudices that had been at-
tempted to be raised against it.—(Cheers) It would be
extended in this and every other country, and would
give to all the great advantage of quick and secure
travelling—(Cheers)—an ultimatum so greatly to be de-
sired, and so essentially necessary for a mighty com-
mercial country like Great Britain.—(Cheers.) The
Hon. Chairman concluded by proposing " Success to
the Broad Gauge," which was drunk amidst the most
enthusiastic plaudits,
Captain CLAXTON proposed the health of Mr. Brunel,
the engineer of the company, which was drunk most
enthusiastically.
Mr. BRUNEL returned thanks.
The CHAIRMAN then informed the company that the
train would start for London at a quarter before four
o'clock.
Captain CLAXTON said, before they parted, they ought
to drink the health of the Chairman and the Directors.
—(Cheers.) They had done much for the interest of
the Company, and their exertions on an occasion like
the present, ought to be duly appreciated.—(Cheers.)
He would, therefore, propose the health of the Chair-
man and Directors.—(Cheers.)
Lord A. CHURCHILL made a few observations on this
proposition, which were not heard in the part of the
room in which we had taken our seat.
The toast was most enthusiastically drunk.
The CHAIRMAN returned thanks. The desire of him-
self, and all those who acted with him was to promote
by every means in their power the convenience of the
public, and the interest of their proprietors, and he
believed all would admit that ,they had succeeded in
doing so.—(Cheers.) In stating this he should be acting
most unjustly, if he did net admit that the success of
the directors and himself was mainly to be attributed to
the exertions of those with whom they were joined in
the more practical parts of their great undertaking.—
(Cheers.) Brunel and Charles Saunders—(Cheers)—
were men to whom the Great Western Company were
indebted to an amount which they could never pay.—
(Cheers.) Nor should he forget the name of Gooch,
under whose superintendence and skill that monster
machine, that had that day brought them to Bristol, was
constructed.— (Cheers.) With such men associated
with them, the directors would accomplish far more for
the convenience of the public than they had hitherto
done, and what they had already performed he thought
all would admit was something.—(Cheers.)
Captain CLAXTON then proposed the health of Charles
Saunders, Esq., the Secretary, which was drunk amid
great cheering.
The company then broke up, and the work commenced
of endeavouring to find the different carriages in which
parties bad performed the down journey. This was at-
tended with some little trouble, and, in some cases amid
much laughter, the whole train having been reversed for
the up journey . All confusion was, however, soon got
over, and the ladies who had honoured the directors with
their company having been safely ensconed in their res-
pective carriages, the train started for London at two m

notes past four o'clock. The highest speed attained on the
return journey was about 64i miles an hour
and it was half-past six o'clock before the train arrived
at the Paddington terminus. Thus a journey of nearly
240 miles was accomplished in less than five hours, and
in this short space of time we passed twice the peaceful
cemetery of Kensal-green ; Wormwood Scrubs, alike
famous for its being the arena for the display of the
household troops of cavalry, and the favourite spot
chosen by duellists ; the head-quarters of the Earls of
Essex and Warwick prior to the battle of Brentford ;
the Priory of Berrymead, lardy the residence of Sir
Edward Bulwer Lytton, but now of the Sisterhood of Le
Sacre Coeur de Jesus the Abbey of Twyford, which
owes its origin to the late John Willan, the opulent
stage-coach proprietor, who, selecting this spot for a re-
sidence, little imagined that it would behold his favour-
ite and productive mode of travelling totally superseded;
the Hanwell Asylum, generously devoted by the libera-
lity of Englishmen to the reception of the indigent in-
sane ; the village of Iver, which alike to the artist, the
aniquary, and the angler, is replete with ob-
jects of interest and attraction ; the proud
Castle of Windsor, the seat of royalty from
its foundation by the Conqueror; Eton College,
famou, alike for the misfortune 0' the monarch that

founded it, the learned men that received their education
there, and its Eton Montem ; Runnemyde, where the
Barons extorted Magna Charta from King John ; the
seat of the descendant of the founder of Pennsylvania ;
the church which suggested to Gray his Elegy on a
Country Church Yard ; the village of Bray, famous for
its vacillating vicar ;, the remains of the once famous
abbey of Reading, founded by Henry the Ist, and con-
secrated by the haughty prelate, Thomas A'Beckett ;
Chosley, rendered memorable for a monastery founded
by Ethelred, in atonement for the murder of his brother,
King Edward the Martyr ; Wantage, the birth place of
Alfred the Great ; the Box Tunnel, one of the
most stupendous works of modern times ; Bath,
mice so renowned in the world of fashionable invalids;
but since the days of Beau Nash terribly degenerated,
and Bristol, the Omega and Alpha of our journey, the
"Metropolis of the West" and the "City of Merchant
Princes." Accompanying the excursion were a number
of scientific gentlemen and others conversant with rail-
way matters, who were unanimously of opinion that the
engine had done all that was expected of it, and that
nothing like its performance had as yet been paralleled
on the narrow gauge. It was stated that, for a new
engine, the performance was marvellous, and that when
it had been at work for about a month, its speed would
be et n;iderably improved. Though this trip will
not fully settle the " Battle of the Gauges," still it will
do much towards convincing the public that a higher
degree of speed in connexion with heavy loads, and cont.
pined with perfect safety, has been obtained by the
broad gauge company than has as yet been displayed by
the narrow gauge supporters. We trust that the time is
not far distant when the directors will take another
trip, in order, if possible, to settle finally the question
so much of late agitated between the broad and narrow
gauges. The public are entitled to this, and will doubt-
less look for it ; but when we say this we feel
bound to admit that the public are greatly indebted
to the directors of this company for what they have
already done.
Among those who attended the excursion we noticed
Colonel Palley, Lord Alfred Churchill, Mr. Brunel,
Mr. Stephenson, Mr. Samuda, Charles Russell, Esq.,
M.P., Charles Saunders, Esq., Captain Claxton, and
several persons of rank and distinction.

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.—Carlotta Grisi is no sooner
arrived than she is about to depart, being compelled to fulfil
1.1.er engagement in !Dublin. She has, however, some five or
more nights to perform. here, and will in that time play
in Puy „{t4, in
characters,
coupled
thedPeri, and the Devil to Pa y. There is no
saelightful performance of these respective
and the consequent pith the fact of her immediate departure,
ppeare(!f the season, will fill the theatre
each evening she a
THE RUssIAN TAftwrehTx
changes Manchester Examiner
says that the followingan
Russian Tariff :—The duty on eartaiewe entemplated in the
a single colour,
not gilded and not. having coloured pattearrret:f
4d. and 9-10 d. per English pound weight,,lasti now paying
one half. The better qualities of earthenware row r
12.1 d. per English pound weight, are to be reduced irtrgtehde
same proportion. The duty on Coffee, which IS now Per ewt.
60. 7. paper roubles, will also be reduced one half. Tallow
has been subjected to an export duty of about 2/. 3s. 4d. per
ton ; this duty is also to be reduced one half. Cloths, black
and green, Silks of some kinds, and other articles, particulars
of which are not yet known, will be reduced to the extent of
20 per cent.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended by Col.
Bouverie, this day visited the Baths and Wash-houses f,r the
labouring classes, in the North West District of the Metropolis, situ-
ate in George street, Euston-square. His Royal Highness minutely
examined every portion of the building, as well as its various econo-
mical arrangements, with the whole of which he expressed himself
highly gratified.

FATAL ACCIDENT FROM BATHlNG.—Yesterday morn-
ing, about half•past seven o'clock, a young man, about twenty-five
years of age, named Mackenzie, a compositor on a newspaper in the
vicinity, was bathing from Messrs. Barrauds and Welch's wharf, at
the bottom of Bouverie-street, Fleet•street ; when half across the
river, over which he was attempting to swim, he suddenly sank, as
it is supposed, from cramp. His body was found on the beach at
the recession of the tide, about nine o'clock, and taken In a shell
to the adjacent yard of Mr. Egerton, where it awaits a coroner's in-
quest. This is the sixth fatal accident by drowning which hac oc-
curred in this immediate locality within the past week.

We dt eply regret to (earn that the Hon. Miss Ellis,
daughter of Lady Dover, and sister of Viscount Clifden, expired
Yesterday morning, after an illness of only two days. ft is a severe
shock for the family, as not the least danger was imagined. By the
premature demise of this youthful lady the Duke of Devonshire, the
Duke and Duchess of Sutherland, the Earl and Countess of Carlisle,
the Earl of Burlington, Hon. W. S. and Lady Caroline Lascellcs, and
several other families of rank, are placed in mourning. The Duke of
Devonshire's grand Cte is put off in consequence of Miss Ellis's un-
rortm we demise.

TESTIMONIAL L TO MR. WILDERSPIN.—In addition to
those whose names have been already published, the following dis-
tinguished persons have subscribed to the testimonial to be given.to
Mr. Wilderspin for his services in the cause of infant education:—
The Bishops of London, Durham, Lichfield, Lincoln, Ripon, Here-
ford, and Sodor and Man : Earls of Leicester and Radnor ; Duchess
of Sutherland, Marchioness of Lorne, Viscountess Galway ; Miss
.Burdett Coutts ; Sir Walter James,ll.P.; Joseph Hume, Esq., M.P. ;
John J. Gurney, Esq. ; Duckenfield Darbeshire, Esq. ; Richard
Cobden, Esq., M.P. ; Mrs. Davenport ; Douglas Jerrold, Esq. ; W.
James, Esq., M.P. ; J. Ewart, Esq. ; Dr. Wright Wakenfleld ; Mrs.
Grote; Rev. Dr. Thorpe; Sir George Cayley ; Lord Chief Justice
Denman; Sir George Staunton, Bart., M.P.
TIM CORN BILL.—At an auction at Crewkerne on
Wednesday last, held by Mr. Estes White, some land for
agricultural purposes was sold at the rate of nearly two hun-
dred pounds per acre.—Somerset County Gazette.
Cucumbers are now imported in considerable quan-
Utters from IL9lland,