The Sun.
London, England, 1848-11-16 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

COMMAND OF THE INDIAN NAVY.—The vacant Com-
modore superintendentship of the Indian navy was yes-
terday conferred, by a majority of one, on Captain
Stephen Lushington, now in command of the Vengeance,
84, in the Mediterranean. The two candidates for this
appointment—namely, Captain Sir Henry Lecke, K.H.
(1826), and Captain Lushington (1829), had each eleven
votes, but the casting vote of the chairman decided the
election in favour of his relative, the latter gallant officer.
Captain the Earl of Hardwicke will now proceed to the
Mediterranean, and succeed Captain Lushington in the
command of the Vengeance.
PORTSMOUTH, Nov. 16.—SIR CHARLES NAPIER'S
SQUADRON.—The St. Vincent, 120, Captain llacres,
flag of Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Napier, K.C.8., is
ready to sail from Spithead.
sr i
sincec e
her Regent,
exchange 92 C ,
Thdeayl:
Prince •
The Powerful, 84, Captain the Hon. R. S. Dundas,
C. 8., is not yet complete in her complement. It is said
Captain t aeirnet
steer:,
and
is completedals
some o
ready at Spithead.
she wants 50 or thereabouts to make up 750.
The Orestes, 14, Commander S. H. Hawker, is pro-
gressing rapidly towards readiness for sea. It is expected
sr removed o'
she will be ready for a cruise on Monday. She was re-
moved from the jetty to her hulk yesterday.
The Stromboli steam-sloop, Commander Lord Ame-
mlitiosrrßow.
e.tueslehre a
k,
will
be
ove ready
to
the h
go toes
inSptiot Spithead
hulk t o
yesterday. m

The lieynard, 12, steam-schooner, Commander Cra-
croft, is re rigged, and will be refitted by Saturday. She
is chiefly waiting for the fitting-up of her new cooking

The Plumper, 12, stearn-schboner, Commander Nol-
lath, is getting on very well with her fittings; but her
men not having all
s arrivedhewas until to-day necessarily re-
tarded her progress. manned without entering
any men herself, her complementsh having been draughted
for her from the flag-ships before the pennant was up.
The Rifleman and Sharpshooter,the former of wood
and 100 horse power, and the latter of iron and 200 horse
power, are ordered to be triedinan experimental cruise
op Saturday,' under the command
01.13., after which, it is believed, theyo will iCllajpotianintheAaubsotivne
squadron.
The above are all the ships and ee ls fitting at this
port professedly to forna memberaso sailing
Sir Charles Napier's
new squadron, and the da3 of ngofficially
is
next,
by an-
nbunced to, be the 20th, Monday which time it
i 4 expected other vessels, fitting at the eastward and
Westward, will be ready to join.
The royal screw-yacht Fairy was undocked to-day'
after sundry little matters connected with her machinery
and under-water pipes had been adjusted and the com-
position on her bottom retouched. By the way, this
retouching seems very frequent with the Fairy—either
the composition is worthless or the application very im-
perfect. There is something manifestly unfair in this
treatmeut, too, as the redlead, which is pitted against
the composition, is never retouched in a similar way on
vessels paid over with it being docked or hauled up.—
Times,
docked in the Fairy's place,
The Echo steam-tug was
to be repaired.
The Pembroke, 72, was undocked yesterday, having
been repaired as an advanced ship.
steam-eessel, under command of Mr.
The Hermes,
Martin, of the Confiance, arrived from Plymouth this
morning with supernumeittriea for the ships fitting at
this port. She was on her way to the eastward, to be
returned to her former state of ordinary in reserve, the
master and crow being to be transferred on her ar-
rival; to their proper vessel, the Confiance, with which
they aro to return to Plymouth. She sailed for Wool-
wich the same evening.
A new invention, by retired Captain Sir Samuel
Brown, K.H., patentee of the chain cables and numerous
other improvements in iron work, was exhibited yester-
day in the dockyard by the inventor, to the lion. Sir
Blades Capel, K.C. 8., Commander-in" Chief, the Admiral-
Superintendent, and several other naval and scientific
gentlemen. It is a compass in a glass box, sustained by
a small pillar with telescopic slides, by which it can be
elevated or lowered to any desired height. It is designed
to obviate the local attraction of the ships. The card is
transparent, and the whole apparatus will supersede the
use of a binnacle. There is a mirror attached to it on
which the helmsman will be e.b!e to see the reflection of
the compass-card. A lamp will be placed over it at night.
The whole is a most ingenious contrivance, and if success-
ful, will effect a great desideratum for the nautical world.
Wind north, light breezes, and hazy weather.
PLYMOUTH, NOV. 14.—Her Majesty's steam-vessel
Zephyr, Lieutenant-Commander Andrew H. Dunlop,
came into Hamoaze, from Wa'erford, on Sunday, a
the next day sailed for Woolwich, to be paid oft
Her Majesty's steam-sloop Hermes, 6, arrived on
Sunday from Pendennis ()aide.
Her Majesty's steamer Medina came in this morning
from Portsmouth, bound for Malta.
Yesterday, on board her Majesty's gunnery ship, Hot
spur, in Hamoaze, a fatal accident occurred to Coleman-.
an able seaman, about 50 years of age, enaployed a
ship keeper in that vessel. When in the act of shillings
the main hatchway gratings he overbalanced himself and
fell into the hold, a height of about 20 feet. He was
imteediately conveyed to
_the surgery in the dockyard,
where ho shortly afterwards expired from 'the injuries
received.

Hadleigh Junction...

Stour -Valley

NOVEMBER 16, 1848.
•

EIMICIRATION.—The ship St. Vincent, Captain Young,
with 62 statute adults, from this place, sailed yesterday
for Sydney. The private ship Diamond, Captain Stew-
art, for Adelaide and Port Philip, arrived yesterday
from London. The Steadfast, Captain Thomas Spencer,
for Sydney, under the orders of the local emigration au-
thorities, has been thoroughly whitewashed, ventilated,
and purified. Her passengers at the Baltic-wharf are,
in a great msasure, recovered from their sickness, and
anxious to rejoin their ship.
Light winds, W.N.W.; damp weather.

RAIL WAY INTELLIGENCE.

LIVERPOOL, MANC H ESTER,AND NE WC ASTLE

JUNCTION.

Yesterday the adjourned half-yearly meeting and
the adjourned extraordinary general meeting of the
shareholders of this Company were held respectively
at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate street—George
Leeman, Esq. (chairman of the Board of directors),
presiding. The adjourned half-yearly meeting was
first proceeded with, and in introducing the business,
The CHAIRMAN explained that some delay had
arisen in effecting the transfer of stock necessary to
be made in order to carry out the resolution of the.
24th October last, for the distribution of l Os. per
share. That sum had, however, now been divided
amongst two-thirds of the total number of share-
holders, and the remaining third could obtain their
quota as soon as they chose to apply for it. lie had
also to report that the 15,000/. loan to the Lancashire
and Yorkshire Company, which at the previous meet-
ing wag stated to be immediately returnable to this
Company, was not, in fact, so payable, and could not
be made available to the purposes of a distribution
until three months'. notice bad first been given that
its repayment was required by This company.
The new directors bad, on discovering this mis-
take, given the requisite notice without delay. They
had also found various agreements in existence between
this company and different landowners ; and since the
last meeting they had likewise received several notices
from such landowners, insisting on their right to call
upon that company to fulfil certain of its engagements.
Since these notifications bad come to hand the
directors had been using their best endeavours to
accomplish the most advantageous arrangements they
possibly could in behalf of the company, and there
was every prospect of their successfully doing so in
nearly all cases, only they would require in the first
instance to be empowered by the present meeting to
take the proper steps for settling with the landowners.
The directors also found the company to be bound
by an agreement with the Lancashire and Yorkshire
Company, to contribute one-half of the outlay neces-
sary for constructing three-quarters of a mile of rail-
way called the Burnley link, and the Lancashire and
Yorkshire Company declined at present to relieve them
from their engagements with regard to this line ; but
he hoped they would be induced to reconsider their de-
cision, and that this company would eventually have to
contend against no difficulty whatever on this score. In
order to enable the directors to adjust this matter, the
meeting would also be called upon to invest them with
power to negotiate. Several other engagements had
also been entered into by this company, under Acts
of Parliament, with the Northern Counties Union
Railway, one of which was to construct a piece of
line, twelve miles in extent, called the Beadle branch
of the York and Newcastle Railway. Now, this was
an obstacle in the way of this company winding up
its affairs; still they were not liable to be called upon
to fulfil this contract until the Northern Counties
Union had commenced its own operations; and of
this there was very little probability, because he had
observed notices (whether issued by the directors of
that company or not, he could not say) already adver-
tised, of an intended application to Parliament for
leave to abandon that line. With reward to the loan
of 15,0001. to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Com-
pany, that company held 6,000 shares in this com-
pany, and 3,0001. had been written off from that loan,
in lieu of paying the allowance of 108. per share upon
the whole of the 6,000 shares. After some further
remarks the chairman concluded by moving :
" That powers b© and are hereby given to the directors
to negotiate and conclude arrangements with any com-
pany or companies, landowners or other parties who
have or profess to ,have, claims or demands upon this
company on any account whatever, and to modify or
comprom;se any existing agreements or liabilities on the
part of this co npany, and to pay such 5111113 of money for
any of the purposes aforesaid as the directors may, in
their discretion, think proper."
After being duly seconded, this proposition was
carried unanimously ; and the adjourned extraordi-
nary general meeting was next entered upon.
The CHAIRMAN then moved—

" Th it the r •solution passed on the 33 October last,
and subsequently confirmed, for the return of 143. per
share on the paid-up capital (an instalment of 10s. per
share of which has already been paid) be now again coo-
firmed; and that the return of the balance of 4s. per
shwa ba paid in such instalments and at such times as
the directors may think necessary."
Mr. PARSONS was anxious to see some more of the
money refunded to the shareholders as soon as posible,
and wished an early day to, be fixed when a further
distribution should take place.
The CHAIRMAN said their next half-yearly meeting
would be held in February, 1849, and it would then
be sufficiently early to attend to Mr. Parson's sug-
gestion, for he was sure the directors would have
enough to occupy them for the whole of the ensuing
three months, in concluding the necessary negotia-
tions with the railway companies and the landowners.
He was, however, of opinion that the interest not ex-
ceeding four per cent. upon the 2/. paid up should be
allowed, agreeably to Act of Parliament, before
Christmas next, and this would be equivalent to
dividing another shilling per share.
The motion having been seconded, was then put
and carried unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN next proposed that the thanks of
the proprietors be given to the committee of share-
holders recently formed at Manchester for the pur-
pose of promoting the winding up of the affairs of the
company, and the return of the available capital to
the shareholders ; and that the directors be authorised
to pay the expenses incurred by that committee in
prosecuting its labours, from a deduction of any
sum not exceeding threepence per share from the
amount to be returned to every shareholder. The
Chairman said he felt justified in submitting this
proposition, because it was mainly owing to the
active exertions of the Committee of Shareholders
that any money at all had been refunded to the share-
holders ; and as they had been compelled to expend a
considerable sum in paying for stamps, &c., and as
the general body of the proprietors had largely par-
ticipated in the benefits accruing from the successful
issue of their agitation, he thought it only just and
fair that all parties should contribute to defray the
expenses incurred by the committee in their behalf.
A PROPRIETOR having seconded the motion,
Mr. PARSONS and others strongly opposed it, but,
after a warm and protracted discussion, it was
orentually carried by a large majority.
Thanks were then voted nem. con. to the chairman,
and the meeting brake up.
A

.MALGAMATION OF THE _EASTERN
COUNTIES AND EASTERN UNION.
After the proposed amalgamation of the London
orth- Western, Great Western, and London and
South-Western Railways, this company will form the
next greatest amalgamation in the railway interest,
representing, as it will, a capital of nearly 14,000,0001.
sterling, having under its control nearly 500 miles of
railway, and, in consequence of its connexion with the
Midland, possessing a beneficial interest in nearly an
equal number more. It will also possess, with a'very
slight exception, all the railways in Norfolk, Essex,
Suffolk, Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Huntingdon;
shire, and llerts. The entire capital of the amalga-
mated companies will be—
Eastern Counties and Northern and Eastern £8,500,000
Norfolk Company " ••• ••• 2,300,000
Newmarket... • ... ••• ••• 530,000
Eastern Union ... ... 1,266,666

L;nes guaranteed by Eastern Union--
larwich

266,666
'lOO,OOO
900,000

£13,053,332
The company will possess the absolute control
over the following miles of railway :
London to J3randon ... • ... ... 88
Brandon to Yarmouth ... .•. .•• 57i
Stratf.rd to Colchester . . ... 47
Colchester to Bury ••• ••• ... 441
lradleigh branch ... ••• 5
Stour Valley (not finished).
Harwich (not finished).
Hythe branch ..• ••• 21
Hertford branch ... 74
Thames Junction
Ely to Peterborough ... ••• ... 29i
North Woolwich ... 84
Cambridge to St. Ives and Huntingdon._ 22
Wisbech branch ...
Newmarket and Chesterford
Malden, Witham, and Braintree

... 18
... 12

4121
The present weekly receipts from all those lines
are 15,7251., and should no increase take place, the
comlpan7ywill have 817,7001. per annum as a re-
venue.

OPENING or RAILWAYS.--The Railway Commis-
sioners state that.during the. last ttwo years a very
large addition has been made to the extent of railway
opening fur traffic. At the end of 1845, 2,44/. wiles

[PRICE SD.

were available to the public ; 595 miles were opened
in 1846, and 780 miles in 1847, making the whole
extent of railways completed at the end of 1847,
3,816 miles; of which 3,257 were in England, 440 in
Scotland, and 219 in Ireland. Between Nov. 1846,
and the end of 1847, the Commissioners directed pre-
liminary inspections, prior to public openings, in 100
instances. In 21 cases it was considered necessary
by the Commissioners, on considering the reports of
the inspecting officers, to postpone the opening of
either the whole or a part of many of the railways
inspected, and, in more than one instance, to point out
to the company applying for the inspection, the im-
propriety of requiring the attendance of a public
officer before the works were sufficiently advanced to
justify iheir proposal to open them to the public. In
40 cases, when allowing the opening, the Commis-
sioners thought it necessary for the public safety, to
make suggestions respecting a temporary or perma-
nent restriction of the speed on certain portions of
the line, and as to the arrangement of signals.
DISCONTINUANCE OF RETURN TICKETS.—Great
dissatisfaction exists in the West of England and
other districts at the sudden discontinuance of the
return ticket system, which hitherto, for the accom-
modation a first and second-class passengers, had
been carried out at a reduction of the fares of from
one-third to one-sixth on the double journey. A
passenger was privileged to use these tickets for any
distance not exceeding fifty miles on the same day,
and if issued on Saturday they were returnable on
Monday. An appeal is talked of on the subject to
Parliament and the Board of Trade, the proceeding
being looked on in the light of a breach of faith to-
wards the public, who, on the strength of the conve-
nience and facility offered, have permanently settled
on the line. Many who have hitherto travelled by.
rail fur short distances by this method have deter-
mined to take to their vehicles and horses, and those
Who hitherto -went first-class have, it is said, resolved
to go second. The London and Brighton have an-
nounced that they do not intend to follow this practice.
The argument on the part of the rail way companies, in
justification of the measure, appears to be that the
return-ticket system, adopted with the view
ofwhat
is called " forcing traffic,' does not answer unless it
be on purely pleasure lines, such as the London and
Brighton, and South Devon, on which latter the re-
turn system is continued, and that it interferes disad-
vantageously with the business traffic of commercial
lines. By the return and periodical system on the
Brighton line, a man may go to and fro between
London and Brighton as often as he pleases for 121.
for one month, 201. for two months, 251. for three
months, 351. for six months, and 501. for a year.
ULSTER RAILWAY--REDUCTION OF FARES.--We
perceive by a notice that third-class passengers will
be conveyed by the Parliamentary up and down
trains, at the former rates, viz. :—Belfast to Lisburn,
4d.; Moira, Bd.; Lurgan, Is.; Portadown, Is. 4d.;
Rich-hill, is. Bd.; Armagh, 2s. This reduction
only extends to eight o'clock morning trains. The
departure of luggage trains has been altered to seven
o'clock A.M., and two o'clock P.M.—Armagh Guardian.

BELFAST AND BALLYMENA RAILWAY.-The traffic
on this railway, for the week ending Saturday, the
11th of November, 1848, was as follows :-Passen-
gers, 6,918 ; amount, 2801. Bs. 3d. ' • goods, 101/. 6s.
Ild. Total amount, 3811. 15s. 2d. For the week
ending the 4th of November :-Passengers, 7,675 ;
amount, 3491. 6s. 10d.; goods, 891. 14s. 6d. Total
amount, 4391. ls. 4d.
ULSTER RAILWAY.-The traffic on this railway
was, for the week ending the 12th of November, 1848
(36 miles):-Passengers, 9,310 ; amount, 4711. 7s.
3d. ; goods 3491. 6s. Bd. Total, 8201. 13s. 11d.
Corresponding week, 1847 (25 miles) :-Passengers,
13,152 ; amount, 4671. 10s. ; goods, 3021. 10s. Total,
7701. Os. 6d.

AMIENS AND BOULOGNE.—In reply to the memo-
rial of the proprietors to the French Government, it
appears probable that although, in the event of ap-
prehended disturbances, the expensive police staff on
the line will not be reduced, it is likely that relief
will be granted with respect to other imposts, and
that a larger amount of remuneration will be given
for the conveyance of the mails.

FRENCH RAILWAY LAW FOR THE PREVENTION OF
ACCIDENTS.—The orders issued by the Minister of
Public Works upon this important subject are,
that the employment of four-wheeled locomotives for
passenger trains be interdicted, that every carriage do
rest on six wheels at least, in order that if one of the
axles should break the carriage should still rest on
supporters and continue its course. Locomotives to
be placed at the head of the train, and never behind.
At least one luggage carriage always to be placed at
the head of each train of five carriages, and two car-
riages without passengers, when the carriages in the
train shall exceed five. Carriages with passengers
never to be locked.