The Sun.
London, England, 1851-10-23 00:00:00

THE GREAT EXHIBITION.

The work of removal goes on apace. Nearly halF the
British exhibitors are gone, and in two or three weeks
more the western halt of the building will have been

swept clean to the doors. Some of the foreign contr

butcTrs will probably linger on the scene of their triumph:
but they also appear to be actively on the move, and
earnestly bent on getting away. Tunis, Switzerland,
and Rome, are in the act of departure, if they have not
already gone. Messrs. M'Cracken, the Russian Custom-
house agents, have sent off the things belonging to the
Emperor which were exhibited; and Messrs. Major are
busily engaged in preparing for re•shipment the Turkish,
Austrian, and other collections for which they were
concerned. In about two months hence the Crystal
Palace will bo left alone in its glory, and when the pub-
lic arc once more admitted within its spacious precincts,
and have time to admire in its unadorned grandeur the
gigantic shell of the Great Exhibition, wo shall be sur-
prised indeed if they allow it to be pulled down. The
full effect of 18 acres of ground under one roof without
a single partition wall, with the light of heaven pene-
trating every corner of it, and the whole seen at a
glance, has never yet been thoroughly realized. If to
that attraction the contractors add those of balls and
promenades, the success that must be achieved thereby
would tell powerfully upon the fate of the building when
discussed in Parliament.

CONFLAGRATION AT ENFIELD
Yesterday ( Wednesday) forenoon, about half past
ten o clock, one of the most extensive fires that has
occurred for some years past in the parish of Enfield
broke out in the premises belonging to Mr. A. Paris,
known as Plumridge Farm, about four mites beyond
the Barnet station of the Great Northern Railway.
From inquiries made on the spot cur reporter
gleaned the following particulars. Before, however,
it is necessary, in order that the reader may correctly
understand how it was that the fire made such fearful
progress, to state that the farm-house stood in a
direct line with the carriage road, whilst a number
of brick and timber buildings used for depositing
corn, seeds, cattle, &c., ran in a kind of circuitous
form a considerable distance, and again approached to
within a short space of the first-named building. The
space between the various erections was literally
studded with wide and lofty stacks of corn, hay, and
other farm-produce. Some of the ricks towered so
high that there must have been between 200 and
300 loads of material in them. Between the ricks
and the buildings a number of sheds stretched across.
The fire commenced in a small shed, through the
carelessness of one of the men employed on the estate
beating a pot of tar. Whilst attending to the fire
the contents of the vessel boiled over, and in an in-
stant the combustible liquid became ignited, and ran
like a sheet of flame over the floor of the building, so
that in less than five minutes the flames rushed out of
the property and seized upon everything near. The
men employed on the farm, as well as many of the
neighbours, hastened to the spot to render assistance,
but in spite of their exertions the work of devastation
continued with frightful rapidity.
With as little delay as possible three engines of the
parish went down, but by that period a large barn,
between 80 and 100 feet long, and containing up-
wards of 150 quarters of corn, and a smaller one,
about 40 feet long, and a number of sheds, were in
flames. All chance of saving any portion of these
premises appeared perfectly hopeless; every endeavour
was therefore made to save the ricks of hay and wheat
contiguous ; but so fiercely did the flames extend that
very quickly a large wooden building nearly 70 feet
long became fired, and but few minutes elapsed before
the whole structure was enveloped in flames. The
various persons at work at this conjuncture, on seeing
the Conflagration travelling so fearfully, were com-
pletely bewildered. A great many directed their ser-
vices towards stopping the fire from reaching the
stacks and ricks standing hard by, but even in that
they wese to a certain extent disappointed, for rick
after rick of corn and hay, to the number of eight,
became ignited in rapid succession; and the flames
being wafted by rather a stiffish breeze, extended
their ravages to the stables and some carriage sheds.
Nothing short of the complete destruction of the
whole of Mr. Paris's property could now be expected,
more especially as a lofty rick of hay or corn, contain-
ing nearly three hundred loads, was in flames. The
men, however, in a most praiseworthy manner, re-
sorted to various expedients to save from total destruc-
tion this stock, well knowing, if they could not, the
bailiff's house and five other ricks must share the
same fate as the others. Fortunately, by scattering
the water and cutting the rick round they succeeded in
saving the interior of the stack, and thereby cut off the
the further spread of the flames in the direction of the
bailiffs house and other valuable property. The
fearful element continued to rage, and so threatening
an appearance did it at length assume that it was
deemed advisable to send a mounted policeman, and
also to employ the electric telegraph to. give the ne
cessary intelligence to the London fire stations, so
that additional aid might be obtained. The moment
the news was received in London, Scott, the head en-
gineer of the Farringdon-street-station, started with
one of the brigade engines and a powerful body of
firemen. Mr. Connorton, the superintendent of the
iVest of England fire brigade, followed soon after,
and on their arrival they beheld a fearful scene ; for
at the least computation they found property covering
half an acre of land in a tremendous blaze. The bri-
gade engine was forthwith taken to a pond of water,
and its contents were pumped into the parish engines,
for by that means alone could a continuous jet be
thrown upon the fire. Fortunately, the firemen by
eight o'clock succeeded in getting, as far as appear-
ances went, command over the fire, that is, to stay its
further extension, but at that hour the country fur
miles round was most brilliantly illumined, and it
was the opinion of the firemen present that they
would be unable to get the fire completely extin-
guished before late this (Thursday) morning. To
give anything like a correct estimate of the damage
done would, at the present time, be impossible ; we
can however state with certainty that up to eight
o'clock last night the large barn, with 150 quarters
of wheat, the smaller one 40 feet long, another
building 60 feet long, a vast number of sheds, the
stables, and eight stacks of corn and hay were com-
pletely destroyed, to say nothing of the damage done
to the surrounding property. Mr Paris, who is uni-
versally respected in the neighbourhood, wasinsured
in the Sun Fire-office.

RAIL WAY INTELLIGENCE.
SCOTTISH CENTRAL.
The half-yearly meeting of the shareholders of the
Scottish Central Railway Company was held on
Tuesday, in one of the rooms of the General Railway
Terminus, at Perth; the Hon. Mr. Dundas presiding.
The report, which was resolved to be held as read,
showed that the revenue account for the half-year
was 42,6231. 7s. 10d., and the expenditure 36,750/.
ss. 10d., leaving a balance of 5,8731. 25., which, added
to 8,6891. ss. lid., carried over from last accounr,:left
14,5591. 7s. 11d. applicable for a dividend.
The CHAIRMAN congratulated the meeting on the
increase of the traffic during the previous year—that
increase being, as compared with 1851, 64 752 in the
number of passengers. The increase in the receipts
had not, however, kept pace with the increase in the
number of passengers, which was to be ascribed to
the merely nominal fares which they had charged
during the late contest with the Edinburgh, Perth,
and Dundee Company, for the traffic between Perth
and Edinburgh. Still, however, the increase of re-
ceipts over the corresponding half-
year was 8,2001.
The working expenses, as would be seen from the
report, appeared to have undergone a considerable
increase. In 1850 the locomotive charge was
5,6931., whereas in 1851 it was 9,245/., show-
ing an apparent increase of 3,552/. He said
an apparent, because it was not a real in-
crease • and for two reasons. In no previous half-
year Zed they laid by any sum for depreciation.
Last year, however, they had laid past for this object
—1,070/., under the working agreement with the
Scottish Midland and the Aberdeen Companies. This,
then, although charged upon the expenditure of the
half-year, was an asset, in point of fact, available to
the company. In addition to this a sum of 1,2361.
had been expended in putting the plant in complete
repair, a thing unusual in other companies, and only
btheecha samerged state,
upon the
one working
common expensesfund. done on the present occasion that the three companies
embraced in the working agreement might start in
all to
an item of expense that would not occur again,
while it would be a great source of future benefit
to the company. Therefore,
although it
Thhias,inthgen a,
may have caused them additional outlay
in the meantime, this working agreement
will in the end be very much for their pecuniary be-
nefit. Taking the whole of the traffic in goods, mi-
nerals, and live stock, as well as passengers, there was
an increase on the last half-year of something nearly
approaching to 6,0001.; but of course against this
was to be set the increase of expenditure, but of
which, as he had endeavoured to explain, 2,3001.
might fairly be set down as extraordinary expenses,
and not applicable to any other half-year than the
present, and consequently should in reality be de-
ducted from the expenditure of the half-year. With
respect to the subject of dividend he had to make
few observations. At the last half-yearly meeting
they had declared the first dividend that bad ever
been declared by the company unassisted. At
that time they had a surplus of revenue not
derived from the previous half-year, but from former
half-years. This surplus of revenue amounted to
8,6001, which the directors thought would be suffi-
cient to meet any future claim to be made against
revenue for the interest upon land settlements, &c. It
would not, however, the directors conceived, do more
than this ; and without respect, then, as he had
stated at the time, to this surplus at all, he thought,
from the earnings of the half-year, they were en-
titled to declare a dividend at the rate of 1 per
cent. On the present occasion he believed that
some of the distant shareholders of the company,
who were not very well acquainted with its affairs,
would not have any difficulty to dip into
the surplus alluded to, although set apart for
future contingencies, and apply it to the purposes
of dividend. The directors, however, could not give
their consent to this, as they were of opinion that
the dividend declared should be fairly out of the
earnings of the half-year to which it had reference;
and it was on this view of the case that they had re-
commended a dividend at the rate of 12s. per cent. on
the consolidated stock. He was glad to say that the
new stock which had been issued had been taken up
to a large extent ; and he had not the least doubt that
it would be all taken up. By the sums of money
they had already received on account of it, the direc-
tors were enabled to proceed with the adjustment of
all the unsettled claims of the company ; and it was
their intention to proceed with the 'branch line
to the harbour of Perth as soon as some little misun-
derstanding that had arisen to a certain claim of
servitude was got over. He was glad to say that the
contractors' claims were settled, and in a manner
most satisfactory—causing a saving to the company
of several thousands, and putting an end to all fear of
litigation on that score. The working agreement
with the Northern Companies, so far as they could
yet judge, appeared to be doing very well, and he had
no doubt that it would tend greatly to the future ad-
vantage of the Central Company. The agreement
with the Edinburgh, Perth, and Dundee Company,
and which had reference solely to the passenger
traffic between Perth and Edinburgh, was to be only
'or three months, by way of trial ; and that it would
require to be still further adjusted might be fairly
assumed from the circumstance that since it
had been entered into, the Central had been
carrying two to one of the passengers between Edin-
burgh and Perth.—(Hear, hear.) The Chairman
concluded by moving the adoption of the report, and
that a dividend be declared at the rate of 123. for each
1001. of consolidated stock, to be payable on the 6th
proximo.

_
Mr. SPIES seconded the motion, which was una-
nimously agreed to, after some slight discussion with
regard to a bad debt of 1641. made in the carriage of
goods, the execution of the branch line to the harbour
of Perth, and the transference of the meetings of the
company from Perth to Stirling. With respect to
the branch line, it was said that it was the bona fide
intention of the directors to carry it immediately into
execution.
The meeting then adjourned.

REPRESENTATION OF 7'IIE BOROUGH
OF SOUTHWARK.
Considerable excitement prevails in this extensive
borough, relative to its present representation in Par-
liament, and in consequence of the singular apathy to
the wishes of the constituents recently evinced, not
only by Sir William Moleswortb, but by Mr. Alder-
man Hunapherys. Local meetings are already being
held in the several parishes of St. George's, South-
wark, St. Saviours" and St. Mary's, Bermondsey,
with a view to call one great meeting at the Town-
hall, to fix upon a choice of names for the future
election of Members. At one of these preliminary
meetings, held in St. George's, an influential elector
observed, " that if anything above another had been
required to increase the smouldering fires of discon-
tent throughout this truly unrepresented borough,
it was the apathetic bearing of one of
their Members, Alderman Humpherys, on the
occasion of the late meeting at the Town-hall, at
which the deputy high bailiff presided, on the re-
quisition of nearly four thousand electors, regarding
the question of offering, in common with every other
division of the metropolis, a right English welcome to
the noble Hungarian patriot—aossuth. Although
within three hundred yards of the Town-ball, Mr.
Humpherya had declined attending, and the construc-
tion to be put upon such a refusal was most obvious
Neither Sir William Molesworth nor Alderman Huai-
pherys entertained sympathy for the illustrious Roe-
suth! The vast majority of the electors of the
borough of Southwark did, as would very shortly be
demonstrated." The leading Liberal electors
are
already in communication with one gentleman, a
Member for one of the western boroughs, whose
return for Southwark is said to be certain. Mean-
time the several districts, as before stated, are holding
local meetings, and organizing plans, previous to
calling a general public meeting, for the obtainment
of the proper representation of the inhabitants of
Southwark.—Advertiser.
E

,ARL DELAWARR ON FREE TRADE. _
At a meeting of the Agricultural Associationisof.
Groombridge, Rent, a letter was read from EarrilbeDd.les
warr, who is now at Geneva, which is
having made a deep
farmers present. The following is the moat
The time is
part of the Noble Earl's communication:—"
!save to pronounce
not far distant when the country '
impression upon the minds of the
11 other articles of agri-
cultural of foreign grain an
definitively upon the experimdesn
will be governed.
wofilthe unrestricted Im-
share, a
theyd
ecnaenr,gyu,ndcaaulmntleyd
butby
3 those classes whose
does it behove a
Well, therefore,
with the prosperity of egrieul-
bpdrobtlyu produce. 0
ulre
futurethis veridbitcetrewset shall have a large
well-being is bound up
threats or scoffs,
`cast theirt h
eirsha representatives.dow Fi he f
themselves for the part they will have to
firmly prepare .
re.''Clonalitnhge
uheeisotn a n
play
ture to consider hobyw
even ,
meantime, let us by all the means in our power show the
value which we set upon the pursuits of agriculture as the
basis of all national prosperity, by straining every nerve
tsin' satilyes nthhempnoaetn,f
to follow out the modern improvements in every branch
of farming, cautiously blending theory with practice,
thus proving to our fellow-countrymen that we deserve
their good will. Let us improve our breeds of stock, let
us drain our wet fields, let us adopt improved machinery
on our farm', let us sedulously attend to the comforts
and general well-being of our labourers—of the ' bold
peasantry, their country's pride.' Up-hill course as all
this may seem to be at present, let us be assured that if
it be manfully and with confidence adopted, we b bull
reap our reward. Let our motto be, ' Live and let
_live,'
for we have yet to learn that the prosperityolforne.
r manufactures depends upon the ruin of agriculture.
Why should not the plough and the spinning .
jenny
not
`speed' concurrently as they have done heretofore,
to the come
in painful antagonism, but each contributing
mon weal, respecting and respected
byeach other, and
action uphold-
by their joint influence and harmonious
ing the vast fabric of our national erandeur?"

The report that her Majesty's visit to Liverp(ol
will cost gO,OOO/. or 30,0001. is without foundation. The
expeuseA ygill not be AI9E4 tiaala i'r*l",""ktvexPoci 41Grauvf.