The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-28 00:00:00

PETITIONS FOR RAILWAY AND PRIVATE

BILLS.

Yesterday, before the Examiners appointed by the
House of Commons to inquire into the standing
orders as connected with Railway and other private
Bills, the following were declared to have-complied
with the standing orders :

LONDON AND—BLACKWALL.—This company's Bill
for extending the time for purchasing of lands for its
widening, for the branches to the London and St.
Katharine Docks, and fora new station at Rhodes's-
well, Limehouse, was declared to be complied with.
BRISTOL AND EXETER.—This company's Bill for
alteration of powers respecting the capital of the com-
pany, was declared to be complied with. The amount
to be created by the issue of new shares not to exceed
880,000 shares ; in 44,000 shares of 201 each, 4,000
shares of 501. each, and 4,000 shares of 251. each, to
be held in the South Devon Railway, and 1,031
shares in the Exeter and Crediton Railway, and 80
shares of 201. in the Taw Vale Rail way.
NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE.—The Bill to extend the
time for the purchase of lands for and completing the
Ashbourne branch, &c., of this line, and to authorize
a lease of it, was declared to have complied with the
standing orders.
YORK, NEWCASTLE, AND BERWICK.—This com-
pany's Bill, to abandon a portion of the Bishop Auck-
land branch, and to substitute in lieu thereof a new
line, and to extend the time for the purchase of lands,
was declared to be complied with, as was that of the
same company for power to construct a branch to the
West Durham Railway, to increase capital, and to
hold shares in that railway.

GLASGOW AND SOUTH- WESTEEN.—This company's
Bill tor regulating capital and confirming the expen-
diture thereof, and for regulating the application of
divisible profits, was adjourned.
The following Bills were declared to have complied
with the standing orders :—Laird's Patent for Im-
provements in the Construction of Steam and other
Vessels; Downhain Market Drainage ; Mill Thorpe
and Levens Turnpike Trust ; Manchester and Ashto❑
under-Lyne Road ; Appleby, Kendal, Kirkby Stephen
Road , Liverpool Docks (amendment of Acts), Re-
laxations of Restrictions as to Use of Fires and Lights
in Vessels in the Docks—Lease of Lands to the
Board of Ordnance ; Cheltenham and Gloucester
District Turnpike Road (continuation of term and
amendment of Act).

Stockton and Darlington Railway (branch), no ap
pearance.

WILTS, SOMERSET, AND WEYMOUTH.—The half-
yearly meeting of this company was held yesterday,
at Batb, the chairman of the company (Sir J. W.
Awdry) presiding. This line has been leased, at four
per cent., by the Great Western Company, and the
business transacted did not occupy many minutes.
The chairman announced that the interest warrants
now due were prepared, and would be issued imme-
diately on the return of the secretary to town. The
receipts for the half-year amounted to 13,3931., of
which 15,2631. was received from the Great Western
Company as the halt-year's annuity. Lieutenant-
Colonel Hicks and Mr. W. H. Sheppard, the directors
who retired by rotation, were unanimously reelected ;
and Mr. H. Z. Q. Ludlow, High Sheriff of the county
of Wilts, was elected a director in the room of Mr. F.
W. Slade, who, it was announced, had disposed of his
interest in the company. Mr. Muuday, the retiring
auditor, was also re-elected. A vote of thanks to the
chairman terminated the proceedings.

SHIPWRECK ON A DESERT ISLAND.
Captain Bernard, commanding the France et Bresil,
kately returned from Rio Janeiro, gives the following
account of the delivery of four unhappy English
mariners who had been cast on a desert isle in
the midst of the ocean, a deliverance effected through
the courage of that worthy captain. On the 30;h of
November, he reports, we saw Cape Prio and on the
Bth of December Trinity Island, having been until
then delayed by calm, or opposed by contrary winds.
On the 30th the weather was fine, a gentle breeze
was blowing from the east north-east, I passed as close
as I dared to the Isle of Trinity, in order to observe
whether any shipwrecked or lost persons were on that
shore. About ten o'clock we perceived a smoke on
the south-east point of the island, and concluded that
there must be some one there ; presently we saw
signals of distress. The first object which caught our
sight was a rag tied to the end of a broken piece
of mast, and waved in the air. Presently
we saw two men on the shore. Having brought
to I approached as near as possible to the coast. I
sent out the lung boat, having on board four sailors of
tried courage. I bad placed some provisions in this
boat, and recommended the mate who accompanied
the expedition to use all possible precaution, in order
that no person might be too much exposed to danger,
the sea rolling heavily at the time, and threatening to
render communication with the unfortunate men im-
possible. I watched the boat and the men whom we
were attempting to succour. Immediately that the
latter saw the boat their signal dropped, and they ran
to the point for which it was making; but the coast,
bordered by a reef on which the sea broke with force,
could not be approached on that side, and the mate
was compelled to look about for a more convenient
access. The shipwrecked men, four in number, fol-
lowed the boat slowly along the coast. Arrived at
the south side of the aisle, the mate resolved to effect
the embarkation where two rocks afforded an open-
ing. The boat remaining sa,thout the breakers,
a sailor named Augustus leaped out of the
boat with a long piece of sail cloth for the
purpose of forming a communication with the
shore. The poor man was unable to swim ; he
was often covered and much beaten by the waves, but
at last he gained the shore, and each man having laid
hold of the sail cloth the unfortunate men were drawn
into the boat, but not without great difficulty, as
they were so weak, from hunger and exposure, that
they could make no movement in the water. They
were Englishmen. The embarkation ended, and the
boat being provided v. ith provisions, the newly found
men threw themselves on the latter with eagerness,
and would have eaten the whole had they not been
restrained by the mate, who feared the injurious con-
sequences to be apprehended to their health. They
were so weak that probably two more days on the
island would have caused their death. He gave them
clothes, and his crew were eager to pay them all the
attention that their situation required. As soon as
they had somewhat recovered the mate of the English
vessel made the following statement :—" We left Lon-
don, Sept. 28, 1850, in the English ship Liath, Captain
Roberts, for Valparaiso. Nothing remarkable occurred
on our voyage until we came within view of the
isles of Martin-Vaz, at four in the morning of No-
vember 20th ; these isles were on the south- west of
us. I informed the captain that we were near the
Trinityuerstnpaemedak nettt
hseegaler:yrsAwnlei and, he arose and ordered the boat to put
e
in,saagafscongtardhrl
estadoghtieorttroephcbtuetbyerrkedpneoatshhw,eioi.eseo's
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e.
shooting
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setting
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t ooloa,
nd
ter, Alanguel How et, a passenger, David Rogerson,
and George Shipp, sailors, the latter of
whom wods,
drowned, embarked in the boat to go to the island.
Immediately se got on shore, I set out to look for
animals, but could not find one. I returned to the
boat, but the sea had become so rough that it was im-
possible for us to go out, notwithstanding all our
eflbrts. We then made a great fire, hoping that they
whom we bad left in the ship would see it during the
night, and thus be assured that we were not
drowned. Unhappily during the night the wind was
very violent ' • it rained abundantly, and the sea was
high. In the morning I ascended an eminence. We
saw the brig at some distance. We made.signals by
means of a handkerchief fastened to the end of my
firelock. Presently we saw the vessel bearing away,
and at noon she was in full sail to continue her voy-
age, no one having been sent to the island to see what