The Sun.
London, England, 1851-06-02 00:00:00

JUNE 2, 1851.

any rational a d Oa; can be afforded to it.—Times' City
Article.

PENINSULA'? AND ORIENTAL STEAM
NAVIGATION Gall PANY.
On SJ.turday toe halt-yearly meeting of this company
was held at the offices in Leadenhall-street, Sir James
Metbeson. Bart.. M.P., presiding.
The report stute,l that the shareholders were aware
that the accounts under the deed of settlement were
only pry sei,ted once a year, but the financial position of
the company seemed very satisfactory, and warranted
the declaration of a dividend for the next six months,
ending 81st March next, of 4 per cent. Arrangements
bad been made for extending the steam communication
with ladle. China. &c. Considerable attention had been
paid to increasing the speed of the company's vessels,
and the Ilindostan and Oriental now made the voyage
from Sup a to Calcutta in eight days less than the time
wtieulaied in the mail contract. The company intended
to resume the North Coast of China service, by means
of the Pacha be Pen Hong lievg and Shangbae. Va-
rious improvements were intended wi:h regal(' to ih.+
transit of the mad through Egypt, and the directors
could elate, oo the authority of a letter from the Pacha.
that be intended to construct a railway through thit
country, under the direction of Mr. Stephensoe, M.P.
The Canton, which bad-run en an unknown sunken rock
on the coast of Caine, had, afer being exposed to a sea
ter eight weeks which weuld have destroyed a wooden
vessel, been got off and found to have sustained damace
only which could be repaired at a comparatively trifling
cost. The Sir Charles Forbes had been hired to supply
the place of the Canton. The company 11,:d made a fourth
tender to the Gevernment for the service to Australia,
but no definite reply had yet been received.
The report was adopted, the dividend declared, a vote
of thanks given to the Pacha of Egypt for the interest
he bad taken with regard to the communication with
India, &c., and to the directors for their continued atten-
tion to the interests of the company.

RAILWAY MASSA CBES.
Long lists of figure*, are periodically paraded before
the public, in which they are informed how many pas-
sengers travel annually upon our railways, and what is
the number per ern . that meet with any accident on
their journeys. We are tbon usually informed how many
used to travel by stage-coaches in the olden time, and
what was the per-tentage of accidents among passengers
by that mode of conveyance.
It was impossible in stage-coach travelling to guard
completely against all kinds of accident. In railway tra-
velling it is possible to do so. No amount of care or
skill in the proptietors or driver of a coach could furnish
absolute security. The coach might be sound and well
built, the horses might be well chosen and well
driven, there might be no overloading, and yet an ac
cident might happen. Horses might suddenly lull, or
take fright, or the misconduct of the drivers of other
vehicles migbt bring on a collision ; or there might
be an unknown danger in the state of the road over
which the coacbmaster had no control. There is
nothing of the kind in the case of a railway. Rail-
way carriages have inanimate machinery for their
motive power. A steam-engine does not kick or bolt
or take fright. It has no vice; and, if it is unsound, the.
railway company have themselves to blame. Then, the
road is their own. None but their own carriages travel
on it. If these interfere with the sale transit of each
other, or it the road itself is in an unsafe state,
it is the fault of the company, and of the company
only. We repeat it, a railway accident cannot hap-
pen without the railway company being to blame. If
they buy defective carriages or engines, or if they
allow them to b .come &heave by neglect and wear and
tear, but persist in using them; if they start their trains
too soon after each other; if they do not keep the rails
and the permanent way in good order; if they employ
insufficient and incompetent servants; if they do any of
these things, they are justly blameabl-, and they ought
to be made severely responsible.— Weekly News.

STARVATION OF A GIRL BY APR FATHER AND
STEP-MOTHER ar BRISTOL. - Robert and Louisa Carpenter,
who have been for some weeks in custody at Bristol upon a
charge of cruelly ill-treating Christiana Carpenter, a girl 16
years old, by locking her op in a room, half-starving her,
and beating her, underwent a further examination before the
magistrates of Bristol on Saturday. In consequence of the
immense crowds which thronged the streets upon the occa-
sion of the former remends, and of the threatening and Nit).
lent aspect 'Allied the pepulice at those times essumed to-
wards the prisoners, the magistrates deemed it prudent to
keep the time of the present examination a secret, and their
intention to proceed with it was only made known to the
press and to the parties actually engaged in the conduct of
the case. It will be remembered that when she was brought
up about three weeks since the poor girl was a complete
skeleton, only weighing 59165. in her clothes; her appearance
on Saturday was greatly improved. Mr. Brice, the clerk to
the justice, stated that in that short pe•iod she had gained
191 b. As soon as the prisoners were placed at the bar, the
girl was accommodated with a seat in the witness-box, and
having been sworn, she stated the case; but while under ex-
aminat on the poor girl became exhausted and excited, and
Mr. Bernard, the surgeon in attendance upon her, expressing
his opinion that she was not in a fit state to be questioned
any further, the prisoners were again remanded, the magis-
trates expressing their readiness to take responsible sureties
for their re-appearance. No bail being forthcoming, they
were removed in custody, and the poor girl was driven back
to the station-house.
MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR.—An inquest was held on
Saturday at Guy's Hospital, before Mr. W. Payne and a
jury, as to the death of Charles Palmer, aged 43, a
cab proprietor and driver, who died from the effects of in-
juries received on the Derby night under circumstances of a
very mysterious shwas er. It appeared that the deceased
recently resided in the Old Kent-road, .and on the Derby
day was engaged with his cab in conveying persons to and
from various points on the road, whereby, it was stated, he
had received about 41. At a late hour the deceased stopped
at a t üblic house near Cheam, were he was engaged by
Jemmy Welsh, Ramesh, and other well-known pugilists, to
convey them to London at half-a-crown each. They gave
deceased some meat, bread, &c., and proceeded on their way
home, when the deceased received some injury by falling
from the box of the cab, or by other means, at present us-
known to the police. He was taken to Guy's Hospital,
where he had every attention paid to him, but he expired on
Wednesday from severe injuries to the spine, fiacture of the
leg, and other violence; no doubt caused by a fall. The
sistar of the deceased stated that before her brother expired
be informed her that he had teen "hocussed, and robbed by
some persons who had been in the cab, by whom also he was
br .tally ill-treated by being pushed off the cab. The co-
roner was informed that several persons engaged in the case
were absent, but if time was allowed they, no doubt, would
be forthcoming. Tne coroner thereupon consented to ad-
journ the proceedings for a few days, and the inquiry was
accordingly adjourned.

MELANCHOLY OCCURRENCE.—On Thursday after-
noon an inquest was held at Lytham (a favourite watering-
place about 12 miles from Preston), on the body of Hannah
Jowitt, 20 years of age. who, together with Thomas Smith,
aged 29, was drowned while on a pleasure excursion on the
River Ribble. It is said that the deceased, who were fellow-
servants in the establishment of Dr. Winstanley, of the West
Cliff, Preston, were betrothed to each other, and were to have
been married on the very day on which the inquisitions we, e
held ever their remains. It appeared from the evidence that
the d- ceased and four other persons left Preston in a boat,
with the view of proceeding on a pleasure excursion to Ly-
tham. T.ie boat (which was in a good state of repair) WAS
about 23 feet in the keel and 7 feet in the beam, and had re-
centl• been fitted with new soils; it belonged to two young
men of the party, named John Eastham and John Blakey.
They had proceeded, with a strong ebb tide, as far as Warton a
village about three miles from Lytham), where the liver is
some two or three miles in breadth, when in consequence, as
is stated, of a sudden squall, the boat capsized, and the
whole party were immersed in the water, being at the time
within a few yards of the shore. Two poor men, named
Anthony Jordan and Peter Lamb (who were gathering
cockles on the sands within a short distance of the spot),
rendered prompt and praiseworthy assistance; seizing a boat
which lay at anchor close by, they were the fortuipiploa,brtrieonwm.nnineneaidntns
of rescuing four of the party. Smith, who clung to the mast
ally
when the boat capsized, was taken irom the water
time after the accident, but life was quite
nexlut etict. u
woman Jowitt was carried about a mile and a-half sown
sf
river by the force of the current, andwheonftthhee
tide
inquest eas t receded,sbht rh
herwas bodyhe
ld a
t w
was f tail'
tnod n. on
A
the
verdictaand 0
fs .
,AThe c
ciig
del
was given in each case. On the evening
bodio, were Thterred in one grave in the burial-ground of
Warton Church.
The Durham Adue7tiser alto t
WO 804 Ludo it§ afpoinivi, "3' tr= Pte.°

who have wa:ched the irresistible effects of the great
tide o' western emigration. For the first 800 miles the
land is mostly prairie, and fir for instant settlement; and
one of the provisions of the Bill recommended by the
Committees of Congress who have reported upon the
subject is that not more than half the quantity granted
on each side ►hall be sold in the first instance, the rat-
' maining ha f being reserved to complete the work in
tho,e districts where the Roil might prove poor. - Nut
only. therefore, would each prolongation of the road na-
turally render more certain the comp!etion of the re-
maind.•r, but it would provide a fund that would place
that result beyond all doubt.
Gigantic as the scheme is, the simple calculations on
which these conclusions are based are familiar to all
who are acquainted with the rise and progress of the
inland cities i•f America, and in this case the projector
is to stake the reward of all his labours upon their suc-
cess. After the road shall have been completed and in
operation, all the surplus lands or money are, according
to the Bill which has been introduced, to belong to Mr.
Whitney and his heirs; but there is no provision for any
airect remuneration; and consequently, although every
step of the work must benefit the nation, he cannot de-
rive anything except from its final triumph.
The ultimate effects of such a land route between
Europe and Asia, and its influence in still further ming-
ling the productions and races of the world, are to be
regarded with equal interest in England and the United
States. It has been unanimously reported upon by dif-
ferent Committees of the two Houses of Congress at
different sessions, and has also been sanctioned by legis-
lative votes in about 20 of the individual States. The
party warfare, however, of last session prevented a final
r. solution from being arrived at, and consequently caused
a delay which, as far as the United States are concerned,
je•.parnizes the project. So rapid is the progress of set-
dement in the west, that the lauds in the neighbourhood
of the route are fast filling up, and the contingency pre-
sents itself, that even before Congress will again meet
they may be so far occupied as to put it out of the power
of Government to make the needful grant. Looking at
this possibility, attention has been turned to Canada,
whence a feasible route has long been considered to
exist from Quebec to Vancouver's Island. In the offers
understood to have been made to Mr. Whitney the pos-
sible adoption of the latter course has consequently been
' taken into account, the proposal being to furnish him
with the necessary capital for the first 10 miles of the
line (in consideration for a share of the results contin-
gent upon its final completion), whether it may pass
througn American or British territory, supposing a
similar grant of the latter could be obtained. For the
present, it appears tie has declined to enter into any ar-
rangement, preferring to wait until the next session of
Congress; but it is satisfactory to believe that his bold
conception is now sufficiently appreciated on both sides
to insure that it will not be suffered to fail for want • f

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.
WATERFORD AM) KILKENNY.
The half yearly ur wing or this corn,aoy was hyld on
Saturday, at the London Tavern ; General M•Leod in
the chair.

The advertisement convening the nucting having been
read, and the seal of the cumpany affixed to the register
of shareholde,s,

The tiECRETARY read the report. It stated that the
eontract lot the complttion f the railway between
Kock William and Waterford had been coneluth.d on
favourable terms, upon the unnerstatido g th .t a loan of
40,0001. be obtained from the Pantie Work,' L•/an Com-
missiont.rs, and that the whole of the eAnpany's lisbt-
litter be forthwith discharged. An the queries proposed
previous to granting a loan had been s4tistsctorily an-
swered, and there was no doubt that when a resolution
had b-en passed authorising the directors to borrow this
40,000/, the first instalmont would be advatic.-d by the
board. the stab went t,f arcou, is showed that the re-
ceipts for the halt-) ear amounted to 8321, and the expen-
diture to 8731.

The CHAIRMAN having moved the adoption of the re-
port, it was liter.-0, in answer to quebttona from a pro-
prietor, that a t•utlierunt number of preteretice titian had
be*-n tlen up to complete: the entire undertakivg, and
the directors had no doubt that they bhoutd be enabled
to settle the claims of the ceditors by paying them with
these shares.

The report was unanimou,ly adopt,d, and the meet-
ing was made special for the purpose of submitting a bill
to the proprietors for amend►ng the acts of the company-
and for other purposes, which having been explained by
the solicitor, was approved of by he proprietors,
A resolution was 'hen passe d authorising the directors
to borrow the sum of 40 0001, and after a vote of thanks
to th. chairman the meting separate d.
AMALGAMATION OF THE EAST AND WEST YORK-
SHIRE WITH THE YORK AND NoRTH MIDLAND RAIL-
WAY —A. meeting for the above purpose was held at
Kuaresborough on Frid\.y, and the arrangemen►, as
above-mentioned, was agreed to.