The Sun.
London, England, 1834-10-28 00:00:00

COMMITTAL OF AN INCENDIARY.

At a meeting of the magistrates at St. Ives, Elizabeth
Barlow was re-examined on a charge of being the incendi-
ary who fired the stacks of Mr. Barlow, at Somersham.
Samuel Brakes, of Whittlesea, and formerly of Somers-
ham, stated that the prisoner was riding with him in a cart
to Woodhiirst, when the fire at Somersham became the
subject of conversation. Witness said "it was a bad
thing that Mr. Barlow's stacks should be burned down ;"
when the prisoner replied, that " it was a bad job, but be-
fore the winter was gone, his (the prosecutor's) house would
be burned down, but they would not burn the fen property
because it was 'not his own." (The prisoner, daring the
examination of this witness, seemed very much agitated,
and exclaimed, " Who sent for you from Whittlesea ?")
Betty Burgess, from Somersham, in answer to questions
from the Rev. Mr. Tillard, stated that on the morning of
the fire, she (witness) rose at six o'clock to gather mush-
rooms, when she saw the prisoner with a light, very near Mr.
Barlow's premises. Prisoner—" Its all false ; I never was out
at all on that morning." Witness—" Yes, it is true." Prisoner
(much agitated)—" It is false—l am innocent as a child."
Mrs. Burgess's testimony, with regard to the light, was
then corroborated by another individual of Somersham, of
the name of Wilson, a grocer.—Charles Dare saw the pri-
sone rnear Mr. Leed's mill when the fire was burning, and in-
quired of her where it was. She replied that it was at
Somersham, and that Mr. Barlow's stacks were burning.
Witness asked also where the fire began. She answered,
" In a hay-stack." The prisoner, according to the evidence
of this witness, danced about the road, and seemed to re-
joice very much while the fire was burning. In conse-
quence of the exertions made by different individuals to
produce evidence, a considerable number of witnesses came
forward, who proved that she gave a contradictory account
as to where she was at the time, and also heard her give
utterance to expressions against the prosecutor, which would
not be much in her favour. After a patient inquiry, which
lasted for a considerable time, the prisoner was committed
for trial at the Assizes, Mr. Barlow and the witnesses being
bound in their respective recognizances to appear.—Siam-
ford News.

THE HAiV OF THE EYE OF A HORSE.—This is
-not like the membrana nictitans of a bird, but it is a cartilage
covered convexly, by the membrana conjunctiva : there is ap-
;vended to it a mass of fat, and next to the fat is the retractor
muscle whenev6ethe eye is excited there is an action of this
muscle ; the eye-ball is retracted, the mass of fat is compressed,
and by the compression of this the haw, as it is termed, passes
over the eye, so that you never see any thing like dirt, or an
extraneous body in the eye of the horse, unless a bit of glass
gets entangled there. But in the most dry road a horse never
suffers from dust, as his rider does, and it is owing to this pro-
vision of nature, a third eye-lid as it were, which runs over the
eye. At the moment the eye is turned inward, the haw passes
over the eye„.. and having a glandular secretion it removes
whatever is offensive to the inner corner of the eye when it is
i conveyed out.—Sir Charles Bcll.

investigation, trying and probing several parts of the
country, in order to get the best line. The line he
had selected was to commence at Kingsland, near Shore-
ditch Church, and about a mile from the Royal Ex-
change ; to pass thence on to Cambridge, and thence pas-
sing on between Peterborough and Whittlesea, to Spald-
ing, Lincoln, Snaith, Selby, and York. It was intended
to have branches into Norfolk, to Stamford, Hull, Leeds,
Sheffield, and all the manufacturing towns and dis-
tricts. The line he had submitted would afford that

accommodation which no other line of country could
afford, as it would connect the manufacturing
towns in the
north with Norwich_ et-nrrl
greater facilities in the construction thin any other
road, as no tunnel or material excavation would be
required, and the expense would be much cheaper,
owing to the levels it would pass over. He then ad-
verted to the profits of the Stockton railway, which
was constructed at an expense of 10,0001. per mile,
with difficulties to overcome. About 80,000 tons of
coals were transmitted over it annually, at an expense
of one penny for five tons per mile. Cheapness and
expedition were not the only beneficial effects upon
railroads. It gave employment to the poor, and les-
sened the county-rates one-third and one-fourth, more
or less, in different cases. They afforded to the share-
holders fifteen, and in some instances twenty per cent.
He referred them to the success of the Manchester
and Liverpool railroad, to prove the almost certainty
of success. A great part of Mr. Cundy's address
consisted of a refutation of the statement of a INT&
Babington, who opposed his plan at a meeting at
Lincoln, which was of no interest to the inhabitants
of Stamford. He estimated the expense of the pro-
jected undertaking at 7,7001. per 'mile. He dwelt
also upon the advantages that would accrue to
the merchant, landowner, cultivator of the soil, 'and
trader, but for the same reason we have observed
above, we are unable to give correctly his observations.
—Mr. Jackson said a few words, but as he addressed
himself to the chair, and spoke in a low tone, we could
not well hear him. We understood that he wished
another gentleman in the room, who was the engineer
to a company for a different line of road from London
to York, to that proposed by Mr. Cundy, to lay before
the meeting his plans, that the best, if either, might be
adopted.—Mr. Gibbs, the gentleman alluded to, ex-
plained that he had not attended the meeting to submit
any plans, or to deteriorate those of Mr.Cundy; he was
on his return from a survey, and having heard of this
meeting, merely attended to watch the proceedings ; but
if he were called upon he would give any explanations
that might be required of him. The general desire
seemed to be to hear him, and he then stated that he
had the honour to serve a body of gentlemen, who were
formed into a company for the purpose of making a
railway from London to York. The line they proposed
would connect this part of the county and the north of
England and midland counties, more intimately with
Norfolk, as a branch would be carried to Norwich and
adjacent towns, and the line they had fixed upon would
run nearer to Stamford than that projected by Mr.
Cundy. He stated further the natural advantages of the
country for making a line of railroad, and the diminution
of expense in the undertaking compared with those on
other roads. He hoped in justice to the gentlemen
whom he represented, and for the advantage of them-
selves they would come to no resolution pledging
themselves to the adoption of Mr. Cundv's plan, but
leave it open to determine at a future time, which was
the most beneficial to this part of the country.
General Johnson was desirous of knowing where the
means for carrying on the project was to come from.
He could assure them if they expected to get any money
from this part of the country, they would find them-
selves deceived, unless the Joint Stock Banks thought
proper to invest in it. Mr. Cundy said that the Post-
office department would advance 2 or 300,0001., and
a large sum had been already subscribed. Mr. Gibbs
said they looked for shareholders more among the
manufacturing districts than the agricultural. He
gave as an instance that the shares in the Southampton
railway, were principally raised in Norwich. After
a great deal of desultory conversation, Sir John
Trollope rose and advised the meeting to
pledge them-
selves to no specific course. He was not prepared to
give any decided opinion on the subject, as he con-
fessed he had not sufficiently studied it ; but lie
thought it would be of more evil than good to the
town of Stamford. Resolutions were finally adopted
that a committee should he formed to take into coh-
sideration the advantages or disadvantages of the' pro-
posed railway

We have heard several complaints made of the higl
provisions compared with the present low state of the
price of
markets. Whether these are well grounded or not as regards
other places we cannot say, but we know that in Stamford, a
quartern loaf of good household bread, and one pound of good
meat, can be purchased for ninepence. The average price of
wheat is only 355. 2d. per quarter here.—Stamford News.