The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-07 00:00:00

LOCOMOTIVE ENTERPRISE

A quarter of a century has not elapsed since the
Parliamentary agents for a Bill authorizing the con-
struction of a railway between Liverpool and Man-
chester vehemently importuned Mr. G. STEPHENSON,
the engineer of the line, who had been summoned to
give evidence before the Select Committee of the
House of Commons to which that Bill had been re-
ferred, not to state the probable speed which might
be attained by a locomotive on a railway at a higher
rate than fourteen miles an hour. "We do not
doubt," said these gentlemen to Mr. STErBENsoN
" but that you will be able to attain a speed of eigh-
teen or twenty miles an hour,: but if you
were to make such a statement to the Committee
they would regard it as so extravagantly absurd that
they would at once reject the Bill ;" and the Parlia-
mentary agents were right; there can be no doubt but
that had those things been stated to the Committee,
which are now of every-day occurrence, the Bill
would have been rejected, and the cause of railway
progress would have been thrown back for years. We
well remember the anxiety, not unmingled with in-
credulity, with which the opening of the Liverpool
and Manchester Railway was looked for, and the sort
of triumph with which (notwithstanding the unfortu-
nate death of Mr. HusxlssoN) the news of the complete
success of the new system of locomotion was greeted
throughout the country. The idea of travelling
eighteen or twenty miles an hour appeared something
marvellous to those who had hitherto been accustomed
to regard twelve miles an hour as the fastest of fast
travelling, and twenty-five miles, should such speed
be ever attained, was regarded as the ne plus ultra of
speed. Such has been the progress of improvement,
however, that, thanks to the skill and enterprise of the
directors and managers of our great railway compa-
nies, the present rate of locomotion exceeds the rate
of that on the earliest railway at the earliest
period, in much greater proportion than did the
rate of speed on the earliest railway at its earliest
period exceed the rate of speed of the then fastest
coach. What would the Parliamentary agents who
snubbed Mr. GEORGE STEPHENSON, or the members
of the Parliamentary Committee, who would have
regarded his moderate and carefully calculated state-
ments as the wild dreams of an enthusiast—what
would they have said had they been told that before
twenty-five years should have elapsed they would. see
1,000 passengers and 3,000 packages of goods safely
conveyed from London to Paris in twelve hours ?
Why, even those who just twenty-one years
ago witnessed the wondrous opening of the
Manchester and Liverpool Railroad, and had
in consequence conceived some vague idea of the vast
powers of steam on the iron road, would have greeted
such a statement with a sneer of incredulity, yet such
have been the immense improvements introduced into
every department of science connected with locomotion
on iron roads, that, thanks to the skill and admirable
powers of organization of Mr. JAMES MACGREGOR, the
South-Eastern Railway Company dispatched on Fri-
day last a train with about 1,000 passengers and 3,000
packages of luggage from the London-bridge termi-
nus, and set them down in Paris the same evening,
after occupying not quite twelve hours on the journey !
That train was remarkable for having been the train
in which the LORD MAYOR and the Royal Commis-
sioners, with their friends, proceeded to Paris on their
visit to the Prefect of the Seine, and as a matter

worthy of being placed on record, we give some of
the statistics of this, perhaps, the most remarkable in-
stance of the triumph of steam over time ever recorded.
The parties and the packages were at the London-
bridge terminus at nine o'clock in the morning, and
by thirty-five minutes past nine (so admirable had
been the arrangements of Mr. MACGREGOR), the
whole of them had been dispatched, and were en route!
On the arrival of the train at Folkestone, they were
embarked on board steamers and conveyed to Bou-
logne, where the party partook of a splendid
dijeuner, after which several speeches were delivered ;
this occasioned a delay of two hours. The party
then started, per railway, for Amiens, where another
file was prepared, and more speeches were delivered,
and where, consequently, another delay took place;
and yet, notwithstanding these delays, the train ar-
rived in Paris at nine o'clock in the evening—the
travelling, embarking, sea passage, disembarking,
partaking of the good things set before them, and
speechifying—all occupying ONLY TWELVE HOURS.
We are informed in the account of the journey,
which appears in another column, that at Boulogne a
delay of two hours was occasioned ; we may safely
calculate the delay at Amiens at one hour and a half;
and deducting these three hours and a half from the
twelve hours which elapsed between the departure
from London and the arrival at Paris, we shall find
this train, containing 1,000 passengers and 8,000
packages, actually performed the journey from London
to Paris in eight hours and a half—a circumstance
wholly unparalleled, we believe, in the history of
railway travelling I .

The Ecclesiastical Titles Assumption Bill had
scarcely become a portion of the statute law of the
land, the ink in which the royal assent had been en-
dorsed on that salutary measure was scarcely dry,
when a determined and organized confederacy was
formed for the purpose not only of obtaining the re-
peal of the obnoxious Act, but of effecting the over-
throw of the "usurping Church," by rescinding the
laws against the Jesuits, procuring the modification
of the Regency Act, so far as it prohibits Prince
ALBERT, or the Regent for the time being, from becom-
ing or contracting marriage with a Roman Catholic,
and authorising the attainment not only of the
highest legal office (the Lord Chancellorship) by pro-
fessors of Romish doctrines, but even of the throne
itself. These objects are not only sufficiently bold
in themselves to attract public attention, but they are
also put forward in the broadest and most unequivocal
language. The overthrow of the " usurping Church"
is distinctly spoken of, and the conversion of our
Most Gracious SOVEREIGN to what they are pleased
to term "genuine Christianity," is manifestly re-
garded not only as a possible, but an exceedingly pro-
bable event.
Under such circumstances it will be readily con-
ceded that the title of " Catholic Defence Associa-
tion," the name in which the new society rejoices, by
no means conveys an adequate idea of the objects of
its founders. " Aggression " would be a more proper
phrase than " defence." The overthrow of an exist-
ing institution, whether it be legitimate or " usurp-
ing," is certainly more of an " aggressive " than
" defensive " character. The repeal of existing laws,
whether justifiable or otherwise, is of a like descrip-
tion. In every point they contemplate invasion, and

yet modestly designate themselves as a " defence
" thatti,--i•yarid ridiculous pretext,
will bd sufficient, as ►huy suppose, to hoodwink the
people of this Protestant country, and to render them
indifferent to the palpable attempts to obtain supe-
ri6rity under the garb of equality—to suppress other
religions under the name of " toleration."
The time selected for the attempt is peculiarly in-
felicitous. There may be nothing of novelty in the
claims recently put forward by the Papal Court;
they may be in strict conformity with the assump-
tions of the Vatican for successive ages, a part of the
system which led to the Reformation, and subse.
quently to the revolution and the expulsion of the
" Stuart dynasty" from the throne of these realms.
But they had been lost sight of and forgotten for a
considerable period. We were accustomed to consider
our Roman Catholic brethren as deeply injured per-
sons, who were merely suing for the restoration of
their inalienable privileges as British subjects. The
absurd and untenable pretensions of " the Holy See"
had been suffered to remain in abeyance, and, on the
old principle of "non apporentibus, et non existentibus,
eadern est ratio," were totally forgotten. We, there-
fore, legislated as if they had been totally abandoned,
and, perhaps, the only offices unconnected with the
Church Establishment: from which Roman Catholics
were excluded was the Monarchy itself, the Re-
gency for the time being, and the Lord
Chancellorship. It was obvious that there
should be a restriction on these points.

rY
If the Sovereign, or even the Regent, were Roman
Catholic, the church of which that Sovereign was the
recognised head should also become Roman Catholic,
and the Church of England would not only be over-
thrown (a catastrophe which many strenuous Pro-
testants might bear with Christian fortitude and
pious resignation), but a Roman Catholic establish-
went would be substituted therefor, an event which
would be regarded with no such equanimity, but
which would excite very different feelings indeed.
If it was necessary to provide for the religion of the
Monarch, it was equally necessary to stipulate for
that of the Lord Chancellor. The keeper of the
King's conscience inight, perhaps, be excused any
private predilections in which he might please to in.
dulge, but it was essential that the patron of a vast
number of livings, who might inundate the Chureh
with " Puseyite parsons," a body of whom the coun-
try is perfectly sick, should be at least a professing
Protestant. The exceptions, therefore, were not so
numerous or so unreasonable as to excite the ire of
the Roman Catholics.
They were accordingly readily and gracefully
conceded, and for two and twenty years no complaints
have been put forward against the restrictive
clauses of the Emancipation Act until the present
occasion. Now, however, when the Protestant feel-
ing has been excited to the utmost throughout the
length and breadth of the land at the unprovoked
and unwarranted invasion of the Royal prerogative
and the national independence—when it has felt
it necessary to repel the usurpation, albeit
in the most moderate and temperate manner, adopt-
ing no measures of retaliation—we are greeted with
the demands of a defence association (defence for-
sooth ! ! !), calling upon us to forego the scanty safe-
guards that were still retained for the protection of
Protestantism in these realms.

The time then for these demands is, as we have al-
ready stated, " peculiarly infelicitous." It shows
that ulterior objects, not yet openly avowed, but
scarcely concealed, are contemplated. We would,
then, emphatically warn the promoters of this
new, and we will say "unconstitutional," societ3
against the probable consequences of their own acts.
They are now in a very different position, from what
they formerly were, when the "Catholic Association"
flourished, and they may provoke a counter movement,
of the results of which they can have no adequate
conception. They should derive a salutary lesson
from the old fable, and beware lest in "grasping at
the shadow they may forfeit the substance." We
give this warning in all sober earnestness, eschewing,
above all things, religious differences, and anxious to
prevent
" Civil dissension, with its vip'rous tooth,
That gnaws the bowels of the Commonweal."
The choice, however, rests not with us—we will not
attack, but we will not abandon our position ; and
if assailed it is impossible to calculate what may be
the consequences of the ill-omened struggle.

THE BRAZILS.
(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
LIVERPOOL, THURSDAY MORNING.
By the arrival off Queenstown of the clipper ship
Columbus, Captain Goble, we have received advices
from Rio Janeiro to the 20th June, Bahia the 27th,
and Pernambuco to the Bth July.
The advices from the River Plate are that Cor-
rientes and Entre Rios had both declared against
Rosas, and it was thought Brazil would have some
difficulty in keeping out of the squabble.
RIO JANEIRO, JUNE 20.

• Exchange, 29d. Coffee, 3 reis 50 milreis to 3 reis
100 milreis. Freights, 555. to 60s.
BAHIA, Jura 27.
Here we have nothing new to report. Business
generally very dull. Money scarce and sought after.
Weather wet and wintry.
Exchange, 28id.; freights, GOs. to 655. Vessels
scarce and much wanted for cotton. Sugar, 1 reis
500 milreis to 1 reis 900 milreis.
PERNAMBUCO, JULY 5.

Business here very flat. A scarcity of money as
also an amount of bills from other provinces has
caused our rate of exchange to fix itself at 28d.,
and advanced our discount here to 1 to 1 per cent.
per month.
Freights 60s. to 655.
The Robert Finnic, from Liverpool, and the For-
tuna, from Bremen, arrived here on the 25th June.—
Times.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.
Last evening was a grand extra night, and
Beethoven's chef d' cruvre Fidelio was repeated with
Madlle. Sofie Cruvelli as the heroine. Each repeti-
tion of this delightful opera seems to develope new
beauties. In order thoroughly to appreciate its
transcendant excellence, it must be seen not once
only, or even twice, but again, and again, and again.
Madlle. Sofie Cruvelli is ever charming and ever new
in her delineation of Fidelio; the foundation is the
same, but the details are infinitely varied; hers is no
mere mechanical rendering of the part—having im•
bued herself thoroughly with the spirit of the author,
she trusts to the impulse of her genius to vary
the details according to the inspiration of the moment,
and thus it is that, like the late Edmund Kean, she
completely electrifies her audience, imparting to them,
if not a portion of her inspiration, at least a portion of
her enthusiasm. Sims Reeves, as the captive, sang
and acted admirably, and Coletti, as the Governor,
was very fine. The music was admirably and con-
scientiously rendered throughout by the orchestra
and chorus. Never has Beethoven's only opera
been so perfectly performed as a whole as it is at her
Majesty's Theatre. Fidelio was followed by the first
act of the Muta di Portici, in which the exquisite
singing of Madame Fiorentini, the expressive panto-
mime of Madlle. Monti, and the graceful dancing of
Madlle. Amalia Ferraris created a perfect furore.

DEATH OF LADY LOUISA STUAET.—Lady Louisa
Stuart, the youngest daughter and only surviving child of
the celebrated statesman, Marquis of Bute, died a few deys
since, at her residence at Kensington, aged 94. Perhaps no
family has more scions extant than the Bute branch of the
noble house of Stuart.
EXTENSIVE NIKE UPON ONE OF THE DUKE OF
CAMaRIDGE'S FAILMS.—On Tuesday night, about ten o'clock,
a fire broke out upon Coomb Warren Farm, Kingston, the
property of the Duke of Cambridge, but in the occupation of
Mr. Francis Gainer, farmer, and before it could be extin-
guished, several hundred pounds worth of property were de-
stroyed. From inquiries made, it appears that a number of
Irish labourers employed upon the farm were allowed per-
mission to sleep in the barn, situated at some distance from
the dwelling house. It is supposed that a spark from one of
their pipes tell upon some straw, which ignited, and soon
afterwards the place was in flames. The engines from
Kingston were put in requisition as soon as possible, but the
fire continued raging until four o'clock yesterday morning,
when the flames were effectually subdued. The cattle were
with much difficulty saved and placed in security. The pro-
perty destroyed consisted of 30 quarters of ;matey, 100 loads
of straw, cow sheds, and the barn where the fire originated.
Mr. Gainer is insured in the Norwich Fire Insurance Office,
and it is estimated that 3001. will cover his loss.
ROYAL ARTILLERY.—WOOLWICH, AUGUST 6.—
Captain Freese's and Captain Cleveland's companies assem-
bled in heavy marching order at one o'clock yesterday, and
marched to Ruff's harf. where they embarked, at half-past
one, on board one of the Woolwich Company's steam-b,,ats
for Hungerford- pier, and marched thence to Euston-square
for conveyance to Birmingham, where they were to be bil-
leted for the night, and proceed to-day for Liverpool, en
route to Ireland, to relieve two companies ordered to return
to head-quarters from that country. The Luggage of the
companies was forwarded on Monday, to be ready packed in
luggage vans, that no delay might take place on the arrival
of the companies at Euston station. The Rcyal Horse Ar-
tillery have been going through a course of gun and rocket
practice in the Marshes froln halt-past eight A.M. to one
o'clock P.M., under Lieutenant-Colonel Bell, and will con-
tinue during the remainner of the present week, in the
event of the weather being favourable. The streets of Wool-
wich were for some time impassable on Tuesday when the
companies embarked, owing to the great number of strangers
who accompanied the band on the occasion.

Till 101-IENC.

... _.~....., _r„, ~ ..

We have received the Y., joackil, yest.-r ay.

The fetes to the Royal ConLis3iontre, and to the
Lord May or still engross the public attention ; a de-
tailed account of them will be found in another
column.

T,le arrogance and usurpations of the parti-pretre
are at length arousing the indignation of those whose
panic fear of Socialism has caused them to suffer
themselves to be dragged through the mire of Je-
suitism by MM. DE MONTALEMBERT and DE FAL-
LOUX. M. DUPIN, the President DUPIN, the ultra-
Conservative M. DUPIN, felt himselt compelled to
protest in his place in the Assembly against the
usurpations of the grasping clergy, and, thanks to his
interposition, the amendment to the Hospital Regula-
tion Bill, proposed by M. SCEIOELCHER, for the pur-
poses of giving to the civil power the right of dis-
missing the chaplains to public institutions, has been
referred to the Committee, and will, in all probabi-
lity, be incorporated in the Bill. The following is
the report of the discussion :
The next order of the day was the third reading of
the Bill relating to the administration of hospitals and
other charitable institutions.
M. Schoelcher proposed, as an amendment, that the
spiritual authority should be obliged to come to au un-
derstanding with the Government for the removal of
chaplains in those establishments, when necessary.
M. de Melun opposed the amendment, on the ground
that the present system worked well.
The President—You cannot force the Government to
keep chaplains of whom it disapproves.—(Movement.)
M. de Meluu declared that, after having examined the
concordate, he was of opinion that the amendment could
not be admitted. He conceived that a chaplain when
once appointed was irremoveable.
M. Daru here replaced M. Dupin in the chair.
M. Dupin said that the chaplains depended at the same
time on the civil and the ecclesiastical authorities, and
,he co operation of these two authorities was indispen-
sable. Conflicts had frequently taken place in the hos-
pitals between the directors and the chaplains. He had,
chile member of the committee of surveillance of the
uospitals, found the latter interfere with the religious
.)pinions of young people in spite of the wishes of their
parents. It was highly necessary that the abuses which
existed should be put an end to. The Government was
disposed to give every latitude to religion, but there
were some persons who wished to encroach, and, while
reeling every respect for the ecclesiastical authority, he
could not admit that the civil authority should be

deserted.
M. Armand (do Melon) protested, in the name of the
Committee, against what he termed the diatribe of M.
Dupia.
M. Dupin said that he felt the highest respect for re-
ligion, but he could not oppose what he considered as its
ibuses. During all his political career he had defended
the civil against the encroachments of the ecclesias-
tical authorities, and he should continue to de so.—
(Hear.) The republic was, he said, a ragime of liberty ;
it had given great developments to the religious powers,
but it could never allow it to swallow up the civil au
thority.—(Applause.) The Hon. Gentleman concluded
by proposing that the amendment of M. Schoelcher
should be referred back to the Committee.
The amendment was then referred to the Committee
as proposed.
The organs of the parti-pritre are most amusingly
angry with their " model President" of the Assembly,
who is by them condemned to outer darkness, in com-
pany with M. MICHEL (de Bourge,), M. VICTOR
Ellice), and the rest of the wicked.
Tee councils of thu arrondissements commenced
their sittings on Monday.
The following communicated note appears in the
2.lloniteur :—'• A journal of the Gironde, on the faith
of a letter from Narbonne, of the 31st ult., stated
that on the 30th four sentinels had been assassinated
at Perpignan, and that a fifth had only extricated
himself by killing two men. This statement is ut-
tei ly without foundation."
Even the Bourse speculators, to whom a military uni•
form is in general an object of horror, appear to be in-
spired with warlike ardour, for they have deserted their
usual field of operations fur the Champ de Mars. The
Five per Cents. opened at 95f. 85c., and clost.d at 95f. 95c.
for. the end of the month; the Three per Cents. closed
at 57f. 45c.; Orleans Railroad Share 3, 867 f. 50c.; Rouen,
618 f. 75c. ; Havre, 245 f. ; Great Northern, 470 f.;
Avignon, 215 f.; Vierzon, 4-10 f; Basle, 153 f. 75c.; Bor-
leaux, 397 f. 50c.; Paris and Strasburg, 365 f.; Tours
and Nantes, 275 f.; Amiens to Boulogne, 270 f.

BUSINESS DoNE iN FOREIGN HAIL WAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, AUG. 6.

I pitch Rhenish, VA ex in.—East Indian, 18%—Luxem
bourg, 2%—Namur and Liege, OA—Orleans and Bor
deaux, 4%.

SPAIN.

Madrid journals of the Ist have arrived.
The Gaqeta of the Ist publishes the returns
of the receipts of the Spanish Treasury for the
month of June, 1851. They show an improve-
ment of rather more than two millions of reels as
compared with the corresponding month of 1850.
MADRID BOLSA, Auo. I.—The following are the
prices of stocks :—Three per Cents., 36 sellers ; Five
per Cents., 17 to 17i, with current coupon ; Cou-
pons, 8i to :3 ; Passive Debt, 6 11-16. Exchange
on London, 50 95.