The Sun.
London, England, 1851-05-12 00:00:00

EVENING, MAY

INTENDED DEPARTURE of the PRINCE
ALBERT Tor the ARCTIC SEAS.
This little vessel, which, skilfully handled by Captain
Forsyth, performed so remarkable a voyage last year,
although she failed in her mission, is again on the eve
of sailing from Aberdeen, in the hope of now accom-
plishing it. Mr. Kennedy, an experienced officer of the
Hudson's Bay Company, is in command of the expedi-
tion; and Mr. Leask; ice-master of the North Star, who
piloted that vessel through Baffin's Bay and Barrow's
Strait, is in command of the vessel. Embarked with
them is John Hepburn. This brave man, who was with
Sir John Franklin, Richardson, and Back, when they
explored the shores of the Polar Sea, and whose noble
conduct under trying circumstances of no ordinary na-
ture is imperishably written on the page of history, has
volunteered his services to go in search of his honoured
master. The crew of the vessel are all picked men—a
large portion being those who sailed in her last year.
Lady Franklin, we believe, has gone down to Aber-
deen, where the vessel is fitting out, and is expected to
remain some time in Scotland.
It is almost superfluous to say that the course of the
Prince Albert will be directed to Prince Regent's Inlet,
and that the main object of the voyage is to explore the
western coast of Boothia from Cape Bird, south, and the
eastern coast from Brentford Bay. If the ice admits of
it, the vessel will probably go to Brentford Bay, whence
the two boat parties will be dispatched; and there is
every reasonable hope that the party destined for the
western side will find a water communication between
Brentford Bay and Cape Bird. At all events, the dis-
tance across cannot be more than ten miles, and bo the
difficulties what they may, we doubt not Mr. Kennedy's
energies and experience in travelling will succeed in
overcoming them.
Had the Government acceded to the request of Sir
Robert Inglis to send a steam-vessel to bring us intelli-
gence from Captain Austin's squadron, the Prince Al-
bert would have gone straight to her work; but we have
heard that she will now be directed tirat to endeavour to
communicate with Griffiths's Island, in Barrow's Strait,
where it is the known intention of Captain Austin's
squadron to leave notices of their proceedings.
Should they be of such a nature as to render it desir-
able for the Prince Albert to return to England to com-
municate the intelligence she gains, she will doubtless be
authorised to do so; but should this not be necessary,
we fear we must make up our minds to remain in igno-
rance till the autumn of 1852, when the ships will pro-
bably return; for there appears to us to be but little
hope of learning anything until then, unless, indeed,
Captain Austin had the good luck (scarcely during that
short season to be expected) to come up with the mis-
sing parties last year, in which case we may hope to
have the squadron back in the:ensuing autumn.
It is not to be supposed that the whale ships will ven-
ture far to the westward, and in our opinion the only
hope of learning anything will be by the return of the
Ancient Mariner. The brave old man Sir John Ross
may have gone to the westward with Captain Austin's
ships, and will, in such case, be able to tell us of their
whereabouts; but this is by no means to be relied upon.
We heartily wish that the gentry of the land would
support the undertaking, by coming more liberally for-
ward with their subscriptions. Many have done so, but
the great burden of the expense is still borne by Lady
Franklin, which ought not to be allowed. An account is
opened at Drummond's, and we earnestly hope that our
appeal may not be altogether in vain. It is a noble and
honourable service, and ought to be supported by the
noble and honourable of the land. W e cannot omit to
mention—though no tat liberty to give his name—
that a commander in the navy, among other officers who
have volunteered their services to Lady Franklin, ac-
companied his proposal to command the Prince Albert
with an offer of 500/. towards the equipment of the expe-
dition. We record this fact as one honourable to all con-
cerned, though Lady Franklin's acceptanceof the highly
valuable services of Mr. Kennedy has, we understand,
prevented her from accepting its obvious advantages.
The Prince Albert is expected to sail for the polar
regions on or about the 15th, and she will not this time
go out without the organ, which the illustrious Prince
whose name she bears has kindly ordered to be put on
board " to contribute to the amusement of the men" in
the dreary depths of winter.

THE ESTATE STEALING MORTGAGE SYSTEM.
Attention is directed to the estate stealing mortgage
system, practised by persons of apparent respectability
pretending to assist the owners of estates with advances.
In building transactions the cases have been of common
occurrence, OR account of the high rate of interest, large
margin of value, and opportunities for disputing every
advance required as the works proceed.
In many other cases, examination of titles and sur-
veys of property, are charged for without the slightest
intention of making advances, and abstracts or other im-
portant documents detained until extortionate charges
are paid.

The most effectual remedy against such frauds will be
a register of cases, and the names of parties engaged in
concocting thens,and mortgagors should become members
of protection societies to ascertain who may be safely
trusted in such important negotiations. Respectable so-
licitors and honourable agents will also derive advantage
by being distinguished from the disreputable.
The want of public attention to this description of
fraud has been the cause of depriving thousands of
widows and orphans of property ample for their support
if it bad been fairly protected.
The abuses under the foreclosing system in the Court
of Chancery, facilitate the frauds in many cases, instead
of protecting mortgagors by public sales in the way cal-
culated:to obtain the beat prises, or granting reasonable
time for redemption, according to circumstances.
The estate stealing mortgage system is in principle
similar to bill stealing, but carried on by a more wealthy
class of practitioners.

ST. IVES.—Tna FISHERY.—During the past week
the boats on the mackerel fishery have been very successful,
taking from 300 to 5,000 per boat, which have been sold at
an average of 7s. per hundred of six score. One boat landed
on Wednesday 3,000, her own catch, which, with so:ne few
others that came to land, sold at Bs. or 9s. per hundred.—
Royal Cornwall Gazette.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
• MANS lON-HO USE.
On Saturday three Germans, named Moses Snyders,
Moses Jacobi Andring, and Jantezo V logmon, and a
German woman named Gerret; Vander Lowhen, were
brought before the Lord Mayor, in the custody of Henry
Isaacs, the officer, charged with having had in their pos.
session a number of Dutch bonds for the security of
money, and 177 sovereigns, without being able to give a
satisfactory account of the property.
Mr. John Matthews, of Arthur-street West, appeared
as solicitor for the prosecutors, Mrs. Frances Schaller
and Co., of Amsterdam, and to watch the proceedings
for the Dutch consul; and Mr. Humphreys and Mr. Wont-
ner attended for the prisoners.
Mr. Matthews said, on the 31st of April bonds to the
amount of 30,000 florins wore stolen from Mrs. Frances
Schaller and Co., and brought into the city of London to
be disposed of. Several of these bonds were taken to the
houses of Messrs. Spellman and Co. and Bower and
Co., and offered for sale; and the prisoner Snyders
was given into custody by one of these firms upon sus-
picion of having become unfairiy possessed of certain of
the stolen bonds. As most of the persons qualified to
give evidence upon this occasion aro of the Jewish per-
suasion, lam prevented by the forms of that religion
from producing them here this day, but request that your
Lordship will remand the accused until Monday, when:l
shall be able to get into all the particulars of the case. I
shall at the present moment just call sufficient evidence
to justify a remand.
John Isaacs (a City constable)—l received informa-
tion that the prisoner Snyders had been offering several
Dutch bonds of consideradle value for sale, and had
already sold some to the amount of 4001. to the proprie-
tors of,the Exchequer Bank in Leadenhall-street. Upon
hearing this statement I went to look for Snyders at the
house, 28, Rosemary-lane, and thence to 9, Tenter-
street, where I found the three other prisoners. I asked
for Snyders, but they said they knew no such person.
The female prisoner, Gerret Vander Lowhen, said,
" Ash Snyders." After having made further inquiries
in Tenter-street I returned to Rosemary-lane, to the
house at which I had first called, and I heard some
shuffling at the back of the shop into which I had gone,
and saw the two prisoners, Moses Jacobi Audring and
Jantezo Vlogman, trying to escape, and I apprehended
them. Upon one of them I found 41 bonds and some
English and foreign money. I then took the two men
and the woman to the station-house, where I found
Snyders already in custody, that prisoner having been
apprehended at Messrs. Speilman's offices by Morris
(City policeman 419). I took from on of the prisoners
a key which opened a box in the back parlour of the
house in Tenter-street (a sort of Dutch lodging-house),
where I found 14 bonds and 170 sovereigns, and a wig,
which I learned had been used by Snyders.
Mr. Matthews submitted that, upon the statement
made by the officer, quite enough appeared to authorise
the remand of all the prisoners.
Here a foreigner, who represented himself to bo a
merchant in London and related to one of the prisoners
who had been apprehended in Rosemary-lane, said that
his relative had only arrived on the very morning of his
apprehension in company with the sister of the deponent,
and could have known nothing of any felony,
the disagreeable circumstances in which ho was plac
but owedeto the fact of having been accidentally present when the
officers appeared.
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questioned the right of the Lord
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able information. Two of the prisoners are taken in the
act of endeavouring to escape from the officer

TRIAL OF A LOCOMOTIVE ON THE
CHESHIRE JUNCTION RAILWAY.
The trial of the tractive powers of the Druid engine,
concerned in the fatal collision in the Sutton tunnel,
which was undertaken to satisfy Captain Laffan, the
Government inspector, and the jury who are investigat-
ing the case, took place on Saturday morning at half-
past eight o'clock. The engine was in good working
condition, having been worked out at Chester on Thurs-
day night for Captain Deifies inspection; she took on
a train of eighteen carriages at Chester, consisting of
two first-class, six covered seconds and thirds, and ten
open stand-ups—the number sworn to by Mr. Crutchley,
the station-master at Chester, and others, as being that
dispatched in the train that blocked the road through
the tunnel. The stand-ups were capacious vehicles from
the North Staffordshire lines, capable of holding an im-
mense number of persons, sixty at least, and therefore
gave reason for believing that ore of the witnesses had been
misled when he said there were twenty-five carriages in
the train. The weight put in to represent passengers
consisted of old chairs and rails, distributed over the
whole, and making, as was expected, with the weight of
the engine, tender, and carriages, 152 tons. The engine
was assisted to Frodsham, and there awaited the ar-
rival of Captain Laffan, who was punctual to his ap-
pointed hour. Tho coroner and six of the jury were in
attendance, with Mr. Brag g°, who manages the locomo-
tive department; Mr. Alleson, locomotive superin-
tendent; Mr. Norris, of the London and North-Western
Company, and others. Captain Laffan made an experi-
mental trip through the tunnel, and returned, and then
the train was attached. The engine drew her load very
slowly, indeed, at starting, apparently scarcely able to
move it; but she soon got over that, and attained a con-
siderable speed, reaching the mouth of the tunnel, about
a mile and three quarters, in ten minutes thirty seconds.
She maintained her speed pretty evenly through the
tunnel, and it was evident that she only decreased
it when her wheels slipped, which they did some
little, as was marked by a peculiar beat. The tunnel
was perfectly clear, and the end might be distinctly
seen, like a section of a large circle, when the train
was seen a quarter of a mile from the mouth at the
Frodsham end. It was, however, wet, considerable
quantities of water falling in large drops on the
persons of the passengers. With the exception of the
faltering named, the engine went through well, and
reached the other end, a distance of a mile and a quar-
ter, in 3 minutes 55 seconds. She then went down the
incline towards Moon, two miles off, at which station
she finally drew up, 5 minutes 35 seconds after leaving
the tunnel, travelling the whole five miles in 20 minutes,
with that load on, at the rate of fifteen miles per hour.
We should add that from the tunnel to Moon there was
a strong wind blowing against the carriages at an angle
of 45 degrees, or at the rate of fifteen miles per hour.
Everybody seemed satisfied with the performance, and
Captain Laffin said the engine had done her work well;
but in the evening, at the close of the inquest, he stated
it would be requisite to have a second trial, as, on going
back to Chester to ascertain for himself the actual
weight in the trains, irrespective of the engine and car-
riages, he found it was 20 tons less than he bad expected.
He then gave the basis of his calculation for weight,
which he averred Mr. Bragge gave in his evidence. He
took 10 stand-ups at 65 passengers each—Mr. Bragge
having said from 60 to 70—and that gave a total of 650
persons; the third class, it was in evidence, were much
crowded, and he took them at 40 persons each, there
were six of them, which gave 240 persons; then the
first class held 18 persons each, 36 for the two; that
gave a grand total of 936 persons. He had taken it for
granted that they would be grown-up people, and as 12
stone each was the weight taken by Mr. Bragge him-
self, ho had calculated on that, and the number of tons,
860 persons at that weight would be required to be on
the train.
Mr. Monk, the barrister, who appeared for the com-
pany, said he thought 12 stone an immoderate estimate.
Captain Laffin said there might be 8 stone people in
the train, and they would go against the people of 16
stone. The train was crowded, and ha thought a lower
average could not be taken. The weight of 936 passen-
gers, at 12 stone each, would be 70 tons, but he found
only 48 in the carriages, a difference of 22 tons.
Mr. Brown, solicitor, said that 10 stone, and not 12,
was the weight named as an average.
Mr. Monk said he certainly should have spoken
against such au average as 12 stone at the time if he had
heard it named.
The Foreman of the jury, Dr. Wilson, conceived that
11 stone was nearer an average.
There was some further conversation, all turning upon
the point of how the weight could be ascertained; one
person suggested that the area of each carriage might be
taken, and the number of persons who could stand on it,
and their weight. Another suggestion was that a car-
riage should be filled and weighed, empty and full, and
that seemed to receive the sanction of the parties inte-
rested. Captain Laffan showed how he had ascertained
the weight of dead metal in the train, still going on Mr.
Bregge's figures, and remarked that Mr. Norris had ar-
rirsd, by a separate calculation, at within half a ton of
the same weight as himself.
The jury broke up with the understanding that the
engine was to be tested on Monday (this morning), with
the full calculated weight.
It is but justice to Mr. Bragge to say that his calcu
lotion of weight did not accord with Captain Laffan's.