The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-18 00:00:00

THE

Ministry carrying through the session of 1851 is a
spectacle which it depends on themselves to make either
sublime or ridiculous. If, feeling that they are restored
to office by a state necessity, they seize the opportunity
of signalising their new lease of power, by well-considered
and honestly-urged measures of practical reform,
they may retire at its expiration with general respect.
If, on the other hand, they rely on the peculiarity of the
crisis, as a sufficient excuse fir inaction and reserve, the
consequences of the national dissatisfaction may prove
permanently disastrous to their hopes of future power.
Let them be wise in time.— Weekly News.

LIGHT LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES.
Several months since we gave the working upon the
Brighton line of a light locomotive called the " Little
tngland," and expressed an opinion that such a class of
engines would be found economical for light passage
traffic. The correctness of our opinion is confirmed by
the following report of Mr. Adie, the engineer of the
Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, for which the " Little
England" was manufactured. Speaking of this class of
engine, Mr. Adie reports—
On the 3d of August last one was forwarded to the
Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, under a guarantee
that she was to work their express train betweed Edin-
burgh and Glasgow, consisting of seven carriages, to
keep good time as per time bill, and not to consume
more than 101bs. of coke per mile ; if she did that to
the satisfaction of Mr. Adie, the company's engineer,
they should purchase her for 1,2001. But if the work
done, or the consumption of coke was not satisfactory,
and within the guarantee, Mr. England was to remove
her, and take her ,back entirely at his own expense.
" After the engine got to work, in order to test her
powers accurately Mr. Adie appointed Mr. Cross, one of
his assistants, to accompany her for several days, to see
the coke weighed and to see the time was properly kept.
He also placed one of the best engines belonging to the
company, called the Sirius, to run from the opposite end,
at the same hours and with a similar train, in order to
compare the one with the other.
" They worked a week, the Sirius starting the
morning trip from Edinburgh, and the Little England
from Glasgow. They then changed ; and the
Sirius started from Glasgow and the Little England
from Edinburgh, thus making a fair division of
the work, and the result proved that the small engine
kept better time than the larger one, so much so that
the manager, Mr. Thompson, was obliged to order the
driver not to run in before time for fear of an accident.
Her consumption of coke was 81b. 3oz. per mile, while
that of the Sirius was 291 b. loz. per mile.
" The Little England would frequently run a mile in
60 seconds, and sometimes less. She started with less
slipping, and could be brought to a stand in much less
distance than the large engine.
" The engine was afterwards tried upon the Campsie
Junction line, where there is an incline of 1 in 75 for
three miles, and a station upon it. She took up seven
carriages and a luggage van crowded with passengers, and
as she had to stop at the station upon the incline, Mr. Pa-
ton, the locomotive superintendent, who accompanied her,
ordered a large coupled engine to follow to assist her
away from the station, if necessary; but she went away
with the train at the rate of 30 miles an hour, and the
heavy engine could not catch her; for the result proved
that the heavy engine could not ascend the incline alone
at the rate of 30 miles an hour.
" When the engine got to the top of the incline,
where another branch line comes in and joins the main
line, she took on six more carriages, making in all 14,
and took them into Glasgow in good style, surprising
every one who witnessed it.
" She is now running the express trains between
Edinburgh and Glasgow, consisting of five carriages,
with a consumption of only eilbs. of coke per mile.
During the heavy gales and bad weather which prevailed
in the early part of January, she was the only engine
upon the line that kept time.
" Oa the 7th of September Mr. England sent another
similar engine to the Liverpool and Southport line,
where she took a train of ten carriages up an incline
1 in 100, stopping and starting upon it, and where
there is also a sharp curve. She was delivered subject to
a guarantee that she was to run a train of seven car-
riages at the rate of 45 exiles per hour, and ascend an in-
cline of 1 in 100 at 25 miles an hour, with a consump-
tiOn of coke not exceeding 10lbs. per mile.
"She proved herself more than equal to the guarantee,
and the directors paid for her when she had been in
work a week, considering she was more than equal to
the contract.
2" There is one at work upon the Dundee and Perth
line, which has been working there since June, 1849,
and the locomotive superintendent declares that she has
not cost them sixpence in the shape of repairs during
that time; that she is always ready, and runs the mail
train of four carriages between Dundee and Perth daily."

HOW A CLERGYMAN SERVED A SCAMP.
(From the Devonport Independent,)
A. few days since a young man, of respectable ap-
pearance and address, called at a bookseller's shop in this
town to ascertain the names of some of the Protestant
clergymen of the neighbourhood, and having been in-
formed of the Rev. Mr. Herbert, of St. Paul's, and the
Rev. Mr. Tagert, of St. Mary's district, the latter of
whom was mentioned to him in reply to his inquiry for an
Irish Protestant clergyman, the scamp left the shop Baying
that was the very gentleman he wanted. It appears,
however, that he first visited Mr. Herbert, who listened
to his tale, but suspecting it not to be " genuine," dis-
missed him without a copper. He then found out the
residence of Mr. Tagert, and was admitted to an au-
dience. He told a plausible story about the position and
wealth of his family, his own indiscretions, privations,
his present utter want of resources, and his hopes
of a remittance from his father on Thursday.
This was on a Monday. "He had been in this
neighbourhood some days, and was lodging at
a house in Plymouth, where ho had a thorough clean and
comfortable bed, for which he paid 6d. a night; in all his
privations he said he had never slept in any but a clean
and comfortable bed, and should be very sorry indeed
to be compelled to do so." " Very proper," said Mr.
Tagert, " I quite approve of your appreciation of cleanli-
ness." " Well, sir, was the reply, " unless I can obtain
some help to pay for my bed until Thursday, when I re-
ceive the remittance from my father, I shall be reluctantly
compelled to give it up." Mr. Tagert intimated his
desire to help a countryman in distress. This admission
acted as a spur to the young man, who still more press-
ingly and pathetically urged his suit, and eventually'
succeeded in extracting from the kind-hearted clergy-
man 3s. After an abundance of thanks, and reiterated
protestations of his determination to repay the
money on Thursday, he bade Mr. Tagert good
morning, and left. Encouraged by this success,
he resolved to make some further use of his coun-
tryman's kindness, and with this purpose he returned
the following day. He said he had paid the 3s. for the
bed, but the people of the house had told him, unless he
took it for a week, they should let it to some other per-
son, whom they represented as anxious to engage it;
now the bed was very clean and comfortable, and he
should be very loath to give it up,—would Mr. Tagert
help him with the loan of a few shillings more
until Thursday next ? he would be sure to
repay it then, for since he was there on the
preceding day he had got some engagement in
view with a Mr. Doel, a builder, in Fore-street, as a
painter, and a further favour would be conferred by
giving him a letter recommending him to Mr. Doel.
Mr. Tagart, who was at the time just about leaving his
house on some engagement, cut this conference short
by handing the applicant ss. (which ho said would be
sufficient to last until Thursday), and by declining,
for the present to write any letter of recommendation.
On the following day Mr. Tagert was favoured with
another visit, and told by his persevering countryman
how much he felt obliged for the kindness shown him,
and how he would on the following day return
the money he had received, and ended by the singular
request that Mr. Tagert would still further increase his
already deep debt of gratitude by lending him a shirt!
He had been invited by some person to dinner, and had
not a clean shirt to put on. Mr. Tagert hinted that his
shirts were much too large, but, not to be put off by an
ordinary rebuff, the young man said, oh, he would
make the shirt fit beautifully and re-urged his
suit with so much effect that Mr. Tagert
sent his servant for a clean shirt, and handed it to
the applicant, who expressed his thanks, and left,
again promising to return the next day with the money
and the shirt. Thursday passed and Mr. Tagert saw
nothing of his " friend." On Friday the youth still
kept in the " shade," and Mr. Tagert began to think he
had been duped. However, he was not desirous of
losing his money and his shirt easily, so ho was deter-
mined, if possible, to find out the gentleman. He dis-
covered at length that a man answering to his descrip-
tion had been seen by Mr. Doel, at the " Black Horse,"
and Mr. Tagert requested if he should come again that Mr.
Doel would immediately send for hitn. The clock having
struck eleven Mr. T. gave him up for the night, and
proceeded to go to bed, but when half undressed a mes-
sage came that " the gentleman" had arrived. Mr. T.
immediately put on his clothes, and arming himself with
a massive crab-stick, proceeded to the house of Mr.
Doel, who showed him into a room, and having intro-
dured the " young Irishman," left the room, closing the
door after him. Neither spoke for a moment, but Mr.
Tagert, who is a tall muscular man, looked full and
steadily upon the sharper, who after a pause, said, "I
see I am done, sir." " Yes," responded Mr. Tagert,
" You are done, as I will teach you, although you thought
to do me; " you see this stick ?" (elevating his ponderous
weapon), "Yes, Sir, I could not well help seeing it,"
" Well, sir, repay me the Bs., or in a few minutes you
will feel it." The prospect was not a pleasant one, and,
again acknowledging ho was done, the impuenthe had
scoun-
drel dived hia hand into his pocket, in which
more money than Mr. Tagart required, and brought up
the Bs., and handed it over with far more reluctance and
far less grace than he received it. Mr. Tagert then
said, " But now for the shirt." " Ile was very sorry,
but the shirt was not in the house; if Mr. Tagert
would give him until the morning he would
honestly return it." " No, no," said the per-
severing cleric, " I must have it to-night." Seeing he had
a
customer not to be played with, the young man said,
" Well, sir, I will at once take you to where the shirt is,
and give it you." On leaving the Black Horse they took
the way to George street, and down towards Mount
Thinking his object might be to give
whianilker and runner, w
thelipMr.
Tagert
said he was a good
once sawade haimprwaoctuileduiharavaepnploieeadvt iefifilculty strangerli
believing, who
thefre
from
statement,him.he
by and
m adding teat, if he attemptedloton
o runf
mightt make" quite sure he would be caught in next to
no time, and, at the same time, perhaps catch a blow
from his crab-stick, which would not easily be forgotten.
y passed across
shirt direct. The ningibut would
He protested he had no intention of run '
Mount Wise, down the bill, and out to Rich-
take him to the
mond-walk, when Mr. Tagert said, " I am con-
tent ,
to walk with you to where the shirt is,
but I have no wish to be walking about
towards ait ll ntiereforehght, aea
I do not think you aro going