The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-19 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

'Mervyn Clitheroe.

No. X.
Ainsworth.

By W. Harrison

A double number will, on the eve of the leafy
month of June, bring to a close Mr. Ainsworth's
charming serial story of the Life and Adventures of
Mervyn Clitheroe. Considerable advance towards
the unravelment of the tangled thread of the plot
has been made already, however, in the current
monthly instalment. Nor can this hardly be won-
dered at when it is remarked that number ten in-
cludes within it no less than eight additional chap-
ters, full of animation and incident, and replete
with startling disclosures. Already, for example,
we know the whole of the family history of the so-
called Brideoakes—thanks to the loquacity of ex-
cellent old bald-headed Dr. Foam. It is revealed
to the Rev. John and his more than fidus Achates
Mervyn Clitheroe, that Mrs. Brideoake—the de-
testable and domineering—is no one less than the
Lady Amicia, sister of Lord Leyland, and daughter
of the Earl of Rossendale. We learn, too, that the
deceased husband was claimant to a dormant Jaco-
bite peerage, and that, in fact, the ci devant John
Brideoake is really and truly--Lord Wilburton.
Prominent amongall the occurrences recorded in the
present number is the • death of Mrs. Mervyn—
after she has had an affectionate explanation with
Apphia and Mervyn, but before she contrives to
repair the error of her previous arrangements. So
that—contrary to what the reader knows perfectly
well to have been veritably her last instructions,
she bequeaths the whole of her property—the
Anchorites included—not to the young couple, but,
instead of that, to the Lady Amicia, the quondam.
Mrs. Brideoake. There is a very picturesque de-
scription of the desolate scenery of Delamere Forest
towards the close of No. X, a description as minute
and exact in its way as a photographic sketch. It
introduces us to a scene in which the vil-
lanies of - Malpas and Pownall, and. Obed
and Phaleg, are more clearly than ever laid bare to
the watchful observation of the at first concealed
but at last discovered and belligerent observers,
Ned Culchetit and Mervyn Clitheroe. They have
been guided to the place of rendezvous by Rue—
who thus revenges herself upon Malpas Sale.
The latter, infuriated by the surprise, shoots Simon
Pownall, but whether effectually to silence him by
death or not, yet remains to be disovered. What-
ever else may occur, we count upon Mervyn mar-
rying Apphia, and John, Ora, and Cuthbert
Spring, Miss Ilazlerigge—but most of all will
the reader fondly cherish a hope to the last that
some overwhelming retribution may fall betimes
upon Malpas Sale, and even in a yet more parti-
cularly excruciating manner upon the Lady Amicia,
whose intolerable bearing irritates even the ami-
able and warm-hearted Dr. Foam in a momentary
outburst of irritability.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD, WORCESTER, AND WOLVER-

HAMPTON.

The receipts of this company, including the
Stourbridge Extension Canal, for the fortnight end-
ing May 9, have been 7,8241., while those for the
corresponding fortnight of 1857 amounted to
8,184/. ; and the expenditure to 3,8941., or 43.39
per cent., while for the corresponding fortnight of
1857 it amounted to 3,9411., or 48.46 per cent.
The total receipts for the nine fortnights and three
days of the half-year, including the above,
amounted to 69,2501., as against 71,5971. for the
corresponding nine fortnights and four days of the
previous year ; and the total expenditure, includ-
ing the above, amounted to 38,8121., or 48.82 per
cent., as against 35,3731., or 49.40 per cent, for the
corresponding nine fortnight-, and four days of the
previous year, showing a decrease in the receipts of
2,3471., and iu the expenses of 1,5611.

GREENWICH AND WOOLWICH DIRECT.
On Monday evening a meeting of landholders and
owners of house property in the town of Green-
wich was held for the purpose of considering the
best means of securing direct railway communica-
tion with the town of Woolwich. The great depre-
ciation in the value of property in the neighbour-
hood was urged, and it was stated that the pros-
perity which formerly existed there was now found
in adjoining localities, where facilities for travelling
from one part to another were afforded to the in-
habitants. To remedy this state of things it was
proposed to construct a line of railway from the
Greenwich branch of the South-Eastern Railway
near Deptford• creek, passing thence across the prin-
cipal street of the town to the park, fronting the
Royal Naval Schools, and thus to form a junction
with the main line of the North Kent Railway at
the Charlton Station.

RUABON AND DENBIGH.
It is proposed to make a line of railway from the
Great Western line at Ruabon, passing near the
towns of Llangollen, Corwen, and Ruthin to the
present terminus of the Vale of Clwyd Railway at
Denbigh. The landowners generally have signi-
fied their readiness to aid in carrying out the
undertaking, as it is expected that the formation
of this line will prove advantageous to the district,
and be the means of conveying to various places
coals and other minerals from Ruabou at a mode-
rate cost, which can uow only be obtained at great
expense.

REPORTS OF COMMITTEES ON RAILWAY
BILLS.
LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE AND EAST LANCA-
SHIRE (AataLoamaTroN).
Mr. F. NORTH reported from the Committee on
Group 9 of Railway Bills that this bill has for its
main object the amalgamation of the Lancashire
and Yorkshire and East Lancashire Railway Com-
panies. The bill likewise contains provisions for
merging in the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Company absolutely the Sheffield, Rotherham,
Barnsley, Wakefield, Huddersfield, and • Goole
Railway Company, whose undertaking, so far as it
still subsists in their hands, is leased to the Lanca-
shire and Yorkshire Railway Company for 999
years ; and the bill provides for the abandoning of
a short branch railway at Burscough which experi-
ence has proved to be needless. These two parts
of the bill were unopposed. 17 petitions against
the bill were referred to the committee. The com-
mittee, after a long investigation of the matter,
are satisfied upon the evidence adduced before them
that this is one of the special cases in which the
amalgamation of two companies is expedient, and
that the intermingling of the Lancashire and York-
shire and the East Lancashite Railways throughout
Lancashire, their common ownership of important
portions of railway and of stations, and their con-
stant juxtaposition render it more convenient for
the public and for the trade of the district, and
more advantageous to these two undertakings that
they should be permanently united by a common
management and common interest. The pro-
moters tendered clausea which were inserted in the
bill to secure the due construction of the station
and the completion of the bridge at Wigan, and the
forming of a double line on the Burnley branch of
the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. The
tells and charges both of the Lancashire and York-
shire and East Lancashire Companies had in
1846 been reduced below the amount originally
granted by Parliament. In 1850 the Lancashire
and lorkshire Railway Company applied to Par-
liament for an increase of their tolls and charges,
alleging these to be insufficient to give a due return
for their capital. After a careful investigation of
the facts Parliament granted an increase of 20 per
cent upon the tolls and charges of 1846, excepting
the tolls for coal. In 1851 a similar increase, in
similar circumstances, was granted to the East
Lancashire Railway Company. The tolls and
charges in the bill are identical with those granted
to the companies in 1850 and 1851, with this ex-
ception, that where the one act gave a lower rate
The:t'en
btihlie oa
lath: r
eteheetali lo e
tr
erate has a
ese swbheieenh
isadopted. iu tiie
Lancashire and Yorkshire Act of 1850, providing
for tl:e revision of the tollser
cent.wh T
when the dividend
committeeofdividend
havee company
h
rienacthhe bill
esBp
a clause which provides
tins erted
that a ceitified copy of every agrceatent which the
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company may
hereafter make with any other railway company or
canal company shall within a mouth after the
agreement has been made be deposited for public
inspection with the Board of Trade and with the
Clerk of the Peace for Lancashire. That the depo-
sit of the copies shall be forthwith advertised • and
that all persons may have copies upon a moderate
payment, as provided by the Ist Vic., c. 83. The
committee believe that this principle of pub]. •
as provided for in this bill, is properly applicable
to all railway companies. The c.iminittee have like-
wise by a clause iu the till pia hibited the Lance.
shire and Yorkshire Railway Company from mak-
ing any agn eraents obstructing the conveyance of
traffic over their line by the shortest and most con-
venient route, and abrogat'ng any such agreement
already made, and have provided that all reason-
able facilities shall be afforded by the Lancashi,e
and Yorkshire Ralway Company for the convey-
ance of such traffic. Evidence was produced before
the committee proving that a through route exists
from Huddersfield Co London, via the Huddersfield
and Peniston Branch of the Lancashire and York-
shile Railway and the Manchester and Sheffield
and Great Northern Railways, which route is 19i
miles shorter than the route via the London and
North-Western Railway. In consequence of ar-
rangements between the Lancashire and Yorkshire
and London and North-Western Railways, the
public has been deprived of 'the benefit of such
shorter route, and the powers as to through traffic