The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-29 00:00:00

Naval and Mi!itary Intelligence.

Her Majesty's iron-clad ship Northumberland, 26
guns, 6,621 tons, 1,350-horse (nominal), which
arrived in the Medway on Tuesday from the Vic-
toria Docks, has been inspected by Vice-Admiral
Sir Baldwin W. Walker, K.C.8., Commander-in-
Chief at the Nore, at her moorings in the harbour,
where she will remain until the officials at Devon-
port yard are ready to receive her. There is com-
paratively little to be done in the way of completing
her for the pennant, and an expenditure of £5,000
will render her complete to proceed to aea. During
the run round from the Thames her engines, which
were in charge of Mr. Anderson, representing
Messrs. Penn and Sons, the makers, worked with
remarkable regularity and smoothness. The new
machinery for mounting and dismounting heavy
guns is to be tested on board the Northumberland.
'The screw gun vessel Myrmidon, 4 guns, 695
tons, 200-horse power, building at Chatham, is to
be ready for launching in the month of March. She
is one of the Eclipse and Racehorse class of vessels,
for which there is now little demand in the navy,
although ships of this kind might be made exceed-
ingly effective if given au additional length of about
50ft., with a slightly increased breadth of beam and
improved iniclship section, to allow their carrying
engines of a comparatively high power and admit of
their steaming 14 knots an hour. The engines for
the Myrmidon, lay Messrs. Humphreys, Tennant,
and Co., have been completed for some time.
The iron schooner Admiral Collingwood, belong-
ing to a private firm at Rochester, has been repaired
by the Admiralty, in Chatham dockyard, at a cost
of between £4OO and £5OO, to make good the inju-
ries she recently sustained from running foul of one
of the Government moorings in the harbour.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :--Commander H.J. Challis, to be
Inspecting Commander of Coastguard ; and Edward I
Thompson, nominated navel cadet.

Railway and other Companies.

GRAND TRUNK OF CANADA.

A special general meeting of this company was
held yesterday at the London Tavern, for the pur-
pose of accepting an Act of the Canadian Parlia-
liament to legalise and confirm an agreement made
between the Grand Trunk of Canada and the Buf-
falo and Lake Huron Railway Companies—Mr. E.
W. Watkin, M.P., in the chair.

Mr. J. M. Grant, the secretary, having read the
notice 'convening the meeting, the report, an ab-
stract of which has appeared in The Sun, was taken

as read.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving a formal resolution
accepting the act above referred to, stated that the
bondholders and shareholders had it now in their
power to accept or reject the act. The whole matter
had been laid before the proprietors from time to
time, and the agreement made with the Buffalo and
Lake Huron Company in July, 1864, had been
sanctioned at a general meeting of the company.
The Act to legalize it was passed last session by the
Canadian Parliament, and they had now to consi-
der the propriety of accepting it. He explained
how useful the possession of the Buffalo line had
been to them in the competition with the American
lines for through traffic, which had been carried
on for several months. In September last a meet-
ing of five companies, having all rail routes in the
United States, was held at New York, to which a
representative from the Grand Trunk Company
was invited, with a view to their joining with the
American lines in a combination for carrying the
East and West traffic at higher rates. The Grand
Trunk was to be admitted into the combination on
giving up their agencies for through tickets and
freight, but they declined the offer, feeling that the
Grand Trunk line should be made a popular route,
and thus induce all the traffic they could over it.
That policy had been successful, and they had
avoided the trap set for them. In five weeks after_
the American combination had been formed the
Baltimore and Ohio Company withdrew from it.
The Grand Trunk were threatened with having
their traffic stopped at all points, but they held their
ground against all opposition. By a despatch they
had received that morning from Mr. Brydges it ap-
peared that the American companies had offered to
interchange traffic as before, and to put back the
fares at Buffalo and Detroit to what they were prior
to the competition, and to give the Grand Trunk
Company the usual facilities ; and thus bring that
formidable affair to a close. To show the advantage
of the policy adopted in this matter, and the neces-
sity of the company retaining absolute power over
the Grand Trunk Railway, he mentioned that it was
the only company in the competition that had shown
an increase of traffic, all the other companies having
shown a decrease. The traffic on the Grand Trunk
Railway during the period of competition of Canada,
working with those companies, showed a decrease of
£56,580, theMiclaiganCentral a decrease of £38,200,
the Michigan Southern a decrease of £20,000, the
Illinois Central a decrease of £137,000, the Chicago
and Alton £45,000, and the Erie a decrease of £51,000
as compared with the corresponding period This
showed also that the directors and officers of the
Grand Trunk had protected the interests of the com-
pany. The local traffic was also promoted as much as
possible by the company. They had stated in the report
that £12,254 had been apparently lost by working
under the agreement with the Buffalo and Lake
Huron Company ; but there were figures on the
other side ; the interchange of traffic between the
two lines amounted to $2,000,000. The Grand
Trunk exchanged with the Buffalo $1,200,000, and
the Buffalo $BOO,OOO with the Grand Trunk, which
was equivalent to about £130,000, and at the lowest
estimate gave them £32,500 of net traffic. The
whole matter had been carefully gone into by Mr.
Brydges, the general manager, and Mr. Hickson,
the accountant, and the result of their inquiry was
that it was beneficial to both companies to continue
the agreement, remarking that the full advantage
of the agreement could not be obtained until the
bridge at Buffalo was constructed. He then read
extracts from the report of Messrs. Brydges and
Ilickson on the advantages of posseseing the
Buffalo line, which secured traffic over the Grand
Trunk line from Stratford to Toronto and Mon-
treal, which they would not otherwise obtain. It
expresse 1 an opinion that, whatever might be the
present legislation of America, sooner or later a
wiser and more enlightened view would be adopted,
which would result favourably to the Grand Trunk
undertaking.
Mr. PorrEn seconded the motion.

Mr. HAIIMIDGE thought the Board would do
well to consider what means could be adopted to
bring the Grand Trunk into friendly relations with
the Great Western of Canada. He believed there
should be harmonious working between the three
companies.
Mr. ADAMS thought it was now too late to offer
opposition to the arrangement. He estimated the
loss by theßuffalo in the past half year at £13,000.
He believed the combination of the American com-
panies was to get good dividends for shareholders, and
'trunk
was the first duty of directors, but the Grand
had defeated that laudable effort by lowering
the fares.
Mr. CONYBEARE thought the Great Western of
Canada were much better off than the Grand Trunk
—they could pay their debts in cash and give good
dividends to their ordinary shareholders.
Mr. NEwmAncn contended that the director:. had
endeavoured to carry out the views of the late Com-
mittee of Investigation, and had been so far success-
ful. It was not their fault that the Great Western
of Canada kept aloof from them, and did not work
in harmony with the Buffalo and Grand Trunk
nt
Companies. The Board was ready and
come to friendly terms with the WesternGreatg
when they pleased. It was absurd to suppose that
the Buffalo had any preference over the various
stocks of the Grand Trunk. The fact was the net
traffic on that line belonged to the Buffalo Com-
pany, and was merely the proportion they were en-
titled to from the working of their own line, and the
arrangement was found to be mutually beneficial.
After some observations by Dr. Johnson, Alr.
Wilde, Mr. Isherwood, and other shareholders, the
resolution accepting the act was carried unani-
mously, and a vote of confidence in the chairman
and directors concluded the proceedings.

The Great Atlantic Yacht Bac'.

(FROM A SPECIAL COMMISSIONER.)
COWES, Thursday.

The stormy days and nights of December are not,
nor cannot be believe,' to be the most propitious
even for a voyage on tue Lake of Como. Thera are
historical records of memorable voyage% in propitious
seasons, of vessels which are but cot le-shells in
comparison with the mighty Leviathan, who proudly
plow the deep and recklessly tosses the foaming
waves from their sharp-cutting bows. Cleopatra,
with her golden painted barge and silver armed
oarsmen fascinated the eyes of an Anthony, and is a
tender and touching episode immortalised by Eng-
land's bard. Marco Polo, sailing on his reputed voyage
and almost touching the Pillars of Ifercules, is ever
a favourite topic with explorers. Columbus leav-
ing Spain under the halo of Ferdinand and Isa-
, bella's throne-like influence, and following the
track of the drifting sea weed till he touched
American shores ; Sebastian Cabot, sailing without
reckoning or chart, and simply governed by con-
jecture; Americus Vespucius and Sebastian Cabot,
alike adventurous navigators, taught the world
the example of resolution, cool hercism, and daunt-
less spirit ; Franklin setting forth, with mighty
purpose and nat'lnal patriotism, to find a way for
his country's winged fleet to bring her Indian glories
to the mother home, are all recorded in story, book,
and song.
England for centuries has been the cradle from
which has sprung the dauntless and the daring
heroes of a thousani battles, a thousand explo-
rations on countless seas, and a history that
can only die from the memories of mankind when
the pen of the historian has ceased to indite, the
sculptor has ceased to make glowing with beauty
the icy marble, or the painter has lost his cunning
on the tell-tale canvas.

America is her offspring. Her people are the
giants of the age. They possess the elements of a
progressive strength. Art has sought for her uni-
versal temple the humble boy that could consecrate
the matchless beauty of women in marble, and
chisel it by the hand of a Powers in the sacred
classic ground of the Eternal City—Rome ! His-
tory, in the present, claims among her contributors
the calm-thinking power of many a mind
that adds lustre and honour to the age. Poetry,
amid this restless and ever-moving people,
still listens to the deathless songs of the inspired
by nature. War crushing in its awful blows, and
echoing its agony through every silent valley called
at her trumpet tones a nation stalwart and strong
to meet in the death-grapple for supremacy. Europe,
startled and amazed, watched from her shores the
wondrous drama. But if the marvellous power and
resources of America astonished her during the
dark and gloomy days of her conflict, how much
more must she have astonished Europe by her sub-
sidence from the panoply of Xerxes to the peaceful
occupation of a Cincinnatus. The example of Wash-
ington, who, after winning his country's liberty,
quietly betook himself to his homestead on the banks
of the Potomac, seems to have been followed by the
heroes of the late strife. Now America challenges
the admiration of the world in a new conflict.
Even while the rattle of Sadowa and Custoza's
rifles echoed the tocsin of many a kingdom's knell,
America was inaugurating the age of Peace. Napo-
leon, with one ironclad arm, is striking in the
dark labyrinths of Mexico for a myth of power,
while With the other and more dextile he seeks to
win auriferous wealth to the coffers of la belle
France. England--irresolute, troubled, and vacillat-
ing, is strengthening her back-bone, and contemplat-
ing the picture which Macaulay drew of the New
Zealander on London-bridge.
America, strong in the record of ber successes,
satisfied with her exhibition of strength, now seeks
the prizes of peace on land and ocean.
When the summer winds blew tenderly, and soft
zephyrs were supposed to ripple the august surface
of Atlantic's bosom, a tiny boat came drifting by
breeze, and squall, and tide to the chalky cliffs of
Britain's coasts. SJ wee and bonny a thing was
she, so light and buoyant did she dance over the
awful waves of the storm-rocked deep, that the
sceptical closed their eyes, and, with most porten-
tous shake of the head, declared " it was a Yankee
dodge." Confirmation, more strong than even lago
whispered in the ears of Othello, made the story
true, and " The Little Wonder," tiny craft as she
was, became a substantial fact. But oh ! how in-
credulous is John Bull ; when the first whisper
of the last race came ticking its rumour
beneath the sea, how many doubts arose.
How ready, how really jealous, were the
press of England. Sentiments, alike ungenerous
and unworthy of a great rival in maritime power,
appeared from day to day. It was a Yankee
money-making speculation ; the owners wanted to
sell their yachts to Englishmen ; they were to be
sailed by hired captains—the owners did not dare
to cross with them. These and a hundred other
unkind things were insinuated and written in forc-
ible language. But the blood that flowed iu the
veins of men who manned the ships of a Farragut,
when they steamed by the death shot of a well-
prepared citadel and post, the blood that was im-
pelled through the veins of men whose comrades have
fought either North or South, at Shiloh, Murfrees-
borough, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellors-
ville, Gettysburg, and battles so numerous that even
a Special Correspondent cannot record them—why
these men have and possess the same heroism, indo-
mitable courage, steadfast purpose, and earnest
resolution to win for the cause of Peace they bad
in Battle.
And perhaps the writer of this article
may be pardoned for this indulgence of hyperbole,
this almost extravaganza of American feeling. But
he honestly puts
it to the English Press if,
when he relates the f 0110
rwhian:s,o d
ehse.y willln e v
enroyt
share in all hissomewhat
profession we feel a pride in our own class winning.
John Bright has in person told
me he always re-
spects the representative of a class. Mr. Editor,
by your orders I came to Cowes. When I arrived
here, and found the description of that voyage so
admirably done, my humble pen was powerless.
But could I forget that the commander who had
won was the son of a gentleman whom I had re-
presented at Farnsborough—could I forget that,
although I had . fought on many a battle-field,
I found a gentleman who was my companion on
the Prince of Wales' four through America ?
Could I forget that Woods of the Times, 'louse
of the Tribune, Andrews of the Illustrated News,
Fiske of the New York Herald, Rawlings of
Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, and Howard
of the New York limes, had been for four long
months together. Could I, when I saw my old
friend Fiske, who had bravely shared the voyage,
when I saw him with an old friend, Colonel Sander-
son, whom we had fought with in many a
battle-field and shared many a stormy hour
with, and bivouacked with, another Col. Anderson
—could any man help feeling proud of his oc-
cupation ?

Who is the winner ? I had written for you on
board the Henrietta all the log. I had prepared
for you the history of this long voyage ; but when
I read the Times, with its inimitable account, my
pen failed to do its office. I knew full well the
hand that had written it, and how feeble my descriptive
power would appear by the side of that which, as au
humble correspondent, I pronounce unsurpassed since
the days when Woods wrote for the Times the
voyage of the Agamemnon. Yet lam quietly told
at 113 p.m. this night, while listening to speeches
and writing with a rapidity which it would have
been well for the King of Hanover to have
possessed before he moved his troops upon the
Austrian and Prussian board, I am told to write
something. Now, if your readers complain that
I have not written the voyage of the Henrietta,
the Vesta, and the Fleetwing, you must remember
the subject has been exhausted in the London daily
papers.

James Gordon Bennett, jun., crossed the Atlantic
in the desolate days of December in the Henrietta.
She was commanded by Captain Samuels, who for-
merly commanded the Dreadnought. The reason
why we particularise the name of James Gordon
Bennett, jun., is simply this : he s . led in his own-
yacht. Mr. Bennett is now the manager of the
organ of the American people. Though youthful,
and hating every element of Emir, at biz command,