The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-16 00:00:00

ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.

A numerously attended meeting of this society
was held on Monday evening at Burlington-house,
Sir It. Murchison, president in the chair. Among
those present were—his Excellency Count Platen,
Viscount Strangford, Generals d'Oxholm, Pollock,
and Portlock ; Professor Owen, the Bishop of Perth,
Admiral Sir G. Back, Sir T. Fremantle, Sir J. Kay
Shuttleworth, Sir W. C. Trevelyan, Sir T. Phillips,
Col. Sotheby, Capts. Sturt and Clark, R.E., the
Master of Clare College, Archdeacon Raymond, Drs.
Booth, Bernays, Fisher, Fitton, Kinkel, Ogle, and
Purcell; Messrs. Babbage, Staveley, Crawfurd,
Tennant, Osborne Smith, Brooking, Arrowsmith,
Findlay, &c. ; Capt. H. Harris, R. Baikie, M.D.,
H. D. Jcncken, H. Loch, and A. B. Warre, were
elected fellows. The paper read was, " Explorations
in South Australia," by Messrs. Babbage, Warbur-
ton, Stuart, and others, communicated by the Right
Hon. Sir E. B. Lytton, Secretary for the Colonies.
The accounts of the above-mentioned explorations
wereembodied in several voluminousdocuments, ex-
tracts from which were read. The discoveries of Mr.
Babbage were confined to the tract between Lakes
Gairdner and Torrens ; he, however, followed to the
western shore of the latter lake to about lat. 30 deg.
a S., where it terminates, and proceeded northward,
meeting with a lake which he named Gregory.
Major Warburton examined the south-west shores
of Lake Gairdner, returned by Coeyana (near
Sbleaky Bay) on the 'west, and then pursued an
easterly direction to Port Augusta; starting from
that place nothwards in search of Babbage he fol-
lowed his track to Lake Gregory, where they met.
Mr. Stuart, the companion of Captain Sturt, in his
memorable expedition to the Central Desert in 1845,
started with only one white and a black man, five
horses, and a scanty supply of provisions, from
Elizabeth Camp (31 10 deg. S.), proceeded northerly
to lat. 29 20 deg., where he crossed a large gum
creek in which fish were seen, and continued in a
north-west direction, passing several other gum
creeks, taking their rise in the long range named,
by Governor Sir R. M'Donnell, Stuart Range ;
their range extends in a south•west direction,
broken more or less here and there, but still form-
ing a continuous water-parting from along the west
shore of Lake Torrens to lat. 28 deg. S, and long.
133 deg. E. He then struck a westerly course for
40 miles over a good country with plenty of grass,
turning then south-westerly, afterwards southerly,
to Denial bay on the coast, and thence to Port
Augusta, pursuing throughout a zigzag course. Mr.
Stuart penetrated in a straight line 240 miles to the
west of Mr. Babbage's camp at the Elizabeth, hav-
ing traversed by various routes nearly four degrees
of longitude and three of latitude north of that posi-
tion. It would be difficult to overrate the import-
ance of these discoveries, as it seems probable, to
quote the words of Governor M‘Donnell, that at
least from 12,000 to 18,000 square miles of country,
available hereafter for pastoral purposes, have been
opened up by Mr. Stuart's explorations. One re-
sult of all these explorations is, that the shape of
Lake Torrens has been entirely changed ; instead
of preserving a horse-shoe form, as was supposed,
it is found to be divided into several detached

lakes. The reading of the paper was followed
by a very animated discussion, in which the
Chairman, Captain Sturt, the Bishop of Saun-
ders, Mr. Crawfurd, and Professor Owen, took part.
The last speaker directed attention to the paucity
of information in the department of natural history
in such explorations, which he attributed to the
fact that the major part of the animals were of
nocturnal habits ; consequently search for them
should be made during the night. Professor Owen
also alluded to the peculiar provision in the Aus-
tralian type which enabled them in seasons of
drought to conwey their young to distant water
holes. The President finally announced that the
next meeting would be held on the 28th instant,
when a paper by Sir J. Davis, "On the great
Valley of the Yang-tse-Kiang before and after its
occupation by the Chinese Rebels " would be read ;
and in adjourning the meeting remarked that he
had directed cards of invitation to his soirees on
the 16th and 30th inst. to be issued to all the fel.
lows, and that should any gentleman fail to receive
one the omission was accidental, and he hoped to
have the pleasure of seeing them at his house on
those two occasions.

An analysis of the position of the 17 principal
railways of tile United Kingdom on the 31st of September
last, has been published to that date. Tables A and B exhibit
the total capital raised and expended, table C the gross and
net receipts, D the amounts available and paid as dividends,
E the ratio of expenditure to receipts and of preference lia-
bilities to ordinary share capital, and F the ratio of receipts to
capital and the present market value of each stock. These
calculations, which have been prepared by Mr. John Grin-
sted, by whom previous similar abstracts have been fur-
nished, show that as regards the rate of dividend the
London, Brighton, and South Coast occupies the leading
position, and the Great Western the lowest (with the
exception of the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln, which
pays nothing), while in the ratio of expenditure to receipts,
the Blackwall, the Great Southern and Western of Ireland,
and the Great Western present the most favourable
fig,ures, those of the Eastern Counties being the
most unfavourable. Tn. market price the Man-
chester, Sheffield, and Lincoln, and Great Western
stocks are the lowest, while the Brighton and Great
Southern and Western of Ireland, are the highest.
It also appears that the preferential and loan capital in-
vested in these 17 lines, averages 411 per cent. of the
total eapital raised, that the gross traffic receipts
realise but 8 1-6th per cent. upon the whole capital ex-
pended, and that the next receipts give an average interest
on the total capital expended of nearly 41 per cent., but
that the preferential charges and guarantees reduce the in-
terest on the ordinary capital to 31 per cent.

PARLIAMEIV2ARY

HOUSE OF COMMONS—MARcH 15.
CHURCH RATES ABOLITION BILL.

Order for second reading read; motion made, and question
proposed, " That the bill be now read a second time ;"
amendment proposed, to leave out from the word " that"
to the end of the question, in order to add the words
" any amendment of the law relating to church-rates
which should exempt persons contributing to the sup-
port of some other place of worship than the parish
church from the payment of the rate, at the same time
that the existing machinery for the support of the fabric
of the Church of England should be continued in opera-
tion upon the members of her own communion, is worthy
of the consideration of this house," instead thereof—ques-
tion proposed " That the words proposed to be left out
stand part of the question"—amendment, by leave, with-
drawn—question again proposed, " That the bill be now
read a second time"—amendment proposed, to leave out
the word " now," and at the end of the question to add
the words " upon this day six months"—question put,
'! That the word ' now' stand part of the question." The
house divided.

Tho tellers being come to the table, Sir John Trelawny,
one of the tellers for the ayes, stated that Mr. Antrobus,
member for Wilton, not having heard ;the question put,
had not voted—whoreupon Mr. Speaker directed the hon.
member for Wilton to come to the table, and again stated
the question to him ; on which the hon. member declared
himself with the ayes, and Mr. Speaker directed his vote
to be added to the ayes.
The tellers accordingly declared the numbers, Ayes 242,
Noes 168.