The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-08 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Post-office London Directory for 1858. Kelly and Co.
There are few books of more general utility and
constant reference than this compendious volume,
but like most other advantages of civilisation we
scarcely appreciate them. The vast labour of its
compilation, the wonderful correctness of its infor-
mation, the method and precision with which
professions, trades, &c., are classified and arranged,
render the " London Post-office Directory" a work
of great intrinsic value, while its large circulation
and the constant, demand for the book tes ify to its
admirable adaptation to the wants of commercial
life. Messrs. Kelly, however, do not remain con-
tented with the degree of excellence it has already
attained. Each year they endeavour to remedy
defects and to introduce improvements. Those in
the present number are especially deserving of
notice. We are told in the preface that the only
complaint of the " London Directory" which has
been received for many years has been of its great
and increasing size. They have, therefore, employed
smaller typo in the minor portions of the work,
have increased the number of lines in every page, and
are thus enabled to produce a smaller volume than
its predecessors, while the clearness of the type
employed prevents any inconvenience. By these
judicious means they feel confident that a considerable
time must elapse bef ire even the rapidly extending
area of the modern Babylon wi l require any cowl-
derablo increase in the size of the volume. The •
alterations have involved an increased outlay, but
no doubt the approbation of the public will afford
them ample remuneration. Another important
al eration is the addition of the initials of the new
postal districts to every address throughout the
work. Tue advantage of this improvement will be
readily appreciated. The corrections and alterations
are, as usual, brought down to the latest possible
period ; for instance, the name of Earl Fitzhardinge
is removed from the official index, the street direc-
tory, and the court and parliamentary directories.
The contents, as usual, have increased notwithstand-
ing the diminution in size. The Court Directory
for 1857 contained 45,141 lines, and the Commercial
107,857, while the Court Directory for the present
year contains 46,665 lines, and the Commercial
108,845. The map of London and its environs
a sheet nearly as useful as the directory itself, is
this year annexed to the volume. It extends from
Leytonstone to Lewisham, from Cricklewood. to
Rochampton, including in its circuit notherhithe
and Greenwich, Clapham Common and Highgate.
It will be seen, therefore, that every facility for
topographical information is afforded by the enter-
prising publishers who thus maintain the high cha-
racter their previous efforts had attuned for them.
The London Directory of Messrs. Kelly will soon
cease to be regarded as a superfluity ; it must be
ranked among tue necessities of men of bush-less.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN.

Thefollowing report is to be submitted to the meeting
of shareholders on Thursday next :
The directors have called the shareholders together on
the present occasion, for the purpose of explaining the
objects for which it appears to them necessary that the
company should apply for the sanction of Parliament.
These objects are not such as will involve any considerable
expenditure.
The shareholders are aware that the company, in the
last session of Parliament, opposed the project for the con-
struction of a line of railway from Wimbledon to Epsom,
and that ultimately, when further opposition would
have evidently proved futile, the board concluded
arrangements with the new company for working
its traffic, and securing such a position as to pre-
vent it becoming hostile to South-Western inte-
rests. The transaction was reported to the shareholders
at the last half-yearly meeting, and resolutions were then
passed, sanctioning the s,eps which the directors had taken,
end authorising a subscription not exceeding £lO,OOO
towards the capital, and for making such other arrange-
ments of lease and working as the directors might deem
most conducive to the interest of this company. Two of
the directors of this company have since been elected to
the board of the Wimbledon and Epsom Company. At
the thee when the agreement between the two companies
was concluded, the standing orders of Parliament would
not admit that clauses giving parliamentary Fanatic.* to the
arrangements should be inserted in their bill. It has,
therefore, become necessary that such authority should be
obtained as now proposed.
Another necessary object is the acquisition of powers to
conclude the arrangements of lease made with the Salis-
bury and Yeovil Railway Company, in accordance with the
resolution of the proprietors in 1856. The standing orders
of Parliament have not admitted of an earlier application
for the concession of these powers, but whilst both com-
panies are morally bound to obtain and ackupon them, the
non-completion of the lease has already occasioned incon-
venience to this company. The directors, therefore, re-
commend that the obtaining of these necessary powers be
uo longer delayed.
The next objects are those in connection with the Yeovil
and Exeter extension line, now in course of construction,
viz., the acquiring compulsory powers over some additional
land at Exeter ; the permission to alter the sanctioned
levels of the line at certain points, and to build certain
bridges and archways of less than the present statutory
width ; and the construction of a short branch to Topsham.
All these, except the last, are mere matters of detail,
through which a saving in the expense of construction and
future maintenance of the extension line will be effected.
The proposed branch to Topsham is a work which the
directors recommend, as one which will materially aid the
traffic on the Exeter extension line.
Topsham is on the deep water of the Exe, and is the
beat Port for a considerable part of the country which
is traversed by the Yeovil and Exeter Extension Line.
The expense of constructing the proposed branch will
not exceed 50,000 i. It will not be necessary to raise
the capital at present, but it is desirable that the object
be postponed, because at Topsham the proposed branch
may now be advantageously connected with an exten-
sion line to Exmouth, about to be constructed by the
Exeter and Exmouth Railway Company—a local company
proposing to work in harmony with this company.
The railway to Exmouth has already received the sanc-
tion of Parliament. It was originally designed for con-
nection, on the western side of the Exe, with the broad
gauge system, but its proprietors being satisfied, on Par.
tblei s
a t
more a
beneficial withro o
rt
s the ,
liament granting the extension line from Yeovil to Exeter
e don an system wouldap p
li-
trvethei Westernetermiu
cation to Parliament (which in th •must b their case o made
during the present session) for
powers to alter their under-
taking so as to connect
Western system.
The directors, therefore, recommend
bill should comprise powersforconstructing that the intended
from a point in the main line from
s thisto
Exeter branchto ,
Topsham, terminating on the shore of the Exe there, and
joining near 'Topsham with the line to Exmouth • and
also provisions for authorising working and other like ar-
rangements with the latter undertaking.
Another object of the bill is to authorise an improved
junction between the main line at Northam, near South.
Eflopton, and the Southampton and Dorchester line. By
this means a considerable saving in time can be effected in
the working of any through trains to Dorchester and Wey-
mouth.
It is in tended also to insert in the bill powers for pur-
chase, by compulsion or agreement, of several small parcels
of land adjoining the line at various points—viz., at
Feltham, on the Windsor line ; at Tonghare, on the
Guildford and Farnham line; at Basingstoke, on the main
and at Tetton, on the Southampton and Dorchester
line ;
line. All these parcels of laud are for the purpose of im-
proved station acc.,minoctation, and they will doubtless be
purchased on less onerous terms, if the company can com-
pel the sale of them.—By order,
L. CROMBIE, Secretary.
Waterloo-bridge Station, Dec. 2,1b57•

IMPERIAL PAR LIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(YESTERDAY.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

Viscount DUNGANNON presented a petition from
a rural deanery in Buckingham, in favour of an amend-
ment of the Divorce Act. The noble lord also gave
notice that on Thursday he should move for a copy of
any correspondence relative to the transmission of troops
to India.

Lord CAMPBELL moved for a return of the war•
rants, granted under the act of Parliament of last session,
for the prevention of the sale of obscene publications,
and also of the steps that had been taken under the said
act.—The returns were ordered.