The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-02 00:00:00

THE' aSUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, DEC E:VII3E11, 2, 1861.

it might more adequately represent the interests of
the ratepayers. The Chief Secretary said he con-
sidered that this complaint was, to a certain extent,
well founded, though he defended the present
board from the charge of "inefficiency" contained
in the statement laid before him, but withdrawn in
consequence of his remarks. A memorial on the
subject was presented to him, and he promised to
give the whole matter his most careful considera-
tion.

NATIONAL TEMPERANCE LEAGUE.

On Friday, at 11 o'clock, a deputation from this
society had, at their request, an interview with the
Lord Mayor at the Mansion-house. There were
present Alderman Sir Robert Carden ; Mr. Scott,
the Chamberlain of London ; Mr. C. F. Leaf, of
Old Change, Mr. Tweedie, Mr. Rae, Mr. Arpthorpe,
Mr. G. Frodsham, and others. Sir R. Carden, in
introducing the subject, said he most cordially ap-
proved the general cause of temperance, though he
did not go quite so far as some of the gentlemen
present. lie believed, however, the League of
which they were members was guided by the
purest motives, and that the Lord Mayor in his
official experience saw daily more of the evil effects
of intemperance than perhaps any one else in the
whole city of London. Mr. Scott, the Chamberlain,
then presented to the Lord Mayor a memorial,
signed by 98 of the principle mercantile firms in
the city, some of the'aldermen, and other members
of the corporation, requesting the use of the Egyp-
tian-hall for a public meeting for the purpose of
promoting temperance among young men engaged
in industrial pursuits. Among the memorialists
were Mr. Samuel Gurney, M.P., Mr. Gilpin, M.P.,
Mr. Samuel Morley, Messrs. Greatorex and Co.,
with many more of equal repute, and they were
said to employ among them many thousand young
men—one or two firms nearly as many as 200 each.
The object, Mr. Scott added, was to foster among
this olass of the community at least an abstinence
from excess in the use of intoxicating drinks, if not
total abstinence. The Lord Mayor said undoubtedly

the promotion of temperance was a most desirable
object, but we should be temperate in all things.
He hoped no attempt would be made at the pro-
posed meeting to take a pledge from any one for
total abstinence. Mr. Tweedie said the deputa-
tion would undertake that the speakers on the
occasion should be judicious men, and not likely
to give offence to others in advocating their views.
In order, however, to induce young men to avoid
the temptations of London life the society would
take them a step further than ordinary tempe-
rance, as far even as taking the pledge, if in
individual cases there should be a desire to adopt

it. During the last summer returns had been re-
ceived from 35 societies in London, showing there
were about 10,000 members there, all of whom paid
a small weekly sum to maintain their organisations.
Nothing would encourage people like them more
than the chief citizen of London lending his high
sanction to the proposed meeting. The Lord Mayor
said a desperate disease called for a desperate
remedy: Here and there, no doubt, the sin of intoxi-
cation existed to such a degree as to require a vio-
lent remedy; but he thought taking the pledge was
not absolutely necessary. If it were only intended
by the proposed meeting to advance the cause of
temperance, he should gladly go with the general
feeling. Mr. C. J. Leaf remarked that temperance
in the language of the League meant total absti-
nence. The Lord Mayor said, in that case, he could
not be a party to it. Sir R. Carden said he strenu-
ously endeavoured to induce people to be temperate,
but he was certainly not in favour of total absti-
nence. Mr. Leaf said every speaker that would ad-
dress the meeting would advocate total abstinence.
The Lord Mayor replied he was bound in candour
to state that he could not go that length. Mr. Arp-
thorpe said the Lord Mayor, as a magistrate, must
know that there were men and women so habitually
addicted to intoxication that nothing on earth
would save them but total abstinence. Mr. Tweedie
said they should not think of convening the meet-
ing unless they were to be allowed to bring forward
the distinctive principles of their society. The Lord
Mayor asked how they would like him to say, if he
was called to tho chair, he did not hold with abso-
lute and entire abstinence, and that he did not
think it right to advise people generally to take
the pledge. He thought the deputation and he
might eompromise the matter by it being under-
stood that they were not to be fettered in saying
anything they liked, while he was not to be under
any engagement either to be silent or to advocate
total abstinence. The deputation, smiling, said that
they would be happy to fall in with that suggestion.
The Lord Mayor said he should be happy to join in
promoting so good a cause, believing that nothing
was more likely to tend to the regeneration of
society than abstinence, moderation, and temper-
ance. A day was then fixed for the meeting, and
the deputation withdrew.

cases the tenants aro filled with alarm, their being
many of the older houses in probably no better con-
dition than the fallen one.

RAILWAY INTELLIGEA CE.

DANUBE AND BLACK SEA.
The half-yearly meeting of this railway and
Kostendji Harbour Company was held on Satur-
day at the office, Abingdon-street, Westminster ;
Sir S. Cunard in the chair.

The report stated that the harbour works had not
yet advanced to the point which, according to the
view adopted by the directors and placed promi-
nently before the shareholders, it was essential, or,
at least, eminently desirable to athin. Mr. Gordon
and Mr. Barkley concurred in recommending that
the company should at once largely increase its
power of cleaning the grain, and should make a
considerable addition to their rolling stock, so as to
be in a position to do next season a trade approach-
ing 1,000 tons a-day. If those recommendations
were to be adopted, and if the harbour works were
to be prosecuted after the present year, it was essen-
tial to provide funds for the purpose. The directors,
still adhering to the opinion that the harbour works
were not yet sufficiently advanced to give the
undertaking a reasonable trial, must regard any
suspension of those works or hesitation in their
prosecution as a grave disaster. Tney entertained,
however, perfect confidence in the success of the
operations, and were of opinion that the profits of
the undertaking must be mainly derived from the
grain trade. Up to October no grain whatever
passed over the line. The fact was the harbour at
Kostendji did not earlier afford the facilities re-
quired by the merchants. When, however, vessels
could be loaded from the jetty direct the traffic
commenced. An English brig of about 400 tons
burden then at Kostendji was at once secured by
one of the largest merchants of Ibraila, and other
influential houses of Ibraila, Galatz, and Varna
began to contract for the delivery of drain at Tcher-
navoda, and to charter vessels to load at Kostendji.
In this way three vessels were loaded during the
month with cargoes for England, Marseilles, and
Constantinople. On the 6th of November Mr.
Barkley reported that the loading of the second
vessel that month was on the point of completion,
and that he had already been compelled to decline
corn for the winter trade, as the limit of the com-
pany's warehouse accommodation had been reached.
Between the 6th and 16th of November three fur-
ther vessels were loaded; and at the latter date six
others, including one English vessel, were awaiting
their cargoes. The route offered for the Wallachian
corn all the advantages anticipated, as, with the
price at present charged by the company, the mer-
chants saved ls. 6d. per qr. by shipping at Kos-
tendji, instead of at Salina, without taking into
account any difference between the freights from
the ports. Three of the most considerable of the
Danube merchants had established branches or
agencies at Kostendji, and others were on the point
of doing so. The traffic for October amounted to
£Bll.
The CHAIRMAN having formally moved the adop-
tion of the report,
Mr. S. BEALE, M.P., seconded the motion. He
said it was very satisfactory that the violent storm
at Kostendji had not damaged the works of the mole
to a greater extent than merely shaking the stones
closer together and sinking them a little. The
ships in the harbour rode out the storm in perfect
safety. The further extension of the mole would
advance the improvement of the harbour still more.
The promise of traffic on the line was greater than
they had ever anticipated. They required more
warehouse room, and more engines and waggons to
accommodate the traffic they were to have. He had
been told by Mr. M'Lean, who had visited the spot
and was an excellent authority on such matters,
that they need have no apprehension as to the
traffic.
The CIIAIRMAN said they had just received a tele-
gram informing them that there were on Thursday
the 28th, four English and two Austrian vessels
loading in the harbour.
The report and statement of accounts were then
unanimously adopted.
The CHAIRMAN stated that the original estimate
was £400,000, but the directors thought they would
commence the works with a capital of £300,000 and
see what they could do with that sum. He believed
the outlay of the £400,000 would give them a safe
and secure harbour. The original estimate would
cover the whole of what was originally contem-
plated, and he believed that an additional sum of
£50,000 might be required to provide further
accommodation. The traffic they had anticipated
had been so far realised, and he for one did not regret
what he had done towards the undertaking.
Mr. GORDON, the engineer, stated that about
£328,000 had already been expended, and they now
wanted £30,000 to provide for additional harbour
works, warehouses, and machinery, not included in
the original estimate. When the contemplated works
and arrangements were carried out they would have
sufficient accommodation for all the traffic that could
be brought by the railway. They now required
more extensive warehouse room than was necessary
for carrying on the traffic of the railway. They
were still at great expense for labour in the har-
bour, but the expenditure would be considerably
reduced when the machinery was completed. There
could be no doubt that the price they charged, and
the amount of traffic they would have on the rail-
way, would enable them to pay good dividends.
The CHAIRMAN explained the advantages of the
railway and harbour to merchants and shippers on
the Danube, and the saving of time and expense.
His opinion was, that the £75,000 they proposed to
raise would not be sufficient to make the harbour
and storehouses as complete as they should be ; he
thought that a further sum of £50,000 would be
required to provide additional accommodation and
working stock, and that would comparatively be a
very small excess over the original estimate.
After some further observations a formal resolu-
tion was unanimously passed, authorising the
directors to raise £75,000 on 3,750 preference shares
of £2O each, at a rate of interest not exceeding 8
per cent. per annum ; the shares in the first instance
were to be offered rateably to the shareholders. The
object was to complete the capital of £400,000.
The preference shares were to be convertible into
ordinary shares within five years from the date of
issue.
• The retiring directors, Sir S. Cunard, Mr. S. Beak,
and Mr. Price were unanimously re-elected, and also
Mr. It. Potter, the retiring auditor.
The proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks
' to the chairman.

RAILWAY BILLS.

The following is the official list of the plans
deposited with the Board of Trade of railways, the
bills authorising the construction of which will be

submitted to Parliament in the ensuing season .
Aberystwith and Welsh Coast, now lines, Alford Val-
ley ; Abbeyholmo and Leegate and Bolton ; Andover and
Great Western; Andover, Redbridge, and Southampton;

Andover and Redbridge.
Bognor, Chichester, and Midhurst ; Breandown Har-
bour and Railway and Weston-super-Mare Landing Slip ;
Berwickshire ; Bridge of -Weir ; Bristol and South-
Western Junction Railways ; Barnsley Coal; Bradford,
-Wakefield and Leeds; Bristol and Clifton ; Birkenhead,
Flintshire, and Holyhead; Bristol Port Railway and Pier;
Birkenhead ; Burton-upon-Trent ; Birkenhead Docks and
West Cheshire Junction Railway; Bala and Dolgelly ;
Bristol and South Wales Union; Banstead and Epsom
D,,wns ; Brecon and Merthyr Tydvil ; Bishop 'Waltham,
Botley, and Bursleydon ; Bala Railway; Balham and

Putney.
Carmarthen and Cardigan, extension and branches ;
Caledonian, Leith branches ; Caledonian, deviations ; Cork
and Youghal ; Cork, Middleton, and Fermoy ; Cannock
Chase Extension ; Carlow, Tallow, and Newtonbarry ;
Corwen, Bala, and Porl Maddock; Cowbridge ; Cannock
M'neral Extension ; Crystal Palac 3 and South London ;

Cowes and Newport ; Carnarvonshire.
Dundalk and Enniskillen (Quay Extension) ; Dare
Valley ; Dublin Metropolitan ; Dulais Valley Mineral ;
Daventry ; Dee Side Extension ; Drayton Junction.
Eden Valley ; Edgware, Highgate, and London ; Eastern
Counties (Wiabeach and Peterborough) ; Edinburgh and
Dunfermline Railway ; and Perth Junction ; Eastern
Counties (New Railway to Colchester) ; Enniskillen and
Bundoran Extension to Sligo) ; East Gloucestershire ;
Edinburgh and Glasgow ; Eastern Counties (new lines in
Middlesex; East Grinstead, Groombridge, and Tunbridge
Wells: Ellesmere, Ruabon, and Shrewsbury; Ellesmere,
Oswestry, Ruabon, and Shrewsbury.
Frosterly and Stanhope; Fermoy, Lismore, and Dun-
garvon ; Furness.
Great Northern and Western of Ireland ; Glasgow and
Renfrew Junction; Greenock and Wemyss Bay; Garston
and Liverpool ; Great Northern, Nos. 1 and 2 ; Great

Western, additional powers.
Holbeach North Junction; Hatfield and St. Albans;
Hull and Hornsea ; Horsham, forking, and Leatherhead ;
Hereford, Hay, and Brecon; Hammersmith, Brantford,
and Kew ; Hull and West Riding Junction.

Isle of Wight.
Kettering and Thrapston ; Keighley and Worth Valley
Kent Coast ; Kiugtcn and Eardisley ; Kensington Station
and North and South London Junction.
Launceston and South Devon; Lancashire and York-
shire (Doncaster, Toole, and Hull Junction Lines) ; Lost-
withiel and Fowey ; Lancashire and Yorkshire, additional
powers; London and North Western, additional powers;
Lcadburn, Linton, and Dolphinton ; London and South
Western, additional powers; London and South Western
and Andover and Redbridge ; Leeds, Bradford, and Hali-
fax Junction; London, Brighton, and South Coast (en-
largement of stations) ; London Brighton, and South Coast,
new lines ; Ledbury and Gloucester ; London and Black-
wall ; Llanidloes and Newton ; Mid-Wales and Manches-
ter and Milford; Llanelly Railway and Dock; London and
Midland Junction; London, Edgware, and Bushey; Lon-
don, Chatham, and Dover (Junction at Battersea) ; Lon-
don, Chatham, and Dover (Extension to Walmer and
Deal).
Morotonhampstead and South Devon; Manchester, Shef-
field, and Lincolnshire, additional powers ; Manchester,
Sheffield, and Lincolnshire (Liverpool Central Station) ;
Manchester and Milford (Rhayader Branch) ; Mold and
Wrexham ; Midland Railway, additional powers ; Midland
Railway (Rowsley and Buxton) ; March and Askerne ;
Marton and Hanbury ; Mid-Wales deviations ; Market
Drayton and Newport ; Mid-Wales, branch ; Mid-Sussex
and Midhurst Junction ; Mid-Wicklow ; Metropolitan ;
Maryport and Carlisle; Mid-Kent Railway and Addis-
cotnbe ; Merioneth ; Metropolitan and Thames Valley.
North British, Monkt ,nhall to Ormiston. and Dalkeith
branches ; North Eastern (Hull and Doncaster) ; North
Eastern (Market Weighton and Beverley extension and
Hull branch) ; Newcastle (County Down) ; Newry and
Armagh (Drumbanagher Deviation) ; North Devon and
Okehampton ; North Eastern (Blayclon to Conside) ; North
Eastern (Team Valley) ; Newport and Hyde direct; North
Fleet Docks ; North and Spalding ; Nantle ; North Mets o-
politan Junction.
Oswestry, Shrewsbury, and Ellesmere; Oswestry, Elles-
mere, and Whitchurch ; Oswestry and Newtown, Llanid-
locs and Newtown, and Shrewsbury and Welchpool.
Parsonstown and Pertumna.
Ramsgate, Sandwich, Deal and Dover; Rickmansworth,
Amersham and Chesham ; Radstock and Keynsham.
Severn and Wye Railway and Canal; Stamford and Es-
sendiue ; South Eastern (Tunbridge and Dartford Lines) ;
South Yorkshire (Sheffield and Thorn) ; South Yorkshire
(Extension to Hull) ; Stafford and Uttoxeter ; Shrewsbury
and Hereford ; Stockton and Darlington (Towlaw and
Crook) ; Scottish Central ; Spalding and Bourn ; Swansea,
Neath and Brecon Junction ; South Leicestershire ; South-
ampton and ',Tetley ; Scottish North Eastern ; South
Staffordshire and Central Wales (Dudley and Bridgenorth) ;
Sevenoaks ; Shrewsbury ; Sidmouth Railway and Harbour ;
Scottish Northern Junction; Southampton and Isle of
Wight Railway and Pier.
Tewkesbury and Malvern.; Tottenham and Hampstead
Junction ; Tendring Hundred.
Uxbridge and Rickmansworth.
Vale of Clywd.
West Hartlepool Harbourand Railway (Dock Extension);
Waterford and Limerick, and Limerick and
.Ennis; West
Galway ; West Riding, Hull and Grimsby ; Weymouth
and Portland; Wellington and Cheshire Junction; West
Cheshire; West Midland (Merthyr, Tredegar, and Aber -
gavenny Railway (lease and extension) ; West Midland
(additional works) , Whitchurch, Wrexham, Mold, and
Connah's Quay; Waterford a d Passage; Wellington,
Drayton, and Newcastle ; Weymouth and Portland; and
West Shropshire Mineral.
Also for Thames Embankment (North Side) ; Thames
Embankment (South side) ; and Dovey Reclamation.

ROMANTIC MARRIAGES IN FRANCE,

A curious development is taken place in the ad-
vertising columns of some daily newspapers, pub-
lished at Paris, in which it is not unfrequent to see,
Confiance—Garcons et Demoiselles a Maria suc-
ceeded by an announcement of the situations and
facilities of living enjoyed by the former, as well
as the dots belonging to the latter, and several other
details that would not be out of place in the mouth
of a South American auctioneer disposing of his
negroes, but which seem to be taken rather coolly
by the French. Indeed, everything connected with
a matrimonial engagement is every day becoming
more and. more business-like in its character. A
young gentleman gives out that he is an eligible
party, and a young lady's friends, who do the same
with their youthful charge, at once enter into nego-
tiations with a minuteness and a coolness that is
perfectly amazing, previous to the examination of
actes denaissance et de bapteme, in case none of the
parties are Jews, and I understand, a doctor's
certificate to prove that both were vaccinated.
In addition to the dot, the lady's friends not
unfrequently obtain good conditions by calculating
the probable income she could obtain when at full
liberty, as a married woman, to go about and make
money by giving lessons ; but in such cases, if these
calculations are any way well founded, a stiff strug-
gle takes place to have the contract drawn up under
the regime de la separation des Liens. A few days
ago a case occurred in which a good, provident
lady, wishing to establish a ne'er-do well of a son
upon the earnings of a gill supposed by her to be
in receipt of a considerable income, was notably de-
ceived, and also deceived as notably the respectable
matron to whose daughter she wished to act as
mother-in-law. The young gentleman was com-
pelled by his wary parent to appear very studious,
to wear spectacles, and to go out at regular periods
with books in his hands as if for the purpose of
giving lessons, when he would be almost certain to
meet a young lady and her mother, living on the
first floor in the same house, and whom the con-
cierge, by means probably of a small bribe, was
prevailed on to describe as an institutrice tres re-
cherchee. This game at mutual deception lasted
about three weeks, when the principal parties in it,
both of whom were new corners to the same house,
apparently by accident fell into conversation on
the stairs about a little poodle, and commenced an
acquaintance which led to the hoped-for result.
The more effectually to blind each other, the young
gentleman gave gratuitous lessons to several juve-
niles, and the young lady, who was in her way a
perfect comedienne, acted the part of an over-
worked person so well as to deceive effectively the
deceivers pitted against her, who did all in their
power to hasten the match, the more so because the
others appeared to be growing cool about it. But
the gods punished the whole set by granting them
their desires, as the marriage was celebrated,
and a week hardly elapsed when both found
the mistake under which they laboured, and
far from having wedded a young woman who
had obtained a superior diploma at the Hotel
de Ville, the disappointed husband found, to his
utter discomfiture, that he had only married the
namesake and the first cousin of one, a girl who had
been, like himself, brought up en aiyant gate, and
whose whole genius was developed into being an
accomplished intriguante. It is 'apt improbable—
as this auspiciously-founded menage is nut the
happiest in the world, and presents the spectacle of
a youthful pair leading a cat-and-dog existence with
each other—that the jugs de paix will be called
upon to terminate an engagement that might not
have been out of place in some of the Paris theatres,
where such comedies are often played.—Letterfrom
Paris.