The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-11 00:00:00

PURCHASE OF IRISH RAILWAYS.

A meeting, convened by the High Sheriff of the county
of Ahtrim, has been held in B ifast for the purpose of con-
sidering the question of the purchase of Irish railways by
the Government. The High,Sheriff, Sir Edward Coey,
presided. Mr. Galt contrasted the railway charges in
England And Ireland to show that they are excessive in
Ireland, and that nothing can remedy the evil except
Government interference. He mentioned the fact
that there was no great obstacle presented to Govern-
ment interference and management by the extent of
railway property in Ireland, for all the traffic of all
the Irish railways amounted in the course of the year
to but £1,700,008, which was little more than a
fourth of that of one of the English railways alone—
the London and North-Western. Last year 44 com-
panies of the poorer class in Ireland applied to Govern-
ment for loans of money to pay their debts, under-
taking that, if they got the advances they sought, they
would make large reductions in their charges, and by that
means effect a good deal for the public. But most of these
lines were in an incomplete state, and if they got the loans
they would then come into direct competition with lines
like the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway or the
Great Southern and Western Railway, which do not
require any money.—Colonel •Shafto Adair, who moved
the first resolution, said his impression was that if tilt
plan of purchase were to be of any value at all, it should
be carried out in its entirety, so that there should be one
well-understood, uniform, and responsible system of rail-
way administration, and that it should become a substan-
tive department of the public service. He would like to see
the railway system become Governmental, and its managers
have greater power to carry out its plans than individuals
could have.—Mr. J. J. Murphy, who seconded the resolu-
tion, thought they should not stop until the fares every
day were as low as the cheapest excursion fares now
charged.—Mr. M`Gildowney moved a resolution recom-
mending the adoption of the scale of fares suggested by
the Earl of Lucan in his evidence before the Royal Com-
mission—namely, ld. for first-class, id. for second-class,
and id. for third-class passengers per mile.— Mr. Thomas
Lindsay, in seconding the resolution, advised all railway
companies to reduce their fares from 50 to 33 per cent.—
Mr. Stannus, J.P., who followed, remarked how much
better it would be for Ireland if members of Parliament,
instead of frittering away session after session in proposals
of wild schemes for setting the landlord and tenant in op-
position to each other and disendowing our fixed establish-
ments, came forward one and all to insist upon the Govern-
ment taking up the Irish railways. He proposed, and
Mr. Jackson seconded, a resolution urging the advantage
of reducing the fares for the transit of cattle and goods.
—A vote of thanks was passed to the Parliamentary
Committee. This brought up Mr. Lanyon, M.P., who
spoke hopefully of the prospect of being able to over-
come the difficulties in the way of a settlement of the
question

DREADFUL TRAGEDI 1N FINSBURY,

A. little boy named James Strangeways, was found dead
in a house in Clifton-street, Finsbury, on Thursday even-
'lT, under circumstances which tend to show that he had
`)een barbarously murdered. The deceased boy, who was
lnly 13. years old, was the son of a vellum binder, living at
No. 55, Clifton-street. On Thursday afternoon his mother
gave him permission to invite another boy, also 13 years of age,
to play with him, and to take tea. The otherboy was named
J. Loader. He came according to theinvitation, and Mrs.
Strangeways left him playing amicably with her son, and
went out. After some two or three hours' absence, she
returned at about half-past six, and knocked at the door,
expecting to find the two boys ready for their tea. No
answer, however, responded to her knocks, and when
at length an entrance was gained by means of the
neighbours, the boy Loader was found not to be in the
house, and James Strangeways' body was in the back
parlour quite dead, There was a frightful knife wound
in the groin, and there was a quantity of blood splashed
bout- The tongs, and a hammer, and a clasp knife lay
bout, as if there had been a regular fight in the room. Dr.
Chandler was sent for, but, of course, he could do nothing
for the deceased. He pronounced death to be the result
)f the wound in the groin, and said that the body had been
dead at least an hour or two. Inquiries were forthwith
*nstituted with respect to the boy James Loader, and the
..esult was that he was apprehended on the charge of
•murdering the deceased. It appeared that he bad returned
home some two hours before the discovery of. the body of
his companion, and had merely said that he had been play-
ing with Strangeways, but that he had not got his tea. He
took tea at his parents', and still said nothing of any
casualty. Afterwards, however, when spoken to about
the death of Strangeways, he said that while they were
both playing together in the afternoon they were alarmed
by a noise as if thieves had entered the house. They both
ripened their pocket-knives, and went out into the
passage to see what was the matter. The deceased
by some awkwardness struck the handle of the knife
against the wall, and drove the blade into his stomach.
He (Loader) then took him into the parlour, and placed
him on the chair, and left him sitting there, being afraid
to tell anyone what had happened. It is a singular cir-
cumstance, however, that there is no sign of blood in the
passage. Neither, on the other hand, are there any marks
of blood on the accused's clothes. The boy Loader posi-
tively denies having injured the deceased in any way.

THE WIDOW OF SERGEANT BRETT.—jt is stated
by Captain Palin, Chief Constable of Manchester, that a
sufficient sum has been collected to afford a .comfortable
provision for life for Mrs. Brett, the widow of the police.
man murdered by the Fenians at Manchester. We are
glad to hear it. Only this week it was announced that the
total subscriptions was £196, a very insufficient sum.

DEATH OF THE ARCHDEACON OF BEDFORD.—
The death is announced of the Venerable Henry Tattam,
LL.D., who was for many years Archdeacon of Bedford.
Fie was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, for which he
received the degree of LL.D. The degree of D.D. he ob-
tained from Gottingen, and that of Ph.D. from Leyden.
In 1822 he was presented by Lord Eldon, then Lord
Chancellor, to the rectory of St. Cuthbert's, Bedford, and
in 1831 to the rectory of Great Woolstone, near Newport
Pag-nel, and both these benefices he held up to 1849, when
he was presented to the Crown living of Stanford Rivers,
Essex. In 1844 he was presented by Dr. Allen, Bishop
of Ely, to the Archdeaconrt of Bedford, and resigned it in
1866. Archdeacon Tattam was a Fellow of the Royal
Society, and was the author of several theological works in
Coptic and English, Coptic_ and Latin, and Coptic and

FISHING TACKLE, ETC., AT 7'HE PAJUS

EXHIBITION.

(Front Land and Wizter.)

Following upon the exhibitions of fishing gear,
fish-culture, and fish-products held at Arcachon
and Boulogne, it was to be expected that the Paris
Exhibition would contain a highly interesting col-
lection of these objects, and accordingly I devoted
no little time to the-search after and examination of
such things as appertain to the res piscaria et
piscaloria, with what result I will briefly state.
Piscicultural apparatus figured largely in the cata-
logue, but with the exception of a few specimens of
fish-hatching, exhibited in the subterranean aqua-
rium in the French garden, which have been de-
scribed by your Paris correspondent, there was
little to be seen. The iluninguc establishment sent
a complete set of apparatus which seemed to puzzle
the spectators as to their application, particularly
the blow-pipes and egg-carriers. There was also a
very complete series of fresh-water fish alive in the
aquariums, but these have also been done ample
justice to by your Paris correspondent. But, like
your Paris correspondent, I wandered upstairs and
downstairs searching for the salt-water fisli " all
alive," which were promised by the catalogue, but
with the same result. We could not see them for
the same reason that Mr. Toots could not see Sol
Gills, because, as Captain Cuttle said, he was
" inwincible."

In the interior of the building there were several
fish-hatching apparatus, particularly those of Car-
bonnier of Paris ; but, as far as I saw, they were
but a " beggarly account of empty boxes." The
Irish Fisheries Company sent a number of models
of fish passes and ladders, but they were in a remote
and back settlement, and there was no attendant
to give any information about them. Howbeit they
obtained a medal. Perhaps their best models were
illustrations of various methods of preventing sal-
mon from approaching mill wheels, such as iron
wire gates, and revolving drums of wire, which
would prevent the fish ascending without stopping
the flow of water.

There were several attempts in the Exhibition to
show a collection of the fishes of particular rivers
in countries. Thus there was a collection of stuffed
fishes by Capt. Michell, of the East Indies, also of
Australian fishes including the Murray cod, cat fish,
Murray turtle, and crawfish (Astacus astacoides).
There was a collection of the fishes of the Loire and
Saithe, in spirit 3, very flabby and ghastly ; and
among other fish products an immense quantity
of cod-liver oil from Nova Scotia, Denmark, Nor-
way, and other maritime countries, and many
kinds of gueldres and rogues (uo lack of the latter in
the exhibition) for attracting sardines, anchovies,
and mackerel. Preserved fish was there in every
variety, lobsters, salmon, mackerel, tunny, anchovy,
red mullet, herring, oysters, and sardines, met one
at every turn, pickle or oil, dried or smoked. With
regard to the sardines, which are the best known
foreign comestible in England, I may remark that
the former, which are most renowned in England,
Are not those which have the best name in France.
Poor John Bull thinks he gets the pick of the mar-
ket in this article as in claret, champagne, cognac,
&c. ; and perhaps his ignorance is bliss.
Perhaps I ought to include the pearls, corals, and
sponges, among the products of fisheries, and cer-
tainly there were splendid specimens of each, par-
ticularly the sponges of Greece ; but I must proceed
to speak of fishing tackle and gear, les instruments
de travail proprenient dits.

And first of fishing boats. There were some very
interesting models of the fishing boats of Norway
and Denmark, very shallow and crank with great
square sails; also of an Irish trawl-broat, very
strong and stiff-looking, with tarred sails ; and the
National Lifeboat Institution of Great Britain sent
models of their improved fishing boat, five of which
haie been placed at various stations as models from
which local boats may be built. The safety prin-
ciple of these boats consists in making the usual fore-
cabin a water-tight compartment, as like ;vise the
stern locker ; and in turning a side-deck along each
side of the otherwise open boat, so that a hatchway
is formed which can be covered when necessaay
with portable hatches and a water-tight tarpaulin.
Those who know the recklessness of our fishermen,
their disregard of storm signal and barometrical
warnings, and the annual loss of life consequent
upon this recklessness, will be glad to promote in
every way the adoption of fishing boats on this
safety principle.

Next in importance may be placed the diving
apparatus of Messrs. Rouquayrol and Denayrouye,
specially adapted to the coral and sponge fisheries.
Every visitor to the exhibition will remember their
elaborate display of working models and the unfortu-
nate diver who made grimaces at the little port-
holes in the diving bell cistern. Coupled with this
was a submarine lamp for attracting fish, which
must be an improvement on "burning the water,',
and rival " the sun's perpendicular rays which illu-
mined the depths of the sea." Coming still closer
to fishing tackle, I remarked an immense variety of
nets and cordage of all nations, seines, trammels,
and casting nets, with innumerable traps and en-
gines for captivating the finny prey. Our net
makers were, as.far as I could see, represented only
by Hounsell, of Bridport ; but for strength and
neatness his bore the palm.
The Norwegian nets were all good, and were pro-
vided with glass globes for floats ; they seemed
very strong and durable, and with care would last
out endless relays of cork. In the collection called
the " History of Labour" were to be seen fishing
implements, hooks, and harpoons of the stone and
bronze ages, and some bits of charred netting
from the lacustrine dwellings. They are, of
course, very rough and rude; indeed, it would
seem as if the shrewedness of the fish
kept pace with the march of intellect of their pur-
suers. Scarcely less rude were the huge spinning
tackles exhibited by Derrien Cantu, of Primpol, the
leaded shanks about eight or ten inches long, fa-
shioned into a rough imitation of a fish, and armed
with immense hooks. Among the Norway tackle I
saw a capital instrument for arranging trot hocks,
for want of which many a fisherman has had his
hands grievously wounded, and some, as I have
been told, dragged overboard and drowned. The
hooks are confined by a split rod, similar to the
wooden game-carriers, and can be delivered out
without fouling, no slight boon in a long line with
five or six hundred hooks. I have already noticed
in your columns the harpoons, and the harpoon
guns, and the explosive balls which throw out
barbs when they strike the fish. These are to be
had of Devisme, the famous Paris gunmaker. Hav-
ing now mentioned most of the remarkable imple-
ments of sea-fishing, I may now speak of fresh-
water fishing tackle ; and here, again, I am sorry
to say our countrymen did not come out so strong as
they should have done in their special line, Class
49, Group 6. Ryder, of Birmingham, sent some
capital reels; Buchanan, of Glasgow, sets of hooks ;
Aldred, of London, a very handsome collection of
tackle cases, and rods, with modern improvements,
glued-up tops, telescopic, and perforated joints;
and Charles Farlow, a set of beautiful rods, and
specimens of all the best salmon peal and trout flies,
with spinning baits of all kinds ; but the show,
though every article, was of the best quality, was
insignificant, and Aldred, probably, owed his medal
more to his archery than his fishing tackle, or at
any rate to the union of both in the same case.
There were scores of French fishing tackle-makers
who exhibited more than all our English makers
put together, and some of the tackle very good and
cheap.
Moriceau and Blanchard, of Paris, in particular,
had a very large show of tackle, including ready-
fitted boxes of tackle for £6, rods of all sizes and
prices, from tit 4 canne roseau at 10 francs, to a
salmon rod at 100 francs. Robillard's show •was
principally remarkable for highly ornamented
floats emblazoned with arms of all nations, and
ledger lines with the leads and corks similarly
embellished. Your French fisherman neglects no
detail ; some of the floats arc grotesque figures of
Punch, or a fat priest, or sometimes a graceful
water nymph. There were very good imitations of
grasshoppers, shrimps, molecrickets, &c., and spin-
ning baits or tue-diables of various monstrosity.
Among the provincial exhibitors, Clerot, of Av.
ranches, and Loisin Arne, of Morlaix, were the best,
both of whom had evidently taken leaves out of

English flybooks. Poor Massas and his cannes ru-
bannes were not visible, but I saw many beautiful
specimens of the red and bamboo rods. Walking-
stick rods there were, and I saw an umbrella-rod,
which I have often dreamt of, but never supposed a
possible combination.

French gut is much thicker than ours, but also
much stronger than that which has been lately im-
ported into England. I fancy the Spaniards must
be playing some trick with the manufacture. I
fancy they are taking to fishing, as I saw a collec-
tion of trout-fly, feathers, and flies sent by one Val-
gonia from Spain. Judging by the flies, the fisli
must b...! still very unsophisticate I there.