The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-03 00:00:00

First Heat.
Robert Newell, Battle-bridge Stairs, and Thomas
Goodrum, Vauxhall (Stripe) 1
Charles and Henry Campbell, Lambeth (Red) 2
William Pocock, Lambeth, and George Campbell,
Westminster-bridge (Black) 0
John Phelps, Fulham, and John Prince, Chelsea,
(Red and White) 0
Frederick Lett and John Maynard, Lambeth (Purple) 0
This, and indeed the whole of the heats, were started
upwards—the distance extending from Putney to Ham-
'mersmith-bridge. In this heat stripe and black were
tho favourites; but so evenly had the committee paired
the whole of the men, that few were willing to back
their opinion as to which would be placed in the
heat. A finer start was never witnessed. They were
altogether in a line for a few seconds. Stripe
then took the lead, followed by red, and white and
red, who were oar and oar for a few more seconds, purple,
who were hampered immediately after the start by a
barge in their course, bringing up the rear. Off Messrs.
Searle's stripe had drawn their length clear—continued
to gain the whole distance, and came in ahead by four
or five lengths. For some distance it was difficult to say
which would have the second place; but on nearing the
Crab Tree, after a moat gallant struggle, red began to
show well as second; and then a fresh race ensued
between red and white and black for the third place,
which was ultimately determined in favour of red.

Second Heat.

Robert Doubledee, Lambeth, and Henry Piner,
Whitehall (Yellow and Black) 1
Thomas Maekenney, Richmond, and Henry Shelton,
Lambeth
Robert Coombes, Vauxhall Bridge, and James Kip-
ping, Hungcrford
Thomas Cole, Chelsea, and James Maynard, Lam-
beth (Light Blue) 0
Joseph Leach, Lambeth, and Henry Green, Vauxhall,
(Blue and White) 0
Another fine heat, but in which one of the expected
winners was thrown out. All started capitally, but in
the next moment Coombes had to ease or row his part-
ner, who looked out of condition, into a barge. Not-
withstanding this they immediately afterwards drew
a head, and were half a boat in advance at the Star and
Garter, but were unable to keep it. After passing
Searle's a splendid race occurred between them and yel-
low and black, which terminated in the latter going a
head off the Vice-Chancellor's. Green then came up to

the second pair, and another gallant race followed,
which ended in pink falling into the third place near
the Crab Tree. Won by a length and a half.
Grand Heat.

Robert Newell and Thomas Goodrum .. (Stripe) 1
Thomas Mackenney and Henry Skelton (Green) 2
R. Doubledee and 11. Finer (Yellow and Black) 0
Charles Campbell and Henry Campbell (Red) 0
There was a dashing start, immediately after which
yellow and black made capital play for a few second:,
stripes, who hardly appeared to have at first got su well
to work as the others, challenged them off the Star and
Garter, and rowed gallantly in advance. Yellow and
black made some determined efforts to overhaul them,
instead of which they found themselves very closely
waited upon by green, who, after a sharp spurt, took the
second place, off the High Bridge or just about it. The
winners maintained their lead, and came in first about
five lengths. There was nearly the same distance be-
tween the second and third. Yellow and black had, be-
fore the heat was started, divided the sporting interest
with the winners, each party being backed by their ad-
mirers to some extent. The award of to-day was ,a.
purse of sovereigns, prizes being given to the whole of
those in the grand Beat according to their position.

Meetings were also simultaneously held of the friends
of Mr. Williams at the Swan Tavern, Stockwell, and of
those of Mr. Palmer at the Rosemary Branch Tavern,
Peckham, at both of which the usual resolutions were
passed.

PUBLIC DINNER TO MR. ROBERT STE-
PHENSON, M.P., AT NEWCASTLE.
NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, WEDNESDAY. - The friends
and admirers of Mr. R. Stephenson, M.P., civil engineer,
and eegineer of the York, Newcastle, and Berwick and
other lines of railway, in order to mark their respect for
his high talents and unblemished character, determined
upon entertaining him at a public dinner in the new
railway station, in Neville-street, Newcastle.
The entertainment took place last night, and was
attended by about 400 of the inhabitants of the town
and adjoining neighbourhood, besides several gentlemen
of scientific eminence, on their way to the meeting of the
British Association for the Advancement of Science, in
Edinburgh. The Hon. H. T. Liddell presided, having
Mr. Stephenson on his right; and the vice-chairs were
filled by the Mayor of Newcastle and the Mayor of
Gateshead. A portion of the immense area of the station
was partitioned off by means of a skeleton framing of
wood covered with canvass and lined with calico, and on
the side next the chairman three large cartoons, painted
for the occasion by local artists, were displayed, repre-
senting the High Level Bridge over the Tyne, the
Mensi Bridge, and the viaduct over the Tweed, at Ber-
wick. There were nine tables ranged longitudinally,
with an elevated cross table for the principal speakers.
The dinner was got up in a splendid style, and reflected
great credit on Mr. Neigh, of the Assembly-rooms, by
whom it was provided.
After the cloth had been withdrawn, the usual loyal
and constitutional toasts were given and warmly received,
after which—
The CHAIRMAN rose to propose the toast of the even-
ing, and was received with an enthusiastic burst of ap-
plause, which continued for several minutes. In the
course of his speech Mr. Liddell thus enumerated the
manifold labours in which their guest bad been engaged:
—I have here, gentlemen, a list of the various main
lines and the various branches of the main lines in which
my Honourable Friend has been engaged; and I will
begin by stating that in certain unconnected lines he has
laid down an extent of no less than one hundred and
thirty-six miles of iron railway; in the Eastern Counties
and branches, amounting to twelve, he has laid down
two hundred and ninety-six miles; in the London and
North-Western lines, and in their branches three hun-
dred and seventy-seven miles; in the Midland line,
the Birmingham and Derby, and the branches connected
therewith, three hundred and two miles ; in the North
Staffordshire one hundred and forty-eight miles; in the
South-Eastern lines twenty-five miles; the Whitehaven
and Furness Railways sixty-nine miles; the Stockton
and Darlington and the Northern Counties, two hundred
and fifteen miles; the York and North Midland, two hun-
dred and twenty miles of railway—making an aggregate
of one thousand seven hundred and ninety miles of rail-
way. Then he is connected with the Florence and
Leg-
horn Railway, amounting to sixty miles, making, in all,
one thousand eight hundred and fifty miles of railway.—
(Applause.) But, gentlemen, is that all? He has con-
nected, by his personal exertions, and the genius that
distinguishes his name, as I have already remarked, the
German Ocean and the Irish Sea.—(Applause.) He
has bound together, with an iron band, the kingdoms of
England and Scotland, which, from the days of Queen
Anne, have been connected by the legislative union ;
and the legislative union between great Britain and
Ireland is now so complete, that it seems admitted by
the Houses of Legislature that there is no longer
any necessity for a separate Government for Ireland,
and the main reason given by the Administration
for the abolition of the office of Lord-Lieutenant
of Ireland, is the rapidity and certainty and constancy
of the communication by railway that has now been
established. Gentlemen, I need hardly remind you that
works of this description lose in magnitude, lose in
the estimate we ought to have of them, by the very
fact of their existence for a few years ago it
would have been deemed impossible to accomplish
that which we see now daily carried on before our
eyes, and we begin to think there is nothing extra-
ordinary in their existence. Let me call your attention
to the three great features of his career which have been
so ably delineated by the hands of your excellent towns-
men, and appropriately placed in this room in comme-
moration of the achievements of Mr. Stephenson.
May I not say that the author of works like these has
far transcended all former architects, whether of Greek
or Roman fame? The Roman satirist, in a tone of iron-
cal incredulity, exclaimed—

" Credimus olim
Veleficetus Athos, et quicquid Grsecia mendax
Audet in historic, substratum classibus isciem
Suppositansque rotis solidum mare."
But, in this day, I must correct the sneer and sarcasm of
that celebrated writer. I say, when we sea these
wonders accomplished, we are no longer astonished
that the Persian invader, with the amount of human
labour at his disposal, should have conveyed over the
heights of Athos the beams which he hewed in the
forests of Anatolia, to construct the floating bridge
over the Hellespont. That bridge sinks to nothing
in comparison with the gigantic structure which
now spans the estuary of the Irish Sea. We
have seen this great bridge founded and completed—not
a bridge of boats, which the first hurricane might scatter,
but a bridge of solid masonry and tubular iron—a struc-
ture before unheard of and unthought of.—(Cheers.)
And that was raised by the genius of Stephenson. We
have seen the kingdom of England and Scotland united,
the border which for ages had been separated being
spanned by that beautiful structure which is now pre-
sented in effigy before us.—(Loud applause.) And
lastly, we hare seen the two counties in this neighbour.
hood connected by a structure over the river Tyne, at a
level which a very few years ago any man would have
been deemed a madman that should have proposed to
adopt. We have seen all these works executed
by our honoured guest of this day. The Hon. Gentle-
man concluded by proposing, with all the honours due
to the name and due to his services, the health of Mr.
Robert Stephenson.—(Loud and prolonged cheering.)
Mr. ROBERT STEPHENSON, M.P., after expressing his
gratification at the acknowledgment of his services he
was then receiving, gavea•retrospect
in of the last few
years :—lt is but a brief period since I was en-
gaged as an assistant tracing the line of the Dar-
lington and Stockton Railway. The Liverpool
and Manchester, and the Liverpool and Bir-
mingham, and a hundred other great works
have sprung
.into vigorous existence so suddenly, so
promptly, so inconceivably quick, that it appears to be
realising the fable of the magician's ,nand. Hills have
beets cut down, valleys filled up, where they have been
small ; and where more extensive works have been re-
quired, the mountain has been pierced, the river spanned,
or a viaduct has been formed. Those works lie scattered
over the surface of the country, bearing incontestable
testimony to the indomitable industry and unrivalled skill
of our artisans.—(Applause.) In referring to these railway
works, I must not omit altogether the rapid advance the
locomotive engine has made within that period. They
are, as every one in this room will readily understand,
necessary to each other. The locomotive engine
independent of the railway would be a useless machine;
the railway would be comparatively useless also
without the locomotive. They have gone on
together, and now realise all the expectations
that were ever formed respecting them.—(Applause.)
I should state upon this occasion—it would be un-
seemly as it would be unjust were I to conceal from you
a weighty circumstance connected with every profes-
sional man's life—that no engineer can proceed without
having men about him as highly gifted as himself.—
(Applause.) These men I have been surrounded with
now for many years, and although I may have from
time to time added my mite, yet it is to th,:r
co-operation my success is owing. In this imme-
diate neighbourhood especially I feel it my duty to call
your attention to a gentleman with whom 1 heve been
associated in carrying out the works—Mr. Thor-.es
Harrison—(Loud applause)—a name which I shall have
another opportunity of referring to this evening. But I
will not detain you longer. I can only thank you, and
I rely upon the sympathy of every heart iu this room
when I say that the feelings of my own are veryinade-
quately expressed by my tongue.—(Continued cheering.)
[Later in the evening, in proposing the health of the
chairman, Mr. Stephenson made known to whom the
world was indebeted for the elder Stephenson 's first
locomotive experiments.] There was a fact connected
with the proceedings of the day which he was anxious
,to make known. It was through the patronage of the