The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-16 00:00:00

• LANCASTER AND PRESTON.—A special meeting,
convened by requisition to the directors, for the pur.
pose of concerting measures to redeem the annuity of
4,8751. now paid to the Lancaster Canal Company as
compensation for their surrender of thirteen years' in-
terest in the line as lessees, was held at Lancaster on
Friday; Mr. Bushell in the chair. By a clause in the
agreement with the Canal Company, the option was
reserved of redeeming the annuity at the rate of 5 per
cent. previous to the 13th of May next, or at the rate
of per cent. after the expiration of that period.
Several propositions for effecting the object in view
were submitted to the meeting. Eventually, on the
motion of Mr. Saul, it was resolved to raise 45,000/.
by the creation of 10,833 shares of 41. 3s. 4d. each, to
ne called twelfths, a call of 41. on each share to be paid
on the Ist of May, and a second call of 3s. 4d. each
on the second of May. Any further sum required
to complete the redemption to be borrowod on mort-
gage.
PARIS AND STRASBURG.—A special meeting of
this company was held at Paris on Thursday ; M. de
Segur, the President, in the chair. The report stated
that the directors had entered into a provisional
agreement with the Minister of Public Works to
construct at the cost of the company a railway from
Blesmes to Joinville. The land and works are to be
provided for a double line of rails ; but the company
will not be compelled to lay down more than a single
line of rails until the gross annual receipts from
traffic shall have reached 18,000 f. (7201.) per
kilometre. This line is to be completed for traffic
within three years after the date of the new conces-
sion. The present scale of tolls and fares authorized
on the main line, and the branch lines to Metz and to
the Prussian frontier, is to be applicable to the new
branch line mentioned. The Strasburg Company are
to pay into the treasury a sum of 3,500,000 f.
(140,0001.) fur the purchase of land, and on the
section of the line between Vitry and Bar-le-Duc.
In consideration of the company fulfilling these
conditions, they are to have the duration of the con-
cessions extended to ninety-nine years for the main
line and all the branches. The company are also to have
the power to lay down at first only one line of rails
on several sections of the main and branch lines,
but they are to lay down the second line of rails
whenever called on by the Minister of Public Works;
except on the section from Metz to Saarbruck, and
that only when the gross traffic receipts on that sec-
tion shall amount to 18,000 f. (7201.) per kilometre
per annum. Should the company neglect to per-
form the whole or any part of the above conditions,
the stipulations for the extension of the concession to
99 years are to be null and void. A discussion en-
sued, in the course of which it was agreed that the
directors should call the shareholders together again
on a day to be fixed, as soon as the Council of State
shall have decided on the terms of the convention.
On the introduction of the subject relating to a modi-
fication of one of the statutes which prohibited the
distribution of more than one-half of the net profit as
long as the main line remained unfinished. M. Po-
riquet proceeded to address the meeting on various
matters, and regardless of order, he persisted in speak-
ing on points not properly before the meeting. With
a view to put a stop to this irregularity the Presi-
dent declared the meeting dissolved. A scene of great
confusion ensued, and it was ultimately arranged, at
the suggestion of the secretary, that M. Poriquet
should defer the matters he bad to submit till the or-
dinary general meeting on the 25th inst.

WRECK NEAR THE FERN
ISLANDS.

On Sunday morning last the brig Bravo, of New-
castle, William Avitt, master, which sailed on Thurs-
day last for London, was observed in the Fair Way
between Bamborough Castle and the Fern Islands
with a signal of distress flying, and shortly afterwards
came ashore on the beach immediately below the
castle. A flag was hoisted on the castle and a bell
rung, and numbers of people from Bamborough and
North Sunderland hurried to render assistance. The
wind was blowing a gale, and the sea breaking over
the vessel, and it was evident that she must soon go
to pieces. The sailors tried to get out the long boat,
which was almost instantly washed overboard, and the
surf rolled in so heavily that it was almost impossible
to launch a boat from the .shore. After a gallant but
ineffectual attempt to rescue the crew by three fisher-
men of the district, and also by a party of the Coast
Guard, a messenger was dispatched for a boat to
North Sunderland, and a large coble belonging to
Lord Crewe's trustees was lashed and conveyed
to Bamborough. Eight men belonging to North
Sunderland threw off their jackets and got into the
boat, which, by the united exertions of the bystanders,
was launched through the surf. Their names
were George Wilson, mason; William Spears, cooper,
William Berry, Coast Guardsman ; and Henry Grey,
Thomas Knox, George Tait, and Robert Burn, sea-
men ; Robert Patrick, a fisherman, taking the steer-
ing oar. The first wave which broke over the boat
nearly filled her, and struck the steering oar out of
Patrick's hand, who narrowly escaped being washed
overboard. After the most heroic struggles, amidst
the breathless intere't of the spectators, and the tears
and exclamations of the women assembled on the
shore, the boat rounded the vessel, where three of the
seamen had slid down the rigging to the end of the
bowsprit, and were hanging by the ropes and sails.
The captain and his daughter, a girl of 15, had taken
refuge in the maintop, and the remainder of the
sailors clustered in the main rigging to escape the
dash of the sea. By some of the leose ropes hang-
ing over the side-the boat was made fast to the ship,
at a sufficient distance, and, watching a favourable
opportunity, the girl was first taken off the wreck.
The men on the bowsprit were next dragged into
the boat, and the remainder of the crew, being
unable to afford the slightest assistance, threw them-
selves into the sea, and were rescued by the boat's
crew amid the cheers of the people on the shore. The
greatest danger to the boat's crew was still to be en-
countered. The coble, laden with 16 men, two boys
and a girl, half filled with water, and destitute of any-
thing to bale her, after the loss of one oar and the
breaking of another, was almost at the mercy of the
elements, and it would have been an act of madness
to attempt to land. The efforts of the gallant fellows
were therefore directed to keep her head to seaward,
and after several hours' exposure they were descried
by the fishermen of Holy bland, who went off, as far
as the breakers would allow, to their assistance. Most
providentially, the sea for an instant abated, and,
taking advantage of a lull, the overloaded craft was
brought into smooth water. The girl and one of the
boys were carried on shore in the arms of the fisher-
men, being unable to stand from the effects of expo-
sure. The wrecked seamen were kindly sheltered on
the island by Mr. Wilson, the harbour-master; and
leaving the boat, their preservers, half dead with cold,
wet, and hunger, walked back ten miles to their homes
at North Sunderland, where they arrived at a late
hour of the night. A more courageous and merito-
rious act has not been performed since, nearly on the
same spot, Grace Darling and her father rescued the
survivors of the wreck of the Forfarshire.—Newcastle
Paper.

EXTRAORDINARY PROCEEDINGS IN
THE CASE OF A BANKRUPT.
On Thursday an inquiry, during which circum-
stances of a most unusual character were elicited, took
place at the Bankruptcy Court, Liverpool, before Mr.
Commissioner Stevenson. The bankrupt, John La
Guarrande, of Montpelier-terrace, Upper Parliament-
street, was a merchant and broker, carrying on bu-
siness in Liverpool, his petition having been opened
on the 28th of February last. The bankrupt subse-
quently came before the Court to give information
relative to the state of his affairs, and assignees were
chosen, who were put in possession of his property,
' consisting of furniture, plate, &c. On the 15th of
March intimation was given to Mr. Gaskill, the
official messenger of the Court, that bis man had been
ejected from the premises by the bankrupt. The
messenger, accompanied by Mr. Ayres, immediately
proceeded to the bankrupt's residence, and demanded
admittance by authority of the warrant. This was re-
fused. The following day an application was made to the
Court for a new warrant, which was granted. The pro-
per officers then went to the house, and took possession
without any resistance being offered. Shortly after this
the property was ordered by the assignees to be sold,
and Mr. Edwin Gaskill, auctioneer, was appointed to
take the management of the sale. Mr. Gaskill, in
accordance with his instructions, took possession of
the bankrupt's effects, and stationed six men in the
house • but no interference being offered by the bank.
mmoenndraey-
ht house until Theo.
re-
mained in quiet possess
rupt, ;he number was rieodnucoefdthteo
last, when proceedings of a most riotous character
of an attempt on the part of the
took' place, arising out
bankrupt to eject the officers. r.Gaskill,
tioneer, made n statement of t Mr. E. auc
he circumstances con-
nected with this disturbance. The men who had
b y the
been put in the house remained unmolested until
Monday last, when threats were held out
bankrupt, and indications were given that they had no
right to be there. In the evening the bankrupt went
,out and returned about ten o'clock, shortly after
which he introduced eight men through the parlour
window, and demanded possession of the house.
The two men who were then in charge were ejected,
there being no chance of resisting the powerful
body brought in opposition to them. The police were
called upon to assist, but they would act interfere
unless a breach of the peace took place. An addi-
tional force, amounting in all to thirteen may, was
then dispatched to the house by Mr. E. Gaskill ; they
succeeded in
gaining admission by the back (loci., and
after encountering severe opposition they ove reame
their opponents and regained possession of the, pre-
mises. Blows were struck on both sides, thou gh no
serious injury was sustained by any of the Iv
rents. Peace was restored, but it only lasted for a
short time. On the following day (Tuesday) iiitima-
tion was brought to Mr. Gaskill that his men were
being murdered, and he went up to the ban krupt's
house. There was A force of 50 men inside the Lhor.se,