The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-16 00:00:00

REGULATION OF RAILWAYS.

The Board of Trade Bill has been printed. It
proposes to enact that, after this year, every railway
company in every passenger train travelling more
than 15 miles without stopping must provide such
efficient means of communication between the pas_
sengers and the company's servants iu charge of the
train as the Board of Trade may approve ; the
penalty for default not to exceed £lO in each case.
In regard to compensation for accidents the bill
proposes to provide that, in cases where the com-
pany and the claimant desire it, the Board of Trade
may appoint an arbitrator to determine what com-
pensation, if any, shall be paid ; and that in compen_
sation cases, the judge or any arbitrator may order
an examination of the claimant by a medical prac-
titioner not being a witness on either side. Several
clauses are devoted to the subject of railway ac-
counts. The half-yearly accounts of the companies
are to be made out on a uniform plan, according to
a form to be given in a schedule to this bill, and
are to be signed by the chairman and secretary ;
and, if these statements of the accounts are false in
any particular, the auditor of the company who
signed the same is to be liable to fine or im-
prisonment, unless he satisfies the Court that he
was ignorant of such falseness. The Board of
Trade, on the application of a certain consider-
able proportion of the shareholders or debenture-
holders, supported by such evidence as the
Board may require, and security for payment
of the costs Leing given if required by the Board,
to have power to examine by an inspector into the
affairs of the company awl the condition of the
undertaking, and report thereon ; the report to be
delivered on application to sharesholders and de-
benture-holders. The inspector will have power to
examine upon oath, and compel answers,. Inspectors
also for such an examination may be appointed
by the company at an extraordinary meeting, and
will have the same powers as the Board of Trade
inspectors. The Board of Trade may, upon appli-
cation, in pursuance of a resolution at a general
meeting, appoint (at the company's expense) an
auditor in addition to the company's auditors.
Auditors need not be shareholders. The " Wharn-
cliffe meeting" principle is to be applied when there
is a bill for additional powers, or an application to
the Board of Trade for a certificate conferring
additional powers; but the forms of proxy sent
out by the directors are not to be sent stampe I,
nor is " any 'intimation to be sent as to any person
to whom the proxy may be given or addressed,"--.-
a rebound from one extreme to another. There are
some other clauses relating to the mode of limiting
a company's liability during sea transit, repealing
the old Act requiring a declaration of the value of
silk sent by common carriers, and prescribing that
goods sent in large aggregate quantities by a dealer
to the real consignee are not to be liable to the small
parcels toll by reason of their being divided into
separate packages, as :bags of sugar, bags of coffee,
sacks of meal, and the like.

MR. lIENRT LESLIE'S CHOIR. —At the orchestral
and choral concert, on Thursday next, a selection will be
given from MendelsSohn's " Antigone and (Edipus." The
programme also includes Mendelssohn's music to "A Mid-
summer Night's Dream." Solo parts by Mdlle. Sophia-
Vinta and Miss Emma Charlier. Herr Joachim plays
Beethoven's Concerto and Bach's Chaconne.

COVENTRY ELECTION PETITION.---:The Committee
appointed to inquire into the alleged corrupt practices at
the last election for Coventry have come to the following
resolutions :—" That Henry Mather Jackson was by his
agents guilty of bribery at the last election for the city of
Coventry; that the said Henry Mather Jackson is not duly
elected for the said city of Coventry ; that the last election
is a void election ; that it was proved that Thomas Yard-
ley, John Lee, William Oswyn, and William Moon wore
bribed by Stephen Knapp ; that it does not appear that the
said bribery was with the knowledge and consent of the
said Henry Mather Jackson; that it further does not ap-
pear that corrupt practices existed or prevailed to a largo
extent at the last election for the city of Coventry."

ACICDENT TO MR. SOTHERN.—Mr. Sothern, the
celebrated comedian, nearly met with a serious accident
on Thursday. Whilst hunting with Baron Rothschild's
hounds, he took a very deep drop fence in a road, coming
along which at a sharp trot was a baker's cart, driven by
an old woman. The latter, frightened at the sudden ap-
parition, pulled her horse quickly on one side, causing
about a foot and a half of the shaft of the cart to run into
Mr. Sothern's horse. By a quick movement he threw his
foot out of the stirrup just as the shaft grazed the saddle,
thus saving himself from what would doubtless have been
a severe, if not fatal, accident. The horse (Blazes), well
known with the Baron's hounds, was shot.—Field.

THE PRINCIPALITIES.—The officers who were sent
by the Austrian Government a short time ago to the dis-
tricts of the Lower Danube for the purpose of obtaining
accurate information regarding the military preparations
made in those districts, have reported that the countries in
that quarter are all busily occupied in increising their ar-
maments. In Servia everything is now rc-arly for a lung
campaign. A considerable number of guns aro stored in
the arsenals, a volunteer force has been organised on the
Laudwehr system, and the army is amply provided with
arms, ammunition, and war materiel of all kinds.—Pall
Mall Gazette.

THE FIRE AT TRURO.—The fire at Truro, re-
ported in. The Sun of Saturday, may be said to have been
mastered at 4 o'clock that morning, having raged with
great fury for nearly six hours. About 330 the wind
went down, and the hard and incessant labours of the
people were soon afterwards rewarded by the stoppage of
any further communication of the flames. Engines, how-
ever, were kept at work all day and night on the ruins of
the destroyed and partially destroyed buildings. The
damages are estimated at from £16,000 to £21,000
Various insurance offices will be called upon to contribute
nearly the whole amount. The origin of the fire is not
known.

florniman's Pure Teas arc Bd. per pound cheaper. Their
2,500 agents—confectioners in London, and chemists in
the country—are constantly receiving fresh supplies of
these long-approved tea, sold only in Packets.

PREP icitE NCE S%4ARES.
tWestern, Wt. Midland, Oxford at guaranteed, 100
Mid Consolidated, 6 per. cent. stock,
Ditto, Bristol and limn., 8 per Cent.,
Ditto, 4i per cent. rd., o
North Eastern, West Hartlepool Harbour and Rail,. 821

rtcmrsitmDitm oktAttic, AND STOCKS
nidland A and B £5 per cent., 105

LINES LEASED AT FIXED RENTALS.
London and Greenwich, 62
Alidland, Bradford Pref., 92
trOltEl GN RAIL WA Yr.
Great Luxembourg, 9 1-10
Siutli Austrian and Lombardo Venetian, 141

FORMIGN MINI b,
Don Pedro. North Del Iley,„2i
St. John dcl Itey, , 18
DOCKS
East and West India, 125

BANE S.
Chartered ?der. of India, London. and China.:29
Imperial Ottoman, 10
London Chartered Bans of Australia, 23i
London and County, 51
Ditto, new, 32)
KISCHLLANBOUB.
Anglo American Telegraph, 22
Atlantic Telegraph, 56!
Dit.o, 8 per 108)
Berlin Water Works,
City of Moscow (Uas, liin., 811
Credit teoneier Ar,ziand. iim.. 3 1-:(1
Viceroy of Egypt (Alortgage) Loan) 71 li

A Q n 1 7ICS.

THE OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE BOAT RACE.-

CUANGE OF OXFORD STROKE.

CAMBRIDGE, Saturday.
The University boat went yesterday afternoon to Clay-
bithe and back, a distance of about 10 or 11 miles, Mr.
Maule coaching. This morning Mr. T. E. Egan is ex-
pected to arrive, and give the crew the advantage of his
judgment and experience. liAley has not returned, nor
will he do so again, but his services hive not been value-
less, as the alteration of the stretchers has made a mani-
fest improvement in the crew. According to present
arrangements the Cautabs will go up to London this day
week, and will remain till they have either gained or lost
the verdict.

OXFORD, Saturday.
The crow went the long course this afternoon, Carter,
of Worcester, who has been rowing six, taking Winaws
place as seven, and Willan filling Carter's former position,
Tottenham steering and au ox-member of the Oxford crow
coaching.

TIIE EASIEEN FISIIEEIES.—The Spring herring
fishery has commenced off the Eastern coast. A fleet of
boats has also proceeded- westward, and others are pre
paring to follow, with a view to tho prosecution of the
mackerel voyage.