The Sun.
London, England, 1844-06-01 00:00:00

S:AT-le
efrt, ktt,

CORONER'S INQUEST. —INFLUENCE OF PUBLIC
EXECUTIONS.—Yesterday afternoon Mr. Carter, Coroner for
Surrey, held an inquest at the Hero of Waterloo Inn, Water-
loo-road, on the body of Edward Norris, aged forty years.
It appeared by the evidence that deceased had formerly been
a publican, but for the last few weeks had occasionally lodged
at a beer-shop in the Cornwall-road, during which time he
had conducted himselfrather strangely. On Monday morning
he returned home, and said to a person who slept with him,
that he had been to see Crouch hung at Newgate, and con-
sidered it was such a beautiful sight that he was quite de-
lighted. He also said that himself and two men had drunk
twenty half-pints of gin, and that he had drank six half-
pints as his share. Deceased remained in doors all that and
the following day ; and about twelve o'clock on Tuesday
night he went to bed. He was then quite sober. But at
seven on the following morning he was discovered in the
Skittle-ground, in the rear of the house, suspended from one
of the rafters, by a rope. He was cut down, but he had been
dead some hours. Some other evidence was gone into -to
show the state of his mind for soma time past, when the jury
returned a verdict of " Temporary Insanity."
THE KING OF SAXONY AND THE POLES.—NO
slight consternation was experienced by those interested in
the success of the Polish ball, announced for the 10th of June,
on learning yesterday, that his Majesty the King of Saxony
had fixed on that day to honour the Earl of Wilton and his
Countess with his presence at an entertainment at their resi-
dence in Grosvenor-square. The Noble Earl, on being in-
formed that this would interfere most cruelly with the Polish
ball, immediately repaired to the Palace to state the circum-
stance. His Lordship has since communicated the gratifying
intelligence that, in order not to interfere with an undertak-
ing so important to the Poles, he had been authorised to put
off his ball to Wednesday, the 12th inst., when he expects to
have the honour of entertaining her Majesty and Prince Al-
bert, as well as their Royal guest.
Tim PITMEN. —The pitmen have not yet returned
to their work, and the colliery owners are gradually obtain-
ing fresh men to supply their places. We are informed that
certain disclosures, implicating the conduct of the executive,
are about to be made, the effect of which will probably be to
break up the union, or at all events to give those a good
excuse for withdrawing from its ranks, and we believe the
number is not small, who are heartily sick and tired of the
strike.—Newcastle Advertiser.
Yesterday a Court of Directors was held at the
East India }rouse, when Lieutenant-General the Right Hon.
Sir Henry Hardiuge, K.C.13., Governor-General of India, was
unanimously appointed to succeed to the office of Com-
mander-in-Chief of the Company's Forces in India, in the
event of the death, resignation, or coming away from India,
of General Sir iiugh Gough, Bart, G.C.B.

Passengers. Producing
The first week in April, 1843 ••• 5,920 ... £1,724
Ditto ditto 1844 ... 12,543 ... 3,581
The second week in April,lB43 ... 7,087 ... 2,152
Ditto ditto 1844 ... 19,210 ... 4,273
The third week in April,lB43 ... 8,786 ... 2,124
Ditto ditto 1844 ... 13,295 3,745
The fourth week in April,lB43 ... 7,219 ... 2,052
Ditto ditto 1844 ... 12,868 ... 3,587
The first week in May, 1843 7,629 ... 2,008
Ditto ditto 1844 ••• 13,109 3,691
The second week in May, 1843 ... 7,179 ... 2,021
Ditto ditto 1844 ... 13,375 ... 3,846
The third week in May, 1843 7,624 ... 2,030
Ditto ditto 1844 .•. 13,554 ... 3,931
The fourth week in May, 1843 ... 7,223 ... 2,071
Ditto • ditto 1844 ... 12,950 ... 4,070
It was here seen that the passenger traffic had nearly
doubled itself in these eight weeks, and the whole of this in-
crease would come into the present half-year's accounts. As
regarded the Maidstone branch, this branch would in a short
time be opened, and would, he thought, bring in a consider-
able income ; its completion too would close off an expendi-
ture of 1,4001. a year which the Company had now charged
to their account as a payment to coach proprietors for bring-
ing the passengers to the line. The next point he had to
touch upon was the coal traffic. His feelings apon this sub-
ject were exceedingly strong, because he was sure it would be
a source of great profit. Another material item in their
traffic was the article of lime. His Opinion was that a very
extensive trade in lime would be carried on upon their rail-
way, and to a far greater meant than any gentleman pre-
sent could possibly contemplate; indeed, he should be afraid
of mentioning what he believed would be its-extent. It was
to be recollected that the lime was made of chalk imme-
diately on the line of railway. It was not possible for any-
thing to be more convenient or less expensive than the pre-
paration of it in connection with their railway. Since they
last met together in that room the Bricklayers' Arms station
had been opened, and during the 28 days that the public
had enjoyed the accommodation, the Company had taken
from the London-bridge station 11,285 passengers, produc-
ing
5,2601., and from the Bricklayers' Arms station 19,953
passengers, producing the sum of 6,060/.-(Loud cheers.)
At Reigate, the Brighton line and themselves had removed
the objections that the public had made to moving from one
line to another. A station had at last been built, and every
Brighton as well as every Dover train stopped at it. The
station still remained the property of the Dover Company.
At the present moment the Directors were making arrange-
ments for carrying out a branch from Tunbridge to Tun-
bridge Wells, of 4i miles in length. The objections raised by
the landowners had been entirely removed; and, looking to
the short distance of the branch, it was not possible to con-
ceive any line to be more beneficial to a company.
A PROPRIETOR-it will be a single line, I presume?
The CitainarAN said it would. He had now to offer two or
three words respecting the Hastings line. This subject was
one that had given the Board a good deal of anxiety, and, he
must confess, the decision upon it had disappointed him ex-,
ceedingly.-(Hear.) What he meant by saving that.it bad
disappointed him was this : he had fancied "that when Par-
liament sanctioned the line, and granted the Bill, claiming,
as they did in the first instance, that a good traffic case
should be shown-he said that having shown, as part of their
traffic case, the whole of the Hastings traffic, he did not ex-
pect Parliament would then say, " We must take away the
traffic from you, and place it in the hands of others." Such,
however, had been the decision of the Committee.-(Hear.)
He could only say that nothing had shaken his faith more
ofl
e there
in railway property than seeing such decisions as 11'0)44-
seen come to by the Committee of the House of Commmons.-
(Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") He thought they must not
despair in this matter-(Hear, bear.) The Directors were
not remaining passive,him
rested,tio n o
n
they
food
till t
sealnf,dwethueldv
uweetreeeasdeeteprrmesisniedug
thenot tqoureesz
Di-
rectors, as well as
main passive.-(Hear, hear.). He was sure his brother
thoseDi-
was no chance
inwhose
of Lands
success,
oo the o
they did succeed.-(Cheers.) He believed that the Hastings
s matter
ortill
people were exceedingly dissatisfied with the decision of the
Committee, and they had called a ,ineeting to take the sub-
ject into consideration. As far as the interest of the county
of Kent was concerned, there could not be a doubt that a
line of railway through the centre would be more beneficial
than one running along the coast. The works at Folkestone
Harbour, and the various matters connected with it, were
going on in the most satisfactory manner. He thought the
value of the harbour was entirely unknown, and every step
taken in reference to it satisfied him more fully of the wisdom
and discretion they had shown in purchasing it. The Dover
terminus was now open. It was very convenient and most
spacious ; perhaps some might say, more spacious than neces-
sary. Those who thought so, should recollect that a great
destruction of property had arisen from the stock and plant of
railways being exposed to the weather; this had been felt
particularly, he believed, by the London and Birmingham Com-
pany. It was satisfactory to him to know that they now had
station where the stock, &c., could be properly protected, and
as to the station itself, he would say there was not in Great
Britain one more simple and, at the same time, more con-
venient. The next question he must touch on regarded the
protection of the interests of the South-Eastern Company
generally, but especially on the northern side of the county
of Kent. If it were necessary for the public convenience
that lines of railway should go on the northern side of the
county of Kent, the South-Eastern Company would be the
parties to endeavour to carry them out. The Directors would
be very much wanting in their duty if they did not keep
alive to what was passing on this point, and they therefore
thought it right to tell the proprietors that Mr. R. Stephen-
son had been for some time engaged in looking to the whole
of that district, that the Directors might see how best to
protect the interests of the Shareholders. Ile had for a long
time considered the greatest enemies to railway Companies
were the railway Companies themselves.-(Hear, .41ear.)
There had been an endeavour on all sides to get hold of
property with which they had nothing whatever to do, and
there had been a forgetfulness of the " live and let live"
system.-(Hear, hear.) Every railway company had been ,
desirous of entrenching on its neighbours' property. He had
expressed these opinions most plainly and openly before the
President of the Board of Trade, in the presence of the Chair-
men of the Great Western, the London and Birmingham, and
other lines, in the spring of the present Year. Then as
to the question of amalgamation. The Brighton, Croydon,
and Dover lines were working very harmoniously together,
but he thought not so beneficially as they would do
under one board. For his part he was quite willing, and he
had so confessed himself to the Croydon and Brighton Direc-
tors, to sound his retreat the moment anything of the kind
could be carried out ; and he was sure there was not a single
Director of the Dover board who would not willingly retire
from the position he held, if, by so doing, the desired amalga-
mation could be forwarded.-(Cheers.) One word as to the
foreign railways. It was quite as unlikely that we should be
without a railway to the opposite coast, as that the Dover
line would be closed. In fact, it was a question that had been
again and again argued in the Chamber of Deputies. It was
one in which the South-Eastern Company were most deeply
interested, and about which he had been in continual commu-
nication with parties en the other side of the Channel. The
Shareholders were not to imagine that, because the Directors
had not touched upon the subject before, it had therefore
escaped their consideration. The completion of a line to the
opposite coast at some future day would place the income of
the South Eastern line in such a position as the Proprietors
did not at the present moment contemplate. Let them
say what they would-if they could have a short passage
across to the kingdom of France, and get to the Mediter-
ranean in the short period of time that a journey would then
occupy, the value of the South-Eastern line would become
great indeed. He believed that with the exception of stating
that there were 400 share!, of the last issue which the
Directors had still in their hands, and which they proposed
to sell and apply the proceeds to the credit of the account,
he had nothing further to mention to the Proprietors. It'
they had any questions to put he should be very happy to
answer them.
Several questions were put to the Chairman by various of
the Proprietors, but they were of no public interest beyond
two facts elicited-that the mouth of the Folkestone har-
bour could be kept clear of shingle at a comparatively
trifling cost, and that the Company would be able to carry
on five or six times the present traffic without any addition
to their staff. The Chairman's address appeared to give very
general satisfaction.
Mr. M‘Gitgaon moved a 'vote of thanks to the Chairman

THE FUNDS-(CLOSING PRICES).

BRITISH FUNDS.
Bank Stock . ... ............ 199% i Indian Stock 2FB pm.
3 per Cent. Red. 9S% . I Ditto Bonds . .........
3 per Cent. Cons.
3% per Cent. Red lO2 'Ditto New Annuities...
New 3)4 per Cent. 10274 Ex. Bills, 1,0001. 1%d... 70 pm.
New 5 per Cent — Ditto 5001
Long Annuities to expire Ditto Small '7o pm.
Jan. 1860 l2 7-16 Bank Stock for Acct....
Oct. 1859 Consols for Acct. 99%
Jan. 1860 12% India Stock for Acct....
FOREIGN FUNDS.
Austria., 5 per Cent ll3 (Portuguese, 5 per Cent ......
Belgian, 5 per Cent lO3 Ditto,. New Ditto... ......... ...
Brazilian Bonds — !Prussian, 5 per Cent —
Buenos Ayres, 6 per Ceat... Russian, 5 per Cent —
Chiller), 6 per Cent ,Ditto, Metallic
Cllombian, 6 per Cent
Ditto, 1824 — Ditto, 3 per Cent
Cuba Bonds, 6 per Cent 'Ditto, Deferred 13%
Danish,3 per Cent
Greek, 18 5, 5 per Cent —4 Exchange ... .......... .... —f. —c.
Mexican, 5 per Cent
Ditto, 6 per Cent., 1837. — !Dutch, 2% per Cent...... 61%
Peruvian, 1825, 6 per Cent — Ditto, 5 per Cent .........100%
SHARES.
Birmingham and Derby, £lO3 paid 60%
Ditto Eighths, £1 lOspaid 4
S 4
Bristol and Exeter (70 paid) 0
Chester and Holyhead ( 5 paid)
Eastern Counties (23 paid)
Ditto Registered (81688 d paid)
Great North of England, 100 paid
Great Western (75 paid)
Ditto Half Shares (50 paid)
London and Brighton (50 paid)
London and Greenwich (I,t. 15s. 4d. paid) 714
Di ito, Preference or Privilege, .**,lB 17s 2cl paid 1914
London and South Western (111. 6s. 10d. paid)
London and Croydon (Trunk) 19.%
Ditto, Scrip, 10 paid l9
Manchester and Leeds (70 paid
Ditto, Half Shares, t_o paid
Midland Counties (100 paid) BB
Manchester and Birmingham 5514
Northern and Eastern (45 paid)
South Eastern and Dover (33 2s 4d paid)
Trent Valley, 2 paid sg
York and Scarborough Branch (2)., paid)
Paris and Orleans (20 paid)
Paris and Rouen, 20 paid
Rouen and Havre, 8 paid 18)4

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNAS.
FROM THE VENING PAPERS OF THIS DAY.
GLOBE.—Mr. O'Connell and his co-defendants have
been conveyed to prison with the precautions requisite
to prevent any disturbance of the public peace. The
Judges expressed their regret that the law invests them
with no discretion, by which they could suspend the exe-
cution of the sentence until after the writ of error had
been argued and determined by the House of Lords.
Whether the Executive will interfere, and direct the re-
lease of the parties thus subjected to puuishment on a con-
viction which may, and probably will, be reversed, remains
to be seen. Judging from what has already taken place,
there seems little hope that the Government will inter-
fere to prevent the admitted imperfection of the law from
working injustice to these political opponents. Such in-
terference would imply the presence of a generous feel-
ing, of which there has been no indication in any pre-
vious part of the proceedings. In pronouncing the sen-
tence of the Court, Mr. Justice Burton admitted the
inconsistency of subjecting the defendants to the pe-
nalty, while the legal validity of the proceedings was
the subject of an appeal to the higher tribunal ; and
threw out something like a hint that " something might
yet be done" to prevent so monstrous an anomaly.
The public will not readily forget the grounds of
Lord Lyndhurst's opposition to Lord Campbell's mea-
sure for effecting a change in the law on this subject. It
was designed to meet the exigencies of the present case.
But because the proposed Bill was designed by Lord
Campbell to prevent the perpetration of injustice upon
O'Connell, therefore it was to be postponed to a future
time ! Rather than O'Connell should not be incarce-
rated—even on a judgment which may be found
unsustainable in law—an admitted injustice shall
be continued ! We take it for granted that Lord Lynd-
hurst has no personal feeling in the matter. He
would not so far forget what he owes to himself and
to his order, as to allow any paltry animosities to rankle
in his breast when discharging his duties as a legis-
lator. As Lord Chancellor, and a member of the Go-
vernment which prosecuted O'Connell, his Lordship
was, of course, actuated by the feeling and guided by
the judgment of his colleagues. It would be most
mortifying if O'Connell, whom they had employed
so much pains to fix, and sacrificed so much
in reputation to convict, should, after all, escape.
Better imprison him wrongfully than not at all.
The amount of punishment awarded by the Court is, in
our view, inordinately severe. This would be our judg-
ment—we believe it is the opinion of nine-tenths
of the community in this country, without reference to
political distinctions—had the Court which pronounced
the sentence made no observations on the character and
conduct of the principal defendant on its floor. But
when we read in Mr. Justice Burton's address, such ad-
missions of the pacific disposition of Mr. O'Connell—
that throughout the whole course of the proceedings of
which he was the director and the leader, as head of
the association for obtaining a repeal of the legislative
union, there was exhibited a never-ceasing anxiety and an
incessant effort to preserve the peace—an anxiety and effort
which had been so eminently successful, as that no
single instance of disturbance had taken place at, or
had resulted from, one of the numerous monster
meetings which had been held. With these distinct
admissions—with these testimonials to Mr. O'Con-
nell's regard fur the preservation of peace wed order,
from the mouth of the J udge who 'a as the medium by
which the sentence fixed and determined by the Court
was conveyed—we feel warranted in saying that the
conclusion is not sustained by the premises. The con-
duct which was thus commended ought to have been cast
into the balance, and weighed in favour of the indivi-
dual, when called up for judgment. An apology for vi-
siting the misdeeds of Mr. O'Connell with a moderate
amount of punishment, was made out by the Judge.
Why enumerate the merits—for such they were desig-
nated by Mr Justice Burton—of the chief defendant, at
the moment when a sentence—taken, in all its parts, of
unprecedented severity—for misdemeanour was about
to be pronounced ? But we shall, perhaps, be told
that but for the mitigating circumstances dwelt upon
by the Judge, the punishment would have been much
heavier. The sentence is mild and merciful. Gracious
Heaven ! If this be mercy, what, then, is vengeance ?
STANDARD.--We yesterday announced the con-
clusion of the last act of the State trials, in the passing
of judgment upon the conspirators. There was a scene
got up upon the occasion, by the repeal members of the
bar, which the reporters did not fail to heighten in their
representation of it ; but which evidently affords no fair
index to the popular feeling, for no sooner were the
traversers securely lodged in the hands of the high
sheriff than the excited sympathy chilled down to in-
difference. Eight months ago, when the proceed-
ings now so usefully concluded were commenced,
we avowed our opinion that there was nothing
vindictive in the prosecution—nothing vindictive even in
the favourable sense which is understood when the laws
are said to be vindicated by the punishment of crimes.
We have all along considered the trial as merely the
trial of an issue upon a question of constitutional right,
which had been made necessary by the dangerous abuse
of a right assumed contrary to law. Mr. O'Connell had
again and again " defied the Government to go to
law with him, as he defied the Government to go
to war with him ;" and it became, in consequence
of this reiterated defiance, necessary to take up his
challenge. The Government has taken it up, and the
result proves Oat the challenge to go to law was as ab-
surd a piece of rhodomontade as the challenge to go to
war. This view of the question, however, putting the
prosecution upon a footing similar to an indictment for
a nuisance, in which a civil remedy for a public injury
is really the object of a formally criminal process, while
it certainly renders less excusable the excessive indul-
gence allowed by the Court during the progress of the
tedious trial, fully justifies the great lenity of the
sentence. All that the Government or the
country can wish, all that justly they can
require, after the long license given to sedition
in Ireland, is to put an end to seditious agitation ; and
the lowest degree of punishment that can reasonably be
expected to effect that object is the most just. Now the
punishment imposed seems to be sufficient, though in
the case of Mr. O'Connell no more than sufficient ; for
less than a year's imprisonment for his " monster"
offences, or than a month's income of his rent, would be
really playing with the law, and would, by his ignorant
followers, be set down to fear of his and their power.
It is very true that a year's imprisonment is not a very
heavy punishment. It is far less than the " savage
operation" of our commercial law has hitherto inflicted
upon many an innocent man, and many a helpless
woman, innocent of every crime, and incarcerated
without trial by the command of a greedy or a spiteful
creditor. Mr. O'Connell is to suffer for destroying the
peace of his country, and perilling the safety of the em-
pire, but one-third of what Mr. Oastler has suffered
for having too faithfully served his employer's interests
—too honestly declined to serve his prejudices or
passions. To measure the weight of the blow in-
flicted upon Mr. O'Connell by the mere duration of
his imprisonment, or the amount of his fine were, how-
ever, tol apply a fallacious test. The blow to him is
fatal, as the assertion of authority of the law must always
be fatal to those who construct their schemes of life
upon the hypothesis that the law may be permanently
violated with impunity. The keepers of gaming
tables at Epsom have been ruined by a measure
certainly not vindictively directed against them in-
dividually, but necessary for the public good ;
and just in the same way Mr. O'Connell has
been ruined. The destruction of his agitation trade,
and his agitation rent, which after a short interval
must follow the fate of his trade, is his real pe-
nalty (though not designed as such), and the twelve
months' imprisonment and 2,00 e/. fine are an inconsider-
able, though, under the circumstances, an indispensable
aggraiation. How far Mr. O'Connell, or the disap-
pointed " thimble-riggers" at Epsom, may be entitled to
public sympathy, is a question which Men.will decide ac-
cording to their view of the guilt or innocence of embark-
ing in a speculation contrary to law and injurious to their
fellow-citizens. For ourselves, we have little compas-
sion for any one who is merely excluded from the oppor-
tunity of profitable crimes. If men will emba k
r their
interests in projects denounced by the law and hostile
to the peace, happiness, and morality of the country,
they must not expect compassion when they make ship-
wreck.

SINGULAR AND FATAL ACCIDENT.—A man, 75
years of age, named John Avery, lost his life on Friday on
the rocks beneath the Long-room barracks, in a very singular
manner. While descending the rocks, it seems, his feet be-
came firmly fixed in a cavity, and losing his balance, he fell
over and dashed his head against a rock with sufficient vio-
lence to cause death. The body, when found, was hanging
by the legs as it had fallen; and life must have been extinct