The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-01 00:00:00

RAILWAY SECURITIES.

The Yorkshire Post states that the North Eastern Rail-
way Company have been for some time endeavouring to
hit upon a scheme which should provide a perfect
system of intercommunication. They have secured a
plan of communication, which was fixed to a train,
and tried at the Leeds Wellington Station on Satur-
day, in the presence of several railway officials. The
scheme is very simple, almost costless, and, as far as
we can judge, nearly perfect. It is really an extension
of the present communication between the guard and
the engine-driver, by means of a cord, which at
present is passed alongside the carriages ; it is, there-
fore, apparently, the cheapest and the most easily-
worked plan that can be adopted. In every guard's
van there is now a wheel round which the cord is passed ;
the new plan is that this cord shall be passed from the
van along the ledge of the carriages upon the outside,
until it reaches the engine. When it has reached the
end of the carriage nearest the engine, there is a great
declension, owing to the engine being much lower than the
carriage, but this is obviated by an upright rod being fixed
upon the former, to which the cord is passed, and thence
it is fastened to the steam whistle. The communication
is then complete, for when the guard pulls the cord it
turns on a steam pipe, and when the driver does so it
rings, by a very simple contrivance, a bell in the van,
whose noise does not cease for several minutes, so
that the contingency of the guard being drowsy
or engaged is provided for. If the cord, upon being touched
at either end, arouses the attention of the man at the
other, it follows that when it is touched between the
extremes it will arouse the attention of the driver and the
guard at once, and thus the communication with the
passenger is established. If anything occurs causing a
passenger to desire to stop the train and call the atten-
tion of the guard, all he has to do is to stretch his hand
out of the window, and pull the string above the door,
and his object is effected at once. All that is then re-
quired is for the guard to be able to know immediately
who it is that requires his aid, and this is effected by a
very ingenious piece of mechanism, by which, upon the
string being pulled in any carriage, an indicator springs
out and remains extended until put back with a key,
which of course only an official can have. This con-
trivance effects a double purpose ; not only does it tell
the guard where he is required if he really is needed,
but it acquaints him with the carriage by the occupants
of which he has been called, in case anyone should be
so imprudent and so reprehensible as to stop the train
without cause, and so would lead to the punishment of
the offending persons.

The Mayor of Norwich, at a meeting last week,
stated that a friend of his went into a barber's shop, and
that worthy tradesman said, "I don't think much of thee
British Association ; nine out of ten don't shave at all,
and the others shave themselves."

A LEEDS PRIZE FIGHT STOPPED. A prize
fight has been prevented through the timely appearance of
the police. Upwards of a thousand persons had congre-
gated near to Bowling, in the borough of Bradford, for the
purpose of witnessing a combat between Patsy Gillan and
George &holey, alias Niggar, both of Leeds, for £lO a-side.
After considerable manosuvering, Mr. Superintendent
Pollard and Detective Murray, of the West Riding Con-
stabulary, made their appearance as the pugilists were
preparing to commence their melee, when they at once de-
camped. The officers took possession of the ropes, which
are now at the Leeds West Riding Police-office, and the
fight did not take place.

THE KING'S OAK AT BEDDINOTON PARK.—
This noble oak is supposed to be 1,000 years old, and is one
of the finest specimens ever seen ; the measurement of the
butt is 27 ft., the circumference round the middle 20 ft.,
and it is now 27 ft. high, having been broken in felling it.
On its removal from Beddington to Croydon it required
the services of twelve men, with more than the usual
apparatus, to place it on the timber-carriage, and nine
good horses, which drew it through the streets of Croydon,
to the surprise and delight of the inhabitants. This is the
tree that is generally called Queen Elizabeth's oak, from
the fact that when her Majesty visited the mansion close
to which it grew in Leddington Park, it was her favourite
resort, and beneath its ample boughs, shaded alike from
the sun and from observation, she passed much time with
her courtiers and her favourites. It has been purchased
by Mr. Holdsworth, timber merchant, Handcroft-road,
Croy don. Surrey Standard.

PATENTS.—In the year 1867 2,284 patents wero
passed, and 2, 253 specifications were filed. 2,528 applica-
tions for letters patent lapsed or were forfeited by neglect
to proceed for patents within the six months of protection;
and 31 patents became void through neglect to file speci-
fications. Of the patents upon which specifications are
filed about 70 per cent. become void at the end of the third
year by non-payment of the £5O stamp duty ; and at the
end of the seventh year, by non-payment of the further £lOO
stamp duty, the number void is raised to 90 per cent., leaving
only one-tenth of the original number in force. The fees
received in the year 1867 (by stamps) amounted to
£112,843. The fees paid to the Attorney-General and
Solicitor-General and their clerks amounted to £11,115;
and the salaries and expenses of the office, compensation,
annuities, printing, and other expenditure, with the pay-
ment of the revenue stamp duty of £20,820, left a surplus
income for the year of £42,840. The commissioners—the
Lord Chancellor, Master of the Rolls, Attorney-General,
and Solicitor-General—renew their representation of the
need of a suitable building for the Patent Office.

THE NEW LAW ON IMPROVED DWELLINGS FOR
THE WORKING CLASSES.—The last Act of Parliament
passed in the late session was an important measure. Its
object was to provide better dwellings for artisans and
labourers by improving or taking down places occupied
by working men and their families which in the preamble
were described as "unfit forlmman habitation." Numerous
public improvements are being effected ; and in the
neighbourhood where they are being executed wretched
homes for the working men present themselves. Premises
can now be represented by four or more householders,
and officers of health are to report, and, when
required, the owners are to improve the dwellings, or to
demolish the same. Where expenses are incurred a
charge is to be given on the property, in the shape of a
mortgage and an annual sum to be paid. Where a local
authority executes the works, money may be borrowed of
the Public Loan Commissioners and others, and a
" charging order" made on the property. The text of the
new law is to make provision for taking down or improv.
ing dwellings occupied by working men and their families
which are unfit for human habitation, and for the building
and maintaining of better dwellings. In forty-one sec-
tions and several schedules the text is worked out.

MASS MEETING OF COLLIERS.—On Monday the
annual gathering of the South Yorkshire colliers took
place at Whitely-wood Hall, the seat of Mr. S. Plimsoll.
about four miles from Barnsley, when from 9,000 t.
10,000 persons were present. From an early hour in the
morning the town of Barnsley was alive with music as the
various lodges arrived with their bands and their hand-
some flags and banners. A procession was formed, and,
with upwards of twenty bands of music, marched tc
Whitely-wood Park. On arriving there the chair
was taken by Mr. Plimsoll, and several interesting
addresses were delivered by gentlemen from a distance,
with reference to trades unions, co-operative associations.
&c. As showing the benefits given by the Miners' Asso
elation, it was stated that during the past year it had
paid as fellows :—To members injured in mines, £1,70i
12s. 7d. ; to sick members, £1,477 15s. ; allowance to
widows and orphans, £2,520 18s. ; paid to the Gresley
miners in Derbyshire (on strike), £3,538 10s. ; loans to
other trades, £740 ; paid to men locked out, £683 ; to
men on strike, £135 14s. 9d. ; weighmen's wages,
£2,548 135., &c. The total payments for the year bad
been £17,810 IGs. sd. ; whilst the funds in hand
amounted to £8,394 ls. sd. After the passing of the
usual votes of thanks, the company walked Ainit the
MUM

HER MAJESTY.

PENSION WALLIS, LUCERNE, Aug. 30.

The Queen, accompanied by Princess Louise,
Princess Beatrice, and Prince Arthur, and attended
by the Marchioness of Ely and Colonel PonsonLy,
ascended the Rigi on Thursday.
On Saturday her Majesty, accompanied by Prin-
cess Louise and Prince Leopold, drove to Engle-
berg.
The Queen and the Royal Family, and the Ladies
and Gentlemen in Waiting, attended Divine service
this day in the house.
The Rev. It. Duckworth officiated.

SIR RICHARD MAY NE AND 11LS ORDER

TO MUZZLE.

TO TILE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlR,—The " order" and authority given under it
is an incentive to theft, falsehood, and extortion,
as I have shown the Commissioner this week, and
to continue it till further notice is a neelless act of
petty tyranny to owners and of cruelty to dogs—a
wanton and gratuitous insult to all classes of society,
which, unless nipped in the bud, indicates plainly
enough that wherever the law can be strained, and
it suits the Commissioner to do it, the people will
meet with very little more consideration than dogs.
What can be done ought to cancel this obnoxious
order, but nothing, as I have proved, can be done
in it without combinatim.

I shall be happy to receive communications Ist the
subject with the view of forming the needful com-
bination, and shall feel obliged if you will publish
this letter to promote that end. —Your obedient
servant, JAMES CLOTHIER,
121, Pall Mall, S.W.
Saturday, August 29, 1868.