The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-25 00:00:00

THE RIVAL LINES TO YORK.

We have observed with surprise a statement appa-
rently put for:h by the supporters of the London and
York line, as contradistinguished from the Direct
Northern Line, which labours under the objection of
being both a suppressio reri and a suggestio falsi. It
relates to the comparative distances of certain towns
on the route to York, which it endeavours to show
are greatly favourable to the London and York scheme.
We have only to remark, as neutral and impartial
judges, that this statement, copied from the Doncaster
Gazette, compares the distances, not upon the trunk
lines of both railways, but upon the trunk and lateral
line of the London and York, •and only upon the
trunk of the Direct Northern. When the contest lies
between the merits of the two main lines, it is unfair,
if not dishonest in the extreme, to employ such an
unworthy subterfuge. The huge, expensive, un-
wieldy, lateral line, got up by the Leeds and Man-
chester Company, in conjunction with the London
and York, is a totally disconnected scheme, which
must stand or fall by itself. The following table of
the exact distances will disabuse the public mind of
any erroneous impression which it may have received,
and convince the terminal population that their para-
mount interests will be sacrificed if this lateral line be
allowed to affect, improperly, the direct principle.
London to York, by the Lincoln, York, and Leeds
Direct and Independent

Miles.
London to Cambridge
Cambridge to Lincoln
Lincol❑ to York

198
Direct Northern :176i

21i
London to York, by proposed North Midland Lines :
London to Cambridge
Cambridge to Lincoln
Lincoln to Swinton
Swinton to York

22.3 i
Direct Northern

47
London to York, by the York and North Midland :
London to Cambridge .
Cambridge to Lincoln
Lincoln to Doncaster, by part of Lin-
coln and Swinton Line
Doncaster to South Milford
South Milford to York

207
Direct Northern .... 1761

30i

London and York proposed Railway 186
Direct Northern

London to York existing Lines
Direct Northern l76}

42}

.Atlas, Dec. 21.

RATES OF POSTAGE FOR THE

ARMY AND NAVY.

The following notice appeared to-day at the General
Post-office, St. Martin's-le-Grand :

"BY COMMAND OF THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL.

"Notice to the Public, and Instructions to all Post
masters, Sub-Postmasters, and Letter Receivers.
" General Post-office, Dec., 1844.
" The following regulations and alterations in the
rates of postage having been authorised by warrant
of the Lords' Commissioners of her Majesty's Trea-
sury, dated the 28th ult., will commence and take
effect on and from the Ist of January next. Letters
addressed to commissioned officers of the Army, Navy,
or Ordnance, while employed on actual service in any
of her Majesty's colonies, or on any foreign station,
who shall have removed to the United Kingdom in
the execution of their public duty, shall not be liable
to any additional postage on their re-direction from
such colony or foreign station to this country.
"British newspapers, duly stamped, addressed to
commissioned or non-commissioned officers of the
Army or Navy, or to any soldiers, sailors, or marines,
while actually employed on her Majesty's service in
any foreign country, or on any foreign station, may
be forwarded by packet free of postage, provided they
are mad?, up and dispatched under the existing regu-
lations as regards the transmission of newspapers to
foreign countries.

" The privilege at present enjoyed by soldiers and
sailors in her Majesty's service, and by soldiers in the
service of the East India Company, of receiving and
sending letters, not exceeding half-an-ounce, at a re-
duced rate of postage, is extended to seamen in the
service of the East India Company while actually
employed in such service."

We are glad to learn that a pension—from, we
believe, the funds of the Civil List—has been conferred
upon Mr. Thomas hood, the author of, amongst other
things, " The Song of the Shirt."
THIRD-cLAss TRAINS.—We perceive that on the
Ist of January next, third-class trains will run between
Leigh, Manchester, Liverpool, &c., morning and evening.
This concession is much enhanced by the Company
allowing third-class carriages to be attached to every
train between Leigh and Bolton. This is a matter of
great importance to the small tradesmen of the former
place, who are thus enabled to transact their trifling
business without being compelled to be the whole day
from home.—Manchester Guardian.

Monday evening, at about half-past eleven, a fire
broke out in the steward's room of the Millbank prison;
by the prompt and judicious measures of the Governor
it was, however, got tinder and extinguished before one
o'clock in the morning.
THE POACIIING AFFRAY AT CROODiE.—WoR•
CESTER, SUNDAY NIGHT.—The unfortunate gamekeeper,
who was brought to the Worcester Infirmary on Friday
night with a fractured skull and other injuries inflicted
on him by a gang of some twenty poachers early on that
morning, in the game preserves of Earl Coventry, in the
parish of Croome, still lies at the hospital in a very pre
carious condition. his name is Thomas Staite. The
two other men who were seriously injured by the
poachers are brothers, named Compton, residing at the
village of Kempsey, between Worcester and Croeme.
They are in a fair way of recovery. We have just
heard that one of the poachers, named Turvey, has been
captured by the police. A reward of 501. has been offered
by the Earl of Coventry's steward for the apprehension
and conviction of the parties concerned in this outrage,
and in the printed notices issued to this effect it is
intimated that an application will be made to the Secre-
tary of State for a free pardon fur any accomplice who
may be the means of bringing his confederates to
,j us Me.

THE LATE FATAL STEAM-BOAT
COLLISION.
CLOSE OF THE INQUEST.
The inquiry into the circumstances attending the
late fatal collision off Greenwich between the Orwell
and Sylph steam-boats was resumed on Monday be-
fore Mr. J. C. Carttar, coraner for Kent.
Mr. Wilkinson (of the firm of Cobbold and Wilkin-
son), and Mr. Cattarns (of the firm of Cattarns and
Fry), attended, as on the previous occasion, to watch
the case. The inquest room again was densely
crowded.
The first witness called was
Dr. Mitchell, of Greenwich, who proved, from a
post mortem examination, that Sullivan died from
suffocation in the water, and Shepherd from the
severe injuries h© had sustained about the head and
body.
Commander Ilenry Smith, of her Majesty's steam
frigate Rattler, being sworn, said I was a passenger
on board the Sylph, on the afternoon of Tuesday week,
and was standing abaft the engine-room when that
vessel left the Greenwich pier on her way towards
Blackwall. The weather was so thick at that time
that I was induced to remain on deck. There was a
man in the bows looking out forward After proceed.
ing a short distance I heard the noise of a steamer ap-
proaching us. I looked out forward, but saw nothing.
Immediately afterwards the man on the look out said
somethin,s to the captain, when he called out " Stop her,
go astern. I then saw a large steamer bearing down
upon us, at about twenty-five yards distance. At
that time a collision was inevitable, and when the
captain saw the large vessel so close to him, he folded
his arms and said, '6 By God, it is all over with us!"
I could not see the shore on either side at that time.
When the collision took place the motion of the
Sylph was quite stopped, and if a boat had been under
her bows we should not have injured her. I am of_
opinion that the speed was on the Orwell when the
collision occurred. She must have been going at a
good speed, because she cut quite through the deck
of the Sylph, and from the position in which the
latter was, it was impossible that she could have
contributed much force to the collision.
_ _

Mr. Cattarns here produced two models of the
boats, that of the Sylph showing the extent of the
injury she had sustained by the collision.
Examination continued—l am decidedly of opinion
that the Sylph was motionless when the collision took
place. Had the Orwell put her helm astarboard as
the Sylph did, no accident would have occurred. I
think the Sylph was going down the river much
quicker than a prudent captain would have brought
her, considering the fog which prevailed ; and I am
of the same opinion as to the speed at which the Or-
well was coming up. In such a state of the weather
there should be some regulation to prevent vessels
from proceeding at more than half speed. My im-
pression was, that we were travellinc, much quicker
than we ought to have been and I on deck in
consequence, fearing the possibility of an accident.
After the collision I remained on the quarter deck of
the Sylph until all the deck passengers were got off,
when I went on board the Orwell. I then called out
to the man in charge to back astern and get the two
vessels clear, as I saw that the people were prevented
from getting out of the cabin of the Sylph while the
vessels hung together.
By Mr. WiLaissoN—The engines of the Sylph
were eased before I saw the Orwell. It was the fact
of her being eased that attracted my attention, and I
then looked out forward, and saw the Orwell's bows
close upon us. I judge of the_ speed of the Orwell
by the nature of the injuries inflicted on the Sylph.
I think she must have been going eight miles an hour
at least. •

Capt. Smith was re-examined- by the coroner, and
again questioned by Mr. Wilkinson, but nothing im-
portant was,elicited beyond that which is above given.
He declined to give an opinion that the commander of
the Orwell was to blame, and at the same time said
that he thought the captain of the Sylph had done all
he could to prevent accident.
Mr. George Edwards, of Sutton, Suffolk, being
sworn, said, I am a mariner, and was on board the
Orwell when the accident occurred. I wag standing
near the paddle-box, on the starboard side, when 1
saw a steam-boat ahead about one hundred yards.
The vessel appeared to be across the river, with her
bow a HUN downwards. I heard Capt. Wrackham
give the order to stop her and hack her astern. The
collision took place directly after. I do not know
what speed either vessel had upon her when the acci-
dent occurred, but the Sylph, when I first saw her,
seemed to have headway. Capt. Wrackham was for-
ward at the time.

By Mr. Wilkinson—l was nearer to the engine-
room than. Captain Wrackham was. I heard no one
give any order to the engineer. I could have done so
had any one spoken to the call-boy.
Robert Fuller, mariner, of Ipswich, said—l am a
seaman on board the Orwell, and was upon the look-
out in the larboard bow on the afternoon of Thursday
week. I first saw the Sylph when she was within
fifty yards of the Orwell. I called out, " Stop her—
go astern ;" but in less than a minute she struck us.
I think when I first saw her she was going at full
speed. The paddles were going ahead just before
she struck. The Orwell had very little speed on her,
and as soon as those on the look-out called out, the
master in charge (*Wiggins) stopped the engines. He
called out, " Stop her—go astern." The Orwell had
been eased previously, and was going "quite easily"
at the time. She had been eased all the way from
Woolwich, and had come that distance about five or
six miles an hour. We were about twenty yards
from the north shore, and could see the edge of the
bank very plainly. Ido not think it was possible to
have avoided the collision, owing to the speed at which
the Sylph was proceeding.
William Pullifer, another of the crew of the Or-
well, gave similar evidence.

William Linney, of Ipswich, another seaman on
board the Orwell, said—l think that if the Sylph's
helm had been ported, instead of being put a starboard,
the collision might have been avoided. Very few
seconds elapsed between our first seeing her and the
collision taking place.
By Mr. Wilkinson—lt is a general rule laid down
by the Trinity-house, that when there is any danger
of a collision between [two vessels, both should port
their helms.

Mr. William Wallace, shipbuilder, of Gravesend,
a passenger on board the Sylph, confirmed the evi-
dence of the other passengers. My impression, he
said, at the time was that the captain of the Sylph
exercised great presence of mind in the position in
which he was placed.
By the CORONER—Had the Sylph been going pre-
viously at half-speed, I think the accident might have
been avoided. The fog came on very thick all at
once, just after we left the south shore.
Henry Rogers (the call-boy on board the Orwell)
proved having given the engineer orders to go " Quite
easy," after leaving Blackwall, and to " Stop," just
before the collision took place.
Joseph Sutcliffe, the engineer in charge, deposed
that on the passage up from Blackwall the engine had
made about seven revolutions per minute, her full
speed being from 28 to 30. He was standing by, as
usual in foggy weather, between the engines, whet
he heard the order given to " Stop her," and " Gc
astern." He did so, and after the engines had made
two revolutions astern the collision took place, and he
then shut the steam off and came on 'deck. It occu-
pied about 15 seconds to stop the engine and make
the two revolutions astern.

James 'Wiggins, a brother of the master in charge,
and supercargo on board the Orwell, was next ex-
amined. He was at the wheel when the collision took
place, and his evidence differed in' no respect from
that of the other parties on board the Orwell.
The CORONER remarked that he thought they had
now got out all the circumstances of the case.
The foreman, on the part of himself and brother
jurors, said he thought they had already heard quite
enough to enable them to come to a conclusion on the
subject.

The CORONER then commenced summing up, going
through the evidence in his usually clear and perspi-
cuous manner. lie remarked particularly on the fact
that the Sylph was shown to have been proceeding
at full speed until within a very few moments of the
collision taking place ; while on the other hand it was
not attempted to be set up that the Orwell had pro-
ceeded at anything beyond a very slow rate after
passing Blackwall.

The jury after an absence of half an hour's dura-
tion, returned the following unanimous verdict—" We
consider that the deceased persons met their death acci-
dentally ; but we are of opinion that the captain of
the Sylph was highly to blame for the speed at which
he had previously been going; we believe the Orwell
to have been the moving power to the death of the
deceased persons, but consider the parties on board that
vessel used due caution, and did all they could to avoid
the accident, and the jury are unanimously of opinion
that Captain Sweisland should be severely repri-
manded by the Coroner."
The verdict appeared to give general satisfaction,
and Captain Sweisland was -.suitably admonished bit
Mr, Carttar.

THE FIRE in GUILDFORD-STREET
LATEST PARTICULARS.
(From our Evening Edition of Last Night.)
The greatest excitement continues to prevail in the
neighbourhood of the lamentable occurrence, and
hundreds of persons, apparently strangers to the locality,
visited the place in the course of the morning, and con-
tinued viewing the ruins for some time, regardless of
the intense frost which has prevailed for the last few
days. During the whole of yesterday a body of work-
men were actively engaged in clearing away the rub-
bish. At an early hour this morning they resumed their
labours, and a great portion of the rubbish—for in truth
the valuable contents of the house are nothing else—
were removed into the street; but up to one o'clock,
though their exertions were not relaxed in the least,
the bodies of the unfortunate men who were buried in
the ruins have not been discovered, nor is it likely that'
they will be found until late in the afternoon or evening
of to-day. Tee delay in the discovery of the bodies is
mainly attributable to the immense heap under which
they are buriel, and the difficulty in removing it, a
great portion having to be removed almost piecemeal.
The two large fire-proof iron safes, which are of im-
mense weight, and which contributed in a great measure
to accelerate the falling of the floors, and the consequent
catastrophe, were got out in the course of the morning,
by the combined exertions of upwards of twenty men.
Their contents, which consist of valuable plates and
drawings, and other property of considerable value,
were found uninjured. An immense quantity of books
and plates, all of which are stated to be of extreme
value, were also removed and conveyed to the new resi-
dence of Mr. Farey, in Regent-square. The exertions
of the workmen have been mainly directed to the re-
moval of the burnt embers immediately adjacent to the
door in the vicinity of which the bodies are believed to
lie ; and they have cleared them away to within a
couple of feet of the ground. A body of the E divi•
sion of police, under the direction of Inspectors Dudley
and Bell are in attendance, and found much difficulty in
keeping the crowd out of the roadway, and from retard-
ing the labours of the workmen. Several ellows are
hawking about a spurious account of the fire at the
" small price of one halfpenny," to use their words,
which meet with a ready sale to the lovers of the mar-
vellous. The first dozen lines relate to the fire, but the
remainder relates to the late accident on the River, al-
though they are closely combined. It was stated in
some of the newspapers of yesterday, that the
firemen found a man in an insensible state of intoxi-
cation in the wine cellar, and it was surmised
that he had accidently set the premises on fire. A
stretcher was obtained, and he was conveyed to the
station-house, suffiaring from the effects of the smoke and
heat, and he was taken before the magistrate at Clerken-
well Police-office yesterday, but as it appeared that he
accompanied some of the firemen into the house, for the
purpose of aiding them in their endeavours to get the
fire under, but having accidentally obtained access to the
cellar, and having imbibed some of its contents, and be-
come insensible, his life, but for his accidental discovery
by the firemen, would have paid the forfeit of his folly

THE SURPLICE QUESTION.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Snt,—You will much oblige me by inserting the
inclosed in an early number of The Sun.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
JOHN HATCHARD.
St. Andrew's Vicarage, Plymouth, Dec. 23.

PARISH OF ST. ANDREW.
"My dear Sir,—l beg to acknowledge the receipt
of a series of resolutions passed at a meeting of the
congregation worshipping in the parish church of
St. Andrew,' at which you were acting as the
chairman.

"In compliance with the request contained at the
close of the resolutions, I have felt it my duty to ad-
dress a letter (of which I subjoin a copy) to his Lord-
ship the Bishop of this diocese, urging the great ne-
cessity of an immediate revocation of the orders lately
issued to the clergy in his pastoral letter.
" Most sincerely trusting that such will be the re-
sult of the many meetings held in the diocese, that the
service of our Church may not be interrupted by
usages, which as being obsolete, have the aspect of
novelties, and that peace and prosperity may yet be
vouchsafed to the Church of England, as well as with
the rexpression of my cordial thanks to all who took
pirt in the proceedings of the late meeting, and fi,r
their kind expression towards myself as their mi-
nister.—l am, my dear Sir, yours and their very
faithful friend and obedient servant,
" JOHN HATCHARD.
" St. Andrew's Vicarage, Plymouth, Dec. 19, 1844.
" To Captain John Conde, C. 8., R.N."

" My Lord,—Upon my return to Plymouth after a
few days absence, I have had forwarded to me a se-
ries of resolutions carried unanimously, at a meeting
of the congregation worshipping in the parish church
of St. Andrew. In the last of these resolutions is
the expression of a hope that I, as their minister,
will urge strongly on the Bishop the injury which
must result by the introduction of any changes in the
services of the Church.' In compliance, therefore,
with this request. I trust your Lordship will not
deem my expression of entire accordance with those
resolutions as unfitting in the present juncture, or at
variance with that high respect with which I would
ever desire to approach my diocesan.
"I beg most urgently to entreat your Lordship's
attention to the fearful strife now introduced into our
Church, chiefly by your recently-published Pastoral
Letter—a strife which, unless soon allayed, will, I
apprehend and believe, be the occasion of the seces-
sion to the ranks of Dissent, of tens of thousands of
persons now thoroughly attached to the liturgy,
articles, homilies, and constitution of that Church ;
but who, keenly alive to the awful strides made
towards Popery, as evinced in a large number of
publications which have of late years issued from the
press, as well as by the defection of not a few cler-
gymen and laymen of the apostate Church of Rome,
are very apprehensive that the errors of Popery are
taking such root in the Etablished Church, as will
render it necessary for them to quit its pale. Such
a result would, I am persuaded, occasion the deepest
pain to your own mind, as well as to that of every
clergyman living; but, my Lord, I know that such
a flame has now been kindled, and is so extensively
spreading, that, as one of your Lordship's clergy, as
having for more than twenty years occupied the
most important post in the diocese of Exeter, and,
backed as I am by the urgent request unanimously
passed at a large and respectable meeting of the mem-
bers of my congregation, I dare not do otherwise
than most earnestly beseech your Lordship to recal
the requirements recently enjoined upon your clergy,
and thereby check the further spread of that feeling
which has already taken possession of the minds of
multitudes not only in Devon and Cornwall, but in
every portion of the British empire.
"My Lord, were my own personal feelings alone
concerned in this matter, I should regard the use of
the surplice in the pulpit as a point of such utter in-
significance as to be unworthy a moment's considera-
tion ; but seeing that vast numbers of the laity as
well as of the clergy, regard it as the badge of adhe-
rence to Tractarian or Popish errors, and view it as
the introducer of other, and perhaps far more serious
evils, I cannot in the midst of my deep regret at the
painful conflict now going on, do otherwise than
heartily thank God that so wide-spread a manifesta-
tion of attachment to the great principles of the Re-
formation evinces itself, and that still no peace
with Rome' is a feeling so strongly impressed upon
the best affections of the members of the Established
Church, that they will not allow the very appear-
ance of compromise with this great principle, without
using firm, respectful, and constitutional means for its
defence.

" Did time permit, much could be said upon the
point to which I desire thus briefly, but respectfully,
to solicit your attention ; but I forbear, most earnestly
praying that Divine assistance may be vouchsafed to
your Lordship in this time of imminent peril to our
beloved Church, as well as grace to my brethren in
the ministry, and to myself in particular, not only
to follow the Godly admonitions of the ordinary,'
but also to be ready with all faithful diligence to
banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doc-
trines contrary to God's ward,' and to maintain and
set forward, as much as lieth in me, quietness, peace,
and love among all Christian people, especially among
those that are committed to my charge,' and at whose
urgent request I take leave, as before the Searcher of
all hearts, at whose bar both you and I shall stand,
to present this my most urgent entreaty, that the
wishes of these ' the flock committed to my trust' be
heeded, and that thereby, through the instrumentality
of their Bishop, peace and union may he restored.
" I have the honour to be, your Lordship's very
obedient servant, " JOHN HATCHARD.
"Dec. 19, 1844, St. Andrew's Vicarage, Plymouth.
" To the Bishop of Exeter."

A young woman at Rouen lost her life two days
ago by the following fatal error. Intending to put a
spoonful of orange-flower water into a tumbler of sugar
and water, she took up by mistake a bottle of nitrous
acid of mercury, and put in a quantity sufficient to pro-
duce immediately all the symptoms of poisoning, which
acted with such violence that she expired in a very few
minutes.—Galignani. _ _

Why is the Polka like bitter beer ? Because there
are so many hops in it.