The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-17 00:00:00

SABBATH OBSERVANCE.

Mr. Blackadder wished to call the attention of the
Commission shortly to this subject. lie had advised
his friends to purchase stock in the Edinburgh and
Glasgow Railway, with the view of extending the
influence of those favourable to the principle of the
Sabbath observance in the affairs of that Company.
He was happy to say that his advice had been acted
on, and there was a possibility of their friends having
a majority in all questions relating to this subject.
There was to be a meeting of the shareholders on the
27th of this month, in Glasgow, and he wished to
impress upon all the opponents of Sabbath desecra-
tion the importance of being present at that
meeting, personally, and not allowing them-
selves to be represented by proxy. As some mis-
apprehension existed as to the extent of Sab-
bath desecration, he would state, that during the
six months previous to the 31st of July last, the
average number of passengers travelling on Sunday
on the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was—first
class, 42 ; second class, 1,798 ; third class, 732
making a total of 954 persons. The number of first
and second class passengers had not materially varied,
being nearly about the same in summer as in winter,
but the difference between these two seasons in the
third class was very great, the number on the 28th
of July last being upwards of 1,300, while the whole
three classes on that day contain 1,500 persons. This
was a fearful state of matters, which he trusted the
Free Church would do everything in its power to
correct.

After some discussion, in which Mr. Gibson, of
Glasgow, Mr. Sheriff Speirs, Mr. Moncrieff, of East
Kilbride, and others, t,,ok part, in reference to the
Bill on this subject lately passed in Parliament, a
Committee was appointed to inquire into its pro-
visions, with the view of petitioning the Legislature
on the subject.

SOUTH DEVON RAILWAY.—The works of this Com-
pany, at various places along the line between Exeter
and Newton, have actively commenced, and many oc-
cupiers of houses and premises through which the line
will pass have received notice to quit within twenty-
one days. In the Exwick fields, on the St. Thomas
side of the Exe, a great number of labourers are at
work. The contract, No. 1, extending from the south
side of the terminus of the Bristol and Exeter Rail-
way on to Powderham, has been taken by Messrs.
Carpenter and Chesterfield. The contracts, Nos. 2
and 3, run from Powderham to Teignmouth, and are
let to Mr. Waring. It is provided that half these
works shall be completed by the Ist of February next,
and the entire contracts by the 4th of May following,
under a penalty of 20L daily after that period. A num-
ber of men are employed in tunnelling near the Teign-
mouth beach towards Dawlish ; and the line is staked
out from Dawlish Beach to Starcross. Two shafts have
been sunk on the Brent side of the Marley tunnel, to the
depth of sixty feet, which is considered the level re-
quired on this side of the hill ; on the other side the
shafts will be considerably deeper. The progress of the
works is at times impeded by the flow of water into the
shaft. The strata is of slate dunstone for about twenty
feet below the surface, a mixture of clay of slight thick-
ness, and very hard slate, with veins of white spar at the
evel of the line.—Plyntoua Journal
At the Cambridge Assizes,• there came before the
grand jury (and which will be tried next assizes) a bill
of indictment about sixteen feet long, against certain par-
ties for refusing to obey as order of the justices to pay
4 church-late.--Cambridge Advertiser.