The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-08 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS•
THURSDAY, AUG. 7.
REPORT FROM THE SELECT COMMITTKE OA
GROUP KK OF RAILWAYS.
SOUTHPORT AND EUXTON JUNCTON RAILWAY
BILL.
Sir Charlos Lemon reported from the Select Committee On
;coup KI of Rail ways, and to Idiom several petitions against
le Bilk compri3ed in the said group, together with the re-
srt of the Bo,rd of Trade thereon, were referred, that in the
the Southport and Euxton Junction Railway Bill
.hey had heard counsel in support of one of the said petitions,
anal h td sin heard counsel i❑ favour of the said Bill; and
t hat gory ii ci cx imined the allegations contained in the
preamble of the Bill, but the same had not been proved to
th.Ar satisfaction.

RAIL NVA Y COMMITTEES.
( YESTERDAY.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
THE LONDON AN!) YORK SUBSCRIPTION
CONTRACT.
The Select Committee—Mr. Hawes, Chairman, and the
other members present—met at eleven o'clock, and proceeded
with the examine, ion of the persons named in Mr. Bruce's
petition against the validity of the above-named deed.
Tne passage s and lobby leading to the Committee-room were
much crowded throughoet the day, and the scene of Wednesday
Heap repeated with much effect. It does not appear that the
persons against whom unfounded allegations have been brought
a-e a whit the less iuoigreant because Mr. Bruce has expressed
his regret at the unjust accusations preferred against them.
Mr. J. Theobild's case, or rather the case of that name,
was then ealled. It seemed that the gentleman in question is
mysterious unholy, for his residence has been hitherto un-
discoverable, in spite of all the active efforts of the detect-
eve agents to make it out. The name was appended to a
heeling in Finsbery-square, and un'o it hid been appro-
priated the ruin of 25,0 tt►l. foe shares in the London and York
Railway.
The Committee deci ed, as Mr. Theobald affirmed the hy-
pothetical case of Hotspur's spirits, and did not come when
they did summon lihn, that the address was fictitious.
The allegations against Mr. Taylor and Mr. Garrett were
then withdcan•n by Mr. 11. uce, with ample apologies towards
hoe gentlemen for the injurious and groundless imputations
of the petition upon their station and character.
Mr. Shaken, the great railway proprietor, of the Charter•
house, was next examined, and gave his evidence with such
uaivete and coolness as to set the Committee in great good
humour. "Ibis gentleman's case has been so often before the
pubic in various other proceedings of a similar nature, that
it is almost uncles to state that he is a retired cornet, possess-
ing 26/ per annum as the reward of his military services;
sitl. ur 60/. from the charity or benevolence of the Charter-
house (where he resides when in town) ; a rich brother,
living at Iloekly-hall, Maidenhead, Berks; a good reference to
the said hall, when at he is sometimes a visiior ; and a great
taste for railway speculation. He admitted that he had applied
for shares un the strength of Ileckly-hall, and got them ; that
he did not keep any of them, as " lie knew better than that,"
Lut sold them at a moderate premlum.
Did he make much money ? asked an Hon. Member. " Not
hal as much as he ought," seas the reply.
Has he any interest in the line ?—Not he, indeed.
After a very facetious examination, the Committee decided
that the gallant officer had, is giving his brother's residence as
his own, procured for himself a fictitious credit he did not de-
, serve.

Air. C. Brown, of the St. James's Chronicle, a 2,5001.
shareholder, was next examined. lie was set down in the
petition as residing at 30, Blackfriars.road, whereas his real
residence is at 3S. lie stated that the indignant owner of No.
30 was near .‘ pommeling " him, on the supposition that the
wrong address had been given on purpose, and that the charac-
ter of his house would be injured by it.
The Committee decided that due diligence had not been
used by the petitioner to ascertain the real address of Mr:-
Brown.

Mr. Downes, 3, Tooley-street, 2,500/. ; Mr. Dawes Dar-
lington-place. Borough, 2,000?. ; and Mr. Hitchcock, 52,
Broad-street, 50,000/ , were then successively examined, and
I.roved that the allegations of the petition were not well.
founded, inasmuch as their names and places of abode were
not fictitious and false.
Major Sherman, 51, St. Mary-axe, 50,000/. ; Mr. Bryant,
10S, Leadenhall-street, 1,0001. ; Mr. Strange, Leadenhall-
street, 1,000/. ; Dr. Hamilton, 103, Crawford-street, 1,500/. ;
Mr. Dance, East-street, Red Lion-square, 12,500/. ; Mr.
Baticoek, dairyman, Storey's-gate, 5001. ; Mr. Haines, the
Treasure, 1,000/. ; Mr. Monday, warehouseman, Elcom-
terraoe,'lslington, 1,000/. ; Mr. Pitman, 5, Powis-place,
Great Ormond-street, 5,001/. ; Mr. Cox, 7, Dyer's-buildings,
Holborn, 10,0001, went next in order, and occupied the Com-
mittee up to their adjournment.
Mr. Cos, it was understood, proved refractory, and refused
to answer some questions put to him, whereupon he was warned
of the consequences, and allowed a special act of grace till to-
morrow to reflect upon his conduct, and amend it, if so ad-
vised by his intervening cogitations. In all the other cases it
was understood that the result of the investigation established
the character and position of the persons assailed in the peti-
tion ; that Mr. Bruce made the best amend he could in some of
them ; and that to others various members of the Committee
expressed the regret they felt at seeing gentlemen whose sta-
tion and respectability they themselves could vouch for placed
in so awkward a position.
Up to five o'clock the w,toesses were tolerably quiescent, as
it was expected the Committee would rise at that, the usnal
hour. However, six o'clock came, but with it no adjourn-
ment. As the persons in attendance were strictly forbidden to
depart without leave, unless they wished to undergo all sorts of
inflictions from Speaker's warrants and Sergean's-at- Arms, it
may be imagined that they were very wrathful, especially these
who were lusting after the flesh-pots at home, or who had dined
early, end saw no prospect of supper. At seven o'clock, there-
fore, there were general signs of mutiny. Grumbles were
heard. he (louse of Commons in general, and that Select
Committee in particular, were favoured with a sort of notice
not very complimentary or elegant, and several resolute gentle-
men were actually heading a march down stairs, when it was
announced that the. Committee had adjourned. " Pray, Sir,
is it till eleven or twelve to-morrow ?"—" Why they've only
risen to dine ; they meet again at nine o'clock." This was
thought to be a joke, fur a few moments, till Honourable
Members confirmed the sad reality, and at nine o'clock, accord-
ingly, all the witnesses were again assembled in the lobby,
in the wort possible humour. One old gentleman declared
that " they were more like a council of Red Indians than a
Christian Howe of Commons." Another piteously inquired
" How am I to be up before the Lords to-morrow at eleven
o'clock if I'm kept ult this way ?" 0 hers enlarged upon the
sufferings of their domestic circles at such an unexpected and
uausual absence, and a country witness, when it came to
eleven o'clock, informed his sympathising friends that he
never had been up to such an unearthly hour for the last
twenty years.
As the time wore on the impatience of the witnesses in-
creased, and the above complaints and grievances were in-
creased in vehemence anti intensity. Mr. Bruce, Mr. Croucher,
the railway, the contract deed, everything or body that could
be assailed, was anathematised with hearty good will, until word
was brought out that Hon. Mem'uers would sit till three or four
o'clock, when the elderly witnesses went off in despair, and, search-
ing for soft spots on the tables and benches of an empty com-
mittee-room, formed a kind of railway bivouac, more novel
than picturesque. The more mercurial gentlemen amused
themselves with playing leapfrog, distorting the witnesses'
names as they were summoned in. Mr. Cox ! Fox ! Nox
&e., wakening the policemen by alarms of tire, and ringing the
division bell with great energy. Indeed, it is said that such a
scene was never witnessed before in the House of Commons,
and that the records may be searched in vain for any similar
instance of a Committee sitting beyond midnight. Hon.
Members who serve on railway committees must certainly be
provided with the constitution of a steam-engine. It was un-
derstood that their labour to-day was not altogether passive,
but that some very active business took place inside, and the
occasions of doubt and discussion were certainly not unfrequent,
if one might judge from the number of times the room was
cleared. It was hoped that the Committee could decide upon
the cases before three o'clock, and accordingly the printers
were ordered to be in readiness ; but finding, at one o'clock
this morning, that a great number of witnesses remained to be
examined, they gave in, and adjourned at that hour to eleven

o'clock.
A number of refractory witnesses have been specially in-
cited to attend by a Speaker's warrant.

LEEDS AND BRADFORD RAIL-

WAY COM PAN Y.
The half-yearly meeing of the Proprietors in this railway
was held at the North Midland Railway station, Leeds, at noon,
on Wednesday last George Iludson, Esq., Chairman of the
Board of Direc:ors, presided. There was a large attendance
of shareholders. Great importance attached to the meeting,
owing to the arrangement which has just been entered into be-
tween this Company, the Leeds and Manchester, and the West
Yorkshire and West Riding Junction Companies.
The following report was read by the secretary :—" Since
the last half-yearly meeting your Directors have obtained
the sanction of Parliament to the Bill for making an exten-
sion of the Leeds and Bradford Railway, from Shipley to
Colne, with a branch to llowarth. The engineer is
• now busily engaged in staking out the line, and no time
will be lost in obtaining possession of the land. Your Direc-
tors will, in a short time, be prepared to let part of the new
works, and they have already secured the rails and chairs, on
moderate terms. From the neighbourhood of Skipton rail-
ways, in continuation of the extension line, are now projected
in nearly every direction, so that the Leeds and Bradford is
lilo•ly to prove a more important trunk railway than was origi-
nally contemplated. The, engineer reports favourably as to
the progress of the works onl the original line, which your
Directors have ever) reason to hope will be completed within
the time fixed by the contracts. The recent Parliamentary
contest between the West Yorkshire and the Leeds and West
Riding Companies has issued in an arrangement on a dif-
ferent basis from that recommended by your Directors. In
that arrangement, however, the right of this Company to the
trafii between Leed, and Bradford is distinctly recognised, and
your Directors have no reason to doubt that this principle will
be fully carried out. The subject of a branch line into Wharf-
dale will be brought before the Shareholders at a future oppor-
tunity—in the meantime, surveys are going on."
The SECRETARY then read the statement of the accounts,
from which it appeared that the total disbursements of the
Company, up to the 30th of June. 1845, were 141,9761.ealvsin4gd.a;
and the receipts on calls, &c., 143,760/. Bs. hod., leaving
balance slue from the bankers of 3,8041. 7s. 6d.
etioreportawfaosrmuanlannaitmuorue
,slythneeeititif.; :Zara:eel. passing

RETIREMENT OF SIR EDWARD LEES FROM THE
GENERAL POST.OFFICE.—This event, which has been antici-
pated for some time past, owing to the delicate state of Sir
Edward's health, has at length taken place ; and we need hardly
sty that fegv public servants retire into private life more univer-
sally respected. To the press, and the inhabitants of Edinburgh
g Wray, his Courtesy and affability have long been well known ;
to d the e are few, if any, who have had occasion to transact
li been
investigationnladti to
has
sr t
ak Edwarde
taken
placeL
te
oe s
remedy of an
n
business uith hint but will bear ample testimony to his zeal and
of mails,ln
n '
case,&-c. bwuet bthee
irregularity
i n ii:nc litahreg idnigs
ih,aitsche ffioeriala
arrival
iduties.va l
'tnEhlot'llrawoinaurgtd Lees is succeeded by Francis Abbott,
Esq., from the Secretary's office
thel nl eitet:svhirlai. t aasrctiirol
in London.—Caledonian
Mercury.
.__

PREMATURE BIRTH IN A STREET CAB.—Yester-
day morning, between eleven and twelve o'clock, Mrs. Eliza-
beth Seagrave, a married woman, the wife of a cabinet-maker,
residing in Dean-street, Oxford-street, having been out on
bu,iness fur her husband, at Knightsbridge, was, on her return
home, suddenly taken ill in Piccadilly, and sat down on the
step of a door. Finding herself growing worse, a cab was
called, into which she was put, accompanied by a respectable
elderly lady ; but before they arrived at her residence she was
delivered of a male infant. She seas carried into the house,
and immediately put to bed. Medical assistance, as promptly
as possible, was rendered, and the mother and infant are doing
well.
RISE IN THE PRICE OF BREAD.—Yesterday the
bakers at the west end of the metropolis, including those in the
vicinity of Drury-lane and Clare-market, raised the price of
bread of the second quality to Si the 41b. loaf, being an ad-
vance of 1,1. per ,tb. loaf. It is a singular fact that there is
no advance in price at the cast end, anti bread of the same
quality can be obtained on the Surrey side of the river at 7d.
I The best bread is from 9d. to 9/Id. per loaf.