The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-20 00:00:00

Member proposed that toll boards should be
put up, with the rates of tolls upon them ; that
was done, but then the rate of travelling pre-
vented passengers from ever reading them.
He had been informed that on the Grand Junction
Line there had been an increase in the third-clans pus-
sengers of 308 per cent. while the revenue from third-
class passengers had increased only 70 per cent. There
had also been an increase in the second- class passengers
so that the increase in the third class seemed to have
been at the expense of the first class. The attention
of Parliament should be directed to this sultject. It
would be manifestly cheaper for the Companies to
attach third class carriages to the fast trains,
as they carry third class passengers without any
additional power. They should certainly give
the lower classes the full benefit of the penny a mile
system. It was a great hardship upon them to be
kept 19 hours upon the road when they could be con-
veyed in less time. It certainly seemed singular
that the companies should choose to put
themselves to additional expense, by put-
ting on slow trains, solely for the purpose of
inconveniencing their passengers. The Government
ought to be permitted to give notice of revision or
purchase before the lapse of twenty-one years.
There was no knowing what might occur in that
period. It was holding out a vast temptation to job-
bery.—(Loud cheers.) In fact, the present sys-
tem held out a premium to bad manage-
ment instead :of an encouragement to good.
He then came to the question of amalgamation. It
was quite evident that they could not prevent amal-
gamation. He did not know that they ought to pre-
vent it ; but this was an additional reason why they
should be careful in their legislation on this subject.
He denied that the trunk lines were sufficiently
extensive—in fact there were no trunk lines. They
had no trunk lines to the Eastern Counties,
nor any to Dover. There was no trunk line to
Exeter. The Great Western was a trunk line,
to Bristol, but it could not be considered as a trunk
line to Exeter. They had no trunk line to Man-
chester, or, in fact, to any place that
might be called a great market. Whether
they got three-pence, two-pence, or a penny,
he thought that the remuneration might well be
ascertained by the Committee who sat to investigate
the claims of any particular company, and might be
introduced into the special Act. The chances
wore—that one-half of the present prices would be a
would be a sufficient remuneration. An impression
had gone abroad because 10 per cent. was generally
realised on the most prosperous railways. That that
per centage ought to be obtained from investments in
railway schemes. Where the prospects of returns
was uncertain perhaps 10 per cent. was not an
unreasonable amount of profit to anticipate
But it should be recollected that railways in England
were not now an experiment. They had become a
system. Ile thought that 7 per cent. was a reason-
able return, and indeed from the continental
railways 6 per cent. was considered a suf-
ficient remuneration. A great deal of Eng-
lish capital had gone to France for the for-
mation of railways, and it was evident, from
this outlay of capital abroad, that the anticipation of
something like ten per cent. from English railways
was almost universal. Now he thought that six per
cent. from the old lines was quite up to the
mark for profit. On a new line it might not be
sufficient, but the old lines offered a security almost
equal to that of Government investments. By his
plan he would secure to the public the benefit
of all future improvements. At present it did not
matter whether the line cost 10,0001. or 20,000/, or
50,0001. per mile, the company always began charg-
ing the same fares; whereas the remunerating
price depended on the cost. In every
other instance where improvements took place
in iron-works, or in cotton-mills, the public always
got the benefit. Why should not the same take place
with regard to railroads ?
[LEFT SPEAKING.]

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.
ROME CIRCUIT—Lewes, March 18.

The Commission for Sussex was opened yesterday. The
business is lighter than it has been remembered for many
years, there being only twenty-six prisoners for trial, and
common jury cases, some of which were undefended, to be
disposed of on the civil side.
Both Courts were opened this morning at ten o'clock, the
Lord Chief Justice sitting on the Crown side, and Mr. Baron
Alderson at nisi prius. The causes disposed of by the
Learned Baron were of the most trivial character, and the
cause list was gone through by seven o'clock in the evening,
none of the cases involving any matter of the slightest in-
terest to the public.

CROWS SlDE.—(Before Mr. Baron ALDEngoN.)
March 19.

Amos Patching, 44, and Thomas Burgess, 44, were in-
dicted for burglariou-ly breaking and entering the dwelling-
house of Nathaniel Blaker, at the parish of Edburton, and
stealing three gold seals, a writing desk, and other articles,
his property. Mary Anne Hounsell, 22, and Jane Reader,
alias Gates, alias Burgess, 41, were also charged in the same
indictment with feloniously receiving the property, knowing
it to have been stolen.
Mr. Clarkson and Mr. Cobbett conducted the prosecution.
The prisoners had no counsel.

Tliis case appeared to create a good deal of interest, on
account of the male prisoners, together with a man named
Longhurst, also indicted at these assizes, being supposed to
have committed a great number of burglaries in this county,
there being five indictments against them, in the present
calendar, for burglaries at different places; the women being
charged, in each case, as receivers of the stolen property.
The prisoners were arraigned on Tuesday, before the Lord
Chief Justice, when the men pleaded guilty to most of the
indictments. It became necessary, however, to try one of
the cases, in order to include the female prisoners, and the
present indictment was accordingly proceeded with. It
appeared, from the evidence adduced, that the prosecutor,
Mr. Blaker, is a farmer, residing at Edburton, and, on the
night of the 31st of December, the premises were all left
properly secured, and the next morning, it was discovered
that, during the night, they had been opened by some
persons forcing open a cellar-flap, and the lower part of the
house had been ransacked, and a good deal of property
taken away. Nearly the whole of this property was found
in apartments occupied by the male and female prisoners
at Brighton, and, from the observations made by the latter
at the time they were apprehended, and subsequently before
the magistrates, there was very little doubt that they
were perfectly well aware- of the means by which the pro-
perty had come into the possession of the male prisoners. It
appeared that the men had absconded, and very great credit
was due to a constable named Biddlecomb, who holds the
office of inspector of police at Godalming, in Surrey, for the
means he took to apprehend them and to make out the case.
After travelling in pursuit of them over a very great extent
of country, ho at length succeeded in coining up with the
prisoners near Alton, in Hampshire, and, as he was at this
time alone, they would probably have got away, but that lie
very adroitly hit upon the following expedient to disarm their
suspicions. He told them, upon coming up with them, that he
was an officer, and that a farmer a short distance off had sent
him after them, on suspicion of their stealing some fowls the
night before. The prisoners said they could easily prove their
innocence of the charge, for they had slept at Basingstoke.
The officer then said they could no doubt easily prove this to
the satisfaction of the complainant if they would go back with
him, and for form's sake they had better have on the handcuffs.
The prisoners consented, and very quietly allowed the officer to
handcuff them, and he then told them the real nature of the
charge against them. The prisoners, who are powerful, re-
solute. looking fellows, then said they wished they had
known what they were wanted for at first, adding, that if
they had, the officer should not have put those things (the
handcuffs) so easily upon them, and there is very little
doubt that but for the prudence of the officer, the prisoners,
from their desperate character, would have made a violent
resistance, and the result might have been of a serious cha-
racter, as the officer, although alone, was a resolute man
and determined upon effecting the capture of these indivi-
duals,who have for a long time been the terror of this and the
adjoining counties.
Mr. Baron ALDERSON having summed ;up, the jury re-
turned a verdict of Guilty against all the prisoners.
They were immediately called up for judgment, together
with Longhurst, the man who had pleaded guilty on the
previous day, and the male prisoners were sentenced to be
transported for ten years; the women were ordered, Hounsell
to be kept to hard labour for two years, and Burgess for 18
months.

The Learned JUDGE said, that the inspector, Biddle-
comb, appeared to have acted with very great zeal and
activity in the case, and he should therefore order him a
reward of twenty pounds in addition to his expenses. He
likewise directed that two other constables who had assisted
him in his pursuit of the prisoners should also receive a re-
ward of five pounds each.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF COMMONS, March 19.
The House resumed at Five o'clock.
Several petitions were presented in favour of Rail-
way Bills and other private Bills.
The report of the Committee on the Aberdeen
Railway Bill was brought up, the Committee re-
porting that the standing orders had been complied
with.