The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-05 00:00:00

MAGAZI

LONDON A

RAILWAY.

A numerous and influential meeting of the inhabitants
of Peterborough, convened to discuss the merits of the
proposed London and York Railway, particularly in
reference to its connexion with the city of Peterborough,
was held on Thursday last, at the Town-11311. Earl Fitz-
william in the chair.

The meeting was attended by a deputation from the
London and York body, consisting of E. Beckett Denni-
son, Esq., M.P. ; Francis Mowatt, Esq. ; Richard Hodg-
son, Esq., M.P.; Francis Pym, Esq., of the Hasell; and
J. N. Foster, Esq., of Biggleswade. There were also
present the Hon. M. Fitzwilliam, Charles Chaplin, Esq.,
of Blankney ;• J. N. lleathcote, Esq., of Connington
Castle, Hunts ; George Rowley, Esq , of the Priory, St.
Neots ; S. E. Cooch, Esq., of Huntingdon ; the Rev.
W. Strong ; and other gentlemen of the town and
neighbourhood.
The Noble CHAIRMAN having opened the business of
the meeting,
Mr. MILLAR proposed a resolution to the effect that,
in the opinion of the meeting, a direct Railway between
London and the North would be productive of great
advantage to the inhabitants of the towns situate upon
the line, and to the agricultural districts through which
it passed.
Mr. NELSON WILKINSON thought that before so
general a resolution was affirmed by the meeting the
sentiments of the Noble Chairman ought to be ob-
tained.
Earl FITZWILLTAM had no hesitation in complying
with the wish of the meeting. He was bound as a
public man to consider the present measnre, and to see
whether it would be advantageous to the nation at large,
as well as to the local interests of the neighbourhood,
and, comparing them together, his firm conviction was
that the measure now proposed would be eminently con-
ducive to both. The Noble Chairman then gave some
statement of the enormous traffic in live stock, from
which it appeared that upwards of 90,000 fat sheep, and
6,000 bullocks annually passed through Peterborough
on their way to Smithfield. There was another thing
that he wished them not to lose sight of, and that was
that between Peterborough and Lincoln the line could
be constructed at less expense than in any other pan of
England, as it would pass over a dead flat, and there
would be no tunnel, and scarcely any cutting. Ile then
called their attention to the danger they were in of
losing the stream of cattle from Lincolnshire, which in
consequence of an Act having been obtaie-ed for a line
from Cambridge to Ely, would most likely be diN*ted to
that place, unless a direct line could be obtaineo by
Peterborough. He was extremely desirous that hny
railway to the north should pass through this place. It
was the right line in a national point of view, the bet
line for the local interests, the neighbourhood, and the
best for the parties engaged in the undertaking.
The resolution was then put and carried unanimously.
Mr. E. B. DENNISON, M.P., said that the Directors of
the London and York Railway, having heard that a
meeting was to be held on the subject of the railway,
thought it their duty to attend. He was delighted to
find that everybody at Peterborough, and particularly
the Noble Lord in the chair, was favourable to the line.
He was, however, bound to tell them, that whether it

INUED).

would go close to Peterborough would be for the en-
gineer to decide. The Directors would have to weigh
well the arguments on both sides, and none could be
more powerful than those of the Noble Lord. The
chief object of the Directors was to shorten the distance
between London and York, which, if carried out, would
effect a saving of between 28 and 30 miles. A secondary
object was to shorten the communication with the
West Riding of Yorshire, containing one million of
people, who consumed a great portion of the corn of Lin-
colnshire. It was well known that the greater part of
the corn of Lincolnshire went northward, and the cattle
southward ; and as the line would come to or near Pe-
terborough, it would most materially benefit that place.
The agricultural districts would reap a great advantage
by cheapness of conveyance. He had ascertained that
the average cost of conveying a quarter of wheat to
Wakefield was 3s. 6d—the farmer had to pay also coin.
mission at Wakefield, and to run the risk of a sea pas-
sage. If the farmer would undertake to pay them the
freight, why he would save in commission and sea risk,
besides which, he could bring his corn to market in
twelve hours instead of a week. With respect to coals,
he believed that the coals of the West Riding might be
laid down at ss. a ton less than the sea-borne coal.
The line would go through a country where there was
no railway, and scarcely any canal, so that, taking any
view of the case, there could be no doubt that it would
be of great advantage to the town.
A variety of other resolutions were then agreed to,
one of which, moved by Mr. J. D. Simpson, and seconded
by R. Hodgson, Esq., M.P., pledged the meeting to sup-
port, by every means in its power, the London and
York Railway. _ _ _

ILLUMINATED MAGAZINE.
We miss the Editor's allegorical " Chronicle 3 of
Clovernook" this month—a sad miss, for they are
usually the cleverest and most thoughtful articles in
the Illuminated Magazine. In lieu of these, however,
Mr. Jerrold contributes one of those short, racy tales
of real life conveying a useful moral, in which- he so
greatly excels, and which is called "Lizzy's Black
Hair." The subject of the story is soon told. A
poor village girl, whose parents are in the lowest
state of destitution, refuses to have her luxuriant back
hair cut off—an act of presumption which so shocks
the squire's lady, who has no notion of poverty giving
itself airs, and presuming to be vain, that from that
moment she withdraws her gracious patronage from
the fair offender. Slight as is this incident, Mr.
Jerrold has turned into excellent account in his usual
caustic manner. The " True and Particular Story of
King Midas" is a humorous poem of the Ingoldsby
school. The illustrations, as usual, are of a very su
perior character.

SPORTING MAGAZINE.
There are two embellishments in the present
number of this veteran periodical—one representing
the well-known game of " thimble-rig," as played by
the knowing ones at Epsom and Ascot before Sir
James Graham interdicted the amusement; and the
other, which is called " Aeronautics," representing a
heron flying away with a small bird which she has
pierced with her long, sharp bill. The first plate is
the best, and exhibits much variety of low, flash,
sporting character. Among the literary contents, in
addition to the usual sporting intelligence of the
month, we find a whimsical account in verse of the
late remarkable trial in the Court of Exchequer
before Mr. Baron Alderson respecting the case of
Running Rein.

BANKER'S MAGAZINE.
This Magazine, as will be anticipated from its
title, is exclusively of a practical character, and con-
tains some intelligent observations on the subject of
the "Income-tax," whose objectionable features are
forcibly pointed •ut, together with the injurious
effect they have had on many banking establishments,
and on joint-stock companies generally. It is easier
to show the mischief than the utility of the income-
tax, notwithstanding that Sir Robert Peel is so firmly
persuaded of the excellence of this odious impost.

Mr. Mowitt, Mr. Pyne, Mr. Chaplin, and other
gentlemen subsequently addressed the meeting, which
separated after the usual vote of thanks had been passed
to the Noble Chairman.

LOSS OF HER MAJESTY'S
STEAMER GORGON.

The intelligence of the loss of this steam frigate, with
eight other vessels, was brought over a few days since
by the mail packet from South America, and it has been
too truly confirmed by dispatches subsequently received
at the Admiralty. It occurred on the night of the
11th of May last, during a terrific storm, off the coast
of Monte Video, but we are happy to state the whole of
the officers and crew were saved.

The Gorgon, it will be recollected, obtained consider-
able notoriety at the siege of St. Jean d'Acre, while
under the command of Henderson—a shell fired from
one of her guns on deck blowing up the principal powder
magazine in the fortress, whereby an immense destruc-
tion of life took place, and the battle was brought almost to
an immediate termination. On her return to England
she was re-commissioned, under the command of Captai
Charles Hotham, to the service in South Amerisa, where
she has been engaged up to the period of her loss. She
was, we believe, launched at Pembroke, in the year
1833, and was a fine vessel of her class, her engines
amounting to 350 horse power, and armed with six guns.
The account of her loss is reported to be as follows:
At an early hour on the morning of the Bth of May,
while the Gorgon and another of her Majesty's steamers,
the Ardent, Captain John Russell commander, were
lying at anchor a few miles to the westward of Monte
Video, it came on to blow very hard from the southward.
The weather had for several days previously been very
unsettled, and the appearance of the heavens indicated -
coining storm. During the whole of that and the sue
ceeding night and day the wind continued blowing
heavy, until about three o'clock on the morning of the
10th, when it burst into one of the most terrific hurri-
canes that has been experienced off that coast for twenty
years and upwards. At the first blast an armed schooner
was torn from her anchors and driven ashore, where she
fell on her beam-ends, and the crew narrowly escaped
a watery grave. Directly afterwards three other vessels
met with a similar fate, their cables snapping asunder,
and driving on the beach with great force. Captain
Hotham, of the Gorgon, took precautionary measures
long before the hurricane commenced, by making the
ship as snug as possible, and having two anchors out,
but notwithstanding the vessel was soon found to be
driving from her anchors.
The steam being up, an order was given to the engi-
neers to " go ahead," which was instantly done, and an
attempt was made to run her out, but the sea ran so
terrifically high that it was impossible, every wave
making a clean sweep over the length of her deck, and
washing everything overboard. The engines were still
kept going, and thus prevented the steamer being im-
mediately driven ashore, though little or no way was
obtained on her; however, matters continued this way
until about eleven o'clock of the I I th, when Captain
Hotham succeeded in gaining the centre of the bay,
where three anchors were let go, and hopes were enter-
tained that she would here safely ride the storm out.
Such, unfortunately, was not the case, for, ere many
minutes had elapsed, the cables of two of the anchors
were found to be parted. Her engines were again put
into immediate operation, and endeavours were made to
hold on with one anchor, but all the strength of her ma-
chinery was not sufficient to contend against the fury of
the hurricane and strength of the current, for suddenly
the ship broke away, and in defiance of all the exertioa of
Captain Hotham, his officers, and crew, was carried by
the tide high on to the beach, surrounded by a tre-
mendous surf.

It was five o'clock in the afternoon when she struck,
and, but for the engines being kept in rapid motion, the
force with which she would have been carried ashore
would have dashed the ship to pieces; whereas, her pro-
gress was slow, and the shock when she struck was not
violent. The crew and officers contrived to effect a safe
landing, but in what manner it is not stated. During the
whole of the night and following morning the hurricane
continued to rage with apparently increased violence,
and it was not till Sunday before it any way abated.
The Gorgon was then found to be upward of sixty
yards above high water-mark, and part of her hull
buried in sand and shingle. Her guns and stores were
got out of her, and several steamers were brought to tow
her off, but it was utterly useless. The last accounts
received stated that her crew were engaged in digging
her out of the sand, and forming a channel about the
beach, in order, it is conceived, to float her out, but there
appeared not the slighest chance of this ever being
effected, consequently there the ship must remain, and is
a complete loss.

Her Majesty's steamer Ardent was very nearly meet-
ing with a similar fate. She parted with her anchors,
and the strength of the current was carrying the vessel
towards the shore, when she came in contact with another
ship of greater hulk than herself, which stopped her pro-
gress, and enabled the crew to secure her.
During. the same gale, further up the coast, at a place
called I3ucco, no fewer than fourteen vessels were
stranded, two of which are reported to be ships of war.

THE SINKING FOND.—A return of the rate of in-
crease of the Sinking Fund, from the first establishment of
it by Mr. Pitt, in the year 1786, to the close of the continen-
tal war in 1815, in periods of five years, has been obtained
and printed, on the motion of Mr. Wodehouse, M.P. for Nor-
folk. It hence appears that the amount of sinking fund
actually appropriated was, from August, 1786, to February,
1787, 500,5551. ; in the year ending February 1, 1791,
1,220,2111., exhbiting an increase of 719,6561., in five years;
in the year ending February 1, 1796, 2,143,5951., exhibiting
an increase of 923,3841., in five years ; in the year ending
February 1801, 4,911,1351., exhibiting an increase of
2,767,539/. in five years ; in the year ending February 1,
1806, 7,850,033/, exhibiting an increase of 2,983,8971. in five
rears; in the year ending February 1, 1811, 12,050,5371., ex-
hibiting an increase of 4,200,503/. in five years •, and in the
year ending February 1, 1816, 14,109,5121., exhibiting an in-
crease of 2,058,975/. in five years. Thus it appears that be-
tween the years 1786 and 1816, the amount of sinking fund
actually appropriated was increased altogether by the sum of
13,608,957/., that is to say, from 500.555/ to 14,109,5121.
There is a man down in Frogland who is such a
tremendous hater of monarchy, that he will not even wear a
crown to his hat.

POLYTECHNIC I?EVIEW.
Among the other articles in the August Number of
this periodical, there is one on the subject of the
" Metropolitan Buildings Bill," now on its passage
through the House of Lords, which the writer, surely
without sufficient reason, defines as " a Bill of pains
and penalties for the protection of London from
further extension." The descriptive " Sketches of
Constantinople," a hackneyed, and indeed exhausted
subject, is treated with skill and vivacity.

FISHER'S COLONIAL MAGAZINE.
In the article on the subject of " Sir Charles Met-
calfe in Canada," a complete exposition is given of the
question in dispute between this Governor and his
Executive Council, apparently by a writer who has
had peculiar means of obtaining authentic information.
This is the most important feature in the Number,
which contains, in addition, a vast mass of the most
recent colonial and commercial intelligence, drawn
up minutely and circumstantially.

ARRIVAL OF THE lOWA INDIANS IN LONDON.—
A party of Indians, of the lowa tribe, whose hunting grounds
are some hundreds of miles west of the Mississippi, arrived in
town last night, at the terminus of the London and Birming-
ham Railway, Euston-square, from Liverpool, where they de-
barked from the Oxford, American packet-ship, on Monday.
The party consists of the aristocracy of the tribe, and includes
the principal chief of the lowas, the " Great Medicine," or
" Mystery Man," who, as his title implies, is the " medical
adviser" of the tribe, and who is en attendant on the party in
case of sickness or accident, a third chief, five " braves' or
warriors, four squaws or wives, a little boy and girl, and a
" papoose," or infant.
SALE OF THE MANUSCRIPTS OF THE LATE DUKE OF
SUssEx.—The principal lots sold on Saturday, which
closed the sale, were the following :—A Greek New
Testament, written in the 13th century upon vellum,
with an illumination at the commencement of each Gospel
and the Acts of the Apostles, written in 1295 by Theo-
dore, the fellow countrymen of the saints, purchased by
Messrs. Payne and Foss for 70L ; the New Testament,
translated by Wickliffe, a very fine manuscript on vellum,
size 71 inches by 5i inches, 91/., Pickering ; and a col-
lection of 800 letters referring to the Synod of Dort,
16/., purchased by Mr. D. Turner, the banker of Nor-
wich. The first day's sale realised 8711. ls. 6d., the
second day 877/. 75., the third day 9361. 75., and Satur-
day's 4501. 10s., making a total of 3,1341. 15s. 6d. The
catalogue of the third and last division of the late Duke's
library will be issued on Monday. This division is com-
posed of works in general literature, and embraces many
books of extreme rarity. In one book, a copy of Hall's
Chronicle, to be sold early, is an autograph of the un-
happy Darnley, husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, which
is supposed to be unique.
TWENTY HOUSES CONSUMED AT EXETER.--OH
Saturday, the various insurance offices throughout the
metropolis received information of a most disastrous fire
breaking out at Exeter on Friday morning, and destroy-
ing upwards of twenty houses, besides other property of
great value. From the few particulars received it ap-
pears that on the alarm being raised, at about half past
ten o'clock. the fire was found raging in the extensive
warehouse, tallow stores, and melting-house, belonging
to Mr. Tackett, which were situate in the centre of the
most densely populated spot in the city of Exeter, called
St. Mary Arches-street, opposite the Jew's Synagogue.
It was supposed to have originated in consequence of the
foul state of the furnace flues of the melting-house, for.when
discovered, the flames were issuing out of a crevice in the
chimney, and the fire had communicated to several tons of
tallow, straw, and reeds deposited in the floors just
above. From thence the flames extended with awful
velocity to other parts of the manufactory and the ware-
house, which was soon alight in every direction. The
numerous engines belonging to the city, were brought to
the scene soon after the alarm had been made, as well as
three engines from the barracks, with about two hun-
dred and fifty privates of the 13th Dragoon Guards. The
latter rendered the most important services to the inha-
bitants in saving their property, but the engines stood
useless in the street for an hour and upwards for a sup•
ply of water, the conflagration in the meantime destroy-
ing no fewer than twenty of the surrounding houses,
some in Garden-square and Providence-place, and the
remainder in Synagogue-lane. The loss of property
was at least 10,0001. Up to nine o'clock on Friday night
the fire had not been entirely subdued.
FRANCE.—The progress of religion among the
working-lasses of Paris—the children of the Revolu-
tion—mq be gathered from the following paragraph in
the Ami de la Religion :—" The monthly reunion of the
operatives of the Faubourgs St. Denis and St. Martin
took place on Sunday last, at seven in the evening, in the
Church of St. Laurent, under the presidence of the
worthy and zealous pastor of that parish. Notwithstand-
ing the temptations which the amusements at the fete of
" La Villette," in the neighbourhood, might have
thrown in the way, those honest people assembled in the
church to the number of a thousand ; their conduct was
most respectful during the singing of vespers and the
prayers ; and their sympathy was expressed, in a lively
manner, for the lay orators who addressed them on the
subjects of lab' alr, religion, and perseverance in moral
conduct, the whole scene being exceedingly interesting."
—Cork Examiner.

PORTSMOUTH.—Van Amburgh has been here since
Monday, exhibiting his splendid lot of horses, lions,
and tigers. His amphitheatre is erected on land
adjoining Southsea Common, and has been filled to
overflowing. The sagacity of his elephant is wonderful
—every day this noble and tractable animal (an Asiatic,
one of some twenty years' growth) has been brought
down to the beach, opposite the King's Rooms, to bathe
in the sea, where he seems to enjoy himself in his ablu-
tions amazingly, rolling and wallowing about in the surf,
occasionally going entirely under water, and swimming
out for a short distance. He generally remains in the
the water half an hour. This novel sight has attracted
thousands of people to the beach, many of whom come
provided with fruit and biscuits, with which they feast
the poor fellow, who is so quiet and careful that we
observed children running about under his legs at play.
Van Amburgh leaves on Saturday morning for Chi-
chester.

It is a fact worthy of notice, that during the last
eight days, in the extensive district of North Shields,
comprising a population of 30,000 persons, death and
the sexton have had no employment.—Tyne Mercury.

THE LATE JOHN TRAVEAS, ESQ.
A mee:ing of merchants, bankers, and traders, took
HOOD'S MAGAZINE. place, on Saturday, at the Hall of Commerce, Thread-
As usual, we received this Magazine at so late an needle-street, for the purpose of adopting some mode of
hour that we were unable to include it yesterday testifying the respect entertained for the public and pri-
vate worh of thl e late Mr. Travers, the City supporter of
among our Monthly Notices. We have cast our eye
e
hastily over its contents, and have been amused with
the spirit and ingenuity that not a few of the articles th Refotrm Bi
exhibit. The first is from the pen of the Editor, and
is a continuation of a tale entitled " Our Family."
The sketch of the parish apothecary, Postle, is the
best thing in the present chapters, and contains
several racy touches of character. In the "Festival
at Basle" an account is given of a desperate battle
fought by the Swiss against the French and Austrians
in the year 1444, the anniversary of which has ever
since been held by the patriotic mountaineers. The
"Boy and the Angel" is a quaint and somewhat
mystical poem by Mr. Browning, who is but too apt
to deal in the obscure and the mysterious. The
"Polka" is a lively prose sketch, in which occur one
one or two smart hits at the politics of the party of
Young England. We subjoin the following pleasing
and unaffected sonnet, which is the production of a
lady who signs herself " Gertrude":—
Oh! not for cities' smoke and sultry toil
Is the fresh glory of this summer day:
Haste, spread thy wings, and from the vain turmoil
Spring like freed bird from prison-cage away!
What halcyon life awaits thee in the woods,
The tangled deep luxuriance of green shade,
Where the mind revels in those rainbow moods
By thousand links of thought and feeling made!
Go, fling thee down in some sequester'd nook,
Where the glad stream in chequer'd sunlight flows
No need hast thou of comrade or of book,
Whose heart responsive still to Nature glows:
Let but a wild flower at thy feet be springing.
And all thy poet's soul will break forth into singing

Amongst the company present we noticed Mr. Patti-
son, M.P., Mr. Forster, M.P., Mr, B. Hawes, M.P., Mr.
S. J. Loyd, Mr. G. W. Norman, the Baton de Itoths.
child, Mr. J. A. Smith, M.p., Mr. C. Pearson (City
Solicitor), Mr. H. Gibbs, Mr. G. M Simpson, Mr. S.
Amory, Mr. G. H. Heppell, Mr. J. Underwood, Mr. W.
Wansey, Mr. D. W. Wire, Sir G. H. De Larpent, Bart.,
Mr. J. H. Danietl, Mr. T. H. Hall, Mr. J. Towgood,
Mr. J. Lister, and many other distinguished and wealthy
citizens.

Mr. J. PATTISO)I, M.P,, having been called to the
chair, expressed in a few brief and emphatic words the
' high value he set on the public and private worth of Mr.
Travers, and said that in that most excellent individual
he had lost a sincere friend, and the public had lost a
most able and upright man. He thought something
ought to be done to perpetuate the sense entertained by
all parties of his eminent public and private services.
Mr. G. W. NORMAN' Bank Director, in rising to move
a resolution, said, that he did so under a strong sense of
duty. It was difficult, if not impossible, to find a man
with qualifications so rare, and so admirably fitted to
adorn both public and private character. It would be a
source of deep regret if so excellent a man should pass
away from the scene of existence without record or no-
tice of his eminent services.—(Hear.) Although he (Mr.
Norman) had not had the honour of a personal acquaint-
ance with the late Mr. Travers, so as to be able to estimate
his character fully, he had looked at it both as a political
and a commercial man. With respect to his public cha-
racter, none could deny that he was a good citizen and an
upright merchant, and that in all his views he was only
actuated by one object—the welfare of his country and
the common happiness of all.--(Cheers.) In the share
Mr. Travers took in the public affairs of the City, he
was equally worthy of love and admiration. His extra-
ordinary high. mindedness—his perfect negation of self
—the absence of all personal ambition, were most dis-
tinctly marked in him, and shone out more conspicuously
in him than in other men. Some were actuated by
motives of personal ambition, some desirous to obtain
office, distinction, or power, but Mr. Travers, throwing
all these aside, looked only to the common weal, and
sought only those measures and supported only
those men whom, he believed, were anxious, like
himself, to do good to all.—(Loud cheers.) He should
be sorry, indeed, that such a man should be forgotten, or
that the citizens of London should not adopt some means
to recal his public and private virtues to the notice of a
future generation.(Cheers.) Mr. Norman concluded
a speech of great feeling, of which we have room to
give but a slight sketch, by moving " That the late John
Travers, Esq., during his life, by his high commercial
enterprise and skill, his spotless honour as a merchant,
his large and benevolent views as a citizen, his public
services, his unostentatious charity, and his general
kindness and suavity of manner, having won the esteem
of his fellow-citizens in an eminent degree, his death is
a public calamity."
Mr. R. GIBBS said it was with mixed pain and plea-
suredaily haceciruoasinetatnocesewciotnhdidthr.eTmraolt.eiorns.
foHr etwhadentaylmyoeastrsa,
and he solemnly believed that the equal of that most
excellent man, in all things, was not to be found in the
city of London.—(Cheers.)
Mr. S. J. LOYD moved the next resolution, " To ap-
point a committee to consider the best mode of carrying
the wishes of the meeting into effect." He said that it
was with deep regret he was called upon to express his
sentiments on this occasion from his inadequacy to do
justice to the subject. He admired so much the high in-
tegrity of Mr. Travers's character, and was so struck by
his perfect sincerity in all that he undertook, and by the
absence of all personal and selfish motives, that he
thought some means ought to be devised to show the
sense entertained by his contemporaries of his exalted
merit.—(Cheers.)
Mr. FORSTER, M.P., seconded the motion.
Other resolutions were moved, seconded, and adopted,
by Mr. Ashurst and Mr. Heathfield, and the names of
Mr. A. W. Robarts, Mr. Dillon, Mr. W. J. Denison,
NI.P., Mr. Raikes Currie, Mr. W. G. Prescott, Mr. E.
Divett, M.P., Mr. J. Masterman, M.P., Mr. H. J.
Prescott, Mr. D. W. Harvey, and others, having been
added to the Committee, the meeting adjourned until the
Sub-Committee should be prepared to report what
means should be adopted as most likely to meet the
wishes of all parties.

THE HOUSE or Commoss.—lmmediately after the
adjournment of Parliament, Bellamy's-rooms, the vote-
office, and a considerable portion of the lobby are to be
pulled down to afford room for the improvements about to be
commenced for the approach to St. Stephen's Hall. The an-
cient crypt of St. Stephen's Chapel is to be cleared and en-
tirely restored, that part of the former Houses of Parliament
not having received any considerable injury when those
Houses were destroyed by fire some years back. The clois-
ters, remarkable for what remains of their original architec-
tural beauty, as well as the crypt, are intended to be restored
to their primitive state.
FRENCH RAILWAYS.—The Courrier du .Nord states
that the transit trade of the north of Prance has already
begun to benefit by the system of international railroads.
Large quantities of goods have already arrived at the Valen-
ciennes station from Germany, en route for Havre, for ship-
ment for America. One train alone lately brought silk goods
for that country to the amount of more than 600,000 f. Pre-
viously to the opening of the railway these goods were for-
warded via Holland.

EXECUTION AT LINCOLN.—On Friday morning
at 12 o'clock, the unfortunate woman Eliza Joice, suffered
the extreme penalty of the law on the new drop, for the
wilful murder of her two children, Eliza and Ann Joice, at
Boston, in this county, by administering to them laudanum.
It being market-day she was launched into eternity amidst
upwards of 5,000 spectators.
TRAVELLERS IN ITaLr.—These who contemplate
spending the ensuing autumn and winter under Italian
skies, will be gratified to learn that a new and accom-
plished Lady Guide and Travelling Companion offers
herself to their notice, in the person of Mrs. Ashton
Yates (wife of the late Member for Carlow), whose two
delightful volumes on Italy are just published. They
are precisely those light, off-hand travelling sketches of
the places they depict which travellers desire to meet
with ; telling just so much of each as to secure the
reader against overlooking anything specially worth
visiting, yet not enough of any to blunt the curiosity or
fatigue the attention of those who desire to examine and
explore for themselves. The chief places visited during
" Winter in Italy," are Perugia, Rome,
Naples, Florence, Bologna, Ferrara, Padua,
and Venice—returning to England by the Tyrol, &c.
la, pleasant
The form of narrative is the happy and appropriate one
—especially in the case of a lady of familiar letters—
doubtless the identical missives which Mrs. Ashton Yates
dispatched home to her friends and relatives during her
Cthiissterl
absence.

THE MONASTERY OF ST. BERNARD.—" We found
the monks pleasant and agreeable men. After a very
comfortable meal and an hour's chat by the fire, we were
shown to our chambers, and slept well, after a fatiguing
day, on the good clean beds of the convent. Next morn•
ing we rose early, in time to attend mass in the chapel.
Within the tones of the organ were sounding sweetly,
while without the wind was howling over the snow-clad
mountains, as it does on the wild December nights
at home. How beautiful it was—the worship of
God on this dreary mountain top ! I felt its beauty,
as I listened to those deep organ tones, and heard
the solemn chaunt of the priests in the mass ; and I
honoured in my heart these holy men, who devote them-
selves to this monotonous and self-denying life in order
in the spirit of their Master, to the bodies and
men. Nor did I honour them the less that they
Romanists and monks of St. Augustine ; for well I
gothofaodt fora thousand years Romainsts and monks ofSt.
Akwtsooneuuderglowesus tin e had done the good deeds that they were doing—
and that when none else could do them. A man must be
blinded indeed by prejudice or bigotry that cannot see
the monuments of Catholic virtue and the evidences of
Catholic piety in every country in Europe; and worse
than blind must he be that will not acknowledge and
honour them when he does see them.”—Dr. Durbin's
Observations in Europe.--[Dr. Durbin is a Wesleyan
minister, and the President of Dickenson College, in the
United States.]

A RAT KILLED ET A REN.—is. A curious circum-
stance occurred at the low end of Stramongate, near the
river, during the week, which shows the courage evinced
by a hen in defence of her young brood. A nest of duck-
lings, nine in number, under the charge of a hen, whilst
basking in the sun, where pounced upon by a large rat
and at the moment when he was within reach of his
prey, Dame Partlet bristled up her feathers, and with spur
and beak flew at the marauder, and quickly put him to
flight. Following up the success of victory, in the first
&stance, the hen intercepted her enemy retreating to his
hole, which she would not allow him to come near, beat-
ing him off on every approach towards it;aislpiriieytehnetedenda,
Mr. Rat was fairly laid upon his back, and
gthreeahtednecaolmof-
is most apps
pleted her work by killing him on the spot.--Kendal
Pw9Peahthoewrevseeri in for the in-
. Mercury.
—Since
beingn district,c e
got
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in which
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remains out.
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respects,
anticipateeryr most
be abundant
superior.
Turnips, crops, and
ve by
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tbheeanlasleanrdainpsottDoeosnlicaasveterb

COMPARATIVE TRAVELLING ON DIFFERENT RAIL-
WAYS.—In Mr. Laing's paper, appended to the. evidence
taken before the Select Committee on Railways, it
is stated, among " other remarkable instances of
the effects of high fares, and limited acornrnoda-
tion in restricting the amount of travelling,"
that the London and Birmingham Company carry 130
per cent. fewer passengers per train, and 100 per cent.
fewer passengers per mile than the Glasgow and Ayr,
and 8.5 per cent, fewer passengers per train, and 135
fewer per mile than the Ulster; while the Liverpool and
Manchester Railway carries 60 per cent. fewer pas-
sengers per train, and 50 per cent. fewer per mile than
the Glasgow and Greenock (although the latter is ex-
posed to a sharp steam-boat competition), and 50,000
passengers fewer per annum, than are conveyed on the
Newcastle and North Shields line.—RailwaY Record.
BABIES.—It strikes us that more fibs are told about
babies than about anything else in the world. We all
say they are sweet, yet every body knows they are sour;
we all say they are lovely, yet nine, out of ten have no
more beauty than a pug dog; we all praise their ex-
pressive eyes, yet all babies squint; we call them little
doves, though one of them makes more noise than a
colony of screech howls; we vow they are no trouble,
yet they must be attended to night and day; we insist
they repay us for all our anxiety, though they take
every opportunity of scratching our faces, or poking
ther fingers in our eyes; in short, we make it our busi-
ness to tell the most palpable falsehords about them
every hour of the day.—American Paper.
All the bathing places on the Western Atlantic
coast of Ireland are full of visitors.