The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-17 00:00:00

UNPUBLISHED POEM OF
CAMPBELL

• The following poem, said to be the composition of the late
Thomas Campbell, was found by Mr. Wallace among the
papers of Blennerhasset, accompanied by the latter gentle-
man's own music. It has never been published in this coun-
try, so far as we believe, and has only appeared, within a
short time, in a New York paper, from the columns of which
it is taken. The lyric was written by Campbell, "in honour
of the old Scottish Legion, which returned blind from
Egypt." We give the poem as it is sent us, without of
course being answerable for its authenticity :
Sons of chiefs, renowned in story,
Ye whose fame is heard afar,
Ye who rushed to death or glory,
Welcome from the toils of war,
When from conquest late assembling,
Madly armed the frantic Gaul,
Europe for her empire trembling,
Doubted where the storm might fall ;
Briton from her sea-girt station,
Guarded by her native oak,
Heard the threat with indignation,
Well prepared to meet the stroke.
But the foe, her thunder fearing,
Fled her naval arm before,
And far distant widely steering,
Seized the famed Egyptian shore.
There in vain his boasted legions
Vowed to keep the wide domain ;
Eager for the tot rid regions,
See Britannia ploughs the main!
Ye whose sons of old opposing,
Checked the haughty Roman band,
In the shock of battle closing,
Freed the Caledonian land :
You, our guardian genius naming,
To the toils of combat bred,
Chase to hurl her vengeance flaming
On the foe's devoted head !
Methinks old Ossian, from his station
On the skirts of yonder cloud,
Eyes his race with exultation:
Hark! the hero speaks aloud—
" Sons of chiefs renowned in story,
Ye whose fame is heard afar,
Ye who rushed to death or glory,
Welcome from the toils of war !"—Post.

DECISION OF THE BOARD OF
TRADE ON THE YORK LINES.

The Board of Trade have at last decided this most impor-
tant question, and, we feel bound to say, in a manner which
has given very general satisfaction. Instead of permitting
either party to embark in what, it must be admitted, is a
very hazardous and enormously expensive undertaking—
making a new and independent line out of London to Peter-
borough—the decision of the Board of Trade is, that the ex-
isting line from London to Cambridge shall (when improved
by the proposed new station at Farringdon-street), be used
as the approach to London, the line being continued from
Cambridge to Lincoln, and from Lincoln to York, by the
united companies of the Cambridge and Lincoln and the
Direct Northern. _ _

In this way a new line to York is secured, having gra-
dients of a very superior quality, supplying Lincolnshire with
railway acointrodationt and favourable for the thorough
traffic, by the great saving of distance over the existing route
to Derby. The Direct Northern Company have, with great
good sense and discretion, announced their intention of ac-
quiescing in this decision; and as a powerful alliance, offen-
sive and defensive, we have reason to believe has been formed
between them, the Cambridge and Lincoln and Eastern Coml.
ties, there cannot be a question that this well-conceived com-
bination of the line will be sanctioned by Parliament, and
executed.
The immense saving of capital effected by this arrange-
ment, the vastly superior entrance into London by the Far-
ringdon•street station, and the decidedly superior arrange•
menu of the Direct Northern as to their station at York and
mode of junction with the Northern Railway, combined with
the unequalled gradient's of the whole line, are reasons that
will fully justify this decision of the Board of Trade; and
however holders of London and York shares at 5 premium
may grumble and growl, and however much those who went
about saying " we are sure of the Board of Trade report in
our favour," may now exclaim against that tribunal—we
feel no manner of doubt that Parliament will support their
decision.

One uniform integral line will be established at the
cheapest cost—uniform i ales at the lowest scale ; and,
besidea.tbe passenger traffic, coals, cattle (dead and alive),
agricultural produce, fish, &c., will be brought into the very
centre of London ; and collaterally with this, the property
invested in the Eastern Counties scheme will be protected and
improved. The present station at Shoreditch is to be re-
placed by one at Farringdon-street, the construction of
which will be guaranteed by three powerful companies—the
Eastern Counties, the Cambridge and Lincoln, and Direct
Northern—with the sanction and approval of the Board of
Trade in favour of that arrangement.
It will be in vain for the now exploded soap bubble, the
London and York, a Napoleon Hudson (who is now fighting
his last campaign), successfully to resist this combination.
They will lose the aid of the London and Birmingham Com-
pany, who have (it is believed) expressed their determination
to support the Board of Trade, and we suspect that the
Manchester and Leeds party will be detached from the Lon-
don and Yorkers. The granting of their Wakefield, Ponte-
fract, and Goole line has this tendency, and there seems no
reason why they should sink themselves with the foundering
vessel of the London and York.—Atlas.

CENTRAL SA MIME AND MEUSE RAILWAY.—A
general meeting of the Shareholders in this Cell-Tans- was
held on Saturday, at the King's Head Tavern, Poultry.
Nathaniel Ogle, Esq., in the chair. The Chairman re-
marked that this Company had some time since proposed its
scheme to the consideration of the Belgian Chambers; an-
other scheme had also been submitted to them about the
same period. A long time was consumed in the discussion
of the merits of the rival lines, but within the last few days
there was an announcement that a concession had been
made to the Sambre and Meuse Company (the opposing
line), under which circumstance the present meeting had
been called. The concession to the Sambre and Meuse
Company bad reference only to the branch lines, leaving
the main trunk an open question. He (the chairman) had
no doubt that the Central Company would eventually obtain
permission to construct the main line. Acting under this
conviction, they were determined to persevere. As, how-
ever, some of the Shareholders might have an objection to be
bound by the decision of the Directors, it was proposed to
repay to those who might desire it the deposit on the shares,
without any deduction. The chairman, in concluding his.
remarks, dwelt on the promising character of the line, the
influential persons who had engaged in the speculation,
and expressed a confident opinion as to the chances of ulti-
mate success. No resolutions, with the exception of that
authorising the repayment of the deposit money, were sub-
mitted. A vote of thanks to the Directors for their exertions
was unanimously passed.
RAILWAY BETWEEN KILMARNOCK AND IRVINE.—
We have seen a printed circular from the town-clerk of
Irvine, calling a meeting in the George Inn here, on Satur-
day last, for the purpose of promoting a more direct railway
communication between Kilmarnock and Irvine, by forming
a branch from the Irvine station past the village of Dreg-
horn, to join the Kilmarnock and Dairy branch near Busbie.
The magistrates of the two burghs are said to be favourable
to the project; and there is reason to believe that parties
may be found who would be induced to proceed forthwith to
execute the branch, should the Proprietors along the line
give their consent. Some years ago a somewhat similar
project was set on foot, but afterwards abandoned, in conse-
quence of .a compromise between its promoters and the Glas-
gow and Ayr Company. Were this connexion now formed,
and the lines by Barrhead to Glasgow—from Kilmarnock to
Cumnock—Cumnock to Monkton—and Kilmarnock to Ayr
direct (the last at one time strongly urged by our town
council; and Messrs. Scott, Stephen, and Gale)=we should
"then, with the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway, have Kil-
marnock the very focus of a most excellent set of railways,
in a most flourishing district of country. More useful lines
could not be made in the length and breadth of Scotland.—
Kilmarnock Journal.
CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAILWAY.—The Ad-
miralty intends sending down a Commission, consisting of
Mr. Rendel and Sir J. Rennie, engineers, with Captain
Vidal, to report on the question at issue respecting the pro-
bable effects on the Menai navigation of the proposed rail-
way bridge over the Menai at the Britannia rock. Mr. Ste-
phenson will accompany them on the part of the Chester and
Holyhead Company.
RAILWAY COLLISION.—Another collision of trains
took place on Friday on the unfortunate Brandling Junction
Railway. The train which left. the Gateshead station for
Sunderland and Shields was. °ye! taken and run into by the
London train near Brockly Whins. The shock was tre-
mendous, and few of the passengers escaped without sustain-
ing more or less injury, though fortunately no lives were lost.
FR ACAS AT TILE STRAND THEATRE.—On Satur-
day evening last a scene was enacted at this theatre which
caused considerable uproar in the house for some time, and
at one period threatened to be destructive to the property.
After the curtain fell on the last scene of the burlesque of
Antigone, the house, which up to that moment was very
thin, began to till, to witness the performance of Mr. Marble,
in Yankee Land. The audience, however, after waiting full
three-quarters of an hour, manifested their impatience to see
the curtain go up, but still they were only answered by an
overture from the orchestra. After this the cries for Marble
commenced in the pit, and were immediately taken up by the
gods, and, to add to the cause of the canfusion, the musicians
were seen collecting up their books and retiring. The scene
then almost baffles description. Cries of " Pay the actors,
pay the musicians," arose in the pit, and were taken up by
all parts of the theatre, the box audience giving most un-
equivocal signs of disapprobation, which being observed
by the pit, a cry of " break the seats" arose, but which was
not.carried out, in consequence of the interference of the
more peaceably disposed. After some time, Mr. Marble
came forward, dressed for his part, and addressed the
audience as follows :—" Ladies and Gentlemen, to oblige you,
who otherwise might be disappointed, I will play the part
fur which lam announced ; but I do not play it to oblige
Mr. Roberts, the manager, who should not make me
work fur nothing."—(Cries of " Hear, hear," and terrible
uproar.) At this moment, Mr. Hall, the stage-manager,
came on the stage, and addressed the house. He said—
" Ladies and Gentlemen, I have struggled hard to gain your
patronage, and I trust you will not blame me for anything
that may have taken place between Mr. Marble and Mr.
Roberts, whose servant I am, receiving, like any other actor,
my weekly salary."—(Hear, bear.) Mr. Marble—" I had no
intention of censuring for one moment my friend Hall; my,
remarks regarded the manager, Mr. Roberts, who, when
actors are looking for their salaries, is not to be found. Justice
is justice—live and let live. Ladies and Gentlemen, 1 shall
play for nothing; you, at least, shall not be disappointed."—_
(Cheers.) The piece then went off, and caused roars a
, laughter. There was, however, no orchestra.
CLEANSING THE STREETS.— We are glad to observe
that, amongst the many charitiei-of the metropolis oue
has been started for giving work to the able-bodied poor in
cleansing the streets. We do not think there is any chant-
able institution in the City which ought to be better sup-
ported. The able-bodied poor at this season are very numer-
ous, the streets much require to be cleansed, and certainly '
nothing would so much conduce to the health of the metro-
polis generally as the active employment in this way of those
who are daily seeking for employment.
TIDE SPITALFI ELDS WEAVERS.—THE PROTEC •
VON or LABOUR.-011 Friday night, at seven o'clock, a
numerous meeting of the broad silk hand-loom weavers of
Spitalfields and its vicinity was held at the La Patenti'l
Chapel, Browne. lane, Spitaltields, for the purpose of taking
measures to unite with the weavers throughout the country,
in order to obtain a legislative enactment for the protection
of labour. Delegates attended from the weavers of Carlisle,
1 Macclesfield, Middleton, Wigan, Leigh, &c. Mr. Tanner
haying been called to the chair, after much discussion, it
was resolved that the Spitallields weaves s should unite with
the weavers throughout the United Kingdom, and form a
firm and compact union, of which London shall be the centre.
.', REDUCTION OF SCGAR.—Sir 141)cel's new tariff
relative to the reduction of the duty on sugar came into ope-
ration yesterday. The effect of this alteration in thin sweet
anti indispensable article of domestic consumption has been, a
reauctio:i by the grocers in this town of about Id. •per pound
on most deseriptioas to their customers.—Leeds sKercury.