The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-05 00:00:00

The next case was that of John Vensels, Ile said
he was a cripple, and unable to do any work.
The overseer said this case had been before the
vestry, and they thought the rate ought to be en-
forced, because the old man had a son who was earn-
inq something, and they considered he should pay.
rhe old man said his son was a boy of nineteen,
and he had only done three weeks' work out of the
last five. He added that if his son had not supported
him, he must have gone into the union long ago. He
had never received a farthing from the parish, and he
did not want to have anything from them.
Sir C. FARNADY inquired the character of the son
—The overseer said he was a hardworking young
mats.

The BENCH thought it was bad policy to enforce
the rate from the father because the son was willing
and able to work, and they expressed their opinion
that the vestry ought to' re-consider their determi-
nation. _ _

John Tippin was summoned for 6s. 6d. due for
poor-rates in the parish of Cudham. He appeared to
be a strong healthy man.
The reason assigned for not paying the rate was,
that he had three small children, and his wife was just
about to be brought to bed of a fourth. He was
willing to work, but could not always obtain it, and
had had no regular work fur three years.
The overseer said he was instructed by the vestry
to enforce the payment of the rate. The man was in
work now. _

Tippin said lie was in work, but the farmers had
lowered the wages to 10s. a week. Five shillings went
for flour, 2s. for rent, and is. for firing, and he had
only 2s. left.
The BENCH said they had no alternative but to
order the payment of the rate, and ss. costs.
Tippin said he hoped they would not make him
pay any costs.
The NiAotsTasTEs told him it was his own fault that
there were costs; he should have paid the rate. An
order was then made for the payment of the whole
amount in a month.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.
ABERDEEN RAILWAY.

This undertaking, fully sanctioned by the eminent
engineer, Mr. Cubitt, and by the names of the most
influential nobility and gentry residing in and offi-
cially connected with the district, is now again before
the public. At a meeting of the landholders and
turnpike trustees of the county of Aberdeen (con-
taining about 200,000 inhabitants), Mr. Cubitt's lint
was, by a unanimous resolution, approved of. The
Aberdeen Railway leads directly through populous
towns and districts to Edinburgh and Glasgow, the
two largest and most important towns in Scotland
from which new lines of railway are in progress, both
in the east and west of England. The distance froth
Aberdeen to London will be performed in one day, or
less than twenty-four hours!
We have seen a statement of the population. of the
district, from which it is evident that the Aberdeen
Railway has the elements of a good traffic, and when
the railway from Inverness joins it at the nothern
terminus, the trade must be very much increased.
We have no fear of the Sotch railways ; the manage-
ment and expense are on a much More economical
footing than in the southern parts of the kingdom,
and we understand this line not only to be unopposed.;
but capable of being executed at a less cost that
usual.
The following is an extract, from Mr. Cubitt'e
report :
" After a careful consideration of the whole sub-
ject, and a comparison of the several lines and sections,
together with all the circumstances and projects, pre-
sent and prospective, the result of my investigation .is
—to recommend for adoption a line of railway from
Aberdeen, passing very near Montrose and Brechin
to Friockheim and Guthrie,- points about half way in
the Arbroath and Forfar Railway ; the description
and particulars of which, as to its course, lengths,
gradients, curves, &c., will be found in the form of an
appendix at the end hereof.
" The objects that will be obtained by the adoption
of this line are—

" 1. A communication with the south by the
shortest length of new railway to be made ; and,
" 2. The least interference with existing railway
interests, the Arbroath and Forfar and Dundee end
Arbroath Companies having, as I understand, under-
taken to alter the guage of their lines to the usual 4
feet 84 inch guage, in order to suit and werk with the
intended gunge of the Aberdeen line and that of the
great leading lines to the south.
" The distance by this new line from Aberdeen to
the Arbroath and Forfar lines will be .504 miles, and
from the points of junction to these places will be
about seven miles to each respectively, or 51 miles
from Aberdeen to either, being as regards Forfar only
P.f mile, or thereabuuts, farther than by a direct line
from Aberdeen to Forfar, eiis Brechin, a difference far
more than compensated for, in my judgment, by a
near approach to the port and town of Montrose, and
a saving of 5i miles, of a more expensive main line of
new railway, besides a difference of 4 miles' saving in
the construction of branch lines to form a communi-
cation between Montrose and Brechin.
" Under all the circumstances of the case, therefore,
I have no hesitation in recommending the adoption of
the line above stated as being that `best calculated to
secure to the Company the benefit of the moat favour-
able communication with the south.'

" Statement of the population of some of the prin-
cipal towns of Scotland which will be connected upon
the formation of the Aberdeen Railway :—Aberdeen,
73,013—Stonehaven, s,279—Montrose, 15,094
Erechin, 7,soo—Forfar, 9,6l7—Arbtoath, 17,489—
Dundee, 65,087—Perth, 19,225—Kirkaldy, 5,261—
Stirling, . 8,301—Edinburgh, 165,270—Glasgow,
'82,490. Total, 675,686."
NORTH BRITISH RAILWAY.

The foundation of the viaduct over the Tyne at
East Linton is begun to be dug ort the south side of
the river. It crosses where the Lintai distillery
stood, which has been dismantled for some years, and
will now be wholly removed to make roost for the
course of the railway.
WILTS AND SOMERSET RAILWAY.

A numerous and influential meeting was held at
Weymouth on Wednesday, including deputations
from Southampton, Bridport, and the Great Western,
Company. Colonel Henderson, the Mayor of
Southampton, brought forward the subject of a pro-.
osed line, to be called the Salisbury and Dorsetshire
Railway, for the purpose of connecting the eastern
and southern parts of Dorsetshire with the grand
railway system of the kingdom. Mr. Hayter, M.P.,
contended for the Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth
Railway, as affording the best facility of communica-
tion with the north of England, and as most con-
ducive to the interests of Weymouth. After a
lengthened and able discussion, resolutions in favour
of the latter were carried by large majorities,—
Briscb Pi Mirror.

FEA.RFUL CONFLAGRATION AT
S'FRATIIA.VEN.
Foh ry noUsEs DESTlWlED.—Yesterday forenoon,
about twelve o'clock, a tire broke out in this quiet little
town, about 16 S.E. of Glasgow, by which upwards of
forty houses, with a brewery and tan-work, were burned
to the ground, nearly one hundred poor families thrown
destitute into the street, and the annihilation of the entire
town seriously threatened. We have heaid several
versions of the origin of the fire—one to the effect that it
was occasioned by a poacher recklessly throwing a
parcel of gunpowder into the fire-place of a house
where he had been visiting ; another, that it arose
from a child having lighted some chips of wood which
communicated with- the bedding- in the house of
person named Hamilton ; and a third, that it occurred'
from a boy drying somegunpowder near afire-place. Which
of these versions is the right, we are in the meantime
at a loss to say with. correctness ; certain it is, however,
that about the time we have mentioned, the conflagration
commenced at the south end of the town, a little away
beyond a place named Todd's Hill, where the houses are •
nearly all covered with thatch, and where the popular
tion are chiefly weavers, that the wind, being high st-
the time, and blowing from the south-east, rapidly spread
the flames from house to house on both sides of the street,
until in the space of a few hours, notwithstanding the
eftbrts of a body of the inhabitants who turned out to
check the flames, about forty houses were com-
pletely destroyed, in addition :to the brewery of Mr.
Valiance, and the large tan-work of Mr. Semple,
where it is alleged not less than 2,0001. worth of
property has been consumed. The fire in -its pro-
gress, which was fearfully rapid, spread terror anii
dismay on all hands. As house by house crumbled before
the devouring element, the inhabitants in the vicinity of
the burning got out their furniture to the street, where
it lay in confused heaps until the houses from which it
had just been removed shared in the general catastrophe.
So apprehensive were the shopkeepers that the entire
town would be burned up, that numbers of hem at the
Cross, which is some distance from. the place where the
tire originated, emptied their stock of goods into the
street,. and awaited with terror the approach of the
flames. The scene, as witnessed by people at a dis-
tance, is described as awfully grand and imposing.
Kirkhill, which is about half a mile from the town,
was clustered with hundreds of spectators, inhabitants
of the other end of Strathaven (who certainly would
have been better employed in lending a hand to Stay
the progress of the fire), but who for a tithe
seemed lost in wonder at the fearful majesty of the sight.
Not so the more spirited and more interested portion of
the inhabitants. Headed by the Rev. Mr. M'Lay, Relief
clergyman ; Mr. Tennent, banker ; Messrs. Currie,
Reid, and others, two large bodies of active men pro-
cured pails end other vessels capable of containing water,
and forming two chains from the scene of the fire to the
nearest places for procuring a supply of water, they
worked away without intermission for several hours,
one party banding on the pails filled with water, and
the other returning them empty, until finding these
means unavailing in extinguishing the flames, they
adopted the plan of pulling down two or three
buildings in the line of street, which had the desired effect
of stopping its further progress. The loss of property by
the tire has been very considerable, and is the more td be
lamented, as few of the houses of the sufferers were in..-
cured, and the sufferers themselves are mostly of the
poorest and most industrious part of the community.
Some accounts state that about 53 houses in all have
been destroyed, and 104 families deprived of the means
of livelihood, or made dependent for shelter and support
upon friends, relations, and neighbours. It is calculated
that from fifty to sixty looms with webs, principally be-
longing to Glasgow manufacturers, have been consumed.
and it will take a long time, indeed, before the loss to the
operative weavers can be made up. No such conflagration
has been known in this part of the country for many .
years, and it has created amongst all classes the deepest
I - sorrow and regret.—Glasgew Saturday Post.
.43-

At a meeting of the Edinburgh town council, held
on Friday, Mr. John M'Millan, High School, Glasgow, .
was elected, by a majority of 20 votes to 12, master ofr
the High School, Edinburgh, in the room of Dr. Fyper. ...
EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY AT A DISTILLERY.-~
For some days
,past great excitement has prevailed at .:::
the east-cud of the town,- in consequence of some
sweeping measures having been adopted by her Ma.. -.
jestv's Commissioners of Excise towards Messrs. Smith,
Whitechapel. It will .be remembered that
some
l l et
rits:w. since nearly 3,000 gallons of spirits were (
seized by the officers of Excise, but after some time '
great quantity was returned, although Crown proceed..
rags were instituted against Messrs. Smith to recover'
heavy penalties against them. In the beginning of that
week some suspicious circumstances transpired in the
same establishment, and information of the same was
conveyed to the Commissioners. The result was that
number of labourers were engaged to accompany the
l
Excise officers to excavate the ground arum d the pre-
mises, who found several hundred feet of pipe extending..
along nearly the whole front, around the countinni--
houses and private residenceof , •
l
about two feet from the surface of the eGoaerth,rgewhSicinhi;th*ir is stated, were impregnated with spirit, and used for the
purpose of secretly reducing their stock. The workout
engaged on the occasion have left the pipes exposed isp
public view. The solicitors and chief officers of Exei4
have been in daily communication with her Majest:i's
lawt authorities, and it was rumoured that the Exeiis. -
Commissioners would go so for as to seize the whcle: •
of the distillery, plant, &c., which is estimated to be
worth nearly 200,0001. On inquiry, however, this ereria :
ing at the police-station, Arbour-square, Inspeet4
Shaw, of the II division, stated that he had receive
no fresh instructions en the subject.—Sondae Paper. :-