The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-29 00:00:00

NORTH BRITISH RAILWAY.

Operations on this railway are now proceeding at
all parts with great vigour and activity. In our own
city the changes caused by this great work are not
among the least striking. At the Calton-hill, where
the line pierces the hill, the face of the declivity is cut
into so as to make it steeper than ever, while the
workmen plying their vocation at various heights on
the hill, give the whole a singular appearance. Here
also the wall is considerably raised on the north side
of the North Back of Canongate, whence a bridge
is to be thrown across the street on the progress
of' the line to its terminus at the North-bridge.
Preparations are also making for the bridge that
crosses the Abbey-hill at Simpson's coach-work ;
and the retaining wall there has already attained
a considerable elevation. The houses facing the
street here still stand ; but several that stood behind
them have been removed to make room for the em-
bankment that is to carry on the line in its progress.
From this point to the Meadow-bank Brewery, there
is little trace of the works; but near this latter point,
and just where the line enters the low grounds at
Craigentinny, the surface of the ground has been
removed, and workmen are busily employed driving
piles to give a foundation for the extensive works that
are intended to carry the line over to thehigh grounds
east of Piershill. Here we believe a viaduct is to
cross the post-road, but nothing has yet been done
with that view ; and the next trace of the
railway is to be found in a field adjoining the
old Roman road to Portobello, now generally known
as the Fishwives' Causeway. Here the portion
of ground intended for railway purposes has been
staked out, and workmen are employed to remove
the sod. From this point the line proceeds to the
southward of Portobello, and on the high ground
above that town a considerable number of men are
employed. The ground has not only been marked
out, but the surface has been removed for a consider-
able length of road, preparatory to a deeper levelling,
while iron rails and waggons are also collected in the
immediate neighbourhood, with a view, we presume,
to the formation of a temporary railroad for removing
the soil. Near the easternmost part of Portobello the
railroad crosses the road from that town to the vil-
lage of Easter Duddingstone, which it will do at
a lower level ; and a good deal of progress has
already been made here, in building the walls of
a bridge which is to span the line, while the forma-
tion of the ordinary road, slightly altered in its
course, and considerably heightened in its inclination,
is pretty far advanced already. Further on the line
crosses the road to a quarry in the neighbourhood,
from which the greater part of the stones for the
bridge are being procured. Here the railway goes
above the road, and a viaduct is to be thrown over the
road. Here the side walls of the bridge are up to
the level of the road, and a number of workmen are
busily employed rearing it further. A little onward
the line encounters the small stream that falls into the
sea near the Magdalen Foundry ; but operations do
not seem to have yet commenced here. From the ra-
idity with which all these works are prosecuted,
however, and the course adopted of commencing the
more difficult parts of the line first, we cannot doubt
that two years, or little more, will see this extensive
line in full operation.—Edinburgh Evening Courant.

SCOTCH BANKING.

At the general meeting of the Edinburgh Mer-
chant Company, held in their Hall on Monday, J.
P. MITCHELL, the Chairman, said he need harrik
advert to the great interest which this subject v. as
exciting among all classes in Scotland, especiad
among the mercantile and trading classes, further than
to say, that that interest and excitement had inductai
him, along with deputations representative other public
bodies, to call upon their representative, Mr. B. Macau-
lay, when recently in Edinburgh, and lay before him
all the information in their power with respect to the
working of the present banking system, its perfect
safety, the satisfaction of all classes of society with it,
and their alarm at the prospect of its being in a.ny
way interfered with. Mr. Macaulay certainly heard
the deputation with willingness and attention, but the
feeling which seemed to be uppermost with him was
just this—it seems to be the impression in the minds
of all Englishmen, that gold in the shape of sovereign,
is a good thing to circulate south of the Tweed, and
they cannot understand why in that cas,
they should not be an equally good medium of cir-
culation to the north of the Tweed. This statement
would show them what was in the minds ofpublic men ;
it was an index of the general state of feeling antont:
the leading statesmen ; and Scotchmen—especia!ly
all the Scotch traders and merchants, must make up
their minds to use strong exertions if they wouL:
preserve a continuance of the present system of bank-
ing, which had wrought so well for all classes and in
itrest in the country, and without any injury what
ever. They must join the noblemen and gentleiner'
of the counties, and other public bodies who were
now moving to preserve the present system of bank-
ing. It may be all true that the sovereign currency
did well in England, but it could never do in Scot
land, where they were so far removed from London.
and where their transactions were generally of a.
much smaller kind than in England. lie could easily
show that the system would be most expensive, for
the trading part of the community would have ti
bear the expense Gf the heavy exchanges betweer
town and town, and they would be continually in
volved in a scarcity of the circulating medium. It
was the duty of Scotland to stand up and decide this
question, before anything was done at all in the was
of preparing an Act of Parliament. If they did so.
the Prime Minister would not run in the face of the
united feelings and sentiments of the whole people.
It was agreed to remit the matter to the Master
and Assistants with the addition of Mr. Cadell.
Mr. JAMES M`LauEN wondered that Sir Robert
Peel should have such an extraordinary anxiety abou.
the stability of Scotch banks—it would be more wortl
his attention to look after the banking system of Eng-
land, which had never been in so safe a state that
should be put forward as an example to this part re
the empire. But what was the evidence that an
Scottish banking system was unsafe ? Could any
thing be safer? The paper circulation throughout
the whole country by all the banks did not exceed
three or four millions of money. To back that papal
circulation. which was absolutely necessary for thr
purposes of ct;nunerce, there was a proprietary capita'
of twelve millions sterling, which was at all times
liable to make good any deficiencies that could pos-
sibly occur. They were t 0,,.; notwithstanding tin
perfect security and convenience C. the present sys-
tem, that Mr. Macaulay seemed to justify :interferencr
with it on the ground, that if a gold currency laa,
done well in England, it would also do well in scot
land. lie (Mr. M•Laren) would reverse that senti
anent, and maintain that England's currency had
never been so safe as Scotland's, and he would draw
from that fact the conclusion, that a gold current}
having always worked ill in Ingland—he meant a,
compared with the small note currency of Scotland-
it would undoubtedly, if introduced into Scotland.
work as ill there as it had done in the south.
Mr. CADELL said, that the country would b,
roused from one end to the other to tell Sir Robert
Peel that they would not allow their banking systen
to be trifle,! sth. Where was there a shadow of evi-
dence or of reason for meddling with a system will&
all agreed had worked to the satisfaction of all inte-
rests throughout the country ? A Parliamentary
Committee in 182.6, in consequence of the strone
opinion then expressed, declared that the system
having worked so well, it ought not to be meddled
with. They had had eighteen years fertile;
practical experience of the working of tin
system, and what had occurred since then tr
make an alteration necessary in 1844, which.
in 1826, was found to be impolitic and un
reasonable? If they had learned anything in tha.
time, it was to value more and more their bankin..,
system, which had stood safe when that of England
had frequently brought the country into jeopardy.
lie hoped that the company, and all the other public
bodies, would take up firmer ground on this great
question, anti adopt the most decided steps to crust,
the project at its outset.
After some remarks by Mr. M`Faanaat, power was
iven to the Master and Assistants to watch the pro
g
gress of matters, and to co-operate with other bodies.

,HURRAH FOR HIGH-lIANDED JUSTICE ! —We are
glad to see that the wisdom of our ancestors, as evinced
in Cie punishment of °ff.-milers, which, we feared, had
fallen into general contempt, continues, in some
favoured nooks of these dominions, to govern the pro-
ceedings of the magistracy. A glorious case occurred
at the Banbury Petty Sessions. One John Coggins.
labourer, was charged with an otrcnce against 0,
game law,. Ho had been seen, on the morning of
the Ist of September. walking about in a stubble field
with a gnn. William Cowling, one of the Earl ofJersey's
linkers-out, saw him, the rascal ! Coggins, to be sure,
had no dog, nor did any game get up, neither did he
fi*e ; but witness took his gun away. A stupid jury
might have doubted whether he was sparrow shooting or
not, or have believed his story, that be was going t.,
;guard his potato crop. But he had a true English ma-
gistrate to deal with, who was too deep for the rogue.
fir. Matthews said it was painful to him to address
the prisoner. Of course. Mr. Matthews, says
theal
a aThi
Tines reporter, is a clergyman, as well
p9rtfiman ; and we may excuse the weak-
ness, part,cula.rlv as Mr. Matthews, smothering his son-
*ibilities, inflicted on the offender a penalty of ten
pounds, and said a distressc awr :rant should be levied for
the amount. Coggins de
"Then,"a goods would not
feleh that monethat his
said the just Matthews
(how well 6 malediction in
"you
moutht would haw,
coattinasaantommitted for
soundt4 after the " Then !")
will
apnrobably be
two months' hard labour."
This ruined, with his wife and family, if he h
je way to keep fellows in order. Thie is the
to teach people what they are at. Would thatmet our
'squirearehy had still the making of LEA laws. Rogues.
would soon see what was what. Oh, for the [4-' '1 Old
adays of the stocks, the pillory, and the gallows lAlas I
they scarcely ever bang anybody now !—Punch. .