The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-23 00:00:00

ORPOLK ltsA.T I WAY,

The Proprietors of this Company held their half-
yearly meeting, at the offices, Guildhall-buildings, yester-
day ; Adam Duff, Esq., in the chair.
The Secretary (It. TILL, Esq.), having read the ad-
vertisement convening the meeting, laifl before the Pro-
prietors the report, in which the raising of 220,0001.,
for altering and extending the line, was recommended.

The CHAIRMAN moved that the report as, read be
received, adopted, printed, and circulated among the
Shareholders.

A PROPRIETOR inquired whether the clause respec•ing
the construction of tramways along the pier at Yar-
mouth, which was to have been inserted in the Lowes-
toffe Railway Bill, had been expunged, as a very general
conviction existed at Yarmouth that the interests of that
town had been sacrificed to those of Lowestoffe.

Mr. BIDDER (the engineer of the Company) attribut-
ed any want of accommodation to Yarmouth, to the
apposition raised by the inhabitants of that town to all
overtureP, even those for th, it decided benefit.
A PROPRIETOR said that before the report was adopted
he wished to put a question to the Chairman respecting
the late accidents on the Northern and Eastern line.
The subject was one of the very greatest importance,
and he trusted that some explanation would be afforded.
The CHAIIIMAN said that he was very happy the
question had been mooted, as it was a source of great
anxiety to the Directors, and had met with their most se-
rious consideration. As their engineer was more competent
than he to deal with the matter professionally, he would
call on that gentleman to make an explanation.
Mr. BIDDER said that they might all eas'li imagine
that these accidents were sources of deep regret. He,
at first, had been almost unable to account for them,
from the circumstance of their bring unprecedented
upon their line, and every tossible precaution
being taken. He, as engineer to the Company,
had made a most rigid investigation, and he believed had
come to a right conclusion. It was said that these oc-
curred from the railway being newly con-
structed. Now on the Northampton and Pe-
terborough, which was a perfectly new line, not
a single accident had happened. The same might be
said of the Yarmouth and Norwich, where, not-
withstanding that a great many ballast trains
passed over the line last winter, when perfectly new,,
no casualty whatever had occurred. It, therefore,
became a matter of the deepest interest to discover
whence and how the accidents on their lines
originated. He believed that the cause was to
be found in a new class of engines having
been introduced. All the accidents had occurred while

ese were used, none having happened in the old class.

He had seen those engines-, and could testify to the
excellence of their manufacture and the apparent perfec-
tion of their parts; nevertheless a very great oscillation
was observed invariably upon them, and though the
oldest and most experienced drivers were placed
upon them, this objection still existed. Mr. Ste-
phenson had, immediately after the occur-
rence of the first accident, examined these engines,
carefully, and he attributed it to the centre of gravity
being higher in the new than in the old engines. After
the accident at Waterbeach, Mr. Marshall also
investigated the matter, and the conclusion they
had all now arrived at was, that the accidents occurred
from the flange not being bevelled, nor sufficiently deep,
and therefore mounted from instead of keeping steady
on the rails. These wheels were made by a gentle-
man who was in the habit of constructing wheels for the
Great Western Company, where wheels precisely similar
were used, but as a difference existed in the kind of rails
used by each Company, flanges which were adapted
for one were unsuited for the other line. The engines
had been taken off the line, the manufacturer was re-
moving the objectionable, and fitting proper flanges ; and
he trusted sincerely that these accidents, so painful to
those connected with the railway, would never again
occur. —(Hear, hear.)
The report was then adopted, resolutions embodying
its recommendations passed, and the meeting separated.

LONDON AND YORK RAILWAY.
We have received the minutes of evidence taken before the
Select Committee of the Howe of Commons, appointed to
inquire into the truth of the allegations in Mr. Bruce's peti-
tion. We have only space to-day for the following outlines
of the proceedings of the Committee, when they proceeded fi-
nally to consider their report:—
"Motion made (Mr. Duncombe),—That the following pa-
ragraph form part of the report The Committee think it
right to add, that in the very small proportion of cases which
have been substantiated and partly supported, much of the
evidence adduced was collected subsequent to the presentation
of the petition, and they are of opinion that Henry Bruce
made the serious charges contained in the petition without
taking the most ordinary means of inquiry ; that the petition
was presented with the view of stopping the further progress
of the London and York Railway Bill, and to promote the
private interest of a rival company, of which the petitioner
was Vice-Chairman; and that the conduct of Henry Bruce in
presenting that petition has been a great abuse of the right of
petitioning.
" Question put.
" Committee divided—
" Ayes, 5.
" Mr. B. Baring
Mr. Christie
Mr. Astell
Mr. B. Denison
Mr. Duncombe
" So it was resolved in the affirmative.
" Motion made (Mr. Warburton)—' That the following pa-
ragraph form part of the report :
" That your Committee, in consequence of the very ad-
vanced period of the session at which they were appointed and
commenced their sittings, although they have applied them-
selves most assiduously to the inquiry entrusted to them, have
not been able to make a complete investigation into the whole
allegations in the petition of Henry Bruce, respecting the pro-
ceedings under the subscription contract of the London and
York Railway Company.
" Amendment proposed (Mr. B. Baring),—' In the pro-
posed paragraph, to leave out all the words after the word
"that," in order to insert these words:—" The petitioner
further states, that he is still pursuing his inquiry into the
bond fides and responsibility of the said subscription list, and
that he does not doubt that he shall discover numerous other
instances of similar fraud besides those specifically alleged."
." Your Committee have had no time to enter into any
such general charges, nor are they inclined to think that the
character of the evidence already adduced is such as to make
it desirable that any such investigation should be entered upon ;
they are the more disposed to entertain this opinion as such an
inquiry could in no way affect the justification of Mr. Bruce's
previous conduct.'
" Question put,—' That the words proposed to be left out
stand part."
" Committee divided.
" Ayes, 2.
" Mr. Christie
Mr. Warburton

" Noes, 2.
" Mr. Warburton
Mr. B._Escott.

" Noes, 5.
" Mr. B. Baring
Sir. Astell
Mr. B. Denison
Mr. Duncornbe
Mr. B. Escott.

" So it passed in the negative.

" Main question put.
" Amendment proposed (Mr. Warburton),—' To leave out
all the words after the word " that," in order to insert these
words—" In the-absence of material witnesses, and from the
want of time to pursue the inquiry further, your Committee
are precluded from forming any opinion on the general alle-
gations in the petition.'
" Question put,--. That the words proposed to be left out
stand part."
" Ayes, 5. "Noes, 2.
" Mr. B. Baring " Mr. Warburton
Mr. Christie Mr. B. Escott.
Mr. Astell
Mr. B. Denison
Mr. Duncombo
" So it was resolved in the affirmative.
" Main question put and agreed to.
" Motion made ( Mr. Warburton )—' That the following sub-
scribers to the London and York Railway contract were sum-
moned as witnesses, and did not obey the summons.'
[Here follows the list of names.]
" Question put and negatived.
" Report again read, and agreed to.
" Ordered—' That this report, together with the minutes of
evidence, be reported to the House.' "

THE HARVEST IN FRANCE.-1 Bordeaux paper
informs us, that the wheat harvest in the department of the
Gironde is abundant, but that it is got in with great difficulty.
The weight of the wheat varies from 77 to 79 kilogs. the
hectolitre. The wine-growers have much fear as to the result
of their harvest, as it will be fully three weeks later this year
than the last, and there is hardly ground now to hope that
there will be sufficient heat to make the grapes of good quality.
CORONER'S INQUEST.—On 'Thursday, an inquiry
was begun before Mr. Carter, Coroner for the county of
Surrey, on the body of Ellen Tyrrell, who was on Tuesday last
found drowned in the Surrey Canal, under very suspicious
circumstances. After a lengthened inquiry the proceedings
were adjourned till Monday next, in order that additional evi-
dence might be procured.
REMARKABLE PRESENCE OF MIND.—A workman
employed in one of the mining shafts of the Scottish Central
Railway lately had a most miraculous escape. He had lighted
the fusees connected with the charges of powder for the purpose
of blasting, and gave the signal to be drawn up, but the rope
slipping, the poor fellow was suspended a few feet above where
the explosion was to take place, with no other prospect before
him but instant death. With great fortitude and presence of
mind he called out to lower him, which was immediately done,
and, advancing cautiously to the burning fusees, he extinguished
them. On examination they were found to be burned within
half an inch of the powder.
It will be remembered that some three or" four
years ago the traveller of Mr. Richard Pattinson, of Carlisle,
was stopped near Greenhead, and robbed of a sum of money, by
two men of the names of Getty and Mooney. One of these,
Getty, was followed into Ireland and cleverly captured, by
Thomas Hetherington, then of the police force ; and beinr, con-
victed at the Northu.nberland Assizes, was transportedr for
fifteen years. On Tuesday, Hetherington, who is now re-
siding in Liverpool, arrived at Carlisle with the second offnider,
Mooney, and, having had him identified, proceeded with him
to Morpeth gaol. We understand that Hetherington acci-
dentally met with the prisoner in the streets of Liverpool, in
the dress of a railway labourer.—Cumberland Pacquet.
FORGERY IN PARIS.—A corn-factor, named C—,
having discovered that some forgeries had been lately com-
mitted to his prejudice, gave information to the authorities, and
declared that he suspected his clerk, a young man named X—.
A search-warrant was granted, and at the moment the com-
missary of police entered the latter's lodgings, he was in the
act of preparing for immediate flight. He had taken out a
passport for Barcelona, under the name of Booby, in which he
designated himself homme de lettres. In his room were 10,000 f.
in French money, 3,000 f. in I,reign gold, and 25 napoleons.
There were also found four receipts of the Bank of France,
bearing the forged signature of Mr. C— ; two bordereaux
prepared to be presented to the banks of Gouin and Ganneron,
for the purpose of being discounted, and bearing the forged
signatures of ten or twelve of the most respectable bankers in
Paris; and a great quantity of papers and bills with Mr. C--23
forged signature. These various articles were seized, and the
clerk arrested.
SHOCKING OMNIBUS ACClDENT.—Thursday after-
noon, about three o'clock, as an aged woman, named Esther
Cruickshank, of No. 51, Great Arthur-street, St. Luke's,
.vas crossing Bishopsgate.stre, t. opposite Sun-street, she was
knocked down by the horses of one of the Hackney omnibu es,
ind before she could be extricated she was severely
.trampled
dpon by the animals, and rendered insensible, Besides some
-.evere contusions and lacerations, she sustained a serious in-
jury of the spine. Ihe aged sufferer was without loss of time
removed to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, where she remains in
deplorable state of suffering.