The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-27 00:00:00

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TEE PFIY6IOLOGY OF THE PASSIONS.
" What passions hurt the body, what improve ;
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ON CHASTITY—its Abuses and Diseases—On
Matrimonial Eligibility aid Unfitness—On Infelicitous and
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By R. J. CULVERIVELL, M.D.,
Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Licentiate of
the Hall, and twenty-three years Resident Practitioner In London.
" Of human ills and frailties I discourse,
Those taught by nature and by art acquir'd.
Of griefs conceall, and disappointments keen,
Which young and gentle--the matured and sage—
The lonely and the mated—all sustain ;
In kindly spirit herein commies given,
How health, how hope, how happiness to gain."
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---
PURSUANT to a DECREE of the HIGH
COURTS of CHANCERY, made in a cause ASTON
against MEREDITH, the Creditors of CHARLES MEREDITH,
late of Leamington Priors, in the county of Warwick, Esquire, who
died in the month of June, 1843, are forthwith to come in and prove
their debts before Sir GIFYIN WILSON, one of the Masters of the
said Cote, at his Chambers, in Southampton-buildings, Chancery-
lane, London ; or in default thereof, they will be excluded the
benefit of the said decree.

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.
EAST INDIA SHIPPING.
Arrivals—Repulse, Marquis, from Bengal, off Pen-
zance, sailed March 23, Mauritius May 11, Algoa Bay
Sept. 4, Table Bay Oct. 21 ; Anna Robertson, Munro,
from Madras, off Plymouth, sailed Sept. 3, Cape• Oct. 26;
Bland, Callan, from Bengal, off Plymouth, sailed Aug.
14, Cape Oct. 26 ; Lady Clarke, Lawrence, from Bengal,
off Falmouth, sailed July 31, Cape Oct. 28 ; Albyn,
Clarke, from Moulmain, off Falmouth, sailed Aug. 1,
St. Helena Oct. 26 ; Chilena, Wyllie, from Penang, in
the London Docks, sailed from St. Helena Oct. 25 ;
Rota, Carl, from Batavia, off the Wight, sailed Sept. 18;
Portly, Reed, from !Mauritius, off Plymouth, sailed Oct.
1, St. Helena Nov. 4 ; Vigilant, Hoets, from the Cape
of Good Hope, off Penzance, sailed Oct. 26, St. Helena
Nov. 5.
Arrivals at St. Helena—Commerce, Cow;e, Nov. 2,
and Catherine, M‘Donahl, from Ichaboe ; Orion, from
Batavia ; Union, Allen, Nov. 3, from lehaboe, and sailed
sth to Barbadoes ; Neptune, Ferris, from Madras ; Wilhel-
mina, from Batavia; Neva and Clydesdale, from Ichaboe;
La Perouse, 4th, from Pondicherry ; Henrietta and
Phcenix, from Batavia ; Heloise, from China ; Superior,
from Ichaboe ; Anu and Kate Nickleby, sth, from west
' coast of Africa.

IRELAND.

FUNERAL OF THE EARL OF LIMERICK.-
TURBULENT PROCEEDINGS.

DUBLIN, DEC. 25.—The Tipperary Vindicator, re-
ceived this day, contains the following account of the
funeral of the late Lord Limerick, and I am sure you
will read with the d.epest pain the description of the
turbulent and disgraceful proceedings of a portion of
the populace of the city of Limerick on that occasion:—
" On Saturday evening, at six o'clock, the mortal re-
mains of the late Earl of Limerick, of the late Viscount
Glentworth, the Earl's grandson, and of Lady Mary
Pery, his daughter, arrived in Limerick from Dublin in
funeral procession. The hearses in which the bodies
were contained were accompanied by mourning coaches,
containing some of the distinguished members of the Pery
family. The remains of Lady Mary and Viscount Glent-
worth were deposited forthwith in the family vault,
Pery's chapel, in one of the niches of the ancient Cathe-
dral of St. Mary's.
" The body of the Earl of Limerick was taken to the
Palace.

" During the entire of Sunday the family mansion
and the cathedral were visited by hundreds of citizens
of all classes, impelled by motives of eager curiosity to
witness the obsequies of an individual who was known to
them only by the recollection of his having a title and
estates, derived from a city and locality which were never
benefited by his occasional presence, or the expenditure
of any portion of the ample pecuniary means with which
the extensive property he held in the district supplied
him.

" The coffin, which was covered with black velvet, was
placed in the antique spacious parlour of the mansion,
and suspended over it was a coronet, with the family
arms and escutcheon, surrounded by sable plumes. The
lying in state was an imposing and pompous spectacle,
commemorative of the decadence of worldly splendour—
indicating the passing joys and sorrows of this life.
"It having been rumoured through the city that the
funeral would take place at twelve o'clock on Monday,
the populace were on the qui vive from an early hour in
the morning. The funeral left the palace at 12 o'clock,
and moved on through George-street, Patrick-street, and
Rutland. street. The carriages of the nobility and gentry
of the surrounding district were in attendance. Among
them were, Earl Dunraven's, Lord Clarina's, Lord
Monteagle's, Sir Aubrey De Vere's, Mr. William Maun-
sell's, &c.
"About one thousand of the tenantry of his late Lord-
ship were dressed in scarfs and hatbands. Many gentle-
men of the county and city wore crape hatbands and
weepers. The crowds of idle persons in the streets and
thoroughfares were very great, and as the procession
moved along there was a good deal of shouting and
groaning. When it arrived at the New Bridge,' it was
Completely stopped, and then a scene of indescribable con-
fusion ensued. The tenantry were hustled and pulled
about, and the linen was torn from their hats and shoul-
ders. The crowd was so great on the bridge and up
Quay-lane that there was no proceeding. A most dis-
graceful assault was made on the carriage of Lord
Monteagle, who, on being recognised, was fiercely
groaned and hooted. His Lordship with much difficulty
escaped into Mr. Howard's spirit shop, after some very
rough treatment. Some say he was knocked down
and trampled on—others that he was me rely hustled.
Mr. Sam Dickson, likewise the Mayor, and Mr.
O'Neill, who interfered to protect him, received
some ill-usage. At length the excitement and vio-
lence become so great that it was feared the immense
crowd would overturn the hearse and carriages and
throw his Lordship's remains into the river. A speedy
order was given for the military, and two companies of
the 15th Foot, and a troop of the sth Dragoon Guards
were almost immediately on the spot. In the meantime
Lord Monteagle, Sir Aubrey De Vere, and others, re-
mained in durance at Mr. Howard's till the military
came to their rescue. The populace then slowly retired,
laughing and jeering at the parade of soldiery, whose
presence could have been well dispensed with were the
police at hand, as they should have been, t 3 do their
duty."
MR. O'CONNELL.—Mr. O'Connell arrived privately at
Cruise's Hotel, Limerick, on Saturday evening, and left
on Sunday, after breakfast, for Darrynane. There was
a large collection of peop:e outside the hotel.—Limerick
Reporter.
The Marquis and Marchioness of Abercorn arrived on
Thursday last at Baronscourt.

SUICIDE BY STARVATION IN A
LUNATIC ASYLUM.

Yesterday afternoon Mr. Baker, the coroner, held
rather a lengthened investigation at the Five Bells Inn,
Old Ford, Middlesex, respecting the death of Frances
Wilson, aged 45, an inmate of Byle's private lunatic
asylum, in the above parish, who died, from voluntary
starvation in that establishment.

Ann Williams, a nurse in the asylum, deposed that the
deceased was a married woman, and had been an inmate
of the establishment since the 10th of last month, having
been sent under an order from the parish officers of Wal-
worth, on proper medical certificates, and was not a pri-
vate patient. The deceased was a decided lunatic. The
deceased had a disposition to abstain from food, and could
not be persuaded to eat proper nourishment. What
could be administered to her was generally done by some
persons holding her head back whilst witness put the
food into her mouth. She used to fancy that she was
going to be poisoned. On Tuesday forenoon witness,
assisted by a nurse named Jones, was engaged in feeding
her with wine and arrow-root, and as the last teaspoon-
ful was about being poured down her throat, her eyes
became fixed as if death were coming upon her. She
was instantly laid down on the bed, gave a deep gasp,
and expired.
The CORONER—Have you any padded rooms here
similar to those at the county asylum at Hanwell ? Wit-
ness—Not as yet, Sir.
What was this house formerly ?—A receptacle for
paupers, who were farmed out.
Is it a properly licensed private lunatic asylum ?—Quite
so, Sir.
Mr. Edward Palmer, resident surgeon at the asylum,
said the deceased laboured under violent mania, raving
it was poison. He was in attend-
almost constantly. Her delusions were various. She
she died. He thought that her
da ne
refusedacteh uwPfa°os causedodhbeerli
we
vih
byen ugt
he weakened state of her system,
arising from the circumstance of her having no disposi-
tion to take food.
The jury returned a verdict —" That the deceased had
died in consequence of her abstaining from proper nou-
rishment to sustain life."

A SCENE.—At the Watling—ton Petty Sessions, on
Saturday, before Mr. 11. Hammersley, and the Rev. E.
F. Glanville, June Allen, a wretchedly distressed-look-
ing woman, with an infant at her breast, was charged
with having stolen, on the 25th of November, a small
faggot of wood, of the value of " one penny," from off a
pile in Thirdswood, the property of Mr. John Page,
chairmaker, of Wheel-end, Stokenchurch. The prose-
cutor produced Alfred Newell. who, said he saw Allen
take the faggot at about half-past five o'clock on the
morning of the day in question. The husband of the
defendant, covered with rags, and bespeaking from his
appearance great poverty, declared that no person left
his house that morning till after six o'clock, and his
wife declared that she did not enter the wood till after
six o'clock, and then only to collect some dry boughs to
warm her children. The bench more than once put it
to the prosecutor as to whether he was determined to
press the charge, and he said he was ; he had lost fag-
gots before. Page said, " The faggots were worth 6s.
per hundred in the wood "--4 d. each. It was an affect-
ing scene. From the prosecutor sternly pressing the
charge, the mother, with the infant in her arms, was
committed to Oxford gaol, to take her trial at the Quarter
Sessions, charged with stealing the said faggot, of the
value of id.
ith
uosultin andy them,dy; they
THE WEITHER.—THE PARKS, &c.—There is still
of that rapid and
decided
renders
the streets of
the u
metropolis character
were, however,
for the greater part of yesterday, greasy, as it is termed,
and the roads in the suburbs were somewhat softened,
suspension
° slippery frost,which
without
and muddy;
but
thick the generally through
i the day keen and
cutting, blowing briskly from the eastward; and a rather
on the river was so
dense as to obstruct the chief portion of the traffic. The
temperature at the Royal Humane Society's receiving-
house, in Hyde Park, was thirty-five degrees at eight
fog wind
generally wasg
prevailed,
o'clock on Wednesday night, but had descended to thirty-
four degrees at seven o'clock yesterday morning. At
noon the mercury had advanced to thirty-eight degrees,
at which point it remained at eight o'clock last night, or
rather it may be said to have risen a shade, and the
wind having moderated considerable mildness succeeded.
The barometer had fallen from 32. 2. to 29. 7., giving
intimation of a fall of rain or snow. Skating in either
the Regent Park or Kensington Gardens is at an end for
the present.
A BURGLAR CAUGHT.—On Tuesdayevening, about
six o'clock, a most daring attempt at burglary was made
at No. 21, Walcot-square, Lambeth, which fortunately
terminated in the capture of the burglar just as he had
effected an entrance into the house. It appeared that a
gentleman residing next door was in the act of entering
his house, when he perceived a man in the doorway of
No. 21. lie crossed the road unperceived, and watched
the fellow's actions, when he distinctly saw the latter
open the door, and just as he was in the act of entering
he ran over and pounced upon him. They had a most
desperate struggle, in which the fellow beat his captor
in a dreadful manner, but he did not, however, let him
go until the arrival of the police, who secured him, and
conveyed him to the station-house, in Tower-street,
Lam be th.
THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS.—The various public
exhibitions throughout the metropolis were yesterday
visited by vast numbers of sight seers, who were evi-
dently all much gratified by what they saw.
The Duke and Duchess of Buckingham, the Mar-
quis of Chandos, and Lady Anne Grenville aro passing
Christmas at Stowe. The Noble Duke has distributed,
under his personal inspection, his annual Christmas
bounty to the numerous labourers on his Grace's estates
I in Buckinghamshire.

DEATH OF A MOTHER AND IN-
FANT FROM NEGLECT.

The picturesque little village of Cowley, near Chel-
teeham, has, during the past week, been the scene of
great excitement, in consequence of various reports, that
a female (unmarried) named Sarah Jackson, had been
recently delivered of a child, and that both the infant
and mother had perished the same morning, shortly
after the accouchement, and had afterwards been buried
at Cowley without having notified to the clergyman the
cause of death, which it was said entirely arose from the
gross neglect of the midwife. The above circumstances
having come to the knowledge of the Rev. Mr. Fendale,
the rector of the parish, that gentleman immediately put
himself in communication with the Coroner, Mr. Barnet,
and Mr. Dalton, the medical officer of the union, when
the former gentleman forwarded an order to the rectory
for the exhumation of the bodies, for the purpose of as-
certaining the cause of death. The disinterment having
taken place, the inquest was held in the drawing-room
of the parsonage house at Cowley. From the evidence
of Edith Jones, who keeps the toll-gate at Birdlip, near
Cheltenham, on the Cirencester road, it appeared that
the deceased was her sister. Deceased, who was twenty-
three years of age, was unmarried, and lived as servant
in a gentleman's family at Over, near Gloucester, and that
she came to Birdlip for the period of her confinement,
which took place at witness's house, on the 4th inst.
Deceased was attended by a midwife, named Betty
Redden, who, at the period of the accouchement, got
extremely agitated, and sent to Cheltenham for the as-
sistance of a medical gentleman, Mr. Dalton, who gave
his immediate attendance. Mr. Dalton remained with
his patient above an hour and a half, who, he said was
going on exceedingly well. lie then left her in charge
of the nurse, Elizabeth Redden, taking care to examine
Redden as to her competency in midwifery; the answers
being satisfactory, he left deceased in the hands of the
nurse, with the greatest confidence, particularly as the
dangerous period of parturition was over. At two hours
after Mr. Dalton had left the deceased was delivered of
a full-grown fine female child. The nurse Redden was
present. The nurse was to have ss. for her attendance.
After the birth (about an hour and a half) Redden
attended to the child; she washed its face, and placed it
on a box, observing that it was " dead enough." The
mother was placed in a chair, undressed, and put to bed.
The child was born alive, and there was some blood on
its ears and nose before it was washed. There were no
marks of violence observable about the head. The child

lived about an hour after it was born, but nothing was
done to it till it was washed by the nurse, and the mother
was informed of the death of her first-born. After the
child's face was washed the nurse left, saying the female
was going on very favourably, and did not return again.
The mother died before Mr. Dalton could be sent for a
second time.

Elizabeth Redden was examined at great length, but
the prevaricating manner in which she gave her testi-
mony, and the great reluctance with which she answered
the questions of the Coroner, induced him to order
her to withdraw, and to decline receiving her testimony.
The CORONER observed, that, by her own admission,
it was obvious that both mother and infant had been
treated with great neglect and ignorance. The Coroner
observed, he did not know in what position the verdict
of the jury would place her; it might be one of peril.
Ann Williams. of Birdlip, another midwife, also in
giving her evidence, prevaricated to such a degree that it
called forth the severe censure of the Court. The wit-
ness, however, admitted that she observed a black mark
on the forehead of the child, and blood was escaping
from the nese, mouth, and ears.
The CORONER severely lectured the two midwives
for the tissue of falshoods relative to the child, which,
in fact, had never been washed at all, and said he did
not know that he was doing his duty in not having
them punished.
Mr. Hawkins, surgeon, of Cheltenham, stated that
in his opinion, both mother and child had been grossly
neglected by the two midwives and their friends. Had
proper and judicious care and management been taken,
both lives would undoubtedly have been saved. It was
a gross case of neglect.
Mr. Dalton, the surgeon to the union, presented him-
self for examination, but the jury said there was not the
slightest imputation on his conduct, andi his evidence
would be unnecessary.
Mr. Dalton replied, he merely wished to explain that
when he arrived at the house, he was told his assistance
would not be required, that ,the female was going on
well, and that nature would perform her office—having
seen the patient, he left orders that if she got worse he
should be instantly sent for. Placing the deceased in a
chair was sufficient to cause serious injuries. As medi•
cal officer of the union, he received no order to attend
the woman, but went instantly without one.
The jury, after a lengthened discussion, returned the
following special verdict:—" That they considered the
deceased had not received proper care and attention that
a person in her peculiar state required, but, on the con-
trary, was neglected and injudiciously treated by the
midwife, Elizabeth Redden—that the, infant died from
contusion of the brain, but from what precise cause it
arose there is not sufficient evidence to testify. The
jury also beg to express their opinion that the child had
not proper care and attention bestowed upon it, as to
afford it an opportunity of living, and that there was
great neglect on the part of the said Elizabeth Redden."
The above verdict will not warrant a committal for
manslaughter.

FIltE AT A COTTON FACTORY.—Yesterday morn-
ing, about half-past seven a'clock, information was
brought to the police-yard, by a police officer, that the
factory occupied by Messrs. Waterhouse and Co., cotton-
spinners, Temple-street, Chorlton-upon-Medlock, was
on fire. Mr. Thomas Rose, with a company of firemen
and an engine, were soon on the spot, and three other
engines followed. An engine from the Pollard-street
station, and one belonging to the firm of Messrs. Hoyle
and Sons, whose works are adjacent to Messrs. Water-
house and Co.'s mill, were also very early at the place.
The latter engine, we believe, arrived very shortly after
the fire was discovered, and being in excellent condition,
was of very great service. Mr. Rose, who is yot suffer-
ing from the effects of an injury received from the kick
of a horse about ten days ago, was present soon after
the arr ival of the first engine from the police-yard. At
that tit ne the flames were issuing from the windows of
the sec and and third stories of a building containing
the carding and blowing machinery ; the building is four
stories high, and runs parallel to a larger erection be-
longing to the same firm. Appearances for some time
were very alarming ; but water having been quickly ob-
tained, and branches from the Niagara and Thetis en-
gines got into play, the flames were soon reduced,and in
about an hour completely extinguished. The building,
which b elongs to the firm, is of the fire-proof construc-
tion, am I has not received any considerable damage. The
principul damage was to the cotton on the premises, a
conside table quantity of which was consumed, and other
portion; I sustained damage from the water used in extin-
guishini the fire. The amount of loss we have not been
able to ascertain. The building, machinery, stock of cot-
ton, &e. , are, we understand, insured in the Phoenix, Im-
perial, I Loyal Exchange, Atlas, and Alliance offices. The
tire orig 'mated through some hard substance coming in
contact, i with the teeth of a blowing machine in the lower
Story, at id thereby causing the cotton to ignite, and the
flames, a iterwards ascended through the " well-holes" to
the lAgln -r stories of the building. The firemen displayed
their use al coolness and intrepidity on the occasion, and
the work men employed in the mill assisted to the utmost
of their p iower in staying the progress of the conflagra-
tion. ) personal injury, we are glad to say, was re-
ceived.—. Manchester Guardian.
DREAI MIL ACCIDENT BY FlRE.—Yesterday:morn-
ing, soon after three o'clock, a police-constable, named
Ayliffe, Z Zo. 270 K, was on his beat in Green Man-lane,
Poplar, vi 'hen he heard the screams of a woman, and
cries of " Murder, fire," proceed from the house No. 3,
inhabited by a female named Ellen Walsh. He lost no
time in he stening to the spot, and endeavoured to obtain
admission, , but was unable to do so until he broke open
the door, • When the poor unfortunate creature Walsh fell
into his a rms with her garments blazing around her.
Ayliffe, w ith great presence of mind, threw his great
coat about her person, flung her on the ground, and
rolled her over until ho extinguished the flames. She
was bumf:. in a dreadful manner, and Ayliffe imme-
diately ci died upon the assistant of Mr. Baillie, the
divisiot tal surgeon, to attend her. After the usual reme.
dies hi ,c 1 k teen applied, she was removed on a litter to
the 3. and,Dn Hospital, and received all the attentions
whi ch the resources of that admirable institution could
Atli nTI Hier case appeared hopeless from the first, and
de Alt has since relieved her. The woman was of the
etleiss .caller I " unfortunate," and went home intoxicated
.an Christi aas night at twelve o'clock, and left a candle
burni2ag oft a chair by her bed side, and the light cow-
eounit sated to her clothes after she had laid down. In
.extin guishi'ng the fire, the constable's hands were se-
vere] y burl ted.
D esTrrii eriox.—Yesterday morning Mr. Wakley,
~ held tan inquest on the body of James W. Satin-
. ier 3, who was found dead on a truss of hay in a
)alit ,erable room, at 14, Newton-street, Holborn. The
aeaeased, like most who have no worldly goods, was
re :cognised by no relative. He was missed on Sunday
and Monday. The landlord had the door of his room
forced open. on the latter day, when he was found dead
and naked as already described. The room was in a
wretched condition, filthy in the extreme, without food
or the means of obtaining it. A French gentlemen
stepped forward, and said that he had known the do-
eee sed for three years, and that as an operative chemist
he was unrivalled, and was well known to Professor
aham, of the University College, to whom ho had
bee nan assistant. This gentleman further stated that
the deceased told him that he had been disappointed in
lon and had nothing to live for. In the concentration
of a cids as poison he was most clever—so much so, that
frot a common acids he made such powerful poisons
tha t two drops repeatedly killed animals. Mr. Riely
the summoning officer, having stated that a paper of
tart aric acid was found near his bed, Mr. Wakley ad-
jou rued the inquest to have the body opened.

THE RAILWAY SYSTEM A,ND THE
BOARD OF TRADE.
The course which Parliament intends to pursue with
respect to railways in the ensuing session is now become
a subject of great interest. To develop a sound and
permanent system of intercommunication suitable to the
commercial and political situation of the country, both
In its national and continental relations, is a matter of no
inconsiderable difficulty ; and this difficulty becomes
still more perplexing by the necessity which exists for
repairing the errors that have already been committed,
while preserving a due regard to existing interests of
so large a character as those already involved in these
undertakings.
The full effects of the railway system are but very
imperfectly comprehended by the great majority of
persons. It is looked upon generally as merely a
more easy mode of transporting persons, for pleasure
or for business, from one place to another. But
those who look deeper into the matter discover in it
a principle which is fast producing a change on the
whole commerce of the country—which is daily ab-
sorbing the merchandise traffic to such an extent as
must affect, to an unknown degree, the value of pro-
perty, by altering the relative cost of transit for our
mineral productions and our manufactures, which form
so important an item in the value of the staple commo-
dities and general merchandise of the country. The
laying out of railways, therefore, on a comprehensive
plan is a subject requiring the most serious considera-
tion ; and the most extensive experience which can be
brought to bear upon the question will be required to
obtain even an approach to a sound and judicious deci-
sion on this difficult subject.
The proceedings of the Railway Department of the
Board of Trade are naturally watched with considerable
anxiety by those who are interested in, and able to com-
prehend the various bearings of, this complicated sub-
ject. A Government Board which was instituted to
supervise the arrangements of railway companies for the
prevention of accidents, is a very different thing from
a Board which. is to decide upon the great national
question of railway communication in general. And the
course pursued by this Board in their investigation of
the various railway schemes brought before them is not
calculated to remove the impression that their inquiries
will be entirely deficient of any practical good, while
their reports may be productive of great harm, by in-
ducing those unacquainted with the subject to place a
much greater dependence upon these reports than their
intrinsic merits can possibly entitle them to. In a re-
cent article upon this subject we stated what were the
points on which the Board were required to report to
Parliament. These were principally the engineering
peculiarities of the lines ; the sufficiency of the esti-
mates ; the relative commercial advantages of compet-
ing lines ; and some other points of minor importance.
Now, how do the Board arrive at their conclusions on
these subjects ? They have merely copies of the plans
and sections furnished to them, similar to those de-
posited with the clerks of the peace. They examine
no evidence, except such voluntary statements as the
parties interested choose to make. They take for
greeted the correctness of the engineering details.
No local examination is made to establish the accu-
racy of the estimated expense of construction. No in-
quiries are instituted into the commercial peculiari,
ties of the districts ; no personal inspection and survey
of the country ; no estimates of traffic from actual ob-
servation. An Ordnance map, a gazetteer and the plans
and sections of the railway, constitute, so far as any-
thing appears, the whole machinery by which a judg-
ment is to be formed and a repert made, which is to be
the foundation for a Parliamentary decision. The -
quirers after truth need no longer complain, Utinam tam
facile very invenire possem, quam false convincere ; for it
would appear that the clearsightedness which official
situations produce on those who previously were subject
to the common defects of ordinary mortality, renders
both truth and error alike transparent at a glance.
If gazetteers and maps could furnish sufficient infor-
mation as to, the best direction and commercial advan-
tages of particular railways, there would still remain
the question of cost of construction, which cannot be
reached by these means. Where are the data for
these calculations ? If we take the experience of
the past for our guide, we shall find that the
average cost of all the principal railways in England
has been between 50,0001. and 60,000 L a mile. But in
the new lines, for which application to Parliament is now
about to be made, the cost of construction is estimated
only at from 10,0001. to 15,0001. per mile—some few lines
reaching as high as 25.000/., and others being as low as
7,0001. per mile only.:Engineers may well laugh in their
sleeve at the idea of their estimates being revised by the
Board of Trade. Without a careful investigation of the
face of the country, the nature of the soil, the geological
character, and the local value of the laud through which
the railway passes, even the most remote approximation
to the cost of construction cannot be obtained; for many
of the uew lines are estimated to cost less than half what
the land alone has cost in the old railways; and unless,
therefore, the Government engineers possess intuitiv4
that knowledge which it has cost the staff of railway intuitive
gineers twelve years' labour to acquire, and railway pro-
prietors a sacrifice of 40,000,0001. or 50,000.0001. to secure,
the judgment of the Railway Department of the Board
of Trade can be nothing better than a farce and a
mockery, which it is quite beneath them to attempt.
The Railway Board undoubtedly contains some clever
men, and the character of the President is above
reproach. But cleverness is as far removed from that
grasp of mind which this subject .requires as it is from
that practical experience without which far greater ta-
lents than even the collective Board can boast would be
of but little avail. To judge of such questions as these,
military engineers aro almo!t totally incompetent, unless
they possess talents quite distinct from those of their
own profession. In the two notable instances in which
a Government engineer has been called upon to decide,
the most unfortunate decision has been the result; for
both in the Brighton Railway and in the Churnet Valley
schemes the erroneous decision adopted is now fully ac-
knowledged; and the result will, probably, in both cases
be, the construction of two lines of railway at a vast
sacrifice of property, where one would have amply
sufficed.
The decision by a secret tribunal in such important
matters would, under any circumstances, be a vast evil,
which is greatly increased when the judges are obviously
inexperienced in the matters they are to decide upon.
The opposing parties for competing lines each make.
their own statements. No cross-examination takes place
by those acquainted with the facts of the case; and the
most unscrupulous of the parties are, therefore, most
likely to obtain a judgment in their favour. What care
they if their estimates of cost prove utterly insufficient,
their calculations of traffic enormously exaggerated ?
These defects will not be exposed till they have realised
a large premium on their shares, and when they have
left to others the task of bearing the public odium. Not
one in twenty of the owners of the high-sounding names
attached to various of the new schemes knows personally
the truth of any one single fact which has been stated
respecting the schemes with which they are connected,
and they have only at any moment to sell their shares,
pocket the premium, and declare they have been deceived
by false representations of others, in order to exonerate
themselves from the consequ mum es here stated. Th. pro-
ceedings of the Board of Trade peculiarly favour such
operations ; while the old-established companies, who
bring forward schemes guaranteed on a tangible capital
of their own, and supported on the statements of those
who must be responsible for them, are left without the
possibility of being able to refute the statements of their
opponents, however erroneous they may be. Such ap-
pear to be some of the probable evils that will attend the
decisions of the Board of Trade, made, as these decisions
will be, on most inconclusive evidence, and by persons
inexperienced in the matter.—Times.

The Earl and Countess of Powis, Hon. R. H. and
Lady Harriet Clive, Hon. Robert Herbert, and a family
circle, are assembled at Powis Castle, near Welshpool.
The Noble Earl and Hon. R. 11. Clive have each sub-
scribed 201. for the relief of the poor of Ludlow. At
the close of last week the Earl and Countess of Powis,
Hon. R. H. Clive, and Lady Harriet Clive, with a party
of friends, repaired to Ludlow, to honour the annual
ball by their presence there. The assemblage of the
local and neighbouring nobility and gentry was exceed-
ingly numerous, many of whom came purposely to con-
gratulate the Noble Earl on his recent investiture as a
Knight of the Garter. Earl Powis, who was decorated
with the insignia of his order, viz., the star and garter,
was warmly received by his friends and neighbours.
The ball altogether went oft with much eclat.
DEATH FROM SUFFOCATION. CAUTION TO
BURNERS OF COKE.—Yesterday an inquest was held at
the Royal Mason Tavern, Mary-street, Poplar, before
Mr. Baker, coroner, on view of the body of Edward Lines,
aged sixty-eight years, a pensioner, residing in the East
India Compaay's almshouses, Poplar, who came by his
death under the following melancholy circumstances:—
William Weller stated that deceased occasionally acted
as shipkeeper on board vessels in the docks. On Tues-
day evening last he left home to proceed on board the
Larpent, then lying in the West India Docks, to take
charge of her during the night. On the following
(Christmas) day, not returning home as usual, witness
went on board the ship to ascertain the cause. Not
finding him on the galley, which he usually occupied, he
went to the after-cabin. He found the door locked, and
upon knocking and receiving no answer, he broke open the
door, when he discovered the deceased lying dead in a
hammock. In the cabin, which was only seven feet long
by five wide, was a fire-grate, on which was a coke fire
burning. There was no vent for air, deceased having
placed the curtain across the door to keep out the draft.
There was no chimney or flue to the grate. In witness's
opinion deceased had been suffocated by the fumes of the
charcoal. Mr. Fanburn, a constable in the West India
Docks, said he had Bono into the cabin about two hours
after the deceased had been found dead. The fumes of
the charcoal were then so strong that it was scarcely pos-
sible to breathe. If a human being had, even after that
lapse of time, been shut up in the cabin, death must have
ineviably ensued. Verdict—" Accidentally suffocated by
the fumes of charcoal."