The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-25 00:00:00

THE MN', LONDON, MONDAY EVENT NG, MARCH 26, 1844.

community, by protecting them against the frauds of bubble
companies.— herald.

Mr. J. Gladstone's letter, which appeared in the Times of
Friday, has been the subject of very general comment
among the City capitalists, and appears, on the whole, to be
that plan, compared with many others lately current for a
reform in the currency, which will obtain the majority of
suffrages in its favour. That the exclusive privileges of the
Lank of England are about to cease, and her whole consti-
tution to undergo important modifications, is a conclusion to
which most people have come who have bestowed any con-
sideration on the subject, and for these reasons—that the
evil is manifest ; the period for a legal remedy at hand to be
applied now, or to stand over of necessity for ten years longer ;
and, lastly, that a state of the money market exists which
can oppose no obstacles to the Minister's plans, so far as they
may depend upon anew creation, or a new disposition of
capital.
Capitalists are only waiting, therefore, as they have been
for a considerable time past, for some indication of the course
intended to be pursued by the Ministry, respecting which
nothing has yet been suffered to transpire. This feeling will
very naturally account for the notice which has been
bestowed upon Mr. Gladstone's letter; for though no sort
of official character can be ascribed to it, it is de-
finite and clear in its view of the subject, novel and plau-
sible. The circumstance which especially recommends it to
their approval is the very slight alteration which it proposes
in the existing system ; for all men of property dread and
abhor great and sudden changes, and in this there is nothing
absolutely now, except that another bank, and that a Go-
vernment one, is created ; and the Bank of England is called
upon to part with those of her exclusive privileges which
have for so long a period been an annoyance to the public
and dangerous to herself. There are circumstances in this
plan which would leave the Bank of England in a better po-
sition than before, as the amount represented by her stock
of bullion might then be at once rendered productive, instead
of lying wholly useless, as it is at present. The Government
business or agency would naturally find its way to her, in the
character of the Bank possessing the largest capital of any
in the metropolis ; and by listing left free to assist commerce
at the periods when it was most required, instead of desert-
ing the merchants at the moment of danger, which she was
compelled heretofore to do by a regard for her own safety,
she would become a point d'appui, instead of a rock a-head,
to the trading community.
The only thing noticed as a defect in that part of Mr.
Gladstone's plan which refers to the Bank of England is his
reserving the character of a legal tender to the notes
issued by her in the same manner as those notes to be
issued by the proposed " National Bank." These
last should alone, as is considered in many quarters where
the subject has been discussed, possess that character, though
there is this to be remarked in its favour—that any sudden
alteration in the character of that which forms so large a
proportion of the existing circulation might lead to much
public inconvenience. This- may, therefore, as a matter of
prudence and caution, which this subject above all others
requires, in whatever manner it is approached, justify for a
time the reservation of this privilege ; but a limit might be
fixed for its duration, to a time when the notes of the " Na-
tional Bank" had found their way into general circulation,
and when these latter alone should possess the distinction of
being a legal tender in all payments.
Mr. Gladstone's suggestions for placing a more effective
j
check upon the issues of notes by oint-stock com-
panies and private partnerships in banking are well enough
adapted for the purpose. They are not, however, new, and
might be found in practice to be attended with so much
inconvenience, not to mention the facility with which eva-
sions could be practised, that they would probably become a
dead letter, and that in a very short time.
Nearly all the delicacy and the difficulty of his scheme may
be said to lie in the mariner in which his proposed National
Bank is to be constructed, so as to be freed from the control
of any future corrupt Ministry, who may pervert it to im-
proper uses, and yet quietly proceed with its functions in the
support of the banking and trading in periods of danger.
There seems no impossibility, however, in giving to the new
institution that independent character which can alone sus-
tain its utility, and the general features of the plan, as has
been already stated, obtain much approbation among those
who ought to be looked to by the Ministry for advice and
assistance at this important juncture.— Times.

The following letter has been addressed to the editor of the
Times :

" Sir,-1 am informed it has been stated by the editors of
the Morning Chronicle and the Standard that they are dis-
posed to think it probable my Considerations connected
with the renewal of the Bank Charter,' which yesterday ap-
peared in the columns of the Times, had been written after
communication with my son, the President of the Board of
Trade. In consequence, I think it my duty thus to declare
that I had no communication on the subject of them with
my son or with any other member of the Government,
directly or directly, or indeed with any other person previous
to doing so ; they are the fruits of the experience of a long
commercial life, and under impressions of the importance of
their object, I ventured to submit them to the public under
my sole responsibility, however undeserving of confidence
they probably may appear to many. I ought also to add,
that I am wholly unacquainted with the views and intentions
of the Government in connexion with this subject.
"I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient servant,
" JOHN GLADSTONE.
"Carlton-gardens, March 23."

shall run." So saying he retreated, suiting the action to the
word, and was saved.

The President himself had taken his position but a few
minutes previous, precisely were Governor Gilmer was killed ;
but for some reason or other went aft, and was thus provi-
dentially saved.
.The most heart-rending scene, however, was that which
followed. The two daughters of Mr. Gardiner, of New York,
were on board, and lamented the death of their father; while
Mrs. Gilmer, from whom they in vain attempted to keep the
dreadful news of the death of her husband, presented truly a
spoctacle fit to be depicted by a tragedian. There she sat on
deck, with her hair disheveled, pale as death, struggling
with her feelings, and with the dignity of a woman—her lips
quivering, her eyes fixed and upturned, without a tear, only
the corners a little moist, soliloquising—" Oh, certainly not-!
Mr. Gilmer cannot be dead ! Who would dare to injure him ?
Yes, oh Lord, have mercy on him ! Oh Lord, have mercy on
him !" And then, still more apparently calm and seeming
too collected, with the furies tearing her heart within, " I
beseech ye, gentlemen, to tell me where my husband is? Oh,
impossible—impossible ! Can he, can he, can he be dead ? Im-
possible !"
Here Mr. Senator Rives, of Virginia, drew near.
" Come near, Mr. lives," she said, in a soft whisper,
which resembled Ophelia's madness, " tell me where my hus-
band is—tell me whether he is dead. Now, certainly, Mr.
Rives, this is impossible—is it not so?" Mr. lives stood
speechless, the tears trickling down his cheeks. "I tell you,
Mr: Rives, it is impossible," she almost screeched ; and then
again, moderating her voice, " Now do, Mr. Rives, tell his
wife whether her husband lives." Here several ladies ex-
claimed, "Oh God, grant that she may be able to cry. It
would certainly relieve her some. If not, she must die of a
broken heart."

But my account has already grown much too lengthy,
and I must close for the present by informing you that the
President, Mr. Robert Tyler, Mr. John Tyler, Jun., and many
other officers remained on board the Princeton when we left.
There were but two surgeons on board at the time of the
disaster, Dr. Thomas and Dr. Hunt, the regular physicians of
the ship. Every attention was shown to the wounded.
I will give you further particulars to-morrow.
FRANKLIN.
P.S.—The President's mulatto servant, who was also
badly wounded, has died since.

liameut, ineluding 125/., expense of works, &c., that will
probably attend the warming and ventilation, under Dr.
Reid's directions (House of Peers) ; and 1,1501. for
ventilation and warming, under direction of Dr. Reid
(House of Commons) ; and for rent of rooms and addi-
tional chambers, &c., 5,420/. One is tempted to observe,
here, that Dr. Reid, without any disparagement to his
high character, appears "to have blown hot and cold" for
some years past, with no inconsiderable emolument to
himself.

No. 3. New Hnties of Parliament (Iteriim Barry)?

—Probable expense of the works for year ending
March 31, 1845, beyond sums already voted by Parlia-
ment, viz., " a further account of superstructure of
Houses of Lords and Commons, central hall and con-
necting corridors, the Victoria tower, the Royal gal-
lery, portion of the south front, the clock tower, and
the west front towards New Palace-yard, 60,0001."
No. 4. Trafalgar-square.-,For supply of water for
playing the fountains in this square, including also the
supply of water to the several public offices and official
residences in the neighbourhood of Whitehall and
Downing-street, the New Houses of Parliament, and
for watering the streets in the above loca-
lity, 7.000/. (We cannot understand why all
these liabilities are to be visited on these
improvements. The water-works, in the language of
the corporate companies, are to " supply high and low
service," it is evident. This estimate is truly a " mis-
cellaneous" one.) The charge on account of the new
Houses, however, as unaware% with 1843, shows a de-
crease of 80,0001; and for Trafalgar-square, on a similar
comparison, a decrease. of 5,0001.
No. 5. Estimated expenses for Holyhead Harbour and
Holyhead and Shrewsbury Roads, &c , 4,1641.
No. 6. Caledonian Canal.—Estimate for the year,
50,000/ •, showing an increase of 45,0001. of charge over
1843. Last year the whole, sum voted for this
magnificent and truly valuable work was but 5,000/. We
are glad to find that it is to be properly maintained.
No. 7. Probable charge for maintaining and repairing
Public Buildings in department of the Commissioners of
Public Works in Ireland, 26,1161 ; of Inland Navigation,
230/. ; and of Donaghadee Harbour, 3251.:—together,
26,8711 Excess over same charge for 1843, 1,495/.
No. 8. Works and repairs for Kingstown Harbour,
8,0001 ; showing a decrease for this estimate as com-
pared with last year, of 2,0001 Total of this set of Mis-
cellaneous Estimates for the current year, 273,6451.
No. 11. of these Estimates comprises the "Salaries and
Expenses of Public Departments," under the following
three-and-twenty heads, viz,

Two Houses of Parliament £59,350
Treasury
Secretary of State, Home Department 26,567
Ditto, Foreign Department 54,500
Ditto, Colonial Department
Privy Council• office, and Office for Trade 32,641
Lord Privy Seal , 2,000
Paymaster-General _ —36,16 G

. Comptroller of the Exchequer, Paymaster
of Exchequer-bills, and Paymaster of
Civil Services. 18,068
. State Paper-office
. Ecclesiastical Commissioners (England) .... 3,200
. Commissioners, Poor-laws
. Mint, including coinage 53,236
. Public Records
. Inspectors and Superintendents of Factories 9,700
. Offices in Scotland
. Household of the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland 6,464
. Chief Secretary's-offices and Privy Council-
office, Ireland
• Paymaster of Civil Services, Ireland 4,979
▪ Commissioners of Public Works, Ireland • 10,784
. Secret Service
. Printing and stationery
• Printing proclamations, &c., Ireland 4,950

£743,441

Total of increase, as compared with estimate of 1843,
34,99:5/. The items on which this increase is noted, are
the following votes :—For the two Houses of Parlia-
ment, increase 8,0001. ; Foreign-office, ditto 11,7731. ;
Colonial-office, ditto, 932/.; Privy Council-office, ditto,
359/. ; Comptroller of the Exchequer, and his subor-
dinate departments, ditto, 3451.; Poor-law Commis-
sioners, ditto, 1,518 ; printing and stationery, ditto,
20,209/. _ _

No. 111. of these Estimates comprises " Law and Jus-
ice, under the following classification :-
1. Law charges (England) including arrears... £30,000
2. Mintprosecutions, relating to gold and silver
coin
3. Expense of prosecutions, and removal of con-
victs, formerly paid from county-rates... 150,000
4. Sheriffs' expenses, England ; Queen's Ile-
membrancer's-office ; officers of the
Court of Exchequer, &c.
5. Insolvent Debtors' Court 13,368
6. Prison at Parkhurst ; building and fittings 5,750
Establishment and expenses
7. Prison at-Pentonville ; building and fittings 3,999
Establishment and expenses
8. Penitentiary, Millbank, building and fittings 5,000
Establishment and expenses
9. Criminal lunatics, Bethlem Hospital 3,972
0. Inspectors of Prisons, Great Britain ; and
Prison Board, Scotland
1. Criminal prosecutions, and other law
charges, Scotland
Sheriffs' expenses, Scotland
2. Criminal prosecutions, and other law
charges, Ireland ~
13. Police of Dublin
4. Convict Depot, and Constabulary Barracks,
Dublin
i 5. Convicts at home, at Bermuda, and at Gib-

... 13,360

6,337

raltar
6. Convict Expenditure, New South Wales
and Van Diemen's Land

. 300,000

£873,194
The total increase on this class of estimates, as com-
pared with 1843, is 32,8591.

THE NEW LAW OF LIBEL.
(From the Sunday Times.)
It was generally admitted that the law of libel was
in a very imperfect state when Lord Campbell under-
took to introduce a new Bill upon the subject during
the last session. There are few men who were better
qualified for the task than the Noble and Learned
Lord. During his own forensic experience he had
acquired a personal knowledge of the defects and im-
perfections of the system which he undertook to re-
vise and correct. The Bill which he succeeded in
carrying introduced, in. many respects, some salutary
changes and improvements. There are, however,
some few of its enactments so totally at variance with
our notions of common justice as well as with the
more universally operating influences of common hu-
manity, that we are sure when public attention has
been properly directed towards them the proper re-
medy will not remain long unapplied. Strenuous
supporters as, of course, we are of the liberty of the
press, we should be amongst the foremost in regret-
ting that that liberty should ever degenerate into li-
centiousness. Society ought to be protected against
those who bring odium and disgrace upon the press
by their infamous attacks upon private character. In
order to effect this, a more stringent law of libel was
undoubtedly wanted. There are few errors, however,
into which so many are prone to fall as that of jump-
ing from one extreme to another.
" Incidit in Scyllam qui vult vitare Charybdim."
A drunkard imagines that no remedy for his unfor-
tunate propensity can be found elsewhere than in the
regions of teetotalism, and so on ; in the great majority
of cases, extremes have a sort of natural tendency to
beget extremes. The law of Lord Campbell came
into operation in November last; and since then Mr.
Gregory, of the Satirist, has been found guilty of a
_ _

libel onw a criminal information, and is at this Moment
undergoing his sentence in the goal of Newgate. 'We
do not attempt for a moment to justify the conduct of
Mr. Gregory; but, at the same time, we cannot help
thinking that the punishment which he is at present
suffering, and all the circumstances connected with it,
which we shall presetly more particularly enume-
rate, are not only by, trtirly degrees too severe, but
that they are completely opposed as well to the plain
principles of justice as to the spirit and tenor of
the British constitution itself. And we are the more
anxious to make this plainly appear, inasmuch as in
the case of Mr. Gregory a 'principle is acknowledged,
and a precedent established, which, if not timeously
crushed, may be erected into a guide and authority
for the future. 'We have received a letter from a
correspondent on the subject. We take the following
extract, inasmuch as it gives a graphic and circum-
stantial account of the sufferings of those who under
the present law may unfortunately be convicted
of libel :

" On arriving within the prison, the party is imme-
diately placed upon a level with the most heinous felon,
both with respect to lodging and diet. His bed consists
of a narrow iron bench, a rope mat, and two horse-cloths;
sheets, linen, pillows are refused, though his family may
strive to supply him with those cleanly and necessary
comforts. His food consists of the regulation gruel and
the coarse clods and stickings contracted fur by the
prison butchers. He is compelled to eat his scanty dinner
by the aid of his fingers alone, for the prison rules forbid
such utensils as knives and forks to its inmates. During
the depth of winter his fire—(candles he never sees)—is
extinguished at four o'clock P.M., leaving him for fifteen
hours out of the twenty-four in all the misery of total
darkness and solitude to brood over his-situation. He is
placed under the most rigorous restraint in every parti-
cular ; books, papers, writing materials of every kind,
even to a black-lead pencil, Are denied to him. The
oc-
casional society of his family and friends, except under
restrictions rendering such visits painful both to him
and them, is also prohibited."
It will hardly, we think, be denied that the above
punishment is too severe for a man who has been
convicted of a libel, even supposing it to be one of an
aggravated nature. Men found guilty of libel are
generally of a class superior to that of common felons.
Consequently, to them the punishment of imprison-
ment, with all the aforenamed restrictions, is much
more severe than it can be to those found guilty of
other criminal offences. They are placed in associa-
tion with men with whom they can have no inter-
change of thought, no conversational intercourse, and
the punishment, in fact, becomes one of solitary con-
finement in its very worst form. In order to show
the way in which this sort of imprisonment has
operated upon Mr. Gregory already, we again quote
from our Correspondent :
"The effects of this unprecedentedly severe treatment
soon became apparent, and symptoms of disease dis-
played themselves. The family physician is consulted,
who, after much digiculty, procures admission to visit

the patient. He at once gave a certificate of' his danger,
which, together with a memorial from the family, was
laid before the Secretary of State for the Home De-
partment. A reply, in the form of a printed notice, has
been sent, to the effect that no sufficient ground exists
for Sir James Graham to interfere." .

Deeply affected by the disregard here evinced for
human life, his family awaited with patient but har-
rowing anxiety the result of a few weeks, apprehen-
sive of the consequences which had been predicted by
his physician. The symptons displayed themselves in
a still stronger form, and a consultation was held, at
which it was determined that several of the most emi-
nent physicians in London should separately visit him
and, with-his own medical attendant, deliver their
own individual opinions. This step was ta-
ken, certificates were written by nine medical
gentlemen, all giving it as their decided opinion that
the patient's lungs were affected ; that since his in-
carceration disease had gradually been stealing on
him ; and that, if he be not removed from prison to a
more healthy situation, where he will have pure air
and exercise, good diet, and a tranquil mind, the
disease he is labouring under must advance, and ulti-
mately destroy him. Another states, after a length-
ened description of his case, " that every day of his
confinement in prison must greatly add to the danger
of his situation ; and if it be much prolonged, that he
must inevitably fall a victim to his disease." Nine
certificates, agreeing as to the precarious state of
his health, together with another memorial, were
laid before the Home Secretary. After waiting
for twenty...one days in a state of the most ha-
rassing anxiety, another printed form was returned
again, stating that " no sufficient grounds existed
to justify the interference of Sir James Graham."
It is certainly difficult for uninitiated persons to dis-
cover the - grounds on which Sir James Graham has
come to so very extraordinary a conclusion. When
the man is actually dying by slow degrees, it would
appear, according to the common dictates of humanity
and justice, that there was but one course for him to
pursue. It is quite clear that the law never intended
that the sentence passed upon him should be the means
either of engendering a fatal disease or of accelerating
the progress of it. And when such appears, upon the
most incontrovertible evidence, to be the effect •of it,
surely it is the bounden duty of the Home
Secretary to interpose his authority, in order to
prevent such an event taking place. To permit the
sentence of the law now to go on in its regular course
is absolutely to sanction the greatest passible amount of
cruelty and injustice. No matter how great or how ag-
gravated Mr. Gregory's offence may have been, still the
punishment which he is now suffering, and the fatal re-
sults to which that punishment, if it be allowed to go
on, must necessarily lead, is manifestly not that
which is in accordance either with the letter or the
spirit of the law. Even supposing it to be just
(which we altogether deny) that convicted libellers
should be subjected to the same severe and rigorous
mode of imprisonment as that which those convicted
of other crimes are necessitated to endure, yet, in
the present case, there are qualifying circumstances
which call for the prompt interference of the proper
authorities ; an interference, indeed, which, under
similar circumstances in the case of other criminals,
has never been withheld. Let the case be supposed of
a man sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment for
sheep-stealing, if it were found that the severe prison
discipline was operating upon his constitution in
such a manner as seriously to injure his health,
surely in such a case the Home Secretary would feel
imperatively called on to interfere. Indeed, such
cases of interference are not by any means of rare or
unfrequent occurrence. How, then—with what plea
of justice, or on what ground of policy—setting
hu-
manity aside—can Sir James Graham refuse to inter-
fere in this instance ? We do trust that this matter
will be taken up by the press generally and warmly.
It is a case in which they all ought to feel almost,
personally concerned. The fate of Mr. Gregory to-
day may be theirs to-morrow. If a man on a cri-
minal information be found guilty of a libel at the
Old Bailey, he must be sent to Newgete, an there,
if the sentence of imprisonment be for any lengthened
period, that sort of rigorous and cruel discipline
awaits him to which transportation at once would be
far preferable. As the Home Secretary has already
resisted the force of two appeals to him, we trust
that some Liberal Member of Parliament will take the
matter up. The law should not, and we trust will
not, be allowed to continue in its present state. Let
those convicted of aggravated libels be punished, and
punished severely, but not let their punishment be of
so inhuman and cruel a nature as to change their
position materially, by enlisting upon their side the
feelings and sympathies of the public. This would
have the effect of bringing the law into contempt,
and of causing the framers of it to be looked on not
as public benefactors, but as tyrants and oppressors.
We hope we have said enough to show that some modi-
fication of the present rigorous, cruel, and inhuman
system is now imperatively called for.
[The writer of this article imputes blame to the
new libel law which it does not deserve. The crime
of which Mr. Gregory was convicted was committed
before Lord Campbell's Bill came into operation, and
he could not be tried on an ex post facto law. f the
statements regarding the treatment of convicted felons
is correct, no language can be found too strong to
denounce such horrible punishments. Better to recur
to the old system of hanging men by scores, than mur-
der them by slow torture. Persons convicted of
serious crimes deserve condign punishment; but
there is a wide difference between condign punish-
ment and ahorrible infliction like this.—En. Sun.]

GLASGOW, DUMFRIES, AND CAR-

LISLE RAILWAY.

A meeting of shareholders in the Edinburgh, and
Glasgow Railway Company, and of parties friendly
to the proposed line from Glasgow to Carlisle, by
Dumfries, was convened by circular, and held at. one
o'clock yesterday in the ex-committee room, in order
to meet the Chairman and a deputation from Glasgow
of the promoters of the proposed line. Amongst the
gentlemen present were Messrs. J. B. Smith, Joseph
Crewdson, M'Connel, Samuel Walker, G. Grundy,
Peet, Higgin, Cardwell, Standring, John Ogden, John
Duncuft, &c. The deputation consisted of John Lead-
better Esq., Chairman of the Edinburgh and Glasgow
Railway Board,:and also Chairman of the Provisional
Committee of the proposed line, and Mr. William
Logie of Glasgow, interim Secretary. Mr. G. Grundy
being called to the chair, Mr. Leadbetter entered
into a statement, with a view to show that the pro-
posed line by Dumfries was the one most for the
interest of English shareholders in the Glasgow and
Ayr line, and in the Edinburgh and Glasgow line, to
support. He noticed the survey four years ago by
the Government engineers, with Sir Frederick Smith
at their head, and their instructions being, in con-
formity with a resolution of the House of Commons,
to report as to which was the best line of communi-
cation from England with Edinburgh and Glasgow
(which instructions did not leave them at liberty to
decide between the merits of an east and west coast

line) ; they reported in favour of the centre line (the
Caledonian). But since then circumstances had
changed; the East Ceast Company had got up their
capital and went into Committee yesterday, for a line
as far south as Berwick, and it was understood that
capital was made up for carrying it on as far as
Newcastle, Mr. Hudson giving the latter por-
tion his powerful influenoe. The Caledonian,
or centre line, was backed by the Grand Junc-
tion, North Union, Preston and Lancaster, and
Lancaster and Carlisle Companies, which he be-
lieved subscribed a portion of the capital for it, and
which supported it, hoping thereby to get a portion
of the east coast traffic ; but they would have that ad-
vantage if the east coast line were carried, and the Bill
for it was not impeded by the efforts of the Caledo-
nian Company. This reduced the question to this :
Shall Glasgow have its intercourse with Lancashire
and other parts of England, carried round by Edin-
burgh? He thought every one would see the neces-
sity of a west coast line, and then the question arose,
what ought that line to be ? There could not be a
doubt that a line coming upon the Ayrshire line
at Ayr, or Kilmarnock, must be beneficial to the
interests of the Ayrshire shareholders. Then, would
it pay ? The proposed line would pass through a
very rich part of Scotland, with a considerable
.
town population, besides abounding agricul-
tural and mineral wealth. One part of it would pass
through a large bed of coal and of the most valuable
iron-stone (the black-band). It was therefore more
likely to pay than the other lines. The Caledonian
line had much less favourable gradients ; its recent
alterations gave it a gradient for some distance of one
in 75, besides 18 miles more at an average of one in
128. They would have to pass over the Beattock
summit. Taking the statement of the Caledonian
Company, that line would be 24 miles shorter than
that by Dumfries ; but the Ayrshire line would have
much more favourable gradients, be less expensive in
forming, and the engineer said, would be worked in
the same time as the Caledonian. Up to Wednesday
last, nearly 5,000 shares, or 120,0001., had been
subscribed in Glasgow ; the Ayrshire Company, at
a meeting, on Wednesday, agreed to subscribe
200,000/. to the undertaking. In London they had
had applications for 2,000 shares (50,0001.), and there
was the fairest prospect of the subscription being
taken up. He was aware of the great array of names
on the committee of the Caledonian line, and that
they were backed by the chairmen of the English
lines ; but for this line it was preferred to have a
provisional committee of merchants, who would work
like men of business. Lord Eglintoun (a large pro-
prietor in Ayrshire) was to be the Governor or
Chairman, and Lord James Stuart (representing the
Bute family), the Deputy-Chairman. They hoped
also to have the assistance and interference of the

Portland family. He hoped, therefore, the Ayr-
shire Railway shareholders in Manchester would
give the proposed line their substantial sup-
port. Then the Edinburgh and Glasgow Rail-
way Company, whose capital was almost en-
tirely in England, would have their interests vi-
tally affected by the decision between the Cale-

donian and the Ayrshire line. The former, by Hi
diverging east and west from Lanark to Edinburgh
and Glasgow, would be really a competing line with
the Edinburgh and Glasgow,—besides making the
distance between the two cities more than 60 miles,
instead of 46 or 47 as at present. It was clearly the
interest of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Company
to oppose the Caledonian Company, which also pro-
posed to carry a line across the Edinburgh and Glas-
gow line, direct north to Stirling and Perth. In
answer to questions from various gentlemen, Mr.
Leadbetter added that the Caledonian Company would.
have 112 miles of new line to make, after taking ad-
vantage of 20 miles of mineral railways in the neigh-.
bourhood of Glasgow; their capital was to be 1,800,0004
or 16,000/. a mile. The Glasgow, Dumfries, and Car-
lisle Company had only 92 miles to execute, which their
engineer assured them could be done (paying four per
cent. during execution to the shareholders) at
1,300,0001., or 13,0001. a:mile. Some further state-
ments and conversation ensued, in the course of which
Mr. Leadbetter stated that the total amount sub-
scribed was about 400,0001., or nearly one-third of
the whole amount required, though the scheme had
been before the public only for a few days. It was
ultimately resolved, that that the best thanks of the
meeting be given to Mr. Leadbetter and Mr. Logie,
for the valuable information, and that they be
requested to take an an early opportunity of convening
another meeting of proprietors of the Edinburgh and
Glasgow, and the Glasgow, Kilmarnock, and Ayr
Railways, and of such other parties as are favourable
to the the western line from England to Glasgow, by
Dumfries and Ayr.—Manchester Guardian of Sa-
turday.

ARRIVAL OF • THE WEST INDIA
MAILS.

SOUTHAMPTON, SUNDAY MORNING.—The Severn, Royal
Mail Company's steam-ship, Captain Vincent, arrived this
morning soon after seven o'clock, from the West Indies,
bringing all the mails, and the following passengers :
From Jamaica—Mr. Henriques, Mr. Malholland, Mr. G.
Rhodes (60th Rifles), Mr. C. Thompson, Mr. F. Steel.
Trinidad—Mrs. Lake, two children, and female servant.
Fayal—Mr. Solomon Benskabeth, Mr. Solomon Seabury.
Also, Mr. Stewart, chief officer of the Company's ship Tweed,
invalided.

The Severn brings home but 2,000 dollars, 17i ounces of
gold dust, 296 ounces silver bullion, and 310 ounces of gold
ditto. No cochineal. Independent of the dollars above-
mentioned, one of the passengers brought home about 30,000
on private account.
The Severn left La Guayra on thesth of February; Deme-
rara, 19th ; Trinidad, 20th ; Barbadoes, 20th ; Jamaica, 23d ;
Grenada, 25th; St. Thomas's, 29th; and Fayal on the 16th
of March.