The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-24 00:00:00

SOUTHWARK.-(THIS DAY.)

Henry Johnson, a smart young man, dressed like a butcher,
was brought before Mr. Coifingham, charged with obtaining
a great quantity of property under false pretences.
The Court was thronged with shopkeepers who had been
defrauded by the prisoner.
The manner in which he obtained the goods, principally
articles of hosiery, consisting of satin and silk goods, was as
follows : Dressed in the costume of a butcher, his
plan was to enter a shop in a hurry, without his hat,
and representing that he was in the employ of a neigh-
bouring butcher, said that he was sent to the shop by hie em-
ployer to request that he might be sent some articles of satin
or silk to look at. The shopkeeper not doubting the veracity
of the statement sent the goods, and in all the cases it was
subsequently discovered that the articles had not been
ordered, and that the prisoner was unknown to the parties.
He was taken into custody by Brooks, a policeman, and at
his`lodgings a quantity of silk and satin belonging to his
victims was discovered. As other charges are likely to be
preferred against the prisoner, he was remanded until Wed-
nesday next.

RAILWAY COMMITTEES
(THIS DAY.)

Committee S.

This Committee re-assembled at twelve o'clock to-day, and
consisted of Mr. Stuart Wortley, Chairman, Mr. Ewart, Mr.
Ainsworth, and Mr. Bulkeley Hughes.
After the Committee had taken their seats the room was
cleared, and upon our re-admission
shape
into
projects.
till
eey Com-
mitteeshal
The CHAIRMAN informed the parties appearing for the
schemes—Londonderry and Enniskillen, and Londonderry
and Colraine Railways—that the Committee could not enter-
tainthweomuldin preferthetpi their
os presentoui
ng
ng
be committed as Bills. Indeed, the
Committee felt them-
selves precluded from entertaining them, until they were in
that state.
The Committee then proceeded with the adjourned
inquiry
in the case of
THE BELFAST AND BALLYMENA RAILWAY.
Mr. Gregg appeared opposing peti-
tioners, as Counsel for the
-
tioners, the Corporation of Belfast.
The nature of the opposition to this Bill was not against
the construction i
of the line of railway. They opposed it on
public grounds, i . n so far 10 it injured the revenue of the port
of Belfast. This revenue was raised for public purposes, and
the Railway Company came forward to ask for powers which
per se they did not possess ; but their clause, which
allowed them to carry goods from Whitehouse Pier, which is
just without their limits, to Carrickfergus Loch, would ma-
terially diminish the revenues of the port. The clause would
enable many persons to elude the dues which were laid down
in an Act of Parliament. The Corporation was favourable
to the construction of the line, for they were of opinion that
it would be of great advantage to the town of Belfast, pro-
vided the following clause were inserted in their Bill :
And whereas, by an Act passed in the Ist year of the reign of
her present Majesty, intituled, an Act for the formation of a new
cut or channel, and for otherwise
. more effectually improving the
port and harbour of Belfast ; it was amongst other things enacted,
that certain tonnage dues should be payable by the master, owner
or owners, consignee or consignees, of every ship or vesselcomiag
into the said harbour of Belfast, at the office of the
corporation for improving the said port or harbour
of Belfast, er to such person or persons as the
said corporation shall appoint to receive the same.
And also that certain rates and duties should in like
manner be payable on all goods, wares, merchandise, and commo-
dities imported or exported in any ship or vessel entering and using
the said harbour. Provided that nothing in said Act contained
should be construed or taken to charge or make liable to
any of the charges, tonnage, dues, or rates, any vessels
shipping or discharging any goods or merchandise on any
part of the shores of Belfast or Carrickfergus Loch, between
the Black Head in the island M'Gee, and the White House on the
county of Antrim side of the said loch, and between the Cope.
land Islands and the west point of the Kinnegar, on the county
Down side thereof, provided such vessel or vessels should not dis-
charge or load in certain places, or make use of certain moorings,
or other matters and things therein specified. And whereas
the said exemption from charges, tonnage dues, and li
rates was intended to apply to goods, wares, and mer-
chandise which should not be sent from, or intended for,
consumption within the town of Belfast, or at any place nearer to
the said town of Belfast, on the said County Antrim side of said
Loch, than the said Whitehouse, or nearer to the said town on
the County Down side, than the said west point of the Kinnegar ;
but by reason of the formation of the said railway such goods,
wares, and merchandise may be conveyed thereby to and from the
said town of Belfast, and places tearer to the said
town, on the said County Antrim side of said harbour,
than the Whitehouse aforesaid, to the evasion of the charges,
tonnage dues, rates, and duties lawfully payable to the said cor.
poration for the maintenance and improvement of the said harbour,
and payment of the interest on the debt they have already incurred
for that purpose for remedy whereof, be it enacted, that if any
goods, wares, merchandise, or commodities, which, if landed or
embarked at or from any part of the Port of Belfast,
not within the aforesaid limits, would be liable
to the payment of rates, dues, or duties to the said
corporation, shall be landed or embarked at or from any place on
the shores of Belfast or Carrickfergus Loch, between the port of
Carrickfergus and the Whitehouse, in the county of Antrim side
of the lough, which goods, wares, merchandise, or commodities,
shall be conveyed upon the said railway from or to the town
of Belfast, or from or to any place nearer to the said town
than the aforesaid Whitehouse, such goods, wares, merchan-
dise, and commodities shall Le liable to the payment
of the same rates and duties to the said Corporation as the same
would have been liable to if shipped or discharged at the port of
Belfast. And the said Railway Company shall be liable to the
payment to the said Corporation, or to such person, or persons, as
the said Corporation shall appoint to receive the same, of all such
rates, tolls, and duties, as aforesaid. And also to all such tonnage
dues as the vessel, or vessels which shall have shipped or discharged
such goods, wares or ,metchandise, or commodities, as
aforesaid would have'been liable, or subject to, in case the said
vessel or vessels had shipped er discharged the same at the port of
Belfast ; and shall keep a correct account of the number, weight,
quality, and quantity, of all goods, wares, merchandise, and com-
modities, conveyed on the said railway, which would be liable to
the payment of such tolls, rates, and duties under the provisions
hereinbefore mentioned, hich accounts shall be at all times
open to the inspection of the said Corporation, or of their
authorised officers, and in the event of the said Company failing
to keep such account, are to pay the said tonnage dues, rates, and
duties, from time to time, as they may become due; they
shall forfeit to the said Corporation treble the amount of
the said tonnage dues rates, and duties, for the payment
of which they may become liable, as aforesaid, and such
amount may be sued for and recovered by the said Corporation,
by action at law in any competent court. Provided always
that nothing herein contained shall extend to prevent the said
Railway Company from carrying on the said railway to or from
any point on their line all such quantities of coal and coke from
time to time as shall require to be used, and shalt be bona fide
used for the purposes of the engines of the said Company, without
any dues, rates, or duties being payable in respect thereof."
Mr. ALEXANDER, at great length, argued against this
clause. He referred the Committee to the fact that, in the
case of the Lynn and Ely Railway, the Committee on that
Bill refused to introduce a clause for the protection of a
public body, and he trusted that the Committee would not
sanction the present attempt to cripple the advantages of the
railway to the public, who would be more affected by the
claus e than the Railway Company.

Committee, Group T.
On the Committee resuming this morning the allegations
set foi th in the petition of the Marquis of Exeter were gone
into.
Mr, wergeaat WEANOLLAX appeared for tho Uarquis of

Exeter. He said the Noble Marquis had no objection to a
railway being brought into the town of Stamford, but only
to the plan by which this was proposed to be accomplished.
He was decidedly against the line being carried
across a principal street of that town at a
level ; and with regard to the promise of widen-
ing the bridge, so as to facilitate the passage of traffic
over it, there was no confidence to be placed in it, as there
was no clause in the Bill to authorise the Company to widen
the bridge in a manner necessarily required by the
circum-
stances of the case. He thought all these difficulties could
be overcome by Mr. Giles's plan, which took the line by the
north ride of the town, and proposed the making of the
station outside of the town, yet near enough for
all the purposes and conveniences of the inhabi-
tants. It had been objected to this line that the gra-
dients were too steep, especially that at the place where the
station was proposed to be built, which was one in 106, but
he would show by good engineering evidence that this objec-
tion respecting the gradients was not trustworthy. After
commenting at some length upon the evidence of Mr. Ste.
phenson given before the Committee yesterday, the Learned
Gentleman proceeded to call witnesses. _ _

The CurAI.I:3IAN before the witnesses were called, intimated
that, according to the standing orders of the Houso, he
thought it would not be admissable to put in particular
evidence regarding Mr. Giles's plan, which, as yet, was not
before the House ; but only general evidence to prove that
a better line than the one under the consideration of the
Commit:ee might be found.
Mr. WitANGnam thought that the object of the Gail-
mittee would be gained by the evidence he should call, with-
out specially bringing the details of Mr. Giles's line before
the Committee.

Mr. Clapton, the Superintendent Registrar of Births, Mar-
riages and Deaths, of Stamford, was first examined. It was
his opinion that the railway passing over the street would be
a serious inconvenience to the traffic of the bridge. Ile con-
sidered the station proposed in Mr. Giles's plan on the other
side of the town to be much more convenient, as being nearer
to the place where the fairs and cattle-markets were held.
In cross-examination, he stated that Mr. Giles's station
was a quarter of a mile from the wharf on the
river at. the bridge, and admitted that the as-
cent from the wharf to the station was very steep,
passing through narrow streets, and would interfere to a
considerable extent with the carriage of heavy goods be-
tween the two places. lie believed the inhabitants of Stam-
ford were generally in favour of the station at the bridge,
though he was not.