The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-08-11 00:00:00

GRAND JUNCTION RAILWAY.

The half-yearly general meeting of the proprietors of the
Grand Junction Railway was held yesterday in the Cotton
Sale Rooms, Exchange-buildings, for the purpose of receiving
the report of the directors for the past half-year, the election
of three new directors, and for the special purpose of autho-
rising the arrangement described in one of the paragraphs of
the report. JOHN Moss, Esq, chairman of the board of
directors, took the chair.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, said he
would not detain the meeting by any remarks, but at once
call upon the Secretary to read the directors' report :--
The following report was then read :
" The receipts on the Grand Junction Line for the half-
year ending June 30, the accounts of which will be laid before
the proprietors, have been for—
Coaching, conveyance of Carriages,
Horses, Parcels, and Mails £165,060 5 0
Conveyance of Merchandise
Live Stock 4,450 11 2

£207,487 13 6
Exhibiting a totatincrease of £18,524 17s 6d, as compared
with the receipt in the corresponding period of '1839. The
advance has been manifested in all the main branches of traf-
fic, and especially of late in the merchandise business, in
consequence of some arrangements which the directors have
at last succeeded in making, to the benefit of the Company,
and to the great advantage, as it has proved, of the public.
" It is gratifying to the directors to observe, that the in-
creased profit of the half-year's business arises not only from
an increased gross receipt, as compared with the same period
in 1839, but also from a diminution in the per centage of ex-
penditure. In the item of locomotive power the expense has
been £30,615 17s 7e, against £35,450 Os 8d in 1839, which,
considering the greater traffic in the present half-year, is an
evidence in favour of the arrangements lately adopted by the
directors for the control of this branch of expenditure. The
total charges for the half-year, exclusive of interests on loans,
have been £94,661 12s 9d, or about 45j per cent. on the
amount received from traffic.
" Sint e the last general meeting, the purchase of the Ches-
ter Branch Line, sanctioned by the proprietors, has been com-
pleted, and its transfer to this Company ratified by an act of
parliament; the late proprietors of that railway having be-
come shareholders of this Company (in proportion of one
£25 Share for each former Chester and Crewe Share of £5O)
on the Ist of July last, when the Line was incorporated with
the Grand Junction Railway. The works on this Branch
are nearly completed, and it is expected it may be opened for
business at the close of the present month.
" As the new proprietors thus admitted will participate in
the dividend to be made at the close of the current half-year,
the directors think it only fair to the other shareholders, that
the nett receipt for the six months just ended should be fully
divided, instead of carrying over any considerable balance to
the next half-year, or increasing at present the reserved fund.
The balance, as shewn in the accounts now presented, is
£111,296 Gs 5d ; and although the directors think it desira-
ble that only the usual amount of dividend (7 per cent. which
would require £9,353 16s) should now be declared, they re-
commend that a bonus, equal to 15s per £lOO share, should
be divided from the remaining surplus of £11,942 lOs sd,
which would absorb £10,645 Is, leaving £1297 9s sd. Of
this sum it is recommended that £1125 2s Ild shall be ap-
propriated to liquidate the balance of the stock account,
whereby the moveable property of the company will be kept
up to its full value, after charging it with all the additions
made to it during the past half-year; and that the remaining
sum of £172 6s 4d be carried to the account of the current
half-year.
" The excellent condition of the line and works, the efficient
state of the stock, the increased regularity in the arrivals of
the trains, and the total absence of any untoward accident or
misfortune during the past six months, are points on which
the directors can dwell with satisfaction in reviewing the tran-
sactions of that period.
" It may be proper to advert briefly to the proceedings of the
Committee on Railway Communication in the last session of
parliament, as far as they affected this company. An attempt
was made by parties engaged in the carrying trade to create
an impression unfavourable to the system on which the mer-
chandise business of this railway is conducted. The attempt,
however, the directors believe, has been entirely defeated by
the evidence offered on behalf of this company : and the im-
mediate advantage which the public have recently obtained
by the extension of this company's arrangements, through
the efforts of the directors, to the London line, has furnished
a conclusive proof of the motive of the opposition ; which,
although professing solicitude for the public convenience, was
in reality to keep up a system whereby the public have been
unnecessarily and heavily taxed for the profit of carriers.
The reduction in the carriage on goods between Lancashire
and London, effected by the introduction of this company's
system on the London line, as compared with the rates
charged when the business on that line was solely in the
hands of the carriers, is on an average from 15s. to 255. per
ton, or upwards of 25 per cent., and, in many articles, ex-
ceeds this. The bill for the regulation of railways, intro-
duced by the chairman of the committee in question, was
attentively watched by the directors ; and their efforts, in
concert with other railway bodies, have been directed to pro-
cure a modification of the proposed enactments, which were
calculated to prejudice the interests of the company, and to
interfere unduly with the internal management of their
property.
During the past half•year the attention of the directors
has been given to a question of finance, on which they now
request the decision of the proprietors. On a review of the
actual condition and prospects of the undertaking, in con-
nexion with the amount of mortgages on which money is still
owing by the company, it appeared to them, that the time
had arrived when measures should betaken for the progressive
liquidation of the whole of this debt, by creating additional
capital, to be distributed equally amongst the proprietors.
The amount required for this purpose would be produced by
an issue of quarter shares, in the proportion of one share of
£25 for each £lOO stock held by the present shareholders,
including those recently admitted as proprietors of the late
Chester and Crewe Railway. The amount of this stock is
equal to 17,627 shares of £100; and the same number of
quarter shares would raise £440,675. The amount of the
company's debt is £482,222, and the balance of £41,545
would be furnished from the amount still uncalled for on the
£5O shares issued in 1838. In case the proprietors approve
of the directors' proposal, they would recommend therefore
that 17,627 £25 shares should now be created, anti allotted to
the proprietors registered at the date of this meeting ; allow-
ing a reasonable time, say to the Ist of November next, for
the arrangements which will be needed to adjust the allotment
in respect of half and quarter shares to those who, as the list
how Itands, would•be entitled to fractional parts only of new
quarter shares. The quarter shares will participate at the
same rate with the others in the dividend for the current
half-year, to be declared at the general meeting, in January,
1841 : as no calls, however, will have been made on them up
to that time, and as they are created to extinguish the com-
pany's debt, they will be specially charged with 5 per cent.
interest on the loans not yet liquidated ; this deduction of
course diminishing in amount as the same are paid off. The
calls will be made on the new shares as early as it is possible
to apply them to the recall of the mortgage bonds outstand-
ing. The first will be in July, 1841, and it is intended that
the whole capital shall be paid up in five years from the
date of the first instalment, unless some unforeseen cir-
cumstances should make it hereafter appear to be the interest
of the proprietors to extend the period. Notice has already
been given to pay off some of the bonds for money lent to
the Company, and the £lO remaining unpaid on the £5O
Shares will be called for in January, 1841, whereby all the
shares would be placed on an equal footing. The directors
strongly recommend to the proprietors the adoption of this
arrangement. The circumstance of the Company being
wholly free from debt will give to the property a solidity and
completeness, which, at the same time, owing to its favour-
able position and moderate outlay of capital, may fortunately
be accomplished without much apprehension as to the rate of
future dividends.

" The accounts of receipt and expenditure belonging to
the capital and income, and the valuations of stock, have
been laid before the meeting.
" The proprietors will be called upon to appoint three di-
rectors, instead, of the three members of the Board, Messrs.
Cropper, Earle, and Ewart, whose term of office expires on
this occasion. The directors have to report, that the vacancy
at the Board caused by the decease of Major Brooks has been
filled up by the nomination in his place of Mr. Uniacke, the
late Chairman of the Directors of the Chester and Crewe
Railway."
A statement of the accounts was then read.

Mr. LAWRENCE HEYWORTII3I7id it was with peculiar
pleasure he had received the motion put into his hands, which
was that the report and statement of accounts just read be
received, printed, and circulated among the shareholders.
He had peculiar pleasure, he said, in moving this resolution,
because, in every respect, both the report and the accounts
must be entirely satisfactory to every individual proprietor
in this great and flourishing company. He approved of the
plan of dividing the net receipts, without leaving a surplus,
and he hoped that the precedent having been begun, would
be continued, for, in his opinion, it was but strictly honest
and honourable. In all concerns of this kind, the capital of
the company changed hands very frequently, and therefore
the proprietors in any half year ought to receive all their
shares of the profits for that half year, the directors taking
care that the line was kept in proper repair and efficiency.
That having been done, and there remaining a surplus, that
entire surplus, in his opinion, ought to be divided, otherwise
wrong would be done to orphans or widows, who might be
compelled by circumstances to sell their shares. Mr. Hey-
worth concluded by proposing the motion.
Mr. RIGG seconded it.

The CHAIRMAN, before he put the motion, in consequence
of Mr. Heyworth's observations as to dividing the profits so
closely, begged to be excused for reading a few remarks. He
then read the following :
The observations I have to make will not detain you long.
I trust you will approve of our suggestions to increase the
number of shares and pay off every engagement (including
our mortgages), so that the proprietors may have a railroad
entirely free from incumbrance of any kind. 1 consider this
so desirable a measure that I should have advocated it, even
had I felt assufed that by adopting it we should reduce our
dividend on the old shares to the extent of the dividend given
to the new. I belieVe, however, that our increase of business,
added to a system of economy, will remove all necessity for
apprehension on that score ; besides that, we have a reserve
to fallback upon in case of need, viz., the raising of our fares
for passengers, so as to approximate more nearly to the scale
charged on the lines which joins us, north and south. At
present we are about 25 per cent. below them. Some in-
crease, therefore, of
i our fares could not be considered un-
reasonable, when it s recollected that the speed maintained
On our line is greater than that on the others, and the ac-
commodation in other respects not inferior. I think I might
say that the public gain very little, and we nothing, by our
charging lower fares than our neighbours over whose
lines our traffic has necessarily to pass. At the same
time, ;then, that I should consider it reasonable in us
to raise our
fares even to the level of our neigh-
bours if it became necessary, (either by reason of the
opening of other lines which cannot pay except by competing
for the traffic on the faith of which our money was authorised
to be spent, or from any other cause,) yet certainly my strong
opinion is that it will before long, be found advisable for our
neighbours to concur with us in reducing some at least of
the fares, even below what we are now charging. It is evident,
however, that we alone, (situated as our line is,) can do no-
thing effectual for trying the experiment of low fares, however
desirable. The sum now proposed to be divided as a bonus
is £ll,OOO. I should have recommended and 1 believe it
would have been the opinion of the board generally, that part
at least of this sum should be added to the reserve fund, had
not the peculiar circumstance of our admission of new part-
ners (viz. the proprietors of the Chester and Crewe line)
made it proper to divide the whole receipts before admitting
them. Our object in calling it a bonus is that we may not
appear to be breaking in upon the arrangement proposed at
the last general meeting' as to the future amount of half-
yearly dividends,—we wish to keep the dividends regular, at
seven per cent. each half-year. The advantges of laying by
a surplus fund to meet every contingency becomes more evi-
dent ; we hold a very large amount of property subject
to variation in value. Locomotive engines, for instance,
are not of the value they were two years ago by perhaps
10 per cent., owing to the increased number of persons who
now manufacture them, and the improvements constantly
making. In a concern like 9111"13, continually requiring addi-
ff
tional engines, ery reduction or improvement is advanta-
geous, and particularly so when our surplus fund more than
meets the apparen.t,depreciation in value of our permanent
stock. To the principle of a reserve fund, therefore, I fully
adhere, though I regret to differ from my friend Mr. Hey-
worth : of course, however, there will be less necessity for a
large one. it' our views for entirely freeing the concern from
debt meet the approbation of the proprietors. It has been
to me a source of great pleasure to have pissed a sessicn of
parliament without being subject to any hostile attack ; and
feel fullylatioed that the arrangements which have been
made with the Manchester and Birmingham Company, and

with the Chester and Crewe Company, will be found to con-
tribute as much to the welfare of our concern as they have to
the comfort of those who have had the direction of it. I trust
that parliament and the public, who have derived so much be-
nefit from undertakings like yours, are beginning to entertain
more favourable views than they did awhile ago. What remains
of ill-feeling towards us ought surely to disappear when it is
recollected that railroads have reduced the cost of conveyance
of passengers 50 per cent., and shortened the time of travelling
seventy-five per cent. whilst as to goods a still greater reduc-
tion has been effected, and a considerable saving of money ;
and letters are conveyed in. ten hours instead of twenty-four
as formerly. Although rai.road proprietors are called extor-
tioners and monopolists, the greatest dividend paid by any
railroad is fourteen per cent. per annum ; whilst, if taken
altogether, there is reason I think to fear, that even ordinary
interest of money will not be derived by the railroad com-
panies, who have embarked above sixty millions for the
chance of a profit. I should like those who apply such terms
to railroad companies. to be asked why they did. not attack
and abuse the proprietors of the many canals which pay, and
have for years paid so much greater interest than any sail-
road has yet paid, or is likely to pay ; and whether they
would like to cancel the whole bargain between the rail-
way companies and the public, and travel as they did (both
as to time and money) before railway companies brought
out their new system ; and, whether they are willing to pay
dividends to the proprietors of all those railways which,
of themselves can pay none, as the condition of their being
allowed to interfere with the few lines which are tolerable
piofitable. I have read carefully over the evidence before
the committee of the House of Commons this session against
railway companies, and I recommend it to your notice, and
I am not afraid to appeal to any impartial person whether any
abuse of power has been proved. I will not detain you
longer. I will only promise that during my remaining year
of office, I will do my best to consolidate the interests of this
company, with which I have been so long and agreeably
connected.

Mr. J. E. TAYLOR suggested that the observations just
read by the chairman be appended to the report.
Mr. HEYWORTH, although he differed in opinion from
him, should be glad to see the chairman's observations
printed, and he would amend the motion so as to secure that
object. He wished to inquire how the surplus of £lO,OOO.
declared at the last half-yearly meeting was invested ?
The CHAIRMAN replied that it was invested in the com-
pany's own bonds. _ _

Mr. HEYWORTH observed that a portion of that £lO,OOO
belonged to every one who was a proprietor at the time of
that half-yearly meeting. If they afterwards ceased to be
proprietors, then they iost their portion of it. That was the
principle he wished to lay down. Every department of the
concern ought to be well looked after, and kept in repair out
of the funds for the current half year.
The CHAIRMAN intimated that that- could-'-not be done
without a reserved fund. He did not however think it likely
that the directors would persevere in making it of a large
amount.
Mr. COGLAN observed that the directors stated that the
payment of a dividend of £7 per cent., and a bonus of 15s,
there would be a surplus of £lO,OOO, which they proposed to
carry to the reserved fund. He wished to know how much
that surplus would realise if the proprietors did not agree to
the proposal?
The CHATRALcv explained that there was a surplus, after
the payment of the dividend upon the half year, of £ll,OOO,
which would produce a bonus of 15s. The directors had not
looked to the £lO,OOO to which he had before referred as
being invested in the company's own bonds.
Mr. COGLAN wished to know how much that would pro-
duce ?

The CHAIRMAN replied about 14s. per share.
A SHAREHOLDER inquired whether there was any under-
standing with the Chester and Crewe proprietors as to this
£lO,OOO ?

The CHAlRMAN.—Certainly not.
Mr. WARDLE said the basis of the understanding between
the two companies was, that one £25 share in the Grand
Junction should be given for two £25 shares in the Chester
and Crewe. Although the question was not mooted at the
last meeting, still he thought, upon the principle of the en-
gagement, the Chester and Crewe were entitled to all the
benefits arising from the then state of the concern.

The C /IA IRM AN said Mr. Wardle was altogether mistaken.
The arrangement was made in July only, whilst it was de-
cided in that room last February, that they should lay by
the surplus of £lO,OOO. There was not, therefore, the least
injustice to the Chester and Crewe, but even if it should be
divided, the sum that would come to them would be only
about £6OO, or ninepence a share. He did not think there
ought to be any difference between two great companies for
such a sum as that.

Mr. WARDLE had clearly said that there was no stipula-
tion, but that the general understanding was, that the two
companies were to marry each other for better and for worse.
The resolution was then unanimously carried.
Mr. COGLAN moved that a dividend be declared after the
rate of £7 per cent., together with a further dividend in the
nature of a bonus of 15s. upon every £lOO share, and so in
proportion to the sum paid up upon the £5O shares out of
the clear profits of the undertaking, for the half year ending
the 30th of June last. The dividend to be payable on and
after the 17th of August.
Mr. TAYLEURE seconded the motion, and it was unani-
mously carried.

Mr. TAYLEURE moved a series of resolutions, adopting the
propositions of the directors for the creation of new shares to
pay off the debt.
Mr. J. E. TAYLOR seconded the resolutions. They were
unanimously carried.

A resolution was then passed, authorising the seal of the
company to be affixed to the register of shareholders
now produced.
The CHAIRMAN said that the only business now before the
meeting was the election of three directors in the place of
the three who had retired. 'According to the act of Parlia-
ment they were not eligible for re-election for twelve months.
Mr. J. E. TAYLOR asked whether that had always been so ?
Mr. SWIFT replied, that during the construction of the
works it was enacted that the directors should be eligible for
re-election, but not afterwards.

Mr. MOZLEY, in a highly flattering speech, proposed a vote
of thanks to the retiring directors for the valuable services
they had rendered to the company during their period of
office.

Mr. HEYWORTII seconded the motion, and it was carried.
Mr. EARLE and Mr. CROPPER each returned thanks for
the honour.

Mr. Robertson Gladstone, Mr. Samuel Sandbach, and Mr.
Nicholas Roskell were then elected directors, in the place of
those who had retired.

A vote of thanks was next passed to Mr. Moss, for his
conduct in the chair, and the meeting separated.

DOCK COMMITTEE.

A special meeting of the committee of the Dock Trust was
held, on Saturday, at twelve o'clock, in the committee-room,
Revenue-buildings. Present, Mr. Leathom, in the chair,
Messrs. George Holt, Benn, Martin, Dixon, Bulley, and
Joseph Brooks Yates.
The CHAIRMAN said they had assembled in consequence
of a period having arrived when four gentlemen of the com-
mittee were to retire. There had been some difficulty in
ascertaining which four gentlemen of the committee were to
be the retiring members, in consequence of an election not
having taken place three years ago,when,as twenty ratepayers,
the number required by law, did not attend to vote, the
three members whose period of service had expired remained
in, according to act of parliament. In consequence of this,
great doubts had arisen as to who were the parties now to
retire. The opinions of eminent lawyers had been taken,
and the result was the reversal of the opinion first taken on
the subject. They had now obtained the opinion of three
eminent legal gentlemen, at present on the assize circuit, at
Carlisle, and it was confirmatory of the second opinion pre-
viously taken. He had, therefore, to announce, that the
four genelemen who would have to retire were Mr. Horsfall,
Mr. Shand, Mr. Dixon, and Mr. Ripley. It was now their
business to pass a resolution, that they should communicate
officially with the mayor, and request him to call a meeting
for the purpose of electing four gentlemen in lieu of those
retired.

Mr. DIXON said he had several reasons which had induced
him to come to the conclUsion of declining to stand : one
was, that he had disqualified himself by selling the interest
which he had in steam-boats ; and another was, that he
should, probably, ere long, change his residence.
The resolution to communicate with the mayor and request
him to call a meeting was passed.
Mr. YATES laid before the meeting the following letter,
which was read by the chairman :
" Liverpool, Bth August, 1840.
" DEAR SIR,-It has long been my wish to retire from the
Dock Committee, and I fully expected that the present
recurrence of the period of election would have enabled me,
silently, to withdraw, without giving trouble or exciting
observation. As, however, the ' opinion of counsel' (this
day received), points to the continuance for three years
longer of the four committee men among whom my name
appears, it becomes necessary to inform you, that it is not
my intention to continue to serve.

-4` I am induced to adopt this resolution from a firm con-
viction, that, under the present constitution of the commit-
tee, the merchants and shipowners of this great port must
look in vain for the accommodation and despatch which they
have a right to expect in return for the enormous and un-
paralleled rates levied upon them.
" The efforts of the few practical ratepayers who are on the
committee, however anxiously and laboriously directed to the
benefit of commerce, will be passed over with contempt, or
superseded by crude theories or even party predilection.
Such is the position of the merchants and shipowners of Li-
verpool. Overwhelmed by powerful majorities sent down by
the Town Council, they are, virtually, unrepresented in the
committee ; and the favourite but pernicious doctrine is
openly avowed by their opponents, that tke Dock Committee
is merely one of the ordinary committees of the Town Coun-
cil.

" Thus situated, and conscientiously entertaining these
views, I consider the nomination of the eight mercantile
Councilmen merely a matter of empty form, unaccompanied
with the power of being useful.
" It only remains for me to return my best acknowledg-
ments for your personal courtesy.
" I have the honour to be, dear Sir, your obliged humble
servant, " J OS. B. YATES.
" To Thos. Leathom, Esq.,
Chairman of the Dock Committee."
The CHAIRMAN observed, that he had heard Mr. Yates
mention that he had some intention of retiring, but he did
"hot think he was going to put it in execution.
The business for which the committee had been summoned
being concluded, the meeting broke up at half past twelve.

ESCAPE FROM DROWNING.—On Tuesday afternoon last,
about four o'clock, a man named Kennedy, In the employ of
a livery-stable keeper in Great Nelson-street North, while
affected by liquor, rode on a horse into the water in Bootle
Bay, for the purpose of washing it. The horse got out of
his depth, and, with his rider, was seen to roll over. The
man, after a struggle, got off, apparently with a view to make
his way to the shore, but soon afterwards appeared to be
drowning. A young man, Mr. Robert Walker (of the firm
of Youdale and Walker, printers, Union-street, and son of
Mr. J. S. Walker, of the LIVERPOOL. STANDARD,) who
happened to be bathing from a caravan at the time, observ-
ing his perilous situation, immediately called for assistance
from the shore, which was crowded with people, and made
his way as quickly as possible to the man. He had to swim
out about thirty yards after getting beyond his depth, and
offered to help him out if he would not take hold of him.
The man, who had been several times under water, however,
grasped
him firmly by the arm, and they went under together
several times before he could free himself. Being then ex-
hausted, he swam towards the shore to recover his breath,
and when he bottomed, a young man, with all his clothes on
but his jacket, went into the water, and cried to him to go
back and_ get hold of the man again, and he would follow and
assist. Walker again went in and swam to the man, who was
in the act of sinking with both hands up. He got hold of
him by the waist, and, after bearing him up as well as he
could for some yards, the young man who had previously
called to him came up, and, by their joint exertions, suc-
ceeded in getting him to the shore. The man was so much
exhausted, when landed, that he could-not stand. Too much
praise cannot be given to the young man who went in in his
clothes to encourage and assist Mr. Walker. His name is
Christopher Lily, a seaman, late of the ship Maryland. The
horse on which the man rode into the water was blind, and
swam a considerable distance don the bay before it touched
ground, which it did by instinctively approaching those on
the shore who continued to shout. There were some thou-
sands of persons along the beach, and amongst them not a
few strong swimmers, but the parties named alone ventured
to rescue the sinking man.
MOOR GAME.—We understand that the moors in the
neighbourhood of Halifax are this year very deficient in the
number of young birds.

" NAUTICAL SKETCHES,".
BY HAMILTON MOORE, JUN:

We have perused this work with great interest and satis-
faction. It is evidently from the pen of a gentleman who has
seen more than " a little service in the navy," from tike little
man-of-war cutter, the " Tom-tit," in' which he first em-
barked, to the fine frigate " Sea-beauty," and others which he
afterwards joined in a higher capacity. , The author states, in

a short and modest preface, that " he pretends to nothing
beyond the satisfaction of adding a few pages of light reading
to that class of literature so common to the present day, and
tolerated, perhaps, even when merit fails, from a spirit of in-
dulgence generally evinced by Englishmen, secure on their
native land, towards all which relates to their countrymen
who protect 'it. If a jealous eye for the rights of the royal
navy, and an ardent desire for its supremacy, have at times
carried him beyond the limits his readers would assign him,
the fault is surely pardonable. He has carefully studied to
avoid the slightest personality likely to offend, and all means
whereby the originals, from whom he has really attempted to
draw correct delineations, may be identified." There was
no need of apologetic introduction on the part of the author
of this book. It is a most agreeable narrative of sea-life and
adventure, blended with occasional tales or relations of inci-
dents more or less connected with maritime affairs,—and
some of which are of a facetious and others of a pathetic
character. The account of his services along shore in the
gig of the revenue cutter is excellent. The " spree" of the
two sailors at Lisbon is truly ludicrous and sailor-like.
There is much of amiable feeling and pathos in the account
of poor Jack Crutch and his dog Block, also in the story of
" Love among the Rocks," and " Charles Summers." The
essay on sea-songs is masterly and witty. There is a great
deal of sensible remark interwoven with the general narra-
tive of the author's " experiences," which is well worthy of
serious perusal. The finale is gratifying, Capt. Kindley and
his maritime friends Drake and Fenton having all settled in
the bosom of domestic happiness in Devonshire. Towards
the close of his courtship of a beautiful young lady, Fenton
sings the following song,—though his heart is rather wedded
to the shore :

" Bend thy sails, mariner, hasten away,
Smother the wish that would tempt thee to stay ;
Wean thy heart from the shore—off to sea :
That is the element destined for thee
Look not so fondly on that face so fair,
Lest in thy absence it saddens with care;
Think of the dangers that compass thy life ;
Sad is the lot of the mariner's wife!
Whatthongh the sea will rage, and the wind roar,
So that thou host not a sigh for the shore ?
Should thy bark, tempest-tort, sink with the gale,
Better that none for thee ever should wail!
Such as thou made thy land, queen of the sea!
Such as thou keep thy land, glorious and free!
Britons' boast be thy toast, where'er thou roam,
Men on the boundless sea, women at home!"

The work is printed and published by Mr. W. E. Painter,
of the Strand, and will doubtless become a standard book in
the libraries of those who delight to peruse whatever has a
tendency to elevate the character of the British seaman, and
elucidate his prowess and his peculiarities.

"THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND,
TN AMUSING CONVERSATIONS, BETWEEN A MOTHER AND

HER CHILDREN."

This is a most admirably written, entertaining, and highly
instructive little volume. The conversations are peculiarly
attractive for young people, inviting them on in an easy and
pleasing manner from one prominent fact to another in the
history of our country, and inspiring them, at the same time
with a warm admiration of whatever is ennobling or heroic in
the personages to whom it relates. A religious vein also runs
through the work, and the whole is compiled with great
accuracy from the most authentic sources. This valuable,
yet moderately priced volume is from the pen of a gifted and
persevering lady " Ann Woolton," who by this successful
effort has done honour to her sex and her country. It is
neatly printed, by W. E. Painter, of the Strand, London, is
embellished with a portrait of her Majesty the Queen, and is
handsomely bound in embossed cloth.

"THOUGHTS ON THE LITANY."
Nkr. E. PAINTRIt, LONDON.

This work, as the title-page informs us, is written by a naval
officer's orphan daughter. Whilst there are numbers who
are ready to defend the outworks of the establishment, we
are glad to see her incomparable liturgy equally well pro-
tected. The spirit which breathes through her services has
called forth the admiration of many who agreed not with
some of her arrangements, and we are glad to have now an
opportunity of recommending the work before us, penned
by one who has evidently thought seriously on the subject
which has called forth these " thoughts." A strain of un-
affected piety runs through the whole; and, whilst every
petition in the Liturgy is irrefragably confirmed by scripture,
nothing is advanced which can wound the tenderest feeling
of the most scrupulous dissenter. We have seldom risen

from the perusal of any work with a greater satisfaction at
being members of a church which offers for the use of her
worshippers such scriptural and comprehensive petitions as
those illustrated in this excellent little book.