The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-01-23 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

A prospectus has just been issued for the formation of
a company to construct a line of railway from Chatham
through Rochester to Gravesend.

EASTERN UNION RAILWAY.—We may now congra-
tulate the public on the certainty of there being a direct
line of railway between Ipswich and London. The rival
line has been abandoned. The Eastern Counties Railway
express their wish to see the Ipswich line carried out ; and
still better, that all the money to form the railway has been
subscribed.—lpsevich Express.
THE RAILWAY JUNCTION AT HUNT'S BANK.—The
Liverpool and Manchester Railway Company are now
making rapid progress to effect a junction with the Man-
chester and Leeds. Within the last five or six days two
of the segments, 120 feet span, (it will require eight to
form the arch,) have been permanently fixed, and judg-
ing from the dispatch already shown, it is probable that
another fortnight will be sufficient for the permanent
fixing of the remaining segments. The arch is 120 feet
span, and of cast-iron.

CHESTER ♦ND BIRKENAKAD RAILWAY..--A corres-
pondent of the Chester Courant says :—The tunnel to the
Monk's Ferry will be completed in a few more months.
Its effect will be double the goods traffic, and to add 50
per cent. to the passenger traffic, whilst on the other
hand it will actually diminish the working expenses by
dispensing with the cost of omnibusses, carts, waggons,
&c., now required to connect the traffic between the ferry
and the Birkenhead station. With this tunnel the line
will pay Gor 7 per cent. on the present price•. The Bir-
kenhead docks will make the line one of the best termini
in the kingdom.

RAILWAY TAXATION.—THE BIRMINGHAM RAIL-
WAY.—Among the many benefits accruing to the coun-
try from the construction of railways, not the least is the
accession thus caused to the public revenue. Take, for
example, the case of the London and Birmingham Rail-
way. The taxes paid by the proprietors of that company,
out of their profits, in the year 1843, were these :
Five per cent. passenger duty . .
Income Tax 16,214
Local taxes and parochial rates
Duty on transfers, and stamps for receipts (up-
wards of)

Total £71,738
Bearing in mind that this very company had to expend
even a larger amount than £71,738 before they were
allowed to embark their capital in the formation of a rail-
way from London to Birmingham (at a cost of nearly
£7,000,000, and necessarily at a fearful risk), the outcry
of " monopoly," which is so constantly raised, and the
complaints sometimes made of high charges, against
railway companies generally, ought to be received with no
small share of caution.—Railway Times.
SHEFFIELD, ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE, AND MANCHES-
TER RAILWAY.—A special meeting of the proprietors in
this company was held on the 17th instant, at Manchester.
The chairman explained the objects for which the meeting
had been called—viz., for taking into consideration the
propriety of authorising the directors to apply to parlia-
ment for power to make a branch from the main line at
Guide Bridge to Ashton-under-Lyne, Staleybridge, and
Duckinfield ; another from the said branch to, or near,
Holebottom celliery ; and also for considering the pro-
posed arrangement for amalgamating the Barnsley Junction
Railway with the Sheffield line, gauranteeing interest to
Barnsley company. With respect to the branch to the
colliery, he said the directors had thought it advisable to
obtain parliamentary powers, after which it could be com-
pleted, either by themselves, or some other parties. The
probable expenditure of the Ashton branch, the formation
of which had met the approbation of the proprietors in
September last, would be about £BO,OOO, and the estimated
revenue was from £5OOO to £6OOO per annum, besides a
saving of £l4OO now paid for boats and omnibuses. As
to the Barnsley junction, there could not be a doubt but
that it was a line well worthy the attention of those who
embark in railway speculations; the cost would not ex-
ceed £200,000, guaranteeing 5 per cent. to the subscribers
in perpetuity, or at their option that the shares should be
incorporated with the general line after the expiration of
five years. It was evident the public were satisfied as to
the fairness of this arrangement, as more shares, by
several thousands, had been applied for than was neces-
sary for the completion of the undertaking. The several
resolutions for giving power to the directors to apply to
parliament in the next session, and to raise the necessary
capital, were unanimously adopted.

" A BARELEGGED PEOPLE."—The Kelso Chronicle
remarks, (and the observation forthwith goes the round
of the free-trade papers,) that " nearly the whole of the
45 millions of Russians go without stockings. Most of
these would become our customers if our ports were
open !" We wonder what would induce the peasantry of
Scotland. and particularly the females, to wear shoes and,
stockings every day of the week. Perhaps our Kelso con-
temporary, from his local knowledge, might be able to
suggest some mode of giving the English fashion in these
particulars a free-trade across the border. By the way,
we understand that the hair-dressers of the ancien regime
intend, as soon as the repeal of the corn-laws has made
flour cheap, to agitate for a repeal of the tax on hair pow-
dby giving the advantages of a
perfecterlt is
freectarlacduelattoedthtahatbteautiful disguise of the human
hair, not only will a great impetus be imparted to one of
the loftiest branches of industry, but the favouritism of
nature, so invidiously conspicuous in the present fashion
of wearing the hair au naturel, will be corrected by re-
ducing locks of every tinge to a fair quality.
MANSLAUGHTER AT A CARD TABLE.—Last Saturday
evening a quarrel took place at a low beer shop in
Gloucester. A young man named Cole was playing with
some of his companions when another person, named
George Pricker, joined the party about seven o'clock, but
did not play. He was intoxicated, and very quarrelsome,
and as the game proceeded he looked over the cards of
one of the players, and made a signal to his partner for
the purpose of showing what cards were out. This ag-
gravated Cole, who said he would play no more, and
threw up his hand. Fricker then challenged Cole to
fight, and Cole rose from his seat and struck him a blow
in the mouth. A proposition was made to adjourn to the
yard, but Fricker would not agree to this : and, taking
advantage of an opportunity, hit Cole a violent blow
under the jaw with his fist, which knocked him down.
Fricker then fell on him, seized the hair of his head, and
continued to beat him for some time, until he lay motion-
less on the floor, and upon being lifted up it was found he
was quite dead. Pricker then laid hold of the landlord,
threw him backward, and beat him about the head. At
the innugst the jury returned a verdict of "'Manslaugh-
ter."