The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-04-23 00:00:00

TUE DUBLIN TRIALS.

Yesterday (Monday) affidavits were filed by the Crown
Solictors in answer to those of the convicted parties. The
latter documents charged fraud and collusion in the con-
struction of the original jury lists; and the omission of
the names was again set out in all, the forms and changes
whi'h legal fiction could invent and special-pleading em-
body. Mr. Fierce Mahony undertook to swear—not
upon hearsay or belief, but in distinct and positive terms—
" That a gross, wilful, and corrupt suppression of the
names of the said persons and others qualified to be
placed on the special jurors' list for the year 1844, had
taken place."

And, in au affidavit filed 19th April, 1844, this gentle-
man further positively deposed that " the omission of
the names of several persons from said special jurors'
list was not by accident, but was the effect and result of
design and contrivance, to prejudice the traversers."
The law officers of the Crown, feeling that such allega-
tions ought not to be suffered to remain matters of record
in their present form of amplification—determined that
the affidavits-should be answered by the town clerks and
their subordinates, in whose office, or under whose con-
trol, the mistake, alleged to be a fraud, occurred.

Affidavits were therefore obtained from the Clerks of the
Peace for Dublin, and were yesterday filed. The charges
of pre-concert and fraud, so vehemently urged—even
resting as they did upon vague and undefined rumour—
are rebutted in the most clear and satisfactory manner by
the persons who could alone be cognisant of the purely
accidental circumstances under which the omissions took
place, and by which neither party could be substantially
injured ; and those who felt regret at any occurrence which
even for a single day retarded the progress of the law
towards the attainment of justice, will rejoice at the op-
portunity the delay afforded of refuting a series of calum-
nious falsehoods that have been too long permitted to oc-
cupy the public mind.

To the naturalist the month of April is one of the most
interesting in the year. At the beginning, the willow-
wren and the black cap make their appearance. The
swallow, the harbinger of summer, arrives about the mid-
dle, and the house-martin about a week later. At this
time the sand-martin, the white throat, the sedge war-
bler, the cuckoo, and numbers of other birds of passage
pay their annual visit; and the groves and woods now
echo with the songs of their musical inhabitants and are
rendered gay and animating with the cheerful blossoms of
numerous wild flowers.

CATCHING TURTLE.—Here, off Mitylene, no turtle
have to-day made their appearance. Should they but
foolishly come to- the surface, the heat of an October
JEtrtearitablsts-Orirar tb-at-we neo-nor shoo-nor-ia.tocking)
must soon induce sleep. There is much sport in catching
turtle. as well as gastronomic pleasure in devouring them.
The crab-tailed victims rise and float on the service, and
then fall asleep; the boat is cautiously sculled up to them
—silence is the order of the day—care is taken to approach
by the rear, so that if they open their heavy eyelids no-
thing but sea may meet their drowsy glance. They are
generally too lazy to turn their heads, although as quick
as lightning in diving and escaping if sufficiently disturbed.
But " slow and sure" is the rule to be acted on. The
boat at the "nick of time" advances ; two anxious bow-
men lean over her side ; a sudden grab is made by one or
both at the turtle's fins ; he struggles, attempts to bite—
but it won't do ! " Shelly" your " paw" is in the fist of
a ruthless tar, and soon shall the cook's coppers receive
you ! Flags are now shown from the ship, indicating
'' pull to starboard," or " pull to port," "go fin ther a-
head," or " look astern." Each signal is obeyed ; and in
a very short time, though some few turtle may succeed in
baffling their pursuers, many others find themselves floun-
dering in the bottom of the boats. Flushed with success,
the happy mariners soon regain their vessel, looking for-
ward to an aldermanic meal, whereby the monotony of
beef and pork, and then pork and beef, is to be broken
through. Another dish is " for the nonce" to smoke upon
the board.—Nautical Magazine.

THE POETRY OF A STEAM ENGINE.-There is, to our
thinking, something awfully grand in the contemplation of
of a vast steam-engine. Stand amid its ponderous beams
and bars, wheels and cylinders, and watch their unceasing
play ; how regular and how powerful !—the machinery of
a lady's Geneva watch is not more nicely adjusted—the
rush of an avalanch is not more awful in its strength.
Old Gothic cathedrals are solemn places, preaching solemn
lessons, touching solemn things; but to him who thinks
an engine room may preach a more solemn lesson still.
It will tell him of mind—mind wielding matter at its will
—mind triumphing over physical difficulties—man assert-
ing his great supremacy—" intellect battling with the ele-
ments.' And bow exquisitely complete is every detail !

—how subordinate every part to the one great end !
how every little bar and screw fit and work together !
Vast as is the machine let a bolt be but the tenth-part of
an inch too long or two short, and the whole fabric is dis-
organised. It is one complete piece of harmony—an iron
essay upon unity of design and execution.—there is deep
poetry in the steam-engine—more of the poetry of motion
than the bound of an antelope—more of the poetry of
power than. in the dash of a cataract. And ought it not to
be a lesson to those who laugh at novelties, and put no
faith in inventions, to consider that this complex fabric—
thus triumphantof art and science—was once the laughing
stock of jeering thousands, and once only the waking
phantasy of a boy's mind as he sat and in seeming idleness,
watched a little column of vapour rise from the spout of
a tea kettle?—llluminated Magazine.
AMERICAN LINERS.—It is almost impossible to praise
these ships too highly. Their superiority to arty similar
number of vessels, of any other nation, must be conceded
by every candid mind ; and they appear to approach as
near the impossible quality, perfection, as human inge-
nuity has any power to attempt. If the same praise
could justly be given to the American steam-boats, there
would be a great saving of human lives, now annually de-
stroyed, on the inland waters, by the bursting of
steam boilers. It is absolutely humiliating to an
Englishman's national pride to be on board a New.
York " liner," and pass (with sovereign contempt
from captain, mate, and all the Americans on
board) two or three English vessels proceeding out of
the Bay of New York. One of the ships we thus went
a-head of was a large hulk of a thing which, as our cap-
tain informed me, had brought out two hundred souls in a
passage from England of seven instead of four weeks. On
my complimenting the captain, in similar terms to those
I have repeated, respecting the vessel under his command,
and the New York packets generally, he replied in the fol-
lowing characteristic manner. My compliment was une-
quivocal, and yet he wished me to imagine an American
vessel that might be an improvement upon those I was
considering as of the best possible build. This opportu-
nity may be taken to state, that the captains of these
packets are, in appearance and manners, fully equal to the
highest classes of American society. Indeed they are in-
dividually connected with the highest class. They are ge-
nerally the sons or relations of merchants, and usually
own a considerable share in the vessels they conduct.
" This is all very well, sir ;" said the captain, " consider-
ably smart. Everything first-rate. But the sailing !
why, I was once mate of a vessel that beat this in every
thing except the gilding, the silk damask curtains, the
piano, and the provisions for dinner. Such a schooner !
She had a long, low, black, rakish, sharp-looking hull,
with taunt, tapering, slanting masts; so clipperish and so
slipperish (as they say) that she could, with her two toes,
out walk, out sail, and out fly any of the walking, sailing,
or flying tribe in creation—or art. Very singular to say,
now, we at first find out the trim of that vessel,
but at last we discovered that it lay in the coals of the
stove. When the stove was empty then we couldn't keep
and he therefore invented the supposition that
her to it, but when it was loaded with coals, then, by Ere-
bus, we streaked along like lightning !" The captain in-
tended to express that his vessel was exquisitely propor-
tioned for fast sailing, and required the greatest nicety of
management in loading, so as to give free play to her qua-
lifications, and he therefore invented the supposition that
even the ld make weightsome
of a stove load of coals would make some
difference in her sailing I—Uncle Sam.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

GLASGOW, DUMFRIES, AND CARLISLE

RA.I LWAY.

A meeting of the county of Ayr was held on Friday,
the 12th current, to consider the proposed railway via
Dumfries to Carlisle, and to resolve what means should be
taken to promote its success: The area of the Court-
house was crowded by an audience comprising some of the
most influential gentlemen in the county.
On the motion of Mr. A. Oswald, M.P., seconded by
Mr. Alexander, of Southbar, the Earl of Eglinton and
Winton was unanimously called to the ehair.
The requisition calling the meeting was then read ; after
which
The Earl of Eglinton rose, and having recalled to the
remembrance of the meeting the course taken by the in-
habitants of the county upon the firs, starting of the Glas-
gow and Ayr Railway, and the extent to which their
exp'ctations of advantage had been realised, expressed
briefly his opinion of the great benefit which the Glasgow,
Dumfries, and Carlisle Railway would confer upon the
west of Scotland, in comparison with that to he derived
from the success of its formidable rival, the Caledonian
line. They would, however, be better able to form a
judgment after hearing the able statement of Mr. Logie,
whom he should introduce to them ; but before doing so
he would read letters of apology which had been received
from Mr. Campbell, of Craigie, and Colonel Smith Neill,
of Swindrigemuir.
The letters of these gentlemen, who had travelled over
the two lines of road, were then read, giving a decided
preferment to the Dumfries route.

Mr. Logie then rose, and after a few preliminary ob-
servations proceeded to state that they were all aware that
three lines of communication with England had been pro-
posed. There was, first, the Eastern line, which was to
connect Edinburgh with Newcastle, one-half of which
might be said to have already secured the sanction of par-
liament. But what was the fact? The remit given to the
government commissioners was not a remit to consider
what was the best line to Scotland, but what was the best
line to connect Edinburgh and Glasgow with England.
The other inhabitants of Scotland were not committed to
that report. That central line, after reaching Syming-
ton, was intended to branch off to Glasgow in the one di-
rection, and Edinburgh in the other. The whole distance
from Carlisle to Glasgow was 101 miles. This was no
doubt the shortest route to Scotland ; but the Caledonian
Railway had departed from the line recommended by the
government commissioners. They did not branch off at
Sytnington, but proposed to carry forward the single line
to a point near Lanark; after which, instead of taking the
direct line by keeping the south bank f the Clyde, they
intended to cross that river, in ordar t: :io advantage
of some small mineral railways in L .11 irk -11 re. They
had given no plan by which their di,t owes could be
checked ; but it was evident that the circuitous route
which it was now their intention to adopt, would tend to
lengthen the distance considerably. The total distance of
the Glasgow and Dumfries line was 125 miles ; therefore,
if it had been the Glasgow, Dumfries, and Carlisle line,
versus the Government Commissioners' line, there would
have been a difference of 24 miles in favour of the latter.
But since the Caledonian Company had departed from
that, he could not exactly state the difference between the
two lines, but he was of opinion it would not be above
fifteen or sixteen miles. (Applause.) The speaker pro-
ceeded to show that from the more favourable nature of
the country the journey would be accomplished in a shorter
time by the Dumfries than the Caledonian line. He then
referred to an opinion given by Mr. Locke, the present
engineer of the Caledonian line to the Directors of the
Grand Junction Railway in 1836, in which the line of
country taken by the Dumfries line, and the advantages
to the towns and districts through which it passes,
are very highly spoken of, and contended that when
Mr. Locke was employed by the Grand Junction
Company, in 1836, it was for him to report as to the best
line from Carlisle to Glasgow. This he reported to be by
way of Nithsdale, for reasons which are unanswerable;
and when the question again resolves itself into which is
the best line to Glasgow only, the same causes which
rendered the Nithsdale line the best in 1836 make it the
best still. What, therefore, has deprived us of his ad-
vocacy now is the desire to secure for the Grand Junction
Company the traffic not only of Glasgow and the west of
Scotland, but of Edinburgh and the east. As the engi-
neer of the Grand Junction Railway, he has, naturally
enough, been led to look to what would be the best feeder
to that ,lompany ; and if he could get only one line to
Scotland, by way of Carlisle to Glasgow and Edinburgh,
it was clear that that would be the best line for the Grand
Junction. But when the hope of getting the Edinburgh
traffic was gone by the making of the line from Edinburgh to
Glasgow, then the central line became useless, and the
necessity for a Western or the Nithsdale became obvious.
The speaker then went on to compare the benefits to the
county of Ayr to be derived from the two lines. The Ca-
ledonian railway would be of no service to that county,
neither would it benefit the Stewarty of Kirkcudbright, or
the adjoining county of Wigton. There would be no
saving of time in the whole route to set off against these
obj.ctions, owing to the gradients of 1 in 75 for ten miles
on the Caledonian, which, notwithstanding the advanced
state of engineering, would still be difficult to overcome.
Besides, upon that line there was no mineral wealth to
develope, and no rich agricultural wealth to open out;
whereas, by the Dumfries line, they would have the traffic
of the enterprising town of Dumfries, the rising seaport
of Annan, and, in Ayrshire, extensive sources of mineral
wealth, which only required a railway to bring them into
immediate productiveness. It was quite clear that one
line passing through a comparatively uninhabited country
could be of little advantage compared to two lines, which.
while traversing totally opposite directions, passed through
rich and populous districts. In looking at the map they
could not fail to see bow beautifully Scotland would be en-
circled in an iron chain byt he connexion between Edinburgh
and Newcastle on the one side,and by thatbetweenGlasgovv
arid Carlisle via Dumfries on the other. Mr, Logie then
referred to the case of purchasers from the English mar-
kets, who, if they came by the Caledonian line would

scarcely ever think of going farther than Edinburgh or
Glasgow, because they could not get to Dumfries without
taking the coach or some other expensive mode of convey-
ance; whereas with an east and western line they could
come down to Scotland by the one and return by the other,
making their purchases along both. (Applause.) The
speaker having referred further to the benefits to be de-
rived by the people of Ayrshire by the formation of
the Dumfries line, proceeded to remark upon the fact
that whereas the projectors of the Caledonian having
been first in the field, had secured the valuable as-
sistance of the Marquis of Queensbury and other influen-
tial parties, and yet had been three years in taking up the
subscriptions necessary, their own line had only been

agitated two months, and he had much pleasure in inform-
ing them that by that day's post he had received notice

that 50,000 shares had now been applied for, leaving only
2000 shares to complete their entire capital. (Applause.)

He mentioned this only to urge thc:,seresidentin the

western counties to bestir themselves and enable the pro-
vi,ional committee to secure, what was so very advanta-

geous, an extensive local interest in the allocation of the

;bares

Sir D. H. Blair havinr, moved the resolutions in an ex-
cellent speech, in which he announced the important fact
that Lord Queensbuty had deserted the Caledonian and
would now lend his influence to this line,
Mr. LOGIE said, perhaps he might be permitted to
mention one argument in favour of the Dumfries line

which he had overlooked in the statement he had already
submitted to them ; and it was this, that it was- well
known among those best informed on the subject, that
the black band of the Monklands, would not last above

four years. It was therefore quite clear, there not being
another district in which black band could be so easily
got as in Ayrshire, that this county would, ere long, be-
come the Monklands of Scotland. It was an invariable

result of a railway passing through a fertile country that,

as the trade and profits of railway increased, the views
of the directors began to expand; and whenever it be-

came lucrative. branches would spring up in all direc-

tions, so that they would ultimately have all the great
mineral fields of Ayrshire supplied and collected in one
unbroken chain of communication. (Applause.)
The resolutions were then briefly seconded and carried,
and alter a few words from Lord Eglinton and a vote of
thanks for his conduct in the chair the meeting broke
up.

The railroad between Brunswick and Hanover is to be
opened on the Ist of June next.
The total cost of the intended Chester and Holyhead
Railway is estimated at £2,100,000, of which the London
and Birmingham Company subscribes £1,000,000.
Speculations in railway shares have become so excessive
in Paris that it has been determined that there shall be
two settling days in the month.
A contemporary journal states that the Great Western
Railway Company have now in contemplation to make a
branch line to Frome and Warminster, embracing the
towns of Melksham, Bradford, and Trowbridge. A line
for the three latter was provided for in their first act.
Among the new projects of railways is one for con-
structing a line of road from Edinburgh through Fife to
Dundee, with a junction to Perth, which has the support
of the most influential and wealthy people of the Scotch
metropolis. £BOO,OOO is to be the capital.

A Newcastle paper, in adverting to the great railway
movement which had arisen throughout Scotland, antici-
pates that, in the course of two or three years, persons
will be enabled to leave Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the
morning, and dine at Aberdeen, or even Inverness, the
same day.

A general expectation gains ground amongst railroad
director's and speculators, that the present session of par-
liament will relieve third class carriages from the tax of
five per cent., and will regulate and enforce the principle
on which railways ought to be assessed in the relief of the
poor. This expectation is not, so far as we can learn, the
result of any communication had with government, but is
based on the reasonableness of the concessions anticipated
on
a nd t
mh e
rgeneral
ttoonnee
haanv d language w
e adopted
In Itiht c S
eh
Housei r
Robertof Peel
and eel
Com-
mons during railway discussions, and on the almost uni-
versa! response made by the house to the friendly disposi-
tions of the Premier and the Trade Minister.—Morning
Herald.
BIRMINGHAM AND DERBY JUNCTION RAILWAY,—
ctiwasm notmeeting
A special general meeting of the shareholders in the Bir-
mingham and Derby Junction Railway was held in the
board room of the station last week, for the purpose
of considering
now before parliament for the amalgamation of the North
Midland, the Midland C
oy
fntuhn numerously
havingercooums
company
been
enaeytn-.
principle
fTo hr andm
former
emeeting
opounties, and the Derby Railway
Companies.
eapproving
ha leamalgamation of
ti
n a
e draft of the bill
r
Samuel Beale, Esq., chairman of the board of directors,
presided. A resolution was moved to the effect that the
bill be approved. On this an amendment was proposed,
tended,
settled a thet
a
which was negatived by 15 to 3, and the original motion
was carried.

April 23, 1 844

BRIDGE ACROSS THE SEVERN —A notiibyr of scientific
gentlemen have been employed during the past week in
making sursays, &c. of the Severn, near Purton Passage,
on the Lidney side, preparatory to a report on the practi-
cability and usefulness of a bridge across the Severn at
that spot ; thus connecting the w hole of South Wales with
the metropolis arid manufacturing districts, through the
medium of the G,oucester and Bristol Railway.
RAILROAD SPECULATION IN FRANCE.—Some doubts
are thrown by the Paris papers of Thursday, upon the
safety of rail-road speculations, which were proceeding t°
an extent in France beyond all precedent. The /Winona'
observes, "that speculations in railway
shares have be-
come so excessive, that. the stockbrokers are determined.
to have two settling days in each month: we fear a ma'
lancholy conclusion to this rage for speculation."
CALEDONIAN RAILWAY.—At a special general meet-
ing, held in the Black Bull Hall, of the propri-tors of the
Wishaw and Coltness Railway, it was resolved to use
every exertion in promoting the proposed Caledonian
Railway, in connexion with this comp iny's line; and with
this view, the committee of management was authorised
to subscribe, for behoof of the company, a sum not ex-
ceeding £25,000 to the proposed undertaking, and to ear'
respond with the provisional committee of the Caledonian
line as to the junction with the Wishaw and ColtnesS
Railway.
SOUTH WALES ANL SOUTH OF IRELAND RAILWAY'
—Au important line of railway is to be laid down from
Stonehouse, on the Great Western line, across the ricer
near Purton to Carmarthen. The route will be through
the Forest of Dean, opening the vast minerid resources of
that district, to Monmouth, thence down the vale of Usk,
to beyond Brecon, and afterwards by the river Towy to
Carmarthen. Although South Wales is so mountainous
in character, nature seems to have provided a level line of
country for a railway. Two great interesis will be mate-
rially benefited by the projected line, viz. :—the Grette
Western railway and the mining property on " the hills.
The traffic on the former will, of course, be extensive/
ncreased.—Cardiff Advertiser.

The formation of a direct railway from London to
York, by way of Lincoln, for the pnrtose of connecting
the north of England and Scotland with the metropolis,
has been decided on. Prospectuses li,ve been issued,
together with maps, explanatory of the mote of proceed-
ing intended. It appears that the propo.ed line is to
commence near King's Cross, in the New Road, and in-
dependently of any other line, is to take its course through
Hertford, Bedford, Huntingdon, Peterborough, Stain-
ford, Sleaford, and other important towns, to Lincoln
and York, the distance, by the adoption of this line,
being less, by nearly forty miles, than it can be travelled
by any existing railway. The capita required for the
execution of the work is estimated at 1.3,000,000, the
length of line being one hundred and eighty mites.
RAILWAYS IN DENMARK.—A letter from Copenhagen,
April 2, says :—" Railroads are beginning to excite atten-
tion here, and within the last mon h the king has autho-
rised different societies for the construction of the follow- ,
ing lines:-1. One from Copenhagen to Elsineur, about
thirteen French leagues in length. 2. Another to cross
the island of Zealand in its whole length, running from
Copenhagen by Rothschild, liingstead, and Sluelsee, to
Corsoer, the length of which will be about thirty-outs
leagues. By this line all communication bt tween (L.:open-
hagen and the east of Denmark, as well as the rest of Eu-
rope during the period that steamers cannot ply in the
Baltic, will take place. 3. Six branch lines in the duchy
of Holstein, from the main railroad now in construction
between Kiel and Altona, which will unite the principal
towns of Holstein together, and the North Sea with the
Baltic."

EDINBURGH AND NEWHAVEN RAILWAY.—SiBCe Fri-
day,,
workmen have been employed in opening the grosig!
in the front of Canal-street, to complete the drift tunnel
of this railway, already carried as far as Prince's-street,
and within a few yards of the proposed terminus. A feW
days' work will thus open the bore through and through,
a d the bui ding of the tunnel may be expected to be pro,
ceeded with immediately. So soon as the Edinburgh and
Glasgow, and the North British Railway hills are passed,
we may expect to see the whole of the area under the
bridge speedily transformed in appearance, and its various
buildings removed in order to its conversion into a termi-
nus of railway communication, by which the east and
west coast of Scotland will be connected with each other,
and both again with the metropolis of Britain.—Edo-
burgh Evening Post.