The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-04-16 00:00:00

IRELAND.

IRISH EDUCATION.—The proposed grant this year to
the National Board is £27,000, being an increase for the
year of £22,000.
A man charged with the murder of Mr. Waller and
Miss Vereker, at Finnee, escaped from Nr.nagh gaol on
last week.

OLD AGE! ! !—MORE THAN " FOUR-SCORE YEARS AND
TEN.—Mrs. Henderson, who nursed the late Archbishop of
Dublin, Dr.Magee, attended divine service in St. Audoen's
Church, Dublin, on Easter Sunday morning last at seven
o'clock. She is now one hundred and four years of age;
she walks to and fro from the church, and was a commu-
nicant at the Lord's Supper.—Dublin Statesman.
DEATH OF ROBERT COI) RTENY, OF BALEDMOND, ESQ.
This well-known and extensively connected gentleman
died, at his residence, Ballyedmont, in his 87th year, on
Thursday. He was one of our oldest, and while health
of our most active magistrates, as well as one of the most
considerable and improving landlords of the part of the
country in which he resided. For years that reach beyond
the recollection of many that read of his decease, he had
been in the habit of giving employment to a large num-
ber of our labouring population, among whom notwith-
standing his decided Conservatism, he was popular, as
among those of his own class of life he was respected.—
Cork Conservative.

SIR R. PEEL AND THE STATE TRIALS,—The London
correspondent of the Dublin Evening Mail contains the
following :—" London, Monday.—The meeting of Con-
servative members, held at Sir R. Peel's official residence,
Downing-street, to-day, was very numerously attended.
In the course of his statement, Sir R. Peel made this
important announcement.—That as the Government were
determined to bring the evil doers and the disturbers of
the public peace to justice, it behoved them to see that the
inhabitants of Ireland were left no just grounds of com-
plaint. This announcement sets at rest the question as to
whether Mr. O'Connell and the other traversers are to be
brOught up for judgment.
THE REPEAL ASSOCIATION.—An important question
continues to be urged by the Warder—ls the repeal asso-
ciation lawful? Its avowed object is the repeal of the
union, which the government have declared they will re-
sist, even to civil war; yet it is allowed to prosecute that
end. Sooner or later it will come to this, that it must be
made unlawful, if (as seems now admitted) it be at present
no crime, to seek to make Ireland independent of the im-
perial legislature. Mr.. O'Connell is convicted for seek-
ing it by intimidation and other unlawful means ; it is im-
plied that he may use other means if be will ; and whilst
that is law Ireland will be cursed with this agitation from
end to end. He himself alleges that it is anything but a
sudden passion of his which we might hope would pass
away;
," in looking for Catholic emancipation," he told
the association on the 29th of last August, " I always said
looked to it only as a step towards repeal." This is not
exactly what he said before the Committee of the House
of Commons, when he was " looking for the Catholic
emancipation ;" but Mr. O'Connell will often puzzle the
historian.—lrish Correspondent of the Record.
O'CONNELL IN A QUA EE.—At the great Cork dinner
given to Mr O'Connell this week, the honourable d'hd
learned gentleman thus alluded to the probability of his
imprisonment :—" I am as sure as any man that hears me
here that I will go into prison. (several voices : You
shan't.') I must, for others command. How is any man
foolish enough to imagine that I will not. There are three
ways of avoiding the prison. First would you recommend
me to make an abject submission ?—(Cries of ' No.')
Now we are perfectly agreed on that. The second would
be the result of a writ of error. I confess I know so
much of the judges that, though in my conviction as an
old lawyer, putting self out of the question I have the
clearest possible case, still never believe any one who pro-
phecies the result of law suit.—(Laughter.) Still, though
there ought to be a fair chance, don't rely on it at all.—
(Cries of Ohl') The third way of avoiding it would be
by the Government abandoning the present prosecution,
and holding us by recognisance, to come up at some inde-
finite period.—(Cheers.( Will the Government do that?
They will not. They cannot. They won't relax. They
cannot relinquish, from this inanifest reason, they have
not the manliness to shrink from it.
MURDER AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.—A dreadful
tragedy occurred in Dublin on Tuesday se'nnight. A
man named West, a painter by trade, resided in Essex-
street, wito his wife, a young woman of great personal at-
tractions, but unfortunately addicted to the shocking vice
of drunkenness. The parties lived together on very affec-
tionate terms whilst the wife remained sober, but when
she indulged in drink she became very abusive, and dread-
ful quarrels ensued between them. On the day in ques-
tion, when there were only an old and infirm woman, the
mother of West, and one of the children, a fine boy, about
eight years of age, in the room, one of these quarrels took
place. The man, in a frenzy (:)f passion, seized a sword-
stick, stabbed the unfortunate woman several times
through the body, and then attempted to destroy himself,
the poor old mother receiving several wounds in her at-
tempts to save him from his frantic violence. Some of
the neighbours having come in and secured him, the un-
fortunate man begged eagerly of the bystanders to be al-
lowed to die ; and after he had stabbed himself, prayed
fervently for the welfare of his child. The deceased had
borne two children, and was enciente. The following was
the verdict of the coroner's jury :—" We find that the
said Mary West came by her death from the effects of
several wounds inflicted on her person by her husband,
John West, with a cane sword, at about eight o'clock in
the, evening of . the 2d of April instant, in a room occu-
pied• by the said West and his wife, in the house, 45,
Essex-strW."

AWKWARD EFFECTS OF THE DECISION ON THE PRES-
BYTERIAN MARRIAGE QUESTION.—The Derry Standard
gives the following " case in point " as the effect of the
uncertainty of the marriage law :—lt appears that a man
named Boyd, who was transported for bigamy some time
since at the Derry Assizes, by Baron Pennefather, has
recently returned from his banishment, exulting in his
liberty, and blazing out a full-blown martyr—a miracle
of " injured innocence. This man has actually written
to Baron Pennefather for advice in the dilemma in which
be finds himself placed by the unfortunate affection of his
two wives. Like Captain Macheath, in Gay's opera, he
exclaims—
" How happy could I be with either,
" Were t'other dear charmer away."
Here is a copy of Boyd's letter :—" Please your Worship,
—Maybe you don't mind, but I do, that I was tried be-
fore your honour nine or ten years ago, for having two
wives. I gave a guinea to a counsellor to get me off,
which he said he would do, because I was a Churchman
and it was a Presbyterian minister married roe. Your
honour would not listen to him at all, but said that a
Presbyterian minister could marry a Churchman well
enough to one of his own, awl your honour sentenced me
to be transported for seven years. It would be a long
story to tell of the voyage out, and the horrors of Botany
Bay—(may your honour never know them!) When my
time was up I was let off, and, after living near another
year in the colony, I was able to get borne. Here I am,
but I don't know what to do about the wives. My father
and mother died when I was in foreign parts, and left me
a snug house with a hit of land, and the women are both
willing to come to me. Not wishing to get into more
trouble, or to come before your honour again, or anybody
like you, I want to know which of them has a right to
Your honour told me that I ought to have kept to
ItTiee. first, but I hear their worships in London say that

'the second. is tire right one. Maybe I may keep them
both, for they are civil and good creatwes, and would live
gether very agreea4e. But in air to have%Only one,
and it be all the sam to your honour, I would as soon
keep A/lofty, that was the first one. Seeing they have
found it, since your honour sat upon me, that I never
broke the law, and so was wrongfully transported, maybe
your honour will allow me something for my hardships
abroad and my expenses home again. No more at pre-
sent, only please send an answer, and soon, to your ho-
nour's humble obedient servant."

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

TO THE COMMITTEE OF THE CALEDONIAN

RAILWAY.

GENTLEMEN,—The circular issued by order of the
board of directors of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Rail-
way, calling upon the shareholders to do everything in
their power to discountenance your undertaking as being
highly injurious to their interests, appears to have greatly
excited your ire, if I may judge from the style of your
secretary's letter to the chairman of the Glasgow, Paisley,
Kilmarnock, and Ayr Railway. As a shareholder in the
Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, cordially concurring in
the sentiments expressed in that circular, 1 feel it my duty
to endeavour to expose the false colours under which you
have ushered your bantling into the world ; and. in doing
so, I trust I shall not lay myself open to the charge of
making statements " equally at variance with good feeling
as with the ordinary usages of society."
Yon bead your prospectus by stating that yours is " the
line recommended by the government commissioners."
Your secretary asserts that the " Glasgow, Dumfries, and
Carlisle" line can only be regarded in the "light of a
scheme got up in opposition to the recommendation of
the government commissioners,"—and again, " that such
meetings as that over which Mr. M'Call presided are
crusades against all projects, however beneficial they may
be to the public, which are supposed to interfere in any
way with the interests of the Glasgow and Ayr, or Edin-
burgh and Glasgow Railways ; and that such meetings
are held for the purpose of disseminating, in an irrespon-
sible way, whatever statements shareholders may make
against the government line of railway."
These observations imputing the most selfish and un-
worthy motives to gentlemen in every way as respectable
and honourable as themselves, come with a singularly bad
grace from parties who are, at the same moment, com-
plaining of the usages of society being violated by what
they are pleased to call unprecedented and unwarrantable
attacks upon themselves ; of the justice and good taste
of these accusations, I must leave the public to be the
judges, and will at once proceed to the main object of my
letter.

I will not offend against "good feeling," by saying
that you have, by yourselves, or by your secretary, said
that which is not, but the suppression of the truth—and
of truth most important for the public to be acquainted
with, in order to arrive at a right conclusion as to the
merits of your undertaking—l do most distinctly charge
upon you.

That the government commissioners did, on the 15th
of March, 1841, give the preference to the line from Car-
lisle by Lockerby, Beattock, &c., is most true, under the
circumstances which then existed and in accordance
with the instructions which they had received to select the
line which would embrace the greatest number of requi-
sites for the object in view—one line only being then con-
templated—but did the cornmisssioners recommend thit
line in the contemplation of circumstances which now
exist, and which their report shows clearly that they
anticipated as probable ? Let them speak for them-
selves.

EXTRACT FROM THE FOURTH REPORT ON RAILWAY

COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LONDON, EDINBURGH,
AND GLASGOW.

We are led to believe, from all the information we have
been able to collect, that the amount of traffic which, in
the present stale of the commercial and other relations of
England and Scotland, may be expected between Edin-
burgh and Glasgow and the south, is not such as would
be likely to afford an adequate return for the outlay of
capital required for the construction of two distinct lines
of railway, the one from Darlington to Edinburgh, and
the other from Lancaster to Glasgow. Were this other-
wise, we should subdivide the question into two branches,
and consider, in the first instance, which of the several
lines would be most suitable for a communication from
Lancaster to Glasgow, as well as to the west of Scotland,
and to the north of Ireland, and which would be the
best route by Newcastle to Edinburgh, Under such cir-
cumstances we should have awarded the preference to the
east coast line, whether deviated or not, between the two
last named places, and have then weighed the merits of
the various routes to Glasgow; but, seeing the extent of
capital that would be required for the construction of two
distinct trunk lines, the one to Edinburgh, and the other
to Glasgow, we feel under the necessity of recommend-
ine, at present, the construction of one line only ; and
after a careful review of all the circumstances of this im-
portant question, we give the preference to the line from
Carlisle by Lockerby, Beattock, Lanark, and Hamilton
to Glasgow, with a branch to Thankerton or Symington
to Edinburgh, as being the general route which would
fulfil the greater number of requisites in the railway com-
munication under consideration.

We give this opinion, however, under the supposition
that, antecedently to the construction of this line, the
railway shall have been formed between Lancaster and
Carlisle, or that both lines shall be undertaken simulta-
neously ; but shou‘d this not be the case, and parties
should be found to construct the line from Darlington to
Edinburgh, then the western route ought to be aban-
doned for the present ; and in that event, we should award
the preference to the east coast line over the Hexbam
line.

The report was issued. as already stated, in March,
1841, we are now in April, 18-14, and what,: let una tusk,
are existing circumstances? The Branch from Leith to
Kilmarnock is completed by the Glasgow and Ayr Com-
pany. " Parties have been found" to construct the line
from Darlington to Newcastle. A bill is before parlia-
ment, with hardly a doubt of success, to make a line from
Edinburgh to Berwick; and an announcement has ap-
peared in the public papers that surveys have been made,
a company formed, and the funds provided, under the
auspices of Mr. George Hudson, (a well known name in
railway matters,) for carrying a line from. Newcastle to
Berwick to complete that line, to which the commissioners
declare they would, "in such event, award the prefer-
ence,"—and—mark the conclusion—" Then the western
route, (the Caledonian,) ought to be abandoned for the
present."
This, gentlemen, is the government commissioners' de-
cision—and the case has arisen when, if called upon, they
would do that which they have not yet done—" Consider
which of the several lines would be the most suitable for a
communication by Lancaster to Glasgow."
Having thus disposed of your claim to be " the govern-
ment line of railway," I will brieft consider your pre-
tensions that the Caledonian is greatly preferable to the
Dumfries line, as a communication from Carlisle to Glas-
gow. At page 49 of thecommissioners' report, it is stated,
" that the gradients on Mr. Locke's two Clydesdale lines
are, it is true, of an unusual character, the principal
plane in both cases having an almost continuous slope of
1 in 123 for a length of 18 miles;" but by way of qualify-
ing this it is added, " as this line, in all probability would
not have an abundant traffic, it would be injudicious even
supposing it to be practicable, to incur a large expense for
the purpose of reducing the gradient to one of less incli-
nation." This remark has reference to the line receiving
both the Edinburgh and Glasgow traffic, but the former
being now lost to it, the subscribers must judge for them-
selves how large a dividend they would be likely to receive
were the line made. But the difference in the gradients
between the Caledonian and Glasgow and Dumfries line
will more clearly appear, from the mode adopted by the
commissioners of adding to the length in proportion to
the inclination to be surmounted. At page 50, the line
from Carlisle to Glasgow, by Kilmarnock and Beith, is
stated to be 120 miles 60 chains, and the equivalent dis-
tance 124 miles 54 chains, whilst the line from Carlisle,
by Lockerby, is 100 miles 74 chains actual distance, but
116 miles 78 chains, equivalent distance, so that accord-
ing to the commissioners' view of the matter a person
going from Glasgow to London by the Caledonian, would
be 20 miles in distance, but only about fifteen minutes in
time shorter than by the Dumfries line, an object cheaply
accomplished, no doubt, at an extra expense of £500,000.
Local traffic, too, is usually deemed of some importance,
as an element in the composition of the receipts and divi-
dends. A reference to the statistical tables, which it
would be tedious to give in detail here, will show a popu-
lation of three to one in favour of the Dumfries over the
Caledonian line. It would be uninteresting, as I think
the public will deem it unnecessary, to pursue the sub-
ject further. You boast, and doubtless, truly, that your
subscription list is full, which can hardly be matter of
surprise, when the names of your provisional committee
are looked at. The Glasgow, Dumfries, and Carlisle will
also, I have no doubt, be taken up, and the promoters of
both lines will have to stand or fall upon the merits of
their respective undertakings, before a tribunal, where
the interests of Scotland and the wishes of its inhabitants
will carry more weight than any array of names, however
respectable, the majority of whom can have no interest in
the matter beyond the anticipated profits of a mere com-
mercial speculation. By the decision of this tribunal I
am content to abide ; " a fair field and no favour" is all a
fair opponent can require. Yours, &c.
AN EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW RAILWAY
SHAREHOLDER.

SCOTTISH CENTRAL RAILWAY.—There has been,
within the last few days, an understanding come by to the
rival companies northward from Perth to Aberdeen.where-
by continuous railways further north. through Dundee,
Strathmore, Blairgowrie &c., will be formed, which must
prove excellent auxiliaries to this undertaking as feeders.
—Edinburgh paper.
An important event in railway annals is now on the
very eve of completion, viz., the junction of the Liver-
pool and Manchester Railway with the Manchester and
Leede, at Hunt's Bank, Manchester, by which that long
desired and most important object will be gained, viz.,
the connexion of the western with the eastern ocean, by
railway—between Liverpool and Hull—and that in the
short space of about ten hours. This astonishing work
will, it is now evident, be completed so as to enable the
carriages to come to the Hunt's Bank station within the
time originally stipulated, viz., Ist May, 1844.
EASTER EXCURSIONS.—The number of passengers
on the Eastern Counties Railway, from Easter Tuesday
to Wednesday inclusive, was 13'454, of which 5,439 tra-
velled into the country, and 8,015 up to town. On this,
as on the Brighton and Dover lines, the great proportion
of traffic was up to the metropolis. The excursion tickets
issued on the Brighton line, from Monday to Wednesdayinclusive,
inclusive, was 5,720 ; and on Easter Monday and Tues-
day, to Dover, 1,270. The number of passengers on the
Blackwall line, on Easter Monday, was 13.570 ; on Tues-
day, 10,220; and Wednesday, 8,970, the chief proportion
of which were visiters to Greenwich Fair.

A guard on the Dover railway, named Nunn, was killed
on- Monday last, through incautiously standing up while
passing under a bridge near the Maidstone station.,
BOLTON AND PRESTON RAILWAY.—OD Wednesday
last, a special general meeting of the proprietors of shares
in the Bolton and Preston railway, was held in Bolton, at
which a draft of the bill to amalgamate the North Union
and Bolton and Preston railway companies, was submit-
ted to the shareholders. After some discussion, it was
approved of, and the seal of the company was affixed to
the bill.

EXTENSION OF RAILWAY COMMUNICATION FROM
BELFAST TO THE INTERIOR.—A company is about to
be formed for the purpose of extending railway communi-
cation from Portadown to Monaghan, with a view to far-
ther extension towards Longford and the banks of the
Shannon in one direction, and towards Enniskillen and
the west of Ireland on the other. We understand that
arrangements have been made for proceeding immediately
with the preliminary survey of the proposed new line.—
Northern Whig.
RAILWAY COMMUNICATION.—The importance of rail-
way communication from the British to the Bristol Chan-
nels, and the desirableness of a junction between the
South-Western and Bristol and Exeter Railways have
been felt by the publie. Both these objects are now likely
to be attained. A railway is about to be proposed from
Southampton, through the New Forest, between Ring-
wood and Christchurch, to Lytchett, which is immediately
at the back of Poole Harbour ; from this point it will be
continued to Dorchester, thence to the River Reo, and
extending to Bridgewater. It is not yet decided whether
there shall be one or two companies, but this will be
known in a week or two.—Sherborne Paper.
ATMOSPHERIC RAILWAYS.—Dr. Pauli, the eminent
Bavarian enginber, who came over to inspect and report
upon the works from Kingstown to Dalkey, to the King
of Bavaria, has returned to Munich, and sent in a report
most decidedly favourable to the atmospheric system.
The French government have determined on the adoption
of the atmospheric system, so successfully carried into
effect for the first time between Kingstown and Dalkey.
That government have entered into a contract with
Messrs. Samuda, the patentees, giving them 250,000
francs for the use of their patent, on a line of railway from
Paris to Meaux, twenty-six miles, and appointing Mr.
Joseph Samuda the sole manager of the undertaking.—
Dublin Paper.
DREADFUL ACCIDENT AT THE LONDON AND CROY-
DON RAILWAY COMPANY.—A dreadful accident oc-
curred on Thursday morning, at the terminus of the
London and Dover and London and Croydon Railways,
Old Kent-road, London. At this station, which is the
joint property of the two companies, there is an iron roof
for the reception of passage trains. This roof gave way,
and buried a number of workmen under the ruins. Two
men—one a carpenter, the other a labourer—were killed,
and upwards of a dozen others so severely wounded, that
the lives of many were in jeopardy. The cause of the
misfortune was the columns supporting the iron ties of
the roof not being sufficiently braced, and consequently,
getting out of the upright, the superincumbent weight
caused them to give way.
RAILWAYS.—On Saturday, a return was issued of all
moneys raised under acts, whereby railroad companies
have been incorporated, from January 1826 to January
1844, distinguishing the sums raised as principal from the
sums to be raised by loan or mortgage. The return con-
tains the names of 121 railways, and the titles of no fewer
than 250 acts of parliament, which passed in the years
mentioned, under which the moneys were raised. The
entire sum was " Seventy-nine millions, twenty-six
thousand, and three hundred and seventeen pounds! !"
of which enormous sum £57,387.735 was capital in joint
stock, and £21,638,582 to be raised by loan or mortgage.
From May 1833, the London and Birmingham railroad
was empowered to raise £5,500,000, of which amount
£3,500,000 in joint stock, and £2,000,000 by loan or
mortgage. This appears the largest amount set forth in
the return.