The Sun. — 1849-04-20 (London, England)

MAJOR-GENERAL DAVID FoREEL—This gallant officer, who died at Aberdeen on the 29:h of March, entered the snarly in 1793, and soon after joined the 78th Highlanders Regiment, to which he had been appointed. He accompanied the Ross-shire Highlanders to the Continent, and served in the campaigns of 1794 and 1795, was present at the sortie from Nimeguen, in the action when the French were drive n across the Waal at Bommel, and in the affair of Geldermalsen, in January, 1795. In August of the same year he accompanied his regiment to Quiberon Bay, and assisted at the capture of l'lsle Dieu. In 1796 the 78th were ordered to the Cape of Good Hope, and he witnessed the surrender of the Dutch fleet in Saldanha Bay. In November following he proceeded with his regiment to India, and served in the campaign in Oude in 1798 and 1799; also in the Mabratta war of 1803, assisting at the storm of the Pettah, and siege of the Fort of Ahmednuggar. It was on this occasion that the late Sir Colin Campbell, then a subaltern of the 78th, by his gallantry and intelligence, attracted the attention of his illustrious patron the Duke cf Wellington. Major-General Forbes was present in every action in which the 78th was engaged in Java during the years 1811, 1812, and 1813, including the forcing of the enemy's position at Wellerreden, the assault of the lines of Cornelis, the heights of Serandolo and Djocjocarta. In May, 1813, by his firmness and judgment he quelled a formidable insurrection which broke out in the eastern parts of the island. On this occasion Major-General Forbes with his • men made a forced march of sixty miles in eighteen hours, during which Lieutenant-Colonel Fraser and Captain Macpherson, of the 78th, were murdered by the insurgents. During the service in Java he commanded the Light Company of the 78th with the greatest gallantry, and nobly seconded the brave Rollo Gillespie. Under his orders the Highlanders sustained their national character, and added to the reputation which the " Tartans" have ever. estsibfished on the battle-field. He had the rare qualification of never having apparently made an enemy or provoked a reflection. Itemu or Ratewers.—A numerous meeting took place at the Clarendon Rooms at Liverpool, on Monday, to take into consideration the propriety of petitioning Parliament for an adjustment of the are tem of rating railways. Mr. J. B. Moore, Mayor of the borough, presided, and opened the business of the day by observing the object they all had in view was to obtain a more equitable arrangement of the rating of railway property throughout the kingdom. Mr. Moore then instanced various places rated to show the necessity of an equitable adjustment. He then called the attention of his auditors to the manner in which the present system of rating worked per head. The annual value of property rated in Liverpool to March, 1847, was 1,021,8981., and there had been expended in relief to the poor 64,700 L, the adult male population relieved being $3,075; the rate of expenses being 11. Is. 2d. per head. It showed the inequality of the present system. AccordIng to the number of persona employed by the London and North-Western Company it was more than 81. per head. Mr. D. Neilson proposed the first resolution— " That railways, under the existing system of ascertaining the value of that description of property, are compelled to bear an inequitable and undue proportion of the local rates of the several parishes through which they pass." The shareholders had Leen great sufferers by unjust taxation, until at length their property seemed to have become an object of public plunder. Mr. D. Neilson concluded by a statistical statement of the sums sunk in railways. The resolution was seconded by Mr. J. Stewart, and carried unanimously. Mr. E. Moyley proposed the next resolution:—" That it is inexpedient and against public policy to tax unduly the enterprise by which such great and general advantages have been obtained by the introduction and extension of railways," which was seconded by Mr. W: Stuart, and carried in a similar manner. The third resolution—" That the petition to Parliament then produced, in which the views of the meeting were embodied, be adopted and forwarded to Lord Stanleyand to Lord Sefton, for presentation to the House of Lords, and to one of the borough Members for presentation to the House of Commons, was then moved an& seconded, and carried unanimously, and after a few words from the Earl of Sefton, who condemned the present system of rating, the meeting broke up.