It is understood that the Great Western Railway Company is
making arrangements with parties in South Wales to bring large quantities of Welsh coal to London at a halfpenny per ton per mile.
By a return just issued by order of the House of Lords, it appears that last year 135,482/. was paid for shooting-certificates in the United Kingdom.
A Parliamentary return has just been issued of the number of people em- ployed on railways, the length of the lines, and the number of stations. On the 30th June last, there were 51,979 persons employed on 5200 miles of rail in England and Wales • the stations were 1669 in number. The London and North-western Railway, with its 568 miles and 178 stations, employed a small army of 9549 men. In Scotland—people employed, 8107 ; length of lines open, 960 miles; stations, 304. In Ireland—men employed, 3477; length 537 miles ; stations, 134. Totals of the United Kingdom, 63,563 men, 8698 miles, 2107 stations. At the same period there were 735 miles of rail- way in course of construction in the United Kingdom ; on which 42,938 men were employed—a decrease of nearly 16,000 from the previous June.
Voyages made last year by British steam-vessels from France, 1665 ; tonnage 285,999. From Holland, 884 voyages, tonnage 224,020. From Belgium, 321 voyages; tonnage, 69,311. Foreign steam-vessels entered the ports of the United Kingdom from France, two voyages with a tonnage of 149; from Holland, 136 voyages of 31,318 tonnage ; from Belgium, 88 voyages, 22,151 tonnage.
An agricultural operation on a gigantic scale has just been completed in the department of the Aude. In order to effect the irrigation of a tract of land of 2000 hectares, (nearly 5000 acres English,) water has been brought from the river Aude by a tunnel about 2150 yards long. This land is situated at Marseillette, a village about twelve miles from Carcassonne. About fifty years since it was a marsh, and was purchased by a Madame Lawless, a rich Irish lady, who had it thoroughly drained ; and it has since been cul- tivated with great success, although at times the crops have suffered consider- ably for want of water. The land now belongs to the " Caisse Hypothkaire," by which this tunnel has been constructed. It is 2 metres 10 centimetres in height under the arch, and 1 metre 60 centimetres wide. The supply of wa- ter will be abundant at all seasons of the year.
Rio de Janeiro will shortly be lighted with gas by an English company. The gas-pipes for the purpose will be shipped from Liverpool in a few days, and a gentleman proceeds to Rio by the next Brazilian mail packet from Southampton to superintend the arrangements.
On Monday night, between eight and nine o'clock, some audacious thief entered the house of Inspector Ledsam, of the Salford Police force, by means of skeleton-keys, and contrived to steal 8a. in money and three brooches. This makes the fourth time the same officer has had his house similarly entered during the past twelve months ; and, what is more remarkable, the house is exactly opposite the principal entrance of the Police-office, distant from it something under a dozen yards, and the Inspector himself was on duty in the office at the very time.--Manchester Courser.
As Hylton's menagerie, which has been exhibited for the last few weeks in the Grass-market, Edinburgh, was passing along the road at the back of the Castle, on its way. to Limekiln, a tiger, which was confined in one of the caravans, burst the iron bars of its den, and bounding into the road, seized one of the horses attached to the vehicle by the throat, from which its hold could not be relaxed until its victim was lifeless. Meanwhile, by throwing a mass of ropes over the ferocious brute, the keepers effected its capture, and consigned it to its cage.—Edinburgh Witness.
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