The Oriental steam-ship, the first of the line of steamers
intendedfor the conveyance of mails to Alexandria, arrived at Southampton oa Saturday, from Liverpool. Iler excellence as a sea-boat has been die played on her passage from Liverpool ; her average speed up Channel having beets twelve miles an hour, with all her stores and the greater part of the coals for the voyage to Alexandria on board. The cable are roomy, airy, and well lighted ; and the upper deck is 200 feet long, The Oriental is so constructed as to be at once convertible into a ite. steamer, carrying four 68-pounders on swivels, and a formidable battery of broadside-guns.
The Directors of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company gave an entertainment on Wednesday, on board the Oriental at Southampton. The Directors of the South-western Railway pre vided, gratuitously, a special train for the conveyance of the company from London. The train left Nine Elms at five minutes past nine, nil arrived at Southampton in two hours amid a half. When the party, eon. sisting of 150, arrived at Southampton, they were conveyed by a small steamer on board the Oriental. which AVLIS riding at anchor at about 200 yards front the pier-head. The majestic vessel got under way shortly after one, and shot away through the billows at a furious pace, running past Alum Bay, Burst Castle, the Needles, and Christchurch Bay; after a detour of some three or four miles in circumference, bore away for Cowes, up to Spithead, and, passing by the spot near which the Royal George was sunk, finally made her reappearance at Southampton at a quarter to seven, amidst the acclamations of the multitude. At four o'clock a collation was served in the principal saloon, The chair was taken by Mr. Ewart, a Director of the Company, and brother c) of the Member for Wigan. The feast went off with great spirit.
The tenth half-yearly meeting of the Great Western Railway Cm. patty was held at Bristol on Thursday. It appears from the report of the Directors, which received the sanction of the meeting, that it is intended to create 37,530 shares of 20/. each, which will pro- duce a sum of 750,000/. According to the general abstract of eo penditure, it appears that to the 30th of June, the suns of 4,508,1601. have been expended. The amount of receipts for the last half.year is 86,522/. 17s. 6d. for the conveyance of passengers, mails, and goods, and an extra item of 1,749/. 15s. 6d. for the carriage of tee hers and materials for the line, making a total for the half-year of 89,937/. 9s. The cost of maintaining the locomotive department, and ether expenses connected with the conveyance of passengers, and goods amounted during the half-year to the suns of 43,7494, being neerly in the proportion of 48 and of the gross receipts. This leaves the net balance of receipts over cost of maintenance for the half-year 46,188/. According to the report of Mr. Brand, the railway between Bristol and Bath will be opened on Monday. It is expected to cone plete the line to the turnpike-road between Swindon and Wootton Bassett in the early part of November; and it is hoped that the whole line may be opened in the course of twelve months from the present time. It was proposed to make a dividend from the amount of revenue mu hand : but the proposition was abandoned, it being considered likely to embarrass the financial arrangemeuts of the Directors in issuing the new shares. Mr. Aiken moved a resolution authorizing the Directors to grant the fee of some land for building a church ; bat after a long and animated dis2ussion, the motion was withdrawn.
The Railway Company commenced taking goods on the Brighton
and Shoreham line on Monday last. The passenger trains contume to be well filled ; and contrary to the opinions of those who predicted that the branch railway would, when the novelty was gone, be a complete failure, the nutnber of passengers has been steadily augmenting since it was opened. On Sunday, a young man, while proceeding to Shore- ham in the train, after holding his watch some minutes in his hand for the purpose of testing the speed of the engine, dropped it outside. lie We understand that, by way of caution to the public, proceedings wall
Tiage andjumped
had no sooner done so, than he opened the door qf the ea, vu!, for the purpose of' recovering his watch ! Fortunately lie fell on a loose part of the embankment, and escaped with a few trilling seratche.s. be instituted by the Company against the young man, for leaving the
carriage between the stations ; an off i
offence which s punishable under the Railway Act by summary conviction before the Magistrate.—Brighten Gazette.
We understand that at a meeting of time Directors of the hull and
Selby Railway Company, it has beea unanimously resolved that travel. ling on this Company's line on a Sunday should be limited anddis- countenanced as much as possible, and that no trains besides those used in carrying the mail to and from Ilan should be allowed to pass along the line on that day.—Hall Obserrer. We understand that, in consequence of the competition occasioned by s,„ Railways, the Commissioners of the several turnpike-trusts between yee".- ds and London, with a very few exceptions, have resolved to reduce tolls on stage-coaches.—Siafford Gazette.
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