Miscellaneous.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 544, 20 January 1858, Page 5

Miscellaneous.

Railways vebsxjs Banks.—lt is understood that the Railway Companies, having collectively a capital of 300 millions of actual property, are observing with great jealousy the action upon the value of their property of the Bank of England, a corporation of comparatively small monied capital, and that, after due discussion and comparison of results, it is not impossible but that measures may be taken to control that dangerous expansion and contraction of the circulation, which the bank directors are at present allowed to produce at discretion—raising or depressing the nominal value of Railway Stocks, without any real cause for depreciation or rise other than that produced by the fancies or perverted financial arrangements of the bank parlour. Already the railways of England receive upwards of twenty-one millions yearly, a aum equal to about one third of the whole national revenue; and it is not endurable that tho value of Railway Securities should thus be at the beck and disposal of a corporation such as tlie Bank of England, whose dealings are upon so very minor a. scale. The opposition of these two bodies, the Railway interest and the Bank of England, is likely to produce changes in the financial world, such as have hitherto defied the power even of Government to effect against an aggravated monied monopoly of its own creation.

A shocking instance of the calamitous effects ot want of proper caution in deep sinking has occurred on the Wet Lead, Maryborough! A man named Robert Taylor was engaged in sinking a shaft at the back of Millen's store Oxford street, about the spot where the Yellow Lead terminated; the hole was down about fifty-five feet, and not a slab had been used. Taylor had just gone down and sent up three buckets of dirt, when an immense flake of clay caved down from the side, about half way up. The man on the top hearing the noise, and getting no answer from below called for assistance and went down the shaft. The extent of the accident was soon apparent. He proceeded to send up the dirt that was covering the unfortunate man; medical assistance was summoned, and Dr. McMullen was soon on the spot; he went down the hole, but found that life was quite extinct. The body was raised to the f.urface; the injuries received were most extensive; both legs and arms were fractured, and the head and face were much crushed,and death must have been almost instantaneous. Tho Murray, including the surface of its lakes, is navigable for two thousand miles ; its affluents or branches—the Edward, the Wakool Sic., are navigable for four hundred miles; the Murrumbidgee, with its lakes, is navigable for one thousand miles; and the Darling is navigable for eight hundred miles, making in all 4200 miles of navigable waters. The basin of the Murray contains five hundred thousand acres. There are twelve townships in the district, which contained, according to the last census, 9365 inhabitants. In the season terminating at the commencement of 1857, the up freight amounted to 3213 tons; down freight, 2279 tons. On the waters there were ten steamers, fine boats, having 400 horse power, and 2200 tonnage.

BBITISH CoM3<tEBCIi.L EKTESPBISE IX Tuekey.—For the interest of Turkey herself the progress of such undertakings should be gradual, and it is to be hoped she will henceforth show reserve in entertaining them. Should she wait to see the result of the concessions thus far granted, it is possible that, instead of having to solicit capital in future cases by offering guarantees, she may find an eager competition for the privilege of undertaking great works even without them. The concession to the Euphrates line will be sufficient to test the effect of railways in stimulating the industry of the Syrian portion of her territory, where, according to the reports from British conusls and others lately published '03' the Board of Trade, only these are required to make that region again the granary of the world, while it will also, as a new highway to India, draw still closer her political relations' j.witb-TBnjfJMidr -Tiic Smyrna line will perform a similar service as regards Asia Minor, by showing the effect of adopting economical means of transport to a port the. aggre°-ate trade of which is estimated to amount annually to £2,000,000, of -which about a third is direct with this country. Finally, the Kostenje route to onnect the Danube with the Black Sea, so as t > save between 200 and 300 miles in transporting the produce of Servia, Bulgaria, and Wallacbia, will suffice as an experiment for that district. These several works will confer equal benefit on each of the three most important portions of the empire. When they shall have been completed, but not before, it will be time to think of new ones. With the present rapidity of operations, a couple of years will enable their most important portions to be constructed, so that the public may be satisfied of their prospects, and the Turkish government would best consult their own welfare and dignity were they to intimate that until after the lapse of that period no new applications for guarantee on schemes of any magnitude will be taken into consideration.— Times.