The Express. — London, England, 1849-12-24 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 24, 1849. MIST MEETING AT HUNTINU "rog.ETSIARL FITZWILLIAWS OPPOSITION. floterumenos. deromet siarhaall an arranally sting Dentin of the ceramist party wee held la this town. It mated to Ina isteaded to make the Wait • prastioal reply to os. c .bd is , i aeries at Le ode. he se poise had beta spared ...see the assembly exclusively of sedwateriets. • 4-- sigaitures, wee seat to unties. with a ing Ise of WI 11, V. kn., the high Maid et the efranty. tour tore ead that esatamen seseediegle salad a many at be held in the illeire-ball, tenderise, this messell so ui, at la ellen. • few Wow Mee the appoiated tom it town su4 that the ascommodadoe Worded by A . -- gi t 'comell Midi be inielleint, and after Yon delay ea "elitist Millie. ea the large ball of the Lite/wand la m eiss= p ei eels et do high dearilli to et eir loggia, his sea. the ender sherif, pee. - dine Walks pianos wen the Berl Fitairilliso, Capt. gleanhe f o r Deka Linos, d ge leee, ...in, n M.P. tor Cashel.* she Rev. kb. Benet, Mr. Day, an a emoiderabie 'anther of the priecipel Onset knees ot the ettunty, Tee CHAIRMAN haviag briefly called attention to the o we of it. requisition. Mr BRIOIII I moved the OW moieties. After 'de *mica co the moat piece of grain, and swain that ia. *A i s l e meal tad Seer, as well as wheat. the importation of weirs ore last ems was nth. maillioaeof Torun, he wens mse my, that the leaded interest was Renee heavily taxed. laid nal burdens prose' it; epos it, In addition to those it end is Wises with other amen Tau lair which placed ibese gnat budges upon this elms ought to provide vlsmodal privileges lice. met to met the increased gall. There e land tat. Ile admit,.d that it was sot large in noon bet lazes to be just should be point This tax nflatid real property only ; hat an answer was given to the shone Westin of this exclusive tax, by ming that it en wily did not Moen the lumen who had purchased the bid sehject to the Mad tax. The hos. gentleman concluded his remark' hp wag— " Tout the agricultural and other great Outlets of this pastry are at poem indeed in dirficalties aad distress glass: without preeeient, and from which no relief can be expeet d total the free tr.& policy to which their onditioa aelibutable be abandoued, an • system of just protective our domestic interests against Wrenn competition be ta gitited." lir. LANCASTER, in secoedieg the reeolutios, remarked ▪ th, y were waling se protecionista to gin to their ante. reasra credit seeking the good of tee whole, il their internists would onl y beli eve that they bad the wele object is view. Is reference to the stunk biotin indicted by the free trade system, he would all the monition of those pretest to the immense superiority of tee coatineatal soils as compared oith thet of Erielan". I Tie lire agrisalteral chemist in the world had in speaking elloilary said, that siliceous matter Ira conthised in its • In sock question ea to give the land the power of prenotho Otte crops of wheat, tobacco, de , 'ear aftro coils the clayey soil of this country required enema Wm a hapenuate it artificially with the materials to getdociet nitre, sad eta novelly it wet more thiamin be cal iliac, MI yielded lees. Tee CIIAIRMAN then waited for a ( rise,ts, nil Meg that uo r unman attempted to said that he nolo put the rooted .n. Us read it aloud, and was about leash. elbow at bawds upon it, when Eat FITZ W ILLIAIi roes and said—As no other gentle. Ma has ven any intimatin that he is desirous of addles' W y es , Twill not suffer this resolution to be put irom the glow vi bout expresein" to you the °piens' which I enter lain rapectin do proposition which it involves. In the ge nt pews, tentlentee, I beg to assure you of the entire re open which I feel for those gentlemen who have called this eimenne, for I believe I may attribute the cosvocauce of lima , ming priseipallj to the tenantry ot this meaty. (Haan I ass to SAVO the respect which I feel for this clan of my hilow.easntirma. Myself belonging to another clue, I beg to express to you that I eousidsr that other class as me awn the indestre of those who are their taunts. ' .era.) It to to their industry and the employment of capital that we owe our incomes. We are musketeers open oar tthantry, as lea larger sense rich men, inhales dal toms% who is also comparatively a rich man, are pia limn epos the iodurry of all Wen of the community. lino 'et, therefore. that the boons of all the classes coa. lined with lead, anti ate only of that class, but dell others we boned up together—and it is Impossible—and Imy alai lams* the experiment hashes& tried and failed—it is ir risible for the Isiisleture to accomplish the interest of on ism, without. in sums degree, empeomiling the welfare of all e' hers Whenever they Lave ettempod it, it has always bile., even in accomplishing the lutenist of that clam for "don protection It was endeavoared to legiala•e. bear i Now, gentlemen, I wish to consider all the people el h,..claul as one family. The reetlithisa who moved toe ree-lo , ion mid that ale ~ and that be did sot wish to en me close swayed spinet an titer. In that opinion I entirely moo. I have never rejoiced in nth differences. I have bola o niroes el helping all closes, instead of setting them Wee , omen anther. I have level . d vituperations against the landlords or tenant', or say et that Clllll. Oa the ening I kave wished to see the leaded intereee prevail, because 'look upon it as the most Sable interest In the cautery. No clan however. as Pa' mil, unless it km right and justice apes its sideoind admit, die poi Orin of right end justice to oaten. (Bear, hear.) ?Muth yea may have seen that then are districts in this Metre is whisk tbe class connected with the landed interest deem nut as* that popularity which I treat It does la other geese el Eagan, yet you must attribute that to a deep mi. elution In the minds of the popula•ioe, in the minds of the wasesery, in the minds of th( usands of the insinuate of *see districts, that the le gi.latioa of England on this quo- Wm of the cora laws is sot one intended for the baulk of Me whale, but flor the benefit of one clam in particular, (Brest ebeeriag.) I do not say that it is so. f slaw this stir as the deep conviction which exists la the minds of Milano of my tellow-cot me tryn, dare tha pouch ouch we. h e later e lates Mm of the legislae. I that so emosen you have nod the Ties , a of yesterday ; end if you have, yea wile have read something very Sinai mat in that piper; don't shut your eyes to such matters Bet navies that Foist, I turn to a propoeitin which is termed is this noisome It is therein 'filmed that free tads is the ewe of the distress which exists unapt As tritons/al I put the question whether this is IMO? (Cuies ref" Y yes," " No, se," &ad somee oodesien.) Now either the who moved or sweaded the resolution venire to the Mows gond, of ewe whisk has Muir ported doting the last yew. la 1846 I presteme he De Sated that the importaties was afar mailing. I think that is s eon exaggeration; but I will Oka him at his weed, thcuah 1 believe he is mistake., sad very mosiderably mis taken too. I believe he gave shout disable the Weal quantity. (Cries of " No, no," and " lien, hear.") Whither it be four millions or nine millions I do not at all ewe. hut what do you apprehend has been the cane of this 'sermons importation of foreign. corm ? (A voice, " Because we at. foils' ass pigs WWI aurora.") He lens his pies with his oen cons. lea afraid helm not been van suciondel in •Ire S.• SO. I • 1 •1. prod AC Ing groom OWL tint*. 11011au MAU very coed core, Maus the pen at average price of corn must be alma 34e. or 35e., and that by no means the best. It you leek for return s giving the price of oorn in foreign countries, In will Sad that the best corn in Dawns market is now per quarter ; and It is sin cies, therefore, that no corn sea come from Beanie at the present moment, when there they are giving 39e, sad whea they could get only 35e. In Zeplan, unless epos the mir position that the coon from Da,tzle is meek 'better able to command a pries in this I Whet boycott that a their own. It is, sot, he wever. the best Eagliah corn which is now selling at 35a. It is not even the pin of the corn upon mei& the people of Zeeland now teed (A Veice—" Ye. it is "1 The gewlentaa who mays it is does sot knew the difference between the average and the highest price. The fact of the average price being We. poets that the beet corn ie greatly stove 3 1 e. (A Voioe— "lt is only a shllling a 'Me.") Well, bat is that good or bad ors ? Are we restricted to oar owe markets when we I base tee markets of the whole world? Bat whet was the ease under mention, for of course you would expect yam- , thing better fres protection than from the want I el it. (Appleto) Exactly so; but why is it that yes have sew a pries of 36.. a quarter, and what wee the law of 1816 ? 1 with to know if we are not to hap tits , law, what an we to have ? (A voice " The law of 111441-1842—in fact, protection.") Protection is a very ez4 es word. I want something more definite upon that had; and I doubt whether any gentleman in this hall an gin me asp delimit, law welsh he would propose indeed or hes trade. (A voice : We would go beck to ker Si 1,41.") WO, what was the law of 1641 ? vein : " From 4a to 10e. a quarter.") That gentlemen is greatly mietekoi. There was so law in 1642 but the present law— the pro.ective law was the law of 1828, sad I would sue gest that patlemie should not wastradiet toiler they memo of their lots, red that they are right. Now , iwe rAba l e " 1842. what was the law which existed? passe • ugly. (Silence.) What, no answer I Well, then, fm lOW passion for you I will tell you. The law of 1842 WY dile mended law el 1628. Well, but what was the law at liii r It .unotostite gentleman is the body of the hell obeelleide a duty of from 4e. tt 10e—it was a law of a dials' meie e 11 ° 4 " r' • nano% of which lon will bear in mind, ba the year .836, the average was precisely the same ea that Si which you have been complaining. (A voice in the Ida— " But the poors' rata were not so high.") The WNW price in 1830, under the law of 1828, was the ems se sow and that Yes the most &handset pew you had Inesera. (Cries of "No, sow) Well thee I will not deal in pod* , adman= ; it was sot the m ost abundant, it was one et th. must abundant ever known. ("No, no.") I repeat it was oils of the moo abundant yeses ma kaoline New than I will tell yea why I apprehend the import' of the lest per to have been se very great. Do you remember, what ms *estate of things la the earl i e r P art r " f rim year 11147 ? I wish to ask the gaieties, ha:easel want to Rawly ima theme sesames who semplaia of the prises d I=ere la 1847. Why. about 100 e. par quarter. (A Nag did that lest ? It was &Jabbing Wilk el the w gentwesa.") The reason why there km hese Min Overladen es the high prices in Entead la 1111ils s tarl a = mated a great importatioa 1847. Ilia nib the wawa. sad the eoeseqnsom wasement nei That pries ef Fenno of that then ma be se W ▪ eIll• mpend= wad est haw taken Pin "NM the nineties e( I' iseallod tree trade bat whet woe d have boa the we 51 the pm* , of this MOO iithet nineties heed set ta keske& pine ?- You have set, how e,,, mowed the . of vela* I pat. What is year mown to the modem of what would you have Mond of lOW ?(A V e l a A gm" duty, to keep up the me. if lee aims led possessiss to endue iodestry.) but mom amen iadany you awl exclude the MIL tea". o. " No, no.") These was some onse is the progoilies for L i ra re•SEIIII derived two Mew MA is totes IMP a ensues es yea might have dodged lim ; bat that lea P 10 retemisa sr twisislive sow is a Wag aunty ispewilds. (Loud SAN et" He, as") [fia rsl questiess were here pat at ease to the settle earl—" Why ant Wket's to peeveat t" "I. it bursae the kiag of the West Radio" aye we shall net I' Ala] It is sot IP ease, the king es the West Melia' says yes shall set—by the grey, I thiak that geatllessa it bees talkie' a net deal too sash, sad that he is a class legiehtor. It is set he reon the king of *s West Ridkag says you shall ass, hat becalm I think yes wit find a Futile *Wing I. lashed that will wake it imealble Ise_yea ands/ metal desialelassa retais preseuel pr ea. (The noble Lad set dews amidst ream awl biros ) 11r. J. OAKS DAT, is esigertie" Ike veselaties, said that he was soul that wields te/I fees the noble seri should sot Is• with estisfessios, he aling whatever of Walt mist between Ids loesiekip aeltheseselvse, se eres aeon willed to their Deepest os an bases, osseeldstbas, asd sisters sea. The espied.* was pa , so the weestlag sad adopted. bat sot without some Muses Wag WM spin &bat iron it. Mr. FRYER prerteed the mesa reardatioa That in the eits of this satins So hope ego be ob tained of the reveesal of the teal policy seder which the wreatry sad this ..soup fa particular frees the pretreat Howe of COOMINIS. the esebeity of which this weeds" is easelae.d does set peewee the etra'Aisses see n ' peewit the pretreat orbiter of the people. Mr. NICHOLLS weraded the resolution. It was op c oed by Captaia Dabeely sad Professor Pryese, late M.P. r The CHAIRMAN pat the resolution to the reastiag, sad It wee carried by a amide/able sugerity. The Rev. I. LINTON and other "eatleates addressed the seetie". As address to her Wes y praying tor the dieeo lotion of the present House of Cosmos was agreed te, sad thanks having Mee voted to the sherif kw kb weerway is Ave presi.dag, the useetiss separated atter a sedersat et hours. Madly paid up, and though the truant s& shows to the parties tUmealess a very heavy loos, yet that the pan of pia arks. does not aka the question. To all °and and un prejudiced minds, however, it will be salaam to advert to the eirmaseasems of the Wm, to the auditions wader whisk the *antes* kind theassairea, and to the quotation of the Stock Br=to prove that for the liability they the see so motive sea be Wised, hat that by whiskthe diem tees slim that they WWII aetsated—the brook dike see r. (Chem.) If the dirarton mai hen ham kthswed oecesices sa cio 7 : 3"r ol wh l e tt e r a 7col w e as sileaZxc e a kiisa us i t t tr of hlo sableak ilsis lhommel lialli b i l es t ser. till oa tan and inusee'iate. In the year 1837, whoa k was a cos my to raise eapital to finish the original Ike to Souls:amp ten, am shares were stored to the prominent.* per seat. dissent, end * souiderthis prolamin of the subscript°. Mat remained milled. The dirseton of that day (several of whom remained la the hoard in November, 1846, and some of whom are still members of it) subscribed for the &Belem is addition to the proportion of the new dock which they took up on their own account ; the thane afterwards rose is value, and though the risk of the traosestios woo boas by the directors individually, the shareholden at large had the entire benefit of the moat (21,8071. 10s. 3d.), whisk was settled to the mat 01 the company. In 1841,1843,1144, end 1846, new capital ma swesenvely created for the mamma of those reeve patois; on nth oceans the eke es, when Wok ben • endembie me. dam; os each suse*. then nth peaks wise item one saw or otter) malted to assays of their ; oa each mean the been had the oppertuaity of sbasfag their trust, sad cm the two meat hawks% occasion was distinctly invested by the reprising with power to dispose of the shares use aosepted • bat is nose of th ese batmen where malt was serials, did they monks that power by allotting to themselves or alms say maks whatever of the sambas shame, whisk have rmann in ivory case the property of the empaay. (Chen.) Sad. As to lease seeds out of. the company's fends to direeton sad ethers : Towardsthodsse et 1846 it was oddest that, for some arms at ked,aetwithstanding the coasiduablo expenditure pin Ihrast4 es works, • large Boating balance would mi he head, a portion of which the directors• deemed it advisable to liesphy temporarily in low at laterest on security. In this meaner ' on the security of shores of this semsany ansply emoting tie mount, various sums were lest baween Dlllollmber, 1848, and February, 1848, to seven I isthaduals, three of whom were di:esters ; the total amount death lase wee Rader 60,0001, the rats of inertia five per ant. With sae eneptios, the whole of these was were rupsfd with *tenet when rroeqgacrd by the directors. The wog*. is that of • sh (sot • director) lasgely in tarsal he the South Western Railway. The directors, not being able to obtain re-peymsat from hint at the stipulated period, did precisely as they would have don in the mansge meat of their own affairs, they obtained payment for ono half the amount, and took adequate seesatyon real property for the remainder. (Cheers.) It may be here proper to remark that fa the essethenal dis position of balances an hand, the dimities here bon goked by so other rule than that of obtaining the lighnente of intend consistent with good security; and reldist, k Wensas ohne 'Glynn, the sagneate =cunt of Worse thee sensed ant be °oast. arable, no lore has ever bees winked by the compasy (cheep)—the loans to members of the Osaka were certainly accepted at the time, under the belief that the assommoda lion was mutual but the diseases ewes new be keessible to the objections to which each lame me liable; be however weeniest and advantegeous to the company they may be— as mare money transactions—every such layman* is note than neutralised, if misconception and distrust are thereby occasioned. (Cheers ) 3rd. The directors' arrears of call. It may be well, at ones, to state that it is understood that the remarks made on this subject have been pointed exclusively at two members 'st the board. These genlenten (Meters. Chaplin and W. I Reed) have requested that there may be no reserve as to their names, or as to the circumstances under which these sneers have arisen. (Hear, hear.) First, therefore, as regards Mr. Cbaplin Its well knows that Mr. Chaplin has, fie the last tea pan, been • very large shareholder is the company; that he has, on all occasions, token his full proportion of all new aware of shares, besides, on some occasions, purchasing shares ; and that his interest as a shareholder exceeds that of any tiller proprietor. The extreme confidence which led him to risk so large a property in, and to bird his fortunes to this company, p ed his being a seller of shares when he might have realised very law profits. and bas always made him unwilling to diminish his interest at every soccer sive period of decline in prices, whilst the repeated calls upon the large number of starts he held have constantly brought upon him fresh lisbilitin. Mr. Chaplin was entitled to rely on his o her large resources to enable him to meet these lie Whin ; but the circumstances of the times at the end et the year 1847, followed by the French Revolution, have operated in rendering these resources unavailable, without excessive sacrifice. In the sprint of 1845 Mr. Chaplin lent the Company the sum of 0,0001. at 81 per cent., which was pieced to his credit in the ledger ; the calls up to the sad of 1847 being placed to his debit there. Up to the 31st May, 1845, he re mined a creditor of the company. The several calls and deposits for new sham at the close of 1846 brought a considerable balance against him, which was increased during 1847. The various sums paid in liqui dated of these claims by Mr. Chaplin to the company dung the distressing years 1847 sad 1848, and to this date, amount in the aggregate to 106,2191 19s. 9d.. leaving him still in sneer a call 48,2461., exclusive of the optional calls. Mr. Chaplio, at this time, is • holder of stock upon which 194,5741. has bees paid. (Cheers.) Mr. W. Reed's arrears of calls (exclusive of the optional eelie) amount to 10,0001. ; they arise solely on 1,600 new shares takers up ley him on the irmitatios of the directors in December, 1846, being • portion of the extra 16,000 thirds of 1846-1847 allotted wider the circumstances already ex plained. The whole of the calls on his other shares are fully paid. Mr. Reed was not then • director of the company, but became so in February, 1847. The re loathe already made in respect to Mr. Cksplin sp. ply in some degree to Mr. Reed ; both have been long emaciated with the South Waters Company ; both have had a confident opinion of its Who* were pecu liarly affected by the adverse tarn of aad especially by the unexpected revolution is Perk, kr ebrurry, 1848, which so seriously injured railway property In Franco ; 111111 it may be added, that both have been especially marked by the seal and matey with which they have devoted them selves to the service of the South Wartime Company. (Cheers.) Taking all these circumstances fairly Into view, the directors are willing to abide by the judgment of any unbiassed and honotirate body Gimes, as to how far it was possible for them to regard those MN otherwise than as justly tattled to the same just consideratios as was extended to the utmost to every other proprietor. (Hear, boa ) To the settle tribunal they are also willing to refer the general question, of whether an any degree it can be justly alleged in regard to the accusations brought against them, that they have sought their own individual advantage at the expense et the proprietors. (Lead cheers.) The CHAIRMAN could assure the proprietor that whatever mieht be the Winer out of doors or in that room o en no woman outing the many yeses of his connexion with that railway had he felt greeter Makatea In soaring beim them, or greater pride is the consciounem that he hod demo kis beet in the discharge of his duty to the ampasy. The ssessim had read • report of • part of the ekeetees upon **emanations in which some of their caesium were in- yoked. Some of those directors were see eseasetai with the hued at the time whet the transeetwomemod ; othen had W Ike th izAdo with the loans, sat e hada( paid their own wall be acte dsultan to he km haterested than ill ase lig hOln the charges din a earefel examination of the bets. (Hear, hear.) The report had been made by five grallismes of the board, and since brought before the whol e of the directors, who had agreed to MOWN it; and, there in.. is mentary had read • dominant which a:premed the egkin of the whole body. (Loud Moen) Hs believed it I wed* be inferred from the statement that the shareholders ▪ maffered no loss from what bad taken plaos—(cheera— lid One had been no fraud in the transactions—(cheers) — I Mat** thesithes had been properly paid, and that no arrears of call or atomise had been allowed to exist, without ka rma being duly paid upon them. (Cheers.) Is re ferring to himself, he would endeavour to avoid those recriminations and personalities from which, he was happy to my, the South Western meetings had hitherto been generally exempt. With regard to his en transactions with the company, he had thought it desirable to issue circulars to the shareholders individually, in order to make ea open and frank avowal of the position in which he stood, that the pr •priston might have an opportunity of considering that position, end calmly viewing the whole of the affair, and, he hoped, of coming to • satisfactory judg ment relative to it, upon which he had no hesitation in say ing he coofidently relied. (Cheers.) Since the last meeting, his friends from Manchester had had an opportunitp of ex. anteing the books and papers of the company—be did not know for bow many days ; and the audit committee had also been engaged in examining the books and papers, and he believed that very fee documents which they desired to have, had been kept from them. (A member of the com mittee," None, nose.") Thcse gentlemen had had ample opportunities of examining into the affairs at the company ; and if they had found that either the chairman or any of the directors had bees in* cated in any contracts for the purchase of leads et hoones— ia my contracts for iron, timber, °ha, or etha— se MEd that there bad been any fallacious acomesth err gird air counts—or found that any practices had be for the lacrosse of revenue at the expense of onital--ce that there were any divisions, collisions, or quarrels at the board—thes he would have admitted that their chairman sad directors as a body were open to censure. (Hoer, bear.) _Bat se gosh disown-Ws had beat made ;at least, he had never beard that any of those gentlemen had stated that they had hued each Sawa be is existence. He had betas told them that they were going too feat- He believed that ON great i and crymg evil under wilt* they were Benin was the having made too many extensloes. Re did not think, how. ever, that the board ought—looking at the thesunstances of theeve—to be blamed for that—(cries of hear, hear) and if, in future modifications of the board, they could find any gentlemen who had stood perfectly firm against the excitement of the times which they had seen, most as suredly then gentlemen ought to be elected as directors. (Cheers and laughter.) He did not think they could blame use another for what had e lse e place, for even his keened friend Mr. Sarisaat had been one of the most forward la ruing them to make extensions of the line. (Cheers.) He would tell them tinkly, that he, as chairman, had been too coaldent as to the now of their extension. So also were the directors. Nay, he night go farther, and say that their engineers sad sollaton and even the shar eholders themeless had bees too eangsiae on the subject (Hear, hear.) It must be admitted they were al: in one boat with regard to the extensions, and h at t et they had all been ev idently wrong. (Hoar, hear.) L them not,fteliszaraid bonyher with what Ind taken place as that (Loud cheers.) He held le his heads some returns ef they maids, from w....... lie lend that in the autism six months of 1843 they W WO milse of railway open to Bouthamptoe, Gosport. and =rd, and that thew misdeed • maim et 201,6221. lie wished to speak with perfect good humour, yet lie mast say that at the lest massing his Mmehester inside, Is mattes the *MN of is toile a chirp &salsa the bead of del alsa t he skaseheases s had dealt with them somewhat badly. (Hear.) He ersitmed that at that time he did think they bed get all the mints ed a goad sad burials, trade, and that they meld wed. Weer tharehre this by ge oal itibeirrsiagers lda". 7 Kr 651 1 .2 th.M•waverestileria;&4ll"l4l7 ee the til l "P re :7 Wil a; i: riai kl imasswer e e d o i s Vlt ii i i reo t 194,8211. Hen I lle a4 re w e lla they °l 11); A id alke s deficit of ,00111., Omagh they had the eareirge ors se additional sue aim of new _bet it was le leaky Over ten miles of the line from Rishemed to Loads., while their expense. had &creased by 4,000 i. (Hear, Mier.) He passed over 1847, became there was no parasitise miss skis dam Has; bat when he cams to 1848, he head that they opened 22 wiles of additional rating to Belisha' sad 63 to Dorchester—sot parallel lineswith their owe, wide, of nurse, would only draw away the traffic from theirisiglaid line, but teqq Dorchester 63 miles right out from thathaniptos, and to 22 miles right oat. In addition to that, they, on the 11th lay, opened two mike el lias to the Waterloo station, 14 miles to Dacha, sad nine mileetoward Portsmouth, making togellta 219 wins Lentils their revenuer was only 272,0001., so that _they only got 66,0001. for 119 miles of railway. He sow came to their earnings far the six months ending on the 31st of December, 1849 ; or though the half year was sot quite coupleted, it required se great amount of talent to ea/slate what would be received in the few remaining days. On October 22, the y! !posed 6 mile of their loop ; ea the 15th, 3 to Godalmieg ; and is the same month, 12 miles further on their &teed= lines, making together 239 miles. Though these last mundane had only been in operation for • short period, they might he expected to have some effect on their traffic i yet the tesel receipts would only be 274 0001.; so that with lie saes additional railway, they only received en ens trigs dolma 70.0001., out of which they had to pay the ass espousal working and dividends on the iswessed assume of sheik. (Cheers.) lie thought, therefor'. thel Mrs was a which better charted the &teenaged thelbegeheldmi= the little trumpery prints upon whist dleff hum= cavilling. (Con Om Sn.) It was but right loe Ihsta be borne le mind, in order that the dimmais Wilt be sums' with confidence by the shareholders, sad Mess be plasma Ia their honour. if they did not treat their Fees& directors as gentlemen, they might rely seas it that in say future me dification of the board they would not find the right sort of men, such as were required at a railway board to take office. (Cheers.) He must say that they were injuring their property by these continual Islamism jealousies, and foneyings, that the directors were &lira). ragged in jobs and costrivances against the interests of the sherebolden. (Hear, hear.) When he looked at the mem by whom he was surrounded, he felt that they could not have a better clams of directors. (Hear.) One of his colleagues (Lord doe ley), had coadaerawded to come from the Home of Lords to take part is their mercantile trammtions, and add dignity to the board, and he could not imagine where they would he able to find a gentleman more destrios of eselideash Then, again, they had amongst them the Hes Ilsossialkall, M.P. for a Boot& county ; Mr. Her etyma, the reprise eentative of Dorset, and other gentlemen, the amount of whole hidepeodeet property, irrespective of their high honour, was adicient to prove that they were not looking for jobs; and he could enure soy 'manumit dm thought that by coming into that direction they would he able to take a pert in jobs that the would be miserably disappointed. (Cheers and laughter.) he directors had thetefore a reel> lotion to propose, which he hoped would be unanimously supforted, for such en inquiry into the character of the board as to prove that they had never bent to jobbing. It was necessary that such an inquiry should take place, as from the want of confidence which existed amongst ones of the shareholders the officials had been for a long time past em ployed in preparing ratans and documents which, while they I could produce no god, kept their minds diverted from the &Rya developing the uafficot the line. They had 2,000,0001. 1 of floating debt, and if, by the coarse they panned, the' shareholders damaged the credit of the company as the de bentures fell due, the directors would be prevented from availing themselves of the golden opportunity presented by the low price of capital of lessening their liabilities. (Hear.) If they did that, the shareholders mast recollect that the fault would rut not with the directors, but with themselves. In conclusion, he Wined to move— *, That • committee be appointed to investigate the charges and statements made against the integrity of the directors at the last epeeist general meeting of the company, and any other charges a ff ecting the probity of the directors which the committee may see fit to entertain, together with any other &errs which might be brought against them." (Loud cheers.) Lord MORLEY, in seconding the resolution, sail he was satisfied that an inquiry would clear the character of the directors from all imputation, and he could saute the share holders that every facility should be afforded of making it as searching as pootaile. Mr. HAMIIICK said that feeling assured that a triumph ant refutation would be given to all the charges which could be brought before a committee of investigation into the ce.n duet of the directors, be thought such a committee quite un necessary. They had every reason to place the utmost confi dence in all the members of their board. They might naturelly deplore the lore of dividad and the unfavourable aspect of their affairs ; but that was no excure for imputing blame to their directors, tad he felt confident that the meeting would cordially coincide with him in lassoing a vote of confideree in the chairman and directors, which he begged to move. (Cheers) Dr. SNOW perfectly agreed in the sentiment, of the last speaker. Hs maintained that they . had no muse for suspicion prehis belief account of their dividend s l ong they would avtng been lessened, and es sedhave better times end larger dividends. (Hear.) TIM had been told that they ought to have different rot n for directors, but he would ask them could they find more honest men? (Hear, hear.) He trusted that they would be unanimous in their expres sions of confidence in the bud, and he certainly saw no necessity whatever for the appointment of a committee. (Hear, bear.) The CHAIRMAN said he hoped that what had been said by the hon. gentleman who had last addressed them would not have the effect of preventing the appointment of this committee. After the charge which had been made and 'er repented, they (the director) felt it imperative that publicly —.40.. fu..- such a committee should be appointed. Dr. SNOW said he thought it very desirable that no sash committee should be appointed; still, if the directors desired it, they must yield, though, at the same time, they had a right to expos their full and perfect confidence in the board. (Cheers.) Mr. HAYS observed that there was an old adage, " Heaven save me from my friends!" It wu certainly veri fied by the address of the last speakers, who, when the di futon bad thought fit to move a res.:dation for the adop tion of a committee, wished to prevent it, thereby sot giving them the chance of justifying themselves in the eyes of the oublie and mulling , the eh--- • —.b i d th em "° • . - ••••ge. auto.. • • -•-• considered the report which they had heard that day a one sided document. Mr. Chaplin had accueed him (Mr. Kaye) of saying that he bad deluded the shareholders. He be lieved that Mr. Chaplin had deluded himself, and given forth accounts and prospects which had never been realised or borne out. When the Manehester shareholders saw the pathos of affairs, and the insufilcient return which they res mind for their property, they *ought to (Ain some Womb lion on the subject, and true the cause of their disastrous position. He bad withdrawn a resolution= intended to pat before the meeting in August last, trusting implicitly to the directors' statements; but at the suns time he thought fit to nuke some inquiry, although he had never taken any step hastily. lie would call their attention to the fact of the manner in which they had been deceived as to the expense of the London-bridge Extension. They had been told that it would cut 500,0001. Now he knew from competent authority that a million and a half was about the sum which would be r4quired. (Hear, hear.) He complained that although at the last meeting the shareholders had very properly determined not to 'go on with the Laudon-bridge Extension by an overpowering ma. jority, that was not stated in the minutes in h a way as clearly to exhibit the tact. In consequence of t he altercations which took place at the last meeting, and what he saw in the public press, hie colleague Mr. Walker and himself thought it prudent to call at the office for information, where they met Mr. Chaplin and Mr. Reed. Thous gentlemen referred them to the board, which gave them pessaasion to look at all the books. That might not be the proper place to give the result of the investigation, but when he saw a report b ro ug ht in at th e last hour, reeking from the press, and pee with great care by parties knowing all the bearings of e ease, he must say that he felt great suspicion. (Cheers.) He had not called for this committee of investigation ; the directors themselves had proposed it. He wanted to ascertain tho- roughly the policy on which their affairs were based. (Cries of " Question, question.") He would call their attention to the loans which the directors bad thought fit to advance each other. He found from a statement which he had extracted from the books of the company that they had lent Mr. James Aiken in Febraary. 1847, 9,0001. (Hear, hear, and "Oh, oh.") This had been repaid by three instalments of 7,0001., July, 1847; 1,0001., September, 11347 ; and 1,0001., November 4, 1847. To Count Eyre there had been lent 5,0001. is Ju1y,1847, and 6,0001. in February, 1848. These two sums had been repaid ; the first in July, 1848, the ether in October, 1849. Mr. tzielli had received as a loan 7,5001. in February, 1848, which was repaid, 5,0001. in May, 1548, and 2,5001. in June. (Considerable confusion here took place in consequent* of several gentlemen calling the bon proprietor to order, while others demanded he should read the whole of the rut.) He would read it in brief. Colonel Henderson borrowed 2,5001. in Jan., 1947 ; Mr. Lacy, 500 1 . in 1847; Mr. Reed, 5,6251. in 1847; the Hon. Francis Scott, 3751. Mr. REED—I utterly disclaim ever having borrowed ore shilling of the company% none/. (Loud cries of " Hear.") The Hen. FRANCIS SCOTT—I beg to deny that I ever owed case single tarthieg to the company. (Confusion.) Nr. LACY—And so do I. (Hear, hear. Mr. RATE had made his extracts from the books of the company, and could only give them as be found then. The next name he came to was that of Mr. William Chadwick, who, th ey all knew, had been connected with the Riekunoad line. He found that sums amounting to 22,1251. had been borrowed by that gentleman. Mr. CHADWICIC—It is totally false. I borrowed one shilling of the company. (Confusion, and cries of " Hear, hear.") Upon this several gentlemen rose and said it was melees to go on with the list, as denials were pouring in from all quarters. (Cries of "Oa on.") Lord MORLEY said the °eject for which they proposed that a committee should be appointed was to investigate these charge'. Wee it right, then, for these to go into then at the moat time 1 RAILWAY MEETINGS. LONDON AND 11017T11 WIEITEB.N. As rammer is Ilageeday's Ernes, a epeeist gale ral meeting of the proprietors was held ea Battu , day (having_ bees .severed by the directors) at the Nine Elms Statics, Vauxhall, chiefly to treble the shave holders to at a oessisittas to investigate the charges brought aga ins t then at the erring of the 28th of Novena ver, is retereses to the saltiest of loess. The chair was takes at 12 o'clock by Mr. Curtin, chairman of the board, who, on taking his mat, was meted wit, wit, a burst of sheers, pa rtly of as applauding character, sad partly ironical. After the observances of the customary formality of readingl the notice the secretary (Ur. WINDM&Y BAILDIKO) read the following report of the director Tee directors regret to have been obliged to trouble the proprietors by calling them again together so soon after the resent special meeting of the 28th ult., but the changes which were then entered against them (though rower& at the time apparently to the general satisfaction of the meeting) have bees Since made the subject of so much posh. the miseteearet, and silo much misrepresentation, public and private, that their own feelings of seltrespect, set km than a due regard to the interests of the South Warm Coneray, require that these questions should be sat at test a: the earliest poseible period. The seessatioa was to the elect that the airmen bad, during the peale. when the rats of bitterest wee from 8 to 12 per oat., granted leans to themselves, at a less rate of interest, out of we /Mb of the company to pay their own cells, in gross 'Weir of their duty as trustees for the shareholders ; and ells, shespue ' mere or less connected with this question have len solar wady added. The special object of this meeting b is rare the shareholder to appoint a committee to hared gate the matter • bat the director cannot consent, in the meantime, to re st silent under imputations directly affect. tag their character as honourahl• n, and they proceed, tlearfere, at once to give such explanations ma the limit of a report will allow. At the special meeting of the 28th ultimo, the statements made by 11100* of the director in reply to questions put, wither sides, were, in the absence of all means of reta liate WI deenneents or books, neensarily issomplete. Di vesting the subject, however, as far r possible, of aiey coo. hires which may thus have been endued, it is thought that nothing will be omitted if the explanation be arranged under the kneeing heads, vie : 1. Transude:es as to the taking up, by rime of the di gester and o th ers, of 16,000 new share is Deesaber, 1848. 2 Loans made out of the con re funds. 3. The arrears of alb dee by d trosters ' First. In reseed to therm thane of 18467, it is lISCONIT, to all attends& to the report of the director at the special =I meeting of 17th November, 1846 . This report em resommendatioas to apply to perliasser, in the next muds, foe the error projects which were the subject of fourteen evolutions, all of which were passed rearrest, by the meeting, the reception of the report having been pre timely moved by the chairman, and seconded, with expres. sire of apportion, by Mr. Serjeaat Ours*. (Chews.) Serjeant Orates—That is not true, aad it was very unfair to put it la the report.l Theme various priers, if all sanctioned by parliameut, would have occasioned an expen diture of nearly 7i millions. This report also gave a general indication of the terms on which it was proposed by the directors to raise the necessary capital, amounting to 6,028,0001., and the meeting unanimously approved of the terms, and referred it to the directors to carry the details into effect. Immediately after the meeting, the directors, accordingly, rat a copy of sash detailed plan to each of the proprietors, ealliag upon them to declare their option of taking their re *retro proportioss of the new shares prior to the 30th November. The twelfth clause wu in the following terms, via. :—" That all the shares to be boned in pursuance of the a b o ve resolutions which shall not be taken acoording to the o s ci ar o e n s offered to the shareholders and all each of the said as shell berme forfeited, ;hall be disposed of by the board of directors for the benefit of the company." On the llth Dec., 1846, the diners met, and it 'reimported toilers that the following Banshee of shares had been, up to that time applied for, via. f—shar s of 501 ., 76,014, three of 404, 8,928 ; whilst the number, which it will appear by the first clause it bad been deemed expedient " forthwith' to allot. were as tollowe shares of 601., 92,662 ; shares of 401., 12,000 ; and the deposits actually received were only to the extent of 63,850 shares, or upon about 20,000 shun less than those applied for as above. On observing this result, it wee evident to the director, on whom rested the responsibility of having the subscription completed and the deeds signed and deposited by the 31st of December, that an immediate and further allotment of shares was seterary. The eseditiose ea which these shafts were originally is sued offend no great immediate or prospective advantages, being that 6 per oat. should be paid out of capital, epos tte amounts called up for six years, after which time they were to rank with the general stock of the company. These con ditions were subsequently altered by parliament disallowing the pretest of the interest out of capital, sad the shares (cut down from 601. etch to 16L 13s. 4d.) were atterwards registered as thirds, not entitled to either dividend or interest till after the Ist July, 1848, and then only to the ordinary WentIPIU. At the date in question the shares bore noun' than a no minal premium (10s. or 15s. per share), and left no probability that any considerable amount could be disposed of on the Stock Exchange within the very limited time then exorable without injuries time proprietors who had accepted their allotments, and showily emus appeared to be, that the &rectors, with suck parties an they eon& immediately induces should tans up a further portion of the shares. Atter mt reluctance to incur so large an additional liability, this come was adopted ; but as the directors had already been subjected to the deposits en their own propostion of the new scrip, and as the additional sums required wen in some eases large and as the parties were sot to have possession of visit , scrip, a deferred payment (with interest), to each as found the immediate payment of the deposit inconveeient, became • necessary part of the arrangement. The conditions on which the new scrip was allotted by the board were as fol lows : The deed to be signed by eaeh party for the shares taken Twenty five per cent. of the amount of the deposit to be paid immediately, and security for the balance to W be en; the company to retain the scares till payment of sub Wanes ; sock payments to be niade—cm-helf, in 3 months; one•quarter, in 4 mouths; and oat-quarter in 5 months, from Doembee 11, 1846. No party to have his scrip (even if paid for) delivered up in leis than 3 month', in order that these allotments might by no usability emu into moved. lion with those of the general sharekoleer for that period. Us these terms 15,000 shares were accepted. Four of the parties paid their entire deposits imardiately, and, as re spects the whole, the agreement was rigidly adhered to, except as to th e ceideri dates of the payment of the stipu lated instalments, the completion of which was in some cases allowed to be deferred. The whole, however, has long since been paid up, with interest. It may be necessary to state here that the Bank of England rate of discount on the 12th December, 1846, was 3 per cent., and remained at that rate till 14th Jaaaary when it became 34, and was not Mod t.‘:. 5 pm mot. till the mouth or April, at which rete it remained till September, and that the Forties were charged interest es their seteaiptione, at the rate of 4 per cent., until 17th May, 1847, and at the rate of 5 per cent. frost that date. In the carrying out of this amusement, the cheques of the sempany were issued, whm required, in favour of the impielive parties :—ln some &steams, merely to suable the sesemery transfer to be seeds in the iv many's boas, sash &gem never having passed out of the possession. of the , in others the cheques were handed to the Fern,Y paid by them to their own bankers, and cheque onthe latter and paid to the company for the fall &goat. In all these eases the traumata& in the ONE= books has been &marinated a loan, even where the sever had the cheques is their possession, and the whole have thee been returned as lotus in answer to an order made by the Roues of Lords in the last session of par- , limiest, though. let the ordinary sense of the term " loan, ' it unim Imam wholly iumpliestile to the &messiness of am deferred payment After the above explanation, it may appear aseacesemy to state, that these transactions haw ao eimankm whatever with the preference (7 per mat. deposit)) SIMON which were meat& a yes ear after wards the name of " Thirds" haviag bees amigned to these shares an well m to the hens of 1846, have roefounded the two description of shams, therefore right to repeat that all the above matinee had to the unprivileged shares of 1866-7, and not teeildnesse Slimes of 1647-8. Musson believe that this ben statement of the fish diapama of the laudation, se far as this mita is of *sir having borrowed the money of the esm peay to pay Sok coils aeries the peak, chanting themselves with she& 411111411 1 i the entreat Me of interest ; bat the =M ai still remains, were the shares thus allotted really of with the view to the Inuit et the anspeay or he the gelmie advantage of these who accepted them ?, It atzroesb,d, that though ;b• pragridon at Imp hays or 4 boss besaited by die aiditiosal aapital - -Thaars. I.IIICOTT mid he homed Mr. Kaye would pea wed, sad Mate everythiag fatly; there was so neeesthy for waseelasst. (Cries of "Ge ea, go on.") Mr. KATE said be would mot have mitered upon this set asesent bad It set bees toe the speech which the chair men had made, sad the report pat tooth by the directors. Admiral WARD thseght it to o cc with this theenesion, se a theamlthee Was le he Mr. LATH add mew had itheriaphsd the media, the report, or the shakoes, when be was soaking his lent rZeHe would ask their why thaw who oppomd the should not he allowed to premed ? uproar.) He maintained that the mod* el bed bus mat' tignardisary. For usaiple, he lead • Mr. Chadwick's wawa% had been suiered from the ledger to the day book. That was quite en unreal way el newest* bulasee. The bon. sesames them premeded is read a OW of the cheeks by whisk theerademasen had hoes paid, they bevies bees made Wiseman of the nsolutise bowleg date Nov. 18 1846 :—" Ressi k vi l e i r& any holds; of stock wishing fora but of the same be lent on the enmity of the dwdt of this eampaay's Maki the rate of laterals to be waled by OW lithala sommitlithr Finales that these sump had been advasookle made some ismairies of the treasurer, to ascertain whether the pude. remising the 'Awesome had taken their divides& whik they were in debt to the company, and to avoid mistake, be would lay the questions aid answers before' the meeting. " Were not Kean. Henderson and Co ;daring the time that those large sums were owing allowed to receive, and did they sot mein their divideade I—Yes. " Iteleaing to bosh marked dividend waned. &scathed for calls due under the head, dividend due for half-year ending Dee. 1847, I see scarcely any dividend. were de- Pined. How is this I—There were very few detained, sad no record was kept of them. " The ponies received then flees I—Yes ; that is the fact " Although in anew I—Yes. " When were the optional calls first allowed 1--dept., 1848. " How away shares were allotted to Mr. Chadwisk (scrip, 1847)1—Fifty. " How comes it that Mr. Chadwick, with only 60 snip tenths allotted bins, has had advanced so large a sum in all as 22,0001. cat I—Beesuse he deposited certificates, mete tenths (2,900 or 290 consolidated tally paid of 501. each) in respect of his first instance, 2.000 scrip thirds, in respect 61. paid fee his 7,5001. advance, and 1,000 thirds (sertilhates ad) lee hie last advance. " An tarn snips still in your polemics I—No ; they we sew "lt =lnd in Mr. Chadwick's same I—Yes; bat the nallissass w is the company's boa. This we the as Molt all lie albs, panics' snip. " Who INNS eilleilla, T. 8., and others, to whoa' 2,0001. GPIS &dames! t—Mesers. Simmon, Chadwick, and Whiting, libeeion of the Windsor, titans., and Richmond Railway. " What the security taken I—Their joint note of hand, end asalliag else that 1 know of." I. would sot go ioto the number of shares allotted to the theism directors, but would all their attention to Mr. Chaplin's account for calls. (Hear.) It appeared that in November, 1847, the &moan dos train that gentleman was 37,102.. 88. 7d. ; end en the 31st December, 1848, the sum was 31,0621 le. Id. Mr. CHAPLIN—You have taken no notice of my paying 50,0001. at the time, and that all the balance was paid off. (" Hear," and ebeen.) A PROPRIETOR said it was quite evident that this investigation could lead to no good result. They must have a committee on behalf of the airways and the proprietors to leak into these things. Mr. RATH maintained that he had a perfect right to go on with this disouagon ' and again alluded to the dividends that had been paid to thew who were in debt to the com- "' ere some rather personal conversation arose, in conse quence of the Chairman complaining that Mr. Kaye did not read the whole of the names that were in debt to the cam play at the time mentioned, and that gentleman having explained that he had not takes a full list, but only the names of the directors and ace other gentleman, Mr. Chad wick, whose name had been brought before the House of Lords. Mr. BAKER said he would supply the deficiency. The bon. gentleman was about to read the names, with the amounts set against them, when there were loud cries of Names only." The hon. gentleman having admitted that every facility had been given kim in the examination et the accounts and doeumeots of the company. proceeded to read the following names :—Mr. Alexander Beattie, Mr. Bircham, The Chisholm, Sir John Eastbope, Mr. Joseph Locke— (Cheers and laughter, in which the hoc. gentleman joined), Mr. Simpson, Mr. W. Tite—(Loud laughter, the hon. gentleman stating that be had been a loser of 6,0001. by the shares of the company), Mr. Ashley, and Mr. Ccombie. Mr. KAYE said all these details would not have been gone into, had it not been for the report which the directors thought fit to lay before them that day. (Hear, hear.) It was right that they should hear both sides of the case; and he would state that any resolutions to form a committee must be of a most starching, ample character to give them satisfaction, and wholly uncontrolled by the directors. At a meetiop at Manchester — A PROPRIETOR: How many persons formed the meet ing you allude to ? (Cries of sixteen, and laughter)? Was it to be supposed that sixteen individuals were to dictate to four thousand ? (Much uproar, and cries of " No, no.") Mr. KAYE said he did not regard the numbers; it was the arguments which justified priendings. He should cer tainly move the following amendment, as emanating from the shareholders, whom he No the honour to represent, it having been agreed to at Manchester:— " That any investigation to b: satisfactory to the share holders at large as calculated to re establish confidence in the board of direction must be full, searching and impartial, embracing all the affairs of the company and management and proceedings of the directors, and must be conducted by shareholders of known and acknowledged character and station, wholly unconnected with and uninfluenced by the directors, and that the clinician ought to pledge themselves to give in person such information ss may be required of them, as well as to produce and show without any reserve all books and accounts under their care or control." The CHAIRMAN wished to make a few observations In reply to Mr. Kaye. Every facility had been given to that gentleman at the eampany's office for making inquiries into their affairs. (Hear, hear.) He wee net at the meeting at Maneherer, but he was assured that that gentles en, in reading` his financial statement relative to the ells due by him (Mr. Chaplin), had omitted all mention of the fact that he had paid 60,0001. at one time in reduction of his &treats. (Haar, bamr,)_ Mr. KAY E —I inure you I did mention it. The CHAIRMAN had been informed to the contrary. Now he would mention what he knew to be a fact. When Mr. Kaye found that he had paid in 60,0001. through Meters. Williams, the bankers, at one time, he requested the treasu rer of the company to inquire of Mears. Williams in what manner it was paid. (Hear, hear.) That =adman pro perly acquainted him (Mr. Chaplin) with the rsquest, and he referred it to the board, who happened to be sitting, and who decided that the treasurer should not setae the inquiry. However, that it might not be supposed that he wished to utcluivr, he gave Mr. Kaye i Icltei to Wes Waken, etwhich ttie kalowing wee • copy : " London and South Western Railway, Secretary's Office, York-rood, Dee. 1,1849. "My dear Sir,--On the 11th day of February, 1848, I paid 50.0001. into your bank to the medic of this company, sad an the Ist of February, 1849, I paid a further sum of 27,0741.25. 2d. Mr. Kaye, one of the shareholder', not being satisfied that these amounts were so paid, or wisbing further particulars as to the manner in which I paid them. I have to request that you will be good enough to furnish them witb:such particulars he desires, and especially the form is which the payments were made to you. " I am, my dear sir, yours faithfully, " Messrs. Williams and Co " " W. F. CHAPLIN. On the receipt of this letter, Mr. Kaye went to the bankers, and was informed that the money was paid in on the day . named, 40,0001. in notes, and 10,0001. by a ehi quo. On hearing this Mr. Kaye inquired who signed the cheque, and was referred to the bankers upon whom it was drawn. The next question Mr. Kaye put to the bankers was, whether on the day he (Mr. Chaplin) was represented to have paid the 27,0001., he had so much standing to hie private acorn= (Cries of " Shameful.") That wee one specimen of the way in which he had been nested, and he would now pive them another specimen of the:delicacy of their would-be director. 'The audit committee had wen inquh , big into the question of passes, and who with the chairman passes up and d. wn the line, as though he had a clique of 60 people constantly travelling free about him. (Hear, hear.) They would recollect that on a previous occasion the ques tion had been brought before a public meeting of the pro prietors, and the privilege was se elided to Mrs. Chaplin of travelling with him cc the line. (Hear.) Well, the committee had thought fit to make inquiries as to how many of his family were allowed to travel free, and had had the inde licacy se far to lower the dignity of the chairman, and tamper with the discipline of their staff, as to send down to common station clerks at Bann/deka and Southampton to obtain in formation on the subject. (Cries of " Hem, hear," and" Oh, I oh.") He would put it to them if such men were fit to be the legislators cams company? (Contusion, in the midst of which Mr. Chaplin rammed his seat.) Mr. HOYES—I declare that the whole statement is a base calumny on the committee. Mr. BAKER—I assert that all yin have said is a wands lons falsehood . (Renewed confusion.) Two or three gentlemen having risen to address the meet ing, among whom was Mr. Locke, there were loud calls for that gentleman. Mr. LOCKE said he now stood forward to indignantly re pel the unfair and =justifiable statement just made to them by the chairman. (lieu, hear) He could not allow the audit committee to rest under the urjust imputation cast upon them by the chairman. It having been said out of doors that the chairman and his family were in the constant habit of travelling free on the lint without pewee, he (Mr. Locke) in order to clear the character of the chairman him self from the imputation, suggested that they should make goito common uiries from thew officers relative to it, to and se far trom g station clerks, they sent Mr. Godson, the head of the department, and directed him to snake the inquiry, and report to the committee. (Cheers.) He must defend the conduct of the audit c immittee, and he was sure the shanholden would not back this unfair attempt of the chairman to Nit them down. (Cheers.) With regard to the question before the meeting, no one had, so far as he was aware, doubted the probity or integrity of the direct- rs ; sad he was satisfied that no committee would do any good, or re store confidence in the company, which did not inquire fully into the whole of their affairs ; and they might depend upon it, that if they did not appoint such a committee now, they only would be staving off the evil day for a time, for aims it must, when there woald be a general inquiry into their sys tem of management. (Cheers.) He admitted that, f ell that was past, they could not have had better directors. (Hear, hear.) . During their parliamentary contests, and while extensive and delicate negotiations were being carried ca for carrying Out contracts for the =rain of land, they would an have had better dimities ; bet they mast now ob tain men n for their line. He was willies to admit tbs= ll l= i g e iven advice at different time s which be would seesaw gnu ; bat he believed they m'ght all plead guilty to that age. (Hear, hear.) They had now an es tablishmeat whisk net he. 200,0001. a year, two-thirds of which was for mecianicol power. and for the proper manage ment of inch an . stablishmeat then were too many direcuen. (Hear, hear.) They wasted unity of action, decision, and distinct eontrol over everqy part of the establishment, and this. could never be obt.d until the number of directors had been reamed. (Lend elesees.) TheCHAIRMAN expressed h regret at having mentioned the subject of the pauses, air IN had evidently spoken under a mbapprehension of the dreematanees of the case. (Hasa.) Understanding that the ecinissittee wished to make inquiries on the subject, he had forwasled to them Mrs. Chaplin's pri nt. cash hook, and • *et bill of the echoolmatter of one of his children, to show that he alwarr Slid for kis family travellin g the Use. Mr. BAKER called upon the proprietors not to appoint any committee at all, as there was no question of honour or probity concerned is the ow. (Hier, hear.) There were, however, grounds why the present managi menu should not be ermined for the future, and he could give reasons for that opiaioa. Was it right that the directors should in 1848 pus a rootation authorises stoney being lent to the share holders, and then only a few days afterwards hold a meeting for the creation of new shares, and never tell the share holders of the power of loan existing ? Then again the noisy, when lent to the &resters, was not repaid at the times fixed by themielves,or until the auditors called atten tion to the subject. (Hear, hear.) If the chairman had stated these transactions had taken place in oohs.- queen of the third shares not being taken up, he begged to ask how it happened that some of them wen ree choed in the market at • premium is August, 1847, hav ing been issued in 1848, with the mosey of the company. (Hear.) If satisfactory explanatiou upon these points could not be given, then ha said there were sufficient reasons for a change is the management, though nobody doubted the personal honour or probity a the directors. (Cheers.) The amendment against the appointment ci a committee was thee seltatived. Mr. KAYE then brought forward his amendment as given in his first speech. Mr. YATES seconded it. 112. SAINTSBURY maintained that there had been a lout inveterate attempt to disparage the characters of the directors, and that the result was a total failure. The amendment vas then put, and negatived by a large matelty. ther amendment, to the same effect, wu next pro posed be Mr. Helps, and likewise negatived; after which the original resolution was carried with two or three dis sentients. Oa the motion of Dr. LONOSTAFF, it was, after some eonvenatlon, agreed that the following gentlemen should form the committee —Mr. H. Currie, m.r., Captain R. D. Mangles, M.P., Mr. fier;eant Clarke, Mr. Hutchins, and Mr. Rut It was understood that the committee were to make their report at the next half-yearly meeting. A motion was then made by Mr. Serpent GASELEE, for preparing and placing at the disposal of the sharebolch rs, lin the first week of January, in every year, a tinted list of the proprietors entitled to vote, together with the number of their votes, corrected up to the 31st of December then last past, to be sold at a reasonable price to every proprietor requiring the same. The motion was seconded, but, after some discussian Mr. Locke having suggested that the question should be postponed because it was under the consideration of the committee of which he was a member, the mover withdrew his proposal. On toe motion of Mr. D. W. Wilts, a vote of thanks was given to the chairman and the directors generally. Before retureing thanks, the Cleanses requested the secretary to read the following answer, which had, he said, been returned three weeks bolero to an inquiry addressed to the board by Mr. Kaye on behalf of tie Manchester pro prietvrs: "The directors believe that the number of this body may with advantage be reduced, but they t el that the present is not the proper time for acting upon that opinion. When the imputations brought against them shall have been investigsted and reported upon, they wi ll be glad to give the proprietors an opportunity of considering what is best to be dote in this respect." The CHAIRMAN, in returning thanks, said there was one subject en which he wished to say a few words before they separated. It was the all-importaw. subject of govern ment audit. He had before stated that he did not think they would be materially benefited by such an audit ; that he believed their capital would not be diminished, nor their revenue and dividend much increased, but that the pro prietors had an undoubted right to it. Its would, however. i now say this to them, as the advice, not of their Chairman, but of a proprietor like themselves, that, having had ex perieuce of the working of loads, he quite believed that, if they were to anticipate any Benefaction, and if conlideuce was to exist between the board and the propriettny, by heavens he was entirely for a government audit. (Loud and spontaneous cheers) And now for hid reasons. He be lieved that the most scrupulously honest man in carrying out the work of as audit must be exposed to many serious doubts on the part of the proprietary, especially if the dividend did not increase. He bed already told them that he did not think their dividend would be increased by it, but he hoped that would be dome by some who would come upon the board. Mr. Reyes and Mr. Close, whose business it was to go Into these accounts, as they did manfully, saw that there I was not much,fault to be found, and they naturally tell into a friendly intercourse with the directors. The tact was, that ea aeon as it was perceived that the dividend did not increase, the proprietors naturally exclaimed, Halloa ; what is the matter ? there to some union of intereets.” Hence the neces sity of an audit to keep an even course with the proprietary. It was thought necessary by some to keep up a little irrita tion of this kind in order to convince the shareholders that they were not " directors men," and the consequence was, that they never could go on in that cordial spirit of mutual reliance which, as honourable men, they required. (Hear, hear.) The honourable gentleman concluded by thy king the meeting fur the attention with which he had been lis tened to, and resumed his seat amid-t marked applause. Mr. HOPES denied that he had ever found fault with the board. As to a government audit, he wt s quite opposed to it. 6 I The meeting did rot terminate until nearly 6 o'clock. in IRELAND. Dosuw, Dec. 22. The Mail, of last evening, commences with the fol lowing pompous, but somewhat equivocal, announce- merit 7 - - We are in a position this evening to be able to state v-ith confidence that the success of the Irish protectionist move ment is to he followed up by a great aggregate mewing of Irish protectionists, to be held in Dublin on the 17th of January. It is not quite clear from the preceding whether the success of the movement is alres,N• • . •-, v• whether i t ts expecied to be so between this and the lith of January ; or, finally, whether it is intended to leave a back coot open, so that the meeting might be postponed, it it were feared that the call of its pro meters would not be sufficientlyrespooded to. We are not told whether the meeting is to be a public one, whether any freedom of discumion is to be allowed ; whether it is to be an assemblage repre senting merely the landed interest, a congregation of landlords, bankrupt and otherwise, whose opinions upon protection and free trade are already well enough known. The Preu of yesterday evening contains some im portant observations on the corn trade, in its commer cial article. After remarking on the present buoy ancy in the Irish grain markets, and expressing an opinion that that buoyancy will continue for some time, the Preu proceeds : We do not in thie expectation take into account any rumoured project of re-enacting a fixed duty on corn at the meeting of parliament. For this opinion we do not pretend to speak from official authority ; but we have no hesitation in saying that no such fixed duty is probable—that no such intention exists in the cabinet—that if difference* have really occurred therein they may have arisen upon colonial or other questions, but not from any propthition fur chi re-imposition of fixed duty—that those who originated the reports had ho foundation for them in knowledge —that inch rumou.s were invented in order, after raising public expectation, to re-act by the disappoint ment ; and that those who have credulou-ly relied upon their supposed attune, either believe, because they wick them to be true, or because they fancy that the terns are authorised by government, and are solici;ens to sustain the ruling power in what they suppose to be its inthntions. Our expectati ins of Improved prices for agricultural pro- duce proceed from other causes than any such idea as an intended re-enactment of fined, or of any other kind of duty on corn. We cannot ezclud the fact, that although the crops of grain in Ireland may be assumed as a fair average, and that the potato rot has not caused by any mean, the destruction that was supposed, little less than oae-third of the usual arable laud remained uncultivated this year, and that consequently even a fruitful harvest has yielded les• produce in the aggregate than an indifferent one in more favourable times. This deficiency of proda.tiou, t w, is illustrated by the fact, that the Irish markets for corn have come nearer, and, in many localities, have exceeded, the prices of the metropolitan market throughout then season. The next fact is, that the free trade which hu helped to reduce the price of corn, and perhaps to diminish its pro duction in Ireland, has increased the consumption in England by fostering manufactures. Cheap corn not alone r rabic, t' - e English manufacturers to make their comeudity heaper, and, therefore, to increase the demand for it, but by the reciprocity it has called forth, has opened new mar kets for the consumption of British fabrics. The board of guardians of the Parsonstown poor law union have, by a majority . of five, resolved that their schools shall not be administered in connexion with the National Board of Education. The only tangible objection, so far as we can collect from the • report of the prOceedings, was the use of t e word " penance " as an equivalent for " reFentance " in one of the text books of the board. But it appeared that the imports of the two words, as read in the respec t tive churches, were very fully explained, and, as it terikes ue, simply enough for the apprehension of any young person capable of receiving instruction in such matters, in a note to the passage complained of. The discussion elicited a very valuable testimony to the merits of the board from the Earl of Rosie. WINDSOR . • Noe s the L oa a w — mg P, ir, Dy e . ry is Abb. 'sfet, Cob ad NNW , Cod, Gs the due I el PR the h e. oieasowlei Ifelsar, Ate.h t •the ph, * eittevtl et the lOC jaiaed th e Albert wanted aril Mow s , babies at itata wee el sad Pa* Ana aad atlases et ted Drains Sea* ta. gad kw. of Kent left 10 o'clock oft teen of fine ' Soso Wok a , Sze W. jest: 00 for Wurdsc e oft Saturday of user. fooritios were list date. Amide; dossitnlisd this I High Alm ad the Lamm maim* k- Ti, raided to Am sad suffer aadss f the Que., 6 6 4 its to the ant ill of Wied,or, achy nest (Nee rot sappy of ea. 'way to a lose Mg. SIDNET 'jest, as Um* have ben gm XL to tbe had Ie kw= Instead, mart's " prassissi g claws." elitvo we sty 'meat will taut 11, as 29J of the MA "Woe.— Ireißly • Chief Justice. N ys Was.. Mese. 1a.,. has boa re. Lard Ca:2M ass, has sad Named lead Ilms day of .at to with roves% t I Campbell's peso rs as lama'''. of that she limn sl shim ) dan r Arowitk. Ofteacinis. prelim' hes the kith all maga* r the pumas yew, ,at pubis ears TM 'elands' tie• Moe eat How, Des. MI. itharipae la teat meta. sad echo aatiseteetes GIB. Amur. they hoe men far Alga* a te then plea roes have hitherto risks ate te be it the ezpleeite el aesordiosty aim t el mutely thea to yea Ude desks lea.. —1 an, ha, mom, C 8.-0 a &tie dled, earl 77. Ito year 1791,pre i attars el Semi P wa wOll/84.d, ill Captain lowa 1799 proceeded es damn; Is 1913 sped is tlis bat* IC Fee lie anises root task el a beer sada. I s 1821 be ; Is lin he boom on Ile list of paged listed serving. 1/111 QUEEOII wlie, it will be rt ova reaelsoisa of Is. modiseoly thermal l o be (*what of their orahlo—these •• Easter poi to the raor is the boot wed he rompaaloaohlp el jo • Balkiest spot ands, loot, uader the t Hems D,parturat, dun oompaaidathilt rt which they bail tt forcibly taken from )TOY 11, wu charged beige Mitred, on 800 4 0. ad been diaeoverad sal was Rowland Law in the shop of Wld• Saturday, Roo. Sas is cams IMO die 114 it of Is. lIId., am f the bank of Mara sots to tossi ,Mr. wards said as had W road du ponce wig oaa why ha Ad • noires's. TM sof oday lad. io a Ism toasty aka Pogo . ' 11. oat. 00• 01 his misid the ha 01 do Wow 00 ad a* it day. B• WOO ha on his retara Mr. F. —Joseph "'WIZ art, sod farther to the task vs ow. wpb P•114~. tesss!! ypstb, mamboed aa ma 7 sod 8 °Valk ut re alladre• 0 tends • a • 11 % mat loot 110.11• 08 ,„ Friday last ha NM logo osagnemos Itsto .... am. publican. Nor_ tt. On Sated itti e r T a to his I.sadlss is( 16. W ait Aar • they s ig Clayr: aNe d sear, •• the pariattodwat 11',111,014 logsd essii 0 0 1 di▪ abar to Kam ▪ ss4l to •••••da r•Sessisd Ilse, sad = I 11111 61 ail . • saki taw alstir:_me w that be was mooT„, Of bat Maid se n/4• mos. Iss lbs was .• is. Joss as the Pews/ is wish that eq. Asa br • o rWels _.,.. ass sod twisty ora— was eseasailled 010— autrros °Pisa!!! isms 812: sissaca bistrb;ii. I Amara of the thal drooramaiaorTik woolen Is irldsmi l t s l nabs •/*7 kr Ills I. pg .••••-..p -