The Sun. — London, England, 1845-08-08 00:00:00

PRI the duty of the Directors of that Company to watch carefully the i n t eres t s o f t h e Proprietors, and that they I i were &termite dto do. _loth{} upon that principle, it 1 was their inte n ti on , i n ti le course of the next year, to 1 bring forward several project.; that had had the origin in a desire on the part f the Directors to increase the resources of the Company and the emoluments of the Proprieters. They ineerled to propose, with the future unction of the re , ,priet , makieg -a branch railway from Watford, by St. Aiben's, to Luton. They proposed also to carry a line from eSo-thampton to Banbury. They proposed also to connect the Leamington and Warwick line with Coventry and Nuneaton, an by that means to connect it with the Trent Valley line. They had also in view extensive protects in con nexion with Warwick and Buckinghamshire. They proposed te continue the line from Hampton to Warwick and Leamington, and thence to Banbury ; and he believed that the same Company would carry it 0 11 to Cheltenham. They proposed also to carry the line to Aylesbury, Brackley, Missenden, into their own line at Harrow. Now, these lines, he believed, would be a source of considerable profit and emolument to the Proprietors.—(Hear,' hear.) In addition to this they had formed a connexion with the Birmingham Canal Company, with the intention of forming a rail- Way connecting Birmingham with Wolverhampton and the Shrewsbury- and Wolverhampton line. And, although they had lost the South Staffordshire Bill, the Proprie tors would see that this arrangement would ensure, if tarried out, the great bulk of the mineral traffic of South Staffordshire flowing into the Birmingham line. In short, he had very little doubt that this line would bring upon the London and Birmingham line the whole traffic of that Part of the country, because they intended to carry that reject out by another line up the Stour Valley. A nother e which they proposed was from Wolverton to Buck ,ltightun, in connexion with a branch from Wol verton, L °7 Buckingham, to Bicester and Oxford. He was happy to inform the Proprietors that the Directors con tinued to cultivate the.r connexion with the Nort h ntaffordshire line. Indeed, h' believed he might y that the Company had not lost, notwithstand '4g their defeat in Parliament, any connexion, not !yen the connexion of Lord Ward.—(Hear, hear.) It Was the desire of the Directors to seek peace in every bay, and he could assure the Proprietors that they had dime all in their power to promote it.—(Hear, hear.) It was right that he should row call the attention of the Proprietors to some other points which, although they :were not very material to the interests of the Company, it was desirable he should advert to, in order that the Proprietors should keep themselves right with the Public. He alluded to a declaration made some Weeks ago in the House of Lords by the Marquis of Clanricarde, in which he stated that it would be a singular inquiry to see how far the London and Bir mingham Railway Company had kept their faith with th e public, and whether, for the sake of' increasing their dividends. they had not increase d their charges.—(Hear, hear.) Now he would appeal to the greatest enemy that that Company had, whether the engagements that ;lad been made en the part of the Company had net been carried out to the very letter—that after their prefies lid ree :Int a certain extent, they 'would reduce their fares ? The ()large made against t hem of increasing their rates for the purpose of in creasing their dividends was not founded on fact, and he defied env one to preee it. Be now came to another charge, made the night before last in the House of Com mons, as to the proceedings of the Company in re gulating their general business. That charge arose in consequence of a statement made by a Noble Lord in the House of Commons, and the off, Mof that charge was, that the Len-lon and itrininghe-n Cemn nes lisd used two engines to propel heavy trains, and that hed taken place especially in the neighbourhood of Weeder.. New he (the Chairman) thought that bef -se such a charee bad been brought Some inquiry ought to have taken place as to whether it ''as tr ee or not. On the part of the Directors of the J noildo s and iiirmin , ham C,ornpany, dt.ni,d it in the most forcible maener rossibleesed he asserted that so far as it re g,rded t h em , t he c harge was utterly false and greendless. Slime that charge had teen made inquiries had been set ch foot by the Directors, and it vas upon the result of those inquiri. s that he founded the strong and Insequi v9cal denial he had given to the charge. He felt con raced that the Noble Lord who had made the accuse tiTl had been misled, as far as it regarded the Bir . Inioghatn and London Company. There was no instance, he believed, of any of the trains of the London and : 41 trainglitun Company being propelled in the way stated. Indeed it was the instruction of the Directors to all their s ervants that such a course should not be adopted unless tluder very special circumstances. As he had before s tated, since the change had been made. inquiries had • "eh institstel, and he could assure the Proprietors and the public that no instance of the kind referred to had °test! e e n. All he had to express a hope for Las, that the refutation he had thus given .7 the charge, would be made as public as the .41erge itself had been. That Company had certainly I.nt received much favour from Parliament.—(Hear.) deed, they did not desire it—(Hear, hear)—but they fed for justice.—(Cheers.) They had a pledge from e t i• Gladstone that justice should be d ß on u, e t th n em otw vr t il i b . d4ad3t.Nt to the law of ratin g . i i l itli n g that pledge, anot he r session had passed, igring which they had got nothing ; and the al v st o od, with respect to that subject , j ust where it o . ' , "°tl before. The law with respect to rating ope r a ted li la rail wa y companies with great oppression; indeed, he ' T V almost said it sanctioned robbery. — (Hear , hear.) 1 : 1 e other points to which he had now to advert were , Inwas happy to say, of a more pleasant nature. order to provide for their: engagements with '4 l e Holyhead Company and the Trent Valley °Papany, the Directors proposed that the creation That 201, shares should be ordered.—(Hear, hear.) would give to each share of 100/. one share of 20/., . Vitt it was prop ose d that t h e di v id en d s f rom those shares s hould commenc e on t h e I s t o f O c tob e r next ; of course l O bjeet to the charge cf deduction of 5 per cent. on calls sha rd. And i t was a l so int•aded with respect to those to make that reservation according to the s agreement with the Birmingham and Manchester Cora- Pr 3. That was, that they should have the full amount 2 t shares as if the amalgamation had taken place. The Di rectors of that Company, he could assure the Pro prietors, had no wish whatever not to come to 4 9 113 e amicable arrangement with the Grand June hadCompany notwithstaeding the statements that been put forth at the last meeting of that Company. He believed that he had now gone through the whole of the topics he had intended to advert to, and he hoped. in conclusion, that the Pro- Prietors would not consider that the Company was in a Worse situation than when the Directors met them at the last half-yearly meeting, notwithstanding that they had ?ten defeated in several instances.—(Cheers.) The SECRETARY then read the following REPORT. The operations of the last half-year exhibit a great in ' !!'ease of traffic, both in passengers and goods, and a consi , Ildetable excess of receipt over. the corresponding half-year .141844, notwithstanding, the large reductions which have ' 4 4 ll ce been made in the .Company's fares and rates, amounting an average of the passengers' fans of all classes, from a 60 9. per mile in 1844. to 1-818 d. in 1845 ; and on the f',rage rates of goods all clast.ea, per ton, from 2.91,U. per in 1844, to 2-530 d. in .1845. • • The total mileage of passengers is 38,758,260 in 1845, ainat 24.664,979. in 1844, being au increase of 57.143 per . • The total mileage_ of goods is 9,350,718 tons, against 111 • 29 ,g75—beim: an inct of 34.933 per cent. The receipt for the gross or dinary traffic for 1845, is... £447,190 1'844, is... 405,768 Increase £41,422 The charge on the traffic for 1845, i 3 1844, is 1 „_ Increase to char ; e 215,560 to chief increase of charge is in the locomotive depart 'utilt • • e tr „. o us:rg from the. additional work required from the 41 es, which amounted For the half-year of June, 1845, to £43,161 Against the charge for 1844, of 32,603 the I ncreas e At --e Directors havisg made provision, as stated in their th os report, for a supply of engines of greater power than tend ed hitherto employed, and better calculated for the ex ,iered carrying business of the Company, although (limp tt-",ed in their delivery as early as was expected, they con heallate a large prospective reduction of expense under this in the course of next year, when these engines will have een brought into work. or ~1 1e Directors trust, also, that the charge for maintenan ce lle;a7 will be progressively reduced under the operation of p ro , contracts which, owing to the improved state of the th r ,.. 11(8 , they have been enabled to make at lower prices than Previously subsisting. els u e Directors have again to remark on the exorbitant .ia i ls `ges made for parish rates, which amount to 3,9101. more th e " e last half-year than in 1844, and they regret that, under 4d: e l ' s :sting system of appeal, there appears little chance of altt s respects the increase of traffic, the Directors feel that ~.I g ll the greater portion may be fairly ascribed to the eht . ,°vcd state of the country, aided by the influence of low a nd P B l and in a small degree by the opening of the Warwick p a: ,:eamington branch line, no inconsiderable share of the h ic Tger receipts is due to the extraordinary . movemet ex e i t " ,t l le numerous railway projects before Parliament have act eu, and they are of opinion that the Proprietors will ijoi r wi sely in not dividing more of their profits than is re ed fo r the present rate of dividend, clear of income - tax. be t Y the accounts which are now before the meeting, it will ,(3„..:en re that the L"receipts for the half iri:ar are £452,881 8 1 charges (including " ,64 2/. lls. 4d. f or ra t es sad taxes) 134,250 17 7 £318,630 10 6 et receipts Fro m which, deducting the allowance for depreciation 0 0 £15,493 of sto .11 42,166 19 3 Interest of loans 0 0 1,000 Item of Aylesbury line X 58,c64 19 3 ry, There r ema i ns a net pro fi t o f £259,965 11 3 40 which, acidity , the surplus of the December A half Year rid profit realised on the allotment of the New 25/. Shares 47,093 1 3 5,600 0 0 from The 11; --sposable balance is ......... £312,058 12 6 1 e (? eel m,"ich amount the Directors recommend that a dividend eoThared, clear of income tax. of Si on every 109/. of the 1 7,,,P an Y's capital stock, leaving 69,310/. (from which the t ' u c• is to be paid) to the credit of the present half- The Ot • P e t erho rectors in reporting that the Northampton and t° _ state CO & Ug h lit. , was opened on the 2d of june, are enabled ' —um thei r brief cxpelience of the traffic, that the tl) L'Peeta tions they had f ormed as to t h e va l ue o f this ' railway 11 ' 4 Public a n d t h e Proprietors will be fully rea li se d . and she of the Chest er an d H o lyhead, and Lancaster Carlisl e funds hrlisle lines, are in a satisfactory state of progress, and rot the a" been voted by Parl iament in the present session, "Inall "Onlent of the Holyhead harbour. The royal assent has been given to the Trent Valley, Bed ford, Dunstable. and West London Bills ; in all which lines this Company has a direct interest. The works of the Bed ford and Dunstable lines will be commenced without delay. The Directors regret that the issue of the proceedings in he Worcester and South Staffordshire, and Rugby and Oxford Bills, disappointed the reasonable expects Lions which had been founded on the able and comprehensive Report of the Board of Trade. The result has in no respect shaken thtir opinion of the superior advantaOes which these lines woul-1 have afforded to the district for whose accommoda tion they were planned on the narrow gauge ; and the evi dence before the Committees only the more confirmed the Directors in their belief of the prejudicial effects which must follow the introduction of a gauge, differing from that which is uniformly laid down throughout the country, with which it is proposed that the wide gauge shall be connected. That a Company whose line is formed on the narrow gauge, and whose interests appear to be directly connected with the support of the system, should have aided the op posing party, may be matter of surprise, but the Dircetors do not feel called upon to enter into a discussion of the grounds on which the Company referred to has sought to vindicate the proceeding. The Directors have a duty to perform to wards their own Proprietors, and to this they will steadily adhere. They will oppose what they consider unjust to wards this Company, and encourage on the other hand mea sures which, in affording additional accommodation to the public, are calculated to maintain the interests of their Pro prietors. They are persuaded that no measures are better adapted to this end than moderate charges, combined with economy of management; and that a steady adherence to these principles will afford the most effectual guarantee to the Company against unfair competition. Following up their views on this subject, the Directors made in the last month a further and important reduction in the rates for merchandise, the effect of which has already been to add greatly to the tonnage, without lessening their receipts. The Proprietors will be called upon to give their sanction at the present meeting to a creation of new shares, for the capital which is required to meet their engagements for the Company's interest in the Chester and Holyhead. Trent Valley, Lancaster and Carlisle, West London, and Aylesbury lines. They recommend, for this purpose, that a new share of 20/. be offered to each Proprietor of 1001. stock of this Company, leaving a proportional reserve of shares for the capital of the Manchester and Birmingham Company—the new shares to participate in the future dividends from and after the Ist of October next, subject to the deduction of 5 per cent. interest on the amount not called far and paid. A resolution was then proposed by the Chairman and carried unanimously, to the effect, that the report then read should be adopted and printed, and circulated amongst the Proprietors, and that a dividend of 5 per cent. should be declared on the consolidated stock of the company of 4,124,526/. ; and that a dividend of 17s. on each of the 32/. new shares, amounting to 241,7511 125., should be declared free of income-tax. Another resolution was also unanimously agreed to for creating new 201. shares ; as. was also a resolution to in crease the present number of Directors from 17 to 24. Mr. WILLIAMS wished to know whether the Directors had in contemplation any alteration with respect to the chargt s for carrying goods ? The CHAIRMAN said that at present the Directors bad not in contemplation the making of any alteration. They wtre a wore, however, that abuses had crept in. but ey were devising rtlans by which the public would know what was chstgod by the Company. It, however. they found that the plan they were now adopting was in• jurious to the public, they would then consider the pro priety of becoming carriers on their own account. If corabinaion went on with the carriers, the Company, he was sure, would think it right to interfere ; but the Directors were of opinion that if they could consult the interests of the public and act with the carriers, the in terest of the Proprietors would be the result. In answer to a question from a Proprietor, The CHAIRMAN assured the meeting that everything would in lii:ure he d. ne that lay in human power to pre vent accidents' occurring on the railway. Mr. HOMFREY wished to know if the Directors had come to any determination to facilitate the attendance of Proprietors who lived in the country at the meetings which were held in London ? The CHAIRMAN said that that was a subject which rested with the Proprietors themselves, rather than the Directors. Mr. lI , MFREY then gave notice, that at the next meet ing he should move that all the trails on the railway should be free to the Proprietors on such occasions. A PROPRIETOR cansiclered that, while they were re ceiving such ample dividends, and the Company was going on so prosperously, they could afford to pay the fares themselves.—(A laugh.) Thanks were then voted to the Chairman and the Di rectors, and the meeting separated. LONDON AND BRIGHTON RAILWAY. The usual half-yearly meeting of the London and Brighton Railway Company was held yesterday after noon at the London-bridge ti r.r;nus. The meeting wt s made special, for the purpose of sanctioning the purchase of the Brighton, Lewes, and Hastings, and the Brighton and Chichester Railways. Mr. Rowland Hill, Chairman of the Board of Directors, occupied the chair. The report, which was of an exceedingly . satisfactory nature, stated that the late reduction which had taken place in the fares had produced the most satisfactory results, and re commended the meeting to declare a dividend of 20s. per share. The report having been adopted, a dividend was declared accordingly, and resolutions rati fying the terms of the purchases of the Brighton, Lewes, and Hastings, and the Brighton and Chichester Rail ways, which have already been made known to the public, having been agreed to, a vote of thanks was passed to the Chairman, and the meeting terminated. LONDON AND YORK RAILWAY BILL. Th' following is the petition of subscribers in the London and York Railway Company, in reply to that of Mr. Bruce:— The humble Petition of the undersigned Persons, being Subscribers in the London and York Railway Coin- pany, Showeth,—That a petition has been presented to your Ilonourable House, signed by Henry Bruce, of Mincing-lane, merchant, which petition has been printed by order of your Honourable House, and is now pub lished, and on sale to the public for one penny. That the said petition contains false and scandalous matter, most injurious to the character of your peti tioners, and tending to inflict serious damage upon them in their several stations and callings. That the said petition contains, amongst others, the following allegation, namely : " That the following names of subscribers to the London and York Railway subscription contract is, in respect of their several names or descriptions or places of abede, fictitious and false." That among the names to which the said allegation applies are those of your petitioners (excepting your petitioners Robert Perks Pitman and Robert Alichael Baxter), and that the said allegation is entirely false with respect to them, ina- much as the names, descrip tions, and places of abode, so appearing in the said con • tract. are truly and in fart the names, descriptions, and piata-s of abode of your petitioners. Tr , at, with respect - to your petitioners George Hadley, John sshotter, Widiam French, Edword Thomas Barnes, Roger Mortimer, Roberts Perks Pit man, and Robert Michael Baxter, it is alleged that they .re persons who, from their circumstances and station in life, are utterly irresponsible, and unable to pay the several sums sulatribed by them. 'lhat such allegation is, with respect to your said two petitioners, absolutely false and scandalous. Tiat the petitioner Henry Bruce is the vice-chairman of a eouipsny promoting the Cambridge and Lincoln Railway, which was a rival scheme, competing with the London and York Railway, and was rejected upon its merits by the Committee of your Honourable House. That the London and York Railway Bill has passed your _Honourable House, after a long and most expensive investigation, which lasted 67 days. That your petitioners verily believe that the said Henry Bruce has made the said false, and slanderous al legations maliciously, and with a view to impede the progress of the London and York Railway Bill, so as to forward the interests of the rival and defeated project promoted by the said Henry Bruce, and in which the said Henry Bruce has a large pecuniary interest. That your petitioners are advised that they cannot take the necessary steps for the vindication of their characters before a court of law without being guilty of a breach of the privileges of your Honourable House. Your petitioners humbly pray, that if your Honourable House shall think fit to cause an investigation to be made into the said subscription contract, the same may be made without delay ; and that your petitioners may be per mitted, in the meanwhile, to institute such legal pro ceedings against the said Henry Bruce, for his false and defamatory statements, as they may be advised. Robert Michael Baxter. Edward Filder. Thomas Clapham Chadwick. John Haines. George Hadley. Charles Brown. John Shotter. Benjamin Badcock. Benjamin L. Cox. George Thomas Barnes. Townsend C. Dance. Roger Mortimer. Thomas Sheridan, late Major William Henry Ince. Royal Marines. Robert Perks Pitman. W. French, H. M. Clarke. THE MINISTERS.—The annual white bait dinner of her Majesty's Ministers took placeon Wednesday at the Crown and Sceptre Tavern, Greenwich. There were present, Sir J. Graham (in the chair), Sir R. Peel on his left, the Duke of Buccleuch on his right, the Right Hon. Mr. Goulburn, Mr. H. Baring, Mr. Pringle, Mr. F. Mackenzie, Mr. Young, the Right Hon. Sir G. Clerk, the Right Hon. Sir T. Fremantle, Mr. G. Hope, the Hon. Captain Gordon, the Hon. Mr. Fitz roy, the Right Hon. Mr. Corry, the Right Hon. Mr. S. Her bert, Colonel Peel, Viscount Mahon, Lord G. Somerset, the Earl of St. Germans, the Earl of Lincoln, the Right Hon. Dr. Nichol, the Attorney-General, the Solicitor-General, the Attorney-General for Ireland, Earl Delawarr, Lord Ernest Bruce, the Right Hon. Colonel Darner, the Earl of Warwick, Captain Merle% the Right Hon. Mr. Herries, Mr. Horace Twin, Mr. Charles Ross, the Right lion. George Dawson, Mr. Greene, the Right Hon. Dr. Lushington, the Lard- Advocate of Scotland, Captain Boldero, &c. The party em barked at Hungerferd Pier on board the Waterman steamer No. 10, which was specially engaged by Mr. Quartermaine for them, at half-past five o'clock, and proceeded down the river in twenty-five minutes, where a well -arranged floating pier, thrown from the house, much facilitated the lauding. The party returned to town about eleven o'clock. tt u B IRTH - DA Y OF PRINCE ALFRED.—Th# birth day of his Royal Highness Prince Alfred was celebrated at Windsor on Wednesday, with the usual rejoicings. The bells of St. George's Chapel and the parish church were rung at in tervals during the day, and a royal salute was fired at twelve o'clock from the corporation ordnance in the Bachelor's-acre, under the superintendence of Mr. Pond, the town bombardier. Great riurniiers of tourists daily pass through 131- verston from Bardses, where they arrive by the steamers from the south. The new steamer, the Lady of the Lake, contin ues a source of great attraction at Windermere, and causes numbers of tourists to bend their steps in that direction. —Cumberland Parquet. A Vienna letter of the 20th ult., in the Journal de Frankfort, revives the report of a projected marriage be tween the Duke de Bordeaux and the youngest daughter of the • Duke of Modena, THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY MORNING, AUGUST 8, 1845. RELATIVE CLOSING PRICES OF RAILWAY SHARES IN THE PRINCIPAL CITIES AND TOWNS IN ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND IRELAND. NAMES OF RAILWAYS, London Liver- I Man pool. theater. York - Leedt Hull. Hudde's• teat. 'Sheffield, Glasgow. Aberdeen Arbroath and Forfar Ditto Half Shares . Armagh, Colr., & Portrush Belfast and Ballymena Belfast and County Down Birmingham and Glo'ster Do. New ( iss. at 7 1 / 2 dis.) Ditto half Share Birtninghm & Oxfrd. June. Bickburn, Chrly, & N. Un. Brighton, Lewes, and Haat. Bristol and Exeter ......... Ditto New Bristol and Gloucester .... Caledonian Ditto Extension Cambridge and Lincoln Chester and Holyhead . Cheltenham and Oxford Chichester and Brighton Churnet Valley Clydesdale Junction Cork and Bandon Cork and Killarney Cork and Waterford Cork and Youghal Covntry, Bedwrth, & Nun. Coventry and Leicester ... Cornwall . Diss, Beccles, and Yarmoth Direct Northern Direct Norwich . ...... Dublin and Belfast Junct. Dublin, Belfast, & Colraine Dublin and Galway Dundalk and Enniskillen Dundee and Arbroath Ditto New..... Dundee and Perth. Eastern Counties Do. New .... Do. Perp., 5 pr Cnt., No. I Do. ditto No. 2 East Dereham & Norwich Eastern Union Ditto Extension Edinbgb, Glas., and Dum Edinburgh and Glasgow Do. Quarter Share , ' Do. New Quarter Shares Edinb., Leith, and Granton Ditto Pref. 5 per Cent. Edinburgh and Northern Edinburgh and Peebleshire Edinburgh and Perth Ely and Bedferd Enniskillen and Sligo Exeter, Yeovil, & Dorcbstr Ga rn k irk and Glasgow . Glasgow and Ayr Do. Quarter Shares Glasgow and Greenock Ditto New Ditto Preference ...... Glasgow, Dmfries, and Car. Goole and Doncaster .. Grand Junction... Ditto Half Shares Ditto Quarter Shares Grand Union Great Grimsby & Sheffield Gt Sothrn & Wetrn (Irelnd) Ditto Extension Great Munster Great Northern of Scotlnd Great Northern of Engind Do. New, 40/. Shares.... Do. New, 301. Shares.... Great Western Ditto Half Shares . Ditto Fifths Guildfrd, Farehm, & Ports Harwich . Hull and Gainsborough Hull and Selby Ditto Quarter Shares Ditto Half Shares. Inverness and Elgin Kendal and Windermere.. Kingstown and Bray Killarney Junctions Lancaster and Carlisle..... Leeds and W. Riding Juno Leicester and Birmingham Leicester and Bedford Limerick and Waterford Limrck, Ennis,& Kil. Junc Lincoln, York, and Leeds Liverpool and Manchester Ditto Half Shares Ditto Quarter Shares London and Birmingham Ditto Thirds Ditto Quarters London and Blackwall. London and Brighton Do. Cnsolidated Eighths London and Croydon. Ditto New Do. Guarantd. 5 per cent London and Greenwich Do. Prefrnc. or Privilege London & South Western Do. New Cons. Eighths Do. New, 501. Shares Do. New, 401. Shares London and York London and Windsor Londn, Salisbury, & Yeovil Londonderry and Coleraine Londonderry & Enniskillen Lynn and Ely ... Lynn and Dereham Manchester and Leeds Ditto Half Shares. Ditto Quarter Shares ... Ditto Sixteenths Manchester & Birminghm Ditto Quarter Shares Do. New Quarter Shares Manchstr, Buxtn, & Matlk Midland .•. Ditto Fifths Aug. 6. 3% Ditto New Do. Birminghm & Derby Midland Gt Westrn (Irish) Do. Extension to Sligo .. Nwcastl & Darlingtn June Do. New (Brandling)... Newcastle and Berwick ... Newcastle and Carlisle Newport and Abergavenny Newry and Enniskillen ... Newark and Sheffield North British . ..... Ditto to Northern and Eastern ..... Do. Scrip (isa. at 5 dis.) Do. Quarter Shams North Keut North stattbrdshire North Wales Norwich and Brandon Ditto New.., Not., Belvoir, and Granthm Nottingham and Boston Nutt., Erewsh Val. & Man Oxford and Worcester Perth and Inverness Portsmouth Direct Preston and Wyre. Richmnd and W. . End Junc. Rugby, Worcester, & Tring Scottish Central ....... Scottish Midland Sheffield and Manchester Ditto Quarter Shares Shrews.,Wolv.,Dudly,&Bir Shrewsbry & Trnt Val. Un. Shrewsb, Iderefd,& N.Wals Slamannan South Devon . South Midland South Eastern and Dover Do. New (iss. 321.) No. I Do. (iss. 33/.68.8d.) „ 2 Do (iss. 301. ) „ Staines and Richmond.... Staffordshire & Shropshire Stirling and Dunfermline.. South Wales Trent Valley D.). and Holyhead Junc. West London, Old Shares . West End & outhrn Coun Wexford and Carlow Warwick and Cheltenham Waterford and Kilkenny Watrfd,Wexfd,Wick&Dub Welsh Midland West Cornwall West Yorkshire. Wilts, Somrst. & Weymth Yarmouth and Norwich Ditto New. York and Carlisle York and North Midland Ditto Half Shares. Do. Scarborough Branch Ditto Selby Ditto Extension FOREIGN RAILWAYS Boulogne and Amiens Bordeaux & Mediterranean Bordeaux and Toulouse Brdeaux,Toulouse,&Cette Dendre Vajley Dieppe and Paris Junction Dijon and Mulhouse. East Indian. Gt Nrthn of Frnee (Lafitte) Ditto (Rosamel's) Great Paris and Lyons .... Jamaica Junction Do. South Atidlnd Junc Louvain and Jemeppe...... Lyons and Avignon . gamur and Liege Orleans and Vierzon . Orleans and Bordeaux Over Yssel Paris and Lyons (Lafitte's Ditto (Ganneron's: Ditto (Calon's) Paris and Orleans . Paris and Rouen Pars & Strsbrg(Gannern's Do. (Compte de L'Est Paris and St. Qnentin Rouen and Havre . ...... Royal North of Spain Sambre and Meuse Strasbourg and Basle Tours &:Cants(M'Kenzie's] Do. (Lefebvre's) Verona and West Flanders 2O 7% 84% 21►/ 10% 21 111/2 21% 49 3% 1% 105 21% 2 4 8 55 37 11% 24 3 1% 24 3 /i 82,4 14% 3 1 /i 204 95 33 64% 5 3 / 4 80 28 1 A 39 251/2 2% 29% 8% lAug. 6. 18 2% 3 24 5% 10% 565. 6d. 455. Od 8 235. 6d. 4 1 4 36 1 3 A. 2318 30 4% . 46% 84 5 1 4 84 14 23% 1% 5% 15% s2M 535. 9d 6 54% , r- - 51h - _3% 10 1 / 2 'Aug. 6. 9% 7% 128 3 4 3 1 4 31s- ic->% 5 1 ,4 30 ...... 8% 34 - I 2 5-161 554 245. 26s _ ' 35 3 / 4 5 1 ,4 dug. 5. 25 1 4 5% 16 -1-5-16 I 2 T 5-16 8% 4% 7% 11% 12 1 /, 60:ti 104 4% ;Aug. 5. 6% 27 Ik; % 4% -31 A 5% 46th !Aug. 6. 3s. p. 6% Aug. 235. 6d 375. p T 36. p 1 2 , .1,1/ 4 - SY4 3% 376 -153 i 8 1/g 5p 3 3 / 4 15% 151. 41.. 7% 1.10.6 d. 3% 955. p 30s. pl I 15% lAug. 6. .48. 6d lAng. 6. 20% 3% Aug. 5. 378.6 d. 5% 3% 6% 2% 63/4 58 s . 95 , ,- /a 395. 374 - 265. p 1514 45 1 16/. —l4s. 6 % 5% 17 1 4 1114 3 1 0 2 i t 48% 414 214 2 2% 6% 10A 3% Dublin. 'Aug. 5. 6 1 4 3 % • 3 7 15L IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. • • - HOUSE OF LORDS, Aug. 7. Their Lord4hips met at Five o'clock. The Consolidated Fund Appropriation Bill was read a second time. The Turnpike (Ireland) Bill was read a third time and passed._ The Municipal Districts (Ireland) Bill was read a third time and passed. The Naval Medical Supplemental Fund Bill was read a third time and passed. The Fees (Criminal Proceedings) Bill was read a third time and passed. The Coinmons' amendments to the Lunatics Asylum (Ireland) Bill were agreed to. THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO GERMANY. Lord CAMPBELL rose to put a question to the Noble Lord• opposite, the President of the Council, respecting the approaching visit of her Majesty to the ' Continent. He was far from wishing to throw any im pediment in the way of her Majesty's journey ing for her gratification, and for the purpose of cementing the friendly feeling which happily prevailed between this country and foreign nations, and which could not fail to be promoted by the interchange of royal visits and friendly intercourse of the sove reigns. There formerly existed an Act which pre vented the Sovereign of this kingdom from quitting .it without the consent of Parliament ; but that law had long passed away, and there was now no ob stacle to the Sovereign's travelling where and when she pleased. King William the Third exercised that right ; but then the Queen Regnant, his consort, exer cised the royal functions in his absence. George L also exercised it ; but he appointed Lords Justices, of whom the Archbishop of Canterbury was the head, to act as a regency. That took place in the year 1716 5 that was, the second of his reign. It was true that King George 111. never travelled a hundred miles from the place where he was born. Perhaps it would have been better if he had done to. Perhaps if he had done so, and had visited the banks of the Rhine, where the principles of liberality prevailed in a great degree, he would not so long have re sisted the emancipation of his Roman Catholic subjects. George 1., in a speech which he delivered at the end of the session preceding his going to Germany. said, for the purpose of promoting the peace and prosperity of the country during his absence, he intended to constitute his son, the Prince of Wales, guardian of the realm. However, there was, subsequently, sorne misunder standing between them, and thirteen Lords Justices were appointed in his place, of whom the Archbishop was one. When George 11. went abroad he appointed his Consort Regent. On the 16th of May, 1735, his Majesty, in council, was " pleased to declare his in tention of visiting his dominions in Germany, and that he had appointed his dearest Consort to be Regent in his absence." George 11. invariably followed the example of George 1., and appointed Lords Justices. He was never absent from London lung. George 111. never left Eng land ; George IV. was only absent from this country, he believed, once. On the 17th September, 1821, Lords Justices were appointed, consisting of the Duke of York, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, and other officers of State, to the number of nineteen. Great inconvenience must arise from not following in this case the precedent which had been adopted by preceding sovereigns. He did not like to see the royal authority in abeyance. It ought to be adopted for the security of the monarchy during her ab sence. He, therefore, wished to know, whether during the absence of her Majesty it was her intention to ap point Lords Justices to administer the royal functions'? The LORI) CHANCELLOR said, in reply to the question of his Noble and Learned Friend, he had to make a very short and distinct answer—that it was not the intention of her Majesty's Government to advise her Majesty to appoint Lords Justices during her absence on the short tour she intended to make. Previous to her visiting France, the opinion of Sir F. Pollock, the present Chief' Baron, and of the late Attorney-General were taken on the expediency of ap pointing a Regent or Lords' Commission* rs during her absence, but, after considering the subject, after giving to it due deliberation, they came to the decision that it was by no means necessary, in point of law, that such appointments should be made. He (the Lord Chancellor) concurred in that opinion. The opinion of the other law officers of the Crown was taken, and it was to the same effect. The peaceable state of the continent. and the neighbourhood her Majesty intended visiting, together with the increased facility of com munication, rendered it both unnecessary and inexpedient that such a Commission should be appointed. '.[he in s fluence of the Queen was nut less abroad than at home; and, besides, the journey home would not occupy more than two days. The precedents to which his Noble Friend had referred were caused by circumstances. In most of the cases to which he had referred, the word " short," which was frequently used, denoted that the resin• dence of these Sovereigns abroad was likely to be protracted. Under these circumstances, as the royal residence must be for a considerable period on the Continent, it became necessary, as a matter of convenience, that power should be given to persons in this country to exercise some of the functions of royalty,. but this power was merely nominal, by the restrictions which were imposed upon it., Os all important occasions it was necessary to have .the authority of the Sovereign directly. This ,royal visit was unlike those to wbich his Noble and Learned Friend had referred. It was but for a very short time, and at no great distance from this country. Her Ma jesty would be accompanied by one of her principal Secretaries of State, and under those circumstances it was unnecessary to have a cumbrous Commission appointed, and it was on this account the Government had not thought it necessary to recommend the appointment of such Commission. Lord CAMPBELL referred to the visit of George' the Fourth, in whose absence a Commission bad been ap pointed. The LORD CHANCELLOR—But that was Mr fi'e or six weeks. Lord CAMPBELL said he did not see why a Com mission should not be appointed. His Noble and Learned Friend . on the woolsack had given no , good reason to the contrary, and he believed there was not a single instance of the Sovereign being absent without the appointment of such a Commission since the foundation of the monarchy. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. The Earl of BESBOROUGH moved that a letter be sent to each Peer on the first week of the ensuing session of Parliament, requesting him to say when it would' be convenient to him to attend on Committees on opposed , Bills. The Duke of WELLINGTON congratulated the House upon the mode in which their Lordships bad dis charged the laborious duties imposed on them, and he felt confident that they would always be ready to dis charge the important trusts which devolved upon them. He meant that the attendance of those Lords who never came to the House at all, and who should have rendered their assistance on the several private Committees which had been sitting during the latter part of the session. He would therefore beg that the Noble Earl would post pone the motion of which he had given notice for the present, and when the proper time arrived he should be glad to give whatever aid he could in order to render it efficient. He trusted, therefore, that the Noble Earl would refrain from taking any steps on this subject, for then he should have good hopes that the business of the House would be performed usefully to the public and satisfactorily to the House. Lord MONTEAGLE thought that the present amount of business in the House, and with that which had so lately been in the House, that some regulation should be made by which a better regulation might be adopted for the passing of Bills through the Legislature. The standing orders had caused a considerable impediment to the passage of Bills, but the difficulty was done away wi►h by the resolutions to which the House had come to carry on Bills the next session in the same state as they were left at the close of this. But it should not be con cealed that this was a great departure from the principles of the constitution, and what was done in private Bills was equally applicable to public Bills. One alteration, however, might be effected with advantage. This was a resolution that Bills for canals, railways, docks, and other affairs of a similar character, should be brought into their Lordships' House in the first place. This course would in no way affect the 'privileges of the other House, and the change would enable both Houses to proceed at the same time, and thus that injudicious haste to which they were now 'compelled would be avoided.—(Hear, hear.) Lord REDESDALE objected to the motion. The Earl of BESBOROUGH said that, under the circumstances, he should follow the suggestion of the Noble Duke, and withdraw his motion. RAILWAYS. On the motion of the Earl of DALHOUSIE, several verbal amendments and alterations were made in the standing orders of the House relating to railways. Lord REDESDALE then moved, on behalf of Lord BROUGHAM, that a series of resolutions be added to the standing orders, that Committees shall have the power of awarding costs to parties who opposed the construc tion of railways. Lord MONTEAGLE thought the provision would be unjust unless rendered mutual, so as to prevent vexatious opposition, as well as pertinacious promotion. The motion was then negatived without a division. The bills on the table were then advanced a stage, and the House adjourned till Two o'clock to-morrow (this day). RAILWAY COMMITTEES (YESTERDAY.) HOUSE OF LORDS. The Earl of Shaftesbury, the Earl of Besborongh, Lord Beaumont, and a few other peers, met at twelve o'clock, for the purpose of swearing witnesses who are to be examined be fore the Select Committee on the London and York Bill. Having sworn about twenty witnesses their Lordships ad journed. There were only two Committees sitting to-day, and they were to inquire into the allegations contained in the petitions presented to both Houses in reference to the London and York Bill. Both were private. _ _ The Committee of the House of Lords 'sat at No. 2. at eleven o'clock. The following are the members of it t-2--The Marquis of Clanricarde, chairman ; Earl Bathurst, the Earl of Devon, Lord Beaumont, Lord Churchill, the Earl of St. Ger mans, the Marquis of Winchester, the Earl of Auckland, the . Earl of Ellenborough, Lord Ponsonby, Lord Calthorpe, ; Lord Redesdale, and Lord Monteagle. The Committee of the House of Commons, consisting of five members, Mr. Hawes, the Member for Lambeth, in the chair, met at eleven o'clock. The avenues leading to both Committee-rooms are filled with anxious crowds of witnesses and persons interested in the inquiry. Among the witnesses examined before the H o u s e of Lo r d s • this morning, was Mr. Shackell, a half-pay officer, who was ensign in her Majesty's service, and who was examined before the Committee of the Dublin and Galway, or Irish Great Western Railway. What the nature of his evidence was the reporter cannot of course say, but before the Committee re ferred to he swore he had signed railway subscription deeds, • during the last twelve months, to the amount of 50,0001., and being asked what his means were, he answered his half-pay 50/. a-year, and 30 . 4 as a pension _from the Charter-house. He Was asko ,Whem,lie served whil e i n th e arm y ?-.He replied it twine. the subscription, deed ,he appeared as of " Ockwell House, M a id en h e ad, Berks." On cross-examination, it turned thit ',lie lived at the Charter-house, and that Ockwell House was his bietber'S 'residence. He was asked what he did with the shares?—He answered that he got rid of, them as soon as possible; as he did not think it a prudent thing to keep them on his hands. HOUSE OF COMMONS. LONDON AND YORK. This Committee has been engaged all day in examination of `witnesses regarding the contract deed ; but as far as we could learn, nothing was elicited in any way to vitiate the subscrip tion contract deed. ----- RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. YORK AND NORTH ItIIDLAND. Yortic, Wriarieseay.—.Yesterday afternoon the half-yearly general meeting of the above Compaq was held in the board room, .at the station in. this city. There' was an extremely large attendance of Shareholders. Mr. George Hudson took the, chair. .The following is an extract from the report : " The Directors have the satisfaction of presenting to the Proprietors, the usual statement of accounts for the half-year ending the 30th of June last, showing a.balance in favour of the - Company of .49,3071. 15s. The Directors recommend that a dividend be declared after the rate of 10/. per cent. upon the original 501. and 251. shares, and after the same rate upon the new shares created for the Leeds and Selby purchase, de ducting interest at 41. per cent: on the amount hot called up op those shares. The total amount of dividend *ill be 44,220/. (which it is proposed to pay without deduttion for property tax), leaving a surp l us o f 5,0871 . 15s. to the credit of the Company, , The Directors have;to report to the Proprietors that, during the present session of Parliament, the royal assent has been given to the ' following Acts of which - this Company were the promoters, vie.,: —4 An Act 'for enabling the York and North Midland Railway - Company to alter the line, of the York • and Scarborough Hai way near the city of Yorks for authoeising the ;sale of the Whitby and Pickering Itailway.to the York and North Midland Railway ' Company, and for enabling the said Company to make certain deviations or alterations in the line of the Whitby'arsd Picker ing Railway; for enabling the York and North Midland Railway Company to make a branch railway from the line of the York and Scarborough Railway, in the township of Seamer, to Bridling ton; for enabling the York and North Midland Railway Corn party to make, a railway from the line 'of' the York and North Midland 'Railway .to -1 - larrogater• - Thus adding sixty-four nsllea of : railway to the length of linapreviously under the managemeat of the York and North Midland Company. The Directors congratulate the proprietors upon the auspicious opening of the Scarborough branch; the traffic upon which has fully equalled their -expectations. 'They add the usual cash statements, and also the followingsletails of the' traffic for the last half .year r viz.:—Passengers ; t first class 39,643, second c1a5559;701%, third class- 119,756'; total 219,1001. Horses 1,941, carriages 490, dogs 496, cattle '10,678, pigs and calves 2,609, sheep 52,469. Goods 121,934 tons; coke,' Stone, &c,. 11,025, coal 22,346, lime 3,315 ; total 158,620 tons." The CHAIRMA N then addressed the meeting, and said The results of the past half year cannot fail to be satisfactory to you, as wp are enabled to pos i yon a dividend equa l t o t h at which we anticip a t e d when welasernet you. There is every 'prospect that, 'on the termination of this half year, there will be left a surplus as large as that of the corresponding half of last yesr. No doubt in the neat session we shall be enabled further to extend our line; and we hive a fair chance of ob taining an important link in - the Pocklingten and Beverley dis trict. We intend 'immediately to have the various lines which have been granted to us staked out, and I confidently hope that we shall be able, by, this time next year, to open a portion, if not the whole, of these lines.—(Cheers.) We have cause to congratulate our Shareholders on the splendid prospects which have been opened to 'them by the opening of the York and Scarborough line.—( Hear.) • That line will,. in my opinion, be one of the most productive in the kingdom. We do not, as 'you are aware, carry coal upon it yet, as we were anxious, in opening it so soon, to give the public this summer an easy mode of communication to one of the most delightful watering places 'in the - country. 'WO• have executed the lease of the Hull and Selby line, and it has received the seal'of the Company. The heels now worked under , the management of the York and North Midland Company, and in the returns of the receipts those on the Hull line are It requires 1,000/. a week fur the rent of the line, and, deduct ing that and the 'working expenses from the receipts, the re- mainder will be applicable to the dividend of the York and North Midland Company. There is in that, I think, a fair pros pect of the present dividend being continued. I have seen ' lately some observations which have been made with respect to the accidents Which have recently occurred on some of the rail ways. I believe that as long as the human mind is subject to error, accidents will occur from causes which Directors of Companies cannot avoid. But depend upon it that you will have them much more frequently if yoo have lines such as have been granted this Session, constructed with very bad gradients. It has been said in the House of Commons that one out of 150 is not a bad gradient ; in fact, I believe it has been said that it is a good gradient', or, at all events, that it is not objection able. On the lines to which I have referred, the gradients will be such as 'to require an engine behind the trains as well as in front. Accidents frequently occur in consequence of this, which it makes one shudder to think of. On the lines over which I preside, we never allow the locomotive,to be be hind the train. I think the practice is attended with the utmost danger. Ido not mean to say that it,pught hever to be re sorted to, but it should only be at stations and other places where the trains go slowly., See the,Croydonline- , -an engine is placed behlid every train, as well as one in front. SuppOse a sudden stoppage took place of the engine in front, the engine behind, if it had any power. at all on, would double up the train. I can conceive nothing more objectionable than for Parlia ment to sanction bad gradients, when better might be obtained ; for the puiskic,whiin,hadgradients are sanctioned, are deprivi d of the advantages attendant upon the improiement of. the lro- Motive engine. It is gratifynK, indeed, to find that the Nark and North Midland hasheeti .so .free. from accidents. We, have hatrenly one collision singe Alpine was.npened.L.we have had but'one fatal accident. Ido not say this boastingly, :but in a spirit of thankfulness., Air Robert Peel .the other night, said that something,noght to, be done to teach Directors. of railways due responsibility. Had he known half the anxiets , and care which exists in my mind 'when an accident does. .occur, 1 am confident that lie would not feel that there was any necessity 'for placing greater responsibility .upon us than at present exists. I will not allude to the London and York. , Lord Brougham, although he is very funny, and has no harm in him, has, I think, been rather mistaken in his de fence of the subscription contract of the London and Ydrk. I know myself one case in which a minor signed the deed for 67,000/. Of course the deed is not binding on Such as party. Ido not, however, think that this is the proper Way to, attack a company. We go to the merits of the ease, but we were not allowed to go into the .merits of, our own case. I regret the decisipn which the London and 'York Committee came to, as I think it is wrong, We took every care - however, to have our caseheard, and we mustssubmit to ;hat tribunal' which has a right to decide upon the matter. There is another, ap-, peal, and in that I trttst.that we ahall be "morefeittunate. We were put to great expense in appearing before the Committee of the House °Mormons, and all torso purpose, as we were not allowed to be heard. We intend to petition the Speaker fora return of the fees which we paid, as the House of Com limns would surely not refuse to give us a hearing and take our money as well.—(Cheers.) I trust that whatever may come ' to pass, we shall alWays be in a position to pay you your pre sent dividend ; and if we can do that we need not care much who makes new lines. We may cry content while we get our dividend. If the London and York can get ten per cent. without interfering with us, I, forone, shall not regret it. I always feel rejoiced to see my neighbours succeed in a y un dertaking in which they 'may embark. . . The lion. •Gentlennin sat down amidst lond applause. The resolution adopting the report was carried unanimously, and a dividend at the rate of 10 per cent. was then declared and made payable on the 19th inst. ''. The CHAIRMAN said the next resolution was a formal one, to sanction the purchase of the Whitby and Pickering Railway. The Bill authorising the purchase had received the royal assent. They were already proceeding with the relaying of the line. It had been said that this Company had the control of almost all 'the ports in the kingdom, but he trusted that whatever power they possessed they would use it to the benefit of the public ; for unless they did so, they would not retain their power long. The resolution was passed. The CHAIRMAN said the next resolution had reference to the extension shares. They intended to lay down a double line of 'rails to Scarborough, as the traffic fully justified such a step. They hoped to have the double line laid down to Mahon in the course of six or eight weeks, as in all probability the acts'which had 'received the royal assent would swallow up all the Money. which bad been received on the extension shares ; there !would therefore be new creations of York stock. The resolution, which was merely formal, to provide or the registration of the shares, was then put and carried. : • TESTIMONIAL TO Mk. GEORGE STEPHENSON. ! The CHAIRMAN said the next resolution 'which he bad to submit was one which had' passed one of the largest meetings which the Midland 'Company ever held. It had reference to Mr.' George Stepenson.—( Hear, hear.) That gentleman had peculiar olaimsnpon this Company,' as it was to his fostering care that they were indebted for their present prosperity. When this Company was in difficulties, he it was wild came forward, and at a time when parties refused to register their scrip, induced hiS 'friends to come into the undertaking, anti purchased largely himself. But his claims 'stood upon far higher grounds than those, namely, the' great benefits which he had conferred 'upon his fellow-men.—( Cheers.) The re solution 'was; that that Company Clo'doneur with the Midland, the Newcastle; and Darlington Company in erecting a statue to Mr. George Stephenson, and in presenting him with a ser vice of plate, and that the Company do subscribe 2,000/. for that purpose.—( Cheers. ) The motion was carried amidst much applause. The CHAIRMAN, in reply to a Proprietor, said Scarborough stock would stand in the same position with respect to a divi dend as the old stock, and the Dirictors would consolidate the new shares into stock at the next meeting. l TESTIMONIAL TO MR. HUDSON. Mr. JENNINGS' then proposed a similar resolution to that which was passed-at the' lastmeeting of the Midland for a tes timonialto Mr. Hudson. , Mr. GpWataxa seconded the motion, which was carried amidst:loud applause. The CHAIRMAN briefly returned thanks. A vote of thanks to the Chairman and Directors closed the proceedings. 4 NEWCASTLE AND DARLINGTON. The'half-yearly meeting of this CoMPany was held immedi ately on the close of the 'York and 'North Midland Company's meeting, and in the same room. ' Mr. Hudson again took the chair. Mr. CLOSE then read the report of the Directors, as ' follows,:— " The Directors have much satisfaction in referring the Pro prietors to the accompanying statement of their accounts for the half-year ending the 30th of Juni last, showing a balance in favour of the Company upon the revenue mutant of 39,4391.75. inchiding the sum of 8,470 g. 18s. 2d. received in respect of the Brandling Junetibli Irafle prior to the Ist of January last. The Directors recommend that a dividend bed selar.a a t the rate of Bi. per cent. per annum, leaving 8,856/. Ott. t :.. as a surplus fund.. The Directors have, in conjunction with the Midland and the York and North Midland Companies arranged for the lease and purchase of the Great North of England Railway. The Di rectors cannot omit to offer to the Shareholders of thisCoronalY their congratulations on the successful termination of their. labours in passing through Parliament the Act for making a railway from • Newcastle to Berwick. The Act i ng:eked'' the royal assent on Thursday last, and th e fi rst •COLOPte for'' the works on the line is advertised to be let on the 14th ins'.' ' The CitA IrtMA N moved " That the report be received and adopted," and c , :ngratulateti the meeting on the topics ceon tained in the report. ,A, dividend of 19 s . 7d. per s hare on the original shares a n d 10s. on the New Brandling Junction shares was then declired, and made payable on the 19th inst. The CHAIRMAN then proposed a similar resolution to that proposed at the York and North Midland meeting,' for the erection of a statue, and the presentation of a service of plate *to Mr. Stephenson. 'The.niotion was seconded by M r. O XLEY, and carried by . ' ' aPelaMation. Mr.' BA emu then proposed a resolution for a testimonial to Mr. Mr.l . lll : l4l° A n a . D Tx * distesthi:scconded the resolution, which was unanimously and with loud ehe-ers passed. The CHAIRMAN, in ; few words, acknowledged the compli ment. ' ' .. 11-.., 14,....41, 4 4; ~...,,, . - .4,4.! ',in V , 7,1 4 • ',it 20 tiiit p'te)ih111111;4 l ;ttA ■ The LORD MAYOR Of. -York proposed a vote of thanks to the chairman and Directors, which having been carried and acknowledged, the meeting separated. OXFORD, WORCESTER, AND WOLVERHAMPTON. WORCESTER, WEDNESDAY. —The news that the fill for this line had - received the royal assent arrived here early }ester. day morning, and was received with manifestations of pleasure, Shortly before'noon the members of the Town Council as.fern bled at the• Guildhall, the Mayor in the chair; when, after mutual congratulations between the members on the accom plishment of this important object, a series of resolutions were passed on the subject. Alderman E. EVANS moved " That the cordial thanks of the Council 'are due to the Mayor, N. Lewis, Esq., for the promptness with'Which he had given his official sanction to the tneaserei and for his zealous support to it d ur i ng i ts progress throush Parliament." JA BEZ HORN seconded the resolution, which was car ried 'with cheers, the whale of the meeting rising. Votes of thanks, in similar terms, were passed to the town clerk, to Mr. Elgie, solicitor, who had the initiatory manage ment of the company's affairs; to Mr. Bedford, solicitor, who assisted in passing the measure through Parliament ; and to Messrs. 'Warden, the local engineers. Mr. Councillor E. WEBB proposed a congratulatory vote of thanks on the success of this undertaking to Charles Russell, Req., and the Directors of the Great Western Railway, and also to Francis Rufford, Esq., Chairman, and the Directors of the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton Railway, which were carried unanimously. Mr. J. WHEELEY LEA, Chairman of the Commissioners for the Improvement of the Severn, hi seconding this resolution, congratulated his fellow -citizens on the prospect which now presented itself of a reviial in the trade and commerce of the city. Mr. BEpFORD (member of the Council) in his speech in reply to the'resolution in his favour, took a retrospective view of the difficulties which hid iireiented themselves in the way of the passing of the Act. He :assured the meeting that the almost unanimously-expressed opinions of the citizens of Worcester in favour of thisineastire had not been given without producing' their effect in both Houses of Parliament. Mr. Jonx HILL, the Town-clerk of Worcester (who gave important. evidence on the Bill when in Committee both in the Lards and C ommons ) a l so acknowledged the vote of thanks passed to him in suitable terms. • After the transaction of other business the meeting broke up. A large body of workmen will be immediately set at work upon the line as laid out between this city and Wolverhampton. CHESTER AND' Bi RE: ENliitA D RAILWAT...4.:VERPOOL, Ann. 6.—The proprietors of this Company met to-day by adjournment, onirter the purpost7tittfurther adjournment to Saturday next. We understand that the Birmingham and Midland Com panies have combined to promote the South Midland line in the next session. TRENT VALLEY, MIDLAND, AND GRAND JUNCTION.— On Monday the Provisional Committee of this undertaking held a meeting at Wolverhampton. The meeting was called to consider the plans of Mr. Robert Stephenson, the engineer. for the construction of the line. The line originally projected by the Company, with some Slight alteration, was adopted, and the intention of giving Wolverhampton a direct line of com munication (by a junction with the Birmingham and Derby live) with the north and eastof the kingdom, was adhered to. This portion of the line will pass through Wednesfield. Blox wich, Pelsall, and Lichfield, to join the Birmingham and Derby line, in. the neighbourhood of Alrewas. It was also deter mined to give similar direct communication to other portions of the great mining and manufacturing districts of Stafford shire, by a line commencing at Dudley, passing by %sednes bury, through Walsall, to unite with the Wolverhampton line at a convenient point between Walsall and Lichfield. The Provisional Committee announced that, acting under the advice of the engineers, they had deterchined on increasing their capital to 600,0001. IPSWICH AND Bue.v.—Last week the contractors com menced their tabours in the presence of the Directors, amongst whom were Mr. W. Rodwell, mayor of Ipswich ; Mr. J.C. Cobbold, Mr. W.' Bray, Mr. J. Footman, Mr. G. Josselyn ' Mr. P. B. Long, M r . R. D . Alexander, Mr. W. J. Cobbold; Mr. P. %tiff, C.E. ; Mr. E. Ayres, and Mr. R. Porter. The Company afterwards partook- of a dejeuner prepared by Mr. Bruff, the engineer, Mr. J. C. Cobbold in the chair. It was slafed that the contractor, Mr. Brassey, had undertaken to cotnplete the line by the lit of October, 1846, but that a bonus had been offered in case the' line was opened on fhe Ist of August, 1846, and that Mr. Brassey had expressed his opinion that the line would be opened by that time. The Ipswich Station will be at the foot of the hill. The tunnel at Stoke-hills will be 380 yards in length, and.will pass under the Belatead road, by the Mill-house, occupied by Mr. Andrews, at, a depth of 97 feet below the surface. It will differ from most others, from its being upon a curve, the radius of which is about h alf a mile. The height of the arching will be 25 feet, and the breadth '27 feet, and as there are three shafts being sunk for executing the work, upon which the excavate& material will be drawn, and by which the bricks, cement, &c., for forming the aicliing, will be lowered, there will be no want of ventilation in passing through when finished. It is stated that three-and-a-half millions of bricks will be used in the tunnel alone. Contracts are about being entered into for a supply i of 50,000 sleepers, and for the fencing of the 50 miles of line. SHEFFIELD LiNgs..--A meeting of the inhabitants of Shef field was held on Monday last at the Cutler? Hall, convened by the maykon the requisition of 700 inhabitants, to consider the lines connected with Sheffield. Mx. SvkcS addressed the meeting, and contended that the Londdri and York line was not only best for the interests of the country, but liltewise with its. proposed - extension for Sheffield. He pointed out the advan tages of the . Bawtry Junction to connect the London and York with Sheffield and concluded, amid uproar with moving that in the opinion of th e mee ti ng , t h e Bawtry branch of the Lon don and York was the most direct line for connecting Lanca shire with the eastern. districts. This was seconded by Mr. James Creakiels„ Mr: 'l'. A. Ward advocated the Sheffi ela and Lincolnshire line, as the most direct route to the eastern districtS, ttcgainsliorough and Grimsby, and as being a more advantageous line fOr the benefit of the town, in bringing agri cultural:prodnce to it, and in sending cutlery to other parts. He considered the Sheffield and Lincolnshire line far superior Ito the Bawtry branch of the London and York. Mr. W. I Diann also syppcirted the. Sheffield and Lincoln line. It would. effect 'a coniiiderable saving in distance, and complete the route from . Sheffield to Gainsborough: It had the best gradient:, and would pass through :Worksop and Betford. The meeting, which was of ayery stormy character, dispersed without coming to any resolutinn., ,- NCONtINENTAL LINES. MONTPELIM AND . CETTE. —Ai the annual meeting of this Company, just held, a brief report was read on the finan cial conditon 'of the Company, which set out the receipts fur 1844 at' about 458,001if.' (18,3:201.),' and the expenses at 316,0001. After setting aside 45,000 f. for the loan account, the not profit 'would hale been' 97,0;10f. (3,880/.), but some extraordinary expenses had been incurred for renewing the rails and increasing the plant, which left a deficit of 130,000 f. (5,2001.) The report concluded by requiring power to ra i se 10u,000f. (4,0001. ), by loan. There was a short discussion, and ultimately the report Ras adopted, the accounts appros ed,, and the loan authorised. ELECTRIC TaLEcitAnts.-L-Telegraphs are to be establistAd on all the lines throughout France that are finished, viz., (torn Paris to Versailles, and St. Germains to Rouen, Havre Dieppe, and Orleans. His Majesty Louis Philippe is said to be a great patron of the intention ; and it is expected that contracts wilt be made by Governnient for carrying out a continuous string of wires from one ead of France to the other, as the various lines are finished, viz., from Calais, Boulogne, Amiens to Paris, Ha.vr#,.Bnidettit f end the south to Montpellier, Nismes, Marseilles, Avignon, Lyons, Strasbourg, and the east, thereby having the facility of communicating with the interior anti the fi ontiers of Spain, Switzerland, Germany, and Belgium. and all the important seaports and royal arsenals of Brest, Cherbourg, Roch fort, Li' Rochelle, Bayonne, and Toulon. GREAT NORTHERN.—The Minister of Public Works visited, a few days Since, the works of this line from the Parisi 'station as . far as Oise, and found it ready to be opened for traffic. if the Company was consituted. Beyond the Oise there is only one line of rails placed, as the rails and sleepers of the second will not be opened until the first week in September. ' PARIS AND LYONS.—At Blaizy there are 530 workmen en gaged in the tunnel, principally masons and bricklayers. Orders have been given to increase the number of workmen, but this will proie a difficultmatter, on account of the number of works occupying men an all sides. M. D'Arcy, chief engineer; has just arrived at Dijon, with an official order for commencing immediately the tunnel of Velars and the prin-. cipal viaducts. In the section of M. Paraudier, chief err. gineer, from Dijon to Chalons.sur-Satni!, the works are pro gresaing quickly. The works on the Jamaica Railway are proceeding rapidly,. and the sable sons of the island rece n tly w i tnesse d w i th wonder the deliutbf the first locomotive. No fewer, than six different improvements on the principle of atmospheric traction are being propounded in France. They are entitled respectively the Halletti system, ,the Hedrard system, the Dembruksky system, the Andraud system, the Pecqueur system, and the Chameroy system. LONDON AND 1( ORK RAILWAY. TO THE EDITOR OF THE. SUN. Sir,—The allegations contained in the petition_ of one " Henry Bruce, setting forth that the following names of subscribers to the London and York Railway, is in re spect of the several names and addresses false and fl titinus," as promulgated in your valuable journal of the 6th inst., comprising my name—allow me to say, that when I paid the deposit, and signed the decal, my address was co-incident with those set forth, as such had been for nine years previous, vide any commercial directory to the present period. I hope it is not on account of the error which I proved before the Committee of Group X, in the levels of the Tottenham and Farringdon Line, that I am selected as an object of attack. Mr. Bruce may be the Vice Chairman of the Cambridge and Lincoln Line, the pro amble of which shared a mutual fate with that which I opposed, that I, in my professional capacity, should be thus attacked. I therefore trust that equal publicity will be given to this repudiation of an assertion so wantonly inflicted on,—Sir, your obedient Servant, • . . JOHN DAVIS PAINE. Lincoln's Inn-fields, August 7, 1845. THE LONDON AND YORK DEED. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. Sin,—l attended the Committees of the Houses of Lords and Commons this day, in order to enable " Mr. Henry Bruce, merchant," to state the geru nds on which he had ventured to place my name in his - .list of London and York subscribers, " who, in res pect of their several names, or descriptions, or places of abode, are fictitious and false." On my being called before the respective Committees, how ever, the agents for Mr. Bruce, the petitioner, en. tirelv and at once abandoned that clause of his petition. wl,ich had reference to me, Mr. Parkes, for Mr. Bruce', admitting that there was not the shadow of a Charge against me. Mr. Parkes further explained that Mr. Bruce had never intended that my name should appear i n t h e petition ; that my name had been transferredfrom smile private list into the public petition by an oversight; and that when Mr. Bruce read his petition previously to placing it in the hands of a Member for presentation, he did not observe that I was included therein. I beg to observe, Sir, that this apology was made in private Committees'of both Houses ; and though I feel perfect confidence in the justice of Parliament, it is very .passible that the reports of the Committees, which will do me this justice, may be delayed until next session. Thus circumstanced, and having no reason to believe. that Mr. Bruce has taken any steps Tor making his apology known beyond the walls of the Committee-rooms, I am compelled, in self-defence, to ask insertion for this letter.—l remain, Sir; your obedient servant, • CHARLES BROWN. New Bridge-street, l3lackfriars, Aug. 7. OsitottriE Hoiis*. ; — . ISLE OF Wfmri.—Her AtajeBtf and Prince Albertv.deeirous of having the estate in w) iich the above house stands, and which consists of about 1,5fi0 acres, thoroughly drained, had Mr. Webster's new pati,nt 'Viand-pipe and tile-machine , exhibited and explained to, therti. After seeing its operation, they expressed their 'approval, and iu. strutted Mr. Webster to carry out their vi s hes , • "i " ~r:r