The Express.
London, England, 1863-08-13 00:00:00

HAMMERSMITH AND CITY RAILWAY.

Yesterday the ordinary half-yearly meeting of
this company was held at the London Tavern ; J. PARSON,
Esq., in the clam
The following report, engineer'a report, and statement of
accounts were taken as read : . .

"The directors have pleasure in stating that tbe eon.
■traction of the railway has progressed sattsfactorily during
the past half-year. as will be seen by the engineer a report
hereunto appended. The act of parliament for which the
company made application last session has received the royal
assent. Under its provisions the proprietors poses the
power of effecting the junction with the up line of the
Great Western Railway which the directors of that com-
pany require, and of raising the capital necessary for the
purpose ; this capital can only be raised ►t a special meeting
of the company. The directors append the report of Maws.
Warter, Simpson, Surgey, and Jeanine", on the matter of
the purchase of the Talbot estate at Nutting-hill by two of
the directors ; and beg to remind the shareholders that, at
the close of the ordinary meeting on Wednesday next, •
special general meeting will be held for the consideration of
this question."

"mcaixzza's REPORT.

" Since the date of last report considerable progress has
been made with the works on the line. On section No. 1
(which extends from the Great Western Railway to a junc-
tion with the West London Railway) the earthworks and
viaducts are all finished ; the only work now remaining to
complete this section being the iron tops to two bridges and
the laying of the permanent way, the materials for which
are all on the ground. lAdbroke station platforms are com-
pleted, and the roots and offices well advanced. On section
No. 2 (extending from the junction near the West London
Railway to Hammersmith) the viaduct has progressed ra-
pidly, and the piers are nearly all built up to springing level;
92 arches have been turned and keyed is, 85 more being re-
quired to complete the entire structure • the brickwork for
the bridges over Wood-lane, Uxbridge-mad, and the New-
road are all complete ready for the girders, which will
shortly be delivered. According to the rate at which the
I work is now progressing the whole of the brickwork of the
viaduct may be completed within two months from this
date." . . _

Statement of receipts and expenditure to 30th June,
1803. Receipts : To receipts on capital per account
to 31st December, 1863, 108,3151. Os. sd. ; received
on deposit and calls, and in anticipation of calls,
during ball-year. 20,5901. ; loans on debentures,
31a10/. ; transfer fees, 12s. 6d. ; total, 160,105/. Ifs.
11d. Expenditure : By expenditure, per account, to 31st
Dec., 1863, 107,7731. 14s. 3d. preliminari expenses, 1621.
10s. ; law and parliamentary charges, 1.144/. la. 7d. ; engi-
neering and surveying, 4.650/. ; works, 27,000/. ; land and
compensation, 15,0281. Oa 10d. ; interest on calls in antici-
pation, /cc.. 34!. ss. Pd. ; direction and audit. 371/. ; stamps,
371. 8; office charges, printing, &c. 2271. Ifs. sd. ; balance
at bankers, tic., 3,0471. Is. Is. ; total, 160,1601. 121. 11d.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, stated that the railway was in process of
construction, and the works were proceeding satis-
factorily, and it was hoped that it would be
opened for traffic in two months. The only obstacle was
that no agreement had been come to with the Great
Western Company to effect a junction with their line,
such u it was thought desirable for the interests of
the company, the directors still declining to accept the
unsatisfactory offer of the Great Western.
Mr. PAYNE inquired what were the rights of this company
with regard to its extension to the Metropolitan Railway.
That company had now no right to go on the premises of the
Great Western Company. He wished to know what power
the Hammersmith Company had to go on the Metro-
politan line.
The CHAIRMAN said that this company had no powers
whatever to go on the Metropolitan line. He was sorry for
the fact, but he was no party to the procuring of the act
of parliament. He and Mr. Wilkinson had been asked to
join the direction of this company, one of the conditions
being that an agreement for the payment of 5} per cent on
the traffic should be obtained from the Metropolitan
and Great Western Companies. The question was
that of a junction with the line of the Great
Western. Efforts had been made to get a junction with
facing-points ; but the Great Western had refused on the
ground that such a junction would be dangerous at the point
indicated, although there were numerous facierpoints in
the neighbourhood. He, although a director o: the Great
Western, was of opinion that it would be injurious to the
interest nd the traffic of the Hammersmith line if it did
not have a junction with facing-points under the provisions of
the act of 1861. This company had no running powers over
the Great Western, but it was still possible to obtain an
agreement for that purpose. This disagreement between the
Metropolitan and the Great Western could not exist long
enough to injure the traffic of this line, and he believed
that the Hammersmith trains would eventually run to
Farringdon. In answer to &question by a proprietor, he added
that the length of the line was 31 miles, and the cost was
estimated at 220,0004, while the new junction would cost
about 20,0001. more.
Mr. BUNCHY wsa of opinion that this line was too valu-
able to the Great Western and the Metropolitan for those
companies not to assist in increasing the traffic, as that would
increase their profits.
Mr. PAYNE asked if there wait any agreement binding on
the Metropolitan and the Great Western to allow the traffic
of the Hammersmith to come oa those lines.

thela course of a discuation which ensued, it was stated
that there was a written memorandum of agreement with
thou companies to that effect.
The CHAIRMAN, however, said that it was not in his opi-
nion an agreement which could be legally eufoived, but be
hoped it would be carried out u one entered into between
honourable men. _ _ ,

A SHAREHOLDER slid that it was an agreement which in I
all good faith ought to be carried out.
The report having been agreed to, the meeting was made
special for the purpose of considering the circumstances
under which certain directors of the company have pur-
chased and are about to sell to the company land required
for the company's works, and of determining the course to
be pursued by the shareholders with reference thereto.
The CHAIRMAN moved that the following report be received
and entered on the minutes of the company, which was
agreed to :
"In pursuance of the reference to us, the undersigned,
' to ascertain the facts,' which ' facts' were to be submitted
to a special general meeting, 'to be milled for the purpose
of considering them,' we beg to report as follows :—That the
first act relative to the Hammersmith Company passed on the
22nd July, 1861 ; that the company gave notice to take
part of the Talbot estate on the 3nl June, 1862 ; that Mr.
Blake agreed to purchase in August, 1882, and Mr. Parson
shortly afterwards became interested to the extent of
one-fifth, and another one-fifth was afterwards of-
fered to Mr. Rurnmens, who declined to take
same ; that the extent of property purchased is 130 acres ;
that the price was 107,5001., with an indemnity to the
Misses Talbot, not only in respect of the 130 acres, but also
es to the remaining part of their estate, arising out of a
pre-emption given to Messrs. Vigora and Binbury to pur-
chase seven acres, part thereof, wherever they thought
proper; and Chancery proceedings are now pending between
them in reference thereto. That the first claim woo for
7,5001., and sent in on the 24th day of December, 1862 ;
that the second claim was for 20.00 W., and was sent in on
the 2nd day of February, 1863; which several claims are
referred to arbitration by the Board of Trade, no offer
having been made by the company to treat, and an appoint.
meet is made to proceed on such reference on the 3rd day of
August next; that there had been a treaty io July, 1862,
for the purchase of twenty acres of the Talbot estate
nearest London, and up to the line of railway, which treaty
was afterwards merged in the larger purchase, owing to
Messrs. Vigors and Binbury having exercised their right of
preemption ; that Messrs. Blake and Parson were sot, nor
WU either of them, so far as the committee could ascertain,
cognisant of either of the above claim., having. on the 19th
December, 1862, instructed their solicitors, Messrs. Lske
and Kendal, not to communicate with them upon the
ject, they being directors of the line. That from a letter
written by Mr. Saunders, dated I.lth May, 1862, read at a
board meeting of the company 22nd May, 1862, Mr. Fowler,
the engineer, states "that it became evident that the coin.
pony would require more land from the Telhots, unless the
Great Western Company should waive their requirements
as to a bridge, and consent to some other mode of working
the traffic as preferable to them by which the bridge could
be dispensed with." That several board meetings were
subsequently held, and ultimately, on the 19th November,
1862, the engineer reported that he had arranged with Lord
Shelburne, and the requisite notices to parliament had been
given to ruction the additional line ; and such bill has been
and now awaits the royal assent. That on the 19th
&'ncairetber, 1862, Mr. Parson stated to the directors that the
proprietors of the land could be treated with, notwith-
standing the act of parliament had to be obtained. Dated
this 14th day of July, 1863. (Signed) H. D. WASTER,
L. SIMPSON, CORNELIUs SURGES', EDWD. J&NNINGS."
Mr. Sunaer moved a resolution to the effect that the
conduct of Mr. Parson, the chairman, and Mr. Blake, a
director of the company, in purchasing land required by the
oempany, tie imonsisteug with their duty as directors and