The Express.
London, England, 1864-03-29 00:00:00

The Brighton Railway traffic return shows this
week an increase of 5,1881. over last year ; and the
South Eastern an increase of 4,453/.
The following is the report of the directors of the
London and South American Bank (Limited) to
be presented at the first ordinary general meeting
to-morrow :

Your direetorsavailthemseleesof the opportunity afforded
them by the present first ordinary general meeting of share-
holders to place in their hands • balance-sheet, compre-
hending •ll the operations of the company in London, from
the time of its formation to the 16th of March ; and in
Lim►, those which have occurred from the commencement
of business there on the 21st of September to the 6th of
February. Your directors will, at the meeting, give every
information that may bedecked with reference to the actual
position of the company and Is progress hitherto, sod will
treat of • pending negotiation for the union of its interests
with those of the Ifexioin Bask (Limited). This latter
proposition will involve the division at this time of the
profit made by the company up to the dates already re-
ferred to, sad hence it is proposedto recommend • dividend
of fis. per share, being at the rate of 10 per cent per an-
num, which, it is hoped, will be satisfactory. The date for
the division of profits being agreed and fixed with the
Mexican Bank for the 30th of March, and as the accounts
from Lima extend only to the 6th of February, lit may be
fairly assumed that the profit made in the intermediate pe-
riod meets the question of rebate as bills current on the 6th
of February. The shares of your company being each 1001,
and those of the Maclean Bank 501., on the proposed amal-
'lunation taking effect you will receive two shares in the
amalgamated company for one of those you now bold, and
it is hoped that this proposed union will be conducive to
the strength sod success of the whole enterprise.

The balance sheet, as made up to the 16th inst. in
London, and the 6th February in Lima, shows,
amongst other items, the following, viz.. :—Cipi-
tal paid up, 31,8301. ; deposits, bills payable, and
other liabilities, 22,0921. ; gross profit, 2,670 t. ;
net profit, 1,5521. ; and preliminary expenses,
4,8284
The directors of the Vancouver Coal Mining and
Land Company (Limited) have issued their report,
in anticipation of their annual meeting on Thurs-
day next. In consequence of the &days which
have occurred the directors' report states that—
It has been impossible to prepare sad verify the accounts,
is order to submit a complete balance-sheet at the time
fixed for the annual meetiag, bet the directors bare ascer-
tained that such a profit has been made u wdl justify them
is declariug an ad interims dividend. It is neomeary there-
fore that the delivery of the balance-sheet shall be deferred
until the first Thursday in May, when an extraordinary
general meeting will be held, to confirm the resolution to
be submitted at the extraordinary general meeting on the
31st inst.

The share list of "Smith, Knight, and Co. (Li-
mited)" was closed yesterday afternoon, with London
applications to the extent of 72,000 shares, the first
issue cousistin of 40,000 shares, of which the pro-
spectus stated that one-half were previously sub-
scribed. _ _ _

We arerequested to state that the share list of
the United Merthyr Colliery Company will be
closed on Thursday next, the 31st inst.
Formal notice is given that a petition for the
winding up of the London and Middlesex Bank
(Limited) is to be heard before the Master of the
Rolls on the 16th of April.
Creditors of the London and Westminster Wine
Company (Limited) are required to send the parti-
culars of their claims to Mr. C. F. Kemp, the
official liquidator. The 9th of May has been ap-
pointed by the Master of the Rolls for adjudicating
upon them.
Vice-Chancellor Wood proposes, on the 9th of
April, to make a call of 12i. per share on the cun•
tributaries of the State Fire Insurance Company.

Messrs. Dent, Palmer, and Co. bare announced
the dividend due the 10th April on the Turkish Six
per Cent. Loan of 1854.
The crown agents for the colonies have announced
the half-yearly interest due the let April on the
Victoria Government Melbourne, Mount Alexander,
and Murray River Railway Debentures.
With reference to the market for cotton goods,
the Calcutta Pries Current of the 22nd Feb., just
received, remarks as under :
There bas beau more inquiry for the lighter makes of
grey shirting, for local use, particularly for Vbs., which
have brought rather better prices; heavy goods ow the
other hand have been neglected, owing to unfavourable ad-
vice' from Mirsapore, and have not beau saleablelaxcegat
a rather cotwiderable decline on previous rates. At closing,
the market eves for the lighter makes is flat, being unfa„