The Express.
London, England, 1863-06-16 00:00:00

PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following biliiirc;;;SagTl allTird time and passof
Edinburgh end Dunfermline and Perth (North British)
Railway, Edinburgh sod Mugu+ Railway. Newcutle and
Carlisle Road, North Eastern Railway (Hull and Doncaster
Branch), and Scottish Central Railway.
FISHERIES (IRELAND) BILL
The house then went into committee on this bill.
[Left sitting.]

GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY.-(THIS DAY.)

An extraordinary general meeting of proprietors
was held this day at the Hines-moos terminus, to consider,
ander the Wharncliffe standing order, several bills pro-
moted by the Great Northern or by other companies, and
affecting the interesta of the Great Northern Company,
and which, having pawed the Howe of Commons, ►re
waiting for the decision of the Boom of Lords ; Mr. E. B.
Damson is the chair.

The followieg i. a list of the bills with their respective
objects, as explained by the chairman, all of which were
otmfirmecl:

to enable the Great Northern Railway COM-
piny to extend their railway from Spalb4uto. the Great
Eastern Railway at March, in Cam ' The pro-
posed line is little more than 19 miles in ngth. The share
capital authordped to be raised ix 223,000?., and power to
borrow on moftage or by debenture dock 75,0001.
"2. A bill for making • railway from Peterborough to
Thorny, Wishes,* and !Intim, and for other purpoms.
This bill is for the incorporation of a company with power
to make railways between Peterborough and Wisbeach and
Button Port. It is proposed to authorise agreements be-
tween the company and the Great Northern and Midland
companies for the use of the railways, and the interchange
of traffic.

to enable the Kettering and Thrapstone Rail.
way Company to exteod their authorised line of railway to
Huntingdon ; to change their name ; to authorise them to
me certain stationa and portions of the railway of the Great
Eastern Railway Company and of the Great Northern Rail-
way Company, and to make traffic arrangements with those
companies and with the Midland Railway Company, and
for other purposes. It is proposed to authorise agreements
between the company and the Great Northern and Midland
companies.
" 4. A bill to tumble the South Yorkshire Railway and
River Dun Company to alter their authorised line, to pur-
chase the Baradey Coal Railway, and for other purposes
relating to the same company. This bill authorises agree-
ments between the South Yorkshire, and Great Northern
and North Eastern companies with respect to the proposed
railway.
" 5. A bill to grant to the Great Northern Railway Com-
pany mitten powers with respect to the Stockport and
Woodley Junction, Cheshire Midland, Stockport, Timperley,
and Antioch= Junction, West Cheshire, and Manchester
South Junction, and Altrincham railways, and for other
purposes. This bill seeks the confirmation of an agreement
by which the Great Northern Company are placed upon
equal terms with the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln-
shire Company, in relation to the Stockport and Woodley,
Cheshire Midland, Stockport and Timperley, sod West
Cheshire companies, by which lines the systems of the two
companies are connected with Liverpool and Birkenhead.
The bill authorises the Great Northern Company to subscribe
343,001. towards the capital of thew undertakings, and to
nine for that purpose 220,0001., in addition to the amount
already authorised by the prieton. The bill also author.
nes the company to raise ,000/. towards the general pur-
poses of the company, and to borrow on mortgage or by
debenture stock 166,C.;01."
The CHAIRMAN stated that the bills 2,3, and 4 involved
no outlay of capital, but were merely to authorise agree.
merits already entered into with other companies. Some
other billa which were included in the notice of the meet-
ing had been withdrawn or had fallen through, so that there
would be no other Wharncliffe meeting this year.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BANZ.—(THIS DAY.)
The annual general meeting of the proprietors
waa held at 1 o'clock at the onion, No. 54, Old Mad-street;
Mr. E. Drumr tis the .

The report presentedseid :—" The past year has fur-
nished satiatectory proofs of the prosperity and progress of
South duatralia. The exports have increased; prices for
the staple products are for the most part remunerative
new markets for wheat and floor are being found ; and
further large tracts of pastoral bind have been
discovered in the northern portion of the colony.
The bank enjoys • sound internal condition, and finds ample
employment for its capital. The Court of Directors had no
doubt of this at the time of the issue of the new shares,
which have been successfully allotted, and were
in course of payment when the year's accounts
closed. The profit and loss statement shows the
following results :—Balance as pier last report, 43,8371.25. ;
profits from all offices, 56,6201. 3s. Ild. ; total, 100,4571.
51. 6d. Deduct dividend, July, 1862, 20,0041.
13e. 9d. ; ditto January, 1863, 20,8151. 12a. 5d ;
imam tax, 1,3881. 14s. ; together, 42,21391. Oa. 2d. ; leaving
58,2481. se. 4d. From this amount it is to set
amide 5,3921. 4s. 6d. for the reserve, and the court ve now
to oongratulate the shareholders on the completion of
this fund to 1013,0001. The balance of 52,856/. Os. 10d. is
available as net profit to the proprietors, and the directors
recommend • dividend of 10 per cent. free of income
tax, payable half-yearly as usuaL The annual ac-
wants, duly audited, are as follows Cir-
citation, 89,4441. ; deposit and current account., I
263,3761. 15.. 9d. ; debts due to colonial books and
other liabilities, 130,0491. sa. 9d. ; bills payable, 35,082/.
15a. 2d. ; capital paid trio, 483,1871. 10s. ; reserve food,
100,0001. ; profit and lose, 52,8561. Os. 10d. ; total, 1,153,998/.
7s. 6d. Amato : Coin and bullion, 134,2741. Is. 4d. ; bills
receivable and securities, 7381671. 18.. Id. ; debts due from
colonial banks and other assets, 161,78t1/. 16s. 4d.; bank
me and furniture, 19,775/. lls. 9d. ; investments
reserveof r s
fund, leo,oool. Total, 1,153,998/. 7s. 6d.
The position the bank has attained demands increased vigour
and efficiency in the various departments. and the court will
apply their best exertions to render it both useful and ad-
vantsgeoua."
The report having been adopted,
Mr. BRADBET moved a resolution to the effect that, with
• view to the ineresae of the reserve fund, the directors
should add the whole of the interest of the compeny's in-
vestmenta, or such portion of it as they might deem fit, to
the mane fund of 1C3,0001.
The motion having been seconded,
The CustamsB said it might be assumed that the inte-
rest of the reserve flied averaged about 4i per cent.
After a short discussion the motion wan agreed to, and
the proceedings terminated in the usual manner.

ROYAL SOCIRTY Or FM:HALE MUSICIANS.—The
annual concert on behalf of the funds of this excellent
institution is announced for Thursday evening next, at the
Hanoverequare Beans, under most distinguished patroeage.
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIRTY.—The competi-
tion for the prism given by the Royal Horticultural Society
for the most successful arrangement of fruit and flowers for
the decoration of the dinoer table for 1863 will be oompeted
for ai the Horticultural Society's wooed great show held
to-morrow, at South Kensington, and we understand that
the competition will be exceedingly keen. As each compe-
titor has to exhibit three vanes or groups of fruit and flowers,
• great deal of space is required (last year there were 43
competitors, making a total of 129 groups). The competi.
lion will take plane in the refreshment-rooms in the South.
ern Arcades, where there is excellent light sod ample awe.
The ladies who have consented to act as judges are the
jfirchimass of Waterford, the Countess of 80/thorough,
sad Lady Dorothy Nevill. The show Heelf is to be held in
the nave of the Exhibition building.
SHOCKING CAER or POISONING AT BIRMINGHAM,
—Oa Sunday eventing two men lost their lives from the
' effects of what is called • " practice] lark." The names
of the unfortunate men were Thomas Gregory, alms "Tom
the Navvie," and Henry Ashmore, alias " Harry the Plas-
terer," who in company with a man named Gibson, with
whom they had been drinking, wee. to the house of a man
mimed Prestige, living in Bromagrove, to ask him to sc.
company them for a walk to collect some chickweed to
apply to some noes leg. Oa arriving at Prestige's house
the man was out, and Mrs. Prestige wait upstairs, end
before she came down Ashmore, who had been
looking about the bone for some drink, observed
a bottle in the pantry which be put into his pocket, think.
leg the contents were rum. As Prestige did not entre, the
Hues men went their walk, and soon after Gibson, who was
In advance of the other two, saw Ashmore bead the bottle to
G , who drank. Gibson upon this tamed back and
asked or soma, but Gregory mid. • Don't drink much, it is
so— hot." In masegarce Gibson only put the kith to
his lips, but Ashrams drank some of the content& The
two men afterwards felt ill. and they returned home, Ash-
more calling at Prestige's on the way, and restoring the
bottle to its place. Oa arriving home both men suffered
extremely for • short time, end He Gibbs, a surgeon, wet
not for, but his services were of no avail. the two men dying
be a few minutes site. It appears the bottle contained a
:lotion white • woman bad obtained from the General Hos-
pital far • bid leg.