The Express.
London, England, 1864-08-20 00:00:00

SOUTH EASTERN.

The report of the directors to the meeting to be
held on the 25th last. shows that for the half-year sedan
the 31. t of July, 1864, the gross rsompts amounted to
596,8941. 10s. 4i (including 26,6024 6a. 4d. the receipts
from stem. boat trade), as compared with 573,8171. Oa. 3cl.
for the corresponding period of 1863: being as hums of
23,0771.15. 11. on the past bedlam. The 'totems'. of
expenditure on revenue account shows that the winery
working expenses during the half year have amounted to
236,2681. 9s. 4d. ; the rates, taus, tells, and goverment
to 34,6491. fis. 6d. ,• sad the we brag of the steam
et service to 13,17374 18s. 24. After providing for the
xed charges agaiastremous, than remains a net balance
of 161,3571. 15a 9d available for dividend oe the
ordinary ooesolidated stock of the company. A divi-
dend of 12a. 9d. per 30/. stock, ar at the rate of 41. ss. per
most. per annum, will absorb • sem of 157,9861. 2s. id.
• beaus to be carried forward of 43911. 13s. 3d. ; sad thin
rite of dividend the directors recommad to be paid as
Thursday the Ist day of September aut. There has been
six acmes of 653,702 ie the number of passengers et all
clime earned, ad ae amiss et 27.6141. is ths 1e084996. At
the same time it must be stated that the company's revenue
has suffered by the abstreetioa al truffle consequent on the
opening of the Kest Oust Railway to Margate and Ram-
jet*, the lone from this came daring the half-year having
amounted to 11.0001. The *penis, oi the Ludas Chatham,
and Dover Company's sew stenos at Blacktriers
has mho bad the effect of abstracting traffic at other
paints served by the lino; of the two ampules.
The most important feature in companion with the pastes-
gm traffic of the company during the half year has base
the. opening of the Charing-crow Railway and West-end
Terminus. That line was opened for local traita by the
Greenwich and Mid-Kent trains os the 11th of Jasuary,
and for through traffic by the mats line sod North Kest
trains on the let of May. The result has bean a consider-
able increase in the puesager traffic to sod from various
Mahan on the main lies and breeches., while much italic to
cosspetiog points has been retained that would otherwise
have been abstracted by the sew Hose and stations above
referred to. It may be mentmeed, in illeatratios
of the advantages that may be expected from the
mare complete development of West sod treflia in cos.
amens with the South Eastern Railway. that Ha Nereus 00
the Gresewich branch aloes during the Ulf year has been
458568 in passeagers, and 8,9141. is recialpta Titers has
ales been a comiderable increase of passenger.. for the mast
part derived from the Charing-cross terminus, to Folkestone
and Dover, to Hastinp, to Reigate and Redbill, and various
other statues on the main lies and branches. And to
exhibit the importance of a West-end terminus es respects
the maintenance of the trade of this company, it may be
mestiooed that, of 39,011 asetisestal passesgers carried in
the threernouthe ending the 31st July, 23,669 booked to and
from Charier-cross, sod 15,342 to and from Ludes-bridge.
7. Working &pause—While the directors have been en-
abled to Maintain the increase of gross receipts, as above
explained, it will be observed that, io errata' at this malt,
the working expenses have base menders* increased,
principally in coasequeoee of the greater train mileage rus
(the mums being 244,638 miles in the half-year), the ia-
ameinal cost of naiotsiaieg the way and works, and the
increase of staff at new stations. There has also been e
large but mammy increase in the half-year's ex
occasioned by the opening of the new We's.=
terminus. It was foul requisite to appoint a
large statics staff, arid to have them properly inetructed
is the performer's of their duties, preparatory to the full
opening of the Cbariag.crois statics to the through paw
sum trains of the South &Aare Company, which did not
take place until the In of May last. Heavy adrenals(
and other expenses of exceptional and unavoidable dens.
ter, intimated by the general manager to amount of 9,0001.,
have also bees incurred and charged to revenue. The sub-
ject of the reduction of the ordinary working slums,
without, however, imparing the slicingy of the *sic
service, will continue to receive the careful attea-
tion of the directors. The outlay oa capital as
count during the half-year Lae been 190,2401.
lie. lid., leas 9,5001. received for the Queen of the
French steamboat (sold to the Belgian goverement), sad
1,6801. 94. 2d realised by the sale of surOus lands. The
principal item of expeediture, it will be observed, has bean
in respect of the direct Tenbridge sod Dartford lines is
course of construction, which will be hued referred to te
detail in the annexed report of the company's engineer. The
third Bret-class steamship the Alexandra has beu edited te
the company's lost, of like speed and sepacity with the
Victoria and Albert Edward, and the diresion
are gratified is being enabled to add that the
pert
orery performances of the new easel have been satin-
. The directors request the reeks of the
proprietors to the upeediture of the following sums on
rolling slack required for the working of the addittual
mileage, and in anticipation of the opening of the sew line
to Dartford by the beginning of neat year :-20 looomotives,
60,0001. ; 109 ogee carriages, 32.0001. The directors
have succeeded is obtairleg parliamestary powers to con-
shut a breach to Weeterhus, oat d the Tuabrid:
Direst Use mar Eleirsesalts. as well as brushes out of
mail line to Hartley, um Ocsabrook,, and to Hythe end
13andgate. By arrangement with the Wealial Kent Com-
pry, sad., which the oppositios to LW oorpooy's hill