The Express.
London, England, 1864-08-12 00:00:00

NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE.

The ball-yearly meeting of this company was
held at Stoke-upon-Trenton Wednesday. Mr. T. BRA:Mlle;
the chairman, presided.
As abstract of the report has appeared in this Journal.
The CRA/ILMAN said the traffic on the line continued
steady, although, duriog the last few works, it had expe-
rienced a check by the sudden depression which had come
over the iron trade of the district. report of the en-
ginger showed that the line we. gradually being renewed,
and contained the following impotent remark :—"The
use of steel rail. has not escaped erection, they bevies
been in use on the company's has for about two years for
points and ClVasine ; and, although the first cost, as coot-
pared with iron, it very high, their adoption for suck
purposes, accordion to our experience, Is attended with con-
siderable economy. The present cast of steel is, how-
ever, such as to preclude its general sae for rails for the
roadway." He (the chairman) believed that though the
application of steel rails was in its infancy, it was sus-
ceptible of great developmeot, and at soar future time,
when the present prohibitory prices bad been reduced
by competition to soinethiog like reasonable limit., there
could be little doubt that the material would come into
much more general me, He thee explained that the direc-
tors proposed to issue 100,0004 for the constructiou of the
Leek line, by preferential shares at 5 per oat., the amount
being too small for allotment among the shareholders.
The financial condition of the company was vary eatisfactory.
The directors, with the comsat of the shareholders, had
taken steps which would prevent the Macclesfield, Bolling-
ton, and Mater line from being need in the future as •
block line by any party hostile to the North Staffordshire.
That line having been passed, it would improve the com-
munication between South Yorkshire and North Stafford-
shire, open up a shorter route from Sheffield to the
,oath-west, and strengthen the independent position of this
compeer. The directors during the late session bad also
obtained powers for constructing several lines of railway in
the Audley district, which wee immensely rich is mineral
wealth, and would no doubt is a few years contain a large
iron-prodacieg population. The Chairman concloded by
moving the adoption of the report.
Mr. GODD•111) proposed as as amendment that that part
of the report which recommended the creation of 100.0001.
prefereetal stock be nut approved.
. .

The amendmeat was neciaired by a large majority.
The report was adopted, and the dividend at the rate of
4 par mot. per annum was declared on the ordinary stoat
of the Company.

LONDON AND NORTH WESTERN.

The report of the directors, to be submitted to
the half-yearly meeting on the 19th lost., hos been pub-
lished. The half-yearly amounts again show • large and
general Mamas. in the traffic receipts ; and as the cost of
working the additional traffic has been moderate, the profits
of the half-year admit of • di.ideod being recommended the
and a half per cent. per annum higher than the dividend
paid twelve months ago. As compared with the correspond-
ingenod of 1863, the amount received for perinsegers,
minerals, and cattle shows au ionethe of 286,1104
Edgehill and Gersten Sort 44 miles, was opened for
traffic on the 15th February hat; the Merthyr and Tredegar
extension, 44 miles, on the let March ; the Wiawick and
Colborne branch, 24 miles, on the Ist August. The growing
extent and importance of the passenger traffic of Liverpool
render necessary extensive alteration and enlargement of the
Lime-street statioa in that town. The property of the
company comprises • valuable frontage, available and well
suited for the site of an hotel. It woos.] not be expedient
to dissever the land from the station property, Judas experi-
ence has proved that good hotels when established
contiguous to. and conducted in connection with,
railway stances, not only conduce to the owes-
Moon of the public, and the derelopment of traffic,
bat yield • good return on the capital employed—the di-
rectors are of opinion that the plans of the enlarged elation
should include • suitable hotel, and aooordiogly • vote for
the estimated cost will be submitted at the ensuing general
meeting. As indicated in the report submitted to the last
half-yearly meeting, your directors urged strong objection to
many of the numerous schemes then propand for redeem'
in or about the metropolis, and which, if sanctioned, would
have seriously interfered with established undertakings. Tbe
directors here now the satisfaction to state. that nearly all
the objectionable schemes were rejected, while those allowed
to proceed were so modified as to render them more useful to
the public, and more consistent with your interests. The
royal assent
yliasipbeetoorvatto tit two bills prt: rooted by
additiocal7eDwers..deorii,"" LogeoneD—°°. tt with the variousl-
- Company as to the Leaorter and Carlisle Railway,
and working arrangements with the Vale of Clwyd Railway
Company—ad the other granting increased facilities for
the transmission of traffic between the railways of this
company, and railways in Ireland. The following acts have
pored on the joint applicatioa of this aad other companies,
six.: For the coestromarie of railways between Blackburn mid
Wigan, with power to this company to subscribe 100,0001.
towards the capitol ; to ester into agreement' for the work-
iag and use of the new railways, u d to use the miens(
links of railway between Wigan end Blackburn, with stance
accommodation atithe latter place. For vesting the under-
taking of the St. Helen's Canal and Railway Compeer ie
the London and North Western Railway Company. For
authorising • lees of a portion of the Laocaster Canal to
the Leeds and Liverpool Canal prowistors, and the
remainder to the Lead= and North Workers Rail-
way Company. For anthoriaing agnomen between the
Onwestry end Newtowo, the Shrevrabary and Welcbpool, the
Llsnidloes and Newtown, the Onesetry, Ellesmere and
Whit:hero, the Newtown sad Maehyslath, the Hereford,
Hay, and Brecon, the Brecon and Merthyr Tydvil, the
London Rod North Western, and the Greek Welders Railway
Companies, and confirming existing agreements already re-
ported to the tors. For authorising the Shrewsbury
and Welehpool Railway Company to treader or lease their
undertaking to the Linden and North Western Railway
Company, or to the Lapdog and North Wasters and Great
Western Companies. For authorising arrangements be-
tween the Bedford and Cambridge, and London and North
Western Railway Companies. For enabling the Port Patrick
Railway Company to establish communication, by insane
of steam vessels, between Port Patrick and Streamer,
and Deathbeds% and other ports on the north-east
coast of Ireland also, to increase their capital, and
to make working srmagemeats with the Lou-
don and North Western sod Caledonian Companies.
Acts have else been peered—For =kin railways from the
Loretta and North Western Rail way near Baotou station to
• jaoction with the South Eastern Railway at Marin-
crow ; from the West London Railway sear Kensington
station, via Westminster and the Thames embankment, to
a inaction with the Metropolitan Railway in the City;
from the South-Western Railway at Richmond, to the
West London Railway at Kensington ; from the Stamford
sod Emending Railway at Stamford. to Wandord, on this
company's Peterboro' branch; from Cheltenbara to When,
and to a junction with the Buckinghamshire branch of this
company sear Vendee ; and from the Merthyr, Tredegar,
and Aberganany Railway to Crickhowell. The director,
have to report the eleetioe of Mr. Sam Maeda, of Whalley
Range, Manchester, as • director, in the room of Mr. H.C. X
Childers, M.P., resigned. The directors repriest votes of
the proprietors for the following new worts:—Hotel at
Linneetmet, Liverpool, 50,0001. ;
Liverpool-street, City, 40,0001. ; goodestalt
locomotive accommodation at Frigehifi. 40001. ;
warehouses at Waterloo station, Liverpool, 13.0004 ad-
ditional goods aosommodation, Camden,2A6,oool.=
hr.., for carriage venire Wolverine, 30,0004 ; .
workshops, Crewe. 13,0004 ; enlargement of railway clear-
leg been, 11,0004 ; lead and coal wharves, K
23,0004 ; lead and thin" Copley-hill, Lesda,Thaal
bind aid coal depot at Ihtlisress, 10,0001. ;
idioms and caber acoreuriodstice at the fallowing Mathias n
Northampton, Coventry. hider, Leamington, Oreme.
Albite. lidglemers, 7hLg. Despields, Dudley Pal. Bag*