The Express.
London, England, 1852-09-02 00:00:00

BLACKBURN RAILWAY.

The Italf-yearly meeting of this company was held
at Blackburn on Monch.y, Mr. W. Hornby in the chair.
The report stated that the receipts for the hal•yeer end.
unit December, 1848, amounted to 6,9491. ; tutting June,
1819, 10,070!. ; ending December. 1849, 11,450/. ; ending
June, 1&50, 11,0771. ; ending Di centher, 1350, 17,3471. ;
ending June, 1851, 17,&5.51.; ending December, 1861,
20,315/.; and for the half-year ending June, 1862, 21,1281.
The receipts during the pest half-year show an increase of
3,2721. over those of the correspouding period of 18.51.
The receipts for the ycsr ending June, 1852, amounted to
41,4431. ; and for the year ending June, 1651, to 33,203/.,
being an increase of 6,2401., or 16 per tent. In the month
of May last warrants were issued tor the deferred interest
due to the shareholders, to the end of 1818, amounting to
12,9841. Tho legitimate earnings of the railway having
now placed at the disposal of the directors 9,3351, it is their
intention to issue checks for the purpose of discharging
such interest, leaving the balance of 3,6181. to be repaid out
of the future income of the company. The capital account
showed that 1,043,2751. had been expended on the line.
The revenue account showed that 21.1281. bad been received,
and 8,97:h. expended, leaving • b.ilance of 12,1641.
The CHAIIMAN, in moving the resolution for the payment
of a dividend of IL per share on the preference sharer, called
attention to Vie panagraph in the report relating to the
sum at the dispoeal of the directors, and stated that since
that clause of the report bad been agreed to the directors
had taken the opinion of Mr. Malin*, which was to the
effect that the directors would be acting illegally if they
paid the deferred interest instead of declaring a dividend
upon the preference shares. The 12,9811., Mr. Matice said,
must be placed to capital account, sod the 9,3354 must be
carried to revenue account for the purpose of declaritist a dt-
' ridend, which would be at the rate of 11. a share on the
preference shares issued.
Mr. Bectre seconded the motion.
Mr. KTMAIITUN moved an amendment, that the deferred
interest should be paid to those entitled to it out of the
funds in band, so far as they would suffice for that purpose,
and that a dividend, at the rate of 6 per cent., should be
paid out of capital to the holders of preference shares.
Mr. BOTLN seconded the motion.

Alderman BANCKUFT said that the six per cent. must be
paid to the holders of preference sham out of revenue, and
that if the whole amount was not paid in any one year, the
deficiency must be made up in future yeah. The traffic was
rapidly improving, and it was by no means improbable that,
in the course of next year, the directors would be able to
pay the full ',mount of 6 per cent. on the preference shares,
and something also to the original shareholders.
After some further observations the amendment was put
and negatived, and the original motion was declared carried.
The report, as amended, was then adopted, the retiring
directors, Messrs. brandwood, C. Parkinson, and C. Putter
were re-elected; Alderman James was appointed auditor;
and Mr. Hartley, the retiring auditor, was re-elected.
The proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks to the
chairman.

AND DUMBARTONSHIRE
RAILWAY.

The half-yearly meetiug of this company was held
at Glasgow un Monday ; Mr. P. Blackburn in the chair.
The revenue account showed that 6,2151. had been re-
ceived, and 3,5061. espendid, leasing • bulanco of 1,6991.,
which the board recommended should be added to the
former balance of 5,34,1., to be applied to the reduction of
liabilities on capital account.
The CHAIRMAN moved the adoption of the report, which
had been Mutilated among the shareholders. it was satis-
factory, and showed that the net return of the company was
about 8,000/. per annum. The directors, however, did not
recommend that this sum should be divided among the
shareholders at present. When the whole of the calls were
paid up, and the shares reduced to 8,000, the company
would be enabled to give • dividend of lbs. per annum,
should the returns amount to 8,0001. In their present
position, however, 171. lOs. per share would be required
to set the compa free from debt and preference liabi-
lities of every kind; and even then, with this prospect of
dividend, the company would not be in so bad a position as
that of many other lines in the kingdom. He moved that
no dividend be now declared, hut that the b dance of '
1,6591. be paid into the capital account; that the directors
be authorised and instructed to proceed with the forfeiture
of all shares upon which not more than 104 had been paid,
and that the auditors be instructed to employ an accountant
to examine the accounts from the beginning of the under-
taking to the present time, and report the neat half-yearly '
meeting.
Mr. SmoLtrrt, M.P., seconded the motion.

Sir J. COLQVUOVN, of Luis, at great length moved, as
an amendment, that a committee of shareholders be ap-
pointed to make an investigation into the afloat of the
company.
Mr. P. WALILIEL seconded the amendment.

A long discussion followed, when the shareholder came
to the vote, sod the chairman's motion was carried by a
large majority.
The meeting then serrated.

ABBAS PACHA'S NSW STEAM YACHT.

The new yacht just turned out by Messrs. Tod
and Macgregor for the Viceroy of Egypt, is perhaps the
moat beautiful steam vessel the world has ever seen. The
Faid Rabane, as she is called, has the (Mowing dimensions :
—Keel and fore-rake, 180 feet; breadth of beam, 20 feet;
depth of hold, 9 feet ; draught of water, 3 feet ; power .of
engines, 150. horse. Her engines are bright with brass and
steel work, and are altogether finished with the same taste
and care which a superior workman would use in turning
out a gold watch. She has likewise a small brass donkey
engine, which is used for supplying the boilers with water
when the large engines are still. Some notion of the ex-
tent and magnificenee;of her decorative fittings may be learnt
from the fact that 500 men in Glasgow and elsewhere have
been employed upon them for some time past, and are still
working night and day. There are, in short, no fewer
than 450 pictures, of separate subjects, set in frames,
almost any one of which would adorn the drawing-room of
a prince. The divans, which extend round the saloon, are
covered with costly cloth of gold, from the front of which
is suspended gold embroidered needlework and massive
gold bullion fringe ten inches in depth. Between the win-
dows are a series of beautiful pictures of fruit and flowers,
birds, &c., and vanes enriched with precious stones, executed
by the new patent gens.enamelling process. These are set
in frames, carved in black walnut, and gilt in mat and bur-
nished gold. The ceiling between the beams (which are of
mahogany, French polished) I. filled with designs of fruit
and flowers, on papier marAi panels, enriehed with gold'
border mouldings. Round each door are richly carved
and gilt architraves and canons, all of different designs,
and representing venous lovely floral combinations.
The lower cabins are reached by a swican staircase, en-
closed with mahogany, and adorned with stained glass
windows and papier asacAll panels, got up in the highest
style of the art. The steps of the stain are laid with very
thick plate glass, painted with gold borders, and represent-
ing precious stones in mosaic work. At top aid bottom of
this unique flight of steps are four large silver-plated
columns et fins ehased work, between which are fixed the
handrails, and filled in with pleasing designs of carved fret-
work of rosewood. At the bottom of these stairs is a spa-
cious tubby, fitted up with polished bird's-eye maple, and
elegant panels, from which branch off the waiting rooms
for the Pasha's suite, with baths, ste. The dining
saloon, an apartment about 20ft. square, is fitted up also in
maple, with papier-mac/ad panels, adorned with &moat bra-
, bent cluster of paintings, representing animals orthe farm-
yard, the forest, and the desert. Some of the latter are
painted in the act of killing their prey, and others, espe-
cially of the bear and monkey tribes, are thrown off in
very comical attitudes. It is worth while to notice that
the human figure is not in any part introduced, as being
contrary to the religious notions of the Orientals. On
each aide of the dining-room are placed large divans of
richly nerved rosewood, covered with crimson and gold
damask, with gold embroidery and fringes in character
similar to the adornment@ in the saloon above. In the
centre is a rosewood table like that already noticed. In
this hall are various other most exquisite furnishings, which
it would be tedious to enumerate in detail. The private
retiring Woes of his Highness is fitted up with
rich satinwood, and surrounded with divans, covered with
flowers and gold damask on a rich white satin ground, fes-
tooned with embroidered gold needlework, and massive
gold bullion fringe 16 inches deep in front. Round the
'windows, doors, Ike, are whits and gold damask curtains,
with gold cornices, in style similar to the upper saloon. At
the end of this apartment are placed a richly carved and
gilt table and mirror, and in the centre a beautiful popitr
esaehi table sad two chain, inlaid with pearl and adorned
with designs of birds and flowers. The ceilings of this and
the rest of the lower cabins are covered with gold damask,
worked according to original designs, with flower., ite.,
and bearing his Highnewi's crest in the centre, each panel
forming a complete design of itself. The locks, hinges,
and bandies of the doors are richly plated on Gera*
silver, and they, as well as the finger-plates, are chased.
A magaificent awning covers tee main deck and poop. It
Is of rich silk damask, worked to an original design, with
deep silk fringe and hangers, adorned in the highest style of
art, agreeably to the taste of the country for which this
litW floatiog temple of costliness and beauty is intended.

'1 fie POTATO Disuse.—At the last sitting of the
Academy of Sciences several communications were read on
the paste malady and the means of prevention. H.
MM. of Iflalnt•Micbel-en-l'Herm informs the Academy
that having; preveived that the disease prevailed toe greater
extent in lemil *bleb led not been at any time covered by
the sea thee ht times which were known to have been
formerly overflowed, imagined that by the addition of salt
he could prevent the malady. He therefore prepared
a strong mixture of salt and water, in which he
placed his cuttings for several hours before planting
them, and when the crop was gathered in all the potatoes
were sound.—M. Bayard, of Chasesu Oonthier, states that
he had come to a conclusion that the diseue was csared by
an excites of 'vitality in the seed. He therefore introduced
• pelt into each cutting. The pees vegetated quickly, hut
without injericnisiy retarding the growth of the potato, and
when the potatoes were gathered they were all perlectly
sound, whilst from the cuttings without peas which he had
planted In a portion of the ground nearly all the crop had
the malady. He supposes that the earlier vegetation of the
pees had curled off the seems of humidity, end thus saved
the potato.