The Express.
London, England, 1863-08-12 00:00:00

LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE.

The report of the directors, to be submitted to
the bailie/ay meeting on the 19th inst., shows the
amount of capital chargeable to revenue on the
30th of Jane, 1863, exclusive of leased lime, to be as fol-
lows :—Consolidated stock, 12,093,5941. • guaranteed and
preference stock, 2,922,613/. ; loan; 4,568,3951. ; moneys
in advance of calls, 260,7311.—t0ta1, 19,785,3331. The ex-
penditure charged to capital for the half year amounts to
153,8011. The total receipts during the last half-year were
863,5301.; and the disbursements, 374,723/. The balance
of nett revenue, applicable to the payment of dividend on
the ordinary stock of the company, is 272,3251., and out of
this amount the directors recommend the proprietors to
declare a dividend at the rate of 4* per cent. per annum,
less income tax, and to carry forward the balance, 13,336/.
2e. 7d., to next half-year's account. Notwithstanding the
' continuance of the war in America, which affects so
injuriously the trade of Lancashire, it must be gratifying
to the proprietors to observe that the traffic re-
ceipt' of the half-year have been increased upon
the same mileage by the sum of 46,4481. over the
amount earned In the corresponding period of 1862.
The permanent way is reported by the engineer to be in good
condition, and the heads of departments also report the
rolling stock which is under their charge to be in good re-
pair. The estimate of the requirements for extension and
enlargement of stations and for the purchase of land during
the current half-year is 70,000!., under the following heads :
—Laud for station accommodation, 30,531 f. • works in pro-
gress, 23,7361. ; contingencies, 15,7331. • total, 70,000/. The
works on the Oldham, Rochdale, and itoyton line are so
nearly completed, that the usual notice has been given to
the Board of Tilde to inspect it, previously to its being
opened for public traffic. The directors have to report that
the constructioti of the new line from Salford to Victoria-
station and also the making of the branch to Dewsbury,
have been let to responsible contractors, upon satisfactory
terms. In the session of parliament just concluded, a great
number of measures were introduced more or lees
affecting the interests of the company, but in the main
the parliaments/7 proceedings have been very successful.
The bill authorising the London and North Western and
the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Companies to raise
50,0001. each, for purposes connected with the North Union
and the Preston and Vi yre Railways, has heal parsed. The
directors succeeded, in the month of March last, in closing
lan agreement with the North Eastern Railway Company, by
which they were enabled to withdraw the bill for making a
I new line in the Doocaster and Hull district, and this agree-
meat has been confirmed by the act of parliament just
passed authorising the North Eastern Railway Company to
make a line substautially identical with the one proposed by
them. Under this agreement the traffic of the line will
pass to and from Hull rid Goole upon advantageous terms,
without any outlay of capital on the part of this
company. The lines proposed in the interest of
the Manchester, Sheffield, and Linoolnahire Company,
for extending their railway in the direction of Wakefield,
, have been rejected by parliament; the bill of the West
' Riding and Grimsby Railway Company, authorising run-
Meg powers over lines belonging to or worked by this
company, was withdrawn ; and of the flee branches pro-
posed by the Bradford, Wakefield, and Leeds Railway Com-
pany, at Low Moor, at Leeds, at Omen, from Wakefield to
Kutton, to meet the Barnsley Coal Railway, and the branch
to Metkiley, two were withdrawn, two rejected, and one
only, the branch to Metbley, has been sanctioned by par-
liament ; and this on condition that this company and the
North Eastern should have the option of becoming joint
and equal owners with the promoters at any time within
six months from the passing of the act. As this line is only
about five miles in length, is easy of construction, and
through a rich coal district, the directors be-
Fiseaes
vici it will be to the interest of the pro-
prietors to become joint owners of the undertaking.
The bill for enabling the Midland Company to make a
short branch to connect Barnsley with their main line at '
Cudworth haa been passed ; but the attempt made by the
Midland and Sheffield Companies to get parliamentary
sanction in this bill to an agreement for an exchange of
running powers between Manchester and the West Riding
of Yorkshire has failed. A bill was introduced iota par-
liament by an independent company, composed principally
of parties interested in the locality, for making a railway to
, competition with the line from Blackburn through Chorley
to a point on the North Union Railway, a few miles north
of Wigan, with separate station accommodation both at
Blackburn and Charley. The bill originated in and was passed
by the House of Lords though vigorously opposed. This
opposition was renewed in the House of Commons, and the
ball was defeated. In the course of the proceedings the
directors found it necessary to assure parliament that, in the
event of the Lill being rejected you would undertake the
making of a line of railway for the accommodation of this
district; and subsequently an arrangement has been entered
into with the promoters of the independent scheme for
securing their co-operation in the proposed application to
parliament next session. Other measures were ,proposed,
prejudicially affecting the interests of this company in Lan-
cashire and Yorkshire, all of which have either been with-
drawn, er so modified by climes as to be no longer obits-
tamable.