The Express.
London, England, 1849-12-28 00:00:00

(To bt connived.)

The committee of investigation appointed at the
general meeting of the company, held on the 27th of Sep-
tember last, yesterday issued their report. It is a very vo.
luminous document, extending over nearly 30 folio peg es of
foolscap. It states :
'Chat in pursuance of the resolution patted at the general
meeting, they entered upon their arduous duties on the 1
ia6th
0! October. After having inspected the main and subsidry
lines, and examined at great length the chairman, deputy-
chairman, and officiate of the company for the satisfaction of
the shareholders, they called in to their ardstance Messrs
Quitter, Ball, and Co., the accountants, of London and
ia-
•trueted them to make a searching elimination of? the an-
coin ts and financial position of the company.. They also
misointed Mr. J. Robinson, of Hartlepool (a civil engineer),
and a gentleman of great practical knowledge and experience
and wholly unconnected with other railway', to report on
the state of the line, and point out any retrenchment he
could aslant in the working of the line and general ex-
penditure of the company.
The committee were anxious to postpone their report
until the accountants had finished their labours, but the exi-
gencies of the affair of the company requiring an early
meeting, the committee deemed it right to put the share-
holders in possession el the information which they had ac-
quired up to this period of their investigation, in order that
they 'might have a more accurate idea of the position of
the company previous to the meeting.
The report then goes on to say—
The Caledonian Railway was projected early in 1844, and
the present line was ri commended by the government cont-i
son!innerg, after a full and deliberate examination, as bi tug
the best and linnet direct route from the south and west of
England into Scotland. The bill was brought into paella-
most in the s' salon of 1848, and encountered severe onposi-
tion from the promoters of two competing lines—the North
British on the oast, and the Nithsdale on the west— and'
alter an earns* of upwards of 70,0301., the act was posed, I
and the Nitbsdale project thrown out. It might havo been
supposed that the company would have been freed from any,
further parliamentary contests, at least with respect to the
main line, which had been laid down purposely to meet the I
views of government. The curved route by Annan and
Dumfries being altered be t
omes desires of the commis-
&loners, who required the shst and meet direct line. Yet
in the very next session, in the face of the report of the
commissioners, and of its own previous decision, the legisla-
ture passed the Nithedele line, which formed a parallel and
competing line with the Caledonian, and in the following
year actually repealed a clause empowering the Caledonian
to lease, in sell detence, the southern portion of the Nabs.
dale line, from Gretna to Annan. The effect of this
upon the directors may be judged of from the state-
ment of the chairman, that if he could have supposed
another set for a competing line like the Nithedale could
have been obtained, instead of proceeding under their act be
would have taken measures for repealing it, but having
entered into various contracts and commenced operations,
he felt b .and to proceed with it. From this period the at-
tention of the directors was anxiously turned to acquire
feeders to their line in every direction, and to buy off oppo-
sition almost at any prioe, and to the extent and in
which this policy was culled out, may in a great measure
be ascribed the present position of the company's affairs.
The report then proceeds to state that the amount paid
for the construction of the main line wee, contractors
1,434,1051., fee stations 144,0322. le. lid., for railsand chairs
405,6271. 93. sd.—total 1,983,7641. lye. 4d..
The committee do not find that any of the directors had
any share or interest in this contract, or in the supply of tim-
ber used in the lormatien of the line, unless for sleepers sup-
plied to the contractors for their convenience.
LAND Pttacasez.—On this subject the committee say the
land required for the Caledonian proper was estimated at
173,0001., but the amount actually paid was 389,9791.
GUARANTEES GIVEN TO Organ LINES.—WDGIAW AND
COLTNESn this line there has been expended
159,9391. 10s. 100. ; the terms of the guarantee are 101 per
cent. on 240,0001. It is to be regretted that more moderate
terms were nt,t obtained, as the traffic did not yield, when it
was taken, more than an average dividend of 4 per cent.,
and even now its local trains will not yield 5 per cent.
TER GARNXIILL RAILWAY.—This line is twelve miles
long. The terms given for it are 8 per cent. on a capital of
156,3551. ; in addition to which there has been expended on
it 260,6161.91. Id. As an independent lies it yielded 6 per
cent., and does not now exceed that amount.
CLYDESDALE JUNCTION.—Tbis line is sixteen milts in
length. The terms of the guerentee are a dividend of 6 per
cent upon 450,0001. with a further right fax the proprietor
to have the shares twilight up by the Caledonian Company at
a premium of 50 per cent., or rather an enormous bonus of
1225,0001. In addition to these sums, the further sum of
1130,0001. has he-n expended, making the entire cast, with
the bonus, 924,6821. For this large outlay the traffic amounts
to only 6924. 9a. per week. The conduct of the directors
throughout the whole of this transaction exhibits a great
want of lodgment.
Tun GLASGOW, PAISLEY, AND GRIENOCIL Loot—This
line was amalgamated with a guaranteed dividend of six per
live't on ital of 150,0201. until November 1853, and
par cent. alter, and four per mat. on 600,0001., besides

,144 S

Sorru STATIOILDSSIPM—Yestarday • requisition from
the holders of 50,0001. capital stock in this company was
presented to the directors, ceiling on them to convene an
extraordinary meeting, to take into coneideratien the pro-
posrd terms for an emended lease of the line, to be sub-
mitted to the parties who proposed to become the lessees, and
for authorising an application to parliament to enable the
company to grant it.
LAW EXPENDITURE OP RAILWAY COMPANIES.-
% a pamphlet, by Mr. Peter Macpherson, just published, he
points to the fact that the return made to the Bowie of Lords
of the law and rar:ismentary expenses of 127 railway coral:anise
gives the following figures:—Law charges, 1,234,9481.;
parliamentary espouses, 3,303,4611.: total, 4,538.409/. But
this sum of upwards of 4i millions don not include the law
expenditure of some of the principal companies. Th•
Great Wntern, the South Western, the Eastern Comelier,
South Eastern, Great Northern, Midland, York and North
Midland, Berwick, Brighton, and others have not yet wade
a return. Mr. Maepht rr.a therefore expecte, and not un.
reasunably, since the companies not included have had
heavy expenses, one more than half a million, that the law
and parliamentary expenses of all the companies up to the
present time do not amount to a less figure than 10 millions
—a pretty decent sum ; a trifle worth looking at, being equal
to about 10 years' dividend of our largest and moat wealthy
railway corporation, the London and North Western Com-

Pugs
THE PRIVY COUNCIL DURING THE GORRAIA AP-
' onar..—The London correspondent of the 0 Vora Herald
describes the scene, during the last day of the appeal, in the
following terms:—" Tho committee room of the Privy
Council Office, where tho court is held, is crowded with
eager auditors, consisting principally of the clergy. There
was nothing very imposing in the scene itself, solemn though
the subject is which has been brought under discussioo, and
momentous though the subject is which the committee hays
to decide. The room is spacious and lofty, its greatest or-
nament bang a fine arched ceiling. In the csntre of the
nom stands an oblong table, at which the committee sits in the
following nrder:—At cue side, the Archbishops of Canter-
bury and York, tbe Bishop.
of London, Lord Campbell,
And Mr. Pemberton lamb. On the other, Lord
Langdale, Baron Parke, Vice Chancellor Knight Bruce,
and Dr. Lushington. The Marquis of Lansdowne,
as president of the council, stood at the head
the table at intervals moving about very much, some-
times to the 'fire, sometime+ to whisper with Lord Campbell,
and sometimes to chat with Mr. Greville, the clerk of the
council, who had his sent at a side table, and even with one
or other of the more privileged of the siteven
ience who w, rr ad-
mitted within the rails. The counsel were placed between
the audience and the committee; the reporter' for the peva,
who were in strong force, occupied a place appropriated fur
their use at one aide of the room ; and the rest of the outer
portion of the room was open to the public. The lords of
the council were not in soy official costume—not even the
judges; all of them were in plain clothe., most of them
in undress coats, and wearing black cravats, which certainly
made them look very uclike a solemn judicial assembly.
The counsel, of course, were in their wigs mid sowas,
which was the only feature of • court of justice that it pre-
sented. With but few exceptions, the arguments of counsel
were listened to in uninterrupted silence on the part of the
committee.
ATTEMPT TO ENCLOSE PLUMSTEAD AND BOSTOL
COMMONS.—Considerable excitement has been produced in
Woolwich and Plumetead, by an art attempt which is now
makiag by a few freeholders belonging to the parish of
Plumatead to enclose those beautiful tracts of land known as
Plumstead and Boatel Commons, which from their imme-
diate proximi'y to the Metropolis and the town of Woolwich
have become the favourite resorts of pleasure 'eaten. The
Assistant Enclosure Commissioner Mr. Martin held his
Court yesterday at the Plume of Feathers, Plumstead. The
Court was numerously attended, and amongst those present
who opposed the enclosure of the Common were Mr. lien-
thaw, deputy chsirman of the South Eastern railway com-
pany, Mr. flowers, solicitor, who attended Cr Sir
Goldsmid, Bart., Mr. Church, solicitor for the South
Eastern Railway, Mr. 0. Hudson, surveyor to the trustees
of the estate of toe late Mr. Pattison, M.P., Mr. Brown*,
architect to the New England Company, Mr. W. Nokos,
solicitor to the commissioners of the town and parish of
Woolwich, Mr. Butler, of Deaden Well, Mr. Jones,
of Wickham, Mr. .1. Colquhoun, and Mr. Horsley, soli-
citors, &e. &c. Oe the part of the supporters of
the scheme, the only persons who appeared promi-
nently were Mr. Hayward, of Dartford, steward to the
lords of the manor (the Fellows and Students of Queen's
College, Oxford); Mr. L. Davis, auctioneer; and Mr. John-
son, farmer. A letter was read from Mr. Clarke, solicitor to
the Board of Ordnance, stating that that body would oppose
the passing of any bill through parliament having for its oh-
jeM the enclosure of the common. Evidence at great
great length was given to show that no possible advantage
could arise from enclosing the common, which is • barren
arid soil ; that the only use that could be made of it would
be for buildicg purposes; that it would be injurious to the
property already existing around the common, and would
shut up theonly open spot of ground available for the health
and recreation of a crowded population of more than 50,000
persons. At the conclusion of the inquiry, the oourt stdoo
adjourned for a month, when it will be ascertained whether
two-thirds of the freeholders are in favour of the measure,
as if they are not, the matter will fall to the ground.
MYSTERIOUS ACCIDENT.--An investigation wan
held at Carnarvon on Wednesday last, on the body of • man
named Ellis Jones, • publican. The evidence showed that
'bout midnight on Tuesday deceased accompanied the police
officers to the pier head, round which they were in the habit
of going before returning to rest. The senior policeman
states that his brother officer was challenged by deceased tel
a trial of strength and skill, to see which could pitch a large
stone the furthest; that the policeman was accidentally
struck by a stone thrown by deceased, and fell wounded and
M
oniedinto the water ; that Ellis Jones instantly roc down
the pier steps and sprang into the Menai to save him
upon this, he (the senior policeman) ran for help, and thereby
ultiosatelysucceeded in saving hisbrother officar,who was much
hurt and exhausted, but that the body of the deceased was not
feud until near daybreak, when it exhibited a severe wound
over the eye, and several bruises most difficult to he ao-
counted for under the alleged circumstances. As the state-
ment at present rests chiefly on the evidence of the senior
policeman, his colleague being seriously ill, the inquest was
adjourned. Great excitement prevails, and certainly much
mystery at present hangs over the event, as the paliceman
denies that any quarrel took place, whilst the worm.!, on
the deceased and the survivor would seem to indicate the
idea of mutual and deadly strife, there being more than one
blow on the person of each, and such es could scarcely have
resulted by a fall from a slight height into ten feet depth of
water, which was the then condition of the tide. Deceased
has left • widow and several children to lament hir hat, and
the life of the junior policeman is despaired of.-11treford
Journal.
SUICIDE BY A BURGLAR IN A STATION-HOUSE.--
Yesterday Mr. H. M. Wakley held an inquest at tl9, he
the Globes On.
Millman-row, Chelsea, on Edward Davis, aged
of a publican and livery stable-lemur, Tooting. Conga:del
Brydges, V 51, deposed, tho deceased had been charged with
homehreaking at Mr. Savage's, Fulham-road, and with
several other burglaries. He We'
remanded on the oyevions
day: Witness last saw him alive at ten minutes t) Hie, and
at se he asked for beef and tea. Witness went to get him
the re'reshment. Soon after silt, witness found him
of
sus-
pended by his neckerchief from the teams of the mutilator
his cell. lie was 'cut down withentededny. and • servos
attended him, but all efforts to resuscitate him pro un-
availing. Deceased had been armee* ea Mel lay
Verdict—" Deceased destroyed littoitelf, but iEee.
evidence as to the state of his nandoliktut he
ask"
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