The Express.
London, England, 1851-07-18 00:00:00

IMPORTANT DECISION OF THE SHARE-
HOLDERS.

CHESTER, JeLv 17.
At length the seemingly interminable conflict of
the " Westerns," Great and North, for the possession of the
lines of railway converging on Shrewsbury has, so fur as
the proprietary is concerned, been decided in favour of the
Great, to the discomfiture of the North Western.
At the time of our reporter's despatch yesterday Mr. Roy
was about to addrc,.s the meeting. Mr. Roy defended him-
self from th^, attacks made on him by Mr. East and others;
laid before the meeting the great advantages that must
accrue to the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway shareholders
from the proposd junction and amalgamation with the Great
Western; wtowed what benefits must arise from
the opening of the Birmingham and Oxford line
into Birmingham, and the completion of the Luc
from the latter town to Wolverhampton and Dudley.
He neat adverted to the efforts made by the London and
North Western Company to carry their point in reference
to this proposed amalgamation.
The advocates of the Great Western amalgamation
loudly cheered, and their opponents as vociferously mani-
fested their hostility, at the conclusion of Mr. Roy's address.
At length the amendment, which, as we have already
stated, was substantially the same as the Mayor's original
motion, fur amalgamation with the Great Western, was put
to the meeting, and, on the show of hands, carried by more
than two to one. A poll was demanded by Mr. East ; and
items. Kerr, of Edinburgh, and Waterson, of Inverness,
tare appointed scrutineers.
At nearly 10 o'clock last night an adjournment was agreed
upon until to.day and at 11 o'clock the scrutineers made
flair report as fellows:
For the amendment (Great Western).
Present, 240 shareholders, with votes 3,286
Proxies held by ditto
17,831

Against the amendment (and for North Western).

Present, 9.5 shareholders, with lutes 1,671
l'roxies held. by ditto 6,360
- 7,010

Majority in favour of Great Western 10,791
The announcement of this result was received with tre-
mendous cbiering. The advocates of the North Western
did not attend in any number, having ascertained the
nature of the &elision before the re-assembling of the
meeting.
A resolution, empowering the directors te,treat with the
Birkenhead, ancashire, and Cheshire Junction Railway,
in concert with the Great Wmtern and the Birmingham
and Shrewsbury lines, was then carried unanimously, and
the Mayor declared the meeting dissolved.
Protests were handed in on behalf of the dissentient
minority.

DEPARTCRE OF TUE 2ND BATTALION OF TIIE GOTH
RIFLES.—On the afternoon of the 15th inst. the battalion
leR Queenstown for the Cape of Good Hope. The head
quarters division embarked in the Retribution, and the
other divssion in the Sidon, which latter steamer, after
various delays and repairs, was considered tit for the
voyage. The depiA companies are at present at Cork, but
remove to Carlow.

THE L.►w OF PAnTlVEßSHlP.—Yestertlay the re-
port of the Committee of the House of Commons on the
Law of Partnership was issued. The committee have come'
to the resolution, That the law of partnership, as at pre-
sent existing, viewing its importance in reference to the
commercial character and rapid increase of the population
and property of the country, requires careful and imme-
diate revision." They recommend the appointment of •
commission, of adequate legal and commercial knowledge,
to consider and prepare, not only a consolidation of the
existing law, but to suggest such changes in the law as the
altered condition of the country may require. Although
the committee confine their recommendations to two points
—six., a greater facility in granting charters, under rules
published and enforced by the proper authorities, and an
easier mode of borrowing ad,litional capital, without risk to
the lender, beyond the amount of the sum adv.nccd : yet
they anticipate many improvements in the laws bearing on
the varied enterprises and improvements of the country,
from the labours of such a commission as they recommend,
and think that a more matured consideration of the impor-
tent subject will be well purchased by a short delay.