The Express.
London, England, 1853-10-21 00:00:00

SOUTH LASTERN AND CONTINENTAL STEAM

PACKET COMPANY.

An extraordinary general meeting of the share-
holders of this company was held at the Bridge Meuse
Hotel, London•bridge yesterday, for the purpose of re-
solving en the expediency of a dissolution of this company,
if the shareholders, or such competent and requisite number I
and proportion of them as ri quired by the deed of settle-
ment of the company, should so lowan.
James MACG ILEG JR, Esq., the chairmae of the directors,
on taking the chair, said the business which the directors
had to submit to Ws meeting was very short in its des-
cription. It amounted simply to the proposal of a resolu-
tion that a dissolution of the company, such dissolution
having been recommended by the directors, was expedient.
It appeared that the capital of the company could not be
divided amongst tke proprietors except at the dissolution of
the company. The present meeting, and a subse-
quent extraordinary general meeting, would be re-
quired to bring about the result. If the pro-
prietors pleased to accept this resolution it would be the
duty of the directors to summon another extraordinary ge-
neral meeting, to be held on the 3rd of November, and if
the proceedings of this meetiog wore then confirmed the
assets would he divided on the 4th of November. At the
last half-yearly meeting it was stated that the assets of the
company amounted to somewhat above 121. a share. He
now moved that a dissolution of the company is expedient.
The motion having been seconded,
Mr. HAMILTON rose, and was about to read a speech
from a printed paper, when
The CHAIRMAN said the hon. proprietor was out of order.
Mr. HAMILTON said, then he would use the speech as
notes, and he proceeded to read the speech, which consisted
principally of complaints about the description of engines
in the boats, and personal attacks on the chairman and
directors.

The CHAIRMAN vindicated the engine-makers from the
attacks made on them and the directors from any improper
conduct in reference thereto. The engines, he said, had
done their work as well and at as little expense, according
to the mileage, as the engines of any other company. lie
did not think the hon, proprietor had much reason to com-
plain, seeing that ever since the company had been catch-
bliahed they had divided about six per cent., and were now
going to divide all their capital with an addition of 20
per cent.
The resolution was then put and carried nem. dis., and
the meeting thereupon separated.

ARRIVAL OF THE RIPON.—This vessel has arrived
at Southampton, with the heavy pertion of the India mail.
Her dates are: Alexandria, October 6; Malts, 10; Gib-
raltar, 15. Captain Fitzgerald, Hon. East India Cempany's
Service, died on the 'morning of the 17th, on board the
Ripon. He was returning to England after en absence of
eighteen years, for the beacfit of his health. Ile was one
of the most pliant *Meets in the Indian army. His funeral
rites took place on board, in the presence of the majority of
his fellow passengers, who, some in full uniform, and others
in their plain black suits, thus paid the last tribute of
respect to this gallant man, and a gloom hung over every one
on board, and a feeling of regret that it was not possible to
convey his mortal remains to Eaglsnd.

ATEEMPEED POISONING OP SIR CHILDREN AT
LIVAILPOOL.—At College-street Police-office, on Monday,
Margaret Mullen was brought up in custody of Police-con-
stable 174 13, ch4rged with attempt to poison sin children,
under the circumstances which appear in evidence. Con-
stable 37 B deposed that, being on duty in Trinity-street,
on Sunday lest, between two and three o'clock,
be was informed that sin children , had been poi-
soned in the house No. l, St. Andrew-street.

Proceeding immediately to the house, be found the chil-
dren, wham names were Edward, Charlotte, and George
Graham, Edward Reilly, John bf'Dermott, and If. M`Der-
mott, some in bed and some on the floor, but all retching;
they were immediately conveyed by him to Mercer's Hos-
pital, where they were put under the treatment of Dr.
Butcher and the resident apothecary. Police-constable 174
B deposed that, being called on by 37 B, be arrested the
prisoner on the lobby of the house. She appeared some-
what excited ; she stated she had given the children the
contents of • bottle of sugar of lead, for the purpose of
making them merry, telling them that it was whisky.
One of the children, however, said it was not whisky.
The prisoner, baying been duly cautioned, made a state-
ment similar to that mentioned by 174 B, adding that the
"medicine" had been given to her in ac hotpitsl, but that
her only motive in giving it to the c►ildren was to make
merry The children were, at the time when the poises
was administered, playing together in an empty room of the
house. In the absence of Dr. Butcher and the resident
apothecary of the hospital, the prisoner was remanded until
Tnetday.—Northern Daily Times.

TILE NEW PENAL SERVITUDE SYSTEM.—OR Tllea-
day a convict was discharged from the convict prison at
Portsmouth with a ticket-of-leave, under the new act. As
he was going to Plymouth, a keeper was sent with him to
(see him on board the steamer for chat port ; a sum of money
having been supplied to meet his expenses. It appears
that both convict and convict keeper repaired to a public
house on the Hard, Potties, where they both got tho-
roughly intoxicated, and where they were fuund the fol-
lowing morning in a thoroughly incapable state. The
keeper has been discharged from his situation, end the eon-
vict has been re-transferred to prison, and is to have, we
are informed, an addition of three earr to kis original
sentence.

COMMITTAL OF TWO PERSONS FOR MAN-
SLAIJORTIIIL—Yesterday an inquest was held by Mr.
Payne, at the Globe Tavern, Borough-road, on the body of
Richard Ryan, an infant, who had been entrusted to Caro-
line Nash to nurse, who waa living with Jam. a Birch. It
appeared from the evidence that the child had been beaten,
and otherwise illtrcatcd, and it was the opinion of the jury
that this had brought on death. Their verdict was, there-
fore, one of manslaughter, and Birch and Nosh were bath
committed to take their trial on that charge.