The Express.
London, England, 1851-05-14 00:00:00

AUSTRALIAN MINING COMPANY.
Yesterday an extraordinary general meeting of the
Australian Mining Company was held at their chamben in
Adelaide-place, London Bridge, for the purpose of hearing
and considering the report of the committee appointed on
the 3rd day of February, 1331, to inquire into all the affAirs
of the company, and to take all such measures thereon as
the meeting might deem lit. CHARLES Downes, Esq., was
in the chair.

Mr. Davis, the chairman of the committee of inquiry ap-
pointed on the 3rd of February last, then handed in to the
board the report of that committee, and the secretary read
it at length to the meeting. This document details the con-
stitution of the company in June, 1845, since which period
nearly 100,0001. has been expended. After referring to the
arrangements entered into between the Emigration COM-
missioners and the board for carrying out a certain number
of adults, allusion was made to the mode in which the then
secretary (Mr. Sheriff Hodgkinson) was suffered to parti-
cipate in the advantages of the system adopted, and of his
being allowed to act in the capacity of a broker, and to
make charges for transacting that business. It was also
stated that the emigration, as conducted under the superin-
tendence of the secretary, did not meet the approval of the
Emigration Commissioners, and that therefore he was com-
pelled to relinquish it. With respect to the char-
tering of vessels, it was alleged that four were
taken up by the secretary and despatched to
Australia, without in the usual way being tendered
for, and that at a period when the colonial committee had
written over to say they would give the company proper
notice when tonnage was required. The defence the com-
mittee stated they received to this point was, that, an opi-
nion being entertained that freights were about to rise, it
had been considered advisable to secure tonnage to bring
home the ore which it was by every arrival anticipated the
management out in Australia would have to ship. Instead
of the ores of the company freighting the vessels, other
ores were taken, and a considerable loss occurred. The
secretary was subsequently elected too seat at the board, and
then, as before, Messrs. Hodgkinson and Co. were allowed to
be mixed up with the various shipping operations carried on.
In connexion with there operations the absence of vouchers
was complained of, and the whole were alleged to have been
conducted in a loose and unsatisfactory manner, and in
the face of a clause in the deed expressly stipulating
that neither the directors nor their servants should be
allowed to do business for the company. The want of dili-
gent attention in the selection of stores, and the purchasoof
them without tenders being desired, had characterised, it
was also asserted, the management out bathe colony. Heavy
charges at home and abroad for discount and money accom-
modation had been incurred with the view of avoidin • the
necessity of calls and in the hope that discoveries would be
made which would supply ultimately the requisite funds.
Regarding the accounts generally, they were said to be
wanting in that intelligible arrangement which ought to
have been considered essential in a company carried on
with a large and well remunerated body of subordinates.
A seven years' lease of Reedy's Creek, granted to Mr.
Baser, chairman of the local committee, at a peppercorn
rent, was likewise alluded to in addition to the
agreement for the Montacute mine taken from Mr.
Baker and Mr. Hagen, which had resulted in loss to
the company. Of the colonial superintendent, Major Camp-
bell, and his qualifications, favourable mention was made,
but general retrenchment was advised as one of the best
. .

mean's for retrieving the position of the undertaking. The
operations of the mines had, it was stated, been pursued on a
Isaac of expenditure which could only have been induced
bg the directors imagining they possessed a Barra Barra.
lams lessons of the past, it was trusted, however, would ope.
rmb as a warning, and there was believed to be yet time to
'seethe property from ultimate failure The report, after re-
viewing the general financial condition of the company,
inaeltuled by recommending that a mining agent should
be despatched to Australia for the purpose of giving his
'Onion upon the mines, that a reduction in the number of
directors should take place, that arrangements should be
made for modifying the colonial committee, that a half-
yearly meeting be called every January, with the &c-
-ements made up to the 15th of December, and that no
ernployi be allowed to hold shares in the concern. The
pressing liabilities being about 18,0001., the committc
agreed with the call of one pound per share which the
directors had resolved to make. The reading of the re-
port created a strong impression, and its condemnatory
character was the immediate subject of comment. The
committee proposed its being received, printed, and cir-
calculated, and token into consideration at an adjourned
meeting. Several of the directors and their friends were
averse to such a report bring put into circulation, unless ac-
companied by a reply from the board. Mr. .1. Masterman,
jun., defended Mr. Sheriff Hodgkinson from the aspersions
made by the committee, and entered into explanations
respecting that gentleman's first connexion with the com-
pany, which tended to show that, although he stood in
the position of secretary, he was closely identified with
its original promotion. The question raised with re-
spect to the chartering of vessels had been before
discussed and settled, and the loss on the sale of
ores shipped was in a measure caused by the decline
in metals at the outbreak of the French revolution. The
Reedy Creek lease was effected when the land, as a sheep
run, was worth very little, and the directors, it was con-
tended, were not now to be condemned because the pro-
perty had improved, and might be considered worth 400/.
a-year. The Montacute agreement was an unfortunate
affair, but the errors of the past might be overcome, and
ought not to be attributed to other causes than want of
judgment. Mr. Sheriff llodgkinson declared his ability to
answer every charge in the report, but at the same time stated
that he considered the committee had nut sought for the
proper information. This the chairman of the committee
(Mr. Davis) emphatically contradicted, insisting alto that,
instead of having been actuated by any hostile feeling
towards the directors, the committee had in several cases
expressed their disapproval in milder terms than were per-
haps warranted. During a recriminatory debate, which
lasted nearly two hours, resolutions and amendments were
proposed and modified, in order that the directors might
have time to reply to the allegations made. When, how-
ever, it was fivally ascertained that the feeling of the meet-
ing was unequivocally in favour of the report being printed
and circulated without waiting for the reply of the direc-
tors, Mr. Masterman, jun., Mr. Sheriff llodgkinson, Mr.
Entlicaven, and others, at once resigned. It was then un-
derstood that a further meeting would shortly be convened
for discussing the contents of the report and its attendant

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK.
The Official Report sap:—Thu present state of public
health in the metropolis is far from being satisfactory. In the
preeeding week, though there still appeared an excess above
the average, the mortality hail declined to 994 deaths ; but
it will be seen that the number in the week ending last
Saturday has again risen to 1,041. Taking corresponding
weeks of the ten years 1841.50, it is found that the lowest
number of deaths was 761 ; and that the mortality, which
only in one instance exceeded 1,000, averaged 870. This
average, if raised according to supposed rate of increase in
the population, becomes 949; compared with which, the
1,041 deaths of last week show an increase of 92. The
increase is not confined to any particular locality, but
extends generally over the metropolit-in districts. in the
west districts the deaths registered last week arc 168, while
the average (without coreection for increase of population)
is 134 ; in the northern the number is 202, the average being
167 ; in the central it is 181, the average being 157; in the
eastern, 216, the average being 181 ; and in the south it
is 274, while the average is 232. The present return, as
compared with that of the previous week, shows an increase
chiefly in the zymotic or epidemic class of diseases. Measles
numbered 31 fatal cases in the week ending May 3rd, last
week it counted 41 ; hooping-cough again becomes more
severe, and has risen in the two weeks from 67 deaths to 72;
diarrhoea and dysentery have increased from 9 to 26 ; typhus
from 25 to 43. On the other hand, smallpox, which de-
stroyed 14 persons in the previous week, was fatal to 10 in
the last; and influenza has declined from 11 to G. Seven
deaths, 4 of which are among infants, are ascribed in this
return to syphilitic disease. The total number of deaths in-
cluded in the zymotic class of diseases is 233 ; while the cor-
rected average is 178. The cases enumerated under the
head of " diseases of the respiratory organs," amount to
157, while the corrected average is 143. But the six dis-
eases which constitute the latter class scarcely exceed in
heir aggregate fatality the amount caused by phthisis
alone; for this complaint destroyed 143 lives, a number which
themes not more than the usual amount, is far greater than
the highest found under other heads in the list of fatal causes.
A great increase is observable in the deaths registered last
week of young persons; for the number of children who
died under the age of 15 years rose from 443 in the pee-
-1 eious week to 611 in the last, while the corrected average is
423. A smaller increase is observed generally among per
' sons in various stages of life. In the last week, the births
of 791 boys, and 781 girls, in all 1,572 children, were regis-
tered. The average of six corresponding weeks in the
years 1845-30 was 1,341.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean reading
of the barometer was 29.608 in. The mean daily tempe-
rature was below the average till Saturday ; but it rose
gradually from 40 deg. 2 min. on Sunday to 56 deg. 3 min.
on Saturday, and the mean of the week was 47 deg. 4 min.
The extent to which the daily mean temperature was lower
' than the average (derived from 10 years) of the several
days is shown by the following decreasing numbers:-
11 deg.! nein., 10 deg. 6 min., 7 deg. 4 min., 4 deg.s min.,
2 deg. II win., 0 deg. 8 min.; on Saturday it exceeded the
ono dog. 6 mill. The wind was in the north and
at the first three days, then changed to south-
west, sad am dr last two days was generally in the south-
east.

FIRE INBI7RANCE.—A return has been published
of the amounts paid for duty by the various fire insurance-
daces in England, Scotland, and Ireland during the year
1850. The following English offices paid the largest amounts
during the quarter ended the 26th of December, 1850 .—ln
town, the Alliance, 12,6521. ; Church of England, 14,0711. ;
Imperial, 12,2061.; Phoenix, 30,3621. ; Royal Exchange,
19,6221.; Sun, 43,3101. In the country: The Norwich
Union, 21,8801.; and the West of England, 11,383/. The
total amount of duty collected in Scotland from fire in-
surance-offices was 66,4211, and the sums inanred on farm-
ing stock amounted to 4,168,0571. In Ireland the largest
amount of duty was collected from the following offices :
In Dablin, the National, 1,602/. ; Patriotic, 1,2 M. ; Royal
Exchange, 1,1291. ; Sun, 1,0841. ,• and in the country, the
Alliance, 1,076/. ; Atlas, 1,259!.; Sun, 1,3921.; West of
England, 1,6881. The total amount of Ennis insured on
farming stock in England in 1850 was 57,162,216/.
WIDENING OF PARK-LANE.—The Commissioners
of Woods and Forests have decided upon widening Park-
lane, from Oxford-street to Grosvenor-gate, to the extent of
eight feet. This desirable step has been taken on tho peti-
tion of the inhabitant', who have been required by the
commissioners to pay half the expenses incurred.