The Express.
London, England, 1851-11-07 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

THIS DAY.

SOUTHWARK.

T. Alums, J. Murphy—, and Ann Smith were charged with
defraudine several tradespeople.
J. Maskell, shopman to Mr. Burden, a eorn•dealer, in
Bermondsey-Areet, stated that last evening Murphy entered
the shop, and, presenting a halterown over the counter,
stammered out something which he thought meant change
for half &crown. He put his hand in the till for the pur-
pose of giving him the change, when the prisoner exclaimed
more clearly that he did not want change, but half-a-
crown's worth of Everett's grits. Witness went to the
other end of the shop to inquire of eno of the young men
whether they kept such an article, and finding thnt they
did not, he returned to Murphy and told him so. He said,
Never mind ; give me my half-crown back." Witness
said be had not taken it up, but left it on the counter.
Murphy declared that he had not Won it, and, after some
angry words, witness was induced to give him half-a-crown
from the till.

W. Bennett, apprentice to a tea dealer next door, said.
Adams came into the shop, and stammering, presented him
with half-a-crown. Ile was about to give him change, when
he said he did not want that; he wanted a half-crown's
worth of Dunn's cocoa. Witness went and got him some,
when prisoner said he did not like that, and demanded his
half-crown back. He told him he hail not taken up the coin,
but the prisoner so per,isted that he had, thistles was in-
duced to give him one from the till.
John Millington, barman at the Woolpselt Bermandsey-
street, said, Adams aunt into their shop a little after six,'
and served him the flame trick. While he was serving him
Murphy came in, and left immediately..
Police-constable Towns, of the M division, said from in-
formation he received he was induced to watch the prison-
ers, and after Adams and Murphy left the Woolpack he
captured them all, and found four half-crowns on the female,
who acted in concert with the men.

Mr. Coombe ordered the half-crowns to be returned to
their owners, and after cautioning the prisoners as to their
future conduct, discharged them. lie hoped tradepeoplo
would be more cautious, and not be gulled by such vaga-
bonds.

NORTHERN COUNTIES UNION RAILWAY.

Yesterday a special meeting of the shareholders of
this company was held at the London Tavern to re-
ceive and consider a report front the directors on the
steps taken in reference to a resolution passed at a
gencral meeting of the company in August last, authorising
the board to promote a bill in parliament for the abandon-
ment of certain portions of the works, lot the reduction of
capital, and fur carrying out certain other alterations in the
original act. Major BERESFUItD, M.P., the chairman of
the company, presided.
Mr. WEBB, the secretary, read the report, which, after
detailing the circumstances under which the resolution of
the shareholders had been passed, stated that it had been
agreed on the part of two influential companies to thaw two-
thirds of the expenses of going to parliament; and, in con-
serpici.ce, the preliminary steps were taken, so far as direct-
ing Sir W. Cubitt to survey the line. Since that time, how-
ever, one of those two companies had withdrawn from the
line, and in consequence the directors had stopped all fur-
ther expenses, and deemed it proper to call the present ex-
traordinary meeting in order to lay before the proprietors
the altered position of the company ni this respect. On due
consideration, the directors are not prepared to recom-
mend going to parliament in the ensuiug session, but to
wait the progress of further negotiation.
The CHAIRMAN then addressed the meeting. He
said that in consequence of the resolution passed last
August, the directors had appointed from amongst them-
selves a parliamentary committee, to take the necessary
preliminary steps for making an application to parliament.
Sir Wm. Cubitt, acting on the instructions of that com-
mittee, had re-surveyed the line, for the purpose of ascer-
taining how far it could be humored, and the expense of
constructing it might be diminished. Sir W. Cubitt had
gone over the old survey carefully, and the whole of the
country right and left, and the result, as stated in his
report, was that the line, as originally laid down, was an
exceedingly good one, and that it was almost impossible to
make it better. (Hear, hear.) So far this was satisfactory,
as affording them the guarantee which the opinion of so
eminent an engineer gave as to the correctness of!
the original survey. The expenses attending this
preliminary step hail not been very heavy, and'
about the time when further proceedings would have!
been taken, and larger expenses incurred, circumstances!
arose, which he could neither account for nor explain,
which induced one of the three parties who had undertaken
to hear the cost of applying to parliament to withdraw
fiorn that agreement. (Hear, hear.) The time was
very short to consult, but, after such consideration as
they could give to the subject, the board had come to the
determination that it would not be wise to go to parliament
under present circumstances—single-handed and at the solo
charge of this company—for the proposed bill in the next
session. (Hear, hear.) That decision, he hoped, would
have the acquiescence of the proprietors; and he could only
further add, that if between now and next year opportunity
should offer for renewing the negotiations with the other
companies, and bringing about a more successful result,
a:cured by legal documents, the directors would avail them-
selves of it for the benefit of the proprietors. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. J. BAKER, us one of a deputatiou from a large body
of shareholders residing in the north, begged to express his
satisfaction at the decision at which the directors had
arrived, and moved that the directors should not proceed
with the application to parliament until they o• tamed a
satisfactory guarantee of at least 5 per cent. ou the capital
expended.
Mr. JACKSON seconded this motion.

Mr. GILLON moved that the report be not sulopted.
This company was one of the results of the railway mania
of 1844. It had been in existence more th-in five
years, and had made 21 miles of line, which by good
luck had been sold to the Leeds and Thirsk Company. A
loop had been made here and a bit there, without the
chance of a return for the money spent, and now it was
proposed to go to parliament to enable them to
carry on further works which would involve them in great
expense and perpetuate a loss. Ile moved, " That this
meeting is of opinion that it is desirabl, to take prompt
measures for winding up the company," and he would sub-
stitute these words fur the last paragraph in the report
which spoke of resuming the negotiations.
The CHAIRMAN said he could not legally put such a
motion, and he would not put it.
A SHAREHOLDER thought that Mr. Gillon could not
be aware of the heavy expense of winding up the company
under the Winding-Up Act.
After some discussion,

Mr. GILLON would alter the wording of his amend-
ment to meet the objection of the chairman. He now pro-
posed it should stand thus : that the report be not adopted,
and that the directors be recommended to call a special
meeting to consider the present position of the company.
After a long and desultory discussion the amendment
was withdrawn, and the report of the directors confirmed,
the chairman undertaking that if a requisition were sent to
the bond to that effect a twice should be appended to the
advertisement calling the ordinary general meeting in Feb-
ruary, of a special meeting on the same day, to consider
the propriety of taking steps to dissolve the company.
A vote of thanks was then passed to the chairman and
the board, and the meeting separated.