The Express.
London, England, 1853-10-19 00:00:00

GRAND CENTRAL OF FRANCE RAILWAY.

An extraordinary general meeting et the share-
holders of this company was held on Saturday, an Hets's
great room in the Rua de la Victoire, Count de Sloattr, the
president in the chair.

The report may be divided into three parts ; the first,
relating to the precise extent end present situation of the
Grand Central and its branches; the second, to the annexe-
ti.n to it of the lines of the junction of the Rhone to the
Loire, consisting of railways from St. Etienne to Lyons, Bt.
Etienne to Montranabert, St. Etienne to the Loire, and
Amin zieux to Iloanne ; end the last, relating to various

miscellaneous questions connected with the Grand Central
line. This lastoserned undertaking, which is intended to
supply railway accommodation to the vast district situated
between Lyons asnl Bordeaux on the one hand, and to
Clermont, Montauban, Limoges, and Agen on the other,
consists of three principal lines, namely, that from Clermont
to Montauban, Fortnum the continuation of the Vierson line,
which passing by the coal fields of Brassac and Auld's, ter-
minates at Toulouse: that from Limoges to Agen, the di-
rect route to the Pyrenees; and lastly, that fr,w Ler-
. eaux to Lyons, uniting together two cities of first-rate im-
portance. The Grand Central thus, on the west, heels
directly to Spain, aed, on the east, to Switzerland, 'lily,
and Germany. The works on the section teem Clermont to
Lempille., have been now tor s.veral months in mime of
construction, cud in emeviennce of the treaties entered into
with the contractors, the total expense to the company, in-
cluding the working stock, would be only 210,00Ut, p. r
aulo-
metre. The cc ction just mentioned would be finished by
the 3 lst Decemher, 18.4. As the Orleans line would he by
the% time extended to Clermont, the section just sp iken of
would profit by that new opening, acid by its communica-
tion with the coal.pits of Brunie. It was beyond a doubt
that the price for the section of Per uz would be even
less per kilometre than that just stated, and
the works un this part of the line from Montauban
to the river Lot, with the brunch line to Mar-
ci.lac, would be soon commenced. The rails, c er-
riages, and waggons have been ordered at the Atom
iroil-works, the price of the rails being only e7Ol. the
tin at the foundry, or 280 f. delivered on the line. The
loe 'motives and tenders have been commanded from the
firm of Derosne and Call. The report then treats of the
annexation of the junction line., of the Rhone to the Loire,
and States that the necessity of a direct entrance into Leese
for the Grand Central had been felt from the outset. As
the Grand Central was obliged to use the line from Lyme
to St. Etienne for 57 kilometres (35, English miles), it
suturally thought of the advantages likely to accrue to it
from its having that line in its own hands. The Lyons to
St. Etienne Company, and the other railways of the Loire,
had just been constituted into a single one, with a capital
of 30 millOan, to improve the lines and increase the work-
ing stock. The Grand Central had arreuged to annex these
lines to itself, thus petting rid of the oil:s which it would
have to pay for passing over the St. Etienne line, and ob-
taining a direct communication with the lines limn Paris to
Lyons, Lyons to the Mediterranean, and Lyons to Geneva.
It acquired, besides, the additional traffic which was
certain to :..rise from the 150 kilometres (94) English miles)
thus Or:shied. By a first treaty, the brand Cc:ideal had
estimated at 6,000,000 f. the value of the land which the
other cue pany possessed at Lyons, and of a coal pit belong-
ing to it, and agreed to convert each share sei the Rhine
and Loire Company into a grand central share. After
wards, by • second treaty, the Grand Central, profiting by
the crisis which now prevent is the money-market, and
which has lessened the eagerness of the public to enter into
new enterprises, bad induced the other company to re-
nounce its claim to the shares which it had to receive, and
to be satisfied in their place with an anunity of 75,0001 , iu
3 per cent. bonds. When all the improvements of the
lines of the Loire should have been terminated in five years,
the gross receipts could not be less than 12,000,0001.
Setting down the working expenses at 35 per cent.,
the net revenue would be 7,800,000 f. The various
charges on the annexed lines at that period would
be 5,728,077 f. a-year, which, when taken from
the 7,800,000 f., would leave a revenue of more
than two millions, or from life. to I2fr. for each share of
the Grand Cenral. To carry out the annexation,the
Grand Central would have to raise 30 millions in onds,
and that sum the Credit-Mobilier Company was willing to
advance. Should thatcompany think tit to issue the bonds,
on. -half of them were to be placed at the disposal of tt •
shareholders of the Grand Central Company. The report
then touches on • variety of miscellaneous matters. fbe
board of directors had been completed definitively to the
number of 15; M. Coupon, formerly auditor of the Coun-
cil of State, and superintendent of the commercial traffic of
the Western Railway, had been appoined secretary; and
M. Job, inspector of the Ponta-et-Chaussees director of the
works. Of the social capital fixed at 90 millions, two-fifths,
or 36 millions, had been paid up. It was nut probable, not-
withstanding the activity imparted to the works, that
another call would be made before two years from the
present time. However, in order to respond to the wish ex-
pressed by many shareholders, the option would shortly be
given to them to pay up in anticipation 50fr. more per share,
at an interest of 4 per cent., so as to allow them to exchange
their personal shares for shares to bearer. The report states
that the company had subscribed, like the other railway
enterprises, to the Railway Discount Bank. On the 31st of
December next, each share would have a right, a, interest
at 4 per cent. on the 200 f. paid up, to the sum of 51., which
amount would be payable at the office of the company of
' the Credit Mobilier on and after the Ist of January next.
' This report was received with applause.
M. COURPON read to the meeting the convention agreed
to for the don.

A SHAREHOLDER expressed his apprehension that the
Aubin Iron Company, from having a large amount of work
on hand, would not be able to have the rails which had betn
commanded executed in proper time.:
The CHAIRMAN inquired if the shareholder objected to
the price at which the order had been given ?
The SiiARSHOLDER replied in the negative, declaring
that the price seemed very reasonable.
The CHAIRMAN—Then as to the other point no anxiety
need be felt, for the board has taken every precaution to
have the rails delivered when wanted.
The Gallic shareholder then proposed to have a committee
named from amongst the shareholders to examine the ac•
counts of the company.
This proposition, not being seconded, fell to the ground.
The meeting then gave its approbation unanimously to
the annexation of the lines from the Rhone to the Loire ;
gave authority to the beard to effect a loan to carry out the
conditions of the annexation ; approved of the subscription
to the railway discount bank; voted the expenses incurred
before the constitution of the company ; and passed by ac-
clamation a vote of thanks to the directors.
The proceedings then terminated.

TREASURES SUNK AT NAVARINO.—The Official
Ga=elle of Savoy states that an inhabitant of Chambery
has just quitted that place to attempt, in concert with a
company organised for that purpose, to save some contents
of the vessels which were sunk at the battle of Navarino,
particularly the admiral's ship, a three-decker, which, it is
said, had on board at the time she went down a sum of six
millions of fracas in gold. All the necessary apparatus has
been embarked, a number of divers have been engaged, and
in addition to the ordinary diving-bells all the recent maven
Lions for such purposes will be put in requisition.
FORTUNATE ESCAPE OP A RIVER STEAMER FROM
DZETRUCTIOX.—Yesterday afternoon the " Bee," one of
the halfpenny boats which ply between Dyers' Hall
Wharf, London-bridge, and the Adslphi, narrowly escaped
an accident, which would in all probability have led to its de-
struction and to the sacrifice of a vast number of lives, there
being upwards of 100 passengers on hoard. The two boats,
" the Ant" and " the Bee," which carry the bait
penny passengers, have a rudder at both ends, so
that they never turn, the only precaution to be taken before
leaving either of the piers, being that the rudder at the
head of the vessel shall be so secured that it may not coun-
teract the other. This was carefully done, and the "Bee"
left Dyers'-hall Wharf in the usual manner. It proceeded,
with the tide, at a rapid rate, and had got some distance
on its way, when the men at the helm found, that although
he was steering in the usual manner, his rudder would not
art, and that the vessel was at the mercy of the tide. This
was immediately communieved to the captain, who instantly
ordered the machinery to be stopped, and on making an
investigation, ascertained that a bey wearing the uuiform
of the Submarine Telegraph Company, with some other
lads, had loosened the ropes by which the rudder at the
head of the vises' was secured. Had this taken place a
few yards nearer Southwark bridge than it did, the vessel
would in all probability have been dashed against one of the
piers, as the tide was running up very strong, leading to
results fearful to contemplate.

- - -
TILE Mort TlDE.—Yesterday, owing to the late
heavy rains and land.ftKidii. the tide in the Thames was
unusually high, even though the day before the wind had
been instrumental in blowing large volumes of water down
the river. In many parts between Westminster, the
Temple, and London•bridge, and more particularly to-
wards Deptford, the tide encroached beyond the usual high-
water mark, and inconveniently, though only temporarily,
flooded the property and thoroughfares along shore.
SINGULAR VIOLENCE.—A youth about 17 years
of age, named John Moore, was brought up at the Man-
chester City Police Court yesterday, on the charge of
stabbing a young woman na tied Margaret Smith. The
complainant stated that she was walking in the street with
another girl, going to her work, when they met the pri-
soner, who asked her what time it was. He repeated the
question without her hearing exactly what he said, and as
she did not answer, he struck her across the shoulders with
a stick three or four times. She remonstrated with
him for molesting persons who had mthing to say
to him, and he then knocked her down, and
struck her in the face with a penknife. which
he had just taken from his pocket. The girl who was with
the complainant corroborated this statement, adding that
the prisoner used very abusive language, and that a boy
who was with him told him to " cut their eyes out." The
prisoner said he only tapped the girl slightly with his stick
to arrest her attention, unit she called bad names. Ile
said lie would strike her if she spoke to him in that wey
she replied by calling him a pig, and ran her face against
his knife, during • struggle which ensued. Mr. Maude,
the magistrate, said the prisoner hail rendered himself
liable to be sent to the assizes to answer for his violence,
and if he did not exercise more restraint on his temper
he would certainly get into mischief. Ile was tined 205.,
or in default committed to prison for twenty-one days.