The Express.
London, England, 1849-10-20 00:00:00

RAILWAY MEETINGS.

YORK, NEWCASTLE AND BERWICK.
Yesterday an adjourned meeting of the shareholders
in this eompany, resident in the Liverpool district, was held
at the Wellington Hotel, for the purpose of receiving the
report of the delegate (Mr. Wylie) appointed to attend
the meeting held at York, on Wednesday, for nominating
persons to be submitted to a men! meeting of shareholder
to be held at York, on Thursday next, as directors of the
company. The attendance was numerous. Mr. Mellor was
called to the chair.
Mr. WYLIE said that out of twenty persons selected
as delegates, nineteen were present at the meeting'.
Southampton was the only place not represented. The
first question which arose was, Wlethe r r 2.1 committeeOf inreleigatiOn should or should- not take any
part in i 2.41 preesedings ; some asenthers of the
committee holding that although it might not be their
right, it was their duty to do so. He (the delegate) moved, and
Mr. Sidney wended, that the committee should sot inter-
fere in the matter; but upon the motion being put, the
meeting was unanimous that the committee should partici-
Pato in the Proceedings. The next business aria to submit
to the nuieling the six queries which had been previously
drawn up, the answers to which bad been given by 2,024
shareholders, representing 168,0001. of stock. To the first
query,—in favour of there being eight directors or more,
there were in favour of eight, 1,926, and in favour of a larger
number, 98. To the wooed query, in favour of one managing
director or of three, there were in favour of one, 696; in
favour of two, 1S ; and of three, 977. To the third query,
having reference to the remuneration of the directors, there
were in term of the proposed remuneration 1,782 ; that it
was too mush, 242. In favour of remunerating
in the managing dinner,against, 47. Fifth ;
!STOW of the proposed form of account
end audit, 1,957 ; in favour of a (*ceramistaudit, audit, 66. Sixth query : approve of the general
recommendations of toe committee, 1,842 ; did not approve gave indirect answers, 382. The names of the gentlemen
who had been seleeted for the purpose of being laid before
the general meeting were—Mr. Leman, of York, solicitor,
and secretary to the committee of investigation • Mr. IAIP•
ham, of Glasgow, another member of the committee, a man
of well-known &DWI ; Mr. Wharton, of Darks's, a magi-
strate of the county. Mr. Sidney was moved in plus of Mr.
Wharton, but the meeting chase the former. Mr. Madmen,
of Edinburgh, and Mr. of Darlington, had also been
selected. Mr. Alderman Hodson, of Newcastle, was also
chosen, and he (the eieretary) must say, that when the New-
castle came was brought, he looked at it with suspicion, for
it was generally supposed that the gentlemen of that district
had many private interests to prejudice them. Mr. Plows,
of Darlington, was also selected, and it did not seem to him
(14r. Wylie) that the question both of policy and expediency
were concerned here. Mr. Flews might be • valuable di-
rector, as regarded his knowledge and influence on the line,
but being chairman of the Great North of England, it
might facilitate the arrangements with that line, and it was
quite possible, if they went to litigation with that company,
the fact of Mr. News being chairman to that line would be
'to their advantage. He thought that Mr. Flaws, whom he
believed to be a perfectly honourable and upright man,
must have neglected his duty a. a director, otherwise Mr.
Hudson could not have acted se he had done : Mr. Plows
received thirteen votes out of twenty-four. The list
gentleman selected was Mr. B. Hunter. of Glasgow,
who received twelve votes only, but this being a greater
number than that for any other person, he was selected.
A conversation then ensued, in the course of which
Mr. SIDNEY said he was in possession of • confidential
communication which enabled him to say that the other
company positively declined to came to any terms whatever.
They were confident in their lease, and that they should get
possession of their (the York, Newcastle, and Berwick) line,
and take the proceeds. They had no copy of the lease,
neither was there a charm of their getting one until they
got in chancery. They (the York, olio., line) bad offered
tour per cent. for six years to ratify the bargain, but it was
declined.

WYLIR mid there were two parties to this' question ;
and if the other company threw it into chancery it would
preetade them from obtaining a dividend.
The CHAIRMAN said his individual private opinion was,
that to select eight gentlemen living at great distances, with
three paid directors under them, little better than a suicidal
act. His judgment was that there should be en efficient
'Aid director for the head of each' -nd t'

Po— department, and that no
proprietor of the company should be allowed to sot in that
capacity, for they could call to account mach more easily a
delinquent *errant then they could • delinquent proprietor.
If Mr. Madsen had been a servant instead of a managing
director he would have been much more easily assuaged.
The motion that the imeetiog approved of the report of the
delegate was carried unanimously, and a vote of thanks
pulled to Mr. Wylie.