The Express.
London, England, 1851-01-14 00:00:00

WINDING UP JOINT STOCK COMPANIES.
MADRID AND VALENCIA RAILWAY.
Yesterday, at 11 o'clock. there wan a very numerous
meeting before his Honour the Muter in Cilium Blunt,
en the ocetsion of proceeding with the charge against the
Directors of this Company, CIIII,U anon them to account for
the appropriation of the sum of 100,0307 received by them
in the shape of deposits from the snareliolders of this swi-
pe
p .
Before the proceedings commenced, Mr D Wire, who
represented s large number of the shareholders, said he hid
been instructed to mike an application to know wAsit had
been done with the caution money, amounting to 17,0001.,
sated to have been received by Mr. Quitter, the uncial
menarer, from the Spanish government,as they were anxious
to siemens whether or not his honour might not direct that
a dividend should be paid out of it to the shareholders, after
reserving • sufficient sum for the psyment of costa and for an
indemnity fund.
His Honour said he could not do so until he had heard more
of the case, or until he ascertained whether there were any
creditor..
Mr. Wire said be was not aware that there were any
creditors.
Mr. Qeilter, the official manager, said there was a gen-
tleman in the room who claimed to be a coeditor for 3,0001.
His Honour said he did not see how he could make a
dividend under the estate until the court was in possession of
all the fact,.
Mr. Wire then suggested that a peremptory order should
be issued to the effect that all wens who held shares and
who bad claims upon the company should come in by a
certain day at the direction of the official manager, who tad
informed him that the amount of the cautioo money r mined
was hi the Bank of England without making interest. and he
thought it would be desirable that, in some mode or other,
it should be invested.
His Honour said he thought it right to inform the paztii a
that the official manager had already applied to him to have
this money invested in Exchequer Bilis, bat that he had
doubts whether, under the act at parliament, he had the
power to do to ; but he thought that an application, b.th
upon this and upon the calling in of claims, would not be
improper, so that the matter might Cline before the court for
its decision.
Several objections were taken against any further pro-
ceedings being carried out at present, in support of which
various grounds were urged ; Mr. Marten, by reason of the
eves+ examination 01 Mr. QuGar, nut being placed upon the
hie ; Mr. Mame, on account of the present pas ending being
vexatious and unnecessary, inasmuch as the official cower
had lodged an app-al in the court of the Lord Chencellst
whiob would decide the matter so for at lent as regarded his
(Mr. Glesse'e) client; Mr. Basally likewise put in an objet
Lion against the meeting on technical grounds.
Mier a long and animated discussion, his Honour over-
ruled the objections; ordering, however, that notes of them
should be taken. During the coaverntion it appeared nom
some remarks that Mr. Quitter, the official widower, had
and• rtaken the appeal against the decision of the Vice-
Chancellor, without obtaining the sanction of the master,
who inclined to the opinion that his permission was neces
may. This was denied by several of the counsel present.
sad, after; a brief !east argument, the master observeu that if
it were subsequently found that the official manager had
brought an unnecessary appeal, he would be visited with the
nate
Mr. Selwyn now proceeded to finish the examiniion of
Mr. Heck, eletk to Messer. Marerman, and which bad tom-
meoced at a previous meeting. The object of the examine.
lion was stated by counsel to be that the tact of this sum of
money being paid into the bank of Messrs. Masterman on
account of d p-isita might br satisfactorily established.
Alterwaros it would be shown how the directors had become
liable. The receipt of venous sums of money to the amount ' ,
of 106,3241. was proven •, but the above named whims swore
that he believed it to be in truth the account of the three
tru , Messrs. W. Chadwick, C. Colquhoun, and J. Kinn.
Mr. E tweed Montanan deposed that he looked upon the
lodger account (exhibited) am between the bark and the
three trustees, but that after the receipt of the letter marked
F," he did not look upon woe three gentlemen as pried.
pals. A young man from the offiu of an advertising agent
deposed that the prospectus had been advertised in an
abridged form in August, 1845, in four daily, three evening,
and eight or nine railway newspapers. (Laughter )
The proceedings wets then adjourned at 4 o'clock To this
day. It is atoned that the total amount of the deposit money
received by the Splash directors from the Spanish share-
holders in this company, on between 2.000 and 3,000 shares
taken up, has been returned to them in lull.

IMPERIAL BANK OF ENGLAND.—Yesterday Mr.
Smitty, the official manager of this company's affairs, ob-
taint d en appointment for Wednesday week to proceed fur-
the r with the list of what are called the Is. shareholders in
this company who reside in Manchester, Liverpool, and the
north, with the view of ueertaining whether further evidence
could not he obtained to fix them and to distinguish their
csse from that of Mr. Aspinall, whom his Honour (Haste r
Ferrer) decided upon the evi Irate at present helots tun not
to place upon the list as liable. The appointment was taken
with the concurrence of Messrs. Bower and of Messrs. Sharp
and Field, who appeared for several parties interested.
NIARYLEIIONE BANK.—Yesterday Ilia Honour,

Muter Kind. rsley, proceeded with the list of contributories,
the principal ewe, which acupied nearly the entire day,
being that of Mr. Anthony Brooke, a trawler's of five shares.
The case,alter considerable 'sidecar, was adjourn• d until this
day.
TUE LONDON, BIHMINGIIAM AND Bt CKINOHAM-
SHIRE RAILWAT.—CUEIOI.3 APPLICATION.—Yesterday a
Gentlemen whore name did not ttaarpire applied to His
' Honour Muter Kindersley under the following circum
emcees .—lt appear.d that in the course of an attempt to
wind up this company's affairs the petitioner, who applied
to the court for doing so, had subsequently sworn that be
was not a contributory, and that consequently he had no
right to appear as a petitioner for the purpose. His Honour
iu this etas of things decided that he could not go on with
the ioquity, and had suggested that the order of the court
had better be rescinded. The object of the spasm% was
that he might be relieved from the anxiety attendant from
oaring his name placed on the list of contributories u liable,
and he now applied for summonses against the official manager
to show cans., why his the (applicant's) name should not be
struck off the list. His Honour granted the anlication.

THE SURREY FREEHOLD LAND SOCIETY.—A spe-
cial general meeting of this satiety took place last evening
at the Canterbury T , Brixton, F. Haines, Esq., in the
chair, to determine whether the system of priority or general
ballot, in the distribution of allotments, would be most cal-
misted to promote the prosperity of the society, and also to
decide upon the rate and mode of payment of interest by
members obtaining allotments. The secretary pointed out
the superior advantages of general ballot, and submitted the
I 1341280 t interim' ad..pted by the National and Birmingham
Freed Id Lend So. ietin, strongly recommending the system
of the latter. It was moved by Mr. Stewart, se-
evaded by Mr. Pratt, and carried unanimously, that
the system of general ballot should be adopted.—
Mr. H. S. Pearce, honorary secretary, strongly argued in
favour of the plan of charging interest, recently adopted by
the Birmingham si ciety, and moved the following resolu.
tion, which was seconded by Mr. Plummer, and carried
unanimously : " That when a member obtains his allotment
be shall pay interest at the rata of 21 per cent. per annum
upon the balance due by him at the time, and that be shall
continua to pay such int• rest upon such bslsnce until the
whole of the tame be liquitated. The interest to be placed
to the credit of the unallotted shareholders alter the impetus
of the society are paid."
GENERAL BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION.—Yeaterday
the Wird annual meeting of the above charitable institution
was held at the London T . Dr. J. Little presiding.—
rhe chairman having bristly opened the 'proceedings, the
secretary proceeded to read the report, from which it ap-
peered that during the past year 54 persons had been
relieved after the most careful investigation. The modes of
administering relief were various. In some eases tools and
m starials for work were provided, and in others small shops
and baskets, &o ,e ere stocked. Is some cases decent clothing
was given, to enable deserving persons to procure employ-
ment. The great drawback to more extended success was
want of foods, sod, under these circumstances, the commit-
tee had thought it desirable to alter the rule which forbade
. . . .

more than three-fourths of the annual subscriptions being
devoted to relief purpres, and were prepared to recommend
that in future the whole of the annual subscriptions and
interest of money from the reserve fund should he an applied,
with the exception of a sum not ono tenth of the
enhsenrions for current expenus. They farther recom-
mended that all lite suhreziptiona and donations should be
set aside as a num fund. Daring the put year, 134 sub-
scriptions and two life governors had been added to the list
of contributors. As a props of the economy premised by the
committee, it might be stated that during the past three
y-ers the expenses bad not exceeded 31. 13.. 4d. per annum,.
The en..re rein ipta for the past year had been 1511 Os. Bd.;
OU. lie. 64. hod be. n expended for purposes of relief, and
51.45. for expenses, leaving a balance of 861. 19s. 2d. Mr.
Warwick moved the adoption of the report, complimenting
highly the clearness of its statements. Having shortly re-
viewed the history of the society, the speaker expressed his
approval 01 the proposed change, end concluded by moving
that the report and the change embidied in it be adopted.
Mr. E. Henry seconded the motion, which was carried
unanimously, and after some short discussion respecting the
detail of the charity, the proceedings terminated.
EXPERIMENTAL TRIAL OP A SMOKE CONSUMING
APPANATI.7B.—The proprietors of the Ariel, formerly •
stove:cruet ream vessel, and fitted by them with a smoke
consuming app , left Blackwell yesterday on a tri,l
trip down the river, to ascertain the advant.gea of some new
Improvements they had made in the feeding of the fires with
freth coals, thst being the greatest difficulty they experienced
when the trial took place in April last, especially when
common coals were used. A correspond, at says: "The
coal. taken on board yesterday were entirely of the common
description, or Newcastle coals, and yet the smoke from
them was entirely consumed, there being no tuned' en
board the vessel. The saving effected must consequently
have (seen from 15 to 20 per cent. of coals, and in the run
from Blackwell to Purfleet the steam was well kept
up, with plenty to spare, b‘sth going down the
river and returning to Blackwell, the old Ariel with her old
stegines working very well, and making 26 revolutions per
minute, and accomplishing an esterase speed of nearly seven
knots per hour. The mode by which the four furnaces are
now fed is by a cast metal projection, about 16 inches from
the furnaces, and having a breadth of about two feet by one
foot in depth, with an iron flange falling down in front of
the furnace when the coals are thrown into the receptacle.
The plan is so far good as to answer the purpose; but not so
effectually as it would do if made more simple and the
stokers enabled to push forward the fresh coals without
having to open the outer door for that purpose, which can
be easily remedied and the plan made to answer the purpose
Intended, widish will prove a great desideratum in steam-
Mule, hp resievieg whit Is et pant a greet ashaser."