The Express.
London, England, 1865-05-18 00:00:00

THE IRISH RAILWAYS.

The following letter from the Chancellor of the
Exchequer to the Chairman of the Royal Commission on
Railways, on the subject of Irish railways, and reply
thereto, were published today in a parliamentary return :
" 11, Carlton Houaterraos, April 11.
„My Lord Dula,—Many of the representatives of Ire-
lead is the House of Commons have expressed in paths.
merit their desire that the examination into the Irish rail.
way system and its operation, which is included in the ge-
neral iuq&oy undertaken by the royal commission
wider your grace's presidency, should not be post.
pawl wail after the ma of the railways of Great Britain j 4.1
shall lave undergone investigation. Her Majesty's govern. 10
mat are under the impression that the ass of the Irish Lle',.•
railways is comparatively simple, and that the facts con- N
mead with it might probably be collected at an early
period under the umpires and instructioa of the commis- lo
lion, bat without interruption to that course of inquiry Ls
into more difficult and complex, as well as mom or at
tended, questions upon which the commissioners may se.
already have entered ; and they accordingly seared It
into an engagement to bring the matter under the mai- St
detration of the commission. I have, therefore, to request at
that your grace will be good enough to consult with your St
colleagues in the commission upon the question which I a
have submitted ; and I have to express the readiness N.
of her Majesty's governmest so cooperate with the corn. si
mission by provffiag, should. it is your judgment he wow St
nary a 81
laintairloollreota*Th"oltntlea vinsfw to o
then rawChardt
nt
stred.—l remain, &a., (Signed) "W. E. GUDSTONE. as
The Duke of Dsvosabisa." N.
Roves of Lords, Westminster, S.W., May 3, 1865.
"ffir,—l have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter ilk
of the 11th Apra, informing ins that her liajeety's govern. M.
mina have sawed into an aigagemsat to brag under the IL
consideration of this commission **question of the early N.
examination of the Irish railways stem. Gad requesting me be
10:001:1111it 011 the same with my eo I have now the
honour to state that year letter has been carefully ton. 111.
ahead by the rniedoa, and that they have resolved to to
take immediate steps to lact evidence co the subject of 1001)
the Irish railway system. The commission are not at 2
orient able to decide whether any additional assistance 7,
will be n.oesssry in collecting information, but will bar in 94.
mind the offer of her Majesty's government to provide it, Nth
if it should be hereafter required.—l have. ho., 26
g1g0114) DiVOllOllllll. all.
The Right Hon. W. Gladstone, M.P." t.

if
THE PROVINCIAL BANK OP IRELAND. as.
(THIS DAY.) At.
At_

Thin day the fortieth yearly meeting of the above I,
beak was held at the aloes, Old Bros&street ; Sir M. as
FA141:111AI, M.P., in the chair.
The following report wee teed and adopted : ur
10"
The plat year, being the feetioth sines the format/ea of
the bank, the directors take omission to express to the IT
proprietors the satisfaction with which they ociatemplate st
the moue which has attended its operate°s during that eat.
leg period, while at the same time Ireland has en. St
loped the advantages arising from the introduction
, and dowelopenat el a weed system of banking in Lit
that coutry. The season of 1864 was favourable ;;
for the early grain crepe, and wheat sad barley were pro- po
dative, and of good quality. The later crops, however, it
suffered from the keg drought which prevailed &wise the 10
summer, and the oat crop was In coasequence a deficient it
one. From the same cause green crepe sad hey were also
deficient, but fortunately the potato crop was a productive
et
one, sod of good quality. Flax was also • heavy crop, sod
was cultivated to • considerably larger extent than hereto •
fore. The flax was pot of fine quality, and the dry Sh.-I
mason being tuefavomable for stespiag, its °Perdition and NT
value were not in proportion to its bulk, but notwithstanding at
these drawbacks, sad a rather low range of prima, the flax 10
crop we, oa the whole fairly remunerates to the farmer. let
The directors regret, however, to add that the pa- _le
cautery audition of the small ferrous in Ireland •••
has not generally undergoes imp/evacuee, their peinaipal isa
crop (oats) having, as already stated, hese a deficient gee
au, while prices of grain continued very low. This, of it.
scares, proloop the deemed** which hes for some years M.
peat prevailed in the retail trade of the cannery. On the tee
other hand the larger landholders have continued to riz
derive sextants' benefit from the high price of it
settle and sheep. Wool also rose to an unusually gr„
high price during last summer, but bee slue toe
soneiderably declined. The linen trade, which forms the lee
Ample of the north of Ireland, has coationed prosperous. lee
The manufacture and export of linen goods largely in- Mt
erased &trice the past year, and pries were steady sad 100
remunerative. The prospect of peace in America has let. toe
fairly brought about • decline of prime, but no dom. me
merciel difficulties have arisen therefrom. The veins tee
of messy has undergone numerous and coasiderable
leirtions daring the year, the avenge rate of interact
bang high. The directors have to express their regret at et
the toes of the valuable services of Mr. Robert Murray, the ex,
labs chief of of the bank, who died ea 26th Febreary
last after a very short illness. Mr. Murray had been in the lei
service of the bank from its establishment in 1825, let
Ise
as to within • few months of 40 years. '
to
He was • gentleman of peat business experience, of 7)
aekoowlidged ability, and most indefatigable in the re
discharge of his various and reepeasible duties. The diree- st.
tors have appointed their late secretary, Mr. Thomas it
Hurst to succeed Mr. Murray as the chief officer, and
superintendent of breeches' ; and Mr.
ex ceder
Christie, zo
for many years the principal assistant in the secretary's 00
department in London, has succeeded Mr. Hurst as seem
ep
Cry. The attention of the meeting la now requested it
to the following statement :—The account submitted
to the yearly general meeting in May. 1864, showed O.
the amount of reek, or undivided profits, at the 26th
March, 1864, to be 252.8671. 15a. 6d. Out of which a.
there has been peld to the proprietorsthe emce" ef
two ordinary and extraordinary dividends as follows :
At Midsummer, 1864—ordinary dividend of 4 percent, 7
21,60/. ; extrurdisery dividend of 6 per out., 32.4001.-
54,000/. At Christmas. 1864—ordinary dividend of 4 per liti;
sent., 2I,6001.; extraordieary dividend of 6 per IC,
cent., 32,4001. —54,0001. —together, 106,0001; leaving
epr
• baleen/ of 144,8671. 15e. 6d., to which to:r
there has since been added the mutt of net 100,1
profits for the year ending on the 25th, being the but MIA
Saturday of Much. 1865, after dedueting property r'.(3
Mr, and providing for all bad sad dcubtfill debts, "
u 1,695/. 128, 2e4: making the reek or amount of en& et;
vided profits, at 25th Marsh, 1865, 256,5634 7s. Bd. 5,1
The proprietors will observe that an addition of about 11,1
4,0001. leas bee. made to the rest ; led the directors In- net
teed to costinue the dividend at the same rate as last
I year, sad have accordingly now to intimate that they lei 4
will pay, in July next, an extraordinary dividesd pj.c
of 30e. on each 1004 share and 12s. on each 10,1
101. share, of the capital stock of the bank, is addition to 10.1
the ordinary dividend of 4 per wet. ; making the amounh t AC
Ito be then paid 21. 10e. on each 1001. share, sad I/. on each M
we
101. ahem for the half-year ending at Midsummer next ;
sad they will also, as heretofore, pay the property tax for It(
the proprietors." 900,4
4,1