The Express.
London, England, 1853-09-30 00:00:00

THE RBOISTILI27ONa

NARYLEBONZ,

Mr. Wsaiturt said that the Chancellor of the Exchequer
agreed to pay them money, and no doubt he would do so.
The CHAIIIX&N said that the object of the directors was
to do everything which they believed to be for the benefit
of the company, and to do that is the most clear and
Open manner.
The meeting then separated, after a vote of thanks to
the chairman.

DISFRANCHISEMENT OF FIVE THOUSAND ELEC-
Toms—Yesterday Mr. John Fraser M'Queen, the barrister
appointed to revise the lists of voters for the borough of
Marylebone opened hie court at the Court-hones, Masyle-
hone-lane, for the purpose of revising the lists for the
parishes of Marylebone and Paddington. The only re-
markable circumstance in connexion with the revision is
the fact that in the parish of Marylebone there ITO nearly
two thousand persons who were on last year's register dis-
qualified for non-payment of assessed taxes on or before the
20th July. In the parish of St. Pancras there are upwards
of two thousand disqualified from a similar cause, and in
the parish of Paddington several hundreds, making in the
aggregate just 5,000 persons disfranchised from that cause.
It us understood that in future some more determined ste; a
will be used by the local authorities to make the electors
acquainted with the necessity of paying their assessed taxes
on or before the 20th July. The court will sit to-day at
St. Pancras to revise the lists for that parish.
BRISTOL. _

The revision of the parliamentary lists of voters
for the city and county of Bristol, his been going on this
week before the revising barrister, W. Saunders, Esq., of
the western circuit, and the results up to the present time
not only maintain the triumphant position of the liberal
and free trade party, but very much increase their former
majority. The revising barrister first proceeded with the
freemen's list, which he has completely revised. There
was a liberal gain on freemen of 108.

SELF-KNOWLEDGE : THE CONTENTS OF THE
" TIMES " DESCRIIISI3 BY TUE Ttbass."—The Tines is
the residuary legatee of all the suggestions which can find
no one else to take them. This is the Foundling Hospital
of all the stray thoughts that come of idle brains in this
country.—Times Leading Article of 29th September."

MEETING AT THE SOUTH SEA HOUSE. adoption of measures for preventing the nomad of
cholera in their respective districts. On Tpeeday
One of the ordina court apprinted to be held
by the charter of the Beary s,th Sea Company, took Piece Yee- those gentlemen attended a meeting of the guar-
terday at the S nth Sea House. /dr. iIIANYI to the chair. diens of Paddington ' • on Wednesday they met the
T.ie following gentleman were appointed as the enti• boards of guardians of St. Saviour's, Southwark, and
of Greenwich.
mitten on bee laws fur the neat year :—?4l . Harm-Mt
Thornvin, kuynder, Edwards, Berens, ]hunter, anti Me..- I Cases of cholera have been reported to the General
ville. the buuded debt of the company remained the same Board of Ileulth during the lust few days from the
as at this last court, viz., 4,5001. following parts of the metropolis:
The CHAIIIMAN said that the proprietors would probably
expect to hear from him a short account of what had been bethOt.';e death and four attacks have been from Lam-
also one death in St. George the Martyr,
done since the last meeting, which authorised the introduc-
tion of the bill to j.arliament, the object of which was to SoutheraCk ; and five fatal cases in tit. Saviour's, a
enable the company to undertake the duties and office further case being under treatment at the time of
of trustees—to pay off those proprietors who wished
to receive their share of the suits and retire, and authoris-
ing those who wished to remain, to remain as trustees. _
repotthellliaaerrthca of t.
a decidedly choleraic tendency has
Without entering into the details of what passed, in refer- recently ant.
is still remains very prevalent in
ence to that bill, be might say that the company have Stepney parish.
every reason to hope and expect that it would have becume
law, it having passed all its stages in the House of Com- Mr. I'. Hollavd, on behalf of the General
mom, and also the first reading in the House of Lords. In Board of Health, had an interview yesterday with
the guardians of the St. Olave's Union, Southwark,
consequence of the period at which it was brought in, it
was necessary that the standing orders should be suspended. with respect to the precautionary measures about to
It was debated at considerable length on the third reading be taken by them in the event of an outbreak of
in the House of Commons, and the objections urged against cholera, two eases having alroady occurred there and
it were ably answered by Mr. Cardwell. A petition was proved fatal.
presented against the bill, however, in the House The local authorities are exercising the powers
of Lords by certain parties, solicitors, who objected to
the granting to a company the power to act as trustees. In with which they are entrusted.
point of form, these petitioners were right, the bill having
been introduced at so late a period, but it was difficult to
understand what boasafide objection they could have to the
granting of this power. That interest was however ad-
mitted by the House of Lords, and the consequence was that
that part of the bill which conferred the trust powers had
to be struck tout of the bill, and also that pest which would
enable some proprietors to retire on obtaining their share of
the assets of the company, and the others to go on. But
the bill also crutaioed clauses, introduced by the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, for the purpose of enabling him to make a
fresh offer to thorn proprietors who held stock in thoirjeint
names, before the capital was paid off; and of enabling
the company to accept such offer, it so made and accepted
by the parties. The bill then passed with these clauses,
and the result was that the Chancellor of the Exchequer
might make to these proprietors a fresh offer of eommuta
tion, and it those persons accepted the offer so made, the
company might, oa their behalf, accept the terms for their
particular benefit. That was the precise state of the law
at the present moment with regard to the South Sea
Company.
After some conversation,
The CHAIRMAN observed that the point as to the expense
was a reasonable one, but he thought it would be unworthy
of the company if they on that account refused the power
of accepting terms on behalf of the joint stock holders,
which might be an important privilege for them. Then,
if terms were offered and accepted, the parties
benefited would not refuse to bear the expense of an act
which was for their particular benefit. lie did not think
that the consideration of expense ought to stand in the way
of the benefit which might be done to the holders of
2,000,0004 of stock which the joint proprietors were. As
to the question of winding up, he did not think they had
power, under the existieg acts, to take such a step, and
it would be necessary'to get an act of parliament to do so.
It was a question of grave consideration what steps should
be taken in this respect. The company might appear to
have floundered "in not eccomphshing an object which
they thought they would have succeeded in. but after the
bill had passed the House of Commons, and the first read-
ing in the House et Lords, it could not be said that they
had not reasonable grounds for believing that they
would have succeeded in obtaining the privilege which they
sought.
In reply to a Paorateroa,
The CHAIRMAN wad that the financial position of the
company was not altered. The value of South Sea stock
was now 116/. Ws. 4d., let what would happen. A great
part of their other funds was in the same position, for
South Sea annuities must be paid off at par, but other por-
tions of the property did not stand in the same happy posi-
tion of being paid off at par.
Mr. HAMMOND.—That amounted to only 160,0001.
Mr. Jeer.' complained of the conduct of the directors, in
going to parliament for a bill, and Uncial the proprietors
by surprise.
The CHAIRMAN said that the directors acted in conformity
with a resolution of the proprietors, agreed to at a general
meeting. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Josze—The Chancellor of the Exchequer having
got into a difficulty, he took advantage of this bill, and
manoeuvred to get out of it.
The CHAIRMAN—No, he did not.
Mr. bonne— He got the bill passed, and then threw upon
the company the expense of in That was an improper
thing to do. He wished to know if the directors could
accept the proposal of the Commissioners of the Treasury,
supposing one to be made, without the assent of the plo-
proctors thereto being first obtained.
The CHAIRMAN said that the company could accept the
proposal on behalf of the parties to whom it was made, if
the assent of those parties was given is writing.
Mr. BRUNAL thought that when the money was given it
ought to be distributed amongst the proprietors. Ile ex-
pected 12,0004 or 13,0001., and made arrangements accord-
ingly. That point was one which ought to be distinctly
ascertained.
The CHAIRMAN said that the question proceeded on this
fallacy—for it was a fallacy—that it assumed the
proprietors were the lenders of the money to the
government, whereas they were only purchasers of
u
shares in the company. The question was, could
they legally divide the money ? They were bound to do
what was legal, and they could not dispose of the money
unless they were entitled so to do.
Mr. HAMMOND had no idea that there would be any
difficultynyfe it
iwneegsietetienegtedthien
stock by
ehlfe, getting
daifrtereetere
and
that
stock
the directors would be answerable to the proprie-
tors.b
l
powers t The proprietors agreed not to take stock,
and if
should be obtained
sthhoeudirectonhinsded
toenable not
them to
authority to di?ou risot ute money,
The
proprietors generally expected that the money would be
divided.

PORTSMOUTH, SEPT. 29.
The Rhein, Captain Pop, front Hamburg to New York,
eleven days from the first•named place, has. put into this
port to-day, owing to sickness on board. Since she left
Hamburg she has Wet 11 of her passengers, reported to be
from ch•dera, and she had 2.5 other cases of sickness when
she arrived at Spithead late last night. The Rhein is an
emigrant ship, and has about 200 passengers on board.
This morning she came up to the Metherbank, when a sur-
geon was sent at to her by L A. Vanden Bergh, Esq., the
consul at this port for the Hanseatic Towns, who, on his
return nom her, in addition to the above number of deaths,
reports finding three children sick Lora diarrbma, the
surgeon of the ship reporting that the deaths had
arisen from dierrhees and vomiting. He considered that
looseness in the bowels and general debility were brought
on by severe sea sickness, arising from the late tempestuous
weather. The medical practitioner not out by Mr. Van-
den Bergh assembled the passengers en deck, and ordered
their berths to be thoroughly "anted out, the hold of the
ship to be fumigated with chloride of lime, and a more
solid dietary to be wawa Sot to all on board. These mea-
-1 ,it is hoped, will restore the passengers to health.
The Board of Guardians of this union assembled at their
rooms to day, J. F. Pratt, Esq., in the chair, for the pur-
pose of meeting Mr. Hawley, one of the inspectors from
the Poor Law Board, in reference to the adoption of =ea. ,
sures for preventing the spread of cholera to this locality.
Mr. Ilawley explained at considerable length, and with
much persrioacity, the directions and regulations of the
General Board of Health, dated the 20th instant, issued
under authority of the Nuisances Removal and Diseases
Prevention Act, stating the best means of preventing the
outbreak of cholera, and of resisting that outbreak, should
it unfortunately occur in the locality. At the conclusion of
his observations, which were received with the greatest
respect by the guardians assembled, the board formed
themselves into district committees for the purpose of
carrying into operation the provisions of the above act, and
then adjourned till today (Friday) for the appointment of
inpectors of nuisances, medical officers, &e. There has
been no signs at present of the approach of cholera here,.,
although disrrhma has been somewhat prevalent.