The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-26 00:00:00

LATEST SPORTING INTELLIGENCE

(BY ILECTETO TZLIGRAPIT.)

CHESTER MEETING.—(THIS DAY.)
ENTRY HANDICAP. Five furlongs.
Queen of Trumps, Oat 31b ; Pantaloon, Est 101 b ; King
Hal, lit 121 b ; Grapeshot, 7st l'2,111; Glendusk, Drt 41b ;
Caithness, Tat 41b ,• Virtuous, 7st ; Professor Anderson,
bat 101 b ; Alberta, by King Tom, 6st 91b ; Sylph, 6at 81b ;
Loughrea, 6st 61b ; Sportsman, 6st 21b ; Strayaway c,
sst 61b. All are here.

DEE STAND CUP. Nearly a mile.
Moubey, The Clown, Skylark, Cutaway, Inlet, Contract,
King Arthur, and Doughnut are hero.

QUEEN'S PLATE. Three miles.
Wiseman, Red Cap, Kingfisher, Lady Vane, Stanton,
Pantaloon, Verte, Honesty, Selim, King Hal, Grapeshot,
and Caithness. All are here.

CEZTRIAI4 HANDICAP. Six furlongs.
Queen of Trumps, Cutaway, Belle of the Ball, Skirmish,
Lucy Long, Exoeller, King Hal, Lavinia, Persuasion,
Rigoletto, Alberta, Caithness, Marco Spada, Sylph, Dis-
traction, Branch, and Shave Carne are here.
PAID FottrErr.—The Grinder, °ulna*, and Glenda*.

DEE STAKES. Mile and a half.
Bartle, Mirella, Life Guardsman, and hfonitreas are here.
PAID FORFEIT. —Birkhill and Son of a Gun.
MARQUIS OF WESTMINSTER'S PLATE. Grosvenor

COWIN.
flopvine, Holstein, Measmate, Castanet, Aldcroft, Re-
trousse, and Rococo are here.
Pain FORPZlT.—Kangaroo, Grinder, Helen, Wild Poppy,
and Elastic.

BEAUFORT BIENNIAL STAKES. Three-quitters

of a mile.
Prodigal, Captain, and hlanuella are here.

RUSSIAN IRON WORKS COMPANY (LIMITED.)
(THIS DAY.)

The first ordinary general meeting of the share-
holders was held at noon at the London Tavern, Mr. JOHN
Ifouirr in the chair.
The SaCILICTAIII having read the report and balance-
sheet,
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report
and accounts, said he wished he could add some-
thing more satisfactory. He could only say that the
directors had used every exertion to secure an arrangement
which would be satisfactory to the shareholders in relation
to the Stock Exchange; but circumstances had been
against them. The solicitor had asked them to wait week
after week, but nothing had been done. Just as the board
were on the point of making an arrangement with another
party, the solicitor went off to Paris on the business of
another company, taking with him the documenta, and
the gentleman with whom the arrangement to which he
referred was to bemade was also gone to Paris. (Laughter.)
As regarded the works themselves the directors still felt
the greatest confidence in them, and a gentleman who had
recently returned from Russia had made a report
which increased their confidence. There were many
iron works in Russia, but none so favourably situated as
their own. The balance at the bank was at a very low
ebb, and hence it was absolutely necessary to raise
additional capital. The mines were being steadily
worked, and the account of profit and loss,
would probably be here in a day or two. The soeount of
working already received showed that it more than covered
the working expenses; and, though he did not expect a
dividend of 30 or 40 pet cent., he believed there would be
a fair return for the money invested.
Colonel NALSEY, a director, in seconding the motion, read
a letter from Mr. Hughes, the engineer of the Millwall
Ironworks, testifying to the valuable character of the
mines. . .

Mr. HUGHES, who was present, on being appealed to,
oorroborated this statement orally.
Mr. EVANS, a partner of the solicitor of the company
referred to by the chairman, in reply to questions, said
that his partner had been called to Paris by a telegram
which stated that his presence was indispensable, and that
the arrangement referred to by the chairman was in abey-
ance, because the other party was abroad, adding that •
power of attorney had been forwarded to him.
Complaints having been made of the want of adequate
information in the accounts, and these being followed by

loud cries of " Adjourn,"
Mr. Pau L thought that under the circumstances the meeting
ought to insist on more definite information, tand wished
to know what was the position of the shares held by the
vendor. _ .

The CHAIRMAN, in reply, observed that, as stated in the
report, the vendor held 11,000 201. shares upon which Si.
had been paid, and 4,000 shares upon which 5/. had been
credited.

In reply to a question,
The CHAIRMAN said the vendor, like many other persons,
was rather backward as regarded calls.
Mr. PAUL thought there should be a committee of in-
vestigation—(cheers)—to inquire into the state of the
comp Any's affairs from the commencement. (Hear, hear.)
The Hon. Mr. HOBART quite concurred in that view.
Mr. PAUL was of opinion that pending the investigation
the call should be in abeyance. (Renewed cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN replied that there were debts which
must be met, The company owed the London and
County Bank, 14,000/. and the Bank of London, 5,000/.
A SHAREHOLDER—At what rate is the money borrowed?
The SECRETARY—At half per cent. above the Bank rate
of interest.
Two or three shareholders urged the rescinding of the
call ; whereupon
Mr. EVANS, the solicitor, observed that the meeting had
no power to do that.
The CHAIRMAN could not understand why the share-
holders were so anxious to rescind the call. (Laughter.)
A SHAREHOLDER—Because we have no explanation.
The CHAIRMAN denied that.
After considerable discussion, a committee of investiga-
tion, consisting of five shareholders, was appointed, with-
out the report having been adopted, and the meeting was
then adjourned till the 10th of May.

GRAND TRUNK RAILWAY COMPANY OF
CANADA.-(THIS DAY.)

The half-yearly meeting of the shareholders was
held this afternoon at the London Tavern ; Mr. K W.
WATRIN, M.P., in the chair.
The report, which was issued some time ago, having
been taken as read,
The CHAIRMAN moved its adoption. The board had, he
laid included in it all the leading topics, and
the accounts were very full. The addition to
capital within the half.year amounted only to 31,0001.
and that included 10 new engines. The gross receipts were
714,0001., and the working expenses 396.000/., being at the
rate of 55 per cent., leaving a balance of 319,00 W.; and
after deducting the expenditure incurred from renewals of
rails and other works—namely, 89,41891.—there remained
a balance of 229,4171. The question arose when the sur-
plus was likely to meet the interest on all the bonds
instead of being partly spent on the line itself. (Hear,
hear.) In connexion with this point he referred to the
high price of labour and provisions, the internal taxatson
of the United States, and other matters augmenting the
burden on revenue, adding that the war taxation
had been increased by 6,000/. in the last half-year.
The cost of re-rolling rails in the States had
risen from 30 dollars to 60 dollars a ton.
and there were many other items of increase of the
same kind. He then alluded to the loss on American cur-
rency within the half-year, and referred to a letter from
Canada to show that there would probably be a diminution
of that kind of loss in the current half-year.
He next referred to the losses arising from the lines leased
or worked under agreement, reminding theproprietors that
those lines brought additional traffic to the general system,
and thus in some caw practically yielded a profit.
He hoped that the necessity of setting apart revenue to
extinguish a suspense account—a course which was unani-
mously approved at the last meeting—was now at an end.
(Hear, hear.) He deprecated any attempt to force the
directin) to press the oompany's bonds on the
market, es tending to depreciate the value
of the bonds generally, and expressed his belief that the
heavy strain was gone, adding that the loss on currency
was diminishing, and that, whatever surplus there might
be in future, instead of being applied for renewals it
would be sent to this country for division.
[The meeting was proceeding when our report left.)

Mr. Maguire will ask the Chief Secretary for
Ireland, on Monday, whether it is the intention of the
government, now that the oaths hitherto taken by mem-
bers of parliament have been replaced by a simple and
uniform oath, to introduce • bill in the present session to
substitute • similar form of oath for that now
required to be taken by all persons accepting municipal or
other offices in Ireland.

The members of the Cheltenham and Banbury
election committees will be sworn in to-morrow.

The Evenement publishes particulars of a dinner
which the Marquis de Boils," lately gave to Stephens, the
Fenian leader. That journal states that the Head Centre
bears some resemblance in personal appearance to the late
Duke de Moray. Viscount de la Gueronniere, M. Emile
01livier, Baron de Blaney, and the Marquis de Griconrt
are motioned as haring been among the guest.. The
following dory is related by the journal just mentioned of
the noble marquis, who complained to his guests that the
jury of the Exhibition had refused to receive his portrait,
which he really could not comprehend, considering that
the picture was an admirable one, and, moreover, a
spooking likeness. " Ah," said one of his guests, " that's
the very riason the jury refused It."