The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-20 00:00:00

[TWOPENCE

LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST

RAILWAY.

The accounts for the half-year ending the 31st
of December, 1865, incorporotad with the report of the
directors to be submitted to the meeting of the proprie-
tors on the 29tb, show the following results :
"Capital Account.—The amount remised on capital ac-
carat on the 31st of December, 1865 le 13,823,1821., con-
sisting of ordinary stock and shams, 5,342,933/. ; waterer-
tial stock, 5,028,615/. ; mortgage debt, 2,156,9966. ; ad
debenture stack, 1,297,3491.—t0ta1, 13,823,1e21. The
amount of capital expended has been 687,0781., of
which faU pa:tit:Oars appear in the capital amount
mined.

lievenue Account.—The gross revues has bleu
619,741 f., showing an increase of 37,1121. over the
correspouding half-year of 1864, and making the gross
revenue of 1866, 1.116,1991, or 67,2691. in suee of the
previous year. Thus the tramp has progreesed self&
factortly, as Indicated in the 6th parepegb of the
report of December, 1864, and the result L that besides
carrying forward a balance of 8,2671., the highest rate of
dividend ever paid by this company has been reached
within a fraction, notwithstanding that the traffic of the
lines recently opened, particularly the Horsham ad
Guildford, the Bognor and the Seaford, as well as the
Littlehanipton steamboat service, is by no meths developed.
This leads to the expectation that the r►te of progress will
continue, and the directors are led more forcibly to this
conclusion when they fled, on an examination of the
details of the traffic, that the increase of revenue Is
uniform at almost all the 117 stations, end not
at particular points. The great reduction of fares in
krignat, 1863, raked this receipts from the traffic
between London and Bright= from 222,1301. b 1862,
213,4201. in 1863: it row again to 217,3841., in 1864, sad
to 228,1774 in 1863. These figures include the grass trams
of every description between London and Brighton.
At the same time it must be borne in mind that, as com-
pared with the corresponding half-year, revenue is debited
with interest on the wet of plant prepared for the South
London traffic, on the capital of the Banstead and Epsom
Dolma and the Horsham and Guildford lines, and other
outlay on completed lines, amounting in all to 550,0951,
Distinguishing the ordinary expenses from the amount ex-
pended in rens rrals, the general result of the comparison
with the corresponding Lal -year of 1864 will stand thus :
• Elall-year Ending
. Dec. 31, Dec. 31,
leer. MS.
Ordinary expenses
Renewals 26,558 26,773

Total working exposes and
renewals £ n 2,498 £304,162

Per train per mile
Per cent on trall3e receepta 5l 49

The amount of working expenses is satisfactory, portico-
larly in the locomotive department, 239,789 additioeal
train miles having been run, while the cost of fuel has been
reduced. The line and plant are in perfect order, but the
directors must refer to the 7th paragraph of their last
report as to the impossibility of making any great rodeo-
the under this head, and attest the fact that the
large additions made in 1865 to the train service,
particularly the improved service to Portsmouth,
and the more recent separation of the London-
bridge, and the Victoria expresses, avoiding the stoppage at
Croydon, have, with other smiler measures, resulted in
affording great convenience to the public, and in cionhi-
bating towards the decreased traffic which re shown in the
present year's accounts. The expressos now performthe
journey between London and Brighton in one hour and
five minutes, and with greater facility and regularity
than they formerly did in one hour and a quartets
The only bills which the directors are promoting in the
present smarten of parliament are for powers to construct
new stations at St Leonard's and hutings, to form con-
nections between existing lines and the Crystal Palace, and
for a continuation of the South Croydon line by a circular
route with theßanatsad and EpeomDowns line. Nouse( these
schemes affect or are antagonistic to ocighbouriegeompanies.
The directors regret to be obliged to allude to the combined
attack of the South Eastern and the London, Chatham, and
Dover Companies, by their joint promotion of the exten-
sions into Croydon and the line from Beckenham to Lewin
and Brighton. Both these projects arc, so far as the South
Eastern Company are concerned, in distinct violation of the
agreement entered into betwceotbe two companies in
1864. Thecontestmustbedectdedby theproputribno=
looking to what ha. paved since the first promotion of the
Beckenham, Lewes, and Brighton scheme in 1863, to the
manner in which the rates and fares have been since
Mooed, and the public accommodation constantly ex-
tended by this company, the directors feel confident
that when all the circumstances are duly con-
sidered parliament will not reverse their former decisions.
The directors have entered Into an agreement with the prai
motors of the line from Chichester to klidhurst, under
which that line will be constructed in the interest of
this company, and transferred to this company at the proper
time on satisfactory terms. The line is 114 miles in length,
nod the wet, including statioss, is to be 110,0001.
The net amount at the credit of the revenue account is
181,5154, out of which the directors recommend the pay-
ment of • dividend of three and • quarter per cent. for the
half-year, payable on the 12th of February, amounting to
173,2401., leaving a balance to the credit of the current
hell year of 8,2671., and making the dividend for the year
1865 &motet to five and three quarters per cent.

TRAFFIC Reciting. The traffic receipts of
railways in the United Kingdom amounted for the week
ending the 13th of • January, on 12,307 miles, to
595.9681., and for the corresponding week of last year, ea
11,897 miles. to 570.5354, showing an increase of 410 miles,
and of 25,4331. The gross receipts on the following
fourteen railways 'mooted in the aggregate, o•
8,808 miles, to 500,41191., and for the corresponding
week of 1865, on 8,489 miles, to 481.0114, showing an
increase of 319 miles, and an increses of 19,4254 The
increase on the Caledonian amounted to 1,7254 ; on
the Great Southern and Western to 1844; on the Great
Western to 7941. ; on the Lancashire and Yorkshire to
5,0721. ; os the London and North Western to 3,0601. ; at
the London and Brighton to 9654 ; on the Manchester,
Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, to 2,1181. ; on the Midland to
1,9334 ; on she North British to 1,8274; os the North
Eastern so 3,3o74—tetra, 21,0651. But from this must
be deducted 891., the decrease on the Great Eastern
98/. on Great Northern ; 878/. on the London rind
South Western ; and 5751. on the South Eastern ; leaving
the increase as above 19.4234 The goads and mineral
traffic on those lines amounted to 297,216/., sod fee
the corresponding week of 1865 to 284,3764, showing
an increase of 12,8401. The receipts for psesengers, parcels,
Se., amounted to 203,2531., against 196,6681., showing an
increase of 6,5851. The traffic receipts on 52 other lines
amounted, os 3,499 miles, to 95.4991., and for the our.
reepooding week of last year, on 3,408 miles, to 89,4914,
showing an increase of 89 miles and of 6,0081. in the re-
ceipts. The total receipts of the past week show a de-
crease of 16,912/. as compared with those of the preceding
week, ending the 6th inst.
FOWL STEALING EXTRAORDINARY.—OD Satur-
day evenieg last, during the high water. Mr. John Stevens.
who lives sear Batten Milk, Newton St. Gyres, hearing
commotion among his poultry, proceeded to ascertain the
cane, when to his astonishment be perceived three large
otters which had killed two game pullets and a fine game
cock. Mr. Stereos seized • stick and gave chase, but too
late to capture the thieves. It is supposed that owing to
the very high water they were driven to the bee roost for
food. Mr. h
Stevens, who is well known to the to of ths
rc lon the banks of the Ex. and Creedy, as succeeded in
killing no lees than 15 otters in the last few yeses—a good
hely for the disciples of Issak Walton.— Waters Time.
KE-APPEARANCE OF EDWIN BOOTH ON TUN
AMERICAN STAGII.—WIIITER GARDEIL—hir. Edwin
Booth made his re-appearance here last night in
the character of Hamlet. He received the applause
which he had • right to expect from • genial.
honest, and appreciative audience. When the second
scene of the first act opened, and Mr. Booth was
discovered, the applause extended front the parquett• to the
dome. There was not • solitary dissentient voice to Mile
manly welcome which every dissent person knew ought to be
extended to him. Mr. Booth received the ovation meekly,
but was compelled to rise front his seat to acknowledge it.
During the evening he was repeatedly called out and
applauded. la recording this fact we have said all
that need be said. Mr. Booth—as he knows now—
has no enemies ; and better than ourselves, also, he knows
and appreciates the fidelity of his friend.. It is cooly right
to add that bad Mr. Booth chosen to " come out" under
the auspices of eminent citizens, he could have done so
with a roll of names a column long. He was wise *sough
to evade this flummery, and presented himself simply as
the artist whom we have all known and appreciated is ut,
and with whom we have sympathised in a nameless woe.
The applause last evening was discreet. It said everything
that kindly remembeame could suggest, and ended whose
silence was best. We shall take another occasion of speak-
Mg of the auxiliary aid afforded to Mr. Booth on this very
petal oecesien.—New York Times, Jan. 4.
During the war the United States government
had at its command 40,000 miles of railroad, 15,000 miles
of telegraph were abandoced, torn down, and reoriestructed.
The Etowah bridge, 625 feet lows and 75 tress high. was
built is six days, sad the Chattahoochee bridge, 740 feat
long and 90 feet high, was built in four days. Them were
214,102 bones sad 58,818 mulatto Grant's army, their met
for keep being 1,000,000 doll. monthly. DuriDg the wsr the
horses and mules of the army consumed 23.000.000 bushels
of corn, 79,000,003 bushels of oats, 1,500,000 toes of bay,
and 21,C30 tons of straw, whichneat 156,000,000 dobi.
Daring the lest year of the war 105,019,408 dole. ware paid
for clothing sad equipage. including 400,000 jackets,
3,000,006 pairs of drawers, troagen. sad flannel shirts, and
I 1,746,034 woollen blankets, 1,000,000 °esteem. 6,000,000
pairs of socks, 2,000,000 knapsacks, 10,000 flags, 1,460
K 4,000 bugles, and 16,000 drunas.—Americes paper.