The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-27 00:00:00

NORTHALLERTOON•

To-day the committee met again ; Mr. &later-
Booth presiding.
Mr. Serjeant Ballantine, summing up the case on the
part of Mr. Young, the liberal petitioner, commented at
great length on the fact that no witnesses had been called
on the part of Mr. Bills, the sitting member, and that
neither he nor his agent, Mr. Fowles, had ventured to con-
tradict the positive evidence of bribery and treating, or to
explain away the fact that 721. had been paid for the use
of a room for three weeks, when a fair rent for it would
have been 7s. 6d. a day. The fair inference was that the
exorbitant charge wax intended to pay the landlord in-
directly for the treating of voters. The learned counsel
proceeded to comment upon the evidence as to particular
cases, and dwelling first upon the Lightfoot case, in which
the bribery took the reform of the remitting of rent, the
facts being tsroved by four witnesses, whose evidence re-
mained unimpugned although it might have been
contradicted by Mr. Fowles and Mr. Johnson.
In the case of Benjamin Garr, the alleged bribery was the
promise to give up a bill for 501. in respect of money lent
by Mr. Fowles, the bill, however, being retained for six
months, evidently with a view to preventing the case
being brought before the committee ; whilst Mr. Fowles
had laid himself open to the charge of endeavouring to
suppress the testimony of Mr. Carr, and had
not endeavoured to meet it. The remission of debt
was as much bribery se the gift of money.
Equally was it bribery in the case of James Archer, to
offer five acres of land for a year for nothing, and then for
121. a year, when the fair rent would have been 201. Having
briefly touched upon theother charges, the learned counsel
concluded by contending that the case of the petitioner
bad been made out by unimpeachable testimony, and that
it was to be answered only by ingenuity and argument.
[Left sitting.]

OTTOMAN RAILWAY, SMYRNA TO AIDIN.

A meeting of the bondholders in this railway,
convened by the board, was held at noon at St. Michael's-
house, Comhill ; Sir MACDONALD STEPHENSON in the
chair, with reference to the bonds falling due on lstof May.
The CHAIRMAN said that unavoidable delay in the open-
ing of the line prevented the payment of the debenture
bonds falling due on the Ist of May. When the 304,0001.
preference bonds were reserved to provide for the pay-
ment, it was fully anticipated that the line would be
opened and the traffic such as would enable the company
to sell at a price to pay off the debentures
in due course ; but difficulties in the tunnel.
ling and the depressed state of the money market
prevented it. A circular had been issued to the bond-
holders offering them a proportionate amount of the re-
served debentures in exchange. A certain number at once
assented, but it was not thought fair to accept their offer
while the majority dissented, and the directors now pro-
posed to renew the bonds falling due for one year, increasing
the rate of interest from 6to 10 per cent. The security, as
the bondholders were aware, was a first charge, unim-
paired and perfect, and, with the certainty that the
line would be opened throughout within three
months from this time, and with the consequent larger
increase of traffic and the government guarantee of
112,000/. a year, which would then take effect, the bond-
holders would be certain to receive their money, and the
company might look forward to a prosperous future.
Mr. COLEMAN submitted a resolution to the effect that
the bondholders are willing to wait for six or twelve months,
receiving interest in the meantime at the rate of 10 per
cent. per annum, the board undertaking to retain the
304,000 i. bonds as security.
Several bondholders complained of the non-payment of
the bonds within the specified time ; two or three of them
complained that the delay would prevent them from ful-
filling important pecuniary arrangements.
The CHAIRMAN in reply to questions expressed the regret
of the directors, observing that they could not do impos-
sibilities, and adding that there could be no doubt that the
bonds would be met within a year.
A BoNoOoLDEn having inquired why penalties had not
been enforced against the contractor, Mr. Crampton,
Mr. CHAtirros explained the causes of delay, for which
he was in no way responsible. He had made great efforts,
personally and pecuniarily, to get the line completed
within the time, and it would be finished by the lit of
July.
After some further conversation,
The CHAIRMAN expressed a hope and belief that many of
the bonds would be paid off within six months.
A similar hope was held out also by another of the
directors, Mr. Devaux.
The resolution of Mr. COLEMAN having then been
seconded by Mr. FRASER,
Mr. MITCHEMON moved as amendment, " That in the
opinion of the meeting the holders of the debentures fall-
ing due on the Ist of May should be requested to attend a
meeting with the object of appointing a committee to
watch over their interests, and to adopt such measures
if they are not paid as they may deem expedient, in the
interest of the bondholders."
The CHAIRMAN said the amendment was so much in
accordance with the feelings of the directors that if the
orignal resolution passed they would be happy to adopt it.
(Hear, hear.)
The first resolution having been passed,
Mr. MrrctiEßON renewed the amendment, which
had been for the moment withdrawn, and it was
adopted as a separate resolution, and Mr. Coleman, Dr.
Fraser, and Mr. Mitcheson were appointed to act as a com-
mittee of bondholders, with reference to the bonds in
question, viz., the 200,0001. original bonds.
The CHAIRMAN afterwards stated that Mr. Devaux and
other gentlemen who had recently seen the line, had made
a most satisfactory report as to its 'tam.
Thanks were then voted to the C • and the meet-
, separated.

WESLEYAN MEETTNO.—(THIS DAY.)—A great
gathering of Wesleyan Methodists took place this morning
at their chapel, in Great Queen-street, in anticipation of
their forthcoming annual general meeting. The president
and most of the leading members of the body were
present. An address was delivered by the Rev. Henry
Allan, of Islington.
FEMALE LoNoavrrr. —The cold easterly winds
which have prevailed during the last few days, especially on
Sunday and Monday, appear to have bad a fatal effect on
the aged, judging from the obituary in the Tines of Wed-
nesday and Thursday last, where the deaths of eight ladies
are recorded whose united ages amounted to 719 years,
givin the average of 89 years 10 mouths and 14 days to
each youngest being 82, and the oldest having reached
the extraordinary age of 101 years. The mine paper also
gives the deaths of five gentlemen whose united ages
amounted to 434 years, giving an average of 86 years 9
months and 16 days to each, the youngest being 83, and
the oldest 95 years of age. It therefo e appears that the
united ages of the eight ladies and Ave gentlemen
amounted to 1,153 years, affording an average of 88 years
5 months and 16 days to each. It is curious to observe of
one couple that the wife had reached 97, and the husband
95 years of age.