The Express.
London, England, 1867-09-02 00:00:00

TO lii ZDTTOR OP Ti It EXPRERS.

, having
Sir,—Some sensational remaras r lately
been made as to the condition of the atmosphere of this
railway (which ia now used by upwards of 25,000,000 per-
sons annually), I think it right to acquaint you that my
directors, being anxious that the facts should be inquired
into by competent and impartial parsons, so as at once to
remove all possible cause for anxiety, have requested Dr.
Letheby, the Medical Officer of Health for the City of
London, in conjunction with Dr. Whitmore, the Medical
Officer of Health of Marylebone, and Dr. Baohhoffner, to
report to them, after a thorough investigation, upon
this subject, and those gentlemen are now engaged
upon the inquiry. I think it right to inform you in the
meantime that our physician, who is also physician to the
Great Western Railway Provident Society, some time since
certified to me that in the year 1866 the average rate of
sickness amongst the servants employed upon the Metro-
politan Railway was leas than half that of the servants em-
ployed on the Great Western Railway. I may further
eters that at the present time none of my men are on the
sick list, and that most of them have been employed since
we commenced to work the railway in 1863.—1 am, &c.,
MYLES FENTON, General Manager.
General Manager's Office, 2:e2, Euston-road, N.W.,
August 31.

SHREWBBERT AND HEREFORD RAILWAY.—The
forty-third half-yearly meeting of shareholders in this
company was held on Saturday. at Shrewsbury, Sir C. B.
Boughton, Bart , in the chair. The report stated that
the dividends for the last half year, at the rate of Gt. per
cent. per annum on the consolidated stock of the company,
and on the amount paid on the new shares, and also at the rate
of at 10s. per cent. per annum on the preference shares, had
been received from the lessees, and will be paid tothe share-
holders to-day. The interest on sums paid in advance of
calls up to the 30th of June last was paid to the share-
holders entitled thereto on the 15th of July. The clauses
relating to this company which were introduced into the
bill promoted by the Great Western Company in the late
session were withdrawn by the promoters. The chair-
man, in moving the adoption of the report, said that in
reply to a communication made by the directors the lessees
of the line had stated that no fresh capital was needed,
and that no intention existed on their
This
to call up the
unpaid portion at an early date. This reply did not,
however, seem very satisfactory to the board, and they
had submitted a case for counsel's opinion, and on receipt
of that opinion would, if necessary, communicate its pur-
port to the shareholders. The report was then adopted.

CENTRAL WALES RAILWAT.—The half-yearly
meeting of shareholders in this company was held on
Saturday at Sbrewsbury. The report of the directors
stated that considerable progress had been made during
the half-year towards the completion of the station ac-
commodation, and the line generally had been put in con-
dition to meet the requirements of the through traffic,
which would be thrown upon it on the opening of thu
Central Wales Ratension line to Llandwery. The extenaion
line was opened for traffic to Llanwrtyd in May last, and
the works on the remainder of the line are so far advanced
that it is confidently expected the line will be opened
throughout to Llandwery m January next, in which event
the Central Wales and the Knighton Railways will become
amalgamated. The chairman (Sir Chs. Rouse Boughton,
Burt., moved the adoption of the report, the resolution
being seconded and carried unanimously.

Two platelayers on the London and North
Western (Hill and Clare) were committed for trial by the
Liverpool magistrates, on Saturday, for breaking open
bales and eases on luggage trains and stealing goods. They
bad committed robberies in this way to the extent of
between 3001. and 4001.

MOVEMENTS OF AMERICAN AND CANADIAN MAIL
STEAMERS THIS WERE.—The following steamers are due
at Liverpool this week with the American and Canadian
mails. Tmniorrow (Tuesday), or early on the following
morning, the City of Paris, with dates from New York to
August 24th, and the Peruvian, with corresponding
advice. from Quebec, will no doubt reach the Merey
about the same time. On Saturday next the Java, with
dates from Boston to August 211th, and Halifax to the
morning of the 30th, may be expected at Liverpool. The
outgoing American and Canadian mail steamers this week
are the City of London for New York on Wednesday ; the
Nestorian for Quebec on the following day ; and the
Russia for New York on Saturday.

PRZCOCIOUS.—An lowa paper tells the following :
—" A few days ago, in Keokuk County, a babe six months
old was crying lustily, and the mother was perplexed to
know what the trouble was. At last, after it seemed al-
most exhausted, it spoke with startling distinctness these
words—' Give me • drink of water Of course the
mother was frightened, but she gave the water, when it
immediately went to sleep. The infant had never spoken
before, nor has it since. We can vouch for the truth of
the above, as we are personally acquainted with the
parents of child.—lino Yeti. Times, August 20.