The Express.
London, England, 1866-08-31 00:00:00

SENT COAST.

The half-yearly ordinary general meeting of this
company was held yesterday afternoon at the offices of the
company, Victoria Station ; Sir CUSACK P. liostri in
the chair.

The SECRETARY (Mr. W. E. Johnson) having read the
advertisement convening the meeting, read the directors'
report, which has already been published.
Th• CBliamax, in moving its adoption, said that the
amount receivable for the past half-year from the London,
Chatham, and Dover Company was 14,334 i., and on the
lst of July that company handed over to them the amount
necessary to pay the interest upon the debentures of the
company ; but unfortunately directly afterwards the Lon-
don, Chatham, and Dover Company was placed in the
hands of receivers. The directors of the Kent Coast had
applied to the London, Chatham, and Dover for the
balance due; but as they could not pay it in
consequence of the line beinf in the hands of
receivers, they felt that it was important that the Ii
shareholders should not be deprived of their interest, and
they had obtained a temporary loan for that purpose, which
would be repaid when the balance due by the Chatham
and Dover Company was handed over to them under the
agreement. In the meantime the Chatham and Dover
had consented to pay to this company's banker 110 per cent.
of the weekly receipts, which had been duly paid since the
lit of July, and was accumulating for the dividend of the
current half-year. There was no doubt that when the
Court of Chancery met after the long vacation it would at
once order the payment of the balance. He explained
that after the lamented death of Mr. Hilton, their late
chairman., and the retirement of Mr. Holroyd, the board,
deeming it right to appoint gentlemen of high position and
having considerable interest in the undertaking, had ap-
pointed Mr. &Batmen Harvey, M.P., with the view of his
ing chairman, and Mr. E. J. Coleman in their room.
Mr. H. TOOTAL seconded the motion.

In reply to a question from a shareholder,
The CiudanAN stated that the line was not actually
leaned tothe London, Chatham, and Dover, but was worked
by them under a specific agreement, which was in every
way binding upon them, and which included an agreement
for • lease for 999 years. It was a parliamentary agree-
ment, and under it the London Chatham, and Dover
were bound to work the line in a specified manner, so as
to ensure its efficiency.
Mr. 'We/min inquired whether there were any
claims of contractors, Lloyd's bonds, or liabilities of
that kind, and having received a negative reply,
he expressed his satisfaction at finding, from an
inspection of the accounts, that the whole of the
claims by creditors against the company did not exceed
4,4781., in addition to • small sum due to the engineer,
but was somewhat surprised to bear that there was no
lame. Inasmuch as the line was made, and the contractor
paid, there was no reason to suppose otherwise than that
the B shareholders were all right, and that eventually the
A shareholders would receive a dividend.

The report having been adopted the proceedings ter-
minated with the usual (vote of thanks

BITTINGBOIJRNE AND SHZERNII2IB RAILWAY.—The
twentieth half-yearly ordinary meeting of the shareholders
of this company was held yesterday afternoon, at the
offices, John-street, Bedford-row, Mr. Lightly' impson in
the chair. The report of the directors stated that the
arrangement between the company and the London,
Chatham, and Dover Railway Company for the entire pur-
chase of the company's railway and works had been sanc-
tioned by parliament on the terms &heady submitted to
and approved by the adjourned general meeting of share-
holders. The directors would use their beet endeavour to
carry out the arrangement with the least possible delay.
The permanent rent of 7,0001. a year, to be paid by the
London, Chatham and Dover Railway Company to the
Sittingbounte and sheerness Railway Company as the
purchase mousy for the railway end works kumierred to
the latter company by the act of parliament referred to,
was secured by a charge on the property transferred, and
on the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway Company's
gross receipts from and in respect of the same, which ex-
ceeded 7,0001. • year, and also by a first charge cm the net
receipts from the general undertaking of the Landon,
Chatkam, and Dover Railway Compan . Two directors,
In:star, Mr. Lightly Simpson and Mr. Bartridge,
by rotstroa. sad. bag eligible, offered thaws* •es