The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-29 00:00:00

TRADE AND NAVIGATION.

This morning the accounts were published re-
lating to the trade and navigation of the United
Kingdom fur the month ended on the 30th April,
and fur the four months ended also at the same
date.

The total value of enumerated imports in March
last was 21,449,424/., which not only shows a very
considerable increase yin the returns of the two
11111111111Lutouths, an inereaseepon the at-
turns made in the corresponding periods of 1866
and 1867.
The total declared valua of British exports in
April last amounted to 14,575,152!., which was
254,0971. less than the declared value of the
previous month, and 791,262/. less than that of the
corresponding month of 1866. It, however, shows
an excess of 770,244/. over the returns for April,
1867.

GREAT INDIAN PRNINSULAR RAILWAY.
(THIS DAY.)

The hal&yearly meeting of the shareholders was
held at noon at the City Terminus Hotel, Cannon-street,
Mr. CHILDERA, M.P., in the chair.
The report, an abstract of which has already appeared,
having been taken u read,
The CHAIRHAN moved its adoption. He commenced by
calling attention to the accounts fur the last half-year,
and to the new form in which the accounts were presented.
The reventte of the last half-year was 69,550/. iu excess of
that of the corresponding half of the previous year, while
the increase in the expenditure was only 43,890/., showing
a difference of 25,61101. in favour of the last half-year. If
productive and unproductive capital were kept distinct
the result of a comparison of the earnings of the last three
years would be as follows:-1855, 64. Is. 9d. per cent.;
1864, s'. 14s. bid.; 1407, IW. 19s. 9d. After alluding in
detail to the accounts presented, he referred to the
steps taken by the directors in order to secure
the works being put in a proper condition. For that
purpose the government and the company aban-
doned their respective moieties of the surplus profits
for the first half of 1407, and a fond was to
accumulate to the extent of 250,0001., in order that
ample provision he made for future casualties. Mr.
Berkley, the company's consniting engineer, whew's sent
to India on behalf of the board, had recently returned,and
would make an exhaustive report on the subject. The
board expected that the line toJ übbulpore would be opened
by the commencement of the work!ng season in 1470.
Referring to the proposed creation of debenture stock, in
substitution for debentures, which had been lately autho-
rised by parliament, he spoke of the advantages likely to
attend such a change. The heard proposed that such
stock should bear 4 per cent. He believed that it might
be issued either at par or a very small discount and the
result would be an immediate saving of about
half per cent. It was contemplated to submit 600,0001.
shortly by tender, the minimum to be fixed by
the Secretary of State for India and himself. In conclu-
sion, he spoke of a visit which he hoped to pay to India
in the autumn, provided the dissolution of Parliament
should take place—if not, before the early part of next
year.
Mr. J. G. FRITH seconded the notion.
The report was adopted.

EASTERN BENGAL RAILWAY.-(THIS DAY.)

The 20th ordinary general meeting was held at
the Guildhall Coffee-house, Mr. J. F. LEITH in the
chair. _ _

The report of the directors has been published.
The eIIAIRMAN, in moving its adoption, congratulated
the meeting on the steady increase in both the merchan-
dise and passenger traffic. The latter bad been effected
by the famine and floods in Lower Bengal, but bad now
recovered, showing that the condition of the people in that
locality was materially improving. The receipts for
general traffic, including the flotilla and steam service for
the half-year, as compared with the corresponding
period of 18441, bad increased by 13,4001. or 12'44
per cent., hut the expenses had Increased, owing to
some exceptional charges, as compensation, &c., to shout
the same ratio. Upon the whole, however, the working
expenses (lid not exceed those of moat of the other Indian
railways, and were much lower than some of them, and
the nett earnings were equal to 419 percent. The increase
in the goods traffic was especially satisfactory, seeing it
was being diverted from the old-established channels of
water carriage by which it bad hitherto been conveyed.
The increase of merchandise traffic for the half year ending
December, 1867, was over 17 per cent, as compared with
the corresponding half of 1866.
The report was adopted, and the usual formal business
having been transacted, the proceedings terminated with
thanks to the chairman and directors.

On Tuesday week Mr. Stansfeld will call the at-
tention of the house to the report of the Schools Inquiry
Commission, and move, "That, in the opinion of this
house, the recommendations of that report deserve the
early and favourable consideration of her Majesty's go-
vernment."

Mr. Dixon intends to bring forward, on the 9th
prox., a bill to amend the " Act for preventing the adul-
teration of articles of tood or drink, 1860," and to extend
its provisions to drugs.
The Select Committee on Public Petitions have
agreed to the following special report :—" Your oommittee
having, in the course of their examination of signori/urea to
certain petitions for restricting trade on Sundays and far
alteration of the law respecting weights and measures,
observed that, in nearly every case, the signature on the
akin or sheet on which the petition is written is obviously
not in the handwriting of the person whose name is ap-
pended, but of one and the same individual, who has
affixed the different names to the different petitions for
the purpose of giving them a genuine appearance, thereby
nullifying the orders of the house respecting signatures to
petitions ; your committee are of opinion that such a
breach of the orders of the house ought not to Le allowed
so peas without some special mark of disapproval."
According to the New South Wales special cor-
respondent of the Panama Star and Herald the Duke of
Edinburgh was to leave Sydney in the Galatea on the sth
or 6th of April for England via Cape Horn. The Galatea
is therefore N 1 days out. The mail of the 23rd of April,
from Sydney, via Sues and Marseilles, will be due in Lon-
don on the 17th proximo.

Some ancient British remains have just been
discovered at Maiden Coatis, in Dorsetshire.

C•Lenarr, ran HANOMATC. —The following letter
has been addressed to the Daily Telegraph :—" Much has
been said to prejudice the public mind against poor
Ca/craft, whose only crime is that he is the minister of
justice and the dread executor of the rigour of the law.
I happen to know she man as the minister of the church
in which he worships, and • more worthy creature does
not exist. To stigmatise him as a bard-hearted cruel, low-
lived, crouching, fawning wrettii, which some of the papers,
in connection with his duty as public executioner, have
done, is utterly wide of the fact. He is • good and tender-
hearted man, an habitual frequenter of a church of Eng-
land place of worship, where his whit* bead and venerable
appearance is pleasingly conspicuous, though his identity
is not generally known among the congregation. The
execution of his duty is no pleasing topic of conver-
sation with him ; he takes no delight in gratify-
ing curiosity by enlarging on the dismal scenes
in which he takes so necessary a part ; he is modest
and unassuming. He is by trade • shoemaker,
and you might deal with him all your life, and have no
more idea that be was the common hangman than that be
wee the Grand Lama of Thibet. Hu is • very devout
attendant upon public worship, and • man of very simple
and atraightforward wind, fulfilling all the relations of
domestic and social life in • kindly and affectionate
manner. Calcratt is no monster, and no one, lam per
marled, will be better plowed than he, that he has no
longer to perform his unenviable duty in the face of an
excited and oftentimes exasperated mob."