The Express.
London, England, 1850-03-16 00:00:00

SOUTH EASTERN AND CONTINENTAL
STEAM r.tocur COMPANY.

Yesterday the half-yearly general meeting of this
company to-tr plan at the beid:shoose Hotel, Lordon-
beldam. 34111111 Mae°'zoos, Esq ,in the chair.
The following was the report of the directors.
The somata of the company for the half-year ending on
the 31st of 'smeary last, show that the glees receipts tar
the half-year were 15,3601. 15.. 10d. The warkg ezpeeses
and the cost of mash' is all the eight stomas shim Dames(
to the company (without insurance) were 10,0751.85. 24.,
leaving a balance is bead of 5,2851. 7s. Bd. at the disposals!
the proprietors. The comparison of the Folkston* cad
Boulogne traffic of last half year with that of the correspond-
ing t alf of the preceding year, is se follows :—The total
number of passengers to and from Boulogne in 18.50, was
22,765, in 1849, 20,662, being an lacrosse on the year of
2,103. The daily tidal service to and from Calais has pro-
duced the tollowing result. From Dover 2,457 peseengen
from Calais 2,455. The report farther stated that the traffic
between the railway and the ports as the other side of the
channel had been very considerable and was conducted with
salty and punctuality, 21,696 miles having been navigated
without accident or mischance of any kind. The receipts
include a .um of 5601. 14s. 6J., received for freight from
Boulogne and Folkston', which was a large increase as the
premiss halt .year.
The CHAIRMAN in msving the adoption of this report
mid that the earnings of the company for the bulgur would
usable the directors to recommend a dividend of 4 per cent., 1
sad it would be proposed that the balance in baud after the
rutrllt of each dividend, should be added to the reserve
Mr. WRIGHT, a proprietor, suggested that an addi-
tional charge of 65. for each peewees, who proceeded from
Leaden to the other aide of the channel would be the mess
of inereas rag the receipts of the Bouth-Emtern Steam-
racket Company to the extent of 1,1001. daring the half.
year, and would enable them to maintain a dividend of 5
per emit., the amount originally promised to the share-
holden.

The CHAIRMAN did not consider it advisable to adopt
this suggestiou ; bat he thought it would be much better
to have the matter to be &ailed according to that " high
morel principle" upon which the stare of the two mew
wise had hitherto been conducted. As regarded the pro-
posal that the dividend should be 6 per mint , he would
esagest that the wiser plan would be to await the course of
Gamin, as the directors were most anxious, in justice to the
Railway Company and to the Bteun-PacketCompaay, to act
spoa those moral grounds which had been advocated, and
they Gal, required to be raided by circumstances In tattling
the mama' of the divldeads. _ _

Atter some farther disesadoo, the report was received and
adopted.
A resolution, deelertas a dividend of 4 per coat. was then
carried ; sad the Chairman proposed that, after the payment
of 2,9961 2s. 4d.. the amount of the dividend, the Wanes
in hand be added to the revenue fend.

This 'notation having Nee 'mead, the ordinary routine
business was gone through, aed the meeting separated, with
a Tote of thanks to the ekairman.

IRELAND.

DrILEW, MAIICE IS.
A stringent proclamation was issued, yest-rday, by
the Lord Lieutenant under the act which obtained
the royal assent on Tuesday gut, " to restrain party
proceesoes in Ireland." The proclamation cites the
provisions of the act in fall, and concludes with a
strict caution " to all persons against taking part in
or countenancing any such prccessioca," under the
severe penalties fixed by the new law. This instru-
ment arrives opportunely in Ulster on the eve of St.
Patrick's day ; but, unfortunately, it comes some
eight months too late to prevent the Dolly's Brae
atrocities, the last incident connected with which
memorable event was the act of the county of Down
grand jury, who, on Tuesday last, ignored the bills of
indictment sent up by the crown against John Jar-
dine and eleven or twelve other persons fir an un-
lawful assembly on that oecasicn.
The Freeman's Journal observes, in noticing the
conduct of the grand jury in this proceeding of
ignoring the bills :
Coming to particulars, we find that the chairman of
the "rand jury of the county of Down on this occasion was
Sir. Kowa. The role of this orangemen for the past year
is too well known to need comment. Proceeding with the
list of the grand jury, we find that of the five first names no
less than four are those of orange magistrates, who bad made
themselvu conspicuous sitce the last twelfth for obstructing
the course of justice at Castlewellan. Farther down we Sad
detachments of the famous fifteen, who refused to take in-
forniatiens against orangemen, along the list in twos. The
R. A. Ward, who, at the &Dalt meeting, called upon the
orangemen to ktep themselves as hounds in a huh, ready to
rush upon the catholic foe, was upon this grand jury.
flue Sligo election took place on Tuesday, when
Sir Gore Booth wu elected without opposition.
A requisition is in progress, calling a meeting of
the citizens of Dublin, to protest against the intended
removal of the \leers gal Court from Ireland.
A frightful accident occurred on Wednesday morn-
ing at the works in the Great Southern and Western
Railway tunnel, near Cork, an explosion of a blast-
ing having taken place after the men had come from
their shelter, under ite misapprehension that all the
blast, hod exploded. Two men were killed on the
spot, and several others shockingly wounded, one of
them not being expected to survive.
An interesting trial was commencedyesterday at the
Queen's County Assizes. Three members of the So-
ciety of Friends, named Thomas, Jane, and John
Jacob, having been indicted for a conspiring, "by un-
lawful means to procure a marriage between the tra-
verser, John Jacob, and one Georgina Jacob, an infant
of the age of 12 years, and who was possessed ef, and
entitleu to in remainder, a considerable estate in the
• counties of Angleeea and Carnarvon. The first wit-
ness was under examination when the poet left yester-
day evening.
The successful competition of the City of Dublin
Steam Packet Company, for the conveyance of the
mails between Kingstown and lidlyhead was an-
nounced here yesterday, and gave a great deal of
satisfaction ; the former contract of the company for
carrying the mails between Kingstown and Liverpool
having been sustained, during the ten years it
continued, in a very satisfactory manner, and
without having once inferred a penalty by
the Admiralty.
An aggregate meeting of the ratepayers and in-
habitants of Drogheda was held in the court house
of that town on Monday last, to memorialise the
Queen, ." praying her most gracious Majesty to im-
press upon her parliament the absolute annuity of
immediately making such alteration in the laws that
rnbaist between landlord and tenant in Ireland as will
encourage the tenantry to give employment to the
people, and thereby lessen the poor rates, which are
now so enormously high; and also to make each
changes in the laws relating to local taxation, so that
they may be more equitably borne by all classes in
the state." The attendance was both numerous atid
highly respectable.

MUSIC. 1
ROYAL SOCIETY OF MUSICIANS.
Yesterday evening the one hundred and twelfth
anniversary festival of this old and excellent institution was
lid at Frerniaeoas' Hall. The Duke of Cambridge was in
the chair, and the meeting was very numerous, comprising
the most distinguished members of the musical profession.
His /Ilya Mightier performed the duties of his *Mee
with great animation, and in a kindly and genial
spirit which contributed muck to the pleasure of
the evening. Frost the statements =4 to the
meeting, it appeared that the fifISLOCI Of v society
are is a prosperous condition. It powwow headed peopeety
sad ground rents which prodase 1,84 W. per the
rut of its resources are derived ken the subscriptions sad
donations rsssbsd from its panne sad friends, sad the
austributieueet the usoliese. At puma then it, ma the
Let M eisiments who are supported by the society sins
18118ahne ildoty-seves widows, and eighteen children ; and
there an aim sad girls who have been appreatieed to
respeetable trade, or ealliap, with wheat 241. premium has
twee paid. In the COYPU of the year 1849 the society appro-
priated the sum of 2,091. to the benevolent purposes for
wkkh it was established. _

The musical perlonasame of the evening were szondingly
agreeable. Asaus.g other shiny, there was Stafford Smith's
glee, " lietarn, blest den"; Holmes duet, "Come
away," sari by the Misses ; • solo on the piano-
forte. he Mies Este Leder and • solo on the viotai:rfbui
HUT *OM Bishop's " neu so ters, und the c hen" ; end soap by Hem Forma and Mr. Sims Reeves.
• Wilhite% oseembleae of Wats armed the eateelammest.

COrrroten.—Hr. H. Richmond, one of the membore 1
of A. Board of Coetome, km Retired, •her a length of nubile
worries eatending, we believe, to:conaid. rably more the• half
• ee•tarp. It undentoed to be the intention of the
reverame•t not to fill the vacancy reused by the retirement
of WY eager.

EMILY eLOSIPIG OP SHOPS IN WOITECIIAPEL.—
• money in favour of this merest/at was held, on Them-
day evtning teat, at the Bull lon, Aldgate. Mr. Hawkins,
rusty, ma voted to the ahair, sad commenced the -
tags by calling on Mt. the secretary, to the
preeect state of the cam. After he had done so, the met-
ing wee addressed by Moms. Lawrence, Palen. Natter,
Manteca, Betes, sad King, all of whom ceeeser•A in son-
doming the late hoer systems' alike Inrious be algieyers
tad employed, and wholly uncalled fore tie requisesents
of trade. liesolutiocs to tbl egret were
Is the ream if his observations the ehelesuarterSteregt
could be impeded Isees the test ratite of testiemen
if yew men, were doomed to se, es et posesse, Go;
N isseer•eudlag ton? Be said Its weld arm look
sl his anseslisse trit=mesecli-
by hresat duke he So mend