The Express.
London, England, 1861-11-25 00:00:00

INTERCOLONIAL ROYAL MAIL STEAM
COMPANY.

The directors' report, for presentation at the third
ordinary general meeting on the 264 h instant, gives the
following summary of the working for the six months end-
ing :oth June: Receipts for freight and peerage-
money, 2b,7431. 3s. ltd. ; subsidies, 11,350/. ; making a total
of 43,298!.:1.. 9d. ; the colonial disbursements, every item
of which has been carefully examined by the company's
auditor at Sydney, amounted to 33,1151. lie. 21. ; leaving
10,1821. 12s. 7d. ; and, after deducting home expenditure
for ineursace, interest, ralaries, rent, and general dungen.
/ce., in all 0,0691. 15a. 3d., the surplus ia 4.1121. 17s. 4d.
The above sum of 4,1121. 17s. 4d., added to 7541. 12a. 7J.,
the balance to the credit of profit and lots old account,
gives 4,8171. 94. 11d., out of which the directors recom.
mend the payment of a six °tenths' dividend to 30th June
last, at the previous rate of 71 per cent. per annum, free of
inonme tan, leaving shout 1,150/. to be carried forward.
The receipt& and disbursements are much higher than those
exhibited in any preceding half-year. This n chiefly to be
accounted for by the circumstance that for the first threw
months the company's vessels were performing four different
services monthly. The net profite would have been con-
siderably larcer but for tire less sustained in working the
Auckland line during the period over which the notice of
dineetiunance extended. This worries was finally given up
in March, the colonial government not being willing to pa
a subsidy proportioueto to the expenditure. The compare s
easels also ceased running on the Melbourne hue in J y.
The directors report the arrival at Sydney, on the 21st
September. of Captain John Vine Hall, who was appointed,
in July last, nuneger and representative of the company in
the colonies. lo the month of September intelligens*, was
received of the stranding of the company's steamer Victory,
on the evening of the 11th July, in Wickliffe Bay, near
Dunedin. Otago, which port she had just left for Melbourne.
There being no preepset whatever et getting the vessel off,
she was shortly after sold fur the beuefit of the underwriters.
The directors are glad to state that the passengers, crew.
and mails were safely lauded. The Victory was insured for
23,0001., which u now in course of collection. • The yea-
s& stands in the company's hooks at an amount consider-
ably higher than then= mentioned ; the company having
fur the last twoyeurs, as the proprietors are aware, borne
' about 25 per cent. of the aggregate risks themselves. Not-
withstanding this, however, end the circumstance of
further sums having been expended on that vessel in the
colonise for improvement.. and repairs deemed requisite, it
is expected that at the end of the present year the actual
lees, after writing off the amount to the credit of the in-
surance fund, will be shown to be not exesinive. The mail
service °Detainees to be performed with regularity and effi-
ciency. Since the date of the last report the Plume capital
account has bees considerably augmented, and the liabili-
Unto( the company have been very materially reduced. The
colonial government having expressed a strong desire for
farther steam communication, the directors are anxious to
meet their wishes in the meet liberal manner, provided the
government will give sufficient encouragement.

WEE? SURREY REGISTRATION.—The recent re-
vision of the electoral register in West Surrey has
proved an impotent gain to the liberal cause. The con-
servatives, who engaged several ag,nta to attend to their
interest, succeeded by new claims and sustained Aim:Lops
to liberals in adding 221 votes ou their side. The liberals,
on the other hand, with but one agent, Mr. Wells, of Percy -
street, employed on their behalf, were successful iu new
claims sod sustaii,ed objections in 357 cases, thus giving
clear gain of 116 liberal votes, and encouraging a hope of
the return of two liberal wombats at the west general
election.

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SALE OF VALUABLE BOOKR.—At a male of a
libniry by Messrs. Puttick and Simpson, of Leicester•sgusrc.
during the bast week, some high prices wens realisnd, es the
following quotations will show : Lot 301, Hoare's
" History of Modern Wiltshire," 6 vols., 25f. 10s.; lot 920,
Gould's ;' Birds of Europe," 5 vols., morocco, 4/ff.:14921,
Genld's " Birds of Australia," 7 vols., morocco, 96/.; lot
1.428, " Virginalia," sonnets in praise of the Virgin Mary,
12mo. 1632, 231. 10. ; the same copy occurred for sal* in
Kr. Bright's library, in 1841, when it produced 19. lie. only.

ENLAIMITIIENT OF ST. BAKTHOLOMICW'S HOS-
PITAL—OR Saturday, the enlargementof St. Bartholomew.
Hospital, West Smithfield. was completed. The frontiwe
of the hospital now coven the entire south side of West
Smithfield, extruding from Giltapur-street to Duke-street.
An eutircly new surgery and operation room, with all the
modern iniprovements of light and ventilation. are added to
the building ; and patient+ requiring to undergo operations
will now be earned direct into the surgery.
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE IN THE SERPENTINE.—Last
evening between 5 and 6 o'clock a gentlemau named T. C.
Walter, of Spring-ganien•place, Stepney, was proceeding
aloegthe banks of the Serpentine, when hie etteution won
directed to a man struggling in the wrier. Ile et once gave
au alarm to the Royal Humane Society's officers, and before
their urns!, undrwriog himself, and having plunged
into the river, kept the head of the unfortunate
man above water until deputy PllllOO% and Mr.
Superintendent Williams arrived. He was then re-
moved to the receiving how* in an insensible state,
and appareiely dead. Having been placed io a hut water
bath, he woe afterwards placed in a warm bed ; he
slightly rallied, but was unable to speak when our reporter
left die receiving-house. In his pockets were cheques
drawn upon the Bucks and Union Bank for sums of te2/.,
zy, 10s., t/., and NI. There was also a trifling 'mown of
money on hie person. The following letter was also found
in his possession :—" London.—My dear Father, —I have
put myself to a great deal of inzoeveniesce for a
long thee past, until I find I must make my plans
otherwise. I shall be quite a ruined man. I had
quite made up my mind to have my children with me after
ehristmu, and provide a home for them, and to do that l
must have my money. I think you ought to get it at •
much cheaper rate of interest. I took the enclosed two ed.
verthreeneuts to _you. Mr. Bruton thinks he can get ins
3151. for the but I cannot lose 4.5/. With love. yours
affectionately, (signed) F. H. JOHNSON."—"P.S. My chil-
dren ere scattered about, and also my goods, and no hi use
for myself." The envelope was addrereed Mr. B. Johoson,
Piccadilly, and bore the poet mark of Nov. 2.3, 1861.
REDUCTION OP COLLIERS' WAC IN.—PATEN:4Y X
STRIKE IN LANCASHIRE—At most of the collieries is
the Oldham, Ashton, and Middleton districts, the men
have received notice of a reduction of Yd. is the
la. upon engine coal. Notice of this redaction
having, in some cases, been given a fortnight
shin, the men have left their work, and already there are
above 1,000 men on strike in the above districts. It is,
however, expected that this number will be greatly in-
craned by the cud of the present week, when the notice
expires at several extensive collieries; and should the ern-
ployen adhere to their resolution to reduce the wages of
the men, there will, in all probability, be upwards of 2,000
colliers on strike before the end of the week.
ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL, GRAY'S-INN-ROAD.—Tho
number of p•tients relieved at this hospital, during the
week ending Nov. 23, 1861, was 2,770, of which 630 were
I new CLOS.