The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-03-08 00:00:00

man of the board of directors, presided,

Amongst the

directors present we noticed Theodore W. Rathbone,
Esq., David Hodgson, Esq., and George Grant, Esq., of

this town.

The report of the directors was submitted, and read
by the secretary. Mr. S. E. Bolden.
The Chairman, iu moving the adoption of the report
said, it afforded very great satisfaction to the directors,
at being able to congratulate the shareholders on the
continued success of this line of railway. If they would

look at the dividends on other lines, they would find that
the Lancaster and Carlisle line was paying a better

dividend than any other line in the kingdom. With res-
pect to the last half year, they had compared tie
receipts and expenditure with the corresponding half
year of 1854, which was the most prosperous half year
this company had experienced. In the half year ending
January, 1854, the receipts were 163,4001., whilst in the

half year ending with January, 1856, the receipts were
159,1491. There was thus a difference of between 3,0001.

or 4,000/., that was to say, that the half year of 1854 showed

an excess of upwards of 3000 t over the half year just

ended, but it must, be borne in mind that as regarded the
year 1854, it was over estimated for the mails, owing to
the arbitration not eventually giving the same sum to:Alia

company for carrying the mails that Sir James Graham
had previously put down, so that in 1854, there was enly
a real excess over the last half year of 1;5001., 1854 being,
as he had already observed, such an unusually successful
half year. Then with regard to the expenditure;
"the

total expenditure for the tall* year, ending January 1854,
appeared to have been 67,8001, whilst the expenditure for
the half-year just ended was 69,7401., shewing an excess of
2,0001. But it also appeared that the rates and taxes in
the half-year ending 1854 came only to 1,2451., whereas in
the half-year, just ended they amounted to 2,3191., making

,
a difference of 1,1001., in addition to which the sum of
1,0001. had, during the last half-year, been incurred by the
Carnforth accident. He would add that in the half-year

ending with January. 1854, the amount of the dividend
paid to the shareholders was .54,2161., 'and that was
when they were paying at the rate of 8 per cent. per
annum. The sun they now proposed to pay amounted to

53,9001., there was, therefore, only a difference of 3161.
which was a very small amount indeed. As to

the accounts, complaints had been made to him by a
London proprietor, that the statement of weekly
revenue did not correspond with the act ual receipts of the
week. In explanation of this, the chairman stated that
the fault rested with the " clearing house,'' and the directors

had adopted a plan to prevent the discrepancy in fu' ure.
Some time ago, there was a very serious dispute going on
among the railway companies in the south, and it would,
had it continued, very prejudicially have affected the
interests of this company. There was also a war going
ou in the north between the Caledonian, and the Edin-
burgh and Glasgow companies. The directors were,
however, happy to learn that in both cases the differences
had been arranged. There was nothing that injured rail-
way property so much as strife amongst different com-
panies; and, on the other hand, nothing was more advan-
tageous than peace. He, therefore, congratulated the
shareholders of this company, on the cessation of hostili-
ties between the respective parties. There was one very
scrim's point, indeed, mentioned in the report, to which
he desired to call the attention of the share-
holders. Ile alluded to the expiration of their loco-
motive contract with the London and North Western
company. He was one of those who thought that
that contract, which had been in existence between
nine and ten years had worked beneficially for them, but he
was sorry to say that though they had employed a very active
committee. they had not succeeded in obtaining such terms
for a renewal of the contract as the circumstances and posi-
tion of this company seemed to warrant; and he therefore
thought it would be necessary that the shareholders should
furnish the directors with the means for working the line
themselves. Whether they would be able to work it as
cheaply as it had hitherto been worked under the contract
with the London and North Western company, time would
show. No doubt the directors would endeavour
to work as cheaply as they could, but he
confessed that he was not prepared to say that they
would be able to work it cheaper; on the contrary, he
thought not. Nevertheless, they now seemed to have no
alternative but to make the attempt. With respect to the
bill now before Parliament, promoted by the " hula North
Western," Company he might observe that the directors of
this company were not anxious to have any fight in Par-
liament ; but as the little North Western Company sought
to set aside a solemn contract, and, inasmuch as they also

sought for powers to run over the Lancaster
and Carlisle line, he felt with the directors,
that it was their duty to prevent, if possib'e,
that bill from being carried. The only other
point to which he wished to allude was, the subject named
in the report as regarded the accounts. The directors thought
it would be prudent to appoint an active committee to act
in conjunction with the auditors for the purpose of looking
closely into the accounts. It was not that the directors
for one moment thought that the accounts were not correct,
but they had considered that they might perhaps be kept in
a more satisfactory form. They knew that the accounts were
honestly kept, and, therefore, it was not on that ground
that the committee was appointed, but they desired that the
accounts might be thrown into a more intelligible form. In
coneusion, the chairman said that, no set of men could work
more harmoniously together than they did as directors.
They had a common object in view, which was the best in-
terests of this railway, not minding how much trouble they
gave themselves, so that they advanced the interests of the
company. He moved that the report and statement of
accounts now read be received and adopted.
Mr. Henry Howard, of Greystock Castle, Penrith,
deputy chairman of the board, seconded the motion.
Dr. Cowan, of London, in a speech of considerable
length, reviewed the relations of the company with the
London and North Western Cmpany, which he designated
as one-sided, and prejudicial to the interests of this com-
pany. He next adverted to the capital account, and ex-
pressed his strong wish to have it closed. The directors
had wisely abstained from all amalgamation, and on that
ground, amongst others, if any line could close its capital
account it was the Lancaster and Carlisle Company. He
then dwelt at considerable length on the general manage-
ment of the c )mpany, and after complaining of the present
system of audit, which might be improved, he concluded by
moving the appointment of a committee to enquire into all
abuses, to take into consideration the future management of
the company, and to enter into negociations with the London
and North Western Company, and that after the dividend
had been declared the present meeting be adjourned in
order to receive the report of the committee.
The motion, not having been seconded, fell to the
ground.
The Rev. J. Shepherd Birley complained of the meetings
being held at Liverpool instead of at Lancaster or Carlisle,
in the neighbourhood of which towns the great body of the
share holders resided.
The Chairman, in explanation, said that the directors
had carefully considered the point, and had arrived at the
conclusion that Liverpool was the most desirable place at
which to hold the meetings, in consequence of so many
shareholders residing in Liverpool and south of it.
The Rev. Mr. Birley complained of the report not
having been sooner placed in the hands of the shareholders,
and said it was impossible for them to come to a satisfactory
vote upon it, having only now for the first time heard it
read.

Mr. Gillow, of Liverpool, and several other shareholders
also complained of the meeting being held in Liverpool
instead of Lancaster, and a long discussion followed, in
which the appointment of a committee, to confer with the
directors, was suggested. The directors repudiated such a
committee as tantamount to a want of confidence.
The report and accounts were ultimately adopted ; and,
on the motion of the chairman, seconded by the deputy
chairman, the directors were authorised to raise the sum of
£300,000, for the purpose of erecting workshops, securing
locomotive engines, carriages and plant for the working
the traffic of the line.
After the usual vote of thanks to the chairman, the
meeting broke up, having lasted upwards of three hours.

DETENTION IN A NUNNERY.

An application was made to Mr. Justice Crompton, at
the Judges' Chambers, on Tuesday last, by,Mr. Cook
Evans, the barrister for a writ of habeas corp
of King the mother of MAn
!.i.sn nwbhooh,
it
f
waMs ary
suosed,, was now detainedar in y the Norwood Nun -
pp
(who is a Roman
nary. The affidavit of the mother
Catholic) stated, that when her husband died in 1850, she
consented to place her child, then ten years of age, in
the Nunnery at Norwood for two years. That she had
been in the habit of seing her child from time to time,
but when the two years had expired, there was an intl_
mation of her being sent abroad, to which the mother
strongly objected, and the child said she had no wish to
go away from her mother; a request was then made
to allow the child to remain six months longer, and to
which the mother consented. The child after that saw
her mother always in the presence of a nun, and at length,
when the mother began to express her determination to
take her child home, she was only allowed to see her child
through a lattice work or grating ; and at length the
mother was refused to see her daughter at all. The latter
end of last year, the mother met one of the priests, and
asked him concerning her daughter, and the priest
informed her that her child had been sent to France.
The mother in great distress of mind applied to a magis-
trate, but he said that he could not assist her. The mother
was then recommended to apply to her attorney Mr.
Clarke, who went with her to the convent and demanded
her daughter. The nuns replied that she was not there,
but had been sent to Paris twelve months previously, and
in reply to questions the nuns said they neither knew
where she was, how she went, who took her, or to whose
care she was confided, nor did they keep any registry of
the sending away ofgirls from the nunnery. Mr. Cook Evans
urged that if this habeas corpus was not effectual the law
of this country was a complete blank. His lordship
granted the writ, and which he made returnable at hie
chambtro on Monday Dud,

MR. EWART'S VOTE ON
MOTION.

MR. MUNTZ'

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES

Dear Sir,—l observe in your paper of yesterday some

remarks relative to my vote on Mr. Muntz's motion. I am,
arid have long been, in favour of a relaxatioti of ear present
monetary system, considering the Bank Act of 1844 toe
stringent in its character. But Ido not agree with Mr.
Muntz in his general views on the Currency; and as h.
would, necessarily, be the chairman of the committee, I
could not sanction, by my vote, the particular objects of
which he has always been the strong advocate, and which
he would naturally endeavour to enforce.

Among the majority you will find the names of many
members entertaining the same opinions which I do ; and
who were, no doubt, influenced by the same reasons for
voting against the motion.—Yours, &c.
64, Pall-Mall, London, 6th March

J. C. &WART.

TRADE REPORT.-FRIDAY.