The Express.
London, England, 1861-08-17 00:00:00

I.,)NDON AND NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY.

Thi• nport of the diresti.rs, to he submitted to
the prornctors at the half.yearly general mertitc to be
leld ou the 23rd met., has just tree issued. The directors
✓egret the necessity of havieg to propose to the shareholders '
a reduction of the rate of dividend : they believe, however,
Wt many of the mesas of this decline are of an exception:if
diaracter, awl that as such they will only le temporary in
their operation. The eafavourable result of the half-year's
workiog is to he ettrabated partly to the depressed Mdi of
trade, but mainly to the unprecedented severity of the
weather its the early part of the half-year, which gerionsly
Wetted all railway.. but more especially the hoes of lb.
eteamny, on which in many fast mail anti expems trains are
*sea. Prerantineary measures were taken ;by arrangement
with other rampasien the speed of the traits was redo vid
as far as practicable ; the staff in every department com
meted with the working of the traits and the
permanent vise was increased at great additional 'i-
potesi. The Post-ollke Audios itimrecogaiimg the ex-
ceptional nature of the rue, promptly acceded, so
far as the ezigearies of the public ...twice would admit, to
an 'stem...a of the time appointed for the mail trains ; that
relmatioe, however, proved wholly imuflicieet to meet the
einergeocy, and heavy losses molted from the failimi.uodor
Me totems frost, of axle., tires, mid other parts of the
workieg Meek. The trait receipts were, at the yam time,
aoid from the sum cease, very prejudnaily affected The
lonil trot& has bee, oa the whole. satisfactory ; but daring
W laths poetics of the bell year lb* genera teceipts have
soffead serious dismantles from the depremed state of llto
trade with Ameba% aPeciollY that d London, Staf-
fordshire, Manithester, aid the tumelacturiag dis-
tracts of Yorkshire. The receipts% oil the Caster and
Holyhead section show as
harems. but eh the Lascaseer
sad Carlo)* they have bees stationery, while the
sprites, especially ie the maiatemaise sad renewal
of the pernmeest way, have iemeased Hods, sock
eareenieleame, the workieg captain messearily compare
Waymire/ay with the Gennep ; but the hoard is meg
misty endgame: to reduce them, so far as is cossistent
with timelines% workieg of the hoe, mid the prates-tins of
the traffic Diaries the past six mouths the somber of
pammars. and tom of goods carried, and of train miles
as. se compared with the ling peeled of bas
hem:— 6,. ; 4=1,902 ;
'striae. 175,443; goods mid minerals, IWO, 4,270,172
Mee; 1011. 1.26X,1G5 tom; decrees., go,OK ; asthma, of
truism 18114. 3,549,956 miles ; 1861, 3,1146,MM
Wise ; increase, 3117,016 ; mdeige of goods Maim IMO,
assoksyg miles ; 1511, 3,ritira,SLl notes ; lames.",
The eggesseret with the South ntaffortialiirai Compaq has
lege sompleted fry a settlenisret with the lewee, under
Much all quaeims, the alma of arbitration, were wrah.
dram. ee payment el the suns of 1111,0111 M. 7d.. M-
elodies the leases iitinst .4 the seem Wm of 11 years
la the agreement known as the " Your seermall."
Aet• have hiss passed by psrliamet, on the ep s l on of
compeay :—Yoe the coostraction of ham M te North
Decks, Liverpool. for imprewieg the statism MOM tows,
mad fee shertisieg tie mote between then poet and London
and the south by moms of a amine the Mosey at
Memos Gap ; for a lime through party and Tyldielsy te
Wigan ; f..r • line reenacting the Whaley-bridge sad Musics
district* with the Warned,* mid Rockport line at Tim.
prim sal also for short breaches horn Chelfonl to !islets-
fend, sad from Wiawick to Colherair ; for extending the
=lorigteally posted to the Ch m}l Chester a' ois head
ey in connecting with steam-riessels, and for pto-
main station accommodation at North Wall.
The required provisions I. raped to acconmodatuai
M Hartoo.opini•Treat have bees ;Maimed by ar-
mem mesa with the Midland Itadway Company.
la csnying out the worts authorised by the seta of last
memo, the board will proceed only At such penal. and is
ma* mariner as. epos careful t.msider.ii•in, they may deem
meet matlectre to the interests of the i.o.Friefers. A. resards
hills antruduciel by otiose companies sncctieg the iotermts of
the Val/ fi key the reamed appliratial f.r a bill jointly with
W :reef Northers sad Stu feeld Companies, was afghans's,
m we. also the hill for a het from fade.. to Bredftni. The
promoted l.y the North London Colima,' fur posits to
warn their bee hose Camden to Kim:flood, end for an ed.
Mama u. Liverponictrest, City, with a coeds depot for the
me of this comma,' at that Point, bare men's(' the
mast. The proposed Leedom Buckinghamshire, sad Cis
Midas I scheme was withibuni by srmniconeet between
(;oral Waters sad Wait Midland Coeimaite.
The Newcastle, Lierweets and Weardale Mill, which world
here glees this company aceas to Newcastle, Wed
Ilartlepool, awl the Coconut mining and moutectartag
district on the earthamt 00•14. passed the doom of Coon.
noon; bat failed in die committee of the Homy of Lardy.
As appluntion to amalsasrte the Mont,* and Derlingtoe,
Meth Durham. and a Valley Railways, was rejected
by a committee of the House of Comboos. and the directors
fuel mound that no father rairaldestion of asterism in that
datr.tt will he sanctioned by parliament. without, at the
mm. time. leonine* hen* made for the traffic to and from
the .rsteo f this compeer being fully serommutlated
fur tern.. The Vale of Clwyd Commay Minim intro-
deco' a 101 l for objects similar tett**. sought to be effected
by toils of the peeriess session, parliameut again Mewled
Ur mom powers in favour of this company. Ultimately
W ill woo modified by mutual consent, and the tisk
of Snorter parliamentary eeriest hss been avoided,
.111 agranneet for woricieg and loam of the
Vats of Clwyd line on terms Similar to than
was/ VI hot year. With the some object a Made gra
mme Me hem entered into with the extmeson dim from
.4=to Crown. Acts hare bees mimed for lines him
elt te Market Demons, from Whitchurch eu Oases-
try. awl from Void to Deml.igh ; also An act conteioieg
pormisaire iwwere for vesting the Nt. Ileorge's Harbour
Reilarey in this company. Th. lanraahire awl Yorkshire
Lamm Compaq hare untamed power, to contract a line