The Express.
London, England, 1868-01-06 00:00:00

FOREIGN MAILS.

DESPATCH or CALCUTTA AND CHINA MAIL..—
SOUTHAMPTON, JAN. 4.—The Peninsular and Oriental
Company. steamship Syria, Captain Christian, sailed
hence this afternoon, with mails for Gibraltar, the Hub-
terranean, Egypt, Aden, Ceylon, Calcutta, and China. She
took ont9B passengers, and ageneral cargo,including—gold,
6711. 10s. ; dollars, 10,645/. ; and gold thread, watches,
and jewellery, 1,6911.
SOUTHAMPTON, Jaw. 4.—The Hamburg Ame-
rico Company's steamship Bavaria, Captain Meyer, sailed
this afternoon with mails, pseesevre, and cargo for New
Orleans direct. The steamship Teeter& is daily expected
from New Orleans, with a large cargo and 87,000 dollars in
speak for London and Paris. The North Osmnan Lloyd
steamer Union, Captain von Sautes, is expected on Monday,
with New York mails of the 26th ultimo. The Hamburg
American Company's steamer Olmbria, Captain Trautman,
is expected on Wednesday, with mails from New York to
the tith ultimo. The Peninsular and Oriental Company's
steamer Pen, Captain Jamieson, with the heavy Bombay
mails. is due on the Mb inst
CALCUTTA, CHINA, AND AUSTRALIAN MAILS.—
ALEXANDRIA, JAN. 4.—The Ripon and liassllla sailed at
5 p.m. to-day. The former may be expected at Marseilles
on the 10th, and the latter at Southampton about the
17th inst.
OCTWARD AMERICAN MAIL. QUIRNSTOWN,
JAN. 6.—The Royal Mail steamship Australasian arrived
here at 9.30 s.m. to-day. She embarked 60 sacks of mails,
passengers, and telegrams, and proceeded for New York at
3.30 p.m. All well.
Quzamerows, JAN. s.—The Cunard extra steam-
ship Tarifa, from New York, arrived here at 10.20 a.m.
to-day, with 82 passengers. She landed pemengen and
despatches, and prooseled fee Liverpool at 10.30 a.m.
All well.

---
SHOCK or AN EARTRQUARIS IN SOMEESET.
About ten minutes past 5 o'clock oa Saturday morning
last • shock of an earthquake was observed in the valley
of the Parrett, between Langport and Stoke-sub-Hamdon.
At Martock a low rumbling noise was heard, which lasted
for a few seconds, and beds and houses simultaneously
shook. At Tintinhull and Stoke-sub-Hanackm the shock
was felt, the noise being described ss similar to something
flying rapidly past the windows. At East Lambrook the
houses were shaken, and people were awoke by the rattling
of the glass and of the furniture in their bedrooms. At
Seavingtou the postman dietinntly heard the shock, which
resembled a train passing the house at full speed. At
Compton, South Fetherton, the shock was felt by several
persons, and one woman was so much frightened that she
either fell or rolled out of bed. At Muchelney and Sings-
bury, near Langport, people were awoke by the rattling of
lamps and windows. The morning was fine and treaty,
with no wind. There bas been a rumour circulated in the
county during the peat weak that the Fenisas had visited
Yeovil, and :eft • barrel of gunpowder at the railway
station. Several persons at Tintinhall upon hearing the
noise imagined she gunpowder had exploded. This will
give some idea of the mature of the shook.
Bartiorm ILLWina or Loan JUSTICE BOLT.—Some
anxiety has been produced in the neighbourhood of Wot-
ton Underedge, in consequence of its becoming known
that on gatirdsy Sir John Holt bad bees seined, at his
seat Osiewerth-park, with very serious indisposition. The
seizure, which was in the nature of a St, created great
alarm in his lordship's household, and messengers were
dempatehed fee the family medical atteadent, Dr. Ballast,
who was promptly in atteridsnes. A telegram was
despatched- for Dr. Symonds, of Clifton, Bristol, in the
tonne As evening, and he posted to Oaleerreth from
the Chardeld station of the
_MidLad Bellamy, sad a sea-
=Batten was held. The to inquirMs yesterday
morning were that his liseiritip. @Monet still seriously
111, was a trifle better.
HOISPITAL sou Osausawas.—Ths inmates ci
this charity were milestdaed an Saturday night as their
home is Gress Ormsailianst, with tia anal Now
Yeses fedhltiss. Tbs member at abLdrsa la somewhat
in samasle Wad Weser, bet ell minim* obis to share
fa the were press* sat stay • *masa.
laugh was bassi ail dr emit seams which the sues
baits% the abed of lids, and sew seywessats afforded
them. Kr. Cream sa Yds, so sa Odra socaskas, supplied
the alastsimmassaamilsadr.

allatCrilaottfir, aff-iriaWS &itidwnea
of 'mist observers, could only be accounted for by
*awes to be sought for in the actual condition of
the railway itself. The movement ocatineed ;
and lest week the ordinary stook of the Coin-
peal sold for as little as 69. A lees serious lom'
than this might well move shareholders to demmad
an inquiry into the state of their property, ark
accordingly, a few months ago Mr. Tnoies•
RICILIMION, Mr. Worms Biuza, and Mr.
Wilaram firms of Glasgow, and Mr. Cilantro
Cowrie, of Edinburgh, were appointed a Coss`
mittes of Inquiry. These gentlemen, three of whom
are merchants and the fourth an actuary, have
gone thoroughly into the accounts of the lest two
years, personally examining the books, and exa-
mining the auditors and officials of the Company,
besides availing themselves of the assistanse of
eminent professional men to report both on the
accounts of the Company andits material property,
the permanent way and rolling stock. The result
shows that, apart from fluctuations in market I
value and adverse operations of the Stock Ex-
change, there were goodgrounds for the demand for
an investigation, and that it has not taken place
a moment too soon. On the other hand, the
Report, while exposing much that is =-
justifiable in the past policy of the directors, and
in particular an erroneous and delusive method in
dealing with the account'', establishes in a most
ilictory manner the inherent soundness of the

re p Perty-
To begin with the accounts, and with the ques-
tion now uppermost in the mind of every share-
holder : Have the dividends been fairly entered f
The answer must be—No ; very far from it. The
Accountants show that in the Caledonian Railway
Company capital has been debited with expendi-
ture which ought to have been charged to revenue,
which, on the other band, has been over-credited.
The Committee, after allowing seine charges
against capital which the Accountants had rejected,
still find that the deductions which ought to be
made from Revenue, and the additional charges
Irtifett etrght-trebe -mule against it, amount, for
the two years under review, to 207,6801. The
total deficiency on revenue account during those
years is, according to the Accountants, 301,8201.
The Committee make some considerable deductions
from this sum, which reduce it to 200,2671.,
and this sum, added to the deficiency applicable
to the period prior to 31st July, 1866, gives a
total of 312,7031. improperly paid in dividends
to the Shareholders. The Committee's judgment,
as it affects the excess of dividend, may be thus
stated :

17(tar ending July Year ending
1866. July 1867.

Dividend as distributed
by the directors £7 7 6 pr. et. £5 17 6 pr. et.
Dividendaetuelly aimed 62 0 „ 218 2 „

Excess ive payment to
sbareholden E2 5 6 „ £219 4 „
The calculations on which these conclusions area
based, and the principles of railway finance which
have been applied in assigning expenditure to
capital and revenue, and capital respectively, will of
course be well considered by the shareholders, and'
may not improbably be challenged by the directors,
whose administration is thus impugned. It is to
be observed, however, that the Committee have
been leas strict in their judgment upon them
matters than the Accountants, and that their de-
liverance is that of gentlemen interested in the
remunerative character of the line.
It is pleasant to turn from this painful laxity to
that part of the Committee's report which deals
with the Railway as an estate to be maenad, and
• machine to be worked. The working of the
line, the Committee have satisfied themselves, is
in good hands. The permanent way, and the
works generally, are in good order, and have been
efficiently and economically maintained. The
authoritative opinion of Mr. Hawirsa•w is, that
with such exception as may be taken to the state
of the Scottish North Eastern Section and four
small branches of the Scottish Central Division,
" the lines of the Caledonian system are equal in
" condition to the best of our English railways."
The rolling stock, again, is ample, a result, how-
ever, to which a false principle of finance has con-
tributed. The efficiency of the stock is in great
manure due to the addition, during the last four
years, of new engines, when a sounder policy
would have adapted or replaced the old. But the
new engines might be, and were, paid for out of
capital, whereas repair or replacement of the old
ones must have been charged to revenue.
The recommendations of the Committee have re-
ference to placing capital and revenue in a truer
relation to each other, not accepting the results of
past errors, but, as far as practicable, reforming
them ; to the establishment of a more thorough
and responsible system of audit ; to the abandon-
meet of all works which can be relinquished
without evident injury to the undertaking ; to the
substitution of agreements with other companies
for disastrous competition and rivah7 ; and as a
security for the adoption of a better policy, a re-
construction of the Board of Directors. Of these
recommendations, the first mentioned is of most
immediate interest to that large class of share-
holders who depend upon dividends se an
exclusive or principal source of income.
We have seen that the lowest sum et which the
amount erroneously paid to the shareholders in
the shake of dividends eau be taken 312,703i.
Of this sum the Canatitase propose 112,4881.,
the deficiency which existed in July, 1865, when
the Company was reconstructed, be recognised as a
charge to capital ; that 98,2281., the balance re-
maining at the credit of the premium account, be
tesniferred to the credit of the deficiency ; and,

• - - - . -
Darviouar 4tnir 091101128427021.
At the himentimaltellie polimeaourt tisitsodayi
be the i t • lerallreo
Mk having, es Moll* December, been el
I aad indecent babas/car ia parish shore St Mel-
• 71•120Pelais, dating the Warne. Divine
j vise mem ; boisigussluded eml dialectal
Rm. Mr. RodweDe Me erstne, be I=l:miliiii2
slithighei ffissibir tiff Ohne with bming
diellebta the IMMitt dining the administrate' of
the Ihereasent el limarcel's hipper. _
the lartieter, inieralied toy Mr. Bronco.
pr
octor ler- the lesglish Church Union, appeared for the
weepisbeal ; sod Mr. Matte, solicitor (of Messrs. Pra-
ctised seneelleitei, comblien the defense.
Mr. libielNies=ff the proceeding, mid this was a
salor the Ecclesiastical Courts
riluelleriolimlld. AMOY, 'lad and 24th Vilest* the Rind
et whin' Anted that pious .+ mouldLa
0111; el rielons, violent,
le t bawl= in any
sernhell Owe of er holed, or
who doing the milesikm el shall& ash*
aeWb. vizor leen& moseber duly asnimisoil to
mesa thsr*t. shed& co camielise thereof be liable to a
manly of sot more than SL, or to • period el issmisen-
meit net asalisailig Mrs menthe. It was mealy to the
an" aI the people of this coning that very seldom
larked was
as prosecution instituted under the statute.
Ts• &kraut was shoved with nioleillne mid digkeAidli
the Rev. Mr. Bodeen. rector and preacher of St. Reim
; begs, in this City, and it was worthy of observation, that
' , the defendant we. sot cee of the parishioners of St. Ethel-
Wm', hat that be came to this amok for no other par-
pose- this' that of disturbing and annoying the
tics by violent and indecent cannot, and he =riot
help IMMIMg that • more minialons disregard of the
clesswasem of religioa in • soiled community than that
whisk he should prom to-day had never been brought
Were a esart at justice.
Three inteseses were summed for the prosention. No
wilseems eme oalled fa the defence.
Mr. Collette then &clamed the court at some length
and in the flat instance contended that the defendant bad
ere intentios purposely to disturb the ernes. Ha was a
member of the church of England, and hearing that the
services in this church attracted some attention be came
to it es any other person bad • right to do, and *II that he
did ma to cough owe or twee ; and eves Mr. Rodwell
admitted that during the communion hie conduct was very
respectful. As to the coughing, he was positively in-
that redly the imam got into his throat and
ma▪
de him cough, (Laughter.) A very short time had
elapsed since the summonses had been served, and U an
adjournment were granted he believed that witnesses
might be obtained to prove that • great deal of what was
represented to have taken place did not occur, but it ap-
peared to him that the evidence was so. very slight that
the magistrate would not convict.
The Lard Mayor said be wandered that the CYO had
been amply proved, and
Mr. Sleigh then celled Mr. Scott, • schoolmaster from
St. Matthias Chareh, Stoke Newington, who proved that
during the last 12 months the defendant had been re-
peatedly at that church and had acted in a similar manner.
Mtn( remesutrated with him and urged him, as a Chris-
WPM gentleman, to desist, but he refused to do so, and I
stated that his determination was to express he disgust of
the whole affair.
The lord Mayor, in conformity with the statute, ordered
the defendant to be imprisoned for • period of one month.
Mr. Collette was about to urge the Lord Mayor to in-
flict • fine, when
Mr. Sleigh interposed, and said he was instructed by
Mr. Rodwell, in • feeling of Christian spirit, having re-
tarsio.r.trago:slinc":PecefuletZtrt:dmittalto preen,
The Lard Mayor sendine would yield to. the application
on receiving the solemn promise of the defendant sever
to repeat the offence. He should fine him 5/. and costs.
The defendant gave the required promise, and the fine
and costa, 101. ss. in all, were then paid.