The Express.
London, England, 1850-05-17 00:00:00

GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.

Yesterday sa adjourned spatial meeting of the
ekonholdere ens held at the Peddington terminus for the
purpose of taking into consideration the report of the com-
mittee of consultation appointed by the proprietors in the
outman of last year, in which were recommended, &unapt
other things, a wend reduction of salaries, and a oonsolithi-
teat of mortals of ce. in the witablishmoot. The chair was
taken at 1 o'clock by Mr. C. Russell. The actin convenor
the meeting having bees read by Ma secretary,
The CHAIRMAN said the onaidention of the report of
the committee had been adjourned on two separate own-
nen, and ha desired now to urge on the monies
the necessity of waning tea anal decision; with this
remark he should have been contented to sit down,
but Mr. Williams having addressed • letter to the
directors, and that letter having' bees adopted
by two other members of the committee (Mr. Withers and
Mr. Gladstone), the direeton felt it be due, not only to those
gentlemen, hot to themeless and the proprietors, that ha
should nuke • tow observations, To the imputation that
be had abruptly acid unfairly dissolved the last meeting, he
should make no further answer then by appealing to the
proprietors, whether on the occasion refined to, or on the
any other otomins that he had occupied the chair (and
daring 13 years he had
hoer)—he had ever offered the slightest obstacle or inter-
ruption to the fullest and fairest discussion ; and whether, if
he had erred at all, It had not been in permitting a laxity
cot quite oculaistent with regularity and order. (Cheers.)
The observation which Mr. Williams had desired to
maks at the last meeting were now in print, and
to him (the antennae) they cooly appeared to be
extracts from the hon. proprietor's own words in his own re
port. (Hear, hear.) Some I. f the suggestions of that report
had already been adopted, all of them had been considered,
and where there had been any difference of opinion between
the committee and the directors, the proprietors had had lull
opportunity of deciding between them. He hoped the in-
formation which the proprietors now portend with regard
to the salaries bad sate o Red them that the directors had not
been so careless or extravagant iu peat tintes,or so improvident
with regard to the future, as had been represented. Toter had
felt it die to the officers of the company net merely to state
the ineresee of salary which had been made loon time to
time, but also to explain the increased duties which had
devolved upon them. In effect, between the recommenda-
tions of the committee and than of the board of
directors as regarded the reduction of salaries there
was no tomtit' difference ; spread over a number of fears
whatever difference existed wee rather in favour of the reale
of the directory. The directors had prepared three nsolu-
Seas, which he would sow read to the meeting, and which
would be submitted by him on their behalf :
That the report of the directors, dated the lath April, presented in
pomace of • resolution of the last half-yearly meeting, with respect
to the reatentnendsUons of the ennimime of eortsultrtion, be now
tubes fans coasideration, and that the scale recommended by tae
board ix the
he wed pa
adopted. t persons uthe employment of the company
That the said repot of the directors be adopted, and the mom-
neaudadoes of the comotleise of consultation modified or confirmed
theeeby be meted Into erect, and that the thanks of the proprte-
tofe roes to that cmysittee upon the terminatioa of their

That this meeting also °moors in and adopts the opinion expressed
is the same report as to the proper number of directors to 0011Slitlite
the bend .1 management of this undertaking. and as to the proprie-
tors' retaining in their own hands the p twee al readyc• nferred by law
either to reject or re-elect, as they may think be.t for the interests
at the company, any director at the time of his retirement by
rotation.

He conehtded by moving the adoption of the fleet retolu-
ties in the above aeries.

Mr. GRIFFITHS having asked for information with
regard to the cironmstancts under which Mr. Saunders's
salary had been reduced,
The CHAIRMAN said that when the redaction was first
proposed the directors remonstrand against it as an act of
injustice and impolicy. In that state of thing', Mr. Baun-
den, with that liber..l feeling which he had always evinced,
made it a personal request to the board that they would not
allow the amount of his salary to be a grcund of difference
between themselves and the CO:Maine* of consultation.
(Hear, hear.) The directors had not divested themselves of
the right to restore Mr. Saunders's salary to what it bad
been, if that wan considered desirable.

Mr. SAUNDERS said that as the matter was one per-
sonal to hinwele, he begged that it might be distinctly
understood that be neither claimed as • right, nor did he
desire to be paid one farthing mon than the 1,5001 a year
which he had consented to receive, not volnatarily, but
ander • restraint which be would not espial's. He refund
to volunteer a reduction of his salary, for three reasons,
which he noted at the time, and would now repeat. In the
first place, he would not do so because it woull have been
an admission on his part that he had been overpaid, which
he did sot think was the fact ; secondly, he would not do
so because he thought it would lead to a reduction in the
salary of other cflicers, which he thought would be moat
ispotitie, most unwise, and moat unfair. (Interruption,
amen and Moen) He heard a hiss. Was that the reward
of a man who had laboured as be had does ? Happily he
klieg cot the person from whom that hiss proceeded. He
certainly was not ashamed of anything that he had done,
and he ought not to be received in that manner. (Hear,
hear,) He had stated two reasons why he had refund to
make • voluntary ocr of reduction in his salary. The
third was, that if he had done so be could never have been
at liberty to quit the company's service, which he had had
many opportunities of doint,. (Hear, hear.) In conclusion,
be begged to say that be w<uld yield most implicitly to the
decision of the meeting. (Cheers.)

Mr. W. WILLIAMS the chairman of the consultation I
committee, reminded this meeting that the committee was '
appointed at the suggestion of the directors themselves, in
consequence of the dividend having been reduced to 4 per •
cent., and that the inquiry was intended to include every
branch of the concern. lie n proceeded to recapitulate
in detail the various items of expenditure inveaticated by the
committee. In 1848 the directors themselves made the happy
discovery that it was possible to dr.-et a saving of 25,8001.
a.year; and is 1849, the dividends having continued to de-
cline in the interval, they set about considering what further
reductions could be made ; and +Mid the committee was
conducting their inquiry, 98 persons were discharged, whose
united salaries amounted to 7,2101. The company had 17
superior officers, whose salaries per anween amounted in the
aggregate to 10,0301 The great sin of the committee in the eye,
of the board consisted in their having recommended a redaction
of the salaries of those superior officers; though the chairman
himself had said that as honourable men they shield, as a
company, disdain to reduce the salaries of the porters and of
the lower classes of servants. First, the committee proposed
to reduce the salary of Mr. Saunders, the secretary, from ,
2,0001. to 1,5001. a year ; that of Mr. Gooch, the head of the
locomotive department, from 1,0001. to 8001.; that of Mr.
Seymour Clarke, the head of the traffic department, from
9001. to 6001. a year. These reductions amounted to 1,0001.
The reductions in nine minor officer, amounted to 5801. So
that all the reductions which the committee of consultation •
proposed amounted to 1,5801. in 144,10001. In the
course of their inquiries the committee did not find that
any of the servants of the company were overworked.
It having been soloed that many valuable servants of the
'outplay were about to leave It. service, be (Mr. Williams)
wrote to the secretary on the 10th of April, requesting to be
furnished with the names 01 those who had determined on
taking that step. The secretary then declined to answer
without consulting the directors. On the previous day,
however, he had written to inform him that Mr. Seymour
Clarke, the superintendent of the London %relic, and Mr.
Sturroek, the superintendent at Swindon, had accepted sp-
poiatments from the Great Northern Company, and that
Mr. Frederick Clarke, the superintendent at Bristol, bac
accepted ea office from the South Wales Company. (Hear.)
As regarded Mr. &soden he did not deny that that geode-
, man bad worked very hard in carrying bilk through whit-
meat ; but what had the company got by it ? (Hear, brew.)
They had sustained a los of sway millions through the SOD-
OM of Mr. Saundra' exertions (Hitar„bear.) Considering
the present condition of the company, sad the relative
of the office, of the oempany is she proprietors, and
considering further the great redaction which had taken
place in the one of the nesesearlea of life, the committee
had
dtalglathy
iceeddoreeLhttkeTtetioteseytaid:wobecmtiaiusintimonmat:philliadilitoema oat.
wanwt the
he
ether
il, oonrsa
• sa swp
course o:hf a a
theirct h; ha
and
st i
returns
et tvictorythe
of the salad's paid totheir officers. (Cries of " Name.")
The reams were obtained eoalidenUally. (Oh, oh) He
would give the name' to any ten "enthuses whom the
cede As regarded Mr. Gooch, the coin-
rttelete• flat that gentleman, after having presided at
one time over 1,800 men, tad under him then only 600 men,
and that he resided in London. (Hear, hear.) He had
nothing to say in disparagement of Mr. goy moue Clarke, but
he doubted not that an efficient person might be found to
supply hie place. There vete at present throe managers,—
one at Louden, one it Swindon, and one at Bristol and it
appeared reasooable that the three offices should be con.
sob dated into two. The head of the carriage department,
Mr. Gibson, had 3001. a year in that opacity, end 1001. a
year for the superintendence of the maintenance of way down
to Maidenhead. It was thought by the committee that the
whole of this maintenance of way should be managed by
persona in Mr. Htuners department. The directors pro.
posed to have a new officer—• superintendent of the traffic
department, with a eteximun salary of 1,3001. a year, unless,
indeed, the office were given to It,. Saunders, in order to
' mate kis salary 2,0001. Thry also propoeed another row
offitiet, to be called " the estate clerk," at a salary of 4001.
rat.
lir. BERNARD, of Bristol, said Mr. Williams bad

emitted to notice the aolutsiont of Mr. Rs), to as offine
under Mr. Gooch, at 4MI. • year.
The CHAIRMAN said Mr. Ray had not been appointed ;
the direeton outemplated appointing him to supply the
created by the retirement of Mr. Sturreek.
Mr. WILLIAMS concluded by moving se an aisimadmetat
the adoption of the stale of salaries proposed by the come-
An Het. PROPRIETOR seesaded the sassidossut.
Mr. DICialliSON, one of the auditors of the e-mpany,
said Aetna every occasion en which he had mat them, the
direeline had manifested the utmost willingness to adopt any
resesiesibieenggestson. The hon. prapristor was proceeding
to seem of the other officers of the company, whoa
Mum pled by a proprietor, who observed that no
env doubted the abilities of the persons referred to.
The CHAIRMAN said the hon. proprietor was perfectly
in order in stating his opinion of the value of the services of
the odious, the amount of whom reinumerati an was under
sonsideration. f Hear, bear.)
Mr. DICKINSON proceeded. He considered it quite im
practicable and unnecessary to furnish • detailed statement of
all the salaries paid by the company. Wilt respect to the
made of keeping the accounts it was inipouible to have any .
thing more eatisfa:tory, nor could the investigation of them
be more rigid than it had been.
Mr. MORGAN could not admit that there was anything
necessarily antagonistic between the directors and the rote.
minim. They wire both seeking the same end. (Hear,
hear.)
Mr. SMITHIES agreed with the last speaker in regret-
ting the difference which existed between the board and the
direetees; bat the hon. proprietor mast be aware that the
real direness. *was much greater than 1,8001. a year. It
had be.. found by experience that those who had to find-
beta patranaire foraged • higher estimate of the money vain
of services than thou who hid simply to bear the burden.
A SHAREHOLDER called upon the meeting to consider
the ease of the widows and orphans who might be almost
entirely dependent on the dividends which they received.
Mr. SLADE said it should be a consolation to the
honourable proprietor to know that the difference be-
tweet the directors and the committee was not •
difference of more than Yd. per share in the dividends.
(Hear, hear.) It was not surprising that Mr. Williams
shun" have defended the report, for it was his owa child.
He submitted to the better judgment of the meeting the
proynety of supporting the directorson Ibis question.
Mr. WITHERS, a member of the committee of cowed-
nines, having risen amidst loud cheers to address the meet-
lag, mid he felt that that reception was the best answer to the
concluding part of Mr. Slade. observation,. (Cheers.) That
gentleman had made an insinuation against the committee.
Mr. SLADE disclaimed the intention of insinuating any
thing smut the honour of the committee.
Mr. WIIRERS was glad to hear that disclaimer. The
committee had been actuated solely by a desire te• introduce
judicious economy, by commencing with the heads of the de-
partments. He was of opinion, that in future, the prie-
cipal officers of the company should be partly paid through
hang an intent in the dividends.

Mr. FOX characterised the reduction. proposed by this
committee m " penny wise and pound f.olisb," and de-
clared his belief that %/stir adoption would lend to looms by
accident which would more than outweigh the amount sup-
posed to bo

Mr. BERNARD irked whether the directors had neer-
tamped by inquiries mode of other boards, that the existing
scale of trivalent was a medium cite 1
The CHAIRMAN said the directors had taken the
greatest paine to obtain information on the eulljrct, and a
careful comparison of the duties discharged by their own
°than with those performed by 'tattler offi.ets iu other nta-
blisirinents, bad led them to the conclueion that the com-
pany was not paying too high; it was sot enough to
mimpare the amount received by two penises holding the
same nominal office. The South Wel. s Company having
made the experiment of reduction, had found teat toey
could not get respectable servants at the reduced rate. It
should to borne in mind chat the company had now taken
possession of the Wilts. Somerset, and Wt ymouth line. and was
about to work the South Wales line, both of wt ich would
impose on its servant, additional duties. The hest way to
increase the dividends wail to have an active, efficient, and
contented body of servants; and he bad told the committee,
and would now repeat, that traffic to the amount of I,ooof.
a week might be gained by vigtl.nce or lost by °minutest.
(Hear, bear) As had been observed with ustard to the
salaries of government servants, no riches c'old jusify ex-
travagance, and nothing short of fair wages would secure
efficient service,. (Cheers 1
The amendment and the motion were then successively
submitted to a show of henna, and the Chairman declared
the numbers to be *cosi.
Mr. HODGKINSON demanded a ball.t in favour of the
motion, and Captain Bulkeley was nominated by the Chair-
snaa as the scrutineer for the directors.

Mr. W. WILLIAMS, on being requested by the Chair-
man to name a scrutineer, declared that he would not be •
party to such • farce. (Loud chstro.)
Mr. WITHERS gave • similar response, observing that it
would be n•e!esa to name as. rutineer, when the result had
bees already annourced in a moraine newei 'pct.
The CHAIRMAN said he would not consent to the with-
drawal of the amendment (Cheers.)
After a short d,lay Mr. LORD said he world un•lertake the
offiee of scrutineer on behalf of the supporters of the amend-
ment.

The CHAIRMAN then stated that the poll w^•ld tont-
mance forthwith, and continue open until halcput six th►t
evening ; that the %0!C1 would be taken on the following
(this) day, from nine o'clock until 3; and that at four o'clock
in the afternoon he would declare the remit. He added
that • petition, prepared by Major Court, in favour cf a
government midi., was then lying outside the ream for sig-
nature, but the director► did not approve of the object.
The meeting then separated.

DrALTN, MAT 16.
The rain, which has fallen in abundance, though
by no means to excess., during the last two days, has
already begun to set matters right in the country.
The impulse which vegetation has received is extra-
ordinary, and there is the most encouraging prospect
' that the evil of a late spring will be amply repaired.
Yesterday, owing to the wet weather, the grand
review which was to have taken place in celebration
of her Majesty's birthday, was countermanded. The
troops, however, Sredfeir.r de joie from their respec-
tive quarters; sod the public respect was otherwise
exhibited by the ringing of joy-bells, the decoration
of shipping, &c.
The inhabitants of Navan and its vicinity met on
Sunday last to record their opinion in favour of tenant
right, and for the purpose of forming a tenant protec-
tien society, and "petitioning parliament to pass an
act to put a s'op to the desecration of dwellings in
that town and throughout Ireland." A similar meet-
ing was held at Brad', in the county of Limerick, on
the same day.
Mr. Keogh, M.P., has addressed a letter to the
Dublin papers explainingsome points in his Preroga-
tive Court Bill, t.-; which objections had been made in
Ireland. He observes that he has not heard any ob-
jection, except from proctors, to the principle of the
measure, that of concentrating the jurisdiction as to
probates and lePers of administration in one court at
Dublin, abolishing in that respect inferior jurisdiction,
simplifying the practice and proceedings of the Pre-
rogative Court, introducing trial by jury and rien weer
examination, and opening the court to the general
body of practitioners, barristers, and solicitor., with-
out distinction as to religious opinions.
Sir W. It. Hamilton, the astronomer royal for Ina-
land, has published an interesting account of a very
brilliant meteor which he observed on Monday night
from the Observatory of Trinity College. As it so
rarely happens that these phenomena are obsessed
with anything approaching to mathematical precision
it may be useful to science to give the result obtained
in this instance, stated in his own words:

The meteor, es seen from the transit shalt of thiaObser-
?story, in latitude .53 deg. 23 min. 134 sec north,. and in
longitude 25 min. 21 see. of time west of Greenwich,
attained Its politest brightness, which woe of a bliss colour,
at about four minutes end seven seconds after the mean mid-
night (local tine) of Monday, the 13th of May, 1560, haying
then an asimuth of about thirty. degrees to the watt of the
south, and we altitude et about sixteen degrees, which wouht,..
&sewer, in round numbers. to a right ascension. of thirteen,
hours, thirty mieutes,And a north poler distanca of one Mtn- .
dud end six dogma.

Monday ni;ht a deadly conflict arose at Greenhills
near Roxboro',, apon the occasion of giving possession
of s b.rm under the courts to a man named Michael
Hogan, by the keeper., maa of the name of Scanlan.
who were struck with atones, knocked dawn, and
left apparently for dead. One of the mei, a peace-
maker, Edward Brien, was killed on the spot. No
shot was tired, but the slaughter was effected by stone
throwing, and blows inflicted by stone in hand.—
Limerick CAronicle.

STATISTICAL RETURNS OF THE DUBLIN METRO.