Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-08-08 00:00:00

DIVIDEND AND BONUS.

The business of the . year having been so prosperous, the
amount of dividend and bonus to be declared remains to he
considerel In dealing ai h this question, it must not be
forgotten that high tees of interest have prevailed during the
period, and have partly led to the favourable result announced,
and that, wha.ever may be the conflicting opinions with respect
to their continuance or cessation, there caa be none as to the
propriety of not acting as if they were so fined and permanent
as to be reckoned on at a high per essitago far succeeding
years. Irrespective, however, of the item of interest, it is now
clearly manifest that the evidence of another year's experience
only serves to show an increased velocity of progression in the
magnitude of the company's business, rather than an exhaus-
tion of its powers of still further expansion. The directors
have concluded, therefore, to recommend, on this occasion, a
dividend of 3s. per share, and a bonus of 3i. per share—
together six shillings—free of income tax. The following
directors now retire, and are eligible for re--Aection.
George Booker, Esq. Edward Johnston, RI.
David Cannon, EFq. James Lawrenec, Esq.
James Holme,E-q. John Torr, Lg.
Trios. D. Hornby, Esq.
7th August, 1857. Cuar,Lics TURNER, Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN, in roving their at?optiln, said that it
did not require much el.quence to induce them to pass the
report and the statement of accounts which they had just
heard read. They were, in his mind, the most satisfac-
tory accounts that had ever been laid before the Royal
Ins o ranee Company. The meeting had learned from them
that while the interest of the proprietors had been pro-
motel by an increase of dividend of is per share—from
53 to Gs—the interest of the assured had also been in
creased by a large amount added to their reserve fund
(Hear, hear) He thought it would be impossible for him
to cite any further proofs of the vast and growing pros-
perity of their great concern. To use the words of the
report, " No insurance company, ancient or modern, was
advancing more rapidly than the Royal Insurance Com-
auy LI the confidence of the British people;" but he

thought the report there left something short. It said
only, "In the estimation of the British people," but he
would say in the estimation of all people in all parts of
the world, wherever their establishment existed. (Hear,
hear.) He did not know if he could make much comment
on the acconats that had been hid before them, but there
were some points which appeared worthy of notice.
They would observe that the revenue premiums
amounted to £151,000, nearly four-fold the
amount that they were seven or eight years ag3 The
total balance of profit and loss for the year was £49,000
That was a very gratifying fact, and it had arisen, he might
observe, chiefly from the British and Forei.or basinsss,
while their American business had, he was sorry to say,
been rather unsuccessful. It was to be hoped, however,
from the success of the American busines for the first six
months of the current year, that it would effectually make
up for the loss they sustained in the preceding twelve
months. It should be gratifying to them to receive a
dividend of 6s: per share. It absorbed about £28,000,
leaving upward of £20,000 to be carried to the re-assurance
or reserved fund. It appeared by the report that the ratio
of their fire basiness, far exceeded that of any oth -r
business, while, with respect to their life business, the
report showed an astonishing success. In conclusion, the
Chairman observed that the large increase of money com-
pared with the number of lives insured, she aed that they
were getting into abetter class of lives, which would prove
of great benefit to the company. (Hear, hear.)
Mr Toxa said he had very great pleasure in seconding
the resolution which had bean proposed by the Chairman.
Their excellent Secrerary had given them a lengthy and a
lucid explanation of the state of the company's affairs for
the past year. In doing so, he had done a double service.
He had given to the proprietors an ample explanation
of the state of their affairs, the want of which was the
frequent cause of complaint among j Ant-stock companies
throughout the country. He had also done very good
service to t'ioee who had undertaken to ask foe toe con-
currence of the proprietors to the report, inasmuch as he
had left little for them to say in commenting upon it. The
length of the report justified those who had to make re-
marks upon it in shortening their speeches, and he was
quite sure they would all agree that a good result was
much better than a good speech. It was much easier to
recommend to their adoption a good result of their work
by a bad speech than it would be to get their concurrence
in a bad year's result by the most abte speecb, or the most
lucid eloquence whic:l coal Ibe uttered in that room. He
would just make this remark about joint-stock com•
panies generally, that he believed one great cause
why so many of these companies felled to attain the suc-
cess which individual efforts attained was that too many
of the proprietors thought, by giving their at' endance at
the annual meeting on occasions like the present, they had
done their duty to their company in which they were
proprietors. (Hear, hear) That is to say they to ak little
or no interest in the precise' extension of the company's
business. They left to the officials of the company the
discharge of the duties, the responsibility of success, and
the whole of the work Hence, his feeling always was
against joint-stock companies, and in contrast to indivi-
dual effort, and he had always maintained that individual
effort could work results no company could attain, simply
from the reason that the energy, thought, and earnestnsss
applied by each man individually to his own concerns were
seldom or never applied by a joint-stock company.
(Hear, Hear.) That company consisted of about 600
proprietors.ow, as " many a little makes a muckle,"
if each of those 600 proprietors were to put his shoulder to
the wheel of that great concern, if they gave to it each
that individual effort, energy, thought, Mid labour
which they gave to their own concerns, then what might
they not expect for the future career of the Royal Insu-
rance Company of Liver' ool? (Hear, hear) They had
had gr.at success alreldy, he admitted, but he was paying
no unmeaning or unjust compliment to the man to whom
he believed they in a great measure owed their success, to
say that the individual efforts and energy of Mr. Dove
fortified all that he had said of individual efforts. (Hear,
bear.) To Mr. Dove their success was in no small degree
due, and through his officials and agents throughout the
country elsewhere, for "like master like man," and he
appeared to have inocculatei his officers with somewhat
of his own spirit. Hence it was, after all, to individual
effort and individual energy, that the company in a gseat
measure owed its success (Hear, hear.) He had very
great pleasure in seconding the motion.
The motion was unanimously adopted.
The CIIMMIAN proposed that the dividend be declared,
as stated in the report.
Mr. YOUNGIIUSBAND seconded the motion which was
agreed to.
_ _

-Th.3 CHAIIIIIAN proposed the re-election of the out-going
directors. •

Mr. MAXWELL HYSLOP seelnded the motion, an 1, while
fully approving of the re election of the gentlemen named,
suggested that, where it was possible, new members should
be occasionally introduced to the direction.

Mr. CHARLES MOZLEY sail it was wall understood pre-
viously, that some change should be made, when an
occasion presented itself, by the infusion of new blood.
He did not mean to raise the slightest objection to the
names of the gentlemen proposed for re-election. The
results showed the ability and labour they had bestowed.
But he coincided in the remark of the last speaker, that it
might become needful, from time to time, to make some
change. (Hear, hear.)
The On 4.111111 N observed that there were at present three
or fonr vacancies in the direction. They should have at
the Board men of talent who could attend to the interests
of the company, and men of high standing who could
procure for the company a large increase of business.
He was sorry to say that there was some little
amount of difficulty in securing the services of
such men. In filling up the four vacancies, the board
would endeavour to get such gentlemen for directors as
they thought most desirable. The appointment would,
of course, come on fir confirmation at the neat meeting.
The resolution was adopted.
On the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Mr. Diver,
Messrs. William Titheriug on and John Dickenson were
re-elected auditors.

Mr. LEATE proposed a vote of thanks to the chairman,
deptity:cbalrma.n, and directors of the board.

Mort.zY seconded the motion, which was carried by
acclamation.

The CFI AIRILIN and Me. BR .316EY- MOORE, Ili P., severally
acknowledged the compliment.
The CIIAIRMAN proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Dove
and the officers of the company, and in doing so paid a
high tribute to the zeal and talents of Mr. Rive, and the
assiduous attention of the other officers

Mr. Alderman Houtz seconded the motion, and declared
that, for the progress of the company, he placed his chief
reliance upon Mr. Dlve.-1 ability end attention.
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE expressed a similar eulogy to Mr.
Dove.

Mr. DOVE, in acknowledging the compliment, said there
could be no cLubt that the company had ma-le a great
advance during the last year. He had to state, also, that
the impetus given to the business during the last year had
not ceased with the end of the year, but from the progress
of the present year hitherto, he should hope that at its
conclusion, the directors would be able to report that the
increase had been equal to that of the preceding one.
(Hear, hear) The progress of their life business was
particularly satisfactory, because, by the accounts, he had
heard from London, there was a general slackness in life
insurance throughout the whc'le of the country. Many
causes could be assigned for that, but Vie chief was the
number of offices that were established within the last few
years, professing to give advantages which no life insurance
company could do, and wiliest were now falling down one
by one. Life insurance was, in consequence, n .t so popular
as it was three or four years ago; but a reaction would
take place, and*the offices of character and stability would
derive the benefit. (gear, hear.) In conclusion, Mr.
Dove read an extract from a let er from Mr. Titherington,
one of the auditors, testifying to the excellent order in
which the books of the company were kept.
Thanks were then voted to the Chairman, and the meet•
ing separated.

DISCOVERY OF NATURAL GAS AT GULL.—On the 28:h
nit., Mr. Sather, of the firm of Thompson and Stather,
civil engin-ers, Hull, was sicking a well at his private
residence and works. At 45 to 48 feet the workmen found
a bed of p: at, three feet thick. As the water issued
from
the surf,cs of the boring in a bubbling fountain,
varying in height from one to six or seven feat, and
from that to ten feet, spurting out volumes of gravel
and fine sand, the sinker, who had, in sinking other
wells, previously seen something of the kind, though on
a smeller scale, being certain that this was occasioned,
not by the force of water, bat by gas of some kind,
deterstile.l to try whether it was inflammable, a thirg
which he bad lacier in his life
.attempted before, and to
uses s Tprise th ire arose a lurid flute,two yards in
height, issuing from a tube three inches in diameter,
and through which tube the water continued to flow and
boil over without at all diminishing the v dame of flame,
which ascended considerably higher than the gar-
den wall, which is seven feet high. The next day some
scientific gentlemen visited the place, and the gas was
found to be pure gas, as much of it had escaped during
the night as would have lit up all Hal Tais gas is
the true, fire-damp, nil:eh recently proved s) fatal at
Lundbitl, and has frtqaently done so in many co lieries.
The water obtained at the same level as the gis was of
a very sort quality, and would be good for washing pur-
poses. Onllredcesday evening twenty-one burners were
supplied with gas from the boring in the well, without
the interven!ion of any gasometer. Since then the bore
has been carried down to the s3ild rock, which was
found at a depth of fifty feet, and the supply of gas has for
the present ceased.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE -YEiTERDAY.

LIVERPOOL.
BEF3IIZ MR. J. ATKIN.

DESPERATZ ASSAULT BY A Durcamiar.—A Du'eh sailor,
answering to the English name of John Walsh, was pat
forward on a charge of having stabbed another sailor
named Thomas Joha Smith. Oa Wednesday night about
eleven o'clock, the parties met in Bridgewater-street, and
some words took place in reference to the cc untries of each.
Smith said he was an Englishman, when the prisoner
swore he was a "Datcher," and did not care three straws
for the other, and in order to show his independence, he
drew his knife and struck complainant a desperate blow
in the right arm. Two femalei proved having seen the
stab, and surgeon Pope, of the :southern Hospital, said
the wound was a dangerous one of four inches long, and
reached to the bone, which it splintered. Tile prisoner
was sent for trial at the assizes. _ _ _

CHARGE OP SM lIGGIAN G. Captain Nicholas Von Hach-
ten, of the Eastern Sophy, who had been remanded on
a charge of having attempted to smuggle Itlbs. of
foreign cigars, was brought up. Mr. Tyndall was for the
Crown, and Mr. Binek for the defendant, who was ont on
bail. Mr. Bluck said he did not intend to give the Court
any trouble, as he intended, by advice of his client, to
plead guilty ; bat he wished to say a few wards in refer-
ence to the facts of the case. The cigars were of a very
common description, and were punhased for one pound a
thousand by the defendant. He did not attempt to take
the cigars on shore, nor did he ever intend doing so, as he
merely kept them for his own use. Taey were not con-
cealed, and although two days had elapsed, no attempt to
take them on shore was made. He (51r. Bluck) did not
think his Worship had any p -ewer to mitigate the fine,
but no doubt his Worship would recommend to the Board
a mitigation under the circumstances. His Worship agreed
with Mr. Black, and said he would sign a memorial for a
mitigation. A fine of £lOO was inflicted, and the money
was at clic. paid.
"CHAMP AG NE" AND "REAL PAIN." —William Webster, a
cooper, in the employ of Messrs. James Baines and Co.,
was charged with having stolen a bottle of champagne,
and about half a gallon of brandy, the property
of that firm. The prisoner was sent to see the
stores put from a lighter on board the ship
"Morning Light" in the river. A. brandy cask was in-
jured, and the prisoner got a bucket and took half a gallon
of the liquor, which he concealed in the cabin of the lighter,
and after that ha was observed tipsy, and on being search-
ed, a bottle of champagne was found under his coat. A
case of champagne was found broken and six bottles were
missed. The prisoner said he was not exactly a cooper,
bat his duty was to see that cask., &c., were all safe; he
had been thirteen years in the emyloyment, and was never
charged with anything before. He was remanded in order
to produce a witness.

BEFORE MESSRS. SMITH AND STITT.

Several beer-house keepers were summoned and fined in
various mitigated penalties for Sunday trading, and for
other infringements of the law, but in none of the cases was
there any facts of the slightest public importance.
PUBLICANS' CASES —John Harrison Wickham, the
keeper of the American Hotel, in Lime-street, was sum-
moned for permitting drunkenness in his house on the 17th
of July last. Mr. Blackhurst appeared for the defendant,
and asked for an adjournment, on the grounds that the
offence was committed so long back as the 171 of July
last, and the summons bad only been served on the sth
inst. To disprove the offence there were fifteen witnesses,
but it was utterly impossible for him to enter into the case
on the present occasion. He therefore hoped that the case
would be adjourned. Mr. Wybergh explained to the bench
that there was still a case pending at the quarter sessions
against the same party, but would nit be heard until the
adjourned sessions. Mr. Blackhurst suggested that the
present case should be adjourned until after the sessions,
when the former case would be disposed of, and that,
perhaps, might obviate the bench hearing the present case.
The bench assented to the proposition, aud therefore the
hearing of the case was postponed.

THE SAI)KE NUISANCE AGAIN.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORMIERN TDIES.

Sir,—ln consequence of a letter from Mr. John
Cannington, of the Vauxhall Glass Works, im-
pugning, in the first instance, the correctness of
my report of his case when it came before the
bench of magistrates on the sth inst., and that too
in no unmistakable terms, although in the last
sentence he attempts to exonerate me from all
blame in the matter, after stating positively that I
had inserted words and sentences in the report
which had never been uttered. Hence, in justi-
fication to myself, and that it might not appear
before your readers that the report was in-
correct, I addressed, on seeing the letter,
the following note to J. Wybergh, Esq., the
clerk to the justices, who hear.l the case,
and of course had, in his official capacity,
to take notes of the points raised. You and your
readers will be able to form an opinion as to who is
correct—the one person who takes the short-hand
notes at the time the words were uttered, or the
interested person who afterwards reads that report
thus given, and subsequently writes to contradict
and make his comments on the case.—l remain,
Sir, yours most respectfully, THE REPORTER.
C. WILLMER, Esq.

The following is a copy of the note forwarded :
Northern Daily Times Office, August 7, 1857•

Sza,—From a letter in this morning's paper, I find that
Mr. John Cannington, of the • Vauxhall Glass Work', has
disputed the correctness of the report of the proceedings
which took place in the Police court, when that firm was
summoned on the sth inst., under the Smoke Prevention
Act, and he has stated that " THAT REPORT IS DEFECTIVE IN
MANY PARTICULARS." As you were present on the occasion,
in your official capacity as clerk to the justices, and there-
fore, uninterested and unbiassed in the matter, I should
esteem it a great favour if you would trouble yourself to
peruse the report in question, and let me have your
opinion as to its correctness and impartiality. By
conferring this obligation, you will greatly oblige, yours
most respectfully, J. S. HAR3IAN, Reporter.
J. WYBEROU,

In answer t) the foregoing, Mr. Wybergh, with
his usual courtesey, forwarded the following
reply :
Sic,—l have read the Report to which you vier in
your letter of this morning, and have no hesitation in
stating, that to my mind it conveys a vary fair and sub-
stantially accurate account of the proceedings, in reference
to the ease ag4inst the Messrs. Cannington.
I may especially notice your rendering of the scientific
evidence of Mr. Green, which appears to be given with
wonderful clearness and precision, when one remembers
the rapidity with which it was uttered, and the various
obstructions through which, in a tribunial not remarkable
for order and silence, such evidence has to make its final
way to the ear and understanding of gentlemen who per-
form your difficult and laborious duty.—l am, sir, your
most obedient servant. Jowl WYBERGII, Junior.
Mr. J. S. Harman.

Session House, Friday.
With the above opinion, as to the correctness
and accuracy of the report, further comment is
unnecessary.—l remain, sir, yours respectfully.
August 7th, 1857. THE REPORTER.

THE LATE DOUGLAS JERROLD AND
THE WORKING CLASSES.