Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-01-12 00:00:00

GREAT SHIP COMPANY.-YESTERDAY.

_
YYsterdag afternoon the, ordinary general meeting of
the above company was held, at the • London. Tavern,
Mr. Campbell, the :chairman of . the Board of Directors,
in the chair. The -attendante was very numerous, and
the prociedinki'beilig commenced' in the folder room of
the tavern, manifestly too- small-for the occasion, some
rconfu;ion arose; which ultimately inducted 'the direetO•rs
to'cOnsent to An adjournment to the ball-room. Then
commenced a belter-skelter.scramble up Stairs, but after
the excitement of the removal had subsided, the busi-
ness' of the day was quietly resumed, and the-secretary
proceeded to read, the report of the directors:
"The Whale Course of events in conueetion. with the
progress of the - Great Eaitein, froth the time of her
leaving her moorings. at Deptford, until, her arrival in
Southanipton Water, is so well 'known froM the able
reports of the public press, that your directors consider
any. recapitulation perfectly unnecessary.. The accounts
as circulated amongst the proprietors, show the financial,
position of the company as it actually stands, and the
questions at issue with the contractor being now under
arbitration, your directors refrain from. allusionto the
matters in dispute with Mr. J. Scott Russell. The.
policy and the anxiety of yetir directors in having
the ship completed, and her 'qualities tested within,the
earliest possible period, were fully enlained to the.
shareholders at a previous meeting. Although the un-
toward accident and delays have not diminished the
reliance of your directors on the ultimate success and
national importance of the ' Great Eastern,' they. cannot
conceal from themselves that diverSity. Of opinion and
much dissatisfaction exist among the shareholders, from
causes over which your directors have no -control ; and
they. have therefore unanimously come to the resolution,
that it is due to -yon and to, tlieinselves to place their
resigna4on.inyog hands, and they only retain office until
you appoint their successors. ;The auditors retire by virtue .
of the provisions of the Articles of Association; and your
directors have resolved that- a special meeting of the
shareholders shall be convened for Wednesday, the 25th
hist:, for the purpose of eleCting directors and auditors, and
for such-other business as may occur.. Owing to the un-
foreseen circumstances before referred to, your directors
have been .obliged to exercise the borrowing powers
of the 'company. to the extent of £40,000, on -the
mortgage of the ship, .the loan of which sum has
been obtained from friendly sources, for six months,
at the rate of 71 per cent. per . annum, subject to a
rebate, at the rate cf.2l per cent., should the company
elect _to pay off the loan before , the -expiration of that
period. .. It will be seen. on, reference to the.- financial -
statement and balance-sheet, that 303,758 shares•
have been allotted; so that if the balance of the
shares, 26,242, (to complete capital to £330,0000
could be placed, it would not be necessary to raise
any large amount to clear off the existing mortgage, and
enable the ship to be sent on her first mercantile voyage
—bearing in mind the faet that there are stores on board
the vessel of every description, .amply sufficient for an
American trip. It will be for the shareholders to decide..
whether the present mortgage shall be continued, 0r,.-if
otlicrwisv, how the requisite amount shall be,raised to
pay it off,. and to provide what.further funds may be,
wanted:

"AUDITORS' REPORT.

"" To the proprietors of the Great, Ship Company
(Limited),—Having examined and compared the state-
ment of accounts elleGl:ea Ship CO-mpany (Limited),
to be presented at the annual meeting' 'of Proprietors on,
the 11th of January,.with the vouchers and barik-book,
we believe the same to be a true statement of the
financial affairs of the company.
u IILLIAM BARBER,
) Auditors.
HENRY C. BELOV,
"Londou, 31st' Dee., 1859.",

The _Chairman, Observing the adverse temper of the
meeting, contented himself with simply moving the
adoption cf the report.- A+ a more fitting season; how-
.erer, he 'should be:prepared to prove- that everything
his direction had done was 'perfectly right ; that they
had no alternative but to take the course they had fol-
lowed in view of the Anierican season;. that the-adoption
of anv'other course would not have placed the concern
in. a *better financial position ; that. in'every' act and
every-decision; the best Interests of the shareholders had
been stedfaitly kept in view ; and that, if the' directors
were:entitled to the merit awarded to them before the
accident on board the ship, they weredoubly entitled to
it now. (Oh.)
The motion for the adoption of 'the report having
been 'duly seconded,'
Mr. W. Hawes, who avowed, that. his taking part in
the proceedings was due to the respect in which he held
the memory of his friend, 'the late Mr. Brunel, moved
an 'amendment 'for the appointment of a committee of
investigation, both with regard to the past policy and
futare management-of the 'company, and also to report
as soon as possible upon any proposals Which may have
been Made for the.charter or purchase of the ship. The
gentlemen he should prepose:to serve on this committee
would represent the old capital; the new Capital, the
opposing part of the direetion, and the general interests
of the company.
An angry' and protracted discussion ensued, in the
course of - which the policy of the directors and the
motives of the contractors of the ship were spoken of in
anything but complimentary terms.
After a bitter discussion, in which there were never
less than half dozen people speaking at once at the top
of their voices, the Chairman succeeded in putting the
amendment to the meeting. It was lost, a tremendous
majority of the meeting voting against it. The principal
argument against the amenement- was 'that, if carried,.
the directors would remain'in office. A-poll was de-
manded, and the meeting was adjourned until Tuesday
next, when the result will be declared.

EXTENSIVE FIRE IN LONDON YESTERDAY AND NAB.-
now ESCAPE.—For several hours yesterday morning a
fire continued to rage in the premises belonging to
Mr. Wells, a carpet warehouseman and furniture
dealer, situate at 42, Blackman-street, Southwark.
'he building, including the basement, was five floors
high, and about 40 feet wide. Mr. Wells, it appears,
had the premises closed, about eight o'clock in the
evening, and had departed for his private residence,
leaving an assistant named Benjamin Tho Mas in charge
of the house. An acquaintance of this
,person came,to
visit him, and they were amusing themselves by playing
at draughts, when they hoard an unusual noise proceed-
ing from the lowcr part of the premises. Thinking that
burglars had entered, the two parties, armed each with
a poker in hand, -opened the door, and attempted to
come down stair, when. to their astonishment they
met a more formidable enemy than a thief, for an im-
mense sheet of flame was rolling,up the staircase. They
were obliged to turn back, and werealmost suffocated with. I
heated smoke, until the Royal Society's escape came
'front -St. George's Church station. The conductor im-
mediately p)aced his. machine in 'frt.:lnt of the burning
property, and having gallantly ascended, succeeded in
bringing down in safety the two iniperilled persons
amidst a round of applause' from the bygtanders. The
fire could not be subdued until an advanced hour in the
morning. The property was insured with the Atlas
Company.
MR. RICHARD CREME; M.R.C.S.—We have to
record the death of one of the old school of medical
practitioners, whose life was an honour to his profession.
Mr. Creiner was a member of an ancient family of that
name which had been settled in Norfolk since the time
of Henry NB., various members of which, at different
periods of their history, had intermarried with some of
the leading families in England—those of Earl Fitz-
william, Sir Edmund ,Filmer, and Sir Cordell Fire-
brace. Through great pecuniary losses in his family
he early embraced the medical profession,, and was one
of the first pupils, at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, of the
late. John Abernethy, with whom he continued on
terms of friendship till the death of the latter. •He
commenced practice in Chelmsford about the year 1790,
and rapidly rose to eminence in his profession. He was
an unfailing 'friend of the poor, being frequently known
tA? pass. a night and a day in a mai cottage at the sick
bed of some poor sufferer who otherwise would have
been unaided, and this in the full tide of a most pros-
perous practice. - He may be truly said to have never
turned his face away from any poor man. After 50 years
of very laborious and successful practice, and at the age of
_7O, he retired from the profession (though in full possession
of his mental and bodily powers), from a conscientious per-
suasion that, having attained the usual life of man, it
was not right to stand in the way of the rising genera-
tion. He died at Barnes, Surrey, on the- 26th ult.,
.having reached his ninetieth year, the last twenty of his
life being spent in that village,_ in daily administering to
the wants of his poorer neighbours, striving to alleviate
their sorrows and troubles by his professional skill, and,
so far as he was able, by pecuniary help. He was a
man of exemplary piety, of great benevolence, and of
acknowledged skill in his profession; and his loss will
be severely felt and lamented by- a large circle of friends
and acquaintances,—Medical Netts.