Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-02-28 00:00:00

ThE istORTiLIERN TIMES, MONDAY, rEtP, tARY 28, 1850

BIRKENHEAD, LANCASHIRE, AND 6E;; HIRE

JUNCTION RAILWAY COMPAIIY.
The lialf-yeailly ordinary general meeting_ of this editi.
pany was held, at the company's offices, Cathcart.-streets
Birkenhead, at 12 o'clock on Saturday. Besides the'
regular business of the meeting, the notice stated that a
special general meeting would also be held at the same
place, for the purpose of submitting to the proprietors
the draft of a bill to be introduced into Parliament during
the ensuing session, to authorise the company to make a
railway from Hooton to Helsby' with branches to
Ellesmere port • and Tranmere pool, and for other pur-
poses. The chair was' taken by E. G. Salisbury, ESq.,
11I.P , the chairman of the company.
The report, which was taken as read, stated the fact
that

" The directors have taken the preliminary steps to
obtain powers from parliament to construct the line of
railway from Hooton to Helsby, which formed part of
the original scheme sanctioned by parliament, to connect
the docks at Birkenhead with the manufacturing districts,
but which was temporarily abandoned, because the com-
pany did not" feel justified in prosecuting those works
until the docks at Birkenhead were proceeded with. The
directors now recommend that the proprietors should
sanction the application to renew these powers, s 6 that
the company may be in a position to open the conmni-
cation at the period when the dock works at Birkenhead
are completed. The proprietors are aware of the valuable
property which they possess on the margin of Tranmere
Pool, and the, directors recommend that this opportunity
should be taken to connect this property with their main
lino at Grange-lane."

They regretted that the Dock Works at Birkenhead
were not being prosecuted with the energy necessary to
secure their completion within the time prescribed by the
Act of Parliament. The several questions between the
Directors and the Birkenhead Commissioners had' been
amicably arranged. In regard to revenue, the report
stated

" The Company's traffic has suffered, in common with
that-of all other railways, from the general commercial
depression.of 1857-58, and from the'compeation between
neighbouring Companies. The rates and charges upon
merchandise and live stock were greatly reduced in conse-
quence of this competition, and although your directors
refrained from interference and refused to join, in any
way, with either of the disputants, still the result of low
rates, and active competition, has been most disastrous to
all concerned in the traffic of the immediate district."

" The Directors have revised the local passenger fares,
with a view of meeting the loss necessarily entailed
upon the company in maintaining the small roadside
stations ; the attention of the board is now directed to
the charges upon merdhandise and ' minerals ; and it is
hoped that, with the co-operation of neighbouring corn;
panics, better rates may be obtained, without interfering
with the natural flow of Traffic to and from Birkenhead.
The gross decrease in traffic receipts from the same
sources, compared with the corresponding half-year,
amounts to £10,348, but new sources of income have
been opened and cultivated, by which _means the decrease
has been diminished to £3,G49 is lid. The greater
proportion of the new traffic has been in general mer-
chandise, whilst the falling off has been, very largely, in
coals, on which the company perforthed merely transit
service from point to point; without incurring, the cost of
porterage. The general merchandise traffic, on the con-
trary, having to be handled, and occasionally stored, the
expenses are increased in amount, although the rateable
cost•has been considerably reduced.

" The balance to the credit of revenue is £37,064 Os 9d,
of which sum £11,272 8s 4d is required for interest, and,
after carrying £2,500 to credit of ,renewal fund, the sum
of £23,291 12s 5d is applicable to dividend, out of which
your directors recommend- the payment of dividend at
the rate of 21, per cent. per annum, leaving a balance of
£1,420 to be carried to next account."
The Chairman said, he wished he could say that the
report which was laid before them was one of a better
character. He ought to say frankly at once that he very
much regretted having to call the attention of the meet-
ing, on the first occasion when he occupied the chair, to
a statement of accounts which must strike every one as
rather a bad account of their proceedings. First of all
with regard to the increase of capital. The increase of
capital they would find to be £10,701 is 7d. Of that
£10,311 7s 10d was for parliamentary expenses, land,
stations, sidings, &c., and £389 13s 9d expended in
working stock, making the total amount he had just
mentioned. The largest item was for stations, sidings,
&c., amounting to £7,26818s 2d. There was, however,
only £1,434 of that amount which had been fairly charged
during the past half-year to capital. The whole amount
was made up of a balance of £2,062 expended upon
Monks'-ferry, which he' thought might have
been fairly included in the last statement,
£1,928 was the balance on the Chester station account to
the 31st of December, 1857, and £1,844 had been spent
upon the siding at Grange-lane, They bad spent £BOO
in converting a shed which they had there into a wareheuse,
and £634 in strengthening warehouse floors. These two
last items, he was prepared to say, were, in his opinion,
and in the opinion of the board, a necessary expenditure.
The shareholders had already heard, at their meetings
from time to time, of the enlargement of the Monk's
Ferry station, of the works at the Chester station—an
expenditure which they could not well help—and at the
Grange-lane siding, which the board conceived to be
necessary expenditure. In fairness to the present
accounts, lie should call attention to the large sum which,
accounts, lie
although it had not been expended in the last half-year,
yettame into that account. The greater part of the Par-
liamentary expenses, £2,243 16s 9d, was for promoting
their own bills, for watching and opposing the Shropshire
Union and the Mersey Boar Bills in 1857 ; for watching
and opposing the Chester and Holyhead, the Warrington
and Stockport, the Mersey Board, and the North Stafford-
shire Bills in 1858. Since he (the chairman) had been a
member of the Board, there had, of course, been a ques-
tion of opposing bills in Parliament brought under his
attention, and he fully concurred with his co-directors
that it was necessary to watch and oppose the bills in the
session of 1858. He was also satisfied, from the enquiries
he had made, that the expenditure in, the same manner in
1857 was necessary and proper, but he was not then a
member of the Board. A question arose, to which he ought
to call their attention at once, which was, the question
whether the parliamentary expenditure -}'ear by year was
properly charged to capital. He would venture , to say
that he had himself
.9,, very strong opinion that whatever
dtr
expenditure was inc red from time to time in opposing
bills and protecting their own property, ought to be
charged to revenue. (Hear, hear.) That of course was
a question for the shareholders, but he did not think he
ought to take the chair upun the first occasion at their
meeting, without calling their attention to the fact, that
so far it haddpeen the habit to charge Parliamentary
expenses to capital, and to the question whether they
should not rather charge them to revenue. The next
item of the capital account was for land £773 2s. 11d.
Now, the larger part of that referred to the' settlement
of a large account with Lord Cholmondley for land at
Helsby, which ought to have been closed long ago. It
was a question which had been some time in dispute, but
which had been settled during the past half-year, and
which now came into the accounts. Another portion was
for the purchase of cottages at Frodsham. Their engine
in throwing out sparks on one occasion, set fire to the
thatched roof of one of these cottages, and the board
thought it would be better to purchase the property than
to take the risk of having to pay from time to time
for any damages incurred in that way. The item of
£389 13s 9d for working stock, had been gone carefully
over, amd he was satisfied that it was necessary, and that
it was properly charged to capital account. The miscel-
laneous item of £25 lOs was principally an item for
advertising the four per cent stock of the company.. He
took that opportunity of iinpressing upon the share-
holders, that if they would assist the board by getting the
four per cent stock taken up, it would be -doing a great
service to themselves. On the contrary side of the capital
account, there were two items to which he begged to call
attention. The first was an item of £134,522 on forfeited
shares and calls over-paid. The board were considering
what could be done to close that account, and he hoped
that by the next half yearly meeting, they would be in a
position to close it in a way which would be satisfactory
to the shareholders. There,had been added to the 31st of
December, 1858, £73,288 10s ld. Probably many of the
shareholders might think that was a very large sum to
borrow on the past half-year. (Hear, hear.) Now,
£65,733 8s 9d of that amount remained in their bankers'
hands' on the Ist of January, in the present year. The
object of taking up that money' was that they had sums
offered to them at a low rate of interest in the latter end
of 1858, to pay off amounts falling due in the early part
of 1859, at higher rates of interest.
A shareholder : What do you call low rates ?
The Chairman said, four per cent. Mr. !fobs= had
gone into the question of interest, the amount allowed by
the bank, and the amount they should have to pay, and
there was a small balance of interest to the credit of the
shareholders up to' the 31st of December. He would
venture to say, now, that in his opinions the capital
account ought to be closed. (Hear, hear.) He did not,
of course, mean to say that, in closing the, capital account,
no money was to be spent upon works hereafter; but he
did think that when their line was constructed and equipßed
the'y ought not to spend money on capital account, with-
out first obtaining the sanction of the shareholders, to it.
(Hear, hear.) The directors could not of course lay
before the meeting an estimate of the works required in
the next half-year, but he believed it was the opinion of
1 the board, that at the next half-yearly meeting, so far as
' the directors could close the capital account, they would
do so, and would bring before the meth statement of

such works as they thought necessary to be constructed
tuhned
re
ev,•
aet
rnh
revenue
from
account, cc oouu
passengers,nu
tt , andthe a
mt apokuaernetae
receivedl vote taenodf t
mails,
shareholdersirlisntcii: past
was
upon it before they spent the money. (Hear, hear.) In
26s 6d, which, as compared with the correspond-
ind a .1857, showed a falling off of £4,40416s 8d;
tll4ll7lffisClellase was upon passengers and upon goods. The
decrease upon coats alone was 28,000 tons, equal to
£2,000, tie receipts also from the Manchester
Exhibition came into the 1857 account, for which they
had no corresponding receipts in the present half year.
The rates ana charges in 1858 were also lower, owing to
competition, thazi in 1857. The same tonnage and the
same number of passengers, if they paid an equivalent
rate, would have given a much larger gross return.
Therefore the traffic of the line might be said to be in a
good and healthy state • but the lower rates which they
received, and the loss Which they sustained in the mineral
traffic he had mentioned, would, of course, explain the
difference in the receipts. They would see by the weekly.
'returns that the traffic now was looking up. They had
received during the last seven weeks some £3OO a week
in excess of the corresponding weeks of last year. They
were getting better rates for coal, and had made arrange-
ments to advance the rates for iron ore from the 14th of
April next. The gross expenditure in working expenses
had been £40,898 2s. He• had no hesitation at all
in saying that he thought that a very bad: amount.
(Hear, hear.) He thought it a bad account fOr the• rea-
son that it showed in every item of expenditure an

increase. There was an increase upon the °Rester station
account. A large sum was for expenses on the permanent
way, which ought to have come sato-IW. At the last
half-yearly meeting the shareholders, complained very
justly about the great expenditure at the Chester station.
Very shortly after Mr. Townshend aid himself, who were'

now npon the Chester station committee; took the matter
up and a committee was appointed by tha Board to en-
quire into the whole expenditure. They went over there
to follow up the enquiry, bnt they were not allowed to see

the books at the staiion... It was stated the
be allowed to look into the finances of

ithio one could
the- station on

hehalf of any of the companies, except the representatives
of the_eowanies.meeting at the station. It then•devolved

upon Mr. T. and himself-to go into the question there, and
they carried a committee to inquire into the thing. He
_ _

was very sorry to say that the committee of inquiry had
resulted in nothing, for although they were able try show
•

an enormous and increasing eipendiiure going outtrOrit
year to year, they. could make no way at all in showing
how it was to be reduced. They were constantly met

. .
with the cry that the mileage and the tonnage were
increasing,. and that increased expenditure was necessary.
They, , therefore, repeated to the Board the result of the
inquiry, and it was then decided that they shouldmove
for a finance committee at the Chester station ; for he

was sorry to• say that the affairs bad been managed there
this way-the same party who made the order for goods

made_ the payment and. signed the cheque

(Oh,- oh.)

The directors never knew anything about it. The payments
were made ade upon the cheques of the manager. Now, he be-

lieved Mr. Jones, the manager of the station, was a highly
honourable man,_and a man-in whom they could 'place

very.great confidence, but they all knew that directors
required some one to look after them—which the share-
holders generally did pretty sharply—and that the
officials required that the directors should look after
them as well. There could be no doubt at all, that the
system of check and counter-check was an exceedingly
good system. (Hear, hear.) They succeeded in carry-
ing a resolution at the Chester station, that no order
should be given for any works until it had first been laid
before the board, and that no works should be done with-

out advertising —throwingthem open to public tender;
that no accounts should be paid without being examined
first by the finance committee, and that no check should

be hoiloured by the banker without having attached to it

the name of one of the directors at the station as well as

the manager. Although he did not want to prophecy, that

by this altered systeiii they should effect auy saving, yet

it would have this advantage, that wherever any saving
could be made, it should be made. They found in their

inquiry that there were many accounts 'Which had been
brought into the Chester station, in 1857, which had
' • "

never even been entered up iu the books, and which the
directors knew nothing at all about. uch a system as
that should not prevail for the future. There was an

increase of merchandise expenses in the past half year,
of £1,032 16s. 3d. That increase had arisen iu this way.

There was an increase of £l2l of salaries to clerks,

lodging another bill, he was now quite convinced that if
that step had not been taken hi the session of 1868, the
Mersey Board never would have proceeded with their bill
in that session of parliament. The Liverpool gentlemen
declared that Sir Benjamin Hall was the best chairman
they had ever seen—that he gave them everything they
wanted that the railway companies and the landowners
had no chance with him. What did Sir Benjamin Ball
himself say of the present application to Parliament In
his letter to Mr. Laird, and in remarks, made' to
him (the chairman), he declared that he cofx.-
sidered the prosecution of the present hilt
a gross breach of faith on the part of the Dock Board.
(Hear, hear.) He (the chairman) was not at liberty to
name the gentleman who had advised the directors in the
matter, but that gentleman, knowing all the history of
the proceedings of the Mersey Board, said he had no
hesitation in declaring that there was a gross breach of
faith on their part, and that they were simply trying to
obtain piecemeal from parliament that which parliament
had refused to give them as a whole. (Hear, hear.)
That gentleman, therefore, declared that, in the interest
of the railway companies, and of commerce, and the public
generally, they ought to oppose the bill on the second
reading; and he promised that, if a division should take
place, he would be found voting against the second
reading—and he did so. (Hear, hear.) The gentle-
men of the Mersey Dock Board knew perfectly
well who that gentleman was. The• oph
all who had to deal with' then in 185 g was
that they had committed a breach of faith. Mr. Lowe
told Mr. Turner privately, that it Was a gross breneh of
faith on the part of the Mersey Dock Mud. The

aion of

man exptressed his regret that the second reading of the
bill had been unsuccessfully opposed, and that as
opposition must now take place in committee. It had, at
least the advantage of obtaining declarations in parlia-
ment which could be used if necessary hereafter) and
which gentlemen might forget if made merely at the'
Mersey dock beard, that the Birkenhead'works should be
carried out as tepidly, as possible. He complained that
Manchester did not support the railway companies on the
second reading as ought to have dot

considering

manner in which the-railway companies had spent their
money in responding to the call made by Manchester to
help rt to got rid of the town dues. Finally, the chair-
man concluded by moving that the report and statement
of accounts be adopted.
Mr. Titherington seconded the motion.
Mr. Theeley asked whether there had L-igen any com-
munication held with any parties in reference to the sale
of a quantity of land mentioned in the report..
The Chairman replied in the negative.

Mr. euTrieaskel if the chairman was is the chair
with the fall'concurrence of his predecessor ? He did not
like to see changes of chairmen. He had some confidence
in the concern when Mr. Atkinson took the chair to pre-
side over the company, and he was sorry he had
left the company, for since then he believed it had gone
down a " peg, and there were great disagreements
amongst them. He concluded by calling attention to
the want of a mat and scraper (laughter) at one of the
stations which he was in the habit of visiting.-

The' Chairman-, in reply, stated that Mr. Atkinson was
his personal friend, as was.alsO Mr. Titherington, his pre
decessor, and who had proposed him as chairman of the
board, and he could say that there:was no difference of
any kind at the board involving the policy of the line
since he became chairman:
A shareholder said that, at' former meetings, he had to
complain of increased expenditure, and he found. that
there was still a greater increase on the present .year,
while they had repeated Promises that it would be
decreased. He asked 'if the item for compensation
included any other matter than that of the accident at
Bollington;. and whether the item for stationery, which
was very large, included passes to any gentlemen on the
line free of charge, as he was led to believe there were
some gentlemen travelling on the line free of expense.
Mr. Mason replied that there were none travelling in.
this way on the line ; and the Chairman stated that the
item for compensation was confined to the accident
mentioned ; and, with regard to the stationery account,
he had always been calling attention to it, but it was
increased last year from the Manchester Exhibition,
some matters extra being required at that time.

Mr. Gillow wished to know whether the £47,000 was
perfectly good debt, as he had seen it carried forward
from year to year. Ile thought there was no company
well managed that had so large amount of debt due. It
showed a laxity on the part of the officials, and he should
like some explanation of it..
It was stated in reply that there. were• not
more than £3,000 due at the present time; as aarge
portion of these £47,000 had came in since the report
was issued.

Mr. King spoke strongly against the Board for'being
always at war with, other companies, and expending the
money in. parliamentary conflicts ; and he did not see••
why they should interfere with the doings of those on the
Liverpool side of the water. He had been charged with
coming there on the interest of the London and North
Western Company, but he disclaimed this altogether.
He had interests on the London and North Western line,
but he had•greater interests on the Birkenhead, Lanca-
shire, and Cheshire Junction line..
The Chairman said, with reference to going to
Parliament he expressed his regret that they were
required to go to Parliament, and although they
had nothing to do with Liverpool—he would not enter
into that at present, however —but when twenty-three
bills were presented to Parliament by parties •in the
neighbourhood, it became them to look into these. bills,
to see if there was anything affecting their interests, and
to 'do their best to oppose such bills as would affect them,
Mr. King would be the first man to come and say,4" why
did they not attend to it ?" Other companies opposed
their bills, and they had a right to do so,_ if there was
any matter affecting their interests in such bills. It was
often a matter involving thousands and thousands of
pounds, and he. held that they: should always do their
best to protect their own interests.
The motion for the adoption of the report was then
put and carried unanimously.
The Chairman then moved that a dividend of 2,-1 per
cent. be. appropriated, but before putting the motion he
called the attention of the shareholders to the state of
the accounts, and stated that he had communicated
with Mr. Beloo, the auditor, asking him whether there
were any matter left out of the report which ought to
have•been mentioned; and .Mr. Beloe called. his attention
to '£4,000 which had been left out, and recommended
that these accounts should be closed, and in. order to do
so, suggested that 2 per cent. instead of 2i should be
appropriated. It would be a matter of great satisfaction
if these debts were paid, as they would then be on clear
footing. The directors, however, would: not reduce the'
dividend unless it was the wish of the shareholders. He
would, however, move that the 2t -per; cent. be appro-
priated, and any gentleman could move an, amendment on
that if lie choose..
Mr. Jones. seconded the motion.
Mr. Beloe said that the appropriation of only 2 per
cent would enable them to clear off ftverytbing.
Mr. King moved, as au amendment, that they take the
advice of the auditor, and appropriate.. only 2 per cent.
He promised them .by this proceeding if ey would see
their shares stand better in the market.. He alluded to
the London and North Western liner and said that when
their dividend came to nil, they had, thrown off an in-
cubus which enabled them., to .spring. up again in the,

market.
The amendment was seconded by Mm Beloe.
The Chairman said that they had had a grea.4.
many comigaints, and a „great many attacks had beoa,,
made upea them in . reference to the advance irk,
the price of contractors' tickets and so forth. He told
them a aert. time agNthat they had a united bear&
When ha said this, o 2 course they had differences. of
opinion,..but in the cansideratioa. of matters the miurity
always bowed to the majority, in: that which was for the
benefitof the company and of the public. Ile thought it
right. to call their attention ,te the fact, that in 1F49. they
had fewercontraators on the line than in 1854 but the
contractors they now carried. paid more money.,than the
entire lot in 184, The arrangement they had made was
decidedly beneftial to the railway. There .were four
parties to please. First,, the Chesicer people,, who wanted
fast trains, aLd plenty of them. Then the road-side
station peopb and the. Root= people, wh.,_•,,did not care•
so much about rate as accommodation. They had satin..
fie,d those people and: they paid the increased rc4a
willingly. Then 'they, had the body of small road-side
stations. They, wanted plenty of tramsto call thereond,
take them for notUng. (laughter) They got rid of those
by stopping the trains, and although now buildings, were
being oonstrueteA on these road sides,. still the trP.JU was
little increased,. In all these respects the arrawgements
had been, for the. benefit of the company. In refersi4o,
to the. Birken?aead Commissioners, he said they i 1
sealed. their differences with this. body.
Mr. Gillow said, if they would apply the same pctliay.
to the carriage of coals, &c., they would be much tietter,
as he considemd the rates a sreat deal too low,
The Claairr.nan said, they intended to raise the rates of
iron ore frr,m. Ist March next, and they were also con-
sidering he ther they would raise the rates on coal, and
how mut. h.
The amendment was then put and carried by a large
major ity, and this concluded the business of the general

SPECIAL MEETING,
The Directors and Shareholders then formed
themselves into a special meeting to consider
the clauses of a bill which the company intended to lay
before parliament.

Mr. Llovd read the preamble of the bill, from which it
appeared that the principal object of the bill was to get

permissive power to construct a branch line from Ifooton.
to Ilelsby ; to amend their position at Chester station,
and to construct some minor branches, touching Elles-
mere, Grange-lane, and TrarirrierePool ; also for power to
change the name of the company, and in future to be
tolled the " Birkenhead Railway Company."
The Chairman said, with regard' to the Hooton and
Ifels-by branch, this was a part of tile original, scheme in
1816; but it was delayed, in consequence of the Birken-
head docks not being proceeded with. Now, however,
as parliament had expressed its decided opini*on that the
Mersey board should finish-these works in the specified
time, the directors thought they ought to take the sense
of the shareholders' on the question, whether they should
not put themselves in a position to make this branch.
rthad been decided that the great float should be opened
on the 31st March, 1800, and he believed that the
great, argument of the Cheshire Junction line was, that
wben'these docks were completed there would be a very
large traffic between Manchester and Birkenhead. Bir-
kenhead' would then be a sufficiently important place
itself, without going met to Liverpool to seek for traffic.
He alluded to the great traffic between Liverpool and
Manchester, and also through Birkenhead. The
distance, hoOever, at present was much more front
the latter place to lAlanchester; than from Liverpool, and
again their tnins were consequently being detained at
Chester. They had, however; showed that they could
convey the goods' to the consignees at Manchester with
satisfaction and rApidity. The railway went along side
the slim and w==there loaded, and carried the goods
They had five slips at the present, unship-
good's for Manchester, and the Manchester people
were well satisfied with the manner in which they
delivered the goods ; and some of the Liverpool people,
when they were over tLere the other day, said it would
be very well if they could deal with the goods in
the same way: But th7S'remunerative rate was not so
le company would wish it, owing to the distance
;o travel. Mr. Mason was prepared with a list
rum which they could get traffic, if this branch
were constructed. Looking at 'these facts, and consider-
many points which it would not be "wise to lay pub-
" Ably before them, he was- strbnglY „convinced that
It would bc• decidedly to the advhatage of the
line' to hum this blanch constructed, as
by it- upwards of nine miles would be ^saved; in the dis-
tance:. The estimated cost of the 'branches.proposed was
£91,000. It was perfectly level g-frolind. It was proposed
tnfortn, a branch' line GOO yards in length,' commencing
at Grange-lane, and to end at Tranmere-pool, at the
Company would be. obliged to extend their accommodation
when thee docks were completed. With tegard to the
Ellesmembranch, they introduced thetinto the bill by the
request of the Cheshire. Union themselves,' and, curious
enough, they were now opposed" to the
bill' on' this very ground.: The, • directors also
proposed to close up C'annuig-street for about 200 yards,
forthe purpose of extending the line to the great float.
fre and theother directors thought it would' be-for the
interest of the. public, and of the ccmpanyp that this
street'should be closed up. The directors were not going.
to insist upon, any clauses which might t-be -consiiiered
unnecessary. Their expenditure at Chester'station for
the last year amounted to- £12,530; and if they added to
that-the interest, it would make in all 5.16,607) or an
amount equal to 16S 8d per cent. on the entire capital.
(Cries of "Awfill;"'" awful.") This accounted 'for the

'at away

great as

opposition of other companies
thing should be done to alter this

But it was
The

Might have.been very prOper at the timE
but the changes that had taken place, a

tine/ -some—
tati7ement

stance; which, surrounded them: were of sufficient

importance temake, them try to get some new tsrange-
ment at the -Chesterstation: Thy proposed 'by, _the bill
to get power; to deal: with it in another way, and he
hoped they would succeed ; and if they did, the, share-
holders, he was sure, would not be sorry. lie said. there
was a mistaken notion as to. how they were going to raise
the money for these. purposes. It was thought that they
were gong to create some new capital, giving some
preference to new shareholders over old ; but it was this,
if shareholders thought it advisable to issue one-half of
their capital. at a' preferental rate of interest, they- had
power to do it. Before• concluding, he mentioned that
the Board opposed their bill on account of locus
standi. In. fact, because'they were going to cicse up
a street which the Nersey Board were obliged to
close up themselves. hz reference to the change of the
name of the company,. he•would merely say that it was a
very lotto.. one, and, as it was suggested to him, caused a
great deal' of expense in, painting it on the rolling stock--
and, in fa

it was very inconvenient ; besides tTley were
really the• Birkenhead Railway Company. The bill,
however, would he subject to any alterations which the
directors might, upon consideration, think advisable.
He proposed that the directors should take such steps as
were necessasy•to carry the bill through parliament,
Mr. Tithermgton•seeonded the motion, reserving his

remarks in: case of any opposition.
-
Mr.. King opposed the• motion, and contended that
Birkenhead
.was not yet arrived at that state
to require such accommodations as were referred
to in the bill, though he acknowledged that
the time• would soon come. when the llooton and
Hclsby branch would be very desirable ; bit he would
submit as they were only getting a 2 per cent. dividend,
which, nevertheless, was goodl policy, it was surely not
the time when they shculd- come foward with a-bill pro-
posing £90,000 expenditure: He thought they.ought to
be allowed time to recover from the two per cent.
Mr. Gillow said he>had not much faith in estimates_
It was quite as likely-to-be• £150,000.
Mr, Titherington said, they should have hope and
patience.-. Individually he 'placed great importance upon
this Ilcioton and • IldlSbyc branch. The directors had
discussed.', this matter over- and over again, and
he - believed the reason: why the shareholders
import-

perhaps

were better

THE LIVERPOOL SOCIAL EVIL,

THE INDICTMENTS AGAINST THE PROPRIE-
TORS OF THE "HOPS." "

At the Recorder's Court of Quarter Sessions, in the
St George's Hall, on Saturday last, a great amount of
interest was manifested, on it becoming publicly known
that thirteen of the proprietors of the principal singing
and dancing saloons, in Lime-street and its neighbour-
hood, had been served with notices, after the grand jury
had found true' bills against them, and that on that day
they were to come up - for .trial. At the opening of the
court 'all the parties were present, and the court was
crowded; G. Henderson, Esq.,/ the Recorder, presided.

At ten o'clock, Mr. Littler, in the absence of Mr.
Simon, addressing the court, said : I appear to prosecute
ten persons, nearly all :of them living in Lime-street, and
keeping supper•rooms and other places of resort. You
*.e aware that they were indicted at these sessions, and
Grand jury have found true bills against them. They
all been served with a notice, and are now, I
They are indicted for a nuisance, but
here will be a motion made on their behalf, and
..ts would be a proper time to call upon them to
Liter into recognisances to appear at some future time.
-,rae of the defendants,

in court

perhaps t

Mr. I
and sha

wick : I appear for

to mov

The Recorder : I

were ca
could b+

during

the court for

ke the cases now

witnesses are present, and if they

lled'upon to enter into their recognisances they
e relieved.

Recorder : I cannot take thentnow, bat will do so
the adjournineut, about one o'clock.

Shortly aft€

crowded,

o'clock, the court being densely

The Recorder said : I believe, Mr. Littler, you have
something to say to the court.
Mr. Littler : 'Yes; I appear to prosecute ten persons
for a nuisance in Lime-street, all of whom, I believe, are

now present.
The Recorder : I have not seen the indictment, and do
not know anything of the cases. They had better appear
and plead, and then I shall have a better knowledge of

the cases.
Mr. Littler : They are present, and will surrender.
Mr. Temple (who appeared for Mr. Emilie Barandon)
I shall object to their pleading.
Mr. Littler : I submit, until they have pleaded, they

•
are not before the court.
Mr. Fenwick (who appeared for Mr. Bendano) : I have

to mov

Mr. Littler :
move.

atil they have pleaded, you cannot

Mr. Fenwick : I submit that lam in order.
Yr. Littler : Not until they have pleaded.
Clerk of the Peace : They are bound to plead.
'enwick : But the motion I have to move will
obviate their pleading, and render it unnecessary.
The Recorder : I shall call upon them to plead.
Mr. Fenwick: Then you rule that I am. not in order.
The Recorder : Certainly.

MR. BENDANO'S CASE

The officer of the court then called upon Joseph Ben-
dano, who aprared in court, and took his seat at the
table appropriated for the attorneys and their clerks.
The Recorder : That is not surrendering to the court,
silting at that table
Mr. Fenwick :
now to move-

My client has surrendered, and I have

The Re(
must plead
Mr. Fenwick : I submit that he is not called upon to
plead at all.

:ter : Rifore you can move the court, he

Recorder : I shall call upon him to plead, but I
know that it is absolutely necessary that he should

go into the do,
P.T1,1; AL

3ut I object to his pleading.
Until he has surrendeied and pleaded, I

) Sour making any motion.
He is in the vicinity of the court. lie
He is standing here, and' by his

case, a

defend
should

lir. SI
[The C
a that jj

cer in I-

is Baration.
• Mr. Simon