The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-12-22 00:00:00

Kfr.NTISH RAIL-WAY COMPAY.

A nurneto As Meeting of the Shareholders of this compitly was
held at the Albion Tavern, Aldersgate.street, yesteiday, fur the
purpose of receiving the Report of the Directors, And considering
the propriety of proceeding to apply to Parliament foe an Act.
Maps and plans of immense magnitude and splendid- execution
were displayed round the room.
The Chairman, Sir JAMES Cncuuase, s a cd that the mayor
had been made with the wog laborlrus and diligent care by the
aSlort engineers. As to time return of prolte, the calculation was,
that the rail.wer would obtain about a (Death, or in Kane slums
third of the business upon the present roads. When extended
into the Weald he thought it would be more profitable. It was for
the Proprietors to decide if they would go to Parliament. lie
expected a retam of 20 per cent. and if it should turn out only IU
per cent. It would be a good investment. The Directors had not
received one farthing remuneration, and would nut receive any
until the Auditors repored that there was sufficient to pay them.
Mr. CLARK, of the Stock Exchange, put several uestiont to
the Directors, which wre answered to his entire sutisffietion. lie
then complimented the Directors on their most honourable c in-
duct, but at the same timt he diff red fr ten them, and thought that.
on account of the change of the times, the scheme had better I e
abandoned. and the mimey n- hand divided amongst the Pro..
pr co a. He therefore DMA ed a resol ttion to dissolve the Company.
Mr. BARRETT, M.P. was for going to Parliament. If the scheme
was now abandoned, the proprietors could not get back more than
Be. or 9 . in the pound, but if an act was obtained the shares
would, probably, rise to a premium. In the cape of the Alan.
cheater and Liverpool railway, the House of Commons had been
guilty of a great act of hardship towards the parties concerned
bue Viere t'te projectors were not free from blame, for they had
stated that only 400,0001. would be necessary, whilst their milli:-
mots had proved that 1,590,0001. would be required; their profits
titre calculated on the idea of employing locomotive enirMes, and
they were proved to be very expensive. There was also in that
case an immense canal interest to oppose them.
Mr. T•YLOR and MI. FRESHFIELD said that on account of
the depression of shares in the markets they were opposed to
going on.

Co-onel TORIMWS thought the pie ent cloud overhanging the
Stock Exchange and the money market ought to have no influence
on the present question. Had the soil of England lost its letting ?
Were her ships swept from the ocean ? N% ere her manufactures
less productive? or her arm and energy unnerved? Were any
sources of prosperity diminished ? Surely nut. Money would, ha
twelve months, be as plentiful as It was twelve months ago.
Mr. P. Woltz, M.P., was for proceeding.
On a division there appeared—for an application to Parliamert
40, and fora dissolution 33.

A ballot was demanded, and was granted by the Chairman,
after a long discussion on the condition that only such Proprietors
as had paid their shares that day at 12 o'clock should vote. The
ballot to be at the Ake from twelve to three.

. •
Votes of thanks to the Directors, and also the Chairman for his
conduct in the Chair that day, were carried, and the Meeting se-
parated.

THE EMPEROR ALEXANDER'S DEATH.
The following story appeared yesterday in the Moriair
Puri respecting the death of the Emperor Alexander. We
can hardly suppose that a story so serious in its accusations
would be put about without some foundation. We see uo
hint of the kind however in the French Papers, nor any
confirmation of this report, though it will be seen that the
French Secretary of Legation at Berlin has arrived at
Paris:—

•` About five years ago the Grand Duke Constantine conspired
against the authority and the life of his brother. The Plan was
discovered, its object defeated, nod its author pardoned ; and
all that ever reached the public was a confused knowledge that
some regiments of Imperial Guards bad shown symptoms of in-
subordination at or neat St. Petersburgh, which had been promptly
repreioed. Constantine was pardoned; but he was ordered to
remain within the bounds of his viceroyalty, and informed that,
as a further punishment, he should be cut off by a solemn
will from his succession to the Crown, which the Emperor
would leave to his younger brother Nicholas. With a view
perhaps to preserve, or to regain his popularity with the
army, Alexander then gave way, for a time, to the spirit
of religious enthusiasm with which it longed to revenge the barba-
rities committed at Constantinople and in Moldavia on the Greeks
and their common Patriarch ; and in so doing he conceived that he
took from the rebellious the weapon which had lately been turned
against him. Firm and consistent only when unopposed, no sooner
did Austria and the other members of the Holy Alliance hear of
his intended project titan they worked upon his weakness, and by
inducing him to check suddenly the ardour which he had lately en •
couraged, created in the to:rla of his soldiers, and even of his
people, a disposition still more favourable to the designs of traitors
than that of which they had previously availed themselves. Things
remained in this state of apparent order and security as long us
Alexander was on his guard, and sojourned within those parts of
his empire where his subjects felt the benefit of his kindness suit
his presence, and protected him with their gratitude and their love.
No sooner, however, bad he resolved on his distant expedition, and
ventured to the seat where discontent and disaffection prevailed,
than plans for his destruction were renewed. Whether the fatal
will had been made and was to be set aside, which could easily be
done by those who should succeed in taking an Emperor's life,
or whether its execution was to be prevented, the author of the
crime alone can tell, but his orders were issued, and have been but
too faithfully obeyed. The conspirators (who they were will be
known when the new Imperial Household is formed and titles and
places are bestowed) took every means to create in their intended vic-
tim the most unbounded confidence. All on his passage was coo.
tentment and happiness, and never in the centre of his capital and
his guards had Alexander thought himself more secure or more
beloved. On his return from the Steppes of the Crimea, sod be-
fore he quitted Taganrog, a succession of fetes was given. In one
of these a water party was formed on the sea of Azof, which laves
the walls of the town. The conspirators contrived that the intpe-
rial boat should be manned entirely by themselves and their friends.
The confident Monarch embarked before a gazing population, and
the boat rode gayly, with the shouts of thousands from the shore to
till its sails and to cheer its return. But when they sailed, and she
was solitary on the waters,—when no eye could see, and no ear
could hear,—with a struggle, or in cairn despair,—`midst the curses
of unmasking foes, or in deep silence, a mental voice alone
thundering ` Retribution !' the Autocrat of half a world was
strangled.,'

MEETINGS OF CREDITORS.
AT THE COURT OF COMMISSIONERS OF BANKRUPTS,

BASINOHALL-STAYST.
THIS DAY.

SECOND ItEITINGS. N.
Coleman, W. Esaex.street, Bouvene-street, victualler . to
Wauon, T. W. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, merchant I