The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-12-31 00:00:00

MEXICAN COMPANY.

Yesterday • meeting of Shareholders in this Company was eon-
erred at their office in Great Winchester-street, to consider the
propriety of executing a deed, empowering the D.rectors to proceed
to carry the object of the Company into effect.
About one o clock six or eight gentlemen entered the room, and
• desultory conversation took place, in the course of sch'.ch it Tess
tobserved by one of them, that in his opinion there was nothipg
which called for discussion at the present moment. He considered
the meeting to have been convened lit an irregular manner, and he
herefore suggestgll that the shareholder should sign a requisition
to the Directors to call a public meeting of all the proprietors, for
the purpose of having laid before them a statement of the number
of shares which had been disposed of, and of the deposits that had
he-n received upon them; and also to take into consideration the
propriety and expediency of their signing the deed which had been
prepped, or of the necessity of relitiquishing the thing altogether,
and having the deposits refunded.
A SHAREHOLDER approved of the suggestion, and observed,
that as he had had no hand in calling the present meeting, he should
not stay there any longer. Ile and two or three other gentlemen
then ktft the room.

file. FIRE ER remarked, that in his opinion the object of the
Company was altogether at an end, inasmuch as the terms of
the prospectus had been abandoned by the Directors, in not hay-
ing disposed of more than 8693 shares ; whereas it was specified
that there should be ten thousand shares subscribed for before the
Company should be considered complete. Besides, there were ir.
eluded in these 8893 shares, 10110 shares which the Directors were
authorised by the prospectus to reserve far parties in Mexico, but
no account had been received whether any persona in that country
had taken any of those shares.
Mt. KNIGHT (the Solicitor to the Company) observed that the
Directors had, in pursuance of the terms of the prospectus, au-
thorised their agents in ale:leo to dispose of shares to the extent of
one thousand to persons in that country, and to receive their depo-
sits upon them. The first meeting of the shareholders was, accord-
ing to the prospectus, to be held in May nest, by which time the
Directors would have received a eommunicatioe from their agents
in Mexico, and then it was that they intended to submit to the
meeting what should be done with such of the shares as should be
remaining undiapesed of.
Mr. Feseaft—Has any sonstrunication been made by the party
to whom them CM shares have been intrusted, stating that they
have been appropriated ?
Mr. KerouT—No ; but there is also a provision in the pro-
spectus that those gentlemen should have twelve months to consider
as to whether they will take the shares or not after the advertise-
ment should have appeared.
Mr. FRAZER-IVIIO are lholegeTHlEMell ?
Mr. KWIGHT—The Directors know nobody except those to
whom they addressed their letters, and who became edgiest share-
holders.

Mr. FRAZER—WeII, you know me. I received a letter from
the Secretary requiring me to come and sign the deed. But this
deed is not legal. No names appear at the head of it.
Mr. liwlOHT—lt is to be executed by—
Mr. FRAZER—Why is the deed broaght forward now, when all
the shares have not been appropriated ?
Mr. KNlGHT—Because there is twelve months for the puties to
sign in.

A MIARTHOLDER—But la not the Company at present in-
complete ?
Mr. KNIGHT—No; there Is no foundation for such an assertion.
Mr. FIRAZ Et—lf the Directors cannot make up the Company by
the disposal of the requisite number of shares, it necessarily falls to
the ground.
The SITAREHOLDLR—The thing is not required by the pro.
spestus, because all the shares have not been taken.

Mr. Kw taire_Will any body take them now ? (A laugh.)
Mr. Fawn E a—No ; would you have us give 101. for what is not
now worth M. ?

It was again observed that the Company way incomplete for want
of the full number of the shares being disposed of.
Mr. KNIGHT said that by the terms of the deed the Directors
were called to do all they legally could to carry into effect tbe
object of the Company ; and he contended that they had done so.
Mr. FRANC --But have they appropriated all the shares?
Mr. KNIGHT—Yes, they have appropriated them; and if they
have appropriated the whole ten thousand shares, they have in law
done all that is necessary, or that is required of them.
Mr. ineatta—They have not done so ; fur where are the depo-
sits ?

Mr. Rxiostr —They hue done so.
Mr. iPsazta—Bat where are the 305 shares? Who has got
them ?
__

Mr. armour —I will say then, for the sake of the argument,
that the Directors have appropriated them to me.
Mr. Fisk n—But have you paid your deposits upon them It
Mr. KYIGHT—I have not ; nor is it necessary, for the purpose
of justifying the Directors, that I should. They have done all that
they could do, and I will defy any one, either in law or equity, to
affect this Compauy. The Directors have discharged their duty
with integrity, and have used their beat exertions for the Interest of
the Company.
. . . . .

Mr. Fitairn—So they have, but they bare failed.
Mr. KNIGHT—No. they have not ; arti at the first meeting that
occurs they will be able most satisfactorily to show that they have
not.

A SBAIEHOLD2I-But who is it that naw form the Company ?
Mr. KNlGHT—Thosewho sign the detvl will form the Caeapany.
Mr. FRAZF.n said it seemed that what Mr. Knight considered
shares were mere pieces of paper. The deposits only constituted
the sham; and to say that the Company existed until the depo.
sits were paid on all the shares, was totally contrary to every rule of
law he had ever heard of.

Mr. Milani' still contended that the Company was legally. is
esse. lie would stake his professional reputation upon the point.
He would further inform them, that such was the opinion of both
the Attorney and the Solititne General, and which was given ad-
versely upon the subject, and therefore he was quite sure of the ac-
curacy of his own.
Mr. Fa AZEn—But what will be the opinion of a Jury upon the
subject ?
Mr. KNZCIFIT thought that a Jury could hare nothing to do
with it.

Mr. FILAZIKR said he had a different opinion, and was ready to
try the question with the Directors. The Shareholders had a rght
to an account from the Directors, and to know what was done with
the 1303 shares which were deficient, before they could be required
to sign the deed.
Mr. KwIGHT denied that any such right existed. lle had fully
looked into the subject, and had heard all the pros and cons upon
upon it, and was quite satisfied as to the legal constitution of the
Company.
A gentleman now entered the room, and asked Mr. Knight what
was the last day foe signing the deed.
Mr. KNIGHT—II is the 3d of January.
The GEN T I.ESlAN—Because 1 hare been informed that it was
open throughout the next week.
Mr. KNIGHT said he had authority for stating that it was not
so, but that the 3d of January was the last day.
The Gentleman then retired.

Mr. KNIGHT, addressing himself to the two or three Share.
holders in the room, observed, that if the question was merely re-
specting the 305 shares, it was not worth discussion.
A SHAH OLDER —Must not 305 shares occasion a deficiency?
Mr. FR A Z ER—We say that the Directors cannot call upon us
to sign the deed until the whole of the shares are appropriated.
The SECRETARY—nay are appropriated.
Mr. FRAZE rt—But the deposits have not been paid ; and, there-
fore, in fact, it is no appropriazion.
The Secnrmax—You have your opinion upon that subject.
Mr. FRAZER ; I have my opinion, and my authority for
that opinion. The Directors have theirs, and let them proceed
upon tt Mr. Knight, is it the intention of the Directors to pro-
ceed upon that advertisement, which states that the parties who do
not sign the deed within the time spreitied will forfeit their shares ?
Mr. Rr inn T —lf the Directors should think it right to do so, it
is legal. I have no doubt upon it.
Mr. FRAZ ye —I dare lay not; but that impression might be
erroneous tor all that. I shall come here next week to inquire
whether my shares are considered as forfeited.
Mr. K N IGHT—I should tell the Directors to answer in the
affirmative, unless some objections were made by the shareholders.
Mr. Fart?. r a—l have left objections and reasons wi:h your
Chairman, as a holder of 55 shares.
Mr. lirr te riT—Ves, but you are only RR individual shareholder.
The Company, in my opinion, is complete, and I defy anybody
to make it otherwise.
Mr. Fst.tz r n —Oh ! of course; it is your business, but we
shall see. (rcod morning, Sir--good morning.
Mr. Fraser and his two or three friends then retired, and thus
ended the colloquy. We have endeavoured to give the principal
points of it, but the conversation was so desultory, and it fee-
quently happening that two or three gentlemen were speaking at
the saute time, that it is impossible to do more than to sketch the
general tenor of their observations.

Yesterday a Court of Directors was held at the East In-
dia house, when the following Commanders took leave of
the Court, previous to departing fur their respective desti-
nations, viz. Captain John limes, of the Abercrombie Ro-
binson ; and Captain Henry Bax, of the Edinburgh, for
Bombay and China.

Christmas evening, a quarrel took place in Madden 's
Tavern, Queen-street, Dublin, between a few of the Guards
and some of the 73t1 Iteginwnt. The picket interfered
and took them to the barracks—one of the Guards was
wounded in the head. .

MU itDEn xr.tie Annrr.—An account has just reached
us of the murder of three men on the night of Christmas
day, in the neighbourhood of Ardee, on the old road lead.
ing to Carrickmacross. There are various reports in circu-
lation respecting this unfortunate affair ; some assert it to
he the result of a drunken quarrel ; it is said by others,
that ore of the parties were carrying property feloniously
of lands belonging to Mr. Slicers, of Ardee. We hear
that the Police have taken four men into custody charged
as principals, and six others who have witnessed part of
the transaction. Another account states that there was but
one man killed and another severely injured—and that the
homicide originated in an old spite. 1t is confidently stated
that four men, who are in custody, waylaid the unfortu-
nate victim..-Newry Telegraph.

-

THE BRITI§ii PRESS.