The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-07 00:00:00

EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY.

Important Meeting—(This Day.)

90 - 93
94 - 98

This day a meeting of the most stormy description
was held at the London Tavern, for the purpose of
adopting the report made by the committee of iuvesti-

103 - 105

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1128 -- 117

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par ip
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28 :-;2

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30i 31i
83 - 85

104

At one o'clock the committee appointed to investigate
the company's affairs entered the room and were received
with some hisses and cheering, but on the entering of
the Directors there was a perfect hurricane of uproar.
The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed.
Mr. Box, amidst confusion, rose and said that under
the circumstances he thought that as several gentlemen
would have to address the meeting, adverse probably to
the Directors, that Mr. Waddington ought to leave the
chair—(confusion)—becau,e he could to an extent curtail
the privileges of the shareholders. He was not now as-
suming that the Chairman was guilty of that alleged
against him, but it was to insure fair play for both eider.
(Cheers and dissent.) He moved that a shareholder
of the Eastern Counties Railway proceed to occupy
the chair. (Uproar.) He asked him, as a gentleman,
to give way to the feeling of the meeting and retire from
the chair. (Cheers and confusion.)
Mr. PULLEY seconded the motion.
The CHAIRMAN rose amidst great confusion, cries of
" Turn him out," " Fair play," " Lock him up in a
penitentiary," and cat-calls, being predominant. He
said that, according to the provisions of the Act of Par-
liament, he was chairman of the meeting, and should
retain the chair. (Uproar.) And as chairman, he had
a duty to perform to them as well as to himself, and
he should remain in that chair until the meeting gave
him an opportunity of meeting the charges that had
been made against him—(uproar)—and in their meeting
together that day to receive the report of the Com-
mittee of Investigation he must claim theirserious atten-
tion for a moment. (Great uproar.)
Mr. Box asked if Mr. Waddington was the chairman
according to the provisions of the act of incorporation.
Mr. MAYNARD (solicitor) said he was, and read the
clause of the Act.

3C i

The CHAIRMAN, amidst renewed confusion, said it pro-
bably would be expected of him to account for the ab-
sence of four of the directors that day, and he proceeded
to state that Mr. Swyth was suffering from a serious
accident. Mr. Pax from gout. (Oh, oh, and laughter.)
Lord Alfred Paget was in attendance on the Queen, and
Mr. Fane was 120 miles from London when he received
the notice of the meeting, and it was inconvenient for
him to attend. He had forwarded a letter, in which he
urged the propriety of adjourning the meeting to enable
the directors to meet the charges contained in the com-
mittee's report.
Mr. PULLEY protested against the course adopted by
the Chairman.
The CHAIRMAN said he intended to move a resolu-
tion. (Confusion.)

Mr. PULLEY—Yon cannot do it. (Cheers and uproar.)
The CHAIRMAN, amidst renewed confusion, said he
called on them to hear him, and then afterwards
others. In assembling them that day by advertise.
ment to receive the report of the Committee of Invest'.
gation he must claim their serious attention for a
moment. Their object was, or ought to be, to obtain
a truthful and complete knowledge of the state of their
property (cries of " We have in—but that knowledge
could never, even with the most ample materials in their
possession, be arrived at by any heated or angry discus-
sion. (Uproar.)

Mr. PULLET aga;n objected to the course adopted by
,he chairman.

Mr. LOVE called on the chairman to state whether or
not the report of the committee had not been received.
The CHAIRMAN, who was again met with. uproar and
much confusion (like that of the " olden times"), said it
would much facilitate the proceedings of the meeting if
the shareholders would but listen to him, because
he would be heard if he remained till midnight. The
report in question impugned his honour, policy, and
management—(uproar)—in a manner that should not

remain unanswered. He would meet it and would
answer it calmly, deliberately, and in as pertinent a
form as the way in which those charges had been made.
It was now only a week that had elapsed, and to do it
in the manner he named was absolutely impracticable.
He gave them the pledge he made, that his answer
should be frank and complete, and in that spirit of fair-
ness which distinguished English assemblies. He asked
them, alter they had heard the report read, to at once
adjourn the meeting to such day after the 24th of
December as may be convenient to them, whe❑ ho
should be prepared to defend himself, and to prove to
them that he was not unworthy of that confidence that
was so liheraliy given to him in March, ISSI. lld
moved that the report be received, and that this meet-
ing be adjourned. (Cries of "No, no ;" "Bruce, take
the chair.")

Mr. LOVE said he hoped that the meeting would not
be put au end to by a side wind. The business of the
meeting was simply to receive or reject the report made
by the committee of investigation. It was now said that

seven days was not sought to answer the repirt. But he
asked why any man, having a charge brought against
him, wanted seven hours to answer. He trusted that

,he meeting would, after they had appointed a corn-

. ..
93 mittee, properly support them in carrying out the inquiry.
91 , Mr. PULLEY begged to move that the report be taken
as read, and adopted. (Uproar.)
..,
Mr. M'LAREN addressed some observations in favour
of the chairman, but was received with a storm of
1 i uproar.

11i}

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15 14j 151

Mr. LOVE, chairman of the committee of invest'-

tion, said he hoped that the meeting would allow him to
make a few observations. The report was stated
to be a one-sided one, but he could say in all ho-
nesty and truth that the committee had endea
voured without fear or affection to devote them-
selves with satisfaction to arrive at a lair
termination. (Cheers.) With respect to the evidence of
Gooch and Mr. Waddington, it had been stated that
that evidence had been tampered with, but he begged to
to say in all honesty, that that evidence had not been
altered in the slightest degree. (Cheers.) With respect
to the demand made to time to bring that part of the re
port which respected Mr. Waddington, it was stated
that it required him to answer them, but they were dis-
tinct and plain, and he thought that any Englishman
could answer such questions within four-and-twenty
hours. (Cheers and uproar.)
Mr. BRUCE, after addressing a few observations in
dumb show, was understood to object most
strongly to the adjournment of the meeting
till the first week in January. He begged to
say that he did not believe that Mr. Waddington
spoke the feelings of the board when be moved the ad-
journment of the meeting. He begged to move " That
the Repori; of the Committee of Investigation, appointed
on the 31st day of August last, to inquire into the
affairs of this company, and which has been distributed
among the proprietors, be now taken as read, and be re-
ceived and adopted, and entered on the proceedings of
the meeting of this day."
A SHAREHOLDER begged to move, as an amendment,
that the report be read but not adopted.
{We shall give the conclusion in our last edition.]

The veteran Beringer was present at the funeral of a
popular composer, which took place on Tuesday at Paris.
The old poet looked healthy, despite his advanced age.
THE REPRESENTATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF Ox-
FORD.—We have good reasons for believing that Mr.
Gladstone bas of late had such representations made to
him of the utterhopelessnss of any attempt which he may
make to secure his re-election for the University of Oxford,
that he has relinquished all idea of again presenting him-
self to the electoral body of that ancient seat of learning.
We understand that the right hon. gentleman has some
idea of standing for Flintshire, some of his wife's rela-
tives having considerable influence in that county.—
Morning Advertiser.
REPRESENTATION OF LEEDS.—A numerous meeting of
the leading supporters of the Right Hon. M. T. Baines
was held on Monday evening The meeting, convened
by circular,
was presided, over by John Wilkinson, Esq ,
chairman of Mr. Baines s election committee on former
occasions, and who was unanimously requested to act in
tbat capacity now. Various steps were taken with a view
to be in readiness for all contingencies, among which was
the guarantee of a fund for election purposes. The most
perfect unanimity and enthusiasm in favour of the right
hon. gentleman prevailed.- —Leeds Mercury.
ARMAGH BOROUGH ELECTION.—The final close of the
poll gave Mr. Bond a majority of 37. The defeat of Mr.
Miller was quite unexpected, as his friends had good
reason to believe, almost from, the start, that his election
was a matter of certainty. The correspondent of a Dub-
lin (Conservative) paper writes as follows :--" Mr.
Miller was supported by the Protestant electors of the
middle and artisan class, as well as by many of the gen-
try ; while, owing to the influence exercised by the most
Rev. Dr. Dixon (through whose interference General
Ravvdon was withdrawn), the Roman Catholics (with
the exception of some 30, 7ho, up to the latest moment
remained open to conviction ), voted for Mr. Bond, who
was also supported by his Grace the Lord Primate.
Sixty-nine electors remain unpolled."
THE ROBERT L. OWE STEAM-SHIP.--A Passenger in her
last voyage seeing an advertisement stating that the
magnificent steam-ship Robert Lowe is appointed to sail
with despatches for Constantinople and the Crimea, asks
would it not be fairer to the public to describe her, as
she is only a ship fitted with an auxiliary screw t She
has engines of 70-horse power only, and these cannot be
used against a head wind. The truth of this WaS shown
in her last passage from Balaklava, which occupied six
weeks, and 18 days from Gibraltar,