The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-27 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 2fr, 1855.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

The screw ship Caesar, Captain Robb, which sailed
from Gibraltar on the 18th of February, arrived at Ply-
mouth yesterday morning.
The Gorgon, 6, paddle-wheel sloop, Commander B.
Crawford, was to leave Gibraltar on the 20th.
The Hecla was got off shore by assistance from the
Caesar and Gorgon, on Sunday, the 18th February, at
2 30 a.m., supposed to be but little damaged.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

NORTH-WESTERN.

---
The half-yearly meeting of this company was held at
Leeds yesterday ;, Mr. Alcock in the chair.
The report stated that the revenue for the half-year
ending December 31, 1854, amounts to 27,8311., and
the working expenses to 14,393/., leaving a balance of
13,4381. The directors recommended a; dividend of
2s. 6d. per share, and reported that they bad been ac-
tively engaged in prosecuting the negotiations previously
entered into with neighbouring railway companies, with
a view to the immediate construction, of the works
necessary for completing the line to the Lancaster and
Carlisle Railway northwards. The works at Morecambe
were progressing, and would be rattly for use this
summer. •

The report was adopted and the dividend declared.

ST. HELEN'S.
The half-yearly meeting of this company was held yes-
terday at St. Helen's_; Mr. G. Greenall, M.P., in the
chair.

The report stated that the gross revenue for the half-
year ending the 31st of December amounted to 34,7011.,
and the expenses to 12,2331., leaving a balance of
19,4681. From this was deducted 7,997/. for interest on
loans, including 350/. for renewal of permanent way,
leaving 11,4701., which, added. to 145 t balance from the
last account, made a disposable 'unt of 11,615/. Of this
amount 3,6001. was absorbed f 'a dividend at the rate
of 2i per cent, on the consoli d stock 8., 3,7571. for
3 per cent. on stock C, 2,475/ 21 per cent. on stock
D, and 1,7281. for 21 per c on the 251. and 201.
shares, leaving a balance of 541 4
The report was adopted, andlte dividends were de-
clared.

SOUTH-EASTERN.
• It appears that some of the large shareholders in this
company are endeavouring to check the vigorous con-
test which is now being carried on by various parties for
the purpose of obtaining the vacant seats at the board.
In reply to some of the candidates who appose the Direct
South-Eastern line, Mr. J. J. Hamilton, one of the
largest shareholders in the company, contends that it is
imperatively incumber.t on the company to shorten the
trunk line by cutting off the angle between London and
Tonbridge, as a matter of necessity, to prevent the inva-
sion of their territory, and to afford additional accom-
modation to the public.

9 BIRMINGHAM, WOLVERHAMPTON, AND
STOUR VALLEY.
The half-yearly meeting of the proprietors of this line
(which is leised to the London and North-Western
Company) was appointed to be held in Birmingham yes-
terday. The only business of importance transacted on
these occasions is formal, being limited to the -declara-
tion of a dividend at the rate of two-thirds of the Lon-
don and If orth-Western dividend. It is payable on the
28th inst. -

NEWMARKET (BURY EXTENSION).
The report states that the Eastern Counties Company
have agreeethat the capital shall be finally fixed at
142,4251., which is 51. ss. 6d. :-share on the 27,000
shares constituting the extension capital. From each
dividend warrant will be dedueted the call of 6d. per
share just made, but all future divided will be paid at
the rate of 5 per cent. per annum with regularity and
without deduction.

LOST-OFFICE NOTICES.

yIW
EXTENSIO OF THE PRIVILEGES OF THE
COLONIAL BOOK POST.
The, folio ing Post-office notices have been - pub-
lished
On and nom the Ist March next, the regulations of
the Colonial 'ook Post will, in most respects, be assimi-
lated with t °so of the Inland Book 'Post, and will be as
full ws :
" 1. A boek packet may -contain any number of sepa-
rate boOks, 'publications, prints, almanacs or maps, and
any quantity of paper, parchment or vellum (to the exclu-
sion of lett*, whether sealed or open), and tho books,
maps, paper, &e., may be either printed, written, 'or
plain, or any mixture of the three.
" 2. The packet must not exceed two feet in length,
breadth, or width.
"3. The name and address of the sender, and any
words not in the nature of a letter, may be written or
printed upon the envelope or cover of the packet, in addi-
tion to the name and address of the person to whom it
may be for4arded.
" 4. The hooks, &c., may be in any binding, mounting,
or covering, whether such binding, &c., be loose or at-
tached. In' the case of prints or maps, rollers may ac-
company them, and markers, whether of paper or other-
wise, may be sent with books or other printed papers.
" 5. If a ;book packet be found to contain any enclosure
which is sealed or otherwise closed against inspection, or
any letter whether sealed sr not, the ltter or other enclo-
sure will ha taken out and forwarded to the address on
the packet,; charged with the full postage as an unpaid
letter, together with an additional rate equal to the amount
chargeable On a book, not exceeding half a pound in weight.
The remainder of the packet, if duly prepaid, will be for-
warded without any extra charge.
" 6. If a.packet be not sufficiently prepaid according to
its weight, but, nevertheleis, bear postage stamps of tlre
value of a single book-rate, it will not, as heretofore, be-
come liable to the latter rate of postage, but bat for-
warded charged with the' deficient book postage, and an
additional book-rate as a fine.

"7. In the event of a book packet being posted alto-
gether unpaid, or paid less than a single rate, it will be
detained and sent to the dead-letter office.
"The following is a list of the British colonies and pos-
sessions to which the book pest has been established, and
to which, therefore, these extended privileges apply ; and
annexed te the name of each colony is a table of the rates
of postage, chargeable on books, &e., sent under the above
regulations from the United Kingdo*;---,
To the British West Indies, Be.rmUda,, Canada, Nova
Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edvvard Islands, New-
foundland, Malta, Gibraltar, loniva Island, St. Helena,
Gold Coast, Cape Town, New South Wales, South Aus-
tralia, New Zealand :
Not exceeding tlb. in weight
Exceeding 31b. and not exceeding 11b.
Eiceeding 11b. and not exceeding 21b.
Exceeding 21b. and not exceeding 31b.
To the East Indies, Ceylon, Mauritius, Hong Kong :
Not exceeding ill). in weight
Exededing Pb. and not exceeding 11b.
Exceeding 11b. and not exceeding 21b.
Excdeding 21b. and not exceeding 31b.
" No book packet exceeding the weight of three pounds
can be sent to the East Indies or New South Wales ; but
on books, &e., addressed to any of the other colonies above
enumerated, the postage for heavier packets will increase
by two rates of postage for every pound or fraction of a
pound.
"Boor packets can only be forwarded to the above
British colonies and posseasions by British or colonial snail
packets, excepting in the case of Cape Town, New Zealand
and St.' Helena, to which places (there being no direct
pack( t ;),b)oks may be forwarded by private ship.
" In do case can a book packet be sent to the colonies
(except at the letter rate of patapi, "through a foreign
country! _

"To prevent any obstacles to the regular transmission
of letterp, any officer of the Post-office may delay the trans-
mission any book packet, for a time not exceeding 24
hours from the time at which the same would otherwise
have built forwarded by him:
" Misc. instructions are not to extend to, or interfere
with, the transmission of printed paper allowed to pass by
the post, under the newspaper privilege, which will con-
tinuo subject to the existing regulations."

• .
LOOKS, &c., TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA.
On and from the let of March next, the provisions of the
Colonial Book Post, as laid down in the above instructions,
will be extended to book packets transmitted by packet be •
tweon the United Kingdom and the colony of South
Australia.

Upon book packets for the above-mentioned colony the
rates of postage will be as follows :
For a packet not exceeding ';lb. in weight
For a packet exceeding and not exceeding lib is. Od.
For a packet exceeding llb.and not exceeding 21b 2s. Od.
And so on, increasing ls. for every pound or fraction of a
pound: