The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-04 00:00:00

Railway and Other Companies,

LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN.
A special general meeting of this company was held yes
terday at the Waterloo station to elect a director in the

room of Mr W. S. Portal, who resigned. Captain Mangles,
the chairman, presided.
Mr Clarke, the secretary, heving read the notice con-
vening the meeting,
The CHAIRMAN said, in reference to tho list of candi-
dates, which included Lord Bury, Lord Otho Fitzgerald,
Sir S. A. Donaldson, Mr H. P. Marshall, and others, they

were reduced to two, namely, Viscount Bury and Sir S

A. Donaldson.

Mr LINDSAY, M.P., asked if they were then bound to
proceed with filling up the vace.ncy.
The CHAIRMAE said he was advised by the solicitor that
they were bound to proceed with the election that day.
They had called the meeting for that purpose._

Lord 0. FITZGERALD said he had retired from being a
candidate because he considered that Lord Bury was more
eligible for the office, and, judging from opinions expressed
in the most influential journals that Lord Bury was the
fittest candidate for election, he had great pleasure in mov-
ing that Lord Bury be elected a director of the company.
Mr VILLEBOIS seconded the motion.

Mr VANSITTAnT, M,P., complained that the chairman
and nine of the direc'ors had allowed their names to appear
in support of Lord Bury, which he considered was an un.
usual act, and must have had a great influence with the
shareholders. He protested against such a course, and con-
tended that as Lord Bury was a member of Parliament he
would not have sufficient time to devote to the service of
the company, while, on the other hand, Sir S. A, Donald-
son could give the whole of his time to the service of the
company, and being well acquainted with commercial mat-
ters, having had 25 years' experience at the head of a com-
mercial house, he was well qualified for a seat at the Board.
He had also filled the office of Inspector or Commissioner
of Government Railways in Australia, and was therefore
fdlly acquainted with the subject. He (Mr Vansittart)
believed he would make an excellent director, and concluded
by proposing that Sir S. A. Donaldson be elected a director
of the company.
Mr HUGGINS seconded the motion.
Mr VILLEBOIS thought the directors were in a position
to judge as to which of the candidates was best suited to
fill the vacancy at the Board. He believed the company
had always suffered from the want of influence in Parlia-
ment, and he thought there would be no difficulty in Lord
Bury finding sufficient time to attend Board meetings, and
to promote their interests in a proper manner.
The CHAIRMAN considered that the hon. proprietor (Mr
Vansittart) had made a very unjust attack on himself and
nine other directors in saying that they had done an unusual
act. On the last occason, when Mr W. Portal and Mr Best
were candidates, they mentioned in their circular the names
of directors who were in favour of their election. On the
present occasion he could state that none of the directors
were personally known to Lord Bury, with the exception,
perhaps, of Mr Dutton. They honestly believed that Lord
Bury was the best man on the list to promrite the interests
of the company, and they gave him their votes accordingly.
Mr LINDSAY thought they wanted a man of commercial
_ .

experience who could see the advantages of obtaining access
to the west-end and the city. They had a monopoly of one
of the finest districts out of London, and if proper facili-
ties were afforded for its development their stock, instead
of being 5 or 7 discount, would be at a large premium, and
the dividend, instead of being 41 or 5 per cent., would be 7,
or 8 per cent. He had a great respect for Lord Bury, but
he thought that Sir S. A. Donaldson might be a better direc-
tor fcr them. He considered the members of the board had
a perfect right to vote on such a question and to express
their opinion, but at the same time he considered that a
great cht.nge ought to be made in the constitution of the
board, and sooner or later he believ ed it must take place.
Mr HUGGINS agreed that better access to the city and
west-end was required to develope the resources of the
railway.

Mr CASTLEMAN (deputy-chairman) said their present
station in the Waterloo-road was quite as good as be'ng at
tharing-cress, and they were making every exertion to ob
tain access to the city. The company obtained an Act of
Parliament for making an extension to London-bridge, but
the feeling of the shareholders had bec,n so thoroughly ex-
pressed against it years ago that no attempt had since been
made to go on with it. The directors voted for Lord Bury
in their individual capacity as shareholders, believing that
he was the most eligible and best candidate.
After some observations by Mr Sergeant Gaselee, Mr
Seymour, and Mr Lindsay, and other shareholders,
The CHAIRMAN put the question, and on a show of hands
Lord Bury was elected a director.
Sir S. A. DONALDSON said he would not demand a poll,
as he believed that Lord Bury had.a much larger number
of proxies than he had.
Lord BURY returned thanks, and the proceedings termi-
nated.

MIDLAND COUNTIES AND SIIA.NNON
JUNCTION.

The half-yearly meeting of this compeny was held on
Monday at B:nagher, Alderman Boyce in the chair.
The Secretary (dr F. Nicoll) read the report, which
stated that up to the 30th of September last £76,679 bad
been expended on the construction of the line and works,
and that £31,303 had been recived, leaving a balance
against capital of £15,371. &nee the last meeting the
directors had submitted to the Treasury the usual certified
statement regarding the amounts received and expended on
capital; and the immediate sanction of the Treasury was
granted for the withdrawal of the parliamentary deposit,
the amount of which had since been received by the board,
and expended in the construction of the railway. The ne-
cessary documents had been forwarded to the Commissioners
of Public Works, upon an application which had been made
to borrow £33,300 to complete and open the line for traffic.
This application was sanctioned and approved at the special
meeting in March, and the directors had a confident hope
that Government would sanction the grant now required,
and thus add considerably to the material prosperity of the
country by opening the district intersected by the railway.
The engineers' report stated that they expected to see the
line completed and opened for public traffic early in the

ensuing year.
The CHAIRMAN said they had ten miles of the line now
ready for traffic, and the only delay they had was in waiting
for the Government loan. Ha congratulated the share.
holders
pleasantprospect before them, and was cer-
tain the on ov thear n ent
would grant the required loan. Al-
though thinge might look gloomy now, he was sure the rail-
am
way would eventually prove a remunerative undertaking.
Mr DOLAN inquired if all the shareholders would be com-
pelled to pay up. He was obliged to pay what he con-
tracted for, and he thought it unfair if others were allowed
to shirk their responsibilities.

➢lr NrcoLL said the arrear books of the company would
show that the directors were not remiss in looking after de-
faulting shareholders.
Mr DOLAN satd he was satisfied.

The CHAIRMAN moved the adoption of the report, which
was seconded by Mr W. B. ARMSTRONQ, and carried new.

A vote of thanks to Alderran Boyce was unanimously
carried, and the meeting separated.

GRAND TRUNK OF CANADA.

The traffic receipts for the week ending Oct. 15 on 1,336
miles of railways amounted for local passengers to £7,a56,
for foreign passengers to £1,703, for emigrants to £203, for
mails, &c., to £642, for local freight and live stock to
£12,189, and for foreign freight and live stock to £2,083—
total, £`2,4,676, against £23,384 for the corresponding week
of 1863, showing an increase of £1,292. The total receipts
from July 1 to the above date amounted to £352,632, and
for the corresponding period of 1863 to £302,812, showing
an increase of £49,820, or 16'45 per cent.

VAUXHALL BRIDGE.
The half yearly meeting of this company was held yester-
day at the London Tavern, Mr
Quade in the chair.
The Secretary read the report, which stated that the tolls
taken during the six months ending October exceeded those
taken in the corresponding six months of the previous year
the tolls foe the six months ending October, 1863, being
£5352, and for the same period of 1864, £5,694, showing an
increase of £342. The Conservators of the Thames having,
after due notice to the company, caused a dredger to bo
worked near the upper side of the bridge for the purpose of
deepening the river and improving the navigation, the
directors deemed it necessary to give notice to the Conser-
vators that the company
would leave all responsibility and
risk of injury which might happen to the foundations of
the bridge from the working of the dredger to the Conser-
vators, The dredger has since been removed. The directors
subsequently directed soundings to be taken, which had
proved very sati6tactory. The directors recommended a
dividend at the rate of 15s per share.
The CITAIRA.N, ire moving the adoption of the report,
said the tolls had been reduced during the last half-year to
one halfpenny.
The report was adopted, the dividend declared, and a vote
of thank to the chairman closed the proceedings.

A PHOTOGRAPHIC BABT.—The following appears
in the British Journal of _Photography of October
28 :—" Some time Macs my wife was engaged preparing
albumen paper in the silver bath, and in a moment of
abstraction pressed two of her fingers on her forehead,
being at the time about to add another olive branch to
the family. Socn after the birth of the baby we were
surprised and annoyed at noticing that the child, when
in a strong light, exhibited two distinct impressions similar
to silver stains b< fore fixing; and the strangest part of the
matter is that these disappear as night comes on and re-
appear as daylight arrives. I have not as yet attempted to
'tone and fix' these said stains, and although at present
serving as a sort of actinometer to me, will prove a sad dis-
figurement to my daughter's appearance in daylight, and we
much regret they were not impressed in some less conspi-
cuous place.—l am, &c., the Father of the Photographic
Baby."—The editor adds—" Were the writer of the fore-
going not known to u., we should have thrown aside his
letter as an impudent hoax ; but as we know him well as an
excellent photographer, a good citizen, and as being little
addicted to joking, we give his communication a place in our
journal, and leave those more competent than ourselves to
explain the strange phenomenon which we believe to be
tatthfnlly recorded by our correspondent,"