The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-25 00:00:00

The annual meeting and children's fete in connection with

this institution took place yesterday in the spacious grounds
of the Home, Frognal House, Hampstead, and was attended
by a large number of ladies and gentlemen, who take an in-
terest in the institution. The proceeaings were presided
over by the Right Hon the Earl of Shaftesbury, K,G.
The report of the committee of management for the past
year, which was read by the Secretary, stated that a con-
siderable improvement had taken place as regarded the
financial position of the charity as compared with the two
previous years. The main increase arose from a legacy of
£5OO by the late Admiral Sir Henry Hope, and which had
led to a very gratifying feature in the balance-sheet, namely,

that whereas last year's statement showed on the debtor
side an item of £509, arising from the sale of Exchequer
bills, this year's account exhibited no such item, but on the
contrary the committee had been able to invest in Exchequer
Bills £3OO. The industrial department of the school had
been carried on as usual, and the committee attached much
importance to those branches of the training thus given to
the children, as it prepared them for becoming good
domestic servants. Six children had been admitted into
the school during the year as the result of the last election.
Five girls had been placed out in situations, and the
committee believed that, with but one exception, they had
given satisfaction to their employers. Five former pupils
had availed themselves of the advantages of the Home
while seeking situations, and seven premiums had been
given to those who had continued in their respective situa-
tions for the period prescribed by the rule. The number of
girls at present in the Home was 70, and only one death
had taken place during the year, that of a girl who had
long been failing in health from consumption. The com-
mittee strenuously urged on the public the claims of the in-
stitution, tho object of which they considered. must com-
mend itself to the hearts of all in this pre-eminently mari-
time nation.

The report and balance-sheet having been adopted, the
claims of the institution upon public benevolence were ad-
vocated by Lord 4.adstock, Captain the Hon. F. Mande, Mr.
Joseph Payne, and the Rev. Mr Bickersteth, after which
the Chairman distributed prizes, consisting of books and
work-boxes, to some 26 of the girls who had been upon
examination considered entitled to them.

A cordial vote of thanks to the Earl of Shaftesbury for
presiding terminated the proceedings, in responding to
which the noble earl expressed his astonishment that an
institution in every respect so deserving did not receive a
much larger amount of public support.

Railway and Public Companies in

Parliament.

The case for the East London Railway having closed,
Mr Hope Scott opened the case for the North London Rail-
way Company's proposed Kingsland and Tottenham line
of three miles 10 chains, running from the southern end of
the eastern fork at Kingsland from their authorised City
:,ranch, passing over the company's main line, and then
non2.lward under the eastern part of Clapton-common, and
under the authorised line of the Tottenham and Hampstead
Junction to Tottenham High Cross, with connecting
branches to the c:lllpany's main line at Kingsland, and to
the Tottenham and
ampstead Junction near its autho-
rised union with the Can:bridge line of the Great Eastern.
For these purposes the company propose to raise £200,000.
by new ordinary or preference sulsres, of which the London
and North Western are to take thou' proportionate share '
out of their existing funds or by new and to raise
£60,000 by mortgage, all future mortgageb' granted to the
company ranking pari passu. Witnesses were examined in
favour of the bill by Mr Davison and Mr John:ori; and
against it, for the Great Eastern, by Mr Merewetin.'r and
Mr Round. Mr Merewether then stated the case for the
Great Eastern Company's proposed metropolitan station,s
and railways, the object being to enable the Great Eastern
to make new railways from the north side of Wormwood-
street in the City, crossing northward over Norton Folgate,
and near the south aide of the company's Shoreditch ter-
minus, thence east, along the south side of the company's
main line to a junction with that line at Tap-street. A line
of seven miles from the latter place northwards by the west
side of Cambridge-heath, over the North London Railway,
near and to the west of the Hackney station, thence north-
westward under the Stamford-hill road, north of Stoke
Newington to the authorised line of the Tottenham and
Hampstead by the west of Tottenham to the Enfield Rail-
way near Edmonton. Other lines will connect with the
North London the proposed High Beech branch at Wal-
thamstow and Hackney. It is proposed to take land on the
east side of New Broad-street and on the north side of
Wormwood-street for a central city station, and to raise by
new ordinary or preference shares i 1,363,000 and £454,330,
as well as to create a debenture stock. The committee on
the steamboat bill of the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln-
shire Railway passed that measure. The case for the Red-
ruth and Falmouth Railway was opened in Mr Adair's
committee. In the Lords a committee, consisting of Lord
Churston, chairman, and Lords Raglan, Methuen,Seymour,
and Belmore, met to consider the bills of the Metropolitan
Railway, Notting-hill and Brompton Extension, Market
Harborough and East Norton Railway, London, Chatham,
and Dover new lines, and London and North-Western
Traffic Arrangements Eill. After hearing Mr Coleridge,
Q.C., and the evidence, the committee passed the Metropo.
litan Company's bill, and then proceeded with the conside-
ration of the London. Chatham. and Dover.