The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-18 00:00:00

The London Joint-Stock Bank,

A special meeting of the shareholders of the
London Joint Stock Bank was held to-day for the
purpose of increasing the capital to £4,000,000 by
the creation of 20,000 new shares of £5O each. Mr
Brooken occupied the chair, and moved that 12,000
shares only be at present issued, at £4O per share,
being £lO per share the amount paid on the exist-
ing shares of the company, and £3O per share
premium ; that such shares be in the first instance
offered to the shareholders in the proportion of one
new share to every five shares of which they are
this day the registered holders, and that any shares
not accepted by them be allotted at the discretion
of the directors at not less than the premium above
mentioned. That payment be made by four equal
instalments, at the following dates, namely-30th
September, 31st October, 30th November, and
31st December, 1864, to be applied rateably
in payment of premium and capital. That
the premiums when received be divided rate-
ably amongst all the shareholders of the Bank,
and added to their shares, including the holders of
such new shares, whereby the capital of the bank
will be increased to 72,000 shares of £5O each, paid
up to the extent of £l5 per share. That as to the
remaining 8,000 shares, the same be issued by the
directors rateably to the shareholders at such times
and on such terms in all respects es the directors
may think fis,they being hereby empowered to apply
the premiums to be received on such shares, and
also any extra premium arising from the issue el
the 12,000 shares, as they may deem meat beneficia;
to the Bank; subject to confirmation at a special
general meeting of shareholders. Mr. Vallentine
Knight opposed the motion, and moved an amend-
ment to the effect that 15,000 new shares be issued
at £5O each, subject to a payment of £lO, at a
premium of £2O. The amendment was, after a
long discussion, negatived, and the original resolu-
tion carried.

Liverpool Cotton Market—This Day.

?Market quiet. Sales probably 6,000 bales.

London and South Western Railway
Meeting—This Day.

This afternoon the half-yearly general meeting of the
shareholders in this company was held at the Waterloo
Station,--Captain Mangles in the chair,

The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, adverted to
the late melancholy accident at Egham, and remarked that
although the expenses of that accident and other eircum
stances prevented them from declaring a higher dividend,
yet he hoped the shareholders would find some consolation
in. the fact that the receipts of the past half year had increased
to £33,195. He then proceeded to an examination of the
various clauses of the report. The expenses of the locomotive
and carriage department hai been in excess of the corres
pending half-year of 1863. There was however an addition
to the train mileage which would account for the increase.
The permanent way continued to be maintained in good
working order. Some miles of the main line and of the
Dorchester lino had been relaid during the past half year.
The Poole branch, and further portions of the Yeovil and
Exeter line had been doubled. Of the total length of 50
miles between Yeovil and Exeter, 40 miles had been
doubled, and the remainder was in progress. On
the district between Yeovil and Salisbury, but little had
been done since the last report, only IS miles our of the
total mileage of 40 were completed as a double line. The
Salisbury and Yeovil Company had made arrangements for
completing the second line of rails, which will then in con-
nection with the Yeovil and Exeter portion, form a double
road from ,Salisbury to Exeter, He referred, with great
regret, to the late accident at Egham, and complained
that a largely circulated review had stated that the
rhinocerous hides of directors were insensible to every
thing which had no connection with dividends, That
was an unfair and a most cruel censure. Mr Scott had
been the traffic manager of the company 12 years, durini,
which passengers had been carried over
the line, teei:le a'nd6sthmeilliaiotnes ofcollision at Egham was the first that
had occurred. (Hear, hear.) lie greatly regretted the
retirement from the direction of Mr Wyndham Portal from
ill-health.li meeting would be held in the autumn to elect
his successor. The chairman. concluded by moving the
adoption of the report.
Mr LACY seconded the motion.

Mr Hers inquired whether the directors were taking
any steps to provide ccrnmunication between the passengers
and guard. There were many cases of peril which had
not appeared in the newspapers. Only a day or two since
a case—not, however, connected with the South Western
line—came under his notice, A friend of his had told him
that only a day or two before he had been shut up in a rail-
way carriage during a long stage with a lunatic.

Mr TaTE, M,P., explained the reasons why the guard
could not run along the carriages as was done in France
He confessed he could see no solution of the difficulty
beyond the free use of telegraph signals. He knew a line
on which trains were ran at intervals of three and a hall
minutes. That had been done for 12 or 14 years, and not
a single accident had occurred. With regard to the gene-
ral state of the line, he thought it was highly satisfactory,
and that it was admirably managed by the present board of
directors. (Hear. hear,)
Mr, A. J. OTWAY paid a high compliment to the courtesy
and efficiency of the officers on the line. If there were a little
more celerity and a little more punctuality they would have
little to complain of. He considered that the accident at
Eghaaa was solely attributable to a blunder on the part of
the traffic manager. (Oh, oh, and No, no) He considered
that the lives of those unfortunate people had been sacri
ficed through the mistaken arrangements of the traffic
manager.(Renewed protests,) He believed it would be the
easiest thing in the world toprovide an adequate communi-
cation between the passengers and the guards. It was
only a question of expense.
Mr HEREPATH asked whether all the claims arising out
of the Egham accident had been satisfied ?
The CLUILIRMAN said they had not; they had not all been
sent in.

Mr HEREPATII said that under the circumstances it would
be highly improper to make any remarks on the subject.

The CHAIRMAN said the directors were most anxious to
ensure the safety of passengers. They had put a window
between some of the carriages to see how the plan would
act. They had also the block telegraph before them to see
how it would ac'. It was a very difficult subject, and it re-
quired time tc mature an effective plat. He thought the
public were a little too sensitive on the subject—perhaps
naturally so. Many suggestions had been made, and it was
only yesterday that the secretary received a letter
from a gentlemen who suggested that all, the
carriages should be made of glass. (Laughter.)
Several gentlemen rose but there were loud cries for Mr
Scott, the traffic manager.
_ . . .

Mr SCOTT rose and said, it was the first time he had over
been called upon to defend himself. He complained that
the late trial at Guildford was a farce. Ho did not cum-
plain of the judge and jury, but what he said was that the
facts were not before them. He defended the arrange-
ments of the trains on the day of the accident, and con-
tended that although the extension of the telegraphic sys-
tem would be useful as a precaution, it would never en•
tirely prevent accidents.
A SHAREHOLDER inquired why the man who ran into
the other train was not told that the previous train was to
stop at Egham ?
Mr SCOTT said no doubt he was told so. It was alway-s
his practice in starting a train to tell the driver where the
previous train was to stop. The driver ought to hive been
pr epared to stop at any station.
A scone of great confusion ensued, several gentlemen
attempting to speak at once.
A SHAREHOLDER (in a loud tone)—Are we trying the
case ? (Hear. hear, and confusion.) This is a lamentable
exhibition. (Oh, oh.)

The Hon. Mr ROTHESAT said he was on the grand jury
at Guildford at the late trial. He held Mr Scott to be en-
tirely responsible for the accident. (Great uproar.) It was
impossible for the driver and the guards to understand the
directions given to them, He thought the verdict of the
jury perfectly right.
The CHAIRMAN stopped the discussion, and eventually
the report was adopted.
A dividend of 41 per cent was declared, payable cn the
26th of August.

ATTEMPT TO DROWN A QUACK DOCTOR,—Three
men were apprehended on Tuesday evening on the
charge of having attempted to drown a quack doctor named
Meredith, 67 years of age, living at 52, Leonard-street,
Finsbury. h
t aThe statements of several witnesses were to the
effect
between 7 litt
prisoners were bitti,:lg iireDuckett's Canal
The old
thu o'clock on the evening
ofhnanmd
iveer,
the
Lea, near to the North Lando, Railway bridge.
doctor was standing on the edge of the :Tall looking at there
switiming , when one o water unob-
th
ed
f eta got out of the
served, and going behind the old man, deliberately Pt--
h
him into the lock. At first the lookers•on thought it was a
freak to duck the old man, but on perceiving the prisoners
holding him down under the water, they called out to them
not to drown the old gentleman, and finding they would not
desist, the other bathers and spectators went to the assistance
of the old man, who was struggling violently to save him-
self, The water in the lock where he was thrown in is from
eight to ten feet in depth. A brickrnaker, named Harling,
v surgeon, e was
was e
succeeded in getting bold of his clothes, and dragged him
Tavern,
ee
rf
n.
the water,her Davy,
a and h
takn
sent for, to the Mitford Castle
and, after con-
tinued exertion, saved his life. When the prisoners heard
of the dangerous condition of their victim they decamped,
but were afterwards taken. One of the men stated that the
old man was only pushed into the water in order to give
him a ducking adding that they had been his patients, and
finding that they had been imposed Upon, they invited him
to accompany them to the spot above described, where they
said they would pay him what they owed him, £2 6s, and
would introduce him to others who wanted his advice. He
accordingly accompanied them and met with the treatment
mentipned.
HEAVY DAMAGES AGAINST A CHEMIST Fog A
FATAL EREoß.—Lingard (Adrainistratris) v. Clay
and Abraham.—This was an action tried before Mr.
Baron Pigott at the Liverpool Aseims yesterday. The
action was brought under Lord Campbell's Act for the
loss of a husband, the damages claimed being £3,000.
Mr. Attorney General James, Q C., Mr. Aspinall, Q C.,
and Mr. Samuel! were counsel for the plaintiff ; and Mr.
Temple, Q.C. (with Mr Quin), for the defendant, The
late Mr Lingarl met his death owing to an unfortunate
mistake by Richard Poole, an assistant in the establish-
ment of Messrs Clay and Abraham, chemjsts, Liverpool.
A. number of physicians and chemists attended to show that
the mode of keeping the pci3ons in Messrs Clay and Abra-
ham's establishment was the common and most approved
mode. It was announced, however, that the parties had
agreed to a verdict of £1,500 15s, which was apportioned
thus :—One shilling to the eldest child, who inherits upcn
his father's death, £5OO to the widow, and £5OO to each of
the other children.

The easier tendency of affairs noticed within the
last few days in the discount market' hes made fur►
ther progress. The demand for accommodation has
been further curtailed, while the supply of capital
4as increased, and the rate for the beet bills heF
consequently receded, 7,1.2, per cent, being the general
charge in the open market.

The principle adopted by this scale is a maximum re-
mission of a fourth part of that portion of the sentence
which remains after deducting nine months for separate
confinement.

With respect to convicts hereafter sentenced to penal ser-
vitude for life, they still be considered as forming an excep-
tion to the rule that a remission of sentence may be earned
by a regular course of industry. Upon this point the Royal
Commissioners have reported as follows :
" Sentences for life should, we think, be only passed on
men guilty of very aggravated crimes, but when passed they
ought really to imply that those who have incurred them
shall never again be allowed to return to society either at
home or in a colony, unless the mercy of the Crown should
be extended to them on special grounds. After a certain
time, if they behave well, the severity of their punishment
might be properly relaxed, but they never ought to regain
even the qualified ft eedom of the holder of a ticket of leave.
" If, however. they are to b 3 kept in perpetual confine-
ment. this punishment may be inflicted more safely and
more conveniently at home than in a colony. Should this
rule as to the enforcement of sentences for life be adopted,
the courts before which off inders are tried would naturally
make a distinction between the most atrocious criminals and
those whose guilt, though aggravated, is one degree less,
by passing sentences for life on the former only, and on
the Later sentences for a definite though in some cases a
very long term of years."
I propose, In accordance with these views, to reserve all
cases of this nature which may arise hereafter for special
consideration, with a view to a more rigid enforcement of
this sentence.

With respect to females, I also concur with the Royal
Commissioners, who, for the ret:sons stated in page 70 of
their report, recommend the remiss'on of a larger portion
of sentences of penal servitude in the case of female con-
victs.

The table applicable to them will be as follows, being
founded upon the principle of a maximum remission of a
third part of each sentence :
Table for regulating the Discharge on Orders of Licence
Female Convicts sentenced to Penal Servitude.

Maximum Maximum
Term of Period to be Term of Period to be
Sentence. itemi, ted. Sentence. Remitted.
- ---
Yea: s. Yrs. Mo. Y ears. Yrs. No.
1 it 10 3 4
5 2 o 12 4 0
7 z 4 14 1 8
8 2 8 li 5 0
9 3 0 23 6 8

There are two more points connected with convicts sen-
tenced to penal servituda upon which I think it right to add
a few words.
The firsS and most important of these questions is that of
their diet.
A notion had prevailed in come quarters that this was
excessive in quantify and unnecessarily good in quality, and
the subject was brought under the notice of the Itval Com-
missioners, who, upon the evidence before them, dij not
feel justified in recommending any change, though the;
ascer-
tain that experiments should be tried, in order to
whether any reduction could safely be reade. In coll-
-ience of this suggestion the matter has since been more
seq.- •qtigated by a committee of experienced medical
fully ' for that purpose only, and the result has
men, appointee,
on in the quantity of food allowed,
been a moderate redue._
e confinement and in that of
.
both in the stage of aepars. This
alteration has only
hard labour upon public works.just been introduced in practice, but %,:lere
:its no reason at
present to doubt that it will be attended ve,, h Buccess.
The other end the only remaining question u-non which
I propose to make any observations is that of the a.liount
of gratuities allowed to this class of convicts upon their
charge. An important change has been made in this respect
upon the recommendation of the li,eyal Commissioners. The
maximum amount which can be earned by the greatest pos-
sible industry has been largely reduced, and is to be the
same whatever may be the length of the sentence. By this
means a detect properly pointed out in the former system
will be obviated—viz., that prisoners who were under the
heaviest sentences, in consequence of the enormity of their
offences, received the largest sums of money from the public
upon the recovery of their freedom. They will henceforth
have no more than is considered necessary to enable them
to live honestly until they can be reasonably expected to
procure employment.—l am, your obedient servant,
G. GREY.

ARRIVAL OF THE TRUE BRITON.—PLYMOUTH,
AUG. 17.—The True Briton, from Melbourne May 7th,
has arrived in the Channel with 260 passengers and 25,000
ounces of gold,
NAPOLEON lII.'S " VERY " QUESTIONABLE
POFULARITY.—(We often hear of it—and here
surely is proof positive):--.The Emperor and the Empress,
in the course of the afternoon (that is, on Monday the Fete
Napoleon), proceeded in an open caleche without escort
through the two principal scenes of amusement, the east
and the west of Paris. On approaching the Barriere du
Trone the crowd became so dense that the carriage had
to pass at the slowest walking pace, and the cheers were
tremendous ; in fact, the workmen of that district the whole
time touched the carriage, and were almost in contact with
their Majesties at either side. The Emperor and Empress
afterwards passed through the Esplanade des Invalides,
and if somewhat less familiarly received were just as loudly
cheered. Their Majesties returned to the 'Tuileries to
dinner. Again, another account says—" The Emperor and
Ilanpress walked up the avenue in the evening, and mingled
froely with the crowd." So perilous is the Emperor's
unpopularity among the disloyal Parisians I