The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-29 00:00:00

OTTOMAN (SMYRNA TO AIDIN).

The half-yearly meeting of this company was held yes-
terday at the London Tavern; Sir M. Stephenson in the
chair.
Mr. S. J. Cooke, the secretary, having read the notice
convening the rn ceti a g , the report was taken as read.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report,
mstaeetetidntghsaotf htthee company
approved at the recent special
for obtaining the increased capital
requiredm unnecessary
freshto
n m
theirpletnethe the
co HreacitliwonaytotroendAiedrin would bo suffi-
ciently
any remarks from
h
present occasion, beyond stating
i coi
o re
that they would be sufficient for the purpose. The Ottoman
Government had met the question in a just and liberal spirit
cC Constantinople to
as soon as it was explained to themby Mr. Crampton, whose
r ni under
receivedwhich
tpheersneveweracnacpeithaladviSoCuC onc
lU:ebdetghueafurarnthteeerdc.4estseiloeng
a
announcedothneFarmidbssaayador
in L
llowever much the
London
signed and sealed. they must all lament
the unavcidable length of time still required
ondnesopfat the ch
official
ial documents, duly
onstanti
to complete the
line, they had yet much to be satisfied with. The canal com-
petition was diminished, the revenue was increasing (the
last week showing £761), the financial state of the whole
country was improving under the able Ministers Fuad and
Ali Pasha, gas was just introduced into Smyrna, cotton
machinery was becoming generally employed, and the cul-
tivation of cotton was extending. Travellers could now see
the ruins of Ephesus, and in a brief tour of a few weeks visit
the classical and histcrical sights in the district ; the ancient
Tralles or Aidin, the Meander, the Seven Churches of Asia,
the plain of Troy, ratmos, and Athens on the route home.
He referred to those facilities not in an vasthetic spirit, but
because the inducements would weigh with travellers and
augment the traffic receipts of the line. The route to India
would assuredly be by a line through Constantinople, and
the work was nearer at hand than was generally believed.
This would place Turkey in a
pre-eminent position financi-
ally and politically, and he thought that only good results
could attend it. With the new concession, the certainty of
obtaining all the capital required, an efficient staff, an active
contractor, and, he might add, an indulgent and reasonable
proprietary, they need have no fear of a successful issue to
their common labours: (gear.)
Mr. W. DENT seconded the motion for the adoption of
the report and statement of accounts,
Mr. BR0%" thought the accounts did not show the
exact position of the company's
affairs, and that some items
in them should be more explicit and stated differently.

T
cwei
oti
ou
sd be
HAIRmAN said there were running (accounts, and
ti
were settled the result could not appear in the
general theyr° C
alstatement. They could only insert the money re-
ceived, not that in prospective. The suggestions of Mr.
Browne
should have the attention of the directors and au-
dand he hoped by the next meeting an improvement
made,
The report and statement of accounts were then unani-
mously adopted, and the proceedings concluded with a vote
of thanks to the chairman and directors.