The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-20 00:00:00

GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY.

MEETING THIS DAY.

The half-yearly ordinary general meeting of this company
was held this morning at the King's-cross Station—Colonel
Packe, 14. P., the deputy chairman of the company, presided.

The report. which has already appeared in The Sun, was
taken as read.

The CHAIRMAN, in moving its adoption, said be re-
gretted the absence of their chairman, who had met with
an accident, He congratulated the shareholders in having
to receive an increased dividend. The company was still
going on prosperously, and their income was increasing.
He regretted that the Great Eastern Company were, in a
most unwarrantable manner, invading their territory. They
were going to Parliament for powers to make a line in direct
competition with the Great Northern, without offering any
greater advantages, but taking a longer route. The com-
pany would have to oppose them in Parliament. The
chairman then reviewed the other matters referred to in the
report, and concluded by moving its adoption.
Mr. VALENIINE KNIGHT seconded the adoption of the
report, but he objected to the acts of the directors. At the
last meeting they found a large deficiency by compensation,
paid in consequence of accidents to travellers through the
negligence of the company's servants, negligence permitted
by the directors that might have been prevented if the direr-
tors had been in the habit of periodically visiting the sta-
tion and keeping a sharp 100k-out on the servants (laughter).
If the directors wer'nt paid for this, Mr. Knight wanted
to know for what they were paid? At this meeting they
found a great defi:iency caused by law and Parliamentary
expenses. He complimented the directors for the great wis-
dom they showed in having recommended the advance of
£300,000 at 31 per cent, interest to the London, Chatham,
and Dover Railway so that they might complete their line
from Earl-street to the company's station at Farringdon-
street. Ho was a shareholder in the London, Chatham, and
Dover Company. He recommended the directors to secure
their advance well.

Mr. Hc'ouEs also regretted the groat amount spent for
law and Parliamentary expenses. He recommended that
the shareholders would have the particulars of these ex-
penses specified in the report. They were mixed up with
other items, and it was impossible for a proprietor to judge
of the justness of the charges made. In reference to the
advance of £300,000 to the London, Chatham, arid Dover,
he did not agree with Mr. Knight that it was a wise act on
the part of the director. Ho should have given more
weight to Mr. Knight's opinion of the transaction if he
ware not a proprietor in the London, Chatham, and Dover
Company. (Laughter.)
In answer to these and other remarks, the chairman
stated that there were no other claims for compensation
pending against the company. All such claims have been
paid. The Parliamentary expenses would be cut down;
he thought it would be objectionable to specify the particu-
lars of the law costs. He did not think it was the province
of the directors to go to every station to look after the
ser-
vants. The directors had their managers and they looked
after
thloVuisthanrdes by making
to the advance to the Lon-
don, Chatham and Dover Company, he thought they
would
them.
gain
making this advance. A large
amount of coal, &c., would come over their line from York-
shire and Lancashire down to Dover, there to be shipped.
If the £15,000 a year were altogether lost, the lees would
be more than trebly compensated by the advantages the
company would receive by the traffic.
Mr. MORGAN stated that every liability had been brought
against the half-yta-, and as long as ho had the honour of
being one of the auditors of the company such a course
would always be adopted.
A proprietor objected that the particulars of the law
expenses should bo kept hidden.
It was then made known that the directors had made an
arrangement with their solicitor to this effect, He was to
receive so much a year, no matter how much or how little
business he would have to transact for the company. Mr,
Leach, the solicitor, said he was not very particular about
the matter. The amount could be stated if the shareholders
very much wanted to know it, but he did not think it need-
ful to publish it at the meeting—(no no)—aa they could
easily find it out by the book at the office.
After some further discussion the report was adopted.
It was then resolved that the various preference dividends
be declared, also a dividend for the half-year at the rate of
£3 lsa. per cent, per annum on the original undivided stock
of the company ;of £3 per cent. for the half-year on the
B stock of the company, making, with the £3 per cent, paid
for the first half of the year, £6 per cent. for the whole of
the year, as guaranteed by the A stock ; and of £5 15s. per
cent. for the half-year on the A stack, being the balance
after payment of £3 per cent. to B stock.
The retiring directors, Edmund Denison, Esq., of Don-
caster; J. Aston, Esq., M.P., of St. Neott's; and John
Barff, Esq., of Wakefield, wore re-elected.
It was then resolved that Captain Fitz Morris be elected
as an auditor of the company, in the place of Mr. Amos,
who resigned in his favour.
A PROPRIETOR proposed that the' secretary's salary
should be raised
The CIIAIRMIN was extremely glad that the profession

had been made, seeing how invaluable their secretary's ser-
vices were to the company. The matter, in accordance with
the Act, was in the hands of the shareholders alone. The
directors could not move in the matter.
It was then moved and seconded that the secretary's
salary bo raised to £1,500 a year. Tributes were paid by
several of the directors and shareholders to the excellence
of Mr. alkley's labours, and the motion was ultimately
agreed to.
Mr. OAKLEY returned h's thanks, and with a vote of
thanks to the chairman the meeting ended.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.

The Lords of the Admiralty have decided on abo-
lishing the office of master rigger at Chatham dock-
yard, recently rendered vacant by the compu'aory
retirement of Mr. Degee—the officer who was in
charge of the iron frigate Achilles on the occasion
of 'aer being allowed to get on a bank when in the
act of being undooked—and have directed that the
rating of master rigger shall be borne at Sheerness
only, and that of foreman of riggers at Chatham.
Under this arrangement the salary of the master
rigger at Sheerness is increased to £2OO per annum,
while the new foreman of riggers at Chatham dock-
yard will receive £l5O,
instead of £2OO per annum
as heretofore.

A notification has been received at Chatham from
the Admiraltythat the paddlewheel steamer Dragon,
6, and the line-of-battle sailing ship Vanguard, 80,
attached to the reserve in the Aledway, will shortly
be sold out of the service. The Dragon is a fine
paddlewheel steamer of 1,270 tons and 580 horse
power (nominal), but owing to the outlay required
gh state of repair, as well as
from the circumstance of paddlewheel steamers noc
to place her in a thorough
being adapted to the present requirements of the
navy, the Admiralty have decided on selling her.
The dockyard officials are now engaged in preparing
a list of the stores, &c., belonging to each vessel,
which will be forwarded to the Admiralty prior to
the ships being sold as ordered.

Her Majesty's screw corvette Wolverene recently
undocked in Woolwich, yesterday returned to the
dockyard, having terminated a lengthened trial of
re-
spect exceedingly satisfactory. The mean rate of
her speed and machine: y, which was in every
full speed during six runs realized 12i- knots per
hour, with 201 b. pressure in the boilers, the engines
performing 64 revolutions per minute.
The War Department steam storeship Balaclava
yesterday sailed from Woolwich,
laden with guns
and war materials for Portsmouth and Plymouth,
among which is the huge cupola gun intended for
the Royal Sovereign.
The freight ship Meg Merrilies arrived at Wool-
wich Arsenal yesterday, laden with returned stores,
25 days from Bermuda. She brings one private of
the 00th Regiment, his wife and family, and a sol-
dier's widow.
The appointment of Lieut. Cyprian A. G. Bridge
to H.M.S. Meguera has been cancelled, as that ship
is about to be paid off.

Tho estimated speed of the ironeased ship, a model
and plane for which were submitted to the Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty by Lieut. R. H.
Napier, N.R., is from " 12 to 13" knots, and not
" 12 to 18," as stated in The Sun of Wednesday
last.
Tho following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Captain F. B. P. Seymour (not
KSyimngontso)
beto
Flag
the B
Lieut., o a l
tohear-Admiral Adelaide; Lieut. R. H. D.
ti r
-Admiral King,
Commanding in Chief on the East India and Cape
of Good Hope stations; Lieut. H. W. Dowding and
Lieut. Wm. C. J. Blount to the Princess Royal;
Lieut. It. F. lianunick to the Curacoa ; E. Spence,
master, to the Cossack; S. M. Swiney, surgeon, ad-
ditional, to the Duncan, for Bermuda Hospital ; F.
;J. Bishop, assistant eur-
11. Moore, assistant surgeon, to the Plymouth Divi-
siong eona of theadi
tli to onya ah l
tlsol at
hr io Victory, for the Royal Ma-
n e s
Ma-
rines at Fort Eason; and Dr. J. Campbell, assistant
surgeon, to the Woolwich Division of the Royal
Marines,

M 1.........•.•••

THE ARMY.
The non-commissioned officers of Royal Engi-
neers selected in accordance with the terms of the
recent War-office order to undergo a course of in-
struction and training, in order to qualify them to
become
instructors to Engineer Volunteer corps,
having
completed, their practical and theoretical in.