The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-25 00:00:00

_RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

DUNDEE AND ARBROATH.

The half-yearly general meeting of the shareholders of
she Dundee and Arbtoath Railway Company was held
on Wednesday at Dundee—Mr. R. Stocks, of Abden, in

the chair.
From the report by the directors, laid before the meet-
ing, it appeared that the revenue for the half-year end-
ing the 31st of October, 1852, amounted to 14,1841. 18s.
10d., being an increase of 695/. 4s. 3d. over the corres-
ponding period of the previous year. The working
expenditure (being 441 per cent. of the revenue)
amounted to 6,3201. 2s. 84d., showing an increase of
3151. 2s. 54d. The passenger duty, feu duties, and
other charges, amounted to 1,8051. 3s. 7d. ; and there
was thus left for dividend 6,0591. 12s. 64d., of which
1,1661. 13s. 4d. was required for dividend at the rate of
5 per cent. per annum on guaranteed stock of
46,6661. 13s. 4d. The directors recommended that out
of the balance the ordinary shareholders should receive
a dividend of 14 per cent. (or 31 per cent. per annum),
which would leave 1,3921. 19s. 24d. to be carried to
next half-year's account. It was also mentioned that,
during the past half-year, the directors had settled by
compromise one of the most important claims applicable
to by-gone years, forming a charge against the reserved
revenue account ; that the line is gradually being re-
placed with rails and sleepers more suitable to the
weight of the locomotives now used by the company ;
that the joint passenger station at Arbroath is nearly
completed ; and that arrangements are in progress for
the acquisition of the remainder of the ground required
for the terminal station at Dundee.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report,
said the shareholders would observe that the line had
earned for the last half year fully 4 per cent. per annum ;
but the directors, considering that there might be a fall-
ing off during the winter half year, had recommended
that the dividend should be at the rate of only 3.1 per
cent. per annum, the surplus being carried forward to
next half year. He (the chairman) could not, of course,
say whether such a diminution might take place or not ;
but the seven weeks already elapsed showed a very
favourable result, the increase during that time amount-
ing in all to 2711. Is. 9d., or about 401. a week. There
had been an increase every week, with the exception of
last week, in which there was a slight decrease. Their
prospects for the current half year were therefore
more favourable than the directors had ventured to anti-
cipate ; and if the returns continued to be as favour-
able as they had been, it would be a very agreeable
matter for the directors to recommend a dividend of 2
per cent. instead of 1/. But in the meantime it would
be safest to divide only 11, and carry the balance for-

ward.
Mr. J. MACKAY seconded the motion, expressing his
conviction that the course adopted by the directors was
the more judicious one. However, he considered that
the Fhareholders had the prospect of receiving a larger
dividend for the future.
The report was then unanimously approved of.
The CHAIRMAN then mentioned that one of the direc-
tors (Mr. R. Ferguson) had resigned. He proposed
that Mr. George Armitstead, merchant, Dundee, should
be elected to fill the vacancy.
This was seconded by Mr. ROBERT MILN, and unani-
mously agreed to.
Mr. MILN moved a vote of thanks to the directors.
The motion was unanimously agreed to, and the
meeting separated.

EDINBURGH AND BATHGATE.
A special general meeting of the Edinburgh and
Bathgate Railway Company was held in Edinburgh, on
Thursday. The object of the meeting was to consider a
report by the committee appointed at the half-yearly
meeting, held in September last, to consider the terms
of the proposed compromise with the Edinburgh and
Glasgow Company. Major Shairp, of Houston, presided.
The report stated that the committee, after adver-
tising for claims against the company, proceeded
minutely to investigate the expenditure, and care-
fully to estimate the outstanding liabilities connected
with the construction of the line. The result was
the conviction on their part that the report of the
former committee on the same subject, showing the total
expenditure to be 254,0001. was substantially correct ;
and, consequently, that the acceptance of the offer of
the Edinburgh and Glasgow Company would infer a
total sacrifice of capital and past-due rents of upwards of
37,0001. The committee were also of opinion that the
terms proposed by the lessees (the Edinburgh and Glas-
gow Company, viz., a fixed rent of 9,5001. per annum,
commencing from 31st July last, were inadequate to im-
plement the statutory obligations incumbent on the les-
sees, without provision being made for payment of the ar-
rears of rent, which, in accordance with the rate of their
own offer—if taken even from 31st Jan., 1850, nearly
three months after the period of possession being taken by
them of the main line—would amount, as at 31st July
last, to upwards of 23,7501. The report then states that
a claim had been lodged by the Edinburgh and Glasgow
Company for 5,722/. 12s. 10d., for furnishing advances
of money, &c. The directors of the Edinburgh and
Bathgate Company had advanced a counter-claim of
station-accommodation, &c.; but this dell-land had been
rejected by the other party, who claimed payment forth-
with. In conclusion, the committee claimed a legal
judgment in their favour, finding that the Edinburgh
and Glasgow Company are bound to lease the line of
the Bathgate Company; though, on the other hand, a
finding has been pronounced, to the effect that suffi-
cient grounds were not stated by the Bathgate Company
to authorise instant decree being pronounced for imple-
ment of the'statutory obligations on the lessees without
inquiry into the facts on which the parties are at variance.
In these circumstances, if the shareholders were of
opinion, with the committee, that the offer of the Edin-
burgh and Glasgow Company was inadequate, and at
variance and inconsistent with the provisions of the com-
pany's act, they suggested that the proceedings in Court
should be forth With resumed, and effectively prosecuted,
until a decision was obtained.
From several of the conclusions in the report, par'

cularly as regards the sum of 37,000/. alleged as the
probable loss to the Edinburgh and. Bathgate Company,
involved in the acceptance of the offer by the Edinburgh
and Glasgow Company, Mr. Clark, a member of the
committee, dissented, holding that the sum of 31,0001.

was the proper one.
The discussion on the report was long and contradic-
tory, but the result only is of any importance.
Mr. CLARK moved that this company agree to accept
the offer of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Company, to the
effect of fixing the capital of 237,5001., being a sum cor-
responding to an annual payment of rent of 9,5001., com-
mencing on the 31st July last, on the understanding that
all cliims on either side previous to that date shall be
held as passed from and entirely discharged ; and also
that unless the above qualifications shall be assented to
by the lessees within a month from this date, the whole
proposal for implement shall be held as terminated, and
shall not be founded on in any future proceedings.
Mr. SMITH, W.S., seconded the motion.
Mr. CULLEN moved as an amendment, that the direc-
tors shall instantly proceed to bring the actions now in
dependence with the Edinburgh and Glasgow Company
to a conclusion.
Mr. WEBSTER seconded the amendment.
Upon the vote being taken (the directors declining to
take any part in it), the motion by Mr. Clark was car-
ried by ten to seven.
The meeting then separated.

THE EXTRAORDINARY DEATH AT MORTLAKE.—Yes
terday, Mr. W. Carter resumed the inquiry at the Two
Brewers, Mortlake, respecting the death of Harriett Eliza
Thornton. Mr. Harry Smith Pulmer, surgeon, deposed
that on Sunday night the husband of the deceased requested
him to come directly to visit his wife. He found her lying
on a bed, dead. She had been so for some hours. He found,
on examining the head, that there was a contused, lacerated
wound at the back of the right ear, the upper part of the
cartilage of which was nearly divided. There was a wound
in the scalp, which had not reached the bone. He found
no other cut wound, but a number of bruises, which, ex-
cept the small ones on the face and temple, were of an old
date. The blood on the pillows was congealed ;it was of
a florid colour, or what is termed arterial blood. He saw
bloody water in the washing basin. Ho noticed spots of
blood on the stand, and marks or traces of blood on the
toilet-cloth, appare:tly made by fingers which had been
wiped on it. There was also a carelessly rolled up towel,
wet witli discoloured blood. The deceased had no cap on
her head, and her hair was completely matted. There was
no appearance of a towel having been used to the cut
wound. He found at the foot of the bed traces of blood to
the fireplace, and marks on the mantleshelf, as if smeared
by the hand. At the head of the bed wal a quantity of
blood lying in a pool, and near to the corner of some
moulding projecting from the bottom of a box there might
have been half a pint of blood. There was a mark of blood
on the edge of the box. The deceased might have lain
some time after her fall fr.= the bed in a senseless state,
and after that might have recovered so far as to get up, pass
the fire-side, and then have thrown herself on the bed, and
died. He considered the wound not done by any cutting
instrument, but by some blunt substance against which she
fell. The jury returned the following verdict :—" That the
deceased died from haemorrhage, from a lacerated wound
accidentally caused."
ELOPEMENTS AT BLANDFORD.—Two elopements have
lately caused a great deal of conversation in this neigh-
bourhood. The first (which has occurred some weeks) is
connected with many sad and painful circumstances, and
touches the honour of a most estimable family, so the less
said about it the better ; but the other, and more modern
one, was a spicy little affair, and may be mentioned without
disparagement of any of the parties concerned. Not a
thousand miles—(we believe that is the convenient mode
of beginning the story of an elopement)—not a thousand
miles from the beautiful domain of Milton Abbey, there
lives a highly respectable agriculturist with, at least, ono
fair daughter, who was wooed, and, as we shall by and bye
show, won by an enterprising young farmer. Against
the match there was, apparently, not the slight-
est objection. He was an active, good man of
business, was respectably connected, and his family
had intermarried with that of the lady, yet still
the papa's consent could not be got. As the young couple
had made up their minds to have each other, the father's
objection was of no avail—not even in delaying the match
—and on the night of Thursday week the young lady con-
signed herself to the arms of her lover, and was driven off
by him to Salisbury, in a rather unpoetical vehicle—the
waggon of the village blacksmith. At Salisbury the chains
were riveted, and the twain were made man and wife, and
the young bridegroom, to show his spirit, returned and
showed himself at the Blancher(' dinner, where he was
complimented upon his " pluck." We have a few words
to add. The bride's father—" fathers have flinty hearts
—refuses to be reconciled. Come, Papa, it's Christmas
time ; kiss your daughter, and take your spirited son-in-
law by the hand. Give them a father's blessing, and rely
upon it that those who have begun life so energetically,
will never bring disgrace on your family or on themselves.
—Sherborne Journal.
THE CHIEF Goon.—Crcesus placed the chief good in
riche ; Peri ander, of Corinth. in honour ; Socrates, in
knowledge ; Plato, in idea ; Orpheus, in beauty ;
the Crotonian, in bodily strength ; 'Tirades, the Milesian,
in the union of prudence and knowledge • Pittacus, in
benevolence ; Aristotle, in the practice and operation of
virtue ; and Epicurus affirms that happiness is the chief
good, and virtue the only happiness.