The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-16 00:00:00

way loans. It should be remarked that the direc-
tors have had no ordinary difficulties to contend
with during the last year or two. The long•pend-
ing process of amalgamation has even now been
scarcely adjusted, and the task of reconciling the
various interests involved has been an extremely
trying one. Further, the company has had to
assume no inconsiderable amount of debenture
debts contracted by other companies which it has
absorbed. The feeble credit of these minor under-
takings is, of course, reflected in comparatively
high rates of interest ; and it is only as debentures
run out that they can either be paid off or renewed
on more moderate terms. By 1867 or 1868, how-
ever, the bulk of the debenture debt of the Great
Eastern ought to be floating at 4 per cent, as the
debentures and debenture stock combined only
amount to 23.81 percent. of the whole capital raised
or created. It may be added that the amount of
capital which the company was authorised at the
close of 1863 to raise was £18,481,577 by shares,
and £5,677,481 by loans. The amount which the
company was authorised to subscribe to other under-
takings was £220,000, and of this amount .£B9,COD
had been actually paid up. It may also be observed
that during the last session of Parliament very con-
siderable additional capital powers were obtained.
The directors are making great exertions to de-
velope additional traffic, and from the short state-
ment given above it will be seen that their efforts
have not been unattended with success, although the
working expenses have also considerably increased.
In 1863, the:total number of trains run upon the
system and the affiliated lines was 201,270 (141,260
passengers and 60,010 goods) ; and the aggregate
number of miles traversed was 5,652,733 (3,269,135
by passenger trains, and 2,383,598 by goods trains).
This very considerable train circulation resulted in
the conveyance of 11,011,661 passengers—viz ,
1,288,677 first-class, 2,203,816 second-class, and
7,519,168 third-class and Parliamentary. There
were besides 2,432 holders of season or periodical
tickets. In 1862, the total number of passengers
conveyed was 10,171,605, so that the passenger traffic
seems to have made considerable progress in 1863.
The accessory business of the quick trains comprised
last year the conveyance of 2,840 carriages, 16,856
horses, and 21,349 dogs. The live stock conveyed
by the slow or goods trains amounted to 267,381
head of cattle, 742,405 sheep, and 160,840 pigs.
Coal was carried to the extent of 684,583 tons, and
other minerals and general merchandise to the ex-
tent of 1,438,062 tons (against 1,237,369 tons in
1862). The average fares charged upon the main
line were 2.40 d. per mile first. class, 1.90 per
mile second-class, and 1.001 per mile thirdeclass;
while the express fares were 2.87 d. per mile first
class, and 2.00 d per mile secondeclass. These rela■
tively high rates, which were even slightly exceeded
upon the affiliated lines, produced £169,640 from
first class passengers, £214,377 from second class,
and £301,862 from third class, while £23,293 was
also derived from season or periodical tickets, mak-
ing a total of £7e9,172. The accessory receipts of
the quick trains were £47,348, and £21,400 was also
derived from the conveyance of mails, making the
aggregate earnings of the coaching department
1777,920. The receipts from live stock were
£76,303; fro-n coal and coke, 1113,461 ; and from
other minerals and general merchandise £529,721;
making the total eernings of the slow train service
for the year £719,485. This total, added to the
£777,920 acquired under the head of coaching,
places the geueral result at £1,497,105, as previ-
ously indicated. To this amount the Great Eastern
proper contributed £1,487,207 ; the Lynn and Hun-
stanton, £7,200 ; the Tendring Hundred, £665
and the Ware, liadham, and Buntingford, £2,333.
The working expenses cf last year may be subdi-
vided as follows :—Maintenance and renewal of
way, £148,316; locomotive power (including cost
of working the London, Tilbury, and Southend),
£220,608; repairs and renewals of carriages and
waggons, £50,728 ; traffic charges (coaching and
merchandise), £249,193; rates and taxes, £34,660;
Government duty, £23,763 ; compensation for per-
sonal injury, &c., £8,824 ; compensation for damage
and loss of goods, £4 251; legal and Parliamentary
expenses, £2,883; and miscellaneous outgoings,
£34,276. The chief feature in these figures is the
comparatively sma'l amount expended upon
the way—little more than £2OO per mile ; but
the meagreness of the traffic acccunts to a
very great extent for this, the an-ount earned
upon the system last year having been only £2,157
per mile, while upon the Great Western it was
£2,881 per mile. The roiling stock possessed by the
Great Eastern at the close of last year comprised
330 locomotives, 986 carriages used for the convey-
ance of passengers only, 407 other vehicles attached
to passenger trains, 7,680 waggons of all kinds used
for the conveyance of live stock, minerals, or gene.
ral merchandise, and 150 other carriages or waggons,
making an aggregate of 9,553. Thus, with seven-
twelfths of the mileage worked by the London and
North "Western, the Great Eastern did not possess
half as much rolling stock, white in the matter of
locomotives the proportion was reduced to conside-
rably less than one-third. It is evident, then, that
if ever the Great Eastern should succeed is develop-
ing a traffic enabling a fair remuneration to be ac-
corded to every department of the large capital em
barked in it, the rolling stock—and more especially
the number of locomotives—must
.be considerably
expended.

Such is a general summary of the position of the
Great Eastern at the close of 1863. In dealing with
the capital account, mention should also be made of
the Colchester, Stour Valley, Sudbury, and Halstead,
which has raised and expended about £300,000, this
concern is leased to the Great Eastern, and a fair
amount of ordinary capital receives about 3k per
cent. Mention should also be made of £210,000 of
preference capital, raised for the execution of a line
to Lowestoft and the improvement of the harbour
at that port (of this £240,000, half receives 4 per
cent. and half 6 per cent.). We must also note that
at the close of 1863 the Lynn and Hunstanton had
raised £8'..),000 (X 60,000 being ordinary capital
which received 4 per cent. for 1863): that the Ten-
dring Hundred had raised £26,309 (of this amount
£21,309 was ordinary stock which received nil); and
the Ware, Hadham, and Buntingford had raised
198,660 (of this amount £49,281 was ordinary stock
which received nil). These sums, taken together,
amount in the aggregate to nearly £750,000, and
adding this amount to the 123,220,828 raised by
the Great Eastern proper, we may state the capital
represented by the Great Eastern Railway and its
allies at about £24,000,000. Perhips this amount
is rather below the mark, as at the close of 1863
the company was, and still is " patronising " the
Bishop's Stratford, Danmow, and Braintree, the
Mistley, Thorpe, and Walton, the Saffron Walden,
&c. For the purposes of this article we may sum
up the position of the concern by stating its capital
at the close of 1863 at about £24,000,000, for which
nearly 7)0 miles were in working order, while the
rough receipts were about £1,500,000, end the net
profits £720,000 for the year. It is evident, then,
that the Great Eastern is,with all its shortcomings,
an enterprise of very respectable importance. That
the traffic and profits. are gradually eetending is,
no doubt, a ECU rce of legitimate satisfaction, but the
growth of a capital was still more rapid in 1862
and 1863, and the dividend paid upon the ordinary
stock for 1863 exhibited no improvement, but
rather the reverse. This year the traffic has experi-
enced a very respectable expansion, but the holders
of ordinary stock still find their position un-
improved, and the dividend doled out to them for
the first six months of 1564 was only at the rate of
about 11 percent. The current half of the year is
no doubt the most remunerative, but the ordinary
shareholders can scarcely expct more than 2 per
cent. for 1864. In this state of affairs the directors
are about to embark in metropolitan extensions,
which will probably saddle the concern with addis
ticnal fixed charges to the amount of £60,000 or
£70,000 per annum. The suburban traffic which
may be cultivated is no doubt very great, acd the
existing accommodation is doubtless inadequate ;
nevertheless, it appears problematical whether, at
any rate for some years to come, tho additional
traffic secured wiil provide for the Extra fixed
charges which will have to be met. One thing is
quite clear. The district accommodated by this
company is nnprogreesive per se ; and it is only by
improved commnnicetion with the mactiflettil ing
districts, the development of a sea side traffic—in

which particular the company has been very suc-
cessful this year—and a reduction in working ex-
penses and interest charges that the position of the
ordinary proprietors can b 3 ameliorated, The
management has of late, however, unmistakeably
improved, and by degrees the at present unsatis•
factory dividends received by the holders of ordinary
stock may also improve.

Murder of a Non-Commissioned Officer

at Malta.

MALTA.—On Tuesday, the 6th of September,
John Burne, aged 22, years, born in Ireland, a
soldier of the Ist battalion 22d Regiment, was ar.
reigned o❑ the charge of wilful murder, which
crime he committed on the 16th of August lest inthe
barracks at Floriana, by having maliciously and
with the intention of putting the life of Sergeant
Thomas Ludgate of the same corps, in manifest
danger, and of killing him, caused the instantaneous
death of the said Ludgate by firing at him with his
rifle, and inflicting on him a wound in the right
side of his neck. The Crown Advocate, Sir A.
Dingli, C. 8., who conducted the prosecution, in-
voked the punishment of death against the prisoner,
as provided for in article 205 of the Criminal Laws.
The prisoner having pleaded not guilty to the
charge, the Crown Advocate opened the case by
briefly stating to the jury the principal facts of this
awful crime, which were afterwards deposed to by
the witnesses ; and after calling on the jurors to
consider well the two points submitted to them—
that is, whether the murder had been committed by
the prisoner at the bar, and whether he had the in•
tention of killing—he concluded by appealing to
the impartiality and firmness of the jury.
The following witnesses for the prosecution were
then called and examined on oath':—

Dr Pisani, Dr Grillet, and Dr Welch, Assistant-
Surgeon, Ist Battalion 22d Regiment, who deposed
that they had been called to examine the corpse of
Sergeant Thomas Ludgate, 22d Regiment. Dr
Welch was the first to see the sergeant in the bar-
room at Floriana. He was perfectly dead, and had
a wound iu the neck, caused by a firearm. Death
must have necessarily ensued.
Sub-Inspector Wright said he was called on the
16th of August, at half-past three, and told that a
soldier had shot a sergeant. He went to the barracks
and found the sergeant lying dead on his bed with a
wound in the neck. In the evening an inquest was
held, when a piece of leaden ball and a piece of
wood were given witness by a sergeant. ll' hen these
pieces were found the prisoner was present, but
did not say anything. Witness spoke once to the
prisoner, who complained of having been ill-
treated by Sergeant Ludgate.
Richard Pratt, private, Ist Battalion 22d Regi-
ment, deposed that on the 16th of August he was in
the barrack-room, and having beard the report of
firearms he ran to the end of the room, and saw the
prisoner placing his rifle against the wall. Ser-
geant Ludgate was lying motionless on his bed,
with a wound under his right ear.
Sergeant William Lapthom, Ist Battalion 22d
Regiment, said Private Pratt gave him a piece of a
ball which he had found near the prisoner's bed. It
was the one exhibited to him in court.

Lance-Corporal Hobson, Ist Battalion 22d Regi-
ment, stated that on the 16th of August, at about
3 o'clock in the afternoon, he was in his roam at the
barracks when he heard an explosion in the next
room. He ran to the room, and was told by the
men that the prisoner had shot Sergeant 14-Idgate.
He went to look at the sergeant, who was lying
dead on his bed with a wound under his right ear.
He found the rifle with which the sergeant was
shot. It was numbered 442, and belonged to the
prisoner at the bar.
Sergeant Henry M'Leod, Ist Battalion 22d Re-
meat, deposed that ha knew the rifle which be-
longed to Private Burns. He recognised it from
the namber. Sergeant Ludgate was shot on Aug.
16, at about 3.10 p.m., and it was then that he saw
the rifle, which was in the hands of Corporal Hob•
son. He examined the pouch of Private Burns, and
found a cartridge deficient.
John Gray, private, Ist Battalion 22d Regiment.
said he was charged to write out tickets for each
packet of cartridges belonging to No. 6 and 7 com-
panies. He recognised the ticket existing on the
packet of Barns' cartridges (No. 1,181).
Sergeant. Major A. King, let Battalion 22d Re-
giment, deposed that, during the time he was in the
service, no cartridges were ever fount deficient.
Lieutenant J. 11. Hameraley, Adjutaw, Ist Bat-
talion 22d Regiment, identified the Defaulters'
Sheet, existing in the proceedings, from which it
appears that Sergeant Ludgate had reported Burns
several times, even lately before his death, for
breaches of regulations.
Capt. A. Monk, Ist Battalion 22d Regiment, also
identified the Defaulters' Sheet. Ho said that in
June last Burns was reported once, and in Augus-
t hree times, on two of which occasions by Sergeant
Nl'Gregor and Sergeant Ludgate, and on another
by Sergeant Ludgate alone. The last report was
made on the 16th of the same month. Barns was
sentenced to two days' drill and two days' con-
finement in the barracks. He recognised the pri-
soner at the bar.

John Melville, private, I.s-t Battalion, 22d Regis
ment, said he knew the prisoner, who belonged to
No. 6 company. Sergeant Ludgate belonged to the
same company. On the:l6th of August, at about
10 minutes to three in the afternoon, witness went
to the room where Ludgate and Burns were, to hand
a book to Corporal Harrington, and found the pri-
soner standing with the rifle in his right hand.
Ludgate was lying on his bed at about three yards
distance from witness. When handing the book to
Corporal Harrington he heard an explosion, and on
turning round (as he had his face towards Harrings
ton) he saw the prisoner with his riflo levelled
against Ludgate. The prisoner soon afterwards
9flid, " I have done that, and I will go now to the
guard-roof," and then placed his rifle against the
wall. Witness said, " God, he has killed him."

Corporal John Harrington, Ist Battalion 22d
Regiment, said he lived i❑ the room of the 6th com-
pany, where Sergeant Ludgate had his bed. He
knew that the sergeant was shot on the 16th of
August, at about ten minutes before three in the
afternoon. He knew the prisoner, who was then in
the room. When he saw him after the explosion, he
(Burns) held his rifle as if it came down from the
"present," and he subsequently placed it against
the wall. The interval between the explosion and
the time when he saw him in that position was al-
most instantaneous. He saw smoke issuing from
the rifle. Prisoner looked at Sergeant Ludgate,
who was lying lifeless on his bed, and said, " There,
you b-."

John Macnulties, private of the Ist Battalion 22d
Regiment, said he slept in the same room with Ser-
geant Ludgate and Burns. On the 16th of August,
at about 10 minutes to 3 in the afternoon, he heard
an explosion, and soon afterwards one of the men
said " My Goi, the man is shot." He looked round
and found the prisoner with the rific in his hand.
He then seized hold of him and took him to the
guard-room. On arriving there the prisoner said,
" If Sergeant M‘Gregor had been there I would have
shot him also."

John Williams, private, Ist Battalion, 22d Regi-
ment, knew the prisoner as well as Sergeant Ludgate.
On the 16th of August, at 10 minutes to 3 in the
afternoon, he was in the barrack room lying on hie
bed, and iw the prisoner holding his rifle as if he
were cleaning it. Soon afterwards he heard the re-
port of firearms, looked round, and saw the prisoner
with his rifle levelled at Sergeant Ludgate. He then
placed the rifle against the wall, and looked at the
sergeant, saying " That will do fur you." When
being conveyed to the guardroom the prisoner said
"That is the crime for which you should confine me."
Charles Hargreaves, private, Ist battalion 22d
Regiment, deposed that ou the afternoon of Aug. 6,
at about 10 minutes to 3, he was lying on his bed
at the end of the birraek room, where Sergt. Lu.l-
- ar d Private Burns were, when he heard the
report of firearms and some one say "Arrest Burns."
He then arrested the prisoner, who said ho would
have been glad if he had killed the other sergeant.
Sergeant M'Gregor, Ist Battalion 22d Regiment,
sad that he had cccasion to report the prisoner re-
cently tefora Sergeant Ludgate's death.
Dr. Mariani then add.'cssed the jury for the de-
fence: lie said that they eliould not lock to fl_e
atrocity of the crime, but only to the fact whether