The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-27 00:00:00

A NOVEL SAILING MATCH.

Something of a novel character has at length been pre-
sented to the public in the shape of a match with sailing
barges. Some time ago Mr. Harry Dodd, the well-known
contractor, proposed that a match of the kind should take
place, and that gentleman having generously offered £2O
for competition, it was deemed advisable to isaue regulations
and notices so that barge-masters and owners should become
acquainted with the match, and Mr. Grant, of the Harp,
Harp-lane, Tower-street, having kindly volunteered to re-
ceive further subscribptions, it was determined by the sail-
ing committee of the Prince of Wales Yacht Club (under
whose direction the affair was placed) that the entries
should close on Tuesday, the 18th August, for barges of
from 50 to 100 tons. The following barges were then
entered :
Station. Barge. Owner.
1.
2.

3.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

The course was from Gravesend to the Nore and back;
and the race to take place on Wednesday, the 26th (yes-
terday). The prizes were three purses of savereigns,•con-
taining £lO, £7, and £5 respectively. To start from the
Lobster, leave the distance buoy on the port hand, and the
winning buoy on the starboard hand, The steamboat
Oread (Captain Wheeler) accompanied, but was not so
full as might have been expected, and the race was con-
ducted by Mr. Massingham, the treasurer of the match,
under whose direction the first gun was fired at 1.43 to
prepare, and the second, to start, at 1.50. Four of the
boats canted to leeward and four to windward (the Unicorn
not putting in an appearance), and the Eliza was soon
covered with canvas. The Queen Caroline, however, was
the first round, closely followed by the W. H. D. The
Mary and James together, and the Emily right on the
James' quarter, the other being slow. The barges all got
round very smartly, and soon began to show their mettle.
The Queen led by 20 or 30 yards in about a quarter of a
mile, but the W. H. D. soon overhauled her and led : the
Emma being third. The W. H. D. was, however, again
passed by the Queen Carona-, but soon after went into first
place again, In the upper part of the Hope the W. H, D.
led by 200 yards. The weather had from the beginning
been very bad. Squalls from S.W. and heavy rain damped
the ardour of all on board, and this order of things con-
tinued to the Chapman Head, where the W. H. D. led by
two miles the James, Claude, and Mary, altogether wide
of one another. The Claude, however, soon left the others,
and the barges not being able to fetch the Nore, the steam-
boat anchored at Leigh, and the boats rounded in the fol-
lowing order and times :

li. M. S.
W. H. D.
Mary
Claude
James
Queen Caroline
Eliza
Emma
Alice
The Claude came towards the boat first, but making a
short board, the Mary came up with a fair wind, and rounded
before her, the Claude being, as above shown, two minutes
ahead of her. The race continued up with little variation,
and they arrived at Gravesend as timer :

H. M. 8.
W. H. D.
Mary ........ 7 4 55
Claude
Tames .................. 7 18 30

SOUTH EASTERN RAILWAY COMPANY,

MEETING THIS DAY.

The fifty-fourth half yearly meeting of this company was,
held at the Bridge House Hotel this afternoon; Mr. Byng
in the chair. The report, which has appeared in the Sun,
was taken as read.

The CHAIRMAN, in moving its adoption, remarked upon
the satisfactory way in which the company's business had
progressed. There had been an increase in the receipts for
the past half-year over the receipts of the corresponding
half of the year 1562, notwithstanding the latter was the
Exhibition year. The company would, however, be under
the necessity of expending .1.'..30,000 in carriages. Com-
peting lines had forced the company to reduce their
fares, and although the traffic had been augmented by so
doing, the revenue from such traffic was not, equal to what
it had formerly been at the higher fares with less treat.
The company's contract, in conjunction with the London,
Chathant, and Dover Company, tocarry the mails between
Dover and Calais, which had been taken out of the hands
of Mr. Churchward, had proved both remunerative to the
company and to the Poet-office authorities. The direc-
tors will I,y before the shareholders a plan for their
approval, so soon as the Charing-cross line shall be
completed, for the working of that line in oonjunction
with the South Eastern system. Same statements had
been made by the chairman of the Brighton Company re-
specting a proposition for opening up railway accommoda-
tion between llckfield and Tunbridge Wells, which required
contradiction. Tho South-E istern directors it was stated,
would not listen to such a proposition,
and consequently the
Brighton Company
were obliged to abandon the project.
But the fact was, the proposition originated with the South-
Eastern Eastern directors, and, on conferring with the Brighton
Company, their directors expressed their opinion that no
such line was required, and that their company should have
nothing to do wall it. The chairman then adverted to
other disputes the directors had with the Brighton Com-
pany, but apprehended that the shareholders had nothing to
fear from the opposition, especially when the advantages
that the South -Eastern's new termini would offer were taken
into consideration. There was one other matter to which
attention must be called, the proposition to purchase the
Mid Kent Railway. This line properly belonged to the
South Eastern Company. It was a remunerative line. The
argument for its purchase would be submitted to the share-
holders at the calledpertztehretimreeq,uaitsiatempeeovtinergsswpeocuialdllyhaveto for
the purpose, when
obtained.

Mr. TnomsoN seconded the motion.
Mr. COLESCHILD stated that from an investigation he bad
made of the books of the company yesterday he found that
although the directors paid a large dividend, they had not
earned more during the past half-year. He found that M 0,231
for the same works were carried over to next half-year as un-
paid,pending the result of an action against the contractors.
For this no provision had been made. He thought there
should have been, and that the expense of the dividend for
the half-year. He noticed also an item of £1,590 for Par-
liamentary expenses carried to the next half-year ; and also
an item which he was very sorry to see, for opposing the
Eastborn and Tunbridge Railway Company in the name of
a third party. He was no shareholder in the Brighton
Railway Company; but he very much regretted this. In
conclusion, be moved an amendment to the motion, that
the clauses 12 and 13 in the report be not adopted.
Mr. ADAMS said he wanted to know from Mr. Mellow
whether he was not working for the interest of his friend
Sir Morton Pete to get just about double the price for a
certain place called the Steelyard, required by the Charing..
cross Company for carrying out its projects. He believed
they wanted about £150,000 for it, though it had been
bought a short time ego for £75,000.

Mr. TENLON stated that this matter had been referred to
arbitration.

Mr. AELIMS objected to that course, and said the proper
course was to refer the matter to a jury. Ho continued by
objecting to the facilities given to the London, Chatham, and
Dover Railway ; and said that there was evidently a sinister
Lancashire connection working on the board that had pro.
duced this result, so inimical to the progress of the company.
Mr. MELLOR stated, in reply to Mr. Adams, that the
purchase of the Steelyard was referred to arbitrators, and as
to his transactions with Sir Morton Pete, he had never
known him in any business transaction whatever.
The CHArnarAN stated that every penny of the dividend
paid bad been earned during the past half•year, and the
accounts so specifying it had been authenticated by the
auditors. •

The amendment to the report of the directors was then
put and negatived by a large majority; uponmea the
original motion was put and carried unanimously.
A dividend of 4i per cent. upon the ordinary stock of the
company was agreed to and the meeting concluded by
vote of thanks to the chairman.