The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-03 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER PALACE HOTEL.

The half-yearly meeting of this company was
held yesterday at the Hotel, Victoria-street, West-
minster—Viscount Chelsea in the chair.

Mr. Jefferies, the secretary, read the report,
which stated that the gross receipts for the past
half-year had been £18,408, and the expenditure
£11,992, leaving as net profit £6,409, which, after
deducting £625 for interest on loans and £942 for
reserve funds, would, with the balance from the
preceding account, leave available for dividend
£5,620, out of which the board recommended a di-
vidend at the rate of 8 per cent. per annum, leaving
a balance of £420.

The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, congratulated the shareholders on their im-
proved prospects. It was very gratifying to them
that it was the intention of the India Board to pro-
long their tenancy till August, 1865.
Sir C. RUSSELL seconded the motion.
Mr. FRANKLYN, M.P., moved, as an amendment,
that the dividend be at the rate of 10 per cent.
Mr• LONGSTAFF seconded the amendment.
After some discussion, the amendment was with-
drawn.

The report was then adopted, and the dividend
at the rate of 8 per cent. per annum was adopted.
The retiring directors and auditors were re-elect-
ed, and the proceedings concluded with a Tote of
thanks to the chairman.

RAILWAY BILLS.
Yesterday the following railway bills were de-
clared to have complied with the standing orders of
Parliament :—Great-Eastern—to confer additional
powers on the company in reference to the Waveney
Valley, the Lynn and Hunstanton, and the Bishop's
Stortford, Dunmow, and Braintree Railways ; also
in regard to the company's bill for running steam-
boats between Harwich and Lowestoft, and certain
foreign ports, and between King's Lynn, Hull, and
Newcastle, and to raise £250,000. North London—
for a branch from the Caledonian-road to the Yo'k-
road. Mid-Kent—to make two railways from their
Addiscombe Extension, one into Croydon and the
other to the London, Chatham, and Dover, near the
Beckham station, and to raise £75,000. Hadiow—
for arrangements with the London, Chatham, and
Dover, and Sevenoaks Railways. Mistley, Thorpe,
and Walton—for a line from the Great Eastern
at Mistley to Walton-on-the-Naze, and to
raise £60,000. Seaton and Beer—for an ex-
tension from the London and South-Western
to Seaton, and to raise £36,000. St. Ives and
West Cornwall Junction—for a line to St. Ives,
and to raise £42,000. Irish North Western—for an
extension along the quays at Dundalk.
The only case of non-compliance was the Brecon
and Merthyr Tydfil Junction, for new lines.

Comparative Rates of Pay in the Navy
between 1841 and 1862.

On comparing the rates of pay accorded
thawcicordthedosteonnthwegvvaanritoeuds,
ranks of the navy twenty years ago
it appears that the annual receipts of officers of the higher
grades has been but little altered, that those of lieutenants,
masters, and engineers have been slightly increased, while
`those of the petty officers and seamen have been consider-
ably augmented. Thus we find that the average pay of all
ranks was in
7 7
188:5121 XI
)6
11,21
s 4 per man per annum.
1862 43 16 3 ,f
and th at
the
&c.,
cost
was of victualling,
man incluidinpgerprationviusnii:ns, ne-
cessaries, in
1841 £l7 15 6 per
1852 l5 0 7 If
1862 .. 19 6 0 !,
so thatonin 6
wageslBan2 cdosptrlvilB4iosnssdamlonoree than man e 4
n ini 18.
the best criterion by which to judge of the difference Tployed
in the navy But
be-
tween the pay of the navy in the two periods is the amount
of wages granted to the able seamen, which is now £2B 178
Ild per annum, while in 1841 it was only £22 2s. It will
be easily perceived from these figures how great is the
change and how much better is the position of the common
sailor than it was formerly, and it must moreover be re-
membered that in addition to this increase of money ac-
tually paid to him, he enjoys many advantages which in
the " good old times" were quite, unknown ; he has a por-
tion of his clothing, all his bedding, and all his mess traps
supplied gratuitously, his pay in hospital continues under
certain limitations on the borne stations, and abroad until
the patient is either cured or sent home as an invalid, he is
granted six weeks leave on the ship baing put out of com-
mission, with continuance of pay, he receives instruction
on board ship, part of his wages are paid monthly, he can
allot a portion of his money in monthly payments to any
person in the United Kingdom, and he has the option of
sending an order home for some of his pay to be placed in
savings bank on his account,— United S'ervice Maga-
za,nny e.