The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-20 00:00:00

GREAT SOUTHERN AND WESTERN.

The half-yearly meeting of this company was
held.on Saturday in Dublin—Mr. VV. Haughton in
the chair.
The Secretary read the report, an abstract of
which has already appeared.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, adverted to the loss the country had sus-
tained from three deficient harvests, and congratu-
lated the shareholders that the directors had been
enabled to recommend them an undiminished divi-
dend for the past half year out of the net profits of
the railway, carrying forward a balance of £2,800
for the next account. He stated that the company
had issued new stock to the amount of £44,000
during the past six months, and that about a simi-
lar amount had been expended on the Nenagh
Under the head of rolling stock about £6,000 had
been expended. One new engine had been placed
upon the line, and three others were now in a for-
ward state of construction at the company's works,
to be ready by the time the Nenagh line was °pone
for traffic. When these engines were completed,
the number would be 90. They had expended about
£4,000 on a very complete apparatus for creosoting
timber, and he had been informed by their engineer
that creosoted timber after it had been in use for 20
years was found to be almost as sound as the day it
was put down. He believed the average duration
of sleepers laid down in the ordinary state was
not more than 12 or 14 years, so that eventually
they would save something by creosoting them.
After alluding to the various items of traffic which
had shown a decrease as compared with the corres-
ponding period of the preceding year, he stated that
unless they could diminish their working expenses
or increase their receipts, it would be quite impossi-
ble to give the proprietors the same dividend they
had heretofore been in the habit of giving. Th e
company was placed in a favourable position with
regard to its stock. They had a very large amount
of original stock and a very small amount of prefe-
rential stock and bonde as compared,with most other
companies. The consequence was that it required a
very large diminution in the revenue to effect a
small diminution in the dividend. A reduction of
about £20,000 in the net revenue for the year would
cause a diminution of only 10s. per cent. in the
dividend.

Mr. MURLAND seconded the motion for the adop-

tion of the report. _
A discussion ensued respecting the rates for traffic
charged by the company and other matters, in the
course of which it was stated that the board had not
yet entered into any negotiation with the Cork and
Youghal Company for the purchase of their line.
Resolutions were passed adopting the report, de-
claring a dividend at the rate of 4 per cent. on the
preferential stock, and of 6 per cent. on the consoli-
dated stock of the company.
The proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks
to the chairman and directors.

- -
MALICIOUS DAMAGE.—Between 9 and 10 o'clock
on Monday night the extensive wine cellars of
Messrs. Chamen Brothers, wine nierchanta, situate under
Percy Chapel, Charlotte street, Fitzroy-synaref were broken
open by some person or persons, and wine in bottles and wood
to the amount of £5OO destroyed, the bottles being smashed
and the bungs drawn from the pipes, the flooring of the
cellars being completely saturated with the wine which was
allowed to Bow all over the place. A reward of £5O is
offered by the firm for any information which may be the
means of the persons who have committed this outrageous
and wanton act of destruction being apprehended. It is
said that none of the wine has been taken away. The mat-
ter is in the hands of the police.

THE DUTY ON FIRE INSURANCE.—The secretaries
of the following fire insurance offices, for the third
year consecutively, have within the past fortnight signed a
petition to the House of Commons for the abolition or re-
duction of the duty on fire insurances. It will be seen that
the list includes every London fire-office as well as those in
the provinces :--The Sun, Phoenix, Royal Exchange, Nor-
wich Union, County, Royal, Imperial Liverpool and Lou-
don, West of England, Alliance, Globe, Atlas, Manchester,
Law, North British and Mercantile, Corporation of London
Assurance, Guardian, Scottish Union, Union, Westminster,
Leeds and Yorkshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Northern,
General Caledonian, Royal Farmers, Hand-in-Hand,Oueen,
Law Union, Provincial (Welsh), Church of England,
Commercial Union, London and Lancashire, Em Emperor,
Prince, Essex and Suffolk, Midland Counties,
and Derby ; Hants, Sussex, and Dorset, Shropshire and
North Wales.
THE ROAD MURPER.—We hear, on what may be
considered reliable aurboiity, that the circum-
stances connected with the mysterious murder of Francis
Saville Kent at Road on tho 29th of June, 1860, are likely
ere long again to become the subject of judicial investiga-
tion.
COTTON FROM BOMBAY AND CHINA.—TWO ships
from Bombay, the Peerless and Beeston Castle, arrived at
Liverpool, yesterday, the former with 3,911, and the latter
with 4,468 bales of cotton. The ship Mary Lee, from Hong
Kong, has just been reported off the port, with a full cargo
of cotton, the first full cargo of the kind which has ever
arrived in the Mertes from the Celestial EnaPlra•