The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-21 00:00:00

THE LONDON GENERAL OMNIBUS

COMPANY.

MEETING THIS DAY.
The ordinary half-yearly meeting of this company was
held this morning at the London Tavern.
The report having been taken as read,
The CHAIRMAN took a very sanguine view of the com-
pany, and congratulated the meeting on their financial con-
dition, and said he felt that although the dividend declared
was the largest they had yet declared, yet he felt that the
shareholders might safely calculate upon receiving a mini-
mum dividend of 5 per cent. in perpetuity. Another source
of congratulation was, that the directors had closed
the capital account—(hear, hear)—that they had extin-
guished their loan debt—(hear, hear)—and he might also
say that they had benefited by the reduction and abolition
of tolls, and, in fact, the general management of the com-
pany had been of the most favourable description. They
had still their old grievance with the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, but they hoped to be able to bring him to rea-
son and justice. They had sent in 209 petitions against the
duty on stage carriages, which he hoped would have some
effect. The earnings of each omnibus was 11p. per mile,
out of which the Chancellor of the Exchequer put his
finger on ld., which amounted to no less than a tax of ss.
a day on every omnibus in work. This was levied with-
out respect to whether each omnibus worked at a profit or
loss. The railways only paid on their passenger traffic,
goods not being taken into account. Steamboats were
allowed to go altogether scot free. He hoped that some-
thing would shortly be done to remedy this grievance.
He concluded by moving the adoption of the report.
Mr. LULHAM seconded the motion.

Mr. TOLLEMACHE hoped that as they had passed child-
hood they had done with "nursing." He thought it would
be a sound economy to improve the morals of the men, by
looking after their interests.
A SHAREHOLDER—YOU can't do impossibilities.
The resolution was carried unanimously and the divi-
dend formally declared. -
A vote of thanks to the directors and secretary closed
the proceedings.

Rio de Janeiro City Improvement Company,

MEETING THIS DAY.

The third annual meeting of shareholders of this com-
pany was held to-day. Capt. Mangles occupied the chair,
and the report submitted for adoption stated that since the
last general meeting there been no interruption to the
successful operations of the company, that the works of the
third district (the first commenced) had been completed,
and that the labours of the contractors were being carried on
with so much energy in the two other districts as to justify
the confident expectation that the whole undertaking would
be completed within the stipulated period. The report of
the engineer-in-chief supplied all the necessary details of
information in respect to the number of houses drained,
the date on which the Imperial decree approving the works
completed in the third district was issued, and the amount
due to the company on account of those works. The
directors need only add that the mail had this day brought
the company a remittance of £11,721 11s. 10d. from the
Government in respect of the first payment due for houses
in which the system was in operation. It was with much
satisfaction the directors stated that his Imperial Majesty
and his Ministers had uniformly manifested a lively interest
in the operations of the company, and that their counte-
nance and protection had materially forwarded the progress
of the works.

British and South American Steam Navi-

gation Company.
+-
MEETING THIS DAY.

At an extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders
of this company, the report stated that in the present stage
of the company's affairs, the directors had considered it
desirable to call this meeting, in order that full information
as to the position and prospects of the company may be
afforded to the shareholders. The number of shares
already allotted was 18,580. The directors hoped that
through the instrumentality of their influential corres-
pondents in Chili, Peru, the Brazil; and the Plate, and
by means of the agent whom they propose to send to the
West Coast of South America, the remaining shares of the
first issue would be placed there. For the purpose of carry-
ing out the undertaking the directors had purchased the
S. S. Peruvian, of 2,245 tons and 300 horse power, the
Bolivian of 1,904 tons and 300 horse power, and the
Brazilian of 1,942 tons and 300 horse power, for a sum of
£160,000. These steamers were carefully surveyed
for the company before purchase by surveyors
appointed by the director; and most favourably re-
ported upon, and having been chartered for the conveyance
of troops from Trieste to Mexico had performed their work
in a most satisfactory manner. The profit which had been
realised by this employment for the company was about
£12,000. The directors had also contracted for the build-
ing of three new steamers, one of which will be launched
in the autumn of the present year, at a price of £27 per ton,
and £5O per horse power. The financial arrangements of
the company for payment of these vessels had been so
made as to relieve the shareholders as far as possible from
immediate heavy calls.

The Easter Monday Review.

-.~-.

The Secretary of State for War has approved a Review
of Volunteers taking place at Brighton on Easter Monday,
the 17th of April.

Applications from corps desirous of attending this Re-
view must be made on the prescribed form (War-office
form 1,629), through the Lords-Lieutenant of their respec-
tive counties, and delivered at the War-office on or before
Wednesday, the sth of April, after which date no further
applications will be received.
It is, however, particularly requested that commanding
officers will make their applications as early as possible be-
fore the above date, as their doing so will greatly facilitate
railway and other arrangements.
GEORGE ERSKB'E, Colonel.

War-office, March 20.

Very Affecting ! But Where 1

S. A. Writes to the Times:—As it is possible
that there is a sorrowing mother to whom the fol-
lowing affecting details may afford some slight con-
solation I venture to ask a place for them in your
columns. They- are contained in a letter from
Lady Duff Gordon to her mother, dated the 7th of
February.
"A poor young Englishman died here the other day at
the house of the Austrian consular agent. I was too ill to
go to him, but a kind, dear, young English woman, who was
here with her family in a boat, sat up with him three nights
and nursed him like a sister. He was buried on the Ist
day of Raamadan, where they bury strangers, on the site of
a former Coptic church. Archdeacon Moore read the ser-
vice. Omar and I spread my old English flag over the bier,
and Copts and Moslems helped to carry the poor stranger.
It was a moskimpressive sight,—the party of Europeans—
all strangers to the dead, but all deeply moved—the group
of black-robed and turbaned Copts, the sailors from the
boats, the gaily-dressed dragomans, several brown-shirted
Fellaheen, and the thick crowd of children, the expression
on whose little faces touched me most of all.
"As Moslems, Omar and the boatmen laid him down in
the grave ; while the English prayer was read, the sun
went down in a glorious flood of light over the distant
bend of the Nile.

" ' Had he a mother ? he was young,' said an Ababdeh
woman to me with tears in her eyes, and pressing my band
in sympathy with that poor far-off mother of such a diffe-
rent race."

NAPOLEON TTT. AND HIS HISTORY OF CESAR.--
The Emperor of the French has, according to what we
have heard, sent a magnificently bound copy of Ctesar to the
Queen. His Imperial Majesty has, we understand, com-
missioned M. Gerame to paint a portrait of Caesar in mili-
tary costume, which will be engraved for the second volume
of Julius Czsar, as a companion to the splendid work of
art, by M. Ingres, which adorns the first.
THE BILL FOR ARMING THE NEGROES.—The
following is the Bill for arming the negroes which
passed the Confederate House of Representatives by a vote
of 40 to 37 :—" 1. The Congress of the Confederate States
of America do enact, That in order to provide additional
forces to repel invasion, maintain the rightful possession
of the Confederate States, secure their independence, and
preserve their institutions, the President be and he is here-
by authorized to ask for and accept from the owners of
slaves the services of such number of ablebodied negro men
as hp may deem expedient, for and during the war, to perform
military service in whatever capacity he may direct. 2. That
the General-in-Chief be authorised to organise said slaves
into companies, battalions, regiments, and brigades, under
such rules and regulations as the Secretary of War may pre-
scribe, and to be commanded by such officers as the President
may appoint. 3. That while employed in the service the said
troops shall receive same rations, clothing, and compensa-
tion as are allowed to other troops in the same branch of
the service. 4. That if, under the provisions of this act, the
President shall not be able to raise a sufficient number of
troops to prosecute the war successfully and maintain the
sovereignty of the States and the independence of the Con-
federate States, then he is hereby authorised to call on each
State, whenever he thinks it expedient, for her quota of
300,000 troops, in addition to those subject to military ser-
vice under existing laws, or so many thereof as the Presi-
dent may deem necessary for the purposes herein mentioned,
to be raised from such classes irrespective of the colour of
the population in each State as the proper authorities
thereof may determine. 5. That nothing in this act shall
be construed to authorise a change in the relation which
said slaves shall bear toward their owners as property, ex-
cept by the consent of the owners and of the States in which
they may reside, and in pursuance of the laws thereof."

The Great Jewel Robbery in the City.
MANSION-HOUSE.—(THIS DAY.)
The prisoners David Roberts, Henry Geoffrey, Thomas
Casley, Thomas Brewerton, James Hurley, Wm. Brown,
alias Scotty, Martha Geoffrey, Anne Casley, and Louisa
Brewerton, were again placed at the bar before the Lord
Mayor. Mrs. Hurley was not present to-day.
No further evidence was offered on this occasion.
The prisoners were again remanded until Friday.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE,--This Day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

A TRAINER or BOY TIIIEVES.—OMNIBUS ROBBERY.—
Charles Williams, calling himself a hawker, and residing
near the Victoria Park, was charged before Mr. Tyrwhitt
with being concerned with a lad named Charles Slack,
who described himself as a professional dancer, in stealing
a purse containing silver, &c., from a lady named Jay
while in an omnibus in Oxford-street.

The prisoner Williams was seen by Sergeant Coathupe,
of the detective force, on an omnibus in the Strand on
Friday last, and the sergeant, knowing him as a trainer of
boy thieves, and suspecting he had some one inside the
omnibus, followed the omnibus in a cab. After going a
short distance the sergeant found his suspicions to be
correct, for the prisoner got from the top of the omnibus
and was joined by a lad named Slack, who got from the
inside. The prisoners then went by another omnibus
to Westminster, Williams being outside and Slack inside,
as before. On reaching Westminster-bridge the prisoners
changed to another omnibus and returned to Charing-cross,
and then changed to an omnibus going up Regent-street.
On reaching the Regent-circus, Oxford-street, the prisoners
left the omnibus, Williams paying the fares for both, and
they then walked sharply away into Castle-street, where
Sergeant Coathupe saw Slack take something from his
pocket and give it to Williams, and ho then seized both
prisoners, when he found in Williams's hand a purse and
in Slack's the contents of it ; but on the prisoner throw-
ing away the purse, and the sergeant attempting to
pick it up, he (Williams) managed to escape, but the
sergeant retained his hold of Slack, and brought
him to this court, and he was remanded. Last
night Sergeant-Edward Langley, of the Detective Force,
succeeded in taking Williams into custody at his lodgings
near the Victoria-park, the prisoner being at the time
dressed as a hawker, while when seen by Sergeant
Coathupe on the omnibus he was attired as'atentleman.

Williams said he had no other clothes than those he was
wearing, and that the officer had not told the truth.

Mr. Tyrwhitt remanded Williams—who has suffered
four years' penal servitude and been long known to the
police as a trainer of boy-thieves—till Friday next, when
he will be brought up with Slack, who has undergone two
terms of imprisonment of three months each.
VIOLENT ASSAULT ON A MENDICITY SOCIETY OFFICER.—
John Sullivan, a notorious begger, was charged with beg-
ging and violently assaulting Thomas Turner, one of the
officers of the Mendicity Society.
Turner saw the prisoner begging in Oxford-street, and
on taking him into custody he became very violent, kick-
ing him about the legs, and swearing that 40 officers should
not take him to the station. A struggle then ensued, in
the course of which Turner got several blows about the
head.

The Magistrate said a violent fellow like the prisoner
should be punished to the utmost of the law, and he should
therefore commit him for two months for the assault on
the officer, and one month for begging.