The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-04 00:00:00

ALYTH.

The half-yearly meeting of this company was held
at Alyth on Saturday—Mr. G. Kinloch in the chair.
The report stated that the receipts amounted to
£902, and the working expenses and interest on
loans to £BlB, leaving a balance of £B4.

The CHAIRMAN said that the company was
rapidly getting out of debt, and that when the new
junction with the Dundee line at Newtyle was
completed the shareholders would get a mode-
rate dividend. On the completion of the new
line their communication with Dundee would be
greatly facilitated. The distance between Alyth
and Dundee was only 17 miles, but at present it
required two hours to travel that distance. He con-
cluded by moving the adoption of the report.
Lord AIRLIE seconded the motion, which was
carried, and the proceedings concluded with a vote
of thanks to the chairman.

DUNBLANE, DOUNE, AND CALLANDER.
The last half-yearly meeting of this company was
held on Saturday in Dunblane—Mr. J. B. Hamilton
in the chair.

The repOrt stated that the bill for amalgamating
the
company
onip a
passedny with
the Scottish Central Railway
Company
unopposed through both Houses
of
Parliament in the last session, and received the
royal
assentct
theon Callanderthe 29th
CompanyofJ
dissolved on the
Ist By
mation t
e 1
st oifnnup August last,itsaffairs and
and onlyexis
paying thethetedfordividends
purpose
of winding
for the half-year ending the 31st of July. In con-
sequence of the passing of an Act last Session for the
amalgamation of the Scottish Central Railway Com-
pany with the Caledonian Railway Company, the
former company, including the Callander Company,
became a part of the Caledonian system on the let
of August, and the obligations of the Scottish Cen-
tral had been transferred to the Caledonian Corn-
pany from that date. During the past half-year
the assets of the company had been fully realised,

and the liabilities, so far as they could be ascertained,
were almost wholly paid off. The directors recom-
mended that the small balances of revenue should
remain in their hands to meet the incidental expenses
of winding up the concern. The guaranteed divi-
dends to the ordinary and preference shareholders
for the half-year ending the 31st of July last would
be paid by the Scottish Central Company, and the
debenture interest payable in November next would
be met by the Caledonian Company.
On the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Mr.
D. Carnegie, the report was adopted. The pro-
ceedings concluded with a vote of thanks to the
chairman and directors.
Naval and Military Intelligence.

Her Majesty's screw gun vessel Sylvia, partially
completed at Woolwich, to carry four guns, and
to be of the burthen of 695 tons, the building of
which has been suspended since 1860, is now ordered
to be completed. She is to be fitted with a chart-
house on deck, similar to that of the paddle sloop
Hydra, and it is reported the command will be
given to Staff-Commander Reed, who performed
some efficient services during his command of the
surveying vessel Rifleman, now engaged in the
China waters.
The contract for the manufacture of the set of
iron masts for the ironclad frigate Hercules, about
being commenced at Chatham dockyard, has been
taken by the Millwall Shipbuilding Company. The
iron masts for the screw frigate Penelope, to be
built at Perhbroke dockyard, will be manufactured
by Messrs. Finch and Heath, of Chepstow, under
the superintendence of one of the officials from
Chatham dockyard. Messrs. Finch and Heath were
the manufacturers of the iron masts for the Royal
Oak and some others of the iron-cased ships.
His Swedish Majesty's screw corvette Gefle, Capt.
Kiernan, arrived at Spithead yesterday from Carls-
crona, en route to the Brazils and the Cape of
Good Hope. On anchoring she exchanged salutes
with her Majesty's ship Victory, as the flagship of
the naval Commander-in-Chief of the port, and
with the saluting battery of the garrison. Soon
after the corvette's arrival Capt. Kleman landed
from her. Accompanied by the Royal Swedish
and Norwegian Vice-Consul at the port, the Cheva-
lier Vandenbergh, he called upon Sir Michael Sey-
mour and Sir George Buller, the naval and military
Commanders-in-Chief. The Gefle will fill up with
coal and stores, and sail again in continuation of
her voyage about Friday next.
Lieut.-Col. Shaw's wrought iron carriage and slide
were yesterday fitted in the mounting ground in
Woolwich Arsenal with the 9-inch rifled muzzle-
loading gun made on his new principle, with
shortened trunnions. The chase of the gun is sus-
tained by a pivot, so as to point and fire with safety
through a small porthole of the same dimensions as
the diameter of the gun's muzzle. The gun was
made in the Royal Arsenal, and is of the Firth steel.
Its weight is 12i- tons, and the carriage and slide
about 3} tons. After an elementary trial about to
take place at the Woolwich butt, to test the appur-
tenances, the whole will be despatched to undergo a
severe experimental trial at Portsmouth on board
her Majesty's 16-gun iron ship Minotaur. The gun
is made on the coil system, and was fired 10 rounds
on Saturday at the proof butt at Woolwich, with
charges of 3001 b. shot and 401 b. of powder each.
In the list of names of Sub-Lieutenants in the
Navy List for October the low numbers-3, 2 and
I—affixed against many of the names, denote the
class of certificates obtained by the officers under
examination. The higher numbers, as quoted in
The Sun of yesterday, represent the number of
marks obtained by the candidate in his examination
for navigation, under the new regulation which gives
the number of marks obtained in lieu of the class o
certificate.

The number of the following officers have been
removed from the official Navy List just published :
—Lieuts. H. S. Hamilton, N. Barnaby, M. Dennis-
toun, A. Nugent, H. Al'lnro, E. Denny, and W.
P. IVinkworth ; Surgeon G. F. Elliott ; Assistant-
Surgeons F. S. W. Wright, n. Harding, W.
Ilannagan, and C. Buchan, M.D. ; Second Masters
J. King and 11. M. C. Welsh ; Assist.-Paymasters
A. J. Boyton, A. P. Cox, F. Fitzmaurice, M
Inman, T. C. Russell, and H. Bulmore_