The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-17 00:00:00

EDINBURGH AND GLASGO W.

The half-yearly meeting of this company was
held on Tuesday at Glasgow ; Mr. P. Blackburn
in the chair.

Mr. Latham, the manager, having read the notice
convening the meeting, the report, an abstract of
which has appeared in The Sun, was taken as read.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, said he thought the reduction in the rates
between Edinburgh and Glasgow fully accounted
for the reduction in the revenue forpassenger traffic.
The goods traffic had gone on increasing in a satis-
factory manner, and there remained a net balance
of increase in the receipts of £15,593 as compared
with the corresponding period of the preceding year.
The working expenses had also increased. The
item for maintenance of way was large, but any one
who had travelled over the line from Edinburgh to
Glasgow or to Dumbartonshire would admit that
the line was in remarkably good order. The net
revenue would produce a dividend at the rate of 5
per cent. per annum on the ordinary stock. It had
takenthem along time to arrive at that point, and he
hoped they would be able to maintain it. (Hear.) He
did not think that the shareholders would have any
cause to complain if the dividend should be kept up
to that amount. There was an immense amount of
railway business before Parliament, and they had
contributed their share. They were carrying out a
working agreement with the North British Railway
Company, and had introduced a Bill to enable them
to do so by Parliamentary sanction. They were also
in conjunction with the North British Company pro-
moting a Bill to enable them to make a bridge over
the Forth. It would, no doubt, be a very large en-
gineering work, but one, if completed for the esti-
mated amount, would be well worth the money. Their
share of the expensewould be about 1250,000. They
would have to oppose the Bill forthe amalgamation of
the Caledonian and Scottish Central Railway Com-
panies. This was a scheme which was unanimouslyre-
jected some years ago by a very able committee of
the House of Commons, it being considered not for
the advantage of the public. He did not think that
the circumstances had in any respect changed since
that time. He believed that more than four-fifths
of the passenger traffic of the Scottish Central passed
naturally by the Edinburgh and Glasgow line to
Edinburgh and Glasgow, and it would be very in-
convenient to the public to be handed over to the
Caledonian. They must also oppose a new line pro-
moted by the Caledonian Company, the alleged
purpose of which was the shortening of the distance
between Glasgow and Edinburgh by that company's
existing route, and which was quite unnecessary.
Mr. H. DUNLOP seconded the motion for the
adoption of the report.
In reply to questions it was stated that the esti-

mated cost of the bridge across the Forth was
£650,000 altogether, of which their share would
be £254,000, and that there was every intention
on their part of carrying out faithfully the agree-
ment made with the North British Railway Com-
pany.

Resolutions were passed adopting the report, de-
claring the dividends on the preference stocks, and
also at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum on the
ordinary stock of the company. The retiring direc-
tors and auditor were re-elected, and a vote of thanks
to the chairman concluded the proceedings,