The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-16 00:00:00

Railway and other Companies.

EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW.

The adjourned meeting of this company was held
on Tuesday in Glasgow ; Mr. P. Blackburn in the

chair.

The CHAIRMAN said the meeting had been ad-
journed to that day, in consequence of legal proceed-
ings which had been instituted, and it was expected
they would have been concluded before that time.
Counsel had been heard on both sides before the
First Division of the Court of Session, Edinburgh,
but the Court had not given its decision. The only
thing they could do was to adjourn the meeting for
a few days until the Court decided whether they
should vote remuneration to some of the officials or
be forbidden to do so. He concluded by moving
the adjournment of the meeting to Friday.
Mr. IL DUNLOP seconded the motion.
A very long discussion ensued, in which Mr.
Meiklem, Mr. White, Mr. Ewing, Mr. Wallace, and
other shareholders took part.
The CHAIRMAN said the question before the Court
was whether the shareholders could vote away the
money. The interdict was against the company hay-
ing the right to vote away the money, not the direc-
tors.

On the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Mr.
Dunlop, the meeting was adjourned to Tuesday,
the 19th inst.
The First Division of the Court of Session gave
judgment on Thursday in the case in which Clous-
ton and others applied for interdict against the
directors of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway,
to prevent them paying £5,000 to the chairman and
distributing the sum of £11,600 as compensation to
certain officials who have lost office in consequence
of thd amalgamation of_the company with, the North
British. Their lordships' were unanimously ,of
opinion that tho proposed payments could not bO
made.

BOMBAY, BARODA, AND CENTRAL INDIA.
The half-yearly general.meeting of this company
was held yesterday at the London Tavern •
Col. P. T. French in the chair.
The report was taken as read.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, stated that it had become necessary to en-
large and improve 21 stations on the line between
Bulsar and Ahmedabad. They had strengthened the
bridges, and the monsoon floods had passed away
without doing any damage. The bridges, culverts,
and masonry were being completed for a double
line, as approved by the Government. Since the
bridges had been strengthened the trains were run
over them at the same speed as upon other parts of
the line. The traffic continued to increase, and
when the 1,000 additional waggons and ten new

locomotives ordered were placed on the line he had
no doubt that a further and a larger addition to the
rolling stock would be required for increased traffic.
The through and local traffic had been seriously
affected by the accident to a portion of the Nerbud-
dah-bridge during the whole of the ten months it
was under repair, but since the completion of the
necessary works on it the traffic receipts had greatly

increased. The whole line from Ahmedabad to
Bombay-306 miles—was now open for both goods
and passenger traffic, and he had no doubt what-
ever the returns would soon become very satisfac-
tory. The chief offices of the company had been
recently concentrated at Bombay, and it was be-
lieved that considerable advantages would result
from that arrangement. The chiefs of departments
met once a week, or once a fortnight, to arrange
business matters, and any recommendations they
had to make were laid in due course before the Go-
vernment officer. If he approved those recommenda-
tions they were favourably considered by the Govern-
ment ; but, if he did not approve them, nothing
would be done with them. He believed they had
four through trains running each way daily between
Bombay and Almfedabad. There were a number
of trains run every day for the Reclamation Com-
pany to and from Bombay. There were other trains
run to accommodate local traffic at places on the
line. The recent increase in the fares for passengers
and in charges for goods traffic would work benefi-
cially for the company, and enable them to realize
a reasonable profit. The whole line, 306 miles from
Ahmedabad to Bombay, was opened for goods'
traffic on the Ist of November, and they might now

look forward to increased traffic receipts. At one
end of the line was Bombay, with its 800,000 inha-
bitants, and at the other end Ahmedabad, with its
175,000 inhabitants. At intermediate places they
had Baroda with 100,000 inhabitants, Surat 100,000,
and several others of 20,000 and 30,000 inhabitants.
The 185 miles from Bulsar to Ahmedabad passed
through the richest country in the world ; the soil
was rich, the people were rich, and every one was
rich. The increased rates for passengers and goods
would augment their returns and make theworking
remunerative. Application had been made to the

Government to sanction a more detailed survey of
the important line from Baroda to Ncemuch, and it
was hoped it would be granted. It was found from
a general snrvey to be most favourable for a line of
railway, the whole distance 200 miles. This would
point to Delhi, and if they could carry out a line iu
that direction up to Delhi, it would prove a most
valuable feeder as originally intended. It was pro-
posed to carry out those extensions on the ungua.
rauteed principle, but receiving a certain subsidy.
It was also proposed to make some short extensions
into the fruitful district of Kattiawar, namely, from
Ahmedabad to Veerumgaum and Wudmaun, 73
miles in length. The produce of the district con-
sisted chiefly of cotton and salt. The native chiefs
had offered to subscribe about £200,000 towards its
construction, and the agent of the company (Mr.
Currey) had no doubt that if the Government would
give them a subsidy that the remainder of the capi-
tal would be got in Bombay without coming to
England for any portion of the capital, which would
be a most desirable thing.
Mr. HARTRIDGE, deputy-chairman, seconded the
motion for the adoption of the report.

A SHAREHOLDER wished to know the cost of the
extension towards the construction of which the
native chiefs were willing to subscribe £200,000.

The CHAIRMAN said the estimate of the engineer
was £454,000 ,buthe thoughtit better to say£soo,ooo.
In reply to a question it was stated that outward
freights to India had risen since the commence-
ment of their operations from 15s. to 555. per ton,
the cost of coal at Bombay from 30s. to 445. per
ton, and the cost of labour had increased fourfold,
No advantage would arise to them from the Ner-
budda coalfield, as the carriage over 550 miles of
railway would bring up the cost to about 445. per
ton at Bombay. The increased cost of labour and
of sending out materials would account to a great
extent for the increased cost of the line above the
original estimate.
The report was adopted, and the proceedings ter-
minated.

Capt. Knox, V.C., of the Prince Consort's Own
Brigade, has, we understand, been appointed by the Field-
Marshal Commanding-in-Chief to be Inspector of Musketry
of the south-western district. This gallant officer formerly
served in the Scots Fusileer Guards, and was selected by
the late Prince Consort, on the recommendation of General
Lord Rokeby, for a commission in his Royal Highness's
Regiment, to be given to the most gallant soldier of the
.tlourhe
ker
n iwaa owing
Capt.to i
l
appointment of Inspector of Musketry at Gibraltar, and it
aiGsnuianr
understood
instructor
at 1 e
thatgreafteta•
aptitude
itupdreesaenndt abilityast
appoint-
ment by Gen. Sir William Codrington, K.C.B.
On Tuesday and Wednesday last, the 11th and 12th inst.,
the half-yearly examination of Royal naval engineer offi-
cers, engineer students, and dockyard apprentices took place
in Sheerness dockyard. The examination was conducted
by the Rev. Roland Wilson, dockyard chaplain ; Mr. W. W
Williamson, inspectorof machinery afloat, Sheerness Steam
Reserve, and Mr. R. S. Crockford, master of tho dockyard
apprentices and instructor of engineers. The examination
consisted of questions by the Rev. 1). Woolley, director of
education to the Admiralty on the following subjects :
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, statics, dyna-
mics, hydrostatics, differential and integral calculus, Eng-
lish composition, grammar, history, chemistry, and steam.
There wore nine engineer officers, 37 engineer students,.
s
and six dockyard apprentices examined.
recommended Knox s
has held the temporary