The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-25 00:00:00

GREAT EASTERN RAILWAY.

' The CHAIRMAN—It is not customary. (Uproar.)
' A SHAREHoLnER—Never mind custom. Give an
answer to the question. (Uproar.)
I
The CIIAIR3IAN—I will read to the meeting the
decision of the directors with respect to the matter.
beginning
The hon. gentleman then commenced reading a paper
"In deciding not to acquiesce in the
proposal for a committee of inquiry"—[here such a
thestate-
ment
eelnVcalsu d
iinnga 1 1 dsiebnl et
e. 1 c e, W
we , h i
ehho w ewv ears,
great uproar arose that the remainder of the
tcoa u gt
hhet
effect that the directors did not think any
further investigation of the charges made by
Captain Jervis than the replies given quite un-
necessary. (Uproar.) The chairman told the
meeting they had received such a vast number of
proxies that they intended to persevere in their
determination.
Sergeant GAZELEE said he was surprised at the
audacity of the directors. (Cheers and uproar.)
He would make one to form any agitation to upset
such a decision. (Great uproar.) The proxies
forwarded to the directors had been given under a
misunderstanding. He put it to the meeting
whether, under such circumstances, they were jus-
tified in using them to stifle inquiry. (Hear, hear,
and uproar.) He should move as an amendment
to the resolution of the Chairman—That a coin_
mittee of investigation be appointed. (Loud cheers
and confusion.)

The amendment was seconded; after which a
very adiscussion arose between the supporters
ofthel y
board and those who disapproved of their
conduct.

1 Capt. JERvis defended the course he had taken,
and condemned generally the conduct of the direc-
tors in making the bargain they had done.
The CHAIRMAN, in reply, said that Captain
Jervis was himself a party to the issuing the 5 per
cent. stock, of which he now so greatly disapproved.
Captain JERVIS denied that it was so.
The CHAIRMAN said he was quite warranted in
making the statement he bad. With respect to the
charges made against the directors (Mere the
confusion was again renewed, and the Chairman
said, as the meeting felt indisposed to hear him, he
would at once put the amendment).
The amendment of Sergeant Gazelee was then
carried by an immense majority.
A poll was then demanded on the part of the
directors, it being intimated that the proxies in the
possession of the board would be used.

It was then arranged that the poll should open
at once, which was done, and tke meeting was then
adjourned until Tuesday next.

The report of the directors therefore yet remains
to receive the approval of the shareholders.

London, Chatham, and Dover Railway.

The half-yearly general meeting of this company WM
held to-day at the Grosvenor Hotel, Victoria Station; Lord
Sondes, the chairman of the company, presiding.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report,
said that ho had only a few observations to offer The
traffic certainly was not , as large as they had reason to
expect, which was owing to two causes. In the first
place, the works at the Victoria Station were not complete,
which occasioned much inconvenience to the public, and
much loss to the company. The next and most im-
portant cause was the want of the completion of
the link line with the Metropolitan extension line.
They had been prepared to effect their junction with the
metropolitan line and to run into their station, but the
Metropolitan were not ready to receive them, and would
not be able to do so before the Ist of Novernbsr next.
But, notwithstanding the drawbacks the company had
sustained, their traffic had increased to a considerable
extent.
The report was then adopted.

ACCIDENT TO A CLERGYMAN AT LLANDUDNO.—A
sad accident occurred to a clergyman, named the Rev. J.
H. Ferres, on Monday. He was walking along the path
which goes round the Great Orme's Head, when somehow,
it is supposed, he missed his footing, as he was found in-
sensible, lying on the rocks close to the sea. Luckily the
tide was going out at the time, or he would have been
washed away. The unfortunate gentleman was taken to
the nearest hotel, where he is still lying in a very danger-
ous state. It is feared that the internal injuries received
will prove fatal, The rev. gentleman is about 28 years of
age.

The following appeared In successive editions of The Sun
of last evening:
The ordinary half-yearly general . meeting of the
directors and shareholders was held to=day at the
London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street.
In consequence of-the quarrel between the direc-
tors and Capt. Jervis, with the nature of which the
railway world is now so well acquainted, there was
a numerous attendance of shareholders. The direc-
tors having taken their seats without any particular
demonstration of any kind,
Mr. GODSON, the chairman of the board of direc-
tors, in moving the adoption of the report, said he
was quite aware of the intere.A attaching to their
proceedings that day ; and. as to the report,
which had been placed in the hands of every
one, he would at once proceed to make a
few observations, in moving its adoption by the
meeting. The number of passengers on their line,
during the last half year, had not been so large as
might have been ; but tho directors could not con-
trol the weather; and as their new lines had not
etpi tot ih
noasn that the
t chh
been fully devoloped, it would be unwise to look
upon the circumstance. in any other but of
arac'ier. It was with very great
nanepleasuregeoxci
acadniorethcetorrcsonhualdansyuce(ehecelaerd,
hear)—
and and as it would result in their possessing a metro-
politan station. (Hear, hear.) . With re-
spect to another portion of this enter-
prise, viz., the steam communication, he was
not one of those who expected such great
returns as had been looked for by other parties ;
however, he had great pleasure. in informing the
meeting that the steam communication at the pre-
sent time yielded a clear profit of £.200 a week.
(Hear, hear.) He hoped that the basis of an
arrangement might shortly be entered into, with
a large and'Powerful company, although it was but
fair to say that the company in question was at the
moment adverse to such a proposition. With re-
spect to the dividend, there was a sum of 44 odd
thousand pounds, and it would be for the meeting
to decide whether that should be reserved over to
the next half-year, or distribute it pro rata as soon
as possible. He did not think the company had
been fairly treated by some parties, the more so as
if the accounts of other railway companies were
looked into they would not be thought to be in such
a questionable state of affairs. The directors had,
he would admit, been led into error because money
was cheap, but it was by mere accident, and nothing
more. (Oh, oh.) He was as anxious as any man
for the integrity of the company, because his friends
and relatives held one-fifteenth of the debenture debt.
The honour of the directors bad never been im-
peached. (Oh, oh.) After a, few other observations,
he concluded by formally moving the adoption of
the report.
Mr. ANDERSON seconded the motion.
Mr. JOHNSON said he put it to the directors
whether they, as gentlemen, would consent
to sit at the board with certain charges hang-
ing over their heads. (Hear, hear.) He implored'
the meeting not to come to any hasty conclusion
which they would afterwards have cause to regret.
(Hear, hear.) He did not believe that if a com-
mittee was agreed to anything of a fraudulent
nature would be discovered ; but that there had
been great errors he certainly believed. He thought
the best thing the directors could do was
to frankly admit that they had been
led into error. The meeting had power
to amend it, and he hoped it would be 'done,
because, if it was persisted in, the preference de-
benture holders would be greatly injured. He then
moved an amendment to the effect that the com-
pany would refrain from any extension of capital,
or leasing or enlarging their liabilities, and that the
directors for the future would be animated by that
policy.
Serjeant GAZELEE—I wish, before I make any
observations, to ask the following question—Will
the directors assent to a committee of investiga-
tion ? As gentlemen they ought to ask such an
inquiry almost on their knees. I wish a straight-
forward answer, yes or no, to a straightforward
question.