The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-12 00:00:00

RAILWAY TRAFFIC RET URNS.

LONDON AND SOUTH-EASTERN RAILWAY. - Traffic re-
turn for the week ending Jan. 8, 1853 £14,762 15 7
Corresponding week last year 13,754 13 9

Increase in 1853 £l,ooB 1 10
GLASGOW AND SOUTH-WESTERN RAlLWAY.—Traffic re-
turn for the week ending Jan. 8, 1853 £4,577 3 11
Corresponding week last year
Increase in 1853 £1,140 5 10

The quotation of gold at Paris is about at par (ac-
cording to the new tariff), which, at the English Mint
price of 3/. 17s. 10Id. per ounce for standard gold, gives
an exchange of 25.17 ; and, the exchange at Paris on
London at short being 25.04 It follows that gold is
about 0•58 per cent. dearer in Paris than in London.
•M. PBOUDHON.—M. Proudhon, the well-known so-
cialist, was some years ago, before attaining his present
notoriety, charged to edit an edition of the Bible, pub-
lished at Dijon ; and he corrected it with notes on the
principles of the Hebrew language. In the researches
which he had to make on the latter subject, he met with
a work by the Abbe Bergier, published about a hundred
years ago, but completely forgotten, called " Elemes
primitifs de Langues ; " and, in compliance with the ad-
vice of a priest, he reprinted it, and accompanied it with
an "Essay on General Grammar." For this essay, al-
though printed anonymously, the Academy of Besancon
granted him a prize. The reprint and the essay were to
have been published by him in conjunction with a Mr.
Lambert, a publisher ; but, for some reason not stated,
they, after being printed, remained in sheets on the book-
seller's shelves. M. Proudhon came to Paris, and hav-
ing become engaged in other literary labours, almost for-
got his book. After a while, M. Lambert wound up his
affairs, and the whole stock of, and property in, the
work passed to M. Proudhon. He caused the sheets to
be deposited in a garret, and there they remained for
some time. The garret being then required, M. Proud-
lion sold the sheets as waste paper, at 20 centimes the
kilogramme, to a grocer named Renaud. This grocer
subsequently sold them to an old book dealer named
Baudot, for 40 centimes the kilogramme, leaving him to
understand that he had the right to publish the work ;
and Baudot sold them to M. Tubergue, a bookseller, for
80 centimes the kilogramme. M. Tubergue then, instead
of using them as waste paper, resolved to bring them out
as a book. But M. Proudhon, on hearing of this, com-
plained that it was a fraud on him, and he caused the
copies, about 1,500 in number, to be seized. He then
brought an action before the Tribunal of Commerce of
Besancon against M. Tubergue, and obtained damages.
The bookseller appealed to the Court of Appeal of that
city, and the case was argued a few days ago. It was
contended on his behalf that having bought the paper and
the impression on it, without any condition being im-
posed, he was entitled to make such use of it as he
pleased ;and that Mash roudhon could have no claim
whatsoever on him,
as besides he (Proudhon) had been paid for the sale he
had effected. M. Proudhon, who pleaded his own case,
maintained that he had only sold waste paper, not the
property in the book. The court, however, held that the
question of literary property did not arise, that the sole
point was as to the interpretation of a contract ; and it
decided that as Tubergue had purchased the copies of the
" Essai de Grammaire Generale," without the condition
being imposed that they were to be used as waste paper,
and without there being anything in them to indicate
that they were to be so employed, the judgment of the
tribunal should be quashed, and the demand of M.
Proudhon be dismissed.
LONDON AND GREENWICH RAILWAY.—The half-yearly
general meeting of this company was held yesterday, at
the offices in Coleman-street, for declaring a dividend on
the original or unprivileged shares, and for filling up
certain vacancies in the direction ; Mr. W. Shadbolt,
the chairman of the directors, presiding. The state-
ment of accounts showed on the debit side, 10,1281. 17s.
9d. for interest on preference shares, on bonds and on
bonds renewed, less interest on bonds unissued ; ex-
penses 3531. 11s. sd. ; property and income tax, 3341.
is. 2d. ; and commission on bonds, 2461. 10s. The
credit side included 21,500/. ; half a year's rental due
31st December, 1852 ; 191. 12s. 9d., balance of interest
account, and 201. ss. for transfer fees • leaving a balance
of income over expenditure, 10,490/. 3s. 7d. The
Chairman moved a resolution, declaring a dividend of
4s. 9d. a share, clear of income- tax, on the original or
unprivileged shares for the half year. The resolutidn
wan agreed to.