The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-16 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVEMAG, OCTOBER 16, ISC k,,

Indus ; Alfred Piddell, assist. -paymaster, to the
Prince Consort; Wm. 11. J. Aitken, assist.-paymas-
ter in charge, to the Flora ; Chas. M. F. Toor, clerk,
additional, to the Bristol ; C. A. W. Helps, clerk, to
the Victory as supernumerary ; Frank E. Dent, Wm.
S. Richardson, and Edgar Radford, assist.-clerks,
additional, to the Bristol ; and Geo. W. Mackey,
assist.-clerk, additional, to the Princess Royal.

Artillery, 2d and Bth Tower Hamlets Rifles, 2d City
of London Rifles, 6th Tower Hamlets Rifles, 3d City
of London Rifles, Bth Essex Rifles, 3d Tower Ham-
lets Rifles, 40th Middlesex Rifles, 7th Surrey Rifles,
46th Middlesex Rifles, 10th and 12th rower Ham-
lets Rifles, 26th, 29th, 19th, 20th, and 48th Middle-
sex Rifles, London Irish, Queen's Westminster,
City of London Brigade, London Scottish, 2d Mid-
dlesex Artillery, 3d Essex Rifles, Ist London Artil-
lery, 3d Middlesex Artillery, 6th North-East Lon-
don Rifles, King's Own and Queen's Own Tower
Hamlets Militia. The regimental orders for mourn-
ing were a band of crape, 4in. wide, to be worn by
every member of the corps on the left arm, midway
between the shoulder and elbow, the grenade on the
busby and the ornament in front of the cross-belt
to be covered with crape, and the drums to be
muffled in crape. Officers to wear a black sash, a
band with row of crape round the busby, and black
kid gloves ; the grenade and sword-knot to be
covered with crape. About 3 o'clock the procession
started for the cemetery in the usual order, the band
and firing party being supplied by the Ist Tower
HamletsVolunteerEngineers, to which the deceased
belonged. The body was borne on the carriage of
a 91b. gun belonging to the Ist Tower Hamlets'
Artillery. The grave detachment was commanded
by Capt. Welch. The national colours covered the
coffin. The relatives and friends of the deceased
followed the gun carriage in mourning coaches, and
after them marched the body of the volunteers be-
longing to the corps mentioned. It occupied one
hour and a half to march from the barrack ground
to Bow Cemetery, at which the interment was to
take place, and so vast was the crowd that it was
with great difficulty the procession could move along.
The Mile-end-road was densely packed with spec-
tators. All traffic was stopped, and the volunteers
only managed to keep their ranks by joining
arm in arm and then forcing their way
through. Every window and almost every housetop
throughout the long route was occupied. It is esti-
mated that 200,000 people must have been present.
In the cemetery itself another 15,000 to 20,000 had
assembled, and here a most exciting scene took place.
In the earlier part of the afternoon very commen-
dable order was preserved, and the visitors passed
away the time by strolling about the grounds and
watching the other funerals. But when the music of
the band was heard there was a great rush toward
the gates, and the pretty flower-beds at the entrance
and along the sides of the walks and even the
shrubbery were trampled down and completely
spoiled. The police were under the command of
Superintendent Worelsand Inspector Kerressey, and
they did all in their power ; but it was with the ut-
most difficulty that they could keep an opening for
the procession, much more preserve order amongst
such a multitude. The grave was situate near the
church, and every spot which commanded a view of
it or of the walk along which the funeral procession
passed was occupied. The corpse was met at the
entrance to the cemetery by the Rev. Geo. Henry
M'Gill, M.A., incumbent of Christchurch, Watney-
street, Si. George-in• the-East, honorary chaplain of
the regiment to which the deceased belonged. He
was assisted by the Rev. D. Shaboe, chaplain of the
Bow Cemetery. It required a force of mounted and
foot police to open a way for the procession, and it
was only after a good deal of struggling that the
grave was reached. It was at first intended to have
read a portion of the service in the church, but as
some thousands of the spectators had taken posses-
sion of the approaches to it, besides which only a
comparatively few of the volunteers could have got
in, it was determined to perform the whole service
over the grave. The prayers were read by the hono-
rary chaplain, and at the conclusion of the ordinary
service he delivered a short but earned address
upon the solemnity of the event. He reminded
the volunteers that for four years the deceased
had been associated with them, and that he had
discharged his duties in the most excellent and
praiseworthy manner. He lost his life while
performing his duty, and the suddenness with
which death overtook him ought to remind them of
the fearful uncertainty of human life, and warn
them that they should be ready to meet the momen-
tous change. Truly the sad death of their comrade
taught them that in the midst of life we are in
death. But although his body was then lying in
the grave beneath them, his spirit should still be
with them. He lived and died a faithful servant to
his Queen and country, while his best efforts were
devoted to their interests. He (the chaplain)
trusted they would hold his memory in affectionate
remembrance, and show their respect by imitating
his worthy example. But they should recollect
also that they were not merely servants of the
Queen and country—they were servants of the
great King of kings. They had not only a body
and physical duties to perform, but they had an
immortal and everlasting soul to save. As they could
not tell how soon they should be called away, he
solemnly warned them not to neglect the things of
eternity, and that they should prepare to appear
before the jndgment seat of God. It might indeed
be said of the deceased that he was the friend of
them all. Great must have been his worth when
they saw so many thousands assembled to do honour
to his remains. One would think that a distin-
guished field marshal had gone to his rest instead
of a humble sergeant of engineers. In conclusion,
the chaplain stated that next Sunday he should
preach a funeral sermon at Christ Church, when
the volunteers and congregation would have an
opportunity of contributing something for the
widow, who had been left wholly unprovided for.
The firing party then took their position round'
the grave and fired three volleys. The regimental
band next played " Vital spark," after which all
the troops on the ground filed past the grave. They
then marched off, and the ceremony ended.

Railway and other Companies•

d-

PEEBLES.
The half-yearly meeting was held at Peebles on
Tuesday. Mr. W. Chambers in the chair.

The report, an abstract of which has appeared in
The Sun, was held as read.

The CHAIRMAN, in moving its adoption, said
there had been a decrease in the revenue from goods
of £216, but an increase of £ll9 in the passenger
traffic. •The balance available for dividend was
£2,908, which would pay 5 per cent. on the prefer-
ence, and 6 per cent. on the ordinary, stock ; while
handing over to the North British Company in terms
of agreement a small surplus of £76, and retaining
a balance of £54. The opening of the Galashiels
and Peebles line would bring an increase of traffic
to this company. Their affairs were in all respects
prosperous, except that, owing to the inefficient ac-
commodation at Edinburgh station, their trains
were often delayed there. The opening of new
railways into the same station seemed to threaten
congestion.

Mr. FORRESTER seconded the motion, which was
unanimously carried.

The CHAIRMAN, in answer to a question, said the
company would not be affected by the late amalga-
mations with the North British, to which the
Peebles line had only been leased.
The meeting then separated.

translated from the original Portuguese. The trans-
lation was strictly a literal one, the directors deem-
ing it on every account desirable to adhere as closely
as possible to the exact phraseology of the original.
The directcrs felt confident that the shareholders
would concur with them in regarding it as reflect-
ing the highest credit on the distinguished writer.
They would read with satisfaction that portion of
the pamphlet wherein he said, " The company exe-
cuted thoroughly the work it had to accomplish,
and did more than it promised to do." This testi-
mony, from an ex-official source, was only what
the company had a right to expect from the Impe-
rial Government, to the honour and liberality of
whose intentions the directors had ever borne tes-
timony. The shareholders would find, in the ex-
tracts from the pamphlet, a confirmation of the
view taken of the subject by the successive Minis-
ters of the Imperial Government, and emphatically
by the writer of the pamphlet in question, who had
been indefatigible in his determination thoroughly
to master it in all its bearings—and they would not
fail to recognise, in the arguments and sentiments
put forward by him throughout the work, the spirit
of those adopted by the directors on their behalf,
when urging from time to time upon the attention
of the Imperial Government the unanswerable na-
ture and character of the company's claims. The
directors had recently been given to understand
that the Imperial Government was prepared to
meet those claims fairly ; but, as at present ad-
vised, on a new basis, that of conversion or
purchase, on terms to be agreed on ; as to which
the directorsjwould, as soon as they were in a
position to do so, communicate with the shareholders.
It was with great satisfaction that the directors re-
ferred the shareholders to the state of the traffic for
the half year ending June 30 last, which gave a clear
surplus revenue for that period, beyond all expenses,
of £11,739, as against £3,027 for the corresponding
period of the previous year, of which the Imperial
Government had the benefit. A temporary suspen-
sion of the traffic took place in the early part of the
month of July last, in consequence of damage done
to the line by a flood of unexampled magnitude,
which carried away a considerable portion of ballast-
ing from the first, second, and fourth sections, and
otherwise damaged the works ; but, by the prompt
and indefatigable exertions of Mr. Mann and his
staff, the line was speedily restored sufficiently to
enable the traffic to be resumed ; and it had ever
since continued to be worked with its usual safety
and regularity. The "Extension into Recife" was
still before the Imperial Government. The company's
manager, Mr. Bramah, had hoped to have obtained
some decision upon this important matter ; but the
war question at present appeared to absorb exclu-
sively the attention of the Ministry. In order to
meet engagements on capital accounts entered into
by the company—to the extent of some £75,000 or
thereabouts—the directors were, in May, 1864,
authorised by resolution of an extraordinary general
meeting of the company to issue debentures to that
amount. Finding, however, that owing to the sus-
pension of the promised increase of the guaranteed
capital, the company's debentures were only issuable
at a considerable discount, the directors were com-
pelled to apply, temporarily, the revenue of the
company to the liquidation of those engagements,
reserving the issue of the debentures, for its replace-
ment, until the guarantee should be definitely set-
tled. Contrary, however, to all expectation, the
suspension still continuing, the directors had not
thought it right to delay the issue of the debentures
any longer ; and, having succeeded in placing, at
some sacrifice, the whole amount authorised by
the shareholders, were happy in having been
able to notify the payment, at the end of the
present month, of the deferred warrants for the
half-years ending June 30 and Dec. 31, 1864, re-
spectively ; and proposed to declare and pay a divi-
dend at the same rate—viz., 3 per cent. per annum,
for the half-year ending June 30 last. The company's
manager, Mr. E. 11. Bramah, now wishing, after
seven years' able and indefatigable discharge of his
responsible duties, to resign his post, the directors,
with the view of his valuable services being still ren-
dered available to the company, recommended the
shareholders to elect him as an additional director,
with the understanding that, when next a vacancy
occurred such a vacany was not to be filled up. The
directors had arranged that Mr. Bramah should be
succeeded as manager by Mr. G. 0. Mann, who had
been in the company's service ever since its forma-
tion, earning for himself, at all times, by the mode
in which he had discharged his various aties, their
highest confidence and approval, Mr. Mann retain-
ing, as at present, the supervision of the traffic, en-
gineering, and locomotive departments ; and by
this arrangement, a further material annual saving
to the Imperial Government would be effected in
the cost of the working of the line. The capital ac-
count to June 30 showed that £1,829,965 had been
expended, leaving a balance of £6,445. The revenue
for the half-year ending June 30 last showed that
£49,477 had been received, and £21,792 expended
on working, and £6,792 interest on debentures and
temporary loans, leaving a balance of £21,208
applicable to dividend.