The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-24 00:00:00

GREAT EASTERN RAILWAY.

HALF-YEARLY MEETING—THIS DAY.
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 Captain Jervis, 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,

➢Sr. GODSON, the chairman of the board of direc-
tors, in moving the adoption of the report, said he
was quite aware of the interest attaching to their
proceedings that day ; and as 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 the directors could not con-
trol the weather ; and as their new lines had not
been fully devoloped, it would be unwise to look
upon the circumstance in any other light but of
an exceptional character. It was with very great
pleasure that the directors had succeeded in their
negotiations with another company—(hear, hear)—
and as it would result of 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 £2OO 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 had 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.
The CHAIRMAN—It is not customary. (Uproar.)
A SHAREHOLDER—Never mind custom. Give an
answer to the question. (Uproar.)
The CHAIRMAN—I will read to the meeting the
decision of the directors with respect to the matter.
Th• hon. gentleman then commenced reading a paper
beginning "In deciding not to acquiesce in the
proposal for a committee of inquiry—[here such a
great uproar arose that the remainder of the state-

meat was inaudible.] We however, caught
the concluding sentence, which was to the
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.

[We will give the result of the meeting in our
late edition.]

AUSTRALIA.

REUTER'S TELEGRAM.

PLYMOUTH, Aug. 23.

The Swiftsure, from Melbourne, passed up Channel
late last night. She brings 70,000 oz. of gold and
265 passengers.

On the 6th ult. she spoke the steamship St.
Thom, from Liverpool, bound to St. Thomas.

THE LATE GENERAL SIR FREDERICK STOVIN,
G.C.8., K.C.M.G.—This gallant officer was born
in 1783. He obtained an ensigncy without purchase in
the 52d Regiment on the 22d of March, 1800, and
proceeded to Ferrol, Cadiz, and thence to Lisbon.
In July, 1803, he was appointed to the 28th
Regiment, and went to Ireland in October. In
January, 1805, ho was appointed brigade-major at
Fermoy, and in July and August was with an encampment
of 25,000 men on the Curragh, under Lord Cathcart. In
October, 1807, he wont to Copenhagen, and marched, 1808,
with Sir John Moore to Gottenburg. He was at the battle
of Corunna on the 16th of January, 1809. In Juno, 1809,
he was aide-de-camp to Lieutenant-General Mackenzie
Fraser, and proceeded to Walcheren. He embarked for
Gibraltar in January, 1810, with the 28th Regiment, and
when Tarifa was occupied by British troops in April he
was sent as second in command. He embarked for Por-
tugal, July, 1811, with detachments, and was appointed
aide-de-camp to Sir T. Picton in October. He was pre-
sent, January 17, 1812, at the siege and capture of Ciudad
Rodrigo, and on the 6th and 7th of April at the capture
of Badajoz, and received brevet of major. He was at the
battle of Salamanca July 22, and at the battle of Vittoria,
June 21; 1813. Subsequently he sawmuch service in Spain
and at New siege
and Orleans, where he was present at the g
se
and was wounded in the neck. He was appointed deputy-
adjutant-general Oct. 25, re-embarked on 18th Jan., 1815,
landed at Isle Dauphin, and received the news of his ap-
pointment as K.C.B. He invested Fort Bayer, which sur-
rendered Feb. 14, returned to England Juno 1, and was
immediately appointed to Sir Thomas Picton's staff, but
having been ordered to Dublin on special service he was
prevented from being present at Waterloo. Having filled
various offices in the colonies and at home, in 1835 ho
accompanied Prince Alfred to Geneva as superintendent of
his studies. In 1859, finding his health begin to fail, he
resigned his place at Court, was invested with the insignia
of the Grand Cross of the Bath in 1860, and on March 31
in the same year was appointed extra groom in waiting
to her Majesty. Sir F. Stovin married Elizabeth Anne,
youngest daughter of Sir Sitwell Sitwell, of Renishaw,
Derbyshire, who died, without issue, in 1858.
KILLING A WIFE BY KNOCKING HER UNDER A
RAILWAY TRAIN.—At the Liverpool coroner's court
yesterday a verdict of manslaughter was found against a
man named William Foran, for falling his wife, Catherine
Foran. The man, who is a badge porter, lived with his
wife in a court in Chadwick-street, and both were much
addicted to drinking. When drunk they frequently quar-
relled, and the man often struck his wife. On Tuesday
they were in Chadwick-street together, and both drunk.
A short time before the occurrence that led to her death,
he had threatened to give her her death-blow that night.
They went along the street, and a train of heavy waggonsthe
ro cssed the street on the Yorkshire and Lancashire Rail-
way Company's line. A railway porter, seeing that
woman was unsteady, laid hold of her and held her ; but
the husband struck her a violent blow and knocked her
under the trucks. The wheels passed over her breast and
neck and killed her on the spot.