The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-31 00:00:00

I\IADRA.S.

The traffic receipts on this company's south-west line for
the month of May last amounted to £13,138 on an average
of 3661 miles open, against £7,886 on an average of 235
miles open in May, 1861, showing an increase of 1311 miles
in the length, and of £5,252 in the receipts. The increase
in the receipts per mile is nearly 6 per cent. upon the ex-
tended mileage, as compared with those of the correspond-
ing month of last year.

RAILWAY BILLS.
Yesterday a committee of the Lords, consisting of the
Earl of Romney, chairman and Lords Promfret, Dungannon,
Hardinge, and Northwick, met to consider the case of the
Charing-cross Railway Company's City Terminus Bill for
amending their Act of 4861, and by which they were
authorised to make a bridge over the Thames between
Southwark and London bridges. The company, it appears,
have deposited their plans at the Admiralty, who have
signified their approval of the same ; but the Conseriators,
of the Thaiiies decline to do-540,-Md as-the:Ad cloea nitt
taro any provision with respect to the conflict of authority
between the Admiralty and the Thames Conservancy it is
expedient that all such conflict of authority should be ob-
viated. It was proposed by the promoters that the ques-
tion should be settled by an arbitrator to be appointed by
the Board of Trade; but the committee on consideration
decided that the Railway Department of the Board of
Trade itself should be the umpire. The Bill for the Mold
ythweasNpeawletsdtlien anthed MCoatmrqati;ooff DSalisawn.
Railwayburg's and
Wrexhamcommittee,
nmr .
assalwndaey's committee.

ELECTRIC AND INTERNATIONAL TELEGRAPH
The directors of this company, in their report, state that
a general reduction of tariff to all places of considerable
traffic within an area of 300 miles took effect on the Ist of
February last, and although, as anticipated, the diminished
charge has not yet been compensated by increased business,
the sacrifice has been less than could reasonably have been
expected. In addition to this, the loss on the long circuits to
Liverpool, Manchester, &c., from the shilling tariff intro-
duced by the United Kingdom Telegraph Company, has
continued unabated during the half-year, and the ordinary
revenue has thereby been diminished to the extent of =thy
thousand pounds. On the other hand, there has been a
steady improvement at many of the numerous stations of
the company unaffected by the competition. The opening of
167 additional stations (principally on railways) for com-
mercial purposes has further contributed to swell the re-
ceipts, and there has been a satisfactory increase in the com-
pany's foreign business. The directors have entered into
extended arrangements of a favourable character with Con-
tinental Governments, which, by opening a wider area of
operation, have led to a large expansion of traffic, which
will be further developed when the new cable, now com-
pleted and about to be submerged, is brought into use, The
combination of the latter circumstance has happily neu-
tralised the loss caused by the reductions alluded to above;
and the directors have much satisfaction in stating that the
gross revenue of the half-year amounts to £102,367, against
£102,519 in the corresponding period of 1861. The large
addition of work which the company has undertaken has
been performed with increasing accuracy, the percentage of
errors, minute as it was, having been considerably reduced.
The absence of casualty to any of the company's cables
since the last meeting has largely diminished the cost of
their maintenance. Deducting from the gross revenue of
£102,367 the working charges and interest, amounting to
£71,131, which includes the exceptional item of £6,056 for
law and Parliamentary charges, " there is a clear profit of
£31,236 on the operations of the six months, and the direc-
tors are consequently enabled to maintain the usual divi-
dend of £3 10s. per cent. for the half-year, which will ab-
sorb £29,816, leaving a balance of £1,420 to be added to the
account for the renewal of the submarine cable.