The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-02 00:00:00

NEWPORT PAGNELL.

The half-yearly meeting of this company was held
yesterday at the office, Westminster-chambers, Vic-
toria-street—Mr. neatly in the chair.

The report stated that the progress of the works
had been so satisfactory that it was expected the
line would be ready for opening in the autumn. An
act for the extension of the line to Olney was passed
last session, and the directors believed that it would
prove a valuable feeder to the main line when com.
pleted.
On the motion of the CHAIRMAN, the report was
adopted.

The meeting was then made special, and the di-
rectors were authorised to raise an additional capital
of £BO,OOO by the issue of 5 per cent. preference
shares, for the construction of the extension line;
and the proceedings terminated.

ABERYSTWITH AND WELSH COAST.
A special meeting of this company was held yes-
terday at the office, Bank-buildings, Lothbury ; Mr.
Banks in the chair.

The CHAIRMAN proposed a resolution authorising
the directors to raise an additional capital of
£120,000 by the issue of ordinary or preferential
shares, and to borrow on mortgage a further sum of
£40,000.

The motion was carried unanimously, and the
proceedings terminated.

BURY ST. EDMUNDS AND THETFORD.

It appears the directors of this company have
made arrangements for the construction of the
works with Messrs. R. Sharpe and Sons, who are to
receive payment to the extent of one-third in shares
of the company, and they undertake to pay interest
on the capital at the :rate of 5 per cent. per annum
during construction, and to guarantee a minimum
dividend of the same amount for the first 12 months
after the opening of the line.

SPILSBY AND FIESBY.
The works of this line are expected to be comma
menced in the autumn.

PROVINCIAL JOINT-STOCK BANKING.
The annual meeting of the shareholders in the
Birmingham and Midland Bank was held yester-
day at Birmingham. The net profit forth° year was
declared to have amounted to £52,750. A dividend
of £5 per share (£5O paid) for the half-year was
declared, this being an increase of 10s. per share on
the previous half-year, and the surplus (£9,835) was
added to the guarantee fund—making £178,688.
The paid-up capital is £249,150. The Midland
Banking Company (limited) has occasionally been
mistaken for this bank, from the circumstance of
that company having adopted in part the title of
this. The directors are anxious that, through the
medium of The Sun this misapprehension should, if
possible, be removed. The dividend and bonus de-
clared by the Birmingham Banking Company is at
the rate of 20 per cent. per annum.

THE MILLS AT WORK.—The amount of cotton
goods exported during the last six months has
been 942,871,056 yards. Taking the circumference of tho
earth at 24,876 miles, or 43,781,760 yards, it follows that
our manufacturers have already during thi, year thrown
off as much cotton as would encircle the earth 21 times,
with as many millions of yards over as v,fould make a bag
to cover up the moon.

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ration of the diseased animals : this is a very
necessary step to be taken ; but, like maw others,
might with advantage have been done earlier.
It has been very properly suggested that it would
be well if some steps were taken to prevent the im-
portation of foreign cattle into this country in an
unfit condition. Inspectors should be appointed to
decide upon the health of the animals, and thus
prevent the fearful effects produced by-these afflicted
creatures coming into contact with those of our
own markets. Professor GAMGEE has -written a
letter, which contains valuable information for
those concerned in the management of cattle and
sheep. He says that the present high price of meat,
so greatly complained of, is owing to the diminu-
tion of our stock by disease since the first
importation of foreign animals in 1842.
Although not averse to free trade, the Professor
wisely affirms that some maans should be adopted
by the farmers of this country to effect a proper
regulation of foreign and home traffic. Small-pox
is now on the Sussex downs ; and in this letter much
useful information is given respecting the treatment
of the calamity. The present time is a dangerous
one for the community to be put upon short allow-
ance, and for anything like 'diseased meat to be
taken ; and the thanks of the public are due to
those who endeavour to mitigate the evil and put a
stop to the spread of disease by the inculcation of
truths that should be generally known, and the
enunciation of facts that cannot be too much dwelt
upon by those who are concerned in the traffic of cattle.
When we consider the mischief that is wrought by
mistakes in these matters, and the great ignorance
that prevails in many quarters among responsible
individuals, it is doubly important that right in-
formation should be obtained, and that those con-
cerned in the affair should not fold their hands in
idleness, but follow the course which reason directs,
and seek by the appliances of science, when they
can be obtained, the means of remedy, and where
they arc of no avail to adopt the only possible
means of arresting the evil. It will not do to let
things alone until the harm that inattention occa-
sions has spread through the length and breadth
of the land, and a whole train of evils have to
be encountered whose progress it will be difficult
to stem.