The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-17 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

His Royal Highness the General Commanding-
in-Chief has appointed Major Connolly, of the
Coldstream Guards, and Captain Herrick, 2d bat-
talion 12th Foot, Instructor of Musketry at the
depot battalion, Walmer, to assist the Ordnance
Select Committee in making experiments with
small arms of different kinds. •

The Secretary of State for War, with the concur-
rence of the Lords of the Treasury, has sanctioned
the grant of two servants for officers of the rank of
Brigadier-General, as also for those acting in that
capacity, instead of one, as hitherto allowed.
In anticipation of large demands being made on
the Government Small Arms Factory at Enfield,
the whole of the workmen employed in that estab-
lishment were on several occasions during the last
few weeks kept at work the whole night. It was
found that the existing gas arrangements were not
of a nature to admit of a sufficient supply being
kept up during the whole night. Prompt measures
are now, by direction of the Secretary of State for
War, being taken to remedy this defect.
The sick and disabled troops sent home from
India and the colonies, and also the time-expired
troops, the whole of whom were inpected at Chat-
ham by a Chelsea Board of Officers, who assembled
at St. Mary's Baraacks on Friday last for that pur-
pose, were discharged from the army at the invalid
establishment yesterday, and forwarded to their
respective homes. A few convalescent troops who,
upon examination, were found to be fit for further
service, were sent to rejoin their respective depots
at the several home stations. The discharged
troops going to Scotland and Ireland will leave the
invalid depot to-morrow. Notwithstanding the
large number of troops who have been discharged
at Chatham for some time past, the numbers show
scarcely any diminution, the average number of
men discharged being nearly 100 weekly for some
time past. This rate will, however, now be lessened,
owing to the termination of the season during which
it is customary to despatch troops from India to
England.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

GREAT WESTERN.

A special general meeting of this company was
held yesterday at the Paddington Station, for the
purpose of considering and determining with refe-
rence to certain heads of arrangement which had
been provisionally made between the directors of
the South Wales Railway Company and the direc-
tors of the Great Western Railway Company for a
lease of the undertaking of the South %Vales Rail-
way Company to the Great Western Railway Com-
pany, and for the ultimate amalgamation of those
companies and the West Midland Railway Com-
pany. The Earl of Shelburne, the chairman of the
company, presided.
Mr. C. A. Saunders, the secretary, read the notice
convening the meeting.
The CHAIRMAN said the subject they had to con-
sider was one that had been so much in the minds
of the proprietors of both companies that it would
not require much comment on his part to induce
them to carry out the object for which they had
met. At the same times he thought the arrange-
ment that had been come to was a matter of con-
gratulation for the proprietors, inasmuch as that
which appeared some time ago to be an intermin-
able difficulty was now set at rest. It would be
recollected that he had stated at a former meeting
what had been offered to the South Wales Company,
and he had told them that the Great Western had
then gone to the limit in offering certain terms of
arrangement. He might be asked why he had gone
from those figures. His answer would be that he
believed it to be for the interest of the Great Wes-
tern Company to do se. The whole question had
been sifted with great care on both sides, and also
by the South Wales directors and themselves. He
had told the proprietors on a former occasion as to
how many meetings had been held, with a view to
come to a settlement of the disputes then existing.
After carefully going into the matter the directors
of both companies came very nearly to the same
conclusions, and the difference was not a large one.
At the same time, considering the indications that
prevailed at the last meeting on the subject, and
looking to the expenses to which the company
might be put by a long contest in Parliament and
other matters, he came to the conclusion that it was
for the best interests of the Great Western share-
holders that they should endeavour to put an end
to that most disastrous state of things.
Every-
thing was duly weighed on both sides, and a
compromise of the two points in dispute Was ef-
fected. Both parties made a slight concession, and
certain terms were decided on.
The Secretary then read the following
HEADS OF AGREEMENT.
if 1. Great Western Railway Company, in lieu of
the present agreement, are to lease the South Wales
for a period of six years, or until after the Great
Western and West Midland arrangement be sanc-
tioned by Parliament as hereinafter referred to in
clause 4, whichever may first happen.
is 2. Great Western are to have fall and indepen
dent power of fixing rates, &0., and working the
South Wales as a part of their own system during
such lease.

" 3. Great Western are to pay a fixed rent of
£170,000 per annum during such lease. The pro-
perty to be leased to comprise the line of railway as
now constructed, with all buildings, cottages, and,