The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-04 00:00:00

BAILTY.eIY INTELLIGENCE.

LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN.
The adjourned meeting of this company was held yes.
terday at the offices, York-road ; Mr. W. J. Chaplin,
M.P., in the chair.
Mr. Crombie, the secretary, read the resolution ad-
journing the meeting from that place on the 16th of
August to the 19th of September, at the Law Institu-
tion, Chancery-lane, then to proceed with the scrutiny,
and on the 3,1 of October to declare the state of the poll
on the question of electing a director. Mr. Willcox,
M.P., and'Mr. W. P. Snell were the candidates.
The CHAIRMAN entered into an explanation of their
proceedings since the la 4 meeting, which was held
there on the 16th of August. The scrutineers met the
Hon. Mr. Denman, as legal assessor, himself, and mom•
of the directors and shareholders on the 19th of Septem-
ber, at the Law Institution. Mr. Snell appeared with
his solicitor ; Mr. Wilcox did not attend, but was re-
presented by his legal adviser, feeling at the time that
Mr. Snell wns anxious to claim an investigation, and
that all the necessary explanations would be given. On
the 19th it was proposed to hear a statement from Mr.
Snell ; at first he appeared ready to proceed, but on
further consideration it was agreed to give him a few
days to prepare, and the meeting was adjourned to Fri-
day, the 22d of September, when it was understood he
was to be examined and to explain everything. The
assessor was unable to attend on that occasion ; they
could not, therefore, proceed with the business, and the
meeting was adjourned to the 29th of September. They
had had no notice of the change that bad taken place on
the part of Mr. Snell; who refused at the time appointed
to give evidence or to explain anything with regard to
the matter in dispute. The solicitor for Mr. Willcox, in
consequence of that refusal, withdrew from the scrutiny,
and the matter ended. That being the state of things,
the whole was in so confused and unsatisfactory a state
that he (the chairman) could not come to any decision
on the votes or make any declaration on the state of the
poll. It therefore was not his intention at present to
make any declaration on the subject.
Mr. MAYNARD said he appeared there as a share-
holder in the company to assist Mr. Snell in the discus-
sion of the question. He disapproved the course adopted
by the chairman, and/entered ably at considerable length
into several matters connected with the state of the
proxies, and technical matters relating to them. He con-
tended that the scrutineers had nothing to do with pre-
liminary matters ; they were merely the agents of the
candidates, and it was their duty to examine the votes,
di,,allowing those that were objectionable, and to report
on the result of the scrutiny. He censured the obser-
vations made in the report of Mr. Saintsbury, one of
the scrutineers, and defended Mr. Snell from the impu-
tations contained therein. 'He had taken the responsi-
bility of advising Mr. Snell not to submit to an exami-
nation before such a tribunal. They had no right to
call on Mr. Snell for explanations. A large majority of
the votes were in favour of Mr. Snell, after deducting
all those objected to on the part of Mr. Willcox. They
had only to strike off the votes that had been objected
to, and declare the result of the poll. The proxies ob-
jected to were bad, but he did not consider that the cir-
cumstance arose from any want of integrity, but from a
want of judgment on the part of Mr. Snell in carrying
out the express wish of the shareholders; and, as the
objectionable proxies were withdrawn, there was an end
of them. The proper course was to declare the state of
the poll, and, should the shareholders think an inquiry
necessary, that would form a separate and distinct mat-
ter, but they had nothing whatever to do with any other
matter at present than the state of the poll, which
would show a large majority in favour of the election of
Mr. Snell..

The CHAIRMAN said they only required a fair inquiry
into the votes before declaring the state of the poll.
Mr. SAINTSBURY went into a variety of details in de-
fence of his report as one of the scrutineers, and con-
tended, as a shareholder in the company, that it was
necessary an investigation should take place before de-
claring the state of the poll.
Mr. TITE considered it more a question of character
than of law, and he hoped Mr. Snell would follow the
course pointed out by his friends, and relinquish that
recommended by his legal advisers.
Colonel LUARD, a director, said he had voted for Mr.
Snell, believing that he %yrs a suitable person to sit at
the board. He (Colonel Luard) did not think that any
objection was offered as to the majority of votes being
in favour of Mr. Snell, but he held it of importance, and
that it was necessary that certain matters with regard
to the 14 proxies that had been withdrawn Should be
satisfactorily explained before electing him to a seat at
the board.

A long discussion ensued, in the course of which it
was contended at one side that the poll ought to be de-
clared at once, while the other maintained that an in-
quiry into ali the matters in dispute should be insti-
tuted ; that there was no burry in the matter; and that
Mr. Snell should have plenty of time to explain matters
which his legal advisers contended had nothing to do
with the question of declaring the state of the poll in
his favour. _ _ _

•
Mr. Serjeant GASELLEE, a director, said he hoped Mr.
Snell's friends would advise him to have an investiga-
tion into the whole matter.
Mr. A. BEATTIE thoUght the scrutineer had a right
to object to anything irregular, and not to let it slip.
They were bound to look at it in a moral point of view,
notwithstanding what the legal gentlemen had said.
Mr. PUNCHER, as scrutineer, demanded the election
of Mr. Snell to a seat at the board. The House of Com-
mons was a good precedent for the company to follow,
and in doing so they should first declare the state of the
poll, and if any inquiry should be thought necessary it
should be instituted afterwards. He concluded by de-
manding of the chairman to declare the state of the poll
according to his (Mr. Puncher's) account.
The CHAIRMAN said that he should have been pre-
pared to do so were it not for the decision come to by
Mr. Snell and his legal advisers. He (the chairman)
did not feel that he was in a position to declare the state
of the poll. and in that view he was supported by the
majority of his colleagues.
Mr. Serjeant GASELEE considered that the question
was of vital importance to Mr. ' Snell, and regretted.
that he (Mr. Snell) did not take the proper course to
clear himself. It was evident that the chairman was
remedy woßenchu.ld In suchplication
plenty of time.
Mr. PUNCHER declared that Mr. Snell had a majority
of 2,000 good votes and upwards in his favour.
Mr. SAINTSBURY gave notice that he would move a
resolution at the next meeting to the effect that the
would call
nominal
hnahad
lmabtrin tamperedtYw with, o
asfrmwedwhoellyth of proxies, many it
at the scrutineers
votes
were ofitnhfaveou poll,r
had found it impossible toof
pdeercsiodieialth e state
Willcox (hae majority
duly electedupon the chairman to de.
.
uoaria"Ari
eitri‘h.
fa. Wrt asiv 1 ct

On the motion of Mr. A. BEATTIE, seconded by Mr.
NV. TIT; a resolution adjourning the meeting to the 17th
of November next, at the same place, was carried, and
the meting adjourned.

GLASGOW AND SOUTH-WESTERN RAlLWAT.—Traffic
turn for the week ending Sept. 30, 1854 £5,927 11 1
Corresponding week last year 5,657 9 2

Increase iu 1851..

£240 1 11

METROPOLITAN BATHS AND WASHHOIISES.—A lthough
the recent outbreak of cholera fell with great severity
upon the densely populated and dirty districts of Lon-
don, there can be no doubt that its violence was very
considerably mitigated by those habits of personal clean-
liness which the establishment of baths and washhouses
has done so much to promote.
ILLEGAL NETTING IN THE RIVER THAMES. —At
Stains, on Monday. John Harris, of Twickenham, fisher-
man, was charged before the magistrates, upn the infor-
mation of Thomas Rosewell, assistant water bailiff, with
using a net and attempting to take fish on the 25th of
September, in the preFerle at Chertsey, set apart by
order of the Lord Mayor for the preservation of the
spawn and fry of fish in the river Thames. The case
being wholly proved, the net was condemned, and the
defendant fined Si. and 10s. costs.
FATAL ACCIDENT AT SCINDERLAND.—A melancholy
accident happened at the new works of the South Dock
at Sunderland on Monday, by which one man was killed
Theyon
the
werespot,engaged and
in removingthree others were
large
to severelyne injured,
by
y the use
of a crane, one of the iron handles of which broke. The
men at the other side were jerked, and the hatidie which
they held not being sufficiently restrained, broke from
their grasp, and drove round with great velocity • it
came in contact with the head of the deceased, who was
ialtaatly killed.