The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-31 00:00:00

15LAR COMPANY.
TI f the directors of this
comp to ne-subrintted to the eighth half-yearly gene-
ral meeting of shareholders, to be held this day :
" It was announced, by anticipation, in the last half-
yearly report, that the first portion of this company's
railways—from Bombay to Tannab, 21 miles—would
most likely be opened in the month of April. That
was accomplished on the 17th April, since which time
two trains have been running daily with the greatest
regularity. The latest despatches from India, at the
time of writing this report, reach to the beginning of
September, and as the periodical rains occupy most of
the interval between April and September, no approxi-
mate test even of the traffic has consequently yet been
made. But the directors are nevertheless satisfied, from
the number of passengers conveyed along the railway
during the monsoon, that the general result in passenger
traffic will be greatly beyond their 'former calculation.
Arrangements had not been completed for the carriage
of merchandise, but preparations were being made at the
date of the last advises, and goods traffic will ere long
be commenced. The native population have evinced
the greatest alacrity in availing themselves of this new
mode of locomotion, and all the risks and inconveniences
foretold of introducing the railway system into India,
are already satisfactorily proved to be groundless.
"The works on the consecutive portions of the 'ex-
perimental' railway, from Tannah to Callian, and thence
to Shawpoor, are proceeding to the satisfaction of the
chief resident engineer and the committee of directors in
Bombay.
" With regard to the extension lines into the interior
of the country, the directors have to report that they
have received the instructions of the Government of
India to make new and more comprehensive surveys.
Two extension lines are proposed to be surveyed, bifur-
cating at Callian—the one to proceed south-east to
Poonah, and thence into the Sholapoor Cotton District,
where it may unifa with the main line from Madras, and -
so -form a continuous railway between Bombay
Madras; and the other to proceed nOrth-east into the,
Kandeish and Berar cotton fields, and thence across the .
Nerbudda, Valley to Allahabad or Mirzapoor, to join the
main line from Calcutta, and complete the communica,
tion between Bombay and Calcutta. The directors have
just sent ant a reinforcement of surveying engineers to
hasten the completion of these extensive surveys, and no
efforts will be spared to obtain the sanction, cif the Go-
vernment of India to those extension lines which present
the most favourable and the best prospects of remunera-
tion.
"In the meantime, the Government of India have
authorised the construction of the initial portion of the
South-east Extension line from Callian ; and the share-
holders will receive notice when the directors think the
time has arrived for the commencement of the works on
this section of the railway.
"Resolutions will be submitted to this meeting- for
the purpose of giving powers to the directors to complete
the agreement with the Hon. East India Company for
the extension lines, and to raise the necessary capital ;
but the shareholders may rest assured that these powers
will not be put into exercise until monetary affairs shall
give confidence that the new issue of shares will be gene-„Liit.2
rally acceptable.
"The creation of the second portion of experimental' i;,-i
capital, already authorised by the shareholders, must; ":".2,,
take place without delay. Circular letters will be for-
warded to all shareholders who may beupon the register
of the Company, on the 19th of November next, placing
at his or her option one new 5/. share for every share
then held by each registered shareholder, on payment of
a deposit of it. per share, payable on the 24th of Decem-
ber next. The interest guaranteed by the Hon. East ,
India Company, upon the payments in respect to these
shares, is at the rate of 5 per cent: per annum, same as
the existing capital of the company, Only so muoh of
this capital will be called up as may be necessary for the
experimental' lines.

"The statement, of accounts, up to the termination of
the halflear ending 30th June lastlwill be found ap-
pended to the report, This statement, together with
the books of accounts, 'have been examined by the ac-
countants of the lion.. East India Company, in addition
to a minute audit by the company's auditors.
(Signed) "War. J. HA3ULTON, Dep. Chairman;
" London, Oct. 21, 1853."

OPENING THE SHREWSB-CRY AND
HEREFORD RAILWAY: .'
On Saturday,,the latter portion of this railway (from •
Ludlow to Hereford, a distance of 23 miles) was opened
by the directors, 'but the line will 'not be opened for
traffic until some time towards the end of November.
At half-past 11 in the morning a special train, consist.
ing of from 20 to 30. first class carriages, left the Shrews-
bury station with a'large invited party ; and the train
made short stoppages at Church-Stretton, Bromfield,
Ludlow, and Leominster stations, at all of which places .
accessions were received to the party. The'train, which
was drawn by two -powerful engines, arrived at Here-
ford at 10 'minutes past 2 o'clock ; several hundreds of -
persons were assembled on the Widemarsh, where the .
train was stopped ; but it is somewhat remarkable that,
though this is the first line of railway opened into Here-
ford, not a single cheer escaped the crowd by way of
welcome to the visitors. At half-past 2 o'clock the
excursionists and other guests sat down to an elegant
luncheon at the Music-hall, provided by Mr. Smith, of
the City Arms Hotel, at the expense of the directors.
The guests numbered about 260 gentlemen and ladies,
and comprised Mr. Wm. Ormsby Gore, M.P. (chairman
of the company), who presided ; Mr. Brassey, the con-
tractor ; Mr. H. Robertson, the engineer • Hon. R. H.
Clive, M.P., deputy-chairman; Sir R. Jenkins,l G.C.B. ;
the Right Hon. and Rev. Canon' Lord Saye and
Sele, Hon. Mr. Peters, Hon. E. G. Peters, Mr. J. King,
M.P., Major W. Ormsby Goro, Mr. G. Holyoake, Dr.
Kennedy (of London), Messrs. J. William and W. War-
dell (of Chester), the Mayors of Hereford and Ludlow,
and Mr. H. Hill. (of Wolverhampton).
Shortly before 6 o'clock the train left Hereford for
Shrewsbury, at which place it arrived at 5 minutes past
10, the delay having been occasioned by the extreme
caution necessary to be adopted between Hereford and
Ludlow in consequence of the late heavy rains having
disturbed the consolidation of the permanent way.

SIR JOHN FRANKLIN'S DAUGHTER.—The only daugh-
ter of Sir John Franklin is married to the Rev.
John Philip Gell, now curate of St. Mary's, Marylebone.
He was nominated at a very early age to Sir John
Franklin (when Governor of Van Diemen's Land) as
Warden of Christ's College, Hobart Town. He endea-
voured to make that institution all that Sir John Frank-
lin designed it to be as the centre of enlightenment to
the whole colony. "Since his return to England, and
his marriage" (says a correspondent of the Times), "he
has been discharging the duties of a London curate,
with how much efficiency, zeal, and ability, may be
readily ascertained by inquiry among his parishioners.
Is there no one among those who deplore Sir John
Franklin, and appreciate his services to the country,
who will testify this feeling by bestowing preferment
upon his son-in-law ?"

RAILWAY SPEED.—Last
B
lier week, says the righton
al(1, we stated that Messrs. Bass had communicated
with their an-ea at Rotterdam and got a reply in the
short space of three hours and a big. This was, of
course, the work of the electric telegraph. Now let us
see what the railway can do in the way of travelling. A
week or two ago a professional gentleman of Brighton
left Vienna on the Monday morning, and by Wednesday
night he was in Brighton, arriving by the last train of
the London and Brighton Railway, and finding all ready
for his reception, be having telegraphed from Dover his
coming. From Vienna to Brighton—a distance of nearly
1,000 miles—with only the interval of one day, and with-
out
fatigue. This is "convenient dispatch" indeed.
DESTRUCTION OF AN AUSTRALIAN SHIP BY GUN.
POWDER.—A serious loss, that of the barque Princess
Victoria, while on a voyage from London to Melbourne,
has been reported by the Argo. When within a few
miles of her destination, on the 13th of August, the
Victoria was discovered to be on fire, and, having as
many as 400 barrels of gunpowder stowed away in her
as may be imagined, were seized with
hcoonlislidtelrablealarm,crew,
and at once took to the boats, and
in
succeeded iu getting beyond reach of danger, when the
a ship was attracted to the spot by the in-
explosion took place, shivering the ship into atoms.
yo'f the explosion, and picked up the crew in
theel Ir
who were landed at Melbourne a few days
tFostbeuo lightn,at
s t,el
the
Bth
Princessafterwart i c
tTe
ill
3e vs:eusiseedl ifsrereported
)wil
too be insured.
on sured. The
of
April.
IrEsnicT OF MANSLAUGHTER AGAINST
GINEER OF A PIT.---William Robert THE EN- f
en-
gineer at a limestone-pit, the property of
the
ertiron-master of that neighbourhood,
of Mr. Ward, an
tobello, near Wolverhampton
, wa ) and situated at Por-
committed to Stafford s, on Wednesday last,
lug of a coroner's jury, • county pal, charged on the find-
s Collins, ?¢, Before
the manslaughter of one
Thoma
aged
w
Before proceeding to let
down into the pit seven
men,
to the machinery of time Bishop neglected to apply
necessary to b e used, engine, an iron plug, which is
, in order to keep the carriage of
the engine in its
was, that after proper position. The consequence
skip, in which all the descendingthe pit a short distance, the
upagain
at . e workmen were riding, was drawn
a fearful velocity. When the skip had
the pit
reached to the top of
overturned, and ev, it was in danger of being
Per-
ceiving the danger, thery mandeaseedaed lea
dashed into the pit.
ped out, hoping to
reach the bank, out fell • into the pit, a depth of 100
yards, and was killed. The
plug was close at hand in
the engine-house, and its not having been used could
have been only from the most shameful carelessness.
MELANCHOLY SUICIDE OF A YOUNG WOMAN.—Last
evening an inquest was held on the body of a young
woman, named Susannah Prior, 18 years of age, servant
at the Old English Gentleman beer-shop, John-street,
who had committed suicide the same morning, by throw-
ing herself from an attic window in the above house, a
height of upwards of 30 feet. The only cause assigned
was her great trouble about her sister, who died very
suddenly in London of cholera. On a table of the attic
in which she slept was found an envelope, on which she
had written the following :—" Dear Lord, re remember
me ; i gon to meat sister : forgiv." A verdict that
deceased destroyed herself whilst in a state of temporary
insanity was returned.—Brighton Herald.
THE WEST BRO3IWICH MURDER.—The inquiry before
the Staffordshire magistrates into the circumstances of
this atrocious case has resulted in the committal of four
men, for the wilful murder ;—Samuel Johnson, aged 40,
as principal ; and George Williams, George Turner, and
William Skidmore, as accessories after the fact.