The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-14 00:00:00

ROYAL WEST INDIA MAIL STEAIt7

PACKET COMPANY.

The dividend declared at the meeting of the Royal
Mail (West India) Steam-Packet Company yesterday
was 21. ps3r share, and the report and accounts were
unanimo risly adopted. The whole of the discussion re-
lated to the increased expenditure arising from the ad-
vance 'in the price of fuel and freight, but it was stated
that there was every prospect of an immediate reduc-
tion i n these items. In answer to a question it was
menidoned that the Parana steamer had been found to
be i n an unsatisfatory condition, and that she was now
undergoing a strict examination. The following is an
abstract of the report :
"The proprietors are aware that the object of this half-
yearly meeting is to consider the working account of the
first six months of the current year. Some notice was
taken in the report of the last general meeting of the great
additional charge for supplies of coal, and during the pre-
sent year the causes that have produced such an unprece-
dented rise in the rate of freights and cost of coal have not
only continued to operate, but have increased to an extent
almost, if not wholly, unparalleled; and this has materially
affected all the contract steam-packet companies in tha
kingdom. To meet this pressure for supplies of coal, the
directors made arrangements for the shipment of 10,000
sons from the United States of America to depots in the
West Indies, and as portions of this have already reached
their destination, it is satisfactory to state that a suffici-
ency for the winter consumption is now laid in at all the
stations, so that no reason exists to apprehend a failure
in the company's engagements in this particular respect.
It has been found necessary also during the current
year, from the great general demand for engineers, sea-
men, &c., to increase in many branches of the service
the rate of wages ; and these combined circumstances
will explain the causes of the higher scale of disburse-
ments presented in the half-yearly working account.
The shareholders are, of course, are aware of the
fatal effects that have been created throughout the
West• India Colonies and the Southern States of America
'as well as in the company's' intercolonial ships, by the
ravages of the yellow fever, which, by rendering it fre-
quently necessary to send out supernumerary officers and
men to supply the place of those who fell victims to the
epidemic, added materially to the other expenses under the
head of wages, &c., while at the same time it occasioned,
as will be perceived, a material diminution in the receipts
for passengers and freights ; but, this disease having at
length providentially disappeared, there is every reason to
hope that the traffic will speedily resume its former activity.
The directors are determined to spare no exertions in order
to fulfil their contract with the Lords Commissioners of
the Admiralty, and they will, consistently with the accom-
plishment of this object, exercise the strictest economy of
the funds placed at their disposal, and use their utmost
endeavours on all occasions to increase thti receipts of the
company and to reduce its expenditure. In conclusion,
after due consideration of all existing circumstances, the
directors are of opinion that the usual rate of dividend,
2/. per share, should be declared for the first half of the
current year."

THE FLEET.

Registered Horse

Tonnage.
1 Magdalena 2,943
2 La Plata
3 Orinoco 2,901
4 Parana
5 Avon 2,069
6 Clyde _ 1,841
.
7 Dee l, 849

power,
... 1,000
... 800
••• 200
800
••. 440
••. 430
•.. 440

S Great Western ' 1,775
9 Medway 1,895
10 Severn
11 Tay, 1,858
12 Teviot
13-Thames ' ' '-' ' 1,889
14 Trent 1,856
15 Solent 1,804

420
430
440
. 430
450
▪ 430
. 430
• 40b

16 Conway.
17 Derwent
18 Eagle
19 Camilla (iron)
20 Prince (iron)
21 Esk