The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-01 00:00:00

NORMIERN OF FRANCE.

The annual general meeting of the shareholders of
this company took place on May 24, in the Salle Sainte
C6cile, Rue de la Chauss4e d'Antin, Baron James de
Rothschild, the piesident, in the chair. The meeting
having been declared duly constituted, M. Baude read a
report from the committee appointed to examine the
accounts of 1853. The committee declares that it found
everything in a state of perfect regularity, and the report
congratulates the. company on the satisfactory manner
in which the accounts were kept in every department of
so vast an enterprise. M. Delbecque then rose, and
read the report of the Board of Directors for the year
1853. This document, after alluding to the steps taken
by the companies interested in the execution of the con-
necting railway round Paris, proceeds to speak of the
works now in course of execution on the Northern line.
The substitution of heavier rails (of 37 kilogrammes per
metre) for these now existing had not gone on as rapidly
as the Board had hoped fur, in consequence of the non-
, observance of the promises made by the iron-masters. In
place of 12,000 tons, which the company ought to have re-
ceived in April last, only 5,400 tons had been delivered.
The laying the new rails should be proceeded with
as rapidly as the deliveries permitted. The continued
increase of the traffic had necessitated an enlargement
of the yards and stations on almost every part of the
line.; and it had been found necessary to purchase a large
piece of ground to add to the accommodation of the
Paris terminus. The various new branch lines were
being steadily proceeded with, and those from St. Quen-
tin to Erquelin es, from Tergnier to Rheims, from
Busigny to Somain by Cambray, and the new line from
Paris to Creil, had advanced in the year as much as
could have been hoped for. Nothing had as yet been
decided relative to the line from Noyelles to St..Valery.
The report then :refers to the rolling stock on the line,
and states that iri consequence of the rapidly-increasing
traffic on the main line, and in order to be prepared for
the working of the branches, a considerable addition had
been made to the stock within the last year, viz., 15
locomotives, 47 passenger carriages, 512 goods wag-
gons, 402 coal waggons, and 303 coke waggons.
The sum exp ended for new stock in 1853 was
6,221,947 fr., wad the whole amount laid out on that
head up to 31st of December of that year, 45,163,164 fr.
The sums still to be paid for commands given
would raise that amount to 58,300,000 fr. Re-
ferring to the working of the line, the report shows by
figures that during the past year the receipts have in-
creased in almost every item. Those of the slow trains
show an augmentation of 34 per cent. over 1852, and of
75 per cent. over 1851. The principal increase had been
in coals and coke, which, from 816,284 f. in 1851, had
risen to 1,473,4.17 f. in 1852, and to 2,684,941 f. in 1853.
The passenger i:eceipts had increased 1,090,000 f,, or 7
per cent. On 'the total amount of receipts, the improve-
ment was about 5,000,000 f., or nearly 17 per cent On the
other hand, the expenses, notwithstanding this increase
in the receipts, were less in proportion than in 1852. In
consequence of the facilities afforded by the railway round
Paris, arrangements had been made with the other rail-
way companies for carrying coals and coke to many
manufacturing places beyond Paris ; and central offices
for the reception of goods had been established in all the
principal towns on the line. The total of the receipts
for the year 1853, deduction made of indemnities, cost
of correspondences, tax of one-tenth on passengers re-
ceipts, and other charges had amounted
t 0...
and the expens(ss to 11,724,129 22

leaving a surplus of 21,670,368 f. 27c.
which amount, when the various sums set apart to
make up the sinking-fund for the main line, for the Bou-
logne bonds, loan of 1852, interest on shares, &c. would
give a dividend of 30fr. per share. As 16fr. had been
distributed in January, as interest, the whole revenue
of each share for 1853 was 46 fr., orill per cent. on the
original capital. The receipts of 1854 would, in all
probability, afford a still larger return, as the first 19
weeks gave an augmentation of 1,910,000 fr., and 17'2
per cent, over the coi responding period of 1853.
This report was received with every mark of satisfac-
tion; and the meeting voted at once the various subjects
set down on the order of the day for its consideration--
approving of the dividend of 30fr. to be paid at the offices
of the company on and after the Ist of July ; giving au-
thorisation to the board to make all the necessary ar-
rangements relative to the railway round Paris, re-elect-
ing the outgoing directors, Barons James, Anthony,
and Lionel de Rothschild, M. Jules Mallet, and Mr.,
Moss, and re-appointing the committee of accounts.
The proceedings then terminated.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURN.
THR GREAT NORTHERN RAlLWAY.—Traffie return for
the week ending May 21,1854 £17,027 0 7
Corresponding week last year 15,245 2 3
LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE RAILWAY.—Traffio re-
turn for the week ending May 28, 1854 £19,335 15 3
Corresponding week last year
CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAlLWAY.—Traffic return for
the week ending May 28, 1854 £4,648 9 5
Corresponding week last year 4,011 12 5

Decrease in 1854 £636 17 0
SCOTTISH CENTRAL RAILWAY.—Traffio return for the
week ending May 28, 1854 £3,325 13 111
Corresponding week last year 2,968 8 8
CORK AND BANDON RAILWAY.—Traffio return for the
week ending May 27, 1854 £238 15 5
Corresponding week last year lBB 3 5

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