The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-12 00:00:00

SCOTTISH CENTRAL.

The report of the directors of this company to be sub-
mitted to the shareholders states that the expenditure
of 10,722/. on capital account has been incurred chiefly
in liquidation of outstanding land claims and for plant
which was sanctioned at previous meetings. The bill
for converting the debenture and mortgage debt into
stock obtained the Royal assent on the 14th of June
last. The loans falling due at Martinmas, on most
of which 5 per cent. is payable, have been either re-
newed or replaced at 31 per cent. An agreement
has been made with the Electric Telegraph Company
for extending their communication to Perth, so as to
put this line in connexion with their system in Great
Britain. The Telegraph Company are to furnish the
requisite apparatus, and also to provide clerks to work
the telegraph at Perth, Stirling, and Greenhill Junction,
for an annual payment of 41, per mile per annum. The
receipts during the past half-year ending the 31st ofJuly,
as compared with the corresponding period of last year,
show an increase in respect of passengers and mails of
1,5851., in respect of goods to 2,1601,, and miscellaneous
matters of 191., making the total increase 3,764/. The
working expenses exhibit an excess over the correspond-
ing period of 1852 of 8061. The receipts for the half-
year ending the 31st of January, 1852, amounted to
47,3321., and the expenses to 21,4131. ; ending the 31st
ofJuly, 1852, to 47,668/., and the expenses to 21,313/. ;
ending the 31st of January, 1853, to 54,5111., and the
expenses to 20,6591. ; and for the half-year ending 31st
of July, 1853, the receipts amounted to 51,4321., and
the expenses to 22,7101. ; the per centage of expenses on
receipts being respectively 45, 44, 38, and 44 per cent.
The balance from the last account amounted to 10,1681.,
and the balance of net revenue, after deducting working
expenses and preference shares amounted to 17,3631.,
making a total of 25,5311. Out of this sum the directors
recommend that a dividend at the rate of 4 per cent.
(20,4001.) on the consolidated stock be declared payable on
the 26th inst., leaving 7,131/. for the nextaccount. The in-
terest on the preference stock amounts to 4s, 1 0. per share.
The receipts for the year ending the 31st of July
amounted, exclusive of the Tay ferries, to 105,9441., and
the expenses and preference charges to 66,8841., leaving
39,0601. The dividend declared in January last amounted
to 20,4001., the dividend now recommended amounts to
20,4001., together 40,8001., and showing that, in order
to pay a dividend at the rate of 4 per cent, per annum,
1,7401. is required to be taken from the reserve fund.
Seeing the prospects of an increase of traffic, the direc-
tors feel they would not be doing justice to the property
were they to recommend a less rate of dividend. The

_ . ......._
capital account shows that 1,656,8311. had been received,
and 1,678,6271. expended, leaving a balance of 21,7961.
against the company. The loan account shows that
417,3221. had been borrowed, of which 32,5001. was
borrowed at 5 per cent., 3,8301. at 41 per cent., 221,2221.
at 4 per cent., 10,0001. at 31 per cent., and 149,7701. at
31 per cent. The locomotive expenses of engines and.
carriages for passenger trains amounted. to 10.61 d. per
mile per train, and for goods trains to 9.07 d. The con-
sumption of coke for passenger trains averaged 141 b.
140 z., and for goods trains 2241 b., the average being
181 b. lloz. per mile per train. The number of carriages
in the passenger trains was 6.1, and of waggons in goods
trains 18.9. The revenue account showed that 51,9551.
had been received during the half year, and 22,7101. ex-
pended, leaving a balance of 29,2451. ; out of which
11,0591. is deducted for interest on bonds, 3001. for Par-
liamentary expenses, and 5231. out of debt on Tay
ferries, leaving a balance of 17,4031.

GREAT NORTH OF SCOTLAND.
The report of the directors of this company states, tha
they have called'an extraardinary meeting of the share-
holders for the 7th of October. to bring under their notice
the arrears of calls which exist on certain of the original
or postponed shares of the company. Calls to the amount
of 41. per share had been responded to by the holders of
15,440 postponed shares, of which 14,376 were trans-
ferred to persons who have not since paid the remaining
calls, and who, it is believed, have no means of doing so.
Persons who have come forward with offers to purchase
these 14,376 shares at a discount not exceeding 30s. per
share, and have proposed at once to pay up the remain-
ing calls by anticipation. The directors recommend the
shareholders to confirm the forfeiture of these shares, and
that they be allotted to the proprietors of shares whose
calls are not in arrear, in the proportion of one for-
feited share to every two shares held by the proprietors.
For each forfeited postponed share of 101. the purchase
price is to be Si., of which 41. is in anticipation of calls,
and to be in full of the price of each of the shares. The
purchasers are to be entitled to interest at the rate of
5 per cent. per annum on the 41. paid in anticipation of
calls, such interest to date from the payment of the pur-
chase price, and to continue until the line is open for
traffic from Kittybrewster, near Aberdeen, to Huntly,
when the forfeited shares will rank along with the other
postponed shares. Such of the forfeited shares as may
not be taken up by the shareholders are to be sold or
disposed of at the discretion of the directors, at a dis-
count to the railway company not exceeding 30s. per
share. The works on the line are beingproceeded with,
and it is confidently believed that the 40 miles com-
mencing near Aberdeen will be open for traffic by Mid-
summer, 1854.

LONDON AND NORTH-WESTERN AND
SHREWSBURY AND CHESTER.

statesreply it
toa correspondencehadbeeneireulatedwiiathEdSiiarbWur.ghJothhnastttohne,
dwihrleonctors of the London and North-Western never had
made any serious offer for this line, Mr. Stewart, the
secretary of the former company, states that the views
of his directors have not undergone any change ; that
they are prepared to adhere to and carry out their en-
gagements to the full with the Shrewsbury and Chester,
and that they will unite in the introduction, in the en-
suing session, of a bill to confirm the arrangement by
which the Shrewsbury and Chester is to be secured a di-
vidend of 4i per cult.

OXFORD, WORCESTER, AND WOLVER-
HAMPTON.
The inhabitants of Chipping Norton are making
movement for a branch line from their town to this line.

CAR
Active steps are being H
taken D .to carry the act of the
last session for the construction of this line into effect.
Two previous acts were passed, authorising the forma-
tion of the Chard Railway, one in 1846 and another in
1847, and the bill recently enacted revives and amends
the powers of the former acts, and authorises the exten-
sion of the railway to Taunton. It is expected that the
important district through which the Chard Railway is
to pass will furnish a remunerative return. The works
1 between Chard and Taunton will shortly commence, and
the company are pledged to complete the line in three
years, or forfeit 1,875/. to the consolidated fund.

THE HEAD SCHOOLMASTER IN PORTSMOUTH DOCK.
YARD.—Mr. Rawson, the head master of the school for
Royal Naval Shipwright Apprentices, in Portsmouth
dockyard, who has been appointed the successor of Dr.
Woolley in directing the mathematical strdies of the
school of mathematics and naval construction, is well
known in Manchester by his mathematical attainments.
He is entirely a self-taught man, and worked in a
coalpit, as a common collier, till he was nearly 30 years
of age. He subsequently gave instructions in mathema-
tics in Manchester ; taught himself French, in order to
be able to read "Le Mecanique Celeste" of Laplace,
the works of Lagrange, Poisson, and other French as-
tronomers and mathematicians ; and at the same time
extended his own original inquiries into the higher and
more abstruse regions of mathematical science. In
January, 1845, he was elected an honorary member of
the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society ;
whose memoirs he enriched by several elaborate mathe-
matical papers. Mr. Rawson left Manchester a few
years ago, to take charge of the school for royal naval
shipwright apprentices in Portsmouth dockyard, from
which position he has been advanced to the higher post
just vacated by the Rev. Dr. Woolley.
wiiiraer CONVICT.—The Nenagh Guardian sa s
oymeatrhseagnoeigahhinoaunrhnoaoind Connors was
ftoraryagat'l.
nameddof
o king the house of •
tacking
time,Connors became a " ticket f 1 "
in Moneygall. After some
-o - eave man, and sub-
sequently obtained his liberty. He became an extensive
ajoborteutd2frO
farmer in the colony, and accumulated a large sum of
money. Last week, a sister of his, a poor woman re-
siding near Borrisoleigh, received the large and unex-
pected sum of 800/, from the executors of her brother.