The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-16 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.!i

EASTERN COUNTIES.
It is understood that the dividend for the past half-
year will be 3s. 6d. per ordinary share, leaving a balance
of about 5,0001. for the current half-year.

NORTH AND SOUTH-WESTERN JUNCTION.
The half-yearly meeting of this company was held
yesterday at Euston-station, Mr. H. Tootal in the
chair.

Mr. H. CHUBB, the secretary, read the report, which
stated that the tonnage of goods conveyed over the
railway had increased so much during the past half-year
as to reach the amount guaranteed by the London and
North-Western and London and South-Western com-
panies. There appears to have been conveyed in the
six months 22,387 tons of coal 'and 10,787 tons of mer-
chandise. This description of traffic having in so short
a time realized the guarantee, it may reasonably be ex-
pected to yield a steady increase of revenue. It was
only on the Ist of June last that working arrangements
began with the South-Western Railway Company, by
which passengers were enabled to travel beyond Kew,
to and from all stations between that place and Wind-
sor ; and at the same date the daily trains were increased
from four to seven each way. These new facilities
(limited as they assuredly are at present) thus afforded
to the inhabitants of the northern and eastern suburbs
of the metropolis have brought a considerable accession
of traffic to the line, and will, it may justly be hoped,
considerably improve the receipts arising from this source
during the current half-year. The directors look for-
ward with confidence that increased facilities will still
further develope the traffic, and that this railway will, at
no distant period, justify the opinions which they have
always held in respect to its intrinsic commercial value.
The not balance of 5361. will admit of the payment of a
dividend of 2s. per share for the half-year, and leave 371.
to the credit of the current half-year. The act em-
powering the company to raise the additional capital re-
quired to clear off all outstanding liabilities has received
the Royal assent. The amount of new share capital au-
thorised is 15,000/., being 1,500 shares of 101., each-
which the directors propose to offer to the existing share-
holders, according to their present respective holdings.
The proportion will be one of the new to four of the
original shares. No steps have' as yet been taken to-
wards the construction of the Hammersmith branch,
hut, as the time allowed for its completion is advancing,
it will soon be necessary to commence the works, and
when constructed the main line will derive the advan-
tage of all the additional traffic which must necessarily
be produced from this branch. The capital account to
the 30th of June showed that 68,8101. had been received
and expended. The Hammersmith branch account
showed that 1,4991. had been received, and 1,2221. ex-
pended, leaving a balance of 276/. The revenue account
for the half-year showed that 1,5651. had been received,
and 7811. expended, leaving a balance of 7841. Out of
this was deducted 3111., the interest on the debenture
debt, leaving 472/., to which was added 641., the sur-
plus from the last account; making 536/. available for
dividend.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report,
congratulated the proprietors on having had the guaran-
teed amount of goods and minerals passing over their
line ; but he regretted that the amount received from
passengers had been so small. The 2,0231. received had
to be divided with three other core penies, leaving them
about 4401 He then read a statement, showing that the
passenger traffic during several weeks of the first part of
the past half-year did not exceed an average of 211. per
week, but that since the South Western had commenced
booking passengers to and from Windsor over the line
the passenger receipts had exceeded the average of
210/. per week. To show how much the passenger
traffic had increased- during the current half-year,
he stated that the receipts for passengers during the
past six months amounted to only 2,0231., while the re-
ceipts for the month ending the sth of August amounted
to 1,1161. They had no doubt, on the whole, that the
anticipations which had been held out with regard to the
traffic on the line would be fully realised.
Mr. CREED seconded the notion, which was carried
unanimously ; as was also one declaring a dividend of 2s
per share fur the half-year.
A formal resolution was also passed authorising the
issue of the new shares.
In reply to questions. it .was stated that, when the
Hampstead Junction was completed, the trains would
pass on to the North London line without interfering
with the London and North-Western traffic, and instead
of being limited to six or seven trains per day, they
could run as many trains as were necessary to develope
the traffic and to accommodate the public.
A vote of thanks concluded the proceedings.

1 HULL AND SELBY.
The half-yearly meeting of this company was held on
Saturday at Hull, Mr. J. Loft in the chair.
The report stated that the directors had succeeded in
obtaining the insertion of clauses in the bill for the
amalgamation of the York, Newcastle, and Berwick,
Leeds Northern, and York and North Midland Railway
companies, protecting the interests of the Hull and Selby
Company in respect to a contract which had been en-
tered into by the York and North Midland Company
several years ago for the execution of the lease of the
line. The half-yearly rent due on the let of July by that
company, and which was usually paid on the Ist of
August, had not been paid. The accounts showed a
balance of 32,8251., which, on the rent being received,
would be available for dividend. The dividend recom-
mended was at the rate of 48s 6d per 501. share, 24s 3d
per half share, and 12s lid on the quarter shares, sub-
ject to a deduction for income-tax. It was stated that
the money had been paid into the Court of Chancery
on Friday.
The report was adopted, and the proceedings con-
cluded with a vote of thanks to the chairman.