The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-15 00:00:00

(Translation.)

LAW,
27th MAY, 1853.
_ Granting freedom to certain ports and territories in the
Province of Choco, and establishing Custom-houses.

•
The Senate and Chamber of Representatives of New
Granada in Session.

DECREE :

Art. I. The following ports and territories of the pro-
vince of Choco shall be free for all nations in the world,
from the Ist of January, 1854, for 20 years.
1. The ports of the Atlantic, and the territory watered
by the river Atrato, from its mouth to its confluence with
the river Guito, comprehended between the western chain
of the Andes and that branch of it towards the eastward
which separates said province from that of Antiochia.
2. The ports of the Pacific, and the territory watered by
the river San Juan, from its embouchure as far as the city
of Novita, contained between the above-mentioned chain of
the Andes and that branch of it which separates it towards
the southward from the province of Buonaventura.
Art. 11. Consequently no Custom-houses can be esta-
blished in said ports and territories within the time speci-
fied, nor can any duties be levied, save those of toll passage
and excise corresponding to the municipal revenues, and in
conformity with existing laws.
Art. 111. In order to recover the duties on importation
of foreign merchandise which may be introduced for the
consumption of the interior of the rest of the province, and
other provinces of the Republic there shall be established
two Custom-houses, one in the city of Quibdo, and the
other in the city of Novita, with the following officers,
and their yearly salaries.
[Here follows an enumeration of the different officers
and their respective salaries.]
Art. IV. The Executive Power is authorised, when it
deems it indispensable for weighty motives of public con-
venience, to assign other ports for Custom-houses than
those expressed in this law, in which case the maritime
ports expressed in Article I. and the territory comprised
between the coasts and the spot on which such Custom-
houses shall be fixed, alone can enjoy freedom.
BOARD 13F TRADE, WHITEHALL, Nov. 12.
The Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of the
privy Council for Trade and Plantations have received,
through the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, a copy
of a Despatch from her Majesty's Consul-General at
Venice, reporting that wheat, maize, and oats will be
allowed to enter free of duty into the Lombardo-Venetian
Provinces until the 31st December next.
By order, JAMES BOOTH.
COMMISSIONS SIGNED BY LORD-LIEUTENANTS.
4th Royal Lancashire (Light Infantry) Militia—Ensign
Thomas Byron Whitehead, to be Lieutenant, vice Phibbs,
who retires, Nov. 7.
The Artillery Corps of the Royal Lancashire Militia—
Second Lieutenant John Railton, to be First Lieutenant,
Nov. 7 ; Second Lieutenant William Graham Furnival,
to be First Lieutenant, Nov. 8 ; Second Lieutenant John
Eneas Deans Campbell, to be First Lieutenant, Nov. 9.

BANKRUPTCY ANNULLED.
Robert Leabon Curtis and Edward Charles Curtis,
builders, Stratford.

BANKRUPTS.

Charles Robert Roper, druggest, Hackney, to surrender,
Nov. 24, at one, and Dec.ls, at one, at the Court of Bank-
ruptcy. Edwards, official assignee, Basinghall-street ;
Stopher, Cheapside.
John Ready, oilman, Holy well-street, Shoreditch, Nov.
25, at half-past twelve, and Jan. 6, at twelve, at the Court
of Bankruptcy. Cannan, official assignee, Aldermanbury ;
J. and J. Gole, Lime-street.
John Salter, yeast merchant, Whitechapel, Nov. 24,
at eleven, and Dec. 22, at twelve, at the Court of Bank-
ruptcy. Johnson, official assignee, Basinghall-street ;
Cox and Suns Sise-lane.
William Wrenn grazier, Penge, Surrey, Nov. 21 and
Dec. 22, at one, at Court of Bankruptcy. Bell, official
assignee, Coleman-street-buildings ; Thompson, Sise-lane.
John Edward Loader, builder, Devonshire-street, Mile-
end, Nov. 25, and Dec. 24, at one, at the Court of Bank-
ruptcy. Nicholson, official assignee, Basinghall-street ;
Philip, Bucklersbury.
Thomas Cook Millington, chemist and druggist, Maldon,
Essex, Nov. 23, at two, and Dec. 28, at one, at the Court
of Bankruptcy. Graham, official assignee ; Hindmarsh
and Evans, Cripplevate ; Driffield, Chelmsford.
Robert Craigie Hopekirk, perfumer, Exeter, Dec. 15, at
one, at the District Court, Exeter. Hirtzel, official assig-
nee, Exeter ; Stogdon, Exeter.
James Roberts, timber merchant, Blackwall, Nov. 21,
and Dec. 23, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy: Whit-
more, official assignee, Basinghall-street ; J. and J. H.
Linklater, Size-lane.

James Windeyer Lewty, William Henry Partridge, and
Edmund Lewty, iron and tin plate workers, Wilden, Wor-
cestershire, Nov. 30 and Dec. 22, at eleven, at the Bir-
mingham District Court. Bittleston, official assignee,
Birmingham; Elgie, Worcester; Hodgson, Birmingham.

SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY.

(THIS DAY.)

A special general meeting of this company was held
to-day at Hawkstone Hall, Waterloo-road, to consider
the propriety of the proposed extension of the line to
Exeter, the Hon. Mr. Scott, M.P., the chairman,
presiding.
The report, which appeared in The Sun of yesterday,
was taken as read.
The CHAIRMAN congratulated the shareholders that
the time had at length arrived when they were likely to
settle the important question relating to the extension
from Dorchester to Exeter, which had been so long
pending, and had created so much anxiety. (Hear,
hear.) Having referred in detail to the report, he pro-
ceeded to say that after taking all the circumstances into
consideration, the directors recommended that an ap-
plication should be made to Parliament next session, for
powers to construct, within a period of five years, the
line to Exeter, which, on two former occasions, the pro-
prietors had substantially determined should be made.
There were two point't which had to be decided—first
the question as to raising the cash necessary for enter.
ing upon the undertaking, and next the engineering
question. As to the former, he must admit that the
present was a most untoward time to bring forward
such a proposal. (Cheers.) That significant cheer was
not required to convince him of this fact, for it
must be apparent to everybody, that events now
happening were likely, for a brief period at least,
to raise the value of money and labour. Bat if
the directors entered upon the project, it would, of
course, be their duty to do so in such a manner as to
tide over present difficulties. For that purpose they
proposed to carry the shareholders over six months,
if pecuniary embarrassments should continue so long,
and at the expiration of the period to give them an
opportunity of saying "aye" or "nay" to the intended
extension of the railway. With regard to the other
point, he stated that Mr. Brassey, the contractor,, was
ready to construct the line on the same favourable
terms which were submitted to the meeting in May
last. When first becoming chairman of the company
he had laid it down, as a broad principle for his own
guidance, that upon every question of import-nce the
shareholders should have the fullest information in pos-
session of the directors, and that the settlement of it
should be left to those who should alone bear the re-
sponsibility. (Cheers.) This axiom had received the
entire concurrence of his brother directors, and they
had continued to act upon it up to the present
moment. (Hear, hear.) The chairman next en-
tered into a lengthened defence of the directors against
what he considered the unjust aspersions cast upon
them, and concluded thus :—This is the project of
the shareholders themselves. In February the whole
facts connected with it were laid before them ; in
May they adopted it, and in August;they confirmed that
adoption ; and all the directors had done was to act on
the instructions they had received. It was now for the
meeting to say whether the directors had acted rightly
or wrongly. The misrepresentations affecting their
character so extensively circulated appeared to have had
a very strong influence upon the body of shareholders
—judging from the great number of blank proxies
which had been returned to be used at this meeting.
(Hear, hear.) He was pei:ectly certain that as Eng-
lishmen they would not allow the character of the direc-
tors so attacked to rest where it did. Let some further
inquiry be made into their worthiness, and if it turned
out that their character was unblemished, as he con-
tended it was, he knew the proprietors would set their
faces against the practice of stabbing in the dark, and
insiduously infusing poison into the minds of the public
in regard to what they had done, If he might be al-
lowed to throw out a suggestion it would be to refer the
matter to some gentleman who was not a shareholder,
and was above the breath of slander or suspicion—
such as Mr. Pemberton Leigh, Mr. Stuart Wortley,
M.P., or Mr. Spencer Walpole, M.P. (Cheers.) Heathen
moved that the report be adopted and referred back to
the directors with the authority of the proprietors to
carry its recommendations into effect.
The
report of Mr. Quilter for confirming the accu-
nhye
o f
the directors'
figures estimate, o
of
m Mr. Mortimer,
sh wing
one
ee
of entireth the
Idnaiascsycecnuoftriatent directors, was then read.
Mr. MORTIMER contended that his estimate was the
pmroorpeoeceodrrelicnteoenfwo, injurious andt o
tgheen ei rn at lel
rye concondemnede
otrhee
PaMnYr.. HENDERSON moved the 2 follo wi amendment :
That this meeting declines to authorisne-thedirectors to
undertake any liability for raising the capital to con-
struct the extension of the railway between Dorchest e
and Exeter, lacing of opinion, that it would be imp. r
litic and unremunerative, especially under the presen°t-
unlooked for state of public affairs, and involving
serious injustice to the large body of shareholders in-
dividually protesting against the measure ; and further,
that this meeting is not bound to adopt the deviation
proposed by the directors from the terms of the pledge
given to a committee of the House of Commons.
Mr. PUNCHER seconded the amendment.
Mr. KER SEYMER, M.P., supported the original re-
solution. He pointed out the advantages of the scheme,
and expressed it as his belief that if the company did
not fulfil the pledge given to Parliament, they would
never appear again before that tribunal with credit.
(Hear, hear.)
eCEEnNedSONt,haenedxMtenr.s'iStmedienanutnGmAzeaßstEr
Red atdermirese
tor, Mr.o nondim
amidst much uproar.

In reply to Mr. GAZELEE,
The CHAIRMAN stated that the whole number of
proxies received was 1,700,_ with 25,000 votes, and re

presenting in stock 4,201,3341.
Several other speakers addressed the meeting both
pro and con the original motion, but the discussion had
not terminated when our report left.
The proceedings were not likely to terminate until a
late hour.

COURSE OF EXCHANGE-THIS DAY.

Amsterdam ...... • ..... 11 14% G'tsrs itar .. .. .. • •
Ditto, three months .. 11 111 t.eghorn .. ——— • • •
Rotterdam ...... .... 11 16 Genoa . •
Antwerp .... .•••• • .. 25 21% Milan ••••••• • • • " —.
Brussels ...... . • • • • ..• 25 22% Venice .... • • • • • • • • '
42%
Altoua ..Hamburgh .. •.. .... .. 13 s!q Naples —•••••• • • • • - •
126 14
126%
Paris • • ........... •..• . 25 IA essina .• • • ...... •• ' • 5, t,
MarseDitto, throe months ••25 25 Lisbon .. •••• • • .. -i ii—
illes. •• •.•••••• • • . 25 27% Oporto .. .•••••• • • • ' • ' • -
Bourdeaux ..... _ Rio Janeiro . ••••• • • • '
FBerlinrankfort.on•Maine .... 1183 e Buenos Ayres .. —••• • • •
New York, 60 days'
Vienna •. . .
PER o •
Trieste .. . • • . .. .. ... • .. 11 45 naICES OF BTJLLION , z.
Petersburgh.. •• • • .... • • 38 Foreign Gold in Bars £3 17 9
sight
Madrid ................ 50% Portugal Gold Coln .. 0 0 0
Cadiz ................ 60:, Mexican Dollars .... 0 5 1
New Dollars ...... 0 0
Barcelona .. .. .... ......
Seville .• •• •• ——•••• •• --Silver in bars ...• • • 0 5 2 f,1,,,

30 '0