The Sun.
London, England, 1853-06-29 00:00:00

PROMOTIONS.

Mate Grenville M. Temple (1850), serving on board
the Excellent gunnery-ship, at Portsmouth, to the rank
of lieutenant.

The new regulations relative to the warrant•ofcers'
increase of pay was read to those on check here on
Saturday.

RAILWAY lATELLIGENCE.

OXFORD, WORCESTER, AND WOLVER-

HAMPTON.

A special general meeting of the proprietors in the
above company was held yesterday at the London
Tavern. Colonel Rusbout took the chair.

The SECRETARY read the notice convening the meeting.
The CHAIR3IAN said the object of the meeting was to
take into consideration the bill before Parliament. This
was composed of three measures, but two only of these
the directors proposed to the shareholders to prosecute.
The Stourbridge Extension line was one which nobody
at nil acquainted with Stourbridge could require any in-
formation to satisfy them as to its desirableness. It was
one mile, two furlongs, and two chains in length. It would
connect the line at Stourbridge with the town, the cost of
which was estimated at 30,0001. It was a line the direc-
tors unanimously advised them to proceed with. Another
line was the Kingswinford Branch, two miles, three fur-
longs, five chains in length. This branch was originally
contemplated by a bill of the year 1845. Nov, an addi-
tion was made to that line of five furlongs ; therefore,
in the whole, it was three miles long, the estimated cost
of which would be 85,0001. This the directors also ad-
vised them to carry out, as it would touch very rich
mineral districts, and went to Oak. Farm. lie (the
chairman) now came to the Stratford Extension Bill.

That, for 'several reasons, it was not considered advisable
to pursue. He might say also that there was one new
clause in the act, as in all railway acts passed, now
brought in by the President of the Board of Trade,
which prevents the payment of any dividends to share-
holders if the bill is not carried into operation within
the time specified in that bill. For instance, they had
three years for the purchase of land and four years
for the completion of works. Therefore, accord-
ing to the clause inserted in all bills, they must finish
their branches within four years, otherwise the dividends
would be stopped. It was the first time that clause had
been brought in. The 23d clause of the bill also provided
that stock may be raised in preference and ordinary
shares, as three-fifths of the proprietors present, person-
ally or by proxy, might determine. He would conclude
by moving the following resolution :—"That this meet-

ing do approve of the bill now submitted to the proprie-
tors, which is entitled as follows An act to extend
the powers limited for completing, and for purchasing,
lands for the Stratford-upon-Avon and Kingswinford
branches, and the Oxford and Wolverhampton Railway,
and to extend such respective branches ; to construct a
branch railway to Stourbridge ; and to authorise the
raising of certain sums of money by preferential shares,
and for other purposes.'"

The resolution having been seconded,
Mr. PARSONS, after reading the heads of the bill, pro-
ceeded to remark upon the three proposed branches. The
Stourbridge was mile, and it was determined that this
should be completed. The traffic upon this branch pro-
mised well, owing to the large works there, Foster's
works were there, and the quantity of iron and coal
which they receive is about 50,000 tons a year. The
Kiugswinford branch was authorised in the year 1845,
and ho believed they would have a very ample traffic
upon it. The Stratford branch was authorised by an
act in 1546, the powers of which were allowed to
lapse. They entered into a conditional purchase
in 1852, but the inhabitants of Stratford were not
satisfied to remain at the mercy of the Worcester
and Wolverhampton Company, and a bill had gone
through the Commons to enable the London and North
Western to make a line from Leamington to Stratford-
upon-Avon, the effect of which would be to shorten
their branch. There had been considerable discussion
among the board as to the propriety of proceeding with
that branch. They were in a position honourably to
abandon the branch, but before they did so he (Mr.
Parsons) would remind them of the effect of so doing.
The cost of the line had been stated at 120,0001., to be
raised by preference shares. The cost might-bb dimi-
nished to 80,0001., for a double line of railway, whereas
the London and North Western on their works proposed a
single line. He warned them particularly not, by any act
they might do at that meeting, to put it out of the
power of the directors to proceed with the branch,
should subsequent deliberations cause them to come to
the conclusion that such a step would be advisable,
since the London and North-Western wanted by means
of their line to get into South Wales.
Mr. THORPE, one of the directors, explained the rea-
sons which influenced them in coming to the determina-
tion to proceed with the two branches only, but had no
objection to the powers lying in abeyance.
The resolution was then put and carried, and a vote of
thanks having been passed to the chairman, the meeting
separated.

A
A MODERN BRIGAND.—The Union du Var publishes
i-rom Nice interesting details of the arrest of a cele-
brated brigand, Pietro Spina, who, for several years
patrt, has spread terrorand desolation in the town and pro-
vince of Cuneo (Piedmont) ' • he has just been arrested by
four resolute gendarmes of Limona, a village situated in
one of the valleys which skirt the other side of the Mari-
time Alps. Pietro was a man of athletic form, and
endowed with great muscular strength. His fea-
tures were remarkably handsome, and he was a great
favourite with the fair sex even among the wives and
sisters of the gendarmes, who gave him intelligence
v.then danger was threatening him. His favourite, how-
e'. er, was a young girl, named Cecchina, of great beauty,
,
and very fond of dress and good living. The Count
d'Aspromonte, captain of the gendarmes, hearing of this
penchant of Cecchina, gained her over by presents,
and a length by inviting her to a dinner, in which
the champagne of the country was not spared, she
was induced to make important revelations, and pro-
mised like Dalila to betray her Samson. She arranged
with the gendarmes that they should follow her at a dis-
tance when she went to carry provisions to Pietro, and
soon after she had entered the cave in which he had
,round refuge, and while he was enjoying the food she
h.ld procured for him, the four gendarmes rushed in,
an d secured him, but not without a desperate struggle,
Het was heavily chained, and conveyed to Cuneo, to
aw wit his trial.