The Sun.
London, England, 1838-02-23 00:00:00

COVENT-GARDEN.

Qn Wednesday evening, after the performance of the Lady of Lyohs,
Mr. I\lacready (as our readers are probably aware) came for Ward n 14,1
" contradicted the reports which had been circulated relative to certain
alleged political allusions" in that play. He assured the audience that
there " was not in the play one political allusion applicable to the
present time ;" and observed, " it was rather singular that an accu-
sation of the same kind was made against Shakspearc" when his
Plays first came out—" though, of course, ho by no means would
compare with the plays of our is dramatist the works of any
living poet." Now, as we were guilty, in our notice cf the play, of ani-
madverting upon something " savouring of political allusion," we feel
called upon to explain and vindicate our meaning.
We by no means intended to insinuate that these " allusions" were
exactly or directly applied to present circumstances in the political
world ; but what see slid and do mean to assert is, that there arc
certain general allusions to political circumstances—such as the
expense of princes, the merits of the French Republican army,&c., which
are applicable to the existing situation of public affairs. And even if
as to the opinions thus hinted at, we might say with Hamlet, " All
which though we do must powerfully and potently beneve," yet, " we
do not hold it honest," or proper, "to have it thus set down."
For, as to the impropriety of mating the stage the vehicle cf
the most indirect and distant allusions to politics, there cannot be a dif.
ferenee of judgment. We may observe, that on the first night of re-
presentation, the passages we have referred to excited more than one
token of disapprobation. They may indeed have been since expunged
—we hope they have; they arc not all necessary to the interest or the
plot of the play.

LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM RAIL-

WAY COMPAN Y.

(From the Birmingham Advertiser of Thursday.)
Yesterday the Half-yearly Meeting of the Proprietors of
this Company was held at Dee's Ho) al Hotel. There was a
large assemblage of Proprietors present, nearly 250, princi-
pally strangers, and of whom a great portion were members of
the Society of Friends. Beyond the ordinary business of these
periodical meetings, the principal subject for consideration
was the one given notice of by Mr. Sturge, for a suspension
of the transit of the trains on this railway on the Sunday ; and
which, probably, more than anything else was the cause of the
numerous attendance.
G. C. GL NN, Esq., the Chairman of the Directory, pre-
sided, and called upon Captain Moorsom to read the minutes
of the last meeting of the proprietors; which behag, completed,
the Chairman said it was unnecessary for bins, at that period
of the business of the day, to enter into any particulars respect-
ing the affairs of the Company, as the Report which would
be read to them would be a very explanatory one, after the
reading of which he should be happy to explain anything which
the proprietors might ask for.
Mr. CREED then proceeded to read the following
REPORT.
" The Director?, referring to their last report, expressed a
confident expectation, founded on the reports of their En-
gineer, that a further portion of the Railway from Box Moor
to Trines would be opened in October last, and that by the
month of January so much more of it would be completed as
would leave an interval of only 35 miles between the stations
at Denbigh Hall and Rugby; this expectation would of course
be understood by the Proprietors as contingent on the works
not being retarded by causes which it was not in the power of
al engineer to control.
" The railway was opened to Tring in the month of Oc-
tober as the Directors anticipated ; but a winter of unusual
severity and duration, by retareling the remaining works,
made the farther opening in January impracticable, and still
occasions delay. A few weeks, however, after break-
ing up of the frost, will suffice to complete the road be-
tween Tring and Denbigh-hall, and between Birmingham
and Rugby, and the proprietors may rely on the earliest day
being appointed for the next partial opening which the Direc-
tors can venture to name when the works shall have been
resumed. The engineer continues to express his convic-
tion that the entire completion of the railway may be ex-
pected in the autumn of the year, and the Directors have de-
cided as the course which in their opinion will be most
satisfactory to the proprietors, to annex for their perusal
his detailed and very able reports relative to the unexecutcd
works of the engineering department. The difficulties to
which Mr. Stephenson refers, as having prevented the com-
pletion of a portion of the works at the exact periods stipu-
lated, cannot fail to have impressed the proprietors with the
idea that an increased expenditure has been rendered unavoid-
able. Such certainly has been the fact, but the Directors are
gratified in being able to state that this increase will n_t ma-
terially affect the results hitherto contemplated, and that the
existing capital of the Company will still suffice to put the
whole railway in full operation for the passenger traffic from
end to end. Any addition to the capital which may bo even-
tually required, most arise cut of the further preparations
which will probably be necessary for an increased sale of
business in the goods department.
" In anticipation of tiro next opening, the Directors have
made arrangements for the booking and conveyance of passen-
gers and parcels for the whole distance between London and
Birmingham. Messrs. Borne and Chaplin, the coach-pro-
prietors, have contracted to provide the requisite means for
carrying the railway passengers and their luggage, on the
Turnpike Road between the two stations, as the trains may
successively arrive, at the charge and subject to the regula-
tions of the Comply. Passengers will thus have the
benefit of railway travelling for 77 miles of the distance be-
tween London and Birmingham, and of greatly reduced
prices for the whole 112 miles, with a saving of one-third of
the time.
" The line of the railway between London and Tring has
been found too distant from the Holyhead Road to hold out
sufficient inducement to coach proprietors to quit their ac-
customed track for the chance of a comparatively small
saving in time ; the certainty also that a few weeks would
make a complete alteration in the passenger traffic on all
the roads parallel with the railway, has effectually checked
the establishment of new lines of communication for
coaches from Tring to the North. Hence it has hap-
pened that from the time when the season for excursion
had passed and the curiosity of the public had been par-
tially gratified, the railway travelling was limited to the
purposes and accommodation of the immediate district,
and the Directors having thus had the means of ascertaining
practically the effect of the ordinary passenger traffic on that
portion of the railway, are enabled to state with reference to
the estimates whirls they have laid before the proprietors, that
the actual traffic has exceeded the amount upon which they
had calculated.
" The Directors have no desire to attach undue importance
to an isolated case of this nature : but they consider it so far
of value, that it tends to establish the fairness f
o their calcu-
lation!, and affords encouragement to the proprietors as re-
spects the future purposes of the undertaking. Between the
20th of July last and the 14th of February, a period of 30
weeks, 162,216 passengers had been convoyed by the railway,
without a single accident to any individual passenger.
" The Directors, considering' it of more importance that
passengers should be able to rely on a certain and safe convey-
ance to and from the stations where the train stop, than that
they should in the first instance travel at the highest attainable
speed, have made it their chief aim, in the regulation of the
trains, to ensure a uniform precision of movement on the rail-
way. In this endeavour they have been ably seconded by their
contractor for locomotive power, Mr. Bury, and a degree of
uniform punctuality in the -arrivals and departures, has for
some time past been attained at all the stations, which, con-
sidering the unavoidable imperfections of a road so recently
formed, and the many difficulties to be surmounted in every
new undertaking, the Directors could scarcely have antici-
pated, and which, they may add, has not been accomplished
on any other railway.
" The Directors can now look with confidence to the ex-
tended operations which they are about to enter upon, and are
fully convinced, by the successful experience of the working.
of their system on a limited scale, that it is evan more ap-
plicable to a longer line. The arrangements for the car-
riage of goods, when the Company. shallbe in a condition
to undertake it, have occupied much of the attention of the
Directors. Aware of the advantages of combining expe-
rience with system in the management of a business so exten-
sive and complicated as the future goods traffic of the London
and Birmingham 11,e.ilway, the Directors have much satisfac-
tion le announcing that they have secured the valuable
services of Mr. Baxendale, of the firm of Pickford and
Co., for the conduct of this department, under an agreement
which is to take effect from the opening of the Railway for
this branch of business.
" The Directors are in negociatian with the Postmaster-
General for the conveyance of the mails, but the necessary
arrangements are net yet finally settled. Desirous as the
Directors are to grant to the Post-office all reasonable accom-
modation not inconsistent with the interests of the Company,
they claim no more in return than a fair remuneration for the
use of the Railway.
" The Directors request the confirmation by the Pro-
prietors of an agreement which has been provisionally entered
into with the Aylesbury and Trine, Railway Company, in
virtue of which this company undertake to rent the railway at
2.500/. per annum, being at the rate of Five per Cent. upon
the estimated outlay, for five years certain from the date
when it is opened. The proprietors, looking to the im-
portance of the tragic of the fertile vale of Aylesbury, and to
the communication which this branch line will open with Ox-
ford and other places, can have no hesitation in adopting an
agreement which is fully in accordance with the suggestion
of a former meeting.
" The inhabitants of the towe of Banbury, having resolved
at a general meeting to make a new road to join the railway at
Weedun by the shortest practicable line, on condition that a
first class station was established at Weedoneehe Directors have
given their assent to the proposition.
" By the statement of aecoiets now to be laid before the
proprietors it will appear that

s. d.
. .
The receipts to the 3lst Daember "verc 4,229,136 8 7
The distaclietnients

That the balance of e;,sh ia the. Cumi;any's -
hands at that date was 247,307 16 4

And that the amount applicable to the fur-
ther expenditure of the Company was 625,456 1 0
" The Directors since their last. Report have removed the
London Office, from Cornhill to the Huston Station, an]
made such arrangements as appeared calculated to.prevent
any delay or inconvenience in the trans:'er of shares. By
this change the respective departments of the Lowlon esta,
blishment are brought more directly in cenumunication with
each other."
The Report, ez,c., was unanimously adopted, and ordered to
, be printed for the use of the subscribers.

Thy' Rev. T. EasT here suggested, that on future occa-
sions the Report intended to be submitted at their genera
meetings should Le circulated amongst the Proptieto:-s, at
least for two or three weeks previous to their being cal!cd
upon to give it their sanction..-. This idea being responded to