The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-15 00:00:00

GREAT WESTERN.

The directors of this company have just issued their
statement of accounts, from which, it appears that
18,356,8351. had been received on capital account to
the 30th of June last. The receipts include 1,874,8721.
on account of redeemable 44 per cent. stock, 133,0001.
on account of redeemable 4 per cent. stock, and
1,324,1041. on account of irredeemable 4 per cent. stock,
5,952,4011. on debentures, loans, &c., and 856,0301. de-
ferred coupons on Birmingham and Oxford and Bir-
mingham and Dudley Railways. The payments
amounted in the aggregate to 18,130,0271., leav-
ing a balance of 226,8081. The payments in respect
of the Great Western, Oxford, Berks, and Hants,
Windsor, and other lines, and for locomotive stock,
amounted to 10,407,773/., and in respect of (350,000/.)
estimated liabilities on the 31st of December, 1849,
256,0321. was expended ; in respect to the Oxford
and Rugby line, 1,161,2081. ; on account of the Bir-
mingham and Oxford line, 2,893,7691. on account of the
Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth Railway, 199,275/. ;
on account of the Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and
Dudley Railway, 1,097,3351. ; subscriptions and dis-
bursements to other undertakings, 1,700,770/. (the in-
terest on which is borne by revenue), including 50,0001.
to the Glocester and Forest of Dean Railway ; 545,000/.
to the Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth Railway ;
589,1041. to the South Wales Railway, 225,7911. to the
South Devon Railway, 185,4031. to the Oxford, Wor-
cester, and Wolverhampton Railway, 70,457/. to the
Cheltenham and Oxford Railway, 24,7631. to the Corn-
wall Railway, and 10,2501. to the Plymouth Great
Western Dock ; the sum expended on new rolling stock,
under votes of the proprietors, was 192,7501. ; on the
Paddington station, 165,5201., on the Paddington Hotel,
42,5421.; and on Bull's-bridge new works and dock,
13,049/. ; making the total expenditure, as above,
118,130,0271.

The revenue account for the half-year ending the 30th
of June shows that 522,4981. had been received, in-
cluding 7,0501. by Bristol and Birmingham Railway, for
rent, &c., 11,321/. for use of plant by other companies,
2,1591. interest on cash balances, and 3,7441. for rents
and registration fees. The expenditure amounted to
233,8361., including 12,1101. for Government duty, and
11,426/. rates and taxes, and leaving a balance of
288,6611. To this sum is added 63,7781., the balance
from the last account, and 1,0001. for dividend on the
Glocester and Dean Forest shares, making a total sum
of 353,439/. Out of this sum is deducted 9031. paid for
new works and additions to works on lines opened,
16,4821. amount of annuities guaranteed to shareholders
of the Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth Railway, 1,3281.
interest on the Berks and Hants Extension shares,
5,7151. rent of Glocester and Dean Forest railway on
254,0001. at 41 per cent. per annum, 1,2941. rent charge
to the trustees of the Paddington estate, 101,2081.

balance of interest paid on loans,-41,2101. interest on re-
deemable 41 per cent. stock, 2,2921. on redeemable 4
per cent. stock, and 13,0411. on irredeemable 4 per cent.
stock to the 30th of June ; total, 183,4761., less 12,5231.
derived by pre-payment for Birmingham and Oxford and
Birmingham and Dudley shares, making the total
170,9531., and leaving 182,4851. available for dividend.
The amount of stock and shares upon which dividend is
payable is 8,236,2761., and on which 2 per cent. for the
half-year would abiorb 164,7251., and leave a balance
over of 17,760/.
The report of Mr. R. Atkinson, the auditor, and Mr. W.
W. Deloitte, the accountant, states, that after the most
careful and laborious examination of the books, accounts,
and vouchers, they are again able to testify as to their cor-
rectness, and they feel it only due to the various officers of
the company to repeat, what they have stated on former
occasions, that the books and accounts are admirably
arranged, and afford every facility for examination. The
books are balanced monthly, and each month's accounts
are examined with the assistance of Mr. Deloitte, who
has been constant in his attendance at the company's
offices for that purpose. The accounts for Parliamentary
expenses have not been settled by the directors, and
therefore not introduced into the accounts this half-year.
Various payments have been made on account thereof ;
but as no particulars have been obtained, the account so
paid has not been charged to the expenditure, but to the
personal accounts of the individuals. The sum of 31,8441.,
which stood on the 14th of August, 1851, to the debit of
the South Wales share account as interest, which had
previously been credited to revenue, bas been discharged,
with the exception of a balance of 6,7931., which still re-
mains to be discharged in like manner, when the divi-
dend receivable from that company will be credited to
the revenue account, as and when receivable. The sum
now remaining to the debit of the South Devon Railway
share account for interest already credited to revenue
only amounts to 7601., also to be discharged out of divi-
dends to be received, when the dividend from that com-
pany will be credited to the revenue account, as and
when receivable. The interest on the Birmingham and
Oxford disbursement and share accounts is now charged
to revenue. The interest on the Birmingham, Wolver-
hampton, and Dudley disbursement and share accounts
is still charged to capital, that line being in course of
construction, and no part opened. The interest on all
other expenditure for capital, with some very trifling ex-
ceptions, is charged to revenue, including new locomo-
tive and carriage stock, new station at Paddington and
Paddington Hotel. The profit realised on the sale of
a portion of the 41 per cent. stock has been deducted
from the interest charged to revenue on that stock. The
great additional charge to maintenance of way arises,
in a considerable degree, from the rise in price of mate-
rials, especially iron, and from the much larger quan-
tity of those materials which the recent very wet season
has made requisite. The increase in the expense of the
locomotive department has been caused partly by extra
work, additional mileage, and advance in the price of
materials and labour. The balance of 17,7601. is still
subject to any result of profit and loss that may be found
in the account with the South Wales Company since the
commencement of the lease on the 19th of July, 1852.
The debenture statement to the 30th of June last shows
that 6,808,431/. had been borrowed, of which 1,344,608/.
was at 5 per cent., 248,7131. at 4i per cent , 3,194,071/.
at 4 per cent., 967,200/. at 3i per cent., 953,8371. at 31
per cent., and 100,0001. at 3 per cent.