The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-20 00:00:00

• : EAST INDIAN RAILWAY. • I
The second annual general meeting of the shareholders
iii this company was held yesterday, at the London
Tavern; Henry A. Aglionby, Esq., M.P., in the chair.
The CHAIRMAN said, as he held the honourable and
distinguished position of chairman to the board of
directory, it devolved upon him to make a few preliminary
observations with respect to the object of the meeting.
Oyer and above the difficulty which attended addressing
the proprietors of a great national undertaking like that
the directors had to pursue, a course which was not alto-
gether agreeable, and which they regretted had been im-
posed upon them by law, a great number of partners
in the undertaking had declined, some from one motive,
and some from another, to pay up the call of 2/. per share,
and as many of them were present to-day, it became the
duty of the directors to consider how to act with respect
to them, and the plan decided upon—which had re-
ceived the sanction of the Attorney-General--was to
allow them to be present, but not to take any
part in the proceedings. At the conclusion of
the general business they intended to adjourn the
meeting ; after which the directors would be
happy to hear any suggestions, and to give any in-
formation or explanation to any proprietor, whether he
had paid up his call or not. He begged to say, that the
negotiations with the East India Company were not at
an end, and ho ventured to hope that they would be con-
cluded in a very satisfactory way, and would meet with
the sanction and approbation of nine-tenths of the share-
holders.—(Hear, hear.)
The report was then read. After detailing at great
• length the proceeding of the directors since the last
meeting, it stated that the board, in reply to a letter
from the East India Company, had made a proposition
which, while it secures the principle of immunity from
loss, and a return of 5 per cent. interest on the
capital paid up, they trust will meet the views of the
court of directors. The board feel that it would be
improper and premature to make public the precise
terms, of the proposals to effect this object ; a senti-
ment in which they were sure that the proprietary would
concur. But so soon as the negotiations were brought
to a conclusion, which would probably be within the
peried of a fortnight, they would lay the result before a
meeting specially convened for the purpose. They had
• effected compromises with five of the engineers for the sum
of 4,8391. 7s. 6d. ; and the committee in India had also
concluded one, the particulars of which were not yet
fully before the board. The annual expense of this de-
partment was now reduced from 9,4201. to 1,2961. The
salary of Mr. Beeston ceased on the 4th of the present
month. The agreements with Messrs. Adams and
Daniel would cease on the 7th of March next, and of
Mr. Theobald on the 31st of May next. The salaries of
these officers amounted to 3,700/. per annum. The
directors had proposed to Messrs. Adams and Daniel to
continue acting on behalf of the company in India,
until the company's affairs were finally settled,
under a temporary arrangement. The salary of
the managing director, while in India, was
36,000 rupees per annum. This, on his return to
England, was reduced to 1,5001. per annum; and the
expense of the home establishment, at the suggestion of
the officers, from 1,3901. to 970/., including rent. The
following gentlemen had retired from the direction
during the past year, namely, Messrs. R. H, Kennedy,
J. D. Magens, Sir J. N. R. Campbell, General Macleod,
W. P. Andrew, and T. C. Robertson ' • aed the direc-
tors had to report the lamented death of their
late respected colleague, Mr. Carleton. The following
gentlemen retired in rotation, namely, Messrs..). Cattley,
R. W. Crawford, J. Baxendale, A. Nairne, and J. De
:Vitro; and were eligible for re-election. One of the
auditors, the Baron de Goldsmid, retired by rotation;
and, being re-eligible, offered himself accordingly. One
of the auditorships having become vacant by A. L.
Gower, Esq., having disqualified, George Gray Barton,
Esq., merchant, had given due notice of his intention to
offer himself for re-election. After all payments, and
making allowances on aliberal scale for all liabilities up to
the present time, the company had in hand a considerable
balance, irrespective of the amounts paid up on account
of the 21. call, and in anticipation of calls; the funds
arising from the last-named sources are to be returned
intact, in the event of no contract being made with the
East India Company.
The total amount of receipts for the year was
102,0001. 2s. sd. ; the expenditure, 28,3531. 17s. 4d.;
leaving a balance of 73,647/. ss. id.
A resolution was then agreed to adopting the report, '
and adjourning the meeting for a month, in order to
enable the directors to complete the pending negotiations
with the East India Company.
The CHAIRXAN gave a pledge on the part of the
directors that they would do everything in their power
to bring about a satisfactory arrangement with the East
India Company, and that they would finally conclude
nothing without the sanction and approbation of the
shareholders.
The retiring directors were then re-elected, and Baron
de Goldsmid and George Barton, Esq., were appointed
auditors.
The meeting then adjourned.
A discussion then took place on the part of the share-
holders who had not paid up their calls, at the conclu •
sion of 'which the company separated.

ROYSTON AND HITCHIN RAIL
WAY COMPANY.

The usual half-yearly general meeting of the above
company was held yesterday at Radley's Hotel, Bridge-
street; Mr. W. Wilshere in the chair.
The report stated that tho works on the Great Nor-
thern Railway between London and llitchin had so far
advanced as to justify the immediate outlay necessary for
the purchases of land and the construction of the works.
Directions had accordingly been given for carrying those
objects into effect without delay. The agreements,
which would be laid before the special meeting of
proprietors, carried out the provisions of the
existing arrangement with the Great Northern Company.
The agreement rdating to the original line provided
that on the 16th of July, 1849, a conveyance should be
executed to the Great Northern Company at an annual
rent equal to 61. per cent. per annum on the amount paid
up by the Royston and llitchin shareholders (such
amount not to exceed 200,000/. or 6/. ss. per share);
the rent to commence- from the day of the date of the
conveyance—to be payable half-yearly. That, if
at the date of the conveyance the whole 61. 55.
per share should not have been called up, the Royston
and Hitehin shareholders should be at liberty to pay up,
within two months of the date thereof, the balance
then remaining payable from them respectively; upon
which sum they were to receive 61. per cent. That from
such of the proprietors as should not elect to pay up
in advance, under the last-mentioned provision, the calls
in respect of the balance between the money aotually
paid up by them and the 61.55. per share should be made.
The agreement respecting the Shepreth Extension
• 'prOVided for a similar conveyance to the Great Northern
Company at an annual rent, equal to 61. per cent. per
annum on such sum as should be paid up for the purpose
of executing the extension.
•'' The balance-sheet represented the receipts to amount
to 67,4791. 55., and the expenditure to 49,4671. 17s. 7d.,
leaving a balance in band of 18,012/. 75. sd.
Upon the motion of the CHAIRMAN the report and
accounts were adopted, after which Mr. Underwood, the
retiring auditor, was re-elected.
The shareholders then resolved themselves into a
special meeting, and agreed to a resolution in accord-
ance with the recommendation contained in the report.
Thanks were then voted to the Chairman, and the
fleeting terminated.

' • POOR-LAW MEDICAL OFFICERS.
A general meeting of Poor-law Medical Officers was
held' yesterday, at the Hanover-Square Rooms, for the
-purpose of considering the present mode of affording
parochial medical relief, with the view of adopting some
steps for effecting an improvement in the existing sys-
• tem, so far as the surgical officers were concerned.
Lord ASHLEY, M.P., occupied the chair on the occa-
' Sion, and, on introducing the business of the day, the
Noble Lord remarked that the case of Poor-law medical
officers was worthy' of the serious attention of the
Public. They hid to discharge duties of the most one-
rous
and important character, and from the experience ho
had gathered through being a member of a Parliamen-
tary Committee which had investigated the subject of
parochial relief, he was convinced that to enable paro-
- chat medical officers faithfully and efficiently to perform
their duties, they must be altogether placed beyond the
caprice and control of boards of guardians, and be only
responsible 'to medical authority.—(Hear, hear.) Their
.situations, too, must be rendered permanent, while their
salaries, which were so ridiculously low as to be
at Once• an insult to the officer himself and the
.'unfortunate suffering poor whom he attended,
kmust be rendered more e
h
to the services he
• -rendered to the cause of suffering umact y.—( fear,
• hear.) The most difficult carer of surgery were always
to be found prevailing amongst the suffering poor; and
•
'when he- considered that
the highest order of profes-
aional-skill was required to' grapple
parochial surgeon
with these cases,
while, in addition to his services, the
'had to provide medicines out of )ipitiable remunera-
tion, he felt that the cause of humanity, as well as the re-
' quirei.nents of society, demanded that an immediate change
a
shol Ile
• t.,
made in the existing system of poor-law medical
relLe
-"Aear.) He was, therefore, glad that the meth-
itself had set about organising an association
..horenforcing gotne improvement. It should have his
' best,assistance and support, but his heads were so full of
other business of a pressing nature that he could not
prOmise to introduce-any legislative measure on the
subject.—(Hear, hear.) He would, however, do all he
could to aid the medical officers in the accomplishment
of their laudable and humane object; and without de-
taining them longer, he would request the Secretary to
read the report, which the committee had prepared for
"tubmission to this meeting.—(Cheers.)
The report, an ably written dscument, painted in
RloWing and touching terms the evils of the present sys
„XVI% arid the misery it inflicted on the sick poor. Depu-
Otq.is had waited on Sir George Grey and the Colleges
.or Physicians and Surgeons to secure their influence in
..farthering the efforts being made to place the adminis-
tration ()I poor-law medical relief on a better footing,
)and all
rm ecoeivestedneouraging assurances of co-operation
21111 been
The union medical officers, amounting
• to 3,000 in number belonging to a professional body of
15,000 in England were e unanimous in con-
demning the present system's.'
millions sterling was annual;
nearly eight enormous
raised sumfor th of
nominal relief of those to whom the medical
yman minis-
,
tared in sickness and poverty; but of the same sum,
divided among the 3,000 medical officers, the highest
amount that had been paid in one year was 175,000/,
in return for journeys in the country, medicine, .pro-
fessional skill, and appliances, which had been conferred
on three millions of sick poor,—(Hear.) The cost of
' drugs or medicine required for each case of illness
ftltilded in hospitals was 4s. 2d., in dispensaries, 2s.
.but ahe average allowance made by unions to the medical
:officer was only Is. 62d. for urban, and 2s. 2id, for rural
"trieig ; • but it was hoped by the increased exertions of
statistics on their case, •1
1-114- c°l4roittee, and by collecting

J 4 d `-/