The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-19 00:00:00

litrb Tibittion

SUN OFFICE, Seven o Clock.

EAST INDIAN RAILWAY.
(THIS DAY.)
The second annual general meeting of the shareholders
in this company was held this afternoon, at the London
Tavern; Henry A. Aglionby,Esq., M.P., in the chair.
The Cnexamart said, as he held the honourable and
distinguished position of chairman to the board of
directors, it devolved upon him to make a few preliminary
observations with respect to the object of the meeting.
Over 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 th ea gretted had been itn
posed upon them by law, a g number of partners
in the undertaking bad declined, some from one motive,
and some from another, to pay 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 tusiness they intended to adjourn the
meeting ; after which the directors wculd be
happy to bOar any suggestions, and to give any in-
formation or explanation to any proprietor, whether be
bad paid up his call or not. Ile begged to say, that the
negotiations with the East India Company were not at
an end, and he 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 lest
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
period ;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-4,839/. 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 cansed 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 3let of May next. The salaries ,of
these officers amoanted to 3,700/. per annum. Tfie
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 tmanaging 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 9701., 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 ; aid the direc-
tors bad to report the lamented death of their
late respected colleague, Mr. Carleton. The following
gentlemen retired in rotation, namely, Messrs. J. 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, Eq., 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 allo.wances on aliberal scale for all liabilities up to
thh present time, the company bad in hand a considerable
balance, irrespective of the amounts paid up on account
of the 21. calls, 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 73,6471. ss. ld .
'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 CHAIRMAN 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 conchs•
Bice of which the company separated.

,
ROYSTON AND HITCHIN RAIL
WAY COMPANY.-(THIS DAY.)

The usual half-yearly general meeting of the above
company was held this afternoon at Radley's Hotel,
Bridge-street, Mr. W. Wilshere in the chair.
The report stated that the works on the Great Nor-
thern Railway between London and Hitchin 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 woald be laid before the special meeting of
proprietors, carried out the provisions of the
existing arrangement with the Great Northern Compay.
The agreement relating 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 Hitchin shareholders (such
amount not to exceed 200,0001.. or 61. 55. 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. ss.
per share should not have been called up, the Royston
and Hitchin 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 actually
paid up by them and the 6L ss. per share should be made.
The agreement respecting the 6hepreth 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 67,479/. 55., and the expenditure to 49,4671. 17s. 7d.,
leaving a balance in hand of 18,0121. 7s. sd.
'Upon the motion of the CHAIRMAN the report and
aecoants were adopted, after which Mr. Underwood, the
retiring auditor, was re-elected.
The shareholders them 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
meeting terminated.

POOR-LAW MEDICAL OFFICERS.
DAY
la.)
A. general meeting oPoor)w Medical Officers was
held this afternoon, at the Hanover-square Rooms, for
the purpose of Clour'd
parochial medical relief, the present mode of affording
ane i with the view of adopting some
steps for effecting mprovement in the existing sys-
tem, so far as the surgicalmofficers were concerned.
Lord ASHLEY, MS; ,
the business
the chair on the occa-
sion,
and, on introdae.ing occupied
Noble Lord remarked that thesecuraissoieueolsPoofort-lhaewdmTditchael
atotfenthtieonmoostf
one-
rous officers was worthy of the
public. They had to discharge dutiesu
and important character, and from the experience he
a
had gathered through being a member of Parliamen-
tary Committee which had investigated the subject of
parochial relief, he was convinced that to enabl
perform
paro-
chal medical officers faithfully and efficiently to
their duties, they must be altogether placed beyond the
caprice and control of boards of guardians, and beonly
responsible to medical authority.—(Hear, hear.) Their
Intentions, 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,
must be rendered more adequate to the services he
rendered to the cause of suffering humanity.—(hear,,
hear.) The most difficult cages of surgery were always
to be found .1. amongst the suffering poor; and
when ho P". 11 mg
. • ._
.11considered that the highest order of profes-
sional ski was required to grapple with these cases,
while, in addition to his services, the parochial surgeon
had to provide medicines out
humanity,
his pitiable remunera-
lion, he felt that the cause of as well as the re-
quirements of society demanded that an immediate change
should be made in thei existing system of poor-law medical
Ile was,relief.—(llear.) therefore, glad that the medi-
cal body itself had set about
I
for enforcing some improvement.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.) Ile would, however, do all he
could to aid the inedical officers in the accomplishment
of their laudable and humane object; and without de..
taieiug them longer,_ hhe would request the Secretary to
readsum itshseie7toortt,hi which
hie
" --
the committee had prepared for
meeting.—(Cheers.)
The report, an ably'n
written decument, painted in
glowing and touching termsi‘nieed on the sick poor. the evils of the present sys-
temt anti the misery it
Depu-
tations had waited on Sir George Grey and the Colleges
secure
u their influence in
of Physicians and Surgt oils
to ure
place
ietter footing,
co-operation
the adminis-
tratione
furthering the efforts being
made
of poor-law medical
arseslioerfonueps a
and the most encouraging an
had been received. The union medical officers amounting
, ips.t.,. ,
i.,_ to 3,000 in number, belonging. to a professional body bisneudmeyoooff
'or thn.
..e.me
...1-g.in England and \Vales, were u
uls, the present system. The enormousraised f
/ /..: e ~,,- Twarly eight millions sterling was annually
iii—ita,:,'" nominal relief of those to whom the medical man minis!
'.' lei*,' t_f.red in siekness and poverty; but of the same sum
•Y•Piga ~'
illo- -. _
\ divitled among. the 3,000 medical officers, the highest'
co e....: amount that. had been paid in one year was
,175,0001,
‘\......e47.'1:7,'y:./ -7,',;111. 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
attended in hospitals was 4s. 2d., in dispensaries, 2s. 5d.;
but the average allowance made by unions to the medical
officer was only ls. 64d. for urban, and 2s. 211,A. for rural
districts ; but it was hoped by the increased exertions of
the committee, and by collecting statistics on their case,
the public would now be convinced that a change ought
at once to be made in the present system. The
balance-sheet of the committee stated the receipts to be
1951. 14s. 100., while the expenditure had amounted
to 2181.

The report having been adopted, a series of resolu-
tions in furtherance of the objects of the committee,
were agreed to, after which thanks were voted to the
Noble Chairman, and the meeting, which was very nu•
raerously attended, separated.

EXCHEQUER.—(THIS DAY.)
(Sittings at Nisi Prius, at Guildhall, before the CHIEF
BARON and a Common Jury.)
LANGLEY V. ELLIS.

This action wr7.brought to recover the sum of
771. 12s. Bd. for work and labour done by the plaintiff as
attorney and solicitor.
Mr. Crowder appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr.
Martin for the defendant.

It appeared that the plaintiff, Mr. Charles Langley,
carried en business at Chudleigh, in Devonshire, and that
the defendant, Mr. Samuel Burton Ellis, was :a lieute-
nant -colonel in the Marines, and one of the directors of
a scheme called the Direct Exeter, Plymouth, and
Devonport Railway, which was commenced in
1845, and, like many others which originated in
that year, was ultimately unsuccesful. In under-
takings of that kind it was necessary to appoint
local agents on different parts of the line for the
purpose of taking the reference and attending to other
matters in connexion with it, and the plaintiff was ex-
clusively employed in that capacity at Chudleigh. The
main question in the case was with reference to the lia-
bility of the defendant. It appeared that the company
w as projected in Sept., 1845, and about the latter end of
tl tat month a number of appointments were made of offi-
et ms and agents to carry out the undertaking, and amongst
tl tern was that of the plaintiff. The defendant did not
become a member of the company until the 4th of
October, when by his consent and approbation his
-name was inserted in the prospectus as a provisional
committeeman, and on the.7th he was present at a meet-
ing at which he was appointed one of the managing
committee. From that period he continued to attend
lie meetings from time to time, and took an active
,part in tke proceedings, and it was presumed could not
but be cognisant of the plaintiff's employment by the com-
pany. Upon those grounds it was sought to fix the
liability of the defendant fur the amount of the plaintiff's
claim.

Mr. MARTIN, for .the defence, said that this wits
another instance of a number of attorneys putting their
leads together for the purpose of getting up a railway
scheme, and inserting great profits into their pockets,
and then, when the scheme proved unsuccessful, of com-
ing against an unfortunate director, who at their
request had become connected with it, for the amount of
their exorbitant claims. He did not deny that Mr.
Langley had done the work, but he contended that he
never had any expectation of being paid by the
defendant or any individual director, and that he only
looked for payment out of' the funds of the company.
Besides, the defendant did not become a director until
some time after the plaintiff received his ap-
pointment as local agent at Chudleigh. The fair and
legitimate inference to be drawn when an attorney got
up a scheme of this kind, and asked gentlemen to give
tl►eir services as committeemen, was that they depended
upon the deposits for payment, and not to the directors.
Ii the scheme succeeded, he knew that he would be will-
ingly paid enormous profits, and, therefore, he got it up
as men did other commercial speculations, upon the
principle " heads I win, tails I lose." The real question
vf as whether the defendant, either expressly or im-
Pliedly agreed to pay the plaintiff's bill as any of the
jury would engage to pay an attorney whom they had
employed in their business.
The Learned JUDGE having summed up,
The jury found a verdict for the plaintiff of
761. 19s. 4d.