The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-16 00:00:00

question that might be put to him on the subject of the
accounn.—(Hear, hear.)
The motion having been seconded,
Mr. BAYER announced his intention to move an
amendment, but before he mentioned its terms
he went into a lengthened history of what he
called " the rise and fall of the concern."
The pith of his address, however, may be compressed
in few words. The original line from London South-
ampton extended to 106 miles, cost 3 316,5941., and
yielded a return of 307,0001. per annum. Their new
lines extended to 109 miles, cost 3,731.910/, and yielded
only 1,4301. per annum. Like the tall of Rome, then,
their decline had been produced by a
" Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself,"
and a desire to extend their territory to districts devoid
of traffic, and yet costly is their maintenance. He de-
nounced the mixed system of carrying which existed
on their line, and ridiculed ;he generosity of the direc-
tors, which had made the qualification to a seat at the
board twenty shares, and the qualification of a com•
mitteeman to investigate the accounts fifty shares. Ha
attributed the ability of the directors to pay 6 per cent.
per annum now to the openiu4 of the Waierleo-bridge
station; but he had reas„n to believe, from information
which had reached him, that next summer they would
not be able to pay even at the rate of 3i per cent.
He did not agree with the steam-boat guarantee, and
wound up by appealing to a gentleman who held 16,0001.
worth of stock in the company, and who understood the
question, to state whether he thought the steam-b.eas
would ever pay.

Mr. B. J. BALER, the gentleman appealed to, scouted
the ♦ery idea of their ever paying. A twelvemonth tip
one of the captains told him that the Steam-boat Com-
pany was " losing money like butter before the sun."
Mr. BAKER then moved an amendment to the effect
that the paragraph relating to the guarantee to the
Steam-boat Company be expunged from the report, and
a committee appointed to investigate the question.
Mr. W. CROCKER suggested that they could not ex-
punge anything from the report ; and, therefore, they
had better take the vote on the second part of the
amendment, which he was quite ready to support. At a!I
events, if they did not get out of this steam-boat affair
their next dividend would not be at the rate of 3 per
cent. per annum. He objected, therefore, to any party
interested in the Steam-boat Company's voting upon this
amendment.

Mr. Locitz impugned the accuracy of Mr. Baker's
figures. He denied that so much as 3,731,9101. had been
expended on the branches; but, at all events, no matter
what the expenditure had been in the extension, the di-
rectors were driven into them by the proprietors, and
all he asked of these proprietors was to wait till these
western extensions had been tested. The South•
Western lines never colt more than 25,0001. per mile,
but if they added, which`they ought not to do, the
cost of the Waterloo•bridge Extension and such like
works, the cost would mount up to 35,0001. per mile,
while he could promise that within a twelvemonth
there would be a reduction of from 12,000/. to
15,0001. in the charge for maint,nance of the per-
manent way. Reductions would also be made in
the locomotive and carriage departments ; and he would
suggest that in future the accounts of the goods' be
kept separate from those of the passenger traffic.
He insisted that the company was morally bound
to carry out the steam-boat guarantee, but he had
no objection to the appointment of the committee
if it were agreed that the guarantee should be carried
out, upon the committee finding that it had been le-
gally carried out.
Mr. PIINCHARD was opposed to the steam-boats.
Mr.lSergeant GaSELEE called on the Chairman to state
what was the meaning of the paragraph in the report
relating to the late secretary. Did the directors mean
simply to pay him a compliment, or were they going to
snake a grant of money to his representatives?
The CIIAIRMAN explained that the directors paid Mr.
Campbell before his death three months' salary in ad-
vance. Anything to be done for his widow would be
left to the benevolence of the proprietors.
Mr. Sergeant G&SELEE then addressed the meeting
at great length against the steam-boat guarantee. They
were neither bound in law or morality to accept the pro-
position._

Mr. TITE supported the guarantee, and controverted
the opinion of the Learned Sergeant. He maintv.ined
that 82,000/. worth of stock was held by t'ir general
public in the Steam-boat Company, and only 18,0001.
by psrtirs connected with the South-Western Company.
Mr. RowE opposed the amendment.
After some further discussion, the amendment was
put to the vote and carried. A pull was dem4mied and
deterred.

The dividend was then declared, and the two retiring
directors re•-elected.

Upon the qui-stion of the election of a director in the
room of Sir John Ersthope, 13Art., a poll was demanded
and deferred.

The shareholders then resolved themselves into a
special meeting, and agreed to the proposals recom-
mended in the report, after a long and stormy discus ion.
Thanks were then 'voted to the Chairman, and the
meeting adjourned till Saturday.

Tn DUKE OF ARGYLL ♦ND BISHOP TROWER
A strange paragraph is going the round of the press,
which reports that Dr. '['rower, Bishop of the Epis-
copal Communion in the districts of Glasgow
and Galloway, has actually excommunicated the
Duke of Argyll on account of that nobleman
attending the ministration of a clergyman ordained
in England, but officiating in Scotland, without
being under subjection to the local Bishop. We do not
perceive what Dr. Truwer had to do witb the Duke of

Argyll.. His grace is a Member of the Established
Church of Scotland, and altogether beyond the juris-
diction of that Rev. Gentleman. Lord Blantyre,
the Dake's brother-in law, is also mentioned as hay-
;lig been visited with th• same sentence. If we are
net mistaken his Lordship is also a member of the
Scottish establishment. It belongs, we think, to Dr.
Trower, through the medium of the press, to put the
public right as to the true state of the case, for the ru-
mour, however ridiculous, will be believed by thousands.
Were the Duke of Argyll really an Episcopalian, and
attending the chapel of an English clergyman, we cannot
see in what way he would be affected by the sentence of
excommunication fulminated by the Rastor of a body to
which neither the clergyman or the lay Christian be-
longed.—Edinburgh Post.
BURGLARY AND MURDEROUS ATTACK ON AN OLD
MAN AGED EIGITY.---On Wednesday night, or early on
Thursday morning, a lone cottage at Bethersden, occupied,
with a little laud, by an old man named Laws, who is 80
years of age, and lives by himself, was broken into, and
ransacked. The poor old man was struck, in a most
brutal manner, by an iron instrument, two or three
times, on the head, while in bed. Weltering in his
blood, he crawled, after the thieves left the house,
across to a neighbour's, living at a little distance, who
rendered him every assistance. Two young men, named
Millen and Sheepwash, belonging to Bethersden, were
apprehended on Thursday evening, and taken to Messrs.
Furleys and Mercers' office, at Ashford, yesterday, on
suspicion of having committed the offence, and were re-
manded by the Rev. N. Toke. The blows were
inflicted with a piece of iron, which, with the
old man's breeches, have been found in a neighbouring
pond. The thieves were evidently annoyed at not find-
ing his watoh, which he had sold a short time before
while in distress. The poor man was alive last night,
but it is feared he cannot recover.—Canterbury Journal.
TREATY NETWEEN ENGLAND AND BURNED.—A copy
of the treaty of " friendship and commerce" concluded be-
tween Her Majesty the Queen of England and the Sultan
of Borneo (signed in the English and Malay languages, on
the 27th May, 1847), has just been laid before both House/
of Parliament. It consists of 12 articles. They provide-
1. That peace, friendship, and good understanding shall for
ever subsist between the two Powers of Britain and
Borneo. 2. That the subjects of her Majesty shall
have full liberty to ant. r into, re...ide in, and trade
with all parts of the dominions of the Sultan
Omar Ali Saifadeen, and enjoy the privileges and
advantages of the most favoured nation ; the sub-
jects of the Sultan to enjoy the same privileges in this
country. 8. That British subjects may purchase and ac-
quire all kinds of property within the dominions ot the
Sultan, his Highness engaging that such British subjects
shall, as far as lies in his power, enjoy full and complete
protection and security. 4. That the trade between
the two countries shall be perfectly free, subject only
to the Customs' duties which may be hereafter en-
forced. 5. That no duty exceeding one dollar per ton
shall be levied on British vessels entering the ports of
Borneo, British goods and British trade to be exempt
from all internal duties, &c. G. That no export duty
shall be levied by the Sultan on any article the
growth or produce of his own dominions. 7.
That the ships of war of England end the India Com-
pany shall be permitted to enter the ports, rivers, and
creeks of his dominions, and to provide themselves with
such supplies, stores, and provisions as they may re-
quire. IL That assistance shall be rendered to vessels
wrecked on the coast of Borneo. 9. That every
means shall be taken by both the high contracting
parties for the suppression of piracy within the
seas, straits, and rivers subject to their respective
control or influence, &c. Article 10 confirms the
cession of the island of Labuan, situate on the north-
west coast of Borneo, together with the adjacent islets of
Kuraman, Little Rusakan, Great Rusakan, Dasat, and
Malankasan, and all the straits, islets, and seas situate
halfway between the afore-mentioned islets and the main-
land of Borneo ; likewise, the distance of 10 geographical
miles from the island of Labuan, to the westward
and northward, and from the nearest point half.
way between the islet of Malankasan and the mainland
of Borneo, in a line running north till it intersects a line
extended from west to east, from a point 10 miles north-
ward at the northern extremity of the island of Labuan
to be possessed in perpetuity and full sovereignty by her
Majesty and her successors; and, to avoid disputes, the
Sultan engages not to make any similar cessio❑ of terri-
tory to any other nation without the consent of her
Britannic Majesty. Every measure is to be taken by
both parties for the suppression of the abominable
traffic in slaves. The treaty, which was to be ratified on
or before the the 27th of May, 1848, is signed by James
Brooke, on the one part, and attested by the great seal
of the Sultan of Borneo, on the other.

TIMOTHY SEED.—An importation having recently
taken place at one of the ports in the West of England,
from one of the Prussian ports, of a parcel of Timothy
seed, a question aroie as to the rate of duty a
which it should be entered, the revenue offi-
cers considering the article to be liable to duty as
grass seed, not enumerated, or to the rate of ss. per
cwt., and the importers considering that as the seed
was only occasionally used for agricultural purposes for
the purpose of improving new meadows, and was also
tiled for feeding birds, that the proper rate of duty
thereon would be as si•ed not enumerated at ss. per cwt.,
ad valorem. It appeared, on ihquiry, that the article
was well known as lisnothy grass heed, and appropri-
ated to agricultural purposes, and that the proper rate
of duty due thereon was as grass seed, of ss, per cwt.