The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-05 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

GLASGOW, BARRHEAD, AND NEILSTON DIRECT.—
The half- yearly meeting of this company was ap-
pointed to be held at the office, Glasgow, on Friday,
but in consequence of the non-attendance of a suffi-
cient number of shareholders to constitute a meeting,
sine die. A. special meeting was
also to have been held, for the purpose of authorising
the directors to borrow money, with a view to save
the shareholders being called upon at once to pay up
the whole amount of the 5 per cent. guaranteed stock.
SHREWSBURY AND HEREFORD. —On Friday
meeting was held at Ludlow to promote the carry-
ing out of this line. The Mayor took the chair, sup-
ported by Earl Yowls, Hon. It. Clive, M.P., Colonel
Salwey, Mr. J. Bailey, M.P., and principal land-
owners. It was stated that the cost of constructing
the line (a single one) would be 430,0001. About
2,000 shares had been disposed of out of 5,200. The
amount of each share had been reduced from 201. to
181., and it was probable that no more than 121. per
share would be called up on the line, which would cost
8,0001. per mile. Resolutions were passed expressive
of the importance of obtaining the earliest railway
communication for Herefordshire with the manufac-
turing districts and metropolis.
ROUEN AND HA VRE.—The half-yearly meeting of
this company was held on Saturday, M. Charles
Laffitte in the chair. The report stated that the total
outlay on capital account during the half-year
amounted to 209,083 f. (8,3630, but this was reduced
by 30,984 f. produced from the re-sale of land, &c., to
178,0981., making the total expenditure on the un-
dertaking, up to the 31st of August last, 58,119,2641.
(2,324,7704) The directors have endeavoured
in every possible way to avoid every new expense on
capital account. They consider that account
as closed, stating that no new expense
shall be entered upon without the consent of the
shareholders. The works on the line are at present
in the most satisfactory condition. The traffic has
increased so as entirely to make up for the loss of the
preceding dividend. The receipts from the Ist of March
to the 31st of August last amount to 1,797,564 f.
(71,9021.), including 1,010,8881. for passengers,
&c., and 771,937 f. for goods. The total charges and
expenditure of working amounted to 1,462,9001.
(58,5161.), including 583,6091. (23,3441.) for interest
and reimbursement of loans, leaving a net profit of
334,6641. (13,3861.) From which must be deducted
the settlement of the loss of the last half-year, 32,0931.,
leaving a surplus of 303,570 f. (12,1421.), or 71. 50c.
per share, and 2,570 f. for the next account. The
receipts of the past half-year compared with those of
the corresponding period of 1848 show a net
increase of 664,191 f. (26,4570, of which
492,6281. (19,704/.) has been in the goods traffic.
Tbis traffic, which during the corresponding period
of 1848 had fallen to 32,487 tons, had risen during
the last half-year to 121,246 tons, being an
increase of 88,759 tons. This increase is stated to be
due to the improvement of trade, and the traffic
brought on the line by the opening of the Dieppe
Railway, amounting to 28,793 tons. The increase in
the working expenses amounts to 109,561 f. (4,3821),
chiefly caused by the additional traffic. The report
adverts to the encouragement and assistance given by
the Government to improve the navigation of the
Seine, and, in fact, to favour everything which may
form an opposition to the railways. It goes on to
state that the question of maintaining to Rouen
its coasting trade, which, moreover, it had never
lost, is not the only one entertained; it is thought
to make the mouth of the Seine a roadstead for ships
of war. A loan of 60,000,000 is asked for, and a new Bill
to alter the law which has fbr centuries regulated
everything connected with river property. The
rail ways, by lowering their tariffs, have produced a
reduction of nearly one-half in the price of carriage
of all kinds of goods, and the result has been that al-
transports have doubled; and if the documents of the
last few years be examined, it will be seen that the
quantity, which has been doubled, is divided:, the
most equally between the river and the rail-
ways. With reference to the conduct of the
State towards railway companies, it asks, is It
to be supposed that France and foreign come.
tries will contribute new capital to such enterprizes,
if nothing is done for the companies already existing?
Can the Government hope to find 240,000,000 f.
(9,600,0000 for the Paris and Avignon line as long
as the traces of the devastations of February shall not
have been effaced by a just indemnity, and as long as
an end shall not'. have been put to the unto-
ward situation in which the laws of concession
have placed the railway companies ? This com-
pany has united with the Rouen and Dieppe Corn-
pain a in an application to the President of the
Republic to obtain an inquiry as to the best means of
ameliorating the situation of rail way companies.
The realisation of certain amounts will enable the di-
rectors to pay one-half of the acknowledgments of
liquidation which were issued to the shareholders in
exchange for the coupons of the third dividend. The
dividend (7f. 50c.) for the past half-year and the half
of the acknowledgments of liquidation, or sf. per share,
are now payable at the office of the company.—A con-
versation ensued relative to the refusal of the town of
Havre to fulfil the agreement which it had entered
into to guarantee an interest of 4 per cent. on a cer-
tain amount of capital. It was stated that no satis-
factory answer had as yet been obtained on the point,
but that the board would endeavour to bring the
matter to a favourable termination, Resolutions