The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-08 00:00:00

respect to the lines, or were there to be others ? He
suggested that the capital account as to the main
line khould be closed, and a separate one for the docks
and branches now in course of construction.
Mr. SIMPSON said the 37,0001. included every
estimated cost, and all additions which the committee
thought likely to arise. As to the capital account, he
did not see how it could be closed when construction
was going on. . _

In answer to a shareholder who objected that an
amount lost in arrears was very large.
Mr. HEALEY explained that that was upon three
calls at least.

The report was then put and carried unanimously.
The statement of accounts, the passing of which
was postponed at the last annual meeting, was then
brought forward, as amended by the comtnittee, and
passed.
On the motion of the Noble CHAIRMAN, a vote of
thanks was given to the Committee.

The CHAIRMAN drew attention to the expense cast
upon railway companies by Parliament in asking for
returns. These had to be prepared by the companies'
servants, at the companies' cost, and shareholders
would do well to take steps to have the costs defrayed
from some other fund than that from which their
dividends were drawn.

After a vote of thanks to the Chairman, which was
acknowledged in suitable terms by his Lordship, the
meeting broke up.
The railway is to be opened on the 16th of July.

MOLD RAILWAY.
The meeting of the Mold Railway Company, ad-
journed for the election of directors, was convened
for Wednesday ; but there not being a sufficient num-
ber of shareholders present to constitute a,quorum,
the proceedings were further adjourned to the 10th
of July.

GRAVESEND AND ROCHESTER.
The half-yearly meeting of this company was held
on Wednesday at the offices in New Broad-street;
but no business of importance was transacted. The
line, it will be remembered, has merged in that of the
South• Eastern Company.

DERBYSHIRE, STAFFORDSHIRE,
AND WORCESTERSHIRE JUNCTION
RAILWAY.
The half-yearly general meeting of the proprietors
of this undertaking was held yesterday at their
offices in Basinghall-street ; Mr. J. M. Matthews in
the chair.
The report of the directori was read by Mr. Mac-
kenzie, from which we make the following extract :
" Since the last meeting in December the board have
been using their best exertions to obtain payment of the
call of 11. per share, and have applied the moneys when
received in liquidation of the debts created by the former
board previously and subsequently to the passing of the
Act of Incorporation.
"The board have been most reluctantly compelled to
commence several actions for the recovery of the eall,
and in some instances the parties have gone to trial, and
resorted to every delay and expense which the forms of
law allowed to defeat the claims ; but in each case these
attempts have been defeated, and the judges at Nisi
Prins and in Banco have declared that the call was pro
perly and legally made and must be enforced; however,
in some instances the defendants have subsequently and
almost instantly after the final decision become bankrupt,
or insolvent, and one of them, Francis Deflinne, of Man-
chester, is now incurring the penalty of his vexatious
opposition by the refusal of his certificate for twelve
months; and another, Henry Tomlinson, of Ashburne,
is suffering imprisonment for his vexatious defence to
the action against him.
"The half-yearly account which has been sent to the
shareholders will show a considerable diminution in the
debts and claims on the company, and the board think it
right to observe that though the sum of 340/. appears to
have been expended in law costs, they confidently expect
that the greater part thereof will be reimbursed to the
company.
" Since the last meeting the action brought by Mr.
Jeremiah Smith, solicitor, of ltugeley, against one of the
late directors, for his claim of 2,8001., has been tried,
and a verdict given in favour of the defendant; and the
other action commenced by Mr. Smith against the corn
pany, for the same amount, has been abandoned, with
costs.
"'The board has been anxious to diminish the neces-
sary expenses of management, and with this view the
offices have been removed from Cornhill to this place,
and the services of the clerk have been dispensed with,
by which a considerable annual saving has been effected,
the sole expenses of the company now being—rent,
cleaning, &c., 47/. 55.; secretary, 200/ ; boy, 13/ ;
making a reduction of expenditure to the amount of
148/. 17s. per annum.
" The board assure the shareholders of their unre-
mitting exertions to carry out fully what has been so
satisfactorily begun, and they confidently hope that at
athbelednetoxtanhnaoluf-nje a
meeting
debts created will
b pre
een
viously to their entering upon office, and to lay before
ee therly extinctiongeneral or
the shareholders a proposal for their consideration and
decision, to render the Act of Incorporation advantageous
to the locality where the railway i, to be made, of great
convenience to the agricultural and commercial interests.
and profitable to those who may continue to hold their
interest in this small but important undertaking."
The CHAIRMAN said there was not a sufficient num•
ber of shareholders present to constitute a meeting,
therefore the adoption of the report must be adjourned
till the next meeting.
The meeting accordingly adjourned.

LAW IN TELLIGENCE.
ROUSE OF LORDS, June 7.
THE TRACEY PEERAGE.
The Committee for Privileges sat this morning.
The Lords present were the Earl of Shaftesbury
(Chairman), Lord Brougham, Lord Campbell, Lord
Sudeley, Lord Wharncliffe, Lord Say and Sale, Lord
Stranglord, Sze.
Sir F. KELLY appeared on behalf of Mr. Bour-
dillun, the solicitor to the late Mr. Tracey, merely to
say that that gentleman waa in attendance, ready to
answer any questions which their Lordships might
see fit to put him.
Mr. Bourdillon then went under a long examina-
batlehetrn wascn now
o tow
examina-
tion, from which it appeared, tahnadt huisnaf
lf bad the management of
Ei nnvgel
aryn
di,l lahneda ltthha
t ath
eOhsitme naed
the proceedings in this case in their Lordships'
I louse during the whole of the last y ear. His father
had gone to Ostend prior to the order of the House
that he should attend at the bar on the present occa-
sion. He was now far too ill to come back, indepen-
dent of which, pecuniary affairs were also opposed to
such a proceeding.
Lord BROUGHAM would now remind Mr. Bour-
dillon that, upon one occasion, a Prayer-book had
been put in evidence, an entry in which their Lordshpa
had pronounced to be a forgery. Then, on the next
occasion, a tombstone had been brought forward, and
that in the following year had been proved to be a
total fabrication, upon which, on the application of
counsel, their Lordships had postponed the further
hearing in order that the claimant might bring over
a witness from America. had that witness been
brought over ?
Mr. Bourdillon said he had not yet arrived, but
that he had been sent for in March.
Lord BROUGHAM was astonished at such a delay.
Why had he not been sent for long before ?
Mr. Bourdillon said want of pecuniary means had
been the cause. The witness then, in reply to questions,
went on to say that many persons had subscribed
towards a fund to enable the late claimant to defray
the expenses consequent upon the petition to that
House; but he said he was not aware that they had
been induced to do so upon the expectation that as his
success would put Mr. Tracey in the possession of
large estates, those who subscribed—to a sort of
"Tracey Joint-stock Speculation Company," as Lord
Brougham called it—were to derive a profit in pro-
portion to the amount they might respectively contri-
bute. The sum collected in this way was about
3,0001. He did not know that any of the City spe-
culators had subscribed to this fund, for be fancied
nearly all were the friends or connexions of the de
ceased. He had no doubt but that some of these par-
ties might have looked for some remuneration for
their advances, in the event of the success, of the
claimant in his suit. The persons who had so sub-
scribed were in a respectable class of life. He was
not aware that there had been a general subscription
got up in Cheltenham and other places for this affair.
Mr. J. Wylde then proved having been present in
Dublin with the late Mr. Tracey at the moment of
his death, on the 23d of April last. A post mortem
examination was made, when it was found that an
effusion of blood into the stomach bad caused death.
A friend of his of the name of Forrester had, ad-
vanced 1001. to enable the claimant to pay the fees of
the House and of counsel, and a friend of Forrester's,
Mr. Van Butchell, had also subscribed to a consider-
able amount, but in his case 10 per cent. per annum
was paid.
Mr. Van Butchell was her called up, when
Lord BROUGHAM said, he had been very kind to
Mr. Tracey. lie was a good •hurnoured and jolly-
looking person, and if he should be sick—but he
hoped he should not be—he should be glad to be at-
tended by h;na.
Mr. Van Butchell said he had had the honour of
attending a member of his Lordship's house.
Lord BROUGHAM—And I hope you cured him.—
(Laughter.)
Mr. Van Butchell had been so fortunate, and his
Lordship had thereupon presented him with 200 gui-
neas.—(Renewed laughter.) The witness said that
he had become acquainted with the late Mr. Tracey
through Mr. Forrester, and that it was in conse-
quence of his hearing from that gentleman, that Mr.
Tracey was in pecuniary difficulties in respect of the
prosecution of his claim, that it had been proposed
that a number of persons should contribute a fund to
enable him to proceed. He was one, and had sub-
scribed more than 3001.
Lord BROUGHAM—That was, the witness had em-
barked in the " Tracey Stakes."—(Loud laughter.)
In the first instance he had given a cheque for 901.
for a note at twelve months' date for 1001.; that was
a deduction of 10 per cent.