The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-17 00:00:00

born hope of endeavouring to show that Mr. Hudson, as
a trustee of the company, was precluded from purchas-
ing or himself at one price, and selling to the company
at another. And so Mr. Hudson might, if this were a
fair statement of the point. But it so happens that the
shares which Mr. Hudson sold to the company were pur-
chased before, by being employed to negotiate for the
company, be could be regarded as in any respect pos-
sessing the character of a trustee; and since, as it is
shown, he bought these shares at his own risk, and
that when he subsequently sold them he did so
at the market price, we confess we regard the
conclusion at which the committee have ar-
rived on this point as at variance not less with
judicial fairness, than with honesty and common sense.
Add to all this, that Mr. Hudson held not a single share
in the Great North of England alien the agreement
was made to purchase that line; and that fact, along
with the explanations given respecting the transactions
which his enemies have attempted to impugn, not only
completely exonerates the lion. Gentleman from the
charges which have been so unsparingly heaped upon
him, but, coming triumphantly, as he does, through an
ordeal, in a filch, from the constitution of the committee,
purity itself would scarcely have escaped censure, he
present; additional &Mina upon the support of the com-
munity, especially of the railway public, and aeon the
admiration of his friends. We can assure the Honour-
able Gentleman that none more than his con,tituents in
Sunderland have sympathised with him under the
discreditable attacks to which he has been sub-
jected, or now rejoice more than they do that he has
so completely and satisfactorily disproved them all. We
dare say Mr. Prance and Mr. Love would very gladly have
allowed no one to buy or sell shares but themselves, and
perhaps the spleen of the former has been excited by so
large a transaction as that of Mr. Hudson with the com-
pany being negotiated without going through the stock
exchange, and thus giving him an opportunity of pocket-
ing a commission. But, let Mr. Prance and his brotherde-
tractors, who now attempt to tie the hands of Mr. Hud-
son, and limit his discretionary power to that of a mere
director, ask themselves where would have been the rail-
way from Darlington to Newcastle, or from Newcastle to
Berwick, and where would have been many of the other
monuments of a genius which will render his name
illustrious to posterity as one of the benefactors of
his country, had Mr. Hudson confined himself to the
limited responsibility with which they now attempt to
shackle him, or had he been actuated by the selfish
and sordid motives which they impute, instead of being
filled with a largeness of soul and generosity of disposi
tion, which, though they cannot understand it, are his
distinguishing characteristic. So palpable is the object
of these interested stock jobbers and speculators in
making these attacks, and so disgraceful are the attacks
themselves, against one whose consummate ability and
undoubted probity have been so well tried, that we are
astonished the audacious slanderers were not rather put
down by a storm of reprobation, and their slanders
hooted to the winds, by the indignant shareholders on
the 20th of February last, than, by appointing them a
committee to inquire into what was already in course
of being rectified, furnish them with an opportunity of
giving an official form to the outpouring of their ground-
less and vindictive rancour. But it is perhaps better
that the inquiry did take place, and that this committee
of accusers, whose animus is observable in every step
of the investigation, and whose spiteful feeling peeps
out in every line of the report, have had an opportunity
of doing their worst. Since, however, the disgraceful
conspiracy is now laid bare, and, after possessing every
opportunity, Mr. Prance and his fellow-accusers have
failed to substantiate their vindictive charges, though
they reproduce and parade them notwithstanding in
their report, of which it is difficult to say whether the
hardihood or dishonesty is greatest, we must say that
the shareholders will neither do justice to Mr. Hudson
nor to themselves, and still less to the safety of their
property, if they do not deal with Messrs. Prance and
Co., as well as their report, in a way that shall silence
both for ever, and place Mr. Hudson and his brother
directors in a position where similarly vexatious and
disgracefully unjust attacks, if still persisted in, shall at
all events assail them in vain, much less be the means of
befouling the shareholders into the appointment of any
such preposterous committee in future.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.
THE GREAT WESTERN.
For some days past a statement, of a very positive
character, has been in circulation respecting the alleged
acceptance by Mr. Saunders, the secretary of the Great
Western Company, of a lucrative and most responsible
Government appointment in India. The statement has
not the slightest foundation in fact.

SOUTH WALES.
The rumoured resignation of Mr. C. Russell, the
chairman of this company, is, we understand, correct.
We believe the resignation has not yet been accepted.

EASTERN COUNTIES.
The alleged probability that no dividend will be paid
for the last half-year is, wo fear, likely to turn out a
reality. A careful examination of the position of the
company convinces us that unless the working expenses
be still very much reduced, or the traffic greatly in-
creased, the company cannot, on tho completion of its
system of railway, pay 2 per cent. per annum. This
opinion is based on the supposition that the directors
have not, as wo understand they have, carried to the
capital large sums which ought to have been disbursed
out of revenue.