The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-16 00:00:00

ROYSTON AND HITCHIN RAIL-
WAY.

The half-yearly general meeting of the shareholders of thil
company was held yesterday, at. Radley's Hotel, New Bridge.
street, Blackfriars ; Lord Dacre in the chair.

After the usual preliminaries,
The CHAIRMAN said—Before calling on the secretary ti)
read the report, he thought it necessary to say that the num.
ber of shareholders present was not to be taken as an evi-
dence of the amount of shares held, for they far exceeded
the number required to constitute a meeting.
The SECRETARY then read the report, which stated that
the directors, in accordance with the powers given them at
the last half-yearly meeting of the proprietors, had concluded
arrangements with the Great Northern Railway Company,
and that in consequence of the abridgement of the line by
Parliament, the capital to be called up for the purpose of
constructing that portion of the railway then sanctioned
would amount to 200,000/., being 61. ss. per share. The
agreement with the Great Northern Company provided for
an application to Parliament for powers to lease the railway
to them, the company (this being obtained) to execute
a lease in perpetuity at an annual rent of 12,000/., being
six per cent. on the capital before stated, the rent
to commence on the opening of the Great Northern Railway
from London to Hitchin, or on the 16th of July, 1849, the
interest of five per cent. to be paid on the deposit and calls
in the interim. Tne agreement also provided for an appli-
cation to Parliament for an extension of the line from Roy-
ston to Cambridge. The agreement contained a clause
giving power to the Great Northern Company,
on giving three months' notice to redeem, the
annual rent or dividends at 50 per cent. premium on the
share capital. The report, after congratulating the meeting
on the arrangement that had been made with the great
Northern Company, and alluding to the death of one of the
directors, P. M. Stewart, Esq., M.P., in whose place
had been elected Francis Parker, Esq., of Manchester,
recommended that the number of directors should be in-

creased from fourteen to eighteen. The report concluded by
stating that the directors were proceeding with the purchase
of land for the construction of the railway, which would
be completed by the Ist of May, 1849. An abstract of the
receipts and payments of the company, since its formation,
was then submitted to the meeting, from which it appeared
that the expenditure was 25,121/. 18s. 5d., which left a
balance in the banker's hands of 2,768/. 16s. 11d.
The CHAIRMAN said it appeared to him that the report
was so detailed, clear, and circumstantial, as to render any
remarks from him quite unnecessary. But he was quite
ready to elucidate any point that might require explanation.
He would, therefore, move the adoption of the report.
Dr. Sxow seconded the resolution, which was carried una-
nimously.
M. J. Underwood was re-elected as auditor, and Messrs
J. Arbouin, W. S. Boyd, T. Pym, and Captain J. M. Laws
R.N., were elected directors in conformity with the recom-
mendation of the board.
A special meeting was then held to consider the agreement
made with the Great Northern Company.
The SECRETARY read the agreement together with the
draft of the two Bills.

The agreement was unanimously sanctioned.
Mr. LEECH proposed and ➢ir. UNDERWOOD seconded a
vote of thanks to the chairman and the other directors
which was also carried unanimously.
The meeting then separated.