The Sun.
London, England, 1840-11-27 00:00:00

THE SUN, I,ON ON, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27 .840

judicious appeal to the innate honour of high-minded
men ;—we can add nothing to strengthen it. Had the
Standard stopped there, we should have had no further
comment to make. But it proceeds to give a reason for
its refusal of the Duke of Wellington's demand, which
reason we do not like so well as the refusal itself. No-
thing can be better than the conduct pursued, and no-
thing can be worse than the reason given.
(From the Globe.)
Our readers will remember that a few weeks ago
the Rev. Hugh Stowell was reported to have said at a

public meeting—
" That a gentleman of high respectability in Yorkshire,
who presided at our meeting there, told me that a Roman
Catholic gentleman, of distinction and honourable conduct
in the county, said, in conversation with him, I hope
there will be a war with France, and I hope France will
conquer England, because then our Church will have a
chance of recovering her rights."
Knowing the Reverend agitator's character for veracity,
we did not make any further inquiry ; but Mr. Ander-
son, the President of the York Catholic Society, wrote
to him requesting to know whether be used the words
impnted to him ; and, if so, asking for the names of the
Chairman and Catholic gentleman. To this Mr.
Stowell replies, in a style which, in a less eminent Pro-
testant, would be called jesuitical—
' In answer to your inquiries, I may state generally,
that I do not hold myself responsible for what may appear
in such reports of my speeches as those given by the Lon-
don papers of my recent address in Exeter Hall. A few
handfuls of broken fragments from a speech of nearly two
hours, can only convey a very false impression of its

statements."
He neither admits nor denies the accuracy of the re-
port, and he was not asked as to general impressions,
but simply the names of two persons about whom there
could be no mistake, and for whom he could not be
under any restraint of delicacy. If the communication
to him was confidential, he was guilty of treachery to
his friend in betraying it ; if not, be is guilty towards
the country in allowing the " Catholic gentleman" to re-
tain his influence after having uttered a wish which, if
known, would certainly destroy it. But Mr. Stowell adds
'a At the same time, as I do not at all consider you to
be authorised in attempting to interrogate me respecting
what I may choose to say in public, I must decline entering
into any explanation en the subject of your letter."
Now, if Mr. Andersun, as President of the York
Catholic Association, is not authorised to inquire into
the truth of a statement which, being made against one
Yorkshire Catholic gentleman unnamed, applied to all,
it would be difficult to say who is. Does Mr. Stowell
claim the right of making injurious assertions against
any persons, so that he avoids mentioning names ?
Should he again venture, after this exposure, to show
himself at Exeter Hall, we trust that some one will be
found to insist upon an explanation, for the honour of
that place. Possibly he may then take a leaf out of
the book of his fellow-labourer M'Neile, and say that
the chairman of the meeting was metaphorical, and the
Catholic gentleman typical and tropical, meaning Je-
zebel and the Church of Rome. Those who believed
one may believe the other. With the public we pre-
sume the matter is settled, and that no one henceforth
will have the busy idleness of inquiring into the truth
of any facts which Mr. Stowell may state, merely ob-
serving that they rest on his authority, which will give
them the same currency that a bank-note receives after
payment has been refused and a certain ominous word
stamped at the corner.
(From the Standard.)
The news of the reduction of St. Jean d'Acre has
rekindled the fury of the anti-English press in Paris.
The National has a very angry article upon the sub-
ject, in which it imputes to this country the design
of retaining permanent possession of the place, and
Cyprus also, as the keys to Egypt, and as command-
ing the overland route to India. We believe
that in the hands of England, or of any other
nation commanding the seas, Acre would be im-
pregnable. The failure of Napoleon before the place
when defended by Sir Sidney Smith with a few
sailors and marines, and a force of undisciplined
Turks, seems to establish the fact, and Cyprus being an
island, would be of course unassailable except by some
nation possessing a naval superiority. But what of this?
If England obtain possession of either or both, by fair
and legitimate means ; and if she cannot use them in
any manner injurious to the safety of the status quo
in Europe, or to the general interest of mankind,
why should she not retain the acquisition ? We
know nothing of the intention of our Government
in this respect, but we wish the question to be
calmly considered, as one of justice and general policy.
That the acquisition of Acre and Cyprus would
add to the commercial resources and to the defensive
strength of the United Kingdom, may be conceded to
our French accusers. But what then ? His it been
ever before beard that a nation may not lawfully aug-
ment her commercial resources, and add to her defensive
strength by means which are in themselves legitimate,
and which infringe nothing upon the rights or interests
of others? The advancement of the world in civi;izl-
don and happiness must remain for ever at a stand, it
each nation is to be held in check by the jealousy of its
neighbours.

From the Courier.)
In our paper of the 1,...1th, we adverted to some oc-
currences that had taken place in the Colonial Com-
mittee of the Church of Scotland of a complexion to dis-
gust every man of a truly Christian and liberal spirit.
We were not aware when sse wrote our remarks, that
the question had been referred from the acting Sub-
Committee of that body to the General Committee ;
we were under the impression that the matter had be-
come final ; and that the deed of cruelty and injustice had
been ix rpetrated. It appears, however, from an
Edinburgh paper now before us—the Observer—that
the question of cancelling the appointment of the gen-
tleman who had at one time been so unanimously and
warmly recommended, had ben left over to a meeting
of the Genera! Committee which took place on the 17th
inst. at Edinburgh. At this meeting it was taken up ;
and the appointment objected to by Mr. Dunlop and
Mr. Candlish, on the distinct ground that the gentleman
—a Mr. Duff—had attended the ministrations of one of
the suspended ministers of Strathbogie, in whose parish
be held the office of parochial schoolmaster. It was
intimated by Principal Macfarlane, the venerable
convener of the Clinnuttee, that relying on the high
approbation which he had received from the Committees
both in Edinburgh and Glasgow, Mr. Duff had actu
ally proceeded to Berbice. the scene of his future
labours ; and Principal Macfarlane and others im-
plored the Committee not to permit their party politics
to interfere under such circumstances with the appoint-
ment of a young man highly qualified, and earnestly
desired by the Presbyterian population in Berbice. All
in vain ! Mr. Duff had attended the ministrations of
Mr. Afirdyee ; and on a rote of sonic forty to five!
the Colonial Committee refused to sanction his appoint-
ment ! We need scarcely add, that one of the first fruits
of a proceeding so outrageous of all decency has been
the retirement of Principal Macfarlane from all further
concern in the management of the Committee's affairs;
and we arc given to understand that the very
public a state-
ment of the reasons which have compelled hurt to take
this step.

POST-OFFICE INJUSTICE TO
SCOTLAND.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Kelly, Monday, Nov. 23, 1840.
SIR,—You had the kindness to publish very lately a
communication from me on the absurd and highly im-
politic detention of the Foreign Mails for Scotland,
between Saturday night and Monday morning in
London, and if the report in The Sun of the 21st
turns out to be well-founded, the fact will be verified in
a very striking manner.
It is there stated that a rumour was prevalent of the
acquiescence of Mehemet Ali in the demands of the
Four Great Powers, having reached London as on Sa-
turday, being the 21st, in which case my prediction
will have been verified as to the question of peace or
war having been hung up in the London Post-office for
a longer space of time than would be required to bring
the very welcome news to us in Scotland by our own
mail-coaches, which are, nevertheless, sent empty
towards us at their usual speed.
This intelligence, so interesting to all, and especially
to a manufacturing population struggling for its ex-
istence, instead of being confirmed by the mail which
will arrive this afternoon, or that which will come in
to-morrow morning so opportunely at the hour at which
business commences, cannot be confirmed until the af-
ternoon of Tuesday, and that at an hour after which
little business is transacted.
Is not this an intolerable abuse of power by the Post-
master-General, for which I firmly believe there is no
law to support him, but merely an inveterate custom of
extending a system of indulgence to the servants of the
public in the London Post-office, which is denied to the
same class of men all over the rest of the empire.?
In thus accusing the present Postmaster-General, it
is but fair to say that in this respect he is merely follow-
ing in the same old-fashioned beaten track as his prede-
cessors have done. This being admitted, however, does
not mend the matter, but merely shows that our titled
aristocracy do not sympathize with the feelings and ne-
cessities of the great body of the people ; they do not
mix with them—they cannot comprehend the intense
interest which the mercantile community feel in peace or
war ; or the consequences to this manufacturing country,
having their correspondence and their foreign Prices
Current forwarded with the utmost despatch ;
and thus the old slovenly system is continued at
this day in the General Post•otficc of London, as if
Day Mails and Penny Postage had not yet been
forced upon it. I have thought it right to offer proof
of the manifest injustice of keeping back the foreign mails
for Scotland, although all ready for being despatched in
mail coaches, which are so empty for want of them, and
this must plead ray excuse for writing so soon on the
same subject. I am, Sir, your obedient, servant,
ROBART WALLACE.

POPERY AND PROTESTANTISM

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN
Is Catholicism what she is represented to be ?
Sts,—That Catholicism bears the stigma of cruelty is an
undoubted fact ; that they are taxed with it at all the public
meetings of the opposite party is equally a fact. It is a
subject that the lecturers of the opposite party delight to
expatiate upon, to dwell upon with an intensity of feeling
and enthusiasm astonishing to the hearer upon that
subject; they exert all their eloquence and depict it
in the most dark and loathsome shape, forgetting the while
the cruelties those of their own persuasion have committed.
They forget those institutions of bigotry and intolerance—
I allude to the Star Chamber and High Commission Court,
whose walls have rung with the shrieks and groans of
their dying victims ; they forget the scenes of Charles the
First, with its pillories and executioners, that man whose
memory, instead of being revered, ought rather to be ac-
cursed in the sight of Englishmen ; they forget the arbi-
trary measures that were adopted, the numberless beings
deprived of their members and their existence for a simple
act or expression, and yet they prate about the Inquisition I
I do not defend the individual acts of men ; I defend the
creed they profess, and deny that Catholism inculcates
such principles. The actions of Titus Oates and his ac-
complices are too glaring to be passed over without a few
comments. That man, if ever man was a disgrace to
human nature he was, as historical facts will prove—num-
bers of men were deprived either of their existence
or fined to a great extent, the only evidence of their guilt
being the oath of a most abandoned character, Titus
Oates. For his praiseworthy efforts in the cause of Protes-
tantism, he was allowed a pension of 1,2001. a year, with
a mansion situate at the back of Whitehall, his accomplices
being provided for equally the same. When they blazon
forth the actions of Guido Faux and the conspirators of
the sth of November, they do not consider that
those men wete the victims of the most determined
cruelty and oppression that could be thought of
or invented. The penal laws that were made by the pre-
decessors of James 1., and which had been suffered to lie
dormant, were upon his accession enforced with the utmost
rigour against those men whose religion was their only
crime—a price was set upon the heads of all Catholic
cler'cal personages, according to the post they commanded
—every man should attend the parish church or be fined a
heavy sum—no man dare educate his children in the tenets
of his creed—if any man went to hear mass, for two
offences Ise was heavily fined, and it detected the third
time, the punishment wasdeath—and, in fact, to sum up,
their whole lit'e was a misery to them. Can we blame
men who would try to rid themselv-s of their oppressors?
The Circassiatis are callei heroes, and the Greeks brave
men, for ridding themselves of oppression and injustice,
and have not this others equally a right to rid themselves of
oppr ss;on. Th icere ince, and, as men, subject to
men's pa,sion. The only difference betAeen the two
in ridding themselves of injustice, was the means—
one used powdtr in one shape and the other in a different
one, the same desire animstsd tie whole equally alike.
Tracing history to a later period, and glancing at the
scenes of blood and rapine, under the auspices of that most
pious and exemplary Prince, George the Third, when
men's homes were made desolate, and themselves turned
out to die on a cold wintry night—when the flames shut
up to the sky with lurid glare from their hitherto peaceful
dwaliings, and the inmates forced from them arn,clA the
brutal insults of a lawless soldiery. These are scenes that
excite men's passions, change their very nature, and re-
duce them to the level of the brute ; but the crime rests
upon the heads of the oppressors. I might ask who has
guided those men to com.nit the actions I have described ?
true
an
—Men who new preach against Catholics on account of
their cruekies, forgetting their own ; those mild and Chris-
tian-like simple shepherds, who
could Iced
the pastors,ll those
u s
kct
so
f thesoldieryd while they fired upon
th,. wretched violins. I point to those seen, sat Rath-
eermac. Such scenes as those are carefully concealed,
while the actions of Catholics are blazoned forth to the
world by such harbingers as Stowell and Co.
I remain, your's respectfully,
Nov. 25, 1840. J. MEGINNIS.

SOUTH EAS7IEI,N RAILWAY
MBgirtNG.

The Half-yearly Meeting of the Shareholders in the
above Company took 'place yesterday at the London
Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, at one o'clock, T. F. Tyn-

dale, Esq., in the chair.
The Secretary having read the advertisement conven-
ing the meeting, from which it appeared that in addi-
tion to the business brought forward at the usual half
yearly meeting, the present meeting would also have to
consider of the agreement proposed to be entered into
with the Croydon and Brighton Companies for a share
in the terminus at London Bridge, and for other matters

agreeably to the provisions of the Act of last Session,
for which purpose the present meeting was to be con-
sidered a special one, and the usual preliminary busi-
ness having been gone through,
The CHAIRMAN proposed that the common seal of
the Company be affixed to the register of the Proprietors.
Mr. TYRRELL said that the Chairman had held up a
book it was true, but how were they to know it was a
register of Proprietors ? He should wish to have some
intormation relating to the register before he proceeded

further.
The CHAIRMAN said the book was on the table, and
any Proprietor might look at it, and acquire auy infor-

tuition for himself.

Mr. TYRRELL would wish to know how many shares
the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman held ?
The DEPEITY CHAIRMAN—I hold between 200 and
300, and my friend next me holds considerably more.
A PROPRIETOR—How many does Mr. Tyrrell hold?
The CHAIRMAN—Five shares. He purchased five
shares just previously to the last meeting, and the day
after the meeting he sold them again ; on the day pre-
vious to the books closing before this meeting he again
purchased five shares, which he now holds.—(Cheers,
laughter, and cries of " Shame.")
The SECRETARY then read the 100th section of the
Act, requiring the seal to be affixed to the register, and
the motion was then put and agreed to, with one dis-
sentient only.
The CHAIRMAN said that as the Report of the
Directors had been printed and circulated amongst the
Proprietors, he should not detain them by offering any
obervations on it, but merely state that after the read-
ing of that Report, the Report of Mr. Cubitt, the en-
gineer of the Company, would be laid before them.
Mr. TYRRELL wished toe minutes of the last meeting
• ' to be read, and made a motion to that effect, which was
seconded by—
Mr. DOWDESWELL, who, not having been present at
the last meeting, wished to know what the proceedings
had been.

Tnis was resisted by several Proprietors on account
of the great loss of time which it would occasion, and it
was suggested that those Proprietors who wished infor-
mation as to the proceedings of former meetings should
take measures to inform themselves thereof without
taking up the time of those who were already in posses-
sion of such information.
'The motion of Mr. TYRRELL was then put and lost
by an overwhelming majority.
The following Report was then read by the Secretary :
Since the half-yearly meeting in May last, material pro-
gress has been made in the prosecution of this undertaking.
The whole of the land throughout the line is now (with
the exception of eight acres, for which the treaties are in
progress) purchased upon satisfactory terms, and the
greater portion paid for and conveyed to the Company.
In the Godstone district, extending from the junction
with the Brighton Railway to Bough Beech, the works
arc in course of execution in eight separate contracts.
From Bough Beech to Tunbridge the works are in a
very advanced state. Part of that division will be com-
plete in the present year; and the cuttings at Penshurst
and Leigh, and the corresponding embankment in the
:Medway Valley, in the next summer; and the Directors
have much satisfaction in stating, that the cost of the works
in ti►e Tunbridge district will be considerably below the
amount stated in Mr. Cubitt's Report of November last.
From Tunbridge eastward to the turnpike road at Sia-
plehurst (fifty miles from London, and an important centre
for the traffic of Kent and East Sussex) a large portion of
the earthwork is done; other works have been contracted
for, aitd arrangements are made for putting the whole in
hand as soon as the weather will admit.
The works in this additional length are light, and easy
of construction; they may be completed at a comparatively
small cost per mile, and this portion of the line opened at
the same time with that to Tunbridge, or very soon after-
wards. _ _

The works in progress between Dover and Folkestone
have continued to advance steadily and in a satisfactory
manner; but, as the gre it object of the Directors is to
complete the line to Staplehurst in the first instance, those
works are only kept in such a state of progression as will
admit of their being completed simultaneously with the
lighter intermediate district between Folkestone and Sta•
plehurst.
Contracts for the supply of iron rails have been entered
into at reasonable prices.
Tne shares, which, by the Resolutions of the general
and spechl general meetings of the 26th May and 16th
July last were declared forfeited, were disposed of by
public tender on the 9th June and the 28th July, and the
purchase-money was duly paid and carried to account, and
forms part of the receipts stated in the annexed account.
Since that time the Directors have, by resolutions under
date of the 21st of July last, declared certain shares for-
fcitad for nun-payment of calls. Payments in redemption
of the forfeiture to a considerable extent have been made,
but there are caste where there is no prospect of obtaining
such redemption, and the Directors submit to this meeting
to confirm the forfeiture of such shares.
In their last Report the Directors adverted to the state
of the Proceedings before Parliament on the subject of the
station at London-bridge. These proceedings terminated
in giving powers to the Greenwich Railway Company to
coostruct two additional lines of rails to the south of the
present line, from London-bridge to Corbett's lane, where
the Croydon diverges from the Greenwich Railway : au-
thority was also given to the Greenwich and Croydon
Companies to exchange stations; and the latter Company
's, by another Act of the same Session, empowered, either
in conjunction with the Brighton and South-Eastern Com-
panies, or without, to procure an additional space for a sta-
tion beyond that which the Greenwich Company are to
provide, in exchange for the Croydon station.
The Directors have considered it desirable for the inte-
rests of th's Company to co-operate with the other two
Companies in effecting these objects, and they have for
some time been engaged in maturing the arrangements
necessary for this purpose. Three members of each Board
have net weekly on the subject, and an agreement has
been framed for carrying into effect the proposed arrange-
ments, subject to the sanction of this meeting, which is
made special for the purpose of considering it. The sub
stance of the agreament is, that a station, covering the
present Greenwich Railway station, with some other
ground adjoining, and sufficient for the purposes of the
South-Eastern, Brighton, and Croydon Companies, as a
City terminus in the centre of London, shall be built at
the joint cost of the three Companies. By these arrange-
ments this Company will secure to itself the advantages of
a good and established station, at one-third of the cost,
under a control in which their interests will be fairly re-
oreseeted and protected.
It will be. seen by the statement of accounts appended to
this Report, that some expenses have already been incur-
red for this purpose. By this expenditure, amongst other
advantages, the Directors have obtained an abatement of
50 per cent. on the additional toll claimed by the Green-
wich Company for the use of their line. A further ex-
penditure will necessarily be required ; but the Directors
do not at present intend to call on the Proprietors to put in
force the powers granted to them by the Legislature, of
raising an additional capital for the station. The best feel-
ing is entertained by the three Boards towards each other ;
and your Directors look forward to the beneficial results
which must arise from the cordial union of the three par-
ties, in carrying into effect an object of so much import-
ance to their common interests.
The state of the accounts to the Ist of October last ap-
pears by the balance sheet annexed, showing a balance of
4.1,184/. 12s. 7d. at the disposal of the Company.
STATEMENT OF RECEI?TS AND EXTENDITURE TO BE ?RE-
SENTED TO THE HALF•YEARLY CENEEAL MEETING OF
FROPRIETORS TO BE HELD Nov. 26, 1840.

RECEIPTS. s. d. S. d.
Amount received per Account
presented to last Half-Yearly
Meeting, May 26, 1940 258,524 8 6
Do. from April 2 to Oct. 1,
1840, on account of Capital 149,292 12 6
Do., do., interest 713 12 7
Do., do., Land re-sold 459 10 0
408,990 3 7
Expimnixtr RE.
Amount expended per Account
presented last Half-Yearly
Meeting, May 26, 1840 244,253 2 4
Do. from April 2 to Oct 1,
1840, viz. :
Advertisements, Printing, En-
graving, and Stationery 4Bl 12 11
Engineering.
Surveying.....
Valuation of Land.
Works .............
Land and Compensation 50,173 8 1
Parliamentary Agents, session
328 6 10
1840
Solicitor, to March, 1840 2,055 3 4
Direction, for three quarters of
a year.... 862 10 0
Salaries to secretaries and clerk! 492 10 0
Office Expenses, including
Rent, Taxes, Repairs, Tra-
yelling, and Incidental Ex-
penses . . 484 3 9
Police 124 3 3
Interest on paid-up Capital to
April 30, 1840 3,674 19 7
South-East Canterbury Rail-
way Company, Balance of
Liabilities ...
London-bridge Station, on Ac-
count.. . ..... 1,000 0 0
364,405 11 0
Balance.. ............ £44,584 12 7

The Report of Mr. W. Cubitt, the engineer to the
Company,
was then read, dated 2Gth November, 1840,
from which it appeared that the works at Tewdly were
in a state of active progress ; and that at Tunbridge
they were nearly completed, so as to be ready for the
laying down of the permanent way; while at Staple-
hurst they were all fenced off. He calculated that in
the spring of 1842, the railway would be open to Tun-
bridge, and to Staplehurst, twelve miles beyond, in the
summer of the same year. It was desirable to com-
plete this line to the Ashford station in the same time,
as it might be done at lass proportional cost than si,p-
ing short either at Tunbridge or Staplehurst. The

works at Folkstone and Dover were rapidly progress-
ing, the two Shakspere tunnels were completed, the
sea wall erected. The works here were in such a state
of progress, that this portion of the line might be com-
pleted as soon as the line to Ashford was open, cr, if
found desirable to open it sooner, it might be dote.
From the experience of the past year, he had been able
to revise the data upon which he had calculated his
estimates for 1839, and the following had been the re-
sult of such revision :

GODSTONE DISTRICT OF 13 MILES.

Estimate of 1839.... £248,406
Revised estimate, 1840 ..

£646

Increase
TUNBRIDGE DISTRICT, 15
Estimate, 1839
Revised estimate, 1840

Diminution £83,931
ASHFORD DISTRICT, 23i MILES.
Estimate, 1839
Revised estimate, 1840

Diminution £4,508
DOVER DISTRICT, 13i MILES.
Estimate, 1839
Revised estimate, 1840

Increase
Making, upon the whop line, a diminution of 22,9681,
upon the estimate of 1839 ; s' that, making every al-
lowance for contingencies, it appeared certain that the
total expense of the works would not exceed the es-
timate of November 1839. In the Tunbridge

district the works would cost upwards of _Bo,oool. less

ban Mid been estimated, this diminution could be ac•

counted for from various causes, one of which was,

the great talent and efficiency which had been exhi
bited by the resident engineers at the different parts
of the line, to whose great merits he thought it his
duty to bear this testimony.—(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN moved the adoption of the Report.
Mr TYRRELL wished some explanation of the ac-
counts. He then proceeded to ask in a low tone of voice
a string of questions, to which
The CHAIRMAN replied that he was at a loss to com-
prehend what Mr. Tyrrell wanted or required. He was
willing to give every explanation to the Company as
to its transactions. It was well known that some time
since the Company had been in Jifficulties, those it
had surmounted, but at that ,time they had been
obliged to issue shares at 12 discount, and, of course,
they bad occasioned a deficiency.
A PROPRIETOR said Mr. Tyrrell had frequently been
answered at former meetings when he had asked those
questions, and really it was unnecessarily occupying the
time of the meeting; he would therefore move that he be
not answered .

Mr. TYRRELL himself, amidst loud laughter, se.
cooled the motion. _ _ _

The CHAIRMAN wished it to b*i understood that he
distinctly denied ever having refused to give any intor
nrition. Mr. Tyrrell would understand to what he
alluded. . . .

Tne question was then put and carried unanimously.
Mr. DODSWELL wished to know the amount realised
by the shares declared forfeited and disposed of by
public tender.
The SECRETARY.-43,359./. 123. 6d.
A PROPRIETOR wished to know the amount paid for
land.

The SECRETARY-205,0001, to be paid, of which
sum 117,953/. is paid, and there are 128 acres of land
to re-sell.

The CHAIRMAN—The cost of land for the whol 6
miles will be under '200,000/.
A PROPRIETOR—Does Mr. Cubitt's Report include
the works necessary to complete the stations ?
CHAIRMAN—Yes, including the large station at
Tunbridge.
In answer to the observation of a Proprietor,
Mr. CUBITT said that he considered the expense of
the plant for the whole line would not exceed 100,0001.
Mr. PARCELS suggested an alteration in the mode of
making out the accounts to be laid before the half.
yearly meetings, with a view to simplify them.
The CHAIRMAN was obliged by the suggestion;
which should be adopted.
Mr. PARCELS also suggested that for the future Mr.
Cubitt's report should be printed, and circulated with
the report of the Directors, previous to the general
half-yearly meeting ; which, after some little discus-
sion, as agreed to.
In answer to an observation of a proprietor, as to the
probability of the Brighton line being open in 1841, and
the South-Eastern not being open until 1842,
Mr. CUBITT said that if the money was forthcoming
the work would be done, and he could have done double
the work he had done if he had had double the money.
The SECRETARY observed that if the Proprietors
had paid up the calls properly, much greater progress
would have been made. The time of the completion
of the line depended on themselves.
The Report was then agreed to.
The CHAIRMAN then moved that the resolution of
the Board of Directors of the lOth of April last, de-
claring certain shares forfeited, be confirmed. The
shares declared forfeited at the last meeting bad, in
conformity with the resolution, been cold as mentioned
in the Report ; he should presently have a similar reso-
lution to propose with regard to shares declared forfeited
by the Daectors on the 16th July last ; while there was
any chance of obtaining payment of the arrears the Di-
rectors would not declare such shares forfeited, but in
the present instance there was no such chance. The
total number of shares proposed to be forfeited was 509,
and no more.
Mr. TYRRELL wished to know who the shareholders
were whose share' it was proposed to forfeit ?
Tne SECRETARY would also be glad to know who
they were, and it was only because he did not in many
instances know who they were, or where they wero to
be found, that be proposed to forfeit the shares.
The resolution was then agreed to.
A resolution was then proposed confirmatory of the
forfeitures declared by the Directors on the 26th July.
Tile SECRETARY said that of the Shares proposed to
forfeited, '25 stood in the name of John Russell,
who was nowhere to be found ; 400 stood in the names
of seven Proprietors who had become either bankrupt
or insolvent. Against two judgments had been ob-
teined, but there was no finding them to execute the
judgments. Two shares belonged to one Proprietor
who had died leaving no representative, and four Pro-
prietors bad forfeited the shares, but no loss would be
entailed upon the Company by such forfeiture. With
regard to these last, in answer to questions from Mr.
Dodsa'ell, the Secretary stated that those parties
were solvent, and had entered into a binding contract
to take an equal number of shares with those declared
forfeited,
Mr. DODSWELL could not understand why, if they
were solvent, they should. be released from the liability
by the forfeiture of the shares.
The SECRETARY said the case was this—Suppose a
party had sold his shares, and executed a transfer to a
person who did not choose to register, the seller had no
legal title to such shares, and the Company could only
assist such persons by declaring the shares forfeited and
re-assigning them to the parties, but the Company
would not do this without stipulating that the parties
thus assisted, should take them at the full value, so as
that the Company should sustain no loss.
'rho resolution was then agreed to.
In answer to a question from Mr. PARCELS,
The SEcnr,TART stated that the average amount due
upon each share was 9/. ; 18/. had been paid up upon
most of them.
The CHAIRMAN then moved that the epitome of the
agreement proposed to be entered into between the
Croydon Company, the Brighton Company, and the
South Eastern Company for their joint property in the
station at London-bridge, should be read. They
would recollect that during the last Session of Parlia-
ment, great apprehension had been expressed of the
occurrence of dangerous collisions of the Brighton, the
Croydon, and the South-Eastern Railways, were all to
terminate at London-bridge, at the Greenwich terminus,
apprehensions not without grounds, as the Greenwich
trains ran every quarter of an hour, and some times every
five minutes, Parliament interfered. The Greenwich Com-
pany presented a Bill, authorizing them to construct
other lines of rails to the south, so as to avoid any colli-
sion with the Croydon or Brighton trains ; this, after a
struggle, they obtained. The Croydon Company also
obtained an Act, authorizing an exchange of stations
with the Greenwich Company, so that now the Croy-
don Company possessed the terminus near Lon-
don-bridge, and they were empowered, either con-
jointly with the Brighton and South-Eastern Com-
panies, or without their assistance, to enlarge
the station, which they have obtained from the
Greenwich Company. The estimated expense of this
was 111,5001., which would be 37,136/. Is. 4d. for
each Company. Parliament had empowered them to
issue additional shares to carry this arrangement into
effect, but the Directors did not at present purpose to
avail theniselves of that power, and he trusted it would
not be necessary.
The epitome of the agreement was then read, from
which it appeared that it was proposed that the pro-
perty of the station should be in the three Companies,
to be vested in the Croydon Company as trustees,
The payment of the 37,1361. Is. 4d. to be made in the
following manner by the Brighton and South-Eastern
Companies :-5,0001. on the Ist of December next ;
5,0001. on the sixth month after ; 5,000/. in twelve
months, and the remainder, 22.1661., to six ,ears : the
money outstanding, after the first payment, to be at do
interest of Five per cents, per annum. The Croydon
Company, in default of any of the payments, to declare
all
former share of such defaulting Company, together with ti
former deposits, forfeited. The management of tile
_e
station to be delegated to nine persons, three to
.b
named by each Company. The- Managers to receive
an annual salary of 1,000/. Three Managersby the
s to be
a
i
quorum. Each Manager to be
e removal
m oe
nmtp
toan yb
eappointingb
yh
ma epaaencyire,snit
t the
lse man
re-
signation, or death of whose Manager ha,,y have occa-
sioned it. All expenses of the station to be jointly borne
by the, three Companies. Either Company making de-
fault in payment, the other two Companies to declare