The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-12 00:00:00

DEMERARA RAILWAY

The first half-yearly meeting of this company was
held yesterday, at one o'clock, at the London Tavern ;
Mr. M. McChlery occupied the chair.
The seal of the eompany having been affixed to the
register of the proprietors,
The SECRETARY (Mr. h. Hill) read the following
report :
" The directors have much pleasure in stating that
considerable progress has been made in carrying out
the powers of the Act authorising the construction of
this railway, and that the position of the company's
affairs, as regards the present state of the works, and
the prospect of future success, are highly satisfactory.
"By the exertions of the Colonial Committee of
Management, aided by the judgment of the engineer,
Mr. Catherwood, several very valuable lots of land
and buildings have been secured to the company, at
a moderate price, in the most eligible part of George
Town, which have all the desirable requisites for the
establishment of a principal terminus. An advan-
tageous purchase has also been made of a piece of
land in the immediate vicinity of the town, on which,
besides its intended application to other useful pur-
poses, a manufactory of bricks is now in the course
of being established, from which a great saving of
expense in that article may be confidently expected.
"No further purchases of land will now be required
except for a site of the smaller terminus at Mahaica,
and for a portion of the line of road of the railway;
and on this latter head the directors have every reason
to hope that the expenditure will be comparatively
light, for the majority of the proprietors in this dis-
trict have, since the last meeting, liberally ceded to
the company, gratuitously, the quantity of land re-
quired on their estates for that purpose, and it is
hoped that an equally favourable result will attend
the renewed applications lately made to several others
of the proprietors who are known to be most favour-
ably disposed to this undertaking.
" Since Mr. Catherwood's return to the colony, a
new survey of a part of the east coast district has
been made, and an improved line laid down for that
portion of the course of the railway, which possesses
the advantages of shortening the distances between
the termini, and of preventing all possibility of the
railway. being injured by any encroachment of the
sea, and of affording increased accommodation to
several of the estates on the line.
" A plan and
.section in conformity with this last
survey have been duly registered in the colony, and
all the other formalites required by the Act having
been complied with, the directors have much gratifica-
tion in stating that, the ceremony of turning the
first sod' was performed on the 19th August last by
his Excellency Governor Lyle, who was attended' by
the colonial heads of departments, all the members
of the committee, and numerous others, his Excel-
lency on this occasion evincing, as he has ever done,
the lively interest which he takes in the progress of
the works, and his desire to promote the success of
the undertaking by every means in his power.
"An account, in detail, of the progress of the
works to the middle of August last, will be
found in the engineer's report; and the direc-
tors have the satisfaction of adding that they
have also received a letter of a late date from Mr.
Catherwood, in which, after repeating his convic-
tion that the line will prove highly remunerative,'
he further says, 'Nor do I at present see reason to
fear that the estimated cost (low as it is) will be ex-
ceeded, or if at all, but by a comparatively small
sum.'
"In order that all proper dispatch might be used
in the carrying out of this undertaking, the directors
have, from time to time, sent out to the colony ex-
perienced artificers, in the selection of whom great
care has been exercised, together with such a supply
of machinery and implements as was calculated to.
further the progress of the works, and there now
seems no reason. to douht from, the last communication
received from Mr. Catherwood, that within six months
froiti the preterit. time the,rst few miles of the rail.;
way will be opened foi traffic—an event of much
importance to the interests of the shareholders—as
the directors will be enabled to apply the returns from
this source towards the further expenditure to be in-
curred for the works.
" That due economy has been observed by the di-
rectors in the management of the fund entrusted to
them will appear from the accompanying general
statement of the accounts, which shows that out of
the original deposits by the shareholders on the
formation of the company, they had in hand on the
30th ultimo, the day on which the half-yearly
accounts were made up, a balance of 10,7081. Os. 3d.
" Liabilities, however, have been incurred on
account of the company, for which it is necessary
that immediate provision should be made, and anxious
as the directors have naturally been during the pre-
sent depressed state of the money market to defer
making any demand upon the shareholders, such a
course is now indispensable in order to enable them
to meet their engagements becoming due, and to pro-
ceed with the undertaking.
" They propose to limit the present call to 21. 10s.
per shah, an amount which they trust will be readily
responded to by the shareholders.
"The directors cannot conclude without expressing
their own unabated confidence in the success of this
undertaking, and bearing their willing testimony to
the zeal and energy displayed by the local committee
threcgineer,— in the performana;
'of their respective, duties. Their services have beeh
hitherto very valuable to the company, and the • di-
rectors continue to receive assurances from them that
they will not relax in their endeavours to promote,
in every possible way, the success of this undertaking.
" The directors have now to submit to the share-
holders a statement of the accounts of the company,
from its formation to the 30th ultimo, examined and
signed by the auditors."
The accounts from the commencement up to the
30th of September showed the receipts to have been
63,1931. 14s. 10d., the expenditure 52,4851. 14s. 7d.,
and the balance 10,7081. Os. 3d.
Colonel WARREN disapproved of the payment o:
1,5001. a-year to the directors-1,0001. to the direc-
tors here and 5001. to those located in Demerara

He considered it an extravagant sum for the direction
of a railway only twenty miles in length. The direc-
tors of the Colchester line, which was fifty-two miles
In length, only received 6001. a year; and as he con•
sidered the sum too large, and that all the manage-
ment was on the other side of the water, and not
here, he proposed that the sum should be reduced to
400/.

The motion was not seconded, but
Mr. A. F. RIDGWAY rose and opposed the motion.
The sum, in his opinion, was not too large for the
laborious and valuable services of the directors. They
must not look to the length of the line for the
means of judging as to the amounts which
they should receive ; that was no criterion.
They must look to the vast amount of labour
they had devoted to their duties, to their careful
examination of the resources of the country which
the railway traversed, and to the care which they
had taken to place their shares in the hands of bond
fide persons. Mr. Ridgway entered at some length
into the resources and increasing prosperity of the
colony, and showed, from the increased consumption
of the colony, how valuable the railway would
become, and how necessary it was to give the direc-
tors cause to be vigilant in their service. He begged
to second the adoption of the report.
The CHAIRSIA/4 said, at the last meeting 14001.
was voted to the directors for their services for the
ensuing twelve months. The meeting was a nume-
rous one, and the motion awarding them this remune-
ration did not come from the directors, but from the
meeting. He questioned much whether they would
get even one person to devote his time in the colony
to the railway for 5001. They must recollect that
it was necessary to have two boards. The directors
had deferred making calls to the last moment, but
they regretted that they could not defer doing so
any longer. The eext call would take place imme-
diately.
The report was then adopted, and the motion of
Colonel Warren having fallen from the want of a
seconder,

A vote of thanks was passed to the Chairman and
directors, and the meeting separated.

ASHTON•TINDER•LYNE.-MEETING OF SPINNBREI,

—An important meeting of the operative cotton spinners"
of this town and neighbourhood took place on Thursday
evening, at the Brougham's Arms, Ashton. The meet-
ing was composed of delegates from all the shop meet-
ings which have been held during the week, and they
announced the determination come to by the spinners at
each firm. From the statements handed in, it appears
that twenty-one firms have now given notice of a reduc-
tion. The spinners employed at twenty of these firms
have come to the unanimous resolution to have a cessation
from labour, which cessation will commence on the 21st
inst. It was resolved not to hold a general meeting upon
the subject, as such meetings tended to mislead them.—
Manchester Guardian.

SINGULAR TURN OUT AT ILKESTON, DERBY-
-811/RE.—The workmen employed by Messrs. F. Ball
and Sons, lace-manufacturers, Ilkeston, " turned out"
on Tuesday, the sth instant, rather than submit to a
further reduction in their wages. They afterwards
went to the cricket-ground and agreed to a match to de-
cide whether or not they should accept the offer made.
The game was won by the party for the refusal, with
upwards of one hundred notches to spare.—Local Paper.
WHITECROSS-STREET PRISON.—The new arrange-
ments in Whitecross-street Prison for the classification
of the prisoners are complete, and are expected shortly
to be enforced. The prison will now be used for com-
mitments from the City Sheriffs' County Court under
the new Act of Parliament. By the classification to
be adopted, there will be separate places for debtors
committed for 40 days from the County Courts, and
for remanded prisoners from the Insolvent Debtors'
Court, as also for debtors before bearing. The willregu-
lcaotniofinnsedin v
blhesi
imt
eiel
ra
or
ats. t
to
ttrheoese
ats the
ed by the Secretary
of State for the county gaols. The number of prisoners
period is
inconsiderable.
The Bavarian Government is taking measures to
contract a loan of 49,687000 florins for the railroads,

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-g 0 USE.
C
Wigley was brought before the Lord
Mayhaorrleansd Sir J. Pirie, charged with having carried
and conveyed a certain quantity of tobacco upon
which the duty had not been paid. The possession
subjected the defendant to a penalty of 1001.
Mr. Beverley, solicitor to the Customs, appeared
for the prosecution.
Mr. Goodman (the chief clerk) having put the
question, , " Guilty or not guilty ?"
The defendant said, " Guilty of the possession, but
I should wish the public to know the facts."
The LORD MAYOR—Although you have pleaded
guilty, I shall willingly hear what you have to say
on the subject, if you think it will be of service
to you.
The Defendant—About five o'clock on Sunday, as
I was going to see a friend near London-bridge, I
met a man near the Coal Exchange, who asked me if
I wanted any such thing as tobacco. lat first re-
fused. He said he had 71b. of it, and the price was
17s. 6d. At last I agreed to give him 10s. 6d. for the
lot, and went to a place in the neighbourhood, where
I paid him for the tobacco. Now, the officer who
immediately afterwards apprehended me was in
Thames-street, in the dress of a sailor, when the
man came up to me to ask me to purchase ; and I
say it was a regular most rascally put- up between
them.
The LORD MAYOR—Do you mean to say that it
was a plant upon you ?
The defendant—l do, my! Lord. The one sent
the other to tempt me to buy, that they might make
a job of me.
The LORD MAYOR, (to Mr. Beverley)—ls 'the de.
pndant known to boa person-Who deals in Contraband
rticles ? Acr. Beverley—No • but his conduct was
'most insdent, and he violently assaulted the offiCer
who apprehended him. You will hear a different
version presently.
The LORD MAYOR—Certainly, if a plant has been
put upon this man, I cannot listen to the proposition
to punish him under such circumstances.
The defendant—My Lord, I never was charged
with anything before in my life. I did not know
that I was doing anything wrong.
Sir JOHN PIRIE--TO what ship do you belong ?
The defendant—l belong to no ship now. I have
belonged to the Sir Robert Peel, a screw-steamer, in
which I have been often employed.
Sir JOHN PIRIE—That convinces me that you
perfectly well understand what smuggling is, and
that you knew that you were not justified in pur-
chasing the tobacco.
The defendant—l'll tell you my motive for doing
so. I was going to the Red Sea for two years in the
Royal Sovereign, in which vessel I was engaged, and
I wanted to lay in a little stock for my use.
Sir JOHN PIRIE—No vessel goes trading to the
Red Sea for two years. I happen to be acquainted
with the Red Sea, and to know that coal is the only
thing we take out there.
The defendant---Well, I said coal and cinders.
Jones, the officer who took the defendant into cus-
tody upon the information, then made the following
statement upon being, called upon by Mr. Beverley :
--7-At a quarter befofj six.o'clock on Sun4ay„,eygning,
Viet Vie': deteraaA another` man in Thames::
cooliog, i‘pt e,, dtrystian from the, Sir jtobert
reel;- the Xagneir, and anothei`steanier; and I sus-
pected that they had smuggled goOds about them.
I stopped them. The man who was with the de-
fendant said he had only some butter about him.
The defendant said he had nothing at all, and I took
them into custody. The defendant said to his com-
rade' " Give me ten shillings to give to the officer
and he will drop the heavy penalty." " No," said
"no bribe will be taken." When we got as
far as Nightingale-lane he hesitated to proceed further.
I told him it would be of advantage to him to come
along quietly, but he started off. I followed and
caught him, but he seized me by the neck and
pressed his nuckles into
my throat until I frothed at
the mouth. By a hard struggle I got free from him,
but he seized me again, and kicked and struck me
violently. I found that he was perfectly dressed in
tobacco, having 13 pounds about his limbs, and 12
pounds round his body, and as he ran along he dropped
several packages.
The defendant—That's the biggest lie that ever
came out of a man's mouth.
The inspector who took the charge at the station-
house said the defendant never uttered one word of
the statement he had just made when brought before
the minor authority, nor, indeed, said a syllable in
palliation.
The defendant n
packd and said the whole business
was a m
He was condemned in the penalty of 1001.
t o laughed,
of
lies
GUILDHALL.
Yesterday Richard Charles Harris, a porter at
was brought before Mr. Alderman Hunter
Messrs. Hocking s, woollen warehousemen, 47, Old
charged with having practised
rasrl
final
0,
examination,
fraudsn
inati
00
nn,
his employers, by altering the
figures in receipts which he produced as vouchers
accompanying a weekly account of petty disburse-
ments.
Mr. Horry appeared on behalf of the prisoner, and
a solicitor conducted the prosecution.
Lawrence Williams, a clerk at the Dublin Wharf,
East Smithfield, stated that a wharf note, dated the
13th of August, produced, was made out by him. He
received the goods and 2s. for wharfage, and gave the
receipt produced. It had since been altered from 2s.
to 4s. He had an entry in his book of only 2s. being
paid. He received ten packages on the 17th of
August, for which he gave the wharf note produced.
He made it out for ss. 6d., but it had been altered to
9s. 6d. He had an entry of the payment of ss. 6d.
in his book.
John Kingstnn, another clerk at the Dublin Steam-
wharf, stated that a wharf note, dated the 20th of
Sugust, for five trusses,-was made out by him. He
received the goods and 3s. The amount in the wharf-
note appeared to have been altered from 3s. to ,6s.
He'had an entry of 3s. in his book.
Walter Hartley, clerk at Harrison's-wharf, East
Smithfield, stated that a wharf note produced, dated
the 4th of August, was in his handwriting. He re-
ceived the goods and a sum of 10d. only ; but the
wharf note had since been altered by prefixing a
" 1," and making it ls. 10d. He had an entry
of 10d. in his book,
corresponding with the wharf-
note.
James Cox,
a town carman, deposed that he was
frequently
goods to different wharfs. He paid the wharfage, and
employed by Messrs. Hocking to convey
upon returning and producing the wharfage note,
used to received the amount from the prisoner. He
delivered the goods at the Dublin-wharf, and received
the wharf notes produced. He received 2s. from the
prisoner for that dated August 13, ss. 6d. for that
dated August 17, and 3s. for that dated August 20.
He also delivered goods at Harrison's-wharf, on the
4th of August, and received the wharf note produced.
He delivered it to the prisoner, and received the
amount from him; but whether it was made for the
sum of ls. or 10d. he could not tell, but he delivered
it to the prisoner in the same state as he had it from
the wharf, and received only the sum therein named.
The notes had been altered since he delivered them to
the prisoner.

a-
Charles Watling, clerk to Messrs. Hocking, de-
posed that he had been in their service since the 9th
of August. The prisoner was one of the porters, and
generally had a small sum in band to cover petty dis-
bursements. The prisoner used to account to him or
to another clerk, by delivering in a list of his paY-
ments, and producing the parcels books, wharf notes,
or other vouchers. On the 23d of August the priso-
ner delivered to him the weekly account now pro-
duced. One item was, " Shipping, 15s. 6d.," which
the prisoner supported by tendering the two wharf
notes for. 9s. 6d. and 6s. They were then in the same
state as now. The prisoner had the money to make
these payments already in band. In the prisoner's