The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-22 00:00:00

it touched the heart ; and he cordially agreed with the
Hon. Member foi• Oxford, that, amid the many claims
of his Noble Friend upon the gratitude of the British
public, none gave him so good a title to it as that which
he acquired as thu friend of the unprotected, and none
gave him so strong a claim as the position he had taken
on the present subject.—Loud cheers.) The question
before the Committee was simply, whether the Com-
missioners should be continued fur three years, or for one.
He agreed with the Hon. Member for Finsbury, that it
was very desirable that the conduct of public servants
should undergo investigation. He also agreed with him
as to the necessity of inquiry into the confinement of lu-
natics in general; and if it should be found upon careful
consideration that further steps were necessary, he would
in a future Session propene an alteration. But after the
declaration of his Noble Friend, if the question of one
or three years went to a division, he would vote for the
longer period.
' Mr. \VAKLEY said he had moved this amendment
because he believed that he was serving the cause of hu-
manity. If he thought there was any probability of Isis
succeeding he would go to a ; if, however, he
vas likely to be in a small minority, he would refrain
from doing so, believing that it would only injure the
cause he was advocating.—(hear, hear.)
Mr. ESTCOUWI' said his opinions on the subject
coincided with those of the Hon. Member for Finsbury,
and had a division taken taken place, he would certainty
have voted with him ; but after what had fallen from his
Noble Friend, and from the Secretary of State for the
Home Department, he would recommend the Hon. Mem-
ber not to press the House to a division.
Mr. WAKLEY then withdrew his amendment.
The House then resumed, the Chairman reported pro-
gress, and the Revert was ordered to be brought up to-
morrow.

On the motion that the Poc.:r-law Continuance Bill be
road a fir. 4 time,
Mr. YORKE said he would licre give notice, that he
should move that the Counnissioners be not empowered
to ent)rce indi.,criminate separation between man and
wife, and that in no case should they sanction it, where
the application for relief arose neither from poverty
nor vice. _ .

Sir J. GRAHAM said, that as he should to-morrow
propose the second reading of the Bill, that, perhaps,
would be the best time for giving notices of amendment.
Mr. YORKE said he would give notice of his motion
to- morrow.

The Bill was then read a first time.
Sir J. GIiAII.A.II gave notice that to-morrow he would
ask leave to bring in a Bill for the payment of the per-
son; employed in taking the census of the population.
The House then adjourned at a Quarter-past Eight.

formed a basis on which he thought they might very properly
found some conclusions in endeavouring to estimste the future
traffic on the line And although it ws scarcely the business of
the Directory or the Chairman to enter much into such state-
ments, 3:ill he thought it their ditty to put the Proprietors
into possession, as far as they could, of all those circumstances
which tend to show the ultimate prospects of the concern.
The receipts—taking for a basis the present receipts, and mak-
ing those deductions to which he had referred, and which were
derived from the experience of other lines—would be very
nearly 6,0001. a week. This showed, he thought, that they
could not but expect an advantageous result for the under- '
taking.
The next important subject was the expense of working the
line. They had not yet the data sufficient to enable them to
ascertain at what rate per annum they could work the line;
but, taking every pains to ascertain the probable amount, in-
cluding maintenance of way, the depreciation of stock, and, in
fact, every charge they could conceive could come in, and they
found that with a receipt of fr0m.5,000/. to 6.000/. a week, their
expenditure would not exceed 100,000/. a year. If they succeeded
in keeping it to that amount, thay would work their line at
more moderate cost than any other of the largo lire s.
Another observation with respect to the profits. Different
principles were in operation in different. Companies as to the
mode of conducting their traffic ; and as those principles were
essentially nifferent, and as the Directors conceived that the
principle on which they intended to work this line was the
right one, he might explain wherein the difference lay. It
had been a.surned on some lines, that the expense of convey-
ing passengers or goods was a certain amount, say Id or lid.
per passenger, and, consequently, any traffic which would cot
yield something more than lid. per I wsenger, was not
wor,h while for these Companies to secure. ; hut the Di-
rectors of this Company did not • look at their traffic in
this light. They had a fixed expenditure, say 103,0001.
a year, whether their traffic was large or small ;
and they set aside the receipts of the first traffic
to pay that 100,0001., and all surplus beyond that amount they
looked upon as profit. Consequently. guided by that princi-
ple, their endeavour was, first to secure such traffic as the dis-
trict yielded through which the line psssed, at the highest
charge; consistent with the interests of the Company. Par-
liament had sufficiently protected the public, and the Company
cndeavowed to get the most out of the district. But, when
they looked further than their own distri -t, they saw that, un-
less they reduced the rates very materially, there would be,
beyond what they were able io derive from their own district,
a considerable por:ion of traffic which would take other routes.
With respect to the new shares, they trusted that the con-
ditions on which they were off red would be satisfactory to the
Proprietors, and that they would be taken ; and, as they
had been obliged to connect the issue of new shares with the
payment of the dividend, he was anxious to prevent the po::,i-
bitity of any one conceiving that the dividend vsas a payment
oat of the call. The fact was, that their revenue account had
already borrowed the money, in order to make gool.the excess
of expenditure beyond the capital they had raised ; they hail
had to borrow from the revenue fund all the -money that had
accrued from the traffic. and the call would enable them to pay
that back, and then that fucd was the legitimate source from
which to pay the dividend.
Mr. KAY awed, whether it was a rule that no porterage
should be allowed to third-class passengers ?

•
MANCIIESTER AND LEEDS RAIL-
WAY HALF-YEARLY MEETING.
The tenth half-yearly meeting of the Proprietors in
this undertaking was hell on Thursday last, at the Com-
pany's Offices, Clowe's-buildings, Hunt's Bank, and was
rather numerously attended,
,there being nearly seventy
Proprietors present, several froth a considerable distance.
H. liouebswoneen, Esq., Chairman of the Board of
Directors, having taken the chair, called on the Secre-
tary, Mr. Jellicorse, who read an advertisement in the
Manc,Tzester Guardian convening the meeting, and stated
that a similar notice had appeared in tae Leeds Marcury.
The Chairman, having first taken the vote of the meet-
ing to authorise him, next proceeded to affix the Com-
pany's seal to the register of Proprietors, and then re-
quested Mr. Entwisle, one of the Directors, to read their
Report.
Mr. W. ENTIVISLE then read the Report. It is too
long for insertion entire, and printed copies arc in the
hands of the Shareholders ; bet the following are the
principal passages of general interest : -
The total receipts for the first six months ending on the Ist
instant, have been 103,0701. 175., showing a weekly average,
during the first three months, of 3,251/. Os. Id., and, during
the second three month, of 4,6191. 183. 2d. t!And though
some part of this improvement is, undoubtedly, dune° the in-
crease of traffic that alwas s takes place at this season of the
year, yet the Directors feel justified in staring their opinion
that the traffic is gradually developing itself, and, under more
favourable circumstances, when trade shall have recovered frem
its present depressed state, will fully answer the expectations
that they have always entertained The average weakly re-
ceipts, during the six weeks ending on the 6th instant, have
amounted to 5,1951. Os. 3J. The total disbursements on
capital account, up to the Ist of July, amounted to 2,728,2701.
Is. 10d., which suns includes the payments on account of
the extension line to hunt's Bank, and of land and materials
available for re-sale, amounting together to about 80,000/.
In the fieancial expssiten given to the Proprietors at the
special meeting held on the 3d of June last, it was stated that
the questions of a dividend, and of the issue of the new shares
to be created under the powers of the recent Act of 4 Victoria,
would form subjects of consideration for the present meeting,
and that in the present state of the finances of the Company, they
were inseparably connected. By postponing a division of the
profits, the issue of the new share; might for a time be de-
layed ; but the Directors, after much consideration, anti with an
anxious desire to meet the wishes of the shareholders, have de-
termined to recommend that a dividend, in proportion to the
amounts paid upon the shares, viz., of 21. en each share of
1001., and of 17s. 21 on each share of 50/., amounting to-
gether to the sum of 37,158/. 6s. Sd., be declared out of the
surplus receipts derived from the partial working of the line,
simultaneou-ly with the issue of the new shares of 25/. upon
which a deposit will be required of 21. per shore ; and they fur-
ther recommend, that the new shares be offered to the Proprie-
tors in the proportion of one share of 25/. for every 1001. of
the stock of this Company held by atiy Pooprietor.
Although the capital stock of the Company has recently
improved in value, as the Directors had anticipated, yet the
rise is not yet sufficient to ensure that the new shares will be
taken up at par, and the Directors had, therefore, to consider in
what manner an adequate inducement should be he'd out to
the Proprietors or the public to
°subscribe for these shares.
The issue of them at a discount would deprive the Company
of a portion of their Parliamentary capital; , and, in order to
avoid th s, it has been determined to recommend that an extra
value be given to the new shares by engaging to pay dividends
upon such deposit and upon all sums called up and paid upon
them, at the rate of ten per cent. per annum for five years ;
and that such shares be entitled to dividends after the expira-
tion of the said term, in proportion to the amount paid upon
them in exactly the same manner as the other shares. Under
these conditions, they believe that the shares will readily be
taken up; and, as it will probably be thought desirable to raise
as much of the future capital as possible by loans on bond, in
anticipation of calls, the expenses to the Company of placing
the shares will be but small and temporary.
Since the special meeting in June last, the contract for the
Oldham Brandi Line has been entered into, and the contractor
is bound to have it completed and ready for opening early in
January next. The total cost will be within 50,000/. The
Halifax Branch Line will form the next subject of the attention
of the Directors.
The continued indisposition of the Directors of the Liverpool
and Manchester Railway Company to proceed with the con-
nection line, together with the unfavourable state of the times,
and the serious inconvenience which would be caused to the
Proprietors, by calling upon them for any large amount of capi-
tal, under the great depression which has taken place during
the last half-year in the rrarket value of the stock of this Com-
pany, have combined to deter the Directors from submitting to
the Shareholders on the present occasion any proposition for
the immediate commencement of the works upon the Exten-
sion Line to Hoot's Bank.. But, as the powers of the Com-
pany to purchase land expire in July next (unless their
renewal should be obtained in the next Session of Paflia-
ment, for which notices must be given in November next),
same positive decision has become unavoidable. As the
question at present stands, the Directors of this Company have
reason to believe that the project of a junction line round the
southern side of the town, is virtually abandoned ; and that
the only point at issue is the sufficiency of the thorough traffic
to afford adequate remuneration fur tne outlay. The opening
of the Manchester and Leeds line has been looked to by the
Directors of the Liverpool and Manchester Company as being
likely to afford a basis cn which to found their calculations for
the solution of this question; but it has long beers the opinion
of your Directors, that no result obtained from the traffic
between the lines, while disconnected, can ever afford that de-
gree of certainty of success which the very cautious policy of
the Liverpool and Manchester Company seems to require ;
for the question is not so much as to the amount of existing
traffic through Manchester, as the amount which would be
diverted into this channel by a continuous railway communica-
tion. This can only be determined by actual expe-
rience ; but, from the immense extent of the intercourse
known to subsist between Liverpool and the populous
districts on the line of the Manchester and Leeds Railway,
the result may, in the opinion of this Board, be as certainly
inferred and relied upon as any data on which such work. are
wually undertaken. In pursuance, therefore, of their powers
under their Act of Parliament, the Directors have determined
to proceed with the purchase of the remainder of the land re-
quired for this purpose, by which means they will secure for
this Company the power of forming a direct communication
with the- Old River Company, in case the Directors of the
Liverpool and Manchester Company shall allow their own
powers to expire unexercisetl. The advantages of this con-
nection with the water conveyance to Liverpool would be, in
the opinion of your Directors, inferior only to those of a direct
railway communication ; in proof of which they would reler
the Proprietors to the recent introduction of an improved clas-
of boats upon the old river, an experiment that eppears hitherto
to have been attended with complete success.
The CHAIRMAN then said that it had been usual to
follow the reading of the Report by a few observations,
to supply details on subjects noticed in the Report, or
to give information on other subjects, known to interest
the Proprietors at the time ; although they were now ap-
proaching a period when, he trusted, facts would speak for
themselves, and would require no comment. But, in refer-
ence to the present half-year, he thought a few observation-
might be desirable. In the first place, he would advert to the
opening of the line, on the Ist of larch last, as an event
which would not only set at rest all doubt and anxiety as te
the completion of the line, but at the same time remove ad
remaining obstacles to that remunerating traffic towards
which they had so long looked. They might now very
properly congratulate themselves on the completion of
so stupendous a work. Whether they looked at the
nature of the country through which the line passed,
the engineering difficulties which opposed themselves, or the
pecuniary difficulties of the times in which the work was car-
ried On ; to the energy and skill thus employed in the expendi-
ture of the capital, or to the immense advantages which the
railway was likely to confer upon the district through which it
runs, and the addition which it could not fail to make to the
productive energies of the country—all these were reasons
for congratulating themselves; and, if there were no oth, r
similar, work iu the country, this line would, he thought,
bear ample te;timony to the industry, zeal, arid enterprise
of the age. When he last addressed the proprietors in
June, the Directors expressed seine disappointment that
the increase in the traffic had not answered their exp
tations ; but, at that time, they had overlooked a 'act which
subsequent experience had shown to have considerable effect
on their traffic. At that tette they had not cpmemplated
their present arrangements with the carriers ; so that in May
last their increased traffic was exceedingly small. Since then,
however, the traffic had continued to inereese steadily and pro-
gressively, so as sufficiently to indi.ate that the Manchester
and Leeds line was to ferns no exception t 0 the rule, as to all
the principal railways, that there was, and would continue to
be for a lung time after the opening, a steady and progressive
increase of traffic. During the six months just elapsed, to the
Ist September inst., their receipts had been 103,0001., and
in that time the average weekly receipts of the first
three months was 3,976/. ; of the second three
aglly the toadd
accounts; thean
months, 4,616/. These sums differed a little from the
balancing
e re accrued,m ade thein
accounts as published ; but, as would be perceived,
during the last six weeks or two months, they had
d,reifeethi
result would be, that in the first three months the weekly re •
pet sc,o
corrections
etnhgewy
WOOL'. 3,276/o and in the second theee months
4,6161. Their average weekly receipts, during last mouth
( August), had been 4,895/., when these corrections were
Matte. .flitinzh this was not a sufficient amount to make an
adequate return upon the amount of capital expended, it

The CHAIRMAN—It is..
Mr. KAY—Then he should recommend the Directors to
take that rule into further consideration. A few days ago, at
ore station, a female came with a box, which she wanted placing
on the luggage-train, and none of the porters were willing to
assist her. At length a gentleman standing by, seeing her
situation, took it up, and carried it is the luggage-train. One
of the porters came to him, and wished to know whether he
was a passenger ; and it was not till he had shown his ticket
that the interference of the porter ceased. He thought this a
case deserving the attention of the Directors.
The CHAIRMAN said, the Directors had, on a former occa-
sion, explained to the Proptietors the principle which they
found it absolutely necessary to apply to the working of that
traffic, so long as they milintained that class of fares. It was
a question how far the public convenience was better
provided for by having only two classes of passengers, and
givirig the usual attendance and porters to both, or having a
third chits at a much dowel. fare. The Directors conceived
that it was more for the interests of the pubde that the Com-
pany should provide a les class of carriages fir the conveni-
ence of those who could afford to pay a high class fare ; and,
in order to make that meet the interest of the Proprietor:,
they were obliged to limit the expense as much as passible.
They could only do so by using carriages to hold a much
larger number of people, and by not incurring any expense in
porterage. There would occasionally be cases of hardship like
that named ; but the question would be, whe:her it was not
bet ter upon the whole for the lower classes that they should be
conveyed at the rate of Id. or lid. a mile, than that no such
conveyance should be afforded them below 2d. a mile. The
Directors believed that it was for the interest of that class of
people that it should be as at present.
Mr. KAY said, he understood that the lower doss passengers
formed as large a per centage upon the capital as any class.
The CHAIRMAN saint they did so; but, if they allowed por-
terage to the third class, many second-class pasmngera would
become third-class passengers.
Mr. E. LOYD, banker,said he had been exceedingly gratified
with the Report • and he had great pleasure in moving that the
Report of the Directors now read be received ; that their pro-
ceedings be app-oved of and confirmed; and that their accounts,
up to the 30th June last, be passed.
The motion for the adoption of the Report was then put from
the Chair, and passed nein. dis.
A PROPRIETOR. asked—Have you made any estimate of the
expense of making the brancn to Halifax ?
:ttr. COUCH said the estimate was about 55,0001., the length
being about 1% mile.
The CHAIRMAN said it was their intention to commence
that branch early in the spring.
The PROPRIETOR then asked if the Directors kept the ac-
count or Sunday traffic separate from the rest ; because the
Proprietors, who had strong conscientious objections to parti-
cipating in the profits of Sunday travelling, might wish to
know what these were ?

The CHAIRMAN said they had the accounts so made out,
that the Sunday traffic might be distinguished; and they could,
if the meeting wished it, state, at the bottom of the dividend
warrants, as the Liverpool and Manchester Company did, the
amount of the Sunday traffic.
After a long divertAtion by Mr. James Wood against Sun-
day travelling, which led to no result, the meeting separated.

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1841

TRANSATLANTIC TRIBUTE.
(From the L 1 ova Scotian.)
The following pretty lines, by General Morris, Editor
of the New York Mirror. breathe a tone gratifying to
the Briton who reads, and very becoming to the Ameri-
can who has written. The former delight in all rational
homage to the young, high-souled matron, who sits on
the throne of the Isles ; the latter appears to feel a deep
and due sympathy in matters that concern the affections
and the well-being of the land of his fathers. Every
thing human is liable to contumely or ridicule—Queens,
and Kings, and Presidents among the rest ; but he is
not a wise citizen or Christian, who seeks occasion for
unchari:ableness merely because occasion may be found.
The indulgence of legitimate veneration, is pleasinc,f and
profitable to all concerned. General Morris thus ad-
-dresses

THE LADY OF ENGLAND.
Lady of England—o'er the seas
Thy name was borne on every breeze,
'Till all this sun set clime became
Familiar with Victoria's name !
Though seas divide us many a mile,
Yet, for the Queen of that proud Isle,
From whence our fitther, sprung, there roves
A blessing from this land of groves!
Our father land ?—fit theme for song—
When thou art named, what memories throng;
Shall England cease our love to claim ?
Not while our language is the same.
Scion of kings ! so live and reign
That when thy nation's swelling strain
Is breathed among OUR forests green
We tou raay sinn " God save the Queen'.