The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-29 00:00:00

c 9) 1847.
mARCH ~.
4
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WEST FLANDERS RAILWAYS.

The third half-yearly general meeting of the pro,
prietors in this undertaking was held on Saturday, at
eon o'clock, at the London Tavern ,Bishopsgate-stivt,
to:fransact the ordinary business of the company.
W. P. Richards, Esq.; occupied the chair.
The SECRETARY read the advertisement an 3 the re-
port, from which we extract the following paragraphs:—
" In laying before the proprietors the statement of
the proceedings of the company during the last half-
year, and of its position and prospects for the future, the
directors have to report that the portion of the line be-
tween Bruges and Thourout was completed on the 14th
September last, and opened on -the 6th October. The
line has since been opened a short distance further to
I;chtervdde, making in all iv length of fourteen miles
nuw opened.

The directors, whilst using every exertion to open
the first short section of the line, had reason to expect
that a further length would very speedily have followed;
in this, however, they were • disappointed. The winter,
%%Lich set in in Flanders with unusual severity on the
6th Decem'r,er, and continued with no available inter
mission until the first werk of March,' necessarily sus-
pended the works of the bridge over the Lys at Courtrai
as well as the brickwork on all other parts of the line.
Considerable progress, however,. had been made pre-
viouily, and the piers of the Lys bridge carried up above
the water level. The unfinished works suffered no in-
jury from the severe weather, and the whole are now
,advancing rapidly towards completion. The frost also
materially interfered with all the earthworks, so as to
make it impossible to complete the line to Courtrai by
Christmas, as had been expected at the date of the last
half-yearly report.
" Proceeding onwards from Lichterveld.e, great pro-
gress has been made in the direction of Routers, distant
51 miles. This section, it is expected, will be coin-
E.leted within a week. The population of Rouhrs is
about 11,000.
" Between Roulers and the towns of Iseghem and In-
gelmunster the works are nearly finished, and be-
tween the latter town and Courtrai they are in a forward
state. The earthworks, with the exception of one cut-
ting in Lendelede, about 500 yards in length, and a
maximum depth of 18 feet, are almost entirely on the
surface, and the reports of the engineer and contractors
lead the directors'uonfidently to expect, that this further
section, which will complete the communication between
the State lines, will be ready. for traffic by the end of
'June. The works on the Lys 11 cidge at Courtrai form

the measure in time for the whole
." With reference to the traffic to be obtained on these
lines, and the consequent success of the undertaking,
the opinion of the directors remains unaltered. The
calculations on which the prospects of returns were in
the first instance based, were made out in 1845
from data derived. from the existing traffic, at.d other
statistical details. These calculations received material
corroboration from the work of M. Desart, published in
March, 1846. Reference was made to this work in the
last report of the directors, and it was then shown, that,
assuming the principles of M. Desert to be applicable to
West Flundcrs, as he had shown them to be to the dis-
tricts traversed by the State lines, the traffic case of
the West Flanders lines would be made our, to the full
extent of the anticipations.
" Without, therfure, drawing hasty conclusions from

the partial experience on the line opened, the directors
consider themselve borne cut in stating, that the indica
tions thus far lead to the conclusion that the average re-
ceipts obtained on tie State lines (in 1846 they were
1,6131. per mile) will be realised on those of %Vest Flan-
ders. During the year 1845 the receipts on the Govan-
meat lines produced a profit of 4i per cent. on an outlay
of 17,5001. per mile, and it appears that in 1846 the profit
amounted to 4t per cent. on that cost ;—it is clear that
the West Flanders lines will not cost one half of the
above sum per mile, and, if so, it necessarily follows
that en an equal receipt the dividend will be double that
of the State lines.

" The directors do not anticipate this result hnme-
diately on the opening of the line—time will be required
for the development of the goods traffic especially; but
the directors entertain no doubt that the amounts above
indicated will at no distant period be realised."
The balance-sheet, made up.to Dec. 31, 1846, exhibits
a balance at the banker's and in 'investments of 73,998/.

17s. 11d., the receipts having been 288,5941. 175., and the
expenditure 204,5951. 19s. Id.
The CHAIRMAN said, that•although less progress had
been made than was anticipated, yet enough had been
shown to give some idea of.the cost of construction and
the expected traffic. They had not yet been enabled to
ascertain-,what the cost of management would be, and
on these_three things did the success of a railway de-
pend. The opening of the line from Bruges to Thourout
gave them excellent data on which to
.found an idea of
t cost of construction of the whole line. The distance
r, as 114 miles, which involved a total cost of 67,477/., or
hn average amount of 5,750/. per mile. This was üb.mt
the cost of the Belgian lines.; and the activity already
manifested in that portion of the line which was opemd
was quite k-qual to the activity upon she State lines. Ile
did not think they were too sanguine, therrf)re, in anti-
cipating a double profit to that which resulted from the
Belgian railways. At Thourout they met with the first
impediment; for, in the first place, a ditferenct;
arose between themselves and the Minister of Public
Works, which led to some correspondence, and of
course delayed in some degree the progress of the
works. Then they had to meet the increased demands
of the landlords, who supposed that time was of that
first importance to them; that they would submit to any-
thing in order to avoid delay. He was happy to say
that this impediment was got over, and that they were
new, if possible, in a better position than they were
before. They had had also a very severe winter to con-
tend against. The Chairman then paid a well-merited
compliment to Mr. Desert for his ingenious principle of
testing the expected traffic between towns. The prin-
ciple on which that gentleman founded his earculations
was, that the traffic between any two towns was in the
direct-ratio of their, populations, and varied inversely as
the distance between them.. That gentleman had, by
analysis of the entire returns, been able to establish a
number to represent every distance from one mile and a
quarter to above 150 miles. The Chairman concluded
by calling on Mr. Cubitt to state the present'position of
the works, &c.: .

Mr. CUBITT recapitulated at great length the state-
ments adverted to in the rcport.
Mr. DISNEY moved that the report be received.
Mr. Casa seconded the motion.
In answer to several questions, _ _

The CHAIRMAN stated the expense from Bruges to
Courtrai would be under 6,0001. per mile. The stations
were very modest things, and only adapted to single
lines. When the next call should be made the company
would have a surplus sum after finishing the line to
Courtrai.

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

DORCHESTER AND SOUTHAMP-

TON RAILWAY.

A special general meeting of the company was held on
Satnr lay, at the Terminus, Nine Elms, for the purposeof
obtaining the sft, coon of the proprietors, according to
the late Act, for the several Bills which the company
now have before Parliament ; Lord de Manley in the
chair. _ _

The Bills comprised one for making en alteration of
the Southampton and Dorchester Railway, including a
Deviation and Branches to Lywington and Eling ;
another for a Branch to Blandford ; a third for a
Branch to Weymouth from More, on, and a fourth to
enable the South-Western Company to subscribe to-
wards the capital of the Southampton and Dorchester
Company.
he advertisement convening the meeting having been
read,
Mr. CAMPBELL, the Secretary of the London' and
Southampton Railway, read the preambles of the Bills,
and stated the substance of the several clauses, the effect
of which in all the Bills was nearly similar, giving the
usual powers to lease the line, take tolls, and to make
such other regulations as might render them conformable
to the general Act and in unison with the Acts pre-
viously obtained by the two companies chiefly interested.
All the Bills were unanimously approved.
The Bills having be( n pas!e
The CHAIRMAN stated that he had been informed by
the engineer that the whole of the line would be open to
inspection on the Ist of May.
Thanks were voted to the Chairman, and the meeting
was dissolved.

THE COLONIAL BISHOPRICS.
The Committee for arranging the appointment of Co-
lonisl Bishoprics assembled on Thursday evening, and
it was definitively arranged that the following clergymen
should be nominated to the headship of the newly-formed
sees, three being in Australia, and the fourth in the
Cape of Good Hope:-
1. Diocese of Melbourne, for the district of Port
Philip, New South Wales.—The Rev. Charles Perry,
M.A., Trinity College, Cambridge.
2. Diocese of Newcastle, northern counties of New
South Wales. —The Rev. William Tyrrell, M.A., Saint
John's College, Cambridge.
3. Diocese of Adelaide, South Australia.—The Rev.
Augustus Short, M.A., Christ Church, Oxford.
4. Diocese of the Cape of Good Hope.—The Rev. Ro-
bert Gray, M.A., University College, Oxford.

---
NEW POTATOES.—The Armagh Guardian contains
the following, the first announcement of new potatoes :
" Mr. John,,Lowrie, gardener to the Lord Primate, sent up a
dish of excellent new potatoes to the palace on Saturday last.
They were of the ash leaf kidney hind, planted on the 6th of
January; and were perre,elly free from disease "
Thz Duke Corchiano, a descendant of the Princely
House of Santa Croce, died at Rome in the early part of the
month, at an advanced age.
DEATH OF THE DUCHESS (DOWAGER) OF MON-
mosE.—We have to record the demise of the Duchess (Dow-
ager) of Montrose, who diction the 24th instant, at her villa,
near Richmond, aged'savetiq-seven. The deceased, Lady
Caroline Maria Montagu, was -1 he eldest daughter and only
surviving issue of George, fourth Duke of Manchester, and
was consequsutly aunt to the present holder of that title. In
1790 she married James, third Duke of Montrose, who had
been previously married to LadyJimima Ashburnham, and
by his Grace, who died in 1836, had issue seven children, in-
eluditv he 'present Duke, the late Countess of Winchiliea,
and the' Countess Fowls. The and Duchess of Mon-
trose, who had been staying for some time back at Brighton,
have returned to Belgrave-square.

PRITCF SD.

LICENSING MEETING.

The adjourned general licensing meeting for the
parish of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields division, was held on
Saturday. The magistrates present were, Lord Mon
ford (chairman), Mr. Graliam„Mr. Welsby.
In the case of an application made by Mr. Ireland for
a license for a house situate in • Northumberland-street,
to he called the Northumberland Tavern,

Mr. Ballantine appeared in favour of the application ;
Mr. D. W. Wire appeared in opposition.
Evidence was given of the due service of
.the notices
required by the Act.
The applicant in this csse, it appeared, carried on
business as a retaibtr of beer and a purveyor of ham and
beef sandwiches, and was also a clerk and collector at
Mitchell's Scotch ale stores, Hungerford-market. The
application was presented signed by nearly 100 persons.
Petitions were presented praying the Court not to
grant the license, from persons residing in Northumber-
land-street, from the agent of the Duke of Northumber-
land, from other persons in the neighbourhood, and
from the body of licensed victuallers, on the ground that
the wants of the distri t were amply supplied by public-
houses already. - Also a petition signed by a number of
persons who had -previously signed a petition in favour
of the applicant, setting forth that their names had been
obtained by misrepresentation, and praying the Court
to refuse the license.

Mr. D. W. WIRE then proceeded to argue that there
was no public necessity for this additional licensed house.
The house was situated at the corner of a narrow
thoroughfare, of not more than 5 feet in width ; the
house was not more than 106 feet from a house already
licensed, known as the Northumberland Arms, and at
ab.,ut the same distance from the Ship and Shovel, a
house which had been well conducted by the present pro-
prietor for the last twenty-fiveyears, and a filch afforded
ample accommodation, by means of a commodious tap.
room and parlour, for the wants of the customers visiting
that house. lie felt quite satisfied that the Court
would not, in a quiet and retired neighbourhood of
this sort, grant a license to a house that was
not in the slightest degree called for. It might
be said by his Learned Friend that there was a
great traffic through this narrow thoroughfare, but he
apprehended that that was not sufficient to induce the
Court to grant a license to the applicant. From the ex-
perience which that Court had had in matters of this
kind, he felt assured that they would refuse the license
in the present ease. It did not at all follow, that because
the applicant had obtained a good trade as a retailer of
beer, and a purveyor of ham and beef sandwiches, that
therefore it was a fit and proper house to be jiceused as
a tavern. He might be an industrious and interprising
person, but it might happen that by .ranting this
license the Court would be only addin: another.to the
list of those distressing cases wh., were so often
brought before the Court as incapab from want of ne-
cessary support, to meet the de • ,nds made upon them.
Ile hoped, therefore, that the C • rt would in the present
instance feel it their duty to use the license.
Mr. ROCHE, the clerk to he magistrates, said that a
letter had been received •y Sir J. Marshall, the landlord
of the house, prayi._ the, magistrates not to grant the
license.

Mr. BALIANTINE, upon this, handed in a letter from
that gentle'man, withdrawing his letter and recommend-
ing the-applicant to the favourable consideration of the
Cottr(. The Learned Counsel then, on behalf of the
applicant, contended that this house, if licensed, would
afford accommodation of a nature very much needed, not
only in that district itself, but throughout the whole of
the metropeis—a house that would afford the greatest
possible accommodation at the least possible-cost to a
respectable class of people, such as those who resided in
the neighbourhood. With respect to the Ship and
Shovel, it could not for a moment be contended that-li-
censing this house could affect the interests of the pro-
prietor, who had conducted it for the last twenty-five
years in a most respectable and creditable manner. That
house was principally used by persons connected with Hun-,
gerford-market. And with respect to the Northumber-
land Arms, that was a house principally used by barge-
men, coalheavers, and other persons connected with-the
wharfs along the river. This house, if licensed, would
not, therefore, in the slightest degree affect the interests
of that place.
The room was then ordered to be cleared. Upon the
re-admission of the parties we were informed that the
magistrates had decided upon refusing the license.
License refused accordingly.
Several other applications were disposed of, and the
Court adjourned.