The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-31 00:00:00

SHEFFIELD. ROTHERHAM, BARNSLEY.

WAKEFIELD, HUDDERSFIELD, AND GOOLE.
The half-yearly meeting of this company was held at
the offices, Wakefield, yesterday ; Mr. E. B. Beaumont
in the chair.

Mr. HANDPIELD, the secretary, read the directors' re:
port. It stated that,
" Arrangements had been made with Messrs. Miller
and Co., the contractors, to reduce all future works on
contract No. 1 (with the exception of the bridges over
the line), to dimensions sufficient for a sin ;le line of way,
and also to complete the Silkatone brance. with a single
line of way ; the whole to be completed, so as to be
opened to the public by the 31st Deoember, 1849. The
bi
ienget,nni g o
works of No. 2 contract had been
,suspended since the
fJunfreomlastt.he 'Thenhde
nrfemoamintirnagetpNornti,cn2
toof h
the
junction with the Sheffield and Rotherham Railway.
and also the Silkstone Branch, had been staked out ann
the plans prepared. The works between Horbery ant
extending
Barnsley had proceeded with as much expedition as wa-
consistent with the pledge given to the shareholder,
at the last meeting, that the call would he limiter
to 5/. per share, an amount the directors con-
sidered sufficient for the prosecution of the Un-
dertaking, having due regard to the financia!
difficulties under which all classes have been labouring ;
and which had induced the directors to restrict the ex-
penditure to the lowest possible point, by suspendire.
more active operations until a more economical methoc
of carrying out the whole project could be devised. In
effecting these objects, a collision of opinion unfortte
nately took place between the directors of the southern
and those of the northern portion, those connected with
the latter division requiring the scheme to be carried
out in all its integrity, while the southern directors felt
that the difficulties before them were of too great a
magnitude to justify them in the heavy outlay which
the immediate formation of the line as originally con-
templated would involve. These differences proceeded
so far as to result in a Parliamentary conflict upon a
Bill introduced by the South Yorkshire Company in the
present session. As one result, however, of this pro•
ceeding, the directors congratulated them upon an
arrangement which had been come to, and which
while it secured to the district the formation of the
line, would, be attended with such a diminution of the
cost as would prove most beneficial to the shareholders.
This arrangement was the reduction of the works to a
single line of way throughout. As regarded the
Northern division, the difference from this saving woulc
be such as to reduce the amount necessary for the con
struction, from 251. to 181 10s. per share, and upon thi,
diminished amount the original guarantee of 5/. per
cent. and half surplus profits from the Lancashire ane
Yorkshire Company would be continued. It was, how-
ever, stipulated in the amended agreement, that the line
should be handed over to the Lancashire and Yorkshire
Company, passed by the Government inspector as read)
for traffic on or before the 31st Of December, 1849; the
guarantee in this case to extend to 250,0001. should that
sum be necessary; and, on the other hand,
failing the completion of the works by the
stipulated period, the guarantee is to be limited
to 250,000/. From the forward progress of the works
of this division, the directors did not anticipate the least
difficulty in carrying out. this agreement. But the)
begged to impress upon the shareholders the absolute
necessity, of their finding the necessary funds for the-
completion of the line within the stipulated period. The
nature of this altered arrangement rendered it their own
interest to do so. As regarded thesouthern division, the
directors, having given the subject their most mature de-
liberation, were of opinion that the formation of a single
lice of railway to join the northern portion at Barnsley,
would be sufficient for the wants of ttie district, while the
saving effected thereby would be bestvaleulated 10 ensure
its speedy construction, and to render the stock profitable
to those who had invested their capital in it."
The report was adopted, and after a vote of thanks to
he Chairman the meeting separated.

was held here at
souTH DEVON.
of the line
PLYMOUTH, WEDNESDAY.—Yesterday the half-yearly
gentthe ral
Royal meeting
lio t:hotel,
,of the
in the chair.
in possession of
The meeting was a very crowded one, and the announce-
ment of the intention of the. directors to abandon the at-
mospheric system was receivedwith
dia"te great applause.
eTahboomv ea
s railway
Gill,m. p
..,
Mr. WALKER, a director,
.read the report, it stated :---
and conse •
to the 'mine-
a mast important source of remunerative traffic, it had
rvhicaitnaitl)t.hoofugiplytmhoeuotphenbaindgpat
thei.n
been too recent to influence the receipts,
quently, the result of the hay-year's traffic was not so
satisfactory as could be desired, still a considerable
amount, which at present formed a subject of arbitration,
was now due to the company b y the Post-office for the
conveyance of mails. The disadvantages under which
both the atmospheric and locomotive Systems had la-
boured, had atlcted the working
, expenses to an extent
that would not occur again. Though the working of the
atmospheric system had been greater than was antici-
pated, certain reductions had attended the progress of
the experiment, which to an ex
tent, might probably be
relied on, but the whole of this important question was
referred to a committee, who examined into it for sever&
weeks, and, after balancing the various circumstances,
the directors, without pronouncing any judgment as to
the ultimate success of the atmospheric system, and
whilst they were prepared to afford the patentees and
other parties interested in doing it the use of their Ma-
chinery for continuing their own experiments, had ar•
rived at the conclusion, with the entire concurrence of
and recommendation of Mr. Brunel, to suspend the use
of the atmospheric system until the same shall be made
efficient at the expense of the patentees and Mr. Samuda.
They were also prepared with arrangement: for supply-
ing locomotive power from the date of its suspension. The
general depression of the times had affected the South
Devon in common with every other line. The passenger
traffic during the last 6 months had been—lst class, 42,869,
travelling 664,286 miles ; 2d class, 133,551, travelling
1,931,331 miles ; 3d class, 63,597, travelling 1,080,001
miles. The extension, in a few weeks,
of the goods
traffic to Laira would open. a Considerable source of
profit, and the early extension of the line into Plymouth,
and the opening of the brunch to Torquay would be
energetically prosecuted. Owing to the limited means
at their command, the directors were compelled not only
to defer the present proceeding with Lthe remaining
A