The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-10 00:00:00

DUTCH-RHENISH RAILWAY.

A general meeting of the shareholders in the Com-
pany for this line was held yesterday, at one o'clock, at
the London Tavern. W. J. Chaplin, Esq., Chairman of
the South-Western Railway, in the chair.
The CHAIRMAN opened the proceedings by stating
that circumstances had occasioned the presence of several
of the directors in Paris, and had put him into the posi-
tion of chairman. This could hardly be considered as
an English meeting, because the head director being in
Holland, they could not therefore come to any de-
finite decision, but as the meeting had been called in de-
ference to the wishes of their proprietors, their sentiments
might now be gathered, and be stated by the delegation
at the meeting of the directors in Holland. He lamented
that the meeting had not been deferred till the close of
the financial year ; but still, although only ten months
had elapsed, he thought the directors would be able to
give some satisfactory intimation of the worth of the
property at the end of the year. He would now call
upon Mr. Janson to read the report of the directors in
Holland.

The report stated that the King of the Nether-
lands and the Secretary for the Home Department
had not hesitated to connect themselves with the line;
that by the Concession of 16th May, 1845, the posses-
sion and working of all the railways granted to the Com-
pany, and to be constructed, are fully secured till the
nl anpe sumss e
accountttohatht ehe
Governmenttvhoe
either
rebi rnnentefemndneidevnexi tdn,peeentoxoddcseendp r,t
resumenow nf
without
end of the year 1898 : after that, they are not to re-
lapse
ynor refunding fettuponnydyi
lines,mn ge
deduction
t allrepayments.
etf
th
gi
hvteehGaotoglvereasarnnttme;ennaetnydheairin'sdmonfoamoritelice prfevieus to the
. expiration
of
will be extended fora a new period this notice, the grant
administration
of;
w h twenty-fiveilst
no g
greater
tax moreover, guaranteed
d to. the Com-
pany
agem etnhteagnrdeatitneasntefiraelLsdrain
upon ae6npdneulaldlelyn.
cethlannitsmali
tax can be imposed
mpaenrifesl;eodoOi. on
three-
fourths per thousand, or
the capital. The difficulties which.
them-
selves in the commencement have been already in ar
overcome. The. regulations for the administration wereF
approved of, with. very few alterations, in the meetings
of the general direction. on the 18th and 19th July
last, at which meetings his Excellency the Count Schim-
melpennick accepted the presidency of that direction.
The chief engineer was Mr. N. J. Van der Lee, who had
previously been employed as engineer by the Government.
The transfer of the existing railway was not effected till
the :.st of September last. Since then the company have
had the entire management of the line ; and that the
service had not only been conducted with great regu-
larity, but that not a single accident has happened on
this line. Meanwhile, so far from the sum stated as the
probable cost of the transfer having been exceeded, the
company has actually realised a saving in that item of
about 300,000 florins, equal to 25,0001. On another
point the financial position of the company was also im
proved. It was stipulated that a sum of 500,000 florins,
equal to 41,6661., should be deposited as a security fund,
without any interest being allowed for it by Govern-
ment. This capital has been relieved, on depositing, in
lieu thereof, bonds which will bear interest—so that
an annual profit of upwards of 20,000 florins, equal to
1,666/., has thereby been secured to the company.
The materiel of the railway remains in the best state ;
the condition of the whole property of the Company and
of the line, in its entire extent, leaves nothing to be
desired, and it has obtained the approbation of all who
have closely inspected it. In order to afford greater
accommodation to the trains, they had laid down
a double rail on some points of the line, and
this alteration has already answered the designed end.
They had also felt the necessity of improving the meets

! of conveyance by water to the chief station in Amster-
_ dam; and, for the attainment of this object, to establish
additional warehouses, as well as to erect wharfs for
landing and shipping merchandise. By means of these
comprehensive improvements, the merchants of Amster-
dam will be able to have goods conveyed by the accus-
tomed water carriage, without the expense of cartage,
andimmediately placed on the waggons of the railway,
• and to receive them in the same manner from the
station. It is also in contemplation of the authorities
to. form a convenient wharf at Arnheim, which
will establish the most ready connexion between
the chief city of the kingdom and the Rhine,
for goods destined to places beyond Prussia.
Among the branches the construction of which has
been undertaken by the Company, that to the Eutrepot-
dock at Amsterdam occupies the first place, regarded
in a mercantile point of view ; because it not only in-
sures to the Company the conveyance of goods from the
warehouses of private individuals, but also those which
are warehoused in that large commercial depot. Two
routes presented themselves—the one longer,. over an
objectionable tract of ground, and interfering with
much private property ; the other, over better ground,
and belonging exclusively to the corporation of Amster-
dam. The former route was originally projected and
sanctioned by Government ; the latter was, after due
examination, selected. The advantages connected with
this new route were as great as they were obvious ; and,
in the construction, it was calculated a saving of 400,000
florius (_33,333/.) would be effected ; the keeping of it in
repair, in consequence of the superiority of the ground,
would be much less expensive ; and tedious and costly
law-suits with private individuals, for the expropriation
of their properties, would thus be avoided for the future,
as regards the keeping of it in repair, as would have been
observed from the foregoing statement. With respect to
the conveyance of passengers, the report announced,
that the results already obtained were of the most
satisfactory nature. Notwithstanding the unfinished
state of the railway, and although the mea-
sures adopted and projected can develop their full effects
only at a future period, still they were able, in this first
year of the opening of the line to Arnheim, to calculate
with certainty on a return of more than 600,000f1.
(50,0001.), which will thus, for that first year, yield an
interest of nearly four per cent. on the expended capital,
after deducting all expenses. Agreeably to the act of
concession, the junction of the Dutch-Rhenish Railway
with the Prussian was to be a matter of diplomatic
arrangement between the two Governments, and that
had just been brought to a successful conclusion.
Meanwhile, the financial interests of the Company have
not less occupied attention : and here, also, they had
reason to be satisfied. In conformity with Art. 24 of
the statute-, the meeting of the general direction, on our
proposal, authorised us to redeem a portion of the loan
o
bonds
loann 9,d
sOh (a)
sO,
haveOt
eoeoc
et lo
mr(ee7d
isenoe t ,
meooeOd/
possession, )
0, n and
reasonableef tnearlyh a
the
terms,
e mt h ra de3a, o.e f h d
Tt
the
ha
et
effect of this redemption has of course been a consider-
able saving of interest ; but as the time is approaching
in which the works confided to their care will have to be
commenced, they also intend to submit to that meeting
the propriety of making a third call. They have laid it
down as a principle, when speaking of the future, to
keep within the bounds of probability ; and they, there-
five, trust, that the anticipations which they have in-
dulged will be surpassed by realities. If their expressed
wish in this respect had not prevailed, they would have
preferred delaying their report till the close of the finan-
cial year, because they flatter themselves that they should
then have been able to communicate the adjustment of
still open questions, whereas they now often have to speak
of pending negotiations. They proposed, however, on a
fitting opportunity, to give another report, which will
be satisfactory to the shareholders at large.
The SECRETARY afterwards read the report from the
English directors and the observations of Mr. Locke,
the English engineer, the former confirming the Dutch
report, and the latter showing the probability of good
traffic, and that the earthworks to Arnheim had been
completed fur a double line, although only a single line
had been laid down. The country was flat, and the cost
per mile will be far below that of English railways. The
gauge was to be the same as the German lines, with
which it was intended to communicate.
These several documents were received with much
applause.
The CHAIRMAN said that as confidence in our foreign
line ought to be supported, he would say a few words, al-
though not otherwise after such lengthy reports. He had
last autumn been invited to visit Holland, and he found
the population so great that there was a certainty of
success. There was Amsterdam with 250,000, Rotter-
dam with 100,000, Utrecht 60,000, and Arnheim with
24,000, ell upon the line ; and he only wondered that
the wealthy and numerous inhabitants of these
places did not make the line for themselves. But a little
reflection soon showed him the cause, and the more so
when he recollected three or four years since, when they
were desirous of getting the concession of the Rouen
line, it required 2,300 subscribers in France to take as
many as 200 shareholders in this company had taken
amongst them. He then went over a plan of the line
showing its course and connexion with the German
railways. In 1845, the traffic on the Amsterdam line
had reached 6,625,000 persons and upwards, and as the
proposed line was seven miles nearer, it was natural to
presume that this would be increased. There was a
consideration as to whether the transfer of the traffic
should be at Arnheim, on the frontier, or at Esundrick.
This matter was, however, now satisfactorily settled.
The line to the latter place would be all finished in the
course of one year, and the remainder of the line, which
was now being formed to Minden, a distance of 42 miles,
would be completed early in 1847, and then the
Dutch-Rhenish line would be in communication with
one already formed, and which was made all the way to
Berlin. By a comparison drawn up by Mr. Moss be-
tween their probable traffic on this line—by the books it
appeared on the Birmingham line, between the Ist July
and December 31, 1839, the first year of its opening, the
number of passengers were on the whole 94 miles,
which were at that time opened, 301,557, or on an aver-
, 3,208 c
epearssseenwgaesrs23p37somli,le. On the Grand Junc-
tion line,. during six months, the average on the 96
magielesof
of
r o
passengers per mile. On the Paris Rouen n average 3
oueulinedu2;4lng2
six months of the first year of its opening, the numbers
carried were 348,976, or on an average 4,150 passengers
or
rn
atnheaBve4rmagieleesfo4,s7
fiBtscourse while on the Arnheim line
passengers,
or
the number carried during the six months was 281,814,
and the Hague, the number carried was, in the
lminoerehetthwaenendouble
that of the Grand Junction. A-
msterdam
six months after its opening, 626,316 on the 37 miles of
its
; whilecourse drie
, or aeng last as nseaverag
yea averse
s,e
of 16,927 passengers per
r the average of the
number carried by the South-Western Com-
pany had been 11,412 passengers per mile, thus
showing that the passenger traffic to be anticipated
was in every way satisfactory. Then as to the proba-
bility of remuneration, he would state that the prices the
Company were entitled to charge were lid. per mile for
the first class, lid. for the second class, and id. for the
third class, against 1 3-sd. for the first class on the
Rouen line, which was, perhaps, the best correlative
that could be adduced, 1 1-sd. for the second class, and
id. for the third class. This Rouen line was paying
ten per cent, dividend. On the Western line the ave-
rage charge for the three classes was lid., so that there
was little doubt of success. Then as to the cost of the
line, the original estimate was for the whole 103 miles,
which would be the whole length, including the
branches, 1,824,6001.; but, in consequence of the nego-
tiations of the direction in Holland, the sum was
1,731,6001., making a cost of something more
than 17,000/. a mile. On the Arnheim line
the cost, including land, was 15,5071. per mile, while,
in England, the cost was 20,000/. to 30,0001., and in
one instance, he believed, as much as 50,000/. a mile, so
that the cost was far in favour of the Dutch line. Then
again, as to the cost of working, he found that on the
Arnheim line the whole number of miles traversed was,
during the last six months, 120,568, at an expense of 3s.ld.
per mile; while on the South-Western line the miles tra-
versed were somewhat above 400,000 miles, at an expense
of 3s. 6d. a mile. On the South-Western line the Companye
with the
paid 12,8291. ss. for mileage to Government, and 12,576/.
forpoor-ratesand
Government,tax hets,
eCompany
while,accorwetetrnr to pe
g to agr7 re
ys. 6d.
a mile, so that the expense was 7501. as against 12,999/. ss.
In Holland there was no poor-rates to pay at all. The
coke cost about 275. a ton, while in the south of England
the price was 265. And as a proof of his belief of the
goodness of the line he held 4,035 shares, which he in-
tended to keep.
The Chairman was cheered throughout the whole of his
address which seemed to give the meeting the utmost
satisfaction.
In reply to a Shareholder, Mr.. CHareerre said
the double line of rails was laid down part of
the way to Arnheim, and that throughout the whole
length the works were constructed for a double
line and all that was wanted to complete
of the rails. It would be seen
avenues of traffic. were opened,
be very largely increased, for it
fraropTettehde. convey-
ance hh
ee
that line
amount
h ewn ast
of
the
fe
it
several
wouldlaying
bad been found impossibrmleeert.toourksAesaeuptttthihtee
wnpaeasxs staegmnrgeeeee rtdsi
meeting,
:on,
at the
water, re,
fagnededgsreaastsb?eeneee.fiet_tvhvoeuLlideeewn ensue eto
pub-
lishOnth
nd
to postpone the financial statement till the same oppor-
tunity.
Thanks were unanimously and enthusiastically voted
to the Chairman, and the meeting separated.
tehenesmugegeeesftiothneo.dti

WIGAN ELECTION CWIMITTEE.
decided that the
Several witnesses, principally publicans, were examined
and cross-examined yesterday, but Aothing was elicited
by which a direct agency could be proved.
HoTnh. elected a burgess
to serve in the present Parliament for the borough of
ejaCmoems mLiitntdeseaythhenadubneaennimdoutielv
Wigan. .

The Committee then adjourned.
The resolution will be reported to the House at its
meeting after the Easter recess.

House
IB46.—The following is the Listof Governors
and Directors of the Bank of England for the year ensuing,
viz.:—

John
William
i R.
Robinson,
FOR
t eaGDt°lll:,;lils,c%RqS:ll.
0:J111Di:11:Op
nVu ,Governor.
iyrtl.:::
oy. v e r n 0 r .
Henn James Prescott, Esq
Bart.
Arthur Edward Campbell, Esq. John aorsley Palmer, Esq.
t.
William Cotton, Esq.
Bonamy Dawes, Esq.
Chas. Pascoe Grenfell, Esq. Christopher Pearce, Esq.
Thomson liankev, jun. , E.
Weguelin. ,
J 1
10, hi
William
i Ga
neil I
Little,ibr i d
Esq.lb bar d , Esq. ' Dsj
iaarmv;Q:sini:orar:Rtvertaaii:setkl°,tehili,Eli'
ja
sesluiqin: (1
.
James Malcolmson, Esq. Tholes Chas. smith, Esq.
reputy-Goverhor will he
Humphrey St• John Mildmay, Win. Thompson, Esq., Ald.
Thomas
Esq. Thou, jun., Esq.
James Morris, Esq.
held at the Bank on Tuesday, the lith of April, and for SheffieldDi-
G soTrhgea
election
leNe
Wardsteiao
rectors on Wednesday, the 15th of April, from ten o'clock in
the &mom till tour o'cleckila the tizoola.
eN'for Governor and
Lo
rgmq 'a
n , E.q• FrEan% wason,
Esp.