The Sun.
London, England, 1848-12-08 00:00:00

WATERLOO BRIDGE.

The half-yearly meeting of this company was held at
the Freemasons' Tavern, Great Queen-street, yesterday
-Mr. William Anderson in the chair.
Mr. POWELL (the chief clerk) read the report, which
stated that the tolls received for the half-year ending
the 23d of August last amounted to 7,0671. 9s. 6d. At
the last half-yearly meeting, a dividend of 3s. in the
pound on the annuities was declared, leaving a balance
in band of 5571. is. At the present meeting the direc-
tors propose to take the sum of 471/. 3s. from that ba-
lance, which, with the receipts of the half-year, would
enable them to pay another dividend of 3s. in the pound
on the annuities, and leave a balance in,hand of 861. ss.
At the last assembly of the proprietors, the committee
reported that they anticipated great advantages would
arise to the company from the completion of the South-
Western Railway extension to Waterloo-bridge. The
committee had now great satisfaction in informing the
proprietors that the Waterloo station was opened on
the 11th of July, and that from that period to the pre-
sent, notwithstanding the unprecedentedly wet:season,
there had been an increase in the tolls of 7071.35., as com-
pared with the corresponding period of last year, and the
committee believed they might fairly anticipate, on the
completion of the several extensions connected with the
Waterloo station, a much larger traffic being brought
upon the bridge. The report concluded by stating that
the bridge, road, toll-houses, &c., were in a good and
satisfactory state of repair.
The report having been adopted,
The accounts, of which the following is a brief abstract,
were read :-Receipts from tolls, 7,067/. 9s. 6d.; rents of
arched vaults, &c., 4961. 178. 6d.; interest on Exche-
quer-bills, 295/. 10s.; watering, per contributions, 10/.
2s. Bd.; interest on Reduced Three per Cents., 2,3881.
Is. 2d. stock; the consideration for a lease of ten arched
vaults, 35/. 16s. 5d.; making a total income of 7,878/.
16s. Id., which, with unappropriated stock from the last
balance, to pay dividends on annuities of 4711. 35., gives
a total of 8,349/. 19s. id., thus appropriated. Expenses
of the company for the htlf-year, 1,2261. lls. 11d.; in-
come duty, 202/. I Is. 2d.; interest on bonds, at 5,4, and
3} per cent., 1,295/. 16?.; dividends of 3s. in the pound
on 37,5001. annuities due this half-year, 5,6251.
On the motion being put for the adoption of the ac-
counts, _ -

Mr. COPE put a series of questions, from the answers
to which it appeared that the annuitants have a claim on
the receipts of the bridge prior to that of the share-
holders. Should the bridge ever return a surplus be-
yond the 75,0004 per annum annuities, it would not be
available for division among the shareholders wadi the
whole of the arrears of the annuities, which amounted to
about 1,500,000/.,-were paid.
Mr. COPE said that, under these circumstances, he did
not see any chance of the holders of the original shares
ever receiving anything; a proposition in which the
Chairman appeared silently to acquiesce.
The accounts were then adopted, and the retiring
directors (Sir John Rennie, the Rev. John Rush, and
Messrs. Beadwell and Gordon) were re-elected.
_ _

•
A vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded the busi-
ness of the day.

THE STANFIELD - HALL
MURDERS.

WYMONDHAM, THURSDAY EVENING.—The police
have been engaged during the whole of to-day at the
Potash Farm, the residence of Mr. Rush, in making a
minute search for the pistols belonging to the prisoner.
Portions of the flues and brickwork in the premises have
been removed, and the ground has been turned up in all
directions by the police, but no trace has been disco-
vered, so far as we can learn, calculated to throw any
light on the tragical occurrence or its authors. The
most absurd mystery on the subject is maintained by the
police force under the command of Colonel Oakes, by
direction of the magistrates who have assumed the con-
duct of the investigation, the Hon. and Rev. Mr. Wilson
and Mr. Cann. The adjourned examination of the
prisoner, Rush, will take place to-morrow at Norwich
Castle.

We are happy to state that Mrs. Jenny is still pro-
gressing favourably towards recovery. Her lady's maid,
who sustained a compound fracture of the thigh from
the discharge of the slugs, and who has suffered great
agony from the wound, still lies in a precarious state.
The medical men succeeded in reducing the fracture this
morning, and she is doing as well as can be expected
after so critical an operation.