The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-19 00:00:00

1,41414:0014 -AND PLACKVVALL
RAILWAY COMPANY.

The twentieth half-yearly general meeting of the proprie-
tors of the London and Blackwall Railway was held yesterday
morning, at the London Tavern, in Bishopsgate-street ; Mr.
I. N. Daniel, Chairman of the Board of Directors, in the
chair.

The Secretary (Mr. Cannel) having read the advertise-
ment convening the meeting, the common seal of the Com-
pany was affixed to the register of shareholders.
The following report was then submitted to the meeting:—
"The directors have to report, for the information of the
shareholders, that the available balance on the revenue
account for the half-year ended 30th June last, is 5,0801.
10s. 2d., which enables them to recommend the declaration
of a dividend of 2s. per share, clear of income-tax.
" The following is a comparative statement of the pas-
senger traffic during the corresponding months of this and
last year :

1845.

Passengers. Amount.
January 207,920 £3,225 12 9
February ..
March
April ... 258,546 4,407 9 0
May 293,373 5,033 7 10
June 372,024 6,116 14 2

1,524,077 £25,612 19 1
1846.
Passengers. Amount.
January
February 166,551 2,688 10 7
March . 198,710 3,120 18 11

April
May... 310,318 5,040 19 11
June 393,730 6,283 0 9

1,496,180 £23,731 15 4
"It will be observed that there has been a diminution
both in numbers and receipts during the past half-year. This
is attributable to various causes. The Great Britain'
steam-ship was a great object of attraction for some months
during the early part of last year. The issue of annual and
season tickets will also partially account for the diminution.
The receipts from this source, which amount to 7981., have
been taken credit for in the revenue account, but ate not in-
cluded in the above statement of traffic.
" The returns from wharfage, both on passengers and
goods, exhibit a favourable. result, so that, irrespective of all
adventitious sources of increase of traffic, the receipts from
the regular traffic during the past half-year evince a pro-
gressive improvement.
" The shareholders will remark, that though the ca-
pitalisation of the debenture debt is only beginning to
operate, there is a saving on the half-year's interest account
of 4731:

" The directors are glad to report, that the arrangements
with the steam-packet companies in connexion with Graves-
end and Woolwich are satisfactory, their boats frequenting
the wharf on terms common to all.

"The directors strongly represented to the shareholders,
on a former occasion, that the interests of this Com-
pany could not but be greatly advanced by the con-
struction of the proposed South Essex Railway bringing a
large traffic upon the line; and they found it imperatively
necessary to take active and earnest measures to prevent the
traffic being diverted to the Eastern Counties Railway by
the North Gravesend, which was the competing line with
the South Essex; and though the South Essex Company
failed in their attempts to get a Bill, so also did the North
Gravesend. Every effort will be made to retain for the
Black Wall proprietary the traffic of the left bank of the
Thames, so legitimately their own.
"The Bill for uniting the Birmingham Railway with the
East and West India Docks is yet before Parliament. It has
passed the House of Commons, and is now in the House of
Lords. Such arrangements have been made with the pro-
moters: as it is believed will secure the interests of this com-
pany, should the Bill receive the unction of the Legislature,
and the work be carried into effect in the manner now
proposed.
" The negotiations with the Dock and Birmingham Junc-
tion Company led to the belief that it was prudent to delay
for the moment the commencement of the works on the Ex-
tension line, lest any modification of the plan should have
been found desirable. The works have, however, been con-
tracted for, and will now be proceeded upon with all possible
dispatch.
"The report of the Commissioners on Metropolitan
Termini is strongly against the introduction or extension of
railways within certain limits round the City. This restric-
tion, and the attainment of powers to widen the line, to give
increased station accommodation, and for the use of loco-
motives at the London terminus, have placed the London
and Blackwell Railway in a much more advantageous posi-
tion than it ever held before. And the directors venture to
express their confident belief that this railway will, at no
distant period, become the London terminus for all the lines
north and east of the metropolis."
The CHAIRMAN congratulated the shareholders upon the
improved state of their affairs, and expressed his conviction
that the termination of the rivalry between the Company
and the Gravesend steam-boats would be productive both of
advantage to themselves and benefit to the public. On the
whole, he thought their efforts in Parliament had been
tolerably successful, and they came out of the contests they
had lately entered into with as much success as they
had, under all circumstances, reason to expect. The
Bill for enlarging the station had been carried,
and it would no doubt tend to increase the accommodation
of the public as well as their own traffic. The business of
the Brunswick-wharf was daily improving. The rope had
worked well ; and on the whole their prospects were highly
gratifying. Indeed he had no doubt that eventually the
line would fall into the hands of a powerful neighbour, and
become the leading entrance into the City for all lines.
After a short discussion, during which it was elicited that
there was no favouritism evinced by the directors towards
any of the steam-boat companies, and that it was intended at
a future meeting to reduce the number of directors from ten
to seven, the report was adopted, and resolutions in accord-
ance with its recommendations agreed to.
Thanks were then voted to the Chairman and directors,
and the meeting terminated.