The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-18 00:00:00

districts served by the South-Eastern Railway, acd general

satisfaction is expressed.
"A comparison of the passenger traffic fla• the half-years
ending on the 31st January, 1845, and the 31st January,
1846, shows that the number of passengers has increased from
392,768 in the former, to 531,558 in the latter half-year,
and the amount of receipts from 10.2,749/. 17s. 6d. to

104,906/. 10s. 4d.
"The amount at the disposal of the proprietors is
78,0481. 7s. Id. The directors recommend that a dividend be

declared for the half-year of 17s. 6d. per share, upon the
paid up shares, and of the proportionate amounts of 6s. 7d.
on the No. l shares, and 3s. 9d. upon the No. 2 shares, less

he income-tax.

"This will amount to 66,091/. 13s. 4d., and will leave a
reserved fund of 11,956/. 13s. 9d. to be carried forward to the

next half-year's account.
" The directors have made arrangements to secure to the
South-Eastern Company the sole use of the Locomotive
Buildings at New Cross for one year: at the expiration of
which the directors expect the South-Eastern Company's own
Locomotive Establishment at Ashford will be ready for use,
and their intsrest in the New Cross property will then be
ceded to the Brighton and Croydon Companies. The station
at Ashford was chosen as the site of the South Eastern
Locomotive establishment, because it is the place at which
several of the South-Eastern Lines of Railway centre; and
the directors are glad to report that they have purchased the
land requisite for these purposes on advantageous terms,
and in the situation where they wished to have it.
" Several of the new engines, built according to Mr.
Robert Stephenson's patent, have been received and are
giving satisfaction.
" The conversion of the Maidstone Branch Railway into a
double line of' rails is nearly completed, and this branch will
open as a double line by the end of this month.
" The Tunbridge Wells Branch was opened for passenger
traffic to a temporary station at Jsckwood's Spring on the
20th of September. the extension of this branch into the
town is proceeding rapidly; when completed, the directors
expect a considerable increase will take place in the traffic to
that place.
" The South-Eastern Ashford, Canterbury, Ramsgate, and
Margate Branch Railway was opened to the City of Canter-
bury on the 6th of February. One line of railway is already
laid from Canterbury to hamsgate with the exception of
about a hundred yards, and the second line of railway is laid
excepting about three miles; the completion of this branch
to Ramsgate by Easter may be safely reckoned on.
"The Ashford, Hastings and Saint Leonards b raneh is
staked out from Saint Leonards to Rye, and preparations are
making for letting the works.
"The Directors let the works of the branch to Deal to
Messrs. Grissell and Peto. The iron bridge over the river
Stour is the only Important work on this branch ; it has been
in hand some time, and will not occasion any delay in the
opening. The other ~corks are in progress.
" The directors found that the traffic on the Canterbury and
Whitstable Branch Railway could be worked much more
economically and efficiently with locomotive than with sta-
tionary engines, and they have made arrangements accord-
ingly. It has been necessary to relay this line with heavier
rails, and that work is just finished.
" The electric telegraph is now erected over the whole of
the South. Eastern Railway and branches.
" The directors hart the satisfaction to arrange with the
gentlemen promoting the Central County Kent Railway to
give up that project and join the South-Eastern Company ;
and they had the pleasure to elect Alexander Randall, Esq.,
of Maidstone. and Robert Tassell, Esq., of East Mailing, to
be directors of this company.
"The directors, whose term in office now expires, are the
Right Honourable Viscount Torrington, Benjamin Harding,
Esq., and Captain C. W. Tyndale, who offer themselves for
re- election.
The CHAIRMAN congratulated the Company on the state
of their affairs. The reduction in the fares, he was happy to
say, had been attended with the most beneficial results. He
reminded the shareholders that but one of their branches was
at present in full operation. This was important for them to
consider. The Maidstone line would be opened as a double
line almost immediately. He need scarcely say that he anti-
cipated a favourable decision on the South-Eastern schemes
by the House of Commons, as the directors believed
that these scheme were the best to accommodate
the district. It was particularly desirable that
this meeting should be as brief as possible, as the officers of
the Company were required at Westnnnster. He would,
therefore, at once move that the report be received and
adopted.
Mr. HARDING seconded the motion, which was carried
unanimously, no observation having been made by any pro-
piietor.
The dividend was then declared, and the retiring
directors re-elected.
This terminated the business of tl.e general meeting.
SPECIAL MEETING.

The meeting was then made special, to consider the follow-
ing Bills which are now before Parliament, namely :
" A Bill to citable the South-Eastern Railway Company to
make a railway from the south-west side of the Waterloo-
road, near to the York-road, in the parish of Lambeth, to the
London and Greenwich Railway.
" A Bill to enable the South-Eastern Railway Company to
make a railway from the London and Greenwich Railway, to
join the South-Eastern, Canterbury, Ran:v:gate, and Margate
Railway, in the parish of Chilham, in the county of Kent,
with a diverging line to Dartford, and with branches to
Sheerness and Faversham-creek.
" A Bill to enable the South Eastern Railway Company to
make a railway from the Landon and Greenwich Railway to
the South-Eastern Railway, in the parish of Great Chart, in
the county of Kent, with branches to Tonbridge and River-
head, in the parish of Sever-oaks.
" A Bill to authorise the South. Eastern Railway Company
to make a railway from Tunbridge Wells, to join the Rye and
Ashford Extension of the Brighton, Lewes, and }lastiags
Railway, near Hastings.
" 4 Bill to enable the South-Eastern Railway Company to
make and maintain a railway from the South-Eastern Rail-
way, near Reigate: to Porking, in the county of Surrey.
"A Bill to enable the South-Eastern Railway Company to
make a railway from Maidstone, to join the Gravesend and
Rochester Railway and Canal near Stroud and Rochester,
and to alter the levels of part of the Maidstone branch of the
South-Eastern Railway.
" e'nable the South-Eastern Railway Company to
make a railway from the South-Eastern, Canterbury, Rams-
gate, and Margate Railway, near Canterbury, to Dover.
" A Bill to enable the South-Eastern Railway Company to
make and maintain a railway from the South -Eastern, Can-
terbury, Ramsgate, and Margate Railway, at Chislet, to
Margate.
" A Bill to enable the South-Eastern Railway Company to
make and maintain a railway front the line of the South-
Eastern Railway, near Tandridge-lane, in the parish of Tan-
dridge, to East Grinstead.
"A Bill to enable the South-Eastern Railway Company to
make and maintain a railway from the town of Rye to the
mouth of Rye Harbour.
"A Bill to enable the South-Eastern Railway Company to
construct an additional station at Ashford, in the county of
Kent, and for other purposes.
"And a Bill to authorise the purchase of the Gravesend
and Rochester Railway and Canal by the South-Eastern
Railway Company."
These were all agreed to, and the meeting separated.

INGENIOUS SUGGESTIONS AFFECTING THE HEALTH.
—A Correspondent. of the Builder suggests that the pipes fur
London sewers should be somewhat larger than they are at
present, and at the extreme end, where they join the main
sewer, if a slight dip is formed, it would become a stench-
trap, by the last drop of water remaining in' the bend, and
effectually prevent any effluvia from returning from the
main sewer. A bead of this kind in so small a pipe could
not possibly retard the fiu3liing.
DISFIGUREMENT OF THE NATIONAL GALLERY.—The
unsightly disfigurement at the east end still remains, and nu-
merous other long pipes have sprouteu up in various parts of
the building. The continuance of the abominable deformity
to which we have already more specially alluded, will im-
peach the taste and good feeling of every architect academi-
cian.—The Builder.

Mr. John Wood, chairman of the Excise, had an in-
terview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, yesterday,
at his official residence, in Downing-street.

TUESDAY NIGHT'S GAZETTE.

DOWNING-STREET, Manx 17, 184 G.
The Queen has been pleased to appoint Charles W. Zuhieke,
Esq., Captain in the Army, to be Commissary and Head of
Police for the island of St. Lucia.
*CROWN-OFFICE, llsacii