The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-19 00:00:00

'relief and employment ought to be provided for the poor, but
itheir suggestions had been ridiculed. But mark the sudden
revulsion which had been occasioned by facts. Why the
disease which had been predicted did occur in a much more
severe Perm than had been anticipated. The death of some
person of note created alarm, and immediately the strongest
precautions were adopted. The town was literally blockaded,
and the poor were deprived of work.
Sir J. GRAHAM was understood to say that he had read
the pamphlet referred to.
WAKLEY said that he was sorry that he could see
no fruits of that reading in the measures of the Right Hon.
Baronet. If proper measures were not at once adopted dis-
ease and death would spread as wide as they had done be-
fore. The author said, with reference to the evil at the
time, it was an epidemic fever, the very worst evil that could
befal a country next to civil war. If it attacked one mem-
ber of a family it attacked all, leaving no one to struggle
against the common calamity. In Dublin alone in the
course of one year, in spite of all the efforts of wealth and
charity, the disease spread so much that 42,000 persons
passed through the fever hospitals. All these evils
he attributed in almost every case to want of food,
or to the want of a proper quantity of food.
In a report which he held in his head, drawn up by Dr.
Corrigan, in reference to the epidemic of 1826, it was stated
that officers of health had been appointed in Dublin, whose
duty it was to see that all nuisances were removed, that the
houses of the poor should be whitewashed, and otherwise
kept clean. Money had been expended in that way, bat
not a fraction was expended in relieving the starving poor.
Now, such was the case with the present Bill ; and in his
(the Hon. Gentleman's) opinion, it would be better to pre-
vent the disease, and the spread of the disease, by giving
food to the people.—(Hear, hear.) The same report
stated that potatoes formed the staple article of food with
the Irish people, and though the exportation was immense,
they were actually starving in the midst of plenty.—(Hear.)
It had reduced the wages of the labourer to the very lowest
rate, and when a scarcity occurred there was no descent in
the scale, and they must necessarily starve. Now he be-
lieved that every word written in that pamphlet was strictly
correct as regarded Ireland. But what were they doing in
that House ? To prevent the spread of disease they were
giving power in certain unions where disease existed to build
fever hospitals, where medicine, and medical attendance, and
nursing would be given to the patients ; but what were they
doing in that measure with the view of preventing the origin
of disease? Nothing. With regard to that not a single
step had been taken. He next came to the last
positions advanced by Dr. Corrigan. It remained for others
than physicians to provide the means of prevention—not by
medicine, but by employment ; not by raising lazzarettos for
the reception of the sick, but by establishing manufactures
for the employment of the destitute. This was the true
mode of banishing disease from that country ; but, unless
they did this in the shape of a law imperative on the pro-
prietors of the soil, it would not be done. His impression
was, that as the landlords in England were obliged to sup-
port the poor, so should the landlords in Ireland be. He
could not conceive why it was that Irish gentlemen should
be contented to see the poor of their country in such a
lamentable state of destitution. Why, the English poor
were immeasurably better off than the Irish poor.
Mr. M'CARTHY—No, no.
Mr. WAKLEY—Then why did they come over to this
country
Mr. M`CARTIIY—For work.
Mr. WAKLEY—That argued that they were not able
to obtain it at home. He was very sure, that if
the landlords were compelled to support their own
poor, they would take care to find them plenty of work.
And now, with reference to the most efficient mode for the
distribution of food in cases of epidemic disease, the plan
adopted in St. Catherine's parish, and which was applicable
to all towns, he considered the best. Tickets were
issued to such families as were considered to be fit
objects of relief, and no tickets were given unless at the
residence of the applicant, and they gave a right to relief for
the space of 14 days, at the end of which they were renewed
as the physicians and overseers thought fit. These tickets
were of two kinds, paid and gratis—the latter en-
titled the holder to a roll and a bowl of hot
soup. The former gave the same right upon the
payment of a penny, and it frequently happened
that those whe held gratis tickets one week were enabled to
become holders of paid at the end of the term. In his previous
observations lie wished to show that famine was the cause of
epidemic fever, which soon acquired a power of conta-
gion, and that the best preventative to that epidemic
would be wholesome food, and that, to prevent con-
tagion, hospitals to receive the sick should be erected.
The returns which had been received from twenty-seven
counties showed that disease had been caused by the failure
of the crop, and that in many instances the people had only
provisions fur a few weeks, but the Government said that,
until these provisions were expended, and they were desti-
tute, that they should have no relief; but when they became
ill from fever, produced by want of food and exhaustion,
and were really dying froiri hunger, they would give them
food. The picture was one of such a frightful nature that
every effort ought to be loads by the Government and the
House to prevent epidemic and disease amongst a
destitute population. In this measure he found
nothing of the kind—it was quite inadequate for
the purposes intended. Then the Government said
they would take the responsibility of providing food for
the people of that country, but he said they ought to throw
the responsibility on the law, because they would find it
greater than they imagined. He denied the statement
which was freely promulgated in England, that the Irish were
lazy, and that they were ragged, and lived in mud holes, be-
cause the hardest labour in London was performed by Irish
bricklayers. 29,000 bricklayers were employed in London,
tionnwst whom he did not believe there were more than
I,ooeEnglishmen. These men received eighteen shillings a
week, whilst agricultural labourers within twenty
miles of London—in Buckinghamshire, for instance—
did not receive more than Bs. or Ps. a week, thus showing that
they shrunk from the severe toil which the Irishnien per-
formed. Although the wages of agricultural labourers
within twenty miles of London were not more than one-half
of those received by the Irish bricklayer, they were incapable
of performing the work, and, therefore, gave way to them.
This showed them—and the fact was confirmed by his inter-
course with these classes—that the Irish people were both
ready and anxious to perform any labour which' they could
obtain. He wanted to give this employment; and he was
satisfied, if the amendment of the Hon. Member for Stroud was
carried, that it would give an impulse to the carrying out of
public works—works from the want of which Ireland was
now suffering—and consequently employment to the Irish
poor, who would thereby be enabled to provide food for
themselves and their families, and enjoy sonic of the bless-
ings of civilised existence. Millions of the Irish people
never tasted a mouthful of bread, and are compelled to
subsist on potatoes alone. Now this was disgraceful to a
civilised country ; and whilst ether classes were advancing
in civilisation—when luxuries were added to ther store almost
daily—when their whole condition had so much improved,
and was still improving, the labouring population cf
Ireland were in as bad, if not in a worse condition,
than they were a hundred years ago. He said it was disgraceful
to the Governments which had from time to time been
entrusted with the affairs of this country (with the excep-
tion of the present Government) to have neglected the adop-
tion of measures which would have put an end to the
misery under which the poor of Ireland laboured, and which
would have improved their moral and physical condition.
Mr. SHAW was extremely anxious to throw no impedi-
ment in the way of the Government with respect to the mea-
sure before the House. He wished to assure the Hon. Mem-
ber who last addressed the House, that they were not unwill-
ing to adopt a good poor-law, but that they did not consider
his definition of a good law correct. The nature of the
Englsh poor-law was to afford in-door, and not out-door re-
lief; and the establishment of the Irish poor-law, ten years
ago, on the same principle, had been more successful than
he anticipated, because by it the old abuses were cor-
rected, and 260,000/. a year judiciously distributed amongst
the indigent poor of that country. If the amend-
ment of the Honourable Member for Strond (Mr.
P. Scrape) were adopted, they would find some
districts in Ireland in which every fourth person would re
quire the out-door relief which it proposed to give. Under
the r resent system, poor-law guardians would not refuse re-
lief to any indigent persons who applied to them. He entirely
agreed with the Right Hon. Baronet that the importation of
oats ought to be encouraged in the present emergency, but he
also considered that they might buy them in the markets
of Ireland under circumstances which would not give an en-
couragement to the owners to raise the price. In the union
with which he was connected in Dublin, rice was
frequently used during periods of scarcity. He would,
however, reserve any further remarks on this sub-
ject until the Corn Bill was under discussion. The fever
hospitals would, in his opinion, be of great benefit to the
poor of Ireland, because the labours of medical officers would
be lightened, and those unions which had no medical officer
would no doubt have one appointed to attend to those afflic-
ted with disease. He was afraid, however when the
evil no longer existed that they would find it no easy
matter to withdraw the support which they had extended to
the poor in periods of scarcity and famine. He hoped the
Government would be allowed to go into Committee on the
Bill.
Mr. F. FFRENCH considered that the distress prevalent
in Ireland might be greatly alleviated, if not entirely eradi-
cated, by the construction of public works by Government
grants, by which great masses of the people would be em-
ployed. 'However, he was opposed to the conduct of those
works being placed in the hands of grand juries. Then if
they were ire the hands of contractors the people would
not derive the benefit which they were intended to give.
He found by the return, that under this Act it was proposed
to give the Lord Lieutenant the power of appointing the
board of health.. They had had a good deal of experience as
to the working of the board of health during the existence of
the cholera. Application was made to them in some in-
stances where fever and cholera had commenced and no
notice was taken •f it. On one occasion as application was
made from a distriltit stating that fever and cholera existed,
and an order or instruction was immediately sent down to
the grand jury to levy a sum of more than 2001.
The grand jury denied the existence of any fever or
cholera, and, after some trouble, an investigation was made,
and it appeared that the money would have been applied to
the erection of some religious establishment then in progress.
He thought that it was necessary to have some medical offi-
cer who could report sistether measures were necessary in
certain districts.

' distress, and that the heavy mortgages on Irish estates
to a great extent interfered with the ability of Irish landlords
to render the assistance which their tenantry required.
But he believed that this difficulty might be obviated by a
Bill for making these mortgages less onerous than they were.
At any rate, sure he was, that in the present emergency
cone additional means should be provided for saving the
poorer classes in Ireland from the distress to which they
were at present subject, for it had always been his convic-
tion, and it was so now, that every evil which was inflicted
upon Ireland would recur with double force on this country.
Col. RAWDON was of opinion that if ever there was a
time for action the present was that time. He merely rose to
call attention to the very important returns that had been
laid before the House, and he begged to suggest that the
names of some of the largest landed proprietors in Ireland,
in the districts where the disease prevailed, should be at-
tached to the returns, so that public opinion in England
might be brought to bear on them. He had heard with
great gratification the sentiments of the Right Honourable
Secretary for the Home Department; they threw a
new ray of hope on the people of Ireland, and he
hoped the Right Hon. Gentleman would act on them—
(Hear, hear)—for, he should tell them, if they intended to
legislate for Ireland fairly, they should do so in an Irish
spirit.—(Hear, hear.)
Sir W. SOMERVILLE would explain, is a few words,
his reasons for opposing the present measure. He felt cer-
tain, if they once recognised the principle of out-door relief
in Ireland it would become permanent, and they never would
be able to return to the present system. Now he wished to
know if it was fair, without an accompanying law of settle-
ment and other necessary measures„ to endeavour by a side-
wind to overturn the entire social system as it at present
existed in Ireland ?—(Hear, hear.)
Lord EBRINGTON said he could not support the present
measure, though at the same time he felt bound to say that,
in his opinion, some power should be given to enable the
guardians of unions to administer out-door relief to the sick
and impotent, and he believed they much needed it. On a
future occasion he would be prepared to call the attention of
the Right Hon. Secretary for the Home Department to the
administration of the poor-law in England, and in particular
to the system that prevailed in one union in Devonshire,
where the guardians lent out for hire the labour of the able-
bodied paupers in the house.
Mr. FITZGERALD thought the powers given by the Irish
Poor-law Bill sufficient for any emergency which might
arise. the Right Honourable Baronet, is his speech of that
night, had adverted to the difficulty he experienced from
the absence of any colleague more immediately connected
with Ireland. That was, of itself, a grievance to
that country. She had a right to be represented
in the Cabinet ; but it was of a piece with the
injustice which gave to her people so limited
a number of representatives in that House. He thanked
the Right Hon. Baronet for the manner in which he spoke
of the Roman Catholic clergy, and he was glad to see that
the Times, the Ministerial organ—(Laughter)— was assum-
ing a different tone towards Ireland. He could not help re-
ferring to the speech of the Hon. Member beside him, who
spoke of Ireland maintaining her own poor. He begged
to remind the Honourable Member that the Exchequer of
England drained the whole revenues of the Irish country.
The speech which the Right Hon. Baronet made gave him
great hopes, but he feared that he would live to see them
blasted. All he would wish was, that the Right Hon-
ourable Gentleman would act up to his profes-
sions. Let them act upon the suggestion of the
Member for Limerick, and refer Irish questions to an Irish
Committee; such a course would give confidence to the Irish
people.
Mr. J. O'CONNELL said that if the system of out-door
relief were adopted in Ireland, it would amount to an abso-
lute confiscation of property.
Mr. P. S. BUTLER considered that it would be very im-
politic to saddle the board of guardians with any more ex-
pense than that with which they had been already burdened,
as they were not able to pay many of the necessary ex-
penses they had already incurred. He would have great
pleasure in supporting the project of her Majesty's Govern-
ment.

The latter point was nearer to the Royal Exchange by 300 yards
than the termer. The area of the station in Union-street was con-
siderably larger than the station at London-bridge. The short branch
for connecting the line with the South- Western Extension at the point
of intersection was 14 or 15 feet above the South-Western Extension,
but this difficulty was overcome by a short course within the limits
of deviation, and the junction was effected by a gentle inclination.
The line was about 10 or 12 chains radius. The gradient was 1 in
200. The junction would be formed at Ewer-street. The great ob-
ject now was to get an easterly and westerly terminus in the metro-
polis. The line would be upon a viaduct as far as Peckham, and to
the junction beyond New-cross with the Croydon line the distance
would be three and a half miles. He proposed to have one train
passing along this part of the line every quarter of an hour, but it
must be remembered that the line passed over and not on the Croy-
don line. There . would he four lines between Union-street and
the Croydon junction, and his estimate included these four. At
present it was not arranged how the junction should be formed.
at New-cross. The incline running down to New-cross would be 1
in 74. The junction would be approached in a curve and in a cut-
ting. The depth of the cutting would be 12 feet, and the radius of
the curve, which would be 100 yards long, was 10 chains. The junc-
tion would be formed on the east side of the line, which would in-
volve a break of the atmospheric pipe, but the interval need not be
more than a couple of yards. At this point the Soutk-Eastern, the
Brighten, the Croydon, and the North Kent traffic would become
united. The length of the Blackheath tunnel would be 1,9410
yards, or a little more than a mile. The station would be at
the eastern end of the tunnel, and another at the ether end.
The gradient upon the main line was 1 in 132, and on the Woolwich
branch lin 108. The branch passed within 180 to 200 yards of the
Woolwich dock-yard and about 20 feet above the level of the ground
at the entrance of the dock-yard. The South-Eastern line was
nearer and upon a level, but it was no advantage, because the line
would have to pass the High-street on a level.
The Committee adjourned at this point till twelve o'clock to-
morrow.

Mr. P. SCROPE said that he did not consider that he
was to blame for the discursive turn the question had as-
sumed. Many Hon. Members who had spoken seemed to
think that the discussion should take place at some time
when the subject could be more fully entered into. He
should, therefore, under thaae circumstances, withdraw the
motion.

The motion was then withdrawn.
Mr. FRENCH would wish to ask the Right Hon. Baronet
what officers were to administer relief under the Bill ?

Sir J. GRAHAM said that a Commis-ary-General should
be appointed to each district, and all application should be
made to him. He himself should be under the control of the
Poor-law Commissioners and Sir R. Kane.
The House then went into Committee on the Bill.
Clauses 1 and 2 were agreed to.
Sir J. GRAHAM, in reply to Sir W. Somerville, said
that the erections for fever hospitals were only intended
to be temporary, the cases being always very various in
number, as many as 1,200 patients having at one time been
under medical care, whereas at another there were less than
twenty. _ _ _

Captain OSBORNE had no objection to a special rate for
those medical officers, but he thought that some provision
ought to be made for their proper government.
Mr. WAKLEY was glad to hear the observations which
had fallen from the Hon. Member behind him, but he would
have been more delighted if there had been a proposition for
preventing fever.

After a—few words from Mr. S. CRAWFORD,
Sir J. GRAHAM observed that the object of the Govern-
ment was to give relief and not money.
Mr. SHAW believed that under this law every necessary
was provided, and he thought it would be unwise to open
the law wider, for it would be exceedingly difficult to draw
the line between the cases which required medical relief, and
those which were only in need of assistance for food and
other necessaries.

➢ir. SHAW could assure Hon. Gentlemen opposite that
the landlords of Ireland were not so negligent or remiss in
their duties to the destitute and afflicted as they would have
it appear. _

eliuse 3 was then put and agreed to.
Sir J. GRAHAM, in answer to an observation of Mr.
Wakley's, said that the intention of the Bill was not to meet
in itself all the distresses which might arise in Ireland.
Mr. P..SCROPE asked whether, if the head of a family
were unable to work by reason of sickness, and he were under
that clause admitted to the workhouse, whether his family
would be admitted also?
Sir J. GRAHAM—Most decidedly.
Clause 14 was then agreed to after some verbal amend-
ment.

The remaining clauses were then agreed to.
Sir J. GRAHAM said that ho was most anxious that no
delay should occur in passing this measure, and he there-
fore proposed to fix the third reading of this Bill for to-mor-
row, when he hoped the Hon. Members for Stroud and Rochdale,
if they had any objections to make, would be prepared to
bring them forward.
Mr. S. CRAWFORD said that he had no objection to such
a course, as he would hays a few words to say as to the sala-
ries of the medical officers,

Sir J. GRAHAM said that the Hon. Member would there-
fore make his observations on the third reading to-morrow.
The Out-Pensioners Services (Chelsea and Greenwich) Bill
was then read a third time.

The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and
the Hens• adjourned at a Quarter to Six o'clock.

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.

(YESTERDAY.)

Mr. OSBORNE said that be regretted that he felt it neces-
sary to give his vote against ti: is measure. He did not mean
to say that he actually opposed it, or wished to oppose it, but
he thought that a measure of this description ought not be
brought forward in the morning and with a thin house, but
ought to be marked by some more substantive measure. The
Hon. Member for Finsbury had made one observation in the

course of his speech referring to the fact that a number of Irish
labourers came over here at the beginning of the harvest to
seek work. It was well known that in Northamptonshire
ththat
utharvest could not be got in but for the Irish labourers
r7aeinnte there; and he knew that in Zone case fears were
ente
could d that the prodace of a large hop-ground
not be
gathered, as very few Irish labourers had come
into that part of the country. Ireland VMS also an agricul-
tural country,
awithout manufacturers ; and England was
graceful to the Gov
sappv,o-itntltte,odut
almost entirely manufacturing counti,-, and it was dis-
as there was in Irelarll,iient to have such. a capital of labour
He was painfully di tfihnediontgthe.ermdpaloyymatenttheforcoiltd.
water thrown upon his pro
railway undertakings in Ireland. The and advances upon the
as that which he
Water-
ford Railway was at the present m at a stand-still. in
consequence of the want of such assistance
had suggested. The shareholders in that I ine bad actually beett
ready to throw up their rights if they couldthave been protected
from all responsibility, and it was the b•runden duty of the
Government to make those advances which were necessary
for the.promotion of those works and the, 4ernployment of the
people, and he could not resume his :;e,st without at the
same time urging upon the Ministry the necessity of making.
-these advances not as gifts, but as loans to the several COlll-

panies.
Mr. M. MILNES thought that the (lon. Member who
bad just spoken had hit the nail on the head in stating
that the great deficiency in Ireland arcse from the
want of resident landlords. If the ge•atlemen who were
landholders in Ireland felt only the same for their estates in
that country as they did for their property in England, they
would not lay their heads on their pillows without making
provision for the destitution which was so prevalent there.
He was aware that there must be a limit to the re-

lief aionleildo the -s-ev-e-ral—ini6ida-v,js who were in

THE SUN LON'DON THURSDAY t VIENING, M*RCII 19,_L546.

SOUTH-EASTERN RAILWAY
COMPANY.

The usual half-yearly meeting of the proprietors of this
Company was held on Wednesday afternoon at the offices of
the Company, at London-bridge
James 111‘Gregor, Esq., Chairman of the Directors, pre-
sided.

The SECRETARY (G. S. Herbert, Esq.), having read the
advertisement convening the meeting, read the report of the
directors, from which we extract the following paragraphs :
"The accounts of the South-Eastern Railway Company
for the half-year ending on the 31st January, 1846, show that
the gross receipts upon the South-Eastern Railway and
Greenwich Branch have, during that period, amounted to
174,490/. 12s. ; that the working expenses have been
54,058/. ss. ; that the rent of the Greenwich Railway, the
rates, Government duty, and toll to the Croydon Company,
amount to 42,8241. 10s. lid., making the gross expenditure
on the revenue account 96,882/. 15s. 11d. ; and the balance
carried to the profit and loss account 77,607/. 16s. Id.
"On the Ist September the directors carried into effect a
great reduction of fares, and adopted the system of granting
day tickets, and the directors have much satisfaction in
stating that these measures have had the effect which they
anticipated ; there has been a very great increase in the num-
ber of passengers, great benefits have been conferred on the
districts served by the South-Eastern Railway, and general
satisfaction is expressed.

"A comparison of the passenger traffic for the half-years
ending on the 3lat 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 102,749/. 17s. 6d. to
104,906/. 10s. 4d.

"The amount at the disposal of the proprietors is
#8,0481. 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. I shares, and Ss. 9d. upon the No. 2 shares, less
the income-tax.

" This will amount to 66,0911. 13s. 4d., and will leave a
reserved fund of 11,9561. 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 int..re.t 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 Jackwood'a 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 Ramsgate 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 branch 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 onlyimportant work on this branch; it has been
in hand some time, and will not occasion any delay in the
opening. The other works 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 hat. 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 Alekander 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. Ile need scarcely say that he anti-
cipated i 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 Westminster. He 'would,
therefore, at once move that the report be received and
adopted.

Mr. HARDThiG seconded the motion, which was carried
unanimously, no observation having been made by any pro-
prietor.

- The dividend was then declared, and the retirin,
directors re-elected.

This terminated the business of the 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 enable 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, Ramsgate, 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 London 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 Sevenoaks.
" 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 Hastings
Railway, near Hastings.
" A Bill to enable the South-Eastern Railway Company to
make and maintain a railway from the South-Eastern Rail-
way, near Reigate, to Dorking, 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.
" A Bill to enable 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 •lantern, 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
Rrilway Company."
These were all agreed to, and the meeting separated.