The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-09 00:00:00

CALEDONIAN EXTENSION.

This Bill, which was re-committed, was again considered.
Mr. BURKE appeared in support of a petition from certain
landowners, kc., along the line complaining of non-compli-
ance with the standing orders. He said that the promoters
of the Bill had laid down two alternative lines. Now, accord-
ing to the 16th clause of their Act, they should have given
due notice to the landowners, lac., on the line of the branch
from Ayr to Mairkirk, and that the necessary notices had
not been served, giving an accurate description of the line.
Mr. GRAHAM, who appeared on behalf of the promoters,
offered a few observations in reply to the elect that the line
in question was not an alternative line, but a branch, and
produced evidence to show that such was the case.
The portion of the line alluded to was from Cumloch to
Muirkirk.
The CHAIRMAN ordered the room to be cleared, and, on
our re•admission, stated that the Committee were of opinion
that the allegation was not sustained.
It was next alleged that there was an error on the datum
line, which was sustained.
The Committee adjourned shortly before five o'clock to
the 21st instant.

EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY

MEETING.

A special general meeting of the Eastern Counties
Company was held yesterday at the Station, Shoreditch,
at one o'clock—G. Hudson, Esq., M.P., in the chair—for
the purpose of obtaining the sanction of the sharehol-
ders to the following Bills now before Parliament:—
A Bill to repeal so much of the Cambridge Improve-
ment Acts as might authorise the levying of any tolls
on railway carriages.
A Bill to enable the Eastern Counties Railway Com-
pany to make a railway from Tottenham to Barnet.
A Bill to enable the Eastern Counties Railway Com-
pany to make a railway from Hertford to Huntingdon,
with a branch to Bedford.

. .
A Bill to enable the Eastern Counties Railway Com-
pany to make a railway from Tottenham to Farringdon-
street.

A Bill to enable the Eastern Counties Railway Com-
pany to make a railway from the Eastern Counties Rail-
way at Cambridge to Lincoln, with branches.
A Bill to enable the Eastern Counties Railway Com-
pany to make a railway from Lincoln to the York and
North Midland Railway, at South Milford, in the county
of York.

A Bill to enable the Eastern Counties Railway Com-
pany to enlarge their stations in London and at Strat-
ford, and for other purposes.
A Bill to enable the Eastern Counties Railway Com-
pany to make a railway from Epping to a point of junc-
tion with the Eastern Counties Railway, at or near the
Ilford station thereon.

A Bill to enable the Eastern Counties Railway Com-
pany to make a railway from a point of junction with
the Brandon and Peterborough Extension of the Eastern
Counties Railway, in the hamlet of March, in the parish
of Doddington, in the Isle of Ely, and county of Cam-
bridge, to the city of Lincoln.
All the Bills were unanimously approved. The only
observations that occurred were made by the Chairman,
to the effect that the connexion with the York and North
Midland line would be likely to carry out the anticipa-
tions which he had held out at the last meeting, of in-
creased profit. The Lincoln and March line was a loop
line originally announced by himself at Derby, and was
subsequently taken up by the London and York Com-
pany.
The CHAIRMAN said that he was happy to congratu-
late the meeting on the unanimity which prevailed, be-
cause he believed it was a good augury of future success.
There was another source of congratulation is the in-
creased traffic for this week—it had been 7,4451. 4s. 7d. ;
they had carried 2,000 head of cattle and 4,200 sheep.
There were now forty-eight trains per day in
and out of the station at Shoreditch ; and though
all might not yet be done which it was desirable, yet
still much had been effected, and he did not doubt but
that the traffic would prove as much as 10,0001. in
August. The shares were still far under their ultimate
value, but they had passed well through the late panic,
and he had no doubt but that in the course of time they
would be fairly appreciated. There had been a severe
cheek, it was true, but there was another similar check
in 1846, but which was then partially occasioned by the
disarrangement of the American trade. In addition
there was a great jealousy in Parliament of all railway
schemes, but it was undeniable that the country did
require the facility for traffic, and under the circum-
stances none were such eligible parties for providing it
as the old companies who were already estab-
lished, and who, if assistance were required, no
parties would be so able to go to the money-lender
with a good chance of success. Such being the case, he
felt assured of ultimate and complete prosperity, and he
might appeal to the propriztary as to whether the pro-
perty of the Eastern Counties Railway was not in a far
better position than it was twelve, months since. This
being his feeling, he was gratified in being
able to say that the public were impressed
with the fact that in the support of competing
lines they would have to pay for two capitals instead of
one, and thus it was very probable that the wildness of
speculation would cure itself. The object of railway
policy was simple in the extreme : to work a line as
cheaply as was consistent with true economy, to
secure as much accommodation as possible for the public,
and to obtain as large dividends as was consistent with
fairness. The electric telegraph had already been com-
pleted. [Here the Honourable Gentleman read a com-
munication just received from the Chesterford station,
which announced the arrival of the train at that place at
twenty minutes past one o'clock, the time being
then about twenty minute; to two o'clock.] This
would, no doubt, be of great advantage in pro-
viding additional security for the public in
the event of any derangement of the trains.
With respect to the opposition of competing lines now
before Parliament, he had been astonished to hear an in-
fluential Member the other day state that it mattered
not what the differential cost of a line might be, whether
500,0001. or 200,000 L, for it was a well known fact, that
no, line with the exception of the Stockton
and Darlington line, had been ;formed without
the Company going into the money market for a
loan, and as the old companies were the safest and the
best customers, the probability was that the new com-
panies would have to borrow under very disadvantage-
ous circumstances. This was a point the more im-
portant, inasmuch as Parliament was just now very in-
tent upon the abstraction of money from general com-
mercial enterprise to the formation of railways. He
had endeavoured to rectify the evil which might arise to
original shareholders in new companies. As the matter
stands at present a scripholder who had purchased from
the original allottees might, in the event of the concern
turning out a bad one, put his scrip into the fire, and
leave the individual who had signed the contract deed
to pay whatever loss might be incurred. The remedy
he had himself proposed was to compel the scripholder to
sign within a definite period, and thus take upon himself
the responsibility which was otherwise sustained by a
party by whom it ought not to be borne. In conclusion,
he trusted that the Directors would be able to give a
truer dividend each succeeding meeting for some
time to come, and that they would be able
to say that the traffic amounted to 10,0001
in August. He was happy to say that the utmost
unanimity prevailed among the directors.
The Hon. Gentleman was continually cheered through-
out his address, and after a few inquiries from a share-
holder, respecting Mr. Atwood's Harwich line, to which
the Chairman replied that the Eastern Counties Com-
pany were likely to receive from, and were ready to give,
every facility to that company, thanks were voted to him
and the meeting separated.

EXPERIMENTAL SQUADRON.-Sir Charles Napier has
obtained a return, which was on Tuesday made public, giving
an account of the weights, draught of water, &c.' of the
Experimental Squadron on the second and third cruize.
Viscount Ingestre has recently procured a return respecting
the Experimental Squadron on the three cruizes. The pre-
sent document shows the weights, draught of water, &c., of
the squadron on the second and third cruize, similar to the
return of the first cruize, the greatest inclination of each ship
when carrying sail, and the greatest number of degrees each
ship rolled, and the number of spars sprung and carried
away during the cruizes ; their defects on returning into port,
and the expense of making the defects good. The expense
of making good the defects of the ship St. Vincent was 1251.
12s. 2d and 4/. Some defects in the same ship are not yet
taken in hand. The defects in the ship Trafalgar amounted
to 1011. 7s. 4d. and 1431 18s. 10d. ; to the Queen, 80/. 14s.
9d., arid 67/. 15s. Bd. ; to the Albion, 25/ 19s. 5d., 201. Ils ,
and 5131. 23. Bd.; to the Rodney, 236/. 19s. Ild., 28/. ss. 8d
and 947/. 18s. 2d. ; to the Vanguard, 4111. 19s. 10d., 2,0061.
15s. 7d., and 4831. 78. 3d.; to the Superb, 54/. 19s. 7d., 1,2531.
19s. 7d., 701. 143. I Id., and 1,101/ 9s. 3d. ; to the Canopus,
1271. ls. 6d., 301. 7s. Ild., and 9361. 10s. 4j ; to the Daring,
18s. 6d. and 402/. 16s. 7d. ; and to the Rattler, 2271. 55., 441.
2s. 2d., and 1,6001. 15s. The return extends to 13 pages.
At length the Place du Carrousel is about to be
levelled and paved. The first operations were commenced two days
ago, and those parts which are now In the worst condition will be
nmekliately repaired. By the end of May the pavement of this vast
rea will be begun. The whole expense will, it is said, anaostnt to
00,090f.-Paris Paps".
The Earl of Kenmare his subscribed the sum of 2001.
towards the Kerry relief fund,