The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-28 00:00:00

SHREWSBURY AND CHESTER.

CnESTER, MONDAY, OCT. 26.—The first general
meeting of the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway was
held to-day in the Westminster assembly-room of the
Royal Hotel, for the usual purposes. This undertaking,
as the railway world are aware, is formed by an amal-
gamation into one company of the Nerth Wales Mineral
and Extension, the Shrewsbury, Oswestry, and Chester
Junction Railways and their branches, for which an Act
was obtained in the late session. The attendance was
very numerous, and Mr. William Ormsby Gore, M.P.,
presided.
After the usual preliminaries,
The SECRETARY read the report from the directors,
and explained the Parliamentary progress and present
position of the company, with information down to the
latest dates on the following items:—
" STATE OP THE COMPANY'S FUNDS.
1. Of the share capital of the North
Wales Mineral Railway £270,000
There has been called up £210,000
2. Of the share capital of the Shrews-
bury, Oswestry, and Chester
Junction of 410,000

680,000
There has been called up... 120,000
----- 333,000

Leaving applicable to the comple-
tion of the main lines £347,000
3. Of the branchei capital of 276,0001
there has been paid up only a de-
posit of 1/. per share.
" In addition to their share capital, the company were
entitled to borrow to the extent of one-third of their
whole capital, and they have already availed themselves
of that power, on the North Wales Mineral Railway to
the extent of 90,0001
" STATE OF THE WORTS.--The North Wales Mineral
Railway is now completed from Saltney to Ruabon. It
was inspected on Wednesday of last week, by Major-
General Pasley, and there is every reason to believe that
11;s report will be perfectly satisfactory. The stations at
Ruabon, Wrexham, and the intermediate places, though
not all completed, are in a state to afford sufficient ac
commodation for traffic. The stock of engines, carriages,
waggons, &c., required, is in readiness. A temporary
agreement has been made with the Holyhead Company,
for the use of that portion of the line between Saltney
and the Birkenhead terminus at Chester. Similar
arrangements have also been conclu,ded with the Chester
and Birkenhead Company, after rather protracted nego
tiations, and from the fair and friendly spirit in which
the directors have been met, and the obvious benefit to
be derived from the traffic of companies so intimately
connected being placed upon terms of mutual advan-
tage, they feel confident that the details of the agree.
ment entered into will be properly carried out. The
directors have learned with satisfaction that the
Chester and Birkenhead Company have also made con-
siderable progress with preparation for their proportion
of the goods traffic of the Shrewsbury and Chester line.
The directors have likewise turned their attention to
the means of providing for the carriage by water from
Saltney, for such portion of goods as may be more ad-
vantageously conveyed from thence by the river Dee or
the Ellesmere Canal. The mineral branch is rapidly
progressing, and will be in readiness for working in the
ensuing spring, when a considerable quantity of coals,
lime, and iron, will be brought upon the line, although
the full resources of the mineral field will necessarily
take a longer time to develop. The works upon the
Shrewsbury, Oswestry, and Chester line have hitherto
been mainly confined, as stated in the former report, to
the Dee viaduct, which requires a considerably longer
period to finish than the rest of the line. It is progress-
ing very satisfactorily. Agreements have already been
made for the purchase of the greater portion of the land
for the whole line. On full consideration, the directors
have decided on pressing on the formation of the line
from the Chirk viaduct to Salop, so as to permit 17 miles
of line to be opened, and prove productive, before it is
possible to complete the heavier works. The directors
are happy to day that their engineer reports that he will
be able to open this portion of the line early in the spring
of 1848, and the whole line he hopes to be able to open in
the autumn of the same year. The directors beg to
refer to the engineer's report, in the appendix.
" NEW BRANCHES.—The directors having had their
attention called to the requirements of the important
districts around Mold, and on investigation having
ascertained that the best mode of affording railway ac-
commodation to Mold, and the immediate neighbour.
hood, would be from this line, they have caused a survey
to be made for the purpose of going to Parliament. The
length of the line is about eight miles; and the expense
of construction will be moderate. They also recom-
mend an application to Parliament to enable them to
form a commodious terminus at Chester, either by them-
selves, or in connexion with any or all of the neighbour-
ing companies, so as fully to accommodate the large
traffic, which must concentrate at Chester, for Liverpool
and Mtinchester, and other important towns.
" PROSPECTS.—The directors having thus explained
the progress and present position of the Shrewsbury and
Chester line, cannot help congratulating the shareholders
upon the result of the proceedings in the last session of
Parliament. Every line which in any way threatened
to affect their interests having entirely failed or been
thrown out of Parliament, whilst there have been ob-
tained, first, their two valuable branches; and, secondly,
two lines by independent companies, one from Shrewsbury
to Birmingham, and the other from Shrewsbury to Here
ford, equal to this company's line in extent, running into
it, and placing it in the position of being the connecting
link between Bristol and Liverpool, and between Bir-
mingham, by North Wales to Liverpool. Further, the
-line traverses, in its whole length, a populous and highly
cultivated country. The mineral field extends over six

teen miles of the central portion of the line, from which
already a very large traffic flows towards both termini,
although the minerals have been won, and worked only
to a small extent. The line possesses the advantage of
miming from the sea into the interior of the country, a
position always favourable to the development of traffic.
It is completely protected from the competition of car-
riage by water, which in so many cases presses heavily
on other lines. It further possesses this peculiar advan-
tage. that on arriving at the terminus or shipping port
on the Dee, there are already existing three different
means of communication with Liverpool and Birkenhead,
competing for traffic; and a fourth and most valuable
one will, in a short time, be added to the number. These
are—First, the Manchester and Birkenhead Railway.
Second, the Ellesmere Canal from Chester, viii Ellesmere
Port to Liverpool, by water communication all the way,
without change of boat. Third, the River Dee, which
affords, by means of steam-tugs, the cheapest conveyance
at present existing for goods and minerals to Liverpool.
An extensive project for the improvement of the navi-
gation of the Dee is in progress. The fourth means of
communicatio❑ with Liverpool will be the Cheshire
Junction Railway and the bridge over the Mersey near
Runcorn. While holding these views as to the future
and not remote success of the line, the directors think
it right to caution the shareholders Rot to raise their
expectations too high as to the result of the first opening.
It will obviously require some time to form conexions
with the various districts of Shropshire, Montgomery-
shire, Denbighshire, and Merionethshire, the traffic
of which, in goods and passengers, will be brought upon
this line, as their natural course; and until these arrange-
ments shall have been in some degree carried out, it is
scarcely to be supposed that the traffic will afford a fair
indication of the future prospects of the undertaking.
The directors are endeavouring to facilitate such arrange-
ments by every means in their power. This cannot be
done effectually, however, in any way but by open com-
petition, called into action by the wants of the public.
It is in order to effect this, at as early a period as pos-
sible, as much as with a view to immediate profit, that
-the directors have been anxious to open the line with as
little delay as they could ; and when it shall have been
fully accomplished, they feel confident that the most
sanguine anticipations of the shareholders will be
realised.

" The directors named in the Act are—William
Ormsby Gore, Esq., M.P., William Wardell, Esq., Sir
Richard Jenkins, K.C.8., Robert Aglionby Slaney,
Thomas Dixon, Charles Wardell, John Rogers, William
Brown, John Williams, David Harrison, John Bethune
Ross, John Royle, George Mackintosh, William Bevan,
and Frederick Richard West, Esqs.; all of whom are
eligible for re-electron, and offer themselves accordingly.
It will be necessary that this meeting appoint two
auditors, and fix the remuneration of the directors and
secretary. The directors recommend that Mr. Robert
Roy be continued in the office of secretary, with a salary
of 5001. per annum. The directors recommend that Mr.
James Smith, accountant, Chester, and Mr. Thomas Hill,
accountant, Oswestry, be appointed auditors, with a
salary of 20/. each."
• The Hon. CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, stated, that since it had been printed, a letter had
been received from General Pasley, in which the gallant
officer said, " I have made a very favourable report of
yOur works." The proprietors world be extremely
gratified at hearing this, and he was happy also to bear
testimony to the amicable manner in which the arrange-
ment with the directors of the Chester and Birkenhead
Company had been carried out, for it was most essential
that all the lines running from the Severn to the Mersey
should be in union and goodfellowship. This line had
before it the prospect of as great a traffic as this country
could produce. It had not only the mineral fields of
South Wales, and the trade which was now carried on
coastwise, between Bristol and Liverpool, but also the
prospect of very considerable traffic from the districts in
the neighbourhood of Birmingham. Under these cir-
cumstances it was essentially necessary that harmony
should prevail; and he had the gratification of stating, that
at meetings of two other companies over which he pre-
sided, the Shrewsbury and Birmingham, and the Shrews-
bury and Hereford, the shareholders were deeply im-
pressed with the necessity of the tria juncta in uno.—
(Hear.) The Chairman then adverted to a feeling of some
dissatisfaction with the shareholders, concerning the
purchase of some shares. They had mainly had the
interests of the proprietors in view; and, under these
circumstances, they had deemed it right to issue circu-
lars to all the shareholders, to the effect, that if they
wished to be represented at the present meeting, they
might send their proxies to whomsoever they pleased.
To himself alt,ne there had been confided proxies repre-
senting capital to the amount of 357,2901., the votes on
which were 7,466. This was entirely independent of the
votes he possessed in his own right, and of the interest
he had in the line. The gross capital of the company
was 548,9901., the votes on which would be 12,420.
Tho proxi« s he held were independent also of those
which had been sent to other parties. He returned his
thanks for the confidence which the majority of the
proprietors reposed in him. The Chairman then ad-
verted to another list for directors which had been sent
in, and stated that though he had no objection to their
names, he could not consent to those who had borne the
brunt of the battle being now turned out. If any one
went out he ought to be the first, seeing that he had
come in only at the eleventh hour. Some doubt had
been expressed as to the payment of arrears ; but the
company need not be ashamed ‘aen he stated that since
the sth inst. 20,1251. had been paid up on those arrears.
He was further happy to say, that until the whole line
was opened from Chester to Shrewsbury, no more would
be called for than Gl. per share—(Hear, hear)—and that
upon the North Wales Mineral Old Stock there would
be only one equalising call of 1/. per share.—(Hear.)
The Chairman concluded by stating that the line from
Chester to Ruabon would be opened to the shareholders
and their friends on Monday, Dec. 2, and to the public
the following day.
The motion for the adoption of the report was then
seconded, and unanimously carried.
Mr. DARBY moved, and Mr. Pores seconded, the re-
election of the directors, and that they be paid an allow-
ance of 8001. per annum.—Carried unanimously.
The salaries of the secretary and of the auditors were
fixed at the sums recommended in the report.
Mr. WILLIAM JACKSON, Chairman of the Chester and
Birkenhead Railway Company, moved the thanks of the
shareholders to Mr. Gore for his conduct in the chair,
and congratulated the meeting on the amicable relations
subsisting between the two companies. Mr. Jackson
included other directors and the solicitor in the same
vote, and it was unanimously carried.
The CHAIRMAN having returned thanks, a similar
compliment was paid to the engineer and the secretary,
and the proceedings terminated.

OCT. 24.—W. F. liains,SeCOnd Master, to the Pene-
lope ; W. J. Cunningham, Second Master, to the Raven ;
George E. Verling, Nava Cadet, to the Vengeance ;
Charles Pemberton, Acting First Engireer, to the Wil-
liam and Mary ; Henry Anson Ford, Midshipman, to
the Eur) dice ; John Rogers, Master, to the Eury-
dice ; John Pascoe, Master, to the Scourge ; W.
J. Williams, Captain, to the Amphion ; Thomas
SibLuld, Lieutenant, to the Amphion ; Frank K. Haw-
kins, Lieutenant, to the Amphion ; Robert W. Clark,
Lieutenant, to the Amphion ; John Tucker (B) Master,
to the Amphion.
OCT. 26.--George Mackay, Surgeon—John Brick-
wood,ond
)a nCollins,
tl.l
Boatswain—John
di
u3l.
First
set,
ieea,
ocsEE
senn—ergdc—i
rl rine uSulli:Svrmcpajn:nheoecal Speed, Naval
Engineers;—Charles
Dickson,u. si
Gunner—Thomas
Instructor—
Johnnrd_
Robinson,El,twnAaCarpenter—William
Actingr:
d;
e
R. Dalton,
Engineer—Benjamin Greetham, Thomas H. Symons,
and W. M. Biden, Third Engineers—Alexander F. 6.
Young and Richmond Moore, Midshipmen—Thomas T.
Phillips and Samuel Babington, Naval Cadets—R. L.
Cleveland, Master's Assistant—Adderly W. Chimmo
and Edward A. Rowe, Clerks—William Wells, Clerk's
Assistant, to the Amphion; John Brookes, Gunner, to
the Avenger; John Cook, Boatswain, to the Avenger;
John James Knight, Carpenter, to the Avenger;
Charles Forbett, Clerk, to the Penelope; John Ward,
Acting Assistant• Surgeon, to the Vengeance; W. B.
C. Christy, Acting Assistant-Surgeon, to the Victory;
George Gordon, Acting Assistant-Surgeon, to the
Naiad; Walter S. Burke, Acting Assistant• Surgeon, to
the Mutine; Thomas Deageley, Acting Assistant-
Surgeon, to the Andromache; Dr. G. Clarke, -Acting
Assistant-Surgeon, to the Victory; Thomas C. R. Gill,
Lieutenant, to the Alutine.
FIRST OPERATION OF THE RETIREMENT SCHEME.—
Captain James Slade (1810), one of the officers who
have accepted the retirement, is dead, and the
Admiralty, in accordance with their expressed determi-
nation of granting to those officers who had given in
their names as candidates for the retirement before the
Ist of October the advantages of the measure from that
date, have announced their intention of granting to the
widow of Captain Slade the widow's pension of a Rear
Admiral. Captain Slade was a Lieutenant of 1799, and
when senior of the Latona distinguished himself in
command of her boats, in cutting out a Dutch_ gun
brig and two schooners, near Groningen, in 1799. He
also served in the expedition to the Helder in the same
year. He was made a commander in Sept., 1799, for
those services, and a.tained the rank of captain on the
21st October, 1810.
THE PROMOTION.—It is believed that the number of
commanders to be promoted on the 9th of November
will not be less than thirty, and the number of old
and meritorious lieutenants fifty. We are informed
that the gallant and highly distinguished Captain Sir
S. J. Brooke Pechell, Bart., has not accepted the re-
tirement.

Captain Woodford J. Williams, of the Avenger
steam-frigate, has been appointed to command the Am.
phien, 36, gun-frigate, with an auxiliary screw propeller
of 300 horse-power, at Woolwich. The officers of the
Avenger, Lieutenants Sibballc, Hawkins, and Clark ;
Master John Tucker, Surgeon Dr. George Mackay,
Paymaster and Purser John Breck wood, Assistant• Su-
rgeon John T. Robinson, Second Master John Fiddes, &c.
together with the crew of that steam-frigate, having been
turned over to the Amphion, the Avenger will be laid
up at Portsmcuth after she is repaired.
Master John Pascoe (1842), from the Eurydice, 26, to
the Scourge, steam-sloop, vice Godden, sick.
The papers contained last week the promotion of As-
sistant-Surgeon Jones, to the rank of surgeon. We can-
not find any assistant-surgeon of the name of Jones on
the Ncvy List.
Assistant-Surgeon Dr. Harry H. Turnbull (1838), of
the America, 50, Captain the Hon. John Gordon, has
been promoted to the rank of surgeon.
Second Master.—H. J. Cunningham?, acting of the
Gladiator, steam-frigate, has been appointed to the
Raven, cutter, vice W.F. Hans, to the Penelope, steam-
frigate.
__

THE NAVAL MEDICAL SUPPLEMENTAL FUND.—At
a late meeting of the directors of the Naval Medical
Supplemental Fund it was resolved that a special general
meeting should be convoked on the 29th instant, to elect
a secretary. .

Captain Codrington arrived at Devonport on Sunday,
and took up his commission that morning as commander
of the Thetis, 36.

The Admiralty have ordered the Brazilian frigate
Constitutional to be repaired at Devonport dockyard.
Her defects are extensive.

The Scourge, steam-sloop, Commander Caffin, arrived
at Devonport on Saturday from Portsmouth, with some
marines for the Stromboli, and sailed on Sunday for
Rochefort, to .bring home some distressed British sub-
jects there.
The Stromboli, steam •sloop, Commander Fisher, has
had her defects completed at Devonport, and has coaled.
She was to have left yesterday for Cork.
The Pluto steam•vessel, Lieut.-Commander Lowe,
was caught in the tale of Wednesday last, on her way
from Limerick, with supplies of provisions for Kerry, but
was enabled to lie to at Tarbert.
The Swallow, steam-tender to the Madagascar store-
ship, Commander Green, in the Shannon, and com-
manded by Second Master Bryant, left Limerick on
Tuesday afternoon with a supply of provisions for the in-
terior of Kerry, and was caught in the furious storm of
Wednesday morning, in which she was driven ashore by
the force of wind and waves at the entrance of the
Askeaton river, where she now lies high up at low water.
The ♦essel is also reported to be strained, if not bilged.

THE STEAM-SHIP RIPON.
DEPARTURE OF THE INDIA MAILS AND
PASSENGERS.

The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Com-
pany's steam-ship Oriental arrived in Torbay, from
Southampton, on Friday night, at half-past ten o'clock,
and the mails and passengers, with their baggage and
the packages for India, were transhipped to her from the
Ripon in the course of Saturday. The Oriental started
from Torbay, for Malta and Alexandria, on Sunday, the
25th instant, at half-past seven o'clock, A.M., with a fair
wind and fine weather. The Ripon left Torbay at the
same time under her own steam, steered by guys upon
the after part of the rudder, and arrived off South-
ampton water at seven o'clock in the evening. Her Ma-
jesty's steam ship Cyclops, and the company's steamer
Queen, accompanied her, but their assistance was not
required. A new rudder is being made for her, and she
is fixed to take the mails of the 20th of November. All
accounts concur in stating that the Ripon proved herself
a most easy and excellent sea boat during the gale in
which her rudder gave way.
The following letter has been received from the pas-
sengers, and Colonel Horne, in transmitting it to the
managing directors," expresses his regret that the bustle
attendant upon the change of vessels had prevented a
great many from adding their signatures, who, from the
general feeling of satisfaction which existed, might rea-
sonably be supposed as concurring in the sentiments ex-
pressed."

(corv.)
" Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation
Company's vessel, the Ripon, Torbay,
Oct. 24, 1846. Nine A.M.
" To the Chairman and Directors of the Peninsular and
Oriental Steam Navigation Company.
Gentlemen,—We, the undersigned passengers, who
quitted Southampton on beard your new steamer the
Ripon, on Tuesday, the 20th inst., and who are now
about to proceed in the Oriental, desire to express to
you our feelings of gratitude for, and admiration of, the
conduct of Captain Moresby, as well as of his officers
and crew, during the perilous situation in which we were
placed during the whole of the 21st inst., and to tender
our acknowledgments to you and your acting manager
for the prompt and strenuous exertions made to obviate
the inconvenience occasioned by the disabled state of
the Ripon. That we should at this early period have
the Oriental, with an attendant small steamer alongside,
and almost all our baggage transhipped, though it is
now only 48 hours since our first communication with
the shore after our disaster, is ample proof of the ac-
tivity and judicious arrangements made by your managing
directors on this emergency.
" We are, Gentlemen, very faithfully yours,
(Signed)
"R. Home, John C. Lyall, W. H. Martin, M.
~
A. Martin, P. Gwatkin, B.
C. Gwatkin J.
Miss D'Aquilar, Miss Jac 4
Lord, E. Wilson, Mrs. Colonel
miD'AssquLtalaw
,r,
Miss Wheeler, Miss Dougan, mason,
E. Colvin, Mary Paxton, Charlotte Sneyd,
Mrs. Seare, J. A. Brown, James B. S. Brown,
H.
enYryoumn
• Macdonald, J. W. Mitchell, T.
go,ul,ll;ll3rs.'
Julia Stanley Shum, James
Gibbs, James T. Bourne, Fred. Hawkins,
RClratHhWe.r.isnArneen,
R. Woodro:,nEtj°.AckEla.ndW,
W. S. Kelly, J. P. Cumming, M. S. Hadow,
C. S. Hadow, P. R. Smith, Tohn Mackail,
L. T. Mackail."

SUICIDE OF A. CABMAN.—On Monday Mr. Mills
held an inquest at the Marquis of Cornwallis, Great
Coram-street, on the body of Robert Watts, aged 63, a
cabman, living at No. 8, Little Guildford-street. It
appeared by the evidence of deceased's wife, that he was
an inveterate drunkard, and passed half his time in bed,
to recover from the effects of the spirituous liquors he
drank during the other half. After having been in-
toxicatedriday morningfo
for three
dd
wentays prteoviboeuds.ly,
Onhe
Scaatmured ally ° meon
Friday morn-
ing she went out, leaving him still in bed, and on her
return found that he had strangled himself by means of
a rope fastened to a bed-rail, and twisted round his
neck. Verdict, " That deceased destroyed himself whilst
iof unsound mind, caused by the habitual use of intoxi-
cating liquors."
We have to announce the death of the Countess
(Dowager) of Huntingdon, who expired on Tuesday last
at Boulogne-sur-Mer. Her Ladyship was the eldest
daughter of the late Joseph Bettesworth, Esq., and mar-
ried, first, Alexander Thistlethwayte, Esq. ; secondly,
Hans Francis, eleventh Earl of Huntin;don; and thirdly,
in April, 1838, Colonel Sir Noel Hams, K.C.H.