The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-21 00:00:00

whether the proposition to erect the new bridge to
Charing-cross emayated from private individuals or
railway jobbing ?—(Hear, hear.)
The CHAIRMAN said that he had already, in fact,
answe,-ed the qaestion of the Hon. Proprietor. He
did not believe it was a matter of railway jobbing, or
that it emanated from the South Western Rail-
way Company ; he had no doubt, hecauie Lord
Morpeth had told them so, that it did not
emanate from the Government (Hear, hear)—
but that it was the project of a commission, no doubt,
anxious to do something for the public, but at the same
time extremely reckless with respect to what property
belonging to the public they injured.—(Cheers.)
Mr. FOWLER thought that a committee of the pro-
prietors ought to be appointed to act with the directors in
opposing the measure ; he also thought they ought to
be informed whether the Chancellor cf her Majesty's
Exchequer was prepared, on the part of the public, to
find the funds for building the new bridge? He was
surprised that a measure that had for its object the
annihilation of public property should not only be con-
templated but recommended by a public board.—(Hear.)
The CHAIRMAN thought that the appointment of a
committee of shareholders to act with them would be
tantamount to a vote of want of confidence in the direc-
tors. The only wish of the directors was to act for the
interests of the company—(Hear, hear)—and he was
sure that every gentleman present would cordially give
them credit for such intentions.—(Hear, hear,)
With respect to the other statement of Mr. Thomas,
he could assure him that her Majesty's Chancellor of the
Exchequer was not prepared to find money for the exac-
tion of the proposed bridge.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. GILBERT—WhiIe he thought that the number of
gentlemen, to assist the directors, should be increased to
four or five, begged to disclaim any notion on his part,
of a want of confidence in those gentlemen.—(Hear.)
Mr. FEW, sen., said that there could be no objection to
the resolution containing a direction to the directors to
appoint four or five of the directors to act with them.

Captain KELLY deprecated the adoption of any other
course than that proposed by the chairman.—(Hear.) He
thought forcing any of the proprietors upon the direc-
tors to assist them would be most injudicious.—(Hear,
hear.) He believed that there was not a single party,
from John o' Groat's house to the Land's end, but
what would oppose the erection of the proposed bridge
out of the public money.—(Hear, hear.) He thought
the property of the Charing cross-bridge was exceed-
ingly safe, and that they had nothing to tear.
A PROPRIETOR thought after what had been stated in
the early part of the meeting by Mr. Stutely, that it
would be desirable to know whether or not that gentle-
man would act.

The CHAIRMAN felt a delicacy in putting such a ques-
tion to Mr. Stutely after the observations he had made.
He thought the proper course would be, for the request
to that gentleman to come from the Charing-cross-bridge
Company, and he was sure Mr. Stutly, upon considera-
tion, would respond to their call.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. STUTELY would repeat what he had stated at
the opening of the meeting, that the request came by
surprise upon hini.---;Hear, hear.) He begged to
withhold his decided consent at present as
Deputy Chairman of the Hungerford Market Com-
pany, to accept the honour proposed to be conferred
upon him, thinking that he ought to consult with his
board before he did so.—(Hear, hear.) He could,
however, assure the meeting that if his joining with
them to oppose the erection of the proposed
new bridge would lead to putting an end to
the unhappy differences that had existed between
them it would give him great pleasure.—(Hear, hear.)
After:some further discussion the following resolutions
were unanimously agreed to :
" That this meeting has heard with extreme surprise
of the intended application to Parliament for powers to
erect a new free bridge from Charing-cross, at a dis
tance at the latter place of thirty yards only from the
bridge so recently constructed by the Company under
the express sanction of Parliament.
. .

" That the projected measure, while it is altogether
uncalled for by the public, would be most ruinous to
the property of this Company.
" That the Directors be, and they are hereby, autho-%'
rised, by every means in their power, to oppose the in-
tended application to Parliament, and to adopt such
measures for the protection of the proprietors as they
may deem expedient."
Thanks were then proposed, and unanimously carried,
to the Chairman and Directors, especially to the Chair-
man, and the meeting broke up.

DIRECT LINCOLN, EAST RET-
FORD, AND SHEFFIELD JUNCTION RAIL-
WAY.—(THIS DAY.)
A meeting of the directors and shareholders of this
company was held to-day, at the George and Vulture
Tavern, George-yard, Lombard-street, pursuant to an
advertisement which appeared in the Gazette of the 11th
December last, to consider the propriety of dissolving
the Company, and to carry out a resolution to that effect
which was adopted at a meeting held on the 9th inst.
J. B. Shuttleworth, Esq., took the chair. Scrutineers
having been appointed,

ThC CHAIRMAN stated that the meeting had now to
decide whether the company should be dissolved, and
whether with or without a bankruptcy?
Mr. GRIPPER proposed, and Mr. PRICE seconded, a
motion that the company be dissolved, and that without
a bankruptcy.

The scrutineers having made the investigation of the
shares, reported that 3,575 shares had been paid upon
before the 31st March last, and of these 2,140 had been
presented to them for voting, and which were given for
the dissolution of the company.
A SuAREMOLDER inquired wry his shares were rejected
in the voting paper, and was informed by the solicitor
that his shares were only excluded because they were
issued after the 31st of March, the clause of the Act re-
quiring that no shares should be admitted but those issued
before that date.

Mr. BEVAN (the late Secretary) inquired what had
been done with the box taken from his office ?

Mr. TUCKER denied any knowledge of the box, or
that at any time he had been near Mr. Bevan's office.
Several Shareholders inquired whether it was intended
to repudiate the shares which had been issued after the
31st of March?

The CHAIRMAN declared that there was no intention
to repudiate those shares, but the clause of the Act or
Parliament excluded them from voting.
Mr. J. BROWN proposed, and Mr R. EKYN seconded,
a resolution to the effect, that the dissolution shall not
be considered an act of bankruptcy.
The resolution was carried by a large majority, and
after much violent language, and a great deal-of altorc.i-
tion, the meeting was dissolved.

WATERFORD, WEXFORD, WICK-
LOW, AND DUBLIN RAILWAY.—(THIS DAY.)
The first ordinary general meeting of the proprietors
of the Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow, and Dublin Rua-
way was held this day at the offices of the company,
West Strand; Lord Courtown in the chair.

The meeting was made special for the purpose of
authorising the directors to apply to Parliament in the
ensuing session for powers to deviate from the existing
"-- -

The CHAIRMAN stated that a report had been pre-
pared to be submitted to the shareholders, but the
directors had since had a communication with two gen-
tlemen from Dublin, and they therefore did not intend
to take any vote upon the document.
The report stated that as soon as practicable after the
company had obtained its Act the directors proceeded to
the consideration of the best manner in which it could
be carried out, and .the plan the directors now desired
the proprietors to adopt was, first, that the extension
from Kingstown to Bray be forthwith carried out--dis•
tance, seven miles—and thence continued from Bray to
Wicklow--distance, seventeen miles ; secondly, from
the junction with the Wexford, Carlow, and Dublin
line at or near Enniscorthy to Wexford, and to the
proposed packet station in the south bay, a
distance of twenty-six miles ; and, thirdly, that
the purchase of land should be made with reference to
this arrangement of the works, and the payment of calls
should be so regulated that no part of the capital should
be demanded before it was actually required. The
directors estimated that a call of 11. lOs. per share
ought to be made forthwith, and a second call of 11. per
share, payable in November, would be adequate to the
outlay consequent on such an arrangement of the
works for the year 1847. It had been resolved to allow
interest at the rate of 41. per cent. per annum,
upon calls as paid up, and 5 per cent. for payments in
advance of calls. The Barony of Newcastle, in the
county of Wicklow, had come forward in support of
this line by having made a presentation, under the Board
of Works Act, to advance 20,0001. towards promoting
the works. The receipts, consisting of deposits on
75,186 shares, at 11. 103. each, amounted to 112,7791~,
and the payments to 39,8531. 16s. 4d., leaving a balance
of 72,9251. 3s. Bd. in hand.
Mr. Alderman BOYCE, a member of the deputation sent
from Ireland to advise the company upon the present
position and future prospects of the line, stated that he
and the other members of the deputation waited upon
the directors on Saturday, and pointed out to them the
impropriety of attempting to carry out the line in the
present state of Ireland.—(Hear, hear.) The directors
received them with the utmost courtesy, and lis-
tened attentively to what they had to say. At
the conclusion of the interview the directors ap-
pointed another interview for that morning, and
this latter interview had just been brought to a close,
and the result was, the directors were prepared to con-
cede to the deputation an adjournment of the meeting
till the 17th of February, 1847, when proper and well-
digested measures would be submitted to the share-
holders for their future guidance. He, therefore, begged
to move the adjournment accordingly.
Mr. GEORGE seconded the motion.

Mr. DicKsoti found fault with the conduct of the di-
rectors in leasing the Dublin and Kingstown at an extra-
vagant rate of interest, while they had taken powers to
improve the port of Wexford, with which the share-
holders had nothing at all to do, and in issuing shares
since the month of August. The directors promised
that the line should be leased to the Great Western
Company, but they had broken faith with the share-
holders. He also complained that they had withheld the
share register wantonly from the proprietors.
Mr. BOSWELL said he understood the directors, upon
the advice of Mr. Lloyd and other eminent counsel, had
determined to ..hold the original allottees responsible to
the extent for which they had subscribed ; and, acting
upon that princip'e, they had confiscated some tens of
thousands worth o property, which had been purchased
from original allottees themselves. All railways in Ire-
land were at a ruinous discount, and he could assure the
meeting that the accounts of the awful state of Ireland
were not at all exaggerated.
Mr. PEIRCE wished to know who would be entitled to
vote at the adjourned meeting?
The CHAIRMAN replied that those whose names were
on the register would be entitled to vote.

Mr. BENBON urged upon the directors to make propo-