The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-25 00:00:00

HORSHAM.

This Committee were engaged the whole day in re-
ceiving rebutting evidence of the alleged briberies com-
mitted by Mr. Fitzgerald, the sitting Member, and his
agents.

NORTHERN COUNTIES UNION
RAILWAY.
The usual half-yearly general meeting of the prowle-
tors of the Northern Counties Union Railway was held
yesterday afternoon at the London Tavern; Major Beres-
ford, M.P., in the chair.
The report expressed the regret of the directors at
their being unable to obtain Parliamentary sanction to
remove the restriction which their original Act imposed
on the outlay of capital. A' large amount of arrears still
remained due on the first and only call. The call was
made in April, 1847, and the arrears now due amounted
to 37,395/., out of a sum of 89,5051. Under these cir-
cumstances, the directors deemed it prudent for the pre-
sent to curtail all further outlay, and to economise every
expense. With this view the office establishment had
been reduced, the engagement with the engineer had been
terminated, and it was intended that the remuneration
hitherto paid to the directors should hereafter cease.
The balance-sheet showed that the expenditure of the
last half-year amounted to 18,711/. ss. 6d., while the ba-
lance in hand was set down at 76,791/. I Is. 7d. The
total receipts of the company from the commencement up
to the present time amounted to 206,470/. 3s. 4d.
The report was adopted, after which the directors were
aut:iorised to forfeit 162 shares upon which the calls had
not bee 71
paid.
This cia,ed the business of the half-yearly meeting.
The shareholci,,rs then resolved themselves into a special
general meeting, for the purpose of deciding upon the
future proceedings o: the company, Major Beresford still
retaining the chair.
The CHAIRMAN said it w-as the general opinion of the
board that there were three courses open to the adop-
tion of the shareholders, name! s!. to authorise the direc-
tors to make a heavy call and pl'oceed with the works;
2dly, to dissolve the company; or, Odly, to suspend the
works till the arrival of better times. In the existing
state of things the two first courses were impolitic, it
not absolutely impossible, and he therefore recom-
mended the shareholders to rest upon their oars, and
wait till they had an opportunity of seeing what other
companies would do.
After a lengthened discussion it was proposed and
carried unanimously, that the directors be invested with
full powers to treat with all parties for the suspension
of the works, and to enter into agreements for the sale
or leasing of the line, such sale or lease not to be fully
carried out without the sanction of a special general
meeting of the shareholders.
Thanks were then voted to the Chairman, and the
meeting terminated.

EAST AND WEST INDIA DOCK
AND BIRMINGHAM JUNCTION RAILWAY.
A meeting of the shareholders in this company was
held yesterday at their offices, 12, Old Broad-street, when
Mr. Thomas Young the deputy chairman of the com-
pany presided.
The advertisement convening the meeting having been
read, a report was submitted by the directors, from which
it appeared that though some difficulty had been experi-
enced in obtaining possession of the property necessary
for the formation of the line, contracts had been let advan-
tageously for three portions, and six miles and a half in
length is now in the course of rapid construction. A
conditional agreement has been entered into with
the Blackwell Railway Company, by which the traffic of
the junction line will be carried over that line, and in
consideration of the formation of a branch of about half
a mile in length by the Junction Company, so as to
meet the Blackwell extension line at Bow, the company
is to obtain the free use of the termini both in Fen-
church-street and at Blackwell.

The balance-sheet showed that the receipts from
calls, interest, transfers, and other sources, were
242,1861. 18s. 2d. The disbursements were for the pre-
liminary expenses of the company, 11,2201. 11s. Id.; for
the purchase of land, 182,0831. Bs. 3d. ; expended upon
the works, 18,9001. ; making a total, with some addi-
tional minor items of 234,9301. 2s. Bd. • which left a
balance in hand of 7,256/. 15s. 6d.
The CHAIRMAN, atter a brief recapitulation of the
several heads, and having pointed out the advantages
which must accrue to the property from working har-
moniously with the Blackwell Company, moved the
adoption of the report.
After some conversation the resolution was adopted,
and thanks having been voted to the Chairman and di-
rectors, the meeting was dissolved.

NAOgßenFerOalLmKeetinito AofltLhisWcoAmYpanyCwOasiVlhell3d AjeNvstYe:
day at their offices in Guildhall-buildings; Mr, Do e
in
the chair.
The report, which was very brief, stated, that in
accordance with the resolution passed at the special
meetingene
ral of the proprietors of this company, ontf,e
May last, the agreement with the Eastern Counties Com-
pany was duly executed and exchanged; and upon the 7th
May all the lines belonging to this company were placed
in the hands of the Eastern Counties Company. A joint
committee, composed of three directors of the Norfolk
board and four directors of the Eastern Counties board,
has been appointed, and the traffic continues to be fur-
ther developed, while the expenses of working the line
have been considerably reduced. The amount to be re-
ceived from the Eastern Counties Company on traffic
account, added to the receipts up to the 7th of May,
enabled the directors to dsolare a dividend at the rate of
4 per cent. per annum, being at the same rate as that
payable by the Eastern Counties Company for the past
choaml f-pyaenayr
wa
ind l l r t
be e
nthe i
tl
efuture.e
vhe ept
her
sopamr iee tdoirvsi
doef h
ndt is
as
shall from time to time be declared upon the Eastern
Counties stock.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report,
stated, according to the terms of the agreement, the
Eastern Counties Company had guaranteed a dividend
upon capital to the extent of 2,300,000/.
The motion having been seconded,
Mr. YATES was proceeding to express his want of
confidence in the management of the company, and to
show that the lines had been constructed at a far greater
expense than was originally contemplated, it having
been held out to the public, on first starting the project,
that the line could be made for 10,0001. a mile, that
afterwards, when under contract, the directors had stated
that it would not, at the outside, cost more than 15,000/.,
when the real fact was that it required more than 23,0001.
a mile for its construction. He was going on to impugn
the conduct of the directors, when
Mr. CUNARD interfered, and put it to the meeting
whether the matter was not altogether irrelevant to the
object of the meeting, sad a motion was almost unani-
mously passed to prevent any further discussion.
Mr. I''ro, who quite agreed in the propriety of the
resolution just passed, did not however wish Mr. Yates's
assertions to go forth uncontradicted, and asserted
that no increase of outlay had been decided upon by the
directors until they had first obtained the sanction of the
shareholders, and he eulogised in the highest terms the
conduct of Mr. Hudson, and those who acted with him,
on the part of the Eastern Counties Company. The
guaranteed amount of 2,300,0001. was sufficiently ample,
for that sum was never likely to be expended.
In answer to questions, Mr. PETo stated that with
the exception of two accounts, which might amount to-
gether to about 18,0002, all the debts of the Norfolk
Company had been discharged; that it was not intended
hard
,c awl lhs
cf ohr
manyh
totherdur purposeduring
th
ep rtehsae nn
tt
3e.
epaary:
roeffq
udi
ree-
at if the times wereand the
abt obe no makeutut r2e
5s
mortgagees
focrhtohsaettopurrepnoe:e•.
The report was then adopted,their loans, no calls would be
d
,000/., and that
apnadssetwd
ofoarhitlhliengpsaaymshenarteoofnathdetvnidowenshaorfe; 21. p.,
ece7ntth.,