The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-22 00:00:00

Vabirb 92tittion

SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock.

ELECTION COMMITTEES.
(THIS DAY.)
DUBLIN.

The evidence in favour of the•eitting Members' qualifica-
tion was brought to a close to-day, and the Committee, after
a short consultation, decided that the evidence had succeeded
in proving that Mr. Reynolds possessed a sufficient property
qualification to justify his retaining his seat.
The Committee then adjourned for an hour to enable the
parties concerned to determine whether they would proceed
with the cross petition alleging bribery against Mr. Grogan,
the other sitting Member for Dublin.
At the reassembling of the Committee, Mr. James an-
nounced that he had been unable to get the parties who
instructed him together, and he must therefore request a
further adjournment.
The Committee acceded to this request, and adjourned till
to-morrow at half-past eleven o'clock.

CHELTENHAM.
The evidence adduced on behalf of the sitting Member
Mr. C. Berkeley, to prove that the voters who were engaged in
conducting the election of 1847, and remunerated for their
services as messengers, earned the money that was paid
to them, having been brought to a close, the Committee
gave it as their opinion, that the engagement of these elec-
tors was not a colourable employment to legalize the ad-
ministration of a bribe, but a bona fide hiring for the pur-
pose of carrying out the procedings of the election. An
application was then made for an adjournment, but the
Committee declined to accede to it, and the rest of the sit-
ting was occupied with evidence to disprove the treating.

HORSHAM.
The evidence in favour of the petitioners' case having
closed,
Mr. CALVERT was heard at great length in reply on behalf
of. Mr. Fitzgerald. The Learned Gentleman announced his
intention to call evidence to disprove the alleged acts of
bribery which the petitioners had attempted to establish
against the sitting Members' agents.

CALEDONIAN RAILWAY.
(THIS DAY.)
A meeting of the shareholders in the above railway, resi-
dent in London, was held this afternoon, at the London
Tavern, to decide upon the course they would pursue at the
ensuing half-yearly general meeting, advertised to be held in
Edinburgh on the 31st instant. Mr. Lewis Jacobs, of Crosby-
square, was called upon to preside.
The CHAIRMAN said, it would no doubt be in the recollec-
tion of many gentlemen that at a former meeting he was
appointed to go over to Edinburgh to protest against the
issue of the preferential shares. lie did se; but, upon the
representation of the directors, he felt himself called upon to
withdraw his opposition to that measure, and the shares had
since been issued. Another source of complaint was the
system of guarantees which the company had been
pursuing. He made known the wishes of the English
shareholders upon that point, and had pointed out
to the board the fact of nine-tenths of the share-
holders residing in England, which justified them in
asking that they should be more adequately represented in
the direction than they were at present, and that the half-
yearly meetings of the company should be held alternately in
Edinburgh and London. With reference to the latter sugges-
tion, the chairman (Mr. Hope Johnstone) admitted that the
principle was just, and he seemed to think that there would
be no objection to holding all important meetings in London ;
but, with regard to the question of making changes
in the direction, he did nut think it would be
expedient to make such a change till the en-
tire line was finished, which would be in about
twelve months. Since he had been over to Edinburgh he
had had his attention drawn to the circumstance of the di-
rectors intending to convert the preferential shares into
quarters, and place them on the same footing as the original
507. shares. Now, had he been in possession of this informa-
tion at the time it was proposed to issue these shares, he cer-
tainly should not have withdrawn his opposition to the mea-
sure, but it was now too late to renew the protest against these
proceedings, and it was for the meeting to determine what
steps should be taken in furtherance of the one object they
must all have in view, namely, the improvement of their
property. He thought it right however to mention before
he sat down that he was convinced the board was composed
of men of the highest honour and respectability ; and in a
letter he had received from the chairman, he was told that
it was not their intention to submit any question to the next
half-yearly meeting, in reference to the guarantees, nor did
they intend to proceed with any branch lines without con-
sulting the shareholders at meetings that might be held in
London.
Mr. TJTE said they were much indebted to the Chairman
for his statement; but it was quite clear that the directors
were anxious to do the best they could to meet the wishes of
the English shareholders. He would, therefore, suggest that
the meeting should be adjourned until after the next half-
yearly meeting had been held. He could at the same time
assure the shareholders, that if their direction had been com-
posed of any other than local shareholders, the line never
could have been made by this time, while he was equally con-
vinced that the directors had no alternative but to issue
the preferential shares which had given rise to so much dis-
, satisfaction. _ _ _ _

After a short discussion Mr. Tite's suggestion was unani-
mously agreed to, and in the mean time the chairman was
instructed to communicate to the directors that it was the
wish of the English shareholders that nu further guarantees
should ho entered into.
The meeting then terminated.