The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-04 00:00:00

E LONDON DOCK CO ;tNY.:24Fi''->A
4
,rday the half-yearly meeting of ktti-pa
Id at the Dockhousa, in Prince's- enty.isia
iattley, Esq., took the chc'ir.
minutes of tle last meeting having bairnagtkiltiChie_tur
—coed,
The SECRETARY read the report, from which it op-
peered that the number of loaded ships from foreign
ports, which entered the London Docks during the sin
months ending the 30th of November last was 685,
measuring 186,517 tons; the number for the correspond-
ing period in 1849 was 780, measuring 200,012, being
a decrease of 13,495 tons. The amount of earnings
during the six months ending the 30th of November
last, was 229,1721. 9s. 101; the amount of the like
earrings for the corresponding period of 1349 was
247,300/. Ss. Bd. The amount of expenditure was
129,178/. 35. 11d.; and fur 1849 it was 139,2641. 10a. 4d.
The balance standing to the credit of profit and loss was
243,3701. Ss, 2d., Out of which the directors recommended
the paynl e ent of a dividend of " 10s. per cent. on the
company s stoci for the half-year, amountit'r to
90,9571. Its. 3,1., leaving a
,balanct, in favour of the
company of 152,4121. 15,. 11d., cut of which tte direc-
tors proposed to appropriate the sum of 10,0001. to the
credit of "new works." Out of the balance standing to
the credit of profit and loss the sum of 176,091'. 18s. 10d.
consisted of the amount of outstanding charges due to
the company on goods in the warehouses. The stock of
g ,uds in the warehouses on the 30th of November last
was 12,043 tons; at the same time :last year it was
127,825 tans. The stack of new warehouses on the
Wept-quay were now completed, and in use by the com-
pany. The same have been paid for,
The CHAIRMAN said the report did not exhibit them
in quite so flourishing a state as it did on former occasions,
yet he hoped it would be taken, on the whole, as satin-
factory.—(Hear, hear.) He did not think the deficiency
alluded to was such as need cause them any alarm. By
their next meeting he hoped they would recover that de-
ficiency, and meet under more flourishing circumstances.
The Chairman moved that the report be received, en-
tered on the minutes, and that it remain in the office for
the inspection of the proprietors.—Applause.)
Mr. MANNING (the deputy chairman) seconded the
motion, which was carried unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN moved that a dividend of 21. 10s. per
cent., for the half-year, be now declared.
The motion was agreed to unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN thought it would be expected that he
should allude on this occasion to the unfortunate dispute
between themselves and the Customs.—(Hear, hear.)
The directors had in vain attempted to get some of those
cases which the Customs pretended to have against the
Dock Company brought before some legal tribunal. In
every instance these cases had been postponed by the ,
Custores.—(Hear, hear.) The consequence of such dis-
putes was, that the stock of the dock in the warehouses
had been taken, during which upwards .of 700,000
packages had been examined, without finding one case of
defalcation, either towards the owners or the revenue.—

(Applause.) Some slight irregularities there were,
which must be expected in a large establish-
ment. He hoped the Customs would do them
the justice to admit this, as the Dock Com-
pany had been, he must say, most rascally abused.
—(Hear, hear.) Not content with finding it all right
with -00,000 packages, they examined 110,000 chests
in the tea warehouses, when not a single pound was dis-
covered to be missing.—(Applause.) In the wine and
spirit department, also, where it was known that great
temptation existed, 90,000 cases were examined, but not
a gallon was found to be deficient.—(Applause.) After
all this, the Customs would not admit that the docks had
done right; neither would they bring forward those
cases for trial where they pretended the deck authorities
had done wrong.—(Hear, hear, and laughter.) He al-
luded to the case in the police information of that day,
where a discharged servant of the company had been
taken up as if to be prosecuted by the Commissioners
of Customs, under the pretence of proving that this com-
pany was connected with his transactions. lie wished the
public not to be led away by ex parte statements; for
he could assure them that their solicitor had always in-
structions to prosecute parties where there was any
chance of a conviction; and in proof of that instruction,
he could mention 19 cases that had been prosecuted by
Mr. Humphrey, out of which number there were Its con-
vietions.—(Hear.) The object of this conduct of the
Customs in getting bold of such persons was to preju-
dice the public against this company before the forth-
coming trials. lle would stick to this case, for it made
his blood boil when he thought of the cruel manner in
which the company had been treated, and he fully ex-
pected that ample justice must in the end be done to the
London Dock Company.—(Applause.)
Mr. J. WlLsos moved a vote of thanks to the chair-
man and directors.

Mr. HODGKINSON seconded the motion, which WS
passed unanimously.
The meeting then adjourned.