The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-29 00:00:00

FOR THE AMENDMENT.

Personal votes l6O £277,340 Votes 4,111
Proxies
AGAINST THE AMENDMENT.

Personal votes 5OB £695,980
Proxies
MAJORITY FOR THE AMENDMENT.
Proprietors, ... 29 Stock, £524,740 Votes, 5,421
The amendment was therefore carried.
The announcement was received with sheers and
hisses, amidst which three or four speakers attempted
to address the meeting.

Votes 11,710
... 3,994

Mr. Sergeant GAZELLE moved that the votes be

printed.

A SHAREHOLDER, one of the scrutineers, objected to
the printing of the ♦otes. Such a proceeding would
be attended with no good result.

Mr. BALL then addressed the meeting, and main-
tained that although the motion of Mr. Goodson bad
been carried, which was adverse to the continuance of
the labours of the Committee of Investigation, yet the
result of the polling would be regarded by the great
body of the public as a great moral triumph. The result
had been obtained by the most questionable means, for
out of 18,000 proxies which had been issued by the chair-
man, only about a little more than a third had been
returned to him. When it was suggested at the com-
mittee to issue proxies, a question arose as to the de-
sirableness of such a proceeding. Personally he (Mr
Ball) did not wish that proxies should be issued, but it
was ultimately decided that they should be seat forth.
The time was so long delayed before they were
delivered that that fact accounted in some measure for the

triumph of the Chairman's party. Why, on the last
day of application, when the return of the proxies
would have been too late, the committee received no less

than 200 applications ; and, had the proxies been
issued by the Committee of Investigation at a proper
time, they would have had a majority of at least 3 to
1. It would be impossible to destroy the feeling that had
been created amongst the great body of the shareholders.
Money had brought about the result. (Hear, and confu-
sion.) The same course of corruption that was pursued
at the election of every rotten borough had been re-
sorted to to obtain the desired result. Everything that
could be done had been done, and the result was a tem-

porary triumph. The speaker then proceeded to defend
the Committee of Investigation from the charge of
garbling the evidence, and concluded by asking Mr.
Lloyd whether the meeting at which it was determined
the Secretary should be taken was legal or not.
Mr. LLOYD said be had well considered the question,
and he felt the requisition calling the meeting was per-
fectly proper. The business transacted was within the
terms of the notice, as was also both the amendment
and the resolution. (Hear, hear, cheers, and confusion.)
Mr. HELPS here addressed the meeting, and was pro-
ceeding to draw the attention of the shareholders to the
evidence taken before-the Committee of Investigation,
when

The CHAIRMAN said the hon. proprietor was evidently
out of order.

Mr. Hntirs then put the original motion. (Confusion.)
A SHAREHOLDER said the proceedings of the day were
certainly no triumph. They certainly were not to rein-
state Mr. Waddington—(cries of "yes," "no," "hear,"
and confusion)—but were merely intended to tide them
Over till the half•yearly meeting, when they would make
a clean sweep—(cheers and confusion)—and unani-
mously reverse the triumph of to-day. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Lovn advocated the printing of the votes. Pub.

licity, be said, was the soul of business, and it was but
ust that one partner should know what the other was
doing. The question of expense was idle. There would
be no expense attending the printing of the votes, be-
cause every shareholder wishing for a copy would pay
for it, and thus the charge would be borne by the share-
holders and not by the company. He then alluded to
the bills affecting this company that it was intended to
bring before Parliament, and strongly advised every
shareholder to inform himself of each one before the
meeting in February, as it was most important :er the
interests of the company that they should do so.
Mr. COBBOLD said the few remarks he should offer
to the meeting would occupy but a brief space of time.
The hon. proprietor then preeeeded to allude to the
passing of some acts of Parliament relative to the East
Suffolk Railway, amidst marks of great impatience,
and cries of "Question, question, time," and much
confUMOD.

A. SIIAIZEHOLDER said be believed the question before
,he meeting was the printing of the Totes.
The CHAIRMAN said the hon. proprietor was quite in

order.

Mr. COBBOLD resumed his speech, but such was the
confusion that he very shortly resumed his seat, wishing
the votes taken at the poll would be printed.
A SHAREHOLDER hoped that between this meeting and
the half-yearly one in February they would keep a strict
eye upon their chairman. If at that meeting it was
found that he bad done right, why then they ought to
re-elect him ; if the contrary, why then turn him out.

The CHAIRMAN said as far as he was personally
concerned he bad not the slightest objection to the
printing of the result of the poll ; and as to those who
had done hips the honour to vote for him, they would
glory in their names being printed. (Loud applause.)
His opponents bad said that his majority consisted of
the votes of ladies and ladies maids. All he could
say was, the proxies before being sent out were
not submitted to him (Mr. Waddington), and,
therefore, the gentleman who made the assertion
must evidently have been canvassing amongst the par-
ties be had named or he never could have made the

statement he had done. (Cheers and laughter.) All he
knew about the parties who had voted for him was
that the largest proprietor in the company—one
holding upwards of 70,0001.—was not a lady. (Loud
cheers.) Another of his opponents had stated that if
you throw pitch some of it would sure to stick. He felt
sure the meeting would that day see who had thrown
the pitch. ( Hear, and confusion.) Mr. Ball had talked
about right and justice. Let that gentleman look upon
his report and his (Mr. Waddington's) answer, he would
there find right and justice on his (Mr. Waddington's)
side against calumny and misrepresentation. (Loud
applause.) The hon. gentleman then proceeded to defend
himself from the allegations of the committee amidst
much confusion and noise, and resumed his seat, de-
claring that it was hinted it was intended to have Par-
liamentary inquiry into the whole circumstances con-
nected with the Eastern Counties Railway. If so, his con-
duct would be found to have been upright, honest, and

just.
A long and angry altercation here arose between Mr.
Waddington and Mr. Ball, relative to the production of
a certain letter, which one gentleman asserted he had re-
ceived, and the other that he bad never written.
The meeting shortly afterwards adjourned.