The Sun.
London, England, 1856-06-30 00:00:00

The fourth ordinary general meeting of the share-
holders of this undertaking was held this afternoon at
the Bridge House Hotel, London-bridge. Mr. Far-
quhar, one of the directors, in the unavoidable absence
of Mr. Anderson, chairman to the Board of Directors,
presided.

The notice convening the meeting having been read
by the secretary, the report and the accounts, of which
the following is an abstract, were taken as read :
" The directors state in their report that as soon as
the hoard was fully constituted by the election of Messrs.
Beale, lonides, Ogilvy, and Seymour to fill the previous
vacancies the directors proceeded io reduce the ordinary
expenditure of the company and to improve its revenue
hy- increasing the attractiveness and usefu!ness of the
Palace. In the exhibition department they had reduced
the expenses by 2,0001. per annum. The remuneration
to the officers had been reduced oncethird, thus saving
7001. a year, and making any further remuneration to
the officers to depend on a small commission to becharged
on the net profits, and to be shared by them with the
general manager in proportion to the importance of
their respective duties. By the abandonment of the
‘,fmees at A delaideplace a saving of between 5001.. and
6101. a year had been effected, in the consolidation of
the two tine art departments a saving of about 1,0001:
per annum, making together, with other matters, a sav-
ing of ahouts,ooo/. on the working expenses in thecurreut
year. The directars have appointed Mr. J. Fergusson,
F ILA S. as general manager, and they look forward
with conddenne to important advantages from that ap
peintment. The report adverts to the arrangements for
the fetes, permanent additions to the attractions in the
picture, naval, engineering, architectural, and invention
departments ; and also a series of grand opera concerte.
In the exhibitors' department a steady improvement is
taking place ; the rental for the present year will be
rather in excess of that of last year, amounting to more
than 7,0001. The accounts have been very carefully
and fully examined by the auditors—Mr. J. Ball, of the
firm of Qailtt r, Ball, and Co., and Mr. Fletcher. The
capital account states that the ultimate expenditure of
. ,

capital Occlusive of the outlay on Dulwich wood) will be
1,355,5961. The powers of the company to meet this
expenditure will stand thus : —1,225,181/. already raised;
1,0571. arrears on shares, 73,7611. debentures unissued ;
33,333/. on debentures to be issued, and 100,0001.
tional capital authorised under the company's new act,
making together 1,433,3331. Ample means will thus
exist to meet the outlay on Dulwich•wood (35,0641.), 41(1
any contingent liability to further expenditure under the
covenants of that lease. With regard to the ways and
means, there will remain 91,3751. to be raised at pre-
sent, to meet which the existing borrowing powers of
the company are amply sufficient. The directors rec3m-
riteirl that it should be left to them to declare a dividend
cf 2s. per share on the original shares as soon as they
can pay it. They state that there has been already
paid a dividend of 5 per cent., free of income tax—equal
to another half per cent. —and that wken the further
dividend of 2 per cent. shall be paid, the return will be
equivalent to 7,c per cent. on the original capital for one
year and ten months' working, with the works in an in-
complete state. The number of two•guinea season-
tickets issued for the current season was 4,836, of one-
guinea season•tickets 13,351, and of two•guinea trans'
ferable tickets 666, making together 18,853 tickets, and
representing 25,5721. The West End Railway, from the
Crystal Palace to Clapham, is expected to be opened in
August next, and to Sloane-street Station in the sum-
mer of next year."

The CHAIRMAN, at some length, entered into the
changes that had been made by the Directors, relative to
the general management of the undertaking, which was
but an echo of the voluminous report of the Directors
issued to the shareholders. He explained an error of
1000/. in the capital account from a mistake in the
addition, and expressed his readiness to answer any
question relative to the company that might be put to
him. He considered the Directors had succeeded
in conveying the company through a difficult
period of its existence. An anonymous circular
had been issued, calling on the meeting to fix a day for
the payment of the dividend, but he hoped the meeting
. would not do so, but leave it to the directors to declare
t at a future day, because at present they had not suffi-
cient money in their hands with which to pay it. He
referred to a suggestion that had been made to give
Lhareholders an advantage over the general public, in
the shape of .a free pass, but he thought it'ought not to
be adopted, because this was a commercial speculation,
different from the Z)ological Gardens and other places
of amusement. He moved the adoption of the report.
Mr. Joan:ass seconded the motion.
Mr. IltratortE complained of the refreshment depart-
ment being out of their. own hands, and Ahab' the
charges were -too high, and urged on the directors
making better arrangements for the visitors.
ggeited. that the supply of refresh-
meAntSs HsheonuElsdobLeulsuown
r-n to competition, and not
confined as now t one individual. There was room in
the palace, and sufficient visitors attended there to sup-
port several refreshment rooms.

Other shareholders expressed themselves to the same
effect, and the feeling of the meeting Was decidedly
against the directors taking the supply of refreshments
in their own hands. A general feeling pervaded the
meeting that the directors during the past half year had
evinced an earnest desire to carry into effect the recom-
mendation of the shareholders for the improvement of
the undertaking. A suggestion was made that refresh-
ment tents should be erected in certain spots in the
gardens.

In reply to a question,
The CHAIRMAN said that the general manager was

ATTEMPT AT 11JIIRDER.-012 ThißEldAy •afternoon a
most murderous assault was committed by a gentleman
named Wade, residing lift Lorrirnoie.terrace, Walwortb,
On_ a man named Nolan, a plasterer,-in the employ of
lIr• Cook, budder, Walworth•roaj; and from the effects
of whioh his life is despaired.of. Ot,being placed befor-
the magistrate at. the. Lambeth- Police Court, ho could
wive no reason for the violent assault. He was remanded.
Ball was peremptorily refused. -