The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-15 00:00:00

LONDON, THUESDAY EVENING-, MAY 15, 1856.

STATE OF EGYPT.

( Prom the Times' Correspondent.)
ALEXANDRIA, MAY 6.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamers
Indus and Vectis leave this day with the Bombay
and Calcutta mails, which arrived at Suez—the
former on the Ist, the latter on the 3d of this
month.

The transit through Egypt continues to be con-
ducted in a very unsatisfactory manner, and
no pains are taken to improve it. Robberies of
.cargo and passengers' luggage still occur, and
by the last mail two boxes of specie and one of mer-
chandise were again allowed to be abstracted while
passing through the country.
The Overland mail of the 10th of April was
brought from London to Alexandria, a distance of
2,200 miles, in eight days; and it took the Transit
Administration four days to convey the same mail
from Alexandria to Suez, a distance of only 220
miles, 133 of which are crossed by rail, so that the
India steamers, which had been waiting since the
17th, could not leave Suez before the 22d of the
month.

Before the construction of the railway, when the
means at the disposal of the then directors of the
transit were very limited, an when the water in
the Canal and in the Nile, by its variations in
height, presented great obstacles to regular traffic,
three days were considered ample for the communi-
cation between Alexandria and Suez; and this
pt Pied was seldom exceeded ; and now that the
rad way between Alexandria and Cairo offers such
great facilities the transit always takes more than
three days between the arrival of the steamers at
one end and their departure at the other end of
Egypt, and it is sometimes (as last month) four
days.

The Southampton passengers of the 21st of April
arrived here in the Indus at daylight yesterday
morning, and notice was sent to them by the trait-
sit directors, as also to the passengers who had
arrived by the Vectis the day before, that they
would start by train at 12 o'clock. t was a hot
burning day, with a strong southerly or Khamseen
wind blowing, of a peculiarly painful and oppres-
sive nature to the passengers ; and although they
were at the station at the appointed time the train
did not start until three hours and a-half after-
wards.

The investigation into the claim of El Hamee
Pasha, son of the late Abbas Pasha, is still going
on. The modest amount demanded of Said Pasha
is three millions sterling, which the present Vice-
roy cannot summarily reject, from the precedent
that Abbas Pasha was made to pay to himself a
good round sum as a portion of his inheritance.
The English, French, and one or two other Consuls
General, by desire of Said Pasha, attend at the
meetings to give an opinion on the justice of the
claim ; but it would be very difficult to enter into
the merits of the case, and there islittle doubt that
the plan ultimately adopted must be that a sum of
money be given to El Hamee Pasha, and that in
future no claims of the same nature will be at-
tended to.

It is held by the Pashas of Egypt that, after pay-
ment of the absolutely necessary expenses of the
State and the tribute due to the Sultan, the excess
of income becomes their private property, and that
whatever money is expended for the benefit of the
country, as for railroads, canals, &c., ought to he
made good to the immediate heir of the preceding
Viceroy ; but if these claims continue to be at all
countenanced they will go far to impoverish the
country, and to induce the actual Viceroy to hoard
the excess of income for his own private benefit,
and not to trouble himself about public improve-
ments. It must be remembered that the inheri-
tance does not descend in a direct line, but to the
eldest male living member of the family, so that it
fluctuates between sons, brothers, nephews, and
uncles, and each Viceroy, as lie comes into power,
kno vs that at his death the State will pass into
another branch, with which very generally, as is
the case with all Orientals, he has no sympathy.
This state of affairs has great disadvantages ; but,
on the other hand, if the inheritance were made in
a direct line and the successor were a minor, the
country would soon fall into great confusion and
anarchy. What, for instance, would become of
Egypt if Said Pasha were to die just now and the
reins of government pass into the hands of his
son, who is not three years old ?
Said Pasha, who protects his private soldiers in
every way and wishes to attach them to his person
announced a few days ago that he gave leave to the
greater part of his army to spend the present month
of Ramadan, or month of fasting, in their own
homes. It is believed that his Highness expected
that they would net generally avail themselves of
the leave granted to them, but that they would ex-
press their attachment to him by remaining with
their regiments, and he was much disappointed at
the eagerness they all displayed to get away as fast
as possible, resorting even to the means of trying
forcibly to get a train to themselves, for which
many were brought back and punished. Said
Pasha will some day find his mistake in granting
too many privileges to his soldiers, for they evince
many signs of insubordination, and will give him
trouble.

A circular, of which the following is a translation
has been issued to the several Consuls General by
the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt :
"The formation of a new bank under the title of the
Bank of Egypt having given rise to diverse interpreta-
tions and alarmed certain interests by its very title, I have
received from the Viceroy the order to communicate to
you that this bank is subject to exactly the same condi-
tions as the other already existing banks ; that, like the
latter, it is completely independent of the Egyptian Go-
vernment; and that, in the mind of his Highness, there
could never have been any question of granting to it any
exceptional protection which would have constituted in
its favour a sort of privilege prohibited by treaties."
The Mahmoodieh canal has been thoroughly
cleansedand deepened, water has again been let into
it, and the communication between Alexandria and
the Nile will be uninterrupted. The work, by all
accounts, has been very cleverly done ' • the bed of
the canal is now on a level with the bedof the river,
which will insure a regular supply of water all the
year round ; and, though so many thousand people
were assembled, the work being equally distributed
and fairly apportioned among them, they laboured
heartily and completed it within a very short time,
and very little mortality has occurred.
Said Pasha is at present on the Nile. Trade is very
dull, but the canal being open a good deal of pro-
duce may be expected from the interior, which will
give employment to the shipping iu part.
Exchange ou London, 99 piastres per pound
sterling.
Syria is in a very unsatisfactory state, and the ,
whole country seems quite ready for a general
rising against the authority of the Sultan.
The Sultan's decree of the 18th of February gives
general dissatisfaction, for the bigoted Mahom-
medans will not allow that the Christians should
be put on the same footing with themselves ; and
the Christians are displeased because they feel that
the Mahommedans will never consider them as
their e
tax than
na nb de
madethey
to
serveuld
in
rather pay an addi-
tional the
army.
A great outrage has been committed at Marash,
near Aleppo. An English agent, named Guer-
mengaged in purchasing animals for English
account,ane
having had a difference with some of the
natives, he was shot in his own house, which was
afterwards sot on fire, and his wife and two
children were burnt to death.
The rioters at Nablous have become alarmed for
the consequences of their late outrages, and it is
understood that the Pasha of Jerusalem and the
Consuls are devising measures for the punishment
of the ringleaders. Mr. Lyde's share of the mat-
ter is being investigated by the Turkish authori-
ties ; but it is the general opinion that the English
Consul has acted improperly in not causing the
trial to take place within his own jurisdiction.
The Christian pilgrimage to the Jordan, and the
opposition Mahommedan pilgrimage to Nebby
Mooseh took place without disturbance. The num-
ber of pilgrims this year has been considerably
larger than for many years past.
The infamous imposture of the Holy Fire was
•

exhibited in the church of the iloliSepnich;
on Saturday, the 2,5 th of April, with the usual
scenes of profanity, superstition, and fanaticism.
The church was filled by a mixed multitude of
Greeks, Armenians, and a few Mohammedans,
while in the galleries were a good many Euro-
peans. Some of the people were rushing about in
troops, shouting, singing, dancing, raising men
on their shoulders and carrying them round the
church, and working themselves up to a high
pitch of excitement. One man walked round the
sepulchre with another on his shoulders, and a
boy above him. One man would go before a num-
ber of others clapping his hands and singing, his
followers answering in chorus. When the Pasha
arrived his soldiers were formed so as to keep a
clear space for the procession round the sepulchre,
and the people gathered in two dense masses round
the holes in the wall from which the fire was to
issue, the. Greeks on one side and the Armenians
on the other. The Greek bishop then made his
aPPeartinces and with men banners before hire

marched three times round the; sepulchre, after
which, having divested himself of his cap and outer
robes, he entered the sepulchre. The excitement
of the masses round the holes now increased to
frenzy ' • in the midst of great shouting the fire was
handed out, and the flames spread from torch to
torch amid a general roar of fanaticism. The
Greeks and Armenians begin to quarrel ; very
soon there was a general melee, and the church re-
sounded with the blows of sticks, crashing of lamps,
and tearing of pictures. The IVlahommedan sol-
diers were called upon to interfere, and in half an
hour their bayonets succeeded in clearing the
churCh, the pavement of which was left strewed
with broken glass and oil from the lamps. A stick
had transfixed the fine picture of the Resurrection
over the entrance of the tomb.

BA,NT INDIA. COMPANY.

LORD DALHOUSIE'S PENSION.

A special general court of the East India Company was
held yesterday for the purpose of laying before thepro-
prietors, for their approbation, a resolution of the Court of
Directors, passed on the 25th of April, granting to the
Marquis of Dalhousie, K.T., late Governor-General of
India, a retiring pension or annuity of 5,0001. per annum.
There were sixty or more of the proprietors present.
Lieut.-Colonel SYKES, the chairman, explained to them,
after the report of the Court of Directors had been read,
that it was proposed to grant this pension in grateful testi-
mony of the services of once-of the ablest men who had ever
administered the government of the British empire in India.
Notwithstanding the various changes which had been of
late years effected, the East India Company still possessed
the power, subject to the control of the Board of Commis-
sioners, of rewarding the zeal and the merits of their own
servants. He referred to numerous instances, from Lord
Clive to Lord Hardinge, in which this power had been ex-
ercised by the company ; and he then proceeded to state,
following the report of the directors, the grounds upon
which Lord Dalhousie had a claim to their gratitude.
During his administration the British territory had been
greatly extended on the western and on the eastern sides of
our old possessions, as well as in Central India. The Pun-
jaub of ancient renown had been the scene of British mili-
tary glories, which outshone those of former conquerors—
the occasion of their acquisition being the revolt of Moolraj,
and subsequently of the Sikh army, after the forbearance
which they had experienced from Lord Hardinge. The
conquest of Pegu, also, had increased our resources, whilst
it had diminished the means of aggression possessed by a
power which always sought to use them to our detriment.,
The kingdom of Nagpore, which was wrenched from.
the declining Mogul empire by the Mahrattas,
had fallen to us, by the extinction of the family
of its princes. In that case, as in the case of the
Punjaub, great forbearance had previously been shown
by the British Government, the conduct of the Rajah, in
the Mahratta war of 1817, haying caused the forfeiture of
his dominions, to which, nevertheless, his family was after-
wards restored. The kingdom of Oude, likewise, had been
recently brought under British rule, relieving it from that
long-continued oppression which had outraged humanity,
and had been a disgrace to the guarantee of the British Go-
vernment, under which it existed. Former governors-
general had repeatedly given a solemn warning to the
rulers of Oude, but it was Lord Dalhousie who carried out
the dictates of a just and sound policy by effecting that
transfer of the authority which had been acceptable not
only to the people, but to the chiefs, and which had caused
not one drop of bloodshed, but had been made with a gene-
ral acquiescence. The financial results of these acquisi-
tions of territory, together with those of Sattara and
Barer, were very satisfactory. The Punjaub yielded a re-
venue of 1,500,000/. ; Pegu, in this very year, would yield
270,000/. ; Nagpore, with the tribute which it formerly
paid, gave 410,000/. ; and Oude, even at present,
yielded 1,450,0001. ; these sums, with the revenue derived
from Sattara, the cession from Hyderabad, and other
sources, made up a total of 4,330,0001. per annum. But if
the genius of Lord Dalhousie had been conspicuous in con-
ducting wars, and in the augmentation of the empire, it
had been so, not less, in consolidating the internal govern.
ment, in establishing beneficial institutions, and in pro-
moting social improvement and agricultural or commercial
prosperity. Some of his most eminent labours might here
briefly be mentioned. Works of irrigation, to preserve
the people from the disasters of drought, early engaged
his attention. The Ganges Canal, the greatest work
of that kind ever yet seen, was projected before he
assumed the government of India, and 170,0001. had then
already been expended on it ; but so important did he
consider it, that, although encumbered with wars, which
caused a heavy drain on the finances, he devoted a mil-
lion and a quarter sterling to that object, and on the Bth
of April, 1854, ho had the happiness of seeing the opening
of that prodigious work, which, when its branches were
finished, would extend above 930 miles, and irrigate an
area of 1,470,000 acres. Another great work of ;the same
kind was now in progress in the Punjaub; it would be
navigable, and would extend, with its branches, 465 miles.
There were also canals, for the purposes of irrigation, in
Scinde and other provinces, constructed under Lord Dal-
housie's auspices, and other works, of civil or military uti
lity, roads, bridges, gaols, barracks, and public buildings.
An idea of the vast extent of these undertakings might be
formed by looking at the public works budget. The outlay
upon them in the year 18534 —was as much as 2,520,0001.
sterling ; and in the year 1851-5 it was no less than
2,997,500/. ; the budget for-the present year would be
2,471,8211., the total outlay in the last three years
would be 8,937,0501. No other government upon earth
had done so much in this period to advance the prc.
gress and welfare of the country. Ibis total would much
exceed that of all the deficits of the revenue during Lord Dal
housie's administration ; and under these circumstances no
well wisher to the prosperity of India would regret that
those deficits had been created. To carry out these great
works systematically and under proper supervision, Lord
Dalhousie had originated and established a distinct depart.
ment of public works in each presidency, as well as giving
them his own earnest attention. The electric telegraph was
oommenced at Calcutta in Nov., 1853, and by the energy
of Dr. O'Shaughnessy, it was enabled on the 21th of March
following to curry a message to Agra, a distance of 800
miles ; and by the Ist Feb., 1855, the three presidencies
of India were brought into telegraphic communication
with each other, over a space of 3,050 miles ; and now the
lines were in working order over nearly 4,030 miles. The
railways of India, though constructed by private capital,
owed much to Lord Dalhousie, who was the author of a
comprehensive plan for a system of Indian railways ; and
to his hearty co-operation the railways were indebted for
the facilities of getting land and for the encouragement
which had been afforded to them. Lord Dalhousie had
also reformed the Indian post-office, and given the people
of that country the same great boon of a penny postage
over immense distances which we enjoyed in England,
and arrangements had been made by him with the Eng-
lish Post-office by which the postage of a letter from Eng-
land to India, or from India to this country, was reduced
to 6d. This was not the least of the social advantages
derived from his administration. The gross revenue of
India had risen during the term of his government from
twenty-six millions sterling to about thirty millions in
the present year. He found a large annual defici
•ncy in 1847-8 and in 1848.9, but in the four succeeding
years he had a surplus, until, in 1853.4, began those mag-
nificent improvements, and the construction of those great
public works, which became a surplus charge. But the
net amount of the deficiencies of revenue during his admi-
nistratioa was 6,105,1171., whereas it should be remem-
bered, as above stated, that the total exnenditure for pub.
lic works in the same period was 8,907,3811. It was evi-
dent, therefore, that the ordinary revenues of the Indian
empire were more than sufficient to cover the ordinary
charges, and only failed when the extraordinary public
works system began. Amongst the financial operations of
Lord Dalhousie should not be omitted his conversion of
the 5 per cent. debt into a 4 per cent, debt, by which he
had saved above 300,0001. per annum to the state. To
improve the moral and intellectual condition of the people
had been an object of his earnest and continual care.
He had established departments of public instruc
Lion in all the presidencies. and promoted the esta-
blishment of schools, both English and vernacular, of
colleges for general science and literature, medical science,
and practical engineering. - The formation of museums,
art societies, and lending libraries, had engaged his liberal
benevolence. It might be mentioned that, on the death of
the late Mr. Beeton, a member of the Legislative Council,
who had established a school at Calcutta for the education
of girls, Lord Dalhousie took that school under his care,
supported it at his own private expense, till the depart-
ment of public instruction was created, to which it was
handed over. It would be difficult to enumerate all the
multitude of various objects in which the vigorous and
active mind of Lord Dalhousie had been employed. The
natural production of India, cotton, tea, iron, coal,
forests, agricultural improvement, seaports, navigation of
rivers, inland communications, the suppression of suttee,
thuggee, infanticide, and human sacrifices, the improv .
went of the condition of native and European soldiers,
the care of cadets, the preservation of the ancient monu-
ments of India, dispensaries, vaccination, silk, merino,
sheep—in short, nothing appeared to have been too great
or too minute for the grasp of his beneficent intelligence.
Perhaps it might be objected that the extension of
territory, the increase of revenue and even the im-
provement of the internal administration, did not necessa-
rily involve the welfare of the people, and thatif they were
oppressed by undue taxation they might still be in a lan-
guishing condition. The trade and shipping returns would
afford some indications of what was the fact. For many
years past the industry of the prodacers in India had been
so active that the balance of trade in favour of India had
gone on increasing from year to year. In the five years
from 1819.50 to 1853-4, that balance of trade in favour of
India amounted altogether to 40 millions sterling, and last
year alone it was above 8 millions. In consequence of Eu-
ropean manufactures being little suited to the tastes and
wants of the natives of India, it had been found necessary
to liquidate that balance of trade by remittances of bullion;
and in the last 20 years about 64 millions sterling in silver
had been sent to India, of which about 50 millions sterling
never left the country again. Nearly 43 millions sterling
of silver had been taken to the mints in India by private
individuals, not by the Government, and converted into
rupees, and Government had recoined a large amount of old
rupees, so that silver to the amount of 66 millions sterling
had been put into circulation. The shipping and naviga-
tion returns of India sho wed that the number of ships had
increased from MO in /845:6 to 5,846 1852-3, aud the'

[PRICE 4D. STAMPED SD•

tonnage from 1,297,124 tons in the former year, to
4976,405 tons in the latter year, the increase being up-
wards of 52 per cent. during Lord Dalhousie's administra-
tion. As for the pressure of taxation, the whole taxation
of India, regarded as a capitation tax, was 4s. %d. per
head per annum, including the opium revenue, which was
not properly a tax upon India, but was paid by foreigners.
The taxation varied very little under the different govern-
ments, except in Bombay, where it was Bs. 7d. per head,
including all the taxes ; but the average land tax was
only 2s. s:id. per head annually, and it was almost identi-
cal in the north-west provinces, the most flourishing go-
vernment of India, and in the Madras presidency. This,
considering the extreme cheapness of the means of sub-
sistence amongst the people of India, was not a pressure of
taxation by which they could be pauperised, as had been
asserted. Such had been the labours of Lord Dalhousie,
through a period unusually protracted, at the request of
the home authorities, and they were enough to entitle him
to the gratitude and admiration of the public and of the
East India Company. Broken down in health, he had
taken a touching farewell of the inhabitants of Calcutta,
and returned to this country. In his temporary repose,
let him have the solace of an unreserved approval of his
conduct, on the part of the company, as expressed in the
resolution which was now submitte ito the meeting. The
chairman, in conclusion, moved the approval and confir-
mation of his grant of the pension of 5,0001. a-year to Lord
Dalhousie.
Mr. Ross D. MANGLES seconded the resolution.
Mr. LEwIN spoke at some length against the proposed
grant, saying that he considered the salary which Lord
Dalhouse had received for eight years 25,000 i. a-year, toge-
ther with a palace to reside in, allowance for household ex-
penses, and other sources of emolument, were ample remu-
neration; though he agreed that Lord Dalhousie's civil
services had deserved the commendation of the whole world.
He knew it was quite in accordance with Oriental cus-
toms and with the habits of that court to worship the
rising sun, and at present Lord Dalhousie's name was a
tower of strength. He was looked to as a future Prime
Minister ; and it might be thought that, if he obtained
this pension, the company would have a certain lien upon
him. He (Mr. Lewin) entirely disapproved of the annexa-
tion policy which Lord Dalhousie had adopted, and which,
he believed, had excited such a feeling against us, that it
would ultimately cause a great risk of the loss of our In-
dian Empire. He enforced this view by several instances,
and criticised the conduct of the Indian Government in re-
gard to the native princes and aristocracy of the country.
Mr. SEATON KARR replied, in justification of the policy
which had been pursued by the late Governor-General, and
in praise of the great improvements effected during his ad-
ministration.
Mr. JONES then addressed the court at some length in
opposition to the motion. He censured the Indian Go-
vernment in many particulars, and contended that great
injustice had been done in the case of Nagpore, and in
other cases of annexation, to the rights of the native fami-
lies concerned. He moved as an amendment, " That this
court would not be justified in awarding the money which
belongs to the people of India for a pension such as is now
proposed."
Mr. Sergeant GASELEE seconded the amendment.
Dr. BEATTIE spoke in support of the recommendation of
the Court of Directors.
Major RATIIBONE opposed the pension, going into de-
tails as to the measures of Lord Dalhousie's administra-
tion.

Sir J. W. HOGG then replied on behalf of the directors
and of Lord Dalhousie. Ho strongly repudiated the sug-
gestion of Mr. Lewin, that any sordid expectation of future
advantage had induced them to grant this pension, or that
Lord Dalhousie could be supposed capable of ever being
influenced by such a consideration. He justified the policy
of the Indian Government in the several instances of an-
nexation, and urged that the high claims of the late illus-
trious Governor-General demanded the grateful recogni-
tion of his countrymen.
Mr. Serjeant GASELEE briefly spoke against the grant,
observing that he had nothing to say against Lord Dal-
house, but that thefulsome and exaggerated praise bestowed
on the noble lord was very injudicious on the part of his
friends. He only protested, as a trustee for the people of
India, against the exorbitant salaries and pensiocs which
were paid out of their hard earnings.
The original resolution and the amendment were then
put to the vote, when the former was carried with only
eight dissentients, and the court then adjour nod.
The resolution must be submitted to the approval of a
second general meeting of proprietors, which is to be hold
next Wednesday.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

METROPOLITAN.

The adjourned half-yearly meeting of this company was
held yesterday at the offices, Great George-street, West-
minister ; 11 re A. S. Ayrtou in the chair.
The CHAIRMAN said they had met to consider the pro-
priety of adopting the report submitted at the meeting in
Feb. last. Tne directors were not prepared with any new
report, and therefore would ask them to acquiesce ie that
already 7resented. He then adverted to the past history
of the company, and its connection with Mr. Pearson's
project fe,r a city terminus, which was amalgamated with
that of the Metropolitan Company. They had obtained pe-
cuniary assistance [rein members of the corporation, and
also from the Great Western Company. The war
came, and absorbed all the surplus cash in the coun-
try ; the consequence was the capitalists on whom
they relied for support to carry out the undertaking
were not prepared to supply the funds for the purpose.
The directors had given a pledge that they would not
make a call or prcceed with the works until they had
the assent of the shareholders' Their undertaking dif-
fered in some respects from that of other mil way com-
panies, inasmuch as when the works were commenced it
would be necessary to carry them on as rapidly as possi •
ble with a view to complete them as soon as they could,
otherwise delay with the works would involve enormous
expense on the company, which it was desirable to
avoid. They were at present proceeding with negotia-
tions which they hoped wcu'd lead to a favourable ter-
mination in carrying out the project. They bad lately
been in negotiation with the Great Northern Company
on the subject of forming a junction with that com-
pany's railway, and it was believed the directors of that
company would recommend their shareholders to sub-
scribe 175,0001. towards the undertaking. The proprie-
tors would see they were not at present in a condition
to commence the works, particularly as it was necessary
they should first come to an understanding with the
authorities of the city of London in respect to certain
property through which the line was intended to pass.
It was necessary that they should have power to take
land on each side of the railway, and to make arrange-
ments with the city of London for that purpose. Until
those points were settled it would not be desirable to
commence the works. The shareholders would soon be
called together again to consider the bill now before
Parliament, in compliance with the Wharncliffe stand-
ing order. Considering the public events that had taken
place since they applied for power to construct the rail-
way, the course adopted by the directors could not be
deemed unsatisfactory to the shareholders. He would
be glad to see the works commenced, but he was not
alarmed at the delay, for he thought much good would
result from it ; and, if the undertaking be really sound,
the delay of five or six months would be of no conse-
quence. It would not do to commence the works pre-
cipitately and then find themselves in difficulty ; the
directors were desirous of making all the necessary ar-
rangements before they commenced operations. He
concluded by moving the adoption of the report.
Mr. JONES complained of the obscurity in which their
affairs appeared to be placed. He was not aware before
that they were indebted to the Great Western for a
loan ; he considered they were shareholders to the ex-
tent of their subscription. He considered that the com-
pany had been spending from 3,000/. to 4,000/. a-year
since they had obtained their bill, which was too much
to take out of the small sum they had in hand. He
thought the best thing they could do would be to wind
up the affairs of the company. He had no confidence in
the statement of accounts, and particularly objected to
the suspense account of 5,0001. and the loan of 16,0001.,
and he had some doubts as to the balance of 14,0001.
Mr. WATTS was surprised to hear that the comen9
had not the usual powers to purities° land in the city.
He wished to know how it was that their chairman was
about to leave them l the chair,
Mr. MALINS said, with reference to resigning
he had intimated that at the last meeting in consequence
of his connection with the Railway Reform Association,
and would now also resign his seat at the board.
The CHAIRMAN replied to the observations of Mr.
Jones, which, he said, were totally unfounded, and in
doing so said the past proceedings of the company would
bear the fullest inquiry. It was well known that the
Groat Western bad subscribed for 175,0001. of the capi-
tal, and paid their deposit of 17,5001., but in order to
complete the deposit in Parliament they had advanced
them a further sum of 12,100/., which they now had the
means to return when requirea. With regard to the
calls, some parties had paid them up in full, while sums
received from others who had subscribed were in dis-
pute, and these sums were placed in a suspense account
until the matter in dispute was settled. Since the last
meeting 5001. of that slam had been paid, and the sus-
pense account was reduced by that amount, and as the
other disputed sums were settled they would be deducted
until the whole was extinguished. The accounts had been
audited by Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Copestock, and there
could be no doubt as to the correctness of the items. Par-
, hament had refused to allow the 71,0001. deposited in
Chancery to be withdrawn for the works until the speci-
fled time, but they agreed to extend the time for com-
mencing the works one year from the Ist August next.
After some angry observations on the affairs of the
company,
Mr. Mimes begged to assure the meeting that the
directors had not received one farthing for their expenses
out of pocket nor for their services. The cost of the
first application to Parliament was limited to 3,000/. ;
.but the second application was opposed by Alderman

(1) Ist, The siege army, composed of 30,000 French and
30,00 Q Turks, without counting 10,000 men who cannot be
disposed Of ; 2d, the first army of operation under Lord
Raglan, of 25,000 English, 15,000 Piedmontese, 5,000
French, and 10,000 Turks ; and 3d, the second army of
operation, of 40,000 French of the army of Sebastopol, and
25,000 of the army of reserve at Constantinople.
(2) The active army would he thus organised :—General
Canrobert, general-in-chief ; Ist corps d'armee, General
Bosquet, with 4 divisions of infantry and 1 of light ca-
valry ; '2d corps d'armee, General Itegnauld de St. Jean
d'Angely, with 2 divisions of infantry, 1 division of the
guard, and 1 division of heavy cavalry. Gen. Pelissier
would have continued to command the besieging army.
(3) On the other hand, the Minister of War would have
had collected at Constantinople rations of meat, gun-
powder, and other objects occupying little space, in order
that the soldiers by leaving all their other baggage might
have each carried eight days' provisions, with a shirt and
a greatcoat. The corps d'armee of reserve would follow
the army of Baidar, would carry the same quantity, so
that the 60,000 men in commencing the movement would
have 16 days' provisions assured to them. When once
Simpheropol, the carriages might re-
they had reached
victual the army from Alouchta.

METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS.—Yesterday the
board met to consider the drainge of the districts south
of then hames. The consideration of the subject wae, in
the ca adjQurped until Wednexday next.