The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-01 00:00:00

CEYLON.

A meeting of this company was held yesterday
at the office, Broad-street-buildings, Mr. Anstruther
in the chair.

The CHAIRMAN stated that they had no report to
present to the proprietors, although when they
issued the notice convening the meeting the direc-
tors hoped to be in a position to present a full re-
port, comprising the result of the investigation by
Mr. Hawkshaw, C.E., on the part of the Govern-
ment, into the estimates of the company's late chief
resident engineer, together with tenders from con-
tractors willing to compete for the construction of
the line. The length to which the examination into
Mr. Doyne's estimates had extended, and the recent
return of the last of the contractors' agents from the
examination of the country, had precluded the pos-
sibility of attaining the desired results in time to be
laid before the shareholders that day. They had no
doubt, however, that the tenders would be in the hands
of the Government engineer and of the directors
within a very short time. The business could only be
of a formal character, and he would move the adjourn-
ment of the meeting to some day next month. He
did not see that any inconvenience could arise to
the shareholders from the delay, because the in-
terest on their shares was regularly paid by the
Government. He believed that the delay in pro-
ceeding with the works would be attended with
great benefit to all parties. They had been, in fact,
too precipitate in the first instance, and if they had
been less anxious to proceed with the undertaking
they would have had more moderate estimates. It
was suggested by some of the agents that deviations
from the proposed line might be made by which a
considerable saving in cost of construction could be
effected. One deviation alone would save £140,000.
They had reason to know that the contractors con-
sidered the locality perfectly practicable for loco-
motive power, and the directors had been informed
by Mr. Moseley that the inclined plane originally
proposed to be made was quite unnecessary, because
gradients could be obtained sufficiently good for
locomotive power. A careful examination of the
whole subject would show that the ultimate saving
to all parties by the delay that had occurred must
be very great indeed. He concluded by moving
that the meeting be adjourned to the 31st of May,
or, if necessary, to an earlier day, to be fixed by the
directors.
Mr. CouLsoN seconded the motion.

In reply to questions, it .was stated that the
earthworks had been partially made on 11 miles of
the intended railway, and it was proposed by the
local authorities to increase the number employed
on the works to about 2,000 men, for the pur-
pose of increasing some embankments as soon as
possible in a district usually flooded at a cer-
tain time of the year. There were now about
600 or 700 men employed on the works. When
the Duke of Newcastle received Mr. Hawkshaw's
report it was probable that he would make
some proposition to the company either respecting
a part or the whole of the works. The matter was
very simple. The Government had to pay the
guarantee and the company had to make the railway.
The resolution for adjournment was adopted,•and
the meeting separated.