The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-11 00:00:00

Something, however, remained. Upon another
occasion he might go over to the enemy, and
perhaps crush his old political friends. The prose-
cutor of the Scotsman entered into a league with the
Tories, and with great skill brought into the alli-
ance a religious body, who had a holy cause of their
own, and who decried as mere dross all political
discussions which were not subservient to it.
But the liberal cause, upon the resignation of
Mr. Macaulay, was again triumphant. The leader
who went over to the enemy did not take his troops
with him, and no dexterity or perseverance could
make up for the deficiency.
It will easily be understood that an election in
such circumstances was an exciting affair, in which
a good deal was given and had to be taken. Part
of the generalship of the coalition was to secure the
minor members of the press, and they boasted that
every political organ in Edinburgh was on their
side, with the one exception of the Scotsman. This
singleness of position gave to the old champion of
liberalism a heroic prominence marking it out for
vengeance. It was the Scotsman's function to ex-
pose, in a manner calculated to tell on an election,
the little story we have just alluded to. It was
done with that easy picturesqueness which gives a
charm to the columns of our active and able con-
temporary. There were recorded indications of
previous antagonism in the members of the coali-
tion which no one with a spark of genial humour
in his nature could have resisted. For instance,
the second in command of the allied army had on
a previous occasion, with great public solemnity,
called him, under whom it was now his fate to be
lieutenant, a " cold little snake." It was not in
human nature, that, when the two men were seen
in co-operation, something should not be said about
intertwined affections and the like.
'Well, the man who had had this term applied to
him by his follower, brought the other day his ac-
tion of libel against the Scotsman, for merely quiz-
zing them both for the position in which they
stood to each other. Wise people shook their heads
at the dreadful absurdity of sush an action, and
learned people applied the quos perdere volt. Yet,
partly by management, partly by chance, the pro-
secutor got a verdict with 40W. of damages.
A word before leaving this subject on the nature
of the danger to the freedom of the press which it
exposes. The jury, by a rule it will be difficult to
understand here, were prohibited from knowing
the whole history of the affair. It could not be
shown to them that the alleged libels formed but
part of an election contest, where an immemorial
liberty of giving and taking has existed, subject
only to the exclusion of personal private slander.
The prosecutor was permitted to exclude evidence
of all kinds, of strong epithets employed by himself
against his opponents—the defendants included.
It was not permitted to be shown that there is a
licence of sarcasm and reproach in elections which
had not been exceeded on the occasion by them.
The jury appear to have been isolated men, who
had little experience of the nature of an election ;
and it is sufficiently suggestive that five of them
are represented to have been agriculturists. They
were allowed to know only that portion of the story
in which the defendants are found striking their
adversaries. The evidence was all " heads I win
—tails you lose," and so it came to pass that the
distressed agriculturists, being told to do so by men
with great wigs on their heads, found for the
prosecutor.
Observe that there was no possibility of con-
founding the question with personal slander, for it
was not pretended that a word had been breathed
against the private character of the prosecutor, and
the Scotsman, which is not more remarkable for
the ability than for the perfect propriety with
which it is conducted (and that is saying a great
deal), had actually stopped, in the midst of one of
its severest political philippics, to pay a compli-
ment to the private and domestic virtues of
the man whose public conduct it was necessary to
censure.
Hence in Scotland the appalling doctrine appears
to be established by the verdict in this case, that
any remark unfavourable to a man's public conduct
is punishable iu the same manner as defamation,
and that any one of the innumerable persons who
may have dropped a squib or a nickname at an
election can be punished, if he on whom it has
fallen is spiteful enough to prosecute.
But the trial has not been without its compen-
sation. It has shown in a broad and distinct cha-
racter the extent of a dangerous law. It has re-
corded an eloquent protest against that law in the
finest specimen of forensic argumentation which
we remember to have read from Scotland since the
best days of Jeffrey, and we presume that the Lord
Advocate's address would lose nothing in the deli-
very. The preposterous magnitude of the penalty
has served the defendants, by removing them out
of the limbo of nominal damages. It is little
satisfaction perhaps to reflect—but this also we
must add—that the prosecutor has branded on his
forehead, for as long as he lives in this world of
care, the epithet which might have faded into in-
distinctness behind the good-humoured sarcasms
of the Scotsman. That the public of Scotland,
moreover, must come forward to relieve their
champion of free discussion from pecuniary loss, is
a secondary result as to which there can be no
doubt. But the chief end now to be aimed at must
be, that the decision of twelve obscure men, per-
plexed and isolated, with authoritative denuncia-
tions ringing in their ears, and under the influence
of a summing up that would have done credit to
the days when Ex Officios and Six Acts were rife,
must be rejudged by the public opinion of the en-
lightened citizens of Edinburgh--:-of the whole of
the free-minded and honest people of Scotland—
and of the British people at large.

EXECUTIONS.

EXECUTION OF DOVE.
On Saturday at noon William Dove, who was con-
victed at the last assizes for poisoning his wife by strych-
nine at Leeds, was executed in front of York Castle.
The number of spectators is estimated variously at from

10,000 to 15,000.
Dove partook of the Sacrament on Friday evening ac-
cording to the Wesleyan form. The Rev. J. Hartley
and Mr. Wright remained with him during the whole of
the night. The early part was devoted to prayer and
reading the Scriptures. Shortly after midnight the con-
vict threw himself upon his pallet, but his rest was dis-
turbed, and after dozing for less than an hour he rose,
and iu an excited manner demanded of his spiritual ad-
viser to know what he could do to save his soul that he

had not already done. Mr. Hartley, observing his tre-
pidation of manner, reminded him of the "Thief upon
the Cross," and assured him that the mercy of God
was never denied to a repentant sinner. Dove said the
example alluded to was that of a " thief" only, while he
himself was a " murderer," and he feared beyond all
hope of redemption. Mr. Wright and Mr. Hartley ad-
dressed such observations to the culprit as seemed calcu-
lated to soothe him, and presently after Dave called
upon them to join him in singing a Wesleyan hymn.
The request was acceded to, and at three o'clock on
Saturday morning the convict, the officers of the prison
present, and the gentlemen above alluded to, were
heard singing in chorus several hymns from a Wes-
leyan c Alection. At daybreak Dove partook of break-
fast, of which he ate sparingly. At five o'clock, ac-
companied by the governor of the gaol (Mr. Noble), the
deputy-governor (Mr. Green), Mr. Wright, and some
fe others, the convict was removed from the con-
demned cell in which he had hitherto been confined to an

apartment closely adjoining that portion of the prison

Where he was to suffer.

The culprit bore up pretty well during the morning,
and at 11 o'clock wrote the following description of his

Dove was led to poison his wife by hearing of the mur-
der of Cook, by Palmer, with strychnine ; but it seems to
have been impossible to discover the reason why Dove
wished to get rid of his wife, and which reason must,
previously to Cook's death, have existed in his mind.
Dove fully understood on Friday that he was to die next
day, and he was resigned to his fate. He expressed his
sense of the justice of his sentence, and stated that he
felt he deserved to dia. He also said he had no feeling
of resentment against the judge who tried him, the

state of mind, which he handed to Mr. Wright:—
"sm. to 11 a.m., Aug. 9, 1856.
" Dear Sir— I place entire confidence in the blood of
Jesus Christ His Son, which cleanseth from all sin, and
I feel great comfort from chap. 40, v. 29-31, and chap.
41, v. 10, 13, 14, of the prophet I3aiah.
" WM. Dom"
Besides the prison officials, the Rev. J. Hartley, Wes-
leyan minister, York, and Mr. Wright, of Manchester,
the prison philanthropist, sat up with the unhappy man
during Friday night—the former till 4 o'clock on Satur-
day morning, when Mr. Wright took up the further ad-
ministration of spiritual consolation to the criminal, who
appeared quite resigned to his fate, thoroughly conscious
that he must be die, penitent, and exceedingly prayerful.
The workmen usually engaged for the purpose com-
menced the operation of erecting the gallows soon after
daybreak, and at a quarter to 6 o'clock the culprit was
removed from the condemned cell to a room in close

jury who found him guilty, or the witnesses who gave
evidence against him. All Dove's feelings bad now be.
come centred on his own awful condition. He spent
the whole of his time during the day in prayer, in con-
versation on religious subjects, or in apparently devout
meditation. Mr. Wright left Dove last Frid-.37 week
and returned to Manchester. On Tuesday morning Mr.
Wright received the following letter :
" York Castle, Condemned Cell, Aug. 4.
" Mr. Wright—Dear Sir,—l take this opportunity of
writing to you. You told me that at any time that I
wrote to you, and requested you to come, you would.
Dear sir, I shall be very glad to see you on Wednesday
or Thursday at the latest, for I feel my time is short. I
cannot sufficiently thank you for your kindness to me
while you were at this place. I cannot reward you, but
my God and Father will reward you. Dear sir, while I
was meditating on the goodness of God, and thinking of
my past sins and wickedness, all at a moment a thought
flashed across my mind that there was a reprieve for me.
And what do you that reprieve was / Well, bless God,
it was this —' Thy sins, which were many, are all for-
given you.' It was no delusion, for it was so impressed
on my mind that I could not help but make the remark,
and tell my fellow-prisoners and the officer that was
there. Dear, sir, Ido not intend to stop there ; but I
intend to press forward to the mark for my high call-
ing which is of God, by Christ Jesus.' Dear sir, do not
forget to pray for me, that I may not be weary in well
doing, so that in due time, I may reap, if I faint not.'
And may the God of all grace bless you and yours is the
fervent prayer of yours respectfully,
" WILLIAM DOVE.
" P.S.—I shall anxiously wait an answer.
" Mr. Thomas Wright, 3, Sidney-place, Chorlton-
upon-Medlock, Manchester."
It was impracticable for Mr. Wright to come to York
immediately, but he got back to the unhappy man at the
earliest possible moment./As a further proof of the tone
of Dove's mind we may give the following letter, which
be put into Mr. Wright's hand on his entering the con-
demned cell on Friday morning :
" York Castle, Condemned Cell, Aug. 8.
_ _

"Respected Sir,—My time is short, my days are
numbered, and soon I shall have to appear before the
judgment seat of Christ ; but I trust my Judge is my ad-
vocate and friend, and that I shall meet his smiles, and
be welcomed to mansions in the sky. I can truly say—

" I the chief of sinners am,
But Jesus died for me."

contiguity to the scene of his last sufferings upon earth.
He was accompanied by Mr. Noble, the governor of
the Castle, and Mr. Wright, and walked across the
Castle-yard with a firm and ready step. He was calm and
collected, aud. his general demeanour much resembled
what was noticed of him during his four days' trial,
soon after Dove had quitted the condemned cell,
which looks into the plat of ground where murderers
executed at York Castle are interred, the gravedigger
arrived, and at once proceeded to execute his office.
As early as 7 o'clock in the morning a group of from
50 to 100 people had taken up a position on the iron rail-
ing at St. George's-field, and immediately in front of the
drop, where they remained for five hours, to witness the
execution. As the morning advanced the crowd continued
to augment, and by about half-past 11 it had become
very dense. At this time the weather, which had been
previously fine, though rather cloudy and threatening,
changed for rain, which came down heavily during the
execution and the remainder of the day. The rain did
not at all stop tho influx of spectators.
At 20 minutes to 12 o'clock the under-sheriff, Mr. W.
Gray, arrived at the Castle, and made the usual demand
for the body of the c ,ndemnedlaran for execution. At a
few minutes before 12 o'clock, the hour of execution at
York, Dove was removed from the room in which he
had passed the forenoon to another room nearer the
drop, where he was pinioned.
Dove was no way altered from his appearance at the
trial. His face bore the same healthy hue, and his man-
ner was calm and collected. He stepped upon the plat-
form with firmness and deliberation, and immediately
turned round to the Rev. J. Hartley, who read the
prayers for the dead. He then shook bands with Mr.
Pashley, Mr. :Noble, Mr. Hartley, and Mr. Wright.
Mr. Barret, his solicitor, was with him up to this time,
and Dove, while being pinioned, held him by the hand.
At this juncture Mr. Barret availed himself of an op-
portunity of asking Dove if there was anything in the
statement he bad made on Thursday which he wished to
alter or correct ? Dave replied with great earnestness and
appearance of sincerity, " Not a ward ; it is strictly true."
Dove subsequently turned to Mr. Barret, and said, "Mr.
Barret, tell my poor mother I die happy." These were
the last words he uttered, except in player.
In a minute or two afterwards the Castle clock tolled
forth the fatal hour, and the usual procession wan formed,
and proceeded through the grand jury-room, and thence
along a dreary-looking passage leading to the door
through which the wretched criminal reaches the drop.
In addition to the halberdiers, the executioner, and
other officials, the Under-sheriff, the Rev. J. Hartley,
Mr. Wright, and Mr. Noble appeared on the scaffold with
the culprit. As the procession moved forward from the
press-room, the Rev. J. Hartley read portions of the
burial service of the Church of England, which he fol-
lowed up with an extemporaneous prayer in which Dove
joined with apparent devotion and earnestness.
The convict, having been placed under the fatal beam,
from which the rope dangled close by him, the execu-
tioner proceeded to perform his office. He placed the
c is, upon the convict's head, and proceeded to adjust the
r ,pe round his neck. This was done with great delibe-
ration, owing probably to the fact that the hangman
was a debtor in the Castle, who had volunteered to per-
form the revolting duties. The executioner next tied the
convict's legs firmly, and withdrew to the side of the
drop. The bolt was in an instant withdrawn, and the
unhappy man fell. He had remained ,up to this time
with his hands clasped, and they remained clasped for a
second after he fell. At the end of that time his hands
relaxed, his legs were drawn up, and the body swung to
and fro ; this continued for about a minute, at the end
of which time the bands were again clasped, the legs
dropped, and all was over.
On the whole the crowd maintained very orderly and
decorous conduct throughout the painful scene. The
body of the convict remained suspended for an hour, when
it was cut down and placed in a shell for interment on
Saturday evening within the precincts of the prison in
accordance with the terms of the sentence of the law
passed upon the prisoner.
There had been numerous applications for the office of
executioner, among whom were two or three curious spe-
cimens of orthography. One of them was as follows :
"To the lligh Shereff York Castle York City
" Dear S'r Seeing in the Paper you advertise for a
Hangman i Will Engage With you My age is 22 yea
Height sft 8 inches Weight 13st albs Agent to the
linsurance Company London It is From several
Freinda at Leeds That i Hang the Convict Laying at
York Castle Mr Dove answer will oblidge."
On the return of Mr. Barrette on Thursday afternoon,
Dove at once expressed his desire to make a full confes-
sion of his guilt, which, although never formally denied,
had not previously been openly admitted by the convict.
Mr. Barrett was accordingly furnished with pens and
paper,- and, unattended by any other individual, he took
down from the prisoner's lips his own narrative of the
dreadful circumstances preceding and attendant upon
the death of his victim. This document, out of consi-
deration for the prisoner's family, will not at the present
moment be made public. Mr. Barret considering it his
duty to place so important a paper in the hands of those
by whom he was instructed. Dave commenced by stat-
ing that his first idea of poisoning his wife was derived
from conversations he had with a third person, the iden-
tity of whom it will not be difficult for the reader to es-
taulish when he remembers what were the culprit's no-
tions on the subject of witchcraft and the preternatural
knowledge of so-called " wizards." He does not directly
implicate the person referred to in the murder, but states
that his own actions were prompted by what he heard
from another. He says that, on the day when the fatal
dose (openly admitting there were several) was adminis-
tered, he was in a state o !semi-intoxication all the after-
noon. The precise moment when the strychnia, was put
into his sick wife's medicine glass was after Mrs. Witham
had given her a draught at mid-day. Mr s Witham left
a little water at the bottom of the wine-glass, and into
this water the culprit shortly afterwards dropped a grain
3f the deadly poison. The glass remained upon the
washhand-stand until 8 o'clock iu the evening, when the
culprit says he was asked to give his wife her medicine.
He adds that be did so by pouring the draught into the
glass containing the strychila, and that as soon as his
wife had drunk it off, and he saw her dreadful sufferings,
the thought flashed across his " muddled " brain that he
had given her etryclinia, and that she would die. He
declares that, bad the medical man been present at the
moment, his contrition was such that he should have CCM-
feesed his crime, and implored him to save his victim.
As it was, he ran out of the house, and when he returned
with the doctor his wife was dead. He admits that he
was in a dreadful state of mind for several days lest a
post mortem examination should have been made, and
says he was immensely relieved when the period had ex-
pired within which Professor Taylor had declared in Ilia-
mer's case it was alone possible to discover the existence
of strychnia in the human subject. This is the substance
of what the convict has left behind him as a small atone-
ment for his great guilt. The narration was commenced
at the moment when a terrific thunderstorm burst over
the city, and the convict's feelings are described to have
been painfully excited as the dreary darkness of his cell
was continually illumined by flashes of the most vivid
forked lightning, succeeded by peals of thunder which
almost shook the walls of the Castle. Dove remarked
to Mr. Barrett, " Is it notstrange that this storm should
commence just as I am about to unburden my conscience
by making a statement to you ? " After his " confes-
sion" was completed the convict seemed more at ease,
and Mr. Barrett left him apparently in a better state, of
mind than he had previously enjoyed.
The account which Mr. Wright gives of the convict is
very interesting, and, in a certain sense, satisfactory.
Mr. Wright had been indefatigable in his attendance
on Dove, and, in conjunction with his other spiritual ad-
visers, succeeded in making a most favourable impres-
sion on him. Dove may now be said to have died in a
truly penitent state. He regretted his crime, not merely
on account of the consequences in which it has involved
him, but because of the actual guilt of his conduct. He
freely opened his mind and confessed to Mr. Wright that
he poisoned his wife, but he did not state the motive
which actuated him to the deed. On being asked whe-
tle-Jr he was induced to kill his wife because he wanted
to marry Mrs. Witham, he declared solemnly that ha
Was not actuated by any such motivf It appears clear

Oh ! the consolation derived from this passage. lam
saved through fire and by death ; ordinary means God
had used, but they failed. He has therefore used extra-
ordinary means, and blessed be his holy name. I believe
it is in answer to the prayers of my dear mother, and that
I shall have reason to bless and praise Him through all
eternity, that he checked me in my mad career, and
adopted this plan to save me.
"Oh I my dear sir, accept the thanks of a dying man
for the kindness I have experienced at your hands. May
that God, who is your Father and my Father, bless you
both in this life and that which is to come, and may we
meet iu heaven is the prayer of, respected sir, yours
affectionately, " WILLIAM DOVE.
" Mr. T. Wright, York."
In illustration of the distress of mind felt by the con-
vict, we give the following sentence, which he appears to
have recollected as having been addressed to him years
ago by a dear friend, and which he has committed to
paper:—" William, if you are determined to go to hell,
you shall wade through seas of tears, and over mountains
of prayers." The words iu italics are underlined in Dove's
ova manuscript.
The convict on Friday repeated a confession of his
guilt, and of the justice of the sentence of the law, in the
presence of Mr. Noble. Dove avowed the fact freely that
be administered the poison to his wife, and that he knew
at the time that what he was administering was poison.
Then he added, "I execrate and abhor myself, in dust
and ashes, for the crime I have committed ; and I am
astonished only that any one could take an interest in,
and be so kind to, so dreadful an offender as I have been.
When the High Sheriff had his interview with the
wretched man, he inquired of him if ho had any request
to make; Dove replied, "I hope you will not allow any
cast to be taken of my head ;" and the High Sheriff as-
sured him that his wish should be complied with. We
believe the relatives and friends of the poor criminal
have been exceedingly anxious upon this point, and they
have also begged that his clothe' may not be disposed
of, as is too frequently the case, for tee purposes of pub-
lic exhibition, to satisfy a morbid curiosity. This request
has also been complied with, Mr. Noble having given a
positive roiertaking that Dove's clothes shall not pass
into the hands of strangers, either for the above or for
any other purpose.

THE SUN; LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, AUGUST 11, 1856,

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

GREAT WESTERN.
The financial statement of this company for the half-
year ending the 30th of June last shows that the receipts
on capital account amount to 22,885,4661,, including
8,156,7671. received on consolidated stock, 7,7841. on
Windsor Railway shares, 59,3921. on Berks and Hants
Extension shares, 1,375,9791. on irredeemable 4 per cent.
stock, 129,0001. on redeemable 4 per cent stock,
1,891,7321. on redeemable 41 per cent, stock, and
1,166,7031. on redeemable 5 per cent. stock, making
4,563,414/. preference stock, and a total of 12,787,3571.
of share capital. The amount received on the mortgage
of the Great Western and other lines belonging to the
company was 5,764,3111. ; on mortgage of shares for a
portion of subscription to new lines 1,753,246/. ; and on

securities on the Birmingham and Oxford, and Birming-
ham, Wolverhampton, and Dudley Railways 2,566,1521.,
making, together with 14,4001. on loan-notes, a total of
10,098,110/. of borrowed money.

The - expenditure to the above date amounted to

22,526,8781., leaving a balance of 358,5881. in favour of
the company. The expenditure on the Great Western,
Oxford, Berlis and Hants, Windsor and other lines, lo-
comotive power, &c., amounted to 10,784,276/. ; on rail-
ways opened, to 6,646,5131.—viz., on the Oxford and
Rugby, J,289,6211. ; on the Birmingham and Oxford,

3,167,028/. ; and Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and
Dudley, 2,189,863/. ; on the Didcot Deviation Line,
32,901/. ; on the Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth (par-
tially opened), 1,296,6951., including 156,4031. expended
during the half year ; on the Uxbridge and Henley
Branch lines, 91,391/. ; on narrow gauge rails from Ox-
ford to Basingstoke (including 3,879/. interest), 106,941/. ;
on the Western Fork line at Reading, 12,9361. ; on
bridges erected in lieu of level crossings, 5,6391. ; on the
Acton Junction, 2,554/. ; on subscriptions and disburse-
ments, for other undertakings, 2,139,435/., viz.—South
Wales Railway, 581,000/. ; ditto, preference shares,
126,280/. ; South Devon, 225,000/. ; Cornwall, 60,0001. ;
Paddington hotel, 59,966/. ; Swindon additional houses,
21,6701.; Gloucester and Dean Forest Railway, 123,9241.;
Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth, 545,000/. ; Oxford,
Worcesterrand Wolverhampton 183,857/. ; Shrewsbury
and Chester, 97,031/. ; Shrewsbury and Birmingham,
35,124/. • Shrewsbury Amalgamation Act, 23,712/. ;
Wycombe Railway, 10,000/. ; Plymouth Great Western
Dock, 12,500/. ; North Metropolitan Railway, 34,3701.
Expended under votes of proprietors for new rolling stock
767,424/. ; for new station at Paddington, 563,8751. ;
and for Bull's-bridge and the new station accommodation
73,2931. (of the foregoing items interest on an amount of
2,470,1121. is borne by revenue), making the total ex-
penditure on capital account, asabove, 22,526,8781.
The revenue account for the half-year ending the 30th
of Jrne shows that 678,905/, had been received for traf-
fic, 7,050/. from the Bristol and Birmingham Company
for rent, Zzo., 10,563/, for use of plant by other compa-
nies ; 2,870/. interest on cash balances of revenue,
4,994/, rent of Great Western Hotel and other:property,
and 284/, registration fees, making the total receipts on
revenue account 704,650/. The working and other ex-
penses amounted to 282,0801., or 41'54 per cent, of the
receipts, including 2,5001. for accident account, 2,500/.
towards liquidation of Parliamentary and legal expenses
15,1011. Government duty, and 15,624/. rates and taxes,
leaving a balance of 422,5691. To this sum is added
21,5031., brought from the preceding half-year's account,
1,662/, dividend received on the South Devon shares,
8,131/. on South Wales ordinary shares, 2,5571. on ditto
preference shares, and 7221. on Gloucester and Dean
Forest shares, making together 457,1691. Out of this
sum is deducted 4161. for additions to works, 16,4821.
annuities of 4 per cent. per annum guaranteed to share-
holder; of the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway,
1.3301. interes on the Berke and Hants extension shares ;
14,8131. for rent charges on the Gloucester and Dean Fo-
rest, Hereford, Ross, and Gloucester, Wycombe and Pad-
dington estate, 4,067/. appropriated against any less on the
lease of the South Wales Railway to the 30th June, 1854,
being a moiety of the dividend received from that company
in the half-year ; 65/. loss on South Wales lease for the
half-year endirbes Dec. 31, 1855 ; 181,9121., interest paid
on loans, after deducting 13,7471. for dividends on stock
and shares and interest charged to sundry persons, but
exclusive of amounts charged and described in capital
account ; 102,5901. interest on preference stock ; and
25,758/. to make up deficiency of a revenue account of
the Shrewsbury lines, making a total of 347,437/., leav-
ing a dispos'ible sum of 109,7321. Out of this sum it is
proposed to declare dividend on the consolidated stock
(8,236,2761.) for the half-year at the rate of 21 per cent,
per annum, e hicla will absorb 102,953/., and leave 67791.
for the next account.
The capital expended on the two Shrewsbury lines
amalgamated with the Great Western Railway Com-
pany amounts to 3,331,5511. The receipts for the half-
year ending the 30th of June on those lines amounted
to 116,0171., and the working and other expenses to
73,428/., leaving a balance of 42,5891. to meet the in-
terest on loans, preference shares, and dividend on the
guaranteed stock and shares amounting to 68,3481.,
leaving a deficiency of 25,759/. which is charged in the
general revenue account of the Great Western Railway.
The deficiency at the corresponding period of last year
amounted to 34,406/ , ehowiog an improvement to the
extent of 8,648/ , which would have been 13,600/. had it
not been for an increase of about 5,0001. in the prefer-
ence and guaranteed charges of those lines—namely,
from 63,3561. to 63,3411. The net receipt of those
lines for the half-year ending June, 1855, amounted to
28,883/., and for the same period of 1856 to 42,589/.,
showing an increase of 13,7061. The capital account of
the Sllrewsbury lines shows an increase of 43,2391., the
greater portion of which was expended in providing ad-
ditional rolling stock and station accommodation for
those lines.
The increase in the expenditure on capital account of
the Great Western Railway from the 30th of June, 1855,
to the 20th of June, 1856, amounted to 1,236,530/. and
the increase in the :gross receipts for the half year
amounted to 56.8831. and as there was a reduction in the
expenses of 3,046/. as (Pampered with the corresponding
period of 1355, there was an improvement in the net re-
ceipts of the Great Western lines to the amount of
59,929/., being about equal to 5 per cent. nn the in-
creased expenditure. The increase in the borrowed
money since June, 1855, amounted to 136,542/.,
and in the preference stock to 767,072., making
a total addition to receipts on capital account of
903,614/. The increase in the interest on loans charged
to revenue amounted to 34,465/., and on preference
shares to 24,0001., making together 58,468/, over that
charged at the corresponding period of last year, and re-
presenting the interest on a sum at 5 per cent, per an-
nup of 2,336,2401., which shows that interest or divi-
dend on a large suns, in addition to the year's expendi-
ture, has been borne by the revenue of the past half-year.
The proposed dividend on the ordinary shares will re-
quire 20,591/. more than the sum divided at the corres-
ponding period of lest year, being 2A per cent., or
102,953/. against 2 p, .r cent., or 82,3621. at the corres-
ponding period of 1855, leaving a balance of 6,7791.
against 7,336/. Toe balance brought into the general
revenue account of the half year ending June last was
21,503/., while that brought into the account of the
corresponding period was only 7,924/. ' • hut, as the loss
on the South Wales lease, amounting to 4,600/., was pre-
viously deducted, it would therefore be necessary to add
the latter sum to the 7,9241. balance brought into the
corresponding account of last year, to make a fair com-
parison with that ,of the past half year, making 12,524/.
The difference between this sum and 21,5031. would
show that the balance brought into the past half-year
was greater by 8,979/. than that brought into the ac-
count of the corresponding period of 1855. The loss to
the Great Western by the South Wales line in the past
half-year was only 64/. against 4,600/., being 4,536/.
less than at the corresponding period of 1855 ;
the loss on the Shrewsbury guarantees was
25,758/. against 34,4061., being 8,648/. less, while the
increase of net traffic on the Great Western lines
amounted to 59,929/. more than at the corresponding
period of last year, showing an apparent increase in the
net revenue of the past half year, as compared with the
corresponding period of 1855, of 73,113/. The large
balance, 8,979/., brought into the account, and the
lesser balance by 5571. carried over to the next account,
increase the available sum by 82,6491, over that of the
corresponding period of last year.