The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-30 00:00:00

MIDLAND,

A Wharucliffe meeting of this company was held
yesterday at Derby ; Mr. W. E. Hutchinson in the
chair. In consequence of the agitation which has
been going on in the course of the last month the
proceedings excited unusual interest, and the attend-
ance of shareholders was so large that an adjourn-
ment from the Railway Station to the Corn Ex-
change, in the town, was indispensable.
The CHAIRMAN STlid it had unfortunately hap-
pened that two of the bills intended to be brought
forward at this meeting were not ready, in conse-
sequence of a delay in the Parliam3ntary proceed-
ings ; he ;alluded to the Additional Powers Bill, and
the Glasgow and South-Western Amalgamation
Bill. He then entered into explanations in refer-
ence to each line. The leasing clause in the
Tewkesbury and Malvern line would be withdrawn,
in order that any ad litional outlay might be avoided.
h o bill relating to the Midland and South-Wes-
tern Junction Line was not ready, but it was a
very important project; it would afford immense
facilities to this company for the interchange of
glo Is and mineral tra.ific. They were already under
obligations in c3ane,...tion with it to pay 51 per cent.
on the share capital, awl 5 per cent. on the bor-
rowed money. It was prop )sel that this shotird be
a perpetual 5 per cent. hereafter, so that by a pro-
pcped arrangement there would be a saving to the
coiupany of one-half per cent. and the
amount of additional capital to be laid

out would be reduced fro:n £170,000 to
£70,090. Another of their seierws was to make,
in conjunction with the London and North-Western
Llway, a liue from Hathreield to Haifa; &e.
That would be a valuabb adjunct to the Midland,
but, in deference to the strong opitti ins expressed by
the shareholdersagainstany further outlay of money
that bill would be withdrawn. A fourth project con-
templated was for incorporating the Cheshire lines
coMmittecs in orthr to secure a better administra-
tion of affairs, and to make twoshort branches. The
proposed additional capital was only £34,000, ex-
clusive of the borrowing powers ; but that part of
the bill authorising an additional outlay of capital
would be abandoned. (Applause.) A fifth bill in-
volved management with the Great Northern Com-
pany, and the raising of such additional capital for
improving the station at Lynn, which was in a dis-
graceful state; but the matter might stand over for
another year or two, so that clauses in the bill for
an increase of capital woull be withdrawn. (Re-
newed applause.) The only other bill to which he
ne.:d direct attention WaS the construction of a little
line, two or three miles in length, to connect tome
mills and works with the Midland system ; the
owners of the mills would make these lines at their
own expense, so that all the Midland Company would
have to do would be to work it. He then alluded, at
cor.siderahle length, to the proposal to amalgamate
with the Glasgow and South-Western Cotnpany,
which ha l given rise to opposition on the part of the
shareholders and the public; he justified on every
ground the course propoied by the board ; as to the
terms (he said) tl Lt at the last half-yearly meeting
it was proposed they should be equal, but the Scotch
unnpany bad since proposed that in the event of at
any time the ,lie idend on the amalgamated lines being
less than 4 per cent., that if the traffic on the Glas-
gow andSouth-Weztern exceeded that amount, that
company should have a lien on it up to 4 per cent. ;
the altered terms in that respect had been accepted.
He next entered into a very long historical resume
• for the purpose of justifying the project for the
Settle and Carlisle Railway, which some now thought
(Cries of " No.") lie took
ought to b 2 abandoned.
it for granted they.. were not disposed to give up
their share of the 6'cottikh traffic, and he hoped that

at the next meeting the Board would be sup-
ported in their bill for amalgamating with the
Glasgow and South-Western Company. lle con-
cluded by moving a resolution approving the bill for-
incorporating the Cheshire lines committee, except—
ing as to the increased capital.
Mr. PRICE, M.P., seconded the motion, and aft or
a very long and animated discussion, all the resolu•
tions proposed by the directors were adopted, and
the meeting adjourned until Tuesday next,

RAILWAY BILLS.

Yesterday, in the House of Lords' committee held
in room C, the Neath and Brecon Bill was passed
with amendments.
In the House of Commons' committee on group
7, the preamble of the Midland Bill was proved.
Ti►e preamble of the Tewkesbury and Malvern Bill
was also proved. in group 12, the London, Chat-
ham, and Dover was proceeded with and ad-
journed until Friday ; the London, Chatham, and
Dover (No. 3), the London, Chatham, and I.v.iver
(No. 2) were adjourned ; and the London, Chat-
ham, and Dover (No. 4) Bill was adjourned until
Friday.

Industrial Education.

The following correspondence appeared in the
Times :

Sir,—After the distribution of prizes at the Lon-
don University this year, I made some remarks on
the lessons which the late war iu Germany and the
present Exhibition at Paris afford to us, if we wish
to hold our own with other nations in the arts of
peace and war.
I quoted a speech of the President of the Civil
Engineers as to the superior progress made in ma-
chinery by foreigners. I spoke from the informa-
tion which I had received from a gentleman inti-
mately acquainted with the iron trade as t) the
greater improvements made in the manufacture of
iron in France, Belgium, Germany, and Austria.
It was only from general report that I stated the

little advanee we have made in most departments of
industry, excepting those of furniture, glass, and
china.

Since then I have seen the enclosed letter from
Dr. Lyon Playfair. The subject is important, and
his authority is great. I have therefore obtained
his permission, and that of Lord Taunton, to ask
you to publish it. _ .

- The inquiry of 18:53, to which Dr. Playfair
alludes, was chiefly owing to the information given
him by the Prince Consort, than whom no one was
more keenly alive to the want of generally diffused
schntiffc instruction in this csnintry, or more active
in stimulating all classes to remedy the defect.—l
am, Sir, your obedient servant, GRANVILLE.
16, Bruton-street, W., May 28.