The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-28 00:00:00

HAY.

SMITHFIELD.—Meadow hay, £2 15s to £4 ss; clover,
El Os to £5 104; and straw, £1 18s to 6s per load.
A fair trade.
CUXUERLAND.—Moadow hay, £3 Os to £4 8s ; clover,
£4 Os to £5 10s Od ; and straw, £1 18s to £2 68 per load.
Supply moderate.
WHxrEcuArEL.-31eadow hay, 15s to £4 53; clover,
£4 Os to £5 lOs Od ; and straw, £1 18s to £2 ltSs per load.
Trade inactive.

MISSING SIIIPS.—The Thalestris, which sailed
from Porto Rico on the 11th of September for the Clyde
and the Queen of India, which sailed from Manilla for San
Francisco on 23d of August, have not eitioe-bece hardy(

BAILVvrAY IN T ELL IGENC E.

GREAT WESTERN.

It appears that the net balance as shown by the
amounts of this company available for dividend for
the ,six months ending Jau. 31st last is £122,000,
admitiing of the payment at the rate of 1 per cent.
per annum on Great Western original ordinary
stock ; at the rate of ss. per cent. per annum on the
West Midland (Oxford) stock; at the rate of 7s. 6:1.
per cent. per annum on the West Midland (New-
port) stock; at the rate of ‘U ss. per cent. per annum
on the South Wales ordinarystock ; and at the rate
of 5 per cent. per annum on the Vale of Neath ordi-
nary stock, carrying forward a balance of about
£21,000.

GREAT WESTERN AND BEENTFORD.

The half-yearly meeting of this company was held
yesterday at the ofll,:es, Victoria-street, Westmin-
ster ; Mr. I'. Davey in the chair.
Mr. Eley, the secretary, read the report, which
stated that during the half-year a further increase
in the coal trade had taken place, the tonnage for
the last half-year showing an increase of 29,000
tons, as compared with the corresponding period of
1865. At the same time the trade in general goods
had diminished from 53,315 tons in the half-year
ending December, 1865, to 49,495 tons in the past
half-year. Debentures to a comparatively small
amount would fall due during the current half-year,
and the directors invited the shareholders to take
them up, since the rental guaranteed by the Great
Western Railway Company rendered them a first-
class security. The net revenue admitted of the
payment of the preference dividends, together with
one at the rate of 24 per cent. per annum on the
ordinary share capital. The directors and company
had to lament the decease of Mr. 11. G. Day, for
many years the deputy chairman of the company.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, referred with satisfaction to the increase of
the coal traffic. This trade from South Wales to
London was now almost exclusively carried by rail,
and was rapidly increasing. Indeed, owing to the
facilities of transit, Welsh steam coals were now
very little higher in price than the North country
steam coals, and were, in fact, more economical, as
it was computed that 100 tons of Welsh coals would
raise as much steam as 115 tons of Northern coal.
In addition they possessed the great advantage of
not producing smoke, which enabled them to be
used in situations where steam engines could not
otherwise be erected. With regard to the deben-
tures he stated that they had a minimum guaran-
teed income for 99 years of upwards of £6,000, be-
sides the tollage upon stones, coal, &c., and had only
about £55,000 of debentures, the interest of which
was the first charge on the guaranteed income. The
chairman also alluded to the loss sustained by the
death of their valued colleague, Mr. Day.
Mr. POOLE seconded the motion for the adoption
of the report.

.The Secretary stated that the annual amount
chargeable to the Great Western had gone on gra-
dually increasing from £6,343 in 1860 to £9,055 last
year. The debenture interest only amounted to about
£2,700 a-year, and was really a first charge on the
£9,0C0.

The report was unanimously agreed to, the divi-
dends were declared, theretiring directors re-elected,
Mr. 11. Browse was elected a director in the place
of the late Mr. Day, and the proceedings concluded
with a vote of thanks to the chairman and directors
for their exertions in behalf of the company.