The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-18 00:00:00

FROM A CORRESPONDENT.

According to our usual custom we place before our
readers a list of those dogs likely to obtain a forward
position in the great struggle for the "Blue Riband" of the
Leash. The entry closes at 6 o'clock on Tuesday even-
ing, and tho dinner, as last year, will take place in the
large room of the Law Association, Cook-street, Liver-
pool.

Mr. Bland's nomination has been backed for a large
amount of money, and is now first favourite, anything
over 2J to 1 being eagerly snapped up. The alx)rs-men.
tioued gentleman runs Cu!. Goodlake's Basil by Shooting
Star, out of Darkness, who has appeared but twice in
public this season. At the Sundorue Meeting in Novem-
ber he won the Cup in good style, beating a clever grey-
hound in Fortuna for the deciding course. Basil has for
morn° time past been under -the charge of his-old trainer,
Sandy Grant, at Shoreham, near Brighton, and will come
to slips the perfection of condition.
Mr. Brocklcbank's Batavia, weighing 631 b, and both fast
and clever over the ditches, is greatly fancied by those who
saw her perform at the Altcar Club Meeting. Her clever
victory over Lobelia, winner of the North and South Lan-
cashire Stakes, Ridgway Club, fifty runners, stamps her
as a first-class greyhound, and, barring accidents, she is
bound to be handy at the finish. Isaac, in the same kennel,
who, it. will be recollected, was one of the last eight left in
the Cup last year, has boon lent to Mr. J. D. Hornby, and
will run in that gentleman's nomination.
Mr. J. Knowles runs the Yorkshire crack Marionette,
who this season has only been out Three times, whining
fifteen out of sixteen courses. Since her defeat by Sauce-
box at Newmarket she has been kept in reserve for the
great event, and in a spin last Thursday at Lytham with
one of Mr. G. A. Thompson's team acquitted herself very
satisfactorily. Being a clever drain jumper, with a flue
turn of speed, and possessing great cleverness with her
teeth, Marionette will prove a most awkward customer for
any of her opponents to get rid of.
Mr. Cunningham has tried White Rose to be better than
Killarney, and with Bess in the came kennel, the winner
of the Suudorne Stakes should bo highly dangerous.
Mr. Deighton's nomination was for some time first
favourite, he having purchased Woodman's Daughter for
a century from Mr. Watton, of Worcester. A fortnight
ago ;he was tried with Lucy Long and well beaten, but
as tho latter bitch was deficient in pace when meeting
Marionette, thereis little prospect of the cup, by her aid
going into Worcestershire.
Mr. J. Dunlop's nomination, to our thinking, looks as
favourable as any of the Scotch lot, and he intrusts Queen
Emma, a smart Kingwater puppy, to do battle for him.
Mr. J. Ingleby ns. Cauld Kail, a great performer, both
this and last season, but he has, unfortunately, a dislocated
toe, and there being every chance of it giving way, we
cannot, from the above cause, recommend him. There is,
no doubt, Cauld Kail i a first-class greyhound, and will
take a deal of beating, but for a dog to pull through a big
stake like the Waterloo Cup he ought to be sound both in
wind and limb to have any chance of success.
Mr. J. Jardine, generally so warm a favourite, has se-
lected Fortune to represent him ; although wonderfully
clever when in possession of her hare she lacks that neces-
sary qualification, speed, to perform successfully over the
flat plains of Altcar.
runs Mr. IL Haywood's Royal Seal, a
smMartr. clever Lverolabitgcli, whose credentials consist in having
won the Bracelet at Amesbury, almost unchallenged.
With luck she may be expected to live to the third day.

Mr. Mather and Mr. Hodson aro represented by two
clever Cumberland puppies, Strange Idea and Jacob, the
former having our preference.
Mr. C. Randell has tried Rather Improved to be better

than Royalty, therefore he should be very dangerous, the
dog having a fair share of pace,' as also being a good
stayer.
Mr. Saxton starts Gaudy Poll, one of the southern,
cracks, who has been out once this season. She won the
All Aged Stakes at Newmarket, and since her 'victory she
bas been doing good work, and is reported very At and
well.

Mr. Stocker will run either Sancebox or Lobelia; the
former bitch having gone amiss the week before last, the
nomination went suddenly back in the betting, but having
recovered from her ailment, twenty-five to one is now the
longest price obtainable. With having been amiss so
recently we cannot stand Saucebox at any price.
Brigadier has been bottled up since last year, and runs
in Mr. R. Williatns' nomination. As his party have been
afraid to show him in public this season, I have no fancy
for last year's winner.
With the exception of Eyo Right, who runs for Mr.
Evans; Glideaway, Mr. Green ; Master Price, Lord Lurgan;
Elsecar, Dr. Richardson ; and Attila, Mr. Armistead, none
of the greyhounds likely to represent the remaining nomi-
nations are likely to be heard of after Thursday.

COURSING.

COURSING MEETINGS TO COME.
FEBRUARY.
Judge.

Name. Days of Running
Araterloo, Lancashire
Tamworth, Staffordshire Mr. Warwick 26, &c.

MARCIL

Irish Grand National (Open),
county Loan
Ardrossan, Sharphill
South Lancashire (South-

8, 7

7, &o,

port) Champion Mr. Wostropp l4, 15, &
Loiuster (Open) Courtown... Mr. IL Springall l9, 20
Scottish Open, Lanarkshire -
SEPTEMBER.

Brampton, Cumberland Mr. Warwick ...... 26, ece
OCTOBER.
Ancaster and Willoughby,
IditiCol4€thigQmssusse

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCB.

GREAT NORTHERN.

The report of the directors of this company states
that the receipts on capital account for the half-year
amounted to £666,171, including £150,627 received
on account of the ordinary stock (dividend deferred)
of 1865, £217,999 for calls on the permanent pre-
ference stock, and £87,425 on mortgage and on
debenture stock. Original stock to the amount of
1210,000 had also been issued in exchange for a
similar amount of West Riding and Grimsby
Company's stock, for the purchase of a moiety of
that undertaking. The expenditure of capital in-
cluded £415,130 on account of new lines not yet
completed. In reduction of this sum £201,771 had
been received from the Midland company for their
proportion of the amount expended on the Cheshire
and Liverpool lines and the Liverpool Station, leav-
ing the expenditure for the half year on unfinished
works £213,359. The branch from the Leeds and
- Bradford line to the passenger station of the Lan-
cashire and Yorkshire Company at Bradford was
opened on the 7th of January, and the company had
now the joint use of a passenger station in the best
part of Bradford. The line from Lincoln to Hon-
ington would be ready for opening in March. The
revenue account for the half-year showed an in-
creased receipt of £44,120, of which £10,242 was
derived from coaching traffic, £17,277 from the
goods and cattle traffic, and £17,815 from the
mineral traffic. Owing to the unfavourable weather
which prevailed during the summer and autumn the
receipts usually derived from excursion and tourist
traffic were reduced, and commercial distrust, with
the accompanying stagnation in trade, affected the
traffic in high class goods. The expenditure was
£38,955 in excess of the corresponding six months
of 1865. Wages generally were higher, and ma-
terials had increased in price. The coal consumed in
the locomotive department had alone cost £5,600
more. The rolling stock had been well maintained,
33 engine boilers having been replaced, 441 wag-
gons rebuilt and materially improved in design and
capacity, as compared with 30 boilers and 308 wag-
gons in 1865. The use of steel tyres instead of iron
had also been further adopted, and 409,000 more
train miles had been run. Notwithstanding the
additional expense of labour and material, the line
and works had been efficiently maintained at only
a slightly increased cost. The renewal of the per-
manent way had been continuously carried on, 23
mites having been replaced with iron rails and chairs
of heavier descriptions, and five miles with steel.
The fixed and preference charges and interest were
£23,191 more than in 1865, and the stock entitled
to share in the general dividend was also greater by
the £210,000 representing the purchase of the West
Riding and Grimsby Railway. The gross traffic re-
ceipts for the past half-year amounted to £1,089,490
against £1,045,370 in the corresponding half of
1865, showing an increase of £44,020, and the gross
expenditure to £552,808, against £513,853, show-
ing an increase of £38,945. The excess of receipts
over expenditure amounted to £536,682, against '
£531,517 ; and the net revenue, including sundry
receipts, to £558,811, against £552,037, showing
an increase of £6,774. The fixed and preference
charges amounted to £277,540, against £254,346 in
the same half of 1865 ; and the balance available
for ordinary dividend was £281,271, against
£297,691 in the corresponding period. The avail-
able balance would suffice to pay dividend for the
half year at the rate of 8 per cent. per annum on
the ordinary stock, giving for the half-year £4 per
cent. to the original stock, £3 per cent. to the B
Stock, and £5 per cent. to the A Stock, leaving a
balance of £735 for next account. For the year 1866
the dividend would be £6 10s. per emit. on the ori-
ginal stock, £6 per cent. on the B Stock, and £7
per cent. on the A Stock. The requirements of the
Railway Securities Act of last session with respect
to the borrowing powers of the company had
been duly complied with, showing that the com-
pany had created 4 per cent. irredeemable deben-
ture stock to the amount of £2,800,000, and that
terminable mortgages were current to the amount
of £1,300,000 only. The borrowing powers of the
company were thus placed on a substantial and sa-
tisfactory footing. The Additional Powers Bill
would require for new works £75,000 to be raised on
share capital. The joint bill of the Great Northern
and Midland for leasing short lines between King's
Lynn and Bourn would require £24,.000 to be
raised on share capital. The bill jointly promoted
by the Great Northern and Sheffield companies for
abandoning the line from Keadby to Lincoln, if
sanctioned by Parliament, would obviate the expen-
diture of £400,000, and authorise each company to
raise £20,001 of share capital to complete the Wake-
field (Westgate) station. The bill promoted by
the Cheshire Lines Committee would require
£34,000 share capital to be raised by the Great
Northern Company. The capital account showed
that £17,417,670 had been expended.