The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-02 00:00:00

cons'ruction of machines is the task of labourers. '
Why teach these things to literate persons? We shall
reply that in the ancient book "fcheou-li' there is a
chapter upon carpentry, which literate persons have
read with interest during many ages, and for which
they have a great esteem. Why is this? Because,
if the workman must execute the manual labour in
any construction, it is the literate person who ought
to know the natural law, the principle upon which
that construction is based. It is by this knowledge
that he may render the labour of the workman use-
ful, by directing and applying it with discernment.
It is these natural laws that we are desirous should
be known, and it is by them that the literate person
will point out to the artisan the full benefit he may
extract from any given process. Why suppose us
desirous that literate persons or people plainly edu-
cated should become workmen ? Nothing need be
studied but that which can be applied, and with the
object of applying it according to the necessities of
the age.
Whatever further may be the interpretations
unenergetic persons may attach to this measure, by
which they are not affected, it is indispensable that
it should be carried out with full desire to put it iu
execution ; and we have only proposed it to your
Majesty after mature reflection. Although we are
still but at the commencement of our enterprise, we
are aware that in order to interest literate persons
therein and engage them to study with ardour, it
will be necessary to promist?, them certain advan-
tages and show them the utility they will derive from
their studies by the employment those who shall dis-
tinguish themselves will obtain.
" We therefore submit to your Majesty's approval
the following code of regulations in six articles,
trusting it may meet with your high approbation.
" Lastly, we beg to suggest that as the han-lin
(academicians) of the three classes, possessing a
high degree of literary education and accustomed to
grave and arduous studies, are now but little em-
ployed in the administration, it would be well to
invite them to study the mathematical sciences, in
which they would make rapid progress.
We respectfully await the time when your Ma-
jesty and her Majesty the Empress shall deign to
acquaint us what is thought of our proposals."
The code of regulations is appended. It refers to
the terms of admission to the new college, the treat-
ment of the students, their rate of enrolment, &c.
Underneath the memorial is to be found the Em-
peror's signature, with the words
" The proceeding is approved.
" Respect this.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

-

GREAT EASTERN.

A Wharncliffe meeting of this company was held
yesterday at the London Tavern, to consider three
bills now before Parliament—Mr. C. H. Turner in
the chair.
Mr. J. B. Owen, the secretary, having read the
notice convening the meeting,
The CHAIRMAN said, before he proceeded with the
business for which the meeting had been convened, he
wished to make a few observations. In the first place,
it would have given him the greatest possible de-
light to have seen that large room filled with Great
Eastern shareholders, to hear the refutation of a
statement that had been circulated by persons who
were no friends of the company. He had received
several letters from shareholders, making inquiries
as to the truth of statements that had been made in
a pamphlet issued to the proprietors by an alleged
committee of shareholders. He wished to know
whether the author or authors of that pamphlet
were in the room, and, if so, where they got the
false statements respecting the affairs of the com-
pany? There were difficulties enough to contend
with in managing the affairs of that large company
without having to correct erroneous statements by
self-elected committees or other persons. One of
the false statements in the pamphlet was to the
effect that the directors were seeking power to raise
additional capital for steamboats. That was totally
untrue, and very unfair to the directors ; all the
power sought for in the bill was to 'enable the com-
pany to run the steamboats to two additional ports,
! •
in order to develope the goods and cattle traffic ;
but there was no power sought for spending money
on steamboats. Another untrue statement iu the
pamphlet was to the effect that the prozont board
had done nothing for the company during the 15
rmonths they were in office. Some gentlemen of Mr.
Ware's committee came to the station at Shoreditch,
had an interview with the directors on the affairs of
the company, and up to a certain point had infor-
mation given them quite sufficient for any section
of the shareholders to know. The directors had
therefore declined to give further information, un-
less it was made known to all the shareholders in the
company. (Hear, hear.) The present directors
had done the very best they could for the company
since they came into office. He had put an end to
fictitious accounts, and with the aid of his colleagues
they had kept the company so far out of Chancery
as to prevent the appointment of a receiver. He
had laboured for three years to bring about an
equitable arrangement with the Great Northern
Company to enable the Great Eastern to get
into the manufacturing districts. The details of
an arrangement with that company which he
hoped would be satisfactory, were now being pre-
pared. He believed the company had pretty well
developed the traffic in their own disttict, and they
must look elsewhere for an increase. He trusted be-
fore long the Great Eastern would not only be able
to pay all their preference dividends, but that there
would be a margin for dividend to the ordinary
shareholders. Under the old agreement with the
Great Northern the company were to pay
£60,000
a year to get into the northern districts, subject to
certain restrictions. No one valued peace more than
he did, but he did not desire to obtain it at any
price. (Hear, hear.) He had told the Great
Northern Board that the policy of the Great Eastern
was to go northwards, and they were determined to
carry out that policy. Now, under the old agree-
ment they could only get to Doncaster, and for
which they would have to pay the Great Northern
II £60,000 a year. But, under the new arrangement
' which the present directors had recently made with
the Great Northern Company, the Great Eastern
would have to pay 1:10,000 the first year, instead of
£60,000, as contemplated by the old agreement ;
£15,000 for the second year, £2,),000 for the third
year, and £25,000 a year for the fourth, fifth, sixth,
and seventh years ; and they were to become half-
owners of the lines over which their trains would
run to the north when they paid the Great Northern
£60,000 a year. Ile believed by that arrangement
the directors had saved the company the expendi-
ture of £1,000,000. Under the old agreement the
Great Northern could fix the rates and fares to Don-
caster, and they were otherwise fettered in various
ways ; but under the new agreement thereo o
were
r
equal rates, and the company could go '
the Lancashire and Yorkshire and other lines in
the manufacturing districts. Another matter of
importance was, that, under the new agree-
ment, the Great Northern were confined in
their extensions to King's Lynn. The London
and Cambridge traffic was to be equally divided
between the two companies. Formerly the Great
Eastern paid £16,800 a year to the Great Northern
! for the liitchin and Shepreth line, over which the
Cambridge traffic of that company was carried;
but now the Cambridge traffic would he carried by
both companies, and divided bet Ween them. He
thought those arrangements showed that the new
directors had done something for the Great Eastern
Company. They had substituted a payment of
£16,800 a year for the Ilitehin and Shepreth line
for £lO,OOO a year to get to Doncaster. If the com-
pany bad fair play the price of the ordinary stock
in the market would now be at 40, instead of 28.
If the working expenses on their line were reduced
to 50 per cent. of the receipts, as he hoped they
would be, instead of being 56 per cent., there would
be a saving of £BO,OOO a year. If the temporary
loans had been got rid of, there would have been a
saving of £35,000 in interest. The expenses were
being reduced, and they would have had a dividend
of 1 per cent. on the ordinary stock. He had no
doubt of the ultimate success-of the. Great Eastern
undertaking. He then refuted other statements in
the pamphlet of the alleged comMittec.‘, ; and alluded
to a paragraph in a morning paper `)bleb stated that