The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-28 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

VALETrA, June 23.—Her Majesty's screw iron
troopship Tamar, Capt. F. W. Sullivan, C. 8., ar-
rived here at 8 30 a.m. on the 22d inst., from Ports-
mouth 14, and Queenstown ten days, having on
board the 31st Reghrent, commanded by Colonel
Eager, and consisting of 31 officers, 679 non-com-
missioned officers and soldiers, 77 women, and 68
children. She also had on board a few men of

other corps. The troops disembarked in the fore-
noon in excellent order at the• Hay-wharf, in the

Marsamuscetto harbour, and marched round to

Pembroke barracks at St. George's Bay. The 31st
relieves the 29th, which will embark in the Tamar
about the last day of June or Ist of July for Quebec.

The Ist battalion Bth Regiment will then be trans-
ferred from Verdala barracks to St. Elmo, now

occupied by the 29th, and the 31st will take the
place of the Ist battalion Bth Regiment. The next
to proceed from this garrison to Canada is a por-
tion of the 3d Brigade, Royal Artillery. These
troops will be conveyed to their destination by the
screw iron troopship Simoom, Capt. J. B. Leth-
bridge, which is expected here from Portsmouth in
the course of the week for that purpose. The re-

mainder of the Brigade and the Ist battalion 60th

Rifles will follow in the autumn. The 60th will be

relieved by the 14th Regt. Letters from the squad-
ron at Gibraltar, dated the 17th inst., inform us of

the intention of Lord Clarence Paget to sail on the
19th inst. fora cruise along the coastof France, and,
after visiting Hyeres, reach Toulon about the first
week in July. The Admiral carrying his flag on

board the Caledonia ironclad, 24 guns, Capt. Alan
Gardner, will be accompanied by the Arethusa, 35,

Capt. R. Coote, the Psyche, Lieut.-Commander Sir
F. Blackwood, remaining at Gibraltar to take on the

next mail to him. The Royal Oak ironclad, now at
Malta, willleave on the evening of the 24th or morn-

iug of the 25th for nyeres, to join the flag of the
_ _ _

Commander-in-Chief there.

The Prince Consor

ironclad will follow when ready for sea. Although,

as intimated in my last letter, the idea of escorting

the Sultan to France has been abandoned, it is stir

most probable, should his Imperial Majesty carry

ont his wish of calling at Malta on his return, that

the squadron will be ordered here to give him a
grand reception. The Ocean ironclad, Capt. Stan-
hope, arrived at Gibraltar from Malta on the 16th
inst., and was to leave on the 17th for Madeira, en
route for Hongkong. The Trinculo, 1, gunboat,

Lieut.-Commander F. de V. Sanders, sailed from
Gibraltar for Malta on the 15th inst. She will pro-

bably go to Patras as soon as possible, with orders
for the Endymion, 21, Capt. C. Wake, now at the
Piraeus, to join the squadron cruising under the im-

mediate orders of Lord Clarence Paget, Mr. Totten

ham, Sub-Lieut., for the Prince Consort, and Mr.
Pooke, midshipman, for the Endymion, took passage
in the Trinculo, to join their respective ships. The
following appointments and changes have recently
been made by the Commander-in-Chief, in addition
to those already announced :—Dr. J. Pringle, assist.-

surg., from the Victoria to the Caledonia (comple.

ment incomplete); Lieut. E. Foster, of the Galatea,
invalided ; Lieut. A. Fitzgeorge, of the Arethusa,
to the Galatea, vice Foster ; Mr. J. Jack, staff-sur-
geon, of the Royal Oak, discharged to half-pay at
his own request ; Mr. W. Alland, midshipman, of

the Ocean, at present waiting passage in the Cale-
donia, will be sent home by the first opportunity to
pass his examination for Lieutenant; Mr. W. Gul-
liver, assist.-engineer, from the Ocean to the Cale-
donia, for disposal as supernumerary; and Mr. W.
Hudson, assist.-engineer, from the Caledonia to the
Ocean, as part complement ; Mr. R. White, assist.-
paymaster (secretary's clerk), bas been permitted
to proceed to England on six weeks' leave of absence;

Mr. H. Turner, midshipman, from the Victoria to
the Ocean, and Mr. G. J. Capes, midshipman,
from the Ocean to the Caledonia ; Mr. J. Mahony,

acting-boatswain, from the Psyche to the Ocean,
vice Farrell, sent to hospital at Gibraltar. Com-
mander-in-Chief's Staff and the Inspector of Ma-
chinery, Dr. William Yarde, assist.-surg., has been
appointed by the Admiralty to the Trinculo, vice
Bridgford, deceased. Dr. Martin, staff-surg. of
the Arethusa, left Gibraltar for England by the
mail Packet on the 14th inst., permitted to return
home without waiting to be superseded. Her Ma-
jesty's ships in Malta harbour at present are the
Hibernia receiving-ship (bearing the flag of Rear-

Admiral Henry Kellett, C. 8.) ; the Prince Consort
and the Royal Oak ironclads, the Cruiser, 5, the
Tyrian, 1, and the Tamar, troopships. The Egyptian
screw steamer Dakahlich, 6 guns, is also here, wait-
ing to be docked. She will be admitted into the
Royal Naval dry dock in a day or two, and
when her defects are made good, which it is expected
will occupy the better part of a week, she will make
way for the Prince Consort. Two condensers for
the use of the naval establishments at this island
arrived yesterday from England in the Peninsular

and Oriental Company's steamer Columbian. Those
stated to have been ordered some months ago for
the use of the civil population have not yet been re-
ceived, and it is feared that if a little more activity
is not shown in the matter they will not make their
appearance until the rainy season has set in, when,
it is to be hoped, their assistance will be no longer

required.
The annual dinner to the First Lord of the Ad
miralty, the Right Hon. 11. T. L. Corry, given by
the members of the Navy Club, took place on Tues-
day evening at Willis's Rooms, King-street, St.
James's ; Admiral Sir Charles Fremantle presided.
The contractors' trial of the new iron screw steam
transport Jumna, 2, Capt. Pickard, was made yes-
terday at the measured mile, outside the Plymouth
breakwater. Six runs at full-boiler power gave a
mean of 11.6557 knots per hour, and four runs at
half-boiler power produced 11.772 knots. This is
considered even more satisfactory than the results
of the trial of the sister ship Euphrates-11-775
and 11.523 knots, because the Jumna is loaded
down six inches deeper in the water. The Jumna
will probably sail foe Calcutta on Monday.
The screw steam sloop Niobe, 4, Commander
Thomas K. Mackenzie, was appointed to leave
Plymouth yesterday for the West Indies.
The screw steam gunboats Sandfly and High-
ander, from Queenstown, are now at Devonport,
fitting for the Naval Review at Spithead.
Advices from the West India station, received by
a correspondent, report that her Majesty's ships
Aboukir, Constance, Delight, Minstrel, Onyx, and
Nettle were at Jamaica when the mail left. The
Cygnet, Commander Chetwynd, arrived at Port
Royal on the 27th of May from Nassau, and left on
the sth inst. for England. The Barracouta, Com-
mander Bevan, arrived at Jamaica from Vera Cruz
on the 25th ult. for Belize, Honduras. She took de-
spatches from Governor Austin, and a detachment
of the 4th West India Regiment to relieve Colonel
Harley and a detachment of the 3d West India
Regiment, who will return in the Barracouta to
Jamaica. Among the passengers in her were—Sir
Francis Johnson, Deputy-Adjutant-General ; Col.
Desborough,;commanding Royal Artillery, and Col.
Chamberlayne, commanding 3d West India Regi-
ment ; all members of a military Court of Inquiry
appointed by Gen. O'Connor, C. 8., commanding
the forces on the station, to inquire into the conduct
of Major Mackay and the troops who, in December
last, retreated before a body of some 50 Indians at
Orange Walk. It will be remembered that when
this news reached England General Peel, who was
then Secretary of War, stated in the House of Com-
mons that an inquiry would be instituted, for he
believed the troops had laid themselves open to the
severest penalty of the Mutiny Act. Her Majesty's
ship Favorite was at Barbadoes, the Jason at Vera
Cruz, and the S.:out at Panama. The ship New-
castle, Capt. Marsden, with 477 coolie immigrants, in
cliarge of Surg.-Superintendent Dr. Arthur, arrived
at St. Vincent on the Ist of June, after a passage of
101 days from Calcutta. Fourteen deaths, includ-
ing infants and children, occurredduring the voyage.
Her Majesty's iron store steamship Megra, Capt.
James Simpson, on particular service, laden with
victualling and miscellaneous stores for Rio and
Ascension, sailed yesterday from Woolwich, and,
having adjusted compasses at Greenhithe, took her
departure under orders to call at the western ports
and embark supernumeraries and seamen for the
Egmont, Capt. Herbert F. W. Ingram, receiving
and store ship at Rio Janeiro, and for disposal. The
Meora embarked at Woolwich the following

volunteers from the Woolwich division Royal Marine
Light Infantry, who are all passed mechanics, to go
out as settlers to the Island of Ascension—one cor-
poral, one sergeant, one drummer, and ten privates,
with the wives and families of those who are mar-
ried men.

Her Majesty's armour-plated, hydraulic, iron gun
boat Water Witch, commissioned, yesterday re-
ceived her complement of Royal Marines at Wool-
wich—viz., one corporal and 10 privates ; the troop-
ship Serapis received 18 privates, and the Nymph
one sergeant, one corporal, and ten privates. Her
Majesty's 5-gun boat Speedwell, paid off in February
last from the West Coast of Africa, has been
thoroughly repaired at Woolwich, and is again
ready for the pennant. Her armament was yester-
day received from the Royal Arsenal, as follows :
One 64-pounder muzzle-loading rifled gun and four
20-pounder Arm3trongs. She is ordered to be
hastened for service.

The Inspector-General, J. 0. Travers, C. 8., com-
menced his third day's half-yearly inspection of the
Woolwich Division of Royal Marines Light Infan-
try yesterday morning, at 10 o'clock, by visiting
the whole of the men's barrack rooms, the mess
kitchen and dependences, which have recently been
furnished with Mr. Edward Deane's cooking ap-
paratus, now generally adopted throughout the gar-
rison, and then proceeded to the common, where a
small battalion was formed for the purpose of test-
ing the whole of the officers of the division in bat-
talion and light infantry movements. Commencing
from Lieut.-Col. Kennedy, they were all called to
the front in succession, down to the junior first
lieutenant, to maneeuvre the battalion, and all ac-
quitted themselves, with few exceptions, most
creditably. This portion of the inspection occupied
about two hours, under the disadvantage of about
100 deg. Fahrenheit, after which they marched back
to quarters. The remainder of the division were
then drawn up in column on the parade, in which

formation the Inspector-General addressed them at
great length, and although the praise which he ac-
corded them was not unqualified—as he told them
that they bad not quite arrived at that perfection
which he hoped to see them attain—yet he awarded
them very warm commendation. For the faults,
and they were minor ones, he said, he attributed
chiefly to the recent return of so many men from
foreign service. At 2 30 p.m. he examined the
young subalterns in company drill, and he will
finish his inspection to-day with the examination
of the records of the division.

The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Capt. C. P. Coles to the Excel-
lent, additional, for service in the Royal Sovereign ;
Lieut. F. W. B. Jones to the Royal George ; J.
Halpin, assist.-surg., to the Viper ; Denis M'Car.
thy, assist.-surg., to the Waterwitch ; R. J. H.
Tucker, assist.-paymaster in charge, to the Water-
witch ; J. Hefferman, engineer, to the Waterwitch ;
Isaac B. Liddell, engineer, to the Donegal ; E. Ag-
new, engineer, to the Crocodile ; William M. Had.
don and Alexander Stewart (B), first-class assist.-
engineers, to the Waterwitch ; and William J
Pratten, second-class assist.-engineer, to the Croco.
dile.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

LONDON, CHATHAM, AND DOVER.

The adjourned half-yearly general meeting of this
company was held yesterday at the Victoria Railway
Station, Pimlico ; Lord Harris, the chairman, pre-
sided.

Mr. G. W. BROOKE, the assistant-secretary, read
the notice of adjournment.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving that the report and
statement of accounts be received and adopted, said

it was hardly necessary for him to explain that the
Board had deemed it requisite to adjourn the half-
yearly meeting from time to time since February
last, being, under the peculiar circumstances of the
company, most anxious to take the shareholders into
their confidence as to the plan they proposed for
improving the position of the company. A bill had
been introduced into Parliament embodying the
views of the directors for attaining that end. Dur-
ing the progress of the bill the Board had endea-
voured to come to an arrangement with the deben-
ture-holders' committee, who were also promoting a
bill with a view to promote the best interests of the
shareholders and debenture holders. The opinion
of the Board was that the debenture holders
should, if possible, unite with them. It was
important that the bondholders' interests should
be maintained, and it was only by that means
they could ask Parliament to authorise the bill for
the settlement of their affairs. The committee on
the bill had come to a resolution as between the
debenture holders and the company, which
he felt was a delicate matter in the present
position of the Bill. That board were anxious the
shareholders should place confidence in them to
carry out the views which they believed would be
in accordance with the interests of the company.
The report of the directors was issued to the share-
holders some months ago, and the accounts were

based on the figures given by the committee of in-
vestigation, and he believed they were correct. He
had very little to state in addition to the report.
Their great misfortune was that the works of the
company had not been completed, but the traffic
had increased where the necessary facilities had
been provided, and they had since been able to
carry on the traffic letter than they did previously.
Mr. TIODGKENSON, M.P., deputy chairman, se-
conded the motion for the adoption of the report.
He said the accounts had been a long time before
the shareholders, and they were in a very simple
and intelligible form. The capital account was
based on the appendix to the committee's report,
with such amendments as further investigation re-
quired between the different sections. As regarded
the revenue account, they had not arrived at a
satisfactory result. The revenue of most railways
suffered during the last half of 1866 : it was affected
by the financial crisis, bad weather last autumn, the
war in Germany and Italy, and other operations on

,he Continent. That was sufficient to account for

the falling off in the estimates of traffic that had
been prepared. When the directors' Parliamentary
scheme for relieving the company from its diffi-
culties was brought out they could not attend to
anything else for a long time, and consequently the
working expenses were high. The traffic was in
its infancy, and it was difficult to develope it in
consequence of the serious embarrassments of the
company. The board of directors and officers of the
company were too much engaged with other things
to improve the traffic, but if the company could be
put in a position to-develope the traffic, and reduce
the working expenses together with an efficient
working of the line, the results would be very im-
portant for the undertaking. They had so far been
enabled to redeem the character of the line by good
management in the working of the traffic thathe be-

lieved no line stood better than the Chatham and
Dover in that respect. He had had a great deal to
do this session with the Parliamentary proceedings.
At the present moment the bill was before the com-
mittee, and would come on again to-morrow. He
did not wish to say anything that might prejudice
their case. He then explained that the directors'
Parliamentary scheme was for raising £1,500,000
to pay off arrears of interest due to debenture-holders,
to pay creditors 20s. in the pound, and to complete
certain works for the development of the traffic. He
had told them on a former occasion that Parliament
would never sanction the placing of new debentures
over the debenture-holders, unless every individual
gave his consent ; but to get that consent would be
impossible. He looked on debenture-holders, to a
certain extent, as partners ; as they would all par-
ticipate in the improvement of the property, it
ought to be sufficient in their case that a large ma-
jority should bind the minority, which was the prin-
ciple of a bill now before Parliament for dealing
with railway property. It provided that three-
fourths of the creditors in value should be the re-
quisite majority, and he thought it would not be too
much to ask Parliament to grant there a sinlilar
power in their bill, but perhaps they would not see
it in that light. The debenture-holders had pre-
pared a scheme in which they proposed placing a
smaller sum over their heads than that proposed by
the directors. Another section, represented by Mr.
Bagot, did not propose to raise any capital, but
they could not settle with the creditors without

money. The (No. 4) bill promoted by Mr. Har-
tridge proposed the grant of a loan from the Trea-

sury in consideration of the great services the
company had rendered to the country by the
construction of a line for military defence.
The directors would have been very glad if the
money could have been obtained in that way,

but the committee decided against the No. 4 Bill.

At length the House of Commons agreed to the

consolidation of the directors' Bill No. 1, and
the debenture holders' Bill No. 2, which was pro-
moted by Mr. liodgson's committee. This bill pro-
posed to raise £600,000, instead of £1,500,000, the

debenture holders giving up the right to receive the
arrears in cash, but to take debenture stock for the
amount of the arrears, which would dispense with
£500,000, as originally proposed. The open credi-
tors in respect of rolling stock were to receive
£75,000 in cash, and to take the rest in a third

stock to rank after the debentures. lie had no

doubt that they had seen in the newspapers of that
morning, in which it was stated " that the consi-
deration of the bill for the adjustment of the affairs
of the London, Chatham, and Dover Company had
been adjourned till Friday, with the prospect of re-
jection at that date, a resolution having been adopted
—' That the committee cannot, at all events, sanc-
tion the raising of any additional capital with
priority over those debenture holders who do not
give their consent with a full knowleJge of the cir-

cumstances of the case. " And in addition to this
the chairman of the committee stated that it must

be a question forfurther consideration whether they
would allow any priority under any circumstances.
Well, that would involve considerable alterations in

the bill. He was sorry that Mr. Hartridge, who
represented the main line interest, did not agree to
the bill. The rolling stock belonged to the main
line, and had cost £BO,OOO. If any section was to
be benefited under the bill it certainly was the main
line. He looked upon the various sections as parts
of an entire undertaking. They had all seen the
statement prepared by Mr. Fletcher as to the state
of accounts with respect to the contractors. The
directors had charged the full amount of the shares
and stock issued to them, leaving the contractors to
make their own statement.
Mr. TURNER said he differed from the views of
Mr. Hodgkinson. He stated that the rolling stock
of the company had never been paid for, and that
it had been supplied by several companies. He
contended that the bill would extinguish the rights
of the shareholders. The Bth clause would
keep them in suspense for 10 years, and place
the property entirely in the hands of the debenture
holders. It would sanction the proceedings of the
former board of directors, and make the shareholders
pay what had not been paid by the contractors, and
in fact would mortgage the whole of the property
for raising the new capital. He concluded by mov-
ing as an amendment, " That all consents already
given by the directors to the consolidated bill No. 2
now pending before Parliament, and introduced as
the London, Chatham, and Dover (No. 2) Bill, be
withdrawn ; and that no consent be given by the
directors, either directly or indirectly, to that or
any other bill in Parliament which had not obtained
the previous sanction of the shareholders ; and that
for the future no notice of any intended application
to Parliament for leave to introduce a bill relating
to the company be given by the directors or any offi-
cer of the company without the sanction of share-
holders first obtained ; and that no bill be hereafter
introduced into Parliament that had not been pre-
viously submitted to the shareholders ; and that the
consideration of the directors' report and the elec-
tion of directors stand adjourned until after the bill
now pending in Parliament had been submitted to
the shareholders, and had been approved or rejected
by them." He contended that the bill would not
redeem the company, but would annihilate it.
Mr. SHAW seconded the motion.
Mr. V. KNIGHT said they had heard nothing but
sound and fury against the bill. He was disposed
to take Mr. Hodgkinson's view, as it appeared to

him that Mr. Turner wanted to involve them in
law proceedings. There was already a lawyer's
bill for £98,000 against the company. He had op-
posed the former directors who brought them into
their difficulties, and lie believed the only way to get
out of those difficulties was to place confidence in
the present directors, and assist them in attaining
that desirable object.
Mr. R. BAXTER, the solicitor, amid considerable
interruptions, explained the object of the company's
Consolidated Bill now before Parliament. He said
it would not do for the shareholders what his friend
Mr. Turner had stated. Sanctioned by Parlia-
ment, the bill would give them the means of
working the line properly and going on for ten
years,during which the debentureholders would wait
before enforcing their claims. That would allow
themto go on and develop° the traffic. At the end
of that time the property would not be sold by the
debenture-holders, because the condition of the com-
pany would be greatly improved. The supension
alluded to by Mr. Turner would be a great benefit
to the shareholders. With regard to the charge on
the whole undertaking every section would be liable
for the amount of the new capital expended on it,
but to no further extent. Each section would bear
its own burden. The new board would consist of
four debenture-holders and four shareholders, the
chairman being a shareholder, having the casting
vote, and in case of equal voting the Board of Trade
would appoint an arbitrator. One of those four
directors would go out by rotation, and either be
re-elected, or another would be elected in his place
by thebondholders or shareholders as the case might
be. The company was in misfortune, and sacrifices
must be made by all parties for the benefit of all.
The vice-chairman had watched over their interests
and had endeavoured to see what could be done
to promote the interests of the company. He was
determined that every interest should be dealt with
fairly. Law proceedings would be stayed for ten
years, and the Court of Chancery were authorised
by the bill to take a short course with all proceed-
ings relating to the company. Instead of filing bills
and answers, they would proceed at once ou any
case by petition. They would be enabled to dispose
of surplus lands, and to issue debenture stock for
£600,000 A stock over the debenture debt, deben-
tures for £500,000 B stock to rankpari passe with
existing debentures, for payment of arrears to deben-
ture-holders, and £500,000 C stock to come after the
debenture holders for payment of the open debts of
the company. The open creditors would receive
£75,000, or 4s. in the pound in cash, and 16s. in
the pound in C stock. The bill did not interfere
with the rights of any section ; it would leave rent
charges, &c., just as they were. All cases would
be settled by the Court of Chancery as speedily as
possible. It would be impossible to get the consent
of every one, but there was a very large majority in
favour of the bill. The debenture-holders had one
vote for every £lOO held by them.
Mr. BRISTOWE pointed out one or two legal de-
fects in the bill which would be rectified.
Mr. HARTRIDGE recommended the shareholders
to read the evidence given in committee on the
rlia-
Lome nndt otnh,i
sCshes
session,
t ihoanm, ,
paand rt
eDuol
avrelry Btihl las
tbeforegiven bPya
Harrison.
Mr. HILLIER, a director, explained how the mat-
ter stood between the company and the contractor,
so far as could be ascertained, but he would not give
any opinion on the case. It would, however, have
to be dealt with.
On a show of hands the amendment was nega-
tived, and the motion of the Chairman was carried.
Mr. TURNER demanded a poll, which resulted in
125 proprietors present, representing £734,152 stock,
and 4,433 votes in favour of the motion of the
Chairman and against the amendment ; and 11 pro-
prietors present, representing £16,275 stock and 197
rotes, were in favour of the amendment and against
the motion of the Chairman.
The CHAIRMAN declared the amendment lost and
report of the directors adopted.
Mr. HILLIER moved a resolution to the effect that
the meeting approved the London, Chatham, and
Dover Consolidated Bill, subject to such altera-
tions as might be assented to by the directors, or
Parliament might deem requisite.
Mr. Wanun seconded the motion, and it was
carried by a very large majority, there being only
seven against it.
Mr. Hotham, one of the retiring directors, was re-

elected ; and Mr. Hankey retired from the direction.
Mr. G. Hogarth was elected auditor in the room
of Mr. Coleman, who resigned. Mr. Eley, the
other auditor, expressed his willingness to retire
owing to some objections being made to his mode of
auditing accounts, but no one was elected in his
place.
The proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks
to the chairman, the deputy chairman, and the other
directors.