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

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. 11. Turner in
the chair.
Air. J. B. Owen, the secretary, having read the

that Chinese genius has produced all it is able to
produce, and that intelligent persons do not conceal notice convening the meeting,
from themselves that, in order to walk alone in The CHAIRMAN said, bsfore he proceeded with the
business for which the meeting had been convened, he
future, it must first resolve to receive from Euro-
I wished to make a few observations. In the first place,
peans those sciences and arts in which it is deficient.
it would have given him the greatest possible de-
This fact has long been perceived by able men such 1
as Ly-hong-tchang and Tso-tsang-tang, who have hear the refutation of a
light to have seen that large room filled with Great
Eastern shareholders, to
not ceased to repeat and to lay stress upon it in
statement that had been circulated
their reports to your Majesty. comacutednlya.Hbeyhpaedrsorencsewivhedo
were uo friends of the
" Last year Ly-hong-tchang established a large
several letters from shareholders, making inquiries
machine factory at Shanghai, and requested that
as to the truth of statements that had been made in
persons from the capital might be sent there. More
a-
pamphlet issued to the proprietors by an alleged
recently Tso-tsang-tang asked leave to establish at
Fokien workshops and schools in which European committee of shareholders. He wished to know
whether the author or authors of that pamphlet
masters might teach the sciences, in order that the
Chinese might subsequently be in possession of all were in the room, and, if so, where they got the
false statements respecting the affairs of the com-
the knowledge indispensable to the construction of pany ? There were difficulties enough to contend
steamships. Clearly, therefore, it is urgent that we in managing
should instruct ourselves in all these sciences, and with . the affairs of that large company
without having to correct erroneous statements by
this opinion is not confined to the undersigned. self-elected committees or other persons. One of
" Some will say that it would be more advanta-
the false statements in the pamphlet was to the
peons to continuethepracticehitherto pursued. Why 1
effeet. that the directors were seeking power to raise
not hire steamships and purchase from Europeans additional capital for steamboats. That was totally
the arnr a they manufacture ? Is this not more simple?
untrue, and very unfair to the directors ; all the
Should we not then have all we require without ern-
power sought for in the bill was to enable the com-
barrassing ourselves with expenses and useless
pany to run the steamboats to two additional ports,
trouble ? Those who will argue in this manner are
in order to develops the goods and cattle traffic ;
no doubt the people who believe that cannons and
but there was no power sought for spending money
muskets are the only things China ought to take from
on steamboats. Another untrue statement in the
Europe, and this is a serious mistake. But even were !
pamphlet was to the effect that the present board
such the case, and had the course hitherto pursued
had done nothing for the company during the 15
been at the same time practical and easy, it is not
months they were in office. Some gentlemen of Mr.
the less demonstrated that we should always remain
Ware's committee came to the station at Shoreditch,
dependent upon foreigners for these articles, and had an interview with the directors on the affairs of
that we should have to resign ourselves never to be
1 the company, and up to a certain point had infor-
acquainted with their manufacture. Further, ac-
mation given them quite sufficient for any section
quaintance with this manufacture of arms and ma- i
of the shareholders to know. The directors had
chines, while placing us in a position to produce
therefore declined to give further information, an-
them for ourselves, does not deprive us of the op- less it was made known to all the shareholders in the
portunity of pursuing our ancient course, and of
1 company. (Hear, hear.) The present directors
profiting by the industry of others. We should then,
I had done the very best they could for the company
however, do so with a knowledge of the subject.
1 since they came into office. He had put an end to
It appears to us useless to demonstrate whether
k fictitious accounts, and with the aid of his colleagues
knowledge is preferable to ignorance. - I they had kept the company so far out of Chancery
" It would also be a serious mistake to imagine !
,as to prevent the appointment of a receiver. He
that China abandons her ancient knowledge to adopt I
• that they had laboured for three years to bring about an
that of foreigners. The Europeans admit
1 equitable arrangement with the Great Northern
have borrowed from China— or at any rate from the
Company to enable the Great Eastern to get
East—the notions upon which their sciences are DOW, ( into the manufacturing districts. The details of
adays based. :With their spirit of research and con- I an arrangement with that company which he
stant application they have increased these notions,
hoped would be satisfactory, were now being pre-
drawn from them all the profit possible, and have ,
finally discarded antiquated theories in favour of i p
ared. He believed the company bad pretty well
, developed the traffic in their own disttict, and they
those more modern and exact. The root is Chinese, must look elsewhere for an increase. He trusted be-
but the tree that has been developed is European.
, fore long the Great Eastern would not only be able
This is the case with arithmetic and astronomy, to pay all their preference dividends, but that there
and perhaps also with other sciences. If China had I
continued to cultivate the sciences she would not ; would be a margin for dividend to the ordinary
now be reduced to have recourse to the experience of shareholders. Under the old agreement with the
other nations. Clearly this would be far preferable. 1 Great Northern the company were to pay £60,000
a year to get into the northern districts, subject to
" But is the idea of having recourse to the science
certain restrictions. No one valued peace more than
of the Europeans and of requesting lessons from
he did, but he did not desire to obtain it at any
them new? Did not the Emperor Kang-hi, with
ad- price. (Hear, hear.) He had told the Great
his vast intelligence, recognise this necessity by
! Northern Board that the policy of the Great Eastern
witting many among them to the mathematical tri-
was to go northwards, and they were determined to
bunal and treating them like Chinese functionaries?
carry out that policy. Now, under the old agree-
Recent generations ought not to set aside, as they I
ment they could only get to Doncaster, and for
have done, the science of numbers since our philo-
which they would have to pay the Great Northern
sophers themselves have placed it at the head of ,
1160,000 a year. But, under the new arrangement
human knowledge.
: which the present directors had recently made with
"' In ancient times,' says the books, `warriors
the Great Northern Company, the Great Eastern
and agriculturists were acquainted with astronomy, 'would have to pay £lO,OOO the first year, instead of
which was forgotten afterwards through a pro-
£6o,ooo, as contemplated by the old agreement ;
bibition of the Emperor. Kang-hi, our sacred
£15,000 for the second year, £20,000 for the third
ancestor, caused it to revive. Literates gave them-
selves up to its study with ardour, and published \ year, and £25,000 a year for the fourth, fifth, sixth,
and seventh years ; and they were to become- half-
numerous books. It was said then : Whatever is
owners of the lines over which their trains would
unknown is a cause of disgrace to the literates.
I run to the north when they paid the Great Northern
And is it not in fact disgraceful for a man who
£60,000 a year. Ile believed by that arrangement
makes a display of science to look up at the sky
the directors had saved the company the expendi-
without knowing anything of the millions of stars
tare of £1,000,000. Under the old agreement the
he sees shining above him ? Even if the school we
Great Northern could fix the rates and fares to Don-
desire to establish should never exist, literate per-
caster, and they were otherwise fettered in various
sons would not, we hope, be willing long to remain
ways ; but under the new agreement there were
in their present ignorance. If they were not desi-
equal rates, and the company could go over
roux of recommencing these forgotten studies, they
the Lancashire and Yorkshire and other lines in
would have all the stronger reason for so doing in i
the manufacturing districts. - Another matter of
presence of the sacrifice the State is now willing to !
1 importance was, that, under the new agree-
make.' I ment the Great Northern were confined in
"To those who may say that China humiliates : '
~ their extensions to King's Lynn. The London
herself in seeking instruction from foreigners, we
and Cambridge traffic was to be equally divided
shall reply that if one thing in particular can make between the two companies. Formdrly the Great
a nation blush, it is to be ignorant of that which
Eastern paid £16,800 a year to the Great Northern
others know. for the Ilitchin and Shepreth line, over which the
" What immense progress have not Europeans
Cambridge traffic of that company was carried ;
made during the last fifty years in the construction
of steamships—to but now the Cambridge traffic would be carried )3,
atashiPs—to cite only a single fsct —incessantly :both companies, and divided betwmi them. He
seeking after better combinations, and vieing with
each other in labour and efforts ? Even Japan has I thought those arrangements showed that the new
sent to Europe officers intended to seek instruction 1 directors rs had done something for the Great Eastern
in the various sciences there taught.p
above
Thus, without uompany. They had substituted a payment of
speaking of Eurof which seeks £16,800 a year fur the Hitehin and Shepreth line
ean nations, each o
to raise itself the others by knowledge and for £lO,OOO a year to get to Doncaster. If tare in co-
civilisation, Japan has not wished to remain in pany had fair play the price of the ordinary stock
the rear. That country
also desires to take its place
among the strong, while c .
lima alone, continuing in the market would now be at 40, instead of 28.
and her ancient ens- If the working expenses on their line were reduced
obstinate in her indifference
. to stand aloof from to 50 per cent. of the receipts, as he hoped they
toms, would condemn herself
the general activity.
of dis- would be, instead of being 56 per cent., there would
grace. This is a true reason be a saving of £BO,OOO a year. If the temporary
to ‘. do not feel humiliation
If we • • • loans had been got rid of, there would have been a
others, but only in taking
that,
otherst as our instruc-
in se,n-
1' ; .is. inferior saving of £35,000 in interest. The expenses wore
tors, without considering
perhaps attain the glory of sue- beine reduced, and they would have had a dividend
equalling, we may
passing them, it naturally results that thedesire
of
we shall
undertaking. of 17 per cent. on the ordinary stock. He had no
never know anything, and shall have the eternal doubt of the ultimate success of the Great Eastern
humiliation of inferiority. He then refuted other statements in
We foresee,the
also, that it will be said : —The to aPamphlet of the alleged committee ; and alluded
Paragraph in a morning paper s hick stated that