The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-19 00:00:00

EASTERN COUNTIES_RAILWAy.

The ordinary half-yearly meeting of the shareholders in
this company was held at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-
street, to-day, for the purpose of receiving the report of the
directors of the progress of the undertaking.
The chair was taken Pt one o'clock by EIORATIO LOVE,
Esq.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, which has already appeared in The Sun,
said it was a matter of congratulation that although
a general depression in trade had exercised a con-
siderable influence upon all railway property, the
receipts upon this railway have in a lesser degree
been affected by it than most of the other larger companies.
The receipts of the half-year ending June 30,1858, amounted
to £645,516, which, when ow-neared with the corresponding
half-years of 1854-55-56-57, showed an increase of £85,022
with those of 1854. The working expenses, compared with
those of the same period, showed an increase of £32,280 over
those of 1854, amounting in the past half-year to £295,639,
or about £45 185. 6,1. per cent. One of the causes which
had operated to diminish the company's revenue was the
competition which had existed betwe,rt the several railway
e nipanies having termini in the metropolis, and some
of them having junctions with the line to peterburough, the
effect of which had been a reduction of the rates of traffic
generally. Up al the whole the reduction, however, had
been smile-, when compared with the receipts for the same
period in 1857, than might have been anticipated; and the
shareholders would find, upon comparing the respective pe-
riods, that the decrease, as regarded the Eastern Counties
line, amounted only to the small sum of £6,519. (Hear,
hear.) It was much to be regretted, from the causes enu-
merated, as well as from local causes, that the
traffic on the East Anglian Company's lines had suf-
fered to some extent, although the same means had been
used by this company to develop their traffic as had been
adopted on the Eastern Counties. To meet the decrease of
the receipts, the directors had been enabled to reduce the
working expenses of the half-year by nearly an equal sum,
namely, £4,458; leaving a result, as regarded net revenue,
as if no diminution had occurred, and this had been done
without in the least diminishing the efficiency of the working
of the line. The stability of railway property was affected
by the manner in which the capital of a company is dealt
with, and if additions be made to it, except for the pur-
poses of increasing the revenue, future years have to bear
the burden in the shape of increased interest, which dimi-
nished the sum applicable for dividend. He concluded by
moving the adoption of the report.
The motion, after some discussion was agreed to, as MS a
resolution authorising the payment of the dividend men-
tioned therein, viz., the sum of £1 3s. 9d. per cent. for the
half-year.
A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceed-
hags.

CRIMINAL COURT-(THIS DAY.)

OLD COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Williams.)
FORGERY BY A GENTLEMAN.

harry Banbury, 38, son of the late General Bunbury,
who yesterday pleaded guilty to an indictment charging
him with uttering a forged bill of exchange for the sum of
£100,; with intent, to defraud a tailor named Hobson, was
placed before the learned judge to receive sentence.
Mr. Justice Williams said—l have read over the deposi-
tions, and I think the evidence is clear and conclusive, and
therefore I think the prisoner has received proper advice
from his counsel to plead guilty to the offence with which he
was charged. It has been urged that, as the prisoner had
had pecuniary transactions with a gentleman named Parkin,
his solicitor, in putting that person's name to the bill,
lie stood in a different light to those convicted of a similar
offence, as he might have thought there was a balance in his
favour; but he had no moral right to affix that gentleman's
name to any document without his sanction, and having
done so, I can see no difference between the forgery
to which he has pleaded guilty and that of an
ordinary commercial document. I cannot see any
excuse for such an offence, and it was a melancholy
sight to see one who, at one time, had such bright prospects,
reduced to a position so low. The station in which you pre-
viously moved aggravates the offence, for there cannot
be a doubt that the education bestowed upon you has been
of a superior description to that received by many others.
Prisoner—l had no intention of defrauding Mr. Parkin.
The learned Judge—l cannot make any difference in your
case from that of those committed by others not so highly
educated ; turd I feel I should be deserting my duty if I did
not pass upon you a severe punishment. Tne sentence of
the Court, therefore, is, that you be kept to penal servitude
for the period of four years.
The prisoner, on bearing the sentence, seemed perfectly
forged
Bank
a
astonished, and with difficulty left the dock.
rfec
A gentlemanly-looking man, named Thompson, was then
broughtEnglaunpd to receive
sentence for uttering a
The learned Judge said—l am inclined to think that you
are not one of these who make a trade of passing forged
Bank notes. You appear to have lost your situation, and
then to have become acquainted with bad characters. I cannot,
however, lose sight of the fact:that the offence was committed
with great premeditation and art. The sentence of the Court
is that you be kept at penal servitude for three years.
EMBEZZLEMENT.—John Jervis, late in the employ of
the banking firm of Sir Claude Scott, Bart., and Co., Ca-
vendish-square, was charged with embezzling a large sum of
money, the property of his employers.
Mr. Bodkin and Mr. Sleigh appeared for the prosecution.
The prisoner was defended by Mr. Metcalfe.
From the statement of Mr. Bodkin it appeared that the
prisoner was the City collecting clerk, and that in course of
his duties he had, it was alleged, appropriated the monies
received on the part of his employers to his own private use.
The evidence was of the usual technical description, and
',herefore uninteresting to the general reader.
The case was proceeding when our report left.

NEW COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice 'Wines.)
TIIE EXPLOSION OF FIREWORKS AT MADAM COTON'S.
This morning William Bowyer Bennett, the husband of
the unfortunate Madame Coten, was indicted, on the coro-
ner's inquisition, with the manslauuhter of Sarah Ann
on the evening of the 12th ofJuly last.
The prisoner was defended by Air. Giffard. -
' The evidence offered was precisely similar to that given
yesterday, when the prisoner was acquitted, with the excep-
tion of a man named Harrison, who stated that he was paid
by the prisoner, and not by Madame Coton, and that there
were four half cwt. tubs of composition carried up stairs from
the shop a few days previous to the explosion.
The jury returned a verdict of guilty; but sentence was
deferred until several points of law raised by Mr. Gifford on
the part of the prisoner were decided by the judges.

THIRD COURT.
(Before the Common Sergeant.)
George Martin and John Hathaway were indicted
for stealing , a woman's dress, the property of a person
named Davis, residing at Deptford.
From the evidence it appeared that the dress was stolen
from a small garden adjoining the houses in the neighbour-
hood, and on morning of the robbery the prisoners, it was
alleged, met a person named Sims, who said he purchased
the dress of the two prisoners for 3s. 6d., and that on his
wife attempting to pawn the article at Woolwich, she was
taken into custody, and then, on her husband being sent
for, he gave,such information as led to the prisoners' appre-
hension. Sims, it turned out, had been previously con-
victed for receiving stolen goods.
Both prisoners denied the robbery.
The Common Sergeant said the case against the prisoners
rested entirely on the evidence of Sims, aad if the jury
thought he was to be depended upon they would return a
verdict of guilty.
The jury returned a verdict of not guilty.