The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-15 00:00:00

JAMAICA.

Captain JARVIS asked whether it was the intention of
the Government to give legal assistance to curtain officers
who had been put on their trial for matters done in Ja-
maica ?

The CHAN CELWR of the EXCHEQUER said,
where officers in her Majesty's service acted under the
direction of their superior's, and their acts wore afterwards
called in question, it was the duty of the Government to
defend them. (" Hear, hear," and loud cheers.)
THE REFORM BILL.

Lord R. MONTAGU asked the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer whether the Government would endeavour, as
early as possible in this session, to bring in a bill whieh
would carry out whatever resolutions might be passed by
the committee, on the Act 2 and 3 William IV.,sc. 45?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
hon. member for Nottingham (Mr. Osborne) had a ques-
tion relating to the same circumstance, therefore he would
answer them both. The inquiry of the hon. member for
Nottingham was founded on a misconception. The main
object of the Government, by the resolutions they had
submitted to the house, was 'to obtain the sanction of the
house to the principles upon which the bill, which he
hoped to have the honour of introducing in the event of
the resolutions being agreed to, would be founded. Ito
was not prepared at that time to enter into details of the
resolutions, but in case they were passed the Govrnment
were prepared at once to introduce a bill founded
thereon. The intention of the Government for proceed-
ing, as he had indicated, was thatthe house might come
.to some general understanding as to the principle of the
bill, and he did not • contemplate being called upon
to enter into details. What the Government
wished was that the principles involved in the resolu-
tions should be sanctioned,- and • then the Government
would at once introduce the bill. That was the answer he
had to give to both questions. If, after the house had
adopted the- resolutions, Gevernment were not prepared
with a bill, ho should consider that to be trifling with the
House of Commons. (Cheers.)
Lora R. MONTAGU reminded the right hon. gentle-
man that ho had not stated whether the Government
woild'bring in a bill founded oil the-resolutions passed by

the house, whatever they might be.
The-CHANCELLOR of the EXCIIEQI7Eit Said, if the
house agreed toiesolutions which the Government could not
carry out, he presumed they wore entitled to the privilege
of free men, and decline to proceed. Tho resolutions the
Government proposed were the basis of the bill. The Go-
, vernment did not suppose that in passing these resolutions
is would be looked upon as tantamount to passing the bill.
Mr. OSBORNE asked the right hon. gentleman when he
would name the exact sum at which he proposed to adopt
as the qualification for boroughs And counties. (Rear,
hear.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said—lf
the house agreed to the resolution stating that it was ad-
visable that the qualification for the franchise should be
lowered, and also those others in connection therewith, a
bill would at once be introduced, and then ho would enter
into the whole details of the measure. (Rear, hear, and
laughter.) The Government were desirous of proceeding
as speedily as possible. They were not at all in. favour of
delay. (Hoar, hoar.)
ttiCloAsSeToLreEß.ry
of
State
W EANR ARMS
INNL E( YU. EaSs .11:eL Id
Mr. 0
for War what was the amount of military
force
in
Chester
iastlo on Friday, tho Bth February ?
•.General PEEL said there was a company of the 54th
Regiment and also a company of
militia. It was
on the return of the Guards to London to la proposed
a regiment
of infantry in a convenient spot ready for afuture emer-
gency. There were 9,000 guns, 4,000 swords, 900,000
rounds of ammunition, and a large store
of
gunpowder..
He had received uo reports of the resistance of Fenl an
against the troops in that part of the co 8
untry, and ho did
not believe that such existed. (Hear, hear.)

THE SUGAR DUTIES.
The resolutions proposed, by the Government for the
reduction of the sugar duties, in conformity with the con-
vention with Prance and other countries, were agreed to.
Mr. WALPOLE, in askiug•leave to introduce two bills
relating to capital punishment, explained that the object
of the first was to confine the punishment of death, —to
murder with deliberate intention to kill, for the purpose of
committing or aiding in the commission of rape, arson, or
other felony, in aiding in the escape of other persona con-

victed of murder, or on public officers in the discharge of
their duties. All other murders would be punishable by
penal servitude foi a period ranging from life to seven
years, and the bill would also reduce the punishment for
infanticide in pertain cases. Tho second bill provided for
the infliction of capital punishment within the wails Of gaols, under certain securities.
In the short discussion which followed Mr. Bright
doubted whether the bill, as explained, would vest in
juries the power of saying in which class a murder fell ;
Sir G. Grey expressed a preference for tho classification
adopted by the Commissioners into murder of the first and
second degree; and Mr. Henley, while taking the sem%
view, was of opinion that we were fast tending to site
abolition of capital punishment. Mr. Walpole, in rep/3.,
explained that the jury in all cases would have to find the
deliberate intent. After some remarks from Mr. Ewan,
Mr. Gilpin, and Mr. Ilibbert, the bills were brought in and
read a first time.

Sir. Sergeant BARRY introduced a bill to extend to
Ireland the provisions of the English law relating to tit%
presence of military at elections.

Tha house adjourned at a quarter pad coven o'clock,

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.—This Day,

VICTORIA CLUB-THIS DAY.

Speculation was brisk to-day. • Christmas Carol, Wiring
been beaten in his trial, was knocked out of the betting,
while Mrs. Allen was supported from an outside figura,
down to 9 to 1.

LINCOLN HANDICAP.

100 to 12 agst The Beadle (taken)
to 1 apt Mr. Allan (taken and offered)
10 to 1 agst Bismarck (taken and offered)
100 to 6 agst Problem (taken)
100 to 6 agst Copenhagen (offered)
20 to 1 agst Lady Pam (taken)
20 to 1 agst Saccharometer (offered)
20 to 1 agst Vigorous (taken)
20 to 1 agst Batthyanny's lot (taken)
25 to 1 agst Treasure Trove (offered, take 30 to 1)
25 to 1 agst Rejoinder (offered, take 33 to 1)
33 to 1 agst The Duke (taken)
50 to 1 agst Troublesome (offered)
50 to 1 agst Christmas Carol (taken and offered),
2to 1 agst Christmas Carol twitting (offered)

DERBY.
20 to 1 agst Hermit (taken)
TWO THOUSAND.
91 to 1 agst Julius (taken)

HORSES STRUQE (3::FETzig THEIR ENGAGE-

Feb. 8, at 2.35 P:M.,.King!Alf,red and Garus, out of the
Grand National Steeplechase, at Liverpool.
Feb. 8, after 6 p.m., Jack's Alive,- ont of the Grand
National Steeplechase end the Hurdle Race,,at _Liverpool.
Feb. 11, at 9 a.ni., Monitress and John Halifax, out of
Nottingham handicap.

Fob. 11, at 9 a.m., All horses in Mr. A. Yates's and Mr
J. G. G. Shaw's names, out of Birmingham engagements.
Feb. 11, at 9 a.m., Flyfishor, out of pirminghardengage-
men ts.

J?eb. 11, at 0.30 p.m.,;Rotrousse, out of Nottingham
han-
dicap.

Feb. 11, at 4.14 p.m., Steamboat, out of Nottingham,
handicap. .
Feb. ,11, after 6 p.m., Brahma, out of Birmingham en-
gagements.
Feb. 11, after 6 p.m., Wellesley and Havelock, out of
Nottingham handicap.
Feb. 12, at 9 a.m., Skirmish and Mrs. Allan, out of Not-
tingham handicap.
Feb.l2, at 1.10 p.m., Ruisian Bee, out of the Idersoy Cup
and Spring Cup, at LiTerpool.

Feb. 12, at 2.9 p.m., Musketeer, out of Liyorpool Spring
Cup.

Fob 12, after 6 p.m., Salamanca, out of Kersey Cup, at
Liverpool, and Nottingham Handicap.
Feb..l3, at 9 a.m., Cockfighter, out of Open Handicap at
Windsor, and Steeplechase at Lincoln.
Feb. 13, at 9 a.m., Nu, out of Chester engagements.
Feb. 13, at 1 p.m., Mr. Brewer's horses ont of Lincoln
engagements.

Fob. 13, at 1 p.m., Kingfisher, out of Nottingham ban.
dieap.
Feb. 14, at 1.15 p.m., Pearl Diver, out of Lincoln hurdlo

race.

Railway and other Compana.
SOUTII DEVON.

The directors of this company have recommended
the payment of a dividend for the half-year ending
the 31st of December last, at the rate of £3 10s. per
cent. per annum on the ordinary stock of the com-
pany, carrying forward a balance of £837.

LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH-COAST.
The half-yearly general meeting of this com-
pany was held yesterday at the International Hotel,
London- bridge. Mr. P. Northall Laurie, the chair-
man, presided.

The report (an abstract of which has appeared in
Vic Sol) was taken as read.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, said it conveyed the intentions and opinions
of the directors with respect to the increase of
capital on account of the additional works. The
revenue account showed a great increase in the
receipts,which must be considered satisfactory. The
increase of traffic in the past year was £T3,000 in
excess of the previous year; which itself was
£67,269 in excess of the traffic in 1864. There was
a larger increase in the two past years than in any
previous year. Last year was one of unexampled
gloom and depression, and, as their line was a
pleasure line, it was susceptible to influences which
lines in manufacturing districts did not suffer from.
A great portion of their line ran through agricul-
tural districts which had suffered from the cattle
plague. The traders in the agricultural districts
and those whose means were limited curtailed all
unnecessary expenses. The weather had affected
the traffic, but not so much as the monetary pres-
sure, although they had carried 2,000,000 addi-
tional passengers. The increase was principally in
the third class. The first-class traffic was confined
in its proclivities, and the second class was se-
riously affected. The increase in the number of
passengers was attributable to the opening of new
lines. The East Grinstead and Tunbridge-wells
was opened in October, and the Mid-Sussex and
Mfdhurst Junction in December, and other lines
were recently opened. It was, however, premature to
take the traffic on the new lines into account, but,
as far as it had gone, it was perfectly satisfactory.
The expenses of the opening and working new lines
were immediate, while the returns were more re-
mote. The decrease of the dividend was explained
iu paragraph 8 of the report by the increase in the
expenditure of £89,300 over the corresponding half-
year. This included about £52,300 for compensa-
tion for accidents, and arrears of tolls due to the
West London Railway, neither of which belonged
to the half-year ; the remainder was from £7,400
paid for renewals, £5,500 loss on steamboat traffic,
and about £23,970 as the increased expenditure in
working the newly opened lines, and the general
increase in wages, stores, &c. There was also an
increase in the amount of capital upon which they
had to pay dividend. They thought it better to
make a clean sweep of the £52,000 due for compen-
sation and arrears of West London tolls not belong-
ing to the half-year as soo❑ as the actual accounts
were ascertained. This amount would have given
them one per cent. on the ondinary stock, so that
otherwise they would have been enabled to pay 3
per cent. out of revenue, instead of 2 per cent. for
the past half-year, which, with the 2 per cent. paid
for the first half of last year, would have given them
5 per cent. for the whole. Some of those items
would, perhaps, not occur again, while others would
not happen every year. They had made a large
addition to their second-class carriages, which was
not fairly chargeable to the half-year. The goods
traffic had shown an increase of 95,000 tons, and an
excess of £l,BOO. They had no manufacturing
towns on their line, the chief towns on the coast
being Hastings, St. Leonard's, Seaford, Brighton,
Chichester, and other places, to which the goods
traffic was from London, and they had no return
goods trade. The South London line was only par-
tially open between a place near Brixton and Lon-
don-bridge, but when opened to Victoria station
there would be a large traffic on it. When they found
that running the boats from Littlehampton to St.
Maio and Jersey produced a loss they suspended the
traffic, and removed them to Newhaven to run to
onfleur and Dieppe during the Exhibition in Paris.
The n _;Nv line from Horsham to Dorking, which
would form part of a second line to Brighton, would
be opened in the summer. It passed through a
beautiful district, and would be important as a
relief line in case of accident to the main line. The
Tunbridge-wells line to Brighton would be impor-
tant as to increase of traffic. They had since the
last meeting made a reduction in the mileage of the
trains, which would enable them to work with fewer
engines. The advantage of this arrangement would
be seen in the next half-year. Comparing the ex-
penses of January with the same month in 1865 a
large reduction was shown. In the locomotive ex-
penses there would be a saving of £5OO a week
during the current half-year. As to the issue of the
new stock of £1,600,000, the directors were entirely
disappointed by the shareholders not taking it up.
It caused considerable annoyance, as the money was
required to discharge obligations to contractors and
others, and in consequence the works had to be re-
tarded as much as possible, instead of being pushed
on to completion. They could not delay the con-
tractors without incurring additional expense. It
was of importance to complete the works on the
lines in the neighbourhood of London as soon, as
possible, and also the works on lines that were
nearly completed, so as to bring them into profit-
able operation. The bill before Parliament was to
enable them to carry out arrangements with other
companies with greater economy than at present.
He complained of the course adopted by Parliament
last session in respect of sanctioning the new line
to Brighton. The decision as to granting or reject-
ing railway bills rested entirely with the commit-
tees to which they were referred, and therefore he
contended that Parliament had practically aban-
doned its functions with regard to railways. Such
matters should, in his opinion, be referred to an ex-
ternal tribunal properly constituted, before which
decisions would be given on railway matters in ac-
cordance with evidence. lle ventured to say that
of the £450,000,000 now invested in railways, the
ordinary stocks did not produce 3 per cent. on the
average. He then referred to communications and
conferences between himself and Mr. Watkin, chair-
man of the South-Eastern Railway, by which it was
agreed that no competing schemes should be pro-
moted for 12 months, and there was every reason to
believe from the disposition of the boards of the
Brighton and the South-Eastern Railway Com-
panies that amicable traffic arrangements would be
entered into, so as not only to be mutually beneficial
to the two companies, but advantageous to the pub-
lic. He trusted that those arrangements would lead
to the establishment of a permanent peace between
the two companies. (Cheers.)
By means of the contemplated arrangement it was
suggested by Mr. \Vatkin that in future a very large
outlay of capital might be avoided by both com-
panies, and a large outlay in contemplated works be
dispensed with. The energies of both boards would
then be available for the legitimate development
of their traffic, and for the exercise of a rigid eco-
nomy in expenditure, with a view to produce satis-
factory results for the shareholders. (Cheers.)
Colonel BARTTELOT, M.P., deputy-chairman,
seconded the motion for the adoption of the report.
A SHAREHOLDER suggested that something ought
to be done by railway companies to obtain a modi-
fication of Lord Campbell's Act in regard to com-
pensation for accidents.

Mr. WRIGHT remarked that at the last half-yearly
meeting between £BO,OOO and £90,000 had been
carried to capital for interest of money expended on
unproductive works, which, if charged to revenue,
would bare stopped the ruinous course adopted.
Thre was a further sum now charged of £85,000,
making together £170,000 for the year. Be thought
it a great mortification for English railway com-
panies that a petty American State should be
able to borrow money in England on much better
tering than a British railway company could. A
great number of railway directors were members
of Parliament, and he thought they might by
a little exertion relieve railway property from the
Government duty. The fares of the company had
been reduced all over their system on the faith that
Parliament would not grant a new competing line
to Brighton ; but, as Parliament had granted one

last session, the circumstances had been altered, and
therefore he thought they should ask for power to
revert again to the former fares.

Mr. BURTON called attention to the large increase
of capital expenditure in the past six years, and the
comparatively small increase in the receipts. The
capital had been increased from £9,500,000, 223
miles open, to £16,500,000 in 1866, 315 miles open,
while the gross traffic receipts were increased from
£903,000 to only £1,190,000, showing an increase
of £7,000,000 in the capital and of £287,000 in the
gross receipts. Deducting 50 per cent. for working
expenses left only £143,000 available for dividend
on the £7,000,000, or about 2 per cent. Redid not
think that an encouraging result.
Mr. COIIEN stated that the working expenses of
the company amounted in 1818 to £l-17,C00, and,
that in 1866 they amounted to £586,000, showing
an increase of £439,000, while the gross receipts
in 1848 amounted to £453,000 and in 1866 to
£1,189,000, showing an increase of £736,000. He
considered that the working expenses were too
high, and that they ought to have a report from the
locomotive engineer with the half-yearly accounts
similar to that given by Mr. Beattie, locomotive en-
gineer of the London and South-Western Com-
pany. He suggested a revision of fares on the
line and a uniform charge of a penny a mile for 3d-
class passengers over the whole of their system,
and that the passenger duty should be added to the
first and second class tares on their lines.
Sir C. JACKSON said that various items which were
charged to capital in the present accounts ought to
have been charged to revenue. Among those was
£20,435 for the Parliamentary expenses of last
session charged to capital, which, in his opinion,
ought to have been charged to revenue ; and if all
the sums to which he objected were placed against
revenue, the dividend would be nowhere. In 1848
the capital amounted to £2,485,000, and the gross
receipts to £453,000; in 1866 the capital expended
amounted £16,721,000, and the gross receipts to
£1,189,000. So that the capital had increased in
the ratio of 7 to 1 while the traffic receipts had in-
creased only as 2i to 1. He thought nothing could
be more damaging to their prospects than that
course. As they had to expend £2,000,000 more of
capital to complete the works in hand, he wished to
know how they were to pay any dividend in 1868,
even if last year's traffic were to increase in the
present year by £lOO,OOO, allowing an increase
of £50,000 to the working expenses. They had
charged £176,673 last year to capital as in-
terest on money expended on unproductive
works, and if this was to go on they might
require more capital than the £2,009,000 to com-
plete the works. They ought to have an account of
the company's liabilities and assets, similar to that
given by the Great Northern and other companies.
Mr. ADAMS thought the cost of maintaining the
permanent way was undercharged. On a compari-
soil with other lines the cost of maintaining the
permanent way of the Brighton Company was
per train mile, while the South Western paid 6id.,
the Chatham Gid., the Great Northern 5d., and
the Great Eastern 71d. per train mile. The average
cost of maintenance of the 10 principal railways
was 51d. per train mile.
After some observations by Mr. GOEZ,
The Cumr.mAN replied to the various observa-
tions. He said he could not entertain the despond-
ing view taken by Sir C. Jackson of their affairs.
The large amounts paid for compensation were ge-
nerally inflicted by juries. He could not see the
justice of awarding one first class passenger £l,OOO
and another, because he was richer, £lO,OOO, unless
he paid a higher fare in proportion as an assurance.
Some of the lines they had formerly promoted were
now unnecessary, and they would endeavour to
abandon unproductive or unnecessary lines as much
as possible. They would economise outlay of capi-
tal, and do their utmost, if the shareholders
would supply them with the requisite capital, to
complete productive lines and make them remune-
rative. He held a different opinion from Sir C.
Jackson as to charging Parliamentary expenses in
defending the estate of the company.
Ths report was then unanimously adopted ; a di-
vidend of 2 per cent. for the past half year was de-
clared on the ordinary stock of the company ; the
retiring directors and auditor were re-elected ; the
directors were authorised to convert certain paid up
preference shares into a like amount of preference
stock in the company ; and the proceedings ended.