The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-28 00:00:00

GREAT LUXEMBOURG.

A general meeting of this company was held yes-
terday at the London Tavern, preparatory to the
general meeting to be held at Brussels ; the Hon. F.
Scott in the chair.
The report was taken as read.

The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, said on looking at the accounts the share-
holders would see how large was the increase of the
traffic, but how small was the increase of net
revenue in comparison. That was accounted for by
reasons of an exceptional character. When they re-
flected on the political state of Europe during the
last few months, and what had taken place before
the war broke out, they would see reasons why the
traffic should have suffered. At this time last year
they had an epidemic among their flocks, which was
communicated to Holland and adjacent countries,
causing a diminution in their cattle traffic. The
cholera was not only rushing through this country,
but in Belgium, and it had a depressing influence
on their pockets and spirits. He was in that coun-
try in June last, and all the hotels were empty, and
he was there about three weeks ago, and the same
account was given him that no traveller would pass
through the country. The industrial concerns at the
end of their southern line had been stopped, but they
were now being resumed. The means of developing
the line had received the most anxious consideration
of the board. The directors had been most careful
of the expenditure, and would continue to be so.
With regard to the Ourthe line the directors still
maintained the same opinion they had already ex-
pressed, that it was a most valuable auxiliary to their
system.

Mr. CLOSE seconded the motion for the adoption
of the report.

Mr. HARLEY said he was informed that the Go-
vernment had given notice to the Central Beige that
they would not be permitted to book through the
State system unless they adopted the State's fares.
This was a most important matter for the interest
of the Great Luxembourg, and he wished to know if
a similar notice had been given to the company.
Mr. REED replied in the negative, and said if
notice had been given the company would look after
the interest of the shareholders.

The report was then adopted, and a vote of thanks
:o the chairman closed the proceedings.

DUNDALK STEAM PACKET.
The half-yearly general meeting of this compan),
was held at Dundalk on Tuesday; Mr. J. Brennan
in the chair.

The report recommended a dividend at the rate
of 9 per cent. per annum, and it was adopted unani-
mously.

Banquet at the Mansion House.

Last evening the Lord Mayor and the Lady
Mayoress entertained a numerous company at din-
ner, which was served in the Egyptian-hall. The
guests, about 160 in number, included the Mayor
of Windsor and the Mayor of Cambridge, Alderman
and Sheriff Gibbons and Sheriff Figgins, Sir John
Thwaites and the members of the Metropolitan
Board of Works, with their engineer Mr. Bazelgette ;
Rear-Admiral Ommaney and the members of the
Board of Conservancy of the Thames, with Capt.
Burstall, their secretary; the chairman (Mr. Lintott)
and the members of the General Purposes Committee
of the Corporation; the chairman (Mr. Chas. Reed)
and the members of the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs'
Entertainment Committee ; Mr. John Abel Smith,
M.P., Mr. Chas. Gilpin, M.P., the Master (Mr. H.
N. Nissen) and Wardens of the Fruiterers' Com-
pany ; the Master of the Mercers' Company ; Mr.
Chambers, the common-sergeant ; and the directors
of the National Provident Institution. The dinner
was served with much splendour, and on the re-
moval of the cloth the company, on the invitation
of the Lord Mayor, drank first to the health of her
Majesty the Queen, and then to that of the Prince
and Princess of \Vales and the rest of the Royal
family. The Lord Mayor, in proposing the prin-
cipal toast of the evening, referred to the presence
of the Metropolitan Board of Works and the Thames
Conservancy Commissioners. The public generally,
he said, would accord praise to the Metropolitan
Board of Works for the able manner in which it had
carried out its varied functions. No one who knew
anything of the great system of main drainage of
the metropolis, or who had opportunities of watch-
ing its progress, but must look upon it as one of the
marvels of engineering skill in modern times. He
hoped it would be a great success in the end, and a
source of blessing to the metropolis. In the Thames
embankment, which was being carried out under the
supervision of the same Board, they would have
when completed one of the grandest improvements
of the metropolis. He hoped, however, he might be
permitted to say that, besides beautifying the me-
tropolis, there was another necessity, and that was
of purifying it. He considered it to be his duty
publicly to declare, from recent observation, that
the residential condition of the poor of the metro-
polis was a blot on the civilisation of our times.
(hear, hear.) He was not prepared to throw the
onus on any one. It might be the duty of the Go-
vernment or the Metropolitan Board, or of the pub-
lic ; but he said, without hesitation, that something
must be done if they valued that which was incom-
parably beyond everything else—the sanitary condi-
tion of this great metropolis. (Cheers.) He assured
the Metropolitan Board that the Corporation of
tendon would be ready at all times to go hand-in-
nand with them. Sir John Thwaites replying to
the comp:lb:Lent said they had done their best as a
Board to purity this great city, and the main drain-
age had ri,ow, on the whole been in operation for
moreinu a than 12i othra g
in those
and there was this
g
those districts which had
singular
fact—that
tfistrar-General
mathrkeedrenbelnatch
vbisyitatthioen
an
dchothlearta t
htohs
dbueerning
was nacionm pdlreatien,
e
age was finished
main drainage
districts where the
d •
lute.
- epi e
had been singularly free from the
The district which had been so painfully affected by
the disease was one in which the main drainage was
in progress, hut not complete ; but he hoplendthatin
21 months or two years it would be compte • He
could only further say that whatever differences
might have existed between the corporation and the
Metropolitan Board, or between that Board and the
Thames Conservancy Commissioners, it was the duty
of all three to combine their powers for the welfare
of this great metropolis. Let, he said, all their ener-
gies be directed to that which would improve the
sanitary condition of the metropolis, and they would
be entitled to its confidence and ultimately to its
gratitude. Mr. Deputy Fry briefly replied to the
toast on behalf of the Conservancy Commissioners.
Mr. John A. Smith, M.P., in proposing the health
of the Lord Mayor, referred to the conspicuous part
that gentleman had taken in relieving the distress
consequent upon the visitation of cholera, and of
which he (Mr. Smith) had been a witness. It was,
he said, his confident belief that those exertions had
saved the lives of hundreds of poor people, and the
manner in which he had conducted his official duties
in other respects had raised the office of Lord Mayor
in the estimation of the public. He believed, too,
that it had conferred upon the City of London and
upon the country at large averY reat and important
benefit, in convincing them
that the duties of a Lord
Mayor were not confined to dispensing of hospitali-
ties, however unlimited and however generous those
might be ; but that those duties embraced a watchful