The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-22 00:00:00

THE • SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 22, 1866.

£29 18s. 3d. ; Mr. George Smith, per Child and Co.,
£2l; the assistants of Messrs. W. Tarn and Co.,
Newington-causeway, £8 18s. 6d ; the cadets of the
trg Lining ship Worcester, through Mr. G. Whitby,
if; 14s. 6d. Messrs. E. Robins and Son, of Brighton
Distillery, have placed at the disposal of the com-
mittee a pipe of port wine ; Messrs. Atkinson, of
Westminster-bridge-road, 12 complete sets of bed-
ding ; and Mr. A. M'Dougall, a laxge assortment of
disinfectants.

The following is the return of deaths from cholera
and diarrhoea registered on Monday, Aug. 20 :
Cholera. Diarrhcea.
West districts 5
North districts ... 3 ... 6
Central districts—. ... 7 ... 2
East districts ... 52 7
South districts ... 8 ......9

Total ... ... 70 ... 29
Tho return for the sub-district of Eltham was not re-
ceived in time for publication.

STATE OF TRADE.

MANCHESTER, Aug. 21.—The market for shipping
yarns has been very quiet to-day, and to make sales
rather lower prices would have to be taken. Spinners
hold rather firmly to their quotations for most de-
scriptions of these yarns, and the market closes de-
cidedly tame. Sellers of home-trade yarns describe
all kinds as quieter, and rather lower in' price. The
yarn-market generally may be described as flat. In
cloth the lower rates for money appear to haw had
little influence, and have failed entirely to produce
the improvement that was expected to have attended
the change. We have had a very languid inquiry
for all makes of cloth this week, and purchases have
been small. Prices have gradually weakened, and
to-day sellers quote some reduction on the rates of
last Tuesday. Some low offers are made by buyers,
but mostly involving too great a reduction to meet
with acceptance. A rather limited business only has
been done, and sellers mostly find prices against
them. Messrs. John Slagg and Co., in reporting
the cloth-market of to-day, observe :—" The recent
reduction of the Bank rate has somewhat disap-
pointed general expectation in its influence on this
market, and neither prices nor demand seem to have
received any stimulus from this cause. The busi-
ness of the week has been most limited, and though
the very low offers of to-day have not found general
acceptance, we close with decidedly weaker prices."
CARDIFF, 20th.—There is no change to note in
the steam coal trade of the district. It continues
to be characterised by much briskness, and opera-
tions both at the collieries and at the docks were
carried on with a great deal of spirit. The require-
ments on home account for steam coal are increas-
ing, and an extensive trade is being done with Bir-
kenhead and the London and Midland markets. The
coalfields in the neighbourhood of Caerphilly are
being opened up, and at Llantisrant fresh collieries
are in operation. The house coal trade has moved
a little, and there is a tolerably good business doing
coastwise. In the iron trade things are looking more
cheerful. The reduction in therate of discount has
instilled a greater feeling of confidence, and parties
begin to consider that the worst is past. There was
an improvement in the receipt of orders during last
week, but not to any great extent. The importa-
tion of iron ore has been large, but the exports of
iron were under the average.
LEEDS, 21st.—For a Tuesday's market there
has been a satisfactory amount of business done
to-day in the cloth-halls. The attendance of
both buyers and sellers was rather more than on
this day se'night, and the tone of the market
more cheerful. The goods purchased were such as
have for some time been the most saleable, including
various kinds of Meltons, Whitneys, beavers, and
broad tweeds, with ordinary all-wool black cloths.
In the white cloth-hall a moderate amount of busi-
ness was done in hair lists, and a fair quantity of
winter goods changed hands. Prices of both wools
and goods are firm. The flax trade is rather dull,
but manufacturers keep tolerably well employed.
The stocks of yarns are in a moderate compass, not
being beyond an average amount. Prices are steady,
both for the raw material and for yarn.
NOTTINGHAM, 21st.—At our Exchange-hall to-
day there was only a moderate attendance, and the
demand for lace yarns was slow at about the rates
of last week. For hosiery yarns the inquiry con-
tinues steady at fully late prices. For brown nets
the demand was slow, and prices were similar- to
those of last week.

ROCHDALE, 20th.—The flannel trade is rather im-
proving. There is more doing than of late for the
Continent. Fancy flannels and middle-priced goods
are most in request, and the manufacturers aro well
employed. Heavy goods, and a:so the very finest
qualities, are rather slow of sale. To-day's mar-
kets have been steady as to prices, and a moderate
business has been done, but the day being a partial
holiday, being known as " Wakes Monday," there
was less than the usual attendance of both buyers
and sellers. The Yorkshire goods trade is not very
active, but it is quite as good as we have lately had
to report it. Not much wool has changed hands
to-day, but prices are firm.

The Fatal Collision off the Suffolk Coast.

The returns of the missing on Monday numbered
11 passengers, besides the loss of three of the crew,
but from what has since transpired it is feared the
number must have been about 24 or 26. The body
of one of the saloon cabin passengers, aged 14, son
of the Rev. Mr. Bird, of near Hull, was washed
ashore on the coast near Aldborough. He was put
on board along with his younger brother at Hull by
his father, and a female relative was travelling with
them to see them to their school n ear Chatham. The
latter were both saved. They were picked up after
the steamer had sunk, along with another passenger,
by the boat of the schooner Perseverance, which
landed them at Yarmouth. The steward of the
Bruiser recollects laying hold of the little fellow as
belay in the saloon, and placing him with his brother
on the bridge. He concluded that they had been
dragged up on board the Haswell, but it is now
clear that they must have gone down with the vessel.
His brother and his female companion when hauled
out of the sea were insensible, and it was with dif-
ficulty the youth was restored to consciousness. A
woman named Sarah Bell, the wife of a sailor, is
among those lost. She had her daughter with her,
seven years old. They were on their way to Lon-
dan to meet the father, whose vessel was expected
home every day. The child was saved ; but how,
uo one could tell. The two boys, fore cabin pas-
sengers, known to have sunk in the steamer,
were at the time of the collision asleep under one of
the boats, which was crushed in two by the Haswell's
bows. One of the little fellows had with him an
accordion, which he played to the passengers the
previous evening, and afforded them some amuse-
ment. Their names, or where they belonged to, are
unknown. The same remark applies to the woman
who was crushed to death in the starboard bow.
It has been ascertained that the ill-fated steamer
was sunk in 14 or 16 fathoms of water, about four
miles north of Sizewell-bank. Off Aldborough se-
veral boats have brought in from the spot a quan-
tity of her wreckage, one of her lifeboats, together
with a quantity of passengers' luggage and ladies'
bonnets, capes, dresses, parasols, children's wearing
apparel, toys, &c., which were found floating for
miles off the coast.
The directors of the General Steam Navigation
Company were engaged many hours yesterday mak-
ing a searching investigation into the circumstances
attending the collision and the sinking of the Bruiser.
Capt. Harty, the chief mate, and the whole of her
crew, were called before them and examined at con-
siderable length. Their statements, we understand,
fully bore out the details which have been published
in reference to the accident. Every precaution wasl
taken on board in attending to their lights during
the night and seeing that they were properly trimmed
and burnt brightly, and this is admitted by the se-
cond mate of the Haswell, whose watch it was on
deck, as he admits that he saw the Bruiser's lights ,
full 20 minutes before the collision. From the mo-
ment the Haswell was first seen from the Bruiser
she was supposed to be a sailing vessel at anchor,
with her mast-head exhibited. All the crew of the
Bruiser who were on deck at the time assert posi-
tively that no other light was visible from the Has-
well until they were close on to her, when they could

just discern a dim green light. The Bruiser had
already starboarded her helm to go northward of
her, and almost instantly afterwards the collision
took place. The company yesterday forwarded a
report to the Marine Department of the Board of
Trade. The number of lives lost are given as 14,
but it states that some others may have gone down
in the vessel.

The following are the names of the passengers
who were rescued on board the Haswell :—Mr.
Dewhurst (wife lost), Alfred Rust, John Bellings-
by, William Liston, Mrs. Gorbold and son, George
Rook, Sergeant Glinton, John Webber, Alfred
Moseley, Robert Neal, Thomas Cooper, Frank
Buchanan, James Cousins, Robert Green, Thomas
Seagrave, George Blackburn, D. Holmes, George
Young, William Dickinson and wife, M. Bomijos,
John Thompson, Benjamin Bennett, William Jack,
G. Jose, J. Romoin, J. Menwell, William Hill, C.
Appell, G. Appell, J. Mountain, William Jennin,
Thomas Johnson, Abraham Wilkie, Alfred Godson,
W. Nephore, Mr. Toft, Henry Plesset, E. Finch,
Mr. Crannis and wife, William Ash, F. Booty, J.
Fisher, John Harrison, G. Leeson, John Cliff,
John Halliday and sister, John Weatherhead, John
Watson, Joseph Fry, John Dolmard, James Gris-
son, E. Ellis and wife, J. Middleton (boy), C.
Chapman, H. C. Sun, Mrs. Tremblin, Miss Lavinia
Welch, Mary Ann Watson, Mrs. Cradick, Mrs
Knox (husband drowned), Catherine Hodges,
George Honsett, staff-sergeant, with five recruits,
Owen Italy, John Milton, Michael M'Mahin,
William Pritchard, and Peter Hannin. Miss Bell,
a little girl, and her mother, Mrs. Sarah Bell, were
drowned. This amounts, in all, to 73 passengers
who were saved by the Haswell, exclusive of one
man, one lady, and a child picked up by the Per-
severance.

We are informed that the owners of the screw
stgamer Haswell are Messrs. Hugh Taylor and
others, and not, as before stated, the General
Steam Iron Screw Collier Company.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST.

The half-yearly general meeting of this company
was held yesterday at the International Hotel, Lon-
don-bridge ; Mr. P. N. Laurie, the chairman, pre-
sided.

The report, an abstract of which has appeared in
The Sun, was taken as read.

The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, said that in making remarks on it he would
follow the example of his highly-esteemed predeces-
sor, Mr. L. Schuster. The capital account had been
increased by a considerable amount during the half-
year to carry on the new works in course of con-
struction, which amount had brought an additional
1 charge on the revenue. They were proceeding as
I gradually as they could with the works in conse-
quence of the astringency of the money-market.
The revenue account for the past half-year showed
an increase in the receipts of £32,844 as compared
with the corresponding half of 1865. They had
carried 545,946 more passengers, and an increased
quantity of goods of 98,000 tons.. But from the
unfavourable weather, the stringency of the money-
market, and the sensitiveness of their passenger
traffic the receipts had not been so large as they
might have been under more favourable circum-
stances. A wet day generally had a depressing effect
on the traffic to the Crystal Palace, and also in re-
spect of families going to Brighton. Inclement
weather always affected their traffic more or less ;
the recent state of the money-market had also an
unfavourable effect in preventing pleasure traffic on
their line to a certain extent. He regretted that the
increase in the receipts had been more than swal-
lowed up by the increase in the working expenses.
The trains had run an additional mileage of 308,000
miles during the past half-year as compared with
' the same half of 1865, which, of course, had in-
volved considerable expense. That extra mileage
did not arise from an extension of their system,
but from a desire for excessive speed and extra train
accommodation. The next item of increased expen-
diture arose from the question of wages. The rate
of wages had increased all over the country, and it
was impossible for them to contend against the addi-
tional payment that had taken place, not only on
1
railways, but in all commercial establishments.
When he told them that the ' number of persons
employed by the company was 7,500, at various
rates of wages, they would readily perceive that any
increase of pay must amount in the aggregate to a
very large sum. They had also gone to a great ex-
pense for an improved mode of signalling on the
main line. They had, therefore, both in their own
interest and those of the public, which were iden-
tical, largely extended the block system of ;working
trains over their lines; so that no train should be
allowed to leave one station until a train before it
on the same line of rails had left the next station
ahead of it. The additional expenses of working
during the half-year amounted to £43,000 more
than for the corresponding half of 1865. Probably
the increased expenditure resolved itself into three
heads. One might be considered a permanent in-
crease, including wages and the price of materials.
The second was not permanent, as it related to the
occasional repairs of machinery and the interest of
money. He trusted they should be soon enabled to
borrow money or renew debentures at much easier
rates than had prevailed for sometime past. He did
not look at this matter as permanent, but subject to
fluctuation. As to the direct expenses, there was a
considerable opening for very useful improvements
and economy. During the six months ending the
30th of June, 1865, the receipts per train mile
amounted to ss. 2id., while in the past half-year
they amounted to 4s. 9id. per train mile. The
working expenses were 2s. 7id. for the former
period, against 2s. Bd. per train mile for the past
half-year. Deducting the expenses from the re-
ceipts in the corresponding half of 1865, there
re-
mained a profit on the working of 2s. 7d. per train
mile, while for the past half-year there remained
only 2s. lid. per train mile, showing a
falling off in the net receipts of 54d. per train mile.
The result of a consultation with his colleagues on
this matter showed that the company were running
a number of trains far in excess of the legitimate
requirements of the traffic. This was a proper sub-
ject for consideration and the exercise of economy.
They found that the present train service would ac-
commodate double the amount of the traffic they
had. They were perfectly satisfied that the require-
ments of the public might be fully met by running
a less number of trains. They had, to save five or
ten minutes, put on additional local trains, in order
to facilitate through traffic between London and
Brighton. They were, no doubt, a great company,
but, after all, they were only carriers, and must
therefore deal with their business as commercial
men. The public interest and their own were iden-
tical, but they found that the luxurious train ser-
vices they had indulged in were far in excess of the
requirements of the public. On Sept. 1 they would
commence a service that no doubt would meet with
all the public requirements, and at the same time
considerably reduce the company's expenses. He
then alluded to the Parliamentary proceedings in
sanction given to the London, Lewes, and Brighton
the past Session, particularly that relating to thei
scheme, after having been rejected by three previous
decisions in Parliament. All the sacrifices the com-
pany had heretofore made by the adoption of low
rates had been ignored ; and the uncertainty of Par-
liamentary decisions on railway bills was thus ren-
dered still more perplexing. In his early days he had
attended before Parliamentary committees profes-
sionally, and found that they often decided questions
on railway bills without any reference to the evi-
dence before them, but merely from political, econo-
mical, or other views. In the last Session it would
have saved the company a great deal of money if
the committee had given their decision in the first
instance when the Bill came before them. He then
adverted to the financial and other positions of the
principal promoters of the London, Lewes, and
Brighton Railway, which had been recently sane-
toned. He thought it very
doubtful whether it
would ever be made. He did not believe that the
public would subscribe any money to carry out such
a scheme. The length of the proposed line, with
gradients of 1 in 100,
was 56 miles, against their
line, 50i miles, with gradients of 1 in 264. The
proposed line would have 10 miles of tunnels against
the company's present line of 4 or 5 miles of tunnels.

They could, therefore, never compete with them
successfully either as to speed or comfort. The
Committee on the bill had, however, decided that
the Brighton and South Coast Company should have
the right to use the Cannon-street and Charing-
cross stations of the South-Eastern Company, but
he thought the present authorised metropolitan ter-
mini of the company were amply sufficient. They
had greatly improved the London-bridge station ;
the Victoria at Pimlico would soon have three lines
of way completed to it, and be everything they could
desire to facilitate the company's traffic ; and they
would also have the use of the Ludgate station. He
then adverted to the various lines they had in course
of construction. Their South London line had re-
cently been opened for traffic, and when completed
it would yield a considerable return on the outlay.
The first week they carried 25,000 passengers over
it, and in a short time it would carry tenfold that
amount of traffic. The bills promoted by the com-
pany in last Session of Parliament were for defen-
sive purposes to repel the aggression of other com-
panies, and, on the whole, they had succeeded very
well, with the exception of the London, Lewes,
and Brighton scheme. The company would have
by the end of the year three lines to Brighton by
as many routes in their system, so he left the
proprietors to imagine what chance the fourth
line to Brighton would stand for traffic. He
regretted that the dividend had been temporarily
reduced ; but he could assure the meeting that no
effort on the part of the directors would be wanting
to develope the resources of the company, and of
the new lines now in course of construction, some
of which would soon be ready for traffic. He hoped
when they met at the next half-yearly meeting they
would have a satisfactory result placed before them.
Many of the lines constructed by the company were
cheaply made, and would pay a fair return on the
outlay, and those they had purchased were worth
what they had given for them. They had now in
hand all the projects they had contemplated,
and they had no idea of any more new lines. Ile
thought it must be a very tempting scheme, indeed,
that would induce them to go any further, except
with a view to defend the property of the company.
(11th, hear.) He concluded by moving the adop-
tion of the report.

Colonel BARTTELOT, M.P., a director, seconded
the motion.

A long and rather personal discussion en-
sued, in which Mr. Burton, Mr. Schuster, the
Rev. Mr. Langdale, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Wright, Mr.
Adams, and other shareholders took part, respect-
ing the large increase in the capital account, the
probable effect the operation of so many new lines
coming into play would have on the future divi-
dends of the company, and as to the practicability
of reducing the working expenses.
The CHAIRMAN replied to the various observa-
tions. He said that the law and Parliamentary
expenses of last session would go to capital account,
and not be charged against revenue. The officers
and servants of the company were not allowed to
carry on coal or any other business on the com-
pany's lines, to interfere with the regular traders
in the towns or places served by the company.
A saving had been effected on the suggestion of
Mr. Cohen by the more extensive use of coal in
working the engines ; the directors had no
desire whatever to extend the company's system ;
they only wished to repel aggression and protect
the company's property. The traffic receipts on the
line for the past year amounted to £1,082,000, of
which £228,000 consisted of traffic between London
and Brighton; 273,000 suburban traffic. The
Brighton traffic for the past half-year amounted
to £lOO,OOO, and the London suburban traffic to
£142,000. The directors, being unwilling to call
upon the shareholders for additional capital during
the late panic, had borrowed on temporary loans
£645,000, by the deposit of £616,000 of 5 per cent.
preference stock. They wished to complete their
works and to live in peace with their neighbours.
Resolutions were unanimously passed adopting
the report, declaring a dividend of 2 per cent. on
the ordinary stock of the company for the past half-
year ; authorizing the conversion of certain paid-up
£5 shares into ordinary stock, and of certain other
-£.5 preference shares into preference stock ; Mr. W.
Cash was elected an auditor in the room of Mr. J.
Filcher, deceased.

The meeting was then made special, and the di-
rectors were authorized to issue £90,000 4 per cent.
stock for the purchase of the Mid-Sussex and Mid-
hurst Railway ; to subscribe £500,000 towards the
construction of the Surrey and Sussex Railway ;
and also to raise £442,500 for other undertakings,
making together £1,166,000 of additional capital ;
also power to raise money on debenture stock.
The proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks
to the chairman and directors.