The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-06 00:00:00

Railway and other Companies.

LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN.
The directors of this company have resolved to
recommend to the proprietors at the general meet-
ing on the 15th inst. that the dividend for the half-
year ending the 31st of December last be at the rate
of 5i per cent. per annum on the ordinary capital
stock of the company.

GREAT SOUTHERN AND WESTERN.

The report of the directors states that the total

traffic receipts for the half-year ending 31st of De-
cember amounted to £257,216, and for the same
half of 1864 to £226,476, showing an increase of
£30,740 ; of which £22,009 was derived from pas-
sengers and £9,032 from goods. The net surplus
revenue for the half-year amounted to £120,865,
out of which the directors recommended that a
dividend at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum be
paid to the proprietors of the consolidated stock of
the company; which would leave a balance of
£26,066, of which they recommended that £7,000
be transferred.to the reserve fund, and £3,000 to
the credit of the insurance fund, leaving £16,066 for
the next account. The decrease on the postal ser-
vice and military traffic for the past halftyear had
been £1,400, but on every item which denoted im-
provement in the country there had been a very sa-
tisfactory increase; on passengers, goods, and cattle
it amounted to £32,272. They believed that this in-
crease had arisen as much from the improved condi-
tion of the agricultural community as from any
extraneous sources. Three bills were now before
Parliament in which the company were interested—
a bill promoted by the Cork,Youghal, and Queens-
town Company, to confirm the sale of that line to
the Great Southern and Western Railway Company;
a bill promoted by this company to effect a junction
at Cork with the Cork, Youghal, and Queenstown
Railway—in which powers had been taken to raise
£15,000 for the construction of the junction, and in
addition, £65,000 for the purpose of putting the
Cork and Youghal line in a proper and efficient state
of repair; and a bill promoted by the Parsonstown
and Portumna Bridge
Railway Company to autho-
rise the Great Southern and Western Railway Com-
pany to subscribe £13,000, to enable them to finish
the line. The capital account showed that £5,712,521
had been expended.

REUTER'S TELEGRAM (LIMITED.)
The second ordinary general meeting of this com-
pany was held yesterday at the London Tavern ;
Mr. J. Holland in the chair.
The report stated that the net profits for the half
year ending the 31st of December amounted to
£5,418, including £2,442 brought forward from the
last account, which admitted of a dividend at the
rate of 8 per cent. per annum, free of income-tax,
which would absorb £1,804, and after placing £2,000
to the reserve fund there would remain £1,574
for the next account. All calls on the shares had
been paid, with the exception of those due on about
100 shares. Branches had been recently opened in
Belgium, Holland, and Egypt, which were now
doing a profitable business. It had been determined
to establish a branch in India, which would open
another field for a large extension of business. In
future the meetings would be held annually, but the
usual interim dividends would be declared.

The CHATIMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, said the dividend, though large, was not what
they expected. The business in the past year had
not been as good as they anticipated, which was
perhaps consequent on the cessation of the Ameri-
can war. The profits were, however, increasing,
and he hoped those of the present year would make
up for any deficiency which had occurred during

-W•nrammemows
the year 1865. Telegraphy was rapidly extending,
and he wished to observe that Mr. Reuter had ob-
tained a concession to lay a cable from the Hano-
verian coast to England. The term of the conces-
sion was for 30 years. The state of the money
market for some time past had prevented the scheme
from being carried out.

Mr. STOPFORD seconded the motion for the adop-
tion of the report, which was carried unanimously.
Sir J. Hay, the retiring director, was re-elected,
and Messrs. Quilter, Ball, and Co. were appointed
auditors for the current year.

A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the
proceedings.

RANA AY BILLS.

The examiners resumed their sittings yesterday.
Before Mr. Smith the following bills passed standing
orders :—Merrybent and Darlington ; Mid Hants,
Pembroke, and Tenby ; Cambrian (Steamboats) ;
Great Southern and Western ; and the West Brom-
wich and Walsall. There was no appearance in
the cases of the Caledonian (Extension to Largs)
and the Faroham and Netley. The Salisbury and
Yeovil and the Stockbridge Bills were adjourned.
In Mr. Frere's Court the standing orders were de-
clared to ha're been complied with in the following
cases :—The Barry (alteration) ; the Lancashire
and Yorkshire (Extension of Time, &c.) ; the
London and North-Western and Whitehaven
Junction ; the South Staffordshire ; the Bishop's
Castle ; the Downpatrick, Dundrum, and New-
castle ; and the Mold and Denbigh Junction
(Branches and Deviations). The standing orders
were not complied with in the case of the Solway.
Junction (Branches). The consideration of the Lon-
don, Brighton, and South Coast (Surrey lines), and
of the Great Western (further powers), was ad-
journed.