The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-20 00:00:00

M dILS DUD.

Australia and New Zealand, via Suuthainptoa Dcc. 20.
Ditto, via narseille,i Jan 3.
Brazil and Capa Verde. by Brawn piwket Jan. 4.
Ditto, by French packet
Cape of Good Hope, Asoeusiou, and St.
China, Penang. and Slug .pore. via Southampton Deo 20.
Ditto, via Marseilles Deo. 28
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar, via bouthacopton Deo. 14.
India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton.— DC3. 2J.
Ditto, via Marseilles
India (Bombay), via Southampton. Dec. 20.
Ditto, via itarseides
Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton Dec. 2).
Ditto, via Marseilles Dec. 23.
Mauritius, via Southampton
Ditto, via Marseil.ei Jan. 9.
Newfoundland
PortugaJ
Ditto, by private ship to Lisbon..
United States and British North America, by Bri-
tish packet. .. .
Ditto, by United States packet, via Southamp-
ton ......
Ditto, via Cork
Ditto, by Canadian packet, via Londonderry ..Dec. 1.
West Coact of Africa, Madeira, and Teueriffe Jan. 3.
West Indies and Pacific (except Bahamas and
Honduras) Dec. 29
Baham'ad, via New York. Jan 1
Cuba alit Mexico Doc. Z 9
Bermuda, via Halifax Jan. 16.

At a meeting to-day of the Canada Company, the
following report was submitted to the shareholders :
—" Referring you to the circular of 22d ult., I beg
to inform you that Robert Gillespie, Esq., has
signified his intention to offer himself as a
candidate for the office of governor at the elec-
tion to take place on Thursday, the 20th instant,
at two o'clock. I transmit herewith a statement
of lands disposed of and moneys received in Canada
from Ist January to 23d November last, compared
with the transactions during the period in 18G5,
together with an analysis of the lands sold and
leased from Ist January to 31st October last, dis-
tinguishingthe quantity in the several townships,
average price obt.tined per acre, contrasted
with the estimated value in 1854. The directors
a d the
propose a division out of the assets of £2 a share,
free of Income 'fax, payable the 10th January
next."

A correspondent of the Manchester Guardian
says : —"I hear that Mr. Pope Hennessy will be gazetted
to a valuable appointment early in the new year."
The health of the Bishop of London has so far
improved that he hopes to be able to hold his Christmas
ordination on Sunday next in person. The ordination
will be held in the Chapel Royal, Whitehall. The Bishop
of Norwich is aiso better.

CONSUMPTION OF CIIEESE.—At a champagne
breakfast given the other day by a great provision
dealer, it was incidentally stated that 821,250,0001 b. of
cheese is consumed annually in England. Under the fes-
tive circumstances described, one ought :not perhaps to be
particular to a million or two, but surely the figure is much
exaggerated. If all persons ate cheese, this would give ma
allowance of 40 lb. annually to each—about 12 oz. weekly.
But, as everyone knows, a very large part of the popula-
tion never touch it, and the quantity which must therefore
be consumed by the cheese- eaters, becomes something in-
credible. We must at least hope that the statistic is incor-
rect. Cheese, especially of the cheap sort consumed mainly by
the agricultural population, is a veryimperfect form of food;
and as it it is all but proved that a large proportion is never
digested, it practically becomes an expensive one. More-
over, if this startling figure be correct, a painful idea is
suggested, not only of widespread poverty which fails to
procure animal food, but of ignorance or indolence which
cannot or would rather not cook it.—The Lancet.
invge di ri
inan °
thate r i
citya n s toto be embark arrestedfor
ARREST
_OF HANOVERIANS.—The Prussian Go-
avte Tr
rue
bnut
rhgai. cla,ubseeyd
b3aod yaorur
America in order to avoid the military service.
The most absurd story now current in Paris is as
to Cardinal Richelieu's head. It appears that the ci-decant
deputy, M. Armez, who presented the Government with
the mask which was enclosed in the cardinal's tomb at the
Sorbonne with so much pomp last Saturday, is not the only
person who flatters himself he hasthe veritable and genuine
article. An opposition head is in possession of another
senator, M. Merimee, who fondly dreams that his is the
real head, and produces no end of old parchment documents
in defence of his conviction.
Accounts from Berlin mention the formation of
an influential committee for establishing, under the
auspices of the Prussian Government, an important line of
steam communication between Germany and the United
States, via Southanapten. A weekly line of fast steamships
carrying the Prussian and other continental mails is to de-
part from Geestemunde (the Hanoverian port close to Bre-
merhaven, recently acquired by Prussia), and, calling at
Southampton, proceed to New York and vice versa. Each
of the seven ships, to be contracted for in England and
France, is to be capable of carrying 100 first-class, 100
second-class, and 600 third-class passengers, and 1,00
tons freight.

-,-.•••••

Naval and

Milit

Ltelligence.

The Mary Hardy, freight ship, yesterday com-
pleted shipping, at Woolwich Arsenal, about 500
tons of building materials for the erection of mili-
tary hutting at Bermuda, and will go up to the
London Docks to complete hor cargo.
The Marco, store vessel, belonging to Mr. Carr,
yesterday went alongside the Gun-wharf at Wool-
wich, and commenced loading with shot, shell, &c.,
and will also embark powder and ammunition for
Leith.

The Thames, Ordnance vessel, Hornsey, master,
has gone down to Chatham and Sheerness from
Woolwich, laden with 64-pounder guns, and other
war stores, for distribution to the ships there, and is
under orders to call at Tilbury Fort, Gravesend,
Shornmead, and various other places, to ship old
stores rejected by the Royal Artillery, being of the
old pattern or requiring repairs.
A large number of the new pattern wrought iron
gun carriages, as well as wooden ones, for present
use, pending the issue of the necessary supply, are
ready for shipment at Woolwich, together with the
slides, platforms, &c., for the 17-gun corvette
Charybdis, the 78-gun ship Rodney, the 31-gun
armour-plated ship Prince Consort, the Royal Oak,
35 guns, in the Mediterranean, and others.
Several beautifully-executed models of the various
descriptions of ironclad and other vessels of the
English navy have been completed in the modelling
department at Chatham Dockyard for transmission
to the Paris Exhibition, and others are in course of
preparation in readiness for being forwarded to
Paris early in the ensuing year, the French Govern-
ment having placed a considerable space at the dis-
posal of the Admiralty for illustrating the several
classes of vessels of war belonging to the
English navy. Among the models already com-
pleted, or in progress, are those of the Bellerophon,
Hercules, Warrior, Royal Oak, Achilles, Pal-
las, Blanche, Lord Warden, Royal Alfred, and
some others, each of which represents one class of
the vessels composing the navy, prominence being
given to the models of ironclad ships. The models
are to be in Paris by the Ist of February, the exhi-
bition opening on the Ist of April.
A War-office circular, signed by Lieut.-Gen. Sir
E. Lugard, K.C.13., has been received at Chatham
garrison, in which the attention of officers command-
ing regiments and depot battalions is called to the
following regulations regarding the baggage of de-
pots, or of depot companies on the way to join depot
battalions :

" Commuted allowance for the carriage of baggage
is not admissible, except when the depots themselves
move from one station to another. In the case of
draughts or detachments the regulated weight of
baggage as laid down in the Royal Warrant and
Regulations of the 2d of January, 1865, will be
conveyed by railway at a cost not exceeding 2d per
ton per mile. For short distances by land, the cost
of impressing waggons, or carts, as fixed by the
Mutiny Act, is alone admissible. When a depot
moves from one station to another the cost of the
conveyance of one ton—to cover orderly-room
books and second-class arms—at the rate specified
in the foregoing paragaph, may be charged for the
land journey. For passage by sea for the United
Kingdom the actual cost of this amount of baggage
will likewise be defrayed by the public. It is clearly
to be understood that the rate of ls. 6d. a mile for
headquarter baggage is not applicable to a depot
consisting of two companies. 'rho actual weight of
clothing and necessaries in store may be charged for,
in addition to the depot baggage, at the rates speci-
fied, in accordance with Art. 121 of the Clothing
Warrant of the 2d of January, 1865. When, under
competent military authority, the first-class arms
are packed in arm chests, instead of being carried
by the men, the following extra amount of baggage
may be conveyed at the public expense :—For
a company of over 50 rank and file, 40 cubic
feet, or 8 cwt., and for a company of under 50 rank
and file 30 cubic feet, or 6 cwt. A strict adherence
to these regulations will be required from officers
commanding depots. Charges made and claims
preferred in excess of the above allowance will be
disallowed by the War-office."

The work of riL,moving, packing, aril shipping the
stores of arms from the armoury at Chatham, for
conversion to breechloaders, is being carried on
with as much rapidity as the resources of the Ord-
nance establishment at the garrison will permit.
Already one of the War Department transports has
been freighted and despatched from the Gun-wharf

with a full cargo of the new pattern Enfield rifles,
consisting of upwards of 100 cases, to be converted
into breechloaders at the Royal Small Arms Factory,
Enfield. The armoury at Chatham contains be-
tween 40,000 and 50,000 stands of arms, the whole
of which will ultimately be converted to the breech-
loading pattern and distributed to the troops in
lieu of the present rifles.

Her Majesty has been pleased to desire that the
retirement of Lieut.-Gen. Sandham from the Lieut.-
Governorship of the Royal Military Academy,
Woolwich, shall take place in April next, instead of
at the close of the present year, so that the studies
of Prince Arthur at the Academy shall be at first
directed by Gen. Sanaam, under whose arrange-
ments the preparations for the purpose have been
carried out and approved. The Prince will join the
classes at the termination of the Christmas holidays
in February next, when the cadets will reassemble
for the next half-year. The breaking up of the pre-
sent season will take place to-morrow. The Duke
of Cambridge has signified his intention of being
present on this occasion, in his capacity of Governor,
and of distributing the prizes and awards.
The Commander-in-Chief has approved of Lieut.
Bradley, 18th Foot, being removed to the 2d
battalion at Colchester, and of Lieut. Casey, Gth
Foot, recently promoted, being posted to the Ist
battalion of that regiment at Fermoy. Lieut.

Thompson, 3d West India Regiment, is ordered to
be attached to the 4th depot battalion. The Com-
mandant at Colchester has granted one-third addi-
tional allowance of fuel to the troops in huts.

Railway Intelligence.

NORTH BRITISH.

The new directors of this company state in their
report that theyhave been unremittingin their en-
deavours to devise a scheme that would place the
affairs of the company on a sound and satisfactory
basis, and that if the measures they were about to
suggest should be adopted and the shareholders as a
body lend their cordial co-operation, the directors
had every confidence that the difficulties which now
beset the company would be eventually overcome.
With regard to the great and varied traffic resources
of the extensive districts traversed by the North
British Railway, the Board could not doubt that by
the proper development of those resources, and by a
careful, supervision of the working expenses, the net
revenue was susceptible of great improvement.
The directors had resolved from the first to take
no step whatever that might prejudice the security
afforded by the company's debentures or debenture
stooks. On the 31st of July last the liabilities of
the company, as reported by the committee of inves-
tigation, were as follows :—Balance due to the
bankers, £261,543 ; due to tradesmen on open ac-
counts, £203,730 ; sundry accounts, £64,606 ; loan
on
property xi250uu,,,,
debts due to waggon com-
panies, £216,243
accuns d&u,e9
, temporary loans, £130,000 ;
soliocitors, ee. to n t
,tueers, Parliamentary agents,
£7
uut). balance due lo steam-
packet company, interest, &c., £74 028 • balance
payable to preference shareholders,
for which de-
ferred warrants had been issued, £113,591 ; amount
required to be expended on new works in p
of,
ress,
217,314 ; due for plant, £211,072. liabilitic3 forother niilways executed or in course of construc-
tion, 92,500, making the total £1,875,626. Those
ol:lig,ations were debts, for which the uip,le receipts
and revenues of the company, subject to the prefe-
rential rights of the debenture holders, were liable
to be attached. There was, therefore, an immediate
and urgent necessity for raising the full amount of
those liabilities. 'There were assets of £118,485 of
stores in hand, £148,917 of traffic due by traders,
and £95,555 of uncxhausted borrowing powers ; but
the latter item would be required to meet extra ex-
penditure incident to the opening of new lines now
in course of construction, while the two former
tems were generally about the same amount, and

were unavailable. The :directors, with a view to
meet those liabilities, had prepared a bill to be in-
troduced in the ensuing session of Parliament giv-
ing the company power to raise a sum not exceed-
ing £1,875,625 upon a special preference stock, and
to attach a dividend not exceeding 53- per cent. a-
year. This stock when paid up would represent a
charge of £103,000 a year, and rank on the reve-
nues of the company immediately after the interest
on loans and dividends on debenture stocks. The
justification for placing £1,875,625 of capital be-
fore existing preferences was to be found in the
exceptional circumstances of the company. When
the whole of the special preference capital was
raised there would be an apparent increase to the
preference charges of £51,500 in the half year. But
the interest paid on bankers' balances, temporary
loans, &c., at present formed a heavy charge against
revenue, ranking prior to the dividends on all the
preference stock. The substitution of the special
preference stock for those debts bearing high rates
of interest, and which in times of financial pressure
became unmanageable, was under the circumstances
not only a necessary but a fair and beneficial
larrangement for all classes of shareholders, and
would not materially increase the burden upon re-
venue. The special preference stock proposed to be
raised by the bill would be offered to the share-
holders in proportion to their holding in the company.
With reference to the remaining statutory obliga-
tions undertaken by the company, which represented
share capital to the amount of £2,600,628, the
Board might have occasion, if circumstances so de-
termined, to apply to Parliament in a future Session
for power to postpone, vary, or abandon certain of
the works for which such capital would otherwise
be required ; and with regard to such of the unexe-
cuted works of the railway as the company might
hereafter determine to proceed with, it was proposed
to take power in the bill to create a lien over their
separate revenues, so as to afford an undoubted se-
curity to the parties subscribing the necessary capital
for their formation. Beyond two deviations of
authorised lines, which would not increase their cost
to the company, no application for new works in the
ensuing Session of Parliament would be made. With
regard to the greater part of the surplus property
of the company, the directors did not recommend
that it be disposed of at present. it consisted prin-
cipally of valuable ground and buildings near the
stations at Edinburgh and Glasgow. The require-
ments of those stations were constantly increasing.
and, from the situation, the value of the property
was always rising, while a considerable revenue was
derived from it. A power, however, was proposed
to be taken to borrow upon the security of the pro-
perty. The Board most earnestly recommended to
all classes of shareholders the proposed measure for
raising the capital necessary toplace;the company in
a sound financial position, being assured that until
the debts were liquidated the shareholders would be
subjected to the contingency of deferred dividends
for an indefinite period. The Board had every con-
fidence that by cultivating friendly relations with
neighbouring companies, regulating the train service
in strict accordance with the wants of the districts
served by the company, restricting expenses where
compatible •,vith efficient working, and refraining
from the promotion of remunerative branch lines, a
.manifest improvement would take place in the pos
son of the company in each successive half-year.