The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-22 00:00:00

Dr. LADD read a report, which stated that Dr.
George Webster had been elected president ; that
Dr. Brady, M.P., Mr. Propert, Mr. Ferguson, and
other members of the profession, had consented to
act as vice-presidents ; and that Mr. George Smith
Brent, the deputy-coroner for Middlesex, would act
as secretary. A vigilance committee had been ap-
pointed for the purpose of detecting persons who
illegally acted as medical practitioners, and watch-
ing the operation of the New Medical Act. It was
provided that any member of the society who prac-
tised anything but orthodox medicine should be
called before this vigilance committee, and the result
reported to the general committee. It was believed.
that the present system of registration adopted by
the new council was loose and inefficient, and did
not provide a proper security against the intrusion
of improper persons into general practice. To pre-
vent illegal practice the committee recommended
that the claim of any person to be registered should
be attested by a credible witness. A representa-
tion to that effect had also been made to Sir Benjamin
Brodie, the president of the council. Dr. Hawkins
had been informed by the committee of 50 unqua-
lified persons who were at present in practice, a fact
which it was hoped would be appreciated by the
profession at large. It was hoped, moreover, that
this information would lead to proceedings being
adopted against prescribing chemists and other un-
qualified practitioners.
The report having been received, •
Mr. ItAwLINGs moved a resolution which affirmed
that the meeting, havini, heard of the progress
made by the association, thoroughly acquiesced in
its principles, and recommended it to the considera-
tion of the medical profession, not only for its own
sake, but for the interests of the public.
Mr. NASII seconded the motion, which was sup-

ported by Mr. ADAMS, and carried unanimously.
Dr. ROUTH moved the following resolution
"That in the opinion of this meeting it is highly
desirable to augment the•numbers and influence of
the members of the London Medical Registration
Association, so as to enable it to effectually carry
out its objects, and to give weight to its proceed-
ings with 'the medical council, and this meeting
pledges itself to use every exertion to secure that
end." The speaker said he kad no doubt that the
number of fraudulent persons cheating the profes-
sion and doing injury to the public was upwards of
a thousand. He believed that few persons knew
of the number of black sheep by whom they were
medically defrauded.
Dr. HILLIER seconded the resolution, which was
adopted. - -

A large number of medical practitioners resident
in the neighbourhood were enrolled members of the
association, and a vote of thanks to the chairman
closed the proceedings.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST

RAILWAY.
The following is an abstract of the report of the
directors, to be submitted to the meeting of pro-
prietors on Thursday next :
" The accounts forthe half year, ending 31st Dec.
last shows that the amount of capital raised to the

31st Dec., 1858, is £1,109,020, consisting of—Mort-
gage debt, £1,781,485 ; debenture stock, £294,700;
preference capital, £1,474,281; consolidated stock,
£4,618,554. Total : £8,169,020. The total amount

of capital expended during the past half year is
.E 297,581, of which £109,195 is for plant for work•

ing the West-end line ; plant, stations, Sc., on the
Lewes and Uckfield line; the commutation of

£4,000 per annum, being one moiety of the, fixed
annual toll of £B,OOO, payable to the West-end of
London and Crystal Palace Railway Company, as
explained in the last report ; and certain of the ad-

itrional works contemplated by the company's
capital bill of last session. A further sum of
£188,386 has been expended on new works in pro-
gress, as shown in the capital account. It is satis-
factory to the directors to be able to announce that

a still further amount of the Four per Cent. Deben-
ture Stock has been taken up during the past half
year, the total amount issued at this date being
£306,500. The demands made upon the directors
for this stock have hitherto kept pace with their
issuing powers, so that it has not been necessary to
make any public announcement of their being pre-
pared to dispose of allotments. They take this op-
portunity, therefore, of reminding the shareholders
that any amount of this stock which may be required
to replace mortgage bonds falling due can be ob-
tained by them or by their friends who desire a
first class security.
" The gross revenue for the half year has been
£447,423, showing an increase of £16,062 over the
corresponding half year of .1857, and making the
revenue of the year 1858 amount to £791,993, or
£11,406 in excess of the previous year. Of this
increase of £16,062, £10,356 arises in. the coaching
traffic, £1,071 in the goods traffic, and the remainder
is chiefly the per centage on the traffic of the West-
end and Crystal Palace line, retained by this com-
pany as the allowance for working the local traffic
on that branch. The recovery from the commercial
crisis of 1857, together with the general improve-
ment in trade, has caused the traffic to resume its
onward course ; it has also been assisted by the
opening of the Pimlico terminus for the traffic of
the South Coast, and the directors' experience of
the advantages already derived from the facility
thus afforded to the public confirms their expecta-
tions of the still greater results which will attend
the completion of the Victoria Station and Pimlico
Railway. These works aro being rapidly pro-
ceeded with ; the most important is the bridge
crossing the Thames, which is being carried on with
great spirit, and the contractor has sanguine ex-
pectations that the whole will be completed before
the time fixed, namely, the Ist of June, 1860. The
working expenses of the past half-year are in excess
of those of the corresponding half-year of 1857 ;
this is accounted for by the cost of Nvorliing the
main line trains over the West-end line, and also by
that of working the local traffic on that line, ap-
pearing for the first time among the expenses. The
proprietors will find at the credit of the revenue
account the sum paid by the. West-end company
for this latter service, which, until the line was
opened throughout, had been applied to meet the
expenditure. A considerable cost has also been
incurred in substantial repairs to the engine and
carriage- stock, which, perhaps, might be fairly
considered as coming under the head of renewals ;
on which account, however, the proper amount
has been expended, six engines having been re-
placed or rebuilt at the cost of revenue during 1858.
A sum of £2,408 has been expended in completing
and improving the ballasting of that part of the
Hastings line which was re-laid in the spring of
1858, and the cost has been placed to the debit of
the Permanent Way Improvement Account. The
increased traffic left a larger available balance, the
directors have placed to the credit of that account
the sum of £lO,OOO, instead of the £4,000 ordinarily
so applied : the revenue of 1858 willthus have contri-
buted £13,000 towards its extinction, a result which
cannot fail to be satisfactory to the proprietors.
In order to satisfy the urgent wishes of the prin-
cipal landowners in the district traversed by the
Shoreham, Henfield, and Horsham line, the (tree-
tors have agreed to apply to Parliament for powers
to make a deviation in the northern portion of that
branch, which however will not increase the origi-
nally estimated cost. As regards the southern
portion, the directors may state that the plans for
carrying the line over the river Adur have now
received the approval of the Admiralty, and the
approach of the favourable season will enable the
works to be commenced and rapidly proceeded
with. The directors have taken the necessary steps
for the promotion in Parliament of a bill to sanction
this deviation, and they have availed themselves of
that opportunity to apply for powers enabling the
company to conclude the arrangements already
sanctioned by the shareholders for the lease and
purchase of Mid Sussex and the Lewes and Uck-
field Railways—to widen the Montpelier-road
bridge, so as to give better access to, and improve