The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-10 00:00:00

Brighton Company had acted properly to a certain
point. He could not see wby they should inflict a
loss on the South-Western Company by reducing
the fares to Portsmouth, although the Brighton
had not lost by the competition. Parliament and
the Government were ready enough to knock
down their fares, and he thought the example
of carrying passengers 150 miles for 3s. 6d. a bad
one, while the authorised fare was 12s. 6d., being
75 per cent. under the maximum charge. If they
could do that at a profit, he thought some day the
ld. per mile for Parliamentary passengers would be
reduced to a halfpenny per mile. If the directors
could not settle the dispute, the shareholders of both
companies should meet, and appoint a committee of
five shareholders each to confer and report on the
matter. Should any of the directors stand in the
way of a settlement, they should be called on to
vacate their seats.
Mr. E. BESLEY was not a shareholder in the
South-Western, and he was, therefore, rather pre-
judiced in favour of the Brighton Company. He
thought the conduct of the South-Western Com-
pany very reprehensible, in breaking through their
agreements with the Brighton Company to deprive
them of their fair proportion of the Portsmouth
traffic. Most of the competing railways were not
promoted by the public, but by large contractors
and speculators, and he thought, therefore, that no
consideration should be shown them.
Mr. WHITE thought the directors could nbt do
more than offer that all matters in dispute should
be referred to arbitration.
The CHAIRMAN replied to the various observa-
tions. He believed the Government would prefer
sending troops on either of the old routes-to Ports-
mouth rather than by the new route, which had
heavy gradients of 1 in 80, and was a single line
The fault did not lie with the Brighton Company.
After some further observations, the resolution
approving the bill was carried unanimously.
On the motion of the CHAIRMAN, seconded by
Mr. SCOTT, " A bill for authorising the London and
South-Western Railway Company to make new
works and to raise further funds for other purposes,"
was approved. It enabled the South-Western Com-
pany to make agreements respecting the Ports-
mouth traffic.
An extraordinary meeting was then held to con-
sider the propriety of purchasing the West-end and
Crystal Palace Railway between Battersea and
Norwood.
The CHAIRMAN considered it of great importance
to the Brighton Railway Company. The whole of
the liabilities would be £19,180 for the first year,
and £23,600 a-year for the following 41 years ;
then they would have the addition of 4 per cent. to
pay on £220,000 original capital, making, at the end
of five and a half years, £32,400 a-year. Against
those amounts the Brighton Company now paid
£4,000 a-year for toll, and after deducting the
working expenses they had handed over £13,500 to
the West End Company for the net traffic of last
year. The East Kent Company would have to pay
them £B,OOO a-year for passing over the line, these
together made £25,000 a-year. There was the de-
velopment of the local traffic and other matters that
would cover the whole amount.

Mr. BELL said if the East Dent were unable or
unwilling to complete the Farnborough extension,
the dividends of the line they were about to pur-
chase would be stopped until it was completed.
They must be very careful indeed, or they would
be led into a difficulty. He would nevertheless give
his cordial assent to the measure.
The CHAIRMAN thanked Mr. Bell for the infor-
mation he had given them, and said it would be
attended to.

A formal resolution authorising the purchase of
the West End Railway was then carried unani-
mously, and the proceedings concluded with a vote
of thanks to the chairman.

Colonel
parade
oin ted Inspector-
General of mu stt g-ed- on
~ .
at Woolwich and inspected seven of the eight bat,
131 o o
Artillery,m fi e l d
yesterdayre e entl ya PP
terici " linging to Ist brigade o:? Siege Artil-
lery. ' A be stationed at that town, and one
bade] , . : ;-- brigade, under orders for the.
Mauritius, which arrived in garrison during the
past week. Each battery mounted upwards of 100_
non-commissioned officers and men, all of whom
have been medically attested since their arrival.
The colonel expressed himself exceedingly pleased
with their appearance, and remarkedwith emphasis
on their peculiarly robust and healthy looking con-
(
dition. After the inspection they were marched
past and withdrew, when about 200 young recruits,
enlisted during the week, were inspected and
marched past in a similar manner.
The authorities at the Horse Guards having an-
nounced their intention of sending • out the wives
and children of soldiers serving. in India to join -
their husbands, now that tranquillity prevails in
that country, orders have been received at Chatham
garrison to allow each woman the sum of
.£1 and.
each child 10s.—these sums to be paid on their em-
barkation. The wives and children of the soldiers
will be forwarded with the next detachments of
troops proceeding from Gravesend to India.
A deserter from the corps of Royal Engineers
has been apprehended at Chatham, after an absence
of four years, and tried by district court-martial at .
that garrison. The prisoner, whose name is George..
Goodall, deserted in the month of May, 1855, and ,
succeeded in escaping apprehension until a short
time since, when he was detected in Chatham and '
immediately arrested. The court•martial found him
guilty, and sentenced him to be marked with the
letter " D," and to be imprisoned, with hard labour
for 168 days in Fort Clarence, Rochester..

THE MILITIA.
Two companies of the Waterford Militia Artil-
lery, at present stationed in Edinburgh, are under
orders to join head-quarters in the Isle of Wight,
where they will arrive on the 4th inst.

REPEAL OF THE HOP D UTY

IMPORTANT DEPUTATION TO THE CHAN.-
CELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER.
Yesterday afternoon an important and influential
deputation of hop growers and others from Kent; -
Surrey, Suffolk, and Hampshire, had an interview.
by appointment with the Right Hon. B. Disraeli,
the Chancellor of the Exchequer (who was accom-
panied by Sir Stafford Northcote), at his official
residence in Downing-street, to solicit the right
hon. gentleman to grant a remission of the May
instalment of the hop duty now due.
The deputation consisted of Mr. Wm. Deedes,
M.P., Mr. P. W. Martin, M.P. Sir Brook Bridges,
M.P., and Mr. A. S. Ayrton, M.P., and about 100
hop growers, &c., from Horsmonden, Sussex,
Boughton, Preston, Rye, Peasmarsh, Rochester,
Selling, Lower Handy, Frencham, Farnham, Alton,
Wareham, Wye, Bunton, Icklesham, Chilham,
Bowhill, Brenchey, Peckham, Mayfield, Yalding,
Tonbridge, Faversham, Sandhurst, Lewes, St.
Leonard's, Bearstead, Hadlow, and other places.
Mr. DEEDES, 211. P., introduced the deputation,
which, he said, it was needless for him to tell the
Chancellor of the Exchequer was most numerous
and influential, but he might say that it was indi-
cative of the feeling of all hop-growers and others -
interested in the subject of the duty. Since the
right hon. gentleman was kind enough to receive
a deputation in April last a county meeting had-
been held in Kent, at which the greatest unanimity
prevailed, and the following resolutions were
agreed to :—First, "That this meeting is of opinion
that in consequence of the ruinous low price obtained
for hops after four years of abundant crops, and the
home growers having been deprived of the advan-
tage they might have reaped in 1854 from the
CuStoms' duty having been reduced from 455. to 28s.
per cwt. in that year, it is impossible for the plan- '
ters to discharge the very heavy excise duties
required of them without the greatest difficulty, and
in some cases without absolute ruin. This meeting,
therefore, fully endorses the representation to this
effeict made by a deputation from various parts of the
hop districts to the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
and concurs in the earnest petition made to that
right hon. gentleman to grant an entire remission
of the instalment of the duty payable in May ;"
2d, " That, with a view to, place the hop-planters
in a position to obtain remumerative prices for the •
future, an earnest suggestion be made to her Ma-
jesty's Government to propose the entire remission
of the war duty and 5 per cent. upon it; which, in
the opinion of this meeting, would be no less an
act of justices than of essential benefit to the hop-
planters generally." Upon these resolutions a me-
i znorial had been drawn up, which he would read.
The hon, member, having read the memorial, which
was, a mere reflex of the resolution, and praying
that the war duty and 5 per cent. be remitted, con-
cluded by introducing
Mr. DARLEY, who spoke at some length on the
subject. He said he had determined to abstain
from taking any part in the movement ; but when
he saw the mischief which was caused by the agi-
tation in Kent, 'the weald of Kent, Sussex, Surrey,
and Hampshire, and finding that in those places
there was a determination to getthis question finally
settled if possible, lie felt justified in coming for-
ward to assist in getting the agitation put an end
to. (Hear.) The chief thing they appeared before
the right hon. gentleman to ask him for was, a
remission of the war duty on hops—in fact, a remis-
sion of the May instalment. He should not take
up time by going into the details of the great dis-
tress caused by the impost, but he could not help
thinking that hops were the most heavily taxed
article in the kingdom—(hear)—and yet the growers
had not the same protection as other classes. He
knew there were difficulties in the way of a Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer dealing with one interest
and not with another, but there was not another
interest situated in the same position as theirs ; and
if the remission they now asked was granted, he con -
sidered it would only be a repayment of a part of what
had been taken from them. And he wished to observefeel
that not only were the hop-planters affected, but
pound,
npopulation
it..
heA sh toathed oe
never
theerb
reductionehopen in
o f districtstf favour
se,oduty
tmustyoftostehle'
br eopuenadl oifn thee on
s!leucitu3 but
e,
n;
eoo
of the
o repeatedmisehi that h
caused
ohs
eed feltby
et he
lel
oar g
oi tfa ttilloon
xo
echoomq eu
efro rfiwnaarl dl y atnod s
ea st
tkl e t
thhee Chan
ques-
tion by giving a remission of the war duty and
tseepteiion• cednutt.yu,pobnyit,dloeianNginwgbtileibema tbhoeou<£2wos
us .1
di) rboe-
given to the planters, and a great deal of trouble
saved to Chancellors of the Exchequer. The, hop
trade had been tampered with till it was in a great
dilemma, and to be relieved the growers had sunk
all minor differences, and asked her Majesty's GO-
vernment to finally settle the question.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer asked if the
present depressed state of the trade wOs owing to
or resulting from foreign competition ?
Mr. Darby replied that there was too much en-
couragement for foreign competition. He e,com-
plained that the interference of the legislature had
seriously affected the trade, and said that 19s. 7d.
was far too high a price to charge on the probable
crops.

Dr. Monckton said it did not matter how many
were in the market if they (the English
tania
hop-
growers) only had remunerative prices; but as .
was they were restricted in their production
competition.
limited in their prices by the, foreign
could pro-
If they had fair remunerative prices they
trade was
He then went on to argue that thethel
Exchequer
Pro-
duce more good hops than the demandhwoo)uldrequire.
a mere speculation, and that witiPee
was receiving large sums from
,sli
d He then read
the growers were being paupnerhirst
stating that in
two letters from growers, tsiti _.growth of hops
£3,044, starting with
five years the writer hand. lost
a capital of £3,000; d the second letter the
May instalment was not taken off
duty, and if
-- this Msaell his cow to meet it. These
he would have to tfoound in thousands, and therefore
writer said he had to aell his house to pay the last
cases might be
for the remission. They were not dis-
cussingolitical matter, and they did not
be told the subject should be considered;
want to
anted immediate relief. It had been they w
tlieypra?te
as a p
re-
marked that hops sold at 475., but they must not be
misled ; some hops might have obtained that, but
he had seen many thousands sold at 20s.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—What is
the price of hops at the present time.
Dr. MONCKTON—He might fairly presume to say
that the price of hops now was 20s. per cwt. more
than it was six months ago, but it was the. mer-
chant and not the grower who reaped the benefit.
This was a question, not between the grower and
the consumer, but between the grower and the
brewer ; therefore it could not be said that it would
interfere with the poor man and his glass of beer.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said—l do
not wish to hurry the gentlemen who have to ad-
dress me, but as I have an important appointment
with the Earl of Derby to meet his Royal Highness
the Duke of Cambridge at 3 o'clock, I trust you
siwillts
excuse me retiring. Sir Stafford Northcote, wahso,e-
to
by me, will listen to all that you may noollryhsay
at
say, and inform me of the same.
which you have
from me on the main queisitl
The right hon.
present that in three days you
.shall have
brought before the. (Hear,
Dr.f fonekton
having
gentleman then withdrew. ean answer