The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-08 00:00:00

HATFIELD AND ST. ALBANS.

The report of the directors states that the railway
was opened for traffic on the 16th of October last,
and was now being worked under agreement by the
Great Northern Railway Company. Mr. Rummens,
the contractor, had carried out the works in a satis-
factory manner, and within the time specified by
the contract. The works had been fully tested by
the heavy rains which had fallen since the line was
opened, resulting in no serious damage. The traffic
receipts to 31st Dec. last amounted to £2Bl, of
which 50 per cent. was the proportion payable to
the company. The necessary accommodation for
the development of the goods and coal traffic was
now afforded at St. Albans, and arrangements were
pending between the Great Northern and the North
Western companies for the use of the junction be-
tween the stations of either company at that place.
'I he Springfield station, midway betweerf St. Albans
and Hatfield, had been used by the Great Northern
Railway since Feb. 1. The capital account showed
that £86,036 had been expended to Dec. 31, leav-
ing a balance of £1,344.

COLEFORD, MONMOUTH, AND USK.
The half-yearly meeting was recently held at
Port ; Mr. T. Brown in the chair. The report
was nanimously adopted, and a dividend at the
rate of 3 per cent.
half -year per annum was declared for the
The retiring directors were re-elected,
and a vote of thanks to the chairman brought the
proceedings
to a close.

NENvity kNi,
this company was
The half-yearly ine-aInr,""MAGII.
Coffee-house, Lud-
held on Tuesday at the Lo'nd:),ml
(-ate-hill ; Mr. Lattimore in
bc the chair.
The Secretary read the report, ,„1,1.;h stated that
the revenue receipts for the half-year 1
through
£6,459, and the working expenses x3,3,11a(1i been
a balance of £2,525. The traffic of theme:mg
steadily progressing, but the want of
booking seriously interfered with its development,
and amicable negotiations for that purpose having
failed with two of the neighbouring companies, the
directors had been obliged to promote a bill in Par-
liament to procure those facilities. The recent
suspension of the contractors had caused some em-
barrassment to the company, but the directors had
succeeded in effecting an arrangement in the inte-
rests of the shareholders.
The report was adopted, and the proceedings
terminated.

RAILWAY BILLS.
On Tuesday the Standing Orders Committee
decided that the following bills were to proceed on

complying with certain` con i ions :—The Rhym-
ney ; the Brixton, Clapham, and Bsa.lhtahme Exten-
sion,xorth on depositing amended plan ,
British (Wishaw, &c., Branches) ; Crystal Palace
and South London Junction, provided that
certain compulsory powers be struck out.
In the case of the South-Eastern (London,
Croydon, and Caterham), the standing orders
ought to he dispensed with, provided that amended
copies of plans and sections be deposited at the
Private Bill-office. That in the case of the Metro-
politan Railway (additional powers) petition for dis-
pensing with standing order 129, the said standing
order ought to be dispensed with. In the case of the
Maidstone and Ashford Bill, for dispensing with
standing order 129, the said standing order ought
not to be dispensed with. With regard to this bill
the referees thought, if there was no object beyond
the transfer of the traffic from one line to the other,
upon which matter alone evidence was given, the
junction would be preferable at the point nearer to
the station of the South Eastern Company, but that
the proposed extension of the line did not constitute
any engineering defect, and that with ordinary
caution the junction might be worked with safety
and efficiency. The Presteign, Chin, and Bishop's
Castle petition for dispensing with standing order
129, the said standing order ought not to be dis-
pensed with. The Croydon Direct and the London,
Brighton, and South Coast (Surrey lines) the stand-
ing orders ought not to be dispensed with. In the
case of the Cork Harbour and Curraghbinny exten-
sion
the standing orders ought to be dispensed with,
provided that clauses 10 to 15 be struck out. The
standing orders not complied with in the case of the
Bristol Harbour Junction and Wharf Depot ought
to be dispensed with. That the standing orders in
respect of the Kingshridge Bill ought to be dispensed
with, provided the powers authorising the construc-
tion of the railway from West Alvington to Marl-
borough be struck out; and that the standing orders
in the case of the South Eastern and London, Chat-
ham, and Dover (London, Lewes, and Brighton)
ought to be dispensed with, provided that all com-
pulsory powers over the properties No. 15, in the
parish of Westerham, and No. 110 in the parish of
St. John, Southover, be struck out. That the stand-
ing orders in the cases of the. Skipton and Wharf-
dale, the Devon and Cornwall, and the London and
Worthing direct ought to be dispensed with.
With respect to the Hadlo w Bill, the referees were
of opinion that if an aggregate water way of 300 ft.
were provided there would be no engineering ob-
jections to the construction of Railway No. 1 ;
neither was there any engineering objection to the
proposed Junction No. 2 ; while they were of opi-
nion that the engineering details of No. 3, as far as
they affected a certain road, were objectionable.
In the Referees' Courts (A and B) the Devon
Valley and North British (Arrangements) Bill, being
unopposed, was passed. The Ely Valley and Vale
of Neath Junction was postponed, and the Exe
Valley adjourned.