The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-10 00:00:00

LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST.

The report of the directors of this company states
that the amount received on capital account to June
30
olva
stock
slI5
and
494961,consisting of £5,369,201 in
ordinary shares, £6,326,561 in preferen-
tial stock, £2,500,590 in mortgage debt, and
£1,298,609 in debenture stock. The amount of
capital expended during the half-year had been
£822,884. The gross revenue had been £529,302,
showing an increase of £32,844 over the correspond-
ing half of 1865. The total trafficreceipts amounted to
_ _

£517,586, and working expenses, including renewals,
to £287,465, or 55k per cent., against £244,179, or
50 1-3 per cent. for the corresponding half of last
year, showing an increase in the latter of £43,286.
The cost of working per train mile was 2s. Bd.,
against 2s. 'lid. for the corresponding half of 1865.
There had been a large augmentation in the work-
ing expenses, arising from the additional mileage
worked from an increase in the rate of wages, and
from the outlay in the improved signalling of the
main line, necessary for securing the safety of the
traffic. The Bill promoted jointly by the South-
Eastern and the London, Chatham, and Dover
Lewes, and Brighton
Parliament. line, Companiesha
dreceived for
th
the
L sanctionon don,
of
Con-
sidering the decisions of Parliament in three foimer
Sessions, and the obligations which the company had
taken upon itself when before previous Committees

to accommodate the district of East Sussex and
Surrey on the faith of those repeated decisions, the
directors could not but express their surprise and
regret at a result so entirely atvariance with that of
previous years. With the above exception, the
efforts of the directors against the aggressive schemes
of the South-Eastern and the London, Chatham,
and Dover Companies were attended with success.
The company obtained a bill for an extension to

Hastings, but the intended expenditure of capital
would be avoided, an agreement having been en-
tered into with the South-Eastern Company secur-
ing to the Brighton Company a joint control, and
an improved position in the present station at Has-
tings, which the South-Eastern Company were to en-
large, granting at the same time to the Brighton
Company rights of user of the present St. Leonard's
station, heretofore used by the South-Eastern Com-
pany. The works in progress were proccedi n g satisfac-
torily. The portion of the South London constructed
by this company between London-bridge and the
Barrington-road, Brixton, was completed, and would
be opened during the present month. The rest of
the line from Barrington-road to Wandsworth-road,
where it joined this company's lines leading to Vic-
toria, was in course of construction by the Chatham
and Dover Company for this company's use, and
would be completed in a few weeks, and this com-
pany's line from Wandsworth-road to the Victoria
Station was in an equally forward state. When those
lines were completed the delays which had hitherto
arisen in conducting the traffic to and from the Vic-
toria station would be effectually put an end to.
Concurrently with those imyrovements a third line
of rails would be completed as far as the Balham
Junction, where the main line trains left the local
lines. In connexion with those works the company
had obtained, for the first time, an independent ac-
cess to London-bridge by three additional lines of
rails, controlled by their own signals, and an en-
largement of the Londou-bridge terminus, equivalent
to a doubling of its former area and means of ac-
commodation. The completion of the South London
line would give a new and shorter route between
London-btidge and
Victoria, and West-end and
City accommodation to Rotherhithe, the Old Kent-
road, Peckham, Rye-lane, Denmark-hill and Brix-
ton. The line froni East Grinstead to Tunbridge-
wells was completed. This would bring upon the
company's line a share of the Tunbridge-wells
traffic, which must be largely increased when the
Surrey and Sussex Railway was opened. The lines
from Leatherhead, through Dorking, to Horsham,
would be opened in the autumn, and thus a second
route to Brighton, completed. The only remaining
line wns that from 13-afield to Tunbridge-wells,
completing a direct line between the latter tout