The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-09 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

GREAT NORTH OF SCOTLAND.
The half-yearly general meeting of this company
was held on .say at Aberdeen—Sir J. D. H.
Elphinstone, the chairman, presided.
The report, an abstract of which has appeared in
The Sun, was taken as read.
The CUAIIIMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, expressed his regret that they were not able
to pay more than half per cent. on the B preference
shares, being the same amount as that paid in the
preceding half year. The high rates of interest
avid other matters had been the cause of the very
snutll dividend referred to. There had been an in-
crease in the receipts for goods traffic of £193
,8,
and a decrease of £l6 in the passenger traffic, leav-
ing the net increase of £1,877. The extreme rate
is
s
of interest bad absorbed a very large portion of th
increase in the revenue. The reduction of fares
which the company had made last year in April had
operated against the company in respect to receipts,
but the number of passengers in consequence of the
reduction in fares had increased 15 per cent., the
total number carried having been 340,313 in the past
half -year, against 294,198 in the corresponding half
of the preceding year, showing an increase of 46,115.
(near.) The effect of the cattle plague had also
been injurious to their traffic. They were promot-
ing a permissive Bill in Parliament for the purpose
of authorising an amalgamation of the branch
undertakings with their own. They hoped to come
to a mutual understanding with those companies so
as to facilitate the operation and reduce working
expenses. The most important feature of the Bill
was that it provided for the amalgamation of the
Strathspey and of the Keith and Dufftown Railways
with the main line, which would give them through
communication with the western portion of the ter-
ritory and with Perth by the Highland line. It
would also accelerate the traffic from the Western
Highlands by the junction line which they expected
would be opened by the month of May. The Scot-
tish North-Eastern Railway Company were op-
posed to the proposed amalgamation, which was
merely for the purpose of dealing with the internal
affairs of the company. The Scottish North-East-
ern Railway Company had a Bill in Parliament to
authorise the amalgamation of their undertaking
with that of the Caledonian, which, of course,
would be opposed by the Great North of Scotland
Company as being detrimental to their interests.
Mr. J. DUNCAN, deputy chairman, seconded the
motion for the adoption of the report, which was
agreed to, and the proceedings terminated.

MELLIS AND EYE.
The contract for the construction of this line has
been let to Mr. S. C. Ridley. The works have been
commenced, and are to be completed within seven
months.

NOVO:IERN OF FRANCE.
The traffic receipts on this company's lines amounted
for the week ending March 25, on 764 miles, to
£58,643, and for the corresponding week last year,
on 728 miles, to £55,065, showing an increase of
£3,578. The traffic receipts on the company's old
lines from Jan. 1 to the above date amounted, on
662 miles, to £677,748, and for the corresponding
period last year, on 658 miles, to £623,094, showing
an increase of £54,654, or 8.77 per cent. The traffic
receipts on the company's new lines during the same
time amounted on 102 miles to £31,392, and for the
corresponding period last year to £20,906, showing
an increase of £10,486, or 5016 per cent.

SMYRNA AND CASSABA.
The traffic receipts on this company's line, 61
miles open, amounted for the week ending March 18
to £873, including £199 for merchandise and live
stock ; and for the week ending March 25 to £1,022,
including £l9B for merchandise and live stock.