The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-03 00:00:00

THE PENINSULAR, MAIL.

SOUTHAMPTON, SUNDAY.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Sul•an has arrived with the Peniusulir mails. She
left Lisbon the 29th ult. Amongst hei passengers
is Mr. Drummond Hay, our charge d'affaites at
Tangiers. .

ATnongst her cargo is specie to the value of
3,9871. sterling. _

A great sensation has been caused at °port-) by
the discovery of extensive frauds in the wine trade.
It appears that mixtures to represent port wine are
manufactured in England and Hamburg, and sent
out in ships to Oporto, when by means of falsified
certificates the mixtures are imported into England
as port wine. About three thousand pipes of these
mixtures are now in London. Ten pipes of the
mixtures have been seized by the customs at Oporto
on board a ship from England. The captain de-
clared he had the pipes on board merely to give the
wine the benefit of a sea voyage. The mixture has
been tested, and found to be a composition of bad
alcohol, molasses, aecl the essence of tar. The Por-
tuguese authorities refuse to give up the ten pipes.
There can be no doubt but that they would have
been imported into England and sold as the veri-
table production of the Douro shipped at Oporto.
Exchange at Lisbon on London for thirty days
53i ; at ninety days, 54.

BAIL WAY INTELLIGENCE.

LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN.

The report to 'be presented to the general meet-
ing to be held at the Waterlco-bridge Station on
' Thursday, August 6, states that the half-yearly ac-
counts show a net revenue for the six months end-
ing June 30, 1857, after deducting interest on loans
and all other preferential charges, of 163,990/. be. lid
and surplus at December 31, 1856, 7,0421. 2s. sd. ;
balance available for dividend, 170,8321. Bs. 4d.
From this sum the directors recommend that a divi-
dend at the rate of 41. ss. per cent. per annum,
payable on the 20th 'August, be declared, `amount-
ing on 7,156,0881 of capital paid up to 169,9571.
Is. 9d. ; leaving to be carried over to next half-
year 8751. 6s. 7d. The following are the values
of the traffic and working expenses for the
two periods ending June 1856, and June,
1857. June, 1856 - Mileage, 2704 ; miles run,
1,382,881 ; passengers, 313,337/. ; goods, 107,6771:
sundries, 8,614/ ; total receipts, 429,6281. ;
working expenses, 157,638/. ; taxation, 23,5631. ;
net revenue, i 8,4271. The period end-
ing June, 1857, shows under the same heads, 271;
1,488,606; 291,677/. ; 105,382/. ;11,4421.; 408,501/. ;
165,5381. ; 23,993/. ; 218,9701. The amount of
traffic arising from the naval review last year, and
from the transmission of troops at the close of the
war, caused an extraordinary increase in the gross
receipts of the company. It will be more fair,
therefore, to compare the current half-year's traffic
with 1855 than with 1856. The half-year ending
June, 1857, compared with the half-year ending
June, 1855, shows au increase of mileage 91 ; miles
run 199,869 ; passengers, 95,7701. ; goods,
10,889/. ; 3,6141. ; total receipts,
40,266/. ; working expenses, 25,925/. ; taxation,
1,067 ; net revenue, 13,274/. Thus it will be seen
that the gross increase in 1857 over 1855 is 40,265/.
on an extended mileage of 91 miles. It is also
satisfactory to know that the suburban traffic and
number of .residential season tickets are both
steadily on the increase. The sum charged against
capital account this half year, on account of ex-
tensions of stations and sidings, is 9,9051, 11s. 3d.,
distributed thus :-Main line, 7,1661. 4s. Old. ;
Windsor Branch, 1,8061. ss. Old. ; Guildford and
Farnham, 2061. 12s. 81d. ; Hampton Court, 331.
Is. 10d. ; Chertsey, 91. 13s. 104 d. ; Gosport, 3371.
4s. 10d. ; Bishopstoke and Salisbury, 1661. is.
Od. ; Basingstoke and Salisbury, 641. 15s. 10d. ;
Dorchester, 1151. 12s. Id.-Total, 9,905/. lie. 3d.
These sums are in addition to the large expenditure
in ordinary repairs, renewals, and restorations,
charged against revenue. The gradual provision
of a sufficient amount of working stock is in pro-
greet, having in view the new lines and extensions
which are to be worked by the company, and 20,8601.
ls. 9d. has this half-year been expended and charged
against capital on that account. The locomative su-
perintendent's report is annexed. During the half-
year two engines in addition to the stock have been
constructed out of revenue, and much of the old stock
has been altered and renewed to suet the present re-
quirements, at a similar cost against revenue. The
sermanent way is maintained by the company, and
is in good order. The gradualrelaying and renewal
of the line is proceeding where neceasaty. The new
line from Andover to Salisbury is completed to the
junction with the Milford Station there, and is now
open for traffic. The remaining works on this line
to the junction with the Salisbury and Yeovil Com-
pany's line, and with the Great Western Station at
Fisherton, are in active progress, the proposed
deviation and new works at the Fisherton junc-
tion having received the sanction of Parlia-
ment during the present session. The result
of the Parliamentary proceedings of the ses-
sion has been satisfactory. The bill promoted by
an independent company for constructing a new
broad gauge line frank Salisbury to Southampton
was thrown out by the committee of the House of
Commons, who reported "that the committee were
unanimously of opinion that it was not expedient
to grant powers for making that line, by reason
that the traffic was not such as to justify so large
an outlay, and because they were also unanimously
seeisfied that there was no necessity for two lines
of railway lor tween Salisbury and Southampton."
They al-o rejected the company's proposed addi-
tionol line from Romsey to Redbridge. This
declaration by the committr e, after hearing the
mass of evidence brought forward by the broad
gauge parties, is most important as regards any fu-
ture attempts at aggression on the company's inte-
rest in that district ; and the more so as it is only
one of several instances during the present session iu
which committers have shown a desire to adopt
souuderprinciples of legislation, more protective of
the int el e -ts of estalEsbed companies. The remaining
objects of the company's bill, for the deviation of
the line at Salisbury, enlarging thestation at Farn-
borough, and acquir;ng land for ballast, were all
granted, and the bill now only awaits tire royal
assent. Under the powers obtained by the corn
pany for the alteration of the Basingstoke and Sa-
lisbury railway at its western or Fisher ton terminus,
where it connects itself with the Salisbury and
Yeovil line, and meets the eastern extremity of the
Great Western system, the company wilt nut only
he enabled to make a better junction with the Sa
lisbury and Yeovil Railway and improve the
through line to Exeter, but have also s cured
the means of so constructing their station and
works at Fisherton as greatly to facilitate the
interchange of traffic betNeen the narrow and broad
guage systems. These alterations Lave neces-
sarily led to same modifications of the agreements
concluded with the Salisbury and Yeovil with the
Salisbury market house and railway companies,
under the sanc•ion of former meetings of the pro-
• ,tor -
Under these circumstances, and in con
comity with the requirements of the Acts of Par-
liament, the notices convening the present meet.