The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-26 00:00:00

TIM SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, AUGUST 26, 1861.

rack al over again, only healthier because not so
crowded, and with good ventilation from large win-
dows (bout 12 feet from the ground.
On the high and dry plateau it is not very diffi-
cult tc make arrangements for cleanliness, and they
are will cared for, for in spite of the heat there is
no stall in the camp, which in this respect con-
trastsfavourably with the villages behind,—another
Kamisch, with its sutlers, hotels, &c., only built
of stme and sun-dried chalk bricks, instead of wood.
Just row, from the presence of the Emperor, which
attracts numerous visitors, they are in the height
of the mason. Omnibuses are traversing them in all
direction; to pick up sightseers, and carry them to
the railwty station. Last year a train left Chalons
at 6 a.m.,which enabled people to come over and see
the mancmvres without having to pass a night. This
year—l dcn't know why—this plan has been aban-
doned. Possibly it is to protect the industry of hotel-
keepers, who, it need scarcely be said, make the most
of the occasion. For the afternoon and even-
ings all kilds of cafes chantant and not chantant,
a theatre, ieux de quille, alias bawling-greens, &c.,
are provided. An enterprising individual of tyran-
nical disiosition has established a livery-stable,
composed cf a number of vehicles on two and four
wheels, together with a number of broken-down
chargers, !formerly belonging to a regiment of
Chasseurs in garrison at Chalons, and now doing
duty indiscriminately in their old character or as
carriage horses at the rate of 3f. and more per hour.
The camp, which is now regulated like a garrison,
was not alvays so, if tradition is to be trusted ; espe-
cially the frst sear, 1857, called " l'annee de la
garde," mart have been rather boisterous. It was
found difficult to keep the men in camp. Ilene
decouchaiett pas mal is the expression. To the
great distress of the neighbourhood, not a fowl,
potato, cabbage, or fruit was safe from them. Now
all this is changed, and rigid discipline observed.
With no small amount of labour kitchen gardens
have been planted in neighbourhood of the huts,
and there is not one regiment, with the exception
of the Cuirassiers, lately arrived, which hag not
plots of grass and flowers pait.r.dij- raised to orna-
ment the entourage of the tents.

, -
In another respect, likewise, great improvements
have been made—namely, in the water. In 1857,
when the camp was improvised, shallow wells were
the only source of supply, the streams being useless
except for washing. The shallow wells dried out,
and great illness among the troops was the- conse-
quence. The water had to be brought from Chalons
for some time. Now there is plenty of fresh water
from deep wells, rather impregnated with chalk,
but not unhealthy.
That all this should cost noney, and much money,
is natural. First there vas the purchase of the
ground, 12,000 hectares, which belonged to pri-
vate persons, mostly small proprietors. Then there
was the building of the huts, which were contractors'
work; then 25 kilometres of railway, with some
heavy cuttings and several, bridges ; then the roads,
wells, &c. All this was on public grounds, and
out of public funds. But the Emperor himself has
invested a good deal of money out of the Civil List.
He has bought large plots of ground, has
erected not less than nine farms on what
was a steppe before. Buildings had to be con-
structed, stock provided, and labour and manure,
without which nothing grows in these parts. Of
course for the first year the return was nil, and
even now the remainirg oats and clover have a
very poor appearance.

All this taken together has made the camp a
source of life to this deserted district, and this
source is contributing daily to extend cultivation.

This afternoon the races and a carrousel are to
take place.
To-morrow, it seems, there is to be no manceavre,
but great review, marching past, and distribution of
erosses and medals, all of which seem to indicate
that the Emperor will adhere to his original plan
of leaving on the 24th.

RAILWAY S AND PUBLIC COMPANIES.

EASTERN COUNTIES.

The report of the directors states that the receipts
for the half-year ending the 30th June last amount
to £668,752, for the corresponding half of 1860, to
£681,562, and for the same half of 1859 to £651,402,
while the total expenses had been £330,536,
£323,352, and £297,725 respectively. The revenue
account for the half year exhibits a decrease of
£11,177; the receipts being £638,730 as against
£649,907 for the corresponding period of 1860. The
falling off in receipts is mainly in the cattle traffic.
To the last very unfavourable harvest and its conse-
quences, is ascribed the decrease in the traffic of the
railway, which is mainly supported from agricul-
tural products. The expenditure on capital account
during the half-year in respect of' new works and
increased accommodation to stations amounts to
£8,536. The sum of 061,058 has been charged
to capital in respect of engines, carriages, waggons
and - breakvans added to the rolling stock,
exclusive of the further addition of £50,962,
which will be charged to the capital account of
the ensuing half-year, having been ordered in anti-
cipation of the exhibition of 1862, and also a sum of
£2,900 for new cart and waggon stock, nothing
having been charged to that account since the year
1853. The sum.availabie for dividend as regards
the Eastern Counties Companyamounts to £198,133,
out of which 13146,370 has been deducted for inte-
rest on guarantees and loans, leaving £51,763. To
this is added £5,620, brought from the preceding
account, making £57,383- Prom this is deducted
£3,000 on account of deferred permanent way ac-
count, leaving £54,383, out of which the directors
have declared a dividend of 16s. 3d. per cent. for
the half-year, being after the rate of £1 12s. 6d. per
cent. per annum on the ordinary share capital of the
company, which will absorb £47,398, leaving a
balance of £6,984 for the next half-year. The work-
ing expenses for the half-year are £49 18s. per
cent. as against £47 10s. per cent. for the corres-
ponding period of 1860. The permanent way and
works continue to be maintained in the most effici-
ent manner. The expenditure on this account,out of
revenue has been during the past half-year £47,185,
being an increase over the corresponding period of
1860 of £3,011. The portion of the line between Strat-
ford and Colchester, having been laid upwards of 20
years, is now being completely renewed, on account
of which £34,000 has been expended during the
half-year, of which sum the directors think that
£18,005 is a proper charge to be borne by the
revenue of the half-year, the remaining sum of
£15,995, together with the sum expected to be spent
on that account during the continuance of the sum-
mer, will leave a like sum of about £lB,OOO to be
charged in the next half-year's account. The
strictest attention is paid to the maintenance of the
plant in the locomotive department in estate of effi-
ciency. The company was successful in obtaining
the sanction of Parliament to the bill introduced by
them for extending the existing railway at Sudbury
to Bury St. Edmund's and to Cambridge. Parlia-
ment has given its sanction to the proposed new line
from Bishop's Stortford to Braintree, and to 'the
bill for the completion of the Ware, Hadham,
and Buntingford Railway. The directors, there-
fore, are sanguine in their expectation that no fur-
ther attempts will be made to interfere with the
district traversed by the lines of the associated com-
panies, as they will now be sufficiently accommo-
dated. It is proposed to construct a line of railway
for the carriage of coals from the northern coalfields
to London by a junction with the Eastern Counties
in the neighbourhoud of March. The directors think
it right to remind the shareholders that a line via
Cambridge offers the best route to the north-eastern
districts, the whole with a slight exception forming
a dead level from D trlington to London. The pro-
moters of the proposed scheme consider that as it
will not be necessary that the trains should travel
at a greater speed than from 12 to 15 miles per haur,
coals and minerals can be conveyed with profit at a
very small rate, so as to compete with the sea-
borne coal. The total quantity of coal brought to
London from the northern districts amounts
annually to about 4,00),000 of tons, and if one-
fourthpos e
d route,of t hi a
s quantityreturncf upwards of 5 per cent.
vas conveyed by the pro-
would be secured to the shareholders upon the capi-
tal required to be outlaid, As it is proposed not to
approach any town so
near as to enhance the value
of the land required for the railway, it is estimated
that the entire cost will not exceed £lO,OOO per
mile, ine!uding rolling senk, and as the distance to
be travelled upon the nert line would be about 95
miles, a capital of £1,006,000 would be sufficient
for the purpose. The nuposed route to London
will embrace the use of
a miles of the railways of
the associated comptniej, and the tolls, it is esti-
mated, will produce an annual receipt of from
£40,000 to £50,000, wittout imposing on the asso-
ciated companies any oklay to accommodate this
traffic. Under these cite enstances the directors have
felt it to be their duty to give this measure their
cordial support. The di•ectors are co operating
with the Norfolk and Eastern Union companies in
the necessary arrangements, and with every pros-
pect of an amicable settlement of the terms upon
which the amalgamation sto be offered. The period