The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-10 00:00:00

THE SUN LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 10, 1859.
_ _

SOUTII-

Business
Done.

IL TV A F.

A resolution was also agreed to, approving the payment
of the dividend recorded by the directors, at the rate of
£5 15s. per cent. per annum.
The four retiring directors—Charles Castlemain, Esq.,
Captain Charles Edward Mangles, M.P., Charles Smith
Mortimer, Esq., and William Philip Snell, Esq.—were then
re-elected without opposition.

Mr. TITE, M.P., moved that the sam allowed to the
directors be foithe future £3,000 per annum in place of
£2,000.
Mr. PUNCHER seconded the motion.
Mr. JESSEL regretted that the increase of the directors'
allowance had not been doubled.. He thought that the
directors well deserved that sum, and he should therefore
move that the sum be increased to £4,000. (Cheers.)
Mr. CLARKSON had great pleasure in seconding such a
proposition.

A PROPRIETOR thought that the best way to increase
the remuneration to directors was to reduce their number.
He thought the meeting should vote them £3,000, and that
the four next vacancies, should not be filled up. (Hear,
hear, and cries of " No, no.")
The CHAIRMAN said the directors had no power to reduce
the board of directors. If it was intended to do so such a
clause must be inserted in their next act of Parliament.
He considered that it was impossible that the business
could be properly conducted with less than the usual
number.

A PROPRIETOR thought that the amount to be voted a
the present time was £3,000, and after the Exeter line had
been opened then they could consider the propriety of in-
creasing the directors remuneration.
Mr. HOWARD thought they ought to vote £3,000 now,
and £4;000 after they had declared a dividend of 6 per cent.
for two years. (Laughter and cheers.)
Mr. TITE said if the ameAnent was put he should vote
in favour of it, although he had moved the original pro-
position of £3,000.
The CHAIRMAN then put the amendment that the sum
of £4,000 be voted to the directors.
The proposition was lost.
The original motion, that the sum bo £3,000, was then
put and agreed to unanimously.

Resolutions approving of the lease of the Salisbury and
Yeovil Railway, and for tranferring of tho Portsmouth
Railway to this company, wore then agreed to.
A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the pro-

ceedings.

LOVE IN A CONVENT.—An advocate of Rouen,
M. Raoul do Malherbe, who died in 1851, left a widow, an
Italian lady, and two children. Some time after, a Count
d'O—, much her senior, fell violently in love with her,
and, though at first she did not accept his advances, and
even retired into a convent at Mantes to avoid him, she
ended by responding to his passion. The result was, that
whilst still in the convent she gave him several meetings,
and that an intimate connexion was established between
them. But after a while her conduct became known to
the superior of the convent and she was obliged to leave.
Wrung byremorse, she confessed her intrigue to her hus-
band's mother. The mother, being greatly shocked, sent her
to her family at Rome ; the count followed her there, and
a marriage, according to the forms of the Roman Catholic
Church, was celebrated between them. Subsequently, the
fact of her having had an intrigue before the marriage be-
came known, by the opening of some confidential letters, to
several other persons. The consequence was, that a family
council, consisting of members of the de Malhorbe family,
assembled, and decided that for her misconduct she should
be deprived of the guardianship of her two children. The
Civil 'Tribunal of Evereux being applied to, sanctioned the
decision. On Friday the lady worded to the Imperial
Court of Rouen, and the court decided that the fault which
she had committed having been extenuated by 'a religious
marriage, did not constitute that " notorious misconduct,"
for which Art. 444 of the Code Napoleon says; mother
may be deprived of the guardianship of her children. It
therefore quashed the decision of the family council. •
THE ELASTIC EGG.'—Take a good and sound egg,
place it in strong vinegar, and allow it to remain 12 hours;
it will then become soft and elastic. In this state it can be
squeezed into a tolerably wide. mouthed bottle, when in it
must be covered with water having some soda in it. In a
few hours this preparation will restore the egg nearly to its
original solidity, after which the liquid should be poured off
and the bottle dried. Keep it for a curiosity to puzzleone's
friends for an explanation how the egg was laid in it.

-
HALF-YEARLY MEETING--,(THIS DAY).
The usual half-yearly general meeting of the proprietors
in this company was held this day at the Waterloo Bridge
Station. Charles Castlemain, Esq., occupied the chair.
The Secretary having read the notice calling the meeting,
and the report of the directors, which has already appeared
in The Sun,
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report,
said the satisfactory state of their affairs would happily
only require him to occupy a very short period of
time. (Hear, hear.) Before, however, proceeding with
the ordinary business of the company, ho thought it due
to their late chairman to notice his retirement. He was
sure no person connected with the company could but have
observed his great ability, his kindness, and his immovable
good temper—(hear, hear)—or but must regret that the
state of his health should have made it imperative upon him
to retire from the chair at the board. Although his health
had been so bad as to compel him to retire from
the board, it was a great happiness to know that
the company would not be precluded from receiving his ad-
vice, as his state of health would yet enable him to hold his
seat in the direction. (Hear, hear.) The directors had
recorded a special notice of their regret at the circum-
stance, but he thought it would be but a graceful act if the
proprietors generally were to take some notice of the sub-
ject. (Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Castlemaine) occupied the
chair but temporarily; he was not a candidate for the post,
as the state of his health totally prevented him from ful-
filling the office. He would now formally move the recep-
tion and adoption if the report, and in doing so he could
inform the proprietors that had there been no monetary panic
the directors would have been able to declare a dividend
of 6 per cent. (Hear, hear.) The receipts set down in the
report showed the steady progress of the company's affairs,
and justified the greatest confidence in the prosperity of the
undertaking. the Exeter line, he had great satisfaction in
stating, would be opendd in the present year. (Hear, hear.)
And another source of- congratulation was the great im-
provements that had been effected in the Southampton
docks—(hear, hear)—as the directors had taken steps to lay
out about £40,000 on the works ; and the company was now
in a position to supply a much larger amount of accommo-
dation then they had hit/lute been. (Hear, hear.) 'lt
was with greatpleasure that he informed the directors that
the taking up of their 4 per cent. debentures stock was
gradually increasing. It was a capital investment, and
he thought that when it became more generally
known a great deal more of it would be taken up. (Hear.)
He now came to a subject that all present felt the greatest
interest in, he meant their relations with the Brighton
Railway—(hear, hear)—and he had the greatest satisfac-
tion in informing the proprietors that within the last few
days the Brighton Company had again opened negotiations
with them—(hear, hear, and'cheers)—and he assured the
proprietors that while nothing would be demanded that was
unreasonable, the interests of this company would not be
sacrificed. With respect to past proceedings on the subject,
the proprietors, he thought, would agree with him that it
would be unwise to enter into the reasons that had led to
the breaking off of our negotiations, as by so doing nothing
would arise to retard an amicable settlement of the question.
A resolution would be submitted to the present meeting,
giving the final sanction of the proprietors to the lease of the
Salisbury and Yeovil Railway. The new line from Wim-
bledon to Epsota,-which this company had agreed to work,
would be opened on the Ist of March ; and the directors
have also agreed to take the railway recently constructed by
an independent company between Epsom and Leatherhead
at the annual rent of £2,000, with further conditions upon
its being incorporated with the company. The Parlia-
mentary schemes projected in the South-Western district,
and the application for further powers by existing com-
panies, more or less affecting the interests of the company
were a great deal more numerous than usual, but the
proprietors might rest assured that their interests would
be narrowly watched and resolutely protected. The directors,
acting upon a resolutionpassed at the special general meeting,
in October last they had concluded a special arrangement
with the Porthmouth Company for a lease of the railway,
and the rental agreed upon was £lB,OOO a year, subject to
such incidental conditions as the directors in their discre-
tion may consider necessary, and a bill has been prepared
for the assent of Parliament to such an arrrngement ; and
the measure had been so framed, that an absolute amalga-
mation of the two companies might, in the event of its being
found beneficial, be effected. The chairman then alluded to
the recent combination amongst the different bodies of rail-
way proprietors, which he had advocated in August last.
He was sorry to say that he thought from what
had taken place at the Railway Conference, that there was
little hope of obtaining assistance from Government in sub-
duing the injurious competition which had lately been so
fatal to the value of railway property, and that there was
in consequence the greater necessity for increased energy
amongst the shareholders. He then thanked the meeting
for their attention, and concluded by moving that the
report be received and and adopted. (Cheers.)
A SHAREHOLDER, ,in stwalading the mnl4on, pawed a
glowing oulogium upon the abilities of Mr. Chaplin.
There was no one, he thought, who had not observed his •
wonderful courtesy. (Hear, hear.) He had also been
a warm supporter of the company in both bad
times and good times—(hear, hear)—and it was his
opinion that he had worn himself out in the service
of the company. (Hear, hear.) The South-Western Rail-
way Company, in conjunction with the name of Mr. Chap-
lin, had become household words, and he was glad some
special notice had been taken of the retirement of that gen-
tleman from the chair. He should have very great plea-
sure in moving a vote of thanks at the present moment—
(loud cheers)—but it was considered that it would be ad-
visable not to interfere with the reading of the report.
After they had agreed to the report, he should only be too
happy to make such a proposition.
A discussion then arose upon the various topics men-
tioned in the report, the several speakers urging the direc-
tors to avoid, as much as possible, law proceedings, which
had for so many years swallowed up such vast sums of
railway capital. At the termination of which the report was
adopted unanimously with the following rider :
" That the shareholders beg to tender a cordial vote of
thanks to W. Chaplin, Esq., their late chairman, for his
long and valuable services, and an expression of their hope
that homey be long spared to enjoy many years of health
and happiness."