The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-21 00:00:00

MEETING THIS DAY.

A general meeting of the English share and bond
holders in this undertaking was held this afternoon at
the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, W. J. Chaplin,
Esq., M.P., in the chair. The attendance was small.
The Secretary, having read the report and balance
sheet, the particulars of which have already been pub-
lished in The Sun,
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the reception and adoption
of the report, said this was the first time he had ap-
peared before them as Chairman of this railway. The
report so amply entered into the state of the company's
affairs, that very few remarks would be required from
him relative to their overcoming the difficulties in which
they were entangled. He and his colleagues had liberally
subscribed to the preference shares, to restore confidence
to the concern. Mr. Tottie had resigned his seat at the
board from a variety of considerations, more especially
on account of his connection with the Swedish Govern.
ment, who had an idea of purchasing the line for incor-
poration in a general system of state railways in that
country. It was impossible for the deputation to carry
it out when they lately visited Sweden and had an
audience of the King, in consequence of the Diet not
being sitting. The King had since made a communica-
tion to the Diet, who were now considering the question.
He called on the shareholders to give the English
directors their confidence, and assist them in carrying
out the object they had in view—the sale of the line to
the Swedish Government. The state of negotiations did not
then admit of his stating explicitly what the directors
were doing, but they hoped speedily to bring the nego-
tiations to a satisfactory conclusion. He urged on the

shareholders the necessity of confidence in the directors,
and to abstain from discussing items of detail, and how
the purchase money should be divided should the nego-
tiations prove successful. The Chairman then read a
telegraphic communication he had just received from
Sweden, relative to the application to the Diet for a loan,
stating that the company must work the railway entirely
on their own resources or sell, and that the Zing of
Sweden considered the price asked for the line
too high. lleimentioned this to show that by entering
into a discussion of its details much injury might ar!se
to the shareholders.

In answer to some remarks from nr. M'CATLER,
Mr. SMISOUIi said that it was a question whether the
undertaking should now be sacrificed, or some of it sated

for the general good of all. (Hear.) It was nec9ssar;
they should give the directors that confidence to which
they wet e entitled ; and he argued that it was not then
desirable to state the particulars of the negotiations
going on with the Swedish Government. There was a
party in the Diet of Sweden opposed to the purchase
of the line on account of the i'reat frauds that had been
committed in connection with it, and who naturally
considered they ought not to pay for them
The;directore, and he felt sure the shareholders also bad
no wish for the people of Sweden to do it, but to give
them, as they were bound if they purchased the line, a
fair equivalent for it. (Rear, hear.) Before the English
directors decided on the sale of the line, the English
shareholders would be called together and consulted.
In reply to questions from various shareholders,
The CHAIRMAN said that the whole of the line, 45
miles, was expected to be opened in August; and in re•
fereuce to the general affairs of the company during the
late Mr. Sadleir's time, said that money was paid will].
out any entry being made in the books of the compa ay
to that effect—(hear, hear)—and that the first intim.a

tion he and others had of it was from the creditors w GO
had been so paid. The money appeared to have be en
obtained by Mr. Sadleir in the best way he could,
handing it over to meet the most pressing demands on
him. He appeared to have bad much of other people's
money and much of their own, and the directors had. a
difficult task in going through the company's account,‘

A SHAREHOLDER complained that the Swedish Go-
vernment had not kept faith with the company.

_ .
After some further remarks, the report was nnai2i-
mously received and adopted.
Mr. SIZTUOUR, in reply to a question from a share-
holder, said that if the whole of the calls were paid lap
they would be able to
pay their debts and co m-
plete the line. The company had not fulfilled its con-
tract with the Swedish Government, and therefore they
bad no right to complain of them. Although the com-
,
pany had forfeited the caution-money, the Government
of Sweden paid them interest on it, and allowed all the
articles required to be imported duty free.
Resolutions were then agreed to, authorising the En g.
lish directors to increase the issue of preference shares to
40,000, irrespective of those issued to or to be taken by

creditors, and then close the subscription till one-half of
the line be open for working ; and that a second call of
11. on the preference shares be made within the next tl; o

.4 LAW INTELLIGENCE.—(This Day.)

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.
THE QUEEN V. MARIA CL AIME IN RE ALICIA RACE.

Th) question raised was whether the mother, a Roman
Catholic, was entitled to the custody of her orphan
female child of N years of age, her father dying a Pro-
testant.

Lord Chief Justice Campbell, this morning, delivered
the judgment of the Court at great length, to the effect
that the mother, as the natural nurture guardian of the
child, in the absence of any legal guardian having been
appointed by the father, was entitled to the custody and
training of the child—on the supposition that the appli•
cation was made bona fide, and for no immoral purpose,
and that the mother was a fit and proper person to have
the custody and training of the child.
Mr. O'Malley moved the Court for a peremptory
order to deliver up the child to her mother immediately,
as attempts were just now being made to get the child
declared a ward of Chancery ; and an application was
made to Vice-Chancellor 'Wood for an injunction to
restrain the plaintiff from enforcing the order of Court
now obtained for the eustody of the child.
The Lord Chief Justice orderd the child to be imme-
diately delivered up to the mother, saying that ha did
not care for any injunction that might be granted in
the matter.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Holroyd.)
ROYAL BRITISH BANA.---THR LAST ExAMINATION 01'