The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-11 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

The railway meetings of this week, although
again numerous, generally comprise the less im-
portant companies. At the Stockport, Risley, and
Whaleybridge a dividend was declared at the pro-
poaed rate of 2-1 per cent. per annum. The receipts
during the past half-year were stated to show a
satisfactory fricret,se. The report of the Caledonian
recommends a dividend for the past half-year at the
rate of 51 per cent. per annum out of the available
balance of £96,103, leaving a surplus of £10,596 to
be carried to the contingent fund. The gross
revenue was £404,714, showing an augmentation of
£17,848 over the previous year. The expenditure
on capital account amounted to £126.723, of which
£69,923 was for land and works, £27,700 for plant,
and £29,100 for shares in the Lymington, Biggar,
and Broughton Railway. The Hereford, Ross, and
Glocester have ordered a distribution of 4s. per
share, leaving a balance of £1,197, which is to be
appropriated in aid of capital for the liquidation of
the company's debt. At the Shrewsbury and Here-
ford meeting the guaranteed dividend of 41 per
cent, per annum was agreed to. The receipts in
the past six months have increased £5,111. At the
Rhymney meeting it was stated that the revenue
for the past half year was £20,660, or 35 per cent.
moue than in 1859. The working expenses have
been diminished from 57k to 51 per cent. The
South Staffordshire have declared their usual divi-
dend of ss. 2d. per share. At a meeting of the
Sittingbourne and Sheerness the question of a divi-
dend was deferred until the accounts of the London,
Chatham, and Dover under their agreement shall
have been settled. The state of the money market
has embarrassed the operations of the company, and
in some degree prevented the completion of the
pier. The report of the Stratford-on-Avon an-
nounces that the line was opened on the 10th of
October. The traffic has already produced nearly
£lOO a week, and a larger revenue is calculated
upon in future. The distribution of the Boston,
Seaford, and Midland Counties is 2s. 6d. per share.
At a meeting of the Bradford, Wakefield, and Leeds
a dividend was declared at the proposed rate of 6
per cent. per annum, leaving a balance of £4,656,
which was appropriated to the reserve. The gross
revenue during the past half-year was £10,719.
At the East Suffolk meeting it was stated that the
unfavourable weather during the last six months
has been prejudicial to the working of the line,
especially as regards the pleasure traffic. There has
also been an inadequate supply of trucks, the de-
ficiency being attributed to the action of the
Eastern Counties. The report of the Cornwall
announced that the receipts for the past half year
showed an increase of £5,004 over the correspond-
ing period of 1859, notwithstanding the inclemency
of the weather. The interest account showed that
£22,240 was the charge in the six months against
£14,767 profit on the working, leaving a deficiency
of £7,473. The Blyth and Tyne have declared a
dividend at the proposed rate of 10 per cent, per
annum. The traffic was said to have fully kept
pace with the augmentation of the capital. At a
meeting of the Scottish North-Eastern, it was an-
nounced that the revenue in the past six months
was £100,253, of which, after deducting expenses,
&c., £2,075 was available for the Aberdeen stock,
and £15,214 for the Midland. A first dividend
was agreed to on the former, at the rate of 4 per
cent. per annum, and a distribution on the Midland
of 41. The Glasgow and South Western have
divided at the recommended rate of 51 per cent.
per annum. The receipts in the six months ending
in January were £215,459, being an increase of
£19,645, the greater part being from goods and
minerals. The opening of the Port Patrick Rail-
way between Castle Douglas and Stranraer is ex-
pected to be soon accomplished. The report of the
Whitehaven and Furness Junction recommends a
dividend at the rate of 4 per cent, per annum, and
that of the Whitehaven Junction at the rate of 8.
The revenue in the former case has increased £2,099
over 1859, and in the latter £2,131. At the East
Anglian meeting preference dividends only were
ordered. The receipts in the half-year were £24,357,
showing a decrease of £764, arising from the un-
favourable season and bad harvest. The effect has
also been aggravated by the heavy charge of the
Eastern Counties for working expenses. The Leeds,
Bradford, and Halifax Junction have made a dis-
tribution at the recommended rate of 6 per cent.
per annum. The profit on the half-yearly working
compared with 1859 shows an increase of £3,759.
At a meeting of the Oude it was resolved to keep
the company in existence until a better opportunity
for carrying out the undertaking, but to return the
deposit of ss. per share. The report of the Illinois
Central states that the company has been relieved
of its floating debt. The funded debt on the Ist of
January was £3,350,000, and the capital stock sub-
scribed £3,190,000. The revenue from the line will
pay the expenses, State taxes, and interest on the
debt, so that the railway has now ceased to be a
burden on the lands. The net income this year
should exceed £240,000, whilst the interest on the
bonds cannot be more than £210,000. In the past
year the balance of revenue over expenditure was
£226,000. The shareholders of the Pernambuco
have confirmed the resolution authorising the direc-
tors to continue the payment of interest out of the
funds of the company at the rate of 7 per cent. per
annum. A return of the French railway traffic
during the past year shows that the aggregate
receipts in 1860 were £16,328,549 on 5,689 miles,
against £15,545,194 on 5,488 miles in 1859, being
an increase of £783,355, or 5 per cent.