The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-11 00:00:00

GREAT NORTHERN.

An extraordinary general meeting of this com-
pany was held yesterday at the King's-cross Station
to consider nine Railway Bills, in compliance with
the standing orders of the House of Lords—Mr. E.
Denison, the chairman, presided.
Mr. OAKLEY, the secretary, having read the
notice convening the meeting,
The CHAIRMAN said the first bill he had to submit
was for authorising the Metropolitan Railway Com-
pany to make improvements in their communica-
tion with the Great Northern ; and to empower the
Metropolitan, Great Northern, and Great Western
Railway Companies to enter into agreements for
the use and working' of the Metropolitan Railway
and the apportionment of the receipts arising there-
from.

A formal resolution approving the bill was
carried unanimously,
The CHAIRMAN said the next bill he had to
submit was for extending the Metropolitan Rail-
way from Smithfield to Finsbury-circus, and to
authorise the Great Northern, Great Western, and
London, Chatham, and Dover Companies to make
arrangements for the use of the line and station.
The Solicitor read the 36th clause of the bill, and
it was unanimously approved.
A bill was then submitted for authorising the
construction of a railway from Edgware, through
Hendon, Finchley, and Highgate, and terminat-
ing by a junction with the Great Northern
Railway to the north of the Copenhagen
Tunnel. It also empowered the Great Northern
Company to agree for the working and manage-
ment of the line, and the appointment of the receipts
arising therefrom.
The CHAIRMAN said he believed it would be a use-
ful line to the public, and might be of advantage to
the Great Northern Company. He then moved a
formal resolution approving the bill, which was
carried unanimously.
The Solicitor read the heads of a bill to authorise
the construction of a railway between Garston and
Liverpool.
The CHAIRMAN said this was the most important
bill he had to submit to the proprietors. It em-
powered the Great Northern and Manchester, Shef-
field, and Lincolnshire Railway Companies jointly
to construct a railway from Garston to Liverpool,
and to appoint a committee of management.
The capital was £450,000, and it was to be pro-
vided equally by both companies, The length of
the line was between six and seven miles, and would
enable the company to run trains into Liverpool
and to have a joint station there and half the line.
The Great Northern would also have running
powers from Retford to Garston, and thence by the
new line into Liverpool. He thought it a most
important agreement for the proprietors of the
Great Northern.

The motion approving the bill was carried, and
the meeting was adjourned to the 30th inst. for the
consideration of the other bills.

CHARING-CROSS.

A special general meeting of this company was
held yesterday at the offices of the South-Eastern
Railway, London-bridge, in accordance with the
standing orders of the House of Commons, to con-
sider a bill now before Parliament—the Hon. J.
Byng in the chair.

Mr. S. SMILES, the secretary, having read the
notice convening this meeting,
The CHAIRMAN said the bill he had to submit
was for authorising the company to make a line of
railway from the authorised line into the city of
London, with an additional line in Southwark.
He remarked that so clear was the case before the
Lords that the committee only occupied one day
before its approval of the measure.
Mr. TOOGOOD, the solicitor, read the beads of
the bill for authorising the Charing-cross Railway
Company to make a line of railway from their
authorised line into the city of London, with an
additional line in Southwark, and to raise further
capital to the extent of £525,000, and to borrow
£175,000. It also authorised the South-Eastern
Railway Company to subscribe a further sum
of money towards the undertaking.
A formal resolution, approving the bill (as
amended in committee), was carried unanimously,
and the proceedings terminated.

ANTWERP AND ROTTERDAM.

A meeting of shareholders in this company was
held yesterday at the offices, Cannon-street, preli-
minary to the general meeting of the company at
Brussels, on the 18th inst. General Studd was
voted to the chair.
Mr. U. F. SMITH, the company's London agent,
having read the notice convening the meeting, the
report was taken as read.
The CHAIRMAN said there had been some dissatis-
faction at calling the meeting so early, but they
were told that the sooner they held the meeting the
sooner the shareholders would get their dividend.
He concluded by moving the adoption of the report
and statement of accounts.
Mr. L. SCHUSTER seconded the motion, and it
was carried.
Captain SHAw, the managing director, in reply to
questions, stated that several lines had been projected
in Holland and Belgium, which, if carried out,
would have an influence on their traffic. Some of
them would be of infinite service to them, while one
or two would be of a competing character. The
continuation of the company's line from Moerdyke
to Rotterdam by the Government would be an ex-
pensive work, and require five or six years for its
construction. It was probable the Government
would ask them to work the new line when com-
pleted. One matter not mentioned in the report
was a negotiation that had terminated the day
before respecting an arrangement for obtaining
access to the basins and canals at Antwerp. They
were told in the report that the Minister of Public
Works would consent to the company making lines
to the basins and canals on condition that the com-
pany should remove the line when required to do so
by that department, and thus destroy the communi-
cation which would cost the company X 9,000 to make
it. The Board did not consider it prudent to risk so
much money on a contingency, and they entered
into negotiations in another quarter for the pur-
chase of land and a canal, which would give the
company the desired access to the basins and docks
at Antwerp. In short he had to ask the meeting to
give its assent to the payment of £2,000 for com-
pletion of this purchase, by which they would, in
tact, save £7,000 of the £9,000 proposed to be ex-
?ended for that prirpose.
t.l4r, SC:HUSTER said there could not to be a ques-
ta :the advantage of the proposed arrange-
ment .
brugiun• the company's line into commu-
A" 'with the docks and canals of the country.
forsiati:
.£2,000 for ek.lolution sanctioning the outlay of
then carried Ilitliwrchase of the land and canal was
Mr. }ions aaniraously.
other shareholders expressed
themselves di,atl4
made
tor.tld with the small progress the
traffic had
vtome years past, and suggested
that a committee be
Ted to consider the beet
mode of having th(Prin ti Ruh shareholders repre-
sented at the Boarda
to whether some _mp_ovement Brussels, and as
in the management of the comptnanight not be made
Mr. C. W. PRICE had been over the line three or
forir times, and considered that it was well
managed
an d properly worker I.
]Yfr. GUSTENBERG thought it desirable to appoint
a committee to iuquii ,e into the matters complained
of, with a view to ascertain what could be done to
bencfit the company.
A. fter a long convei 73ation a resolution was pissed
!ippc,inting a committo e, consisting of f Mr. Schuster,
j_un-, Mr. Gustenbere, Mr. E. Wright, Mr. T.d
Mr. hiNmpson, and M g • at
. irrison, to consider the best
mo de of representing- the English shareholders
the, Board in Brussels, , also to consider whether any
alt erotica in the ma nai cement could be made with

advantage to the company; and [the proceedings
terminated.

BISHOP'S CASTLE.

On Friday, Saturday, and Monday public meet-
ings were held at Montgomery, Churchstoke, Chir-
bury, Bishop's Castle, and Craven Arms, to con-
sider the propriety of supporting the proposed line
of railway.
Mr. Piercy, the engineer, explained that the rail.
way would commence at the Montgomery Station,
near Caerhow ell, passing through Chirbury,
Churchstoke, Lydham, and forming a junction with
the Shrewsbury and Hereford line near Craven
Arms. There would be a short spur from the main
line to Montgomery, and a branch from Lydham to
Bishop's Castle of a mile and a half in length. The
entire length would be about 16 miles, and the cost
OEIBO,OOO. The line would connect two important
districts and open up lime and coal districts.
A large number of shares were taken, and a peti-
tion to the House of Lords in favour of the bill was
numerously signed.

RAILWAY BILLS.
Yesterday the Committee appointed to inquire
into the question of the proposed new railway docks
for Hull decided that new and extended dock
accommodation for the port of Hull was necessary,
and approved of the Bill the Kingston-upon-Hull
Dock Company, which proposes to effect that object.
In the committee on the Leeds, Bradford, and
Halifax Railway, the preamble of that bill was
declared proved, and that of the Dewsbury, Batley,
Gomershal, and Bradford Railway withdrawn.
The hearing of the Great Northern Railway
Company's Bill for proposed purchase of the Hert-
ford Branch Railway, together with the bill of the
Barnsley Coal Railway, was postponed, the parties
not being ready.
The case for the promoters of the Osweitry,
Ellesmere, and Whitchurch Railway was closed,
and Mr. Burke, Q.C., opened the case on behalf of
the Shrewsbury, Oswestry, and Ellesmere Railway,
and called general evidence in favour of that line,
and the committed adjourned.
CITY RAILWAYS AND THE POOR.—In his evidence
before the Committee of the House of Lords ap-
pointed to inquire into this question, Dr. Letheby,
medical officer of health of the City of London,
deposed that with regard to the removal of the
courts and alleys occupied by the poorer classes in
Long-alley, by Broad-street, city, to make way for
the proposed station of the North London Railway
there, their removal would be highly advantageous
in a sanitary point of view, seeing that the city
authorities had no means of breaking in upon these
densely populated districts and improving their
sanitary condition without some such means as rail-
ways afforded of relieving the over-crowded loca-
lities. One of the best things that could happen
for the city of London would be the adoption of
means whereby the poorer classes might be taken
out into the suburbs at evening and return to their
daily labour by cheap trains. It would be a great
boon and advantage to them. At the present mo-
ment the localities were closely crammed with dwel-
ling-houses, the removal of which would give open
spaces for the circulation of air, and do away with
the outbreak of fever and disease. One shilling a-
week would pay the fare, and it would pay the rail-
way companies to carry poor people at the same
rate as they carried the same weight of goods.
As there were upwards of 1,000,000 persons in the
city daily, it was desirable to have it fully venti-
lated, and the railway would give the poor of the
city the same opportunity of going out of town as
the rich. He had not considered how the country
parishes would like this extradition of the poor, but
the question was a large and difficult one, and one
of which no practical solution had yet been found.
The route of the North London line towards Kings-
land was not at present thickly populated, and
small houses to accommodate the poorer classes
might be conveniently constructed, and, at present,
the poor in the city paid on an average 2s. 6d. per
week for a single room, and as low as ls. 6d. He
did not know that the Stockton and Darlington
ran trains for the poorer classes at 6d. per head per
week, but thought that at is. per head per week
trains would pay commercially.