The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-18 00:00:00

CALEDONIAN.

The adjourned inquiry into the cause of Elizabeth
Hall's death was held at the Town-hall, Darling-
ton, on Wednesday. There was present a large
number of pers3ns anxious to know the result. Mr.
Wardell, of Newcastle, watched the proceedings on
behalf of Gloster Smith, the schoolmaster, who was
charged by the police as being accessory to the
cause of her death.
The only further evidence which had been gained
was that of the Rev. H. J. Wardell, curate of Win-
laton, who identified the handwriting of the letters
as being Smith's; and also of two boys, one the
brother of deceased, and the other a brother of
Smith's, who proved that the letter which attaches
the greatest suspicion to Smith was from him.
The coroner, in summing up, told the jury they
must first determine as to the cause of death, and
then fix upon the perpetrators. As to the first point,
according to Mr. Fothergill, the surgeon who had•
made the post-mortem examination, there could not
be the-slightest doubt. As to the second, he might
tell them that if they were clearly of opinion Gloster
Smith instigated attempts to procure abortion, he
would be dealt with as a principal in the affair ;
and the law laid down that if an attempt to procure
abortion, although there might be no intenticn of
causing death, death was the result, the parties so
offending were chargeable with murder, and of the
Very worst kind.
The jury consulted in private for some time, and
returned the verdict " That the deceased died in
consequence of means used to procure abortion, but
at whose hands it did not appear."
The superintendent of police intimated that some-
thing had transpired within the last few days
which led him to believe that Smith would have to
be taken before the Gateshead magistrates. We
understand that some clue has been gained as to
where the deceased went when she was absent from
Darlington. Rumour says that a surgeon had ab-
sconded from Gateshead since the commencement of
these proceedings.
Smith was brought before the Darlington Ben,
yesterday (Thursday) and discharged.

The Nicholas Poussin arrived at Fort de France,
Martinique, on the 20th Jan., with 406 coolies ; and the
Van Dyck from the coast of Africa, with 278 free negroes.
All those men were immediately distributed among
the different plantations, which were greatly in want of
labourers. _ _

Hom.owAY's PlLLS.—Dyspepsia, disordered digestion.
Some persons aro particularly prone to stomach and liver
complaints ; while in others these diseases are produced by
sedentary habits, irregular living, or mental disquietude.
The liver and stomach being distempered, the heart and
lungs syMpathise with them, and both mind and body
shortly suffer. These admirable pills act directly on these
organs and soon restore them to a natural and healthy con-
dition. The impurities are discharged from the system, the
respiratory organs are relieved, the heated blood cooled and
the bilious secretion regulated, the heart's action becomes
tranquil, the nerves acquire strength, and health benignly
dawns again, and happiness returns, and the patient is
thoroughly restored to easy digestion, cheering thoughts,
acid refreshing repose. .

SOUTH-EASTEBN.
The directors of this :compally, have resolved to
recommend the proprietors at the ensuing half-
yearly meeting to order payment of a dividend of
15s. on each £3O. stock; being at the rate of 5 per
cent. per annum. They state in their report, which
has just been issued, that the gross receipts during
the half-year ending on the 31st of January have
amounted to £575,654 (hichiding £21,213 receipts
from steamboat traffic), being an increase of £18,550
as compared with the half-year ending January 31,
IssB. The ordinary working expenses during the
half-year amounted to £199,373; the rates, taxes,
tolls, and Government duty to £34,818; and the.
working of . the steampacket service to £15,798.
After providing for the fixed charges in respect of
rents, interest, annuities, preference dividends, &c.,
there remains a net balance_ of £186,955 available
for -dividend 6n :the: ordinary consolidated stock of•
the company. A dividend of los. per £3O stock,
or at the rate of £5 per cent. per annum, will ab-
sorba sum of £185,842, leaving a balance to be
carried forward of £1,112, and this rate of divi•
deny the directors recommend to be paid on Thurs-
day, the 3d day of March next: The analysis
of the receipts and expenditures for the half-year
shows an increase in The gross receipts of £18,550,
and of £4,063 in the expenses, leaving an increase
of £14,487 in the net receipts as-compared with
the corresponding period of the preceding year.
There was an increase in the number of second-
class passengers of 45,965, and in third class pas-
sengers of. 74;325, but there was a decrease of
13,045 in the number of first class passengers. A
decrease took place of £1,342 in the receipts for
first class passengers, and of £705 in the receipts
for second class passengers, together £2,047, but
there was an increase of £1,026 in the receipts for
third class passengers, leaving the total decrease
£1,021 on receipts for passengers during the past
half-year. The increase in the number of second
and third class passengers- represents the increase
in the local traffic; and the decrease in the number
of first class passengers and in receipts .is more than
accounted for by the falling off in the. continental
traffic during the half-year. In the last half-yearly
report it was stated that the loss of receipts by rail
and boat froM the latter source in the first half of
last year amounted to £15,136, but a recent relaxa-
tion of the stringency in the passport system has
already had a favourable influence, by reducing the
loss to about £6,500 during the last half-year. At
the same time, it is worthy of notice that the per-
centage of loss sustained by the South-Eastern
Company appears from published returns to have
been considerably under the average decrease in
Continental passenger traffic by other routes dur-
ing the same period. There has also been a de-
crease of about £2,000 during the last half year
in the receipts for the conveyance of troops,
at all times an irregular source of railway income.
The steady increase in the receipts from local traffic
and other sources has more than made up for the
losses above referred to, and placed at the disposal
of the proprietors a balance available for dividend
on the ordinary stock of more than £12,000 in ex-
cess of that shown in the revenue account of the
corresponding half-year. The directors think it
right to call the attention of the proprietors to this
gratifying feature in the accounts. In the year
ending the 31st of January, 1852, 6,772,072 passen-
gers were oniveyed on the railway on payment of
£574,268, and for .season tickets, £14,459; and in
the
.yearending the 31st of January, 1859, the total
number of passengers conveyed Was 9,588,331, and
the amount received.fortlieir conveyance £700,680,
and for season tickets £27,431, showing a gradual
increase, in the course of seven years, of 2,516,259
in the number of passengers, of £126,412 in the
receipts, and an increase in the receipts for. season
tickets of £12,972. The receipts for merchandise
and minerals during the half-year exhibit an in-
crease of £15,129 compared with the.corresponding
period of 1857-8, the principal items of increase
being iu general merchandise, £7,107
£5;720 ; continental good; £1,344 and- ,
£905. The expense of working and maintaining
the railway during the past half-year exhibits an
increase of £8,117, and is thus explained :—The
increase of £3,272 in the locomotive and carriage
expenses arises from a larger expenditure
on renewals of carriages, rendered necessary by
the requirements of the traffic, eighty-six pas-
senger carriages and seventy-two waggons having
been renewed during the half-year, all of a superior
description to those which have been displaced.
The expenditure on the maintenance and renewal
of way and works for the half-year exhibits an
increase of £3,609. 15 miles of way have been
entirely relaid, and the road generally has been
much improved by the introduction of new
materials, all of which are charged directly to
revenue account. The company's steampackets
have been fully maintained by an increased expendi-
ture on repairs of £1,040 during the half-year, and
they have performed their voyages from port to
port with their accustomed regularity. Active
measures have been adopted during the past half-
year to obtain a reduction in the rating of the
railway in the parishes through which it passes.
In the parishes of Battle and Rye respectively the
rates appealed against by the company have been
quashed, and in other parishes substantial reduc-
tions have been effected. The total outlay on
capital account has been £26,860, the principal
items of expenditure having been incurred in pro-
viding additional goods waggons and in erecting
permanent instead of timber stations at Maidstone
and Margate.- The directors are
proceeding with
the sale of the company's surplus lands as favourable
opportunities occur; the amount realised from this
source during the last half-year has been £7,601.
Meanwhile, from the remainder of surplus property
undisposed of a satisfactory rental continues to be
derived. The provision of a convenient West-end
terminus for the passenger traffic of the South-
Eastern Railway has been repeatedly brought under
the notice of the proprietors.' A company has been
formed,. plans of the projected -railway have been
prepared and deposited, and the necessary steps
have been taken to proceed with the bill in the
present session of Parliament. The objects of the
proposed measure are thus succinctly described in
the report just presented by the Board of Trade to
the douse of Commons on the railway and canal
bills of 1859 :7-- •
The London-biidge and Charing-cross Railway Bill
unites London-bridge station with the Waterloo-road
station, and passes over linnet-ford-bridge (over which it
preserves a foot road).to a station in Hungerford-market,
and would materially reliOire Several. Streets of traffic by
carrying the South-Eastern Railway West-end traffic to
Chasing-cross, and the London and South-Western city
traffic to London-bridge." „
The - provision..of ; such a terminus would, in the
opinion of the directors, not only fully satisfy the
requirements of Parliament with reference to a
convenient West-end terminus for South-Eastern
purposes, but would materially strengthen the
position of the company, and largely increase its
traffl:., by bringing. the railway into direct contact
at many new points with the population of the
metropolis. They have accordingly watched the
progress of this project with much interest, and
afforded every assistance to the promoters in its
early stages. They have further resolved to re-
commendthe proprietors to authorise the subscrip-
tion by the company of 'such an amount of capital
in the. undertaking as will enable them to secure I
for South-Eastern interests the full advantages
to be derived from the formation of the pro-
posed railway and terminus. The Caterham
Railway is a short line situated in the South-
Eastern district, which it is proposed to take the
authority of the proprietors to purchase for the sum
of £15,200. The line is four miles five furlongs in
length, and was constructed at a cost of above
£4Q,000.
The capital accounts shows that £11,667,074 had
ch been expended to the 31st of January last.

MIDLAND.
The half-yearly meeting of this company was held
at Derby on Wednesday—Mr. S. Beale, M.P., in the

chair. -
The motion for the adoption of the repoort was
carried, and resolutions declaring the dividends
recommended in the report, consolidating into stock
certain shares, and authorising the directors to ex-
pend a total of £97,150 in the execution of works
and in providing additional stock, were carried
unanimously.

It appears-tivfiividend on the ordinary stock of
OAR company.* the past half-year is to be at the
rate of 4 per cent. per annum, being 1 per cent.
less that at the corresponding period of last year.