The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-27 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 27, 1859.

ATE TR OP OL I T AN, COUNTIES, AND
GENERAL LIFE ASSURANCE SOCIETY,
27, Regent-street, Waterloo-place, London, S.W.
Life Assurance, Annuities, and Endowments.
Loans on real and personal security.
F. FERGUSON CAMROUX, Manager.

ROYAL EXCHANGE ASSURANCE OFFICE.
Royal Exchange, London,

25th May, 1859.
The Court of Directors of the Corporation of the Royal
Exchange Assurance do Hereby give Notic'i, that their
Transfer-Books will be shut from TUESDAY, the 7th of
June next, to THURSDAY, the 7th of July following; and
that a General Court of the said Corporation will be holden
at their Office at the Royal Exchange, on WEDNESDAY,
the 22d of June, at Twelve o'clock at noon, to consider of
a dividend. .

JOHN A. HIGHAM, Secretary.

LIFE ASSURANCE.
Office—Fleet-street, London.

CUTION.—COLONISTS from AUSTRALIA
and NEW ZEALAND are hereby cautioned against an
impostor, calling himself Mr. or the Rev. Mr. Thomas, or
Thompson, who solicits subscriptions, in some cases for
establishing schools, and in other cases churches in the
Colonies. He has also a confederate who solicits money or
clothes for himself and family to assist them on a voyage to
the Colonies. 'One of them is well known to the Mendicity
Society.
Further particulars may be learned by applying at the
Australian and New Zealand Rooms, Change-alley, Cornhill,
London.

MR. LOCKE KING, M.P., AND .JIR.
ALCOCK, 3LP.

The annual spring meeting of the East Surrey
Agricultural Association for sleep shearing and
the exhibition of stock was held ' yesterday at
Croydon. In the afternoon about 60 gentlemen sat
down to dinner at the King's Arms Hotel. Mr. T.
Byron occupied the chair, and there were also pre-
sent the Hon. J. P. Locke King, M.P., the Rev. E.
B. Benyon, Mr. Cressingham, Mr. Sutherland, Mr,
Drummond, Mr. Mortimer, and several of the lead-
ing agriculturists of the district.
The customary loyal toasts having been drunk,
Mr. SUTHERLAND briefly proposed " the health
of the members for the eastern division of the
county," reminding them at agricultural meetings
they always lost sight of political differences.
Mr. ALCOCK, M.P., in responding, said it was
quite true that they differed very essentially upon
some measures, and it would be a very dull and
monotonous state of affairs if, upon every question
of interest connected with agriculture, politics,
religion, hunting, or shooting, they were all of one
opinion. If there were no differences of opinion
there would be no longer that spirit of emulation
or that reasonable jealousy and envy which was
essential to the wellbeing of any community in the
world. (Hear, hear.) On the Continent we saw a
magnificent nation, consisting of some 36,000,000
people, who called themselves the Germanic Con-
federation, differing most essentially among them-
selves in reference to the ordinary proceedings of
life, but the moment they had a common object in
which they were all interested; such as having to
oppose the army of France—which no doubt they
would very shortly be called upon to do—the
whole 30 states of which the confederation con-
sisted became as one man. (Hear, hear.) Such
was also the case in England. They might differ
very considerably upon minor questions, but let
them have an opportunity of showing their patriot-
ism, and they would be found of one mind, ready
at any moment to enter the lists against any man
or nation who attempted anything derogatory to
the dignity and honour of their country. (Cheers.)
He saw with great satisfaction that they had
already established a corps of volunteer riflemen at
Croydon, and he thought they had done themselves
honour and credit in being among the foremost in
England to exhibit their patriotism. (Cheers.) It
was of the utmost importance that at the present
moment the people of England should unite in
establishing volunteer corps, in order to render
it perfectly certain that no attempt to invade
this country by any foreign nation could have the
most remote chance of success. If we possessed one,
two, or three hundred thousand riflemen, or even
50,000 or 60,000 good marksmen, it would be im-
possible for any hostile army to land and penetrate
for 10 miles into the country. (Cheers.) No foreign
army could ever land and form in readiness for
battle if they were liable to be harassed and made
targets of by a body of 50,000 or 100,000 picked
marksmen. (Hear, hear.) It was necessary,
however, that every rifle corps about to be esta-
blished should have a good practice ground to which
every man who had a taste for firearms could resort,
without running the risk of shooting his neighbour
or his neighbour's cow. (Hear, hear, and laughter.)
It was said that such were the facilities afforded in
these times of steam that France or any other
foreign country could embark and land troops upon
the shores of England in a few hours. He did not
believe that they could do anything of the kind.
What was the case iii the late war in the Crimea ?
About 40,000 troops were landed in the Crimea in
June or July, 1854, but it was five days after com-
mencing to land before they attempted to march.
(Hear, hear.) If that afforded a proper criterion of
the difficulties attending the invasion of a hostile
country, it would be impossible for Russia, France,
or any other country to land 50,000 or 60,000 men,
and have them prepared to penetrate into this
country, before every rifle corps could be brought
against them. For his own part he believed there
was no fear of invasion, but at the same time it was
necessary that we should be prepared for any
emergency that might arise. (Cheers.)
Mr. LOCKE KING, M.P., also responded. He
referred to the great question of peace or war, and
said he was truly glad to find that it was a ques-
tion upon which they were all of one mind. He
belieVed they were all in favour of maintaining
peace so long as it could be maintained with safety
to the honour and the interest' of the country.
(Cheers.) At the same time he was not the man to
wish for peace if he found that it could only be
maintained by an injury to that which was dear to
all Englishmen—the honour of their country.
(Cheers.) Of what good would it be to them to
maintain a peace at the sacrifice of their honour ?
He believed that a change had taken place in pub-
lic opinion which was most satisfactory. In former
times England was looked upon as a most pug-
nacious nation, ready at any time to embark in a
war when any of the other nations of Europe were
at hostilities. But the experience which we had
since acquired had rendered us much wiser. We
had no reason to seek, as we used to do in former
times, for territorial aggrandisement, for we knew
very well that an increase of territory would be a
source of weakness to us, and not of power—that
it would not add to our wealth, but, on the con-
trary, to our poverty. (Hear, hear.) No doubt,
war was sometimes necessary, but he sincerely
trusted that such would not be the case now ; and
to show one stmong the many horrors of war he
would mention a remarkable circumstance con-
nected with the French nation which was once
told him when travelling in France by a gentle-
man who was a most profound philosopher. It
was a notorious fact that the French nation had
very much deteriorated of late years, and that very
great difficulty was experienced in reinforcing the
ranks of the army by men of the same stature
and calibre as the troops of former years.
The gentleman to whom he alluded—an ex-
perienced Frenchman, thoroughly conversant with
the matter—told him that when the Government
were compelled to have recourse to conscription
they were constantly obliged to lower the standard.
The reason assigned for it was that in the great
war of Napoleon the best men were continually
taken, and absorbed, and destroyed. That ex-
plained. how it was that the present class of
Frenchmen was so inferior. All the best men were
draughted into the army and killed in the wars,
the cripples and those not fit for warlike purposes
being the only persons left at home, and from that
class were the present race of Frenchmen descended.
(Laughter and cheers.) Gentlemen might laugh,
but they might depend upon it that there was a
great deal of truth in the statement, and, for him-
self, he fully believed that the deterioration of the
physical condition of a nation was one of the curses
which war inflicted upon a country. (Hear, hear.)
In speaking of the question of territorial aggran-
disement, he could not forget how completely peace
had not only changed the national feeling, but the
feelings of individuals also. Not many years ago
the great ambition of every squire was to add to
his territory. In those days an estate descended
from father to son in very much the same con-
ditionas it had descended for ages. A far different
state of things now existed. Every landlord was
actually coerced by the tenant farmer into im-
proving his property. No tenant farmer worth
owning as a tenant farmer would take or rent from
a landlord an estate which had not been improved.
(Hear, hear.) The landlord, if he had money, was
obliged to spend it upon his estate, and if he
had not money he was obliged to raise it some-
where in order to prevent his property from be-
coming a source of poverty, instead of wealth to him.
The great body of tenant farmers throughout the
country were greatly changed from what they were
formerly. Not many years ago the worse farmer a
man was the more land he coveted. He went and
scratched over a large number of acres, and the
result was that he only got a very poor return
from them. He knew now that he must not only
improve his farm, but must have capital to go on
with, and that whatever he cultivated he must
cultivate well. Improvement in this respect might
be now traced from the landlord even down to the
labourer. The round•frocked farmers of olden time
hated an educated labourer, and believed that
education was the worst thing that could exist.
But what was the case now ?, The labourer had
learned instead of serafehing over the land to
become a neat farmer, and received wages in pro-
portion to his .skill.
,(Hear, hear.) There were
many other questions connected with the agricul-
tural interest which the farmers would do well to
study and think over for-themselves ; for he believed
the tenant farmers, as a body, would be very
powerful if they would only act in union and ask
things in reason. What they ought now to aim at
was to get the greatest possible amount of freedom
for the soil. There ought to be greater freedom
and greater simplicity in the process of transferring
land from one person to another, and the tenant
farmers ought to endeavour to obtain some more
simple and comprehensive system of leases—leases
easily' understood, instead of the old lease which
no one except a lawyer could comprehend. (Hear,
hear.) Then, again, there existed throughout a
Great part of Surrey a system of valuation which.
was the most injurious that could possibly be cler,ised.

I As it now operated, the worse the outgoing tenant
the more'he extracted from the incoming tenant,
while the really good farmer wents-entirely unre-
' warded. All these were questions which the
agriculturists ought seriously to consider, in order
to see if they could not introduce a better state of
things. He believed if they did that they would
do a great amount of good, not only to themselves,
but to the landowners also. (Hear, hear.) With
regard to the laws which affected agriculture, he
took some credit to himself for having instituted
an inquiry into the statute Book, so as to ascertain
what the laws were which related, to agriculture.
By an old statute of Henry VIII. he foun that the
law limited the number of sheep which a farmer
might keep, and also prohibited a tenant farmer
from having more than two farms belonging to the
same landowner. That statute, he was glad to
say, we had repealed, but he had no doubt there
wore many others which, though obsolete, might
be resuscitated from time to time to the great in-
jury of the agriculturists. (Hear, hear.) There
was only one other subject to which he would refer
before concluding his remarks—namely, the sub.-
ject of agricultural fixtures. What could be more
absurd than to say that the tenant who put up any
building in order to enable, him to carry on his
business as a farmer when he quitted the farm
shotild not be allowed to remove it, unless, by
resorting to a kind of legal quibble, he had severed
it from the freetiold by erecting it upon posts ?
(Hear, heat.) He' thought the tenant ought to be
allowed to erect what buildings he liked, and to
take them away when he left, provided that is
doing so he did no injury to the property of his
landlord. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Locke King con-
cluded by proposing " The health of the chair--
man." (Cheers.)
Severril other toasts having been drunk, the pro-
ceedings terminated.

RAIL WAY INTELLIGENCE.

SOUTH EASTERN.

A special general meeting of this company was
held yesterday at the Bridge House Hotel to con-
sider two bills, one for making a railway from
London-bridge to Charing-cross, and the other
authorising the transfer of the Caterham Railway
to the South Eastern Company—the Hon. J. Byng
in the chair.
The CHAIRMAN said the first bill he had to sub-
mit for their consideration was the bill authorising
the construction of the London-bridge and Charing-
cross Railway. At the half-yearly meeting they
confirmed the agreement entered into with the
Charing-cross Company for 'the working of the line
when constructed, and at the same time authorised

the directors to subscribe towards the undertaking.
The directors had vigorously supported the bill in
Parliament, and endeavoured to promote its success
by every means in their power. Having received
the sanction of the committee of the House of
Commons, it was now necessary to obtain their
formal approval of it, under what was called the
Wharncliffc Stan dingOrder,bcfore it was introduced
into the House of Lords. The bill formed the subject
of a protracted inquiry before the Commons' com-
mittee, and the evidence given in its favour was
thoroughly sifted. The committee seemed to have
regarded the measure of so much importance that
they were not satisfied merely with the evidence of
witnesses, but themselves made a personal inspection
of the thoroughfares and buildings likely to -be
affected by the construction of the proposed line, as
well as of the London bridge station and its ap-
proaches ; and they must therefore regard the
decision they had come to, after so much painstaking
investigation, as a full confirmation of the necessity
which existed for the construction of the Charing-
cross Railway. He need scarcely again point
out the great importance of the line to South
Eastern interests. By bringing their system into
direct communication with the best quarters of the
West-end they could not fail to secure a large ac-
cession of passenger traffic. They would also re-
deem in the most satisfactory manner the pledge
given to Parliament, and which received the ap-
proval of the proprietors, with reference to the pro-
vision of an access to the western parts of London.
The cordial support which tfie measure had received
from most of the public departments—from the
, Horse Guards, the Admiralty, the Post-office--and
the strong opinions which had been expressed in
its favour by the Board of Trade, led them to be•
Here that the carrying out of the measure could
not fail to prove of great public convenience. And
whatever in railway communication was found to
be of great public convenience was almost invari-
ably found to he also productive of pecuniary ad-
vantage to railway proprietors themselves. (Hear,
hear.)
Mr. S. SMILES, the secretary, read the heads of
" A Bill for the making and maintaining of the
London-bridge and Charing-cross Railway ; and
for other purposes." The bill provided for the for.
mation of ,'unctions with the South Eastern Rail-
way near London-bridge, and with the London and
South Western Railway near the Waterloo-road
station. It authorised arrangemmts for the work-
ing use, and maintenance of the railway; the
creation by the South Eastern Company of prefer-
ence shares to the extent of £300,600, being the
amount of their subscription to the undertaking.
Any deficiency in the preference dividend in any one
year was not to be paid out of the profits of sub-
sequent years, and that stock would not affect the
rights of the existing preference shares of the
South-Eastern Compamy. The holding by the
latter. company of shares in the London-bridge and
Charing-cross Company was to be represented at
meetings of the latter company by some person
duly appointed bp the South-Eastern Company.
Ihe CHAIRMAN .moved a formal resolution
approving the bill.
Mr. W. G. THOMSON seconded the motion.

In reply to a question, it was stated that £300,000
was the total amount of obligation in respect of
capital the South-Eastern Company was under at
present to the new company.
Mr. ADAMS would like to hear a list of the share-
holders in the Charing-cross Railway read to the
meeting.
The CHAIRMAN said it was not a meeting of the
Charing-cross Company ; he could not, therefore,
give him the names of the shareholders.
Mr. HARTRIDGE wished to know whether the
directors were satisfied of the sufficiency of the
subscriptions to the Charing•cross Company.
The CHAIRMAN said they were quite satisfied.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. MACLAURIN believed that the company had
nothing to do with the new company further than
to subscribe £300,000.
The CHAIRMAN said they had power to nominate
four directors on the board of the new company to
take care of the funds, and see that the money was
properly expended.
Mr. G. SMITH hoped the South Eastern Company
would always have a control over the propose.i line.
He thought that undertaking was one of the best
and most judicious things the South Eastern Com-
pany ever did. The extension to Charing-cross
would be a great convenience to the public, and he
trusted that its construction would have a beneficial
effect upon the value of their stock, which had been
for a long time unduly depressed. He hoped they
would all unite in giving a calm, deliberate, and
unanimous vote in favour of the bill.
After some observations approving the course
adopted by the directors in respect of the proposed
undertaking,. the resolution sanctioning the bill was
carried unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN said the next bill he had to sub-
mit was a bill authorizing the transfer of the Cater-
ham Railway, to the South Eastern Company. The
line had got into the hands of its principal creditor,
and the company were to give 5J15,200 for it, which
Was about one-third of its cost. It would stand
them in about £3,400 a mile, the line being about
four and a half miles in length. There was not
much traffic upon it at present, but it was improv-

ing.
The Secretary having read the heads of the bill,
alformal resolution approving it was carried unani-
mously.
The meeting was then made special to consider
the propriety of authorizing the directors to exer-'
cise the borrowing powers of the Strood and Maid-
stone Railway Act to the extent of -.E80;000.
The CHAIRMAN said £363,900 had.been expended
on the Strood and Maidstone line, i-helnding the
£BO,OOO which was owing to the 'South Eastern
Company, and which would be thus replaced.
Mr. CAIRD, M.P., wished to know whether the
directors held any of the stock of 'the East Fen'
Company.
The CHAIRMAN—Not one.
Mr. CAIRD then adverted to the fall in the price
of the shares, which he believed had arisen from
the fear that they would be opposed in respect of
their' over traffic. He thought that a 5 per cent.
dividend would entitle their shares to a higher
quotation in the market, unless there was some-
thing elSe that was not understood. He thought'
their only security was in having a good under-
standing with other companies, accommodating the
public, and thus obtaining a liberal return for the
shareholders. It seemed to his most deal able they
should come to ternis'
with their opponents, tics'

East Kent, and do so on xeasonable terms in good
time.

Mr. MACLAURIN thought theSe observations were
quite out of season.
The CHAIRMAN said the lion. gentleman was out
of order. He had allowed Mr. Caird to proceed; as
his observations were generally valuable, but if he
had anything to suggest the directors would be
happy to meet him.
Mr. CAIRD thought he could suggest something
with regard to increasing the traffic on the line by
improving the accommodation to the public.
Mr. KAY, a director, felt it necessary to make an
observation in respect to the allusion by Mr. Caird
to the East Kent Railway. It was not the time to
talk of coming to terms with that company. Had
he (Mr. Kay) known that Mr. Caird was going to
introduce the subjeot, he would have been prepared
with statistics and facts that would have convinced
the meeting that this was not the time to deal with
that company.
The CHAIRMAN could assure the- meeting that in
anything that.might arise the directors would only
consider the interests of the South Eastern Com-
pany,
Mr. CAIRD said he did not intend,to refer to the
East Kent Company.
Mr. BELL said_ they could not entertain any
question but that for which the -meeting was spe-
cially convened. ' •• .
The CHAIRMAN would be most thankful to Mr.
Caird for any information lib 'could give'theM.
The motion was then carried unanimensly,• arid
a vote of thanks to the chairman and
.directors
concluded the proceedings.

_HOSPITAL FOR CONSUMPTION,

BROMPT0.11:

Yesterday the eighteenth annual general court of
the governors of this valuable charity was held in
tllb board room of the hospital, the Right Hon.
Earl Manvers presiding ; and among those present
were General the Hon. T. Ashburnham, the Hon.
P. S. Pierrepont, the Rev. Sir H. Foulis Bart.,
General Bowling, &c.
Previous to the assemblage of the court, divine
service took place in the elegant chapel of the
institution.

The Hon. Secretary, Mr. F. ROSE, read the
general and financial reports, which showed that
during the latter part of last year the committee
were thankful to report that they had been able, by
an increase of the resources of the charity, to reopen
the building to the full complement of in-patients.
The number of in-patients who had been under
treatment during the year ending December 31,
1858, including 116 remaining in the hospital in
December, 1857, was 667, of whom 400 had been
discharged greatly benefited, 98 had died, and 169
remained on the 31st December last. The gover-
nors were urged to consider the importance of
using a prudent discrimination in the selection of
cases for recommendation. The applications for
admission were now more numerous than ever, and
the number on the books waiting for admission on
the 31st December last was no less than 120. Of
3,971 new out-patients who have beeen attended by
the physicians and supplied with medicine through-
out the year, many have been in the habit of coming
up from considerable distances in the country. At
the last annual report, from the pressure of debt it
was announced that one wing of the building would
be closed, and admission to at least eighty beds sus-
pended, but it was great satisfaction to be now
able to state that, owing to the receipt of
additional funds, all the wards were fully opened
in November last, and had still continued open.
It was gratifying to state that while the dona-
tions had in 1827 been £3,472 75., they had in
1858 increased to £6,089 los. The church col-
lections had been £302 2s. 9d. ; the legacies were
£1,624 13s. 3d., and in 1857 had not been more
than £B6l 17s. ; and the general fund, which in
1857 had not exceeded £B,lOO ls. 6d., amounted
last year to £11,725 7s. sd. The committee hope,
from those continued memorials of interest (lega-
cies), to be able at no distant date to clear off the
mortgage on the hospital property. In consequence
of the improved state of the funds, a large portion
of the building had been put into thorough repair.
The committee felt entire satisfaction with the
ability and energy which had been manifested by
Mr. Henry :Dobbin, the secretary, in the discharge
of his duties, and in his exertions to promote tn.
interests of the charity. Thanks were due to the
many friends of the institution for liberal aid, and
foremost stood the munificent contribution of £5OO,
the donor of which was known simply under the
name of " Jane Mary." The clergy were also
thanked for the valuable assistance already ren-
dered, as also for that promised. The committee
urged continued co-operation from the friends of
the hospital, and request visits, from a feeling of
satisfaction that visitors would be impressed with
the importance of the institution. It must be borne
in mind that the hospital was unendowed, and that
there was still a heavy charge on the property, and
that a sum of no less than £B,OOO a year was
required to keep the charity in working order,
while but little more than £3,000 a year was de-
rived from annual subscriptions, thereby leaving
about £5,000 a year to be annually provided for.
The Chaplain's report, which was also read, and
was evidently highly satisfactory, was, together
with the foregoing, unanimously adopted.
The general audit committee, &c., having been
elected, an alteration was made in rule 18, giving
privileges to clergymen for each sum of six guineas
collected at sermons, was agreed to ; but a proposed
alteration of rules 19 and 125 having reference to
the admission of in-patients was withdrawn.
After thanks to the medical officers, &c., as also
to the noble chairman, the proceedings of the Court
concluded.