The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-25 00:00:00

.R A ILIVA Y ZVI LIGENCE.

The railway proceedings of the week have been
unimportant. At the meeting of the London and
North-Western it was resolved to divide at the rate
of 51 per cent. per annum out of the available
balance of £691,505. In the past half-year the cost
of maintenance of way and of locomotive power has
been unusually heavy, the provision for renewal of
road having increased from £56,667 to £83,333.
On the other hand, the balance paid to other com-
panies has been less, and there has been a saving in
the interest in borrowed moaey. Various improve-
ments have been introduced to facilitate traffic and
afford the public increased accommodation. The
report of the South-Eastern states that there has
been an augmentation in the revenue of the past
half-year of £12,620, while the working expenses
have increased by £22,703. The continental traffic
has improved, but the local passenger and goods
traffic has suffered through the badness of the wea-
ther, and the failure of the crop of hops. At the
Eastern Counties meeting the dividend announced
was at the rate of 21, per cent. per annum. The
weather and the deficiency in the harvest have
affected the recipts, the gross total in the past six
months having been £719,830 against £727,513 in
the same period of 1859. The working expenses
have been £349,975, showing au increase of more
than £20,000, owing partly to additional expendi-
ture for permanent way and works. The outlay of
capital has been £4,245 for further station accom-
modation, £lO,lll for permanent improvement of
bridges, and £39,753 for new plant. The differences
with the Norfolk and Eastern Union Companies re-
main unsettled. The report of the Great Northern
proposes a dividend at the rate of 6-4 per cent. per
annum, leaving £965. The revenue shows an in-
crease of £1,654, while the expenditure has aug-
mented by £16,044, 0 wing to the wet season the
produce of the agricultural districts through which
the Great Northern runs was seriously di-
minished, the grain traffic alone having been
about 30,000 tons less than in the correspond-
ing half of 1859. The passenger traffic and coal
trade in the Lincolnshire district were also
affected. The London and Blackwall have ordered
a distribution at the rate of 4 por cent, per annum.
The wet weather has been prejudicial to the pas-
senger traffic, while, from the works in progress
to provide more extended accommodation for oods
having taken longer in construction than bad leen
expected, no additional revenue has been derived
from this source. The report of the South York-
shire states that, the gross income in the past half-
year was £85,198, being an increase of £9,006, and
that the available bal,ince is £24;046, out of which
a dividend at the rate of 41 per cent. per annum is
proposed. The augmentation in the traffic has
been progressive, notwithstanding the drawbacks
of a colliers' strike and the unfavourable harvest.
A provisional lease of the undertaking to the Mau-
chester, Sheffield, and Liecolnshire has been ar-
ranged. At a meeting of the South Wales the
dividend declared was at the proposed rate of 3 per
cent. per annum. The receipts for the past half-
year were £196,334 against £187,421 in 1859, the
increase being nearly equal in goods and passen-
gers. An arrangement has been concluded with
the Vale of Neath for the interchange of rolling
stock and the working of the Neath station. A bill
has been introduced in Parliament with the view
of placing the relations between this company and
the Great Western on a better footing. The Monk-
land have divided at the rate of 6 per cent. per
annum, carrying a balance of £3,088 to the reserve.
The gross receipts have exceeded the preceding
half-year by £4,096. The cost of opposing the
Caledonian, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, and Scottish
Central Amalgamation Bill of 1860 has been £3,477,
and another expensive contest is anticipated this
year from the introduction of a bill said to be essen-
tially the same as the last. The report of the Bristol
and Exeter recommends a dividend at the rate of 51-
per cent. per annum out of the disposable balance
of £58,608. The revenue for the past year has been
less than in 1859, but larger than in 1858, At the
Great Western and Brentford meeting the proposed
distribution at the rate of 2 per cent. per annum was
agreed to. A considerable accession of traffic is ex-
pected from the laying down4of the narrow gauge
from Reading to Brentford and Paddington.
The report of the Vale of Neath states that there
has been an increase in the last six months or
£1,450 in the receipts and a decrease of £2,221 in..
the working expenses. A dividend at the rate of
21 per cent. per annum is recommended. At the
Victoria Station and Pimlico meeting it Wlti an-
nounced that the line was opened to the Brighton
Company for public traffic on the Ist of October,
and to the London, Chatham, and Dover on the 341
of December, and that the working has since cm-
tinned without interruption. The total expen-
diture is expected to be within £500,000. The
Maryport and Carlisle have declared a dividend at
the rate of 7 per vent. per Annum, the railway ie