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

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

THE QUARTER'S RAILWAY TRAFFIC.

The 12 leading railway systems all show an ad-
vance of traffic during the quarter ending the 31st
ult. ; but the increase in some cases has been com-
paratively trifling, and has probably scarcely kept
pace with the growth of capital. The London and
North Western advanced from £961,288 to
£974,452, showing an increase of £13,164, or 1.38
per cent.; the Midland, from £473,494 to £490,173,
showing an increase of £16,379, or 3.45 per cent. ;
the North-Eastern, from £441,710. to £462,037,
showing an increase of £20,327, or 4.60 per cent.;
the Great Western, from £440,774 to
£456,599, showing an increase of £15,825,
or 3.59 per cent. ; the Lancashire and York
shire, from £430,135 to £448,092, or 4.10 per cent.;
the Great Northern, from £315,567 to £324,227,
showing an increase of £8,660, or 2.74 per cent. ;
the Eastern Counties from £299,363 to:£300,001,
showing an increase of £638 or 0.21 per cent.; the
London and South-Western, from £183,177 to
£199,039, showing an increase of £15,862, or 7.92
per cent. ; the London, Brighton, and South Coast,
from £155,258 to £170,459, showing an increase of
£15,201, or 9.79 per cent. ; the South Eastern, from
£144,567 to £154,268, showing an increase of
£9,701, or 6.71 per cent. ; the Manchester,
.Sheffield,
and Lincolnshire, from £141,048 to £143,795,
showing an increase of £2,751, or P 95 per cent. ;
and the Caledonian, from £117,118 to £125,739,
showing an increase of £8,617, or 7.36 per cent.
These figures sufficiently indicate the movement of
traffic without account being taken of lines the
earnings of which have not reached £lOO,OOO in the
quarter.

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 cunvening 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 heads 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. G. 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 .£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
fact, save £7,000 of the £9,000 proposed to be ex-
pended for that purpose.
Mr. SCHUSTER said there could not to be a ques-
tion as to the advantage of the proposed arrange-
-332.ent for bringinc, the company's line into commu-
'Pion with the docks and canals of the country.
thex27)ooforreralresolution sanctioning the outlay of
then carne purchase of the land and canal was
unanimously.
themservos aiss and other shareholders expressed
traffic had ine,laetfisfied with the small progress the
that a comtnitt see ?r some years past, and suggested
mode of havin t'tlappointed to consider the best
slanted at the ;0
aEnglish shareholders repre-
to whether some
uprovementrdin Brussels, and as
might not be made
in the management of theco,3
Mr. C. W. PRICE bad beenanyg
over the line three or
four times, and consii teed that •
it was well managed
and properly worked .
Mr. GUSTF,NBERO thought it desirable to appoint
complained
neto
a committee to inquil into the matters compl • d
of, with a view to as( vrtain what could b 0 done
benefit the company.
After a long convex's ation a resolution was paced
.appointing a comittitte( cons
Irr• '"sting of Mr. Schuster
un., Mr. Gustenb erg,
Th jE. Wright, Mr. T. 0,
. ompson, and Mr. Hi irrison, to consider the beat
mode of representin g the English shareholders at
the Board in Brusse I.s, also to consider whether any
alteration in th 9 ma. 7iigement rould be made with