The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-22 00:00:00

fourtt Wbitton

EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY.

MEETING- AT THE LONDON TAVERN.
(THIS DAY.)
The half-yearly general meeting of the shareholders
of the Eastern Counties Railway Company was held
this day at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street,
for the purpose of recieving a report from the
directors, and for the transaction of other business.
Long before the hour of meeting (one o'clock)
the room was immensely crowded with shareholders,
as was also the gallery across the end of the room.
Precisely at one o'clock the Chairman, EDWARD
LADD BETTS, Esq., and: the directors entered the
room, which was the signal for a clapping of hands.
The Secretary, Mr. RONEY, read the notice con-
vening the meeting, and also the following report of
the directors :

after having maturely considered it they are of opbaion
that it is not for the interest of the proprietors that they
should lease the working of their line. The directors
have, therefore, appointed Mr. John V. Gooch, line of
the South-Western Railway, as superintendent of the
locomotive department. It is the painful duty of the
directors to report that, owing to circumstances which
arose on inquiring into the payments foi merly made
for land and other purposes, through Mr. Duncan,
the late solicitor to the company, they found it neces-
sary to direct the accountants strictly to examine all
those transactions; and the result of these inquiries, as
reported by Messrs. Quilter and Company, has been
that various sums of money, for which cheques had
been given to Mr. Duncan, were not paid by him for
the purposes intended; hat other sums had bean
charged and paid twice over; and that certain payments
reported to have been made, had not been made. Mr.
Duncan having delivered, and having been paid, his
Parliamentary accounts to a point, by the former direc-
tors, according to a scale of charges agreed upon, he has
since also demanded to have additional remuneration for
the same services, on the ground that the scale agreed
upon was below the usual charges, and that he has not
had the amount of business he was led to expect when
the scale was fixed. A copy of the accountants' report
was given to Mr. Duncan, and an explanation required.
The answer received contained an offer of resignation,
which the directors accepted; and they forthwith
sought the assis!auce of Messrs. Crowder and Maynard,
who are at present acting as solicitors to the company,
and by whose advice they are and will be guided in any
proceedings which may take place. It will be remem-
bered that, at the time the present directors took office,
Mr. Duncan continued to conduct the law business of
the company, although he had pr. viously tendered his
resignation. The well known talent of Mr. Duncan, the
intimate knowledge he possessed of all the company's
affairs, sad the zeal and industry he displayed in their
service, during a period of transition, when there was
also much dispute and litigation, rendered it prudent
and necessary to request him to withdraw his resigna-
tion, and it was not until time and opportunity had been
found to search into past transactions, that the present
directors could obtain knowledge of there errors. In
concluding this report, the directors venture to state
their hope and belief that, difficult and harrassing as
their duties have been, and still are, they shall, if they
continue to posseaa the confidence and support of the
proprietors, be able substantially to improve the condi-
tion and prospects of the company, and to lessen the
working expenses. In so doing they would repeat their
resolution, more than once expressed, to endeavour, by
conciliatory means, and by co-operation with neighbour-
ing railways, rather than by competition with them, to
secure to this company and to the great system of rail-
ways in the eastern division of England, the traffic and
revenue which they eught to possess and retain.
"EDWARD L. BETTS, Chairman."
The following is the Auditors' report:—
"57, Coleman-street, Aug. 9, 1850.
" Gentlemen,—We regret that, notwithstanding the
utmost diligence and perseverance, we find ourselves still
unable to make a complete report of the result of our
investigation and analysis of the capital expenditure of
the Eastern Counties Railway Company.
" The examination has a twofold object: namely, the
ascertainment of the integrity of the expenditure
charged; and the production of an accurate and lucid
statement of it, in order to the due exhibition, under
appropriate heads, of the cost of the various lines and li
works executed.
" The extent and multifarious character of the trans-
actions which constitute the subject-matter of investiga-
tion would alone render much time and grt at labour
necessary in order to its satisfactory completion; but the
difficulties we have met with in the conduct ot our in-
quiries have not been simply those which necessarily
pertain to every operation of the like nature; we have
had to act upon con!used, imperfect, and erroneous ac-
counts, only partially supported or explained by vouchers,
while the vouchers that could be found were protasis-
, cously heaped together without order or arrangement;
added to which there existed a general want of uni-
formity in the mode of treating various parts of the same
t. t similar accounts at different periods.
" In this state cf circumstances we found it indispens-
ably necessary, in order to carry on the examination in-
telligibly and with certainty, to establish supplemental
books; and, in effect, to reform the entire accounts for
a considerable period, opening a personal account with
each individual recipient of the company's cash, and al-
' lowing no credits to such recipients in discharge of cash
paid to them, except upon the authority ot bills, in-
voices, certificates, or other adequlte vouchers.
" The deficiency of vouchers has thus proved a fruit-
ful source of difficulty and delay, leading unavoidably to
much correspondence and personal discussion with par-
ties, in order to obtain from them the information which
the vouchers would have afforded.

" On completing the first year of their official duties,
the directors have to report that, nctwitheteanding the
many difficulties and complications arising out of the
past, they have reason to be satisfied with the progress
which has been made towards the establishment of order
in the current business of the company, the restoration
of its credit, and the arrangements that have been
effected, materially tending to reduce the heavy ex-
penses to which the revenue has been hitherto subject.
The accounts for the half-year have been made out on
the principles and form approved by the proprietors at
the last meeting by Messrs. Quilter and Cu., and they
have been subject to the continuous audit of Messrs.
Reeves and Mayhew, to whom that important duty was
assigned by their co-proprietors. The capital account
having been virtually closed, in accordance with the re-
solution of the last half-yearly meeting, the revenue is
now debited with all disbursements, and it will be ob-
served that the half-year's income has been charged
with 15,418/. 2s. 2d. for the rebuilding and replacement
of engines and carriages, and that the sum of 8,0001.
has been carried to the credit of the reserve fund for
the renewal of permanent way and works. A portion
of this fund has been applied to the renewal of the Col-
che.ter line, and the repair of stations, as shown in the
accounts. The directors being of opinion, from the ex-
perience they have acquired of the condition of the pro-
perty, that a smaller sum than that recommended by
tee committee of investigation will be sufficient for the
renewal of the way and works, recommend the share-
holders to sanction their reserving hereafter 22 0014. a
year in place of 32,0001.; and it is proposed that this
sum should be apportioned by charging the revenue of
each halt-) est' endicg the 4th of January with 14,0001.,
arid the half-year ending the 4th of July with 8,000/.
The receipts of the halt-year are 400,705/. 12s. sd, of
which .53,536/. 1 le. 3d. has been derived from the Nor-
folk Railway, and the charges as apportioned by the ac-
countants against that line amount to 37,1811 7s. 7d.
The Norfolk revenue has been charged with 4001. as the
expenses of the joint committee during the year. The
directors regret to announce the unsatisfactory result of
the working of the Norfolk line during the past half-
year as compared with former periods; this is chiefly to
be attributed to the opening of the Easters Union Com-
pany's extension to Nut wich, and the consequent division
of the waffle to and from London and Norwich and the
districts lying between the two lines of railway; while
their junction, which .must bring a considerable traffic
upon the Norfolk Railway, still remains to be made by
the Eastern Union Company. The charges and
expenses against revenue during the half-year
amount t 3 365,2101. 4s. 3d., leaving 35,495/. Bs. 2d.,
to which must be added the surplus left after
paying the last dividend, namely, 1,6201. 175., making
an available balance of 37,116/. ss. 2d. The directors
therefore recommend a dividend upon the consolidated
stock of the Eastern Cuuetles Railway Company of 2 e.
per share. and a payment to the Norfolk Company suffi-
tnelt to give an equal dividend on their consolidated
stock, according to the agreement subsisting bet Neon the
two' companies. The directors have purchased No. 2 Five
per Cent. Stock, amouuiing to 3,2661. 13s. 4d., formerly
issued in excess, and have cancelled the certificates, as
was resolved at the last , half-yearly meeting; they also
gave notice to the holders of the York Extension Five
per Cent. Guaranteed Stock that they might be paid off
at par on the 10th of Juce last. In pursuance of which
notice, holders of that stock, to the amount of 25,840/,
had consented to receive payment when the half-year's
accounts were closed, leaving 18,080/. then to be dealt
with, part of which has since been paid off; and this
stock will be replaced by debentures at lower rates of
interest. Your accountants are still engaged in the ex-
amination of the capital account, which they have not
been able to complete during the past half-year. Sundry
payments formerly made in error or in excess have been
discovered, some of which are now recoverable; these
will amount to more than sufficient to pay the cost of
this laborious investigation, and the directors therefore
recommend that it be steadily.puraued. Since the half-
year's accourtte were closed, the reference between the
company and Mr. George Hudson, arising out of the
Wisbeach and St. Ives Railway transactions, has been
decided, and the sum of I,eool, with interest at five per
cent. for three 3 ears and three-quarters, making to-
gether 1,1871. 109., have been awarded to the company
and paid by Mr. Hudson, who has also paid the coils
of reference. The attempt, by a separate company, to
obtain an Aet of Parliament to snake a railway from
Cambridge to Shepreth having teen defeated, and the
powers of this company to take land for a branch line
in the tame direction—namely from Shelford, near
Cambridge, to the termination of the &Ist( n and
Hite :sin Railway at Shopretb, bring limited as to time,
the directors took means to get poasession of the ground
without delay, and they have the satisfaction to state
that it was obtained on comparatively reasonable terms,
and in all cases by amicable arrangement with the
owners and occupiers. Specifications have been pre-
pared, and contracts are advertised for the whole of the
work?, which are intended to be completed in time fur
the opening cf the Royston and Hitchin Railway.
During the present session of Parliament an Act was
sought by the Blackwell Railway Company to obtain
running powers over the whole of the Eastern Counties
Railway; and, had the attempt been successful, the
result to this company would have been unjust and in-
jurious. The directors, however, have the satisfaction
to announce, that by the opposition they were enabled to
present to this Bill in the Committee of the House of
Commons, the powers sought were reduced to such
limits as to render it unnecessary to carry the opposi-
tion further. Tnese h tve increased the law charges of
the company during the past half-year. The Eastern
Union Company have obtained an Act of Parliament,
giving them an extension of time to make the branch
to Harwich, and other powers; and although the direc-
tors felt it their duty to call on the proprietors, at their
last general meeting, to refuse their assent to certain
clauses intended to have been inserted in that Act, they
believed great advantages to both companies would result
from the opening of the Harwich branch, and they shall
be glad if the Eastern Union directors are enabled to
devise some mode of completing it, in which the directors
can advise this company to co-operate with them. The
directors regret that they have not succeeded in con-
cluding an arrangement with. the Great Northern &Al-
way Company; but being well aware of the loss whieh
must be sustained by both companies in the evert of a
hostile competition, they trust that a good understanding
may be maintained between them until some definite
arrangement be made. The directors regret that it
should have been deemed expedient by the Newmarket
Company to discontinue the working of their railway.
It has been a subject of much care and anxiety to
this board, and several prepositions have been made to
the Newmarket Company tor working their traffic, but
the directors feel it impossible, consistent with your in-
terests to offer more than they have already done,
namely, to work the Newmarket Railway at cost price,
and without any profit to this company beyond what
might arise from mffic thus brought upon the Eastern
Counties Line. The carriages and other materials be-
longing to that company, held by the Eastern Counties
as security for their debt, will shortly be taken at a va-
luation. The Electric Telegraph Company's agreement
to work and maintain the apparatus upon this railway
hiving some time ago expired, remained in abeyance
when the present directors took office; negotiations have
been since pending which kayo resulted in a new agree-
ment between the two companies'; to the effect that a fair
allowance stall be made to this company out of the re-
ceipts for commercial and- general messages sent along
their line, so that'in future it will be their interest and
policy to extend more freely to the public in the eastern
counties the benefits of the telegraph, and to induce the
more frequent we of this rapid mode of communicating
in elligence. The Lowestoft harbour has bees finished
within the estimate, under the superintendence of Cap-
t.,in Andrews, the harbour-master, who has been de-
servedly appointed by the Trini'y Board superintendent
of pil'its fir the peer, which is now much frequented as
a harbour of refuge, accessible at all times of tide to
vessels of twelve feet draft of water, and to ships of the
larger class at high water. The trade of the port con-
tinues steadily to increase, nearly a thousand vessels
having entered the harbour for trade or refuge during
the past year; and new residerces are rapidly rising on
the south side of the harbour, which, with the esplanade
and pier, will render Low eitoft an attractive waterlog
place for the citizens of Norwich and the inhabitants of
the midland counties, who 'have ready access to it by
the railways converging at Peterborough. The works
upon the Eastern Counties Railway being now completed
the directors are enabled to dispense with the services of
a resident engineer, besides effecting other reductions
in that department, and to place the maintenance of the
way and works in charge e,f the superintendent. The
directors suggest that provident funds should be raised
among their officers and servants, to which the com-
pany should contribute, in order to afford, under pro-
per regulations, some provision for their families in
else of amid ,ut or injury, to which such men are much
expesrd, as elso in the ,vent if their becoming unab'e to
perform their duties thr,ugh age, sickness, or infirmity.
In the extensive workshops at Stratford there is now
tratning uo a body i f men to work and repair the com-
pany's engines, upon whose skill and intelligence much
dep. nrl3. The directors desire to assist them in
a, gulling a pre-tics:lf use ful education, to fit them for
sun service-. Tnese obj CO' to encourage education
and prudent habits, may be eir, etc d at a very moderate
e xpenee ; the duty as well as the interests of the com-
p...fly require it, and they trust it will meet the approba-
tion of the proprietors. During the past half-year pr0p,..418
p,..418 to work the locomotive engines and carriages by
centrect have been urged upon the directors by several,
whose knowledge and experience in railway manage-
ment are entitled to great respect, and persons of skill
and responsibiliay have come forward with substantial
offers to undertake such contracts, so that the board
felt bound to give this subject their best attention; but

" Although to the causes thus glanced at is to be
mainly referred the non-termination of this inquiry, it is
to be borne in mind, that in a idition to the continued
investigation of the capital expenditure, we have been
called upon during the half year to perform certain
other special services connected with, or arising out
of, the accounts, such as extensive) calculations to
determine the amount earned by the company's
traffic over each particular section of the line, with a
view to the formation of a basis whereon to four.d a re-
vision of the present system of rating railways for pa-
rochial purposes, the preparation of the voluminous re-
turn made to the House of Lords in answer to the order
obtained by Lord Brougham and other matters.
We may also mention that the examination of the
important items of land purchases and compensation
has been attended with peculiar difficulties; the course
of our examination into these matters in connexion with
the pecuniary transactions conducted through the agency
of the late solicitor to the company, made clear the ne-
cessity, in order to do justice to the interests of the
shareholders, of subjecting the whole of those transac-
tions 0 a most rigorous scrutiny.
The meagre and unsatisfactory state of the infor-
mation which we found existing in relation to this
branch of the inquiry had been an especial cause of
delay; but having already, made a report to you upon
it, we do not feel it to be necessary now to refer to
the subject, further then to state that we are still pur-
suing it; and that since the date of the report allided
to, we have found further sums to be accounted for by
Mr. Duncan, which, together with those reported, make
a present tots! of about 30,0004 to be) accounted for by
that gentleman. The items of which that total is Com-
posed occur at various dates during the years 1345,
1846, 1847, and 1848.
_ _

" Independently of the advantages which must neces-
sarily result from this extensive examination,. in the
sense of a well informed conviction produced by it, of the
truthfulness of the accounts when finally settled, and the
more intelligible and comprehensive view which it will
have been the means of presenting.of the character and
location of the objects to which the company's capital
has been applied, it has alrrady been productive of
direct pecuniary benefit in the discovery and setting
right of errors to the extent of upwards of 6,0001., ex-
clusive of the important result of a similar character
arising out of the examination of the transactions and
proceedings of the late solicitor.—We remain, gentle-
men, your most obedient servants,
" QUILTER, BALL, and Co.
" To the Chairman and Directors of the
Eastern Counties Railway."

The CHAIRMAN said in that room there was gene-
rally a great diversity of opinion, and he trusted to-
day they should gain a better character for order than
they had hitherto obtained.—(Hear, hear.) The very
great difficulties that the directors had experienced in
getting correct information of the company's affairs,
and the want of discipline they had found in every
department of their service, had rendered it almost
impossible to carry out those reforms which they all
telt to be necessary, and now more than ever.—(Hear,
hear) The most important point, which was now so
much before the public, and in which the shareholders
were all so deeply interested, was the locomotive de-
partment of their railway. This half year tenders
had been received from most substantial gentlemen
who were willing to take the working of the line at
a very considerable saving to the shareholders. The
directors were satisfied their affairs were based on
correct data, and it had been found a difficult ques-
tion to decide how the proposed saving was to be
carried out. It had been thought desirable by
the directors to ,advertise for a suitable locomotive
superintendent, and out of seventy or eighty appli-
cants they had chosen Mr. John Goocb.—(Cheers and
hisses.) That gentleman had come to the directors
with the highest testimonials- from every leading en-
gineer of this country ; • and from the knowledge
they had of his private charaCter and his professional
experience the directors were satisfied they had
taken a right step in plaoing Me. Gooch at the head
of the locomotive department.—(Hear, hear, and
disapprobation.) With respect to the strike
among the engine-drivers, the drivers complained
that they were not fairly heard. The men
were asked to wait until the directors had ex-
amined into the causes of their complaints. He
(the Chairman) asked Mr. Gooch, with a view to that
inquiry, to state to him all the fines that had been
imposed on the men. He did so ; but in the interim
every
man of them resigned.—(Cries of " Hear,
hear," and " Shame.") Under
it thepr u
dcircum-
stancesthe directors considered
accept the resignation of the men. He (the Chair.*
man) and another of the directors had investigated
every one of the fines that had been imposed, and he
told the meeting, as a practical man, that there was
not a fine imposed which ought not to have been im-
posed.—(Hear, hear.) Such had been the want of
the men at Stratford, that it had
resulteddi'niPline among
in the loss of almost the whole
dividend.—(Hear, hear.) The men were generally
fined for not reporting mischiefinstancesofanyol overich
contr which
they had done, whether they had
them or not. (The Hon. Gentleman here related
several instances of misconduct on the part of the
men.) Another question had been mooted as to
whether these fines had been returned to the
men. The fact war, that when the men
came to be paid they gave the directors
to understand that they intended to test the
legality of the fines which had been imposed, :and
the directors, cot wishing to insist on the fines, re-
mitted them.— (Hear, hear.) On Thursday last the
directors commenced with their new men on
the Norfolk district, and, with the exception
of a trifling shaking which oue of the passenger
trains had, there had been no accident on the lines ;
and although a great number of strange men had been
brought together, they were keeping time better than
he (the Chairman) ever could have expected.—
(Cheers.) The Honourable Gentleman then pro-
ceeded to detail several malicious acts on the part of

the drivers previously to leaving the company's em-
ploy, such as putting soap into the engine-boilers, of
which it was difficult to get rid, and tallow grease
and sand into the axle-boxes of the carriages
(A Voice—" Don't take them back.") He (the Chair-
man) held in his hand the character of every man
who had assisted the company on this occasion. He
had locked through every one of those characters,
and there was not a man OR the line at this time
who was not equal to his duties ; there were seventy-
five of them, and eighteen more of a first-rate
character were now on their way to join
the Eastern Counties line, from the north and south.
The directors did not intend to reduce the wages of
the drivers.—(Hear, hear.) They were only de-
sirous of exercising such econonomy in the manage-
ment of the line as any man would wish to do
in his own private business.—(Loud cheers.)
With respect to the accounts, although the directors
had not been able to effect much saving, what there
was was in the right direction. The receipts per
mile in the corresponding half-year with this
were 1,2361. ; this year they were 1,240/. ;
and while their working expenses of the
corresponding half-year were 6221., this year they
were 5981 (Hear, hear.) With respect to the re-
newal fund the directors had thought it right to
bring it down at once to the point at which
they thought it prudent to continue it. The
capital account stood exactly in the same posi-
tion as they placed it last half-year, and al-
though Mr. Duncan's eefulcations had occurred,
the directors had the great satisfaction of telling
the meeting the margin they then took was
still amply sufficient to cover them, and there would
be no increase on that account. Tne irregularities of
Mr. Duncan took place before the present board came
into office, and it was a matter over which they had no
control. The Norfolk estimate of this half-year was any -
thing but satidactory.—(Hear, hear.) They had
upon the Eastern Union line an apparent loss of
revenue, compared with the corresponding half-year,
of 20,000/.—that was on the actual revenue on that
line, and there had been an increase in the mileage
which had been adopted, more fully to develope
the resources of the district, and possibly that had
been a mistake. The Hon. Gentleman concluded,
after some farther remarks, by moving the adoption
of the report and accounts.
Mr. THOMAS WOODLEY, a. grocer at Cambridge,
was grieved to say he stood there as the representa-
tive of a deceased friend, who had left him a very nice
legacy in the Eastern Union Railway.—(Laughter.)
He would ask why, when the Cambridge people took
a day ticket from Cambridge to London for 155., they
should have Is. 9,1. tacked to it ? Where was the
justice or policy of such a • charge ?—(Laughter.)
With respect to the combination among the drivers,
he thought some blame attached to the directors for
not having shown the men a little more courtesy.—
(Loud cries of " No, no.") The speaker proceeded
to recur to the grievance. of " one and nioepence,"
but the proposition was received with bursts of
laughter.
The CHAIRMAN said if the gentleman would call at
the office, he would give him every satisfaction in re-
lation to his complaint. •
Mr. WOODLEY, amid a scene of great confusion,
attempted still to dilate on his complaint. Loud
cries of " Turn him out " resounded from all parts of
the room ' • and Mr. Woodley eventually sat down
amid loud cheers.

Dr. RILEY, of Ware, had: attended there at much
personal loss, and until he arrived in London he was
totally ignorant that the report of the directors was
in circulation. He contended that it was a great in-
convenience to the shareholders that they had not had
the report in their hands till just immediately before
the hour of meeting. Ha asked the directors to give
a reason for so bad an arrangement.--(Uproar.)
Mr. NATHAN complained that the directors had
raised their fares on the Colchester line, to the pre-
judice of the Eastern Union line.

Tne CHAIRMAN said the directors bad endeavoured
to raise the fares at every point legitimately to the
highest limit, where there was not competition.
Mr. NATHAN asked if the directors were going to
bring the Norfolk line before Parliament agaiu ?
Thit CHAIRMAN was understood to reply in the ne-
gative, unless the shareholders should determine
otherwise.

Mr. NATHAN was proceeding, on the authority of
an anonymous letter, to question some of the items
in the accounts, when
Mr. ELLICE, a director, intimated that that was not
question which could come fairly before that meeting;
and asked Mr. Nathan if it was prudent to read an
anonymous letter to such a meeting as that ?
Air. NATHAN, waiving the question, proceeded to
say that the directors ought to do their duty by their
men, but he would rather lose his dividend than see
any one of the drivers who', had struck do an unjust
thing to the directors, or the directors do an unjust
thing to the men.—(Cheers.)
Mr. Cox, of the Harrow-road, said be was on the
side—if he was on any side—or the engine-men,
because they were the weakest. It was highly im-
proper that any body of men should ever be in the
power of those who employed them. He was sorry to
see in the Times—(lronical cries cf "Hear, hear' )
a leaning to the conspiracy on the part of the then.
The question for the meeting, however, was whether
the men were in the right or the wrong. He denied
the statement made by the men that the directors
had said that they might go about their business on
the following Monday morning.—(Hear, hear.) It
was the men who sent in their own resignations.—
(Hear, hear and cheers.) He contended that the
Times proprietors themselves would not tolerate such
a combination among their own men.—(Hear, hear.)
There was an example on record where, on such a
combination showing itself among the men at the
Times office, the paper was one morning, through the
address of the late Mr. Walters, printed by steam, to
the great amazement of them all. -
The CUAIRMAN, in reply to a question put by the
preceding speaker, said the diiectors would not gain
by shut ing up the Enfield line, but they gained
very little by keeping it open.'
Mr. Box asked under what agreement the Direc•
tors were acting vs ith the Norfolk Company ?
The CHAIRMAN said there was no agreement of
amalgamation, but there was a working agreement
entered into in that room on the 24 May, 1848, under
seal and confirmed by the shareholders.
Mr. Box submitted that by reason of that amalga-
mation the shareholders had sustained considerable
loss, and that but for it they would now have a divi-
dend of 43. instead of 2'. a share.—(Hear.)
Mr. HOWES attempted to show from the accounts
that a loss of something like 13,000/. during the last
year bad resulted from the continuation of the Nor-
folk Amalgamation. He asked whether the agree-
ment with the Norfolk Company was of such a cha-
racter that they could, if they thought proper, repu-
diate it to-morrow ? (Cries of " Ne, no.")
The CHAIRMAN said the agreement had been drawn
up by counsel, and the directors, had been advised by
Messrs. Talbot and Hope that it could not be set
aside.

Mr. HOWES was sorry to hear it. He hoped, how-
ever, that this amalgamation would not be continued
at a loss to the company any longer than could pos-
sibly he avoided.—(Hear.)

Mr. W. PRICE said any agreement, working agree-
ment or otherwise, which should alter the accounts of
the company, without having first been sanctioned by
Act of Parliament, was illegal, and could not be jus-
tified. He made his solemn protest against the faith-
fulness o f the printed accounts of the company, in
that they were not rendered..precisely in the form re-
quired by the Act of Parliament.
The CHAIRMAN assured the meeting of the perfect
legality of the agreement.
Mr. McLauRIN admitted that the accounts ren-
dered with'respect to the Norfolk Railway Company
were correct, as far as those accounts went; but he
contended there should be no distinction made be-
tween the working expenses on the Norfolk line and
those on the Eastern. Counties line, which had been
made by Mr. Quilter in making up the accounts.
The CHAIRMAN said, everything that could be kept
separate had been kept separate cn the two lines.
Mr. McLetairi went in'o a statement of figures,
from which he sought to deduce that the working
expenses of this line were unnecessary, extravagant,
and enormous—(Hear, hear)—and that it only re-
quired economical and prudent management on the
part of the directors to make this company one of the
finest and most remunerative of any in the
kingdom.—(Hear,hear.)
Mr. GILBERIS, of Hertford, said it gave him pain
to hear the acts of the directors questioned in the way
they were, without those gentlemen offering any de-
fence or explanation of themselves. He complained
that there had been fictitious entries of shares in the
share list in several instances, and that that had been
done with the knowledge of some of the directors.

Mr. BAGSHAW, MX:, defended the' conduct of
the directors with reference to the Norfolk amalga-
mation, and the legality of the existing agreement.
of
nfy
B.Mt
ah(
ire
referenceu. e (ist oi oo n cs u o
meeting
w,
tho Birmingham,iftehh
being
emightt k en
buep
accountant.
n far
snore
„rrok rbinee deprecatedgreeno readily
nmddi
company
theyaann time
solveysww
d
era
a large body of carriers, and they _could not of ne-
cessity carry out their object., collectively, and it was
necessary, therefore, to delegato the management to
a smaller body of individuals. It was, however, the
duty of the shareholders to see that the directory, in
whom that trust was reposed, did their duty. They
must to a great extent repose confidence in their
directors, and assist them in carrying out the legiti-
mate purposes of the company, until they found out
that they were dishonest and incapable.—(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN then put the resolution, which he
declared to be carried unanimously.
Mr. MCLAUBIN moved that the abstract of the
agreement existing between this company and the
Norfolk Railway Company be made out by the soli-
citors of this company, and that the same be printed

.

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 22, 1850.

for the use of the proprietors of the Eastern Counties
Railway.
This resolution was seconded, and eventually
adopted amid considerable uproar.
A vote of thanks was then passed to the Chairman,
and the meeting, whi•_h was of a somewhat noisy
character throughout, separated at a little before four
o'clock.

CRIMINAL COURT.-(TIIIS DAY).
OLD COURT.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.)
Mr. BODKIN replied shortly upon the evidence adduced
on behalf c.f the prisoner.
Mr. Baron PLATT summed up, and
The jury, after a short consultation, found the prisoner
Guilty, but strongly recommended him to mercy.
Mr. Baron PLATT sentenced him to ten years' trans-
portation.
The case did not conclude till nearly four o'elt.ck.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT. •
THIRD COURT.
(Before Mr. RUSSELL GURNEY.)
Willic.,rn Augustus Skeen, 34, gentleman, was in-
dic:ed for bigamy with Mary Whilleber Greene,
his wife Cecilia being then alive.
Mr. Ballantine and Mr. Parry prosecuted ; and
Mr. Robinson defended.
The prisoner is a tall military looking may, wear-
ing large moustachios and whiskers.
BALLANTINE, in stating the case for the pro-
secution, said that charges of this character were ge-
nerally, as far as the jury were concerned, merely
confined to the actual facts of the marriages, and that
the other circumstances connected with the offence
were for the consideration of the court to direct them
in their judgment ; and as in this instance the facts
were abundantly clear, he should but briefly allude
to them. The prisoner, who it was evident was a
mere fortune•hunter, and had behaved most heart-
leesly to those who had become his victims, was mar-
ried to his first wife in 1838, when she had a good
fortune, and all that the prosecution now knew of her
was, that she was in Boulogne penniless, and
unable to come over to this country. Without
entering into the circumstances under which he be-
came acquainted with his second wife, he would
merely state that she also was a lady of fot tune,
anti that in the year 1848 he was married to her.
After they had been married some time, during
which period he exisen,!ed a great portion of her for-
tune, she became acquainted with the fact of the psi-
soner being a married man ' • upen which ehe imme-
diately left him, after which he commenced hunting
her, and holding out threats, for the purpose of ob.
taining money from her ; upon which her relations,
having obtained the necessary evidence, took the pre-
sent proceedings, which could be proved without the
appearance of the second wit's..
' Mr. John Biker, the parish clerk of St. Mary,
Dover, proved the marriage of the prisoner on June
23, 1838, to Cecilia Charlotte Franchall. They stayed
at Dover a short time, and then went on the Conti-
nent. Witness saw the first wife alive in Boulogne
about a fortnight ago.
Cross. examined—At the time of the marriage the
lady appeared to be between 30 and 40.
Captain Morris Burchell, a retired officer, proved
the identity of the prisoner and the marriage with his
first wife.
Mr. John Farrell, parish clerk of St. Magnus the
Martyr, in the City, produced the certificate of the
Marriage of the prisoner with Miss Mary IVhilliber
Greene, spinster, on the 2d of February, 1848.
Miss E. J. Greene, sister to the prisoner's second
wife, deposed to being present at the marriage. It
was not until the July of 1849 that she heard the pri-
soner had been married. Taxed him with it, and he
said his first wife was kinder to him than her sister.
Her sister had been abroad after she was separated
from him.
A letter, partly in French and partly in English,
and addressed to this witness from the prisoner, was
then put in and read. Its contents, which were
couched in a somewhat incoherent style, proved that
the prisoner, partly by threats and partly by as ap-
peal to her feelings, wished her to let him again ob-
tain possession of her sister.
In cross-examination, witness said that her sister is
about thirty-eight. I cannot say exactly where she is
now. She left Dover the week before last, and is
somewhere on the Continent. She came from Paris
to be married. I was living at Richmond at the time.
I heard from my sister about four days before the
marriage, and came up from Richmond to be present.
I did not then see the prisoner for above half-an-hour.
They left for Paris. It was in July, 1849, that I
heard from my sister of his being a married man. I
was then living with Colonel Rose, at Richmond. He
treated me as his daughter. He is dead. At his death
he left me money, but not any to my sister.
Re-examined by Mr. BALLANTINE—I was Colonel
Rose's adopted daughter. My sister is now very ill.
Thomas Barnes, a City police-constable, said that
he went to apprehend the prisoner at 0 Ward's
Coffee -house, Waterloo-road, and when he told pri-
soner that he took him on a warrant for bigamy, pri-
soner said, " I do not understand you, or know what
you mean." Witness then told hire, and he sail he
r mistake—they had a greater charge to make against Miss Greene—
that of murder. He further added there might be
some
After some further evidence,
Ai. iittasose—they addressed
might
m thee a n jury his
ry brother.fr the
complaining of the statements made by the prosecu-
tion, and denying that the prisoner had any money
with his wife beyond the amount spent for ordinary
expenses, and also that it was most unfair that the
fiat wife was not present, and also the exact circum-
stances under which prisoner became acquainted with
his wives, both of whom were older than himself.
The Learned Counsel then called
Mr. Joseph Crawford, Consul-General at the Ha-
vannahs, said that he knew the prisoner, who had
moved in the best society at that place, and also at
Paris.
This gentleman produced a letter from the pri-
soner's first wife, written in the mildest spirit, and
expressing her intention of not being present at the
trial, as it would only serve to assist the case for the
prosecution, and could not aid the position in which
her unhappy husband was placed.
Mr. GURNEY, in summing up, said there was no
blame at all to be attached to the prosecutien for the
course they had pursued, nor was there any necessity
for further wounding the feelings of the first wife, by
bringing her up to this court as evidence. All the
jury had to du with was the fact of the two mar-
riages.
The jury found him Guilty.
Mr. BALLANTINE said he understood prisoner had
15,000/. with his second wife.
Miss Greene was recalled, and said she believed
her sister's fortune was above 10,000/., but it was
settled on her.
The solicitor for the prosecution, who was also so-
licitor to the lady, said it was above 10,000/., settled
on her, but be heard that the prisoner had dissipated
nearly all of it.
After some further discussion the Court said they
would take time to consider what sentence should
be passed.
The prisoner, who stood with his arms folded du-
ring
the whole of the trial, trying to look very un-
concerned, then walked out of the dock with a
military step.
Afary Fitzgerald, 47, married, a decent-looking
woman, was indicted for feloniously intermarrying
with William Beckford, her husband being then alive.
Mr. Clark prosecuted, and Mr. Ballantine, who had
been retained through the humane interference of the
Under-Sheriffs, appeared for the woman.
Mr. CLARK stated the case to the jury, and in so
doing said that, although undoubtedly an offence had
been committed, still the manner in which the charge
had been brought forward was highly reprehensible,
and cast great discredit on all parties, as no public
wrong
would have arisen if the proceedings had
never been instigated. The facts were these :—ln the
year 1824 the prisoner was married at Marylebone to
a man named Fitzgerald, who, after living with her
some time, deserted her and enlisted in the army,
first going with his regiment to Ireland, and then to
India. She was then married to her second husband
at St. George's, Bloomsbury, in 1831. After she had
lived withtim for six or seven years, Fitzgerald came
home and came to claim her from her second husband,
who, however, continued to live with her altogether for
sixteen years, and had five children by her. Finally
the first husband got discharged from the service,
and it appeared made use of the power the commission
of bigamy gave him to work upon her fears to
extort money from her, she still living with her second
husband-, and some disagreement taking place, he left
her, and for some time allowed her money to support
the children; •but ultimately withdrawing that sup-
port, and she falling ill, they became chargeable to the
parish of Richmond, where they lived, when the se-
cond husband made known the whole affair to free
himself from them, and these proceedings were taken
and the poor woman sent here for trial.
Mr. BALLANTINE having most warmly commented
upon the shameful character of the proceedings, con-
tended that she might have thought her husband dead
when she again married.
The jury found her Guilty, and she was sentenced
to seven days' imprisonment in Newgate.
Mr. GURNEY said he should not allow the expenses.
The poor woman, who was in a fainting state
during a great portion of the trial, was obliged to be
carried from the dock.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
GUILDHALL.

William Claytonwarbrought up on remand,
charged with stealing a 401. Bank of England
note, a 10?. ditto, and 101. in gold and silver, the pro-
perty of Mr 9. Jane Lawrence, of 38, Ra,inor• street,
St. Luke's, about seven years ago, and absconding
with the same.

....._ ...... .......--.
After the evidence taken on the previous examina-
tion had been read over, the witness, Catherine llart,
who stated that she saw prisoner take the money
from a desk in the parlour of 12, Golden•lane, where
Mrs. Lawrence was then living, came forward and
requested to be heard, as she had something further
to state relative to the case. She said that a young
man who was outside the court, came to her the day
before, and told her that he came from prisoner's so-
ay
the
sseucadte r
i herx. fromFinding
he intention
licitor. He said he wanted her to compromise the
affair, as it was likely to go wrong with the prisoner
if she appeared again, and confirmed her testimony.
She declined to enter into any compromise whatever,
whereupon
not he
to en
abandondeu
he could not persuade by pecuniary offer, he tried
what effect threatening language would have, d
an ac-
cordingly told her that it she aipaared again t
-he
nr e cl t o
p d u
should suffer for it afterwards, as she was only swear-
ing away the life of the prisoner for the purpose of
extorting money from the prisoner and his friends. He
then told her that she would be severely punished if

she attended the examination yesterday. Ile made
use of similir threats to a shopkeeper in the neigh-
bourhood with regard 'o witness's appearance age nst
prisoner. Several parties were present at the tome
he made use of the threatening language towards
witness.
Alderman KELLY directed one of the officers of the
court to see if the party was still remaining outside,
and to call him in if ho was.
In two or three minutes the officer returned usher-
ing in, much to the astonishment of every one in the
court, the gentleman who had acted as interpreter in
a case just heard, in which a girl of the town was
accused of robbing a French gentleman. The accu-
sation made against him was then read over, when he
denied a great portion of what had been stated, but
admitted that he had called upon her and asked her if
she wished to compromise the affair, and, on her de-
clining to do so, he told her that she was swearing
prisoner's life away by perjuring herself, and that she
would ultimately be severely punished for it. He
did not say he came from the prisoner, but that he
had been requested to call on her by his solicitor, as
they believed, arid he still thought so, that her whole
aiw and object was to extort money from the prisoner.

Alderman KELLY said that froth his own statement
he had been guilty of an indictable offence by intimi-
dating a witness. The worthy Alderman then re-
pritnanded the party for his conduct, which he thought
was rather a serious offence, and he was allowed to
depart.
This case was remanded from last week for the
attendance of Mr. Serle, the secretary to the Camber-
well Savings Bank, who appeared and stated that the
prosecutrix withdrew her money, amounting to about
1.50/., on September 11, 1843, but they had no note
or memorandum in any of their books signifying
what money it was paid in.
Alderman KELLY said it appeared to him that there
was a great deficiency in the management of a savings
bank, to pay such a large sum out without making an
entry of the notes and cash the demand was met with.
Mr. Searle said he could not tell whether it was
done or not by other savings banks, he only knew
that it was never done at the Camberwell Bank.
There was an entry of the money having been paid to
Mrs. Lawrence, but it was in the handwriting of Mr.
Green, the former secretary. He could not swear
positively that he actually saw the money paid to Mrs.
Lawrence, but he had no doubt that it was paid.
John Krellick, a friend of the prosecutrix, stated
that the money was the fruits of her hard-earned
savings during twenty years of servitude, and that
the loss of the money alleged to have been stolen by
the prisoner proved her total ruin, as she was obliged
to give up her shop and gain a subsistence the best
way she could by plain needlework, or any employ-
ment suitable to her age. Ile stocked her shop at
the time she opened it, shortly before losing her
money, with goods to the amount of 201, for which
he Lad never been paid, nor did he ever expect to be
from the circumstances (,f the prosecutrix at present.
lie had advertised the prisoner at his own expense,
and offered a reward of 101. for his apprehension, but
all to no purpose. Ilad known the prisoner for six•
teen years, and he (prisoner) had been in the habit of
calling upon him (witness) every evening to let him
know how prosecutrix got on in her shop, but on the
evening of the robbery, he never made his appearance
and the landlady where he lodged said he had been
there and taken away his things, and appeared in a
very excited state, and his manner was very inco-
herent.
Alderman KELLY said the case was of too im-
portant a nature to be disposed of lightly, and he
would therefore remand it, to have Mr. Green's evi-
dence. The attempt to intimidate the principal wit-
ness only made the case more flagrant, as far as the
prisoner was concerned, and he would therefore re-
mand the prisoner till Tuesday next.
SOUTHWARK.

Yesterday Francis Davis, a well-dressed young
man, was brought before Mr. Seeker, charged with
being concerned with two other men in knocking
down and robbing Alfred Greenland, a young man in
the employ of Messrs. Sandars, cheesemongers, of
Collingwood-street, Blackfriars-road, of a bag con-
taining 375/., the property of his employers.
The particulars of the robbery appeared in the
newspapers on Friday last, when an account was
given of the apprehension of Robert Archer, one of
the three implicated in the charge, together with the
recovery of the bag containing the whole of the
money of which the young man Greenland had been
plundered. Since then the police have been on the
alert to:apprehend the other two men concerned in
the offence, and it will be seen from the annexed
examination that the police succeeded in that object,
but that one of the prisoners escaped by knocking
down a sergeant of the L division, by striking him on
the head with a life-preserver.
Sergeant Wright, M division, stated that in con-
sequence rf information he went, accompanied by
Sergeant Jones, of the L division, to the Olive Branch
public-house, in the New Cut, at the corner of the
Waterloo-road, between four and five o'clock on the
previous afternoon. When they entered the house
they observed Davis and another man standing in
front of the bar, and, having strong grounds for
suspecting they were concerned in the late highway
robbery near St. Saviour's Church, they mentioned to
them their suspicions, and at the same time intimated
that they must accompany them to the station-house.
Davis and his associate at once expressed their will-
ingness to go, and they quitted the public-house, but
had not proceeded more than a doze n yards in the direc -
tion of the station-house, when the man in cus.ody of
Sergeant Jones struck him a violent blow on the head
with a life-preserver, which stunned him and felled
him to the ground, and while he was lying thus pros-
trate, ran away and made his escape, none of the per-
sons by whom the police were surrounded making
any effort to re-capture the offender. Sergeant
Wright added that Jones, the sergeant, was
unable to attend the present examination, in conse-
quence of the serious injury inflicted on his head with
the life preserver.
Mr. Robert Ward stated that he is a salesman in
the through Market, and that on Thursday last, be-
tween nine and ten o'clock in the morning, as he was
walking along the passage near St. Mary Overies
Dock, his attention was particularly attracted on see-
ing Archer, the man examined at this court on Thurs-
day last, together with the prisoner Davis and
another man, walking slowly along. When they saw
him they drew up with their backs to the wall, and
it struck him at the time that they were "up to no
good," particularly as he saw at a short distance a
chaise standing, with a gentleman's coat lying on the
seat, and it struck him that they wanted to steal the
garment. lie, however, passed on, and had not pro-
ceeded many yards when he heard one of the three
men exclaim " Here he comes !" and in less than a
minute afterwards a cry of " S:op thief !" was raised,
and on looking to the spot from whence the sounds
were heard, he observed the young man, Greenland,
on the ground, an I the three men whom he had pre-
viously passed running away, one of them having a
bag in his hands. Witness saw the latter man cap
tured with the bag and money, but the other two
men escaped at the time, and he has no doubt the
prisoner Davis was one of the parties he saw upon
that occasion.

The prisoner asserted his innocence of the alleged
charge, and accused the last witness of having given
two different accounts of the transaction, with regard
to his identity; that he could prove he was in bed in
the house No. 8, St. Andrew's-terrace, Waterloo-
road, with a young woman named Caroline Lewis, at
the time the robbery was effected, and that he had
no hand in it.

Mr. SLCKER remanded the prisoner, to give time
for the apprehension of the others concerned in the
atrdir, and who escaped from custody by knocking
down the police-sergeant.

:MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
ATTEMPT AT EXTOUTION.—THE TABLES TURNED
—A sery old gentleman, who gave the fictitious name
of John Jackson at the station-house, was charged
with haying assaulted Joseph Bragdell.
The substance of Brsgdell's story was, that while
looking into a shop window in Hemming's-row, the
prisoner had acted with gross impropriety towards
him, and that on meeting a police-constable he gave
prisoner into custody.
A companion of the prosecutor, named Wren, cor-
roborated this statement.
The prisoner said he was a gentleman of inde-
pendent property. He had only arrived in town the
preceding day and had taken up his temporary abode
at the Tavistock Hotel. After dining yesterday he
walked towards the Haymarket, taking his way
through Hemnaing's row. Seeing something going
on in a shop he stopped and while standing at the
window he felt somebody press against one of his
hands, which was hanging down. He moved, and
again he was pressed against, and then walked away.
He was followed by the first witness, who asked him
what he was going to stand for what he had done.
He demanded an explanation, and the witness said he
was not going to allow himself to be pulled about for
nothing. He was indignant at this insinuation, and
told the witness he would not submit to any such
attempt at extortion—he would give nothing. lie then
walked on, but finding he was still followed he stop-
ped. The first witness then told him to come with
him into a public-house and the matter might he set-
tled there without further trouble. He refused the
proposal. The witness said he had better do some.
thing, or he must take the consequences. The wit-
ness did not mention the word "money," but all his
remarks assured him that his object was money. Ile
asked the witness if he meant to threaten him. The
witness gave him to understand he knew the law, and
if the matter was not arranged he would give him into
the custody of a policeman. He told the witness he
was ready to go with a constable, and a constable was
then brought and he was taken to the station-house.
The prisoner admitted he had not given his correct
name at the station house, but the police had been
made aware of it, and he was willing to disclose it if
required. The prisoner then mentioned his name and
station,