The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-31 00:00:00

WESTERN OF FRANCE.

The annual general meeting of this company was held
,n Paris on Saturday ; M. de l'Espde, the president, in
the chair.
The meeting, at which upwards of 500 shareholders
were present, having been declared duly constituted, M.
de I'Esp6e, jun., the secretary, read the report, which
stated that, in consequence of the unwillingness of the
Government to allow additional calls to be made on
railway shareholders during the past year, owing to
the difficult state of the money market, the works
could not be urged on as actively as on former occa-
sions. The section from Laval to Rennes would be
opened for the conveyat,ce of goods on the 15th April,
and for passengers on the Ist of May. The Rennes sta-
tion had been made of great extent to accommodate the
traffic from the Brest, Redon, and St. Malo lines. The
line from Alencon to Argenton would be opened to the
public in the course of the present year. With respect
to the lines from Argenton to Granville, Le Maus to
Angers, and the three railways from Reines to St. Malo,
to Redon, and to Brest the surveys had been concluded,
and the plans sent to the Government for its approval,
which would, it was expected, be given almost immedi-
ately. On the old lines of the Western Company it had
been found necessary during the' past year to increase
considerably the accommodation of the principal stations,
in consequence of the augmentation in the traffic ; to lay
down heavier rails on the two Varsailles lines, as now
forming a portion of the various great railways of Nor-
mandy and Britanriy ; and to order additional rolling
stock—namely, 30 locomotives, 45 passenger carriage.,
and 602 waggons. On the completion of tbat order the
whole of the robing stock of the company would consist
of 428 locomotives and 6,441 carriages and waggons of
various kinds. The SLIM devoted to new rolling stock
during the past year was 10,688,116 f. (402,7540, and
the whole addition during the year to capital account had
been i5,806,022f. (1,832,2411.), which had beet, provided
for by the issue of bonds. Toe additional charge for in-
terest on these bonds amounted for the year 185,6 to
3,690,802 f. (147,6'321). The result of the year's working
on revenue account was less favourable than in 1855 in
consequence of a larger amount of goods traffic involving
greater expense. Although there had been an increase
of 35 per cent. in the length of railway worked, there
was only 18 per cent. of increase of receipts. The great
influx to the Paris Exhibition increased the passenger
traffic in 1855, and the consequence was that the ex-
penses in 1856 were comparatively greaser, being 43.15
per cent. against 39'75 per cent. in 1855. The total re•
ceipts' for the year 1856 amounted to 38 567.414 E
(1, 542, 697/.),and the expenses to 17,929,349'. (717,1741),
leaving a profit on the working of 20,638,065 f. (825,5231.).
Deducting 13,832,596 f. (553,3041.) for interest on loans
and the sum paid to the shareholders in October
last, there ramained 6,805,469 francs (272,2191), being
equivalent to 22.50 francs per share, which, with the
17'50 francs already paid, makes a total dividend of 40
francs for the year 1856.
A discussion ensued, in the course of which it was
stated that the new tax on transferable securities was
partial in its application and unjust. As to the shares
and bonds of the Western Company in deposit, a search

lug investigation had at once been instituted, and the
whole were found to be perfectly correct. (Hear.) The
securities were under three different locks, the secretary
holding one key, the acting director a second, and the
head of the deposit-office the third. (A voice—" That
was also, without doubt, the case with the Northern.")
No, that was not the case ; the shares and bonds had.
not been so protected for the Northern. The probr,
bility was, that the question would be decided eventual►y
in a court of law, and it would then be found that the
shareholders were the parties to be held responsible, as
they deposited their shares of their own free wi 1, and
the directors had used all fitting diligence and not coin-

witted any grave fault.
The accounts and dividend wean then adopted and the

proceedings terminated.

CHICAGO, ST. PAUL, AND FOND DU L.C.
The traffic returns on this railway for the mouth of
February amounted, on 122 miles, for passengers to
1,889/., and goods to 3,6341. ; total, 5,5231., or 4541.
per mile. The receipts for the corresponding- period of
1856 arnountei on 52 miles to 1,0341., or 20/. per mile.

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--their complications, Diabetes Alinuninuria, or Brights
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and intimate association with the Ganglionic, or great cen-
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To a sound. theoretical knowledge of the painful and dis
tressing diseases On which he writes, Dr. Cronin alas the ex-
perience derived from a large and successful practice."-
" News." Smith and Son, 52, Long Acre.
ADVEUTISE3IENTI—Jano Hallett, of Whitty Head
near Netherbury, Dorset, suffered for many years from
a bad leg. From the knee to the ancle it had several
wounds, so that she was unable to stand or move about
the house. She tried a variety of means and applica
tions, but without obtaining a cure. By the blessing o
God and using only three pots of Poor Alan's Friend,
and taking three boxes of pills, she was perfectly cured.
Dr. Roberts's Poor Man's Friend, for wounds and erup-
tions of every description, is sold in pots, is. LA. and
2s. 9d. each. His Fluke Autiscrophulw, for all im-
purities of the blood, is sold in boxes, is. 2s. 9d.,
4s. 6d., 11s,, and 225. each, by all medicine vendors
throughout the United Kingdom and Colonies.