The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-16 00:00:00

Lo'vp 0140

SUN.

RAILWAY INTELLIGEN CE.
CALEDOIN lAN RAILWAY.

The adjourned IW-€zil,g of 're }elders of 10/. pre-
ference shares in this comoany wa. held on Tuesday
at the London Tavern, to receive the report of th-4
con:mita e appointed on the 7Eil inst. to confer with
the directors in reference to a modification of the
terms under which the preference shares were issued,
the HUD. Captain Plunkett, R.N., in the chair. The
report of the committee stated that in reply to the
circular issued by the directors to the pre-
ference shareholders there were eight to one
in favour cf a modification of the terms.
The committee found that in addition to
the usual amount of mortgage and debenture debt
of the company, the security of which, in the minds
of lenders has of course been seriously disturbed by
recent events, the company is at this time oppressed
by a floating debt, exceeding in the aggregate
800,0001., which debt is daily on the increase in
the form of growing interest and accumulating law
charges ; and that the balance of debt, after
realising all probable assets, which must be a gra-
dual oieratien, cannot tail materially short of
500,0001. They find, further, that this debt roust
within a very Jew months be aggravated by the ad
(littorl] obligation of discharging the first instalment
of he Clydesdale capital, with a superadded bonus of
50 per cent., which capital and bonus amount to.
675,0001. Toe company is at present not only with-
out any means, in-the form of existing or authorised
capital, of discharging the floating debt, but the por-
tion of its ordinary weekly revenue not specially de-
voted to payment of interest on debenture is ex-
hausted in warding off claims for land and other de-
mands of urgency almost before it is received. Tne
representations of the directors as to the onerous nature
of the annual rents chargeable. on the company are in
no way exaggerated; that they exceed largely the avail-
able revenue of the company, to say nothing of the
threatened attempt to fasten oft the company, by pro-
cess of law, the so called working contract with the
Scottish Central Railway Company. The Cale-
(lonian Railway still requires a considerable out-
lay, and this outlay must be made before the
proprietors can reasonably look for any considerable!
increase in its traffic. An immediate remedy for this
deplorable state of things was demanded, and which
was only to be attained by bringing the annual lia-
bilities and expenditure within the probable means
of the company, whereby such a state of credit might
be obtained as would enable the company to raise
an advance of capital sufficient fur its requirements.
The arrangement, then, which the committee:
have unanirnouly determined to recommend fur
adoption is, that the dividend on the preferential,
shares be reduced to 4f per cent. in perpetuity, con-
tingent on the making of satisfactory adjustments
with the other guaranteed lines; two out of ten, or
in that proportion, of the directors of the board to be
elected by the preference holders ; the same arrange-
ments as to arrears of dividends to be made in regard;
to the preference shares as to the other guarantees.!
Bearing in mind the great pecuniary loss' already
sustained, and every day increasing, from thei
existing condition of things--a loss which
cannot be estimated at less than 80,000/. ;
per annum ; the extreme danger of delay, not,
merely to the holders of preference stock, but to the
other guaranteed interests, and the whole under-
taking ; and, lastly, the desirableness of offering to,
the other guaranteed interests an example of conces-';
sion, the committee most earnestly recommend its
idoption. This arrangement is wholly contingent on i
the completion by the directors of corresponding ones,
with the other guaranteed and preferential interests;
and the committee are happy to recognise in the chair--;
man of this company, and those of his colleagues with,
whom they have been placed in communication, al
ready disposition to meet the difficulties of the case.l
They venture to rely on the manifestation of a similar
disposition by the representatives of those interests.
The good effects of the example set by the 101. pre-
ference stockholders at the recent meeting in nomial
Elating (unanimously) a committee to deal with the;
question are understood to have been already felt itti
the more satisfactory progress towards an arrange-
went with some ot those interests; and the commit-
tee have little doubt that the same results will be
arrived at
.in their other negotiations. If, how
ever, a short-sighted policy in any single instance
should defeat arrangements calculated to restore,
comparative happiness to many hundreds of
families, and it' Parliament, appealed •to as it
must be, should hesitate or refuse to remove such;;
an obstruction to a general adjustment so fruitful of
good, the holders of guaranteed shares is ill, in that,
event, revert to their existing rights, and, with those
others who may have followed them in their example
of moderation, must await that more temperate dis-.
potition on the part of outstanding interests which'
time and the experience of the disasters attendant on
delay must ultimately induce.
he CHAIRMAN said, it was a great gratification to
the directors that the committee of preference share-
holders should have reported in favour of the mea-
sure proposed by the board of directors both before
and since they came into office. He was glad to,
state that some of the guaranteed parties had shown a
disposition to come to an arrangement. It was so far.
fortunate for the directors thatothey,had in this instance'
to deal with men of enlightened 'minds and a general'
knowledge of matters, who, when the facts were laid,
before tt em and they had made the necessary in-
quiries, saw that the interests of the proprietors could
only be protected by a certain course which they re-
commended. Unfortunately the directors had to deal
with others, who were narrow-minded, and only
looked to what they could claim, and not to the
circumstances of the case ; they look to words rather
than things. Ile hoped the example set by the
preference holders would be followed by the other
parties, as it was the interest of all concerned that an
amicable arrangement should he come to speedily.
It was thought that if the great majority of
the shareholders agreed in this movement, the mi-
nority would not be allowed to keep a large and
valuable property in the state of embarrassment in
which, unfortunately, the Caledonian was placed.
He could assure them that it would not be the fault '
of the directors if satisfactory arrangements were not
made with the guaranteed holders ; at all events it
appeared that no one would gain anything by ob-
structions or delay. The preference shareholders were
entitled to the best thanks of the board for the liberal
spirit in which they had met the case, and he hoped
the proposal would be responded to in like manner in
other quarters.
Mr. THORNTON, the chairman of the committee,
moved the adoption of the report, which was seconded
by Mr. HOUGH.
A conversation ensued, in the course of which it
was stated that the company would be able to pay
the 4- per cent. to the preference holders, instead of
the 7 per cent. guaranteed, provided the other gua-
ranteed shareholders would agree to similar terms.
On a careful consideration of the subject it was found
more advisable to reduce permanently the amount of
the guaranteed rates of interest to fixed rates of
dividend, leaving the surplus, if any, to go to the
original shareholders, rather than to regaled the
guaranteed dividends by any kind of sliding scale
depetidieg upon an increase in the traflic which may
hereafter take place. It was necessary that the
holders of original shares should have some chance of
a dividend, because upon their exertions depended the
success of the scheme for releasing the company from
its present difficulties.
Resolutions were unanimously passed, adopting the
report, voting the cordial thanks of the meeting to the
committee, and requesting them to continue their
services until the proposed arrangements receive the
sanction of Parliament.

The proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks to
the Chairman and directors for their valuable exertions
to promote the interi sts of the company.

MATCH AGAINST TIME.—Sir W. N. Younge per-
formed the arduous task of running a mile,. and leaping 100
hurdles 3 feet 6 inches high, in 18 minutes and 30 seconds,
on Monday, the 13th instant (the time specified in the agree-
ment being 25 minutes). The field in which the above was
performed was not at, all favourable, being a small rectangu-
lar one, with much grass in it, high lands, and a little on
the descent. The course was an oval, with four hurdles on
the ascending, and six on the descending side, 15 yards
apart. The feat was performed in the following order and
time:---The first 10 hurdles were cleared in 1 minute; the
11; the third, 2; the fourth, 1 ; the fifth, 2; the
sixth, 21; the seventh, 21; the eighth, 11; the ninth, 2*;
and the tenth, 2. A minute's rest between each 10 hurdles.
The cheering of the spectators was loud and universal at the
conclusion of the match, which was very cleverly performed,
although Sir William was neither in health nor spirits.:
PETERHEAD EQUE)TRIAN FEAT.—On Tuesday
night, about 12 P.m, a horse and gig, belonging to a com-
mercial traveller, started off from Broad-street, going along
Rose-street, and oown James street, at full gallop. On
reaching the foot of James-street, it went right over the
quay into the harbour. The pilots, on hearing the splashing
in the harbour, but not knowing the why and wherefore,
supposed it to be nothing else- than "the sea serpent
ashore," and took to their heels, at a speed little short of;
if not equal to what "their worthy serpent" pursued, on
his route there. A few parties were soon attracted by the
circumstance, who, it seems, were rather better acquainted
with natural history, and pronounced it to be, instead of a
reptile, a quadruped, and by the worthy exertions of whom
—to their praise be it spoken— tile fancied serpent was soon
got ashore, and, what is most act nishing, neither gig nor
horse were found to be in any way hurt. But the parties
who-picked up the horse and gig now betook themselves to
look fa an owner, and, in their search, they found a gentle-
man lying in Broad-street, who. from his position, might
have been supposed to be tudving astronomy, and who had
resigned himself to the arms. of 'Morpheus.— Inverness courier
Though sinking in decrepul age, he pretnaturrly
falls whose memory records no benefit conferred on man by
him. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.
El;za.Cook's Journal.
WATERFORD AND KILKENNY RAILWAY.—The
works of this line are rapidly progressing towards Knock-
and all the arrangements seem to be conducted in a
must satisfactory manner. To-morrow the portion of the line
between the Thomastown station and that just erected at
BallvlOwty will be opened for the transit of passengers and
. traffic; and though by rail this is but a di4tahee of scarcely
half a mile, yet it will save a round of full three miles by the
old coach road, and thus make a vast difference in the time
• occupied in the journey between Waterford and Kilkenny.

Y

• ,;

TIITT'RRDAY

MARRIAGE WITH A DECEASED
'WIFE'S SISTER.

MEETING IN FINSBURY LAST .NIGIIT
Yesteruay evening a public meeting of the Non-
wthfortni,t, of London sind its neighbourhyod wzls
held in Finsbury Chq,l, v. 1,11 the view of declaring
the sailiments of that 13::dy on the Bill now in pro-
gress through the House of Commons for legalizing
marriage with a deceased wifL's sister.

At half-past six o'clock S. M. Peto, Esq., M.P.,
was called to the chair, by which time the flour and
galleries of the chapel were occupied by a very large
audience, which increased as the proceedings pro-
gressed until there could not be less than 500 persons
present. _ _

iittey.
jr.lllis.sleinitnitnog n,bnode ,
ev.
d o
n
On the platform were a great number of ministers
at;imn e,%ri,ec(nmurtzet(ei
dthe iA'
h the
J. 13ig wood, Rev. F. Trestrail, R. W. Reynolds,
among alit
h
Rev., W. Leask, Rev. J. Hatch, Rev. E. Clerk, Rev.
T. Binney, and Rev. J. Burnet ; J. Scoble, Esq., G
Lowe, Esq., F.R S., Mr. Oliver Mr. J. Haddon J.
Harris, E.sq., M P., W. Griffin,h;.q, E. Miall, E q ,
Mr. J. Soul, Mr. Chew, Mr. J. C. Williams, Mr.
Pareell, and J. Danford, Esq.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the meeting said, the
necessity and propriety of Noncont4mists ceiling a
meeting of this kind would be fully shown by the
fact that he himself bud had the honour, during the
present session of Parliament, of presenting petitions
representing the opinions of 1,200 congregations of
Nonconformists in favour of the Bill of Mr. Stuart
Wortley for legalizing marriage with a deceased
wife's sister.—(Cheers.) lie submitted that in inter-
fering with so great and sacred an institution as that
of , marriage they ought to haVe the indisputable
sanction of the Word of God, or be 'urged to that
course by some great social necessity. It would be
the business of this meeting to show that the altera-
tion made in the law of marriage by Lord Lynd-
hurst'a Act, in 1835, was not justified by public ne-
cessity, or sanctioned by the Word of God._
(Cheers.) When that Bill was first introduced its
purpose was to limit the period within which objec-
tions might be taken to these marriages, and when
the Bill was in Committee, to meet the views of the
Bishop of London and the other dignitaries of the
Church in the Upper House of Parliament, the Bill
was altered altogether, and it was then reported as a
Bill to sanction all,such marriages of this kind as had
previously taken place, and to prohibit all such
marriages in future.— (Hear, hear.) The ob-
ject of Lord Le ndhuret's Act was only to
sanction certain marriages which had taken place'
among Members of the Upper House and their rela-
tives, and had no reference whatever to the general
well-being of the people.—(Cheers.) Great dissatis-
faction began soon to be felt throughout the country
with that Act of Parliament, and her Majesty ap-
pointed a Commission to inquire fully into the ques•
lion and that Commission unanimously reported to
Parliament in favour of an alteration of the existing
law. He thought the religious aspect of this question
had been fairly given up. The Jewish Rabbis, and
almost all the learned men amongst the Jews, who
were best competent to form an opinion on this sub-
ject, had contended that the text of Scripture appli-
cable to those marriages gave a sanction to them ; and
thoe learned persons put a different construction
upon that text from that which the supporters of
Lord Lyndhurst's Bill did. The Jewish people, so
far from holding those marriages in detestation or
abhorrence, conceived they were entitled to their
warm commendation ; and they
,were universally per-
mitted to take place earlier after the decease of the
wife than any other marriage by a widower. That
no essential grievance existed to justify the passing of
Lord Lyndhurst's Act was shown by the fact that
not a single petition was presented to the House of
Commons in favour of it before the passing of the
measure; and whilst that measure was passing through
that House its warmest advocates could only say that
those marriages were contrary to the canon law of
the Church of England; and that was the only
objection they had to offer.—(llear, hear.)
It now became a question whether the Noncon-
formists of England would submit to that law.—
(Cheers.) 'I he Nonconformists were not in the
slightest degree amenable fo the canon law of the
Church of England ; that canon law had been
altered from time to time. The ancient canons of
the Church of England, for instance, forbade third
marriages altogether; and second marriage', although
not forbidden, were as far as possible discouraged.
With reference to clergymen, second marriages were
prohibited, and a clergyman was prohibited altogether
from marrying a widow. The greater part of those
canons were not the law at the present day, but
had been altogether repealed. Were they, in the
nineteenth century, with the Word of God for their
rule and guide, to submit to the canons of the Church
of England ? Nc.—(Cheers ) And they were deter-
mined that the Act of 1835 should not much longer
remain the law of the land. They held it to be the
duty of the Legislature not to interfere unduly with
the freedom of action, and they thought in this re-
spect the Legislature had unduly interfered with the
liberty of action. And what had been the result?
Why, the happiness of thomanda..l64ad laesers-dvat.rued.
Since Lord Lyndhurst's Act.'was passed uliwg;illi of
33,000 of those particular marriages bail taken
place, which the law of this country did not recog-
nise.—(dear, hear.) Besides that, the whole of the
children of those marriages were illegitimate, and a
man who had contracted such a marriage could not
recognise his wife or his children in his will without
their having to pay 101. per cent. duty on their lega-
cies after his death, as if they had been perfect stran-
gers to him. He contended that Lord Lyndhurst's
Act had never been found to work well, and if it was
not justified by the law of God or the law of nature,
then it was unjust to interfere with the civil and reli-
gious liberty of the subject, and the Nonconformists
were determined to persevere in their exertions until
that unjust and cruel law should be repealed.
The Rev. JOHN HOWARD
HINTON, in moving the
first resolution, reviewed the various changes which
had been made in the law, especially in the time of
Henry the Eighth and Queen Mary. The fact of
such marriages being forbidden berethe 99th canon of
the Church of England might be a circumstance
binding upon the members of that church, but what
had those out of that church to do with it ?—(Hear,
hear.) It was a question never yet discussed in the
present day, who were and who were not prohibited
by God's law to marry. It was true that Arch-
bishop Parker's list had been the rule in courts of
law, and had been the guide in decisions, hut to
no greater extent had the matter been decided.
He contended that the 18th verse of the 18th chapter
of Leviticus sanctioned, by implication, marriage
with a deceesed's wife's sister. The verse ran as
follows :—" Neither shalt thou take a wife to her
sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside
the other in her lifetime." The insertion of the
words "in her lifetime" clearly implied that after
the death of the wife the restriction was not to be
enforced, and the law was so understood by the Jews.
To allow the present unjust and cruel prohibition to
continue would, in fact, be to retrace their steps
beyond the reign of Henry the Eighth, for all persons
were then allowed to marry who were not prohibited
by the law of God, and to return again to that period
of ascetic churchmanship and monastic spirit, when
the people had wrested from them the larger portion
of their liberties. If he might be permitted to give a
word of command and encouragement, he would
say to his hearers, as did Wellington, on a memo-
rable occasion, " UP, Guards, and at 'eta," with a
confident hope that they would boldly, zealously,
and successfully fight the battle cf truth and justice.
—(Cheers.) He concluded by moving the following
resolution :
" That. in the opinion of this meeting, marriage with
the sister of a deceased wife is not contrary to the law
of God; and, that its being forbidden by the 99th canon
of the Church of England forms no valid reason for its
being prohibited by theme
.Imperial Legislature to the
population of the United ingdom, alarge
proportion of
which is mt comprehended within the pale of the
Chinch established by law.
Mr. N. GRIFFIN, one of the Dissenting deputies,
seconded the resolution.
'Mr. J. MITCHELL said he was desirous of address-
ing a Christian meeting in a Christian house of
worship, against the most iniquitous and unjust Act
of.-Lord Lyndhurst, passed in 1835.
He was enabled
to corroborice the statement which had :been made,
that, according to the Levitical law, a man could
marry the sister of his deceased wife, and he knew
of
a number of members of the Jewish 'Church who bad
contracted such marriages, and he did not know of a
single instance in which they had proved unhappy.
Tne resolution was then unanimously agreed to.
The Rev. THOMAS 13,INNEY rase to move the second
resolution—
" That, in the opinion of this meeting, the Act of sth
and 6th William IV., commonly called Lord Lynd-
hurst's Act, by which marriage with a deceased's wife's
sister is declared ,
absolutely null and void to all intents
and purposes whatsoever,' was, and is, an unwarranted
interference with social rights; that it has wrought, and
must continue to work. ittjurioukAy to tLe happiness and
iner-ds if the counnunit); and that the thanks of the
public at large, and espe:dally of British Nonconformists,
are due to the Itigl,t lien. Stuart Wortley, M.P., for
having in successive stsaioni f P arhamen t, and in the
face of a tenacious and unscrupulous opposition, endea-
voured to obtain the removal of this unrighteous and
pernicious restriction." . _

p
lie thought it was very proper to introduce the
words " commonly. e:lted Lord Act,"Lyndliusrsttl'isey_ilad
already
into the resolution. It was commonly called his Act,
itbutn cly was
heard.notL
LordordLyzydihiduhrustrsst Act,had a particular as
object in view ; his Act would have been an improve-
ment on the previous stet? of the law, hut the Bishop
of London introduci d what completely altered the
cliracter of the Act.. Lord Lyndhurst prOpos;:d that
the' marriSges triat hats taken place t:hOUld not be
questioned after six months, and that the marriages
that Shuul d take place Should not be questioned after