The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-09 00:00:00

details were not arranged till within half an hour of
the meeting, and for some time it was a chance
whether the negotiation would not have gone off.
They would therefore see that the negotiation had not
been an easy matter; and, further, that it had been
all along in the hands of the parties who originally
started the game, and who had hunted it into its
present position. The offer was now before them to
accept or reject. The directors had no desire but to
do what was hest for the interests of the company,
and they would not be hurt personally if the share-
holders were to reject the offer, But, as to a post
poneinent, they ought to remember that there were
two parties to a bargain, and one of the conditions of
this contract was that they were to give an immediate
answer. It the meeting should separate without accept-
ing thin offer, he thought it would be very doubtful
if it were ever made again. It should be kept in
mind that they were not the only parties who had
claims on Mr. Hudson, and to whom he owed money.
(Hear, hear) They could get the mosey to day,
but he was not sure that they could get it next week
or next month, if they chose to take it.—(Hear,
hear.) A good deal had been said about a petition to
Parliament, and about this negotiation interfering
with it. He d'd not see that there was any inter-
ference whatever. He should like to see such a
petition presented, and he should like to see its prayer
granted.—(Cheers.) lie should like to see the House
of Commons purified, and all its unworthy Members
expelled. But if Mr. Hudson owed them money,
were they not to take it because be was expelled the
House of Commons They had nothing to do with
the House of Commons, which would expel him or keep
him in as they pleased.—(Hear, hear.) He entreated
them to come back to the business in hand. If any
one asked him if the sum now offered was sufficient,
he would say at once—No, by no means—not the
half of what Mr. Hudson ought to pay.—(Hear,
hear.) But if any one asked him how much more
they were likely to get—(Great laughter and ap-
plause)—that quite altered the question. In his
conscience he believed this was as much as they were
ever likely to get ; but if they chose to reject it, it
would not break his heart.—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. CLAYTOR congratulated the meeting on the
large sum they were likely to get. He never
believed they would have got so much; and he
believed, if they rejected this offer, at the end of ten
or twenty years' litigation in chancery they would
get a good deal less money, and have to pay a much
larger sum of expenses.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. TORRA also strongly urged upon the share-
holders the necessity of settling the matter imme-
diately, and claimed for the directors as much credit
for honesty as Mr. Wylie could.—(Cheers.) The
directors had been working for the shareholders for
the last twelve months, and if the shareholders now
rejected the experiment, he believed it. would be a
great reflection upon their labours.—(Cheers.)
Mr. KIPLING reminded the meeting that this was
a purely financial question, and that it did not settle
the moral question at all. It would not prevent the
shareholders, or the public either, from forming their
own opinion upon the moral conduct of the parties
referred to, against whom be had expressed his opinion
as strongly as any man. He (Mr. Kipling) had been
unfavourable to a compromise up to the eleventh hour,
and he only agreed to it now because he felt satisfied
this was the largest amount they ever could get from
Mr. fludson.—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. Alderman MBEK expressed his opinion that
much of the sums referred to by Mr. Wylie were of
a doubtful character as to their recovery, and he
thought, if they refused a fair offer they would not
benefit their case in a court of law. He thought,
therefore, the shareholders would best subserve their
own interests by accepting the offer, at the same time
that he sympathised with the anxiety of Mr. Wylie
to know a little more of the circumstances.--(Hear.)
Mr. Wyere rose to reply, and contended, in answer
to Mr. M'Laren, that if Mr. Hudson was willing to
pay the money to day, he would not be unwilling to
pay in three or four weeks, when the half•yearly
meeting was held.
Mr. &PLAREN said he did' net mean at all to say
that Mr. Hudson would be unwilling to pay the money
a month hence, but that there were other persons who
would be more than willing to take it for themselves.
—(Great laughter and cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN said there was something so com-
plete in Mr. M'Laren's reply, that it would save him
from many remarks, and he did hope that this ob-
servation, coming from a Scotchman, and addressed
;ficlaTOrial proceedings of firmsefr 'A n'Y hi *tiithiYet
and
stro.irfsit
ih,eLTpalrireoeypnohhsaiatdidonnsoawipdeLsi personal
rnii,oleucoltbdejdenc
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But if the directors were to agree to Mr. Wylie's
suggestion, and postpone the meeting till February,
and then if, when they came to consider the proposi-
tion, they found that the bird was flown, would not
the shareholders blame them for allowing the meeting
to be carried away by such arguments. He would
only state, in conclusion, his firm conviction that if
they did not agree to this proposition to-day they
would never have such an offer again.
The amendment was then put, when two hands
were held up for it. The great body of the meet-
ing then supported the original motion amidst loud
applause.
In answer to a question from a shareholder,
The CHAIRMAN stated that no managers had yet
been appointed, but that the directors had come to
the resolution of appointing three—one for passen-
gers, one for goods, and one for minerals.

Thanks were then ♦oted to the chairman and di-
rectors, and the meeting separated.

OLD ROTBSCHILD.—THE PAINS OF AVARICE.—
It was not au unvaried sunshine with this gentleman.
There were periods when his gigantic capital seemed
likely to be scattered to the four quarters of the globe.
He had also other sources of apprehension. Threats of
murder were net unfrequent. On one occasion he was
waited on by a stranger, who informed him that a plot
had been formed to take his life; that the loans which
he had made Austria, and his connexion with Govern-
ments adverse to the liberties of Europe marked him for
assassination ; and that the mode by which he was to
lose his life was arranged. But though Rothschild
smiled outwardly at those and similar threats, they said
who knew him best, that his mind was always troubled by
these remembrances, and that they haunted him at mo-
ments when he would willingly have forgotten them. Oc-
casionally his fears took a ludicrous form. Two tall,
moustachioed men were once shown into bis counting-
house. Mr. Rothschild bowed; the visitors bowed; and
their hands wandered first in one pocket and then in
another. To the anxious eye of the millionnaire, they
assumed the form of persons searching for deadly weapons.
No time seemed allowed for thought; a ledger, without
a moment's warning, was hurled at the intruders; and in
a paroxysm of fear he called for assistance to drive out
two customers, who were only feeling in their pockets
for letters of introduction. there is no doubt that he
dreaded assassination greatly. "You must be a happy
man, Mr. Rothschild," said a gentleman who was sharing
the hospitality of his splendid home, as he glanced at
the superb apartments of the mansion, " Happy—l
happy!" was the reply. " What! happy, when just as
you are going to dine, you have a letter placed in your
hand, saying, 'lf you do not send 5001. I will blow
your brains oat ?' Happy !—I happy!" And the fact
that he frequently slept with loaded pistols by his aide is
an indirect evidence of a constant excitement on the
subject.—Characters of the Stock Exchange.
HIGHWAY ROBBERY IN FRANCE.--A most daring
robbery was committed last week, in open day,
by a band of armed men, on the road between
Brignolles and Cuers, near Toulon. The receiver-
general of the department was in the habit of
periodically sending a sum of money to Toulon.
On the 28th ult. this took place as usual. The
money was deposited in a chest, and placed in a cart
drawn by one horse, and escorted by two gendarmes on
foot. The road was very slippery from the ice, and on
ascending a hill a short distance from Roquebaron, the
gendarmes had deposited their carbines on the
cart, and were pushing the wheels on either
side, in order to assist the horse, when a
volley was suddenly fired at them from the wood which
skirted the road. One of the guards fell mortally
wounded, and the other was immediately surrounded by
eight armed men, two of whom attacked him while the
others took the money-chest from the cart and carried it
into the wood. The carman took to flight at the first
report of the guns. Several shots were afterwards fired
at the other gendarme, but fortunately without effect,
and the robbers at length went off, leaving behind them
a waistcoat, which it is hoped may lead to the detec•
Lion of the gang. An alarm was given, and patrols
formed to scour the country. The chestas
_
n
afterwards found in the wood broken, and emptied of its
emoanrtkeendts,,oarmdoruenssteindg
itno
al Bm, o,onOnf.!
not peasants.rTthoeprnreevnenwterreecaolgl eitheriti
n,
o
bwuetrefraormti4tahues,waanisdtcoat found it is supposed that they
On Monday, the 14th nst., the sumof 75
i 1 will be
distributed amongst the poor of Chelsea in the loll'iwing
manner:—To two deserving housekeepers, 301.; to 280
distressed parishioners, one quart e ern loaf each; to two
of the most deserving children in the parish charity
school,
to apprentice them, 28/ ; to 40 of the next best
children of the school, 41.; to the clergyman, for exa-
mining the children and preaching to them afterwards,
21.; to the organist. for playing on the occasi, n, 11. 10s.;
and other minor gifts. The sum
bthytis mr. to
LbeukueisTtrhitticads
is the dividend of 2,5001. given
Flood, an old and respectable magistrate and inhabitant
of Chelsea, to be appropriated. in a similar mauler on
the 13th of January tor ever, unless that day happens
to be Sunday.