The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-17 00:00:00

ments :

- •
" The directors have to report, that the receipts of the
South-Estern Railway Company for the halr-year
ending on the 31st July, 1850, have been 291,246/. 103.
3 i.; and the working expenses, 103,973/. 16s. Id. The
revenue account is charged in the
present half year with
the sum of 19,294/. 4s. 10d., to be added to the fund
already laid aside lir the renewal of engines, tenders,
carriages, and other stock of the company. The rates
and Government duty amount to 25,0841. Is. Id.; the
rent of the Greenwich, Canterbury, and Whitstable, and
Reading, Guildford, and Reigate Railways, to 37,916/.
45.—which sums, in addition to the interest on the mort-
gage debt and guaranteed stock of the company and a
provision of 8641. Is. 7d. for bad debts, make a total
deduction from the gross earnings of 218,575/. 2i. 93.
leaving, together with the amount at the credit of profit
and loss, after providing for last half-year's dividend, a
, balance available tor dividend of 113,478/. 14s. 7d.
" The total incre tse in traffic cn the main lino for the
last half-year, at compared with tlie corresponding half
of 1849, is 15,6571. si. I Id.; of this sum 12,6341. 10s. 53.
is from passengers, and 3,622/. 15s. 63. from goods, &c.
The returns on the North Kent line from passengers for
last half-year, compared with the preceding one, show a
dccreale of 4,321/. 9s. 9L; but this is accounted for by
the half-year including the month of January getting
credit for the large amount received in that mouth for
annual tickets. The decrease of 4,4861. Os. 63. in the
receipts from pass,ngeis on the Greenwich branch has
evidently been occasioned by the abstraction of traffic
from that line to the North Kent. The .thrz.ugh-traffie
to and from London and Folkestone, Dover, Rarn,gate,
and Ma.rgate, for the half-year ending on the 31st July,
1849, was 53,099/. 153. 43.; 31st July,
1850, 62,892/. II i.
43.; increase, 9 8021. 16'.
" The communication between Folkestone and Boil-

logne by a tidal service, leaving one harbour and ar-
riving at the other, now takes place twice each way
in the twenty-four hours; the Boulogne and Amiens
Company contributing an albwauce toe arils the ex-
pcn,e of the nightly service. Between Dover and
Calais the communication takes place three times
each way in the twenty-fiur hours; namely, teice
at a fixed hour by the steam packets of her Majesty's
Government and that of France, and once by the steam-
ships in connexion with this company, at tide time, al-
ways leaving one harbour and arriving in the other
without the use of boats; to this service the Northern of
F Company contributes jointly with this
company. This
latter service accommodated 6 777 pas-
sengers last half yeas, in comparison with 4,403 in the
corresponding half of 1819, showing an increase of
2,374 passengers. Between Dover and Ostend her Ma-
jesty's packets and those of the Belgian Government
perform a service from Dover to Ostend every evening
(excepting Sunday), and from Ostend to Dover every even-
ing (excepting Saturday). and a service is also performed by
the Belgian Government's steamers, in conjunction with
those of the South-Eastern and Continental Steam-
packet Company, from Ramsgate to Ostend, every Mon-
day, Wednesday, Thursday,
,and Saturday morning,
and from Ostend to Ramsgate every Sunday, Wednes-
day, Thursday, and Saturday morning, from harbour to
harbour.

" The 611 hours now occupied in the journey to Mar-
seilles will Le materially !educed as soon as railway
communication between Paris and Marseilles is com-
pleted, and this route will thee, the directors confidently
believe, be adopted as tl.e general one for the Mediter-
ranean, the East, and for the Overland route. to India.
" The division of the joint station at the London-
bridee terminus took place on the 2d of August, in ac-
cordeuce with the Act of Parliament regulating it. The
directors expect all the works, buildingF, and platforms
en
terminus
present
will be completed within
two n
meOctdh s with
time,
and it is certain that
great advantage will then accrue in the management of
months from m thethe
the traffic. The lease of the Reading, Guildford, and
Reigate Railway was sealed by both companies and ex-
changed on the 15th of March last; the rent payable by
this company, of 41,000/. per annum, being at the rate
of 51. 2 e 6d. per cent. per annum on the capital of
800,0001., commencing from that date. The directors
anticipate a growing traffic on this lino, and they trust
that, although some time may elapse before it prove re-
munerative, the proprietors of the South-Eastern Com-
pany will obtain that credit-for promptly maintaining
that engagement to which their good faith entitles them.
The improvements that were required at the Brick-
layers' Arms Station for the goods department are
rapidly approaching completion, which is the case also
with the accommodation required to be provided on
the North Kent and Reading, Guildford, and Reigate
lines fir the like purpose.
" The directors think the proprietors may safely anti-
cipate a gradual and satisfactory increase of revenue
from the goods traffic. The traffic at Folkestone, in
merchandise from France,,is increasing; the Customs
duties received at that port, which were 4,0081. in 1847,
8,218/. in 1848, and 42,260/. in 1849, amounted in the
laqt six months to 41,3161., which affords satisfactory
evidence of the preference which the port of Folkestone
will obtain when it can present equal facilities in all
other respects, as well as the advantage of speedy deli-
very. Tho South-Eastern and Continental Steam I'acket
Company are making arrangements for a daily steamer
for the carriage of me7chandise between Boulogne and
Folkestoce. Hitherto there has been one on only three
days
t ree
days of the week. Conveniences will be provided et the
London-bridge terminus for the examination
of
vs:
;liable
goods as soon as possible. The establishment fur the
repairs of carriages and waggons has been
removed
to the new buildings at the station at Ashford. The