The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-29 00:00:00

tFourtt Mbition

SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock,

itEAT INDIAN PENINSULA
RAILWAY.—(THIS DAY.)
The half-yearly general meeting of the proprietors of
the above railway was held to-day at the London
Tavern; Lord Wharncliffe, chairman of the board of
directors, in the chair.
The advertisement convening the meeting having
been read, the following report was submttted to the
meeting:—
" The directors have much pleasure in meeting the
proprietors on this occasion, the first opportunity pre-
sented under the Act of Incorporation. Since the
shareholders were last assembled together the Act of
Parlianaent has been passed for the incorporation of the
company, and the formal contract with the Hon. East
India Company has been executed under the seals of the
companies respectively.
"J. C. Melvin, Esq., the Secretary of the Hon. East
India Company, has been appointed by the Hon. Court
the ewogielo director at this bond, an arrangement which
tends very much to facilitate the communications with
the Hon. Court and the general business of the company.
" The amount of calls paid into the treasury of the
lion. East India Company in London, during the half-
year ending Dec. 31, 1849 (including the sum of
25,0001., the amount of preliminary expenses admitted
as capital), was 95,000/. On the Ist of March a fur-
ther sum of 25,0001. was paid into the treasury. In In-
dia, the sum of rupees 114,555 has been paid into the
treasury of the Government of Bombay; and a further
cell in India (making, with the deposit, a sum equivalent
to 20s. per share) is declared payable in May.
"In making the appointment of the permanent staff
of officers and servants, the directors have been guided
by a principle of securing the utmost practical efficiency
at a fair rate of remuneration, not fergetting what is
due to the qualifications which they considered to be in-
.
etspensable on the one hand, or to motives of true
coonomy on the other; and not forgetting the cif-
rence cf circumstances between England and
ludia. In negotiating the terms of an ar-
rangement with Mr. Chapman, who was intended to be
the manager of the company in India, the directors found
themselves compelled to decline his services, Mr. Chap-
ream having required sucia terms, in money and powers,
el were deemed i. compatible with the interests of the
is:,arebolderfi. At the instance cf the Hon. East India
Company, the office of manager has "nen dispensed with,
and the salary appertaining to that office has been wholly
kayo:3. The duties of management will devolve on the
lecal committee, composed of directors acting under the
authority of the London board.
" Upon the recommendation of Mr. Robert Stephen-
son, the board appointed, as chief resident engineer, Mr.
James J. Berkley, together with Mr. Kerrand Mr. Gra-
ham, two other well-qualified engineers, and a staff of
assistants. The t tett' arrived out at Bombay
early in February, and commenced active opera.-
Cons wAliout delay. The directors have much
gratification in stating that the Government of Bombay
has most readily met and promoted the views of the
d rectors; at d tro zeal and interest which are mani-
fested in the undertaking by the engineering and other
officers of Government—heartily co-operating with the
servants cf this company,—give the directors a well-
grounded hope that the work will be rapidly ad-
vanced. At the date of the last dispatches,
the surveys in the island of Bombay were
completed, and between Bombay and Tannah the surveys
and working sections were being proceeded with, and
preliminary steps were already taken for staking out
a portion of the line, na:asures which had received the
approval of the Government. Some material improve-
ments have been effected in the direction and propofei
formation of the line of railway; by which, without
adding to the length of the line, considerable expense
will be saved in construction."
The.bilance-sheet represented the receipts to amount
to 95,0001., and the expenditure to 30,2571., leaving
Gt 743/. in hand.
The CHAIRMAN, In moving the adoption of the re-
port, said it was highly gratifying to him to
meet the proprietors now fur the first time as
an incorporated company, whom he assured that the
affairs of the concern were never more prosperous than
they were at the peesent time. The work might be said
to have been commenced in India, where the company
were working with the cordial assistance and co-opera-
tion of the East India Company. Theetaff of engineers
whom they had sent out, were proceeding with their
la'iours in a very creditable, because successful, manner;
and he, for one, had no doubt that this railway would
ultimatebr prone to be a most profitable under-
taking. Having seen the company to this advanced
stage of its progress, he felt somewhat anxious to resign
his position of chairman into the hands of those who
placed him in it, but at their urgent request he intended
"to retain his seat. It would be seen by the report that
the services of Mr. Chapman had been declined. Now,
however that course was to to regretted, he could as-
sure the meeting that it was not determined upon until
Mr. Chapman had made demands upon the directors
which were quite incompatible with their independence
as 3 board of management. In fact Mr. Chapman wished
to be placed in the same situation with regard to
this concern that Mr. Macdonald Stephenson stood
in with reference to the East India Railway
company, and as the powers which such a posi-
tion would have given him must have had the effect of
,dperseding the functions of the local board of direction,
the home management thought it to be their duty to de-
cline his services, if they were only to be obtained upon
Those t': ms.—(Hear, hear.) Besides, the remuneration
demanded by Mr. Chapman was extravagant in the ex-
treme, and upon economical principles they were justi-
fied in declining his te,viLea. The directors found that
the company's finances would not t ear the expense of
Mr. Chapman's services, valuing them at the rate ho did
himself, and they bad therefore no alternative but to
reject bis offer.—(Cheers.)
After some discussion, the report was adopted,
and then the directors named in the Act of
incorporation were confirmed in their office, and
7fl gentlemen resident in India elected as a local
'ward of management, af.er which tvro shareholders
were appointed auditors.
Thanks were then voted to the Noble Chairman, and
the meeting terminated.

tAIPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

(THIS EVENING.)

MOUSE OF LORDS.
Their Lordships met at Five o'clock.
WEST INDIA APPEALS BILL.
Earl GUEY moved the second reading of this Bill.
The object was to form courts of tipped in the West
Indian Islands in order to save the delay which occurred
in bringing appeals to this country.—Agreed to.
PETITIONS.

Lord LYTTELTON prescllteda petition praying for
a restoration of convocation; also a petition against any
alteration in the law which should authorise marriage
with a deceased wife's sister.
FISHERIES IN SCOTLAND BILL.

The Marquis of ARGYLE introduced aßill for re
gulating the fisheries in ricotland, which was read a firs
time.

IRISH POOR-LAW.

The Earl of LUCAN presented a petition, complaining
of the misconduct of the vice-guardians of the union of
Mohill, tend inquired whether the Government during
the present session proposed any amendment of the law
in respect of the appointment of vice-guardians in Ire-
land. The Noble Earl went at great length into
details regarding the receipt and expenditure of the
union of Mohill for the purpose of supporting
the allegations of the petition, and denounced
th• law as moss arbitrary. He admitted that
the Lord-Lieutenant had done all in his power to check
abuse, but that was impossible, and he therefore thought
the time had arrived for a revision of the law, and be
thought the Government ought to take the earliest op-
portunity in their power to altar it, and he asked the
Noble Marquis if it was their intention to introduce any
measure to alter the law t Ile moved that the petition
be re:erred to the Select CJaimittee ;on the Irish Poor-
law.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE was not prepared to
state what were the intentions of her Majesty's Govern-
moot.
The
Marquis of IiVIiSTMEAsIII expressed his regret
at the answer which the Noide l
question of his Noble Friend arquis had given to the
The Earl of MOUNTCASIIELL asked if it was the
intention of the Government to
cdla so t intend, where was
permits the present state
of things to continue? If they
thattr, which had
itio use of the Committee of the
mat f,r four months? The Members ofye Committee
;The
bad, it would appear, merely wasted theirtime.
solvent people were all quitting the country.
PE rmorrs.
The Earl of lIARROWBY presented several petitions
soinst the Sale of Beer Act, and against marriage with
a deceased wife's sister.
The Earl of GLENGALL presented a petition from
soma place in Ireland against Post office Sunday labour.
The Earl of LANESBOROUGH presented several
petitions against the national system of education in.
Ireland, and praying for a grant to Church schools.
The Earl of YARBOROUGH presented several peti-
tion.; against Post--,ffice Sunday labour.
TITLES OF RELIGIOUS CONGREGATIONS
(SCOTLAND) BILL.
The report oa the amendments to this Bill was
brought up.

PAPERS.
The Marquis of LANSI)O WNE laid on the table the
report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into
the state of the law of marriages in England.
Their Lordships teen adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at Rm. o'Clock.
Mr. PALMER moved that Mr. Busfeild be allow"
to attend and vote in the Committee on the Bradford
Improvement, Police, and Purchase and Closing of
lir•Adforet Canal Bill, notwithstanding that he did no&
sign tho rreseribcd declaration before the chairman took
th chair, provided ho sign such declaration forthwith.
Leave granted.

PETITIONS,
Mr. HODGES presented a petition praying the House
'to pass some measure which should have the effect of
reducing the armncns•nts of the country.
Mr. TEIORNELY presented a similar petition from
Alfreton.
Mr. ANDERSON and Lord DUNCAN also presented
peadions to a similar effect.
Mr. C. LUSHINGTON presented a petition praying
the House to grant some effective health Bill.
Mr. 11. BERKELEY presented a petition from
Bristol against the union of Church and State.
Sir R. H. INGLIS presented a petition from certain