The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-21 00:00:00

MEETING AT CROYDON.

A public meeting took place on Saturday at the
Town Hall, Croydon, for the purpose, according to the
handbill by which it was convened, of taking into
consideration the present depressed condition of the
agricultural interest, and to co-operate in support of
British industry: It being market-day, there was a
very full attendance of farmers residing in the
neighbourhood; but from the strong feeling in the
town in 'support of liberal measures, and particularly
'in favour of cheap food, there was also a very strong
muster of the working classes and tradesmen, and it
was evident from the commencement of the proceed-

ings that there would be a strong opposition to the
resolutions of the Prolectionists.

Mr. J. W. Sutherland, a banker at Croydon, was
called to the chair; and there were also present Earl
Stanhcpe, Mr. P. Eglett, Mr. C. Deaden, 'and
several o►ther of the gentry residing in the neigh-
bourhood.

Mr. SUTHERLAND briefly opened th-3 proceedings
amid a good deal of uproar and cries of " Adjourr, '
it being found that the room in which the meeting
was hell, and which is used as the Nisi Prius Court
at the assizes, was not capacious enough to permit a
great number of the free-trade party to be present,
the doors being completely choked up.
A resolution was at length proposed by Mr. BLEA.-
DEN, and seconded by Mr. DRUMMOND, to the effect
that the present system of free-trade was injurious to
all classes of the community.—(Great uproar.)
Mr. GEORGE FREDERIC YOUNG came forward to
speak to the resolution amid mingled hisses, cheers,
and groans, and was much interrupted through the
whole of his speech. warned them against falling
into the same miitake with regard to corn that they
had fallen into with respect to cotton. The duty had
been taken off American
.cotton, and our own colonies
had ceased to grow the article.
Mr. Suds, of Croydon, moved an amendment to
the following effect :—" That it is the opinion of the
majority of this meeting, that free-trade in every
way would be beneficial to the community at large,"
which was seconded by Mr. PARKER, a tradesman in
the town.

The CHAIRMAN put the amendment. The show of
hands was certainly in favour cf the amendment, but
the chairman decided that it was not. This gave rise
to a most terrific row, the Free-traders declaring on
the one hand that the amendment was carried, and
the Protectionists, on the other, that it was lost. The
Free-traders had a majority of nearly two to one.
Af,er some difficulty, the Chairman put the original
motion, which he also declared carried, the same
number of hands being held up as in the last case.
Mr. PAUL FOSKETT, of Reigate, came forward to
move the second resolution. He said, I quite agree.
—(We won't hear you.) Yes you will, presently.—
(Great uproar.)
Several persons in the hall said, " Ouramendment
was carried, the Chairman is partial, and the whole
proceedings are a farce."
Lord STANHOPE came forward amidst a volley of
hisses and groans, and attempted to address the meet-
ing, but the uproar was so great that his Lordship
appeared alarmed, and, as all chance of being able to
proceed any further with the business of the day ap-
peared to be at an end, his Lordship advised the
Chairman to dissolve the meeting before any injury
was inflicted on the building or the persons present.
The Chairman adopted the suggest►on, and a vote
of thanks was endeavoured to be moved, but it was a
failure ; and the Free-traders succeeded in giving
" groans, loud, long, and deep ;" and thus ended the
meeting.

THE WORCESTERSHIRE PROTECTION

ME E TIN G.
WORCESTER, SATURDAY NIGHT. ---- To-day was
appointed for a county meeting, to be held at the
Shirehall here—a meeting of " owners and occupiers
of land, and others interested in the protection of
British industry, to determine upon the propriety of
addressing her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen,
and craving her to dissolve the present Parliament."
The meeting was held in the Crown Cuurt, at the
Shirehall, capable of holding, perhaps, eight hundred
persons.
The chair was taken at twelve o'clock by the Hon.
W. Coventry, in the absence of the High-Sheriff, J.
Dent, Esq., who was prevented by indisposition from
attending the meeting. Among the gentlemen present
were General the Hon. H. B. Lygon, M.P., R.
Spooner, Eiq , M.P., J. Best, Esq., M.P., Hon. and
Rev. Thomas Coventry, Hon. and Rev. G. C. C.
Talbot, E. Holland, Esq., (Dumbleton, late M.P.
for Worcestershire), W. Dent, Esq., (Sudeley
Castle), R. Berkeley, Esq., (Spetchley Park), and
some too thousand persons—farmers, landlords,
tradesmen, and others, including a large body of
persons in the outer ball, who could not gain admit-
tance into the Crown Court, where the meeting was
held.
The CHAIRMAN opened the business, and read the
requisition to the High- Sheriff, which contained
about 1,200 names.
JAMES TAYLOR, Esq., Moseley-hall, then moved the
following as the first resolution, which advocated the
substitution of a system of just protection to domestic
industry against unrestricted foreign competition for
the present free-trade policy. Mr. Taylor impressed
upon the meeting that all that was desired was, that
labour in every department of British industry might
be protected, so that every man might be enabled by
honest industry to earn sufficient for the maintenance
of himself and his family. This position, he believed,
could never be attained, unless a just, fair, and equal
protection was provided for both the agriculture and
the manufactures of this country.—(Loud cheers).
T. G. CURTLER, Esq., vice-chairman of the Court
of Quarter Sessions, seconded the resolution; and ex-
pressed his general coincidence in what had fallen
from Mr. Taylor. Mr. Curtler was proceeding fur-
ther to comment on the measures which led to the
removal of the duty on foreign corn, when a loud cla-
mour arose from a body of persons in the outer hall,
who called for an adjournment to that place. This
clamour was sustained for a considerable time, and it
appeared that there were at least a thousand persons
in the hall who could not gain admittance to the place
of meeting.
Mr. W. DENT, brother to the High-Sheriff, ad-
dressed the meeting in some excitement, and said it
was not to be borne that the proceedings should be
interrupted by a small body of persons.
The uproar continued, however, and after inef-
fectual attempts, Mr. Curtler formally seconded the
resolution, and sat down. From thisperiod all was
uproar, and the remaining resolutions were passed in
dumb show.

An amendment was moved by some person in the
gallery, denouncing the attempt to reimpose a bread
tax, and declaring that the distress of the farmers was
owing to their relation with their landlords, and that
it was necessary that the people should have complete
control over thsir representative.. The motion (on
paper) was flung to the chainnac, who said, he was
"much obliged," but no further notice was taken of
it. The original resolution was put to the meeting
and declared to be carried.
J. R. COOKF, Esq., late master of the Worcester-
shire Hunt, moved the next resolution, which as-
serted that the fall of prices had deprived the farmer
of at least one-third of his capital.
Mr. 11. HunsoN, tenant-farmer, seconded this reso-
lution, which was also declared to be carried.
Rev. J. rnansoN moved the next resolution, to the
disc, " That the List generrA election did nut bring
to issue the national sentiment on the great question
of free-trade,"

Mi. BEST, M.P. for Kidderminster, rose to second
the resolution amidst renewed uproar. He com-
menced, " Where ignorance is bliss 'tie folly to be
wife ;" but the noise prevented his proceeding further.
The Hon. and Rev. W. C TALBOT moved that
petitions in accordance with the resolutions adopted,
should be presented to Parliament, which was seconded
by O. HomaND, Esq., a magistrate.
A petition was then adopted, and an address to the
Queen also, but from the noise in the court, the chair-
man gave up any attempt to read either document.
A good deal of hesitation followed ; the Protectionist
party still appearing to expect that the Free-traders
would allow them to be heard. In this way the two
parties kept possession of the court for perhaps half an
hour, when the Chairman declared the meeting to be
dissolved; and after farther ineffectual attempts on
the part of various individuals to make a speech, the
people gradually dispersed, and thus ended the great
a Protectionist demonstration" of Worcestershire.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

BIRKENHEAD, LANCASHIRE, AND CHESHIRE

JUNCTION.
(FROM OUR OWN REPORTER.)
A special general meeting of the proprietors of the
above railway was held on Saturday afternoon, at the
Monck's. Ferry Hotel, Birkenhead, for the purpose of
uth °rising the direction to raise money on loan.
Mr. Bancroft, chairman of the board of directors, in
the chair.

The advertisement convening the meeting having
been read,
The CHAIRMAN said the object of borrowing the
money was to ease the shareholders of calls. The
financial position of the undertaking he explained
the following manner :—The entire bond debt of the
Chester and Birkenhead line amounted to 138,538/.
155.; in addition to this there were two mortgages

in respect of landed property, amounting to 15,5001.;
while the assets consisted of 96,0001., to be calledup
upon the 221. shares, and a quantity of land situated
in Birkenhead and elsewhere, which was not required

for the purposes of the railway ; and it was proposed
with these resources to reduce the debt of the Chester
and Birkenhead line to 31,0001., leaving that to ne
provided for out of the capital cf the united company.
It should be mentioned, however, that the valuation
of the land had been estimated at 1848 prices,
which had of late been considerably enhanced. With

regard to the Cheshire Junction extension, the liabilitie,
amounted to the sum of 463,130/., which was made
up in this way :—Amount yet to be paid Mr.
Brassey, the contractor, 219,8941.; for permanent
way, 26,888/.; for land, 43,0001.; statior, crossings,
&e.. 10,000/. ; land, for other purposes than the line,
63,722/. This, together with interest payable on the
Chester and Birkenhead share, made up the total he
had already mentioned, namely, 463,1301. Now it
was proposed to raise 246,0001. of this sum by calls
to be made to-day, and 200,000/. by loan. The re-
solution, therefore, he had to move was—" That the
directors be authorised to raise a sum on mortgage or
land, not exceeding in the whole 200,000/." It should
be understood that Mr. Brassey, the contractor, had
consented to take the company's bonds: for 100,0001,
while the directors anticipated no difficulty in obtain-
ing the other 100,000/., as money was exceedingly
plentiful in the market. It was not intended to pay
the interest on the loans out of the funds of the com-
pany, but it was proposed to call up the full amount
of calls yet remaining unpaid on all the shares, so as
to place them on an equality with the 31/. shares, and
those proprietors who did not comply with the call
would have to contribute pro rata the interest out of
their dividends. .

Mr. WM. JAcKsor, M.P., had great pleasure in
seconding the resolution. It was only an act of justice
that those who did not pay their calls thould contri-
bute the interest of the money that was borrowed f.g.

their own accommodation.
Mr. HARRISON—Am' I to understand that the
246,0001. to be called to-day must be paid up irre-
spective of the loan ?
The CHAlRMAN—Certainly.
Mr. HARRISON—And the balance is to be provided
for by loan if the shareholders reject the option of
making it up in calls. Of course, therefore, a differ-
ence will be made between the shareholder who pays
his call and the one who does not.
The CHAIRMAN—A circular will be sent to each
shareholder, giving him the option of paying the call
upon his shares or borrowing it at interest. If he
adopt the latter alternative he must pay the interest
of course.
A PROPRIETOR Suppose • a shareholder neither
pays his call nor interest ?
The CHAIRMAN—Then we shall have to forfeit his
shares.
Mr. ltummuss understood the proposal in this
way : the dividend would be declared on 311., and
the amount of interest would be deducted from that
dividend. If, therefore, the profits of the line only
yielded 2A- per cent., and the shaveholder had to pay
5 per cent, for the loan, it would be an inducement
for him to pay the call.
The CHAIRMAN said, no doubt.
A PROPRIETOR asked if the Chairman bad been
speaking of calls in arrear as well as calls to be made?
The CHAIRMAN had been speaking of both ; it was
calculated that 25,000 shareholders were likely to pay
up ; if they did, very likely the directors would not re-
quire the whole 31/.
Mr. SACKSON—In the event of your calling up the
311. on the 27/. Ws. shares, it will give sufficient to
complete the works, but not to clear off the liabilitie..
The CHAIRMAN—I have already stated that the
amount required is 463,1301. If 25,000 share-
holders pay up, it will realise a sum of 475,940/. ;
that will be more than sufficient to meet the esiimate,
but in that case there will still be the Chester and
Birkenhead left of 138,0001.
Mr. JACKSON—It appears, then, that there will
still be a deficit of 138,0001.
The Cnartistms—At•suming the 25,000 pay ; but
our assumption is that only 20,000 shares will pay ;
still that will be more than sufficient to meet all the
pressing liabilities of the company.
The resolution was ultimately put and carried.
The CHAIRMAN then entered into an explanation
of the dispute which hid arisen between this
company and the Shrewsbury and Chester and the
Shrewsbury and Birmingham Companies.. The
two latter companies had been anxious to make
an arrangement with this company for using the
Chester and Birkenhead line at a mileage rate,
hut as the arrangement was only to extend to the
through traffic from Birmingham to Birkenhead, the
company rejected it. The Chester and Birkenhead
line had cost three times the amount per mile of the
other two, and if they or the London and North-
Western Company were anxious to use it for com-
peting purposes, they must be prepared to pay for it
handsomely. The Chester and Birkenhead line was
in so secure a position that it could afford to be inde-
pendent in the matter. In consequence, however, of
the directors refusing to accept the proposal hehad
mentioned, the Shrewsbury and Chester Company, for
the last ten weeks, had been running omnibuses be-
tween Chester and Birkenhead, in opposition to this
line ; but the opposition had done them little or no
harm, for, by a comparison with the corresponding
weeks of last year, it would be seen that while the
receipts of the Shrewsbury and Chester line had in-
creased only seven per cent., those of the Chester
and Birkenhead had increased nine per cent. He
underetood that the opposition was to cease on Mon-
day, the 21st inst., and that this company would be
working upon amicable terms with the other two
companies.
Thanks were then voted to the Chairman, and
the meeting, which was very numerously attended,
broke up.

DIRECT MANCHESTER, LEEDS, AND YORK RAIL-
WAY.—'['ho winding-up of this company's affairs came
on on Saturday before the Mast-T in Chancery Brougham,
at his court, in Southampton-buildings, Chancery-13,n,,
on the petition of Mr. H. Dawson, barrister, who stated
that the company was projected with a capital of
800,0001. in 40,000 shares cf 201. each, and that shares
were allotted, but in consequence of the panic few de-
posits were paid. Mr. H. Harris, on behalf of several
contritmt Ties, opposed proceeding with the matter alt,,-
gether, and the Master decided on adjourning the ques-
tion for three months, to give the parties time for consider-
ing whether they should not petition the Court to rescind
the order for winding-up, since he aas cf opinion that it
was a case in which ISO order for the purpose was neces-
sary. He had been given to understand that the liabili-
ties had been paid off, and applications of the kind
could not be countenanced by the Court.
SEVEN FISHING SMACKS AND THIRTY-SEVEN
FISHERMEN LOST.—We have to record a calamity of a
tnott afflicting nature involving, it is feared, a loss of
life unequalled for many years by any event in connexion
with this port. Seven fine fi-hing-smacks, whose crews
numbered in the aggregate thirty•seven men and boys,
which 1, ft Hull prior to Christmas-day, in 1849, and
which should have returbed a fortnight age, have not
since been heard of. It is supposed that the vessels
perished during the gales of the 27th and 28h Decem-
ber. Various causes cf this fearful loss of life and pro-
perty are stated, but the most probable is that they
f mneered on the Lemon-oar Sand, in consequence of
the floating light drifting from her moorings. The top •
mast of one (the Mary) was picked up off Lowestoft,
and brought into Hull on Friday last. It will be seen
that a public meeting is called to consider the best way
of providing the thirteen widows and twenty-five chil-
dun, rendered fatherlesi by this appalling calamity, with
such relief ,t:1 their t,tll:cted ea2e may require, Surely
will bt-: quul to the occasion.—
lie'l the henevolenc;.! 0 i Hull
Adverli.ser.

A GOOD OLD AGE.—There is now living at
Norton, itait this city, an eld won an, named Ann Finch,
who bay very nearly attlintd the age of 108 years. She
is blind, almost detf, and has been bedridden for the ltut
few months. but she still eats and drinks a
glantity c f cider each thy. Ann Burrow, her eldest
daughter, who is living" at Croome d'Abitot, and regu-
larly atteA,; Worce.ter market, is 69 dears a age.
IV Greater trail.
111r1 Grey, Secretary for the Colonif,s, Ills removed
em his mart ion in B:;4,11-:zve avare to his resi-
deucu on CarlOn-linabe-terlacc-, lately in the occupation
of the Right Hon. W. B. Walstone.