The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-03 00:00:00

HALIFAX CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

The monthly meeting of this chamber was held
on Wednesday, the president, Colonel Akroyd,
M.P., in the chair. The minutes of the last meeting
having been adopted, a report was read by the
secretary of the proceedings at the late meeting of
the Associated Chambers of Commerce. The report
was an elaborate statement of 'the resolutions, argu-
ments, &c., upon the subjects brought forward, and
an account of the deputations to the Foreign-office,
the Board of Trade, and to the Attorney-General.
Mr. Hartley moved a vote of thanks to the deputa-
tion from the chamber to the Associated Chambers.
The deputation consisted of the president, Mr. Wil-
liam Morris, Mr. Bowman, and the secretary. A
letter was read from Mr. Lloyd, the president
of the Associated Charnber3, stating that the asso-
ciation would hold meetings in February, and
asking if the chamber had any proposition to lay
before the meetings. The chairman said there was
one subject which the Halifax Chamber submitted
at the last meeting of the association—a recom-
mendation that the Government should take steps
for effecting a commercial tariff with the Portu-
guese and Spanish Governments. The subject had
been referred by the Associated Chambers to a tariff
committee. The chairman stated that he had seen
in the Leeds Mercury of that morning a paragraph
stating that the Government had felt it their duty
to abandon the notion of a treaty of commerce
with Portugal and Spain. He explained that the
full-bodied wines of Portugal, if above 26 de-
grees of proof, paid a duty of 2s. 6d. a gal-
lon, and the Portuguese Government asked
for these wines to be reduced to the same
scale as under the French tariff. It appeared from
the paragraph that the Portuguese Government
bad taken the initiative in the matter. Portugal
was an old ally of England, and some years ago
Halifax almost solely supplied the Portuguese mar-
kets with low woollen cloths. He could not say
how the market stood at the present time, but
there was still no doubt a substantial trade dune
between Halifax and Portugal. 'lt was important
that the Government should be alive to the
development of the trade of the nation, and he
was sure that this decision of her Majesty's
Government could not last long, the pressure for
a change would be too great. He was soinevilaat
surprised at the apathy of chambers of commerce
upon this question, for he believed that a much
more extensive trade might be done with the Penin-
sula if a treaty were effected. He had been in-
formed that a commercial treaty had been completed
between the Papal States and this country, and-on
the basis of the French treaty. He .contrasted the
probable advantages of a treaty with Portugal with
one with the Papal States, the trade with which, he
said, was now of very limited extent. Some discus-
sion ensued, and the sanction of the chamber was
given to the chairman to bring forward the subject at
the Associated Chambers' meeting. Mr. F. Smith
made a statement as to the late conference of tradesmen
with Mr. Hedgrave, factory inspector, on the new Fac-
tory Acts. Mr. Smith spoke approvingly of the con-
ference, and the great amount of information given on
the acts by Mr. Redgrave. Mr. Smith recom-
mended the publication of a full report of the con-
ference by the chamber, as a large number of trades-
men would come under the acts in this district.
After some discussion it was decided to publish such
a report. The chairman read a letter which he had
received from the chairman of the Havre Chamber
of Commerce, on the project of a Maritime Exhibi-

tion in that town in October of the present year.
The chairman (Mr. Akroyd) said he admired the
public spirit of the Havre Chamber in addressing
the Chambers of Commerce of England. It was
decided to reply that Halifax, not being a maritime
town, could not lend material aid, but the chamber
was much pleased with the friendly communica-

tion. It was announced that the annual meeting
of the chamber would be held on the 17th of
January.

RAIL WAY INTELLIGENCE.

CALCUTTA AND SOUTH-EASTERN.

An extraordinary general meeting of this com-
pany was held yesterday at the offices, Gresham-
house, Old Broad-street ; Mr. Borradaile in the
chair.

The CHAIRMAN stated that the meeting was
called to give effect to resolutions for reducing the
share capital of the company from £1,000,000 to
£250,000, in £5 paid-up shares. He said what they
now proposed to' do was supposed to have been done
some years ago, but it appeared had not been done
through some informality.
Resolutions in conformity with the chairman's
proposition were adopted, and the proceedings ter-
minated with a vote of thanks to the chairman.

BRIXHAI4I.

A short line of railway, 2k miles in length, from

the Brigham-road station of the Dartmouth and
Torbay Railway to Furzeham-common, Brixham,
was formally opened on Wednesday. The railway
was constructed by Mr. R. W. Wolston, for the
benefit of the town of Brixham. The line passed
through some heavy rock cuttings, and over em-
bankments about 18ft. in height. The event was
celebrated at Brixham by a dinner, at which
Lord Churston presided. A handsome testimonial
was presented to Mr. Wolston by the inhabitants in
acknowledgment of the valuable services he had
rendered the town by the construction of the rail-
way,

CONSOLIDATED LAND COMPANY OF FRANCE
(LIMITED).

The general meeting of this company was held
yesterday at Exeter Ilall, Strand—Mr. A. Grant,
M.P., in the chair.

The CHAIRMAN stated that the meeting was
only held pro forma, in accordance with the pro-
visions of the Act of Parliament. There were
no accounts or report. Since the last meet-
ing negotiations were pending with the land
companies of France for reducing or removing
liabilities that the company was uuder to the ex-
tent of £1,500,000. He had hoped those negotia-

tions would have been _concludedbefore this, but he
believed that in a very short time they would be con-
cluded. When the negotiations were concludtd the
shareholders would be called together again, and
the position and prospects of the company would be
fully explained. By the exertions of the directors
the liabilities had been considerably reduced, and
in that respect they had a hopeful future. The
ultimate success of the company depended entirely
upon some modification being obtained of the con-
tracts entered into by this company with the French

companies.
The meeting. then passed a vote of thanks to the
chairman, and separated. •

THE PRINCE OF WALES AND FOXIIUNTING IN
NORFOLK.—There aro no more enthusiastic supporters of

the national sport of foxhuntiug to be found in England
than the Royal owner of Sandringham and his popular
consort, and foxes and pheasants have to exist together
on the Royal domain. When the Prince of Wales first
purchased Sandringham, foxes were unknown in the ex-
cellent preserves; but the Prince having become a sub-
scriber to the West Norfolk Hounds, which were then
under the mastership of Mr. Henry Villobois, at once
gave orders for foxes to be preserved, and several meets
have subsequently taken place at Sandringham, with but
indifferent results as far as actual hunting was concerned,
but the immense fields of equestrians, carriage com-
pany, and the pedestrians which have attended have
sufficiently shown the popularity of the fixtures,
and on one prErhous occasion, when his royal highness
gave a public luncheon to the gentlemen of the hunt, there
were more " swells" in pink and green, and on horseback
than ever before were seen in the annals of the West
Norfolk Nimrods. This was possibly partially due to the
love of the sport, but probably still more to the desire to be
brought somewhat into close communion with the dignity,
Jtc„ which is supposed to " hedge about a prince." It
cannot be said of Sandringham and the country thereabouts
that it is one of the best foxhuntiug districts in England,
as it is not sufficiently open for that, but still in the nature
of the ground there is nothing to prevent some good runs.
Thanks to the faithfulness of Goss Overton, his royal
highness's head-keeper, in carrying out the wishes of the
Prince with reference to the preservation of the "var-
mint," the woods at Sandringham this year aro as full of
foxes as possible. During the present season the Prince
and his brother sportsmen have aeon foxes in every wood.
—Land and Water.

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11ER MAJESTY.

OSBORNE, Jan. 2.

The Queen, accompanied by Princess Christian,
drove in the grounds yesterday afternoon ; and
her Majesty drove out this morning, accompanied
by their Royal tlighuesses Princess Louise, Prince
Arthur, and Prince Leopold.