The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-19 00:00:00

SOUTH-EASTERN RAILWAY
COMPANY.

The seventeenth half-yearly general meeting of the Pro-
prietors of this Company was held yesterday, at one, at the
Terminus, London-bridge, for the purpose of having sub-
mitted to them the report of the Directors for the half-year
ending on the 31st of January last.
There was a numerous gathering of the Shareholders. Sir
John Kirkland, the Chairman of the Boord of Directors, pre-
sided.

On the proposition that the advertisement calling the
meeting be read,
Mr. CaLsturrsost, before hearing it read, would wish to
know from the Chairman why copies of the report were so
long delayed from the Proprietors. He had only received
his copy on entering that room, when he had fully expected
to have seen it printed last Saturday. . . . .

The CHAIRMAN explained, that unfortunately in the midst
of the preparations for that meeting the chief accountant
was obliged, under a subpoena, to attend with his books at
the Maidstone Sessions. It was impossible, therefore, for the
Directors while the books were there to put the Proprietors
into possession of the report on the preceding Saturday.
The accounts were not audited till the previous midnight, and
he (the Chairman) did not get the report till within ten mi-
nutes of the hour of meeting.
The advertisement was then read.

The CHAIRMAN said the next duty was to affix the cem-
mon see to the registry of the Proprietors, and he moved that
that be done.

Mr. GILBERTSON asked whether the Proprietors had a right
to inspect the registry of shares, and if they had, when,
where, and how ? _ _ _

The CHAIRMAN said that no Proprietor would have any
difficulty in obtaining access to the registry at the proper
season. .

Mr. GILBERTSON was dissatisfied with the answer. Ha
wished to know if he could, on application, see the names of
each Proprietor, and the number of shares to that name?
The CHAIRMAN was sorry that the legel adviser of the
Company was not present to answer the Hon. Proprietor's
question. He was, unfortunately, obliged to attend 'a dis-
cussion before a Select Committee of the House of
Commons, to inquire into the schemes of the North
Kent Railway Company, which, they were aware, was
opposed to the south- Eastern. His own opinion was,
that, whether the law were favourable or otherwise to
the wishes of the Honourable Proprietor, the Directors
would refuse no information that it was consistent with the
interests of the Company to give. He hoped that the Hon.
Proprietor, therefore, and the meeting, would feel satisfied
with this explanation.
The common seal was then affixed to the registry.
The Secretary, Captain O'Brien, then rea the report,
which stated that the gross revenue for the half-year was
139,0421. 1 le. 2d., while the expenditure for the same
period was 69,2881. Os. 2d., showing a balance of 70,4441.
17s. 7d , out of which the Directors recommended, without
deduction of income-tax, a dividend of fifteen shillings and
fourpence per share, on the paid-up shares, and one shilling
and eleven pence per share on the No. 1 shares, which, on the
4/. paid previous to the 31st of January, 1845, were entitled
to a proportionate dividend; the total amount of this dividend
would be 45,616/. 13s. 4d., and there would remain a reserve
fund of 24,828/. 4s. 3d.

The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report, said
that lie had to congratulate the Proprietors on the improved
and the improving prospects of the Company. It was a
source of great satisfaction to the Directors that they were
enabled to recommed a dividend of 15s. 4d. ea the paid-
up shares, without any deduction for the income-tax,
The extension lines they were then forming would,
he trusted, improve the interests of the Company, and he
could not conceal the gratification he felt in comparing the
cost of maintaining their permanent roads with that of the
cost which he found acknowledged by most of the other
great Companies. It could not fail to be agreeable
to them to know that while the maximum of
other Companies was 4041. per mile per annum,
and the minimum, 1301.—(Le could refer to nine
great Companies who paid those sums)—the minimum was
that paid by the South-Eastern Railway. They had heard,
by the report that the Company had now got possession of
the Greenwich ; and they would hear also with pleasure that
there was a great improvement in the traffic of that line.
They had no reason to regret that they had obtained pos-
session of that line, more especially when it was
considered that it was the key to the North Kent line, which
they had every confidence the Legislature would sanction
them in constructing. The Chairman then referred to
the Steam Company which had been established in con-
nexion with the South-Eastern Company (to be called the
South-Eastern Continental Steam Company). The number of
passengers to Ostend and Boulogne who had passed along
their line in the last half-year (decidedly the worst season of
the year), was 13,545 ; and he argued therefrom an in-
creased traffic to the line from this circumstance, and
from the construction of the Great Northern Rail-
way of France. Ile also referred to the custom-house to
be established at Folkestone, and thought that the port
would be used for the importation of light and valuable
French goods. The Chairman concluded by moving the
adoption of the report.
Mr. RICH seconded it, and after some discussion it was re-
ceived and adopted unanimously.

The Directors who went out by rotation, namely, William
Feilden, Esq., ➢i.P., Henry Rich, Esq., and William Henri
Thomas, Esq., were again re- elected.
The meeting, after a vote of thanks to the Chairman, then
separated.

DARTMOUTH ELECTION COM
MITTEE.
FOURTH DAY.

Mr. Sergeant WRANOHAM (in continuation from our After-
noon Edition of yesterday) said—lt was true that, if on
the 27th of December, any sum of money passed from the
nephews to the uncle, as consideration for this transfer, then
though that might not be strict in law, still in equity there
would be a remedy; but such was not the state of the case;
such was not the evidence of the nephews. It had been said
in his Learned Friend's speech that those young men were so
unbusiness-like in their habits as to be totally incapable of
giving any succinct or satisfactory account of this transac-
tion; but surely he could not mean to place those young
men, who were alleged to be now the largest contractors in
the world, in that position ; at least he (Sergeat Wrangham)
would not consent to such a course, although the Messrs.
Somes might not accept his advocacy. The Learned Ser-
geant then recapitulated the evidence of Mr. Frederick
Somes, and contended that the important parts of it were at
variance with that of Mr. Lackland, as to the conversation,
in the month of December, at which any sum was stated
to be named as that which the nephews were to
pay their uncle for the contracts and ships, atc. Therefore
he would call upon the Committee to take the evidence
of the nephew, though as adverse a witness as the
petitioner could have, as that upon which they should
decide that Mr. Somes was disqualified at the
time of the election. He would first ask this ques-
tion—was there a doubt upon the mind, either of any
member of the Committee or of any reasonable man, that if
Mr. Smiles had been beaten, and had gone to his nephews
and said," Oh, I have been beaten, and I therefore don't wish
to give up those contracts under those circumstances," was
there a doubt, he would ask, but that the nephews
would immediately relinquish all claim to them ?—(Laugh-
ter.) It was quite clear there was not, if the confidence
and good feeling represented to have existed be-
tween them really did exist. The Learned Ser
geant then went on to comment upon the non-
production of the bills of sale, which he said he did not
expect would be done; but if they had been produced, it
would then be seen if the ships had been registered
according to the deed of transfer, and then, indeed,
that transfer would be irrevocable. He did
not wish to be understood as denying or disputing the fact,
that now these young men were to be the bond fide contractors ;
but he would ask what relevancy had that fact in any way to
the question at issue? He contended it had none whatever.
Again, then, he would contend that nothing what-
ever had been done by Mr. Somes up to the 27th of
December that would prevent him from resuming those
contracts if he had lost the election, but that
every such step had been studiously and cautiously
postponed. Then as to the consideration ; he contended that
the very nature of it was sufficient to disqualify Mr. Somes,
because that consideration was to cover not only the
amount of debts which had been ascertained, but also
the amount of the value by estimate, which had not
been ascertained. Having dwelt upon other portions of the
evidence at great length, he concluded by insisting that it
was quite clear that Mr. Somes was a Government contrac-
tor in law and in fact on the 27th of December, 1844.
The lammed Sergeant concluded at a quarter.past Four
o'clock, when the Committee adjourned to Twelve o'clock
to-morrow (this day).

COURSE OF EXCHA
Amsterdam CF. 12 8
Ditto, at sight l2 61
Rotterdam 2U. 12 9
Antwerp 26 20
Hamburgh M.B. 14 0
Altona l4 0
Paris, 3 days' sight 25 90
Ditto, 3 months 26 15
Marseilles
Bourdeaux 26 25
Frankfort on Maine 123

VGE.—(YESTERDAY.)
Gibraltar... Gibra1tar...............—
Leghorn . ...... 31
Genoa . 96 20
Mi1an...................—
Venice................. 47
Naples ..• • 35i
Pahang% oz llB
Lisbon 53
Oporto
Rio Jancir.o
Bahia .........-
Buenos .4 fres
New York dys sight
.....
CA, 'IULLION, PER OZ
Foreige ,1.1, bars. £3 17 9
Portuga: Gold Coin 3 17 5
New D0u;..00n5..... 0 0 0
New f);.."ars 0 4 91
I.;.irs 9 4 11A

Petersburgh, 3 Us... 37

Berlin —

Vienna, dile. fl. 3 M lO 4
Trieste, ditto
Madrid 36i
Cadiz
Uilbao 36
_ _

Barcelona

Seville

SUPPRESSION OF HARMONIC MEETlNGS.—Yes-
terday morning orders were issued to the police of the
different divisions, to give notice to the licensed
victuallers having concerts, balls, &c., at their houses,
without being licensed for music and dancing under the
Act of George 11., that if such entertainments were not
forthwith discontinued, they would be proceeded against
for the penalty of 1001, and their licenses .taken away.
THE ELGIN BURGHS.—We understand that another
Liberal candidate for these burghs will announce himself
next week. He is a distinguished sailor, an accomplished
scholar, and a staunch politician. We are not at liberty to
give his name; but we may mention, to assist our friends in
the burghs at coming to a guess, that his father is a Scottish
M.P.—Aberdeen Herald.