The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-08 00:00:00

during the last twelve months, to the amount of 50,0001., and
being asked what his means were, he answered his half-pay 50/.
a-year, and 30.4 as a pension _from the Charter-house. He
Was asko
,Whem,lie served while in the army ?-.He replied it
twine. the subscription, deed
,he appeared as of " Ockwell
House, Maidenhead, Berks." On cross-examination, it turned
thit ',lie lived at the Charter-house, and that Ockwell House
was his bietber'S 'residence. He was asked what he did with
the shares?—He answered that he got rid of, them as soon as
possible; as he did not think it a prudent thing to keep them on
his hands.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
LONDON AND YORK.
This Committee has been engaged all day in examination of
`witnesses regarding the contract deed ; but as far as we could
learn, nothing was elicited in any way to vitiate the subscrip-
tion contract deed.

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RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.
YORK AND NORTH ItIIDLAND.
Yortic, Wriarieseay.—.Yesterday afternoon the half-yearly
general meeting of the above Compaq was held in the board-
room,
.at the station in. this city. There' was an extremely
large attendance of Shareholders. Mr. George Hudson took
the, chair. .The following is an extract from the report :
" The Directors have the satisfaction of presenting to the
Proprietors, the usual statement of accounts for the half-year
ending the 30th of June last, showing a.balance in favour of
the - Company of .49,3071. 15s. The Directors recommend
that a dividend be declared after the rate of 10/. per cent. upon
the original 501. and 251. shares, and after the same rate upon
the new shares created for the Leeds and Selby purchase, de-
ducting interest at 41. per cent: on the amount hot called up
op those shares. The total amount of dividend *ill be 44,220/.
(which it is proposed to pay without deduttion for property-
tax), leaving a surplus of 5,0871. 15s. to the credit of the
Company, , The Directors have;to report to the Proprietors
that, during the present session of Parliament, the royal
assent has been given to the ' following Acts of which- this
Company were the promoters, vie.,: —4 An Act 'for enabling
the York and North Midland Railway - Company to alter
the line, of the York • and Scarborough Hai way near
the city of Yorks for authoeising the ;sale of the Whitby and
Pickering Itailway.to the York and North Midland Railway '
Company, and for enabling the said Company to make certain
deviations or alterations in the line of the Whitby'arsd Picker-
ing
Railway; for enabling the York and North Midland Railway
Company to make a branch railway from the line of the York and
Scarborough Railway, in the township of Seamer, to Bridling-
ton; for enabling the York and North Midland Railway Corn-
party to make, a railway from the line 'of' the York and North
Midland 'Railway .to -1-larrogater• - Thus adding sixty-four
nsllea of : railway to the length of linapreviously under the
managemeat of the York and North Midland Company. The
Directors congratulate the proprietors upon the auspicious
opening of the Scarborough branch; the traffic upon which has
fully equalled their -expectations. 'They add the usual cash
statements, and also the followingsletails of the' traffic for the
last half .yearr viz.:—Passengers ; t first class 39,643, second
c1a5559;701%, third class- 119,756'; total 219,1001. Horses
1,941, carriages 490, dogs 496, cattle '10,678, pigs and calves
2,609, sheep 52,469. Goods 121,934 tons; coke,' Stone, &c,.
11,025, coal 22,346, lime 3,315 ; total 158,620 tons."
The CHAIRMAN then addressed the meeting, and said
The results of the past half year cannot fail to be satisfactory
to you, as wp are enabled to posiyon a dividend equal to that
which we anticipated when welasernet you. There is every
'prospect that, 'on the termination of this half year, there will
be left a surplus as large as that of the corresponding half of
last yesr. No doubt in the neat session we shall be enabled
further to extend our line; and we hive a fair chance of ob-
taining an important link in -the Pocklingten and Beverley dis-
trict. We intend 'immediately to have the various lines which
have been granted to us staked out, and I confidently hope that
we shall be able, by, this time next year, to open a portion, if
not the whole, of these lines.—(Cheers.) We have cause to
congratulate our Shareholders on the splendid prospects which
have been opened to 'them by the opening of the York and
Scarborough line.—( Hear.) • That line will,. in my opinion,
be one of the most productive in the kingdom. We do not, as
'you are aware, carry coal upon it yet, as we were anxious,
in opening it so soon, to give the public this summer an
easy mode of communication to one of the most delightful
watering places 'in the- country. 'WO• have executed the
lease of the Hull and Selby line, and it has received
the seal'of the Company. The heels now worked under,the
management of the York and North Midland Company, and in
the returns of the receipts those on the Hull line are
It requires 1,000/. a week fur the rent of the line, and, deduct-
ing that and the 'working expenses from the receipts, the re-
mainder will be applicable to the dividend of the York and
North Midland Company. There is in that, I think, a fair pros-
pect of the present dividend being continued. I have seen '
lately some observations which have been made with respect to
the accidents Which have recently occurred on some of the rail-
ways. I believe that as long as the human mind is subject to
error, accidents will occur from causes which Directors of
Companies cannot avoid. But depend upon it that you will
have them much more frequently if yoo have lines such as have
been granted this Session, constructed with very bad gradients.
It has been said in the House of Commons that one out of 150
is not a bad gradient ; in fact, I believe it has been said that it
is a good gradient', or, at all events, that it is not objection
able. On the lines to which I have referred, the gradients will
be such as 'to require an engine behind the trains as well
as in front. Accidents frequently occur in consequence of
this, which it makes one shudder to think of. On the lines
over which I preside, we never allow the locomotive,to be be-
hind the train. I think the practice is attended with the utmost
danger. Ido not mean to say that it,pught hever to be re-
sorted to, but it should only be at stations and other places
where the trains go slowly., See the,Croydonline-,-an engine
is placed behlid every train, as well as one in front. SuppOse
a sudden stoppage took place of the engine in front, the engine
behind, if it had any power. at all on, would double up the train.
I can conceive nothing more objectionable than for Parlia-
ment to sanction bad gradients, when better might be obtained ;
for the puiskic,whiin,hadgradients are sanctioned, are deprivi d
of the advantages attendant upon the improiement of. the lro-
Motive engine. It is gratifynK, indeed, to find that the Nark
and North Midland hasheeti .so .free. from accidents. We,
have hatrenly one collision singe Alpine was.npened.L.we have
had but'one fatal accident. Ido not say this boastingly, :but
in a spirit of thankfulness., Air Robert Peel .the other night,
said that something,noght to, be done to teach Directors. of
railways due responsibility. Had he known half the anxiets,
and care which exists in my mind 'when an accident does.
.occur, 1 am confident that lie would not feel that there was
any necessity 'for placing greater responsibility .upon us
than at present exists. I will not allude to the London and
York. , Lord Brougham, although he is very funny, and has
no harm in him, has, I think, been rather mistaken in his de-
fence of the subscription contract of the London and Ydrk. I
know myself one case in which a minor signed the deed for
67,000/. Of course the deed is not binding on Such as party.
Ido not, however, think that this is the proper Way to, attack
a company. We go to the merits of the ease, but we were not
allowed to go into the .merits of, our own case. I regret the
decisipn which the London and 'York Committee came to, as
I think it is wrong, We took every care- however, to have
our caseheard, and we mustssubmit to ;hat tribunal' which
has a right to decide upon the matter. There is another, ap-,
peal, and in that I trttst.that we ahall be "morefeittunate. We
were put to great expense in appearing before the Committee
of the House °Mormons, and all torso purpose, as we were
not allowed to be heard. We intend to petition the Speaker
fora return of the fees which we paid, as the House of Com-
limns would surely not refuse to give us a hearing and take our
money as well.—(Cheers.) I trust that whatever may come
' to pass, we shall alWays be in a position to pay you your pre-
sent dividend ; and if we can do that we need not care much
who makes new lines. We may cry content while we get our
dividend. If the London and York can get ten per cent.
without interfering with us, I, forone, shall not regret it. I
always feel rejoiced to see my neighbours succeed in a y un-
dertaking in which they 'may embark. . .
The lion. •Gentlennin sat down amidst lond applause.
The resolution adopting the report was carried unanimously,
and a dividend at the rate of 10 per cent. was then declared and
made payable on the 19th inst.
''. The CHAIRMAN said the next resolution was a formal one,
to sanction the purchase of the Whitby and Pickering Railway.
The Bill authorising the purchase had received the royal assent.
They were already proceeding with the relaying of the line. It
had been said that this Company had the control of almost all
'the ports in the kingdom, but he trusted that whatever power
they possessed they would use it to the benefit of the public ;
for unless they did so, they would not retain their power long.
The resolution was passed.
The CHAIRMAN said the next resolution had reference to the
extension shares. They intended to lay down a double line of
'rails to Scarborough, as the traffic fully justified such a step.
They hoped to have the double line laid down to Mahon in the
course of six or eight weeks, as in all probability the acts'which
had 'received the royal assent would swallow up all the Money.
which bad been received on the extension shares ; there !would
therefore be new creations of York stock.
The resolution, which was merely formal, to provide or the
registration of the shares, was then put and carried. :
• TESTIMONIAL TO Mk. GEORGE STEPHENSON. !
The CHAIRMAN said the next resolution 'which he bad to
submit was one which had' passed one of the largest meetings
which the Midland 'Company ever held. It had reference to
Mr.' George Stepenson.—( Hear, hear.) That gentleman had
peculiar olaimsnpon this Company,' as it was to his fostering
care that they were indebted for their present prosperity.
When this Company was in difficulties, he it was wild came
forward, and at a time when parties refused to register their
scrip, induced hiS 'friends to come into the undertaking, anti
purchased largely himself. But his claims 'stood upon far
higher grounds than those, namely, the' great benefits which
he had conferred 'upon his fellow-men.—( Cheers.) The re-
solution 'was; that that Company Clo'doneur with the Midland,
the Newcastle; and Darlington Company in erecting a statue
to Mr. George Stephenson, and in presenting him with a ser-
vice of plate, and that the Company do subscribe 2,000/. for
that purpose.—( Cheers. )
The motion was carried amidst much applause.
The CHAIRMAN, in reply to a Proprietor, said Scarborough
stock would stand in the same position with respect to a divi-
dend as the old stock, and the Dirictors would consolidate the
new shares into stock at the next meeting.
l TESTIMONIAL TO MR. HUDSON.
Mr. JENNINGS' then proposed a similar resolution to that
which was passed-at the' lastmeeting of the Midland for a tes-
timonialto Mr. Hudson. ,
Mr. GpWataxa seconded the motion, which was carried
amidst:loud applause.
The CHAIRMAN briefly returned thanks.
A vote of thanks to the Chairman and Directors closed the
proceedings. 4
NEWCASTLE AND DARLINGTON.
The'half-yearly meeting of this CoMPany was held immedi-
ately on the close of the 'York and 'North Midland Company's
meeting, and in the same room.
' Mr. Hudson again took the chair.
Mr. CLOSE then read the report of the Directors, as
' follows,:—
" The Directors have much satisfaction in referring the Pro-
prietors to the accompanying statement of their accounts for the
half-year ending the 30th of Juni last, showing a balance in
favour of the Company upon the revenue mutant of 39,4391.75.
inchiding the sum of 8,470 g. 18s. 2d. received in respect of the
Brandling Junetibli Irafle prior to the Ist of January last. The
Directors recommend that a dividend bed selar.a a t the rate of
Bi. per cent. per annum, leaving 8,856/. Ott. t :.. as a surplus
fund.. The Directors have, in conjunction with the Midland and
the York and North Midland Companies arranged for the lease
and purchase of the Great North of England Railway. The Di-
rectors cannot omit to offer to the Shareholders of thisCoronalY
their congratulations on the successful termination of their.
labours in passing through Parliament the Act for making a
railway from • Newcastle to Berwick. The Acting:eked''the
royal assent on Thursday last, and the first •COLOPte for''
the
works on the line is advertised to be let on the 14th ins'.'
' The CitA IrtMA N moved " That the report be received and
adopted," and c,:ngratulateti the meeting on the topics ceon-
tained in the report.
,A, dividend of 19s. 7d. per share on the original shares and
10s. on the New Brandling Junction shares was then declired,
and made payable on the 19th inst.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed a similar resolution to
that proposed at the York and North Midland meeting,' for
the erection of a statue, and the presentation of a service of
plate *to Mr. Stephenson.
'The.niotion was seconded by Mr. OXLEY, and carried by
.
' ' aPelaMation.
Mr.' BA emu then proposed a resolution for a testimonial
to
Mr.
Mr.l.lll:l4l°Ana.D Tx* distesthi:scconded the resolution, which
was unanimously and with loud ehe-ers passed.
The CHAIRMAN, in ; few words, acknowledged the compli-
ment. ' ' ..
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