The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-07 00:00:00

special general meeting held on the 91 of January last.
Tl.e Directors c.,ncluded their report with the gratifying
announcement that they had to propose a divtdend of
thirty shillings rer share, aii.ounting to 52,7341.
The Cnatumax moved the adoption of the report,
I.if:h was second( d by Mr. J. SMITH, and subsequently
carried unanimously.
Captain Laws drew a comparison between the ex-
penses of the Brighton and the Leeds and Manchester
lines, and said he thought, as the latter had nearly
double the traffic of the other, and was more than 76
miles in extent, while the Brighton was only 56, there
must be some want of good management in their Com-
pany, when the expenses of working the Leeds and
Manchester only exceeded by 1,000/. that of the
Brighton. This was owing, he thought, to the want of
a general and responsible superintendent on the line,
and he would tin refore suggest 1‘ hether it would not be
advisable for the Directors to take into consideration the
propriety of appointing some talented and experienced
gentleman capable of undertaking the duties of such an
office ?

The CHAIRMAN concurred in this suggestion, and
eventually promised that it should be acted upon.
Subsequently a resolution, declaring a dividend of
305., payable on the 14th instant, was agreed to, and
the powers recommended in the report given to the
Board of Directors.
Mr. C. P. Grerifell was elected a Director in the room
of Mr. Nash, and Sir John Simpson and Mr. Edward
Crowley having been re-elected Directors, a vote of
thanks was carried to the Chairman, and the meeting
separated, after a siting of nearly three hours.

SOUTH-EASTERN RAILWAY
COMPANY.

Yesterday afternoon a special general meeting of the
above Company was held at the London Tavel n, on the
subject of the proposed t xtension of the South-Eastern
lhilway.
Sir John Kirkland, Chairman of the Directors, occu-
pied the Chair.

JOHN W lIITEHEAD, Esq., the Secretary, read the
Report of the Directors, which was extremely lengthy,
and from which we quote the followit,g extracts :
" The Directors are satisfied that the true interests of
the Railway are in the strictest sense identical with
those of the public, and that no system can be con-
sidered as permanently prosperous and secure, unless it
provides within itself the greatest practicable amount of
pubic accommodation.

" The new railways which they propose to construct
are—the North Kent line, beginning en the Surrey ride
of the Thames, at a point between the Ilungerford and
Waterloo-bridges, and passing by the Bricklayers' Arms
station, over the Greenwich Railway, by Deptford,
Woolwich, Greenhithe, Dartford, Gravesend, Stroud,
Rochester, Chatham, Sitringbourne, Faversham, and
terminating at Chilham, where it joins the Company's
present line from Ashford to Canterbury, Ramsgate, and
Margate. It comprehends tilso a branch from Milton
next Sittingbourne to Sheerness, and another branch,
or rather duplicate line, from Eltham to Stone, tear
Dartford. The Minster and Deal line. The Maidstone
and Rochester line. The direct Tunbridge line from
Eltham to Shoreham, ()tford and Igthan3, with a fork to
Tunbridge and Paddock Wood. The line from Tun-
bridge to Tunbridge Wells. And a line from Ashford
to Hastings.
" Notice has also been given to extend the Greenwich
Railway as far as the Park, and to make a return branch
from Woolwich to the opposite Side of the park, so that,
if the consent of the Government be obtained, the line
to Woolwich will pass direct through Greenwich and
Greenwich park, instead of taking the more circuitous
route by Blackheath.

" One of the most important features in this system is
the connexion between all parts of the country and the
great tetminal station, opposite to Hungerford-market.
The South-Western Company are preparing to extend
their line to the same point ; and other lines are pro-
posed, by which the communication will be carried on
to the Great Western and London and Birmingham
Railways, and thus to all the important districts of
Great Britain."

The report then suggests various other improvements
in cliff rent parts of the line.
The CHAIRMAN moved that the report be adopted by
the Proprietors, and moved the following resolutions :-
1. That it is expedient for the South Eastern Railway
Company to provide funds, by the creation of new
shares, for making the undermentioned lines of railway,
in favour of which the Board of Trade have announced
their intention of reporting to Parliament :—South-
Eastern—Maidstone and R chester ; South-Eastern—
Branches to Deal and 'Palmer, and Extension and De-
viation at Margate ; South Eastern—Ashford to Hast-
ings ; South•Eastern—Hungerford-bridge to Tunbridge
and Paddock Wood, and branches ; South-Eastern—
North Kent, Hungerford-bridge to Chilham, with
branch to Sheerness, subject to any modifications which
may appear to be desirable for the naval and military
establishments of the country, and reserving considera-
tion of the branch to connect Greenwich and Woolwich;
and so much of the line from Tunbridge to Hastings,
Rye, and St. Leonard's, as lies between Tunbridge and
Tunbridge Wells ; and also for widening and extending
parts of the London and Greenwich Railway, if found
expedient ; subject to a power in the Directors to make
ail such deviations, extensions, contractions arid varia-
tions of all, or any, of the said lines a:.d works, and to
execute such incidental works, as they shall think ex-
pedient.
2. That the additional capital of 3,780,0001., being the
full estimated amount required for constructing and
opening for traffic all the contemplated lines, be raised
by the issue of 126.000 new shares of 501 each, to parties
who shall pay for the same 301. per share, by instalments
as after mentioned.

3. That the first instalment of 2/. 10s. per share be
paid on the 17th day of February, 1845, and the re-
maining instalments of such amounts (not exceeding 2/.
10s. per share), and at such dates (at intervals of not
loss than two months), as tlie'Directors shall, after the
pas-ing of tv.y A-et or Acts in relation to the before-
mentioned new lines, or an) of. them, determine to call
the same. That twenty- one days' notice of such calls
shall be given by advertisement in the London Gazette,
and two Lot:don daily morning newspapers, and two
newspapers published in Kent. That, upon payment of
all such instalments, or upon payment of such propor-
tion thereof as 1113 Directors shall declare to be re-
quired, the shut s, on account whereof the same shall
have been made, shall be forthwith issued and regis
tered ; but that, if default shall be made in the due
payment of any instalment upon any share for-the space of
thirty days after the same shall have become due, all pre-
vious instalments in respect of the same share shall be
absolutely forfeited to the Company, and no party
in respect of such previous instalments shall be en-
titled to any share, or have any claim on the Com-
pany ; and that all instalments paid after the time when
the same shall have become due, shell be paid with in-
terest at the rate of 51. per centum per annum computed
from that time.

4. That every such instalment paid shall be deem( d to
be and be entered in the Company's books as a pay-
ment in the same proportion to 50L as the instalment NO
paid actually bear. to 30/.
5. That no dividend shall be payable in respect of any
such new share, or any of such instalment so paid, until
six months after the day on which a dividend.shall have
been declared on the now existing shares of Com-
pany next following the opening for traffic of the latest
in point of execution of the new lines of railway deter-
mined to be constructed by means of the additional ca.!
pital aforesaid ; and that all profits accruing from any of
the new lines which may have been wholly or partially
opened: betorc such day, shall be divisible among the
Prop) ietors for the time being of the now existing
126,000 shares. _

7. That every registered Proprietor of any existing
share or shares on the sth day of February, 1845, shall
be entitled, in respect of each such share, to one new
share so to be issued as before mentioned, provided that
he shall signify his acceptance of such share by payment
of the first instalment of 2/ 10s. per share to one of the
hankers of the Company on or before the 17th day of
February, 1845, in compliance with a circular letter to
be sent by p ,st to the registered address of each Pro-
prietor from the office of the Company,
7. That the Directors shall be at liberty to issue, upon
such terms and in such manner as they shall think pro-
per, any of the said 126,000 new shares to which no
parties shall become entitled upon the foregoing con-
ditions

Mr SPGREGOR entered into a long statistical state-
ment, and gave the details of the probable cost of the va-
rious ex tension lines. These lines were of the utmost
importance to the Company, both on account of the im-
portance of the districts through which they passed, and
taken in connexion with the French lines which were
at present in course of progress.
Tht. resolutions were then put seriutim, and were passed
with the utmo-t unanimity by a very crowded meeting.
Thanks to the Chairman were then voted and acknow-
ledged, and the meeting separated at half-past three
o'clock.

COURT OF BURGESSES.
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

A Court of Burgesses was held yesterday at the Guild-
hall, Westminster, before Mr. Lightfoot, Chairman, Mr.
Smedley, High Bailiff, and the Town-clerk and a full jury.
The Annoyance Jury having given in their presentment of
persons fined for defective weights and measures, the follow-
ing appeal came before the Court :
IN THE MATTER OF M. P. DAVIES, OF ST. MARTIN'S-LANE.
Mr. I.:DwiN JAMES, who appeared for the appellant, said
that his client, Mr. Davies, of 63, St. Martin's-lane, had been
amerced by the Annoyance Jury in the sum of 405., "for
dealing with false weighing machines." He (Mr. James)
was aware that there was no legal appeal from that decision,
and therefore he wished to know precisely in what position
he stood before the Court. Mr. Davies apprehended that he
bad been summoned there to show cause against that deci-
sion, and he had in Court then a great number of most respec-
table witnesses to prove that the Annoyance Jury were in
error. He (Mr. James) merely threw out these observations
to ascertain from the Chairman the exact standing of his
client in that Court.
The CHAIRMAN thought that the case need go no
further, as he was of opinion that the jury were in error.
Since the last day on which that Court had sat, he, accom
panied by the Town-clerk, had visited Mr. Davies's establish-
ment and inspected the machine in question, and he thought
the error into which the jury had fallen arose from this circum-
stance, that the scale vibrated to one side or the other, but if
they had placed the weights in it, they would have found the
equilibrium perfect. He had seen goods weighing on each of
the three machines in question, and then weighed on the
beam scales, which proved their correctness beyond doubt ;
and he was convinced there was no intentional fraud or
carelessness on the part of Mr. Davies.
The foreman of the Annoyance Jury said that one of Mr.
Davies's men admitted the incorrectness of the scales. They
had tried other scales of a similar construction and found them
correct.
Mr. JAMES said that a discussion with the jury was un-
seemly and indecorous, and what he would wish to avoid.
The CHAIRMAN repeated that he had himself examined the
scale, and hound it as correct as it could possibly be.
The foreman said that if Mr. Davies were let off, then the
other parties had been fined most unjustly.
The CHAIRMAN—Then you ought to have the scales tried
in a business-like manner.—The fine was of course remitted.