The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-29 00:00:00

BRISTOL AND GLOUCESTER,

. - -
BRISTOL, SATunuay.—The half-yearly meeting, which was
very numerously attended, was held this afternoon, Mr. Geo.
.Jones, Chairman of the Company, presiding.
Mr. FLETcuEn, the secretary, read the Diredors' report as
follows :

" The revenue of the United Bristol and Gloucester and
Birmingham and Gloucester Railways, for the half-year end-
ing on the 30th of June last, was commuted on ' the 7th of
May for the sum of 26,0001., as announced to the proprietary
by circular, dated on that day. The proportion of this suns
claimed and obtained for the Shareholders of the Bristol and
Gloucester line is 4,730/, which, after deducting the income-
tax, will yield a dividend of 16s. 1 lid. on every share on
which the sum of 50/. has been paid up, and 10s. 2d. on every
share on which the sum of 30/. has been paid up; beside in-
terest at the rate of 4 per cent. per annum on the new stock,
from the periods of its payment to the 30th June last. The
agreement made on the Bth of February last, between
the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway Company
and the Bristol and Gloucester. • Railway Company
of the one part, and the Midland Railway Company of the
other part, and confirmed by the Proprietors of this Company,
at a special general meeting convened for that purpose on the
7th March last, has been ratified by the Proprietors of the
said three Companies, and a Bill to carry it out will be intro-
duced into Parliament next session. The arrangement be-
tween the three Companies is in the meantime carried on
under the agreement, and the Proprietors will receive from
the Midland Railway Company 61. per cent. per annum on
the capital from the Ist July last. Since the last half-yearly
meeting Wm. Ford Mogg and Thomas Rankin, Esqs., have
withdrawn from the direction; and Samuel Beale and Abel
Peyton, Esqs., have been appointed to succeed them."
Mr. C. B. FRIPP said that as it was of the greatest import-
ance to the commercial prosperity of Bristol, he wished to be
informed whether the Midland Counties, who would have the
control of the Bristol and Gloucester line, bad made such ar-
rangements as would secure a uniformity of gauge, as it was
the only means of ensuring the city of Bristol a commercial
intercourse with the Midland Counties in a proper and per-
manent manner.

The CHAIRMAN said he was not in a situation to answer

the question officially. Upon the point in question, he
only was acquainted with what was generally stated out
of doors, that it was intended to snake the line uni-
form between Bristol and Birmingham. The tranship.
ment of goods at Gloucester prevented a great quantity
of the manufactures of the Midland Counties being
brought to the port of Bristol. He (the Chairman)
would be very glad to see the wide gauge brought into
operation generally ; but as the Midland Counties were
all on the narrow gauge, it had, he believed, been
thought advisable that a uniform narrow gauge 'must
be adopted. For his own part, he had no doubt of the
superiority of the wide gauge over the narow gauge, and
he could hope to see that principle adopted generally ; but
they were obliged to yield at present in that respect to cir-
cumstances. He did not speak officially, but he believed
that it was the intention of the Midland Company to pre-
serve the narrow gauge, as the most conducive to their pre-
sent interests. Mr. Joseph Saunders, the secretary of the
Midland Company, was, however, present, and would be
enab!ed to give the information officially.
Mr. SAUNDERS said it was the intention of the Midland
Company to make one uniform gauge throughout, from
Gloucester to Bristol, and to Birmingham—that gauge being
the narrow gauge. If they were to adopt any other, he was
afraid the traffic they anticipated would be brought to tbe
port of Bristol from the Midland and Northern counties would
not be what they could wish, without the adoption of one
uniform gauge.
The report having been adopted, and six per cent. de-
clared, _ . _

The CamMLAN 01.:04 the dividends, from July last, would