The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-29 00:00:00

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'AN Y

The fifteenth half-yearly general meeting of this
Company took place yesterday at the Company's Of-
fices, Bishopsgate-street, for the purpose of receiving
the Report of the Directors, the election of three Direc-
tors in the room of those who went out by rotation, and
upon other business.
The chair was taken shortly after one o'clock by
Joseph Liggins, Esq. The minutes of the last meeting
having been read,
The Secretary then read the following Report:—
" The Directors have much pleasure in acquainting
their co-Proprietors, that since their last Report great
progress has been made towards the completion of the
various works indispensable for the reception of a general
trade.

" Their attention, as then stated, was directed to the
construction of a suitable provision of warehouse-room,
so soon as the state of the ground, a. source to them and
to the Company generally of so much anxiety, so much
expense, and so much delay, enabled them to proceed
with confidence in its stability.
"The warehouse, as at first designed, might have been
finished by the commencement of the present year ; but
the Directors have deemed it to be both desirable and
economical to extend the original design, before the com-
pletion of the work should make it impracticable, ex-
cepting at a much increased cost. They have therefore
added to the original plan a range of spacious vaults for
the bonding of wines and spirits ; and a third floor to
the building for the .bonding of oorn, in addition to the
two ranges of warehouse-room previously allotted for
the other descriptions of merchandise. Such application
of further capital the Directors conceive to be at once
best calculated to secure the interest of those who ad-
vance it, and to render productive to the Proprietors
their investment in the construction of the dock itself.
" The additions thus made to the warehouse will, as
reported to the Directors by their architect Mr. Hard-
wick, not postpone its completion beyond the end of the
ensuing month; but it will then be of the capacity of two
warehouses, as compared with its original scale.
" By the time of its completion, the Directors will also
have erected an open shed in front of it for coopering,
and similar operations connected with the warehousing
of goods. This shed will be 270 feet long, by 40 feet
wide. It is to be constructed of iron, and, the Directors
are glad to say, on a most moderate contract as to cost,
on account of the present very low price of that material.
"These works completed, the Company writ have put
itself into a condition to receive, and properly to house
and manage, general cargoes ; the class of business to
which it necessarily looks for a revenue.
" Further, and to complete the provision of accom-
modation for trade in its several branches, the Direc-
tors are constructing a spacious yard, on the N.E.
corner of the Dock land, for the reception of foreign
timber to be bonded. Several cargoes of timber have
already been imported and sold in the Dock; and the
Directors have received overtures for a considerable ex-
tension of the trade.
" Next to, if not indeed before, the accommodation of
goods, that of shipping claims the Company's care.
" The Directors have given their best attention to
each of the important points of this branch of their bu-
siness.
" The contractor for dredging the Itchen channel is
again actively at work, and will, it is expected, by
Midsummer have accomplished a minimum depth of 16
feet at low water of spring tides, throughout,that chan-
nel, and into the dock.
" Until then, and even on extraordinary occasions
afterwards, such vessels will be enabled to secure them-
selves to powerful moorings at the mouth of the Itchen
channel, till the hour or two shall have elapsed which
will bring them an ample depth of water. These moor-
ings the Directors have provided, and they are now
being laid down.
"The next essential to the ingress and egress of the
class of vessels which frequent the port and the dock, by
night as well as by day, is the provision of proper guide
lights. These are also provided : they are constructed
on a scientific principle, and it is confidently expected
that they will prove entirely satisfactory.
" A further useful provision is the use of powerful
sheers for taking out steam ships' boilers, and any other
machinery of the heaviest weights. The Directors have
contracted with Messrs. Seaward and Capel for their
construction; and while they are indispensably requisite,
especially in a steam port such as Southampton has now
become, they will greatly add to the attractiveness of
the Company's Docks, and will make an ample pecu-
niary return upon their costs. They are to be com-
pleted in three months from the present time.
" The Directors announced to the last Half-yearly
General Meeting, that they had recognised, and com-
menced with acting upon, the principle of low rates of
charge. They have since carried that principle still
further ; and now offer to the ship-owner such a reduc-
tion as must be well worthy his attention, at the same
time that the Company will find its equivalent in an in-
creased amount of business, (and from its legitimate
profits on merchandise. This reduction, great as it is,
will not of itself ensure the influx of that amount of trade
which the Company must ultimately receive ; but with
the corresponding reduction which there is every reason
to anticipate on the conveyance of goods by the Railway
Company, at no distant period, that result must ensue.
" In the same spirit of attracting tradehy the lowest
scale of charge, the Directors have also afforded faci-
lities for the location of emigration ships to sail regu-
larly to and from the Tidal Dock, on terms most advan-
tages to the trade. The first ship for the season is now
in the dock, and is to be followed by others in regular
succession; and it will be a source of satisfaction to the
Proprietors to reflect that the emigrants theinselves will
be peculiarly benefited by the arrangement.
" The advantage which the Company's low rate of
charge gives to the public cannot receive too much
publicity. The Directors have recently circulated
statements which show, that vessels which have re-
ceived damage and are compelled to put into port to land
cargo and repair, effect a saving of from 40 to 50 per
cent. by putting into the Company's Dock, as compared
with other places in the English Channel. In the case
of passengers, also, with heavy baggage, the advantage
is most striking. The Alexandrian steam-ship Great
Liverpool, being detained in the Mediterranean to repair,
her passengers were this month brought home by the
steamer Pacha, which unloads in the Tidal Dock. The
landing charges to her passengers, had they come to
Southampton in the Liverpool, which does not enter the
Dock, would have exceeded 251.: by landing in the
Dock they were but 71.
" The Directors have, in conclusion, only to impress
upon their co-Proprietors, each in his individual sphere,
that much industry and much influence require to be
exerted, to obtain for this undertaking the share of
business it is so well calculated to accommodate ; and
that while their own efforts in that direction will b un-
remitting, they look, as they hope with reason,' for all
the co-operation and all the encouragement which may
be asked of those with whom they have but one.common
interest.
"In accordance with the intimation given to the Pro-
prietors in August last, and the contract with Messrs.
M'Kay and Haddon having terminated, the Directors
were enabled on the 31st December last to close their
engagement with Mr. Francis Giles as engineer of the
Company.
" It being at the same time necessary, for a further
period, to have an assistant engineer resident at South-
ampton, for the carrying out of the minor works still
in progress, and for the important object of directing
and checking the dredging of the Itchen channel, the
Directors have retained as such assistant engineer, Mr.
Alfred Giles, who has been engaged in the works from
their commencement.
" The Directors have to report that A. A. Goldsmid,
Esq., has resigned the office of Deputy Chairnian and
Director.
" The four Directors who, in conformity with the
provisions of the Company's Act, go out of office by
rotation at this half-yearly meeting, are Mr. Liggins,
Mr. Cruikshank, Mr. Forbes, and Mr. Wilcox. These
gentlemen are re-eligible, and the Directors beg to
recommend them for re-election.
" The Directors beg also to recommend that three
Proprietors, not being Directors, be appointed by this
and each subsequent February meeting, as Auditors of
the accounts to be submitted to each future half-yearly
general meeting."
The CHAIRMAN, in moving that the Report be ap-
proved of, adopted, printed, and circulated among the
Proprietors, said that he did so for the thirteenth and
last time, it being considered by many of the Proprietors
and Directors that it would be more conducive to the
interests of the Company that they should have an an-
nual Chairman, and by that means obtain the patronage
of men of rank to their undertaking.
After some considerable discussion, the Report was
agreed to.
Mr. PRICE thought there was nothing at present to
prevent them from being in the receipt of funds from
the Tidal Basin. He was astonished at the smallness of
tlae receipts stated in the Report, only about 600/. in the
last half year. With such small receipts he could not
see how there could be so great an outlay. He would
move the following resolution—" That it is the opinion
of this meeting, that it is of the utmost importance that
the expenses should be diminished to the utmost, and
that measures should be taken to effect an increase in the
receipts, and that a specific account of profit and loss on
the account current be kept in future."
This resolution was carried after a short discussion.
The next question was the re-election of the four Di
rectors who went out of office by rotation—Messrs
Liggins, Cruikshank, Forbes, and Willcox.
Mr. RICHARDS objected to the re-election of Mr
Liggins and Mr. Cruikshank, but all four gentlemen
were re-elected after a short discussion.
Messrs. Foster, Leward, and Goddard, were electe
auditors of the accounts, it being understood that the
would be at perfect liberty, if they thought fit, to audit
all the accounts from the commencement of the Coinpany.
Thanks were then voted to the Chairman and Direc-
tors, and the meeting broke up.l

11NDE.—The recent motion of thanks from.bot
Houses of Parliament to Sir Charles Napier and his gallan
Army, elicited commendation from men of all parties, warm
cordial, and sincere, However party
.shay sway opinion, w
really are surprised that persons cos be found so obtuse as
not to distinguish betwoen the thanks due to our soldiers for
gallant conduct in the field, and approbation of the policy of
those who sent them into the field. We are prepared not onl
to join in the general praise of that heroic veteran Si
Charles Napier, and of his soldiers, but to approve of th
subjugation of Sinde, and ever measure consequent thereon.
From information on which we have perfect reliance.
Sinde is already enjoying the first-fruits of upright and. fos-
tering government. An admirable system of local polies
has been unostentatiously, but generally, introduced- and
supported out of the revenue of the country. The per.
feet certainty of the security of property, the certain detec-
tion and immediate punishment of crime, the total abolition
of slavery, the opening of trade by relinquishing the endless
demands -of transit and other duties, and the firm yet mild
rule over a people lately ih a state' bf-turbtddria froth in.
sufferable oppression—all these have made the Sindians at
once, and without hesitation, willing subjects of the British
empire.—Nalst and Military Gazette.