The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-07 00:00:00

CHARING-CROSS BRIDGE.

A meeting of the Charing-cross Bridge Proprietors was
held yesterday at their office, 9, Villiers-street, Strand, to take
into consideration Mr. Fuller's offer for the bridge. Mr. W.
Hawes in the chair.
Mr. LAWRENCE, the Secretary, read the minutes of the last
meeting, and the notice calling this.
A protest by Mr. Cope, of St. Martin's-lane, against the sale
of the bridge, having been read,
The CHAIRMAN informed the meeting that the Directors
bad been able to complete the sale of the bridge at 226,000/.
The contract of sale was read specifying Mr. Jackson,
Sir Joshua Walesby, and Mr. Reid as the purchasers; that
10,0001. of the purchase-money should be paid immediately,
108,000!. by the Ist August next, if the present Bridge Com-
pany should have succeeded_in obtaining an Act of Parlia-

inept authorising them to sell, and the remainder when the
contract of sale shall have been fulfilled in all its particulars,
as far as they regard the present Company; and that if the
purchasers after this, but before the completion of sale, shall
wish to withdraw, that they may do so under the for-
feiture of the 10,0001. paid.
It was moved by Mr. SEAGER, and supported by Mr.
WALKER, to the effect —lst, That this be entered on the mi-
nutes; 2d, That this meeting sanctions and confirms this
sale and contract; 3rd, That this sale and contract be com-
pleted by the Directors; 4th, That the meeting authorises
the Directors to adopt all such measures as are necessary to
obtain an Act of Parliament permitting to sell.
Mr. STINELY expressed his entire approbation of the re-
solutions.

Mr. ADAMS thought that 10,0001. was a great deal too
little as a forfeiture in case of non-compliance of the con-
tract on the part of the purchasers. He would have had the
sale completed at once. Here you must go to Parliament
first, and not only for power to sell, but, as he understood, for
power to enlarge the bridge for the passing of hones and
steam carriages. [The Chairman—That is not the case, the
new purchasers may go to Parliament for this object if they
choose.] Well, but as it is the bridge is taken out of the
market; it is kept out of the market for four or five months
by three or four persons (and no one knows what difficulty
there is in obtaining an Act of Parliament, what back stairs
influence may be used to stop it in its progress), and then
these gentlemen may turn round and say they withdraw
from the contract. All they lose is 10,000/. They offer
226,0001. for the bridge, and to have it at their option to
fulfil the terms of the offer four or five months after, or not
at the risk of forfeiting 10,0001., not 214 per cent. [The Chair-
man—nearly 5 per cent.] He heard the money paid was to
have been 20,000/., and this would have been but a trifle,
considering at the expiration of the time in question, the
risk there is of a fall in the market.

The CHAIRMAN, in reply to some questions from Share-
holders, said the tolls realised 2001. a week; that there was
11,0001. depo ited with the Company's bankers that morn-
ing. The total amount from tolls was 4,500/.
To some one who asked whether the present purchasers,
previous to obtaining the Act of Parliament, could sell the
property, the CHAIRMAN said, of course they could do with
their own property as they chose.
Mr. HOWLER just rose to remind them that until an Act
of Parliament was obtained the sale could not be completed
—it was impossible to buy the bridge out and out.
The CHAIRMAN concurred in this, and added the Directors
had exerted their utmost to•get 20,0001., but were unable.
Mr. ENGLISH, after some remarks on other offers having
been made to the Company, moved, as an amendment,
-' That Mr. Fuller's offer be declined, unless with option, and
that the meeting take into consideration the offer previously
made to the Directors of 216,0004" which was seconded by
Mr. Goodall. .

Mr. STOCKTON wished to urge upon the meeting, before
this amendment was put, the improprietv of voting on it. He
had heard much at the last meeting about the immoralities
e how they could stultify themselves
b voting
s not this a new offer?
connected with their voting, but he would ask them, after
uspfilia(,)isl
tEtilnliegtyoLpl:
thisaE amendment.dßtlolll
A
CHAIRMAN—No.
Mr. ENGLISII—Wm there not an offer of 216,0001., with
option ?
CHAIRMAN—Yes ; but never in a condition that your
Directors could submit to a meeting. The offer was made
by Mr. Fuller at a time when your Directors were already
on terms with two other parties, and they rejected this offer.
On pressing that offer afterwards, however, it was withdrawn.
On the amendment being put to the meeting three voted
for it.
For the resolutions, 57 of those present voted for, and 7
against them. Total proxies and votes, 256 ayes; 10 noes.
The cordial thanks of the meeting to the Chairman and
the Directors were moved by Mr. Stutely, and seconded by
Mr. Hopgood.
The CHAIRMAN, in reply, concurred in the expressions used
by Mr. Stutely, and took them for his own, and said that in
case he had evinced any warmth, it was for the interests of
the Company, and trusted they would always meet as though
nothing of the kind had occurred.
The meeting then separated.