The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-05 00:00:00

SCOTTISH CENTRAL.

The first ordinary meeting of the shareholders of this
railway was held on Friday within the Council Cham-
ber, Perth. The meeting was very numerously attended.
Major William Moray Stirling, of Ardoch and Abercair-
ney, in the chair.
The CHAIRMAN said that a full statement of the affairs
of tho Company would be laid before the meeting. He
could assure them that no line of the same extent and
importance as the Scottish Central had passed both
Houses of Parliament, especially considering the great
opposition they had to encounter, with so little expense.
lie then called the attention of the meeting to the report,
which he requested the Secretary to read to the
meeting.
The Secretary then read the report of the Directors.
Mr. ERRINCTON, engineer, reported that the line had
been almost entirely staked out, and that the proprietors
of land along the line had nfforded every facility to the
Company, so that the work was commenced immediately
upon the Bill passing the Committee of the House of
Lords, and considerable progress had been made. The
materials were as favourable as could have been ex-
pected. Four shafts had been sunk, two of which were
already down to a level of the tunnel, and the drift mine
had been commenced. The open cutting and embank-
ment towards the Earn were also now in progress.
Shafts had also been sunk for the tunnel at Kippemoss.
The working section for that portion of the line re-
quiring the earliest completion—viz., between Stirling
and Castlecarry, was prepared, and the section of the
whole line would be completed in a week. He urged
the Committee to procure the land as speedily as possible.
The contractors had provided themselves with a suffi-
cient quantity of waggons, barrows, &c., to enable them
to carry on the works without any delay. The iron rails,
to a great extent, had also been provided, and the engi-
neers would take care that the, should be laid as speedily
as possible.'
The CHAIRMAN then congratulated the Shareholders
upon the advanced and prosperous state of the business
of the Company's concerns. He was happy to say that,
in their arduous endeavours to get the Act, there had
not been the delay of a single hour either on the part of
their Parliamentary agents, engineers, or secretary lie
was glad to avail himself of this opportunity of experess
ing his own thanks, and those of the gentlemen
received
from
tweeh,jefhorthtehe constant
frotii them. and unwearied
A. H. M. Bv,sime, Esq., of Invermay, moved the ap-
proval of the report.
seconded the resolution, which was
Provost WRIGHT f.
,"Evseqd.,then moved that the teal of the
Company should be affixed to the list of Shareholders.
I:sis:Rs ajinlicslAv, Esq., seconded the resolution, which
was carried, item. con.
JOHN PITCAIRN, Esq., of Pitcairn, then :moved the
election of the Directors.

The Right Hon. Lord Rol,Lo seconded the election,
which was unanimously agreed to.
Sir JOHN RICIURDSON then moved the thanks of
the meeting to the Provisional Committee, which was
seconded by
J. M. NAIRNF, Esq., of Dunsinane, and carried by ac-
clamati,-c.

The CHAIRMAN then said, it was their duty to ap-
point auditors, and the Directors had agreed to recom-
mend Mr. Watson, accountant, and Mr. Jas. Morrison,
accountant, Perth, for the approval of the meeting ; of
course, it was open to them to propose others if they
thought proper. No other party being proposed, the
recommendation of the Directors was unanimously
agreed to. The salary for each auditor was fixed at 251.
per annum.
The CirAininAN then proposed that R. D. Kerr, Esq.,
should be elected permanent secretary to the company.
He left it with the meeting to fix the amount of salary
to be given to Mr. Kerr. gie nomination baring bees

agreed to, it was proposed and carried that the salary b e
400/. per annum.
The CHAIRMAN regretted that from domestic circum-
strnees the Marquis of Breadalbane was not able to oc-
cupy the chair. He assured them that his Lordship telt
a d( ep interest in the railway, and would do everything
to promote its interest.

It was then agreed that 5001. per annum should be al-
lowed to the Directors for the expenses.
DAVID llyrcum, Esq., of Huntingtower, moved a
vote of thanks to the Directors, which being seconded
by John Ritchie, Esq., of Cultmalunds, was carried
nem. con.

LUDOVICK COLQUROTIN, Esq., then moved a vote of
thanks to the Chairman for his conduct in the chair, and
for his exertions in promoting the interests of the line.
This resolution having been carried by acclamation, the
Chairman made a brief and suitable reply, and the meet-
ing separated.

EDINBURGH, LEITH., AND GRANTON.
The peculiar situation cf the Edinburgh, Leith, and
Granton Railway is so marked with usefulness, that we
need not to plead excuse in entering fully into its
merits. The railway takes its rise from the station at
the North Bridge, and passing by a tunnel under the
New Town of Edinburgh, branches off to Granton Pier
en the left, and to the Leith Docks on the right. The
Granton branch is near completion, and when this valu-
able portion is open to the public, we shall then avail
ourselves of the opportunity thus afforded of dilating
upon its merits. The true interest of the Leith branch,
however, is not known ; bat when known, must be
highly valued. Rails are to be laid round the docks of
Leith, which is an advantage not attained in any sea-
port in the kingdom. But there is a branch which
oiverges from the main line to the station lately pur-
clia_ed for the use of the railway, consisting of nearly
700 lineal yards of quay on the north side of the
upper harbour, on which large warehouses can be erected,
and vessels can run al_ongside, and not only discharge or
receive their cargoes without the expense of carriage,
but also with this great advantage—of not being exposed
to bad weather. The Leith Dock Commissioners, being
quite alive to the importance of this railway, have it
under consideration to deepen that part of the upper har-
bour, and by the formation of flood-gates above and be-
low this portion of the harbour, atavery trifling expense,
very extensive dock room will be formed for large ves-
sels, which, hying always kept afloat, will remove many
obstacles to the use of this portion of the eld harbour
existing at present. Much credit is due to the energy
and spirit that has been displayed by the hoard in carry-
ing out their plans, and it is very much to be regretted
that the public attention has not been drawn at an earlier
period to these plans, which it has ever been their object
to carry out.—Scetch Railway Gazette.
HAY MARKET THEATRE.

Poole's drama, entitled Past and Presert, was revived
at this theatre last evening, and was received with that
enthesiasm which its representation never fails to elicit
when Farren acts the part of Larose. This was one of
the earliest of those dramas founded on the French Re-
volution, which are divided into epochs, and, certes, it Is
one of the best—as an r.c.ing play, perhaps the very best.
If e mistake not, this was also the earliest drama in
which Farren delineated the various phases of old ago.
In the first act (1789) he is a hearty, well-formed man
of 53, the faithful steward of the Marquis St. Victor
(Mr. E tuart), arising his master and his family,
the friend and playfellow of young Julian
de St. Victor (Miss Julia Bennett), the Mar-
quis's son. In the second act, 1793, he is disguised as a.
woodcutter, the friend and safeguard of his master, then
a prisoner in the Conciergerie. A casket of treasure
has been entrusted to his care, and religiously does he
keep his trust. In the third act, 1829, he is an old man
of upwards of 90. St. Victor has been murdered in the
Revolution, Julian has been killed at the head of his
regiment, and old Larose is living near the chateau
de St. Victor, in Normandy. The son of Julian,
the heir to the St. Victor property, arrives there.
The old man recognises him, and, napkin on arm, serves
him at table as he had been wont of yore to serve his
grandfather. He tells the boy of the hidden casket of
treasure, takes him to the chateau, and endeavours to
revive his own recollections as to where he had secreted
the precious treasure. The sight of the various rooms
revives former recollections. He sees his old manta.
being dragged away by the revolutionary officers—he
hears the sounds of horror of that dreadful night. The
boy endeavours to bring him back to the casket. He tot-
ters round and round the room—he has forgotten the spot
where it is hidden. At length a casual word brings back
his memory ; the casket is found hidden behind a grate ;
it is brought forward ; the old man joins together the
hands of the youth and of his lady-love, blesses them,
and dies. Nothing can be more beautiful, more pathetic,
more true to nature, more artist-like, in the highest
sense of the term, than the performance of Farren in
this last act. It is impossible to describe it. It must be
seen--it must be felt to be appreciated. We say felt ad-
visedly, for it goes at once to the heart, and that so
completely, that it is impossible to criticise it until,
by seeing it frequently, one has become case-hardened.
Miss Julia Bennett's young St. Victor was a very spi-
rited performance ; it is, perhaps, the best she has yet
done. She gave the laughing joyousness of the brave,
gay, high-spirited youth—the votary of love, and wit,
and war—sans souci et sans six sous—to the life. Mr.
H. Roll's Count de Florville was very good. In the two
first acts, as the polished, empty-headed, careless fop,
he was very good ; but, in the last act, as the
old beau—the man of sixty-three, the ci-devant
jeune homme, he was more than good—he was
artistical—the distinction between the young
fop and the old fop was beautifully discriminated, and
was admirably preserved. Mr. Stuart, as the Marquis
St. Victor, made more of the character than we ever
remember to have seen made of it. There is a
power and an intensity in Stuart's acting which inva-
riably tells in such characters as this. Farren was called
for at the fall of the curtain, and it is not often that a
call is so well deserved. The house was crowded ; and
no doubt Past and Present will draw crowded houses for
many nights to come.