The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-04 00:00:00

TEA. PARTY AT WHITE CONDUIT
HOUSE.

VOILEZBIN.
OR Sunday Louis Philippe, accompanied by Colonel
bonus
!Pies and other officers, left the Tuileries, for Ver-
. C
paint l oud On his way, the Icing stopped for an hour at
retirned to the Tuileries at six.
The Consiit .tionnel announces the arrival at Cher-
hour
I„,_,g of 140 pieces of artillery ala Paixhans, of 80
-.
.bt at Ruelle, near Rochefort. They are intended
for the armament of the ramparts of the place.
..0-eeounts from Germany, stating that the epidemy,
ich h
in
ad caused such destruction among the horned
tattle
Galicia and Lower Austria, was gradually
-10:‘,V.e are assured, says the Prcsse, that the Minister of
'l;:rbhc
Tlyorks will, in a few days, present to the Cham-
-uoputies a Bill relative to the concession of the
orthern railroad.
C 4: The Siecle states that the Opposition had not, as men-
tril,d by several of its contemnoraries,come to the reso-
le °LI of abstaining from voting on the Secret Service
(111eY
Bib °fle thousand military passengers arrived at Toulon
steamer°llthe inst. on board the Or6aoque, French war,
t,,),tt(t, frona :11giers. 1,004 was the number which
Algiers, but four were unfortunately washed
"rl,)oard in a gale on the 20th.
co-I:e Echo, Montpellier journal, announces that a
tdQ in
francs has been formed in that town, with a view to
Al of a direct line of packets between Cette
hod Al •
franc glers. Two iron steamers, of the value of 500,000
regularleach (20,0001.) are to perform this service
th:rCe Unt Dalmas Mare,:hal de Camp, has left Paris,
&ged with a mission, the object of which is to define
this Tontiers of Morocco. It will be remembered that
tusr,i ed;'lirldary question was the same which immediately
Ihr
:_e. the late hostilities between France and that
64.efit itr
tire ;,(41 de Meer, who had at first refused the post of
11,0 of the Supreme Council of War and Marine,
Genre
d it at the suggestion of Queen Christina.
eubaEspinosa, who ma banished without trial to
fir;;4 a charge of alleged participatitm in the late
is4rianc.Y, had been pardoned and permitted to remain

.tae • 318A.V7 AND POZZOZ.
th idend of 2' 6d n the pourd has been declared
_, . i
Isell estate of Johnson, Johnson, and Mann, late
The
ers at Roraford.
kene.,sessians of the Central Criminal Court have cozr.i-
-4,444". The calendar contains the names of 160 pri-
to th '
lln the New Court Samuel Aden pleaded guilty
kttle€'ofe“,arge of having robbed the dressing-rooms of
1,413 the theatres of swords and other properties., and
NI eilhteneed to be imprisoned for one year at Brixton,
The -e well whipped before he left Newgate.
ttaohilfrand jury at the Surrey Sessions have returned
,A lads in both the cruelty cases.
`blayer hatred Dakey was sentenced by the
.Lord.
eat and the Mansion-house, to one month's imprison
4liip, ; hard labour, for having ran away from a
At:4l, Which he had been engaged.
tstrett:°o Guildhall, Robert Huggins Smith, 114, High-
"tr. ZaPPing, was charged with obtaining 34 from
ikils ~,Inl, of the firm of Hall and Allan, drapers, St.
"joith:'",strehyard, by the pretence that he was Capt.
i,'lttlth n; the Quay, at Rotterdam, a man of reputed
cieds brat
Nish+ teere, and an intimate acquaintance of Mr.
her, who resides at Rotterdam. He was re.
ticg
llhe
eexcitement prevailed in the neighbourhood of
(L'horil en-square Court, with respect to the case of Miss
Vttse,,,,atid it appeared to be the general impression
,:trittr
°f th e attempt would be made to procure the lady's
'IN °ll on bail. Mr.
Burrell came to the Court in the
41s f
heatA e a ternoon, and was engaged for soe time
04 ''' conversation with Mr. Bond and themclerks;
Ni. 4PPlieation was made to him on the subject of
li'' •
Jilve a,
t°44 )07,11, named John Redknap, William Brister,
ttNere'Ps, Joseph Richards, and Joseph Undey,
•..! gam with stealing. a quantity of corn, the property of
Nkittennersraith Conveyance Company, were fully
d fr
is Oahe ~,L °ln Hammersmith.
rod "aines Court, Margaret Duffy, who has been
ttolight/ for robbing licensed victuallers before, was
theft, and fully committed.
lis, gs bukcotraw-- - pals)" XON/I.lolAit., t r
qtatri„ of Beaufort and the Marquis of IA orces e
al'ga ILei,4 34 Beaufort House, from Badminton.
I)6ll,sts;d4e of Cleveland arrived in St. James's-square,
q4..-oee,-e-aY evening, from Raby Castle,. where. the
ille't refstici Lady Augusta Poulett still remain. His
'lsakss,,rns to Raby in a few days, to close the hunt-
-0 far
g
0,,,,
tek.-v, Fri, gore of Lansdowne has arrived at Lansdowne
4toll, in Bowood Park, Wilts, for the Parliamentary
4 f,',",! Uarchioness and Lady Louisa Fitzmaurice
lo:
frje 011 )4; 410 411tia present at Bowood.
0 of Bute has arrived in town, from Dam-
-1'4,1' dllti„ 'his Lordship's seat in Ayrshire, to attend
1411'1C; 111 Parliament. The Noble Marquis's mar.
kic.l4 tta Lan
Sophia Hastings does not take place so
I,tlis pe noanced. We have reason to believe that no
1'44 :Le tatrii°4 is definitely fixed on for the nuptials.
It ti,4o4),ltlrld Countess of Hardwick have arrived at
The
014;74(44 Brook-street, to attend her Majesty
kw us t4,lllng of the session.
ktliktfiroa; 'land Countess of Clarendon have come to
i.sotokite-e Grove, near Watford, Herts.
t'441:1, s cad C° Grove,
Cadogan and Ladies Augusta
.an. d
‘()%kii'segailragria_,ll:and a distinguished circle, are visit-
tiT, The i,, land Viscountess Sydney, at Frognall Lodge,
l'el'e i "1 and
tite town Countess of Zetland are expected to
4114 rk ill the course of the week, from Aske Hall,
KY, rtEarl os.,
'teti, eta 13' larborough intends to come to town to-
FVhgg onsr°eltlesby Hall, Lincolnshire, to be at the
ace sat utittrlhtinoot.
qe'cl , fro 'ldnaerston has returned to Carlton•house-
. t .t 4 visitin Lord and Lady Ashley, at Earl
It 4 t.,, righ g.
41t,' Areinn, where Viscountess Palmerston in-
-40 , "I'R her stay until the close of the ensuing
4i41:11b4 D
icptil LTheli*ager Lady Rendlesham and the Hon.
a nlk-td lnn,so who have been passing some week. s
Ist ) eek at the Noble Lord's seat in
sLstit• eto town for the season early in the ensu-
itrd kid
0.1.1,,t4 Visette,lY Beauvale arrived in town on Satur-
-1:1,114-'qtair,,, "nt Melbourne's seat in IL rtfordshire.
l'',,, Et°, ,_BOO3, P',a and Lady Elizabeth Russell have been
k‘al;,,nrobum43's with the Duke and Duchess of Bed-
til!, '1,44144014811 Abbey, Bedfordshire.
tial(l4klijet, aticlninox, the Hon. Mr. Shirley, the Hon.
'lsasi'arri, ;aPt. Hammersley, were among the
.fa-
" Week, at the Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool, during
Vs hh,
tiZtl '4„t beelA ROVIZIA.AIWZIOVIS=
'''ll4l,-.' has "merican line-of packet ship North-
ill,t,t-W 10. arrived in the St. Katharine's Dock,
p:W4el is r"' after a very boisterous passage. This
titan teamseotnsidcrably the largest of the extensive
ki(B,2` the ,ading between London and New York,
*II % "Ile fro iners," and this is her second trip across
ija„ 't 1%,, la the United States. She has br,,ught,
otvihitse coMplement of cabin and steerage pas-
-47 of Alh'iense Cargo of the usual description and
Ilc ts. -erican provisions for consumption in this
0,4 ;,le,tillß,
Kil!kel%_ti af:F.,the Committee of the Medical Protec-
v,4l4l;_stett: held last evening, at their room, Exeter
ygo 4 the Aill, of Parliament-street, in the ehair. A
ikrl44tyi,,Slisg':°4ll.alleging that the latecharter oft he
II; h:lt ail at Loll obtained by misrepresentation,
ii,, stnitabi,‘ b tlile
ege might be remodelled on a.
Y4r)t. t'lla'4:aeolle,,asnis ?f responsibility, and that the
.mem-
ti: tehili', was 411ght have a voice in the election cf
t7t,4vACelea nrfea hey the secretary, and signed by
'lt''itC'Ete mee who were members
1, h,,, ley, i) A discussion then 6 )ok place, in whi, h
thititi't th r• Lynch and
Of •1 eh , , other gentlemen joined, as
%4Nstkiltleospo M.lOl petition her Majesty for a new
Osi ibht ration for general practitioners, or for
4:4 there 1144nd reolganiiation of -the College Of Sur-
i`ki bi gleh the
11.14tt'ertht of the Committee adjourned.,
!t t, ft, eolo-e riday last the
•pheasantry on the
t'tl :,'''lle), tueli George Reid, Of the Royal Horse
1t.v4711, „tlatthr trode Park, Bucks, was burglariously
14141; tarns hens °llhed of four tame cock pheasants,
fji tilt s-.4llttio,oi,twhith which the robbers
.got, clear.,
e alit, . e robbery was immediately for :110/41)lie hunt-
! h_Nsie heas .les, and they commenced search-
Q` the ,i el la the neighbourhood of Uxbridge.
1441 Fog ball. gi Of the Feathers, they found four
t!Qct4l4„adtd' Pasltel:)tePhen, and David Grainger, and
ititi la % tie ll. gang of depredators, living at
'l4. th 41
rta, In th
4 e ere , e tap-room and they were in-
two baskets' belonging to them
kt4t°Okeft4ttsci. 011tiere
04 't -41 -14 eight examining the baskets, they were
,t4cittY \vete sght of the pheasants, still alive. The
trqh, bitY Isere listnediately taken into custody, and
1,th4411, ,L breuoit
i‘i Web,'" Sittinee up
.forexamination before
. . ,
Ile Its 4kti - orde .., magistrate, at Uxbridge, by
iZL. ,k, 04 b..,, red to be removed to Beaconsfield,
Iti,gegle;:keet, eciore. the Buckingham magistrates.
kt444llst'°leat:rialsting of fifteen rank and file, and
ks:4 th, Woo, era of the Royal Sappers and Miners
,roe, eel., ivsieh, ran , !
tpelk ket to
tieidayorang,
NI. edrs, yest .rened, headed by the brass
to Mr. Ruff's wharf,
t:tkktitskitl44tys:eirsaii„koen dace:tavvteeuhrlaraloohin, One of the Woolwich
ki Iti I), r may
aft ent embarked at the East
in the William Shand,
;,,t, tiktpt tlen. 171-Ong Ii41:1V 15t cell his': Speaker of the House of Corn-
',ttt ) the listaot.'"iollatnentary dinners on Saturday
ittll'ttleiglelight ilwhen,Sir Robert Peel, Sir James
lt,ths‘t44' ge ta of t}3),ll' henry Goulburn, and the
, , ek, juieni e Government, dine with the
tt'.tiet, uriti f an.
04'Itit, itt (1141i8 1.111 aix .
ti 41. IN tr
tio date., eeting of general practitioners
:i ttcC)l sir °£ ins, '' on the 14th of January, re nest-
el, It 41111; eittalne, rdroarhation for their branch ofq
the
1 ,4,, zi , rich ,_ g his Graham has relied in letter dated
44 4 4 • answer to '
tIO 4s, itlPekt• carved th the Apothecaries' So
I,,•si ttl tril tag his
at body to submit a measure
,-,,i, c-s. ot ; b 'a Willingness to consider it if sub-
setiti 4 (Jell°, llt obser •
ftj 104, the
tor sa„ ''lng, that the memorialists
1,4,,t1t.. t 140,:_ki.sfied him that they represent
c,tliteN4lti Auctai as
Id to e cki tn .1 Well as the metropolitan
%), ,b, th, (4,d_ - ~„, ii,
;.l. :,'ltte tto4;rob4tio -udoniadai Board, at Oxford,
, 1 ,Nit st,tl d (al AP of the 90th Tract was pre-
le,rPo: Ila"ts Nth '"l'ldaY signed h ' • .
4`N' b• `-'f 0 ester ty the Bishops
ti,, [k4A Ly ~,,,q4.,. %IN.°,
al anti four hundred and forty
t:11:
~y, a, , au en. A .., ~ .
4 N,hll ~g,„.. lAve ,),,, , -'iti adjourned meeting
, 11-,geet,'"igtw j;-°l.l, When an amendment,
yet 1 there 1), ,f;Pueipal. of Brasenose Pols
4 h., qui8;;• gehards, Rector of E:......,ter
-4:4tity, I°n be taken into considers--' Will be debited.

SOIREE IN HONOUR OF THOMAS SLINGSBY
DUNCOMBE, ESQ., M.P. FOR FINSBURY.
A soiree of the friends, admirers, and constituents of
Thomas Slingsby Duncombe, Esq., was yesterday held
in the White Conduit House, for the purpose of honour-
ing that gentleman for his unflinching advocacy of the
rights of the people.
The room was crowded to excess, not less than 500
having sat down to tea; and when the worthy representa-
tive of Finsbury entered the room, the cheering was of
the most enthusiastic description.
Dr. Wade having been called to the chair, was sup-
ported right and left by Feargus O'Connor, Esq., J.
Duncombe, Esq., solicitor, Mr. J. Roberts, Esq., Roger
O'Connor, Esq., &c. T. S. Duncombe, Esq., sat on
his left.
Letters of apology were read from Col. Thompson,
Mr. Patteson, M.P., Mr. W. S. Crawford, M.P., and
Mr. T. Wakley, M.P.
The CHAIRMAN, in rising to give the first sentiment,
he'l people, and may they speedily obtain their just
rights," said that his sympathies had ever been with
the people, and he had always been most anxious to see
the fullest emancipation of labour—(Hear, hear)—and
he hoped that at the first favourable opportunity the
labouring classes would adopt the advice of Sir Robert
Peel and take their affairs into their own hands, but to
do so required union and a proper system of organisa-
tion.—(Cheers.) He felt proud at the position he oc-
cupied that evening, as the meeting was, properly
speaking, one called by the borough of Finsbury
to do honour to their Member for his patriotic and un-
paralleled exertions in the House of Commons, which
not only commanded the gratitude of his own consti-
tuents, but the admiration of Great Britain and Ireland.
In returning to Parliament that honest, eloquent,
talented, and indefatig-able person, his constituents had
entitled themselves to the thanks of all their fellow-
countrymen.—(Hear, hear.) He was happy to under-
stand that the trades of Great Britain had again deter-
mined to unite, and it was assuredly just that they should
do so; for if the employers might combine to depress the
price of labour, surely they had an equal right to com-
bine for the purpose of defending themselves.—(Hear,
hear, and cheers.) The object of the meeting was to do
honour to the representative who had acted so honest,
so proud, and so prominent a part in a corrupt Parlia-
ment; who had united the spirit of the Christian and
the philanthrophy of the philosopher, with the purest
principle of the patriot. The same principle actuated
him as in days gone by; actuated those who gave eman-
cipation to America from the thraldom of Great Britain,
and those who rescued Switzerland from the grasp of
the Bavarian despot.—(lmmense cheering.) It was the
principle which rendered a people great, happy, and
prosperous, and it only could eventually make England
great, glorious, and free.—(Great cheering.)
Mr. CLARKE seconded the sentiment.
Mr. R. MOORE next proposed " Thomas Slingsby
Duncombe, Esq., the faithful representative of the in-
dustrious millions in the House of Commons." Nothing
but a sense of the obligations they all owed to their ex-
cellent representative could have induced him to take a
personal share in the business of that evening. Thomas
Slingsby Duncombe was indeed the representative of the
people, and not merely of the Finsbury 10/. householders.
—(Cheers.) It would occupy too much of their time were
he to advert, however briefly, to the eminent services
done to the people by Mr. Duncombe. The speaker,
after eulogising the conduct and principles of the Hon.
Member for Finsbury, concluded by prophesying that in
the forthcoming session of Parliament the Hon. Gentle-
man would persevere in the course which had already
so distinguished him, and at the end of the session again
meet his constituents to receive their gratitude and con-
gratulations.
Mr. DLTNCO3IBE then rose, and was received with the
most enthusiastic applause, which continued for many
minutes. At length silence being obtained, he said—
Mr. Chairman, Ladies, and Gentlemen—l can assure
you that the pleasure I feel—the gratification that I have
in meeting you this evening, is not altogether of an un-
mixed character, for I consider with regret that so many
of you should have come here—that you should have left
your warm firesides and comfortable homes merely for
the purpose of paying a compliment to so humble an in-
dividual as myself, that you should so distinguish me far
beyond the merits I possess, or the services that I have
performed, and yet I hope that I have done my duty—
for at best it is but such—as the independent representa-
tive of an independent constituency.—(Cries of " You
have," and much cheering.) I rejoice to find that my con-
duct and Parliamentary career meetwith your approbation,
and that from others present, and not connected with the
borough of Finsbury—a large portion of my fellow-
countrymen—l should receive similar encouragement.
Gentlemen, Parliament is to meet to-morrow, but I
should mislead you if I said that next session will en-
title itself any more than the last to the gratitude of the
people, or to any part of the toiling millions of the
country.—(Hear, hear.)—You well know the vagaries—
the pranks that were played last session. You well re-
collect our votes—for being one of that House, I say our
votes—upon the Sugar Duties Bill. You recollect our
votes on the Factories' Bill. You well recollect that on
its being proposed that sugar might be admitted a little
cheaper, it was but a little, but still the movement was
in the right direction—(Hear, hear)—when the Govern-
ment came down and told us that if we did so vote
for a reduced duty, the country would cease to be
governed by a Tory Administration.—(Hear, hear.)—
What did the Tories in the House? Why, they pre-
ferred a Tory Administration to cheap sugar for the
people of England, and they then rescinded their votes.
—(Hear, hear.) You recollect the tergiversation which
took place with regard to the Factory Bill. One evening
we voted that ten hours' labour was sufficient for the
women, the daughters, and the children of the men of
England.—(Cheers.) On another evening we carried
that by a small majority; but on a succeeding one comes
down Sir Robert Peel, and says, "If you don't make the
women, the daughters, and the children work the twelve
hours, the country ceases to be governed by a Tory
Administration.l Well, our votes were rescinded, and
yet to the Members who doomed them to work for twelve
hours in their dangerous vocation they pay dearly--(The
sentence was lost amid the tremendous cheering.) These
questions will not, of course, come again before the House
during the present session. They are disposed of, and
if any one were to attempt to introduce them,
Ministers would easily get their supporters to rescind
even their pledged votes on the very next day.—(Hear.)
If such a measure is proposed again, I will be no party to
it. I will not again be fooled by Lord Ashley, or by any
other Member.—(Cheers.) I will not be induced
to vote one day for an Eight Hours' Bill, and on a second
day for a Ten Hours' Bill, and then, after all, find Sir R.
Peel come down and command the House to turn about and
wheel about just at his pleasure.— (Great cheering.)
It is monstrous. It is insulting to the common sense of
the country to call this conduct representation. I flatter
myself that I represent the common sense of the country
—(Cheers)—for I hope I represent the sentiments of the
people.—(Continued cheering.) I have said that Parlia-
ment opens to-morrow. The business begins at five
o'clock; the Speaker comes in and tells us that he
attended at the House of Lords, where her
Majesty made her gracious speech, and where
he had the good fortune to obtain a correct copy of it.
—(Laughter.) Then we, of course, congratulate him on
his possession of so correct a copy, and then he reads it,
and then again two men in answer jump up, and one
moves and the other seconds an address to her Majesty.
—(Continued laughter.) Have you ever read an ad-
dress ? If you have, you will certainly never read a
second.—(Laughter.) You may be sure the address is
a mere echo of the speech, and what is it ? Why, this.
Her Majesty congratulates herself and the country on
the daily assurances of good feeling and continued amity
expressed by all the foreign Powers, and so on ; but
how much more consolatory and satisfactory it would be,
could she tell us, that from one end of her own kingdom
to the other, contentment and happiness prevailed among
her people. I hope it has not been represented to her,
during her late visits among the, aristocracy, that the
magnificence of Burleigh and the grandeur of Stowe is a
guide to the real condition of the country ?—(Cheers.)
Let her go to Sheffield, to Derby, to Nottingham,
to Leicester. Let her view men with wives and families
working for 4s. a week, aye, and working, too, for four-
teen or sixteen hours a day.—(Hear, hear.) Let them
not talk of the prosperity and happiness of a country
where such misery as this is found—(Cheers)—and
where filth and discontent as surely accompany it. Let
her go among the miners of the north—let her go
among the ill used colliere, who, if they consent not to
be blown up by fifties and by hundreds; who, if they
ask but for a proper, a good ventilation, in order to work
with safety underground, are told that they are mis-
guided men—that they belong to a union of working
men—and that they are so prejudiced that they cannot
see things properly or fairly ; she would indeed find a
vast difference there from what she saw in the aspect
of Strathfieldsaye and of Stowe, where she had been
met, I dare say, with an obsequious tenantry and a
body of yeomanry, and the farmers of the counties. But
there are other matters that will be introduced—some-
thing, probably, in connexion with the property and
income-tax. The Premier has told you that he
has got a surplus revenue. How is he to dispose of it ?
We, in London, want him to take off the window-tax ;
the farmer wants him to reduce the malt-tax ; and the
manufacturer prays him to take the duty off the raw
materiaL I cannot see how it is possible for him to
escape from this difficulty. It is not our business,. how-
eser, to settle it for him.—(Laughter.) If he asks us
how we should do it, we shall say to him rs he did to
the Whigs, " Call us in and we will show you how
we do it.—(Continued laughter.) Let him call me, and I
will show him how I will do. it.—(Cheers.) I will call
on the people—(Prolonged cheers)—consult the indi•
vidual industry of the country. I will say, " Meet
them fairly ; let them be represented ; and then
they will tell you how the revenue of the country can be
improved and maintained.— (Immense cheering.) They
have as much respect for the rights of property as you
have ; and, having that respect for its rights, they will
still maintain them. But with respect to the income-
tax ; if none of the other taxes be taken off,
I trust at least that some alteration may be made in it.
With regard to the articles of general consumption with
the people, no increase of duty can be added to them.
Indirect taxation has received its death-blow in this
country, and all taxes must be directed against the
realised property of the country.—(Cheers.) Yes, all
taxes on trades and professions must be considered
final, and be in future received from realised and funded
property.—(Great cheering.) There will no doubt be
some allusion made to the ecclesiastical, courts of the
country, and no doubt another attempt will be made to
bolster them up. Last year such an attempt was made,
and Government, in supporting them, exposed themselves
to contempt and infamy. These courts owed their
origin solely to the dark ages, and are only continued to
this day to suit the purposes of the House of Commors.
'They are a reproach to the country, an abomination in
the eyes of men, and an iniquity in the sight of Heaven.
whole business cr_ght ;It once t-ztic.ferryd
to the civil courts, where decisions are founded on equity,

In compliance with an advertisement which appeared
,n the Times, calling a meeting of the Shareholders of
this Company, a numerous and highly respectable assem-
blage of that body was held yesterday, at the George
and Vulture Tavern, Lombard-street. At a few minutes
past one o'clock, upon the motion of Mr. Marryat,
George Frederick Young, Esq., was unanimously
called to the chair.
Mr. MenstrAT said that as they had met for the pro-
motion and protection of their interests as Shareholders
in this Company, he trusted that all the information that
could be procured for the furtherance of those objects
would be elicited ; but be would suggest that it would
be well that none but Shareholders should be present.
After a short discussion, it was agreed upon that the
newspaper reporters should be allowed to be present ;
but no other persons who were not Shareholders or
Proprietors.
The CHAIRMAN then proceeded to say, that as he felt
he owed the meeting some explanation for having called
it, he would now beg leave to offer that explanation,
and in doing so those whom he had the ho-
nour of addressing might rest assured he would he
exceedingly brief. The reason he had taken upon him-
self to call this meeting was this': There were many
Proprietors and Shareholders, w ho, like himself and those
by whom he was surrounded, had long been engaged in
this unfortunate Company. When first they embarked
in it, he thought they might say, without vanity, that
they did so without any desire to induce others to follow
their example, but merely for the purpose that was ap-
parent—namely, a commercial speculation; but, owing to
the faith reposed in those to whose management the
affairs of the Company were entrusted, very many
persons were induced to embark their capital in it, and
had it not been for this feeling, he pledged himself that
he, and many others whom be knew, would:have long
since retired from the Company altogether.—(Hear,
hear.) He did not mean to indulge in any observations
which might be deemed individually offensive ; but, at
the same time, he would eot hesitate to say that the
affairs of the Company had been not only fraught with
disaster and loss, but they had been. conducted in a
manner which he for one could not approve of ; and he
would go further, and add that his opinion was, that
many of the losses of the Company had been owing to
those to whom its management had been entrusted.
(Hear.) He, in common with the other Shareholders,
had received the printed circular or notice of
the Directors, and he should confess that that rotice did
strike him with amazement, and it was in consequence
of it that he had deemed it his duty to call this meeting.
—(Hear, hear.) However, he had resolved to restrain
his feelings, and not to give expression to his suspicion
until this meeting was held ; and here he would say,
that a more bold attempt of a body entrusted with the
management of the affairs of a Company, to hold the rod
over that Company, and dictate to them the terms upon
which they should almost sacrifice their own interest, ho
had never heard.—(Hear, hear.) The proposition of the
Directors was to this effect, that they would either buy
up the shares from the Proprietors at 12s. per share, or
that the latter should pay a dividend of 1 per share.
But whether these propositions were the result of an
ascertained fact by the Directors, to the effect that the
property was worth no more—a matter which every
individual Shareholder was entitled to be informed upon
—they were left in utter ignorance of. For these reasons
he would say he did think that such a course of conduct
was not becoming on the part of the Directors.
—(Hear, hear.) The circular of the Directors had
led many country Shareholders to believe they
had no other alternative than that it proposed ;
and to his own knowledge many female Shareholders
had actually acceded to the proposition, believing that
this treatment of them was such as they had no valid
means of resisting.—(Hear.) Now, he did think this
was a position in which the Shareholders should not
have been placed ; and he entertained the hope that the
Directors would give the fullest and most frank and
satisfactory statement of the affairs of the Company ;
that.those affairs would appear not to be in so bad a
state as the Shareholders had been led to suppose ; that
if the property was to be sold, it would bring a larger
sum than could be expected from the statement of the
Directors ; and that if such should be the ultimate reso-
lution of the Shareholders, the proceeds should be
divided fairly, pari passu, between them.—(Hear, hear.)
The Directors had called upon the Shareholders to do a
certain amount by a given day, without affording the
latter sufficient time for consideration. There were
many Shareholders in the country who were at a loss to
know how to act. They had asked his advice.
This he did not like to give ; but the course
which he himself thought he ought to
adopt, was to call upon the Directors for their consent,
and ask them in decorous, but at the -same time firm,
terms, for a full explanation of the affairs of the Corn-
pany.—(Hear.) If the Directors had the power to buy
up the shares, be had no doubt but the Shareholders
could get an inhibition from the Court of Chancery to
restrain them ; but he did not think the deed of settle-
ment gave them that power.—(Hear, hear.) After a
few further observations, the Chairman concluded by
repeating what he had said at the outset—namely, that
under the circumstances he had mentioned, he had
deemed it his duty to call the present meeting in
order that they might adopt whatever means they
deemed most expedient for the protection of their
own interest ; begged that hard words might not be
used, as they would only throw impediments in the
way of business ; and thanked his auditory for the at-
tention with which they had heard him.
Mr. HITCHENS concurred in all that had fallen from
their respected Chairman. He fully agreed with him
that it would be injudicious to use hard words, though
they broke no bones. At a former meeting of the Share-
holders at Gravesend, it was agreed upon that the Com-
pany should be broken up, but that had not been done,
and he was at a loss to know why it had not. It
was true they had been told a flattering story as to the
state of their affairs, and that a dividend of 10 per
cent. had been declared. But, he would ask, what had
they now? Why, nothing.--(Hear, hear, and a laugh.)
He would ask, what right had the Directors to say now
they would take upon themselves to dispose of a property
that for the last ten years had been getting worse and
worse ? He denied they had any such right, and there-
fore they should not call upon the Shareholders to sell
their property until a full and fair statement had been
laid before them, showing the real and actual value of
it.—(Hear.) The Shareholders had seen no data what-
ever upon which the Directors bad gone in order to
ascertain the value of their property, and, therefore, he
would say, without wishing to use hard words, that on
his soul he had never seen or heard anything like this in
his lite.—(Hear, and a laugh.) After applauding the
ccurse taken by th. 3 Chnirman, Mr. Hitchers concluded
Jay moving the first resolution, which, with thn others,
be fol:r d in cur alverti -ing col UP'3l;%
The. CHAIRMAN has of opibioli that from this meet-
ing ought to emanate a requisition *to the 'Directors to