The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-11 00:00:00

would be very well to take the offer, for the sake of
getting out of it. But though they had met with disasters and
misfortunes, yet in all the main lines of their policy they had
gone on progressively improving up to the pre ant moment.
He could not see why they should make a bargain in the dark.
To do so would not effect the only objeA which they could
have in view, namely, economy. By the arrangement which
they had entered into they had effected that object, and that
was sufficient. With respect to the tolls charged by the Com-
pany to the Brighton Company, the latter had made a propo-
sition to them of having those tolls lowered upon third-class
carriages, which they meant to run on their line. The Corn-
nany had refused to accede to that proposition, on the ground
that the charges of the Brighton Company for pas-
s ,ngers did not bear a fair proportion to the tolls
charged. He would next call their attention to an
offer made by the Directors to the Greenwich Company on the
subject of the tolls charged by that Company. In order that
they might better understand the matter, he would request 111 r.
Younge to read the correspondence which had passed between
the two Companies on this subject.
Mr. YOUNGE then read the letters referred to. The
purport of them was that the Croydon Company, having in con-
templation the constantly decreasing traffic on their line, were
desirous to try the experiment of lowering the rate of fare, they
felt it impossible to make that attempt if the toll of 3d. for each
passenger was still charged by the Greenwich Company, much
less could they make the attempt in the face of the proposed
toll of 41d. on each passenger. They therefore offered that,
for the next five years,there should be a fixed payment of 6,0001.
a year made by them to the Greenwich Company instead of 41jd.
on each passenger as toll. The Greenwich Company, in reply,
stated that they were net now in a position to accede to the
proposition of the Croydon Company, inasmuch as, on the faith
of the toll which they required being paid, they had incurred
large expenses lately.
The CHAIRMAN said, that the offer which they had thus
made to the Greenwich Company, washy no means an extrava-
gant one ; but, on the contrary, an economical one. If the
Company remained as it was, they would have the same num-
ber of passengers without an increase of toll. If they lowered
the rate of fare the number of passengers would be increased,
and in consequence, the amount pair: for toll would also be
greatly increased. The Greenwich Company were, he thought,
wrong in refusing their offer, for it was clear that, by keeping
the rate of fare as at present, the Croydon Company could
keep the amount of toll within what it was in former years,
which was considerably under the sum of 6,0001. It would be
remembered that in the autumn of 1839, a select Committee,
appointed for the purpose, had made areport on the Greenwich
and Dover Railway, which showed that that line was not suf-
ficient for the purposes for which it was made. The necessity
of remedying such a state of things was urged upon the Direc-
tors of that Company, but they had refused to do anything ;
whereupon the Company addressed the two other Companies,
and entered into arrangements with them to go too Parliament
on the subject. For this they were called robbers by the
Greenwich Company, and that Company was obliged to go to
Parliament, and they asked for leave to levy a toll commensu-
rate with their own ideas of what they wanted. They thought
they would be able to get 9,000/. instead of the 6,0001. which
was offered them. They were told that the toll they sought
was excessive, and that it would injure themselves. The toll
was 3d., and they wanted to raise it to 41,4 d. The case was
argued by their talented Counsel before the Committee with
great ability. The Croydon line would be rendered useless to
the public if the additional toll were required. The Proprie-
tors of the Greenwich line would, if they persevered, very much
deteriorate their awn line. As 'tag as the Brighton Railway
Company could not become possessed of their line, anti as long
as the Greenwich Railway Proprietors could not get more than
they ought, they would have disputes with them ; but however
anxious they may be to dip their hands into the pockets of this
Company, he did not accuse them of any conspiracy—they would
be defeated if this Company was true to itself.—( Hear, Lear.)
They were in a different position with the South Eastern Rail-
way, because that Company did not require more than was just,
and that this Company was ready to give them.--Hear.)
With respect to puulic opinion, he would show that it was in
favour of this Company, because, on the 2.2 d of October,
shares on the Greenwich line stood at 14, while those on the
Croydon were 9; but, on the 26th of February, shares on the
Greenwich line stood at 61.4, and on the Croydon at 11112.—
(Cheers. ) He hoped the meeting would express its satisfac-
tion at. the course pursued by the Directors on this subjects.
An HON. PROPRIETOR. wished to know whether the offer of
6,0001., to the Greenwich Company, in lieu of toll, included
the traffic from passengers on both the Brighton and Croydon
lines, or on the Croydon line alone?
The CHAIRMAN said that had not escaped the attention of
the Directors. If they were to reduce the rate of fares, it
would, in his opinion, reduce the traffic. It would be utterly
impossible for them, or ally other Company, to compete with
others who had a power of levying a toll of Is. 41d. if they
were to reduce their fares.
MI. LEVY thought the Proprietors must be perfectly satis-
fied with the answer which the Directors had returned to the
proposition of the Brighton Directors. It was monstrous to
think of such a proposition.—(Hear, hear.) But they ought to
give the Greenwich Directors the same credit that they took
to themselves. Why should the Greenwich Company be ex-
pected to accept 6,000/. a year before they knew what would
be likely to be the amount of the increased value of their line
in consequence of the improvements which they had made.
He was himself a Greenwich Proprietor, and was acquainted
With many of the Directors. He knew that the great body
of the Greenwich Proprietors would not be inclined to accept
the 6,000/. a year, and therefore they ought to allow those
Directors the same credit which they took to themselves. He
felt convinced that the Greenwich Company would consent to
any reasonable terms.

fhe CHAIRMAN felt the greatest respect for many of
the Greenwich Directors, and must bear his testimony to the
courtesy with which he had always been treated by the Chair-
man of the Greenwich Board. He wished the Proprietors of
the Greenwich Company would seriously consider what was
the operation of a fixed toll, and if it did so, he felt convinced that
they would see the reasonableness of the proposition made by
the Croydon Company. Now he would put a case to show the
operation of the fixed toll. Suppose it took 400,000 passen-
gers at a shilling a head, that would give 20,000/. Suppose
the expanses to have been 50 per cent. they would have 10,0001.
left ; then if they bad to pay a fixed toll of 3d. a head to the
Greenwich Company, that would leave 5,000/. profit for the
Company. Now suppose that, in consequence of reducing their
tolls one half, they were to carry four times the number of
passengers, that would give them 1,600,000 passengers at 6d.,
which would give 40,0001. ; allowing 50 per cent. for
expenses, that would leave 20,0001., and then if they paid the
Greenwich Company a fixed toll of 3d. a head, that would
amount to 20,0001., and would leave the Croydon Company no
profit whatever. What they desired was, that the Greenwich
Company should have their fair proportion of profit; that they
should have all they were entitled to, but that they should
abstain from taking that which fairly belonged to the Croydon
Company.
A PROPRIETOR said he was also a Proprietor of the Green-
wich Company, and lie thought the proposition of the Croydon
Directors a very fair one, and one well worth a trial on the part
of the Greenwich Company.
A PROPRIETOR thought it incumbent u:son him to move a
resolution expressive of the high approbation of the Proprietors
of the conduct of the Board of Directors for the last six months.
'fhe integrity and the firmness which they had exhibited, in
taking care of the interests of the Proprietors, entitled them to
their warmest thanks.—(Cheers.) He had at first been in-
clined to depart from the proposition for a new terminus, but
when they considered the eireums`ances of the case, he felt
called upon to admit that he considered it a very fair and pro-
per outlay of their capital. The Greenwich Company certainly
had a tight to demand a toll, but the proposition they had
made would work against themselves. With respect to the
manner in which the Directors had treated the offer of the
London and Brighton Company, the highest praise was due to
them, for a more monstrous proposition could not emanate from
any Company calling themselves respectable. The Directors
had done all they could expect of them, and had shown them-
selves watchful over the interests of the Proprietors at large.
He, therefore, moved that the best thanks of the Proprietors be
given to the Directors for their perseverance, good manage-
ment, and attention to the interests of the Company during
the last six months.
This was seconded by several gentlemen, but it was sug-
gested by
Mr. RICARDO that the resolution was hardly explicit
enough ; he therefore proposed to substitute the following :
" That the conduct the Directors had vursued with regard to
the Brighton, Greenwich, and South Eastern lines, had been
highly satisfact ry, and the meeting hereby expressed its per-
fect confidence in their management of the questions then un•
der consideration from the same Companies."
This resolution was carried unanimously.
Tile CHAIRMAN returned thanks for the resolution that had
just been agreed to.
After some conversation as 'o the publication of the corres-
pondence between the Croydon and Brighton Companies,
Mr. CURITT, in answer to questions from various Proprie-
tors, stated, that the slips on the line could not have been
foreseen, nor prevented, unless by very expensive operations
of widening the banks, and draining, cutting, Ike., which
would necessitate an increased outlay of enormous amount.
They could not widen the embankments without the power of
an Act of Parliament, which when the public safety was con-
cerned would enable the Company to take land for the pur•
pose. That power would be given by the General Railway
Act now pending before Parliament. The slips were caused
by the nature of the soils and the heavy rains, and could
not have been prevented, by planting the banks with any
species of shrub, as was suggested by one Hon. Proprietor.
In answer to a Proprietor respecting the Bill to be laid be-
fore Parliament for the proposed approach to the line at Corbet't-
lane,
The CHAIRMAN stated that the draft of fhe Bill would be
laid before the Company as soon as convenient. The Direc-
tors bad no desire to take the Proprietors by surprise, or com-
mit them to any measure which might not be satisfactory to
them. The object of the Bill might be defeated by bringing it
under the consideration of of the Proprietors at too early a
stage. After some further conversation of a desultory nature,
the subject was dropped,
Thanks were then voted to Mr. Cubitt, the Consulting
Engineer, Mr. Gregory, and the other officers of the Company,
and the meeting separated at a quarter after four o'clock.

THE MEMBER FOR KNARESBOROUGH.—The exhi-
bition of Mr. Ferrand, on the motion for total repeal, was that
of a mountebank or pantaloon in a pantomime. His extrava-
gance and rhodomontade were only injurious to his own party,
much as the speech delighted the Tories. To Sir Robert Peel,
the lunatic oration was gall and wormwood, because the Right
Hon. Baronet knows the mischief of falsehood and fanaticism to
his cause; and because he doubtless apprehends a repetition of
Mr. Ferrand's farrago of nonsense against himself on the coming
questions of the Poor-laws and the Ten-hours' Bill. Wild ora-
tors of this species usually find their level early in the Session of
their first appearance. Air. D'lsraeli commenced his Parlia-
mentary career in the same style of bathos and rambling
declamation, but he soon fell from his pedestal; as will Mr.
Ferrand, especially if he is not made of importance by those be
so innoxiously maligns. He is a young man of about 30 years
of age, lately an unemployed country attorney in a north coun-
try town, elevated to the Legislature by the accidental succes-
sion of his mother to a large property, which enabled him to
impose himself for a time on the constituency of Knaresborough.
Uninstructed, and devoid of all knowledge of political science,
he will soon find his level. Ido not think I ever observed Sir
Robert Peel more palpably annoyed than by the indiscreet ad-
vocacy of this new ally. The buffoonery, however, of the
orator, convulsed the House with laughter, and his abuse of
the manufacturing classes appeared most acceptable to the
monopolists.—London Correspondent of the Scotsman.
An aged widow, a portress, was sweeping the
street, a few days since, in the front of her house, in
the Rine du Cherche Midi, when a female, in the garb of a
Sister of Charity, accosted her, and inquired if she had need of
relief, and was invited into the lodge to hear a tale of distress.
Having examined the scanty furniture, the representative of
benevolence invited the poor old woman to accompany her to
the church of Saint Sulpice, where she would be presented
to the Countess of Karadeuck, president of a charitable society,
who would, no doubt, grant her a small pension for the rest of
her life. They set out together, but, when on their way, the
Sister of Charity recollected that she had a sum of money arid
a pot of comfiture to leave for a lying-in woman, in the Rue
Cassette. She desired the portress to walk on, and she would
overtake her at the steps of the church. The deluded old
woman did so, but having waited an hour without seeing any
more of her supposed benefactress, returned home, hoping that
she would come again another day. She was soon unde-
ceived, for, on opening her drawers, she discovered that they
had been stripped of all her little store of property, consisting
of two napoleons, five sf. pieces, a small gold chain and cross,
and a snuff-box, which had been adroitly abstracted by the pre-
' tended philanthropist.