The Sun.
London, England, 1842-09-01 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY MORNING, SEPTEM HER 1,

SOUTHAMPTON DOCK COM-
PANY.

The twelfth Half-yearly General Meeting of the Pro-
prietors in this Company was held yesterday, pursuant
to public advertisement, at the Offices of the Company,
No. 19, Bishopsgate-street Within, JoSeph Liggins, Esq.,
in the Chair.
The advertisement convening the meeting having been
read,
Mr. SAINSBURY, the Secretary, proceeded to read the
Report of the Directors. It stated the satisfaction of
the Directors at having to report the opening of the
Company's first dock, on which occasion the Peninsu-
lar and Oriental Company's steam-ships, the Liverpool,
of 500 tons, and the Tagus, of 780 tons, entered, and
the former 'commenced discharging ; that the plan for
increasing the pecuniary resources of the Company,
agreed to at the special meeting held on the 11th of
April, by which the forfeited shares were directed to
be re-sold, accompanied by debenture notes, had so far
realised the desired object, as to leave no doubt that it
would furnish resources adequate for the purpose of the
construction of the Tidal Dock. The Directors further re-
ported that they had received and accepted tenders for ad-
vances of money on the Company's debenture bonds,
under their Act of Parliament ; but the Directors
thought they were warranted in expressing their expec-
tation al a considerable revenue at an early period ;
that the remaining subject which the Directors had
syecially- to bring before the meeting, was a proposition
that the payment of the 4 per cent. interest, directed by
the Company's Act tq tv,,paid " until the said dock or
docks, and other works, 411eTeby authorized to be made,
shall be completed for the ieception of ships and goods,"
should cease on the WO September next ; the Direc-
tors, therefore, recoil:oo*d the .Proprictors to resolve,
that the interest shutibi-ceaSe:at -.end of the ensuing
month.
Mr. SAINSBURY sal( 1, sinopt, that IfeVort had been writ-
ten, he had received the 'Report niade.by Jame,sWalker,
Esq., F.R.S., to the Board of Com Missioners for granting
loans in aid of public works. that Board having deputed
Mr. Walker to survey and report on the Company's
works, in consequence of the Directors' application for a
loan of 50,0001 to complete the Tidal Dock.
Mr. Walker's Report was then read ; and, in answer
to the five points on which Mr. Walker's opinion was
requested, he stated that in his opinion the Southampton
Docks came strictly within the definition of a useful
public work. With respect to the eligibility of the site
his opinion was favourable. The third point referred to
the practicability of dredging the channel of the river
Itchin, leading to the docks, to a depth of eighteen feet
at low water spring tides; and on this point Mr. Walker
reported that he did not apprehend any difficulty. With
regard to the stability of the works, Mr:Walker reported
that he could not see any of the foundations, except the
invert of the lock, in consequence of there being fourteen
feet of water in the basin. The invert of the lock ap-
peared to be very substantial, as did also that portion of
the basin-walls, at about level of high water, which he
saw. The estimate of 83,0001. appeared to be nearly a
correct one. The docks might be opened, he thought,
in the course of the autumn. The last point on which
Mr. Walker was requested to report was, whether the
works were an adequate security fin- the loan of 50,0001.
with interest ; and on this point Mr. Walker stated his
decided opinion to he in the affirmative. (This Report
was dated July 13, 1842.)
The Report of Francis Giles, Esq., the engineer of
the Company, dated August 30, was then read ; it was
very short, and spoke generally in favourable terms
of the condition of the work.
From the abstract account of receipts and disburse-
ments from the commencement of the docks till the
present time, it appeared that the receipts had been
285,140/. 6s. 9d.. and the expenditure 264,022/. 6s. 3d.,
leaving a balance of 21,118/. Os. 6d. in the Treasurer's

hands.
The CHAIRMAN then rose. He said that the contents
of the Reports which had just been read rendered it in-
cumbent upon him now to move that they should be
received, adopted, printed, and circulated. Perhaps,
considering the length of those Reports, and bearing in
mind tha: they had received a rebuke from a respect-
able Proprietor, who said that they had called the
meeting at a late hour (two o'clock) to stifle discussion,
he ought to put the Report at once without any . ob-
servations of his own ; but he should be doing a
great violence to his feelings if he did not express, in the
overflowings of a grateful heart, his sense of gratification
at the very auspicious event which he witnessed on Mon-
day last. When he bore in mind the toil that they had
endured, the labour they had undergone, and the anxiety
they had felt, he was sure they would believe him when
he affirmed that that event was a highly gratifying scene
to their Directors, at the only drawback they ex-
perienced to the ple, of that day was that the Pro-
prietors were not all L. ,ant. He did hope to have the
pleasure, however, soon, of seeing them all there, when
the dock should be in a perfect state, and they could feel
justified in bestowing on it that celebration which its im-
portance and merit demanded. He announced that dock
to be the most magnificent in this country ; it was un-
surpassed by any other in its situation and the extent of
quay wall ; it was altogether unrivalled from its
natural and local advantages.—(Cheers.) From the
kind and friendly co-operation of the Peninsular and Ori-
ental Steam Packet Company they were enabled to en-
joy the pleasure of entering the dock in one of their
finest steamers, the Tagus, and they had the additional
gratification of seeing coming up Southampton another
steamer belonging to that Company, with a cargo and
passengers just arrived from Gibraltar, Lisbon, Vigo,
&c.; so the Directors not only had the delight of entering
themselves amidst the cheers of the assembled thousands
but also that of seeing a ship coming in with a mixed
cargo. They looked upon her but as the forerunner of
multitudes of others.—(Cheers.) They had also the
pleasure to witness the consummation of that prediction,
to the fulfilment of which they had so long looked for-
ward—the uniting of the Thames with the ocean—for in
a short time they observed the passengers who had ar-
rived from Gibraltar and from Lisbon taken away by the
railway from within a space of twenty feet of where
the ship was lying. That was a sight which
would soon again be repeated, for it was in-
tended by the Steam Company to take a new
vessel called the Hindostan, now at Liverpool, to
Southampton ; they had invited the Lords of the Ad-
miralty, her Majesty's Ministers, and the Directors of
the East India Company to take a trip to her, and it was
their intention to leave Vauxhall by a special train,
which should • not stop till it delivered its freight on
board the Hindostan in Southampton Dock,—(Hear.)
In addition to this, the Directors had the pleasure to in-
form the meeting that at the present moment the most
cordial feeling existed between the Directors of this
Company and the Directors of the Southampton Rail-
way.—(Cheers.) That had not been always the case.
One of the Directors of that, Company was now a Di-
rector of this Company, and he (the Chairman) did hope
that that was only the indication of a further amalgama-
tion. Within the last few weeks he had been in personal
communication with the Chairman and some of the Di-
rectors of that Company, and having full faith and con-
fidence in what they said, it was highly gratifying to
him to be able to say that the very best and :most
friendly feeling existed between the •Directors of the
Railway and themselves. The Chairman of that Company
also added that he should be most happy to receive any
communication from him—(Hear, and cheers)—on be-
half of the Board, and would do all he could to meet
their views.—(Cheers.) Now he would ask that meet-
ing, did this intimation point out to them a moral, or did
it not ? If the members of separate bodies found it to
be to the mutual interests of themselves and their consti-
tuencies that the best feelings should prevail between
them, and that it was incumbent on them that they
should have a unity of purpose, did it not clearly prove
to them that, what he hoped would come home to the
feelings of every one of them, there should be a strong
cordiality and union amongst themselves ?—(Cheers.)
It unfortunately happened that such had not hitherto been
the case ; but now a new era had been commenced, and
he hoped that to-day they would declare ageneral amnesty.
No good had been gained by the course of opposition
which had been pursued by some ; and if they could
not all forget the past, he would earnestly express a hope
that they should forgive it.—(Cheers.) He was afraid
in the discharge of the duties which had devolved upon
him, that he might at r,times have seen somewhat
ungenerous in the expressions that he had used ; and if
in the discharge of that duty he hid unfortunately given
offence to a single Proprietor, he hoped that Proprietor
would accept his best apology—(Hear, hear)—and he
hoped that for the future it would go forth to the world
that they were acting together as a united body, for sure
he was that that was the best and wisest course they
could pursue ; and if he could have anything like an
assurance that such would be the case, he was sure it
would act only as a stimulant to their Directors, who
were of themselves a united body, to encourage them to
further exertions. (Cheers.) Looking forward to
unanimity then for the future, and forgetting the past,
allow him to express a hope that as they had the most
magnificent dock in the world, they might find it to be
in the end the most prosperous dock in the world.—
(Cheers.) He begged to move the adoption of the Re-
ports ; and if any Proprietor.had any questions to pro-
pose he should be happy to answer them.
A PROPRIETOR having seconded the motion,
Mr. Ricitaans wished to know how much money had
been lent upon debenture notes ?
The CHAIRMAN said the Hon. !Proprietor must be
aware himself of the amount which had been lent ; and
he would put it to his own practical knowiedge whether
it would be prudent to mention the sum. It must be re-
membered that what they said would not be confined to
the walls of that room, but would find its way over the
whole of Britain.

Mr. RICHARDS —Then I shall answer myself. He
knew that a portion of what they said did go forth to the
public; if all that took place had gone forth,as it had
occurred, the situation of the Company that day would
not have been so deplorable as it now was. He believed
that though they were offering to pay 5 per cent. in-
terest for money lent upon their debentures, at a time
when the money market was in such a state, that the
Messrs. Gurney could not give them above 2> per cent.
for their money, they had only yet received 700!. as
loans upon their debentures. As regarded the opening
of the docks in the modest way it had been done, he
thought it perfectly proper that it should have been so ;
but he did hope that a state of things might arise, though
the present certainly was not that state, which might
warrant the terms of gratification in which the Chair-

man had spoken. Th—e lion. Proprietor then proceeded
to remark at some length upon the contract by which
the dock had been let to the contractor, as we understood,
without good and sufficient bondsmen: lie should like to

have that contract before him. With regard to ceasing
the interest upon the 30th of September, he begged to
say that they could not do so legally, and ho would wish
to ask their Solicitor whether he would stake his legal
reputation upon the legality of that proceeding ? He
should certainly bring an action against them for interest
up to the proper time. The 98th clause of the Act pro-
vided that they should not be in the situation of Nevi vit...
a dividend till twelve months after the opening of the
Dock, and interest was. payable up to that time ($8 we

understood). 11,1;. Richards concluded a long and
rambling address by complaining, that whereas the Di-
rectors had Herapath's Magazine to report them pro-
perly, he was always reported as if he talked nonsense.:---
(Great laughter.) .

Mr. BERNARD (a Director) said that the speech of
the Hon. Proprietor was full of inconsistencies and con-
tradictions.—(Hear, hear.) The very Hon. Proprietor
had advertised his shares for sale from day to day, at
prices below the market.—(Hear.)
Mr. RICHARDS—I deny that.
Mr. BERNARD—The Hon. Proprietor knows that
what I say is true. Brokers have called at his office
and offered him the money, and he refused to sell.—
(Hear, hear.) Mr. Richards says that he is an un-
willing Proprietor. Why does he not sell out at his
own prices ?—(Hear.)
Mr. RICHARDS—You shall have all my shares now, if
you please.—(A laugh.)
Mr. BERNARD—I would buy them, but not from you.
—(A laugh.) You come here only to injure the con-
cern. You might have backed out if you were in
earnest. Several brokers called on you and offered to
buy your shares, and you refused to sell.—(Hear.) I
do not know what you mean, but you come here only to
injure the concern.
Mr. RICHARDS—I want to have an answer to my
question. Can this meeting authorise the Directors in
refusing interest after the 30th of September ? The
Solicitor is here by my side, and he can give an answer.
Mr. SMITH (the Solicitor) said he had not the slightest
doubt that the Act of Incsrporation fully empowered the
Company to cease the payment of interest as soon as the
docks produced any revenue.—(Hear.)
The CHAIRMAN said that Mr. Richards had brought
up to-day several topics which had been over and over
again discussed in the Court. He was not able to guess
what the motives of the Honourable Proprietor were.
If the meeting thought it worth while, he was quite
able, after twelve half yearly meetings, to explain to the
Company everything in which any Proprietor could
feel interested. The Hon. Proprietor appeared to come
amongst them merely for the purpose of provoking dis-
cussion, to show his own talents, and very good-naturedly
to draw out of others the abilities which, only for him,
they might not have an opportunity of displaying.—
(Cheers and laughter.) He would, however, put it to
the good sense of the meeting whether it was worth
while—(No, no)—he put it to the good sense of the
meeting whether it was worth while to go over the whole
of the statements, and to answer, one by one, assertions
which every gentleman in the room knew were not true?
Mr. APLAREN put a question to the Chairman re-
specting the qualification of Directors.
The CHAIRMAN said that the Directors were quite
satisfied that there would be a necessity for going to
Parliament again, and in any new Act the qualification
would be altered.

Mr. M'LAREN was then proceeding to impugn the con-
duct of the Directors in expending 1001. for that which
they had undertaken to do for 501., when several members
called out that that had been the case in many similar
undertakings, and, after some confusion,
Mr. A. GoLusMID said he had been but lately elected to
the honourable place of Vice-Chairman of the Committee.
He had no doubt that their affairs would be prosperous
and remunerative. He was very sorry to see that some
Proprietors were discontented with the conduct of the
Board, and if there were any matters in dispute in which
it was possible to reconcile the feelings of those below
the bar with those of the gentlemen who sat near him,
and who, he had no doubt, were as desirous as himself to
make the Company prosperous, it would be better to
have them settled by private conference rather than
newspaper advertisements, and these jarrings, which
were of no credit to the Company, and could not be at
all satisfactory to the members, who complained of the
press for not giving publication to everything they
said, whether it was good or whether it was bad.
The CHAIRMAN put the question that the Report be
received and adopted.
Mr. RICHARDS said he objected to that part of the
Report which recommended the cessation of the four
per cent. interest after the 30th of September. He
would not venture to propose an amendment, but out of
friendship to the Directors, he gave them his advice.—
(Laughter.) He would not press an amendment, but
as they were going on in an unlawful manner, he
thought it his duty as an honest man, and art English-
man, to give them notice that he should take proceed-
ings against them fur his interest.
The CHAIRMAN—We have no doubt of your good
intentions—(Laughter)—but you would benefit the
lawyers much more than the Company.
The Report, as well as the resolutions founded upon
the recommendations contained therein, were then put
and carried, the minority consisting of Mr. Richards
and Mr. M'Laren.

The CHAIRMAN then announced tho business to be
concluded.

Captain EUGENE ST. CROIX said, before the mectinc,
performed its last duty of returning thanks to the
Chairman and Directors, he thought it right to inform
the meeting that the docks, as far as they had been
completed, had afforded a great convenience to the
packets navigating the Channel between Dieppe, Havre,
and the Channel Islands. He had no doubt that as
soon as the docks were completed the Company would
derive a remunerative revenue, and all dissensions wou.kl
cease.

Thanks were then voted to the Chairman and the
Board of Directors, who briefly acknowledged the same,
and the meeting adjourned.

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.

LONDON, AuG. 31.—Wind, this day at noon, NAY.,
fresh breezes and fine.

DEAL, Auc.3o.—Wind S.W., moderate.—Arrd. from
the River and sld. Thames (steamer), West Indies.
The Glenswilly, Port Philip ; John Line, Madras ; Ren-
frewshire, Quebec, remain.
OFF DOYER, AUG. 29.—Rattlesnake, Carpenter; Kertch.
LIVERPOOL, Aua. 30.—Wind N.N.W., moderate.—
Arrd. Joseph Anderson, Jamaica ; South Esk, St.
John's, New Brunswick. Sld. Acadia, Quebec. Arrd.
off, Sarah Beckett, Valparaiso ; Alice, Barbadoes ;
Arcturus, Quebec.
COWES, A no. 30.—Arrd. Helen Mar, Curry, Havannah.
FALBIOUTH, AUG. 29.—Wind N., moderate.—Sid.
Lady Mary Wood steamer, Vigo, &c.
PORTSBIOUTII, AVG. 30.—Wind E. to S.W.—Arrd.
off, Thomas Arbuthnot, Brown, Calcutta, left the Cape,
June 22.

PLYMOUTH, AUG. 29.—Wind S.W.—Arrd. off,
Medicis, Maniere, Calcutta, for Havre.
VESSELS SPOKEN WlTH.—Robert and James, for
Newfoundland, 17th inst., lat. 43, lon. 34 ; Oxford,
Liverpool to Nev York, 25th, lat. 51, lon. 12, by the
Joseph- Anderson, arrived at, Liverpool. John White,
of Sunderland, for Richebucto, 31st July, lat. 47, lon. 50;
Dibdin, of Newcastle, for Quebec, sth ult., lat. 51, lon.
39, by the Elizabeth and Catharine, arrived at Sunderland
EAST INDIA SHIPPING.
Arrivals—Thomas Arbuthnot, Brown, from Bengal,
off Portsmouth, sailed March 24, Cape, June 22 ; Wil-
liam Jardine, Crosbie, from New South Wales, off
Portland, sailed April 3, Rio June 20, Fayal August 3,
Arrivals at Sydney, New South Wales—Mary Ann,
Bolton, April I, from New Zealand ; Triton, Beck,
from Cloudy Bay ; Sir John Byng, from Newcastle.
Arrivals in Table Bay, Cape of good Hope—Anion,
June 22, from Liverpool ; Theresa, Driscoll, from Ply-
mouth ; Sampson, from Newcastle ; her. Majesty's ship
Fly (in Simon's Bay), 20th, from England.
NOTICE TO MARINERS.

Now ready, in 3 vob. post Bvo.,
DOCTOR HOOKWELL
OR, THE ANGLO-CATHOLIC FAMILY.

A NOVEL.
Ri.hard Bentlty, New Burlington-street.
*,,* To be Had at all the

THEATRE ROYAL, COVENT-GARDEN.

The Public is respectfully informed that this Theatre will
OPEN FOR THE SEASON
On SATURDAY NEXT, SEPTEMBER 3, 1842,
Will be performed Bellini's Opera of NORMA.— Pollio, Mr. W.
Harrison; Oroveso, Mr. Giubileii Flavius, Mr. Binge; Norma, Miss
Adelaide Kemble; Adalgisa, Mist 11,,inforth; Clotilda, Miss Lane.
After which will be produced a New Comedy, in Two Arts, writ.
ten by Douglas Jerrold,'E-q., entitled GERTRUDE'S CHERRIES,
OR WATERLOO IN 1833 Willoighby, Mr. Bartley; Vincent,
Mr. W. Lacy ; Guibert, Mr. Diddear; Jack Halcyon, ,sir. Her ey ;
Crossbone, Mr. Meadows; Angelica, Miss Cooper; Mrs. Crossbone,
Mrs. Humby ; Gertrude. Mrs. W. Lacy.
Doers open at half.past bix, ann the Performances begin at Seven.
Dress Boxes is., Second Price 3s. 6,1 ,• First and SecondCireles 55.,
Second Price 'ie. 6d.; Pit 35., Seeond Price 2s. ; Gallery Is. Tickets
and Places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr. Whitlow, at the Box-
Office, from Ten till Four, where Season Tickets may be had.
Private Boxes to be had at he Box-Otti e ; of Mr. Andrews,
107. New Bond-street; Mr. Mitchell, Old Bond street; and of Mr.
Sams Pali Mall.

THEATRE-ROYAL, ENGLISH OPERA-HOUSE.
THIS EVENING, SEPTEMBER 1.
FOR THE BENEFIT OF MR. F. MATTHEWS.
Will be performed, the Dr ma of CHARLES THE TWELFTH.
After which, Mrs. Planche's Vaureville of THE WELSH OWL.
To be followed by the Ballet of LA SY LP HIDE.
Donald, Mr. Gilbert ; the Splph, Miss Bailin.
In the course of the Evening, Miss Lucombe will sing the cele-
brated Scena from " Der Frdschutz," and " A nld Robin Gray; and
Mr. Ridgway "The Chinese War," and " Tinpitywitcher."
To couclude with the Farce f FOR I Y AND FIVTY.
Boxes, 4s. Pit, '2s.-- Gallery, Is. Doors eren at half-past Six;
commerce at Seven; Half-price, a Quarter before Nine.
Private Boxes to be had of Mr. Grogan, at the Private Box-offico ;
and of Messrs. Andrews, Mitchell, Sams, and Bally, at their Libraries

DAVIDGE'S ROYAL SURREY THEATRE.
Immense attraction. 'I be Opera Company in Two Pieces.
THIS EVENING, SEPTEMBER 1,
•-•-

Will be presented LOVE IN A VII LAGE. To which will be
added, the splendid New Gram,. Fairy Opera, entitled LITTLE
RED RIDING HOOD.—The Overture, and the whole of the Me.
sic, composed by Mrs. G. a'Becket, and executed by Miss Romer.
Mrs Serk, Mr. W. Harrison, Mr. Leffler, an increas d Band and
Chorus, conducted by Mr. G. Stansbury.
To conclude with Mr. Bruton's celebrated Farce, entitled B.AT ri.
I NG, in which Mr. G. Wild will perform his original Character,
Places and Private 3oxes may be ad of Mr. J. Kerechncr, at the
cx Ottice, from Eleven till Four daily.