The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-01-31 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER RAILWAY
COMPANY.

The winter half-yearly meeting of the proprietors of the
Liverpool and Manchester Railway Company was held on
Wednesday last, at the Cotton Sales Room, in the Exchange-
buildings, and was most numerously attended by shareholders
from all parts, owing to the uneasiness which many felt from
the torpid state of the shares in the market, whilst all others
in the neighbourhood were so buoyant.
CHARLES LAWRENCE, Esq., took the chair; after which
the report was read by Mr. BOOTH, the treasurer—in which
comparisons were drawn with many of the items of expense
for the London and Birmingham railway—hopes held out of
retrenchment in some of the branches of expense—reasons
given for delay in not forming a junction with the Manches-
ter and Leeds line for the present—and such a prosperous
amount of receipt announced, as warranted a dividend of
five per cent. for the half year, leaving a considerable balance
in favour of the company.
Mr. ,ARNAUD then rose to observe that, as the accounts
were presented for the inspection of the proprietors until the
meeting had assembled, it was impossible that the latter
.could form any but crude opinions thereupon. The differ-
ence in the rate of-expenses between that and other lines had
certainly attracted their attention► ; but he trusted that the
prospect of retrenchment and scrutiny contemplated in the
report, would remedy the evil, should any exist. And he
was anxious that the amount of any fresh debt incurred since
July, 1836, should be stated, as, from the creation of new
shares, to meet the exact amount of debt, expectations had
been formed that,' on the payment of the final instalment
now called for, the company would have been free from all
debt.

Mr. ALSTON, of Abercromby-square, followed, and par-
ticularly dwelt upon the expediency of electing some diree-
tors who could devote more time to the affairs of this com-
pany, and seemed strongly to be of opinion that, with the
same directors, or nearly so, to both companies, the interest
of the Liverpool and Manchester was made too subordinate
to the Grand Junction.
He was replied to by Mr. HEYWORTH and Mr. THEO-
DORE RATHBONE.

After which a Proprietor, from Manchester, proposed the
election of William Garnett, Esq., of that important town,
as a director, in lieu of N. Robinson, Esq., resigned ; and
as it was felt generally by the meeting that a director of local
experience and influence there was desirable) Mr. Garnett
was forthwith elected.

It was then stated from the Chair, that a debt of about
£200,000 existed, and that some further sum might possibly
be required, to meet the expense of new buildings for sta-
tions, warehouses, &c., on account of the increased business
of the company, and its accommodation in premises, &c., to
the Grand Junction line. A dividend of five per cent. for
the half year was then declared, payable on the 10th Feb. ;
and the meeting separated, after expressing for the chairman
and other directors their acknowledgements for their impor-
tant services.

SOCIALISM.'

We have been requested to lay before our readers the
following documents, which will sufficiently explain them-
selves :

TO THE MOST NOBLE THE MARQUIS NORMANDY.
38, Church-street, Liverpool, Jan. 10th, 1840.
My Lord,—l beg to forward the accompanying address to
your lordship's care, humbly requesting your lordship to
present it with as little delay as possible to her most gracious
Majesty. Allow me to state that the address (a copy of
which I enclose for your lordship's perusal) refers to the
presentation of Robert Owen to the Queen, and is signed
by fifteen thousand two hundred highly-respectable females
of the town and neighbourhood of Liverpool.
I have the honour to remain, my Lord,
Your lordship's most obedient servant,
JOSEPH CRISP.