The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-02-02 00:00:00

MEETING OF THE PROPRIETORS OF THE
GRAND JUNCTION RAILWAY.

The half-yearly meeting of the proprietors of the Grand
Junction Railway was held on Friday, at one o'clock, in the
Cotton Sales' Room, John Moss, Esq., chairman of the
company, presided.
Mr. CHORLEY, the secretary, was called upon to read the
reports of the director. The receipts were for the last six
months of 1840 :—from coaching, £188,620 15s. sd. ; goods,
£40,934 2s. Id. ; , live stock, £3,008 10s. Ild. ;—total,
£232,563 Bs. sd. For, the last six months of 1839:—coach-
ing, £187,476 Bs. 5d.; goods, £35,220 10s.; live stock,
£3,607 ss. 8d ;—total, £226,304 4s. ld. The expenses for
the six months of 1840, £99,627 ls. 7d.; last six months of
1839, £107,880 10s. sd. This saving was accomplished
principally in the important item`of locomotive power. The
directors congratulated the proprietors on the exemption of
the Grand Junction Railway from unfortunate casualties, or
accidents affecting life or property, when some untoward oc-
currences on other lines had been made the ground of much
exaggerated anxiety on the subject of railway travelling.
The arrangements completed for the conveyance of merchan-
dise by the opening of the Chester branch, from the first
proximo, might be expected to add materially to the income
of Chester, both from this source and from passengers.
The efficient value of stock, there was reason to believe, was,
at least, as high as upon any former occasion ; the balance
of the whole was £674 Is. 5d., to the debit of the half-
year's income. A further reduction in the rates of carriage
for goods had been made since the last meeting. The nett
income, after deducting all expenses, exclusive of the amount
of the unliquidated debt now charged on the new quarter
shares at 5 per cent. on the stock, and equal to 12s. 6d. per
share, was £137,481 Ils. 9d. This would enable the pro-
prietors to declare a dividend at the rate of £6 10s. per
£lOO share, and in proportion on the paid up amount of the
half shares, and on the quarter shares lately created. From
this the balance of stock of 674 Is. sd. having been deducted,
there would remain £689 14s. 4d. to be carried to the cur-
rent half year. And this the direetors accordingly then re-
commended to the meeting. The amount of the nett receipt
from Sunday travelling Was equal to 12s. 6d. per £lO3 share.
The CHAIRMAN, after expressing his belief that the meet-
ing would feel satisfied with the report just read, said the
public attention had been so much excited on I i 1' subject of
railway accidents, that he was gratified in stating, that during
the year 1840, 485,568 persons had been carried along the
line without one loses if life to a-single passenger, conductor,
guard, or firemen. They had also carried 65,289 tons of
goods, and 4741 horses, besides bullion to a very large amount,
and the total sum paid for damage to goods was only £399
Bs. Bd. This was the answer of the Grand Junction directors
to the charges in the public papers, accusing railroad officers
with carelessness and negligence as respects passengers and
property on their respective lines. The chairman proceeded
to say that the directors were always happy to hear sugges-
tions for the prevention of accidents ; at the same time, a few
general and simple regulations, if strictly insisted on, could
not fail to be of greater benefit than new experiments. The
rules laid down by the board were read over to the men at
stated intervals, besides being printed and distributed amongst
them, for reference at all times. They had so arranged the
starting of the trains, as to allow an interval of twenty miles
between any two following trains. He next proceeded to say
that the directors had asked the post-office authorities to re-
lax the speed of carrying the mails, which was greater on the
Grand Junction than on any other line, and the object was
to guard against any accidents which the greater speed might
occasion. The reply of the post-office was most flattering to
the directors, and the general management of the company.
The last half years nett income exceeded any former one by
the sum of £lB,OOO, and there would be now paid to the pro-
prietors the sum of £32,845, as follows, in addition to any
former half year :—£8125 to the Chester and Crewe ; 17,621
on £17,624 new quarter shares, created to liquidate the bond
debts of the company ; £7696, payment on the £lO called up
on the half share during the last half year; total, £32,845.
Considering these new and additional payments, they would
not be surprised at receiving out of the nett revenue of the
last half year a dividend of six and a half per cent. "If any
one," said the chairman, " feels disappointed at this, allow
me to call his attention to the fact, that, in Addition to the
£6 10s., he gets a dividend of £1 on each of his new quarter
shares ;—in other words, he gets upon every share he held
in June last a dividend of £7 10s., if he retains his quarter
share; and if he has sold it, he has in his pocket its value,
say from £3O to £35, besides £6 10s. on his old share for the
half year. The chairman attributed the falling off in the
gross receipts of the half year to the had weather, bad times,
and to the prejudice which had been recently created against
railway travelling. But with all these drawbacks, they had
reason to be satisfied with the results of the half year. The
chairman next stated that the Queen Dowager, when she
travelled on the line last summer, had placed Y.,35 at the dis-
posal of the directors, for sneli charitable purposes as they
deemed proper. A fund had in consequence been establish-
ed, called the " Adelaide Charitable Fund," and to it would
bp given any sums which those proprietors who declined to
take money arising from Sunday travelling might place in the
' hands of the directors. All fines receive'd on the road, or
levied on the servants of the company, would go to this fund.
From this source the directors had been enabled to distri-
bPte, during the ate severe weathet, the following donationa :
To the Ipflrmary, £100: District Frovidgnt Sciciety,, £AOO,I
Strangers Friends Society, £5O ; Aispensaries, fe6cli La-
dies ' Orphans. Schpol, 450.--Total PO. . '
The S.cRuT4RY tlielit red a cApx 0 the comspoxtdence
~,4;c11 passed betW,teo the =wally and the post,offiee au-
thorities., refeTrecttg in the chairman's address, from which
it appeared that Colonel Maberly refused to allow the trains
carrying the mails to travel at a decreased speed of from 30
to N miles an hour, as his opinions of the judicious manage-
ment of the company's trains being so high, that he did not
apprehend any danger to life or property.
Mr. LAWRENCE HEYWORTH said the report was highly
satisfactory, and was an additional proof of the care the di-
rectors paid to the interests of the proprietors in their hands,
and, after some further remarks, proposed the adoption of
the report.
Mr. J. E. TAyLon-seconded the motion, whioh was nrani-
,. ~N • •
mouslv carried.
Mr:toGLAN suggested the prcpiipty of•the company hav-
ing their dividends on a k,a,:ticolafday, as soon after the com-
mencement cf„,i,he: ud* iou as Possible,
lbe c'lalittattaN showed that it was impossible to carry
Mr. Coglan's suggestion into effect, the company being un-
able to get the outstanding bills furnished in sufficient time.
Thanks were then returned to the chairman, and the meet-
ing separated.

SOUND MADE VISIBLE.—A. most ingenious and valuable 1,
discovery has just been made by Mr,4Anthsvortli; 61.0Weee- t
ham, Manchester, by means oivvhlch arilnditoldnal; although 1
unaquainted Nifi.t. the ail of, writing, is enabled. to take down !
tho speech even eft& inOst.railid speaker, 'and, what is yet 1
, MbrostirPtisine, in such a wayas to iiidieate the, peculiar em- '
i phasic With which it May, be delivered; As the, inVentOr. has
right; all that we ti,% ;‘; present en-
-1 ndt'yet Secured i patent'
that' tt tica,rl,. sortls, mk4ogy • abled '0 'state IS, to photogenic
drawing. ' It is,'vfo4, 10:mk AI the latter case, that when a
so;sif, do., ninDeoy pg,,patrPti Is presented to objects illuminated
. 4.wicir:gili'acilFinn, it received a distinct and faithful im-
igi.Sitna of them, which it afterwards rendered permanent by
suitable chemical agents. So also the present discovery
consists of a piece of mechanism which is as susceptible of the
impression of sounds as the tymPallnna al the ear, which im-
pression remains permanent, and is as
perfectly legible as the
clearest typography,-4404ontors' Advocate.—[lf Mr. South-
worth accomplishes what is stated for him, the reporters and
shortnhand writers
may exclaim with the Moor, ' Othello's
occupation's gone. ]
ANECDOTES OF TILE EX-KING OF HOLLAND.—The king
is in the habit of speaking to his subjects with the utmost
kindness and familiarity. As he was walking iri` obe. Of the
•
bye streets of the Hagueon\ thipg oveltweis, b'Y'n'gboiVer Of
rain, he sew soma ciiiiscill.iit'ilip,y neat- the door of a poor
dwellirg,, and asktd dile Hot. sbelterhiniself under it. Be-
ing' requeited brthe mother to.walkin, he 'inquired where
her;htsband vias ;
when but sting into tears; she'iaitke lead
' long been•liried-in the field. of Watetion:'. 'Tv( low asked her name, and on heitring:it, said." '1,1a.l
• , was on the POiionliAk 4Vol. 4pTes4ed his wonder that she
had, tOt DrOOnt'Ssi lig petition, She said she had done so
ii,g4in and again, but that the minister refused to receive it.
lilic king then took her name and
all particulars respecting
saw the ministe, and expressed his her late husband ;
dis-
pleasure, telling him he would discard him if he so con-
ducted himself. again, and ordered the pension together with
the arrears, to be paid to the poor widow. His majesty once
' was passing by when a milk woman fell with her barrow, and
so hurt herself that she could not proceed with it. He', not
only helped her up, gave her morethan the worth of what she
' had lost, but wheeled the barrow himself to the spot whither
she was. going.—Mrs. Bray's Mountains and of
Switzerland. .
. . . -i....•-; -,7. .