The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-07-30 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER RAILWAY.

The nineteenth half-yearly meeting of the proprietors of
the Liverpool and Manchester Railway was held on Wednes-
day, in the Cotton Sales Rooms, Exchange-buildings, for
the purpose of receiving the report of the directors for the
six months ending the 30th June last, and declaring a divi-
dend out of the clar profits of the undertaking.
Mr. CHARLES LAWRENCE, chairman of the board of
directors, having taken the chair,
Mr. PRITT read the advertisement convening the meeting.
Mr. BOOTH, the secretary, then read the directors' report,
as follows :
" The directors, in submitting to the proprietors the result
of their operations for the six months ending the 30th June
last, have little to report beyond the usual statement of re-
ceipts and disbursements in the several departments of the
concern. The receipts vary little from those of the cor-
responding period of last year, in the coaching department
being about £7OO less, mad in the merchandise department
£llOO more.
" The general depression, under which the great mercantile
and manufacturing interests have so long laboured, has been
telt, if possible, with increased severity during the last half-
,.
year. The temporary improvement which was experienced
about Christmas was of short duration. After a few months,
the previous stagnation returned, and has continued with lit-
tle intermission to the present time. Were it not for this
unsatisfactory state of our mercantile affairs, the directors
feel confident that the concern, entrusted to their manage-
ment, would not merely have kept its ground, but that the ag-
gregate
receipts and nett profit to the proprietors would have
increased. But while the directors are unable to report any
important improvement in the aggregate receipts, they are
happy to say that the disbursements have been considerably
diminished, as compared with the corresponding period of
last year ; as will appear by the detailed statement which will
shortly be read.
" On the Ist of March last, the Manchester and Leeds Rail-
way was opened throughout its whole length, both for mer-
chandise and passenger traffic. This improved communica-
tion with Leeds and Hull, and with the great manufacturing
districts of the West Riding of Yorkshire, may be reasonably
expected to bring an accession of business to this company.
But the short period during which the Manchester and Leeds
Railway has been completely opened, and the depressed state
of trade and manufactures for the same period, make it im-
possible to form any very accurate estimate of the value of
this extended chain of communication, to the Liverpool and
Manchester Line. The directors will endeavour, by afford-
ing every practicable despatch, to attract goods along the
new line of railway, rather than by the older and slower
means of transit afforded by the canals ; and, no doubt,
where increased expedition is an important object, goods will
now be sent the whole distance (except through the town of
Manchester) by railway. The quantity so sent, up to the
present period, has been comparatively small; what will ul-
timately be attracted to the railway, it is impossible at the
present moment to judge. The directors, therefore, are still
unable to recommend to the proprietors any definitive step
in reference to the proposed Junction Line between the Man-
chester and Leeds, and the Liverpool and Manchester Rail-
ways.
" Liverpbol, 28th July, 1841."

Appended to the report was a statement of the receipts and
disbursements for the past half-year. The receipts in the
departments of coaching, merchandise, and coal, amounted
to 127,211 19s. Bd., and the expenditure to .X 63,192 16s. 9d.,
leaving a nett profit for the half-year of £64,019 2s. 11d. To
this was added the surplus balance from the preceding half-
year of £8,772 14s. 5d., making a disposable fund of
£72,791 17s. 4d. The directors on this statement recom-
mended a dividend of £5 per share, amounting to £60,450,
and payment of a second instalment of the reserved interest,
to which the shares created before the opening of the line in
September, 1830, are entitled, to the amount of £5610,
which amounts, being deducted from the available fund as
above, would leave a balance of £6731, 17s. 4d., to be car-
ried to the next half-year's account.

The CHAIRMAN said, this was the short, and, he trusted,
not unsatisfactory account, which the directors had to give of
their proceedings, and he hoped they would be approved of
by the proprietors. He was happy to say that the railway
had been carried on, during the past half-year, without any
accident to passengers. Those which had happened had
happened from want of caution, to parties who ought to have
known better ; but as far as travellers were concerned, none
whatever had occurred. It was due from him to say, that he
believed the works never were in a more satisfactory state
than at this moment ; and he was sure that if any proprietors
were to go through the workshops, they would join with him
in saying that great credit was due to the treasurer and to
Mr. Booth, the secretary. (Hear, hear.) If any proprietor
wanted any information, he was now prepared to answer any
question which might be put to him. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. ARNAUD supposed the debt amounted to between two
and three hundred -thousand pounds ?
Mr. BOOTH.-It is a little more than £200,000.
Mr. ARNAUD asked whether, after the present payment,
there would be much more to disburse on account of the
original shares ?

The CHAIRMAN said, there were £70,000 due for interest.
£ll,OOO had been paid, and now an additional £6OOO was
proposed to be paid.
Mr. BOOTH said this £6OOO would make the amount paid
into £17,000, so that there would remain a good deal to pay
yet. _ _

Mr. It. M. BENSON moved that the treasurer's accounts
now read be approved, printed, and circulated. The Liver-
pool and Manchester line, he was satisfied, was an example
to every line in the kingdom for punctuality and the fewness
of accidents. Generally speaking, it was the best conducted
line in England.
Mr. TAYLEURE seconded the motion, and it was unani-
mously carried.

Mr. ARNAUD, seconded by Mr. R. M. BENSON, moved
that a dividend be paid at the rate of £5 per cent. for the
half-year ending 30th June last. Carried unanimously.
Mr. JAMIESON, seconded by Mr. R. M. BENSON, moved
that a second instalment, at the rate of 20s. per share, on
the £lOO shares, and of 2s. on the original £25 shares, being
a portion of the interest to which those shares (only) are en-
titled be also paid. Carried unanimously.
Mr. ALEXANDER KAYE, of Manchester, said that some
time ago he availed himself of an opportunity which he had
of seeing Mr. Booth, to desire him to bring before the di-
rectors a matter, which, although this was a special meeting,
he thought he was not out of order in mentioning. It was,
that this company should follow the example of the Midland
Counties Railway Directors, by giving the same orders to
their servants and agents ; his object, in thus publicly men-
tioning the matter, being that the directors should be induced
to give directions, that the influence of the company, as a
company, should not be exercised at elections. He meant
the order to apply principally to parliamentary elections at
present, because they were the only ones he adverted to.
He should not make any observations upon the conduct of
any individual, but he thought it better that some general
direction should be given by the board of directors.
The CHAIRMAN did not believe that this company had
ever taken, in the smallest degree, any interest in elections.
On a former election, the directors thought fit, being aware
that there were great differences of opinion on politics among
themselves, and having received particular attention from
members of all parties, to make an order, which was circu-
lated among all employed upon the railway, requesting any
voters in their service to vote as they thought proper.
Mr. KAYE said, when he spoke to Mr. Booth, he did not
understand that such an order had been passed.
Mr. Boone said the order was passed withlreference to an
election several years ago. Three or four years ago such an
order did pass, and ever since it had been understood among
the directors, that each party in their service might vote as
he thought proper.

Mr. ItAT-E.2-May I request the directors to take a minute
of this conversation, and make the order applicable to Man-
chester as well as to Liverpool?
Mr. R. M. BENSON thought it was quite irregular to in-
troduce such a subject at this meeting.
The CHAIRMAN.—We have always allowed our people to
do as they liked, _ _

Mr. KAYE said he wished everything of a political cha-
racter to be excluded from the company, and for that to he
well understood. The gentleman who had just spoken (Mr.
Benson) seemed very impatient, but that would make no dif-
ference to his (Mr. Kaye's) application, because his situation
enabled him to speak particularly upon the subject; but he
would much rather see a general direction from the board
than make observations on what had occurred.
Mr. BOOTH.—As I know the feelings of the board upon
this subject, I will take care that those feelings are made
known in Manchester as well as in Liverpool. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. KAYE said he was satisfied with that assurance.
On the motion of Mr. BLAIN, a vote of thanks was pre.
sented to Mr. Lawrence for his conductin the chair, and the
meeting separated.

AN IRISH WAKE.-MODERATE EXPENSES
OF INTERMENT.

On Friday last, an Irishman named Smythe, who has been
a resident of Manchester some time. was brought before the
magistrates, by the Board of Guardians of the Manchester
Poor-law Union, to show cause why he refused to maintain
his mother, who had recently become chargeable to the pa-
rish. It appeared that the defendant's father was a pig-
dealer, and obtained his livelihood by bringing pigs from
Ireland to this country. In May last, on his way from Li-
verpool to Manchester, he was taken suddenly ill, and some
farmer in the neighbourhood had compassion on the poor
fellow, and took him into his house, where, after a short
illness, he died. In the mean time word was sent to the son
in this town, who, of course, had him brought to Manchester
for interment. Since that period, the wife of the deceased
has been in great want, and ultimately applied to the over-
seers for relief. They, on inquiry, finding the son in some-
what good circumstances, summoned him before the magis-
trates, with a view of making an order on him for her sup-
port. The mother was in court, and stated that when her
husband died he left fourteen pigs, which had been taken
possession of by the defendant, and sold for a considerable
sum, one farthing of which she never received.. Smyth, in
his defence, said he had been at a great expence on account
of his father's death, and banded to the magistrates the fol-
lowing account of sums which he said were paid by him. The
items which make up the total amount are of so extraordi-
nary a character that they need no comment. " The follow-
ing is a correct statement of the property of the deceased
Mathew Smyth, that died on the 4th May, 1841, on his way
from Liverpool to Manchester with. fourteen pigs, one of which
died ; the remaining thirteen has been sold by his son, Thos.
Smyth, for the sum of £l9 19s 6d, which has been laid out
in the following manner, but not sufficient to pay the expense
attending the deceased's burial :

X s. d.
Cash for sundry things ........ 0 16 0
Expense on the railway for two men...... 0 14 0
Drink for women for their tr0ub1e........ 0 7 6
Acoffin .......... ..................... 2 10 0
To the farmer, in whose house he died, for

his trouble ................ , ......... 2 1 0
For a box that brought him up, and ex_

pease for three men
To a man who drove the pigs to Warrington 0 5 0
For a horse from the railway to Thomson-
street .............................. 010 6
....

For tobacco ....,,.,•. 0 18 9
For 0 2 0
For candles 0 4 0
For calico 0 2 9
For ribbon ...........
For paper ............. 0 0 8
For 5t0cking5...................... • • 0 1 0
Fora shirt .......................... 0 3 0
To the constables man in Warrington .. • • 0 0 5
For drink before and after his burial .. • • 4 3 0
To two men on the railway to Liverpool
Cash to his daughter to come from Dub-

lin to Manchester
Cash to his wife and daughter ... ....... 2 5 6
For a hearse, three coaches, and bury-

ing dues.. ..... ........ 3 8 4
Expense for pigs ...................... 0 15 0
For four masses ...................... 0 10 0
To a man from Warrington to Man-

chester.....
For washing !.

o 12 6
0 5 0

9 6
The magistrates expressed themselves very warmly on the
statement put forth, and made an order upon him for 2s. a
week towards the support of his mother.

A RAT KILLED BY A HEN.—Last week, at a farm-house
in the neighbourhood of Burnley, while a hen was brooding
over her young, a rat approached a third time on that day,
having left one chicken dead on the barn floor. The hen
pounced upon the rat, seized it on the back with her bill, and
shook it till it was dead.

ARRIVAL OF THE BRITANNIA

This fine vessel, of the Halifax and Boston Mail Line,

arrived at this port last evening. at about a quarter to eight
o'clock, after a fine passage of 9 days and 19 hours, allowing
for the difference of longitude.
She sailed from Boston on the afternoon of the lith inst.,
and made the passage to Halifax in 10 hours. She took her
departure from the latter port at half-past seven o'clock on
the evening of the 19. She brought 101 passengers.
We need scarcely say that she has thus borne out, to the
fullest extent, the high character, for speed and safety, of
the splendid line of vessels to which she belongs.
The Britannia brings, in the way of political intelligence,
nothing of importance beyond the decision of the Supreme
Court of New York, in regard to the case of Mr. M`Leod—
some details of which will be found under our usual head of
" Foreign Intelligence." That decision is, that he shall be
brought to trial ; and, in our opinion, it is one which calls
for the immediate and peremptory interference of the
government of this country, for the assertion and pre-
servation of our national honour and independence, thus
outraged by the unjustifiable and unfeeling persecution
of an individual who but acted on his instructions,
and did no more than what England expects every
man to do—" his duty." The orders given to him were
strictly in support of our colonial rights and interests, and
nothing more ; and we congratulate ourselves that the mi-
nistry who will, ere long, preside over the destinies of this
country—to the exclusion of the imbeciles whe now hold the
reins—will fearlessly and manfully assert and redeem our
national standing on this as well as on other questions of
importance.