The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-08-16 00:00:00

cent, whilst nc

rates and

The proprietors 'Calif see; by reference to abstract D, in
the printed accounts, that the company is paying Mr.
Brassey nearly £l,OOO per annum for maintaining the line
from Chester to Lower Walton. This payment is under
a contract made by the Cheshire Junction Company, prior
to-the amalgamation, and expires at Christmas next. The
testimate of our own engineer, confirmed by experience, is
that the company will be able to maintain this portion of
the line for £2,000 per annum, thus effecting a saving of
&a,OOO.

The rapidly-increasing trade of the company was checked
during several months orthe half-year just closed by con-
tinued wet weather ; but during the five or six last weeks,
and especially since the weather became fine, the increase
in every department has been very great; and it is only
neeessary to refer to the progress making. in the business
of Birkenhead, coupled with the fact that contracts have
been entered into with Messrs. Brassey, Peto, Betts,
M`COrmick, and Jackson, for the early and entire com-
pletion of the magnificent docks of Birkenhead, and that
the-Dock and Warehouse • Company are increasing facili-
ties, on their extensive property to promote. the trade of the
port, to satisfy the proprietors that the increase will be
continued.

The proprictoro Out& j car Parlia-
ment passed resolutions suspending all legislation for
leasing or amalgamating railways or canals during the
present session, and that consequently the bills introduced
for the purpose of leasing the undertaking to the London
and. North-Western Company were suspended. The as
under the seals of the two companies, however, pro-
vides that, on the passing of the leasing bill, the dividend
of four per cent. shall take effect from the Ist of January
in the present year, and that the differenge between the
dividend paid in the meantime and the four per cent. shall
be provided for in the act, either in the form of dividend
or otherwise.

The following bills, amongst others, affeeting this com-
pany were introduced into Parliament :—The Dock Trus-
tees Bill ; the Dock Warehouse Company's Bill ; the
Shrewsbury and Chester Bill; the Great Western Bill;
the Warrington and Altrincham
The Dock Trustees consented to strike out of their bill
he power to levy tolls, being the only part of the bill to
which this company objected ; and, after a contest in com-
mittee of the House ©f Commons, the Dock and Warehouse
Company agreed to withdraw the clauses, containing the
power to use the lines and stations of this company ; on
which your directors withdrew their opposition.
The Shrewsbury and Chester Company withdrew their
bill at the last hour,.rather than have their running powers
submitted to the searching investigation which; theyi are
aware this company will prosecute whenever they again
appear in Parliament.

- The Great Western Bill, which, as originally introduced,
proposed to lay down the broad gauge from 'Wolverhamp-
ton to Birkenhead, to obtain running powers, and to con-
struct a station at Birkenhead, was finally submitted to
Parliament in the form of a facility bill, with power to
erect a station at Birkenhead, and, in. this form a severe
contest took place, this company objecting to the powers
sought, especially to that part which: proposed to give that
company power to erect a station at Birkenhead. The
bill was thrown out.

The powers: granted to the Warrington and Altrincham
Company are accompanied by conditions which render
them much less objectionable than originally proposed.
The act provides that, in fixing the rates, regard shall be
had to the eost of the respective lines, and that the arbi-
trator may fix higher rates to be paid for the use of this
company's line than are authorized in its own act ; and
that the, Warrington and Altrinebam Company shall not
erect a station on any portion of this company's lines.
On these conditions your directors withdrew their oppo-
tion, protesting, nevertheless, against the injustice of the,
principle embodied in the bill.

From these statements the, roprietors will perceive that
no inconsiderable portion of the time of the directors and
the funds of the company have been taxed in defending
their- property against these, renewed attacks; and it is no
relief to this company to know that other companies having
fadvantageous positions in the country have been harrassed
in the same way by companies whose speculations have not
realized the flattering dividends which their shareholders
were led to expect.

. -
The following directors retire from office by rotation,
and are eligible for re-election :—Mr. James Bancroft, Mr.
Isaac Taylor, Mr. Joint Rogers, Mr. Henry T. Hope ; and
Mr. H. C. Beloe, one of the auditors, retires, and is eligible
for re-election.

The directors recommend that a dividend be declared of
6s. 2d. per £27105. share ; 6s. 3d. per £3l share ;and 4s. (3 d.
per £22 share, being after the rate of 21 per cent. per an-
num, and that the same be payable on the 20th instant.
The Cmuum2.,x, in moving the adoption of the report,
adverted to various items in the accounts, and said, the
directors were not sure that they were not justified in
proposing a dividend of 2/ per cent. instead of 2 per cent.,
still leaving a surplus to meet the contingencies arising
rom the litigation with the Shrewsbury and Chester Com-
pany. The proprietors would see that there had been a
large increase in the receipts of the company during the
past half-year ; and if there were no reduction in the ex-
pense of litigation, they would continue that dividend at
Christmas, and, perhaps, increase it to 2f per cent., out of
their own proper earnings.
In answer to a Shareholder, the CHAIRMAN stated that
the claim of the Birkenhead and Cheshire Railway against
the Shrewsbury and Chester amounted to £14,000.
After some observations from Mr. IRVINE and other
shareholders,

The CIIAIRMAN said, with regard to the traffic on the
line, he was of opinion that from this half-year to the cor-
responding half-year in 1854 the gross amount would not
be less than £120,000. The adoption of the report was
carried unanimously.

In reply to some observations, the CILAIRMAN said the
whole of the Holyhead traffic now passed over the Che-
shire junction of the Birkenhead line; and if anything
went in another direction it v

led for

The directors were re-elected, with th
Isaac Taylor, for whom Mr. Titheringto:

exception of Mr,
was substituted.

Mr. IL C Beloe was reappointed auditor

The dividend, as recofaMended intiiereport, was adop-
ted, and a vote of thanks terminated the proceedings.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

MONDAY EVENING, AUGUST 16,

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

PLYMOUTIC, MONDAY.—The Faith, screw-steamer,
arrived here this morning. She left Fernando Po, 26th
July ; Sierra Leone, 27th ; Bathurst, 30th ; Teneriffe,
Bth Aug. She brings £4,000 worth of gold dust, and a
general cargo. The Hope, mail steamer, arrived at
Madeira on the Bth, and sailed the same day all well.
Business in general was pretty active. The vine crops
at Madeira and Teneriffe have totally failed, and at Cape
de Verds slightly.
PARIB.—The military fate of Sund
nattily

used off bril-

THE EASTERN QUESTION.

No later authentic news. The Times' Vienna corre-
spondent writes on the 10th that serious apprehensions
were entertained that the proposals recently forwarded
from Vicuna will he rejected by the Date. The state•