The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-03-03 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

The number of meetings of railway companies which have
been held this week precludes us from giving anything be-
yond a mere sketch of each. As some of these, however,
are of considerable importance, and have been the weans of
developing facts of strong interest to the railway public, we
may perhaps be tempted to return to their consideration next
week, when we trust to be able to present to our readers ad-
ditional security for that confidence which we have always
endeavoured to create in the general soundness of railway
investments. . • .

GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY COMPANY.-GENE-
RAL MEETING.' „ .

The half-yearly meeting of this company was held on
Thursday last, at the offices, Prince's street. City, Charles
Russell, Esq., in the chair, and was very numerously at-
tended. Previous to the commencement of the proceedings,
printed copies of the directors' report, and the statement of
the accounts, were circulated amongst the proprietors
assembled.

The report commenced by congratulating the shareholders
upon the increasing traffic upon that portion of the line
which has been opened, whilst the charge for working has
diminished. The entire revenue for the past half-year has
been £65,885 19s. 6d., and the charges £32,168 145., or
£48,824 per cent, leaving for the half-year a net profit of
£33,717 ss. 6d.

The directors considered it important to shew that the
traffic per mile has been found to increase with the further
opening of the line. When the first 22 miles were opened,
the average from passengers, for six months ending Decem-
ber 1838, was £1696 per mile ; and with 31 miles opened,
the average for the corresponding months of 1839 was £2125
per mile. •

The directors then proceeded to lay before the proprietors
Mr. Brunel's report, detailing the general progress and state
of the works. These, it appears, have been materially re-
tarded by the wetness of the season ; but a further considera-
ble portion of the line is expected to be opened in the course
of the present summer.

The directors report that negotiations are in progress to
enable them to rent, for a term of years, the line of the
Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway, in order to
secure the carrying out of this undertaking in its original de-
sign, and to admit of an economical working of the two lines
in concert. After alluding to several other topics, which we
have not space to &tail, the report concludes with the usual
statement of the accounts, shelling a balance in hand, on the
31st December, 1839, of X 153,070 19s. 4d.

A. long conversation ensued, in which the tardy progress
of the works was much censured, and it was insisted that the
engineer should devote to them the whole of his time. The
directors were also urged to admit amongst their body a
Lancashire proprietor,/ in the room of one of the retiring
directors ; but eventually the proposition was withdrawn, the
Chairman having intimated that on a future occasion the
Board would give it their best consideration.

The meeting was characterized throughout by great good
temper, and the proceedings:appeared to give general satis-
faction.

EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY-HALF-YEARLY

MEETING.

The half-yearly meeting of this company was held on
Thursday last at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street,
Henry Bosanquet, the chair.

The result must have been highly satisfactory to the di-
rectors, the most unqualified confidence having been ex-
pressed by the shareholders in the policy adopted by the
board in carrying out the objects of the undertaking.
It will be remembered that the directors of this line, with
a prudence in our opinion very commendable, determined
upon proceeding with the execution of only so much of the
railway as they considered could be completed with the means
at their disposal. This course they are steadily pursuing.
although proceedings have been instituted by certain parties
to compel them to adopt a different course ; and the gratify-
ing report which they are now enabled to lay before their
proprietary, will form their best apology. We are sorry that
we cannot in this week's publication give even an outline of
the proceedings, but shall endeavour in our next to supply
the omission.