The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-02-04 00:00:00

HAILWA

Grand Junction Railway, was Meld on Tuesday, at on,-
o'clock, in the Cotton Sales-room, Exchange-buildings,
Charles Lawrence, Esq., chairman of the directors, presided,
The company's law-clerk, Mr. Swift, read the advertise-
ment, and Captain Huish, the treasurer, read the report. By
the last-named document, it appeared that the accounts this

,ear exhibit a greater increase of receipts than those of
my former half year, the gross income being £241,816 4s. Gd.
'le same eod were £14,988 7s. ~
leaving a nett balance of profitp orif X 136,427 16s. 10d. InBd the
expenditure for the present half year are included, the entire
working expenses of the Chester and Crewe branch, with two
additional trains ordered by the postoffice, while only one
quarter's expenditure under this head was incurred in the cor-
responding half year, and the maintenance of n ay, over these
21 miles, forms an entirely new charge in the present accounts.
An increase in the cost of locomotive power has taken place,
the necessary result of 32,000 miles of additional duty during
the half year, and, in consequence also, of four new engines
and eleven tenders having been added to the stock. With
these exceptions, the ratio of expense to the receipts is again
less. The directors announced that they had abandoned the
publication of comparative valuations of stock, convinced of
its unsoundness. They recommended that a certain sum be
periodically laid aside as a fund for the improvement of the
stock, and to meet that insensible, but sure decay, which is
perpetually going on, and which no care or expense can pre-
vent. The sum they proposed to appropriate on the present
occasion was £5,000. Adding to the profit of the half year,
£9,001 19s. 2d. as the reserve fund, we have a total of
£145,829 16s. From this the directors recommended a divi-
dend of 6 per cent. to be paid on the whole capital of the com-
pany, amounting to £132,198, but of the surplus of £13,631
165., the directors bad set aside £5,000 for the depreciation
and renewal of stock, leaving the reserved fund £8,631 16s.
The nett receipt for Sunday travelling is 10s. 11d. per share
of £lOO. The propriety of paying the dividends quarterly, the
directors would not recommend at present. A reduction in
the short fares had been tried with doubtful success. The
arrangements with the Manchester and Birmingham Com-
pany for the use of the line between Crewe and Birmingham
are completed. The returns on the Chester and Crewe
branch have fallen short of what was expected ; but the traffic
is improving, and hopes are entertained that it will ultimately
be a source of profit. The attempt to carry out a line of
railway to connect England and Scotland by the west coast
has assumed a more important form since it was last
mentioned to the-proprietors; and the directors, sensible of
the influence which the completion of such a railway would
exercise up•n their interests, have, with other railway
companies similarly situated, subscribed to procure a parlia-
mentary survey of the line between Lancaster and Carlisle.
The report spoke most favourably of this project and its
prospects. At a future day it would be for the proprietors
to determine whether the Grand Junction Company should
not take a direct interest in the undertaking, as one that
could not fail to benefit their revenue materially, The re-
port then said—" Intimation has been, sent to every pro-
prietor, that it is the intention of the directors to propose the
appropriation of a thousand pounds towards the erection of
a church at Crewe. The company's establishments for the
repairs of engines and carriages will shortly be removed there,
and some hundreds of men, with their families, will then be
deprived of their present opportunities of religious instruction,
and settled in a spot possessing provision only for its own
very limited population. In these circumstances the directors
consider they are performing their duty no less to the share-
holders than to the workmen who are dependent upon them,
in commending to your favourable judgment the motion of
which they had given notice. The amount per £lOO share
caused by the appropriation of £lOOO, for the above purpose,
would be about 10fd., and the directors are prepared to re-
commend, that any proprietor who may object to this appro-
priation should have the option of receving his proportion of
the amount."

The expenses for t.

Captain Huish next read the accounts. In the capital ac-
count the total receipts appeared to be £2,273,354 45. 10d.,
and the balance with the bankers £14,299 10s. sd. The
total receipts and expenditure in the income account have
been already set forth in the abstract of the report. The nett
proceeds of the half-year is £136,827 16s. 10d. • the reserved
fund, with interest, £9OOl 19s. 2d.; total, i 145,829 10s. ;
less amount set aside, £5000; equal to £140,829 16s. The
number of shares entitled to a dividend amount to 22,033
hundred pound shares, which at £6 per share, gives £132,198,
which, deducted from £140,829 165., leaves £8631 16s. for a
reserved fund.

The CHAIRMAN, after some introductory remarks, said,
there was one subject to which be might allude. It was the
apportioning of a certain sum for the purpose of building a
church at Crewe. He hoped that step would meet the appro-
bation of the shareholders. The project did not originate
with them ; they had but followed the example of the London
and Birmingham Company. The step which that company
had taken had given great satisfaction, and it might be
thought that they were not doing their duty if they did not
do the same.

JOHN Moss, Esq., moved, "That the directors be em-
powered to subscribe the sum of £l,OOO towards the erection
of a church or chapel at Crewe, for the accommodation of
their work people and their families ; and that any proprietor
of the concern objecting to the outlay be paid, upon applica-
tion to the treasurer, 11d. per £lOO share, or in the same
proportion for halves and quarters, at the ensuing half-yearly
meeting, being the proportion which will be required from
each £lOO to raise £1,000; and that the treasurer keep a
particular account of these payments, which will be made
good by voluntary subscriptions." Mr. Moss said, he had
great pleasure in moving that resolution. He thought unless
they complied with it they would be failing in their duty.
To remove so large an establishment suddenly from a place
like Liverpool to a spot where there was no place of worship
within two miles and a half, called for consideration, and he
conceived it was as much a duty to build a church for them
as it was to build cottages for them to live in. He had great
doubts as to the propriety of making free seats for the men.
He thought it would be better to reserve a portion of the
church to let off to them at a small rental. Workmen did
not like free seats. They had built a church in his neigh-
bourhood and this plan had been adopted, and it was found
that the people preferred paying a small charge, and going to
church on an equality with their more wealthy neighbours,
much better than going into free seats.

Mr. LEwIN MOzjor said, considering the position in
which he was placed as one of the directors, he would take
upon himself to explain why this proposal had his entire
approval. As a citizen of the world he could not but be aware
of the influence which affected the more conduct of men,
and as it was his desire by every means to . prove the morals
of those men whom the company emplo ,he thought, as
they were about to move them from the r where they had
ready access to religious worship, they cot not better com-
pass the object to which he had alluded than by building a
church. On that ground, and on that broad principle, he
had given his support to the proposition, and he had now
great pleasure in seconding the resolution proposed by Mr.
Moss.

The CHAIRMAN said, in reply to Mr. George H. Law-
rence, that he had no doubt that schools would be ultimately
established ; but it would be impsosible, out of so small a
grant as £l,OOO, to build both schools and a church. After
some further conversation the motion of Mr. Moss was car-
ried amid loud applause.
Mr. HEYWORTH moved that a dividend,after the rate of £6
per cent. upon all shares (the proper amount of interest being
deducted as respects the unpaid £25 shares), he declared and
made out of the clear profits of the undertaking up to the
31st day of December last, and that such dividend be payable
on or after the 15th day of February instant.
A SHAREHOLDER seconded the motion, which was carried.
The CHAIRMAN, at the request of Mr. Hardma h Earle, read
letter from a liberal clergyman, residing in the vicinity of
Crewe, stating, that in the school attached to his church they
had no tests whatever, and, in consequence, the school was
attended by children of persons of all parties, sects, and de-
nominations, and was the instrument of much good. It was
attended by children of the Established Church, of Roman
Catholics, Chartists, Socialists, &c. None of them were
forced to use the Catechism, yet it was regularly used in the
school, and the Bible was regularly read. The reverend gen-
tleman expressed his willingness to go over to Crewe at any
time, and help the directors in their work of providing for the
education of the children.

Mr. TAYLOR wished to know how the receipts were going
on this year as compared with the last.
The CHAIRMAN said in the month they were some £4OO
or £5OO short of the corresponding period last year. Much
depended on the opening of parliament, and another week
would probably make up the difference. He, however, re-
minded the meeting of the difficulties of the times, which af-
fected the railways as well as other descriptions of property.
Mr. LAWRENCE HEYWORTH moved the following:—
" That in consequence of parties entitled to fractional parts
of the quarter shares created August 1840, not being able to
arrange them from various causes, the sum of £55 135., which
appeared to the credit of the last account, be divided amongst
the parties who were entitled to such fractions."
Mr. Moss seconded the motion, which was carried.
Thanks were voted to the chairman, and the meeting se-
parated.

THE LATE HURRICANE.--TWENTY-THREE
VESSELS WRECKED.—LOSS OF LIFE.
Within the last three or four days accounts of the most de-
plorable description have been received by the authorities at
Lloyd's, respectinc, the loss of an immense number of vessels
during the late frightful hurricane on the evening of Wednes-
day week, which has not been equalled for many years past.
The sacrifice of human life has been very great, and it is
feared, from the immense quantity of wreck that has since
been washed on the coast, that many vessels foundered
during the violence of the storm. It has been ascertained
that upwards of twenty-three vessels were wrecked during
the night of the 26th ult., as will be proved by the following
particulars :—Shortly after the commencement of the storm
a large smack, called the Alicia, belonging to Cork, drove
amongst the rocks Off St. Bride's Bay, near Milford, and
almost immediately became a wreck. The first person who
left the vessel was a seaman named James Trance, but he
had scarcely reached the roads before a tremendous sea over-
whelmed the vessel, and she was seen no more. The re-
mainder of the crew happily succeeded in saving; themselves
except the mate, who failed in his attempt to reach the shore,
and met with a watery grave. The vessel was laden with
ballast, and was not insured. She was on her voyage from
Youghall to Newport, in Monmouthshire.
Amidst the fury of the storm, and about half-past ten
o'clock at night, the brig Vermillion, laden with a general
cargo, and belonging to South Shields, which place she only
left the night before, ran on the rocks beneath Pitch Point,
at Flamborough Head. The crew fortunately saved them-
selves through the assistance of the coast guard, but the ves-
sel became a total wreck. About the same time another
vessel, called the Kerton, a brig, belonging to Sunderland,
was driven on to the Corton Sands, off Great Yarmouth, and
subsequently sunk in deep water, a complete wreck. Her
crew, consisting of seven persons, bad barely time ta jump
into the long boat before the vessel sunk, and were not picked
up till late the following morning. The Bragauza steamer,
Captain Lewis, which arrived at Falmouth, on Saturday last,
with the mails from Gibraltar, during the hurricane picked
up the crew of the brig Chance, of Stockton, from Liverpool,
which was lost at the commencement of the storm—and
about the same hour, the pilots and coast guard, stationed on
the coast at Falmouth, saw a sloop founder within three
miles of the shore, and all on board perished. From ac-
counts received from Limerick, dated the 26th of January, it
appears that the damage done by the hurricane to the ship-
ping lying in the harbour exceeds £lO,OOO, and similar inju-
ries have occurred to the shipping in the harbour at
Waterford. The other vessels wrecked during the storm are
.—The Druid, belonging to Workington, lost at
—.di of the. river leet, near Kirkenbright The ship
otag, belonging to LiverFpool, from Beaumaris,wrecked on
the rocks near Leasowe Castle. The brig Peruvian, Capt.
Carrell, on her passage to London from South Shieldi, lost
on the sunken rocks near the lighthouse at Flamborou h
Head ; crew saved by the ship's boats. The schooner Craig'sg
Eliza, Captain Patterson, totally
wrecked on the rocks un-
derneath Tynemouth lighthouse; crew saved by Captain
Manby's life apparatus. The Honour, of St. Ices, wrecked
on the coast off Wexford, and also the
schooner Sarah, be-
longing to Wexford; all of the crew, except one, perished.
The ship Ceres, Capt. Pecker, having on board 700 tons of
sugar, and a cargo valued at £20,000, lost on the 25th, on
her voyage homewards ; one sailor was killeti by the fall of
the mast, and another was drowned. The Arethusa, from
Dublin, wrecked at St. John's Pier, Workington ; crew
saved. The Margaret, belonging to Liverpool, from Con-
way, laden with a valuable carp, lost off Hoy's Lake, at
Mostyn. The French brig Corriere di Malta, belonging to
Venice, laden with sugar, lost on the coast near Calais. The
smack Nympth, belonging to the pilots of Llanelly, lost off
that harbour. The Centurion, Capt. Johns, from Amlwch,
was lost on the coast of Grenfield, at Mostyn, and the mas-
ter and three men met with a watery grave. Several other
wrecks occurred on the coast during the violence of the gale,
but their names arc not correctly made known.

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