The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-04-23 00:00:00

BANQUET TO MR. GEORGE HUDSON.

The inhabitants of Sunderland gave a public dinner to Mr.
George Unction, the ex railway king, on Saturday MAC The
Mayor presided ; and rhe dinner was attended by Earl Vane,
Mr. Co.ldsh, Si P., Mews. Laing and Hudson, of the Wear
Cesondsslnners, Mr. Itugla Taylor, and many, of the principal
merchants and traders of the town.

The Mayor, in promising the health of Mr. Hudson,
said that the north country owed a deep debt of grati-
tude to George Hudson. But for him the resources of
the nortti would never have been developed as they
had been. He referred especially to the projection of
Jarrow and Sunderland Docks and the High Level
Bridge.

Mr. Hudson, in replying, was greatly cheered. He
thanked the company for the enthusiastic manner in
which they had received him. He said it was thirty
years since circumstances placed him in a peedtion of
being able to render services to the town in the pr jez-
thou of different enterprizes. 'When he first entered the
district it possessed two milli fl.t of railway property
which was not remunerative ; hut he was enabled by
some foresight to place these railways in a profi table posi-
tion. George Stephenson never took any part in any great
wosk in the district without doing him the honour of
consultinz him. Mr. Hudson referred to the offers made
to him to carry the railway communication some miles
from Newcastle, but he persevered and succeeded in
carry Mg it through that town. The next work which
he was c ito, cted with in the district was Sunderland
Dock. He bad been toll that he had j ibbed that dock
hut this he indignantly denied, and said he felt that
Sanderland, as well as Nee castle, required fisuilites
for developing its trade. At that Cute he bad the
monop •ly of the distact in his hands, and he was
fftred thousands of pounds, hut be never touched for
himself a single shilling. Many of his projects which
were condemned at the time hail since been carried
out ; am' ng those was the Jarrow Dock, for which he
entered into the contract. He would tot say where
the credit hail been taken ror carrying out what had
be. n such immense benefit to the district. It was
satisfactory to know that the projec's which he felt
necessary for the trade of the district had been carried
out literally and entirely. He claimed for himself the
credit of being the first to adopt that which had been
of the greateat advantage to railways, viz. amalgama-
tion, which was first suggested by him to the Midland
and Derby, and Birmingham, and which was further
carried out in the purchase of numerous branch lines
in thenorth, which were dead bodies but which after-
wards became living souls. He would not pay that he
had not mit et e. I, but he had always preserver; his courage,
and in his deepest distress some kind friend alway s
dropped in and helped and cheered him on his way.
dried ?land always stood firmly and kindly by him.
Ile refetred to the great progreet made by Tyne, and
urged Sunderland and the towns of the \Wart° imitate
her example. H, next referred to the successful man-
, ner in which he opposed the introduction of the atm°.
spheric system between Newcabtle and Berwick. If

that system had been introduced, and all their money
spent upon it, it wont I have been many years beton
they would have got the locomotive. He initiated the
amalgamation if Newcastle and Carlisle with the
North Eaatern, and leased it at 7 per cent., bat it had
since paid dividends ot 91 and 10 per cent. This showed
that the princiales he laid down were rigid., awl it was
unjust to repudiate the agreement for which be suf-
fered pecuniarily. Many of the charges made against
hien were now almost antiquated. It wag of no
use speaking of them now. When the hurricane
blew over him he was not heard, and could only
Low Lk head and allow it to pass, but he con-
, scientioesly asserted that he never supported a pro-
' ject which he did not believe to be right He had
had thousands and thousands at his feet; he might
have recouped himself by buying shares of railways he
recommended to amalgamate, but he did not, and he
DOW wend, red at his moderation. He, no doubt, had
committed errors, but they were those of the head,
and not of the heart. When he purchased some lines
he bail to spend large sums in restocking them, and he
' charged tins to capitaL It was Lid against Min that he
paid dividends out of capital, hut this he had since
frequenly heard was the correct principle. After all
the mist ca 'ls straining of toatters against hini, out of
dividends I,f is million and three quarters, only fifty
thousand was claimed to be overpaid. Mr. Hudson
acred at considerable length into the explanation and
fence of a contrAct for rails which he afterworde sold
(York and Bernick) below the market price, and which
he hail to repi.y. He coalliended that tee policy of law
in those extreme roes waa bad. In conclusion he ex-
pressed the hope that the rest of his life would be spent
, in peace and enjoyment. Mr. Hudson resumed his
I seat amidst loud and hearty cheers.