The Express.
London, England, 1847-09-24 00:00:00

withdrew,

Tin deputation next proceeded to Paddington, where, by
appointment, they were received by the chairman and di-
rectors of the Great Western Railway Company. There
were present Mr. Charles Russell, the chairman, Mr. Mills,
of the firm of Glyn, HaUrfa:, Mills, and Co., Mr. Frederick
Pratt Barlow, director of the Waterford, Wexford, and
Wicklow, and other railways, Mr. Rufford Banked, of
Worcester, chairman of the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolver-
hampton Railway, and Mr. Charles Saunders, the secretary.
Having stated the tenor of their previous interviews with
Mr. Glyn and Mr. Hudson,
Mr. Realism. replied that he doubted very much whether
it was in the power of any railway company to pledge itself
distinctly as to any course that might be pursued. Ths
Great Western Railway Company had for tome months past
been doing all they thought they could do with propriety to
limit the calla upon their proprietors, and to retard rather
than accelerate their works. It was the intention of the
Great Western still ,to act upon those principles of general
policy, but when they came to the consideration of any par-
ticular lines, especially those where contracts had been
taken, sad where engagements had to be fulfilled, they
could not undertake to alter existing engagements. If the
directors of the principal lines were brought together in the
mode that had been suggested by the deputation, it might
be productive of some advantage, but the deputation should
be satisfied with a general concurrence of railway companies
in their views. If it seemed to be the desire of the railway
companies themselves that there should be a meeting, be
(Mr. Rumen) would certainly attend it if he found that
his own board approved of his doing so. After some further
observations, pointing out what he thought were difficul-
ties La the way of the deputation, Mr. Russell concluded
b 7 assuring the gentlemen composing it that neither he nor
his brother directors wished to throw any impediment is
their way.
Mr. MIILB and the other directors present expressed
their concurrence with the views enunciated by the chair-
man, and after some discussion, during which it was sug-
gested that the contracts for works should be thrown over •
longer period, the deputation retired.
They then had an interview with Mr. Chaplin, M.P.,
chairman of the London and South Western, and his col-
leagues, when they were assured by Mr. Chaplin of the
anxiety of himself and colleagues to suspend the works in
connexion with the South-Western system as much as pow
sible, and, as far as was consistent with their engagements
before the public, to avoid the pressure of calls as far as pm.
sible ',that he and his brother directors had severally dis-
cussed the question at their board, and had limited the
expenditure accordingly. lie expressed his desire to fall in
with the views of Mr. Glyn and Mr. Hudson, and said be
would have no objection to attend at an aggregate meeting
' of the companies, sod if others were prepared to specify
what limit they world put to their transactions, he would be
prepared to fall in with it ; but it would be highly requisite
that some judicious distinction should be drawn, so as
to prevent lines that had but comparatively slight public
pretensions being allowed to have an advantage over those
whose pretensions were far above them.
Subsequently, the deputation waited on Mr. Ricardo,
M.P., and the directors of the North Staffordshire, at the
offices of the Electric Telegraph Company in the Strand.
Mr. RICLILDO said, that whatever the chairmen of other
companies from considerate motives may have told them, ha
believed that every company would act for its own, irrespec-
tive of the general, interest. This, he believed, was the
only way in which these matters could right themselves, and
that such arrangements as were proposed never succeeded. ,
The only assurance that he could give was, that it was not
the intention of the North Staffordshire to make any call
during this year; but if it were to the interest of the
company to make a call, and he considered that it was to the
interest of his shareholders to raise the money, he should not
not hesitate to do so, irrespective of every other consideration.
He should be governed entirely by what he considered
to be his duty to his own prepnetors, and he believed that
every other company, whatever they might say, would be
governed by the same principles. Under the circumstances
he thought that an attempt at any general line of conduct
for the companies would prove abortive. A great many of
the railway companies had brought much of this embarrass-
ment on themselves. Instead of looking for sound consti-
tuencies, they had induced people who regarded their under-
takings, simply as share transactions, to enter upon them; and
he did not see why prudent persona should be called on to
make any sacrifice tor those who had been imprudent.
Mr. trisconzoort, the chairman of the South-Eastern and
Dover, who with Ida colleagues, Mr. Pritchard and others,
received the deputation, explained that they would do all in
their power towards a prompt and jiulkdous suiessement of
the expenditure, and to defer the calls. In rift*
they had already adopted resolutions ISMS
the extent of 200,0001. They were slao engaged ea=
out a large financial measure, which would enable
who had the means to pay up their shares, and for which they '
would receive an adequate remuneration, while on the other
hand the directors would pro kW* be relieved from making
calla which at • time like the present pressed so heavily.
The London, Brighton, and South Coast iatimated through
their chairman, Mr. Grenfell, M.P., their readiness to con-
cur in any measure that might be agreed to by the general
railway constituency.
The Shrewsbury and Birmingham and Stour Valley Ocaa-
panics, through their chairmen, Mr. Ormsby Got*, M.P.,
and Mr. Ksox, appear to be of opinion that they have no
choice but to proceed, having made contracts which they
cannot suspend or protract without compensation to the con-
tractor. Did they do so, the rates for labour and material
might in another year cause the cost of the contracts to be
doubled. They would only during the present pressure
proceed with the heavy parts of the line.
The deputation, having now waited on all the leading
railway companies, return with the above results to Liverpool.