The Express.
London, England, 1849-11-29 00:00:00

The Brighton traffio tidies exhibit a mahtfaceory
Merger ups the corresponding period of Lit year, but ft
will be observed that the ratio of increase hes been latterly
diminishing; and now that the alarm of cholera has sub-
sided, which during the past nethe=r drove multitudes to
the sea nest, we ere India a to doubt whether the improve-
moat will be permanently sustained.
The opening of the Ilse of the Reading sad Guildford
Jamaica, whisk pares dine to the town of Reigate, be. en-
tailed a lase upon the Brighton company of the greater For-
th* of the perusals who formerly nutted to the old Rei-
gate station; sad the approaching aompletion of the
South Ravers Meetings line,will o a a communieatim
between Teabeidge Wells ri St. 's, which will
sot be to the advantage of either the town of Brighton or
the Brighten Railway.
Bader these circumstance', it is with some surprise that
we learn that the directors have not yet seen the policy of
taking some steps to develop their local trifle, which has
hitherto been almost entirely neglected.
Although there are no eorsidsrable towns between London
sod Brighton, the line parses through two dike most fertile
and populous counties in England every square mile of
which is studded with farm-houses lad pandemen's seats ;
and after leaving Reigate, the Brighton Company have
nothing to cognoste with them for thirty miles ear and west
of their rail. Yet for the local Mills ommeeted with this
eate,.t of country, less assommadeds Is provided than in
the time of the old doge sessass, Asa Sere we. not an
boar in the dry when a temeallse en the turnpike road cued
sat find the means el tramegewtheg himself from one place to
another.
For the whole of the MMus, between Loudon and
Brighton, which b 60 miles, the eampany have provided but
tw4ve stations—lees than the number between Jimmies and
Ilatimeter, a disuses et 80 Belles( and at live elders stations
trains step only neoreinp and evenings, with intervals of
about nine hours between each.
The consequences Mikis slender accommodation is the dis-
rouragement of that lanai traffic depending upon fairs and
m altos and short pleasure mouraions, which on other lines
is Cued to yield a large sonros of revenue.
For example, a person wieling to travel from the Huai;
wa sea d's Heath s lea to the station at Balcoothe (five miles ,
finds that when there he most wait rine hours for a
to return, and be therefore gives up the journey altogether,
or gives up the rail, srd trawls to Beloombe in the same
conveyance which would be neosesery to bring him beck.
Nearer Loudon the residents of Lis/field, East ()dottrel,
rice , being compelled to dries to the Reigate Jansen& by the
want of trains at their own stations of Morley and Stoat's
Nest, frequently use the Dover trains for the journey to and
(tom town, in preference to those of the Brighton Dummy.
The ventral result is a number of stations which scarcely
pay the expense of maintaining them • end this the dine
tors have been in the belt of attributing to every cause but
the right one—their own inadequate arrangements.
Many complaints have been made to the board on this
subject, but we hear that they are still met with the old
stereotyped answer, that more frequent stoppages of the mid-
day teethe would be an inoonvenienes to the through traffic.
Toile is of canine a mere apology for lethargy ; for on looking
at Bradshaw, it will be seen that the trains of other lines, with
dutol• the number of stoppages, get over the strolled quite
as fast as Ore of the Brighton Company. Thus, on the
North Kest line the 9 o'clock down train reaches Green-
nithe (20 miles) in 56 minutes, after stopping at ten stations
while the 9 o'clock down train if the Brighton line takes 65
minutes to reach Reigate (about the same distance), after
sopping at only five stations. Either then the Brighton
Company employ an inferior class of engines and carriages
of greater friction than thou of the North-Rent, or they
do not get that work out of them which they might do.
I admits of a question, however, whither the arrange-
ments for eves the throush traffic of the Brighton Company
are as peat al they might be rendered. The early ex-
press up train (8 45) is expensive, and limited to fir-Wises
passengers, so that a gentleman travellingi by it cannot take
his servants with him ; but there can be no valid reason for
their embalm, for the adtaimion of second-ekes pawners
would be a source of profit which would enable the company
to give the public the advantage of speed at • cheaper rate.
Engines of very extraordinary power are not required
es make the journey from Brighton to London in an hour
ar d a half, provided they do not stop on the way, and the
privilege of a train which should travel the whole distance
without stopping, is one which might be enjoyed at a mode-
rate rate of charge.
For the intermediate local traffic great speed is not ree
waited. The trains may be slow, but it is essential that they
should be in sufficient number to allow of pawn:gen going
and coming, at intervals not greater than two hours apart
throughout the day, at every station on the line.
Without this amount of accommodation the Iced traffic of
the Beiehton Railway will always be inconsiderable—there
mu be no helloing along the line at fertile and beautiful
spots ; and without local traffic the shareholders may make
up their minds that the dividend to be declared for the pre-
sent half-year will be the maximum ever likely to be
attained.—Railway Record.

PUBLIC MEEITNO OF LABOURERS IN
WILTBLIIRS.

A public meeting of labourers wan held on Tees-
day, at the Crown lon, Tishury. The country for some
miles round had been placarded, announcing the meeting
to be Ii Id f...r the purpose of explaining the principle on
which the Rural Supporting Club had been established at
lisuereon, Salisbury. The chair was taken by the Here-
tuy. The room was well filled with labourers, farmers,
treneisenea. and *then.
Mr. BEVAN said, the only object of the club was that the
members might not be left unprotected, and not cared for
it tne.r poverty tempted them to violate the unnecessary and
unjust panelaw—a law for mere than one thousand years
bia• rived that there is one law for the rich, end another
law for the poor. At the time el the Norman coconut,
the liberty of taking and killing game was vested only
in the Ring. Years then rolled on, and the quali-
fication consisted of estate or degree, and this state
of things existed till some 18 or 19 roan ago, when the New
Game Ac: of Parliament came into operation—namely, the
1 & 2 Will. IV., e. 32, which abolished the qualification of
estate or degree, and empowers every person indiscriminately
wan takes oat a certificate to kill game, subj,ct oral to his
liability in respect of any trespass committed in punt of it.
Now, any person who can afforl to pay 41.05. 10d. per year for
a game certificate is considered to be an honourable man, so
far as the game-laws are concerned. It is no crime for him
tt kill hue., pheasant', partridges, and other game, bat if
a pool,: starving wretch who has no money, no work,
nor food to give his wife and starving children
who car not fee the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
to the tune of 41. Os. 10d., then that poor man is
held to be a criminal if he only goes in pursuit of game, for
toe purpose of sates( log the cravings of hunger. The prin-
cis le of the Game Law, therefore, if nothing else Gould be
said against it, is most iniquitous. It is fur these reasons
that John Collett, Esq., of Lake-house, Cheltenham— (Tre-
meadone cheering)—has been liberating of late so many
poor tun from the gaols of Slabbery, Winchester and other
I
places. This day week (continued Ile. Bevan) was thus
nappily employed ; and surely such acts of mercy and timely
b neyolence to ransom the persecuted labourer—to restore
to wives their husbands, and to children their fathers—is
indeed worthy of your cheering, and et the approbation of
every grateful man who has a spark of philanthropy within
him. If our cause prospers, then thank that good man for it.
(Cheers.) Our Runt Supporting Club has already its
me ben, near the following places, and in making this
assznion I am obliged to be cautions, because the memben
in work would instantly be thrownout of employment and
their wives and families is area ; at all events, Wusterslow
(cheering), Downton, Fordingbridge, Alderlsurgb, and
other places may be mentioned, near which are living mem-
bers of our club, and Best lincyley, Chiimult. and Crier
ham, will soon be included. (Great cheering.) The entrance
is 2s. Bi., the weekly contribution le., the allowance the
same as the captured and convicted earned when in work ;
but five out of six of our members have no
work, and this tells the tale worthy to be received
at the bar of both houses of parliament—to prove
that want produces crime, and that lcsaty wages Induces
breaches of the game laws. Let me tell you it is not in nine
instances out of 10 the voluntary act of labourers to infringe
the laws, but necessity urges them. However the laws may
be made for the enjtiyment of the rich to the exclusion of the
poor, it is right that you should know some points of the law
on this ease; that as the winter iv approachicg, that as work
is becoenin3 short, you may have an inuendo thrown out by
way of turning the tables on thee* woo hays b:en to long
prosecuticg you, and on the informers, too, and their wit.
noses. But let me first tell you that the mottoes of
oar club are these :—" No Sabbath breaking "
"No night poaching " "No reputed thief shall
be a member." (Applause.) By the 1& 2 Will. IV.,
c. 32, it Is enacted, " That no petson shalt kill or take game,
or use any dog, pun, net, or other enable and ii.arnment
fur the purpose of killing or taking any game on a Sunday
or Christmas-day, under the penalty for every such offence,
on convictive by two justices, of such sum of money, not
exceed:es hi., as to the said justices shall seem meet, together
with she cost of ccaviction," Now, my friends, lock out
for the squire—his keepers and lurc..en. There it an old
saying. to ,ugh it is a coarse rem irk—. What is eau* for
nhen o cgoose is oleo sauce Ps: the gander." See, sho, that
of these revise vie at the Sabbath, if so, let menkaow,
and I will tell you what to do. (Cheers.) We are ender
yuaricg to extol an organised certificated number of pooches
out of work mil if there arc any members pros"
or those who intend joining that in the making use cisme
certificates not to be caught traps:sing—let them or you,
it the noisy gun is employed, rather than a snare, get
a good retriever, and enter that dog with the nruperl
of taxes: then if you choose to fire from the turnpike, eir
from a, y public footpath, the law will hold you free hum
the Melia of tho Trespass Act, acd the dogs n 1 rice you
the game. (Cheers.) But is trcepassing, member Mat
five poisons must not be present, or the Sac will be 31. more !
A certificated gentleman has a right to employ a servant, sad
so can any one else; anl the servant, of course, tea place
the game whose directed, so that you may not have