The Express.
London, England, 1858-03-04 00:00:00

COMPETITION POE CATEETZI AND LONDON

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On Monday morning but an incident occurred at
the Chester station which created masiderable maitemiat
The competition which ham now Sr some tirse_peet be
sa
carried en for the traffic between Liverpool, Warrlndtour
Manchester, and London, has now extended to Chester.
The Coast Northern and Manchester, Sheffield, sod Lincoln-
shire Companies are Interested on one aide, and the London
and North-Weaken en the other. The Chrfar elation is
tthe joint property of four oompenies, end is managed by a
jonit station committee, who appoint the station auminten-
dent. The companies are the Birkenhead, Lanese, sod
Chula:* Junction (which holds a third share), the London
and North-Western, the Cheater and Holyhead, and the
Greet Western. The Warrington and Stockport Company's
lime nine from the Manchester and Altrtncbam Railway,
at Thoperley, to the Birkenhead, Lancashire, sad
Cheshire Junction line at Walton; and as the Warring-
ton sad Stockport Company claim, under their sot
et 18.53, running powers over the Birkenhead,
Lenesahlre, and Cheshire Junction, there is thus
&direct route from the Oxford-street station, at Manchester,
to (gym,. The Warrington and Stockport line wee recently
head to the Manchester and Sheffield and the Bt. Helen •
Companies, the Manchester and Altrinchare line being the
joist of the Manchester and Sheffield and London
and esN - astern. It appears that the Warrington and
Stockport Company, in pursuance of the powers above
referred to, gave notice last week to the Birkenhead
Company of their intention to ran trains le and kora
Warrington and Chester; and thoy advertised • system of
trains, to commence last Monday, communicating with the
through trains via the Sheffield and Great Northern route to
King's-cross, London. The whole &lance between Cheater
sad the metropolis was to be performed in six hoary and a
quarter; and the fume were to be the Name; me those
from Liverpool, Warrington, and Manchester, by that
route—namely, 21e. drat-dross, and 124. 6d. second,
for the double journey. Accordingty. the engine and
carriages of the Warrington and Stockport Naftway
were run into the Chaster station on Sunday Aet-
na= by the Birkenhead Company's officials in readiness for
the commencement on Monday niorning. The Birkenhead

Company bad previously given notice to the authorities at
Chester of the Warrington Company's intention, sad en
Monday morning banded to Mr. Jones, the joint shoot
superintendent, the Warrington Company's tickets, with kin
strnetkas to issue them. Mr. Jones. however, declined to
receive them, alleging that no arrangements bid been smile
by thsWartington Company for the use of the Chester sea -
ad and that he had beenadvised by the solicitors to the
station
committee that the Warrington Company had no
po
wer to bring their trains into the station. Shortly
the time fixed for the departure of the
first train, 8.46 cm. Mr. Jones, accompanied by Messrs.
Pottle end Roberta, the solicitors to the joint station commit-
tee, approached the train, end informed the driver that he
wee trespassing, ordering him to leave the station, where-
upon the secretary of the Warrington and Stockport Com-
pany asserted the right of that company to exercise the same
privileges as the Birkenhead Company, demanding to know
upon whose authority the obstruction was offered. Mr. Jones
declined to answer the question, and upon the passengers
taking their seats, virtually withdrew his order for the train
to leave. and Instructed signals to be put rap and a rail to be
Oaken eitt to prevent the exit of the train trorn the station. A
body of platelayers were in readiness who immediately
obeyed his directions. It should here be stated that no
attempt had been made to disobey the signals. At this junc-
ture the chairman of the Birkenhead Company happened to
arrive at the station by another train, and learning the
of affairs, he remonstrated strongly with Mr.
posturefees of
the solicitors on the courts they were
cantending that the Warrington and Stockport pursuing,
peiay
bad power to exercise the netts and privileges they were
now smarting. In this opinion, he said, the solicitors of the
Birkenhead Company concurred, and be thought those who
threw obstacles in the way were incurring a heavy responsi-
bility. In the meantime, the train having been moot de-
kryed, thepammg left the station, threatening to make
nit Mee the company for detention. Many
who ease le the station with a view to proomeding 7t1:11:
tisia bed bearretaind admission. Some time afterwards the
all wee mired end the train was allowed to leave for War-
ringtoo, having Ws detained more than an hour. It re-
turned in about an bout and a half with passengers from
Warrington, and was Minded into a siding. The
bed to alight there, lint the train was afterwards ilaliolerle:
tort on its second journey from the wing.staticfit platform.
The subsequent trains have worked in and out of the station
without obstruction. The Warrington and Stockport Com-
pany, finding on the second day that no accommodation was
afforded for the booking of their passengers, established
booking offices near the station and in the city.