The Express.
London, England, 1857-11-26 00:00:00

RAILWAY HOSTILITIES AT MANCHESTER.

The sruption of the working agreements be-
tween the Lonatm sod North Waken and 7festchester and
Sheffield Railway Companies threatens to involve legal and
parliamentary proceedings of a anions and protracted cha-
ncier. The fad became publicly known
Western Company had a couple
yestfidai./ that the
London and North
of city Gaminat the junction of the Sou Junction and
Al line with their own, to prevent pecomengere from
getting out of the trains of the latter company on to the
London-road station, under pain of prosecution. A lady
travelling over the South Junction lino yesterday morn
to Loudon-rood station, on alighting to cruets the station and
change carriages for Stockport, wee dewed by these po-
nders, and compelled to glee her name end Menses before
she 0001 obtain egress from the South J unction terminus,
end when she had given her name and address she was in-
humed that she would be preiretuted for trespeas. To un-
derstand this strange proceeding towards the public, it is
temessery to go Into some few particular. regarding the con-
duction and management of the South Junction and Altein-
diem line. The line was conatructod in 1846, and commences
at Bowden, Chukkas, eight miles west of Manchester, sad
thelpsideffen with the London and North-Western line
et Lonroad station, Manchester. The cost was 788,0001.
The meths shares were held by the North-Western and
Conpentes and Ote Bart of Elisamere, bat the letter
en beetinenffy 'old his share, and the capital in now held in
equal patio= by the two railway companies named. It is
under their joint management, each oompsny appointing
three of their own directors to the board, and this
board nominate one of the directors of each com-
pany alternately, for a fortnight at a time, to
act u chairman. The line belonging jointly to
the two companies it will be naturally asked why one
of them should undertake to obstruct the traffic P To
understand this it is nee...eery to explain that a new line
commencing at Gershon Docks, near Uverpool, and passing
through Warrington and Lymm in Cheelaireforms &junction
with the Altrinchem line at newly between Bowdon and
' Manchester. The natio our this line and the Altrinchem
lino is worked by the Sheffield Company, and has been for
the last 18 months, and it is to obstruct this portion of their
traffic that the peoesedines alluded to above have been
instituted by the North 14 esters. board. About • fortnight
ago they set about 200 men at work to rip op the platform
at London-road, when pawner. from Warrington, Al-
triticham, and other places west of Manchester were est
doers, and they have now formed &siding for empty carriages
where it stood, on crossing which any pueenger le yearned
that he will be prosecuted for treepase. Their claim for doing
this is founded un the Wirt that at the nine of the construe-
lion of the South Junction and Altrincham line the latter
company neglected to get a formal treader of the lend at the
point of jtutetion from the London and North Western Com-
pany. Upon this point application will be made to parlia-
meat to defiler the nghta of each company, and
in the meantime proceedings are taking in Chan-
oery to stay the abstraction. Another quarrel be-
tween the North Western Company and the Sheffield
Company arises out of Me rights of the latter to a joint emu-
paney of the London-toad station itself. The London-road
station was originally built by the North Western Company
tee the joint use of the two companies, end the Sheffield co-
patty have used it for 17 years wader an agreement by
they were made tenants in perpetuity, the apeman being
made binding by parliamentary powers. In all expellees
since the Sheffield were made joint tenants tor alterations of
the station, the latter have joined. Bat a few years heck
• working agreement was rude between the two tom-
paniee, by which, for the sake of economy, the traffic
of the station wee worked by the North Western Company,
the latter company appointing the booking clerks, porter%
and other servant. Ma agreement wae:made only from year to
year, and terminable by either company upon three months'
notice. The arrangement was made in 1864, end in June,
1867, when the rupture occurred between the two compa-
nies, and the Sheffield, to conjunction with the Great
Northern, commenced a compdition foe the London teak,
nonce was given to the North Weetern fur the termination
of the joint working of the station at the end of three
months. In fact, the Sheffield Company claims tube placed
in their former position ss joint tenants of the station. This
the North Western Company have hitherto refuted ; and on
Lb(' ground as well ea on the rights of the South Junction
line, proceedings are taking in equity, until parkament can
be to to define the rights of each company in the