The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-13 00:00:00

LON JON,

SOMERSETS HIRE CENTRAL RAILWAY.
A public mieting of laudawners and others, resi-
dent in the neighbourhood of Wells, was held on
Friday afternoon, at the Town Hall, in that city, for
the purpose of taking steps to promote the formation
of a railway for central Somersetsbire, for the making;
of which an Act of Parliament has already been ob-
tained, and for which the support of many influential
parties is fully expected.
Among the gentlemen who attended on the occasion
were M. Castle and W. Watson, Esqrs., directors of
the Bristol and Exeter Railway, E. F. Gregory, Esq.,
C.E., Capt. Seymour, Mayor of Wells, Capt. Giles,
G. Baron Northcote, Esq., E. Sanders, Esq., G.
Worry, Esq , Thomas Porcbporch, Esq., T. H.
Roach, Esq., Toogood, Esq., Robert Davies, Esq.,
the town clerk of Wells, &c.
G. B. NorracoTE, Esq., having been called upon
to preside, said the present was a bona fide attempt to
with railway accommoda-
stiuopnp,lyantdhe cityloogofatWelitals
as sensible and practical men,
the question with them should be not so much, was
it the best possible line which could be constructed ?
but, was it not the only line which there was any
chance of their getting? Having secured by pur-
chase the canal between Highbridgn and Glaston-
bury, having obtained an Act of Parliament, and
naving fulfilled all the preliminary requirements, the
directors of the Scmersetshire Central Railway were
of opinion that they were only paying the inhabi-
tants of Wells a proper compliment, and, at the same
time were not asking more than might be fairly ex-
pected of them, when they came among them to ask
them for assistance in carrying out the under-
taking successfully to completion. The sum of
10,0001. more was required for the purpose, and
surely the citizens of Wells would find no difficulty,
in subscribing for the whole, or at any rate for a con-
siderable portion of that amount.—(Hear.) About
.500 shares only remained to be taken, and those
would be issued in such a manner that if the
line was not completed there would not be any liabi-
lity attaching to the holders. As soon as those shares
were subscribed for he might venture to promise them
that not a month, or even a fortnight, would be al-
lowed to elapse before the works were commenced.
It would not, he presumed, be necessary for him to
enter at that time upon any general observations as
to the advantages of the line to the county and to the
public generally ; they must be sufficiently obvious to
all, and he would therefore content himself by asking
their attention to some observations upon matters
of fact which would be addressed to them by Mr.
Clark.

Mr. CYRUS CLARK then brought before the meet-
ing some elaborate statistical tables, which had been
prepared to show the probable traffic over the line,
and from which it appeared that when completed it
would yield a return to the shareholders upon the
capital invested of 81. 18s. 6d. per cent. The calcu-
lations, Mr. Clark said, had been made with the
utmost care and with a desire not to overrate the
thing, and he believed that if gentlemen would in-
vestigate them there could be no difficulty experienced
in obtaining not only the capital required to complete
the line to Highbridge, but sufficient also to carry it
on to the city of Wells.
Mr. WILMOT inquired whether the directors had
informed themselves of the probable cost of carrying
on the undertaking to Wells?
Mr. GREGORY, engineer, said the amount estimated
was 35,0001. or 40,000/.
Mr. DAYIES said he was not at all hostile to the
undertaking, but he was desirous of securing the
advantage of railway accommodation for Wells, and
therefore he would recommend the citizens to make
terms with the directors for the completion of the
line to the city before they at all pledged themselves
to its support. The citizens of Wells were not indis-
posed to exert themselves for the attainment of so
desirable an object, but they had been promised so
many lines, and had been so often disappointed, that
they bad become to some extent supine. It would
seem, from the statements which bad been made, that
10,0001. only was required to complete the railway
to Highbridge, and that a further sum of 35,0001. or
40,000/. would bring it on to Wells. Now he be-
lieved that if the directors were pledged to come on
to Wells there would be much less difficulty in raising
the necessary amount than they would find in raising
even the 10,0001. to finish the line to Highbridge
only. Let them at once go to Parliament and pro-
cure powers to continue the line to Wells, and he
believed that the citizens and owners of property
would well second them with the requisite capital.
If, on the contrary, that were not done, he feared
that there would be little disposition to assist.
Mr. EDMUND DAVIES concurred in the views of
the previous speaker, and said there ought to have
been a meeting of the citizens of Wells convened by
themselves a determine as to the degree of support
they would give the undertaking.
Mr. CASTLE, as representing the Bristol and Exeter
Railway Company at the board of the Central Somer-
setshire Railway, said he could give a distinct assu-
rance that the strongest desire was felt by the board
that the line should, as advocated by the gentleman
who had just sat down, be continued to the city of
Wells. The question was one of pounds, shillings,
and pence, and as soon as the necessary amount was
subscribed for completing the present undertaking, it
would be for the interest of the undertaking as well
as of the public to carry on the line of railway to the
ancient and interesting city of Wells. If the line
were carried out, there could be no doubt that a large
harbour and ducks would 133 constructed at High-
bridge, if which were &ale immense advantages must
necessarily accrue to both Glastonbury and Wells. He
had himself, although a citizen of Bristol, declined to
join in a proposition for making docks at Porter-
head because he believed that Highbridge presented
more favourable features, and was more advanta-
geously situated for the accommodation of ocean-
going steamers, and was already possessed of a good
line of railway. He did hope, therefore, that the
gentlemen of Wells would regard their town interests
and would put their shoulders to the wheel and assist
in the formation of the line to Glastonbury. Let
them do this, and they might rest assured that the
strong bona' fide desire of the directors to carry on
the works to Wells would be carried into effect, and
that city and district be supplied with railway ac-
commodation.
In reply to a question it was stated that the
company could nut borrow money till all its capital
was subscribed.
Mr. R. DAVIE? wished to know if the Bristol
and Exeter Company would assist in carrying the
line to Wells ?.
Mr. CASTLE had no doubt that they would do so.
It should be remembered too, that Captain Denham,
who was engaged by Government to survey the
Bristol Channel, had reported in favour of High-
bridge as a packet port.
Several other gentlemen addressed the meeting.
The CHAIRMAN announced his attention of in-
creasing his interest in the undertaking.
Various persons present.then subscribed for shares,
and the meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the
chairman.

SEABORNE MAILS.
(N signifies that the mails are sent frora the General Post-ode
by the night—and M by the morning—dispatch.]