The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-08 00:00:00

GREAT EASTERN.

The adjourned Wharncliffe meeting of this company was
held yesterday at the London Tavern ; Mr. J. Goodson in
the chair.

Mr Owen, the secretary, having read the notice of ad-
journment,

The CHAIRMAN stated that there was only one bill 601-

ciently advanced for their consideration. It was No. 6
"A bill for making railways from the Great Eastern Rail-
way at East Dereham to Norwich, to be called the Wen-
sum Valley Railway,' and for other purposes."
The Solicitor read the heads- of the bill; clause 44 gave
power to the Great Eastern Company, with the consent of

three-fifths of the shareholders at a meeting specially con-
vened for the purpose, to subscribe £72,300, or one-third of
the capital. The 45th clause authorised agreements for
working the line as part of one system.
A formal resolution approving the bill was carried unani-
mously.

Mr G. P. BIDDER, a director, moved the adjournment
of the meeting to that day fortnight, and said he had no
doubt they had all heard with regret the decision in respect
of the Great Eastern Northern Junction Bill, which was
entirely against the company, as declared by the com-
mittee on the bill on Monday afternoon. He must say
that he could not deny that the decision had given him
great pain, as it was against the weight of evidence. In
point of fact, they had made too great a case. They would
see what had been stated by the committee, whose sympa-
thies were with the Great Northern. He would engage that
if they incurred all the expenses of the inquiry over again,
the result would be the same mass of evidence in favour of
the bill. He thought Parliament could not resist such a
case. The greater part of the extension was a level line
from their system to Doncaster, and that was how their
difficulties had arisen. He believed there had been no de-
cision on that principle since 1825, which was the commence-
ment of his experience in Parliamentary committees. It
was an unusual occurrence to reject such a bill, as in his
opinion no case could be stronger; but it appeared to him
that the sympathy of the committee was with the Great
Northern Company. The great cause of that sympathy
was that the 174 miles of proposed line from the present
Great Eastern railway to Askern was the best line in the
kingdom. They had made out they would be able to save a
large sum on the cost of coal for the poorest district in Lon-
don, amounting nearly to the aggregate of the city dues.
they could have carried coal at such a price as would have
saved £175,000 a year, of which £75,000 would be in favour
of the poor, and £lOO,OOO would be available as interest on
the capital. They proposed to make the best line in the
country. The Great Northern had not got such a line, and
never could get such a line. It was asked in committee
what was to become of the Great Northern if such a lin.,
were made, and S 3 the bill was rejected to save the prospe •
rity of that company. They had shown the great advantages
of the line to the public and tilt company. He thought
the decision of 2J committees could not ultimately arrest
that bill, or prevent the advantages to the public which
should be derived from it. The Board of Trade would take
the opinion of the shareholders to renew the application to
Parliament. (Hear, hear.)
The meeting then adjourned.