The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-10 00:00:00

TEE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY -.EVENING,. JANUARY 10, 1863. ,

politan railway would not be realised, but that, in
. addition to its Original object of carrying vast num-
bers of passengers circulating within the metropolis,
it was destined to become of the highest importance
to the northern and western railways of England as
a means of affording an approach to the centre of
the city of London, unattainable by any other means.
Nay, further, it became evident by the operations
and proposals of a vigorous young railway com-
pany, the London, Chatham, and Dover, that the
Metrdpolitan was also destined to become a link in
a great chain of communication from the railways
on the north of the River Thames to those on the
south. This change in this position of the Metro-
politan Railway, brought about chiefly by railway
development generally in the country, added greatly
to its value as a property, and, at the same time,
made it necessary that I should reconsider the sys-
tem of traction to be employed upon it. It was clear
that the atmospheric system was now no longer
possible in a link line, and if the judgment which
condemned it originally was sound, its rejection re-
quired no consideration now. It was also clear that
the peculiar locomotive I had proposed for the iso-
lated line, viz., without any fire-box, or the means
of carrying any fuel whatever, but dependent upon
a sufficient supply of hot water and steam being
taken in at one end of the journey to supply it to
the other, was no longer the machine to employ.
But at the same time it was manifest that, from the
necessarily low tunnel and numerous trains, the
ordinary locomotive engine could not be employed.
It became necessary then trive an engine that
should work as an ordin. • omotive when on the
I ordinary railways joining Netropolitan Railway,
puffiing-aut its 'Smoke and steam, and when in the
Metropolitan Railway tunnel it should condense its
steam and bottle up its smoke, so as to create no
nuisance whatever to the passengers. (Cheers.)
By the liberality of my directors I was authorised
to construct an engine as a model or trial engine,
partly for inforthation rand partly to satisfy un-
believers.' titia 'engine was Consttucted by Messrs.
Stephen Wen and Co., of Newcastle; and tried early
last year on the Metropolitan Railway, and made
frequent trips to illustrate its double functions. A
great many gentlemen now in the room witnessed
those trials, and I may say that they were so suc-
cessful that all doubts as to the working of the line
with comfort to passengers were at once removed.
(Cheers.) The present engines on the Metropolitan
Railway, or those which will be employed by the
Great Western Railway Company to work the
traffic, have been modified in minor details, for
greater simplicity, by the able locomotive superin-
tendent of that company, Mr. Gooch, and I hope
they will work as satisfactorily as the model engine
I constructed for his information and guidance.
(Cheers.) I am afraid this description will have
been tedious to you, and especially to the ladies—
(cheers)—and therefore I will not further occupy
your time by any description of the line itself, or
its stations, or the length of its tunnels, because you
have made a careful personal inspection for your-
selves; nor will I enumerate our difficulties with
carrying the railway under and over sewers, gas
pipes, water pipes, &c. ; nor our troubles with pub-
lic bodies and private individuals, but you may
safely take my word for it—they have not been few
or trifling, but I feel it right to state that nearly
without exception we have met with every reason-
able indulgence and intelligent forbearance from
all public bodies, from the corporation of London
downwards. (Cheers.) These difficulties, however,
have been all happily overcome; and as we have
overcome them to Farringdon-street, I am sure we
can overcome them to Moorgate-street. (Cheers.)
And when we remember the objects which will
be accomplished by this great undertaking, we can-
not but feel that they are worthy of the trouble and
cost of overcoming every difficulty. Besides the ori-
ginal design of carrying passengers from the west
to the east of London and intermediate places, the
Metropolitan Railway is calculated to continue pas-
sengers, goods, and minerals from Paddington,
King's-cross,i and, as my friend Mr. Beale would
suggest, the Midland Company also, to the very
heart of the city of London. (Cheers.) I could
also with great propriety allude to the carrying
of moat, &c., to and from Smithfield-market,
and the avoidance of driving cattle through the
streets ; the providing a cheap and rapid access
to and from the country to every class of per-
son employed in the city of London, including
even the labourers themselves, and some mitiga-
tion of the great railway-van evil in the streets.
Cheers.) I believe the working of the Metropolitan
Railway to be in good hands. I believe the Great
Western Company will do everything in their power
to develop its resources, and deserved the good opi-
nion of the public using it. And now, ladies and
gentlemen, before I conclude, permit me to perform
an agreeable duty by publicly thanking those who
have been engaged with me in carrying out this
great work. Of the directors it would not be pro-
per for me to say more than that they have always
given me a most generous and unbounded confidence,
without which I feel the task would have been be-
yond my powers. (Cheers.) I wish especially to
thank my old assistant and friend, Mr. Johnson,
who has acted as resident engineer of the line
throughout, and of whose assiduity and intelligence
I cannot express myself too highly. (Cheers.) I
have also to thank the contractors, Messrs. Smith
and Knight and Mr. Jay, for the admirable manner
in which they have done their work, and their
prompt attention to my instructions. (Cheers.)
Mr. GILPIN proposed the " Health of the Solici-
tor to the Company."
Mr. BURCHELL returned thanks.

The "Health of the Contractors," Messrs. Jay,
Smith, and Knight, was next given, Mr. Jay ac.
knowledging the compliment.
The LORD MAYOR proposed the " Health of the
Chairman," who having briefly responded, the pro-
ceedings terminated.

The metropolitan police band performed at inter-
vals during the evening a favourite selection of
music.

THE lONIAN ISLANDS.

A letter from Corfu of the 23d ult. states that
the Archbishop and the members of the Municipal
Council, with the members of a society called the

Renaissance, have attended the cathedral in a body,

and offered up prayers of thanksgiving for the con-
sent of England to the union of the islands with
Greece. A procession of several thousands of per-
sons was formed, and promenaded the principal
streets with the Greek flag, uttering the cry of
"Long live Greece !" Proceeding to the house of
the Lord High Commissioner, a deputation entered
and left the following address :--
" Excellency,--Corfn is, touched to the heart by
learning that the ,Government of her Britannic Ma-
jesty has informed the other European Powers who
signed the Treaty of Paris of the sth of November,
1815, of its intention to abandon the protectorate of
the lonian Islands given by that treaty to the So-
vereigns of Great Britain. The reunion of the seven
islands to the kingdom of Greece—this fulfilment
of the ardent and unanimous desire of the popula-
• tions—is an act of Divine Providence, and diplo-
macy cannot but bow to it. But it is to the Supreme
Being that ,the people of the heptarchy should
first address their grateful thanksgiving, they
cannot abstain front _expressing their gratitude
to the English nation, who, from a love
of liberty have interested themselves in our
holy cause, and pleaded it before her Ma.
jesty's Government. In these circumstances the
people of. Corfu feel the imperative need, of mani=
Testing the satisfaction they feel at the triumph of
right and the realisation of their-unanimous desire
to be united to Greece. They equally feel the re-
, in defending our rights,
of expressing their gratitude to the people
defended those of Ureeks ,
have by
general.
cessity
" In presenting to your Excellency the expres-
sionenough
of Greatimßpriiict
thankfulness on the part
of these sentiments of
lord, to be good
of the people, we beg you,aaltnio'n
tand nation. To this prayer
h• h
inngdom of
to make them known
seeing magnanimous Albion, w
'
Ownn3tyo the British
ead d
a G
hope
o
vernmen
—that of
for-
merly concurred in the creation of the
Greece, and which now, by the annexation of the
lonian Islands, strengtlaens the central home of the
liberty of the Hellenic race—a hope, we say, of
seeing England also co-operate in the future con-
test which the Hellenes will have to sustain in the
East in the interest of Christian civilisation."