The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-23 00:00:00

THR CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHE-
QUER AI W.REXHAM.

WREXHAM, WEDNESDAY EVENING.
To-day has been made a holiday here in conse-
quence of the visit of the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer, who was accompanied by Mrs. Gladstone and
most of their family. The occasion of the visit was
the cutting the first sod of the Wrexham, Mold,
and Connah's Quay Railway,a ceremony which Mrs.
Gladstone had gratified the promoters of the un-
dertaking by promising to perform. The line, which
-will open up a very rich and hitherto almost unde-
veloped district, touching upon the River Dee at
Connah's Quay, will be 12 miles in length, and its
construction, including stations and other appur-
tenances, bas been let to Messrs. Sevin and
Ward, contractors, for the sum of £150,000. It is
expected to be completed for opening within two
years. The tradesmen of Wrexham closed their
shops at about 11 o'clock in the morning. A public
procession formed in the Beast Market, and headed
by the militia band, with a troop of the Denbigh-
shire Yeomanry Cavalry acting as a guard of honour
to the carriage containing Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone,
and Mr. John Dickenson, mayor of Wrexham,
marched to the site of the ceremony, passing under
several triumphal arches erected across the roadway.
The line will run into the Wrexham station, but the
point of Junction with the Shrewsbury and Chester
Rail way will be about half a mile nearer Chester,
and in a piece of ground adjoining the line called
the Gravel Holdfield.
The ceremony of cutting the first sod was per-
formed in the presence of about 2,000 spectators,
comprising many influential ladies and gentlemen
from the neighbourhood. Amongst those on the
platform, besides Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone and family
and the mayor and corporation of Wrexham, were
—Sir J. Hanmer, M.P. for theFlintshire boroughs,
Mr. T. Mainwaring, M.P., Mr. Whalley, M.P.,
Miss Burdett Coutts, &c.
The weather, which had been very boisterous
during the early part of the morning, cleared up to-
wards noon, and during the proceedings the sun
shone out with great brilliancy. A conspicuous ob-
ject of attraction on the platform was a very hand-
somely designed barrow and spade of polished oak,
-with elaborate silver mountings, both of course mi-
niature proportions. On the barrow were the arms
of Mr. Gladstone on a silver shield, and its sides
bore medallions engraved " Wrexham, Mold, and
Connah's Quay Railway Company, 1862." The
blade of the silver shovel bore the following inscrip-
tion :—" Presented to Mrs. W. E. Gladstone, on the
occasion of her cutting the first sod of the Wrexham
Mold, and Connah's Quay Railway, October 22,
1862, by Thomas Sevin, contractor."
After a suitable prayer by the Rev_ Mr. Davis, of
Wrexham, Mrs. Gladstone wheeled the barrow from
the platform down a plank to the field, cut a fair-
sized sod, and wheeled it on to the platform amidst
great cheering. The Chancellor of the Exchequer
did the same, and the example was followed by Miss
Gladstone, and others amidst renewed plaudits.
Mr. GLADSTONE, in acknowledging the plaudits
of the assembly, said he was not to think that this
was an occasion in which personal feelings were in-
volved, but still he and his family felt very grate-
ful for the cordial reception which those assembled
had been pleased to give them. He must be al-
lowed to congratulate them upon the auspicious com-
mencement of this most important enterprise. It
-was a work which promised to be of immense pub-
lic utility, and one which would especially tend to
the development of the resources of that part of the
country, so blest with great advantages in the great
beauty of the surface and mineral wealth below the
soil. They had commenced that work in an appro-
priate and solemn manner, by commending it to the
blessing •of God, from whom every good and perfect
gift proceeds. The right hon. gentleman congra-
tulated them upon the augury which had attended
the opening of that work, in the change from a
miserably wet morning to a brilliant sunshine, and
concluded by wishing success and calling for three
cheers for the Wrexham, Connah's Quay, and Mold
Railway. (Cheers.)
Mr. WHALLEY, M.P., begged to congratulate the
town of Wrexham upon the presence on such an
occasion of so distinguished a visitor as Mr. Glad-
stone, and though not himself connected with
the town, he took the opportunity on behalf of
the inhabitants of a large portion of the principality
to thank Mr. Gladstone for lending his countenance
to so important an undertaking as the railway just
commenced. (Cheers.)
The Towle CLERK of Wrexham (Mr. James) read
an address to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Mr. GLADSTONE, in reply, observed that he was
impressed with a knowledge that the compliments
contained in the address as applied to himself were
far beyond what the most strong belief in his own
deserts could encourage him to claim ; but he had
experienced in his own person this fact, that there
was a general conviction that those who advised the
Crown and those who were concerned with the legis-
lative business of the nation, although with much
weakness and many shortcomings, yet upon the
whole had now for a considerable period of years
past been labouring, as far as man's energy would
permit, to develop the resources of the country.
They had been pleased in their address to allude
to the changes which had taken place in the com-
mercial legislation of the country, and to the part
which he (Mr. Gladstone) had had in promoting
those changes, a small one compared with that
which belonged to others. He claimed credit for
nothing more than that he had, ever since his mind
was directed to the subject upon assn ming the office
of Vice-President of the Board of Trade, now 21
years ago, under the administration of the late Sir
R. Peel, steadily laboured in the promotion of a cause
of which they had seen broadcast over the land the
blessed traits in the improved condition of the people,
in the greater energy of our commercial enterprises,
in the increased union of all classes among them-
selves, a more devoted respect for the laws, and in
their more enthusiastic attachment to the crown.
(Loud cheers.) It was indeed needless, almost idle,
to say that it was a real satisfaction, not for himself
alone, but for all of them who had in their several
spheres been engaged in this work, that it had
pleased the Almighty to bless and prosper it, and
that this dear old country of ours, though it might
present may things that we might all desire to im-
prove, and though in some parts its population were
Badly and cruelly suffering, yet had made real ad-
vances, the sum of human misery had decreased,
and the sum of human happiness had advanced
amongst us, and we were going forward on a path
, in which the results were likely to be still more
extensively accomplished. (Loud cheers.)
Three cheers were then given for the Mayor and
Town Council, for the contractors, &c., and the
crowds dispersed to find their way back to the town
of 'Wrexham
In the afternoon a dejeuner took place at the
Wynnsfe
E. Gladstone presided,
Wrexham. The Right Hon. W.
presided, Mrs. Gladstone being on his
left, and the mayor of Wrexham on his right hand.
The company numbered about 200, and was a
fashionable one.
VIC CHAIRMAN, in proposing " The Queen," re-
marked that whereverE
nglishmen might be on any
festive occasions abroadr
foorulat h
on ome, summer or
the occasion of
g e
winter, in fair weather
o railway,
an election or the openine
a thetihreydunteyveirf
would feel that they had performed
they
did not begin by drinking the herhealthhoofpe_
Majindeed, ')e them
for
esty the Queen. (Cheers.) Let
he need not say let them ho they
knew it as a certainty—that under the heavy sor-
row which she had experienced, she might enjoy
along with every consolation the
consolation of
knowing.
this, of which every one of her subjects
ppiness, and could assure assure her, that by her admirable conduce
she had so contributed to the ha
' lty of the people, that they revered
firmed the".loYa
in her not only the representative of a long line of
illustrious ancestors, but likewise one of the best
sovereigns that ever sat upon a throne. (Cheers.)
• ' in wich he was
The CHAIRMAN, in proposing the next toast, said
thee within the territorial
toast did no kneed to be
were all
speaking, the subject of the
recommended to those assembled. They
orna-
well aware that the Prince of Wales was an
ment to the name which he bore, and at this happy_
crisis of his life it was fortunate that he possessed
those high qualities which he was known to Pos"

Bess, and which would fit him, in due time, and we

all hoped it might be a distant time, for the dis-

Icharge of those most arduous and responsible duties
to which he might hereafter be called.
After the other loyal toasts,
The CHAIRMAN proposed the toast of the even-
ing, " The prosperity of the Wrexham, Mold, and
Connah's Quay Railway." He dwelt at some length

on the question of railway locomotion. This great
invention had, he said, done wonderful things for

our country, and not only for ours, but through Eng-
land, for the world. Besides, it was a gratifying recol-
le cti on to us, although an operation performed in some
degree at our own cost, that we had been practically
the pioneers of the railway system to the whole of
Europe, whence it was finding its way into Asia and
to the most remote parts of the world. Mr. Gladstone
then alluded to the vast improvement which had
taken place in the details of this invention since its
first introduction ; going back to the period when the
Liverpool and Manchester Railway was opened 32
years ago, he believed he might say with accuracy,
that since that time the speed of railway travelling
had been doubled, and the cost of railway transit had
been halved. (Hear, hear.) And if that were true, it
was only saying, in other words, that vast as was
the invention given to the world, the railway sys-
tem had been multiplied fourfoldsince two and thirty
years ago it made its first appearance amongst us.
It was a most curious and instructive history. No
doubt if we had to do the thing over again we might
do it better; but it was hardly to be expected
that wisdom should spring ready-formed from
the mind of the man as the fabled goddess Pallas
sprang from the brain of her father. (Hear, hear.)
As an illustration of the progress made he might
mention one circumstance. When a Board of Trade
commission was instituted to inquire into the merits
of the various lines projected at that time for the
purpose of opening railway communication between
England and Scotland, the contest between the pro-
moters of the several schemes was one of great im-
portance. There was a general agreement that such
a project was necessary, but people were also quite
agreed that it was utterly impossible that there
could be more than one line constructed. The
scheme called the Caledonian line obtained the
victory, but utterly impossible seemed the idea of
constructing a railway through the wild country
between Lancaster and Carlisle. That line would
not have been made if some southern com-
pany, who had an interest in opening the com-
munication, had not come forward with large sub-
scriptions towards the cost ; but now instead of
one line there were no less than five railways by
which any traveller might proceed from England
into Scotland, and the Lancashire and Carlisle, con-
structed under such hopeless circumstances, had
proved one of the most profitable railwayinvestments
in the kingdom. (Hear, hear.) But while the great
districts of the country had been opened up, there
remained, perhaps, the most profitable portion of
the railway system to be developed—viz., the gra-
dual development of those minor schemes which were
to address themselves especially to meeting the local
wants of particular districts. He considered the
present scheme one of those most likely to he pro-
fitable in developing the mineral riches of Den-
bighshire and Flintahire. He found that of the
total annual production of 84 million tons of coal

in the United Kingdom, North Wales stood in
the return for only one million and a quarter

of tons, and he ventercd to prophecy that in ten

years time the proportion would be very much
larger as proper facilities for traffic were deve-
loped. (Hear, hear.) Although it was supposed
that their coal-beds in North Wales had been nearly
worked out, they had found below the main seam

. _
a large and most valuable supply of cannel. In-
deed, the specimens from Lnswood were considered
to be the very finest specimens of coal shown in the

International Exhibition. (Hear, hear.) This was
the ground upon which the railway had to work,
and he called upon the company with confidence to
drink its suceess. (Hear.)
The Mayor of WREXHAM proposed " The Health

of the President of the Assembly, the Right Hon.
W. E. Gladstone, M.P." He was sure they ought
to feel highly honoured in having so distinguished
a gueat. They participated at Wrexham in the
admiration with which the whole country had
watched his official career as a member of the
House of Commons, and approved of those mea-
sures which had not only tended to forward our
own prosperity but also to cement our friendship
with other nations. (Loud cheers.)
Mr. GLADSTONE, in reply, simply repeated the
expression of his gratitude for the reception he had
met with. He made no allusion whatever to
America or other public topics.
" The Health of the County and Borough Mem-
bers for Denbighshire and Flintshire" was acknow-
ledged by Mr. T. MAINWARING and Sir J.HANMER,
and the latter proposed " Mrs, Gladstone and the
Ladies present," which was enthusiastically
honoured.
The CHAIRMAN, in replying on behalf of Mrs.
Gladstone, said that all the natives of Wales were
admitted by the whole world to be conspicuous for
faithful affection to their country, and he need not
say any more of her than that he believed and
trusted in that respect she was worthy to be ranked
among the natives of the principality. (Cheers.)
The remaining toasts were, 'The Railway
Directors," " The Visitors, coupling with it the
names of the Mayors of Chester and Oswestry,"
" The Mayor and Corporation," " The Agricultural
and Mining Districts," " The Council," " The
Solicitors," " The Engineers," " The Contractors to
the Company," and " The Press."
At the close of the banquet Mr. Gladstone left by
train for London.