The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-01 00:00:00

EXTENSION OF THE GREAT NORTHERN TO

HORNCASTLE.

A public meeting of the landowners, farmers, trailers,
and others, was held yesterday, at Horncastle, in com-
pliance with a numerously-signed requisition, for the
purpose of obtaining an extension of the Great Northern
Railway from the Kirkstead station to this town (Horn-
castle) and neighbourhood.
Sir HENRY DYMOKE, of Scrivelsby Court, was called
to the chair. He said, the formation of a line of railway
to that town and district would prove conducive to their
best interests.

Mr. J. R. STANHOPE, M.P., then moved a resolution
to the effect that, in the opinion of the meeting, the for-
mation of a branch railway from the Kirkstea station
on the Great Northern line to Horncastle would greatly
promote the commercial and agricultural interests of the
town and neighbourhood.
Mr. W. MARTIN seconded the resolution, which was
adopted unanimously.
The Rev. W. M. PIERCE then proposed that a depu-
tation be appointed to make such arrangements with the
Great Northern Company for the working of the pro-
posed branch railway by that company, as they may
think most beneficial, and to report such arrangements
to a general committee.
Mr. MARTIN supported the motion, which was carried.

The deputation and committee being named, the pro-
ceedings closed with the usual vote of thanks to the
chair.

PARIS TO STRASBURG.

An extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders
of this company was held on Wednesday, in Herz's
great room, Rue de la Victoire—Count de S6gur in the
chair. Near him were seated the following directors :
The Duke de Galli6ra, Baron d'Hervey, Viscount Du-
bochet, M. Baignbres, M. Blacque-Belair, M. E. Che-
vandier, M. Emile P4reire, M. Fol, M. A. Perdonnet,
M. Jayr, M. Roux, M. Touchard, and M. de Vandeuil.
The objects of the meeting were of so very diversified a
character, that it may be as well to mention beforehand
the principal point, which was "to deliberate on the
convention agreed to with the Minister of Public Works,
relative to the concession of the following railway lines,
all in the east of France :—" Ist, from Paris to Mul-
hause, by Tr oyes, Clermont, Vesoul, and Belfort, with
a branch to Coulommiers ; 2dly, from Nancy to Gray,
by Epinal and Vesoul; 3dly, from Paris to Vincennes
and St. Maur ; 4thly, the annexation of the line from
Montereau to Troyes ; and lastly, the annexation of the
line from Blesmes and St. Dizier to Gray ; to deliberate
also on the powers to be given to the board of directors
for the eventual pUrchase of the railway from Strasburg
to Basle and Wissemburg, as may be best for the in-
terests of the company ; and to authorise the board to
solicit the Government to consent to certain modifica-
tions of the statues called for by the convention of Au-
gust 17." As this network of railways seemed, on see-
ing the names on paper of complicated character, each
shareholder, as he entered, was presented with a coloured
map, sheaving at a glance the state of all the railway
lines, whether in construction or finished in the east of
Franc e, and throughout Germany, as far as the frontiers
of Russia on the one side, and Venice and Trieste on
the other. The meeting being declared duly constituted,
M. Bossange, the secretary, proceeded to read the re-
port :

- This document, which is of considerable length, com-
mences by pointing out how successful has been the
career of the Strasburg railway up to the present time,
the receipts of the first nine months of the current year,
warranting the distribution of a dividend of upwards of
10 per cent. In a few months more the opening of the
branch lines from Epernay to Reims, and from Metz to
Thionville would still more add to the revenue of the
company. But in presence of the general industrial
movement which was now taking place in France,
it was inevitable that a certain number of
new lines must be required to the south of
the Strasburg line. Between that railway, which
proceeded due east, and the Lyons line, which was
sure hereafter to strike out with branch lines to the
south-east' there lay several departments rich in popula-
tion,
i n manufactures, in agricultures produce, and in
mineral productions of various kinds, which would, be-
yond any doubt, require railway accommodation. There
were the Haute-Saone, the Haute-Marne, and the
Vosges, all rich in minerals, coals, and manufactures of
various kinds. All these departments would require
railways ; and in addition, it was certain that the Stras-
burg line would never be sufficient for the great com-
mercial movement which existed between Havre and
Switzerland. New lines were certain to be constructed
and the whole question to be solved was this—Ought
the Strasburg Company to undertake these lines itself,
or allow other companies to step in and execute them ?
The report then passes in review the advantages likely
to accrue from the annexation to the Strasburg line of
the lines mentioned above, and shows clearly that the
directors would have acted most unwisely in allowing
other companies to interfere with the ground which
naturally belonged to the Strasburg line. The report
enumerates a number of the tenders sent in for various
lines to the south of the Strasburg Railway, and states
that the whole number was not less than 22. Under
such circumstances, the directors of the Strasburg line
could not but send in a proposal to the Minister of
Public Works and their offer was submitted with the
others in the usual course to the Cosultative Railway
Committee. After long and mature consideration, the
committee gave an answer decidedly in favour of the
offer of the Strasburg Company, and the Minister of
Public Works confirmed that decision. The report then
shows that from the fact of the Strasburg Company hav-
ing an extensive terminus at Paris, a notable economy
must of necessity arise from its haTing all the Eastern
lines in its own hands, as a second terminus would thereby
be avoided. With respect to Vincennes, the Strasburg
Company had left it out of its consideration, but the
Minister very naturally thought that so important a
fortress ought to be directly connected with that railway,
which was confessedly the most important, in a stra-
tegical point of view in France. A considerable portion
of the report is taken up with an examination of the con-
ditions on which the Strasburg line had agreed to take
the various lines mentioned already, with a view to prove
that it is its interest to have the whole network in its
own hands. This is done with great ability, but it
would exceed our limits to enter on the subject. Yet
the following passage is so striking that it merits well
the distinction of being quoted textually :—" The annexa-
tion of the railways in the interior of France is not the only
element of our prosperity ; there is another, almost as im-
portant, but which we havelnotltaken into account in the
appreciation of our revenue—viz., the construction of the
railways of Europe. From the other bank of the Rhine
the movement gains strength, and spreads even to the
confines of Turkey. All the railway lines tend to unite
together, and all converge towards France. As much
as money and exertions were formerly expended in
isolating one country from another, so much in the pre-
sent day they are employed in sweeping away all fron-