The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-06 00:00:00

TAIL WAY INTELLIGENCE.

WEST KENT.
A numerous and influential meeting of noblemen and
gentlemen, proprietors of land in West Kent, was held
yesterday in the large room of the Crown Hotel, Seven-
oaks, to consider the expediency of forming a line of rail-
way from Sydenham to Bromley, by Otford to Maidstone,
with branches to Lewisham, Greenwich, Eltham, and
Newington-causeway, for local and suburban traffic, and
with duplicate lines, and independent termini for the
Crystal Palace traffic. Among the noblemen and gentle-
men present were the following :—The Most Noble the
Marquis of Camden, Viscount Homesdale, the Right
Hon. Mr. Herries, Sir John Lubbock, Bart. ; Sir Samuel
Hancock, Sir John B. W. Maunsell, Bart., Mr. Peter
Cator, Mr. W. Lambarde, Mr. J. P. Atkins, Mr. H.
On the motion of Viscount HOMESDALR, the Marquis
Hugh. Mr.tsMain I.
&c.
N. Hargrave, Mr. W. Hicks, Mr.
of Camden was called to the chair.
The CHAIRMAN having stated that Viscount Sydney,
Mr. Glendining, Mr. Mildmay, and other gentlemen
interested in the project were unable to attend, observed
that the district of West Kent was the largest and most
populous in any of the home counties which was unpro-
vided with railway accommodation. It was only natural,
therefore, that the landowners of West Kent should be
anxious for direct railway communication between Maid-
stone and the metropolis. The East Kent Railway
Company having last session succeeded in obtaining
powers to construct a railway from Stroud to Canter-
bury, it occurred to many of the landowners of the wcs
tern division of the county to inquire into the modes by
which they had accomplished their object. Having been
informed that Sir Charles Fox was mainly instrumental
in procuring the East Kent Railway, he (the chairman),
Lord Homesdale, and other gentlemen, thought it desir-
able to communicate with that gentleman, to ascertain
how far it might be in his power to assist them to make their
line. At their request Sir Charles Fox met them at
Seven-oaks, and stated the terms upon which he felt in-
clined to assist them. He had favoured them with the
outline of 'a project, and it now remained for the land-
owners of the county to say whether they would approve
it. (Hear, hear.) Sir Charles Fox estimated the ex-
pense of the line from Sydenham to Maidstone at
500,0001, which it was now proposed to raise by 20,000
shares of 251. each. Of this sum, it was proposed that
one-fourth, or 5,000 shares, should be taken up by re-
sidents in the district, and three-fourths by non-local
capitalists. This was the substance of the proposition
which Lord Homesdale and himself were anxious to
consult the gentlemen of the county upon, and it ap-
peared to them to be so reasonable and advantageous
to the district proposed to be served, that they were pre-
pared to give it every support in their power. (Hear.)
Mr. P. CATOR pointed out the general features of
proposed line of railway, and stated that the plan bad a
three-fold object. There was to be, in the first inst
to ce,
_
a direct line of railway through central Kentthe
the public mloleofagi]):lerowamT
line
des
lcionuenwtyoutoldwn
abnedreodtufocedrd, ftroommasi6dsttoon3e4. miles. (Hear,
wgwiecahr
of
and Eltham ;
proceed Maidstone,
fr
from Sydenham to Lewisham,
impossible to overrate P
It was
one who had not experience of it
the latter line, for no
of the extent to Which the
could form an estimate
now burdened and blocked up with
Brighton line was
from Sydenham to
traffic If the line.
om Sdb eyn hwahmi c,
h botyl wayedam
and also a line from Sydenham to

_.ewington-
ti. ..i.c.
the traffic of
the Turks -tenfold the barbarians which it had lately causeway were made, c the east and west
of the metropolis could be brought over the direct
been the fashion in some quarters to represent them,
that was no reason why England should be false to her
enham, nor was there any means
He had no doubt that the line would be a paying
one, as there was now no line from Dulwich, Peckham,
engagements in their hour of peril. (Renewed cheers.)
There was line.
But the Turks were not mere barbarians.
metropolis. The surveyors engaged had
not a nation which better understood or more exten- of reachfinfbet rystal. Palace without going into the
and Camberwellhe to Sy
the satisfaction of the owners of sively acted upon the principles of religious tolerationunrheart
laid —none which carried out the principle of oute the toline
to be
pro-
stricted
competition"—none, in short,
tole advances pertyrinci al affected, and from all he could hear the
last few years had made such remarkable during the
One recent act of principal
to it
landowners from Sydenham to Maidstone were
in every kind of reform. (Hear.)
to silence for ever very equitable They had agreed to sell their land on
the Sultan alone ought to be enoughterested declaimers, for terms, the ruling price to be thirty years'
those prejudiced, or it might beein
changes upon Turkish purchaseand a freehold agricultural land on a fair rental,
who were constantly ringing
the
would long remem- the l corresponding value for building land. He hoped
perfidy and oppression.
TX:instances of disinterested the an.l owners of the county would at length procure
ber, as among the most noble
present age, the protection l rat way accommodation of which they had been too
generosity afforded by
to Kossuth and his compatriots at long deprived, and that their endeavours on the present
given by the Sultan
moment that the vile emissaries of Aus- . occasion would be crowned with success. (Hear, hear.)
Kutaiah, at the for their blood. If that i In reply to questions from Lord Homesdale and Mr.
trig were loudly clamouring.
it was a barbarism which he Dent, Mr. Coss stated that the proposed direct line
f of barbarism,
were proof
would commence by a junction with the Brighton line