The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-08 00:00:00

[PRICE SD.

rtmanFniduornranisdiunmthwehfioclhlo
lugs of the board held
each department has been the means of giving great
convenience to the heads of the departments in carrying
on the works appertaining to them. A close supervision, ameng his views on this important matter. This memo.
also, of the various departments had led to a reduction in hweiitnndgeßlwiivioedrrgede delivered to
6 et:, e
, "Mr. Forster :
the staffs generally ; and these reductions have not only r explained his absence from the two meet-
been made with the full concurrence, but at the sugges-
Monday and Tuesday I
tion, of the heads of the departments ; and the result has
his opinion in favour of theand begged permission to record
resolution of the board come
already been a permanent saving of about 5,000/. a year
to at the latter of those
--(loud cheers) Band from all the information we have branch to the decision :,c; flting; to leave the Bromley
been able to acquire we have reason to believe that fur- already sitting upon it and the Parliamentary committee
board,
Westminster, as c con
the two other competing
they savings will be effected without impairing the pro- schemes. Mr. Forster desires
to take his full share in any
responsibility attaching to that
per working of the undertaking. The steam-boat este-
resolution of the board, the
immediate result of which has b
blishment at Folkestone has undergone considerable Rite-
een to defeat the two com-
peting schemes before the Parlia
ration. The works belonging to that establishment have
Well, gentlemen, it might have Welly
men committee."
now been concentrated at Ashford, where there is abun- been supposed that after
a decision so come to by your b
dance of labour and other appliances ; and we feel satis-
by the committee of the House of Commons, board, and so a roved
pp
fled from the information we have received, that the
mons, that your
repairs of the steam boats can be made as well and as directors would have vigorously prosecuted the bill, and
efficiently, and more rapidly, than they could have been would, as they must have done, come to you for your
approval of it, stating their reasons accomplished at Folkestone, whilst the amount of the
for having authoria®d
Mr. Hope-Scott to give those a
pay-sheets at Folkestone has been reduced from 1001. to
uttered as their mouth piece, and tshsautratres which he
521. per week—(hear, hear )--and Mr. Cudworth, the
sought to obtain your approbation and they would have
head of the locomotive department atr.
Ashford, has in
the decision taken ; but observe what .3dTdurt skupport for
formed us that he will be able to effect a large reduc-
the bill was passed by the committee of a e Plane—
the House of
tion in the expenses of his department without detract the
on the 21st of March, and might
ing from its utility, • Branches of the engineering de- Commons
through its various stages immediatel have pro-
but no
partment have also been concentrated at Ashford, by
step was taken in respect to it • and, therefore,y'
I
gave
which a material saving lias been effected ; but of the
precise amount I am not at present able to inform
call your attention notice to the board, on the 11th
of May, of my intention
you. I now, for a few moments,
to move a resolution to the following effect—namel
to the much-vexed question of the Bromley and y
" That instructions be given to the solicitors to proceed
Lewisham extension line. I find, by the records of the with the Lewisham and Bromley Bill without further
company, that this project has been before you for many delay," and I did move that resolution on the 18th of
years, and that it has entailed upon you, in one shape or May ; and I may mention, in justice to two of my hon.
other, large legal expenses ; and this 'question, I may colleagues throughout, that I was supported by Mr.
add, has been a most embarrassing one to your new Rich and Mr. Renshaw An amendment was, however,
directors. I think you will do well to consider
moved by Mr. Matthew Forster, whose previous senti-
the objects of the different parties who have advocated ments in favour of-my motion you have already heard,
exten-ions, and the motiv which induced such advo-
to this effect, and it met with the support of the majo-
es
cacy ; and the more I refleet upon it the more I am con-
city of the board.
emcee that the carrying-out of the project would by at-
Mr. Forster's motion—" That considering that the
tended with an outlay of a large amount of capital, with
time and attention of the board is fully occupied in re-
little or no advantage to yourselves. (Hear, hear.) I vising the affairs of the'line, and that the funds of the
company and the labour of its officers are fully employed
ask you to consider whether the proprietors at large
possess such an amount of information as to enable them in carrying out schemes already undertaken -and also
to discuss this question calmly and deliberately, if we that the branch to the village of Bromley, as laid down
in the bill, promoted by the late board is not, in our
had called you together for that purpose ; and I find
from communications I have had, both personal and
opinion, the best line either for the interest of the com-
peny or the public ; and further, considering the pre-
written, that this would nut have been the case. I find
that you have trusted too much, as is usually the case in ,
sent state of the money market, with other reasons for
societies of this kind, to the directors themselves— (hear,
postponement, we deem it inexpedient to proceed with
hear)—and I find that you were generally ignorant of "LEWISHAM AND BROMLEY• the bill in the present session, as far as relates to .the
the merits and demerits, the advantages -and the dialed- "It appears to us of immense importance in the conduct Bromley branch." Now, gentlemen, I wish to callyour attention to this fact, that this resolution, passed
vantages, of such a project. I think very few of you of this case,. thattounsol should know, before the 'bill is
were aware of the manner in which it would embroil us submitted to the committee, what course the board, as now by the board of directors of the South-Eastern Railway
with the Brighton Company if that line had been carried, constituted, is prepared to recommend to the shareholders Company, was passed after the chairman of the cora-
and I believe that few of you had taken into account the' respecting it. Should there be any evidence before the Pant had received a letter from Mr. Charles Geach, the
committee of a disinclination to prosecute the bill, this member for Coventry, and the chairman of the West-
effect which the construction of that line would have had
circumstance will probably secure the success of one or end and Crystal Palace, Bromley, and Farnborough
upon your existing property, by the creation of a large
both of the rival bills.; and even the absence of a specific line, stating that if, upon the receipt of his letter, the
amount of profitless capital, and an annual charge upon
assurance that the bill will be bona fide
prosecuted may South-Eastern directors called a Wharncliffe meeting of
revenue ; for I cannot admit that the Bromley and have the same effect.
the company, he should wait the decision of the meet-
Lewisham line would be anything but a losine concern. "Connsel for the Sydenham bill have already raised the ing, but that he should consider any further delay as
I thought that none of you had looked to the final re-question, and it must bo answered. - suits of that line, and that you were not aware that it " JAMES R. HOPE-SCOTT. decisive evidence that the directors did not intend to
would involve the construction of a loop line from Brom- C. HOGGINS. proceed with the bill, and that he should allow no op-
ley to Croydon, which loop-line would have a most HENRY ALWORTH MEREWETHER. portunity to escape of obtaining the sanction of Par
serious effect upon your present system. I am aware-
HUNTER RODWELL. liament to the other bills. Well, gentlemen, having,
" 17th March, 1851." on the 18th May, moved that instructions be given
to
that a large majority of this proprietary are opposed
proceed with the
to extensions generally—(cries of "hear, hear")—and I Thisenemoranduna was presented to the consideration of bill, and having been defeated, I
know also that some of you have never given a thought my honourable colleagues on Saturday, the 18th March, again endeavoured to set the board right and to protect
to it, provided a thing was recommended by the direc. accompanied by all the explanations which I had it in you, by moving the following resolution upon the Bth
tors ; but I know there are a few--although but a small my power to give, and with all the reasons which I had June, namely—" That a special meeting of the pro-
portion of you—who desire extensions for speculative to offer in favour of a decision for prosecuting the bill ; prietors of the company be convened to consider the
purposes. You will be told, I have no doubt, that in and I had further to announce to my honourable col- position of the Lewisham and Bromley Bill, and the pro-
withdrawing that bill, which we thought it our duty to leagues, that in the hope of enabling them to come to a priety of proceeding with it." Tho directors did not
do, we have neglected our duty, and that we have in- satisfactory and amicable settlement of the question I choose to call you together ; they chose to assume that
jured your interests ; but Ibe of you, in all statements had arranged for a meeting between them and the chair- you had left the policy of proceeding with the Bromley
that may be made on this subject, to look well into the man of the Brighton Company, and the chairman of the bill, under all circumstances, however urgent or critical,
motives and feelings of those who dictate sentiments West-end and Crystal Palace and Bromley and Fern- with them, concluding by a resolution stating, "That
that may be adverse to the policy which your directors borough R diway, for the succeeding Monday, the 20th they, after mature consideration having resolved that
have adopted with a view to promote your interest. I March, at 10 o'clock in the morning. That meeting took the South-Eastern, Lewisham, and Bromley bill should
wish you to look into this matter, because it is one of place, and your directors had their discussion with the be withdrawn, it was unnecessary to trouble the share-
serious import to yourselves. If you look at the pre- gentlemen mentioned, and various suggestions were of-
holders on the subject." Gentlemen, I can hardly con-
sent state of your finances, and consider the decaying fered, chiefly, I must say, inimical ones to the South-
ceive a more unhappy state of things, because I say that
nature of our property, I think your feeling will be that, Eastern Company, and one was embodied in writing and
neither you nor any other body of sane men should have
instead of prosecuting further extensions, the energies of was submitted by our solicitors, by order of the direc- refused to spend 130,000/. in constructing six miles of
the directors ought to be employed in putting your ex. tors, to the Parliamentary counsel for the South-Eastern railway, if you had the alternative of so doing ; or of
isting property into proper order. (Hear' hear.) I Company for their consideration. It was in the follow- seeing ten miles of railway carried into the heart of
Kent by a hostile company, at an expense of only
think, also, it would be most improper to fetter your. ing terms. If lam rightly informed, I may affiliate it
selves with any new obligations, but that you should on my hon. friend, Mr. Laing, as being its parent. I 80,0001. for a single line of railway, being about one-
wait patiently until a fair reason is presented for a de- may mention that I was not present when it was drawn fourth of what some single miles of our railway have
viation from that policy which caution and.necessity has up, having been obliged to leave the meeting to com-
cost us. Well, gentlemen, what followed ? The South-
now forced upon us. (Hear, hear.) We believe that municate to the counsel of the South-Eastern Company, Eastern, Lewisham, and Bromley bill was withdrawn
your line possesses great elasticity—we believe that it who were assembled by appointment, and had at 12 by the majority of the board, Mr. Geach applied to
has great elements of improvement ; but all this wants o'clock to attend the committee of the House of Com-
the House of Commons for leave to recommit the two
vitality, and to secure that vitality we feel that a cliffs- mons, what was in progress. This is the memo- other bills, which had been rejected ; and the only re-
rent system to that which has hitherto been pursued randum :
sult which could be expected to follow did follow—
must be adopted. (Loud cries of " hear, hear," and " With reference to the question submitted to us by the bills were re-committed. The West-end and
cheers.) We feel that a strict supervision and economy Mr. Freeman this afternoon, respecting the terms of ar-
Crystal Palace Extension to Bromley and Farnborough
must be exercise 1, and we have no doubt that, with rangement embodied in a memorandum of this forenoon•
passed through its various stages in the House of Corn-
it appears to us to involve considerations which are beyond mons, and when it arrived in the House of Lords,
exer-
cise of a little patience on your part, we shall ce able to
prudence and caution, with your support, and the
the ordinary province of counsel. and was referred to a committee, there the Brighton
effect very great and very salutary changes. I ought "This arrangement palpably tends to alter the position Company (marvellous to say) and the South-Eastern
of theaSroalhkEenastt.erir3Vioiamr Fir
such
clil the almost exclusive Company both petitioned against it ; and Mr.
to apologise for trespassing at so great a length upon
Hope-Scott explained the conduct of the directors.
your time—(hear, hear)—but there is still one point possessor
or otherwise to the general intermesetnifrLmatalorne- The committee refused to hear either the South-Eastern
which I wish to bring before your notice. In the is matter ofpolicy which belongs exclusively
pally, a
-
course of the next session, it is quite clear that schemes the directors.
borough bill, but the South-Eastern Company carried on
for Mid-Kent will be brought before Parliament. You "Passing over, therefore, this intermediate point, we
.
are aware that parties have already got a footing as far must recur to the considerations which we submitted to their opposition to the bill in a manner not very nn-
as Farnborough, and the object is to extend it on to the directors in our last opinion, and request a definite an- common, by paying the expense of landowners, who were
Maidstone ; but I have heard that the object is also to swer as to the amount of authority which we possess for induced to petition against it. Gentlemen, I attended
construct a line to Tunbridge. Whether that is the assuring the committee that the bill (which stands for to- on that committee of the Lords at every moment that
morrow at twelve o'clock) will be bo
as
prosecuted, and my other duties permitted me to be absent from them,
case or not, Icannot say ; but, supposing they get that
its powers. executed, ), the South-Eastern Company. and, seeing the course that was being taken, I gave no-
amountline, there is no question that it will take a considerable
(Signed) "JAMES R. HOPE-SCOTT. lice in writing to the solicitor of the company, as I had
of traffic from your main line. No doubt you
C. HOGGINS.
will hear it said that We have pursued a foolish and sui- " HENRY ALWORTH MEREWETHER. done verbally before, of my readiness to be examined as
cidal policy in abandoning the Bromley bill. But let " HUNTER RODWELL. a witness, as I did not see that there was any other per-
us look to the other side of the question. Supposing "Monday afternoon, March 20, 1854." son who could so exactly picture the unfortunate posi-
you constructed that line yourselves, you -would hardly Well, gentlemen, the board of directors met on the tion in which the South-Eastern Company would be
be able to do that at the present time, with the high afternoon of that Monday, the 20th of Marcel, and ad- placed if the West-end and Crystal Palace and Bromley
prices of labour and materials, under three-quarters of a journed to the following morning, Tuesday ; and counsel and Farnborough bill were to be allowed to pass, or, as
million, That would entail upon your existing revenue again, impressed by the new circumstances of the case far as I could tell, be so likely to induce the committee
a burden of 30,000/. a-year, raise the money how you presented before the committee of the House of Com-
to view with some compassion the great evils the passing
will, for interest upon that capital. And when you mons on the Monday, drew up another memorandum,
complete it, it will positively be a competing line to your which included their reply to Mr. Laing's proposal, and of that bill would bring upon this company. Gentlemen,
the solicitor of the South-Eastern Company, acting for
own, and will entail a dead loss upon you of 17,000/. a also their view of the position of the South-Eastern Cora-
the landowners, and my hon. colleagues your direc-
year. That will be your position if you make that line— pany. These are the terms :
tors, acting with him, did not think fit to avail them
you will add three-quarters of a million to your capital ; "In case all lines cannot be postponed—
selves of my offer. They may say that they did not
there will be a permanent burden of 30,000/. a-year for "Landowners' line to pass from Farnborough to Becken- know what evidence I might give upon the sub-
interest,
besides an annual loss to your main line of ham and Norwood ; •
ject, or how far my testimony might be unflatter- '
17,000/. I ask you which is the most suicidal policy of " Abandoning Sydenham Junction. ing to them, or might inculpate them • but I say,
" On condition—
that it was their duty to have ascertained from me,
the two ? Having made these observations, and put
"That next session the landowners (Sydenham and if they had such doubts, what it was I had to say, and
you ix possession briefly, and I hope clearly, of all
Farnborough) shalll eithere assent to the South-Eastern how I thought that I might in any way, under those '
the leading features which have occupied our attention
since I came into office, I have only in conclusion to eamakingitmaline
landownersf ro ii, L
lieweisehramthlo ashcolilliv3eeniaetntlijbuenrtctiotu extremely trying circumstances, still serve the com-
pany ; and I frankly avow that the only way to serve
request of you that you will extend to us some little apply to Parliament for power to Make it themselves. 3'
n
indulgence to enable us to make ourselves more per- "As between the Brighton and South-Eastern it is yon would have been to condemn the proceedings of the
featly acquainted with those matters which more agreed that, as part of the arrangement, if the line selected then majority of the board of directors of the South-
nearly affect your interests ; and, gentlemen, you may be next year shall be one taking the direction of the present Eastern Company. Gentlemen, the majority of the di-
assured that if anything occurs of a favourable nature, South-Eastern lino, the Brighton Company shall have a rectors may tell you that they obtained reports from
we shall communicate it to you with pleasure, whilst at clause empowering them to make at their cost a junction officers of the company about this line ; and so they did
the same time, whatever occurs which may not be alto- from near East Croydon with the proposed lino near —they obtained a report from the company's engineer,
B, eckernnhana ; and ont ssuchdjuLctibngmade the South- under date of April 25, conveying many sound reasons
gather of the same favourable nature will, with equal
readiness, be placed before you so that you shall have takenEas te
Eastee
ande London Bridge South-Easterne traffic be- why the Lewisham and Bromley bill should go forward;
the opportunity of judging and determining for 3 our- and North Kent line. by the Lewisham and they obtained a counter report from a gentleman
selves, under whatever phase the affairs of the company "If the lino to Bromley be carried by east branch of who had been a subordinate officer of the company, and
may be presented to you. (Hear, hear. is P b the B• ht Company '
.) There one Ravens bourne rig on will not object, and whom they had, on their own responsibility, promoted
question connected with the report which I ought not to without stipulation. to another position, adverse to the engineer's report ;
pass over unnoticed--that is, the additional capital " BeiehtenComeany agree, as part of this, that they will but, I say, that they were not justified, under the
which we ask you to allow us to go to Parliament for, not work the landowners' lines without arrangement with circumstances that I have detailed, in taking upon
The amount is half a million. In makin ut the esti- the South-Eastern Company. themselves the decision of this uestion without calli
mates it has been done upon the principleg that we wish "If South-Eastern Company elect to make a line from upon you to give your opinion,and decide
to what
to conceal nothing from you, ci
to be done. And now, gentlemen, let me tell
~ eine of the works must
the landowners notice by Ist September next."
be immediately undertaken for the •ofthe you, and Ido so with unfeigned sorrow, what is the
protection
on Tueie ay morning, by a
existing traffic ;the other works it is proposed to extendeffect of the bill, that has passed for making this line
ianajerity, decided that the South-Eastern Lewisham
over a period of five years, but that will not alter the from the Crystal Palace to Farnborough, and what are
Ind Bromley line should be prosecuted, and Mr. Hope-
sum which will be ultimately required. There will be • the evils that it will bring upon your property. Gen-
Scott, the counsel for the company, conveyed to the tlemen, this is the state of the case. Our Lewisham and
Gen-
no necessity to raise all that money at once ; we merely committee of the House of Commons the instructions
ask for the authority to raise that sum, and that you will Bromley line, six miles in length, would have been
which he had received from your present chairman, in
leave it to our discretion and prudence to raise it in a constructed at an expense of 136,000/. The directors '
the following words. And I may here add, that I am had the offer of an eminent and wealthconstructor to
y
manner most beneficial to your interests during the particular in quoting these expressions exactly,
period of five years. There is only one other matter to • . y, for, accept, in payuient for the construction of that line, '
which I will allude, and that is the •
question of loss upon
, although I shall be brief in asking your attention, I sin
impressed with the extreme i • m oitance to our future preferential stock, bearing 4e- per cent, interest, and
y they had also the offer of the same contractor to hire '
light gold ; upon which I have the satisfaction of stating ' • • P
interests of your well weighing these facts. These, then, that line from you, when constructed, at a higher rate '
that arrangements have been made, by which the loss are Mr. Hope-Scott's words :
of interest. The bill that has passed will convey the
under that head will be diminished seven-eighths, if not "It remains only for me to allude to ono matter which traffic from Farnboroti,gh, Bromley, and Mid-Kent to
entirely obviated. (Cheers.) The hon. chairman co has been used. by
(my opponents.
themselvesyouths on this line, dnd
terminus of the Brigliton Company, and over the West-
sumed his seat amidst the general applause of the e expressions of opinion this way, and expressions
end and Crystal Palace line to the Chester and West •
meeting.
of opinion that way, and, therefore, there is no security
minster terminus. The 'Westminster Station bill was
The Hon. Mr. BTNG, deputy chair •atall that the bill will be prosecuted and the line made.
man, having se-
On that subject I have specific instructions from the also passed last session. Observe, therefore, that all
tended the motion,
Mr. HELMORE called attention to the se board to press this lino on your attention, and to beg I traffic passing over that line, when constructed, will be
thavteral estimates you to pass this line. And those instructions it is my ; entirely and absolutely removed from us, and will not
of further expenditure, and contended
athe majority duty to fulfil, and no insinuations whatsoever on the I pay us a single shilling of toll. Gentlemen, it pleased
of them were useless, and would not add
Parliament to sanction Mr. Geach's Bromley and Fern-
their present receipts. He more partieulasrhlilling to part.
which
the
.othetr side can, of cotiiiersso,
hbee
serqsual to those
1 borough line, with some gradients as steep as 1 in 75,
tinned the proposed outlay of 8,000/. for a customhouse -;iqouuesse- 'fver thearienftirvuecntionnsmteheyy doe parties
me,w and whichrfs I have
1 and, consequently, capable of construction at a price far
at Folkestone.
received specific instructions to lay before you on this
below what our lines of railwa have cost
Mr. KAY, of Manchester, said it ee occasion. lam now speaking of a board decision dolibe- .
of
line y . us. In fact,
ld ouhave been the estimate the fora single line from the
better if the hon. proprietor had submitted his views rately come to."
'Brighton line to Farnborough, ten miles isonly 80
to
,000/.;
the board previous to the meeting, and no doubt th„,, The result was that on the same day (Tuesday, the 21st
it requires no mathematicianto '
tell you that on a
would have received due attention, lie called attention
--' March) Lord Harry Vane and the other members of the andline so cheaply constructed a much smaller sum of net
to the fact that the legal expenses had amounted tocommittee passed the South-Eastern Company's Lewis-
profit will pay a better dividend than the •
an
sum which Is
average of 53,000/. a year for the last eight years which ham and Bromley Bill, and threw out the two opposing
for your own costly
line, with better gradients.
he considered was a matter which called for the's iou schemes ; and they inserted in that bill a clause which,
required Well, o
consideration of the shareholders. He expresseder hiss I think, betokened their sound view of the case, and
'suppose that gentlemen,Mr. Geach
andcomes. the question. Do you
confidence in the present chairman, whom he con r
g their clear appreciation of the difficulties of the position
the sanction of Paid his friends, who have got
tulated upon the favourable impression which he had nn_ of the South-Eastern and Brighton Companies, and the ,
will stop there ? Do you supposefora for a moment that
doubtedly made upon the proprietors on this first occa- necessity for some compensating arrangement between
that line will not b
r
inconvenience and to insure public . e prosecuted at least to T b •
sion of his meeting them.i them, to prevent
if not to other places in Kent ?It is with un ridge,
lelr. MAccißEcion (the late chairman of the corn safety. The clause was as follows : !.
. found grief and disappointment
any
that I see such a hostile
then rose for the purpose of addressing the meeting lie) "23. Unless the company shall, in the next session, or 1 line invading the vry heart of e
in rho session next thereafter ensuing, apply to Perlin- Kent, after ten years
was received with mingled cheers and hisses, aeut.the, spent in anxious sore'
re meat, either alone or jointly with the Loudon, Brighton,solicitude to guard our interest in the
was a manifest desire on the part of a section of the ' t traffic of that count.
prietors to prevent his being heard. His address Pro- and South Coast Railway Com_pany,foateo k
t'llthorcieseort
construct
or
all that has been (1-7, and thus reversing, in a moment,
pied about an hour and a half in its deliver occu- a railway from theot realivnany_nbny, this
London, Brighton, and South Coast were vulnerable one for our protection. That we
there, I and
think we are not incorrect in stating that duringy and
.t
de-we near Bell-reen, h
Eastt Croydon, and shall, on or before the Istwho
acted with mem hon u
did Y o rable colleagues
livery he was interrupted not less than from is
Railway
near
--
•notice in writing, under their • not conceal from y ou. Without
to 40 day of October, 1800, give going back to earlier •
times. The greater portion of his speech was written common seal, to the London, Brighton, and South Coast of the circular periods I refer you to the contents
but the following is a substantially correctof -
Railway Compeny, of their intention or willingness so to t the we issued on the let December last and
note the o one of the 10th February, in which ' l
whole of his observations. Ho said—l beg permission to al) '- '
nlv then the company shall offer no opposition to the '
stated that thi • •
preamble of any hill which may be submitted to Parlie- s point in the company's position was a
make a few observations on the report which has be ' vulnerable meat by the London, Brighton, andet SeeoeutthhCoast Railway
andßr one ; that the project to make the Lewisham
read to the meeting, and upon the present circumstances'en Company, for making achraailwa
tii!foro-
valuable omley branch obviouely recommended itself as
of the company, and also to say a very few words on application by the the
the position in which lam myself placed ; and for the said ; or fatiillienngtahneysuP
company shall offer no oppositionlen t 0
00ntLIprevent to the company to protect its interests, and to
ictd opposition of a character which would, if n
very few moments in which I propose to trespass upon company,l of any bill which may be submitted to Parlia- prove pernicious, and that the object of the
the time of the proprietors I shall venture to ask for their ' Pnrieenatmby any other company or person for making a railwa ee ►
'
y
of
directors was to secure to the company the traffic
kind and indulgent attention. From the tenour of the re- ' between the points aforesaid."
Kei •
and having made that short branch,
.the
port which the majority of the board of directors have ' Gentlemen, the authority given to Mr. Hope-Scott d'
ties might
was direction of future extensions which other
.par
of
laid on the table, it might be supposed that all thht had ;given a a duly-summoned meeting of the board of direc., seek to make beyond Bromley. The majority_ . your
happenedsince the last meeting of the comPanerhad under • tors at which seven members were present (the two who `directors have had the game in their own hansds. T
the administration of the newly-elected directors been of were absent subsequently recorded their views iuWhat
present the
bill stood for third reading in the Comremsz:
the most praiseworthy character, and that the permanent sition to each other), so that had all been
to a most
was there at issue ? Gentlemen, our inte
when
interests of the company had been carefully and success- decision would have been the same ; and I think it due serious extent, and they have been compromised,mg have m
fully guarded. It will be my duty to state to"the pro- to my hon. colleague, Mr. Matthew Forster, and due to 1 the majority of our board of elirectors
__
tab of the com-
e
prietors the view which I entertain upon the subject, and that Ishould place before you the
you,

to give them the reasons upon which I entirely differ
from the majority of the board of directors. Those plati-
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pointed by the action which the majority of the board
have taken. It will be in the recollection of the meetina• '
that upon the last occasion when we assembled in this
room, it was my duty, at the instance and by the direc-
tion of the majority of my then colleagues, to announce,
without hesitation, that the general canvsss which had
gone on throughout the company for proxies in favour of
the three retiring directors on the one hand, and of three
proposed directors on the other hand, had resulted in a
decided majority in favour of the three new directors ;
and to say that the directors unhesitatingly bowed to
that decision, so obtained, and the three retiring direc-
tors withdrew from nomination and made the accession
of the three new directors as harmonious as they pos-
sibly
could. Weil, gentlemen, the new directors so
nominated to office assumed at once the responsi-
bility of the management of the company. They
elected the gentleman who has atldressed you to-day as
their chairman; and after a division at the board, in which
the opinion of the majority was not regarded by the gen-
tleman who had the majority of votes for that office, they
subsequently elected a deputy chairman. Under the
circumstances in which the company was then placed,
having a bill before Parliament for the construction of a
protective line from Lewisham to Bromley, of six miles
in length, and estimated to cost 136,0001., it became ne-
cessary for an immediate decision to be taken by the
board of directors in regard to that bill; and the board
of directors meeting on Saturday, the 18th of March,
two days after the general meeting of the company, had
to assume the new and further responsibility cast upon
them by circumstances which occurred upon Friday, the
17th March, before the committee of the House of Com-
mons to whom the schemes for railways in the south-
eastern district were referred. That committee met on
Friday, March 17, and the counsel for the South-Eastern
Company, watching the proceedings of the committee,
became convinced that the committee would inevitably
pass at least one of the three bills before them for the
construction of lines to Bromley and Farnborough,
Farnborough being within 15 miles of Tunbridge ; and
at the close of the Friday they drew up a memorandum
containing the result of their observations. It was in
these words :