The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-08 00:00:00

PORTSMOUTH.

On Saturday the ceremony of cutting the first sod, pre-
paratory to commencing the works on thisline, took place
at Burton, on the estate of Mr. B. Carter, M.P. Burton
is situated on the intended line a short distance from Pe-
tersfield, being about 20 miles from Godalming, and 12
miles from Havant. The place chosen for cutting the sod is
partly encircled by a steep hilt, clothed with verdure,
and well wooded, and is aLs9 near the mouth of an in.

tended tunnel to pass through the hill. The directors
and their friends from London were conveyed from the
Waterloo station to Farnham by the South-Western
Railway, and thence by coaches over the road through
a beautiful country a distance of 13 miles. Parties from
Havant and other places also arrived on the ground about
half-past 2 o'clock. A procession, headed by a band of
music, was formed at an old mansion close by, formerly
the residence of Mr. Gibbon, the historian. Numbers
of well-dressed persons were assembled in groups at
various distances on the sloping hill partly surrounding
the spot selected for the ceremony. The procession
having arrived, Mr. F. Mowatt, the chairman of the
company, opened the p-oceedings by congratulating the
spectators on the fine day they had for their work, and
on the certainty of having railway communication
in the district. He said it would form part of a
direct line between London and Portsmouth and
intermediate places, and it would confer great
advantages on the country both in a local and national
point of view, as there was no doubt it would be carried
out to completion. The value of property would be
greatly enhanced in the district, and facilities for trade
which did not now exist would be afforded. The saving
in distance by this line over the present routes between
London and Portsmouth would be 22 miles, and in time
from three-quarters of an hour to one hour. The bill
had been opposed by the South-Western and Brighton
and South Coast Railway Company, but Parliament
had decided on granting the bill. In accordance with
Mr. Cardwell's clause in the act, the directors had
entered into a bond to pay the whole deposit to the
Crown in case the line should not be completed
within the time specified. (Hear, hear.) The line
would commence by a junction with the South-Western
Railway at Godalming, and terminate for the present at
Havant on the South Coast line, but it was intended to
apply for powers to extend it to Portsmouth. They
would have a short junction line to the South-Eastern
Railway, so that they would have one terminus at
Waterloo-road and the other at London-bridge. The
South-Western Railway had met them in a most
amicable and friendly spirit. He then read a letter
from the Hon. F. Scott, the chairman of that
company, apologizing for not being present, and ex-
pressing a desire on the part of the board to afford the
Portsmouth Company every facility in their power for
carrying on and developing the traffic of the district.
(Cheers.)
Mr. ERRINGTON, the engineer, stated that there were
one million and a half of cubic yards of earthwork to be
removed, 100 bridges to be constructed, from 7,000 to
8,000 tons of iron rails and chairs to be laid, and from
2,000 to 3,000 men would be employed for a period of
nearly two years, at the end of which time the line
would be completed. He thought so much labour
could not be performed in the district without doing
some good, and he believed that if the men behaved
well, as they had promised to do, they would be treated
well by the inhabitants of the district. (Hear.) He
could assure them that the works would be commenced
immediately, and would never cease until they were
completed. He then handed the spade to Mr. Bonham
Carter, as the worthiest man to commence the work.
(Cheers.)

Mr. BONHAM CARTER then proceeded to cut the first
sod, amid the cheers of a large concourse of respectable
persons from London, Havant, Petersfield, and other
places, the ringing of the church bells, waving of hand-
kerchiefs and so forth. Having placed a few sods in the
wheelbarrow, he wheeled it to the end of a temporary
platform and tilted the contents on the ground beneath
amid renewed cheers. He said he trusted that the work
would be finished with the same spirit that it had com-
menced. He was convinced that great benefits would
arise to the district from the undertaking. He thought
the visitors from London would see, from the beauty of
the country they had passed through that it was a dis-
trict worth coming to ; and he had no doubt they would
have many new residents among them when the railway
was completed. He had exerted himself very much to
obtain the act, and he most heartily wished the under-
taking every success. (Cheers.)

This concluded the Ceremony, and the company re-
tired to marpuees on the ground, where a collation was
prepared, and to which about 480 persons sat down.
Mr. Mowatt presided. The usual loyal and other toasts
were drunk and responded to, including " Success to the
Portsmouth Railway." Mr. Harker was toastmaster,
and the proceedings concluded in a most satisfactory
manner.