The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-11 00:00:00

RAILW.AY INTELMGENCE.

GREAT NORTH OF SCOTLAND.

An extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders
of this company was held on Friday, at noon, at the
liOyal Hotel, Aberdeen, "for the purpose of confirming
the forfeiture declared.by the directors of certain original
or postponed shares, upon which a call or calls are in ar-
rear, the required notices of the forfeiture of which have
been given on the respective proprietors • and to deter-
mine on the course to be adopted for disposing of -the_
shares so forfeited, by a sale, or cancelling, or a re-issue,
or otherwise, and upon such terms as the meeting shall
direct for raising the capital represented by such shares."
There was a numerous attendance of shareholders—
Sir James D. H. Elphinstone, the chairman of the com-
pany, presiding.
The advertisement calling the meeting, and the report
by the directors—an epitome of which appeared in our
columns a week or two ago—having been read by Mr.
Milne, the secretary,
The CHAIRMAN rose and said—Gentlemen, the report
being read, I now rise to move a series of resolutions at-
tendant thereupon. You will observe that when the
Great North of Scotland Railway was first set agoing,
shares were allotted in very large quantities to different
individuals, and when the present board took up the
affairs of the company, and obtained a new bill reducing
the share capital, we found there was a large portion of
the stock upon which we could not get any payment.
In these circumstances we find it necessary to dispose
of the forfeited stock, and we now offer the 101. share,
upon which 41. has already been paid, for 41. 10s.,
first to our own shareholders, and afterwards to the
public generally. I believe these shares to be perfectly
good stock, and in clearing them off for the com-
pany, we are benefitting the concern by getting money
for what would not be worth anything otherwise. In
regard to the works, I may state that they are proceed-
ing in a most satisfactory manner ; and I can state, on
the authority of Mr. Blythe, the consulting engineer,
now present, that the line is more than three-fourths
completed between Inverary and Huntly. (Applause.)
Now, when we remember that it was only in November
last year that the first turf was cut, and also that, by
the inclemency of the season, the works were totally
stopped—with the exception of the end cuttings—till
the 25th of April, 1 think that we may congratulate our-
selves upon the state of forwardness in which we now
are. The portion of the line between Aberdeen and In-
verary has been allotted to the contractors, and in a
very few days they will be in a position to proceed with ,
the work. I may state, for the information of the pub-
lic, that as seem as the necessary arrangements are made
with'the contractors, to enable us to know how long the
canal can be kept open, we shall not lose a day in mak-
ing the public acquainted with that important fact, and
we shall make arrangements to allow it to be kept open
for traffic till January or February next. The engineer
has suggested a few alterations for the better in the line
near the Spey. Although we have examined the line in
every possible way, to endeavour to lighten the expense,
yet, I. must say, in justice to Mr. Gibb, we hive been
obliged to stick almost to the line as laid out by_him,
except that, by the act of Parliament, we are enabled to
deviate a little, so as to make the works lighter. I feel
that. in stating. this, I am only doing justice to Mr.
Gibb. (Applause.) As the works westward of the Spey
do not need to , come before us at present, I have only
to say that they are under consideration, and when we
have matured a plan, we shall bring it forward to the
shareholders. In concluding, gentlemen, I must say
that the directors have always kept two points in view
—namely, how to make the line in the cheapest and
most remunerative way possible. (Cheers.) The failures
which have taken place in other lines will, we trust,
prove beacons and buoys to prevent us falling into like
mistakes, and while the directors endeavour to do so, we
hope we shall receive the confidence of the shareholders.
In regard to our rolling stock, I may state that twelve
engines are contracted for, and will be delivered up to
us by the Ist of July next, when we hope to have the
pleasure of seeing at our opening of the line many of
those present who were with us at cutting the 'first turf.
(Hear.) ' The Messrs.. Fairbairn of Manchester, aro the
parties with whom we have contracted, and it is only
necessary to mention their names to satisfy you that the
engines will be of the finest make. We have taken
every means in our power to secure the most recent im-
provements in the rolling stock now in operation in
other lines, and especially in such lines where the traffic
seems most likely to resemble that which will be our
own. Our attention will still be directed to this point,
and we hope to be able to have rolling stock equal to
that upon any line open. (Applause.) Sir James con-
cluded by moving the resolutions.
Mr. THOMAS BLAIKIE briefly seconded the resolutions,
which were unanimously adopted.
Mr. MILNE, of Kinaldie, in moving a vote of thanks
to the chairman, said that it was within ,his (Mr.
Milne's) knowledge that it was to the untiring zeal of.
Sir James that the line was in its present forward con-
dition, and through his influence that the direbtors had
been able to surmount many difficulties. (Applause.)
The meeting then separated. ,

TURNING OF THE FIRST SOD 011 THE
EUROPEAN AND NORTH AMERICAN.
—This railway, which is in the first instance do connect
St. John's, New Brunswick, with the whole of the rail-
way system of the United States and Canada, and is
eventually to be carried on to Halifax, being a link in
the great scheme of a connexion from Nova Scotia to
Lake Huron, had its first great celebration on Wednes-
day, the 14th ult. Nearly 40,000 persons were present.
About one o'clock his Excellency Sir Edmund Head,
the Lieutenant Governor, Lady Head, and suite, ar-
rived on the ground, and were received with the usual
honours. His Excellency was accompanied by Commo-
dore Shubrick, of the -United States Navy, and other
officers of the frigate Princeton, which had come ex-
pressly to St. John's for the occasion ; also by Mr. Wm.
Jackson, M.P., and Mr. E. L. Betts, of London.
Nearly all the men of note in New Brunswick, and
several from the United States, assembled round the
Governor. The address presented to him by the direc-
tors having alluded to the national character of the work
in which they were engaged, proceeded to state—
"lt will form a link in the mighty chain which is to
bind Great Britain more closely to her colonies; and per-
petuate the feelings of amity with the great republic of
the Western World. The thousands who crowd the
hills around us, the deep enthusiasm pervading every
class, the exulting feelings of hope and pride Which ani-
mate every face, proclaim to all that results are antici-
pated from this work which language is powerless to
convey. From Lake Huron to the Atlantic the course
for the iron horse is laid, and the wealth which is to en-
able ourselves and our children to develope the rich re-
sources of our province, and to spread civilisation through
our broad lands, comes from the home of our fathers.
Though we cannot claim the balmy air of (Allier climes,
yet Providence has placed around us in rich abundance
all that can stimulate to industry and reward enterprise
—exhaustless forests, rich mines, invaluable fisheries,
productive fields, wide-spreading rivers, and a climate
healthy and invigorating. The plague and the pesti-
lence, which at periods decimate the fairest pbrtions of
the earth—the convulsions which rock mighty cities
from their foundations—to us are unknown. ; Our win-
ters are severe, but they retard not our labour4; and we
may fairly call the attention of your excellency to the
success which has attended the exertions of olr artisans
and mechanics. Our ships now hold a proud position in
the mercantile marine of England, and may vie with the
foremost specimens of naval architecture the world
has hitherto pk-oduced ; onr agricultural capabilities
are daily becoming more apparent, and when' by means
of that great work, the commencement of which
we have now met to celebrate, our facilities of inter-
course shall have been increased, and thee tide of
emigration directed to our shores, we may sagely assure
to the industrious emigrant a home which tvill leave
him no cause to regret the land of his nativity. For
the attainment of railways, the legislatures of Canada,
Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick have wisely passed
most important measures, which, preserving unfettered
' their revenues, and without burdening their pebple, have
nevertheless induced the eminent capitalists of England
to make these provinces the field of their great railway
operations."
The address being suitably responded to, and a prayer
given by the Rev. Dr. Grey, the rector of Trinity
Church, Lady Head turned the first sod and deposited
it in an elaborately prepared barrow, amid the enthusi-
astic shouts of the immense surrounding multitude, and
a salvo of 70 guns by a troop of Royal Artillery. His
Excellency deposited the second sod, the third was re-
moved by Commodore Shubrick, and the others by the
Mayor of St. John's and the officials of the company.
When the barrow was full, his Excellency rolled it along
the platform and " dumped" it, amid cheerS such as
never were heard in the locality before. In the evening
there was a magnificent dinner, presided over by the
chairman of the company, at which 1,500 persons were
assembled. On the right of the chairman was the Lieut.-
Governor, and on the left Commodore Shubrick. The
evening's entertainments were terminated for the people
by a brilliant display of fireworks, and for the upper
classes by a magnificent ball.

NEWPORT AND ABERGAVENNY, AND
SHREWSBURY AND HEREFORD.

Both these lines are to be publicly opened for traffic
on the Ist of November, when the through traffic be-
tween North and South Wales, via Hereford, will be
completed. The great work on the Shrewsbury line
has been the Dunmore-hill tunnel, which has been com-
pleted. This undertaking is 1,060 yards long, 18 feet
high, and 16 feet wide, and in its construction 3,250,000
bricks were used. The whole has been two years and
a-half in making, during which time the mining has
been of the most arduous- character. • The necessary
works along the line have just approached completion.