The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-04 00:00:00

STIRLING AND DUNFERMLINE.

The half-yearly meeting of this company was held at
Edinburgh on Friday ; Mr. James Anstruther, chair-
man of the company, presiding.
The report expressed the congratulation of the direc-
tors on the termination of the long pending litigation
between the company and the Edinburgh and Glasgow
Company, regarding the obligation of the latter to lease
the line. The House of Lords, on the Bth of July last,
affirmed the decision of the Court of Session, declaring the
lease of the Stirling andDumfermline line to the Edinburgh
and Glasgow Company to be valid, commencing on the
4th of December, 1850, and to subsist for thirty-five years
The Edinburgh and Glasgow Company had, in conse-
quence taken possession of the line, to work it as les-
sees ; and the directors of the Stirling and Dunfermline
Company were engaged with the settlement of all out-
standing claims. The traffic of the line continued to in-
crease in a satisfactory manner ; but owing to the ad-
vance on prices, there had been a rise in the working
expenses. The arrears of calls had been reduced to a
very small sum, and it was satisfactory to know that no
loss had occurred from the sale of forfeited shares.

The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report,
stated that the rent to be paid by the Edinburgh and
Glasgow Company was fixed at 4 per cent, on the ca-
pital expended, which, however, had yet to be adjusted.
In opposition to the opinion of the chairman of the
Edinburgh and Glasgow Company, that the lease would
not be a remunerative one, the directors of the Stirling
and Dunfermline line maintained that its traffic pro-
spects were of the most encouraging character. They
accused the other board of interposing every obstacle
in their power to the successful working of the line,
and of causing a useless and unnecessary amount of
expenditure, estimated at 20,0001. or 25,000/., the in-
terest of which, however, they would have to pay. It
was still computed that 40,0001. was due for arrears of
reut, and in place of reserving this sum before dividing
their revenue, the Edinburgh and Glasgow Company
had made an offer of 20,000/., clogged with conditions
too ludicrous to be entertained.

Mr. WARDLA.W RAMS IT, of Whitehill, seconded the
adoption of the report.
The report was then agreed to, with some resolutions
declaring the forfeiture of certain shares, &c., after
which the meeting separated.

OPENING OF THE RAILWAY TO YEOVIL.
The Durston and Yeovil branch of the Bristol and
Exeter Railway was opened for public traffic on Satur-
day, being the first line which has been completed to the
small manufacturing town of Yeovil, among the many
schemes which, from time to time, have been projected
to supply it with railway accommodation. It has obvi-
ously not been the importance of the traffic of Yeovil
itself, celebrated though it be for its superior gloves,
which has induced railway directors to expend thou-
sands of pounds in parliamentary contests, but the
position it occupies in a district sought to be entirely
appropriated by the representatives of the rival gauges.
Durston is a small village, about four miles from Taun-
ton ; and it is at this point of the Bristol and Exeter
proper that the branch diverges almost due east for
twenty miles, passing through a large tract of flat country,
evidently recovered from the sea since Alfred the Great
found refuge in the obscure island of Athelney, now
Athelney village, its centre, intersecting the famed
Sedgemoor, and finally reaching Yeovil, through the
pretty towns of Longport and Martock. From the na-
ture of the country the works have been very easily
constructed, and completely to the satisfaction of the
Government inspector. The inaugural train, with its
gaily dressed engine, bearing Mr. J. W. Buller, the
chairman of the Bristol and Exeter Company ; Mr. W.
D. Wills, the deputy-chairman ; Messrs. E. Divett,
M.P., &c., arrived at Yeovil at two o'clock ; and on the
platform, the Portreeve, Mr. Thomas Binford, R.N.,
presented an address, which was suitably acknowledged
by the chairman. A procession was formed to conduct
the visitors to the Town-hall, where a dinner was
spread for their entertainment, and, with bands of
music, banners, and evergreens, a holiday appearance
was given to the town, greatly augmented by the
total cessation of business, and the gay dresses a d en-
thusiastic faces of all the inhabitants. At the dinner,
the toast of the day was, of course, " Prosperity to the
Bristol and Exeter Railway Company," and, in respond-
ing, Mr. Buller observed on the rich and fertile character
of that portion of the county of Somerset through which
the line passed, and upon the early prospect of the Cen-
tral Somerset Railway, bringing the ancient abbey of
Glastonbury within easy and general approach ; and
taking a more extensive range, attributed the full advan-
tages of the penny postage, the impetus which the arts
have received from the Great Exhibition, and the im-
provement in agriculture from the Royal Society's visits
to different points of the United Kingdom, in a great
measure to the extraordinary development of the railway
system, which has been the result of private speculation
and commercial enterprise. The directors returned in
a special train to Bristol, greeted as they passed the dif-
ferent stations, notwithstanding the lateness of the hour
by the enthusiastic cheers of the same dense crowds
which had welcomed their coming in the morning.

said railway shall be held to form part of the main trunk
line of railway, and the said company shall, accordingly,
upon complying with all the provision of the law in that
behalf, be entitled to the benefit of the guarantee of the
province, to the extent and in the manner by law pro-
vided." The Grand Trunk Act itself authorises that
company to make a line of railway from Montreal to
Toronto, thus carrying out the intention of all preceding
acts, both of Parliament and the Government, of making
the Great Western Railway a part of the main trunk
line. The directors of the Great Western Company
complain of the position occupied by members of the
Government in forming a large part of the direction
of the Grand Trunk Railway—thus securing an identi-
fication of the policy of the Government with that
of the railway. The Great Western directors strongly
denounce the proceeding of introducing the Toronto
and Port Sarnia line into the Grand Trunk scheme, as
a breach of faith towards the company, a repudiation by
the Government of the acts of the Legislature, which
they as the executive of the province were bound to
carry out. They state that the Grank Trunk board are
attempting by every possible means, including a threat
to carry traffic from Sarnia to Toronto gratis, to force
the Great Western Company into an amalgamation. To
so great an extent has this been carried that public
meetings have been held at Hamilton and London to
protest against such proceedings, and strongly recom-
mending the Great Western Company not to amalga-
mate with the Grand Trunk line.
On the whole, the directors of the Great Western
Company express their strong and decided opinion,
founded on extensive local knowledge and many years'
familiar acquaintance with the districts and traffic which
are so soon to be served by the Great Western, that no-
thing but amalgation with the Grand Trunk line can do
them any vital injury.

STAINES, WOKINGHAM AND WOKING JUNCTION.—
The act of Parliament for making this line, which will
unite the Windsor branch of the London and South-
Western Railway with the main line to Southampton,
taking the Reading, Guildford, and Reigate line in its
way, and opening up a direct communication with Vir-
ginia water and the Ascot race-course, received the
Royal assent in July last ; but it was rumoured that the
company would not be in a position to commence the
works until next year. This, however, turns out to be
incorrect, for it is now formally announced that the
work of construction will be commenced to-morrow
(Tuesday) by the turning of the " first sod" in a field
adjoining the public•house called the Broomhall Hut,
near the site of the late encampment at Chobham. The
ceremony, we hear, will take place about 1 o'clock, and
the chairman, directors, and their friends will celebrate
the event by dining together afterwards at the Wells Inn
Sunning-hill.
SHROPSHIRE AND MONTGOMERYSHIRE.—The proposed
new line is to run from the Llanidloes and Newtown Rail-
way, at the latter place, rid the Rea Valley to Shrews-
bury, and rid Welshpool to Oswestry, a length of 47
miles, at an estimated cost of 7,0001. per mile.
LONDON AND NORTH-WESTERN.—IMPROVEMENTS IN
RAILWAY AXLES.—Hollow railway axles are being in-
troduced extensively on the London and North-Western
Railway. The reduction in weight is taken at one-third
of the solid axles hitherto in use, and it is found that in
point of strength and resistance of fracture and concus-
sion, the " hollow" axle has double the power of the
solid, thereby proving the " tubular" form of structure,
as illustrated in many other mechanical matters, to be
conducive both to safe and economical working.